Can Christians Defend Their Faith?
June 9, 2010
By Edmond Chua| Christian Post Correspondent
Josh McDowell
This is a concern because pastors’ inability to present biblical truth comprehensibly and relevantly has led to children from Christian families leaving the church, research has shown.
In the United States, the age at which nearly all such children leave church has decreased to 18 years.
Not even the children of many successful ministers are spared.
McDowell made his comments at a recent networking dinner among various men’s ministries organized recently by Men-in-Covenant. MiC is the men’s ministry of Covenant Evangelical Free Church.
He recalled speaking with the pastor of one of the largest U.S. churches, a man known for his expository preaching. Confiding in him, the pastor said their church was losing its youth right after high school graduation.
In his 50 years of ministry, McDowell has asked several thousand pastors and leaders how they could be certain Jesus Christ said “I am the truth” and not one of many truths or a truth.
“Not one person has ever given me an intelligent, biblically-based answer,” said the author of The New Evidence that Demands A Verdict.
During the past six years, he asked hundreds of Christians and leaders why they see themselves as Christians. Again no one gave him an “intelligent” answer.
In the past 17 years, he has asked over 4,000 pastors, leaders and parents why they believe the Bible is true.
A mere six “came close to giving an intelligent answer,” McDowell noted.
“If anything is based upon truth, it’s the Christian faith,” he said. “Christians who do not know why they have faith or believe have a very difficult time expressing themselves to others.
“The saddest thing is people come to me and say, ‘What’s the answer?’”
“I say, ‘There’s no answer… There are hundreds of answers.’”
Most Christians, even some pastors, don’t even know one. On the other hand, the apologist said he could give 50 reasons for his belief that the Bible is true.
Ninety-five percent of Christians gave disappointing responses when asked why they believe Jesus is the Son of God.
Asked why the Bible is true and historically reliable, Christians replied that it was what they had been taught by their church or parents.
A common response that most Christians gave to both questions was that it is “what I believe.”
McDowell responded: “That’s voodoo thinking. Where did we ever get that crazy idea that something is true just because we believe it?
“If that is true, then there will never be heresy. Everybody would be right.”
On one occasion, 13 youth pastors at a large convention were unable to reasonably answer the apologist’s question.
Finally one young person stood up, walked toward him and told him he knew the answer.
The young man promptly held up his Bible and said, “Because I believe it.”
And to McDowell’s dismay, all the youth pastors applauded him.
McDowell said, “Young man, do you know the difference between you, me and the majority of Christians in the world?
“To you, it is true because you believe it. For me, I believe it because it is true.”
Another response the apologist received was: Because I have faith.
He commented, “Where did we ever get the crazy idea that faith makes something true? That’s idiotic. That’s so unbiblical you can call it heresy.
“God doesn’t use faith to create truth. He uses truth through the Holy Spirit to create faith.”
Christians, the apologist stressed, are called to explain their faith when asked. They are set free by the faith in the truth, he expressed, referring to John 8:32.
Yet others say Christianity is true because Jesus changed their lives.
Even this will not stand up to intellectual scrutiny, McDowell argued.
“Lies change lives; cults change lives,” he said.
To make such an appeal is “not the essence of Christianity,” the author emphasized.
McDowell said: “We owe it to ourselves, we owe it to our children, we owe it to our neighbors, we owe it to the lost, to tell them not just what we believe but why do we believe it.”
School Board Cancels Chruch Graduation
June 9, 2010
By Nathan Black|Christian Post Reporter The board of education in Enfield, Conn., voted Thursday against appealing a federal judge’s ruling barring two high schools from holding graduations at a church.
In a 5-4 vote, board members decided not to file an appeal. They subsequently voted to hold the ceremonies at the schools later this month.
The decision shocked Vincent McCarthy, the attorney with the American Center for Law and Justice which was representing the Enfield school district in the case. He was looking forward to arguing the case more fully in the court of appeals and said they had a good chance.
“In this case, the court simply got it wrong,” the ACLJ senior counsel said in a statement. “There need not be a constitutional crisis simply because a religious facility is used for a clearly secular purpose.”
On Monday, U.S. District Court Judge Janet C. Hall ruled that Enfield and Fermi High Schools could not use First Cathedral for their graduation ceremonies because it was an unconstitutional endorsement of religion.
She said the megachurch was “overwrought with religious symbols” and holding graduations there would convey the message that certain religious views are embraced by Enfield Schools and others are not.
A lawsuit had been filed against the school district by Americans United for Separation of Church and State and the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of two Enfield High School seniors and three parents.
“Public school students have a right to attend their graduation without feeling like they’re taking part in a religious service,” the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United, had argued.
The school board had initially voted in January to hold graduation ceremonies at the respective schools. But in April, board members determined that First Cathedral provided “the best location within the budget.”
Rather than appeal the case, board member Judith Apruzzese-Desroches said she wanted to move on and establish a graduation site.
“We need to get it done. We need to provide something for these students who are graduating,” she said, according to the Hartford Courant.
Board chairman Gregory Stokes, however, felt the board made a mistake by not continuing with the appeal.
Many students and parents who attended the meeting Thursday were also dissatisfied with the vote.
Andrew Silva, this year’s valedictorian at Enrico Fermi High School, told the local Courant that the issue has always been about the number of seats, not religion. Disappointed with the board’s decision, Silva still hopes they can hold the ceremony at an off-campus site.
Loose Weight
June 5, 2010
by John ImlerJohn is an RVchurchesUSA Ambassador and author of It’s Never Too Late Pick up most any publication and you will find one or more articles dealing with our nation’s and the world’s problem with obesity. Governments are spending tax dollars to educate us about the problem and to
assist us in living healthier and longer lives.
Every athlete is aware that excess weight is a deterrent to their success. While they know that muscle mass is important to their success, they also know that fat weight hinders their performance. This has been proven through research. It also proves that obesity can affect the quality and length of our lives. What we consume is important to our overall health.
While this growing concern about our diets is good, there is another aspect of our lives where our diets are even more important because they affect the quality of our spiritual lives. Just as we abuse our physical bodies with improper diets, so we as believers sometimes abuse our spiritual beings with improper diets. Paul seems to address both the physical and spiritual aspects of our lives in 1 Cor. 3:16-17 with the words, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple” and warns us not to destroy God’s temple.
For the spiritual side Hebrews 12:1 admonishes us: “let us lay aside every weight; and the sin that so easily besets us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.”
Spiritual diets, like physical diets, require the discontinuance of some things we have been consuming and adding others we have either not been consuming at all or enough of. I do not know what weights you need to lay aside. It may be what you are watching on TV or reading. It may be the people you are spending your time with. It may be habits that interfere with your spiritual growth. I do know that if you are sincere about knowing what weight you need to lay aside, the Holy Spirit will reveal it to you if you ask (John 14:26).
As to what you may need to add to your spiritual menu, Peter indicates that we need the spiritual milk of God’s Word (1 Peter 2:2). Psalms 119 is an excellent section of the Bible to consider what we should consume for our spiritual growth. Philippians 4:8 lists things we should consume for our spiritual growth.
John welcomes your comments either below or email him directly at john@faithrescued.com
Whos Is This On The Cross?
June 1, 2010
by John ImlerJohn is an RVchurchesUSA Ambassador and author of It’s Never Too Late Is this a great teacher hanging there being mocked by soldiers and those who passed by?
Is this the miracle baby born to a virgin and laid in a manger? It this the one whose birth was announced to shepherds and wise men by voices and a chorus of angels from heaven? Is this the one who went about doing good? (Acts 10:38)
Yes, it is all of these, but more also. Hanging there on the cross that day was God’s only Son (John 3:16). However, He was not there by the force of Roman armies (Matthew 26:52-54). He was not there because Judas betrayed Him. He was not there because of those who unjustly accused Him before the high priest (Matthew 26:59-60; Luke 23:13-25). He was not there because Pilate handed him over to be crucified (Matthew 26:23, 26; Luke 23:24).
He was there fulfilling the Law (Matthew 5:17). He was there doing what He came to earth to do (Matthew 26:39-42). He was there of His own free will and choice (John 10:17-18; Matthew 20:28; Isaiah 53).
So often we forget this amazing fact. Yes, Jesus Christ was in a sense murdered by the mob. However, we must never forget that He was their willing victim. This was His greatest temptation: to save Himself in response to the taunts of the crowd who cried out, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One” (Luke 23:35).
Today’s world cries out the same taunts as they did that day, constantly asking for some scientific proof that there is a God who really loves them. The events of that infamous day are recorded in history. God has already provided the most vivid picture of His love for man through Christ’s willing sacrifice of Himself on the cross.
While many continue to reject Him to the end, two got it right: the centurion in Matthew 27:54 and the thief on the cross beside Him (Luke 23:39-43).
Who is this hanging on the cross? It is Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, becoming the sacrifice for the sins and disobedience of all mankind. He is willing to be the sacrifice for your sins as well. Will you accept Him now as Your Savior? (John 3:16). I would love to hear from you that you have accepted Him at john@faithrescued.com.
John welcomes your comments either below or email him directly at john@faithrescued.com
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