Apologetics Press Response to the Ida Fossil

If you have been keeping up with the news this past week, you have no doubt heard about "the most significant scientific discovery of recent times”, that being the fossilized remains of, Ida, purported to be a link between man and his ancient primate ancestry.

On the Apologetics Press website is an excellent article, refuting these outrageous claims. You can read the article here:

http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/240160

Many thanks to groups like Apologetics Press for refuting, clearly and plainly, the boastful claims of those who claim to be wise in the scientific world.

Contend earnestly for the faith brethren,

John Maddocks

UPDATE

Here is another excellent article on this subject, this time from Answers in Genesis:

http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/2009/05/19/ida-missing-link

And yet another great article, this one from Creation Ministries International

http://creation.com/darwin-fossil-ida-hype

Audio Sermons By Shawn Jeffries

During May 15-17, 2009, the church at Fortune Road in Kissimmee where I preach was blessed to have Shawn Jeffries speak on the theme "Finding God's Answer To Our Questions."

Shawn is the preacher for the Beverly Shores Church of Christ in Leesburg, Florida. I was privileged to serve the same congregation from 1984-1989.

Shawn's sermons at Fortune Road were recorded and I am happy to share them with you in MP3 format:

• What Will You Do With Jesus?
• Who Do I Hurt When I Am Unfaithful To God?
• Why Am I A Member Of The Church Of Christ?
• Who Will Go To Heaven?
• Why Do I Need To Be A Christian?

If you wish to be challenged regarding your faith in God and your personal relationship with Him, check out the above sermons.

You should also consider inviting him to speak at your congregation.

What Makes Logos Books So Special

Here's a blog entry along with video to illustrate how useful the Libronix Digital Library System (LDLS) can be:

What Makes Logos Books So Special

The Power Of An Invitation

The Christian Post had an interesting article on the recent results of a survey by Lifeway Research:

Americans Most Likely to Try Out Church through Family, Friends

From the article:

Over half of Americans say they would visit a church if they receive a personal invitation from a family member, friend or neighbor, a new study shows.

The latest LifeWay Research survey found that people are most willing to hear about a local congregation through a family member (63 percent) and through a friend or neighbor from the church (56 percent). Less than half are open to receive information about a church any other way, such as through an advertisement.

"We want to help Christians discover what approaches work best in today’s culture," said Ken Weathersby, senior strategist for evangelization at the North American Mission Board, according to LifeWay. "It’s not about changing the Gospel, but determining how best to share it."

Some other interesting information from the article:

The survey, which LifeWay says may be the largest survey ever conducted on Americans' receptivity to different methods of church invitations, shows that conversations are the best way to invite someone to hear about Christ.

"The primary lesson North American believers should learn from this research is that many of your unchurched friends are ready for an invitation to conversation," said Ed Stetzer, director of LifeWay Research, in the report. "Unbelievers next door still need a simple, personal invitation to talk, to be in community and to church. Clearly, relationships are important and work together with marketing."

Also, Americans are most likely to be open to invitations from non-denominational churches. They are least likely to be open to invitations from Mormons.

Regarding follow-ups to those who have been introduced to a community of faith, the only time a majority of Americans would respond positively is through a postcard from a church advertising upcoming talks on topics that matter to them.

Reading this article reminded me of one of my sermon outlines: "The Power Of An Invitation".

Often, all it takes is for someone to ask another, "Come and see . . ."

Convert PDF to Word

Good Day Brethren,

Available now for free, you can convert any pdf document to word, online.

Below is a write up on the service from the website, and a link to access it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Using our PDF-to-Word conversion technology, you can quickly and easily create editable DOC/RTF files, making it a cinch to re-use PDF content in applications like Microsoft Word, Excel, OpenOffice, and WordPerfect.
Best of all, it's entirely free!

www.pdftoword.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I hope this may be of use to some. All the very best of the day brethren,

John

Praying Through the Bible

Brother Edwin Crozier has posted a great article today on praying through the Bible with your family, which you can read here, Pray Through the Bible.

It is well worth your time to read this short article and I would encourage you to put this simple exercise into practice with your family. I'm going to with mine starting today!

Make today a fruitful one brethren,

John Maddocks

Free Online Access To The ESV Study Bible

For those interested in the ESV Study Bible, check out this press release from Crossway:

Crossway is pleased to make the ESV Online Study Bible available free—for anyone and everyone—for a limited time beginning today, March 2, 2009. Until now, the ESV Online Study Bible has been available exclusively to those who have purchased the print edition.

In addition to the features found in the print edition, the ESV Online Study Bible provides numerous interactive features enabling readers to:

• Record personal notes, reflections, and links
• Click hyperlinked cross references
• Search by verse, topic, or keyword
• Digitally highlight Bible passages with various colors
• Listen to audio of passages

For full access to these features through March 31, 2009, visit www.esvstudybible.org/online. Simply create a login and password. Email information will not be shared, nor will there be any obligation to purchase.

Man of Galilee - Free PDF Download

The Man of Galilee. By Atticus G. Haygood is available for a free download (PDF file) at the following link:

www.cimmay.us/haygood.html

Go with God!

Boot Camp - by Jason Hardin

Brother Jason Hardin, evangelist working with the Laurel Canyon church of Christ, in Columbus, Ohio, has recently published a book called Boot Camp. Here is a little write up about the book from his website, http://ingodsimage.com

Boot Camp. Where a soldier learns the basics. Where he is equipped for the battles ahead. Boot Camp is where he tests his weapons and learns to fight with discipline and honor. Boot Camp is where careful, deliberate time is taken to learn from the veterans of previous wars. What obstacles confronted them? Where did they meet the enemy? Most importantly, how did they succeed?

Boot Camp: Equipping Men with Integrity for Spiritual Warfare is the first volume in the new I.M.A.G.E. series of books for men by Jason Hardin. It serves as a Basic Training manual in the spiritual war for honor, integrity, and a God-glorifying life.

Men love the epic tales of warriors who have defied the odds, proven to be larger-than-life at the decisive moment, and led other men in efforts that have shaped the course of history. We quite naturally imagine being “that kind” of man. But there is a greater story. There is a grander adventure. There is a divine chronicle of eternal magnitude in which you—in one way or another—will play your own unique part. The means of shaping our lives into harmony with the glory of our Creator has been furnished in Jesus the Christ. And he invites you to join his ranks.

Here are some reviews of the book:

This is a great book to help us men live opposite of this world’s model of a man.

– Steve Arterburn
Best-selling writer
Author of Every Man’s Battle

Jason focuses like a laser beam on a theme that has been the defining passion of my own life for some years now. Writing particularly, but not exclusively, for men, he urges us to lift our vision to the extraordinary things that God can make possible in us through His Son, Jesus Christ. Our problem is not that we desire too much but that we settle for so little. As a man, I was stirred deeply by this triumphant call to arms. Jason has that unique combination of spiritual insight, emotional maturity, and literary zest that make a writer’s work special. This is a must-read! I will be impatient for the remaining volumes in the series!

– Gary Henry
Author of Diligently Seeking God & Reaching Forward

Hardin’s first installment is an excellent explanation of what hinders most of us from being the men we imagine and God envisioned. This book exposes our chief struggles and encourages us to overcome by God’s strength and armor. It’s an outstanding start for a journey toward biblical manhood. I’m a better man because of Boot Camp; you will be too. I can’t wait for the journey to continue.

– Edwin Crozier
Author of Plugged In: High Voltage Prayer & Walks with God: Daily Exercise for the Journey to Heaven

In 1966, I went through Army Boot Camp at Fort Benning, Georgia. It was exhausting, agonizing and sobering, but you couldn’t become a soldier without this preparation. In Boot Camp: Equipping Men with Integrity for Spiritual Warfare, Jason Hardin brings into print valuable spiritual training for men.

The military allegory is consistently used to convey the value of godly integrity. The relevant issues of debt, pornography, leadership and family responsibility are tackled directly from the text of Scripture. You visit the battlefield of David and Goliath, sit in the classroom of Joseph and discover new places like Currahee.

Men are invited to listen to and trust God, to “rediscover the divine inscription, to press it onto our hearts, and to unashamedly bear the image of our Father, to his glory.” This strikes at the heart of one of the great needs of our time—the development of godly men.

I like the specification of Jason’s work. This is much more than just saying, “men should be good and not bad.” Boot Camp uses Scripture to define “good” and “bad” in practical detail. There are specific chapters on selfishness, sexual immorality, idolatry, jealousy, anger, sins of the tongue and hypocrisy. In his study of Ephesians 6, Jason helps men put on their armor and learn how the equipment works to defend personal integrity and defeat enemy assaults.

Get this book for your teenage boys. Give this to young husbands. Conduct a class for men and generate healthy discussion about being “real men.” Men—of whatever age—who are seeking integrity, discipline and hope should read this book, study it, and teach it.

– Warren Berkley
Editor of The Expository Files

Jason expands the Biblical imagery of the spiritual war between the forces of good and evil and describes the beginning of the Christian walk in terms of joining an army and experiencing “boot camp.” This “boot camp” involves understanding the conflict, recognizing the sins that hinder us in the conflict, and the way in which God arms (prepares) us for the conflict.

It is a great book that challenges men to greater faithfulness and integrity in their walk with God. It would work quite well as a book to use in a men’s study, and a great means by which a small group of men could challenge themselves to lives of greater and more accountable integrity.

– Ethan Longhenry
Author of Churches of the New Testament

A Prayer For President Obama

Albert Mohler offers a prayer for the new President of the United States of America, Barack Obama. I found it worthy of anyone who calls himself or herself a Christian.

Check it out!

It is certainly in the spirit of this exhortation by the apostle Paul:

Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. - 1Ti 2:1-4