Problems with Mormonism – Video

Posted on April 12, 2012 by PS

This is an amazing presentation by a practicing Mormon that distills into one hour everything that is false about the Latter Day Saints (LDS) church including the lies, drinking and multiple wives of Joseph Smith, doctrinal changes such as polygamy, changes to the Book of Mormon, the lack of historical and archaeological for a people in North America, the false translation of the Book of Abraham, the connection of the temple ceremonies with Masonry and evidence of abuses and cover-ups within the church.  Somehow he thinks explaining all of these issues will help keep Mormons in the church.

The ending (at the 50:00 mark) is just as shocking because the speaker rationalizes all of these issues by attempting to reframe the discussion from one of truth to one based on what’s good for the church member.  In essence, he says that it doesn’t matter if the church is true, just that it makes your life better (aka relativism).  He also encourages listeners to be Mormons on their own terms rather than based on what the church teaches.

Posted in Video, World Religions | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Did the Disciples Steal Jesus Body?

Posted on April 11, 2012 by PS

One of the arguments used to attempt to disprove the resurrection is that the disciples stole the body of Jesus (Matthew 28:13).  For this to have occurred three things needed to be in place 1) they must have expected that Jesus would rise from the dead 2) been motivated to steal the body and 3) had the means to carry out the theft.  For the stolen body theory to be true the following associated questions need to be answered:

– Expectation: Did the disciples expect Him to rise from the dead?
– Motivation: If they expected Him to rise, why would they steal the body?
– Means: If they wanted to steal it, how could they go about it?

Expectation
Jesus taught that He would be killed and rise from the dead after three days (John 2:18-21, Matthew 12:40-41; 17:22-23, 27:63), yet the disciples appear to not understand His prophecy (John 2, 22; 20:1-2,9, 24-29).  Luke 24:11 tells us that when the women told the disciples that the body was not in the tomb, the disciples heard it as an ‘idol tale and did not believe them’.   They were skeptics about the resurrection.  When Jesus appeared to the disciples in Luke 24:27-32, the passage describes their first reaction was a belief that He was a ghost.  As a result, Jesus proved His identity by showing them His scars and then explaining the Scriptures about Him rising after three days.  His followers saw Him perform amazing miracles of healing, resurrection of others and controlling nature, yet they don’t act like a group counting down the minutes to the third day eagerly anticipating His return.

Motivation
The eleven disciples were weak, scared and dejected after abandoning Him and scattering at the garden.  What benefit would stealing the body of Jesus have provided?  They would still be leaderless and an empty tomb would prompt the Jewish and Roman officials to watch their actions even more closely or arrest them as well (John 20:19).  The disciples followed Jesus because they believed Him to be the Messiah and Savior of the Jewish people from the Roman occupation (Luke 24:21).  They awaited a King to rule Israel.  Without Him, they had no mission or ministry to carry on.  They had no motivation to perpetuate a myth and instead went back to their previous professions like fishing until they were filled with the Holy Spirit (John 21:2-3).

Means
The disciples didn’t have the ability to take the body because they had no way to challenge the guard who was placed at the tomb (Matthew 27:62-66).  If the body would have disappeared before the guard arrived, Joseph would have been accused of stealing it.  The guards would have notified the officials of this when they arrived to seal the tomb.  If the disciples had confronted the guard to steal the body, there would have been a skirmish that would have been known about throughout Jerusalem.  If the guards had fallen asleep, the light of torches and the sound of rolling away the rock that covered the entrance would have woken them up.  There is no plausible means for the body to have been stolen by a group of peasants or others for that matter.

Conclusion
The disciples had neither the expectation, motivation or means to steal Jesus body.  Why would they carry on the mission of a dead teacher to the point of giving up all earthy comfort, traveling to foreign lands and facing persecution and death if they didn’t see Him back from the dead?  The resurrection and subsequent appearance of Jesus in bodily form to the disciples is the only plausible explanation for what occurred in Jerusalem 2,000+ years ago.

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Ways We Discourage Our Children – John MacArthur

Posted on April 10, 2012 by PS

In the short article titled Cultivating a Godly Child by John MacArthur, MacArthur outlines nine behaviors that provoke and discourage children to frustration:

1. Over-protection: not allowing them to develop independence and take risks
2. Favoritism: comparing siblings results in resentment
3. Overemphasizing achievement: don’t always find something to complain about, such that they’re never good enough for you or measure up to your standards
4. Overindulgence: Don’t give them everything they want
5. Discouragement: Don’t constantly criticize them and destroy their initiative
6. Not making personal sacrifices: Don’t leaving them on their own to do everything rather than making time to help and support them
7. Not understanding their limitations: Understand their capabilities by age and expect mistakes and failures.  Look for progress rather than perfection
8. Neglect: Be involved in their lives
9. Physical or verbal abuse: Do not be sarcastic with them or use your strength against them

Posted in Discipleship, Family | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Do Children Who Die Go to Heaven? – John MacArthur Sermon

Posted on April 9, 2012 by PS

In John MacArthur’s sermon titled The Salvation of Babies Who Die, he explains his view of what happens when children die young.  You should listen to the message yourself including part 2, but here’s a summary of what he taught on the topic of salvation of children and the mentally handicapped including some answers to common questions on the topic

Summary
All children who die before they reach the condition (not age) of accountability by which they convincingly understand their sin and corruption and embrace the Gospel by faith are graciously saved eternally by God through the work of Jesus Christ being elect by sovereign choice, innocent of willful sin, rebellion and unbelief by which works they would be justly condemned to eternal punishment.

Background
1. Life begins at conception and these babies have eternal souls
2. Based on Psalm 139, God a) knows everything about me even before I can talk b) God is in complete control of my life c) God will never lose sight of me no matter what goes on. I can never be lost to God d) There is no circumstance that can in any way limit His knowledge e) The reason He knows me so well is He is my personal creator who has planned carefully my destiny.
3) Both Job and Solomon, in Job 3:1, 16-17 and Ecclesiastes 6 respectively, imply that babies who die young go immediately to a peaceful place (heaven)

At what age are children considered accountable?
There isn’t an age threshold, but rather a condition that matters.  Those who have not reached sufficient mature understanding in order to comprehend convincingly the issues of law and grace, sin and salvation are not accountable (Deuteronomy 1:39, Isaiah 7:16)

Are all children sinners?
Yes, all are sinful from conception (Psalm 51:5, 58:3, 143:2; Romans 5) or there wouldn’t be any basis for death

What implications does this truth of depravity have on the issue of dying infants?  Salvation is by grace just like it is for adults.  Adults have no more merit in their salvation than a child who God saves by grace.  It is God’s choice

What about infant baptism?
Infant baptism isn’t Biblical and has nothing to do with a child’s salvation

If infants are saved when they die, by what means are they saved?
They are saved by the sacrificial work of Jesus because that is the only means that anybody can be saved. God has predestined all He wills into salvation, including those in infancy. That salvation is by His sovereign choice through grace alone though all infants deserve eternal judgment because of their guilt and corruption. Their sins were paid for by the substitutionary sacrifice of Christ on the cross in which He bore the wrath of God not only for all who could believe, but for all who could not believe.  MacArthur points Charles Spurgeon and BB Warfield as supporters of this view

What does Scripture teach about damnation?
Scripture always, always connects eternal condemnation to the sinner’s deeds and the greatest sin is unbelief (Revelation 20:11-12, John 8:21, 24; 3:36).  There is no place in the Bible where judgment is based on any other grounds than the deeds of sin. It’s true they’re sinful by nature, but the account against them that condemns them is their deeds. God doesn’t charge people with actual sins until they commit them.

Conclusion
Children are born sinners. Their death proves that. But never being able to understand the truth and therefore consciously rejected and choose rebellion, they have no record against them in the books of God and they then constitute a marvelous and vast opportunity for sovereign grace to operate apart from any works at all. Salvation is by grace completely apart from works. Damnation is by works completely apart from grace. Infants have no sinful works to fill the books and condemn them. So if a baby dies, that baby is elect and instantly goes to heaven to eternal salvation and eternal glory.

If you have a little one that dies, rejoice. Count not your human loss, count your eternal gain. Count not that child as having lost, but having gained, having passed briefly through this life untouched by the wicked world only to enter into eternal glory and grace. The true sadness should be over those children of yours who live and reject the Gospel. Don’t sorrow over your children in heaven, sorrow over your children on earth that they should come to Christ. This is your great responsibility, your great opportunity.

For additional information on this topic see John MacArthur’s book Safe in the Arms of God.

Posted in Family, Theology | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Evaluating a Child’s Spiritual Condition – John MacArthur Sermon

Posted on April 8, 2012 by PS

In John MacArthur’s sermon about Evaluating a Child’s Spiritual Condition, he provides some indications what true conversion of a child looks like and how we’ll see God’s work in their life.  Since we are evangelists to our children, the most compelling question that we can ask is, “How do I know if my child is saved?”  We can’t look to a particular event such as a prayer like asking Jesus into a child’s heart, nor a decision that they want to be a Christian, as an indication of salvation.  The true evidence is the working of God in their life through penitence, belief, obedience and association:

1. Conviction – The evidence of conviction of sin and a penitent heart.  Do they recognize what dishonors God?
2. Revelation – An understanding of and belief in the Gospel.  Can they explain it to you?
3. Sanctification – The pursuit of obedience such that they want to follow God because of a love for Him.  Are they growing in Christ’s likeness?
4. Association – The selection of godly friends.  Do they gravitate towards other kids who want to honor God?

As a parent we should pray for God’s work in our kids lives and work with the Spirit to model and teach kids about “the issue of sin, about the issue of conviction, talking to your children about the facts of the gospel, make sure they understand the issues of substitutionary death and atonement, forgiveness, dealing with the issues of obedience and sanctification, the issues of fellowship, being with the right people and loving God’s people. You need to be the tool that God uses to pass that information on which the Holy Spirit in His power quickens into transformation in the life of the child.”

Posted in Discipleship, Family | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Tim Keller at Authors@Google

Posted on April 7, 2012 by PS

Tim Keller spoke about the existance of God at Authors@Google.  At the time, Keller’s speech was the second most popular event that Google held.  The session begins with a presentation and then Q&A from the Google staff audience

Posted in Apologetics, Video | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Slaves for Christ – John MacArthur Sermon

Posted on April 7, 2012 by PS

John MacArthur explains how we’re slaves of Christ in contrast to the American version of Christianity which is about freedom and personal fulfilment of our dreams.  He says that the word slave is used 130+ times in the Greek, but rarely translated to that word in our English translations.   Instead, the word servant or bond servant is used, which softens the true intent of the New Testament writers.  Our true personal relationship with Christ is best described as a slave to his master such that a well-known verse is best understood as “Well done good and faithful slave.” As a slave, we have to perform service whether we like it or not because we are subject to and dependent upon our owner.  As such, when we explain the Gospel, we’re asking someone to become a slave of Jesus.  The sermon starts at 1:20:

The second part begins at 2:20:

MacArthur states that without understanding what it means to be a slave, it’s hard to understand what the Christian life is about.  He boils down the nature of a slave to five characteristics:

  1. Ownership – Exclusive ownership (we are bought with a price – Acts 20, 1 Peter 1:18-19, Revelation 5:9)
  2. Obedience – Complete and constant availability and obedience (not my will but Yours be done)
  3. Loyalty – Singular devotion to one master (cannot serve two masters)
  4. Dependence – Complete dependence on the master for everything (protection, provision in the present and in the future).  No independent rights
  5. Discipline – All discipline and reward comes from the master
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Four Gardens of Text, Context, Conquest and Conquest – Ravi Zacharias

Posted on April 6, 2012 by PS

In this video, Ravi Zacharias argues for the existence of God.  He points to the order in the universe and the lack of time required to account for the complexity of humanity as starting points.  He then walks through four gardens – text, context, contest and conquest

1) the garden of the text “God has spoken” (8:30) – He tells us that a) thee is a creator b) there is a purpose c) we are not alone d) we are moral entities
2) the garden of the context “it is written” (9:35) – as moral/spiritual beings, we are given a  framework to determine what’s right and wrong.  He uses an example of the difference between an individual and his/her practice with regard to accusations of discrimination of homosexual but not blacks by pointing out that race and sexuality are sacred and that neither should be de-sacredized
3) the Garden of Gethsemane as the contest (12:20) – Jesus paid the price of forgiveness to provide certainty of our destiny
4) the garden of conquest and culmination (19:00) – Jesus rose from the dead as the final conquest

Posted in Apologetics, Theology, Video | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

April Fools Videos

Posted on April 3, 2012 by PS

Several companies made April Fools videos.  Here are the best from across the internet.

Flying Penguins

Google Translate for Animals

Ikea Pet Furniture Dog Highchair

The Secret behind Nike Air

Google Maps for Nintendo NES:

If you’d like to see more April Fools vidoes, check out the WSJ April Fools article.
Since it’s the Easter season, you may be interested in videos about the resurrection of Jesus or learning more about Jesus.

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Evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus

Posted on April 2, 2012 by PS

Below are five videos that touch on evidence of the resurrection of Jesus.  The first four are very short and the last one is over an hour.

Evidence of Jesus resurrection based on the diversity of His appearances in the New Testament:

Evidence for Jesus’ trial before Pilate based on early manuscripts:

Evidence for Jesus crucifixion from a Jewish text:

William Lane Craig’s presentation of evidence for the resurrection:

Posted in Apologetics, Holidays, Theology, Video | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment