Dishonest Apologetics

I am nonplussed and grieved at the dishonesty with which certain critics make it their life work to attack the church to which they once belonged. I am always ready and willing to open my Bible and study whatever issues they may have with our church’s doctrines and beliefs…I do not fear the truth, nor do I hide behind rhetoric, lies, or obfuscation to earn points in a debate. You will not find me resorting to straw men who cannot stand up in the slightest breeze…yet for so many who seem intent on justifying their present position outside the church they were raised in, these tactics seem par for the course.

Good open debate can bring glory to God if both parties are willing to pursue and love the truth, but it appears to me that in many cases, particularly from ex pastors who ought to know better, misrepresenting our position on certain doctrines, misleading others to believe lies about our true position, is inexcusable, irresponsible, and is very closely related to those Pharisees and hypocrites who accused Jesus of having a devil. Refusing to acknowledge truth, they have to invent lies to justify their disloyalty. So sad that Christians should resort to such tactics. May God forgive them.

 

The Seventh Day Sabbath

The Seventh Day Sabbath

In over one hundred languages throughout the world the seventh day is called ‘sabbath’ or its equivalent. Thus the seventh day is not just a day of rest for the Jews, but a day of rest for all peoples. This idea is confirmed for us in both the old testament and new testament of the scriptures. In Isaiah 56 the Lord declares through His prophet: “Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold upon it: that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil. Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the Lord speak, saying, the Lord hath utterly separated me from his people; neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. For thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my Sabbaths and choose the things that please me and take hold of my covenant; even unto them will I give in my house and within my walls a place and a name better than the of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. Also the sons of the stranger that join themselves to the Lord, to serve Him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be His servants, every one that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it and taketh hold of my covenant; even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer.”  Isaiah 56:2-7

Heavens Point of View

“Surely, this was not the way it was intended to be”. These sentiments were echoed back and forth across heaven. Wonder, consternation, and astonishment was written almost indelibly upon the faces of every angel and every creature that graced God’s universe. How could anyone have been prepared for that? I know I wasn’t, and looking at the expressions on the faces of those around me, I could see they weren’t expecting anything like what we were witnessing either. Sure, we knew the prophecies, even Jesus Himself had warned us a long time ago of what to expect, but all the foreknowledge in the universe could not have prepared us adequately. The unbounded joy and excitement we all experienced and expressed at the announcement of His birth (yes, I was there, among many thousand others, and all of heaven was singing that day, not just those the shepherds could see) was now, in light of recent events and what was transpiring before us, a fast fading memory.

The Book of Judges; the Big Picture.

In our church study group, we have been looking at background characters in the OT, such as Caleb, Abigail, Uriah, and Rizpah. Many of the characters we’ve been studying are to be found in the book of Judges, among more renowned characters such as Samuel, Samson, Gideon and Deborah. In my personal study of that particular book of the Bible, a picture formed in my mind of the tremendous potential and promise that the young nation of Israel had so long as they remained faithful to their calling and obedient to their God. The book of Judges in the OT canon is a history of Israel’s emergence as a nation in the Middle East. What could have been a history of victory, of establishment, and one that brought knowledge of the love and power of God to all the nations round about, sadly, turned out quite different. The Bible, if anything at all, is almost brutally honest.

On Social Morality and Law and Order

Any media outlet that expresses public opinion in any form, for example talk-back radio, is awash with concern over the current state of crime, violence, social addictions and morality. Much of the debate centers on law, what changes need to be made if any, and how to enforce those changes once made, or simply retain the status quo but strengthen penalties for transgression.

A few years ago our government was embarrassed by revelations that it had broken the law over some election issues. This was not just the ruling party, but also opposition parties who were found to be guilty, some quite seriously. The eventual response to this, after much discussion and pointing of fingers from all directions and red-faced obfuscating and fudging of issues, was a retrospective change to the law.