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.”

Introduction to Christian apologetics

Rick Wade's essay is a pretty good introduction to Christian Apologetics:

"Throughout the history of the church, Christians have been called upon to explain why we believe what we believe. The apostle Paul spoke of his ministry as "the defense and confirmation of the gospel." Peter said we need to "be ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you." This activity of the church came to be known as apologetics which means "defense." But, if it is important that we defend the faith, how do we do it?"

Worthy to be written in gold

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. (John 1:1-5, NIV)"

Tim Challies book review: Praying Backwards

"Not too long ago I began to pray that God would teach me to pray. A bit of an odd request, is it not? Obviously I already knew something about prayer if I was praying about it in the first place, but my concern was that despite my prayer habits, which are sometimes good and sometimes bad, I have often felt that I just don't really understand what prayer is all about. When I pray I've often wondered just what the point is. I've often wished that I was better at praying and that maybe God would answer a few more of my prayers if I just learned to pray like a Spurgeon or another great preacher of days gone by whose words to God can still stir hearts even today. I believe God answered my prayer through Bryan Chapell and his book Praying Backwards..."

I'll pick up a copy of this book in the very near future.

Osama bin Laden lusts for...

Al Qaeda chief and the world's most dreaded terrorist, Osama bin Laden had a crush on...

Yankees sweep Sox (in Boston!)

Yankees finished off their sweep of the Red Sox

Scientists find out how HIV "turn off" immune cells

Read full story here...

Blogger in Beta!

I've made the switch to the Blogger in Beta program. This is just a test post. Nothing much going on here ladies and gentlemen, move right along....show's over now....keep moving....

Professional WordPress themes

Check out Template Monster if you are looking for quality WordPress themes.

Sansa e280 MP3 Player 8GB

Introducing the world's first 8GB flash MP3 player. Pre-order here...

Live Strong, Lance Armstrong

"What do I have in common with Lance Armstrong? He's an international celebrity, a champion bicyclist, and a world-renowned philanthropist who has devoted his resources and his fame to fighting cancer, a cause most closely associated with the yellow "Live Strong" bracelets. And he's an atheist who has rather publicly ridiculed the Christian faith." Read full commentary by Jedidiah Coppenger...

Good sports weekend!

United went top of the Premiership table on Sunday after Fulham were blown away by the Reds’ attacking potency in a breathtaking 5-1 win at Old Trafford. I hope they keep it up for the entire season!

The Yankees are one win away from sweeping the Red Sox after a great come from behind win in Boston.

And Tiger won the PGA Championship, pushing the total number of wins for him in the majors to a mind-boggling 12. Just six short of Jack (and he's only 30!). Goodness...

On free will and the sovereignty of God

"The riddles of God are more satisfying than the solutions of man." Chesterton

There is a sign outside of Heaven which reads, “Whosoever will may come,” and once you enter in, you see the sign that says, “Chosen before the foundation of the world.” So understandably for some, free-will and the sovereignty of God are mutually exclusive.

If you were to ask the average person on the street what they understand by free-will, a great deal of them would probably tell you that it is the freedom to do whatever they want. But this is a ridiculous definition. It was Chesterton who said, “The freedom of your fist stops where my nose begins.” Freedom is relational. We do not exist in a vacuum, where our actions impact no one and we obey no rules. You and I cannot have a fair basketball game if I am “free” to shift the basket every time you attempt to score. The rules of the game are to relate us to one another so that we can truly play.

The fact that freedom is relational is absolutely crucial to our understanding of this problem. Human beings consist of intellect, emotion and will. These are not stand alone qualities and they all relate to something: What will I do with my intellect, if there is nothing to think about? What will I do with my emotion if there is nothing to feel? What will I choose with my will if there is nothing to do? Freedom therefore relates to will.

It is not possible to neatly compartmentalize God’s sovereignty and man’s free-will. Think about what Ravi Zacharias [www.rzim.org] had to say on this topic: “Light, for example, is viewed from some vantage points as particles. From other vantage points it is viewed as waves. Scientists are aware that light could not be both particles and waves, so they have coined a term for it, a kind of a construct, and they call it a “photon.” All they have done is create a word and a category that accommodates both perspectives which are real. I think you should view the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man as a kind of a precious stone with two facets to it. When it catches the light from one direction, you see one color; when it catches the light from the other direction you see the other color. Our propensity in the Western world to put God into a box and to systematize everything sometimes violates a fundamental precept in philosophy. It is not possible for a finite person to infinitely understand the infinite. If a finite person can fully understand the infinite, the very category of infinity is destroyed. So my proposal to you is to see both of these perspectives and hold them in balance.”

So, Christ stands at the door of our hearts and knocks; but there is only one handle to this door and it is on the inside of our hearts. Let us therefore open our hearts to Christ – this very day, this very hour.

A Slice of Infinity: Three objections

It goes by many different names. Some call it naturalism or scientism; others refer to it as materialism or modernism. Some don't refer to it at all, believing that it is the presupposition of any rational person.

It is the basic belief that we can only know what we can empirically observe; that is, the only valid explanation for any phenomenon is that which can be scientifically proven. Carl Sagan famously summed up the naturalist worldview by saying, "The Cosmos is all that is or was or ever will be." The naturalist rejects supernatural explanations. The problems with this worldview are myriad, yet in spite of these it has become the default framework of knowledge in secular society. The following are just three of the problems that undermine naturalism's credibility as a worldview...

Spurgeon Sermon Quotes

"This is the age of book-making and book-writing. Now-a-days, what with periodical literature and the books upon our shelves, our Bibles do not get much read. I will tell you a truthful story as it was told to me yesterday. There was a young man, who is now a student for the ministry, so extraordinarily ignorant was he of his own Bible, that upon hearing a young minister mention the story of Nebuchadnezzar's being driven out from men, until his nails did grow like birds' claws, and his hair like eagles' feathers, he said to the minister at the close of the sermon, "Well, that was a queer story you told the people, certainly: where did you fish that up?" "Why," said the minister, "have you never read your Bible? Can you not find it in the Book of Daniel?" The young man had read a great many other things, but never read his Bible through, and yet was going to be a teacher of it! Now, I fear that the same ignorance is very current in many persons. They do not know what is in the Bible: they could tell you what is in the Churchman's Penny, or the Christian's Penny, or the Churchman's Magazine, or the Wesleyan Magazine, or the Baptist Magazine, or the Evangelical Magazine, and all that; but there is one old magazine, a magazine of arms, a magazine of wealth, that they forget to read—that old-fashioned book called the Bible..."

"Let us remember, as ministers of the Gospel, what M'Cheyne beautifully said; "Depend upon it," said he, "it is God's Word, not man's comment upon God's Word, that saves souls;" and I have marked, that if ever we have a conversion at any time, in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred, the conversion is rather traceable to the text, or to some Scripture quoted in the sermon, than to any trite or original by the preacher. It is God's Word that breaks the fetters and sets the prisoner free; it is God's Word instrumentally that saves souls; and therefore let us bring everything to the touchstone. "To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them."

Spurgeon Sermon: Search the Scriptures

WHEN men will not learn of God, how huge their folly grows! If they despise the wisdom that is from above, how grievously does God allow them to prove their own ignorance! When a man will not bow down before God the Most High, immediately he buildeth for himself an idol; he maketh an image of wood or stone, and he degradeth himself by bowing before the work of his own hands. When men will not receive the Scripture testimony concerning God's creation, straightway they begin to form theories that are a thousand times more ridiculous than...

Hypocrisy with the problem of pain

In addressing the British Humanist Association (The Voltaire Lectures), Richard Dawkins maintains that there is no such thing as evil. We are just “dancing to our DNA” he says. Evil simply does not exist. On the other hand another antagonist of religious faith, clearly acknowledges the existence of evil by asking: “Where is God?” (who isn’t supposed to exist by the way) in light of human pain and suffering.

Truth be told, we do not judge pain and suffering on unprejudiced moral assessments, but on what is painful to us. We do not ask “Where is God?” when our behaviour is questionable. The reason is simple. We do not want God sniffing around in the darker recesses of our own lives. Gregory Koukl of Stand to Reason sums it up nicely: “We don’t really want God to stop us from hurting others; we only cry foul when He doesn’t stop others from hurting us.”

Does Iran have something in store for August 22?

During the Cold War, both sides possessed weapons of mass destruction, but neither side used them, deterred by what was known as MAD, mutual assured destruction. Similar constraints have no doubt prevented their use in the confrontation between India and Pakistan. In our own day a new such confrontation seems to be looming between a nuclear-armed Iran and its favorite enemies, named by the late Ayatollah Khomeini as the Great Satan and the Little Satan, i.e., the United States and Israel. Against the U.S. the bombs might be delivered by terrorists, a method having the advantage of bearing no return address. Against Israel, the target is small enough to attempt obliteration by direct bombardment.

It seems increasingly likely that the Iranians either have or very soon will have nuclear weapons at their disposal, thanks to their own researches (which began some 15 years ago), to some of their obliging neighbors, and to the ever-helpful rulers of North Korea. The language used by Iranian President Ahmadinejad would seem to indicate the reality and indeed the imminence of this threat. Read full article here...

Iran's president launches weblog

"Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has joined a burgeoning international community - by starting his own weblog." Read the full story @ the BBC here...

Donate to the Global Fund

100% of your donation will go to the Global Fund and to life saving programs around the world fighting AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria - with no portion being diverted for administrative costs by the United Nations Foundation. To make a secure donation by Credit Card, click here...

bethinking.org

bethinking.org is a website that aims to put the best Christian thinking and communicating resources right into your hands. Whether you are a student, at home or at work we want to help you to talk about the Christian gospel in a way that is relevant, true, culturally aware and attractive. There are hundreds of interesting articles and audio talks on bethinking.org for you to use and think through.

The Zacharias Trust...

...exists to reach those who have objections and questions about the Christian faith, as well as to equip Christians to share their faith with confidence.

We seek to challenge those who shape the ideas of our culture with the credibility of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We do this through...

Pictures that lie

"This photo isn't exactly what it appears to be--nor are the other images that follow in this photo gallery. All were manipulated beyond straightforward cropping of edges or lightening shaded areas. Often they have a key element inserted or deleted." Read full story @ CNET...

Introducing Windows Live Writer

Windows Live Writer is a desktop application that makes it easier to compose compelling blog posts using Windows Live Spaces or your current blog service.

Of course this post was made using the Live Writer application. It looks promising so far and can only get better.

Abortion harmful to women

A recent editorial in the North American press argued that abortion is “just another operation.” Nothing could be further from the truth. Consider the following ways abortion can harm a woman’s mental and physical health:

• In her testimony before a Senate subcommittee in 2004, Dr. Elizabeth Shadigan testified that, “abortion increases rates of breast cancer, placenta previa, pre-term births and maternal suicide…Statistically, all types of deaths are higher with women who have had induced abortions.”

• After extensive research, Dr. Joel Brind, Professor of Endocrinology at City University of New York, concludes, “the single most avoidable risk factor for breast cancer is abortion.” Women who have abortions increase their risk of breast cancer by a minimum of 50 percent and as much as 300 percent.

• Post-abortion specialist David Reardon writes, “In a study of post-abortion patients only 8 weeks after their abortion, researchers found that 44% complained of nervous disorders, 36% had experienced sleep disorders, 31% had regrets, and 11% had been prescribed psychotropic medicine by their family doctor.” This study is significant since some women show no apparent effects from their abortions until years later.

Mother Teresa saw abortion, not only as harmful to women, but as “the greatest destroyer of love and peace.” This is what she had to say, “Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love but to use any violence to get what they want. If we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell people not to kill one another?” You tell me.

Mother Teresa on abortion

"But I feel that the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a war against the child, a direct killing of the innocent child, murder by the mother herself.

And if we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell people not to kill one another? How do we persuade a woman not to have an abortion? As always, we must persuade her with love, and we remind ourselves that love means to be willing to give until it hurts. Jesus gave even His life to love us. So the mother who is thinking of abortion should be helped to love, that is, to give until it hurts her plans, or her free-time, to respect the life of her child. The father of that child, whoever he is, must also give until it hurts.

By abortion, the mother does not learn to love, but kills even her own child to solve her problems. And, by abortion, the father is told that he does not have to take any responsibility at all for the child he has brought into the world. The father is likely to put other women into the same trouble. So abortion just leads to more abortion.

Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love, but to use any violence to get what they want. This is why the greatest destroyer of love and peace is abortion."

Art, Music & Apologetics: An e4 Course (DVD)

This is a full-length, graduate-level course that includes over 23 video hours of lecture and interaction, offered here in the e4 learning software.

Session Listing:
1. Lecture 01: Christian Apologetics
2. Lecture 02: Foundations
3. Lecture 03: History
4. Lecture 04: Art & Cultural Analysis
5. Interaction: Apologetics & Art
6. Lecture 05: Christian Worldview
7. Interaction: Culture
8. Lecture 06: Faith & Reason
9. Lecture 07: Post(modernity)
10. Interaction: History
11. Interaction: Theology
12. Lecture 08: Unbelief
13. Lecture 09: Homecoming
14. Interaction: Apologetics
15. Lecture 10: The Problem of Evil
16. Lecture 11: Reflecting on Evil
17. Lecture 12: Worldwide Apologetics
18. Interaction: Pain & Evil
19. Lecture 13: Jazz and Spirituality (Concert)
20. Lecture 14: Pluralism and Truth
21. Lecture 15: Worship
22. Interaction: Redemption
23. Lecture 16: Reflections

Terror plot in final stages...

Terrorists were in the final stages of planning to blow up planes heading from the United Kingdom to the United States, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said Thursday. Read more here...

New MP3 player: Zen Neeon 2

This player is supposed to be a competitor for the iPod nano. It looks like a good option if you're shopping for an MP3 player. Read more here...

Resources from RZIM

I put in another order for some resources from RZIM. My expectations were exceeded with my first order. The new order includes:

Q & A Volume IV

Truth?

What does it mean to be human?

Engaging Culture with Conversations that Count

Floating bed anyone?

A young Dutch architect has created a floating bed which hovers above the ground through magnetic force and comes with a price tag of 1.2 million euros ($1.54 million). Read more here...

A good study Bible

I would highly recommend the Life in the Spirit Study Bible (NIV). It is the successor to the Full Life Study Bible (which I used previously. My copy of it is in shambles now) from Zondervan Publishing. Good notes, articles, introduction/survey and background information on each book. It's a good investment for anyone serious about reading and studying the word of God.

August mentoring letter from STR

"Got a captive audience? 8 tactics to help you get the message across, without your style getting in the way." Read more...

Help for a simple-minded letter

I had asked for some suggestions on how (if?) I should go about resonding to this simple-minded tirade which appeared recently in the press. Here are two excerpts from some responses I got via e-mail:

"It is a very simplistic critique of religion. I pray that God will give you wisdom in knowing which of his many accusations to respond to. "

"I'd keep focused on one point. This guy is all over the place and will not be taken seriously by serious readers. Carefully and graciously distinguish between two different kinds of prophecy - the kind that is evidential (certain Old Testament prophecies, like those in Daniel and those that foretell of the coming Messiah for example, are highly evidential) and the kind that is more like superstition. If you make a simple, careful distinction, his letter will be seen for what it is: a simple-minded rant."

Chesterton on "The Sceptic"

"Latter-day scepticism is fond of calling itself progressive; but scepticism is really reactionary. Scepticism goes back; it attempts to unsettle what has already been settled. Instead of trying to break up new fields with its plough, it simply tries to break up the plough."

"The average businessman began to be agnostic, not so much because he did not know where he was, as because he wanted to forget. Many of the rich took to scepticism exactly as the poor took to drink; because it was a way out."

"Pride consists in a man making his personality the only test, instead of making truth the test. The sceptic feels himself too large to measure life by the largest things; and ends by measuring it by the smallest thing of all."

Chesterton on atheism

"Atheism is indeed the most daring of all dogmas . . . for it is the assertion of a universal negative."

"I do not feel any contempt for an atheist, who is often a man limited and constrained by his own logic to a very sad simplification."

"If there were no God, there would be no atheists."

On "bloodshed in the name of religion"

One of the most frequent, and simplistic, arguments against religion is how much bloodshed is done in her name. People who use this argument ignore (or conveniently forget) that the 20^th century has been the bloodiest century in world history. In the 20^th century alone, more than 130 million people have died in the name of secular ideologies. Ideologies that have nothing to do with religion have been the cause of the most bloodshed. That is a fact.

The accusation that bloodshed was done “all in the name of Jesus” can only be a valid statement against our Lord, if He had in fact commanded His disciples to do such things. So all that is left, is for the “accuser of the brethren” to point out exactly where in the New Testament Jesus commanded His disciples to do such things. Although a more profitable exercise would be to actually read the New Testament properly.

Comic book philosophy?

"God" as postulated by religion is an intellectual creation of man, and a purely contrived idea. And "theology" nothing more than comic-book philosophy.

That is the view of a recent letter-writer to the Daily Nation. But what could be more "comic-book philosophy" than rambling on and on about a "God" who is a purely contrived idea? Of course just saying "God as postulated by religion is an intellectual creation of man, and a purely contrived idea" (over and over again in letters over the years) automatically makes it true. Alrighty then...ROTFL

WordPress Web Hosting

I'm thinking (yet again) about getting my own domain name and transferring my blog to a hosting company. I'm looking at the various options recommended over at the WordPress Web Hosting section...

Francis Bacon on atheism

"Atheism is rather in the lip than in the heart of man."

"A little philosophy inclineth man's mind to atheism, but depth in philosophy bringeth men's minds about to religion."

Logos Bible Software 3 released!

"The chart below lets you compare at a glance the titles in each of the Logos Bible Software 3 collections. All books, addins and parallel passages listed in a column are included and unlocked with purchase of that product." Read all about it here...

Beneath the surface

Every once in a while someone will express their disdain for anything religion in the press. They don’t usually have any rational arguments to backup their emotional tirades, but such is life. More often than not, these folks don’t really have a problem with God Himself, but rather, with unresolved issues in their own relationships with the father-figure in their own life. If we were to examine a list of the “who’s who” of atheists/agnostics: Nietzsche, Hume, Russell, Voltaire, Freud, H.G. Wells – we will quickly discover that many (if not all) of them had extremely strained relationships with their fathers. This is no coincidence. Some people reject the concept of a loving, caring and compassionate heavenly Father because they have never experienced much love, care or compassion from their earthly fathers.

Beneath the surface, most embittered unbelievers just need, love – the most powerful apologetic. And love is no better personified as in the person Jesus Christ, of whom Paul writes: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation” (Romans 5:8-11). There is eternal life and love in the Cross of Jesus Christ. The invitation of the psalmist is open, especially to embittered unbelievers: “Taste and see that the LORD is good...” (Psalm 34:8). And that’s taste; not think.

Mourinho wary of United

Jose Mourinho sees United and Arsenal as the main threats to Chelsea's Premiership title hopes this season. Both sides have made just one new signing each since last term - Michael Carrick and Tomas Rosicky - but Mourinho feels this fine-tuning will enhance both sides dramatically...

Letter to the Editor: August 02, 2006

Below is the full text of the latest offering from one of Barbados' most vocal unbelievers:

"ALL I CAN DO is howl and roll on the ground, holding my belly in fits of laughter when I hear all the rubbish about "prophesy" and "God told me this" and "God told me that" talk. There is not one single bit of evidence to support all this God talk that goes around and which mystifies and entrances the Barbadian (and other) publics. In the name of God, in this day, we have Western nations railing against countries in the Middle East and Asia. In the name of the same God we have the same Middle East nations railing against the West. One is "righteous" the other 'terrorist'. Which is which? From the first crusade launched by Pope Urban II at the Council of Clermont in 1095 to the last in 1270, we had "Christians" exhorted to march to the Middle East to kill evil Muslims and Jews. The slaughter of Jews and Muslims was horrifying. Cities were devastated, women were raped, and both adults and children were killed without mercy. All in the name of Jesus. "God" as postulated by religion is an intellectual creation of man, and a purely contrived idea. And "theology" nothing more than comic-book philosophy. Does man have free will or not? If we do have free will, then such a thing as "prophesy" is impossible. For prophesy indicates something coming from which we are unable to flee, whereas if we do have free will, we can escape. Of course you and I can make prophesies. I can prophesy that shortly after 6 p.m this evening it will get dark and night will come. I can prophesy that "coming soon there will be a terrific storm with much thunder and lightning". But are these prophesies?

What makes me laugh the hardest is when churches and mosques and pilgrims and innocent people get blasted to smithereens. Apparently God does not protect His own. When you ask a cleric why this happens you are told: "God does not interfere in the free will of men." That's cool. But then we have the epitome of anomaly . . . a little later the same day you are called to prayer, to pray (example) for little Mary who is ill. We are told: "Come and join us in prayer for little Mary. Let us pray to our merciful Father in heaven that He will protect her during her operation and bring her safely through to good and enduring health." And Barbadians (and others) go right along with it. Lambs led to the slaughter. "

The letter, like so many of the writer's offerings on religion/philosophy, is full of fallicies but it does touch on some important points - free will, problem of evil, prayer and so on - and therfore warrants some kind of response. Hell hath no fury like this man rambling about religion. Funny thing is, for someone who doesn't believe in God, he sure spends a lot of time thinking and writing about him.

1 Timothy 6:6-10 (NIV)

"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs."

Godlessness in the Last Days

"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God — having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them" (2 Tim. 3:1-5).

Doing what is good

"Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men. At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone" (Titus 3:1-8, NIV).

Titus 2:11-15 (NIV)

"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope — the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you."