God & Evil (Study Resources)

Just a few of the many links to articles and videos that intelligently discuss the subject of God and evil in the world. Please watch/read/listen to these if you are serious about this issue:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eH8hJ8V4sTY Sean McDowell
• http://www.bethinking.org/suffering/introductory/why-does-god-allow-suffering-and-evil-1.htm
• http://www.bethinking.org/suffering/introductory/why-does-god-allow-suffering-and-evil-2.htm Similar to the one above, but still different enough to warrant a listen.
• A very good, long and in-depth article by a former atheist: http://pleaseconvinceme.com/2013/why-the-problem-of-evil-is-a-problem-3/

Using the CT Shooting to Push Agenda?

   I am certain that there are folks out there using this tragedy to push their own political or religious agenda, shame on them! This is a time for prayer and a time for comforting those affected by the shooting. What I do want to point out is that there are some good Christian folks out there writing about this tragedy, not to push an agenda, but to respond to the outcry of "Why did this happen?!"
   We live our lives mostly unconcerned with true evil, until something like this happens. People want to ignore the evil in the world and put it on a back shelf. We don't like to discuss unpleasant things such as this, but we cannot help it during times like these. People want to know how and why someone could do something like this. Christians and non-Christians alike cry out and wonder why God would allow evil like this to happen.
   I don't have the answers and I don't think anyone can truly know exactly why these things happen. What I do know is that the only worldview that truly addresses the problem, and solution(Jesus Christ), of evil is the Christian worldview. God will provide justice for all and will one day do away with evil in the world. In the here and now, we have to deal with injustice and evil on the small and large scale every day...and it is no easy task. These questions about evil and the doubts about God because of them are valid and worth asking. Be concerned, angry, sad, prayerful...mourn. However, beyond that, ask the deeper questions about the true underlying cause of events like this and seek out the answers to those questions from reliable sources and not internet rhetoric based on irrational thought.
   Again, please don't think, that this is an agenda. I am simply responding to a "tweet" I read earlier. I just want everyone to know that not everyone is out to push an agenda or force a belief...it never really works that way. I just wanted to let you know that there are genuine caring Christians out there willing to tackle the questions of evil for those seeking answers.

From Stand To Reason:
http://str.typepad.com/weblog/2012/12/tiding-of-great-joy-amidst-evil.html

A Long Pause....

   I have not done anything in the last month here, which I regret. Life gets in the way as well as pure laziness. I hope to get back to posting (and studying) more very soon. We are currently studying Romans in Sunday school and I want to do some studies on that book as well because of the incredible content it holds.
 
   In the mean time I am currently listening to a really good lecture series on apologetics by Douglas Groothuis. This is a very good series to go through if you are a Christian and want to really learn how to present reasons for your faith per 1 Peter 3:15.

"but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;" 

   If you are not a Christian it is a good series to listen to and see a much better view of how we as Christians should be engaging you and discussing these issues with you in a manner that is 180° from the stereotype you are used to seeing in the media.

I am only part way through, but so far it is really great material.

http://www.relyonchrist.com/lecture.htm

Scholars You Can Trust

I thought this was a good article to share...

http://www.reclaimingthemind.org/blog/2011/09/how-i-find-scholars-i-can-trust/

True Humility

Luke 15: 11-32

The Prodigal Son

 

11 And He said, "A man had two sons.

 12 "The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.' So he divided his wealth between them.

 13 "And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living.

 14 "Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished.

 15 "So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

 16 "And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him.

 17 "But when he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger!

 18 ~'I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight;

 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men."'

 20 "So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.

 21 "And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'

 22 "But the father said to his slaves, 'Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet;

 23 and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate;

 24 for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.' And they began to celebrate.

 25 "Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing.

 26 "And he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things could be.

 27 "And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.'

 28 "But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him.

 29 "But he answered and said to his father, 'Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends;

 30 but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.'

 31 "And he said to him, 'Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours.

 32 ~'But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.'"

   In church on Sunday the guest speaker preached on the three parables in Luke 15. It had been a while since I had actually read the parable of the prodigal son, so I went back and re-read it. I have been wanting to do a post about humility since I think it is a vital part of the Christian lifestyle and an essential part of becoming a Christian to begin with.
   Verses 17-19 jumped out at me when I re-read the parable and screamed of perfect humility. In the preceding verses you read of the son who had essentially demanded his inheritance early so he could strike out on his own to have fun. He lived a "loose life" and spent all of his money until he had nothing and no one to turn to. Not to say that this is the general case for someone who is homeless, but I liken this to someone who set out with pride, spent all of their money on a sinful lifestyle and lost it all. He is on the streets begging for the smallest scraps to eat and people just walk on by like he is not even there. Coming back to the verses, the prodigal son has hit rock bottom and his options are limited. He could turn to a life of crime in order to get what he needs or he can swallow his pride and try to go back home. He realizes the wrongs he has done and that he is suffering the consequences of those actions. He realizes that he has lost the right to be called his fathers son and in an attempt to regain a fraction of his father's acceptance, he decides that he will go back and ask to become one of his workers instead.
   The verses that follow tell the rest of the story of how the father rushes out to receive him back. He doesn't even give him the chance to ask about becoming a hired man! He is immediately re-established as his son as if nothing had even happened to sever the bond.
   Although this is not part of the lesson of this parable, God does call on us. He wants us to turn from our sinful ways and humble ourselves before him. We are all born into sin and our lives, whether or not we want to admit it, are filled with our selfish desires to carry out and fulfill all of the sinful pleasures that entice us. We desire to live that "loose life" and sometimes we have to reach rock bottom before we realize how lost we are.
   When you hear God's call, will you ignore it or will you humble yourself before Him and seek His forgiveness? He is looking for you and he has pretty good vision and can spot you from miles away. He will rush out to you and receive you back into a righteous relationship with Him, no questions asked.

Beware False Prophets

Lamentations 2:14-15

14. Your prophets have seen for you

      False and foolish visions;

      And they have not exposed your iniquity

      So as to restore you from captivity,

      But they have seen for you false and misleading oracles.

15. All who pass along the way

      Clap their hands in derision at you;

      They hiss and shake their heads

      At the daughter of Jerusalem,

      "Is this the city of which they said,

      'The perfection of beauty,

      A joy to all the earth'?"

  These verses refer to the false prophets in Judea during the prophecies of Jeremiah. Jeremiah (who is also commonly thought of as the author of Lamentations) was called by God to be His prophet to the people of Judea. His instruction was to tell the people of God's imminent destruction of their land and the conquering of their people because of their great sins and their turning away from Him. Jeremiah was not received very well as could be expected. There were false prophets preaching against Jeremiah's warnings saying that all was good and there was nothing to worry about. The people continued in their ways, did not repent, and eventually fell as God warned.

  These verses can be applied today as we make decisions about what church to attend and which people to listen to regarding the Word of God. We must be on our guard against false teachings and false doctrine so we do not get entangled in sinful practices that we think are holy. There are the extreme examples like Waco's Branch Davidians , Westboro Baptist and the recent embarrassment of the eBible Fellowship's rapture predictions. We have to be on the lookout for the more subtle teachings and doctrines that might seem right at first glance, but are completely unbiblical once they are tested against scripture. The teachings of the Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses are prime examples.(not going into detail on this topic at this time...there is plenty of info that can be found online).

  Find a church and good teachers that know their Bible, and are not afraid to preach on difficult topics that might convict you of sin in your own life that you need to turn from. Be wary of churches and teachers that preach like motivational speakers. Be wary of those that teach that prayer is like a magical formula for getting things from God.

  Read and study the Bible, pray for understanding with a humble heart and God will help you make the right decisions. He will give you discernment regarding the teachings of others on His Word so that you will know the truth when you see it.

A Slightly New Direction...

It has been too long since my last post...

   I have been struggling with how to proceed with the blog and what to post next. I have been listening and reading about the validity of the Bible and evidence for the existence of God in an effort to write a post about these topics (I will post some links below to my sources). The struggle I have encountered is this: How do I take what I have read and heard and put it into my own words, or should I even try? The more I listen to and read lectures and articles by people who are much more educated in these topics and who have been doing this for some years now, the less I feel that I could do justice to those studies. They are very in-depth and informative and I would simply be watering down their studies in the process.

   I had originally intended this to be more of a dialog with people on their beliefs, but it just hasn't worked out that way for the most part. I believe that this is God's way of telling me to take this in a slightly different direction. I really want this blog to be in my own words as much as possible, so I will mainly be using this as a Bible study journal of sorts in an effort to keep me on track with my personal growth as a Christian. I will let you know when I post something and I invite you to come read, ask questions & follow any links to videos or articles I think are useful.

   My prayer for you is that, if you are a Christian, God might use me to show you something new through all of this. If you are not a believer, I pray that you are here because God is drawing you closer and working on you so that you might understand the truth of Jesus Christ. Come at this with a humble heart and I pray that God will reach out to you and start to convince you about who He really is.

   My job is to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to all the world, or at least my small corner of it...I hope and pray that I can do this in a way that is pleasing to God and is a benefit to you as well as myself.

Sincerely,

Mark "ClydeFrog" Ritter

Here are the links to the studies I have been listening to. they are pretty long series of lectures and articles, but very well though out and very worth going through. 

•  Dan Oliger Apologetics Audio Feed
•  Affirming the Bible's Reliability