Hitler, a Baptist, and an Atheist walk into a bar…

Posted on 06/20/2012 by John Harris

Why would the Baptist be going to a bar? 😉

One of the common expressions that I have heard on occasion personally, and even more in the public square, is that “religion” is responsible for most of the wars, violence, and death associated with them, even in the modern era.[1] Is this true? If so, does it include Christianity? Is it fair to cast Jesus in this light (i.e. responsible for great violence)?

Jesus gun

Like I said, I’ve heard this before, it’s quite common, and we (Christians) usually let it slide, but we shouldn’t. I don’t know if religion is responsible for most war, but I know that Christianity is not.

Christianity is different. Continue reading →

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Why Give To The Poor?

Posted on 06/18/2012 by John Harris

Should Christians give to the poor? This seems to be a silly question, in fact I’ll answer it this way: “Of course we’re supposed to give to the poor!” but have you ever thought about why?

IPhoto Library

We don’t do so “just because” we do it, especially when we do it to fellow Christians, because we are doing it to Jesus:

Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Continue reading →

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I Had A Bad Experience

Posted on 06/15/2012 by John Harris

I recently read a blog post by Perry Noble about a bad experience his wife had, this got me to thinking.

 

One of the places that my wife and I wen’t to quite frequently when we were first married was Quick Koala (yes, I’ve changed the name, because I still like to eat at “Quick Koala”). I would go there and get Kung-Pow Chicken and Beef with Broccoli. I loved it… so did Beth, she always got their orange chicken.

One day, the orange chicken was “not so good.” Continue reading →

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Josh Hamilton and Hebrew Roots

Posted on 06/13/2012 by John Harris

One of the most popular posts I’ve ever written was on what I called the “Hebrew Roods Movement.” These are (usually) folks who believe that historic orthodox Christianity has gotten it wrong for thousands of years, and they know the truth. It’s important for Christians, real Christians, to go back to living by the statutes and ordinances (at least the ones they pick) of the OT. I think one of the most harmful elements of the HRM that it is a huge distraction. When we focus too much on HRM, we’re taking our eye off the ball…

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When I was a kid I loved to play baseball, I still play the occasional softball game (every man’s platform to live out his Major League dreams). One of my favorite things to do now is to watch a good baseball game. I like the Cardinals, but I love the Texas Rangers and my favorite player is Josh Hamilton. He’s not a perfect guy, but he loves the Lord and he can hit the ball about 10 miles :-). The great thing about Josh is that he doesn’t just hit home runs (though he does, 21*), he also gets a lot of hits (batting .341*) which leads to RBIs (runs batted in 58*). In fact, he is leading* MLB in both home runs and RBIs.

Why is he doing so well? Because he can hit! He is the ideal “money ball” player. He can hit because he keeps his eye on the ball. Continue reading →

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The Bible is not like other sacred books

Posted on 06/11/2012 by John Harris

What sets the Bible apart from other “scriptures?” One thing is how they were put together, namely, under the authority of multiple eyewitnesses. Jesus was not some “mythical figure” who was made-up, he was a historical figure (here is a delightfully snarky post on the so-called “mythical Jesus”)

Eyeball with shadow

If you’ve ever been in court or had the misfortune to be involved in a car accident, you will know the importance of firsthand testimony. That testimony becomes more valuable when there are multiple sources, and they all agree. That’s essentially what we have the the NT.

I came across a great post by Timothy Paul Jones just the other day. I read it after I had already posted mine about how the NT was formed, but I think they complement each other well. You’d definitely benefit by going back to read both.

One of the main reasons that we can trust the NT is Continue reading →

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