Where your faith on your sleeve?

I don't normally dig "Christian" shirts, or "Christian" oven mits, or whatever the latest CBA marketing gimmicks are but occassionally there comes along someone serious about their faith and their art equally. Here are 3 clothing companies out there that I have come to believe in think are worth sharing.

Micah (online here and at myspace)

We are an independent clothing line. This is our myspace. Our hope is that through our clothing we can bring joy to a hurting world. We are Christians, but we don’t want to just be labeled a ‘Christian company,’ we want to live like one. We hope for the future. We hope you will join us in our efforts.

Jedidiah (see them here and at myspace)

Jedidiah....a passion for people, branding hope for the world

In 2001, the concept of a clothing brand that would be rooted in love became a reality for a small group of people in southern California. Burdened by what seemed to be an endless onslaught of lifestyle alternatives that promote self-gratification, greed and addiction. Jedidiah embarked on a path of trying to touch the hearts of people through clothing. We feel that serving others is more fulfilling to the human heart than serving yourself.

Prophetik (find them here and at myspace)

Wearable Philosophy
There is a war at hand between the balance of the needs of the individual and the needs of the community…between freedom and order….between passions and principles…between selfish desires and stewardship…short term verses long term.

(* Each picture and quote taken from the designers website and/or myspace)

Lust Control

My friend that Rabbi posted today on Fighting Lust with some links to the Irish Calvinist and a great resource from John Piper. I will direct you there for the serious side of the discussion and some valuable tools he has already listed. But it did remind me of an infamous underground Christian punk band with secret identities, ski masks, and a penchant for the taboo. Luckily the church has come along way since the days of Lust Control and now discussions about sexuality and sex are handled openly and biblically. (in most cases) Thanks in part to this new attitude the identities of the group are no longer a secret either. In fact to my surprise they even have a myspace though they no longer perform or record.

One of their most memorable songs was "The Big M." I'll give you one guess what that one is about. Check out their music and check out the Rabbi's thoughts on the subject.

Titanic Crew Discovers Jesus' DNA in Family Tomb?

Well apparently James Cameron, director of Titanic, has now directed a documentary on the alleged discovery of Jesus' Family Tomb. The whole thing is silly when you take a few minutes to look at their arguments and evidence (if you can call it that with a straight face.) I will make a few comments but mostly just need to direct you to much wiser and more scholarly men than myself who each discuss this issue from their respective fields of expertise.

See scholarly responses from Darrel Bock, Ben Witherington, and Scot McKnight. See Bock and Witherington who both quote the same statistician on how common the names were in Jesus family and found in the tomb, proving nothing more than alot of people had those names. It would be similar to me walking into any cemetary here in Texas and finding a tombstone that read Kim Smith or John Jones. I would be silly to think it was the Jones or Smith I knew.

See also Gene Edward Vieth, and his second comment and then Andy Rowell. While these men are both scholars they offer some comment but link to several other sources as well.

Here are my comments but remember I am just a youth pastor what I know is based only on the Bible, a sophmoric sense of humor, and copious notes taken watching several seasons of CSI. CSI:Las Vegas mind you, not the annoyingly mello-dramatic Miami version with David whats-his-name.

1. Location, Location, Location: Jesus would not have been "buried" away from his home town and family members. Everyone goes home to be buried. Unless you have some complex agenda that forces you to make sketchy arguments and illogical leaps to defend your bogus argument.

2. The DaVinci Code: Did we not just have this whole Jesus was never married argument about 6 months ago? Go rehash all those slam dunks just to remind you that not only did the Titanic sink but so did this whole Jesus got married schtick.

3. The DNA Evidence: Gil Grissom will tell you or anyone on his CSI team, or any 5th grader that has a lick of sense will tell you how absurd this is! Where did you get the 'original DNA sample' to compare the DNA found in this tomb. I guess thousands of years before we knew anything about DNA the Roman soldiers swabbed the inside of Jesus mouth to take a DNA sample just for posterities sake? I suppose that sample has just been siting in a Roman warehouse somewhere, filed away, waiting for the day and age we were caught up technologically to have something to compare it too. I am sorry it just takes much more 'blind faith' to be an atheist than it does to use common sense, historical accuracy, and Biblical authority and believe Christianity.

4. The Stolen Body Theory: Had Jesus been relocated to another tomb/burial site, the disciples would have been the ones who had to do it. They all were martyred/murdered for their belief that Jesus was resurrected and unwillingness to recant this account. Maybe one or two men might be willing to die for a lie they know to be false, but not eleven. There is no way all eleven men would have been willing to live a life of persecution and die a torturous death for a hoax they themselves knew to be false.

Just to let you know I of take the arguments and concerns of athiest, agnostics, and middle schoolers all equally serious. The case presented in this 'documentary' is can not be taken serious however and is a sad excuse for research and scholarship.

The Orthodoxy Challenge

In response to the Blasphemy Challenge which I referred to in my last post I created a group at YouTube called The Orthodoxy Challenge. I encourage you to make a video of yourself profession faith in the God of the Bible. I encourage you to make it a Trinitarian confession to revel your position as a Christian in the historical orthodox tradition of the faith, and in direct response to the request of the proponents of the Blasphemy Challenge offering teenagers a free dvd to renounce the existence of the Holy Spirit based on the BC founders flawed and sophomoric interpretation of Mark 3:29, "Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin."



Display your orthodoxy well for the world to see. Here is my request I posted of anyone wishing to post a video or have their confessional statement added to the Orthodoxy Challenge group on Youtube:

This is a sight encouraging Christians to make a simple, short video statement professing their faith in the Triune God of the Bible. Profess you faith and belief in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This is a missional calling to simply show the world where you stand. Please keep it short simple and to the point. Don't preach just PROFESS.

Is this Blasphemy Unpardonable?

The Blasphemy Challenge is a website created to entice their audience (mostly teenagers) to renounce the God of the Bible by denying the existence of the Holy Spirit based on their interpretation of the "unpardonable sin" in Mark 3:29, "Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin." For the first 1001 people willing to post their "blasphemy" video on youtube they would send them a DVD.

Watch the video which is an interview of the founder of the movement on Fox News. Then answer some questions and share your comments.



1.) Is this your interpretation of Mark 3:29?

2.) Have these teenagers truly condemned themselves to hell because of their one time statement?

3.) What happens if they want to recant later and profess faith in Christ?

4.) What would you say to them if you had a chance to talk to them one on one?