archshrk

Worship

• Some things to remember when engaged in apologetics debates 25.09.08

  When they quote scripture for their beliefs, it’s called “scriptural support”.
  When you quote scripture for your beliefs, it’s called “prooftexting”.
  When they provide bible verses that support their opinion, it’s called reading scripture “in context”.
  When you provide bible verses that support your opinion, it’s called “cherry picking verses”.
  When they make a distinction between two slightly differing [...]

• Pastoral Thoughts on Politics 19.08.08

  Duane Smets of The Resolved Church has posted a brief article about the role of government over on Blogogetics. I thought you might be interested in reading this since it’s hot right now.
  Pastoral Thoughts on Politics
  1 Samuel 8:7 “The LORD said to Samuel…they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from [...]

• Death of Christian Bookstores 14.08.08

  There’s been some interesting chatter lately about the decline of Christian Bookstores and whether we should mourn that loss or be grateful that there’s one less place to get your Jesus Junk.

  Here’s the situation if you don’t feel like following the links. Christian bookstores are on the decline and many people feel that is [...]

• What’s the opposite of a slippery slope? 14.07.08

  With so many churches watering down the Gospel and others simply caving in to public opinion, it’s refreshing to see one church strengthen their position. Collin Hansen writes about the new statement of faith for the Evangelical Free Church of America. Is your church’s SoF equally as solid? Here’s mine, what’s yours? [...]

• What God Requires, Christ Provides 29.05.08

  This simple sentence sums up so well what the Gospel is all about. We have failed to keep God’s Laws and Commandments (but Christ did) and for this failure, we should be put to death (Christ was) and our death would not make up for our failure (Christ’s did). John Piper talks about [...]

• ESV for You and Me 13.05.08

  A while back, I told you about the ESV Study Bible, coming this October. Well, today I learned that you can download the Introduction to the Gospel of Luke. This new pre-release PDF file shares information about the author, date, purpose, literary features, and key themes of Luke. It also includes a timeline [...]

• UnChristian 26.04.08

  Among the many blogs I try to read are various Christian blogs that discuss relevant issues, tackle tough questions or simply challenge me to love God more. One such blog had a very interesting post that I wanted to share. It’s about a book called UnChristian where the authors tell us that Christianity [...]

• Pleasure and Pain 22.01.08

  If you’re feeling frustrated, defeated and discouraged by the trials in your life today, I want to encourage you to look beyond the rubble to what lies ahead. It can be difficult to face our trials with the kind of spirit that sees great value in disaster, but that’s what the Lord expects from us [...]

• Theological Terms 17.01.08

  This is a response to the “are you a heretic?” quiz. Since these terms may be foreign to many of us, I thought I’d share what CARM (CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS & RESEARCH MINISTRY) has to say about these terms.
  Chalcedon: Chalcedon believe that Jesus is truly God and truly man and like us in every respect, [...]

• Are you a Heretic? 17.01.08

  Take this little quiz to help identify your theological persuasion.

• Scripture for Labor and Delivery 09.12.07

  Many women find pregnancy, labor, and birth, to be a time of spiritual growth and a clearer understanding of how much God must really love us. Memorizing scripture verses or having them read to you during labor can help keep you relaxed, focused, and confident in God’s design in the birth process. Here are some [...]

• Bible map 18.11.07

  BibleMap.org is developed by the duo at He Lives Ministries (HeLives.com). The motivation for developing the site was simple, create a free Bible atlas which harnesses Google maps. They hope this site will be a blessing to you and possibly help make the living book of the Bible more alive in your life.

• Sharing the Word 07.11.07

  I recently mentioned why I like the ESV bible but I wanted to mention that I also use the NASB (New American Standard Bible) and NKJV (New King James Version) bibles. I just use the ESV (English Standard Version) most of the time. This is not to say that the other translations are [...]

• Translations 06.11.07

  Mars Hill Church in Seattle has a wonderful article explaining why they use the English Standard Version (ESV) as their pulpit translation. One of the key reasons is the accuracy of the translation (word-for-word). Which raises the question, How did we get the English Scriptures?
  Many volumes have been written to explain the miraculous [...]

• Not-so-biblical counseling 26.10.07

  Bob Newhart "Psychologist" MadTV | Funny Jokes at JibJab

  I don’t recommend the counseling method seen in the video - yet in some ways, that’s how we counsel others. Instead, we need to have a gospel-oriented approach.
  Recently, I finished reading How People Change by Timothy S. Lane and Paul D. Tripp. This book is [...]

• It’s not me 10.08.07

  Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O LORD, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things. Wealth and honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand, and at your discretion people are made great and [...]

• Free Speach for Christians 06.08.07

  A pastor that is currently in the approval process for sponsorship is going to be facing significantly greater persecution. Pastor Nonoy from Philippines is planting churches in the Buddhist nation of Cambodia. He started his ministry by establishing an English language school to get contacts in the community and evangelize. In the [...]

• Half a World Away 28.06.07

  Our good friends (and Brother and Sister in Christ) Chris and Jessica have announced the good news about their court date. You see, they are a family of seven that just got a little bigger. Sometime last year, God put it on their hearts to consider adoption. By October of ‘06, they [...]

• First Dance 14.06.07

  Michele asked (on Marianne’s behalf)
  What song did you (or would you) choose as your wedding or first dance song?
  This is where it gets interesting. You see, I’ve been married before. Lasted 7 years. Ended peacefully. The ‘first dance’ song then was Come Sail Away by STYX. I Thought it was [...]

• Once saved, always saved 11.06.07

  Take the poll
  Free Poll by Blog Flux
  There is a common misunderstanding of scripture and the meaning behind the expression “once saved, always saved“. The basic problem for many people is that people who are saved can “fall away” and stop behaving as a Christian should. Another misconception is that people think this phrase [...]

• Unity 06.06.07

  Excerpt from How People Change by Timothy Lane and Paul Tripp
  What is going on in this strange encounter? Abram is struggling to believe God, so God helps him. He tells him to cut some animals in half. That night, a smoking firepot and a blazing torch pass between the animal halves. God was saying, “If [...]

• How to give the perfect Man-Hug 26.05.07

  The issue of manly hugs has come up before among my brothers and I think this tutorial is the perfect tool to help those who are not comfortable or familiar with the idea of the manly hug. Special thanks to SamShua for pointing this out.
  One note of additional info not fully covered [...]

• ESV bible on your iPod 11.05.07

  Tired of using your iPod for audio and video? Wish you could read the Bible on a 3-inch screen? Then podBible is for you. It has the complete ESV New Testament in a set of files browsable on your iPod—for free.
  Combine this with the Listener’s Bible-ESV (MP3) by Max McLean and the Reformation Study Bible [...]

• Proof That God Exists 09.05.07

  Humanism or atheism is a wonderful philosophy of life as long as you are big, strong, and between the ages of eighteen and thirty-five. But watch out if you are in a lifeboat and there are others who are younger, bigger, or smarter. - William Murray
  I have a new favorite site (at least for today) [...]

• Singleness is not a sin 03.05.07

  John Piper has an excellent sermon entitled, “Single in Christ: A Name Better Than Sons and Daughters.” Here are his main truths:
  1. That the family of God grows not by propagation through sexual intercourse, but by regeneration through faith in Christ;
  2. That relationships in Christ are more [...]

• Here I Shall Build My Ebenezer 02.05.07

  QUESTION.. what does Here I shall build my Ebenezer mean?
  It comes from an old hymn, “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” written by Robert Robinson in 1758. The particular verse is:
  “Here I raise my Ebenezer;
  Here by Thy great help I’ve come;”
  Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing is a Christian hymn composed by the [...]

• Why did Jesus have to die 23.04.07

  
  

• God’s Sustaining Power 19.04.07

  I’ve been reading At the Master’s Feet: A Daily Devotional - Selections from the best of Charles Spurgeon and was really moved by the selection for April 18th.
  In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4and into an inheritance that [...]

• Voice of the Martyrs 12.04.07

  PAKISTAN
  Five Christians Charged with Blasphemy – VOM Sources
  Five Christians have been charged with blasphemy under Pakistan’s blasphemy laws 295-A and 295-C, in Toba Tek Singh, Pakistan. Daniel, an 11-year-oldChristian boy, refused to play with his Muslim friends, resulting in them beating him. When Daniel’s family confronted the attackers, the Muslims called the police and made [...]

• How to Succeed 29.03.07

  I was reminded me of this today and I just thought it was awesome. It speaks volumes. I pray that when you are handling your finances, you think of this scripture.
  1 Chronicles 29:11b-12 “Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you [...]

• A Franciscan Benediction 23.03.07

  May God bless us with discomfort at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships, so that we may live deep within our hearts.
  May God bless us with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that we may work for justice, freedom and peace.
  May God bless us with tears to shed for those who [...]

• Redneck Bowling 16.02.07

  I’m surpised I haven’t blogged about it yet. It’s a good story about lies and deceit and fictitious names and crappy bowling.

• Prayer and Fasting 30.12.06

  I was over at The Seeker’s Journey reading about the new year and changes we should make.
  One of those changes will hopefully be my blogsite, which I desire to be more Christ and Biblically centered than just posts expressing my opinions, whether those opinions are right or wrong.
  However, while I do want to keep this [...]

• Resolutions and God’s Grace 27.12.06

  As the new year begins we are often asked about any resolutions we may have made. To eat better, smoke less, work harder, etc. But are we just working towards a better self or are we working to a better relationship with God?
  I personally don’t make New Year’s resolutions. Partly because I am [...]

• Happy Thanksgiving 23.11.06

  Many of us tend to view Thanksgiving Day as a memorial to God’s providential care over the forefathers of our great country as they settled in the “new world,” but we must also remember that God has just as graciously showered us with many blessings–not the least of which is the incredible provision of His [...]

• Grandma Paula 30.08.06

  * WPG2 CANNOT LOCATE GALLERY2 ITEM ID 381 *Julia’s grandma went into the hospital last Tuesday to have surgery on her legs and possibly her heart due to clogged arteries which is causing her major pain and discomfort. Anyways, the doctor got 1/2 way through the surgery and he said he couldn’t continue or else [...]

• Mega Church 29.08.06

  A megachurch is a large church, frequently defined as having more than 2,000 worshippers for a typical weekly service.
  Globally, these large congregations are a significant development in Protestant Christianity, challenging the roles of denominations as the primary sources of ministry resources and ministerial training. Most megachurches tend to be evangelical or Pentecostal.

  Hank is furious and [...]

• In the Beginning 24.08.06

  In the beginning, God created heaven and earth.
  Shortly thereafter God was in receipt of a notice to show cause why he shouldn’t be cited for failure to file an environmental impact statement. He was granted a temporary planning permit for the project, but was stymied by a Cease and Desist Order for the earthly [...]

• Saved Babes 10.08.06

  I was reading this over at Samshua.com and found that I was not in agreement - that is, untill I read the whole story.
  I was having a discussion with my friends, Dave and Jackie Ro, and the question of infant salvation came up. Are babies saved from eternal punishment was the question. I wanted to [...]

• Semper Reformanda Records 18.07.06

  I wanted to let you know about the little record label my friend Brian Thomas has been working on for the last couple of months. He just got the site up and running and will be releasing the first album in August, followed by a Christmas ep in the Winter and, God willing, the [...]

• Frustrations 18.07.06

  While dealing with some frustrations at work, my lovely wife (PhotoJulia) sent me an email to help me refocus my attention on God and I thought I should share what she sent.
  Here are some scriptures for you. I love you and I pray that God will take away those frustrations that are harboring in your [...]

• What’s your theological worldview? 14.06.06

  You scored as Reformed Evangelical. You are a Reformed Evangelical. You take the Bible very seriously because it is God’s Word. You most likely hold to TULIP and are sceptical about the possibilities of universal atonement or resistible grace. The most important thing the Church can do is make sure people hear how they [...]

• A Call for Prayer 12.06.06

  Marc, who is one of the elder canidates at my church, has taken on the ministry of prayer at Kaleo. For many of us (christians), prayer is one of our weakest points, yet is one of our most powerful tools. It is the one thing we are told to do continuously and [...]

• Was Jesus Married? 25.05.06

  I was reading around the web a while back and came across a post that asked a question which I suspect is probably very common today. It’s derived from the Da Vinci Code but our response doesn’t have to be framed in that context.
  I am listening to radio shows and people are [...]

• Dorkwad Church 19.05.06

  I was hoping you could pray for our desire to find a building. We are spending too much where we are for what we get, and I feel God is pressing us to find something different. We don’t have the resources, so please pray for God’s blessings for us financially. Also, please [...]

• Christian Divorce 16.05.06

  In my travels through the blogosphere and In Real Life (IRL) I have encountered many people who are faced with the issue of divorce. Now admittedly, many are not christian so the issue for them is how to divide up our stuff and who gets to keep the dog (or cat). But for [...]

• Dizzy-Land 12.05.06

  If I wanted to be dizzy, I’d go back to Disneyland.

  Work is was driving me crazy. About a year ago I was put in charge of two projects. A big step for me in my career. Up until then, I had only been working on someone else’s projects. But [...]

• Daniel’s Salutation 29.04.06

  It’s Thursday Saturday so it’s time for another benediction salutation. This one is from Daniel (a real life person).

  “Grace to you and peace from God our Father; who raised from the dead Jesus Christ our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.”
  1 Cor 1:3 (and others), Romans 4:2
  Like [...]

• Where it all began 21.04.06

  This is the one and only entry into a paper journal I wrote when I started blogging. It’s from Febuary 26th, 2004

  God has a funny way of working with us sometimes. PhotoJulia bought this journal because she thought the cover was neat (and it is, too) but here I am writing in it. [...]

• Take the Son 20.04.06

  A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art.
  When the conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing [...]

• I Wish I Had More Time 20.04.06

  I wish I had more time to blog. I have lots of things I’d like to talk about but not the the time to prepare the posts. I could just ramble on about things like imigration reform, changing the look of my website or the value of a well placed burrito.

• Galatians vs. the Gospel of Judas 07.04.06

  An early Christian manuscript, including the only known text of what is known as the Gospel of Judas, has surfaced after 1,700 years. The text gives new insights into the relationship of Jesus and the disciple who betrayed him, scholars reported today. In this version, Jesus asked Judas, as a close friend, to sell him [...]

• A Deck of Cards 04.04.06

  Another one From the Inbox
  It was quiet that day, the guns and the mortars, and land mines for some reason hadn’t been heard.
  The young soldier knew it was Sunday, the holiest day of the week.
  As he was sitting there, he got out an old deck of cards and laid them out across his [...]

• Benediction by Chris 02.04.06

  This benediction is by Chris and is derived from Romans 16:24, 1 Thessalonians 5:14 and 5:23

  May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all so you may; encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, and be patient with all men. May the God of peace sanctify you entirely; and your spirit [...]

• Serving Children 24.03.06

  In the past, we’ve gotten onto topics like how old God is and what Jesus looks like or is speeding a sin and why do we pray. None of these are too unusual or particullarly challenging but recently, I found myself trying to explain a very difficult topic - the problem of evil.

• Benediction by Mike 24.03.06

  This is part of a series on Benadictions. The following benediction was prepared by my friend “cool” Mike (we have several Mikes in our church). It is taken from 1 Peter 1:3, 1 Peter 1:8, Hebrews 6:19, 1 John 3:3
  May God, who has caused you to be born again to a [...]

• The Proposal 15.03.06

  This is from the archives…

  Our church meets at 11:30am, so every Sunday before church, the two of us regularly meet in a park near our apartments to study the bible together.
  On this particular Sunday, I decided it would be good to go over some scripture that was related to marriage. We’ve been openly talking [...]

• My First Benediction 15.03.06

  As part of our Men’s group each week, someone volunteers to do the benediction for the following week. This is more than a formality, it is an exercise in studying scripture.
  1 : the invocation of a blessing; especially : the short blessing with which public worship is concluded
  2 : something that [...]

• Bono’s Remarks to the National Prayer Breakfast 13.02.06

  Source: DATA.org

  Thank you.
  Mr. President, First Lady, King Abdullah, Other heads of State, Members of Congress, distinguished guests…
  Please join me in praying that I don’t say something we’ll all regret.
  That was for the FCC.
  If you’re wondering what I’m doing here, at a prayer breakfast, well, so am I. I’m certainly not here as a [...]

• End of the Spear 01.02.06

  I saw this movie last Friday (1-27-06) after having my first San Diego Tommy’s burger. And I must say that this a must see movie.
  * WPG2 CANNOT LOCATE GALLERY2 ITEM ID 77 *
  Deep in the heart of the jungles of Ecuador, along the Amazon River basin, the Waodani Indians are murdering each other [...]

• Women and Headcoverings 21.01.06

  My friend helps run an online forum for homeschoolers. There are all types of women there and the forum gets some questions that often leave my friend baffled. One is about headcoverings.
  There is a discussion going on right now on this subject. People who cover their heads believe they should wear a covering to show [...]

• A Poll about Heaven 20.01.06

  Take a Poll

• Prayer and Fasting 04.01.06

  Tonight I begin my first ‘fast’. I’ve only been asked to fast once before but I didn’t understand the reasons behind it. The idea of going without food for 24 hours seemed silly and counter-productive. “I can pray without going hungry” I thought, but I realize I was justifying my selfish [...]

• The Weight of Glory 03.01.06

  like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea

• Family Dinner 24.12.05

  It’s funny how God works sometimes. You don’t know what to expect or when to expect it. We always want to be prepared to do what God wills but we always seem to have an exuse not to act. That’s why He always seems to “spring” opportunities on us.
  Last Thanksgiving (04) is [...]

• The meaning of Xmas 24.12.05

  From wikipedia
  Xmas (or X-mas) is an abbreviation for Christmas. It is derived from the word ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ, transliterated as Christos, which is Greek for Christ. Greek is the language in which the whole New Testament was written.
  Originally, in “Xmas”, X represented the Greek letter χ (see chi). It was pronounced with an aspirated [kh], which is [...]

• When is email NOT spam? 09.12.05

  Even though some of these “facts” are not true the point is still valid. See the comments for related “facts”. From the inbox…
  In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke, it’s not funny, it’s [...]

• Heartless Goo? 09.11.05

  My response to a post I found, Intelligent Goo
  Intelligent Goo wrote:
  Why did God create this complexity? If God designed the universe and designed the rules governing the universe, he would have been free to design anything he wanted to. Why create the need to eat, causing billions of deaths a year. Why create the need [...]

• New Testament Deacon 04.10.05

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  A short essay on Alexander Strauch’s The New Testament Deacon: The Church’s Minister of Mercy
  When I began reading this book, I had no idea what a Deacon was supposed to be and therefore had no idea there was a question about it. Having read the [...]

• What good are you? 20.09.05

  From my inbox -
  As she laid in a lounge chair by the motel pool, a woman, thin and weak from cancer held up a common latex glove. We watched as she struggled to sit up a little. She had been going to a cancer clinic as a day patient and this was [...]

• Personal Worship 14.09.05

  The following are notes from a study I did about Personal Worship. I meet on Thursday nights with some Godly men and we’re currently looking at the tree analogy of roots, trunk and branches (study, affections, and fruits). More specifically, we’re looking at how within each of these are three aspects; personal, social (small/intimate group) [...]

• Isaiah 58:10 18.05.05

  if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.

• Christian One Liners 03.03.05

  I received this list in an email recently and was surprised by how good some of them were. Usually these things are full of fluff and have no scriptural accuracy what-so-ever. Read through them and tell me what you think. If you disagree with one or more, tell me why (I admit, they’re not all [...]

• Mission Accomplished! 21.01.05

  I successfully read through all 150 Psalms in 30 days. I thank the Lord for putting it on my heart to finish this task because not only did I start a habit of reading my bible daily, but I also learned a litle something about our Lord and Savior. It’s amazing to see [...]

• Praying through the Psalms 20.12.04

  So it’s been a month and I managed to read 5-a-day ONCE. Man I suck at this. I started over yesterday (which is the one day I managed to read last time) but in my defense (read: excuse) I was studying for my first licensing exam this past month so I devoted my spare reading [...]

• 5-A-DAY 18.11.04

  
  

• How do you study the word of God? 15.11.04

  So, how do you study the word of God? I’m curious what methods people use to study effectively. Do you randomly pick a book to read or do you look for a specific topic to study or do you just start at the begining and go from there?

• Topic today: Respect 17.09.04

  1 Timothy 2:2 - First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way.Titus 2:7-8 - Show yourself in all respects a model of [...]

• Rose Is Rose 09.09.04

  roseisrose.gifI usually enjoy this comic because its cute and harmless. This type of joke would usually only anger me because of the sexist attitude but now it just makes me sad.
  Eph 5:22-33Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is [...]

• Reforming Marriage 07.09.04

  So I’m re-reading Reforming Marriage by Douglas Wilson. I’m really enjoying it and finding that I’m getting even more out of it now that I have some study questions to go with it. The questions are part of my pre-marital councelling and bring up a lot of biblical issues that secular counseling doesn’t. I think [...]

• What do you view is the wife’s position in the household? 05.08.04

  InkTank Community -> Should Women be Allowed to Preach?
  Sorry if this is something you disagree with, but I must be true to what I’m told in God’s Word (the bible). I do not expect non-christians to understand, let alone agree with, what I’m explaining here, but your comments (when civil) are welcome. I need to [...]

• There I Find Delight: Psalm 119:1-8 31.07.04

  “Yet how can I expect to obey commands which I have not committed to my heart and mind?”
  These are very true words. I often find myself wishing I had spent my time, my day, my life worshiping and serving the Lord, yet I only seem to think about this as I go to bed [...]

• Should Women be allowed to Preach? 31.07.04

  1 Timothy 2:11-12 11 A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. 12 But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. 13 For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve.

  Should a woman be allowed to be a deacon(ess) or [...]

• Kicked out of the Garden 21.05.04

  There are so many things I am thankful for, JG (PhotoJulia), Kaleo, my job, family, getting kicked out of the Garden of Eden…Yes, I am thankful for getting kicked out of the Garden. Sure it was probably the most beautiful place on Earth, plenty of food to eat, running around naked without a care [...]

• New Testament Deacon 21.05.04

  A short essay on Alexander Strauch’s The New Testament Deacon: The Church’s Minister of Mercy
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  When I began reading this book, I had now idea what a Deacon was supposed to be and therefore had no idea there was a question about it. Having read [...]

• Welcome to my writings page 21.05.04

  This BLOG will be for my more formal writings mostly associated with my leadership training at Kaleo. Anything I write that is more than the ramblings of a stressed out servant of the Lord will go here. This is where my papers on the books I’m reading will go with the occasional rambling [...]