tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20890422728230313442024-03-14T00:53:02.160-07:00Scripture SafarisCan we trust the Bible? Jesus Himself says that He is the Truth. He is the Living Word, so we would also expect the written Word to be true. And when we study Scripture without a preconceived anti-faith bias, we often notice that it is indeed reliable from the very first verse.bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089042272823031344.post-69011727955733944702016-04-11T09:39:00.001-07:002019-10-12T06:54:02.203-07:00Created Beauty in UsWe can see the Golden Ratio in us. It should remind us of our great Creator.
Joel Kontinen
Last month the journal PLOS ONE retracted a paper discussing the excellent design of the human hand. The paper included the words 'Creator' and 'design'.
It was too much for some evolutionists.
But the journal cannot hide the obvious, i.e., we look designed.
“He has made everything beautiful in bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089042272823031344.post-57912023558301360552016-03-24T09:44:00.002-07:002016-04-12T09:10:46.972-07:00The Bible Is Not an Ordinary BookLuther’s Bible (1534). Image courtesy of Torsten Schleese.
Joel Kontinen
The Bible is not an ordinary book. It is not a random collection of old tales written by poorly-educated nomads who knew much less about the world than we do.
It is true history. The everlasting God, who says He cannot tell a lie, has a very lofty view of the book known as God’s Word. Jesus Himself had this to saybwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089042272823031344.post-86413061633764119062016-03-21T09:01:00.000-07:002016-03-21T09:30:07.595-07:00What Being With Jesus Can Do
Being with the Lord Jesus changes us.
Joel Kontinen
The Bible often discloses profound truths in just a few words. When Luke described a difficult ordeal that the early disciples faced in Jerusalem, he mentions a small detail in connection to their arrest. The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection and they did not tolerate those who did and put the apostles behind bars but they werebwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089042272823031344.post-25391922957909891492016-02-28T08:40:00.002-08:002016-02-28T09:03:49.936-08:00Jesus: Real Hope for a Hopeless World
Jesus is the only real hope for the world. Image courtesy of Andreas Wahra, Creative Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Joel Kontinen
During a very tumultuous time in Israel’s history, God spoke through the prophet Jeremiah:
“For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 (NASB.)
At the time bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089042272823031344.post-70484230769873565052016-02-24T08:48:00.000-08:002016-02-24T09:36:51.828-08:00Searching for the Lost: Another Unique Trait of ChristianityJesus as the Good Shepherd by Alfred Handel. Photo courtesy of Toby Hudson, Creative Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Joel Kontinen
Many non-Christian religions are stories of man’s search for God. Christianity (and Judaism, to some extent), differs from them, because it is the account of God’s search for man.
When Adam and Eve lost their way due to their own choice, God came to the garden to bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089042272823031344.post-28991995012656786082016-02-23T09:13:00.000-08:002016-02-23T09:41:08.622-08:00Can Our Faith Be Shipwrecked?
Image courtesy of Hans Olav Lien, Creative Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Joel Kontinen
Charles Templeton (1915 –2001) was once a very famous evangelist who preached to tens of thousands. But he lost his faith while studying at Princeton Theological Seminary, where he learnt about evolution and millions of years.
Before his death he wrote a book entitled Farewell to God: my reasons for rejecting bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089042272823031344.post-60709085006917400532016-02-17T08:08:00.000-08:002016-02-17T09:19:36.278-08:00Jesus: The Name Above Every NameThe name above every other name is Jesus (Greek: Ἰησοῦς, Iesous). Image courtesy of Andreas Wahra, Creative Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Joel Kontinen
How could God best show us what He is really like?
He has done that in two ways: 1) By giving us His Word, the Bible, and 2) by coming to live among us for a short while. The apostle Paul called Jesus “the image of the invisible God” (Colossians bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089042272823031344.post-29915512849166958562016-02-12T09:14:00.002-08:002016-02-12T09:35:25.850-08:00Whatever Happened to Repentance?
Rembrandt van Rijn: The Return of the Prodigal Son, public domain.
Joel Kontinen
How long has it been since you heard a sermon on repentance?
Repentance is not a very popular concept nowadays. It is probably one of the tree words many preachers tend to avoid. The other two are sin and hell, which obviously are not politically correct terms either.
When Jesus began His earthly ministry Hebwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089042272823031344.post-28959369210886644082016-02-10T08:56:00.000-08:002016-02-10T09:44:17.053-08:00Is Jesus Really with Us?
James Tisso: Jesus Found in the Temple. Image: public domain.
Joel Kontinen
Luke’s Gospel records the account of an event that occurred when Jesus was twelve and He went to Jerusalem with Joseph and Mary. Returning from the Festival of the Passover, they noticed that Jesus was not with them.
Everything that is written in Scripture serves a purpose. This account is no exception. We oughtbwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089042272823031344.post-52762547376723632412016-02-09T08:27:00.001-08:002016-02-09T09:15:05.780-08:00Let Us Focus on Jesus and His Word
This Book will keep us from sin. Luther’s Bible (1534). Image courtesy of Torsten Schleese.
Joel Kontinen
The New Testament exhorts us to be followers and true disciples of Jesus. To do so, we need to focus on Him. The Letter to the Hebrews (12: 2–3) says:
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089042272823031344.post-20142135042048315602016-02-08T08:44:00.003-08:002016-02-08T09:32:52.938-08:00Faith That Moves Mountains
Faith can move mountains.
Joel Kontinen
“Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.” (Mark 11:23).
Faith is one of the key words of the Gospels. It can achieve incredible things. Time and again, Jesus taught about the significance of bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089042272823031344.post-22804905708827452872016-02-07T08:05:00.001-08:002016-02-25T00:46:15.297-08:00Heresy Hunters, Sign Seekers and Rational Readers – The Need for Balance in Our Christian Walk
We should keep our eyes on Jesus and God’s Word. Image courtesy of Andreas Wahra, Creative Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Joel Kontinen
Christians are by definition followers of Christ. Or at least we should be. In practice, we tend to form small cliques and often think we have all the answers while the other groups are still groping around if not in the dark, then at least in semi-darkness.
bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089042272823031344.post-1326509420693029052016-02-07T05:03:00.001-08:002016-02-07T08:45:43.474-08:00Divine Healings: Jesus Christ is the Same Yesterday,Today, and Forever (Heb. 13:8)
Jesus, the Miracle Man, has not changed but still heals.
Joel Kontinen
Is the Bible still relevant for us who are living in the Internet age? Some would claim that the Book is merely a collection of stories made up by uneducated members of a Near East nomadic tribe, and that it thus cannot be reliable.
However, many archaeological discoveries show clearly that the Bible is about realbwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089042272823031344.post-67962682113103146742016-02-06T08:07:00.001-08:002016-02-06T08:08:40.813-08:00Don’t Give Up! – Just Walk Another Half a Mile
The view from the hilltop that we almost missed.
Joel Kontinen
While on a short vacation on the Greek Ionian island of Kephalonia a few years ago, my wife and I often took long walks in the evenings. It usually was much more comfortable to walk when the hot Mediterranean sun was not overhead, scorching us.
We wanted to see some rare historical sights. One evening, as it was getting darkbwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089042272823031344.post-24722451906805026362016-02-05T09:19:00.002-08:002016-02-05T10:19:49.513-08:00What Makes Christianity Special?
Marco Palmezzano: Crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth (ca. 1490), public domain.
Joel Kontinen
We seem to have a universal need for searching for answers to life’s ultimate questions.
Christianity gives us answers to the big issues humanity is facing, such as why there is so much suffering in the world and what is man’s ultimate destiny.
It shows why we differ from all other living beings. bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089042272823031344.post-78813683293121557392016-02-03T07:53:00.002-08:002016-02-06T08:24:49.885-08:00Five Conspiracy Theories That Attempt to Undermine Christianity
The tomb is still empty. Image courtesy of Phillip Benshmuel, Creative Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Joel Kontinen
Conspiracy theories attract a lot of attention. Many people are suspicious of the official version of what is happening in our time, and they might believe that they are not being told the whole truth.
This might not be a big surprise, as the 20th century saw a huge rise in the bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089042272823031344.post-73237540867948728442015-02-21T09:05:00.002-08:002015-02-21T09:14:31.750-08:00The Importance of Grace and Love in Speaking the Truth
Image courtesy of Dan Lietha, Answers in Genesis.
Joel Kontinen
The Bible speaks a lot about the truth. It also speaks about something that we might all too easily forget or dismiss. It is a thing called love.
As the Apostle Paul writes in 1st Corinthians 13: “f I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing…now these three remain: faith, hope and love. bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089042272823031344.post-55598173450870571172014-06-28T05:30:00.002-07:002014-06-28T05:40:49.304-07:00Are There Contradictions, Errors and Inconsistencies in the Bible?
The Bible has withstood the test of time. Luther’s Bible (1534). Image courtesy of Torsten Schleese.
Joel Kontinen
British writer Paul Philips sees contradictions, errors and inconsistencies in the Bible. He believes that the church is very reluctant to disclose this and “apologists of sorts are well-funded and have huge networks... including mainstream media sources with their lies andbwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089042272823031344.post-81069858910852089972014-05-25T08:12:00.002-07:002016-02-06T08:25:41.051-08:00“God Was Never on a Cross as the Spirit Cannot Be Killed”, Sceptic ClaimsThe cross is a source of hope. Joel KontinenNorma Holt is an Australian author who believes that at an early stage, Christianity became corrupted and that Emperor Constantine established the Roman Catholic Church in AD 325. In a recent article, she claims:“God was never on a cross and everyone who ever lived is now back in their bodies because of reincarnation. That is why there is massive bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089042272823031344.post-49861572006675169812007-10-14T08:03:00.001-07:002023-06-15T09:32:28.820-07:00Are There Mistakes in the Bible?Luther’s Bible (1534). Image courtesy of Torsten Schleese, Joel Kontinen
Skeptics are fond of pointing out that the Bible contains errors or inconsistencies. As an example of this kind of thinking, I will focus on the views of Donald Morgan. In his list of purported biblical inconsistencies, he admits that some of them might not be contradictions at all. I would agree. If, as I believe, thebwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089042272823031344.post-63710474034374648352007-08-07T06:26:00.001-07:002023-06-12T09:56:52.598-07:00THE HISTORICAL RELIABILITY OF THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLESImage courtesy of public domain. ,Joel Kontinen
I. Introduction
The 19th century witnessed a remarkable rise of scepticism towards biblical inerrancy. German scholars such as W. de Wette and F.C. Baur doubted the historical reliability of Acts. Baur’s successors at Tübingen regarded Acts as a fictitious work of a Paulinist writing after AD 100. More conservative scholars, however, were not bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089042272823031344.post-29203155676338657022007-08-04T11:50:00.002-07:002023-06-16T09:24:46.740-07:00Why I believe in a six-day creation ).. Image courtesy of Andreas Wahra, CC BY-SA 3.0. Joel Kontinen
In six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them.
(Exodus 20: 11,. NIV)
The supreme authority for my belief in a supernatural creation that occurred approximately 6000 years ago is the word of Jesus Christ, who believed in a recent creation (Mark 10:6). This is no wonder since bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089042272823031344.post-37434131839234461582007-05-28T12:02:00.001-07:002023-06-19T09:25:46.280-07:00Animal Death Before the Fall?Joel Kontinen
Progressive creationism with its belief in millions of years of earth history has to postulate that animals were dying for eons before Adam and Eve were created. Lee Irons, though he claims to represent the framework interpretation of the days of Genesis 1, nevertheless seems to agree with the tenets of Reasons to Believe. In his article Animal Death Before the Fall: What bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.com