Apparent Contradictions: Does the Changeless God Change His Mind?

We've all heard that the Bible has contradictions.  I've been taking some time to debunk some of them and you've voted this next one in today.  So feast your eyes on these next two verses and think about them for a moment.

God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?  --  Numbers 23:19


When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.  --  Jonah 3:10

Feature Friday: Halfway. . . Mansion?

I was reading the news this week and came across THIS news article.  A beautiful mansion right on the water in a luxury neighborhood in Florida might be getting turned into a drug and rehab clinic.  On top of the fact that its a mansion on the beach, this place also has a full-time professional chef, an on call staff, a private pool, a baby grand piano, a home theater, and who knows what else!

Let's be honest, that's the kind of place most of us dream of living in someday.  But we know its only a dream.  There's only two ways to get a home like that.  You can be a genius or savant who works hard and gets rich.  Or you can get lucky and hit the lottery, either by being born into the right family or by landing the magic megaball ticket.

But apparently, now there is a third option.  You can become a drug addict and go to rehab.  This has actually been causing a bit of a stir in the neighborhood and in general.  People have cried out that this will make the wealthy neighborhood unsafe and hurt its value.  Let's be honest, that's very possible.  In addition, some of the neighbors simply don't want to be near those who need rehab.  Others have argued that drug abusers should not be rewarded for their mistakes with such luxury as it sends a very confusing message.

Theology Tuesday: Can God make a rock so big He can't lift it?

I love debating theology and talking apologetics.  I love it when people bring me tough questions about God and hang out long enough to talk through the answers.  But what about this question?  What do you do with it?  How do you answer it?  Can God make a rock so big that even He can't lift it?

I've Only Heard It Two Ways

Tons of people have asked me this question and, as far as I know, its always been for one of two reasons.  More than half of the time that people ask me this question, its meant as a goofy joke question to stump you sort of like asking if the chicken or egg came first or like telling someone to repeat a tongue twister.  The goal is to have fun and watch people squirm through the riddle.  In this case, you don't really need an answer.  Talking it through is half of the fun and everyone is happy in the end.

Less often though, the question comes from a very different motive and goal.  There are some people who have posed this question of me as if it were the deathblow to any and all arguments for God.  They'll often add a word like, "BOOM!" at the end of the question to show just how much trouble you are in because they themselves have come up with the most clever, original, and effective proof that God is not real ever.  I exaggerate a bit, but has anyone ever brought this question up to you like this?  In this case, you kind of need to know how to respond in order to defend your faith.  So what can we say?

One reason I love Psalm 145

When I'm driving the speed limit and I get tailgated, sometimes I think to myself, "I should just slam on my brakes and it will go down as their fault...that'll teach them!"

When I got home from the airport last week, Michaela was crying and everyone was talking while grandma was trying to buckle her into her car seat.  We were parked for too long at the pickup curb and the lady came up and told us to move.  I snapped at her quite rudely.

I got a huge and unexpected bill yesterday.  When I went in to dispute it and things didn't go my way, I thought about throwing my documents in the lady's face for a second... just for a second. On the outside, I smiled and thanked her.

Do you get angry?  Do you punch walls?  Do you lose your temper?  Do you yell at people?  I'm not the only one right?

Theology Thusday: Does the Old Testament Teach the Trinity

A few months ago, I got an E-mail from a friend.  He quoted Genesis 1:26 and asked me who is the "us" mentioned.  That got me talking to him and a few other people about the Trinity and the Old Testament.  Does the Old Testament teach the Trinity?  If not, then why not?  If God really is one Being who eternally existed as three Persons, then why would He not feel like mentioning that in the Old Testament?

Theology Thursday: God, Gods, and the God in Me?

A question presented to me today on Facebook was "What's the difference between deism, pantheism, and panentheism?"  This is actually a huge question, but let me try to give you an answer.  Its important to know these things as Christians because these worldviews are not only present in the religions of some of our neighbors and friends but also in movies and culture.  We need to understand them to be able to communicate the truth of the Bible to those around us.

I'll try to give five main categories along with their definitions, what the Bible says about them, and the negative sides to believing them.

Deism
Deism teaches that the universe was created and then later abandoned by God.  Essentially, God made the world and then left and He no longer answers prayers, does miracles, or really even cares about His creation at all.

I Love Generous People

Do you know anyone who is really, really, really generous?  I don't mean the kind of person who gives you a few dollars when you're a bit short at the movie theater.  I'm talking about the kind of person who just buys people nice gifts out of the blue.  Don't you just love them?!