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Showing posts from October, 2015

Is Family Forever?

  Many people believe their biological family is forever, that it is the one constant while all else changes. In point of fact this is idolatry, for only Christ is unchanging, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow." (Hebrews 13:8). From film to fire place mantle art pieces, the slogan that "Nothing is more important than family" is etched everywhere. Our entire lives we are sold the idea from that family is omnimportant. Around the holidays especially are people saturated with the image that families stay together and work things out with relatively any residue fallout. Hallmark and many other companies try to convince people that family is the one true constant, but like Santa Claus, they are selling a lie and replacing (antichrist) the only true constant who is Christ Jesus. While there may be many who have close knit families and chocolate filled rosey times, there is large precent of people with dysfunctional families. One of ...

Be Light

During the darkest time of year it is important to remember that The Light of the World is with us. Jesus said, " I am the light of the world, whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life ." (John 8:12). The darkness is spreading. Our world is shrouded in shadow. The reminder of the present darkness is evident in the Satanic holiday (celebration, there is nothing holy about it) known as Halloween. I always dread this time of year because the movie theaters, television, and stores are filled with ghouls, goblins, witches, and skulls. While people 'innocently' embrace "trick or treating" and decking their houses with ghosts and gargoyles, actual Occultists are kidnaping innocent girls and animals to sacrifice on October 31st in honor of the Fall solstice and the Fallen One whose name is Satan! Corresponding during All Hollow's Eve, is the Day of the Dead which finds its influence greatest in Mexico and Latin America...

Solae Scriptura: Scripture Alone

Just in time for Reformation Day (October 31st) I have decided to take a look at the creedo of the Reformation. The Five Sola or Solus are Sola Gratia (By Grace Alone), Sola Christus (thru Christ alone), Sola de Gloria (To God be the Glory Alone), and Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone). Generally the order begins with Sola Scriptura, and so we shall look at it. Scripture is the supreme written authority that we as Christians measure, judge, and guide our lives. It must be the only documents, Old and New Testaments, that we use to check every experience and to reprove those who are in error. The Apostle Paul said, "Scripture is useful for reproof, correction, instruction and teaching." (2 Timothy 3:16). It is "God breathed," (2 Timothy 3:16) and so is elevated above all other texts, journals, and documents. The Holy Spirit helped the Apostles pen each book and so we have the certainty of their credibility and correct doctrine. The Scriptures are a collection of 66...

Discernment On Religious Items

It is obvious to most believers that placing a Buddha or religious idol in their homes is foolish. Our allegiance and devotion is to the One True God, Father, Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit. We are to " have no idols before him ," (Exodus 20:3) and to " L ove The Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and serve him only ." (Mark 12:30, Matthew 22:37). It goes without saying that as Christians we should not harbor the symbols of HaSatan (the devil). Pentagrams and Power amulets have no place in a disciple of the Prince of Peace. Most of us know to keep our homes clean of evil and destroy all objects of witchcraft like those in the Book of Acts, " And not a few of them that practised magical arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all; and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver ." (Acts 19:19). However, there are some amulets and evil objects that enter our abodes like th...

Final Destination

The message of eternity is woven throughout the Bible. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ spoke about eternal life (John 3:16) and spent a good portion of His ministry talking about heaven and hell. Christ discussed the eternal destinations because they are central to our relationship with God (Him) and because they were on the minds of everyone. Jews believed in heaven, and hell. According to rabbinic tradition hell had two sides: Sheol (paradise, holding place) and Ghenna (torment, fire, and perpetual pain). The Greeks and Romans held that there was Olympus (dwelling of the gods) and Hades (the place of the dead). All people wither civilized or barbarous believed in an afterlife with multiple destinations, usually one ascribed to the good and heroes and the other to the damned and wicked. I share the different views of the afterlife to make one point, Mankind both saved and unsaved believed in a final destination and that our actions in this life effect our destination in the ...

Woodlawn: The Review

There have been plethora of football movies. There have even been Christian football films like The Kerwin Brother's " Facing The Giants " and " When the Game Stands Tall ." It is evident that Christian filmmakers can make a great sports film with spirituality. One can even recall the classic "Rudy" where the title character appeals to Christ through Catholic prayer to get into Norte Dame and consults a priest who says the memorable line, "In all my religious studies over the years, I have only come to two irrefutable facts, there is a God and I am not him." It seems 'providential' (which is a pun since one of the distributers of Woodlawn is Providential films) that Sean Astin who played Rudy would be principle character in another football epic. Woodlawn surprised me. Going into the film you expect a clone of "Facing the Giants" with little bit of "Rudy" mixed in. While football is part of the film, it reall...

All that Glitters is Not God

By design we as God's creation are drawn to beauty. We were preconditioned for paradise and as a result we desire precious stones, metals, and other pretty things. There is nothing inherently wrong with this disposition, but the devil uses it like anything good. The same way sex in marriage and to procreate is God ordained, there is the perversion Prince of Darkness created through pornography and other sexual immorality. Beauty can be both a benefit and beast. There are many churches and clergy that glitter and gleam, but they are as Jesus said, " Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean ." (Matthew 23:27). You can enter these places of worship and marvel at the gold and how light causes the entire place to gleam with golden hue or candles like cause the church to sparkle in the shadows. Again, nothing i...

The Controversial Chapter That Changes How We See the Church

There are Bible verses that pastors are afraid of. They fear that the flock will find them and so have endeavored to obscure them by never mentioning them in services. The most starling Bible verse is one in Matthew's Gospel. It once in older translations was clearer, but has by translators (many of them pastors) been watered down. I shall endeavor to give the best original version of it. Jesus said something that has shaken the Church and calls into question the structure and notions of scholars, theologians, and clergy. Jesus said, " But you are not to be called 'Rabbi ,' for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors (teachers, masters), for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted . ...

The Cult of Other Books

There is a cult in the church. This cult has people devoted to other books, classics of Christian thought, theology, and life. Christian brothers and sisters find themselves clinging to books throughout the centuries. There are the Orthodox who revere highly the Patristic Fathers: Athanasius, Anthony, St. Cyril, St. Basil, and more. Then there is the cult of St. Augustine of Hippo which has Catholics and Evangelicals citing and quoting him over the Book of Acts in the Bible. The obsession with literature, classics, and new works by the latest scholars and revered sages is something of a concern. People swear by Phil Haggie, Joyce Meyer, Joel Osteen, Beth Moore, Dietrich Bonheoffer, Jonathan Edwards, John Calvin, John Fox, Jan Hus, St. Jerome, St. Benedict, St. Francis of Assisi, Mother Teresa, Hildegard Bingen, and of course St. Augustine of Hippo. There is nothing inherently wrong with reading these works, but holding them in high regard is folly. All of these saints througho...