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mid-week apologetics booster (8-15-2024)

Good morning friends, Quote of the week: Reconciling Love and War (Luke 6:27-31). One area of confusion about war is the apparent discrepancy between Jesus’ words and God’s approval of battle in the Old Testament. Can such dissimilar teachings be reconciled? How can the God who told Israel to destroy the Canaanites be the same one who said, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you” (v. 27)? To clarify this issue, we must distinguish between commands issued to nations and instructions given to individuals. The Lord has bestowed certain responsibilities upon governments. He calls them ministers of God for good and entrusts them with avenging evil (Rom. 13:4). But to individuals, He says, “Never take your own revenge” (12:19). People are killed in war, but this isn’t the same as murder. A soldier on the battlefield carries out his duties under the authority of his government (Rom. 13:1-2). Murder, on the other hand, is an individual’s vengeful response to anger or jealousy and is motivated by a desire to destroy another person. When governments avenge wrong, innocent people are protected, but when individuals seek their own revenge, they destroy themselves and others. In Luke, Jesus was speaking about personal conflicts, not national wars. He knows that loving our enemies is the only way to protect ourselves from bitterness. Would we prefer to turn the responsibilities around-are we quick to fight personal battles, but slow to affirm the avenging of evil nationally? Sometimes the only way for a country to have peace is to go to war, but we’ll never experience inner peace if we battle with individuals who wrong us. – Charles Stanley Now, here are your weekly links:

10 Questions with Mike Winger (Episode 24) – YouTube – this is an amazing first question answer and opening monologue. I think everyone should take the time to watch this, especially in light of the voting season that we are in and the choices we have to vote for. This first question is really about “cultural Christianity” I agree with just about everything Mike says. Enjoy!: https://www.youtube.com/live/m_ixN7ySlrY?si=aBN72oH5Z4kt5p20
The Single STRONGEST Objection to the Evolutionary Timeline – YouTube – This is the single STRONGEST objection to the evolutionary timeline according to Charles Darwinâ€¦ In this video, Calvin Smith exposes evolutionists’ BIG problem, and emphasizes the reliability of the biblical creation account.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKf53lsMYqY
Why Would a Loving God Send People to Hell? Perfect Mercy and Perfect Justice – YouTube: https://youtu.be/U12Q4K_i5bk?si=JwBsoINv-5YwTTHTABDINCAEQABiGAxiABBiKBTINCAIQABiGAxiABBiKBTINCAMQABiGAxiABBiKBTIKCAQQABiABBiiBDIKCAUQABiABBiiBNIBCDI1MTJqMGo3qAIUsAIB&client=ms-android-verizon-us-rvc3&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8
Skeptics, Beware: This Video About Noah’s Ark Will Change Your Mind! – YouTube: https://youtu.be/gBuJQMTh7JM?si=DuTfWoMNsCUUjuN9/
Planet Earth Finely Tuned by a Creator – YouTube: https://youtu.be/yLqmtNHdxRA?si=VYREljmkZMlmGck-
Are Humans Just Animals? What We Have That Animals Do Not – YouTube: https://youtu.be/68LSYQyPAvY?si=kttP3ai6_33spcW7
If You Think God Doesn’t Exist Watch This – YouTube: https://youtu.be/ozQIpqPZJ4E?si=09c_1s3nsv5ehqZz
Student Tries To DISPROVE GOD Then ADMITS His Real Problem (Heated Q&A!) – YouTube: https://youtu.be/q6wf_mIAyFw?si=17eHdt5npQPUdsEJ
John MacArthur explains the Rapture – YouTube (14 min video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLsMULMmlGE
Poll: few Millennials describe belief in God as “very important” | WINTERY KNIGHT: https://winteryknight.com/2024/08/13/poll-few-millennials-describe-belief-in-god-as-very-important-2/
Consciousness in Unresponsive Patients | Mass General Brigham – Study co-led by Mass General Brigham found that one in four patients with severe brain injury who appeared unresponsive responded to instructions covertly. Understanding this phenomenon can help guide decisions about life-sustaining treatment, goals of care, and clinical management, according to the authors.: https://www.massgeneralbrigham.org/en/about/newsroom/articles/consciousness-unresponsive-patients
Are There Different Degrees of Punishment in Hell? | Cold Case Christianity: https://coldcasechristianity.com/writings/are-there-different-degrees-of-punishment-in-hell/
The Divinity of Jesus Revealed in the New Testament | Answers in Genesis: https://answersingenesis.org/jesus/jesus-is-god/divinity-jesus-revealed-new-testament/
Aren’t Some Unbelievers Sincerely Seeking Truth? – Stand to Reason – Are there scriptural explanations for why some people don’t accept the existence of God other than that they’re “suppressing the truth in unrighteousness” or “fools saying in their hearts there is no God”?: https://subsplash.com/standtoreason/media/mi/+gq6spcf
The Heresy of Orthodoxy: When Was the Earliest Complete List of New Testament Books? – Canon Fodder: https://michaeljkruger.com/the-heresy-of-orthodoxy-when-was-the-earliest-complete-list-of-new-testament-books/
Witches Outnumber Presbyterians in the US; Wicca, Paganism Growing ‘Astronomically’ | U.S.: https://www.christianpost.com/news/witches-outnumber-presbyterians-in-the-us-wicca-paganism-growing-astronomically-227857/
Can a person believe in both God and Darwinian evolution? | WINTERY KNIGHT: https://winteryknight.com/2018/04/16/can-a-person-believe-in-both-god-and-darwinian-evolution/
Physicist Michael Strauss discusses Christianity and science at Stanford University | WINTERY KNIGHT: https://winteryknight.com/2017/06/04/physicist-michael-strauss-discusses-christianity-and-science-at-stanford-university-8/
Persuasion – the Centre Piece of Effective Evangelism – bethinking.org – persuasion was a significant part of Paul’s ministry in Acts, see 17:4; 18:4; 19:8, as well as 2 Corinthians 5:11: https://www.bethinking.org/apologetics/persuasion-the-centre-piece-of-effective-evangelism
C.S. Lewis and the Language of Apologetics – bethinking.org: https://www.bethinking.org/apologetics/c-s-lewis-and-the-language-of-apologetics
Inoculating the Masses: What in the World is Critical Race Theory? – Women in Apologetics: https://womeninapologetics.com/inoculating-the-masses-what-in-the-world-is-critical-race-theory/
New findings show that ancestral single-celled organisms were “amazingly complex” | Uncommon Descent: https://uncommondescent.com/evolution/new-findings-show-that-ancestral-single-celled-organisms-were-amazingly-complex/
Millennials Are Becoming Skeptics Over Old Testament Law | Answers in Genesis: https://answersingenesis.org/church/millennials-are-becoming-skeptics-over-old-testament-law/
Brainwashed – For Your Own Good | Evolution News: https://evolutionnews.org/2019/12/brainwashed-for-your-own-good/

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Romans 12:3 Blessings to you all