Category: Evidences
Subject: Evidences
Breakfast with Jesus
Continuing our discussion of Jesus’ words in John’s Gospel. We look at the 3rd occasion the Lord’s appeared to His disciples following His resurrection, and the evidences that prove He is our Messiah.
John 56: Thomas – Seeing & Believing
A discussion of Jesus’ encounter with Thomas following His resurrection, ending with Thomas’s declaration, “My Lord and my God!”
Solomon and Modern Criticism
The text of 2 Chronicles 1:11-17 gives the Biblical view of the glory of Solomon’s reign in Israel. The son of David, and the last king to reign over a united Israel, was rich. We are told “he made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as sone, and he made cedars as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland” (15). He was powerful. He had 1,400 chariots, 12,000 horsemen. His fame went forth over the world at that time. The queen of Sheba visited him, enthralled by his reputation. She said, “It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. However I did not believe their words until I came and saw with my own eyes; and indeed the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me. You exceed the fame of which I heard” (2 Chronicles 9:5-6). Continue reading “Solomon and Modern Criticism”
Viewing the Planets
Several weeks ago I made a bit of a big thing with the grandkids, showing them Venus and Jupiter in the western sky. Sawyer and I actually went on the roof to use her telescope (didn’t work, too windy), but they got a kick out of seeing and identifying the planets.
A week from Tuesday, I have read, there will actually be five planets that will be viewable shortly after sunset in the western sky (at least if you have a flat horizon and are away from city lights, and maybe have binoculars). Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Mars and Uranus will all be visible. How do we know that? Well, because of the predictable nature of the planets orbits, combined with a healthy knowledge of physics and higher math. (That means I have no idea where they will be, but others have figured it out and told me). Continue reading “Viewing the Planets”
Mining the Scriptures: Romans 1:18-20
Our text begins a significant section of Paul’s letter, establishing the evidence of God’s existence, and end of those who deny it. This denial can take place in atheistic views, or the distortion of God’s nature, changing, “the glory of the incorruptible God into an image make like corruptible man” (23), i.e. idolatry.
Idolatry is the specific problem in Romans 1. The people to whom Paul refers have by their idolatrous inclinations suppressed “the truth in unrighteousness” (18). Consider that we may know certain things about God simply by what is evident in nature (cf. Psalm 19:1-4). As the Psalmist said concerning the testimony of nature, “There is no language where their voice is not heard” (Psalm 19:3).
Because God’s eternal power and Godhead are clearly seen, those who are unwilling to acknowledge them become ungodly and unrighteous in their behavior. The Gentiles of the day are a very good example of this. God’s righteousness required He visit such rebellion and immorality with His wrath. (cf. 1:32).
Fall 2022 Meeting with Kyle Campbell
Our Fall Meeting, 2022 with Kyle Campbell, November 5, 2002. A series of fundamental lessons answering fundamental questions.
The theme: “Can you show”
Lesson 1: Can You Show That There is a God? (Saturday)
Lesson 2: Can You Show that the Bible is the Word of God? (Sunday 9AM)
Lesson 3: Can You Show that Jesus Rose from the Dead? (Sunday 10AM)
Lesson 4: Can You Show What the Bible Says? (Sunday 11AM)
Lesson 5: Can You Show That the Bible Can be Understood? (Monday)
Lesson 6: Can You Show How We are Saved? (Tuesday)
Lesson 7: Can You Show What Worship Is? (Wednesday 10AM)
Lesson 8: Can You Show What the Church Does? (Wednesday PM)
Lesson 9: Can You Show That Chrisitans are Moral People (Thursday)
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Micky Galloway Meeting – Spring 2022
Micky Galloway of Lancaster, CA preached a meeting from May 7-12, 2022 at the West Side congregation. Below are the Titles of the sermons, a short description, and links to the sermon audio, video and powerpoint files of each lesson preached.
Saturday Night: The Majesty of God
A lesson designed to enourage respect, awe and acknowledgment of God’s power and majesty as our Creator.
Sunday 9AM: The Spiritual Man
The lesson contrasts the carnal man with the spiritual man, teaching us how to live so as to please God always.
Sunday 10AM: Grace Came Teaching
A discussion of Paul’s declaration in Titus 2:11-12, “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age.”
Sunday 11AM: The Man of God
A discussion of the text of 1 Timothy 6:11-14, and the phrase “the man of God.” The text describes both what such a man flees, and what he pursues.
Monday Night: God Rules in the Kingdoms of Men
In this lesson, God’s interaction with His people, and the nations used to chastise them is discussed. In this we see God’s plan, and His control over all the nations.
Tuesday Night: Challenges in the First Century Church
In the first century, congregations of God’s people were challenged in similar ways as we are today. Sin, persecution at the hand of secular leaders, and inward apathy.
Wednesday Night: Challenges for Every Generation
The lesson shows how, like the Christians of the first century, every generation of God’s children will be challenged by dangers from both within and wihtout.
Thursday Night: What Does the Future Hold?
When the question is asked, the correct answer is, “It depends!” It depends upon the individual, and their response to God’s will.
Sermon: Can Evolution Be True?
The universe, the world, and all life in it has been created by the Almighty God of heaven. The theory of evolution can not account for design in the universe, and is not true.
Sermon Powerpoint View and Download:
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Sermon: The Empty Tomb
A discussion of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. The eyewitness testimony, and the significance of the event.
Sermon Powerpoint View and Download:
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The Patternists: What Nature Teaches Us
“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world” (Psalm 19:1-4).
“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead…” (Romans 1:20).
These two passages, and others like them reveal that the physical universe testifies of both the existence of God, and of certain attributes He possesses. Consider the truths we can discern from them.
Big Bang Theory Debunked
I just finished reading an article titled, “We now know the big bang theory is (probably) not how the universe began.” It was written by Ethan Siegle, who is a Ph.D. astrophysicist, and the author of the book “Starts with a Bang.” The article seeks to show that the idea of the universe having its origin with a big bang, expanding from a a state of “infinitesimal sizes and infinite densities and temperatures”, is not a valid explanation for the beginning of the universe.
The big bang theory has been used for decades as the explanation for the existence of the universe as we observe it today. It has had almost universal acceptance among naturalists, as it has been the most effective naturalistic explanation for things being the way they are.
COVID-19 (16) The Shepherd Knows His Sheep
In John 10, the apostle records a confrontation between Jesus and a group of Jews who demanded (24), “How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of me” (25).
What problem did the Jews have? They did not believe the evidence. It is a simple thing to review the previous chapters of John’s gospel to see such public evidence of His claims. Turning the water into wine (John 2). The healing of the nobleman’s son (John 4). The healing of the lame man at the pool of Bethesda (John 5). The feeding of 5,000 (John 6). The giving of sight to a man blind from birth (John 9).
Continue reading “COVID-19 (16) The Shepherd Knows His Sheep”
The New Testament Texual Witnesses
The New Testament that we have in our possession today is the product of a multitude of manuscripts. The word manuscript in general has reference to any handwritten document. However, when referring to the Bible, it references handwritten copies that are in the original Koine Greek language.
The fact that we no longer have the original manuscripts penned by the New Testament writers would seem to be a concern. However, the multitude of copies that we have in our possession serve to assuage any concerns about whether we have the actual words of Paul, Peter, John and the others who wrote by inspiration of God.
Sermon: The Wedding Feast (2:1-12)
Lesson 3 in series (John 2:1-12)
Jesus’ conversation with his mother Mary at the Wedding Feast in Cana. This conversation reveals the first public sign that Jesus is God’s Messiah, bringing faith to His disciples.
The Origin and Composition of the Bible
The Bible, from the Greek biblia (the books), is a library of 66 volumes of various lengths. The 39 Old Testament volumes were written over a period spanning 900-1,000 years, from about 1400 B.C. to 500 B.C. The New Testament consists of books and letters written in a 50 year period, from about 50 A.D. to 100 A.D.
Since these books were written by numerous authors over many centuries, they were not immediately gathered into the single volume we enjoy today. The compiling of the Bible took time. To understand how it came about, we need to discuss an important innovation of the first century called the codex. (Actually, we don’t know exactly when the codex came into use, though many scholars believe that it was around 90 A.D.).
