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A Word From God

Last night I received a Word from God: He told me to test the spirits because they might be flashy, but they can still be wrong. No, I didn't hear an audible voice telling me this. No, I didn't see this in a dream. I sat in a service while the preacher gave me a Word From God. Let me explain.

The invitation was a surprise—just like all the other times I went to these sort of things. The lot was filled, just like always. The small, family filled chapel was packed—still unsurprising

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Added by Rey Reynoso on November 10, 2009 at 9:23am — 7 Comments

Prayer Monday--Optima Elders

Barring my faulty memory, and if I'm not lazy, I want to post prayers on Monday from all over Church History and then throughout the modern day, and then my own. This one comes, via submission (Seraphim), from the Optima Elders.

Grant unto me, O Lord, that with peace of mind I may face all that this new day is to bring.

Grant unto me to dedicate myself completely to Thy Holy Will.

For every hour of this

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Added by Rey Reynoso on November 9, 2009 at 9:00am — No Comments

Why I L-O-V-E Being a Christian

1. The Living God is my Father. 2. More than just doctrinal truths, I have the unshakable promises of a Person who loves me and will keep me saved. 3. The God who saved me and is saving me and will save me has not left me alone: He is in me and accomplishes His will in and through me. 4. What God wants from and for me, more than anything else, is to get to know Him intimately. 5. Jesus has entrusted not only the Gospel to me but also the Holy Spirit, who makes the Gospel effective. 6. God i… Continue

Added by Dr Mike on November 6, 2009 at 2:39pm — 12 Comments

New Book on 2nd Corinthians - Book Sale

Marietta, Ohio. Varsy Arsy—Proclaiming the Gospel in Second Corinthians, by Phillip A. Ross (ISBN: 978-0-9820385-4-3, 326 pages) is volume two of this examination of Paul’s letters to the Corinthians. Volume one, Arsy Varsy—Reclaiming the Gospel in First Corinthians, was published in 2008. Ross takes a presuppositional and trinitarian approach to this study of Corinthians, which is different from the usual approach in that it assumes that faithfulness requires a completely differe… Continue

Added by Phillip Ross on November 6, 2009 at 1:03pm — No Comments

What Must I Do to Be Saved?

What must I do to be saved? What: Put your faith in Jesus Christ alone. There is only one requirement of God upon those seeking His forgiveness and eternal life: faith. "Faith?" you might ask, "Faith in what?" However, it is not a question of what we have faith in, for instance, having faith in our own personal faith, or being baptized, or where we go to church nor faith in anything else we do that can saves us. Rather, it is a question of Who? It is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who is the obje… Continue

Added by Tim Felten on November 5, 2009 at 4:30pm — 2 Comments

Why I L-O-V-E Being Catholic

A friendly reflection on my brother's exuberance: 1. The church is named after the objective gospel foundation that has been acknowledged by saints stretching from the apostles to today, not an innovation or proposition that I’ve certified with my own sinful and limited understanding. 2. I have a theology that says that I am saved, right now, by grace through faith. No wishful thinking; just th… Continue

Added by Ratatösk on November 5, 2009 at 10:00am — 13 Comments

What Is The Gospel? (Part 5)

After much thought and consideration over the past few weeks, I am now able to conclude with my fifth and final entry on my series of what is the gospel. Here are some summary points from the first four articles: I started out by claiming that an attempt to define the gospel is both a simple act and not so simple act. It is simple in that the gospel is not to be overloaded with do's and do not's. We don't really have to write some treatise to simply define that which is the good n… Continue

Added by ScottL on November 5, 2009 at 9:30am — 1 Comment

REMEMBER, REMEMBER THE FIFTH OF NOVEMBER: A short story from the British Reformation

A QUICK AND INSUFFICIENT BACKGROUND (but I'm usually too wordy, so I'll keep it brief) The earliest years of the 17th century were a tumultuous time on the British Isles. The years leading up to the turn of that century had seen many political and religious changes that kept the Isles teetering on edge of Civil war. First there were the breaks from alliance with France and Roman Catholicism by Henry VIII while Scotland was strengthening its alliance with France and… Continue

Added by Ray Nearhood on November 5, 2009 at 8:00am — 8 Comments

Why I L-O-V-E Being Evangelical

This branch is named after our foundation (The Gospel of God). It's even better when you add Christianity to it! (1 Corinthians 1:17; Acts 4:12)
I have a theology that says that I am saved, right now, by grace through faith. No wishful thinking; just the sure hope of the glorious expectation (Mark 16:16; Acts 16:31; John 3; Romans 10:9; Heb 10:39).
I've got real power in my corner (2 Corinthians 4:6-8; Ephesians 6:10; 2 Timothy 1:7)
I'm allowed tounde

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Added by Rey Reynoso on November 5, 2009 at 7:30am — 12 Comments

Anger

"Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil." Ephesians 4:26-27 The subject of anger is one in which the Bible speaks frequently. There are two Greek words that appear in the New Testament that are equivalent to our English word "anger". One means “passion, energy” and the other means “agitated, boiling.” Anger could, then, be defined as a natural, God-given energy. Since God Himself, who can not sin, is angered (Psalm 7:11) and belie… Continue

Added by Tim Felten on November 4, 2009 at 12:10am — No Comments

On a Lack of Tact and a Love for a Saint

Bear with me.... I'm too wordy. Early in my Christian life I had to come to terms with the sad fact that I lacked a certain quality that might make me effective in communication. It seems that the lack of this quality “turned people off” when discussing doctrine amongst friends and witnessing to the lost. I counted this as a fault and worked through prayer, study, and under guidance to rid myself of the fault. Over a period of years I was able to approach conversations in a manne… Continue

Added by Ray Nearhood on November 3, 2009 at 3:30pm — 18 Comments

Should One Interpret Scripture?

Anytime I'm in a discussion with just about any Christian outside of my corner of Protestantism, the proof text of 2 Peter 1:20 comes up. The person, hearing my explanation of a passage, claims that my interpretation of the text is not valid by itself—I need the authority of the Magisterium or the Early Fathers or Something. But is that what the verse is teaching—that any interpretation of the text is dependent on the totality of the Church (be it the historical Church or the body of teaching

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Added by Rey Reynoso on November 3, 2009 at 7:00am — 15 Comments

The Associate and Black

In the past, I have communicated that I love to read fiction books, mainly of the suspense and fantasy genres. Recently, I finished two works that fall in both genres. The first was John Grisham's new novel, The Associate, and the second was Black,… Continue

Added by ScottL on November 3, 2009 at 3:45am — 21 Comments

The Absolute Least Likely Time for the Rapture (or Equivalent for Non-Futurists)

12:00 am, Sunday, January 1, 2012 Second least likely: 12:12 am, Wednesday, December 12, 2012 Third least likely: 11:59 pm, Monday, December 31, 2012 Also unlikely are any of the various, all and sundry 'significant' dates in 2012: e.g. the solstice, the equinox, first day of spring, Groundhog Day, anything with astrological significance no matter where Taurus is, Jefferson Davis' wife's mom's birthday, et al. What part of "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in Heave… Continue

Added by Archena on November 2, 2009 at 9:30pm — No Comments

May my colander be ever changing

Recently, Lisa Robinson posted something on Parchment and Pen entitled "Is Truth Really Not Relative". If you haven't read it, I really recommend it. That and Michael's recent post on… Continue

Added by Apolojedi (Daniel Eaton) on November 2, 2009 at 12:30pm — 3 Comments

Other Boats

On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. Mark 4:35-36 Of all the Gospel narratives, the account of Yeshua calming the storm affirms the sovereign power of the living God in the strongest way. Nothing speaks more to this writer's heart than reading about the awesome power of the Messiah in whom I have placed my hope. Mark has one uni… Continue

Added by Michael Ballai on November 2, 2009 at 12:00pm — No Comments

Let Us Not Defer

‘Hope deferred makes the heart sick,’ But sometimes it is not ours to pick. Too many have awaited their answer, Even liberation from the oppressor. So it leaves for humanity many a questions, And many times lacking one easy solution. But let that not distort, let that not cause stumble, For, though queries remain, the call is stay humble. Think it not foolish, rather see it as wise, To embrace long-suffering, for there will be a prize. As one sage claims, ‘Desire fulfilled is life.’ But even the… Continue

Added by ScottL on November 2, 2009 at 2:09am — 1 Comment

Song Review: Revive Us Again

Yeah so I've been asked several times by people what kind of music my church usually sings. So I have decided to start a little review blog of my favorite songs. As it doesn't do much good to tell people about a bunch of songs that they probably haven't heard (perhaps not in this way anyhow), I set out to put a few of them down on digital paper (recording). I'll update later with how pathetically that failed. But as for now, we'll start off with an oldie but goodie: Revive Us Again MP3:… Continue

Added by Crazyupstart on November 1, 2009 at 7:30pm — 3 Comments

The song of our age

The song of our age has a lyric that honors the absence of meaning. It is a song that extols what it claims to be the only truly authentic existence. It sings of an existential life, liberated by the rejection of everything that other foolish, dishonest, and deluded people find so comforting and meaningful. The great tragedy of our age is that so many sing this song and believe its words, and as a result, live the consequences. Those consequences are acted out in ugly, empty, hedonist, self-cent… Continue

Added by Charles Williams on November 1, 2009 at 12:43pm — 1 Comment

"Nothing Could Be Further From the Truth" . . . And Other Studpid Statements

As I have been reading and reviewing books and blogs over the years, my approach has changed. This was not an overnight change, but something that just happened the more involved I became in engaging those who were serious about teaching and learning with intellectual honesty and integrity (something that, I am sad to say, does not often characterize Christian leaders and teachers). There are certain characteristics that I have found in people’s teaching that immediately alert me to the realizat… Continue

Added by Michael Patton on November 1, 2009 at 11:23am — No Comments