Review: Reformation: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow by Carl Trueman

Carl Trueman. Reformation: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.  Ross-Shire, UK: Christian Focus Publications, May 20^th, 2011. 127 pp.

Rating: 4 out of 5

The author Carl Trueman is the professor of historical theology at Westminster Theological Seminary although he authored this work originally back in 1999 before he was a professor at Westminister.  At that time Trueman was the Senior Lecturer in Church History at University of Aberdeen in which he confesses was written in haste so that it can be delivered at a conference in Wales for the Evangelical Theological College.  Trueman.  In the book’s forward Trueman tells us that he is delighted to find that he agrees with the book even though he originally wrote the book before his 40s and now he is older and mature.  This book is not a history book per se about the reformation as it is about the heritage of the Reformation having its impact and importance for today and the future.

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November 8th 2016 San Bernardino County Christian Conservative Voter’s Guide

The election is right around the corner!

We have quite a stream of readers of our blog from Southern California and I thought it would be helpful to post this.

This is courtesy of Craig Huey of Election Forum (HT).

Christians must definitely be informed in how they vote where they vote not against their principles but as much as for it.  You might not think there’s much reason to vote concerning presidential candidates but there’s still other candidates for other offices where your vote counts even more.

Here’s the voter’s guide for San Diego County:

Ratings:

We have changed our ratings system from the Thumbs Up to a Five State system.

Every candidate is considered after thorough research; we also have a questionnaire for candidates to complete.

Here is our new rating system:

•  : The best candidate. Our strongest endorsement.
• : Very good.
• : Acceptable.
• Vote only to prevent worse candidate(s) from winning.
• : Terrible. Do Not Vote. All your other votes will count.

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This clip never gets old: “I want a real chaplain who believes in a real God and a real hell.”

In our age where everything is all washed with relativism I thought this clip from the TV show “E.R” was really illuminating that all the figment of imagination means nothing in light of one’s sin, guilt and death.

Watch it:

For those of you guys reading this and are in the ministry, what we are doing is important folks.  We’re playing for keeps.  Don’t forget we have the Gospel, the hope of forgiveness!

Don’t ever, ever compromise with the Gospel.

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Evil Racism: Berkeley Protesters Harass and Block White Students

I’m not white but I don’t like racism when I see it, even when they are against whites.

On October 21st, 2016 some students at UC Berkeley stage a protest in which they block public walkways to white people.

So much of today’s Social Justice Warriors are hypocritical double standard racists.

See it for yourself:

Can you imagine if this was reversed and minorities were blocked?  Imagine the outrage.  But when its against whites…its okay?

This is evil.

This is intolerance in the name of tolerance.

Secularized self-righteous Leftist Pharisees is a frightening thing to see.

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Review: The Price of Valor: The Life of Audie Murphy by David Smith

Tonight’s weekend reading review…as always, because Pastors also need a mental break.

David Smith.  The Price of Valor. Washington DC: Regnery History, January 1^st, 2015. 258 pp.

I enjoyed this biography on Audie Murphy, the most decorated soldier of World War Two.  It is about time I finally know more about him!  I was wondering whether to start with Audie’s autobiography or this biography told in a third person perspective but in the end I thought it was better to start with this work by David Smith.  I don’t regret it—that’s because I enjoyed it very much.

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What is the Quran’s View of the Bible? David Wood on Youtube

On October 12, 2016, Ratio Christi at Kennesaw State University hosted Dr. David Wood who gave a lecture on the topic: “What is the Quran’s View of the Bible?”

Here’s the video:

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Review: Philosophy by James Spiegel

James Spiegel. Philosophy.  Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing, July 11^th, 2014. 48 pp.

5 out of 5

The author James Spiegel is a Christian and a professor of philosophy and religion at Taylor University.  I’m glad that the editors and publishers for the Faithful Learning Series picked a guy qualified to write this booklet on a Christian view of philosophy as an academic discipline.  Spiegel surveys how the trajectory of philosophy has shifted in recent historical context starting with Christian philosopher Alvin Plantinga.  Plantinga and other Christians philosophers like him have contributed not only to the defense of the faith but even in the field of philosophy itself.  The change in the field of philosophy is quite radical as the author noted that not too long ago the philosophy of Positivism was assumed by society at large to be philosophically sound and physicalism was in vogue.  Spiegel’s work gives readers a quick and helpful survey on epistemology, philosophy of mind, philosophy of religion and moral theory.  In what follows below I will share what I found helpful and then some words of constructive criticisms.

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Bible Contradiction? When did Jesus receive his beating?

Today’s post will tackle another question that the Skeptic Annotated Bible asked: “When did Jesus receive his beating?”

Here are the two answers which the skeptic believes shows a Bible contradiction:

Before Pilate ordered his crucifixion.

And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and put a purple robe on Him; 3 and they began to come up to Him and say, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and to give Him slaps in the face.

…..
So he then handed Him over to them to be crucified. (John 19:2-3, 16)

After Pilate ordered his crucifixion.

Then he released Barabbas for them; but after having Jesus scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified.
(Matthew 27:26)

Wishing to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas for them, and after having Jesus scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified. (Mark 15:15)

(Note: Scriptural quotation comes from the New American Standard Bible)

The page that feature this alleged contradiction also says “Christian Response (None yet).”  Let us change that.  Don’t take the lack of a Christian response thus far to mean that it’s so difficult there’s nothing that can be said in response.

Here’s a closer look at whether or not there is a contradiction:

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UNBORN BABY SCREAMS FOR HELP

 

ABORTION IS NOT A NORMAL MURDER. Why not???

•The child is voiceless and completely defenseless.

•This murder is actually legal.

•This murder is advertised publicly in almost all major cosmopolitan cities. Unlike Nazi death camps which were hidden, for the most part, abortion mills are pervasive. They operate in broad daylight in shopping centers, plazas, outdoor markets, etc.

•The same victims meaning the unborn are killed daily at ~ 3,500. They are the most persecuted people group in America. Just like gay marriage, abortion is our national sin.

•Abortion has a racist’s component that fulfills Margaret Sanger’s vision. See the Negro Project for more information. Deaths for black babies since ’73 in the U.S. is at around 17,840,730. Blacks are the biggest victims. Do black lives matter? Total deaths in U.S. since ’73 is at around 59,469,104.

•Abortion is treated like a sacred cow/respectable sin by many in the pro-life movement. How so? Perpetrators are called victims rather than murderers. We would not call a rapist, adulterer, or one who murders someone outside the womb a victim, but abortive-bound mothers, fathers, and abortionists have a free pass.

•Abortion is not prosecuted by the federal courts. In fact, many in D.C. are content with just regulating baby murder rather than abolishing it. They don’t want to disrupt the status quo. Would we be content with just regulating slavery and rape? The 1973 Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion by a 7-2 vote–six of the nine justices in the majority were Republican appointees. The only Democrat appointee, Byron White, voted against Roe v. Wade. REALITY CHECK: For the past forty years, Republican-appointed justices have been the majority over Democrat-appointed justices. They are not serious about abolishing the legalization of baby murder. This same branch SCOTUS that dehumanized blacks in the Dred Scott v. case in 1857 and legalized gay marriage for all Americans in the Obergefell v. Hodges in June 2015 case is the biggest terrorist entity in America. It has acted more like a federal brute. The States are treated as centers to feed its fat beastly immoral belly. Are the magistrates (i.e. States) going to obey their wickedness?

•The death instruments of abortionists are the biggest killers. It kills more people than guns do. The weapons are one dimensional because its sole purpose is to kill the innocent party while guns are two-dimensional in that it could be used to kill both the innocent and the guilty.

•About 18% of woman who gets an abortion, identify themselves as evangelical or born-again. If so, that means that the ~ 1.3 million abortions in a year which makes up 234,000 are performed on Christians. If you add chemical abortions, the figure would be higher.

•We are killing our own children. We have blood on our hands. If you want to stop the killing in society, you must stop the killing in your midst first. In fact, many that we encounter at the abortuaries identify themselves as believers in Christ. 1 Peter 4:17, “For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” The professing evangelical church at large needs to repent. So some professing Christians believe it is okay to murder while claiming allegiance to Christ at the same time without repentance.

•The abortionist and anesthesiologist use code language during the abortion procedure to shelter them from the gruesome killing. Is number one out yet? Referring to the head. 》》》》Warning, this is a disturbing video. IT IS A MUST WATCH. MAY IT CHANGE HOW YOU VIEW BABY MURDER AND MAY IT DRIVE you to proclaim the Gospel more zealously in a fallen world. The Gospel is our only answer.

https: //www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgn-da7MAx0)

•The deception for baby murder is steep and deafening. Folks believe it is okay to abort for various immoral reasons. I believe the immoral reasons provided to justify abortion is driven by demonic forces. Don’t believe me? Visit the murder mills.

•The enemy loves to kill babies, but at the same time, he also loves to produce murderers. John 8:44, “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” ~ NASB

•A perpetrator can be guilty of double homicide for killing a pregnant woman in some states, but a woman is innocent as soon as she walks into the abortuary to get an abortion. This is insanity.

•Abortion is the gateway to other evils. Francis Schaeffer said, “If people are not made in the image of God, the pessimistic, realistic humanist is right: the human race is indeed an abnormal wart on the smooth face of a silent and meaningless universe. In this setting, abortion, infanticide, and euthanasia (including the killing of mentally deranged criminals, the severely handicapped, or the elderly who are an economic burden) are completely logical. Any person can be obliterated for what society at one moment thinks of as its own social or economic good. Without the Bible and without the revelation in Christ (which is only told to us in the Bible) there is nothing to stand between us and our children and the eventual acceptance of the monstrous inhumanities of the age.” You are already seeing this now.

•This sin must be handled with great wisdom. It can be used for the greater good or greater evil. How so? Many can become ecumenical at the expense of the Gospel when fighting this sin. In other words, folks partner up with other religious groups that get the Gospel wrong. Physical lives matter, but not more important than the Gospel. We must not have unity with anything that is hostile towards the Gospel. Christians embrace the biblical Gospel, not social, prosperity, or other false gospel. No matter what evil we face, the Gospel must be the beginning and end. As evil as abortion is, the Gospel is not a means to fight one particular evil. The Gospel treats all sin and the worst sin is the rejection of Christ. So when you minister at the mills, you will find yourself ministering to Catholics, professing Christians, Muslims, Atheists, etc. Let us remember that abortion is the symptom of rejecting the Gospel. Therefore the Gospel is the beginning and the end.

•The church must rise up and confront this monster. We have the supernatural tools. Intentionally evangelize and disciple during your time on this earth. Educate society on this crime from a Christian perspective.

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Review: Black Flags: The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of the Islamic State by Joby Warrick

Joby Warrick. Black Flags: The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of the Islamic State.  New York, NY: Doubleday, September 29^th, 2015.  416 pp.

The author Joby Warrick is a journalist whose career includes covering the Middle East.  Previously I read the author’s first book titled The Triple Agent: The al-Qaeda Mole who Infiltrated the CIA.  I enjoyed this present volume a lot more both in terms of the subject and writing style.  In Black Flags the author focuses on what was formerly known as Al Qaeda in Iraq and its founder Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and how the organization later evolved into the Islamic State.  The book was filled with a lot of facts that I didn’t know before but learned from here.  The work was so fascinating that I had a hard time putting down the book.  Given how I am reading this book on the eve of the Iraqi and Kurdish army’s invasion into the last stronghold of the Islamic State in Iraq in the city of Mosul, I found this very timely and eye opening.

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Ray Comfort’s The Atheist Delusion Movie

This was just released by evangelist Ray Comfort.  I appreciate Ray Comfort evangelism ministry.

I’ll have to watch it after Church tommorow.  Enjoy!

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Presuppostional Apologetics’ Links: Third Week of October 2016

Here are the links related to Presuppositional apologetics gathered between October 15th-21st, 2016.

1.) Van Til:Escape Mechanisms

2.) Van Til: What sufficiency of Scripture means

3.) How We Know the Bible is the Word of God

4.) Steampunk Apologetics in the House

5.) How Did Jesus Argue?

 

Missed the last round up?  Check out the re-blogged post from a friend OR that of Another REBLOG HERE

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Weekend Leisure Reading Review: Green Arrow: Year One

I haven’t posted a light leisure reading for the weekend for a few weeks now.  Sometimes Pastors also need to take a mental break…

Andy Diggle.  Green Arrow: Year One. New York, NY: DC Comics, April 22^nd, 2008. 160 pp.

This was for a fun read.  I did enjoyed it.  This is another character that I don’t know anything about and it explains the origin of the DC hero Green Arrow and his beginnings.  The story tells us of a rich and spoiled young man name Oliver Queen who suddenly found a purpose in life in fighting for justice.  What began as a trip on a yacht with an ex-Royal Marine mentor on all things “manly” becomes horrific as he is conned and left for dead.  But Oliver survives alone in an island where he soon found out that it is run by an evil enterprise where the natives are enslaved.  This fight for justice for the native would launch him into a career of being a hero for justice.  Overall I enjoyed this story and the character’s transition from a celebrity spoiled brat as seen in how he ruined a charity auction become a man with a deep sense of justice.

Purchase: Amazon

 

If you are interested in comics here’s a link to my Collection of Posts: Superheroes, Comics and Worldview Series.

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How do I Initiate Spiritual Conversations? Helpful Questions

How do I initiate Spiritual Conversations?  Do you ever feel awkward as to how to talk to someone about spiritual matters and you don’t know what to say?  Is there someone you want to talk to about spiritual matter but don’t know how to start?  Or you are starting to disciple someone but you realize the discipleship can be more personal so it is more than just a one-on-one book reading club.  I think by nature I am an introvert.  I write this with them in mind.  I’m also a preacher and I realize the danger that what can begin as a spiritual conversation suddenly transform into a one-way sermon with an audience of one.  I found that what helps me in both those situations is the importance of initiating a spiritual conversation by asking the other person questions and then listening.

The following are questions that I found helpful to asks to initiate spiritual conversations.  I must add that there are no magic bullets here.  One must not forget the importance of Christian love that drives one’s spiritual conversation.  If you ask these questions merely to go through them, well, you won’t get far.  But asking question with Christian love does make an impact.  Don’t forget the words of Jesus on the duty of Christian love: “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35).

Here are the questions:

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Review and Free Booklet: Struggles of Conscience by Charles Spurgeon

Charles H. Spurgeon. Struggles of Conscience.  Pensacola, FL: Chapel Library, April 23^rd, 2014. 29 pp.

5 out of 5

This booklet is from a sermon by Charles Spurgeon that he preached on September 23, 1860 based in part upon Job 13:23 (it is a more topical sermon in the way that Spurgeon often gets a textual preacher from one verse).  This year I have been reading more of Spurgeon and I must say thus far this is one of my favorite work that has been made available through Chapel Library.  Here in this work Spurgeon tackles on the problem that some have that one must have a deeper sense of feelings of their sinfulness before they would repent and turn towards Christ.  Anyone who knows Spurgeon knows he loves the Puritans but here he does fault some Puritans for making the mistake of confusing post-conversion “feelings” must manifest before one come to saving faith in Christ.  At times some of these preachers make their own experience to be the litmus test of true conversion.  In tackling this problem and objection towards the Gospel we see a display of the “classic Spurgeon” in which his message is pastorally directed towards the heart, is Gospel driven, biblical, practical, illustrative and dripping with memorable one-liners.

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