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Faith Without Works

Sat, 04 May 2013 17:46 PST

arisensleeper posted:

In a recent blog by our sister kreynolds, http://www.christianblog.com/blog/kreynolds/alivingfaith/ , she saysFaith versus works and works versus faith seems to be an endless, ongoing debate amongst Christians and yet I can't help but wonder why. Doesn't James make it quite clear that faith and works go hand in hand? So why do we quibble about it? If we say we have faith and yet that faith is not manifested through our actions towards others, the Word of God tells us that the faith we vigorously claim to have is dead. The same question plagues me daily. What is worse, whenever I say that works are a necessary part of our Christian lives and that faith without works is dead, I am invariably accused of preaching salvation by works. For those who know me and have read some of my posts, this is the farthest thing from the truth. Declaration or...

Wandering In The Desert

Thu, 02 May 2013 04:38 PST

arisensleeper posted:

Determining the will of God in our lives is sometimes like wandering in the desert where there are no marked roads and no signs. Even footprints are blown away with each gust of wind. Like the desert where there is neither water or food, it is a barren wasteland of sand and rock where the very things that sustain life are absent.How then shall we know where to go and what to do? To these questions, God supplies answers in Scripture that are rich in their simplicity. Consider the wanderings of the budding nation of Israel in the wilderness after their liberation from Egypt. God led them by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night; He fed them with quail and manna from heaven; and He sweetened bitter water and brought water from rocks.For us the lesson remains unchanged, we may not know where...

A Humbling Lesson

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 13:27 PST

arisensleeper posted:

I had plans to go back to the University to attend Chapel after dropping off the food for tomorrow evening's spaghetti dinner at local mission for the homeless but God had very different plans.On the way back, I was stopped at the traffic light in an unsavory part of town when I noticed a young man at the lights waiting to cross. He did not look steady on his feet and was holding onto the the post of a street sign for support. In that moment, I had two responses. The first was one that lamented the fact that someone would be drunk or high before noon and the second was a strong urge that I should pull over and see if he is OK. I was also torn between my desire to get back to University to enjoy the last worship chapel for the semester or to stop for...

Won't You Sit With Me A While?

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 17:37 PST

arisensleeper posted:

While volunteering at a Christian homeless shelter in my city tonight, a homeless man shared a poem that he wrote. It sums up much of what I believe and have shared in my clumsy way. He did it much more eloquently and poignantly. It touched me deeply, and I want to share it with you. Here it is:I was hungry and cold and you prayed for me,I thank you from the bottom of my heart,But I am still hungry and cold.I was hungry and cold and you gave me a hot meal and a coat,I thank you with the greatest of sincerity,But my soul remains empty and a different hunger and cold lingers.I do not want to sound ungrateful or demanding,But could you not do both?Would it be too much to ask?Could you sit with me a while and listen?I am lonely and I can tell you that it is...

The Day After Easter

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 12:11 PST

arisensleeper posted:

This is the day after Easter. Our Risen Lord appears to His disciples and followers over a 40day period before His Ascension. While the Gospels of Matthew and Mark end shortly after the Resurrection, the Gospels of Luke and John provide us with many details of encounters with Christ. More is spoken of in Acts and in 1 Cor 15. Even after His ascension, Christ appears to His faithful, most notably to Saul of Tarsus and finally to John as recorded in Revelations. Over the centuries, we have numerous accounts and testimonies of other encounters with the Risen Lord. I am reminded that we serve a Risen Saviour and call to mind His words to Thomas, Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. (John 20:29)Yes, this is the day after Easter and it seems that we so easily...

The Transforming Power Of The Risen Christ

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 12:31 PST

arisensleeper posted:

Christ is risen! He is risen Indeed! I am reminded today of the power of the Resurrection. Much has been said already of the significance of the Resurrection with regards to our salvation but little has been said about the life transforming power that it brings. Remember Peter and the other disciples? Remember how Peter denied Him three times on that terrible night? Remember the rest of the disciples who fled and hid? Now consider Peter after he meets the resurrected Christ. Remember how boldly he spoke on the Pentecost? How he and John faced down the priests and Pharisees? Peter would go on to lead the Church and steer it through her early years. He would challenge Jewish tradition and introduce the Gospel to the Gentiles and he himself would face martyrdom for the sake of Christ. Remember the disciples? How bold they were in the face of persecution?...

The Terrible Day Of Silence

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 12:33 PST

arisensleeper posted:

As I ponder the message of Good Friday, I am reminded that the Cross is incomplete without the Empty Tomb. Tomorrow is the day after the crucifixion, I call it The Terrible Day Of Silence. While His disciples and followers hid and cowered, and while the people of Jerusalem busied themselves with the Passover feast, a terrible battle rages and it will end with Christ's victory over the grave. Let us take this day to prepare our hearts and minds. Remember that as Christ hung upon the cross, the skies darkened and when He died the earth shoke, the graves opened, the dead were raised, and the curtain in the Temple was rent in half. Isn't it amazing that a Roman soldier would see and declare Surely, this is the Son of God! when the Chosen of Israel remained intransigent. The hardened heart and the distracted spirit are both equally...

May We Never Deny Him

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 13:01 PST

arisensleeper posted:

I subscribe to VOM, Voice of the Martyrs, and I often read about the acts of the unyielding faith and courage of so many Christians around the world. Acts that puts me to shame and cause me to question if I would have the same faith and courage if it were me. I often hear my brothers and sisters in Christ here in North America saying how much the Church is being persecuted and how much persecution we face. I do not want to make light of their declarations but there is a big difference between oppression and persecution. We do not have the authorities and angry mobs breaking down our doors, burning our Bibles and churches, arresting and killing us. We meet in our churches and homes without the fear, yet we water down the Gospel for fear that our words might offend. We refrain from using words like...

Lord You Are Leaving Us, What Shall We Do?

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 11:24 PST

arisensleeper posted:

Following His revelation of the End Days Jesus tells three parables one after another. (Matthew 25:146): The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins (113), The Parable of The Talents (1430) and The Sheep and The Goats (3146).In the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins, Jesus likens the Kingdom of Heaven to 10 virgins who took their lamps and went out to greet the bridegroom. Of the 10 virgins 5 were wise and 5 were foolish. The wise virgins had made sure that their lamps were filled with oil while the foolish ones took lamps without oil. He goes on to say that because the bridegroom was delayed all the virgins fell asleep. When the bridegroom appeared at midnight the 10 virgins trimmed their lamps and prepared to go out to meet him. To their dismay, the foolish virgins who did not bring oil with their lamps found their...

Who Is Christ To You?

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 12:03 PST

arisensleeper posted:

The Gospel of Matthew records that following the clearing of the Temple, Jesus continues teaching in the Temple till the end of the day. At this time the chief priests and elders of the Temple came and questioned His authority (Matthew 21:2327).Having exposed their insincerity and duplicity, Jesus tells three parables that further indict the religious leadership of the time: The Parable of the Two Sons (Matthew 21:2832), The Parable of The Tenants (Matthew 21:3346), and The Parable of The Wedding Banquet (Matthew 22:114).Threatened by Jesus and their growing loss of credibility, the religious leadership sorely wished that they could arrest Jesus to silence Him. Yet mindful of His popularity and fearful of the reaction of the people, they sought to trap Jesus. Thus begins an exchange that on the one hand confound their attempts and on the other reveal much of the heart of the Gospel.First they attempt to...

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