Reformed. Christianity. Evangelism. Modern Culture.
The common adage usually goes ‘the best laid plans of men and mice often go awry.’ This short clip on the contrary is about God’s Sovereign plans and in particular his choosing and calling of a sinner to salvation. It is about unconditional election or sometimes called predestination or fore-ordination.
A while ago there used to be an infamous saying that in life nothing is as certain as death and taxes. Taxes I can take -with gritted and clenched teeth. But who can conquer the sting of death and Who can say ‘ Oh, grave where is thy victory?’
As I crawled back from work today I realised soccer had lost one of its new found fetishes. Man’s best mollusc friend that conjured up Word Cup results and mesmerised millions (and angered German and Dutch fans alike) across the globe seemed to be hapless at predicting it’s most important appointment. Read More
[pullquote]This is an archive article from 2010.[/pullquote] The second largest multi-sports event second to the Olympics happens to be the Asian Games. This year’s events will be held in China. Looking at a few snippets of the real-time security training tells you that the authorities will not be worried about people just handing out handing out gospel tracts.
simple anti-terrorism drills for chinese army
The Governor of Guangdong Province has demanded that no mistakes are made during the policing of the Asian Games and the police have pledged an ‘all-out effort’ to safeguard the event.
Reports suggest the Guangzhou police authority has already invested 2 billion yuan (£18.7 million) in security for the Games. More than 2.6 million surveillance cameras are also said to have been installed across the city. But There’s More
Its one thing to be a preacher it’s another thing to bring oratorical skills to the pulpit and blend it with perfectly choreographed gimmicks to bring hundreds to their feet beckoning for more stories. Doesn’t it just amuse you when a preacher walks to the pulpit with a Bible and then decides to close it as he begins the sermon? My favourite ones are those “anointed coat” swinging show men who blow into microphones and keep repeating over and over, “I feel the anointing of God is here”. But I must say the deadliest are those slick ones who slide past you and mesmerise you to the point that you don’t even notice that they sneaked into the pulpit without a Bible (not even a pocket Message Bible). And as you try to figure where the sermon is going to come from…BANG! He has hit you between the eyes with a “holy ghost” stunner and you are writhing under your seat with your tie choking the living day lights out of you. Read More
Hardly a week goes by without Ted appearing on television. Hoping from endless talk show to talk show, he has also launched a reality television show about the gospel. No sorry about -you guessed right-himself. At every turn he seems to be drawing in the ratings for anyone who is willing to have a pandering prophet. Not only are non-Christians raising eyebrows at his antics. Why, wasn’t this the once a herculean stalwart for conservative Christian values? Now he has apparently back peddled on some of his original beliefs. This metamorphosis can best be described by Ted himself:
In a cover story for gay glossy The Advocate, Rev. Ted Haggard now says he favors gay marriage.
Haggard is the evangelical pastor who ran afoul of his Denver congregation after admitting to a three-year pay-for-sex affair with male prostitute Mike Jones. Immediately after Jones reveled their sexual association in 2006, Haggard denied being gay, saying only that he had committed “sexual immorality.” Since that time, Haggard has said he’s undergone intensive counseling. On February 6, 2007, Tim Ralph pronounced Haggard “cured,” adding that Haggard is “completely heterosexual.” Read More
[pullquote]This article was written in Autumn 2010.[/pullquote] The leaves are slowly turning golden, the year is far gone. One sure way of keeping track of summer is to wait for the Notting Hill carnival in London. It officially reminds you that the good old summer sunshine has ebbed. Since 1966, this annual celebration has united the West Indian community and attracted millions from all over the world. The atmosphere has always been colourful and vibrant with steel drum bands, calypso, reggae and everything Caribbean. Not to forget the aromatic food as the crowds sing along to Bob Marley’s No woman, no cry. But There’s More
3 Dots of an Ellipsis
So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or …”–Matt 27:17 ESV
An ellipsis is a mark or series of marks that usually indicate an intentional omission of a word or a phrase from the original text. An ellipsis can also be used to indicate a pause in speech, an unfinished thought, or, at the end of a sentence, a trailing off into silence. An ellipsis calls for a slight pause in speech. But There’s More
It’s been coming and soon it will be here. Crowd control has always been a nightmare since the days of the ‘brood of vipers’ open air sermons of John the Baptist to the modern day children’s trampoline tea and biscuit parties of a pastor’s wife. Many delighted mega church ushers seemed to jump for joy this week supposing they had landed themselves a useful gadget in ultimate crowd control but stopped mid air as police in the UK seized large numbers of a gadget that has been supposedly dubbed ‘the ushers touch’.
A MILLION-volt stun gun disguised as a mobile phone is being smuggled into Britain by criminals. Potentially-lethal K95s are 24 TIMES more powerful than a police Taser. But There’s More
The Britain of today is a far cry from the Britain of the yester years. If Sir Winston Churchill walked the streets of London today he would find a warm unhealthy pile of urine mixed with graffiti on his statue. No, it’s not the Germans who sneaked in over night. It is the University students who have run amok. The crème de la crème of the country have brilliantly thought that this act of anarchy can bring some sense to those who see it wise to tweak their tuition fees. But that’s not all: Read More
During a great war, there was a man who invented a parachute that was one hundred percent trustworthy. It made no difference whether the user was large or small; it opened every time and got him safely to the ground. The key was in the way it was folded. (story continued below)
“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
The butterfly effect is a term used in Chaos Theory to describe how tiny variations can affect giant systems, and complex systems, like weather patterns. For example, it is said that a butterfly flapping its wings in a jungle in Brazil can cause a tornado in Texas.
A couple of years ago we leavened up the unleavened bread of Christianity. A little nip here and a tuck there. We created a brand of Hip and Cool Christianity not only smooth but market savvy. Relevant. We used reproducible and successful entrepreneurial church growth models to bring as many people into the church complexes as possible.
However, if the recent trend of events is anything to go by, it seems God has gone on a hiatus and left the youths playing peekaboo in the night. Recent statistics show that there is an increasing exodus of young people from churches, especially after they leave home and live on their own. In a 2007 study, Lifeway Research determined that 70% of young Protestant adults between 18-22 stop attending church regularly. Some critics have attributed this yo-yo effect to the perils of hipster Christianity. Read More
This brand new extended PlayStation 3 offer is for children and teenagers only! It may not be used in conjunction with any other Landover Baptist salvation offer. By Landover Baptist Church. Full Story Here
Hey kids! If your Mom and Dad can’t get you a PlayStation 3 for Christmas, you can still get one FOR FREE! Have you ever heard of Jesus Christ? Well, He’s heard of you! And He wants you to have all the cool toys your parents are too cheap to buy! In fact, the Lord Jesus is very upset with your parents that they won’t give you all the latest stuff that every kid in America deserves! And Jesus has got your back, because He is your homeboy! If you’ve never heard of Jesus, He is an invisible cloud-dwelling deity (infinite lives!) who loves you very much and wants nothing more than to give you a free PlayStation 3! But There’s More
Africa is watching Nigeria
Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, the eighth most populous country in the world. It is listed among the “Next Eleven” economies. The economy of Nigeria is one of the fastest growing in the world, with the International Monetary Fund projecting a growth of 9% in 2008 and 8.3% in 2009. It is the third largest economy in Africa, it is also the largest exporter of oil in Africa.
I read with glee as the most populous country in Africa had its incumbent president declare his intentions on …wait for it. Face Book. Well, yes apparently this is what it said: Read More
Are human beings basically good or bad? That has always been the preamble question to a very good theological debate. I have always thought since to err is human, then no body is perfect. Well, on one hand since there is universal moral depravity I have never ceased to be amused by sheer folly. This time the folly was nowhere else but in Florida where it left every one gagging: Read More
Have you ever asked yourself the question: Is church for believers or non believers? In which case if there are non believers in attendance will you alter your proceedings and message to make them as comfortable as possible? Or will your worship and adoration of your Lord and saviour continue with the reverence and orderliness that goes with congregational worship?
There was a time when church (ekklesia) referred to the body of Christ. And the Lord added to their number those who were being saved. A time when the church was referred to as the bride of Christ. Called to be set apart -for the groom. But in these days of seeker sensitive church models every person feels they have a right to do what ever they want. Or so thought this disgruntled church hopper. There’s More
This is the continuation of Kathy’s testimony. Kathy grew up an all American girl and became a strict hijab wearing muslim. She was asked to speak in conferences and mosque dedications. But choices she was about to make next would have far reaching consequences. The people she would meet were going to impact her life for better and for worse. But God draws people from all walks of life. Click here if you missed the first part of this testimony. Please Read On
An old cliche says there is a silver lining in every cloud. In a sense this is true for the follower of God. In Romans 8:18-39, Paul tells us that God can turn the wicked events that happen to Christians into an advantage for the righteous. Joseph’s life is an excellent example (Genesis 39-41). After being sold by his own brothers, Joseph spent 13 years as a slave and in prison. I can’t think of many good things to say about Joseph’s situation, yet Joseph rose from his miserable state to become the second highest man in Egypt. However, we often overlook an important point. Pharaoh appointed Joseph to manage Egypt’s produce during the seven years of plenty and the seven years of famine. How did Joseph, the son of a nomadic herder, learn to manage the wealth of a nation? Much of it came from the wisdom that God granted him, but notice that in both Potiphar’s house and in jail, Joseph was placed in a position of management. In both places, Joseph was second only to Potiphar and the jailer. He ran their affairs so well, that neither man had to concern himself with his daily affairs. In other words, God used Joseph’s bad situation to train Joseph for a larger future task.
God turns many bad events into something good for every Christian, but have you ever wonder if anything good can come from the works of a false teacher? Read More
It is said, Islam is the shortest and broadest road that leads to God. Islam has grown from being just a religion in the ranks of Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism or Judaism. It has evolved into a system. A gigantic system which governs and controls the lives of more than 1.2 Billion men and women around the globe. Islam has religious, legal, political, economic, social, and military components.
So when you hear the slogan that Africa is to be the first Islamic continent how deep and wide does such a sentiment ring? Read More
Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. Matt 12:31 ESV
Look at the sparrows, they neither sow...
Is faith in God alot more difficult these days? Afterall there are more self help gurus, life enhancement talk show hosts, pastors, life coaches and pastors who prefer to be called life coaches. Where do you find comfort, hope and faith to endure in times of despair?
I was flipping through the Christian Best Seller List the other day. Well don’t blame me. I was just simply pondering what my fellow sheep were mauling in their green pastures and by their quiet streams. The CBA Best-Seller and category top-seller lists are compiled from actual sales in Christian stores as reported through CROSS: SCAN. I believe a comprehensive list like this should beable to give one a general feel of christendom’s latest trends and fads. Iam so naive about this post modern christian world; I must confess I had hoped to see a chart busting title like ” A Guide to Street Evangelism” or “Evangelism in the work place or bus stop” or “Witnessing on the Train Made Easy”. Well, umm…in no particular order here are a few titles in the top twenty CBA Best Seller List: The Shack Read More
Twitter is overall probably best known for its celebrity users and you’ve-seen-me-on-MTVs who discuss and indulge other lesser mortals with gold dust bits of their lives down to the most trivial detail.[pullquote]This is an archive post from 2009.[/pullquote]It’s a crisp wintry December morning, a few more days and it will be Christmas. Seven days to Christmas to be exact. As the snow falls and blankets the beautiful country side landscapes in Britain, The Daily Mail runs a heart rending story of a said to be distraught mother from Merritt Island, Florida who posted serial messages on Twitter as emergency medical teams tried to resuscitate her dying son. The 30 year old started by sending ‘tweets’ just 
minutes after her two-year-old was found floating face down in the family’s swimming pool. But There’s More
The last time Joel Osteen was invited to CNN studios he minced up his words. Gobbled up his answers and fumbled through the interview that Larry King begged listeners to call in to save him from self destruction. This inadvertently poured fuel into a flame and a red faced Joel swore to return with a vengeance.
This time Joel mastered all his theological wit. This time the smiling prophet was armed with a donkey jaw bone and spared no one. Prancing in the blue and green corner with shades of lilac in the background of the new Piers Morgan Tonight Show he pounced at the first opportunity and kept going till Piers touched the hem of his wealth.
Morgan asked Osteen if he ever felt guilty for his wealth. He replied, “I don’t ever feel guilty because it comes from – it’s God’s blessings on my life. And for me to apologize for God’s – how God has blessed you, it’s almost an insult to our God.” Read on
When Paul spoke to the Ephesian elders in his final meeting with them, he said these words: “Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.” (Acts 20:26-27) The true preacher of the Word seeks to have this as his ambition as well. God is not honored when men think so little of Him and so highly of themselves that they edit the content of the proclamation for the fear of the face of men and so that they may be considered “successful” in some worldly sense. Read More
Stephen William Hawking, CH, CBE, FRS, FRSA, the world’s most beloved British theoretical physicist and cosmologist has officially declared that he has made God redundant. God did not even create the universe, Stephen Hawking revealed recently. To put an end to this God once and for all he has written a book The Grand Design.
What are we in for now? Evolution or Desolation?
It is perhaps a bit rich for Hawking to make Read More
Is there still any reverence for the Holy and sacred things of God these days? What ever happened to the good old sermons about sin, righteousness and judgement? They called some of these ‘fire and brimstone’ sermons and phased them out of most churches, radios and television. Have you ever listened to Jonathan Edwards’ sermon ‘Sinners in the hands of an angry God’? Not even so called christian broad casters feature such sermons any more. These sermons are deemed ‘volatile’ and dont draw ratings they say. But they make a fatal error as they gladly proclaim a new gospel. One that is billed as the best thing since sliced bread called Gospel lite -the health, wealth and prosperity gospel.
Flip to a typical modern christian church sermon broad cast and what do you see? A young man who should be a pastor struts around an arena with spandex and jiggles as he lays his closed bible on the Plexiglass pulpit that casts a silhouette against the laser lit giant screen behind him. It’s Sunday and the topic is self esteem and positive confession…for the fifty second time that year. ‘This is our year of destiny’ reads the banner that has always been flown year in and year out. New visitors and tourists stagger in awe as they trudge through the church programme.The message elates them and sure enough tickles their fancy enough to bring them back But There’s 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
Dr Leroy Thompson
For those who do not know, I grew up believing in the Word of Faith/ Prosperity gospel. Yes Jesus died for your sins, proponents will agree in passing. But also (they will quickly add) he surely died to make you healthy and wealthy hence the adage the ‘health and wealth’ gospel. Any time the Gospel of Christ is alterred or diluted, it will always be substituted with a form of works righteousness. A set of things to do to achieve a higher level of righteousness, justification, anointing or endearment to God. There’s More
I have had my fair share of fads in Christendom. Like a wild eyed tornado chaser I have trudged and raced against the waves and later lapped up every breeze like a lazy dog sticking its tongue out of the window of a car into the rushing country side winds. Revival however has been the most elusive of all fads. Ask any Christian today what revival is and you will get a myriad of answers. Ranging from revival being a warm fuzzy sensation (revival fire) that triggers a chilling convulsion of goose bumps (revival rain), a force that swings you from the chandeliers and throws you across the room till you fall down flat on your face motionless. But There’s More
There was a time when Christians rejoiced when they read the newspapers and heard of great things that God was doing in far away lands. Things like missionaries giving thanks that despite being in constant threat from the wild beasts and hostile cannibal tribes lives were being changed by the gospel. God was doing mighty things through his divine providence and supplying all their needs and despite the present troubles they were waxing stronger and bolder for the cause of the gospel till the work is done. It seems such courage and zeal for the things of God has been long forgotten. The supposed men of God these days hardly break into a sweat carrying a Bible, let alone preach from it. The name of the game is ‘Get rich or die trying.’ Read More
My concern is that we are getting dangerously close to the place in everyday American church life where the Bible is mined for “relevant” quotes but is largely irrelevant on its own terms; God is used as a personal resource rather than known, worshiped, and trusted; Jesus Christ is a coach with a good game plan for our victory rather than a Savior who has already achieved it for us; salvation is more a matter of having our best life now than being saved from God’s judgment. ~ Michael Horton, Christless Christianity. Read More
My dear young friend,
As you desired me to send you, in writing, some directions how to conduct yourself in your Christian course, I would now answer your request. The sweet remembrance of the great things I have lately seen at your church, inclines me to do anything in my power, to contribute to the spiritual joy and prosperity of God’s people there. Read More
Heads pawed, eyes claws-ed
[pullquote]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[/pullquote]
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
Once in a while there comes a salesman with a silk tongue selling snake oil with the charisma of an art dealer. For a while you believe what he has is authentic until you discover the trail of victims left in the sand dunes of time. Such rogue tradesmen are usually hard to tell apart from the real deal. They masquerade between shades of grey and white as social enigmas. But wait, there is another kind of tradesman:
The pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Rob Bell has authored a book called Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived, which ignited a firestorm of controversy over the weekend, weeks before it arrives in bookstores.
On Saturday, in a blog post on the popular Christian website The Gospel Coalition, Justin Taylor blasted Bell’s new book, out March 29, for teaching “false doctrine”:
“I’m glad that Rob Bell has the integrity to be lay his cards on the table about universalism. It seems that this is not just optimism about the fate of those who haven’t heard the Good News, but (as it seems from below) full-blown hell-is-empty-everyone-gets-saved universalism.” ~CNN
Suave Rob Bell has decided to make it easy for the average Christian to discern where he lies regarding Orthodox Christianity. I like him because he is not pretending to be a what he is not. He is not a shepherd but 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
Ooops!
The town of Spring Lake, Michigan, near Grand Haven, has become the front line in the ongoing war from Progressivism. Christ Community Church has changed it’s named to the C3 Exchange and has removed it’s cross. Pastor Ian Lawton claims this was done to reflect it’s diverse membership. “Our community has been a really open-minded community for some years now. We’ve has a number of Muslim people, Jewish people, Buddhists, atheists, we’re catching up to ourselves.”
Removing the cross, as well as the name of Christ to the church may not be the only changes. There’s More
By Justin Taylor. Full Story.
In Marks of the Messenger: Knowing, Living, and Speaking the Gospel (IVP, 2010), J. Mack Stiles sets out something I’ve heard Don Carson say a number of times: “Losing the gospel doesn’t happen all at once, it’s much more like a four generation process too:
…The gospel is accepted –>
………….The gospel is assumed–>
………………………The gospel is confused —>
……………………………….The gospel is lost.”
How do you know if your church is beginning to assume the gospel? The answer, Stiles says, is when you no longer hear the gospel. He asks a series of diagnostic questions: Read more of this post
I have just been reading an interesting book on human free will. The Doctrine of Total Depravity or Radical Corruption asserts that mankind is totally and radically corrupt that sin penetrates to the root or core of our being since the fall of Adam. And if left to our selves we by default are born with no love for God. Our moral compass is skewed. With no ounce or even a drop of righteousness or any moral good to endear us to God. If man is to use his free will he will gravitate to his default position. A fugitive stance from God -like this oblivious toddler:
A curious toddler has escaped death after crawling out on to a busy highway in the Turkish city of Antalya.His mother had left him sleeping under the bushes and did not notice when her boy woke up. But There’s More
A month that has left all my friends in America loathing the TSA. What with all the pat downs and rigorous body searches at the airports? And those hideous scanner machines that only Hugh Hefner would adore. Then theres been the disease scare that one contaminated or disease carrying terrorist could start a fungal or anthrax pandemic as one pair of gloves is used to search a gazillion other passengers. The black helicopter and conspiracy theories are endless.
The only people who havent noticed the long queues are probably prosperity pastors with private jets and journalists. Or so I thought until Michael J. Totten an independent foreign correspondent made an interesting deduction about the excellence of the Israeli airpot security: Read More
Self Esteem
Not many people will not recognise the name Harry Emerson Fosdick. Yet the fabric of most Christian Bestsellers, Contemporary Christian Music, Self Help Literature and Pop motivational psychology is dipped in an age old Self Esteem gospel chalice that was popularised by Mr. Fosdick. Speaking of fabrics, remember the Hans Christian Andersen story of The Emperor’s New Clothes? Read More
As I sat in the van with the Living Waters team, I prayed that God would get the 12 of us to the Louisiana Transformed Conference safely, and that He would give us “divine encounters.” I wanted the cross paths with people He had well-prepared–similar to the well-prepared woman at the well, in John chapter four.
Two hours later I was sitting in the plane behind a gentleman to whom I had handed a Trillion Dollar Bill tract. He was still clutching it when an gentleman, this one with a cultured English accent, began to speak with him. I love English accents and had the thought that I would like to witness to him. Just then the flight attendant asked Mr. Clutcher if he wanted to move into First Class. He didn’t want to leave his business associates, so he turned to me and asked if I wanted the seat. Did I ever! Bet You cant Wait To Read
No samba, no chanting and best of all-no vuvuzela! These sound like the in house rules of a ballet dance or darts game and not a soccer game, right? You couldn’t be more wrong. The World Blind Soccer Championships are underway and I am up for them. Thinking of taking an extended leave till the Championships are over.
So, they have done away with the monotonous sonic assault of the vuvuzela from the FIFA World cup. I know I still have a buzz in my ears that the good doctor called ‘tinnitus’. Its like a heretic purpose driven resident bee is trying to settle an Olympics vendetta against a pack of charismatic crickets. But There’s More
Tough week as the weather regurgitated almost all the snow it had in its innards. And so did Wiki leaks threaten to unleash all the alleged secret thoughts and prejudices that the Washington administration forgot to mark as ‘classified’. It was reminiscent of goo-covered Jonah being spat from the belly of a fish -sea weed and all onto the shores of Nineveh. There is always that naked emptiness when our inner thoughts are laid bare and put to the scrutiny of a moral code. A feeling, ironically that, we have been wronged by the act itself however noble the intended purpose. Read More
By Patrick Ersig
I have been looking at the possibility that a Kundalini spirit, possibly the main or head spirit, has masked itself as Christian and infiltrated many charismatic circles and (was) in full operation down in Florida and has worked in past in Toronto and Brownsville. Here is a compilation of some of my findings – I think the similarities are more than coincidence – what do you think? There’s More
'Marked' Bracelet
A while ago every Christian celebrity donned a WWJD bracelet. A fad that no doubt generated loads of money. The phrase was “What would Jesus do?” (often abbreviated to WWJD) as a supposed personal motto for Christians who used the phrase as a reminder of Jesus and what he would do in the 1990s.
One fad will always be replaced by another. The meanings and symbolism attached to the different fads may sometimes change to become more inclusive. If you asked the modern day Roman catholic what a rosary is he would strip his chest bare and show you a set of beads with a cross attached. Not many would explain that the word rosary actually comes from Latin and means a garland of roses, the rose being one of the flowers used to symbolize the Virgin Mary. But There’s More
Gone are the days when Arnold Schwarzenegger the stopped the bad guys at the city gates, trashed their guns with one finger and swept them with one perk of his eye brow. Now as the 38th Governor of California its hilarious what the State is coming up with every other day.
(CNN) — In the California city that banned Happy Meal toys,outlawed sitting on sidewalks during daylight hours and fined residents for not sorting garbage into recycling, compost and trash, Lloyd Schofield wants to add a new law to the books in San Francisco: A ban on all male circumcisions. Yeah, right! Read More
William Franklin “Billy” Graham has featured several times in TIME magazine and will remain one of the most recognisable faces of the 21st Century. A spiritual adviser to multiple American presidents and an avatar of Christianity on the six o’clock news. Billy Graham is believed to have preached in person to more people around the world than any other Protestant in history. It is said that as of 1993, more than 2.5 million people had “stepped forward at his crusades to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour“. As of 2008, Graham’s lifetime audience, including radio and television broadcasts, topped the 2.2 billion mark.
“Accepting Christ” and “making a decision” for Christ are clichés sprinkled all over church notice boards and statistics spread sheets and missions reports. These ambiguous yet glossy sounding expressions should always be run and tested by the Word of God to see if they align with sound teaching and doctrine. The modern day gospel has moulted and produced yet astronomically illustrious results highlighting numerous “decisions made for Christ.”
But what did Jesus tell Nicodemus? Read More
On a lighter note we seem to be racing towards the second return of Jesus Christ. No I don’t have the date and year. Probably no body knows that bit, though the Mayans think they have that sorted . Their calender will end in 2012 and come December 2012 the Mayans will cheaply sell and give away all their belongings and head for the hills. Only to sheepishly re-buy them expensively in January 2013.
The rest of the world is still coming to terms with the devastation in Pakistan’s flood. (After BP shame facedly plugging a massive oil spill in Gulf of Mexico). With over 20 million homeless and over 1,600 dead- it is a challenge of similar proportion to that during the 1947 partition of the subcontinent into Hindu-dominated India and Muslim-majority Pakistan. Instead of pondering on these weighty issues, a young man in Japan has been serenading his one and only love- his pillow. But There’s More
The birth of Christ found people pre occupied with menial pursuits. The first Christmas found the inn full. Probably all relatives of Joseph found they had no extra rooms in Bethlehem. Herod was busy planning a census. The shepherds were out in the fields. Mary being with child brought forth her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths. The first Christmas almost passed unnoticed until the angel of the Lord with a herald of other angels lit up the skies and announced, “ Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy.” But There’s more
[pullquote]This is an archive article from 2010.[/pullquote] Several pastors are taking deep sighs and smirking as Larry King retires from CNN’s Larry King Live show. The show has in the past left several famous celebrities and pastors red faced. Though critics claim that Larry King asks “soft” questions in comparison to other interviewers, this has not been without a long brigade of pastors getting tongue tied when asked what the Gospel is. Larry’s style has never been offensive, for which I will truly applaud him. It allows him to reach guests who would be averse to being interviewed.
Ladies and gentlemen without further ado: Read More
[This is an archive post] Once heralded as one of the epitomes of man’s creative advances into ingenuity, The Crystal Cathedral, the first-ever all-glass church was dedicated on September 14, 1980 “To the Glory of Man for the Greater Glory of God.” Constructed using over 10,000 rectangular panes of glass and its sanctuary seats 2,736 persons. The rectangular panes of glass were not bolted to the structure; instead they were glued to it using a silicone-based glue. This and other measures were intended to allow the building to withstand an earthquake of magnitude 8.0. By all counts this was no feeble feat and a home fit for an emperor. But There’s More
Ah, I read about this generous offer and then I thought for along time:
A small German village community left in the lurch after their local doctor retired in September has pulled together to try and attract a new GP — by offering free bread, meat, flowers, haircuts and accommodation.
Niko Ringhoff, who runs the butcher’s shop in the northwestern village of Lette, is offering a doctor willing to move to the 2,200-strong community free meaty lunches and a complimentary sausage-themed feast when the new surgery opens. There’s More
Oh no you didn't!
Ngombe mjinga hupeleka ndama karibu ya barabara. Tongues? No its Swahili. It basically says that a stupid or despicable cow leads her calf near the road. This is an african proverb loosely built on the first Psalm that says that, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor sits in the seat of scoffers but his delight is in the Law of the lord.” There’s been lots of deaths recently. History is punctuated by stories of legends and village idiots alike who have done truly selfless altruistic feats. In the same breath history inks the chronicles of people who died and in their death caused untold devastation and merciless deaths of many others.
One gentle man (if I can call him that) Samson in the Bible used a broken donkey jaw bone in his prime as a weapon of mass destruction. He rearranged a few skulls, made a few others visit their dentists and matched out of the battle field whistling in time for dinner -without even raffling his well greased hair. So says the revised Suday school version of the events. 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
While muslims are teaching their kids to recite the qur’an cover to cover, lets see what Christian children get to do with their youth pastors. In desperate bid to appear relevant and cool some youth pastors seem to be krunking it up a notch. And sadly there’s little time or none spent studying the Bible. Or I could just be wrong.
There’s More
This is the third and final part of Kathy’s breath-taking testimony. [Read Part 1 and Part 2 ] Her journey from depravity to grace in Christ. Kathy had become a strict and chaste muslim. She was a good muslim and a good person to the best of her knowledge. Gone were the days of High school juvenile delinquency. Now as Islams’ poster child, speaking at conferences and at mosque openings everything seemed to be going right. Or was it? Read More
I perceive that in every way you are very religious.
To the ordinary eye this appears to be an era where Christians have had unprecedented success. What, have you not seen the celebrity pastors with personal jets, how about the pastor with the $18,000 poodle or the goofy multi millionaire pastor with a $15,000 espresso machine who raps about the best days in Christian living?
Have you heard about the Cristo de la Concordia, a statue of Jesus Christ located on San Pedro hill in Cochabamba, Bolivia? The statue is 34.20 metres (112.2 ft) tall, on a pedestal of 6.24 metres (20.5 ft), bringing its total height to 40.44 metres (132.7 ft). The statue is slightly larger than Christ the Redeemer (located in Rio de Janeiro), making it the largest statue of Jesus Christ in the world. It is also the largest statue of any kind in the Southern Hemisphere. But to take Christian merchandising to another level, Poland has unleashed the mother of all statues. 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
The next time you probably ask a stranger on the street what time it is he might tell you the time three hours ahead of GMT. And if you ask why he will tell you he is going by the Mecca Clock Tower. If you ask why, seeing that for the past 125 years, the international community has accepted that the start of each day should be measured from the prime meridian, representing 0 degrees longitude, which passes through the Greenwich Observatory, he may proudly reply we are “Putting Mecca time in the face of Greenwich Mean Time. This is the goal.”
For more than a century, a point on the top of a hill in south-east London has been recognised as the centre of world time and the official starting point of each new day. But now the supremacy of Greenwich Mean Time is being challenged by a gargantuan new clock being built in Mecca, by which the world’s 1.5 billion Muslims could soon be setting their watches.
Big Ben (L) and Mecca Clock Tower(R)
Due to start ticking on Thursday as the faithful begin fasting during the month of Ramadan, the timepiece sits atop the Royal Mecca Clock Tower which dominates Islam’s holiest city. It is at the heart of a vast complex funded by the Saudi government that will also house hotels, shopping malls and conference halls. Read More
[pullquote]This is an archive post from 2010. [/pullquote]While it was once the breadbasket of southern Africa, it now produces only one-third of the grain it needs to feed its own population. In Zimbabwe one-third of all children are chronically malnourished, and 10 million people (out of a population of 13 million) live below the poverty line. The fortunes of the country for the last three decades seem to have been tied to the coat tails of once popular and charismatic President Mr Robert Mugabe. But is the tide changing ?
Mugabe has in the past struggled with undisclosed health problems but has always returned to public life looking spritely and healthy. However the past few months Mugabe’s health has deteriorated dramatically with pictures recently being broadcasted showing Mugabe unable to walk without the help of aides in a recent trip to Uganda. Some reports claimed Mugabe fell in full view of other dignitaries. But There’s More
The only multiplication of the Church of God that is to be desired is that which God sends. If we add to our churches by becoming worldly…if we add to our churches by accommodating the life of the Christian to the life of the worldling, our increase is worth nothing at all; it is a loss rather than a gain. If we add to our churches by excitement, by making appeals to the passions, rather than by explaining truth to the understanding; if we add to our churches otherwise than by the power of the Spirit of God making men new creatures in Christ Jesus, the increase is of no worth whatever. ~ Charles Spurgeon Read More
By Jim Bublitz (OldTruth.com)
Quoting AW Pink . . .
There is such a “falling away” in the number of genuine conversions — we say “genuine” conversions because there are multitudes of those who come forward to shake some popular preacher by the hand, multitudes of card-signers, [hand-raisers] etc., etc. Hence it is that there has been such a sad and such a wide-spread “falling away” from the old time family worship. Hence it is that we now witness such a lamentable “falling away” from the mid-week prayer-meeting. Hence it is that there is such an awful “falling away” …. Hence it is that there is such a fearful “falling away” from the moral standards of former days. Hence it is that there is now such an ever-growing “falling away” from Sunday School attendance all over the land. Yes, the “falling away” has commenced and is already far advanced. There’s More
During an economic down time, most church members trudge to church to pray for God’s providence to sustain them in times of need. Most of these folks may not even get so much as a handshake as they walk in and take a back seat. Others have lost their jobs and are considering relocating. The body of Christ is the church. They fellowship together and pray together in good and bad times. They seek God’s face and intercede for each other. But most important and above all things-the church has a commission to preach the gospel. Does the gospel message change when a celebrity comes to a church meeting? Do we bring out the bells and whistles so that we can show how hip and cool we are? Well I will leave the answer to the well placed celebrity pastors:
It appears Puff Daddy AKA Diddy stopped by Bishop T.D. Jakes’ Potters House for Sunday morning worship last Sunday. Following Diddy’s tweets it’s apparent that he’s been thinking about God a lot lately.
The week before the Superbowl Diddy started a Christian frenzy when he tweeted that he wanted to fill his I-Pod up with Gospel music. He asked Twitter followers what artists should he download. Comments started pouring in. More Diddy
Pastor Bil Cornelius
This is an archive article from 2010 by Denise Mala.
Bay Area Fellowship, the largest church in Corpus Christi, gives away flat-screen televisions, skateboards, Fender guitars, furniture and 15 cars — yes, cars — at its Easter services.
And even those who don’t win big walk away with something. The church gathers donations for 15,000 gift bags, each with about $300 worth of free goods and services.
“We’re going to give some stuff away and say, ‘Imagine how great heaven is going to be if you feel that excited about a car,’ ” lead Pastor Bil Cornelius said. “It’s completely free — all you have to do is receive him.”
He hopes the prizes will help Bay Area lure some people Read More
[pullquote]This is an archive article from 2010.[/pullquote] I do remember when I was younger I walked down countless altar calls at crusades. Said numerous sinners’ prayers. But was I flirting with the grace of God? I don’t know. Did I feel bad about my sin? You bet. With every sermon about sin the hair at the back of my neck would get bristly and cold sweat would trickle down my arm pit. I had a deep fear of God. But I don’t think I repented or even turned from sin.
This week the Pope’s been visiting the United Kingdom. It’s interesting to see how many catholic friends are hanging on to every word he speaks. In him they live and move and have their being. Others listen with tears and others with smiles. If he told the crowd to jump off a cliff no doubt hundreds would with out hesitation fling their heels into the marrow of the winds. I have a mischievous idea. If the Pope made an altar call, how many people would walk forward? But There’s More
[pullquote]This is an archived article.[/pullquote]So God, The Almighty has taken to shaking up the Manchester United squad. This week it was apparently the turn for £ 18 million midfield maestro Anderson whose full name is Anderson Luis di Abreu Oliveira. The 22-year-old had reportedly spent the evening at a nightclub before leaving with two friends in a French-registered £100,000 Audi that has a top speed of 197mph.
The Audi R8 sports car, with Anderson’s male friend at the wheel, slid off the road and hit a wall before flying 100 feet through the air and landing in a field. But There’s 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
By Dr Jim West (via Zwinglius Redivivus)
The Church lost on abortion. Now it’s such a common occurrence that no one even notices that it happens. And the Church will also lose on the question of gay marriage. Indeed, the shift has already happened and the majority of the population now support it. So how did it happen that the Church lost on such important social issues? The answer to that question is amazingly and horrifyingly simple: many, too many of those who self identify as Christians are only Christians in name. Their ethics aren’t determined by their theology- rather their theology is determined by their ethics Read More
Not every day will you come across a man who has escaped from a derailed train, a door-less plane, a buscrash, a car flame ball, and two car accidents then gone a head to win a $ 1million lottery. Not every day will some body win a $ 315 million lottery payout. So what happens next after the winners disappear into the shadows of rockstardom? Do they still have problems and fears? Do they ever contemplate the life of mere mortals or does immortality intoxicate their dreams?
July 2011- Europe’s biggest Lottery winners have been unveiled by Camelot.
Husband and wife Colin and Chris Weir, from Largs in Ayrshire, scooped £161 million in Tuesday’s EuroMillions draw. ~ Yahoo!
The morning of Christmas 2002 broke with a herald of news that sent Jack Whittaker reeling in a whooping $315 million lottery jackpot. …Read More!
A day never goes by without something interesting happening in evangelicalism. No I am not talking about a renewed desire to preach the gospel. Far be it -for the church has got other agendas. We have seen pastors serenading on reality television shows to entertain pagans. We have seen churches remove crosses so that visitors are comfortable. But that’s not all it seems:
Two Protestant churches are taking some heat from critics for opening their church buildings to Muslims needing places to worship because their own facilities were either too small, or under construction.
Heartsong Church in Cordova, Tenn., let members of the Memphis Islamic Center hold Ramadan prayers there last September. And Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Alexandria, Va., allows the Islamic Circle of North America to hold regular Friday prayers in their building while their new mosque is being built. Read More
Lord Jesus, give me a deeper repentance, a horror of sin, a dread of its approach. Help me chastely to flee it and jealously to resolve that my heart shall be Thine alone.
Quarry me Deep, Oh God
Give me a deeper trust, that I may lose myself to find myself in Thee, the ground of my rest, the spring of my being. Give me a deeper knowledge of Thyself as saviour, master, lord, and king. Give me deeper power in private prayer, more sweetness in Thy Word, more steadfast grip on its truth. Give me deeper holiness Read More
When we lose track of the gospel and get caught up in aberrant financial and prosperity schemes its not long before the name of the Lord gets dragged in the mud. The focus of every evangelistic work should always remain the gospel. [pullquote]And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you’ Matt 7:23[/pullquote]
[pullquote]This is an archive post from 2010. [/pullquote]When in the presence of regal preeminence there is always the wondrous awe that blinds the atmosphere. Match that with being in the presence of God and his Holiness. When Jesus visited Simon Peter at his work place –the sea as they fished, he found them having a tireless and empty nets night. To compound their frustrations, he tells Peter to launch into the deep one more time. So much advice from some one who has never fished you would say. But Peter casts out his nets just one more time at the bidding of the master and he caught fish to the point that the nets were breaking and the boats were sinking. The awe and majestic splendour of such a man. Even the fish listen and obey him mulled the over whelmed fisher men. No wonder Peter’s next words went beyond worship when he said, ‘Depart from me, Lord. I am a sinful man.’
I have always wondered what it would feel like being in the incarnate presence of God. But this week a couple of French suburbanites reported an eerie presence altogether which they termed ‘le diable’. Read More
By Charles Spurgeon
Our Savior did not use any means which might enlist man’s lower nature on his side. When I have heard of large congregations gathered together by the music of a fine choir, I have remembered that the same thing is done at the opera house and the music-hall, and I have felt no joy. When we have heard of crowds enchanted by the sublime music of the pealing organ, I have seen in the fact rather a glorification of St. Cecilia than of Jesus Christ. Our Lord trusted in no measure or degree to the charms of music for the establishing his throne. He has not given to his disciples the slightest intimation that they are to employ the attractions of the concert room to promote the kingdom of heaven. There’s More
Just when evangelicalism is reeling with main stream media’s concern that the church is fostering a generation of “fake Christian” teens, now we have another term -Hipster Christianity. According to Christianity Today:
The latest incarnation of a decades-long collision of “cool” and “Christianity,” hipster Christianity is in large part a rebellion against the very subculture that birthed it. It’s a rebellion against old-school evangelicalism and its fuddy-duddy legalism, apathy about the arts, and pitiful lack of concern for social justice. It’s also a rebellion against George W. Bush—style Christianity: American flags in churches, the Ten Commandments in courtrooms, and evangelical leaders who get too involved in conservative politics, such as James Dobson and Jerry Falwell. But There’s 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
Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
“Pastor is it OK to sell a Bible to a prostitute?” the story is told of a young girl called Laura from a small church in a small town in central Brazil. She sold Avon products for years in the town to supplement the family income. One of her weekly routes took her through the red light district. With those business contacts she often shared her faith in Jesus Christ.
God opened a door to present Bibles and Christian books in a house of prostitutes. Oddly enough, the house was located directly across the road from a large evangelical church. Ten of these women gathered around a table one afternoon as Laura shared with them the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ. A few Bibles and some books containing testimonies of transformed lives were sold that afternoon.
Several months later there were terrible rains and floods in that part of Brazil, causing several deaths. With the floods came mudslides in communities that had been inundated by the rising rivers. Two prostitutes who had attended the book demonstration earlier that year talked about the danger and decided to read the Bible Read More
By Craig Groeschel
- You are afraid of rejection.
- You think everyone at church is already a believer.
- You wouldn’t dream of offending someone.
- You don’t really believe the gospel changes lives.
- You are so busy preaching about “sex” or “how to have a better life” that you don’t have time to present Christ. Read More
Fake Christians. Christless Churches. Bewildered Teenagers. Thanks to CNN for reminding the Church that their chickens are coming home to roost. This is a train wreck that has occurred in slow motion in front of our very eyes. The ramifications of which are still echoing in Church circles. The Gospel is hardly chanced upon in Church sermons or in youth groups meetings. An evangelical youth pastor’s most dreaded complaint these days is hearing, “we are not being fed.” Such complainers will have their parents called up and are immediately advised that their children are being difficult. Ha! But worse seems to be brewing in our own back yards. And it seems it’s those who are belching from getting over dosed with modern church trends who are in a spot of a bother:
O pastor, We are not being fed!
If you’re the parent of a Christian teenager, Kenda Creasy Dean has this warning:
Your child is following a “mutant” form of Christianity, and you may be responsible.
Dean says more American teenagers are embracing what she calls “moralistic therapeutic deism.” Translation: It’s a watered-down faith that portrays God as a “divine therapist” whose chief goal is to boost people’s self-esteem. But There’s More
Every body wants a piece of The Big Apple. It is said that New York City is the most linguistically and religiously diverse city in the world. The 8.4 million inhabitants communicate in some 800 different languages across the five boroughs – the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. New York is also a religious city: 83% of New Yorkers are said to be affiliated to some organized religion.
As the muslims muscle their way in and stake a claim in the heart of Ground Zero with the Cordoba Centre and Ground zero mosque, some body had better warn them. Look who is riding in from the wings and ploughing into New York too: Read More
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
[pullquote]”There are no coincidences…and in this case, no wrong numbers!”[/pullquote]
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
Best Life Now
When talk show host Oprah Winfrey so much as spits on a book it immediately catches fire. The ashes can so much as sell for a lump sum that can earn you enough money for an early retirement. In 2006 an Australian Rhonda Byrne got much more than she bargained for when she wrote the New Age self help book, The Secret. Her book did not get spat on. No. The book got featured not once but twice on the Oprah Winfrey show and (wait for this) by the Spring of 2007 the book had sold almost 4 million copies, and the DVD had sold more than 2 million copies. Byrne was listed among Time Magazine’s list of 100 people who shaped the world in 2007.
Byrne writes, “Disease cannot live in a body that is in a healthy emotional state.” But be warned: “If you have a disease and you are focusing on it and talking to people about it, you are going to create more disease cells.” The tenet of the book is that an individual’s focused positive thinking can result in life-changing results such as increased wealth, health, happiness and more.
Wait a minute that sounds so much like Word of Faith you say. But There’s More
Fish aren’t biting. The water is cold and doesn’t heat up because the sun is low and the rays bounce off the water. Fish have moved to deeper waters to cool off. But Johnny the angler won’t go home yet, because winter is over and fish must be hungry and spawning. He sinks the bait once again. The pleasure is in the predatory pursuit of bait fishing he whispers to himself. The method of bait fishing offers both simplicity and effectiveness for anglers. It is simple in that one only has to bait up a hook and throw the line in the water, and it is effective because the presence of live bait is a temptation that hardly any fish can resist!
Casting his line, Johnny seats back and waits. He can secure the line and puff on his cigar or drift into blissful oblivion in the mean time. The trap is set. Waiting patiently till a gentle tug makes the bobber jolt. When Jesus said, “Come I will make you fishers of men”. I wonder if he had this type of smart fishing in mind. Did he know how easy proselytizing could be modified to accommodate the least possible purposeful risk? But There’s More
We have seen strange things in our days. Ranging from the most expensive Christmas tree, valued at 11 million dollars. The punch line being it was bejewelled by Muslims in the desert emirate of Abu Dhabi. How about so called Christians in Nigeria who merged Islam with Christianity to come up with Chrislam? But as far as oxymorons are concerned, lets go back to the bible. The cross.
An oxymoron (from Greek ὀξύμωρον, “sharp dull”) is a figure of speech that combines contradictory terms. Paul asked in his letter to the Corinthians: Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles. Paul points back to the vile item that both Jews and Greeks call the ultimate oxymoron, the messiah, nailed on the cursed tree as the wisdom and power of God.
By Phil Johnson Full Article Here.
n the book Tony Campolo co-authored with Brian McLaren (Adventures In Missing the Point: How the Culture-Controlled Church Neutered the Gospel) Campolo seems to suggest that seminarians ought to pay more attention to marketing techniques and less attention to theology, exegesis, original languages, and other traditional seminary curricula. After all, those are academic subjects with limited practical significance, and pastors these days hardly ever use such stuff after seminary. In Campolo’s own words:
What if the credits eaten up by subjects seminarians seldom if ever use after graduation were instead devoted to more subjects they will actually need in churches—like business and marketing courses? It is not true that with a gifted preacher, a church will inevitably grow. Good sermons may get visitors to stay once they come, but getting folks to come in the first place may take some marketing expertise. Read More
A Twisted Crown of Thorns ® 