The Place of Preservation Part One

In The Place of Preservation Part One, we begin to apply the five points in the logic of faith to the historical record in an attempt to locate God's Word in English. In this study we cover the following critical points:

• What is textual criticism?
• Differences between the Preserved Test and the Critical Text
• Summary of the Westcott and Hort theory of textual criticism

In the end, we offer a Scriptural evaluation of the critical approach as well as looked at textual differences in an attempt to demonstrate that there fundamentally only two Bibles. Don't miss this important study.

For a PDF copy of the notes click here.

To view the PowerPoint click here.

To view the chart on the Critical Text click here.

To view the chart on the Preserved Text click here.

The People of Preservation

In the last posting we looked at the process of preservation. Not only has God promised to preserve his Word, but He did so through a multiplicity of accurate reliable copies that are just as authoritative as the original autographs. In this study, we consider the men who were entrusted to over see the copying and transmission of God's Word. Discover the God ordained role that the tribe of Levi and the New Testament prophets played in the preservation process.

To download the audio from this lesson click here. (Message dated 1/24/10)

For a copy of the PDF notes click here.

For a copy of the PowerPoint click here.

The Process of Preservation

In this study we consider what the Bible teaches regarding how God is going to preserve his Word. Study with us and consider why the original never were the issue with God. Discover how God has promised to preserve his Word through a multiplicity of accurate reliable copies that are just as authoritative as the originals. Join us we follow the next step in the logic of faith.

For a PDF copy of the notes click here.

For a copy of the PowerPoint click here.

What is Preservation and Why is it Necessary?

In this study we consider the long over looked doctrine of preservation. Modern doctrinal statements have much to say about inspiration but little if anything to say about preservation. Inspiration without preservation is incomplete. The same God who perfectly inspired every word of Scripture is perfectly capable of preserving that which He inspired. Study with us as we take the next step in explaining the logic of faith and demonstrate why preservation is necessary.













To view the PDF notes click here.
To view the PowerPoint click here.

What is Inspiration?

As 2010 gives way to 2011, many English--speaking Christians will be celebrating the 400^th anniversary of the King James Bible. Initially known as the Authorized Version, this translation has had a profound effect upon the English Language as well as Western cultural history. Throughout 2011, Defense and Confirmation will be commemorating the publication of this influential work by presenting various videos and essays highlighting critical issues of the modern version debate. Moreover, we will consider the impact the King James Version has had upon the language, culture, and history of Western Christianity. We hope you will join us as we articulate the Viewpoint or Logic of Faith and how it should impact our search for God's Word in English.

Defense and Confirmation desires to shed the light of truth upon the modern version debate as well as to address many of the misconceptions that supporters of modern versions have used to bolster their position. Our goal is to speak the truth in love on this issue without the verbal assaults and character assassination that have all too often characterized both sides of this debate.

The first video presented below is the opening message in a series entitled, Final Authority: Locating God's Word in English preached in January and February of 2010 at Grace Life Bible Church in Grand Rapids, MI. Please enjoy watching What is Inspiration?

For a PDF copy of the notes click here.
For a copy of the PowerPoint click here.

Summer Update

It is hard to believe that the first week of August is almost over already. Some of you may have noticed that I have not done much blogging this summer. As a school teacher, I try to take a break from the routine of life and make sure I spend a lot of time with my wife and kids during the summer. Between family, ministry, and work responsibilities September through May are often quite crazy. It is good to be able to slow down for a while.

The summer of 2010 has been great thus far. Becky and I have been able to accomplish many projects around our house that have needed our attention. In addition, we have spent a lot of time with our boys. In June, I had the privilege of teaching the teens at our first summer camp. On July 1^st, Becky and I celebrated our 10^th wedding anniversary. It was an honor once again to speak at the Grace School of the Bible Summer Family Bible Conference this past July. My message entitled I Reckon Myself Dead and Alive was well received which was encouraging. After the conference, thanks to my parents, Becky and I were able to sneak away for a couple of days for anniversary in Galena, IL. Thanks to the support of the saints, we sold out of our entire stock of books from the printing ministry. Two weeks from now Grace Life Bible Church will be hosting its first ever Vacation Bible School event. Moreover, planning is underway for the 2010 West Michigan Grace Bible Conference at the church October 8-10.

As you can see, I have not had much time for writing this summer. However, I have been doing a lot of reading to prepare for my Sunday School class on Church History beginning September 12. I have decided to call the class Church History: A Tale of Two Churches. The class is designed to trace the history of the loss and recovery of Pauline truth. Once school starts again and my daily routine stabilizes, I plan on picking up my weekly writing schedule once again. Until then, I hope everyone has a great conclusion to their summer.

The Scientific Argument against Evolution, Complete Artical

A few weeks ago, at the end of May and beginning of June, I had written a series of articles on the issue of science and Evolution. Recently, I took those individual postings and edited them to read like a single essay. A PDF copy of the revised essay is now available on the Grace Life Bible Church web page. Discover that Evolution is a religion which requires more faith to believe than Creationism.

If you would like a copy of The Scientific Argument against Evolution, please click here.

2010 Teen Summer Camp

Last week, my family and I had the honor of being involved in the 2010 Summer Teen Camp at Forth Faith Camp in Morely, MI. This camp was a collaborative effort on the part of Shorewood Bible Church, Grace Life Bible Church, and Canton Grace Fellowship. Mike and Marlene Taylor, of Shorewood Bible Church, did an excellent job of planning and running the camp. About 15 teens form the churches listed above enjoyed the week's festivities. There were many different activities including paintball, river tubing, capture the flag, basketball, and the 300 foot water slide.

Brother Alex Kurz taught during the morning chapel sessions on basic issues regarding salvation and right division. I spoke during the evening session on The Four Freedoms of Grace. The teens really seemed to enjoy the Bible teaching and by all accounts were challenged to grow in their faith and dig deeper into God's Word.

I promised the teens to make the PowerPoints I used available on the Internet. A PDF copy of my notes as well as the PowerPoint presentations are now available on the Grace Life Bible Church web site. Please use the following links to access the notes. Please disregard any typos or grammatical mistakes in my personal notes.

• The Freedom to be Different (PDF)
• The Freedom to be Vulnerable (PDF)
• The Freedom to be Vulnerable (PowerPoint) After you click here scroll down and click.
• The Freedom to be Candid (PDF)
• The Freedom to be Candid (PowerPoint) After you click here scroll down and click.
• The Freedom to Make Mistakes (PDF)
• The Freedom to Make Mistakes (PowerPoint) After you click here scroll down and click.

Thanks to all the counselors who took time out their busy lives to spend time with the teens. I am already looking forward to next year. Thanks to everyone for a great week.

The Scientific Argument against Evolution, Part Four

Darwinism, like all nontheistic worldviews borrows from the theistic worldview to make its own position intelligible. How so? Darwinists continually emphasize the superiority of reason over faith. Reason requires that the universe is reasonable, which presupposes order, logic, design, and truth. But order, logic, design, and truth can only exist and be known if there is an unchanged objective source and standard of such things.(1) "To say something is unreasonable, Darwinists must know what reasonable is. To say something is not designed, Darwinists much know design is. To say something is not true, Darwinists must know what truth is, and so forth."(2)

    Many currently believe that "science is the only sourse of objective truth." While a statement such as this claims to be objective, it is certainly not scientific. The statement is philosophical in nature and cannot be proved scientifically. Therefore, it is self-defeating. In fact there are many truths that cannot be proven scientifically that all rational people accept:

1. Mathematics and logic (science can't prove them because science presupposes them)
   
2. Ethical judgments (one can't prove by science that the Nazis were evil because morality is not subject to the scientific method)
   
3. Aesthetic judgments (the beautiful, like the good, cannot be scientifically proven)
   
4. Science itself (ironically, the belief that the scientific method discovers truth can't be proven by the scientific method itself).(3)
   

This leads us to one of the most important lessons we can learn from considering the scientific arguments against evolution. Science is built on philosophy. In fact, science is a slave to philosophy.(4)

    "Bad philosophy results in bad science, and good science requires good philosophy."(5) Norman Geisler and Frank Turek, co-authors of I Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist, offering the following to substantiate this point:

1. Science cannot be done without philosophy. Philosophical assumptions are utilized in the search for causes, and therefore, cannot be the result of them. For example, assume (by faith) that reason and the scientific method allow us to accurately understand the world around us. That cannot be proven by science itself. One can't prove the tools of science—the laws of logic, the Law of Causality, the Principle of Uniformity, or the reliability of observation—by running some kind of experiment. You have to assume those things are true in order to do the experiment.
   
2. Philosophical assumptions can dramatically impact scientific conclusions. If a scientist assumes beforehand that only natural causes are possible, then probably no amount of evidence will convince him that intelligence created the first one-celled or any other designed entity. When Darwinists presuppose that intelligent causes are impossible, then natural laws are the only game in town. Likewise, if a creationist rules out natural causes beforehand, then he also risks missing the right answer. However, a scientist who is open-minded to both natural and intelligent causes can follow the evidence wherever its leads.
   
3. Science doesn't really say anything—scientists do. Data is always interpreted by scientists. When those scientists let their personal preferences or unproven philosophical assumptions dictate their interpretation of the evidence, they do exactly what they accuse religious people of doing—they let their ideology dictate their conclusions. When that's the case, their conclusions should be questioned because they may be nothing more than philosophical presuppositions passed off as scientific facts.(6)
   

The evidence simply does not support the Darwinian worldview or Darwinists would not have to borrow from the theistic worldview to make their case. "Intellect, free will, objective morality, and human rights as well as reason, logic, design, and truth exist only if God exists."(7) Evolution assumes some or all of these realities when articulating their naturalistic view. In short, Naturalists cannot have it both ways.

Endnotes

1. Norman Geisler. I Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist. (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2004), 130.
   
2. Ibid., 130.
   
3. Ibid., 126-127.
   
4. Ibid., 127.
   
5. Ibid., 127.
   
6. Ibid., 127-128.
   
7. Ibid., 132.

2010 Great Lakes Grace Bible Conference

This past Memorial Day weekend, Becky and I had the privilege of attending the Great Lakes Grace Bible Conference in Wilmot, Ohio. This meeting sponsored by Ohio Grace Ministries was an excellent weekend of scenery, food, and fellowship around God's Word. In addition, to seeing old friends, I had the privilege of meeting many saints who are new to "right division" from all over the country.

I had the honor of preaching twice on the subject of Prayer for Today. Brother David Reid, one of the conference organizers, gave me challenging task of discussing how we should pray today during the dispensation of grace not how we should not pray. As I prepared for this conference it became apparent that it is much easier to tell someone how not to do something (negative) than it is to give clear instruction on how it should be done (positive). The fruit of my studies on this topic is summarized in the notes and PowerPoints I used to present these messages. I am pleased, as promised, to make these notes available for further study on this important topic. Please select from the following links.

• The Pauline Prayer Paradigm (PDF)
• The Pauline Prayer Paradigm (PowerPoint)
• The Pauline Prayer Paradigm Practically Applied (PDF)
• The Pauline Prayer paradigm Practically Applied (PowerPoint)
• The Index of Pauline Prayer

While Becky and I were in Ohio, the saints of Grace Life Bible Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan put on a yard sale to raise money for our upcoming Bible conference in October. I am pleased to announce that through their hard work we raised almost all the money we need to cover the expenses of the conference. My heart rejoices to be part of a Grace Church where there is life and vitality. I love all the members of my church family.

Finally, if you have not already done so please consider attending the 2010 West Michigan Grace Bible Conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan. This year's theme is The Grace Life at Home. Study with us as we seek to practically apply Grace doctrine to all aspects of family life. Even if you aren't married or don't have kids, you will not want to miss this weekend of practical application and edification. Please visit the conference website for complete details.