Five Minute Ministry

If you have any experience with Muslim beliefs you will have heard that the Qur'an says that Jesus was not crucified. This is an objection we need an effective answer too. This belief comes from Surah 4:157 "That they (the Jews) said (in boast), "We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Apostle of God";- but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them,..." I was listening to a podcast of a talk by Dr. Michael Green and he pointed out that this verse has some wiggle room. It could be interpreted that the Jews didn't kill Jesus, the Romans did and this verse is a condemnation of the Jews' boasting. He then went to Sura 19:33, a very strange passage where the newborn Jesus speaks to Mary and says in part: ""So peace is on me the day I was born, the day that I die, and the day that I shall be raised up to life (again)"! Muslims are taught that Jesus didn't die at all but was assumed up to heaven

Dr. James White read a very interesting tweet that he received that I think bears meditating on. It simply said, "The reason Christians don't kill those who criticize Jesus is because we realize they are already dead." Isn't that interesting. We know that those who don't follow Christ are under God's condemnation already. Their only hope is coming to the one they've denied to get their pardon. It has been said quite concisely that Jesus didn't come to make bad people good, but to make dead people alive. The people who don't affirm that aren't grasping the true gospel.

MRM.tv - Excellent Videos on Mormonism MRM - Mormonism Research Ministry has embedded videos about Mormonism on this page. Many are very professionally produced video that can be watched online with your small groups for free. You may also want to challenge your Mormon friends and acquaintances to watch one of them. You can tell them you aren't afraid of challenging questions because you know the Bible has stood up to over 2,000 years of challenges.

Here's a good primer on some of the more common cults and the errors they make.  This is a well produced film.  

This is the first question I recommend in my class that you ask JW's when they come to your door.  Today my wife was able to ask her frequent JW visitor, Mary, that question .  Mary said her mother and father studied with the Watchtower when she was a teen and though her Father didn't become a JW, her mother did.  She said that most of the others she knew became JW's coming from other faiths and denominations because they had become disillusioned with the people in their churches.  She may not be telling the whole story but I think there is a great deal of truth to what she says.  My own father and sister became JW's as adults and should have known better but they were also disillusioned with the Christian churches they had been in.  It must also be pointed out that they were only professing Christians and not soundly saved as evidenced by them joining a cult that denies Christ's divinity and the trinity. Still, the church did not reach out to warn them what they

The Disturbing Legacy of Charles Finney - Dr. Michael Horton I think this needs to be understood to fully understand the problem with the gospel message taught in churches today that creates mostly false converts. I added the warning in the Keith Green posting that we need to beware of Finney and his message. I was a big fan of Keith Green's ministry in college and I purchased Finney's "Revival Lectures" as recommended by Keith Green. This 'tradition' of evangelicalism needs to be evaluated purely with scripture and chuck out what is not biblical and anti-biblical. Finney and others are also responsible for the Burned-Over District of central and western New York where their revivalism left people very hardened to a sound gospel message and created the seed bed for a number of cults and false religions. This area produced Mormonism, Church of Christ Scientist, and the precursors for the Jehovah's Witnesses. We have not been learning our lessons wh

The Missing Parts -- Part 1 The Added Parts -- Part 2 This is a challenging evaluation by Keith Green of the modern gospel message.  I highly recommend it except for his approval of Charles Finney.  Finney was part of the problem, not the solution.

Comparison of Shia, Sunni and Sufi Factions of Islam This page has a great chart to compare the major branches of Islam. He also has a concise list of the comparisons between Muhammad and Joseph Smith linked on the left. Nice work!

Dr. James White has a lot of resources on his site AOmin.org: Mormonism Page He also has a link to his book "Letters to a Mormon Elder" that you can read online for free. I also mentioned his 100 Verse Memorization System that I showed on 3x5 cards. Mike Licona has also put his book on Mormonism online for free: "Behold, I Stand at the Door and Knock: What to say to Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses when they knock on your door" Mormon experts, Jerald and Barbara Tanner's book "The Changing World of Mormonism" is also free. Other websites that have a lot of info on Mormonism: www.carm.org Christian Apologetics and Resource Ministry www.mrm.org   Mormonism Research Ministry : Bill McKeever's site. www.utlm.org    Utah Lighthouse Mission - Jerald and Barbara Tanner's site www.aomin.org Alpha and Omega Ministry - Dr. James White's site. www.pleaseconvinceme.com   James Wallace's ministry site with lots of Mormon info. Pl

 

How do you feel if someone is criticizing the Bible and claims lots of errors and then you find out they've never read it for themselves?  That cuts both ways.  If you are going to criticize the Quran to a Muslim it would give you credibility if you've read it at least.  James White has a blog posting on AOMIN.org about what the Quran says about Jesus.    You may feel overwhelmed thinking about reading the entire Quran but if you read the few Surahs that reference Jesus then you'll be able to at least say to a Muslim: "I've read what the Quran says about Jesus, written over six hundred years after the fact.  I believe there are problems with it.  I entreat you to read the gospels to see what eye witnesses wrote about Jesus, the Prophet Isa, within a few decades of the events."

James White published a chart for a chronological order for the Quran on his blog that would be very helpful for anyone wanting to read through the Quran.  The Quran is ordered by size and not chronology so it can be very confusing.  I recommend printing off his chart and putting it in your copy of the Quran so you'll have it ready for reference.

Truthbomb Apologetics: Free Apologetics E-Book Library Here's a treasure trove of free e-books on apologetics, Christian living, theology, philosophy, logic, etc.. There are some well-known authors here like R.C. Sproul, John MacArthur, C.S. Lewis, etc.. Now I just need a Kindle! If you are looking for audio for your MP3 player then you need to go to Apologetics315.com for a treasure trove of debates, podcasts, etc..

This is the video version of Ray Comfort's foundational message. A must see!

This is one of Ray Comfort's foundational messages on video.  A must see!

Living Hope Ministries has several videos that you can view online for free or purchase on DVD for a very reasonable $7 each. You can share these DVDs with your Mormon friends and be sure to let them know they are not anti-Mormon. There are Mormon scholars speaking about the Mormon side of the issue in these DVDs. You should take the time to watch these: DNA vs. The Book of Mormon The Bible vs. The Book of Mormon Called to Be Free Lifting the Veil on Polygamy

This is an excellent video with some clips showing how the Latter Day Saints claim to be Christian and why that is not true.