RC Sproul Report from November 5, 2009

Image via Wikipedia

I was blessed to go to the sermon by RC Sproul at the KFAX Speaker Series in Fremont, California. I had a blast! Sproul is better in person than I ever thought! I thought that Sproul was amazing in video and in audio recordings, but no where near as fun  and I heavily enjoy Sproul's work. His text was from Acts 17:29-31 which says:

 "Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man's design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead."

He spoke about the fact many of us, who claim that God saved us, seem to never give any thought  to what God has saved us from. He pointed out that in America today, people - Christian and Non-Christian - don't believe in the Biblical fact that God will pour His wrath out on everything and that without Jesus, you will be swept up in that wrath. I whole heartedly agree. Here are some points that stood out to me:

1. Dr. Sproul gave his testimony that he first came to salvation as a college freshman in 1950. He was told of Jesus by the captain of the football team. RC heard Ecclesiastes 11:3 -

If clouds are full of water,
       they pour rain upon the earth.
       Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north,
       in the place where it falls, there will it lie.

RC said that he saw himself as that tree - broken, sinful, fallen, and lost.  He said he pleaded to God for mercy and God gave it to him.  Funny, what God uses to call us to Himself.  He said that he then read the Bible and the Old Testament scared him because He understood that there really is a wrath coming.

2. Sproul also said that in 40 years of teaching a question that keeps comes up is: "Why do bad things happen to good people?" Sproul answered the question with two words: "They Don't!" There is no one good enough. We are all sinful and deserve the wrath of God. I agree with Sproul. No one likes it. But it's unavoidable. Sproul said that its the wrong question. A better question is "Why do good things happen to bad people?" I agree. Whenever anything at all good happens to us, it is the mercy of God.

3. Sproul also gave several examples as to how Jesus answered this question. We have two different examples in Luke 13:1-5 which says

 Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."

Jesus' answer applies to every calamity and every problem.

4. There was also question and answers at the end. Two questions I asked came up that I think is worth documenting here. Sproul was asked about whether he was millennial or post-millennial in his views on Jesus' return. Sproul replied "What day of the week is it?" We all was laughing so hard. He then said that he hasn't gotten a concrete view on it all yet. And he was asked about when he thought the book of Revelation was written he said that he now thinks that the evidence pointed to the 60's AD. Unfortunately, he was not able to fully explain why he thought that because it was the last question he had time for.

Stand to Reason: Radio Archives

Here is a link to an interview of Dr. David Berlinski by Dr. Greg Koukl of Stand to Reason. I really like Berlinski. I hope he finds saving faith in Jesus Christ, but he does an awesome job refuting the ideas of Darwinian Evolution. Also for an agnostic, he understands the dangers of atheism and what its logical conclusions are. I think the reason why he is so good at this is because although he is not especially religious, his Jewish background has got to give him the grounding he has to look at this. I agree with so much of what he says and I like his personality. I think someone who is not a christian should be putting his/her finger in the eye of people like Richard Dawkins. Berlinski actually enjoys it. I wish that Dawkins would debate him. Berlinski cannot be ignored because Berlinski is not religious and is challenging them because of logic and science.

Stand to Reason: Radio Archives

THE APOLOGETIC FRONT: Colbert vs. Francis Collins

Image via Wikipedia

Again with the hilarity!

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Francis Collins
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor U.S. Speedskating

THE APOLOGETIC FRONT: Colbert vs. Francis Collins

Atheism is Dead: Richard Dawkins Rules Out Abiogenesis, part 2 of 2

Mariano has published the 2nd part of a great post about about Richard Dawkin's latest book. this is from the point of view of seeing that Dawkins has an anti-religious ax to grind in his book the Greatest Show On Earth.

Atheism is Dead: Richard Dawkins Rules Out Abiogenesis, part 2 of 2

Dr. Claude Mariottini - Professor of Old Testament: The Translation of “Secret Mark”

Image via Wikipedia

Dr Mariottini has found a link to where you can read the translation made by Morton Smith of a "lost letter" from Clement of Alexander that he found at the end of a book from 17th century. The letter contains a passage from a secret version of Mark's gospel. It's interesting to read. Some warning flags that have already waved include that no one else has reported seeing this letter and the truth is the letter contains more than enough gnosticism to mark it as something that should not be included as scripture.

Dr. Claude Mariottini - Professor of Old Testament: The Translation of “Secret Mark”

John 6 from the Great Falls Conference

Here is more spectacular exegesis of a passage of scripture that plainly teaches that no one comes to God on their own. I'd really like to hear the Arminian viewpoint on John 6:44 in particular. How do they get that it's up to us to accept on our own without God? I see no way I was able to do it on my own. I read Chosen But Free(CBF) but I don't think Geisler can handle this particular passage at all from the "People have free will to choose to accept or reject Jesus" perspective. I really would like to read a better Arminian treatment on the subject. CBF doesn't cut it.





John 6 from the Great Falls Conference