Christianity Under Fire

Spiritually Challenged Skeptics
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Tribulation or Jacob's Trouble?
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Christmas Under Fire: When Christians Attack
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Was Iraq a Just War?
Category 7: The End of the World
If It Believes, Then Waddles and Quacks like a Christian it is a....
Why Homosexuality Should Be Confronted and Exposed
The Doctrine Of Eternal Security-Can You Lose Your Salvation?
Does the Soul Sleep?
Did Jews Kill Jesus?...Hear What Some Jews Have to Say
Some Unscriptural Teachings of the Catholic Church
Arguments That Catholics Use
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Before and After
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My Old Ship, the USS Shreveport Assisting Hurricane Victims
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Definite Article Theology
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Straining Out Gnats, Majoring on the Minors
Jewish Wannabes and Eschaholics
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Historical Method and Homosexuality
If the Plain Sense Makes Sense: Christ's Coming
If the Plain Sense Makes Sense: Evolution
The Silliness of Jack Chick
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Faith Under Fire Television Show and Website
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Prophecies Yet To Be Fulfilled: Zechariah 12:10-14
Are You Happy?
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You're A Hopeless ....
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When Jewish Wannabes Attack!
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Who Do Men Say That I Am?
Signs You Are Doing Something Right
Ivory Tower Theologians and more about me
Satan the Counterfeiter
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Wanna Know Some Secrets?
Distortions of the Resurrection
Apostles Today?
Message and Ministry of Paul compared to the twelve
Maxwell House...Good For Your Desktop
The Feminization of Christianity
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You Must Be Born Again!!
Tribute to a Friend
Who's That Babe in the Manger: Does it matter
President Bush and the Movie: Unbreakable
Having a Form of Godliness
The Natural Supernatural Connection
Spiritually Challenged Skeptics
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But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 2)

 
It is amazing to see people try to sum up Christianity.
 
It seems like there is some kind of block preventing them from
comprehending spiritual truth.
 
The best they can do is portray some kind of lunatic fringe in their assessment of Christians and Christianity.
 
In other matters they are what we would term rational and reasonable persons but in spiritual matters they are challenged.
 
Why is that?
 
"But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 2)
 
This says because they don't have the spirit of God. They are in
other words, Spiritually Challenged.
 
This is not spiritual arrogance, this is simply explaining why there is a gap between the Christ One and the Skeptic.
 
Granted debate and reasoning has it's place and in fact Paul did it and the bible supports it. (Acts 17; Isaiah 1:18)
 
However, this is not the whole picture.
 
We need to also pray for them.
 
The mysteries in the bible always speak of some kind of dichotomy, whether it be God becoming Man or the union of Christ and the Church. These are paradoxes and mysteries not contradictions.
 
'Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory.' (1 Corinthians 2)
 
The skeptic has challenges in explaining his punyverse.
In John chapter One it says, 'in the beginning was the word (logos) and the word was with God, and the Word was God....to as many as received Him to them gave He the authority to become Sons of God...and the word became flesh and dwelt among us... (John 1)
 
The Greek Word for 'word' here is logos and we get the english word logic from it.
 
Does this completely explain Him?
 
No, but it shows that he is the starting point for any true reason
and logic.
 
One can be utterly brilliant in their logic, but if it is based on a faulty first assumption, their brilliant logic will only lead to faulty conclusions.
 
This same bible chapter says that the 'darkness comprehended it not' which is the KJV. Other translations say 'overcame it not' So which is it?
 
It is both. The Darkness overcame Him not and understood Him not.
 
Though he was crucified He also rose from the dead. So they did not overcome Him forever.
 
"Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." (1 Corinthians 2)
 
The preaching of the cross is foolishness to them that perish.
In the skeptics punyverse God is not allowed because the God of the Bible cannot be boxed.
 
They want only logic to explain someone who transcends logic.
God is not illogical, He is infinitely and eternally logical.
It is this infiniteness and this eternality that the skeptic cannot
get his or her hands on so therefore must reject. To accept this
would be to admit that there is something beyond what he can see or formulate.
 
They are like doubting Thomas who won't believe until He sees the Lord resurrected. When Christ commends those that don't see yet believe. (John 20:27-31)
 
With spiritual truths, one believes then He sees, the Skeptic will
not believe until He sees and oftentimes finds a way to explain away what he has seen.
 
They sometimes will point to crimes being comitted in the name of Christianity but ignore the crimes comitted by those that believe in 'survival of the fittest'.
 
In their real world they will expect everyone to transcend the
survival of the fittest mentality and practice equal and courteous
treatment when going into the world to work and play.
 
The skeptic cannot even adequately explain his own punyverse.
The interaction between determinism and ones free will.
 
There is not even agreement among the skeptics.
 
They often want others to believe that all we are dust is the wind
but at the same time think that their thoughts on these matters are utterly brilliant.
 
Often folks simply try to create confusion to make others think that they might have something better to offer, when in fact they are just arguing about words.
 
Often accepting the Word of God with childlike faith (not
understanding) and the plain sense of scripture is all one needs.
Even Christians sometimes have a hard time doing this.
 
'The Word of God is not hard to understand, it is hard to believe,
once one believes it they can understand it.'
 
Others think that if they can prove an immediate fulfillment of OT scripture that this automatically dismisses a future more exact fulfillment.
 
This is also missing the distant forest for the tree in ones own backyard.
 
"The Word Sick-Man over estimates altogether the importance of
terms. He babbles continually about expressions which many of his brethren scarcely understand. He is given to misplaced emphasis, making far more of fine doctrinal distinctions than of practical Godly living. As a result, his influence is generally baneful instead of helpful, leading to strife and disputation instead of binding the hearts of the people of God together in the unity of the Spirit." (Ironside, Wrongly Dividing the Word of Truth)
 
"And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
 
6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: 8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the
natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they
are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ." (1 Corinthians 2)
 
                                                 BJ Maxwell
                             Revised 03/19/2006

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