# articles

title: More Doubling Down on Faulty Principles
topic: Philosophy
author: Amy K. Hall
date: 06/17/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/more-doubling-down-on-faulty-principles
content:
            <div> 
		<p>Remember when I talked about our culture <a href="https://www.str.org/blog/the-birth-of-transableism-why-our-culture-bites-absurd-bullets#.W6caTBNKijQ" target="_blank">biting absurd bullets</a>? Here’s how it works:</p>

<ol>
	<li>A group argues for something by citing a reason that expresses a particular principle.</li>
	<li>Other people point out that the reason given for A would argue equally for situation B, such that if we accept A because of that principle, then we must also accept the absurd B.</li>
	<li>Though step #2 is intended to demonstrate that the principle being used to reason to A is faulty (since it equally supports absurd outcome B), instead of recognizing this, those arguing for A double down on their principle and accept B.</li>
</ol>

<p>Well, this happened yet again this past week. I’m sure by now you’ve heard about <a href="http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/rachel-dolezal-breaks-her-silence-i-identify-black" target="_blank">Rachel Dolezal</a>, a white woman who self-identifies as black. When the story first hit the news, there was shock and outrage. Clearly this woman was denying reality!</p>

<p>Not so fast, media. Didn’t you spend the last two weeks telling us that our own image of our true self is the true image, regardless of our irrelevant biology? Didn’t you say that living out one’s true self is courageous? Weren’t you lamenting the fact that societal bigotry causes those whose self-image doesn’t match their biology to hide the truth about themselves?</p>

<p>When challenged with these questions, the response... at least, at first... was that the Jenner situation was completely different. And how was it different?</p>

<blockquote>
<p>She’s only a “white person pretending to be black... Caitlyn Jenner is <a href="http://thefederalist.com/2015/06/12/if-rachel-dolezal-isnt-black-how-is-caitlyn-jenner-a-woman/" target="_blank">not ’pretending’</a>&nbsp;to be a woman.”</p>

<p>“This goes WAY deeper than that. This woman is disturbed, clearly. <a href="https://twitter.com/pgplant1970/status/609358191466520576" target="_blank">Mentally disturbed</a>.”</p>
</blockquote>

<p>She’s “mentally disturbed”&nbsp;because her self-image doesn’t match the truth about her body? Because she hid the truth about the difference between her self-image and her body? Because she wanted other people to see her the way she saw herself? But Caitlyn Jenner, who still has the body of a man, is <em>not</em> pretending to be something he’s not (while demanding everyone else pretend so, as well), and there’s no delusion on his part about the reality of <em>his</em> body?</p>

<p>Dolezal <a href="http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/rachel-dolezal-breaks-her-silence-i-identify-black" target="_blank">sincerely believes she is black</a>. Just as sincerely as Jenner believes he is a woman. Dolezal “felt very isolated with <a href="http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/rachel-dolezal-breaks-her-silence-i-identify-black" target="_blank">[her] identity</a> virtually [her] entire life.”&nbsp;Mustn’t this isolation also be a result of our society’s bigotry preventing her from being open about the discontinuity between her self-image and her body?</p>

<p>If the principle that “self-image, not biology, determines reality”&nbsp;is true, then it’s true in every case (and race is just the <a href="http://www.logotv.com/video/what-i-think-im-an-animal/1706138/playlist.jhtml" target="_blank">tip of the iceberg</a>). That’s not an easy bullet to bite, but as I pointed out in my last <a href="https://www.str.org/blog/the-birth-of-transableism-why-our-culture-bites-absurd-bullets#.W6caTBNKijQ" target="_blank">post on the current bullet-biting phenomenon</a>, the human drive towards consistency is strong. Someone was bound to try to resolve their cognitive dissonance by moving on to step #3 eventually, and that person was MSNBC host Melissa Harris-Perry, who finally asked the question, “Is it possible that she might actually <em>be</em> black?”&nbsp;In the video below, she wonders, “Can it be that one would be cis-black and trans-black?”</p>

<div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9" style="margin-bottom: 1rem;"><iframe allow="encrypted-media; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8ZoEKpfOBA8?start=5&amp;rel=0"></iframe></div>

<p>Is it possible that Rachel Dolezal is black? No, it isn’t. But it’s very possible that subjective self-image doesn’t determine objective reality. For anyone.</p>
</div>

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title: Quick Thought: Why Do We Need God for Morality?
topic: Philosophy
author: Brett Kunkle
date: 06/18/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/quick-thought-why-do-we-need-god-for-morality-
content:
            <div> 
		<p>Let’s say you’re in a Chinese food restaurant. At the end of your meal, you crack open the fortune cookie, and it says, “Get up, and leave now.”&nbsp;How many of you would get up and leave? Would you feel obligated to obey that command? I don’t think anyone would.</p>

<p>Let’s say the lady next to you says, “Get up and leave now.”&nbsp;You ask, “Who are you?”&nbsp;She says, “I’m an FBI agent. I’m under cover, and we’re about to bust the owner of this restaurant. Get up, and leave now.”&nbsp;Do you get up and leave? Yes, you do. There now seems to be an appropriate obligation to follow that command.</p>

<p>Obligations only make sense in the context of persons. Not just any persons. There has to be one person that has appropriate authority to issue commands. Moral obligations, the theist would argue, only make sense in the context of the existence of God.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.str.org/videos/why-do-we-need-god-for-morality#.VYM-4FxViko" target="_blank">Read more and watch the video</a></p>
</div>

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title: No Comparison between SSM and Interracial Marriage
topic: Sexuality and Gender
author: Melinda Penner
date: 06/19/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/no-comparison-between-ssm-and-interracial-marriage
content:
            <div> 
		<p>Jonathan Rauch, a defender of same-sex marriage, explains why the comparison to racist laws that banned interracial marriage are not parallels to objections to SSM. From his <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/04/24/opposing-gay-marriage-doesn-t-make-you-a-crypto-racist.html" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;“Opposing Same-sex Marriage Doesn’t Make You a Crypto-Racist”:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>By contrast, marriage has not always been racist. Quite the contrary. People have married across racial (and ethnic, tribal, and religious) lines for eons, often quite deliberately to cement familial or political alliances. Assuredly, racist norms have been imposed upon marriage in many times and places, but as an extraneous limitation. Everyone understood that people of different races <em>could</em> intermarry, in principle. Indeed, that was exactly why racists wanted to stop it, much as they wanted to stop the mixing of races in schools. In both intent and application, the anti-miscegenation laws were about race, not marriage.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>For more on this issue, see <a href="http://str.typepad.com/weblog/2012/10/race-sex-and-marriage.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://str.typepad.com/weblog/2014/09/same-sex-marriage-is-not-the-new-interracial-marriage.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>
</div>

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title: The Nature of Moral Obligations: Immateriality
topic: Philosophy
author: Brett Kunkle
date: 07/07/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/the-nature-of-moral-obligations-immateriality-
content:
            <div> 
		<p>I’ve always found the argument from objective morality to God’s existence compelling. When we push deeper into our explanations of the nature of morality, I just don’t see how naturalism provides any kind of satisfactory account. In particular, four features of or related to our moral obligations seem irreducible to naturalistic explanations:</p>

<ol>
	<li>Immateriality</li>
	<li>Incumbency</li>
	<li>Guilt</li>
	<li>Sociability</li>
</ol>

<p>So for the next four days, I want to explore these features in order to strengthen our argument from morality to God.</p>

<p>Let’s begin our discussion with the following question: “What is the ontological status of a moral obligation?”&nbsp;What constitutes a moral obligation? First, it seems moral obligations are immaterial substances. More specifically, a moral obligation is a <em>relation</em> of being obligated to perform or refrain from a particular action. Moral obligations are only instantiated between persons, and thus, they are a relation between two persons. More on this in part four, as we discuss the social nature of moral obligations.</p>

<p>But certainly an obligation is not a physical feature of the world. You do not trip over moral obligations in the hallway or bump into them on the street. They have no weight, and they do not extend into space. Yet we know them to be real. We feel their force everyday.</p>

<p>However, naturalism requires that we confine our moral discussion to physical properties. Indeed, moral obligations would have to reduce to some kind of physical property. But physical properties do not constitute anything about moral obligations, let alone morality in general. Moral obligations seem, on almost any reading, to be about something other than physical or material reality.<sup id="fnref:1"><a href="#fn:1">1</a></sup> A naturalistic view cannot provide an ontology of immaterial substances and thus does not have the resources to account for moral obligations.</p>

<aside class="footnotes">
<hr>
<ol>
	<li id="fn:1">Dallas Willard, “Naturalism’s Incapacity to Capture the Good Will”&nbsp;in <em>Philosophia Christi</em> 4, (2002): 9. <a class="reversefootnote" href="#fnref:1">&nbsp;↩</a></li>
</ol>
</aside>
</div>

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title: Abusing Freedom
topic: Christian Living
author: Melinda Penner
date: 07/03/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/abusing-freedom
content:
            <div> 
		<blockquote>
<p>“Freedom is destroyed not only by its retraction; it is also devastated by its abuse.”&nbsp;- Ravi Zacharias</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Our culture is changing fast. Things that would have seemed absurd to most people’s moral intuitions are now championed. Even some things that still seem odd are accepted because our culture accepted a definition of freedom some time ago that is playing out.</p>

<p>Radical moral relativism, the view that individuals can define their own morality, has led to radical relativism in general. People think freedom means they can define their own reality. There’s no objective moral standard. And now there’s no objective standard at all that should be imposed on an individual to restrict their freedom of choice. Every individual defines themselves.</p>

<p>So Bruce Jenner becomes Caitlyn Jenner. A white woman <a href="http://str.typepad.com/weblog/2015/06/more-doubling-down-on-faulty-principles.html" target="_blank">claims she’s black</a> because that’s how she feels. People champion <a href="http://str.typepad.com/weblog/2015/06/the-birth-of-transableism-why-our-culture-bites-absurd-bullets.html" target="_blank">transableism</a> and <a href="http://www.logotv.com/video/what-i-think-im-an-animal/1706138/playlist.jhtml" target="_blank">transspeciesism</a> because they feel inside that they are disabled or cat or rabbit. One feminist said that freedom means the doctor <a href="http://str.typepad.com/weblog/2014/06/slate-dont-let-the-doctor-assign-a-gender-to-your-newborn.html" target="_blank">has no right to declare the sex of a baby</a> at birth, despite the body parts that are obvious, because that child should define that for themselves.</p>

<p>There’s nothing objective to constrain us. This has become established in U.S. law already, and it has serious implications. The Declaration of Independence, which is fundamental to all U.S. law including the Constitution, states that our rights are established by God. Because human rights are objective, governments must respect them and cannot violate them. But if there is nothing objective to constrain our freedom, then there’s nothing objective to constrain the government. Our rights become whatever we declare them to be and whatever the government at any time and place declares them to be, changing with the fashions of the day.</p>

<p>This is where we are in our culture now. It���s a very dangerous place to be in. As quickly as the court can bestow a new right, it can be taken away.</p>

<p>It reminds me of Sir Thomas More’s response to his pupil Roper: “And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned round on you—where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat? This country’s planted thick with laws from coast to coast—man’s laws, not God’s—and if you cut them down—and you’re just the man to do it—d’you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then?”&nbsp;It’s naïve and short-sighted to change the law unmoored from any objective standard because it can be changed in any way possible then.</p>

<p>The astounding thing about a very few documents in history is that government power was limited because citizens had rights above the government. But when societies no longer recognize this, the governments are back in the position of defining the rights of citizens. As Os Guinness has said, “When the fashionable new ’right’&nbsp;trumps the traditional rights, then rights merely arise from power.”</p>

<p>The tragedy of our culture celebrating the new definition of individual freedom is that it has also destroyed what has protected us from tyranny. As Ravi Zacharias pointed out, we’ve abused our freedom and we’ve destroyed it.</p>
</div>

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title: Every Parent Is in Youth Ministry
topic: Christian Living
author: Alan Shlemon
date: 06/23/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/every-parent-is-in-youth-ministry
content:
            <div> 
		<p>I believe parents are responsible for their children’s spiritual training. Of course, pastors, youth leaders, and Sunday school teachers can help. But parents have to do most of the work. Frankly, that makes <em>me</em> nervous. I’m still going to try my best, though.</p>

<p>Last month, I took my son to the center of UCLA’s campus during an abortion protest and had him engage abortion-choice advocates that were twice his age. I know that sounds a little crazy, but I’m a firm believer in the principle of inoculation.</p>

<p>Inoculation against false ideas works similarly to the way we inoculate against a virus. To vaccinate against polio, for example, you ingest an attenuated (weakened, but alive) virus. Your immune system responds by producing antibodies, killer cells that seek and destroy the virus. That way, when your body is exposed to polio in the real world, your immune system isn’t caught off guard. It neutralizes the threat with its army of antibodies.</p>

<p>Inoculating young believers against a false idea works the same way. You teach them the errant view, why people believe it, and what’s wrong with those reasons. That way, when they come across someone who holds the view, they’re not surprised by the person’s arguments. The young believer easily recognizes their reasoning and is ready to respond.</p>

<p>That’s what I did when I found out former Stand to Reason speaker (and my good friend) <a href="http://www.jfaweb.org/Meet_the_Mentors.html#widget14" target="_blank">Steve Wagner</a> was bringing the <a href="http://jfaweb.org" target="_blank">Justice for All</a> exhibit to UCLA. Their ministry uses graphic images of abortion to spark conversations about abortion on university campuses. In anticipation of their arrival, I spent three days teaching my son the basics of embryology, some arguments <em>for</em> abortion, and a few pro-life tactics of persuasion. Then, I role-played an abortion-choice advocate to get him familiar with how the material is applied in conversations.</p>

<p>After he was comfortable arguing with me, I asked my wife to make a case for abortion to him. That way, he was exposed to a different person’s thinking. He struggled a little because she thinks and responds differently than I do. I gave him feedback on his performance, and we prepared for the next stage.</p>

<p>Justice for All provided an all-day training for pro-lifers who wanted to become better equipped or were planning on attending the campus protest. I took him so he’d learn pro-life training from different people. This would solidify material he was familiar with, provide nuances to training he knew, and expose him to new arguments. More importantly, he got to role-play with strangers (both students and adults) who thought even more differently than my wife.</p>

<p>Field training was next. Our two-hour road trip to UCLA gave us time to reflect on his training and pray for the upcoming hostile encounters with real people who would disagree with him.</p>

<p>My son’s first encounter with an abortion-choice advocate occurred while he stood next to Steve during a conversation. Although he got to mostly see Steve model the pro-life tactics he learned days before, he also contributed a little to the conversation. His second encounter was with me. My son saw a college student nearby and, without any prompting, approached him and started talking to him. I stayed completely out of the conversation, allowing my son to wrestle with the man’s arguments and formulate responses.</p>

<p><img align="right" alt="" height="351" src="http://www.str.org/Media/Default/BlogPost/blog/Nathan%20at%20JFA.jpg" width="320"></p>

<p>After a few conversations, his confidence increased. While I was talking to a couple of other students, I heard some girls laughing behind me. I turned around and noticed my son who, on his own, had started talking to two abortion-choice advocates. They were disagreeing with him, but having fun in the process. He had about a dozen conversations that day.</p>

<p>To be honest, I was a little skeptical he’d be able to traffic with college-aged students, but he handled himself nicely. He was able to identify tangents and prompt the abortion-choice advocate to focus on the question of whether the unborn was human (which is what he was taught to do).</p>

<p>The process of inoculating against an idea is a progression. For my son, I taught him content first. Then, I had him role-play with me, my wife, and strangers who were pro-life. Then, he watched experienced pro-lifers model the tactics with people who disagree. Finally, he engaged abortion-choice advocates himself. I gave him feedback at every step and helped him process every encounter.</p>

<p>I’m not saying every parent needs to do the same thing with their 10-year-old. I’m not even saying at what age they should start or with what topic. My point is to give you an example of inoculation. Parents (AKA youth leaders) can apply the same principle with other ideas their kids will encounter.</p>

<p>I’ve made a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xb6c45qGXI4" target="_blank">video</a> explaining a similar point about inoculation. Also, I recommend these quick-reference guides (<a href="http://store.str.org/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=MC129" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="http://store.str.org/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=MC135" target="_blank">here</a>, and <a href="http://store.str.org/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=MC127" target="_blank">here</a>) as good starting places to become familiar with opposing ideas. Plus, they’re only one page (double-sided), and so they’re very accessible.</p>
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title: InterVarsity Is Back on Cal State Campuses
topic: Christian Living
author: Amy K. Hall
date: 06/25/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/intervarsity-is-back-on-cal-state-campuses
content:
            <div> 
		<p>Here is some good news. You may recall that the Cal State University system <a href="https://www.str.org/blog/cal-state-universities-derecognize-intervarsity-clubs#.W6cZ5hNKijQ" target="_blank">derecognized InterVarsity clubs</a> last fall because InterVarsity’s policy of requiring club officers to hold Christian beliefs went against Cal State’s <a href="https://www.calstate.edu/eo/EO-1068.html" target="_blank">nondiscrimination policy</a>. In a happy turn of events, InterVarsity has <a href="https://www.intervarsity.org/news/intervarsity-chapters-return-csu" target="_blank">announced</a> they’ll be allowed back on CSU campuses without having to compromise their commitment to having Christians lead their Christian groups on campus:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>“Following substantive and cordial ongoing conversations, CSU clarified the intent and reach of Executive Order 1068,”&nbsp;said InterVarsity president Jim Lundgren. “We are confident we can choose leaders who are qualified to lead InterVarsity’s witnessing communities throughout the Cal State system.”</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Christianity Today <a href="http://www.christianitytoday.com/gleanings/2015/june/intervarsity-regains-access-cal-state-campuses.html" target="_blank">explains more</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>“Cal State has not changed the language of their ’all comers’&nbsp;policy,”&nbsp;said Greg Jao, vice president of campus engagement. “They have clarified that the policy only requires that (a) we allow all students to become members, which we have always done, and (b) we allow all students to apply for leadership positions.”</p>

<p>“We have been assured that we can have a rigorous selection process which reflects InterVarsity’s mission and message as a Christian ministry,”&nbsp;he told CT. “We’re confident in our ability to choose leaders who reflect our mission and message.”</p>

<p>InterVarsity has also posted an <a href="http://www.intervarsity.org/podcast/greg-jao-interview-csu-resolution" target="_blank">audio interview</a> with Jao on the resolution.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>From that <a href="http://www.intervarsity.org/sites/default/files/podcast/15/06/06-22-15gregjaoradiocsu.mp3" target="_blank">interview</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>What the administration was able to do was interpret how they will apply the law in a way that we think actually increases the diversity of campus by ensuring that religious voices remain on campus and remain distinctively religious.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>I do find this bit from the <a href="http://www.christianitytoday.com/gleanings/2015/june/intervarsity-regains-access-cal-state-campuses.html" target="_blank">Christianity Today article</a> odd and even concerning:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Just under half (44 percent) of evangelicals told LifeWay Research recently that student groups at public schools should not be allowed to require their leaders to hold specific beliefs. Only a third (36%) of evangelicals said the same of groups at private schools.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>I don’t know how to account for that large percentage. Relativisim and a belief that religious truth is subjective? A knee-jerk reaction against creeds? A hyper-individualism that resists any submission and conformity to an outside standard? Or was it merely a badly-worded poll question? Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to locate the study to investigate further. It certainly makes a difference whether or not the question was specifically worded to be about requiring leaders to hold particular beliefs in clubs <em>centered</em> around those beliefs. I would rightly speak out against a math club in a public school requiring particular religious beliefs, but it seems to me to be common sense that it’s appropriate for a Christian group to require the people who lead it to hold Christian beliefs.</p>

<p>Regardless, this is certainly good news overall. Let’s thank God today for this!</p>
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title: Praying for Unsaved Loved Ones
topic: Tactics and Tools
author: Tim Barnett
date: 06/15/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/praying-for-unsaved-loved-ones
content:
            <div> 
		<p>Quite often after I have given one of my talks, a few people in attendance will push through the crowd so they can talk to me one-on-one. My time at a recent conference was no exception. At this event I had a mother approach me with a concerned look in her eyes and a hint of frustration in her voice. She said, “I agree with everything you just said, but I have an unsaved son and he will not listen to me. I’ve given him good arguments for Christianity, but he refuses to believe. Where do I go from here?”</p>

<p>I understand her frustration. I have people in my own life who refuse to accept the offer of salvation through Christ despite all of my attempts to provide arguments and evidence. It is situations like these that can lead to two devastating responses. First, there is a tendency to blame yourself for not being persuasive enough. The thinking goes, “If only I were as gifted as William Lane Craig or Greg Koukl, they would come to believe.”&nbsp;But this just isn’t true. Even the most brilliant apologists have unsaved family and friends in their lives. This should give us pause.</p>

<p>Now please do not misunderstand me. As Christian ambassadors, we need be as persuasive as we can. However, arguments and evidence do not ultimately save. God does. Of course, God <em>uses</em> arguments and evidence to lead people to a saving knowledge of Christ. This happens all the time.</p>

<p>Second, there is a tendency to want to give up on the person. After all, you have spent hours pouring truth into their life without any positive result.</p>

<p>We need to push back against both of these reactions. I have found a better response: <em>prayer</em>. This mother raised a good question, where do we turn when our apologetics doesn’t seem to work? My answer was simple. We need to turn to the Living God in prayer. That’s right, we need to put aside the apologetics books, get down on our knees, and pray. I’ll be the first to admit that I am not very good at this. It is much easier for me to argue with the lost than to pray for the lost. I’m prone to devote my time to refuting the unbeliever’s arguments rather than raising them up in prayer.</p>

<p>So, how should we be praying for those who disagree with our fundamental convictions? I’d like to offer you five practical ways that we can pray for our unsaved family and friends.</p>

<p>First, <em>pray that God draws them to Himself</em>. Jesus said, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him”&nbsp;(John 6:44). Salvation is the work of God, not man. No one can come unless the Holy Spirit first draws him or her. Theologians debate <em>how</em> this drawing takes place, but they do not debate <em>that</em> this drawing takes place. Therefore, we need to pray that God initiates regeneration in the life of the unbeliever by drawing them to Himself.</p>

<p>Second, <em>pray that they would seek to know God</em>. Speaking to the Areopagus, Paul exhorts these unbelievers to “seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward Him and find Him”&nbsp;(Acts 17:27). Jesus promised that those who seek will find Him (Matt. 7:7). God promises that He is not far from anyone—including the lost. So pray that God would use people and circumstances to cause the lost to seek Him out.</p>

<p>Third, <em>pray that God would send someone to reach them</em>. Jesus explicitly tells us to pray for laborers. Speaking to His disciples, Jesus says, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest”&nbsp;(Matt. 9:37-38). It may be that your words get brushed off because they are heard too frequently; therefore, pray God brings a fresh voice to speak into that hard heart. Your prayers can mobilize the feet of fresh witnesses to reach your loved one.</p>

<p>Fourth, <em>pray that Satan would be prevented from blinding them to the truth</em>. There is a real spiritual battle going on. Paul warns, “The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ”&nbsp;(2 Cor. 4:4). Therefore, pray that the evil one would be barred from blinding the minds of unbelievers so that they can come to understand and accept the truth.</p>

<p>Fifth, <em>pray that they will believe in Christ as their Savior</em>. Paul says, “Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved”&nbsp;(Rom. 10:1). Jesus has extended a bona fide offer of salvation to whomever would believe. Jesus states, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life”&nbsp;(John 5:24). So pray that your unsaved loved ones would hear the word and believe.</p>

<p>Prayer for the lost should not be our last resort when all else fails. Rather, it should be our go-to option whenever we have a need. Sadly, most Christians fail to utilize this powerful resource that God has given us.</p>
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title: Supreme Court Ruling on Marriage
topic: Christian Living
author: Melinda Penner
date: 06/26/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/supreme-court-ruling-on-marriage
content:
            <div> 
		<p>No doubt you’ve heard the ruling.<em> </em>I’ve been praying and thinking about how we as Christians and STR people move forward. We’ve got good arguments, and the issues may change over time that need to be responded to, but the people we are to be as Christians doesn’t change.</p>

<p>God isn’t surprised by this ruling, and by His sovereign will He’s allowed this to happen. And He’s put us here in this time for a purpose.</p>

<p>I’ve been thinking about the Christians in the first few centuries who were at odds with the culture, ostracized, and often persecuted as a result. They lived out the Gospel and distinguished themselves, and therefore their message, because of it. I’ve specifically been thinking of <a href="http://www.str.org/podcasts/weekly-audio/john-stonestreet-restoring-all-things-may-19-2015#.VY2H3hNViko" target="_blank">how they saved baby girls</a> who were abandoned because they were not wanted or valued, disposed of to die of exposure. And how Christians cared for the sick when they were left for dead during plagues that hit the cities.</p>

<p>They carried on and lived in a way that honored God, showing love to all people, standing firm. Even though they were despised by the culture, they carried on doing what was right before God and loving those who persecuted them.</p>

<p>Now, more than ever, is the time to be conscientious of wisdom and character in KWC (Knowledge, Wisdom, and Chraracter in the <a href="http://www.str.org/about/ambassadors-creed" target="_blank">Ambassador Model</a>), offering all of our reasons and arguments with gentleness and reverence.</p>

<p>It’s tempting to get angry at this decision that goes against God, nature, and our Constitution, but that won’t help. It’s tempting to despair, but that won’t help either. God has a purpose for us now in this time, and we’ll faithfully continue to honor God and live out KWC in our own lives, as a team, and in teaching other Christians.</p>

<p>We’ll answer sin and anger with patience and kindness. We’ll love the people who make us their enemies, just as Jesus did. And God will give us the wisdom and grace we need to do this. As Alan Shlemon consistently reminds us, let’s answer with <a href="http://www.str.org/articles/homosexuality-know-the-truth-and-speak-it-with-compassion#.VY2LwxNViko" target="_blank">truth and compassion</a>. In the end, it’s right back to the Gospel—there are lost sinners who need to be reconciled to God, just as we once were.</p>

<p>Our times are in God’s hands (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+31%3A14-15&amp;version=NASB" target="_blank">Psalm 31:15</a>). Our job is to be faithful and trust Him in all circumstances.</p>

<p>Here are some resources that will help you as we move forward.</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="http://www.str.org/quickthoughts/is-marriage-about-love#.VY1yW2A8fYA" target="_blank">Is Marriage about Love?</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.str.org/articles/homosexuality-know-the-truth-and-speak-it-with-compassion#.VY1yomA8fYA" target="_blank">Homosexuality: Know the Truth and Speak It with Compassion</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.str.org/videos/is-same-sex-marriage-a-good-policy-decision#.VY1zEGA8fYA" target="_blank">Is Same-Sex Marriage a Good Policy Decision?</a> (video)</li>
</ul>
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title: Knowing Jesus Makes You a Better Thinker
topic: Tactics and Tools
author: Amy K. Hall
date: 06/13/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/knowing-jesus-makes-you-a-better-thinker
content:
            <div> 
		<p>Michael Reeves has this to say in his excellent book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rejoicing-Christ-Michael-Reeves/dp/0830840222" target="_blank"><em>Rejoicing in Christ</em></a>:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>[Many Christians] sing of [Christ’s] love on a Sunday—and <em>there</em> it is true—but walking home through the streets, past the people and the places where Real Life goes on, they don’t feel it is <em>Christ’s</em> world. As if the universe is a neutral place. As if Christianity is just something we have smeared on top of Real Life. Jesus is reduced to being little more than a comforting nibble of spiritual chocolate, an imaginary friend who “saves souls” but not much else….</p>

<p>Since Jesus Christ is the one “through whom all things came” (1 Cor 8:6), God’s agent of creation who continues to uphold and sustain the creation he brought into being, the marks of his artistry are all round us. From the tiniest sea urchin to the brightest star, all things bear his magnificent stamp. The heavens cannot but declare his glory, for they are his craftsmanship, and they continue to hold together only in him. His character is written into the grain of the universe so intimately that even to think against Christ the Logos you must think against logic and descend into folly (Ps 14:1). In his world, our faculties work better the more they are harnessed to faith in him. Then we are able to be more logical, more vibrant, more imaginative, more creative, for we are working with the grain.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>As soon as any of us denies an aspect of the truth about Jesus, we begin to distort our understanding of reality (see the <a href="http://str.typepad.com/weblog/2015/04/finding-truth-false-worldviews-reduce-the-human-person.html" target="_blank">series</a> I posted on Nancy Pearcey’s book <a href="http://store.str.org/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=BK401" target="_blank"><em>Finding Truth</em></a> for more on how this happens and its consequences).</p>

<p>If Christ is the foundation of all reality, if all things were made through Him, then to learn truly about Him is to align ourselves with reality—it’s to see truth more clearly in <em>every</em> area of life. If you’d like to think more clearly about the world He created, start by focusing on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rejoicing-Christ-Michael-Reeves/dp/0830840222/ref=sr_1_1_twi_1_pap?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1434079629&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=rejoicing+in+christ" target="_blank">knowing Christ</a>.</p>

<p><a href="http://str.typepad.com/weblog/2015/06/knowing-jesus-makes-you-a-better-thinker.html" target="_blank">COMMENTS</a></p>

<p><a href="/explore#&amp;format=BlogPost">Read more posts</a></p>
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title: Inoculate, Don’t Isolate
topic: Arts and Culture
author: Alan Shlemon
date: 07/01/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/inoculate-don-t-isolate
content:
            <div> 
		<p>Abortion-choice advocates. Angry college students. Graphic pictures of abortion. Not really what you want to expose your ten-year-old son to. That’s what I did, though. I took my son to the center of UCLA’s campus during an abortion protest and had him engage abortion-choice advocates that were twice his age.</p>

<p>It’s tempting to shelter young believers from false ideas. We think we’re protecting them, but we end up isolating them. This backfires because we don’t prepare them to dialogue with those who disagree with them. When they encounter a false idea, young believers get caught off guard. They’re more likely to be seduced to believe something we’ve worked hard to protect them from.</p>

<p>Instead, we need to inoculate young believers against false ideas. This is similar to the way we inoculate against a virus. To vaccinate against polio, for example, you ingest an attenuated (weakened, but alive) virus. Your immune system responds by producing antibodies, killer cells that seek and destroy the virus. That way, when your body is exposed to polio in the real world, your immune system isn’t caught off guard. It neutralizes the threat with its army of antibodies.</p>

<p>Inoculating young believers against a false idea works the same way. You teach them the errant view, why people believe it, and what’s wrong with those reasons. That way, when they come across someone who holds the view, they’re not surprised by the person’s arguments. The young believer easily recognizes their reasoning and is ready to respond.</p>

<p>Last month, I inoculated my son against a dangerous idea: abortion. Former Stand to Reason speaker (and my good friend) Steve Wagner was bringing the Justice for All exhibit to UCLA. Their ministry uses graphic images of abortion to spark conversations about abortion on university campuses. In anticipation of their arrival, I spent three days teaching my son the basics of embryology, some arguments for abortion, and a few pro-life tactics of persuasion. Then, I role-played an abortion-choice advocate to get him familiar with how the material is applied in conversations.</p>

<p>After he was comfortable arguing with me, I asked my wife to make a case for abortion to him. That way, he was exposed to a different person’s thinking. He struggled a little because she thinks and responds differently than I do. I gave him feedback on his performance and we prepared for the next stage.</p>

<p>Justice for All provided an all-day training for pro-lifers who wanted to become better equipped or were planning on attending the campus protest. I took him so he’d learn pro-life training from different people. This would solidify material he was familiar with, provide nuances to training he knew, and expose him to new arguments. More importantly, he got to role-play with strangers (both students and adults) who thought even more differently than my wife.</p>

<p>Field training was next. Our two-hour road trip to UCLA gave us time to reflect on his training and pray for the upcoming hostile encounters with real people who would disagree with him.</p>

<p>My son’s first encounter with an abortion-choice advocate occurred while he stood next to Steve during a conversation. Although he got to mostly see Steve model the pro-life tactics he learned a few days before, he also contributed a little to the conversation. I was by his side for his second encounter. My son saw a college student nearby and, without any prompting, approached him and started talking to him. I stayed completely out of the conversation, allowing my son to wrestle with the man’s arguments and formulate responses.</p>

<p>After a few conversations, his confidence increased. While I was talking to a couple of other students, I heard some girls laughing behind me. I turned around and noticed my son who, on his own, had started talking to two abortion-choice advocates. They were disagreeing with him, but having fun in the process. He had about a dozen conversations that day.</p>

<p>To be honest, I was a little skeptical he’d be able to traffic with college-aged students, but he handled himself nicely. He was able to identify tangents and prompt the abortion-choice advocates to focus on the question of whether the unborn was human (which is what he was taught to do).</p>

<p>The process of inoculating against an idea is a progression. For my son, I taught him content first. Then, I had him role-play with me, my wife, and strangers who were pro-life. Then, he watched experienced pro-lifers model the tactics with people who disagree. Finally, he engaged abortion-choice advocates himself. I gave him feedback at every step and helped him process every encounter.</p>

<p>I’m not saying every parent needs to do the same thing with their ten-year-old. I’m not even saying at what age they should start or with what topic. My point is to give you an example of inoculation. Parents and youth leaders can apply the same principle with other ideas their kids will encounter.</p>

<p>As you can see, inoculating is not just something I teach about, it’s something I live out as well. Why? Because it’s a principle that works.&nbsp;</p>
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title: Justice Kennedy’s Arguments for Polygamy and Polyamory
topic: Sexuality and Gender
author: Amy K. Hall
date: 06/27/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/justice-kennedy-s-arguments-for-polygamy-and-polyamory
content:
            <div> 
		<p>From <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2015/06/26/whats-in-the-same-sex-marriage-ruling/" target="_blank">Justice Kennedy’s majority opinion</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>As all parties agree, many [<a href="http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/06/gay-marriage-decision-polygamy-119469.html#.VY3WOBNVikp" target="_blank">polygamous</a> and polyamorous groups] provide loving and nurturing homes to their children, whether biological or adopted. And hundreds of thousands of children are presently being raised by such [groups].</p>

<p>Excluding [polygamous and polyamorous groups] from marriage thus conflicts with a central premise of the right to marry. Without the recognition, stability, and predictability marriage offers, their children suffer the stigma of knowing their families are somehow lesser. They also suffer the significant material costs of being raised by unmarried parents, relegated through no fault of their own to a more difficult and uncertain family life. The marriage laws at issue here thus harm and humiliate the children of [polygamous and polyamorous groups].</p>

<p>[Polygamous and polyamorous groups] are consigned to an instability many opposite-sex [and same-sex] couples would deem intolerable in their own lives. As the State itself makes marriage all the more precious by the significance it attaches to it, exclusion from that status has the effect of teaching that [those with a polygamous or <a href="http://freethoughtblogs.com/carrier/archives/6737" target="_blank">polyamorous orientation</a>] are unequal in important respects. It demeans [those with a polygamous or <a href="http://nypost.com/2015/02/27/thai-throuple-believed-to-be-worlds-first-gay-married-trio/" target="_blank">polyamorous orientation</a>] for the State to lock them out of a central institution of the Nation’s society. [Polygamous and polyamorous groups], too, may aspire to the transcendent purposes of marriage and seek fulfillment in its highest meaning.</p>

<p>The limitation of marriage to opposite-sex [and same-sex] couples may long have seemed natural and just, but its inconsistency with the central meaning of the fundamental right to marry is now manifest. With that knowledge must come the recognition that laws excluding [polygamous and polyamorous groups] from the marriage right impose stigma and injury of the kind prohibited by our basic charter.</p>

<p>These considerations lead to the conclusion that the right to marry [whomever one wishes to marry] is a fundamental right inherent in the liberty of the person, and under the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment [polygamous and polyamorous groups] may not be deprived of that right and that liberty. The Court now holds that [polygamous and polyamorous groups] may exercise the fundamental right to marry. No longer may this liberty be denied to them.</p>

<p>No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were. As some of the petitioners in these cases demonstrate, marriage embodies a love that may endure even past death. It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage. Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves. Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization’s oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Now tell me, on the basis of the reasons given, <a href="https://www.str.org/blog/inconsistent-same-sex-marriage-advocates#.W6cYfBNKijQ" target="_blank">why not</a>?</p>
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title: Advice from Chesterton: Don’t Take Down the Fence until You Know Why It’s There
topic: Philosophy
author: Amy K. Hall
date: 06/29/2015
source:
https://www.str.org/w/advice-from-chesterton-don-t-take-down-the-fence-until-you-know-why-it-s-there

content:
            <div> 
		<p>If there’s one thing I’ve learned in the past few days, it’s this: Most people—religious or otherwise—have no idea what marriage is, why it exists, and what we need it for. And what’s worse, they have no idea they have no idea.</p>

<p>Some sound advice from <a href="https://www.prolific.com/qwiki.cgi?mode=previewSynd&amp;uuid=F6YWS47JRS2LQ49WKXU7W3JVB4QT" target="_blank">G.K. Chesterton</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>In the matter of reforming things, as distinct from deforming them, there is one plain and simple principle; a principle which will probably be called a paradox. There exists in such a case a certain institution or law; let us say, for the sake of simplicity, a fence or gate erected across a road. The more modern type of reformer goes gaily up to it and says, “I don’t see the use of this; let us clear it away.”&nbsp;To which the more intelligent type of reformer will do well to answer: “If you don’t see the use of it, I certainly won’t let you clear it away. Go away and think. Then, when you can come back and tell me that you do see the use of it, I may allow you to destroy it.”</p>

<p>This paradox rests on the most elementary common sense. The gate or fence did not grow there. It was not set up by somnambulists who built it in their sleep. It is highly improbable that it was put there by escaped lunatics who were for some reason loose in the street. Some person had some reason for thinking it would be a good thing for somebody. And until we know what the reason was, we really cannot judge whether the reason was reasonable. It is extremely probable that we have overlooked some whole aspect of the question, if something set up by human beings like ourselves seems to be entirely meaningless and mysterious. There are reformers who get over this difficulty by assuming that all their fathers were fools; but if that be so, we can only say that folly appears to be a hereditary disease. But the truth is that nobody has any business to destroy a social institution until he has really seen it as an historical institution. If he knows how it arose, and what purposes it was supposed to serve, he may really be able to say that they were bad purposes, or that they have since become bad purposes, or that they are purposes which are no longer served. But if he simply stares at the thing as a senseless monstrosity that has somehow sprung up in his path, it is he and not the traditionalist who is suffering from an illusion.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Take a look at these resources to find out why the fence has been there for millennia:</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://www.str.org/blog/understand-the-same-sex-marriage-issue#.W6cYBRNKijQ" target="_blank">Understand the Same-Sex Marriage Issue</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.str.org/blog/is-same-sex-marriage-a-good-policy-decision#.W6cYHxNKijQ" target="_blank">Is Same-Sex Marriage a Good Policy Decision?</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/What-Marriage-Man-Woman-Defense/dp/1594036225/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1435350829&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=what+is+marriage" target="_blank">What Is Marriage?</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Defending-Marriage-Twelve-Arguments-Sanity/dp/1618906046/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1435350688&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=anthony+esolen+marriage" target="_blank">Defending Marriage</a></li>
</ul>
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title: More Resources for Understanding and Discussing the Marriage Decision
topic: Philosophy
author: Amy K. Hall
date: 06/26/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/more-resources-for-understanding-and-discussing-the-marriage-decision
content:
            <div> 
		<p>Tom Gilson of Ratio Christi has gathered together “<a href="http://www.strategicapologetics.org/content/top-christian-resources-marriage-debate-books-articles-videos-podcasts-gay-marriagesame-sex" target="_blank">Top Christian Resources on the Marriage Debate</a> (Books, Articles, Videos, Podcasts on Gay Marriage/Same-Sex Marriage).”&nbsp;Take a look and spread the word.</p>

<p>The decision itself and the four dissenting opinions are a lot to get through, so here are a few short cuts for you:</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="http://blog.acton.org/archives/79707-explainer-what-you-should-know-about-the-supreme-courts-same-sex-marriage-ruling.html" target="_blank">Explainer: What You Should Know about the Supreme Court’s Same-Sex Marriage Ruling</a>—Joe Carter, Acton Institute</li>
	<li><a href="http://blog.acton.org/archives/79715-50-key-quotes-from-the-supreme-courts-same-sex-marriage-ruling.html" target="_blank">50 Key Quotes from the Supreme Court’s Same-Sex Marriage Ruling</a>—Joe Carter, Acton Institute</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2015/06/26/whats-in-the-same-sex-marriage-ruling/" target="_blank">What’s in the Same-Sex Marriage Ruling</a>—Orin Kerr, <em>Washington Post</em></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2015/06/26/here-are-the-key-excerpts-on-religious-liberty-from-the-supreme-courts-decision-on-gay-marriage/" target="_blank">Here Are the Key Excerpts on Religious Liberty from the Supreme Court’s Decision on Gay Marriage</a>—Sarah Pulliam Bailey, <em>Washington Post</em></li>
</ul>

<p>One more recommendation: I’ve been reading Anthony Esolen’s book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Defending-Marriage-Twelve-Arguments-Sanity/dp/1618906046/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1435350688&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=anthony+esolen+marriage" target="_blank"><em>Defending Marriage: Twelve Arguments for Sanity</em></a>. It’s very good, and probably unlike anything you’ve seen. While the excellent <a href="http://www.amazon.com/What-Marriage-Man-Woman-Defense/dp/1594036225/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1435350829&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=what+is+marriage" target="_blank"><em>What Is Marriage?</em></a> appeals to the logical “left brain,”&nbsp;Esolen’s <em>Defending Marriage</em> approaches the subject from the other side, using primarily literary imagery to reveal goodness, truth, and beauty in his attempt to restore the vision of marriage that we’ve lost.</p>

<p>As I’ve read the bits of literature and poetry he uses to paint the glorious picture of marriage as it’s meant to be, I’ve been moved to tears. I hadn’t realized how desensitized I’ve become to what we’ve done to marriage over the last sixty years. Seeing the stark contrast between the ancient Christian view of marriage and today’s common view is startling. It will grieve you. Read this book, and you will long to be part of restoring it.</p>
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title: Is Same-Sex Marriage a Good Policy Decision?
topic: Sexuality and Gender
author: Amy K. Hall
date: 06/20/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/is-same-sex-marriage-a-good-policy-decision-
content:
            <div> 
		<p>Our new motion graphics video is here:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Today we’re going to look at a controversial policy issue. As Christians, we believe it’s our responsibility to stay informed about our faith and understand how our views translate into not only our personal lives but also our culture and government. One of the most debated topics in our country is same-sex marriage, and we think there’s a respectful, loving, and logical way to address this subject, so that’s what we’re going to do...</p>
</blockquote>

<div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9" data-embed-id="5vvq87M03qk" data-styles="{&quot;width&quot;:&quot;100%&quot;}" style="width:100%"><iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" class="embed-responsive-item" frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5vvq87M03qk?rel=0" tabindex="0"></iframe></div>
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title: Why Tax Exemptions for Religious Institutions Should Continue
topic: Christian Living
author: Amy K. Hall
date: 07/01/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/why-tax-exemptions-for-religious-institutions-should-continue
content:
            <div> 
		<p>Since <em>Time</em> is saying “<a href="http://time.com/3939143/nows-the-time-to-end-tax-exemptions-for-religious-institutions/" target="_blank">Now’s the Time to End Tax Exemptions for Religious Institutions</a>,”&nbsp;it’s important we <a href="http://str.typepad.com/weblog/2015/06/advice-from-chesterton-dont-take-down-the-fence-until-you-know-why-its-there.html" target="_blank">understand</a> <em>why</em> our government has not taxed religious institutions in the past. I recently <a href="http://str.typepad.com/weblog/2015/05/why-religious-institutions-arent-taxed.html" target="_blank">explained</a> that one reason for non-profit tax exemptions is that “the power to tax implies the power to destroy”&nbsp;(McCullough v. Maryland, 1816), and our government has not been given the power to govern religion. But there’s more to it than that.</p>

<p>Al Mohler discussed this issue on <a href="http://www.albertmohler.com/?p=35234" target="_blank">Monday’s episode</a> of his podcast, beginning with the charge that the government is wrongly “subsidizing”&nbsp;religion through tax exemptions. Not only are tax exemptions not <em>logically</em> a subsidy (after all, it’s not the <em>government’s</em> money the churches are keeping), they’re also not <em>legally</em> a subsidy, as Dr. Mohler explained. From the podcast:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>The key statement on these issues was made by the Supreme Court of the United States in 1970, in the case Walz versus Tax Commission of the City of New York; it was a stunning 8-1 decision. Writing for the majority, Chief Justice Warren Burger made very clear that a tax exemption is not a subsidy; that was affirmed by other justices in concurring opinions. A subsidy would be the transfer of tax money to institutions. That’s not what’s going on here... Rather, the tax exemption is granted with respect to institutions the government does not feel that it has the right to tax on the one hand and on the other hand, institutions that it believes are essential to the Commonwealth and to the commonweal, to the well-functioning of society.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>It’s in our best interest to prevent our limited government from taking money away from organizations that are using that money to build up our communities. Local organizations know the people they’re helping, they can give more personalized care with less bureaucratic waste, and those who receive the help do so in the context of relationship, which means gratitude and accountability. Whenever care can be given by the people closest to those who need help, that should be the preferred method of helping, not government:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>One [of] the most basic principles that is deeply embedded in American jurisprudence is the fact that the government cannot do everything. This gets to the fact that mediating institutions including churches, synagogues, temples and other religious institutions fulfill a function the government actually cannot fulfill so well.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>And the value added to communities by churches isn’t merely material help (such as feeding the poor); it’s also intangible goods, such as spiritual support and the strengthening of interpersonal relationships within the community, which works to reinforce good character, support marriages, raise good citizens, increase general happiness, and more. If you doubt the value churches bring to communities, you need only look at the aftermath of recent tragic events in <a href="http://apologetics-notes.comereason.org/2015/06/the-events-in-charleston-contradict-new.html?utm_source=twitter.com&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=buffer&amp;utm_content=buffer43f62" target="_blank">Baltimore and Charleston</a>. What made the difference between rioting and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggiU2n09NY8&amp;sns=em" target="_blank">mass hymn singing</a>? The churches. The difference they made and will continue to make in Charleston is the kind of invaluable good the government cannot provide. As <a href="http://blog.acton.org/archives/79756-taxing-churches-and-other-charitable-non-profits-is-un-american.html" target="_blank">Joe Carter said</a>, “The government doesn’t ’subsidize’&nbsp;charitable non-profits; charitable non-profits subsidize society.”</p>

<p>There’s yet another reason why the government does not take money from churches:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Again, in his majority opinion Chief Justice Burger wrote,</p>

<p>“The grant of a tax exemption is not sponsorship since the government does not transfer part of its revenue to churches but simply abstains from demanding that the church support the state.”</p>

<p>That is extremely important language. <strong>Here Chief Justice Burger was affirming that the most basic fundamental and important reason that the government does not tax churches is that by taxation the church would be required to support the state.</strong> Members of synagogues, temples and churches are already taxpaying citizens. It would be a different thing altogether to require the synagogue, the temple or the church actually to fund and support the state. <strong>Those who supposedly believe in a separation of church and state have to recognize the dangers inherent in the proposal that the government tax the church</strong>...</p>

<p>Chief Justice Burger and Justice Brennan in writing their opinions in this case understood that <strong>taxing churches and religious institutions would inevitably put those churches and institutions in the position of funding the government and would put the state in the position of entangling itself in religious organizations and churches.</strong> [Emphasis added.]</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Read the rest of what Dr. Mohler had to say <a href="http://www.albertmohler.com/?p=35234" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>

<p>The government is prevented from controlling churches by the Constitution. This means it does not do so through taxation. Further, it would not be in our interest as a society for the government to take money away from the work churches do in their communities. The government simply cannot replace it.</p>

<p>Some Christians say they wish churches <em>would</em> lose their tax-exempt status so they could have full free speech rights (i.e., the right to comment on political candidates). But giving up all of the above in exchange for the ability to endorse a candidate seems like a poor trade to me.</p>
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title: Marriage Decision Is a “Totalitarian Impulse to Redefine Reality”
topic: Philosophy
author: Amy K. Hall
date: 06/27/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/marriage-decision-is-a-totalitarian-impulse-to-redefine-reality-
content:
            <div> 
		<p>The Supreme Court decision yesterday won’t just affect marriage. Giving the government the power to redefine a pre-political institution changes the relationship of the government to all of our rights. As Jay Richards says in “<a href="https://stream.org/defend-marriage-reality-part-five-limited-government-must-recognize-natural-marriage/" target="_blank">Why a Limited Government Must Recognize Natural Marriage</a>,”&nbsp;“You can’t make war on the natural law and then appeal to it for help.”</p>

<blockquote>
<p>The arguments for redefining marriage have been all about individual rights, but the move would actually undermine the foundation of individual rights. Here’s why. A limited government doesn’t try to redefine reality as the Orwellian governments of the 20th century did (including the fictional government of George Orwell’s <em>1984</em>). A limited government <em>recognizes</em> and defends realities outside its jurisdiction. Our government doesn’t bestow rights on us as individuals. We get our rights from God. A just and limited state simply recognizes and protects this pre-political reality. But a government that gets in the habit of ignoring other pre-political realities is primed to ignore the reality of unalienable human rights.</p>

<p>The individual and his inherent rights are a pre-political reality. Marriage is another. The institution of marriage transcends every political system...</p>

<p>Appealing to nature and nature’s God to defend individual rights and equality, which most cultures have not recognized, while ignoring the universal testimony of nature and culture on marriage, is like sawing off the branch you’re sitting on. Put another way, you can’t make war on the natural law and then appeal to it for help.</p>

<p>So, just as government can’t redefine our rights as individuals made in the image of God, it has no authority to redefine marriage. Communism was totalitarian because it tried to redefine the individual, to create a new “Communist Man.”&nbsp;We’re now struggling with another totalitarian impulse to redefine reality... If the state can redefine a universal institution rooted in human nature, what <em>can’t</em> it redefine?</p>

<p>Invoking a right doesn’t create a right. Rights come from our nature, from reality, from the way things are. In the case of marriage, we are dealing with a biological reality first and foremost. A government that puts itself in charge of redefining such things is a menace to human rights and human institutions.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Make no mistake, the right on which the Supreme Court is basing its decision is not a natural right to equal protection under the law (no one has ever been denied a marriage license because of his sexual orientation); it’s a right to make marriage whatever we wish it to be—a right they’ve created on their own. As <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2015/06/26/whats-in-the-same-sex-marriage-ruling/" target="_blank">Justice Roberts said</a>, “The fundamental right to marry does not include a right to make a State change its definition of marriage.”&nbsp;The Supreme Court yesterday trampled a pre-political reality in order to create a new “right”&nbsp;that five of the nine justices personally prefer. Today, they happen to prefer having two-person marriage. But once the two complementary sexes of spouses are irrelevant, there’s no principled reason to limit the number of spouses to two.</p>

<p>Indeed, there are no limits at all on a government that isn’t bound to respect and submit to realities outside of itself. We’ll just have to wait and see where five justices’&nbsp;future personal whims take us.</p>
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title: Relativism’s Moral Hero Disproves Relativism
topic: Philosophy
author: Amy K. Hall
date: 05/27/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/relativism-s-moral-hero-disproves-relativism
content:
            <div> 
		<p>In a world that happened to begin, where only dead matter existed at the beginning, and where physical forces happened to bring some of that matter together in a particular way such that it now moves around on its own, the concepts of “right”&nbsp;and “wrong”&nbsp;are meaningless fictions.</p>

<p>Sure, there might be an objective way for the collections of molecules we call “humans”&nbsp;to live that will enable those humans to live longer or maximize their pleasurable feelings, but there is certainly no <em>obligation</em> to do so (and nothing to say that either living longer or having pleasurable feelings is something that <em>ought</em> to be done; they’re merely possibilities). Obligation requires a personal Rule Giver to whom we’re rightly obligated, who will hold us accountable to that obligation. Without obligation, without a higher objective standard of the way things <em>should</em> be, without a <em>mind</em> above us and before us, there isn’t properly a “right”&nbsp;and “wrong.”&nbsp;There are merely things we choose to do or not do because of preference.</p>

<p>In this world, who are you to judge anyone’s preferences?</p>

<p>If one begins with atheistic materialism, relativism is the logical conclusion. And yet, we find that this relativism doesn’t match up with what we apprehend to be true about the moral aspects of reality. From <a href="http://store.str.org/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=BK125" target="_blank">Greg’s book on relativism</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Given a particular standard of morality, the person who is most moral is the one who practices the specific system’s key moral rule consistently... [T]he quality of the moral hero—the one who most closely lives the ideal—indicates the quality of the moral system.</p>

<p>What kind of moral champion does [individual] relativism produce? What is the best that relativism has to offer? What do we call those who most thoroughly apply the principles of relativism, caring nothing for others’&nbsp;ideas of right or wrong, those who are unmoved by others’&nbsp;notions of ethical standards and instead consistently follow the beat of their own moral drum?</p>

<p>In our society, we have a name for these people; they are a homicide detective’s worst nightmare. The quintessential relativist is a sociopath, one with no conscience. This is what relativism produces.</p>

<p>Something is terribly wrong with an alleged moral point of view that produces a sociopath as its brightest star.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>If there are no binding moral facts higher than the individual, then even the sociopath is moral. And placing the standard on society rather than the individual doesn’t get you out of this mess. If there are no binding moral facts higher than a <em>society</em>—if the community is the moral standard—then even Nazi Germany was moral. At least, those who went along with the Nazis were moral. Any German who resisted them was being immoral. And who are you (or any other country) to say Germany was wrong?</p>

<p>Relativism is a mess any way you look at it. Any worldview that lacks the ability to explain what we know to be true—that there are objective moral facts, regardless of whether an individual or an entire society rejects them—is devastatingly deficient.</p>
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title: Natural Selection Can’t Select a Future Function
topic: Science
author: Amy K. Hall
date: 06/05/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/natural-selection-can-t-select-a-future-function
content:
            <div> 
		<p>In this short video from the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/DiscoveryScienceNews/videos" target="_blank">Discovery Institute</a>, Paul Nelson follows the development of a C. elegans worm from one cell to an adult, showing how “even these little worms, a millimeter long, humble little creatures out there in the compost heap... carry the signal of design unmistakably.”</p>

<blockquote>
<p>The successful creation of a live C. elegans requires many intermediate cell divisions, yet the temporary cells created by these intermediate cell divisions play no functional role in the adult worm whatsoever. Instead, they merely serve as stepping stones in a long journey that will eventually reach a functional organism at its conclusion. But natural selection can’t select a <em>future</em> function; it can only select features that are advantageous <em>already</em>.</p>

<p>If something’s going to function in natural selection, it’s got to function <em>now</em>, at this particular moment in time—not five minutes from now, half an hour, a week, a thousand years. So a process that lacks foresight in principle cannot build a[n] unfolding trajectory, an unfolding lineage [of intermediate cells], where you need to know the target. That’s the fundamental difficulty for any undirected process of evolution.</p>

<p>What natural selection and other undirected natural mechanisms cannot achieve, intelligent agents can. Intelligent agents are able to foresee distant functional goals. Intelligent agents can coordinate and choreograph the assembly of many separately necessary parts to achieve a functional end.</p>

<p>When I look at animal development, I see a trajectory. It’s, in a sense, the quintessential end-directed or teleological process in nature. You’re pulling back that bowstring, and you’ve got a target over there fifty yards away, and you want to put that arrow right in the middle of that target. You need to know what you’re aiming at and why, and for that you need a mind.</p>
</blockquote>

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title: Quick Thought - Baptism
topic: Theology
author: Greg Koukl
date: 05/27/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/quick-thought-baptism
content:
            <div> 
		<p>Is baptism purely symbolic, or is baptism necessary for regeneration?</p>

<p>Baptism is not necessary for salvation, but that doesn’t mean that baptism is purely symbolic.&nbsp;In the early church, if there were alter calls, they would have included baptism. Baptism is more than symbolic. It’s a statement that is made that involves grace that God provides.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, is being baptized a prerequisite for regeneration? The direct answer is, "no." I understand Peter’s first sermon in Acts 2 ("...for the remission of sins"). can be read that way. But if you look at the way the words are stacked, it does not require that interpretation.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Sometimes you are doing something (for) to get something, and sometimes you are doing something (for) because of something else. For example, I am receiving this award for an accomplishment I have completed. We should be baptized in virtue of the forgiveness of our sins.&nbsp;</p>

<p>To get a definitive word regarding this issue, I go to Acts 10. As Peter is giving the Gospel, the people believe, and there is a manifestation of the Spirit. Peter realized they had been given the Holy Spirit just “as we have been.” By Peter’s assessment, they are brothers and sisters in Christ.&nbsp;If baptism were necessary for regeneration, these Gentiles would not have been regenerated before they were baptized.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Clearly, baptism is important, commanded, and critical for a whole lot of reasons. But one of those reasons is not to get regenerated.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="/w/does-baptism-have-regenerative-significance-" target="_blank">Read more and watch the video</a></p>
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title: A Gifted New Speaker Joins Our Team - Mentoring Letter June 2015
topic: Announcements
author: Greg Koukl
date: 06/01/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/a-gifted-new-speaker-joins-our-team-mentoring-letter-june-2015
content:
            <div> 
		<p><em><strong>Thanks to you, a gifted new speaker joins our team</strong></em></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>June 1, 2015</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>When I attended our annual reTHINK youth conference in Southern California last fall, I had a special guest by my side—my nine-year-old daughter, Annabeth. I thought she might be too young for the material, but she was thrilled.</p>

<p>One speaker stood out for her, a lanky, middle-school science teacher named Tim Barnett. He was engaging, he was clear, and he was funny. And even though his talk was on the design argument for God’s existence, because of Tim’s style, clarity, and fascinating PowerPoint presentation, Annabeth got it. And she loved it.</p>

<p>This was Tim’s first time presenting for Stand to Reason, but as it turned out, he had a long, arm’s-length history with STR. He’d listened to our podcasts for years, he’d studied our material, and he’d incorporated our content into his teachings for his own organization, Clear-Thinking Christianity, that he’d founded a few years back.</p>

<p>When I saw Tim’s skill as a communicator—especially with young people—and over the next few months got to know his character, his passion for apologetics, and his commitment as a disciple of Christ, I knew we had to have him as a permanent member of our STR team.</p>

<p>Tim gets it. He understands our heartbeat. He’s deeply committed to building ambassadors in knowledge, wisdom, and character. In fact, he’s been doing it himself for years. Now, through us, he’ll have a chance to reach a much wider audience—especially among young people—with his unique abilities.</p>

<p>Strategically, there is no greater need than passing the baton of the Gospel to the next generation. Bringing Tim Barnett on board is part of STR’s continued commitment to raise up a new wave of thoughtful, winsome, and courageous Christians.&nbsp;</p>

<p>With Tim, though, we get an added bonus. He’s Canadian. He lives in the Toronto area with his wife, Stacey, and their young daughters, Julianna and Jocelyn. This gives STR local access to a large group of beleaguered Christians who desperately need our help.</p>

<p>The cultural pressure against Canadian Christians is even more severe than for Americans. To complicate matters, they have not had as strong a tradition of personal evangelism and apologetics as we’ve had here in the States. Consequently, they’re not as ready to rise to the challenge of defending the Gospel in their own country. At Stand to Reason, we want to help them, and Tim will be on point to do that.</p>

<p>Though a Christian most of his life, Tim had to deal with challenges from friends and colleagues along with his own seasons of doubt, causing him to thoroughly investigate the claims of Christianity. As a result, Tim has been having a powerful impact as a “case-maker” for the Christian worldview, both in the church and on the university campus. Now his heart’s desire is to train other Christians to think clearly about their convictions and to defend the foundational truths of Christianity.</p>

<p>Tim Barnett studied physics and mathematics at York University in Toronto, where he earned his Bachelors of Science with Honors before going on to earn a Bachelors of Education at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology. He’s now working on his M.A. in Philosophy at Southern Evangelical Seminary and hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in either Philosophy or Apologetics down the road.&nbsp;</p>

<p>We are all thrilled to welcome Tim Barnett on board the STR speaking team, and we’re anxious to see how God will use him working with us for the Kingdom in the coming years. If you’re interested in scheduling Tim on either side of the border, contact dawnielle@str.org.</p>

<p>Your gifts make it possible for us to build STR’s team and expand our impact. And the need has never been greater. Christians face growing hostility in our culture, and your generosity equips you and many others to defend Christian public values with grace, clarity, and conviction.</p>

<p>Will you help STR train more believers with a generous gift today? Your support helps fund STR’s gifted new speaker, Tim Barnett, and multiplies our reach to equip even more Christian Ambassadors in the U.S. and beyond our borders.</p>

<p>Thanks for <a href="https://www.str.org/donate" target="_blank">supporting</a> STR with a gift today.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Your partner in the fight,</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Gregory Koukl</p>
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title: Quick Thought: The Power of Context
topic: Theology
author: Alan Shlemon
date: 06/04/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/quick-thought-the-power-of-context
content:
            <div> 
		<p>Several years ago I went to a state prison because the chaplain wanted me to equip the Christians prisoners to witness to the Muslim prisoners.</p>

<p>At the end of my teaching, a Muslim said, “Did you know that Jesus in the Bible prophesies the coming of Mohammad? In John 14:16 Jesus says, ’I will send another helper who will guide you in all truth.’”&nbsp;The Muslim said this: “The Greek word for helper is parakletos. In the Qur’an, Muhammad is referred to as a paraklitos. Perhaps the Bible just got some of the text wrong in the Greek. Perhaps what Bible meant to say ’he will send another helper (paraklitos).’&nbsp;Jesus is predicting the coming of Mohammad.”</p>

<p>I was standing in front of a huge audience, and I didn’t know Greek. I opened up my Bible to the passage and quickly scanned the context. In verse 14:26, Jesus identifies the helper, comforter, and advocate.</p>

<p>It says, “I will send a helper, the Holy Spirit, who will guide you in all truth.”&nbsp;By identifying who this helper is, Jesus rules out the possibility of Mohammad. Simply looking at the context, I was able to respond to this Muslim (who conceded that my argument made sense). This was just one example of how context can be so powerful in helping you address common challenges.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.str.org/videos/the-power-of-context#.VXDRI1xViko" target="_blank">Read more and watch the video</a></p>
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title: Quick Thought: My Body, My Choice?
topic: Bioethics
author: Alan Shlemon
date: 06/11/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/quick-thought-my-body-my-choice-
content:
            <div> 
		<p>The unborn is not part of the mother’s body, but rather a separate body that lies within her. Scientifically, there are a number of qualities and characteristics that are different about the unborn and the mother.</p>

<p>The unborn’s gender can be different than that of the mother. Furthermore, the unborn’s DNA is completely different from the mother. The unborn has a different brain and central nervous system, heart, heartbeat, blood type, and circulatory system than the mother.</p>

<p>The unborn’s blood and the mother’s blood come very close together, but they never mix. The mother’s body mounts an immune response against the unborn if there is a problem in the placenta because it knows that the unborn entity is a separate being unique from the mother’s body.</p>

<p>You can also conceive the unborn outside of the mother’s body through in vitro fertilization and later place that unborn child into the mother’s body. This is further evidence in that we’re not talking about the same body.</p>

<p>Finally, through surrogacy, you can have an unborn child that is a completely different race and ethnicity from the mother.</p>

<p>The claim that a mother can have an abortion merely because the unborn is part of her body is simply not scientifically accurate.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.str.org/videos/my-body-my-choice" target="_blank">Read more and watch the video</a></p>
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title: Practicing Compassion
topic: Christian Living
author: Greg Koukl
date: 05/25/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/practicing-compassion
content:
            <div> 
		<p><em>All human beings are made in the image of God and are therefore valuable ends in themselves, not just instrumental means to other ends that are valuable.</em></p>

<p>I was taught an important lesson while doing a debate on relativism at the University of Washington in Seattle.</p>

<p>My opponent was Clive, an M.A. Philosophy grad and former punk-rocker who worked on campus as a residence director. He was steeped in postmodernism. He was also an atheist.</p>

<p>I always go into debates a little nervous, and this was no exception. Yes, I’m very confident in my material. In addition, I always play it safe by defending a very modest claim, in this case that some universal moral principles actually exist.</p>

<p>Arguing there are objective moral truths is very reasonable, in spite of the fact there appear to be so many objectors. In fact, it’s becoming hard to find anyone with advanced credentials willing to take the other side in a debate.</p>

<p>For one, there are too many obvious counter-examples. The debate is over when one claims—as the relativist must—that there are no objective moral differences between the rapes, tortures, and murders of an Uday and Qusay Hussein, on the one hand, and the kindness, self-sacrifice, and deep humanity of a Mother Teresa and Martin Luther King on the other.</p>

<p>Even so, I’ve learned not to be overly confident.</p>

<p>My nervousness is natural from a human perspective (yes, even I get butterflies). It’s also helpful, in a way. I don’t want to go into a situation cocky and over-confident. I could get humbled. A haughty spirit often precedes a stumbling, Solomon warns (Prov. 16:18). Plus, postmoderns are especially sensitive to smugness. They pick up on it immediately and are understandably put off.</p>

<p>Sometimes it helps when I remind myself that my opponent is nervous, too, often even more than I am. This was the case in Seattle. Clive had never debated before and expressed dismay to my host, Duane of Campus Crusade for Christ, when he saw my own credentials.</p>

<p>Of course, when I learned this I relaxed a bit, sensing my advantage. Duane, however, saw an advantage of a different kind.</p>

<p>“Let’s do everything we can to put Clive at ease,”&nbsp;he told me the day of the debate. “I want him and the audience to see that we’re not just smart, we’re gracious, too. We care about him as much as we care about the argument. So I’ve arranged for the three of us to have dinner together before the debate.”</p>

<p>Immediately my anxiety skyrocketed. “Are you out of your mind?”&nbsp;I thought to myself. “Why give the adversary an advantage?”&nbsp;I didn’t reveal my shallow thinking, though. “Sure,”&nbsp;I nodded. “Sounds fine to me.”</p>

<p>We dined at a local greasy spoon and mused about theology and philosophy over hotdogs and cokes. As we talked, I saw a fellow human being who needed the truth, not an opponent who needed to be beaten.</p>

<p>I even coached Clive on debate techniques he might consider, and assured him this would be an amicable discussion about ideas and not a full-tilt battle. He was noticeably relieved.</p>

<p>The debate went smoothly for me. Regarding the facts, it was obviously one-sided. But because of our time over dinner, it was easy for me to be relaxed, even-handed, and charitable, though I was free to be aggressive in my critique.</p>

<p>After the debate was over, Clive shook my hand. “Thank you,”&nbsp;he whispered, “for handling me with kid-gloves and not destroying me, as I know you could have.”&nbsp;He knew he had been bested, but not beaten.</p>

<p>In situations like these I always try to apply one of STR’s guiding values: All human beings are made in the image of God and are therefore valuable ends in themselves, not just instrumental means to other ends that are valuable. Yet Duane helped me to “excel still more.”&nbsp;I was deeply instructed by his example, and it profoundly affected my ability to be a better ambassador in the future.</p>

<p>I thought of Paul’s charitable posture when reasoning with Agrippa in Acts 22, an attitude he explained in 2 Timothy 2:24-25. “And the Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all... patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth.”</p>

<p>This is exactly what Duane had in mind, of course. Clive, the audience, and the Kingdom were all better served because of his counsel.</p>

<p>It gave me a chance to step away and see my role at STR in perspective. I am still growing, learning the lessons of a good ambassador. I was thankful that day for the existence of STR, and for our focus on knowledge, wisdom, and character.</p>
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title: What Does God’s Love Look Like?
topic: Theology
author: Amy K. Hall
date: 05/28/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/what-does-god-s-love-look-like-
content:
            <div> 
		<p>The biblical phrase “<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+John+4%3A7-11&amp;version=NASB" target="_blank">God is love</a>”&nbsp;is sometimes used to chastise Christians for “condemning”&nbsp;people by teaching that certain behaviors are sinful. Of course the fact that “God is love”&nbsp;should affect everything we say and do, but before we can draw any conclusions from the phrase, we must first understand what God’s love looks like. Kevin DeYoung <a href="http://store.str.org/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=BK402" target="_blank">explains</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>[W]e cannot settle for a culturally imported understanding of love. The steadfast love of God must not be confused with a blanket affirmation or an inspirational pep talk. No halfway responsible parent would ever think that loving her child means affirming his every desire and finding ways to fulfill whatever wishes he deems important. Parents generally know better what their kids really need, just like God <em>always</em> knows how we ought to live and who we ought to be. Christians cannot be tolerant of all things because God is not tolerant of all things. We can respect differing opinions and treat our opponents with civility, but we cannot give our unqualified, unconditional affirmation to every belief and behavior...</p>

<p>God is love, but this is quite different from affirming that our culture’s understanding of love must be God. “In this is love,”&nbsp;John wrote, “not that we have loved God but that he has loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins”&nbsp;(1 John 4:10). Love is what God did in sending his Son to be our substitute on the cross (Rom. 5:8). Love is what we do when we keep Christ’s commands (John 14:15). Love is sharing with our brothers and sisters in need (1 John 3:16-18). Love is treating each other with kindness and patience (1 Cor. 13:4). Love is disciplining the wayward sinner (Prov. 3:11-12). Love is chastising the rebellious saint (Heb. 12:5-6). And love is throwing your arms around the prodigal son when he sees his sin, comes to his senses, and heads for home (Luke 15:17-24).</p>

<p>The God we worship is indeed a God of love. Which does not, according to any verse in the Bible, make sexual sin acceptable. But it does, by the witness of a thousand verses all over the Bible, make every one of our sexual sins changeable, redeemable, and wondrously forgivable.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>God’s love does not look like “blanket affirmation.”&nbsp;This is what God’s love looks like:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. (John 4:7-11)</p>
</blockquote>

<p>God’s love didn’t affirm and celebrate everyone’s choices. God’s love acknowledged sin. God’s love suffered for the sins of others. God’s love sought repentance and redemption. In the same way, for Christians, the goal of warning people about sin isn’t to condemn, it’s to redeem.</p>

<p>It’s easy to affirm someone’s behavior and go on your way. It’s much harder to act as Jean Lloyd exhorts us to act in an <a href="http://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2014/12/14149/" target="_blank">article</a> about her former sexual sin:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Although I appreciate the desire to act in love, [automatic affirmation] isn’t the genuine love that people like me need. Love me better than that!... Don’t compromise truth; help me to live in harmony with it.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>This cry should be echoed by each and every one of us, because each of us is a sinner living among sinners. Loving in <em>this</em> way involves effort, sacrifice, and sometimes even suffering. But how can we do less when the love of God suffered for others?</p>
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title: Muslim Authority
topic: Other Worldviews
author: Alan Shlemon
date: 06/08/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/muslim-authority
content:
            <div> 
		<p>Have you ever talked with a Muslim? I can tell you how it probably went. Why? Virtually every conversation with a Muslim comes down to one issue: authority. No matter what you say about Jesus and the Gospel, you’ll likely get the same Muslim response: “I can’t trust what you’re telling me because the Bible has been corrupted.”</p>

<p>This is not only the most common objection you’ll hear from a Muslim, but it’s also the most significant. That’s because the essentials of your message to a Muslim—Jesus and the Gospel—are all found in the Bible (at least in Matthew through John). If the Muslim rejects that source of authority from the get-go, then you’ll have a hard time making any headway.</p>

<p>I wrote about this point (and how to respond to the objection) in my book <a href="http://store.str.org/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=BK331" target="_blank"><em>The Ambassador’s Guide to Islam</em></a>. Having been to a lot of mosques and talked to a lot of Muslims, I want to offer three examples that demonstrate how authority is the key issue.</p>

<p>Several years ago, I took a group of Christian students to King Fahad Mosque in Culver City, California. One of the Muslim leaders, named Ahmed, sat us down in a conference room and attempted to persuade us that Christians were misled and Islam is true. He argued the Bible was corrupted and, as proof, cited a passage of Scripture that he claimed contradicted scientific findings. One of the seasoned apologists that was with us responded by demonstrating that Ahmed was misunderstanding the genre (or literary style) of the biblical passage. My friend even cited scholars who explained the proper interpretation of the verses in question.</p>

<p>Ahmed didn’t buy it. He had to choose between believing a Christian or believing the Qur’an. Given those options, the Muslim will always choose the Qur’an. That’s his authority.</p>

<p>I was at another mosque with Christian students when a Muslim scholar began arguing the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ didn’t occur. This is a common Muslim belief that stems from the Qur’an. Several of the Christian students responded with historical and biblical arguments. The Muslim scholar shrugged them off: “You’re quoting historical data from fallible human beings. You’re also quoting a Bible that is corrupted.”&nbsp;He wasn’t the least bit persuaded by our biblical or historical claims. Why would he believe humans above Allah’s divine revelation? It was a no-brainer.</p>

<p>There was another occasion when I invited a Muslim from a local mosque to tell his “testimony”&nbsp;about becoming a follower of Islam. A group of Christians listened respectfully while our Muslim friend began with the usual narrative: the Bible is corrupt and unreliable and we need the Qur’an to clarify God’s message. Once again, Christians lobbed their standard responses in defense of the Bible’s reliability. The Muslim, however, wasn’t fazed at all. Man’s wisdom, he said, can’t trump Allah’s word.</p>

<p>Fortunately, some of these Christians remembered my training. They began to ask effective questions. They began to cite passages in the Qur’an that taught the Bible was the uncorrupted word of God. All of sudden, the Muslim’s posture changed. He knew if the Qur’an said something, he must believe it. So, he retreated with a standard Muslim defense: “Well, I’m not sure what those verses mean. We’re reading them in English, but the Qur’an was written in Arabic so we can’t be sure about the interpretation.”</p>

<p>You can see the dilemma he faced. He can’t ignore the Qur’an because that’s his highest authority. But if he accepts the Qur’an’s claim that the Bible is trustworthy, he can no longer dismiss the Gospel message.</p>

<p>Notice the difference between these two approaches. In the first two examples, the Christians framed the discussion as a choice between the Qur’an and a secular scholar or Christian. Given this option, the Muslim will always side with the Qur’an. In the third example, however, the Christians framed the discussion as a choice between the Qur’an and the Muslim. This pits the Muslim against his own authority, forcing him to accept what the Qur’an says or not be a faithful Muslim. That’s why it worked. It leveraged the Muslim’s commitment to his own authority to our advantage.</p>

<p>The main benefit, though, is that it resolves the question of authority. That’s what the Muslim cares about. If you can show they have good reason to trust the Bible as an authority, then it becomes a lot easier to tell them about Christ and the Gospel.</p>
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title: Did Paul Know about Homosexuality?
topic: Theology
author: Amy K. Hall
date: 05/29/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/did-paul-know-about-homosexuality-
content:
            <div> 
		<p>A <a href="http://str.typepad.com/weblog/2015/05/clarifying-biblical-and-secular-reasons-for-same-sex-attraction.html?cid=6a00d83451d2ba69e201b7c7916d3c970b#comment-6a00d83451d2ba69e201b7c7916d3c970b" target="_blank">comment</a> on the blog this week argued that when the Bible was written, “homosexuality was not a concept,”&nbsp;and that therefore, the behavior the Bible is <em>really</em> against is not the kind of loving relationships between same-sex partners we see today (this is the main argument currently <a href="http://str.typepad.com/weblog/2014/11/gay-or-straight-we-all-must-decide-if-we-love-jesus-above-all-else.html" target="_blank">being made</a> by those trying to reconcile homosexuality with Christianity).</p>

<p>If you haven’t yet read Kevin DeYoung’s <a href="http://store.str.org/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=BK402" target="_blank">book on the Bible’s view of homosexuality</a>, I very highly recommend it (you can also listen to Greg’s interview with DeYoung <a href="/w/kevin-deyoung-what-the-bible-teaches-about-homosexuality-april-28-2015-" target="_blank">here</a>). Here’s an excerpt from his chapter titled “Not That Kind of Homosexuality”&nbsp;responding to this argument:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Every kind of homosexual relationship was known in the first century, from lesbianism, to orgiastic behavior, to gender-malleable “marriage,”&nbsp;to lifelong same-sex companionship. [Non-Christian classics professor Thomas K.] Hubbard’s summary of early imperial Rome [in <em>Homosexuality in Greece and Rome: A Sourcebook of Basic Documents</em>] is important:</p>

<p>The coincidence of such severity on the part of moralistic writers with the flagrant and open display of every form of homosexual behavior by Nero and other practitioners indicates a culture in which attitude about this issue increasingly defined one’s ideological and moral position. In other words, homosexuality in this era may have ceased to be merely another practice of personal pleasure and began to be viewed as an essential and central category of personal identity, exclusive of and antithetical to heterosexual orientation.</p>

<p>If the ancient world not only had a category for committed same-sex relationships but also some understanding of homosexual orientation (to use our phrase), there is no reason to think the New Testament’s prohibitions against same-sex behavior were only for pederasty and exploitation...</p>

<p>Nascent ideas about orientation were not unknown in the Greco-Roman era. Consider, for example, Aristophanes’s oration in Plato’s <em>Symposium</em> (ca. 385- 370 BC), a series of speeches on Love (<em>Eros</em>) given by famous men at a drinking party in 416 BC. At this party we meet Pausanias, who was a lover of the host Agathon—both grown men. Pausanias applauds the naturalness and longevity of same-sex love. In the fourth speech we meet the comic poet Aristophanes, who proposes a convoluted theory, including notions of genetic causation, about why some men and women are attracted to persons of the same sex. Even if the speech is meant to be satire, it only works as satire by playing off the positive view of homosexual practice common in antiquity.</p>

<p>Suggesting that the only kinds of homosexual practice known in the ancient world were those we disapprove of today does not take into account all the evidence. Here, for example, is N. T. Wright’s informed <a href="http://www.nationalcatholicreporter.org/word/wright.htm" target="_blank">conclusion</a>:</p>

<p>As a classicist, I have to say that when I read Plato’s <em>Symposium</em>, or when I read the accounts from the early Roman empire of the practice of homosexuality, then it seems to me they knew just as much about it as we do. In particular, a point which is often missed, they knew a great deal about what people today would regard as longer-term, reasonably stable relations between two people of the same gender. This is not a modern invention, it’s already there in Plato. The idea that in Paul’s day it was always a matter of exploitation of younger men by older men or whatever... of course there was plenty of that then, as there is today, but it was by no means the only thing. They knew about the whole range of options there.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Read more of what Kevin DeYoung had to say on this subject <a href="http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2014/11/13/not-that-kind-of-homosexuality/" target="_blank">here</a> or in his <a href="http://store.str.org/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=BK402" target="_blank">book</a>.</p>
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title: An Early and Reliable Account of Jesus’ Resurrection
topic: History
author: Brett Kunkle
date: 06/09/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/an-early-and-reliable-account-of-jesus-resurrection
content:
            <div> 
		<p>In I Corinthians 15:3-8, Paul records a list of witnesses to Jesus’&nbsp;post-mortem appearances:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.”</p>
</blockquote>

<p>In this passage, Paul provides a chronologically ordered, yet non-exhaustive, list of Jesus’&nbsp;appearances.<sup id="fnref:1"><a href="#fn:1">1</a></sup> Other New Testament passages (Matt. 28:9-10; John 20:11-18) record eyewitness accounts of various women who saw Jesus. However, Paul most likely excludes them “because women were not qualified to be legal witnesses, and therefore their presence in the list would be worthless, or even counter-productive.”<sup id="fnref:2"><a href="#fn:2">2</a></sup> Nonetheless, the importance of this one biblical text cannot be overstated. This particular listing presents crucial eyewitness evidence of a risen Jesus that is historically reliable and corroborated in other non-Pauline sources.</p>

<p>Several significant conclusions can be drawn regarding Paul’s testimony that point to its authority and historical reliability. First, there is almost no question among scholars that Paul wrote I Corinthians.<sup id="fnref:3"><a href="#fn:3">3</a></sup> Even in the most skeptical scholarly circles, this conclusion is almost unquestioned.</p>

<p>Second, in I Corinthians 15:3ff, Paul records an early creed that pre-dates the writing of the epistle. According to Gary Habermas, an eminent scholar on the historicity of the resurrection,<sup id="fnref:4"><a href="#fn:4">4</a></sup>&nbsp;“numerous evidences indicate that this report is much earlier than the date of the book in which it appears.”<sup id="fnref:5"><a href="#fn:5">5</a></sup> One is justified in this conclusion on the basis of several reasons. First, “the technical terms <em>delivered</em> and <em>received</em> traditionally indicate the imparting of oral tradition” (cf. I Cor. 11:2).<sup id="fnref:6"><a href="#fn:6">6</a></sup> In this custom, also referred to as “traditioning,”&nbsp;the “Jewish teachers would pass on their teachings to their students, who would in turn pass them on to their own students.”<sup id="fnref:7"><a href="#fn:7">7</a></sup> Thus, Paul is recording material that he had previously received from others.</p>

<p>Furthermore, there is good reason to think that Paul received this material from Peter approximately three years after Paul’s conversion. In Galatians 1:18-20, Paul records his visit to Peter and James, both of whom are listed as eyewitnesses in I Corinthians 15. In this account, Paul uses the Greek word <em>historeo</em>, signifying that his visit was of an investigative nature. What was the primary subject of Paul’s inquiry? “The immediate context suggests that the chief topic of conversation concerned the nature of the gospel (Gal. 1:11-16), which included reference to Jesus’&nbsp;resurrection” (I Cor. 15:1-4).<sup id="fnref:8"><a href="#fn:8">8</a></sup> For this reason, most scholars ascribe an early date to this creed and agree that Paul received the material from two to eight years after the crucifixion of Jesus, between A.D. 32-38.<sup id="fnref:9"><a href="#fn:9">9</a></sup></p>

<p>This brief examination of I Corinthians 15:3ff is quite significant. Habermas summarizes the value of this data: “In the pre-Pauline formula of I Corinthians 15:3ff. alone we have an extraordinarily early tradition, arising within a very short time after the events themselves, reported by an apostle, who could very well have received it from other apostles who followed Jesus during his earthly ministry.”<sup id="fnref:10"><a href="#fn:10">10</a></sup></p>

<p>Therefore, the majority of scholars conclude that the material contained in I Corinthians 15:3ff supports the historicity and authority of Paul’s testimony. As German historian Hans von Campenhausen states, “This account meets all the demands of historical reliability that could possibly be made of such a text.”<sup id="fnref:11"><a href="#fn:11">11</a></sup> Jewish scholar Pinchas Lapide adds that this creed “may be considered as a statement of eyewitnesses.”<sup id="fnref:12"><a href="#fn:12">12</a></sup> As a result, this passage is an invaluable report of <em>early</em> eyewitness testimony to the actual appearances of a physically resurrected Jesus.</p>

<aside class="footnotes">
<hr>
<ol>
	<li id="fn:1">Richard Swinburne, <em>The Resurrection of God Incarnate</em> (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 2003), 147.<a class="reversefootnote" href="#fnref:1">&nbsp;↩</a></li>
	<li id="fn:2">William Lane Craig, <em>Knowing the Truth About the Resurrection</em> (Ann Arbor: Servant Books, 1981), 88.<a class="reversefootnote" href="#fnref:2">&nbsp;↩</a></li>
	<li id="fn:3">Clarence Tucker Craig, “Introduction and Exegesis of I Corinthians,”&nbsp;<em>Interpreter’s Bible</em>, ed. George Arthur Buttrick (New York: Abingdon-Cokesbury, 1953), 10:13.<a class="reversefootnote" href="#fnref:3">&nbsp;↩</a></li>
	<li id="fn:4">See Gary R. Habermas, <em>The Historical Jesus</em> (Joplin, MO: College Press, 1996); with Antony G.N. Flew, <em>Did Jesus Rise from the Dead? The Resurrection Debate</em>, ed. Terry Miethe (San Francisco: Harper &amp; Row, 1987).<a class="reversefootnote" href="#fnref:4">&nbsp;↩</a></li>
	<li id="fn:5">Gary R. Habermas, “The Resurrection Appearances of Jesus,”&nbsp;<em>In Defense of Miracles</em>, ed. R. Douglas Geivett &amp; Gary R. Habermas (Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 1997), 264.<a class="reversefootnote" href="#fnref:5">&nbsp;↩</a></li>
	<li id="fn:6">J.P. Moreland and Gary R. Habermas, <em>Immortality: The Other Side of Death</em> (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1992), 67.<a class="reversefootnote" href="#fnref:6">&nbsp;↩</a></li>
	<li id="fn:7">Craig S. Keener, <em>The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament</em> (Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, 1993), 484.<a class="reversefootnote" href="#fnref:7">&nbsp;↩</a></li>
	<li id="fn:8">Habermas, <em>In Defense of Miracles</em>, 265.<a class="reversefootnote" href="#fnref:8">&nbsp;↩</a></li>
	<li id="fn:9">Joachim Jeremias, “Easter: The Earliest Tradition and the Earliest Interpretation,”&nbsp;<em>New Testament Theology</em>, trans. J. Bowden (New York: Scribner’s, 1971), 306.<a class="reversefootnote" href="#fnref:9">&nbsp;↩</a></li>
	<li id="fn:10">Habermas, <em>In Defense of Miracles</em>, 264.<a class="reversefootnote" href="#fnref:10">&nbsp;↩</a></li>
	<li id="fn:11">Hans von Campenhausen, <em>Tradition and Life in the Early Church</em>, trans. by A. V. Littledale (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1968), 44.<a class="reversefootnote" href="#fnref:11">&nbsp;↩</a></li>
	<li id="fn:12">Pinchas Lapide, <em>The Resurrection of Jesus: A Jewish Perspective</em> (Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1983), 99.<a class="reversefootnote" href="#fnref:12">&nbsp;↩</a></li>
</ol>
</aside>
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title: Quick Thought: Knowledge Is Not the Enemy of Faith
topic: Philosophy
author: Brett Kunkle
date: 05/27/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/quick-thought-knowledge-is-not-the-enemy-of-faith
content:
            <div> 
		<p>The claim that knowledge is the enemy of faith is not a scientific claim; it’s a philosophical claim. For those who believe that faith is the enemy of knowledge, philosophy can help us out here. Specifically, we need epistemology in order to figure out what knowledge and and faith are.</p>

<p>Faith is trusting. It’s personal trust in what we have good reasons to believe is true. Knowledge can be broken up into three different parts. There’s propositional knowledge, experiential knowledge, and skill knowledge.</p>

<p>“God exists”&nbsp;is a knowledge claim. I think it’s true, I believe it, and it’s justified. Therefore, it counts as knowledge. How faith or trust comes in is that I ultimately have to put my trust in what I think I know. The object of my knowledge becomes the object of my faith.</p>

<p>Knowledge and faith are not mortal enemies. If you don’t define faith as believing in that which common sense tells you not to, then you can see how faith and knowledge go hand-in-hand.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.str.org/videos/challenge-response-knowledge-is-the-enemy-of-faith" target="_blank">Read more and watch the video</a></p>
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title: Quick Thought: Rules of Engagement
topic: Tactics and Tools
author: Tim Barnett
date: 06/12/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/quick-thought-rules-of-engagement
content:
            <div> 
		<p>There are two basic rules of engagement that must be remembered when discussing your spiritual and moral convictions. Here are the rules:</p>

<p>Rule #1: If you get angry, you lose.</p>

<p>Rule #2: If they get angry, you lose.</p>

<p>Basically, if either of you get angry, you lose. I need to offer one clarification. These rules apply to the messenger, not the message. There is nothing you can do if the message offends the person and they get upset. This is the nature of the message that the Christian is called to communicate. But the Christian ambassador needs to do everything within his power to be gracious, winsome, and attractive in the way they communicate the message so that they are not offensive. The gospel is offensive enough; we don’t need to add offense to it.</p>

<p>Remember, if you get angry, you make the Christian message and Christ look unattractive. Conversely, if you are offensive and they get angry, you make the message and Christ look unattractive.</p>
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title: Clarifying Biblical and Secular Reasons for Same-Sex Attraction
topic: Sexuality and Gender
author: Alan Shlemon
date: 05/26/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/clarifying-biblical-and-secular-reasons-for-same-sex-attraction
content:
            <div> 
		<p>I recently posted a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIlY-epqce8" target="_blank">video</a> answering a <a href="http://str.typepad.com/weblog/2015/05/challenge-when-did-you-choose-your-heterosexuality.html" target="_blank">challenge</a>: When did you choose your heterosexuality? Someone asked a follow-up question, and I thought I’d share my response.</p>

<p>Here’s the question:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>I listened to Alan’s challenge about not choosing to be heterosexual. What my question is. Romans 1 says that people who reject God will burn in their lust for the same sex. I don’t understand Alan’s response. He said that same sex attraction comes from early experiences from age 1 to 5. Children at that age can’t reject God because they haven’t reached the age of accountability.</p>

<p>So my question is, does same sex attraction come from a bad experience in early childhood, or does it come as punishment for rejecting God as Paul says in Romans?</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Below was my response:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Your question is a good one. I agree with you that my answer sounds confusing in light of Romans 1. That’s my fault. Let me clarify.</p>

<p>In my attempt to explain the causes of same-sex attraction, I did not intend to negate the impact of sin in the world or our sin nature. The world is fallen, we are sinful, and that contributes to a huge amount of the sin we commit. Furthermore, Romans 1 tells us that homosexuality is evidence of man’s deep-seated rebellion against God and how he ordered creation (specifically humans) to function.</p>

<p>Now, I wouldn’t say as you have that “people who reject God will burn in their lust for the same sex,”&nbsp;since not every person who rejects God is a homosexual. Rather, sexual desire for the same sex is one possible symptom of rebellion towards God. But you are otherwise correct about the importance of Romans 1 in our understanding of homosexual activity that Paul observed.</p>

<p>Let me add an additional qualification to the video. I often answer the question of what causes same-sex attraction from both a biblical (special revelation) and scientific (general revelation) perspective. Usually, in a teaching environment, I have more time to address the challenge, but these videos are intended to be under five minutes. That’s why I left out the biblical answer. Plus, I was answering the question with the non-Christian skeptic in mind. Since such a person would not consider biblical information as authoritative, I only gave an answer based on secular research.</p>

<p>The secular explanation that I offered, by the way, is only one known pathway towards same-sex attraction. I believe it’s the most common, but it’s certainly not the only one. If you want more detail about developmental pathway in childhood that can contribute to same-sex attraction, I encourage you to check out my short book <a href="http://store.str.org/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=BK379" target="_blank"><em>The Ambassador’s Guide to Understanding Homosexuality</em></a> that explains it. Or, for an abridged (and free) explanation, check out my article “<a href="http://www.str.org/w/nature-or-nurture-" target="_blank">Nature or Nurture</a>”&nbsp;(that I co-wrote with Greg Koukl) discussing one cause of same-sex attraction.</p>

<p>Anyway, thanks for asking your question and allowing me to clarify and explain myself.</p>
</blockquote>
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title: Quick Thought: Biblical Case for the Trinity
topic: Theology
author: Brett Kunkle
date: 06/11/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/quick-thought-biblical-case-for-the-trinity
content:
            <div> 
		<p>The Bible clearly teaches that there’s only one God in Deuteronomy 6:4, Isaiah 43:10, Isaiah 44:6&amp;8, John 17:3, and more. There’s the “oneness”&nbsp;part of the Trinity.</p>

<p>The baptism of Jesus in Matthew 3 is a great example that distinguishes the Father, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus. Clearly, they are distinct persons.</p>

<p>To demonstrate that each one of these persons is divine, we would look at the deity of Christ and passages like John 1:1 or John 10:30 where Jesus says that the Father and I are one. Acts chapter 5 writes that lying to the Holy Spirit is equated with lying to God. You have one God, and those three distinct persons are divine.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.str.org/videos/how-do-you-make-a-biblical-case-for-the-trinity#.VXnQVFxViko" target="_blank">Read more and watch the video</a></p>
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title: The Birth of Transableism: Why Our Culture Bites Absurd Bullets
topic: Bioethics
author: Amy K. Hall
date: 06/03/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/the-birth-of-transableism-why-our-culture-bites-absurd-bullets
content:
            <div> 
		<p>We said, “There’s no relevant difference between a baby five minutes after birth and one five minutes before.”&nbsp;But instead of condemning abortion, some <a href="/w/embracing-the-absurd" target="_blank">followed the logic</a> in the other direction and <a href="/w/after-birth-abortions" target="_blank">embraced infanticide</a>.</p>

<p>We said, “Just as it’s legitimate to discriminate on the basis of sex by having separate bathrooms for men and women, it’s legitimate to discriminate <a href="/w/it-s-about-the-difference-between-men-and-women" target="_blank">on the basis of sex</a> when it comes to marriage.”&nbsp;But instead of recognizing the relevance of biological sex—and the resulting legitimacy of making a legal distinction—in <em>both</em> cases, some said it’s <a href="/w/embracing-the-absurd" target="_blank">relevant in neither</a>.</p>

<p><a href="/w/don-t-assume-we-should-change-the-body-to-match-the-mind" target="_blank">We said</a>, “Regardless of their image of their ’true self,’&nbsp;we don’t cut healthy limbs off of people suffering from Body Integrity Identity Disorder, and neither should we cut healthy body parts off of those who have gender identity disorders.”&nbsp;But instead of seeing the <a href="/w/why-the-first-hospital-to-do-sex-reassignment-surgeries-no-longer-does-them" target="_blank">problem</a> with <a href="/w/how-to-help-transgender-children" target="_blank">endorsing</a> sex-change operations, some are now <a href="http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/becoming-disabled-by-choice-not-chance-transabled-people-feel-like-impostors-in-their-fully-working-bodies" target="_blank">advocating for physically altering the “transabled”</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>OTTAWA—When he cut off his right arm with a “very sharp power tool,”&nbsp;a man who now calls himself One Hand Jason let everyone believe it was an accident...</p>

<p>His goal was to become disabled.</p>

<p>People like Jason have been classified as “transabled”—feeling like imposters in their bodies, their arms and legs in full working order.</p>

<p>“We define transability as the desire or the need for a person identified as able-bodied by other people to transform his or her body to obtain a physical impairment,”&nbsp;says Alexandre Baril, a Quebec born academic who will present on “transability”&nbsp;at this week’s Congress of the Social Sciences and Humanities at the University of Ottawa.</p>

<p>“The person could want to become deaf, blind, amputee, paraplegic. It’s a really, really strong desire”...</p>

<p>“It’s a problem for individuals because it’s distressing. But lots of things are.”&nbsp;He suggests this is just another form of body diversity—like transgenderism—and amputation may help someone achieve similar goals as someone who, say, undergoes cosmetic surgery to look more like who they believe their ideal selves to be...</p>

<p>As the public begins to embrace people who identify as transgender, the trans people within the disability movement are also seeking their due...</p>
</blockquote>

<p>I’ve <a href="/w/embracing-the-absurd" target="_blank">described</a> the problem this way:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Both lines of reasoning follow logical paths to internally consistent positions. Unfortunately, a growing number of people can no longer recognize which of these paths leads to an absurd conclusion.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>As rational human beings, we desire to think consistently about the world, but consistent views aren’t necessarily accurate ones. We can help people think consistently, but we’re rapidly losing our ability to help people think accurately. The problem comes down to a worldview difference.</p>

<p>Because we, as Christians, think we were created by a Creator, we also think we’re bound to conform our thinking and actions to certain realities we have no right or ability to change (like the differences between the sexes and the moral truth that killing infants is wrong). But for a culture that believes human nature and society evolved—not by the reasons and purposes of Another, but by chance and human construct—there’s no human nature, moral reality, or created institutions to which we’re obligated to conform ourselves. Instead, we create our endlessly malleable identities and customs for ourselves.</p>

<p>Because of this basic difference in worldview, there’s no bedrock reality we can appeal to that would cause those who have this second view to rethink their preferences. Instead of following reality in order to refine their preferences, they follow their preferences wherever they lead in order to define reality. If our preferences bump up against an accepted “reality,”&nbsp;well then, we just change that reality to something we like better: Killing infants is okay because it means I can consistently approve of abortion. Gender-neutral bathrooms are great because they uphold my goal of not discriminating on the basis of sex in any situation. Doctors ought to cut off the perfectly healthy limbs of the “transabled”&nbsp;because our images of our ideal selves can never be wrong.</p>

<p>We can no longer appeal to absurdity in order to challenge our culture’s consistent conclusions, because in a world we create, nothing is inherently absurd.</p>
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title: Original New Testament Manuscripts Could Have Been Copied for Centuries
topic: History
author: Amy K. Hall
date: 05/30/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/original-new-testament-manuscripts-could-have-been-copied-for-centuries
content:
            <div> 
		<p>Michael Kruger <a href="http://michaeljkruger.com/is-the-original-text-of-the-new-testament-lost-rethinking-our-access-to-the-autographs/" target="_blank">reports</a> on an article by Craig Evans, who says “Autographs and first copies [of the New Testament] may well have remained in circulation until the end of the second century, even the beginning of the third century.”&nbsp;If Evans is correct, then papyri we possess today (like <a href="https://viewer.cbl.ie/viewer/browse/-/1/SORT_TITLE/DC:biblicalpapyricollection/" target="_blank">these</a>) could have been copied while the original documents were still available:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>[I]s it really true that we only possess copies of copies of copies? Is there really an enormous gap, as Koester and Ehrman maintain, between the autographs and our earliest copies?</p>

<p>A recent article by Craig Evans of Acadia University suggests otherwise. In the most recent issue of the <em>Bulletin for Biblical Research</em>, Evans explores the question of how long manuscripts would have lasted in the ancient world, and whether that might provide some guidance of how long the autographs might have lasted—and therefore how long they would have been copied.</p>

<p>Evans culls together an insightful and intriguing amount of evidence to suggest that literary manuscripts in the ancient world would last hundreds of years, on average. Appealing to the recent study of G.W. Houston, he argues that manuscripts could last anywhere from 75 to 500 years, with the average being about 150 years...</p>
</blockquote>

<p>The <a href="http://evangelicaltextualcriticism.blogspot.com/2015/05/new-article-evans-on-books-autographs.html" target="_blank">abstract</a> from Evans’s article explains more about the kind of evidence he cites in his paper:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Recent study of libraries and book collections from late antiquity has shown that literary works were read, studied, annotated, corrected, and copied for two or more centuries before being retired or discarded. Given that there is no evidence that early Christian scribal practices differed from pagan practices, we may rightly ask whether early Christian writings, such as the autographs and first copies of the books that eventually would be recognized as canonical Scripture, also remained in use for 100 years or more. The evidence suggests that this was in fact the case. This sort of longevity could mean that at the time our extant Greek NT papyri were written in the late second and early to mid-third centuries, some of the autographs and first copies were still in circulation and in a position to influence the form of the Greek text.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Kruger <a href="http://michaeljkruger.com/is-the-original-text-of-the-new-testament-lost-rethinking-our-access-to-the-autographs/" target="_blank">concludes</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>In other words, it is possible (and perhaps even likely) that some of the earliest copies of the New Testament we posses may have been copied directly from one of the autographs. And, if not the autographs, they may have been copied from a manuscript that was directly copied from the autographs. Either way, this makes the gap between our copies and the autographs shrink down to a rather negligible size.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Read the rest of Kruger’s article <a href="http://michaeljkruger.com/is-the-original-text-of-the-new-testament-lost-rethinking-our-access-to-the-autographs/" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>
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title: Our Worldviews Influence the Way We Live
topic: Christian Living
author: Melinda Penner
date: 05/23/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/our-worldviews-influence-the-way-we-live
content:
            <div> 
		<p>Our worldviews influence the way we live, the values that guide us. Some worldviews support and ground values better than others. Christianity explains human value better than any other worldview, and it was evident in the first centuries of the church.</p>

<p>The way Christians treated women was in stark contrast to the non-Christian world. Contrary to the way many modern people misunderstand the Bible’s teaching about women, Jesus and his followers valued women the same as men. This was quite different from the cultures where Christians lived. Women weren’t valued as highly as men, so infant girls were regularly abandoned to die of exposure, even if the family could afford to raise her. They just didn’t value her so, literally, tossed her out. Rodney Stark explains in his book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Triumph-Christianity-Movement-Largest-Religion/dp/0062007696/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&amp;sr=8-1&amp;qid=1432306430" target="_blank"><em>The Triumph of Christianity</em></a>:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>The superior situation of Christian women vis-à-vis their pagan sisters began at birth. The exposure of unwanted infants was “widespread”&nbsp;in the Roman Empire, and girls were far more likely than boys to be exposed. Keep in mind that legally and by custom, the decision to expose an infant rested entirely with the father as reflected in this famous, loving letter to his pregnant wife from a man who was away working: “If—good luck to you!—you should bear offspring, if it is a male, let it live; if it is female, expose it. You told Aphrodisias, ’Do not forget me.’&nbsp;How can I forget you? I beg you therefore not to worry.”&nbsp;Even in large families, “more than one daughter was hardly ever reared.”&nbsp;A study based on inscriptions was able to reconstruct six hundred families and found that of these, only six had raised more than one daughter. In keeping with their Jewish origins, Christians condemned the exposure of infants as murder. As Justin Martyr (100-165) put it, “we have been taught that it is wicked to expose even new-born children... [for] we would then be murderers.”&nbsp;So, substantially more Christian (and Jewish) female infants lived.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Christians were known for rescuing these baby girls and raising them as their own.</p>

<p>Christianity taught value and dignity for humans that other worldviews didn’t teach. And they believed women had just as much value as men.</p>
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title: The Eyewitnesses
topic: History
author: Brett Kunkle
date: 06/10/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/the-eyewitnesses
content:
            <div> 
		<p>In I Corinthians 15, Paul lists six specific individuals or groups who are reported to have been eyewitnesses of the resurrected Jesus. But are these reports credible? A brief assessment of each account seems to provide good reasons to think that these reports are reliable.</p>

<p>Paul’s first eyewitness is the apostle Peter. Interestingly, the Gospels do not give a detailed account of Jesus’&nbsp;appearance to Peter. In light of this fact, are there other reasons to trust its historicity? From the earlier examination of I Corinthians 15:3ff and Paul’s visit with Peter in Galatians 1:18, one can be assured that Paul received a first-hand account of Peter’s testimony, which he vouches for in I Corinthians 15. In addition, Luke confirms the appearance to Peter in Luke 24:33-34: “And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found gathered together the eleven and those who were with them, saying, ’The Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon.’”&nbsp;Thus, as William Lane Craig observes, “even the most skeptical [New Testament] critics agree that Peter saw something that he called an appearance of Jesus alive from the dead.”<sup id="fnref:1"><a href="#fn:1">1</a></sup></p>

<p>Secondly, Paul records that Jesus appeared to the Twelve. Considered the most reliable appearance account by scholars, it is confirmed in the Gospels by Luke 24:36-42 and John 20:19-20. The agreement in these independent records attests to their historical reliability. As a result, this event is well-attested to by early Christian tradition, Paul’s confirmation of the report after having spent time with the Twelve, and both Luke and John’s records in the Gospel material.</p>

<p>Thirdly, and quite remarkably, Paul records the fact that Jesus appeared to over 500 people at once. Nowhere else in the New Testament is this occurrence mentioned, but this fact casts no doubt upon its reliability. Indeed, it seems incomprehensible that Paul could have invented this material with the majority of eyewitnesses alive to confirm or deny the accuracy of his account. Immediately following his mention of the 500 eyewitnesses, Paul says that “most of [them] remain until now, but some have fallen asleep.”&nbsp;As C. H. Dodd comments, “There can hardly be any purpose in mentioning the fact that most of the 500 are still alive, unless Paul is saying, in effect, ’the witnesses are there to be questioned.’”<sup id="fnref:2"><a href="#fn:2">2</a></sup></p>

<p>The next eyewitness account on Paul’s list comes from James, the younger brother of Jesus. This appearance is notable for the fact that during the lifetime of Jesus, James and his brothers did not believe in Jesus (see Mark 3:21, 31-35; John 7:1-10). However, after the resurrection event they are found in the upper room in Acts 1:14. Later, one discovers that James has become a prominent leader in the early church (Acts 12:17) and then appears to be the primary leader of the Jerusalem church (Acts 21:18). Ultimately, James was martyred for his faith. Given the history of James, an important question arises: what was it that transformed James from being an unbeliever who did <em>not</em> believe that Jesus was the Messiah, to giving up his life because of his faith in Jesus <em>as</em> the Messiah? The most reasonable explanation is that James saw the risen Jesus.</p>

<p>The fifth appearance is to “all the apostles.”&nbsp;This group, although wider than the Twelve (otherwise, this is simply a duplication of Paul’s reference to the Twelve in verse 5), was probably a limited circle of individuals who had been with Jesus from the beginning of his ministry (see Acts 1:21-22; John 15:27). Craig states that “the facticity of this appearance is guaranteed by Paul’s personal contact with the apostles themselves.”<sup id="fnref:3"><a href="#fn:3">3</a></sup></p>

<p>Lastly, Paul includes his own eyewitness account of the resurrected Jesus on the road to Damascus. As with the James account, one is confronted with the question of Paul’s transformation. What was it that changed Paul from a devout rabbi who persecuted Christians to their death, to a devout Christian who went to his death for his faith in Jesus? Paul gives us the only adequate explanation: “and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.”</p>

<p>The data found in I Corinthians 15 provides overwhelming eyewitness evidence of the post-mortem appearances of Jesus. Paul’s detailed account gives a “diversity of witnesses in a variety of places over a forty-day period,”&nbsp;suggesting that these “earliest accounts of the resurrection were not fictitious.”<sup id="fnref:4"><a href="#fn:4">4</a></sup> Robert Funk, co-founder of the Jesus Seminar, a group of radical liberal scholars, argues against a supernatural Jesus who rose from the dead. According to Funk, such a conclusion is mythical: “We want to liberate Jesus. The only Jesus most people know is the mythic one. They don’t want the real Jesus, they want the one they can worship. The cultic Jesus.”<sup id="fnref:5"><a href="#fn:5">5</a></sup> As the Jesus Seminar has concluded, real resurrections do not occur, and therefore, the “real”&nbsp;Jesus never rose bodily from the dead. However, after an examination of the eyewitness evidence, the best explanation is the historical <em>fact</em> of the resurrection. Indeed, the only Jesus that is “real”&nbsp;is a Jesus that was crucified as an ordinary criminal, died on a Roman cross, and three days later was resurrected bodily from the grave. Only this Jesus, the historical Jesus, is one worthy of being worshiped.</p>

<aside class="footnotes">
<hr>
<ol>
	<li id="fn:1">William Lane Craig, <em>Reasonable Faith</em> (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 1994), 281.<a class="reversefootnote" href="#fnref:1">&nbsp;↩</a></li>
	<li id="fn:2">C.H. Dodd, <em>More New Testament Studies</em> (Manchester: University of Manchester Press, 1968), 128.<a class="reversefootnote" href="#fnref:2">&nbsp;↩</a></li>
	<li id="fn:3">Craig, <em>Reasonable Faith</em>, 283.<a class="reversefootnote" href="#fnref:3">&nbsp;↩</a></li>
	<li id="fn:4">Craig Blomberg, <em>Jesus and the Gospels</em> (Nashville: Broadman &amp; Holman Publishers, 1997), 353.<a class="reversefootnote" href="#fnref:4">&nbsp;↩</a></li>
	<li id="fn:5">Robert W. Funk and Roy W. Hoover, <em>The Five Gospels: What Did Jesus Really Say?</em> (New York: Macmilllan, 1993), 1.<a class="reversefootnote" href="#fnref:5">&nbsp;↩</a></li>
</ol>
</aside>
</div>

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title: Transgenderism Fragments the Human Person
topic: Sexuality and Gender
author: Amy K. Hall
date: 06/11/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/transgenderism-fragments-the-human-person
content:
            <div> 
		<p>Nancy Pearcey <a href="http://www.pearceyreport.com/archives/2013/07/nancy_pearcey_transgender_politics_vs_facts_of_life.php" target="_blank">notes</a> something important about transgenderism (and the worldview of a culture that celebrates it):</p>

<blockquote>
<p>The worldview implicit in the transgender movement is that our physical bodies have no particular value—that our biology is irrelevant to who we are as persons...</p>

<p>It is a worldview that drives a wedge between one’s body and one’s sense of self, which exerts a self-alienating, fragmenting effect on the human personality...</p>

<p>The autonomous self will not tolerate having its options limited by anything it did not choose—not even its own body...</p>

<p>This radical autonomy may be promoted as liberation, but it is a devastatingly disrespectful view of the physical body. The implication is that your body is not part of your authentic self...</p>

<p>Today we are seeing the real-world results of this denial. Transgenderism treats the scientific facts of human biology as having no intrinsic purpose or significance. It treats the body as nothing but a piece of matter that gives people no clue about who they are as persons. It is a self-alienating worldview that teaches people that their identity as male or female has no inherent purpose or dignity...</p>

<p>Liberals often portray the morality of the Bible as negative and restrictive. But in reality, Biblical morality honors humans as embodied beings. It respects our identity as male and female, thus leading to integrity and wholeness. The root of the word <em>integrity</em> means whole, integrated, unified—our minds and emotions in tune with our physical body.</p>

<p>A Biblical worldview offers a positive message that respects the whole person and is motivated by love and compassion.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Read the full <a href="http://www.pearceyreport.com/archives/2013/07/nancy_pearcey_transgender_politics_vs_facts_of_life.php" target="_blank">article</a>.</p>
</div>

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title: Finding Truth: How Critical Thinking Saves Faith
topic: Philosophy
author: Amy K. Hall
date: 05/22/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/finding-truth-how-critical-thinking-saves-faith
content:
            <div> 
		<p><em>This week, we’re discussing the final chapter in Nancy Pearcey’s</em> <a href="http://store.str.org/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=BK401" target="_blank">Finding Truth: 5 Principles for Unmasking Atheism, Secularism, and Other God Substitutes</a><em>: “How Critical Thinking Saves Faith”&nbsp;(see links to the previous posts below).</em></p>

<p>In this last chapter of <em>Finding Truth</em>, Nancy Pearcey stresses the necessity of learning how to examine worldviews:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Some Christians seem to think the way to avoid being “conformed to this world”&nbsp;(Rom. 12:2) is by avoiding “worldly”&nbsp;ideas. A better strategy is to learn the skills to critically evaluate them. (p. 254)</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Why is evaluating them a better strategy than avoiding them? Partly because we <em>can’t</em> avoid them. We’re all exposed to popular culture all the time, and without the ability to recognize the source of the ideas we’re surrounded by, it’s easy to unthinkingly absorb bits of other worldviews:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>[M]ost people pick up their ideas about life [through popular culture]... Worldviews do not typically come with a warning label attached to tell us what we’re getting. They do not ask permission before invading our mental space. Instead there is what we might call a “stealth”&nbsp;secularism that uses images and stories to bypass people’s critical grid and hook them emotionally, sometimes without their even knowing it. That’s why it is imperative to learn the skill of deciphering worldviews when they come to us not in words, where they are easier to recognize, but in the idiom of picture, composition, plot line, and characterization. (p. 258)</p>
</blockquote>

<p>I loved Pearcey’s examples of how worldview ideas have been expressed through art (see her book <a href="http://store.str.org/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=BK346" target="_blank"><em>Saving Leonardo</em></a> for an in-depth discussion of how the development of philosophy is reflected in literature, art, music, architecture, etc.).</p>

<p>Impressionist art was inspired by empiricism:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Everyone knows what an impressionist painting looks like, with its little dabs and dashes of color. But <em>why</em> did impressionists decide to break up images that way? Because they were influenced by the philosophy of empiricism, which claims that the ultimate foundation of knowledge is sensations. To reach that foundation, empiricism says, we must reach down to the level of sheer sensory input. We must not even interpret sensations in terms of discrete objects standing in three-dimensional space, but only as patches of color filling our field of vision.</p>

<p>That’s why the great impressionist Claude Monet wrote, “When you go out to paint, try to forget what objects you have before you, a tree, a house, a field, or whatever. Merely think, here is a little square of blue, here an oblong of pink, here a streak of yellow.”&nbsp;His goal was to cut through to the level of raw, immediate sense data. Spots. Streaks. Patches of color. (pp. 260-261)</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Deconstructionist art came out of postmodernism:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Recall that postmodernism is the claim that there is no “metanarrative”&nbsp;or universal story line valid for all people at all times. Each community has its own story line for making sense of the world. How would an artist give that idea visual expression?</p>

<p>By refusing to give a work of art any coherent overall design. This explains why deconstructionist artists favor the pastiche or collage—a patchwork of disconnected images that defy any attempt at interpretation. For example, the famous collages by Robert Rauschenberg, says one art historian, “juxtaposed images in ways to suggest random incoherence, to which the artist—and viewer—can bring no meaningful order.”&nbsp;What was Rauschenberg saying with these disconnected images? That “life’s random occurrences... cannot be made to fit in any inherent hierarchy of meaning.”&nbsp;(pp. 264-265)</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Abstract art was an expression of pantheism:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Why did some artists stop painting objects at all? Because they were influenced by pantheism. The first abstract painter was Kandinsky, who embraced a blend of Eastern and Western mysticism. He argued that the way to oppose philosophical materialism was to get rid of material <em>objects</em>. In his words, abstract art would liberate the mind from “the harsh tyranny of the materialistic philosophy,”&nbsp;becoming “one of the most powerful agents of the spiritual life.”</p>

<p>The purpose of an abstract painting, then, is to free the mind from its preoccupation with material objects and draw the viewer up to the spiritual realm. (pp. 263-264)</p>
</blockquote>

<p>If you haven’t yet read Pearcey’s <a href="http://store.str.org/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=BK233" target="_blank"><em>Total Truth</em></a> and <a href="http://store.str.org/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=BK346" target="_blank"><em>Saving Leonardo</em></a>, I strongly recommend you do—these three books are best read together. We need to be able to recognize these ideas and where they come from when we see them in our culture. If we don’t carefully develop our own worldview, the culture will develop it for us.</p>

<p>But this doesn’t just matter for our sake. We need to understand the worldviews of our neighbors if we’re going to anticipate their questions and respond in a way that’s meaningful to them.</p>

<p>Thanks for reading with me! What did you think of the book overall? Would you like to do this again with another book? If you didn’t read the book, did you still read and enjoy these posts? I’d love to have your feedback on this book study in the comments below.</p>

<p><strong>Posts in this series:</strong></p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="http://www.str.org/blog/read-nancy-pearcey%E2%80%99s-finding-truth-with-me#.VWXwkllViko" target="_blank">Book Club Introduction</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.str.org/blog/finding-truth-foreword#.VWXwAVlViko" target="_blank">Week One: Foreword</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.str.org/blog/finding-truth-i-lost-my-faith-at-an-evangelical-college#.VWXwz1lViko" target="_blank">Week Two: I Lost My Faith at an Evangelical College</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.str.org/blog/finding-truth-twilight-of-the-gods#.VWXwWFlViko" target="_blank">Week Three: Twilight of the Gods</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.str.org/blog/finding-truth-false-worldviews-reduce-the-human-person#.VWXxC1lViko" target="_blank">Week Four: False Worldviews Reduce the Human Person</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.str.org/blog/finding-truth-secular-leaps-of-faith#.VWXwcVlViko" target="_blank">Week Five: Secular Leaps of Faith</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.str.org/blog/finding-truth-why-worldviews-commit-suicide#.VWXw71lViko" target="_blank">Week Six: Why Worldviews Commit Suicide</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.str.org/blog/finding-truth-free-loading-atheists#.VWXwMllViko" target="_blank">Week Seven: Free-Loading Atheists</a></li>
	<li>Week Eight: How Critical Thinking Saves Faith</li>
</ul>

<p><strong>Twitter:</strong> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?f=realtime&amp;q=%23strread&amp;src=typd" target="_blank">#STRread</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/search?f=realtime&amp;q=%23findingtruth&amp;src=typd" target="_blank">#FindingTruth</a></p>

<p><strong>Articles mentioned in this chapter:</strong></p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=1&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=0CB4QFjAA&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.christianitytoday.com%2Fwomen%2F2010%2Fdecember%2Fnancy-pearcey-how-to-respond-to-doubt.html&amp;ei=lGVaVdq2EMrIogTP_oKIDw&amp;usg=AFQjCNGRt4ly8eL-pBDy9Q7qjQ0D8OV-IQ&amp;sig2=PDrUvQJAblDe-8_TbE6DsA" target="_blank">Nancy Pearcey: How to Respond to Doubt</a>: “The researchers uncovered the single most significant factor in whether young people stand firm in their Christian convictions or leave them behind... [T]he most decisive factor is whether students had a safe place to work through their doubts and questions <em>before leaving home</em>... The study indicates that students actually grow more confident in their Christian commitment when the adults in their life—parents, pastors, teachers—guide them in grappling with the challenges posed by prevailing secular worldviews. In short, the only way teens become truly ’prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks’&nbsp;(1 Pet. 3:15) is by wrestling honestly and personally with the questions.”</li>
	<li><a href="https://encouragementsthroughtheword.wordpress.com/2013/03/04/we-engage-culture-for-jesus-an-interview-of-christian-artist-lecrae/" target="_blank">“We Engage Culture for Jesus”: An Interview of Christian Artist Lecrae</a>: “What we need to realize is that Christianity is <em>total</em> truth not just <em>religious</em> truth. Because it is total truth, it is relevant and applicable to all areas of life. When we don’t know how to navigate through culture, we miss out on Jesus’&nbsp;power to shape and transform society. We, as Christians, have the unique privilege of being able to expose how things that this world has taken and intended for evil can be redeemed for their intended purpose, the glory of God.”</li>
</ul>
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title: 22 Historical Confirmations in Two Verses
topic: History
author: Tim Barnett
date: 05/20/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/22-historical-confirmations-in-two-verses
content:
            <div> 
		<p><em>We’re welcoming Tim Barnett, STR’s newest speaker, to the blog today. To learn more about Tim, see his <a href="http://www.str.org/training/speakers/tim-barnett" target="_blank">speaker page</a>.</em></p>

<p>Skeptics are notorious for boldly asserting that you cannot trust the New Testament documents. They will point to apparent contradictions or miracles to bolster their claim. I’ve even heard a well-educated person state that the Gospels were just “made up”&nbsp;by their authors, like a modern-day fictional author. The question is, do we have any good reasons to believe that the Gospels are simply mythology? Or, are there good reasons to believe that they communicate actual events in history?</p>

<p>As you begin reading through the Gospel of Luke, it becomes obvious exactly what kind of literature this is. Just consider Luke 3:1-2. In these two verses it says:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>In the <strong>fifteenth</strong> year of the reign of <strong>Tiberius</strong> Caesar—when <strong>Pontius Pilate</strong> was <strong>governor</strong> of <strong>Judea</strong>, <strong>Herod tetrarch</strong> of <strong>Galilee</strong>, his <strong>brother Philip tetrarch</strong> of <strong>Iturea</strong> and <strong>Traconitis</strong>, and <strong>Lysanias tetrarch</strong> of <strong>Abilene</strong>—during the <strong>high-priesthood</strong> of <strong>Annas</strong> and <strong>Caiaphas</strong>, the word of God came to <strong>John son</strong> of <strong>Zechariah</strong> in the wilderness.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>You might be thinking, what is so special about these verses? Well, within these two verses, there are twenty-two historical references that have been verified by archeology and ancient literary sources outside the Bible. Twenty-two historical confirmations in only two verses! (I have bolded the persons, places, and positions that have been verified).</p>

<p>Do you think the biblical authors were trying to convey real events that took place in history? Absolutely! This is just one of the many reasons that you can trust the Bible.</p>
</div>

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title: Quick Thought: Making Apologetics Understandable
topic: Tactics and Tools
author: Greg Koukl
date: 05/06/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/quick-thought-making-apologetics-understandable
content:
            <div> 
		<p>Most of the basic arguments for the existence of God, though they can be detailed in sophisticated ways, are easy to understand on a fundamental level.</p>

<p>Three arguments are:</p>

<p>1. The Cosmological Argument: The argument for God based on the existence of the Cosmos.</p>

<p>2. The Teleological Argument: The argument for God based on the design of the Cosmos.</p>

<p>3. The Moral Argument: If there is no God, there is no morality.</p>

<p>These arguments can be summed up like this:</p>

<p>1. The Cosmological Argument: The Big Bang needs a big banger.</p>

<p>2. The Teleological Argument: Design needs a designer.</p>

<p>3. Moral: Moral law requires a moral lawmaker.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.str.org/videos/how-do-we-make-apologetics-accessible-to-everyday-christians" target="_blank">Read more and watch the video</a></p>
</div>

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title: Quick Thought: Avoid Sheltering Kids Too Much
topic: Tactics and Tools
author: Alan Shlemon
date: 05/20/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/quick-thought-avoid-sheltering-kids-too-much
content:
            <div> 
		<p>There are legitimate things to want to shelter your kids from. However, there are some things that are appropriate to expose our kids to.</p>

<p>We need to inoculate, not isolate, our kids from bad ideas, so when they run across a real person who holds false ideas, they are prepared. If you think about inoculation when it comes to medicine, we take a dead or weakened virus, and we insert it into the body. When you get exposed to the real virus, your body says, “I’ve seen this before. Now here is the army of antibodies I have prepared to destroy this virus.”</p>

<p>The same is true when it comes to the inoculation of false ideas. We need to teach our kids false ideas enough so they understand why people believe them and so they can give reasons as to why they’re false.</p>

<p>This is powerful because our students don’t just survive with their faith in tact; rather they become agents of change. This is why inoculation, not isolation, is one of the key ways that we can help prevent parents from sheltering their kids too much.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.str.org/videos/how-can-homeschooling-parents-avoid-sheltering-their-kids-too-much" target="_blank">Read more and watch the video</a></p>
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title: Finding Truth: Secular Leaps of Faith
topic: Philosophy
author: Amy K. Hall
date: 05/01/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/finding-truth-secular-leaps-of-faith
content:
            <div> 
		<p><em>This week, we’re discussing the chapter “Secular Leaps of Faith”&nbsp;in Nancy Pearcey’s</em> <a href="http://store.str.org/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=BK401" target="_blank">Finding Truth: 5 Principles for Unmasking Atheism, Secularism, and Other God Substitutes</a><em>, which covers the third of</em> <a href="http://str.typepad.com/weblog/2015/04/finding-truth-i-lost-my-faith-at-an-evangelical-college.html" target="_blank"><em>five principles</em></a> <em>for evaluating worldviews: “Test the idol: Does it contradict what we know about the world?”&nbsp;(see links to the previous posts below).</em></p>

<p>First, a quick summary of the topic today:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>We have worked through two principles in worldview analysis. First we <a href="http://str.typepad.com/weblog/2015/04/finding-truth-twilight-of-the-gods.html" target="_blank">identify its idol</a>. Second we <a href="http://str.typepad.com/weblog/2015/04/finding-truth-false-worldviews-reduce-the-human-person.html" target="_blank">identify its reductionism</a>. Now we will ask whether idol-centered worldviews fit the real world. (p. 147)</p>

<p>Just as scientists test a theory by taking it into the lab and mixing chemicals in a test tube to see if the results confirm the theory, so we test a worldview by taking it into the laboratory of ordinary life. Can it be lived out consistently in the real world, without doing violence to human nature? Does life function the way the worldview says it should? Does it fit reality? Does it match what we know about the world? (p. 143)</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Pearcey points out that anytime you base your understanding of ultimate reality on a created thing (such as matter)—something that’s <em>below</em> God—you will ultimately be forced into a fragmented view of reality, recognizing part of the universe and human experience as real, and viewing other parts as an illusion. For example, materialists who think of human beings as “computers made of meat”&nbsp;have no rational explanation for consciousness, love, etc., yet they aren’t able to live as if these things don’t exist. Instead, they continue to act as if these things <em>do</em> exist, even though they have no reason within their own worldview to believe in them.</p>

<p>Pearcey characterizes this move to act as if certain things exist—things they’re intellectually convinced do <em>not</em> exist—as a “secular leap of faith.”&nbsp;Ironically, this amounts to the very thing many atheists wrongly accuse Christians of doing. Schaeffer says this is a kind of mysticism:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Francis Schaeffer in <em>The God Who Is There</em> observes that every worldview containing a two-story dualism [i.e., where the world we experience is split between reality and illusion] leads ultimately to “mysticism”&nbsp;in the sense that adherents must affirm truths that their own worldview cannot rationally explain. It is ironic that many thinkers who pride themselves on being champions of rationality have accepted a form of mysticism—driven to that extreme position by the impulse to suppress the facts that contradict their preferred worldview. (p. 161)</p>
</blockquote>

<p>I thought this example of suppression was particularly telling:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>[Edward] Slingerland [who argues “that humans are robots—that our sense of having a will or self or consciousness is an illusion”] writes, “At an important and ineradicable level, the idea of my daughter as merely a complex robot carrying my genes into the next generation is both bizarre and repugnant to me.”&nbsp;Such a reductionistic view “inspires in us a kind of emotional resistance and even revulsion.”</p>

<p>Indeed, he writes, if you do <em>not</em> feel that revulsion, something is wrong with you: “There may well be individuals who lack this sense, and who can quite easily and thoroughly conceive of themselves and other people in purely instrumental, mechanistic terms, but we label such people ’psychopaths,’&nbsp;and quite rightly try to identify them and put them away somewhere to protect the rest of us.”</p>

<p>What can we say when someone urges us to adopt a view of humanity that he himself admits is bizarre and repugnant? A view that ought to inspire revulsion? A view so dangerous that, when acted on, it would justify us in labeling people “psychopaths”&nbsp;and locking them up? (p. 162)</p>
</blockquote>

<p>She concludes:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>[I]dol-based worldviews do not produce what a philosophy of life is meant to give us—a coherent, logically satisfying worldview that makes sense of all of life. (p. 163)</p>
</blockquote>

<p>What I appreciate about Pearcey’s approach is her focus on lifting up the people we’re talking to, not tearing them down. Her goal is for us to “step imaginatively inside other perspectives to show from within why they lack explanatory power.”&nbsp;Then, from there, it’s our positive view of Christianity—the beauty of its unified truth and inclusion of things like consciousness, love, and moral agency as well as rationality, science, and matter—that we should hold up for them: “We can show them how Christianity fulfills <em>their own</em> highest hopes and ideals.”</p>

<blockquote>
<p>A Christian’s motive in apologetics should be a God-inspired grief for the lost. We should be brokenhearted over the dehumanizing reductionisms that dishonor and destroy our fellow human beings. We should weep for people whose dark worldviews deny that their life choices have meaning or moral significance. We should be moved by sorrow for people whose education has taught them that their loves, dreams, and highest ideals are ultimately nothing but electrical impulses jumping across the synapses in their brains. We should mourn for postmoderns who think that (as Schopenhauer said) the “eternal truths”&nbsp;are only in one’s head.</p>

<p>When talking to people trapped in a secular worldview, we can help them to see that it gives no basis for the realities of life that they themselves care most about. The very fact that they cannot live within its cramped confines is a sign that they were made to live in a larger, richer conceptual universe. Secularism is too small for secularists. We should begin by expressing solidarity with their deepest longings for meaning and significance—and then show that in a biblical worldview, those longings are not merely illusions or useful fictions but living realities. (pp. 175-176)</p>
</blockquote>

<p>As she says, “Secularism is too small for secularists.”</p>

<p>We’d love to hear your thoughts on this chapter. What stood out to you? Tell us what you think, and if you’ve posted on this chapter elsewhere (on your blog, Facebook page, etc.), leave a link for everyone below.</p>

<p>(Though it came up in the chapter, I didn’t want to get too far afield of the main point by discussing my views on compatibilism, but if anyone wants to talk about it in the comments below, we can do that.)</p>

<p>Next week, we’ll cover Principle #4: “Test the idol: Does it contradict itself?”&nbsp;in the chapter titled “Why Worldviews Commit Suicide.”</p>

<p><strong>Posts in this series:</strong></p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="http://www.str.org/blog/read-nancy-pearcey%E2%80%99s-finding-truth-with-me#.VWXwkllViko" target="_blank">Book Club Introduction</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.str.org/blog/finding-truth-foreword#.VWXwAVlViko" target="_blank">Week One: Foreword</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.str.org/blog/finding-truth-i-lost-my-faith-at-an-evangelical-college#.VWXwz1lViko" target="_blank">Week Two: I Lost My Faith at an Evangelical College</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.str.org/blog/finding-truth-twilight-of-the-gods#.VWXwWFlViko" target="_blank">Week Three: Twilight of the Gods</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.str.org/blog/finding-truth-false-worldviews-reduce-the-human-person#.VWXxC1lViko" target="_blank">Week Four: False Worldviews Reduce the Human Person</a></li>
	<li>Week Five: Secular Leaps of Faith</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.str.org/blog/finding-truth-why-worldviews-commit-suicide#.VWXw71lViko" target="_blank">Week Six: Why Worldviews Commit Suicide</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.str.org/blog/finding-truth-free-loading-atheists#.VWXwMllViko" target="_blank">Week Seven: Free-Loading Atheists</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.str.org/blog/finding-truth-how-critical-thinking-saves-faith#.VWXws1lViko" target="_blank">Week Eight: How Critical Thinking Saves Faith</a></li>
</ul>

<p><strong>Twitter:</strong> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?f=realtime&amp;q=%23strread&amp;src=typd" target="_blank">#STRread</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/search?f=realtime&amp;q=%23findingtruth&amp;src=typd" target="_blank">#FindingTruth</a></p>
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title: Finding Truth: Why Worldviews Commit Suicide
topic: Philosophy
author: Amy K. Hall
date: 05/08/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/finding-truth-why-worldviews-commit-suicide
content:
            <div> 
		<p><em>This week, we’re discussing the chapter “Why Worldviews Commit Suicide”&nbsp;in Nancy Pearcey’s</em> <a href="http://store.str.org/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=BK401" target="_blank">Finding Truth: 5 Principles for Unmasking Atheism, Secularism, and Other God Substitutes</a><em>, which covers the fourth of</em> <a href="http://str.typepad.com/weblog/2015/04/finding-truth-i-lost-my-faith-at-an-evangelical-college.html" target="_blank"><em>five principles</em></a> <em>for evaluating worldviews: “Test the Idol: Does It Contradict Itself?”&nbsp;(see links to the previous posts below).</em></p>

<p>So far, we’ve learned how to <a href="http://str.typepad.com/weblog/2015/04/finding-truth-twilight-of-the-gods.html" target="_blank">identify the idol</a> in a worldview (i.e., its understanding of the nature of ultimate reality), to find where it <a href="http://str.typepad.com/weblog/2015/04/finding-truth-false-worldviews-reduce-the-human-person.html" target="_blank">reduces the view of the human person</a> to something less than human, and to see where that reductionism <a href="http://str.typepad.com/weblog/2015/05/finding-truth-secular-leaps-of-faith.html" target="_blank">fails to match reality</a>. This week, Nancy Pearcey explains how to find where a worldview contradicts itself:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>[V]irtually <em>all</em> idol-based worldviews are self-refuting. Why? Because they are <a href="http://str.typepad.com/weblog/2015/04/finding-truth-false-worldviews-reduce-the-human-person.html" target="_blank">reductionistic</a>. When reductionism is applied to the human mind, it reduces reason to something <em>less</em> than reason. It says the ideas in our minds are products of natural selection (Darwinism) or economic conditions (Marxism) or electrochemical responses in the brain (contemporary neuroscience). Yet the only way a worldview can build its <em>own</em> case is by using reason. Thus when it discredits reason, it undercuts its own case. It is self-defeating. (pp. 182-183)</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Worldviews cause problems for themselves when they say that there’s no real self, that our ideas are the results of physical processes (or products of culture, or mere power plays), that “reason”&nbsp;is really an illusion. You can see the problem: If a person’s worldview states that reason itself isn’t to be trusted, then we ought not take seriously any reason that person gives for his own worldview. When it comes to reductionistic worldviews (other than rationalism, which doesn’t defeat itself in this particular way), Pearcey says “this one fundamental flaw is predictable.”&nbsp;It’s a bad sign if you can’t make a legitimate case for your worldview <em>from within your own worldview</em>:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>[O]nce a theory makes the claim that our ideas are not the product of rational thought, that claim must be applied to <em>all</em> ideas—including the theory itself. (p. 187)</p>
</blockquote>

<p>In order to trust that human beings can discover truth, one needs to know 1) “a rational God created the world with an intelligible structure,”&nbsp;and 2) we were created in the image of that rational being, which enables us to discover that structure. So what are proponents of reductionistic worldviews (who deny these two things) doing every time they make a case for their view?</p>

<blockquote>
<p>The upshot is that all worldviews have to borrow a Christian epistemology—at least at the moment they are making their claims. They must tacitly assume the reliability of reason and rationality, which only a biblical worldview supports. They have to function <em>as if</em> Christianity is true, even as they reject it. (p. 190)</p>
</blockquote>

<p>In our culture, we’ve been seeing the results of a postmodern loss of confidence in the legitimacy of reason and our ability to find truth. If there’s no truth we can find together—if our reality is merely created for us by our “tribes”&nbsp;through a common use of language, not reason—then there’s no use attempting to “reason”&nbsp;others towards our particular view, which means pressure or force will eventually become the persuasion method of choice. What other option is there? Indeed, we are starting to see power moves take the place of reasoned dialogue (as an antidote, I recommend watching <a href="http://watch.biola.edu/cost-of-freedom/" target="_blank">this</a>). As I <a href="http://afcmin.org/ateam/476/postmodernism-will-lead-to-violence" target="_blank">wrote</a> years ago:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>[W]hat is left when separate communities come into conflict and the members believe rational communication and persuasion is impossible? Only the international language of power remains.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>As always, Pearcey ends the chapter with a discussion of how Christianity grounds what other worldviews fail to ground. For example, where modernism exalted the individual (at the expense of community) and postmodernism exalted the community (at the expense of individuality), the Trinity provides the basis for both individuality and community in Christianity:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>The perfect balance of unity and diversity within the Trinity offers a model for human social life—and a solution to the opposing poles of postmodernism and modernism. Against postmodernism’s dissolution of the self, the Trinity implies the dignity of the individual self. Just as each Person within the Trinity is distinct and plays a unique role in the drama of salvation, so each individual person has a unique identity and purpose.</p>

<p>Yet against modernism and its radical individualism, the Trinity implies that we are not disconnected and autonomous but were created for relationship. Sociality is built into the very essence of human nature. (pp. 209-210)</p>
</blockquote>

<p>We’ve had some interesting discussions in the comments so far, so join in! Tell us what you thought about this chapter.</p>

<p>Next week, we’ll cover the fifth principle: “Make the Case for Christianity.”&nbsp;Pearcey has been doing a bit of this in every chapter (see the Trinity example above) as she shows us how Christianity, unlike other worldviews, has the ability to ground every aspect of the reality we experience and depend upon daily. I love her emphasis on the idea that Christianity is <em>appealing</em>—that our job is to reveal it to others in all its intellectual and emotional beauty, so I’m looking forward to the next chapter.</p>

<p><strong>Posts in this series:</strong></p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="http://www.str.org/blog/read-nancy-pearcey%E2%80%99s-finding-truth-with-me#.VWXwkllViko" target="_blank">Book Club Introduction</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.str.org/blog/finding-truth-foreword#.VWXwAVlViko" target="_blank">Week One: Foreword</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.str.org/blog/finding-truth-i-lost-my-faith-at-an-evangelical-college#.VWXwz1lViko" target="_blank">Week Two: I Lost My Faith at an Evangelical College</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.str.org/blog/finding-truth-twilight-of-the-gods#.VWXwWFlViko" target="_blank">Week Three: Twilight of the Gods</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.str.org/blog/finding-truth-false-worldviews-reduce-the-human-person#.VWXxC1lViko" target="_blank">Week Four: False Worldviews Reduce the Human Person</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.str.org/blog/finding-truth-secular-leaps-of-faith#.VWXwcVlViko" target="_blank">Week Five: Secular Leaps of Faith</a></li>
	<li>Week Six: Why Worldviews Commit Suicide</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.str.org/blog/finding-truth-free-loading-atheists#.VWXwMllViko" target="_blank">Week Seven: Free-Loading Atheists</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.str.org/blog/finding-truth-how-critical-thinking-saves-faith#.VWXws1lViko" target="_blank">Week Eight: How Critical Thinking Saves Faith</a></li>
</ul>

<p><strong>Twitter:</strong> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?f=realtime&amp;q=%23strread&amp;src=typd" target="_blank">#STRread</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/search?f=realtime&amp;q=%23findingtruth&amp;src=typd" target="_blank">#FindingTruth</a></p>

<p><strong>Articles mentioned in this chapter:</strong></p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="http://www.newrepublic.com/article/119596/appetite-wonder-review-closed-mind-richard-dawkins" target="_blank">The Closed Mind of Richard Dawkins</a>—“Well over a century ago, Balfour identified a problem with the evolutionary thinking that was gaining ascendancy at the time. If the human mind has evolved in obedience to the imperatives of survival, what reason is there for thinking that it can acquire knowledge of reality, when all that is required in order to reproduce the species is that its errors and illusions are not fatal? A purely naturalistic philosophy cannot account for the knowledge that we believe we possess... Again, one does not need to accept Balfour’s theistic solution to see the force of his argument. A rigorously naturalistic account of the human mind entails a much more skeptical view of human knowledge than is commonly acknowledged.”</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-19997789" target="_blank">Big Bang: Is There Room for God?</a>—“John Lennox, professor of mathematics at the University of Oxford, is also a self-declared Christian. He thinks the very fact that human beings can do science is evidence for God. ’If the atheists are right the mind that does science... is the end product of a mindless unguided process. Now, if you knew your computer was the product of a mindless unguided process, you wouldn’t trust it. So, to me atheism undermines the rationality I need to do science.’”</li>
</ul>
</div>

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title: Should We Ban Conversion Therapy?
topic: Sexuality and Gender
author: Alan Shlemon
date: 05/01/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/should-we-ban-conversion-therapy-
content:
            <div> 
		<p>When Joshua Alcorn turned 14, he told his Christian parents he was a girl named Leelah. Three years later, he stepped in front of oncoming freeway traffic and killed himself. Many people in the media blamed his parents. They said his family resisted Joshua’s new female gender, denied his request for a sex-change operation, and forced him into “conversion therapy.”</p>

<p>His suicide prompted a petition to ban attempts to change gender identity or same-sex attraction. California, New Jersey, and Washington D.C. have already passed laws against this therapy for minors. Even the President of the United States now supports a ban on conversion therapy. The problem with the current national discussion, though, is the lack of clarity and nuance on a very important topic. No one is defining terms.</p>

<p>The terms “conversion therapy”&nbsp;and “reparative therapy”&nbsp;are used as general terms to refer to all attempts to change one’s sexual orientation. This is incorrect.</p>

<p>Reparative therapy, in particular, is <em>not</em> a general term. Rather, it’s a specific type of therapy performed only by specialized clinicians. Most Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs) are not trained in reparative therapy. In fact, very few people know how to practice it. For several years now, I’ve met many therapists who are qualified to use it and their clients who have benefited from its effectiveness. They were not harmed, but rather experienced healing and wholeness.</p>

<p>Part of reparative therapy’s bad press stems from its name. It sounds like the therapist is repairing or fixing the client. The truth is almost the opposite. “Reparative”&nbsp;is not a reference to what the <em>therapist</em> is doing, but to what the <em>homosexual</em> is doing. Homoerotic urges are a subconscious attempt by the homosexual person to repair unmet psychological needs. In other words, the homosexual drive is a reparative drive. A reparative therapist, then, is a clinician who recognizes this condition and helps the homosexual heal his emotional or psychological wounds. Oftentimes, same-sex attraction diminishes as a result of that restoration.</p>

<p>The problem arises when genuine reparative therapy is lumped together with all attempts to change one’s sexual orientation—whether legitimate or illegitimate.</p>

<p>For example, former Christian singer <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/i-tried-to-pray-the-gay-away-but-ended-up-in-a-hospital-bed-10182044.html" target="_blank">Vicky Beeching</a> recently said she tried to “’pray the gay away’&nbsp;and ended up in a hospital bed.”&nbsp;She asked her youth group to pray for her same-sex attraction to go away. According to her story, the prayers didn’t work and that’s what caused her so much distress that she became ill. Others with same-sex attraction have sought pastoral counseling, shock therapy, and even drugs to no avail. People mistakenly believe these methods are types of reparative therapy (when they’re not) and consequently dismiss them as ineffective and dangerous.</p>

<p>That’s why when you hear people mention “reparative therapy,”&nbsp;“conversion therapy,”&nbsp;or “praying the gay away,”&nbsp;they’re almost certainly <em>not</em> referring to bona fide reparative therapy. How do I know? Because when they describe the “therapy,”&nbsp;it sounds nothing like it.</p>

<p>For example, the <a href="https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/share/watch-and-share-why-we-must-ban-conversion-therapy" target="_blank">White House website</a> says conversion therapy “is a practice in which doctors try to convince LGBTQ+ people to change their sexual orientation or gender identity.”&nbsp;Real reparative therapy is never coercive. In fact, it <em>can’t</em> work unless the therapist and client work together towards objectives <em>defined by the client</em>. The children reportedly dragged to therapy by their parents must have been taken somewhere other than to a reparative therapist.</p>

<p>White House staffer Jay Davis, in a <a href="https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/share/watch-and-share-why-we-must-ban-conversion-therapy" target="_blank">video</a> condemning all methods of changing sexual orientation, said, “Imagine if you... were told everything you believe about your gender is wrong. The person you feel yourself to be—you’re incorrect about that. That’s essentially what we’re doing with conversion therapy.”&nbsp;Again, reparative therapists don’t demean their clients. Many times they will treat a client’s other concerns (e.g., depression) even if the client doesn’t want to diminish same-sex attraction.</p>

<p>Attempts to ban “conversion therapy”&nbsp;would end genuine reparative therapy and possibly other types of legitimate clinical work. This would prevent clinicians from continuing to help men and women with unwanted same-sex attraction.</p>

<p>Hopefully, this clarifies the controversy so you won’t be misled by what you read or hear. You’ll be able to discern truth from error.</p>
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title: Finding Truth: Free-Loading Atheists
topic: Philosophy
author: Amy K. Hall
date: 05/15/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/finding-truth-free-loading-atheists
content:
            <div> 
		<p><em>This week, we’re discussing the chapter “Free-Loading Atheists”&nbsp;in Nancy Pearcey’s</em> <a href="http://store.str.org/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=BK401" target="_blank">Finding Truth: 5 Principles for Unmasking Atheism, Secularism, and Other God Substitutes</a><em>, which covers the fifth of</em> <a href="http://str.typepad.com/weblog/2015/04/finding-truth-i-lost-my-faith-at-an-evangelical-college.html" target="_blank"><em>five principles</em></a> <em>for evaluating worldviews: “Replace the Idol: Make the Case for Christianity”&nbsp;(see links to the previous posts below).</em></p>

<p>We’ve come to the final principle in Nancy Pearcey’s <a href="http://str.typepad.com/weblog/2015/04/finding-truth-i-lost-my-faith-at-an-evangelical-college.html" target="_blank">Romans-1-based</a> method of apologetics: Make the case for Christianity. After you determine how a person’s worldview <a href="http://str.typepad.com/weblog/2015/05/finding-truth-secular-leaps-of-faith.html" target="_blank">doesn’t match reality</a>, and how it <a href="http://str.typepad.com/weblog/2015/05/finding-truth-why-worldviews-commit-suicide.html" target="_blank">contradicts itself</a>, how do you move from there to making a case for Christianity in a way that’s relevant and compelling to that particular individual? Pearcey says, look for ways in which that person is living as if Christianity is true, accepting and acting on ideas his own worldview doesn’t support:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>[W]e can get started by identifying those elements that people smuggle in from a Christian worldview. They are showing us where their own worldviews break down and, at the same time, what they find most appealing about Christianity. These provide strategic starting points for framing a biblical worldview attuned to the questions of our day. (p. 221)</p>
</blockquote>

<p>As I’ve noted <a href="http://str.typepad.com/weblog/2015/05/finding-truth-why-worldviews-commit-suicide.html" target="_blank">before</a>, Pearcey’s approach leans heavily on the idea that the Christian worldview is appealing, not to mention necessary:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>The fact that everyone has to function as though Christianity is true opens a creative opportunity for addressing the secular world. Christianity provides the basis for the way humans can’t help behaving anyway. In making the case for a biblical worldview, a strategic place to start is by showing that it alone gives a basis for the ways we <em>all</em> have to function, no matter which worldview we hold. (p. 224)</p>
</blockquote>

<p>It should give us confidence to know that the words and actions of those we’re trying to reach reveal that they recognize (even if not consciously) that aspects of the Christian worldview are appealing and necessary. Pearcey offered quotes from atheists who “recognize the limitations and failures of their own worldview.”&nbsp;Their limitations are our opportunities to explain how Christianity succeeds where other worldviews fail:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>In the summer of 2013, a beer company sparked controversy when it released an advertisement for Independence Day that deleted the crucial words “by their Creator.”&nbsp;The ad said, “They are endowed with certain unalienable rights.”&nbsp;(Endowed by whom?) The advertisement is emblematic of what many secularists do: They borrow ideals like equality and rights from a biblical worldview but cut them off from their source in the Creator. They are free-loaders. Christians should reclaim those noble ideals, making the case that they are logically supported only by a biblical worldview. (p. 226)</p>
</blockquote>

<p>It’s this “free-loading”&nbsp;that we have to call them on. They’re living as if the Christian ideas of human rights, the scientific enterprise, consciousness, moral and scientific knowledge, even <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/too-cool-for-night-school-9047625.html" target="_blank">spirituality</a>, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/01/07/the-sunday-assembly_n_2423590.html" target="_blank">worship services</a>, <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-14944470" target="_blank">salvation</a>, and <a href="https://edge.org/conversation/beyond-reductionism-reinventing-the-sacred" target="_blank">God</a> make sense in a atheistic materialist worldview. We need to help them squarely face the implications of their own worldview and recognize that these things only rightly belong in Christianity. Do they want them? They can’t have them without the God of Christianity; it’s all or nothing. They must choose.</p>

<p>I thought the descriptions of how some scientists have spiritualized evolution (e.g., by postulating an evolving, pantheistic-type mind) were fascinating. This drive on the part of atheists to find other ways to fill what they’ve lost by rejecting Christianity, again, reveals the appeal and necessity of the Christian worldview:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>What drives religious variants of evolution is a sense that there must be more to reality than the flat, one-dimensional vision offered by materialism. Evolutionists are reaching out for higher dimensions to answer the human longing for greater meaning to life. Those longings are one more expression of general revelation. They are signposts to the biblical God. (p. 241)</p>
</blockquote>

<p>What ideas are people trying to illegitimately borrow from the Christian worldview? What ideas are missed when they’re gone? Pearcey answers this question according to what she experienced after giving up Christianity as a student, saying, “I was acutely aware of what I had lost”:</p>

<ul>
	<li>I had known that my life had a purpose.</li>
	<li>I had known that my actions had a significance that would last into eternity.</li>
	<li>I had known that the final reality behind all temporal realities is Love.</li>
	<li>I had accepted the existence of an objective moral standard.</li>
	<li>I had known that God himself spoke to the human race through Scripture... When I embraced agnosticism, however, the heavens were closed. I was locked in my own mind, limited to my own tiny slot in the immensity of time and space... [I]t was impossible to know any transcendent or timeless truths. Indeed, it might be impossible to know any truth at all.</li>
</ul>

<p>Pearcey’s personal story explains her whole approach: She has known what it’s like to lose—and then try to live without—aspects of reality that we all need and desire; and knowing the lack of them, she can see their beauty with more clarity. She doesn’t want us to take these things for granted. We need to show people the God from whom they come.</p>

<p>When someone rejects God, Pearcey says to ask the question, “If there is no God, what then? What <em>do</em> you think is true, and how would you support it?”&nbsp;This is what she asked of a student, in order to encourage that student to examine the consequences of her change in worldview:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>As she began to study the alternatives, she realized that giving up Christianity was not a matter of merely deleting a few files of doctrine from her mind. Christianity is an entire worldview that undergirds many of the great ideals of Western culture, from justice to equality to universal human rights—ideals that the teenager did not want to give up. (p. 249)</p>
</blockquote>

<p>What did you think of this chapter? If you’ve had any conversations as a result of what you’ve learned from this book (or these posts), I’d love to hear about it. Leave your comments below, and read “How Critical Thinking Saves Faith”&nbsp;for next Friday. Next week is the final week!</p>

<p>(In this chapter, Pearcey mentions C.S. Lewis’s <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pilgrims-Regress-C-S-Lewis-ebook/dp/B00HU5NG36/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&amp;sr=&amp;qid=" target="_blank"><em>Pilgrim’s Regress</em></a>. If you like <em>Finding Truth</em>, you’ll surely like that book, as well. I don’t know how long this deal will last, but today the Kindle version is on sale for $1.99, and you can add the audio version for only $3.99 more.)</p>

<p><strong>Posts in this series:</strong></p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="http://www.str.org/blog/read-nancy-pearcey%E2%80%99s-finding-truth-with-me#.VWXwkllViko" target="_blank">Book Club Introduction</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.str.org/blog/finding-truth-foreword#.VWXwAVlViko" target="_blank">Week One: Foreword</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.str.org/blog/finding-truth-i-lost-my-faith-at-an-evangelical-college#.VWXwz1lViko" target="_blank">Week Two: I Lost My Faith at an Evangelical College</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.str.org/blog/finding-truth-twilight-of-the-gods#.VWXwWFlViko" target="_blank">Week Three: Twilight of the Gods</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.str.org/blog/finding-truth-false-worldviews-reduce-the-human-person#.VWXxC1lViko" target="_blank">Week Four: False Worldviews Reduce the Human Person</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.str.org/blog/finding-truth-secular-leaps-of-faith#.VWXwcVlViko" target="_blank">Week Five: Secular Leaps of Faith</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.str.org/blog/finding-truth-why-worldviews-commit-suicide#.VWXw71lViko" target="_blank">Week Six: Why Worldviews Commit Suicide</a></li>
	<li>Week Seven: Free-Loading Atheists</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.str.org/blog/finding-truth-how-critical-thinking-saves-faith#.VWXws1lViko" target="_blank">Week Eight: How Critical Thinking Saves Faith</a></li>
</ul>

<p><strong>Twitter:</strong> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?f=realtime&amp;q=%23strread&amp;src=typd" target="_blank">#STRread</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/search?f=realtime&amp;q=%23findingtruth&amp;src=typd" target="_blank">#FindingTruth</a></p>

<p><strong>Articles mentioned in this chapter</strong> (see links in the post above for more):</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/mar/15/society" target="_blank">The Atheist Delusion</a> by John Gray—“[T]he idea of free will that informs liberal notions of personal autonomy is biblical in origin (think of the Genesis story). The belief that exercising free will is part of being human is a legacy of faith, and like most varieties of atheism today, [atheist author Philip] Pullman’s is a derivative of Christianity... Nietzsche... did not assume any connection between atheism and liberal values—on the contrary, he viewed liberal values as an offspring of Christianity and condemned them partly for that reason. In contrast, evangelical atheists have positioned themselves as defenders of liberal freedoms—rarely inquiring where these freedoms have come from, and never allowing that religion may have had a part in creating them.</li>
	<li><a href="http://www3.nd.edu/~afreddos/courses/264/fmw.htm" target="_blank">A Free Man’s Worship</a> by Bertrand Russell—“Such, in outline, but even more purposeless, more void of meaning, is the world which Science presents for our belief. Amid such a world, if anywhere, our ideals henceforward must find a home. That Man is the product of causes which had no prevision of the end they were achieving; that his origin, his growth, his hopes and fears, his loves and his beliefs, are but the outcome of accidental collocations of atoms; that no fire, no heroism, no intensity of thought and feeling, can preserve an individual life beyond the grave; that all the labours of the ages, all the devotion, all the inspiration, all the noonday brightness of human genius, are destined to extinction in the vast death of the solar system, and that the whole temple of Man’s achievement must inevitably be buried beneath the debris of a universe in ruins—all these things, if not quite beyond dispute, are yet so nearly certain, that no philosophy which rejects them can hope to stand. Only within the scaffolding of these truths, only on the firm foundation of unyielding despair, can the soul’s habitation henceforth be safely built.”</li>
</ul>
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title: Why Religious Institutions Aren’t Taxed
topic: Christian Living
author: Amy K. Hall
date: 05/14/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/why-religious-institutions-aren-t-taxed
content:
            <div> 
		<p>In “<a href="http://thefederalist.com/2015/05/07/religious-nonprofits-plan-now-for-tax-exemption-battles/" target="_blank">Religious Non-Profits, Plan Now for Tax-Exemption Battles</a>,”&nbsp;Leslie Loftis explains why religious institutions aren’t taxed:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>The actual quote, from one of our earliest and most consequential Supreme Court opinions, <a href="http://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/17/316#writing-USSC_CR_0017_0316_ZO" target="_blank"><em>McCullogh v. Maryland</em></a> (1816), states, “The power to tax implies the power to destroy.”&nbsp;That mere implication of destruction defeated the government’s right to tax a federal bank in its borders.</p>

<p>Now, 199 years later, a different superior right—citizens’&nbsp;First Amendment right to free exercise of religion—faces threat of taxation and the implication of destruction.</p>

<p>The argument we must make is rather simple. Take the Religion Clauses of the First Amendment: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,”&nbsp;and then take this passage from <em>McCullough v. Maryland</em>: “All subjects over which the sovereign power of a State extends are objects of taxation, but those over which it does not extend are, upon the soundest principles, exempt from taxation. This proposition may almost be pronounced self-evident.”</p>

<p>That government may make no law establishing religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof is a clear statement that the power of government does not extend over the subject of religion. Therefore, religious institutions are exempt from taxation, not by tax code, but by self-evident, sound principles.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Religious institutions are exempt from taxation because our government has not been given the power to govern religion. This is an expression of the basic principles behind the founding of this country—that is, there is an Authority above the government that has established rights apart from the government, including free speech and freedom of religion. Since these rights were not created by the government—and, in fact, existed before any government existed—our government is restrained from infringing on these natural rights. There are things that are simply not rightly under any government’s control. To reverse this long-standing practice of tax exemption is to wrongly place the government in authority over religion.</p>

<p>It’s not by accident that the question about the tax-exempt status of religious institutions <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2015/04/28/could-religious-institutions-lose-tax-exempt-status-over-supreme-courts-gay-marriage-case/" target="_blank">has been raised</a> in connection with the government’s attempts to remake another <a href="http://str.typepad.com/weblog/2015/04/why-same-sex-marriage-cant-afford-to-be-tolerant.html" target="_blank">pre-political institution</a>: the family. When once a government starts gobbling up other spheres of authority, its appetite for control over competing institutions will only grow.</p>

<p>As Loftis <a href="http://thefederalist.com/2015/05/07/religious-nonprofits-plan-now-for-tax-exemption-battles/" target="_blank">explains</a>, the coming debate will center around whether tax exemptions are <em>subsidies</em>, which would violate the Establishment Clause (and also imply the government owns our wealth), or whether taxation would violate the Free Exercise Clause because of its power to destroy. Then, she says, there’s the question of what qualifies as a religious institution. There’s a long road ahead of us.</p>

<p>(HT: <a href="http://blog.acton.org/archives/78302-why-religious-organizations-are-pre-emptively-exempt-from-taxation.html" target="_blank">Joe Carter</a>)</p>
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title: Quick Thought: How Do We Wake up the Youth Leaders?
topic: Tactics and Tools
author: Brett Kunkle
date: 05/20/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/quick-thought-how-do-we-wake-up-the-youth-leaders-
content:
            <div> 
		<p>Work with your youth pastor and come up with a basic theology test. Collect the tests, and then look at them. The typical Christian kid is going to fail that test miserably. Hopefully that will help our youth leaders and parents to wake up to see that our kids don’t know more than “love Jesus and be good.”</p>

<p>You can role-play with the students, and let the youth pastor see that the students can’t answer some of the most basic questions and challenges.</p>

<p>Another thing I would suggest is to read <em>Soul Searching</em> by Christian Smith. It gives a snapshot of where our young people are, and it’s not good news. Hopefully, when our leaders and parents see that, it will wake them up to see the importance of seriously training our young people.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.str.org/videos/how-do-we-wake-up-the-youth-leader-to-see-the-need-for-waking-up-our-youth" target="_blank">Read more and watch the video</a></p>
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title: Quick Thought: Is It Possible to Decide Not to Sin?
topic: Philosophy
author: Greg Koukl
date: 05/12/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/quick-thought-is-it-possible-to-decide-not-to-sin-
content:
            <div> 
		<p>When Adam surrendered his choice not to sin by sinning, there was a breaking in human nature that we have inherited.</p>

<p>Even though we can say “no”&nbsp;to particular sins, it is not possible for us not to sin. How can we say “no”&nbsp;to individual sins, but even with the help of the Holy Spirit, we still sin?</p>

<p>We don’t realize how deeply embedded sin is. Sin entails everything about us—the way we think and the things that motivate us against our will.</p>

<p>Have you ever blown up at a loved one? All of a sudden—boom!—it was over before you got the chance to think about it. Until we get our resurrected bodies, our bodies are going to be fighting us.</p>

<p>Think of the two greatest commandments: Love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength and love your neighbor as yourself. There has not been a moment in 40 years of being a Christian where I have ever fulfilled those two basic commandments.</p>

<p>People say, “I’m no Hitler,”&nbsp;but they’re not Jesus either. Jesus is the standard, not Hitler. We are a long way from Jesus. We put our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, not in ourselves. We need to throw ourselves into the arms of the Holy Spirit to help carry us through the struggle of this life against the flesh.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.str.org/videos/is-it-possible-to-decide-not-to-sin" target="_blank">Read more and watch the video</a></p>
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title: One Nation under Allah?
topic: Other Worldviews
author: Alan Shlemon
date: 04/30/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/one-nation-under-allah-
content:
            <div> 
		<p>There have been a couple of incidents (<a href="http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_22471934/pledge-allegiance-delivered-arabic?source=infinite" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2015/03/19/upstate-n-y-school-apologizes-for-reciting-pledge-of-allegiance-in-arabic/" target="_blank">here</a>) where a school has asked a Muslim (or perhaps just an Arabic-speaking student) to recite the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance in Arabic. This has prompted some people to ask me if it’s appropriate to say “One nation under Allah”&nbsp;as part of the Pledge—that is, if it’s appropriate to use “Allah”&nbsp;and “God”&nbsp;interchangeably when speaking in English.</p>

<p>My point here is not to critique these schools’&nbsp;policies or even argue whether the Pledge should be recited in English, Arabic, or any other language. Rather, I want to reply to a comment made by Ibrahim Hooper, a member of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.</p>

<p>In an attempt to calm people’s concern about the use of the word “Allah”&nbsp;as a reference to God, he <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2270944/Rocky-Mountain-High-School-Outrage-high-school-recites-Pledge-Arabic-saying-One-Nation-Under-Allah.html" target="_blank">said</a>, “Obviously in Arabic, you would use the word Allah, but Christian Arabs would use the word Allah. It’s not necessarily specific to Islam and Muslims.”&nbsp;In other words, saying “Allah”&nbsp;is no big deal. It doesn’t necessarily imply the Islamic notion of God. It’s just a generic term.</p>

<p>I agree with part of what he said. Arabic-speaking Christians <em>do</em> sometimes use the term “Allah”&nbsp;to refer to God, and they don’t have anything Islamic in mind. It can be a general Arabic word for God.</p>

<p>I do something similar. As an Assyrian-speaking Christian, I use the term, “Allaha,”&nbsp;when I talk about God in my language (you can obviously see the similarity to the Arabic word since both are Semitic languages). I don’t imply anything Islamic when I say it, and my family doesn’t infer anything Islamic when they hear it.</p>

<p>That’s not the case, though, in English. When an American hears “Allah,”&nbsp;they reasonably conclude it implies the Islamic notion of God. Why? Because there’s a perfectly good term for God in English: God. That’s a word that can apply to deity in several religions.</p>

<p>Notice the context makes all the difference. “Allah”&nbsp;can be a general term for God <em>when spoken in an Arabic sentence</em>. “Allah,”&nbsp;however, implies an Islamic notion <em>when spoken in an English sentence.</em></p>

<p>This is obvious whenever I’m in the Middle East. I notice that while Arab Christians sometimes say “Allah”&nbsp;when they’re speaking in Arabic, they’ll immediately change and say “God”&nbsp;when they speak in English. If it really were a general term, like Ibrahim Hooper suggests, then we’d expect Arab Christians to use it even in English. They don’t because they realize its obvious association with the Islamic notion of God.</p>

<p>This post might make someone wonder whether Christians and Muslims worship the same God. Check out my answer to that question <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLpkm8nQIjw" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>
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title: Where Did Jesus Claim to Be God?
topic: Theology
author: Melinda Penner
date: 05/16/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/where-did-jesus-claim-to-be-god-
content:
            <div> 
		<p>Where did Jesus claim to be God? Jesus made this claim a number of times, and it was very clear to those He was talking to. Jesus didn’t utter the three words, I am God. But He said it very explicitly in the context of His religion and culture. You can see it in the reaction of His enemies.</p>

<p>Monotheism was the central tenet of Judaism. They confessed the Shema from Deuteronomy 6:4: “Hear oh Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.”&nbsp;There is only one God, and Jesus, as a good Jew, believed this. He also claimed to accurately teach the Old Testament. So when Jesus answered Philip that to see Him was to see the Father, this was a claim to deity.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.”&nbsp;Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ’Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves” (John 14:8-11).</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Some religions may make this claim without it being a claim to deity. But for a Torah-fulfilling Jew, He was telling Philip that He is God.</p>

<p>John recounts Jesus’&nbsp;conversation with the Pharisees in John 8:58-59. Jesus uses a very specific title that Jews understood was ascribed only to God.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”&nbsp;So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Jesus uses the title “I AM,”&nbsp;the name God uses for Himself when answering Moses in Exodus 3:14. The reaction of the Pharisees confirms this is precisely what Jesus was claiming because they tried to stone Him for blasphemy.</p>

<p>John tells us directly that Jesus was making Himself equal with God. Since there was only one God, this was claiming to be God. In John 5, Jesus heals a man on the Sabbath and the Jewish leaders question Jesus about this violation of the law. Jesus claims authority over the Sabbath. Then John tells us in 5:18, “This is why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because not only was He breaking the Sabbath, but He was even calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.”&nbsp;They wanted to carry out the death penalty for blasphemy.</p>

<p>In Mark 2, Jesus heals the paralytic man and forgives his sins. The scribes who were there called this blasphemy because only God has authority to forgive sin (see Isaiah 43:25). This was a claim to be God. Luke records this claim also in Luke 5:20.</p>

<p>In John 10, Jesus again claims to be one with the Father. The Jews question Him, and His answers again elicit an attempt to stone Him. Jesus asks them for which of His good works they want to kill Him. They answer, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.”&nbsp;And they attempted to arrest Him, but Jesus escaped.</p>

<p>In Matthew 14:33 and 28:9, Jesus received worship, the kind of worship Jews only gave God. Greg explains in more detail in <a href="http://www.str.org/articles/was-jesus-worshipped#.VVa7QpNVikp" target="_blank">this article</a>.</p>

<p>Finally, Jesus’&nbsp;claim to be God was the reason the Jews arrested Him and convinced Pilate to crucify Him. In John 19, Pilate tells the Jewish leaders that he finds no guilt worthy of the capital sentence. They answer Pilate, “We have a law, and according to that law He ought to die because He has made Himself the Son of God.”&nbsp;Jesus’&nbsp;violation of blasphemy is recorded in Luke 22:70-71 when He appeared before the Council after His arrest. They had the evidence they needed from Jesus’&nbsp;own lips. Mark gives more detail of this in 14:62-64. When Jesus answered them, the high priest tore his clothes and declared this was blasphemy.</p>

<p>Jesus said very clearly that He was God.</p>
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title: Quick Thought: Responding to Name Calling
topic: Christian Living
author: Brett Kunkle
date: 05/06/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/quick-thought-responding-to-name-calling
content:
            <div> 
		<p>How do you respond to the claim that Christians are narrow-minded bigots? The person hasn’t said anything about your claim or your argument. They are simply calling you a name.</p>

<p>Explain to them that name-calling is not a good way to argue for their position or to argue against mine.</p>

<p>Ask a question, “What do you mean by narrow-minded?”&nbsp;They think they’re right, that’s why they’re correcting you. By their own definition, they are narrow-minded too.</p>

<p>Just because someone makes a narrow claim does not mean they are narrow-minded. Furthermore, it is illegitimate to dismiss someone by simply calling him or her a name.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.str.org/videos/challenge-response-christians-are-narrow-minded-bigots" target="_blank">Read more and watch the video</a></p>
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title: Redeeming the Time
topic: Christian Living
author: Greg Koukl
date: 04/30/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/redeeming-the-time
content:
            <div> 
		<p>“The days drag on, the years fly by,”&nbsp;the saying goes. So true. Our time is precious, and the older I get the faster it seems to go. James says life is like a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. So much to do; so little time to do it.</p>

<p>The sad truth is, much of the limited time we have is squandered due to disorganization and clutter. Not good. The Apostle Paul warned, “Look carefully how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil”&nbsp;(Eph. 5:15-16).</p>

<p>Since I want my life to count for the Kingdom, for years I have been following a simple system of organizing my tasks, organizing my time, and organizing the great volume of stuff that invades my life each day. I’d like to pass that system on to you so your own life will be less chaotic and more productive for the things that really matter.</p>

<p>If you follow my instructions, you can rid yourself or every Post-It stuck to your computer screen and other surfaces around your home or office. You can be done with every scrap or stray list of to-dos cluttering your work area. You can say goodbye to stacks of paper and piles of confusion that’s kept your desk from being seen since the 90s. I’m going to give you a way to eliminate the mess, the confusion, and the constant frustration of organizational chaos.</p>

<p>My system is fairly simple, but you can add complexity if your own circumstances require it. This is not the “perfect plan,”&nbsp;but rather the basic groundwork to get you headed in the right direction. You can refine as you go. My goal is to:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Have a place for everything important</li>
	<li>Never lose track of any name, number, obligation, document, appointment, idea, or task I need to do or might like to do sometime in the future, especially those things that are significant or time sensitive.</li>
	<li>Keep my desk clear</li>
	<li>Have a plan to follow to accomplish the tasks of each day</li>
</ul>

<h2>A Place for Everything</h2>

<p>Here is the foundational rule for getting your organizational act together: <em>A Place for Everything, and Everything in Its Place</em>.<sup id="fnref:1"><a href="#fn:1">1</a></sup> That means to get started you’ll need a basic filing system. This is your first step. There are many ways to do this, but I simplify the process by having only two places to file things.</p>

<p>First, I have a 6-inch deep, hard plastic holder made for hanging folders that I keep within arms reach of my desk. I use it to hold three sections of manila folders, and I use half a hanging folder to separate the sections. In one section I have 12 folders labeled with each month of the year (I use a simple Brother P-Touch for labeling tasks, but any marker will do). In another section I have 31 folders, one for each day of the month. In the final section I have folders labeled for projects I’m currently working on so any paperwork pertaining to them is handy. (If you want to do this electronically, you can arrange something similar on your digital devices with applications like Evernote.)</p>

<p>That’s the basic setup. Here’s how this part of my system works. When a piece of paper crosses my desk related to something time sensitive, I file it in either the day or the month it belongs to. Any paperwork for any date in the next 31 days goes into the appropriate daily folder. Anything for any date further out goes into the folder for its month.</p>

<p>I pay bills on the 1st (though I try to automate as much bill paying as possible), so any bill that crosses my desk gets dropped into the file for that date and I don’t give it another thought until then. If in January I get paperwork for a trip scheduled March 20, I’ll put those docs in the March folder and forget about them until the 1st of that month when I do my monthly planning. Then I’ll take that paperwork out of the March file and place it in the folder for the 20th. On the 20th my docs for that day are right where I need them, when I need them.</p>

<p>You get the idea. Any paperwork related to any task that needs attention on any particular day goes immediately into either a daily folder or a monthly folder. Then put it out of your mind until then. Simple. I rotate the daily files so the current day is always in front. When I’ve processed the paper for that day, I rotate that folder to the back of the group so tomorrow’s folder is front and center when I process its contents in the morning. I do the same with the monthly folders.</p>

<p>Finally, I make a folder for each project I’m working on that has paper needing storage. My project folders store any non-time-sensitive paperwork pertaining to a current enterprise. I have one folder labeled “STR”&nbsp;that travels back and forth with me to my Tuesday staff meeting and radio show. Any Stand to Reason or broadcast stuff goes in there. At the moment, we’re doing some roof work on our house, so bids, drawings, idea notes, or thoughts for the contractor get dropped into that folder, immediately available when I need them—nothing lost, nothing forgotten, nothing cluttering up my desk. Again, this can be done with digital apps.</p>

<p>The second filing location is for longer-term, archival-type storage. I use a file cabinet, but you can use something smaller to start out, especially if you don’t have a lot to save. Some use scanners for this purpose, too. It’s up to you. I use hanging folders to group manila folders into individual categories of like kind. I have sections for bills I’ve paid by category (mortgage, gas, water, electrical, etc.), various insurance accounts, credit card statements with tax-relevant receipts attached, IRAs and investment accounts, etc. Each section and each folder is labeled clearly for instant identification.</p>

<p>I keep a set of alphabetical hanging file dividers to hold folders for everything else. Christmas ideas, articles, songs, etc., are stored in a manila “Christmas”&nbsp;folder filed in the hanging divider labeled “C,”&nbsp;for example. “Warranties and Manuals”&nbsp;are under “W,”&nbsp;and “Earthquake Preparedness”&nbsp;under “E.”&nbsp;Basic, simple, straightforward.</p>

<p>Make as many folders as suit your purpose, being as particular or as general as you like. It’s your system. Just make sure there’s a place for everything you want to save and the categories have enough variety and are grouped in such a way that you can find things easily.</p>

<p>Here’s the rule that makes the system work: <em>Don’t Put It Down; Put It Away.<sup id="fnref:2"><a href="#fn:2">2</a></sup></em> The key here is to keep paper from building up. When something comes in, either throw it away or put it away. It can go in your file cabinet in a long-term topical file, or in your plastic file holder—in a future month file if it needs action then, in a day file if you need it in the next 31 days, or in a Project file. Remember: A place for everything, and everything in its place.<sup id="fnref:3"><a href="#fn:3">3</a></sup></p>

<h2>Digital Duties</h2>

<p>The next thing you’ll need is a place to electronically store tasks and vital information so you can put them into play when you need them.</p>

<p>I store all my passwords, Social Security numbers, driver’s license data, passport information, financial account numbers, and any other security sensitive data in a password program. (I use 1Password.) It also pairs with my smartphone, so no matter where I’m at, every important login or number is at my fingertips.</p>

<p>I’m a Mac guy, so Apple’s Contacts and Calendar suit me well and work seamlessly with each other for people and appointments. For task management I’m using Things at the moment, but some in the STR office like Omnifocus. Just be sure that everything pairs with your phone.</p>

<p>Regardless of what you use, the important thing is to have a place to quickly store any new thing that comes in: a new contact, a changed phone number or address, an appointment or an ongoing obligation (like a weekly meeting, a birthday, or anniversary), or any task of any sort.</p>

<p>As an aside, you may want to invest in some kind of financial software, too. It doesn’t need to be fancy, nothing more than an electronic checkbook to keep track of monetary transactions by category (checking and credit cards, mostly), to print checks, and to balance your accounts each month. (I use Quicken.) These programs also allow you to print summary statements periodically to show where all you money disappeared to.</p>

<p>Here’s how I keep track of tasks.</p>

<p>In Things I’m able to create folders for “Areas”&nbsp;and for “Projects”&nbsp;to file different kinds of tasks. There is also a “Today”&nbsp;category for the current day’s to-do list, and a way to schedule tasks to appear on any future date, or repeatedly (daily, weekly, monthly, or annually), as I like.</p>

<p>Areas and Projects function almost exactly like your manila filing folders, but for tasks, not paper. I have Areas like “Finances,”&nbsp;“House/Yard,”&nbsp;“STR,”&nbsp;“Shop,”&nbsp;“Personal,”&nbsp;etc., where I store things I need to do or would like to do at some unspecified time in the future.</p>

<p>The Projects folders are for enterprises that have related tasks. I have, for example, a “Skeeter”&nbsp;Project file listing improvements I’d like to make to my bass boat. When I go to Wisconsin in May, I’ll check that list to consider fishing enhancements. I’ll also look at my checklist for getting the boat operational at the beginning of the season.</p>

<p>You can have a “Christmas Cards”&nbsp;Project, listing in order the tasks for that annual chore. You might have a Project named “Bathroom Remodel,”&nbsp;or “Term Paper,”&nbsp;or “Birthday Party,”&nbsp;or “Crazy Dreams &amp; Wild Ideas,”&nbsp;or whatever. It’s your world. You choose the categories meaningful to you.</p>

<p>Whenever any new task presents itself—a new obligation, a bright idea, a fanciful wish—absolutely anything you might need to do or want to do sometime in the future, you now have a place to put it so it doesn’t get lost. Post the task as a to-do for today, schedule it for some day in the future, place it in an Area, or drop it in a Project to be reviewed and scheduled at another time.</p>

<p>You may never get to many of these tasks, but you’ll never forget one or lose one. They’re all right there a mouse-click away, filed electronically so you don’t have to worry about them ever again. Your mind can rest because every task is right where you can find it easily in the future.</p>

<p>That’s the basic system. Here’s how to make it operational.</p>

<h2>Plan Your Work, Work Your Plan</h2>

<p>On the first of every month (ideally), I survey my Area and Project lists in Things to see if there’s anything I want to place in a Project labeled for that month. I also sort the paperwork in my monthly manila file and distribute the documents into the daily files where they belong. Now I have specific goals for the month in a single Project folder in Things, and all my paperwork in files for the day of the month they’re needed. Neat.</p>

<p>First thing every morning (again, ideally), I plan my work for the day using my Today file in Things.<sup id="fnref:4"><a href="#fn:4">4</a></sup> Some tasks that I’ve scheduled to show up each day are already there (e.g., “Bible,”&nbsp;“Pressing Emails,”&nbsp;“20 Pushups,”&nbsp;etc.). Others are unfinished tasks carried over from the previous day that I might keep on the list for the day, or may reschedule for another time, or may return to the proper Area or Project folders. I then add any other tasks I want to get done that day.</p>

<p>Next, I grab my manila folder for the day, enter any tasks related to those documents, then place the paperwork in an “In”&nbsp;box near my desk so the copies are handy when I get to their tasks. Any paper I don’t get to that day goes back into the folder for the day or the month I plan to look at it next, and the task related to it gets rescheduled.</p>

<p>Finally, I consult the Project folder on Things that has the current month’s goals. Any of its tasks I think I can get done that day I add to the list. The only detail remaining is to order my tasks in a productive way. I might group errands or phone calls together, for example, to tackle them all at once.</p>

<p>Notice the flow. I’ve stored my tasks in categories I can easily access to decide which ones should be action items for the month. I’ve stored my paperwork so I have it handy when I need it. I have a daily task list reflecting the day’s demands, scheduled items that populate automatically, and items I’ve transferred from my monthly Project list to my Today schedule.</p>

<p>I now have a single action list for the day. I’ve planned my work. Now all I need to do is work my plan. The plan helps me focus. I just put my head down and get to work, going down my list and ticking off tasks in order as I complete them.</p>

<p>For me, there is a tremendous satisfaction in checking things off a list. It’s a huge motivator. Something I might normally put off I’m driven to take care of just for the satisfaction of crossing it off. People are different this way, but it’s a big help for me.</p>

<p>If I don’t get to everything, no problem. I’ll get more done than I would have if I hadn’t made the list to begin with. That’s the value of working your plan. And there’s always another day.</p>

<p>Of course, the process rarely proceeds smoothly. There are distractions.</p>

<h2>Time Bandits</h2>

<p>A torrent of stuff flows into our lives every day screaming for our attention that can easily scuttle our plan. If we’re not vigilant, we’ll spend most of our day bailing just to keep our ship afloat, getting nowhere.</p>

<p>To make the most productive use of your time, do everything you can to prevent waves of disruption from shipping over the sides of your boat. Unsubscribe from silly email lists. Tell friends (with too much time on their hands) not to forward frivolous stories or alarmist missives from unreliable sources. Get rid of the nonsense. Trash everything that is not vitally important. Be ruthless here.<sup id="fnref:5"><a href="#fn:5">5</a></sup></p>

<p>For myself, I don’t read newspapers and I don’t watch the nightly news—any of it. It just makes me mad. Plus, it’s the worst way to stay informed. And I don’t watch TV, in general. That might be too big a sacrifice for some, but count its cost. The price is more dear than you think.<sup id="fnref:6"><a href="#fn:6">6</a></sup></p>

<p>With mail, I sift through my stack quickly tossing everything I possibly can—all flyers, advertisements, political mailings (the worst), coupons, catalogs—anything I’ve already decided my time is too valuable to waste on. <em>Throw It Out</em> is one of the wisest time management principles around. Trust me. Everything you keep has a cost. If you want your life to count, you must be merciless.</p>

<p>When it comes to ordering important tasks, follow this rule: <em>Big Rocks First</em>. Try putting sand, gravel, and rocks into a container big enough for them all. You’ll never get them in if you add them in that order. Reverse the sequence, though, and it’s doable.</p>

<p>The lesson: Do the most important things—the “big rocks”—first. Then deal with the rest, if there’s any daylight left. This single concept is worth the price of admission because it will save your bacon time and again if you practice it.</p>

<p>I make an exception for tasks I call “quickies.”&nbsp;For these, I apply the 2-minute rule. If something worthwhile assaults my progress and can be dispatched in two minutes, I do it, then get back to work. It’s faster to get it out of the way than to reschedule it, and it keeps your task list from expanding instead of shrinking (very disheartening).</p>

<h2>Simply Put</h2>

<p>When paper comes in, throw it away, or act on it immediately and then throw it away, or file it immediately in the folder for the month it applies to, or if it’s for the current month file it in the folder for the day it applies to, or put it in a permanent file for future reference. Simple.</p>

<p>When a task comes in, act on it immediately (2-minute rule), or schedule it immediately for the day or month it applies to, or record it an Area or a Project for future action. Again, simple.</p>

<p>At the beginning of each day, plan your work from your task lists. Then work your plan giving priority to the most critical, important, time-sensitive things (“Big Rocks First”). Whenever new data comes in, immediately update your calendar, personal contact list, or sensitive information app (again, the 2-minute rule). Clear your desk at the end of every day, filing leftover papers in their proper folders using the system you’ve set up.</p>

<p>Remember these basic principles:</p>

<ul>
	<li>A place for everything, and everything in its place.</li>
	<li>Don’t put it down, put it away.</li>
	<li>Plan your work, then work your plan.</li>
	<li>Throw it out.</li>
	<li>Big rocks first.</li>
</ul>

<p>That’s your system. It’s not perfect, but it’s a lot better than scattered to-do lists, stray Post-Its, and piles of paper. Time and task management is a constant battle and you’ll get whipped in some skirmishes. A system inconsistently applied, though, is much better than no system at all.</p>

<p>One final bit of advice from Benjamin Franklin. Diligence overcomes difficulties, he counseled. If you engage your duties sluggishly, you double your toil. If you throw yourself into your tasks, the inertia carries you through. In his words, ���All things easy to industry; all things difficult to sloth.”</p>

<p>Eloquently put.</p>

<p>Nike said it better, though: “Just do it.”</p>

<aside class="footnotes">
<hr>
<ol>
	<li id="fn:1">This is a rule you should apply across the board to every room or workspace. It’s essential to keeping your kids stuff in order, too, by the way. <a class="reversefootnote" href="#fnref:1">&nbsp;↩</a></li>
	<li id="fn:2">Another great rule for kids. <a class="reversefootnote" href="#fnref:2">&nbsp;↩</a></li>
	<li id="fn:3">You can add a digital storage filing system, too, for web archives, scanned docs, text files, PDFs, etc. Many have found Evernote to be a powerful and effective tool for that purpose. <a class="reversefootnote" href="#fnref:3">&nbsp;↩</a></li>
	<li id="fn:4">It’s actually more effective to do this the night before so my task list is waiting for me on my desk when I get up, but my own life rarely allows that convenience. <a class="reversefootnote" href="#fnref:4">&nbsp;↩</a></li>
	<li id="fn:5">I am not a workaholic. I take time to “veg,”&nbsp;but I don’t want to squander even my down time on drivel. <a class="reversefootnote" href="#fnref:5">&nbsp;↩</a></li>
	<li id="fn:6">I do watch select DVDs with my family for viewing entertainment, however. <a class="reversefootnote" href="#fnref:6">&nbsp;↩</a></li>
</ol>
</aside>
</div>

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title: Don’t Let Apologetics Kill Your First Love
topic: Christian Living
author: Amy K. Hall
date: 05/13/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/don-t-let-apologetics-kill-your-first-love
content:
            <div> 
		<p>I love C.S. Lewis’s <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Great-Divorce-C-Lewis/dp/0060652950/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1431478550&amp;sr=8-1" target="_blank"><em>The Great Divorce</em></a>, a novel about people in Hell taking a bus ride to Heaven. They’re allowed to stay in Heaven if they choose to, but they find it unappealing for one reason or another. The book is less about the actual Heaven and Hell than it is about the various reasons why people reject God in this life.</p>

<p>I was listening to an <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Great-Divorce/dp/B00JPJH18G/ref=sr_1_1_twi_4_audd?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1431478550&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=the+great+divorce" target="_blank">excellent audio version</a> of <em>The Great Divorce</em> the other day, when I was struck by a dialogue between one resident of Hell (formerly a famous artist on earth—the “Ghost”&nbsp;in the dialogue below), and a “Spirit”&nbsp;of heaven (also formerly an artist). The Spirit was attempting to show the Ghost the beauty of heaven that waited for him, but the Ghost was more interested in something else:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>’I should like to paint this.’</p>

<p>’I shouldn’t bother about that just at present if I were you.’</p>

<p>’Look here; isn’t one going to be allowed to go on painting?’</p>

<p>’Looking comes first... At present your business is to see. Come and see. He is endless. Come and feed.’</p>

<p>There was a little pause. ’That will be delightful,’&nbsp;said the Ghost presently in a rather dull voice.</p>

<p>’Come, then,’&nbsp;said the Spirit, offering it his arm.</p>

<p>’How soon do you think I <em>could</em> begin painting?’&nbsp;it asked.</p>

<p>The Spirit broke into laughter. ’Don’t you see you’ll never paint at all if that’s what you’re thinking about?’&nbsp;he said.</p>

<p>’What do you mean?’&nbsp;asked the Ghost.</p>

<p>’Why, if you are interested in the country only for the sake of painting it, you’ll never learn to see the country.’</p>

<p>’But that’s just how a real artist is interested in the country.’</p>

<p>’No. You’re forgetting,’&nbsp;said the Spirit. ’That was not how you began. Light itself was your first love: you loved paint only as a means of telling about light.’</p>

<p>’Oh, that’s ages ago,’&nbsp;said the Ghost. ’One grows out of that. Of course, you haven’t seen my later works. One becomes more and more interested in paint for its own sake.’</p>

<p>’One does, indeed. I also have had to recover from that. It was all a snare. Ink and catgut and paint were necessary down there, but they are also dangerous stimulants. Every poet and musician and artist, but for Grace, is drawn away from love of the thing he tells, to love of the telling till, down in Deep Hell, they cannot be interested in God at all but only in what they say about Him. For it doesn’t stop at being interested in paint, you know. They sink lower—become interested in their own personalities and then in nothing but their own reputations.’&nbsp;(pp. 83-85)</p>
</blockquote>

<p>As people who endeavor to learn how to tell others about the God we love, we all have to <a href="http://str.typepad.com/weblog/2013/02/apologetics-arent-enough-to-connect-you-with-a-person.html" target="_blank">guard against</a> being “drawn away from love of the thing we tell, to love of the telling.”&nbsp;There is, indeed, a difference between being interested in God and being interested in what we say about Him.</p>

<p>Today, visit your First Love. Come and see. Come and feed.</p>
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title: Quick Thought: Marriage Is Not Just about Love
topic: Christian Living
author: Greg Koukl
date: 05/12/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/quick-thought-marriage-is-not-just-about-love
content:
            <div> 
		<p>What is the nature of marriage? Is marriage about love? When people are in love, they get married. Therefore, it doesn’t matter what gender the person may be, so the argument goes.</p>

<p>In fact, marriage is not about love. Anybody that’s been married for very long understands that the feelings of love change radically as time goes on. There becomes a different reason for the marriage. Lots of marriages don’t have love, so love is not an essential element for a marriage to exist.</p>

<p>If love were strong enough to last through all the hard times, there would be no need for vows. When you fill out a marriage license, you’ll notice there are no questions regarding love. The government doesn’t care whether you love each other.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.str.org/videos/is-marriage-about-love" target="_blank">Read more and watch the video</a></p>
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title: A Marriage Riddle
topic: Sexuality and Gender
author: Amy K. Hall
date: 04/29/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/a-marriage-riddle
content:
            <div> 
		<p>An ethicist, a same-sex marriage activist, and a polyamorist walk into a bar. The ethicist says, “Marriage is the mutual support and consent of a man and a woman.”&nbsp;<a href="http://tldrify.com/8fe" target="_blank">The activist says</a>, “Marriage is the mutual support and consent of two people.”&nbsp;The polyamorist says, “Marriage is the mutual support and consent of people.”</p>

<p>Which of these does the 14th Amendment require?</p>
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title: The Christian Worldview Grounds Human Dignity
topic: Philosophy
author: Amy K. Hall
date: 05/06/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/the-christian-worldview-grounds-human-dignity
content:
            <div> 
		<p>On <a href="https://www.str.org/blog/finding-truth-secular-leaps-of-faith#.W6cebRNKijQ" target="_blank">Fridays</a>, we’ve been talking about worldviews—in particular, their <a href="https://www.str.org/blog/finding-truth-false-worldviews-reduce-the-human-person#.W6cekRNKijR" target="_blank">views of the human person</a> and how those various views affect the way human persons are treated.</p>

<p>Along those lines, Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry has written an article titled “<a href="http://theweek.com/articles/551027/how-christianity-invented-children" target="_blank">How Christianity Invented Children</a>”:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>We have forgotten just how deep a cultural revolution Christianity wrought. In fact, we forget about it precisely because of how deep it was: There are many ideas that we simply take for granted as natural and obvious, when in fact they didn’t exist until the arrival of Christianity changed things completely. Take, for instance, the idea of children.</p>

<p>Today, it is simply taken for granted that the innocence and vulnerability of children makes them beings of particular value, and entitled to particular care... In fact, this view of children is a historical oddity. If you disagree, just go back to the view of children that prevailed in Europe’s ancient pagan world.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Gobry goes on to <a href="http://theweek.com/articles/551027/how-christianity-invented-children" target="_blank">describe</a> the sexual slavery, infanticide, and abuse that was common and accepted in the ancient world, concluding:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>This is the world into which Christianity came, condemning abortion and infanticide as loudly and as early as it could.</p>

<p>This is the world into which Christianity came, calling attention to children and ascribing special worth to them...</p>

<p>But really, Christianity’s invention of children—that is, its invention of the cultural idea of children as treasured human beings—was really an outgrowth of its most stupendous and revolutionary idea: the radical equality, and the infinite value, of every single human being as a beloved child of God. If the God who made heaven and Earth chose to reveal himself, not as an emperor, but as a slave punished on the cross, then no one could claim higher dignity than anyone else on the basis of earthly status.</p>

<p>That was indeed a revolutionary idea, and it changed our culture so much that we no longer even recognize it.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Many atheists are convinced a society that rejects the idea of God can still uphold human rights and human dignity. They think that even if one begins with an atheist worldview, these things are simply “obvious”&nbsp;and/or products of reason. <a href="https://www.str.org/blog/atheism-and-universal-human-rights#.W6cerxNKijQ" target="_blank">They are not</a>. Our culture is swimming in Christian ideas. After the water is drained, we’ll still be wet for a bit. But not forever.</p>
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title: New Testament Prayer
topic: Theology
author: Stand to Reason
date: 05/06/2015
source: https://www.str.org/w/new-testament-prayer
content:
            <div> 
		<p><a href="/documents/20123/271438/NT_on_Prayer.pdf">PDF Version</a></p>



<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>I.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;WHAT TO PRAY:</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>A.&nbsp;&nbsp;Give thanks</p>

<p>Teaching:</p>

<p>*2 Cor. 4:15&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For all things are for your sakes, that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God.</p>

<p>*Phil. 4:6&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.</p>

<p>*Col. 3:17&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Whatever you do in word or deed do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.</p>

<p>*Col. 4:2-4&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert to it with an attitude of thanksgiving; praying at the same time for us [Paul &amp; Timothy] as well, that God may open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; in order that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak.</p>

<p>*1 Thess. 5:16-18&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.</p>

<p>*1 Tim. 2:1-2&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made of behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, in order that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.</p>

<p>1 Tim. 4:4-5&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected; if it is received with gratitude; for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer.</p>

<p>*Heb. 13:15&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.</p>

<p>Examples:</p>

<p>*Luke 2:37-38&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And she never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers.&nbsp;&nbsp;And at that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God.</p>

<p>*John 6:11&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jesus therefore took the loaves; and having given thanks, He distributed to those who were seated; likewise also of the fish as much as they wanted.</p>

<p>John 11:41b-42&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And Jesus raised His eyes, and said, "Father, I thank Thee that Thou heardest Me.&nbsp;&nbsp;And I knew that Thou hearest Me always; but because of the people standing around I said it, that they may believe that Thou didst send Me."</p>

<p>Romans 14:6&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord does not eat, and gives thanks to God.</p>

<p>1 Cor. 1:4-8&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;I thank my God always concerning you, for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, that in everything you were enriched in Him in all speech and all knowledge, even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you, so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.</p>

<p>2 Cor. 1:10b-11&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And He will yet deliver us, you also joining in helping us through your prayers, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the favor bestowed upon us through the prayers of many.</p>

<p>2 Cor. 2:14&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But thanks be to God, who always leads us in His triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.</p>

<p>2 Cor. 8:16&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But thanks be to God, who puts the same earnestness on your behalf in the heart of Titus.</p>

<p>*2 Cor. 9:10-15&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food, will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God.&nbsp;&nbsp;Because of the proof given by this ministry they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all, while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you.&nbsp;&nbsp;Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!</p>

<p>*Phil. 1:3&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all.</p>

<p>*Eph. 1:15-17&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For this reason I too, ... do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>*Col. 1:3&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;We give thanks to God ... praying always for you since we heard of your faith.</p>

<p>*Col. 1:9-12&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with all the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.</p>

<p>*1 Thess. 1:2&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers.</p>

<p>*1 Thess. 3:9-10&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For what thanks can we render to God for you in return for all the joy with which we rejoice before our God on your account, we night and day keep praying most earnestly that we may see your face, and not complete what is lacking in your faith?</p>

<p>2 Thess. 1:3&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;We ought always to give thanks to God for you, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater.</p>

<p>*2 Thess. 1:11&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;To this end we also pray for you always that our God may count you worthy of your calling and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power.</p>

<p>*Philemon 4-6&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers, because I hear of your love, and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all the saints; and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you for Christ's sake.</p>

<p>*2 Tim. 1:3&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did, as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day.</p>

<p>*Rev. 7:12&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever, Amen."</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>B.&nbsp;&nbsp;Praise and glorify God</p>

<p>Teaching:</p>

<p>*2 Cor. 4:15&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For all things are for your sakes, that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God.</p>

<p>*Heb. 13:15&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.</p>

<p>*Mat. 6:9-13&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Pray then in this way:&nbsp;&nbsp;'Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.&nbsp;&nbsp;Thy kingdom come.&nbsp;&nbsp;Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.&nbsp;&nbsp;Give us this day our daily bread.&nbsp;&nbsp;And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.&nbsp;&nbsp;And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.&nbsp;&nbsp;[For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.&nbsp;&nbsp;Amen]</p>

<p>*Luke 11:1-4&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And it came about that while He was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples."&nbsp;&nbsp;And He said to them, "When you pray, say:&nbsp;&nbsp;'Father, hallowed be Thy name.&nbsp;&nbsp;Thy kingdom come.&nbsp;&nbsp;Give us this day our daily bread.&nbsp;&nbsp;And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.&nbsp;&nbsp;And lead us not into temptation.'"</p>

<p>Examples:</p>

<p>Mark 2:12&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And he rose and immediately took up the pallet and went out in the sight of all, so that they were all amazed and were glorifying God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this."</p>

<p>Luke 18:35-43&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And it came about that as He was approaching Jericho, a certain blind man was sitting by the road, begging.&nbsp;&nbsp;Now hearing a multitude going by, he began to inquire what this might be.&nbsp;&nbsp;And they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by.&nbsp;&nbsp;And he called out saying, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!&nbsp;&nbsp;And those who led the way were sternly telling him to be quite; but he kept crying out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"&nbsp;&nbsp;And Jesus stopped and commanded that he be brought to him; and when he had come near, he questioned him.&nbsp;&nbsp;"What do you want me to do for you?"&nbsp;&nbsp;And he said, "Lord, I want to receive my sight!"&nbsp;&nbsp;And Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has made you well."&nbsp;&nbsp;And immediately he received his sight, and began following Him, glorifying God; and when all the people saw it, they gave praise to God.</p>

<p>*Acts 10:44-46a&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message.&nbsp;&nbsp;And all the circumcised believers who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit has been poured out upon the Gentiles also.&nbsp;&nbsp;For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God.</p>

<p>*Acts 16:25&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.</p>

<p>Romans 16:25-27&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, but is now manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all nations, leading to obedience of faith; to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever.&nbsp;&nbsp;Amen.</p>

<p>Eph. 3:20-21&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever.&nbsp;&nbsp;Amen.</p>

<p>Jude 24-25&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now forever. &nbsp;Amen.</p>

<p>*Rev. 1:4-6&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;John to the seven churches that are in Asia:&nbsp;&nbsp;Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come; and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne; and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.&nbsp;&nbsp;To Him who loves us, and released us from our sins by His blood, and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father; to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever.&nbsp;&nbsp;Amen.</p>

<p>Rev. 5:12-14&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing."&nbsp;&nbsp;And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying,&nbsp;&nbsp;"To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever."&nbsp;&nbsp;And the four living creatures kept saying, "Amen."&nbsp;&nbsp;And the elders fell down and worshiped.</p>

<p>*Rev. 7:12&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever, Amen."</p>

<p>Rev. 19:1-4&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;After these things I heard, as it were, a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, "Hallelujah!&nbsp;&nbsp;Salvation and glory and power belong to our God;&nbsp;&nbsp;because His judgements are true and righteous; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and He has avenged the blood of His bond-servants on her."&nbsp;&nbsp;And a second time they said, "Hallelujah!&nbsp;&nbsp;Her smoke rises up forever and ever."&nbsp;&nbsp;And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne saying, "Amen.&nbsp;&nbsp;Hallelujah!"</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>C.&nbsp;&nbsp;Pray for people</p>

<p>•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Pray for leaders</p>

<p>Teaching:</p>

<p>*Romans 15:30-32&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me [Paul] in your prayers to God for me, that I may be delivered from those who are disobedient in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may prove acceptable to the saints; so that I may come to you in joy by the will of God and find refreshing rest in your company.</p>

<p>*Eph. 6:18-20&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on my [Paul's] behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.</p>

<p>*1 Tim. 2:1-2&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made of behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, in order that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.</p>

<p>*Col. 4:2-4&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert to it with an attitude of thanksgiving; praying at the same time for us [Paul &amp; Timothy] as well, that God may open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; in order that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak.</p>

<p>Examples:</p>

<p>*Acts 13:3&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then, when they [those gathered at the church in Antioch] had fasted and prayed and laid hands on them [Saul and Barnabas], they sent them away.</p>

<p>*Acts 14:23&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And when they had appointed elders for them in every church having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord.</p>

<p>*Acts 20:36&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And when he [Paul] had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all [the elders of the church at Ephesus].</p>

<p>Philemon 22&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And at the same time also prepare me a lodging; for I hope that through your prayer I [Paul] shall be given to you.</p>

<p>*Heb. 13:18-19&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a good conscience, desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things.&nbsp;&nbsp;And I urge you all the more to do this, that I may be restored to you sooner.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Pray for one another</p>

<p>Teaching:</p>

<p>*Eph. 6:18-20&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on my [Paul's] behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.</p>

<p>*James 5:13-16&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Is anyone among you suffering?&nbsp;&nbsp;Let him pray.&nbsp;&nbsp;Is anyone cheerful?&nbsp;&nbsp;Let him sing praises.&nbsp;&nbsp;Is anyone among you sick?&nbsp;&nbsp;Let him call for the elders of the church and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.&nbsp;&nbsp;Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed.&nbsp;&nbsp;The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.</p>

<p>*1 John 5:16&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death.&nbsp;&nbsp;There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this.</p>

<p>Examples:</p>

<p>Romans 15:33&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.</p>

<p>*Rev. 1:4-6&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;John to the seven churches that are in Asia:&nbsp;&nbsp;Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come; and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne; and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.&nbsp;&nbsp;To Him who loves us, and released us from our sins by His blood, and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father; to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever.&nbsp;&nbsp;Amen.</p>

<p>*Rev. 22:20-21&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming quickly."&nbsp;&nbsp;Amen, Come, Lord Jesus.&nbsp;&nbsp;The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all.&nbsp;&nbsp;Amen.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Pray for workers</p>

<p>Teaching:</p>

<p>Mat. 9:37-39&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.&nbsp;&nbsp;Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest."</p>

<p>Luke 10:2&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And He was saying to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Pray for enemies</p>

<p>Teaching:</p>

<p>Mat. 5:43-45&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.'&nbsp;&nbsp;But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous."</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Pray for the salvation of non-believers</p>

<p>Examples:</p>

<p>Acts 27:29&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And Paul said, "I would pray to God; that whether in a short or long time, not only you, but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am except for these chains."</p>

<p>Romans 9:3-5&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises, who are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever.&nbsp;&nbsp;Amen.</p>

<p>Romans 10:1&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Brethren, my heart's desire and my prayer to God for them [Israel] is for their salvation.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Intercede for non-believers</p>

<p>Examples:</p>

<p>*Acts 7:59-60&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And they went on stoning Stephen as he called upon the Lord and said, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!:"&nbsp;&nbsp;And falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them!"&nbsp;&nbsp;And having said this, he fell asleep.</p>

<p>*Acts 8:22-24&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Peter rebuking Simon the sorcerer]&nbsp;&nbsp;"Therefore, repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray the Lord that if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you.&nbsp;&nbsp;For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity."&nbsp;&nbsp;But Simon answered and said, "Pray to the Lord for me yourselves, so that nothing of what you have said may come upon me."</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>D.&nbsp;&nbsp;Pray for personal needs</p>

<p>•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Needs in general</p>

<p>Teaching:</p>

<p>*1 Tim. 5:5&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Now she who is a widow indeed, and who has been left alone has fixed her hope on God, and continues in entreaties and prayers night and day.</p>

<p>*Heb. 4:16&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.</p>

<p>•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Daily physical needs</p>

<p>Teaching:</p>

<p>*Mat. 6:9-13&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Pray then in this way:&nbsp;&nbsp;'Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.&nbsp;&nbsp;Thy kingdom come.&nbsp;&nbsp;Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.&nbsp;&nbsp;Give us this day our daily bread.&nbsp;&nbsp;And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.&nbsp;&nbsp;And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.&nbsp;&nbsp;[For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.&nbsp;&nbsp;Amen]</p>

<p>*Luke 11:1-4&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And it came about that while He was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples."&nbsp;&nbsp;And He said to them, "When you pray, say:&nbsp;&nbsp;'Father, hallowed be Thy name.&nbsp;&nbsp;Thy kingdom come.&nbsp;&nbsp;Give us this day our daily bread.&nbsp;&nbsp;And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.&nbsp;&nbsp;And lead us not into temptation.'"</p>

<p>•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Anxieties</p>

<p>Teaching:</p>

<p>*Phil. 4:6&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.</p>

<p>*1 Peter 5:6-7&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxieties upon Him, because He cares for you.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>E.&nbsp;&nbsp;Pray for boldness and clarity in communicating the gospel &nbsp;</p>

<p>Teaching:</p>

<p>*Eph. 6:18-20&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on my [Paul's] behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.</p>

<p>*Col. 4:2-4&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert to it with an attitude of thanksgiving; praying at the same time for us [Paul &amp; Timothy] as well, that God may open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; in order that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak.</p>

<p>Example:</p>

<p>Acts 4:29-30&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Thy bond-servants may speak Thy word with all confidence, while Thou dost extend Thy hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Thy holy servant Jesus."</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>F.&nbsp;&nbsp;Pray for gifts</p>

<p>Teaching:</p>

<p>*1 Cor. 14:13&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Therefore let one who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret.&nbsp;</p>

<p>*James 1:5-8&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.&nbsp;&nbsp;But let him ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.&nbsp;&nbsp;For let not that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all ways.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Example:</p>

<p>*Eph. 1:15-19&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For this reason I too, ... do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.&nbsp;&nbsp;I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>G.&nbsp;&nbsp;Pray for protection from temptation &amp; evil</p>

<p>Teaching:</p>

<p>*Mat. 6:9-13&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Pray then in this way:&nbsp;&nbsp;'Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.&nbsp;&nbsp;Thy kingdom come.&nbsp;&nbsp;Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.&nbsp;&nbsp;Give us this day our daily bread.&nbsp;&nbsp;And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.&nbsp;&nbsp;And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. &nbsp;[For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.&nbsp;&nbsp;Amen]</p>

<p>*Luke 11:1-4&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And it came about that while He was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples."&nbsp;&nbsp;And He said to them, "When you pray, say:&nbsp;&nbsp;'Father, hallowed be Thy name.&nbsp;&nbsp;Thy kingdom come.&nbsp;&nbsp;Give us this day our daily bread.&nbsp;&nbsp;And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.&nbsp;&nbsp;And lead us not into temptation.'"</p>

<p>Examples:</p>

<p>Mat. 26:41&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Keep watching and praying, that you may not enter into temptation, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak."</p>

<p>Mark 14:38&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Keep watching and praying, that you may not come into temptation, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak."</p>

<p>*Luke 22:40-46&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And when He arrived at the place, He said to them, "Pray that you will not enter into temptation."&nbsp;&nbsp;And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and began to pray, saying, "Father, if Thou art willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Thine be done."&nbsp;&nbsp;Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him.&nbsp;&nbsp;And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground.&nbsp;&nbsp;And when He rose from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them sleeping from sorrow, and said to them, "Why are you sleeping?&nbsp;&nbsp;Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation."</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>H.&nbsp;&nbsp;Pray for spiritual growth</p>

<p>Teaching:</p>

<p>*James 1:5-8&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.&nbsp;&nbsp;But let him ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.&nbsp;&nbsp;For let not that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all ways.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Examples:</p>

<p>2 Cor. 13:9&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For we rejoice when we ourselves are weak but you are strong; this we also pray for, that you may be made complete.</p>

<p>Phil. 1:9&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;and this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge of all discernment.</p>

<p>*Eph. 1:15-19&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For this reason I too, ... do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.&nbsp;&nbsp;I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.&nbsp;</p>

<p>*Eph. 3:14-19&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man; so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.&nbsp;</p>

<p>*Col. 1:9-12&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with all the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.</p>

<p>*Col. 4:12&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Epaphras ... always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God.</p>

<p>*1 Thess. 3:9-10&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For what thanks can we render to God for you in return for all the joy with which we rejoice before our God on your account, we night and day keep praying most earnestly that we may see your face, and not complete what is lacking in your faith?</p>

<p>*2 Thess. 1:11&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;To this end we also pray for you always that our God may count you worthy of your calling and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power.</p>

<p>*Philemon 4-6&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers, because I hear of your love, and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all the saints; and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you for Christ's sake.</p>

<p>*Heb. 13:18-19&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a good conscience, desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things.&nbsp;&nbsp;And I urge you all the more to do this, that I may be restored to you sooner.</p>

<p>*3 John 2&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health just as your soul prospers.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>I.&nbsp;&nbsp;Pray for healing</p>

<p>Teaching:</p>

<p>*James 5:13-16&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Is anyone among you suffering?&nbsp;&nbsp;Let him pray.&nbsp;&nbsp;Is anyone cheerful?&nbsp;&nbsp;Let him sing praises.&nbsp;&nbsp;Is anyone among you sick?&nbsp;&nbsp;Let him call for the elders of the church and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.&nbsp;&nbsp;Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed.&nbsp;&nbsp;The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.</p>

<p>Examples:</p>

<p>Acts 9:40&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But Peter sent them all out and knelt down and prayed and turning to the body he said, "Tabitha, arise."&nbsp;&nbsp;And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up.</p>

<p>*Acts 28:8&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And it came about that the father of Publius was lying in bed afflicted with recurrent fever and dysentery; and Paul went in to see him and after he had prayed, he laid his hands on him and healed him.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>J.&nbsp;&nbsp;Pray for God's will</p>

<p>Teaching:</p>

<p>*Mat. 6:9-13&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Pray then in this way:&nbsp;&nbsp;'Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.&nbsp;&nbsp;Thy kingdom come.&nbsp;&nbsp;Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.&nbsp;&nbsp;Give us this day our daily bread.&nbsp;&nbsp;And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.&nbsp;&nbsp;And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.&nbsp;&nbsp;[For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.&nbsp;&nbsp;Amen]</p>

<p>Examples:</p>

<p>*Mat. 26:39&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me, yet not as I will but as Thou wilt."</p>

<p>Mat. 26:42&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He went away a second time and prayed, saying, "My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Thy will be done."</p>

<p>Mat. 26:44&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And He left them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more.</p>

<p>*Luke 22:40-46&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And when He arrived at the place, He said to them, "Pray that you will not enter into temptation."&nbsp;&nbsp;And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and began to pray, saying, "Father, if Thou art willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Thine be done."&nbsp;&nbsp;Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him.&nbsp;&nbsp;And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground.&nbsp;&nbsp;And when He rose from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them sleeping from sorrow, and said to them, "Why are you sleeping?&nbsp;&nbsp;Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation."</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>K.&nbsp;&nbsp;Pray for forgiveness (Non-believers)</p>

<p>Examples:</p>

<p>*Acts 8:22-24&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Peter rebuking Simon the sorcerer]&nbsp;&nbsp;"Therefore, repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray the Lord that if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you.&nbsp;&nbsp;For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity."&nbsp;&nbsp;But Simon answered and said, "Pray to the Lord for me yourselves, so that nothing of what you have said may come upon me."</p>

<p>1 Peter 3:21&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And corresponding to that, baptism now saves you -- not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience -- through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>L.&nbsp;&nbsp;Pray about the second coming of Christ</p>

<p>Examples:</p>

<p>Rev. 1:7&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him.&nbsp;&nbsp;Even so. Amen.</p>

<p>*Rev. 22:20-21&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming quickly."&nbsp;&nbsp;Amen, Come, Lord Jesus.&nbsp;&nbsp;The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all.&nbsp;&nbsp;Amen.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>M.&nbsp;&nbsp;Pray about the end times</p>

<p>Teaching:</p>

<p>Mat. 24:20&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"But pray that your flight may not be in winter, or on a Sabbath." (Re: the abomination of desolation..)</p>

<p>Mark 13:18&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"But pray that it may not happen in the winter." (Re: the abomination of desolation.)</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>N.&nbsp;&nbsp;Pray to receive the Holy Spirit</p>

<p>Example:</p>

<p>*Acts 8:14-17&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and john, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit.&nbsp;&nbsp;For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.&nbsp;&nbsp;Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>O.&nbsp;&nbsp;Pray for good health</p>

<p>Example:</p>

<p>*3 John 2&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health just as your soul prospers.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>II.&nbsp;&nbsp;HOW TO PRAY (YOUR WORDS AND PHYSICAL MANNER):</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>A.&nbsp;&nbsp;Pray in Jesus' name</p>

<p>Teaching:</p>

<p>*John 14:13-14&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"And whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.&nbsp;&nbsp;If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it."</p>

<p>*John 15:16&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, and whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He may give to you."</p>

<p>*John 16:23-24&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"And in that day you will ask Me no question.&nbsp;&nbsp;Truly, truly, I say to you, if you shall ask the Father for anything, He will give it to you in My name.&nbsp;&nbsp;Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be made full."</p>

<p>*John 16:26-27&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"And in that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I will request the Father on your behalf; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from the Father."</p>

<p>*Col. 3:17&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Whatever you do in word or deed do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.</p>

<p>*James 5:13-16&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Is anyone among you suffering?&nbsp;&nbsp;Let him pray.&nbsp;&nbsp;Is anyone cheerful?&nbsp;&nbsp;Let him sing praises.&nbsp;&nbsp;Is anyone among you sick?&nbsp;&nbsp;Let him call for the elders of the church and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.&nbsp;&nbsp;Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed.&nbsp;&nbsp;The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>B.&nbsp;&nbsp;Pray to the Father</p>

<p>Teaching:</p>

<p>*Mat. 6:6,9-13&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"But you, when you pray, go in you inner room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret will repay you.&nbsp;&nbsp;...&nbsp;&nbsp;Pray then in this way:&nbsp;&nbsp;'Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.&nbsp;&nbsp;Thy kingdom come.&nbsp;&nbsp;Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.&nbsp;&nbsp;Give us this day our daily bread.&nbsp;&nbsp;And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.&nbsp;&nbsp;And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.&nbsp;&nbsp;[For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.&nbsp;&nbsp;Amen]</p>

<p>*Luke 11:1-4&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And it came about that while He was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples."&nbsp;&nbsp;And He said to them, "When you pray, say:&nbsp;&nbsp;'Father, hallowed be Thy name.&nbsp;&nbsp;Thy kingdom come.&nbsp;&nbsp;Give us this day our daily bread.&nbsp;&nbsp;And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.&nbsp;&nbsp;And lead us not into temptation.'"</p>

<p>*John 16:23-24&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"And in that day you will ask Me no question.&nbsp;&nbsp;Truly, truly, I say to you, if you shall ask the Father for anything, He will give it to you in My name.&nbsp;&nbsp;Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be made full."</p>

<p>Examples:</p>

<p>*Mat. 26:39&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me, yet not as I will but as Thou wilt."</p>

<p>*Luke 22:41-42&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and began to pray, saying, "Father, if Thou art willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Thine be done."</p>

<p>John 11:41b-42&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And Jesus raised His eyes, and said, "Father, I thank Thee that Thou heardest Me.&nbsp;&nbsp;And I knew that Thou hearest Me always; but because of the people standing around I said it, that they may believe that Thou didst send Me."</p>

<p>Romans 8:15&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba!&nbsp;&nbsp;Father!"</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>C.&nbsp;&nbsp;Pray in the spirit</p>

<p>Teaching:</p>

<p>*Eph. 6:18-20&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on my [Paul's] behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.</p>

<p>Examples:</p>

<p>*Acts 2:4&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.</p>

<p>*1 Cor. 14:2&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God; for no one understands, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries.</p>

<p>*1 Cor. 14:14-19&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful.&nbsp;&nbsp;What is the outcome then?&nbsp;&nbsp;I shall pray with the spirit and I shall pray with the mind also; I shall sing with the spirit and I shall sing with the mind also.&nbsp;&nbsp;Otherwise if you bless in the spirit only, how will the one who fills the place of the ungifted say the "Amen" at your giving of thanks, since he does not know what you are saying?&nbsp;&nbsp;For you are giving thanks well enough, but the other man is not edified.&nbsp;&nbsp;I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all; however, in the church I desire to speak five words with my mind, that I may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>D.&nbsp;&nbsp;Pray with raised hands</p>

<p>Teaching:</p>

<p>*1 Tim. 2:8&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands without wrath or dissension.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>E.&nbsp;&nbsp;Pray simply and clearly</p>

<p>Teaching:</p>

<p>*Mat. 6:5-13&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"And when you pray, you are not to be as the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners, in order to be seen by men.&nbsp;&nbsp;Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But you, when you pray, go in you inner room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret will repay you.&nbsp;&nbsp;And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition, as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words.&nbsp;&nbsp;Therefore, do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need, before you ask Him.&nbsp;&nbsp;Pray then in this way:&nbsp;&nbsp;'Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.&nbsp;&nbsp;Thy kingdom come.&nbsp;&nbsp;Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.&nbsp;&nbsp;Give us this day our daily bread.&nbsp;&nbsp;And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.&nbsp;&nbsp;And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.&nbsp;&nbsp;[For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.&nbsp;&nbsp;Amen]</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>F.&nbsp;&nbsp;Pray by laying on hands</p>

<p>Examples:</p>

<p>Mat. 19:13-14&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then some children were brought to Him so that He might lay hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them.&nbsp;&nbsp;But Jesus said, "Let the children alone and do not hinder then from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."</p>

<p>Mark 10:16&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And He took them [children] in His arms and began blessing them, laying His hands upon them.</p>

<p>Acts 6:6&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And these [those who would be responsible for feeding the widows] they brought before the apostles, and after praying, they laid hands on them.</p>

<p>*Acts 8:14-17&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and john, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit.&nbsp;&nbsp;For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.&nbsp;&nbsp;Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit.</p>

<p>*Acts 13:3&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then, when they [those gathered at the church in Antioch] had fasted and prayed and laid hands on them [Saul and Barnabas], they sent them away.</p>

<p>*Acts 28:8&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And it came about that the father of Publius was lying in bed afflicted with recurrent fever and dysentery; and Paul went in to see him and after he had prayed, he laid his hands on him and healed him.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>G.&nbsp;&nbsp;Pray with fasting</p>

<p>Examples:</p>

<p>*Mat. 17:21&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;["But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."] (Casting out demons.)</p>

<p>*Luke 2:37-38&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And she never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers.&nbsp;&nbsp;And at that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God.</p>

<p>Luke 5:33&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And they said to Him, "The disciples of John often fast and offer prayers; the disciples of the Pharisees also do the same; but yours eat and drink."</p>

<p>*Acts 13:3&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then, when they [those gathered at the church in Antioch] had fasted and prayed and laid hands on them [Saul and Barnabas], they sent them away.</p>

<p>*Acts 14:23&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And when they had appointed elders for them in every church having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>III.&nbsp;&nbsp;HOW TO PRAY (YOUR ATTITUDE):</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>A.&nbsp;&nbsp;Pray in faith</p>

<p>•&nbsp;&nbsp;Confidence that we can talk to God</p>

<p>Teaching:</p>

<p>*Heb. 4:16&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.</p>

<p>*Heb. 10:19-22&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Since therefore, brethren, we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart and in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>•&nbsp;&nbsp;Faith that God will answer</p>

<p>Teaching:</p>

<p>*Mat. 21:22&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"And all things ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive."</p>

<p>*Mark 11:24&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they shall be granted you."</p>

<p>Heb. 11:6&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.</p>

<p>*James 1:5-8&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.&nbsp;&nbsp;But let him ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.&nbsp;&nbsp;For let not that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all ways.&nbsp;</p>

<p>*James 5:13-16&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Is anyone among you suffering?&nbsp;&nbsp;Let him pray.&nbsp;&nbsp;Is anyone cheerful?&nbsp;&nbsp;Let him sing praises.&nbsp;&nbsp;Is anyone among you sick?&nbsp;&nbsp;Let him call for the elders of the church and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.&nbsp;&nbsp;Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed.&nbsp;&nbsp;The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>B.&nbsp;&nbsp;Pray with forgiveness</p>

<p>Teaching:</p>

<p>*Mat. 6:9-13&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Pray then in this way:&nbsp;&nbsp;'Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.&nbsp;&nbsp;Thy kingdom come.&nbsp;&nbsp;Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.&nbsp;&nbsp;Give us this day our daily bread.&nbsp;&nbsp;And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.&nbsp;&nbsp;And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.&nbsp;&nbsp;[For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.&nbsp;&nbsp;Amen]</p>

<p>Mark 11:25&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your transgressions."</p>

<p>*Luke 11:1-4&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And it came about that while He was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples."&nbsp;&nbsp;And He said to them, "When you pray, say:&nbsp;&nbsp;'Father, hallowed be Thy name.&nbsp;&nbsp;Thy kingdom come.&nbsp;&nbsp;Give us this day our daily bread.&nbsp;&nbsp;And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.&nbsp;&nbsp;And lead us not into temptation.'"</p>

<p>Example:</p>

<p>*Acts 7:59-60&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And they went on stoning Stephen as he called upon the Lord and said, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!:"&nbsp;&nbsp;And falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them!"&nbsp;&nbsp;And having said this, he fell asleep.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>C.&nbsp;&nbsp;Pray sincerely</p>

<p>Teaching:</p>

<p>*Mat. 6:5-7&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"And when you pray, you are not to be as the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners, in order to be seen by men.&nbsp;&nbsp;Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But you, when you pray, go in you inner room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret will repay you.</p>

<p>*Heb. 10:19-22&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Since therefore, brethren, we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart and in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.</p>

<p>Examples:</p>

<p>Mat. 23:14&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;["Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows' houses, even while for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you shall receive greater condemnation.]</p>

<p>Mark 12:38-40&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And in His teaching He was saying, "Beware of the scribes ... who devour widow's houses, and for appearance's sake offer long prayers; these will receive greater condemnation."&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>D.&nbsp;&nbsp;Persevere in prayer</p>

<p>Teaching:</p>

<p>Luke 18:1&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Now he was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not lose heart, ....</p>

<p>*Eph. 6:18-20&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on my [Paul's] behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>E.&nbsp;&nbsp;Pray humbly</p>

<p>Teaching:</p>

<p>*1 Peter 5:6-7&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxieties upon Him, because He cares for you.</p>

<p>Example:</p>

<p>*Luke 18:10-14&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee, and the other a tax-gatherer.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Pharisee stood and was praying thus to himself, 'God I thank Thee that I am not like other people:&nbsp;&nbsp;swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax-gatherer.&nbsp;&nbsp;I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.'&nbsp;&nbsp;But the tax-gatherer, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, 'God be merciful to me, the sinner!'&nbsp;&nbsp;I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled,but he who humbles himself shall be exalted."</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>F.&nbsp;&nbsp;Pray with a proper attitude toward others</p>

<p>Teaching:</p>

<p>*1 Tim. 2:8&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands without wrath or dissension.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>G.&nbsp;&nbsp;Pray wisely and seriously</p>

<p>Teaching:</p>

<p>*1 Peter 4:7&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The end of all things is at hand; therefore, be of sound judgement and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>H.&nbsp;&nbsp;Pray in propriety to glorify God</p>

<p>Teaching:</p>

<p>1 Cor. 11:3-16&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ.&nbsp;&nbsp;Every man who has something on his head while praying or prophesying, disgraces his head.&nbsp;&nbsp;But every woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying, disgraces her head; for she is one and the same with her whose head is shaved.&nbsp;&nbsp;For if a woman does not cover her head, let her also have her hair cut off; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, let her cover her head.&nbsp;&nbsp;For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man.&nbsp;&nbsp;For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man; for indeed man was not created for woman's sake, but woman for the man's sake.&nbsp;&nbsp;Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.&nbsp;&nbsp;However, in the Lord, neither is woman independent of man, nor is man independent of woman.&nbsp;&nbsp;For as the woman originates from the man, so also the man has his birth through the woman; and all things originate from God.&nbsp;&nbsp;Judge for yourselves:&nbsp;&nbsp;is it proper for a woman to pray to God with head uncovered?&nbsp;&nbsp;Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him, but if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her?&nbsp;&nbsp;For her hair is given to her for a covering.&nbsp;&nbsp;But if one is inclined to be contentious, we have no other practice, nor have the churches of God.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>I.&nbsp;&nbsp;Pray with proper motives</p>

<p>Teaching:</p>

<p>James 4:2-3&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;You lust and do not have; so you commit murder.&nbsp;&nbsp;And you are envious&nbsp;&nbsp;and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel.&nbsp;&nbsp;You do not have because you do not ask.&nbsp;&nbsp;You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>IV.&nbsp;&nbsp;WHEN TO PRAY:</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>A.&nbsp;&nbsp;Pray continually</p>

<p>Teaching:</p>

<p>Luke 18:1&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Now he was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not lose heart, ....</p>

<p>*1 Thess. 5:16-18&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.</p>

<p>*1 Tim. 5:5&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Now she who is a widow indeed, and who has been left alone has fixed her hope on God, and continues in entreaties and prayers night and day.</p>

<p>Examples:</p>

<p>*Acts 1:14&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;These [the disciples] all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.</p>

<p>*Acts 2:42&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.</p>

<p>Acts 10:1-2&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Now there was a certain man at Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian cohort, a devout man, and one who feared God with all his household, and gave many alms to the Jewish people, and prayed to God continually.</p>

<p>*Romans 1:9&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you, always in my prayers making request, if perhaps now at last by the will of God I may succeed in coming to you.</p>

<p>*Phil. 1:3&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all.</p>

<p>*Eph. 1:15-19&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For this reason I too, ... do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.&nbsp;&nbsp;I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.&nbsp;</p>

<p>*Col. 1:3&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;We give thanks to God ... praying always for you since we heard of your faith.</p>

<p>*Col. 1:9-12&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with all the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.</p>

<p>*Col. 4:12&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Epaphras ... always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God.</p>

<p>*1 Thess. 1:2&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers.</p>

<p>*1 Thess. 3:9-10&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For what thanks can we render to God for you in return for all the joy with which we rejoice before our God on your account, we night and day keep praying most earnestly that we may see your face, and not complete what is lacking in your faith?</p>

<p>2 Thess. 1:3&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;We ought always to give thanks to God for you, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater.</p>

<p>*2 Thess. 1:11&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;To this end we also pray for you always that our God may count you worthy of your calling and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power.</p>

<p>*Philemon 4-6&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers, because I hear of your love, and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all the saints; and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you for Christ's sake.</p>

<p>*2 Tim. 1:3&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did, as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>B.&nbsp;&nbsp;Pray in times of affliction</p>

<p>Teaching:</p>

<p>*James 5:13-16&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Is anyone among you suffering?&nbsp;&nbsp;Let him pray.&nbsp;&nbsp;Is anyone cheerful?&nbsp;&nbsp;Let him sing praises.&nbsp;&nbsp;Is anyone among you sick?&nbsp;&nbsp;Let him call for the elders of the church and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.&nbsp;&nbsp;Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed.&nbsp;&nbsp;The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.</p>

<p>Examples:</p>

<p>*Mat. 26:39&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me, yet not as I will but as Thou wilt."</p>

<p>Mark 14:35,39&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And He went a little beyond them, and fell to the ground, and began to pray that if it were possible, the hour might pass Him by....&nbsp;&nbsp;And again He went away and prayed, saying the same words.</p>

<p>*Luke 22:40-46&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And when He arrived at the place, He said to them, "Pray that you will not enter into temptation."&nbsp;&nbsp;And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and began to pray, saying, "Father, if Thou art willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Thine be done."&nbsp;&nbsp;Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him.&nbsp;&nbsp;And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground.&nbsp;&nbsp;And when He rose from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them sleeping from sorrow, and said to them, "Why are you sleeping?&nbsp;&nbsp;Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation."</p>

<p>Acts 12:5&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;So Peter was kept in prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church.</p>

<p>*Acts 12:12&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And when he [Peter] realized this [that he was free], he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was also called Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying.</p>

<p>*Acts 16:25&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.</p>

<p>*Heb. 5:7&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>C.&nbsp;&nbsp;Pray before eating</p>

<p>Examples:</p>

<p>Mat. 14:19&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And ordering the multitudes to recline on the grass, He took the five loaves and two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He blessed the food, and breaking the loaves He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave to the multitudes.</p>

<p>Mat. 15:35-36&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And He directed the multitude to sit down on the ground; and He took the seven loaves and the fish; and giving thanks, He broke them and started giving them to the disciples, and the disciples in turn, to the multitudes.</p>

<p>Mat. 26:26&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And while they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after blessing, He broke it....</p>

<p>Mark 6:41&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He blessed the food and broke the loaves and He kept giving them to the disciples to set before them, and He divided up the two fish among them all.</p>

<p>Mark 8:6&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And He directed the multitude to sit down on the ground, and taking the seven loaves, He gave thanks and broke them, and started giving them to His disciples to serve them, and they served them to the multitude.</p>

<p>Mark 8:7&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;They also had a few small fish, and after He had blessed them, he ordered these to be served as well.</p>

<p>Mark 14:22&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And while they were eating, He took some bread, and after a blessing He broke it, and gave it to them, and said, "Take it, this is My body."</p>

<p>Mark 14:23&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And when He had taken a cup, and given thanks, He gave it to them, and they all drank from it.</p>

<p>*John 6:11&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jesus therefore took the loaves; and having given thanks, He distributed to those who were seated; likewise also of the fish as much as they wanted.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>D.&nbsp;&nbsp;Pray day and night</p>

<p>Examples:</p>

<p>*1 Thess. 3:9-10&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For what thanks can we render to God for you in return for all the joy with which we rejoice before our God on your account, we night and day keep praying most earnestly that we may see your face, and not complete what is lacking in your faith?</p>

<p>*2 Tim. 1:3&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did, as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>E.&nbsp;&nbsp;Pray in the morning</p>

<p>Example:</p>

<p>*Mark 1:35&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And in the early morning while it was still dark, He arose and went out and departed into a lonely place, and was praying there.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>F.&nbsp;&nbsp;Pray when making decisions[1]</p>

<p>Example:</p>

<p>Acts 1:24-26&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And they prayed, and said, "Thou, Lord who knowest the hearts of all men, show which one of these two Thou hast chosen to occupy this ministry and apostleship from which Judas has turned aside to go to his own place."</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>V.&nbsp;&nbsp;WHERE TO PRAY:</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>A.&nbsp;&nbsp;Pray in groups</p>

<p>Teaching:</p>

<p>*Mat. 18:19-20&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.&nbsp;&nbsp;For where two or three have gathered together in My name, there I am in their midst." (In the context of church discipline.)</p>

<p>*James 5:13-16&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Is anyone among you suffering?&nbsp;&nbsp;Let him pray.&nbsp;&nbsp;Is anyone cheerful?&nbsp;&nbsp;Let him sing praises.&nbsp;&nbsp;Is anyone among you sick?&nbsp;&nbsp;Let him call for the elders of the church and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.&nbsp;&nbsp;Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed.&nbsp;&nbsp;The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.</p>

<p>Examples:</p>

<p>*Acts 12:12&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And when he [Peter] realized this [that he was free], he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was also called Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying.</p>

<p>*Acts 20:36&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And when he [Paul] had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all [the elders of the church at Ephesus].</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>B.&nbsp;&nbsp;Pray by yourself</p>

<p>Teaching:</p>

<p>*Mat. 6:5-6&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"And when you pray, you are not to be as the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners, in order to be seen by men.&nbsp;&nbsp;Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But you, when you pray, go in you inner room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret will repay you."</p>

<p>Examples:</p>

<p>Mat. 14:23&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And after He had sent the multitudes away, He went up to the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone.</p>

<p>*Mark 1:35&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And in the early morning while it was still dark, He arose and went out and departed into a lonely place, and was praying there.</p>

<p>Mark 6:46&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And after bidding them farewell, He departed to the mountains to pray.</p>

<p>Luke 5:16&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But He Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.</p>

<p>Acts 10:9&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And on the next day, as they were on their way, and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>C.&nbsp;&nbsp;Pray in church</p>

<p>Teaching:</p>

<p>Mat. 21:13&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer;' but you are making it a robbers den."</p>

<p>Examples:</p>

<p>*Luke 2:37-38&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And she never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers.&nbsp;&nbsp;And at that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God.</p>

<p>*Luke 18:10-14&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee, and the other a tax-gatherer.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Pharisee stood and was praying thus to himself, 'God I thank Thee that I am not like other people:&nbsp;&nbsp;swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax-gatherer.&nbsp;&nbsp;I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.'&nbsp;&nbsp;But the tax-gatherer, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, 'God be merciful to me, the sinner!'&nbsp;&nbsp;I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled,but he who humbles himself shall be exalted."</p>

<p>Acts 3:1&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Now, Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ninth hour, the hour of prayer.</p>

<p>Acts 22:17&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"And it came about when I [Paul] returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple that I fell into a trance."</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>VI.&nbsp;&nbsp;COMMANDS REGARDING PRAYER:</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>A.&nbsp;&nbsp;Ask in prayer</p>

<p>Teaching:</p>

<p>*Mat. 7:7-11&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Ask and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you.&nbsp;&nbsp;For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it shall be opened.&nbsp;&nbsp;Or what man is there among you, when his son shall ask him for a loaf, will give him a stone?&nbsp;&nbsp;Or if he shall ask for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he?&nbsp;&nbsp;If you then being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him."</p>

<p>*Luke 11:9-13&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"And I say to you, ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you.&nbsp;&nbsp;For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it shall be opened.&nbsp;&nbsp;Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he?&nbsp;&nbsp;Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he?&nbsp;&nbsp;If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?"</p>

<p>*John 15:7&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you.</p>

<p>*Phil. 4:6&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.</p>

<p>*James 4:2-3&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;You lust and do not have; so you commit murder.&nbsp;&nbsp;And you are envious&nbsp;&nbsp;and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel.&nbsp;&nbsp;You do not have because you do not ask.&nbsp;&nbsp;You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.</p>

<p>*James 1:5-8&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.&nbsp;&nbsp;But let him ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.&nbsp;&nbsp;For let not that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all ways.&nbsp;</p>

<p>*James 5:13-16&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Is anyone among you suffering?&nbsp;&nbsp;Let him pray.&nbsp;&nbsp;Is anyone cheerful?&nbsp;&nbsp;Let him sing praises.&nbsp;&nbsp;Is anyone among you sick?&nbsp;&nbsp;Let him call for the elders of the church and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.&nbsp;&nbsp;Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed.&nbsp;&nbsp;The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.</p>

<p>*1 John 5:16&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death.&nbsp;&nbsp;There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>B.&nbsp;&nbsp;Be devoted to prayer</p>

<p>Teaching:</p>

<p>Romans 12:10-13&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.</p>

<p>*Col. 4:2-4&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert to it with an attitude of thanksgiving; praying at the same time for us [Paul &amp; Timothy] as well, that God may open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; in order that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak.</p>

<p>Examples:</p>

<p>*Acts 1:14&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;These [the disciples] all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.</p>

<p>*Acts 2:42&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.</p>

<p>Acts 6:4&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"But we [the disciples] will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word."</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>C.&nbsp;&nbsp;Request prayer</p>

<p>Teaching:</p>

<p>*James 5:13-16&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Is anyone among you suffering?&nbsp;&nbsp;Let him pray.&nbsp;&nbsp;Is anyone cheerful?&nbsp;&nbsp;Let him sing praises.&nbsp;&nbsp;Is anyone among you sick?&nbsp;&nbsp;Let him call for the elders of the church and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.&nbsp;&nbsp;Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed.&nbsp;&nbsp;The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.</p>

<p>Examples:</p>

<p>*Acts 8:22-24&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Peter rebuking Simon the sorcerer]&nbsp;&nbsp;"Therefore, repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray the Lord that if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you.&nbsp;&nbsp;For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity."&nbsp;&nbsp;But Simon answered and said, "Pray to the Lord for me yourselves, so that nothing of what you have said may come upon me."</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>D.&nbsp;&nbsp;Work at prayer</p>

<p>Teaching:</p>

<p>*Romans 15:30-32&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me [Paul] in your prayers to God for me, that I may be delivered from those who are disobedient in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may prove acceptable to the saints; so that I may come to you in joy by the will of God and find refreshing rest in your company.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>VII.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;GOD'S ROLE AND ATTITUDE IN PRAYER:</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>A.&nbsp;&nbsp;God hears and answers prayer</p>

<p>Teaching:</p>

<p>*Mat. 6:6&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"But you, when you pray, go in you inner room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret will repay you.</p>

<p>*Mat. 7:7-11&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Ask and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you.&nbsp;&nbsp;For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it shall be opened.&nbsp;&nbsp;Or what man is there among you, when his son shall ask him for a loaf, will give him a stone?&nbsp;&nbsp;Or if he shall ask for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he?&nbsp;&nbsp;If you then being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him."</p>

<p>*Mat. 18:19-20&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.&nbsp;&nbsp;For where two or three have gathered together in My name, there I am in their midst." (In the context of church discipline.)</p>

<p>*Mat. 21:22&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"And all things ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive."</p>

<p>*Mark 11:24&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they shall be granted you."</p>

<p>*Luke 11:9-13&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"And I say to you, ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you.&nbsp;&nbsp;For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it shall be opened.&nbsp;&nbsp;Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he?&nbsp;&nbsp;Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he?&nbsp;&nbsp;If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?"</p>

<p>*John 14:13-14&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"And whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.&nbsp;&nbsp;If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it."</p>

<p>*John 15:7&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you.</p>

<p>*John 15:16&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, and whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He may give to you."</p>

<p>*John 16:23-24&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"And in that day you will ask Me no question.&nbsp;&nbsp;Truly, truly, I say to you, if you shall ask the Father for anything, He will give it to you in My name.&nbsp;&nbsp;Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be made full."</p>

<p>*James 1:5-8&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.&nbsp;&nbsp;But let him ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.&nbsp;&nbsp;For let not that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all ways.&nbsp;</p>

<p>*James 5:13-16&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Is anyone among you suffering?&nbsp;&nbsp;Let him pray.&nbsp;&nbsp;Is anyone cheerful?&nbsp;&nbsp;Let him sing praises.&nbsp;&nbsp;Is anyone among you sick?&nbsp;&nbsp;Let him call for the elders of the church and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.&nbsp;&nbsp;Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed.&nbsp;&nbsp;The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.</p>

<p>*1 John 3:21-22&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments, and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.</p>

<p>*1 John 5:14-15&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.&nbsp;&nbsp;And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.&nbsp;&nbsp;And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.</p>

<p>*1 John 5:16&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death.&nbsp;&nbsp;There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this.</p>

<p>Examples:</p>

<p>Acts 10:30-31&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And Cornelius said, "Four days ago to this hour, I was praying in my house during the ninth hour; and behold, a man stood before me in shining garments, and he said, 'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God.'"</p>

<p>*Heb. 5:7&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>B.&nbsp;&nbsp;God helps us pray</p>

<p>Teaching:</p>

<p>Romans 8:26-27&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>C.&nbsp;&nbsp;Prayers are pleasing to God</p>

<p>Examples:</p>

<p>Acts 10:4&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And fixing his gaze upon him and being much alarmed, he [Cornelius] said, "What is it Lord?"&nbsp;&nbsp;And he [the angel] said to him, "Your prayers and alms have ascended as a memorial before God."</p>

<p>Rev. 5:8&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And when He had taken the Book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, having each one a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.</p>

<p>Rev. 8:3-4&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And another angel came and stood at the alter, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints upon the golden alter which was before the throne.&nbsp;&nbsp;And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel's hand.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>VIII.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;REGARDING SPEAKING IN TONGUES:</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>A.&nbsp;&nbsp;In church, tongues should edify the body</p>

<p>Teaching:</p>

<p>*1 Cor. 14:2-5&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God; for no one understands, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries.&nbsp;&nbsp;But on who prophesies speaks to men for edification and exhortation and consolation.&nbsp;&nbsp;One who speaks in a tongue edifies himself; but one who prophesies edifies the church.&nbsp;&nbsp;Now I wish that you all spoke in tongues, but even more that you would prophesy; and greater is one who prophesies than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may receive edifying.</p>

<p>*1 Cor. 14:13-19&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Therefore let one who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret.&nbsp;&nbsp;For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful.&nbsp;&nbsp;What is the outcome then?&nbsp;&nbsp;I shall pray with the spirit and I shall pray with the mind also; I shall sing with the spirit and I shall sing with the mind also.&nbsp;&nbsp;Otherwise if you bless in the spirit only, how will the one who fills the place of the ungifted say the "Amen" at your giving of thanks, since he does not know what you are saying?&nbsp;&nbsp;For you are giving thanks well enough, but the other man is not edified.&nbsp;&nbsp;I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all; however, in the church I desire to speak five words with my mind, that I may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue.</p>

<p>*1 Cor. 14:26-28&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation.&nbsp;&nbsp;Let all things be done for edification.&nbsp;&nbsp;If anyone speaks in a tongue, it should be by two or at most three, and each in turn, and let one interpret; but if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in the church; and let him speak to himself and to God.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>B.&nbsp;&nbsp;Praying in tongues edifies one's self</p>

<p>Teaching:</p>

<p>*1 Cor. 14:4&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;One who speaks in a tongue edifies himself; but one who prophesies edifies the church.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>C.&nbsp;&nbsp;Tongues speak to God</p>

<p>Teaching:</p>

<p>*1 Cor. 14:2&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God; for no one understands, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>D.&nbsp;&nbsp;Speak in tongues in church in an orderly manner</p>

<p>Teaching:</p>

<p>*1 Cor. 14:26-28&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation.&nbsp;&nbsp;Let all things be done for edification.&nbsp;&nbsp;If anyone speaks in a tongue, it should be by two or at most three, and each in turn, and let one interpret; but if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in the church; and let him speak to himself and to God.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>E.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Holy Spirit enables people to speak in tongues</p>

<p>Examples:</p>

<p>*Acts 2:4&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.</p>

<p>*Acts 10:44-46a&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message.&nbsp;&nbsp;And all the circumcised believers who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit has been poured out upon the Gentiles also.&nbsp;&nbsp;For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>IX. ADDITIONAL TEACHING:</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>A.&nbsp;&nbsp;Prayer is a weapon in spiritual warfare</p>

<p>Teaching:</p>

<p>*Mat. 17:21&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;["But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."] (Casting out demons.)</p>

<p>Mark 9:29&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And He said to them, "This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer."&nbsp;&nbsp;(Casting out demons.)</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>B.&nbsp;&nbsp;Married couples should have seasons of abstinence for prayer</p>

<p>Teaching:</p>

<p>1 Cor. 7:4-5&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; and likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.&nbsp;&nbsp;Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and come together again lest Satan tempt you because of your lack of self-control.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>X.&nbsp;&nbsp;MISCELLANEOUS VERSES:</p>

<p>Mat. 26:36&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to His disciples, "Sit here while I go over there and pray."</p>

<p>Mark 14:32&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And they came to a place named Gethsemane, and He said to His disciples, "Sit here until I have prayed."</p>

<p>Luke 3:21&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Now it came about when all the people were baptized, that Jesus also was baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened.</p>

<p>Luke 9:29-30&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And some eight days after these these sayings, it came about that He took along Peter and John and James, and went up to the mountain to pray.&nbsp;&nbsp;And while He was praying, the appearance of His face became different and His clothing became white and gleaming.&nbsp;&nbsp;And behold, two men were talking with Him; and they were Moses and Elijah.</p>

<p>Acts 11:5&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I [Peter] was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, a certain object coming down like a great sheet lowered by four corners from the sky; and it came right down to me, ...."</p>

<p>Romans 11:2-4&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew.&nbsp;&nbsp;Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel?&nbsp;&nbsp;"Lord, they have killed Thy prophets, they have torn down Thine alters, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life."&nbsp;&nbsp;But what is the divine response to him?&nbsp;&nbsp;"I have kept for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal."</p>

<p>James 5:17-18&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months.&nbsp;&nbsp;And he prayed again, and the sky poured rain, and the earth produced fruit.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>[1]There is only one example of praying before making decisions and it occurs before the Holy Spirit was given.</p>
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