Is Knowledge of God Possible?

Humans were designed to act on knowledge in everyday life. If you and I don’t think the Bible and other sources of knowledge about God, morality, and the spiritual life are possible and we are not growing in this knowledge; then following Jesus in everyday life will be next to impossible because we always default to what we know.

Here is a podcast where I explore this in more detail, listen here.

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thinkChristianly Podcast

Christian Scholar Darrell Bock on a Large or Small Gospel?

Recently, New Testament Darrell Bock gave an interview for Preaching Today, on what the Gospel is and just how big is it. Worth a listen for sure...click here

thinkChristianly Podcast

ThinkChristianly.org
Think Christianly on Twitter
Welcome to College

Has the Church lost her mind?

“Has the Church lost her mind?” That is a question that many within the evangelical world are rightly asking. After much study of this question, historian Mark Noll concluded that “The scandal of the evangelical mind is that there is not much of an evangelical mind.”[2] Os Guinness laments “Anti-intellectualism is a disposition to discount the importance of truth and the life of the mind. Living in a sensuous culture and an increasingly emotional democracy, American evangelicals in the last generation have simultaneously toned up their bodies and dumbed down their minds.”[3] Guinness even begins his book by including a humorous cartoon illustrating this sad state of affairs with one character saying to the other “Buns of Steel—Brains of Silly Putty!”[4] Evangelical Philosopher and Theologian William Lane Craig observes that “Our churches are filled with people who are spiritually born again, but who still think like non-Christians.”[5] Is this an accurate portrait?

Unfortunately, in many circles it is. But it shouldn't be; it doesn't have to be....

That is why Think Christianly exists. (Luke 10:27)

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[2] Mark A. Noll, The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1994), 3.

[3] Os Guinness, Fit Bodies, Fat Minds: Why Evangelicals Don't Think and What to Do About It (Grand Rapids: Hourglass Books, 1994), 9-10.

[4] Ibid., 8.

[5] William Lane Craig, Hard Questions, Real Answers (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2003), 13.

Son of Man Evidence for Jesus' Divinity

An important passage describes Jesus’ trial before the Jewish leadership (Mark 14:60-64). They asked him point blank, “are you Messiah, the Son of the blessed one?” Jesus response is powerful: “I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Now there is a lot here. But the most important point is this, Jesus is quoting Daniel 7:13-14 and refers to himself as the “Son of Man.” If you go back and read the Daniel passage you will see that the Son of Man is in the presence of the Ancient of Days (God himself) and is given authority by him (cf. Ps 110).

The Jewish leadership, who knew the Hebrew Scriptures well, got the message loud and clear responding that this was blasphemy and that Jesus deserved to die for claiming to be God (Mark 14:63-64). People don’t get crucified for spouting off moral platitudes or loving everybody (though Jesus certainly loved people and was not promoting immorality). Something more is needed. No one denies that Jesus died by roman crucifixion. So why was he crucified?

This passage is your answer. The Jewish leadership clearly understood who Jesus claimed to be—God—and they had him crucified because of it. The early church did not turn Jesus into a God 400 years later at a church council as many today are saying. Jesus was so clear on this point, that it got him crucified.

Does Jesus Change Lives? (Cardboard Testimonies Video)

Does Jesus change lives? Watch and see...



...yes.

And he can change yours today if you will let him.

The God Question: An Invitation to a Life of Meaning by JP Moreland

The God Question has something for everyone. It is well-written, warm, clearly argued without being overly technical, and engaging. Even if you are a skeptic and disagree with his conclusions at the end of the day, I think you will concede that Moreland has been fair, honest, thoughtful, and authentic about life's biggest question...God.

Dr. Moreland is a prolific author who has written on a wide variety of topics like: happiness, the existence of God, the nature of the soul, spiritual formation, and doubt, just to name a few.

In this book, you get a little bit of all of that (and more) sprinkled in and shaped into a compelling narrative journey of faith. Moreland does not shy away from hard topics like Hell and how can Jesus be the only way. He also spends time exploring who Jesus was and how we can know about Him in history. Moreover, he talks about the powerful evidence for God from the origin and design of the universe in an accessible manner. But this is not merely a book defending the faith (i.e., apologetics).

Moreland places these fascinating and important discussions within the narrative of the Biblical story and his own faith journey in walking with Jesus for 40 years. For example he lets the reader into his own relationship-struggles and joys-with Jesus. And then he places this discussion within a wonderful explanation of the central message of Jesus: proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God.

Moreland paints a compelling (and jargon free) picture of what eternal life with God could and should be like according to the New Testament while also spending subsequent chapters talking about how to get good at life according to Jesus. Finally, he wraps up with an enlightening chapter on the afterlife.

Today, there is a lot of confusion about religion in general and Christianity in particular. If you are looking for a thoughtful book, written from the perspective of a follower of Jesus, and that gets past the heat and stereotypes, then The God Question is for you.

Immanuel

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel" (which means, God with us).”—Matthew 1:23

What a wonderful, life-altering truth. The God of the universe desires to be with us. He takes broken people and offers them His presence, power, and new life (or as Jesus so often put it, the good news of the Kingdom of God).