Head-dibs

Luke opens his letter to Theophilus (which we know as “the Gospel of Luke”) with a peculiar account of the herald of Jesus, John the Baptist. John’s role in the life and ministry of Jesus was part of God’s plan, but there may be one other element about his story that we might miss.  Here’s the situation: Zacharias was chosen to perform a once-in-a-lifetime service in the Temple when The Angel of The Lord appeared to him with a peculiar message, a message not intended for the devout who waited for Zacharias to emerge, nor for the nation of Israel, nor for the Romans. The Angel brought a personal message from God to Zacharias--that he would father a child. Understand that both Zacharias and his wife were well beyond childbearing years, so “naturally,” Zacharias doubts the message. A child? Impossible! The Angel tells Zacharias that God already sees the not-yet-conceived child as “great”, but what makes him great? The Angel says that John will be recognized by what he eats and...

Just a quick note to wish everyone, " Happy Atheist Day !" Listen to a recording of a debate  between Atheist Ron Barrier and evangelist Ray Comfort. This debate was hosted by the American Atheists, Inc. in April 2001 in Orlando, Florida at the National Annual Meeting of American Atheists, Inc. Ray Comfort attended by invitation. Is it possible that in examining all the evidence, that the atheist could have missed something?  Here's a quick test to find out if it is possible to have missed something:

Is Belief in Jesus Necessary ? Ronald Nash explores the dangers of Inclusivism. "The inclusivist view that those who have never heard the gospel will be saved has a serious, negative effect on Christian missions. In light of these and other problems, inclusivism should not be considered an acceptable option for Christians." David Wilkerson answers the question, " Hell: What is it Like ?" Former Redskins coach, NASCAR team owner talks at prison, then school . Joe Gibbs, who won three Super Bowl championships as coach of the Washington Redskins and three NASCAR titles as a team owner, spoke to inmates at the S.C. Department of Corrections and later a luncheon at Columbia International University about his testimony, “Life is Game.” If any gospel has God’s saving mission to the ends of the earth within its purview it is the Gospel of Luke. Registration for Summer Studies at Columbia International University open April 1!  Register for Atlanta courses here .

"God is not so cruel as to have left us in the miserable plight that the most saving and necessary truths have to be laboriously assembled by everyone for himself. We are not a lot of amatteur detectives on the hunt for clues in a cosmic whodunit." Would God be so unloving, unkind and unjust to have given faith only to intellectuals? Blamires, Harry. The Christian Mind . S.P.C.K.: London, 1963 ************

"To believe is to be 'in one mind' about accepting something as true; to disbelieve is to be 'in one mind' about rejecting it. To doubt is to waver between the two, to believe and disbelieve at once and so be 'in two minds'." (Os Guinness, from his book, "In Two Minds")

With all due respect to the Kenyan student who asked the question, the answer is found in the preceding statement: "happiness comes from God;" in other words, "the devil cannot give happiness." Let us first consider who the devil is, and what he brings to the table. Jesus describes Satan as " 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. " (John 8:44) Satan, the murderer brings truthlessness. So if Satan comes along and says, "this will make you happy," can he be speaking the truth? Notice Satan is also called the devouring enemy. " Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour ." (1 Peter 5:8) If Satan comes around offering happiness, remember that he is not coming as my friend, with any best interest in mind. " Satan himself masquerades as an ang...

"Whatever you believe is alright." "Everybody has their own beliefs." "Just so you believe something." These are sayings which you will hear from many people today. They sound nice, and help to make people feel good, since their own beliefs are said to be as valid as those of anyone else. "After all," some say, "can you really know anything for sure?" People who claim to have "the truth" are looked down upon as being arrogant and intolerant. For some reason, people can accept the idea that any religion is valid as long as it doesn't claim to be the only true religion! Do you know why that is? It's Satan's way of getting people to believe anything but the one thing that will remove his grip on their souls. It is not true that all religious beliefs are of equal value. It is not true that "Whatever you believe is alright." The very fact that "Everybody has their own beliefs" is what God says is man...

“In all unbelief there are these two things, - a good opinion of one's self, and a bad opinion of God. So long as these two things exist, it is impossible for an inquirer to find rest. His good opinion of himself makes him think it quite impossible to win God's favor by his own religious performances; and his bad opinion of God makes him unwilling and afraid to put his case wholly into his hands.” (" God's Way Of Peace. A Book For The Anxious ." by the Rev. Horatius Bonar) "There is one thing that mars all the pleasures of my life. I'm afraid the Bible is true. If I could only know for a certainty that death is an eternal sleep, I should be happy. But here is what pierces my soul-- if the Bible is true, I am lost forever !" (Anon.) Objection: "I’m doing fine. I don’t need God." Answer: "Many people feel this way because of the modern gospel message. It says that Jesus will help their marriage, remove their drug problem, fill the emptin...

As the rivers increase in size and importance with their increase in length, so do the events in the history of this world. Year by year finds them increasingly full of interest. Everything is heading up. Things are assuming new and strange forms. Many feel that significant, foreboding events are at hand. Why is this? It is, we believe, because the greatest of all events now facing men is the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to this world. He has been here before. We have all heard of the perfect, sinless life of love and goodness He led here on earth--a life never before lived or known among men. We also know how men rewarded Him for it, how they crucified Him, hanging Him between two criminals. We have learned, too, how He came forth triumphant in resurrection three days later, and ascended back to heaven, from where He had come. Before going back, however, He left testimony about His return in its two aspects. First the Lord Himself will descend from heaven to rapture every...

The reason the proud don’t seek after God is that they don’t want to—they will not seek after God because they don’t want to leave their sins. It’s not that they cannot find Him, but that they will not [ any more than a thief will find a policeman ]. Scripture gives us insight: 1) Pride keeps one from seeking God. Any admittance of guilt is a blow to the pride of the human heart; 2) Because he’s self-centered and self-sufficient, one feels no need to even consider God; 3) One thinks that she’s in control of her life and that adversity will never come to her; 4) One’s willful ignorance leaves him without understanding of God’s righteous judgments; 5) One believes that either God is blinded to his sinful lifestyle, or that God has no sense of justice and will therefore not require any account for his lawlessness. “ For the wicked boasts of his heart's desire, and the greedy man curses and spurns the LORD. The wicked, in the haughtiness of his countenance, does not seek Him. All his t...

In a country village of Pennsylvania a physician gave books on infidelity [immorality, pornography] to a young man and persuaded him to deny the Lord Jesus Christ. When the young man was fifty years old, he lay dying and was attended by the same physician, the infidel teacher. As the end was approaching, the doctor told him to die as he lived—a rejector of the great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. “Hold on to the end,” the doctor urged. “Yes, doctor,” said the dying man, “there is just my trouble—you gave me nothing to hold on to.” The doctor could not answer.

I think the best answer one could give would begin by turning this question into a statement: “What I believe matters because loving Jesus is enough;” or, “Love for Jesus matters for what I believe.” The problem this question exposes is that as God has put within mankind the knowledge of Him, and mankind must acknowledge He is there; however, mankind does not want to bow to anything above him. Man would rather take something from below him and worship that instead. The difficulty lies in the attempt to place something from below into the place above, between him and the Highly Exalted One who deserves all worship. One wants to believe, only not “Him.” One wants to believe, only one does not want to do what He says. The other problem this question exposes is that one wants to be as religious or devoted to the object of worship as possible, only one feels threatened by the doctrines associated thereunto. What must one know in order to believe effectively? Jesus actually addressed our que...

" If you will here stop and ask yourself why you are not as pious as the primitive Christians were, your own heart will tell you that it is neither through ignorance nor inability, but because you never thouroughly intended it." --William Law (1686-1761) God Help Us! " If all things are possible with God, then all things are possible to him who believes in Him ." --Corrie Ten Boom (1892-1983) God Helps Us!