God You Thought You Knew , livre ebook

© 2015 by Alex McFarland
Published by Bethany House Publishers
11400 Hampshire Avenue South
Bloomington, Minnesota 55438
www.bethanyhouse.com
Bethany House Publishers is a division of
Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan
www . bakerpublishinggroup . com
Ebook edition created 2015
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
ISBN 978-1-4412-2925-0
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com
Scripture quotations identified NKJV are from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Cover design by LOOK Design Studio
“Alex McFarland is no stranger to taking on some of the toughest questions Christians face. He’s done it again in this straightforward, honest, and compelling new book. Alex’s personal story of finding the deep love of Christ infuses his kind yet uncompromising approach to biblical truth. He understands that if Christians want to share the Gospel effectively, we can’t duck from the challenges posed by skeptics. Yet Alex addresses them with both intelligence and compassion, mindful that simply defeating false arguments will not persuade anyone, and that Jesus was filled not only with truth but also with grace (John 1:14). Alex’s book is more of a conversation with a friend—a friend with a fine mind, great learning, and a deeply caring heart. Believers who care about reaching the next generation with the best news of all history will profit not only from the content of this book but by the spirit of love and hope in which it’s written.”
—Tony Perkins, president, Family Research Council
“Alex McFarland has done it again! Through preaching, writing, mentoring, and consulting, Alex McFarland has become a pivotal voice in the advancement of God’s kingdom today. I recommend this book wholeheartedly.”
—David Nasser, author, speaker, senior vice president of Liberty University
“Myths that we believe become powerful forces that influence our thinking. Alex McFarland discloses the very personal truth that for most of his life he believed the myth that if his own earthly father couldn’t love and accept him, then a perfectly holy God couldn’t really want him as a son. Nothing could be further from the truth, but the myth was powerful. Whatever myths you have come to believe about Christianity or her Christ, Alex busts in this book. If you want to be set free from the lies you’ve been told, live into the truth offered here.”
—Carmen Fowler LaBerge, president, The Presbyterian Lay Committee
“Once again Alex takes the truth of the Word of God and shows plainly and clearly that it is timely, relevant, and truthful to the fast-paced, changing culture of today. Each question is plainly answered with biblical truth and with the spirit of love in Christ that we all should seek to emulate.”
—Carlton Gerrell, executive pastor/administrator, Tennessee Valley Community Church, Paris, Tennessee
“It’s tragic that slanderous sound bites and unsubstantiated assumptions stand in between so many people and their Creator. Thankfully, Alex McFarland is able to add clarity where there is confusion and truth where there is myth. Don’t buy one, buy two—and read it together with an unbelieving friend.”
—John Stonestreet, speaker and fellow, the Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview; senior content advisor, Summit Ministries
“Our buddy Alex McFarland is helping this generation understand who Jesus truly is. Through his speaking around the U.S. and in all of his books, Alex presents the truth clearly and without compromise. His new book, The God You Thought You Knew , is no exception. Alex gives true-life examples and application that engage the reader with every page. For those who want to be equipped to ‘live loud’ for Jesus, or for those who are asking themselves, ‘Is all this God stuff really true?’ grab a copy of this book!”
—David and Jason, The Benham Brothers
Dedicated to the one most used by God to guide me out of myth and into truth:
Angie
Contents
Cover 1
Title Page 2
Copyright Page 3
Endorsements 4
Dedication 5
Acknowledgments 9
Introduction 13
Myth #1: Christianity is intolerant and judgmental toward others 23
Truth: Christianity teaches to love neighbor as self and to share the love of Jesus with others
Myth #2: Christianity cannot be true because of the evil and suffering in our world 39
Truth: Christianity offers the best hope and power to deal with suffering
Myth #3: Christianity is untrue because it is based on faith instead of facts 55
Truth: The claims of Christianity are based on historical facts that can be tested
Myth #4: Christianity has been disproven by modern science 65
Truth: The latest scientific evidence points to an Intelligent Designer behind all creation
Myth #5: Christianity is not a religion for the educated 81
Truth: Many of the world’s top past and present scholars are Christians
Myth # 6: Christianity is boring and would be a waste of my time 95
Truth: Christianity is the most adventurous life a person can experience
Myth #7: Christianity isn’t real because it didn’t work for me 111
Truth: The Christian faith is difficult, yet also the most rewarding way of life
Myth #8: Christianity is false because it is based on the Bible, which is filled with errors and contradictions 127
Truth: The Bible is the most accurately preserved book in history
Myth #9: Christianity can’t be true because it is based on a dead man coming back to life 143
Truth: If the best explanation for the empty tomb of Jesus is the resurrection, then Christianity can be true
Myth #10: Christianity isn’t real because a loving God wouldn’t send anyone to hell 159
Truth: God has made great efforts to make sure many will spend eternity with him
Final Thoughts 173
Appendix 1: How to Begin a Personal Relationship With Jesus Christ 177
Appendix 2: Additional Resources 185
Appendix 3: Additional Books to Help You Investigate Faith 187
Notes 199
About the Author 203
Back Ad 207
Back Cover 208
Acknowledgments
The main ingredient of stardom is the rest of the team.
Famed UCLA Basketball Coach John Wooden (1910–2010)
Similar to the quotation above, there is great truth in the axiom, “No one succeeds unless a lot of other people want them to.” From firsthand experience I know that this is the case. For assistance in the development of this book (and other endeavors, as well), I would like to extend heartfelt appreciation to some dedicated members of “our team”:
First of all, sincere thanks are due to Andy McGuire, Ellen Chalifoux, and the wonderful staff of Baker/Bethany House publishers. I have been educated, inspired, and guided by the fine books of Baker for two and a half decades. To be writing with this exceptional Christian organization is truly a dream come true. Thank you all for working with me on this and other projects.
Special thanks also, to:
Dillon Burroughs, researcher/writer with me on many projects, who so expertly helped to format and clarify this work.
Dr. Tony Beam, vice president, North Greenville University, South Carolina. Kudos to all of our students on the school’s “Life Answers Teams”! They are the upcoming apologists of this generation!
The American Family Association/American Family Radio network, including president Tim Wildmon; Wesley Wildmon; radio network manager Jim Stanley; senior vice president Buddy Smith; Randall Murphree, editor of the excellent AFA Journal; S/O to Jeff Chamblee at American Family Studios; and the entire organization. Thanks also to my faithful daily co-host on our program Exploring the Word, Rev. Bert Harper. Ministering with AFA/AFR has truly been life-changing for me.
Rev. Jason Jimenez, my ministry colleague in the Stand Strong Tour , ViralTruth television, and in many other projects as well.
Dr. Lawrence Clapp, my pastor at South Elm Street Baptist Church, Greensboro, North Carolina.
Dr. Mark Cowart, pastor of Church For All Nations, Colorado Springs, Colorado (a very special mentor, colleague, and friend).
Jeffrey Foskett, for thirty years a “friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24).
Michael and Debbie Hamilton and the staff of Hamilton Strategies (Hamilton is a public relations firm par excellence; the work they accomplish is amazing).
Stuart Epperson Jr., and the staff of Truth Broadcasting (friend and prayer partner for more than fifteen years).
Trusted friends and co-laborers Sam Hicks, T. A. Wall Jr., Neal Hughes, and our entire board at Truth For A New Generation/APCA Inc.
And thanks to the pastors, campus leaders, supporters, journalists, conference attendees, and friends with whom I interact all year long.
Most of all, I thank the Lord Jesus Christ, who loved me and gave himself for me. This work is written for his glory and honor, and “. . . that the world may believe” (John 17:21).
Introduction
As a kid, I longed to feel accepted for who I was, especially from my dad. But living on a farm in the South, I could never seem to do things right—my efforts were never satisfactory for my father. The rules seemed to always be changing. I felt as if I were constantly walking on eggshells, trying not to mess up or make him angry. Consequently, I grew up feeling rejected and believed I was never quite good enough.
I felt I needed to depend on someone or something so I could feel secure and have some stability in my life, but my home was far fro