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Showing posts from August, 2024

The Unity of the Church

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Posting this for record's sake, as the topic is of much importance. Chapter 1 of What is the Church by R.C. Sproul In the seventeenth chapter of John’s gospel, Jesus gives the most extensive prayer that is recorded for us in the New Testament. It is a prayer of intercession in which He prayed for His disciples and for all who would believe through the testimony of the disciples. That prayer is called Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer. One of the central themes of that prayer is Christ’s request to the Father that His people might be one. It was a prayer for Christian unity. Yet here we are, in the twenty-first century, and the church is probably more fragmented than at any time in church history.  We've seen a crisis with the question, "What is the church after all?" Historically, via the ancient church council of Nicea, the church has been defined by four key words. It is, 1) one, 2) holy, 3) catholic, and 4) apostolic. As we study the nature of the church, I want to look

The Last Week of August

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After a year of daily family worship, it pleased the LORD to mercifully birth the reading of scripture to 4 new households this year. The young ones have brought the practice they've learned with us into their own homes, and they intentionally read the scriptures to their unbelieving families. There is already a stirring among those who have heard the word read. Its very heartbeat is to magnify the reality of God's great glory as the Scriptures are read, and the Psalms are either read or sang - by the whole family, the fruit of all this is left to God. To worship with the family in the home is to obey and honor God. Photo by Tish I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations: therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever. Psalms 45:17 Our prayer is for God to raise up a new community of families who worship God daily in their homes. Fathers who fulfill their rightful duties to God as the priest and teacher of the home, and the children are raised in the fe

Family Worship

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So keep these words deep in your heart and in your soul, and have them fixed on your hand for a sign and marked on your brow; Teaching them to your children, and talking of them when you are at rest in your house or walking by the way, when you go to sleep and when you get up: Writing them on the pillars of your houses and over the doors of your towns: So that your days, and the days of your children, may be long in the land which the Lord by his oath to your fathers said he would give them, like the days of the eternal heavens. For if you take care to keep all the orders which I give you, and to do them; loving the Lord your God and walking in all his ways and being true to him: Deuteronomy 11:18-22 / 6:7-9 The gift of family worship, was given to us April of last year and has continued non-stop 7 days a week till this day. It also gave birth to the weekly prayer meeting in which the whole gathering participates, all thanks be to God for the great kindness He evidenced through the exa

A Thing Of Wonder

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I've always wondered why sodomites and feminists are more publicly vocal and insistent in their ideology more than Christians are public with their faith? Why drag queens insist in reading fables to children in schools more than Christian parents commit to reading Scripture to their children daily at home? Why Mormons risk walking under the sun all day to witness to people in behalf of their false god, more than Christians would do the same for the true God? Why extremists blow themselves up believing in a false religion more than Christians would resolve to go everywhere preaching the word as in Acts 8:4? Why  government minions are more purposeful and intentional in brainwashing the populace with false information than the people of the Everlasting Kingdom are in sharing the gospel truth with those in their immediate social circles? Why heathenism is out in the open and Christianity is mixed into the crowd of other heathen churches.  ..for the sons of this world are wiser in rela

All Must Hear

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My wife takes our current house help through the pages of the New Testament each day before starting work. Her life is unbelievably difficult, and seemingly hopeless. Singled out by her in-laws for her background, she struggles between being beaten and maltreated by her husband, disrespected by her children, and having nowhere to turn to, till she found solace in talking about the Lord. As believers we are to treat each soul brought to us by the Lord as a candidate for His mercy. Each gasoline boy, driver, or security guard, a recipient of a gospel tract. These bread crumbs, done consistently and without regard for numbers, will one day surprise us in heaven. I tend to imagine a soul in heaven approaching me saying, "Remember that one tract you gave at such a place? The Lord used that to save me. And now I am here to worship God forever because you obeyed."

Setting Our Eyes Upon Eternity

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Some gain the things of this world in the strength of their youth at the cost of the next life, and all they have are rusty memories that die with them. While some set their eyes upon eternal things at the cost of this temporal life, and gain a crown that will never fade away. And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first. Matthew 19:29-30