In Defense of the Christian Faith

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Natalie slapped the alarm's snooze button and proceeded to go back to sleep. Just as her head was hitting the pillow, a realization hit her: today was the big day! She bolted out of bed in a flash, realizing that there was work to be done! But what day was it exactly? The last few days had seemed like a blur to Natalie. She knew there was work to be done, but she couldn't figure out what. She proceeded to the kitchen where she was hoping to relieve her empty stomach; she was absolutely starving. Visions of pancakes and eggs filled her mind as she nearly stumbled, half-asleep, over a box that was sitting in the middle of the floor. "What's that doing there?" she thought. It took her a moment to get her bearings, but when she did, she realized that this was the box of medicine that she had received the day before from the medical center. Slowly, the realization hit her: She was going to help James today! There was no time to lose; it wa...

This morning, I totally forgot that today we do the Word for Wednesday. So I'm putting mine up a little late in the day (it's good to know I'm not the only one). I'm currently working on a few others, so here's to hold you over 'till then... Enjoy! "The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it" (Proverbs 10:22). Lately, I've been reflecting on just how good God is. Even when thing seem to be going wrong, God is still good. This week, I've been seeing this in even the little things -- things that may not seem like much to some people, but they mean a lot to me. My family and I have also been discussing this a lot over the past week. One day, we were out on an errand, and this discussion came up. Then a thought came to me: God told Abraham, "That in blessing I will bless thee..." We know that God was speaking about abundantly blessing Abraham, but it's so interesting to consider it this way: In your blessi...

Just received this in my email box today from Biblical Archaeology Review and thought it was worth sharing... "Will you join BAS this September to explore some of the most significant Biblical sites in the world in Turkey? After Israel, Turkey has more Biblical sites than any other land. This beautiful country is essential in understanding the context of the New Testament, as approximately two-thirds of its books were written either to or from churches in Turkey. The three major apostles--Peter, Paul and John--either ministered or lived in Turkey. Time is running out - Sign up for this extraordinary learning adventure now . Call the Travel/Study department 1-800-221-4644 ext.208 to register today. With Dr. Mark Wilson as your expert scholar-guide, follow in the footsteps of Paul at these sites: - The harbor that Paul and Barnabus departed from in Kaleiçi - Perga, the city that Paul visited during his first journey - The harbor of Andriake, where Paul changed ships on his way ...

I am SO excited! Josh McDowell and son, Sean, are putting the finishing touches on a new book called "The Unshakeable Truth: How You Can Experience the 12 Essential of a Relevant Faith." The book, set to release June 1st, tackles "what Christians believe, why they believe it, how it is relevant to life, and how they can pass it on to the next generation," and "presents apologetics relationally, focusing on how right believing affects not only believers but also the people they encounter. The authors help readers… [1] understand God’s grand plan of creation, incarnation, and re-creation. [2] discover the 12 “truth statements” of Scripture and why they are credible and critical to living out the Christian faith. [3] experience the authenticity of faith through practical examples and real-life stories that demonstrate how relevant the gospel is to life." To see a preview, click here . Also, Pastor Tullian, pastor of Coral Ridge Presbeterian Church in Fort...

The following is an essay by J. Gresham Machen (1881-1937) entitled "The Importance of Christian Scholarship in The Defense of The Faith": There are, indeed, those who tell us that no defense of the faith is necessary."The Bible needs no defense," they say; "let us not be forever defending Christianity, but instead let us go forth joyously to propagate Christianity." But I have observed one curious fact-- when men talk thus about propagating Christianity without defending it, the thing that they are propagating is pretty sure not to be Christianity at all. They are propagating an anti-intellectualistic, non-doctrinal Modernism; and the reason why it requires no defense is simply that it is so completely in accord with the current of the age. It causes no more disturbance than does a chip that floats downward with a stream. In order to be an adherent of it, a man does not need to resist anything at all; he needs only to drift, and automatically his Modern...

Jeremiah 17:16 "You know what came out of my lips; it is right there before You." This is a verse that we were studying in church this past Sunday. Our context was of a person planted like a tree by the river of water, the Word of God. Of course, it's no surprise that God knows every word we've ever uttered; but when you actually think about the implications, it can be kind of intimidating. After all, Jesus said, "But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned" (Mt 12:36-37). I've been thinking a lot about this chapter in Jeremiah, and this verse in particular is hard-hitting. How often are we perfect in what we say? We should be -- we should be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect; Jesus never said a word unless it was what the Father wanted Him to say -- but we are not. Why? Because even perfec...

Okay, so I promised Rebecca that I would post about archeaology... sooo, for now, I have a bunch of free e-books to tell you all about! Biblical Archeology Review has free e-books!!!!! The one that caught my attention was " Israel: An Archeaological Review ." The book is described as follows: "illuminates this most sacred of destinations using recent archaeological research. As the point where three of the world’s major religions converge, Israel’s history is one of the richest and most complex in the world. This free collection of articles, written by scholars who have first-hand knowledge of their subjects, sifts through the archaeology and history of this ancient land, and presents a view of these Biblically-significant sites through an archaeologist’s lens." But that is not all -- BAR is offering a whole slew of other free e-books, such as " Easter: Exploring the Resurrection of Jesus ," " The Burial of Jesus ," and " The Dead Sea Sc...