Stone the Preacher

Meet Rich. He’s an atheist. After a conversation with him on the campus of El Camino College last week, he left with these choice words thrown in our direction: “When I see God I will tell him that he’s a nut job. F— God!”

Question: Why would he utter such blasphemous words?

Answer: Presuppositional apologetics.

Christians do not need to know about every scientific theory or secular doctrine that comes down the pike; they do not have to be well-versed in Quantum Physics or evolutionary biology even. No! That’s the unbeliever’s game. All a Christian needs to know is the Word of God.

Theologian John Frame defines presuppositional apologetics in this way:

a belief that takes precedence over another and therefore serves as a criterion for another. An ultimate presupposition is a belief over which no other takes precedence. For a Christian, the content of Scripture must serve as his ultimate presupposition…. This doctrine is merely the outworking of the lordship of God in the area of human thought. It merely applies the doctrine of scriptural infallibility to the realm of knowing. 

Here’s my explanation: Atheists suppose that there is no God. The Bible presupposes that they do.

For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
(Romans 1:21)

The Word of God is always correct. There is no need to apologize or offer excuses. Stand on the Word of God.

The atheist may ask: How do you know that it’s the Word of God?

You simply say, “Because the Bible says that it is.”

For the word of God is living and active,
sharper than any two-edged sword,
piercing to the division of soul and of spirit,
of joints and of marrow, and discerning the
thoughts and intentions of the heart.
(Hebrews 4:12)

But that’s circular reasoning!” the atheist protests.

You simply respond: “So be it.”

How did everything get here? “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”

This is why Rich was so angry. The evangelist, Bob Johnson, was undeterred. He stood his ground. He stood on the Rock. A few weeks prior, another atheist stormed away because of Bob’s insistence that the Word of God was the answer.

To everything.

So simple. It’s almost too simple.

Get used to feeling like an idiot.

(John Frame quote from “The Gospel and Contemporary Perspectives” by Douglas Moo, page 143)

This article written by Ray Comfort, from the Living Waters Newsletter, is just too good—and too poignant—not to reprint. (Subscribe to the newsletter here.)

The well-known movie critic, Roger Ebert, who tragically died recently, said, “Many readers have informed me that it is a tragic and dreary business to go into death without faith. I don’t feel that way. ‘Faith’ is neutral.”

But this is what Ebert also wrote about his impending death: “I know it is coming, and I do not fear it, because I believe there is nothing on the other side of death to fear.” He believed that there was nothing on the other side. Faith and fear are opposites. If you are fearful of stepping into an elevator it’s because you lack faith in it.  If you have faith and therefore trust it, you won’t fear. Ebert didn’t fear death because of what he “believed.” Again, he believed he had faith, he trusted that there was nothing after death. (more…)

An atheist reader sent me this photo in response to my story about the misguided pastor who complained about having to leave an 18% tip at Applebee’s. So, this unbelieving diner doesn’t believe in God and gives 28%. Wonderful!

But I’ve got bad news for atheists who think tipping well has any merit after they die. (more…)

Here’s an interesting phenomenon that’s happening in London as reported by the BBC. But some protest that this is not a church. Still, “A rose by any other name….”

A congregation of more than 300 crowded into the shell of a deconsecrated church to join the celebration on Sunday morning.

Instead of hymns, the non-faithful get to their feet to sing along to Stevie Wonder and Queen songs.

There is a reading from Alice in Wonderland and a power-point presentation from a particle physicist, who explains the origins of antimatter theory.

The audience – overwhelmingly young, white and middle class – appear excited to be part of something new and speak of the void they felt on a Sunday morning when they decided to abandon their Christian faith. Few actively identify themselves as atheists.

“It’s not a church, it’s a congregation of unreligious people.”

[One writer] argues for a new breed of secular therapists to take the place of the priesthood and believes atheism should have its own churches, but adds: “It should never be called that, because ‘atheism’ isn’t an ideology around which anyone could gather. Far better to call it something like cultural humanism.” Read the rest here, then come back and tell me if this is a church.

After several years of this feature, I’ve decided to stop writing weekly posts. I will give my reasons in the ensuing weeks.

Sayanara, atheist friends.

The call to “Co-exist” is all well and good, but Jesus calls His disciples to preach and teach an exclusive means of salvation. No one goes to heaven but through Jesus. Can you tolerate the message of Christianity?

Okay. Perhaps you’re not into bumper stickers. How about a T-shirt?

Click here to get either/or.

The overt religiosity [the cadet] experienced at West Point, the lack of accounting for non-theists in resiliency programs, and many instances of overt discrimination directly toward [the cadet] and toward atheists in general, all proved too much in the end. — From Military Atheists.org

Cadet Lt. Blake Page is an atheist. He is a cadet at West Point nearing the completion of his four-year program. In fact, he’s only five months away from graduating. He is upset about the religious nature of some aspects of West Point. He describes it as a blatant violation of the Constitution:

“These men and women are criminals, complicit in light of daily defiance of the Uniform Code of Military Justice through unconstitutional proselytism, discrimination against the non-religious and establishing formal policies to reward, encourage and even at times require sectarian religious participation.”

Even if everything Mr. Page says is true, it’s obvious that he’s a wimp. Read the rest from The American Vision blog here.

Logo from kickstarter.com/Godless Patriots

Believe it or not, the atheists and I have something in common: I now believe that wishing someone “Happy Holidays!” is perfectly okay during the Christmas season.

I know what you’re thinking: What? Has Steve gone off the deep end? Has he gone all ecumenical on us, or worse yet, Politically Correct? Or even worse than that, has he become an atheist?

Of course not. Read on and see if you can agree with my logic….

We live in a multi-cultural society. I can’t expect everyone to agree with me that it’s the Christmas season; not everyone celebrates the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As an evangelist I want to reach the maximum amount of people possible with my message of the Gospel; so I, on occasion, will wish people—in all sincerity—Happy Holidays! (more…)

My habit most mornings is to crack open my Charles Spurgeon devotional called “Morning and Evening” (the updated version by Alistair Begg). Whenever there is a particular rumination that applies to atheists on their special day (Tuesday), I post it. So here you are, unbelieving friend:

“I have many people in this city.”—Acts 18:10.

HIS should be a great encouragement to try to do good, since God has among the vilest of the vile, the most reprobate, the most debauched and drunken, an elect people who must be saved. When you take the Word to them, you do so because God has ordained you to be the messenger of life to their souls, and they must receive it, for so the decree of predestination runs. (more…)

This is a very thoughtful, thorough and clear-headed article from CRN:

An interesting article at the Huffington Post blog entitled, “Please Stop Trying to Convert Me,” written by Penn State University student Remy M. Maisel, offered insight into what may be coursing through the minds of those who are stopped on the street by well-meaning Christians seeking to fulfill the Great Commission. Unfortunately, what may strike the reader as intriguing is not only the hypocrisy of those lost souls who find themselves a target for street evangelism, but also the apparent misdirected endeavors of some of these eager believers.

Maisel describes herself as “culturally Jewish and spiritually agnostic.” She elaborates,

That is to say, I don’t really believe in God — though I won’t really speak in absolutes on that issue — but I identify with the cultural aspects of the Jewish religion and continue to partake in many of the traditions.

She spends the majority of her post lamenting how, where she currently resides in State College, Pennsylvania, it appears to her as though there is a “constant campaign to convert” her. Here is a point which many unsaved individuals fail to note, and that is that the true Christian presenting the true Gospel knows that he can in no way convert any person. All he can do is present the stark reality of man’s lost condition and sin, and then share the amazing news of forgiveness of those sins and salvation through Christ Jesus. It is up to the Holy Spirit to do the convicting and the converting.

The writer goes on to explain her many methods of dodging the various street evangelists as they stand with open Bibles, and as they attempt to hand one to her. Read the rest by clicking here.

Here’s an interesting challenge to atheism from American Vision:

Maybe you’ve seen the headline: “Michigan Professor Strips Naked in Class, Shouts ‘There Is No expletive deleted God’”

While on a speaking tour in the North East part of the United States and Canada last week, I presented a talk on the ethical implications of atheistic evolution. I pointed out that while atheists are not by definition immoral, they cannot account for morality or immorality given the operating assumptions of materialism, which are fundamental to atheism.

There is no morality in matter or in the intricacies of DNA. No one has seen written on anyone’s DNA commandments that state, “You shall not murder, steal, or rape.” In scientific terms, there is no such “thing” as morality. And even if DNA had certain prohibitions encoded up and down its double helix strands, what would be the obligation to follow them?

In a debate with an emailer, I challenged him to send me a box with some morality in it. I wanted this supposed consistent materialist to back up his materialist worldview with the material of morality. Of course, there is no such “thing” as morality in a matter-only cosmos.

Some atheists are beginning to see the logical implications of a matter-only worldview. Meaninglessness is the operative word. Read the rest by clicking here.

When all else fails in trying to convince an unbeliever of the veracity of the Bible, point to the prophecies: There are nearly 300 prophecies  about the Messiah that Jesus fulfills in the bible.

Mathematician Peter Stoner, in his book, Science Speaks, did the math. The odds of Jesus fulfilling just 8 of the 300 prophecies written about the Messiah are incredible. There is just one chance in 10 to the 28^th power that this could happen. That looks like this:

1 in 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000!!!

“But could Jesus have merely fulfilled these prophecies by accident?” Lee Strobel asked in The Case for Christ. “Could it be that he’s just one of many throughout history who have coincidentally fit the prophetic fingerprint?”

Put it this way: Take 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 silver dollars and spread them out across the State of Texas. That would cover the land to a depth of two feet. Now mark one silver dollar with an X and have a blind man walk the entire state, bend down and pick up one coin. What would be the odds of him choosing the marked coin? Those are the same odds that anybody in history could have fulfilled just 8 of those prophecies.

Dr. Stoner estimated that the probability of fulfilling 48 prophecies was one chance in a trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion.

That is, one chance in trillion to the 13^th power.

That’s equal to the number of miniscule atoms in a trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, billion universes the size of our universe.

“The odds alone say it would be impossible for anyone to fulfill the Old Testament prophecies. Yet Jesus—and only Jesus throughout all of history—managed to do it,” says  Louis Lapides a Jewish convert to Christ.

This was taken from a sermon based on Matthew 4:13-17 that I preached four times last weekend. You can listen to it or watch it by clicking here.

Here’s another tool to use in your evangelistic arsenal…

Who’s that I hear howling?

Surprise! Despite all the bluster and guffawing from the unbelieving set about the growth of their religion, atheists just can’t keep unbelieving for long.

According to a new study, atheists have the lowest “retention rate” of any religious group.

According to The Christian Post, citing a study from Georgetown University’s Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA), “those who grow up in an atheist household are least likely to maintain their beliefs about religion as adults.

“Only about 30 percent of those who grow up in an atheist household remain atheists as adults. This ‘retention rate’ was the lowest among the 20 separate categories in the study.

“There were 1,387 atheists (weighted) in the survey. Four-hundred thirty-two weighted respondents said they were raised atheist. Of those, 131 self-identified as atheist.

“What these findings reflect is that in the U.S. atheists are for the most part ‘made’ as adults after being raised in another faith. It appears to be much more challenging to raise one’s child as an atheist and have them maintain this identity in their life,” Dr. Mark Gray wrote at CARA’s blog.

So what should a Christian do with this information? Keep sharing your faith with those strident atheists, no matter how callous and vocal they may be.

Because they are the best of the backsliders….

Dear Atheist Reader,

Would you please read the following carefully, and then sign in the comments section—if you agree to it?  This is no joke. Do you have the courage of your convictions? This was written by James Smith  (1802-1862) and is still relevant for today.

I am resolved to persevere in sin, and follow the maxims and customs of those around me–though it costs me the loss of my soul, and exposes me to everlasting damnation. I am resolved to reject the Son of God–I will not embrace Him as my Savior, or have Him reign over me. I am resolved that I will not accept the pardon which God presents to me in the gospel, though it cost Jesus His life to procure it–and I know I must eternally perish without it. I am determined not to submit to God’s way of salvation, and I consent to be lost forever! I have made up my mind, that I will never consent to receive a free salvation by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ–I will not have it!

I am resolved
to reject God’s message. . .
to dare His justice,
to defy His power,
to refuse His mercy,
to brave His threatened wrath, and
to harden myself against all His invitations, expostulations, exhortations, and promises.

I am resolved that I will not . . .
bow to His authority,
yield to His entreaties,
believe on His Son,
repent of my sins,
love His name,
or obey His precepts.

I am determined that there shall never be joy in Heaven among the angels of God––on account of my conversion. (more…)

Tens and tens of people were disappointed when the National Atheist Party canceled their convention (NAPCON) due to lack of funds. CBS Connecticut reported that “Troy Boyle, the party’s president, announced on its website this bit of sad, disheartening news:

“After this year’s amazing Reason Rally, and flush with our successful recruiting and a spike in donations, we decided to hold our OWN secular event. NAPCON 2012 was supposed to be our biggest and best public event; our chance to show the U.S. that we could fund and organize a large, noteworthy and impressive ‘Secular Summit’ that would attract media buzz and even more interested members and donations. The reality is that we can’t,” Boyle said in the press release. “The donations simply aren’t there and if we went ahead with the event as planned, it would bankrupt us.”

So what was a godless party to do? Apparently, they hopped on a bus and went over to the Democratic National Convention where they tried to vote down God in the party’s platform along with Jerusalem being the capital of Israel.

They failed again. (Skip to the 1:50 mark to see the hilarious “railroading” of the agenda.)

Charles Spurgeon wrote: “I heard the story of a man, a blasphemer…an atheist, who was converted singularly by a sinful action of his. He had written on a piece of paper, “God is nowhere,” and ordered his child to read it, for he would make him an atheist too. The child spelled it, “God is n-o-w h-e-r-e. God is now here.” It was a truth instead of a lie, and the arrow pierced the man’s own heart.”

Godisnowhere Gospel tract available by clicking here.

I caught up with “Ted the Atheist”, the subject of my YouTube video, “Why Christians Don’t Argue With Atheists”, a few weeks back in Huntington Beach. I hadn’t seen him in the two years since I “interviewed” him and asked if he remembered my “chat” with him. “Yeah,” he replied. “You were a lot fatter then.”

My interview with Ted has now surpassed 300,000 viewings on YouTube. Not bad for an evangelistic presentation gone bad. Really bad. Still, during the course of my four minute fiasco with Ted I was able to explain the Gospel four times.  You may be asking this: Why is this video getting so much exposure? I think it’s because unbelievers watch with jaws agape. After all, when I’m asked to show evidence for God, I tell Ted that I don’t have to show any evidence. It drives the pagan mind crazy! (See below the video for an example.)

Case in point: On the blog, “Dobbie’s Atheist Video List”, she writes,

This one’s rich. The Christian saying, “I’m telling you something but I don’t need any evidence behind it.” It’s an appeal to absolutism. It’s like it’s from an old Edward G. Robinson movie, “I’m the boss here, see. Yeah. This is Mugsy’s territory, yeah see. Period, see.”

Then what happens, I suppose, is that they post my video to their very own atheist sites where other atheists laugh and mock and jeer—then they in turn post it to their sites. And the cycle continues. (Don’t believe me? Google “Why Christians Don’t Argue With Atheists” and see for yourself.)

So, here again, making an encore performance, is my first-almost-third-of-a-million video! (See below for an atheist’s evaluation of what he saw.)

I had a few things to say regarding your video where you talk about your “way to win an argument with an atheist,” where you get into an argument with a man and go on about the “can we have 30 seconds to speak each?” and such.

Keep in mind while I’m saying this I don’t say it out of anger or any sense of meanness. But the video you made was ridiculous. That is your way of saying that’s how to win an argument with an atheist? Something you need to understand right now is that way in which you acted is not arguing. (more…)

I notice a bunch of drunken kids bunch driving their convertible down a dirt road, exceeding the speed limit. I know for a fact that the bridge is out a half mile down. Out of love and compassion I stand on the shoulder with a sound system and jump up and down, warning  them that they will soon plummet over a thousand foot cliff.  If they don’t stop and turn around, or at least slow down and examine the situation, they will fall to their deaths.

The kids laugh and point their fingers. One throws a Diet Coke can at me.

I shout into my megaphone: STOP! BRIDGE OUT! BRIDGE OUT!

Speeding up, they turn on their stereo and sing loudly to the Eagles’ “Life in the Fast Lane” passing me by. One kid pulls out a pistol, leans out over the back of the trunk, and points it at me.

I stop shouting.

I hear their mocking laughter resonate as they drive over the cliff to their deaths. (more…)