Archive for the ‘Apologetics’ Category

In Israel…

Saturday, May 22nd, 2010

Dead Sea Scrolls at APU

Dead Sea Scrolls at APU

I am leading a tour to Israel and the world-famous passion play in Oberammergau, Ger- many. It’s a great combination: all the major holy sites that make the Bible come to life, and a dramatic presentation of Jesus’ life in the beautiful setting of the Bavarian Alps!

I wish you all could be with us. At least you can come along on the Internet. We will post our impressions here from day to day (Starting Tuesday, May 25), and you can see pictures on Facebook as we go along.

What a time to be in Israel! There is constant news about the danger of war between Israel and her neighbors. If these aren’t the last days, I can’t imagine how things can get much more dramatic.

I always feel safe in Israel though. Statistically, we are much more likely to face danger in Los Angeles than in Israel. The Lord is in control of our lives isn’t He?

In the meanwhile, if you live near Azusa Pacific University in Southern California, you can treat yourself to an amazing exhibit of the history of the Bible and see their newly acquired fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls! It is almost as good as going to the Holy Land in person!

Treasures of the Bible: The Dead Sea Scrolls and Beyond!

Tour Pictures on Facebook

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Apologetics Central

Wednesday, February 17th, 2010

My main hobby in life turns out to also be a ministry. This hobby is the study of Bible prophecy. There are lots of us prophecy students out there. And why not? About 1/3 of the Bible is prophecy. The part that has already been fulfilled is the greatest proof of all that the Bible is truly God’s Word! And the part that hasn’t been fulfilled yet is looking more and more likely to happen soon.

This hobby became a ministry about 12 years ago when I began to maintain a website for prophecy students and teachers. It is called “Prophecy Central”. And, praise the Lord, it has become one of the top websites on the subject. I have the privilege of serving up fresh information about prophecy every day, and thousands of people visit the site daily. It takes a little time – an hour or so every morning before breakfast, but it is worth it.

Over the years I have discovered a close connection between prophecy and another area of study called “apologetics”. Christian Apologetics is a defense of Biblical beliefs. It comes from the Greek word apologia, “to speak in favor of.” So anything that strengthens a Christian’s understanding and belief in the Bible or the Christian faith is a part of this vast area of study. Some of the major areas of apologetics are: Belief in God, Creation, The person and the work of Jesus Christ, the Resurrection of Christ, Proofs that the Bible is the inspired word of God, Archaeology, Prophecy, Comparison of Christianity with other religions, and Defense of Christianity against atheism, cults and false teaching in general.

I am happy to announce that after a couple of years of preparation, we have launched a “sister site” to Prophecy Central. It is called “Apologetics Central.” It is another resource on the Internet for serious Bible students. It has separate sections for the major topics of apologetics, lists of apologetics sites on the Internet, a growing list of writers and speakers who are “heroes of the faith,” and much more.

Under each topic we list Scriptures that relate to the subject, collect news about speakers, books, and conferences that relate to that subject, answer common questions about the topic, give a list of websites that deal with that issue, and provide links to other resources, including books and video clips.

Please check it out and let me know what you think. What could be added? What changes would you suggest to make it truly helpful to you?

Apologetics Central
www.apologetics-central.com

Prophecy Central
www.Bible-prophecy.com

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Prophecy and Apologetics

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

The Codex Gigas from the 13th century, held at...
Image via Wikipedia
We have just launched a companion site to Prophecy Central. It is Apologetics Central. We have been working on this project little by little for over a year, so that it would have enough substance to make it worth visiting regularly.

Christian Apologetics is a description of the work that serious scholars do to provide answers to the tough questions we have about our faith. It comes from the Greek word apologia, “to speak in favor of.” It is a defense of the Bible and of Christian beliefs.

Before saying any more, let me agree with the old saying, “You don’t need to defend the Bible, you just need to use it.” In Ephesians 6:10-18, every piece of armor except one is used for protection. Items like the breastplate, the shield and the helmet are defensive. But one piece is used for offense, and that is the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God!

On the other hand, seekers and followers of Christianity have a right to know the reasons why the Bible stands alone as the one holy book in the world that is completely true and trustworthy. Skeptics can bring up some serious questions that ought to be answered. Great Christian authors from Augustine to C.S. Lewis have provided eloquent answers to these objections to the Christian faith. And today we are fortunate enough to have the ongoing wisdom of many “defenders of the faith” like Josh McDowell, Lee Strobel, and Ravi Zacharias.

Apologetics Central lists about 20 of these heroes, and gives some basic information about each one of them and how you can reach their websites and obtain their resources. Many others will be added soon. In addition to the well-known leaders in this field, there are literally hundreds of sites on the Internet that you might want to visit to understand the essence of Christian belief or for help with various questions about evolution, atheism, cults, and other false teaching. We list many of them for your convenience.

Bible Prophecy is just one branch of the immense subject of apologetics. We are grateful for the privilege of starting this project and of sharing it with you. It will grow gradually, just as Prophecy Central has done over the years. Please pray that it will be beneficial to Christians. We would be honored to have you visit the site. And you can click on “Comments” below to give us your reactions and suggestions.

Apologetics Central
http:www.apologetics-central.com

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