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Author Archive for raseev
Young John Wesley once asked his mother to define sin, to which
her promt reply was
What ever weakens your reasoning, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sensitivity towards God, or takes away your relish for spiritual things. In short, anything that increases the authority of the flesh over the spirit, that is sin!
Wow, what a definition!.
Two of my most favorite present-day preachers (and I am sure of many others ;-)) come together to have an intriguing conversation that touches upon on some of the most pressing issues confronting Christians today. It is also so encouraging to hear them talk about how the Gospel is flourishing in unexpected parts of the world.
Well, if you are curious to know who these men are, and the content of their conversation, then just click on the below link :). I can assure you that you will enjoy listening to this discourse.
Have you ever wondered what spiritual growth is like, what it’s nature and essence is; why we need to grow spiritually and how do we know if we are being increasingly fruitful in our spiritual walk, and if we are growing and abounding in grace as we are called to do so (2 Peter 3:17-18). If you have been burdened with a desire to grow spiritually for His glory, but have struggled to know what it means with any degree of certainty, then AW Pink’s “Spiritual Growth” is something you will really appreciate. It is easily one of best texts available on this subject. It will illuminate your understanding of the often overlooked, least understood, but the most important aspect of the Christian walk, the Spiritual growth. Continue reading ‘Spiritual Growth - A.W Pink’
Man is by nature a religious entity. He finds objects or persons to worship and will ultimately reflect that object. It is for this reason that authentic worship is pivotal for the Christian’s life. True worship pulls together my conscience, heart, mind, imagination, and will. When these coalesce in unified expression, life finds its meaning.
In his sermon, Ravi Zacharias talks about genuine ingredients of God glorifying worship. These are -
- Worship with Emotions
- Worship with Reverence
- Worship with Sacrifice
- Worship with Purity
I would encourage you to listen to this sermon when you get a chance.
http://www.rzim.org/radio/archives.php?p=LMPT&v=detail&id=479
Many have surrendered their belief in absolute truth for the empty promise of a relativistic pursuit of experience. Here is the look at that pursuit and other issues raised by Ravi’s audience in the conclusion of his Q and A session from the University of Washington.
http://www.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/hurl?f=/rzim/JT/REAL/JTUWQA-5.rm
http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=1605&CFID=8597108&CFTOKEN=71412680
This is quite a long article, but some interesting snippets -
Advertising has begun to seep into churches, and the phenomenon shows
no signs of slowing down, say academic, religious and marketing
experts. Among the wave of early adopters: the Republican Party,
which successfully sold its platform to church-goers in the 2000
and 2004 elections; Hollywood, which discovered the economic power
of faith when Mel Gibson’s church-marketed film “The Passion of
the Christ” became a blockbuster; and publishing, with Rick Warren’s
best-selling The Purpose-Driven Life, heavily marketed by a
Christian publishing house.
But megachurches have changed the face of Sunday mornings, combining
the latest technology, a casual Starbucks-like atmosphere and upbeat
preaching to draw in crowds of thousands. They offer a particularly
tantalizing opportunity for those intent on network or “word-of-mouth”
marketing, a strategy that capitalizes on social relationships to
spread product information and influence purchasing, according to
Wharton marketing professor Patti Williams. “Megachurch members are
drawn together by a strong common bond. Networks that exist
naturally facilitate word-of-mouth marketing, because people tend to
share information with those they are close to,” she says.
But why is it many feel, instinctively, that the market and the
church should inhabit distinct spheres? The Constitution mandates
the separation of church and state, but the relationship between
church and commerce is largely unregulated. One answer may lie in the
gospels themselves, where Jesus spoke frequently about the dangers
of wealth, warning that “you cannot serve both God and mammon.”
More dramatically, he overturned the tables of businessmen inside
the Jewish temple and drove them out with a whip, saying
“Make not my Father’s house a house of merchandise.”
The dangers of commerce intruding — or being invited — into churches
are “infinite” from a religious point of view, says Jethani, who is
one of two pastors at an “accessibly-sized” congregation of
400 in Wheaton, Ill. “Christianity comes to be viewed, not as
submission to Christ and love of your neighbor, but an identity
like any other, defined by what you buy, who you vote for, what
entertainment you consume. Becoming so cozy with the methodology of
business completely warps the message of the New Testament.”
