Monthly Archives: April 2020

Famous Atheists & Their Last Words

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1. CAESAR BORGIA—Italian nobleman, politician, and cardinal: “While I lived, I provided for everything but death; now I must die, and am unprepared to die.”

2. THOMAS HOBBS—Political philosopher: “I say again, if I had the whole world at my disposal, I would give it to live one day. I am about to take a leap into the dark.”

3. THOMAS PAYNE—The leading atheistic writer in American colonies: “Stay with me, for God’s sake; I cannot bear to be left alone, O Lord, help me! O God, what have I done to suffer so much? What will become of me hereafter? I would give worlds if I had them, that The Age of Reason had never been published. 0 Lord, help me! Christ, help me! No, don’t leave; stay with me! Send even a child to stay with me; for I am on the edge of hell here alone. If ever the Devil had an agent, I have been that one.”

4. SIR THOMAS SCOTT—Chancellor of England: “Until this moment I thought there was neither a God nor a hell. Now I know and feel that there are both, and I am doomed to perdition by the just judgment of the Almighty.”

5. VOLTAIRE—famous anti-christian atheist: “I have swallowed nothing but smoke. I have intoxicated myself with the incense that turned my head. I am abandoned by God and man.” He said to his physician, Dr. Fochin: “I will give you half of what I am worth if you will give me six months of life.” When he was told this was not possible, he said “Then I shall die and go to hell!” His nurse said: “For all the money in Europe I wouldn’t want to see another unbeliever die! All night long he cried for forgiveness.”

6. ROBERT INGERSOLL—American writer and orator during the Golden Age of Free Thought: “O God, if there be a God, save my soul, if I have a soul!” Some say it was said this way: “Oh God, if there be a God, save my soul, if I have a soul, from hell, if there be a hell!

7. DAVID HUME—Atheist philosopher famous for his philosophy of empiricism and skepticism of religion: He cried loud on his death bed “I am in flames!” It is said his desperation was a horrible scene.

8. NAPOLEON BONAPARTE—French emperor who, like Adolf Hitler, brought death to millions to satisfy his greedy, power-mad, selfish ambitions for world conquest: “I die before my time, and my body will be given back to the earth. Such is the fate of him who has been called the great Napoleon. What an abyss between my deep misery and the eternal kingdom of Christ!”

9. SIR FRANCIS NEWPORT—Head of an English Atheist club, to those gathered around his deathbed: “You need not tell me there is no God, for I know there is one, and that I am in his presence! You need not tell me there is no hell. I feel myself already slipping. Wretches, cease your idle talk about there being hope for me! I know I am lost forever! Oh, that fire! Oh, the insufferable pangs of hell! Oh, that I could lie for a thousand years upon the fire that is never quenched, to purchase the favor of God and be united to Him again. But it is a fruitless wish. Millions and millions of years will bring me no nearer the end of my torments than one poor hour. Oh, eternity, eternity forever and forever! Oh, the insufferable pangs of Hell!”

10. CHARLES IX—the French king. Urged on by his mother, he gave the order for the massacre of the French Huguenots, in which 15,000 souls were slaughtered in Paris alone and 100,000 in other sections of France, for no other reason than that they loved Christ. The guilty king suffered miserably for years after that event. He finally died, bathed in blood bursting from his veins. To his physicians, he said in his last hours: “Asleep or awake, I see the mangled forms of the Huguenots passing before me. They drop with blood. They point at their open wounds. Oh! That I had spared at least the little infants at the bosom! What blood! I know not where I am. How will all this end? What shall I do? I am lost forever! I know it. Oh, I have done wrong.”

11. DAVID STRAUSS—Leading representative of German rationalism, after spending a lifetime erasing belief in God from the minds of others: “My philosophy leaves me utterly forlorn! I feel like one caught in the merciless jaws of an automatic machine, not knowing at what time one of its great hammers may crush me!”

12. ANTON LEVEY—Author of the Satanic Bible and high priest of the religion dedicated to the worship of Satan. One of his famous quotes was: “There is a beast in man that needs to be exercised, not exorcised”. His dying words were: “Oh my, oh my, what have I done, there is something very wrong. . . there is something very wrong.”

13. GANDHI—at his death said, “For the first time in 50 years, I find myself in the slough of despond. All about me is darkness… I am praying for light.”

Predestination and the Actions of Men

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Article “Predestination and Human Actions” by Dr. James N. Anderson, who is the Carl W. McMurray Professor of Theology and Philosophy at Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte, N.C., and an ordained minister in the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. He is the featured teacher of the Ligonier teaching series Exploring Islam and author of What’s Your Worldview? (original source: https://tabletalkmagazine.com/article/2020/04/predestination-and-human-actions/)

The legend of Oedipus is often considered the classic example of Greek fatalism. Troubled by doubts about his parentage, the protagonist consults an oracle who declares that he is destined to murder his father and marry his mother. Although Oedipus repudiates the awful prophecy, events cruelly conspire to bring about its fulfillment. All his efforts to evade his fate prove futile.

The Reformed or Calvinistic doctrines of providence and predestination are often charged with being fatalistic. Yet this characterization trades on some deep confusions. Calvinism does indeed affirm that all events in creation are foreordained by God. As the Westminster Confession of Faith puts it, “God, from all eternity, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will, freely, and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass” (3.1). Nevertheless, the confession immediately adds that this divine foreordination does not render meaningless the wills of God’s creatures. On the contrary, God normally works out His eternal purposes though secondary causes such as human agents and natural processes. Biblical examples of God directing human actions to His own ends include the story of Joseph (Gen. 45:5–8; 50:20), the Assyrian conquest of the kingdom of Israel (Isa. 10:5–11), and the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus (Acts 4:27–28).

How, then, does Calvinism differ from fatalism? Shouldn’t a Calvinist admit that Judas was fated to betray Jesus (John 17:12; Acts 1:16) just as Oedipus was fated to kill his father? We should note first that “fate” was understood by the ancients to be an impersonal force or principle that applied equally to men and gods. Just as the Greeks failed to acknowledge a transcendent personal Creator, so they lacked any notion of a sovereign God who directs all things “to his own holy ends” (WCF 5.4). For the pagan fatalist, there is no divine hand of providence, no overarching plan of God. There is no rhyme or reason to the fated outcomes; the universe is a theater of absurdity and tragedy. Contrast that with the biblical worldview, according to which God “works all things according to the counsel of his will” (Eph. 1:11) and “all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28).

A second major difference between Calvinism and fatalism has already been touched on. Calvinism maintains that God determines not only the ends—the final outcomes of events—but also the means to those ends. In other words, in God’s providence the means are coordinated with the ends such that the ends depend on the means. Thus, God did not merely ordain that Joseph would end up second in authority to Pharaoh; He ordained the entire series of events that culminated in that outcome, including the sinful actions of Joseph’s brothers. We shouldn’t imagine that God planned for Joseph to become so significant to Pharaoh regardless of how his brothers treated him.

Fatalism, on the other hand, tends to disconnect the ends from the means, implying that our lives will turn out a certain way no matter what we do. A contemporary illustration is provided by a recent series of movies in which a group of people initially cheat Death, but their escape always turns out to be short-lived. The Grim Reaper eventually catches up with each of them, despite their attempts to avoid his scythe. Fatalism suggests that our actions are truly futile; they make no practical difference to the outcome. Yet that idea is entirely foreign to the Reformed doctrine of providence. Our future outcomes most surely depend on the choices we make in this life. There’s no contradiction in affirming both that future outcomes depend crucially on our choices and that God sovereignly orders all things, including future outcomes and the choices that lead to them. Yes, God foreordains the actions of His creatures, but He also foreordains that their actions have significant consequences.

A sporting illustration may help clarify the point. Imagine you’re playing a round of golf with a friend, Jacob, who has a habit of conflating Calvinism and fatalism. At the fifth tee, you hit a sweet drive down the fairway. The ball lands squarely on the green and rolls triumphantly into the cup for a hole-in-one.

Instead of congratulating you, Jacob has a mischievous grin on his face. “You’re a Calvinist, aren’t you?” “Indeed,” you reply, intrigued to hear where this is going. “So you believe that God has foreordained all things from eternity, including that hole-in-one. Well, if God foreordained it, it didn’t really matter how you hit the ball. It was predestined to end up in the hole regardless.”

Jacob isn’t nearly as clever as he thinks. By his confused reasoning, the ball would have landed in the hole even if you hadn’t hit it at all. But clearly that’s absurd. The hole-in-one depended on your striking the ball—and striking it well. The consistent Calvinist will say that God foreordained not only the hole-in-one but also that it would happen as a result of your hitting the ball accurately. Your well-aimed drive really did matter.

This isn’t philosophical hairsplitting. The distinction between Calvinism and fatalism has enormously significant implications for the Christian life. It means our prayers really make a difference, for God has ordained that future events will take place in answer to our prayers. It means evangelism is essential, for God has decreed that His elect will be saved by hearing and believing the gospel. It means that we must be diligent to confirm our calling and election (2 Peter 1:10), for although the Shepherd will lose none of His sheep, those sheep will be finally saved only if they persevere in faith to the end.

Understanding that God ordains both the means and the ends, Calvinists can truly say, “If we had not prayed, it would not have happened; if we had not shared the gospel, they would not have heard it; if we do not stand firm in the faith, we will not receive the crown of life.” Yet at the same time, Calvinists will give ultimate credit for all this to the sovereign grace of God.

Why Creeds?

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Article by Clint Archer (original source here – https://thecripplegate.com/why-creeds/)

“I don’t believe in creeds, I believe in Jesus.” That pithy declaration is an example of a creed. Any statement of a belief or expression of a conviction is a creed, even one that avers a total rejection of creeds, notwithstanding the irony and a comical lack of self-awareness.

The word creed comes from the Latin “credo” meaning “I believe.” Many creeds commence with the formula, “I believe…” or “We believe…” Throughout church history, Christians have articulated their convictions of truth in statements of faith. As the hand of time rolls a creed through the debris of error, its content grows larger and denser until it comes to rest as an immovable mass of solid doctrine.

If you declare that you believe in Jesus, it is only a matter of time before someone may challenge you to clarify which Jesus. The one in the Bible, of course. Yes, but what do you believe about that Jesus? People in the Bible suggested he might be Elijah or some other prophet, but Peter rightly declared that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the Living God. He thus eliminated some erroneous interpretations and false beliefs. The rest of the New Testament continues the work of expunging error and articulating truth.

To assert that you believe the Bible alone is cute but inadequate. Unless you are prepared to recite the whole Bible every time anyone asks you what you believe on any topic, you will find the convenience of an abridgment invaluable.

Now, you are free to formulate your own statement of faith but be warned, it’s a tricky business. Anytime you say one thing that is true, someone can agree with your statement, while simultaneously embracing something else you would reject. This will lead you to add a phrase or change a word—which in turn will spawn new needs for more nuance and clarification. Let’s just say that getting the wording of an airtight, eternally significant belief system takes more linguistic expertise, theological prowess, biblical knowledge, and time than any individual Christian possesses. Time is a key ingredient. It takes a long while to pressure test the product for leaks. Only when people you disagree with come and say they agree with your creed, can you spot the cracks in your handiwork.

Some theology takes longer to error-proof than can be accomplished in one lifetime.

One example is the Apostles’ Creed. I have recited a version of that confession over a thousand times… as a Roman Catholic. Now, as a born-again, Evangelical, Reformed Baptist, guess what? I can still recite the Apostles’ Creed and agree with every word (though I now have a better understanding of what some of the words mean, like “catholic” and “hell” and “begotten”).

So, if a Catholic and a Baptist can recite the same creed, why can’t we all just get along, ecclesiastically speaking? Because we all also hold to other beliefs that are not included in that ancient creed. As Dr. Al Mohler wrote in his recent book, unambiguously titled The Apostles’ Creed, “All Christians believe more than is contained in the Apostles’ Creed, but none can believe less.”

A framework of doctrine is like a lattice. It might be sturdy enough for you when unchallenged. But when enemies of the truth aim their arrows at your faith, you will want the lattice reinforced with layer upon layer of language until it is impenetrable.

Another example is the Nicene Creed.

If you declare merely that you believe in the Jesus of the Bible and then insist that no other credal paraphernalia is warranted, you will soon find yourself in the doctrinal company of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

If you want to edge JWs out of your Committee to Keep Creeds Short, you are going to have to add at least a few more lines to your non-creed. At this point, it might prove helpful to consult with your older brothers in the faith, who met at Nicaea in 325 AD. They already formulated a vaccine for the JW virus when they encountered Patient Zero, a man named Arius. They found a dose of this punchy paragraph to be immensely useful in protecting the Body of Christ against the assertion that Jesus was a created being or less than the Father in some way:

“We believe… in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, begotten from the Father before all ages, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten not made; of the same essence as the Father.”

And yes, every phrase is there to reinforce a vulnerable spot in the lattice of orthodox Christology.

We Baptists have tended to be creed-averse, largely as a reaction to confessionalism. Baptists are people of the Book, after all. But our library shelves aren’t empty; we are people of books, blogs, and other helpful documents. I think it behooves us to peer over our Presbyterian peers’ shoulders and see what all the fuss is about.

Creeds are not authoritative, of course. (Sola Scriptura forever!) Nor are they sufficient, which is why there are so many of them. But they are not nothing. 

Creeds represent the efforts of the Body of Christ, the Church Universal through the ages, to articulate, clarify, defend, and promote the teachings of the Old and New Testaments. And they do so in a way that can grow stronger with time, and can withstand the onslaught of revenant heresies that were dealt with in the past, to prevent them getting the best of a new generation of believers.

Like a fortress that takes generations to build, the doctrines we uphold today have been preserved for us by our older brothers and sisters, so that we can enjoy safety from old heresies and can have a strong foundation on which to build the fortifications to fend off new heresies.

The Body of Christ is made up of many members, and not all of them are alive at the same time. As Christians, we should know our family history, and we should learn from the battles our forefathers fought. And there is no better place to start than by reading creeds.

At least, that’s what I believe.

Two Encounters

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Article: My Two Very Different Encounters on the Topic of Bible Prophecy by Gary DeMar (original source – https://americanvision.org/22874/my-two-very-different-encounters-on-the-topic-of-bible-prophecy/)

Late Sunday evening, I returned from Idaho after doing two full days of content projects for American Vision. Upon arriving in Atlanta very late that evening I took the shuttle to where my car was parked.

I don’t know how the conversation with the driver started, but she made a comment about how our nation was moving toward socialism. I agreed with her. Then she brought up that we were most likely living in the last days.

I didn’t agree. She asked me why, and I went through a brief explanation. She was a Christian and believed the Bible. She listened and thought about what I said, and was very receptive. I told her I would send her some of my books. (This is important as you will read.)

She wrote down her address. I gave her a generous tip and drove home, arriving just after midnight.

While on my trip, a woman named Wendy posted some comments in response to my article “The Mark of the Beast and Buying and Selling” that has had more than five thousand shares. Here’s how it went:

Wendy: This is not true. I pray the Holy Spirit opens your eyes to the truth. Jesus is literally taking His true bride home soon and some who do not believe will be left behind to face horrific times. I’m praying for you.

Me: Where is the Bible passage that says what you are claiming?

Wendy: You have to be a born-again believer through faith in Jesus to be saved and have your eyes open. Also, you have to read the (whole) Bible. And believe every word of it. See how Bible prophecy has literally come true and will continue to literally unfold before our eyes. I have no fear because I know where I am going when I die or when Jesus takes me home. Which ever happens first.

Me: I am a born-again believer, and I believe every word of the Bible. I want to know how you know “Jesus is literally taking His true bride home soon.” The operative word is “soon.” I’m very familiar with the topic of Bible Prophecy having written ten books on the subject, debated it on radio and in various venues, and have written dozens of articles on the subject.

Wendy: Do you believe in the rapture of the church? All I know is I don’t read man’s books. I read, trust in, God’s word, the Bible. All others are sinking sand. I’m looking forward to a literal resurrection of my body, just like Jesus promised. No one can take this away. Jesus said. So, I have no fear. But I do pray for people who have no hope and are lost in their sins. To put their faith and lives in Jesus’ hands. He is the Way, The Truth, and The Life. Amen

Me: Show me a verse that says the Church will be taken off the Earth before, during, in the middle of, just before the wrath of God is poured out, or at the end of a 7- year period, and it’s all going to happen “soon.” You say you trust God’s Word, as I do, what verse says this? You have never read a single book written by a man about any part of the Bible or listened to a message or sermon about the Bible? I find that hard to believe since you asked me about “the rapture of the church.” Where does the word “rapture” appear in the Bible? You learned about the “rapture of the church” from someone else.

Wendy: I can use the word caught up to meet Him in the sky if that’s better?

Me: You used the word “rapture” after telling me you do not read anything but the Bible. You didn’t get that word from reading the Bible. You learned the doctrine of the rapture from someone else. The rapture refers to the church being taken up to heaven prior to (pre-trib), in the middle of, partially, before the wrath of God is poured out (pre-wrath), or after (post-trib) a seven-year period in which the antichrist makes a covenant with Israel, rebuilds the temple, breaks a covenant with Israel, etc. First Thessalonians 4:13–18 does not mention any of these things. There is no verse that mentions these necessary definitions of what is taught as the “rapture of the church.”

Wendy: And then those who remain will rise to meet Him in the sky. It’s coming soon!!! I am so excited!!!

Me: I see you have avoided answering my question. Here’s the next one: How do you know “it’s coming soon”? The operative word is “soon.” Where is that in the Bible that you know “it’s coming soon”?

Wendy: Jesus said when you see these things come to pass, look up, your redemption draweth nigh.

Me: What things? In Luke 21:28, Jesus was describing what was going to take place before their generation passed away (21:32). Notice that Jesus uses the second person plural throughout the chapter (vv. 8, 9, 12, 13, etc.). This entire prophecy was fulfilled before their generation passed away in the lead up to an including the destruction of Jerusalem that took place in AD 70. It was near for them.

Wendy: You will believe what you want. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. If a bunch of Christians disappear during your lifetime though, just don’t take the mark of the beast. Continue to claim Jesus as your Lord and Savior. That’s all I’m saying. No sense arguing. The Bible says to avoid silly and vain disputes. If you have read the (whole) Bible multiple times and have a daily relationship with Jesus through His word and prayer, then I am confident you will be ok. If you are lying and have not read the whole Bible in daily relationship with Jesus and prayer, then there is nothing more I can say to convince you. Love and prayers coming your way. I wait for the promise of my literal resurrection body to be with my Lord and Savior forever. Amen.

Me: Actually, it’s not all you are saying, and you have not convinced me on the subject of Bible prophecy since you did not make your case using the Bible. You said you only read the Bible and don’t read any other books. You said you believe the Bible. When I asked you to defend your position you didn’t and repeatedly changed the subject.

Too often doctrines are manufactured out of bits and pieces of the Bible that follow the hopscotch approach to hermeneutics. Something is pulled from Daniel 9:24–27 that’s not found there (a gap, an antichrist, making and breaking a covenant with the Jews), that’s linked with prophecies outlined by Jesus in Matthew 24 that were fulfilled before that generation passed away (Matt. 24:34), a rebuilt temple that is nowhere mentioned in the New Testament, the Jews returning to their land as a fulfillment of Bible prophecy, something the New Testament does not say, the rapture of the church, and so much more.

There is a connection between what people believe about Bible prophecy and the culture. In both cases, my two encounters linked world conditions to some imminent end-time event. The shuttle driver was willing to hear and consider a different way of looking at the topic and was receptive enough to read more on the subject. The Facebook responder had no desire to engage in a discussion. For her, the end is inevitably near and she is excited about it. What should Christians do until this “rapture” takes place, an event that has been near for nearly 2000 years?

Tyndale & his Bible

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“I defie the Pope and all his lawes. If God spare my life, ere many yeares I wyl cause a boy that driveth the plough to know more of the Scripture, than he doust.” – William Tyndale, as quoted in Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, 1563


https://ilovetypography.com/2020/04/20/the-most-dangerous-book-in-the-world/