The Church Grows through Connections

The Church Grows through Connections

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. (1 Corinthians 12:4–6) In His providence, God supplies individuals and churches with the talents they need to perform the work for which He has called them. Personal di [...]

Preaching and Living the Whole Gospel

Preaching and Living the Whole Gospel

The Gospel is not just “getting people saved.” Salvation is the start of a lifetime-long journey of sanctification and growth. For too long, the Church has been abandoning its role as the “change agent” within culture and society. Cursing the darkness is much easier, because shining a light requires more effort and more time. But the fact that it’s difficult doesn&rsq [...]

Be Fruitful and Optimistic

Be Fruitful and Optimistic

Guest article by Mark Dewey The Lord has blessed my wife and me with the privilege and challenge of raising fourteen children. Our family has been afforded the opportunity to interact with men, women, and children from multiple states and other countries. When people first see “all those children,” they often ask if we are Amish, Mormon, or Roman Catholic. In one sense this is understandable; in a [...]

The Way We Should Go

The Way We Should Go

“A student is not above the teacher; but everyone, when he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher” (Luke 6:40). God’s plan for His people is growth. The entire experience of life is characterized (or should be) by continued maturity—from infancy to adulthood. Parents teach their children “the way they should go” (Proverbs 22:6), while also gaining a deeper u [...]

Leading from the Middle

Leading from the Middle

Movements for change require leaders, but they also require those willing to do the everyday work. While most people have their eyes trained on the captivating individual at the forefront, the real change is coming from deeper inside. Somewhere in the “middle management” of the change movement is where the real work gets done. History 101: Lessons from the Past History 101 is an overvi [...]

Become the Problem They Think You Are

Become the Problem They Think You Are

Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” (John 8:12) “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. [...]

Bart Ehrman and John's Apocalypse

Bart Ehrman and John's Apocalypse

As a Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina, Dr. Bart Ehrman is well-regarded in the area of New Testament textual criticism. He has written many books and given many lectures on the topic. He even participated in a debate in early 2009 with Dr. James White on the topic of the reliability of the NT manuscripts. Dr. Ehrman’s recent fascination is with [...]

Stolen Capital and Loor.tv

Stolen Capital and Loor.tv

Christianity built the modern world. From science to music to art and architecture, the Christian worldview has influenced and informed all the “modern” technology and way of life that we (too often) take for granted. Dr. Greg Bahnsen was known for his phrase “stolen capital.” By this he meant that anti-Christian worldviews take what they like and enjoy from the Christian w [...]

Telling Better Stories

Telling Better Stories

Movies are a self-contained world. The writers and producers make the rules and the circumstances for the worlds they create. Most often though, films use the assumed order of the natural world and don’t attempt to re-write reality for the viewer. Films either reinforce the real world or they rebel against it. Either way, they provide a great way to think through worldview issues and their c [...]

Strategic and Feasible

Strategic and Feasible

One of the main problems with modern Christianity is that it is reactive, rather than proactive. Christians aren’t being taught to think and act operationally. A Christian worldview is a great first step, but how does that worldview apply beyond the classroom? What does a Christian worldview look like when it is lived out and applied to daily life? Douglas Wilson has been a worldview warrior [...]

Reading the Bible as Literature

Reading the Bible as Literature

How should the Bible be interpreted? Most conservative Christians will immediately respond with the answer “literally.” But what does it mean to interpret literally? How should a book written thousands of years ago by multiple authors in different settings and cultures be understood by modern readers? Paul Lee Tan is helpful when he writes: “Literal interpretation of the Bible si [...]

The Mark and Number of the Beast

The Mark and Number of the Beast

Technology has always played a part in the dispensational explanation of the “mark of the beast” and “buying and selling” discussed in Revelation 13. Sensational teachers rely on fear and current events to sell books and fill conferences with participants ready to hear the latest “end times” theory. But what does the Bible actually say? Should Scripture be inter [...]

Internet Exegesis and Bible Prophecy

Internet Exegesis and Bible Prophecy

Gary was recently interviewed by Pastor Richard Henry about current events and eschatology. Gary addresses biblical hermeneutics and the current phenomenon of “internet exegesis,” which seeks to apply modern events to Bible prophecy. Internet exegesis is simply a computerized version of “newspaper exegesis.” Last Days Madness In this authoritative book, Gary DeMar clears th [...]

Scaring Liberals with "Hate Groups"

Scaring Liberals with "Hate Groups"

Gary responds to an email that he received from a critic. Claiming to be a “person of the church,” the individual expresses his dissatisfaction that organizations like American Vision are “allowed to exist.” Apparently freedom of speech only extends to particular “church persons” by his definition. The email is strangely similar to the sign someone posted on our [...]

Hate Notes on Our Dumpster

Hate Notes on Our Dumpster

Someone posted a sign (image above) on the American Vision dumpster declaring that Gary created a “hate group.” The sign was complete with QR codes for anyone wanting further reading during their trip to the trash bin. American Vision has been targeted and slandered by critics for years. This is to be expected when your message is antithetical to the Leftist agenda. Posting signs on du [...]

Do All to the Glory of God... but how?

Do All to the Glory of God... but how?

by John Livingston The Apostle Paul said, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31). His command is comprehensive. His point was that, even in the very mundane things we do every day, we should be bound by the desire to glorify God. Our redemption in Jesus is total: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. [...]

Remembering and Revolutionaries

Remembering and Revolutionaries

The following movie review from a 2005 issue of Biblical Worldview Magazine is quite relevant to our own day and time of “burn it down” revolutionaries. G.K. Chesterton, ever the prophet and eminently quotable, made the point about good always needing to be vigilant in the fight against evil with his “old white post” analogy: Chesterton addressed this perennial fight for go [...]

Why a Star? The Bible and Astrology

Why a Star? The Bible and Astrology

Frequently, around Christmas time, we are treated to yet another (often just a repeat of previous “findings”) naturalistic explanation of the biblical “Star of Bethlehem.” Natural explanations of biblical phenomena can sometimes have their place, but they can also be diversions—for unbelievers and believers alike. A far better approach for believers is to know and receive the deep, rich biblical m [...]

What Are We Waiting For?

What Are We Waiting For?

Click here to listen to the podcast based on this article. In Luke 2:22-40, we are introduced to two individuals named Simeon and Anna. They were in the temple when Mary and Joseph brought the baby Jesus to “present him to the Lord.” We learn that Simeon and Anna were faithful believers expectantly awaiting the Messiah’s promised appearance. We are also told that Simeon was waiting for “the consol [...]

Belonging and Sock Puppets

Belonging and Sock Puppets

American Vision has always been about encouraging young people to develop their worldview talents of writing, film production, and podcasting. Unfortunately, there are few places where they can exhibit their work to a broader audience. The following is the first in what American Vision hopes is a long list of writers who will put their talents on display. – Gary DeMar A Review of The Haunting (196 [...]