Posted on Monday,

Interview with Wife of Jailed American Pastor Saeed Abedini in Iran

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Praying and acting for our persecuted brothers and sisters is not optional. They need us. Please take some time to listen as my friend John Stonestreet interviews Naghmeh Abedini, wife of jailed American pastor Saeed Abedini, and Tiffany Barrans of the American Center for Law and Justice.

Be attentive to how the Lord might prompt you to respond to Pastor Saeed’s imprisonment (here are some ways you can help). Read more about this situation at Breakpoint This Week. Please take 2 minutes and watch this video of a recent letter that he wrote while in prison and consider sharing this story with others you know.

Learn more about the persecuted church here.

“Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.” – Eph. 6:19-20

Posted on Monday,

Interview with C. John Collins On the Days of Genesis [Podcast]

The early chapters of Genesis are some of the most challenging and controversial in all of the Bible…but also some of the most important. In this podcast, I interview leading Hebrew / Old Testament scholar Dr. C. John Collins on questions like: How do we interpret the days of Genesis? What does it mean to take the early chapters of Genesis literally? Did Moses really write Genesis? Is Genesis historical? Who was the original audience and what would they have understood these passages to mean? What does the BIble teach (and not teach) about the age of the earth? And more… As Christians we need to be thoughtful as we approach the text and charitable and humble in our dealings with others who may disagree. Regardless of your position, there is much here that will cause you to think about the inspired text in a fresh way.

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The most accessible explanation of C. John “Jack” Collins’ view on the days of Genesis is Science and Faith: Friends or Foes? (Crossway 2003).

Other helpful books by Dr. Collins: Did Adam and Eve Really Exist? I The God of Miracles I Genesis 1-4: A Linguistic, Literary, and Theological Commentary

If you enjoyed this topic / podcast, you would also enjoy our interview with NT scholar Dr. Darrell Bock – Is the Bible Full of Contradictions?

Are Your Students Ready For College? They Can Be… Learn more about Welcome to College

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Posted on Sunday,

Is God Subject to Human Logic?

“Without God, nothing could have existence. God is the basis of all logic in reality and he is in no way inferior to logic. Logic comes from God, not God from logic. But when it comes to how we know things, logic is the basis of all thought, and it must come before any thought about anything, including God. For example, I need a map before I can get to Washington, D.C. But Washington must exist before the map can help me get there. Even so, we use logic first to come to know God, but God exists first before we can know him.”—Norman Geisler

“When people say that God need not behave “logically,” they are using the term in a loose sense to mean “the sensible thing from my point of view.” Often God does not act in ways that people understand or judge to be what they would do in the circumstances. But God never behaves illogically in the proper sense. He does not violate in His being or thought the fundamental laws of logic.”—J.P. Moreland

God is the ground of logic; it is part of his nature and character. And God always acts consistently with his nature.

Posted on Monday,

Some Thoughts on God and the Problem of Evil (Video)

Is evil only a problem for Christians? What is evil? Did God create evil? Is the existence of God and the existence of evil a logical contradiction? Does God have a morally sufficient reason to allow evil?

In the end, it becomes clear that everyone–from the Christ-follower to the most militant unbeliever–must deal with evil and suffering. No one gets a free pass; evil is everyone’s problem.

I go into more detail on God and the problem of evil and suffering here.

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Posted on Saturday,

Tolerance and the Louie Giglio / White House Controversy – 3 Opinions

Earlier this week prominent evangelical Christian Louie Giglio (of the Passion Conference) withdrew or was uninvited to give the benediction at the inauguration of President Obama. Why? Because it came to light that 15 years ago that he preached a sermon that stated clearly and unambiguously that homosexuality was a sin and that this was less than God’s best for us as human beings. In his statement, Giglio said the following:

I am honored to be invited by the President to give the benediction at the upcoming inaugural on January 21. Though the President and I do not agree on every issue, we have fashioned a friendship around common goals and ideals, most notably, ending slavery in all its forms.

Due to a message of mine that has surfaced from 15-20 years ago, it is likely that my participation, and the prayer I would offer, will be dwarfed by those seeking to make their agenda the focal point of the inauguration. Clearly, speaking on this issue has not been in the range of my priorities in the past fifteen years. Instead, my aim has been to call people to ultimate significance as we make much of Jesus Christ.

Neither I, nor our team, feel it best serves the core message and goals we are seeking to accomplish to be in a fight on an issue not of our choosing, thus I respectfully withdraw my acceptance of the President’s invitation. I will continue to pray regularly for the President, and urge the nation to do so. I will most certainly pray for him on Inauguration Day.

Our nation is deeply divided and hurting, and more than ever need God’s grace and mercy in our time of need.

There are several revealing parts of this controversy. First the nature of tolerance (or intolerance) on display. But also, what as Christians should we expect when it comes to voicing our convictions in the public square? Should the events of this past week surprise us? Several Christian leaders have weighed in making some interesting observations:

Dr. Albert Mohler discusses the new Moral McCarthyism.

Dr. Russell Moore wonders if we are seeing the emergence of a new state church.

Dr. Darrell Bock raises important observations about what our expectations ought to be in a culture increasingly hostile to the Christian Worldview.

I have written in great detail how Christians should thoughtfully engage by seizing the opportunities we have every day to speak the life Jesus offers into our culture. What is clear is that the times they are a changin’ and Christians need to prepare to engage with courage and compassion.

Did you miss our latest Podcast with a leading NT scholar on Bible Contradictions? You can listen here.