A blogger on Revlife recently posted an entry about why scare-tactic evangelism just doesn’t work. Read more about it here and tell me what you think.

Written by Pastor Larry Norris, a Baptist pastor based in MO:

THE TRINITY

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19).

Cults often attack the Trinity. Yet, teaching about the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is found throughout the Bible.

The first verse in the Bible contains the plural form of the word that is translated God, elohim.

Plurality is also indicated in such statements as: And God said, Let US make man in OUR image, after OUR likeness… (Genesis 1:26). And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of US (3:22).

Still, the Bible insists that God is ONE: Hear, 0 Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD (Deuteronomy 6:4).

In short, then, the Hebrew words used for God and to describe God call for a plurality in unity.

But who are the persons of this plurality?

One Person is the Father. Doubtless thou art our father (Isaiah 63:16).

One Person is the Son. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee (Psalm 2:7).

One Person is the Holy Spirit. And the earth was without form and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters (Genesis 1:2).

Paul’s benediction at the end of his second letter to the Corinthians makes it clear: The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen (2 Corinthians 13:14).

Who could ask for more?

His Servant,
Pastor Larry Norris

Shared with permission

http://day1.org/1400-the_thunk_the_gap_and_the_six_as

This is a situation I’m all too familiar with, those who have literally been driven from the Church by others’ unChristian behavior. Do you think Christians in general are doing a good job of reaching out to the “spiritually wounded”?

72% for me….odd for this high-church Anglican, but some of my ancestors were Calvinists

http://www.trouw.nl/religie-filosofie/nieuws/article2050113.ece

Heart of New England
Not heard around these parts much.

A poem has been in circulation since 1998 about a child murdered by her/his father. Snopes has more information about the original poem

Child abuse is something we need to be more aware of. However, sending out what amounts to a chain letter that attempts to guilt-trip people into forwarding it isn’t really the best way to do it. Why not get involved with a charity that actively helps abused children and really make a difference?

More on chain letters and their problems:
http://breakthechain.org/reasons.html

It’s recently come to my attention that the Gary & Cindy Hogan e-mail has been making the rounds again. While initially a prayer request for a Cindy Hogman who really does exist, she now seems to be in remission. More can be found on her here

While it’s always a blessing to pray for others in need, outdated or misinformation-riddled prayer requests can make people skeptical of e-mailed prayer requests in general and disregard them. While I pray for all those in need, I do restrict prayer requests that I publicly post or distribute to those where I’ve received the request from the person in need of prayer or someone who knows them. This also eliminates misunderstandings that can occur when the person the e-mail is sent by never had anything to do with the request in question.

Letter from an Ex-Pentecostal
Long, but beautifully explains some of the problems within Oneness Pentecostalism, including coercive techniques used in a worship context

Slate.com

A thought-provoking and humorous look at the silliness of the 2012 apocolyptic frenzy

2:4 But God, being rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us, 2:5 even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 2:6 and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 2:7 that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus; 2:8 for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 2:9 not of works, that no one would boast. (World English Bible)

We humans have a lot of burdens placed on us. Some of them are self-imposed ones that we shouldn’t worry about. Those self-imposed ones are the ones that will drag us down fastest. Did you take on that other person’s shift when someone else could’ve covered it? Take on extra volunteering hours because things were slow?

No matter how good your intentions are, all your extra “busy work” won’t secure you a place in heaven. A lot of people wear themselves out trying to obtain eternal salvation through extra prayer services, taking on extra ministries, and giving more of their income to their church. Don’t be fooled, all our good works as Christians are a result of our faith, not a means of salvation.

The good news: God loves us in spite of our fallen nature. He showed this in the best way possible by Jesus’ sacrifice. There’s no need for boasting, since it’s all because of Jesus.