mid-week apologetics booster (10-23-2014)

Here are some items for you to read and watch:

  1. This 11 minute video called “The Gospel Message” was good:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1Ex2FpwqvI
  2. Could the Church of the Future Be Constituted by the Atheists of Today? | Pastor Brian Chilton: http://pastorbrianchilton.wordpress.com/2013/08/24/could-the-church-of-the-future-be-constituted-by-the-atheists-of-today/Here is a quote from this:  One of the amazing things about God is how God is able to transform a person from one pathway to a completely different pathway…a better pathway.  I recently spoke to an individual who told me of an inspirational pastor.  This pastor was originally from California and was actively involved in gangs.  However, the one-day pastor would have an experience with God through Jesus Christ and would experience a complete turn-around.  The individual now ministers in West Virginia and has adopted children born in tough circumstances to give them a better life.  This should not be surprising, because God has an amazing capacity of turning something good out of something bad.
  3. Tim Keller Answers Oxford’s Questions ~44 minutes (the quality is a little lacking on this, but there is good content):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_evDnWpkG9Y
  4. Christian Apologist Josh McDowell: 3 Cultural Changes That Create the ‘Perfect Storm’ Against the Church – unfortunately, this site has annoying ads with sound (http://www.christianpost.com/news/christian-apologist-josh-mcdowell-3-cultural-changes-that-create-the-perfect-storm-against-the-church-106496/):
    1. In 1991, 51 percent of evangelical young adults said there is no truth apart from their own views. Today, that number is 91 percent
    2. The respected apologist also says the Internet’s “exploding information” plays a major factor in challenging the way young people view culture, the church and their moral views.
    3. In the same manner, McDowell emphasized that young people are increasingly becoming addicted to pornography, adding that it is the greatest threat to the body of Christ in 2,000 years.
  5. How Do Palestinian Names Lend Credence to the Gospels? This talks about how the personal names used in the New Testament match up with the common names of that place and time, whereas the names from the apocryphal gospels do not:  http://www.toughquestionsanswered.org/2014/10/20/how-do-palestinian-names-lend-credence-to-the-gospels/
  6. Analogy of the Trinity – the analogy is a music chord: http://truthbomb.blogspot.com/2014/10/my-favorite-analogy-of-trinity.html
  7. Is Jesus Really God (~9 minute video): http://www.exploregod.com/is-jesus-god-video
  8. What Makes Christianity Different? As the famous atheist-turned-Christian C. S. Lewis once stated: “Christianity is a statement which, if false, is of no importance, and, if true, is of infinite importance. The one thing it cannot be is moderately important.”  http://www.exploregod.com/what-makes-christianity-different-from-other-religions
  9. Three Steps to the Cross. Here is a snippet:  First, I begin by trying to establish a reasonable case for God’s existence. Do not be burdened with proving God exists. All you must do is open the door for the possibility of His existence. Most people already have this door open and you can then move onto the next step. However, if you find someone who is completely closed off to even the possibility of God’s existence, take him to the beginning. Ask him how he thinks life came to be. Ask him why there is something rather than nothing. As he doesn’t believe in God, he will likely give you some naturalistic answer involving evolution and billions of years. At this point, don’t argue about evolution. Instead, ask him what there was in the beginning. Ask him if the universe has always existed, or if it came to exist out of nothing. Ask him for his evidence. He may throw out some scientific theories such as an eternal universe or dark matter. Likely you will find that he is not an expert in this field, but is forced to believe this way because of his prior assumption that God does not exist:http://relationalapologetics.org/2014/01/30/three-steps-to-the-cross/
  10. Clip from God’s Not Dead movie (~20 minutes).  College freshman and devout Christian, Josh Wheaton, finds his faith challenged on his first day of Philosophy class by the dogmatic and argumentative Professor Radisson. Radisson begins class by informing students that they will need to disavow, in writing, the existence of God on that first day, or face a failing grade. As other students in the class begin scribbling the words “God Is Dead” on pieces of paper as instructed, Josh find himself at a crossroads, having to choose between his faith and his future. Josh offers a nervous refusal, provoking an irate reaction from his smug professor. Radisson assigns him a daunting task: if Josh will not admit that “God Is Dead,” he must prove God’s existence by presenting well-researched, intellectual arguments and evidence over the course of the semester, and engage Radisson in a head-to-head debate in front of the class. If Josh fails to convince his classmates of God’s existence, he will fail the course and hinder his lofty academic goals:  https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10204299814246695&set=vb.1569009806&type=2&theater
  11. Where Do I Begin Evangelism With A Nonbeliever? ~3 minute video interview with Brett Kunkle of Stand To Reason on “The One-Minute Apologist”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRB90aSkzoo&feature=share
  12. Does the church do a good job of equipping Christians to talk to non-Christians? Based on the example given in the article (which I hope is not typical), the answer is no.  http://winteryknight.wordpress.com/2014/10/19/does-the-church-do-a-good-job-of-equipping-christians-to-talk-to-non-christians-2/
  13. 2 VERY convicting videos from Paul Washer (both are over 1 hour, but well worth watching):
    1. What is the Gospel?  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dT0w4w4qI3s
      1. Here is a quote from this video: I am particularly burdened for the young people that are here . Many of you who are older, you know what it’s like to follow Christ. You know what it’s like to pay dearly for your faith. You know what it’s like to suffer. You would rather die than deny Jesus Christ, or live in a way that contradicts His word. But young people, listen to me. Many of you were raised here. Many of you were born in the West. And you need to be very, very, careful! This Christianity is not a cultural thing! This Christianity is not just something that should be a small part of your life! It is not something that you do on Sunday! Christianity is not about you living in the world 6 days a week, and then coming to church. Christianity is not about you being just like the world all the time and then coming to church on Sunday! If that is your Christianity, then you have no Christianity! You are not Christian!
    2. We Have Forgotten that the Way is Narrow:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_hGBFVzYZ4
      1. Here is a quote from this video:  I hear people say, “Well, you don’t know what’s in my heart.” But the Bible says we don’t have to know what’s in your heart. It comes out of your mouth. That’s why in judgment day it says they will be judged for their words, because all the words come forth out of their heart. “You can’t judge a book by its cover, pastor!” Jesus didn’t say that! He said just the opposite. Jesus said you can judge a book by its cover. You will know them by their fruits! “Well, I may not live like a Christian, but in my heart I love…” Do you know what the heart is? The heart in Scripture represents the very core essence of a human being. It is what a human being really is. When a man dies, he’s not there anymore. The body just seems to turn to clay. It’s an inanimate thing. The moment that man breathes his last, [he’s gone]… The heart is a representation of the centrality of everything you are! So this is what you’re telling me when you say I may not look like a Christian but in my heart, I love Jesus. What you’re saying is, “Jesus Christ has changed the entire core of my being, and the entire core of my being is dedicated to and in love with Jesus Christ, but it’s not going to affect any other part of my life!” Does that sound right to you?

Have a great week!

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