Please note that I am consolidating my commentaries to the one blog.
All future articles can be read HERE.
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Interview with William Lane Craig in London
The student television station at Imperial College London (stoictv.com) conducted an interview with World renowned Philosopher Dr. William Lane Craig who speaks to us about how his interest in Philosophy began, his work on a rational defense of the Christian Faith, and his debates with the world's leading atheists...Click Here
Who is Bill Craig? He's the guy that Richard Dawkins avoids...even more than going to church.
Who is Bill Craig? He's the guy that Richard Dawkins avoids...even more than going to church.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
God’s Way Of Peace: A Book For The Anxious
Barry Horner, author of Future Israel has graciously made this booklet by Horatius Bonar available. It's well-worth reading:
There seem to be many, in our day, who are seeking God. Yet they appear to be but “feeling after him, in order to find him,” as if he were either a distant or an “unknown” God. They forget that “he is not far from every one of us” (Acts 17:27); for “in him we live, and move, and have our being.”
That He is not far; that he has come down; that he has come nigh; this is the “beginning of the gospel.” It sets aside the vain thoughts of those who think that they must bring Him nigh, by their prayers and devout performances. He has shown himself to us, that we may know him, and, in knowing him, find the life of our souls...keep reading
There seem to be many, in our day, who are seeking God. Yet they appear to be but “feeling after him, in order to find him,” as if he were either a distant or an “unknown” God. They forget that “he is not far from every one of us” (Acts 17:27); for “in him we live, and move, and have our being.”
That He is not far; that he has come down; that he has come nigh; this is the “beginning of the gospel.” It sets aside the vain thoughts of those who think that they must bring Him nigh, by their prayers and devout performances. He has shown himself to us, that we may know him, and, in knowing him, find the life of our souls...keep reading
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
1 John 2:2
"He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world."
Excerpt from Dr Paul Henebury's study "Christ’s Atonement: Its Purpose and Extent, Part 1" Conservative Theological Journal March 2005:
Propitiation
This crucial term has been subjected to a great deal of attack over the past century or so. From scholars like R. C. H. Lenski, and, most notably, C. H. Dodd, the doctrine of propitiation has suffered strong objection. The reason for this isn’t hard to discover. To “propitiate” means to appease or avert the wrath of God, and that is conceived by some to be a problem. Dodd argued that pagans placated, that is, “propitiated” their false gods by their sacrifices.
Surely the true God is not to be pacified in the same way! And since Dodd was the Chairman of the RSV translation, he made sure that the word “expiation” replaced “propitiation” in verses like Romans 3:25 and 1 John 2:2; 4:10. Thanks to the scholarship of Leon Morris and others, “propitiation” has been shown to be an essential teaching in both testaments.7 In fact, Morton H. Smith has said:
To deny the propitiatory character of the sacrifice of Christ is to deny the essence of the atonement. For the atonement means that Christ bore our sins. ... How can we think of him carrying our sins, without bearing the judgment for those sins? Sin and judgment are inseparable in the Scriptures. Thus to bear the sin is to bear the judgment. ... The wages of sin is death, and he paid the wage.
These passages from Paul and John teach that Christ did not simply remove our guilt (expiation), He actually bore the wrath of God which ought to be visited upon us (propitiation). Otherwise, God could not be “just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Rom. 3:26). Nevertheless, although the propitiation has been made, the condition of its efficacy is individual trust. Paul brings this out very clearly in Romans 3:25 when he states concerning Christ, “Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation [hilasterion] through faith in His blood ...”
Notice how the propitiation who is Jesus Christ, is received “through faith in His blood.” This indicates that the propitiation is available but not applied until the person trusts Christ. This is how John employs the term in his First Epistle. In 1 John 2:2, Christ is called “the propitiation (hilasmos) for our sins: and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world.” Again, in 1 John 4:10, [14] we read, “[God] sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (see also Heb. 2:17 where hilasterion is translated “reconciliation”). Millard Erickson sums up:
The numerous passages that speak of the wrath of God against sin are evidence that Christ’s death was necessarily propitiatory. We read of the wrath of God against sin in Romans 1:18; 2:5, 8; 4:15; 5:9; 9:22; 12:19; 13:4–5; Ephesians 2:3; 5:6; Colossians 3:6; and 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 2:16; 5:9. So then, Paul’s idea of the atoning death ... is not simply that it covers sin and cleanses from its corruption (expiation), but that the sacrifice also appeases a God who hates sin and is radically opposed to it (propitiation).
Excerpt from Dr Paul Henebury's study "Christ’s Atonement: Its Purpose and Extent, Part 1" Conservative Theological Journal March 2005:
Propitiation
This crucial term has been subjected to a great deal of attack over the past century or so. From scholars like R. C. H. Lenski, and, most notably, C. H. Dodd, the doctrine of propitiation has suffered strong objection. The reason for this isn’t hard to discover. To “propitiate” means to appease or avert the wrath of God, and that is conceived by some to be a problem. Dodd argued that pagans placated, that is, “propitiated” their false gods by their sacrifices.
Surely the true God is not to be pacified in the same way! And since Dodd was the Chairman of the RSV translation, he made sure that the word “expiation” replaced “propitiation” in verses like Romans 3:25 and 1 John 2:2; 4:10. Thanks to the scholarship of Leon Morris and others, “propitiation” has been shown to be an essential teaching in both testaments.7 In fact, Morton H. Smith has said:
To deny the propitiatory character of the sacrifice of Christ is to deny the essence of the atonement. For the atonement means that Christ bore our sins. ... How can we think of him carrying our sins, without bearing the judgment for those sins? Sin and judgment are inseparable in the Scriptures. Thus to bear the sin is to bear the judgment. ... The wages of sin is death, and he paid the wage.
These passages from Paul and John teach that Christ did not simply remove our guilt (expiation), He actually bore the wrath of God which ought to be visited upon us (propitiation). Otherwise, God could not be “just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Rom. 3:26). Nevertheless, although the propitiation has been made, the condition of its efficacy is individual trust. Paul brings this out very clearly in Romans 3:25 when he states concerning Christ, “Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation [hilasterion] through faith in His blood ...”
Notice how the propitiation who is Jesus Christ, is received “through faith in His blood.” This indicates that the propitiation is available but not applied until the person trusts Christ. This is how John employs the term in his First Epistle. In 1 John 2:2, Christ is called “the propitiation (hilasmos) for our sins: and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world.” Again, in 1 John 4:10, [14] we read, “[God] sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (see also Heb. 2:17 where hilasterion is translated “reconciliation”). Millard Erickson sums up:
The numerous passages that speak of the wrath of God against sin are evidence that Christ’s death was necessarily propitiatory. We read of the wrath of God against sin in Romans 1:18; 2:5, 8; 4:15; 5:9; 9:22; 12:19; 13:4–5; Ephesians 2:3; 5:6; Colossians 3:6; and 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 2:16; 5:9. So then, Paul’s idea of the atoning death ... is not simply that it covers sin and cleanses from its corruption (expiation), but that the sacrifice also appeases a God who hates sin and is radically opposed to it (propitiation).
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Response to a Calvinist
I've linked to one of Helen Setterfield's articles here previously. Here's another good one:
A friend who is a Calvinist wrote to me that he was a little upset with my articles on Calvinism here. I asked him to show me where I was wrong. His points are in blue italics. My responses are in straight print.
The Apostle describes us as being dead in sin (Eph. 2:1,5). Picture Lazarus in the tomb—powerless to choose life. We’re all like that, but Jesus quickened Lazarus from the dead. John tells us that these were signs. Paul himself was in no mood to choose Jesus, but Jesus was in a mood to do a heart transplant on Paul (cf. Ezek. 36:26).
First, I think the problem is with the definition of ‘death.’ Death means separation, not unconsciousness. When a person dies physically, he is separated from his body. The body may not be able to respond, but the person himself is quite conscious (or hell would have no meaning). Spiritual death, or the second death, is separation from God. In John 17:3, Jesus defines eternal life as knowing God and the Son. That means eternal death is NOT knowing them. The ‘know’ in this context is not an intellectual acknowledgement, but rather an intimate relationship – along the lines of Adam knowing his wife and she becoming pregnant. When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, He caused his soul and spirit to re-enter his body and healed the body from the effects of what caused his death. Remember the story about the rich man and the other Lazarus after death (Luke 16:19-31)? Both were entirely conscious although their bodies were probably well-rotted by that time. So death is not unconsciousness.
In Isaiah 1:18, the Lord invites the sinner “Come, let us reason together…though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” Who is the Lord talking to? Someone who is already saved? No. Someone who is deeply in sin, and the person is being offered a choice. This offer is totally meaningless if the person is not able to respond to the Lord.
In Jeremiah 29, the Lord tells the people of Israel, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you.”
Remember Jesus saying, “Come to me all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give your rest.” Are only those chosen from before the beginning of time those who labor and are heavy-laden? I sincerely doubt that.
About Paul. Paul was totally eager to protect the reputation and character of God. For THAT reason he was persecuting the Christians. Paul’s heart was totally for the God he knew from the Scriptures and had been taught in rabbinical school. He had also been taught that the Christian sect was heretical and therefore he was going to do his best to protect God’s holy reputation/name and stamp it out. God knew Paul’s heart and honored Paul’s devotion, even though it was involved in a misunderstanding about Jesus. So Jesus presented Paul with the truth of Himself and Paul responded 100%. The rest is history. There was no ‘mood’ about it, either way...read the article
A friend who is a Calvinist wrote to me that he was a little upset with my articles on Calvinism here. I asked him to show me where I was wrong. His points are in blue italics. My responses are in straight print.
The Apostle describes us as being dead in sin (Eph. 2:1,5). Picture Lazarus in the tomb—powerless to choose life. We’re all like that, but Jesus quickened Lazarus from the dead. John tells us that these were signs. Paul himself was in no mood to choose Jesus, but Jesus was in a mood to do a heart transplant on Paul (cf. Ezek. 36:26).
First, I think the problem is with the definition of ‘death.’ Death means separation, not unconsciousness. When a person dies physically, he is separated from his body. The body may not be able to respond, but the person himself is quite conscious (or hell would have no meaning). Spiritual death, or the second death, is separation from God. In John 17:3, Jesus defines eternal life as knowing God and the Son. That means eternal death is NOT knowing them. The ‘know’ in this context is not an intellectual acknowledgement, but rather an intimate relationship – along the lines of Adam knowing his wife and she becoming pregnant. When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, He caused his soul and spirit to re-enter his body and healed the body from the effects of what caused his death. Remember the story about the rich man and the other Lazarus after death (Luke 16:19-31)? Both were entirely conscious although their bodies were probably well-rotted by that time. So death is not unconsciousness.
In Isaiah 1:18, the Lord invites the sinner “Come, let us reason together…though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” Who is the Lord talking to? Someone who is already saved? No. Someone who is deeply in sin, and the person is being offered a choice. This offer is totally meaningless if the person is not able to respond to the Lord.
In Jeremiah 29, the Lord tells the people of Israel, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you.”
Remember Jesus saying, “Come to me all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give your rest.” Are only those chosen from before the beginning of time those who labor and are heavy-laden? I sincerely doubt that.
About Paul. Paul was totally eager to protect the reputation and character of God. For THAT reason he was persecuting the Christians. Paul’s heart was totally for the God he knew from the Scriptures and had been taught in rabbinical school. He had also been taught that the Christian sect was heretical and therefore he was going to do his best to protect God’s holy reputation/name and stamp it out. God knew Paul’s heart and honored Paul’s devotion, even though it was involved in a misunderstanding about Jesus. So Jesus presented Paul with the truth of Himself and Paul responded 100%. The rest is history. There was no ‘mood’ about it, either way...read the article
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Calvinism & John 3:16
Great article. I think the author nails it well....
In order to believe in Calvinistic theology, a person must explain why the normal text of a passage simply does not say what it appears to say. John 3:16 is probably the most popular Bible verse in all the world, and yes, by that I mean the entire world. I could be wrong, but needless to say, many people, even non-Christians, know this verse by heart. However, according to Calvinists, this verse does not really mean exactly what it says. To them, the word “world” does not mean the entire world.
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
A Calvinist could probably spend over thirty minutes explaining to you why the word “world” in this sentence does not mean the whole world...keep reading
In order to believe in Calvinistic theology, a person must explain why the normal text of a passage simply does not say what it appears to say. John 3:16 is probably the most popular Bible verse in all the world, and yes, by that I mean the entire world. I could be wrong, but needless to say, many people, even non-Christians, know this verse by heart. However, according to Calvinists, this verse does not really mean exactly what it says. To them, the word “world” does not mean the entire world.
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
A Calvinist could probably spend over thirty minutes explaining to you why the word “world” in this sentence does not mean the whole world...keep reading
Thursday, October 14, 2010
John MacArthur - The Narrow Gate
I've posted this before but it's worth repeating.
There is only one way....
There is only one way....
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Truth and Control
Here's a great post from a friend.....
Something some of us have been pondering lately-How does Satan diminish the believer’s effectiveness in this world and how do we assist him in this? Two thoughts...continue reading
Something some of us have been pondering lately-How does Satan diminish the believer’s effectiveness in this world and how do we assist him in this? Two thoughts...continue reading
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Misquoting Jesus?
Best selling author Bart Ehrman has written a book called Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why
Here are a few sources that challenge Ehrman's assertions:
The Gospel according to Bart
The Bible, the Qur'an, Bart Ehrman, and the Words of God
Misanalyzing Text Criticism--Bart Ehrman's 'Misquoting Jesus'
Bart Ehrman Answered (Interview with Mike Licona)
Bart Ehrman Again
And finally William Lane Craig discusses Ehrman's assumptions:
Here are a few sources that challenge Ehrman's assertions:
The Gospel according to Bart
The Bible, the Qur'an, Bart Ehrman, and the Words of God
Misanalyzing Text Criticism--Bart Ehrman's 'Misquoting Jesus'
Bart Ehrman Answered (Interview with Mike Licona)
Bart Ehrman Again
And finally William Lane Craig discusses Ehrman's assumptions:
William Lane Craig - Response to Bart Ehrman - Gracepoint Berkeley (2010) from Gracepoint Berkeley on Vimeo.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
The Nature of the Bible
The Bible contains 66 books written by about 40 different authors over a period of around 1,600 years.
What’s so remarkable about that?
The authors came from a variety of different professions and backgrounds and spoke languages ranging from Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek yet none of them contradicted each other over an array of issues and topics.
Even though the last book was written around 90 AD, so many Greek manuscripts and fragments of the New Testament are still available that we can be assured that accuracy has been preserved. Moreover, in 1947 the Dead Sea Scrolls discovery produced fragments of every Old Testament book except Esther and they all attest that what we have today is virtually unchanged from the original. Despite many attempts throughout history to destroy the Bible, it has survived intact.
No other book on faith – or anything else for that matter – can match these achievements.
You can read much more on The Nature of the Bible HERE and it is the first lesson of an Ariel Ministries Discipleship Course.
Dr Arnold Fruchtenbaum of Ariel Ministries has put together a fantastic and free teaching resource for people interested in knowing more about the Bible and God’s ultimate plans for this world. There is a wealth of solid information in written printable format backed up by hours of audio lessons with a quiz after each subject is completed. It takes some time to complete but you can go at your own pace and it is well worth the effort.
You can learn more about the Discipleship Course HERE.
And you can commence it HERE.
What’s so remarkable about that?
The authors came from a variety of different professions and backgrounds and spoke languages ranging from Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek yet none of them contradicted each other over an array of issues and topics.
Even though the last book was written around 90 AD, so many Greek manuscripts and fragments of the New Testament are still available that we can be assured that accuracy has been preserved. Moreover, in 1947 the Dead Sea Scrolls discovery produced fragments of every Old Testament book except Esther and they all attest that what we have today is virtually unchanged from the original. Despite many attempts throughout history to destroy the Bible, it has survived intact.
No other book on faith – or anything else for that matter – can match these achievements.
You can read much more on The Nature of the Bible HERE and it is the first lesson of an Ariel Ministries Discipleship Course.
Dr Arnold Fruchtenbaum of Ariel Ministries has put together a fantastic and free teaching resource for people interested in knowing more about the Bible and God’s ultimate plans for this world. There is a wealth of solid information in written printable format backed up by hours of audio lessons with a quiz after each subject is completed. It takes some time to complete but you can go at your own pace and it is well worth the effort.
You can learn more about the Discipleship Course HERE.
And you can commence it HERE.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Are you here by accident?
Here is a great article by Tony Garland:
Are you here by accident?
Why I believe...
…we are here by design, not chance
...the Bible is the reliable message of God
...Israel demonstrates the existence of God
...Christianity is unique among all religions
…You should ask yourself these questions
…You should seek God
Are you here by accident?
Why I believe...
…we are here by design, not chance
...the Bible is the reliable message of God
...Israel demonstrates the existence of God
...Christianity is unique among all religions
…You should ask yourself these questions
…You should seek God
Monday, February 1, 2010
Walking trees …
Modern science helps us understand a puzzling miracle
by Russell Grigg
In the Gospel of Mark, there is an intriguing account of how Jesus healed a blind man in a two-step process:
‘And He came to Bethsaida. And they brought a blind man to Him and begged Him to touch him. And He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spat on his eyes and had put His hands on him, He asked Him if he saw anything. And he looked up and said, I see men as trees, walking. And after that He put His hands again on his eyes and made him look up. And he was restored and saw all clearly’ (Mark 8:22–25).
Bible-believing Christians have no problem with this miracle, as the Bible presents the Lord Jesus Christ as the One who, in the beginning, created the universe and all things in it, including human life, by the power of His Word (Genesis 1; John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:16). The Lord who could do one could certainly do the other. The only question that arises is why the cure was in two stages rather than just one...continue reading
by Russell Grigg
In the Gospel of Mark, there is an intriguing account of how Jesus healed a blind man in a two-step process:
‘And He came to Bethsaida. And they brought a blind man to Him and begged Him to touch him. And He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spat on his eyes and had put His hands on him, He asked Him if he saw anything. And he looked up and said, I see men as trees, walking. And after that He put His hands again on his eyes and made him look up. And he was restored and saw all clearly’ (Mark 8:22–25).
Bible-believing Christians have no problem with this miracle, as the Bible presents the Lord Jesus Christ as the One who, in the beginning, created the universe and all things in it, including human life, by the power of His Word (Genesis 1; John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:16). The Lord who could do one could certainly do the other. The only question that arises is why the cure was in two stages rather than just one...continue reading
Saturday, January 16, 2010
The real Jesus?
I had just watched my fiancé go through the Departure Gate at Melbourne airport and was feeling miserable. Not wanting to go home to an empty house I wandered around the airport almost hoping that – for some reason – there would be a problem with her papers and she would have to stay with me a little longer. I found a book shop to browse in and kill some time. One title stood out and caught my eye. It was Deepak Chopra’s fictional “Jesus: A Story of Enlightenment”.
I know a little about Chopra’s views because I spent a lot of time reading the sorts of New Age materials he writes. Chopra’s Christ isn’t God. This Christ wasn’t born of a virgin and did not die on the Cross to save those who would place their faith in Him for salvation. Chopra’s Christ is no more God than I am. Chopra is only one of many self-styled gurus who claim to know more about Christ than what can be found in Scripture.
What gives these people the TRUTH about Christ that Christian Biblical scholars seem to miss? I remember comparing a plethora of New Age and Gnostic materials supposedly detailing who Jesus Christ was, is and what He did. Much of their information was apparently gleaned from visions derived in meditation.
The late former Beatle George Harrison once made this statement in an INTERVIEW:
"If there’s a God, I want to see Him. It’s pointless to believe in something without proof, and Krishna consciousness and meditation are methods where you can actually obtain God perception."
Interestingly, my New Age sources all purported to be enlightened yet they all differed in most details and aspects of Christ’s life. Many claimed He was the reincarnation of a series of historical individuals but none of them ever substantiated each other. How can this be reconciled?
But whether it was Chopra, Yogananda, Edgar Cayce or any one of the many gurus from India – they ALL unanimously DENIED that Christ was the Son of God who died for the sins of the world. They ALL imagined God and Christ in their own image.
In that same interview, Harrison made another interesting comment:
My idea in "My Sweet Lord," because it sounded like a "pop song," was to sneak up on them a bit. The point was to have the people not offended by "Hallelujah," and by the time it gets to "Hare Krishna," they’re already hooked, and their foot’s tapping, and they’re already singing along "Hallelujah," to kind of lull them into a sense of false security. And then suddenly it turns into "Hare Krishna," and they will all be singing that before they know what’s happened, and they will think, "Hey, I thought I wasn’t supposed to like Hare Krishna!"
Chopra has claimed that Christians have hijacked the real Christ. He points out that out of so many gospels only four were chosen. There was a logical reason for this. The four chosen were written by eye-witnesses and corroborated each other. The later Gnostic gospels weren’t eye witnesses and often contradicted each other.
I thought about my fiancé and her trip back home. She had to place her trust in a system and a host of individuals to get her home safely. The pilot had to be accredited and approved and the airplane had to be air worthy. Our journey in this world and through eternity is like her plane flight. We have to ask questions, engage our intellect and put our faith in the Right System and Person. The next time you have to take a flight, would you be prepared to trust your taxi driver or check out person to fly the plane for you?
Jesus Christ Questions and Answers
Can I Trust the Bible?
Christian Answers for the New Age on Deepak Chopra’s New Age Jesus.
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
Mat 16:15-16 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
John 20:27-28 Then He said to Thomas, "Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing." Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!"
1Peter 5:8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Mat 10:33 "But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.
2 John 1:7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.
I know a little about Chopra’s views because I spent a lot of time reading the sorts of New Age materials he writes. Chopra’s Christ isn’t God. This Christ wasn’t born of a virgin and did not die on the Cross to save those who would place their faith in Him for salvation. Chopra’s Christ is no more God than I am. Chopra is only one of many self-styled gurus who claim to know more about Christ than what can be found in Scripture.
What gives these people the TRUTH about Christ that Christian Biblical scholars seem to miss? I remember comparing a plethora of New Age and Gnostic materials supposedly detailing who Jesus Christ was, is and what He did. Much of their information was apparently gleaned from visions derived in meditation.
The late former Beatle George Harrison once made this statement in an INTERVIEW:
"If there’s a God, I want to see Him. It’s pointless to believe in something without proof, and Krishna consciousness and meditation are methods where you can actually obtain God perception."
Interestingly, my New Age sources all purported to be enlightened yet they all differed in most details and aspects of Christ’s life. Many claimed He was the reincarnation of a series of historical individuals but none of them ever substantiated each other. How can this be reconciled?
But whether it was Chopra, Yogananda, Edgar Cayce or any one of the many gurus from India – they ALL unanimously DENIED that Christ was the Son of God who died for the sins of the world. They ALL imagined God and Christ in their own image.
In that same interview, Harrison made another interesting comment:
My idea in "My Sweet Lord," because it sounded like a "pop song," was to sneak up on them a bit. The point was to have the people not offended by "Hallelujah," and by the time it gets to "Hare Krishna," they’re already hooked, and their foot’s tapping, and they’re already singing along "Hallelujah," to kind of lull them into a sense of false security. And then suddenly it turns into "Hare Krishna," and they will all be singing that before they know what’s happened, and they will think, "Hey, I thought I wasn’t supposed to like Hare Krishna!"
Chopra has claimed that Christians have hijacked the real Christ. He points out that out of so many gospels only four were chosen. There was a logical reason for this. The four chosen were written by eye-witnesses and corroborated each other. The later Gnostic gospels weren’t eye witnesses and often contradicted each other.
I thought about my fiancé and her trip back home. She had to place her trust in a system and a host of individuals to get her home safely. The pilot had to be accredited and approved and the airplane had to be air worthy. Our journey in this world and through eternity is like her plane flight. We have to ask questions, engage our intellect and put our faith in the Right System and Person. The next time you have to take a flight, would you be prepared to trust your taxi driver or check out person to fly the plane for you?
Jesus Christ Questions and Answers
Can I Trust the Bible?
Christian Answers for the New Age on Deepak Chopra’s New Age Jesus.
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
Mat 16:15-16 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
John 20:27-28 Then He said to Thomas, "Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing." Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!"
1Peter 5:8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Mat 10:33 "But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.
2 John 1:7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.
Monday, January 11, 2010
God's Maniac
I'd like to take the opportunity to present Lou Talley's website and book.
In Lou's words:
"PTSD is no respecter of persons, knowing many women veterans who have returned home from hostile areas to become dysfunctional as parents who were not that way prior to being deployed.
"I also know of past earthquake victims from 1995 who are still sleeping outside and afraid to go back into their homes or apartments for fear of being caught and buried in another earthquake.
"My book is for all who suffer with PTSD, men, women, children, but especially veterans past and present who suffer with this crippling disorder."
I've read the book and I highly recommend it!
In Lou's words:
"PTSD is no respecter of persons, knowing many women veterans who have returned home from hostile areas to become dysfunctional as parents who were not that way prior to being deployed.
"I also know of past earthquake victims from 1995 who are still sleeping outside and afraid to go back into their homes or apartments for fear of being caught and buried in another earthquake.
"My book is for all who suffer with PTSD, men, women, children, but especially veterans past and present who suffer with this crippling disorder."
I've read the book and I highly recommend it!
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
MARILYN MANSON: THE OUTCAST APPEAL
This is an article written by Marcia Montenegro of Christian Answers for the New Age.
Although there are rock groups in the past and present that used satanic lyrics and symbols, none have seemed to have actually created a cult following among teenagers and young people as has Marilyn Manson. Named Best New Artist of 1996 by Rolling Stone magazine, Manson's third album, "Antichrist" Superstar," which sold more than 1 million copies, reached No. 3 on Billboard magazine's survey....Continue Reading
Christians should not miss this very important part at the end of Marcia's article:
What is needed is outreach, not protest.
Although what Manson often declares is at odds with Christian belief, we Christians must be careful not to self-righteously condemn him, nor should we turn our heads away when we see teens dressed in bizarre outfits. What kind of message does this send? It only seems to prove Manson right in what he says about Christians. This attitude is alienating. What good is it to reject those who already feel rejected, or alienate those who feel alienated?
Instead, we should ask teens why they like Manson. Is it just the music or is it also the attitude and message Manson has? Be willing to address the issue of hypocrisy. There is hypocrisy in society and in the church. Why? Discuss this and listen. Be willing to admit some of what Manson says is true, because it is.
For anyone ready to put down Manson or the kids who like him, read First Corinthians 13. All your knowledge, words and faith mean nothing without love; you are as a "clanging cymbal." Keep in mind that Jesus hung out with all kinds of people when He was on earth, including many that were treated as outcasts by the culture of that day. Would not Jesus maybe be hanging out and talking with these teens who are Manson followers, if He were here today? I think so.
Although there are rock groups in the past and present that used satanic lyrics and symbols, none have seemed to have actually created a cult following among teenagers and young people as has Marilyn Manson. Named Best New Artist of 1996 by Rolling Stone magazine, Manson's third album, "Antichrist" Superstar," which sold more than 1 million copies, reached No. 3 on Billboard magazine's survey....Continue Reading
Christians should not miss this very important part at the end of Marcia's article:
What is needed is outreach, not protest.
Although what Manson often declares is at odds with Christian belief, we Christians must be careful not to self-righteously condemn him, nor should we turn our heads away when we see teens dressed in bizarre outfits. What kind of message does this send? It only seems to prove Manson right in what he says about Christians. This attitude is alienating. What good is it to reject those who already feel rejected, or alienate those who feel alienated?
Instead, we should ask teens why they like Manson. Is it just the music or is it also the attitude and message Manson has? Be willing to address the issue of hypocrisy. There is hypocrisy in society and in the church. Why? Discuss this and listen. Be willing to admit some of what Manson says is true, because it is.
For anyone ready to put down Manson or the kids who like him, read First Corinthians 13. All your knowledge, words and faith mean nothing without love; you are as a "clanging cymbal." Keep in mind that Jesus hung out with all kinds of people when He was on earth, including many that were treated as outcasts by the culture of that day. Would not Jesus maybe be hanging out and talking with these teens who are Manson followers, if He were here today? I think so.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
A brief response to anti-creationist books
From CMI:
What about the anti-creationist books? I can’t possibly deal with all of them, but I will highlight some of the typical tactics and distortions used in such books by addressing some of those in the Selkirk and Burrows book, Confronting Creationism: Defending Darwin.1 Such books normally present a distorted account of the creationist position, which is then made to look silly. They erect a ‘straw man’, set him alight, and then gloat over how stupid creationists can be to believe such things. Of course, creationists are not above criticism; we are human, fallible creatures. And sometimes the more ‘flakey’ fellow travellers of the creation movement give the sceptics cause to blaspheme. I have no wish to defend the indefensible. This response deals with deliberate distortions of main-stream creationist thinking by much anti-creationist literature...Continue Reading.
What about the anti-creationist books? I can’t possibly deal with all of them, but I will highlight some of the typical tactics and distortions used in such books by addressing some of those in the Selkirk and Burrows book, Confronting Creationism: Defending Darwin.1 Such books normally present a distorted account of the creationist position, which is then made to look silly. They erect a ‘straw man’, set him alight, and then gloat over how stupid creationists can be to believe such things. Of course, creationists are not above criticism; we are human, fallible creatures. And sometimes the more ‘flakey’ fellow travellers of the creation movement give the sceptics cause to blaspheme. I have no wish to defend the indefensible. This response deals with deliberate distortions of main-stream creationist thinking by much anti-creationist literature...Continue Reading.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Repent And Be Saved! I Said, REPENT!!!
From Jack Kinsella:
I believe that the Bible calls us to be witnesses of Christ, and that there is no more perfect expression of God's will in the life of a Christian than when he works to lead others to Christ,
That said, what does one do, as one of our readers related recently in one of our forums, when somebody is clearly not interested in hearing the Gospel?
The forum comment describes an experience we've all shared in some variation. You strike up a conversation, and somehow, Jesus comes up in the discussion.
Your conversation suddenly stalls, and when you try to revive it, you meet a wall of stony silence.
Eventually, you come to recognize the signals and past experience tells you its time to say something cheery and take your leave.
But then it bothers you all the way home. . . "why didn't I press the issue? Am I a coward for Christ? Jesus endured the collective hatred of the human race. Am I so weak I can't bear a little rejection?"
You are convinced you failed Him. You had a chance to share the Gospel, and you blew it.
Maybe if you had tried a little harder, they might have listened. But no, you were too chicken!
It isn't like you don't know what is at stake -- especially if you have been an OL member for any length of time at all.
You know that every person you meet is destined to spend eternity somewhere. You already know that they will either spend eternity in the joyful presence of Christ.
Or they will spend a Christ less eternity alone, tormented by the punishments of hell and their memory of rejecting their chance to escape it.
You know it because I remind you of it every chance that I get to do so. The redemption of a single sinner is worth the whole world, the Scriptures say. When one sinner repents, the angels rejoice.
Nothing in our walk though this world is of greater eternal value than leading a lost sinner to Christ.
But instead of pressing the issue, you walked away.
Knowing all that you know, you gave up without a fight. What kind of soldier are you?
If that is your story, or you have one like it, then the answer is, a smart one. A smart soldier would not press a battle against the odds -- just so he could say he was in the fight.
Once you've used up all your resources in an unwise and ill-prepared assault, then those resources are no longer available to be deployed elsewhere where they can be of greater tactical value.
You offered Jesus, the offer was rejected. But in making the offer, you planted a seed. What you do next will affect the probability that your seed will take root.
You can continue to pour water on it until it drowns. Or you can plant it, give it as much water as conditions demand, give it a chance to germinate, and let nature take its course.
Planting the Gospel is sometimes like that. You plant it by sharing the Gospel, but sometimes, like planting in saturated ground, you can overwater and drown the seed.
Sometimes, just planting the seed is all that is necessary, and then its time to let the Holy Spirit take care of the nurturing.
Instead of drowning the seed in your eagerness to get it to take root, sometimes its better to let it germinate, even if it means somebody else will get to reap the harvest.
If your concern is for the health of the seed rather than your profit from the harvest, then it is not such a big deal if somebody else gets to harvest it.
Should you have pressed that person who clearly didn't want to be pressed?
Ask yourself how you react when a salesman keeps pestering you after you tell him you'll think about it.
Not only won't you buy from that salesman, odds are that you won't buy that brand, either, even though the salesman had nothing to do with the quality of the product.
Jesus knows whether or not you've done the job He sent you to do. How does He tell us to handle rejection? Does He tell us to press the issue until it comes to blows?
No. He says: "And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet." (Matthew 10:14)
"And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them." (Luke 9:5)
"He that heareth you heareth Me; and he that despiseth you despiseth Me; and he that despiseth Me despiseth Him that sent Me." (Luke 10:16)
When Paul and Barnabas attempted to preach the Gospel, "the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts."
Paul and Barnabas did their best. They preached the Word, the offered the salvation of Christ, and the Word was rejected. What did they do next?
"[T]hey shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium." (Acts 13:50-51)
"And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the Spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ."
Notice that Paul and Timothy were moved by the Holy Spirit to witness to the Macedonians. Notice also what happened when the Macedonians didn't want to hear it.
"And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean; from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles." (Acts 18:6)
This was the Apostle Paul, and the Bible says it was the Holy Spirit moved him to preach. But the Macedonians were free to choose.
Paul and Timothy didn't browbeat them, but rather, Paul said, "I've done what the Lord sent me to do. From here on out, it is up to you."
Paul was not a bad Christian. He wasn't weak, he wasn't wishy-washy, he wasn't uncaring. Paul was God's chosen evangelist to the Gentiles.
But Paul understood that the seeds he planted would grow unto the Lord, or they would NOT grow unto the Lord.
There is an old saying to the effect that "you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink."
And if you try, you'll probably drown the horse.
It wasn't up to Paul to do more than the task that God put before him. Neither is it up to you.
It is our duty and our solemn responsibility to make sure everyone we meet has a chance to choose whom they will serve in this life and where they will spend eternity.
But it is not up to them to make the choice for them. Or to feel responsible when they choose badly. It's not we that we failed Him.
The seed we plant may not germinate for decades, but that's up to God, not us. That's where the 'trust' part takes over.
"Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." (Ephesians 6:13)
Don't beat yourself up. Your job is to take the stand as a witness. It's up to the Holy Spirit to obtain a conviction.
"Faithful is He that calleth you, Who also will do it." (1st Thessalonians 5:24)
There are times when its our job to plant the seeds, then get out of the way and let Him take it from there.
I believe that the Bible calls us to be witnesses of Christ, and that there is no more perfect expression of God's will in the life of a Christian than when he works to lead others to Christ,
That said, what does one do, as one of our readers related recently in one of our forums, when somebody is clearly not interested in hearing the Gospel?
The forum comment describes an experience we've all shared in some variation. You strike up a conversation, and somehow, Jesus comes up in the discussion.
Your conversation suddenly stalls, and when you try to revive it, you meet a wall of stony silence.
Eventually, you come to recognize the signals and past experience tells you its time to say something cheery and take your leave.
But then it bothers you all the way home. . . "why didn't I press the issue? Am I a coward for Christ? Jesus endured the collective hatred of the human race. Am I so weak I can't bear a little rejection?"
You are convinced you failed Him. You had a chance to share the Gospel, and you blew it.
Maybe if you had tried a little harder, they might have listened. But no, you were too chicken!
It isn't like you don't know what is at stake -- especially if you have been an OL member for any length of time at all.
You know that every person you meet is destined to spend eternity somewhere. You already know that they will either spend eternity in the joyful presence of Christ.
Or they will spend a Christ less eternity alone, tormented by the punishments of hell and their memory of rejecting their chance to escape it.
You know it because I remind you of it every chance that I get to do so. The redemption of a single sinner is worth the whole world, the Scriptures say. When one sinner repents, the angels rejoice.
Nothing in our walk though this world is of greater eternal value than leading a lost sinner to Christ.
But instead of pressing the issue, you walked away.
Knowing all that you know, you gave up without a fight. What kind of soldier are you?
If that is your story, or you have one like it, then the answer is, a smart one. A smart soldier would not press a battle against the odds -- just so he could say he was in the fight.
Once you've used up all your resources in an unwise and ill-prepared assault, then those resources are no longer available to be deployed elsewhere where they can be of greater tactical value.
You offered Jesus, the offer was rejected. But in making the offer, you planted a seed. What you do next will affect the probability that your seed will take root.
You can continue to pour water on it until it drowns. Or you can plant it, give it as much water as conditions demand, give it a chance to germinate, and let nature take its course.
Planting the Gospel is sometimes like that. You plant it by sharing the Gospel, but sometimes, like planting in saturated ground, you can overwater and drown the seed.
Sometimes, just planting the seed is all that is necessary, and then its time to let the Holy Spirit take care of the nurturing.
Instead of drowning the seed in your eagerness to get it to take root, sometimes its better to let it germinate, even if it means somebody else will get to reap the harvest.
If your concern is for the health of the seed rather than your profit from the harvest, then it is not such a big deal if somebody else gets to harvest it.
Should you have pressed that person who clearly didn't want to be pressed?
Ask yourself how you react when a salesman keeps pestering you after you tell him you'll think about it.
Not only won't you buy from that salesman, odds are that you won't buy that brand, either, even though the salesman had nothing to do with the quality of the product.
Jesus knows whether or not you've done the job He sent you to do. How does He tell us to handle rejection? Does He tell us to press the issue until it comes to blows?
No. He says: "And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet." (Matthew 10:14)
"And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them." (Luke 9:5)
"He that heareth you heareth Me; and he that despiseth you despiseth Me; and he that despiseth Me despiseth Him that sent Me." (Luke 10:16)
When Paul and Barnabas attempted to preach the Gospel, "the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts."
Paul and Barnabas did their best. They preached the Word, the offered the salvation of Christ, and the Word was rejected. What did they do next?
"[T]hey shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium." (Acts 13:50-51)
"And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the Spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ."
Notice that Paul and Timothy were moved by the Holy Spirit to witness to the Macedonians. Notice also what happened when the Macedonians didn't want to hear it.
"And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean; from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles." (Acts 18:6)
This was the Apostle Paul, and the Bible says it was the Holy Spirit moved him to preach. But the Macedonians were free to choose.
Paul and Timothy didn't browbeat them, but rather, Paul said, "I've done what the Lord sent me to do. From here on out, it is up to you."
Paul was not a bad Christian. He wasn't weak, he wasn't wishy-washy, he wasn't uncaring. Paul was God's chosen evangelist to the Gentiles.
But Paul understood that the seeds he planted would grow unto the Lord, or they would NOT grow unto the Lord.
There is an old saying to the effect that "you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink."
And if you try, you'll probably drown the horse.
It wasn't up to Paul to do more than the task that God put before him. Neither is it up to you.
It is our duty and our solemn responsibility to make sure everyone we meet has a chance to choose whom they will serve in this life and where they will spend eternity.
But it is not up to them to make the choice for them. Or to feel responsible when they choose badly. It's not we that we failed Him.
The seed we plant may not germinate for decades, but that's up to God, not us. That's where the 'trust' part takes over.
"Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." (Ephesians 6:13)
Don't beat yourself up. Your job is to take the stand as a witness. It's up to the Holy Spirit to obtain a conviction.
"Faithful is He that calleth you, Who also will do it." (1st Thessalonians 5:24)
There are times when its our job to plant the seeds, then get out of the way and let Him take it from there.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
The Deniable Darwin
Note: David Berlinski has most recently written The Devil’s Delusion and The Deniable Darwin.
CHARLES DARWIN presented On the Origin of Species to a disbelieving world in 1859 - three years after Clerk Maxwell had published "On Faraday's Lines of Force," the first of his papers on the electromagnetic field. Maxwell's theory has by a process of absorption become part of quantum field theory, and so a part of the great canonical structure created by mathematical physics.
By contrast, the final triumph of Darwinian theory, although vividly imagined by biologists, remains, along with world peace and Esperanto, on the eschatological horizon of contemporary thought.
"It is just a matter of time," one biologist wrote recently, reposing his faith in a receding hereafter, "before this fruitful concept comes to be accepted by the public as wholeheartedly as it has accepted the spherical earth and the sun-centered solar system." Time, however, is what evolutionary biologists have long had, and if general acceptance has not come by now, it is hard to know when it ever will...Continue Reading
CHARLES DARWIN presented On the Origin of Species to a disbelieving world in 1859 - three years after Clerk Maxwell had published "On Faraday's Lines of Force," the first of his papers on the electromagnetic field. Maxwell's theory has by a process of absorption become part of quantum field theory, and so a part of the great canonical structure created by mathematical physics.
By contrast, the final triumph of Darwinian theory, although vividly imagined by biologists, remains, along with world peace and Esperanto, on the eschatological horizon of contemporary thought.
"It is just a matter of time," one biologist wrote recently, reposing his faith in a receding hereafter, "before this fruitful concept comes to be accepted by the public as wholeheartedly as it has accepted the spherical earth and the sun-centered solar system." Time, however, is what evolutionary biologists have long had, and if general acceptance has not come by now, it is hard to know when it ever will...Continue Reading
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Friday, November 13, 2009
Romans 8:35-39
Rom 8:35-39 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, "FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED." But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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