A Brief Word On Whether Or Not The Bible Is A "Moral Book"

A couple of days ago, I had a discussion with a few atheists on Twitter on whether or not the Bible was a "moral book" or not. I challenged them to explain what moral system they could appeal to that would render the Bible an "immoral book". Rather than giving a legitimate answer, they instead pressed me to defend why I thought the Bible was a "moral book", which was a claim that I had never made. Confused, they asked if I agreed with them when they said the Bible is an "immoral book". I told them that I did not agree with that statement. So I deny the claim that the Bible is a "moral book" but I also deny that the Bible is an "immoral book". This then led them to throw all of the nasty things in the Old Testament (e.g. genocide, wars, slavery, ect) in an attempt to get me to agree with them that the Bible is an "immoral book".

The inherent problem with classifying the Bible as a "moral" or "immoral" book is that it is simplistic, engages in hardcore reductionism, and is a lazy way of not doing your homework when it comes to studying the Bible in an intellectual way. To summarize the entirety of the Bible and classify it as either a "moral" book or an "immoral" book is to ignore the vast amount of research and study that has gone into ANE (Ancient Near East) culture to help us understand the times and cultures of the Bible in a better way. For a worldview that claims to be the pinnacle of reason and rationality, they often take the most shallow, most anti-intellectual path possible when it comes to the Old Testament. Criticizing the Bible by calling it a "immoral" book is not a deep critique of the Bible - if atheists were truly about knowledge and reason, why are they not digging deep into ANE culture to get a better understanding of the things that happen in the Old Testament? Why is it that they often stop with a knee jerk reaction when the read of war and slavery and strange dietary laws? 

Christian intellectuals explore the archeological, historical, sociological, and theological areas related to those things to attempt to understand a better picture of those things to see if there is anything about our understanding of those things that change once we understand them more fully. Paul Copan has written an excellent (and thorough) book called "Is God A Moral Monster?" that deals with all of the things in the Old Testament that are certainly difficult to deal with, and explores all of those areas (archeological, historical, sociological, and theological) in connection to the sticky parts of the Old Testament. If you want to hear a thorough Christian explanation of those things, I highly encourage you to check it out. 

Michael Horton on Assurance of Election

"Scripture itself teaches us to draw assurance from God’s unconditional election. Believers are not taught to doubt or question their election, but to “make [their] calling and election sure” (2 Peter 1:10). Jesus promised that he will gather his elect from the whole earth and deliver them from the wrath to come (Mark 13:27). He cares for his elect and answers their cries (Luke 18:7) and assures his own that they are chosen not only to be saved but to be preserved in that grace (John 13:18; 15:16). Who can charge against God’s elect, since Christ has died for their sins and even now intercedes for them at the Father’s right hand (Rom. 8:33)? Sometimes storming out of the room, my father used to react viscerally whenever, as a teenager, I was debating election with my mother. On one occasion, I followed him outside and apologized for raising the subject when he made it clear that it offended him. Turning to me with tears, he asked, “What if your dad’s not one of the elect?” It is so easy for us to turn gospel into law, faith-creating good news into anxiety-generating questions. It is true that in some circles election is not understood as a comforting and assurance-producing doctrine, but the very opposite. In some pietistic circles, a Christian can refrain from receiving communion for years — even over a lifetime — out of a lack of assurance concerning his or her election. However, this is not how we find election taught in Scripture. In response to my dad’s question, I quoted Jesus’ words in John 10:27: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” “Have you heard his voice and followed him?” I asked. “Yes,” he replied. “Then this is Jesus’ answer to you in the next verse: ‘I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.’ “ Everything changed, even in his countenance. Once he understood that point, election became the opposite of what it had been before to him; it was now a marvelous comfort. He would always say thereafter that this was a life-changing moment."

Horton, Michael S. (2011-10-11). For Calvinism (Kindle Locations 1240-1257). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

A Brief Word on Obama's Re-Election

Unless you live out in a place where there is no human contact or any kind of data service, you all know that last night President Obama won his second term. While I admit I was surprised at this, and I also freely admit that I was greatly disappointed, I also must admit I did not like Romney at all. For the record, had I gotten my voter's registration in before the deadline, I would have voted for him, but solely on the basis for the unborn having slightly more favorable conditions in the infant genocide of 21st century. On every other issue, I did not think Romney was any better than Obama.

It was disheartening to see some of my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ express blatant idolatry last night as news broke that Obama won Ohio (and, subsequently, the election). It's perfectly okay to be upset and disappointed that your candidate didn't win, and I grieved last night that an evil man has once again resumed control of a nation. Some of the responses of my fellow Christians, however, led me to believe that the Messiah failed to show up last night. Not every Christian I know was like this; indeed, there were some Christians who said things that I have no doubt brought a smile to the Father's face.  However, I believe that last night showed a great stain on the American Church; we are more willing to mourn and lament the fact that a Mormon did not take control of a nation than we are more willing to mourn and lament that our nation does not acknowledge Christ as it's true King. We Christians give lip service to the claim that Jesus is our true King, but our actions grossly betray it, and last night is a shining and prime example.

I believe that God in His sovereignty has appointed America to suffer another four years under this president for the sake of waking up the Church and purifying her. My prayer is that this will finally wake Christians up by putting them in a situation where their comfort is threatened. The Church has always been the strongest when it is most threatened, and while I am certainly not suggesting that American Church is the new pinnacle of persecution in the world, a small dose of unfavorable conditions for the Church is better than no taste of persecution whatsoever. My biggest hope and prayer is that Christians will begin to take up the call to defend the faith, and that the apologetics resurgence would grow in influence and power. I pray Christians discover that they have been given an intellect and that they would begin to use it in their schools, places of employment, and the public square. Regardless, we can praise God that He has not abandoned His bride (which is not America), and that is true even when Obama is inaugurated in January. We can rest in the great power of God and know that whatever happens to us in the next four years and the next 20 years is not a threat to God's saving work in Christ Jesus, which no king or ruler can undo.

This morning I had a deep time of confession and prayer for this nation, out of brokenness and love for my fellow Americans and our President (yes, I love President Obama). If the re-election of Obama brings the Church to her knees before her Savior in a broken and contrite spirit, then glory to God.

Tim Keller on Authentic Christian Fundamentalism

 "The Greco-Roman world said, "We don't know who has the truth. Everybody's got their own." So why did Christians live the most peace-loving, the most generous, the most sacrificial, the most inclusive possible lifestyle out of the most exclusive possible truth claim? Here's the answer. Actually, my wife Kathy gave this to me some years ago, right after 9/11. All the papers were saying this is the problem with religious fundamentalism. If you're a fundamentalist, if you really believe you have the truth, this is what happens. Kathy said, as I tried to show you here, everybody's a fundamentalist, in a way. Everybody believes fundamentals; everybody's got exclusive truth. I remember Kathy said, "Fundamentalism doesn't necessarily lead you to terrorism. It depends on what your fundamental is. Have you ever seen an Amish terrorist?" And if the Amish are not fundamentalists, there ain't no such thing. So why will there never be Amish terrorists? I'll tell you why. If your "fundamental" is a Man dying on the cross for his enemies, if the very heart of your self-image and your religion is a Man sacrificing and praying for his enemies as he died for them, loving them-if that sinks into your heart of hearts-it's going to produce the kind of life that the early Christians produced. The most inclusive possible life out of the most exclusive possible claim. This is the truth. But what is the truth? The truth is a God who became weak, who loved and died for the people who opposed him, forgiving them. Take that into the center of your heart and you will be at the heart of the solution that we need in this world. And that is the "divisiveness" of exclusive truth claims by the Christian."

Dallas Willard. A Place for Truth: Leading Thinkers Explore Life's Hardest Questions (Kindle Locations 757-766). Kindle Edition.

A Brief Word on Apologists, Temptation, and Defending the Truth of the Scripture

The goal of every apologist is that those who do not believe in Christ would repent and acknowledge their need for a Savior. We ourselves are sinners saved by grace, once dead but now made alive by the sacrifice of Christ. One of the main tasks of the apologists is defending the Scriptures from attacks that would demonstrate its falsehood. The Bible is God's special revelation it man - if the Bible is false, then what we believe is false. Part of our defense is intellectual, to be sure, but another part of our defense is practical living. Some truths of the Scripture can be demonstrated historically, philosophically, or intellectually, while some truths can be demonstrated by living it out.

Paul writes in 1st Corinthians 10

12 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

If what Paul is saying is true - namely, that God will provide a way of escape against temptation - then it makes sense that his claim must be tested in real life. I believe this is where personal testimony becomes a very powerful tool. If I have experienced God providing a way of escape against the temptations I face, then


The defense of the Christian faith is often an intellectual endeavor, and while that is certainly a good thing, we should also show how Christ helps us overcome our struggles in a personal way. I'm a guy - sexual temptation is a common temptation for normal males. When I try to deal with it on my own, I usually succumb to it. When I seek God for strength to deal with it, I am able to "stand up under it" as the passage says. But maybe for you the temptations are different. Whatever it may be, if we want to convince unbelievers of the truth of this particular Scripture, we should be willing to acknowledge our temptations and provide testimony for how God helps us deal with it.

Apologists interact with everyday people, and sometimes we need to engage people on the heart in addition to the head. In doing so we are showing another element to what we are defending; we are not defending mere ideas or propositions, we are defending ideas and propositions that, if true, changes lives,and our lives should be the first and foremost defense of that transformation, so much so that we can openly speak of our struggles and proclaim the strength of The Lord.


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A Response to Phil Snider: Spotlighting a Secular Response

When something goes "viral", it's a good idea to pay attention. Here's the newest viral sensation: a Missouri pastor, speaking at a city council meeting, opens up his speech by taking a stance against gay marriage - or so everyone thought. In a stunning turn of events, he closes the speech by saying that his speech up until that point consisted of quotes from preachers gone bye who attempted to justify racism, and since contemporary pastors are using the same lines of reasoning to justify an anti-SSM stance, we should allow same sex marriage.

Don't take my word for it - watch his speech below:

 

My friend and colleague Tom Gilson has posted an excellent text and video response in direct response to the video. I highly encourage you to read that post and watch that video - Tom does a thorough (but polite and respectful) job of debunking the speech. Rather than give another Christian response (which Tom and others have already done), I want to take a secular perspective against same sex marriage. Are all arguments against SSM strictly from religious grounds?

I'm a fan of savvy media, so I thought I would share this little video that makes a case against same-sex-marriage from a secular standpoint as my contribution to this viral sensation.




If this secular argument against same sex marriage is a good argument, then the issue cannot be pigeonholed to a matter of supposed Christian bigotry. A good argument is a good argument, no matter where it comes from, and unlike Phil's "argument", good secular arguments against same sex marriage exist and should be taken seriously.


Other responses from the Christian Apologetics Alliance:

Carson Weitnauer (Reasons for God): A Response to Phil Snider

A Brief Word on Atheists, Pineapples, and Shunned Messages

The Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science tweeted a story this morning that caught my attention. I follow them for informational purposes, and occasionally something interesting comes to my feed from them. This particular story was about an atheist society getting kicked out of a freshman club fair for displaying a pineapple and naming it "Mohammed".

Yes. A pineapple.

The society said they "wanted to celebrate free speech and promote their upcoming debate 'Should we respect religion?' The pineapple named Mohammed was upsetting Muslim students there, and so they were given a choice to take the pineapple down or get kicked out (you can read the full story here)

The point of my post is not about muslims being offended. The muslim student's response has no real bearing on my post. Instead, I would like to ask one question that may or may not be somewhat obvious: what in the world does a pineapple have to do with debates on religion? Or better yet, what does this atheist society hope to communicate by starting off a "discussion about blasphemy, religion, and liberty" with a personified pineapple? I don't understand how anyone in that society thought that grabbing a pineapple and naming it Mohammed (knowing that there would be Muslim students there) communicates "Hey, let's have a serious discussion about this." The ideas and subject wasn't inappropriate - indeed, a discussion about blasphemy, religion, and liberty would be a good discussion to have, and I give credit to that society for wanting to have that discussion. They weren't thrown out for the discussion that they wanted to have; they were thrown out because their actions undermined what they were supposedly trying to do. If they truly wanted to encourage this discussion, they would not have allowed a pineapple to get them kicked out of this club fair.

Christians preach the gospel of Christ, which is arguably the most provocative idea to have ever existed. Christian apologists deal with objections that would prove the Gospel to be false. But if you are a Christian apologist, don't let something silly or unimportant be the reason why your message is not welcome. It is one thing to be shunned for a message - it is another thing to be shunned for something that has absolutely nothing to do with your message, like a pineapple. Give care to how you conduct yourself as an apologist, and don't allow yourself to be shut down for any other reason than the message you defend.

¹⁴ If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. ¹⁵ But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. ¹⁶ Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. - 1 Peter 4:14-16

What To Pray (When You Don't Know What To Pray)

Prayer is one of the greatest blessings and privileges of the Christian. It is only possible because of the shed blood of Christ that we would have direct, uninhibited access to the throne of the Father whenever we wish. But what if there are times when you go to the throne and you do not know what to pray? Maybe you want to pray for a friend or coworker but aren't sure of anything specific. Maybe you are praying for a complete stranger that you don't even know the name of. Does the Scripture give us a prayer we can pray when we don't know specifically how we should pray? Over the next few posts, I will break down one of the most beautiful prayers of the apostle Paul in Colossians.

The passage this series will be looking at is Colossians 1: 9-14

9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.
11 May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy,
12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. ~ Colossians 1:9-14 (ESV)

Paul is writing to a church that he did not start. A few verses back, he mentions a guy named Epaphras, who was "a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf" who told Paul their "love in the Spirit" (verse 13). This is the backing context that is being mentioned in verse 14; Paul is referencing what Epaphras made known to him about the Colossian church.

Paul's next remark is the remark that describes how he prayed for the church - "we have not ceased to pray for you" (verse 14). This point is a point worthy of a whole post itself (and hence why the first post of this series is about it). Paul is openly exhibiting the fruit of steadfastness in his life when he claims (and we believe is true) that "we have not ceased to pray for you". He was ongoing in his prayers for the Colossians. The point of this post is to ask, "Are we being steadfast in prayer?"

This is a point of examination for every Christian. Could we say that we are "pray[ing] without ceasing" (1 Thess 5:17) in our lives? Maybe we have given up on praying for people we want to see saved, or our circumstances that test and try us. Even as I write this I can remember a few things that I have given up on. Steadfastness must be shown in prayer, as prayer is a part of our daily walk with Christ. It is a smaller part of the big picture - the race we are running.

The next post will begin breaking apart Paul's prayer. Before this prayer gets dissected, our foundation must be set. Pray for steadfastness in your prayer life, and ask God to help you demonstrate that fruit in your life.


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9/11 - Two Worldviews, Two Responses

[Note: Due to networking situations, this post appeared first on the Christian Apologetics Alliance blog before it was published here. This is the same post from there]

On this day, eleven years ago, this nation was struck with a terrible act of evil. I don’t have to recount the events – if you don’t know the story of 9/11, you must be living in a cave. Last year I published a post on 9/11 and religious pluralism, but this year I want to focus on two worldviews, the atheistic worldview the Christian worldview, and their responses to 9/11.



On the atheistic worldview, 9/11 was a horrible atrocity, but at the end of the day, death is the destination of all humanity, with extinction the final stopping point. Nothing exists beyond this world or beyond this life, so 9/11 was the arrival of the final destination for those who died that day. For those who still live, they will arrive there soon enough. Worse, there is no accountability to good or evil, punishment or reward, on the atheistic worldview since everyone is headed to the same state. The terrorists can only be condemned with the full force of humanity, which will eventually die out. It is a temporal, subjective, and weak condemnation. The same thing is for the heroic first responders of the day. The praise they deserve is temporary, subjective, and weak. They will receive the same ultimate end as the terrorists.

On the Christian worldview, 9/11 was a horrible atrocity, but there exists an accountability to good and evil that allows for the terrorist’s actions to be justly condemned. There exists an unchanging standard of right and wrong, good an evil, which lasts eternally – God Himself. We can desire that the terrorists be punished, and there exists a standard by which they are punished with the full wrath of God. By that same standard, we can praise the first responders for their bravery and know that their accomplishments are not forgotten. Death is not the final destination for us, and God will not forget their brave actions and will always find them praiseworthy.

However, with the Christian worldview, comes the condition of all mankind. If God Himself is this standard by which we condemn the 9/11 terrorists, how do we measure up to this standard? This standard is perfect, and we have failed to keep it. We are also subject to God’s wrath because, in our own failures, we have failed to keep His standards. The punishment with which God dealt the terrorists is aimed just as much at us, because we have violated it in some way. How have we violated it? When Jesus was asked what the most important commandment of the Law was, he said:

37 “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
38 This is the great and first commandment.
39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-39)

We have failed to love God with everything in us, and we have failed to love our neighbor as ourselves. If we have failed here (and we all have), we have broken God’s law. But the hope of the Christian worldview, the hope of 9/11, is Christ. He took the wrath of God that we were each supposed to receive, and He promises that “there is now no condemnation” (Romans 8:1) for those who realize their need for Christ to save them and put their trust in Him for salvation. Those who do not do this still receive the wrath of God as a punishment for breaking His law. The terrorists did not put their trust in Christ, and received the full wrath of God for 9/11. But we will receive the same wrath if we do not put our trust in Him to be spared from this wrath. Also, evil is defeated once and for all on the Christian worldview: when Christ returns, this existence where actions like 9/11 is possible will never happen again.

3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.
4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.
7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.
8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:3-8)

On atheism, there is no such hope or promise to look forward to.

Consider your response to 9/11. If the Christian worldview’s response to 9/11 makes the most sense of the world, examine yourself. Have you acknowledged you need to be spared from God’s wrath? If not, do not wait. None of us are guaranteed tomorrow. If the Christian worldview is the worldview that makes the most sense of 9/11, you must accept the entirety of it, or none at all. Do what Romans 10:9-11 says:

9 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”

Art is Subjective, You Say?

I have been wanting to write a post on this subject for a while,  but I have not been able to bring myself to do it for various reasons. But, thanks to a recent story from CNN, I have the perfect example to use to make a post about this subject.

CNN reported a few days ago that a famous painting of Jesus Christ, known as "Ecce Homo" (Latin for "behold the man"), underwent a restoration from it's deteriorated state in a church in Spain. Below is the picture of the original painting, it's deteriorated state, and it's "restoration"

Did you laugh at the restoration? It's okay if you did - I know I laughed at it. It's goofy and bizarre. But, I want to use this to raise a point about art: is art subjective, or are there objective standards to art?

I want to posit that if art is truly a subjective enterprise, then the restoration on the right could be considered just as much a masterpiece (in the eyes of the parishioner who restored it) as the original painting itself. But does that idea not seem ludicrous? Compared to the original painting, the restoration is hideous. The original painting shows skill and expertise, while the restoration does not. But if quality art is determined subjectively, then the only grounds to say that the original is better than the restoration is based on my own personal preferences.

I don't think anyone would be willing to say that the restoration is a better piece of art than the original. But, what is that claim grounded in? It is a futile claim to ground it in my subjective evaluation of art. I think this situation showcases a point that has subtly been lost in our relativistic society - there are objective standards to good art, and art is not a fully subjective enterprise. "Standards" is a dirty word in this society, but we affirm the idea of objective standards in that this restoration is a failed one - we are crying foul because this restoration attempt failed, and the result looks absolutely nothing like the original. There is implicitly a charge that standards were not met in this case, and this brings to the table a notion that there are objective standards to art.

This post isn't going to make the case for what the standards for art actually are. But, I hope this brief post makes you think - if art has an objective component of accountability, then what could be the implications of this for society? If you have thoughts, sound off below!

Personal: My Phone, Some Keys, and a Lake.

Some of you on Facebook today saw that my phone went for a swim today and is currently recovering in a rice bag. There is soooooooooo much more to this story. I thought I would share it with you.

We were at the lake waiting for the kids to come to do the paddle boats. We have 15 minutes so a few of us race around in the boats. When we finish, we dock them back, and as I am climbing out I slip and fall in. When I surface I immediately unclip my phone and set it on the dock. We then go put it in rice.
That's really the end of the phone story. Here's the better story.

So I set my phone on the dock and then I immediately unchain my keys (with my $50 earbuds and remote car lock, in addition to my car keys) and gently toss it over my shoulder.....over the other side of the dock and into the water...where it is about 9-10 feet deep.

The best part is, I had another set of keys on that clip. I had the camp director's office and house keys on my clip as well. So in addition to my own car keys, I had two of my bosses' most important keys on that chain, now sitting in the bottom of the lake.

Thus begins our search. We start swimming down below looking for on any sign of the keys. All we see are tall, thick reeds. We get a rake to sift through the reeds, but that fails. We get a giant magnet, but it fails. Soon we have kicked up so much dirt that we can't see a thing.

Then Andrew (the director) decides to jump in. He goes down three times. On the third time, he finds them and brings them to the surface.

There really isn't any moral to this story, but I hope that the next time you are accidentally in a lake, don't unchain your keys and throw them over.set them down, don't toss them.

As for the phone...it is sitting in a bag of rice, and I sit and wait to see if it lives or not.
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Book Review: "On Guard: Defending Your Faith With Reason And Precision" by Dr. William Lane Craig

"On Guard: Defending Your Faith With Reason And Precision"

Dr. William Lane Craig

Buy It: www.amazon.com

The Pray for an Atheist campaign in 2010 was the catalyst for me getting into apologetics. Around the time, I purchased several books in hopes of arming me for that furious fray. One of those books was "On Guard" by William Lane Craig. I finished the book several weeks later, and fast forward two years later, I bought the Kindle version and re-read it. William Lane Craig is one of my role models and heroes, and this book is a good reason why I consider him to be one of my favorite apologists. While I must be upfront with that I don't agree with Craig on everything, his winsome attitude and high standards for the Christian intellect is encouraging. He is one of the leading Christian thinkers of our time, and for good reason. I am thankful to be familiar with him and his works, all thanks to this book.

Having read Craig's mammoth "Reasonable Faith", I find that the best way to describe "On Guard" is to equate it to a For Dummies edition of "Reasonable Faith". "On Guard" is written more like an introductory text to Craig's more sophisticated works, written for those who do not have the tools needed to process a monster like "Reasonable Faith". Craig also writes "On Guard" with the slant of a defensive apologetic, whereas "Reasonable Faith" is offensive. Nowadays it seems to be the case that people who are getting into apologetics are getting into it because they are being challenged, and Craig's orientation towards a defensive apologetic approach reflects this.

With "On Guard", Craig addresses most of the topics in "Reasonable Faith" and simplifies them. The chapter titles are aptly named for those looking to answer specific questions, such as "Why Does Anything Exist At All?" (the Cosmological argument), "Can We Be Good Without God?" (the Moral argument), "Did Jesus Rise From The Dead?" (Craig's famous resurrection argument), and the like. There are also treatments on the problem of suffering and religious pluralism. Each chapter contains illustrations, questions for personal reflection, and visual summaries of the argument and the argument's objections. Compared to "Reasonable Faith", this book is far more approachable and nowhere near as intimidating.

I would be remiss if I didn't point out the only problem I have with the book, and it is not a pragmatic issue with the book but with the content. Namely, I find Craig's treatment of salvation and religious pluralism to be weak in a few areas. I am not going to write a defense of my position or an offensive polemic against his, but I felt that the condensed format present throughout the book backfires on him in this case.

"On Guard" is a fantastic introductory text, and the book I would heartily recommend to anyone who is wanting to begin studying apologetics or wanting to read Craig. If you have read "Reasonable Faith", "On Guard" should have a useful place as a Sparknotes-like commentary. Either way, it is another work from a man who has empowered many Christians to defend their faith in an increasingly hostile world.

8.5 out of 10.

Book Review: "5 Minute Theologian: Maximum Truth In Minimum Time" by Rick Cornish

"5 Minute Theologian: Maximum Truth In Minimum Time"

Rick Cornish

Buy Here: www.amazon.com

By the end of this week, I will be at Panfork for my summer job as a media staffer. To commemorate this upcoming event, I decided to finish a book that I had begun reading while I was down there last year. "5 Minute Theologian: Maximum Truth in Minimum Time" by Rick Cornish soon became part of my daily devotional routines during the summer, and while I was on my recent El Paso mission trip, I decided to finish it.

The format and content of this book lives up to the title. Rather than follow most theology books and treat each subject under a chapter or two, Rick breaks down what would otherwise be a systematic theology textbook into 100 essays that you can easily read in 5 minutes or less. The structure of the essays begins with introducing theology to the Bible, God, man, sin, Christ, salvation, the Holy Spirit, the Church, and closes with the last days. Each essay pertaining to those sections focuses on one topic or issue that falls under that domain, so you will get an adequate survey of the topics in bite sized portions.

My highest praise for this book comes with how it is written; Rick is a great writer and knows how to get to the point in a short period of time. He writes on page 21 that "I have tried to make these brief minutes count by communicating maximum truth in minimum time". I would say that he accomplishes this goal very well. While you won't become an expert of these topics with this book, people who are unfamiliar with them will walk away far more knowledgeable about their faith than they did before. To quote Craig Blomberg's endorsement of the book, "I have found these readings to be clear, accurate, well-chosen, and personally stimulating, covering the topics appropriately." I could not agree more

I should give a disclaimer that, while the book tries to treat each topic with a neutral stance (and does a good job at it), there is a slight slant to the Reformed perspective. Being a 5 point Calvinist, I have no problem with that, and I don't think the slant is strong enough to turn people off to it; nevertheless, in a handful of places, it is there.

This book is an invaluable tool to give to Christians who are wanting to get deeper in their faith, for youth ministers who are looking for material to teach theology in a way that is accessible, and for people with busy schedules who want to be able to read a little each day. I cannot recommend this book enough for those who are wanting an accessible yet helpful introduction to theology. Rick also has a church history version and an apologetics version of this book, so I will hopefully get around to those at some point in time.

8.5 out of 10

El Paso Mission Trip Closing Post

The mission trip to El Paso is in the books of history now. Here is a brief wrap-up of the last days of the trip.

On Thursday, we finished the roof. All the construction projects were finished early afternoon. I don't have any pictures from the other project, but below is a picture of the roof at it's completion





After an evening of celebration and fellowship, we slept and woke up yesterday morning for the trip home. Leaving exactly at 7 AM, we began the long, hot, and tiring ride home. Going through New Mexico with a weak AC made for a very warn van ride. Then we all arrived home and parted ways.

This trip was reminiscent of my mission trips in highschool, only without the drama and immaturity. We were determined, motivated, and responsible through and through. The last construction trip that I went on was the opposite. Those of us on the trip were blessed with great fellowship and we truly enjoyed each other's company.

Unlike Beach Reach, this trip had a different goal in mind, and I would say that the goal was accomplished. Several hundred people were helped through our free clinic, and all our construction projects were completed. Unlike Beach Reach, our immediate goal was not to share the Gospel - the medical team was blessed with several chances to share the Gospel, but it was not the driving goal. I didn't share the Gospel with any person on this trip, but my role in the trip was to assist the local church by making repairs to their facilities so they could better utilize them. That goal was certainly accomplished.

I have six days until I leave for Panfork. My mind, heart, and being is set on the summer, and it is here at long last. I have a LOT to take care of beforehand - namely, buying a car and taking care of some other things. But, the blog posts will continue. I will have at least two book reviews week, and hopefully some other goodies before I leave my home with a reliable Internet connection. For those of you who prayed for me and those of us on this trip, may you be blessed. As it is with every mission trip led by the Spirit, God's will was accomplished.

El Paso Mission Trip Update: Giving Up On Human Sized Portions of Burritos

"What, are we giving up on the human sized portions of our burritos?" - Tim Hawkins

The trip continues to be solid, and both the construction teams and the medical teams have seen success and accomplishment. While yesterday one of our clinic sites ran into some trouble, this opened the door to serve people in a completely different way, including one person who needed an extreme amount of help from the team. I don't know all the details of that encounter, but apparently it was a rather touching one. If I get more information I will write about it in the next post.

Today my team went back to the church where the roofing work was being done. Today was hot, long, and extremely exhausting. My legs feel like rubber, and after several hours of work, we managed to finish one side of the roof. Before we left, we began the other side of the roof with hopes of finishing it tomorrow.

As the title suggests, we had some rather impressive food for lunch (at least my construction team did). Below is a picture of a burrito in relation to a can of Dr. Pepper



I should add that the length of the burrito expanded when it was removed from the foil. The foil compressed that sucker. I was only able to eat half of it.

We have one more day tomorrow and then we leave early Saturday morning. Please pray that we have the determination to finish strong and hard. This has been a very enjoyable trip, but I am ready to return home and rest before I return to Panfork. Please also pray I would have the energy for another long day of work.

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El Paso Mission Trip Update: Homemade Mexican Food.

I lay on my bed after finishing another long day in the hot El Paso sun. The last two days have been very productive and tiring days. Roofing, tearing down ceilings, roofing, disassembling ceiling fans, roofing, installing drywall, roofing; it's been a time for firsts this week. Oh, I forgot to add "roofing" to that list.

The people of these churches that we are repairing have expressed a gratitude that has been humbling. While what we do seems insignificant, to these brothers and sisters it is a moment of praise for them. Its sobering to be reminded that missions can also be used to strengthen and support to body of Christ as well.

As an expression of their gratitude, the construction team has received homemade, authentic Mexican food. Not authentic like you see in a can of Wal-Mart refried beans, as in "We literally made this meal from scratch for you" authentic. I would show a picture, but due to a strange phenomenon of mysteriously disappearing food, I have no pictures to show you.

Work is done for the day, so until dinner and debriefing time there is rest. I have been able to read a lot this week, and I have been excited to catch up on books that I had to put aside due to school. I am about to finish a book I started reading during the summer at Panfork last year and hope to finish it, ironically, a few days before I return back out there again. Even more so, I have been able to read the Word a lot as well, and that is an added blessing of the freedom that comes from an absence of homework.

Until tomorrow, please keep praying for strength and focus for both the medical and construction teams. Also pray that our fellowship with each other (which has been awesome) to continue to grow, that we might be even further reminded of the joy of being a part of the body of Christ.


PS: As a side note, I was made aware by some colleagues in the apologetics community that Ken Ham, who I wrote about a few posts prior, made a response to the Christian blogosphere in general concerning the subject matter I addressed. I have no plans to comment or follow up on that.


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El Paso Mission Trip Update

Well, I know this is somewhat unexpected, as I did not mention this trip much in the way similar to Beach Reach, but I am on another mission trip at the moment, this time in El Paso, Texas. We are doing medical work and construction work for the week at various churches. The team this time is minuscule compared to the Beach Reach team and unlike Beach Reach we all eat and sleep at normal human times. Needless to say, this trip is very different from the last.
Yesterday we left and after a rather uneventful trip (highlights include evangelizing the alien population in Roswell, New Mexico) we arrived in El Paso and began preparing for the week. Once we arrived, we set up hundreds of family care kits to give to the families that our medical teams will give out over the course of the week (picture below).




Today has been a very lazy and relaxing day. After going to church on the other side of the city (involving one of the most adventurous van rides I've ever been on), we returned and ate lunch. Up until this moment, we have simply chilled and rested. I took a mini nap and played guitar, learning and experimenting with some very foreign and exotic scales (Purvi Thaat in the key of A, anyone?)
Although this trip will not be as intense as Beach Reach was, this trip is still very important to the overall picture of the bringing the Kingdom of God into the world. We covet your prayers for our team; it is hot, and the construction crews will be working all the hours of the day starting tomorrow. Both the medical team and construction team will experience spiritual warfare in various ways, so please be in prayer for us. I will update again soon. In the mean time, I stand in Ross as we try to hunt down the girl who came with us. Bad idea to take a girl into Ross. Just sayin'.
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A Brief Word on Ken Ham, Stand To Reason, and the OEC/YEC Debate

In the current intellectual state of the church, we tend to shy away from debates on difficult subjects. Debates on Calvinism/Arminianism, debates on ECT/Annihilation views of hell, debates on interpreting Revelation; the church currently has a disturbingly low tolerance level to difficult conversations. The reasons for wanting to avoid difficult talks on these subjects are numerous, and if we were honest, we would say that we just don't want to have conflict, even if it is constructive. There are times, however, when we avoid difficult talks because the people participating in the talks make the dialog utterly unhelpful to the larger picture.

Recently, a proponent of the YEC view of creation, Ken Ham, wrote this little piece about compromise in the church in it's stance on the age of the earth debate. Before you read any further, I suggest you read Ken's post here.

Read it? Good. I should state for the record, I am agnostic on the OEC/YEC debate and I do not argue for either side. Now, here are some things I would like to point out:

1. For one thing, targeting Stand to Reason in the way Ham has done will get me rilled up. Stand to Reason and it's ministry has been such a blessing to my life and the lives of many other people I know. Greg Koukl is one of two apologists who are huge influences in my life, and I have used his evangelistic methods in Tactics many times to have conversations with people that have been extremely rewarding. To suggest - as Ham does - that Stand to Reason's ministry is "compromised" because Koukl and others on his team are OEC adherants is completely unjustified.  Ken needs to remember that the goal of a Christian is to make disciples, which entails a range of far more important issues that are completely separated from the age of the earth debate, such as sanctification, prayer, worship, evangelism, ect. Apparently Ken is willing to throw Stand to Reason as a whole under the bus because of one standpoint that somehow compromises the rest of those more immediate concerns of making disciples - which Stand to Reason speaks to much more often than the OEC/YEC debate.
2. We are losing two third of the generations of our church, he is correct on that. But is it possible that we are losing so many Christians because of the kind of stances and attitudes taken by Ken? Where in the Bible does it say that the age of the earth debate is a matter that should separate brothers and sisters from the task at hand? It fascinates me that in his letter despite his disagreement with Stand to Reason on this one matter he offers nothing- nothing! - in appreciation for the work Stand to Reason does in equipping Christians to defend their faith on other matters. This kind of behavior is what is really causing the generational loss - glorifying a secondary issue of Christianity to the litmus test for how one holds the authority of the Bible. It's ironic how Ken writes about interpreting things through faulty perspectives when it seems that Ken interprets the work of a Christian ministry as a whole through the lens of it's stance on the age of the earth debate.

In all honesty, I don't care how old the earth is. Christianity and the Gospel does not hinge on the age of the earth. The OEC/YEC debate is important, to be sure, but the debate that continues to rage between OEC and YEC Christians must submit itself to Christ's call to make disciples and advance the kingdom of Christ into the world. Ken does the opposite - the call to make disciples and advance the Kingdom, a call that has been heard for two thousand years and answered by countless people who have given their lives to fulfill it,  must submit itself to one side of a contemporary scientific debate.