Advanced Screening of Expelled (the Movie)

I have seen an advanced screening of the film Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, and it is amazing!!! Every thinking person must see this movie! Not only is the information very compelling, but the way in which it is presented is engaging and keeps you interested. It is no secret that documentaries can be either boring - or - largely fictitious and contrived (as is the case with one very well-known “documentarian”); however, neither is the case with Expelled.

I am pleased to be able to reprint this article about the upcoming movie written by one of our great friends; Dr. Ray Bohlin - the President of Probe Ministries.

Editor’s (Probe) Note: In the land of the free, who would dream of well-reputed scholars—even tenured ones—being expelled from their own institutions? But those who dare to even cite evidence contrary to Darwinian evolution (www.redeeemingdarwin.com) are often pilloried, even terminated. A new documentary, featuring actor, lawyer, economist, former presidential speechwriter and author Ben Stein, blows the whistle on this travesty of academic and scientific freedom…

Most Christians would admit to feeling persecuted in one way or another. We may quickly add that, of course, it’s not like being thrown to the lions like the early Christians. But we see the culture undergoing decay and we perceive our perspective on ethical issues being marginalized. Occasionally we hear of people being harassed in their jobs for being a Christian.

But most of us would expect that in certain spheres of society, such viewpoint bias is quickly admonished and freedom is protected. Our universities are paragons of something called academic freedom. University professors need to be free to express themselves about wherever their research and thinking has led them.American society prides itself in allowing such ideals as freedom of expression, freedom of speech, and even religious freedom. That is a part of what has made our country a refuge for many over the centuries.

In the academic community this is even more highly prized because research is about discovering new ideas and testing them. Researchers need a generous amount of freedom to see where their ideas may lead without being restricted just because a department head doesn’t like their idea.

We tolerate even objectionable ideas like Communism in our universities precisely because it is in hearing all viewpoints that students can best discern the truth. Having been educated as a graduate student in biology departments in two different universities, I can tell you firsthand that not everybody gets along and there are frequent disagreements, both privately and publicly.

But this is seen as necessary because that is how we learn. Ideas need competition. That is how truth is pursued in our human context. During my time in the 70s and 80s as a biology graduate student I was even able to be free about my faith and my doubts about Darwin.

Such freedom is not available today. If a friendly professor learns of your doubts about St. Darwin, he or she will likely tell you to keep it to yourself if you want to graduate.

But what about professors and highly published researchers? Surely they are given a little more latitude? Guess again. Coming [April 18] to a theater near you is an explosive film… Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed starring Ben Stein which chronicles the persecution of highly trained and published scientists simply for doubting or denying Darwin.

A double Ph.D. in biology and evolution was locked out of his offices and all of his research privileges were denied. He was eventually terminated. When a U.S. Senator began asking questions, he was told it was all a mistake. Eventually, his superiors said he was making it up. When an official report came out documenting the abuse, they admitted it but claimed he deserved it.

A highly lauded university biology instructor was demoted and fired for simply including evidence contrary to Darwinism as well as evidence for it. She was told she was teaching creationism even though her lecture outlines were freely available online and the words Creator, Designer, or Higher Power never left her lips. Even the lawyer who volunteered to freely pursue a lawsuit was pressured to drop it.

A highly successful and well-published astronomer has been denied tenure even though he has published over four times the necessary peer-reviewed articles. The reason? He is open and receptive to the theory of Intelligent Design even though it has never been introduced into his courses.

Some are still fighting, some have taken early retirement. Some are blacklisted and can’t find a job. Clearly, some ideas are more tolerated than others.

Got your attention? This is really just the tip of the iceberg of these and other stories this film will explore. Plan now to attend when Expelled hits…

Stay Tuned!

For other great articles on this topic please visit www.redeemingdarwin.com

Church DNA By the Book

There are a myriad of books aimed at pastors that focus on the purpose of the church. What many of these authors do not realize is they are promoting their priority DNA type. Some of the titles include, “The Connecting Church”, “The Disciple-Making Church”, and “The Equipping Church”. With all of these biblically-based books on the purpose of the church, how can you effectively decipher what DNA elements are essential for your community?

I recommend we look at the life and mission of Christ to determine what our mission should be. The first thing that we can learn from the Gospel accounts is that our Lord Jesus Christ saw his primary task as that of Savior. Jesus says of himself in Luke 19:10, “the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” What does that mean for the church today? It means that we need to look beyond the walls of our church and find those in need of a Savior. Sadly, most churches today are inwardly focused. If they were evaluated in terms of the familiar parable of the lost sheep, they would be more interested in shepherding the 99 than “seeking and saving” the one lost sheep. We need to be what one author calls, “an outward-facing force”. If reaching the lost is a priority of Jesus then it should be our priority as the church.

One of my favorite selections from Scripture that encourages outreach and evangelism is found in Colossians 4:5-6: “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” With God’s blessing we must successfully make the most of every opportunity to connect with our community for the purpose of encouraging to place their trust in Christ for their salvation. Build relationships with outsiders or unbelievers for the opportunity to minister to them, invite them to church, and share the love of Jesus in word and deed.

One Mission, One Message…

Everyone has significant moments in their life; moments that are so impactful they change you forever. My most impactful moment occurred when I first understood what Jesus Christ had done for me. I remember how I felt leading up to that day, isolated and burdened because of my sin, knowing that when I died, I would have to give an account to my Creator.

I knew that no matter how good I tried to be, no matter what I did, the guilt from my sin remained. God was perfect, heaven was perfect, but I wasn’t. How could God love someone as sinful as me? How could a perfect God even think about letting me in to heaven? I greatly feared death knowing that I would have to answer for my sin.

This was my mindset seconds before I heard a message that changed my life forever. Through a very simple gospel presentation, I came to understand the good news of Jesus Christ. As I listened, I saw myself before a holy God, ready to receive the guilty verdict and punishment for my sin.

I then saw in my mind Jesus on the cross, realizing for the first time that HE had taken that punishment for me. Wow! There was nothing left to be done. Jesus had paid it all and His resurrection proved it was true. My response was to trust in Him and what He had done for me.
My eyes were opened and my burden was lifted. I experienced the joy of knowing that I had a relationship with my Creator that would last forever, not because of what I had done, but because of what Christ had done for me.

My heart’s desire is to be used by God to share the good news I heard that day with the world and equip and encourage other believers to do the same. That is also the passion and calling of EvanTell, the ministry where I serve as Director of International Ministries. We believe that when the gospel is communicated clearly, it has the power to change the life of anyone, anywhere, at any time.

My prayer is that this blog would be an encouragement to you as I share my heart about evangelism and how God is working around the world to give people hope through the good news of Jesus Christ.

What is Redeeming the Culture?

The concept of Redeeming the Culture was born out of the relationship between the parachurch organizations EvanTell, Inc. and Probe Ministries. In 2006, when it was announced that Dan Brown’s novel The DaVinci Code was to be made into a movie starring Tom Hanks, believers everywhere were mobilized as a response to the controversy over how the history of Jesus and the Church was being misrepresented. One of the most excellent resources to address the issue was a study produced jointly by the two ministries. It was entitled Redeeming The DaVinci Code and it addressed the topic in a unique way with great impact.

Probe Ministries, under the leadership of Kirby Anderson, wrote and produced a study on the historicity of Jesus and the ecclesiastical development that followed His resurrection. Sharp contrasts were drawn that distinguished the historical truth from the fiction that had been written by Dan Brown. It was a terrific apologetic resource done with objectivity, thorough scholarship, and production excellence.

Recognizing that knowledge in and of itself without application is a fairly useless commodity, Probe partnered with the evangelistic organization EvanTell and their founder, Dr. Larry Moyer, to take the study to another level. The second part of the program was an equally thorough and excellent treatment of the subject from a different perspective. Rather than a historical, critical, apologetic defense, EvanTell’s piece provided sound Biblical and practical instruction for the Christian who sought to take the knowledge gained from the truth of the apologetic study and better understand how to share the gospel of Christ when engaged in conversation about the book and/or movie.

The unique thing about this particular endeavor was the approach that Probe and EvanTell took. Rather than attacking the people who enjoyed the book and the movie, the idea was to equip believers to respond—not react, when challenged about their faith. The overriding philosophy was and is one of “attract, don’t attack”. From this concept the overarching theme of “Redeeming the Culture” was born.

Redeeming the Culture is not about affecting change through social programs, governance or radical activity. Rather, it is a desire to see individuals exercise leadership within their own sphere of influence to change hearts and minds one at a time…

Evangelism Encouragement with Mark Rae

In this episode of the Evangelism Encouragement Podcast, host Mark Rae sits down with his good friend Daniel LaBry to discuss the state of evangelism in the church today and what EvanTell is doing to encourage and equip believers around the world to share the good news of Jesus Christ.

What Does the Resurrection Prove?

Jesus Christ claimed He was the Messiah. But over 60 other people have done the same thing. How do we know He was not a phony or some kind of lunatic deceiving Himself?

First, Jesus was pre-announced. All the others who claim to be Messiah just show up. Over three hundred prophecies in the Old Testament in essence said, “He’s coming and here is what He will look like.” When He came, Christ fit the Messiah that had been foretold. He fulfilled these prophecies on every account.

Secondly, Romans 1:4 of the Bible says concerning Christ, “He was declared to be the Son of God.” And then it says, “By the resurrection from the dead.” No other claimed “Messiah” has an empty tomb.

Some years ago, a British agnostic, referring to the other miracles of the Bible laid out the challenge when he said, “Let’s not discuss the other miracles. Let’s discuss the resurrection. If the resurrection is true, the other miracles are easy to explain. If the resurrection is not true, the other miracles do not matter.”

The resurrection is a pivotal point in Christian history. This is a central element that unites the Christian church. Why is that resurrection so important? Jesus Christ offers the gift of eternal life to those who will simply receive it. No one has the ability to save someone else, unless he has conquered the grave himself. Jesus Christ is the only one who had an empty tomb the third day. This truth no atheist has ever been able to disprove.

As sinners, we deserve to be separated from God forever. Because of Jesus Christ’s love for us, He became our substitute and took the punishment for our sins, died and rose again. He now extends the gift of life eternal to all who will trust Him as their personal Savior. To those who trust Him He says, “Because I live, you will live also. (John 14:19)

Makes sense, doesn’t it? If the resurrection is true, the other miracles are easy to explain. If the resurrection is not true, the other miracles do not matter.

Therefore, if someone questions whether Christ was who He said He was, lovingly challenge them to examine fulfilled prophecy about Christ and investigate the resurrection. I’ve never met anyone who studied the resurrection objectively that did not eventually become a believer. And this week, remember – one way to thank God for the empty tomb is by telling your neighbor about it!

Evangelism Out of Grace, Not Guilt

If there is one word in the Christian vocabulary that needs an extreme makeover it is the word “evangelism.” The attitude behind the word is one reason why only a small percentage of believers ever lead someone to Christ. The situation is compounded by the fact that even when Christians do evangelize, they often do it out of guilt – feeling that they have to, not that they want to. This begs the question: “Do you ever get to the point that you do evangelism out of grace, not out of guilt?”

The answer is found in a biblically sound perspective on evangelism. A careful study of scripture reveals that our God of grace wants us to witness out of grace. He wants us to approach taking Christ to the lost with excitement and anticipation. Evangelism can become an enjoyable experience, not an endurable episode. Join the conversation this week at Evangelism.net and offer your thoughts on the importance of doing evangelism out of grace and not guilt.

Evangelism is a Privilege, Not a Pain

The first thing that Christ taught His disciples was not how to manage money or raise a Christian family, as important as those are. It was something bigger. Jesus said, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matt. 4:19). A fisher of fish takes something alive and makes it dead. A fisher of men takes something dead and makes it alive. Jesus was in essence saying, “With Me, your life can have eternal perspective. It will count for something that will last forever.” Furthermore, “I will make you” implies, “I’ll teach you everything you need to know. Just follow. I’ll do the teaching if you’ll do the learning.”

“Wait a minute,” someone might say. “I grew up in a church where evangelism was a means of determining if you were a Christian. You had to evangelize or you weren’t saved.” Another might say, “I was made to feel that I had to present the Gospel to everyone I met. One man I knew pigeonholed people and immediately confronted them with the Gospel. I just can’t do that.” Remember that we do not have to live by the impression we receive from others, especially if those impressions are unbiblical. God tells us to follow Scripture as our guide and gives us freedom to be ourselves.

A biblical perspective on evangelism will help us develop healthier attitudes toward it. We can learn to profit from the good in our past experiences (such as recognizing a person’s concern for the lost), while freeing ourselves from mistaken assumptions. Too often people bring baggage into evangelism that isn’t biblical. Seeing evangelism from a biblical perspective can really set a person free.

God is in the business of populating heaven. If you’re interested, He will let you in on the privilege of assisting Him. The fruit of your life will last into eternity.

Bring the Lost to Christ or Bring Christ to the Lost?

By nature, we take things on our shoulders God never intended us to carry. That’s one reason we approach evangelism with so much anxiety and guilt. We take God’s responsibility on our shoulders and then wonder what went wrong if the person does not respond to the claims of Christ.

It is important to remember Jesus’ words, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him” (John 6:44). We should say, “I can’t bring people to Christ. Only God can do that. I can only bring Christ to people.” That’s what makes evangelism so exhilarating. With each individual, we need to try to see where we fit into God’s plan for bringing that person to Christ. You might be the tenth of fifteen people He will use, or the fourteen of twenty-six. A taste of heaven is when we are the twenty-first of twenty-one!

Sometimes a person might say, “I just need time to think about it.” We need to be sensitive to those that need just a little more time to process the freeness of God’s grace. In situations like this we have to realize that we have done our part. You must do our part and trust that it will now be up to someone else to pick up where we left off.

God will never ask us how many people we led to Christ. Stop counting and concentrate on conversing! God knows that apart from Him we will never lead anyone to Christ. He simply asks us to take Christ to them. As we do, sooner or later we will have the life-transforming opportunity of leading someone to the Savior.

God is Asking You to Walk Through Open Doors

One thing that worsens our guilt-driven approach to evangelism is the mentality that we must present the Gospel to every person we meet. They will be receptive; otherwise, we have failed. The fact is that we will run into closed doors. Don’t let that discourage you. Simply keep looking for the open doors. It takes prayer to open the door. The apostle Paul asked the Colossian believers to pray that God “would open to us a door for the word” (Col. 4:3). While in prison and upon his release from prison, Paul invited people to pray that God would give him and his co-workers doors of opportunity for the Gospel.

How do we know who is open and who is not? If someone is open to me you as a person, assume that to be an open door for the Gospel. Go as far as you can through that door. If nothing else, you can usually give a tract or booklet for the person to read later.

The door may not open today, but knowing how God works, it would open next week. Until then we can only pray, and avoid the tendency to live in guilt.

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