What do Buddha, Muhammad, Ghandi, Karl Marx, John Lennon and Joseph Smith have in common? If signs marked their grave-sites, theirs would read “Occupied”. Christ’s grave would read “Vacant”.
Act 4:12 "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved."
1Co 15:12-18 Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
Christianity is an exclusive religion. It claims to have the ONLY truth and, as such, it is intolerant to any other belief system claiming the way to Salvation. In today’s progressive society, the word - intolerant - has negative connotations. Yet intolerance is necessary to our daily lives. Most people would not tolerate an inept pilot flying their airplane. Making a decision that affects our eternity demands that we do not tolerate deception.
It has often been said that there are many paths to God and that all religions are equally valid. This is a logical fallacy. I suspect that those who claim this are either not being entirely honest for various reasons or they haven’t thought through the implications of that statement:
1) Religions cannot all be valid because most contradict each other’s Salvation system.
2) Some deny any need for Salvation.
3) Buddhism is atheistic.
4) Hinduism teaches multiple gods.
5) Islam; the New Age and certain cults claiming to be Christian, deny that Christ was anything but a great man, master or prophet.
6) The New Age teaches that we are gods – we only have to arrive at that realization.
7) Christianity teaches that God became man and was crucified on a wooden cross to redeem mankind and the universe. There is no other way.
Given the contradictions above, there can only be two possibilities (despite claims by Oprah & co) - either all the belief systems are wrong, or only one of the systems is correct. If this world is the by-product of an accident then this article is worthless and so is Christianity. Simple as that.
In my personal search, I had to first deal with the prevailing attitude that this universe was the result of an explosion and life on earth began in a pond of primordial soup, or brought here via meteor from a pond elsewhere in the universe - and somehow evolved through a mechanism that is still not understood. This is basically what is being taught as fact in schools, universities and propagated by practically every media outlet. The evolutionary view has become so pervasive and repetitious that not many (if any) secular individuals dare question it publicly. Those who do are treated with derision.
Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed
It’s not my intention to turn this into an apologetic for Creationism, but please refer to the links below as they will help anyone who is genuinely and objectively searching for answers. You can use the search engines to research particular subjects or you can contact these websites with specific questions no matter how complicated they are. These people are bona-fide scientists well able to hold their own in debates and many have even published secular peer-reviewed scientific articles and books. And, yes, I have challenged and tested them.
Answers In Genesis
Creation Ministries International
True Origin
Having satisfied myself that there was a God and that evolution was problematic, I spent years reading New Age materials and chasing the “truth” down rabbit holes. The New Age isn’t exactly a structured system per se. What it does do very well is obfuscate the truth by presenting a smorgasbord of appealing options for a fastidious seeker not wanting to be offended by blood spilled on wood. Those astute enough will quickly realize how contradictory its varied teachings are. Ironically, some see this as an advantage. In fact – and this is very significant – the only consistent teaching I found throughout the New Age and in other religions is that Jesus was just a human being – not God.
That’s not what the Bible teaches. When Adam and Eve fell, garments of skin were supplied as a covering for them by God (Gen 3:21). This idea of covering by sacrifice is a thread woven throughout Scripture. The myriad idioms and rituals used for priestly intercession and sacrifice were all designed to point to Christ’s substitutionary provision on the Cross for all who place their faith in Him (John 3:16). The testing lesson of Abraham in Gen 22:1-14 points directly to the Cross. God never intended for Abraham to sacrifice Isaac and, furthermore, Abraham knew this because of the covenant promises God had made regarding Isaac’s future (Gen 17:1-7; Gen 21:1). Even though Abraham was distressed, he knew well enough to trust God:
Gen 22:7-8 Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." And he said, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" Abraham said, "God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." So the two of them walked on together.
Numbers 21:7-9 is also a prophetic foregleam of the Cross as Christ points out to Nicodemus in John 3:14, 15. And the manna from heaven (Exo 16:14-35); the smiting of the rock by Moses (Exo 17:6) and Jonah’s three days in the belly of the beast are only the most commonly recognized pointers to Christ – there are far too numerous similar examples to account for here. Finally, in Revelation, we read:
Rev 5:5-7 and one of the elders said to me, "Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals." And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth. And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.
Rev 22:13-14 "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city.
The Bible is an unparalleled, integrated system of sixty six books, written by forty different authors, spanning about 3,500 years that affirms Christ’s divinity and the ABSOLUTE necessity of the Cross. This truth is sprinkled throughout the book from beginning to end. No other literature purporting to be spiritual can match the Bible for consistency, integrity and critical scrutiny – leaving aside prophetic considerations. The message it contains is not about restrictions – it is about Freedom and Incredible Joy. Put it to the test for yourself.
What you do, or don’t do, will impact your eternity.
Further reading in no particular order:
Christian Answers for the New Age
A Brazen Epitaph
Aleph Tau
The Resurrection and Genesis
Jesus Christ Q & A
Can I trust the Bible?
Is Jesus Really God?
Evidence for the Resurrection
Ankerberg Theological Institute Apologetics
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Pastor Chan Resources
Here is an audio resource that I highly recommend listening to. Pastor Chan of Cornerstone Church is on fire for God and everything he says is bound to impinge on our, sometimes, lukewarm attitudes.
Audio files
Thanks to Alesia for the tip.
Audio files
Thanks to Alesia for the tip.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Gay Marriage and Homosexuality
Gen 2:24 For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh...
Why shouldn’t loving homosexual couples marry?
Any discussion about gay marriage is really a question about the legitimacy of homosexuality itself. If homosexuality is wrong then so is gay marriage. From a homosexual and atheistic perspective, there would probably be no question about either the right to marry a person of the same gender or engage in sexual activity. There are several arguments and claims commonly proposed by both gays and their apologists to defend these activities. Here are some:
1) There is no God; the Bible is irrelevant; there is no reason why I shouldn’t pursue what I want.
The first argument is commonly used to justify whatever pursuit the believer desires and is not restricted to the subject of this article. If God does not exist and this world is a result of a cosmic accident, then there is no moral law and no good or evil. If such is the case, then the only law is that which is agreed upon by those who can impose it or those who can get away with it. The inherent danger of this view is that moral law is then determined by those in control at any given time and, therefore, is in constant flux. Eventually, any action can be justified under this scheme – eugenics, bestiality, group marriage, mass murder etc.
It’s not uncommon for those who want freedom of sexual expression to be actively involved in opposition against belief in a God, Christianity and Biblical inerrancy. Scott Bidstrup is one example of a homosexual journalist who has attempted a rebuttal to Lee Strobel’s book. Notwithstanding these attacks, Christian apologists are well able to RESPOND to any rebuttal or debate. How have you justified your belief to yourself? Have you diligently checked all the arguments pro and con?
Morality and Ethics Questions and Answers
The Holocaust and evolution
Answering the ‘new atheists’
2) I was born gay. God made me this way, therefore it’s OK.
The second argument is problematic on the basis that some people are born with both physical and mental disabilities. Given this view, if a baby has a congenital heart disease, are we then acting contrary to God’s wishes if we provide medical assistance? If a man is born with a proclivity to violence or an attraction to children; is it justifiable for him to act upon this God-given impulse? There isn’t any scientific data that conclusively shows there is a gay gene, but even if this were the case it would not automatically make it right. We live in a fallen world where disease and accidents occur and this is not necessarily the will of God.
My genes made me do it!
Death and Suffering Questions and Answers
3) I’m not hurting anyone.
Contrary to the assertion of the third argument, certain homosexual activities are, in fact, dangerous and diseases and violence within the gay community are prevalent. Unfortunately, the mainstream media will not readily make this sort of data available and it is politically incorrect to mention it. Ironically, governments legislate to minimize smoking, accidents in cars, drug usage etc because of the financial and human mortality costs they incur on society, yet the practise of homosexuality is treated as sacrosanct.
Homosexuality Statistics
Homosexuality and health
Homosexuality and Murders
Gay Bowel Syndrome
4) People who speak out on, or disagree with, the practise of homosexuality and gay marriage are homophobic.
The expansion of the Hate Crimes law to supposedly protect gays actually enforces this view. The phobia label is an effective apparatus utilized by activists and, sometimes, well-intentioned legislators to shame and frighten dissenters from expressing opinions about homosexuality. That I disapprove of a certain conduct does not directly follow that I fear or hate the individual practising it, yet the law will soon prosecute me for expressing that opinion. Pastors and priests will soon risk breaking the law if they refuse to marry gay couples, even if it contravenes their own fundamental religious beliefs and despite the fact that gay couples have alternative options.
A genuine Christian will not hate an individual as this is against our faith. We are directed to witness to, love, and pray for all. So when Christians vote against legislation to permit gay marriage or express an opinion against it – what they are doing is practising their faith in God, freedom of speech and right to vote – not hating gays. Someone who wants to remove a crucifix or Nativity Play from a public place might just as easily be classified as Christophobic. Someone who speaks out against stealing could be labelled kleptophobic, and the list goes on.
Gay Agenda
Matthew Shepard
5) The Bible does not condemn homosexuality.
Finally, there are “Christian” ministers and pastors who teach that the Bible does not condemn homosexuality. Often the book of Leviticus is invoked – specifically Lev 18:22 and Lev 20:13 where the Bible condemns that practise. It is then argued that because the intricate rituals in that book are no longer observed and not applicable to modern Christians that, therefore, references to homosexual behaviour are also now irrelevant. Yet the following verse is quite clear:
Lev 18:22 'You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination.
Furthermore, in chapter 20 there are also a number of commands against adultery, incest, cursing, bestiality, offering children to Molech etc. Using the above logic one could then argue that these could also now be permissible. But the reason that Leviticus had so many purifications and rituals was because the offerings and sacrifices were meant to vividly point to Christ’s Perfect Future Sacrifice on the Cross as our Saviour. In other words, the book is symbolically prophetic. The whole process had to be exact because God is exact. Christ’s sacrifice had to be perfect to pay for ALL of humanity’s sins and Leviticus reflected this truth. The rituals are no longer necessary because Christ’s redemptive work was accomplished at His death but the essence of the commands and warnings are all still relevant. I suggest reading Herbert Lockyer’s “All the Messianic Prophecies of the Bible”. This book helps to show how the Bible is a unique integrated system that points to Christ.
The problem of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is usually explained away by the suggestion that God was punishing the people because of inhospitality based on Eze 16:49-50. But apart from inhospitality, verse 50 clearly tells us that Sodom also committed abominations - “They were haughty and practiced abominable deeds before me. Therefore when I saw it I removed them.” (NET)
That this is the case is corroborated by Jude 1:7 - “just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.” Rom 1:18-27 and 1 Cor 6:9-10 also support the truth that Scripture, taken as a whole and in context, condemns homosexuality. Another tactic employed by some is to imply that David and Jonathon, and even Christ and John the beloved disciple were engaged in homosexual activity. But all these claims can be easily shown to be erroneous.
There are very clear Scriptural warnings for those who would lead the flock astray (Mat 7:15, Mat 18:6, Jas 3:1) and God’s relationship with the church is often compared to a Holy and Pure Marriage between a husband and a wife (2 Co 11:2, Eph 5:25-27, Rev 19:7-9, Rev 21:9).
Ultimately it gets down to this - if there is no God then none of this matters. But if God really does exist then our decisions will have Eternal Consequences. Do we serve and please ourselves or God? It's not just homosexuality that displeases God - it's all sin regardless of how small. All of us have failed but the good news is that Christ has provided for us by His work on the Cross. Please visit the following links that further discuss Salvation:
Salvation Issues
The Pearl
Further reading:
God's Plan for the Gay Agenda
The Sin of Sodom--Genesis 19
The Book of Leviticus
Studies on Leviticus
Why shouldn’t loving homosexual couples marry?
Any discussion about gay marriage is really a question about the legitimacy of homosexuality itself. If homosexuality is wrong then so is gay marriage. From a homosexual and atheistic perspective, there would probably be no question about either the right to marry a person of the same gender or engage in sexual activity. There are several arguments and claims commonly proposed by both gays and their apologists to defend these activities. Here are some:
1) There is no God; the Bible is irrelevant; there is no reason why I shouldn’t pursue what I want.
The first argument is commonly used to justify whatever pursuit the believer desires and is not restricted to the subject of this article. If God does not exist and this world is a result of a cosmic accident, then there is no moral law and no good or evil. If such is the case, then the only law is that which is agreed upon by those who can impose it or those who can get away with it. The inherent danger of this view is that moral law is then determined by those in control at any given time and, therefore, is in constant flux. Eventually, any action can be justified under this scheme – eugenics, bestiality, group marriage, mass murder etc.
It’s not uncommon for those who want freedom of sexual expression to be actively involved in opposition against belief in a God, Christianity and Biblical inerrancy. Scott Bidstrup is one example of a homosexual journalist who has attempted a rebuttal to Lee Strobel’s book. Notwithstanding these attacks, Christian apologists are well able to RESPOND to any rebuttal or debate. How have you justified your belief to yourself? Have you diligently checked all the arguments pro and con?
Morality and Ethics Questions and Answers
The Holocaust and evolution
Answering the ‘new atheists’
2) I was born gay. God made me this way, therefore it’s OK.
The second argument is problematic on the basis that some people are born with both physical and mental disabilities. Given this view, if a baby has a congenital heart disease, are we then acting contrary to God’s wishes if we provide medical assistance? If a man is born with a proclivity to violence or an attraction to children; is it justifiable for him to act upon this God-given impulse? There isn’t any scientific data that conclusively shows there is a gay gene, but even if this were the case it would not automatically make it right. We live in a fallen world where disease and accidents occur and this is not necessarily the will of God.
My genes made me do it!
Death and Suffering Questions and Answers
3) I’m not hurting anyone.
Contrary to the assertion of the third argument, certain homosexual activities are, in fact, dangerous and diseases and violence within the gay community are prevalent. Unfortunately, the mainstream media will not readily make this sort of data available and it is politically incorrect to mention it. Ironically, governments legislate to minimize smoking, accidents in cars, drug usage etc because of the financial and human mortality costs they incur on society, yet the practise of homosexuality is treated as sacrosanct.
Homosexuality Statistics
Homosexuality and health
Homosexuality and Murders
Gay Bowel Syndrome
4) People who speak out on, or disagree with, the practise of homosexuality and gay marriage are homophobic.
The expansion of the Hate Crimes law to supposedly protect gays actually enforces this view. The phobia label is an effective apparatus utilized by activists and, sometimes, well-intentioned legislators to shame and frighten dissenters from expressing opinions about homosexuality. That I disapprove of a certain conduct does not directly follow that I fear or hate the individual practising it, yet the law will soon prosecute me for expressing that opinion. Pastors and priests will soon risk breaking the law if they refuse to marry gay couples, even if it contravenes their own fundamental religious beliefs and despite the fact that gay couples have alternative options.
A genuine Christian will not hate an individual as this is against our faith. We are directed to witness to, love, and pray for all. So when Christians vote against legislation to permit gay marriage or express an opinion against it – what they are doing is practising their faith in God, freedom of speech and right to vote – not hating gays. Someone who wants to remove a crucifix or Nativity Play from a public place might just as easily be classified as Christophobic. Someone who speaks out against stealing could be labelled kleptophobic, and the list goes on.
Gay Agenda
Matthew Shepard
5) The Bible does not condemn homosexuality.
Finally, there are “Christian” ministers and pastors who teach that the Bible does not condemn homosexuality. Often the book of Leviticus is invoked – specifically Lev 18:22 and Lev 20:13 where the Bible condemns that practise. It is then argued that because the intricate rituals in that book are no longer observed and not applicable to modern Christians that, therefore, references to homosexual behaviour are also now irrelevant. Yet the following verse is quite clear:
Lev 18:22 'You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination.
Furthermore, in chapter 20 there are also a number of commands against adultery, incest, cursing, bestiality, offering children to Molech etc. Using the above logic one could then argue that these could also now be permissible. But the reason that Leviticus had so many purifications and rituals was because the offerings and sacrifices were meant to vividly point to Christ’s Perfect Future Sacrifice on the Cross as our Saviour. In other words, the book is symbolically prophetic. The whole process had to be exact because God is exact. Christ’s sacrifice had to be perfect to pay for ALL of humanity’s sins and Leviticus reflected this truth. The rituals are no longer necessary because Christ’s redemptive work was accomplished at His death but the essence of the commands and warnings are all still relevant. I suggest reading Herbert Lockyer’s “All the Messianic Prophecies of the Bible”. This book helps to show how the Bible is a unique integrated system that points to Christ.
The problem of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is usually explained away by the suggestion that God was punishing the people because of inhospitality based on Eze 16:49-50. But apart from inhospitality, verse 50 clearly tells us that Sodom also committed abominations - “They were haughty and practiced abominable deeds before me. Therefore when I saw it I removed them.” (NET)
That this is the case is corroborated by Jude 1:7 - “just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.” Rom 1:18-27 and 1 Cor 6:9-10 also support the truth that Scripture, taken as a whole and in context, condemns homosexuality. Another tactic employed by some is to imply that David and Jonathon, and even Christ and John the beloved disciple were engaged in homosexual activity. But all these claims can be easily shown to be erroneous.
There are very clear Scriptural warnings for those who would lead the flock astray (Mat 7:15, Mat 18:6, Jas 3:1) and God’s relationship with the church is often compared to a Holy and Pure Marriage between a husband and a wife (2 Co 11:2, Eph 5:25-27, Rev 19:7-9, Rev 21:9).
Ultimately it gets down to this - if there is no God then none of this matters. But if God really does exist then our decisions will have Eternal Consequences. Do we serve and please ourselves or God? It's not just homosexuality that displeases God - it's all sin regardless of how small. All of us have failed but the good news is that Christ has provided for us by His work on the Cross. Please visit the following links that further discuss Salvation:
Salvation Issues
The Pearl
Further reading:
God's Plan for the Gay Agenda
The Sin of Sodom--Genesis 19
The Book of Leviticus
Studies on Leviticus
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