StreetFishing

Halloween Night Open Air

th3zs@aol.com (Robert Tewart) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:00:00 +0000

This is Rob-roy Nelson preaching the Gospel on Mill Avenue in Tempe, Arizona on Halloween night. Way to "bring it" Rob-roy!

Grace Under Pressure

th3zs@aol.com (Robert Tewart) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:00:00 +0000

Tony "The Lawman" Miano is a tough cookie, but I could see that this young woman was really starting to push it. I'll let the profanity warning on the video speak for themself. You can check out the rest of his post at his blog.

Seizure of 15,000 Bibles in Malaysia Stuns Christians

th3zs@aol.com (Robert Tewart) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:00:00 +0000

Imports confiscated for using “Allah,” a forbidden word for non-Muslims.

FRESNO, Calif., November 7 (CDN) — Malaysian port and customs authorities have seized at least 15,000 Bibles in recent months because the word “Allah” for God appears in them.

Some 10,000 of the Bahasa Malaysia-language Bibles, which were printed in Indonesia, are in Kuching, capital of Sarawak in East Malaysia, and another 5,000 copies are in Kelang near Kuala Lumpur.

The Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) on Wednesday (Nov. 4) called for the immediate release of the confiscated Bibles. At the same time, CFM Executive Secretary Tan Kong Beng told Compass that the federation is striving for amicable relations with government authorities.

“We are open to and desire further discussion with officials so that this problem can be resolved,” the CFM official said.

Continue reading...

Six Months Later, Pastor Still Missing

th3zs@aol.com (Robert Tewart) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:00:00 +0000

The Rev. William Reyes’ wife awaits word, fears for safety of her children.

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana, March 22 (CDN) — Six months after the disappearance in Colombia of the Rev. William Reyes of Maicao, La Guajira, no one knows what happened to him.

This week marks six months of agonizing uncertainty for the family of Rev. Reyes. On Sept. 25, 2008, the pastor of Light and Truth Inter-American Church disappeared en route home from a ministers’ meeting in Valledupar, a city in the neighboring department (state) of Cesar.

Family members and friends fear that guerrilla fighters kidnapped the veteran minister; they have not seen or heard from him since his disappearance. Rev. Reyes and colleagues in the Fraternity of Evangelical Pastors of Maicao had received repeated threats from illegal armed groups operating in the La Guajira peninsula since March 2008.

Guerrillas or their paramilitary rivals may have assassinated Rev. Reyes and disposed of his body, and some observers even speculate that he may have fallen victim to rogue units of the Colombian army that murder innocent civilians to inflate the body counts of “terrorists” killed in battle.

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Christ The Only Way: R.C. Sroul

th3zs@aol.com (Robert Tewart) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:00:00 +0000

A Knock On The Door Is Always An Opportunity

th3zs@aol.com (Robert Tewart) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:01:00 +0000

This is a recent entry from Tony Miano's blog. The interesting thing is that around the same time, I had a young man named Terrell from Chicago come to my door. Their scripts were almost identical. Right down to him calling me "Mr. Robert."

This is a good example of why to have a recording device handy for evangelism encounters. Check your state laws for the legalities. Much like California, Arizona has a"one party consent law," which means that a recording of a conversation can be made so long as at least one person in the conversation (and it can be the person making the recording) knows that a recording is being made.

Michael, a young man from the mean streets of North St. Louis, knocked on my door today. A former gang member who was now trying to right his moral ship, was out trying to sell magazine subscriptions. He didn't make a sale. He received something much more important.

If for some reason the player doesn't work on your computer, click here to listen to my conversation with Michael.

Why Read The Puritans Today?

th3zs@aol.com (Robert Tewart) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:00:00 +0000

The God we worship and adore must be the God who has revealed Himself in the bible and in His Son Jesus Christ. Approaching God casually will not do. Our pastors and churches are supposed to be there to guide us in our worship and growth, but sadly, it is far more common for churches to model themselves after the culture in the name of "relevance."

The puritans had a very different view of God in all His majesty, holiness and sovereignty. Reading their works is both a comfort and blessing, ushering us into a revererant mindset seemingly long lost. May we seek to worship Him in spirit and in truth giving full honor to his Lordship.

Soli Deo Gloria!

by Don Kistler

Soli Deo Gloria just reached a milestone for us: we sold our 200,000th volume in January. And I dare say few would have thought that you could make it in publishing selling 300 year old religious books by the Puritans! There are several reasons, I believe, for the resurgence in interest in the Puritans and their writings. One is that people are getting tired of religion offering things it can't deliver. All kinds of promises are being made, but people come out of self-interest and when these things don't come true, they are disappointed. I think they are also tired of shallow, superficial religion.

Most people don't worship God because the God most people hear about really isn't worth worshipping. He is not the "high and lofty one," He is not the "Lord God Omnipotent Who Reigneth Forever and Ever." He is just "my friend," and familiarity surely breeds contempt!

The Puritans, people are finding men who were passionately obsessed with the knowledge of God. I have listed several thing that I think are reasons why we should read the Puritans today, and every one of those reason is directly derived from the Puritans view of God and Scripture.

Continue reading...

Anchored In Truth

th3zs@aol.com (Robert Tewart) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:00:00 +0000

Here's another great web site for solid sermons and links from a solid ministry. Jeff Noblitt may best be known as Paul Washer's pastor. A title I'm guessing neither of them care for.

Visit Anchored In Truth to find a wealth of edifying resources.

In Love With Jesus?

th3zs@aol.com (Robert Tewart) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:00:00 +0000

by Michael Spencer

Come follow me, and I will make you all mushy

Jesus, I am so in love with You
-Matt Redman

Let what we do in here, fill the streets out there. Let us dance for you (x2)
All of my life, and nothing less, I offer You, my righteousness
- Charlie Hall, "Madly"

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, vast, unmeasured, boundless, free!Rolling as a mighty ocean in its fullness over me!Underneath me, all around me, is the current of Thy loveLeading onward, leading homeward to Thy glorious rest above!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, spread His praise from shore to shore!How He loveth, ever loveth, changeth never, nevermore!How He watches o’er His loved ones, died to call them all His own;How for them He intercedeth, watcheth o’er them from the throne!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, love of every love the best!’Tis an ocean full of blessing, ’tis a haven giving rest!O the deep, deep love of Jesus, ’tis a heaven of heavens to me;And it lifts me up to glory, for it lifts me up to Thee!
-Samuel Francis

The times, they are a-changin'. We have gone from singing about the overwhelming, faithful, constant, covenant love of Jesus Christ for Christians, to singing about the most changeable, gullible and frothy of human emotions- romantic love. These days, our worship is full of announcing that we are "in love" with Jesus.

If the problem were simply music, I'd leave it alone. Better people than this writer have painfully noted the "God is my girlfriend" bent of modern praise and worship music. In fact, the brilliant people over at Lark News have taken us over the edge into the possibility that Wal-mart might have to ban certain Vineyard worship CDs in the future for their explicit lyrics. The satirical article says "The ground-breaking — some say risqué — album includes edgy worship songs such as "My Lover, My God," "Touch Me All Over," "Naked Before You," "I'll Do Anything You Want," "Deeper" and "You Make Me Hot with Desire." If you think that's over the top, you aren't listening to much CCM these days.

Some very sharp culture watchers have traced the influence of romanticism and romantic language on evangelical piety over the last two centuries. A hymn like Samuel Francis's "In The Garden" could be interpreted in several ways, but the romantic interpretation is the most obvious. Such a hymn could only be accepted and become popular in an evangelicalism that had already been considerably influenced by femininization and romantic imagery.

Continue reading....

Christian in Somalia Who Refused to Wear Veil is Killed

th3zs@aol.com (Robert Tewart) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 15:00:00 +0000

‘Moderate’ Islamist group had long suspected woman in Puntland was Christian.

NAIROBI, Kenya, October 27 (CDN) — Three masked members of a militant Islamist group in Somalia last week shot and killed a Somali Christian who declined to wear a veil as prescribed by Muslim custom, according to a Christian source in Somalia.

Members of the comparatively “moderate” Suna Waljameca group killed Amina Muse Ali, 45, on Oct. 19 at 9:30 p.m. in her home in Galkayo, in Somalia’s autonomous Puntland region, said the source who requested anonymity for security reasons.

Ali had told Christian leaders that she had received several threats from members of Suna Waljameca for not wearing a veil, symbolic of adherence to Islam. She had said members of the group had long monitored her movements because they suspected she was a Christian.

Continue reading...

New, More Dangerous Hindu Extremist Groups Emerge in India

th3zs@aol.com (Robert Tewart) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:00:00 +0000

Christians concerned as rightwing factions splinter to form militant outfits.

PUNE, India, October 29 (CDN) — After more than a decade of severe persecution, India’s Christian minority is growing increasingly concerned over the mushrooming of newer and deadlier Hindu extremist groups.

Gone are the days when Christians had to watch out only for the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Council) and its youth wing, Bajrang Dal, which are closely linked with the most influential Hindu extremist umbrella organization, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). With voter support faltering for the RSS’s political wing, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), moderate and extremist sections within the Hindu nationalist movement are blaming each other, and militant splinter groups have emerged.

Claiming to be breakaway factions of the RSS, new groups with even more extreme ideology are surfacing. The Abhinav Bharat (Pride of India), the Rashtriya Jagran Manch (National Revival Forum), the Sri Ram Sene (Army of god Rama), the Hindu Dharam Sena (Army for Hindu Religion) and the Sanatan Sanstha (Eternal Organization) have launched numerous violent attacks on Christian and Muslim minorities.

Continue reading...

Puritans Picks

th3zs@aol.com (Robert Tewart) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:00:00 +0000

Here's a great site that I found on Bring The Noiz blog. It's basically a kind of "Net Flix" for Christians with lots of solid video to choose from. Titles range from conferences to movies to children's selections.

Getting The Gospel Down Deep

th3zs@aol.com (Robert Tewart) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:00:00 +0000

Here's another good article from On Earth as it is in Heaven, the blog of Tullian Tchividjian.

Thinking out the deep implications of the gospel and applying its powerful reality to all parts of my life is a daily challenge and a daily adventure. Theologically I understand that the gospel didn’t just ignite my Christian life but it’s also the fuel that keeps me going and growing every day. My challenge is understanding how this works functionally. So, here are a few questions I go back to all the time which help me make the connection between what Christ accomplished for me and my daily internal grind:

Since Jesus secured my pardon and absorbed the Father’s wrath on my behalf so that “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”, how does that impact my longing for approval, my tendency to be controlling, and my fear of the unknown?

How do the life, death, and resurrection of Christ affect my thirst for security, affection, protection, meaning, and purpose?

In other words, how does the finished work of the One “exposed, ravaged, ruined, and resurrected for us” satisfy my deepest daily needs so that I can experience the liberating power of the gospel every day and in every way?

Being able to answer these questions helps me to get the gospel deep into the fabric of my being.

HT: On Earth as it is in Heaven

How To Identify A Reliable Preacher

th3zs@aol.com (Robert Tewart) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:00:00 +0000

A couple of days ago I ran across the blog of Tullian Tchividjian. Tchividjian is the grandson of evangelist Billy Graham as well as the replacement for Dr. James Kennedy who pastored Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Ft. Lauderdale Florida for forty eight years. Kennedy died in 2007.

Not only is his name really fun to say, but his blogs are practical, short, and rich with God honoring truth.

The hardest thing to do was to choose which of his posts I wanted to use in introducing his blog. I liked how he wove the five solas of the reformation into this particular article. So, here it is:

How To Identify A Reliable Preacher

by Tullian Tchividjian

Two weeks ago I mentioned in my sermon that God grows Christians by feeding them his Word. One way he does this is by providing the church with teachers and preachers. This means that if we are going to grow we need to be sitting at the feet of reliable carriers of God’s truth. This, however, begs the question: how can we identify a reliable carrier of God’s truth? The Bible makes it clear that there are many unreliable carriers of so-called truth. Satan masquerades as an angel of light seeking to deceive. So we need a lot of biblical discernment here. Just because a teacher or preacher comes in Jesus’ name with a Bible under his arm doesn’t automatically mean he is reliable.

Thankfully both the Bible and church history give us some direction here. So I want to provide you with a brief list of five questions (based on the five sola’s of the Reformation) that can help you discern the reliability of a particular teacher or preacher.

Question 1 (Sola Scriptura): Does the preacher ground everything he says in the Bible? Does he, in other words, begin with the authority and sufficiency of Scripture? A reliable carrier of God’s truth seeks to revel in, wrestle with, and expound from, the Bible. He starts with the Bible. All of his comments flow from what a particular passage in the Bible says. He doesn’t simply use the Bible to support what he wants to say. That is, he submits to what the Bible says, he does not seek to submit the Bible to what he says. He cares about both the Old Testament and the New Testament. He refuses to take verses out of context. He recognizes the unity of the Bible. He acknowledges that both the Old Testament and the New Testament tell one story and point to one figure, namely that God saves sinners through the accomplished work of his son Jesus Christ.

Question 2 (Sola Gratia): Does the preacher freely emphasize that because of sin, a right relationship with God can only be established by God’s grace alone? Beware of any teaching that emphasizes man’s ability over God’s ability; man’s freedom over God’s freedom; man’s power over God’s power; man’s initiative over God’s initiative. Beware of any teaching which subtlety communicates that a right relationship with God depends ultimately on human response over Divine sovereignty.

Question 3 (Sola Fide): Does the preacher stress that salvation is not achieved by what we can do, rather salvation is received by faith in what Christ has already done? It has been rightly stated that there really are only two religions: the religion of human accomplishment and the religion of Divine accomplishment. Does the preacher emphasize the former or the latter? A reliable carrier of God’s truth always highlights the fact that God saves sinners; sinners don’t save themselves.

Question 4 (Sola Christus): Does the preacher underline that Christ is the exclusive mediator between God and man? Does the explainer both affirm and proclaim that Jesus is “the way, the truth, and the life” and that nobody comes to the Father but by Christ? Does he talk about sin and the necessity of Christ? Preachers must learn how to unveil and unpack the truth of the Gospel from every Biblical text they preach in such a way that it results in the exposure of both the idols of our culture and the idols of our hearts. The faithful exposition of our true Savior from every passage in the Bible painfully reveals all of the pseudo-saviors that we trust in culturally and personally. Every sermon ought to disclose the subtle ways in which we as individuals and we as a culture depend on lesser things than Jesus to provide the security, acceptance, protection, affection, meaning, and satisfaction that only Christ can supply. In this way, good preachers must constantly show just how relevant and necessary Jesus is; they must work hard to show that we are great sinners but Christ is a great Savior.

Question 5 (Sola Deo Gloria): Does the preacher exalt God above all? A reliable explainer will always lead you to marvel at God. A true carrier of God’s truth will always lead you to encounter the glory of God. A God-centered teacher is just that: God-centered. He will preach and teach in such a way that you find yourself hungering and thirsting for God. You will listen to sermon after sermon and walk away with grand impressions of Divine personality, not grand impressions of human personality.

This is just a start, but I hope it serves as a resource to help you determine the reliability of a particular teacher or preacher.

Good Scriptures To Memorize For Evangelism

th3zs@aol.com (Robert Tewart) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:00:00 +0000

In keeping with scripture memorization, here is a nifty list of scriptures sent to me from my friend Edwin Lo. This collection is especially useful for those of us involved in evangelism.

It's a cut-and-paste, so double check the reference to make sure there are no typos or misquotes.

King James Version

Prov 20:6 Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?

Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

Rom 2:21 Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that
preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?

Rom 2:22 Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit
adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?

Matt 5:28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her
hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

Rom 2:22 Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?

James 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

Rev 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and
whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

2Pet 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness;
but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Rom 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Mark 1:15 The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

Luke 13:3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is
condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth
not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

2 Cor 6:2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of
salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

Matt 4:4 It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that
proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Matt 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy
name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

Matt 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

2 Cor 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know
ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

Scripture Memorization

th3zs@aol.com (Robert Tewart) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:00:00 +0000

by Henry Morris, Ph.D. May. 19, 2009

Tony Miano posted an article about scripture memorization last week, and I thought I would follow up with some more concerning this worthy discipline.

"Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." (Psalm 119:11)

The memorizing of Scripture has become almost a lost art among Christians today, and it is a great loss, for storing Scripture in the heart can be a great blessing in one's Christian life and witness.

The example of the early Christians is clear: Peter, Stephen, Paul, and others quoted extensively from the Old Testament in their impromptu sermons (Acts 2:17-21; 7:32-34; 13:33-35; etc.), and the same has been true of most of the great preachers and teachers of the Word ever since. There are multitudes of situations where it is of great help to be able to cite from memory an appropriate Scripture passage.

In our present generation, there have been many Christian lay organizations--the Gideons, the Navigators, the Bible Memory Association, and others--that have strongly urged their members to memorize Scripture and have experienced great blessing as a result. Any Christian can do it if he tries and will find his Christian life strengthened in the process.

But the main reason for memorizing Scripture is the Word itself in effect commands it: "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord" (Colossians 3:16).
The Lord Jesus Himself, in His humanity, no doubt learned the Scriptures as a boy (Luke 2:47, 52) and then quoted from them extensively in His many discourses, "leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps" (1 Peter 2:21). He provided a perfect illustration of the validity of our text, defeating Satan in each of his three temptations simply by quoting a Scripture verse that He had long before hidden in His heart (Matthew 4:4, 7, 10). For the Word truly to be in our lives, it needs to be in our hearts.

Raid on Full Gospel Church

th3zs@aol.com (Robert Tewart) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 04:37:00 +0000

Is this coming to America? Please pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world.

HT: The Lawman Chronicles

Faces of Persecution

th3zs@aol.com (Robert Tewart) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 15:00:00 +0000

Please watch this video and continue praying for our persecuted bretheren.

Benny Hinn Goes Public to Answer Critics

th3zs@aol.com (Robert Tewart) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:00:00 +0000

...But does he really give any answers at all?

This story is only interesting because Benny Hinn doesn't seem to be giving any new answers. The only clue of honesty is when he admits his lavish lifestyle. One has to wonder why he uses hyperbole when making his case.

"Look, you know there's this idea supposedly that we preachers are supposed to
walk about with sandals and ride bicycles. That's nonsense," he said,
noting that the private plane is "a necessity, not a luxury."

What's rediculous Benny, is that you actually could have said that with a straight face. If you really want to face your critics and salvage any credibility at all, how about saving the money from reserving expensive venues for your "healing" services and just visit a few of the burn centers and children's hospitals around the world-- But somehow I just don't think that's going to happen.

In a rare interview, controversial preacher and faith healer Benny Hinn laid some of his cards on the table, saying he's been wanting to answer his critics for 20 years.

"I'm very pleased ... because it's time for me to tell it all," Hinn told ABC's Dan Harris in an interview that aired Monday night. "I don't want people talking for me. I want to talk for myself."

For years, Hinn has been a subject of scrutiny by the media and recently the government for the miraculous healings he claims to do and the lavish lifestyle he leads.

His ministry's latest report from the "Fire Conference and Miracle Service" last month in New York states that teens were healed of leukemia, lung cancer and partial deafness.

"There were so many miracles of healing that people were lined along the sides of the auditorium from the front to the back waiting to come to the platform to testify of God’s healing touch!" the report touts.

Such conferences, held around the world, have brought in hundreds of thousands of dollars at a time to the ministry, all of which are donations from attendees – many of whom were seeking a physical healing.

Hinn, who was born into a Greek Orthodox Christian family and later became a zealous charismatic, admitted to ABC that he doesn't have medical verification of the healings and said some people who claimed they were healed on stage at the events were actually not.

He said, "These are things that I cannot explain because I am not the healer. I'm human like you."

Continue reading...

Peanut Butter Salvation

th3zs@aol.com (Robert Tewart) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:00:00 +0000

If you listen to Wretched Radio on Family Net radio, you may have heard the report of youth pastors doing some pretty bizarre things to get the attention of their congregants You can read the full article here as reported by Susan Cooper Eastman of Folio Weekly.

The best answer head youth pastor John Wyatt could give for these disgusting acts was the following:

“Unfortunately, somebody was offended,and we apologized right away,” says
PastorWyatt. “But the other side of that is, there was a whole bunch of kids who
gave their life to Christ that night. Ultimately, our goal is to get people into
church and into a relationship with Jesus.”

My question to Pastor Wyatt

Why does it sound like you are taking credit for anyone getting saved? Or at the very least, why do you think that the seemingly positive outcome is argument enough to encourage such a low view of the holiness of God. Do you really think that smearing peanut butter on a youth pastor's armpits and then asking minors to lick it off is more powerfull than a biblically sound presentation of the gospel? Only God and the individuals know and only time will ultimately tell if anyone was truly saved. If so pastor Wyatt, it was not because of your blasphemous antics but in spite of them.

As It Is Written...

th3zs@aol.com (Robert Tewart) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:00:00 +0000

Thanks to Tony Miano for this great article! Later this week I will post some of the resources that I've come across to help with scripture memorization.

Memorizing Scripture

Like many of my Christian brethren, I struggle for consistency when it comes to Scripture memorization. I have been blessed to memorize a good number of verses and passages over the years; but I wonder how much more of God's Word I could have committed to memory over the last 21 years if I had more consistency in this important spiritual discipline.

The more I am engaged in heralding the gospel, whether preaching in the open-air or during one-to-one conversations, the more I come to realize how vitally important it is to cite the Word of God "as it is written," and the more convicted I become to try once again to consistently memorize Scripture.

Continue reading...

Lively Hope

th3zs@aol.com (Robert Tewart) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:00:00 +0000

by John D. Morris, Ph.D.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." (1 Peter 1:3)

This verse contains several enlightening words:

Blessed: The word in Greek means to be well spoken of, or praised. According to. This does not say that we are blessed according to the extent of His mercy, but rather, that He was impelled by His "abundant mercy" to save us.

Begotten: A child is begotten of parents and is of the same nature as its parents. We are begotten into God's family by the work of Christ. Again. There are two possible concepts which are attached to the term "born again"--born "the second time," or born "from above." In our text, the term used is literally born "the second time," but the Father mentioned is God. We are indeed born "the second time," and that "from above."

Lively: The word is in the form of a verbal adjective, having all the descriptive power of an adjective and all the active power of a verb. A "lively" hope is more than a hope that is living; it is actively alive. Hope. We hope, not in the sense of desiring something to come to pass, but in the confident assurance of something which certainly shall come to pass. We may "lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast" (Hebrews 6:18-19). We shall follow Christ in life everlasting.

Resurrection: It may seem strange to think we are born again "by the resurrection," but this was the instrument God used to bring about His purpose. In a real sense, Christ was "born again" with a glorified body when He arose from the dead. Since He is "the firstborn from the dead" (Colossians 1:18), many will follow, "that he might be the firstborn among many brethren" (Romans 8:29). JDM

HT: Days of Praise devotional

Where Was God?

th3zs@aol.com (Robert Tewart) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:00:00 +0000

Although I can't find the exact quote, John Piper recently commented on the video below.

If this baby had been killed, people from all over would be angrily asking where our great God was when it happened. Will they now acknowledge that his mighty hands were underneath the train protecting this infant?

Family of Kidnapped Colombian Pastor Flee Home

th3zs@aol.com (Robert Tewart) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 15:00:00 +0000

Alarmed by threatening strangers, wife and children of William Reyes leave Maicao.

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana, June 24 (CDN) — The wife and children of pastor William Reyes, who was kidnapped last September in Colombia and is still missing, have moved from their home to another city due to threatening strangers presumably linked to his kidnappers.

Compass learned that Idia Miranda Reyes, her son William, 19, and daughters Luz Nelly, 17, and Estefania, 9, suddenly left their home in Maicao in the department (state) of La Guajira two months ago and moved to an undisclosed location in the country.

The Rev. William Reyes disappeared on Sept. 25, 2008, en route to Maicao from the neighboring city of Valledupar. Since March 2008, the pastor of Light and Truth Inter-American Church and active member of the Fraternity of Evangelical Pastors of Maicao, had been receiving extortion threats from illegal armed groups operating in the La Guajira peninsula.

Family members have not heard from Pastor Reyes since, nor have his abductors contacted the family to demand ransom.

Continue reading....

Imprisoned Christian in Somaliland on Hunger Strike

th3zs@aol.com (Robert Tewart) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 15:00:00 +0000

Convert from Islam jailed for allegedly distributing Christian literature.

NAIROBI, Kenya, October 16 (CDN) — A convert from Islam in Somalia’s self-declared state of Somaliland has staged a hunger strike to protest his transfer to a harsh prison in a remote part of the country.

Osman Nour Hassan was arrested on Aug. 3 for allegedly providing Christian literature in Pepsi village, on the outskirts of the breakaway region’s capital city, Hargeisa. On Sept. 9 authorities transferred him from Hargeisa to Mandere prison, 60 kilometers (37 miles) away – a difficult, week-long trip for visitors that is expensive by Somali standards.

“Hassan is in really terrible shape,” a Christian source told Compass. “He is very discouraged.”

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