Reformed. Christianity. Evangelism. Modern Culture.
If you asked me I would probably say, “dunno”. But since you asked I will point you to a good review of Bishop Jakes’ sermon titled Touched. It has a caution attached to it! The reason why I have decided to run a sermon review is so that you may learn how to compare what people are preaching in the name of God with what the Word of God actually says. Here is an excerpt of Daniel Neades’ review:
T.D. Jakes is the leader of The Potter’s House, a 30,000 member congregation located in southern Dallas, Texas. I had never heard a T.D. Jakes sermon before, though I knew of his reputation. I was curious to see – if only via an Internet video stream – the man that Elevation Church reminded us was named ‘America’s Best Preacher’ by Time Magazine. Would I be able to uncover the secret of his mystique? And would he preach the Biblical Gospel? …Read More!
After listening to Matt chandler’s barn burning sermon at Elevation Church’s Code Orange 2012 Revival my heart was uplifted. He preached the law and the gospel, repentance and faith in Christ for the forgiveness of sins. He also decried the “me centred” seeker sensitive tendencies in the church. Yup, all in one sermon. The red mist fell and his sermon re-plays were taken off program but young Matt had already done a job worth commending him for.
I am excited to see who will be inviting him next. Surely this invitation may have been made long before the Code Red Orange Revival but it sure will be an interesting one (if it ever happens). Perry Noble and New Spring church (a mega church with over 14,000 congregants) will be hosting Matt Chandler soon! …Read More!
Knock! Knock! Some body comes to open the door. Un announced A Twisted Crown of Thorns ® [ATCT] has paid a surprise visit to a mystery Christian guest. She is a wife and home maker. A dreamy dinner is almost ready (or is it?) and before she can excuse her self to turn off the cooker, we shall have a two minute marathon interview. The interviewee will remain anonymous for this session as we stir the contents in the frying pan and see what she truly believes. So, what do these Christian believe and why do they believe so? Listen in:
ATCT: Sorry you are masked from your audience today. What is a typical week in your life like?
CHRISTIAN: A typical week is being a homemaker primarily, dealing with meals, the care and feeding of a toddler, teenager and husband, and all that this entails. I spend my child’s naptime writing usually on my blog or sharing news and information through my facebook outlet. It’s a very different life than I used to have, but it’s where God has put me.
ATCT: Did you have any Christian influence in your youth or childhood?
CHRISTIAN: I was raised in a home of professing Christians. We saw little reality of that in the life of our distracted ministry father, but saw real faith in our mother’s life. She was the one who taught us Scriptures, Bible stories and hymns and songs. She was a prayer warrior and she prayed for all of us. Grateful for that.
ATCT: What is the gospel in one sentence? …Read More!
A.W Pink’s classic book The Attributes of God is available free of charge here. (Mobile phone downloads here). One of the first chapters is “The Solitariness of God”. Did you know that…
“In the beginning, God” (Gen. 1:1). There was a time, if “time” is could be called, when God, in the unity of His nature (though subsisting equally in three Divine Persons), dwelt all alone. “In the beginning, God.” There was no heaven, where His glory is now particularly manifested. There was no earth to engage His attention. There were no angels to hymn His praises; no universe to be upheld by the word of His power. There was nothing, no one, but God; and that, not for a day, a year, or an age, but “from everlasting.” During a past eternity, God was alone: self-contained, self-sufficient, self-satisfied; in need of nothing. …Read More PINK!
Today’s church screams, “Jesus is not enough”. We have church services where the preacher gives motivational pep talks, have exhilarating laser light shows to excite unbelievers into a form of church experience. We have relegated good and sound Bible exposition out of the pulpit. Oh, (and not to forget) you gotta love the recent Code orange Revival launched by one pastor Steven Furtick of Elevation church. To begin the “revival” he led the congregation in a hymn a rendition of secular super star and celebrity Rihanna’s hit song. No kidding! This is of course a far cry from the preachers and Christians of yester year who really loved the Lord, sang about Him. They reverently honored Him even in their worship. He was the centre piece to which their whole livelihood focused. Who is the focus of our adoration today?
“At last I saw Christ as my Saviour. I believed in Him and gave myself to Him. The burden rolled from off me, and a great love for Christ filled my soul. That was more than fifty years ago. I loved Jesus Christ then, but I loved Him more the year after, and more the year after that, and more every year since” – George Muller (1805 – 1898) …Read More!
Bishop Thomas Dexter “T.D.” Jakes (born in 1957) is a popular black preacher and evangelist who is the main pastor of The Potter’s House church in Dallas, Texas (founded in 1996), with a congregation of over thirty thousand members. He comes from a United Pentecostal, or Oneness Pentecostal, background. Ryan Turner of Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry (CARM) takes an in depth view into the good points, deeply concerning issues and ultimate theology of the man, T.D Jakes.
Why the Trinity is Important
The modalism view of T.D. Jakes is a very serious Biblical error for a number of reasons.
First, the Trinitarian view of God is the correct Biblical view of God, which Jakes rejects (see “The Trinity” and the “Christian Doctrine” section under “The Trinity” heading).
Second, with the modalistic view of God, we are left with many errors regarding the incarnation of Christ. …Read More!
Just when you thought you have heard it all….
IRAN — A Kuwaiti royal prince has become a believer in Jesus Christ and says that if he is killed because of an audio recording he made about his decision, he believes he will meet Christ face-to-face.
According to http://www.Mohabatnews.com , the Iranian Christian News Agency, Al-haqiqa, a Christian Arabic satellite T.V. station, which broadcasts Christian programs, played an audio file which it attributed to a Kuwaiti prince called “Abdollah Al-sabah.”
This Kuwaiti prince announced, “First of all, I totally agree with the distribution of this audio file and I now declare that if they kill me because of this audio file, then I’ll go into the presence of Jesus Christ and be with him for all eternity.” …Read More!
When I was conversing lately with our dear friend, George Muller, he frequently astonished me with the way in which he mentioned that he had for so many months and years asked for such and such a mercy, and praised the Lord for it, as though he actually obtained it. Even in praying for the conversion of a person, as soon as he had begun to intercede, he began also to praise God for the conversion of that person. I think he told us he had in one instance he had already prayed for thirty years and the work was not yet done, yet all the while he had gone on thanking God, because he knew the prayer would be answered.”-C.H. Spurgeon
When I heard that Matt Chandler was going to preach at the Code Orange Revival planned by Steve Furtick I was abit sceptical. Looking at the line up of mega church peachers and word of faith gurus, he appeared to be the only conservative preacher. On one side you had T.D Jakes, Craig Groeschel, Christine Cane, James MacDonald, Israel Houghton, Jentezen Franklin, Perry Noble, Stovall Weems, Kevin Gerald and Steven Furtick.
So the stage was set for ..umm…Code Orange! However, Matt sure enough showed up. He indeed came with something up his sleeve. He came to with a no holds barred message. By the end of which it seems some one or some people were seeing RED!! Now, every one seems to be wondering why Matt chandler’s sermons have not been rebroadcast on the website. The whodunnit game is going on. Who lost the tape?
After much searching and looking I seem to have found the missing sermon. And WOW!!!! You gotta listen to this!!!
I have been thinking lately and have finally come up with the most purpose driven idea of how to fill up the church. Get an entertaining and exciting choir member that will keep people coming and sure enough. Here is …..Stuart! Tada!
Now we can have less Bible study time and longer time to get your praise on! Have you ever been asked that all illusive question, “Did you enjoy the praise and worship today at our church?” …Read More!
With all the frenzy these days of a fresh revelation and a little pinch of Lectio divina to help hear a new voice of God speaking to us again. Why not go back to square one….
We all want to hear from God. Now you can share the secret closely guarded by our forebears in the faith. This simple yet ancient formula will enable you to experience the voice of God speaking directly into your life:
- Get hold of a reliable translation of the Bible, such as the NKJV or the ESV. (Sorry, no, The Message doesn’t work for this spiritual discipline.)
- Open it.
- Read.
Simple. Uh? …Read More!
Just as I was wondering what I will be doing with all these hymn books that we hardly open, (thanks to the latest brand of rock guitars and beat boxes) guess what smacks me on my way off the stage? Ooops pulpit. In my never ending bid to keep up with other celebrity mega churches I have decided to cast caution and throw it into the wind. I am living it BIG…no BIGGER!! I want to rub shoulders with the relevant and up and coming of my generation. Ask me why? Well the word is ‘I am contextualising the gospel’. Shhh….it just means I want to be dead but appear cool. That is why when they announced recently that 3D screens are out and done with, my heart sank as I ran to see my mentors. Did you hear that…
Stars such as Eliza Dusku, will.i.am and LL Cool J unveiled the latest technology at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show at the Las Vegas Convention Centre.
The show is the biggest event in the year’s technology calendar – attended by technology giants including Panasonic, Sony, Samsung and LG.
Tech companies were beating the drum for 3D with a little less enthusiasm than previous years – but instead, new ultra-slim OLED TVs and ‘Ultra HD’ sets offering four times the resolution of normal hi-def were on offer to tempt TV fans. …Read More!
My American friends are weird. No, I love them all so much. But when they tell me they love football and then they show me a man running about with a leather bag in his hand I quickly tell the, “No thanks, I prefer soccer!” The last couple of days have been rather difficult. Everybody seems to be singing the name “Tebow”. Oh yes, I did hear that he used to scrawl letters and numbers across his face (like John 3:16). Yup, I heard that he bends a knee before scoring a goal (what ever he does). And YESSSSS, I hear he threw a ball exactly 316 yards! But no, that was not a sign from God!!!
Hey, my Obamanites American friends do not get carried away here with all these figures. I agree with Stephen Altrogge you are getting kooky and weird:
I think we need to be careful when making definitive statements about what God is doing. God doesn’t usually work the way we expect him to. He tends to work through losers and the downcast and the poor and the down and out. He likes to use the weak to demonstrate his strength, and the foolish to demonstrate his wisdom. Of course, that doesn’t mean that God isn’t using Tim Tebow. We just need to be careful when we call something like passing yards a divine sign.
Plus, saying that passing for 316 yards is a sign from God makes Christians look weird for the wrong reasons. …Read More!
One Reformed preacher whose sermons have helped me deal with several theological conundrums is a wonderful man called Arturo G. Azurdia III. Art (for those who know him) and have listened to him usually likes using the word “relentless” and therefore he becomes our first in a series of relentless preachers to be featured. 😉
Lets dig deeper into his personal life and see what things he holds loosely and what things he clings to dearly. Here is an interview excerpted from the Exiled Preacher (2008):
QN: Who has taught you most of what it means to preach the Word of God?
AA: It’s difficult for me to reduce it to one man, because several have had strategic influence on me at various stages of my development.
Shortly after I was converted it was the preaching of …Wanna Read More?
If you reaaaaaaaaaaally want your teenage kids to remain virtuous, there is a new ring for you. It will guard their chastity. It will keep them safe from all lustful thoughts. It will reaaaaaaaaaally reaaaaaaaaaally keep them pure and on the straight and narrow. No, not the Holy Spirit. You need a back up, fool proof plan. You are in the right place. Welcome with me the Purity Ring 3000.
Train a child in the way he should go ( by getting them a purity ring 3000), and when he is old he will not turn from it. See, who needs the Holy Spirit when you can get a Christian fad ring like that for your teenage son or daughter? …Read More!
I kid you not. People can make money selling sand in the desert. It’s therefore not a surprise that a man called Bob Larson is masquerading with a special demon test and is making some good money on line with some snake oil. He says….
Taking the Demon Test® may be the most important spiritual decision you make. This Test is the result of more than 30 years of research and thousands of hours in personal ministry with troubled souls. Through this vast experience we have been able to design this test so that we may quickly determine an individual’s spiritual condition.
If you are concerned about your test score, we highly recommend that you schedule personal one-on-one time with Bob Larson. You may choose a one-hour Encounter Session or a full or half-day Intensive Session. These sessions are held during Bob’s on-the-road seminars (please click here to review Bob’s current schedule) or at our Center for Spiritual Freedom in Phoenix Arizona.
In one hour you can begin living the life you’ve always wanted. Let Bob Larson, the man who has dealt with more demons than anyone on the planet, show you how to overcome every obstacle of every day. Stop the cycles of failure, poverty and sickness. …Read More!
Well there’s never a quiet day in Evangelicalism. There are fads and there are fads. When Mark Driscoll unleashed a book (some say a Christian’s sex manual) many conservative Christians frowned. Should a pastor be opening his bed room doors and dealing with private issues in a public forum? Well even before Mark could begin his sermon series (on his book) some one else decided to go a little further. You see pastor Ed Young never does things quietly.
Ed and Lisa Young, founders of Texas-based Fellowship Church, will spend 24 hours in bed on the church roof next week and stream themselves live on the Internet to encourage married couples to see firsthand the power of a healthy sex life as prescribed in their new book, Sexperiment.
Two days after their book, Sexperiment: 7 Days to Lasting Intimacy with Your Spouse, is released Tuesday, the Youngs will take part in a 24-hour “bed-in,” which will be streamed on the book’s website as they engage the audience on issues related to intimacy in marriage. …Read More!
Ever asked your self “Should pastors marry any one who darkens their door step?” An article in the HuffPo by a supposed ‘wedding expert’ advises those preparing to be married to check out their pastor/ officiant. Jim West on the other hand has no problems with that as long as pastors do the same practice to create the necessary firewalls against participating in the farcical weddings (of unbelievers). This adapted list will make you chuckle:
1. Be sure they’re legit. People who have been married half a dozen times are poor candidates. As are those who have been shacking up for a decade. If the couple isn’t willing to place God at the center of their life together, then you should have no part in it.
2. Ask God for suggestions. Don’t marry a couple just because they want you to. Nothing in Scripture requires you to perform wedding ceremonies and these days most of the time they are as much a joke as the marriage which they preface. You DON’T HAVE TO MARRY ANYONE.
3. Take a meeting. If the couple refuses counseling, send them to the Episcopalians. They don’t care who they marry. And if the bride turns into a Bridezilla, just tell them that they’ll have to go elsewhere. There’s no call to subject yourself to the absurd abuse of a hate-filled manipulative foul mouthed Bridezilla.
4. Check out the scripts. If their self-written vows are imbecilic, show them the door. …Read More!
I don’t know if you heard of this story; a 911 dispatcher got a call from home. Her son had been shot. She being a Christian got to talk to her son about Jesus in the supposed few minutes as an ambulance was en route. Check out this transcript:
Dr. Asahel Nettleton (1783–1844) is considered one of America’s greatest forgotten evangelists. He was a contemporary of Charles Finney and while Finney was conditioning converts and churning out spurious conversions with the anxious seat and altar calls, Nettleton believed this pragmatic “decisionism” was very superficial. In fact, Nettleton was the main opponent of Finney and the “new measures”. He did not seek for quick responses to an open invitation to “come forward” as Finney and his followers did.
It’s said Nettleton’s conversions lasted and bore fruit. For example, of the 84 converts in an 1818 revival atRocky Hill,Connecticut— according to their pastor’s report 26 years later — all 84 had remained faithful. Similarly, only three spurious conversions out of 82 professed commitments were noted by another pastor in his report on revival services held inAshford,Connecticut. What accounted for this success?
William C. Nichols, modern publisher of Nettleton’s sermons, reported that:
Asahel Nettleton
Nettleton was a thorough student of the human heart. He understood the windings and turnings of the depraved heart and knew how to expose its deceits to awaken the sinner to the desperateness of his lost condition. You who do the work of evangelism today: Are you such a student of the human heart? Do you understand how the unconverted heart operates? In his sermon on “Gospel Warfare” Nettleton said, “Preaching mere external morality will never bring one soul to Christ. That preaching which does not aim at the heart will never bring one soul to Christ. That preaching which does not aim at the heart, and take hold of the conscience, never attacks the strong holds of Satan.” Read More…
I am currently reading a very interesting book, Scripture Twisting: 20 Ways the Cults Misread the Bible by James W. Sire. Its actually not a guide to help you become a guru or Swami. Far from it. You see, “Jesus” is co-opted by almost every one who wants some one from the past to confirm their own vision of the ideal future. To Eastern –oriented religious groups, Jesus is an avatar – one of the may incarnations of the gods; to Christian Scientists, he is the great healer; to political revolutionaries he is the great liberator; to Spiritualists, he is a first rate medium; to one new consciousness philosopher, he is a prototype of a sorcerer who can restructure events in the world by mental exercise. It seems there is a “Jesus” for everyone.
One way in which almost any cult can have a claim to the Jesus of the bible is by misquoting scripture. For example:
Jess Stern in a book on Edgar Cayce quotes the following conversation he had with Eula Allen, one of Cayce’s followers. The topic was re-incarnation and Stearn suddenly thought of a problem:
A thought struck me. “Why, if people have lived other lives, don’t they remember anything from them?”
“But they do,” she said. “It’s just some times that they don’t remember that they are remembering. Jesus said, ‘I will bring all things to thine remembrance,’ but he didn’t say how.”
A number of errors are made here. First, this is not what Jesus said. Let us put the clause quoted into its immediate context. …Read More!
A recent ministry update reported on a yet new move of the “Holy Ghost”. Indeed this was a newer move by all ranks as it was reported. The revival meeting started with the man of God exhorting believers as to how God in these last days wants to fill them with the new wine of the Holy Ghost. Before long it was Happy Hour and it was claimed the congregation was doused in “Godka,” “God-wiser” and puffing the glory cloud, “Jehovah-wanna.” He mentioned how the drug culture is simply a counterfeit and unholy substitute for real supernatural experience with the Lord.
How far Evangelicalism has fallen to begin to revel in fancy mystic manifestations and unbridled excesses of self gratification! …Read More!
There’s never a quiet day when pastor Mark is in town. And true to his word his Mark Driscoll is in town early this year to revamp your (umm) life. Sort of. When the news in the vine spread that Mark and his wife Grace were going to release a book to set the eyes and tongues of conservative Christians aflame, every one thought it was going to be a revised edition of his earlier serene book called Doctrine. To make sure there was no mistaking what he had in store he had to clarify a few things. This book is not meant for grand ma!
In Real Marriage: The Truth about Sex, Friendship & Life Together, Mark and Grace Driscoll take a no holds barred approach and candidly delve in to (umm) “the birds and the bees” plus some more! Well a prompt advisory notice greets you as you lie back to begin one of the colorful chapters in Mark’s book : If you are older, from a highly conservative religious background, live far away from a major city, do not spend much time on the internet, or do not have cable television, the odds are that you will want to read this chapter while sitting down, with the medics ready on speed dial.
With my finger on speed dial (on your behalf) I will tell you what the book is about. No, I am too faint hearted but Denny Burk has a graciously insightful review:
The two-hundred plus pages of this book focus on personal testimony and practical teaching so that readers might walk in biblical holiness and avoid the pitfalls experienced by the Driscolls. Real Marriage reads like a marriage seminar that has been put into book form, and there are hints throughout that this is exactly what the book actually is (e.g., p. xiii). Real Marriagehas eleven chapters that are divided into three major sections: Part 1, “Marriage”; Part 2, “Sex”; and Part 3, “The Last Day.” …Read More!
Brace yourself. I just hope you will have as much fun as I did reading this excerpt from David’s letter. It’s a typical missionary’s letter with the typical bells and whistles ;).
This is Koboko situated in the North West corner of Uganda. To be more specific, this is the Hotel Delambiance (De l’ambiance) in Koboko. It’s bedtime but there is no point in trying to go to sleep as the hotel generator is roaring away outside my window and I have a dilemma – do I want the generator to be turned off, lose the electric light but be able to get to sleep or do I want the power to stay on a little longer and suffer the generator. Why, I hear you ask, is there a dilemma?
It started in the shower. I had earlier pointed out to the manager that there was no light bulb in the shower. He came to have a look and suggested that I leave the door to the bedroom open and that would give me enough light. I suggested that he try putting a bulb in the light socket but he shrugged his shoulders and said he didn’t have any so that was that. I was doing my best to have a shower in the gloomy shadows of the tiny ensuite facility when ‘something’ darted past me. The ‘something’ was the largest cockroach I have ever seen – a big shiny brown thing the size of a donkey. …Read More!
I will tell you how I used to spend the last day of each year. Yup, we would spend it in church quoting Jeremiah 29:11. We would affirm: “This new year I will be prosperous! This is my year of divine destiny! This is my year of health, wealth and prosperity!”
But Voddie Baucham in this clip explains something very important. How I wish I had come across such teaching on exegesis and rightly understanding scripture in context.
Jeremiah 29:11 is just one of many mis quoted verses. …Read More!!
About two years ago I started a blog. I wrote mostly about issues that revolved around modern day Christianity. It scratched the itch in evangelicalism. It tackled theology and had a satirical twang to it at times. Okay most of the times. It took about a year to come up with a name for the blog.
Do you know how difficult it is to get a name for a blog? Hmm. I thought of cool names like “Elevation blog” or “Your best life now blog” or “Elephant in the blog” but I just thought I wouldn’t be able to live up to the hype. Or would I?
I will never be able to explain why I decided to call the blog Twisted Crown of Thorns and later A Twisted Crown of Thorns (as of 2012). I probably liked the irony in the name. In retrospect it almost sounds like a spoof rock and roll group band. It sounds dark … but light hearted. I have known of a few misguided wanderers who have adventurously stumbled onto the blog thinking it’s a Roman Catholic sacred relics collection website. Grrrr! …Read More!
I have had my fair share of altar calls. I have walked down many an aisle to the tune of an emotional appeal. These days preachers get converts after appealing for almost anything. Do you want a better house? A happy marriage? Do you think life is hard and your kids don’t finish their porridge? Here is what you can do they say: Just say this prayer and let Jesus into your heart. He will come in and make things alright. He is seriously knocking at that door and he really wants to come in. Wait a minute you say. There is no preaching about sin, no preaching about righteousness no repentance? Yup, sadly that is the state of evangelicalism. We have mega churches and therefore can accommodate more converts but … to what?
A while ago, William Franklin “Billy” Graham (one of the most recognisable Evangelical faces of the 20th Century) was said as of 1993 to have made more than 2.5 million people “step forward at his crusades to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour“. …Read More!
The Pied Piper of Hamelin is the subject of a legend concerning the departure or death of a great many children from the town of Hamelin (Hameln), Germany, in the Middle Ages. A narrative in the 16th Century said, the Piper dressed in pied or multicoloured clothing and had been hired by the town to lure the rats away with music from his magic pipe. After he wasn’t paid for his services he indeed made a return visit. With a twist in the tale this time not for rats or mice but he infamously turned his sensuous and irresistible music onto the ears of the children of Hamelin and led them mesmerised to their ultimate destruction. …Read More!
The first lesson in successful marketing and entrepreneurship always underscores the fact that the customer is king. I have always told my self if I were to start a church it would be the world’s best church. It would be the epitome of tolerance and relevance. Who says the church cant be geared towards increased attendances, happier people with numerous self sustaining projects and great reputation among the un-churched and still bring people closer to God? Then Read More
A bad eulogy is as painful as a root canal dental procedure. A blunt eulogy on the otherhand is like a root canal without local anaesthetic. The mourners at one funeral got to realise the difference between the two when preacher man Orlando Bethel showed up.
This is how it unfolded:
June 21, 2002 – LOXLEY, Ala. — Authorities in Loxley, Ala., are investigating the alleged beating of a preacher by funeral mourners who didn’t like his blunt eulogy. Glynis Bethel told The Associated Press that her husband — the Rev. Orlando Bethel — was attacked during a June 14 funeral and dragged out of the church. That’s because Bethel told mourners the deceased was in Hell and that they were headed the same way. The dead man was Glynis Bethel’s uncle. Orlando Bethel referred to him as a “drunkard and a fornicator.” Glynis Bethel, who’s also a preacher, says Read More
Jim Bublitz takes no prisoners as he writes this blistering
but deeply insightful article- Full Link here
That sounds reasonable, doesn’t it? I mean, after all -who would honestly say that they’ve never sinned? Probably nobody. And since unbelievers already feel guilty enough over they’re past mistakes, then it goes without saying that we should spend the vast majority of our time preaching a positive message of Good News to them, rather than dwelling on the negatives. In this post, we’ll actually go inside of a prison and test-out this theory on convicted felons. If anybody ought to understand their own guilt and sinfulness, it would be real/live rapists, murders, and thieves, right?
Warning: Understanding the things in this video could challenge your entire view of ‘relevance’ in evangelism.
I’ve mentioned before my experiences in the church that I used to attend which, over time, transitioned into a model based on what is prescribed by Bill Hybels and Rick Warren. If I were to pick out one key reason why I left that church when I did, this would have been it. I knew there was something wrong when a year of time passes with very little mention of sin. Oh sure, bad habits were talked about Read More
“There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor. The rich man had very many flocks and 
herds, but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. And he brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children. It used to eat of his morsel and drink from his cup and lie in his arms, and it was like a daughter to him. Now there came a traveller to the rich man, and he was unwilling to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the guest who had come to him, but he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.”
For some this story is familiar; well it is Nathan the prophet having a chat with King David. David has just made a royal cover up and taken Bathsheba as his wife after arranging the murder of her husband, Uriah. This was against a back drop of an adulterous affair. Nathan, first indulges the king in a intriguing allegory. (2 Sam 12)
David listens intently to the story and on hearing of such a gross miscarriage of justice tells Nathan in no uncertain terms, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die, and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.”
Nathan then sadly tells David, “You are that man!”
A 2008 survey of behaviours with moral overtones among adults conducted by The Barna Group over a one week period revealed that 19% of adults had viewed pornography, 11% had lied, 9% had engaged in sexual intercourse with someone to whom Read More
By Todd Friel of Wretched Radio
The music weeps, the preacher pleads, “Give your heart to Jesus. You have a God shaped hole in your heart and only Jesus can fill it.” Dozens, hundreds or thousands of people who want to get their spiritual life on track make their way to the altar. They ask Jesus into their heart.
Cut to three months later. Nobody has seen our new convert in church. The follow up committee calls him and encourages him to attend a Bible study, but to no avail. We label him a backslider and get ready for the next outreach event.
Our beloved child lies in her snuggly warm bed and says, “Yes, Daddy. I want to ask Jesus into my heart.” You lead her in “the prayer” and hope that it sticks. You spend the next ten years questioning if she really, really meant it. Puberty hits and the answer reveals itself. She backslides. We spend the next ten years praying that she will come to her senses.
Telling someone to ask Jesus into their hearts has a very typical result, backsliding. The Bible says that a person who is soundly saved puts his hand to the plow Read More
Enough of all this banter against modern Christendom’s latest prodigal and most loved opulent brat. Ed Young Jr. is officially the most google-d and U-tubed Christian celebrity pastor. Gone are the boring days of being an obscure youth pastor left to follow up new converts and pray for toddlers who don’t finish their breakfast cereal in the church back garden. Gone are the days of watching re-runs of Veggie Tales and Tom and Jerry in Sunday school.
The other day he took a bold step in being the honest and transparent man of God that he has become and indulged viewers in a personal tour of his parsonage or is it vicarage. And look how many bloggers treated him as though he had invited Bin Laden to the White House. He had simply allowed a TV Crew to have a glimpse of his humble 10,000 square foot, $1.5 million estate. Read More
But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.
There was once at time when the deepest urge of a Christian was to be like Christ. To imitate Christ. The coolest thing about Christianity was Christ and for you to know him you must have first stumbled past a bloodied cross. Gone are the days when it was preached that for our sake God made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him Jews and Gentiles might become the righteousness of God. Read More
“The show must go on” is a well-known phrase in show business, meaning that regardless of what happens (such as the lead performer breaking a leg), the show must still be put on for the waiting patrons. The other day a church invited teenagers to come to church and play an allegedly ultra violent Play Station 3 game Halo3 with the hope that they would in so doing, some how love coming to church. This is modern day evangelism for you, its called connecting with the youth in the name of Jesus. Another church was offering flat screen Tvs another offered Harley Davidson Motorcycles and cars to first time visitors or any body who accepted “Jesus into their hearts”.
The Show must go on.
Is it possible that in the last days there will come times of difficulty? People will be lovers of self… lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power? What ever happened to the power of the gospel? What ever happened to the cross? What ever happened to the name that is above any other name by which men are saved? Are we still tongue in cheek because of Jesus Christ? Does Christ have to be disguised to a point where we use sleight of hand? Is this the level to which friendship evangelism has fallen? Read More
If the latest Church growth updates are anything to go by then Africa is surely having surplus of growth. The growth has been described by many colourful words like “explosive”, “spectacular” and of recent “fast food-ish”. There seems to be an easy believism called prosperity gospel that is spawning a multiplex of believers. In this form of Christianity, a believer is supposed to be successful; if not, something is very wrong. This emphasis can be seen in the names of the flourishing churches: Winners Chapel, Victory Bible Church, Jesus Breakthrough Assembly, Triumphant Christian Centre. The titles and themes of conventions, crusades and conferences repeat this emphasis: “Gathering of Champions” “Living a Life of Abundance,” “Taking Your Territories,” “Stepping into Greatness.” For all these churches, size and expansion are tangible signs of success—which is why the terms Global, World or International appear in so many of their titles.
South Africa recently hosted the World cup. From this land that gave football fans the much loved and equally hated “vuvuzela” has emerged Rhema Church. Rhema has established itself as one of Africa’s Best Churches. A place where the big shots, celebrities and politicians come to embrace at the table of a “rock and roll” religion. Even the President, Jacob Zuma comes regularly to Rhema to tuck into two of South Africa’s said pastimes, conspicuous consumption and Christianity. But There’s More
Every generation has always had a “voice crying in the wilderness”-calling people to come back to God. In the all time classic sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) the evangelist and renowned American Reformed Theologian preached emphasizing the widely held belief that Hell is a real and functional place. Edwards hoped that the imagery and message of his sermon would awaken his audience to the horrific reality that he argued awaited them should they continue without Christ. Read more of this post
In the church where I ministered in South Wales I used to stand at the main door of the church at the close of the service on Sunday night, and shake hands with people as they went out. The incident to which I am referring concerns a man who used to come to our service every Sunday night. He was a tradesman but also a heavy drinker. He got drunk regularly every Saturday night, but he was also regularly seated in the gallery of our church every Sunday night. On the particular night to which I am referring I happened to notice while preaching that this man was obviously being affected. I could see that he was weeping copiously, and I was anxious to know what was happening to him. At the end of the service I went and stood at the door. But There’s More
Heads pawed, eyes claws-ed
Then I said: “Ah, Lord God, behold, the prophets say to them, ‘You shall not see the sword, nor shall you have famine, but I will give you assured peace in this place.’” Jer 14:13 ESV
With heads bowed and eyes closed, the music was just right. The preacher shuffles and gently casts his gaze over the reverently silent congregation before he beckons, “Put your hand up if you have tried everything and now you want to accept Jesus into your heart. See, you have a God shaped hole in your heart and only Jesus can fill it.” A hundred to two hundred hands go up in the air. They ask Jesus into their hearts that day-a decision they may well repeat a few more times through that year.
A major denomination which has 11,500 churches throughout the US – in 1991, their first year of what they called “the decade of harvest,” they got 294,000 decisions for Christ. They found that only 14,000 remained in fellowship. That is, they couldn’t account for 279,000 of their decisions for Jesus. And this is normal modern evangelical statistics when it comes to crusades and local churches. Many converts don’t fall away. They get followed up and squeezed into a local church where they’re surrounded by a good social life, and they stay within the church given assurance they’re saved when there is no grounds for their salvation, because they do not have the things that accompany salvation. –True and False Conversions by Ray Comfort
God shaped hole in heart
When we hear Christian clichés like ‘Accept Jesus Christ as your personal saviour;’ ‘Ask Jesus into your heart;’ ‘Invite Christ into your life;’ or ‘Make a decision for Christ’ and find that such theology is not scripturally based then we realise something must have been omitted. In order to be saved, a man must repent (Acts 2:38).Asking Jesus into your heart leaves out the requirement of repentance and trust in Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31, Heb 6:1). How could it sound so right, yet be so un-right? Yeah. Welcome to the shaken and stirred Gospel Lite! Read More
LANCASTER, Pa. — Maria Holsapple thought she was attending performances at the local community theater, but after twelve weeks, she was angered to learn she had been attending Oak Grove Center, a 3,000-member church.
“I would never willingly go into an evangelical church,” says Holsapple, a practicing Catholic.
She came after Oak Grove mailed her “tickets” to upcoming “drama presentations.” She enjoyed the “mini-concert, the play and the motivational speech they threw in at the end,” she says.
“It worked well as performance art,” she says. “I was convinced it was a groundbreaking new theater company.” Read More
December 2011: Wheew! We will Open Soon!
January 2012: Please note that the website is now called A twisted crown of thorns. Yup, there is an “A” before the rest of the words. Grrr…it still confuses me too 🙂
[Website changes from http://www.twistedcrownofthorns.com to http://www.atwistedcrownofthorns.com]
“There are no coincidences…and in this case, no wrong numbers!”
David Bereit, National Coordinator, 40 Days for Life: I know you’re familiar with the old saying, “God works in mysterious ways.” Please sit down and read this whole story. Our God of mystery has outdone Himself this time!
A young woman in Indianapolis, Indiana—we’ll call her “Erin”—woke up, saw her kids off to school, dropped her preschoolers at a friend’s house, and noticed that she was late for an appointment…at Planned Parenthood…for an abortion.
So Erin picked up her phone and called to see if she could still come in. She thought she was calling Planned Parenthood. In her haste, she dialed a wrong number.
Instead of Planned Parenthood, she got Joseph, who was answering the cell phone that’s being used by…
…get ready for this…
…40 Days for Life in Indianapolis! Read More
Well its the end of another beautiful year. The year 2011 has had momentuous events. There have been times when the proverbial writer’s block kicked in and snuffed out all humor and satire. There were times when I seemed to spend more time on line than with family. There were times when I thought the blog seemed to take on a life of its own.
Without further ado, I will open up the innards of this blog and show you the top most articles you all devoured and enjoyed this past year (plus the ones that were left unread). I sure do hope (as the West Minster Shorter catechism says) that reading this blog has led you closer to your ultimate purpose in life: To glorify God and enjoy him for ever.
6. Clueless Worshipers Wake up to Find They Have Been Double Crossed at The Crossing
5. One left dead as not ya Grand ma’s church (GUTS Church) launches Ultimate Fight Night.
4. The Timely Last Words of David Wilkerson
2. Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani’s letter from prison to his church members.
Though in all fairness I have learnt a lot more from the posts that were least read than one can say. The least read post in 2011 was: What to look for in a good church. While the most commented on post has always been I Got Saved Today…
Writing is a passion and a delight. Though many times I use satire to illustrate the irony in man’s ways, there have been times when …Read More!
Apparently there are 5 main heresies. Know the five and you will be able to identify any wayward world view teachings and track them back top their original flawed concepts. Here is a picture survey [Click image to enlarge]:
…Read More!
I have always thought if one rule of thumb is if you mix ministry ( or Jesus) with anything else (like course entertainment) you are in for a BIG shock sooner or later. Preach Christ and Him crucified you will see people being drawn to Him by the Holy Spirit. Add a little smoke and mirrors to leaven up your “ministry” and … you become mosaic. To keep them coming you will need wilder smoke and more exciting mirrors. Ugh!
You see, there is a church called Mosaic Church. No kidding. Club Fathom is listed on Mosaic’s website as a teen-centered outreach ministry of the church. That’s not all. There has been activity going on in this club. No not a revival as such but…
A Christmas morning shooting that injured nine people is further evidence that the downtown club where the brawl began is a public nuisance that should be dealt with quickly, city officials said Monday.
Club Fathom has a long history of teen violence dating back to at least 2006 and has faced city ire in the past. …Read More!
When I heard that Christopher Hitchens had died a selfish, base and primitive bit in me almost jumped up and punched the air. I should have but I didnt. The reason I didn’t rejoice is because I myself know what I deserve.
On the question of death of tyrants and atheists, Russell Moore does a fair and commendable job in his blog post:
Hitchens expected this moment, of course, but he anticipated, wrongly, a blackness, a going out of consciousness forever. Many Christians today are sadly remarking on what it is like for Christopher Hitchens to be now opening his eyes in hell.
We might be wrong.
The Christian impulse here is exactly right. After all, Jesus and his apostles assured us that there is no salvation apart from union with Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection, a union entered into by faith. And Hitchens not only rejected that gospel, he ridiculed it, along with the very notion of anything beyond the natural order. The Christian Scriptures are clear: there is a narrow window in which we must be saved, the time of this present life, and after this there is only judgment (2 Cor. 6:1-2; Heb. 9:27).
But I’m not sure Christopher Hitchens is in hell right now. It’s not because I believe there’s a “second chance” after death for salvation (I don’t). It’s not because I don’t believe in hell or in God’s judgment (I do). It’s because of a sermon I heard years ago that haunts me to this day, reminding me of the sometimes surprising persistence of the gospel. …Read Moore!
This Christmas as other Christians sing O Holy Night, it seems to be a grim night in the Anglican camp. Archbishop Cranmer is bemoaning a new subtle root of inclusiveness that is creeping into the camp. Apparently new forms of Christmas carols are making the Royal Holloway College bend over backwards in all forms of theological twists and knots:
[These] ‘inclusive’ Christmas carols services – you know, the sort that bend over backwards to be all things to all people in order that by any means possible none may be offended. In fact, it is these sort of gospel-lite and theology-free services which are largely responsible for people not finding Christ – even at Christmas.
Royal Holloway College, in the University of London, held its Christmas carol service in its own College Chapel, presided over jointly by the College’s Chaplain – an Anglican vicar, the Rev’d Cate Irvine, and a Roman Catholic chaplain from the local church, Fr Vladimir Nikiforov.
And what did the assembled festive throng hear? The prophecy of of Isaiah? ‘For unto us a child is born…’? The Gospel of Luke? ‘There went out a decree from Caesar Augustus…’? A reading from Micah, perhaps? ‘But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto Me that is to be Ruler in Israel’?
No, none of the above. Instead, they got the Qur’an …Read More!
When Pastor Feve Sturtick took his church for a safari trip, he hadn’t anticipated that the ferocious non cessationist animals in the game reserve could name and claim. Well, it’s said that some even demonstrated the gift of word of knowledge (or did they?)
Imagine a football world church service where you can punish a referee wayward preacher with an electric shock for straying from the text. I know what you are thinking; such an idea is just too insanely beautiful and wonderful and should be trialled in these mushrooming social centres called churches. 😉
Norwegian channel TV2 somehow managed to convince a host of football legends from the country to take part in a livewire five-a-side game in an experiment called Elektrosjokkfotball (Electroshock football).
Well? …Read More!
I have come to appreciate the value of good vigilant clinical scholarship after reading history of the bible and how we have the texts that make up our Old and New Testaments. The Jewish Masorete scribes made copies of the Old Testament with precision and profound accuracy. They set down detailed rules to govern the copying of the Scriptures. It was considered unacceptable to do such work with half a mind. The Masoretes counted the number of words and letters of each book of the Old Testament and fixed the middle letter of each line. Everything countable was counted. The manuscript was then submitted for checking and if it was in error at any point then it was ordered to be destroyed; and the scribe would start all over again.
My good friend Jim on the other hand recently realised that a good bulk of the students today are lazy and do not read their bibles enough. Take this excerpt from a recent paper for example:
“After killing a Hebrew slave, Moses fleas Egypt to live in the Sinai dessert.”
Obviously you can imagine how bewildered my friend Jim became. He actually turned purple! Well, okay almost. You see:
1- Moses didn’t kill a Hebrew slave, he killed an Egyptian.
2- He didn’t ‘fleas’ he ‘fled’.
3- The Sinai isn’t a ‘dessert’, it’s a desert.
4- Moses fled to Midian, the text says nothing about his fleeing to Sinai. …Read More!
[Then Jesus said:] “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. …Read More!
In our never ending bid to remain relevant we really had to get the right youth pastor. The qualities we were looking for were actually very simple. Young, restless and creative. Yup, we got our anointed man (though he has to work on his pony tail). 😉
Next we need an assistant youth pastor. …Read More!
On the twelfth day of Christmas,For your weekly dose of satire…
If you thought indulgences for the dead ended in the 16th Century with Johann Tetzel think again. Tetzel is remembered for making a lot of money off from naive congregants for the ongoing reconstruction of St. Peter’s Basilica by using the draw string “as soon as a coin in the coffer rings; a soul from purgatory springs”. Well guess what, the Roman Catholic church just made an announcement with a door to absolution…
The announcement in church bulletins and on Web sites has been greeted with enthusiasm by some and wariness by others. But mainly, it has gone over the heads of a vast generation of Roman Catholics who have no idea what it means: “Bishop Announces Plenary Indulgences.”
In recent months, dioceses around the world have been offering Catholics a spiritual benefit that fell out of favor decades ago — the indulgence, a sort of amnesty from punishment in the afterlife — and reminding them of the church’s clout in mitigating the wages of sin. …Read More!
By Team Tominthebox News Network. Full Link here.
New York, New York – Pastors across the country suddenly found themselves in a bit of a predicament this past weekend as Sunday morning quickly approached. The trouble began Saturday afternoon when word began spreading that the Sermon Writers Guild was going on strike on the grounds that they were not being paid enough for their work.
The Sermon Writers Guild has, for the most part, been a secret to the church-going public. Founded in 1977, the organization started out as a small group of theologians and laypersons who were “gifted and creative in the art of preaching” but lacked the charisma necessary to pastor and lead a congregation. When the group was formed they began offering sermon writing services for “witty pastors who lacked scholarly abilities” and who were “less than studious” for a fee of only $20 per sermon. Over the years the guild expanded to over 1500 “ghost preachers” who have written sermons for some of the most famous pastors in the country. Read More
This sign is found in Iloilo. The City of Iloilo is a highly urbanized city in the Philippines and the capital city of Iloilo province. 
How wonderful would it be to find this sign at the exit gate of every church. To be read as you got out of the church building. Nice!
And [Jesus] said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” – Mark 16:15
…Read More!
A large cross that had been prominently displayed outside a chapel on an isolated military base in northern Afghanistan was taken down last week, prompting outrage from some American service members stationed there.
“We are here away from our families, and the chapel is the one place that feels like home,” a service member at Camp Marmal told POLITICO. “With the cross on the outside, it is a constant reminder for all of us that Jesus is here for us.”“Not having it there is really upsetting,” added another. “I walk by the chapel daily on the way to chow and the gym, and seeing the cross is a daily reminder of my faith and what Jesus accomplished for me. It is daily inspiration and motivation for me to acknowledge my faith and stay on the right path.” …Read More!
A recent Nando’s commercial starring some of the world’s most dreadful dictators – pokes fun at highlights how Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe is quickly becoming the last dictator standing at Christmas sole member of the club. That aside it also underlines the post modern sole meaning of Christmas (or does it not?)
It may appear funny but it seems some one (either Nando’s or ‘Mugabe’) still doesnt know “who” Christmas is about. Dilettantes! …Read More!
So what does Ephesians 2:1-5 say and how does it apply to me?
“Seeing then that we are so corrupted in our souls and that there is neither thought nor affection which is not utterly perverted, let us not think it strange that God with his own mouth pronounces us dead, despite the fact that through our own foolish pride we imagine that there is some life in us. And that is the very thing that St. Paul deals with now in saying that the Ephesians were partakers of the above-mentioned grace, though they were dead through their own sins and iniquities. …Read More!
One would think this is a question posed by a weak, lip quivering Corinthian brother who has just bought a pound of pork or beef from the local temple butchery. needless to say it seems some Americans are revisiting that “to eat or not to eat” debate this Thanks Giving. They are now saying…
As you sit down with your family on Thanksgiving and consider offering a prayer of gratitude, be aware the turkey at the center of the table may have already been “blessed” – in the name of Allah.
Customer service representatives from Butterball, one of America’s most popular Turkey brands, confirmed to WND that the company’s whole turkeys are – without being labeled as such – slaughtered according to Islamic “halal” standards. Read more of this post
When I came across the doctrines of grace I was utterly humbled. I was deep into word of faith and prosperity theology and the cross and gospel were a distant memory. My eyes were refocused but today I would like to feature a testimony that has been a blessing. Speaking about refocusing our eyes there’s no one who has been sounding the alarm louder than Holly D. Dye of Refocusing Our Eyes. You see….
For the last 2 years, [Holly says] since leaving the Word of Faith movement, there have been erroneous assumptions, by people of that camp, that I have left the Faith. However, nothing could be further from the truth. If anything, I have become more solidified in Christian truths and more passionate in my service to God than ever before. I trust that through this 2-part article, God would grant me the ability to “make a defense to those who have asked a reason for the hope that is in me and that I may be able to do it with gentleness and respect” (1 Pet. 3.15).
In this discourse, I have no intention of “sowing strife”, as is commonly asserted by WoF[1] leadership toward those who resist their teaching. Although it is certain, offense will surely come, I will attempt, by the grace of God, to present my beliefs within the landscape of scripture and by the brush of simple reasoning. …Read More!
A Georgia factory worker claims in a federal lawsuit that he was fired after he refused to wear a `666′ sticker he feared would doom him to eternal damnation.
Billy E. Hyatt claims he was fired from Pliant Corp., a plastics factory in northern Georgia near Dalton, after he refused to wear a sticker proclaiming that his factory had been accident-free for 666 days. That number is considered the “mark of the beast” in the Bible’s Book of Revelation describing the apocalypse.Hyatt, who said he’s a devout Christian, had worked for the north Georgia plastics company since June 2007 and like other employees wore stickers each day that proclaimed how long the factory had gone without an accident. …Read More!
It is usually said that if a stone is thrown into a pack of dogs, the one hit by the stone will usually holler. The same seems to be true with the preaching of the gospel – it begins to bring conviction of sin. Some people don’t like this message and it becomes an offence and a stumbling block to them. North Carolinans seem to be chewing on something odd this week:
On Monday night, vandals desecrated the Cedar Hill AME Zion Church in Ansonville, east of Charlotte, North Carolina, spray-painting obscenities on the wall, smashing stained-glass windows and defecating on the church pulpit. …Read More!
Adoniram Judson lived several years before America’s lucrative export became a lukewarm synthetic form of materialism called prosperity gospel. Adoniram was a selfless Calvinistic Baptist missionary from the United States who labored for almost forty years in Burma. At the age of 25, he was the first Protestant missionary sent from North America to preach in Burma. To summarise his missionary endeavors here is a concise post ….
Anarchic despotism, fierce war with Siam, enemy raids, constant rebellion, and no religious freedom (pg 85). What missionary would decide to go such a place? Although Burma(Myanmar) was essentially what we call a “closed country”, Adoniram Judson went in spite of an admonition from William Carey not to go (pg 85)…at age 24, and with a 23 year old wife! Ahead of Judson was immense loss, which many of us could scarcely imagine. But through it all he could say “If I had not felt certain that every additional trial was ordered by infinite love and mercy, I could not have survived my accumulated sufferings” …Read More!
FREE AGENCY
1. Are all men both saint and sinner free agents? If so, is not the sinner as free as the saint?
2. If a sinner cannot come to Christ of his own free will, is he a free agent?
3. If all sinners possess will and power to come to Christ, why did Christ say (John 6:44), “No man can come unto Me except the Father which hath sent Me draw him?”
4. Has any man the power to refuse to come to Christ when the Father draws him?
5. Are those characters free agents that shall do wickedly and none of them shall understand? (Dan. 12:10) …Read More!
Well…
HT to Facebook friends for the photo.
A church for those who never liked church? It all sounds an oxymoron. It smells emergent. It feels dubious. Inver Grove Heights wants an alternative to church and indeed they have regurgitated a laid back social club that meets on Sundays:
Creating an experience...
The pastor preaches in designer jeans and skateboarding shoes. He tweets links to his blog and chats with churchgoers on Facebook.
As members walk into the movie theater or auditorium for services, the pastor and his wife are in the front row, singing along and pumping their fists to loud pop music, played by a live band featuring electric guitars.
Suburban megachurches, move over. There’s a hipper game in town. …Read More!
Mesmerising! This is going to be the next must have gadget for every relevant and purpose driven youth pastor. Just imagine how many kids will remain entertained for hours.
Can we trust the historical accuracy of the Bible? Is the text reliable? How can we know for sure?
I still remember the day sister Martha came for Sunday service in style. She had just started reading her bible that month and there was a twinkle in her eyes.
She said she had also been meditating on Paul’s advice to Timothy:
No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments. 1 Tim 5:23
I must add Martha was a literalist. She also has several ailments. …Read More!
Stevie stopped praying for revival. Instead he decided he will make them happen. It all started on the day he was ordained. Oh what a happy day that was:
He became ….radical! …Read More!
Im currently reading about puritans (and wow) it is challenging to learn about their high view of God. More so how they lived their lives. Here is a quote from Richard Baxter about parenting:
Parents! Your example and life are a continual and powerful sermon, which is always seen by your children! Parents! Your children have an everlasting inheritance of happiness to attain–and it is that which you must bring them up for. They have an endless misery to escape–and it is that which you must diligently teach them. If you don’t teach them to know God, and how to serve Him, and be saved, and to escape the flames of hell–you teach them nothing, or worse than nothing. It is in your hands to do them the greatest kindness or cruelty in all the world! Help them to know God and to be saved, and you do more for them than if you helped them to be kings or princes. …Read More!
It’s never a dull Sunday when Osteen is in the pulpit. Infact every day feels like a Friday. If you come early and stretch your neck long enough you could catch a glimpse of (guess who?)… Yup. Oprah. If you have your bible autograph book handy you could actually get it autographed by Oprah or even Tyler Perry! Oh can you see me in the video? (Hyperventilating) I am the one next to that guy high up in the rafters. (Grr some one stood infront of me when the camera panned over Oprah’s shoulder) Hey never mind atleast Joel introduced Oprah to Jesus. Okay, almost. 🙂
Ever been to America? No need to go there any more. Here is how you can visit 32 states from the comfort of your living room. Yup, you will even experience the evolution of rain clouds along the side of highways, the differences in the climate will also prove entertaining, going from sunny Los Angeles and it’s palm tree-lined streets to the snow capped Rocky Mountains in Colorado Springs. (I understand if you look closely you will even spot some of your Facebook American friends in this clip) 🙂
This interesting road trip by Mr Brian DeFrees was done by attaching a digital camera to his Honda Civic Si wind shield that had a program installed to instantly take photos every five seconds. He was then able to drive and shoot at the same time:
[He] took to the road for inspiration and came back from his trip with a time lapse video speeding across 12,225 miles in just under five minutes.
Brian DeFrees, 25, took a two month road trip across the United States to visit places he had never been and catch up with relatives along the way. …Read More!
This video is disturbing. If it has any ounce of truth in it then Christianity is a mile wide in Africa but only an inch deep.
Pray for the church (the body of Christ) in Nigeria. …Read More!
This short clip expounds on the doctrine of total depravity:
The recent brutal whipping of teenager by her father has sparked alot of discussion. Some of which has been absolutely irrational and stipped in knee jerk sensationalism. While sharing the outrage at this abuse, I sought to see what the bible and other Christians say about spanking and child discipline. Michael Spotts has a very comprehensive article pointing out some of the logical flaws and drawing a fine distinction as to what the biblical perspective on physically chastening children is:
Instead of overreacting, I believe we should maintain a distinction between what is acceptable physical discipline and what constitutes actual abuse. This allows us to condemn the latter without outlawing the former. Throughout this article I will refrain from using the word “punishment” when describing parental responses to disobedience. Punishment, strictly speaking, is primarily concerned with subjecting guilty persons to penalties without regard for either their moral improvement or personal well being. An extreme example of punitive action is the death penalty, which punishes without any interest in improving those who receive it. Worse still is the idea of parents inflicting pain upon children merely to “get back” at them or vent anger. …Read More!
If you walk into your local Christian music store in the next couple of days dont forget to ask for a copy of Shai Linne’s new album, The Attributes of God. Well its out and from what I hear about it I think its had a good reception especially among conservative Christians.
Okay, okay! Just because you asked I will feature one piece from the album. Here is his wife Blair reciting “The Perfection of Beauty”:
One friend on Facebook drew my attention to one of the songs The Glory of God. She said:
“Never thought I would be a huge fan of Hip-hop. Thanks to Shai Linne, now I am. I find amazing Shai Linne songs [sic], and put them on “replay-endlessly”. They are so rich, it takes several listenings to hear it all, and several more to digest it. SDG, Shai!” …Read More!
A Twisted Crown of Thorns ® 