10/23/2021 0 Comments IndividualismJim Van Yperen wrote a terrific book on resolving conflict entitled Making Peace: A Guide to Overcoming Church Conflict. One of the topics Yperen tackles is individualism. He notes specifically that western individualism actually works against spiritual vitality and fellowship because it breeds autonomy at the cost of biblical community. Individualism results in consumerism.
8/21/2021 0 Comments NecessitarianismNecessitarianism is “the doctrine that all events, including acts of the will, are determined by antecedent causes; determinism.”[1] The word first came into usage in 1825.[2] The philosopher Baruch Spinoza was the most famous defender of this metaphysical principle (the key groundwork of his Ethics[3]), considered as the strongest form of hard determinism which disputes the libertarian’s concept of free will.[4]
[1] https://www.dictionary.com/browse/necessitarianism [2] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/necessitarianism#h1 [3] https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/spinoza-modal/ [4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necessitarianism 7/7/2021 0 Comments God's Gracious HandEzra 8:21-23--I proclaimed a fast by the Ahava River, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask Him for a safe journey for us, our children, and all our possessions. I did this because I was ashamed to ask the king for infantry and cavalry to protect us from enemies during the journey, since we had told him, “The hand of our God is gracious to all who seek Him, but His great anger is against all who abandon Him.” So we fasted and pleaded with our God about this, and He granted our request.
5/21/2021 0 Comments Cord ChangesJonathan Cahn shared a historical piece of information that is quite fascinating.[1] In the time of the Jewish second temple, each Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), a scarlet cord was attached to the Temple doors. It represented the people’s sins in line with Isaiah 1:18, “‘Come, let us discuss this,’ says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will be like wool.’” At the end of the day after the completion of the ordinances the scarlet cord turned white. This supernatural phenomenon occurred annually until the year Jesus Christ was crucified—then the cord remained scarlet. Why did this happen?
3/22/2021 0 Comments BaalHonesty requires the truthfulness to admit the attachment and addictions that control our attention, dominate our consciousness, and function as false gods . . . When we give anything more priority than we give to God, we commit idolatry. Thus we all commit idolatry countless times every day.—Brennan Manning in The Ragamuffin Gospel
12/31/2020 0 Comments Unity Survives TragedyTragedies do not destroy the body of Christ when followers of Jesus stand together in unity.
10/10/2020 0 Comments What is Worship?Jonah was in trouble! He was running from God’s assignment but his Father in heaven could not be outrun and sent a storm to swamp the boat he had boarded as a passenger. The boat handlers knew by the severity of the storm that something supernatural was happening. When they confronted Jonah at least he admitted his responsibility. Then, he let them know that he worshiped God. But what is worship? What does it mean to follow the Creator?
9/21/2020 0 Comments GraduationBarbara Jo was born on January 14, 1929 in Kellogg, Idaho. Trapped in a nursing home by Covid-19, depressed and unable to leave her room for months, she wasted away to a mere 75 pounds before finally reaching earth’s finish line at the age of 91. Fortunately, her life was not defined by her death.
7/27/2020 1 Comment Block PartySaturday afternoon we hosted a block party at our home on Westchester. All but two of our neighbors showed up which was downright amazing.
7/18/2020 0 Comments Self-DependentPride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind.—C.S. Lewis in Christian Behaviour
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