The Perfect Gift

Well, it's all over, the gifts have been given, some of them delighted us and will be treasured, others...didn't and won't. But what makes a gift a good one, and is there such a thing as a perfect gift?

The King's Christmas message

I don't know if the Queen's Christmas message is of any interest to you, or if you'll bother tuning in or switching on to hear it, but I want to remind you of the King's Christmas message. It's a message that ought to be of interest to everyone, and I hope you don't tune out or turn off. The reality is, you can't afford to ignore it.

The message is simple, yet profound. It's a message everyone can understand yet no one can, and it's this:

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

John 3 v 16

Don't rebel against the King any longer. Bow your knee, admit your guilt, give yourself up, turn yourself in and receive the Saviour His love provided.

Unhitched

Christopher Hitchens has passed away.  It is a tragedy that a man so intelligent and gifted used what God gave him in rebellion against Him.

What has God been doing for the last 2000 years?

This is a challenge that has been made by atheist, Lewis Wolpert, several times - "Tell me something God has done in the last 2000 years!"  It's a bit like hiding in the corner of a cave or burying your head in the sand and saying you can't see any evidence of the sun!

Repent, justified, sanctified

It sounds like I'm giving a formula for salvation and Christian living - the sinner repents, he is then justified by God, and goes on to live a life of practical sanctification. But that's not what I want to address here. I am not going to talk about our repentance, justification or sanctification, but God's!

Ex-Christian?

I was listening to a woman talk about how she used to be a Christian, but has deconverted to become an atheist.  There are a couple of things I just want to point out that I feel may be helpful.

What about your good works?

When people hear about the Bible's clear teaching that salvation is by faith in Christ alone a common response is to ask something like, "What about all the good things I do?"  My response is "What about all the good things you do?!"

Who cares?

It is a question asked by sulky teenagers, but it is also a question asked by broken-hearted sufferers - "Who cares?"

Seeing is believing?

I had a conversation with someone today who told me he had a hard time believing in things he couldn't see, hear or feel.  I told him he did not indeed!

Common sense & evidence - is that it???

I was listening to William Lane Craig's debate with atheist philosopher, Peter Millican, recently. It was very interesting, but there's one issue I want to mention here.

Further follow up on Craig / Law debate

Just one more brief post on an issue that arose following my comments on the debate between William Lane Craig and Stephen Law.

Reformation Day

I've just been reflecting on, and reading about the conversion of Martin Luther, who on this day in 1517 nailed his 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenburg.

Nobody's perfect

I just want to recount a recent conversation I had with a lady on the subject of how we can be accepted by God.

Follow up on the Law / Craig debate

I have been in correspondence with a couple of people in response to some things I said about the William Lane Craig / Stephen Law debate. 

Law's flaw

Christian philosopher, William Lane Craig, is currently in England on a speaking and debating tour (and Dawkins is on the run).  He had a debate with atheist philosopher, Stephen Law, last week which I have listened to, and have some reflections on.

Unreliable & irrelevant?

I got into conversation with her as I stood in the queue at McDonalds, and she asked me what I did.  I told her I spoke to people about the Bible, and she looked at me as if I had just sprouted another head!  She said, "Why would you ever do something like that?"

What about those who never heard?

I got an email recently asking about the fate of those who never heard the Gospel.

Making molehills out of mountains!

I have just read a staggering article by a leading "evangelical" on the question of Mormonism and whether Mormons are Christians (article here).

Either / or, or both / and

I had a really interesting conversation with a man recently in which he was objecting to various matters relating to God and His justice and mercy.

Time the crime?

I was speaking to a group of people about what the Bible teaches regarding God's punishment of sin, and the various objections people raise. 

No get-out clause

…when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power

2 Thessalonians 1 v 7-9

Infinite regression!!

I had an interesting conversation with a couple of Mormons on Saturday.

If I close my eyes you can't see me!

I want to tell you a bit more about the steamroller I spoke to recently.

Steamroller approaching - reality beware!

He didn't need much time to get rolling, and once he got started it was well nigh impossible to get him stopped!

The ultimate question

I was asked by a taxi driver recently about what I did for a living.  I told him that I told people about the reality of salvation and the way to heaven.

Has means hasn't?

Yet another encounter with a "Jehovah's Witness"!  I was speaking to her about a particular issue, and what she said to me was, "You take snatches out of the Bible, but we believe it in its entirety, and that's why we have the hope of eternal life!"

Without a leg to stand on, part three

There was one other subject under discussion in my recent conversation with the man who described himself as a "total atheist".

Without a leg to stand on, part two

Continuing with my recap of my conversation, we went from talking about the origin of the universe to talking about the Bible.

Without a leg to stand on

I want to tell you about a conversation I had with a very intelligent man recently.  The conversation enforced something I have often observed - intelligent people can say really unintelligent things.

Why not slash your dad's tyres?

I want to follow up on the previous post about my conversation with Thomas, the JW.

I don't know about that!

I encountered a "Jehovah's Witness" on the street one day as he was giving out his literature.  I asked him what his message was.  He told me he was telling them what the Bible says about the future, and then he asked me did I have any interest in these things. 

It's all Greek to me!

I have just listened to Bart Ehrman in a discussion with Darryl Bock on the Unbelievable? radio show.  Ehrman was arguing that Peter didn't write the letters ascribed to him because he wouldn't have known Greek and even if he did, he couldn't have written a literary document in that language.

Happy Birthday!

This blog is one year old today. It's been encouraging to see the interest there has been and the visitors that have come from all over the world, including some countries in which my fellow believers are being imprisoned and executed for the sake of our glorious Lord. The Word of the Lord is not bound!

It may be a good thing for you to have a trawl through the older posts and see if there's anything of interest to you, and if there are questions you have that haven't been addressed please let me know, click on my profile and send me an email. Thanks for coming to the site, please come again soon and often!

You don't have to be a clear thinker to be famous

That much is evident by a couple of stories I have just read.

If the bad news isn't really bad then the good news isn't really good!

Quite a long title but it catches what I want to talk about here. There's a big tendency today to tone down the Scriptural teaching regarding the state and danger of mankind. There is huge pressure to soften the harder truths of the Bible, and to sweeten the bitter pill the Word of God commands us to swallow.

Good for you!

I had an interesting conversation with a spiritualist recently. She was telling me that the thought that her departed loved ones were not so departed was a comfort to her. She liked the thought that they could see her and she could talk to them and they could help her. I asked her had she any reason to believe those things were actually true, she admitted she had no real evidence.

It's not a joke book!

I had a conversation with a lady a wee while ago and we were talking about the Bible, and she informed me that she thought all Christians would admit that the Bible wasn't true.  I told her she had just found one Christian who would admit no such thing!

Readers, writing and writers

I have posted on the issue of the grounding of morality before, most recently here, but I want to do it again in light of what I have just listened to.

Empty promises, empty threats

It isn't a new thing, but it's certainly a current thing - the world is full of empty promises and empty threats.

Never say never?

Never say never is a good piece of advice for us to remember.  In many situations it is unwise to say you would never do such and such because, after all, we aren't omniscient - we don't know what the future will throw at us to make us eat our words.  Furthermore, we aren't omnipotent - circumstances may arise that will cause us to give in and back track and do what we said we would never do.  However, if one were omniscient and omnipotent then that person could afford to say "Never!"

Is there anyone in there?

Imagine you are a demolition man - you have the job of blowing up buildings.  Prior to plunging the detonator you ask the owner of the building if there's anyone inside.  The owner says, "I'm not sure, there's no consensus.  Some people say there is, and others say there isn't."  What do you do?

The slaughter of the innocents

I have heard an objection to Matthew's account of the slaughter of the children in Bethlehem.

Thinking straight

It is a subject I haven't written directly on, quite simply because I don't want to...

Way out in front

I was looking through the stats of this blog and I just wanted to point out that there is one post that has received more than twice as many hits as any other post, it is We will not tolerate intolerance!

The lifeline

I want you to imagine you're on a cruise.  All is smooth sailing and you're having the time of your life until the captain of the ship comes along with a lifebelt in his hands. 

Proof wanted? Proof granted! Proof ignored!

I have heard a couple of atheists tell how open minded they are and how they would believe in God if there was good evidence. The question is, what would they consider to be good evidence?

Listen carefully!

I just want to write briefly on two issues that I find so many atheists are unwilling or unable to understand.

What do you mean "What do you mean?"?

I had a brief encounter with a "Jehovah's Witness" on Saturday - I was sitting in my car with the window down waiting to collect some people, and the JWs were knocking the doors in this street. 

Harold Camping

I'll just write a brief post on an issue I hadn't paid much attention to, because I thought it wasn't worthy of any attention, but it seems it has made a pretty big impact on people, and threatens to bring ridicule upon Christian testimony.

Ignorant claims about Paul's ignorance

I have heard this myth expressed a few times - the apostle Paul never referred to the "historical Jesus", that is the earthly life of the Lord.  This is not only false, but obviously and blatantly false!

A stand off on certainty

You've probably met the person, so dogmatic, they won't consider that they may be wrong, and their certainty can be quite intimidating, and can sway you to think they must be right.  The only problem with that is that you can then meet someone else who believes the complete opposite and find that they are just as convinced.  When you have these opposing views held with equal certainty, how do you know who's right?

A great argument!

I recently listened to a debate between atheist, Victor Stenger, and Christian, William Lane Craig.  In this debate Stenger proposed that he could prove the non-existence of God based on internal contradictions in His attributes. 

Double standards?

I have written before on the God of the gaps accusation, and how the atheist frequently falls back on an atheism of the gaps.  I just want to enlarge on that a wee bit in light of some things I have heard recently.

Enough is never enough

I recently heard an atheist describe what he would consider as evidence for the existence of God.  His reply was that if something just appeared out of nothing in front of him he would certainly believe.  The irony was breath-taking because the very same man was a scientist who had just been discussing the Big Bang, and how everything came out of nothing!

Bell's hell

I listened with real dismay to Rob Bell speaking on the Unbelievable? radio show.

The Easter Rising!

The evidence for it is indisputable; the experience of it is undeniable - He is risen!

Good Good Friday to you

The kindest, greatest, wisest man who ever lived, taken and brutally beaten, cruelly mocked, and savagely crucified.  What a dark day!  What a sad day!  What an awful day!  What a good day!  A good day?  Well that's what Christians call it - Good Friday, but what's so good about it?

Saved or lost

99 years ago on 14th April the Titanic went down.  As the journey started out there were three classes on board - first, second and third.  When the journey prematurely ended those distinctions were really irrelevant.  At the journey's end there were only two classes - those who were saved and those who were lost.

The faith of the angry atheist('s mum!)

I want to tell you about an exchange that took place between the angry atheist's mum and me before the angry atheist joined the conversation.

The bluster of the angry atheist

I want to tell you about another couple of things from my encounter with the not very tolerant atheist.

The irony of the angry atheist

I had an encounter this week with the most angry atheist I have ever come across - he was not a happy man!  His anger clouded his thinking such that he couldn't see the irony of what he was saying!

Propositions on prepositions

The Bible's testimony about itself is that it is the Word of God.  This inspiration extends not merely to the thoughts and ideas, but to each word (Proverbs 30 v 5), tense (Matthew 22 v 31-32), letter (Galatians 3 v 16) and part of a letter (Matthew 5 v 18)!  This means we can learn a some good lessons from some small words!

Justify yourself?

I had a long conversation with another "Jehovah's Witness" last week - this time it was me calling at their door rather than them calling at mine!  I just want to give you a run down of the conversation.

Whatever makes you happy?

I had a chat with a man, Darren, a couple of days ago who was telling me that his friend had recently "got saved" (in his words).  I asked him what he thought about the step his friend had taken.  He said, "Well, whatever makes him happy."

You do what?

I was queueing up in a shop after a meeting I was speaking at, and a young woman in the queue behind me looked me up and down and asked me was I a lawyer or something.  I told her I wasn't, but that I spoke to people about the reliability and relevance of the Bible.  She looked at me in astonishment and said, "Why would you ever do something like that?!?"

Atheism of the gaps

Christians are often told that they believe in a God of the gaps, meaning that we only use God as an explanation of what we don't know, and as knowledge increases the gaps get smaller and soon there will be no room for God.  It's not true, in fact the opposite is the case, and the atheist finds himself hoist with his own petard...

Witnessing to the Witnesses (4) Updated

The fourth installment of my interesting time with the "Jehovah's Witnesses"!

Witnessing to the Witnesses (3)

There are one or two more issues I want to bring up from my conversation with the "Jehovah's Witnesses".

Witnessing to the Witnesses (2)

Following my previous post about my conversation with the "Jehovah's Witnesses" on the resurrection of Christ, I want to tell you about how the conversation ended.

Witnessing to the Witnesses

I had a very interesting conversation with a couple of "Jehovah's Witnesses" the other day.  I want to tell you about the main issues discussed.

Goodness!

I heard a very strange objection to Christianity recently - an atheist wondered why we believed that God was good! 

Surely it's wrong to be sure???

I want to talk about something that we hear a lot in our society in which people love to be offended.

Hide & Seek

It's one of the very few arguments atheists advance in support of their view - the hiddeness of God.

So?

I was talking to a man yesterday about the reality of salvation.  He told me that he used to work in the Middle East and would be more inclined toward Islam.

The same, only different

"All sin is sin!"  This truism is frequently employed to make people think that God sees no difference in the seriousness of the sins that people commit, and some times that very sentiment is expressed - "God doesn't differentiate between sins.  The only problem with this view is...it's wrong!

You couldn't make it up

I was speaking to someone last week who mentioned that there were books that the early Christians threw out of the Bible.  It is a common charge - the Christians cherry picked and edited the books that suited their agenda and threw out the rest.  It's a common charge but that doesn't make it a good one...

That's not bad!

The standard atheist way of defining morality is what advances human flourishing.  This is their starting point, and they have no grounding for it; this is their standard but they have no place from which to hang it.  It is simply the way it is - if something contributes to human flourishing, it's good; if it doesn't then it's bad.

Who does He think He is?

I was having a conversation with a woman who told me she was an atheist.  As we discussed God's existence it emerged that she didn't have any good reasons to believe He didn't exist, and had nothing to say to the evidence I gave for His existence.  The reason she said she was an atheist was because she didn't like God.

More on baptism

I indicated quite a while ago in a previous post that I would do a follow up post on the subject of baptism, and this has been brought to mind by some correspondence with someone who believes that baptism is essential for salvation.

Peter Atkins - the ultimate science-stopper!

Peter Atkins is a curious fellow - obviously extremely smart, but very angry, and given to saying some daft things when it comes to the matter of God's existence.

It's in the genes???

I just read a transcript of a radio debate between Greg Koukl (a Christian who heads up Stand to Reason) and Michael Shermer (an atheist and Founding Publisher of Skeptic magazine).