Good morning friends,
Quote of the week:
How often have I injured and not recommended my Redeemer! How few are those blessed through me! In many things I have offended, in all come short of thy glory; Pardon my iniquity, for it is great. – Valley of Vision
Now, here are your weekly links:
- Raise Children in the Lord. We have a responsibility to do this. We cannot just pawn it off on teachers, or Sunday school teachers, or our pastor, or a Christian school, if we have one. They can help, but it is our primary job to raise our children in the Lord.: https://www.str.org/w/raise-children-in-the-lord
- Professor Says We Need “Mass Movement” for Kids’ Right to Sex Work | Answers in Genesis. It seems that evil men and women prosper with no consequences while the righteous are treated with contempt and hostility—and it’s just getting worse! Seeing this is both discouraging and sobering as we consider the consequences of evil flourishing in our nation—consequences that most dramatically impact the most vulnerable among us. What can we do?: https://answersingenesis.org/culture/depraved-professor-movement-for-kids-sex-work/
- Is the New House Speaker, Mike Johnson, a GENUINE Christian? – YouTube – October 25th, Mike Johnson just became the new House Speaker-the third highest position in America. But is he a genuine Christian? Ray Comfort gives some commentary on this topic, shows footage of Mike Johnson’s address from today, and uses the phrase, “In God We Trust” as a springboard to share the gospel with a college student.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obWEEKY117U
- In this article, we’re offering “Quick Shot” responses to the objection, “I don’t need an imaginary God to forgive me of my ‘sins’. There is no such thing as sin.”: https://coldcasechristianity.com/writings/quick-shot-there-is-no-such-thing-as-sin/
- Ex-Muslim Once Chanted ‘Death To America!’ Now, He’s Saving Iranians | CBN News. One of the most remarkable parts of Shariat’s story is the roots from which his ministry emerged. A native of Iran and an ex-Muslim, he once chanted “death to America” in the streets. But Shariat’s entire life changed when he left Iran during the Islamic Revolution and arrived in America to study. In addition to newfound academics, he also discovered true faith. “I got saved in America,” he said, noting that his heart and mind profoundly changed. “I love America.” Shariat said his ministry took root after his 16-year-old brother was arrested and held for two years by Iranian leaders. Rather than release the teen, the government put him to death: https://www2.cbn.com/news/news/ex-muslim-once-chanted-death-america-now-hes-saving-iranians
- The 7 Signs of Josephus Reveal End Times Destruction | Keith Giles: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/keithgiles/2018/02/7-signs-josephus-reveal-end-times-destruction/
- 2021 Apologetics Awareness Top Books (69 books): https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/166979.2021_Apologetics_Awareness_Top_Books
- Jurassic Coast Icon for Genesis Flood. Numerous geological sites across the world present the story of evolution, uniformitarianism, and rocks millions of years old. One popular site is the Jurassic Coast in southwest England, where millions of people a year visit and take a ‘185 million year walk through time’. However, the discerning tourist can readily see another interpretation from the rocks and fossils, namely evidence of rapid burial through many conformable (continuously deposited) sedimentary layers, which is far better explained by the Genesis Flood.: https://creation.com/jurassic-coast-icon-for-genesis-flood
- Don’t Be Overcome by Statistics, Overcome Statistics with the Gospel: https://crossexamined.org/dont-be-overcome-by-statistics-overcome-statistics-with-the-gospel/
- Ancient Words, Ever True? The challenge can be reduced to a simple question: “What kind of book is the Bible?” I submit there are only two plausible answers. The Bible is merely a book by man about God, or it is a book given by God through man, to man. If the first, then the Bible is a record of human wisdom marked by human limitations. That’s all. If the second, then God is the ultimate author and his word is the last word. Further, being essentially a supernatural book, it would likely bear supernatural marks, God’s fingerprints in a sense. Do we have any good reasons to think God has spoken supernaturally in the Bible? Or have men merely opined? The way to answer this question is to look at the book itself. I want to offer six reasons I think the Bible is God’s book, six evidences of supernatural authorship conveniently paired with parts of the hand so you won’t forget.: https://www.str.org/w/ancient-words-ever-true-
- Billions of Biological Nanomachines Point to Christ’s Workmanship | The Institute for Creation Research – The more we discover how the engineered workmanship in living creatures corresponds to the engineered workmanship of man-made things, the more we see Christ’s power, genius, and wisdom. When someone credits nature for creating itself and fails to credit God as Creator, as millions do, they show a lack of respect for and an irreverent disregard of Him.: https://www.icr.org/article/14321/
- When Breaking Out of the Echo Chamber Doesn’t Stop Polarization: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevin-wax/why-breaking-out-of-the-echo-chamber-doesnt-stop-polarization/
- How to falsify a religion using scientific or historical evidence | WINTERY KNIGHT. What I often see among atheists is this tendency to set up expectations of how God would have acted and then complain that he doesn’t meet those expectations. I don’t think that this is a good way to argue against a religion, because it’s subjective. God isn’t obligated to comport with atheist expectations. A much better way of evaluating religions is to test the claims each makes against evidence: https://winteryknight.com/2018/02/06/how-to-falsify-a-religion-using-scientific-or-historical-evidence-3/
- Trinity Help From C.S. Lewis – Chapter 23, 24, 26-33 of C.S. Lewis’s book Mere Christianity: https://www.ldolphin.org/CSLtrinity.html
- The Bibliographical Test Updated – Christian Research Institute – The bibliographical test examines manuscript reliability, and for more than a generation Christian apologists have employed it to substantiate the transmissional reliability of the New Testament. The bibliographical test compares the closeness of the New Testament’s oldest extant manuscripts to the date of its autographs (the original handwritten documents) and the sheer number of the New Testament’s extant manuscripts with the number and earliness of extant manuscripts of other ancient documents such as Homer, Aristotle, and Herodotus. Since the New Testament manuscripts outstrip every other ancient manuscript in sheer number and proximity to the autographs, the New Testament should be regarded as having been accurately transmitted. However, although apologists have stayed abreast of the dates of the earliest extant manuscripts and latest New Testament Greek manuscript counts, we haven’t kept up with the increasing numbers of manuscripts for other ancient authors that are recognized by classical scholars. For example, although apologists rightly claim that there are well over five thousand Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, they have reported the number of manuscripts for Homer’s Iliad to be 643, but the real number of Iliad manuscripts is actually 1,757.: https://www.equip.org/articles/the-bibliographical-test-updated/
- Actions, Invitations, Storytelling-How Gen Z Approaches Evangelism – Barna Group. A major finding from Barna’s existing research on evangelism is that even Christian Millennials are conflicted about—if not opposed to—sharing their faith. Are today’s teens following their lead? A new Barna Group study among Gen Z seeks to find out. In an effort to better inform leaders about the emerging generation’s perceptions of evangelism, Alpha USA and Alpha Canada partnered with Barna to create two country-specific reports on Reviving Evangelism in the Next Generation: https://www.barna.com/research/gen-z-evangelism/
- The Hiddenness of God: An Objection to God’s Existence – A Clay Jar. Some skeptics and atheists will argue that God, if there is such a being, seems to be in hiding. And they argue that the hiddenness of God is proof against the existence of God. In their minds, if God wanted us to know him, certainly he would be more obvious in revealing himself to us. But is that true?: https://aclayjar.net/2019/12/hiddenness-of-god/
- The latest Gallup poll shows a continuing decline of religious influence in America. A dramatic shift has taken place in America related to the way we view religious beliefs. Hidden in the data from the Gallup research lies a clue to the reason for this change in public opinion. Why do fewer Americans think religion matters? Listen to the podcast to hear the answer to this question. Frank and Detective J. Warner Wallace tackle this issue and others in this episode: https://subsplash.com/crossexamined/media/mi/+hx2v9pw
- Why I’m no longer a young earth creationist | Magazine Features | Premier Christianity. Theoretical astrophysicist Luke Barnes explains how he changed his mind on the age of the universe: https://www.premierchristianity.com/features/why-im-no-longer-a-young-earth-creationist/5288.article
- Is Religion Just a Social Construct? | Strange Notions. One of the arguments against religion is that it’s a social construction – that is, that religion (particularly, belief in an interventionist or “moralistic” god, meaning a god interested in human affairs and morality) is something invented by society, in order to regulate its citizenry. One of the best arguments in favor of this is that more developed societies have more developed religious systems, and are more likely to believe in a god who cares about morality: https://strangenotions.com/is-religion-just-a-social-construct/
- If Evolution Is True, Our Cognitive Faculties Cannot Be Trusted & Atheism Cannot Be Rationally Held | Reasons for Jesus. If human beings are a result of the evolutionary process then one needs to maintain that the main purpose of our cognitive faculties is for survival and reproductive fitness. In other words this process couldn’t care less for true belief, argues philosopher Alvin Plantinga. Evolution only cares whether or not our actions are adaptive and whether or not they contribute to our fitness. Therefore, the naturalist would be incorrect to expect that his faculties would be aimed at truth as they would solely be aimed at fitness.: https://reasonsforjesus.com/if-evolution-is-true-our-cognitive-faculties-cannot-be-trusted-atheism-cannot-be-rationally-held/
- Islam’s Claims of Biblical Corruption Actually Impeach the Qur’an. Islam began in the early seventh century, when Muhammad supposedly received many revelations providing him with the Qur’an. Given that Christianity and Judaism had been in existence for centuries, it’s easy to see why Muhammad would have found it attractive to try and co-opt these monotheistic faiths as part of his own. To this end there are many places in the Qur’an that address Christians and Jews, and their holy books: https://apologetics-notes.comereason.org/2014/10/islams-claims-of-biblical-corruption.html
- Does Suffering Disprove the Existence of a Good God? – Bible Gateway Blog. As I tried to imagine the depth of pain, the horror of suffering that so many humans have inflicted on each other, I began to have that most unwelcome feeling of having my paradigm shifted. Humans are not good. It’s the average member of society that commits genocide. I didn’t want this to be true, and to this day I don’t want it to be true.: https://www.biblegateway.com/blog/2019/10/does-suffering-disprove-the-existence-of-a-good-god/
- On Worldviews by James Anderson – Ligonier Ministries. Abortion. Euthanasia. Pornography. Same-sex marriage. Transgender rights. Embryonic research. Genetic enhancement. Christians surveying the cultural landscape in the West have a clear sense that things are headed in a destructive direction. While most believers can easily identify the symptoms of decline, few feel competent to diagnose and address the root causes. There are many complex factors behind these developments, but one invaluable tool for better understanding and engaging with our culture is the concept of worldview. The sociological quakes and moral fissures we observe in our day are largely due to what we might call “cultural plate tectonics”: shifts in underlying worldviews and the collisions between them. What is a worldview?: https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/worldviews
- Dogs breeding dogs? Museums, and school, college and university courses in biology, emphasize variation within a kind as ‘evidence’ for evolution. For example, the Natural History Museum in London says that breeding of dogs shows evolution. Presumably all you have to do is breed dogs for long enough and you will get something which is not a dog—something that is basically different. To the uninformed this can seem convincing—after all, there are many and varied breeds of dogs. However, the evidence from breeding and the science of genetics actually presents a huge problem for evolution. In spite of much breeding and the generation of many varieties of dogs, from chihuahuas to Great Danes, dogs are still dogs. Dogs have only ever bred dogs. Roses have only ever bred roses.: https://creation.com/dogs-breeding-dogs
- Listening to Young Atheists: Lessons for a Stronger Christianity – The Atlantic. When a Christian foundation interviewed college nonbelievers about how and why they left religion, surprising themes emerged: https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/06/listening-to-young-atheists-lessons-for-a-stronger-christianity/276584/
- How church history will help you defend the faith – Southern Equip: https://equip.sbts.edu/article/church-history-will-help-defend-faith/
- Can There Be Any Meaning in a Universe without God? Reasonable Faith has a video explaining why the existence of God is necessary for meaning to exist and responding to the common challenges atheists offer against this claim: https://www.str.org/w/can-there-be-any-meaning-in-a-universe-without-god-
When a mocker is punished, the simple gain wisdom; when a wise man is instructed, he gets knowledge. Proverbs 21:11
Blessings to you all