Why I believe the Bible

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The most important question any Christian should be able to answer is why we choose to believe the Bible. The standard fallback answer given by many is “I was raised that way”. The problem with this sentiment is that many things that we were raised to believe turned out to be false. For example, our parents told us if we went outside with wet hair, we would catch a cold. As adults we learned that a cold is a virus.

Another answer often given is “I tried the Bible and it worked for me.” This answer certainly opens up a huge logical hole when based on a personal experience. Malcolm X changed his life, he tried the Nation of Islam and it “worked for him”. He later denounced his beliefs in Islam and was killed for it. What about the changed life of a Mormon or a Jehovah Witness.

Our response, as Christians, should sound something like this…

“I choose to believe the Bible because it is a reliable collection of historical documents, written by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses, reporting supernatural events that took place in fulfillment of specific prophecies and claimed their writings are Divine in nature and not of human origin.”

Dr. Voddie T. Baucham, Jr., Dean of the School of Divinity at African Christian University in Lusaka, Zambia

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What Are the Five Solas?

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The five solas were not exactly Reformation slogans, but they serve as a good summary of the Reformed faith. Neither Martin Luther nor John Calvin nor any other Protestant Reformer summarized his teachings in a tidy list including Scripture alone, Christ alone, faith alone, grace alone, to the glory of God alone. Taking flight in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, this fivefold summary became the shorthand version of what is known as Reformed theology. While this description of the Reformed faith came later, it still captures well the core of the gospel in all its graciousness and Christ-centeredness, just as it is revealed in the Scriptures. These five solas show the glory of God’s gracious way of salvation in a way that sets the tone for true theology, resounding in how we think and live in this world.

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Orlando rent is still unaffordable for low-income renters, even with a housing voucher

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In Orlando and other Florida metro areas, the value of housing vouchers hasn’t kept up with surging rent prices.

Finding an affordable place to live in the Orlando metro area has become increasingly difficult for the average person, with average rent climbing over 30% in the last two years in what’s become one of the nation’s most in-demand rental markets.

Rental assistance — through the local government or the federal housing choice voucher program — has been made available for some of those in the greatest need, to help prevent families from being displaced or evicted. But new research shows that even if you receive government assistance, it’s still not enough.

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Pulse memorial now won’t be built at the former nightclub property

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A proposed memorial for the victims of the 2016 Pulse nightclub massacre will not be on the grounds of the former club. The OnePulse Foundation released a statement on Tuesday confirming that negotiations had broken down between the Foundation and the Orange Avenue property owners over housing the memorial there. The statement read in part: … Read more

Canadian small-dog breeder wants to build a ‘commercial kennel’ in northeast Orlando

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Apparently, an Orange County ordinance passed in 2021 banning puppy mills didn’t send a strong enough message. A proposed “commercial kennel” in Orlando has raised suspicions among neighbors that the facility might house a dog breeding and puppy selling operation, if built. The proposal is set for a public hearing on May 4 in the … Read more

Controversial Director Roman Polanski and His 1977 Victim, Samantha Geimer, Pose for Smiling Picture Together in Paris

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Roman Polanski is hated around the world for his encounter in 1977 with 13 year old Samantha Geimer in Hollywood. He was arrested for rape, spent time in jail, and then fled the US when the judge was about to renege on his release. Forty five years later, Geimer and her husband, David, met with … Read more

GAFCON 2023 – Kigali, Rwanda

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The Global Anglican Communion meets for the 4th time since 2009. Conservative primates gathered in Kigali and withdrew their recognition of Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, as the “first among equals.” The chair of St Augustine is now empty, as far as leaders representing an estimated 85 percent of the Anglican Communion are concerned. The … Read more

How to calculate the date of Easter in the Western Church

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Easter Sunday falls on a different Sunday every year. Using the 1928 Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church, Easter falls on the first Sunday, between March 21st and April 19th, after the Paschal full Moon that occurs on or after the spring equinox. If the full moon lands on a Sunday, then Easter is the following Sunday

The date is fixed in accordance with an ancient ecclesiastical computation, and does not always correspond to the astronomical equinox. The Metonic cycle of 19 years is one in which the phases of the Moon repeat exactly. It is thus possible to have a 19-year cycle for the dates of full or new Moon. In the Julian calendar this 19-year cycle can be fairly easily translated into a date for Easter.

The date of the Paschal Full Moon, used to determine the date of Easter, is based on mathematical approximations following a 19-year cycle called the Metonic cycle.

March 21 is the Church’s date of the March equinox, regardless of the time zone, while the actual date of the equinox varies between March 19 and March 22, and the date depends on the time zone.

In today’s Gregorian calendar the calculation is complicated by the definition of which century years are leap years. These leap years mess up the simple Metonic cycle by altering the number of days in different periods of 19 years.

On page lii and liii of the 1928 BCP, you can find the calculation for determining when Easter Sunday is. It requires the following steps:

  1. Find the Golden number or “Prime”
  2. Find the Sunday (Dominical) Letter
  3. Determine Easter Sunday on Calendar with item # 1,2

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