Witnessing To A Jehovah's Witness-by Kevin Williams

Here are some helpful hints I've learned that are useful when witnessing to JW.

It is worth listening several times and familiarizing yourself with the arguments of these two excellent audios of Ray Comfort and Todd Friel witnessing to Jehovah's Witnesses. Both have been a great help to me and when witnessing to a JW or a Mormon, have helped to make great dents and seriously unsettle them in their faith in their false religions.

Click on Links to Play or Right Click-Save As to Download mp3.
13 min-Ray Comfort-Witnessing To A JW-"There's a Knife in my Back I've Got Three Minutes To Live".

7 min-Todd Friel-Witnessing to a JW. (From Terrified).

Other resources are this excellent audio by Charlie Campbell on The Deity of Christ. He basically takes the arguments that the JW's use against the Deity of Christ and turns them around.

It's also worth making sure you are studied up on the Doctrine of Hell (Text).

When there are two JW's on your doorstep, it is natural for us to talk mostly to the more experienced one, but instead direct your conversation and questions to the weaker apprentice.

Deity of Christ

Me: "Jesus claimed to be God".
JW: "No he didn't! Where did he say that!"
Me: "When the Rich Young Ruler went up to Him and Jesus said "Who are you calling good? God alone is good.""
JW: "How is that claiming to be God?"
Me: "Well do you agree God alone is good, it says so in the text?"
JW: "Yes."
Me: "Was Jesus good?"
JW: "Well...[you can almost hear a clang in their heads] ...He was good in a different way."
Me: "...The Bible teaches He led a sinless life, perfection, how good can you get? He Himself said I AM the Good Shepherd."

Hell.

JW's often take Scriptures completely out of context, an example is Ecclesiastes 9:5 "the dead know nothing" as if it somehow negates the rest of Scripture and teaches soulsleep.

JW: "The dead know nothing. So when we die we're not conscious."

Me: "What about the parable of the rich man and Lazarus?"
JW: "It's just a parable."
Me: "What when Jesus called hell a place of everlasting torment? How can you be tormented if you're not conscience? How can you be weeping and wailing and gnashing teeth, if you're not conscious? Do you think Jesus was lying?…"

They will then nearly always try and change the subject, and quote a Scripture about something completely different, but don't let them off the hook.

A Word of Warning.

Most of the tips on how to witness to JW's on apologetic websites are out of date, and the JW's have been advised how to explain these away. For instance one tip I used in the past was to attack the WatchTower organisation for their false prophecies. But because not only had the WatchTower instructed them on how to explain these away (they have more excuses than Richard Dawkins, if the WT told them the moon was really a giant apple they'd believe it) but because the WT had predicted Christians will bring up the false prophecies it only made them confident that their witness encounter was going to plan and therefore esteem the watchtower more highly for predicting so. Note: I'm not saying don't study the vast amount of information like this on Apologetic sites, it will be useful.

Trinity.

Learn the how to defend the Trinity and the Scriptures that teach it. Note: They most likely won't except any argument you give so don't get bogged down on it. They may then insist the Early Church Father's did not believe in the Trinity. When you say they did they may give you a booklet to read "Should You Believe In The Trinity" (Critique Below), which is full of false quotes of the Early Church Fathers and misinformation from start to end. Do some research on this. The point I use is that the JW's say that it's misrepresenting God to use LORD instead of Jehovah for God's Name yet despite the WatchTower organisation fully knowing that it's Trinity booklet is full of blatant lies and deception it continues to use it to deceive people. I also point out "so will you continue to misrepresent God, by using it, even though I've showed you it's full of blatant lies. Because the infallible Word of God makes it clear that all liars will have their part in the lake of fire, Rev 21:8.

If you're witnessing to them on your doorstep, be prepared for them to shoot off and leave (this is normal and in their training), but if you can, make an appointment for them to come back. Although, each time try to keep them with you as long as possible, remember whilst they're on your doorstep, they're not brainwashing your neighbour.

Pray.

Pray for them. They are real people who have been deceived by Satan.

Be On Your Toes.

Don't expect every witnessing encounter with a JW to be the same, as bare in mind they're all at different levels in how much they've been brainwashed. Whereas some would be fully convinced that donkey's are really from the planet Mars if the WT said so, others will be struggling with doubts. So be prepared to spend as little or as long as time with them as necessary.

Clear Terms.

Arguing about whether it's "Heaven" or the "Kingdom" is not likely to win vital ground, so like Ray Comfort in the audio above, I will use the term, "there's a knife in my back, I've got three minutes to live, how do I get into the Kingdom?"" Often they have still tried to give me a 10 minute JW theology lesson on "only the 144K" regardless, but I quickly point out I didn't say Heaven, I said Kingdom, and know what they believe regarding that.

Spend the Time Wisely.

Once to try and change the subject when she was pressed on Hell, a JW said "you've changed God's Name from Jehovah to LORD. Now, trying to win an argument on the Name of God is not going to win significant ground. So baring in mind we only have a limited amount of time I will say something like "Well the Lachish letters have proven to us God's Name is Yahweh, but that's another issue". What I am doing is unsettling them and sowing doubt and then bringing them straight back to the more important subject they were pressed on.

Change of Subject.

Everytime you get a JW into a corner, they are trained to change the subject. An example is, when hard pressed they might say something like "I'll just look for this verse... hang on, hang on... Here it is" and then they'll give you a verse absolutely nothing to do with what you have challenged them on. Don't let them off the hook.

Unsettle Them.

Like Todd Friel in the audio above, tell them "1 John makes it's clear you've got to have your theology about Jesus right and He clearly claimed to be God and I'd hate you to be one of those of whom Jesus said "Many will say to Me in that Day, Lord, Lord, didn't we..." and Jesus say to you "depart from me you worker of lawlessness, I never knew you!" and send you where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." The objection I've encountered to this is "Well Jesus was just talking about the Pharisees" To which it is good to reply, "No, they are false converts, and they're saying "but Lord, Lord, didn't we do this work to earn salvation, didn't we do that work..." they're trusting in their own works to save them, just like you are."

What the Watchtower wrote in their booklet "Should You Believe In The Trinity"	The Truth
The Catholic Encyclopedia also comments: "In Scripture there is as yet no single term by which the Three Divine Persons are denoted together. The word [tri'as] (of which the Latin trinitas is a translation) is first found in Theophilus of Antioch about A. D. 180. . . . Shortly afterwards it appears in its Latin form of trinitas in Tertullian." p5	What the JW booklet left out (in bold/underline): "The word [tri'as] (of which the Latin trinitas is a translation) is first found in Theophilus of Antioch about A. D. 180. He speaks of "the Trinity of God [the Father], His Word and His Wisdom" ("Ad. Autol.", 11, 15, P. G., VI, 1078). The term may, of course, have been in use before his time. Shortly afterwards it appears in its Latin form of trinitas in Tertullian."
However, this is no proof in itself that Tertullian taught the Trinity. p5	Tertullian real statements showing his beliefs: "All the Scriptures give clear proof of the Trinity, and it is from these that our principle is deduced...the distinction of the Trinity is quite clearly displayed." (Against Praxeas, ch 11) Tertullian: "God speaks in the plural 'Let us make man in our image' because already there was attached to Him his Son, a second person, his own Word, and a third, the Spirit in the Word....one substance in three coherent persons. He was at once the Father, the Son, and the Spirit." (Against Praxeas, ch 12)
What the Ante-Nicene Fathers Taught p7	The Watchtower failed to provide any references documenting where any of the Church Fathers made the statements they attribute to them. However, today's technology has made it somewhat easy for us, since the entire works of the early Church Fathers are available on CD and search capabilities are present. The Watchtower has loosely translated what the Fathers said but they can be found by using key-word search.
Justin Martyr, who died about 165 C.E., called the prehuman Jesus a created angel who is "other than the God who made all things." He said that Jesus was inferior to God and "never did anything except what the Creator . . . willed him to do and say." p7	This first statement is completely made-up. An invention of the watch tower. There is no record of Justin Martyr saying anything like this. Justin Martyr's real statements showing his beliefs: "The Father of the universe has a Son, who also being the first begotten Word of God, is even God." (Justin Martyr, First Apology, ch 63) "But both Him, and the Son (who came forth from Him and taught us these things, and the host of the other good angels who follow and are made like to Him), and the prophetic Spirit, we worship and adore." (Justin Martyr, First Apology, ch 6) Notice what else Justin says: "Worship God alone." (Justin Martyr, First Apology, ch 16) "Whence to God alone we render worship." (Justin Martyr, First Apology, ch 17)
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"Irenaeus, who died about 200 C.E., said that the prehuman Jesus had a separate existence from God and was inferior to him. He showed that Jesus is not equal to the "One true and only God," who is "supreme over all, and besides whom there is no other." p7	Irenaeus real statements showing his beliefs: "Christ Jesus is our Lord, and God, and Savior, and King." (Against Heresies, Book I, ch. 10, section 1) 180 AD Irenaeus "Proofs From The Apostolic Writings, That Jesus Christ Was One And The Same, The Only Begotten Son Of God, Perfect God And Perfect Man." (Against Heresies, Book III, ch. 16, Chapter Title) "Therefore neither would the Lord, nor the Holy Spirit, nor the apostles, have ever named as God, definitely and absolutely, him who was not God, unless he were truly God; nor would they have named any one in his own person Lord, except God the Father ruling over all, and His Son who has received dominion from His Father over all creation, as this passage has it: "The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit Thou at my right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool." Here the [Scripture] represents to us the Father addressing the Son; He who gave Him the inheritance of the heathen, and subjected to Him all His enemies. Since, therefore, the Father is truly Lord, and the Son truly Lord, the Holy Spirit has fitly designated them by the title of Lord. And again, referring to the destruction of the Sodomites, the Scripture says, "Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah fire and brimstone from the LORD out of heaven." For it here points out that the Son, who had also been talking with Abraham, had received power to judge the Sodomites for their wickedness. And this [text following] does declare the same truth: "Thy throne, O God; is for ever and ever; the scepter of Thy kingdom is a right scepter. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity: therefore God, Thy God, hath anointed Thee." For the Spirit designates both [of them] by the name, of God — both Him who is anointed as Son, and Him who does anoint, that is, the Father." (Irenaeus. Against Heresies, Book 3, ch 6)
"Clement of Alexandria, who died about 215 C.E., called Jesus in his prehuman existence "a creature" but called God "the uncreated and imperishable and only true God." He said that the Son "is next to the only omnipotent Father" but not equal to him." p7	Clement NEVER calls Jesus "a creature" This is a BLATENT LIE Clement's real statements showing his beliefs: "There was then, a Word importing an unbeginning eternity; as also the Word itself, that is, the Son of God, who being, by equality of substance, one with the Father, is eternal and uncreated." (Clement, Fragments, Part I, section III, 190 AD) "I understand nothing else than the Holy Trinity to be meant; for the third is the Holy Spirit, and the Son is the second, by whom all things were made according to the will of the Father." (Clement, Stromata, Book V, ch. 14) 'For both are one — that is, God. For He has said, "In the beginning the Word was in God, and the Word was God." (The Instructor, Book 1, ch 8)
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Tertullian, who died about 230 C.E., taught the supremacy of God. He observed: "The Father is different from the Son (another), as he is greater; as he who begets is different from him who is begotten; he who sends, different from him who is sent." He also said: "There was a time when the Son was not. . . . Before all things, God was alone. p7	The first part of this is taken from: Tertullian. Part Second, Section 7. Against Praxeas, Chapter 9. UNBELIEVABLY not only does Tertullian say in the same passage: "I testify that the Father, and the Son, and the Spirit are inseparable from each other." (Tertullian. Part Second, Section 7. Against Praxeas, Chapter 9.) But the 2nd part: "There was a time when the Son was not. . . ." was NEVER said by Tertullian and is actually a quote from: Bishop Kaye, (Date 1845) "Account of the Writings of Tertullian," The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 3, p. 1181 In the same writing Kaye even wrote: ""Tertullian's opinions were generally coincident with the orthodox belief of the Christian Church on the great subject of the Trinity in Unity" (p. 1180); "the Reason and Spirit of God, being the substance of the Word and Son, were co-eternal with God" (p. 1181); AND the 2nd half of that sentence in the WatchTower booklet: "….Before all things, God was alone." is taken from a completely different writing. The quote, in context, reads: 'There are some who allege that even Genesis opens thus in Hebrew: "In the beginning God made for Himself a Son.' As there is no ground for this, I am led to other arguments derived from God's own dispensation, in which He existed before the creation of the world, up to the generation of the Son. For before all things God was alone — being in Himself and for Himself universe, and space, and all things. Moreover, He was alone, because there was nothing external to Him but Himself. Yet even not then was He alone; for He had with Him that which He possessed in Himself, that is to say, His own Reason…. I may therefore without rashness first lay this down (as a fixed principle) that even then before the creation of the universe God was not alone, since He had within Himself both Reason, and, inherent in Reason, His Word, which He made second to Himself by agitating it within Himself" (Against Praxeas, ch. 5) Tertillian real statements showing his beliefs: "All the Scriptures give clear proof of the Trinity, and it is from these that our principle is deduced...the distinction of the Trinity is quite clearly displayed." (Against Praxeas, ch 11) "[God speaks in the plural 'Let us make man in our image'] because already there was attached to Him his Son, a second person, his own Word, and a third, the Spirit in the Word....one substance in three coherent persons. He was at once the Father, the Son, and the Spirit." - (Against Praxeas, ch. 12.) Page 3 of 4
Hippolytus, who died about 235 C.E., said that God is "the one God, the first and the only One, the Maker and Lord of all," who "had nothing co-eval [of equal age] with him . . . But he was One, alone by himself; who, willing it, called into being what had no being before," such as the created prehuman Jesus.p7	Firstly "the created prehuman Jesus" was never said in any of Hippolytus' writings. Hippolytus real statements showing his beliefs: "Beside Him there was nothing; but He [God], while existing alone, yet existed in plurality." (Hippolytus, Against Noetus, Part 10) "The Logos is God, being the substance of God." – (Refutation of all Heresies, Book X, ch. 29.) "For Christ is the God above all..." - (Refutation of all Heresies, Book X, ch 30.) "He who is over all, God blessed, has been born, and having been made man. He is God forever. For to this effect John also has said, 'Which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.' And well has he named Christ the Almighty." - (Against Noetus, Part 6)
Origen, who died about 250 C.E., said that "the Father and Son are two substances . . . two things as to their essence," and that "compared with the Father, [the Son] is a very small light." p7	Origen did not write this but precisely the opposite. Origens' real statements showing his beliefs: "For we do not hold that which the heretics imagine: that the Son was procreated by the Father from non-existent substances, that is, from a substance outside Himself, so that there was a time when He did not exist." – (De Principis, Book V, Summary, section 28.) "Saving baptism was not complete except by the authority of the most excellent Trinity of them all, i.e., by the naming of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit." - (De Principis, Book I, ch. 3, section 2.) "Nothing in the Trinity can be called greater or less, since the fountain of divinity alone contains all things by His word and reason, and by the Spirit of His mouth sanctifies all things which are worthy of sanctification." – (De Principis, Book I, ch. 3, section 7.)
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How To Botch An Altar Call

(A few keys for those who don't want people saved in their altar calls)

1. Present an unbalanced message. Only let them see the heart-warming part of God’s character. Preach God’s love but leave out His holiness and justice. That way they’ll think He’ll let them into heaven no matter what.
2. Don’t mention repentance until they’re repeating a “sinner’s prayer.” Just get them to say, “I repent of all my sins” while they’re echoing you. They won’t know what they’re saying and they won’t count the cost.
   
3. Above all else, be dignified. Don’t get heart to heart with the people. They would get something out of what you said.
   
4. Skim over the gospel and push the prayer. Pretend the lost naturally understand what Christ has done for them.
   
5. Preach Jesus as a life enhancer not a life rescuer. Tell them how Jesus can improve their life but don’t show them Jesus as the only One who can save them from Hell. People will think if they reject Him they’re only losing out on a spiritual high.
   
6. Try to please the people instead of convert them. Tell them what they want to hear instead of what they need to hear.
   
7. Compromise the message to speed up the process. The Christians who have heard it a hundred times before will be pleased with that. The quicker they get out the quicker they can get to the restaurant.
   
8. Give them the impression that God is so good He won’t send anyone to hell. Don’t present the whole counsel of God or they might realize He is so good that He’ll see to it that justice is served and that all unrepentant sinners will be punished in the fire that is not quenched.
   
9. Speak to sinners as though they were saints. They’ll think they’re God’s children instead of the enemies of God they’ve made themselves into because of their sin. You’ll give them false assurance and mislead them.
   
10. Don’t mention sin or man’s guilt. Resist the urge to explain what Christ came to deliver us from. Don’t show them their need for the Savior. Otherwise it may all make sense.
    
11. Don’t look to the Bible for the substance of your altar call. Only mimic other preachers with large congregations.
    
12. Tell the lost not to feel bad about their sins. That way you will work against the Holy Spirit who’s convicting them
    
13. Whatever you do, never mention Judgment Day. Your audience might take spiritual matters seriously.
    
14. Tell them Jesus is the only way to heaven but don’t explain why. They may think it’s nothing more than fear tactics and leave offended instead of enlightened.
    
15. Confuse the call. This is a great way to botch up an altar call. Don’t let people know you’re asking them to commit their life to Christ. Be vague and general in what you’re saying. Neglect to mention following Christ in your evangelistic altar calls and say things like, “If you don’t feel you’re as close to God as possible raise your hand,” “If you feel lonely come to the front for prayer,” “If you want more of God this is your time,” and, “If you have struggles and need the answer come down.” Just get them to raise a hand. That way no one will be able to count the cost and you’ll even get saints to respond to salvation altar calls, making the results look more successful.
    
16. Only give them half the story. Tell them Jesus died to forgive everyone but overlook the fact that they must personally receive Him to partake of that forgiveness.
    
17. Present the truth as though it isn’t. Be so funny when you share Christ that you belittle the seriousness of the matter.
    
18. Preach forgiveness without repentance. That way no one will know how to be forgiven.
    
19. Be unbiblical. Present repentance and faith as an offer instead of how God does as a command (Acts 17:30).
    
20. Let them think next Sunday is the day of salvation. Don’t make them feel it’s urgent to respond today.
    
21. Never warn of hell. Dangle heaven in front of their nose but rarely mention hell, certainly not as much as Jesus did.
    
22. Only do altar calls inside the church. Never take the gospel where sinners congregate. The lost might get saved.
    
23. Use churchy terms. Use words like, “saved,” “repent,” and “born again,” without any explanation. That way your hearers won’t comprehend what you’re saying. If they can’t understand it, it’s probable they won’t be changed by it.
    
24. Give false assurance of salvation to unsaved Christians. Assure church folk that they are saved even if they bear no fruit. So that you don’t offend the unsaved pew warmers never quote 2 Corinthians 13:5: “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith.” You could lose some financial supporters and have to depend on God.
    
25. Never mention the wrath of God. If you mention it, people might be awakened to flee to Jesus who “saves us from the wrath to come.” ( 1 Thess. 1:10)
    
26. Study how the apostles preached and witnessed and do the opposite. Don’t explain Jesus’ suffering death on the cross. Otherwise they may think of running to Him for forgiveness. Don’t speak of His burial or resurrection or they might realize He is God. Refrain from commenting about the hundreds of eyewitnesses who saw Jesus after He rose from the dead. That way they can go on thinking He’s a fairy tale. Overlook talk of the messianic prophecies Jesus fulfilled or they might realize that the Bible is true. If they see it’s the truth they may see that following Christ is the logical decision. And whatever you do, avoid what the apostles did when it came time to call people to obey the gospel. Don’t tell them to trust Christ and live for Him. That is too accurate. If they know how to get saved your altar call will be a success.
    
27. Put more emphasis on the “sinner’s prayer” then on repentance and faith. Satan will smile over your departure from Biblical instruction. We are never taught to use a ‘sinner’s prayer’ throughout the entire Bible. If you decide to use it and put more emphasis on the technique than on what we’re commanded to preach: faith and repentance you’ll certainly botch things up. A ‘sinner’s prayer’ doesn’t equal salvation, only faith in Christ and repentance toward God do.
    
28. Let Christians think you’re the only one who can do it right. Always leave the impression that they should only invite friends to church and never actually witness themselves. It will keep you in business and the lost unsaved.
    
29. Don’t let the lost know they are. Disregard subjects like Judgment Day, God’s holiness, man’s sinfulness and justice. That way the lost can continue to think they’re “good enough” to get into heaven.
    
30. Rely upon psychological techniques to manipulate people into responding to the altar call. Don’t rely upon the Holy Spirit or they may actually get saved.
    
31. Make sure you’re the main attraction. Remember the goal in botching up an altar call is for people to leave and say, “What a wonderful preacher,” instead of, “What a wonderful Savior.” Draw all possible attention to how great a speaker and person you are. Otherwise people might see Christ in your preaching and get saved.
    
32. Don’t focus upon Jesus. Finally, the best way to botch up an altar call is not to preach the gospel. Just get people to lift up a hand and pray a prayer with you. Resist the urge to speak of the only One who could save them.

Sometimes the best way to get a point across is to put it in a different light. You now know a few ways to botch up an altar call. Please do not employ them. Do the opposite. You may already do some of them. Don’t let pride keep you from changing and doing things in a Biblical fashion. The bottom line is how true we are to Christ and His word. Effectively reaching the lost is our purpose. Let nothing hold you back from that agenda. May God bless you as you seek to win people to Christ in Bible clubs, churches, conferences, on the street witnessing encounters, at your school, and at your workplace.

Adapted from Becoming an Emissary for God by Allen Atzbi

Alternatively learn out to share your faith Biblically see Biblical Evangelism Training Resources and also More Evangelism Resources.

How To Witness Honestly (10min)Paul Washer

More from this questions & answers session Paul Washer in which this time Paul Washer gives Biblical advice on How To Witness Honestly.

See also link: Series of 6 Paul Washer Sermons
1) Great Men by the Grace of God

2) Being More Like Jesus, God Be Sought Behold His Presence

3) How to Get Saved, Truly Gospel Repentance, True Biblical Assurance

4) How to Witness to the Lost-The Biblical Way

5) Conform to Be Like Jesus Christ in Character

6) Hoop Salvation Kills, Real Salvation Brings Life

Paul Washer-Lord Teach Us To Pray (8 min) Video.

In a questions & answers session Paul Washer gives Biblical advice on how to pray.

See also seperate Sermon Paul Washer Genuine Prayer 79 min (Click link to play or right-click, save-as to download mp3).

Luke 11:1-13
"11:1 Now Jesus [1] was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” 2 And he said to them, “When you pray, say:

“Father, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
3 Give us each day our daily bread, [2]
4 and forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation.”

5 And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, 6 for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? 8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence [3] he will rise and give him whatever he needs. 9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 11 What father among you, if his son asks for [4] a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Matthew 6:5-14:

"5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this:

“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name. [6]
10 Your kingdom come,
your will be done, [7]
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread, [8]
12 and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. [9]

14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

What Then Shall I Do With Jesus? by Charles Leiter

It is perhaps appropriate that the words of the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, spoken so shortly before the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth, should serve as a title for this tract nearly two thousand years later. (Mt 27:22) The situation faced by Pilate and that faced by every one of us is, after all, much the same: What shall we do with this troublesome person named Jesus? For us, as for Pilate, there is no escape from the dilemma; we cannot avoid making a decision of some sort.

Pilate felt uneasy about Jesus. It was obvious that the religious leaders had delivered Him up out of envy, and that He had committed no crimes worthy of death. Also, there was a mysterious aura about this Man who conducted Himself with such calmness and authority, who made no answer to the false charges leveled against Him, and who spoke of a “kingdom not of this world”. And, on top of all this, Pilate’s wife had received a distinct premonition to the effect that he should have nothing to do with Jesus. Yet, despite his inward sense of the injustice and wrongness of it all, Pilate soon succumbed to the pressures of the mob and delivered up the holiest of all men to the shameful death of the cross. (Mt 27:11-26; Lk 23:20; Jn 18:33-38)

It is our hope that some who read these lines will turn from following in the steps of Pilate. Instead of seeking to crucify Jesus afresh in their own hearts, they will acknowledge Him as their Lord and God.

The Four Alternatives

We must point out, first of all, that to be “just neutral” toward Jesus Christ is impossible. Jesus Himself made this very clear. “He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters.” (Mt 12:30)

Either we will be among those who love and follow Jesus or among those who hate and seek to destroy Him; there is no middle ground. The situation has often been summed up by Christian apologists in terms of four options. On the one side, we acknowledge Jesus as the Truth. On the other side, we refuse to acknowledge His claims and thus automatically affirm (though perhaps without realizing it) that we believe Him to be either a liar, a lunatic, or a legend.

The reasons for this should be clear: Jesus of Nazareth made claims for Himself that are absolutely unparalleled among the religious leaders of the world. He claimed the power to forgive sins and the right to receive worship from His fellow men. He demanded absolute devotion to Himself and promised men divine gifts such as peace and life. He claimed to be the unique Son of God and said that He would come in power and great glory at the end of the world to judge all men. He taught His own sinlessness and moral perfection. He put forward His teachings as absolutely authoritative, saying that even His very words were directly from God. He claimed to be the Light and Savior of the whole world… Thus, when we reject the truth of Jesus’ words, we are left with few alternatives as to His true nature. A man who claimed to be all that Jesus claimed to be and yet was not, must have been either a deliberate deceiver, a psychotic, or a myth—all other possibilities are, at most, only combinations of these three. Yet, each of these “possibilities” is so impossible as to demand refutation only because of the hardness of men’s hearts.

1. LIAR

Jesus claimed to be God, but knew He was not.

For any who have read the gospel account of Jesus’ words and deeds with real moral understanding, the mere mention of this “possibility” is a sufficient refutation of it. The integrity of Christ is beyond question. Even the Irish historian Lecky recognized that “the character of Jesus has not only been the highest pattern of virtue, but the strongest incentive to its practice, and has exerted so deep an influence, that it may be truly said, that the simple record of three short years of active life has done more to regenerate and to soften mankind, than all the disquisitions of philosophers and than all the exhortations of moralists.” The ethical teachings of Jesus were lofty beyond compare and His own character a paragon of moral excellence. He hated and denounced hypocrisy in others and was transparently sincere and guileless Himself. He spoke of the devil as “the father of lies” (Jn 8:43-45) and said that His purpose for coming into the world was to “bear witness to the truth” (Jn 18:36-37). “If it were not so, I would have told you,” He assured His disciples. (Jn 14:1-2)

Surely there is no room here for the idea that Jesus based His whole life and teachings upon “a colossal lie as to His real nature;” (Montgomery) The novels, films, and record albums which have come forth in recent years portraying Jesus in a twisted fashion tell us nothing about the Christ of history, but they do tell us a great deal about the terrible moral sickness of our own generation. All who thus fly in the face of moral sanity and choose to conjure up a perverted Christ or a “passover plot”, border perilously near to the “unpardonable sin” of which Jesus spoke. Even in His day, there were those who felt the pressure of God’s Spirit upon them, and, knowing that they were in the presence of Goodness Incarnate, yet chose to attribute everything to the devil. (Mk 3:22-30)

2. LUNATIC

Jesus believed Himself to be God, but in reality He was not.

There are many in our day who manifest delusions of grandeur, thinking themselves to be God—or Napoleon. They are rightly classed as insane, deranged, unbalanced. Yet Jesus made claims for Himself that are no less extravagant than those made by many who are at this moment patients in psychiatric wards. As J.W. Montgomery put it, “I know that you would immediately summon the men in the white coats if I seriously made the claims for myself that Jesus did.” Nevertheless, the “possibility” that Jesus was deluded is quite easily disposed of. It is so transparently foolish that it too bears its refutation on its face. (Jn 10:20-21!) “Is such an intellect—clear as the sky, bracing as the mountain air, sharp and penetrating as a sword, thoroughly healthy and vigorous, always ready and always self-possessed—liable to a radical and most serious delusion concerning his own character and mission? Preposterous imagination!” (Schaff) Once understand the parables of this great Teacher, once observe His perfect life, or get a feel for His composure and balance under pressure, or listen to the answers He gives when under interrogation, and this option is definitely out! If only we were as sane as Jesus!

But let us note the sharpness of the dividing line: Either Jesus is the Son of God as He claimed, or else a psychotic. C.S. Lewis said it well: “The discrepancy between the depth and sanity and (let me add) shrewdness of His moral teaching and the rampant megalomania which must lie behind His theological teaching unless He is indeed God, has never been satisfactorily got over.”

3. LEGEND

Jesus never really claimed to be God; the words attributed to Him were actually invented by others.

This final “possibility”, held in a somewhat foggy fashion by multitudes of unbelieving college students, has nothing more to commend it than the previous two. In reality, it too needs only to be stated in order to be perceived as false. Once again, those who have gazed with comprehension upon the Person portrayed in the gospel records know that He is entirely beyond the scope of human invention. “A character so original, so complete, so uniformly consistent, so perfect, so human and yet so high above all human greatness, can be neither a fraud nor a fiction. The poet, as has been well said, would in this case be greater than the hero. It would take more than a Jesus to invent a Jesus.” (Schaff) In the words of Gresham Machen, “The Jesus of the Gospels is certainly not the product of invention or of myth; He is rooted too deep in historical conditions; He towers too high above those who by any possibility could have produced Him.” (Emphasis ours.) What an insult to the Lord of glory to suggest that He is nothing more than the cardboard fabrication of a group of feverish religious fanatics!

Furthermore, the idea often held that enthusiastic followers of Jesus in the second and third centuries began to trump up His greatness and put words in His mouth that He would have been shocked to hear, cannot stand in the light of historical investigation. The evidence that the biographies of Christ were written within the lifetime of His contemporaries is now so strong that even the late William F. Albright. was brought to the opinion that “every book of the New Testament was written by a baptized Jew between the forties and the eighties of the first century A.D. (very probably sometime between about 50 and 75 A.D.).” (Until his death in 1971, Dr. Albright was considered to be easily the foremost of American biblical archaeologists. It is significant that he came to these conclusions in spite of his somewhat “liberal” view of the Bible.)

Think of it! It was during the lifetime of hundreds of those who had seen and heard Him that the earliest biographies of Jesus were written. (Jesus was crucified about A.D. 30.) For a mere myth about Christ, in the form of the gospel, manufactured out of thin air and having no relation to reality, to have gained the acceptance of the early Christians when so many eyewitnesses were still among them, is incredible.

Besides, Jesus was a singularly poor candidate for deification. In order for the Jews of His day to have elevated Him to the status of Messiah against His own wishes, there would necessarily have been some correlation between Jesus and the stereotyped “Messiah” that people were expecting to appear. The opposite is in fact true. To quote Montgomery again, “Historically it can be proven beyond question that on every important point Jesus’ conception of himself as Messiah differed radically from the conceptions held by all parties among the Jews.” In short, “the people of that day wanted a kingly Messiah, not a suffering Servant; they wanted a human political deliverer, not a divine spiritual Savior.” (Pinnock)

For the original apostles themselves to have perpetrated the hoax and deified Jesus is likewise impossible. The transformation of a simple moralistic Jesus into a divine Christ is a task of which they were psychologically, morally, and religiously incapable. Each of them had been schooled in centuries of Jewish monotheism and were very slow themselves to see and accept their Lord’s true significance. Besides, their standard of honesty stands second only to their Master’s in its integrity. And, in any case, “they would hardly have been prepared to die for something they themselves had cooked up most deceitfully!” (Pinnock)

With the starkness and bankruptcy of these “alternatives” in mind, let us turn again to the words of Pilate. “What then shall I do with Jesus?” This question is one of unfathomable importance; according to the Lord Jesus Christ, to answer it wrongly is to perish forever. “Unless you believe that I am He, you shall die in your sins.” (Jn 8:24) Moreover, no one can escape giving an answer of some sort to it. To make no decision for Jesus Christ, is to already decide against Him. To refuse to acknowledge the truth of His claims is to automatically heap upon Him the greatest of insults. A truce with Jesus is not possible.

Christians are often asked what it would take for them to give up their faith. We may well direct the question to you, our unbelieving friends. “What would it take for you to give up your unbelief?” In one sense, we do not seek to get you to believe in Christ, we only seek to get you to quit disbelieving!—to stop suppressing that which you know to be true and to turn from the dry and broken cistern of human autonomy to the fountain of living waters. “Let the one who is thirsty come.” (Jer 2:13; Rev 22:17)

Behold! Mine Eyes Hath Seen P52/P457 Greek John 18 ,125AD

Today I had the delightful pleasure of seeing the oldest known Greek fragment of a New Testament manuscript. Dated 125AD, P52/P457 is a fragment of John 18:31-33, 33-37. I also got to see P458, a 200BC Greek manuscript of Deuteronomy 23-28.

John Ryland's Library in Manchester, (U.K.) is currently running an exhibition: The Sword and the Book: A History of the Bible in English. Christie Gallery, 30 August 2007 - 13 January 2008.

Many older Bible versions are on display from Wycliffe, Tyndale, Jerome, Luther, Erasmus, Coverdale, Geneva, 1611 King James, Bishops, Matthews, Geneva, and Foxes Book of Martyrs.

And if that wasn't already enough; also currently running at John Ryland's, until 20th December is an exhibition "O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing": Charles Wesley and the Rise of the English Hymn" where you can see the original Wesley and other manuscripts.
Entry is FREE

Building a True Biblical Church-Jeff Noblit

If you find yourself standing against the current brand of man-centered, amusement based, numbers obsessed Christianity, you'll want to hear this interview on CrossTalkAmerica with Pastor Jeff Noblit on what a True Church should be like, in this apostate age. CTA-interview with Jeff Noblit Building True Churches. Click link to play or Right Click to download mp3.

"According to Pastor Jeff Noblit, true conversion is God driven and controlled. God has ordained to use the means of the Gospel to convert the soul. He recognizes that men with good motives have added methods to the end of the Gospel to help in the conversion process. Conversion, however, must produce a biblically defined repentance and faith in Christ where as you understand Him as Prophet, Priest and King, you joyfully embrace Him as your Savior.

Pastor Noblit admits that at one time he fell into the idolatry of numbers and pragmatism. This, in spite of being part of a church that practiced church discipline and that had high standards for leadership. He had to humble himself and abandon himself to the preaching of the Word, trusting the power of the Holy Spirit to convert lost souls."

I Am Not Ashamed of the True Gospel-Paul Washer Sermon

"Do you have a new relationship with sin, because if you haven't got a new relationship with sin then you haven't got a new relationship with God"-Paul Washer
Watch and listen to this extremely powerful 53 min sermon preached by Paul Washer at First Baptist Church Muscle Shoals.
10 Min Clip from Paul Washer Sermon (Full sermon Links Below):

Rom 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek."
Play or Download Full Sermon Video 53 min (139mb) Click on Links To Play or Right Click-Save as to download
Play Video Stream

Play or Download mp3 High Quality Audio 53 min 12.7mb Play or Download mp3 lower 6.3mb

See also:
Paul Washer 19 min Gospel

4 Sermons by Paul Washer on Raising a Family the Biblical Way

Paul Washer-Shocking Youth Message Stuns Hearers

Paul Washer 3 min Gospel Video

6 Paul Washer Sermon's on Witnessing Biblically

Listen to more of Paul Washer at sermon audio

8 Reasons Why I Don't Share My Faith

Charles Spurgeon said "Have you no wish for others to be saved, then you are not saved yourself, be sure of that."
This hilarious spoof video (6 min) from www.8reasonswhydvd.com gives eight reasons why Christians don't share their faith. Are these your excuses?


Check out: Halloween Great For Evangelism.
and: Learn How To Share Your Faith Biblically.

10 Lies College Students Hear about God by Richard Ochs

Lie #1: In order to believe the Bible one must commit intellectual suicide.

One of the myths of our modern educational system is that a truly intelligent person will not believe the Bible. Actually, just the opposite is true. A truly intelligent person cannot help but believe the Bible. The belief that God has revealed truth to men in His Word and especially in His Son Jesus Christ is the only thing that can make sense out of life.

Most of the early colleges and universities in America were founded upon this principle. Harvard, William and Mary, Yale, Princeton, and many other institutions of higher learning had the Bible at the center of their curriculum. Jesus Christ was considered to be the foundation of all knowledge. As the first code of Harvard laws stated in 1642, "…Let every Student be plainly instructed, and earnestly pressed to consider well, the maine end of his life and studies is to know God and Jesus Christ which is eternal life, and therefore to lay Christ in the bottome, as the only foundation of all sound knowledge and Learning."

Some of the greatest intellects of history have found the Christian world view to be completely reasonable, rational, and intellectually satisfying. Men like the Apostle Paul, Augustine, John Wycliffe, Rembrandt, John Milton, Blaise Pascal, Johann Sebastian Bach, Robert Boyle, Jonathan Edwards, Michael Faraday, James Clark Maxwell, Lord Kelvin, and C.S. Lewis, to name a few, saw no contradiction between thinking and believing.

The reason the Bible is ridiculed by many so-called "intellectuals" today is that their hearts are morally depraved. Their pride and arrogance have blinded them to the truth. "Professing themselves to be wise, they have become fools." (Romans 1:22)

Students, don’t fall for the pseudo-intellectualism which surrounds you on campus. It is a façade which puffs up your pride, but in the end will leave you empty. Ultimately it will matter little if you are counted wise or foolish by the college crowd. What will matter is whether you have walked with God and made it your aim and desire to be pleasing to Him. This is true wisdom and man’s reason for existence.

Lie #2: Christianity is basically the same as the other religions of the world.

Though there are some superficial similarities between Christianity and other religions, the essential message of Christianity stands in sharp contrast to all other beliefs. Christ claimed a relationship with God that excluded the possibility of salvation by any other way than Himself. He said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me." (John 14:6) The apostle Peter spoke of the exclusiveness of the work of Christ when he wrote, "there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)

Christianity is Christ. His life, death, and physical resurrection from the dead on behalf of sinners is what makes Christianity distinctive. The other religions of the world are essentially humanistic: sinful men attempt to reach God through their own self-righteous efforts. In Christianity, on the other hand, God reaches down to sinful men and gives them a righteousness purchased by the death of His Son on the cross. To view Christianity as basically the same as other religions of the world is to miss the main point of Christianity – "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

Lie #3: Money, power, pleasure, and prestige are worth striving to attain.

Academic honor, the high paying job, the position of prominence and the "good life" are all dangled before the college student as enticements for pursuing a college education. But even if you should attain wealth, notoriety, and luxury (which most graduates don’t), are they really worth the effort?

Long ago, one of the wisest men who ever lived had all these things in abundance, but found they did not satisfy. King Solomon had far more fame, fortune, and worldly pleasure than you can ever hope to attain, yet came to realize that they gave no true meaning to life and that death would soon take even these things away. You brought nothing into the world, and it is certain you can carry nothing out. In an instant, all is lost. Your labors, plans, projects are left behind at the grave. In light of this the pursuit of the fleeting pleasures and treasures of this world is "vanity and striving after the wind." (Ecclesiastes 2:11)

Jesus added an even more sobering aspect to the foolish quest for money, power and pleasure. He said that not only will you lose all these things at death, but far more importantly, you will also lose your soul. Hell awaits the person who lives for the things of this world. As Jesus put it, "For what will it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" (Mark 8:36)

In contrast to the attitude of striving for self-advancement and self-gratification so common on the college campus, Christ taught that the way of true greatness is to become a servant of others, that the kingdom of heaven belongs to the poor in spirit, that God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble, and that true life and joy can be found only as you deny self and take up your cross daily to follow Him.

Why waste your life on things that won’t last and will, in the end, cost you your soul? Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. He feeds the birds of the air. He clothes the lilies of the field. As you put your trust in Him, He will take care of you.

Lie #4: The drunkenness and fornication so common on college campuses must be OK since "everybody’s doing it."

One way students try to convince themselves their sinful life style is really not bad is by rationalizing that everybody is living this way. Sexual immorality, drunkenness, drugs, foul language, cheating and lying are not only considered standard operating procedures, but students actually boast about them. This attitude is reinforced as they sit in psychology and ethics classes and hear these and related subjects discussed as academic, amoral issues.

Actually, such practices are far from being mere academic topics. They are matters of life and death. The wages of sin always was and always will be death. God’s holy character is the absolute, unchanging standard for all morality, and He will leave no sin unpunished. What is said in ethics class or how other students live does not change God’s abhorrence of sin in the least.

The Word of God says, "You shall not follow a multitude in doing evil." (Exodus 23:3) Jesus spoke of a wide gate and a broad way that leads to destruction and many who enter by it. He also said that "the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life and few are those who find it." (Matthew 7:13, 14) The meaning is simple: if you go with the crowd, you will end up in hell with them!

Students, "do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God." (1 Corinthians 6:9, 10)

Lie #5: Jesus never claimed to be God.

A few quotes from the New Testament are sufficient to dispel this myth.

In John 10:30, Christ expressly claimed equality with God by stating, "I and the Father are one." Later in the same book He put forth the same claim in a different way by saying, "He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father." (John 14:9)

Besides these explicit statements of deity, Christ constantly attributed to Himself divine characteristics. He claimed the power to forgive sins and the right to receive worship from His fellow men. When Thomas called Him "My Lord and My God", He did not rebuke him. On the contrary, He demanded absolute devotion to Himself and promised men divine gifts such as peace and eternal life. He taught His own sinlessness and moral perfection. He put forward His teachings as absolutely authoritative, saying that heaven and earth would pass away but His words would never pass away. He claimed to be the Light and Savior of the whole world and that He would come in power and great glory at the end of the world to judge all men.

His Jewish contemporaries certainly understood Him to be claiming Godhood. Over and over they charged Him with blasphemy for this very thing. On one occasion when they were going to stone Him to death, Jesus asked them for which of His good works He was being stoned. The Jews answered, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God." (John 10:31-33)

These are only a few of the New Testament references concerning Christ’s divinity, but they should be sufficient to lay to rest this often repeated misrepresentation of Christ.

Jesus cannot be dismissed as a good moral teacher like Buddha or Confucius. His claims for Himself do not allow this option. see The Radical Claims That Jesus Made.

Lie #6: The New Testament accounts of the life of Christ are not reliable since they were written long after His death.

This is one way men have tried to avoid the supernatural character and staggering claims of Christ. These things, they say, were invented by His followers many years later. This attempt at escaping the Christ of Scripture, though, cannot stand in the light of historical investigation. The evidence that the biographies of Christ were written within the lifetime of His contemporaries is now so strong that even the late William F. Albright (the foremost American Biblical archaeologist until his death in 1971) was brought to the opinion that "every book of the New Testament was written by a baptized Jew between the forties and the eighties of the first century A.D. (very probably sometime between about 50 and 75 A.D.)".

Moreover, the portrait of Christ given in the New Testament is entirely beyond the scope of human intervention. He simply stands too high above anyone who could have possibly produced Him. It would have taken someone equal to the Christ presented in Scripture to have invented such a perfectly human and divine character. Certainly the early apostles were psychologically, morally, and religiously incapable of such a task. Furthermore, they would hardly have given their lives (which most of them did) for something they knew they had conjured up out of their own imaginations.

The only explanation that makes sense is the obvious one: that the New Testament contains just what it claims – firsthand, eyewitness accounts of the most amazing person that ever walked this earth. One who was, in fact, God incarnate. As the Apostle Peter put it, "We did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty." (2 Peter 1:16)

If you really want to use your mind, why not read the New Testament itself, being as honest as you can with what you read? In the gospel of John, which is a good place to start reading, the Lord said, "My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me. If any man is willing to do His will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it is of God, or whether I speak of Myself." (John 7:16, 17) If you are truly willing to obey God, you can know that the things you are reading are true.

Lie #7: Christianity can be written off as false because of the sham of some of the big-time evangelists and TV ministers.

The fact that there are charlatans who claim the name of Christ should not be surprising. There have always been people who have used "godliness as a means of gain." Jesus warned His followers to "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing (looking like Christians) but inwardly are ravenous wolves." (Matthew 7:15)

Christ’s sharpest words are directed toward religious leaders who "outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness." (Matthew 23:28) He called them "blind guides," "whitewashed tombs," and "sons of hell." He said they "clean the outside of the cup, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence." (Matthew 23:25)

Far from being something that disproves Christianity, the presence of false prophets and hypocrites is something Christ Himself said was to be expected.

Don’t try to use the hypocrites in the church as your excuse for not following Christ. You will have to give an account of your own life to God, regardless of how many hypocrites you can point to who profess Christianity. "For we must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ." (2 Corinthians 5:10) See 3 Minute Video.

Lie #8: Evolution is a reasonable explanation of the origin and present makeup of the universe.

It is important to define what we mean by evolution. We are not just talking about change. Everybody is agreed that there has been a great deal of change over the centuries and the world around us.

By evolution we mean the theory that molecules have become men through a process that is purely naturalistic. This is sometimes called macro-evolution, and as it is presented in most college classes, it is basically a materialistic worldview. Men like Julian Huxley, G.G. Simpson, Jacques Monad and Carl Sagan are some of the leading proponents of this view. The following brief statement by Sagan is a good summation of this outlook. "The Cosmos is all that is, or ever was, or ever will be." Such a view is contrary to both Biblical revelation and reason.

The idea that by pure chance life could somehow come from non-life (spontaneous generation) and that the ultimate source of all we see around us, including man, is impersonal matter or energy, is absurd.

The spontaneous generation of life was disproved long ago by Redi, Pasteur, and other scientists. The concept has been smuggled back into modern science by evolutionists who need it to give a naturalistic, materialistic origin for life. Despite popular misconception, the various biopoieses experiments like the Miller-Urey spark discharge apparatus have not even come close to producing anything that could be called life.

Even more destructive to the whole evolutionary scenario is the idea that impersonal, mindless matter aimlessly interacting with itself has somehow brought forth man with his personality, rationality and concepts of morality and purpose. Can amoral matter produce man with his moral concepts? Can impersonal matter produce man with his personality? Can mindless molecules account for the mind of man with its rationality?

It is in this area of rationality that the evolutionary worldview is seen to be most deficient. In fact, the theory is self-destructive. Any theory that holds the mind and thoughts of man to be ultimately a product of chance destroys itself; chance-produced thoughts are meaningless thoughts. Rationality is completely destroyed in a system that ascribes thought to irrational causes. Charles Darwin himself called this his "horrid doubt." In a letter written toward the end of his life he states, "But then with me the horrid doubt always arises whether the convictions of man’s mind, which has been developed from the mind of the lower animals, are of any value or at all trustworthy. Would anyone trust in the convictions of a monkey’s mind, if there are any convictions in such a mind?"

By destroying the validity of man’s mental activity, evolutionary theory cuts off its own head. The mind of man cannot be trusted for anything, not even for the theory of evolution itself.

By denying God, man ends up denying his own mannishness. Truth, beauty, love, morality, and rationality are robbed of all significance. Everything becomes a pointless and empty absurdity. Little wonder that the Bible states, "The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ " (Psalm 53:1)

Dear students, don’t embrace this foolish myth. You know you are more than the energy particle extended. Though it has been terribly marred by sin, the image of God is still the essential ingredient of your humanity and testifies unfailingly to you that you are not a product of chance. No matter how much you may try to suppress it there still comes welling from deep within you the cry that you are not an animal nor a machine, but a person. You didn’t get this from the amoeba, you got it from God who created you and calls you to Himself. See Videos: Evolution-A Fairy Tale For Grown Ups(7 min) & 100 Reasons Why Evolution Is So Stupid. And also How I Went From Being An Atheist-Evolutionist To Religious Hypocrite To True Christian Convert.

Lie #9: Man is basically good.

It is amazing in the light of human history that men still see themselves as basically good. Think of just our century: two world wars, the Nazi concentration camps, Viet Nam, the sixty-six million Russians exterminated since the Bolshevik revolution, the millions murdered under Mao Tse-tung, and the present worldwide slaughter of one half of all babies while still in their mothers’ wombs.

These are just a few recent examples of the fact that most of the history of mankind has been written in blood and tears. Still man tries to deceive himself with flattering thoughts of his goodness, greatness, and perfectibility. Man, in love with himself, will hear nothing of the Bible’s realistic assessment of the situation – "The hearts of the sons of men are full of evil, and insanity is in their hearts throughout their lives." (Ecclesiastes 9:3)

One of the reasons that Jesus Christ was despised and rejected by men was because He told them the truth about themselves. "The world hates Me," He said, "because I testify of it, that its deeds are evil." (John 7:7) Or, as He put it on another occasion, "No one is good except God alone." (Luke 18:19)

It is true that man as God originally made him was good, but since he has rebelled and turned away from his Creator, man is in his very nature corrupt and evil.

One reason men still view themselves as basically good is that they compare themselves with one another instead of measuring their lives by God’s righteous and holy standard. Of course we don’t seem too bad if we lower the standard to fit our behavior.

Another reason men view themselves as good is that they look on the outward appearance instead of at the heart. Sometimes we can do a pretty decent job of cleaning ourselves up on the outside, but what about the thoughts and intents of the heart? Jesus said that this is really what God’s commands are all about. For instance, the command against murder goes much deeper than just physically taking someone’s life. Jesus said that this command is broken when you get angry with your fellowman or call him a fool. (Matthew 5:21, 22) Every time you lose your temper, or seek revenge, or harbor resentment you are committing murder in your heart. You can kill by malicious gossip, or by spite and jealousy. As the Apostle John said, "Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer." (1 John 3:15) So, while you are quick to condemn Hitler or Mao for their murderous acts, remember how God views your hateful attitudes.

Or consider another example that Jesus used to show the true meaning of God’s law. He said that the command against adultery is transgressed every time you look on a woman lustfully. Those who make a practice of committing adultery in their hearts will be excluded from the kingdom of heaven just as surely as those who practice the outward act. (Matthew 5:27-30) Think of this the next time you are at the movies, or at the beach, or looking at Playboy magazine.

Students, you may be able to hide your sin from others. You may even be able to convince yourself that you are not so bad. But be assured of this, God sees the true picture, and one day you shall stand before Him to give an account of every thought, motive and action. See How Would You Feel If Your Thought Life Was Shown on National TV.

Lie #10: "Smile, God loves you."

This is perhaps the most destructive of all the lies college students hear. It is particularly deceptive because it is put forth by religious people. You shouldn’t really expect unbelieving teachers or students to give you a true picture of Christianity. But what about the people in the various religious organizations on the campuses throughout America? Surely they will give a true and accurate presentation of Christianity. Sadly, this is often not the case. The main theme of a large segment of the campus ministries can be summed up in the little phrase so often seen or heard, "Smile, God loves you." In the context in which it is presented this is nothing but an unbiblical lie which gives sinful college students a hope of heaven when they are headed toward hell.

One mark of false prophets throughout the Bible is that they preach "Peace, peace, when there is no peace." (Jeremiah 6:14; 8:11,12; 14:13-15) They say to everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his own heart, "Calamity will not come upon you." (Jeremiah 23:16, 17) This is exactly what the false prophets on the campuses are presenting. Of course, they can attract many to their organizations this way, and be thought of as nice friendly people, but this distortion of the Christian message is keeping multitudes from seeing their desperate need of Jesus Christ. Students with sin and self still dominating their lives are assured that all should be smiles since God loves them.

Dear student, this is a lie that will cost you your soul. The truth is that unless you are sold out to Jesus Christ, you are right now under the wrath of Almighty God. Contrary to what you have heard, the God of the Bible hates sin, kills people, and puts sinners in hell. That’s nothing to smile about, especially if you are living in sin.

God once drowned and sent to hell every person alive on the earth except eight people who found grace in His sight. And God has not changed. One day soon He is going to kill you and put you in hell because of your sin, unless you flee to Christ.

If you would indeed know the love of God, then come to Christ, confessing your utter sinfulness, asking God, for Christ’s sake, to receive you and save you from your sins. You may lose your friends and be ridiculed by your teachers but you will know the love of God and have something real to smile about.