Must Reads for the Budding Apologists...

I believe we as believers need to be ready to engage others about our faith.  In fact, 1 Peter 3:15 (ESV) says to us,^"but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect"

Apologetics does not mean that we are to apologize for the gospel.  It comes from the word Apologia which means to give a defense for our position. 

If you are new to apologetics perhaps you are wondering where to begin. Because there are so many apologetics books out there I think it would be useful to have a sort of "top 10" reading plan for  beginners.

Here are my top 10....

1. The Triology:

Case for Christ by Lee Strobel

The Case for a Creator by Lee Strobel

The Case for Faith by Lee Strobel

All of Lee Strobel's books are required reading for two reasons. First, they are good introductions to the subject and provide a good overview of the material from some of the best scholars in their fields. Second, the writing style is very accessible, taking you alongside a journalist in his investigation of the evidence for Christianity. In this particular title, Strobel focuses on the life and identity of Jesus.  The second book is just as readable as The Case for Christ, but this one delves into the evidence for the Creator. The third book moves from making a positive case for Christ and a Creator to defending Christianity from some common criticisms and objections. This one deals with the hard faith questions such as the problem of pain and suffering and issues of doubt. I suggest all three of these by Lee Strobel as a great starting point.

2. Holman QuickSource Guide to Christian Apologetics by Doug Powell

This resource will introduce you to the wide landscape of apologetics by outlining, diagramming, and illustrating all of the key arguments for the existence of God, the reliability of the Bible, the beliefs of other world views, and common objections. This is very helpful in providing visual categories for the content you are taking in. This is also useful as a "primer" on the key topics and helpful to establish a bird's eye view. Illustrations of the ideas are also great for sharing with others what you have learned.

3.  More than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell

This resource has been around more than three decades but it is still a helpful book to acquaint those new to apologetics.  It provides a good overview of some of the important aspects of the life of Jesus.  It is a book that explores areas where those who are skeptical about Jesus deity, his resurrection, his claims on their lives.

4. Relativism:  Feet Firmly Planted in Mid-Air by Francis J. Beckwith and Gregory Koukl

This book offers commonsense help to all who want to explore modern challenges to the Christian faith and its moral system.  A variety of angles are explored such as education, law, political correctness, and marriage among others.  I think it provides a solid critique of moral relativism.

5. Love Your God With All Your Mind by J.P. Moreland

In this book you'll be challenged to live a vibrant life of intellectual engagement with your faith. This is a classic book that every apologist should read.

6. Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions by Greg Koukl
Information without application results in stagnation when it comes to apologetics. That's why it's time for a good dose of Tactics, which will train you not only to use apologetic content in everyday life, but it will also train you to be a better, more critical thinker. This is another "must read" book, and mastering its contents early in your apologetic studies will put feet to your faith.

7. The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus by Mike Licona & Gary Habermas
The resurrection of Jesus is central to Christianity. This book equips you to understand and defend the resurrection from an historical perspective.  This is an essential book for the apologist.

8. Is God Just a Human Invention? And Seventeen Other Questions Raised by the New Atheists by Sean McDowell and Jonathan Morrow
Now it's time to look at some of the most common objections that have come against Christianity since the rise of the new atheism.

9. I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be An Atheist by Geisler & Turek
Geisler and Turek have authored a great apologetics book that also takes a step-by-step approach to showing that Christianity is true—and it's filled with lots of information. This book will help to grow your overall general apologetic knowledge as well.

10.On Guard by William Lane Craig

On Guard has illustrations, argument maps, and sidebars which aim to make the material easier to grasp and engage with. This book will introduce the newer apologist to Craig's time-tested arguments for the existence of God and the resurrection of Jesus. 

The Days of Lent...

What is Lent?  Lent is a season of forty days, not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday. Lent comes from the Anglo Saxon word lencten, which means "spring." The forty days represents the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, enduring the temptation of Satan.

Lent is a time of repentance, fasting and preparation for the coming of Easter. It is a time of self-examination and reflection. In the early church, Lent was a time to prepare new converts for baptism. Today, Christians focus on their relationship with God, often choosing to give up something or to volunteer and give of themselves for others. Sundays in Lent are not counted in the forty days because each Sunday represents a "mini-Easter" and the reverent spirit of Lent is tempered with joyful anticipation of the Resurrection.

As we enter this important time in our life I want to invite you to enter into a time of prayer and introspection.  Let us begin a time of growing in our relationship to God.
    

Fast from criticism, and feast on praise.

Fast from self-pity, and feast on joy.

Fast from ill-temper, and feast on peace.

Fast from resentment, and feast on contentment.

Fast from jealousy, and feast on love.

Fast from pride, and feast on humility.

Fast from selfishness, and feast on service.

Fast from fear, and feast on faith.

What will you give up or take on in this season?

Roads Jesus Traveled...

We are quickly approaching Lent...less than a week away in fact - Feb 13.  Let me remind you about this sacred time of the year....Lent is a season of forty days, not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday.  Lent comes from the Anglo Saxon word lencten, which means "spring."  The forty days represents the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, enduring the temptation of Satan.

As we embark on this journey I want to lift up some of the roads that Jesus traveled during his earthly ministry.  This week I want us to take a look at Mark 1:9-13 and ponder the time Christ spent in the wilderness at the beginning of his ministry.  Here is my outline:

The Road to the Wilderness

Mark 1:9-13

It was a time when Jesus would:

Focus on what he would do

And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

Mark 1:11 (ESV)

Face the temptation to be less than He was

         The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness.

Mark 1:12 (ESV)

Finalize the commitment to see it through

           And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan.

And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.

Mark 1:12-13 (ESV)

Again, Lent is a time of repentance, fasting and preparation for the coming of Easter. It is a time of introspection.  In the early church, Lent was a time to prepare new converts for baptism.  Today, Christians focus on their relationship with God, often choosing to give up something or to volunteer and give of themselves for others.  Sundays in Lent are not counted in the forty days because each Sunday represents a "mini-Easter" and the reverent spirit of Lent is tempered with joyful anticipation of the Resurrection.  Let us eagerly enter into this season together. 

What a Difference a Century Makes.

This just in from a Church friend....

1910 Ford I cannot see this too often! This has only been 103 years ago. 

What a difference a century makes!

Here are some statistics for the Year 1910:

The average life expectancy for men was 47 years.

Fuel for this car was sold in drug stores only.

Only 14 percent of the homes had a bathtub.

Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.

There were only 8,000 cars and only 144 miles of paved roads.

The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.

The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower !

The average US wage in 1910 was 22 cents per hour.

The average US worker made between $200 and $400 per year.

A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year, a dentist $2,500 per year, a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year. More than 95 percent of all births took place at HOME. Ninety percent of all Doctors had NO COLLEGE EDUCATION!

Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press AND the government as 'substandard.'

Sugar cost four cents a pound. Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen. Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.

Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used Borax or egg yolks for shampoo. There was no such thing as under arm deodorant or tooth paste.

Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from entering into their country for any reason.

The five leading causes of death were: 1. Pneumonia and influenza 2, Tuberculosis 3. Diarrhea 4. Heart disease 5. Stroke

The American flag had 45 stars.

The population of Las Vegas Nevada was only 30!

Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and iced tea hadn't been invented yet

There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.

Two out of every 10 adults couldn't read or write and only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school. Eighteen percent of households had at least one full-time servant or domestic help.

There were about 230 reported murders in the ENTIRE U.S.A.!

Try to imagine what it may be like in another 100 years 

Do in Remembrance...

This week we share Holy Communion together.  I will be sharing the passage of scripture we find in Luke’s gospel concerning the Passover meal. Now, when the Lord's Supper was celebrated in the early church, it included a feast or fellowship meal followed by the celebration of Communion. In the church in Corinth for example, the fellowship meal had become a time when some ate and drank excessively while others went hungry. There was little sharing and caring. This certainly did not demonstrate the unity and love that should characterize the church, nor was it a preparation for Communion. Paul condemned these actions and reminded the church of the real purpose of the Lord's Supper. 

What does the Lord's Supper mean? The early church remembered that Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper on the night of the Passover meal (Luke 22:14-20). Just as Passover celebrated deliverance from slavery in Egypt, so the Lord's Supper celebrates deliverance from sin by Christ's death.  Here is my outline with some scriptures I will be drawing on….

Luke 22:14-20

A NEW REMEMBRANCE

Remember well what the Lord your God did...

Deuteronomy 7:18 (KJV)

A NEW RESPONSIBILITY

Assume your own responsibility

Galatians 6:5 (GW)

A NEW RELATIONSHIP

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV)

Participating in the Lord's Supper is an important element in the Christian faith and we should remember that Christ's presence strengthens us spiritually as believers.  My prayer is for that to occur on Sunday.

Nic at Night

It would be difficult to find any other portion of Scripture as well-known as John 3.  Probably most of us who were raised in church recall the memorable verse John 3:16.  Even non-church attenders have no doubt caught the glimpse of a sign at a ballgame with the words "John 3:16".  What is more, I am really not sure that their is any other statement of Scripture more applied than “You must be born again” (3:7). When Jesus revealed the necessity of the new birth to Nicodemus one night, he exposed our ultimate hope. This night interview is the first of a series of individual encounters between Jesus and persons who fit the description given at the end of chapter 2—those who approached Jesus with an inadequate faith.  We see Nicodemus (3:1-15), the Samaritan woman (John 4:1-42), and the nobleman from Capernaum (John 4:43-54) all illustrating a certain view of who Jesus was and what He could do. But meeting Jesus face to face changed their views. It also changed their very lives. This week I will be sharing a message about the most important thing in life - your relationship with God.  Here is my working outline.....

Nic at Night

John 3:1-8; 16

The Must of the New Birth

Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’

John 3:7 (ESV)

The Marks of the New Birth

Jesus answered Nicodemus, “…but the Spirit gives birth to things that are spiritual. The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound,

but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

John 3:7-8 (HCSB)

The Means of the New Birth

No one has gone to heaven except the Son of Man, who came from heaven.

John 3:13 (GW) 

Gabriel the Angel

When we think of the Christmas story we often ponder those who were present…the Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, magi, but what about the angel Gabriel.  This is one of the prominent characters in the Nativity narrative. He’s remembered as the angel who told Mary she would give birth to the Son of God. But what else can we know about him from the Bible?  Here is a list….

1. Gabriel is mentioned in the Old and New Testaments. He’s known for bearing good news of Jesus’ coming birth, but his first biblical appearance is in Daniel 8:16, when he is told to explain a vision to the prophet.
2. Gabriel stands in the presence of God. This is how he describes himself to Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist (Luke 1:19). The Greek word for “stands” is paristánō, which means to wait before a superior. The Septuagint uses this word to describe how Joshua served Moses and how David assisted King Saul.
3. Gabriel is one of only two angels explicitly named in the Protestant Bible. The other is Michael, a warrior archangel.
4. The Bible doesn’t call Gabriel the “archangel.” The Book of Tobit (of Catholic and Orthodox canon) identifies the angels who stand in the presence of God as archangels, and so Gabriel has been called an archangel by tradition.
5. Gabriel looks like a man (but see #6). The name Gabriel means “man of God” or “strength of God.” The second time Daniel encounters Gabriel (Daniel 9:21), he describes Gabriel as a “man [. . .] seen in the vision previously.” We don’t get any more details on Gabriel’s looks. Perhaps that’s because his messages are always so important.
6. Gabriel scares people. When Daniel meets Gabriel, he is frightened and falls on his face. When Gabriel greets Zacharias, his first words are, “Do not be afraid.” Mary’s greeting is more celebratory, but Gabriel still follows up by telling her not to fear.
7. Gabriel anticipates Jesus. Gabriel relays a prophecy concerning “Messiah the Prince” to Daniel. He tells Zacharias that John the Baptist will be a forerunner before the Lord. And most famously, he tells Mary that her son will be called “the Son of the Most High.”