As I mentioned last week I am taking a bit of a writing break. Here is the second part of the interview continuing with Ron Malionek and the first part of Pastor Dick May. Dick was an amazing guy who shared Jesus with thousands of people. He had a special gift of evangelism and had no fear in sharing the Gospel. We graduated into eternity a few years ago and I miss him.
Good News Cape Ann CMA Part 1
While I am on a writing break, I thought I would give some videos of some friends of mine who are members of CMA and appeared on a Local Access program in Gloucester, MA in 2009. Sherm Derring is first and he was our chapter's Road Captain at the time. He has an awesome testimony. Ron Malionek was President of our chapter at the time and is a very dear friend of mine. I had the honor of playing electric and acoustic guitar on his CD. These videos are dear to me.
The Kingdom of God Part 6: Come as a Child
My kids are grown now. Both have moved out of the house and are living lives that are independent of their parents. I am exceedingly proud of my kids and what they have accomplished in their lives. But in that pride is a bit of sorrow. I miss picking up my daughter and her beeping my nose, saying, with a laugh, “Boopies, I got you first!” I miss having deep conversations with my then four-year-old son. “Daddy, what ‘cuz the world to go in circles around the sun?” Yes, they had their times of disobedience, and they needed to be corrected from time to time. However, those memories have faded into the past. Mostly what remains are memories of happy, joyous times with my children.
The Holy Spirit Fulfillment of Torah Law Part 2 of 2.
The question remains, what is the role of the Torah given the resurrection and ascension?
The Holy Spirit Fulfillment of Torah Law Part 1 of 2
Though the Old Testament, the Law, Torah enabled the people of Israel to have identification as a nation, know the character of YHWH, and have a moral/ceremonial/legal code of conduct, it could not offer complete salvation until the person and work of Jesus and the arrival of the new law, the Holy Spirit.
The Return of the Prodigal Son
Until recently, I had never read any of Henri Nouwen’s work. I have a feeling that my choice of starting with The Return of the Prodigal Son was an excellent place to start. Nouwen’s reflections on not just the parable Jesus told in Luke 15, but also reflections on the famous painting by Rembrandt. Tying in these two elements, I was deeply challenged by Nouwen to reflect on the three main characters in the story: the younger son, the elder son, and the father.
The Kingdom of God part 5: There is only one King!
For this series on the Kingdom of God, we have seen how the Kingdom of God is something that is both now and future, that we live in the Kingdom by following Jesus’ words in the Beatitudes, that the gospel is not just when we die we go to Heaven but is centered on the work of Jesus, and that we can approach the throne of the King in prayer. This installment, I want to focus on the fact that there is only one King
Jesus Breaths: The Reception of the Holy Spirit in John 20
In John 20, Jesus does something entirely unexpected. The resurrection itself was quite surprising, but now, in the upper room, Jesus breaths on the disciples and states, “Receive the Holy Spirit. John 20:22 (CSB). This essay will review the background understanding of the Holy Spirit for the Jewish disciples, exegesis of John 20:21-23 with observations and interpretations, and conclude with an application.
Apostasy of the Christian Church: Evaluating Mormon Claims that the Christian Church Ceased After the Apostles Part 2 of 2
If the Mormon claim is correct and the church was apostate after the death of the disciples, then there are many ramifications of that fact.
Apostasy of the Christian Church: Evaluating Mormon Claims that the Christian Church Ceased After the Apostles Part 1 of 2
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS or Mormon interchangeably) holds many doctrines and beliefs that are contrary to orthodox Christian faith. The nature of God, who Jesus was, and the authority of Scripture, are among a legion of theological positions that separate Mormons from traditional Christian thought. Among these many differences is the Mormon claim that the church ceased to exist as an orthodox body after the death of the apostles.
