RonParrs.com: Notes from My Desk...

Does the Bible Still Matter in 2012?

Some say that the Bible is so old and archaic, that it's "irrelevant" for today's modern and cosmopolitan society.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

In fact, we find in the Bible virtually every answer to every question modern men and women have as we traverse life.

Truth, after all is eternal. Truth is "black and white". Truth is "truth". And that's what we lack in 21st century western society. We need and even crave a standard. Today's post-modern and post-Christian thinking of "what true for you may not be true for me" comes up wanting in too many circumstances.  Even though we may argue about public crosses and Ten Commandment postings, we need truth. We need a standard with which to not only guide our lives, but to provide stability.

By the way, the Bible is still the best selling book. There must be a good reason!

After all the very visible fighting about public displays of religious symbols— from 10 Commandments plaques to graveyard crosses to faith-themed war memorials to holiday manger displays—you might have developed the impression that most Americans don’t think the Bible matters today and they like it that way.

Continue reading via the link below:

via www.foxnews.com

My Take on "Contemplative Prayer"

"Contemplative Prayer" - a so-called method or structure of personal prayer is being bandied about and to a major degree is getting a bad rap.

Possibly rightly so.

Notice that I said "possibly". The bad rap is essentially coming from evangelical Christians (my brothers and sisters in Christ) who are, in my personal opinion, throwing the baby out with the bath water. Allow me to completely explain my views and positions. I do not believe this is a completely black and white or cut and dry argument.

Are there "bad" points to this methodology? Yes. Are there "good" points to this methodology? Yes. I do not want to appear as if I'm straddling a barbed wire fence. I may, in your opinion, be a little too broad minded (although my wife and kids would really disagree on that point).  But over my life, God has given me the opportunities to travel to South America, Europe and Asia. Our family has decades-old friends from as far away as Australia and New Zealand. On top of that, He's also provided me the opportunity to be a small business owner who has to deal with customers from almost every walk of life and income level. I have learned to appreciate differences in culture, income, lifestyle and gender. All of these are gifts. And I cherish what God has provided.

How Easter Killed My Faith in Atheism

I LOVE Easter and the Easter/Passover Season. It is my absolute favorite holiday time of the year.

In Easter we find all that Christianity means as well as all that it brings to mortal men and women. In Easter we find true hope and forgiveness. In Easter we find life and assurance in a "hereafter". You could even say that we are demonstrated that there is a guarantee of a hereafter supplied by a loving, but just God. Jesus Christ overcame death in His Resurrection.

Passover was a foreshadowing of what God had in store for His creation. We just needed to wait for His perfect timing.

Back in January 2012, humorist Ricky Gervais presented his arguments (there's a link to this in the piece below) for atheism and why he thought he was a better "Christian" than many Christians. In this follow-up essay, writer attorney, former atheist and Christian apologist Lee Strobel offers his defense of Easter (author of "The Case for Christ" and "The Case for Easter") and how this season and holiday changed his life forever.

Continue reading by clicking on the link below from the Wall Street Journal.

via blogs.wsj.com

Mark Twain: All Things Are Mortal But The Jew

The Jew, be it nation, culture or people, are an amazing phenomena. By all "earthly" measuring, they shouldn't be, yet they are.

Too many times throughout the millenia various men and women have tried to eradicate the Jew whether as individuals or as a people group or nation. But for some reason, it can never happen. They seem to have a supernatural hedge around them. They may be paired down, but they are always gloriously and amazingly restored.

As a Christian, I love the Jew. My Jewish friends are special to me. When their holidays arrive, I do my best to remember and wish them a "Happy Hannukah" or Purim or Rosh Hashanah, or whatever the day. They are special people. Out of all the people groups known throughout the ages, God specifically chose this line.

They were chosen to bring restoration and blessing to the world. We gentiles should honor them and love them. We also need to direct them to their Messiah who died for them as well. They are temporarily blinded.

What The Bible Really Says About Sex | Fox News

The Bible and sex? Yes. God has much to say about this act that He Himself created.

And not just for procreation. Sex is meant to be the ultimate expression of joy and love between a man and a woman; specifically, between a husband and wife.

"Sex is a selfish act, a conquest of personal fulfillment. That’s the mindset of most people in our culture regarding sex—even if it’s only subconscious. For the most part, our society celebrates the process of hook up, shack up, and break up. All you have to do is take a moment to observe the way sex is communicated in our culture. Thousands of articles are churned out on how to cope with a past of multiple partners and how to find the next one."

Continue reading this article at the link below...

via www.foxnews.com

What to Do About Jesus

So, what do we do about Jesus?

That truly is the bottom line in all of our lives. Is he good teacher? A godly man? A baby in a manger at Christmas? Do we even question His life? Did Jesus really exist?

In my post on the Deity and Humanity of Jesus, we looked at Philippians 2:6-11.

"...Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God,
   did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant,
   being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself
   and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
   and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
   in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
   to the glory of God the Father."

The Doctrine of Hell

 

 

The Doctrine of Hell is one subject that, unfortunately, too many pastors, Sunday school teachers (including myself), and lay people just don't talk about. And we all have way too many excuses and reasons why we don't.

We Christians should talk about hell. It is a real place. Remember that Jesus Himself spoke of hell on more than one occasion.

Hell is a place of eternal torment and punishment for those who would not have God in their lives. Whether we like it or not, hell is just punishment for the unbeliever. God is eternally Holy and Pure. Man is not, nor will he (or she) ever be, unless we take and put on the free gift of salvation offered by God through the finished work of Jesus Christ on the Cross.

The good news, as Pastor David Platt discusses in this podcast, is that hell is completely avoidable. And as Christians, we must speak about it.

A short (about 13 minutes) audio podcast. Worth listening to again and again. Click on the link below.

David Platt is the author of the book "Radical: Taking back your Faith from the American dream". An excellent read for anyone who is sick and tired of "doing church" and desires to make a difference in God's Kingdom. An absolutely thought provoking, life-changing and outstanding book.

The Doctrine of Hell, Theology Refresh: Podcast for Pastors with David Mathis, February 17, 2012 | by David Platt | Topic: Heaven & Hell

via www.desiringgod.org

Prayer 101: God's Word Motivates

God's Word Motivates.

What does that mean, "God's Word Motivates"? I'm having a difficult time putting together a single sentence answer. Even before Daniel was thrown into the lion's den, he was motivated to pray. But as we look at his prayer in Daniel 9, we see that God's Word did indeed motivate Daniel to pray.

As we've already noted, Daniel looking back and through God's Word - the Jeremiah scrolls and other piece of Scripture that he had - Daniel understood God. Daniel understood His Ways. Daniel knew that whatever God had set out to do, was actually coming to fruition in his sight and experience. God was also the center of Daniel's life; not only was God the center of his prayers, but his very being. Daniel, I believe, was in a constant (almost) state of "being" with God. His life itself was prayer.

And that's where God wants all of us to be. After all, we are "human beings", designed and created to be with, and commune with, and enjoy God; both now in this temporal life and in the future  "eternity".

As I've thought through this process - and it is a process - there seems to be 2 parts to "motivates".

Islam’s Public Enemy #1: Coptic Priest ‘Hates Islam,’ Converts Muslims to Christianity

Islam’s Public Enemy #1: Coptic Priest ‘Hates Islam,’ Converts Muslims to Christianity | TheBlaze.com

 

All Christians need to be as bold as this Egyptian Christian priest in proclaiming the liberating Word of God. From TheBlaze.com.

"The Coptic priest who for years was the bane of Islam’s existence, appears to be back in action after an unexplained year-long hiatus.

"The charismatic Father Zakaria Botros used to appear weekly on Arabic satellite television from 2005-2010 where he, citing directly from the Quran, allegedly exposed multiple theological flaws with Islam while simultaneously evangelizing from the Bible. And he was successful.

"During his time on television, Fr. Zakaria reportedly garnered nearly 60 million viewers, mostly Muslims, and inspired mass conversions to Christianity."

To continue reading this article click on the link below, courtesy of The Blaze.

via www.theblaze.com

10 Reasons to Believe in a Historical Adam

By Kevin DeYoung , Christian Post Guest Contributor

In recent years, several self-proclaimed evangelicals, or those associated with evangelical institutions, have called into question the historicity of Adam and Eve. It is said that because of genomic research we can no longer believe in a first man called Adam from whom the entire human race has descended.

I'll point to some books at the end which deal with the science end of the question, but the most important question is what does the Bible teach. Without detailing a complete answer to that question, let me suggest ten reasons why we should believe that Adam was a true historical person and the first human being.

1. The Bible does not put an artificial wedge between history and theology. Of course, Genesis is not a history textbook or a science textbook, but that is far from saying we ought to separate the theological wheat from the historical chaff. Such a division owes to the Enlightenment more than the Bible.

Continue reading this article here at the Christian Post.

 

via www.christianpost.com