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Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Exclusive Interiew | Dr. Timothy McGrew, PhD



Dr. Timothy McGrew is Professor of Philosophy at Western Michigan University. He specializes in theory of knowledge, logic, probability theory, and the history and philosophy of science, and he has published in numerous journals including Mind, The Monist, Analysis, British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, and Philosophia Christi. His most recent publications include the article on “Evidence” in The Routledge Companion to Epistemology (forthcoming), a co-authored anthology in The Philosophy of Science (Blackwell, 2009), and a paper (with Lydia McGrew) on the the argument from miracles in The Blackwell Companion to Natural Theology (Blackwell, 2009).

Please read the entire interview below:
 
Nathan: What is your view on the authorship of Gospels?
Dr. McGrew: I am persuaded that they were written, in more or less the form in which we have them today, by their traditional authors, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Nearly every piece of external evidence we have indicates that this has always been the view of the church. Contrary to what Bart Ehrman likes to say, there is no evidence that any of the Gospels ever circulated anonymously. And there is very strong internal evidence for the authorship of John, as well.

There are of course some difficulties with any view of the authorship of the Gospels. But that is true with almost any interesting historical investigation. The question is not whether there is some view that is free from all difficulties; it is which view suffers from the least difficulties, which view is open to the fewest objections. And I am firmly persuaded that the traditional attributions of authorship are open to the fewest objections.

Nathan: Why aren’t the Gnostic gospels considered to be historically reliable sources by most biblical scholars as well as theologians?
Dr. McGrew: The simple reason that the Gnostic “gospels” are not generally considered to be historically reliable sources is that we know they were written much later than the four canonical Gospels, that their authors had no firsthand or even secondhand knowledge of Jesus, and their content shows them to be works fabricated for the purpose of promoting gnostic teaching, which did not become popular until the second century.
 
Take the Gospel of Thomas, for example. It is a string of unconnected aphorisms: “Jesus said ...; Jesus said ...; Jesus said ...; His disciples questioned him and said ...; Jesus said ...; Jesus said ...” Some of these sayings are drawn or adapted from the canonical gospels; some are just gnostic weirdness. There is no context, no setting, no detail, no realism. The only geographical reference in the entire work is a vague mention of Judea in verse 60.

Open the Gospel of John almost anywhere and the contrast will be stark. In John 4, for example, Jesus is sitting at Jacob’s well talking to the Samaritan woman; he speaks to her of living water. She points out that her forefathers worshiped in “this mountain”—and Mt. Gerizim is, in fact, visible from Jacob’s well. When she goes back to town to tell her fellow Samaritans about Jesus, the disciples marvel that he was talking to a woman; he tells them to lift up their eyes to see the harvest; and grain fields are in fact visible to anyone sitting at that well. The integration of teaching and context is pervasive.

The prepositions built into the Greek verbs show us that the authors of the four Gospels were familiar with the geography of Palestine: Jesus goes down to Capernaum (John 4:46, 49, 51); he goes up to Jerusalem (John 5:1); in a parable he has a man going down to Jericho (Luke 10:30).

The cumulative effect of evidence like this—and there is much, much more of it—is overwhelming. As sources for the life and teaching of Jesus, the Gnostic “gospels” simply aren’t in the same league as the four canonical Gospels.

Nathan: Why don’t the Gospels cover the youth of Jesus Christ?
Dr. McGrew: I think some people, both Christians and non-Christians, have the mistaken idea that the four Gospels were intended to be complete accounts of Jesus’ life. That obviously wasn’t the point. They focus on his life and actions during a span of a little over three years, the years from the beginning of his public ministry until his resurrection. And even there, they are not complete records, as the authors themselves admit—look at John 21:25!

Nathan: What is your view on the historical reliability of the Gospels?
Dr. McGrew: I am persuaded by the evidence that they are very reliable historical sources. No, the disciples didn’t have digital recording devices, but they did a remarkably good job of giving us a picture of Jesus’ ministry and teaching. There are numerous ways in which this comes out, both in the Gospels taken separately and in the cross-comparison of them. For example, the Gospel of Mark reports many things that must have been quite embarrassing to the apostles. They are represented as boastful (Mark 14:31), stupid (Mark 6:52), incompetent (Mark 9:18), impertinent (Mark 8:32), cowardly (Mark 14:50), and absent without leave on the morning of the resurrection (Mark 16:1-8).

As far as the interconnections among the Gospels, one of my favorite arguments is the argument from undesigned coincidences. Take Matthew 14:1-2; how should Matthew know what Herod Antipas is saying to his servants in the privacy of his own dwelling? Luke 8:3 provides a plausible answer. Or consider Luke’s account of Jesus’ first trial before Pilate in Luke 23:1-4. Why does Pilate try to release Jesus after receiving that reply to his question about whether Jesus was a king? The fuller account of that interview in John 18 provides the explanation. In Luke 22:27, Jesus tells the disciples pointedly that he is among them as one who serves. What could he be referring to? The opening scene in John 13, where Jesus does a servant’s work in washing their feet, supplies the answer. But why did he do that? What prompted his action? Look back earlier in Luke 22 for the answer. These interconnections criss-cross the Gospels, providing strong evidence that they are giving us portraits drawn from life and not theological fantasies invented by people who were unfettered by the need to stay true to something that had actually happened.

Nathan: In this age of modern technology and ample of scientific evidence, why do you believe that God exists? In this regard, how do you define ‘God’?
Dr. Tim McGrew: I would define “God” as “a conscious, personal being without a body who is eternal, free, all-powerful, all-knowing, perfectly good, and the creator of all other things.”

The idea that modern scientific evidence undermines belief in God is a curious one. I think it must be connected to the idea that those who believe in God do so because they attribute every gap in their understanding of the universe to the direct agency of God. But does anyone really do this? Science is good at closing some gaps (say, in molecular biology, where the problems are very difficult but some of them are tractable) and not so good at closing others (for example, the problem of the relation between matter and consciousness). So yes, it can be reasonable to entertain the idea that the existence of God may be the best explanation for something, and doing so does not commit one to invoking direct divine action to answer every unsolved problem in every field.

I believe in the existence of God because I think that the existence of God is, on the whole, the best explanation for all of our evidence, scientific, historical, and experiential. As you might imagine, unpacking that case gets one into a great deal of detail very quickly!

Nathan: What do you have to say about God and the existence of Universe? What do you think relationship between the proper name ‘God’ and the definite description ‘The cause of the universe’ is?
Dr. Tim McGrew: I should describe the universe as the totality of all physical reality, and as you might infer from my definition, I think that God created the universe and may therefore properly be described as its cause.

Nathan: “If God does not exist, then there is no prudential reason to behave morally.” What do you think of this statement?
Dr. Tim McGrew: That is difficult to say, because I would need to know what “prudential” means. Even Machiavelli saw that it is useful to a “Prince” if people think that he is merciful, faithful, humane, and religious—though of course his point is that one need not actually be that way. I think that even someone who did not believe in God’s existence might act in a relatively decent fashion simply in order to avoid the disapprobation of his peers. So that might be a prudential motive to behave morally.

Whether that is ultimately a satisfactory ground for morality, whether it makes certain actions moral, is another question altogether. I am quite sure that it does not. Real, objective morality requires some other ground than the desire to have one’s neighbors and friends think well of one.

Nathan: If God exists, why won’t he heal amputees?
Dr. Tim McGrew: Because he’s too busy raising the dead.
Seriously, the point of the question is supposed to be that modern day miracle claims are for things that are not dramatically, incontestably miraculous even to the casual gaze, like the restoration of a lost limb would be.

For one thing, I’m not at all sure this is true; I haven't yet had a chance to read through Craig Keener’s two-volume “footnote” on miracles, but it would not completely surprise me if he has some such cases documented there.

Second, this quip has always struck me as a rhetorical variant on Herod Antipas’s objection from the musical Jesus Christ Superstar: “Prove to me that you’re no fool; Walk across my swimming pool!”

There are many things that God could do today for me and for others that we would recognize as indisputable evidence of His intervention, but He doesn’t. And that’s okay. If the evidence we do have is sufficient, we are not entitled to complain because it is not the particular kind of evidence we wish we had.

So the complaint is really misplaced; it is a rhetorically clever attempt to focus attention on a sort of evidence that we (perhaps) do not have for miracles today rather than grappling with the evidence we actually do have for the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is the make-or-break event for Christianity.

Nathan: Is God imaginary? If not, what is the evidence of God’s existence?
Dr. Tim McGrew: Some people may have a concept of what they call “God” that doesn’t correspond to anything real. But I certainly believe that God exists and is not imaginary.

There are many different lines of evidence for the existence of God. Here are five: the origin of the universe, the origin of life, the origin of consciousness, the origin of morality, and the origin of Christianity.

Nathan: A popular skeptical question is, “Who made God?” What would you say in response?
Dr. Tim McGrew: No one made God. God never began to exist, so there is no causal question about his being made.
The physical universe, on the other hand, has not been around forever; our best physical science tells us that it began to exist a finite time ago. So for the universe, unlike for God, the question of why it came into existence is rather urgent. Professor Krauss’s attempt to answer this question in his recent book A Universe from Nothing shows a spectacular failure to engage with the actual question, as Krauss himself admits that what he is offering is an account of how the material world as we know it came about from a quantum vacuum with nonzero energy. That’s not a universe from Nothing.

Additional question:

Nathan: In one of your lectures, “Who wrote Gospels,” you mentioned “Prepare your kids for a war.” Why do you think being a Christian has to be prepared? What are the forces arrayed against Christianity today, and how can they be harmful to unprepared Christians?
Dr. McGrew: I was echoing there something that my friend Bill Craig says in his book Reasonable Faith. I think that on the whole, our churches have failed to prepare young people (or anyone, for that matter) to encounter intellectual challenges to their faith. We are now reaping the bitter fruit of that failure, as students raised in churches are walking away from their faith in record numbers in the first two years after highschool. We desperately need calm, informed discussion of the objections that they will hear once they go to college or start surfing the internet without parental controls. And we need to show them that Christianity is supported by evidence that commends it to the rational mind. That is not a substitute for a vital, living relationship with God. But today, some training in apologetics is an indispensable prerequisite for a healthy, well-rounded Christian life.
παντα δε δοκιμαζετε το καλον κατεχετε

To learn more about Dr. Timothy McGrew, please click here.
To download audio lectures by Dr. McGrew and to read the published articles by him click here

Sunday, July 27, 2014

July 27, 2014 | Know Your God | Sermon



Welcome to THE NATHAN REPORT!
A beautiful day with heavy monsoon rain.


As usual, we started off with Praise and Worship, here is today's Playlist: 


1) God is good - Don Moen

2) God leading us along - Hymn

3) Be exalted O' God - Brent Chambers



4) Blessed be the name of Lord - Matt Redman

Great session as usual. Brother Mahesh was leading the worship today, as usual, enjoyable, when he takes the lead. I personally believe he is Michael W. Smith of our Church. 


We move to the offerings as well announcements, here is the list of today's announcements:

- Pastor along with a Church team will be leaving for USA for two weeks. Please keep this project in your prayers.
- We have a 'Child Dedication' later today post service. Brother Prakash and his wife, sister Bhoomika have been blessed with a baby.

As you all know, today we were supposed to talk about the last aspect of the Fruit of Holy Spirit, "Self-Control", pastor has decided to make a little change today. For all readers who had been waiting for this, please hold on for some time. It will be up soon, though cannot assure of the exact day. Pastor was inspired today so there was a change in today's topic.

Today's teaching is, "Know Your God".


Psalms 27:1-6

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation—
    whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
    of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When the wicked advance against me
    to devour me,
it is my enemies and my foes
    who will stumble and fall.
3 Though an army besiege me,
    my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
    even then I will be confident.
4 One thing I ask from the Lord,
    this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
    and to seek him in his temple.
5 For in the day of trouble
    he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
    and set me high upon a rock.
6 Then my head will be exalted
    above the enemies who surround me;
at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;
    I will sing and make music to the Lord.

The Lord, who is the believer's light, is the strength of his life; not only by whom, but in whom he lives and moves. In God let us strengthen ourselves. The gracious presence of God, his power, his promise, his readiness to hear prayer, the witness of his Spirit in the hearts of his people; these are the secret of his tabernacle, and in these the saints find cause for that holy security and peace of mind in which they dwell at ease. The psalmist prays for constant communion with God in holy ordinances. All God's children desire to dwell in their Father's house. Not to sojourn there as a wayfaring man, to tarry but for a night; or to dwell there for a time only, as the servant that abides not in the house for ever; but to dwell there all the days of their life, as children with a father. Do we hope that the praising of God will be the blessedness of our eternity? Surely then we ought to make it the business of our time. This he had at heart more than any thing. Whatever the Christian is as to this life, he considers the favour and service of God as the one thing needful. This he desires, prays for and seeks after, and in it he rejoices.


Illustration: Once a mother asked her 8 year old son, "Sean, hand me over that broom kept outside neat the porch!" Since it was evening and dark outside, the boy got scared, and resisted saying, "Nah!" Mom with words of encouragement responded, "Child, God is outside, no need to scared." So this boy approached the door, unlocked it and said, "God, would you mind handing me the broom kept over that corner?"

We should need to understand God as a whole. Why we need God? Knowing God is the ultimate solution for our deliverance from our sins. We must understand the might, strengths and in totality how powerful God is.

Deuteronomy 4:32-40, 

"32 “For ask now of the days that are past, which were before you, since the day that God created man on the earth, and ask from one end of heaven to the other, whether such a great thing as this has ever happened or was ever heard of. 33 Did any people ever hear the voice of a god speaking out of the midst of the fire, as you have heard, and still live? 34 Or has any god ever attempted to go and take a nation for himself from the midst of another nation, by trials, by signs, by wonders, and by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and by great deeds of terror, all of which the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes? 35 To you it was shown, that you might know that the Lord is God; there is no other besides him. 36 Out of heaven he let you hear his voice, that he might discipline you. And on earth he let you see his great fire, and you heard his words out of the midst of the fire. 37 And because he loved your fathers and chose their offspring after them and brought you out of Egypt with his own presence, by his great power, 38 driving out before you nations greater and mightier than you, to bring you in, to give you their land for an inheritance, as it is this day, 39 know therefore today, and lay it to your heart, that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other. 40 Therefore you shall keep his statutes and his commandments, which I command you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land that the Lord your God is giving you for all time."

Moses urged the greatness, glory, and goodness of God. Did we consider what a God he is with whom we have to do, we should surely make conscience of our duty to him, and not dare to sin against him. Shall we forsake a merciful God, who will never forsake us, if we are faithful unto him? Whither can we go? Let us be held to our duty by the bonds of love, and prevailed with by the mercies of God to cleave to him. Moses urged God's authority over them, and their obligations to him. In keeping God's commandments they would act wisely for themselves. The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom. Those who enjoy the benefit of Divine light and laws, ought to support their character for wisdom and honour, that God may be glorified thereby. Those who call upon God, shall certainly find him within call, ready to give an answer of peace to every prayer of faith. All these statutes and judgments of the Divine law are just and righteous, above the statutes and judgments of any of the nations. What they saw at mount Sinai, gave an earnest of the day of judgment, in which the Lord Jesus shall be revealed in flaming fire. They must also remember what they heard at mount Sinai. God manifests himself in the works of the creation, without speech or language, yet their voice is heard, Ps 19:1,3; but to Israel he made himself known by speech and language, condescending to their weakness. The rise of this nation was quite different from the origin of all other nations. See the reasons of free grace; we are not beloved for our own sakes, but for Christ's sake. Moses urged the certain benefit and advantage of obedience. This argument he had begun with, ver. 1, That ye may live, and go in and possess the land; and this he concludes with, ver. 40, That it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee. He reminds them that their prosperity would depend upon their piety. Apostacy from God would undoubtedly be the ruin of their nation. He foresees their revolt from God to idols. Those, and those only, shall find God to their comfort, who seek him with all their heart. Afflictions engage and quicken us to seek God; and, by the grace of God working with them, many are thus brought back to their right mind. When these things are come upon thee, turn to the Lord thy God, for thou seest what comes of turning from him. Let all the arguments be laid together, and then say, if religion has not reason on its side. None cast off the government of their God, but those who first abandon the understanding of a man.

This is an important and vital question, because if God does not want us to know Him -- no matter how hard we try we will not find Him.

Does God want to be known by man, by you -- by me? Yes He does. You see God is not some cosmic hide and seek player who is stashed in the bushes saying to us "your getting warmer, your getting warmer as we fumble around in the dark trying to find him" No God is not trying to hide from us -- but has rather disclosed Himself to us. You see, God wants us to know Him. We are grateful that He does.

We must know our God, who is a unique God. 
Scientists say there are 7000 stars visible to the naked eye. We can only see 3000 of them at any one place on earth. The galaxy earth is in has more than 100 billion stars. Suppose these stars were divided up among the world’s total population of 6.9 billion people. Then each person on Earth would receive more than 1 trillion stars! There are around 100 billion such galaxies are known to exist. Stars are actually huge. The smallest star is 5 times the size of earth. The biggest is 6500 times bigger. So if one star fells on earth, it will smash the earth. Think about it. God makes the heaven and the earth. What ‘big’ problem are we facing today that is too hard for Him? We want to worship and trust the Maker of heaven and earth. The One who can help us must be greater than us, stronger and wiser. We need to cry out to God because He is the SOURCE of our help.

We call on God to help us. The Bible shows us many examples. When Moses was facing the Red Sea, He did not call for his people to help. They were helpless. He called for God’s help. When David faced Goliath, he did not call on his brothers. They were afraid and hiding. He called on the Lord. He trusted God. When Daniel was about to be thrown into the lion’s den, no one was around to help him. He called out to God in prayer. God shuts the mouths of the lions. God did what no man can do. The God we trust watches over us. He is ABLE to help us. Psalms 121:2-3 My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. 
3 He will not let your foot slip. See the contrast here – God has the power to make the universe, and that same power is available to help you walk strong! Sometimes, the path we take is difficult and hard. We have to look up to Him. He is there to strengthen protect us.

A story was reported on the 18th of July in the Jewish Telegraph. Headlines in Israel claim miracles are protecting the Jews during the Gaza Strip ground war, with one headline proclaiming that Hamas terrorists are complaining about God changing the direction of rockets in mid-air. It is becoming Obvious to the Terrorists that the Jewish God is protecting Israel.  Of course terrorists are aware of the fact that Israel has rockets repellents. They did not complain that the rockets were intercepted but their course changed. The Iron Dome intercepts not change the course of the rockets. This should let people know that the God of the Bible is far superior to any god worshiped in other religions,  and far superior to the gods worshiped in secret societies.

Deuteronomy 4:39 says, "Know therefore today, and lay it to your heart, that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other."


We must pray for Peace in Israel as well as in Palestine. It is God only, who can do mighty things in your life. It is only God, who can give you victory. God is much bigger and mightier than we believe we have problems in our life.


He who watches over you will not slumber! 'Watches over' mentioned 6 times in this psalm. He is always with you. Psalmist emphasizes the fact that God is with His people - when they start the journey from their home, on the road, and when they reach Jerusalem. 

References: 


Deuteronomy 4:37-38, "37 And because he loved your fathers and chose their offspring after them and brought you out of Egypt with his own presence, by his great power, 38 driving out before you nations greater and mightier than you, to bring you in, to give you their land for an inheritance, as it is this day."

Isaiah 41:8, "But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend."

Can any heathen god raise up one in righteousness, make what use of him he pleases, and make him victorious over the nations? The Lord did so with Abraham, or rather, he would do so with Cyrus. Sinners encourage one another in the ways of sin; shall not the servants of the living God stir up one another in his service? God's people are the seed of Abraham his friend. This is certainly the highest title ever given to a mortal. It means that Abraham, by Divine grace, was made like to God, and that he was admitted to communion with Him. Happy are the servants of the Lord, whom he has called to be his friends, and to walk with him in faith and holy obedience. Let not such as have thus been favored yield to fear; for the contest may be sharp, but the victory shall be sure.


The reasons for God’s choice of Israel are frequently stated in this book; and they are always stated in such a way as to enforce the doctrine of God’s sovereignty, and to show the Israelites that their own merit was in no way the ground of God’s choice.

GOD IS THE ONE WHO PROTECTS
Illustration: An executive was getting ready for a month-long business trip. He prayed with his wife before departing: “Lord, please protect Sharon and the children while I’m gone.”  His wife looked up at him when he finished and said, “Who do you think protects us while you’re here?” 
Actually, whether you are here nor not, God is the One protecting us.

MAN’S HELP IS LIMITED
A blind man with a white cane stood at a busy intersection one day waiting for someone to help lead him across the street. It wasn’t long before another many appeared and the two began to talk.  The second man took the first man’s arm and the two of them began walking across the street. Suddenly, there was the sound of tapping as the men walked across the street, but the tapping was more than usual. They then realized that both of them are blind!

Sometimes we feel that we have great friends who can protect us from physical harm. But when emergency comes, it is likely possible that they may not be able to help us or ever assure our safety. God is the mightiest and He is able. He can keep us and protect us from any danger or harm. 

Three points to understand:
1) You should know your God.
2) You should know, you have a promise keeping God.
3) You should obey him and should have no other gods.

References:
Exodus 20:12, "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you."

Isaiah 40:27-29, "27 Why do you say, O Jacob,
    and speak, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord,
    and my right is disregarded by my God”?
28 Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
    his understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the faint,
    and to him who has no might he increases strength."

Isaiah 55:8-11, "8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
    and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
    giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
    it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
    and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it."

So when we encounter a problem and we are hurt, it is not because God has deserted us or that He is sleeping and not knowing our problem. Man suffers today because:
(1) We have deserted Him; we did not rely on God – the Source of help.  We rely upon ourselves. We did not ask God for help. I heard of people who said they don’t want to ‘trouble’ God, who ‘has enough to do’. God isn’t too busy for us—we’re often too busy for Him.
(2) We do wrong. We sin. Our mistakes bring us suffering.

God knows all about life. He knows what you need. God says man has sinned and in need of salvation. We need Jesus to settle our sin problem. He came and died on the cross for our sin. This may not be something many likes to hear, but it’s the truth. Man needs God’s help. We need God to save us from our sin. There are times when we do the right things and yet faces problem. It is not because God has forgotten you. He is watching over you, even in the midst of the difficulties. He has a purpose. We don’t understand. God wants us to go through it with His strength. The promise here is one of preservation in the midst of hard times, not protection from hard times. In your life, you will face storms. God did not promise that as Christians, we will not face any storms ever. But in the storms, God will protect us and keep us safe through them. Regardless of how the wind blows against us today, we look up and we can still see this truth – God is love. He loves you and He watches over you. Good times or bad, God is there to give us the strength we need. He loves you. You can trust Him. Wherever you are, He is with you.

We have a Child dedication ceremony. Brother Prakash and his wife have been blessed with a baby. They have decided to call the baby, "Vihan", which means beginning of creation. There was prayer and church blessings for the couple and their family. Below is on of the photograph:

Post child dedication, we had Holy Communion. While the session was going, we had worship team with this beautiful song:

If you feel, you still do not know God, and want to know more about him, we encourage you to pray with us:

Dear Heavenly Father, 
You are the Most High God, and we come to you in the name of Jesus. We thank you for sending Jesus to the earth as the Word of God who became flesh. Father; we receive Your love and gift of salvation in the person of Jesus Christ.
Jesus, We believe you died on the cross and shed your blood for our sins and the sins of the whole world. We believe God raised You from the dead on the third day.  Jesus, come into our hearts, take away our stony hearts and give us a new heart that we can love the father even as you do. Father, we thank you in the name of Jesus that Your Spirit will witness with us that we are the children of God. Father, make known to us Your ways and show us deeply with your Holy Spirit and unveil your Word to us Continually. 
With Your MOST PRECIOUS AND GRACIOUS name, we ask... Amen!

We hope you enjoyed today's service. See you all soon. 
God Bless!

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Exclusive Interview | Parker J. Cole


The Nathan Report exclusive interview with author Parker J Cole on her Book "DARK CHERUB."

Nathan: Why horror? Isn't that a little odd for a Christian book?
Parker J Cole: Why not? If a slew of movies can be made about man who puts people through sadistic games in order to teach them the value of their lives, then it shouldn't be a problem to use the same genre to bring about a message. Abortion is horrible. What it does to children is horror personified. It astounds me that a child’s life is up for debate.

Nathan: Why did you write this book?
Parker J Cole: I wrote this book, in reaction to a very good friend of mine who had had an abortion. I was eighteen at the time. I remember being surprised that she chose to do this and the book was born from that reaction. At that moment, it became clear to me that she had used abortion as a form of birth control.

Nathan: What do you hope a person would take away from reading, Dark Cherub?
Parker J Cole: I hope they would take away the idea that everyone should have a chance of life. Man, woman, and child. No one should take that away. I would also hope that my book can be used to show that even though a woman has had abortions in the past, that God will forgive her.

Nathan: What about the scenario of saving the mother's life?
Parker J Cole: There will be and have been situations where a mother's life is threatened and abortion is the only alternative. However, the millions of abortion performed every year are not medical emergencies or a last effort to save the mother. They are simply choices.

Nathan: Did you learn anything from this book?
Parker J Cole: One thing I learned in researching this book is that more than fifty percent of African American children are aborted every year. This number is disproportionate among any other ethnic group. More abortion clinics are in areas where the demographics are largely African American. And in essence, African Americans are wiping themselves out before they even have a chance to be born. As an African American, this disturbed me.

Nathan: How long did take for you to write this book?
Parker J Cole: Ten years. As I grew and matured, so did the book. When I first wrote it, it did not start off as a Christian novel. I was writing my thoughts as a reaction to what my friend had done. But over the years, new ideas came and presented themselves. I also know the Lord helped me write this book. In this way, I can be a part of the pro-life movement. There are those friends of mine who stand in front of clinics, and others work in the legislative arena to strive to protect life. If my book can be used to save one child, then it’s worth it.

Nathan: Is there a sequel in the works?
Parker J Cole: I hadn’t planned on writing a sequel. But a well-known figure, whose name and quote I will use in the sequel, made a comment that flabbergasted and challenged me. In that moment, the sequel, Dark Cherub: Breath, was born. I am looking at a 2013 release.

First page excerpt from Dark Cherub by Parker J Cole ...
Inky black shadows the width of a thread wormed their way across the concrete.The night veiled their presence, making them imperceptible to the naked eye.
Mutely, they wended their way toward her as She briskly walked through a nearly vacant parking lot. She passed under the light of a lone lamppost.
As they drew closer, the shadows merged with the concrete. She was unaware of the shadowy black splotches swiftly approaching. At the edge of her shoe, they
disappeared from the surface of the concrete.
She began to feel an uncomfortable sensation along the inside of both feet. It trekked up her leg. When it began to crawl over her body, She dropped her purse.
She looked down. Black splotches moved vertically on her body. At the exact moment that she would have screamed, one of the splotches entered her mouth, covering her tongue in a black fi lm. No sound issued from her mouth.
The sensation morphed. It was as if She was being stabbed by thousands of ants. The black splotches covered her arms, her legs … were they on her face, too?
Then, as the soundless scream continued, the splotch-covered woman vanished. In the place where She had stood, a whisper caressed the night.
“Mother.”

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Sunday, July 20, 2014

July 20, 2014 | Fruit of the Holy Spirit | Gentleness



Good Morning and a very blessed Sunday regards!

A beautiful day with a beautiful opportunity to visit the house of our Lord. We started off with beautiful praise and worship, following is the playlist:


1) You, You are God - Gateway Worship



2) Blessed Assurance - Lanny Crosby



3) I will magnify - Elhmir Saison



4) Here I am (Majesty) - Delirious?

Beautiful praise and worship and we move to the offerings and announcements Here are today's announcements:
- Women's fellowship will begin  at 4:30 PM on 26th (Saturday) of this month.
- Next Sunday will be communion service.

Post announcements, we have an action song by children from the Church. As you all know, the ongoing theme is "Fruit of the Holy Spirit", the action song was based on all aspects of Holy Spirit fruit. Below is one of the photograph during children dance. 


Okay, as per our theme "FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT", today we will be discussing about "GENTLENESS".

Galatians 5:22-23, "22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.


We must understand, if "it" is fruit of the Holy Spirit, it has to come from Holy Spirit. And when Holy Spirit works in our lives, the fruit starts developing in our life. This is not just any fruit and neither there are fruits of Holy Spirit, infact it is one of the aspect of the fruit of Holy Spirit, "Gentleness". What we are hoping for is that you will allow the Holy Spirit to do His work in you, changing & making you into the kind of person God wants you to be. And when that happens, the fruit of the Spirit will be evident in your life. 


If we notice the meaning of Gentleness on literature and other texts are Kind, helpful to others, gracious etc. Whoever shows these attributes has the fruit of gentleness in his/her life. Gentleness, also translated “meekness,” does not mean weakness. Rather, it involves humility and thankfulness toward God, and polite, restrained behavior toward others. The opposites of gentleness are anger, a desire for revenge, and self-aggrandizement. We need not to be dismayed by what people say, rather we need to do what Bible says, indeed God will give us strength. God wants this fruit to work in our heart.

The Greek language in which the New Testament was originally written, was a precise & expressive language. When the Greeks developed a word, they not only gave it a careful definition, but they almost always illustrated it. The literal pronunciation is "Prautēs".

Their definition of gentleness was "power under control," Aristotle illustrated it with the picture of an elephant that had been tamed. Gentleness to them was a powerful animal with its power completely under control. An elephant is an easy tempered and easily domesticated as well as a gentle animal, but can destroy if left unattended. We can be gentle and kind if we remain under control of the Holy Spirit, but if we stay under control of flesh and world, we can literally destroy our lives. 


If we notice carefully in the book of Acts, all disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit. Infact Jesus Himself was filled with the Holy Spirit.


GOD IS GENTLE

We have few references:


Isaiah 50:11, "Behold, all you who kindle a fire, who equip yourselves with burning torches! Walk by the light of your fire, and by the torches that you have kindled! This you have from my hand: you shall lie down in torment."



2 Samuel 22:36, "You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your gentleness made me great."


Psalms 18:35, "You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your right hand supported me, and your gentleness made me great."

John 13:14-15, "14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you."

Acts 10:38, "You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him."

Now let’s look at some demonstrations of gentleness in the Bible. Once again, Jesus is our perfect example. 

When Jesus arrived in Jerusalem and asked his disciples to bring him a foal, the colt of a donkey to ride upon into the gates of Jerusalem. As Jesus entered the city the crowds began shouting, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!” and waved palm branches and spread out their coats on the streets. 

The crowds believed Jesus was the “King,” that is, they believed he was the Messiah who had come to establish Israel’s independence from Rome, to liberate them in a very real way as their leader. They wanted a Messiah who would be their political hero. In fact, the whole scene replicates a King or General’s triumphant entry into a city. It all seemed so perfect and hopeful.

And even today we want this kind of Jesus, this type of Messiah. We want a Jesus who will bless our politics, bless our wars and battles, and will be “on our side” against all our foreign enemies. We seek a Messiah who will make us the world’s super power and bless our armies, weapons and military conquests.
The only problem is: Jesus isn't that kind of Messiah.
The irony may have been lost on the people at the time, the way it is lost on most of us today, but Jesus’ “triumphal entry” was not that of a General or a warrior. No, such men ride stallions. Jesus rode in on a donkey. This symbolized that Jesus came on a mission of peace. The donkey revealed Jesus to be a humble peasant on a peace mission, not a military warrior.

This donkey, this symbol of peace is important on several levels. The donkey is the animal that is often used to mock and ridicule others. The word "donkey" is not a flattering one, we use it to ridicule people. 

But, in the way that Jesus had of constantly turning everything upside down, Jesus rides in on a donkey for his triumphal entry and not only establishes this irony, but lifts up the lowly, in this case, the lowly donkey in the process. This donkey becomes the sacred throne for, not only a King, but the very Son of God.


We need to be gentle just like Jesus was. Not only in front of few people or group, but in our home, Church, outside and everywhere, we need to be gentle. Gentleness and kindness is very important for winning others. 


Matthew 5:5 says, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."

Wherever you go, be in the plan of God. If you go out of plan of God, you will be doomed. Another important thing we need to see is that we need to cooperate with the Holy Spirit. 

Where and with who we have to be gentle?

1) Be gentle towards others.
Use your power and authority you have been given by God to help others.


References:

Ephesians 4:2, "With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love."

Proverbs 15:1, "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."

Colossians 3:12, "Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience."

Galatians 6:1, "Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted."

Roman 12:10, "Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor."

Every person is powerful. We can speak words that influence others; we can act in ways that help or hurt; and we can choose what influences will inform our words and actions. Gentleness constrains and channels that power. To be gentle is to recognize that God's ways and thoughts are high above our own. It is to humbly realize that our worldviews are shaped by exposure to sin and the misinterpretation of experience. It is to accept God's worldview, reflecting truth about the spiritual and the material worlds.

It is to our advantage to have a gentle attitude toward God because He is omniscient and we are not. "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?" God challenges Job. "Tell Me, if you have understanding". God knows everything of the past, present, and future; we can't even get the weather forecast right. Like a petulant teenager to his parents, we may cry out, "You just don't understand!" but God does understand, more than we could possibly know.


Once we are under control of the Holy Spirit, we can be gentle towards others like God has been with us. 


2) Be gentle in a marriage relationship.
We are to have unity in Christ. We are supposed to get along with one another, especially in marriage. There ought to be fellowship among us. Paul says we are to be like minded. We are to show the love to one another – because Christ has loved us. We are to display mercy and grace – because that is what God has shown us. We are to put on the mind of Christ and if we did that we will be like-minded – in unity and harmony. 


References:

1 Peter 3:4, "But let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious."

Ephesians 4:32, "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."

Ephesians 5:25, "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her."

The duty of wives is, submission to their husbands in the Lord, which includes honouring and obeying them, from a principle of love to them. The duty of husbands is to love their wives. The love of Christ to the church is an example, which is sincere, pure, and constant, notwithstanding her failures. Christ gave himself for the church, that he might sanctify it in this world, and glorify it in the next, that he might bestow on all his members a principle of holiness, and deliver them from the guilt, the pollution, and the dominion of sin, by those influences of the Holy Spirit, of which baptismal water was the outward sign. The church and believers will not be without spot or wrinkle till they come to glory. But those only who are sanctified now, shall be glorified hereafter. The words of Adam, mentioned by the apostle, are spoken literally of marriage; but they have also a hidden sense in them, relating to the union between Christ and his church. It was a kind of type, as having resemblance. There will be failures and defects on both sides, in the present state of human nature, yet this does not alter the relation. All the duties of marriage are included in unity and love. And while we adore and rejoice in the condescending love of Christ, let husbands and wives learn hence their duties to each other. Thus the worst evils would be prevented, and many painful effects would be avoided.

Illustration: One day there was an argument between the wind and the sun. Both said they were stronger than the other. They saw a man traveling on the road and decided to make a test to see which was stronger and able to get the man’s coat off. The wind began to blow and blow very hard. He nearly ripped the coat from the man’s back but the man grabbed the coat and wrapped it even more tightly around himself and kept going. The wind got tired because the man just kept his coat on. Then the sun tried. He shone brightly and the clouds disappeared. Soon the air was warm and dry and the sun kept on shining. Soon the man had sweat running down his face. He was so hot that he finally took off his coat and carried it, looking for a shady spot to rest.


Sometimes we need to be gentle in order to make someone do things willingly.


3) In conversation, we need to be gentle.
First of all, to realize how gentle God has been with us, how many times He could have condemned us, how many times He could have punished us. But gently, time & again, He reaches out & takes us in His arms & holds us close to His heart. He gently leads us. Secondly, I want you to realize how important it is that we become gentle caregivers, & begin to exhibit the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. It’s a harsh & cold world out there. And somehow humanity needs to see that Jesus makes a difference. He brings our tempers & our temperaments & our personalities under control. While we speak with someone, we need to follow the way Jesus spoke, gently. 

Colossians 3:12, "Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience."

2 Timothy 2:24, "And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil."

Proverbs 15:1, "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."

A right cause will be better pleaded with gentleness than with passion. Nothing stirs up anger like grievous words. He that has knowledge, is to use it aright, for the good of others. We must not only do no hurt to any, but do what good we can to all. Those who are the elect of God, holy and beloved, ought to be lowly and compassionate towards all. While in this world, where there is so much corruption in our hearts, quarrels will sometimes arise. But it is our duty to forgive one another, imitating the forgiveness through which we are saved. Let the peace of God rule in your hearts; it is of his working in all who are his. Thanksgiving to God, helps to make us agreeable to all men. The gospel is the word of Christ. Many have the word, but it dwells in them poorly; it has no power over them. The soul prospers, when we are full of the Scriptures and of the grace of Christ. But when we sing psalms, we must be affected with what we sing. Whatever we are employed about, let us do every thing in the name of the Lord Jesus, and in believing dependence on him. Those who do all in Christ's name, will never want matter of thanksgiving to God, even the Father.

How can we be Gentle?
Well, for this we need to cultivate the teachable spirit.
References: 



Proverbs 4:13, "Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life."


Proverbs 13:13, "Whoever despises the word brings destruction on himself, but he who reveres the commandment will be rewarded."

James 1:21, "Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls."

We must look upon our teachers as our fathers: though instruction carry in it reproof and correction, bid it welcome. Solomon's parents loved him, therefore taught him. Wise and godly men, in every age of the world, and rank in society, agree that true wisdom consists in obedience, and is united to happiness. Get wisdom, take pains for it. Get the rule over thy corruptions; take more pains to get this than the wealth of this world. An interest in Christ's salvation is necessary. This wisdom is the one thing needful. A soul without true wisdom and grace is a dead soul. How poor, contemptible, and wretched are those, who, with all their wealth and power, die without getting understanding, without Christ, without hope, and without God! Let us give heed to the sayings of Him who has the words of eternal life. Thus our path will be plain before us: by taking, and keeping fast hold of instruction, we shall avoid being straitened or stumbling. He that stands in awe of God, and reverences his word, shall escape destruction, and be rewarded for his godly fear. Moreover, under God's control we will be gentle as well as blessed by this aspect of the fruit of Holy Spirit and influence others.

To live in a spirit of gentleness toward God is to accept His judgment on people and issues. We tend to think it is gentle to go easy on people and try to justify actions that God has called sin. Or to let someone continue in sin without speaking the truth. But Paul says, "If anyone is caught in a trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness". This doesn't mean to be so soft that the sinner doesn't realize he's sinned. It means to confront the brother in a manner that is in line with Scripture—to be mild, loving, encouraging, and clear about the holiness that God calls us to.

Post sermon, we were acknowledged that our Church member, brother Anthony Joseph's birthday was today. Pastor prayed for him and entire church was involved. Below is one of the photograph.


Are you a gentle person this morning? Have you treated others with gentleness? God created them. God loves them. And more than anything, God wants to restore them & He wants to use you with your gift of gentleness to bring them back to Him. Let us all pray together...

Dear Lord, 
We know You want us to learn from you the Gentleness of heart. No matter how we fail You, Your gentleness never fails us. You are slow to anger; Your kindness is without limit. You tell us not to be distressed, To make your gentleness our own so that our souls may find rest. Give us the wisdom to make time in our day for a gentle nursing of our soul. Free us from arrogance, from goals too sublime for us. Still and quiet our soul as a mother quiets the little ones on her lap. Free us from the need for achievement. Make our lives less forceful, more gentle, centered in You alone. Let the splendor of Your presence light up our everydayness. Make us a smooth channel for the outflow of your Divine Will in this world.
With your most precious and gracious name, Jesus, we ask, Amen!

We hope you enjoyed today's service, see you next week. God Bless!