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	<title>Simply Spiritual &#187; christian faith</title>
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	<link>http://simplyspiritual.lisakg.net</link>
	<description>Live Life more Abundantly</description>
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		<title>No Turning Back</title>
		<link>http://simplyspiritual.lisakg.net/2010/05/no-turning-back/</link>
		<comments>http://simplyspiritual.lisakg.net/2010/05/no-turning-back/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 15 May 2010 16:23:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lisakg</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Faith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Joy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spiritual living]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[christian faith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lot's wife]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[spiritual life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[trials]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://simplyspiritual.lisakg.net/?p=179</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The road ahead is all that matters, there is no point looking back.  Dwelling on the past will only cause you to lose out on a bright and exciting future.  Admittedly, the journey ahead may be difficult and challenging and even sometimes scary, but there is no point turning back because that will only cause [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://simplyspiritual.lisakg.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/children_2.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-180" style="margin: 6px;" title="Children Walking " src="http://simplyspiritual.lisakg.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/children_2-150x150.jpg" alt="Children walking up a Road" width="150" height="150" /></a>The road ahead is all that matters, there is no point looking back.  Dwelling on the past will only cause you to lose out on a bright and exciting future.  Admittedly, the journey ahead may be difficult and challenging and even sometimes scary, but there is no point turning back because that will only cause you to fail.</p>
<p>In the Christian life this is especially true.   Once you have made a commitment to serve God and leave behind a life of sin, that commitment is for a lifetime.  You can’t go back to your former life.  To do so means death – especially spiritual death.</p>
<p><strong>Lot’s Wife Looked Back</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://simplyspiritual.lisakg.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/040_01_0167_BSTD.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-181" style="margin: 6px;" title="Lot Fleeing Sodom " src="http://simplyspiritual.lisakg.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/040_01_0167_BSTD-300x239.jpg" alt="Lot fleeing Sodom " width="300" height="239" /></a>The best example of this is Lot’s wife.  You will find the story in Genesis 19.</p>
<p>The Lord was about to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah for their atrocious sins.  The Lord decided to save Lot and his family because of his righteousness.  The angel of the Lord told Lot to take his wife and daughters and flee the city immediately.  He also told them to not look back otherwise they will die (verse 17).  However, Lot’s wife could not help herself; she looked back and was turned into a pillar of salt (verse 26).</p>
<p>You see, by looking back essentially she was saying, “I will miss this place despite all the wrong acts it committed.”</p>
<p><strong>Change for the Better</strong></p>
<p>The Christian life means change for the better.  A life filled with blessings and accomplishments.  In Proverbs it states:  <em>“As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.”  (Proverbs 26:11)</em></p>
<p>Don’t be a fool and keep repeating the same mistakes over and over again, but keep working to improve your life and you will reap the rewards.</p>
<p><strong>Road not Easy, but Rewarding</strong></p>
<p>A Christian life may not be easy as you will not always get the things you want when you want it, as well as face persecution from those who are against your beliefs.  But despite the trials, it is a much better life than one lived apart from Jesus.  The bible teaches that:</p>
<blockquote><p><em>“There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while.  These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure… So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring much praise and glory and honour on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world”.</em> I Peter 1:6-7</p></blockquote>
<p>Your trials help you to build faith and not to mention the great reward you will receive when Jesus Christ returns.  If you give up, you will lose.</p>
<p>Keep looking at the road and ahead and at no time look back, because God is at the end of the road.</p>
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		<title>Christian Apologetics</title>
		<link>http://simplyspiritual.lisakg.net/2009/09/christian-apologetics/</link>
		<comments>http://simplyspiritual.lisakg.net/2009/09/christian-apologetics/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 21 Sep 2009 01:01:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lisakg</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Faith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[apologetics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[christian faith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[God]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://simplyspiritual.lisakg.net/?p=128</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[One of the topics I need to study for my Bachelor of Theology Degree is Apologetics.  Now, with all of my bible study experience, I never came across the term apologetics. 
What is apologetics?  The word comes from the Greek word Apologia which means &#8216;defense&#8217;, so Christian Apologetics essentially means &#8216;defending the Christian faith&#8217;.  A person [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="mceTemp"><a href="http://simplyspiritual.lisakg.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Paul_in_Corinth.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-132" style="margin: 6px;" title="Paul_in_Corinth" src="http://simplyspiritual.lisakg.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Paul_in_Corinth-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a>One of the topics I need to study for my Bachelor of Theology Degree is Apologetics.  Now, with all of my bible study experience, I never came across the term apologetics. </div>
<p>What is apologetics?  The word comes from the Greek word Apologia which means &#8216;<strong>defense&#8217;</strong>, so Christian Apologetics essentially means <strong>&#8216;defending the Christian faith&#8217;</strong>.  A person who is versed in apologetics is called an <strong>&#8216;Apologist&#8217;.</strong></p>
<p>Even though apologetics may appear to be a new branch of Theology, it is rather quite old.  People have been defending their belief in a living God since in Old Testament times.  You will find scriptures in the bible that command you to defend your faith.</p>
<blockquote><p><em>&#8220;Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life.  And if you are asked about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it&#8221;.</em>  I Peter 3:15</p></blockquote>
<p>I guess you can say Paul was one of the greatest Apologists of all time.  Here&#8217;s what he says in 2 Corinthians 3 -6:</p>
<blockquote><p><em>&#8220;We are human, but we don&#8217;t wage war with human plans and methods.  We use God&#8217;s mighty weapons, not mere worldly weapons, to knock down the Devil&#8217;s strongholds.  With these weapons, we break down every proud argument that keeps people from knowing God.  With these weapons we conquer their rebellious ideas, and we teach them to obey Christ.  And we will punish those who remained disobedient after the rest of you become loyal and obedient.&#8221;</em></p></blockquote>
<p>This is what being an apologist is all about &#8211; using God&#8217;s weapons to fight those whose purpose is to destroy God&#8217;s Word and those who believe in Him.</p>
<p>There are certainly a lot of tools to learn and master to become a good apologist.  Attacks on the bible and Christianity have certainly become more prominent and sophisticated in our time.  A true Christian now needs to know how to properly answer those questions that deny the existence of God and Jesus Christ, as well as those aspects of the bible that persons try to distort and discredit.  It is a lot of work, but certainly well worth the effort. </p>
<p>It goes to show that I too, have a lot to learn, but I am well prepared to open my mind and heart to all that the Lord is teaching me so I can go out and teach it to others, as well as to effectively defend my faith.</p>
<p>If you wish to know more about Apologetics you can study these <a href="http://apologeticscourses.com/?page_id=133" target="_blank">Free Courses</a></p>
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