Prayer, Part 1

Churches in our city or talking a lot about Prayer lately. Here is 2 parts of a video on Prayer.
One prayer from the Puritans: The Valley of Vision states this:

In Prayer

O Lord, in prayer I launch far out into the eternal world, and on that broad ocean my soul triumphs over all evils on the shores of mortality. Time, with its gay amusements and cruel disappointments never appears so inconsiderate as then.

In prayer I see myself as nothing; I find my heart going after Thee with intensity, and long with vehement thirst to live to Thee. Blessed be the strong gales of the Spirit that speed me on my way to the New Jerusalem.

In prayer all things here below vanish, and nothing seems important but holiness of heart and the salvation of others.

In prayer all my worldly cares, fears, anxieties disappear, and are of as little significance as a puff of wind.

In prayer my soul inwardly exults with lively thoughts at what Thou art doing for Thy church, and I long that Thou shouldest get Thyself a great name from sinners returning to Zion.

In prayer I am lifted above the frowns and flatteries of life, and taste heavenly joys; entering into the eternal world I can give myself to Thee with all my heart, to be Thine for ever.

In prayer I can place all my concerns in Thy hands, to be entirely at Thy disposal, having no will or interest of my own.

In prayer I can intercede for my friends, ministers, sinners, the church, Thy kingdom to come, with greatest freedom, ardent hopes, as a son to his father, as a lover to the beloved.

Help me to be all prayer and never to cease praying.

The Way God Speaks to Us

The way God speaks to a believer is very much a disagreed on subject. My former Pastor and I did not agree on this matter. James MacDonald explains ways God speaks to us. It is so important to be careful with this important issue. Being deceived is a ever present danger to the believer. Stay with the Word of God.

Historicity of Jesus

The Jesus myth is only in the eyes of one who refuses to leave his presuppositions and let the evidence speak for it self. There must be other reasons for those like Dan Barker to refuse the existence of Jesus Christ.

The Sovereignty of God

After my first two years of Bible College I remember at graduation the president of the college saying something that will never leave me till I leave this body. He said that we have not taught you everything you need to known about the Bible so you need to continue to pursue knowing God through His Word when you leave. Never stop studying God's Word. This was just the beginning.
There was one concept of God that was lacking in my understanding of God. And that was the Sovereignty of God. I don't even remember it coming up in class of any type or from any chapel
speaker. The God I was worshipping all those years was a false God. A god that I made up in my understanding and lack of studying God's Word. It wasn't their fault. Going through everything that I have in life was with a god that was not totally in control and not having the last word in everything! Here is a video that I hope will be help in understanding the Sovereignty of God.

Slaves of Christ

The message today at church spoke to my heart. So much that I want to share another message from John MacArthur on Slavery. I firmly believe that the evangelical church would not be in a state of dumbing down the Gospel if the translators of the Bible would have kept the word slave instead of using servant. There is nothing wrong with being called a slave of Jesus Christ. The question is do I act like it.
Lord do your work in our hearts!

Being Defensive

When I first saw this clip. I asked myself wow, where am I at, with this matter.
If someone thinks that my answer to their question is being defensive. Are they the final authority. Or again am I being defensive. I am a little confused.
It is important to accept correction from a brother in the church. But if I disagree with their observation is this being defensive?
When I approached my former Pastor of my concerns of some of the prayer practices in the church. He was upset but was he defensive? In answering Him I attempted to clarify my words. Again was I being defensive in my answers. Maybe this video will help clarify what this word means. And May the Holy Spirit do His work in me!

Burning Down Shack

This radio program was done in Feb/2010 on http://http//wretchedradio.com/. This caught my attention because it revealed some new research on the book, The Shack. There have been many helpful articles to warn people of the dangerous teaching inside this book, even though it is fiction. The authors presuppositions come out loud and clear in the book.
This audio/video is an interview with James B. DeYoung who knew William P. Young. He has a new book out called, Burning Down the Shack.
He also has web site that I would recommend to help discern the contents of the Shack.
http://http//theshackreview.com/.
There is a very good quick chart to compare what the book says, and what The Bible states and what Universal Reconciliation states. http://http//theshackreview.com/content/Comparison-Shack-UR-Bible.pdf
Please take time and help someone and provide them with this information. With Love and Understanding!