Monday, February 22, 2010

Iron Sharpens Iron: Redditt Andrews III: A Plea For Real Answers: An African-American's Journey into Reformed Christianity

I've been studying Reformed theology for a few years now and I think it has some points superior top what Im grew up with. It's more consistent and fits with the Bible better than what I thought. I'm still studying it because I wanna know what God really said in the Bible. I've documented much of what I've learned on this very blog.

One of my challenges is the realization that there seems to be few living African-American Christians whom have embraced the Reformed view. I know I grew up Armenian. This is why I love the radio program Iron Sharpens Iron. I enjoyed this broadcast in which an African-American, Redditt Andrews III, talks about how he became reformed. I could identify with his journey because it mirrored my own. He discussed a particular situation where his wife asked him if there were anyone else who believed as he was coming to believe. He gave her a lot of names, but she wanted to know if there was anyone alive?! I laughed because my wife and I have had a similar conversation! This Pastor is out of Elk Grove, CA - about 90 miles from me. Maybe I'll get to visit one day. This interview is great! Listen to it at the following link:

Iron Sharpens Iron: Redditt Andrews III: A Plea For Real Answers: An African-American's Journey into Reformed Christianity
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He Lives: A call for imprecatory prayer…

David Heddle has posted an important article about a Pastor named Wiley Drake who is given all Christians a bad name. He is asking people to pray for the death of President Obama?! Very stupid. I join Heddle in decrying such a thought. The's not godly. that's not Biblical. That's not common sense. I love this quote from Heddle.
Demonstrating that he [Wiley Drake]  is completely ignorant of the Baptist tradition of favoring separation of church and state, he has also prayed for God's wrath on Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. It appears that God is not listening. The prayers of a self-righteous ignoramus avail little. I hope the IRS nails his posterior.

I'm so glad that God does what He wants insteadm of listening to our stupidity!




He Lives: A call for imprecatory prayer…

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Dr. Claude Mariottini - Professor of Old Testament: King Solomon’s Wall?

Dr Mariottini has posted a great article linking to a press release to more evidence pointing out that there really was a big Israelite Kingdom in the 10th century BC. We have more evidence for the Bible being true. It seems like a portion of a wall that dates back to Solomon's time has been discovered! Awesome news!

Dr. Claude Mariottini - Professor of Old Testament: King Solomon’s Wall?

Beggars All: Reformation And Apologetics: Sola Scriptura Debate with DavidW - Index

 Here is a great article summarizing a great debate in theology. Here is the Intro!

My formal written debate against Eastern Orthodox blogger DavidW on the statement:
Resolved: "The Holy Scripture is the only sufficient, certain, and infallible rule of all saving knowledge, faith, and obedience."

is now complete. I have indexed out the posts in chronological order so that anyone interested may easily follow its flow.

Beggars All: Reformation And Apologetics: Sola Scriptura Debate with DavidW - Index
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YouTube - Facts, Laws and Theories - A great Video

I was recently in discussions with cherokee_Autumn on twitter. She said that from a scientific definition Gravity is a theory. I disagreed. She ended up sending me the following video to bolster her definition of scientific theory. I think she may need to view the video again.




I agree with the definitions of fact, laws, and theories given in the video. Here is the definitions used in the video. I agree because this is what I have learned in my scientific training.

Fact = What; a verified observation
Law =  How; a statement of an observed regularity among facts
Theory = Why - an explanation for the observations supported by evidence

The video then goes on to use Gravity as an example. Gravity is called a fact. The Law of Gravity is given ( which is what I was referring to). Then the video says that there is a theory for Gravity, but does not give it. I have heard a few for trying to explain what it is and why it exists, but I think the sort answer is we don't know. It's much more correct to use Fact and Law to describe Gravity, but more words are needed to explain a theory(ies) for Gravity. Gravity is a force not a theory (if you are a physicist). This video was made because some people think that to say something a theory is to deride it as a guess. I agree that this is not true. However there are much stronger evidence and observations for Gravity than there is for Evolution. There is no law of Evolution but there are mathematical models used to study evolution. There is evidence that is used to infer macro evolution, but no mathematics to predict mutation or evolution. So evolution is a theory used to try to explain why we have a fossil record and why all living things have a common ancestry (I still wanna see better evidence for these conclusions not observations.).  This post is to serve notice that these are the definitions I will be using on Twitter and on my blog for discussing evolution.

YouTube - Facts, Laws and Theories

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Christianity and Islam: the Nature of God

In case if you have not heard, Dr. James White is in London, England. He posted a table of contents slide for a presentation he will be doing today. I can't wait to see this one!

Christianity and Islam: the Nature of God
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Apologetics 315: Sunday Quote: Antony Flew on Design

Apologetics 315 has posted a wonderful quote from philosopher Anthony Flew. It is significant because Flew was a leading atheist for more than 50 years and now he agrees that the evidence from the design of the universe is that it was created by an intellect that we call God.

"Although I was once sharply critical of the argument to design, I have since come to see that, when correctly formatted, this argument constitutes a persuasive case for the existence of God.”
 - Antony Flew (There is a God, p. 95.)

Apologetics 315: Sunday Quote: Antony Flew on Design
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Dr. Claude Mariottini - Professor of Old Testament: King Tut and His Medical Problems

Dr. Claude Mariottini has posted three very good articles concerning  recent new information concerning what has been learned about the Pharoah King Tutankhamen. New DNA technology has been able to show his family relationships with other mummies that have been found, show evidence that he may have had malaria, and that he may have needed a cane to walk around.  Following the video Mariottini's blog  sent me to, I have a link to those blog articles from his blog.





Dr. Claude Mariottini - Professor of Old Testament: King Tut and His Medical Problems
Dr. Claude Mariottini - King Tut the Warrior
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FULL: Kent Hovind vs Hugh Ross debate (disc 2 of 2)

Kent HovindThis was a great debate on the John Ankerberg show. It's Kent Hovind defending Young Earth Creationism and Hugh Ross defending Old Earth Creationism.






There was a lot of great stuff in the debate. I learned a lot. I think Hovind was wrong to attack Ross. My own studies has led me to many of the same conclusions as Ross. The greatest proof that the days of Genesis not being literal 24 hours days is the point that on day 7 where the Bible says God rested it does not say that evening and morning were the seventh day as it was for the previous 6 verses! I never looked at it that way before. We are still in that seventh day. My friend Mariano left a comment on a previous post that points that when the Bible says God rested it does not mean He was tired only that he stopped creating. I liked Ross' point that when God brings the new heavens and the new earth God will begin creating again.

Another great point by Ross is that Genesis account does not really show any appreciable change in our natural laws. As far was we can tell there was still entropy before the fall because if there wasn't there would have been no stars. I thought Ross was far more scientific than Hovind.

FULL: Kent Hovind vs Hugh Ross debate (disc 2 of 2)

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