Christian Research & Missions

04/12/2021

Another one from Timothy Keller. A must read.

I spent a lifetime counseling others before my diagnosis. Will I be able to take my own advice?

09/11/2021

Good critique is (a) pointing out inconsistencies in the person’s belief system—where it ‘smuggles’ values in from other systems for which it doesn’t have a basis; (b) pointing out inconsistencies in the argument for the belief system (c) pointing out where the position does not fit in empirical evidence (d) pointing out where the belief system fails to explain something we see in the world (e) pointing out impracticability—un-liveability, unworkability (e) pointing out scholarship with different viewpoints. This can be done sometimes with humor!

Bad critique is: (a) harsh and demeaning mockery (b) straw man arguments—reading your opponents’ statements in the worst ‘bad faith’ kind of way, and re-stating their arguments in the weakest motives or social location or past associations de-legitimizes his or her even having an opinion, (d) citing very outlier scholarship—as if it’s mainstream or uncontested.

I think it is obvious that bad critique is more prevalent on social media than good critique.

Copied from Timothy Keller

04/11/2021

"Many non-religious people want to believe that their views of the world are based on reason while religious people’s beliefs are based on blind faith. But all knowledge begins with faith. The scientist cannot prove her memory or cognitive faculties work without assuming they do. She takes on faith that she’s not in “The Matrix”. (There are no non-circular arguments for the case that our
perception faculties are reliable.)

The secular humanist cannot prove scientifically or logically that all people have equal dignity and equal rights and that to violate them is not just impractical but wrong. He takes it on faith. The religious believer cannot demonstrably prove to every rational person that God exists. Yet all of these ‘faith-starting points’ and ‘worldviews’ can be rationally tested and interrogated.

First, they can be examined for internal consistency—to see they “smuggle” in truths and values that contradict their own premises. Second, there are some parts—but never all— of the worldview that can indeed be tested empirically. Third, there are ways to weigh which faith premises best account for what we see in the world and in ourselves. Fourth, worldviews can be tested for ‘liveability’—which ones provide the best resources for purpose, identity, freedom, happiness, hope—things we cannot live a human life without.

All people necessarily operate out of worldviews (C.Taylor calls them ‘social imaginaries’) that are based on non-provable faith assumptions about reality and human nature. This levels the playing field for dialogue in a secular society about religion. No one can prove their worldview outright. So we should proceed with humility and respect toward others. But worldviews CAN be compared and examined and recommended to others—we must not neglect doing that." ~Timothy Keller

26/12/2020

Christmas is about—Christ

“They saw the young child…and fell down, and worshipped him.” Mt 2:11

He was born in the humblest of settings, yet heaven above was filled with the songs of angels. His birthplace was a cattle shed, yet a star brought the rich and noble from thousands of miles away to worship Him. His birth was contrary to the laws of life and His death was contrary to the laws of death, yet no miracle is greater than His birth, His life, His death, His resurrection and His teachings. He had no cornfields or fisheries, yet He spread a table for 5000 and had bread and fish to spare. He never stood on expensive carpeting, yet He walked on the waters and they supported Him. His crucifixion was the crime of crimes, yet from God’s perspective no less a price could have made possible our redemption. When He died, few mourned His passing, yet God hung a black cape over the sun. Those who crucified Him did not tremble at what they’d done, yet the earth shook under them. Sin never touched Him. Corruption could not get hold of His body. The soil that was reddened with His blood could not claim His dust. For over three years He preached the gospel. He wrote no book, He had no headquarters and He built no organization. Yet two thousand years later He’s the central figure of human history, the perpetual theme of all preaching, the pivot around which the ages revolve, and the only Redeemer of the human race. At this season of celebration and gift-giving, let’s join the wise men who “fell down and worshipped him.” Let’s remember, Christmas is about—Christ!

11/08/2020

JESUS CHRIST said, 'If someone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other...also' (Matthew 5:39). In JESUS CHRIST’S day, society was built around shame and honour. The left hand was considered unclean; it was not to be used for eating - or for hitting. So a blow to the right cheek would be done with the backhand. It was a way to publicly insult someone or remind someone they were socially inferior.
So when someone insults us, what should we do? Everyone expects one of two responses: retaliation or cowering. JESUS CHRIST is saying, 'Your safety and your honour are in the hands of your HEAVENLY FATHER.' So now we get creative. One possibility is that we could turn the other cheek. Our enemy can't backhand our left cheek. Either he has to fight us as an equal, which he doesn't want to do, or he has to find a nonviolent way to resolve the conflict. So, who do we get insulted by? 'Slaps' often take the form of barbs, digs and 'backhanded' comments. Someone demeans our idea at work. Someone accuses us falsely at home. A relative says something judgmental about us. What is our first instinct - retaliation, fear, or both?
With the HOLY SPIRIT helping us, there is a new possibility. We don't have to run and hide. We don't have to strike back. We must confront the other person with honesty and strength. Be creative, patient and active. Lovingly work towards reconciliation. It is the reason the BIBLE calls the Christian life an 'upward call' (Philippians 3:14). So, the next time someone upsets us, 'we must take the high road!' AMEN

Copied

06/08/2020

https://churchleaders.com/news/379166-barna-church-pandemic.html

A recent study from Barna has surprised researchers by revealing that one in three practicing Christians stopped attending church, even online, after the COVID-19 pandemic began.

22/12/2018

GIFTS and GIVING

Christmas is the season of giving. Why do we give and receive gifts at Christmas time? After all, it’s not our birthday! Why do some exchange their gifts on Christmas Eve, while others do so on Christmas Day?

Timing
A Biblical day began at sunset. God's day begins in darkness and ends in light. Today, with our electricity and clocks we calculate days from midnight to midnight. Man’s day begins in darkness and ends in darkness.

So Christmas Day, 25 December, Biblically, begins as the sun sets on Christmas Eve, 24 December. For this reason, many families, from Germanic and Nordic ancestry, celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve.

The Greatest Gift
We give gifts at Christmas time in honour of the greatest Gift ever given. For "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son". Freely we have received, freely we must give. It is far more blessed to give than to receive.

Getting vs. Giving
Yet, we still have many people who have not grasped this most basic truth of Christmas. To many, Christmas is the season for getting, not giving. Many have their hands out asking, where is their Christmas box? "What do you have for me?" "Give me! Give me! Give me!"

Complete strangers seem to have no shame in demanding some gift for themselves at Christmas Day. We need to remind them whose birthday we are celebrating.

The First Christmas Gifts
The very first Christmas gifts were given by the wise men from the East. They travelled great distances, across difficult and dangerous terrain, in order to worship the Greatest Person ever born. They presented extraordinary gifts: Gold for the King of kings; Frankincense for the High Priest of all priests; Myrrh for the sacrifice that would end the need for any other blood sacrifices.

These men from the East were wise. They recognised when the Messiah would be born. They discovered where He would be born. As they came from Babylon and Persia, where Daniel had served, they were no doubt aware of the prophecies made

20/12/2018

Getting Through Your “Nighttime Experiences”

“Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” Ps 30:5 NKJV

God is with us during our “nighttime experiences.” Think about it; you’ve been knocked down, but by God’s grace you’ve gotten back up. No matter how dark the night, you’ve lived to see the morning. Times change and relationships change, but God is always the same. He’s the one who brought you through every difficulty in the past, and He promises to be with you every day of the future. Note the words “joy comes.” That means you will rise again and rejoice again. Your drive to survive comes from a well that’s already within you, and the Lord is the One who fills that well. Let it flow! You don’t have to make it flow, just let it flow. Sixteenth-century English clergyman and historian Dr. Thomas Fuller said, “If it were not for hope, the heart would break.” No matter what you’re going through right now, don’t give up until you see the morning. It’s at the end of every dark night and every broken promise—and it always comes. After every setback, betrayal, and denial—morning will surely break. Let nothing keep you from believing that! God will dry your tears and you’ll awake with a new song. One of the greatest promises in Scripture is this: “His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion…therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him” (La 3:22-25). Yesterday ended last night. It’s a new day, so make up your mind to enjoy it!

19/12/2018

Radical Commitment (2)

“Take up your cross daily, and follow me.” Lk 9:23 NLT

Let’s consider: (1) Commitment at work. In the past, employers valued their workers and workers valued their employers. But today’s workplace has become increasingly adversarial, with workers resenting their bosses and doing the bare minimum, while bosses are often demanding and take their employees for granted. God’s way calls for mutual commitment. “Don’t just do what you have to do to get by, but work heartily…with a smile on your face, always keeping in mind that no matter who happens to be giving the orders, you're really serving God” (Eph 6:6-7 MSG). If you are an employer, take note who you represent—God. (2) Commitment at church. Many folks have a casual, cafeteria-style approach to church. They pick what they like—and leave what they don’t. Jesus said, “I will build my church” (Mt 16:18 NIV). And membership in it calls for a covenant relationship between believers: one in which we agree to encourage, nurture, protect, cherish, pray for each other, and fulfill our mission together (See 1Co 12:12-31). (3) Commitment to Christ. Jesus made a radical commitment to us through His birth, life, suffering, crucifixion, and death, and He asks us to commit radically to Him. “Then he said to the crowd, ‘If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.’” That means you no longer follow your own wishes or will, but follow the Lord, His wishes and His will. That’s radical commitment, and it’s what God expects from you.

18/12/2018

Radical Commitment (1)

“I have been crucified with Christ.” Gal 2:20 NIV

We live in a time of commitment-phobia. We want to get as much as we can while giving back as little as possible. We want to be there for others in good times but not bad ones. And our lack of commitment is reflected in the statistics. The marriage rate is down while the divorce rate is up. Involvement in church and participation in compassionate causes are both down. We’re becoming a society that fears putting itself on the line or being pinned down by responsibility and obligation. To escape the awkwardness and embarrassment of saying no, we avoid our obligations and responsibilities by simply being elsewhere when we’re needed. And we’re a “sound bite” generation with attention spans geared to fifteen-second commercials. We prefer our sermons simple, entertaining, and above all, short! Radical commitment is rare—but it’s what God wants from us! The Bible says, “It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it” (Ecc 5:5 NIV). How about commitment to marriage? God doesn’t see it as a 50/50 arrangement, but one where both sides give 100 percent. It’s a sacred covenant made before God between a man and woman, “for better or worse; for richer or poorer; in sickness and in health; until parted by death.” And it works best when both partners have learned to say with Paul, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” That’s radical commitment, and it’s the way to a great marriage.

17/12/2018

There’s No Substitute!

“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” Jas 4:8 NKJV

Author Reimar Schultze writes: “No man can become much like God, accomplish much for God, be intimate with God, be used much of God, unless he has learned to be much alone with God…and what a classroom you’ll find yourself in. You won’t become a carbon copy of other Christians, because there’ll be no one in the class but you and God. In church you can say, ‘This isn’t for me; perhaps it’s for someone else’…Here time is designed to meet your particular needs, to equip you in your unique calling…to fine-tune you…to draw the foolishness out of you…and mold you into His likeness. He may start with a chisel, but eventually He will only need sandpaper…Jesus said, ‘My sheep hear my voice and…follow me’ (Jn 10:27). He’ll not only teach you to hear His voice…He’ll show you what’s hindering you from hearing it. He’ll teach you as quickly as you surrender to Him, yet slowly enough so you don’t miss a lesson. He’ll teach you what it means to be yoked together with Him and to walk at His pace and in His time. Of course the Devil will fight you every step of the way. He’ll give you rational and religious excuses to delay [but you don’t have to act on them]. Resist him! He’s a liar and a deceiver…There’s a price to be paid for neglecting God. Some have lost children and grandchildren to the world, endured hardships, disappointments, financial crisis, and marital breakups…Some of our lives revolve around getting ahead, instead of getting around God…Repent and start doing the right thing now—you’ll never regret it.”