Fishing for Men with Mack: Recent Episodes
biblife
The conversations and experiences of a South African evangelist who lives to grapple with people on the fundamental questions of life.
There seems to exist an "unspoken" belief from the atheist community that people who believe in God are irrational, unscientific and unintelligent. I think is sort of the opposite. People who don't believe in God have not clearly thought everything through well enough.
The greatest scientists that have lived were believers, like Einstein. The greatest communicators of our time believe in God, like Ben Shapiro. The greatest political communicators of our time believe in God, like Charlie Kirk.
In this episode C.S Lewis is discussed. Certainly one of the greatest minds of the 20th Century. He turned from theism to atheism and back to theism. And he perhaps had one of the greatest influences on modern Christian thought. Join in as the author of "the Chronicles of Narnia is discussed".
What would you do if you had all the power and authority in the universe in your hands? The answer to this question will be determined by the content of your heart.
In John 13:1-11 we see that Jesus has everything in His hands. His "ticket" back to his Father had been booked. He came from outside space-time-matter and was now going back.
It is the last meal with his disciples. What does he do with his hands? And what does that reveal about his heart? And how does that teach us how to live as His disciples?
Christians know the answer to this question, but they don't always fully understand what it means and how it applies to our lives today?
This podcast explores Jesus words with the Pharisees in Matthew 12 to help shed light on this often misunderstood concept. Included in the episode are some examples of atheists who commit this unforgivable sin.
In a nutshell, the "unforgivable sin" can only be committed by the worst of the worst pagans. It is not a sin that a believer in Jesus can accidently commit. So rest assured Christians, you are safe!
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me - Apostle Paul (Gal. 2:20)
This episode explores a sermon Jesus preached in the Temple courts on his last Sunday before he crucifixion. Contrary to what the crowd expected from the man who resurrected Lazarus from the dead, Jesus preached that he would die. What? The author of life would die?
And...he called upon his followers to do the same, to die, to give up their lives for others and for the kingdom of God. Jesus was worth more crucified and resurrected than when he lived in flesh. He saved the world. And you and I are therefore also worth more "dead" than alive.
This past week 41 books, including the Bible were removed from school libraries in the Keller (Texas) district. Some of the other books that were removed are books with the LGBTQ agenda.
It seems like some parents called for the removal of the Bible for the same reason that conservative parents requested the removal of the LGBTQ books. The reason was "sexually explicit" material.
Does the Bible contain information that is inappropriate for children? Or is this attack on the Bible a farce attempt to discredit the Christian faith that stands opposed to unnatural sexual relations?
A week before Jesus was crucified he had a meal with a healed leper, a resurrected man, a thief who stole from him, his disciples (including doubting Thomas), and two women. What happened at that meal that made the Apostle John record it for us?
This podcast explores the story in John 12:1-8 and extracts some relevant lessons for our time and context. Some themes that emerge: Is food the most important thing the poor needs? What's the greatest potential threat to loyalty to Christ? Should we trust modern day virtue signaling?
Joe Rogan has become probably the most popular podcaster in the US over the last decade. What makes him so popular is that he is "real". He is reasonable, although rough around the edges. People can resonate with that.
One would expect him to be an atheist. He is intelligent, popular, wealthy, influential... All the attributes to be a good atheist, but he isn't. And neither is he a theist? So what does he believe and why? And how does that relate to us and the theism debate?
Tune in to this podcast to have a reasonable look at why people sit on the fence when it comes to matters of faith.
"Speaking in Tongues" is a common phenomenon in most Pentecostal churches today. Is this the same as Biblical speaking in tongues? And if not, what is it then?
Why do people from other religions and cults also speak in tongues? Do all "saved" people have to speak in tongues? These and more such questions are dealt with in this podcast.
The great apostle Paul seems to have been the most uncomfortable in the city of Corinth when he was preaching the Gospel there. Corinthian society was base and ungodly. Yet Paul reached many people and even baptized the leader of the synagogue and his family.
How did he manage to reach such a godless place? What was his message? Well, in the first letter to the Corinthians Paul tells us that he only preached "Christ and Him Crucified". How could this message relate to the godless pagans of Corinth? And can this message still carry power for our world today?
There is a clearly orchestrated attack on our children from an ancient dark force. It is nothing new, it just looks different. At the heart of the attack lies the destruction of the family, the core of society.
The world is becoming an increasingly unsafe place for our kids. With the rise of technology the world has unfortunately found easy access into our homes. We cannot hide our kids from the world, or the world from our kids. All we have left to do is to prepare our kids for it.
Richard Wurmbrand recorded communist torturers saying, "There is no god, ne Hereafter, no punishment for evil. We can do what we wish." This statement reveals the insanity and irrationality of an atheistic worldview.
If there is no God, there is no ultimate punishment for evil, or reward for good. It leaves our existence in the pit of unfairness and injustice. It is far more rational and reasonable to believe there will be a reckoning at the end of it all.
Vladimir Putin can do what he wants, but he will pay. And those who suffer unjustly, yes, they will be rewarded for their sacrifices too. And so it will be with each one of us. Let us entrust ourselves to Him who judges justly.
Critics of the Christian faith and the Bible often point to Scriptures like Genesis 6 to say the Bible contains fairytales and should not be taken seriously. Unfortunately such people have been misinformed by Christians who provide inaccurate interpretations of Genesis 6.
This podcasts explores two primary questions: (1) Did angels sleep with humans and produce human/angel hybrid children called the Nephilim? (2) Were the Nephilim massive giants that roamed the Earth?
More importantly this podcast asks the "so what?" question of Genesis 6 to help us understand why this obscure passage of Scripture is even in the Bible.
We all believe something. But we don't always think properly about why we believe it. This podcast explores the ancient question of whether we need evidence to believe or not. Sometimes we believe without evidence, and sometimes we need evidence before we believe.
If you are a Christian, do you simply believe, or have you come to believe because of evidence? And what would that evidence be? William Lane Craig suggests that there is a difference between knowing your faith and showing your faith. I think we need both, personal belief and reasonable evidence to support our faith.
In this podcast I have a very special guest that discusses with me the biggest problem Christians and Atheists face - Morality. The Christian struggles to understand the difference between grace and works and grapples with guilt.
The atheist struggles to come to grips with Christian morality and often rejects Christianity because of its moral code. But both the Christian and atheist misunderstand the heart of the Christian Gospel.
We are saved by grace, not works. Righteousness isn't earned. Righteousness is a result of love and grace. Heaven becomes available not because anybody is good, but simply because HE is good.
Chuck Swindoll Summarizes it well: Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, He was buried, He was raised from the dead according to the Scriptures, He was seen. And Jesus’s death is sufficient to satisfy all of God’s demands against sin. And if you place your faith and trust in Christ you are saved. Not what I have done but what he has done on the cross.
We know Jesus wasn't born on 25 December. We know Jesus never asked us to celebrate his birth. We know that Santa Claus and trees with balls on them have nothing to do with Jesus. Does the whole Christmas thing then come from Paganism, and if so, what should Christians do about it?
In this podcast the history of the development of Christmas as we experience it is explored. And it turns out quite interestingly, that the origin of Christmas is not that sinister at all. Santa is not a demon. And doing Christmas is not pagan worship.
Above all aspects this episode deals with, the most interesting is the way the Catholic church actually did something really good that changed the course of the pagan world forever.
George Carlin has been called one of the most influential comedians of all time. He truly had an ability to mock religion and the idea of faith in God, and audiences loved it.
In this podcast we listen to one of his famous performances and provide some feedback on the misunderstandings and claims he makes.
At the same time we learn how his own life circumstances contributed to his views on life and religion.
Every atheist provides rational reasons why they don't believe in God. In essence they say, "If I was God I would not run the world like this or that". Therefore, God doesn't exist.
Essentially they are upset that God doesn't do things the way they would. But God doesn't have to explain himself to anyone. He is accountable to no one. And His ways are higher, than our ways, and so are His thoughts higher than ours.
He is a Dictator, but the only one that deserves to be one. The creator has first say and last say over His creation. Nothing exists that He did not make. Therefore He can dictate what goes and what doesn't, regardless of how we feel or whether we agree with Him or not.
The story of Len Cloete made headlines this week in South Africa. A video circulated of him disarming a female police officer and another male police officer then shooting him in the head.
What precipitated this event? Aggression. Where would Len have been today if there were no aggression that night? Sigmund Freud suggested that when humans are left without constraint they would be driven by sex and aggression.
Indeed these two drives have caused the most damage to society, to life on earth. How do the three biggest worldviews respond to these drives and which worldview handles it best?
It shocked the world again when it came to light that the Catholic church, especially in France, has been found guilty of protecting pedophile priests. Just in France more than 216000 cases of child sex abuse has been recorded since 1950. And now the Catholic church has to compensate the victims.
But the Catholic church has enough money and assets to get this done. It does make one however ask the question: Is this what the church Jesus built is supposed to look like? Well, no. But the Catholic church is not the church Jesus built. In actual fact, the church we read about in the Bible was totally different than Catholicism.
This podcast describes seven differences between Catholicism and Christianity. One could even say Catholicism is not part of Christianity, but a fringe man-made institution.
Do you look like a Christian on the outside, but aren't one on the inside? Or are you a Christian on the inside, but don't look like one on the outside?
This episode explores the behavior of God's people that God most despises. It led to the destruction through the flood, the burning of Sodom and the Jewish exile to Babylon. And it will ultimately lead to the destruction of humanity as we know it.
Wokeness is on the increase. The global populace is increasingly cheering for the destruction of morality, the normalization of sin, and the dismantling of the family nucleus. Although this is frightening, it is good, it will eliminate coconut Christianity.
Abraham Lincoln said, "How can I love a God who finds it acceptable that one human being can own another?" It is understandable why some people would have a problem with Christianity since the Bible does speak about slavery, yet doesn't really condemn it.
This episode explores answers to the following questions: Does the Bible condemn slavery? Is there a difference between the concept of slavery in the New Testament and Old Testament? Is early American slavery the same thing as Biblical slavery? And perhaps most importantly, what does Jesus say about slavery?
Penn Jillette is a famous celebrity and advocate for atheism in the USA. In an interview with 'Big think' he claims to have become an atheist by reading the Bible.
This episode takes a critical look at the interview and reviews the Biblical ideas that Penn claims made him an atheist. A few truths emerge: Few people search for truth objectively, most atheists investigate the Bible only superficially, and people generally decide what they want to believe and then find evidence to support their belief.
The words of the famous atheist Thomas Nagel explains it well: "I want atheism to be true and am made uneasy by the fact that some of the most intelligent and well-informed people I know are religious believers. It isn’t just that I don’t believe in God and, naturally, hope that I’m right in my belief. It’s that I hope there is no God! I don’t want there to be a God; I don’t want the universe to be like that.”(”The Last Word” by Thomas Nagel, Oxford University Press: 1997)”
Few questions are more debated today than this one. Many people are unsure of the vaccine, many people are too sure about it. What should the Christian perspective be on it?
In this episode we are reminded that we have free will and that God has given us brains to make decisions. It is our responsibility to distinguish between scientific facts and conspiracy theories, and to make our decisions rationally and not out of faithless fear.
The Christian needs to ask himself carefully, "do I fear the vaccine, the virus, the world powers, the future, or do I fear God?" Isaiah 8:12-13 “Do not call conspiracy everything that these people call conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, He is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread.
Some people think like this: If there was a God, good people would not suffer...if we can't understand things like death then surely life has no meaning or purpose and therefore we just live and die with no reason...if God really exists He would surely answer the prayers of the desperate.
Although these thoughts make sense to many people, it needs to be addressed from a Biblical theistic perspective. This podcast episode does just that.
Isaiah 57:1-2 The righteous perish and no-one ponders it in his heart; devout men are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil. Psalm 116:15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His Saints. Ezekiel 33:11. As surely as I live declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die o House of Israel?!
This episode is a commentary on the story aired by the recent documentary "Devilsdorp". The brutal murders committed by "normal" and "intelligent" people under the leadership of a "42nd generational witch" has shocked the world. It is a story of interest for this podcast because the murderers all claimed to be "Christians".
A few ideas are dealt with in this episode: Can we trust people when they say they are Christians? What does a real disciple of Jesus look like? Is it true that Christians need to "know their enemy (Satan)"? Just how easy is it to get brainwashed into occult practices, and what is the recipe?
This episode responds to an article that claims that people don't go to heaven directly after death. Dying is just "falling asleep" - a state of unconsciousness where you feel or know nothing. Is this really the case?
Other questions are also explored. What happens just after death? When do people get "moved" into heaven or hell? Where does the judgment fit in? How will Christians be resurrected? Will we be raised with our normal biological bodies?
The impact of these questions are quite important. It affects how we view the dead, what we can experience if we die and also whether we should be cremated or not. But most importantly, it affects how serious we take God in this life.
The looting and destruction done in KZN in July put many people into panic. People experienced a wide array of intense emotions...from hatred and anger to fear and despair. What was/is the correct way to view the situation? What does God say about this?
In this podcast a 3000 year old text is discussed as it brings us much needed wisdom for the situation that took place. Psalm 37 speaks into our anger towards the deeds of evil people. It addresses God's providence for His people despite being surrounded by a lack of food. And it provides wisdom as to the state of emotions His people should be projecting during difficult times.
Does God say we must love everyone? And what does that mean? Does God say we must forgive people, even if they never said sorry? Is it true that we need to not only forgive, but forget?
The main topic of this episode deals with forgiveness, but the first section unpacks the common misunderstanding of John 8:7 which says "he without sin throw the first stone". What does that mean? And does it suggest that Christians need to keep quiet when they see other Christians do what displeases God?
How different would South Africa have looked today if one leader, Jacob Zuma, was a real disciple of Jesus? How would his decisions have been different and what effect would that have had on the current crisis?
This brief case study into Jacob Zuma illustrates just how powerful and effective Christian principles are in a fallen society. The opposite is also true. The more ungodly people are, the more messed up and broken societies become.
Listen in to this podcast as we learn some valuable lessons from Jacob Zuma's life and find some wisdom on how Christians should respond in the current anarchy roaming in KZN.
To my shock and horror I met a young (15 year old) lady recently who through the indoctrination of social media came to believe that men can give birth to babies. To my shock, even google agreed with her. Gender dysphoria is no longer the main thing, depravity and confusion is escalating.
We live in strange and ever sickening times. Transgenderism, bisexuality, homosexuality are increasingly viewed as normal and natural by most people in society, especially the young and impressionable.
What do we make of this? Are we aware of just how powerful social media has become? Do we notice how scarce truth is becoming and how difficult it is to obtain it in a world filled with lies? Evil is attacking sex, marriage and family at its core. We need to be aware of it, and we need to fight it.
How do I know what God wants from me? How can I hear His voice? Why do people say things like "God told me this or that..." and I never hear God speaking to me?
We live in a time where many self-proclaimed prophets give "prophetic words" to people from God. They act as the special messengers from God. In this episode an example is explored to show that it is very dangerous to receive "words from God through a man".
God does speak to us, perhaps we experience Him in different ways. But one thing is for sure, God speaks clearly and powerfully through His Word. And when we pray in sincerity of heart, seeking out the God of the Universe, He will respond to us through His Spirit that now lives in us.
Some people struggle with life. They don't know how to deal with it or its pain. So they turn to drugs, or the virtual world of gaming to escape reality.
Other people struggle with life and cannot avoid reality. Their reality is a death sentence, the diagnosis of life defying cancer.
We live in a world where some people wishes life would end and other people wish life would never end. How do we make sense of this? Where does God come into the picture of terminal illness and the common trend of people seeking to escape life?
The World Health Organization records that suicide rates have increased by 60% in the last 45 years. About one million people die through suicide per year, that is 16 people per 100 000. One death every 40 seconds.
In this podcast various questions related to suicide are answered. Is suicide unforgivable by God? Why do people commit suicide? Are there any people in the Bible who committed suicide? And as a form of hope we also ask the question: Why did the first head-transplant candidate pull out of it?
The morality of suicide is a complex topic. But if we look at the Scriptures and the current trajectory of suicidality all over the world, it becomes quite evident that suicide is primarily a result of the increase of Godlessness in society.
The never-ending war between the Israelis and Palestinians has flared up again more than a week ago. Tensions are high, rockets are flying, buildings are bombed and people are dying.
This episode briefly explores what is going on and why it is happening. At the heart of the conflict is war over the holy land, the land promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. So does God feature in this conflict?
This is a religious war. The Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza strip wants all Jews killed, and they want the land from the Mediterranean to the Jordan. Israel is defending its people belonging to God, and its land given to them by God.
This episode explains why Islam is definitely not a religion of peace. And it also explains why Israel is so powerful and effective, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is on their side.
Krystal Cox was a church member at the Woodstock Church of Christ. While being a member there she divorced her husband and developed a homosexual relationship with another women. The church threatened to and ultimately did expel her from the church. The event has received wide public attention and the church eventually closed its website and Facebook page to avoid verbal persecution.
This episode explores the tension between what Scripture, science and biology say about homosexuality and what popular public opinion says. It also deals with the role that Christians have in addressing sin. Sometimes churches don't stand up for truth and in the process compromise on the integrity of the Gospel.
Modern atheism is building on the foundation of Charles Darwin's "Origin of Species" to claim that humans are just animals. This is a very dangerous concept, because as soon as humans believe they are just animals, they start acting like animals.
This episode explores the ethics of humans killing animals to eat. It also deals with a host of other questions: Are humans 99% chimpanzee? Why do we call it "killing" when one animal kills another and not "murder"?
What does God say about this? Are humans on top of the food-chain? As a rational person or even as a Christian, should I feel shame for killing a "sentient being" for food? Listen in to grapple with some of the key differences and responsibilities between animals and humans.
There is a postmodern tendency among certain religious folks to bring religions together. Of recent there has been lots of speculation regarding the creation of a "one world" religion. Although unity is a great ideal, it is simply impossible.
In this episode two documents found on a church website are briefly discussed. These documents claim that all religions basically believe the same things and worship the same god, just with different names given to "Him/It/ Her".
Is it possible to be faithful to Jesus and believe people in other faiths also have access to the creator of the Universe apart from Jesus? Is it rational to believe there are multiple paths to God, and it doesn't matter which road you choose?
Do demons exist today? If they do, do they still possess people? If they possess people, how do we differentiate it from mental illness? (The Persians got it wrong some 2500 years ago) If demons exist, the foundation of atheism, namely naturalism and materialism, crumbles. And God is real.
These questions and ideas are discussed in this episode. The experiences and thoughts of the great psychiatrist Richard Gallagher is explored. Here we find a well-schooled doctor who has seen too many supernatural traits in some of his patients to deny the existence of demon possession.
If a Yale and Princeton graduate, a doctor in psychiatry, follows the evidence where it leads, together with thousands of witnesses, we can fairly accurately agree that demons are real. But do we have to fear this fact? Do we have to fear demon possession. Tune in and find out.
If good and evil exist, then where does it come from? If good comes from God, then does evil come from Satan? And if God created everything, why would He create Satan? And if Satan is alive and real, what does that mean to us?
These loaded questions are briefly dealt with in this podcast. This episode helps us situate Satan's role in God's story. It helps us understand the origin of evil and the battle between good and evil.
This show is thus a good explanation for the unbeliever as to why the Christian worldview makes sense of our living reality. In a world devoid of the spiritual realm, too much of life makes no sense, especially evil and suffering.
Atheism claims there is no meaning to our existence, we came from nothing and non-one and we die into nothing as no-one. Theism however claims a personal God has created us for a purpose. But what is that purpose?
This episode explores this question and many other related questions...what did God do before creation? Did God create because He was lonely or in need of praise from someone? What does the cross have to do with God's plan? etc.
At the heart of these questions stand a truth that leads to the answers to these questions...and it is the nature of God. When we understand who God is, only then do we understand why God does what He does.
Baptism has been around for thousands of years, and still most people seem to be unaware of its significance and importance. This podcast seeks to provide a blanket explanation from the New Testament of what baptism really is and is not.
The church world is saturated with different ideas regarding baptism. Infant baptism is one of the big topics of discussion. What does the Bible say? The Bible says there is only one baptism. What does that baptism look like?
Whether you have been baptized or not, there is clarity to be found in this show. And if baptism is something you want to do, then this show might help with that too.
We have all seen hypocritical Christians, in fact we have all been one at some point in time. A recent example of Christian Scandal is Ravi Zacharias. In this podcast I briefly look at the scandal and use it as an example to deal with sin in the Christian life.
What is the role of the Holy Spirit in a Christian's life? Can you love God and walk in sin? If you are saved once, are you then saved forever? Does Jesus pay for all sin, or can I "sin" myself out of heaven?
This episode is a broad look into the necessity of avoiding lukewarm faith. Light and darkness cannot dwell together. Walk in the light, or stay in the dark, choose, just don't try be in both. It ends up hurting God and others.
Many people perceive the Bible as being sexist, patriarchal and biased towards women. The reason for this is because the Bible clearly teaches that women cannot be preachers or elders in churches. From a distance the accusation seems to be legit.
But in this podcast the texts are evaluated further, justified and explained. Just like men have the responsibility to lead their families, so men have the responsibility to lead the family of God (church). This command of God doesn't devalue the role of women at all, but sets them free to fulfil their own God given responsibility to nurture.
Does this mean women cannot lead or teach? Not at all. This episode also explores the life of the most noble women in the Bible. We see a woman that takes care of her family, runs a few businesses, leads and teaches, yet she doesn't represent her family at the city gate where the elders meet.
One of the loudest movements in the 21st Century has been feminism. Feminism broadly defined aims at fighting for the equal rights, positions, and opportunities of women in a "patriarchal" society.
This movement has brought Christianity under critique for its teaching that "the husband is the head of the wife" and the "wife must submit to her husband". These teachings have created the idea in the minds of many people that Christianity is sexist and believes men and women are not equal.
This podcasts deals briefly with the issue and shows from a theological and scientific perspective that men and women are equal in value but are different in gifts, purpose, responsibilities and talents.
In this episode I elaborate on the fastest growing faith in Western Society, which is atheism. I look at the fundamental question of, "why do some people believe in God and others do not"?
Although atheists claim to base their atheism on fact and science, it is not true. Atheism is just as much a faith as Christianity. Contrary to what many atheists claim, there is no scientific proof or fact that disprove the existence of God. In actual fact, science, rationality and common sense point more towards the existence of God than the non-existence of God.
In this episode I share the words of Thomas Nagel, the famous atheist who admitted that "he doesn't believe in God, because he doesn't want to believe in God".
In this episode Natalie Gunther shares with us her profound story. In 2014 she was involved in a serious car accident that broke her neck. After a life-threatening surgery she started a business from her hospital bed that is still alive and thriving today.
Natalie shares with us how such a devastating event has changed the course of her life for the good. She gives advice on life perspective, the value of time, the keys of being a successful entrepreneur...and above all she talks about the role of God in her life.
Natalie is truly an inspirational servant of God and business leader. She is also a prime example of the value of positive thinking, and her testimony clearly signals that sweating the small stuff is a waste of time.
One of atheism's greatest objection is that there is no evidence for spirituality. You can't prove there is a God, or a soul, or an afterlife. If you can't touch it, it isn't real.
This podcast is aimed at debunking this materialistic and naturalistic notion by exploring studies that are being done about near death experiences. How is it possible for people to continue with conscious functioning after being declared dead?
Near Death Experiences prove that we are more than chemical and biological machines. It proves that there is more to life than just the material universe.
In this first episode of the year I answer the following question: Why should we take it serious when the Christian God gives a warning? We are often warned about things and don't take it serious. Like Covid-19...sometimes we don't take social distancing serious. But what about God's warnings?
If we look back at history and compare it to the events that the God of the Bible warned about, we see that God has had a 100% success rate in warning His people of doom. The warnings of God are not only always accurate, but they have been designed for our good.
Join me as I show how God's warnings are valuable in this life and the next and that we will do well to heed His warnings.
Christmas has arrived. What is most interesting for me about Christmas is that billions of people around the world celebrate the birthday of someone they don't even know. Wow, Jesus is special!
In this episode I answer two questions: (1) Why did pagans worship Jesus at his birth? (2) Why was Jesus born when he was born?
The answers to these questions helps us understand why the Magi (Matthew 2) came to hear of Jesus' birth and come to worship him from deep in pagan territory. It also assist us in understanding why the timing of Jesus' birth was so significant and powerful.
In this episode I have a special guest telling us about his life and his view of God. Tim is a man that have been through it all, from being orphaned, living on the street, battling with alcohol and drugs to doing whatever is necessary to survive.
Tim tells us about his feelings towards God and how God has always been present in his life even if he hasn't been honoring him. Now, at this point in his life God has reached out to him in a very special way, he says it feels like a tingling feeling.
Tim's story is one of grace. It helps us understand how God can be good to us even when we are not good. It helps us make sense of how God can let His Son die for us, sinners like us. Tim serves as an example that we can honor God, even if we feel our lives have just been suffering and pain.
Hezekiah was an ancient Israelite king who was about to die. God told him to get his life in order and make ready to die. But Hezekiah prayed and begged God for life, and God did. He gave him another fifteen years to live.
What did he do with those fifteen years? The question in this podcast episode is really about how would you live your life differently if you just just escaped death? Would you value your life more if you had almost die?
This show grapples with the question of legacy and influence. what is the best thing you can do with your time on earth? If you died today, would you leave something behind that is a blessing to the world?
Peter, the Great Apostle, walked with Jesus, started the Christian movement, performed extraordinary miracles through the power of the Holy Spirit. He was a Spiritual man, a Godly man, and a leader in the greatest movement Earth has ever seen. And...he was married. Would you like to know what he said about marriage?
In this podcast I look at the seven verses he wrote about marriage. We have wisdom in these verses that surpasses any modern day self-help marriage book. Too often "Christians" tend to believe in Jesus, but their marriages are falling apart. Most Christian marriages that fail, do so because they don't read these verses and obey them.
This episode tries to show how these verses are relevant to our marriage experiences, what each party needs to do to participate in a good and Godly marriage and who should take the greatest responsibility.
One of the most frequent questions people have as we have spiritual discussions with people is this: What happens to people after they die? That often brings up the question of ghosts because most people believe ghosts are the spirits of dead people roaming the Earth and looking for rest.
Well, does the Bible speak about ghosts? Does the Bible teach that the spirits of dead people roam the Earth? And if the Bible says ghosts don't exist, then what do people actually see when they claim to have seen ghosts?
These questions are loaded. But they are briefly addressed in this episode to give us some clarity on life after death.
It seems like Islam is growing faster than Christianity. Projections are there that Islam will be larger than Christianity by the year 2050. How could this be? How is Islam growing if more Muslims convert to Christianity than the other way around?
In this episode I suggest that Islam is not growing faster than Christianity but simply retaining more members. This episode provides at least four reasons or ways that Islam retains adherents.
In this week's episode the following question is answered: Is it more likely that Muhammad was sent by God or by demons? If we evaluate the respected Islamic sources and compare them to Biblical texts the answer becomes exceedingly clear.
The Apostle Paul warned 600 years before Muhammad lived that even if an angel from heaven brought another Gospel, that angel should be destroyed forever. Could that text indeed be a form of prophecy regarding the birth of Islam?
If we consider the demeanor of the angel Muhammad met, the behavior of Muhammad when he had angelic encounters and as he lived out his life, could we confidently state he was influenced by God or demons? Tune in to make up your own mind.
This episode is stimulated by the recent gruesome murder of a high school teacher in Paris. The 47-year old man was beheaded by an 18-year old Muslim man in the public in front of the school where he worked.
This story sparked the following questions that are dealt with in this episode: Why do some Muslims kill this way? Why do most Muslims say Islam is a religion of peace? And how is Christianity related to all this since some people believe Christianity and Islam actually worship the same God since both are derived from Abraham.
In this episode you will hear about the source of the division within Islam. At the heart of the problem is the Quran, written by a man and not a God. And his personality shaped the contradictory text of the Quran which leads some to believe Islam is a religion of peace and others that it is one of violence.
In this episode I explore two important questions: (1) Do all religions worship the same God, but just in different ways? (2) Why do I choose Christianity over all other religions?
To answer the first question I briefly compare the four largest religions in the world: Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism. If we compare the basic tenets of each of these faiths it becomes quite clear that they are vastly different. Conclusion: If there is one God and many religions, then that God is inconsistent, contradictory and confused.
As I explore the different faiths I show how the Christian God is totally unique and meets man where he is. Christianity is the only faith where your salvation is not about your performance, but His. It is the only faith that solves our biggest problem, death.
In this episode I deal with two very important questions: (1) What are the Muslim Scriptures? (2) Is there a comparison between Jihad (armed struggle against infidels) and the Bible? These are topics birthed out of questions regarding the first podcast on Islam.
In answering the first question I reveal how complex the Muslim corpus of Scriptures is. It seems to be a mixture between holy unaltered texts written in God's language to biographies of the prophet to texts in the Bible and long lost texts. The reason for this exploration is to prove that the unsavory character traits of Muhammad are recorded by the Scriptures that Muslims actually respect.
In answering the second question I deal with the murders the Israelites committed when they conquered the land of Canaan. If they could do that, what is so bad about what Muhammad did? I try to answer that question. But I also strive to point out that we are following Jesus, not Joshua, and Jesus never murdered anyone.
In this first episode I answer two questions regarding Islam: (1) How did it start? and (2) Who started it? Islam seems to currently be the fastest growing religion in the world. In order to determine its validity I thought it best to start with evaluating its founding and founder.
Muhammad was born in a pagan place with an important pagan temple that seems to have been associated with the god Baal of the Old Testament Scriptures. Islam was birthed in a cave through an angel that showed Muhammad what to recite, this recitation was later compiled into what we know as the Quran.
Muhammad unfortunately, although being a brilliant leader, was not a person to introduce your children to. From lust, rape, murder and slavery to warfare, this man made a name for himself. I don't think he is a good role model to follow, what about you?
In this final rebuttal on the 22 reasons Hemant Mehta gives on why one should stop believing in God I broadly deal with two questions: 1) Is it true that if God loves me He will never let bad things happen to me? 2) If we are made in God's image, does that mean we look like Him physically?
These two questions come from the last two criticisms on faith in God as proposed by Hemant. Number 21:Between tornados in Oklahoma, droughts in Texas and Hurricanes in Alabama. There sure are a lot of natural disasters in the places that God supposedly loves. 22) You were made in God’s image, except for your foreskin, apparently, you need to cut that off.
In response to (21) I suggest that God's children are nowhere told they would be immune from suffering. But if it is true that natural disaster is evidence for God's judgment, then God definitely exists, because the most catastrophic natural disasters has happened in the most ungodly place. And then in response to (22) I point out how being created in the image of God has nothing to do with our physical bodies. If it were so then people like Nic Vujicic would not have been created in the image of God.
Here are the two objections this podcast opposes in this week's podcast: 19) People have been saying Jesus is coming back during their lifetime for many many many lifetimes. He’s not coming back. It’s time to move on. 20) God works in mysterious ways is typically a euphemism for stop asking hard questions.
In answering the first objection I explore what the ancient Apostle Peter said about the second coming already 2000 years ago. It is quite interesting to see how science predicts how the end of the world will take place, and how this lines up with what Peter said before science even existed.
The second objection is answered by proving that there are many mysteries in life. Scientists can't even figure out why we yawn...so why discredit God's existence because we don't understand everything about Him. In fact, if God is God then we will never understand everything regarding Him since our finite brains are too small to even begin to understand His majesty.
This episode deals with two very important questions regarding disbelief in God: Does science defeat religion and can you be a good person even if you don't believe in God?
In answer to the first question this show proposes that science and religion is actually complimentary and not in conflict. I also discuss how science cannot disprove God's existence.
In answer to the second question I agree that both believers and unbelievers can do good things. But there are deeper questions to be grappled with: How do we determine what is good? If God doesn't exist, what is the evolutionary basis for morality? Are Godless regimes good regimes?
In this episode I deal with objections 15 and 16: 15) Too many of God’s followers using Bible verses to support their beliefs have made life worse for other people. 16) No matter what Ray comfort says God didn’t create bananas to look like this. They evolved this way without Gods help.
In answering the first objection I briefly discuss how the truth sometimes hurt and seem to make life worse. Would you rather believe and live a lie and not get hurt, or live and know the truth and get hurt?
Secondly, I explore where bananas came from according to Ray Comfort. If they evolved, how did that happen? The point made is that evolution without guidance is a miracle in itself and proves there must be a God.
In this episode I address the following two objections to belief in God. 13) The Holocaust. 14)The proof people give for why God exists is so often based on their personal experiences. You know, God spoke to them, they feel God, they just know God exists. It is the sort of proof we would never take seriously if it were applied anywhere else.
In this show you can expect to hear about atheism actually causes evil and then blames "God" for not intervening. Yet, if God doesn't exist, how can evil exist? How can we have moral law without a law giver?
Our subjective experience of God might not be scientific evidence for the existence of God, but what about all our experiences? If 3 billion people say they experience God, then surely they can't all be hallucinating. Lastly and importantly I deal with the question: Why is God hidden? Why doesn't He just come reveal Himself so we can all see Him?
In this episode I discuss the following two objections to God's existence: 11) 99.9% of all the species God ever supposedly created are extinct. How many do-overs does God need? 12) God doesn’t exist because I said so. What? You don’t like that reason? Because that’s the same reason a lot of parents and pastors give to children to convince them God does exist.
In this podcast I deal with the question of why God would let or make species go extinct. Might there be a valuable reason why species die out? And what if species never died out, what would our lives be like today?
I then briefly talk about how we talk to our kids about truth. Do we tell our kids God exists or not? Do we raise our kids neutrally and let them make the decision when they are older?
The two objections to faith in God for this episode are as follows: 9) If you ever wrote a book with that many contradictions in it your publishers would have to pull it from the shelves. 10) If God made us in His image why do we have vestigial body parts and organs that often fail?
In response to these objections I ask the question of whether the Bible really does contain contradictions and if we could actually trust its content. Another idea is then addressed regarding all the "concurrences" in the Bible. Is it a unique book among books?
Before suggesting two opposing objections to atheism I address the issue of what it means to be created in the image of God and how "sin" is the actual culprit of deformity and pain in human life.
Here are the two objections to belief in God for this week: 7) Michele Bachmann and Sarah Palin, Christian. Barney Frank, not a Christian. 8) God seems to agree with you about everything. Isn’t that a coincidence? And isn’t it also a coincidence that God seems to agree with all those Christians who also disagree with you?
Although I don't know these people he names, I think I understand the point: Atheists are often better people than Christians. I therefore briefly talk about what Christianity is...it's not about being perfect, but about knowing someone who is.
Secondly, I spend some time talking about all the divisions in Christianity. Does disagreement among Christians imply God doesn't exist, or could it actually imply that He does exist?
This episode explores the following two objections to faith in God: 1) Myth of a great flood and a virgin birth were around long before Jesus came around. Maybe those are just elements of an interesting story. 2) Virgins cannot get pregnant. Not without modern medicine anyway.
Join me as I briefly recap the difference between history and myth regarding the flood. Although it is true that there were other myths similar to the Jesus story doesn't mean the Jesus story wasn't true or that it was borrowed from these myths. The story of the Titanic and the Futility is case in point.
An interesting spin is then placed on "virgin births". It doesn't matter if you are a Christian or atheist, both sides believe in a virgin birth. It just depends on which virgin birth you choose...to get what I am talking about you will have to listen (wink wink)!
This episode explores two objections to faith in God: (1) God could not stop a murder when there were only four people on Earth. (2) If we are supposed to be God's special creatures then the Universe is full of a lot of empty space.
In response this episode deals with the fact that people murder out of their own free will and ignore the moral law that God has written on their hearts. We also talk about the idea that God views death differently than we do.
A fundamental question is addressed: Are we God's special creatures? What does it mean that the Universe is so big and we are so small? Do we have the same value as animals? The episode ends off with two opposing rebuttals to the atheistic worldview that needs answering.
This is the first episode in response to the first two of the "22 reasons to stop believing in God" atheistic objections. Here they are: (1) If God knows everything we are going to do in the future, then we do not have free will...but we do! (2) If God does not know everything we are going to do in the future, then He is not really omniscient.
This brief show dismantles these first two reasons by answering the following question: Why would anyone think that our free will makes God less "all-knowing"? Just because God knows what I will do does not take away my free will to do it. The difference between foreknowledge and determinism is explained. And lastly a "rebut" question is posed to the atheist community regarding free will.
Surely atheists have good reasons as to why they don't believe in God! In this episode I briefly look at nine common reasons that atheists use as the reason for their disbelief in God.
The reasons they provide generally fall into three categories: Intellectual Reasons, Volitional Reasons and Emotional Reasons.90% of the time the real reason is "volitional", in other words, people don't want to believe in God because it would mean they need to change their ways.
As I evaluate these nine reasons I will also give some Christian responses to them which might get our thinking juices flowing and help us to make sense of some of the critiques of faith.
Have you ever wondered what life would be like if we felt no pain? Break an arm, step in a thorn, lose a loved one or visit the dentist...go through all this and feel no pain. Would life work this way and if not then what is the purpose of pain?
In this episode I share my experience with hunting a wounded animal, an animal in pain. I also wrestle with New Zealand's claim that animals are sentient beings, that they experience pain as we do.
And then I suggest a possible reason why we have pain. Perhaps we have been designed to feel pain so our lives can be preserved. Pain alerts us to attention and teaches us to be careful. But it also pushes us towards the deeper questions of life. Pain might just be a good thing!
Most unbelievers see Christians as "party-poopers". To them Christians are boring and Christianity is just a system of rules that takes away the flavour of life. Well, is this the truth?
In this episode three questions are discussed. Firstly, is there such a thing as a boring Christian, or boring Christianity? Secondly, what does fun look like in the eyes of unbelievers? I other words, what are Christians "missing out" on? And then thirdly, does the Christian God want to spoil our fun?
Here is a sneak peak...Some forms of Christianity are dead boring. "Fun" properly interpreted can only be found in the "use" not "abuse" of God's creation. If you look at what God made and who Jesus was you clearly see God is fun!
In this episode I look at the lyrics of the song that put Hozier on the map. The title of the song is: Take me to Church. In a nutshell the song asks the question: How could anyone choose a rule-making church over the experience of sex?
This show discusses at least four ideas related to the question Hozier asks. Firstly, we must be careful to kill the messenger (church) because we don't like the message. Secondly, God is for sex and not against it, He created it after all. Thirdly, unregulated sex is the world's greatest problem. And fourthly, sex is great and you experience the best of it when you use it in the parameters of God's creation.
This episode briefly explores the flat earth theory. The aim of the episode is not to debate whether the Earth is flat or not, but to get to the heart of conspiracy theories. At the heart of such theories lies a deep fear for "being overpowered by people".
Conspiracies give too much credit to human beings and takes too much power away from God. The prophet Isaiah warned the people of his day to fear God and Him alone and not to be fearful of the conspiracies of men.
Additionally, the episode reveals how easy it is to be deceived and how important it is to only trust reliable sources of truth. In a world where information is at our finger tips it is important to carefully select the sources we place our trust in for truth.
For 2000 years people have been obsessed with finding a date on which the world would end. Christians have made prediction upon prediction of when Jesus would return and end it all. Yet we are still here and Jesus is still in heaven!
Just like the 2nd coming of Christ is a fact in the Christian faith, so eternal life is a fact in the mind of a Christian. But who will make it there? Who will be blessed/good/lucky enough to make it? This has been a major question for those in the Christian faith.
This episode seeks to answer two questions: When is Jesus coming back? How many people will make it to heaven? Both questions are answered from a Biblical perspective and not of opinion. Will the answers frustrate you or set you free?
The best thing we can talk about is also the most uncomfortable thing to talk about. The surest fact of life is death, yet its the least spoken of truth about life. The fact of death should inspire us to live life.
This episode explores the fact that we will all die. Maybe not now, but one day. The best way to deal with this fact is to face it and and ask the question: What will I do until then?
The wisest king that ever lived jotted down some powerful thoughts 3000 years ago regarding the fact of death. This episode engages with his thoughts and draws from it valuable insight into our perspectives of life.
The story of Noah and the flood has been described by many people as a "myth". This show addresses that question briefly by comparing the flood story with the Epic of Gilgamesh and the other 200 flood stories from cultures across the continents of the world.
Secondly the show deals with the question: Since the flood seems to be a legitimate event in history, why would atheists want to deny it? Well, because 2300 years after it Jesus spoke about it and so did the Apostle Peter. And what they had to say about it sends a shiver down our spines. Is something similar perhaps on its way?
Thirdly, this episode will provide some comfort for those going through a difficult time. Many of us have been placed in challenging times. The story of Noah provides so many positive tips on staying afloat when it feels like you are sinking.
Does God cause suffering? If God does allow suffering, why would he? Does God see all people who suffer the same? These are three questions among many others that we have. They deserve an answer, which this podcast seeks to address.
On this show you will hear about the most common source of suffering in this world, an evil force that lurks behind the decisions that people make. You will also hear about a good God who lets stars explode so we can live.With that truth in mind it is quite difficult to understand how a Father could cause suffering without reason.
And lastly, this podcast corrects the idea that all people are in equal position to God. God is usually where you have left Him. If He is in your life now, He will also be in your suffering. He will not protect you against your will. If you don't want Him in your life in the good times, then don't blame Him for being absent in the bad times.
Social Media is loaded with speculation regarding the origin of the Corona Virus. Did it evolve through the eating habits of the Chinese or was it manufactured by them to instigate economical instability? Although this is on many people's minds, many are rather focused on God's role in this pandemic.
In this podcast I briefly critique the "inconsistent triad" which states "if God is all-powerful then God can stop the virus. And if He is all-loving He will because He dislikes suffering. So if the virus doesn't stop God is not all-loving or He is not all-powerful".
Please join me as I explore in the following two podcasts questions like: Is God all-powerful? Can we understand His ways? What causes suffering? If God allows suffering, why would He? Does God see all people who suffer in the same light?
If the story of Tarzan was true he would have grown up on an island without civilization, which would mean no churches, no Bible, and no religion. We could safely say Tarzan would never have heard of Jesus. But yet the Christian faith says nobody can make it to heaven without Jesus. If this is true, then God is quite unfair because he would refuse heaven to people who have never had an opportunity to hear about Him.
Is this a good and true idea? How does the Christian Scriptures respond to this? In this episode I deal with these questions and also answer the question about what happened to those who lived before Jesus came into the world, they also didn't have access to Jesus right?
Although the Tarzan scenario sounds quite unlikely, do not be too quickly convinced. In this podcast I briefly share the situation of the North Sentinal Island people who are the most uncontacted people in the world. Join me as I explore this very important question that is very relevant in the arena of faith, even for us in the West.
Everyone does at some point in their lives go through suffering. It could be the anguish of a loved one dying, being diagnosed with a life-threatening disease, battling with the effects of poverty...or for some sitting in lockdown due to the corona virus (lol).
Suffering forms a part of life that is unavoidable. So I think it is a good idea to figure out how to endure it. That is what this episode is about. To save you from reading a whole book (one that sold 9 million copies by the way), I will briefly summarize for you what Viktor Frankl says on this topic in his book "Man's Search for Meaning".
Why listen to what he says? Because he was one of the only survivors of Nazzi Germany's concentration camps in Poland. And...he gives powerful insight into what the difference was between those who made it through the concentration camps and those who didn't.
Here is a quote to wet your appetite: He who has a "why" to live can bear with almost any "how" - Friedrich Nietzsche
In this episode I share the encounter with an elderly man that is transitioning from atheist to Christian. It is a discussion that covers some of the essential struggles many people have in coming to a point of believing in God.
Some of these struggles include questions about the reality of God, the rationality of faith in the Christian God, the nature of God in "sending people to hell" and also having a personal experience with God.
The big question I answer here is this: How can I get to a point where I actually first-hand experience God? In this podcast I suggest that there is just one way to get there. If you want to know what a chocolate cake tastes like, there is only one way to find out, take a bite.
In this week's episode I briefly touch on one of the biggest objections to the existence of God. It revolves around the following idea: If you were born in a Muslim country, you probably would have been one. This statement seems to say that religion is culturally conditioned and is therefore man-made.
This is a big debate with lots to say, too many things to say in this show, so the primary focus of this episode is to focus on a recent objection I received from some African individuals who say they won't accept Christianity because it is a white man's religion and it was brought to Africa by the West.
To address this issue I will refer to a peculiar story of a castrated man who was the first man ever to bring the message of Jesus into Africa.Was Christianity first a white man's religion, or first a black man's religion? Stay tuned to find out.
Sometimes bold sports or political personalities will openly confess the name of Jesus Christ in reference to their loyalties and success. It is a very bold thing to say "Jesus is my Lord" in the presence of great crowds of people. Why is this the case?
Well, because many people do not believe in Jesus Christ, many people do not believe he really existed. Many atheists view the idea of Jesus on the same level as fairies, snow white or the big bad wolf. Many people believe Jesus is a made-up story. So when you mention the name of Jesus, they sneer at you and think you are delusional.
Many people think Jesus is only mentioned in the Bible, therefore it is a biased piece of writing of people who believed in the same "fairy tale idea of Jesus". Well, in this podcast I reveal many of the ancient writings dating back to the time of Jesus wherein the historicity of Jesus is clearly, factually and historically verified.
Indeed, history reveals Jesus was a real living historical person.
In this episode I show how an idea aimed against the existence of God has strengthened my faith in God.
Richard Dawkins in his book "Outgrowing God" seeks to show that if there was a designer of the creation, he was not a very good designer. He shows that the reason why there are flaws in many natural phenomena is because of the process of evolution. In this way he shows no "God" could have designed what we see.
One of his examples is the recurrent laryngeal nerve in humans that takes a detour around the heart instead of going straight to the voice box. He credits this "bad design" to our "evolution from fish".
Is there more to this? Could this not be amazing design? How could Jesus have referred to the relationship between the voice and the heart more than 100 years before the role of the laryngeal nerve was discovered?
Mack has been actively fishing for men for the past ten years. In his engagement with different people he has been exposed to amazing stories, interesting people, challenging worldviews and difficult questions of life.
This introductory podcast is the launch of the channel "Fishing for Men with Mack". Its target audience is anybody that loves truth, any person that loves making disciples, and any person who is grappling with the fundamental questions of life.
This first show provides a foretaste of the interesting stories and ideas that come from meeting people from different walks of life and the conversations that flows from them.