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mid-week apologetics booster (10-27-2022)

Good morning friends, Quote of the week: Love is a choice, not a feeling. It is an initiated action, not an impulsive reaction. Choose today to be committed to love. – The Love Dare Now, here are your weekly links:

Is the RNA world hypothesis a good naturalistic explanation for the origin of life? | WINTERY KNIGHT: https://winteryknight.com/2022/10/24/is-the-rna-world-hypothesis-a-good-naturalistic-explanation-for-the-origin-of-life/
6 Reasons Why It Takes Faith To Deny Jesus | Reasons for Jesus: https://reasonsforjesus.com/6-reasons-takes-faith-to-deny-jesus/
Four Truths About the Universe You Can Share with Your Kids to Demonstrate the Existence of God | Cold Case Christianity: https://coldcasechristianity.com/writings/four-truths-about-the-universe-you-can-share-with-your-kids-to-demonstrate-the-existence-of-god/
No, God Did Not Prescribe the Use of Cannabis in the Bible – The Stream: https://stream.org/no-god-not-prescribe-use-cannabis-bible/
Ten Easy Ways to Start Meaningful Dialogue – The key to entering a meaningful conversation is to look for opportunities, then start the conversation by building a bridge with a friendly opener. The following list gives helpful tips for striking up conversations with non-believers.: https://www.str.org/w/ten-easy-ways-to-start-meaningful-dialogue
3 Evidences That Confirm the Bible Is Not Made Up | Answers in Genesis: https://answersingenesis.org/is-the-bible-true/3-evidences-confirm-bible-not-made-up/
Interview with Brett Kunkle on his book A Practical Guide to Culture: Helping the Next Generation Navigate Todays World: https://www.equip.org/articles/cri-interview-brett-kunkle/
If Christ Has Not Been Raised: Reasoning Through the Resurrection – Reasons to Believe – From a historic Christian perspective, both the nature and truth of Christianity rest upon Jesus Christs bodily resurrection from the dead. Jesus being raised to new life three days after His execution pumps the heart of the Christian gospel (doctrine), and is Christianity’s central supporting fact (apologetics). The truth of Christianity uniquely stands or falls on Christs resurrection. The apostle Paul explains: If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith (1 Cor. 15:14). If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile, you are still in your sins (1 Cor. 15:17). Since the truth-claims of Christianity hinge on the Resurrection, the New Testament accounts of Christs resurrection warrant careful analysis and reflection. The writers of these accounts not only report the Resurrection as a factual event but also provide a theological context and explanation of its overall significance to Gods historical redemptive plan.: https://reasons.org/explore/publications/articles/if-christ-has-not-been-raised-reasoning-through-the-resurrection
3 Logical Fallacies to Avoid (and How to Tell When Someone Else is Committing Them) Apologetics for the Church: https://apolotheo.wordpress.com/2018/09/21/3-logical-fallacies-to-avoid-and-how-to-tell-when-someone-else-is-committing-them/
Ricochet Evangelism hen we are sharing the Gospel or defending the reason for our hope, we may not be sharing it with the person we are sharing it with. I mean, of course, we are but that’s not all. It may be bouncing off them and hitting someone else.: https://mrpatvincent.com/2018/09/25/ricochet-evangelism/
Jesus Specifically Said, I am God | Cold Case Christianity – As a skeptic, I was willing to accept a nice guy version of Jesus. You know, the wise sage from the past who was misunderstood and mythicized into something divine by leaders of a movement who were either mistaken or deceptive. Jesus might have been a nice guy and a great teacher, but did he ever really claim to be God? I had atheist friends who knew more about the Gospels than I did, and they said that Jesus never claimed to be God in any of the New Testament accounts. Once I began to examine the Gospels for myself, I discovered my friends were wrong; Jesus did say specifically that He was God. Now don’t get me wrong, Jesus didn’t use those exact words. But His listeners sure understood what He meant.: https://coldcasechristianity.com/writings/jesus-specifically-said-i-am-god/
THE CROSS NEWSLETTER Concerned Christians: https://concernedchristians.com/the-cross-newsletter-4/
Do faith in God and science contradict? | GotQuestions.org: https://www.gotquestions.org/science-God.html
Are Your Christian Students Ready for College? | Cold Case Christianity – Christian college students need to decide if they are serious about following Jesus or if they are going to drift into playing Christian. If they are serious about following Jesus, then they can set the destination they are pursuing early on, which will make all the difference. As Christians we are called to more than just surviving that’s the heart behind Welcome to College.: https://coldcasechristianity.com/writings/are-your-christian-students-ready-for-college/
A Stone in His Shoe: https://www.str.org/w/a-stone-in-his-shoe
Canadian landscape a testimony to the Flood – A remarkable planation surface in Canada: https://creation.com/cypress-hills-planation-surface
What I Wish I Knew Sixteen Years Ago About Sharing The Good News With Mormons Straight Talk with Claudia K: https://straighttalkwithclaudiak.com/2018/07/26/what-i-wish-i-knew-sixteen-years-ago-about-sharing-the-good-news-with-mormons/
The Challenge of Moral Relativism: Three Problems with Relativism: http://www.mandm.org.nz/2018/06/the-challenge-of-moral-relativism-three-problems-with-relativism.html
How Bacteria Help Our Bodies Survive | The Institute for Creation Research – Our relationship with our microbiome has been quite intimate from creation because the microbiota accomplishes vital tasks for us.: https://www.icr.org/article/10785/
One of the Most Common Objections to Gods Existence on a College Campus THINKAPOLOGETICS.COM: https://chab123.wordpress.com/2021/09/22/the-most-common-objection-to-gods-existence-on-a-college-campus-3/
10 Biblical Reasons God Allows Suffering | Sean McDowell: https://seanmcdowell.org/blog/10-biblical-reasons-god-allows-suffering
3 Reasons Why Christians Should Be Evidential Investigators Instead of Experience Junkies – Two men. Both grew up in Christian homes in suburban America. Both have famous Evangelical fathers. Both made personal decisions for Christ and became actively involved and well-known in ministry. One walked away from his faith and became a secular humanist. The other has become one of the top apologists and defenders of the Christian faith. Who are these two men? The first is Bart Campolo, son of evangelist and author Tony Campolo, and the other is Sean McDowell, son of evangelist and author Josh McDowell. Why did their fairly similar paths lead them to such radically different destinations?: https://www.alisachildersblog.com/blog/3-reasons-why-christians-should-be-evidential-investigators-instead-of-experience-junkies
Advice for Christians who discuss their faith with atheists from an atheist | WINTERY KNIGHT: https://winteryknight.com/2013/05/01/advice-for-christians-who-discuss-their-faith-with-atheists-from-an-atheist-2/
Studying the Works of Our Creator | The Institute for Creation Research – As believers, we enjoy the privilege of studying the works of the Lord. Creation reveals our Creators character. His work is honorable and glorious, and His righteousness endures forever. He has made His wonderful works to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and full of compassion (Psalm 111:3-4). One of His greatest works was sending redemption to His people because He cares for us (Psalm 111:9). His wonderful works remind us that He is indeed full of grace and compassion. Have you taken the time to study His works? All of creation reveals mysteries of the God who was here before the foundations of the world, allowing us to know Him more intimately. Have you pondered His works, displayed in the reliability of the seasons and demonstrated in the uniqueness of each created kind of animal? Have you wondered how the stars found their place in the heavens? Have you ever been in awe that the very breath of God is housed in humans made of dust?: https://www.icr.org/article/10434/
The Nature of Apologetics – The following summary will help people understand the nature of apologetics and why it is not merely for the edification of the saved, nor is it merely for evangelism and missions. In summary, (1) The Great Commission, as lived out by the earliest Christians, does not afford us the option of using apologetics with Christians alone. (2) Not all apologetics are the same; there are various methodsClassical, Evidential, and Presuppositional. Some are more effective with believers, and others are more effective with non-believers. (3) His claim is refuted by the verifiable testimony of believers such as Lee Strobel and Dr. Francis Collins, the head of the Human Genome Project, who became a believer in Christ after reading C. S. Lewis Mere Christianity. (4) While there are methods that favor those within the fold versus those outside the flock, the Classical method is a means to serve the believer and unbeliever by providing evidence for the faith that can convince the skeptic and assure the disciple. : https://ses.edu/the-nature-of-apologetics/
Benny Hinn Is My Uncle, but Prosperity Preaching Isn’t for Me | Christianity Today: https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2017/october/benny-hinn-costi-uncle-prosperity-preaching-testimony.html
What do Christians mean when they say ‘God spoke to me?’ | Fox News: https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/what-do-christians-mean-when-they-say-god-spoke-to-me
The Scientific Evidence for Intelligent Design on Vimeo (Casey Luskin, 1 hr 17 min video) – The Scientific Evidence for Intelligent Design : https://vimeo.com/77175512
Young Earth Creation Science Argument Index – The purpose of this index is to list all the claims of young earth creationists, and provide rebuttals to those claims.: http://www.oldearth.org/young_earth_creationist_argument_index.htm
Sun Paradox Challenges Old Earth Theory | The Institute for Creation Research: https://www.icr.org/article/sun-paradox-challenges-old-earth-theory
Are Young People Really Leaving Christianity? | Cold Case Christianity – Much has been written about both the Biblical illiteracy of teenage believers and the flight of young people from the Church. Many have observed this trend, and I too have witnessed it anecdotally as a youth pastor (and shamefully, I contributed to the trend for some time before I changed course). Some writers and Christian observers deny the flight of young people altogether, but the growing statistics should alarm us enough as Church leaders to do something about the dilemma. My hope in this post is to simply consolidate some of the research (many of the summaries are directly quoted) so you can decide for yourself.: https://coldcasechristianity.com/writings/are-young-people-really-leaving-christianity/
What Is Hinduism and Hare Krishna? This is a great chapter from the book World Religions and Cults Volume 2: https://answersingenesis.org/world-religions/what-is-hinduism-and-hare-krishna/
Hinduism and other religions – Hinduism has Brahma, who is impersonal and pantheistic. The world is thought to be an illusion. Hinduism has no salvation, rather, the goal is to be dissolved into this ultimate reality which then leads to the absence of suffering. But I would say that the Hindu philosophy fails at the most basic level, because we can’t really live as if the world was an illusion. For instance, if I saw your message, and said, Oh well, guess I can delete it without responding, because N. J. is an illusion and I can’t answer it anyway, because I am one as well, that would be consistent with Hindu thinking, but inconsistent with how we actually live. No human actually wants to be dissolved into a ceaseless Nothingness where individuality is lost. What we want, what we long for, is to live forever, to see our dead loved ones again, to have a world free of the struggle and strife of this life. Christianity succeeds on this most basic level because it acknowledges that something is really wrong with this universe, and it presents the promise of a future restoration back to how each of us knows everything should be.: https://creation.com/hinduism-and-other-religions
3 Reasons Your Evangelism Efforts Have Stalled – Lifeway Voices: https://voices.lifeway.com/uncategorized/3-reasons-your-evangelism-efforts-have-stalled/
Clarification on fossilized soft tissue reports – Soft tissue in fossils vs fossilized soft tissue. When a scientific report or an article commentary refers to soft tissue being preserved in a fossil, this could refer to one of two largely separate things: https://creation.com/soft-tissue-clarification
The Reliability of the Bible | Biblical Christianity – No book has had more said about it, good or bad, than the Bible. We now live in a time when many people passionately believe the Bible to be the word of God while many others strongly criticize the Bible as textually corrupt, scientifically nave, historically incredible, and morally backward. Many people who grew up accepting the Bible as true come to question, doubt, and even reject it. Yet there has never been more evidence in support of the reliability of the Bible than there is today. Recent advances in science and scholarship have answered many of the common criticisms of the Bible. It is unrealistic to try to prove every detail of the Bible or to vindicate all of its statements. However, we have very good reasons indeed to be confident in the Bible and to accept its message: that the God who created us has acted to reconcile estranged humanity to himself through the revelations given to Israel and especially through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.: https://bib.irr.org/reliability-of-bible
How to Use Questions & Tactics In Your Next Apologetics Encounter The Think Institute: https://thethink.institute/articles/how-to-use-questions-amp-tactics-in-your-next-apologetics-encounter

In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. Luke 15:10 Blessings to you all