An Introduction to Pragmatism (02/03/04 - 1 Comments)
Pragmatism has become a dominant force in the Christian world. I want to take a brief look at the history of pragmatism and then show how it has influenced the church. In following days I am going to write about areas in the Christian world where it has had a significant impact. Pragmatism is rooted in the philosophy of men like John Stuart Mill who had a great formative influence in philosophers like John Dewey...
The Bible's Sufficiency (01/28/04 - 5 Comments)
I do not often use terms like “God showed me” or “God has been teaching me.” Perhaps it stems from my upbringing in churches where people simply did not speak like that, or perhaps I generally do not stop long enough to consider where God is working in my life. It could be that I grow tired of it being used so flippantly by so many Christians (ie “God told me to leave the established...
The Rules of Freedom (01/25/04 - 3 Comments)
I wrote this article a few weeks ago, but have decided to repost it as part of the Blogger Idol competition being held by a fellow blogger. This week's theme has to do with freedom and I thought this article fit the bill. Enjoy! There is a misconception about Christianity whereby non-Christians seem to think that Christians live their lives burdened by myriads of unfair and outdated rules. Though some of these rules are perceived...
Sunday Reflection: Take Back Your Sabbath (01/25/04 - 9 Comments)
The following article, entitled Take Back Your Sabbath is taken from Christianity Today. NORTH AMERICA'S largest purveyor of Christian merchandise recently began opening its 315 stores on Sunday afternoons. Family Christian Stores touted its decision as a way to expand ministry opportunity. According to a press release, the firm sees it as a way of fulfilling its "calling to provide ... Bibles, books and other Christian resources to meet their [customers'] needs--when their needs arise"...
Our Role In Evangelism (01/19/04 - 2 Comments)
I have been seeking to understand how God works in the conversion of souls. The more research I do, the more I realize that many standard evangelistic practices must be flawed, for it seems we often try to do the work that God tells us He needs to do. Here is a list of some of the things we can and cannot do in evangelizing. Things we cannot do. We cannot help others realize the...
Belong & Believe (01/14/04 - 7 Comments)
The church has traditionally positioned itself as a place for those who believe to find a place where they can belong. As the church changes and evolves with the times there is a trend to make the church a place where anyone can belong regardless of whether or not they believe. Having people who wish to belong without believing does not a crisis for many modern churches. Churches that subscribe to the “belong and believe”...
Protestant Confession (01/08/04 - 2 Comments)
A Web site I visited recently which seeks to explain Catholic doctrine and beliefs to Protestants contained the statement "Protestants do not believe in confession." The statement is incorrect insofar as Protestants do not practice auricular confession (confessing ones' sins to a priest in order to receive forgiveness). That statement along with others I have seen shows that there is a misunderstanding about the Protestant view of confession. That God calls us to confess our...
An Introduction To Calvinism & Arminianism
(Part 5) (12/01/03 - 10 Comments)
This is part five of our series studying the differences between Calvinism and Arminianism. Please note that this is only a brief overview of a vast topic. A thorough discussion of this topic can (and often has) filled many books. At the conclusion of the series I will provide a list of helpful resources should you wish to pursue this study further. The terms Arminianism and Calvinism are, of course, absent from the Bible. For...
An Introduction To Calvinism & Arminianism
(Part 4) (11/28/03 - 3 Comments)
This is part four of our series studying the differences between Calvinism and Arminianism. Please note that this is only a brief overview of a vast topic. A thorough discussion of this topic can (and often has) filled many books. At the conclusion of the series I will provide a list of helpful resources should you wish to pursue this study further. Today we turn our attention to a comparison of the two views. I...
An Introduction To Calvinism & Arminianism
(Part 3) (11/26/03 - 4 Comments)
This is part three of our series studying the differences between Calvinism and Arminianism. Please note that this is only a brief overview of a vast topic. A thorough discussion of this topic can (and often has) filled many books. At the conclusion of the series I will provide a list of helpful resources should you wish to pursue this study further. Today we turn our attention to the “five points of Arminianism” which arose...
An Introduction To Calvinism & Arminianism
(Part 2) (11/25/03 - 2 Comments)
This is part two of our series studying the differences between Calvinism and Arminianism. Please note that this is only a brief overview of a vast topic. A thorough discussion of this topic can (and often has) filled many books. At the conclusion of the series I will provide a list of helpful resources should you wish to pursue this study further. Today we turn our attention to the “five points of Calvinism.” John Calvin...
An Introduction To Calvinism & Arminianism (11/24/03 - 3 Comments)
Introduction This seeks to be an introductory study into the differences between Arminian and Calvinistic theology. This study is by no means definitive, but exists merely to introduce the five main concepts in which the two traditions have fundamental disagreements. Scripture verses used as proof texts are provided for each concept and short, unbiased comments have been added to each proof text to show how the text supports that viewpoint. The best course of study...
Christian Music: Is There Such A Thing? (11/20/03 - 14 Comments)
Two completely unrelated events gave me the inspiration for this article. The first was an awards show that I did not watch and the second was a drive home from a rather dull meeting. The American Music Awards were presented this week and for just the third year, one was presented in the category of Favorite Artist in Contemporary Inspirational Music with Steven Curtis Chapman taking home the award. Not being a fan of award...
"God's Name Is Blasphemed..." (11/18/03 - 0 Comments)
In my Home Church (Bible Study / Cell Group) this week we are studying the prophet Daniel. Specifically we will be examining him as a shining example of a man who stood firm in his convictions. When commanded to cease worshipping God, he never considered disobeying God. Instead, he pressed on with his routine of praying three times each day. He knew there would be fearsome consequences, yet trusted that obeying God was preferable to...
The Rules Of Freedom (11/05/03 - 0 Comments)
There is a misconception about Christianity whereby non-Christians seem to think that Christians live their lives burdened by myriads of unfair and outdated rules. Though some of these rules are perceived to be admirable and praiseworthy, many others, they think, are simply burdensome and unnecessary. Few would argue that the commandment “Thou shalt not kill” is a bad one. But when it comes to the commandments regarding adultery and sexual relations people no longer consider...
The Regulatory Principle (11/03/03 - 5 Comments)
I have been thinking a lot lately about The Regulatory Principle, especially as it relates to the worship service. If you are not familiar with the term, it essentially means: The only acceptable worship is that which is explicitly taught in the Bible. By extension then, anything that is not explicitly taught in the Bible is implicitly forbidden. The Regulatory Principle is most often applied to music in the worship service, but can also apply...
The Myth Of Mother Teresa (11/01/03 - 8 Comments)
Mother Teresa (known also as Mother Teresa of Calcutta) was born in what is now called Yugoslavia/Bosnia in 1910. Born to Albanian parents she was at that time known as Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu. The labor for which she became renowned began on January 6, 1929 when she arrived in Calcutta, India to work with the poor and needy. When she died in September of 1997 she was the director of a worldwide missions organization known...
Death, Be Not Proud (10/28/03 - 2 Comments)
Dr. W.A. Criswell (1909-2002), long-time pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas, was once traveling by airplane on a trip across the country to attend a speaking engagement and was thrilled to recognize the man in the seat beside him as a well-known Christian theologian. Criswell admired this man and wanted to strike up a conversation with him. After the plane left the ground and settled into cruising altitude he introduced himself and the two...
What Is Baptism (07/24/03 - 0 Comments)
Baptism means different things to different people within the Christian world. There are disagreements in the meaning, the methodology and the importance of baptism. In this four part message series, John Piper, pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, seeks to interpret the Biblical meaning of baptism. To understand Piper's analysis of baptism, it helps to know a bit of his background. He is pastor of a Baptist church and thus believes in believer's baptism by immersion....
The Ring Of Power (07/21/03 - 1 Comments)
Browsing through one of my favorite Web sites yesterday, I found that someone had posted a link to an article about the life of Jeffrey Dahmer. I assume that most North Americans are familiar with him, as he gained great notoriety in the 1990's as one of America's most vile serial killers. Over a two-decade period he was responsible for the murder (and sometimes cannibalization and other unmentionable acts) of seventeen men. The usual American...
