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Site’s getting an overhaul soon. I’m probably going to merge the Study Center in with the main blog and call it a night, since WP does everything I need anyway. In addition, I’ll be adding new sections. A LOT of new sections to the site.
A little warning. :)
I don’t make a huge fuss about it, but my foray onto having a permanent web presence for Christian apologetics began the weekend of January 19th and 20th, 1996. I drew a lot of my inspiration from both the ICLnet archives and Glenn Miller’s Christian Thinktank on how I was going to do things. Of course, the site originally went up as ‘W.I.T.N.E.S.S. Ministries’ (Witnessing Informational Teaching Nationwide Evangelism Saving Souls). The ‘lead’ article on there was a bit I wrote out called ‘Christianity – A Relationship!’. The earliest version I’ve been able to find online is from December of 2000, although I probably have a Zip Disk around here with an old version dating back almost to 96-97. While reading, keep in mind I used to be a dispensationalist-trichotomist-4-and-a-half-point-Calvinist-leaning kinda guy. 
Over the past 16 years (my foray into internet apologetics began in January of 94 with AOL chat rooms), I’ve been through some interesting experiences and met a host of people online. I’ve had embarrassing arguments (mostly where I’ve lost my temper and unloaded on folks) and I’ve got shining moments of grace and graciousness where all parties involved in discussion were edified. I’ve seen folk come to faith, I’ve seen folk walk away from the faith who were once considered strong defenders of it. I’ve gotten a little recognition here and there and found out (after the fact) that a lot of people (despite the feedburner number) do read my blog (i.e. two random 20-something guys in an SUV back at T4G 2006 hollared at me “hey! You’re Black Calvinist! We read your blog!).
Wouldn’t trade it all for the world. God has been gracious in shaping me into the person I am now and is currently working to complete my sanctification. I understand more now than a few years ago (thank you Tony Arnold, thank you Dr. VanGemeren) about the path of wisdom.
Would I change some things I’ve said and done if I could go back in time ? Probably. But one set of arguments, if changed, would probably not have me married to the wonderful woman sitting across from me grading papers as I type this (I’m supposed to be grading too. Still dealing with procrastination….). This is another reason why I’m a Calvinist – the scriptures declare that God ‘works all things according to His will’ (Eph. 1:11), ‘works all things for good to those who love [Him]; to those who are called according to His purpose’ (Romans 8:28) and that even the evil (Genesis 45:4-9, 50:20) that comes upon us is ultimately in the control of God. We don’t suffer one moment more or one iota of pain more than God decrees it will be. The enemy of our souls can do no more than God tells him he can do (Job 1-3).
All that to say, I’m grateful. Very. For the opportunity to host and post through this site, for the people I’ve met and come in contact with….for everything. Lord willing, this site will be up for a bit longer 
(maybe a few decades).
14 years. Cool.
Pat Robertson is an idiot.
He might be a Christian, but he’s an idiot. I’m glad Keith Olbermann verbally ripped him and Limbaugh to shreds. He’s a horrid representation of Christianity and a blight. His words have done more harm to the cause of Christ than good, to be totally honest. This includes his string of failed prophecies.
That said…. pray for the folk in Haiti. A few old posts are appropriate right now:
Christianity in Light of a Hurricane (done before I switched to blogging software) – http://theologicallycorrect.com/ingodwetrust.html
What does it mean ? - http://theologicallycorrect.com/webmaster/blogs/?p=117
An old quote from me:
We may never get an answer for 911. We may never get an answer for London. We may never get an answer for the tsunami. We do know that ONE of God’s reasons for such things is to call people to repent (Luke 13:1-5). Stop asking why and start asking why. Not ‘why a tsunami’, but ‘why do I need to repent’ ?
And if you have not done so, please read John Piper’s most excellent Tsunami and Repentance. Simply replace the word ‘tsunami’ or ‘hurricane’ with ‘2010 Haiti earthquake’ in both Piper’s article and things I’ve written.
The afflictions of John Bunyan gave us The Pilgrim’s Progress.
The afflictions of William Cowper gave us “ThereIs a Fountain
Filled with Blood” and “God Moves in a Mysterious Way.” And
the afflictions of David Brainerd gave us a published Diarythat
has mobilized more missionaries than any other similar work. The
furnace of suffering brought forth the gold of guidance and inspi-
ration for living the Christian life, worshiping the Christian God,
and spreading the Christian Gospel.
Thereis a certain irony to the fruit of these afflictions.
Bunyan’s confinement taught him the pilgrim path of Christian
freedom. Cowper’smental illness yielded sweet music of the mind
for troubled souls. Brainerd’s smoldering misery of isolation and
disease exploded in global missions beyond all imagination. Irony
and disproportion are all God’s way. He keeps us off balance
with his unpredictable connections. We think we know how to
do something big, and God makes it small. We think that all we
have is weak and small, and God makes it big. Barren Sarah gives
birth to the child of promise. Gideon’s 300 men defeat 100,000
Midianites. A slingshot in the hand of a shepherdboy brings the
giant down. A virgin bears the Son of God. A boy’sfive loaves feed
thousands. A breach of justice, groveling political expediency,and
criminal torture on a gruesome cross become the foundation of
the salvation of the world.
This is God’s way—to take all boasting off of man and put it
on God. “Not many of you were wise according to worldly stan-
dards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth; but
God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, God
chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong, God chose
what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not,
to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might
boast in the presence of God….‘Let him who boasts, boast of the
Lord’” (1 Corinthians 1:26-29, 31, RSV).
Not surprisingly (1 Peter 4:12), therefore, suffering fits into
God’s design in ways that sometimes baffle us and test us to the
limit. This very baffling and testing is part of the design:
“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various
trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be per-
fect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2-4).
(Pages 19 and 20)
How difficult it is to embrace this concept, being all high speed internet, multiple cars in your home, an ACTUAL home, central air, gas heat, air conditioning, enough clothing to last weeks before repeating, food on your table and a job.
On the flip side, have you ever considered what a scary thought it is to have a God who does NOT control suffering, but simply ‘allows’ it to happen to folks, even though He knows it’s coming to you ? Thankfully, the Bible doesn’t teach this kind of ‘god’ exists, though he seems to get a lot of press in some Christian pulpits.
Next time through: God designs our suffering ?
God Bless.
K. Joel Gilliard
Theologically Correct dot Com – http://theologicallycorrect.com
Life | Doctrine | Music – http://www.lifedoctrinemusic.com