mid-week apologetics booster (11-27-2014)

Good morning everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!  I hope today finds you thanking God for His many blessings, both temporal and eternal.  Here are some items for you to read, watch and otherwise consider:

1. So Who Exactly Are We Supposed to Thank on Thanksgiving? (J. Warner Wallace) http://coldcasechristianity.com/2012/so-who-exactly-are-we-supposed-to-thank-on-thanksgiving/
2. Thanksgiving Science: Why Gratitude Is Good for You: http://m.livescience.com/48904-gratitude-health-benefits.html
3. The Secular Humanist’s Dilemma: http://wellspentjourney.wordpress.com/2014/11/22/the-secular-humanists-dilemma/
4. Why Won’t God Heal Amputees?  By Lenny Esposito (~10 minute video): http://apologetics-notes.comereason.org/2014/11/why-wont-god-heal-amputees-video.html
5. Why Christian Bale is Wrong About Moses – here’s an excerpt: Christian Bale, the actor who plays Moses in the upcoming Exodus: Gods and Kings, reportedly said this of Moses: “I think the man was likely schizophrenic and was one of the most barbaric individuals that I ever read about in my life.”: http://whatsbestnext.com/2014/11/why-christian-bale-is-wrong-about-moses/
6. Is Your Modern Translation Corrupt? (short answer… No): http://www.equip.org/articles/is-your-modern-translation-corrupt/
7. The Most Important Passage in the Whole of Scripture (according to Martin Luther “the center of the whole Bible”): http://michaeljkruger.com/the-most-important-passage-in-the-whole-of-scripture/
8. Atheism and Mass Murder: http://www.conservapedia.com/Atheism_and_Mass_Murder
9. What is the unborn? A look at the scientific evidence: http://winteryknight.wordpress.com/2014/11/19/what-is-the-unborn-a-look-at-the-scientific-evidence/
10. WHAT’S YOUR WORLDVIEW? (3 minute 40 second video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXnSE0uvwzM&feature=share and the quiz that you can take: http://impact360institute.org/videos/whatsyourworldview
11. Question: “Will more people go to heaven or to hell?”  http://www.gotquestions.org/more-people-heaven-hell.html
12. What the Earliest Non-Biblical Authors Say About Jesus (Free Bible Insert) – J. Warner Wallace.  Here’s a snippet: “What would we know about Jesus if we lost every Biblical manuscript on the planet? Could we have any certainty Jesus actually lived, and would we be able to re-capture any of the details of his life or nature?”.  http://coldcasechristianity.com/2014/what-the-earliest-non-biblical-authors-say-about-jesus-free-bible-insert/
13. Christianity is a Thinking-Man’s Faith: http://apologetics-notes.comereason.org/2014/11/christianity-is-thinking-mans-faith.html
14. Here’s What High School Students Are Being Taught about Islam: http://www.answeringmuslims.com/2014/11/heres-what-high-school-students-are.html?spref=tw&m=1
15. Is The Bible Reliable? http://true-horizon.blogspot.com/2014/11/ccs-slew-is-bible-reliable.html
16. Refuting Belligerent Atheist Peter Boghossian and Combative New Atheists: ‘A Manual for Converting Atheists’: http://goddoesexistuknowit.blogspot.com/2014/06/refuting-belligerent-atheist-peter.html?m=1
17. If you leave Mormonism, you have to leave BYU. Now some alumni want to change that.  http://www.religionnews.com/2014/11/21/leave-mormonism-leave-byu-now-alumni-want-change/
18. Can we Be Equal on Evolution’s View? By Lenny Esposito (1 minute 27 second video)  http://apologetics-notes.comereason.org/2013/02/can-we-be-equal-on-evolutions-view.html
19. When a Good Jewish Girl Goes to Church (no, she doesn’t convert – this is just her impressions) https://medium.com/the-cougel-chronicles-tales-of-jewish-cougar/when-a-good-jewish-girl-goes-to-church-5e0ca7f71467
20. Is it God’s will that all people be saved?  http://www.calvinistcorner.com/god-desires-all-saved.htm
21. Tips for Sharing Your Faith #7 – Be Gracious: http://apologetics-notes.comereason.org/2014/11/tips-for-sharing-your-faith-7-be.html
22. Is the Whale Pelvis a Vestige of Evolution? http://www.reasons.org/articles/is-the-whale-pelvis-a-vestige-of-evolution

I hope your weekend is full of family, faith and reflection on our Savior!

Blessings to you.

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mid-week apologetics booster (11-20-2014)

Good morning,

Hope you’re enjoying the weather!  Here are some items for you to consider:

1. Proposed Creationism Ban In Scotland Schools ‘Bigoted, Anti-Religious,’ Says Church Leader – very interesting…  I didn’t even realize that it was allowed in Scotland to teach creationism.  It’s definitely not allowed here!  http://www.inquisitr.com/1595054/proposed-creationism-ban-in-scotland-schools-bigoted-anti-religious-says-church-leader/
2. Former Super Bowl-Winning QB Kurt Warner Slammed For Stance On Evolution: http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2014/11/10/former-super-bowl-winning-qb-kurt-warner-slammed-for-stance-on-evolution/
3. Nabeel Qureshi: Jesus of Islam vs Jesus of Christianity – Apologetics to Islam (1 Hour 13 minute video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGR08BizLq8
4. Help! My Teen Is Losing His Faith! I thought this article had some good advice summarized in 10 points: https://beyondtm.wordpress.com/2014/11/12/help-my-teen-is-losing-his-faith/
5. How Well Are You Preparing Your Kids For This? https://beyondtm.wordpress.com/2014/06/26/how-well-are-you-preparing-your-kids-for-this/
6. What does the Bible say about illegal immigration?  http://www.gotquestions.org/illegal-immigration.html
7. How Do I Share What I Believe? The Relationship Between Respect and Reach – J. Warner Wallace: http://coldcasechristianity.com/2014/how-do-i-share-what-i-believe-the-relationship-between-respect-and-reach/ 4 points are emphasized:
   1. Have I Shown Them Respect by Carefully Listening?
   2. Have I Shown Them Respect by Examining Their View?
   3. Have I Shown Them Respect When Re-Communicating Their Position?
   4. Have I Shown Them Respect by Giving Them My Time?
8. How Certain Can We Be That Jesus Actually Died and Rose Again From the Dead?  https://beyondtm.wordpress.com/2014/03/19/how-certain-can-we-be-that-jesus-actually-died-and-rose-again-from-the-dead/
9. 10 Things I Wish Everyone Knew About Evangelicals: http://www.faithstreet.com/onfaith/2014/11/17/10-things-i-wish-everyone-knew-about-evangelicals/35067
10. Evaluating different religions: 5 reasons to start your spiritual search with Christianity: http://4simpsons.wordpress.com/2010/10/19/evaluating-different-religions-5-reasons-to-start-your-spiritual-search-with-christianity/
11. Intelligent Design – The Snowflake Objection: http://www.uncommondescent.com/intelligent-design/the-snowflake-objection/
12. 5 Metaphors for Christian Apologetics: http://hopebeyondreason.com/2014/08/17/5-metaphors-for-christian-apologetics/
    1. APOLOGETICS IS WARFARE
    2. APOLOGETICS IS DIALOGUE
    3. APOLOGETICS IS HEALING
    4. APOLOGETICS IS GARDENING
    5. APOLOGETICS IS LOVE
13. Tips for Sharing Your Faith: #3 – Give them enough rope: http://apologetics-notes.comereason.org/2014/11/tips-for-sharing-your-faith-3-give-them.html
14. Tips for Sharing Your Faith #4 – Avoid Smokescreens and Dodges: http://apologetics-notes.comereason.org/2014/11/tips-for-sharing-your-faith-4-avoid.html
15. Is Mormonism really necessary?  http://www.mbcpathway.com/2014/05/08/mormonism-really-necessary/
16. Is Your Church Raising an Army of Skeptics?  http://www.becauseitstrue.com/blogarticles/is-your-church-raising-an-army-of-skeptics
17. How to Be An Effective Witness for Christ: Evangelism 101 WITNESSING FOR THE NON-EVANGELIST: http://goddoesexistuknowit.blogspot.com/2014/10/how-to-be-effective-witness-for-christ.html?m=1
18. A blog I wrote: https://1peter41216.wordpress.com/2014/11/15/evidence-of-design-in-the-biological-realm/
19. Why Moms Need Apologetics: http://ratiochristi.org/boosters/blog/post/why-moms-need-apologetics/#.VG3oNcmCdk4
20. Jane Pantig, Apologist by God’s Design: http://ratiochristi.org/blog/post/jane-pantig-apologist-by-gods-design
21. ERLC: Town’s sign code violates church freedom (Gilbert,AZ): http://www.mbcpathway.com/2014/09/29/erlc-towns-sign-code-violates-church-freedom/
22. RTB Scholars’ Thoughts on Pope Francis and Evolution: http://www.reasons.org/articles/rtb-scholars-thoughts-on-pope-francis-and-evolution
23. Christians and the Public Square: The Necessity of Apologetics in the Marketplace of Ideas: http://www.servantsofgraceapologetics.org/christians-and-the-public-square-the-necessity-of-apologetics-in-the-marketplace-of-ideas/
24. Cashier tells mom she should have aborted her Down syndrome son, mom’s response is legendary: http://www.youngcons.com/cashier-tells-mom-she-should-have-aborted-her-down-syndrome-son-moms-response-is-legendary/
25. 10 Arguments for the Existence of God: http://www.plainsimplefaith.com/2013/05/10-arguments-for-the-existence-of-god/
26. Epigenetics: Why it is a problem for Darwinism: http://www.uncommondescent.com/epigenetics/epigenetics-why-it-is-a-problem-for-darwinism/
27. Kill Humans to Save Humans? | Taking the Heat: http://str.typepad.com/weblog/2014/11/kill-humans-to-save-humans-taking-the-heat.html
28. Pray for them: Christian persecution at ‘biblical proportions’: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2014/11/14/pray-for-them-christian-persecution-at-biblical-proportions/
29. “I Only Believe in What I Can See” Nope!  http://goddoesexistuknowit.blogspot.com/2014/09/i-only-believe-in-what-i-can-see-nope.html?m=1
30. Faulty Logic and Sense Perception (1/2 hour message by Dr. R.C. Sproul): http://renewingyourmind.org/broadcasts/2014/11/14/faulty-logic-and-sense-perception

Lots of stuff!  Pick and choose something that looks interesting to you and learn – be prepared (1 Peter 3:15)!

Evidence of Design in the Biological Realm

Yesterday, my friend and I were talking about his recent bout with a cold.  We started talking about all of what was going on in his body in both detecting and fighting this virus.  And all of it happening without him consciously directing the activity – all happening kind of automatically.  I told him that it would be like your car automatically diagnosing and repairing itself while you were driving.  We went on to discuss all of the automatic processes that occur each day in your body, without which you could not live, but which are not controlled or directed consciously by you.  For example, your development from a single cell in the womb to your current developmental stage in life.  Other things we talked about were how your heart pumps blood.  I found this little blurb from PBS on how many times your heart beats:

Your heart beats about 100,000 times in one day and about 35 million times in a year. During an average lifetime, the human heart will beat more than 2.5 billion times. Give a tennis ball a good, hard squeeze. You’re using about the same amount of force your heart uses to pump blood out to the body.

All of this occurs without you consciously directing it.  That pumping of blood delivers nutrients and oxygen continually to all the parts of your body that need it through and intricate network of veins.  Here is a snippet from Wikipedia explaining this:

The circulatory system also called the cardiovascular system, is an organ system that permits blood to circulate and transport nutrients (such as amino acids and electrolytes), oxygen, carbon dioxide, hormones, and blood cells to and from cells in the body to nourish it and help to fight diseases, stabilize body temperature and pH, and to maintain homeostasis.

The body is vastly complex and highly engineered.  It is not a “god of the gaps” argument to infer design when looking at this marvelous system, with many irreducibly complex, interdependent, sub-systems.  Stephen Meyer talks about a positive cause for intelligent design, where we are looking for causes known to produce the kinds of effects we see in the biological realm.  We rightly acknowledge that an automobile, with all of its complexity must’ve had a designer, even though we don’t necessarily know him.  Why is it unreasonable to assume that the human body, vastly more complex than an automobile, likewise has a designer?

mid-week apologetics booster (11-13-2014)

Good morning everyone!

Hope you’re having an absolutely wonderful week.  Here are some items for you to read and watch:

1. I love this ~30 minute Way of the Master show – take some time and at least watch the first few minutes of this.  It is called “ Joe Average” and it is about a ‘normal guy’ who is going through his morning routine and oblivious of the walking miracle machine that his body is and the food that he’s eating and other blessings from God.  Joe Average doesn’t think about creation, let alone the Creator. If you asked him if God had ever done anything for him, he probably couldn’t think of one thing:  http://www.itbn.org/index/detail/ec/0xYzdvMjq1JAezcvqJKx4JhBPl2UEG5C Here is the information related to the show in an article form:  http://www.wayofthemaster.com/articles/ray2007-06-19.html
2. The book “Jesus Calling”.  Apparently, this is a somewhat popular book in Christian circles.  Thanks to the brother who passed along this warning about it.  Here is a snippet: “Because millions of Christians have now read Sarah Young’s book and millions more will be reading it in the future, and because Sarah Young and her publisher, Thomas Nelson, are targeting children with the 365 Devotions for Kids, and because there is even a Jesus Calling Devotional Bible on the market now, we are compelled to take this matter seriously and pray that all of our readers will too.”.  You can read the newsletter here:  http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/newsletters/2014/newsletter20141110.htm
3. There is a Ratio Christi event this Friday evening Nov. 14^th (primarily college age, but others welcome for sure): Come out to the next Ratio Christi ASU Tempe chapter meeting this Friday night, November 14, at 7:00pm at C3 (http://c3tempe.org). Friday night will feature local apologist, Vocab Malone, who will be speaking on the topic of Textual Criticism and the Bible. Vocab has a local apologetics radio show that can be found at: http://backpack.podbean.com. I would encourage you to check out Backpack Radio, and come Friday night ready to discuss. It’s sure to be a relevant topic and great conversation!
4. Why do people reject Jesus as their Savior? 4 answers are given in this short article:  http://www.gotquestions.org/reject-Jesus.html
5. What is Intelligent Design? An Interview with Stephen Meyer, pt. 1 (~ 7 minute video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6u3pDVClVM&feature=share
6. Yasser Arafat ‘found Jesus’ before death, claims evangelical friend – Palestinian leader Arafat may have become a Christian before he died, claims evangelical friend: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/11225063/Yasser-Arafat-found-Jesus-before-death-claim.html
7. A Few Questions for Evolutionists (Creation Moments): http://www.creationmoments.com/radio/transcripts/few-questions-evolutionists
8. How Critics of Christianity Often Distort the Story of Galileo: http://1peter315.blogspot.com/2014/02/how-atheists-distort-story-of-galileo.html
9. “Amazing Grace” Flash Mob! What a great idea… (yeah, I know they’re also trying to sell tracts, but, still, it’s a great idea)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2_yww_vWtQ&feature=share
10. Blinded by evolutionary brainwashing – “Genes tend to mutate/degrade with time, not get better,” he said. “Mutations, even small ones, are very rarely, if ever, really beneficial and even when they are, they generally either involve loss of function and/or are in some way a corruption of information. For example, a mutation that breaks down the efficiency of molecular pumps for a bacterium to draw nutrients from its environment means that it will better survive certain antibiotics. But it is a damaged bacterium, so when the antibiotic is removed, it will be less able to cope than its non-resistant fellows. Sure, one can put an insulin gene into a microbe and get it making lots of insulin but it will still be a microbe. No amount of detailed genetic manipulation in the laboratory will turn a microbe into a worm or a fly. So it certainly won’t happen spontaneously even over millions of years. And natural selection won’t change that. We can see it happening, but the effects are trivial compared to this downhill tendency in our DNA. So, to me, evolution or Darwinism just can’t happen.  See more at:

    http://creation.com/ainsley-chalmers-interview

11. Adam’s Rib – there is evidence that Adam’s removed rib regenerated or grew back.  Very interesting: http://ibitedge.blogspot.com/2014/11/false-adam-did-not-have-one-less-rib.html
12. Building Faith Muscles in Your Kids: http://apologetics-notes.comereason.org/2014/11/building-faith-muscles-in-your-kids.html
13. The Three R’s of Salvation – (1) Ruined by Sin, (2) Redeemed by Christ, (3) Regenerated by the Spirit: http://blogs.christianpost.com/confident-christian/the-three-rs-of-salvation-23599/
14. Eight Diagnostic Questions I Ask of those Who Are Doubting their Faith: http://www.reclaimingthemind.org/blog/2014/01/eight-diagnostic-questions-i-ask-of-those-who-are-doubting-their-faith/
15. How Darwin Failed His Own Test: http://www.exploregod.com/how-darwin-failed-his-own-test
16. Cracks in the atheist edifice – The rapid spread of Christianity [in China] is forcing an official rethink on religion: http://www.economist.com/news/briefing/21629218-rapid-spread-christianity-forcing-official-rethink-religion-cracks
17. Chance, Evolution, or Intelligent Design? How did humans come to be? Are we just a product of chance and evolution? – http://www.exploregod.com/chance-evolution-or-intelligent-design
18. Mormon founder Joseph Smith wed 40 wives: http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/11/living/mormon-founder-polygamy/index.html
19. At What Age Should Parents Start Training Kids to Defend Their Faith? (3 minute video) – http://str.typepad.com/weblog/2014/11/at-what-age-should-parents-start-training-kids-to-defend-their-faith.html
20. God of the Gaps (Question and Answer – William Lane Craig): http://www.reasonablefaith.org/god-of-the-gaps
21. William Lane Craig Interviewed by Lee Strobel At Houston Baptist University (~40 minute video): http://youtu.be/2brTZ87J3iY?t=6m36s

I pray that you’ll all have opportunities for you to use this information to fulfill the words of Colossians 4:5-6:  “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”  Have a great rest of your week!

mid-week apologetics booster (11-6-2014)

Loving the cooler weather?  Praise God for it (Ps. 118:24)!  Here are some items for you to read and watch this week:

1. Online book – Refuting Evolution:
   1. Refuting Evolution Chapter 1. Facts & Bias  – http://creation.com/refuting-evolution-chapter-1-evolution-creation-science-religion-facts-bias
   2. Refuting Evolution Chapter 2. Variation and Natural Selection Versus Evolution  – http://creation.com/refuting-evolution-chapter-2-variation-and-natural-selection-versus-evolution
   3. Refuting Evolution Chapter 3.  The links are missing – http://creation.com/refuting-evolution-chapter-3-the-links-are-missing
   4. Refuting Evolution Chapter 4. Bird evolution?  http://creation.com/refuting-evolution-chapter-4-bird-evolution
   5. Refuting Evolution Chapter 5. Whale evolution?  http://creation.com/refuting-evolution-chapter-5-whale-evolution
   6. Refuting Evolution Chapter 6. Humans: images of God or advanced apes?  http://creation.com/refuting-evolution-chapter-6-humans-images-of-god-or-advanced-apes
   7. Refuting Evolution Chapter 7. Astronomy – http://creation.com/refuting-evolution-chapter-7-astronomy
   8. Refuting Evolution Chapter 8.  How old is the earth?  http://creation.com/how-old-is-the-earth
   9. Refuting Evolution Chapter 9.  Is the design explanation legitimate?  http://creation.com/refuting-evolution-chapter-9-is-the-design-explanation-legitimate
   10. Refuting Evolution Chapter 10.  Conclusion – http://creation.com/refuting-evolution-chapter-10-conclusion
2. Watch this great little 4 minute video on the cosmological argument for God’s existence:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CulBuMCLg0
3. Here’s a short article and 4 minute video from William Lane Craig on the fine tuning argument for the existence of God:  http://worldviewofjesus.com/2012/06/07/the-fine-tuning-argument/
4. Jesus Argued Reductio Ad Absurdum: http://truthbomb.blogspot.com/2013/12/jesus-argued-reductio-ad-absurdum.html
5. Why Our Moral Debt Could Be Transferred to Jesus: http://str.typepad.com/weblog/2014/11/why-our-moral-debt-could-be-transferred-to-jesus.html
6. Latter-day Saints: Would you be willing to take the Romans Challenge? Here is a snippet explaining what the Romans challenge is:  Whichever version you pick up, read the book of Romans all the way through (without stopping, if you can). Jotting down some notes (with verse references) will help give you the gist of what the author is saying. Highlight the most important verses as well. When you are done, look through your notes. Ask yourself, “Does my religious system coincide with the message that Paul has written down in this book?” If it does, then you are on the right path. If it does not, then perhaps you need to consider the possibility that your religion is not as biblical as you might have thought it was.
   http://www.mrm.org/romans-road
7. 
8. A Dad’s love letter (5 min 30 second video):  https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=850738561623275
9. Acts and Facts – monthly online magazine put together by young earth creationist organization “The Institute for Creation Research”:  http://www.icr.org/aaf/
10. Was religion invented to control people? http://carm.org/was-religion-invented-to-control-people
11. Why We Have So Many Denominations: http://facultyblog.eternitybiblecollege.com/2014/10/why-we-have-so-many-denominations/#.VFtlGMmiviB
12. Top Ten Ways Churches Drive Away First-time Guests: http://thomrainer.com/2014/11/01/top-ten-ways-churches-drive-away-first-time-guests/
13. What Happened to the 56 Signers (of the constitution)? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ub-abAIOqq0&feature=share
14. One Question I Ask My Atheist Friends:  http://hcchristian.wordpress.com/2013/12/11/the-one-question-i-ask-my-atheist-friends/
15. What is the Case for the Resurrection? (18 facts): http://www.saintsandsceptics.org/what-is-the-case-for-the-resurrection/
16. The Two Paths of Life (this is a great sermon by Charles Stanley that was given on Sunday, October 26, 2014 and aired recently on TV): http://www.intouch.org/broadcast/video-archives/content/topic/The_Two_Paths_of_Life_video
17. “Is Reincarnation True?” by Living Waters (2 min 46 second video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlBicjWY3-U&feature=youtu.be
18. Is Christianity Responsible for the Holocaust? I liked this quote from it:  some Christians have been anti-Semitic in the past (or are anti-Semitic today). But I would argue that those who call themselves Christians and remain in anti-Semitism are not Christians at all. This is simply because a Christian is, by the very definition of the word itself, a follower of Christ. A “Christian” who does not (earnestly desire to) follow the teachings of Christ is no more Christian than an atheist who believes in God is atheistic. If I am a math teacher and teach a student that 2+2=4, yet this student graduates and then insists that 2+2=7, am I to take the blame for teaching him that 2+2=7?
    http://www.apologeticscanada.com/2014/10/20/christianity-responsible-holocaust/
19. 14 Ways I Teach Apologetics to My 5-Year-Olds: http://christianmomthoughts.com/14-ways-i-teach-apologetics-to-my-5-year-olds/
20. How to Share the Gospel With an Atheist.  Here’s a snippet: Last week I sat next to James on a flight from St. Louis to Denver. As we talked the subject turned to spirituality and religion. I confessed that I was a preacher and he confessed he was an atheist. What unfolded on the rest of the flight was a deep, thought-provocative, laughter-laced gospel conversation.
    http://pastors.com/how-to-share-the-gospel-with-an-atheist/

Hope you’re having a great week and maybe you’ve found something here that is useful for you!