Started a new book last week, Knowing the Doctrines...

I am nearly finished with John Bevere's "Driven By Eternity" book, but in the meantime I started a book written by Myer Pearlman called "Knowing the Doctrines of the Bible."

It is a way expanded version of the little fundamentals of truth, those one sentence statements of faith, that churches and ministries publish in their brochures and web pages. I guess that by knowing these statement of faiths, we are supposed to know if their beliefs are aligned with ours, or at least Christian anyway. But that isn't what I was going to write about.

The last few days, I have been reading his section on what the Bible tells us about man. Yes, you, me, and the person sitting next to you.

This author contends that we are triune in nature rather than two-part. Which based on all the reading I have done in the Bible, is my view. He does make the distinction that we are two-part in that we are composed of a material substance and an immaterial substance (body and soul). However, he goes on to say that the Bible then introduces a second immaterial substance (in the New Testament) being the spirit part of man.

However he goes on to say that both views are actually correct since soul and spirit are inseparable. He describes this as "They permeate and interpenetrate each other." Evidently even though the words "soul" and "spirit" are used interchangeably in the Bible translations because they are so connected, there are certain places where they distinctly say something very different. It is when we look at those instances that we discern that that man is comprised of three parts: body, soul, spirit.

What are the words of eternal life?

Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”

John 6: 68-69, ESV

Christian.TV Launches Facebook competitor aimed at the Christian Marketplace.
Tulsa, Ok (Feb 9, 2009) - FaithOut.com, a brand new Faith Based Social Network intended to be a Christian Facebook Alternative launches this week with much excitement. Soft launch began at the beginning of October 2008 and already more than 5000 have flocked to the new website. FaithOut is a faith based social utility that connects people around their church, ministry, region, school or workplace. Users can upload all their favorite photos, tag their friends and family, share videos and music and find others around similar spiritual interests.

"There is enormous potential for FaithOut to bridge the gap not only between people’s online ‘social’ activities (blogging, photo sharing, messaging), but between individuals, churches, groups and ministries that all connect in one way or another offline." says Robbie Davidson, FaithOut Technology Architect.

In the final stages of development is FaithOut Ministry Suite. This one of a kind social tool will provide a white-label solution for churches, ministries and various organizations to build their own social networks to integrate into their websites or as a stand-alone feature. Many churches are petitioning to be part of the beta program for this all-in-one social solution for their congregations online.

"Social networking is where the church must go. Those organizations who embrace technology and go beyond simple internet marketing will build true community. Social Community (not Social Networking) is the missing link in a comprehensive internet strategy for the ministry of the modern era.” says Kally Hristov, President of Christian.TV

RE: Eternity & where will You spend it

K-Fish, I agree that a person who just repeats the sinner's prayer and then goes back to the same life style with no change of heart or living is in danger of being rejected by God in that He will say " I never knew ye". When we pray the prayer for forgiveness, there has to be a change in our hearts and a change in our everyday life and style of living, also, a change in the way we treat our fellow man. Without these
changes and without the act of witnessing to our fellow men, what are we accomplishing? It is our christian duty to confess Christ openly and be a witness in
the way we live each day.
Just food for thought.

A King's Son

Where will you spend Eternity and how will YOU get there?

Interestingly enough to me, tonight in the book I am currently reading by John Bevere, "Driven By Eternity", in the chapter 'Judgement of Deceived', John states the following:

"The gospel we've preached has been lopsided with emphasis on accepting Jesus by praying a sinner's prayer. We confess Him as "Lord," and once done we are saved eternally. Yet this is not what Jesus teaches. He says, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 7:21, NIV)"

He goes on to say that converts gained in this manner...

"...go back to their seats "just as they were." Except now they are deceived. Nothing has been said concerning repentance from disobedient lifestyles, denying their own desires... ...losing their lives for the cause of Christ. They've confessed Jesus as their "Lord," but there's been no heart change."

Hmmmm...... interesting... I want to say I agree with him a 100%.

"Driven By Eternity" and John Bevere

I started a new book. Not writing one, but reading one. Ha!

The book is titled "Driven By Eternity - Making Your Life Count Today and Forever". I am on page 52 of 260. Interestingly enough, John has used the parable method of telling a story so far.

It's a two-fer. A two-for-one deal. Let me explain.

The book starts out talking about eternity and what our concept, or lack of concept, regarding eternity is. Then suddenly, the discussion is abandoned and he switches to telling a fictional story to illustrate how life choices thrust us into very different eternal results. I haven't gotten past the fictional part of the book which is illustrating Bible truths so well, so I assume I haven't seen any of the meat of the book yet, but so far, I have looked forward to picking it up each evening to digest a bit more...

Speaking of which I probably should go read some more of it!

Jacob Marley's Business

"But you were always a good man of business, Jacob," faltered Scrooge, who now began to apply this to himself.

"Business!" cried the Ghost, wringing his hands again. "Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence were all my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!"

He held his chain at arms-length, as if that were the cause of all his unavailing grief, and flung it heavily upon the ground again.

"At this time of the rolling year," the specter said, "I suffer most. Why did I walk through crowds of fellow-beings with my eyes turned down, and never raise them to that blessed Star which led the Wise Men to a poor abode? Were there no poor homes to which its light would have conducted me?"

...The air was filled with phantoms, wandering hither and thither in restless haste, and moaning as they went. Every one of them wore chains like Marley's Ghost; some few (they might be guilty of governments) were linked together; none were free. Many had been personally known to Scrooge in their lives. He had been quite familiar with one old ghost, in a white waistcoat, with a monstrous iron safe attached to his ankle, who cried piteously at being unable to assist a wretched woman with an infant, whom he saw below, upon a door-step. The misery with them all was, clearly, that they sought to interfere, for good, in human matters, and had lost the power forever.

(Charles Dickens)

Then the King will say to those at His right hand, Come, you blessed of My Father [you favored of God and appointed to eternal salvation], inherit (receive as your own) the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you brought Me together with yourselves and welcomed and entertained and lodged Me, I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me with help and ministering care, I was in prison and you came to see Me. Then the just and upright will answer Him, Lord, when did we see You hungry and gave You food, or thirsty and gave You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger and welcomed and entertained You, or naked and clothed You? And when did we see You sick or in prison and came to visit You? And the King will reply to them, Truly I tell you, in so far as you did it for one of the least [in the estimation of men] of these My brethren, you did it for Me.

(Jesus)

Inductive Studies

Our Sunday School class has been doing inductive studies, where we read a verse(s) in the bible and then answer questions about what it said, what it means, and why it might be important in our lives. We completed one class on "Faith" where we studied the Hebrews 11 chapter. However, when it was all said and done, we studied the first two books of the Old Testament more than we studied Hebrews 11. But if you have read Hebrews 11 recently you will understand how that may have happened. Fantastic "stories" are told in the first two OT books. I love reading them over and over. I never get tired of them. I get excited about them! Can you tell? :-)

Well, we are now doing one on "Practical Spiritual Warfare". Starts out in Psalm 91. This is a Psalm that every believer should have hanging on their bathroom mirror. God tells us all the things he will do for us because of something we have done. Go read it, get it into your heart, and stand your ground as you fight the good fight of faith!

Ben Hur

Oooppps...

It has been awhile again. Uh oh.

Well, I finished Gansky's 40 Days book several weeks ago. I enjoyed reading it. Even though I have read the New Testament many times, Gansky has a way of pulling things together and helping you so see more than you were seeing when you are reading book to book, chapter to chapter. I liked the book. It encouraged me and it taught me. I would recommend it. Be forwarned however. When Gansky summarizes what the resurrection has done for us and its applications, he talks about several things, but does not address the infilling of the Holy Spirit in today's believer, which many Christians accept in addition to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit upon being born-again.

Ben Hur - A tale of the Christ.

Immediately after finishing Gansky's book, I started an abridged version of Ben Hur. I don't recall reading this book in high school or at the university. Maybe I am the last person in the world to read this book? I have a vague recollection of maybe seeing the movie when I was a youngster? But then maybe not. At any rate I finished reading the book this past Saturday evening. I found it to be difficult reading. The usage of so many commas in every sentence kind of threw me. Also, the writing was strange to me in its structure. I had to reread many of the sentences and paragraphs to fully comprehend what the words were telling me. I did like the story. It was engaging. I liked reading about characters who were seeking a Messiah, someone to deliver them from the political rule of the time who would establish an earthly kingdom, but in the end coming to the realization that the Messiah did not come at that time to establish an earthly kingdom, but a kingdom in the hearts of men, thus the Messiah was also the Savior, saving men from their sinfulness with the Savior's (Christ's) sacrifice. Did you notice all the commas I used in that sentence? Well today, I went shopping out of town with my wife. While at a store, I found a used DVD of the 1959 Best Picture award Ben Hur movie directed by William Wyler. I had told the people at work that I was reading Ben Hur, and they asked why I just didn't watch the movie. Well, now I will!

"I am the resurrection and the life;

he who believes in Me will live even

if he dies, and everyone who lives and

believes in Me will never die.

Do you believe this?"

-Jesus Christ

New Book I am reading, 40 Days.

A favorite author of mine that I like to read, Alton Gansky, who writes both nonfiction and fiction, just recently wrote a new book called 40 Days - Encountering Jesus Between the Resurrection and Ascension published in 2007 by B&H Publishing Group, Nashville TN.

Besides having read several of Gansky's excellent fiction books, earlier this year I read his work Uncovering the Bible's Greatest Mysteries and was immediately caught up with it. I liked this book so well, that I purchased the book he had written previously titled Uncovering God's Mysterious Ways. While I enjoyed Uncovering the Bible's Greatest Mysteries more, they both were good reads. So when I found that he had written another nonfiction book, 40 Days, I couldn't resist ordering it.

Well it showed up in the mail today. Yippee!

Hey, did you hear the good news? When the disciples showed up to check out the tomb, guess what? They didn't find Jesus' dead body lying there! When Jesus' body found them, it wasn't dead anymore! Their Jesus was alive again! Hallelujah!

I might be a little excited about getting to read this book!