Old-Fashioned Worship

By Anonymous on 10/31/09 10:16pm
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Tibetan Prayer WheelTibetan Prayer WheelIn Col. 2:20-23, Paul rejects a modern trend that emerged in the 60's.  Not the 1960's.  The 60's.  :- )  This trend was towards a "voluntary will-worship" that, said Paul, gained no favor from its Target.

The Greek word thelothreskia -- will-worship -- comes from two Greek words.

The second, threskia, was the word they used for ceremony.  If your sister is getting married Saturday, then very likely she'll be at a rehearsal on Friday night.  Rehearsing what?  Rehearsing the threskia.  The formal sequence of acts that is performed as a ritual towards the function of marriage.  In religion, threskias are the worship sequences.

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So Great a Salvation

By Anonymous on 10/22/09 4:06pm
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..Hebrews 2:1-3 tells Christians that they have received a "great salvation." 

What is "great" about your salvation?  Dylan and Jack sit and read Heb. 2:1-3 and smile ... "Yep, it's a great salvation.  I went to a great movie yesterday.  I have a great Persian kitty at home.  I have a great stereo in the car, and a great salvation into the bargain."

Nope.  Actually, "great" in this sense comes from a Greek word, telekautes, that means colossal.  Mighty.  Heavy. 

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The Apostle Jesus

By Anonymous on 10/13/09 6:13pm
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What does Frodo have in common with Christ?What does Frodo have in common with Christ?In Acts 18, the preacher Apollos is described as "an eloquent man, mighty in the scriptures," who "mightily convinced the Jews publicly" that Jesus was Christ. 

In this context, "eloquent" describes a man well-educated, reinforcing his arguments with many appeals to logic and to outside authorities.  Whether the Book of Hebrews was written by Apollos or not, it is a blow-for-blow example of the kind of ultra-sophistication that Luke ran into, in Acts 18:24-28.

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In Hebrews 3, the inspired writer points out that with all of the other things that Jesus accomplished, He was also the greatest Apostle of all time:

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Should Christians Watch TV? Part 2: Would Jesus Watch It?

By Niki Fears on 4/8/09 7:21am
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Now that we have taken a look at whether or not Christians should watch mainstream television (see Should Christians Watch Television? Part 1: Mainstream Programming) we will now consider another important question:what about “Family” or Christian programming?

There are two issues to consider here, first of all just because something is labeled as “Family” programming does not mean that it really is espousing wholesome, Christian family values. Consider for example “The Great Mouse Detective” which was pushed as a family movie for little kids; however has a bar scene in it with alcohol, smoking, and a stripper on stage singing her pitch as a prostitute and also includes political assassination plots and an elaborate attempted murder scene among other things. Not exactly what we would consider “kid friendly” to despite how it was labeled.

Now, as far as actual Christian programming or what would otherwise be considered “safe” shows.

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Should Christians Watch Television? Part 1: Mainstream Programming

By Niki Fears on 4/7/09 4:32pm
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It seems that more Americans today plan their days and their weekly schedules around their favorite TV shows instead of the more valuable things of life like time with their family or spending the time in study of God's word. And while television seems to be as deeply rooted in American culture as air is to our survival, many are critical of the moral decline of our society of which popular television plays a major role. So several questions then arise, should Christians watch television? What about family and Christian programming? Is there a “safe” way to watch television? And could there really be any harm in watching television?

 

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Sin and Accountability in the 21st Century- Part2: Accountability Resources

By Niki Fears on 2/27/09 10:59am
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Just as the modern era has presented us with new challenges in over coming the sin in our lives, so to are there new alternatives and ways for us to grow stronger in our faith and to overcome the temptations of sin. Whether you are dealing with a pornography issue, work place ethics, or simply a matter of putting your heart and mind on the path of righteousness the key is accountability.

Accountability is simply holding you accountable for your actions by bringing them to light to others. A variety of ministries and companies have understood the unique problems that we face in the technological age and have developed an array of tools and resources to help us in protecting our homes and dealing with the often difficult struggle against sin. Through the use of accountability partners and software that can help you use modern technology more responsibly, safe guard your children and your family against the problems associated with the internet, and help you to become more aware of your own activities so that you can make positive, constructive changes.

How Do Accountability Programs Work?:

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Sin and Accountability in the 21st Century-Part 1

By Niki Fears on 2/27/09 6:24am
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Someone once said that there was nothing new under the sun, and in many ways that is certainly true. The sins of today, the sins that plague our world, our marriages, our churches, and our homes are the same sins that God spoke of thousands of years ago. They are the same sins that your fathers dealt with, the same sins that saw the rise and fall of empires long since gone and the same sins that future generations will undoubtedly have to overcome.

 

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Simple Ways to Make Time for God

By Niki Fears on 2/23/09 6:52am
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In today's hectic world we often feel like there are not enough hours in the day to accomplish all that we would desire. And while we will often make a profession that God is important in our lives we too often do not make Him a priority or cut out a chunk of our time for Him to strengthen that relationship with our heavenly father. Then as our lives begin to fall apart, we succumb to stress, have trouble with sin, and see difficulty in our most intimate of relationships. It is no wonder that we then we tend to drift even further from the path that God would have us to take. And what happens when we stray from that path?

 

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