Kingdom Knights: Fight the Scandal

How to Stop Abortion

2006-11-09T14:40:00.000-05:00

There is no doubt that abortion is one of the greatest evils in our country at this time. And yet for over thirty years it has paraded unstopped. This is ten times worse than slavery, and that issue caused our country to fracture in civil war. Imagine the implications of abortion if it is allowed to continue. Already it has slaughtered millions of innocent children. Homicide is horrible; cold-blooded murder of children – the epitome of innocence - is unthinkable. When I hold the small hand of a baby in mine, and feel its warmth, it is infuriating to think that there are literally thousands of hardened criminals who would gladly let that hand go cold. And yet, these people are defended by law!

So how is one to stop this awful onslaught? I have a plan that if put to action may save our country. It will require men and women of every walk of life to step forward and make this a dominant purpose. William Wilberforce fought his whole life to outlaw slavery in Great Britain. It will take our concerted energies and God’s blessing to vanquish this self-inflicted curse of abortion.

Evangelism is the first step to overcoming abortion in our country. We must change the hearts of the people so that they will once again seek God and forgiveness in Jesus Christ. Only then will the people themselves despise this sin and turn against it. We need to ardently and fearlessly evangelize.

By education we can show people the true horrors of abortion. We need people who will vigorously research the science of these issues and create tracts, posters and books that will be accurate and affordable for quick spread.

Writers can utilize the power of the pen to condemn abortion. Through essays, poems and novels we can force these issues upon people in a professional and compelling way. Uncle Tom’s Cabin, a novel that frowned upon slavery, helped to bring the issue to a head. In the same way, Christian novelists need to produce short stories and novels that show abortion for what it is.

Pastors need to preach against these things as well. When our pulpits echo with the message of life, the people will begin to pick it up. Social reform starts in churches. We cannot fear what men will think; we need to speak loud and clear.

Those aspiring toward politics can push and pray for legislation that will ban abortion. We have seen some advancements in this area, but with the takeover of the Congress by the Democrats, the need for loud political pro-life voices is great.

Those of you aspiring toward a medical profession, volunteer at pro-life clinics that seek to provide an alternative for abortion!

If you have been blessed with a lot of money, use it to support those who are taking a stand and need support for books, tracts, movies etc.

Get married, have children of your own and if you know someone, who is thinking of aborting, offer to adopt the child!

Finally, let’s pray. The power of prayer is enormous, but we must take action as well. Prayer can’t be a shield from doing our part.

I realize that all of these things are going on in some form or another, but I encourage you to get involved. If thousands of us threw ourselves into this combat, imagine the impact we could have! Find your area of interest or expertise and prayerfully discover how you can use that to wage war against abortion.

God bless you for your interest in stopping this curse, and please spread this essay as much as you can. I hold no copyright on it; the only thing I ask is that you don’t modify the content.
2006 – Jonathan McCarthy – jleem88@gmail.com

Sorry

2006-04-26T13:31:00.000-04:00

Sorry for not posting for a while...soon.

Podcast: The Chronicles of Narnia

2006-04-08T16:29:00.000-04:00

Extra! Extra! Jonathan McCarthy and I have teamed up to bring you a special podcast in honor of the Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe release on DVD. In this podcast, we discuss the plot, the magic, the "pagan elements," and how well the movie portrayed the books, among other issues. Enjoy!

Click here to download.

New Blog

2006-03-14T16:06:00.000-05:00

I recently created a new blog similar to this one. Please check it out of you have the time. www.christianthink.blogspot.com

The Emerging Church: A Scriptural Movement?

2006-03-02T17:00:00.000-05:00

In recent months, the Emerging Church movement has come to the forefront of controversies in the Body of Christ. Many people have hailed it as the revival that believers have long awaited, the biggest bang since the Charismatic movement took off in the 1950's. However, many theologians and leaders in all Christian communities have expressed concern over the orthodoxy and Scriptural foundation for this movement. For instance, Dr. Albert Mohler (representing Evangelicals), speaking on the orthodoxy of the movement states:

The Emergent movement represents a significant challenge to biblical Christianity. Unwilling to affirm that the Bible contains propositional truths that form the framework for Christian belief, this movement argues that we can have Christian symbolism and substance without those thorny questions of truthfulness that have so vexed the modern mind. The worldview of postmodernism--complete with an epistemology that denies the possibility of or need for propositional truth--affords the movement an opportunity to hop, skip and jump throughout the Bible and the history of Christian thought in order to take whatever pieces they want from one theology and attach them, like doctrinal post-it notes, to whatever picture they would want to draw. [1]

Ingrid Schlueter notes:

The fundamental problem with the emerging church is that it rejects the authority of the Word of God. Emergents prefer mystery to clarity, they prefer questions to direct answers. They prefer the journey to the destination. They question and undermine and insert doubt in the minds of young people who are already swimming in a sea of postmodern confusion. [2]

Dr. John MacArthur, speaking to students at The Master's Seminary, tells us:

"The only ones they want to debate are those who are true to the historic understanding of the place of Scripture. [...] It is de-prioritizing the place of Scripture in the sense that you can't understand it anyway." [3]

Clearly, these conservative evangelical (and Evangelical) leaders are shaken by the rising volume of this movement. And it is no wonder. After all, if these people are going to rewrite or ignore the Scriptures, how can we accept them as brothers?

As much respect as I have for people like Dr. Albert Mohler and Dr. John MacArthur (I really can't speak for Ms. Schlueter since I am not too familiar with everything she has said in the past and her *cough* enmity *cough* with Richard Abanes gives me pause), I didn't want to accept their word at face value. After doing some further research, I found this article by Ed Stetzer that provides some close insight concerning the Emerging Church Movement. [4] He basically divides the movement into "relevants," "reconstructionists," and "revisionists" - all of which were summarized best by Mr. Stetzer:

Relevants - "There are a good number of young (and not so young) leaders who some classify as “emerging” that really are just trying to make their worship, music and outreach more contextual to emerging culture. [...] They are simply trying to explain the message of Christ in a way their generation can understand."
Reconstructionists - "The reconstructionists think that the current form of church is frequently irrelevant and the structure is unhelpful. [...] Therefore, we see an increase in models of church that reject certain organizational models, embracing what are often called “incarnational” or “house” models. They are responding to the fact that after decades of trying fresh ideas in innovative churches, North America is less churched, and those that are churched are less committed."
Revisionists - "Right now, many of those who are revisionists are being read by younger leaders and perceived as evangelicals. They are not -- at least according to our evangelical understanding of Scripture. We significantly differ from them regarding what the Bible is, what it teaches and how we should live it in our churches. [...] Revisionists are questioning (and in some cases denying) issues like the nature of the substitutionary atonement, the reality of hell, the complementarian nature of gender, and the nature of the Gospel itself."

To be perfectly honest, I think that the first group is perfectly sound in terms of Scripture. In fact, they are far better off, in terms of doctrine and life, than many mainstream denominations today (think of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) which is liberal, has adopted female eldership, and consistently denies the clear truths of the Word). If the Church Emergent is simply made up of "relevants" (to borrow Mr. Stetzer's term), I have no problem whatsoever with it. Unfortunately, that is not the case.

Reconstructionists, not to be confused with the Reconstructionistic cults that exist here in the United States have good intentions. To some extent, I agree that much of the hierarchy and insitutional forms that have been adopted within the Church today have the tendency to do a "shock-and-awe" on new believers. Consider the fact that there are multiple ideas concerning the episcopate, the presbytery, the convention, the assembly, the congregation. It's enough to make any scholar confused. How far has the Church gone from the simple style of leadership and authority that once defined it? (Note: This is not to impugn any form of church government but only to make the point that there are so many institutions that it's easy to get lost amidst them. My opinions concerning chuch government can be brought up at a later time). To that end, I will admire the reconstructionist part of the Emerging Church. They want to return to the simplicity of the Early Church and maintain its zeal. Good for them and may God reward their efforts. And, so long as their doctrine is orthodox and their lives showing the power of the Cross, I will not attack them.

It appears, too, that Mr. Stetzer would agree with my conclusions. Speaking of the relevants, he says, "Ironically, while some may consider them liberal, they are often deeply committed to biblical preaching, male pastoral leadership and other values common in conservative evangelical churches. [...] The contemporary churches of the 1980s and 90s did the same thing (and some are still upset at them for doing so). However, if we find biblical preaching and God-centered worship in a more culturally relevant setting, I rejoice just as I would for international missionaries using tribal cultural forms in Africa."

He gives a similar word concerning the reconstructionists: "Yet, they typically hold to a more orthodox view of the Gospel and Scripture. [...] So, if emerging leaders want to think in new ways about the forms (the construct) of church, that’s fine -- but any form needs to be reset as a biblical form, not just a rejection of the old form. Don’t want a building, a budget and a program? OK."

But what about the revisionists? At this point, I am truly ready to denounce them - along with Drs. Mohler and MacArthur, and with Ms. Schlueter, too. One does not ignore or change the Gospel of our Lord and remain in fellowship with the Body of Christ. In the words of the Apostle John [Revelation 22:18-19, ESV], "I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book." [emphasis mine]

In condemning the revisionists' theology, we affirm the truths of the Bible. But let us not reject our brothers and sisters in the Emerging Church Movement. I look forward to your thoughts. If you consider yourself to be part of the Emerging Church, please leave a comment here for us at Kingdom Knights to tell us a little bit about your beliefs, your practices, and, if you have a blog or website, to leave a link.

I close with the words of Jesus on the eve of His crucifixion [John 17:22-23, ESV]:

The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.

Sources:

Mohler, Dr. Albert. "A Generous Orthodoxy" - Is It Orthodox?. 02/16/06 (Source: Crosswalk.com). (c) 2006 (link)
Schlueter, Ingrid. Emerging Apostasy. 02/06 (Source: Christian Worldview Network). (c) 2006 (link)
MacArthur, Dr. John. The Emerging Church Movement. 2006 Faculty Lecture Series. 02/06 (Source: The Master's Seminary). (c) 2006 (link to download)
Stetzer, Ed. "FIRST PERSON: Understanding the emerging church." (Source: Southern Baptist Convention, Baptist Press). (c) 2006. (link)
All Bible verses found at www.BibleGateway.com.

A discussion of Contemporary Christian Music

2006-03-02T16:03:00.001-05:00

A discussion of Contemporary Christian Music: hosted by Jonathan L. McCarthy

Note: This material may be used in a future issue of a newsletter for which I write. By posting, you give me rights to use or exclude your comments in the publication.

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Narnia: Discussion

2006-02-02T13:23:00.000-05:00

Narnia: A disscussion between David Ketter and Jonathan McCarthy concerning the issues.

Discussion Starter

2006-01-29T16:56:00.000-05:00

Discussion Starter:Which is harder to do: Obey or Honor your parents?

The Travelar

2006-01-19T19:08:00.000-05:00

I’m running a little dry on ideas for articles, but I’ll try your patience with a poem that I wrote a while ago, and Lordwilling, I’ll be writing articles again soon. -JLM

The Travelar
By Jonathan L. McCarthy

The sun rays fell hard on the rock-dirt path,
Where stood a lone travelar, his face gray.
It poured its heat on his sunken head in unmerited wrath,
And beat his hair to the color of moldy hay.

His blue cracked eyes look up with tears,
At the hill which rises before him yet.
He closes his chapped lips and hides his fears,
And steps forward where few feet have ever set.

A foe behind him stealthily steals,
Fits an arrow to the string,
The dart flies heavy, it strongly wheels,
Into the back of the crippled ugly thing.
He sinks to his knees and groans,
But none there do care,

None seem to hear his aged moans,
And only the sun does see and glare.
But at last a hand, it seems we see,
Touches softly his withered cheek,
He looks up suddenly, with eyes that are free,
And there is joy across his face that cannot speak.

It seems one helps him slowly to rise,
Upon his wrinkled feet to stand,
He stares defiantely at the sun’s dark lies,
And kisses that nail-pierced hand.

Then fixing his eyes at the top of the hill,
Where a glitter that is not the sun shines,
He grips the dirt and with gravel his hand does fill,
And he pulls himself up the dragon’s spines.

Blood trickles down an aged rocky stone,
And mixes with the red of One before,
Who climbed that face all alone,
And heavy hatred, not earned, bore.

And now at the very top the travelar trips,
But a dear sweet hand grasps his own,
And into His embrace, he quietly slips,
"I am always with you. Never are you alone."

"And though the sun may fire his flames every day,
And the archers pierce your back in rage,
And they lure you time and again into dark dismay,
I am with you always. Even unto the end of the age."

An Argument for a Designer

2005-12-28T10:49:00.001-05:00

Jonathan L. McCarthy

There has been a lot of ruckus lately about this issue of intelligent design. Interestingly, as Christian as you may think this theory is, it is still a far cry from our faith, but at least it seems to be a step closer to the right direction. When you consider it, though, teaching I.D. isn't going to necessarily put kids in contact with Christ. You can still be a pagan and believe in god (small 'g'). However, as I said, the theory is veritable and the intentions (in some) good. As simple as this article may seem, I think it is necessary because there are a lot of people out there who claim to be intelligent and yet deny this basic truth.

So, I simply want to show in logical formula that there must be an intelligent designer. According to Modus Ponens, one of several logical patterns, p implies q, and if one has p, one must inevitably have q. Now, this question entirely depends upon the premise. My premise is this, that a design, implies a designer.

Obviously, it would be easy enough to do the run-down of p implies q and finish this article, but that would be hardly fair. I need to prove my premise. First I need to define design. A design is an arrangement of anything that has enough complexity to it to demand an intelligent creator. Humans make "design judgements" every day of our lives probably hundreds of times...subconsciously of course. When we see a flight of stairs, we assume that someone with an intelligent mind created those stairs to bear our weight. We recognize a design. When we lay eyes on a computer, we assume that a thinking inventor pieced it together to boot up upon pushing the start button. We recognize a design. I could go on endlessly, but the point is clear.

So, subconsciously, we all recognize that once an object attains a certain degree of complexity, it had to be put together that way on purpose by a thinking being. Nature alone wouldn't attain that complexity. Let's say that this degree is 4c (4 complexity). A flight of stairs is 4c, a seesaw is 5c, and a computer is 900c. Anything at 4c or above implies design (p implies q). It is important to realize that your brain functions this way. Let me pose a question. Which is more complex, a flight of stairs or your cardiac system? Obviously, your cardiac system is more complex. If we therefore, carry out our Modus Ponens, we must determine that the cardiac system was designed.

The logic for this is: Premise 1: Anything greater than or equal to 4c demands design Premise 2: The human cardiac system is greater than 4c Conclusion: The human cardiac system demands design. The analogy goes all through nature.
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Like it or not, but this premise is established in each and every one of our minds. Once something attains that hypothetical 4c, it is no longer a fluke of chance. So, to deny I.D., you really must deny a principle that goes far more than skin deep.

In Rejection of Mediocrity: Christ is the Season!

2005-12-25T13:13:00.000-05:00

David MacMillan and his father have put together a wonderful PowerPoint presentation about Christmas and the Gospel...I'd encourage you all to check it out at In Rejection of Mediocrity. The URL is http://standonbible.blogspot.com/2005/12/christ-is-season.html.

Grace, Peace, and Merry CHRISTmas!
David Ketter

Christmas Questions

2005-12-23T18:26:00.000-05:00

Christmas Questions

Thought provokers for your Christmas devotions

-Jonathan L. McCarthy

Matthew 1&2; Luke 1-2:40

In the genealogy, why does the writer say, "Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham?" (NASB)

Jesus means Joshua. Of what significance is this?

How is it that Herod could recognize the authority of the OT prophets and yet believe that he could successfully frustrate their prophecies?

Luke 1:16-17 reflects Jesus’ mission, but what can we discover about His nature?
What can be learned from Zacharias’ response to the answer to his prayers?
How did Mary respond to the angel differently than Zacharias had?

Mercy and exaltation of the humble are the themes of Mary’s song. How do these tie in with Christ’s life and mission?

Is it possible that Zacharias’ prophecy in 1:68-69 outlines the story of all Scripture?
How did the shepherds respond to the news? How would you have responded?
What significant implication of Christ’s mission does Simeon uniquely predict in 2:32?

Summarize the mission of Christ as revealed by Zacharias, Mary and Simeon.

The Urgency of Our Mission

2005-12-18T13:45:00.001-05:00

There are many Evangelicals among us who believe that we are living in the last days. Many have cited Jesus' statements about the "days of Noah and the "days of Lot" in support of that thesis. They have also pointed out certain prophecies from Old Testament prophets that have yet to be fulfilled, along with other signs that Jesus indicated as coming shortly before His coming. If their statements are to be believed (and there is a strong credibility there), then evangelism and outreach are at their peak point in urgency.

In the last month, during my blogging sabbatical, God has been increasingly pressing upon my spirit the importance of the last days. Many of those who read The Account can tell you that I've been covering a host of topics like Church History, Christian unity, and Christian doctrines (e.g., Predestination, etc.) and I would love to continue them, and pray that I will receive that opportunity but, as I said, I believe this is what God is telling me to do.

The study of the last days is known in theological circles as eschatology. This is a field in which man has dabbled in for centuries - with very little success. Those who succeeded were the Hebrew prophets, the Apostles of Jesus, and some other early figures in the Christian Church - all of which had significant impact on the study. Jesus himself, however, had quite a few things to say about the Last Days. When one reads about it, a few things stick out:

"wars and rumors of wars" We live in a day and age when war is everywhere. The War on Terror, the War in Iraq, the civil instability around the world, and world war a constant threat with the hype about weapons of mass destruction.
"pestilences" The word used here refers to epidemics and mass spread of disease - often fatal. AIDS, HIV, cancer and many other diseases have swept whole continents (Africa, for instance) and are spreading further and further every day.
"they will hate you because of me" Even in the free countries of the world, Christians are no longer accepted and admired as they once were. Tolerance is preached from every secular forum in the world - tolerance for everyone but Christians, that is. We are not accepted because we are not of this world.

All of these things are becoming increasingly familiar to us as the days pass. After Jesus had told them these things, he said (Luke 21:29-31):

He told them this parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near."

For this reason, all Christians, not just Evangelicals, are on a mission from God to reach the lost of every nation, tribe, and tongue. We have our Lord's promise that His Kingdom shall not come until every nation has been reached. We are steadily nearing that goal thanks to the work of Christian missionaries around the world yet how many are the lost! All Christians must begin the work of evangelism that all may hear the Gospel preached. This is the urgency of our mission.
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For the Kingdom!

Aslan, Gandalf and Harry

2005-12-10T12:56:00.001-05:00

Jonathan L. McCarthy

From what I understand, there have been three theatrical fantasy hits over the past few years - The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and now The Chronicles of Narnia are promising great things. As Christians, we need to dissect the differences and perhaps similarities of these productions in light of God's word before we donate ourselves carte blanche to indulge. Many of us, of course have already seen LOTR, but Chronicles of Narnia and HP remain untouched by some. I'll give you my run down, and then open the platform for discussion.

The Lord of the Rings: Some say that this has a lot of Christian symbolism, but I honestly wasn't struck by an over-abundance of hidden meaning. I did think something of Gandalf fighting with the balrog for three days and "rising" again, and perhaps one could interpret the Return of the King as symbolic of the Return of THE King, but again, ambiguity clouds the vision. Besides, Tolkien himself declared that he "detested allegory wherever I smell it." If the work isn't symbolic in any form and fashion, then the fact of Gandalf's being a wizard and using spells poses a Scriptural problem. How can one of protagonists be acceptably using undefined powers? Moreover, the words associated with Gandalf – wizard, spell etc. infer evil power. Even the name Gandalf means "sorcerer-elf". I have friends who believe differently on this, and have tried to explain the mystery to me, so I'm welcome to challenges/clarifications.

Harry Potter: I must confess that I know little about this, simply because I've kept a wide distance from it. I've skimmed one or two articles in a Christian magazine about it, but in general I've steered completely clear. I haven't heard good reports. I've been told that Harry is a sorcerer, which definitely is in contradiction to Scripture.

Chronicles of Narnia: I believe I'm most conversant on this series. I'm ready to give the thumbs up on this one for several reasons. 1) The symbolism is clear. Aslan = Jesus, Witch = Devil, Edmund = fallen humanity. 2) Therefore the power manifested by each of the characters is acutely defined. 3) Furthermore, while the lines of distinction between "good" and "evil" aren't so clear in LOTR, they are clearer in this book. Aslan is good because he represents Jesus and his perfection, forgiveness, sacrifice etc. The Witch is evil because she represents the Devil, hatred and usurpation. I haven’t seen the newest production yet, but if it follows the book, it should be good.
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Now that I've briefly drawn the lines, I'd invite you all to take part. Let me know what you think.

Good God, Bad World

2005-11-18T13:45:00.000-05:00

Good God, Evil World
Jonathan L. McCarthy

If God is good, why on earth does He allow evil to exist in His world? If He is indeed the Supreme Authority, the creator God, why, oh why, do men cry today? Why are whole people groups subjected to horrible plaugues, famines, earthquakes, hurricanes and a multitude of other sorrows?

This question has haunted the minds of believers and fed the skepticism of atheists for too long. It’s time for us to resort to Scripture and see what the Bible says about all of this.
Perhaps it is impossible to fully understand how God operates, but there are several insights that we can glance at.

One day in Jesus ministry, He came across a man who was born in blindness. His disciples strived to assess the situation. Why was this man blind? Logically, they assumed, someone must have sinned. “Rabbi,” they asked, “who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?” [1] Jesus replied, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”[2] So the first possibility with pain is that it may be allowed so that God’s works might be allowed display. What greater thing than to be able to glorify God in your weakness!

James commends us to, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.”[3] So trials can be a way of training Christians. Just like the soldier who has to undergo rigorous discipline to attain to a fighting stance, the Christian soldier is allowed to be subjected to trials and sorrows to create endurance.
In Matthew 5:10-12, Jesus talks about how blessed we are when people persecute us because we’ll gain great rewards in heaven.

So far we’ve looked largely at why God may allow suffering for believers, but why would he allow it for nonbelievers?

The first thing that we have to remember is that evil originates from Satan and man. So in all justice, God shouldn’t have to do anything about evil and its byproduct- pain, but we do wonder why, if He is love, he doesn’t put a halt to it.

I think one reason is obviously that He is punishing unrepentant mankind for their iniquities and allowing them to reap what they sow. However, I think that there is a love aspect to it as well. You see, if there was no pain in the world, people would aimlessly wander into Hell, but as long as there is pain, they are confronted with the desperateness of their situation and seek out a Savior before it is too late. If God removed the symptoms (pain) without removing the disease (sin), He would be a poor doctor. But instead, He allows pain so that people will come to Him to have their sin forgiven and blotted out. Sin drives people to a greater comfort (Matt 11:28-30) than simple removal of pain could ever give.

In the end though, we need to rest in the fact that God’s code of justice is so much better than ours. His mercy is much more grand and far-seeing. “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.[4]

[1] John 9:2 (NASB)
[2] John 9:3 (NASB)
[3] James 1: 2-3
[4] Isaiah 55:8 (NASB)

Sources: Strobel, Lee. The Case for Faith. Grand Rapids, Michigan; Zondervan, 2000

About the Authors

2005-11-18T11:58:00.000-05:00

David Ketter

General Information:

Age: 17
Educational Status: Homeschooled
Grade: 12
Denomination: Inter-Denomational
Organizations: Generation Joshua (member), Excelsior (staff), The Christian Homeschooling Youth's Gazette (editor), Pure Fun (lead music reviewer).

Bio:

David has lived in Western Pennsylvania from day one and will, God willing, continue to do so. Over the years, his interests have taken him into deep study of multiple disciplines, including Ancient and Medieval History with a concentration in the Near East and Europe, Consitutional Law in the United States, English, Christian Theology, Christian Apologetics, Philosophy, Church History, as well as cursory examinations of world religions - including Islam, Ancient Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Mormonism, and modern-day religions like Wicca, Neo-Paganism, and Satanism. Through all of this, David has gained a stronger conviction in the truths of the Christian faith.

David is the owner of The Account (Also located here) - "an evangelical Christian's view of the world" - which is focused mainly on Christian Theology, Philosophy, and Inter-Christian discussion. David and The Account have received accolades from greats like Agent Tim, Spunky Jr., and Alex and Brett Harris of the Rebelution.

It is David's vision that all Christians - Traditional, Reformed, and Evangelical - will one day find that unity in Christ that the Master and His disciples once prayed for. He also hopes for the day when the youth of the Church attain to the zeal of Timothy and Titus and bring the Church back to a right standing with God.

Jonathan McCarthy

General Information:

Age: 17
Educational Status: Homeschooled
Grade: 11
Denomination: Independent Bible Baptist
Organizations: Network 1 (Head of Journalism Department)

Bio:

Jonathan McCarthy was born in Harrisburg, PA; spent 2 years in Zimbabwe, Africa as a Missionary's kid; returned to the States, and after a few years in Harrisburg, moved north about 50 minutes to a small village where his father pastors two small churches. Jonathan has enjoyed writing books since a very young age and more recently has shifted majorly into writing Christian articles on politics and especially apologetics and devotional material. Some of the most inspiring authors in his life have been Ravi Zacharias, John Bunyan and Joshua Harris.

It is Jonathan's vision that many will come to Christ, that false lies will be broken down, our hearts brought closer to Christ, our lives a sacrifice to His lordship and our churches worldwide established in unity and in truth. He longs for the time when the wheat will be seperated from the chaff. In short, He hopes for the final kingdom.

What Is An Evangelical?

2005-11-06T22:15:00.000-05:00

There has been some confusion in the past over the term Evangelical. The fact is that there are two Evangelical movements. One began long ago during the First and Second Great Awakenings. Some of its great leaders include Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, Charles Finney, and others. It was further propogated by the Third Great Awakening. Its emphases were being "born again," repentant, and devoted to God. Some other characteristics were their zeal for the things of God and their literal interpretations of the Scripture. This movement, however, did not create new churches and denominations, but worked within them. Even today, they continue, and there are many Presbyterian churches (usually not PCUSA) that claim the title of Evangelical. In the context of that movement, they are indeed Evangelicals.

The second Evangelical rose out of the murky depths of what some people term the Fourth Great Awakening. It was, in essence, a casual and unintentional split from the Protestant community. To this, the Baptist and Pentecostal churches committed universally. Their empases match those of the first group but they also have their own special points of emphasis: engaging the culture, uniting Christians everywhere, and bringing the world to Christ. Unfortunately, developing an intellectual heritage has never been a primary goal. Currently, this group is part of the self-titled Fundamentalist movement. So when we refer to Evangelicals, this is the group we refer to.

The following denominations/groups are considered to be part of the second Evangelical group:

Baptists (excluding Reformed and Landmarkist)
Assemblies of God
Christian & Missionary Alliance
Pentecostals
Charismatics (of all denominations)
Most Non- or Inter-denominational churches

Modern-Day Knights

2005-11-06T21:15:00.000-05:00

The idea of a knight is often discouraged as a romantic notion better suited to Arthurian legends than to our advanced, high-speed age of modernity. However, our conceptions of literary knights are only masking the powerful truth behind the myth: Knights were warriors with a master, a cause, and a firm conviction in what they did.

The most important thing to a knight was his identity. Who you were and, more importantly, who you served were worth more than your wealth, your past, or even your own family. To dishonor your master was worse than death itself. In this same way, all Christians, not just Evangelicals, are bound to their Lord and Master Jesus Christ. To dishonor Him is worse than any death that we could possibly experience.

Luke 12:8-9 - I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God. But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God.

Secondly, knights had a cause, a purpose that they fought for. In general terms, it was to further their master's kingdom. For Christians, this has multiple facets: evangelism, worship, and fellowship, for instance. Evangelicals really have no problem with those aspects of the fight, but they have a complete lack of participation in the area of intellectualism. This makes them ineffective when the real battles begin because they have no means of strategy, of defense, or any chance of conquering the enemy. In essence, they are fighting in a disorganized manner and will soon succomb to the wiles of the evil one in different ways.

1 Peter 3:15 - But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.

Finally, knights had a firm conviction in their actions. The half-hearted attempts to dive into the intellectual world have failed miserably. This is, in part, due to the fact that they were unprepared, but mostly can be attributed to their complete lack of fervor.

Romans 12:11 -Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

However, by grabbing hold of our Master's honor, to the furtherance of His Kingdom, and doing so with holy zeal, we have, in essence, become His Kingdom Knights. The Apostle Paul offers a good conclusion:

Ephesians 6:10-18 - Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Fighting the Scandal

2005-11-06T15:25:00.000-05:00

In his book The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind, Dr. Mark Noll points out the sad, unhealthy state of the Evangelical intelligensia in the first line of his book:

The scandal of the evangelical mind is that there is not much of an evangelical mind.

This is not a statement that is made lightly and the words should not be disregarded as empty and worthless. In fact, when one looks at the Evangelical world - at the actions and experiences of Baptists, Pentecostals, non- and inter-denominational Christians, as well as other believers who are charismatic or fundamentalist - we see an sparse wasteland with very little signs of life. This is rather an anomaly in the Christian world. For centuries, intellectualism thrived under Christian auspices, and continues to do so in Traditional and Reformed circles. It takes only a brief glance at the various works produced by any group to see the truth of this matter.

If we were to compare, for instance, one page of written work from one great Christian from the Traditional fold, from the Reformed fold, and from the Evangelical fold, we would be hard-pressed to prove Evangelical intellectualism. Thomas Aquinas wrote volumes on theology -the arguments for each and every doctrine logical to the core and strengthened with the tools of philosophy, theology, and earlier writings. One would find the same in the writings of Philip Melancthon, the friend of Luther and one of the earliest apologists of the Reformed doctrine. And who can Evangelicals point to? No one that can compare, unfortunately.

While Dr. Noll would fit more comfortably with Reformed Protestants (anti-dispensationalism) or liberal Christians (anti-young earth creationism) in view of his theology, his book nonetheless presents an irresistable case on the lack of an Evangelical intellecualism. It is in the hope that this reality can be changed in this generation, that we have started this website. We are committed and we ask that you, too, fight the scandal.

Are You Ready?

2005-11-05T17:59:00.000-05:00

Are you ready to fight the scandal? Kingdom Knights is coming soon, check back often for updates!