Former Human Genome Project Leader Dr. Francis Collins
Why Did Peter Carry That Rock?
Elizabeth Elliott tells a parable in her book These Strange Ashes, and it goes like this:
One day Jesus said to his disciples: “I’d like you to carry a stone for me.” He didn’t give any explanation. So the disciples looked around for a stone to carry, and Peter, being the practical sort, sought out the smallest stone he could possibly find. After all, Jesus didn’t give any regulation for weight and size! So he put it in his pocket. Jesus then said: “Follow Me.” He led them on a journey. About noontime Jesus had everyone sit down. He waved his hands and all the stones turned to bread. He said, “Now it’s time for lunch.” In a few seconds, Peter’s lunch was over. When lunch was done Jesus told them to stand up. He said again, “I’d like you to carry a stone for me.” This time Peter said, “Aha! Now I get it!” So he looked around and saw a small boulder. He hoisted it on his back and it was painful, it made him stagger. But he said, “I can’t wait for supper.” Jesus then said: “Follow Me.” He led them on a journey, with Peter barely being able to keep up. Around supper time Jesus led them to the side of a river. He said, “Now everyone throw your stones into the water.” They did. Then he said, “Follow Me,” and began to walk. Peter and the others looked at him dumbfounded. Jesus sighed and said, “Don’t you remember what I asked you to do? Who were you carrying the stone for?”
Why Are Christians, Christians?
Most Christians would like to say they believe in Christianity because of the evidence for the truth of the bible, or because they’ve lived with Jesus a few years and have come to know him and trust him and love him. (see previous posts J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and the Gospel Accounts and Why Do I Doubt? Genuine Seeker (Part 4)) And while these are reasons for many, the reality is, people become Christians for all sorts of reasons. Some became Christians because of the inertia in their family. Their family members are Christians, so they just went with the flow. It just made sense so they could keep good relationships with mom, dad, and their siblings. Some others became Christians because in their part of the planet it’s what people do. So they also went with the flow. And they find acceptance with their peers and with the culture they live in. Some others become Christians because of the benefits of the community. Maybe where they live it’s good for business to belong to the local church. Or maybe they like receiving support from church members when times are tough. Or maybe they enjoy the friendships formed. Often these reasons are present at the subconscious level.
Most Christians would like to say they believe in Christianity for unselfish reasons, but sometimes the reality is different. There are social reasons, and selfish reasons.
An Agnostic Historian and Faith
I have a friend who is an unbeliever and also an amateur historian. I once asked him to recommend some history books about Jesus Christ so I could Read More
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You’re Young; Profit by My Sincere Confession
I couldn’t possibly say it better than he did.
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Posted on February 14, 2014 by Kurt Bennett
Bible Commentary, Bible Study, I Wish Someone Had Told Me This When I Was Young
God's presence, love God, love God Brother Lawrence, Surrender Yourself to God, The practice of the presence of God
Bill Nye vs. Ken Ham, Evolution, and Doubt: Genuine Seeker (Part 6)
Doubt and Evolution
I know it bothers some Christians that some of their fellow followers of Christ don’t believe in evolution. They’re embarrassed. They hear the new atheists in the media dogmatically insisting that if you’re a Christian who doesn’t believe in evolution you are delusional, or imbecilic, or loathsome. Richard Dawkins and other new atheists encourage people to ridicule and mock those who disagree with their views. (Hamilton, Dawkins: Mock Them. Ridicule Them. In Public. With Contempt.) Unfortunately that approach has trickled down to too many people. The result is some Christians hear disparaging comments from friends or coworkers who have been influenced by Dawkins and other new atheists–and they feel intimidated.
Bill Nye vs. Ken Ham Read More
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Posted on February 8, 2014 by Kurt Bennett
Bible Commentary, Bible Study, Genesis, Seeker
bill nye, Bill Nye Ken Ham Evolution Doubt, Christian evolutionist, Christianity, creationism, Evolution, Jack Akin, ken ham, modern creation science, richard dawkins
Firefighter Kills Mother and Unborn Son in Head-on: What Happened Afterwards is Astounding
In Dacula, Georgia a twenty-year old firefighter named Matthew Swatzell just finished a 24 hour shift. While he was driving home that morning he fell asleep at the wheel, crossed the center line, and drove head-on into an oncoming car. That car was carrying the wife, unborn son, and daughter of a youth pastor named Erik Fitzgerald.
Erik’s wife and son were killed in the crash. Only his nineteen month old daughter survived.
What happened afterwards is astounding.
[HT Irene, longtime loyal reader.]
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Posted on February 6, 2014 by Kurt Bennett
Bible Commentary, Bible Study, News
car crash kills pastor's wife, Christian living, Christianity, erik fitzgerald, firefighter youth pastor wife killed, Forgiveness, grace, matthew swatzell, pastor forgives firefighter
The Practice of the Presence of God
References:
Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God
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Posted on February 4, 2014 by Kurt Bennett
Bible Commentary, Bible Study, I Wish Someone Had Told Me This When I Was Young, Seeker
Brother Lawrence, Brother Lawrence quote, Christian living, Christianity, devotion, Draw close to God, James 4:8, Practicing the presence of God
Super Bowl Players Who Use The YouVersion Bible App
Some of the players in today’s Super Bowl use this app.
I love the YouVersion Bible App, use it all the time. If you’re interested, you can check it out here: YouVersion Bible App.
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Posted on February 2, 2014 by Kurt Bennett
Bible Commentary, Bible Study, News
Bible, Bible App, Bible Reading Plans, Broncos, Christian, Christian football, Seahawks, Super Bowl, Super Bowl Christian Bible, YouVersion
Why Do I Doubt? And Why Did Peter Carry That Rock? Genuine Seeker (Part 5)
Former Human Genome Project Leader Dr. Francis Collins
Why Did Peter Carry That Rock?
Elizabeth Elliott tells a parable in her book These Strange Ashes, and it goes like this:
Why Are Christians, Christians?
Most Christians would like to say they believe in Christianity because of the evidence for the truth of the bible, or because they’ve lived with Jesus a few years and have come to know him and trust him and love him. (see previous posts J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and the Gospel Accounts and Why Do I Doubt? Genuine Seeker (Part 4)) And while these are reasons for many, the reality is, people become Christians for all sorts of reasons. Some became Christians because of the inertia in their family. Their family members are Christians, so they just went with the flow. It just made sense so they could keep good relationships with mom, dad, and their siblings. Some others became Christians because in their part of the planet it’s what people do. So they also went with the flow. And they find acceptance with their peers and with the culture they live in. Some others become Christians because of the benefits of the community. Maybe where they live it’s good for business to belong to the local church. Or maybe they like receiving support from church members when times are tough. Or maybe they enjoy the friendships formed. Often these reasons are present at the subconscious level.
Most Christians would like to say they believe in Christianity for unselfish reasons, but sometimes the reality is different. There are social reasons, and selfish reasons.
An Agnostic Historian and Faith
I have a friend who is an unbeliever and also an amateur historian. I once asked him to recommend some history books about Jesus Christ so I could Read More
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Posted on February 1, 2014 by Kurt Bennett
Bible Commentary, Bible Study, Seeker
Christianity, Is Jesus real, Jesus myth, science, why do I doubt
Why Do I Doubt? Genuine Seeker (Part 4)
Why Do I Doubt?
In our last post, Doubt, Faith, and Reason, we looked at how a firefighter decided to risk his own life and crawl through a window into a burning building to save three children. And we saw how his decision making process is related to our choosing to believe (or not believe) in the gospel accounts.
In today’s post we’ll look at one of the reasons why we doubt.
Getting to Know a Firefighter
Yesterday a candidate for a firefighter position at Medford Fire-Rescue contacted me asking for advice about how to get hired. Before I started writing full time, I was involved in the hiring process for the fire department. I’m pretty sure we have the most thorough process in the state. We start with an application screening and end with a background check that’s incredibly thorough. Before we hire someone we know them just about as well as you can know someone without living with them. Which is important because firefighters have a unique schedule, and because of their unique schedule they live with each other almost a third of their lifetime during their career. It’s also important because once he or she is hired, the department and the community will probably be stuck with this person, for better or for worse, for thirty years or so.
But here’s the thing, no matter how thorough our process, and no matter how deep we go with our background investigation, we don’t really get to know the candidate until he’s been with us for a few years. There have been a few backgrounds Read More
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Posted on January 25, 2014 by Kurt Bennett
Bible Commentary, Bible Study, Seeker
Christ, Christianity, Doubt, Faith, Is Jesus real, Jesus, Jesus myth, Jesus real, why do I doubt
Martin Luther King Jr.: Favorite Quotes
A few of my favorite quotes from Martin Luther King Jr.
“Science investigates; religion interprets. Science gives man knowledge, which is power; religion gives man wisdom, which is control. Science deals mainly with facts; religion deals mainly with values. The two are not rivals.” -Martin Luther King Jr.
“The early Christians rejoiced when they were deemed worthy to suffer for what they believed. In those days the Church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society.” -Martin Luther King Jr.
“The end of life is not to be happy, nor to achieve pleasure and avoid pain, but to do the will of God, come what may.” -Martin Luther King Jr.
Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day!
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Posted on January 20, 2014 by Kurt Bennett
Bible Commentary, Bible Study, Seeker
Christian, Martin Luther King Jr. Christian quotes, Martin Luther King Jr. quotes
Doubt, Faith, and Reason: Genuine Seeker (Part 3)
Last Post: Tolkien, Lewis, and the Gospel
In our last post (J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and the Gospel Accounts) we saw the impact (on me at least) of C.S. Lewis’ opinion of the gospels. Lewis, a former atheist, a professor at Oxford and Cambridge, and an expert in ancient literature, wrote that the gospels are either a documented account of the life of Jesus, or, “some unknown writer in the 2nd century, without known predecessors, or successors, suddenly anticipated the whole technique of modern, novelistic, realistic narrative.” In other words, C.S. Lewis believed the scriptures to be true. (I posted Lewis’ statement on Reddit and a commenter, SuddenlySeymour, with a masters degree in English Literature explained it better than I ever could. If you’re interested, you can read what he wrote in the NOTES section at the bottom of this post.)
Why Should I Listen?
The next thing we explored in the last post was the next logical step after learning of Lewis’ conclusion. And that step is to read the gospel accounts of Jesus’ life very carefully. Because if those accounts are true as C.S. Lewis asserts that they are, then when we read the gospel accounts, we’re reading a documented account of the life and words of the Son of God Himself.
The Son of God Himself. No one’s life can be more important than his. No one’s world view can be more important than his. No one’s words can be more important than his. He said he came to save lives, eternal lives, and I want to explore that. But before we continue I think it will be helpful to first look at how firefighters decide to save lives.
Why Dive Through a Window Into a Burning Building? Read More
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Posted on January 18, 2014 by Kurt Bennett
Bible Commentary, Bible Study, Seeker
C.S. Lewis, Christianity, Doubt, Faith, Is Jesus real, Jesus, Jesus myth, Jesus real, reason, textual criticism
J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and the Gospel Accounts: Genuine Seeker (Part 2)
J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and the Gospels
In our last post we looked at how J.R.R. Tolkien of Lord of the Rings fame, argued with his atheist friend, C.S. Lewis, and how he ultimately persuaded Lewis to believe in Christianity. And we also saw what C.S. Lewis, an expert in ancient literature (Oxford and Cambridge professor, and chair of Mediaeval and Renaissance Literature at Cambridge) said about the gospels:
(Click on the link to read the previous post in its entirety Smurfs and the Genuine Seeker)
So here’s one of my personal heroes, Tolkien, the creator of all the original writings having to do with Hobbits and in my view one of the great genius minds of all time, and he convinces his friend C.S. Lewis that the bible is true. And then Lewis, another one of the great minds of all time and an expert in ancient literature, recognizes the gospels as true documentation of the life of Christ.
So what am I to do with this? How am I to react to this? Read More
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Posted on January 15, 2014 by Kurt Bennett
Bible Commentary, Bible Study, Seeker
Bible, CS Lewis, Is Jesus real, Jesus myth, Jesus myth or reality, Jesus real, JRR Tolkien, textual criticism
Smurfs and the Genuine Seeker of Truth (Part 1)
Smurfs May Lead to “Harder” Entertainment Media
So, your parents forbid you to watch the Smurfs and you think that is one of the stupidest things ever, right? But take a breath and think this through with me. Somewhere, down deep inside, you know in your heart that it was when the Smurf high faded, it became the gateway television show that led you to your use of “harder” entertainment media. Come on, admit it. We’ve all heard the stories about Smurf watchers graduating to Harry Potter books and even engaging with others in the sport of Quidditch.
I even heard that one poor soul tried out for the position of Seeker. He was last seen in a deserted alley, chasing imaginary Quaffles and Golden Snitches.
Clearly it was the Smurfs cartoon that led to your ruin.
A Genuine Seeker of Truth
Okay so you’re probably right about the impact of the Smurfs on your childhood. But while we’re on the topic of the position of Seeker… I was on Google+ one time and I saw this post comparing an Egyptian mythological character named Horus to Jesus. The guy who posted it said that the gospel accounts of Jesus’ life were just ripoffs of this Egyptian legend. It seemed pretty compelling so Read More
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Posted on January 11, 2014 by Kurt Bennett
Bible Commentary, Bible Study, Seeker
Bible, bible real, C.S. Lewis, God exist, Hobbit, Is Jesus real, J.R.R. Tolkien, Jesus, Jesus copy, Jesus myth
How Did They Do That? — Courage in the Face of Cancer
What people need to know to survive a trial: A lesson from Mike and Pam Worley
Sometimes a person responds to bad news with such grace and strength, we think, “I want to know how they did it. Because if I ever face a storm like that, I want to be as strong.”
That’s the way I felt when my friends Mike and Pam Worley learned that Mike had cancer. Pam wrote this on Mike’s Caring Bridge site:
We just got back from meeting with Dr. M getting the results from Mike’s biopsy. I wish the news had been better than what we got, BUT it could be worse! Mike has multiple myeloma. It is a cancer of the plasma in the bone marrow… Chemotherapy will more than likely have to be done.
It could be worse? It’s cancer! Well, that’s probably what you just thought you were supposed to say, and now you’ll lock yourself in a dark room and have a breakdown, right? Read More
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Posted on January 8, 2014 by Kurt Bennett
Bible Commentary
cancer, Christian, depression, divorce, grief, How do I get through this, Jim Davis, suicide, Survive Trial Cancer Jim Davis why me, Why Me?
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