Ray and Laura - Lessons Learned

Blessings from...

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 17:16:00 -0800

A long time ago, someone I considered a friend said something to indicate that he and his had been a blessing to my family. I didn't disagree with him at the time, but it has always stuck with me. It just didn't feel right.
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My Performance

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 21:45:00 -0700

I couldn't count on all my fingers and toes how many times I've heard the term "independent fundamental baptist" pounded on a podium. And I have to admit, I've never really cared for it. It always had an air of arrogance to it. But that's just my opinion.

Fundamentalism is rigid, uncompromising teaching and practice about the absolute necessity of being in the right place, at the right time, wearing the right clothing, singing the right songs, and saying the right prayers. Fundamentalism is the fanatical pursuit and exaltation of human performance, insisting that everyone else perform the same religious rituals and rules while arbitrarily and irrationally giving blind loyalty to religious authority... From a Christian perspective, it is necessary to understand that fundamentalism within Christendom is not one and the same as the fundamentals of our faith. [source]
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The Well and the Water: an Allegory

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 12:51:24 -0700

By Kevin T. Bauder

Once upon a time, a band of vigorous tribesmen occupied a high and arid plain. They were surrounded by snow-covered peaks, and what little water they had trickled down from the glaciers and snowfields above. Water was precious to them, for their lives depended upon it. They took care not to waste a drop.
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Affair Proofing

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 12:49:00 -0700

I am above no sin. There are many things I could never see myself doing, but I'm not stupid enough to think I couldn't fall into any temptation. God is faithful and always provides an escape route from temptation and trials (1 Cor. 10:13). I just don't want to speed past my exit.
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The Forgotten Commandment

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 21:25:00 -0700

When we gave up on the 4th commandment, we opened the door to a great, exponential, downward slide... because we gave up on something that was so clearly, manifestly mandated by God. - Alistair Begg (1952-present)
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Do I Stand By My Convictions?

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 22:12:00 -0700

Define: Conviction - a fixed or firm belief
Synonyms: confidence, creed, doctrine, dogma, eye, faith, feeling, judgment call, mind, opinion, persuasion, principle, reliance, sentiment, slant, tenet, view

I love doctrine - principles and positions. Thomas Carlyle, the Scottish essayist and historian of the Victorian era, said: "Conviction is worthless unless it is converted into conduct." And I must agree. If I do not change my behavior because of a belief what difference does the opinion really make? So I have come to learn that gathering knowledge does nothing for me unless I place that knowledge into proper action: wisdom.

But there is more hope for a fool than for a man wise in his own eyes! (Prov. 26:12) And this is why I won't stand by my convictions.
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The Gospel of Jesus Christ Plus One

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 11:17:00 -0700

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are following a different gospel – not that there really is another gospel, but there are some who are disturbing you and wanting to distort the gospel of Christ. - Gal. 1:6, 7

Friend, if you had asked me several months ago what "a different gospel" looks like, I might have mentioned Mormonism, Catholicism, or something like that. But today, I must speak out against a distortion that has personally impacted my family: the very false gospel Paul was writing about.
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Closure

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 22:08:00 -0700

My life has moved beyond the turmoil of getting anathematized by men I considered friends. We've made some new friends and planted roots in a church body. I've made some spiritual strides lately: The future is unknown, and I've come to wait for it expectantly. But I'm missing something. I have cried out to my God for some semblance of closure. Proper closure accounts for all the clues and mysteries, leaves no stray ends, makes themes clear, and gives readers a sense that order is again in sight (define:closure).
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In God We "Trust"?

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 19:15:00 -0800

Definition: belief
Synonyms: assurance, certainty, certitude, confidence, conviction, credence, credit, dependence, entrustment, expectation, faith, gospel truth, hope, positiveness, reliance, stock, store, sureness
Antonyms: disbelief, distrust, mistrust

As I look around, I cannot say that the world around me even pretends to trust God. But more importantly, I don't think I really do either.
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Some things God 'told' me

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 21:30:00 -0800

I have been thinking a lot lately about how much truth God has given me. He's "told" me so many practical, life changing facts of the universe.
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Test Yourself

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 22:59:55 -0800

John Piper talks to a group of pastors about the importance of testing the soul to find out what is actually valued and loved. Is it Christ or other things?
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In sickness and in health

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 22:53:00 -0800

Since moving to Vegas, I've learned that first, it gets COLD here, and second, the odds of all members of my family being healthy at the same time are just slightly better than me hitting the jackpot at the Bellagio. (I suppose I'd have to actually go to the Bellagio, huh?)
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Shocking Message

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 21:41:00 -0800

For those of you that I haven't shared this sermon with yet... I strongly encourage you to sacrifice an hour of your time. Personally, this message struck me harder than I ever expected. I know it's just an Internet video, but truth is still truth.
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Football and other sins

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 17:34:00 -0800

John Bunyan said, "A man shall show his heart and life, what they are, more by one Lord's Day than by all the days of the week besides. To delight ourselves in God's service upon His Holy Day gives a better proof of a sanctified nature than to grudge at the coming of such days."
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Prayer doesn't save

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 17:23:00 -0800

Okay... the title is intentionally misleading. I recently made a statement that was taken out of context (I believe) and reduced to the title of this post.

The statement:
"Say a prayer" and "100% sure you are going to heaven" and "once saved always saved" is another gospel (2 Cor. 11:4).
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How to get to Heaven

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 14:00:00 -0800

Friend, if you were to die today, do you know for certain where you will spend eternity? I have good news for you!

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Some inaccuracies

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 19:26:00 -0800

In my search for Internet articles about deacons, I came across a statement in an introduction that struck a cord with me. I have long believed that even when a man (including myself) rephrases (or translates) scripture, there are certain necessary inaccuracies introduced. There is only one interpretation of the scriptures and I firmly believe no modern man has ever completely, properly interpreted anything more than a small excerpt of scripture.
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Deacons, Their Work and Qualifications

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 19:05:00 -0800

"...there is much misunderstanding relative to this subject so that the truth needs to be clearly set forth..."

Ain't that a fact! Recently, I've decided that I needed to research this topic a lot more than I have in the past. I have seen deacons mostly sitting in positions of honor, and perhaps even making decisions for the church. But what does the Bible really say about their duties and qualifications? Because that's really all that matters.
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Don’t get caught up in the offenses of others

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 16:04:15 -0800

“Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? He who walks uprightly, And works righteousness, And speaks the truth in his heart; He who does not backbite with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend” (Psa. 15:1-3).
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The Old Paths

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 15:08:00 -0800

In continuing my series on the lessons I learned over the last year, I'm probably going to have a hard time writing things chronologically. So I don't think I'm going to try...

The pastor preached a sermon out of Jeremiah 6:16: Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein. He preached encouraging us to not depart from the ways of old... the established ways.
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Lessons Learned

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 17:06:00 -0800

I'm feeling the need to journal some of the lessons that I've learned over the past year or so. I'm afraid that I'll be too quick to dismiss much of the progress made in my soul.
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