The Surpassing Value

We recently lived through a period where the sufficiency and clarity of Scripture was attacked. Perhaps not doctrinally, but subtly and perniciously. Lived experiences were treated as infallible and Scripture was thrown by the wayside. We were taught to always use Scripture as our guiding light, but the times proved difficult. 

I invite you to remember again why these doctrines are crucial. I add historical theology to help remind today's deceptions are just old heresies.

Recently, Jordan Peterson came out and said something very explosive. He stated in no uncertain terms that the Bible was the precondition for the manifestation for truth and that it was "way more true than just true." What he did not realize is that he paraphrased a position within the apologetics realm called presuppositionalism. 

In this episode, we explore various other philosophical arguments for God, but will take more time dissecting this particular position.

You're invited to listen in on one son's emotional journey through the untimely death of his father and how God worked to bring about so much good.

Are Christians allowed to inquire into the validity of the NT documents or is such inquiry antagonistic to our faith? Does Christianity fall apart when put under the microscope of textual criticism?

This episode explores not only the evidence corroborating the NT, but also why our faith is perfectly compatible with such an investigation.

Is there a biblical compatibility between faith and reason? Man, in his quest to free himself from God has in the past employed reason autonomous from God and it has ended in disaster. However, does that mean all Christians should completely abandon this faculty? In this episode, we will explore some case studies in Scripture to show how faith and reason are not only compatible, but they are intertwined and should indeed be used for the glory of God.

Charles Spurgeon once stated: "OUR first thought is that no mere man would have said this concerning himself unless he had been altogether eaten up with vanity; for Solomon was among the Jews the very ideal of greatness and wisdom. It would be an instance of the utmost self-conceit if any mere man were to say of himself— “A greater than Solomon is here.” Any person who was really greater and wiser than Solomon would be the last man to claim such pre-eminence. A wise man would never think it; a prudent man would never say it. The Lord Jesus Christ, if we regard him as a mere man, would never have uttered such an expression, for a more modest, self-forgetting man was never found in all our race. View it on the supposition that the Christ of Nazareth was a mere man, and I say that his whole conduct was totally different from the spirit which would have suggested an utterance like this — “A greater than Solomon is here.” For men to compare themselves with one another is not wise, and Christ was wise; it is not humble, and Christ was humble. He would not have thus spoken if there had not been cause and reason in his infinitely glorious nature. It was because the divinity within him must speak out." I have always been fascinated with this passage and it is for these reasons, I had to podcast about this passage.

In every major city in this country, you'll find a Planned Parenthood. Much controversy surrounds this institution, but what were its origins? In this episode, I dive into the founder Margaret Sanger and quote to you her own writings that sheds light on the origins of Planned Parenthood. I also juxtapose her with Mildred Jefferson who stands in stark contrast to everything Margaret Sanger stood and worked for. Oh, and Margaret Sanger was white while Mildred Jefferson was black. 

In what is a relatively common occurrence today, I unpack a personal episode that caused me to apply propositional truth to the actual reality of life and death. For the many people that have experienced this same event or will in the future, I'm hoping this will bring some comfort.

In this episode, I do a book review of Thaddeus William's book "Confronting Injustice Without Compromising Truth"

I was fortunate enough to be a part of the launch team. Here's my Amazon review of the book:

I have to say that this book far exceeded my expectations. Professor Williams states in the preface that it took him 4 years to write the book and I could see why. This book is not only well written, but easily digestible, heartfelt, charitable, without skipping on intellectual rigor.

The other exceedingly high compliment I would give it is that I came out of reading this book thinking that the author completed this gargantuan task in the thoroughness of covering this subject. I find that no less than remarkable.

With a host of contributors, you're not only getting one perspective. You're getting a wide spectrum of people speaking to this issue that spares neither truth nor love. In every era, there are important books and then there are top tier important books. This is what you call a top tier important book.

This book is NOT Democrat or Republican apologetics. It is not mere information. It's a quest to lift the mist of confusion and hatred when confusion and hatred abounds.

What is it exactly about mankind that sets us apart from animals? Is it our intellect? Our ability to reason? The passions that we share? What if an advanced alien race descended to Earth? Would that event shake your faith?

I submit to you that what sets us apart is that we are all made in the image of God. If an advanced species with far greater intellect made themselves known to us, we would still have a higher distinction. Not because of anything we have done, but rather, because of what God has done for us.

Does this understanding transfer over to the realm of social media? What could be the consequences if not taken seriously and left unchecked? How do we treat strangers we don't know on social media? How much of what we perceive reality to be comes from social media?

A side note regarding inconspicuous servants.

When a church is tiny, the retelling of the history of the church happens organically and easily permeates throughout the entire church. However, as a church grows, that kind of organic retelling becomes lost by virtue of the size of the church. At the same time, the need to remember God's grace does not go away. To that end and given that the church's anniversary is coming up along with the purchase of a new building, I thought it might be appropriate to go over some of our church's history. For those who are listening that do not go to Berean Community Church, that does not preclude you from joining in on listening to how kind God has been to us. Warning though: this is a long form podcast episode. 

To Him be the glory!

In this bonus episode, I go through Voddie Baucham's latest book.

Here's my Amazon review of this book:

Slowly, more and more faithful material is coming out and demystifying the darkness surrounding Critical Race Theory. However, as far as I know, there haven’t been any books that have dealt with it faithfully from a perspective that spells out who is saying what while backing up why we should be cautious. Voddie Baucham has done a massive service in writing this book as he charitably and clearly spells out the parties. Already, the statements coming out from various seminary professors who’d like to hide behind the mist are condemning the book. If you are interested in this subject and curious as to why so called celebrity pastors would fall on such opposite ends of the issue, this book is a must read.

It is not inherently unChristlike to name names. Prophets named names. So did apostle Paul.

When done in the right way as Voddie does in this book, it is altogether God-glorifying.

As we continue on with Marxism, let me ask you a question. Did Karl Marx ever intend to embed his ideology within Christianity? If so, where’s the proof? Moreover, it’s well noted that Karl Marx and Charles Spurgeon occupied the same London around roughly the same time. Did Charles Spurgeon have any thoughts on this ideology? Is there any empirical evidence that Communism has shown to be destructive and even murderous? Any other notable thinkers that saw Communism as dangerous or is the pointing out of Communism much ado about nothing?

By now, most of us have heard of the scandal surrounding now deceased apologist Ravi Zacharias. In this bonus episode, I engage in an informal discussion with Pastor Peter Kim to unpack some of the implications surrounding this whole debacle. We don't cover every single aspect, but we address some of the more common questions. 

Social Justice. This term is thrown everywhere, but what exactly does it mean? Is there proof that this theory has saturated academia and by extension culture? How can we break down this term unambiguously? What is a truthful way to consider all its implications?

This episode is entitled "On Social Justice Chapter 1" because once I completed the episode, I felt strongly that there were still additional concepts that needed to be addressed. I was somewhat unsure of how to address them, but then decided upon leaning on someone else's work to do the heavy lifitng. 

"On Social Justice Chapter 2" will be episode 10 since I didn't finalize that portion until much later.

Critical Race Theory. Until recently, very few had heard of the actual academic term. Now, it has caused quite the stir not only in academia, but in the broader context of the culture and the church. But what exactly is it? How does it relate to what is going on in society today? What are some of the implications of adopting Critical Race Theory? Do the Scriptures say anything in relation to it?

Christmas Day. Hot chocolate. Gifts. Die Hard. None of the stated is bad, but have you considered some of the finer details regarding the birth of Christ? What about the mysterious magi? Were there really only three of them? Who exactly were they and do they hold any significance?

Darwinian Evolution. Taught in schools and universities and accepted as established dogma. Does it pass scrutiny? What are some logical implications and extensions? Historically, does it have a connection with racism? If so, how has the connection played out?

As the first substantive episode, let's lay some groundwork for future episodes. Have you considered the intrinsic and inherent qualities of truth and their implications?

Nothing substantive in this episode. If you're curious why I would start a podcast, then feel free to listen. Otherwise, if you want substance, go straight to Episode 2.