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I know I’m in the minority these days, but I still love to listen to music on vinyl records. The long play (“LP”) record, which was introduced by Columbia in 1948, was pushed to the brink of extinction by the cassette tape, the compact disc (“CD”), and now digital media. Today it is enjoying somewhat of a comeback, but is still little more than a small niche in the overall music industry.

There are two main reasons why I prefer the LP format. First, I love the warm, rich sound that is the hallmark of most vinyl pressings. Music just sounds more authentic on a record. Second, the LP puts the emphasis on listening to the album all the way through from beginning to end. When I listen to a record, I know I’m hearing the album the way the artist originally intended for it to be enjoyed.

This emphasis on the album as a whole has been slowly eroding with each passing generation of music recording technology. The cassette tape allowed for fast-forwarding or rewinding to a particular song on the album. The CD made it possible to “skip” straight to individual songs we wanted to hear. With digital media we can forgo the album altogether and merely purchase the tracks we want, assembling them together in any way our heart desires. The focus on the album is almost non-existent in today’s music culture.

Unfortunately, the same thing can be said regarding the trend of how the “Ancient Record” (i.e. the Word of God) is studied and taught. It used to be common for preachers and teachers to employ “expository” methods in presenting scripture. The aim of expository preaching is to dig deep into the Word of God and attempt to present a section of text in the way the author, and ultimately God’s Holy Spirit, intended for it to be received. This often involves the consideration of context, culture, original language, and other factors. In other words, expository teaching requires a willingness to work hard and dig deep to find the truth contained in God’s Word.

A few years ago I developed a medical condition with symptoms that began to significantly impact my life. During the process of undergoing test after test to discover the source of these problems, I had a discussion with a health provider who was advising me on how to cope with my symptoms, have more energy, and regain my strength. She asked about all of the things I was involved in related to work, family, church, and social life, and immediately said that I first needed to simplify my life and focus on those things that are most important.

Today I find myself in a different type of struggle, however this one is not related to my physical health. Instead, it involves my spiritual life. Once again, there are symptoms that are severely affecting me. I often find myself out of energy, frustrated, and overwhelmed. As with my health issue, I know the only way I’m going to break free of these symptoms is by simplifying my spiritual life and focusing on those things that are most fundamental to my Christian faith.

This challenge is mostly because the American execution of “Church” has become overly complicated. Anyone involved in the work of a local body knows that today’s church is often filled with politics, competing agendas, feuds, entertainment, marketing, denominationalism, and so many other things that take our focus off of what God intended His believers to be about.

These are the things that have me at a spiritual crossroads in my life, and yearning for simplicity in my church experience and my Christian walk. I want to stop worrying about things that ultimately don’t matter, and focus on the core fundamentals of Christianity.

From the August 2013 issue of Gospel Advocate Magazine…reprinted by permission

By Timothy Agee

 ¹ Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. ² Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. (Ecclesiastes 5:1–2, ESV)

The words “Guard your steps” could be a physical instruction offered to someone approaching difficult or dangerous terrain. However, the writer of Ecclesiastes uses them to represent a significant spiritual concept: the truth that approaching God is a serious matter.

How often in our Christian lives do we mindlessly perform the outward acts of worship or become satisfied with our own understanding instead of continually seeking God’s word? Going through the motions or being puffed up by our own pride may cause us to feel spiritual or religious, but this warning tells us that we might actually be offering up “the sacrifice of fools” because we do not have the proper appreciation for who God truly is or what He means to our lives.

When we look at the significant problems facing the Lord’s church, are they not all a symptom of the greater crisis of not having the proper reverence for the almighty God? Biblical illiteracy is rampant among our churches, but if we truly understood that God was the only hope of living beyond this earthly life, would we not “hunger and thirst for righteousness…” (Matthew 5:6, ESV) that only comes from the study of His word?

What about divisions and splits within our churches? Do these not arise because we focus so intently on ourselves instead of God almighty? If we truly understood that we are nothing without Him, would we not be filled with a spirit of humility that allows us to consider others better than ourselves (Philippians 2:3, ESV) as prescribed by Paul to the church at Philippi?

When considering our own regard for God, and the impact this has on our lives (or lack thereof), we would be wise to remember the words Isaiah delivered prophetically to the children of Israel who were grumbling in the midst of Babylonian captivity:

²⁸ Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. (Isaiah 40:28, ESV)

By Timothy Agee

Do we choose what we desire?

“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”  (I Corinthians 10:13, ESV – emphasis added)

There is no doubt that the biblical view of homosexual lifestyle is increasingly under attack in our culture. Within the past couple of weeks, I have read columns written by members of the mainstream media that called our viewpoint “completely and totally stupid” and “hateful bigotry.” While this is distressing to Christians, it should not be surprising. We must remember that our message is “foolishness” to the world:

“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”  (I Corinthians 1:18, ESV)

One thing about this discussion that is surprising to me, is that when faced with this topic, many Christians will first argue that homosexual desire must be a choice rather than a true yearning that occurs within an individual. Going down this road will immediately illicit a strong response from anyone who supports a homosexual lifestyle, and the rest of our message will most likely be lost on them. I agree that the practice of homosexuality is a choice, which is contrary to God’s will:

“For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.”  (Romans 1:26-27, ESV – emphasis added)

by Olivia Agee

From the March/April 2013 issue of Christian Woman magazine…reprinted by permission.

Imagine two young men are at your door, tracts in hand, attempting to share their faith. When you ask why you should believe as they do, they respond, “Because the book of Mormon says so.”

Would this statement alone convince you to abandon your current beliefs and join the Mormon faith? Of course not, and neither would the words “the Quran tells me so” or “the writings of Buddha tell me so.” Yet many times we expect the mere words “because the Bible says so” to convert our non-Christian friends. Now, “the Bible tells me so” is extremely important in matters of doctrine and Christian living, but to non-Christians, those words are not convincing as a reason to accept the Bible as truth.

First Peter 3:15 commands us to “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (NIV84). Is this something we know how to do? The evidence is on our side; there are a lot of good reasons to believe that what the Bible says is true. But could we explain them to someone else? With these questions in mind, the following is a short summary of evidence that I personally find most convincing.

Problems With Darwinian Evolution

First, I do not find the evidence for life apart from a Creator to be compelling. Darwinian evolution is full of holes, the most notable being the lack of evidence for life originating from non-life (i.e., abiogenesis); for species evolving into other species; and for the human body developing its systems gradually by natural selection (i.e., irreducible complexity), which was Darwin’s own criteria for the failure of his theory.

by Timothy Agee

From the May 2013 issue of Gospel Advocate magazine…reprinted by permission.

In the midst of a culture filled with smart phones, social media, streaming video and on demand TV shows, churches of Christ across the country are struggling with how to attract and retain young adults within their congregations. In this context, the church is sometimes viewed as a relic that has trouble relating to the younger generation.

In response to this issue, some churches have embraced a strategy that has watered down the message of the gospel and that relies heavily on entertainment and social interaction to appeal to young adults. They emphasize the “experience” without the religion. They try to make the church “cool” by changing it to look more like the world. But if we do not take the time to teach them the Bible, can this approach possibly lead to an authentic relationship with Christ and His Word? Will they find answers to the deepest questions about their faith and be prepared to face the world with all of its dangers? Will they ever be motivated to take ownership of their faith?

When facing this challenge, we must realize that the church, as established on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2), is still relevant today without our intervention. When we attempt to make it more relevant for today’s young adults, we may actually make it less relevant by taking the focus off the most important things, thereby compounding the problem.

Young adults are smart enough to see through things that are superficial. If we try to use entertainment, they will move on to something else once they find a better alternative. If we try to make the church appear more like the culture, they will quickly see it as a cheap imitation. If we present them with only a shallow representation of the Word, they will look for something else to fill the void and will quickly be “devoured,” “scorched” or “choked” by the influence of the world:

And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them (Matthew 13:4-7 ESV, emphasis added).

Today I almost deleted my Facebook account…

I was not an early adopter of Facebook, but these days nobody would question that I have fully embraced social media. This is not only through the use of Facebook, but also Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, and even my personal Blog that is connected to these various services. In many ways social media has become an incredible tool for someone with my interests and background.

There are some obvious benefits to this technology, such as the ability to keep up with the lives of friends, former classmates, family members, and those that share my personal hobbies such as running. However, these things are only the tip of the iceberg.

As an active member and Bible class teacher at the Bellevue Church of Christ, social media provides me with an additional avenue of communication for church events, fellowship opportunities, Bible class notes and handouts, and those in need of prayer and encouragement. As a guest preacher and Bible class teacher, I have been blessed to work with a number of churches in Middle Tennessee through the years. Facebook and Twitter have provided me with a great way to stay in touch with my brothers and sisters in those churches, when this would have otherwise been difficult. It has also made it easier to keep up with the efforts of missionaries in other countries, especially those I’ve personally worked with in southern Honduras.

However, for all of the good things about Facebook and social media mentioned above, there are many things that really concern me, especially when coming from Christians. I remember vividly the moment when I found out about the tragic shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut on December 14, 2012. I was overwhelmed with sadness, and all I could think about was the need to pray. Probably the best post I saw on Facebook in response to this unspeakable act was from our preacher, Tom Riley…

Unfortunately, this was not the typical response that I saw from my fellow Christians. Between Facebook and Twitter I would estimate that 7 of every 10 posts coming from Christians were regarding the political implications of the attack, rather than anything concerning the victims, the families, the community, or most importantly….prayer. This shocked me.

So proud of Olivia Agee for her article “Why I Believe,” which was published in the March / April issue of Christian Woman magazine.

You can read the article online at their website

I’m obviously biased, but it is definitely worth taking a moment to read.

If you look at the main page of my Tumblr blog, you will see the first thing I mention about myself is that I’m a Christian. This is THE thing that defines my life. As a matter of fact my priorities could be summed up this way:

1. My Christianity
2. My Family
3. Everything else (including running)

I am not ashamed of it, and I will not hide it from the world. However, I also understand that not everyone agrees with my beliefs. 

From the very beginning this blog has been about many things, including my Christianity, my family, and my journey as runner. While I thoroughly enjoy interacting with my followers, gaining followers has never been my motivation for starting this blog.

That being said, I do hope you will continue to follow. I also hope you will take a moment to read the article that prompted your anonymous message. Maybe you’ll read it and completely disagree. Maybe you’ll read it and could care less. Or just maybe it will give you something to think about.

Introduction

This essay was written in response to a challenge for our Wednesday night ladies Bible class at Bellevue Church of Christ.  We are studying 1 Peter and I was teaching on chapter 3.  Verse 15 says, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” (NIV-1984)  I challenged the class to spend the week examining the reasons why they believe the Bible to be true and then write a short speech or essay in response to Peter’s challenge to be prepared to give an answer.  I should probably note that my reasons are certainly not the only reasons for religious belief.  There are many other problems with Darwinism and evidences for the existence of God that I don’t touch on here.  This essay simply covers the evidence I personally find most convincing.

I. Problems with Darwinian Evolution

I do not find the evidence for a natural origin of life compelling.  Darwinian evolutionary theory is full of gaping holes, the most notable being the complete lack of evidence for abiogenesis (life originating from non-life), the lack of evidence for macroevolution (species evolving into other species), and the existence of irreducibly complex systems (systems that could not emerge gradually by natural selection) within the human body —Darwin’s own criteria for the failure of his theory.

I have read some of Darwin’s writings and materials from the opposing point of view, but their evidence doesn’t add up.  Slapping the label  ‘the big bang’ on the beginning of the universe doesn’t explain what caused it or how anything could happen without a cause.  If life emerged from some primordial soup, where did the ingredients for the soup come from?

Additionally the fossil record does not support macroevolution; it does support microevolution (change within species) but no one disputes this.  Finches’ beaks can change, but those finches are still finches, not alligators.  Peppered moths can change color to blend in with their environment but they don’t turn into owls.  They are still moths.

Darwin himself said, “If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight modifications, my theory would absolutely fall apart.” (i)  Biochemist Michael Behe, author of Darwin’s Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution, provides an excellent case for the existence of such irreducibly complex systems. Behe describes an irreducibly complex system as being “composed of several well-matched, interacting parts that contribute to the basic function, wherein the removal of any one of the parts causes the system to effectively cease functioning.” (ii) He explains, “An everyday example of irreducible complexity is a mousetrap, built of several pieces (platform, hammer, spring and so on). Such a system probably cannot be put together in a Darwinian manner, gradually improving its function. You can’t catch a mouse with just the platform and then catch a few more by adding the spring. All the pieces have to be in place before you catch any mice.” (iii)  He gives multiple examples in his book including bacterial flagellum and blood clotting.

II. Evidence for the existence of God

On the other hand, I do find the evidence for the existence of God quite compelling, especially the moral argument for God’s existence.  The moral argument states:  1. If God does not exist, then objective moral values do not exist.  2.  Objective moral values do exist.  3. Therefore, God exists.

This seems logical.  If all we are is a cosmological accident then there are no objective moral laws.  Where would they come from?  If there is no moral lawgiver, there can be no moral law.  All morality would be subjective.

Let’s think for a moment about the difference between objective and subjective.  I hate mushrooms.  I hate the way they taste, I hate the way they smell, and I hate the way they squish in my mouth if one gets mixed in on my pizza.  I say mushrooms are disgusting.  You might like mushrooms.  You might think they taste good and smell wonderful.  You say mushrooms are delicious.  Neither of us is wrong.  The statement ‘mushrooms are disgusting’ is true when I say it because mushrooms are disgusting to me.  The statement ‘mushrooms are delicious’ is true when you say it because mushrooms are delicious to you.  So the truth of the statement is dependent on the person making the statement, it is a subjective truth.

However, Hitler’s ethnic cleansing when he ordered millions of Jews to be brutally murdered was wrong.  Not mushroom wrong, objectively wrong.  Even if Hitler had succeeded in winning the war and killing or brainwashing everyone in the world who disagreed with him so that all people thought what he did was wonderful, he’d still be wrong.

Remember, if evolution is true and humans are an accident of the universe then they can have no inherent value.  Some would simply define morality or good as whatever causes humanity to flourish.  However, given evolution, why would this be the case?  If evolution were true why would human flourishing be any more important than mice flourishing or bacteria or cancer cells flourishing?  If there is no external standard of right and wrong then my dislike of rape is no different than my dislike of mushrooms.

This way of thinking makes no sense in real life scenarios. Certain things are simply wrong.  Rape is wrong.  Torturing someone for fun is wrong.  Though I can’t test it scientifically, it is self evident to me that human beings do have inherent value and that objective right and wrong does exist.  Therefore, God’s existence makes more sense than His non-existence.

III. Biblical reliability

The more I study about the Bible the more I find it to be a reliable historical document.  Once you study textual transmission you discover that the Bible has been meticulously preserved.  The Bible has, by far, the most copies and the earliest manuscripts of any document of antiquity.

We have roughly 15.000 handwritten manuscripts, some fragments and some entire books.  Of books from antiquity the next highest number of manuscripts is the Iliad of which we have about 600.  We only have 7 copies of Plato’s writings.  Most accepted ancient manuscripts have only about a dozen surviving copies.

We also have the earliest manuscripts of antiquity with undisputed fragments going back to within 150 years of the originals (there are disputed fragments dated around 25 years from the originals.  Compared to other ancient documents, the average age of surviving documents is about a thousand years removed from their original writings.  Aside from biblical texts, the Iliad has the oldest surviving documents and those were copied about 500 years after the original was written.

You may have heard about errors in the manuscripts.  However, it might surprise you to discover that the variants are statistically insignificant.  The vast majority of these copy errors are spelling or punctuation errors.  In fact there is not a single variant that affects any doctrine of the church that cannot be clarified by other passages.

Historical facts in the Bible turn out to be quite credible.  For example, facts about Jesus are noted not just in the Bible but in non-Christian historical texts as well.  In fact Jesus is mentioned in at least 10 different non-biblical sources within 150 years of his death.  By way of comparison, that is more surviving sources than we have for Tiberius Caesar, the Roman emperor of that time.

Many people have set out to disprove the Bible and Christianity only to be converted in the process.  Author C.S. Lewis and the reporter Lee Strobel come to mind but one of the most interesting to my mind is Sir William Ramsay.  He was a famous archaeologist who set out to prove the book of Acts was historically inaccurate and the Bible was false.  After 30 years of digging and studying he concluded that Luke should be placed along-side the greatest historians.  It makes sense to me that if the Biblical writers were so meticulous with their facts it lends credibility to their story.

Many people who reject the Bible do so because of the supernatural elements, claiming that miracles are impossible, therefore the Bible must be false.  However, it makes sense to me that if there is a God who created the universe and all the natural rules within, it should not be impossible for that Creator to suspend those rules if He has reason to do so.

IV. Evidence for the resurrection

Another reason I believe the Bible to be true is the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus.  His crucifixion (and later His empty tomb) is one of the best attested to facts of ancient history.  Virtually every expert on the time period agrees on three basic facts: 1. Jesus was crucified 2. His tomb was found empty 3. His disciples at least believed they saw Him alive after His death.

So if Jesus’ tomb was empty, where did the body go?  Contemporaries of His disciples claimed they stole the body, but if this were true, why were they willing to go to horrific deaths claiming Jesus was resurrected?  They had no motive.  They did not achieve the money and fame of modern day televangelists.  They received beatings, ridicule, and brutal martyr’s deaths.  Why would they go to their deaths, and send their loved ones to their deaths, for something they knew was a lie?   This is why virtually no scholar today, including non-Christian scholars, believes that Jesus’ disciples stole his body.  It just doesn’t make any sense when you consider how they lived and died.

By far the most prevailing theory to explain Jesus’ disciples’ belief in the resurrection is that they all hallucinated His appearances.  I don’t think this theory fits the evidence.  For one thing, many of Jesus appearances were to groups.  By definition a hallucination is something only one person can see. This theory also doesn’t even address what happened to Jesus’ body.

Further it does not adequately explain why those who previously didn’t believe in Jesus’ divinity such as Saul (a persecutor of the church turned apostle) or James (Jesus’ skeptic brother) would have a hallucination and suddenly be willing to give their lives for their belief in the risen Jesus.

Jesus predicted both His death and His resurrection.  Upon studying the evidence I came to the conclusion that God did raise Him from the dead.  While I accept that for you or me resurrection from the dead would be impossible, I see no such restriction if God is involved.  After all, you or I could not create a universe either.  But if there is a God who can create life from non-life, and I have already given my reasons why I believe there is such a being, then why would it be any trouble for Him to put life back into a non-living body?

V. The power of the Gospel to change lives

Finally, I have seen that following the Bible and seeking to build a relationship with God has the power to change lives. I have experienced it personally and I have seen this power in the lives of others.  I do not base my belief on experience alone but the reasons I have given provide me the confidence to trust my experience.  I believe that God created the universe, reveals Himself and His plan in the Bible, and sent his Son to offer salvation to those who would choose to accept it.

Recommended reading

I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist by Norman L. Geisler and Frank Turek

On Guard: Defending Your Faith With Reason and Precision by William Lane Craig

The Questions Christians Hope No One Will Ask: (With Answers) by Mark Mittelberg

The Case For A Creator by Lee Strobel

The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel

———————-

Endnotes

i Charles Darwin, On the Origin of Species (New York: Penguin, 1958), 171.

ii Michael Behe, Darwin’s Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution (New York: Touchstone, 1996), 39.

iii Michael Behe, Darwin Under the Microscope, The New York Times, October 29, 1996, Tuesday Final Section A; Page 25; Column 2; Editorial Desk

Romans 3:21-26 (ESV) 
²¹But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—²²the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: ²³for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. ²⁶It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

I think that most of us who spend any time reading the Bible have a favorite passage of scripture. For me, it is Romans 3:21-26, because this passage reveals God’s great mystery of redemption, and answers one of the most pivotal questions of the entire Bible: “Why did Jesus have to die?” Perhaps we sometimes allow ourselves to think that certainly God could have come up with a different way. However, Paul explains here how God in his infinite wisdom overcame what to most would seem like an impossible dilemma.

If our transgressions truly separate us from God (v. 23), then how could God freely give salvation (v. 24) without trivializing sin? If God simply forgave us of our failings, without a payment being made, then sin would have no weight. The only way was to offer Himself, through His Son,as the sacrifice for our sins (v. 25). With this plan, God ensured that justice was served and that salvation could be given to mankind as a free gift through His grace (vv. 24 & 26) 

However, this gift is only available to those who have faith in the one who made the payment for us (vv. 22, 25-26). “Faith in Jesus Christ” specifies the necessary object of our faith, Jesus Christ, and indicates that one has dedicated their life to following the will of God and His Son.

Follow-up: What is your favorite scripture, and why?

Prayer:

Lord, we recognize you as being the author of our salvation through the sacrifice of your Son, Jesus Christ. We praise you for the free gift of grace that you pour out on all those who have faith in your Son. Please help us to fully understand the significance of His payment, and to never take it for granted. Please give us the courage to take the good news about your Son to a lost and dying world. In your Son’s most holy name, Amen.