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."

How to read the Bible

I'm currently reading, "How to read the Bible for all it's worth", and I'm enjoying it thoroughly. I think all Christians who are serious about their Bible study, should get a copy.

The Supremacy of the Son of God

"The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross" (Colossians 1: 15-20, TNIV).

Playstation 3 Resource Centre

Came across another great PS3 site. Lots of information, pics, videos and so forth. Check it out...

Microsoft Office System 2007

I've been using Office 2007 (Beta 2) for a while now and I love it. The new user interface (UI) is new much more intuitive. I spend most of my time in Word and you can get a lot more done, more quickly because of the new UI. I can't wait until the final build is available.

Microsoft confirms 'Zune'

Whilst I don't think there is such a thing as an 'iPod killer', there are certainly some good alternatives to Apple's player out there. Microsoft has officially confirmed their alternative: Zune. Check out the teaser website and the Zune Insider Blog.

A brief reflection on music

It was Boethius who said: “Music is a part of us, and either ennobles or degrades our behaviour”. Next time you listen to a song, think about how that quote applies to what you are listening to.

Stem cell alternatives being ignored

The Weekly Standard has an excellent editorial, based on this moral principle: "There are some things we should never do, even in the name of progress. The moral history of mankind, as Paul Ramsey once said, is more important than its medical history." It is with this in mind that I wonder why more press attention is being given to President Bush’s plan to veto the bill funding embryonic stem cell research as opposed to the other (neglected) bills in the US Senate that would fund stem cell research that doesn't destroy embryos. Why are the majority of politicians in the US House and Senate, and their counter-parts in Europe (albeit to a lesser extent), so bent on destroying human embryos when alternatives are available?

Primer on Hezbollah

Hezbollah, the group at the heart of the Lebanese conflict, is the spearhead of Iran’s ambitions to be a superpower, says Iranian commentator Amir Taheri. Read full article here...

7 blunders

Mohandas Gandhi compiled a list he called “The Seven Blunders of the World”. Now granted, the seventh item on the list is pretty universal; but I think we are heading down the wrong road because too many of the other items on this list are also true of our country today:

1. Wealth without work.

2. Pleasure with conscience.

3. Knowledge without character.

4. Commerce without morality.

5. Science without humanity.

6. Worship without sacrifice.

7. Politics without principle.

Playstation 3 blurb

The Playstation 3 will "change the nature of gaming and entertainment forever". It will also drain your pockets. With a price tag of USD$499 (20GB model) or USD$599 (60GB model); and games for around USD$60 a pop. But it's not just a console anymore, it's actually a computer. With specs like these, this machine is not a toy.

My current favourite song...

"Stained Glass Masquerade"

Is there anyone that fails
Is there anyone that falls
Am I the only one in church today feelin' so small

Cause when I take a look around
Everybody seems so strong
I know they'll soon discover
That I don't belong

So I tuck it all away, like everything's okay
If I make them all believe it, maybe I'll believe it too
So with a painted grin, I play the part again
So everyone will see me the way that I see them

Are we happy plastic people
Under shiny plastic steeples
With walls around our weakness
And smiles to hide our pain
But if the invitation's open
To every heart that has been broken
Maybe then we close the curtain
On our stained glass masquerade

Is there anyone who's been there
Are there any hands to raise
Am I the only one who's traded
In the altar for a stage

The performance is convincing
And we know every line by heart
Only when no one is watching
Can we really fall apart

But would it set me free
If I dared to let you see
The truth behind the person
That you imagine me to be
Would your arms be open
Or would you walk away
Would the love of Jesus
Be enough to make you stay

Liberal Christianity is paying for its sins (article link)

You want to have gay sex? Be a female bishop? Change God's name to Sophia? Go ahead. The just-elected Episcopal presiding bishop, Katharine Jefferts Schori, is a one-woman combination of all these things, having voted for Robinson, blessed same-sex couples in her Nevada diocese, prayed to a female Jesus at the Columbus convention and invited former Newark, N.J., bishop John Shelby Spong, famous for denying Christ's divinity, to address her priests. Read full article here...

God's perfect timing - Romans 5:6-11

"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 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."

The absolute moral law

English essayist and critic, Samuel Butler once commented that, ‘the only absolute morality is absolute stagnation.’ This is often the cry of the secular humanist who thinks that if we would only abandon the old Victorian ideas in light of science, technology and all that goes with it, then all will be well in the garden. What these people cannot stand is the truth that there is an eternal, changeless moral law which is binding on all of mankind, regardless of location, time, colour, class or creed.

C. S. Lewis in his essay, “The Poison of Subjectivism”, had this to say: “To infer that whatever stands too long must be unwholesome is to be a victim of metaphor. Space does not sink because it has preserved its three dimensions from the beginning. Love is not dishonoured by constancy. Does a permanent unchanging moral code preclude progress? On the contrary, except on the presupposition of a changeless standard, progress is impossible. If absolute good is a fixed point, it is at least possible that we should get nearer and nearer to it, but if the terminal is as mobile as the train, how can the train progress towards it? Our ideas of ‘the good’ may change, but they cannot change either for the better or for the worse if there is no absolute and immutable good to which they can approximate or from which they can recede. We can go on getting a sum more and more nearly right only If one perfectly right answer is ‘stagnant’.”

Samaritan's Purse

Samaritan's Purse is a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world. Since 1970, Samaritan's Purse has helped meet needs of people who are victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine with the purpose of sharing God's love through His Son, Jesus Christ. The organization serves the Church worldwide to promote the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Click and donate...

...to any of the following worthwhile charaties/organizations:

Gospel for Asia

Wellspring International

The Global Fund

Remenber that...

“The Dead Sea is the dead sea because it continually receives and never gives.” — Anonymous

Read more giving quotations here...

"The Trouble with 'X'"... by C.S. Lewis

I SUPPOSE I may assume that seven out of ten of those who read these lines are in some kind of difficulty about some other human being. Either at work or at home, either the people who employ you or those whom you employ, either those who share your house or those whose house you share, either your in-laws or parents or children, your wife or husband, are making life harder for you that it need be even in these days. It is to be hoped that we do not often mention these difficulties (especially the domestic ones) to outsiders. But sometimes we do. An outside friend asks us why we are looking so glum, and the truth comes out.

On such occasions the outside friends usually says, ‘But why don’t you tell them? Why don’t you go to your wife (or husband, or father, or daughter, or boss or land-lady, or lodger) and have it all out? People are usually reasonable. All you’ve got to do is to make them see things in the right light. Explain it to them in a reasonable, quiet, friendly way.’ And we, whatever we say outwardly, think sadly to ourselves, ‘He doesn’t know “X”.’ We do. We know how utterly hopeless it is to make ‘X’ see reason. Either we’ve never tried it over and over again – tried it until we are sick of trying it – or else we’ve never tried because we saw from the beginning how useless it would be. We know that if we attempt to ‘have it all out with “X”’ there will either be a ‘scene’ or else ‘X’ will stare at us in blank amazement and say ‘I don’t know what on earth you’re talking about’; or else (which is perhaps worse of all) ‘X’ will quite agree with us and promise to turn over a new leaf and put everything on new footing – and then, twenty-four hours later, will be exactly the same as ‘X’ has always been.

You know, in fact, that any attempt to talk things over with ‘X’ will shipwreck on the old, fatal flaw in ‘X’s’ character. And you see, looking back, how all the plans you have ever made always have shipwrecked on that fatal flaw – on ‘X’s’ incurable jealously, laziness, or touchiness, or muddle headedness, or bossiness, or ill temper, or changeableness. Up to a certain age you have perhaps had the illusion that some external stroke of good fortune – an improvement in health, a raise of salary, the end of the way – would solve your difficulty. But you know better now. The war is over, and you realize that even if you became a millionaire, your husband would still be a bully, or your wife would still nag or your son would still drink, or you’d still have your mother-in-law to live with you.

It is a great step forward to realize that this is so; to face the fact that even if all external things went right, real happiness would still depend on the character of the people you have to live with – and that you can’t alter their characters. And now comes the point. When you have seen this you have, for the first time, had a glimpse of what it must be like for God. For, of course, this is (in one way) just what God Himself is up against. He has provided a rich, beautiful world for people to live in. He has given them intelligence to show them how it can be used, and conscience to show them how it ought to be used. He has contrived that the things they need for their biological life (food, drink, rest, sleep, exercise) should be positively delightful to them. And, having done all this, He then sees all His plans spoiled – just as our little plans are spoiled – by the crookedness of the people themselves. All the things He has given them to be happy they turn into occasions for quarrelling and jealousy, and excess and hoarding, and tomfoolery.

You may say that it is very different for God because He could, if He pleased, alter people’s characters, and we can’t. But this difference doesn’t go quite as deep as we may at first think. God has made it a rule for Himself that He won’t alter people’s character by force. He can and will alter them – but only if the people will let Him. In that way He has really and truly limited His power. Sometimes we wonder why He has done so, or even wish that He hadn’t. But apparently He thinks it worth doing. He would rather have a world of free beings, with all its risks, than a world of people who did right like machines because they couldn’t do anything else. The more we succeed in imagining what a world of perfect automatic beings would be like, the more, I think, we shall see His wisdom.

I said that when we see how all our plans shipwreck on the characters of the people we have to deal with, we are ‘in one way’ seeing what it must be like for God. But only one way. There are two respects in which God’s view must be very different from ours. In the first place, He sees (like you) how all the people in your home or your job are in various degrees awkward of difficult; but when He looks into that home or factory or office He sees one more person of the same kind – the one you never see. I mean, of course, yourself. That is the next great step in wisdom – to realize that you are also just that sort of person. You also have a fatal flaw in your character. All the hopes and plans of others have again and again shipwrecked on your character just as your hopes and plans have shipwrecked on theirs.

It is no good passing this over with some vague, general admission such as ‘Of course, I know I have my faults.’ It is important to realize that there is some really fatal flaw in you: something which gives the others just that same feeling of despair which their flaws give you. And it is almost certainly something you don’t know about – like what the advertisements call ‘halitosis’, which everyone notices except the person who has it. But why, you ask, don’t the others tell me? Believe me, they have tried to tell you over and over again, and you just couldn’t ‘take it’. Perhaps a good deal of what you call their ‘nagging’ or ‘bad temper’ or ‘queerness’ are just their attempts to make you see the truth. And even the faults you do know you don’t know fully. You say, ‘I admit I lost my tempter last night’; but the others know you’re always doing it, that you are a bad-tempered person. You say, ‘I admit I drank too much last Saturday’; but every one else knows that you are an habitual drunkard.

That is one way in which God’s view must differ from mine. He sees all the characters: I see all except my own. But the second difference is this. He loves the people in spite of their faults. He goes on loving, He does not let go. Don’t say, ‘It’s all very well for Him; He hasn’t got to live with them.’ He has. He is inside them as well as outside them. He is with them far more intimately and closely and incessantly that we can ever be. Every vile thought within their minds (and ours), every moment of spite, envy, arrogance, greed and self-conceit comes right up against His patient and longing love, and grieves His spirit more than it grieves ours.

The moment we can imitate God in both these respects, the more progress we shall make. We must love ‘X’ more; and we must learn to see ourselves as a person of exactly the same kind. Some people say it is morbid to be always thinking of one’s own faults. That would be all very well if most of us could stop thinking of our own without soon beginning to think about those of other people. For unfortunately we enjoy thinking about other people’s faults: and in the proper sense of the word ‘morbid’, that is the most morbid pleasure in the world.

We don’t like rationing which is imposed on us, but I suggest one form of rationing which we ought to impose on ourselves. Abstain from all thinking about other people’s faults, unless your duties as a teacher or parent make it necessary to think about them. Whenever the thoughts come unnecessarily into one’s mind, why not simply shove them away? And think of one’s own faults instead? For there with God’s help, one can do something. Of all the awkward people in your house or job there is only one whom you can improve very much. That is the practical end at which to begin. And really, we’d better. The job has to be tackled some day and every day we put it off will make it harder to begin.

What, after all, is the alternative? You see clearly enough that nothing, not even God with all His power, can make ‘X’ really happy as long as ‘X’ remains envious, self-centered, and spiteful. Be sure that there is something inside you which, unless it is altered, will put it out of God’s power to prevent your bring eternally miserable. While that something remains there can be no Heaven for you, just as there can be no sweet smells for a man with a cold in the nose, and no music for a man who is deaf. It’s not a question of God ‘sending’ us to Hell. In each of us there is something growing up which will of itself be Hell unless it is nipped in the bud. The matter is serious: let us put ourselves in His hands at once – this very day, this hour.

Highly recommended

I recently received (and listened to) the following resources from RZIM: CD403 - Finding Water in the Desert, CD214 - The Lord Is My Light and CD168 - The Revelation of God Through Us: Apologetics with a Touch. I would highly recommend all of them. The highlight for me was the message Amazing Grace and the Gospel of Reconciliation by Stuart McAllister from Finding Water in the Desert. Do yourself a favour and get these resources...

The greatest conversation ever

Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him." In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."

"How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"

Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."

"How can this be?" Nicodemus asked.

"You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things? I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 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.

This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

Salvomag.com...

...is the home of a new magazine. Their mission is stated below:

Blasting holes in scientific naturalism, marveling at the intricate design of the universe, and promoting life in a culture of death.

Critiquing art, music, film, television, and literature, interrupting mass media influence, and questioning the sanity of our consumerist lifestyle.

Countering destructive ideologies, replacing revisionist fictions with undeniable facts, nd paring away political correctness.

Debunking the cultural myths that have undercut human dignity, all but destroyed the notions of virtue and morality, and slowly eroded our appetite for transcendence.

Recovering the one worldview that actually works.

New products @ RZIM

RZIM has some new products on their store front for Summer 2006. They include:

• Cracking the Code
• Truth?
• Q & A Volume IV

They look pretty interesting and will probably be added to my wish list. I have the following items on order from them:

• Finding Water in the Desert
• The Lord Is My Light
• The Revelation of God Through Us: Apologetics with a Touch

Heat get their first title...

...after "back-sweeping" the Dallas Mavericks. I didn't really follow The Finals but Mavs fans seem to think they were hard done by the officiating. But for now, the Heat celebrate their first NBA title.

Free seminary courses online

The courseware posted on this site comprises an assortment of classes from Covenant Seminary's master's degree programs. Their selection is designed to provide a broad, foundational knowledge of the Scriptures as well as guidance for engaging a variety of ministry contexts through the study of church history, doctrine and practice.

Been a long time...

since I last posted. Was extremely busy with moving house (and all that goes with that) and Bible shool (assignments plus exams coming up). The move was a huge step and drained us physically and emotionally. But we have settled nicely and are very thankful to have our own home ... ;)

Currently reading...

The Collected Works of C.S. Lewis, which is quite enjoyable. The volume contains three seperate novels and I'm currently to God in the Dock. I would definitely recommend it to anyone, especially C.S. Lewis fans ;)

Exciting time for sports fans...

That's what yesterday (May 17th) proved to be. First off, Barcelona came from one goal down to beat a 10-man Arsenal 2-1 in the UEFA Champions League Final. As a Manchester United fan, that was very good news (and I say that unashamedly).

The Cleveland Cavilers have shut-up Rasheed Wallace and the Pistions (at least for now) by shocking them on their home floor to take a 3-2 series lead back to Cleveland. If the Cavs pull off this upset it will be one of the biggest playoff upsets in history - Guaran-sheed!

And last but not least, my Spurs have lived to play at least one more game in Dallas after winning by one-point at home. Duncan hit is first 12 shots on his way to a 36 point, 12 rebound game.

Giving

Accoring to Wikipedia, Philanthropy is the voluntary act of donating money or goods or providing some other support to a charitable cause, usually over an extended period of time. In a more fundamental sense, philanthropy may encompass any activity which is intended to enhance the common good or improve human well being. Someone who is well known for practicing philanthropy may sometimes be called a philanthropist. Although such individuals are often very wealthy, people may nevertheless perform philanthropic acts without possessing great wealth.

I've been on this earth less than 30 years, and if there is one thing that is true, it is Acts 20:35: "It is more blessed to give than to receive." Unfortunately, most people are quite happy to let other people get the blessing.

Gospel for Asia and The Global Fund seem to be very worthwhile causes. I have to do a bit more research on The Global Fund, but it's probably only a matter of time before I start to chip in there as well. Remember, people may nevertheless perform philanthropic acts without possessing great wealth.

PS3: Inside and Out

GameSpot is now featuring a detailed look at Sony's highly anticipated PS3. Read full story here...

The Global Fund

The Global Fund represents a first-time opportunity to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria on an unprecedented scale. It is an enormous undertaking, but our goals are within reach. If you would like to assist our efforts to combat these life-threatening diseases, you may make a donation of any amount to the Global Fund. Through our grant agreement system which relies on in-country partnership and leadership, you can be assured that your contribution will go directly to people in regions that are most affected by these diseases. Find out more here...

Champs on the ropes

My beloved Spurs are one game away from elimination in the 2006 NBA Playoffs. Last night's over-time loss to the Mavericks was heart-breaking...

Top 20 Products @ RZIM

Check out the top 20 products people are ordering over at RZIM...

Article link: Going long for Jesus

It's no accident that pro sports often resemble holy revival meetings. Devout athletes who praise God are coached by evangelical ministries with ties to the Christian right. But many players and fans feel left out of the huddle. Read full article here...

Book wish: Exploring Reality

Added yet another title to the list of books I plan on reading (eventually). This one is called Exploring Reality : The Intertwining of Science and Religion. So much books and so little time. I will probably get Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview and Unspeakable : Facing Up to Evil in an Age of Genocide and Terror next. They both look like good reads.

Blog makeover

I'm mulling over a makeover for Light the Lamp. I'm thinking about getting a Wordpress theme from Template Monster and a hosting plan from LivingDot. Of course this would be in the very distant future...

7 more wins...

and the San Antonio Spurs would be back in the NBA Finals. Yesterday they won (not very convincingly) against the Dallas Mavericks.

The Da Vinci Code Cracks

The latest issue of Solid Ground from Stand to Reason contains some good material on "cracking" Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code. You will need Adobe Acrobat reader to view the document.

Blog link: Between two worlds

I came across and interesting link whilst over at the Stand to Reason blog. It's called Between two worlds: A Mix of Theology, Philosophy, Politics, and Culture. Make sure to check it out.

Evolution and morality

Evolutionists would have us believe that man (including morality) evolved. But this is a bit odd isn’t it? Morals seem to be dissolving rather than evolving. Scientists have observed monkeys practicing basic “moral” behaviour and conclude that it is the result of natural selection. But motive and intent are crucial parts of moral conduct so it is quite silly to think that morality can be reduced to observable behaviour.

If evolution were true, virtues like mercy and love would not be acts of “virtue” that were freely chosen. They would be instinctive behaviours that were hard-wired for personal survival (a fact evolutionists readily admit). However, moral values involve chosen traits, not instinctual ones. This is most evident in the fact that we hold people morally responsible for free choices, not innate reactions. No one goes before the law court and argues, “Evolution, genetics and natural selection made me do it. Survival of the fittest and all that good stuff your honour.” If morality could be reduced to a naturalistic mechanism, it wouldn’t be morality anymore.

Darwin’s disciples fail to realize (or admit) that morality is not simply an account of what we do (descriptive), but a system explaining what we ought to do (prescriptive), and therefore evolution can’t explain it. If you are confused about origins, be sure to include Answers in Genesis and True Origin Archive in your research.

Atheism's bloody past

It was Laurence Sterne who said, “Whenever a man talks loudly against religion, always suspect that it is not his reason, but his passions which have got the better of his creed.” Atheism is completely illogical and anyone with a basic introduction to philosophy should pick this up. Atheism affirms a negative in the absolute (there is no God), which is an obvious logical contradiction. Bertrand Russell realized (and admitted) this in his later essays and it is the primary reason he switched to agnosticism.

On the opinion that innocent blood has been shed in the name of religion, we should be honest enough to admit that atheism has an equally, if not, bloodier history. Stalin was an avowed atheist. In fact, Lenin (who read Friedrich Nietzsche) specifically selected Stalin because of his hatred of things religious. Hitler, who personally presented a copy of Friedrich Nietzsche’s writings to Benito Mussolini, gave Nietzsche’s theory of the “Superman”, a military interpretation. The “Superman” was an individual who overcame what Nietzsche termed the “slave morality” of traditional values, and lived according to his own morality. The rest as they say, is history. Nietzsche advanced the idea that “God is dead,” or, “traditional morality was no longer relevant in people’s lives”. Nietzsche and countless other ungodly philosophers have heavily impacted the Western mindset, so it is little wonder that we are in this moral quagmire.

If atheism is true then no moral law exists. If morality is espoused, it is merely utilitarian, pragmatic, subjective or emotive. The West is being rocked at her knees because we have lost the point of reference for the values which we are desperately trying to hold onto. We think we can survive without adhering to a transcendent moral law. Atheism’s bloody past cries out against the experiment.

The abolition of sin

Modern society is desperately trying to abolish the concept of sin. With political correctness now on steroids, we dress up sin with high-sounding words. Vices have become virtues and vice versa. Take the Good as New “translation” of the sacred Christian Scriptures. This translation describes itself as women, gay and sinner friendly. The Scripture says, “for it is better to marry than to burn with passion” (1 Corinthians 7:9). They have changed it to “If you know you have strong needs, get yourself a partner. Better than being frustrated.” To avoid offending people in homosexual relationships, references to “husband and wife” are replaced with “partner.”

This “translation” is a bit shocking but not totally surprising. Paul warned young Timothy about this, “For the time will come when people will not put up with healthy doctrine but with itching ears will surround themselves with teachers who cater to their own needs” (2 Timothy 4:3). We can sugar coat sin and psychoanalyze ourselves until the cows come home. But we should also remember the prophet Isaiah’s words: “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! (Isaiah 5:20)”

Blog break

Bible shcool exam preparation has not left me with much time to write. Anyways, you can check out the following apologetic resources from RZIM which look pretty interesting. I'm considering purchasing, most, if not all of them:

D403 - Finding Water in the Desert

CD214 - The Lord Is My Light

CD168 - The Revelation of God Through Us: Apologetics with a Touch

CD301 - The Harvard Veritas Forum

CD308 - Engaging Culture With Conversations That Count

CD112 - Is There Not a Cost?

CD212 - Is There Meaning in Evil & Suffering?

CDDCODE - The Da Vinci Code: Fact or Fiction

CD159 - Why Don't I Feel My Faith?

The problem with Christianity

Mohandas Gandhi gave a lucid explanation of Christianity’s problems when he said, “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” This is a common (and legitimate) “beef” many have with the Christian faith. The problem is not Christianity per se, but Christians. When Christians behave badly, we throw serious doubt on the credibility of the gospel and our claims to be “new creatures in Christ Jesus.”

The world is in a sense right to judge Christianity by its fruits. The Lord himself was most severe when he dealt with the religious leaders of his day who should have known better and judgement must begin at the house of God (1 Peter 4:17) if it is to being at all. But the world should be careful in her judging of Christendom. It tends to give unbelievers a false sense of security outside of Christ. One is left to think they can point out a couple of “hypocritical Christians”, make the case that they were “nicer” or “more virtuous” and all will be well. But it won’t be. Ultimately, each of us will be judged individually on our acceptance or rejection of Christ. In the words of Christ, “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:17-18)”

To be content to live outside of Christ and point to Christians who behave more like the devil himself is to do a great disservice to your soul. In the parable of the weeds and the field, the weeds and the wheat had to grow together lest the servants pulled out some of the wheat with the weeds. So it is in Christendom, the weeds and the wheat must grow together. But at the end of the age, the Lord will “send his angels to gather from his kingdom everything that causes others to sin and those who practice lawlessness and they will throw them into a blazing furnace.” Literally.

The missing link

The evolutionist is still looking for “the missing link”, the evolutionary “ancestor” of both human beings and modern apes. One would think they stand a better chance of finding a one-ended stick. Now granted, the evolutionist is not wrong in the search for “the missing link”, simply misguided. Instead of combing the earth for fossils, they should look to Jesus Christ. He is the missing link, the one through whom God reconciled the world to himself. As the apostle Paul put it, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ…” (2 Cor. 5:17-18).

Jesus Christ is the “missing link” and once man links us with him, then the “next stage of evolution” can begin. Only then can man begin the long, arduous process of becoming what he was always intended to be – a new creature in Christ Jesus. Who ever said evolution and Christianity were incompatible?