Fishing for Men with Mack

Hearing God's Voice

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. 

Drugs, Games & a Death Sentence

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?

What to make of Suicide

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. 

God in Israel vs. Hamas

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. 

Lesbian in the Church

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. 

Are Humans just Animals?

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. 

Do all Religions worship the same God?

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?

Demon Possession or Mental Illness?

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. 

Who is Satan?

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. 

Why do we exist?

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.