Hearing the Call

It was a few years ago that I decided to start my journey to Christian education. I felt a distinct calling to ministry full time. Since then I have graduated from Liberty University with a B.S. in Religion (Christian doctrine and Ministry) and the calling hasn't subsided even though I haven't yet entered full time vocational ministry.

The hardest part is the waiting but in the waiting comes the necessary maturing of both spirit and body for the task of shepherding and leading the charge of Christ. I am patiently waiting for this position to arise, much like we are called to anticipate and expect the return of our blessed Savior. Until that moment comes my eyes will be fixed on the road ahead, preparing, planning and developing into the leader God has made me.

Your prayers are greatly appreciated, the time is near. God bless!

A Healing Crisis of the Soul

Those of you who are avid health aficionados and who are familiar with the detoxing process of the body have inevitably faced a healing crisis. What is meant by the "crisis" is a temporary worsening of a persons health condition in order to bring about a cleansing effect and a healthier you. The crisis begins as the body rids itself of negative and toxic substances. These substances are released into the body which were once pent up and they begin their journey out of the body. In this process the toxins can actually manifest several symptoms such as fatigue, irritability, slight malaise, sleeplessness, flu like symptoms, nausea and so on. The symptoms are short lived however and are a welcome change to the toxic state the body had been operating under. Most recognize this temporary set back as a positive step in the right direction and deal with the discomfort for they know the condition the body is heading for and they embrace this process of healing.

So what exactly does this have to do with spiritual health?

The same theory can be applied to the state of the soul and spirit. As we take in more of the toxic environment and social context surrounding our spirit bodies we come face to face with a spiritual life in need of a resetting or a recharging. This realization is a healthy step for our spirits but it will not come without a short-lived worsening of our spiritual state. As you begin to allow God to work in your spirit to cleanse it from all unrighteousness (1 Jn. 1:9) you may be reminded of a particular lingering sin or pattern of behavior. As this sin is cleansed from your spirit and as your pattern of behavior is transformed a period of grief may come over you. You may feel convicted of your sin and this may cause you to feel defeated. What is important here is that you do not just throw in the towel and cease the healing process that has begun. You must press through this healing crisis of the soul and put your trust and process in the hands of God. If you confess your sins to God you have nothing to fear for He is faithful and just to forgive your sins and as referenced above He will cleanse you from all unrighteousness (1 Jn. 1:9). This cleansing process is what theologians refer to as sanctification. This process is the life-long journey of the believer in which God draws you closer to Him and further away from sin and corruption. This setting apart of the Christian is completed in full at the second coming of Christ or the at the death of the believer (whichever occurs first). At this point the believer is glorified and takes part in the inheritance that was prepared for them before the foundations of this world (Matt. 25:34).

Application:
So is your soul in need of a detox? Have you been faltering in your devotion to Christlikeness? Do you feel ashamed of a pattern of behavior in your life? Are you feeling more removed from God? Is your prayer time non-existent or non-effective? Are you feeling readers block when you spend time reading God's Word?

If you answered yes it may be time for a spiritual detox.

I want to suggest a great read for you on this topic as you begin your journey to a renewed spirit. Dallas Willard has written a classic of the spiritual life entitled Renovation of the Heart and I highly recommend using this as a guide to spiritual health and renewing.

Whatever resource you choose make sure you allow yourself grace and a time of spiritual rest. Just like with a physical detox it may cause you to become fatigued or weary, but be gentle on your soul and put its health in the trust of the Savior. He knows what you need and will guide you through the healing crisis to the spiritual health you have always desired and were designed for.

Be Blessed!

Baptism?

It is interesting to view the debate in Christian circles between padeo-baptists (infant baptism) and those affirming believer-baptism. On the one hand infant baptists refer to church history (not including the earliest part of church history) as evidence for this practice while believers baptist refer to the non-inclusion of children being baptized as a evidence for believers baptism. I would point you to one key verse initially to look at. It is not my interest to persuade you in any direction on your belief here but mainly to offer a suggestion for you to ponder.

The great commission passage in Matthew 28:19-20 says:
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you..."

What is interesting is that Jesus command was not to make converts, nor was his command to make seekers, his command was to make disciples. The very word presupposes a person who is a student of the teacher. If you are making a disciple then it is most likely this person is a believer. It would seem from this passage that believers are the focus of this baptism and not that the act saves but that it follows from a person devoted to the teaching of the teacher. In this case the person would have to buy in or believe in the teacher in order to follow his command to be baptized. Here is the example then I think of how baptism should be administered, to a person who has come to believe, trust and have faith in the Savior because the disciples were taking the message and "all that I (Jesus) had commanded" to these who became their disciples linking them to Jesus. So faith precedes baptism, and if a person is a disciple then they have the ability to know and understand the message which seems to indicate that infants and the mentally disabled for that matter are excluded here because they lack the mental development to understand the message.

Again it is not my aim to change your mind on your view I only want to lay out an option and ask that you consider this text when you think about how you view baptism. If this provides clarity then I would have done my part.

What Jesus Felt...

Quick thought on God and Evil

"Some things are necessarily true"

In reading God, Freedom and Evil by Alvin Plantinga I came across an explanation that opened my eyes to logic and necessity a little further.

Atheist or Atheologians as Plantinga puts it are essentially saying of God that:

(1)  God is omnipotent

(2)  God is wholly good

and

(3)  Evil exists

Their claim is of course that this is logically inconsistent with a God existing. But in terms of inconsistencies, where this argument currently stands, there is no inconsistency with this set of propositions.

The atheologian must adopt certain additional premises which John Mackie lays out:

(4)  A good thing always eliminates things as far as it can

and

(5)  There are no limits to what an omnipotent being can do

If in fact these premises are true then in it would follow that

            (6) Therefore, God does not exist

I think when you properly examine these additional premises; you discover they are false in their assumptions. On (5) for example, is it possible for this all-powerful being to create, say a round-triangle? How about a married-bachelor? Can God bring it about that He both exists and does not exist? I think we can see from these quick examples that even a being that is all-powerful cannot create/do things in logical contradiction to themselves. Neither is this evidence against God nor is it evidence against God being less than omnipotent. If we eliminate the validity of these hidden premises the argument that God does not exist as a result of evil is defeated. I think we can show that (5) is false which would result in the conclusion (6) being false:

Is God All Knowing - Dr. William Lane Craig

How Is God The Creator? Dr. William Lane Craig (1 of 2)

A Special Request for Some Friends

Please take a look at this video. These are dear friends of mine who for all I can see are certainly willing and deserving to be parents. There struggle has been difficult and we have seen them battle on in their pursuit of a family.

Your prayers, and support (financially if you feel led) would be greatly appreciated. Andrew serves our church community as worship pastor and Natalie's infectious smile and warm heart have deeply impacted our body of believers with eternal benefits. I am not so sure life would be as joyful if it wasn't for them in it.

Check out there page at http://igg.me/at/FockelFamily

Again thanks for your support of this amazing couple in advance. May God bless you as you bless them!

Starting Out in Apologetics?

Great introductory advice here from Dr. Craig. The most important point when starting out in apologetics is to be honest when confronted with a tough question you are not yet equipped to answer: Simply admit you are not prepared to answer the question at the moment but if they wouldn't mind you take some time to formulate a response and get back with them.

If you try to sound intelligent about the topic and dance around an answer you may risk harming the dialogue.

Be genuine and honest and then do the work to find the answer!

Debate: William Lane Craig vs. Alex Rosenberg - Is Faith in God Reasonable?

This is the full video of last nights debate... give it a view and let me know who you think won.

(Spolier alert: All three judging bodies (the internet, 6 on site judges and the audience) overwhelmingly feel Craig won this debate)

On Hope for the Hopeless - JP Moreland

Such a great message from Dr. Moreland. This has been an invaluable tool for me in my life. Listen, digest and meditate on this information. You can renew your hope by rekindling your faith in God and re-framing your difficulties.

Does It Matter If Premise One of the Moral Argument Is A Counterfactual?

Cartoon: Out of Nothing Comes Nothing?

Can All Religions be True? Alvin Plantinga Illuminates

Craig on Dawkins' Ontological Argument

The Free Will Defense - Plantinga

The Decline of Christian Europe

INTRODUCTION

            The influence of Christianity in Europe is hard to deny. With its beautiful monasteries, cathedrals and religious history European culture is surrounded by memories of a past lifetime and pious society. Yet things have changed in the last generation or so rapidly towards a post-Christian Europe. But what has caused this dramatic shift away from veneration, reverence and adoration for God?

            In this essay I intend to explore four causes that have lent themselves to the decline of Christianity in Europe. First we will look into the influence of the Enlightenment, particularly at the work of David Hume and Immanuel Kant. Next we shall delve into the idea of syncretism and how this has shaped the religious milieu of the continent. Next we will survey the changing social and family structure particularly the size of families and the role of inheritance in strategic powers of Europe chiefly Germany. Finally we will briefly cover the influences of the “New Atheist” and how this is shaping the landscape of European morality and life.

The Influx of Reason[1]

            Christianity in the eighteenth century began to face some new challenges that would rock the landscape of European thought. Beginning in the late seventeenth century the rationalist, those whose attitudes could be typified by an interest in the world and conviction in the strength of reason, began to influence the way people in Europe thought and how they came to an epistemic stance.[2] However following the initial rationalist incursion came a bright skeptic of the rationalist position.

David Hume employed his own method of experience and knowledge that shaped the thoughts of his day. Truth, as Hume saw it, is not that we see an apple, rather that we perceive its attributes such as size, color, flavor and so on.[3] Hume also struck at the core of Christian belief by asserting that belief in God, most notably the Christian God, is not something that comes from a pure love of the truth but rather out of an anxiety, a desire for joy, pleasure or a fear of death.[4] Naturally this sort of “experience skepticism” could have a profound impact on any who would read his work, and at this time with the aid of the printing press, was easier to access than ever.

Following Hume came, considered by many one the most notable philosophers of all time, Immanuel Kant. Kant, who had been awakened from his “dogmatic slumber” by reviewing the work of Hume, expounded upon this idea of reasonable knowledge in his work Critique of Pure Reason.[5] Kant makes a distinction in this work between phenomenon that are spatiotemporal objects, and noumena which are neither spatial nor temporal, thus these two worlds are separate.[6] God falls into the realm of noumena that Kant claims we cannot have intuition nor experience of. This means we can’t even begin to have knowledge of God let alone be able to describe his attributes.

Though claims made by Kant and Hume are not certain facts, what is certain is that their thoughts still impact an ever increasingly secular Europe. This impact thus requires a response from philosophers and theologians in the defense of knowledge and God to help turn the cultural tides back in the favor of theism.

Syncretism: The Harmful Ecumenical Movement

            When a culture that is largely dominated by one religion, as was the case in Europe’s past, encounters other religious traditions or sees an influx of foreign people to their lands change is inevitable. In this instance, the change we are speaking of is that of syncretism. Syncretism is the idea that as new influences on society are introduced, most principally religious views of immigrating peoples, they begin to borrow and adapt traits from one another until you have a religion that is not what the founders would have intended it. For example, if you have a stream of Hindus in England you may find the Anglican Church laity adapting the same respect of cows as do the Hindus and thus a blending of cultures would have taken place.

            Certainly there are good things that can come from blending of cultures such as the sharing of spices or the advancement of technologies not seen in the existing population. However, when you begin to allow other cultures, particularly religious cultures, into a society dominated by one sect it is likely things will shift and a decline of the dominant faith can be expected. Nonetheless, the case in Europe is a bit more troubling for Christians. It has been recognized that cultures and religions, particularly Islam, who had no defined historical heritage in Europe are now being integrated into the continent with a certain degree of success.[7] This success is at the expense of Christianity and the reaction to regain the landscape in Europe for Christians has been ineffective.

A Cultural Identity and the Shrinking Family

            Another of the main issues in the decline of Christian Europe is the changing social structure of religion. In times past the religion of the home, in this case Christianity, was passed on from father to son and so on. This in no way ensured the salvation of the son, however the cultural trait of sharing the family’s faith was a major part of the development of the church as a whole. If your parents were Christian there was a greater probability that you too would hold this same religious affiliation. According to Hans Joas, there is a decline in the practice of handing down faith within families, although he notes the effectiveness of highly religious families to succeed in this practices, nonetheless the actual population of such highly religious groups is also shrinking.[8]

            In addition to the lessening impact of family religious heritage in Christian Europe, there is also another trend that may be affecting this transmission of faith. The average size of European families are shrinking and most notably since the turn of the millennium. The birth rate in Germany for example has been in sharp decline since 2000 and though it has recovered somewhat in 2010 and 2011 the recovery is still far short of the birthrate a decade previous.[9]  What all of this is telling us is when you combine a falling birth rate with a declining tendency towards families to pass on their Christian heritage the end result is a decline in the overall cultural impact and population of Christian believers.

            A last point on the culture of Christians in decline, it may appear that some numbers do not actually show the results of Christianity declining, however this may be explained when you look at the cultural identity of Europeans. It has been a joke for sometime that atheists in Northern Ireland are identified with Christianity; they are either Catholic or Protestant Atheist.[10] This cultural tag allows some to be lulled into thinking Christianity is alive and well in Europe but the post-modern culture screams otherwise.

The New Atheists

            Since 9-11 and the rise of Islamaphobia in the West there has been a revival of atheism. However this is not the atheism of yesteryear, that of Bertrand Russell and even Antony Flew (the author is aware that Flew has recently accepted theism). This type of atheist, lead by the four horsemen Richard Dawkins, the late Christopher Hitchens, Daniel Dennett and Sam Harris, are a more belligerent type of atheist one who is bent on attacking Christianity in the private sphere. Their arguments are typically recycled rhetoric from the past and they dismiss many claims from professional Christian philosophers with an uniformed bravado. However their audience, who are less concerned with scholarship and more concerned with one living their own life of cultural and moral relativity, have latched on to such elementary arguments in support of their position.

            In order to gain a respectable footing Dawkins for instance espouses his own form of a moral ethic. In his work The God Delusion he declares that compassion and generosity are “noble emotions.”[11] He rails against the doctrine of original sin claiming it to be “morally obnoxious” and Dawkins even goes so far as to declare his own Ten Commandments.[12]

All of these efforts to show that one does not have to hold to theism, particularly Christian theism, in order to live a fulfilled and morally ethical life. This type of atheism is becoming more and more attractive to a culture that has fallen asleep at the wheel in reference to the piety of their past. This is yet another reason for the decline of Christendom in the once robust European social structure.

CONCLUSION

            From the various influences on the culture in Europe the trend towards a decline in Christianity is unmistaken. The Enlightenment thinkers who placed doubt on experience and knowledge rocked the very core of thought for centuries to come. As thoughts were beginning to grow so to was the culture of syncretism in Europe which helped to drown out the Christian culture. Contributing to the cultural changes were the downslide in birth rates and the influence of families on their children to carry the torch of Christianity to the next generation. Lastly the New Atheist with their rhetoric and attempt at ethical living in the face of a relativist milieu has gained quite more than just a cult following. The thoughts, habits and traditions of Europe are shifting farther and farther from the heritage that was once steeped in piety. As the secularization of Europe continues one cannot help but ponder when the final sun will go down on Christianity in the continent that saw its largest growth.

  

Bibliography

Allievi, Stefano. Reactive Identities and Islamophobia: Muslim minorities and the challenge of religious pluralism in Europe. Philosophy & Social Criticism 38, No. 4-5 (2012): 379-87. http://ps.sagepub.com/content/38/4-5/379 (accessed July 9, 2012).

Craig, William Lane. “Richard Dawkins on Arguments for God.” In God is Great, God is Good: Why Belief in God is Reasonable and Responsible, edited by William Lane Craig & Chad Meister 13-31. Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, 2009.

Demerath, N.J. III. The Rise of “Cultural Religion” in European Christianity: Learning from Poland, Northern Ireland and Sweden. Social Compass 2000 47, No. 1 (March 2000): 127-39. http://scp.sagepub.com/content/47/1/127 (accessed July 12, 2012).

Gonzalez, Justo L. “The Story of Christianity Vol. 1: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation.” (New York: Harper One, 2010).

Joas, Hans. The Future of Christianity. The Hedgehog Review 13, No. 1 (Spring 2011): 75-82. Academic OneFile. Web (accessed July 9, 2012).

Mundi, Index. “German Birth Rate 2000 to 2011.” http://www.indexmundi.com/g/g.aspx?c=gm&v=25 (accessed July 14, 2012).

Plantinga, Alvin. “Warranted Christian Belief.” New York: Oxford University Press, 2000.

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[1] The title of this section is not to imply that Christianity is devoid of reason but rather to point to the historical time in which the foundation of reason was challenged and took center stage

[2] Justo L. Gonzalez, “The Story of Christianity Vol. 1: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation” (New York: Harper One, 2010), 238.

[3] Ibid., 244.

[4] Alvin Plantinga, “Warranted Christian Belief” (New York: Oxford University Press, 2000), 143.

[5] Gonzalez, 246.

[6] Plantinga, 11.

[7] Stefano Allievi, Reactive Identities and Islamophobia: Muslim Minorities and the Challenge of Religious Pluralism in Europe, Philosophy & Social Criticism 38, No. 4-5 (2012): 380, http://ps.sagepub.com/content/38/4-5/379 (accessed July 9, 2012).

[8] Hans Joas, The Future of Christianity, The Hedgehog Review 13, No. 1 (Spring 2011): 76, (accessed July 9, 2012).

[9] In Germany a birth rate of 9.35 (births/1,000 population) in 2000 was in sharp decline to 8.18 in 2009. This is a reduction of 12.5% in just nine years. Index Mundi, “German Birth Rate 2000 to 2011,” http://www.indexmundi.com/g/g.aspx?c=gm&v=25 (accessed July 14, 2012).

[10] N.J. Demerath III, The Rise of “Cultural Religion” in European Christianity: Learning from Poland, Northern Ireland and Sweden, Social Compass 2000 47, No. 1 (March 2000): 131, http://scp.sagepub.com/content/47/1/127 (accessed July 12, 2012).

[11] William Lane Craig, “Richard Dawkins on Arguments for God,” in God is Great, God is Good: Why Belief in God is Reasonable and Responsible, ed. William Lane Craig & Chad Meister (Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, 2009), 19.

[12] Ibid.

Surviorman Wisdom...

I was watching an old episode of Surviorman with survival expert Les Stroud the other night. He was backpacking in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and he had to survive for seven days. The weather was holding up well for him considering it was late spring. However on the third day into the survival challenge, rain came upon him quickly. It was at this point that Stroud utilized his experience and knowledge to get him through a tough spell. Stroud had learned that in order to stay warm, naturally you would need a fire and in a place like the Sierra Nevada's the temperature can change quite dramatically at night and get below freezing. To prevent the storm from drowning out the fire you have to make a big enough flame to withstand the downpour.

Then it hit me...

What an amazing principle for us Christ-followers. Right now you may be experiencing a particularly great season of weather in your life. However, storms, trials and tribulations can come at any time and most unexpectedly. The question is, how big is your flame right now? Could it hold off the storm? Will your flame be put out by the rain?

What you do with the great weather in your life will determine if you make it through the rain. If your fire is kindled hot for God during the good times that same fire will withstand the storm when it comes, and it is sure to come. However, if you ignore your spiritual fire during the sunny times when the rain comes your flame will be easily extinguished and then you will be unable to withstand the storm.

If you are in the midst of a sunny season take this opportunity to read God's word everyday, pray and devote your heart and joy to him. Build in those great habits and practices that draw you every closer to the source of your fire and when the storm comes, which as I said before it will, then your fire will stay lit. Don't get caught with a small fire.

If you are in the midst of the storm right now (as I am) it is never too late to rekindle your fire. Find a great friend to pray with you, spend some time working on your relationship with your creator, read a great devotional book, rekindled your fire and your faith will be stoked and your hope returned. Just as the storm came, it will too come to pass, you must expect this to happen because our God promises these things for us! Have confidence in Him to deliver you from the storm and the next time a trial comes your way your flame will stay lit!

God bless you all and I will be praying for your fire!

Psalm 123 - A Lesson in Patient Petition

Have you ever wondered if praying to God over and over again for the same thing was a bad idea? Maybe you have felt that he heard my first request so I don't need to repeat it, right? The answer may surprise you.

The great 123rd Psalm details an ideal picture of how to approach God and those issues you are dealing with.

In verse 1 the psalmist points us to look heavenward to the great God who finds his dwelling place there. This sign of recognition of God's heavenly place lets us in on His awesome power and ruling position. He is Lord over all things.

Verse 2 has two parts. First, it helps us understand the type of gaze we should apply to the throne in heaven, as one who looks to his masters hand to direct them to do their work. Secondly, as one who focuses on his masters hand, the patient aspect of faith and trust in God is brought to light. Here the psalmist says,

"so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till he shows us his mercy." (v.2)

That is the key, we must continually look to the Lord, keep our focus on him, until he shows us mercy. That mercy is likely present the moment we ask, I dare say has already been there just awaiting a request, however, when we ask we don't always clearly see the result of our petition so we must stay patient and wait on this request.

Well now we will see whether or not it is ok to persist in our identical request.

The first part of verse 3 gives us our much needed answer. The psalmist repeats his first line,

"Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us..." (v.3) 

But you may be asking why the repetition? It is typically used for emphasis and that is what was being done here.When we pray we lift up our eyes and voices to heaven giving our praise and petitioning the glorious one with the things we are concerned with our that we believe need his greatest attention. By viewing the emphasis here we can see a pattern of prayer.

1. Look to the Lord alone

2. Recognize and honor his heavenly dominion

3. Be patient and wait for his deliverance

4. Petition him until your have been rescued or your prayers have been fulfilled

This pattern is evident in the 123rd Psalm and should echo in your life. Never quit on your prayers even if it seems that neighbor will never accept your invitation to church, or your boss will not cease his demeaning tone towards you or your teenage daughter will not relent in her pursuit of independence and a "life of the party" mentality. 

Never give up...you have to go on, even when the whole world crashes in on your heart...your help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth!

Comfort one another with these words!

But We Do Know The Ending!

I love the movie A Few Good Men starting a whole host of Hollywood elite including Demi Moore, Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson and Kevin Bacon. It was on TV yesterday and as my little daughter napped I was able to catch some of the best parts. Midway through the movie Tom Cruise (Lt. Kaffe) comments to Demi Moore (Lt. Cdr. Galloway) in regards to the case that, "We are gonna lose Jo, and lose big." I thought to myself, "Oh Tom if you only knew the ending of the movie, how your mind and statement would be swayed." After I said this I realized the potential hypocritical moment for myself.

As a Christian, I have access to Scriptures which speak about the way things are to be in the end. I know that in the end the Lord vanquishes evil and those who called on his name and followed him faithfully will reign with him forever. Yet how often do I truly live as a victorious person? How often am I overcome by doubt in this world? Why do I allow the enemy to overwhelm me at times as if I did not know my God was strong enough to protect me?

As Christians we know the end of the story yet for the most part we live as defeated people. Satan himself has such knowledge to know the way things will end, yet he lives victoriously in the face of this fate. Why would we allow our knowledge of God's ultimate triumph to be diminished when Satan attempts to overwhelm our lives?

We must live as champions in this life because Jesus has defeated the grave and showed us the final act. So the next time you feel overwhelmed, discouraged or defeated, pick up your Bible and read how Jesus conquered the grave and is coming back to set up His Kingdom on earth forever!

I pray this invigorates your day, Happy Resurrection Day!