Watch our August 26, 2022 Friday family night service with a focus Thailand by missionary Ron Myers.
This service includes hymn singing, prayer, and the presentation by Thailand by missionary Ron Myers. He discussed his ministry there, Buddhism, evangelism, and the importance of grounding the gospel in creation (God the creator) for Buddhists.
Read more on Ron Myers creation evangelism for Buddhists HERE
Get a free copy of Josh McDowell’s book “More Than a Carpenter” at Mission Valley Community Chapel. This is a good introductory or giveaway book on apologetics (reasons to believe). There are over 10 million in print, and it has been used to lead many to the Lord Jesus Christ.
This updated version Josh cowrote with his son Sean McDowell, who is also a Christian apologist.
This book includes evidences from history, prophecy, science, creation, and covers topics like the existence of God, the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, the reliability of the Bible, is Jesus the only way, and the gospel.
Josh also gives personal details and stories, including his struggles growing up with an alcoholic father and being sexually molested as a child by a man who worked his parents farm. He describes how God helped him through these terrible problems when he became a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.
I’ve given this “More Than a Carpenter” away to Uber drivers, a box to a homeschooling group, at booths in Balboa Park, to work man who come to the house, and friends. It is also a popular giveaway on our free resource table.
Come to the Chapel and get a free copy for yourself and one to give to a friend. “His story might change yours…”
More Than a Carpenter by Josh McDowellThis is a book of evidentialist apologetics. This is an approach that focuses on the Lord Jesus Christ in both history and prophecy. This is a good approach, as many people already believe that God exists. Classical apologetics is good for those who do not believe that God exists. This is a two-step approach that first argues for the existence of God and then for the Lord Jesus Christ. As noted above, this book also has arguments for the existence of God.
Considering Creation; Do You Like Nature?
Creator-Awareness Evangelism Through Discussing Intelligent Design
By Ron Myers.
CONSIDERING CREATION – DO YOU LIKE NATURE (Eng with Pics, Rev 6 ) – Ron Myers
Considering Creation – Do You Like Nature (Thai with Pics, Published Ver)
Above are links to an apologetic/evangelistic booklet in both English and Thai written by missionary Ron Myers.
This booklet with pictures was written particularly for a Buddhist audience.
Without using religious language, he introduces God as “a Creator, an Owner, a Master Designer or Great Architect.” He does this by pointing to the evidence in ourselves and the world around us (intelligent design). Towards the close of this section, he uses a parable that turns the atheist “gardener” parable on its head.
He then moves from “Creation to Redemption.“ He refers to “the ancient scrolls” (The Bible) that discuss Satan, our first parents (Adam and Eve), and Jesus “Our Creator-God, Savior and Advocate.” He presents the work of Jesus, becoming judgment, and gives a clear gospel presentation.
The above summary does not give this great evangelistic/apologetic book justice, but hopefully whets your appetite to read it… And share it!
You can listen to an about five minute description by the author Ron Myers, and how he uses it here on YouTube
And here’s the author’s better overview, a sort of “virtual” back of the book description, “Consider Creation [is] a highly successful Creation Evangelism dialogue in booklet form and audio format that addresses origins and proposes examples of Intelligent Design which beg the existence of an Intelligent Designer. It has proven very successful among Asian cultures that do not share a our Judeo-Christian worldview or knowledge of God as their Creator. It helps them to come to the conclusion that there must be an Intelligent Designer. It concludes by introducing God and His Word, Creation, Satan and the fallen angels, Garden of Eden, Temptation, Fall, Curse and Banishment from God’s presence, and finally the Promise of a Messiah, His Name and invitation to receive Christ and eternal judgement awaiting those who do not, but God’s loving mercy for all who do.”
Don Myers – Creation Evangelism
Here’s another update from David Hall’s apologetic and evangelistic outreach in Balboa Park “Science Scripture Salvation Outreach” on Facebook.
Visit David’s Science Scripture Salvation in the park on Saturdays at the Bea Evenson Fountain area get directions here. Look for the display of posters about science and prophecy like the ones in the below video –
In this video, David shares the Gospel using Messianic prophecies and the Gospel of John
It was from David and the free material at his outreach that I found out about these motion tracts the size of a business card that we will be giving out this Halloween from our homes.
The term “snowflake” has become a negative in much political and popular speech, but here’s a poem in which a snowflake is used to worship the Creator.
“To a Snowflake” by Francis Thompson
What heart could have thought you?—
Past our devisal
(O filigree petal!)
Fashioned so purely,
Fragilely, surely,
From what Paradisal
Imagineless metal,
Too costly for cost?
Who hammered you, wrought you,
From argentine vapor?—
“God was my shaper.
Passing surmisal,
He hammered, He wrought me,
From curled silver vapor,
To lust of His mind—
Thou could’st not have thought me!
So purely, so palely,
Tinily, surely,
Mightily, frailly,
Insculped and embossed,
With His hammer of wind,
And His graver of frost.”
We can argue for God’s existence with apologetics, but another way is through poetry and images. After all, “The heavens declare the glory of God” (Psalm 19:1). Christian poetry helps us experience God‘s wonders more.
“To a Snowflake” by Francis Thompson is a 22 line poem (The number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet, though I doubt this was intentional). It does not have a strict structure of the Elizabethan and Metaphysical poems we have posted so far. There seem to be 2 feet (stresses) per line with the number of unstressed beats varying. These short and varying lines fit with snowflakes falling. There are a number of rhymes at the end of lines, but no strict structure. This also fits with snowflakes falling. There is a fair amount of alliteration in and between lines. For example, look at the number of “f”and “p” sounds that are repeated in the first few lines. These plosive sounds gives a laughing feel to it. Towards the end the rhymes even take place within lines. This again gives the scattered feel of snowflakes falling, even more rapidly.
I think this poem is a good example of Alexander Pope’s admonition, “The sound must seem an echo of the sense.”
You can read other analyses here under Poems.
David Hall runs an apologetic/evangelistic outreach in Balboa Park. He does not go to the Chapel, though his daughter and her family did before they moved north for more musical training – https://www.delamottestrings.com
Here’s a link to an update about his latest outreach https://www.facebook.com/1226810861/posts/10226976149929508/
I (Paul) have had the opportunity to help out with this outreach on a couple of occasion. It’s really great. It includes evidence from creation and the Bible to point people to Christ. It is a unique outreach in that has evidence from creation, prophecy, typology, and legal evidences all pointing people to the Good News of the Lord Jesus Christ. But after all, isn’t that like the kind of reasoning the apostles did in the book of Acts?
If you’re ever in Balboa Park on a Saturday, you can stop by at the Bea Evenson Fountain area https://goo.gl/maps/ZRwbW1CVGSy5neja6
You’ll see a bunch of posters set up with pictures from science and prophecy. They are pictures like the ones on these free hand outs –
