Sacred Outfitter

What Does a Pretty Pink Tractor Look Like?

noreply@blogger.com (Sacred Outfitter) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 20:53:00 +0000

More fun. I like Tim Hawkins. He makes me laugh.

What do you think?

What Does Star Wars Sound Like from Dogs? Dog Wars...

noreply@blogger.com (Sacred Outfitter) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:20:00 +0000

Love this. Can you pick out the SW characters in the video?

What do you think?

How Do I Do Intergenerational Ministry in the Local Church?

noreply@blogger.com (Sacred Outfitter) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:29:00 +0000

Together is the best way to accomplish ministy to the next generation. It requires adults and teenagers working together in the body of Christ to grow in faith.

This requires a different mindset for ministry to the next generation. Brenda Snailum, a doctoral student in Christian Education at Talbot School of Theology summarizes the task of a changing mindset in ministry. This research is pulled from a panel of experts.

Here is the summary:

1. Intergenerational Ministry (IM) must be established as a core value of the church in order to be faithful.
2. IM needs to have balance with age-specific programming.
3. The leadership of the church must be fully vested in IM for it to fly.
4. The congregation must be educated about IM.
5. Churches should begin where they are with IM.
6. Churches must be intentional and strategic in it's planning around IM.
7. For IM to be part of the church it must be include all generations adn ministry venues.

Some of the cautions or hindrances to IM working in the local church:

1. Sometimes there can be a failure to transition to an IM paradigm or new mindset in the local church because of a varity of issues including lack of vision casting and education.
2. Sometimes there is a lack of understanding of the basis or need for IM.
3. Self-centeredness is an enemy to an IM community or living in separate ministry areas or departments.

More research needs to continue, but these findings are true to the reality of many local churches.

I have written about how to embrace and impliment Intergenerational Ministry in my book, Together: Adults and Teenagers Transforming the Church where I set the reader up for a different mindset for ministry arriving at the same conclusions as the findings above. For more information on Together, checkout these places.

Youth Worker Review
Ken Castor's Endorsement for College Classes
Andrew Hedges Review
Mel Walker's Review

Thank you to all of these folks for backing a new mindset for ministry to the next generation and your kind words about Together.

What do you think?

What Do I Do with a New Believer in Jesus?

noreply@blogger.com (Sacred Outfitter) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:55:00 +0000

The New Believer List::

(From Together: Adults and Teenagers Transforming the Church, Dr. Jeff Baxter)

This is a good list of topics and verses to take a new believer through (or someone who has been a believer for a long time!). Certainly, we are all growing in our faith in Jesus, but a “baby” needs the proper “nourishment” for growth. Take a year to meet and talk about each of these 30 Objectives each week leaving a few weeks to discuss whichever topics take a little more time to address.

Assurance of Salvation – Share your confidence in your salvation with one another (John 1:12-13; Romans 8:16; 1 John 5:11-13; Jude 1, 24).
Specific Daily Time with God – Have a daily time of prayer and Bible study (Genesis 19:27; Exodus 34:2,3; Psalm 5:3; Daniel 6:10; Mark 1:35; 1 Corinthians 1:9).
Winning over Sin – Resist sin consistently, so you grow in holiness (Isaiah 41:13; 1 Corinthians 10:13; 15:57).
Separating Ourselves from Sin – Avoid sin by taking specific steps (Romans 6:12-14; Romans 12:1-2; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; 2 Timothy 2:19-22; James 1:12; 1 John 1:5-2:2; 1 John 2:15-16).
Time with Believers – Be consistent in local church attendance, and other fellowship opportunities with Christians (Psalm 122:1; Acts 2:42; Hebrews 10:24,25; 1 John 1:3).
The Bible – Learn to articulate your belief in the inspiration of Scripture (Psalm 19:7-11; Psalm 119:105, 160; Matthew 22:29; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:21)
Hearing the Bible – Meditate on the Scriptures and apply their teachings to your life (Proverbs 28:9; Jeremiah 22:29; Luke 19:48)
Reading the Bible – Intentionally read through the whole Bible (Deuteronomy 17:19; 1 Timothy 4:13; Revelation 1:3).
Bible Study – Study specific sections of the Bible using various resources and tools (Ezra 7:10; Proverbs 2:1-5; Acts 17:11).
Bible Memory – Regularly memorize and internalize portions of Scripture for recall (Deuteronomy 6:6-7; Psalm 37:31; Proverbs 7:1-3; Matthew 4:4; Colossians 3:16).
Meditation on the Bible – Reflect on what you are learning about God and yourself because of Bible reading and study (Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1; Jeremiah 15:16; Philippians 4:8).
Application of the Bible – Apply the Bible to personal life circumstances (Psalm 119:56-60; Luke 6:46-49; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; James 1:22-25).
Taking to God (Prayer) – Pray daily on an ongoing basis (; Matthew 6:6; 7:7; 21:22; John 17; Ephesians 6:18; Philippians 4:6-7; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; James 5:17; 1 John 3:22).
Sharing your Story (Testimony) – Learn to share how you came to trust Jesus as Savior (Luke 8:38-39; John 9:25; Acts 26:1-23; 1 John 1:3).
Lordship of Christ – Grow in allowing Jesus to control every area of your life (Luke 6:46; Romans 12:1-2; Colossians 1:18; Hebrews 1:2).
Faith – Trust God with specific needs (Romans 4:20-21; Ephesians 6:16; Hebrews 11:6; 1 John 5:4).
Love – Show love, concern and compassion toward others in service (John 13:34-35; 1 Corinthians 13:4-7; 15:13; 1 John 3:17-18; 1 John 4:7-21).
Speaking – Demonstrate control over your tongue so encouragement is consistent (Psalm 71:15; Proverbs 18:6-7; 26:20; Ephesians 4:29; Colossians 4:6; James 1:26; 3:1-12).
The Use of Time – Develop the ability to manage time and schedule well (Psalm 90:10,12; Proverbs 31:27; Ecclesiastes 3:1; Romans 13:11; Ephesians 5:15-17; James 4:14).
The Will of God – Seek and follow God’s direction in ones life (Psalm 119:105; Proverbs 15:22; John 16:13; Romans 12:1-2).
Obeying God – Submit consistently to God’s direction with a joyful heart (1 Samuel 15:22; Psalm 119:59-60; Job 17:9; John 14:21,23; John 15:10,14; James 4:17).
The Holy Spirit – Experience the working of the Holy Spirit in one’s life (Zechariah 4:6; John 14:16-17; 15:26-27; 16:7-8,13-15; Romans 8:5-6,16-17,26; 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12:13-14; Galatians 5:22-23; Ephesians 5:18).
Rejecting Satan (our enemy) – Stand against the enemy and help others do the same (Isaiah 14:12-15; Matthew 4:4; John 8:44; 2 Corinthians 2:11; 4:3-4; 10:3-5; Ephesians 6:10-18; 1 Peter 5:8-9; 1 John 4:4).
Dealing with Sin – Be willing to share areas of sin with other for accountability and develop a plan of action to overcome sin (Mark 14:38; Romans 13:14; Ephesians 6:10-20; Colossians 3:9-10; 1 Peter 1:14-16; 1 John 1:9).
Forgiveness – Accept God’s forgiveness and be willing to forgive others (Psalm 32:1; Matthew 5:23-24; 18:15; 1 John 1:9)
Second Coming of Christ – Be secure in your understanding that Jesus is returning to establish his kingdom (John 14:2-3; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; 1 John 3:2-3; Revelation 19:11-16).
Sharing Our Faith – Initiate sharing the good news with others (Proverbs 28:1; 11:30; John 4; Acts 8:35; Romans 1:16; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Colossians 1:28-29; 2 Timothy 4:1-2).
Following Up to Sharing Faith – Encourage those with whom you have shared the Gospel (Colossians 1:28; 2 Timothy 1:3; 2:2; 3 John 4).
Giving Financially – Give money regularly to the Lord’s work (Proverbs 3:9-10,27; 11:24-25; Malachi 3:10; Luke 6:38; 2 Corinthians 8:9; 9:6-8; Galatians 6:6).
Becoming a World Christian – Show interest and concern for the whole world coming to know Jesus (Isaiah 6:8; Matthew 9:35-28; 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:47; John 20:21; Acts 1:8).

What do you think?

What Does an Evangelism and Apologetics Chart Look Like?

noreply@blogger.com (Sacred Outfitter) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:42:00 +0000

Here is a handy Pre-Evangelism, Evangelism and Apologetics chart. I developed this chart in coordination with a class I teach at Foothills Bible Church called, "Apologetics 101."
Starting from the top left and moving to the bottom right here is how you can use the chart to share the good news of Jesus Christ with the world.

General Revelation is God revealing himself in nature and science. Just look at the world and it points to a designer, creator and infinite being outside of space and time. There are philosophical and logical arguments that point toward a personal designer. For some of them, go here.

Special Revelation is God revealing himself directly to humanity through the written Revelation (i.e. Bible) of God and Jesus Christ.

The biggest questions of life revolve around these areas:

1. Does God exist? Human Reason, Human Experience, and Physical Realities in our World all point to God.

2. What is the Basis of Morality? The Bible's reliability, Jesus Christ being the Son of God and rising from the dead point to the One True God of the Bible being the Basis of Morality. Moral Relativity is not an option.

3. Who Am I? A creation by God! He made you and designed you to worship Him!

4. What is My Purpose? To Love God and Love Others.

5. What Happens When I Die? A very real heaven and hell await everyone. If we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior during this lifetime, we will spend a forever in an eternal heaven with God.

These are good questions to ask folks who do not know Jesus yet.

What do you think?

Connecting Comedy and Christ

noreply@blogger.com (Sacred Outfitter) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:25:00 +0000

I think he was. In fact, Jesus invented Funny because he was in on creating the whole world (Colossians 1) which you have to admit includes some funny stuff.

Come connect with comedy at an opportunity to put Comedy with Christ at Foothills Bible Church. Invite an unbelieving friend to this great event. Take them to coffee afterwards to talk. Use this as a great way to build relationship and connect with your lost world.

"Husband and Wife Comedy Team – Barnes & Miner Appearing January 27th at Foothills Bible Church, Littleton, CO, December 19, 2011: Barnes & Miner will be appearing for one night only at Foothills Bible Church, located at 6100 S. Devinney Way Littleton, CO. For more information contact: Sharon West – sharonk.west@yahoo.com, 303-523-1584 OR 303-697-4450. To preview a video please visit www.barnesandminer.com.

Click Picture for Larger Format

Bio:

Think it is difficult sharing a bathroom with your spouse? Try sharing a stage! The husband and wife comedy team of Amy Barnes and Jerry Miner make it easy to laugh about the little things as they successfully carry over 20 years of comedy experience on stage. Barnes & Miner are a throwback to the classic husband and wife comedy duos of the past. In the spirit of Burns/Allen and Stiller/Mehra, they take on everything from competitive parenting and in-laws to staying on a budget and not blowing your 401k.

They have written for such familiar faces as Ellen DeGeneres, Jay Leno, Jack Black, Bonnie Hunt, Bill Cosby and Morgan Freeman. Together their credits include over 25 national television appearances (Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, Fox, NBC, ESPN, HBO, A&E, National Lampoon…), 4 extended run theater shows with multiple sold out performances, 1 marriage, and 2 children.

What do you think?

What are Some Bible Summaries of the Gospel?

noreply@blogger.com (Sacred Outfitter) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:56:00 +0000

Do you need a summary of the Gospel from the Bible?

Mark 10:45 says, “For even the Son of Man (Jesus) did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Jesus came to be a servant by giving his life as a payment for sin.

John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son (Jesus), that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” God gave his Son to die for you, me, your neighbor, co-worker, friend, family member.

1 Corinthians 15:3-5 says, “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received; that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day, in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared.” Jesus lived, died and rose again conquering death.

2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “God made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him (Jesus).” Jesus became sin to take away our sins.

1 John 4:10 says, “This is love; not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” Jesus atoned for our sins so we could be in right relationship with God the Father.

What verse(s) would you add to this very short list?

What do you think?

How Do We Know God Exists?

noreply@blogger.com (Sacred Outfitter) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 22:55:00 +0000

Here are some thoughts regarding why I think God exists without using the Bible (until the end!). Take a look.

1. A Complex Earth Points to a Deliberate Designer.

Many examples showing God's design could be given, possibly with no end. But here are a few:

The Earth...its size is perfect. The Earth's size and corresponding gravity holds a thin layer of mostly nitrogen and oxygen gases, only extending about 50 miles above the Earth's surface. If Earth were smaller, an atmosphere would be impossible, like the planet Mercury. If Earth were larger, its atmosphere would contain free hydrogen, like Jupiter. Earth is the only known planet equipped with an atmosphere of the right mixture of gases to sustain plant, animal and human life.

The Earth is located the right distance from the sun. Consider the temperature swings we encounter, roughly -30 degrees to +120 degrees. If the Earth were any further away from the sun, we would all freeze. Any closer and we would burn up. Even a fractional variance in the Earth's position to the sun would make life on Earth impossible. The Earth remains this perfect distance from the sun while it rotates around the sun at a speed of nearly 67,000 mph. It is also rotating on its axis, allowing the entire surface of the Earth to be properly warmed and cooled every day.

And our moon is the perfect size and distance from the Earth for its gravitational pull. The moon creates important ocean tides and movement so ocean waters do not stagnate, and yet our massive oceans are restrained from spilling over across the continents.

Water...colorless, odorless and without taste, and yet no living thing can survive without it. Plants, animals and human beings consist mostly of water (about two-thirds of the human body is water). You'll see why the characteristics of water are uniquely suited to life:

It has an unusually high boiling point and freezing point. Water allows us to live in an environment of fluctuating temperature changes, while keeping our bodies a steady 98.6 degrees.

Water is a universal solvent. This property of water means that thousands of chemicals, minerals and nutrients can be carried throughout our bodies and into the smallest blood vessels.

Water is also chemically neutral. Without affecting the makeup of the substances it carries, water enables food, medicines and minerals to be absorbed and used by the body.

Water has a unique surface tension. Water in plants can therefore flow upward against gravity, bringing life-giving water and nutrients to the top of even the tallest trees.

Water freezes from the top down and floats, so fish can live in the winter.

Ninety-seven percent of the Earth's water is in the oceans. But on our Earth, there is a system designed which removes salt from the water and then distributes that water throughout the globe. Evaporation takes the ocean waters, leaving the salt, and forms clouds which are easily moved by the wind to disperse water over the land, for vegetation, animals and people. It is a system of purification and supply that sustains life on this planet, a system of recycled and reused water.

The human brain...simultaneously processes an amazing amount of information. Your brain takes in all the colors and objects you see, the temperature around you, the pressure of your feet against the floor, the sounds around you, the dryness of your mouth, even the texture of your keyboard. Your brain holds and processes all your emotions, thoughts and memories. At the same time your brain keeps track of the ongoing functions of your body like your breathing pattern, eyelid movement, hunger and movement of the muscles in your hands.

The human brain processes more than a million messages a second. Your brain weighs the importance of all this data, filtering out the relatively unimportant. This screening function is what allows you to focus and operate effectively in your world. The brain functions differently than other organs. There is intelligence to it, the ability to reason, to produce feelings, to dream and plan, to take action, and relate to other people.

The eye...can distinguish among seven million colors. It has automatic focusing and handles an astounding 1.5 million messages -- simultaneously. Evolution focuses on mutations and changes from and within existing organisms. Yet evolution alone does not fully explain the initial source of the eye or the brain -- the start of living organisms from nonliving matter.

2. There is a Starting Line for the Universe:

Scientists are convinced that our universe began with one enormous explosion of energy and light, which we now call the Big Bang. This was the singular start to everything that exists: the beginning of the universe, the start of space, and even the initial start of time itself.

Astrophysicist Robert Jastrow, a self-described agnostic, stated, "The seed of everything that has happened in the Universe was planted in that first instant; every star, every planet and every living creature in the Universe came into being as a result of events that were set in motion in the moment of the cosmic explosion...The Universe flashed into being, and we cannot find out what caused that to happen."

Steven Weinberg, a Nobel prize winner in Physics, said at the moment of this explosion, "the universe was about a hundred thousand million degrees Centigrade...and the universe was filled with light."

The universe has not always existed. It had a start...what caused that? Scientists have no explanation for the sudden explosion of light and matter.

3. There is an Organized Universe:

Much of life may seem uncertain, but look at what we can count on day after day: gravity remains consistent, a hot cup of coffee left on a counter will get cold, the earth rotates in the same 24 hours, and the speed of light doesn't change -- on earth or in galaxies far from us.

How is it that we can identify laws of nature that never change? Why is the universe so orderly, so reliable?

The greatest scientists have been struck by how strange this is. There is no logical necessity for a universe that obeys rules, let alone one that abides by the rules of mathematics. This astonishment springs from the recognition that the universe doesn't have to behave this way. It is easy to imagine a universe in which conditions change unpredictably from instant to instant, or even a universe in which things pop in and out of existence.

Richard Feynman, a Nobel Prize winner for quantum electrodynamics, said, "Why nature is mathematical is a mystery...The fact that there are rules at all is a kind of miracle."

4. The DNA Code is Beyond Us.

All instruction, all teaching, all training comes with intent. Someone who writes an instruction manual does so with purpose.

Did you know that in every cell of our bodies there exists a very detailed instruction code, much like a miniature computer program? As you may know, a computer program is made up of ones and zeros, like this: 110010101011000.

The way they are arranged tell the computer program what to do. The DNA code in each of our cells is very similar. It's made up of four chemicals that scientists abbreviate as A, T, G, and C. These are arranged in the human cell like this: CGTGTGACTCGCTCCTGAT and so on.

There are three billion of these letters in every human cell! (Read that a few times!)

Well, just like you can program your phone to beep for specific reasons, DNA instructs the cell. DNA is a three-billion-lettered program telling the cell to act in a certain way. It is a full instruction manual.

Why is this so amazing? One has to ask....how did this information program wind up in each human cell? These are not just chemicals. These are chemicals that instruct, that code in a very detailed way exactly how the person's body should develop.

Natural, biological causes are completely lacking as an explanation when programmed information is involved. You cannot find instruction, precise information like this, without someone intentionally constructing it.

5. God Pursues People:

God wants to be known. He created us with the intention that we would know him. He has surrounded us with evidence of himself and he keeps the question of his existence squarely before us. God presses on people. We can’t escape his reality.

Malcolm Muggeridge, socialist and philosophical author, wrote, "I had a notion that somehow, besides questing, I was being pursued."

C.S. Lewis said he remembered, "...night after night, feeling whenever my mind lifted even for a second from my work, the steady, unrelenting approach of Him whom I so earnestly desired not to meet. I gave in, and admitted that God was God, and knelt and prayed: perhaps, that night, the most dejected and reluctant convert in all of England."

Lewis went on to write a book titled, "Surprised by Joy" as a result of knowing God.

From the first words of God (“Where are You?”) after Adam and Eve sinned against him in the Garden to the end of the book of Revelation, the theme of the Biblical Scriptures is that God pursues people to worship Him.

What do you think? Does this point toward a personal God?

Quoted and Adapted from Source.

John 3:16 Commercial During the NFL Playoffs!

noreply@blogger.com (Sacred Outfitter) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 22:15:00 +0000

The best part of the Broncos and Patriots game last night was the John 3:16 Commercial from Focus on the Family. I was cheering!

Thank you Focus on the Family!

What do you think? Why not pass it on to a friend...

Who is the Holy Spirit?

noreply@blogger.com (Sacred Outfitter) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 04:20:00 +0000

A few words on the Holy Spirit. Here is a quick guide to who the Holy Spirit (H.S.) is and does. Use is as a devotional and look up the verses to gain a better understanding of the Holy Spirit.

The H.S. is a person, not a distant thing or power (John 14:17, Matthew 28:19, 2 Corinthians 13:14).

The H.S. is God. He is co-equal with Father and Son as One God (Acts 5:3-4).

The H.S. is eternal and holy. This makes our bodies holy sanctuaries for the Lord (John 14:16, Hebrews 9:14, Romans 1:4, 5:5).

The H.S. has his own mind and he prays for us (Romans 8:27).

The H.S. has emotions. We are not to grieve the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 63:10, Ephesians 4:30).

The H.S. has his own desires and will (1 Corinthians 12:11)

The H.S. drives an Omni car (He is omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient) (Zechariah 4:6, Psalm 139:7-8, 1 Corinthians 2:10, Isaiah 40:13).

Working with the Holy Spirit, who lives inside of you as a believer in Jesus Christ:

The H.S. helps us speak (Mark 13:11, Luke 12:12).

The H.S. teaches and reminds us what we need to know (Psalm 143:10, John 14-16, Acts 9:31, 13:2, 15:28, 1 Corinthians 2:9-10, 1 John 5:6-8).

The H.S. gives us power to be his witnesses. He draws unbelievers to himself and believers closer to Jesus (Acts 1:8, Romans 8:26, Ephesians 3:16-19).

The H.S. sets us free from sin (Romans 8:2).

The H.S. helps us grow in intimacy with the Father. We have been adopted (Romans 8:15-16).

The H.S. convicts people of sin (John 16:7-11, 1 Thessalonians 1:5).

The H.S. gives us life and freedom, not slavery and bondage (Romans 8:10-11, 2 Corinthians 3:17).

The H.S. gives us hope, peace and joy (Romans 15:13).

The H.S. gives us gifts to use in the church or body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:7).

The H.S. bears fruit in our lives that others should see and experience (2 Corinthians 3:18, Galatians 5:22-23).

What do you think?

Who are the Best Christian Apologists Today?

noreply@blogger.com (Sacred Outfitter) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 17:30:00 +0000

From Apologetics315, here is a good list of Christian Apologists (i.e. tools) and their links to learn more about them and their webpages.

Get to know 100 Christian apologists. Most are current. Some are dead. A couple are very old. Some are not popular. They range from world-class philosophers and thinkers to internet and radio apologists. But all have made an impact with their works and ministries. They are in alphabetical order. (This is not a top 100, and theologians and church fathers have been left out.)

1. Kerby Anderson - VP of International Society of Christian Apologetics.
2. John Ankerberg - Founder of Ankerberg Theological Research Institute; Great podcast.
3. Greg Bahnsen - the late great presuppositional apologist. Debated Gordon Stein.
4. Andy Bannister - London School of Theology / Oxford Centre for Christian apologetics.
5. Francis Beckwith - noted philosopher and apologist, especially in the area of ethics.
6. Ken Boa - relational evangelism, discipleship, apologetics.
7. Darrell Bock - Research Professor of NT Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary.
8. Joe Boot - apologist, educator, author and pastor.
9. Robert Bowman - noted apologetics and theology teacher (Biola)
10. Justin Brierley - host of Unbelievable? on Premier Christian Radio, UK.
11. Kyle Butt - staff at Apologetics Press and editor of Discovery magazine. DebatedBarker.
12. Ted Cabal - general editor of The Apologetics Study Bible.
13. Charlie Campbell - itinerant apologist and head of AlwaysBeReady.com.
14. Ergun Caner - provost Arlington Baptist College; author.
15. Edward John Carnell - was a prominent and influential Christian theologian and apologist.
16. G.K. Chesterton - famous author, philosopher, theologian, apologist.
17. David K. Clark - apologist with notable books; teaches at Bethel Seminary
18. Gordon Clark - Christian philosopher, apologist, and theologian. Contemporary of Van Til.
19. Kelly James Clark - notable philosopher of religion, author; Calvin College.
20. Gene Cook - host of UnchainedRadio; reformed pastor and apologist. Owns a pit bull.
21. Paul Copan - Philosophy and ethics; noted apologist and author.
22. Winfried Corduan - Christian philosopher of religion; noted author.
23. Steven B. Cowan - Associate director of Apologetics Resource Center; Areopagus Journal
24. William Lane Craig - philosopher, theologian, apologist; Debater par excellence.
25. Dinesh D’Souza - writer, speaker, debater. Various notable debates.
26. William Dembski - philosopher of science and mathematician; ID theorist.
27. William Edgar - Professor of Apologetics Westminster Theological Seminary; jazz pianist.
28. Lenny Esposito - founder of ComeReason apologetics ministry.
29. C. Stephen Evans - philosophy of religion; apologetics; great author. Baylor.
30. Paul D. Feinberg - the late philosopher of religion and apologist; author.
31. Harold Felder - founder of GivingAnAnswer apologetics ministry.
32. Phil Fernandes - Christian philosopher, apologist, debater. Tremendous audio resources.
33. John Frame - Reformed Theological Seminary; reformed apologist; Van Til expert.
34. Norman Geisler - prolific author of over 70 books; Classical apologist.
35. R. Douglas Geivett - Professor of Philosophy Talbot Department of Philosophy / Biola
36. Simon Greenleaf - legal scholar famous for his book Testimony of the Evangelists.
37. Douglas Groothuis - Christian philosopher, author, teacher.
38. Shandon L. Guthrie - philosophy, apologetics, atheism, comparative religions, ethics.
39. Gary Habermas - the world's foremost expert on the resurrection of Jesus.
40. Hank Hanegraaff - today's Bible Answer Man.
41. Craig Hazen - director of Biola's Christian Apologetics program.
42. J.P. Holding - founded Tektonics apologetics website; author.
43. Anthony Horvath - Athanatos Christian Ministries and online Apologetics Academy.
44. Phillip E. Johnson - one of the key leaders of the Intelligent Design movement.
45. Walter Kaiser - scholar, writer, educator, and distinguished Professor of Old Testament.
46. Timothy Keller - urban pastor and apologist noted for his clear communication.
47. Greg Koukl - apologist and president of Stand to Reason; excellent radio program.
48. Peter Kreeft - professor of philosophy at Boston College, noted apologist.
49. John Lennox - philosopher of science, mathematician, Oxford debater of Dawkins.
50. C.S. Lewis - famous author, lecturer, apologist; Narnia books, Mere Christianity.
51. Gordon Lewis - philosopher and theologian; author of Testing Christianity's Truth Claims.
52. Mike Licona - historian and apologist; authority on the resurrection of Jesus.
53. Bruce Little - philosopher noted for work on the problem of evil and theodicy.
54. Paul Little - late apologist and author noted for his simple style and easy communication.
55. David Marshall - world cultures, outspoken against new atheism.
56. Walter Martin - most famous for his Kingdom of the Cults book; the original Answer Man.
57. Stuart McAllister - Scottish itinerant cultural apologist with RZIM.
58. Josh McDowell - famous for Evidence that Demands a Verdict.
59. Sean McDowell - worldview youth minister / itinerant apologist.
60. Alex McFarland - itinerant apologist targeting young people, teens.
61. Alister McGrath - Oxford professor of theology, author and opponent of new atheism.
62. Chad Meister - philosopher of religion, ethics, logic; apologist, author; Bethel College.
63. Angus Menuge - Concordia University professor of philosophy.
64. Stephen Meyer -philosopher of science, intelligent design theorist, author.
65. Albert Mohler - president of SBTS, worldview cultural commentator, author, radio host.
66. John Warwick Montgomery - perhaps the most famous evidentialist apologist.
67. J.P. Moreland - Christian philosopher, noted author, apologist.
68. Ronald Nash - Professor Philosophy and Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary
69. Randall Niles - itinerant and multimedia apologist.
70. David Noebel - founder of Summit Ministries and worldview apologist.
71. Scott Oliphint - Professor of Apologetics and Systematic Theology WTS72. Amy Orr-Ewing - Director of Training of the Zacharias Trust.
73. Craig Parton - trial lawyer and noted Lutheran apologist.
74. Alvin Plantinga - world-class philosopher; reformed epistemology, philosophy of religion.
75. Doug Powell - excellent multimedia apologist at SelflessDefense.
76. Michael Ramsden - European Director of Zacharias Trust, speaker for RZIM.
77. Fazale Rana - PhD biochemist with Reasons to Believe.
78. Ron Rhodes - author and apologist founder of Reasoning from the Scriptures.
79. John W. Robbins - reformed apologist, founder of Trinity Foundation.
80. Mark D. Roberts - pastor, author, speaker, blogger. Emphasis in NT / Gospels.
81. David Robertson - Scottish pastor famous/notorious for his Dawkins Letters.
82. Hugh Ross - astrophysicist apologist and old Earth creationist; founder Reasons to Believe.
83. Kenneth Samples - reformed philosopher, theologian, apologist with Reasons to Believe.
84. Francis Schaeffer - famous late cultural apologist, author, philosopher; founder ofL'Abri.
85. Mary Jo Sharp - author, apologist, debater; founder of Confident Christianity.
86. James Sire - influential worldview author, apologist, and speaker.
87. Matt Slick - founder of CARM.org, one of the best apologetics encyclopedias on the web.
88. R.C. Sproul - notable theologian, author, and classical apologist.
89. Don Stewart - prolific author, apologist, and host of the Bible Explorer.
90. Lee Strobel - journalist famous for his Case for Christ series of books; popular apologist.
91. Richard Swinburne - world-class Oxford philosopher of religion; author.
92. Frank Turek - itinerant apologist and founder of CrossExamined; debated Hitchens.
93. Cornelius Van Til - the most famous presuppositional reformed apologist.
94. Jim Wallace - cold case detective, pastor, and apologist; excellent podcast.
95. James White - theologian, author, prolific debater, and reformed apologist.
96. Dallas Willard - Christian philosopher; notable works in philosophy, discipleship,
97. Peter S. Williams - Christian philosopher; notable works countering Dawkins
98. Douglas Wilson - presuppositional apologist; number of atheist debates (Hitchens, Barker)
99. N.T. Wright - Bishop of Durham; notable work on the resurrection.
100. Ravi Zacharias -perhaps today's most notable international cultural apologist.

Who would you add to the list? Why?

What are Some Good Apologetics Podcasts?

noreply@blogger.com (Sacred Outfitter) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 00:32:00 +0000

From Apologetics315.com.

Worth tuning in and listening!

1. Reasonable Faith - William Lane Craig - iTunes | Feed
2. Defenders - William Lane Craig - iTunes | Feed
3. Unbelievable? - Justin Brierley - iTunes | Feed
4. Straight Thinking - Kenneth Samples - iTunes | Feed
5. Stand to Reason - Greg Koukl - iTunes | Feed
6. Please Convince Me - J. Warner Wallace - iTunes | Feed
7. I Didn't Know That - Reasons to Believe - iTunes | Feed
8. Issues, Etc. - iTunes | Feed
9. Cross Examined - Frank Turek - iTunes | Feed
10. Hope's Reason - iTunes | Feed
11. Peter S Williams - iTunes | Feed
12. Come Let Us Reason - Lenny Esposito - iTunes | Feed
13. Just Thinking - Ravi Zacharias - iTunes | Feed
14. Let My People Think - Ravi Zacharias - iTunes | Feed
15. Christian Persuaders - iTunes | Feed
16. Apologetics.com Radio Show - iTunes | Feed

What would you add?

What do you think?

Why Did Jesus Perform Miracle Healings?

noreply@blogger.com (Sacred Outfitter) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 15:45:00 +0000

Here is an opening question for you to think about as we jump back into the Gospel of Matthew; Why do you think Jesus performed miracle healings? The answer to this question will set the stage for Jesus’ healing ministry.

Matthew leaves off with some summary verses at the end of the Sermon on the Mount saying, “When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law” (7:28-29). This leads into Matthew thematic (not necessarily chronological) approach giving examples of Jesus’ works being authoritative just like his words (i.e. Sermon on the Mount). This was done to authenticate the messenger who was the long awaited Messiah.

Matthew illustrates Jesus authority as Messiah, the Son of God by supernatural healings in the man with Leprosy, a servant of the Centurion, Peter’s Mother in Law and others. The emphasis of these miraculous healings is on Jesus, the King of the Kingdom, not on those healed. This is illustrated by Matthew’s ending quote from Isaiah 53:4, the fulfillment of another prophesy in Jesus.

I. A Leper (vs.1-4).

¹ When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. ² A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

³ Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. ⁴ Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

Jesus came down from where the Sermon on the Mount was preached and lots of people where still following him. (I would too after hearing that teaching!) The Jews despised Leprosy. Anyone who came in contact was considered ceremonially unclean, so they used to throw stones to keep Lepers away and the Leper was required to yell “Unclean, Unclean” as they came near people (Leviticus 13-14). To be a leper was considered a curse from God (Numbers 12:10). Healings for Lepers was rare (Numbers 12:10-15). Healing leprosy was considered as difficult as raising the dead to the Jew (2 Kings 5:7, 14).

In verse 2, the man knelt or worshipped Jesus, saying “If you are willing…” The Leper did not question is Jesus was able, but if he would pass him by. By touching a Leper, Jesus would make himself ceremonially unclean (Lev. 13-14), but at Jesus’ touch, nothing remains defiled. Jesus makes the Unclean, now clean. But touching the Leper, Jesus did not become Leprous himself. Both Jesus word and touch are effective – his authority is in the Message and Himself.

In verse 4, Jesus tells him “not tell anyone” is a sign of him not being ready for this Messiah Message to go fully public. “Show to priest” is Jesus is doing more than just obeying the Law. The law is being fulfilled in Him!

Jesus is not just a Miracle Worker or a man with the gift of healing. That is not the point. He is Messiah. His authority comes from God alone. The crowds would want him to go public, but they just had a Materialist and Political view of the Kingdom.

II. The Centurion’s Servant (vs.5-13).

⁵ When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. ⁶ “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.”

⁷ Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?”

⁸ The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. ⁹ For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

¹⁰ When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. ¹¹ I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. ¹² But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

¹³ Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that moment.

This is the second miraculous healing event and Matthew’s second mention of Capernaum (4:13). Now, Centurions were the military backbone throughout the Roman Empire. Centurions maintained discipline and exercised orders to be carried out to the people.

In verses 6-7, Jewish Rabbis are often invited to pray for the sick, but the Centurion is asking for healing not prayers in this case. Jesus’ question, “Shall I come and heal him?” was a test for the Centurion to find out what degree of faith he had.

The centurion believed that Jesus’ word was sufficient to heal his servant. Up to this point we have no recorded “distance healing” by Jesus or just “by his word alone.”

The statement by the Centurion is interesting. He is attributing Jesus’ authority as from God alone and thus when Jesus spoke, it was God speaking. To defy Jesus was to defy God. As much as Jesus being God has taken on human emotions, he is astonished at the Centurion’s faith. The surprising characteristic here is that the Centurion is a Gentile without the Jewish background to understand Messiah has come.

In verses 12-13, Jesus is referring to the “Messianic Banquet” – imagery from Isaiah 25:6-9, but the difference is that Gentiles will be present at the table. This was a sign that the Kingdom is coming and will consummate soon! This is a sign that the Jews are set aside and the Gentiles are taking their place. This is not a permanent issue, as the Patriarchs were Jews themselves. The hearers of Jesus would have seen that again the mission is to the whole world, not just the Jews, but Gentiles too.

It is important to understand that Jesus did not perform a miracle based on the proportion of the Centurion’s faith or because of the Centurion’s faith, but in content what was expected by the Centurion’s Faith. Jesus’ performed the miracle healings to authenticate himself as Messiah by grace.

III. Peter’s Mom in Law (vs. 14-15).

¹⁴ When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. ¹⁵ He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.

Quick. Was Peter married? Peter was married (1 Cor. 9:5) and had moved from Bethsaida to Capernaum with his brother Andrew (John 1:44). She had a fever and Jews were prohibited to touch someone with a fever. It would defile the healer. Jesus’ authority instantly accomplishes what he wills to take place.

IV. Many More Healings (vs. 16-17).

¹⁶ When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. ¹⁷ This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

“He took up our infirmities
and bore our diseases.”

More healings occurred to authenticate Jesus as Messiah. Verse 17 is more fulfillment of prophesy in Jesus (Isaiah 53:4). Ultimately the fulfillment comes in the Atonement of Christ on the cross. But, there is still future fulfillment in our Resurrected bodies and heavenly glorification. This is not a text for “living your best life now” getting all of your blessings today, but there is forgiveness and spiritual healing for those whose sins are forgiven and guaranteed fulfillment when Jesus returns to take us home.

Conclusion/Questions/Comments:

Jesus heals the Outcasts in these verses.
He shows Messianic Compassion and Cures Problems Immediately which makes him Special.
Summary Statement links him to the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53:4.
Healing and Atonement:

Some suggest that we should expect full healing today because of the Atonement of Christ on the Cross.
The Christian and Missionary Alliance Denomination holds that we are to expect this benefit now, although it is not always God’s will to heal.
The Pentecostal Denomination holds that healing is part of the Church’s three-fold mission: Teaching, Preaching and Healing.
The Non-healing position holds that God heals through the physician’s knowledge and at times through supernatural agency, but that healing was not directly in the atonement.

i. Jesus fulfilled Isaiah 53:4 in his earthly ministry.

ii. Paul was not healed of his thorn in the flesh (2 Cor. 12:8-10).

iii. Believers must await the final resurrection to experience the physical benefits of Christ’s redemptive work.

Final Observations:

There is provision within the work of Christ for the complete redemption of the body.

We are to pray for those who are sick (James 5:14-16).

Certain Scriptures support the concept that there are times when it is not God’s will for someone to be healed (2 Kings 13:14; 2 Cor. 12:7-9; 1 Tim. 5:23)

Questions to Contemplate:

What comes to mind when you think of miraculous healing?

What makes the healings by Jesus in these verses special?

What do these verses teach us about the ministry of Jesus?

How can the authority Jesus demonstrated in these verses help you this week in your daily walk with him?

What do these passages teach us about God?

What do you think?

Need a Fresh Start this New Year?

noreply@blogger.com (Sacred Outfitter) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 15:51:00 +0000

Why not think about something new this New Year?

Think about this question with me.

Are You Good Enough to Go To Heaven?

I know. It is a big question isn’t it? Maybe you have never thought about this before. I think it would be worth thinking about today! The key two words in this question are "good" and "enough". Many people think they are pretty good. We do a "good" job comparing ourselves to other people to make ourselves feel better about ourselves, but let's be honest. How good are you?

There was a man in the Bible who was wrestling with this same question. He had an appointment with Jesus on the road. The story is recorded in Luke 18:18-27. It says,

¹⁸ A certain ruler asked Jesus, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” ¹⁹ “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. ²⁰ You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’” ²¹ “All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said. ²² When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” ²³ When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy. ²⁴ Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵ Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” ²⁶ Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?” ²⁷ Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

The real question the man was asking is “What do I do to inherit eternal life?” This is an important question, but the man should have been asking another question. Apparently, according to Jesus, some will get eternal life and some will not get it.

Do you want to get eternal life? That is in part to spend forever in heaven without pain, suffering, full of peace, love, joy? There will be no more "drama", tension, miscommunication with relationships in perfect harmony again (like the Garden of Eden in Genesis 1-2). And God is there.

This is what this story in Luke 18 is all about. The man says, “What must I do to get Eternal Life?” Or what must I DO to get heaven? This man does not come to Jesus with humility or open handed, but with pride and arrogance. He thought he needed to DO something.

Jesus gives this man a little review of the Ten Commandments. Do you know the Ten Commandments? Have you heard of the BIG TEN? They come from a book in the Bible called Exodus in Chapter 20. It says, “And God spoke all these words, saying: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.”

Here are the Big Ten on the heart of God with some questions for all of us to contemplate.

1. You shall have no other gods before me.(Have you made God First in your life? Do you love God with all of your heart?)

2. You shall not make for yourself any carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. (Have you ever kind of made a god to suit your own desires? Make god into who you want him to be rather than who he really is)

3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.(Have you ever used God’s name as a swear word?)

4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. (Do you take a day of the week and set it aside for worshipping God?)

5. Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you. (Have you always honored your mom and dad? Would they say you are always respectful and loving toward them?)

6. You shall not murder. (Have you ever murdered someone? Jesus said that if we hate someone in our heart, God calls us a murderer?)

7. You shall not commit adultery.(Anyone cheated on their spouse here? Jesus said if you look at a boy or girl lustfully, you have committed adultery in your heart)

8. You shall not steal.(Have you ever stolen something…even a small something?)

9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. (Have you ever lied?)

10. You shall not covet. (Have you ever wanted someone elses stuff – iPod, Car, Video Game, House, Outfit)?

This man was saying, “I am not perfect Jesus, but I am pretty good. I have kept these pretty well!” Jesus was deeply concerned that the man had broken just one of these commandments. I think I have broken all of these commandments many times! That's right. I am guilty! The Bible says that if anyone has broken these commandments one time than they can’t go to heaven! Did you see that? If you are guilty of one commandment, one time, you are fully guilty and can't go to heaven having eternal life. We can't compare ourselves to others on the imaginary "good scale", but we must compare ourselves to God and his standard (i.e. the Ten Commandments).

Have you kept the Ten Commandments perfectly?

Paul says in Romans 3:23 that, “All have sinned and fallen short of the Kingdom of God.” We all fall short of God's glory of perfection. He is Holy.

Have you ever lied? Stolen? Used God’s Name as a cuss word? That makes you (and I) a lying, blaspheming thief. Strong words, but true. If you and I have done these things, does that make us innocent or guilty before God?

Guilty!

If I ran a red light, got pulled over by a police officer and given a ticket, am I innocent or guilty?

Guilty!

God came up with this list of Ten Commandments to show us that we need help, that we fall short, that we are in trouble.

God requires that we be perfect (or righteous) to have a relationship with Him! None of us is perfect. Right? So, we ask the same question the disciples asked Jesus when they said, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus answers, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

The Bible says that if we are guilty before God, we will not get to go to heaven and we will not get eternal life with God forever. This puts us outside of heaven and inside a very real hell because we are guilty before God.

Let me ask you another question, "Do you like justice?"

If a person who murdered someone came before a Judge and the Judge decided to let him go free, no jail time, no community service you would say, that is crazy! That is not justice. That is right. There needs to be justice. We tend to like justice when it is for others, but have trouble when we are the one who is guilty and this time we are guilty before God.

In the same way, we can’t be declared innocent, not guilty of our mistakes against God. He can’t set us free just because. Love can't just set us free because we are still guilty of our sin against Him. There needs to be justice! Don’t you think?

Maybe you would say, but I am not as bad as that person over there. You should hear what they have done. Okay, maybe I am not perfect, but I am not as bad as that.

When I was in high school, my friend figured out how to get all the answers for the English Final Exam. The Teacher gave us the test ahead of time to study in class. We were to turn the test back in at the end of the class and come back next week for the test. My friend took one of the tests, dropped it out of the window on the second floor, after school picked it up, took it home to study and aced the test. He stole and cheated.

I had another friend and before he came to know Jesus, he murdered someone. That's right. He took someone else's life and was in deep darkness. He had to go to jail for his crime.

Now, which is worse stealing, cheating or murder? The answer is...they are all the same in God’s site. They all broke God’s law (the Ten Commandments) and fall short of God’s perfection. There are no little and big sins to God. Did you know there was a man in the Bible named Paul who was a serial murderer before he came to know Jesus as his Savior.

If you were honest in your heart, you would say that you have sinned against God. Does that concern you?

If God is just, he has to punish our sin.
If God were loving, he would have to help us out of this predicament.

AND THAT IS WHAT GOD DID BECAUSE OF HIS GREAT LOVE FOR YOU!

His Son, Jesus Christ came to earth, lived a perfect life, and died as a perfect sacrifice for our sins on a cross as your substitute. He took your place. You deserved to die for your sins, but Jesus paid the ransom for you. He did not sin, but he took our sins on him offering forgiveness to us.

This is free! You don't need to clean up your act, get a little better, and become good before accepting this free gift of grace. Come as you are.

If we Believe in Jesus and Receive His forgiveness for your sins as your substitute, you will know for sure that you are saved going to heaven for all of eternity. Now you are in a right relationship with God and that makes you righteous!

God has to punish our sins against Him. God had to have a perfect person take our place. Jesus did it. It is like God the Judge asked for a payment and Jesus paid our price for us – FOR FREE.

Unfortunately, the Rich Young Man in our story did not believe and receive Jesus, but turned and walked away. Don’t do that! Humble your heart and come to God!

All we need to do is Believe and Receive this Free Gift of Jesus to have your mistakes against God forgiven! If you have never believed Jesus as your Savior, would you like to now as this New Year starts!

Just tell him you believe in Him, you want to receive him as your Savior so your sins against God are forgiven.

Grab this great grace and run into the New Year.

If you have believed and received Jesus as your Savior, now keep coming back to this blog for spiritual help and growth. Do a search for topics you would like to learn about on this blog and keep growing. Join a healthy Bible believing and teaching church like Foothills Bible Church. Blessings on your journey with him.

As always, if you have comments or questions, just let me know. I would love to talk with you.

Happy New Year!

What do you think?

Live in the Denver Area? Would You Like to Support a Ministry Connecting with the Colorado Rapids?

noreply@blogger.com (Sacred Outfitter) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 20:13:00 +0000

Do you live in the Denver Area?

Do you like Food and Futbol?

Come on by the Highlands Ranch Chick-fil-A (see below) to support the ministry of CrossTraining, a ministry coming alongside the Colorado Rapids and Portland Timbers MLS Professional Soccer Teams. For more information and how to support CrossTraining go here.

I would love your support, as I am one of the Associate Chaplains for the Colorado, Rapids.

SEE YOU ON DECEMBER 31!

Live in the Denver Area? Need Apologetics Training?

noreply@blogger.com (Sacred Outfitter) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 22:53:00 +0000

Coming to Foothills Bible Church is "Apologetics 101", a three week crash course in defending the faith. We will cover the three biggest objections to Christianity and how to present a reasonable defense. Much more will be covered too.

If you are interested, EMAIL Pastor Jeff Baxter to register for this FREE class on Sunday nights, January 15, 22, and 29 from 6:30-8pm!

Bring a friend to this exciting class!

Register quickly, space is limited, and there is no childcare.

Questions? Email Pastor Jeff. Take a look here for more details.

Another "Fearless Evangelism Class" will be coming in February 2012!

Blessings on the journey to Defending the Gospel!

Need Evangelism and Apologetics Help Online? Go Here!

noreply@blogger.com (Sacred Outfitter) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 22:34:00 +0000

Ten Great Evangelism and Apologetic websites heading into 2012.

They originally were posted over here at Come Reason. Thanks for posting Lenny Esposito.

If you need some training, resources, encouragement to share the good news of Jesus Christ and defend the faith to those who are wondering about the things that matter most, go checkout these sites.

Reasonable Faith Reasonable Faith is the nonprofit ministry of philosopher and theologian Dr. William Lane Craig, who is simply one of the most active defenders of the faith today. Craig's many debates against the most stalwart of atheists have become legendary, so much so that after debating the recently deceased Christopher Hitchens, an atheist web site remarked "Craig spanked Hitchens like a foolish child." Not content to rest only in the US, Bill's traveled the world over, recently getting back from a very successful tour of the UK where in the space of ten days he presented five debates and at least eight more lectures and interviews to a largely secular public. His clear thinking and scholastic ability are unmatched.
Support Reasonable Faith here
JP Moreland/Eidos Christian Center Another well-known figure in philosophy and Christian apologetics is Dr. J.P. Moreland, who authored the phenomenal Philosophical Foundations of a Christian Worldview (with Craig), Scaling the Secular City, and many other popular books. However, most people don't know that Moreland, as an in-demand speaker, also has his own nonprofit ministry, Eidos Christian Center. The main goal of the organization is to help support selected speakers and authors who are doing great work in promoting the Christian worldview. There are many churches and groups who may not be able to afford a speaker the caliber of Moreland, but Eidos seeks to stand in that gap, providing the funds necessary to get solid Christian thought into the minds of the larger culture. JP's been a huge influence on me in my growth as an apologist and his organization needs to be more recognized.
Support JP Moreland/Eidos Christian Center here.
Stand to Reason's Brett Kunkle & Alan Shlemon Stand to Reason is one of the flagship apologetics ministries in the country. Led by Greg Koukl, the team there is always providing top-notch teaching and material, whether on the radio, on the web, or in person. While STR is pretty well known, less so is its powerful student impact leader, Brett Kunkle and speaker Alan Shlemon. Kunkle has been doing a remarkable job with junior high and high school students, preparing them for the absolute war of worldviews they will face when heading off to college. He is the originator of the Apologetics Missions Trip concept; taking kids "in the field" to talk with atheists, Mormons, and others hostile to Christianity. Shlemon has been cutting his own path in focusing on cultural issues such as abortion, homosexual marriage, and Islam. Both gentlemen do not get paid by STR, but must raise their own support - so your gifts can mean quite a lot!
Support Brett Kunkle Support Alan Shlemon
Mike Licona/Risen JesusMike Licona has gained a rather elevated profile lately. In his monumental work, The Resurrection of Jesus: A New Historiographical Approach, Licona delivers over 700 pages of support for the contention that the resurrection of Christ is as strong a fact of ancient history as there ever can be. However, because he also honestly included a few paragraphs that explain his struggle with the best way to approach Matthew 27:52, he's been let go from his previous ministry position and is now creating his own apologetics nonprofit. Licona's scholarship is outstanding, with many talking about his book replacing N.T. Wright's The Resurrection of the Son of God as the new standard work on the topic. As a new organization, Licona really needs your support.
Support Mike Licona/Risen Jesus
Evangelical Philosophical Society If all your favorite apologists could be considered superheroes in battling worldviews, the Evangelical Philosophical Society would be the Hall of Justice where they all congregate. The EPS has done a stellar job putting out one of the top-ranked scholarly journals on the philosophy of religion (Philosophia Christi) as well as the annual EPS Meeting where scholars can meet and discuss the latest issues in the field of apologetics. Beyond the academic arena, they host the annual EPS Apologetics Conference, where each of the over 30 speakers present for free in order to keep the costs down for the general public. The EPS basically covers their costs with memberships and subscriptions, so any donations provide a bit of a cushion to the great work they do.
Support the EPS
Illustra Media We live in a visual age and if you want to get your message across, you will need to do so visually. Concepts such as the irreducible complexity of the bacterial flagellum or the origin of life are especially difficult to discuss without a model. Luckily, apologists have Illustra Media to handle the tough task of making compelling DVDs on such intricate topics - and they do so with beauty and finesse. Using computer animation along with interviews from high-visibility personalities such as Lee Strobel and Dr. Stephen Meyer, Illustra makes a compelling case for the Creator that is as faith affirming as it is awe inspiring. All this even though the two founders operate basically out of their house!
Support Illustra Media here
International Society for Women in Apologetics I know a lot of people think that the geeky ideas of textual criticism or the biological challenges to life's origin are not going to resonate with women, but there is a definite need for female apologists, and the ISWA is seeking to make that happen. When you think about it, who is the first person to hear questions from kids about what their teachers just taught them in school? It's going to be Mom, so Christian women better be trained in how to understand and effectively answer these issues. Sarah Ankenman has put together an organization seeking to speak the language of 52% of the population (that's ladies, friends) and provide insights that men simply don't have. We need more of these!
Support ISWA here
Mary Jo Sharp/Confident Christianity Speaking of women in apologetics, Mary Jo Sharp has not only embraced her calling, but she's running with full gusto. From conference speaker to author to a couple of very stimulating debates against Islamic scholars, Mary Jo and Confident Christianity are showing what an apologetics ministry with focus and purpose can accomplish - even with a miniscule budget. Her clear style resonates well with both students and women's groups. A donation here could help Confident Christianity cover travel expenses so she can reach even more people with a smart and winsome Christian faith.
Support Confident Christianity here
Ratio Christi Ratio Christi is a unique organization reaching out to college students. Rather than creating a whole new ministry, they leverage existing Christian clubs and study groups on college campuses and universities across the country, and pair them up with a trained apologist who can help answer the tough questions that students or their professors will invariably raise. The idea of meeting people where they are is practical and I love the idea of empowering apologists to come out of the study (or away from the computer screen) and meet real students with real needs.
Support Ratio Christi here.
Apologetics 315 Ever since Brian Auten got the itch to blog his apologetics homework back around 2007, Apologetics 315 has been one of the top resource sites for gathering and disseminating apologetics information. The weekly apologist interviews along with the Top 16 Apologetics podcasts and the growing list of apologetics ministries and materials put Brian at the forefront of internet resources for both apologists and lay people. The site doesn't yet have a donation function as it isn't a fully qualified nonprofit, but you may want to contribute anyway.
Contact Apologetics 315 here

Consider using their resources, books, lectures to get yourself up to speed in sharing the Gospel and Defending the Faith this coming year.

Who would you add to the list?

What do you think?

Merry Theological Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (Sacred Outfitter) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 17:23:00 +0000

Dietrich Bonhoeffer said,

"No priest, no theologian stood at the manger of Bethlehem. And yet all Christian theology has its origin in the wonder of all wonders: that God became human. Holy theology arises from knees bent before the mystery of the divine child in the stable.

Without the holy night, there is no theology. “God is revealed in flesh,” the God-human Jesus Christ—that is the holy mystery that theology came into being to protect and preserve.

How we fail to understand when we think that the task of theology is to solve the mystery of God, to drag it down to the flat, ordinary wisdom of human experience and reason! Its sole office is to preserve the miracle as miracle, to comprehend, defend, and glorify God’s mystery precisely as mystery. This and nothing else, therefore, is what the early church meant when, with never flagging zeal, it dealt with the mystery of the Trinity and the person of Jesus Christ…

If Christmas time cannot ignite within us again something like a love for holy theology, so that we—captured and compelled by the wonder of the manger of the Son of God—must reverently reflect on the mysteries of God, then it must be that the glow of the divine mysteries has also been extinguished in our heart and has died out."

Thanks for posting Digital Evangelism.

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What's Better than Gift Cards for Christmas?

noreply@blogger.com (Sacred Outfitter) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 15:49:00 +0000

What is better than gift cards this Christmas?

A different kind of gift.
A gift that lasts forever.
A gift that is free and frees you.
A gift that gets you off the hook.
A gift that keeps on giving.
A gift connected with the one who Created you and has a purpose for your life.

It is a free gift from God.

First, what gift are we talking about? A real man named Jesus Christ came to earth and died on a cross for the sins of the world so the wrath of God would not be against mankind. The problem is that we have all sinned and have God's anger against us.  Jesus' coming to earth and dieing on the cross for you and me was the best gift anyone could receive this Christmas and it came from the heart of God.

God's Gift is Free. Well, it really isn't free. Jesus Christ paid for the gift with his life when he died on that cross 2,000 years ago under Roman rule. The gift to us was not free to him. It was costly! It cost him his life. Jesus looked forward to going to the cross for our sins. The book of Hebrews says, "For the joy set before him, he endured the cross" (Hebrews 12:2). And he conquered death, by literally rising from the dead.

If we believe and receive this costly gift, Jesus Christ, you will be saved from your sin and receive forgiveness. That is good news!

Some would say you need to do something to get the gift. Maybe you have felt like you are not good enough now, but need to get a little better before finally coming to God. No! You don't need to do anything but believe in his Son Jesus. Some want to add works or "doing" to getting this prize, but that is not the case at all. It is free! It is by grace through faith you are saved, not by works (Ephesians 2:8-10). This does not make this "easy believism" or just "intellectual accent."

It is not easy to believe and receive Jesus as your Savior.
You need to know what he has done for you.
You need to understand what receiving him by faith means.
You need to be introduced to the Son of God.

That is what I am doing right now.

For some today (and for some in Biblical days), this is a hard calling by God, but God is the one drawing people to himself. You don't need to "clean up your act" before coming to faith in him as your savior. He has open arms, just asking you to embrace him.

Are you sensitive to his love for you?

Where in the Bible does it say, you don't need to do anything but believe Jesus to receive eternal life? Good question. Here are a few places to read and let sink into your soul (from the King James Version of the Bible). These are not "proof-texts", but the theme of the whole Bible using a few verses to illustrate the point. There are between 200-250 places in the Bible that specifically tell us to just "believe" in Jesus and you will be saved! It is amazing!

As you read, consider believing and receiving Jesus as your Savior today.

In the Gospel of John, you will never read the word, "repent". John, as the beloved of Jesus understood this free offer of eternal life. This is why he wrote the Gospel, so people would place their faith (trust or belief) in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Read John 20:31).

· John 1:12. "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name;"

· John 1:17. "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ."

· John 3:6. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."

· John 3:16. "...That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life."

· John 3:18. "He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

· John 3:27. "John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven."

· John 3:33. "He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true."

· John 3:36. "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."

· John 4:10. "Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water."

· John 4:14. "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."

· John 4:36. "And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together."

· John 5:24. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."

· John 5:39-40. "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life."

· John 6:29. "Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent."

· John 6:35. "And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst."

· John 6:37. "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."

· John 6:40. "And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day."

· John 6:47-51. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."

· John 6:54-58. "Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever."

· John 6:63. "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life."

· John 7:38-39. "He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)"

· John 8:24. "I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins."

· John 11:25-26. "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?"

· John 11:40. "Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?"

· John 12:46. "I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness."

· John 14:1. "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me."

· John 14:27. "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

· John 17:3. "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."

· John 17:20. "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;"

· John 20:29. "Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."

· John 20:31. "But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name."

The Gospel of Matthew was primarly written to a Jewish audience. Matthew stressed that our righteousness is a gift from God, not from us, but by the cross of Christ. We just need to believe and receive it. It is by faith.

· Matthew 5:19-20. "Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven."

· Matthew 9:2. "And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee."

· Matthew 9:22. "But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour."

· Matthew 11:28. "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

· Matthew 12:7-8. "But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day."

· Matthew 17:25-26. "He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers? Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free."

· Matthew 20:14-15. "Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?"

· Matthew 20:28. "Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many."

· Matthew 21:22. "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."

The Gospel of Mark is a fast-paced eyewitness account of Jesus' life and highlighting the faith of many.

· Mark 2:5. "When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee."

· Mark 5:34. "And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague."

· Mark 5:36. "As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe."

· Mark 9:23-24. "Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief."

· Mark 10:45. "For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many."

· Mark 10:52. "And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way."

· Mark 11:24. "Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them."

· Mark 16:16. "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."

The Gospel of Luke is another eyewitness account of Jesus works and words written by a doctor who has an eye for details. Again, faith is highlighted.

· Luke 7:50. "And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace."

· Luke 8:48. "And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace."

· Luke 8:50. "But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole."

· Luke 10:40-42. "But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her."

· Luke 11:13. "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?"

· Luke 17:19: "And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole."

· Luke 23:42-43. "And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise."

Paul wrote Romans in hope of going to Rome to share the good news of JEsus Christ with them. He provides a deeply theological book here.

· Romans 3:20-26. "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus."

· Romans 3:27-28. "Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law."

· Romans 3:30. "Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith."

· Romans 4:5-6. "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,"

· Romans 4:11-16. "And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised. For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect: Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression. Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,"

· Romans 4:23-25. "Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification."

· Romans 5:1-2. "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."

· Romans 5:9. "Much more than, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him."

· Romans 5:19-21. "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord."

· Romans 9:30-32. "What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;"

· Romans 10:4. "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth."

· Romans 10:9-11. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed."

· Romans 10:13. "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

· Romans 10:17. "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

· Romans 11:5-6. "Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work."

Paul has the same theme of "faith" to the church in Galatia.

· Galatians 2:4. "And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:"

· Galatians 2:16. "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."

· Galatians 2:21. "I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain."

· Galatians 3:2-3. "This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?"

· Galatians 3:11-14. "But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith."

· Galatians 3:22-26. "But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus."

· Galatians 4:30-31. "Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free."

· Galatians 5:1. "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."

· Galatians 5:4-6. "Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love."

Again, Paul has the same theme of grace and faith in Ephesians.

· Ephesians 1:7. "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;"

· Ephesians 2:8-9. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."

· Ephesians 3:12. "In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him."

Paul does it again in Colossians. It is not anything we do, but by God's grace. We just receive by faith.

· Colossians 2:20-23. "Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (Touch not; taste not; handle not; Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh."

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This is an overwhelming list of verses that point to the free gift of salvation. Just believe in Jesus Christ and his finished work on the cross and receive his gift of forgiveness. That's it. Free of charge this holiday season. That is much better than gift cards and you would loose this free gift. If you believe in faith in Jesus Christ, God will keep it safe (Jude 1).

Blessings to you and Merry Christmas from Sacred Outfitter!

What do you think?

Reflections on God's Christmas Gift, Christopher Hitchens and Kim Jong il

noreply@blogger.com (Sacred Outfitter) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 18:00:00 +0000

In the last several days two very influential world Atheist leaders have died. First Christopher Hitchens was an outspoken anti-God writer and debater. His brother Peter Hitchens, a Christian, would often debate his brother and has written about his brother's beliefs in his recent book, The Rage Against God. I recommend it. Christopher Hitchen's battle with cancer, lifestyle and death without God are tragic.

For another article on Christopher Hitchens go here.

Next Kim Jong il the North Korea dictator has died without God. Although he had a different kind of worldview sprinkled with superstitions, Atheism was his main view of God. Only the future will determine what happens next with this country.

For more on Kim Jong il's Diabolical Life go here.

As men who did not believe in God, nor Jesus as their Savior (at least by all human indications), this is heartbreaking. Why? Because the chance to be saved only happens in your lifetime.

Psalm 14:1 says, "The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.'" But this is not the end of the story. It is not 'good enough' to believe in "a god". That would have put Hitchens and Jong il on the right path toward the One True God, but that in itself is not the end.

The Bible shares that Jesus came to earth supernaturally by Virgin birth. He lived his life perfectly fulfilling the Old Testament prophecy and promises. He died on a cross for the sins of man against a holy God. God provided a way for us to have eternal forever salvation (i.e. Heaven) and not eternal forever damnation (i.e. Hell). Those that put their trust in Jesus are saved. That is it! Just believe and receive him as Savior. It is a free gift by grace. You don't need to "clean up" your life before coming to Jesus, just come now. It is God's Christmas present to you.

Take a look at these principles and verses from the Bible.

1. God is Holy and Just. Psalm 89:14 says, "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; mercy and truth go before your face". The One True God is completely perfect and without sin. As a matter a fact, he can't be in the presence of sin.

2. The Wages of Sin is Death. I John 3:4 tells us that "sin is a trangression of the law." Everyone has sinned. We have all broken at least one of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20. We are all guilty before God.

3. God is Rich in Mercy to all that Call on Him. Ephesians 2:4 says he has great love for us, but we need to come to him. God sent Jesus to take our place on the cross. He died for our sins, but we must receive his gift or it just sits there. Claim the gift.

4. Eternal Forever Life is in Christ Jesus. John 5:24 tells us that if you believe in Jesus you shall not be judged by your sins, but forgiven. There is only one who was good enough to die in your place. His name is Jesus.

Do not put it off.

Believe and Receive Jesus as your Savior now.

It would appear by human evidence that neither Christopher Hitchens nor Kim Jong il believed and received Jesus Christ as their Savior. That is what Christmas is all about. Jesus' birth so he could grow up to accomplish His mission to die for sinners. Why not accept this free gift today?

If you believe and receive Jesus as your Savior, I would love to hear about it and provide you with more help for your relationship with God. Leave a comment or email me. Blessings to you on the journey this Christmas!

What do you think?

*Some of these Biblical principles come from Living Waters Publications.

How to Use the Tim Tebow SNL Skit in Sharing the Gospel?

noreply@blogger.com (Sacred Outfitter) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 15:34:00 +0000

Controversy is swirling around Saturday Night Live's (SNL) Tim Tebow skit last weekend. As a believer in Jesus, the first time I saw it was a struggle, because it is making fun of my very real and living Savior of the World. I know Him by the Holy Spirit in connection with the Word of God (i.e. the Bible), so it was difficult to see him mocked so blatently, but this is what the world does. Yes, I recognized it was satire, comedy and thus takes things over the top for laughs, but what is really happening here? Some would say I (and all other Christians) need to just lighten up, but what if your wife, husband, child or best friend was made fun of on SNL like Tim Tebow, Jesus, and Christianity were made fun of? How would you respond if it was all grossly misrepresented and mocked something you deeply love and base your whole life on?

Lets think deeply.

What is this skit communicating? It is not just about Tim Tebow's faith, but Christianity as a whole. After I got over the initial shock and grief, I decided to turn it around for good asking the question, "How can I use this to engage in spiritual conversations with those who do not know Jesus as Savior?"

I encourage you to do the same.

I would like us to look at the skit pointing out the obvious and not so obvious flaws about Christianity and suggest using it to engage in conversation around the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Watch the video looking at it through the lens of the world and how they protray Tim Tebow, Christianity, Jesus, God, Prayer, Mormanism and the like. What do you see and hear? How are all of these represented?

After watching, take a look at my notes below.

Here are my observations:

In the SNL skit, Tim Tebow is scene as a hyper, whimpy, fragile, little insecure kid, and dysfunctional leader when in reality TT is a man's man. He has been characterized as a "tight end playing QB." He is 6'3'' and a full 236 pounds of muscle. His character capacity is as strong as his bench press. TT's (and the whole team and coaching staff) work ethic and strong leadership passion is why the broncos are in every game till the end. The actor in the skit is nothing like the real Tim Tebow, not even close. Tim is a growing Christian, not perfect, but passionate for his Lord and Savior. Tim Tebow would not say, "He is risen" when Jesus shows up in the skit. Why? Because Tim knows that Jesus Christ has already risen from the dead conquering death so that we might have life. It is too bad that this portrayal of Tebow is so far off.

The Bible is represented as one of many options for authority. Tim says, "the Bible is his playbook" and "Jesus" pushes it off as a bad idea. In reality, the Word of God is inspired, inerrant and authoritative for life and Godliness, not some second option or just a "good book." It is much more.

Jesus is represented the same way as TT (and the rest of the Bronco's team in the skit). He is this feminine, whimpy, laid-back, jello spined, emotional guy who might be your fuzzy friend, but not the Savior of the world. This is not the Jesus of the Bible who was the Son of God in human flesh. He was both Truth and love. On one hand blasting the Pharisees for their hypocritical living and on the other meeting humble people with love. Certainly, Jesus is not causing the Denver Broncos to win or lose football games, so the real Jesus is not going to take credit for the Bronco's wins (as some have thought!). Tim Tebow knows that Jesus is not causing the Bronco's to win. In fact, Tim Tebow was microphone up a few weekends ago and was recorded praying by not for a win or loss (see video at end for the real Tebow). Certainly, God cares about a Christian's influence in the world using the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but not wins and losses. The skit also protray's Jesus as too busy to really be involved in people's lives (only in the 4th quarter). Jesus, the Lord and Savior from the Biblical Scriptures is available 24/7/365 to all who want to talk to him. He would never say that he would have to "drop things" out of inconvenience to come to someones aid or "go where he is called on the most" (with socks exposed). He is God, so he is not limited with space and time, but has a heart of compassion and love for the world. He came to the earth to die on a cross for our sins against a Holy and Just God. Without Jesus as our Savior, we are doomed. The parting words that Mormons are right is absolutely untrue according to the Biblical Scriptures.

Jesus mentions that Tim Tebow was too close to him and said, "leave room for the Holy Ghost." This might be funny, but untrue. First, Jesus never pushed anyone away for being "too close" and the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, that is fully God. This is not the way the "Jesus character" represented the Holy Spirit in the skit.

Jesus hints at Tim Tebow "being in everyone's face about" his relationship with Jesus and tells him to "take it down a notch" at the end. First, Jesus would never tell Tim Tebow to be ashamed of the Gospel. Second, I commend Tim Tebow for standing up for the Truth that Jesus is His Lord and Savior, when the SNL skit would try to communicate to Tim (and the world) that he should back off from being so open about his faith.

Jesus is not 2010 years old. He is Eternal.

Prayer is presented as a magic wand that you waive and Jesus (if he is not busy) will show up to save the day. This is not authentic communnication with God the Father. Prayer is not a magic weapon or mystical experience, it is communication with the One who Created us and Sustains us. He is more concerned about our connection with him by the Holy Spirit and in our study and obiednece in the Word of God than anything else. And Jesus does not pray to a person (i.e. Matt Prater). That is complete mockery of the Son of God.

Overall the message as the "Jesus Character" said is for the Broncos (and people) to "help themselves". The saying, "God helps those who help themselves" is popular, but completely unbiblical. God helps those who are broken, depraved, completely sinful right where they are. This is his grace. We do nothing to deserve it. Jesus Christ as Savior is completely a free gift to just believe and receive. There is no helping yourself out before coming to Jesus. Just place your faith in Him!

By the way, I don't expect SNL to mock Muslims, Buddihists, Hindus, Mormans, Jehovah Witnesses or any other Worldview anytime soon. This causes us to raise the question, why take on Christianity SNL? Well, Christianity is True and holds the answers to the most profound questions. It gives us the reason for our existance today and after we die. No other Worldview or Belief System gives us ultimate hope. If we accept Jesus as our Savior by believing and receiving, we will know we have eternal life. There are no other options or doors. Jesus is the "way, truth and life, no one comes to the Father accept by him."

The SNL skit certainly did not give us that feeling, but use this as an opportunity of engagement with the culture who thinks the way Tim Tebow, Jesus, Christianity and Salvation were protrayed in the skit are real. They are more like reality television that is not real with cameras all around. We have the Truth that can set people free from their sins if they accept Jesus as their Savior.

Go share this Christmas!

What did you see in the skit?

Here is Tim Tebow Mic'ed up for NFL football. He loves Jesus!

What do you think?

Does the Christian Faith Have to Hang onto the Virgin Birth?

noreply@blogger.com (Sacred Outfitter) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000

As we approach Christmas, the supernatural conception of Mary is back up for grabs. Many do not believe the Christian Faith needs to hold onto the Virgin Birth as an essential doctrine of the faith. So, do we? Is it that important? I believe it absolutely essential and if we take the Virgin Birth of Jesus away, we have lost the whole faith. Let's take a look...

Let me give you five reasons from Luke 1:26-45 on why believing Jesus was born of a Virgin is absolutely essential for our Christian Faith to hold intact. As a follower of Jesus, you and I should defend it at all costs.

First, because it gives Jesus the credibility to go to the Cross for sinners.

If Jesus was not born of a Virgin and conceived of the Holy Spirit, He would not be a sufficient sacrifice to atone for our sins. He would be a flawed substitute! He would be just a human who is sinful with defect, but born of the Holy Spirit puts him in the perfect camp, a lamb without defect. Starting in verse 26 Luke shares, ²⁶ In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, ²⁷ to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸ The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” ²⁹ Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. ³⁰ But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. ³¹ You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. ³² He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, ³³ and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

What does ...
“Son will be called Jesus +
Son of the Most High +
Throne of David +
Reign over Jacob’s Descendants Forever +
His Kingdom will never End” =

MESSIAH! (Ding, Ding, Ding!).

This is not just any Son you are going to give birth to Mary! This Son is going to rescue people from their sins! He is the Atoning Sacrifice. Without the Virgin Birth there is no Atoning Sacrifice. Jesus came to save the world from their sins!That was his mission on earth, to die on a cross. He affirmed that he was God throughout his earthly ministry. Without the Virgin Birth, he could not have declared himself God. He had to be born supernaturally from God to be God. He could not have been born of two human beings to be qualified to be the Savior of the World. Another sinful human can’t take away sins! But Jesus was not some ordinary human!

Theologian H. Douglas Buckwalter says, “The theological value of the virgin birth is that it happened. To strip it of its supernatural character is to make the story nothing more than a moral example or ideal: It humanizes Christ's birth, devalues the redemptive significance of his coming, and makes God untrue in that he never did what was claimed he would do in regard to Jesus' birth. The historicity of the virgin birth, so firmly accepted by Matthew and Luke, forces us to reckon theologically with the importance of Jesus at the highest level possible: that Jesus is God incarnate.”

Second, the Virgin Birth is important…Because it Affirms Biblical Prophecy.

The Prophet Isaiah prophesied that Jesus would be born of a virgin 700 years before Jesus was born. This is an extraordinary thought. The United States is close to 235 years old. At the length of Three lives of the United States of America, a prophesy was said that would be fulfilled in on man named Jesus Christ. Amazing! What a glory to behold!

The angel Gabe says in verse 31, “You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. Which is fulfillment of prophesy back in Isaiah 7:4 which says, "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." Virgin means, well, umm virgin. Someone who has not had sexual intercourse yet. Now, some say that virgin can mean "young lady" but not in the context of Luke's Gospel.

John Piper has said, “Luke was a doctor. True—medicine has come a long way in twenty centuries, but it isn’t a recent discovery that virgins don’t have babies.”

Luke reports in verse 27 that ”a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.” In other words, “The Woman who has never been with a man is named Mary and she is engaged to be married to a guy named Joseph.”

Mary responses to Gabriel with complete bewilderment by asking, “Excuse me Gabriel, we have a small problem. I have never slept with a man to this day and I think that is a prerequisite for pregnancy especially in our time period without invetro fertilization or options like that. So, how is this going to happen again?” (She said something like that in verse 34, when she really said, ³⁴ “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

Mary understood this would be complicated because she was a Virgin! This is why she asks Gabriel the question, “How?”

Third, the Virgin Birth is important…Because it explains how Jesus can be both God and Man.

He is the Incarnation because he was fully human because of Mary, but fully God by the Holy Spirit. Gabriel shares how this is going to happen and why it is going to happen this way in verses 35 when he says to Mary, “³⁵ The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.

Now, what about Mary in all of this? Who was Mary and who wasn’t Mary?

Mary was a scared young woman, but loved God a lot. Mary was favored because she had a relationship with God because of his Grace. Mary was receptive to serve and be obedient to God. Mary was like you, but she was given a special task by God. Mary was NOT sinless otherwise the Holy Spirit would not be needed. A human conception would do just fine, but we needed a real human man who was also a sinless Savior and that came by the Holy Spirit. Mary was NOT supernaturally special outside of her relationship with God.

Theologian Wayne Grudem writes, “God, in his wisdom, ordained a combination of human and divine influence in the birth of Christ, so that his full humanity would be evident to us from the fact of his ordinary human birth from a human mother, and his full deity would be evident from the fact of his conception in Mary’s womb by the powerful work of the Holy Spirit.” (Systematic Theology, 530).

Fourth, the Virgin Birth is important…Because the Bible is Authoritative.

If we deny the Virgin Birth, then we deny the authority of Scripture and open it up to being wrong in any area, but if we hold that the Bible is infallible, inerrant and authoritative, we must hold to the Virgin Birth of Jesus Christ. To throw the Virgin Birth out is to throw the Bible out! Look at verse 37 that says, ³⁷ For no word from God will ever fail.” Luke affirms that the Virgin Birth is as important as taking God’s Word as True in all its parts!

Theologian Millard Erickson states this well: “If we do not hold to the virgin birth despite the fact that the Bible asserts it, then we have compromised the authority of the Bible and there is in principle no reason why we should hold to its other teachings. Thus, rejecting the virgin birth has implications reaching far beyond the doctrine itself.”

If Jesus was not born of a virgin, who was His father? There is no answer that will leave the Gospel intact. The Virgin Birth explains how Christ could be both God and man, how He was without sin, and that the entire work of salvation is God’s gracious act. If Jesus was not born of a virgin, He had a human father. If Jesus was not born of a virgin, the Bible teaches a lie.

Carl F. H. Henry, the dean of evangelical theologians, argued that the Virgin Birth is the “essential, historical indication of the Incarnation, bearing not only an analogy to the divine and human natures of the Incarnate, but also bringing out the nature, purpose, and bearing of this work of God to salvation.” Well said, and well believed.

We can either believe the whole Bible is authoritative or none of it is. That is what is at stake with believing or not believing the Virgin Birth!

Fifth, the Virgin Birth is important…Because the Historic Orthodox Doctrines of the Faith are Clear. From the First Church on, believers have affirmed the Doctrine of the Virgin Birth. As one example, the Creeds of the early Church state this.

The Apostles Creed says Jesus was “conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.”

The Niceen Creed says, “We believe in one God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father by whom all things were made; who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father. And he shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead, whose kingdom shall have no end.”

Athanasian Creed of 450AD,
Chalcedonian Definition of 451AD,
The Small Catechism of Martin Luther in 1529, and
The Augsburg Confession of 1530 all confirm the Virgin Birth
...as part of Church History.

The unquestioned support of the early church fathers to the virgin birth (e.g., Ignatius of Antioch, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Origen) strongly endorses it as a well-accepted first-century Christian tradition.

If we question Jesus Christ was born of a Virgin, we than begin to question if he Rose from the Dead! Jesus’ life has supernatural bookends. The Virgin Birth on one end and the Resurrection on the other. This was affirmed over and over why the Church Fathers.

This essential doctrine of the Christian Faith is still under huge attack today, but it is one of the Hallmarks of the Christian faith! We must hold tightly to this doctrine or it all falls apart.

Author Donald Macleod writes, “The virgin birth is posted on guard at the door of the mystery of Christmas; and none of us must think of hurrying past it. It stands on the threshold of the New Testament, blatantly supernatural, defying our rationalism, informing us that all that follows belongs to the same order as itself and that if we find it offensive there is no point in proceeding further.”

There is no point in believing the rest of the record of Jesus Christ, unless the Virgin Birth is True!

Merry Christmas!

Enjoy the God-directed, and Grace-given season!

What do you think?

What Can We Learn From Mary, Jesus' Mom?

noreply@blogger.com (Sacred Outfitter) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 21:28:00 +0000

The Gospel of Matthew and Luke teach us many things about the Savior's mom. Mary's life is worthy for us to look at this Christmas season. What can we learn from her?

First, God found favor in Mary, not because Mary was perfect and sinless, but because God's grace was on her. We might assume that she was close to God in her fellowship, but this was not the reason for her finding favor. Verse 28 says, ²⁸ The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Although Mary played a special role in the redemptive plan of God, if you know God, you are highly favored too and you can have the same kind of relationship and fellowship with God that Mary must have had. Ephesians 1:6 uses the same word here for “favored” when it says that “his glorious grace…which he has freely given.” Mary was a recipient of the same grace that you have received! That is why you are highly favored. Because of God’s great grace!

Second, Mary had a great deal of humility in her. Verse 29 says, ²⁹ Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. Okay, seeing an angel is not an everyday occurrence, but Mary’s response was generated our of Holy Fear and Humility. We should have this kind of Fear for the Lord and Humility in our own lives.

Third, Mary is teachable. In verse 34, Mary responses to this miraculous news by saying, ³⁴ “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” It is what Mary does not say that I find remarkable. She does not say, “You have got to be kidding me. That is not going to happen!” She just asks a question in a posture of learning. We too should be teachable, ready to learn even when it seems impossible.

Fourth, Mary was the Lord’s Servant. Mary responses to all of this with an absolutely crazy response in verse 38. It says, ³⁸ “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Mary had an immediate response of obedience. She had and exemplary attitude of servanthood in the face of a crazy word from an Angel! She knew that she would get looks, loose friends, get ridicule, and receive persecution. She was about to be pregnant as a Virgin! She is not married yet! She knew this would be very difficult and the community would shame her, BUT despite this, she said, “I am the Lord’s Servant!” Q. Can you say that? Are you quick to obey God no matter the circumstances? Are you sticking close to his Word, not wavering from the Truth no matter what others might say or do? Let’s be like Mary!

Fifth, Mary’s actions of obiedence with her Lord were affirmed by Elizabeth. Elizabeth says in verse 45, ⁴⁵ Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” May that be true of you and me! May others see our love and faith for the Lord and say, “That is fantastic faith! That is inspiring! I want that kind of faith too!”

What do you think?

Would you like to Impact Professional Athletes, Coaches and Staff?

noreply@blogger.com (Sacred Outfitter) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:47:00 +0000

Hello Friends,

The end of the year is approaching quickly. It is hard to believe 2012 is almost here!

I want to share a story with you and a unique opportunity.

For the last year, I have been volunteering as an Associate Chaplain with a ministry called CrossTraining, serving the Colorado Rapids MLS professional soccer team. It was exciting to watch the team win the 2010 MLS Championship from a hotel room in Nashville while I was speaking at the National Youth Worker's Convention (NYWC). I could not find anyone to watch the game with me, so I set up shop in my hotel room getting ready to head for home the next day. As the season ended, I became curious if the Rapids had a Chaplain or someone to come alongside the team spiritually. Through some contacts, I discovered that the Rapids did have a Chaplain named Brad Kenney, a Pastor in the Denver area. I contacted Brad, we met for coffee and had some great conversation. I shared my desire to partner with him in ministering to the team. He graciously said, "Yes."

In the beginning of the season (March), it was very surreal meeting professional players, coaches and staff. Many times I thanked God and thought to myself, "Is this for real? Do I really get to rub shoulders with professional soccer players, provide timely counsel and impact their lives for Jesus Christ? You are amazing God." I needed to make a transition from not just being a "fan", but being a "friend." I began to pray for players during my car-time to and from meeting times. Over the year, I had the honor to encourage many Christian players on the team through prayer, Bible study and conversations, as well as spend bits of time here and there with unbelieving players. This has been a very rewarding experience with challenges and blessings along the way. I have learned many things helping me head into 2012 with a better awareness of what to expect. I am humbled and look forward to being used by the Lord.

Rapids Player and Friend,
Wells Thompson (John 3:16)
spoke at our Church
Youth Soccer Banquet in October.

It might be helpful to step back and think about the average Rapids member and professional athlete in general. Many of the Christian players, coaches and staff cannot attend a local church due to their travel schedules. Many are single and away from good friends and family. Some are married and their families have not yet arrived from another country. Many are lonely and many do not know Jesus as their Savior. Brad and I have offered pastoral care, counseling, a listening ear, encouragement, the Gospel and Bible teaching to many of the players. This would be their only organized spiritual care or a chance to hear the Gospel and grow in Christ. It has been an honor to come alongside and rub shoulders with over 30 players (including a reserve team), administration, coaches and staff.

With this volunteer ministry comes a cost.

CrossTraining would like to provide more resources like Bibles and Christian books for the players, coaches and staff, but can't do so without your help. Not only does CrossTraining have chaplains with Colorado but with the expansion side Portland Timbers, as well. CrossTraining also provides ministry support to Christian soccer organizations around the world through donations, Bibles, and soccer balls.

Would you consider giving a year-end donation

and helping CrossTraining make a bigger impact in 2012?

CrossTraining has a matching gift of $500 from another donor waiting for the ministry.

If you are looking for a good place to give a tax deductible gift at the end of the year, CrossTraining is the organization to do so. Your gift of $25, $50, $100 or more will help supplement costs of Bibles, meals, mileage, ministry and more.

Just go HERE to make a donation. The ministry would appreciate it! Thank you in advance.

To sign up to receive regular email updates, go HERE:

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. Thank you for your support and consideration of partnering with this ministry by prayer and finances!

Blessings this Christmas Season!

Jeff

Dr. Jeff Baxter

Pastor of Local Outreach, Foothills Bible Church

Associate Chaplain, Colorado Rapids

To Read More about CrossTraining.

To Impact Professional Athletes, Coaches and Staff.

Read about the Colorado Rapids Team.

My Info on Being an Associate Chaplain

What Can't You Do if You are a Moral Relativist?

noreply@blogger.com (Sacred Outfitter) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:14:00 +0000

Relativism is the concept that there are no absolutes for truth or validity. It is only from relative, subjective value according to differences in perception and consideration that we have conclusions. Would you like to live this way?

Really? I have some questions.

What could be better than doing whatever you want? If it feels right, do it, right?

What could be worse than letting someone tell you what you can and can not do? Be your own boss, right?

Why not just leave everyone else alone and demand that they do the same to you? Is that how you feel?

This would cause you to never have to worry again about whether your actions are right or wrong. Wouldn't that feel good?

But, there are some things that you need to know if you head down that dark path.

Here are 7 things you can't do as a moral relativist.

First, a relativist can't accuse others of wrong-doing.

Relativism denies there is such a thing as right and wrong. You can't judge the actions of others. There is no standard or measuring stick for good or bad. To each their own. The Holocaust, to the relativist is neither right or wrong. Do not talk about Abortion or Homosexuality, you can't make a judgement call. Or hatred, racism or murder for that matter. Who is to say that murder is wrong when there are no absolutes. This is the ultimate pro-choice position...to be a Moral Relativist. No need to protest anything.

Second, a relativist can't complain about the problem of evil.

The problem of evil in the world is the Atheists number one attack against the existence of God. An atheist believes that an all powerful God would not have allowed or permitted any kind of evil to exist today, thus there is no God out there. That means you have to believe in a kind of evil to make this argument, but relativism by definition can't believe in good or evil. Thus, the Terrorist attacks on 9/11 can't be evil to the Relativist.

Third, a relativist can't place blame or accept praise.

In the relativism world, there are no standards to judge praise or condemnation. There are no measuring sticks for good or bad performance. This is a problem on the job. If the Relativist is extended a financial raise, I would ask for it, because they can't possibly care whether they get one or not. It is all relative. This is an area where the relativist always want's praise, but does not like to be held to accountable standards. That seems like a double standard, don't you think?

Fourth, a relativist can't claim anything is unfair or unjust.

With relativism, justice and fairness have no definition. They don't fit in this Worldview. For the relativist there is no such thing as guilt or innocence. So, all those who are in prison should be set free because none of them can be guilty or innocent to the moral relativist. How can we judge their actions?

Fifth, a relativist can't improve their morality.

Morality is a none issue for the relativist, like good and bad are too. Relativists can change their personal ethics code, but because of their personal feelings. They can even just be immoral people. But, morality has no definition for the moral relativist. For them, there is no improvement, because there is no better way, because there are no standards of right and wrong. Thus, there can't be any motivation to improve on anything (i.e. job, life, education, family, health). Whatever feels good at the moment we should do, says the relativist.

Sixth, a relativist can't hold meaningful moral discussions.

Relativists can talk about, well, anything of value. To talk about the weather being good or bad goes against their definitions. Relativism makes it impossible to discuss morality. Ethics compares and the relativist can't compare morals, values, purpose, meaning and the like. No position can be judged as good or bad. Who can say that is wise or unwise, smart or dumb, good or evil? The relativist can't. They can't even say, "It is wrong to push your morality on others."

Seventh, a relativist can't promote the obligation of tolerance.

Here is our final "can't do" for relativism. There is no such thing as tolerance in relativism. Tolerance by definition is the "practice of permitting a thing of which one disproves, such as social, ethnic, sexual or religious practices." It is ironic that the core value of the relativist is "tolerance", but that is a contradiction. There are no moral rules, no absolutes, and no moral principles to live by for the relativist, so how can they demand "tolerance" of anything. If there are no moral absolutes, why be tolerant at all? Why not force your morality on others? It is all about you and your personal preference of right and wrong. But, isn't that another contradiction?

--------

If your Truth Source is yourself, you are going to get in trouble at some point in your life. You will run into others. If you don't live by the laws of the land, you will find yourself in difficulty. You are welcome to run that red light, but if a police officer is nearby, he will pull you over, give you a ticket or worse, take you to jail. What would you say? I don't believe in red lights. Do you think that would get you out of that ticket?

At a more significant level, our Truth Source has to come from outside of ourselves. Left to my feelings, I will fail nearly every time, but left to an Absolute Moral Source outside of myself, I will not be set up to fail because of my feelings. This Truth Source exists. It is the Revelation of God found in the Biblical Scriptures. Yes, it might not always feel good to live according to God's standards and many have misinterpreted the Bible over the years, but if you accept Jesus Christ as your Savior, God promises to help us line up with His purposes (do more study on the Holy Spirit). There is only One God and He is a Good God and loves every human being. This is why he created the world including plants, mountains and animals, created humans, sent the leaders, judges, priests and prophets of the Old Testament Scriptures. He loved us so much that he sent the solution to all of world's troubles. His Name is Jesus Christ who came to earth to live a perfect live and to die on the cross taking our place, so we could be in right relationship with God again. Just believe and receive Jesus as your Savior. It is a free gift to you. It is much easier to live for God than according to our own changing moral relativism.

I would love to talk more. Send me a note.

What do you think?

Want more to think about?

Apologetics 315 article here.
Salvo article here.
Dr. Douglas Groothuis of Denver Seminary thoughts here.