Christian Faith

Last night night I downloaded 14 very helpful eBooklets by RC Sproul from the ''Crucial Questions Series'.

I own a Samsung tablet which you all know is an android device. However, a Kindle app allows me to read Kindle eBooks in all their glory. So, I don't need a dedicated 'Kindle' device to read these booklets; my android is fine.

These booklets are outstanding and Monergism has announced that these ebooklets are free forever.

Be that as it may, I wasted no time in downloading them due to the author's fine repuation as a Bible taecher but also the crucial nature of the topics.

Please read on for more ...

The man whose hero once attempted to overthrow the state, now appeals to ‘separation of church and state’ to have same sex marriage introduced.

I could be wrong, but I suspect most Christians never thought Kevin Rudd would beat Australia’s Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, to the ‘same sex marriage’ table. We comforted ourselves that Kevin, the self-proclaimed “Christian” politician (and former PM), backed our world view in parliament while the current PM lived in a de facto relationship and probably opposed the moral code of the Bible full stop.

Think again. Mr Rudd this week came out in support of same sex marriage, “as a result of a lot of reflection”. His reasoning was as inconsistent as it was disappointing.

Below is a fascinating (read: 'very concerning') video featuring Rob Bell; former mega-church 'evangelical' pastor in the USA.

It's fascinating because it highlights the critical nature of HOW we arrive at moral positions as Christians. Is it via observing our culture 'in action' and adopting its changing popular (yet humanistic) values (like Rob Bell does) or by learning divine moral values from the Scriptures (like Jesus did)?

Watch the video closely and see how Andrew Wilson very graciously challenges Rob Bell, as a 'Christian', as to how Bell actually arrived at his radical theological position on homosexuality and 'same-sex' marriage.

This is an excellent exercise in ethical theory (the justification for our moral positions).

BTW - these 2 issues, for Christians, are not really about whether you regard homosexuality and same-sex marriage as OK or not OK. The point is this: HOW did you arrive at your 'moral' position on both issues?

Please read on ...

Recently I attended a major men's Christian conference in the chilly mountainous region west of Sydney, NSW, Australia.

We listened to some excellent teaching (apart from a good old fashioned ‘act-of-the-human-will’ diatribe – sigh!) but none better than from an Irishman who goes by the name of ‘Chris Wright’. He beckons from London actually and he said something so profound, so extremely helpful, that it will (hopefully) stay with me for the rest of my life.

What did he say? Well, you will have to read on …

The writer to the Hebrews states that it is ‘an awesome thing to fall into the hands if the living God’. (Hebrews 10:31) Rudolph Otto spoke of a similar kind of encounter in terms of experiencing what he called ‘The Numinous’. His ideas are found in his influential book Das Heilige (1917; translated into English as The Idea of the Holy, 1923). Otto says, that to have an experience of the ‘Numinous’ is to have an overwhelming sense of ‘wonder and awe’ in the presence of a Being greater than oneself.  Numinous gives the feeling of the greatness of the One that is experienced and the smallness of oneself.

The author Kenneth Grahame explores a similar theme in his book, The Wind in the Willows. In Chapter 7 entitled: The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, Ratty and Mole have an encounter of mysterium tremendum et fascinans (fearful and fascinating mystery) when they come across a grove dedicated to the god Pan. This was Mole’s response: 'Rat!' he found breath to whisper, shaking. 'Are you afraid?'

'Afraid?' murmured the Rat, his eyes shining with unutterable love. 'Afraid! Of Him? O, never, never! And yet— and yet— O, Mole, I am afraid!'  Then the two animals, crouching to the earth, bowed their heads and did worship.

Please read on...

We have just turned 4 years young and appreciate your ongoing support very much. Please recommend us to others!

There are some great additions to this site such as:

• 'The Problem of Evil' by James Rochford. (You can also download a free lecture on this same page).

• Also from this site: FREE CLASSES IN APOLOGETICS. This is a series of MP3 lectures on apologetics (Unseen Evidence)

• ARTICLE: 'Friendship Evangelism Is Neither Friendship Nor Evangelism' by Tony Miano (CARM)

Please read on; there is a lot more...

We want you to do something.

We want you to vote now – that’s right, vote.

On the right-hand side of this page you will see a 'poll'.

The poll statement (for you to finish) is, “The 'Gospel' is a message ...

a. … exclusively about Jesus OR

b. … mostly about Jesus but includes us OR

c. … about Jesus and us OR

d. … mostly about us

So, what do you think? What is the most accurate statement? We’d really appreciate your input … so … time to vote! Thanks.

In this influential book, the (late) Christopher Hitchens suggests that not only is all belief in the supernatural false but that it generally leads to bad outcomes; ignorance, hatred, evil, anti-science thinking and violence to name a few.  His underlying premises include 3 significant points:  

Firstly science, and in particular  evolution, has disproven God.  All religion is therefore simply a construct of man’s imagining and revelation cannot exist.  

Secondly, he seeks to show that religion is one of the primary causes and motivations for hatred, wars and oppression.  In pursuit of this task he uses a number of historical examples presented in a biased fashion.  

Lastly, he extrapolates the bad things done by some proponents of these belief systems to therefore demonstrate that the beliefs themselves are inherently bad, in the process failing to distinguish between those conducting evil because their belief system engenders it and those conducting evil in opposition to their belief system.

Book review by Dr. Bruce Watts. Please read on ...

That's right!

FAITHLIFE is giving away 2.5 million study Bibles.

'The Faithlife Study Bible', valued at $89.95 (US), is (allegedly) the world’s largest and most advanced study Bible - a Bible you can take anywhere. 

Get yours free now on your iPad, iPhone, Android device, or even online at Bible.Faithlife.com, and enjoy:

• Three layers of study notes
• 400 photos, videos, infographics, and maps
• Notes you can share with your friends
• Free built–in Bible dictionary
• Custom highlights and note-taking
• Articles from trusted Bible scholars, preachers, and leaders

Read on to see explanatory video ...

I think it's fair to say Jonah is the prophet with the worst attitude in the entire Bible. When Jesus rebuked the religious leaders of his day, he warned them that his message was in the long line of those who had faithfully preached God's word to Israel.

Where does Jonah sit in this line? He definitely preached, he saw Yahweh convert an entire city through it, but what about Jonah the man? Surely Jesus would not compare himself to that?

But Jesus did in fact compare himself to Jonah, at least in reference to the three days and night in the tomb. In fact he said, "Something greater than Jonah is here." Greater than Jonah? That does not sound like too high a mark to achieve.

The other day I was asked a genuine question by a teenager as to who created God.

It's a fascinating question because it is loaded with assumed presuppositions including a prerequisite for 'space' and 'time'.

In other words, God must be like me! I have had a beginning (birth) and an end (death).

So, when was God 'born'?

I tackled the answer by looking closely at the question and what was pre-supposed IN the question.

The divine is NOT like us as He is THE transcendent being (communicated in 'teen language' I hasten to add!)

'Come Reason's Apologetics Notes' website has a really cute way of answering the question: How Can God be Without Beginning or End? Check it out HERE.

Thanks to our friends at BE THINKING, resources from the Reasonable Faith Tour, October 2011 featuring William Lane-Craig are now available to the public.

As some of you will recall, the 2011 tour was highly successful even though Richard Dawkins failed in his evangelism efforts by refusing to debate William Lane-Craig (yet again).

However, Lane-Craig spoke and debated at many other venues. We are now privileged to access those talks, etc HERE.

Jesus has commanded His disciples to remain in Jerusalem and wait.

Wait for what? A gift.

Wait for Whom? The Holy Spirit.

They are all in one large room when suddenly a loud sound is heard and they see things that are hard to describe.

This all happens on the day of Pentecost when large numbers of foreigners have visited the holy city of Jerusalem. They are drawn to the sound and hear the wonders of God in their own native language. Peter then preaches a sermon that sees 3000 converted.

What does all this mean? Please read on ...