Ray and Laura - Mind Hemorrhages

Mis-Answered Prayer

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Sat, 24 May 2008 11:31:00 -0700

My family has been so broke. I just needed to find a better job. So I've been praying and others have been praying that I would find the right job.

And God is so good! He gave me a new job. I'm starting Sunday morning.

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Tattoos and the Christian

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Wed, 21 May 2008 16:12:00 -0700

The "discussion" of tattoos seems to come up frequently in Christian circles. And often it seems to leave two very divided and opposing sides. Nothing I say is likely to end this highly polarized debate, but perhaps I can point to some truth...

You must not slash your body for a dead person or incise a tattoo on yourself. - Leviticus 19:28

While to some, that seems to settle it, for the sake of constructive and proper discussion, I will gladly continue.
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My Performance

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 21:45:00 -0700

I couldn't count on all my fingers and toes how many times I've heard the term "independent fundamental baptist" pounded on a podium. And I have to admit, I've never really cared for it. It always had an air of arrogance to it. But that's just my opinion.

Fundamentalism is rigid, uncompromising teaching and practice about the absolute necessity of being in the right place, at the right time, wearing the right clothing, singing the right songs, and saying the right prayers. Fundamentalism is the fanatical pursuit and exaltation of human performance, insisting that everyone else perform the same religious rituals and rules while arbitrarily and irrationally giving blind loyalty to religious authority... From a Christian perspective, it is necessary to understand that fundamentalism within Christendom is not one and the same as the fundamentals of our faith. [source]
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The Well and the Water: an Allegory

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 12:51:24 -0700

By Kevin T. Bauder

Once upon a time, a band of vigorous tribesmen occupied a high and arid plain. They were surrounded by snow-covered peaks, and what little water they had trickled down from the glaciers and snowfields above. Water was precious to them, for their lives depended upon it. They took care not to waste a drop.
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An Apologetic Whisper

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 15:00:40 -0700

The church has lost her testimony. She has no longer anything to say to the world. Her once robust shout of assurance has faded away to an apologetic whisper. She who one time went out to declare now goes out to inquire. Her dogmatic declaration has become a respectful suggestion, a word of religious advice, given with the understanding that it is after all only an opinion and not meant to sound bigoted. - A.W. Tozer (1897-1963)

Affair Proofing

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 12:49:00 -0700

I am above no sin. There are many things I could never see myself doing, but I'm not stupid enough to think I couldn't fall into any temptation. God is faithful and always provides an escape route from temptation and trials (1 Cor. 10:13). I just don't want to speed past my exit.
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The History Channel of Today

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 10:17:44 -0700

Check out my friend Nick's gripe about The History Channel...

» Geeky Schmidt «

Sinning in Moderation

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 21:34:00 -0700

What parents tolerate in moderation, children will likely endorse in excess.

The Forgotten Commandment

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 21:25:00 -0700

When we gave up on the 4th commandment, we opened the door to a great, exponential, downward slide... because we gave up on something that was so clearly, manifestly mandated by God. - Alistair Begg (1952-present)
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The Parable of 6 Days

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 10:39:28 -0700

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. - Gen. 1:1

I decided to put this hemorrhage of my mind in the Truth category because the "story" of creation is often debated. But knowing the Bible is true: Is Genesis 1 a parable or is it literal?
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Do I Stand By My Convictions?

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 22:12:00 -0700

Define: Conviction - a fixed or firm belief
Synonyms: confidence, creed, doctrine, dogma, eye, faith, feeling, judgment call, mind, opinion, persuasion, principle, reliance, sentiment, slant, tenet, view

I love doctrine - principles and positions. Thomas Carlyle, the Scottish essayist and historian of the Victorian era, said: "Conviction is worthless unless it is converted into conduct." And I must agree. If I do not change my behavior because of a belief what difference does the opinion really make? So I have come to learn that gathering knowledge does nothing for me unless I place that knowledge into proper action: wisdom.

But there is more hope for a fool than for a man wise in his own eyes! (Prov. 26:12) And this is why I won't stand by my convictions.
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The Gospel of Jesus Christ Plus One

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 11:17:00 -0700

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are following a different gospel – not that there really is another gospel, but there are some who are disturbing you and wanting to distort the gospel of Christ. - Gal. 1:6, 7

Friend, if you had asked me several months ago what "a different gospel" looks like, I might have mentioned Mormonism, Catholicism, or something like that. But today, I must speak out against a distortion that has personally impacted my family: the very false gospel Paul was writing about.
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Closure

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 22:08:00 -0700

My life has moved beyond the turmoil of getting anathematized by men I considered friends. We've made some new friends and planted roots in a church body. I've made some spiritual strides lately: The future is unknown, and I've come to wait for it expectantly. But I'm missing something. I have cried out to my God for some semblance of closure. Proper closure accounts for all the clues and mysteries, leaves no stray ends, makes themes clear, and gives readers a sense that order is again in sight (define:closure).
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My wife is better than yours

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 13:33:00 -0700

Whether you like or not... whether you know it or not... it's true. My wife is better than yours.

You see my wife was up at 0615 preparing the whole family for the day. She lovingly cared for my baby girl who could barely breathe. She dolled herself up to make me notice her. (And trust me, I definitely noticed her.) She systematically woke, prepped, and fed all of the children.

But honestly, the work she did early this morning was only the finishing touch.
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Dear son,

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 22:30:00 -0700

I lost my temper with you again. "I'm sorry" just doesn't seem to cut it.
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In God We "Trust"?

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 19:15:00 -0800

Definition: belief
Synonyms: assurance, certainty, certitude, confidence, conviction, credence, credit, dependence, entrustment, expectation, faith, gospel truth, hope, positiveness, reliance, stock, store, sureness
Antonyms: disbelief, distrust, mistrust

As I look around, I cannot say that the world around me even pretends to trust God. But more importantly, I don't think I really do either.
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Some things God 'told' me

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 21:30:00 -0800

I have been thinking a lot lately about how much truth God has given me. He's "told" me so many practical, life changing facts of the universe.
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The Scientific Equation

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 10:51:08 -0800

xkcd (A webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math and language.) made fun of the Drake Equation. But honestly, the truth the author stated is far more inclusive than just the theories of Frank Drake. So I fixed it...
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Present Imperative Active

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 13:13:00 -0800

Greek's imperative mood is used to issue a command, precisely in the same manner as the English imperative ("Do this or that"). In the active voice, it may indicate a command to do something in the future which involves continuous or repeated action.
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Trust: another dirty word

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 18:42:59 -0800

In daily life, we trust people for three reasons: because they claim our confidence, because their claims are supported by the testimony of others, and because we can test them for ourselves by our own experience.
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The Key to Believing the Bible

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 21:44:54 -0800

I'm holding a book with a subtitle of the title of this post. It's an attempt to systematically attack everything claiming to be a Bible other than the King James Authorized Version. Unfortunately, that end result does little to actually help a person believe the Bible, so it got me to thinking: What is the key to believing the Bible?
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Faith, and other dirty words

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 15:54:00 -0800

It would seem that my society hates the word faith. Most people don't like to be accused of "believing" in things. They are simply too smart to "believe."

The honest truth is that it's impossible not to believe - not to have faith. I'm not talking about God or religion. I'm talking about your world view.
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Test Yourself

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 22:59:55 -0800

John Piper talks to a group of pastors about the importance of testing the soul to find out what is actually valued and loved. Is it Christ or other things?
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In sickness and in health

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 22:53:00 -0800

Since moving to Vegas, I've learned that first, it gets COLD here, and second, the odds of all members of my family being healthy at the same time are just slightly better than me hitting the jackpot at the Bellagio. (I suppose I'd have to actually go to the Bellagio, huh?)
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Shocking Message

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 21:41:00 -0800

For those of you that I haven't shared this sermon with yet... I strongly encourage you to sacrifice an hour of your time. Personally, this message struck me harder than I ever expected. I know it's just an Internet video, but truth is still truth.
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