“Coulson is offering a new mature creation apologetic that basically says that God has only ever used ‘natural’ processes to create, but during creation week he sped up those processes.” - AiG

“because it’s so universally beautiful and utterly unnecessary, true beauty is always an apologetic for God. Here are 20 of my favorite quotes from DeWitt’s book.” - TGC

“AI will be adapted. Conversational AI or ‘large language models’ like the ones used in ChatGPT will continue to improve. ChatGPT 4 is coming out later this year, which has about 100 times more parameters in the neural networks than 3.5” - TGC

“Rather than analyzing the reasons for the disappearing offering plate, let’s take a look at some of the implications of this dramatic shift. There is more to it than a mere removal of a traditional element of worship service. Indeed, the change is very important.” - Thom Rainer

“Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves has pledged to sign a bill into law that would ensure Medicaid coverage for twelve months of postpartum expenses for the state’s mothers.” - TAC

“Chapman’s ‘Don’t Lose Heart’ was released in 2022 as a part of ‘Still,’ his latest album, and addressed the loss and grief his family has experienced.” - RNS

“Even in the ‘freest’” of liturgies, the leaders have established at least some order of events. Further, we must remember the clear command from the Apostle Paul: ‘Let all things be done decently and in order’” - Ref21

“Edmund Burke warned that in poorly ordered democracies, ‘moderation will be stigmatized as the virtue of cowards; and compromise as the prudence of traitors.’” - Law & Liberty

“The Jesus Movement was built on a theologically weak foundation, with a theologically weak man (if he was even truly converted) as its leader.” - P&D

See also…

‘Jesus Revolution’ Receives A+ CinemaScore, Collects Over $15M on Opening Weekend - C.Leaders

“Jesus Revolution” entertains with the moving true story of the origins of the “Jesus freaks” - Denison

Psalm 145 is an acrostic psalm, that is, the author chose to construct the psalm using the literary device of following the order of the Hebrew alphabet from aleph to tav for each successive verse. Such acrostics are rather common in the Hebrew Bible, the most famous being Psalm 119, where each successive group of eight verses begins with the same Hebrew letter. Several other Psalms follow the acrostic pattern, as do four of five chapters in Lamentations, and the final 22 verses of Proverbs 31, in praise of the “virtuous woman.”

“1. Wait until disclosure occurs to prepare. If you wait for a crisis to prepare for a crisis, you will not be prepared.” - Lifeway

“LCMS President Matthew Harrison said he was ‘shocked to learn recently that a few members of LCMS congregations have been propagating radical and unchristian “alt-right” views via Twitter and other social media.’” - CLeaders

"According to most theories of cosmology, galaxies formed from small clouds of stars and dust that gradually increased in size. In the early universe, the story goes, matter came together slowly. But that doesn’t account for the massive size of the newly identified objects." - Smithsonian

Related:

“Sure we want to stretch toward a greater potential, but not with the result of an inept and fake experience.” - Phil Cooke

“Palm Beach Atlantic’s provost contends that the situation is a dustup over pedagogy, not censorship of racial justice education, according to an internal email.” - RNS

I have received the following objection to the Pre-Trib Rapture from a brother named Jerry Parks. Jerry is a good man who blogs here. He states his argument thus (I have brought together his main assertions from several comments etc.):

Paul makes clear in his discussion of the resurrection in 1 Cor. 15 that it is being in Christ that is the only means to the resurrection of which Paul is speaking. Specifically he says: “For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” (KJV).

Rockford, Illinois

“Taking Heed to Yourself and the Doctrine.”

More at https://ccggrockford.org

Fanning the Flames of Passionate Ministry

Grand Rapids, Michigan

More: https://churchministriesconference.com/schedule/

“Facing enrollment declines, the Illinois university ends in-person and residential learning, except for Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and its law school in California.” - CToday

“Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches (GSFA), which represents 75 percent of the worldwide Anglican Communion… released a letter on February 20, stating that the Church of England has ‘disqualified herself from leading the Communion as the historic “Mother” Church’ by its approval of blessings for same-sex couples.” - CBMW

See also…

“After the conclusion of the Together for the Gospel conference in 2022, a number of us started talking about how we might build on that legacy to provide a venue for pastors …to be edified, inspired” - DeYoung

Related: Discussing the Coram Deo Pastors Conference with John Piper - Piper/DeYoung

“Through Feb. 12, about 7,200 civilians had been killed in war in Ukraine since Russia invaded the country Feb. 24, 2022, the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reported.” - BPNews

Related: One Year Later, Christians in Ukraine Say, ‘We Wouldn’t Want to Be Anywhere Else’ - TGC

“How many young men never hear the call of the Holy Ghost and desire the work of the ministry because their life is stained with this sin? How many never consider entering the gospel ministry because they think themselves unfit?” - P&D

“The point of this post is not to talk about Asbury, but to talk about the Bible. While the Bible doesn’t use the word ‘revival,’ it does detail instances in the lives of God’s people where sudden and surprising change takes place.” - Kevin DeYoung

Related: Celebrating Revival in a Cynical Age - CToday

“The Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee decided on Tuesday (Feb. 21) to approve the recommendation from the denomination’s credentials committee” - RNS

Welcome to the latest iteration of Sharperiron.org. Since nobody knows what iteration we’re actually on, ‘23 it is!

First, thanks for your patience over the down time. Second, thanks for your continued patience as we work out bugs, finish construction in places, and tidy up a lot. Third, thanks for being a Sharper Iron reader, or—if the shoe fits—participant.

If you’re new to the site and attempting to register, the process may move a little slower than normal for a while. Though we’re working on our email configuration to eliminate things that tend to trigger spam filters, be sure to check your spam folders and mark SI emails as ‘not spam,’ if your email app has that feature.

Lately I’ve found myself looking at developments on the world stage, as they say, and thinking, are these events going to be in the history books of the future as turning points that lead to WWIII?

Dr. Dan Olinger has taught at Bob Jones University since 2000, following 19 years as a writer, editor, and supervisor at BJU Press. He teaches courses in theology, New Testament, and Old Testament, with special interests in ecclesiology and the Pauline Epistles.

Paul J. Scharf (M.A., M.Div., Faith Baptist Theological Seminary) is a church ministries representative for The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, based in Columbus, WI, and serving in the Midwest. For more information on his ministry, visit sermonaudio.com/pscharf or foi.org/scharf, or email pscharf@foi.org.

“We couldn’t compete, so we didn’t try. We were just ourselves—faithful nobodies who wanted God to use them.” - Chuck Lawless