I Put on Christ

A Toast

2011-11-05T01:50:00.011-04:00

‎I would like to make a toast. If you have a drink, raise your glass with me. Mother Teresa said, "If I ever become a Saint — I'll surely be one of "darkness". I will continually be absent from Heaven — to light the light of those in darkness on earth." I love that attitude. I want more of that attitude. I think we Christians should prefer being in the darkness, shining light through the

Open in Case of Death

2011-04-04T01:13:00.004-04:00

This letter was written by a woman named Karen Watson before she left on a missionary journey. It is a missionary farewell letter. "Dear Pastor, You should only be opening this in the event of my death. When God calls there are no regrets. I tried to share my heart with you as much as possible, my heart for the nations. I wasn’t called to a place; I was called to Him. To obey was my

Repentance and Discipleship

2011-04-04T00:30:00.000-04:00

REPENTANCE DISCIPLESHIP

everypetrel

2011-04-03T17:20:00.001-04:00

We're online! everypetrel

Great Commission

2011-03-26T20:11:00.002-04:00

When we read the Great Commission, the Bible says that Jesus "came up and spoke to [His disciples], saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the

Through the fire and into the flames

2011-03-24T17:45:00.000-04:00

I'm sitting outside right now on my parents' back porch in north metro Atlanta. Most of what's going through my mind today has been contemplation about the utter lack of control I've had over my life to do the things I know are appropriate and good, beneficial, or even expected of Christians. I have desire to sit and write about all the things that go through my head, but then I sit down to write

The Appropriateness of Doctrine and the Inappropriateness of "Conversation"

2010-12-22T21:21:00.001-05:00

In Christianity, doctrines and creeds form summarizations, encapsulations of the constituent beliefs of our Faith. the purpose of epitomizing key aspects of our Christian hope is that we would be brought ever closer to God in obedience to Jesus Christ, reliance on the Holy Spirit, and endless gratitude to God the Father. Don't forsake simple and established doctrines. The source of Christian

Homelessness in Atlanta, or "Where have all the Christians Gone?"

2010-11-29T02:12:00.010-05:00

I had a great date tonight with my girlfriend. We went out to eat, had Persian food, then drove the 20 minutes from my apartment to downtown Atlanta. We walked, we talked; we watched people skate around at the Centennial Park ice rink, and then we came back to my apartment to watch a movie of my choosing. I chose The Expendables. It was pretty fun. Also, tonight was the first of many Winter

Rushing Wind by Keith Green

2010-11-17T23:34:00.001-05:00

Keith Green - Rushing Wind Fantastic song. I suggest listening to it as many times as your heart cries out to God in agreement with this song. Best, J Means

this one hit me

2010-11-15T04:52:00.004-05:00

November 15 - Tozer Daily Devotional Spiritual Warfare and Sin: Self-sins I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. --Galatians 2:20 To be specific, the self-sins are self-righteousness, self-pity, self-confidence, self-sufficiency,

Philippians 2:3

2010-10-14T18:20:00.001-04:00

"Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves." ~ Philippians 2:3 (NASB)

The Physical and the Eternal

2010-09-29T17:09:00.013-04:00

Recently, I went to a college gathering up in Lawrenceville, GA for a college ministry night. It was fun. The preacher even said that every ministry activity - even the service we were at that night - is designed to be fun. The message that night was on fear, and even though it leaned on basically Deistic and Humanistic themes, it got me thinking about how much of our every-day lives are driven

Life by the Holy Spirit

2010-07-17T21:47:00.009-04:00

As you do your living, do so in the Lord, in the intimacy into which you have been brought, that to which you have been called, though and by obedience to the Holy Spirit. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit. He mourns of the sinning of His Charge, the objects of His affections. He mourns over the sinning saints who were called out of darkness into the marvelous Light by the Son of God only to

Thoughts on Romans 3

2010-07-16T17:15:00.005-04:00

If you were to ask of me what is the most important passage in all of Scripture, I would have to respond that it must be Romans 3. If you do a devotional on any passage for an extended period of time, let it be Romans 3. In this chapter is contained the fullness of the Gospel: the breadth and depth of harrowing circumstances that surround Man from his first faithless cry as an infant, to the

Learning from Nietzsche: Is God dead to you?

2010-06-18T21:14:00.019-04:00

What? A Christian can learn from the nihilist beast of philosophy? Certainly. Suffice it to say that in the wake of the 19th century, we have a particular realization of Nietzsche's parable of the Madman.The parable of the Madman reads thusly: A madman runs into a market place screaming aloud among many atheists, "I seek God, I seek God!". Now, as the ones among whom he stood were atheists, they

Hope Again

2010-06-18T02:20:00.007-04:00

During the Spring of 2010, the best way to describe me would have been angry, burned out, jerk of a human being. I found in myself a very high tolerance for alcohol, and it was something I was proud of. It gave me reason to smile amidst so much bitterness at the circumstances that had been dropped on me over the previous 5 years. From several failed relationships to my home burning, from being

Despite Me

2010-06-18T02:18:00.000-04:00

Suffice it to say that the Summer and Fall of 2009 were, by far, very dark. I was in sin, miserable, striving for godliness and hoping after the immediately redemptive work of Jesus Christ in my life. I asked for that redemption, found escape from my circumstances, but never experienced the fruition of that immediate salvation because I refused to stop sinning and flee to God, being set apart for

Salt and Light after a Great Flood

2010-06-18T01:15:00.003-04:00

After a difficult and sinful period of my life, the Conviction of the Holy Spirit again began drawing me back to my place among the followers of Jesus Christ - this time with peace to branch out to another Church. After finding encouragement to leave a long list of churches, God pointed my family to a particular congregation that had always brought thoughts and feelings of fondness, even gladness

A Thank-you to a Christian

2010-06-18T00:30:00.005-04:00

Dedicated to a Christian who shall remain unnamed.----------------Several months after my family was robbed (financially, to the tune of $25,000) by a Sunday School teacher at a church I used to attend, I knew that I needed to get involved in Church again. I felt burned and taken advantage of, and I felt that this particular church enabled that, especially when I came to find out that the issues

Response to Tidbits of Torah

2010-06-12T20:08:00.003-04:00

The Christian does not worship Man, but rather the One God, being limitless, who Himself made this way for all men to come to Him. To worship Moshiach Yehoshua is not idolatry because Moshiach Yehoshua and the Father are one and the same. The Father and the Son are one, and they are the same, as God is the fullness and realization of all and the Good, describable by the Sefirot.But, if God is

Apologetics p.1

2010-06-08T15:06:00.003-04:00

From Atheism to AgnosticismI've heard it said that Atheism is Logic; this is far from the truth. Logic is a great equalizer, a methodology of analysis predicated on the principle of scrutinizing all things equally. Logic, then, will never venture into the arrogance of proclaiming with absolute certainty that which cannot be logically deduced. Rather, Logic exposes. Hence, when one Logically

Ethical Reasoning

2010-06-07T01:46:00.004-04:00

I have been thinking of the prevailing philosophies of the day, pretty sick of this pansy existentialist, subjectivist excuse for appropriate social interaction so wishfully called acceptable mores.Call it crass, but here's how I see things. If you rely on a phrase like, "This is just how I think," to justify treating people, any people, Christians and Non-Christians alike, poorly, then I will

Statement of Faith

2010-03-28T23:27:00.005-04:00

Statement of FaithThere is one God, Triune in nature, existing as Almighty Father, Righteous, Reigning, Resurrected Son, Jesus Christ and Mighty Counselor, the indwelling Seal of the promise of Eternal Life, the Holy Spirit. I believe that these three are One, inexorably inextricable from one another, co-eternal, function as three and one, and are One God.I believe God's Word, that God created

On Dealing with Sin

2010-01-17T17:17:00.002-05:00

Scriptures:Romans 8:1-2; 12-17(1-2)There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, for the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.(12-17)So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh, for if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds

Scratching the Surface of Sin; Pt. 1

2009-12-27T17:24:00.005-05:00

Scratching the Surface of Sin The Relationship between Man and Iniquity---God on What Men AreGenesis 6:5, 11-12 5And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.11The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was

Been away, but thinking and working.

2009-07-19T16:14:00.008-04:00

Hello, you lovely followers. Sorry for my absence. I've been away and dealing with the ramifications of leaving the local IC (institutional church), and figuring things out effectively on my own, and attending a new IC. I'm still looking for a house Church in my area.That said, I've been mulling something around in my head that I want to share. As per the usual, it's a series. The first part will

simplechurch.com forum

2009-06-22T04:39:00.001-04:00

I do agree with the idea that the standard church my have gone astray in some avenues but here are a few questions that I have for you house church people. One, what do you fine the main difference between your small gathering and say a church of 200 that has small groups? Two, how do you guy's fight off wrong teaching seeing as you allow anyone to speak and many people misinterpret, so do you

I'm done.

2009-06-13T21:14:00.001-04:00

No more. Done with FBCW. Never going back, never looking back.

A thought.

2009-04-23T00:47:00.015-04:00

"My Lord, my God! You've given me so much! How can I not devote my every breath to You and Your glory?"I've been given too much to leave it to the dross of programmable Christianism. So much of ministry after ministry I see amounts to little more than an evangelical gentleman's club. It disgusts me to see professing believers doing their works before men to be seen by men, never counting

Volunteer Effort

2009-04-22T16:21:00.002-04:00

This last weekend, a tornado came through Woodstock.Thus, we're organizing a volunteer effort for God's glory, that He might be glorified through Jesus Christ, in the capacity of clearing out debris and giving an account of the Gospel, and repentance and belief, as well as comforting men and women through and for Jesus Christ.Please keep us in your prayers.Best,Salt and Light at Oglethorpe

Lord, would you unblind my eyes that I may see my idols?

2009-04-19T02:34:00.007-04:00

Ever find yourself viewing Scripture as something trite? By your perception, has Scripture ever lost its power?Verse 1Jesus, I've forgotten the words that You have spoken;Promises that burned within my heart have now grown dim.With a doubting heart I follow the paths of earthly wisdom.Forgive me for my unbelief; renew the fire again.ChorusLord have mercy, Christ have mercyLord have mercy on

Prayer, from my devotional

2009-04-15T03:26:00.001-04:00

April: PrayerTo pray successfully is the first lesson the preacher must learn if he is to preach fruitfully; yet prayer is the hardest thing he will ever be called upon to do and, being human, it is the one act he will be tempted to do less frequently than any other.April 15 Prayer: A Closed Mouth and Silent HeartMy heart was hot within me; while I was musing, the fire burned. Then I spoke with

Easter.

2009-04-12T01:00:00.001-04:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mb8IpU7asRA&NR=1

Holy Priesthood

2009-04-10T15:45:00.007-04:00

Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." *The disciples were commanded to go and make

Those Moravians..

2009-04-08T21:53:00.024-04:00

If you were to ask me, "What is Christianity all about?", I'd have to point you to Scripture first, and show you all the places where Jesus talks about being a disciple. (See blogposts entitled, "The Calling")Here's the connection: Christianity is about being a disciple of Jesus Christ - learning to be like Jesus Christ. But, that still doesn't suffice, as far as explanations go. In order to give

Oh how great the depths..

2009-04-07T00:27:00.003-04:00

Prayer for Spiritual StrengthEphesians 3:14-21For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength

Romans 6, no verse numbers

2009-04-05T05:04:00.003-04:00

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in

Romans 5, no verse markers.

2009-04-04T15:57:00.006-04:00

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does

A Blessing

2009-03-30T15:31:00.009-04:00

I've written a systematic refutation of much of what is preached about an invitation and bringing people to Jesus. You'll find that on my blog under these headings:A Practical Denial of the Gospel in EvangelismThe Sufficiency of ScriptureBeloved, I'd like you to see something a man of recent Christianity spoke. This man's name is Paris Reidhead. He went on to be with the Lord in 1992. I present

Preachers of Old

2009-03-29T20:53:00.024-04:00

It's apparent that our modern preachers know practically nothing of subjecting their mouths to the active will of God when they stand in the pulpit. Time and time again we see the same, tired men, getting up to speak, bringing the words of men whose lives left a mark on evangelical Christianity.These new preachers, they quote the men who have died and gone to be with the Lord, and then they count

Grace - from my dad's blog

2009-03-29T12:23:00.001-04:00

What do you do with your sins? You've committed them, you've confessed them, you've been forgiven but are you still holding on to them? Many times we hold onto our sin as a reminder of past failures, as a demonstration of our willingness to show God (and our selves) that, “yes, I really do know who I am and what I did, I really do know the price you paid.” It's as if we convert our forgiven sins

Our Calling: REPRODUCE

2009-03-25T18:55:00.003-04:00

In teaching men all that Christ commanded, we teach them to make disciples. IN 2 Timothy 2:1-2, Timothy is given a charge for discipleship. 2 Timothy 2 A Good Soldier of Christ Jesus You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. Paul

Our Calling: COUNT THE COST

2009-03-25T18:15:00.010-04:00

Luke 14:25-35 (English Standard Version)The Cost of Discipleship Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you,

Our Calling: LOVE ONE ANOTHER

2009-03-25T18:07:00.003-04:00

Read John 13:34-35 John 13:34-35 (English Standard Version) A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples(3101), if you have love for one another. When Jesus Christ is at the center of everything do, we live as we're supposed to live. In this, we love with the love

Our Calling: BEAR FRUIT

2009-03-25T16:05:00.008-04:00

BEAR FRUIT Read John 15:8 John 15:8 (English Standard Version) “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples(3101).”We are to make disciples – people who bear much fruit. Here, Jesus tells us that His Father is glorified when we bear much fruit, and so prove to be His disciples. Bearing fruit is a visible sign of being a disciple. A disciple will

Our Calling: ABIDE

2009-03-25T15:58:00.006-04:00

ABIDE Read John 8:31-32 John 8:31-32 (English Standard Version) Biblical Discipleship So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples(3101), and you will know the truth, and the truth will

Our Calling: Discipleship

2009-03-25T15:48:00.007-04:00

What is a disciple? Our Lord, Jesus Christ has called us to make disciples. In addition, Jesus has also given us the profile of a disciple in a number of places. We'll explore those.As far as the Lord's Word is concerned, the follower of Christ has a very specific calling on His life. With equal importance placed on its fulfillment with every Christian as the Great Commandments, the Great

The Sufficiency of Scripture. Part II, Section V

2009-03-22T20:50:00.012-04:00

5. Trappings We use gimmicks to create and sustain mood. We don't just use them, we depend on them. Gimmicks? What gimmicks? Strange fires on the altar of service to our Lord. We use psychological and tricks of the flesh to try and accomplish God's work when all we need to do is find the examples for ministering in the Word, which is sufficient, and obey the Word. This is God's Word. God's Word

The Sufficiency of Scripture, Part II Section IV

2009-03-22T00:20:00.014-04:00

4. Teaching We tend to reject Scripture for an incomplete gospel, false salvation, worldly ends, and carnal methodologies. Isaiah 55:8-11 tells us that our thoughts are not as high as God's thoughts, and unlike our words, God's Word will not return void. Minster, there are ways you can live so that God

The Sufficiency of Scripture, Part II Section III

2009-03-22T00:00:00.005-04:00

3. Activities One activity I've seen has been an "art survey" from Campus Crusade that came with a training manual. This training manual taught those who used the survey that they were to collect data from survey, turn it in, and then use the data collected from each person, whose individual responses would be recorded and kept, in evangelism. It broke down every possible combination of answers

The Sufficiency of Scripture, Part II Section II

2009-03-21T23:59:00.003-04:00

2. ProcessesWe trade obedience to the Word of God for Wall Street principles in running ministry. From the Word, how did God gather unregenerate man to himself? By Grace, through repentance and belief, the fruit of faith. How does a man continue the Christian life? By Grace, through faith. How is regenerate man to life within the context of a Church? By Grace, through faith. How have we been

The Sufficiency of Scripture. Part II, Section I

2009-03-03T01:27:00.034-05:00

This is a blog on what I've called a Practical Denial of the Sufficiency of Scripture. It will focus on what we do to deny the Sufficiency of Scripture. I will show you 5 specific areas of Christian ministry where God's Word has been supplanted by things of the world. Sources Some older college ministers that I've seen say this of what they'll do in ministry: "Let's start in the Word and move on

The Sufficiency of Scripture

2009-03-02T22:22:00.005-05:00

Romans 15:4 For everything written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 1 Corinthians 10:11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has

I Put on Christ, the Theme Song

2009-02-07T14:40:00.007-05:00

INTROThe battle is raging The devil is raging I don't want to be sleeping While the battle is raging VerseFor I don't fight as one who beats the air Give me eyes to see and ears to hear No, I don't fight as one who beats the air, So give me eyes to see and ears to hearCHORUS I put on

Many Causes vs. God's Cause

2009-02-07T13:21:00.003-05:00

So many times, Christians get caught up in an emotional nursery of supporting various causes, so much that they end up shipwrecking their faith, crying out, "God has left me." Clearly, since such great spiritual oppression exists here, something is wrong in these situations.As far as Scripture goes, it all starts off with me. The things that I think to be good and right generally won't work out

A Practical Denial of the Gospel in Evangelism. Part II of II

2009-02-07T12:10:00.010-05:00

II. What Have we done with the Gospel? [[Pray]] I'll begin with something dangerous. We have a standard, and we do not abide by the standard which we are able and called to uphold, being now saved. Look at Mark 1:15.If we read it, it stands as a rebuke to much of what is done with organized evangelism on campuses like mine every day. If we were to change the language of this verse to reflect what

A Practical Denial of the Gospel in Evangelism. Part I of II

2009-02-07T03:47:00.004-05:00