Apologetics

Apologetics

Christians of the 21st century are going to have to contend with surrounding battle fronts. We have the atheists attacking from over there, someone else from over that way, someone right there, and meanwhile a heresy springing up right next to us over here....we need training examples. Anyone with discernment and a passion of the Truth, whose loyalty belongs chiefly and totally to Christ, please write and/or bring any material here. God bless

To reach the ultimate high in athesim is to hit a purposeless rock bottom, that not only keeps the individual blind, but is a blindfold they willingly embrace. How can one seek God, when they choose to accept a theory that denies all hopes and reality of a God, in spite of the surrounding evidence of one?
 
The most important thing Christians can do is read the Word. I am constantly amazed by the number of Christians who, it would seem, never open their Bibles. They get their teaching from other people, but never go back to the Word to check whether what those teachers are saying is accurate (and a frightening amount of the time it is not!)

It takes very little time each day reading the Bible to get through it cover to cover in a year. If Christians did that every year, they would soon have enough knowledge of the Word to be able to recognize the false things that are being taught.

In terms of defending the faith (apologetics) there are some great resources at http://creationscience.glorytotheking.net

blessings,

Lynn
 
Revlyn, I am trying to do that - read the Bible every day and as often as I can so I can recognize a false doctrine when I meet one. I know I have to know the real thing before I can see thru a false one. That's why I got sucked into a cult once. I had never read the Bible. The Holy Bible is full of power to set men free, and to open eyes. I believe it because it happened to me! Thanx
 
After having read the gospels, read Romans and Galatians thoroughly, and pray for wisdom and discernment.

James 1:5
5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.
 
To reach the ultimate high in athesim is to hit a purposeless rock bottom, that not only keeps the individual blind, but is a blindfold they willingly embrace. How can one seek God, when they choose to accept a theory that denies all hopes and reality of a God, in spite of the surrounding evidence of one?

I really believe that the root of atheism is anger which 99% of the time comes from pain from something that happened to them in childhood or whatever. The hardest thing for people who have been hurt and abused to grasp is the Love of God because after all how can a loving God let that happen to them? So they get angry at God and then spend their time trying to prove He doesn't exist. I understand that feeling and I think that whatever "study" or advice or anything we try to give to these people must come with unconditional love and understanding for their feelings. If we just give them the bible or biblical material or biblical advice without love and compassion and understanding to back it up they'll just trow the materials away without even reading them. Just think... What kind of anger must someone have to try to prove that God doesn't exist when there is so much evidence to the contrary surrounding them?

Laura:)
 
Great, free, one year Bible reading (and listening) program

I believe one of the best 1 year Bible reading programs can be found at the Answers In Genesis site. I'm not allowed to post links, yet, so I'll just say, go to Answers in Genesis and, in the upper right hand corner, do a site search: "Who's Max Mclean." On that page, you can scroll down and click on the Bible reading program. It is free. I like a mixture of Old and New Testaments for my daily readings and this one provides it--you can print out your schedule and check off what you've listened to. You can also choose to go straight through the Bible. This program is worth looking into.
 
I don't believe that anyone really has no god. An atheist who denies the existence of any god of any kind is in reality making a clear statement that he doesn't wish to answer to anyone, but himself. Thus the atheist does serve a god. That god, however, is the awkward, half tragic and half comical god of self. When we decide to be our god, we are cursed to live by our own puny strength and limited understanding. We become egotists, as we rely on our self-sufficiency and think ourselves very wise, (but such "wisdom" is only in our own eyes). This whole charade is a cover for a rebellious heart, which feels justified in making up its own truths. However, making Christ Jesus Lord of our lives, involves seeking a standard not of our own making.

I have tried to communicate with atheists in some of their forums. One of the forums had a section they called the Lion's Den and this was where they felt free to rip to shreds our beliefs. Of course, you wouldn't go there unless you were willing to be mauled. There were figurative "bones" lying around, left over from plenty of other Christians who wanted to witness to the atheists. But, I believe, if one's mind is made up, and locked, there isn't much you can say to convince otherwise. This is why I try to pray for the atheists (and the closed, atheistic mindset) when I can.
 
I like Ravi Zacharias, also. A good book worth looking at, by a scientist who is also a wonderfully outspoken Christian, is Darwin's Proof by Cornelius Hunter. It does NOT promote Darwin in any way, but refutes it from within the rather complicated scientific framework. Even so, my wife and I are enjoying the tough read immensely. His other book is Darwin's God and it looks into the diety that Darwin was dealing with back in his day.

Of course, Lee Strobel's A Case for Creation should be both read AND seen. The graphics on the DVD (available on Netflix) are incredible. People have to be VERY blind not to see God in all of His handiwork.
 
Bonnie,
to no longer fall into the trap of false doctrine this is what I suggest:
that every time you learn something, don't tell the person you believe it nor yourself but say "I'll think about it"
then check for yourself sources with biblical proof, and make sure that it points to bible verses and study that.
 
I really believe that the root of atheism is anger which 99% of the time comes from pain from something that happened to them in childhood or whatever. The hardest thing for people who have been hurt and abused to grasp is the Love of God because after all how can a loving God let that happen to them? So they get angry at God and then spend their time trying to prove He doesn't exist. I understand that feeling and I think that whatever "study" or advice or anything we try to give to these people must come with unconditional love and understanding for their feelings. If we just give them the bible or biblical material or biblical advice without love and compassion and understanding to back it up they'll just trow the materials away without even reading them. Just think... What kind of anger must someone have to try to prove that God doesn't exist when there is so much evidence to the contrary surrounding them?

Laura:)

I agree 100% Laura. Most of them are very pasionate about their beliefs. If they really did not believe in God it would not stir such deep emotions in them.
 
Bonnie,
to no longer fall into the trap of false doctrine this is what I suggest:
that every time you learn something, don't tell the person you believe it nor yourself but say "I'll think about it"
then check for yourself sources with biblical proof, and make sure that it points to bible verses and study that.

Thanx, Rams! That's very good advice. Looking back on it, I think I do need to practice saying something like "I'll study this." I have a tendancy to trust others too much, when I should only trust what God says in scripture. Thanx!
 
I was blessed in that the Lord snatched me out of total deception (I was a spiritualist medium) and within 6 weeks of my being born again dumped me in a very solid, Bible-centered Bible College. The whole thing was quite miraculous, because I was doing a course for which I was not qualified, either academically or spiritually, but God knew it was what I needed. I was so green when I started that the first time someone mentioned John 3:16 I looked at them blankly and said, "What's that?"!!!

What it did for me - apart from launching me into a preaching ministry that is now more than 33 years old - was to give me a passionate love for the Word of God. I've now read the Word cover to cover over 200 times, and still find stuff that is new and exciting at every reading. The Bible is not just a text book. It is the Maker's instruction manual for life; it is the Bridegroom's love letter to His Bride; it is the Father's heart revealed to His children; it is the General's battle orders to His troops; it is food for our spirits and our weapon against the enemy. We neglect it to our own loss.

I remember long ago seeing a program on the telly about the mint (the place where they make money) and how they train people to recognize counterfeits. The approach of most people would be to show the trainees all different kinds of counterfeit notes, pointing out how they differed from the real money, but that's not what they did. Instead they had the trainees spend huge amounts of time handling real money - getting used to its appearance, its feel, its texture, its smell: everything about it. The person being interviewed said, "Once they are thoroughly familiar with the real thing, we don't need to point out the differences in a counterfeit. They will recognize it immediately."

The same goes for the spiritual. When we have spent so much time with the real thing - the Word of God - that we know it inside out, upside down and back to front, nobody will have to point out falsehood to us. We will recognize it immediately.

There are also to small books I would recommend for those starting out in the Christian walk. They are "Know What You Believe" and "Know Why You Believe" by Paul Little. I think they are still in print, but if not they are worth tracking down through a second-hand Christian bookstore.

blessings,

Lynn
 
Getting this link around;


Bible Tracts - freely print them yourself or you can order through them,
we can reach out to a soul for the cost of ink and paper, and go on a door-to-door gospel walk. I used to rubber-band 400 fliers in a day for my business when I had a day off. If one spent a day doing this they could reach out to potentially 400 or more souls for Christ. This is a great ministry that has been under-rated.
God bless
Fellowship Tract League - Free Gospel tracts, as the Lord provides
 
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