Practical Evangelism

This is very cool:

How do you view Christians and religious people? (ie. over-bearing, secluded, self-righteous know it alls with hyena laughs)

Mark Driscoll on “religion” (17:23)

If there are any non-Christians out there, I would love to hear your thoughts about Christianity, religion, and boring old people who don’t listen to counter opinions too well. What are your feelings, thoughts, and experiences with Christians being too pushy, quick to talk and slow to listen, distant, and phony?

Please take a moment and write something (anything) in the comments below! I want to hear what YOU have to say.

Don Miller’s book ‘Blue Like Jazz’ has really been stirring my mind and heart on this topic lately. Especially because I’m involved with ministry at my college. I am beginning to see more clearly that there are weeds in the harvest field. There are many weeds of misconception and false notions that need to first be uprooted before anyone will approach Christ. Call it “re-approaching Christ”. The real Christ that is. Most churches and church people are phony and uninteresting. This is why the phrase “I love my church” is one of the most rare things ever uttered by human lips.

Blue Like Jazz pg. 123:

“You are confessing to me!” Jake said with a laugh.

“Yeah. We are confessing to you. I mean, I am confessing to you.”

“You’re serious.” His laugh turned to something of a straight face.

“There’s a lot. I will keep it short,” I started. “Jesus said to feed the poor and to heal the sick. I have never done very much about that. Jesus said to love those who persecute me. I tend to lash out, especially if I feel threatened, you know, if my ego gets threatened. Jesus did not mix His spirituality with politics. I grew up doing that. It got in the way of the centeral message of Christ. I know that was wrong, and I know that a lot of people will not listen to the words of Christ because people like me, who know Him, carry our own agendas into the conversation rather than just relaying the message Christ wanted to get across.”

And now I, Cameron, want to apologize too. I am sorry for being pushy with my beliefs and trying to get you to be like me in the snap of a finger. I am sorry that even though I present to you a gospel which says all are with sin, at the same time I hide in my sin and act like I’m above sin. I’m sorry for being too busy to be like Christ when I walk right past the hurting and needy. I’m sorry for being so demanding from you when Christ has every right to demand everything of me, yet has treated me specially instead. Once again, to all non-Christians, I want to say I am sorry.

Sincerely,

Cameron

The Real Story Behind Job

Job 1:13-21

Job experienced a shot to the heart in catastrophic proportions. In an instance, he received the most devastating news. Within one fell swoop he was stripped of his livestock, his servants, and worst of all, his beloved large family. However, amidst all this, Job remained upright. His reply was, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” (1:21) Perhaps Job said this in tears.

Soon after Job experienced a second hardship; that of his health. From head to toe he became covered with horrible soars. But even to this he replied “Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” (2:10)

You Gotta Love the Fleet Foxes

Naturalism Isn’t Natural… It’s Bias

Some have said, “you can’t just say God did everything. There’s no explanation in that.” OK. let’s just say “nature” does everything. Now we’ve come to some “superior” explanation! Sarcasm aside, saying God is the cause of all phenomenon does not preclude a scientific understanding of that phenomenon! Let’s have a scientific understanding of everything. But in the end, are we going to attribute the cause to “nature” or God? Which is our God, “nature” or God?

On top of that, so many so called “scientists” marry science to Naturalism. More specifically, they limit their scientific hypothesis’ to only natural explanations! Why they do this, I don’t know! Maybe it’s because they hate God. Just my hypothesis.

The funny thing is that no one even knows what the “natural” ultimately is!!! Not even Naturalists! Not even they can tell you what the fundamental substance is that everything is made up of. “Well everything is just atoms and electromagnetism at its bare core.” OK… that is until we begin to discover what that is made up of, and then what that is made up of, and so forth, an so forth, and on and on and on… What is “the natural”? Yet “scientists”, Evolutionists, and Naturalists throw this word around as though it were actually a solidified thing.

I can use the same line of reasoning as the Naturalist and say “God is a Naturalist”. Meaning, it’s perfectly natural for God to create, uphold, and allow all that is. This in no way, shape, or form negates scientific explanations. It only posits God as our ultimate reality, rather then whatever is believed to be “natural”. The supernatural is more natural than Naturalism!

Why Christianity Makes the Most Sense of Logic

What is meant by “logic”?

By logic I mean the 3 laws of logic. Namely, the law of identity, the law of non-contradiction, and the law of excluded middle. What in the world does all this mean? I’m glad you asked. I’ll try to briefly explain. You might even get a date by using these terms. They make you sound really smart.

First, the law of identity is simply stated A = A. In other words, an apple is an apple. Wow. Isn’t that profound.

Secondly, the law of non-contradiction states A cannot = non-A. Simple enough right? If the wall is yellow then I can’t also say it is not yellow and be correct. Again, profound.

Why Christianity Makes the Most Sense of Morality

What do we mean by “morality”?

Morality… what is it? If we have a discussion about morality will we be talking about the same thing? If I say I want to talk about cats will you be thinking house cats or panthers? What do we mean by morality? Well when I talk about morality I like to talk about “real morality”. In other words, the idea of there being REAL rights and REAL wrongs that we are REALLY accountable to. Not just pretend right and wrong, where everything is still permissable under the microscope, but real rights and real wrongs that we are really accountable to.

Granted, what is deemed as right to me may not be deemed as right to you. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves here. The cart goes before the horse and “accounting” for real rights and real wrongs must come before “identifying” what those real rights and wrongs even are. So let me briefly lay out what is required for a real morality to exist.

Chronological Snobbery and The Flying Spaghetti Monster

C.S. Lewis and Owen Barfield coined the term “chronological snobbery”. What is it? It is a logical fallacy. You know, like a straw man argument which falsely represents your opponents viewpoint, or an ad-hominem argument which attacks your opponent while you ignore their argument all together. Chronological snobbery is also a logical fallacy.

However, this fallacy implies that just because we now know the world is round, have identified a few laws of physics, and have microwaves and refrigerators, doesn’t mean we are more intellectually advanced than those before our time!

The Truth Behind the Fantasy of Porn

Shelley Lubben is currently active in helping porn actresses come out of the porn industry’s physical and spiritual death grip and into the arms of their Savior Jesus Christ. You can visit her website here. Pornography blurrs the lines between truley attractive women in God’s sight and attractive women in a perverts sight. As Christian men, we must seek to protect and care for women, not destroy ourselves and loved one’s by way of eyeballing other women’s self destruction.

(confessions of an ex-porn star)

by

Shelley Lubben

Sex-packed porn films featuring freshly-dyed blondes whose evocative eyes say “I want you” is quite possibly one of the greatest deceptions of all time. Trust me, I know. I did it all the time and I did it for the lust of power and the love of money. I never liked sex. I never wanted sex, and in fact I was more apt to spend time with Jack Daniels than some of the studs I was paid to “fake it” with. That’s right, none of us freshly-dyed blondes like doing porn. In fact, we hate it. We hate being touched by strangers who care nothing about us. We hate being degraded with their foul smells and sweaty bodies. Some women hate it so much they can be heard vomiting in the bathroom between scenes. Others can be found outside smoking an endless chain of Marlboro lights…

Some Favorite Quotes

“Nothing can damn a man but his own righteousness; nothing can save him but the righteousness of Christ.” ~ Charles Spurgeon

“The phony self is the enemy.” ~ Thomas Mertin

“God does not love us because we are good but because He loves us He will make us good.” ~ C.S. Lewis

“The gospel is a table for sinners and sinners only.” ~ Martin Luther

“The free man is he who does not fear to go to the end of his thought.” ~ Leon Blum

“Atheism shows strength of mind. But only to a certain degree.” ~ Blaise Pascal

“That dear friend is repentance; repentance has been with me all my life, and I think I shall drop a tear as I go through the gates to think that I can repent no more.” ~ Rowland Hill

“If Evolution is true it evolves the human being to not want to die, while at the same time it evolves us to die in a very short amount of time. That would make it the greatest ironic fluke!” ~ Self

“The gospel is not that Jesus loves us in spite of our sin, but that he is the only one who can do anything about it.” ~ Self

“Theism makes the most sense of the world, and Christianity makes the most sense of Theism.” ~ Self

“Nature and nature’s laws lay hid in night; God said “Let Newton be” and all was light.” ~ Alexander Pope (in writing Isaac Newton’s epitaph)

“I do not know what I may appear to the world, but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the sea-shore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.” ~ Sir Isaac Newton

“Gravity explains the motions of the planets, but it cannot explain who set the planets in motion. God governs all things and knows all that is or can be done.” ~ Sir Isaac Newton

“Never argue with a fool. Someone might be watching and may not be able to tell the difference.” ~ Anonymous

Easy Rider

The Revelation of Christ 19:11-16

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns.

He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean

with Foo Fighter’s – ‘There Goes My Hero’ playing in the background. [emphasis mine]

Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty.

On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:

KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS

My Dialogue With An Atheist

Here is a discussion I had with an atheist over the internet. I wanted to post this for a few reasons. First, I would like for all Christians out there to pray for this atheist to come to know Jesus Christ as his Savior, Lord, and friend. His name is Eric.

Secondly, I would like Christians and Atheists to read this. For Atheists I hope this raises some good discussions. For Christians, I hope this might crystallize your faith and give you some apologetic substance.

Lastly, I want to demonstrate a bit of how everyone assumes the Lord Jesus Christ’s existence. Especially when arguing against His existence. Within the word “atheist” we find the phrase “a theist”. One may claim to be an atheist but is always a theist beyond the claim. Look for this as you read the dialogue.

Remember, our apologetics are not the gospel, only a tool unto the gospel. Only the gospel that shows us how holy and perfect God is, thus how unholy and imperfect we are, will lead us to Christ our only hope. Only at the cross will God’s infinite love cover our infinite debt. That is, for those who believe and turn to Jesus Christ.

Me: If you don’t mind me asking, why don’t you believe in life after death?

Atheist: its no problem at all, It just never really made sense to me that you live .. die and the only proof that it exists is that someone said that it does.

Is Science and Religion Compatible?

As I’m sure you are aware, this is a commonly asked question these days. This has been a topic of debate for centuries and wont be taking a vacation any time soon.

First of all, this is a very non-specific question disguised as a specific question. One first needs to define “science” and “religion”. Science itself is not a ‘thing’ but a way of analyzing data, most commonly by way of the scientific method. Religion is nothing other than a set of principles firmly believed. But everyone has these, even atheists. Everyone has a view of the world, hence, a “worldview”. I believe what people generally are asking however is “what relationship is there between the observable and the non-observable?”

Benny Hinn (Let The Bodies Hit The Floor)

There are a lot of emotions one may have after watching this video. Some may be angry that this video mocks Benny Hinn. Others may be angry and feel they’ve been manipulated because they once practically confused Hinn for the Holy Spirit. Some may laugh at the person who made the video and think “if only they experienced the true power of the Spirit. Then they too would bolt to a Hinn crusade”. Others may laugh and think “this is the result of people having bad theology plus being put on the spot and expected to do something while in a hyper-emotional state for the sake of being approved by a church that is supposedly in tune with God’s most spiritual activity and that happens to be a CEO of the church world”.

Besides all the differing emotions one may have while watching this video, I challenge you to ponder these questions:

1) Is this type of activity biblical? If so, where? If not, does that matter?

2) What is the overarching goal to “falling down in the Spirit”?

3) What is the Holy Spirit’s actual message and mission? Is it the gospel? Is it the sanctification of believers? Is it conviction of sin? Is it the conversion of God’s elect? Is it love and faithfulness? If so, are these things being emphasized near as much as “falling out in the Spirit” by Hinn and others of his kind?

4) Is Jesus Christ made greatly known in all this? If so, how? If not, would that concern Him? The Spirit testifies of Christ (John 15:26). Jesus wants to be let into churches that don’t fully welcome Him (Rev 3:20).

Arminianism + Butt Rock = Stryper-Free

I love the 80’s rock band Stryper. But as the saying goes, “ideas have consequences”, so the idea of libertarian free will has consequences, whether it be bad theology or butt rock! By libertarian free will I mean the belief that a dead and unrepentant sinner is only indifferent to God, rather than only hostile to Him (Rom 8:6-8). Arminianism teaches that dead and unrepentant sinners can still conjure up at least an ounce of love for the Lord Jesus Christ and ask Him to save them.

The song sort of flaunts this “take it or leave it” offer as a way of saying, “hey, you’re free to do what you want to”. It’s as though they’re casually implying, “it’s cooler to look out for yourself and choose Heaven, but if you still want to choose Hell then go ahead.”

However, I believe you’ll find the most effective and Biblical way to evangelize is to first understand how spiritually dead sinners actually are! So dead in fact that they can’t make decisions to love God. As Ernest Reisinger says “we are to teach people the gospel (in hopes that God will use it to change their heart), NOT “decision” them.” (Mat 28:02)

The lyrics in this video will explain what I am actually talking about.

Please use caution when watching this video! Viewer discretion is advised! In case you sneezed and missed the 80’s, you’re about to see long hair and leather pants.

What Is Dying?

It has been asked, “What is dying?” Someone once described their thoughts in these words:

I’m standing on the seashore as a ship spreads her sails to the morning breeze and starts to the ocean. And someone at my side says,

“She is gone.”

But gone where? The loss at side is only in me, not in her. Just at that moment, someone on another shore begins to cry.

“Here she comes! Here she comes!”

For others are watching and waiting for her homecoming. Others pick up that glad cry.

“Here she comes!”

And this… is dying.

~ Anonymous

Should The Calvinist Blush for Preaching The Gospel? (revised)

Many Arminians charge that the Calvinist does not need to preach the gospel because the Calvinist believes that God will save the elect (those whom God wills to be saved) anyways. But is the fact that God will bring in His elect with or without our help a sufficient reason to halt evangelism altogether? Here are my thoughts:

Romans 3:28 and James 2:24. Do They Contradict?

Here is a link where I debate Catholics over James 2. My handle name is ’solafide’. I’ll let you decide who was more faithful to Scripture or to “Tradition!”.

Here is actually my conclusion to the whole debate in post 107: “Speaking of cutting to the chase. Here is what I have learned from this thread so far. The Catholic cannot use James 2 by itself to try and convince a Protestant that one is justified by faith and works. Rather, the Catholic can really only say “the RCC interprets James 2 that we are justified by faith and works, therefore because the Church interprets it this way you should to” and have that be their argument.

It’s interesting then when I tell Catholics that we are not justified by faith and works, but faith alone, that they bring up James 2 to me. Yet, again, now I’ve learned that I will need to correct Catholics in the future when they bring up James 2 to me and I will need to tell them “you really mean James 2 as it is interpreted by the Church says we are justified by faith and works.”

This has been a great learning experience. Thank you all! I’m done with this thread now.”

The great reformer Martin Luther perhaps coined the phrase “solafide”, Latin for “by faith alone”. What is believed to come by faith alone? Justification is believed to come by faith alone. What is justification? Justification is a legal term. It means to be fully pardoned of guilt and considered fully good. The sinner is fully guilty before God and needs a full pardon. If the sinner is pardoned by God for all wrong doing he is considered justified. So Martin Luther, along with the reformers, taught that one is pardoned by God and viewed as perfectly good only on behalf of faith. The sinner is not justified by anything else which he might physically, mentally, or emotionally do.

Epistemological Argument (Can Logic Exist In A Naturalistic Universe?)

Before I begin, I see many people stumbling upon this thread by typing in “can logic exist in another universe”, or something of the like, into the search bar. The thing is though, we depend upon our present logic to even do such thought experiments. The only possible conclusion then would be to say that in some universes, being illogical (to us) is logical. This doesn’t tell us anything though. It only assumes that what is illogical to us presently, in some way shape or form, can be logical in another universe. However, has anyone been to that universe and checked it out? Even if they did, they would still depend upon their present logic and wouldn’t be able to tell if there was another logic! Interesting then how they can be so sure that it is possible.

If what is illogical according to our present logic were able to be logical in another universe, that would be somewhat like recording sounds of nature, such as waterfalls, rocks falling, etc, and trying to interpret what they are saying.

To say another logic can exist alludes to the notion that our present logic can’t be trusted. If logic can be a free for all, then we have no bases for assuming that A cannot = non-A. If a we substitute a dog for (A) then we can say that a dog can be a non-dog, at least in our minds, and this would be true!

Further, someone might be in another universe using our same laws of logic and arguing that logic can be different in OUR universe. But can it really? What laws of logic did they use to ask that? And how can we even trust our present laws of logic if they are subject to change in other universes? Why couldn’t they change in this one then? And therefore, on what bases would we claim to know anything?

Saying that logic can be different is just silly. I’ll get to that more in my post.

Now to my post…

The Lord’s Supper

When partaking of the Lord’s Supper we must keep in mind that it is not an act of superstition. It is not a ritual to make us magically feel better about ourselves because we are supposedly carrying out proper religious-like behavior. It is not something that compels God to jump out of His throne and say “oh look how pious they are!” Nor is it to serve as a public statement that you “try to be a good person”.

The Lord’s Supper is not “you” centered, but is awesomely Christ centered.

First of all, it is very important to remember what Scripture teaches about the Lord’s Supper. It is for believers only. 1 Cor 10:16 says “Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?”