Mike Monsoor, a Navy EOD Technician, was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor posthumously for jumping on a grenade in Iraq, giving his life to save his fellow SEALs.

 

During Mike’s funeral in San Diego, as his coffin was being moved from the hearse to the grave site at Ft. Rosecrans National Cemetery, SEALs were lined up on both sides of the pallbearers route forming a column of twos, with the coffin moving up the center. As Mike’s coffin passed, each SEAL, having removed his gold Trident from his uniform, slapped it down embedding the Trident in the wooden coffin.

 

 

Epaphras lived in the city of Colossae which was located in modern day Turkey.  At one time Colossae was a thriving city with a busy trade route running through it.  Unfortunately, over the years the route had been changed and now went through a neighboring city called Laodicea.  By the time of Christ the city of Colossae had been in decline.  Epaphras’ home town of Colossae was made up of primarily Gentiles, but since about 200 years before, many Jews had settled there too. 

While living in Colossae, Epaphras may have been searching for something more from life.  His searchmay have taken him to the popular religions of his town.  Religiously, on the one extreme there was Jewish legalism which taught that one could be righteous before God through the works of the law and a strict legalistic lifestyle.  On the other end of the spectrum was Greek Philosophy and Pagan mysticism with all of its rituals, chants, idols and trinkets.  Unfortunately for Epaphras he didn’t find peace with God with either of these two paths.

Epaphras may have been involved in some sort of trade business that caused him to have to travel from time to time.  It may have been that Epaphras’ business called for him to travel about 100 miles to the west to the port city of Ephesus.  While there it could have been that one of his business associates or a relative invited Epaphras to his home for a meal.  During the meal Epaphras noticed something different about the people present; they seemed to have a settle peace about them.  After the meal they gathered together and sat at the feet of a man that began to teach them.  The man, who they called Paul, spoke of One sent from God who was the Son of God.  The teacher even pointed to OT passages that prophesied about this Man hundreds of years before He came.  He told how God sent this Jesus to die for man’s sin and that he rose again to give them new life in Himself.  That day Epaphras trusted Christ as Savior and found the peace that he had been searching for.  His business called for him to be in Ephesus for some time, but now his focus seemed to shift from business deals to spendeing as much time as possible to sit at the feet of this teacher and learn as much about Jesus from the Word of God as He possibly could. 

Finally, it was time for Epaphras to return to his home town of Colossae.  Although it would be a sad goodbye to his new found friends – actually brothers and sisters – he was looking forward to going back and telling others what had happened to him. 

He returned to Colossae and told his family, friends and neighbors about the love of God in Christ.  He preached the gospel and called on them to turn from their idolatry and sin and trust Christ – many did.  It may have been that they started to meet together in his house or in the house of a wealthy convert named Philemon.  On his next trip to Ephesus, Epaphras was excited to bring the news to Paul about those that were born again. 

Eventually Paul had to leave Ephesus and sometime later he found himself under house arrest in Rome.  The Christians from all over where Paul’s ministry had taken him were on his heart.  Even those from Colossae, a city that Paul had never visited, were on his heart.  Unfortunately, this young church was already under attack from a false teaching later known as Gnosticism.  Epaphras was so concerned about this that he made the trip to Rome to report to Paul.  Yes, he was able to tell about more people that were saved, but he also called upon Paul to deal with the false teaching!  Even though he was under house arrest, Paul could not sit by while the very Person of Christ was under attack.  From that imprisonment Paul wrote the book that we know as Colossians.

“When one knows one is going to hanged, it concentrates the mind wonderfully”

            Dr. Samuel Johnson

I got a real kick out of the following email that Phil Johnson shared on his blog.  I loved his witty response.

From: Phil Johnson
To: Andrew M______
Subject: Re: Logical fallacies in “Defeating Darwinism”

Dear Andrew,

Many thanks for your message. You wrote:

> Dear Mr Phillip Johnson,
>
> I have read with interest your book
> called “Defeating Darwinism”

That’s not my book. I’m Phillip R. Johnson. The book was written by Phillip E. Johnson, who teaches law at Berkeley. The starting point of my bio at the Web site where you found this e-mail address explains all of this in careful detail.

> Your book was not able to cast
> the slightest doubt in my mind
> that random evolution is and has
> been the primary creative force
> operating on this planet.

I do not wonder at that fact, assuming you read the book with no more care than you took in ascertaining whom you were writing to.

Too bad. It’s a pretty good book and would definitely make you think–if you were given to that kind of thing. I recommend you read it again.

Phillip R. Johnson

See more unbelievable Hurricane Ike pictures here.

Christianity may be subordinated to culture. That solution really, though to some extent unconsciously, is being favored by a very large and influential portion of the Church today. For the elimination of the supernatural in Christianity—so tremendously common today—really makes Christianity merely natural. Christianity becomes a human product, a mere part of human culture. But as such it is something entirely different from the old Christianity that was based upon a direct revelation from God. Deprived thus of its note of authority, the gospel is no gospel any longer; it is a check for untold millions—but without the signature at the bottom. So in subordinating Christianity to culture we have really destroyed Christianity, and what continues to bear the old name is a counterfeit.

“The utmost of the best of our thoughts of the being

of God is, that we can have no thoughts of it.”

I took this picture from the passenger seat on one of the rare occasions that Denise agreed to drive while we were driving home from vacation. 

Traffic jams?  Not a problem!

This morning Anneliese (12 yr. old daughter) and I were headed off to church to go and pick up kids for our VBS.  I put a Steve Green CD in and we sang along to We Believe.  I can think of nothing more that I would like to do that what I did on that ride this morning — we sand praise to God for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

 (A Young Steve Green!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

from defendingandcontending.wordpress.com

How do you read Romans 1:16?

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes . . . Romans 1:16

How you read Romans 1:16 tells a lot about you. Which of the following best resembles how you interpret the text?

For I am not ashamed of the gospel (the death burial and resurrection of our Lord and Savior), for it (the preaching of that gospel and absolutely nothing else) is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (not a superficial shallow mental ascent, but a complete dependence and trust upon Christ) . . .

- Christian

For I am not ashamed of the gifts of the spirit, for they are proof of the power of God and proof of your salvation to everyone who believes . . .

-Charismaniac

For I am not ashamed of pleading for money, for sowing your faith seed offering is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes . . .

-Word of Faith Charismaniac

For I am not ashamed of Mary, the Pope, and the Mother Church, for they are the power of God and the only way to salvation to everyone who believes and receives the sacraments, attends meritorious masses, is baptized, keeps the law, does good works, purchases indulgences, endures purgatory, etc. . . .

- Roman Catholic

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of the New Earth that we peddle door to door, for the Watchtower is the only ones who speak for God and is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes and exhaustively works their tails off for the Watchtower almost every waking hour of the day for their entire life to obtain Jehovah’s favor, which is not guaranteed . . .

- Jehovah’ Witness

For I am not ashamed of the restored gospel, even though I am ashamed and embarrassed about our church history and the things our church prophets have said (that was just their opinion and they were not speaking for God when they said all those awful things) for the Melchizadek Priesthood which only we have is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes and follows the following conditions as outlined in Gospel Principles pages 303-304 (1997 edition): 1.) We must be baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ. 2.) We must receive the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost. 3.) We must receive the temple endowment. 4.) We must be married for time and eternity.In addition to receiving the required ordinances, the Lord commands all of us to– 1. Love and worship God. 2. Love our neighbor. 3. Repent of our wrongdoings. 4. Live the law of chastity. 5. Pay honest tithes and offerings. 6. Be honest in our dealings with others and with the Lord. 7. Speak the truth always. 8. Obey the Word of Wisdom. 9. Search out our kindred dead and perform the saving ordinances of the gospel for them. 10. Keep the Sabbath day holy. 11. Attend our Church meetings as regularly as possible so we can renew our baptismal covenants by partaking of the sacrament. 12. Love our family members and strengthen them in the ways of the Lord. 13. Have family and individual prayers every day. 14. Honor our parents. 15. Teach the gospel to others by word and example. 16. Study the scriptures. 17. Listen to and obey the inspired words of the prophets of the Lord. Finally, each of us needs to receive the Holy Ghost and learn to follow his direction in our individual lives.

- Mormon

For I am not ashamed of the value found in all religions regardless of whether or not they conflict with one another on core issues , for whatever truth is for you, it is the power of God, gods, goddess, no god, or whatever you believe for a better world to everyone who believes or chooses not to believe . . .

- Universalist Unitarian

 

For I am not ashamed of shameless church marketing, for the end justifies the means and pragmatism is the power of God for filling seats on Sundays to watch our awesome worship rock band followed by our hip and and oh, so cool pastor and we’re also giving away free gas cards to everyone who attends our local campus . . .

- Seeker-Friendly

For I am not ashamed of supporting any socialist cause or liberal issue, for a woman’s right to choose and a homosexual’s right to marry is the power of self-empowerment for salvation from the oppressive chains that the white, Anglo-Saxon, Capitalist, fascists have placed on the backs of everyone in this nation . . .

- Liberal

  

Romans? Is that in the Bible?

- Emergent / Emerging

from defendingandcontending.com