-Idolatry And Sorcery

“THE FLESH AND THE SPIRIT”

Idolatry And Sorcery

INTRODUCTION

1. As we continue our examination of the “works of the flesh” listed in
Ga 5:19-21…
a. We come to sins which modern man may think do not affect him
b. These are the sins of “idolatry” and “sorcery” - Ga 5:20a

-Bible Insights Episode 22

Bible Study by Sis Carms Mendoza about the Threefold Constitution of the Whole Man

-Hitler and Mother Teresa

Gregory Koukl

What kind of God would allow a Hitler to go to heaven if he believed in Jesus and a Mother Teresa to go to hell if she didn’t?

“You’re saying that Hitler and Mother Teresa would both suffer the same fate before God if they didn’t believe in Jesus?”

-Why does God allow suffering?

“THE PROBLEM OF SUFFERING”

Why Does God Allow It?

INTRODUCTION

1. There is a question which is as old as the first tear, and as recent
as the lastest newscast:

“Why? Why does God allow suffering, sorrow, heartache, and death,
even among His own children?”

-TAFJ Young People photos

Click for the complete set of photos

-What Exodus 21:22 Says About Abortion

What Exodus 21:22 Says About Abortion

Gregory Koukl

The Torah’s teaching about accidental “miscarriage”; has been hotly contested concerning the value of the unborn. Is it pro-life or pro-abortion? Here are the facts. You decide.

Most attempts to argue against abortion from biblical texts are misdirected. In the absence of specific prohibitions of abortion in the Scripture, Christian pro-lifers quote equivocal passages.

Some citations use personal pronouns to describe the unborn, but many of these are in poetry texts, so the conclusion is not entirely convincing. God’s personal acquaintance with the unborn can be explained by His omniscience. After all, some texts make it clear that God “knows” us even before we’re conceived.

One text, however, is strong. Exodus 21:22-25 is usually used to argue that the Bible assigns a lower value to the unborn than to other humans. Rabbis and Jewish thinkers I’ve discussed this point with on the radio have been especially adamant–even irate. I think the evidence shows, though, that Moses taught just the opposite. If I’m right, we have a powerful argument for the value Scripture puts on the life of the unborn.

Rev Mar’s May 4 Sunday Sermon

Rev Mar’s May 4 Sunday Sermon with English Subtitle

-Does a Fetus Have a Soul?

Gregory Koukl

The argument that an acorn isn’t an oak but a potential oak isn’t true. How does this apply to humans?

There is no evidence scripturally for a preexistent human being apart from the body so my presumption is that when the sperm and ovum become a new independent human life the immaterial part of man is present as well. That’s somewhat of a conjecture. But my sense of things is that the most reasonable way to understand the soul in relationship to the human being is that at the time a human being is created and comes into existence, all aspects of that human come into being. There is no reason to dichotomize the human life and the soul. It strikes me as the tidiest and most reasonable thing that when a being comes into being, that being is everything that it is.

-What about having a vasectomy or tying the tubes?

What about having a vasectomy or tying the tubes?

Is it okay to have a vasectomy or your tubes tied in order to prevent pregnancy? I would say that it depends on the motives and circumstances. If the purpose of having a vasectomy or tubes tied in order to be able to fornicate without the fear of pregnancy, then that would be sinful and wrong. Also, if the purpose was to defy God in any way, that would also be wrong.

-Does the Bible say anything about birth control?

Does the Bible say anything about birth control?

The Bible does not address the issue of birth control so it is difficult to say whether or not it is right or wrong in an absolute sense. But since it doesn’t condemn it outright, we do not either.
Biblically, having children is a blessing from God and a fulfillment of the command of God to multiply and fill the earth (Gen. 1:28). If anything, we are told to have children, never to not have them. But that alone isn’t enough to settle the issue. A generic principle of having children is for humanity and not always for individuals. Take Jesus, for example. He did not marry and have children. He did not fulfill the command to do so. Therefore, since Jesus never sinned, we can conclude that the command to have children is a generic one for mankind and not necessarily intended to be applied to each and every individual. Therefore, it would seem logical that birth control would be permissible to some degree.