MSNBC.com Presents...

Islam in Europe

The Gospel & Islam (MP3 Interview)

Pastor and author Thabiti Anyabwile describes the beliefs and history of Islam, his own experience as a Muslim, the contradictions in the Koran, as well as the way for churches to approach evangelism with Muslims, which he calls an amazing, God-given opportunity the church has today.

Masters Series in Christian Thought 2007

"Stand to Reason’s focus in 2007 is “Expanding Horizons”, a goal born out of our desire to increase your understanding of what it means to be Christ’s ambassador, and to open up the riches of truth in new ways. No conference is better at doing that than our annual Master’s Series in Christian Thought."

Search Wikia

Search is part of the fundamental infrastructure of the Internet. And, it is currently broken. Why is it broken? It is broken for the same reason that proprietary software is always broken: lack of freedom, lack of community, lack of accountability, lack of transparency. Here, we will change all that.

Ask.com 2.0

Try out Ask.com 2.0 @ www.askx.com

A Slice of Infinity

Today's Slice of Infinity by Jill Carattini (In Person) is a gem. Here is a brief quote, "Christmas is about remembering the one who came in person. It is this God who came near and reordered our world, calling us to see life and each other in a startling new way. It is this God who stepped into a soiled stable to show us our soiled hearts, who touched the unclean and claimed the untouched."

RZIM Summer School (July 1-7th, 2007)

"The Summer School is an intense week of training in Evangelism and Apologetics. The outline below gives an idea of the programme for the week." Here is the week at a glance (opens PDF document.)

CNN Presents: After Jesus, the first Christians

Read about in here...

Fight Night in the NBA

"The NBA has another ugly scene to recover from. This one involved its leading scorer and happened in its most famous arena." Read full story...

Globalizaiton and its Human Consequences

Two part lecture by Dr Os Guinness.

Firefox 3.0 (Alpha 1)

The Firefox 3.0 alpha is now available. You can download it now (check here for the most recent build.)

The God Delusion Response

Professor Alister McGrath has had a long running literary debate with Richard Dawkins. Professor Dawkins has been called Darwins' Rottweiler because of his fierce attacks on Christianity in general and the belief in a Creator God in particular. Recently the two man have been involved in a BBC televsion interview together. But so far a public debate has not been possible. In this address recorded at the OPENFORUM at the city church of Sanfrancisco Professor McGrath responds to Professor Dawkins' new book "The God Delusion."

Source: The Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics (OCCA)

Google 2.0

Google's new search

Follow God or vanish, Ahmadinejad tells West

Yawn!

Lunatic numero uno is at it again...

Jesus, Islam, Pharisees, and the New Perspective on Paul

"If a worshiper of God does not see in Jesus Christ the person of his God, he does not worship God. This is the resounding testimony of Jesus and the apostles as we see in the following texts." Read full article by John Piper...

Adobe 8 now available

Download it now

Online Courses in Philosophy @ Oxford

We are pleased to announce two new philosophy courses, an Introduction to Political Philosophy and Philosophy of Religion, to compliment our existing courses the Philosophy Gym, the Introduction to Philosophy, and the more challenging Introduction to the Philosophy of Mind.

Masters Series in Christian Thought 2007

"Stand to Reason’s focus in 2007 is “Expanding Horizons”, a goal born out of our desire to increase your understanding of what it means to be Christ’s ambassador, and to open up the riches of truth in new ways. No conference is better at doing that than our annual Master’s Series in Christian Thought."

Kobe lights up Jazz for 52

It's strange seeing Kobe in anything but the number 8 jersey, but apparently it's the same Kobe. The Lakers' #24 lit up Utah for 52 points...

ready for a new day

Microsoft launches a slew of new products for business

The Moral Question of Abortion

The Moral Question of Abortion by Dr. Stephen Schwarz

The Question

"If some religious people believe they have a monopoly on truth, then are conversation and common ground possible? If so, what would be the difficulties and benefits of such a conversation?" Read the response from the panelists...

Why I Am Hostile Towards Religion

In an article on Beliefnet, Richard Dawkins writes, "I oppose fundamentalist religion because it is hell-bent on ruining the scientific education of countless eager minds." Read full article here...

Philosophical Foundations

One of the reviewers on Amazon said that this book was "Extremely Difficult and Totally Worth Your Time". Now I see why. This is one book I have to read slowly so that I can understand the concepts properly; but it is really worth it and I have gained so much from it already. What will be even more beneficial though, is putting what I have learnt from the book into writing for the cause of Christ.

Office 2007 & Messenger Live Plus!

I installed the download of Office 2007 RTM from MSDN yesterday (after uninstalling Beta 2 of course). I can only talk about Word and Excel, since those are the two programs I use almost exclusively. I find that I am more productive in the Office 2007 environment and the menu system is more intuitive and ....... it looks great!

If you use MSN Messenger, I would suggest that you install Messenger Plus! Live. It's free and the feature allowing multiple (tabbed) conversations in one window alone is worth it.

Microsoft Office 2007 Review

From ActiveWin.com: "Sometime in January 2007, Microsoft will launch the release of Microsoft Office 2007. The suite will be available in eight editions, Basic, Home & Student, Standard, Small Business, Professional, Ultimate, Professional Plus and Professional Enterprise. This new version is Microsoft’s most radical departure in years, interface wise and offers new features and familiar tools that are sure to have users mesmerized and perplexed at times." Read full review here...

What is plagiarism?

The Desiring God Staff has a very good article on plagiarism.

My top 10 utilities (in no particular order)

1. Spybot Search & Destroy
2. Adobe Acrobat Reader
3. AVG Antivirus
4. Lavasoft Ad-Aware SE Personal
5. Winzip
6. Cobian Backup
7. Paint.NET
8. PDF Creator
9. Advanced WindowsCare
10. WinRAR

Colts make history

Indianapolis made history yesterday becoming the first team to start 9-0, in consecutive seasons. They won 17-16 against the Bills.

Give Light, O Lord!

From Christ-Centered Preaching (page 126-127):

"In one of the key debates during the formulation of the Westminster Confession of Faith, one scholar spoke with great skill and persuasiveness for a position that would have mired the church in political debates for many years. As the man spoke, George Gillespie prepared a rebuttal in the same room. As they watched him write furiously on a tablet, all in the assembly knew the pressure on the young man to organize a response while the scholar delivered one telling argument after another. Yet when Gillespie rose, his words were filled with such power and scriptural persuasion that the haste of his preparation was not discenrable. Gillespie's message so impressed those assembled as the wisdom of God that the opposing scholar conceded that a lifetime of study had just been undone by the younger man's presentation. When the matter was decided, the friends of Gillespie snatched from his desk the tabled on which he had so hastily collected his toughts. They expected to find a brilliant summary of the words so masterfully just delivered. Instead, they found only one phrase written over and over again: Da lucem, Domine (Give light, O Lord)."

The moral argument

Three of life’s most important questions deal with origin (how did we get here?), meaning (what is the purpose of life?) and destiny (where are we going?). Well, if you’re a Bajan, there is one more. How does one maintain their sanity (no, not on the roads), but in light of the fact that the cost of living is rising almost weekly, and one is being paid, very weakly. My main concern here though is that of origins, especially as it relates to morality.

There are roughly two views on origins. The first is that God created life and the cosmos, ex nihilo. The other view is a bit more complicated and requires more faith. It goes something like this. In the beginning there was space and matter and by a long series of chances, conditions suitable for life just occurred (nobody knows why) and living creatures developed into human beings (for no apparent reason), who have the ability to think. Again, nobody knows why.

Fair enough, but what are we to make of the moral law which people all over the world try so hard to obey? Is it an evolutionary by-product? Hardly. Adherence to a moral law only makes sense if it were given by a transcendent law giver to whom we are accountable. Many honest atheists and skeptics have observed that a godless world should entail an absence of objective moral values.

Kai Nelsen recognizes the intellectual bankruptcy of grounding objective morality from a purely naturalistic point of view. In the American Philosophical Quarterly, he writes, “ We have not been able to show that reason requires the moral point of view of that all really rational persons, unhoodwinked by myth or ideology, not be individual egoists or classical amoralists. Reason doesn’t decide here. The picture I have painted you is not a pleasant one. Reflection on it depresses me … The point is this: pure practical reason, even with a good knowledge of the facts, will not take you to morality.”

Jeffrey Dahmer’s father expressed his son’s rationale, “If it all happens naturalistically, what’s why need for a God? Can’t I set my own rules? Who owns me? I own myself (Jeffrey Dahmer: The Monster Within, A&E Biography, 1996).” Of course I am not suggesting anything so silly as – all naturalists are more prone to commit violent crimes. The point is this. Western society is experiencing a crisis concerning her ethical foundations. As John Rist correctly observed, “Without a return the God of the Jewish-Christian [Scriptures] as the “infinite and necessarily good” Source of all finite goods, the crisis will only be more pronounced.”

The danger of national repentance

Throughout history, God has always called people to repentance, even at the national level. Through the prophet Ezekiel he spoke to Israel, “Therefore O house of Israel, I will judge you, each one according to his ways, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall (Ezekiel 18:30, NIV).”

Whilst it will always be the church’s duty to preach national repentance, there is an inherent danger of which we should always be mindful. C.S. Lewis puts it this way, “The first and fatal charm of national repentance, is, therefore, the encouragement it gives us to turn from the bitter task of repenting our own sins to the congenial one of bewailing – but, first of denouncing – the conduct of others.” May God guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus from this error.

It's (finally) time for Windows Vista

Windows Vista was released to manufacturing (RTM) today and will be available pre-installed on a new PC from January 2007. Check out these Vista links for more information:

Windows Vista Activity Center

Windows Vista Team Blog

Windows Vista Features Page

Francis Schaeffer feature @ Reformation21

Reformation21, has a nice feature on Francis Schaeffer. Here is an excerpt, "Francis Schaeffer never presented himself as an academic apologist, as a philosopher, as a theologian or as a scholar. Instead he spoke of himself as an evangelist and a pastor, and this truly is how he thought about the ministry that God had graciously given him. I felt it might be useful to begin with a somewhat personal account of factors that contributed to his theological development." Read full feature...

Pastor takes leave amid allegations of gay sex

"New Life Church's Ted Haggard, a backer of Amendment 43 to ban gay marriage in Colorado, says he could "not continue to minister under the cloud" of accusations." Read full story...

I would recommend the following two posts on the Haggard situation:

The Scandaly by Tim Challies

Just Like Ted Haggard? by Reformation21

Zune: music the way it was to be

"Zune™ is your connection to the world of media and to entertainment-loving people like yourself. Starting with 30 GB, Zune is easy to use and easy to love. Choose one of three colors−each combined with a distinctive double-shot finish." From Zune.net

Spurs win opener

The Spurs got off to a winning start to the 2006-07 NBA season by beating the Mavs 97-91. One down and 81 more games to go ;)

2006 Christmas offer @ RZIM

RZIM's product page has been updated to reflect the 2006 Christmas offer. I just finished watching Has Christianity Failed You? last night after returning home from class and I would highly recommend it as well as any apologetic resource from RZIM for that matter.

YouTube Apologetics

The Christian Mind has a post about apologetics by Jay Smith on Youtube. Check it out.

Resources on Science & Evolution

Creation Questions & Answers

Stand to Reason commentaries on Science & Evolution

Three Objections by Betsy Childs

The True Origin Archive

Reasons to Believe

2006-07 NBA Season Opens

Joe Murphy/NBAE/Getty Images

the Knicks got off to a good start, despite a rocky finish. This game was the closest so far it seems. My Spurs tip off tonight against the Mavs.

DVD205 - Has Christianity Failed You?

I'm now on the second disc of Has Christianity Failed You? from RZIM. On the product description page it says, "This set is jam-packed with content!" True that! It contains two very good messages by Michael Ramsden and Ravi Zacharias and the Q&A from the evening's session. I have to watch Disc 1 again and make mental (and paper) notes from both talks, which I will proably end up posting once I've moved the blog.

Letter on Naturalism

Today the Nation ran a letter from one of Barbados' most vocal critics of religion (all of whose objections are either, simple-minded or self-refuting...sometimes both). Three Objections from Betsy Childs is a clear reflection that naturalism is still on shaky ground. There is nothing worse than philosophy that leads to the wrong conclusions.

The Books and the Parchments

Spurgeon reminds us of the importanct of reading in, Paul—his Cloak and His Books:

How rebuked are they by the apostle! He is inspired, and yet he wants books! He has been preaching at least for thirty years, and yet he wants books! He had seen the Lord, and yet he wants books! He had had a wider experience than most men, and yet he wants books! He had been caught up into the third heaven, and had heard things which it was unlawful for a men to utter, yet he wants books! He had written the major part of the New Testament, and yet he wants books!

The apostle says to Timothy and so he says to every preacher, "Give thyself unto reading." The man who never reads will never be read; he who never quotes will never be quoted. He who will not use the thoughts of other men's brains, proves that he has no brains of his own. Brethren, what is true of ministers is true of all our people.

You need to read. Renounce as much as you will all light literature, but study as much as possible sound theological works, especially the Puritanic writers, and expositions of the Bible.

We are quite persuaded that the very best way for you to be spending your leisure, is to be either reading or praying. You may get much instruction from books which afterwards you may use as a true weapon in your Lord and Master's service. Paul cries, "Bring the books"—join in the cry.

From Between Two Worlds

Christ-Centered Preaching

This morning I read the first chapter (ten more to go) of Christ-Centered Preaching,: Redeeming the Expository Sermon and I was very impressed. I picked up this from Amazon to supplement my reading for Holimetics I. Even though I've only read one chapter so far, I can "sense" that this book will be a great help.

ESPN: Special Preview Edition

Yet another new NBA season is upon us! Here's ESPN's take on the Spurs' chances of taking the 2007 NBA crown.

The Mother-in-law

A couple took a trip to the Holy Land and the husband decided to invite his mother-in-law. Before they even got there she was already complaining about the long flight and he knew he was in for a long trip. For two weeks they visited every major site from the bible. They walked the path that Jesus walked from where he was born in the manger to the tomb where the stone was rolled away. On one of the last days there the couple received some bad news from the hotel manager. A housekeeper had found the mother-in-law in her room dead of a heart attack. The manager informed them that they could take care of the arrangements and bury her in the holy land for only $200.00. If they decided to take her back to the U.S. the expense of preparing the body for the trip and the flight would run about $5,000.00. The husband said he would think about it and let him know the next day. The next day the hotel manager saw the husband in the lobby and asked him if he had made a decision. "I decided to take her back home for the $5,000.00" He told the manager. "That's fine" said the manager "But do you mind me asking why since we can do it here for just $200.00". "Well I've been thinking about it", said the husband, "And in the two weeks that we've been here all I've heard about was this man that they crucified and buried and then three days later he arose from the grave. For $4800.00 I'm not willing to take that chance!"

From: http://www.bestcleanjokes.com/vacation.htm

The Nicene Creed

We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, the maker of heaven and earth, of things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the begotten of God the Father, the Only-begotten, that is of the essence of the Father.

God of God, Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten and not made; of the very same nature of the Father, by Whom all things came into being, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible.

Who for us humanity and for our salvation came down from heaven, was incarnate, was made human, was born perfectly of the holy virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit.

By whom He took body, soul, and mind, and everything that is in man, truly and not in semblance.

He suffered, was crucified, was buried, rose again on the third day, ascended into heaven with the same body, [and] sat at the right hand of the Father.

He is to come with the same body and with the glory of the Father, to judge the living and the dead; of His kingdom there is no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, in the uncreated and the perfect; Who spoke through the Law, prophets, and Gospels; Who came down upon the Jordan, preached through the apostles, and lived in the saints.

We believe also in only One, Universal, Apostolic, and [Holy] Church; in one baptism in repentance, for the remission, and forgiveness of sins; and in the resurrection of the dead, in the everlasting judgement of souls and bodies, and the Kingdom of Heaven and in the everlasting life.

The world is not running out of oil

"If you think the world is on the verge of running out of oil or other mineral resources, you've been taken in by the foremost of seven myths about resource geology, according to a University of Washington economic geologist." Read full story...

M'Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

CALENDAR FOR READING THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD IN A YEAR By the late Rev. R. M. M'CHEYNE, M. A.

A Slice of Infinity (October 20th, 2006)

Today's Slice of Infinity (A Reasonable Belief) by Jill Carattini is exceptionally good!

Here is an excerpt - "If belief is the readiness to act as if something is true, it follows that unbelief, whether chosen consciously or unconsciously, still affects our behavior. There are consequences to our non-answers in the same way that there are consequences to our answers. And yet, in our society where skepticism is almost encouraged, belief and unbelief are treated quite differently. We do not feel compelled to justify our disbelief in the same way we feel compelled to justify our belief. We expect a certain reasonableness about belief that we don't expect of disbelief, in part because we've been conditioned to see skepticism and disbelief as logical, and belief as emotional or irrational."

Internet Explorer 7 is out

Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 is finally out. I have been using it since the early beta and release candidate stages. It's great. Outside of Visual Studio and Windows Media Player, IE is one of the best products Microsoft offers. Download it for Windows XP here.

Seriously mulling a move...

I'm really considering moving my blog to TypePad. I think I'll eventually do so, but this wiill require a lot of time (which I can't spare right now). So I probably won't update this blog that much, but I won't stop writing though.

United too strong!

Manchester United FC have one foot in the UEFA Champions League knockout rounds after a comfortable 3-0 victory over FC København

Legislating morality and the "fight" against AIDS

On page 24A of the Sunday Sun (October 15th 2006) Dr. Wayne Greaves said he would back decriminalizing Barbados’ laws so that those people fighting the spread of the deadly disease (HIV/AIDS) could reach more prostitutes and homosexuals, or bi-sexual men. “Controlling the spread of the disease and the public health problem caused by the disease while saving lives is more important than any individual’s prejudice about morality or otherwise.”

These dubious comments raise two important issues, namely, legislating morality and the idea that decriminalizing high-risk sexual, immoral behaviour will somehow aid in the fight against HIV/AIDS. It was G. K. Chesterton who alluded to the fact that before tearing down a fence, one should always pause long enough to ask themselves why it was put there in the first place.

One of the more disturbing trends early in the 21st century is the deliberate departure from traditional values. We are enduring what Gertrude Himmelfarb called the de-moralization of society. Asinine fatuity is therefore the kindest description we could give to the idea that legalizing any immoral, high-risk sexual behaviour will aid in the “fight” against HIV/AIDS. The morality in the law, whether moral or immoral, tends to become the morality of the people. Take the following example from the United States. Before the Supreme Court legalized abortion in 1973, about 100,000 abortions were performed in the US annually. After Row v. Wade, the number rose to between 1.2 and 1.5 million a year. There are countless other examples one could list, but the fact is, law is always a tutor to morals and a shaper of national character – whether good or evil, moral or immoral.

If a million people believe a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing. Similarly, errors are errors regardless of either their prevalence or the persistence of those who advance them. Therefore, no matter how often one hears that you cannot legislate morality, the truth is that you cannot legislate anything else but morality. All laws, whether permissive or prohibitive, legislate morality. All laws, regardless of their content or their intent, arise from a system of values, from a belief that some things are right and others wrong. When it comes to the question of legislation and morality, the question is never whether or not morality will be legislated but which one – for better or worse – will become the law of the land.

One of the functions of law is moral education. Only a well-formed, morally responsible law can help to develop right thinking and right choosing people in a society. Good and decent people do not simply happen, they are nurtured. And whether we admit it or not, the law plays a part in teaching. Ideas have consequences and bad ideas have bad consequences. Decriminalizing prostitution, homosexuality (or any other immoral behaviour for that matter) is a very bad idea. The idea simply smacks of intellectual laziness.

As Michael Bauman, Professor of Theology and Culture, put it: “We must not forget that law is an expression of and a shaper of the conscience of a nation. Consequently, the nearsighted and misguided movement to separate law from morality is as dangerous as it is impossible. Both for nations and for us as individuals, our character is our future. Morality is destiny.”

I'm currently very busy...

• @ WIST
• reading Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview & To Everyone An Answer
• balancing everything else that life encompasses

Google Docs & Spreadsheets

With Google Docs & Spreadsheets, you can:

• Use our online editor to format documents, spell-check and more.
• Upload Word documents, OpenOffice, RTF, HTML or text.
• Download documents to your desktop as Word, PDF and more.
• View your documents' revision history and roll back to any version.

This looks like a very interesting (and promising) service from Google. Check out Google's Tour.

Mixed sports bag

In what has to be considered the shock of the MLB century, the Yanks were booted from the postseason by....(deep breath)....the Detriot Tigers. And for the third straight week Peyton Manning had to rescue the Colts from the jaws of defeat!

French police union: Muslims are waging civil war against us

"You'll note that I began that second article, "Has an intifada begun in France — an all-out jihad?" It's interesting that in this piece the police union uses the same word -- intifada. Now the truth is beginning to come out in the mainstream media, almost a year after you could have read it at Jihad Watch."

Yankees are losing :( ... but...

...my books just arrived! I don't know how I'm going to manage with my coursework from WIST and these new books, but we shall see. Although two of the books are specifically for additional reading for Homiletics I. The full list is:

• An Essential Guide to Public Speaking: Serving Your Audience with Faith, Skill, and Virtue
• Christ-Centered Preaching: Redeeming the Expository Sermon
• To Everyone an Answer: A Case for the Christian Worldview: Essays in Honor of Norman L. Geisler
• Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview

How about those Yankees?

The New York Yankees got off to a winning start in this year's playoffs (special thanks to Jeter!). Here's hoping they go all the way this time and take the World Series. That disaster against the Red Sox still irks me til this day!

TIME.com: Did a critic of Islam go too far?

Read full story here...

2006 Young Innovators Under 35

Since 1999, the editors of Technology Review have honored the young innovators whose inventions and research we find most exciting; today that collection is the TR35, a list of technologists and scientists, all under the age of 35. Their work--spanning medicine, computing, communications, electronics, nanotechnology, and more--is changing our world.

Time.com coolest sites

50 coolest websites (according to TIME)

DVD: Ravi @ the Roxy

Description from RZIM: "Ravi @ the Roxy was captured at an inaugural ministry event in April. The hip and historic Coca-Cola Roxy Theatre in Atlanta was rented, and an evangelistic event open to the public and with free admission was hosted by RZIM. Within weeks of publicizing the event, tickets were “sold-out,” the venue was packed, and Ravi delivered a persuasive message titled “Questionable Answers.” Now, experience the flavor of the evening, feel the energy of the crowd, hear a compelling presentation of Christianity. We are confident you will find this DVD to be an excellent tool for skeptics and those searching for answers."

I watched this DVD last night and it was quite good. Ravi looked at evil, justice, love and forgiveness and how they all coverge in the cross of Jesus Christ and ultimately point to Him alone as the Way, the Truth and the Life. Highly recommended.

Solskjaer double strike!

Inspired by Cristiano Ronaldo and armed with two goals from Ole Gunner Solskjaer, the Reds returned to winning ways in the Premiership with a comfortable 2-0 victory over a Newcastle side that rarely threatened to deny United all three points. Read full match report on Manutd.com...

Boy slave 'crucified' by Sudanese Muslim

A Sudanese slave who was assigned to watch his Muslim master's camels was "crucified" when he was caught sneaking out to attend a Christian church, according to reports from Voice of the Martyrs.

Microsoft releases more Zune info

You can now get more information about Zune @ Microsoft's Zune Virtual Press Room. You can also check out the Zune Insider Blog. It seems that Zune is definetely "coming Zune".

New RZIM Event: Gospel Under Attack

How do we defend Christianity against common attacks from within today's culture?

What Jesus demands from the world

John Piper's new book, What Jesus demands from the world, is also available in PDF format. And yes, the PDF version is free ;)

Success in Europe

After a shock defeat at the hands of Arsenal and only mustering a draw against Reading, Manchester United returned to their winning ways in Europe, beating Benfica 1-0. Read full match report...

Blog link: Between Two Worlds

Chomsky

Why save for a rainy day, when it's pouring outside?

Donate now to The Global Fund. No amount is too small.

Gotta read to succeed

Below are some books I'm mulling ordering soon (from Amazon of course). All come highly recommended from various sources:

1. Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview
2. An Essential Guide to Public Speaking: Serving Your Audience with Faith, Skill, and Virtue
3. To Everyone an Answer: A Case for the Christian Worldview
4. Christ-Centered Preaching,: Redeeming the Expository Sermon

And these magazine subscriptions (from Magazine City of course):

1. Harvard Business Review
2. The Atlantic

"Poor" Islam?

If we collectively take the reaction in the liberal media vis-à-vis “9/11”, the cartoon controversy and more recently Pope Benedict’s comments, we can only conclude that Islam is the innocent victim of Western imperialism and chauvinism and the great evil to be feared is not terrorism but discrimination against Muslims.

The fact is, dedicated Muslims are not pragmatists, which is hard to swallow for most liberals. The characteristic delusion of liberals is to believe, even against all evidence, that other people, including totalitarians are at heart very much like themselves. Franklin Delano Roosevelt seems to have thought that he could charm Stalin into a reasonable frame of mind and Lyndon Johnson thought he could make a deal with Ho Chi Minh. And as they say, the rest is history.

The public is therefore at the mercy of commentators who are constantly reassuring us that Islam is a religion of peace, and these extreme reactions and forms of violence are inconsistent with Islam. Fair enough, believe what you wish. But it is no secret that Islam vigorously opposes freedom of religion. Although we are quoted “there is no compulsion in religion”, when the rubber hits the road, this is not what is practiced.

Even within Islam itself, the Shiite and Sunni factions appear to hate each other as much as they do the West. “Conflict between Shiites and Sunnis has existed since the 7th century. Because Mohammed didn’t appoint a successor, or caliph, there was disagreement as to who should succeed him. Sunnis believe the caliph should be appointed. Shiites believe he should come from Mohammed’s bloodline” (See, A Kingdom Divided Against Itself).

In an analysis of what has gone wrong with Islam, Bernard Lewis had this to say: “To a Western observer, schooled in the theory and practice of Western freedom, it is precisely the lack of freedom – freedom of the mind from constraint and indoctrination, to question and inquire and speak; freedom of the economy from corrupt and pervasive mismanagement; freedom of women from male oppression; that underlies so many of the troubles of the Muslim world” (Atlantic Monthly, January 2002).

The Islamic mindset seems to be convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that the majority (if not all) of her problems stem from “crusades against Islam” led by evil Western governments, the chief culprit being America (the great Satan). She needs to realize that the majority of her problems are the logical outworking of her worldview, and can be only be addressed by radical reform and moderation.

Obligated to both wise and foolish

“I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish (Romans 1:14).”

In the rant titled, “Where the hell is it?”, the writer makes a very simple mistake. They are equating the limits of their understanding with the limits of reality. Immanuel Kant made the same mistake, poor fellow (apologies to any neo-Kantian philosophers amongst us).

Now I don’t know what constitutes “right knowledge” (perhaps a lecture on the 360 degrees of knowledge?) Who knows? But here is a nugget of right knowledge from the Apostle Paul: “But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God "will give to each person according to what he has done." To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger” (Romans 2:5-8, NIV).

Dr. Ikael Tafari stikes again

In his latest offering, The Concept of God, Dr. Tafari writes, "the sociology of religion can help us to stress a discontinuous line – the missing links as it were – between religions, rather than a hard, continuous, dividing wall. Such a dotted line between faiths means that one would not invest in dogmatic notions of superiority/inferiority among different creeds."

Of course, this is promptly after "dismissing" (in his own confused mind of course) one of the most central doctrines of Christendom - the Trinity. SMH. Reason #165, the Nation is fast becoming a comic book publication.

Letter to the Editor: September 25, 2006

THE RELIGIONISTS don't know where hell is, or if such a place really exists. They can't even decide what hell is. Which one is it? It is the lake of fire (Rev: 20:10) or the pit (Rev 11:7)? Or is it a place where you will be given oozing puss to drink like the Qur'aan describes (Ch 14:16)? Or a place where you'll be roasted (Qur'aan 17:18)? Or a prison (Qur'aan 17:8)? Also, how did the pit get there?

How did a big place of fire get beneath us? Did God create it down there? Why is it that scientists haven't discovered it yet, being that they have dug holes straight down to the centre of the earth?

Why is it you can't find hell if it really is a place that exists? Scientists have listened to the ground; they have all kinds of advanced technical equipment with computers.
Have they heard crackling fires? No!!! Because hell is a state of mind. It is what you make it. It exists within you, for each one will pattern his or her hell according to what he/she believes it is. They don't hear anyone down there screaming or hollering from any torture. So what makes you believe that there is someplace "down there" where you will go if you are a sinner?

The Bible? Let's be real! There's nothing in the Bible has been proven to be fact yet. You can't even prove that the characters in it ever existed, let alone a place called hell! The hell that your preachers, teachers, pastors, rabbis, imams and sheikhs preach to you about is another trick to keep you trapped under religion. We need right knowledge.

– KHUNSU SOBEK

I wouldn't even waste time responding to that nonsnense. It is quite funny though. Especially the part that reads, "The Bible? Let's be real! There's nothing in the Bible has been proven to be fact yet. You can't even prove that the characters in it ever existed, let alone a place called hell!" There are some objections that are so asinine, that I think you discredit Christendom by even responding. This is one of them. I'm even surprised it was published. But I'm not completely surprised, the Nation is not exactly a newspaper for serious readers.

Jet Li's final martial arts epic

Enough said

Muslim furore 2.0

Here are some online editorials, articles which look at the Muslim outrage over the Pope's remarks:

The Pope did us all a favour

Return to the dark ages

In pictures: Fresh anti-Pope protests

Enough Apologies

Iranian Leader Urges More Papal Protests

Al-Qaida in Iraq warned Pope Benedict XVI on Monday that its war against Christianity and the West will go on until Islam takes over the world, and Iran's supreme leader called for more protests over the pontiff's remarks on Islam. Read full story...

Two types of sinners

No doubt you have heard countless “profound” utterances that start something like this, “There are only two types of people in the world…” My personal favourite is, “There are three kinds of people in this world; those who can count and those who can’t. But some folk prefer to lump us all into one category. You have probably heard it said, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23, NIV).

It’s true that we are all sinners but there is a crucial difference. There is a category of sinner, let’s call them group A, who, “are justified freely by his grace through redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24, NIV). Group B on the other hand, “rejects the Son (of God)” and “will not see life; for God’s wrath remains on him” (John 3:36, NIV). There is really no middle ground here; in the words of our Lord – “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son” (John 3:18, NIV).

Those who choose to accept Christ’s provision of the cross do not habitually (or continually) sin because, “No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him” (1 John 3:6, NIV). “Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray,” by misquoting Romans 3:23.

So, which category of “The Sinner-hood” do you belong to?

Regeneration - mankind's only hope

Some people hold a Walt Disney theology where Christ and their need for him is concerned – everyone seems to think you are a “good person” (and just between you and me, you quite agree). So why drag Christ into all of this. The humanists are therefore content to preach “mere morality” – be a “good” person (whatever that means) – and hope that things will get better.

Well they won’t. “Mere morality” misses the mark. The command which the LORD gave the to Israelites, also applies to us: “Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy” (Lev. 19:2, NIV). This is what the Old Testament prophets and Christ aimed at. Holiness is infinitely greater than “mere morality.” For where there is true holiness, what we call “good, decent” behaviour will almost become second nature. The thing is, there can be no holiness without repentance. And I can think of no better definition of repentance than this old children’s hymn: Repentance is to leave the sins we loved before; And show that we in earnest grieve, By doing so no more.

No doubt the secular humanists will continue with their futile attempts to moralize society. But if we are truly serious about changing our society, we will have to work from the inside out. We have to admit and deal with the fact that the heart of mankind is desperately wicked. No economic, political or social theory will suffice. Man (no matter how highly he thinks of himself) is utterly lost without Christ. So, “You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again’” (John 3:7, NIV).

Colts 2-0: Manning goes for 400 yards!

Manning threw three touchdown passes, broke John Unitas' franchise record for completions and led the Colts to scores on six of their first seven possessions in a 43-24 rout over Houston that wasn't that close. Read full game report...

Two fat cats!

The two cats in the picture belong to my friend Dan from Canada! They are HUGE! ROTFLOL!

The battle within

We are so busy fighting crime, drugs, AIDS, terrorism and poverty that we are in danger of forgetting the real battle. The battle of sin. The battle within. The exchange goes something like this:

“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do – this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it” (Romans 7:15-20”). Admittedly a wretched state (and a mouthful). But thanks be to God, victory can be had through Christ!

It only makes sense to continue with the other “battles” if we obey Jesus’ command: “repent ye, and believe the gospel.” Although, if everyone focused squarely on dealing with the battle within, all other battles (noble as they are) become moot.

When philosophy leads to the wrong conclusion

"If naturalism were true then all thoughts whatever would be wholly the result of irrational causes...it cuts its own throat." – C. S. Lewis [A Christian Reply to Professor Price]

Naturalism is a classic example of philosophical presuppositions leading to the wrong conclusions. The naturalist denies any power higher than his reason and therefore has a distorted picture of reality. For the naturalist, what is good for the goose is not good for the gander. As Paul Copan points out, the naturalist is guilty of what is known in logic as the "self-excepting fallacy." Simply put, he does not hold his own beliefs to the same standard he expects of others. He explains away the religious beliefs of others as the product of their DNA and experience, suggesting that they are invalid. Yet, perhaps by a miraculous stroke of genius, he does not consider his own reasoning abilities untrustworthy, even though, according to his own worldview, they themselves are also the product of his DNA and experience. The naturalist will refuse to defend his faulty presupposition although this is precisely what he expects of others.

Even more embarrassing for the naturalist is that his worldview is self-refuting. The naturalist claims to reject the metaphysical while at the same time ignoring the fact that naturalism is itself a metaphysical framework. As many people have repeatedly shows – naturalism cannot be scientifically proven. Naturalism masquerades as science, when in fact “it is really an un-provable philosophical assumption that guides experimentation. Naturalism itself is not the result of experimentation”.

The next time you look at the starry hosts, fool yourself that this is all time plus matter plus chance. Or do the sensible thing and echo the words of the Psalmist: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world (Psalm 19:1-4, NIV).”

The Greek and the Gospel

Allow me to introduce you to “the Greek” (1 Corinthians 1:23); manufactured in schools, universities and colleges all over this world. The Greek is very well-read and has an intense aversion to anything religious. Ask him almost anything and he knows it. Ask for a quotation from any of the old poets, philosophers or anyone else and he can give it you. He is always ready to save the whale, the rain forest or Internet (www.savetheinternet.com). He is prepared to save everything – but his soul. Raise the subject of “Christ and Him crucified” and he is bound to say, “Stop your cant! I wish to hear nothing of the sort!”

The sate of the Grecian is a sad one indeed. He believes all philosophy except the true one. He studies all wisdom except the true wisdom of God. He pursues all learning except spiritual learning. He likes everything which man makes and nothing which comes from God. The old, old Gospel is foolishness to him. Address just one doctrine in the Bible, he shuts his ears and no longer wishes to keep your company. Declare God’s Truth to him – “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12, NIV)” – but he will have none of it. He will declare you a narrow-minded bigot and wish you a good morning.

The basic problem with the Grecian is that he is so full of himself, there is no room for Christ. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit wish to come and make “all things new”, but alas, “there was no room for them in the inn (Luke 2:7, NIV).” We should hold no enmity towards the Grecian, for he is to be pitied. Until he accepts the free gift of salvation found only in Christ Jesus, he will be forever wrapped up in himself. A very small bundle indeed.

Office 2007 Beta 2 Technical Refresh

Yesterday Microsoft released a "technical refresh" for Office 2007 Beta 2. I downloaded and installed it (all 494MB of it!). I can't wait for the final release of Office 2007. This will be worth the upgrade. Check out more information on Office 2007 here...

MP3 player wars continue: Zune launched!

Read full story here

Reformed Theological Seminary Reading List

RTS Recommended Reading List

Solskjær settles British encounter!

Ole Gunnar Solskjær was the hero as Manchester United FC opened their UEFA Champions League campaign with a pulsating 3-2 victory over Scottish champions and Group F rivals Celtic FC. Read full story...

Pope invites dialog with Muslims

Pope Benedict XVI said Tuesday that Islamic holy war was against God's nature and invited Muslims to join in a peaceful cultural dialogue. In a speech at Regensburg University, Benedict made an unusual reference to jihad, or holy war - a concept used by today's Islamic extremists to justify suicide bombings and other attacks. Read full story...

Apple releases new iPods

Today Apple has released new versions of the iPod, iPod nano and iTunes. Check it out...

eBible

Find out how we are making the Bible easier to USE, UNDERSTAND and SHARE...

Colts 1-0: Where's the brotherly love?

My favourite team in the NFL is off to a winning start...

Preach Christ crucified

"Dr. Chalmers' experience is a very valuable one to those who think that the Christian ministry ought to preach mere morality, for he says that, in his first parish he preached morality and saw no good whatever arising out of this exhortations. However, as soon as he began to preach Christ crucified, then there was a buzz, a stir, and much opposition, but grace prevailed."

Giggs goal keeps United @ the top

The Reds returned to the top of the table with victory over Tottenham on Saturday, thanks to a first-half header from the in-form Ryan Giggs, which ensures United have made their best ever start to a Premiership campaign.

New DVD: Has Christianity Failed You?

Has Christianity failed you? The barriers to belief in the Christian gospel often reach far beyond the intellect as we search for truth and meaning in a fallen world. Too many people have been disappointed or hurt by the church and/or individual Christians -- and then, have turned away from Christianity, harboring deep-seated feelings of distrust and bitterness.

On May 11, 2006, Ravi Zacharias and Michael Ramsden, before a sold-out audience at Atlanta’s renowned Fox Theatre, tackled the seeming failure of Christianity to respond with relevance and compassion in real-world experiences.

"That’s how it has failed us – when it becomes part of the judgment that divides us rather than the Grace that unites us."

Disc One replays that dramatic evening, with both messages, plus a 35 minute Q&A session in which some of the most difficult personal conflicts were voiced by earnest seekers. On Disc Two, Ravi and Michael continue to respond to those questions that could not be addressed during the evening because of time constraints; as well as other bonus features. This set is jam-packed with content!

Order your copy from RZIM (I put mine in yesterday) ;)

US population set to hit 300 million

Sometime in October the U.S. will join China and India in the very small club of countries with at least 300 million residents. Read full story here...

Stand To Reason Radio Archives

Download MP3 audio files here...

High 5: Tiger takes his 5th straight!

Woods erases deficit, beats Singh for fifth win in row

Solid Ground: September/October 2006

How do Christians talk effectively about the One who said He was the truth when much of our culture considers distintions like true and false completely superfluous? Read newsletter here...

Ya Digg?

"Digg is all about user powered content. Every article on digg is submitted and voted on by the digg community. Share, discover, bookmark, and promote the news that's important to you!" Digg it?

Google offers books for free

Straight from silicon.com - "Google Book Search now offers PDF files of scanned books that can be downloaded and printed for free, Google announced on Wednesday."

Spurgeon sermon excerpts from: "Pricked in Their Heart"

"Peter's discourse was not distinguished by any special rhetorical display: he used not the words of man's wisdom or eloquence. It was not an oration, but it was a heart-moving argument, entreaty, and exhortation. He gave his hearers a simple, well-reasoned, Scriptural discourse, sustained by the facts of experience; and every passage of it pointed to the Lord Jesus. It was in these respects a model of what a sermon ought to be as to its contents. His plea was personally addressed to the people who stood before him, and it had a practical and pressing relation to them and to their conduct. It was aimed, not at the head, but at the heart. Every word of it was directed to the conscience and the affections, It was plain, practical, personal, and persuasive; and in this it was a model of what a sermon ought to be as to its aim and style."

"We must not forget, however, to trace the special success of the sermon on the day of Pentecost to the outpouring of the Holy Ghost, in which Peter had shared. This it is which is the making of the preacher. Immersed into the Holy Spirit, the preacher will think rightly, and speak wisely; his word will be with power to those who hear. We must not forget, also, that there had been a long season of earnest, united, believing prayer on the part of the whole church. Peter was not alone: he was the voice of a praying company, and the believers had been with one accord in one place crying for a blessing; and thus not only was the Spirit resting upon the preacher, but on all who were with him. What a difference this makes to a preacher of the gospel, when all his comrades are as much anointed of the Spirit as himself! His power is enhanced a hundredfold."

"Men and brethren, we are not in Jerusalem, and the death of our Lord happened more than eighteen hundred years ago; therefore we need not dwell upon the sin of those long since dead. It will be more profitable for us practically to consider how far we have been guilty of similar sins against the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us look at home. Let each one consider his own case. I may be addressing some to-day who have blasphemed the name of the Lord Jesus. I do not suppose that you have been guilty of the vulgar language of blasphemy, which is coarse and revolting, as well as profane; but there are politer methods of committing the self-same crime. Some, with their elaborate criticisms of Christianity, wound it far more seriously than atheists with their profanities. In these days, wiseacres, with their philosophy, derogate from the glory of our Lord's nature, and, with their novel doctrines, undermine his gospel. Denying the atonement, or teaching it as something other than a substitutionary sacrifice, they try to make away with that which is the very heart and soul of the Redeemer's work. Men nowadays drink in opinions which lessen the guilt of sin, and, of course, lower the value of the atoning blood. The cross is still a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence. Men do not now accept the words of the Bible as authoritative, nor the teaching of the apostles as final; they set themselves up to be teachers of the great Teacher, reformers of the divine gospel. They do not accept the teaching of the Lord Jesus one half so much as they criticize it. If any here present have been thus guilty, may the Holy Spirit convince them of their sin!"

"If you put him out of your reckoning, if you treat him as if he were nothing, if your estimate of life is made as if he were a cipher, you have put your Lord out of existence in reference to yourself. You treat him with empty compliment by observing his day, and hearing his Word; but you have no real regard for him. Is not this a cruel fault? From morning till night your Lord is not in all your thoughts; he never affects your dealings with your fellow-men; you never endeavour to catch his spirit of love, and considerateness, and meekness; and thus, as a Leader and Exemplar, he is dead to you. You have never confessed your sin before him, nor sought for pardon at his hands, nor have you looked to see whether he hath borne your sins in his own body on the tree. O soul, this is base neglect—ungrateful contempt! God thinks so much of his Son that he cannot set him too high; he has placed him at his own right hand, and yet you will not spare him a thought! The great God thinks heaven and earth too little for him, and magnifies him exceedingly above all, as King of kings, and Lord of lords; and yet you treat him as if he were of no account, and might be safely made to wait your time and leisure. Is this right? Will you treat your Saviour thus? May this prick you in the heart, and may you cease from this base ingratitude!"

Read the entire sermon here...

The compassion of Christ

compassion
• noun sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others.
— ORIGIN Latin, from compati ‘suffer with’.

Christ was often “moved with compassion” before he helped others. The fact that this is often highlighted by the gospel writers is no accident. Before we can do a good deed, say a prayer or give sacrificially of our time or money, we like Christ, must be “moved with compassion.”

Think about that as you read and reflect on the following passages of Holy Writ:

Matthew 9:36 When he saw the crowds, he was deeply moved with compassion for them, because they were troubled and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

Matthew 14:14 When he got out of the boat, he saw a large crowd. He had compassion for them and healed their sick.

Matthew 15:32 Then Jesus called his disciples and said, "I have compassion for the crowd because they have already been with me for three days and have nothing to eat. I don't want to send them away without food, or they may faint on the road."

Matthew 20:34 Then Jesus, deeply moved with compassion, touched their eyes and at once they could see again. So they followed him.

Mark 1:41 Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand, touched him, and said to him, "I do want to. Be made clean!"

Mark 6:34 When he got out of the boat, he saw a large crowd. He had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he began to teach them many things.

Mark 8:2 "I have compassion for the crowd because they have already been with me for three days and have nothing to eat.

Luke 7:13 When the Lord saw her, he felt compassion for her. He said to her, "You can stop crying."

Luke 10:33 But as he was traveling along, a Samaritan came across the man. When the Samaritan saw him, he was moved with compassion.

The Greek and the Gospel

Allow me to introduce you to “the Greek” (1 Corinthians 1:23). He is manufactured in schools, universities and colleges all over this world. He has an intense aversion to anything religious. The Greek is very well-read. Ask him anything and he knows it. Ask for a quotation from any of the old poets, philosophers or anyone else and he can give it you. He is always ready to save the whale, the rain forest or Internet [www.savetheinternet.com]. He is prepared to save everything – but his soul. If you raise the subject of “Christ and Him crucified” and he is bound to say, “Stop your cant! I wish to hear nothing of the sort!”

The sate of the Grecian is a sad one indeed. He believes all philosophy except the true one. He studies all wisdom except the true wisdom of God. He pursues all learning except spiritual learning. He likes everything which man makes and nothing which comes from God. The old, old Gospel is foolishness to him. Address just one doctrine in the Bible and he shuts his ears. He no longer wishes to keep your company. Declare God’s Truth to him: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12, NIV).” But he will have none of it. He will declare you a narrow-minded bigot and wish you a good morning.

The basic problem with the Grecian is that he is so full of himself, there is no room for Christ. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit wish to come and make “all things new”, but alas, “there was no room for them in the inn (Luke 2:7, NIV)” – Grecian is too full of himself. We should hold no enmity towards the Grecian, for he is to be pitied. You see, a day is coming when “all the nations of the earth will mourn”, for “They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory (Matthew 24:30, NIV).” Mr. Grecian, what will all your philosophy, learning and culture do for you then?

Slice of Infinity: Taking Care of Treasure

"My mother recently gave me a rocking chair that has been in my parents' attic since I was a baby. She knew that it had been in the family for years, but she wasn't sure just how old it was. We called up an older relative who informed us that it had belonged to my great-great-great-grandmother, and possibly to others before her. All of a sudden I felt like I had a treasure; the chair's value was not tied to its function or appearance but to its age and connection to my ancestors..."

Truth about Islam lecture series

The Muslim Association of Barbados is hosting two lectures on the "truth" about Islam. Praise the Lord for freedom of religion in the West (SMH). Read (and listen) on...

Why Islam today shuts down freedom of religion

The Islam section at Sermon Audio.com

Tiger wins his fourth straight!

Woods survives playoff to win fourth straight tournament...

ESPN is also commemorating 10 years of Tiger Woods (as a professional golfer).

Still @ the top of the table

Manchester United stayed at the top of the Barclays Premiership thanks to their third straight victory - and gave newcomers Watford a tough lesson about life at the top.

Thought for the Day

"I never pray more than five minutes at a time, but I never go five minutes without praying." Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Champions League Draw

Manchester United have been drawn in Group F and from the looks of it, we should top that group. I really hope we go far in Europe this season!

What Does it Mean to Be Human?

I'm patiently awaiting the message, What does it mean to be human? (from my last order). It was backordered, so it shipped seperately. It's in the island now, so I just have to get it from my relavtive ;)

Long live Microsoft!

Internet Explorer 7 Release Candidate 1 Now Available!

Save the Internet

What's this about?

Software Development (ROTFL)

 

Spurgeon Gem: Christ Crucified

WHAT contempt has God poured upon the wisdom of this world! How has He brought it to nothing and made it appear as nothing. He has allowed it to work out its own conclusions and prove its own folly. Men boasted that they were wise. They said that they could find out God to perfection. And in order that their folly might be refuted once and forever, God gave them the opportunity of doing so. He said, “Worldly wisdom, I will try you. You say that you are mighty, that your intellect is vast and comprehensive, that your eye is keen, that you can unravel all secrets—now, behold, I try you—I give you one great problem to solve... (link opens PDF document with complete sermon)

United crush Addicks

United are off to a fantastic start! It's still early, but I smell success this season. It doesn't hurt that Chelsea lost and dropped points either ;)

Excerpt from Praying Backwards

I purchased a copy of Praying Backwards last night and it's proving to be a pretty good read on the subject of prayer. Here is a brief excerpt from Chapter 2 (Praying in Jesus' Way):

"A letter attributed to a Civil War soldier expressed God's prayer priorities and the ultimate desires of the heart shaped by the Holy Spirit:

I asked God for strength, that I might achieve,
I was made weak, that I might humbly learn to obey.

I asked for health, that I might do greater things,
I was given infirmity, that I might do better things.

I asked for riches, that I might be happy,
I was given poverty, that I might be wise.

I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men,
I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God.

I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life,
I was given life, that I might enjoy all things.

I got nothing that I asked for, but everything that I hoped for,
Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.

I among all men am most richly blessed."

What's lewd for you, isn't lewd for me...

Today's offering of People & Things by Peter Wickham is a classic example of moral relativism (you know, that self-defeating logical fallacy that's all the rage now).

I quote at lenghth, "To the best of my knowledge, public vulgarity of the type Sir John is concerned with is already illegal, however, no one has ever been prosecuted for the simple reason that there is no objective standard or proverbial line, which persons can be said to have crossed. Moreover, the development of such a definition would be an exercise in futility since there are many variations on such activity, which is clearly now the "norm" in society and for the benefit of those who are unconvinced, a norm is determined based on the typical behaviour of the masses within a particular context and in this context, lewd behaviour is the rule and not the exception (emphasis mine)."

The above is a correct true definition of a norm. But this is not the point. Because a behaviour is a norm, does not make it right or moral. If the masses behave crassly, they are still crass people. If the masses do a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing.

With condemnation being branded as immoral; the writer then promptly goes on to condemn Sir John. WTH? It no longer surprises me that Bajans buy "new furnitures."

Reflections on Truth

“Truth is not always popular but it is always right.” This quote from A Column to Cherish which appeared in the Sunday Sun really got me thinking about truth. But what is truth anyways? Truth is not solely an abstract philosophical concept therefore philosophy inevitably ends up defining truth too narrowly. Simply put, truth is that which corresponds to reality. True beliefs are those which portray reality as it is not as we hope, fear or wish it to be.

The biblical understanding of truth reflects fact that truth is multifaceted: theoretical, literal (Word of God) and personal (Jesus). For Christians, the God of Israel reveals himself not only in his Word but in his deeds. Truth is also expressed in the person of Christ in the New Testament. In his message and in his way of life. For the Christian, truth is not an abstract, “out there” concept. It is something that is inside us. It sanctifies us (John 17:17). It cleanses us. It does something to us.

The human mind has been deified in the Western world and, in the tradition of Kant, is viewed as the sole means of attaining truth. But the mind falls woefully short when it comes to the things of God. The mind has been marred because of the noetic effect of sin. Divine revelation is necessary; not only because of human depravity but because some things go beyond the capacity of reason (like the Trinitarian concept). Simply reasoning about faith therefore, cannot lead to tangible sign of those things (that are matters of faith). Revelation is also necessary.

“Truth is a daunting difficult thing, it is also the greatest thing in the world. We are chronically ambivalent towards it. We seek it and we fear it. Our better side wants to pursue truth wherever it leads. Our darker side balks when the truth leads us anywhere we do not want to go. We want both to serve truth and to be served by it. Such is our uneasy lot east of Eden.”

Spurgeon Quotes from "War of Truth"

The quotes (seperated into individual paragraphs) that follow are from a sermon preached by Charles Spurgeon titled - War of Truth

“We wrestle not with flesh and blood.” Christian men are not at war with any man that walks the earth. We are at war with infidelity but the persons of infidels we love and pray for. We are at warfare with any heresy but we have no enmity against heretics. We are opposed to and cry war to the knife with everything that opposes God and His Truth— but towards every man we would still endeavor to carry out the holy maxim, “Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you.” The Christian soldier has no gun and no sword, for he fights not with men. It is with “spiritual wickedness in high places” that he fights and with other principalities and powers than with those that sit on thrones and hold scepters in their hands. I have marked, however, that some Christian men—and it is a feeling to which all of us are prone—are very apt to make Christ’s war a war of flesh and blood instead of a war with wrong and spiritual wickedness."

"We are not fighting against men. We are fighting for men rather than against them. We are fighting for God and his Truth against error and against sin. But not against men. Woe, woe, to the Christian who forgets this sacred canon of warfare. Touch not the persons of men but smite their sin with a stout heart and with strong arm. Slay both the little ones and the great. Let nothing be spared that is against God and his Truth. But we have no war with the persons of poor mistaken men. Rome we hate even as we abhor Hell, yet for her votaries we ever pray."

We want and need out-and-out Truth in these perilous days. We want and need a man to speak as God tells him and care for nobody’ opinions. Oh, if we had some of the old Scotch preachers! Those Scotch preachers made kings tremble. They were no men’s servants. They were very lords, wherever they went, because each of them said, “God has given me a message. My brow is like adamant against men. I will speak what God bids me.” Like Micah, they said, “As the Lord my God lives, whatsoever my God says unto me, that will I speak.”

But what have we behind them? What have we there, in the very vitals of our city? This city is a colossal culprit, it is a behemoth sinner and everywhere there are those who live in the vilest of vices and yet go unchecked and unreproved. We live in a time when it is unfashionable to tell men of their sins and there are few who have the spirit to speak out plainly of men’s sins. When we consider the mass of female profligates which number their committed by tens of thousands, are we not driven to conclude that the same sin must be rife enough with men?

Let us, then, Brothers and Sisters, each in our spheres, deal hard blows at the enemy. This is a fight in which all can do something who are the Lord’s people. Those who halt upon their crutches can use them for weapons of war as well as the mighty men can wield their swords! We have each an allotted work to do if we are the Lord’s elect. Let us take care that we do it. You are a tract distributor—go on with your work—do it earnestly. You are a Sunday-School teacher— go on, do not stop that blessed work—do it as unto God and not as unto man. You are a preacher—preach as God gives you ability, remembering that He requires of no man more than He has given to him. Therefore, be not discouraged if you have little success, still go on. Are you like Zebulon, one that can handle the pen? Handle it wisely. And you shall smite through the loins of kings. And if you can do but little, at least furnish the shot for others that you may help them in their works of faith and their labors of love. But let us all do something for Christ. I will never believe there is a Christian in the world who cannot do something. There is not a spider hanging on the king’s wall but has its errand. There is not a nettle that grows in the corner of the churchyard but has its purpose. There is not a single insect fluttering in the breeze but accomplishes some Divine decree.

Now this teaches that there must be prayer as well as effort. Minister! Preach on. But you shall have no success unless you pray. If you do not know how to wrestle with God on your knees you will find it hard work to wrestle with men on your feet in the pulpit. You may make efforts to do so but you shall not be successful unless you back up your efforts with prayer. You are not so likely to fail in your efforts as in your prayers. We never read that Joshua’s hand was weary with wielding the sword but Moses’ hand was weary with holding the rod. The more spiritual the duty, the more apt we are to tire of it. We could stand and preach all day but we could not pray all day. We could go forth to see the sick all day but we could not be in our closets all day one- half so easily. To spend a night with God in prayer would be far more difficult than to spend a night with man in preaching. Oh, take care, take care, Church of Christ, that you do not cease your prayers! Above all, I speak to my own much-loved Church, my own people. You have loved me and I have loved you and God has given us great success and blessed us. But, mark it well—I trace all of it to your prayers. You have assembled together in multitudes, perfectly unparalleled, to pray for me on each Monday evening and I know I am mentioned at your family altars as one who is very dear to your hearts. But I am afraid lest you should cease your prayers. Let the world say, “Down with him.” I will stand against them all if you will pray for me. But if you cease your prayers it is all up with me and all over with you. Your prayers make us mighty. The praying legion is the thundering legion.

Remember the great Intercessor—Christ is on the hill and while you are in the valley He pleads and must prevail. Therefore go on and conquer for Christ’s sake! I can no longer address you but must finish up by repeating the words with which I always like to conclude my sermons—“He that believes on the Lord Jesus and is baptized shall be saved and he that believes not shall be damned!” Oh that you would believe in Christ! Oh that God would give you faith to put your trust in Him! This is the only way of salvation. “Believe on the Lord Jesus and you shall be saved.”