Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Relativism with Greg Koukl and Francis Beckwith: Part 2

Here is part two of a video I posted last week. I like the way Koukl points to the problem of evil as a proof that there is a transcendent standard of morality, which follows that God exists. God seems to be the most coherent answer to the problem of evil. Hope you enjoy.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Jesus: The Only Way to the Father - Comparing John 14:6 with Matthew 11:27


This morning in my daily reading time I came across a passage in scripture that stopped me in my tracks. I love when this happens, all of a sudden you feel like one of these “ah-ha” moments has just occurred and you want to share what you found.

Just recently one of my students in the ministry came to me with a problem he had been struggling with for some time now. He was gripped by the power it had over him and he was looking for a way out and an opportunity for victory over this sinful area in his life. We sat down to a dinner one night with another friend who had overcome a similar situation in his life and we shared with the student the hope that he could have for victory in this area. We shared our struggles but we also shared the wins that we experienced and the power over temptation that can be ours when we put our trust in Christ Jesus to deliver us from the common struggles of life (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:13). We encouraged the student to remember the tools that he has at his disposal and to remember that his God is more powerful than the grips of sin. We all left that night well encouraged and the student seemed to have a deeper understanding of the struggle and was prepared and better equipped to fight the good fight.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Relativism with Greg Koukl and Francis Beckwith

This is part one of seven dealing with the issue of Relativism. A good look at tolerance and the claim that Christians judge all the time. Funny though, a relativist cannot make the claim that judgment is wrong, nothing is wrong given a relativistic worldview. Once you make a judgment you have stepped out of relativism and into objectivism. Hope you enjoy!

Friday, March 18, 2011

Apologetics Podcast recommendations

Hey all,
I wanted to get some information to you on which podcasts would be best to subscribe to in order to get a better feel for and understanding of Christian Apologetics (Defense of the Faith). I use these podcasts on those long drives to work and in between sales calls.

Here is a small list of the one's I find are the best:

Apologetics315 Podcast
Reasonable Faith Podcast
Defenders Podcast
Stand to Reason Weekly Podcast
Straight Thinking Podcast
The Voice of Truth
Let My People Think

This list is certainly not exhaustive so if you have any more suggestions or additions to the list please post them below in the comments box. I hope these help you discover the world of Christian Apologetics.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy

The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy is a document that helps the Christian gain some understanding when they hear people speaking about "Biblical Inerrancy." Apart from this Short Statement below, the document contains 19 articles each with an affirmation and denial as well as an Exposition section elaborating on a few key doctrines, which include: Inerrancy and Authority, Infallibility Inerrancy and Interpretation and a few others. Take some time to chew on this and see where it leaves you in regards to your personal held views on the Word of God. It may just impact the way you view and study scripture!

I have pasted the "Short (Summary) Statement" below and the full article of the statement can be seen at http://www.bible-researcher.com/chicago1.html


A SHORT STATEMENT
1. God, who is Himself Truth and speaks truth only, has inspired Holy Scripture in order thereby to reveal Himself to lost mankind through Jesus Christ as Creator and Lord, Redeemer and Judge. Holy Scripture is God's witness to Himself.

2. Holy Scripture, being God's own Word, written by men prepared and superintended by His Spirit, is of infallible divine authority in all matters upon which it touches: it is to be believed, as God's instruction, in all that it affirms, obeyed, as God's command, in all that it requires; embraced, as God's pledge, in all that it promises.

3. The Holy Spirit, Scripture's divine Author, both authenticates it to us by His inward witness and opens our minds to understand its meaning.

4. Being wholly and verbally God-given, Scripture is without error or fault in all its teaching, no less in what it states about God's acts in creation, about the events of world history, and about its own literary origins under God, than in its witness to God's saving grace in individual lives.

5. The authority of Scripture is inescapably impaired if this total divine inerrancy is in any way limited or disregarded, or made relative to a view of truth contrary to the Bible's own; and such lapses bring serious loss to both the individual and the Church.