Christian Author, Philosopher, and Apologist
When God said “don’t eat from the fruit or you will die,” how do you personally see this statement? For many people, all of the laws that God made are viewed as negative. If God really loves us why doesn’t He let us do what we enjoy? Why does God show us things and then tell us we can’t have them? Continue reading “Looking At God’s Law The Wrong Way”
A valid question that is frequently asked by many people is, “Why Christianity is the only way and the Bible, only the true words of God?” In order to understand these things, we must fill-in a little background information. Continue reading “What Jesus Can Do For You That No Religion Can”
Many of us know someone who claims that they once believed in Jesus, but now no longer follow Him. This is not a new phenomenon, it has been happening since Jesus arrived on earth 2,000 years ago.
What someone says is not always met by their actions. The test of any confession is what we do in the long term. Jesus was very clear that only those who endure till the end will be saved (Matthew 10:22). John later stated that because certain individuals had departed Jesus’ church that this was proof that they never were a part of it. Continue reading “Why Some People Stop Believing In Jesus”
There is something resident within us that wants perfection. We see it in our mind as we observe things around us that are not perfect. We feel uncomfortable when entering a hotel room that is old, dirty, and unkempt. We feel displeasure when lied to. There is a righteous anger that mounts upon our heart when we see or hear about a child or elderly person that has been abused.
Perfection is an ideal that we all want, yet accept that we can never apprehend. Why is it that we earnestly desire perfection and feel disappointed, angry, or perplexed when every human being we meet is incapable of this perfection?
Most of us have a long list of regrets for the things we have done in our past. In fact, we waste an extraordinary amount of time thinking about things that we have no power to change. It is important to remember that we are not defined by the person we were in our past. We are defined by who we are today. It is through the choices that we are making right now that people understand who we are. Oh, I know that people remember the mistakes that you have made. Your relatives will think back to those foolish things that you said and did when you were younger and define you in those terms. The incredible thing about today is that you can begin a whole new life for yourself, if you want to. In no time at all, people will begin to think of you in a new way and define the person you are by the things you have been doing from this moment when you decide to change your life. Continue reading “It’s The Little Things That Add Up To A Big Life”
There is a curious paradox that is presented in the pages of the Bible that a great majority of people have not understood. Jesus described a physical birth that every person will experience; and a second spiritual birth that is necessary in order to obtain eternal life. Jesus said that because of our sin and sin nature, we are all already under the condemnation of God and dead in our sins.[1] Once we understand who Jesus is and the reason that He came into the world, we have the opportunity to be born again a second time. At that moment, our spirit within that was formerly dead, comes alive. Continue reading “Born Once; Die Twice. Born Twice; Die Once”
Is it possible to baptize a person who has died and thereby impart salvation to them? There are many people today who believe that this is possible. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints holds this doctrine as one of their principle teachings. This principle states that a person may be baptized on behalf of one who has died, thereby granting them the opportunity for salvation and eternal life. The person who has died may either accept or reject this offer of salvation. Continue reading “Baptism For The Dead”
The events that took place during the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ are empirically validated by history. Today, any person can know for certain that the New Testament narrative regarding Jesus, is true, accurate, and honest. This book is a reasoned and intelligent examination of these events through the lens of history.
Many people are unaware that there are hundreds of non-biblical documents which describe Jesus of Nazareth as present in Jerusalem during the same period of history that the New Testament Gospels describe Him. These records from the Roman Senate, Jewish Talmud, and various other Greek sources, fully validate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, in cooperation with the Gospel narratives.
Jesus claimed that all of the events that took place during His appearance on earth were predicted in the pages of the Old Testament. Beginning with Moses, through the Prophets, and the Psalms, incredible and impossible predictions were made concerning the Messiah.
When Jesus was resurrected on the third day, He stood in the midst of His disciples and they were deeply troubled. They found it impossible to believe that the man standing there before them was really the same Jesus that they had seen crucified. In response, Jesus said to them:
“Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day.”
Then Jesus said to them:
“These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me”
And then Jesus “opened their understanding so that they could comprehend the Scriptures.”
What were these ancient scriptures that Jesus recounted to the disciples that proved that He had fulfilled all 400 of the Messianic Prophecies and was therefore the true Messiah?
They are the very same prophecies that are contained within this book. From the beginning of the Bible, through every page that predicted and described the Messiah, “Honest Men” recounts all the events that concern the coming of Jesus into the world.
“This book will take you through every part of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, in context with all the Old Testament scriptures. By the time that you finish this book, your knowledge and understanding for who Jesus really is and what He has accomplished for you, will be immensely magnified.” -M.L. Lladas
Forty-two years in the making, this is the singular publication that contains all of the important events of Jesus’ time here on earth and places you alongside Him as one of His disciples as He explains everything that He did.
And it came to pass afterward, that Jesus went throughout every city and village, preaching and showing the good news of God’s kingdom: and the twelve were with him, And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities; Mary called “Magdalene,” out of whom seven demons were removed, —Luke 8:1-2
What Does God Require?
In order for any person to obtain eternal life from God, the first and primary element that must be present in the heart, is genuine repentance. Many people are sorry for their sins, yet not sorry enough to change their life and seek to sin no more. True repentance compels the sincere to not only experience genuine sorrow, but also a earnest desire to cease from their former sins.
A person who begins to follow Jesus will never, in this life, be sinless. They should however, endeavor to sin—less.
It is impossible to obtain salvation from Jesus, apart from a determined work of changing our previous behavior. All sins are equal before God and a consistent, unrepentant liar can miss eternal life, equally with a fornicator, or murderer. If we have been living in a sexual relationship with another person, outside of marriage, we must cease this relationship as a part of true repentance—before Jesus will grant us eternal life. If we have been a theif or liar during our life, we must cease from these two faults before the Lord will convey eternal life to our account. Continue reading “There is No Salvation, Without Repentance”
The title of “goodness,” as it is assigned to certain persons, is an incomplete and often incorrectly designated statement.
Many of us know a person who is good. Our mother, father, or other family member may be endeared to us by the love they have shown over many years. We often use the idea of good when we think about the many times during our life when we do the right thing and show generosity, forgiveness, love, or help another person in need.
People who display these kinds of behaviors often are frequently referred to as “good people.”
The origin and true definition of “good” may come as a surprise to many people. When we examine the etymology of the word “good,” we find that it first came into use because of the goodness of God. Psalm 100:5 describes the Messiah as one who will retain the characteristic of goodness as a mark of His work and ministry. We find out later that the only one who is truly good—all of the time—is God. If the Messiah is good, then He must also be God. Continue reading “Do Good People Go To Heaven?”
