Monday Morning Apologist: Dinosaurs Disprove the Bible?
—OBJECTION: The fossil records of dinosaurs—which aren’t mentioned in the Bible—proves the Bible is untrue.
Author: Van Barrett
FAITH. By the grace of God, I am a Christian. I don't mean the superficial, thanking-God-after-winning-an-award-type Christian either. This is real to me. I was a mess of an individual (by God's standards) whose only hope was redemption through Jesus Christ. Currently, I am a faithful member in good standing at a local church.
FAMILY. I'm a husband and father by God's grace. I have the greatest wife on the planet and a daughter whom I adore. This doesn't mean we always get along, but I know I've been given far more than I deserve as it relates to them.
EDUCATION. I have an undergraduate degree in business management and a graduate degree in theological studies. Jesus, theology, evangelism, ministry, and apologetics are passions of mine, so the blog generally centers around those topics. Writing is a way for me to formulate my thoughts as not to drive my family insane since I probably border somewhere between an over-thinker and contemplative.
So, there's a little bit about me, a little background that I hope will provide insight into blog posts. Just another flawed individual seeking to be used by God.
-Van Barrett (pseudonym)
Commonly Misused Bible Verses #6 – Is. 11:6
“…And a little child shall lead them.” - Isaiah 11:6d ESV Common (Mis)usage: Whether it’s stated as “a child shall lead them” or “a child shall lead the way,” the phrase that’s taken from this passage of Scripture is usually meant to communicate a child’s capability within a Christian context. The implication is that children have their role in God’s kingdom (and they...
King David and Bathsheba: Adultery or Something Else?
The below post seeks to address the recent and now common refrain that David raped Bathsheba. In it, I address rape in a rather direct fashion. It’s not my goal nor intention to cause any victims of rape to relive trauma as a result of this straightforwardness. While that may be a negative consequence for some regarding this post, I still believe this to be worthwhile because of a...
A Word of Caution to the Hypercritical Christian
This post highlights my personal observations. It also includes a warning that will be especially applicable to a sect of Christianity: Reformed (aka Calvinists). Though I wouldn’t categorize myself as Reformed, I find a lot of their teaching helpful to the church. I write this with the utmost love, caring for the Church, which undoubtedly includes Reformed Christians. I pray that...
Commonly Misused Bible Verses #5 – 1 Cor. 10:13
“He won’t put more on you than you can bear.” - ??? Up front, this one isn’t outright a Bible verse; it’s misquoted. Yet, it is loosely based on a Bible verse and altered just enough to lose its proper meaning. The verse most closely resembling that quote is 1 Corinthians 10:13 from the King James Version (KJV), and it reads (emphasis on the related words): There hath no...
Phone Tapped
The following are my experiences, but if they’re also your experiences, perhaps you can employ some of the measures I took in order to restore parts of my life and draw closer to Jesus. It finally happened. I finally realized what many others had already realized about their phones, but I didn’t want to believe it. No, this isn’t about the government listening to phone...
Look to Him!
The other day, the Lord reminded me of my need to focus. Not merely to focus on the tasks I needed to complete, but to focus on Him. For me, some days are rife with spiritual advances and Spirit-filled faith, living. Other days have the semblance of the Christian life but are also marred by my sin and failures. This day was of the latter variety but with a most welcome twist: I experienced...
The Conservative Charismatic
Several years ago, I coined the phrase “conservative charismatic” to apply to myself and other Christians who might share the same view. At the time, I wasn’t sure if anyone else had been using the phrase (and I’m uncertain if anyone uses it now) in mainstream Christendom. Nevertheless, I use it to this day and believe it’s a helpful and needed categorization. With all the additional...
The Best News Ever!!!
Not trying to bait anyone with the headline, but this—what I’m about to say, rightly understood in its context—is actually the best news ever. I’m talking about the glorious, one-of-a-kind, grace-filled, man-humbling, God-exalting, supernatural gospel, and while “gospel” translates to “good news,” it’s much more than those words mean on the surface. It is without a doubt...
Commonly Misused Bible Verses #4 – Matt. 18:20
“For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” - Mt. 18:20 NASB (1995) Common (Mis)usage:
The typical reference to this verse is when it’s related to a promise associated with general prayer or Christian gatherings. Usually, there’s some suggestion that as long as there are “two or three” Christians gathered (i.e., in His name) then Jesus is...