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mid-week apologetics booster (10-19-2023)

Good morning friends, Quote of the week: If a printed, meaningful menu cannot be generated by mindless natural processes but needs the input of a mind, what are we to say about the human genome? Does it not much more powerfully point to an origin in a mind—the mind of God? – John Lennox Now, here are your weekly links:

Jesus nut – Wikipedia – The term Jesus nut may have been coined by American soldiers in Vietnam; the Vietnam War was the first war to feature large numbers of soldiers riding in helicopters. The term may also have originated with the PBY Catalina, which had two Jesus bolts holding the wing onto the fuselage. If the Jesus nut were to fail in flight, the rotor would detach from the helicopter and the only thing left for the crew to do would be to “pray to Jesus.” The nut/pin must be checked before the flight even though real examples of the Jesus nut/pin failing are rare.: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_nut
An Assessment of Andy Stanley’s Unconditional Conference – I attended the Unconditional Conference put on by Embracing the Journey (ETJ). Hosted by nationally known pastor Andy Stanley and held at his church, which boasts a weekly attendance of nearly 40,000 people, the event sought to create a theologically neutral space where parents and leaders could learn how to minister to youth who identify as LGBTQ. In other words, the stated intent was not to change anyone’s theology. Despite these good aspects, the conference was deeply problematic because of the false and somewhat hidden premise that permeated most of the teaching: Followers of Christ can participate in homosexual sex, same-sex marriage, or transgender “transitioning.” That premise undergirds three serious concerns I have with the Unconditional Conference.: https://www.str.org/w/an-assessment-of-andy-stanley-s-unconditional-conference
About those objections to Hell – YouTube – Some of the confusion and problems that people have with the idea of Hell can be helped with these 8 facts.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFIKjt2WZ8w
The word translated as Testify (Greek Martureo) meaning and usage in the New Testament: https://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/kjv/martureo.html
The pitch for Noah’s Ark – Many geologists claim that Noah could not possibly have built the ark in the manner described in Genesis. They argue that pitch could not have been used to cover the ark and make it waterproof. Pitch, they claim, is derived from oil or coal, and if coal did not form until during the time of Noah’s Flood, he could not possibly have covered the ark with pitch.: https://creation.com/the-pitch-for-noahs-ark
Is It Wrong To Evangelize? – Reasonable Faith – Many Christian millennials think it’s wrong to evangelize. Dr. Craig offers evaluation.: https://subsplash.com/reasonablefaith/media/mi/+9w8qjvn
Even Caesar Confirmed the Resurrection | Answers in Genesis – After Christ’s Resurrection, Claudius Caesar issued a decree for people to stop stealing bodies from Judah’s sepulchers. Without realizing it, he was confirming Christ’s Resurrection!: https://answersingenesis.org/archaeology/even-caesar-confirmed-resurrection/
What is the definition of marriage according to Jesus? | WINTERY KNIGHT: https://winteryknight.com/2019/04/18/what-is-the-definition-of-marriage-according-to-jesus/
RNA Ties and Unties Itself | The Institute for Creation Research – There are two types of nucleic acids (genetic molecules): DNA and RNA. DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is a large linear molecule designed to store genetic information in all cells. RNA (ribonucleic acid) serves as a blueprint for proteins and occurs in three forms: transfer-RNA, ribosomal RNA, and messenger-RNA. It has been said that nucleic acids are like an onion. As biologists peel away a layer of complexity, underneath lies another layer waiting to be described. For example, in 2010 University of Toronto researchers “discovered a fundamentally new view of how living cells use a limited number of genes to generate enormously complex organs such as the brain.”: https://www.icr.org/article/rna-ties-and-unties-itself/
The Difference Between Islam and Christianity – Come Reason Ministries – My name is Adly. I am a 24 year old Muslim. I’m not very well versed in Islam myself but I’m learning. At the same time I am also learning (slowly) about Christianity. I would like to know sir, about what you think about Islam and Muslims. Do you think that we’re… what’s the word… lost? I would like to know if you have an opinion. I will not take any offence, heck, you might know more about Islam than I do! So if you have time, I would really appreciate it if you would give me your opinion.: https://www.comereason.org/difference-between-islam-and-christianity.asp
Evidence – YouTube – Dr. Frank Turek looks at science and if it confirms or denies belief in God.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbrY2orqhm0
Family Ministry: Who Is Responsible for the Discipleship of Your Children? – Timothy Paul Jones: https://www.timothypauljones.com/family-ministry-who-is-responsible-for-discipling-your-children/
Prayer is Not a Blank Check Signed in Jesus’ name: https://faithphilosophy.com/en/prayer-is-not-a-blank-check-in-jesus-name.php
John Lennox: “Seven Days That Divide the World” – YouTube – Eric Metaxas and Socrates in the City present an evening with John Lennox, Professor of Mathematics at Oxford University, at the Union Club in New York City on January 31, 2013. Dr. Lennox explores a method for reading and interpreting the first chapters of Genesis without discounting either science or Scripture. Afterward Metaxas is heard asking, “Why didn’t I ever have any math teachers like this?”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FmO2XKMe6g
Richard Rohr’s: 10 commandments of Progressive Christianity – Teresa (T.T.) McMillan’s Blog – The liberal understanding of Christianity is not just a variant version of the faith, nor does it represent simply a different denominational perspective, but is an entirely different religion altogether. Put simply, liberal Christianity is not Christianity.: https://teresamcmillan.theworldrace.org/post/richard-rohrs-10-commandments-of-progressive-christianity/
What You Need to Know About Wicca – Truths About Witchcraft Today – “There may now be more Americans who identify as practicing witches than there are members of mainline Presbyterianism.” Oh my. Even worse: “Wicca has effectively repackaged witchcraft for Millennial consumption. No longer are witchcraft and paganism satanic and demonic it’s a ‘pre-Christian tradition’ that promotes ‘free thought’ and ‘understanding of earth and nature.’”: https://www.crosswalk.com/blogs/dr-james-emery-white/more-witches-than-presbyterians.html
The Problem of the Unevangelized Once More | Reasonable Faith: https://www.reasonablefaith.org/writings/question-answer/the-problem-of-the-unevangelized-once-more
Motherhood: More Important than Rocket Science (according to Cathryn Buse!) – Mama Bear Apologetics – Why would a successful engineer leave NASA to be a mom, and apologist, and now a #mamabear apologist?: https://mamabearapologetics.com/motherhood-rocket-science/
Hitler’s God: 3 Reasons Hitler Wasn’t Christian – iApologia: https://iapologia.com/hitlers-god-3-reasons-hitler-wasnt-christian/
How Were People Saved Before Christ? | Cold Case Christianity: https://coldcasechristianity.com/writings/how-were-old-testament-saints-saved/
Biology doesn’t support the idea of biological evolution | George’s Journal: https://georgesjournal.net/2020/11/15/biology-doesnt-support-the-idea-of-biological-evolution/
Understanding Islam – New York Apologetics – With all of the talk about Islam in the news, we need to know what Islam is and what it teaches. The more we know about their ideology, the more we can reach out to them with the gospel. Here are several videos to help us to understand Islam and better explain how Christians can convey the gospel to them.: https://www.newyorkapologetics.com/understanding-islam/
Lee Strobel – The 4 E’s of the Resurrection – YouTube – Watch Full Movie Here: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/miningforgod: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Itcj8mhMcA
A look at an alleged contradiction in the Gospels: Was Jairus’ daughter alive when Jesus was approached or was she already dead? | Is Jesus Alive?: https://isjesusalive.com/a-look-at-an-alleged-contradiction-in-the-gospels-was-jairus-daughter-alive-when-jesus-was-approached-or-was-she-already-dead/
Grounded Faith by Terrell Clemmons – Salvo Magazine – “It is better to debate a question without settling it than to settle a question without debating it,” said French philosopher Joseph Joubert. In my experience, the average churchgoer shrivels up at the prospect of an unsettling discussion. But as we have seen, our youth no longer accept as “settled” the basic tenets of the faith. Though they are only a start, reference guides like these will help all of us wrestle, for ourselves and together with our young people, with the monumentally significant questions of our time. If we ignore their questions, we effectively ignore them. And in so doing, we surrender them to the skeptics, whom we can fairly well count on to sweep them in, no questions asked.: https://salvomag.com/article/salvo44/grounded-faith
Can God Be in the Presence of Sin? – #3 Post of 2010 | Tough Questions Answered – The Bible teaches that God is opposed to sin and evil, that he is holy and righteous. We know that eventually he will quarantine evil from good when he creates the New Heaven and Earth (Rev. 21). At that time, God will physically separate those who love him from those who don’t. Those who love him will no longer be in the presence of sin from that point forward. Until then, God tolerates the presence of sin in order to accomplish his purposes with mankind. Thank goodness, because if God truly could not be in the presence of sin, none of us would be here!: https://www.toughquestionsanswered.org/2010/12/29/can-god-be-in-the-presence-of-sin/
The Christian foundations of the rule of law in the West: a legacy of liberty and resistance against tyranny: https://creation.com/the-christian-foundations-of-the-rule-of-law-in-the-west-a-legacy-of-liberty-and-resistance-against-tyranny
An Unexpected Benefit of Apologetics – Bellator Christi: https://bellatorchristi.com/2017/02/07/an-unexpected-benefit-of-apologetics/
Was the New Testament Canon Assembled Hundreds of Years After Jesus?: https://respondblogs.wordpress.com/2019/10/23/was-the-new-testament-canon-assembled-hundreds-of-years-after-jesus/
Can We Trust Scripture on the Historical Jesus? | Sean McDowell: https://seanmcdowell.org/blog/can-we-trust-scripture-on-the-historical-jesus
Renewing Your Mind | The Birth of Jesus | Jun 26, 2017 Edition – Why was Jesus sent into the world as a baby? Today, R.C. Sproul considers the birth of Jesus as he continues his study of the New Testament.: https://renewingyourmind.org/2017/06/26/the-birth-of-jesus
How Can I Know Which Bible Promises Apply to Me? – Stand to Reason Blog – Here’s how I would apply that approach in the case of Jeremiah 29:11. In Jeremiah 29:11, we learn that God cares for His people and doesn’t abandon them, and that He hasn’t abandoned them even if it seems everything has gone wrong in their lives. We see that His good purposes are still moving forward, even when everything looks grim. This, we can cling to, because it’s an understanding of God’s character, which doesn’t change. What we can’t cling to is the specific outworking of God’s character in that unique biblical situation. That is, in that particular situation, God’s goodness and wisdom decreed that He would bring back those who were exiled to Babylon, saying, “I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations.” : https://str.typepad.com/weblog/2016/09/how-can-i-know-which-bible-promises-apply-to-me.html
Eternal Life By Works: The Catechism of the Catholic Church on Salvation – CCC 2010, “Moved by the Holy Spirit and by charity, we can then merit for ourselves and for others the graces needed for our sanctification, for the increase of grace and charity, and for the attainment of eternal life.” There is a great deal wrong with what the RCC teaches. We must look to God’s word and not to what the RCC says we must do to be saved. Our salvation is not merited by our keeping the commandments!: https://carm.org/roman-catholicism/the-ccc-paragraphs-2010-2027-2068-and-gaining-eternal-life-by-works/
Do Christians Need to Choose Between Science and God?: https://onwardinthefaith.com/i-believe-in-science-not-god/
How Do You Disciple Teens About Biblical Sexuality? – Impact 360 Institute – In this episode, Jonathan Morrow interviews Dr. Christopher Yuan, the author of Holy Sexuality and the Gospel (2020 resource of the year for social issues by Outreach Magazine) and Out of a Far Country, which details his dramatic conversion from an agnostic gay man, who put his identity in his sexuality, to a pastor, Bible professor, and Christian author who now puts his identity in Christ alone.: https://www.impact360institute.org/podcasts/how-do-you-disciple-teens-about-biblical-sexuality/

Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven. Matthew 10:32-33 Blessings to you all