All posts filed under: Apologetics

Divine Healing Is an Integral Part of the Gospel

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The ministry of both Jesus and the apostles gives evidence that divine healing was integral to the proclamation of the gospel message. It was an important witness to Jesus as the revelation of the Father, the promised Messiah, and the Savior from sin (see John 10:37,38). The Bible shows a close connection between the healing ministry of Jesus and His saving, forgiving ministry. His power to heal was actually a witness to His authority to forgive sins (Mark 2:5–12). Frequently the gospel writers testify that His healing miracles parallel His preaching of the gospel, both being the purpose of His ministry (Matthew 4:23; 9:35,36). People came from all directions both to hear Him and to be healed (Luke 5:15; 6:17,18). He never turned any away but healed all varieties of sicknesses, diseases, deformities, defects, and injuries (Matthew 15:30,31; 21:14). He also delivered people from demons and the problems they caused (Matthew 4:24). Jesus recognized that sickness is ultimately the result of the fall of humans into sin, and in some instances may be linked to specific sin (John 5:14) or to the activity of Satan (Luke 13:16). …

the belt that no one wants to wear

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I think it is important that we learn how to discern right from wrong, good from evil and truth from error. Our world constantly bombards us with error and half-truths. and the fact that we have to make decisions and choices every day makes it even more important. One of the ways we do that is by allowing the “Word of Christ to dwell in us richly teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom.” This refers to the teaching about Christ as well as the words of Christ himself, which were part of the oral traditions passed on to believers. We are also to “put on the whole armor of God to be strong in the Lord and able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” Unfortunately most of us want to wear the armor without the most important piece – the belt of truth. According to Salmond: Strictly, the belt is not part of the armor, but before the armor can be put on, the garments underneath must be gathered together. “The soldier might …

Pastor, Gimme some sugar

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For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 2 Timothy 4:3-4 There are five things I would like to point out in this passage of scripture that should make all of us concern: 1. The time is coming. When one reads this verse it almost sounds like Paul is warning Timothy about something that was going to happen in a distant future. But Paul is not referring merely to sometime in the distant future but to a situation he expected Timothy to face or one he was already facing. It is not in some distant future – it is happening now, maybe in your church. 2. People will not endure sound teaching If you ever thought that preaching was supposed to make you comfortable and happy; and not challenge and provoke you, well think again. All scripture is useful for Reproving, rebuking, and …

The Modern Mood of Syncretism and Pluralism

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There was a social worker in Nigeria who not long ago was visiting a young man in one of the back streets of Lagos. On the bedside of this student he found the following books: the Bible; the Book of Common Prayer, I’m glad to see; the Koran; three copies of Watchtower, the magazine of the Jehovah’s Witnesses; a biography of Karl Marx; a book of yoga exercises; and a popular paperback that he particularly needed entitled How to Stop Worrying. That is typical of the modern mood, a mood of syncretism and of pluralism. The correct name for this aspect of postmodernism is pluralism. Pluralism does not just affirm the obvious fact that there is a plurality of cultures and ideologies and religions in the world. It goes beyond that. It says that all these claims should be respected equally, and we must therefore affirm the independent validity of every religion and every ideology. We must therefore give up the naïve and arrogant notion that we should try to convert anybody, let alone try to convert everybody. To those …

Relativism: What’s your take?

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While a lot of young people across America and around the world are helplessly struggling with what some are calling “the morass of relativism” Abraham Ebel writes, It all depends on where you are and it all depends on who you are. It all depends on what you feel, and it all depends on how you feel. It all depends on how you’re raised, and it all depends on what is praised. What’s right today is wrong tomorrow. Joy in France and England’s sorrow. It all depends on point of view, Australia or Timbuktu. In Rome do as the Romans do. If tastes just happen to agree, then you have morality. But where there are conflicting trends it all depends; it all depends. Please leave a note or a comment for why you voted the way you did. I would love to hear from you.

The Uninformed Evangelical vs The Uncompromising Orthodox Theologian

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We know that “all of us have knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up and causes us to fall into the condemnation of the devil… 1 Cor. 8:1; 1 tim. 3:6 Getting doctrine right is a matter of life and death, but holding that doctrine in the right spirit is essential too A great deal of damage is done by those who hold the truth of Christ with the spirit of satan One of the mistakes Christians often make is that we learn to rebuke like Jesus but not love like Jesus But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first Revelation 2:4 I bought Joshua Harris’ Humble Orthodoxy last night and it is really a great book. In a chapter in he calls “With Tear in our Eye,” (Page 243), he retells a story found in the gospel of Luke chapter 18: One day two men went to church to pray. The first man was a shallow, uninformed evangelical. Everything about him shouted of squishy theology. He didn’t know or use …

How about a list of Dos and Don’ts?

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You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires Romans 13:9-14 I often hear people say, “christianity is not a list of do’s and don’ts – it’s all about one’s relationship with God.” I agree. I agree …

What happens to those who have never heard the gospel?

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Sooner or later, everybody exploring Christianity wrestles with this issue. It can be especially difficult for a seeker because it raises suspicions about the very character of God. The question goes like this: If Jesus is the only way to God, what about all the innocent people who have never heard about Christ? Would God really punish them for something that wasn’t their fault? Sometimes people raise this question as an avoidance maneuver; they look for difficult theological questions to validate their unwillingness to believe. But many skeptics have genuine concerns about worshiping a God who, from their perspective, is so unjust. Thus, we should not take the issue lightly, but seek to better understand how the Bible addresses it. It’s important to recognize that the Bible offers little direct or sustained instruction on this matter. Related topics are discussed, which are helpful for constructing some valuable inferences, but the lack of direct attention suggests we should hold our conclusions tenuously. In addition, it’s misleading to use the word “innocent” when describing people who have never heard …

Is Jesus God?

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People have responded to Jesus Christ in many different ways, however one of the most prevalent perceptions of him is that he was a great moral teacher. I grew up in a Jehovah Witness home and attended the Kingdom Hall with my entire family. I was taught that Jesus is not God – that He is a created being – much like the angels. So my first question after my conversion was – Jesus, are you God? Are you God as my new found faith says? I got an immediate revelation that was consistent as what I learned in the scriptures. Let’s focus on what I learned from scriptures, because that matters most. Let’s examine the accounts of Christ’s life, paying special attention to his claims, his character, and his miracles. 1. His claims. There is one claim that is important for this discussion: Jesus lived and taught as if he was God. Explicitly, Jesus accepted the titles Son of God, Messiah, Lord, and Son of Man, all designations with divine implications. He also said …