Category Archives: Gospel

How to Answer Jehovah’s Witnesses

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Friend tying a WATCHTOWER blindfold on a laughing woman

In a recent encounter with the friendly people, who go door to door (Jehovah’s Witnesses), I found myself without my handy notepad with all of my notes…all of the scriptures that disconfirm the theology of JWs. So, I’m converting my notes to a blog post to help myself and others, who encounter these very friendly people. They need to be confronted with the problems in their theology and the Solution, who is the eternal Creator: Jesus Christ.

Steps

  1. When the Jehovah’s Witnesses identify themselves, I ask, “How much time do you have to talk?” My experience is that they are ready to talk, so they will generally answer that they have all the time in the world to talk. Don’t forget to pray silently for wisdom and grace.
  2. Next, I invite them inside to sit and look at the Bible. They will always prefer the New World Translation, which is a perverted translation from Watchtower. Watchtower is the authoritative entity that guides the doctrine of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. We’ll press them later at the end of the blog post to question this authority. But for now, almost all of the verses shown below in their perverted translation still reveal the divinity of Jesus as the 2nd person in the Godhead. So, don’t worry about showing them these references in their translation as they have failed to change them. The most notable problem in their translation is the added word ‘a’ in John 1 that does not appear in the original Greek. They think that saying that Jesus was ‘a god’ somehow gives them license to deny the Trinity. Keep praying that the Holy Spirit would guide the conversation.
  3. They want to talk about God’s Kingdom here on Earth. So, I ask “How does one become a citizen of God’s Kingdom?”. Their answer is to read the Bible and do good works. They believe in works-based-salvation. So, the answer that we as Christians can give them is that we can never do enough good works or read enough to get us into God’s Kingdom. The analogy from the movie Courageous is so good. A good Judge does not weigh the amount of good deeds vs. the bad deeds. Everyone is guilty because we have all rebelled against the Holy Triune God.
    1. https://youtu.be/w_ympKXmC6c
  4. Next ask them “What is the gospel of Jesus?” They almost certainly will not know the answer to this question, because they have not been trained on it. The gospel of Jesus as outlined in 1 Corinthians 15 is that we are all sinners, and we are all doomed to be judged by the Perfect Holy Creator for the sins we have done. Jesus fulfilled the scriptures. He died and rose again as the penal substitutionary atonement for the sins of his sheep. He has all authority and we owe our devotion to Him as the Eternal Monarch. It is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone for the glory of the Triune God alone as spoken in the scriptures alone that anyone can be saved. Everyone deserves the death penalty for our rebellion…but God, who is rich in mercy brings life to his sheep. And the means by which He uses to save is very often the preaching of the word of God (Rom 10).
  5. Ask them “How can I know for certain that I have done enough works or read enough of the Bible to be with Jesus when I die?” What is the minimum threshold that gets me into the Kingdom? They do not know. This is why they have to constantly work and strive for their salvation. 1 John 5:13. We can trust the revelation from God and be certain that faith in Jesus is sufficient.
  6. Next ask them: “What is the overall theme of the Bible?” Most will not know, but you might get some answers about the Kingdom of Jehovah. Jesus tells us the whole theme of the Bible in Luke 24:27, 44-45. It’s about Jesus Himself. But JWs are preaching a false Jesus. The same name, but a different gospel.
  7. At this point, they need to be pressed with the Truth, because they are preaching a false works-based salvation that is numbing to their own souls and giving false comfort to others. It might seem combative, but they need to understand that they are no longer the proselytizers. They are now being proselytized. As with our conversations with God-deniers, Mormons, papists…we have to trust that what God revealed to Paul in Romans 1 that everyone knows the True Creator, and the JWs are preaching a different gospel. And that gospel is just as spiritually deadly as atheism. They have missed the mark, and the correction is God’s eternal word by the power of the Spirit.
  8. Now they must be called to repent of teaching a false gospel (Galatians 1:8-10). Be ready to share the information below with them if they have questions about how to know the True Jesus and how we know that they are wrong.

True Jesus of Christianity vs. False Jesus of Watchtower

JWs claim to be Christians. And we claim to be Christians. Since there are are massive distinctions between the religions, we need to be prepared by knowing what God’s Words says and hold tightly to it. Some JWs might be interested in learning more, but most of what follows is information for the believer to be strengthened in their knowledge of the truth because of what God has revealed in the scriptures. Brothers and sisters, study to show yourself approved.

  1. The biggest and most important difference between Christianity and the theology of the Jehovah’s Witnesses is “Who is Jesus?” If they have stuck around long enough for you to ask this question, this is the issue we can deal with them on what the Bible says…and for the most part, you can even use their perverted translation of the Bible to expose their theological problems with the person of Jesus. They believe that Jesus is a created being. They think God the Father (who they call Jehovah) made Jesus at some point in the past. They believe that Jesus has taken the form of Michael the archangel and that Jesus is just the created personification of wisdom from Proverbs 22. But we can show them from the Bible that Jesus is the second person of the Trinity using both Old and New Testament verses. Titles and authority that only YHWH (Jehovah) has for Himself, Jesus claims for Himself. When the 1st century Jews and Christians heard Jesus claim for Himself, the titles from the Old Testament, they would have thought it blasphemy because Jesus was claiming to be God Almighty. Let’s look at the many scriptures that show that Jesus is the eternal God Himself. Note, not every verse is a ‘slam dunk’ proof but many are. And taken together, the case for the eternal divinity of Jesus is undeniable. Some of these verses also affirm the Godhead, the Trinity…on which we base all of Christian doctrines
    1. Exodus 3:14 God identifies Himself as “I AM”. In John 8:58 Jesus claims this title for Himself. The pharisees understood what Jesus was saying, and they picked up stones to stone Him because they thought He was committing blasphemy
    2. Exodus 4:11 YHWH is the Creator. John 1:3 Jesus is the Creator
    3. Exodus 12:51 YHWH brought his people out of Egypt, Jude 1:5 Jesus brought his people out of Egypt
    4. Exodus 20:5 Worship only God. Luke 24:52 Jesus received worship from his disciples
    5. Exodus 23:21 God’s name is in Jesus
    6. Leviticus 26:11-12 YHWH will dwell among his people. John 1:14 Jesus dwells with his people
    7. Deut 6:16 Don’t test the LORD your God. Matt 4:7 Don’t test the LORD your God
  2. This section of Scripture identifies YHWH as Creator, and we know from John 1:3 and Col 1:16 that Jesus is the Creator of ALL things.
    1. Nehemiah 9:6
    2. Job 40:15
    3. Psalm 8:3
    4. Psalm 95:6
    5. Psalm 102:25
    6. Psalm 115:15
    7. Psalm 121:2
    8. Psalm 123:8
    9. Psalm 146:6
    10. Psalm 148:5
    11. Proverbs 22:2
    12. Isaiah 37:16
    13. Isaiah 40:28
    14. Isaiah 41:4
    15. Isaiah 42:5
    16. Isaiah 44:24
    17. Isaiah 45:8
    18. Isaiah 45:12
    19. Isaiah 45:18
    20. Isaiah 48:13
    21. Isaiah 48:13
    22. Isaiah 51:13
    23. Isaiah 54:5
    24. Isaiah 57:16
    25. Isaiah 66:2
    26. Jeremiah 10:12
    27. Jeremiah 27:5
    28. Jeremiah 32:16
    29. Jeremiah 33:2
    30. Jeremiah 51:15
    31. Amos 4:13
    32. Jonah 1:9
    33. Zechariah 10:1
    34. Zechariah 12:1
    35. Malachi 2:10
    36. Deuteronomy 32:6
  3. Psalm 82:8 God inherits the nations. Jesus inherits the nations
  4. Psalm 89:9 YHWH stills the raging seas, Luke 8:24-25
  5. Psalm 102:27 God’s years have no end -> Hebrews 1:10-12 Jesus’s years have no end
  6. Psalm 110 Jesus is God
  7. Isaiah 7:9 Immanuel, God with us
  8. Isaiah 8:11-14 YHWH will become a stumbling block, Acts 4:11 Jesus is the stumbling block
  9. Isaiah 9:6 Jesus is Mighty God
  10. Isaiah 17:7 Holy One : Maker (Luke 1:35, Luke 4:34, Isaiah 41:14,20)
  11. Isaiah 35:4 Jesus will save
  12. Isaiah 41:4 YHWH is the 1st and the last. Revelation 1:8, 22:13 Jesus is the 1st and the last
  13. Isaiah 44:6 YHWH is the 1st and the last. Revelation 1:8, 22:13 Jesus is the 1st and the last
  14. Isaiah 48:12 YHWH is the 1st and the last. Revelation 1:8, 22:13 Jesus is the 1st and the last
  15. Isaiah 43:25 Only YHWH forgives sins. Luke 5:20-21 Jesus forgives sins
  16. Isaiah 45:23 Every knee will bow to YHWH. Philippians 2:10 Every knee will bow to Jesus
  17. Isaiah 54:5 YHWH is your husband, Ephesians 5 Jesus is the husband
  18. Job 9:8 YHWH walks on the sea, John 6:19 Jesus walks on water
  19. Jeremiah 17:10 YHWH searches the heart & tests the mind, Rev2:23 Jesus says I am the One who searches the mind and heart
  20. Jeremiah 23:5-6 Branch of David (Jesus) is YHWH
  21. Jeremiah 33:15-16 Branch of David (Jesus) is YHWH
  22. Jeremiah 31:10 YHWH is the shepherd of his people
  23. Jeremiah 46:18 YHWH is the King, Jesus is the King
  24. Jeremiah 51:57 YHWH is the King, Jesus is the King
  25. Ezekiel 34 YHWH is the Good Shepherd, John 10 Jesus is the Good Shepherd
  26. Daniel 6:26 YHWH is the eternal King, Jesus is the eternal King
  27. Daniel 7:14 God is the eternal King, Jesus is the eternal King
  28. Joel 2:32 Call on the name of YHWH, Romans 10:13 Call on the name of Jesus
  29. Joel 3:12 YHWH is the Judge of the nations, Matt 25:31-32 Jesus is the Judge of the nations
  30. Micah 5:2 Jesus is the eternal ruler
  31. Micah 7:8 YHWH is the light, John 1 Jesus is the light
  32. Zechariah 2:10 YHWH will dwell in the midst of his people, John 1:14 Jesus dwelt in the midst of his people
  33. Zechariah 3:6 Angel of YHWH claims to be God, Jesus is the Angel (messenger) of God
  34. Zechariah 11:7 YHWH is the Good Shepherd, John 10 Jesus is the Good Shepherd
  35. Zechariah 12:10 YHWH will be pierced, Jon 19:34,37 Jesus was pierced
  36. Zechariah 14:0 YHWH will be King, Jesus is King
  37. Zechariah 14:17 YHWH will be King, Jesus is King

These are all from the Old Testament. We haven’t even gotten to the New Testament fulfillment yet. So we can see clearly that the Triune Godhead is present and taught throughout the scriptures. When we overlay the New Testament revelation over these Old Testament passages, the case for the divinity of Jesus is irrefutable. Notice the usages of titles in the Old Testament: King, Mighty God, Husband, Maker, First and Last, I AM, Creator, and Good Shepherd. In the New Testament, Jesus claims all of these titles for Himself. The first century Jews who heard Jesus claim these titles for Himself would have immediately recognized these claims from Jesus as Him claiming to be God Himself. It’s why we see over and over the Pharisees wanting to stone Jesus to death. They thought Jesus was committing blasphemy. they completely failed to see the obvious Truth that Jesus is the promised Messiah and Creator God Himself.

New Testament

  • John 8:58 Jesus claims to be the Great I AM
  • John 10 Jesus claims to be the Good Shepherd
  • Luke 5 Jesus claims to forgive sins, which only God can do
  • Revelation 1 John prophesies that Jesus is the 1st and the Last just as YHWH claims
  • Revelation 22:12-13 Jesus claims the title of the First and the Last for Himself as did YHWH in Isaiah 41, 44, 48
  • Matthew 21 Jesus claims that his house is the house of YHWH
  • Matthew 4:7, 10 Jesus tells Satan not to put the Lord God to the test as Satan tests Him
  • Matthew 28 Jesus tells his disciples to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit…the Triune Godhead.
  • Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus claims the He is the King spoken of in the Old Testament Daniel 9
  • Mark 2:27-28 Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath
  • John 10:30 Jesus says “I and the Father are One”

Perhaps an intrepid Jehovah’s Witness could disregard 1 or 2 of these passages, but both the cumulative case and the very specific claims of Jesus and the fulfillments of the old testament passages prove irrefutably that Jesus is divine, the second person in the Godhead, God Himself.

Watchtower cannot be trusted

I asked Grok to build a list of the false prophecies of the Watchtower organization. These are the times and events where they have been shown to be wrong. If the Jehovah’s Witness, to which you are talking, can be shown that the Watchtower has deceived them and that they can find the Truth of the gospel of Jesus in scripture, they will be more willing to leave their cult behind and worship the True Jesus.

Early Chronology (1870s–1880s)

  • 1874: Christ’s invisible presence (parousia) / second coming began. Taught for decades.
  • 1878: End of the “harvest” period; gathered saints expected to be translated to heaven.
  • 1881: High calling closes / door to the “marriage” shuts; further expectation of the end of the harvest.
  • These were foundational to later calculations and were later abandoned or shifted.

1914 and Immediate Aftermath

  • 1914: The end of the “Times of the Gentiles.” Expected outcomes included the full overthrow of earthly governments, the complete establishment of God’s Kingdom on earth, the destruction of Christendom, Armageddon, and the translation of the remaining anointed to heaven. World War I began that year and was initially seen as confirmation, but the predicted complete overthrow and millennial events did not occur. Later reinterpreted as the start of Christ’s invisible reign and the beginning of the “last days.”
  • 1915: Some publications shifted the expected end slightly later.
  • 1918: Expectation of wholesale destruction of the churches and millions of church members; judgment in the temple; further crisis. (From The Finished Mystery and related writings.)
  • 1920: Even the republics would disappear; anarchy and the fall of kingdoms.

1925 — “Millions Now Living Will Never Die”

  • 1925: Explicit prediction that Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the other “faithful men of old” (Hebrews 11) would be resurrected to perfect human life on earth and begin governing. This was tied to jubilee chronology and presented as more clearly indicated by Scripture than 1914.
    The slogan and booklet Millions Now Living Will Never Die (1920) taught that millions then alive would never die because the old world was ending and the new order would begin in 1925.
    When it failed, Rutherford later called the date “merely an expressed opinion.”
    Beth-Sarim (“House of the Princes”), a mansion in San Diego, was built in 1929 and held in trust specifically for these resurrected patriarchs. It was sold in the late 1940s after they never appeared.⁠Wikipedia

1930s–1940s

  • Repeated strong statements that Armageddon was “very near,” “within months,” or “immediately before us.”
    Examples include 1935 (Universal War Near), 1938 (discouragement of marriage/children because Armageddon was so close), 1941–1942 (only months remaining). None of these materialized as predicted.

1975

  • 1975: Calculated as the end of 6,000 years of human history since Adam’s creation (using 4026 B.C.E. as the date of creation). Strongly implied and widely taught as the likely time for the start of the Millennium / Armageddon / great Jubilee.
    Publications encouraged intensified preaching and preparations; many Witnesses sold homes, quit jobs, or avoided education and family planning.
    When nothing happened, the organization later expressed regret over the raised expectations and attributed the disappointment to members’ “wrong premises,” while still defending the overall chronology.⁠Wikipedia

Later Adjustments

  • The teaching that the “generation of 1914” would not pass away before the end was repeatedly adjusted as that generation died out (e.g., redefinitions of “generation” in the 1990s–2010s).
  • Various other near-term expectations of the end throughout the 20th century also failed to occur on the implied timeline.

Summary and Context

These are not minor miscalculations; they were official, widely published teachings that shaped members’ lives (selling property, delaying education/marriage, etc.). The organization has at times claimed to be God’s channel or guided by the holy spirit/angels, which makes the pattern significant under the biblical standard for prophets in Deuteronomy 18:20–22. After each major failure the response followed a similar pattern: disappointment, reinterpretation or spiritualization of the events, and continued emphasis on the nearness of the end without specific new dates for a time.⁠Towerwatch

Primary sources for verification include original Watchtower issues, Russell’s Studies in the Scriptures, Rutherford’s Millions Now Living Will Never Die and related books, and historical accounts such as the Wikipedia article on unfulfilled Watch Tower predictions.

Special thanks to Sye ten Bruggencate for coaching on some points and the title! Although, I did not intentionally steal his title, it sure does look a lot like his incredible work:

“How to Answer The Fool”

If you haven’t seen it, it’s WELL worth your time to sharpen your apologetics with this content. Thanks Sye, for your faithfulness to the Eternal Monarch, Jesus Christ our Lord!!!

It’s time to get rid of Protestantism

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If we’re needing to get rid of it, we should at least know what it is. What is Protestantism?

At the end of the 15th century and the beginning of the 16th century, the Roman Catholic church held almost complete power over the governments, churches, and lives of the West. Heroic men like Jan Huus, William Tyndale, Martin Luther, and John Wycliffe courageously stood against that power because the Roman Catholic Church had been abusing their power by enacting & teaching serious errors for centuries. These men and other paragons, who were committed to the truth of the Bible, protested against the corruption of Rome. Their collective movement became known as the Protestant Reformation. This movement reformed Christianity to its 1st century roots, which focused on Jesus, the Bible, and God’s glory rather than what Rome had been preaching: indulgences, Mariology, and worldly power. Today, the branch of Christianity that is committed the Bible as the highest authority is known as Protestantism. But this post is not about the history of the Reformation or of the steady corruption of the Roman Catholic Church.

For that, you can see these amazing resources:

So, why do we need to get rid of Protestantism?

Simple. It’s a rebrand. 500 years ago, it was distinctive to be known by which theological tradition one held in relation to the Roman Catholic Church. Today, Protestants have no interest in being identified by their rejection of the ecclesiastical structure of the Vatican. We need to replace the moniker of Protestantism with:

Scripturian

Why did the reformers push to leave the Roman Catholic Church? Because Rome had left the authority of God’s eternal word for ecclesial authority. Scripturians recognize the authority of the Bible as preeminent. We should be identified by what we believe as distinctive and not from whom we once split 500 years ago.

Why not simply Christian? Good question. Yes, as the Apostle Paul said over and over in his epistles, our identity is “in Christ”. But the Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox also claim this title. What makes Scripturians distinct from the Vatican and Byzantium is that we regard the Bible as our authority. While Rome seemingly prefers to be known by their statues of Mary, Scripturians prefer to be known by SOLA SCRIPTURA.

When Jesus questioned the reigning theological powers of his day with: “Have you not read…?” He was explicitly declaring that God’s Word is the authority to which the lacking shepherds (Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes) SHOULD have submitted rather than their worldly traditions. The Roman Catholic church should listen to Jesus. They should submit to the Word of God rather than their worldly traditions.

Thankfully, there are many Christian teachings that both Roman Catholics and Scripturians can unite, but the reasons that I am not a Roman Catholic are because of the significant unbiblical errors that the Vatican teaches.

So, let’s unite in this rebranding. Let’s get rid of Protestantism and embrace what truly identifies us as distinct: God’s Eternal Word captured in scripture. We are Scripturians because we want to be identified as believers in what God has revealed in the Bible. Roman Catholics could rebrand as Mariologists, or Papists, or Indulgencians because those are the things that identify them as distinct within Christendom

Colloquialisms From The Bible

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In my most recent journey through the Bible, I’ve made a list of phrases that in the past have been used as colloquialisms in American culture. Because of the general biblical illiteracy in 21st century America, I thought it would be a good idea to identify some of these common phrases as having origin in the Bible, since most people would probably not recognize their origin or its basic meaning. Here are the ones I’ve come up with:

  • Genesis 3:19 “for dust you are and to dust you will return”
  • Exodus 3:8 “a land flowing with milk and honey”
  • Exodus 21:24 “eye for eye, tooth for tooth”
  • Deuteronomy 32:10 “the apple of his eye”
  • Job 19:20 “I have escaped by the skin of my teeth”
  • Proverbs 13:20 “He who walks with the wise grows wiser, but a companion of fools suffers harm”
  • Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goes before destruction”
  • Proverbs 17:22 “A cheerful heart is good medicine”
    • Although not a direct quote, we see the source for the colloquialism “Laughter is the best medicine” as coming from Solomon’s wisdom
  • Proverbs 17:28 “Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips he is deemed intelligent”
    • Abraham Lincoln is believed to have said “It is better to be silent and be thought dumb, than to speak and remove all doubt.” Whether he said it or not, the quote clearly has its origin in the Proverbs
    • Proverbs 27:17 “As iron sharpens iron”
  • Proverbs :29:24 “The partner of a thief hates his own life”
    • You can see the colloquialism: “there’s no honor among thieves” as having its genesis in Proverbs 29
  • Isaiah 22:13 “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die”
  • Isaiah 40:31 “They will mount up with wings as eagles”
  • Ecclesiastes 1:9 “there is nothing new under the sun”
  • Ecclesiastes 1:17 “chasing after the wind”
  • Ecclesiastes 3:1 “For everything there is a season”
  • Ecclesiastes 3:2 “A time to be born and a time to die”
  • Ecclesiastes 3:20 “All are from dust and to dust all return”
    • Similar to the Genesis 3 phrase, Americans, who have watched movies that have funerals or have attended a funeral will be familiar with the phrase the God created Adam from dust, and while our souls are immortal, our bodies return to the dust in death
  • Ecclesiastes 4:12 “a cord of 3 strands is not quickly broken”
  • Ecclesiastes 5:15 “naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will return”
  • Jeremiah 13:23 “Can a leopard change his spots?”
  • Daniel 3:27 “Not a single hair on your head is harmed”
  • Daniel 5 “The writing is on the wall”
    • This exact phrase does not appear in Daniel, but the promise of impending doom is clearly communicated from God’s hand to Belshazzar for his rebellion and wickedness. The colloquialism is clearly understood to be an inevitable calamity
  • Hosea 8:7 “reap the whirlwind”
  • Matthew 3:12 “separate wheat from chaff”
  • Matthew 5:39 “turn the other cheek”
  • Matthew 5:43 ” Love your neighbor”
  • Matthew 5:44 “Love your enemies”
  • Matthew 6:24 “You cannot serve 2 masters”
  • Matthew 7:3-5 “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”
  • Matthew 7:10 “Do to others as you’d have them do to you”
  • Matthew 15:14 “blind leading the blind”
  • Matthew 25:32 “separate sheep from the goats”
  • Matthew 27:24 “he took water and washed his hands before the crowd saying ‘I am innocent of this man’s blood'”
    • Again we don’t see the exact phrase, but we hear people say “I wash my hands of this” as if to declare themselves innocent/unaffiliated of/with a failing or guilty entity
  • Mark 8:36 “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul”
  • Mark 12:17 “Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s”
  • Luke 14:27 “anyone who does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy to be my disciple.” The colloquialism is usually phrased “It’s my cross to bear” or something similar
  • Luke 16:10 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can be trusted with much. Whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much”
  • Acts 20:35 “More blessed to give than to receive”
  • 1 Corinthians 15:32 “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die”
  • 1 Corinthians 15:33 “Bad company ruins good morals”

I’m sure there are many that I missed. Feel free to add them in the comments. The idea behind this post is the importance of an understanding of the Bible. At one time, the American populace had a much greater knowledge of God’s eternal word. So colloquialisms that appeared in the lexicon were well understood because of how familiar Americans were with the scripture.

Fathers, read the Bible. Fathers, read the Bible with your family. Make sure that your family has a deep and abiding knowledge of the Bible

Church of Woke vs. Church of Jesus

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The Church of Jesus Christ has endured attacks and distortions and persecutions throughout history. Of the warnings from the apostle Paul, none are more numerous than watchfulness for false teachings from both inside and outside the church.

When Paul wrote his letter to the Christians at Galatia, he chided them for accepting a false gospel:

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel – which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned

There is a new “church” in our culture preaching a new “gospel” that is really no gospel at all. This new “church” is the Church of Woke…and it’s teachings are in direct conflict with the Church of Jesus. There are many Christians who are being converted to the Church of Woke, but are still hoping to keep their membership within the Church of Jesus.

Sadly, the teachings of this false gospel of Wokism is infecting the Church of Jesus. Many church leaders are actually preaching wokism from the pulpit.

Let’s look at the foundational teachings between the two churches to show why Wokism should not be allowed inside the Church of Jesus

ChurchWokeJesus
SinBeing white, Disagree with Leftist ideologyDisobey God’s Word (John 14:15)
JusticeReparations, riots, looting, equality of worldly wealthMaking decisions based on God’s righteousness (Prov 28:5)
HolinessAgreement with Marx (oppression, intersectionality)Agreement with God (Lev 19:2)
Political affiliationsBLM, Marxism, Socialism, Democrats, Feminism, LGBTQ+None (Phil 3:20)
RaceMost important identity. Hostility between races permanentOne Race (Acts 17:26) Hostility between people groups ended by Jesus (Eph 2:14)
Identity Defined-ByRace, Sexual identity, Sexual Preference, OppressionJesus Christ (John 1:12)
ForgivenessNo forgiveness for Caucasians or blacks who oppose Marxism & Identity politicsConfess sin to God and He forgives (1 John 1:9)
SalvationJoin church of woke, Preach identity politicsBy grace through faith in Christ alone (Acts 4:12, Eph 2:8)

Don’t let the false gospel of wokism into your church or let the gospel of wokism distract you from preaching the Word of God.

For additional research check out

What is Presuppositional Apologetics?

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OakwoodSunset

This week I saw in my Twitter feed this claim from an atheist

Presuppositional Apologetics is conversational violence

Some of the subsequent discussion helped me to see that most people, like this skeptic, do not understand what the term means. Many people think it means one of the following

  • I’m right, you’re wrong, that’s the end of it
  • I have blind faith in the deity of my family/culture/choice so I’m right
  • I don’t have any evidence, so I just assume God

This leads many skeptics to wrongly think they have defeated a presuppositional argument with the following fallacies

  • “You have faith in your sky-daddy, but I have evidence”
  • “Your blind faith is simply a result of you being born into a Christian family in America. If you were born in India, you’d be a Hindu”
  • “You have no evidence, so you have to resort to word games”
  • “Presup (presuppositional apologetics) is conversational violence”
  • “I assume FSM/Sasqatch/Allah is the true god, so that has as much validity as your biblegod.”
  • “That’s just word salad. It doesn’t mean anything.”

Definitions – The Place to Start

Those are misconceptions that I’d like to try to clear up in this blog post. Let’s start as basic as we can. What is a presupposition? The Google dictionary says it is

a thing tacitly assumed beforehand at the beginning of a line of argument or course of action.

Presuppostion

A synonym for presuppositions is worldview. A worldview is the way a person sees reality and how they justify it. One’s worldview typically provides answers to these fundamental questions.

  • Where did I come from? What is the origin of the universe/earth/life?
  • Where are we headed? What does the future hold?
  • What is my purpose?
  • How should I behave? What is moral? Is justice/forgiveness possible?
  • How do I know things (epistemology)? What is truth?

We’ll answer these below in analyzing worldview.

What is apologetics?

reasoned arguments or writings in justification of something, typically a theory or religious doctrine

Christians start with the presupposition that there is no higher authority than the One, who knows everything & is eternally faithful, and his revelation in creation, in the Bible, and through the incarnation cannot fail to be wrong. Therefore presuppositional apologetics is

The defense of the truth of Christianity, by analyzing the assumptions of those who would challenge it from a precarious foundation that cannot sufficiently justify the tools (logic, induction, morality) necessary to make a rational objection

Presuppositional apologetics is distinct from other main types of apologetics like

While these methods of apologetics have value to Christians to edify and build up the church, they are not as effective as tools for persuading the skeptic for the 4 reasons shown below. To be clear, there is overwhelming evidence and philosophical corroboration for the truth of God’s revelation, but since God is the Source of truth, no evidence or philosophical authority can refute or be the substantiation for God. God and his revelation are the ultimate authority.

Someone, like me, who thinks presuppositional apologetics gets to the heart of the issue quickly, will not present classical or evidential arguments to a skeptic because

  1. Everyone interprets evidence according to their worldview. So, it is a futile effort to throw evidence back and forth because in an argument since everyone has access to the same evidence. All evidence proves God
  2. We have all been infected by the curse of sin. Even a person’s reasoning is corrupt
  3. God is the ultimate authority. There is no higher authority by which to confirm/refute what He has chosen to reveal.
  4. The skeptic is not the judge of what’s true or false. God is the judge, and presenting evidence to the skeptic makes him/her the judge of whether they think the evidence is sufficient to convince them. This puts the sinner in the judge’s box and God in the place of the defendant.

Everyone has presuppositions. The Christian presuppositions are shown above. The skeptic presupposes that “the cosmos is all there is, ever was or ever will be.” The skeptic is bound by particles

Worldview Test – Presuppositional Scrutiny

So, rather than comparing one’s interpretations of evidences (as an evidential apologist would do), it is more incisive to compare presuppositions/worldviews. A worldview should be both internally consistent and externally consistent. When I say internally consistent, I mean that it should not contain contradictions in trying to provide rational answers to the worldview questions. For example, if someone claims that the flying spaghetti monster is the creator of all things, but then realizes that Sicilians invented spaghetti in about the 12th century, there is an internal contradiction. They cannot both be true because the FSM is made of matter and is supposed to be the source of matter. Internal contradiction. Being externally consistent would mean that the worldview has to account for all of the reality.

Secondly, when looking to test presuppositions, one should look for arbitrariness. Is a claim within a worldview arbitrary? For example, secular humanists claim that morals should be defined by empathy (To be clear, empathy is a good thing and should be considered. Christians can justify empathy by referring to Matt 22:39 2nd greatest commandment.) But considering their worldview, which says that humans are simply accidental aggregations of stardust in a blind pitiless indifferent cosmos, why did they arbitrarily choose empathy as a standard for morality? It is arbitrary, because they could have chosen setting morality to the strongest or smartest or prettiest or cleanest or tallest or fastest…Arbitrary.

When doing presuppositional analysis, test each claim for consistency and arbitrariness.

Testing the Presuppositions of Naturalism

  • Where did I come from? – The cosmos is all that is or was or ever will be. The belief is that at the big bang all matter sprang forth and over billions of years dust coalesced to produce stars, galaxies, planets, life, and humans. It is inconsistent to claim that particles can produce consciousness, justice, logic, math, beauty…
  • Where are we headed? – Ultimately, there is just death and collapse of the cosmos through entropy. If human life is simply the brief interruption of non-consciousness in a universe bound for frozen emptiness, there is no hope. It is inconsistent for the naturalist to assume hope or justice.
  • What is my purpose? – Richard Dawkins says “There is at bottom no design, no purpose, no good no evil just blind pitiless indifference.” There is no purpose in the cosmos. There are internal contradictions here because people act with purpose. People strive to achieve purpose, but since the cosmos cannot provide purpose, it is a quixotic quest to conjure up purpose.
  • How should I behave? What is moral? – Everyone recognizes morality, but in a cosmos made only of particles, it is arbitrary and inconsistent to claim that some behaviors are good and others bad. At end, the naturalist can claim only to prefer one set of behaviors to another since there are no binding morals.
  • How can I know what is true? – For the naturalist, all “knowledge” is provisional. At any moment the current learned paradigm can be replaced by new findings, so there is no path to certainty. A person’s senses and reasoning can only be validated by a person’s senses and reasoning, which is viciously circular. There is also no valid reason to trust one’s senses and reasoning to provide truth since according to naturalism, senses and reasoning were produced by accidental natural forces for survival. It is an internal contradiction then to expect survival tools to provide truth. This does NOT mean that naturalists cannot know things. They do know things, but they cannot justify that knowledge. Because of their epistemic assumptions, their attempt to justify knowledge  will eventually be impaled on one of the prongs of the Münchhausen trilemma.

Building a Positive Case for Christian Presuppositions

  • Where did I come from? – Genesis 1 explains the origins of the universe and humanity
  • Where are we headed? – Because of sin and because of what God revealed about the punishment of sin, those who do not repent of their sin and humbly submit to the authority of Jesus will face condemnation. But those who repent will be resurrected to abundant life
  • What is truth? – Truth is what conforms to the mind of God
  • How should I behave? – According to God’s morals. Because humans have been created in God’s image, we should reflect his character. When we fail to accurately represent God, there is punishment. But God, who is rich in mercy, has made a way to find forgiveness and abundant life through turning away from sin and trusting Jesus, who died and defeated death on our behalf.
  • How can we know the truth? Because God (who knows everything and is eternally faithful) has revealed some things so that we can know them for certain, knowledge is possible. He has revealed Himself in creation, in the Bible, and by the incarnation. These revelations are interdependent and self-authenticating.
    • Jesus is the Creator of all things as attested in the Bible
    • The Bible claims to be the Word of Almighty God. The prophetic claims in the Bible have come true. The Bible claims that “the fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge” and “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” are in Christ” and “God is the foundation of wisdom and knowledge”. One does not have to believe the Bible to know things, but because people can know things, we know God’s revelation is true. The Bible is the justification for knowledge.
    • God is revealed in creation. Romans 1:18-20
  • How can I know what is true? – Christians do not know everything, but we know One, who does know everything. Because the One, who knows everything and is eternally faithful, has revealed some things in his word, we can be certain that those things are true.

The skeptic may not LIKE the Christian presuppositions, but since they provide both internal and external cohesiveness (and Christianity claims exclusivity), it is the only justified source for knowledge, reason, and logic.

Addressing the Claim of Biblical Contradictions

The skeptic many times says, “But the Bible is full of contradictions!” Let’s see if this is true.

As we have already pointed out, the skeptic has no grounds to complain about contradictions because naturalism cannot coherently justify laws of logic the misuse of which produces contradictions. What is a contradiction? Dictionary.com defines it as “assertion of the contrary or opposite, a statement or proposition that contradicts or denies another or itself and is logically incongruous, direct opposition between things compared; inconsistency.”

Most skeptics think that the following is a logical contradiction in the Bible

“Who was Jesus’ paternal grandfather?” But as shown in the link, it is not a contradiction for several reasons.

The skeptic should familiarize himself or herself with the nature of contradictions, and before accusing the Bible of being filled with them, be familiar with the reasons why there are no contradictions in the Bible.

The skeptic can look here for a primer on mistakes they make when claiming contradictions in the Bible

The skeptic can look here for a list of resolutions for common claims of biblical contradictions

The skeptic could purchase the book, Keeping Faith in an Age of Reason by Dr. Jason Lisle, who addresses the 400 most common claims of biblical contradictions.

Is Presup Conversational Violence?

In the conversation that I mentioned at the beginning of this post, the claim was made that presuppositional apologetics is conversational violence. I responded to him with the questions “Why is conversational violence wrong from the atheist perspective? Doesn’t violence help drive conversational evolution, so that only the fittest arguments persist to the next generation?”

Conversational violence would be expected from the naturalist point of view to be a pressure for selection to weed out bad arguments

He responded

You may be onto something here…An evidential apologist is like the soldier, they ostensibly address legitimate topics like providing evidence for their SN claims. A presup has figured out they can’t play on this field so they instead try to frustrate and weaponize fear (shut mouths like Sye, cause confusion with obscure philosophical conundrums…)

It’s not a terrible analogy, but the conclusion is wrong. Let’s continue the analogy. If truth is the ground being fought over and the bullets are arguments, the presup is doing the opposite of creating conversational violence. Presuppositional analysis is a way to disarm the naturalist because all of his “bullets” require the great Designer. The Christian presuppositional apologist is showing the skeptic that by using his “bullets” to form rational arguments, he is confirming that there are unchanging, abstract, absolute standards like laws of logic, truth, morality and induction which only the unchanging transcendent, absolute Eternal Monarch can justify. Naturalism completely fails to provide sufficient justification for the assumptions needed to create arguments.

Presup disarms the skeptic and causes them to be skeptical of their own claims. A Presuppositional apologist should be ready to share the gospel of repentance and submission to the King when the skeptic’s worldview collapses. Preach the word. Read your Bible and believe your Bible so that the Word pours forth in every conversation. Let the Holy Spirit use the preaching of the Word to convict of sin and of the need for forgiveness through Jesus.

Romans 10:17 “Consequently faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ.”

For additional resources and greater depth, see

Presuppositional Apologetics Grounds Acumen

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man wearing gray and red armour standing on the streets

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#PAGA

You think this hashtag will begin trending? Probably not 

When I first started hearing about presuppositional apologetics several years, ago, I’ll admit, it took me a while to get the concept. It’s not a way of thinking that I was taught growing up.

I was first introduced to the philosophy by Jason Lisle’s book, The Ultimate Proof of Creation. Dr. Lisle builds a strong case for the layman to understand, but I was unsure how or when to ask questions. I watched videos from Sye Ten Bruggencate, James White, Jeff Durbin, and Greg Bahsen. Each time I learned a little more, and after practicing with in my own interactions online, I feel more comfortable with sharing the gospel through presuppositional apologetics.

How does one start? Ten Bruggencate puts it this way: “Read your Bible and believe what it says.”

Recently, I had an interaction with a skeptic on twitter, and I want to play it out here to help those who may be working to better understand how think biblically and speak the gospel with the authority it deserves.

I want to do it in 2 parts to show why I think presuppositional apologetics is such a powerful tool for the gospel. 

  1. Expose the irrational/arbitrary/inconsistent thinking of the skeptic since their epistemology (theory of knowledge) has no logical foundation
  2. Build a positive claim for the truth of God’s revelation in scripture, so that people will face the decision to repent or continue in their rebellion

Expose Skeptic Thinking

About a year ago a skeptic with the username, Haywood and I interacted for a few days. Haywood is friendly and has not resorted to mockery or ad hominem attacks in our interaction, so I have continued to discuss with him.

This past week, he accused me of cognitive dissonance and failing to back up my claims. So, let’s walk through the process of showing how Haywood’s claims (step 1 from above) are impotent since his theory of knowledge (epistemology) is insufficiently justified.

SkepticEpistemology

Haywood explains that his epistemology or worldview needs only reality, his senses and his reason. This is where as an apologist, we can check to see if the skeptic’s worldview has either internal or external consistency. So, we ask questions about his claim to see if his worldview makes sense (NOTE: the quotes below are not specific comments from Haywood, but are an accumulation of answers from God-deniers in an attempt to justify their reasoning).

  1. How do you know what is real? “What my senses and reasoning tell me is real.” How do you KNOW that your senses and reasoning are valid?
      1. It is inconsistent to assume both that humans progressed from non-reasoning stardust to reasoning human beings via natural processes AND that reasoning is then trustworthy.
    2. “I don’t know. I could be trapped in the matrix.” This is a retreat into absurdity. Haywood chose this retreat instead of answering the question. This is the point, when the apologist can say: You can put your trust in Jesus or retreat into absurdity (solipsism)
  2. Why do you think your senses are reliable? “That’s all I have to work with” Fallacy of assuming the consequent “What my senses tell me is in agreement with what other people’s senses tell them” Fallacy of ad populum. One would still need their own sense and reasoning to determine that other people’s senses and reasoning are in agreement. So, that argument is also the fallacy of vicious circularity
    1. “I don’t know” Fallacy of ad ignorantium. Then, it is not knowledge since knowledge is justified true beliefs
  3. Without God, you’re left to conclude reasoning came about by natural causes. What reason do you have to trust your reasoning if it came from a non-reasoning source? “I don’t know” Are there people who reason incorrectly? How could you know if you were one of them?
      1. Fallacy of ad ignorantium
    2. “Because it works” Fallacy of assuming the consequent

I want to spend some time on his last comment: “the Bible is still wrong.”

Here, Haywood assumes at least four things:

  1. There is an objective standard by which something can be shown to be wrong. How does the purposeless, blind, pitiless, indifferent cosmos produce standards whereby something could be determined to be right/wrong? Is-ought fallacy
  2. That standard has greater authority than the Bible – Why do you think such a standard has higher authority than the Bible, which God revealed as true? As an example of this, Author A could say that based on historical documents the Hebrews were enslaved in Egypt. Author B claims that based on historical documents, the Hebrews were not enslaved in Egypt. Which author or historical documents have the highest authority by which something can be said to be true. In the worldview of any skeptic, all knowledge is provisional and leads to an infinite regression of necessary provisions. In the case of claims against the Bible, there are no standards that have higher authority than revelation from the One who knows everything and is eternally faithful.
  3. There are unchanging, abstract, absolutes like laws of logic, morality, and induction by which to determine truth. How does a chaotic cosmos made only of matter produce unchanging, abstract absolutes?
  4. The Bible is not revelation from God. To know this for certain, one would need to have all knowledge

Later, I asked Haywood what he knew for certain, and this was his reply:

Certainty

So by claiming that he cannot be certain of anything, it follows that he does not KNOW anything. His worldview lacks the pre-conditions of intelligibility. Anything that could conditionally be known is just tentative. For Haywood (or other skeptic), some future discovery could be made that would refute any current provisional evidence. So, any claim that the skeptic makes can be refuted with “but since you are only tentatively knowledgeable about this and don’t know anything for certain, you could be wrong.”

The Christian is not burdened with this cumbersome epistemology. As we will discuss in the next section, God (who has all knowledge) has revealed some things, so the Christian can have certain knowledge of those things. 

That section exposed the impotence of skeptics to refute Christianity because of their deficient worldview. In this next section, I want to show how we can build a positive case FOR The truth of Christianity

Build a Positive Case

Haywood made a recent claim that presuppositional apologetics doesn’t present a positive case for Christianity.

PositiveCase
Is this true? Let’s see.

The Christian theory of knowledge (epistemology) is built on God’s revelation. God has revealed Himself in creation, in the Bible and in Jesus. 

  • Creation: Romans 1:18-20 says “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” Part of the revelation of God is that there is sufficient evidence in creation for everyone to know that God exists.
  • Bible: All throughout scripture, we see the claim that the Bible is the Word of God. These claims include prophecies that were foretold hundreds or even thousands of years prior to their fulfillment. Genesis 12:3 “all nations on earth will be blessed through you.” 2000 years later Jesus fulfilled this prophecy as someone from Abraham’s line that brought salvation to all nationalities. Psalm 22:16,18 “Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they pierce my hands and my feet…They divide my garments among them and case lots for my clothing.”1000 years later Jesus’ hands and feet were pierced on the cross while soldiers cast lots for his clothing
    • Isaiah 44:28 “who says of Cyrus ‘He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please; he will say of Jerusalem “Let it be rebuilt,” and of the temple, “Let its foundations be laid.”’150-220 years later Cyrus (prophesied BY NAME) released Hebrews from Babylonian captivity and declared that Jerusalem and their temple be rebuilt
  • Jesus: Jesus is the ultimate revelation as God. Jesus is the Creator, so creation confirms his divinity. Jesus claimed to be God several times and his claims were confirmed when He rose from the dead (as prophesied in Psalm 16:10). Lastly, these self-authenticating revelations are confirmed in Jesus by Colossians 2:3 “All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ Jesus.”

The things God has revealed in the Bible can know for certain because they were revealed by the One (Jesus) who knows everything and is eternally faithful. 

  • Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge”
  • Proverbs 2:6 “For the LORD gives wisdom and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding”
  • Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom”
  • Psalm 111:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom”
  • Isaiah 33:6 “The LORD will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge. The fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure.”
  • Colossians 2:2-3 “Christ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge”

A common objection to the Bible being a justified source for knowledge is that it contains contradictions. Sadly, nearly all skeptics do not know what a contradiction actually is and have only read in online memes that the Bible is full of contradictions. But there are no contradictions in the Bible, because it is from God. 

https://veritasdomain.wordpress.com/2019/07/30/frequent-mistakes-skeptics-make-with-alleged-bible-contradictions/

https://veritasdomain.wordpress.com/2016/12/02/collection-of-posts-responding-to-bible-contradictions/

https://veritasdomain.wordpress.com/2019/07/05/100-alleged-bible-contradictions-answered/

So, when the skeptic accuses God or a Christian about injustice or foolishness or contradictions in the Bible:

  1. Test the claim of the skeptic, to see if his theory of knowledge can account for justice, logic, truth, reason, or induction. Undoubtedly, any attempt to explain will be inconsistent, arbitrary and/or irrational
  2. Give them the gospel of Jesus, because it is true as shown above

Here’s how I would answer some of the recent accusations from Haywood

ProvisionalTheory

Haywood had claimed that he had refuted my epistemology, so I had asked him, “what provisional theory makes you think you have refuted my epistemology?”

So, putting PAGA into effect:

  1. Test the claim – Skeptics cannot justify knowledge, so I questioned his provisional theory and why he thinks it can refute what I am saying. He has previously mentioned a hypothetical situation (how can you prove you’re not in the matrix?) which he thinks refutes Christianity…or at least presuppositional apologetic. I’ve responded to him, that this hypothetical is a retreat into absurdity, because if he is in the matrix and nothing is real, then his question does not even make sense. It’s ridiculous, so the choice of the skeptic is repentance or absurdity
    1. He also makes the claim that “it was incorrect.” Any “it” he might be talking about would have to be compared against absolute truth, which his worldview cannot justify. So, any claim he might say that was incorrect, cannot be justified.
  2. Give them the gospel – So, a good response to this claim (after exposing it’s impotence) would be “Your thinking and your future can be redeemed by repentance for your rebellion against the Creator. Jesus paid the penalty for the crimes of those who repent.”

ZeroPhilosophers
Test the claim:

    1. “We are debating…” – How do you know what is real? You’ve already admitted that you could be in the matrix or that some future knowledge could change what you think you know now. So, you can’t claim to know anything
    2. “Validity of your version of Christian presuppositionalism, which is held by approximately 0% of professional philosophers.” Again, testing his claim of knowledge to show, that he cannot justify it as knowledge. It is also the fallacy of ad populum: the fallacy that says something is true because most/all people believe it. 
  2. Give the gospel – Truth is not determined by percentage. Truth is determined by revelation from God. 

WrongAboutEverything
Test the claim:

    1. “I can…randomly spit out a hypothetical that shows your epistemology is invalid.” Remember, all “knowledge” from the skeptic, is provisional, so his claim cannot be justified. He makes a particularly grievous claim there, that is clearly false, since because of his epistemology, he could never know or justify such a claim.
    2. Since Haywood cannot justify his own epistemology, he cannot show that any other epistemology (specifically Christianity) is either right/wrong
  2. Since my epistemology is true, we do not have to retreat to absurd hypotheticals or “random spit outs”. Jesus came to redeem reasoning along with creation

Many times, the skeptic wants to know from the Christian “Give me proof” or “What proof validates Christianity”

This desire from the skeptic assumes that there is some authority (usually scientism) that has higher authority than revelation from the Almighty. But there is no higher authority than God and his eternal word. Have scientists ever been monumentally incorrect? How could the skeptic be certain that their faith in the current academic paradigm isn’t going to be mocked as ridiculous in the future? Since they cannot be sure of this, why do they insist on bludgeoning Christians with their provisional beliefs?

As Christians, we know there is no higher authority than God, so that desire of the skeptic to try to validate God’s revelation with a higher authority is irrational. But as expected, all evidence is in accord with what God has revealed in the Bible and in Jesus.

We can trust God with what He has revealed about history, so He is trustworthy with our future.

P.S. Please be polite to online skeptics (and skeptics face-to-face). Give the gospel rather than trying to win “debates”.

Please God or Man?

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If you haven’t had a chance to watch Living Waters Ministries, The Fool, let me encourage you to take 60 minutes to do so.

 

I’ll admit, I sure don’t like being called an idiot or ignorant for my beliefs, but that should in no way hinder us from sharing the gospel of Jesus. What an amazing ministry that Ray Comfort has for sharing the gospel because of the ridicule he has endured.

Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. – Philippians 1:15-18

I’ve heard and still hear Christians tell me that it’s important to preach the gospel a certain way or don’t talk about creationism because it’s not well-regarded…all to not seem ridiculous to the lost.

What rubbish! What does the child of the King and joint heir to the eternal kingdom care about the petulant approval of mankind?

For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. – Galatians 1:10

  1. Repent of your rebellion
  2. Study the Word
  3. Share the good news of abundant life through faith in Jesus!

adventure boy girl idyllic

Photo by Nandhu Kumar on Pexels.com

 

Give Thanks, Prevent Foolishness

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Happy Thanksgiving! On a day when we are more aware of all of our many blessings, I thought I’d post yet another reason why it is so important to be thankful to the Creator.

Romans 1 tell us:

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools.

Don’t give thanks to God as the undeniable Creator and you risk foolishness.

Paul continues in Philippians 4

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

[Note: Emphasis is my addition]

Being thankful to the all-loving God is spiritually medicinal. With thankful hearts, we are healthy in our thoughts and can give sacrificially as Jesus gave (and continues to give).

Where Do Rights Come From?

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From where do our rights come? Are our rights (religion, speech, press, assembly, petition, bear arms…) granted to us by the government? If it is the government that grants our rights, then the government can take them away as well.

When we read the Constitution, it is clear that the Constitution is there to RESTRICT the government from withholding/obstructing the rights of citizens of the United States.

So, if they do not come from the government, from where do they come?

This week, CNN anchor, Chris Cuomo said that rights come from man. Again, if rights come from man, then they can be taken away by man. Well, this flies in the face of the primary historical document of the United States, the Declaration of Independence.

declarationofindependence

The Creator has endowed rights to mankind. The Constitution is written to protect these inalienable rights and to limit the power of the government to within very specific boundaries.

Vox Day takes the premise of Mr. Cuomo to its logical conclusion when he shows quite clearly that mankind tends to treat poorly those who are different or with whom they disagree.

This is why the Left is so willing to abrogate and alienate what the Declaration of Independence declared to be self-evident and unalienable rights, among them being Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. They simply don’t accept that God-given rights are not laws, or that laws that do not respect those rights are illegitimate.

Worst of all, the Left fails to grasp the obvious consequences of their ill-considered actions. If the law can legitimately permit a homosexual man to force a Christian man to bake him a cake, then it can legitimately permit a white man to force a black man to pick his cotton. If the law can legitimately deem a man to be a woman, or two men to be married, it can just as legitimately deem a Jew to be subhuman or an African to be a monkey.

Thankfully, there is a God, and all of mankind has been created in his image. We all have value and unalienable rights from the Creator. Don’t let the Left control the argument lest they follow their presuppositions to their wicked conclusions.

UPDATE: My daughter  is traveling with her class to Washington DC. She sent me this picture from the Jefferson Memorial.

God, who gave us liberty

God, who gave us liberty

If you read closely, you’ll see that it was the founding fathers of this country who understood the importance of recognizing the source of our freedoms.