Month: September 2017

mid-week apologetics booster (9-28-2017)

Leave a comment

Good morning friends,

Here are your weekly links:

  1. 6 Reasons Why It Takes Faith To Deny Jesus | Reasons for Jesus: http://reasonsforjesus.com/6-reasons-takes-faith-to-deny-jesus/
  2. Four Truths About the Universe You Can Share with Your Kids to Demonstrate the Existence of God | Cold Case Christianity: http://coldcasechristianity.com/2017/four-truths-about-the-universe-you-can-share-with-your-kids-to-demonstrate-the-existence-of-god/
  3. No, God Did Not Prescribe the Use of Cannabis in the Bible | The Stream: https://stream.org/no-god-not-prescribe-use-cannabis-bible/
  4. What is the Core Reason Kids Leave the Faith?: http://www.thegoodbookblog.com/2017/sep/11/what-is-the-core-reason-kids-leave-the-faith/
  5. How did Pliny the Younger support the Biblical Jesus – Biblical Worldview Academy: http://biblicalworldviewacademy.org/discovering-the-historical-jesus-part-6/
  6. The Case for the Reliability of the New Testament | Cold Case Christianity: http://coldcasechristianity.com/2014/the-case-for-the-reliability-of-the-new-testament-free-bible-insert/
  7. Can We Trust the Gospels, Even If They Were Transmitted Orally? | Cold Case Christianity: http://coldcasechristianity.com/2016/can-we-trust-the-gospels-even-if-they-were-transmitted-orally/
  8. The Evidence Continues to Show That The Bible Really Is History – A Clear Lens: https://clearlens.org/historical-reliability-bible/
  9. Your Mind Matters: 12 Apologetics Quotes: http://www.thepoachedegg.net/the-poached-egg/2017/09/your-mind-matters-12-apologetics-quotes.html
  10. Mike Licona explains the As, Bs, Cs, Ds and Es of New Testament reliability | WINTERY KNIGHT: https://winteryknight.com/2013/10/29/mike-licona-explains-the-as-bs-cs-ds-and-es-of-new-testament-reliability-3/
  11. 5 Qualities of a Small Church That Has a Big Impact ChurchLeaders.com: https://churchleaders.com/pastors/pastor-articles/310379-5-qualities-small-church-big-impact-dan-reiland.html
  12. Ten Easy Ways to Start Meaningful Dialogue | Stand to Reason: https://www.str.org/blog/ten-easy-ways-start-meaningful-dialogue
  13. Apologetics Restored my Faith | Truth Matters Ministries: http://www.truthmattersministries.com/apologetics/apologetics-restored-my-faith/
  14. 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/
  15. Forum on the Resurrection with William Lane Craig | Reasonable Faith: http://www.reasonablefaith.org/forum-on-the-resurrection-with-william-lane-craig
  16. If Christ Has Not Been Raised: Reasoning Through the Resurrection: http://www.reasons.org/articles/if-christ-has-not-been-raised-reasoning-through-the-resurrection
  17. The Challenge of History: An Interview with William Lane Craig | Reasonable Faith: http://www.reasonablefaith.org/the-challenge-of-history-an-interview-with-william-lane-craig
  18. Boston city hall denies Christian flag, but allows LGBT flags | News | LifeSite: https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/boston-bans-christian-groups-flag-allows-transgender-flag
  19. 11 Things Pro-Choicers Don’t Get About Abortion: http://www.lifenews.com/2013/09/25/11-things-pro-choicers-dont-get-about-abortion/
  20. How to Deconstruct the Environmentalist Propaganda of Mother! (Movie Review) – Christian Research Institute: https://www.equip.org/article/deconstruct-environmentalist-propaganda-mother/
  21. The Life and Death of Nabeel Qureshi (David Wood) – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRK2NXFXEtY
  22. Jesus Smashes the Gospel of Self-Esteem: http://afa.net/the-stand/faith/2017/09/jesus-smashes-the-gospel-of-self-esteem/
  23. CRI Interview with Brett Kunkle – Christian Research Institute: http://www.equip.org/article/cri-interview-brett-kunkle/
  24. The Reliability of the Bible and How To Best Interpret The Scriptures: http://www.findingtruthmatters.org/articles/biblical-reliability/index.html

Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you. They have told the church about your love. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. 3 John 1:5-6

Blessings to you all

Apologetics Class 9/24/2017

Leave a comment

Today we continued our Mormonism series by watching Mormon Role-Play, Brett Kunkle:

Here is the note-taking form:

Mormon Elder Speaks to Crowd of Church Youth

 

  1. Elder Kunkle: You probably believe something like this – Mormons are not C____________
  2. Elder Kunkle: How would you d___________ a Christian, what is a Christian?
  3. Someone answered “Someone who has been saved by Jesus and professes Him as their Lord and Savior”
  4. “Mormons have a different d___________ of Jesus” – but Elder Kunkle affirmed that Jesus was:
    1. Born of the Virgin Mary
    2. Is the Son of God
    3. Lived a sinless, perfect life
    4. Died on the cross to atone for our sins
    5. Rose from the dead – bodily
  5. “Jesus claimed to be God” – Elder Kunkle challenged, “Where did Jesus claim to be God?”
  6. Elder Kunkle: (re: John 10:30) the oneness that Jesus is talking about is oneness in u_________.
  7. Elder Kunkle: I affirm, “One Lord and One Savior”
  8. Audience member says that his Bible does not say that God was once a man, like Mormonism believes. Elder Kunkle replies, “You don’t believe Jesus was a man?”  Person replies, “I’m not saying Jesus, I’m saying God”
  9. Elder Kunkle: we believe in the Father, we believe in the Son, we believe in the Holy Spirit…I believe in the God of the Bible…. But one of the differences we have is the T________… the claim of the T_______ is that you have 3 beings in 1 being, but that is a patent contradiction.
  10. One audience member brought up Jesus is considered to be Lucifer’s brother in Mormonism
  11. Elder Kunkle: Colossians 1:15 – Jesus is the first b________ of all creation. So, He is the first born Son of God.
  12. Elder Kunkle: If Jesus is God, in Matthew 26 Jesus is praying to God, but if Jesus is God, then He is just praying to h__________.
  13. Elder Kunkle: There’s nowhere you can point to in Scripture to show the Trinity – where is the Trinity in the Bible?
  14. One audience member brought up John 10:30 – I and the Father are one. Elder Kunkle replied that in this church, you probably all consider yourself to be “one”, but not the same b________.
  15. Elder Kunkle: where in the Bible does it say that to be a Christian, you have to affirm that Jesus is Yahweh?
  16. Elder Kunkle quotes John 14, where Jesus says, “The Father is g___________ than I”
  17. One audience member says he has been “taught his doctrine” – he was indoctrinated differently
  18. One audience member said you put your faith in a man who brought an a______________ book
  19. Elder Kunkle: that’s all the Book of Mormon is – it’s God speaking through a m________
  20. Elder Kunkle: Just like God built on the Old Testament and gave us the New Testament, God builds on the New Testament and gives us another t______________ of Jesus Christ (BoM)
  21. One audience member quotes Revelation 22:19 “If any man shall take away from the words…”
  22. Elder Kunkle replies with Deut. 4:2, which has the same warning.
  23. One audience member quotes John 8:58 – says Jesus claimed to be Elohim.
  24. Elder Kunkle made a case for w_________ salvation (James 2, Phil 2, Acts 2, Eph 2:10 etc.)

Debriefing

  1. What we wanted to do tonight was provide you a little t____________.
  2. Most evangelical Christians do not know w________ they believe or w______ they believe it
  3. Most Christians are completely inarticulate about what they believe and why they believe it.
  4. We wanted you to take this test here, now, with me before you go out the door and have this test with “the r___________ t_____________”.
  5. We need to be effective ambassadors for Jesus Christ and being an effective ambassador means that you have to know some things – you have to have k____________ of the t__________.
  6. How many of you would be able to make the case that Jesus is God, the Holy Spirit is God and that the Father is God and that those 3 persons are together the one God, who offers salvation solely through f_______ in Christ by g____________ alone? Rate yourself on a scale of 1-10.
  7. How well would you be able to r__________ from the Scripture? How prepared would you be?
  8. 2 Timothy 2:15 – how many can say that we are workmen who do not need to be ashamed because we can accurately handle the God’s Word?
  9. Many of you had courage to defend, but many of you did not accurately h________ God’s Word
  10. I would much rather have you f_____________ in here, than with your Mormon neighbor.
  11. We Christians spend most of our time talking with other Christians
  12. Many of us are f___________ to open our mouths about Jesus because we don’t have answers to q____________ and o___________ that will come up in response
  13. Apologetics is not some o_______________ thing we do as believers, apologetics is not a club for nerds. Apologetics should be an e____________ part of our discipleship under Jesus Christ.
  14. It’s not enough to simply be right. Not only need knowledge, but w__________ and c________________ too…
  15. How were you as representatives of Jesus Christ? He came in g_______ and t________ (John 1:14) and we need both.
  16. Sometimes you’ve got to be made u____________ before you realize that you need to g________.
  17. John 10:30 – you have to go further in reading that passage in order to make the case from that

 

Discussion Questions

  1. Were the audience members winsome, kind, polite?
  2. Did the audience members have good answers to the question to define what a Christian is?
  3. Did the audience members have a good response to Elder Kunkle’s objections about the Trinity?
  4. Did the audience members know the Scripture well? Were there times that they “faked it”?
  5. Is it a good thing to tell a Mormon what he/she believes? Or is it better to let them tell you what they believe? (see Proverbs 18:13)

mid-week apologetics booster (9-21-2017)

Leave a comment

Good morning friends,

Here are your weekly links:

  1. Even Caesar Confirmed the Resurrection | Answers in Genesis: https://answersingenesis.org/archaeology/even-caesar-confirmed-resurrection/
  2. Dr. Michael G Strauss: Facts vs Faith: http://www.michaelgstrauss.com/2017/09/facts-vs-faith.html
  3. Good Arguments Aren’t Enough in Defending the Faith | Come Reason’s Apologetics Notes: http://apologetics-notes.comereason.org/2016/01/good-arguments-arent-enough-in.html
  4. Six Scary But Important Words Every Christian Parent Should Say to Their Kids About Faith: http://christianmomthoughts.com/six-scary-but-important-words-every-christian-parent-should-say-to-their-kids-about-faith/
  5. Matt Walsh: Dear churches, you’re killing yourselves and this is how The Blaze: http://www.theblaze.com/contributions/matt-walsh-dear-churches-youre-killing-yourselves-and-this-is-how/
  6. The Real Issue Apologetics Ministry: Five Questions Every Worldview MUST Answer Coherently and Cohesively: http://roblundberg.blogspot.com/2017/09/five-questions-every-worldview-must.html
  7. What is Unitarianism? | Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry: https://carm.org/what-unitarianism
  8. How to Talk to Jehovah’s Witnesses About Jesus | Desiring God: http://www.desiringgod.org/messages/in-the-beginning-was-the-word/excerpts/how-to-talk-to-jehovah-s-witnesses-about-jesus
  9. Nabeel Qureshi (1983-2017) | TGC: https://blogs.thegospelcoalition.org/justintaylor/2017/09/16/nabeel-qureshi-1983-2017/
  10. Nabeel Qureshi (1983-2017) | RZIM: http://rzim.org/global-blog/nabeel-qureshi-1983-2017/
  11. Nabeel Qureshi Dies at Age 34 | CBN News: http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2017/september/nabeel-qureshi-dies-at-34
  12. Ravi Zacharias: Why Nabeel Qureshi resonated with so many before his death at 34 – The Washington Post – So hard to believe that Nabeel is acknowledged even in this liberal newspaper: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2017/09/17/why-this-muslim-turned-christian-speaker-resonated-with-so-many-before-his-death-at-34/
  13. Nabeel Qureshi, Servant of Jesus Christ, 1983-2017 | The Stream: https://stream.org/nabeel-qureshi-servant-of-christ-1983-2017/
  14. Why Didn’t God Heal Nabeel Qureshi? | The Stream: https://stream.org/why-didnt-god-heal-nabeel-qureshi/
  15. Why Didn’t God Heal Nabeel Qureshi? Good (and brutally honest) article. There are a lot of comments at the end as well that are worth reading.: http://christianmomthoughts.com/why-didnt-god-heal-nabeel-qureshi/
  16. Did Jesus Claim to be God? | Ask Dr. Brown: https://askdrbrown.org/library/did-jesus-claim-be-god
  17. 8 Proverbs for Apologists When Talking with Unbelievers – A Clear Lens: https://clearlens.org/8-proverbs-apologists-talking-unbelievers/
  18. Faithful Thinkers- Defending God’s Existence and Compatibility of Science with God and the Bible: Book Review: Forensic Faith: http://lukenixblog.blogspot.com/2017/08/book-review-forensic-faith.html
  19. Turning On Your Brain: 10 Christian Apologetics Quotes: http://www.thepoachedegg.net/the-poached-egg/2012/12/turning-on-your-brain-10-christian-apologetics-quotes.html
  20. Opabinia – the strangest animal of the Cambrian: http://reasonandscience.heavenforum.org/t2610-opabinia-the-strangest-animal-of-the-cambrian
  21. A List Of Extra-Biblical Sources For The Historical Jesus | Reasons for Jesus: http://reasonsforjesus.com/a-list-of-extra-biblical-sources-for-the-historical-jesus/
  22. Sorry to Tell You, But Jesus is Not Returning on September 23 | The Stream: https://stream.org/sorry-tell-jesus-not-returning-september-23/
  23. Are People Born Gay? The Biological and Genetic Basis for Homosexuality: http://www.godandscience.org/evolution/homosexuals_born_gay.html
  24. A Carbon Tax Won’t Stop Hurricanes | The Stream: https://stream.org/carbon-tax-wont-stop-hurricanes/
  25. Questions from a Muslim about the Trinity | Reasonable Faith: http://www.reasonablefaith.org/questions-from-a-muslim-about-the-trinity

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone.’ ” The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it will all be yours.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’ ” The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. For it is written: ” ‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’ ” Jesus answered, “It says: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ” When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time. Luke 4:1-13

Blessings to you all

Apologetics Class 9/17/2017

Leave a comment

Today we continued the Mormonism series by watching Way of the Master – Mormonism Episode:

Here is the note-taking form:

Way of the Master – Mormonism

The Mormon Holy Books and Sources of Authority

  1. The Book of M________ (“the most correct of any book on earth” according to Joseph Smith)
  2. Doctrine and Covenants – a book mostly about th____________
  3. The Pearl of G_________ P_____________
  4. The K_________ J___________ B__________ (in so far as it is translated correctly)
  5. The ultimate authority in the Mormon Church comes from living Mormon apostles and prophets, especially the p_____________, who is considered to be “the voice of God on earth”.
  6. Mormon Teachings about God:
    1. God has not been God from all e__________
    2. Jesus is a god
    3. Jesus is the J______________ of the Old Testament
    4. They limit Jesus to being the C_____________ only of this planet
    5. There are an infinite number of gods who created an infinite number of other worlds
    6. God has a body of f___________ and b___________ like us
    7. We can become like G_________ if we adhere to his commandments
    8. God is married and has many wives and they had many s_______ b___________, resulting in you and I getting here.
    9. It is possible to become a god, reigning over your own p_____________.

The Mormon Jesus

  1. Law of p______________ – men and God are of the same species. We are at different point in our progression
  2. God, the Father of this planet is called E_____________
  3. The Mormon God cannot create anything Ex-Nihilo (out of n______) – he “organized” this earth
  4. The first “begotten” of his spirit children was Jehovah (or Jesus) – we all are the spirt b___________ of Jesus.
  5. Another one of the offspring of Elohim was Lucifer – according to Mormonism, J____________ is the spirit brother of Lucifer.
  6. Jesus was not the eternal Creator of all things, who became a man (as the Bible says)

The Mormon Afterlife

  1. Almost a universal s_______________ – only those who’ve actually had revelation of the truthfulness of Mormonism and reject it have sinned bad enough to merit eternal hell.
  2. There is a temporary h_____ in Mormonism (the spirit prison) that non-Mormons would go to.
  3. They would not believe Hitler went to hell
  4. 4 levels of afterlife:
    1. Eternal (outer) darkness – devil, demons, a few apostate Mormons
    2. Terrestrial (for non-Mormons, Hitler, murderers, rapists, child molesters, liars, thieves)
    3. Telestial
    4. Celestial (highest – this is where God is)

The Mormon Salvation

  1. 2 Nephi 25:23b – “for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, a_________ all we can do”
  2. Moroni 10:32 – if you “love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you” (vs. 2 Corinthians 12:9)
  3. Spencer Kimball (former president of the LDS Church) – one of the most fallacious doctrines (of the devil) is that man is saved alone by the g___________ of God.

Witnessing Tips

  1. You must d__________ your t__________, because Mormons use all the same terms as Christians, but they have different meanings for those terms
  2. Ask Mormon first to explain who their G___ is, who their J_____ is and how s________ is gained
  3. Pose this to a Mormon – “If the Mormon religion is right and I’m wrong, then I go to the 3rd level of h_________. But if the Bible is right and the L____ church is wrong, then you are following a f________ Jesus and you’ll end up in h_______ forever.”

Baptism for the Dead

  1. Mormons get baptized for dead people. They use 1 Corinthians __:___ to justify that.
  2. If anyone dies without believing in Mormonism, they can still make it to heaven if someone is baptized on their b________. They can accept Mormonism in the s__________ w_________.

 

The main point in reaching the Mormon is using the power of the G________ (Romans 1:16).  Trust in God and p_______ for the Mormon.

mid-week apologetics booster (9-14-2017)

Leave a comment

Good morning friends,

Here are your weekly links:

  1. The Relationship Between Arguments and Persuasion THINKAPOLOGETICS.COM: https://chab123.wordpress.com/2017/09/08/the-relationship-between-arguments-and-persuasion/
  2. Gender and marriage | George’s Journal: https://georgesjournal.net/2017/09/10/gender-and-marriage/
  3. The 9/11 Sermons | ReasonableTheology.org: http://reasonabletheology.org/the-9-11-sermons/
  4. How the Book of Abraham Exposes the False Nature of Mormonism | Cold Case Christianity: http://coldcasechristianity.com/2014/how-the-book-of-abraham-exposes-the-false-nature-of-mormonism/
  5. Did Moses Really Write About Jesus? A Look at Messianic Prophecy in the Torah THINKAPOLOGETICS.COM: https://chab123.wordpress.com/2017/09/11/did-moses-really-write-about-jesus-a-look-at-messianic-prophecy-in-the-torah-5/
  6. Answering the Galileo Myth | Stand to Reason: https://www.str.org/article/answering-galileo-myth#.WbfI5ciGOUm
  7. Asking Questions and Calling Bluffs Apologetics for the Church: https://apolotheo.wordpress.com/2016/04/06/asking-questions-and-calling-bluffs/
  8. Is 75% of the Human Genome Junk DNA? (Reasons To Believe) This is a technical article, but if this interests you or you are challenged in this area, it is a good response to ENCODE criticisms: http://www.reasons.org/blogs/the-cells-design/is-75-of-the-human-genome-junk-dna
  9. Why Would Scholars Leave Mormonism? Interview with Author Corey Miller – Sean McDowell: http://seanmcdowell.org/blog/why-would-scholars-leave-mormonism-interview-with-author-corey-miller
  10. How to Perfectly Know the Existence of God | Strange Notions: https://strangenotions.com/how-to-perfectly-know-the-existence-of-god/
  11. Christians Need The Trinity – Therefore, God Exists: https://thereforegodexists.com/christians-need-the-trinity/
  12. BreakPoint: Only in the Lord – Dating Unbelievers Deadens Faith: http://breakpoint.org/2017/09/breakpoint-only-in-the-lord/
  13. Bible Reliability: M-A-P-S to Guide You through Bible Reliability – Christian Research Institute: http://www.equip.org/article/bible-reliability-m-a-p-s-to-guide-you-through-bible-reliability/
  14. Why I Know the Story of Jesus Wasn’t Changed Over Time | Cold Case Christianity: http://coldcasechristianity.com/2017/why-i-know-the-story-of-jesus-wasnt-changed-over-time/
  15. Hurricanes and the Climate, Part 2 – Reasons to Believe: http://www.reasons.org/articles/hurricanes-and-the-climate-part-2
  16. Why Does God Allow Natural Disasters? Frank Turek : https://afr.net/podcasts/cross-examined/2017/september/why-does-god-allow-natural-disasters/
  17. Are Natural Disasters from God?: https://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/are-natural-disasters-from-god/
  18. Why death suffering (both moral evil and natural evil are covered in this article) – creation.com: https://creation.com/why-death-suffering
  19. That’s a Fact (ICR) – Climate Change on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/227252284
  20. The Story of Reality (Stand to Reason) – YouTube: https://youtu.be/vxU0UNlnnOA
  21. Is The Bible Relevant Today? | Cold Case Christianity: http://coldcasechristianity.com/2017/is-the-bible-relevant-today/

Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me. Psalms 119:133

Blessings to you all

Apologetics Class 9/10/2017

Leave a comment

Today we continued the Mormonism series by watching The Lost Book of Abraham movie:

Here is the note-taking form:

The Lost Book of Abraham movie

  1. The book of Abraham is considered inspired Scripture (word of God) by the LDS church.
  2. Joseph Smith t___________ this from an ancient Egyptian scroll of hieroglyphics (bought in Kirtland, OH 1835) but at that time in America, no one could read Egyptian hieroglyphics.
  3. Joseph Smith purchased the scrolls (and mummies) for $2,____, which he raised from investors.
  4. Joseph started by creating an al________ and gr__________ of the Egyptian language. We have his notes for this process of translation.
  5. Joseph created a bank in Kirtland, OH, which f________, after which he f___ from there at night.
  6. Joseph and the Mormons moved to Commerce, IL and renamed it to Nauvoo, where he became m______ of the city, had a large militia & even announced his candidacy for p_______ of the US
  7. In Nauvoo, IL in 18____, Joseph published his translation of the book of Abraham.
  8. The book of Abraham includes a c__________ story “they, that is the Gods, organized and formed…”. See the book of Abraham chapters 4 & 5 – Mormonism is polytheistic.
  9. In June 27th, 1844, Joseph was assassinated while in j_______ in Carthage, IL
  10. 1846 – 1856: the papyri are l_________ to the church
  11. In 1846, under the leadership of Brigham Young, the Mormons moved to S____ L____ C____, UT
  12. It was assumed that the papyri was d__________ in the great Chicago fire of 1871
  13. 3 d___________ in book of Abraham misidentified by Joseph, according to Egyptologists.
  14. These drawings are actually, from the “book of the dead” (Egyptian funeral text)
  15. 1966 – A dramatic discovery – the papyri was f_______ in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY.
  16. 1967 – the lost papyri presented to the LDS church along with attesting letter from E____ S____
  17. Abraham not mentioned once in the papyri. Joseph’s translation was found to be incorrect.
  18. The LDS church claims that a large portion of the scroll is m__________, but this is not correct.
  19. Some argue that Joseph may’ve received the translation by direct revelation from God…
  20. According to Joseph Smith’s diary, this is not correct – he was tr__________ it directly.
  21. According to Egyptologists, there is no historical v__________ to the translations in that book.
  22. Are the Mormon truth claims cr___________? Are they the kinds of things that we ought to bet our l___________ on?
  23. Since Joseph’s translation of the book of Abraham, which can be tested, has been found to lack credibility, then how can we accept his translation of the book of Mormon, which cannot be tested?

Discussion Questions

  1. Where is the book of Abraham found within the Mormon scriptures?
  2. How do the drawings in the book of Abraham help to demonstrate that the translation of the book is not correct?
  3. How was Joseph’s translation of this ancient Egyptian scroll tested and found to be false?
  4. How was the Egyptian scroll lost by the Mormons?
  5. When/where was the Egyptian scroll found? How did it get back into the hands of the LDS church?
  6. What did the Egyptian scroll contents really contain? Did Joseph’s translation have any validity?
  7. According to the book of Abraham’s creation story, is Mormonism a monotheistic religion?
  8. How, where and under what circumstances did Joseph Smith die?
  9. Which Mormon leader led the LDS church migration to Salt Lake City?
  10. Under what circumstances did Joseph and the Mormons flee Kirtland, Ohio?
  11. How does the book of Abraham demonstrate that Joseph Smith is a false prophet?

mid-week apologetics booster (9-7-2017)

Leave a comment

Good morning friends,

Here are your weekly links:

  1. The Dating of the New Testament – bethinking.org: https://www.bethinking.org/bible/the-dating-of-the-new-testament
  2. 7 Misunderstandings Muslims Have of Christianity – Therefore, God Exists: http://thereforegodexists.com/7-misunderstandings-muslims-christianity/
  3. Gospel Dates and Reliability – creation.com: https://creation.com/gospel-dates-and-reliability
  4. 4 Reasons We Should Accept the Gospels As Eyewitness Accounts – Frank Turek: http://crossexamined.org/4-reasons-we-should-accept-the-gospels-as-eyewitness-accounts/
  5. Is the New Testament Text Reliable? | Stand to Reason: https://www.str.org/articles/is-the-new-testament-text-reliable#.WagFBsiGOUk
  6. No Original Documents: A Skeleton in God’s Closet? – A Clear Lens: https://clearlens.org/no-original-documents-a-skeleton-in-gods-closet/
  7. Why Shouldn’t Christians Accept Millions of Years? | Answers in Genesis: https://answersingenesis.org/theory-of-evolution/millions-of-years/why-shouldnt-christians-accept-millions-of-years/
  8. What are the attributes of God?: https://www.gotquestions.org/attributes-God.html?utm_campaign=shareaholic&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=socialnetwork
  9. Why Parents Need to Become Good Christian Case Makers – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qxFlTY-2Pc
  10. Responding to Same-Sex Marriage – There are many principled objections as to why same-sex marriage is neither necessary nor beneficial to our society.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vvq87M03qk
  11. Kennedy Classics: The Spiritual Pulse of America – Dr. D. James Kennedy – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7ZxnjoHOXk
  12. Lutheran Satire – St. Patrick’s Bad Analogies for the Trinity: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dADpSJan3Qc
  13. What is the Purpose of Your Life? Frank Turek asks the question from a biblical, philosophical, and historical perspective. – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80V1EqhRip0
  14. The Quran, the Bible, and the Islamic Dilemma – The Quran affirms the inspiration, preservation, and authority of the Christian scriptures (including the Torah and the Gospel). Yet the Quran contradicts the Christian scriptures on fundamental doctrines (e.g., Jesus’ death, resurrection, and deity). By affirming scriptures that contradict Islam, the Quran self-destructs.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNAS0aaViM4
  15. [J Warner Wallace] Getting to the Original Message through Multiple Copies with Errors – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNfp6M8kMDc
  16. Greg Koukl – What about those who’ve never heard? – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIXs5wOSVk4
  17. Christian Historian Bill Federer (Part 1) Faith of Founding Fathers – 8-18-14 – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1hOyDdM7yU&feature=youtu.be
  18. Wait a second. Richard Dawkins admits that we don’t know who started the process of life, but that it was possible that we would one day find out that Aliens were responsible for creation. Frank Turek explains why Richards Dawkins would resort to such an unusual explanation.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDvaPzg32W8
  19. What Does It Mean To Have Faith? | Frank Turek, PhD – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgiLyCWYdfw
  20. Good Works Don’t Save. – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7G2-FW-1C0
  21. Are Miracles Even Possible? – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hQAi0u5Rs0
  22. How do you know that Christianity is the one true worldview? Exclusivity is one of the most popular charges leveled against the Christian faith. Here, author and apologist Ravi Zacharias and RZIM speaker John Njoroge challenge the assumption that Christianity is alone in making exclusive claims.- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWY-6xBA0Pk
  23. Does The Punishment Fit The Crime When It Comes To Hell? – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-zvdKF1kFU&feature=youtu.be
  24. Basic Differences Between Islam and Christianity. – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6dkexljCiU
  25. God and the Transgender Debate: Book Review – Sean McDowell: http://seanmcdowell.org/blog/god-and-the-transgender-debate-book-review
  26. Suffering and Evil: The Logical Problem – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k64YJYBUFLM
  27. Hell Interrupted – Part 1 | Stand to Reason: https://www.str.org/SolidGroundSept2017HellInterrupted
  28. Lee Strobel: Different people react in different ways: http://www.thepoachedegg.net/the-poached-egg/2012/11/lee-strobel-different-people-react-in-different-ways.html
  29. Why do Jehovah’s Witnesses refuse blood transfusions?: https://www.gotquestions.org/blood-transfusions.html
  30. When Making a Case for Christianity is Futile | Cold Case Christianity: http://coldcasechristianity.com/2015/when-making-a-case-for-christianity-is-futile/
  31. Why did the people in Genesis live such long lives?: https://www.gotquestions.org/Genesis-long-lives.html
  32. Some Thoughts and Advice for Our Students and All Students | James Madison Program: https://jmp.princeton.edu/announcements/some-thoughts-and-advice-our-students-and-all-students
  33. Profits of Hate: The Southern Poverty Law Center Special – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRkquYIdNwA
  34. The Reformation: Then and Now – D. James Kennedy, PhD – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wNw0L4MXcM
  35. D James Kennedy Sermons Jesus Christ Myth or Messiah – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_z-taVoIlw&feature=youtu.be
  36. Reasonable Faith | The Debate on Apologetic Methodology Part 1: http://subsplash.com/reasonablefaith/v/fsrszlo
  37. Reasons why the Apocrypha does not belong in the Bible | Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry: https://carm.org/reasons-why-apocrypha-does-not-belong-bible
  38. Kindergarten transgender lessons have parents changing schools – Washington Times: http://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/sep/3/kindergarten-transgender-lessons-have-parents-chan/
  39. Encouragement to Men to Study the Bible and Theology, and Find Great Happiness by Randy Alcorn – SermonCentral.com: https://www.sermoncentral.com/pastors-preaching-articles/randy-alcorn-encouragement-to-men-to-study-the-bible-and-theology-and-find-great-happiness-2986
  40. Why the Ancient Christian Record About Jesus Is the Most Reliable | Cold Case Christianity: http://coldcasechristianity.com/2014/why-the-ancient-christian-record-about-jesus-is-the-most-reliable/
  41. Case-Making 101: Christianity and Islam? | Reasoned Cases for Christ: https://bcooper.wordpress.com/2017/09/02/case-making-101-christianity-and-islam/
  42. We know beyond any doubt: Jesus Existed – 8 quick points | Saints and Sceptics: http://www.saintsandsceptics.org/how-we-know-beyond-all-doubt-that-jesus-existed-8-quick-points/
  43. Awana Is Poised to Equip the Next Generation | | Cold Case Christianity: http://coldcasechristianity.com/2017/awana-is-poised-to-equip-the-next-generation/
  44. Quick History of the King James Bible! – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6akZ5J1VLdg
  45. 7th Grader Argues The Case for Christianity Blows the Doors Off Jesus Skeptics: http://faithit.com/7th-grader-makes-case-christianity/
  46. Think Divinely Evolutions Fatal Flaw Lack of Fossil Evidence: http://thinkdivinely.com/evolutions-fatal-flaw-lack-of-fossil-evidence/
  47. Racism Is Incompatible With Christianity | Reasons for Jesus: http://reasonsforjesus.com/racism-is-incompatible-with-christianity/
  48. Testing Buddhism | George’s Journal: https://georgesjournal.net/2017/08/29/testing-buddhism/
  49. Can Christians claim to have the One, True God?: http://crossexamined.org/can-christians-claim-to-have-the-one-true-god-2/

“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ ” ‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. “Later the others also came. ‘Sir! Sir!’ they said. ‘Open the door for us!’ “But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’ Matthew 25:1-12

Blessings to you all

KJV Only Controversy

1 Comment

I rarely, if ever, get into internet arguments, but there was a post of a FB friend, to which I replied with a scripture reference (which I often do).  Here is how he replied and the ensuing conversation back and forth (the first statement is my original comment on his FB post) – he is identified by his initials (RL):

  1. SW: Matthew 19:24
    1. RL: Hoping you have a KJV Bible
    2. SW: I was on NIV and NKJV, but recently have switched to the most accurate English translation (NASB)_ see graphic:

      I don’t use KJV, not because I think it is a bad translation, but because it is 17th century and I believe everyone should have the privilege and ability to read God’s Holy Word in the language they speak every day. I’ve read a lot on the “King James only controversy” and I believe that the original Greek and Hebrew manuscripts are the most accurate version of the Bible, not any English translation. God bless you RL
    3. RL: Your cleary Decived my friend The KJV is the Authentic Word of God because God can Preserve His Word like God has Preserved the Gospel of Jesus Christ
    4. RL: You also Question your faith I’ve Noticed .
    5. SW: Hi RL, I consider you a brother in Christ. We as brothers in Christ are supposed to have Unity. So I don’t want to get into a situation where we are arguing. I do want to say that I do not question my faith, but I practice apologetics, which is biblically commanded in 1st Peter 3:15. Just to clarify, are you saying that no other Bible but the KJV is the inspired word of God? If so what about the Christians who existed prior to the KJV being translated in the year 1611? Blessings to you, SW
    6. RL: Who ever said we were arguing? That’s an assumption that you made.
    7. RL: Yes it’s the first translation of the holy Bible God can Preserve His Word . So are you saying that God can’t Preserve His Word?
    8. SW: Well, you should research your history. It was not the first translation of the Bible in English, nor was it the first translation of the Bible period. It was translated in 1611, Jesus died in 30 or 33 AD, so if what you’re saying is true, Christians had no Bible for about the first 1600 years
    9. RL: Yes it was the First Translation in English. 1611 I’m also in Christian College
    10. RL: Why you lying for ?
    11. SW: Actually, someone’s been feeding lies to you, but it’s not me. I’m not lying RL, i’m trying to share the truth with you in love (Ephesians 4:15). The Tyndale Bible was the first English translation of the Bible in 1526 – 85 years before the King James version (https://www.gotquestions.org/Tyndale-Bible.html). But don’t trust me. Check it out for yourself – ask a professor at your Christian college.
    12. RL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGwwScorP6w (History of The King James Bible: God’s Perfect Word) – Here is all your Info you need
    13. RL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6akZ5J1VLdg (Quick History of the King James Bible!)
    14. SW: The video you just sent me said in it that the KJV was NOT the first English translation (start listening around 1:15 into the video), so you must agree now that the King James Version WAS NOT the first English translation, right?
    15. SW: In researching the KJV Only issue, I’ve been rereading the excellent book “The King James Only Controversy: Can You Trust Modern Translations” by James R. White (https://www.amazon.com/King-James-Only-Controversy-Translations/dp/0764206052/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1504618243&sr=8-1 ). In there he points out that Erasmus, under pressure from Lee and Zuniga, included text that was found in no Greek manuscript in 1 John 5:7. KJV says “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one” This is an inaccurate translation and was only included because he was pressured by those 2 since this was in the Latin Vulgate. See here (http://biblehub.com/1_john/5-7.htm ) for a comparison of this verse in KJV vs. modern translations. This incorrect passage included in the KJV is referred to as the “Comma Johanneum”.

I had always heard about these KJV only advocates, but never ran into one until now.