It is a sad trend I see in the church, my church included, that repentance is rarely, if at all, mentioned. I honestly don’t see how a church can claim to be preaching the gospel, if repentance is completely taken out of the mix. The message is stripped down to a simple A-B-C or 1-2-3 method and a two or three sentence dear-Lord-I-choose-You prayer—repentance lacking, of course. Where in the Bible is this method outlined or taught? I do not recall it being anywhere. The Scriptures hold the key to our preaching and hearing of the gospel, and repentance is certainly necessary for a conversion to take place.
Why Repentance is Necessary
16 02 2010Comments : 4 Comments »
Tags: life, Christianity, god, bible, jesus, christ, faith, scripture, theology, devotional, grace, gospel, bible study, calvinism, monergism, doctrines of grace, tulip, Reformed Theology, repentance
Categories : Christianity
A Mustard Seed of Wisdom – Now Available
3 02 2010My second book, A Mustard Seed of Wisdom, has been published and is available online. This book aims to be a commentary on a small amount (mustard-seed) of scriptures (wisdom) to help people understand the fear (revere: to regard with reverence, or profound respect and affection, mingled with awe or fear) of God and come to the knowledge of the Holy One and hear the call to salvation through the gospel of Jesus Christ. Through salvation, the believer’s latter end will greatly increase with eternal life in Heaven. But it must begin with the fear of the Lord.
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Tags: bible, calvinism, christ, Christianity, doctrines of grace, god, jesus, monergism, Non-fiction, Reformed Theology, religion, theology, writing
Categories : Christianity, Information and Announcements
Beautiful for Situation…is Mount Zion… (Psalm 48:2)
2 02 2010Psalm 48:2 – “Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.”
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Tags: bible, bible study, christ, Christianity, devotional, faith, god, gospel, grace, jesus, life, psalms, scripture, theology, zion
Categories : Christianity
Book Review: A Guide to Christian Living by John Calvin
14 01 2010Being a Christian is not just a title—though it is shamefully used as such. It is a lifestyle, a way of living. Those who are called to be of God’s elect are identified by the way they live their life through faith in Jesus Christ. It is through the learning of the Scriptures, whether by reading them or by a book or teacher, that a Christian may get a grasp on living a true Christian life. John Calvin elegantly teaches and inspires the Christian life in the text contained within this book.
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Tags: books, calvin, calvinism, Christianity, god, jesus, john calvin, reviews, theology
Categories : Christianity
Is Faith Without Works Really Dead? (James 2:17)
28 12 2009James 2:17 says, “Even so faith, if it does not have works, is dead, being alone.” One question that might come about from reading this scripture is, “Can faith die?” Paul says that faith is our only means of justification. So, is James saying that the very thing that justifies Christians can simply die without works? Is James contradicting what Paul said? Since the Bible does not contradict itself, there must be a clue to understanding the message behind James’ statement.
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Tags: bible, calvin, christ, Christianity, faith, god, jesus, john calvin, life, religion, theology
Categories : Christianity
Introduction to The Gospel of John (TULIP)
2 12 2009The Gospel of John is probably the most distributed of the four gospels. It may actually be the most distributed book of the Bible, apart from the Bible itself. John’s gospel is thought to be the easy, gentle, and loving gospel; therefore it is most often given to new believers and even children. While John’s gospel is an easily read and understood gospel and there’s no doubt that it speaks much of Christ’s love, it does contain some very key and deep theological subjects. In fact, John’s gospel could be said to be the most monergistic of the four gospels. (Monergism can be equated to Calvinism.) Essentially, monergism is the doctrine, or teaching, that God alone is the sole cause for a man’s salvation through Christ by the regeneration of the Holy Spirit. That is a “nutshell” definition for monergism, but this introduction will cover the five main aspects of monergism (often called the five points of Calvinism) and use the scriptures of John’s gospel to support the doctrine.
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Tags: bible, christ, Christianity, doctrines of grace, faith, god, gospel of john, jesus, John 3:16, life, reformed, religion, theology, tulip
Categories : Christianity
Revision 5 of the Revised Common Version is Now Available
21 10 2009Revision 5 of the Revised Common Version of the Holy Bible is now available as a free download. For more information about the RCV, go to spiceminesofkessel.com/rcv. The Revised Common Version (RCV) of the Holy Bible has been in the works for the past 11 months. I am now pleased to announce that I have completed the final revision. I have made available four different digital formats (print version coming soon) for viewing/downloading the RCV:
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Tags: bible, holy bible, rcv, revised common version
Categories : Christianity
Why Should I Read the Bible? (John 1:1)
19 10 2009The Bible is certainly a book that has drawn a lot of attention to itself, whether good or bad. It is a controversial book in the eyes of those who do not understand it. But to the children of God, it is not only truth, but it is the source of spiritual food and theological authority. There are several reasons why every Christian must read the Bible regularly without fail. The first and foremost reason can be found in John 1:1.
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Tags: bible, bible study, Christianity, god, howto, jesus, life, scriptures, sola scriptura, word, word of god
Categories : Christianity
Therefore Pray After This Manner (Matthew 6:9-13)
23 09 2009Prayer is the effectual means by which a Christian communicates with God. Through prayer, Christians make supplications, give praise, worship, and give thanks to the Heavenly Father. Prayer is as simple as speaking in your everyday language, yet there are people who find it difficult to formulate a prayer or even feel as if they don’t know how to pray. Jesus gave the perfect guide to prayer in what is known as, “The Lord’s Prayer.”
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Tags: bible, bible study, Christianity, god, howto, jesus, life, lord's prayer, prayer
Categories : Christianity
RCV Revision 4 is Now Available
20 08 2009Revision 4 of the Revised Common Version of the Holy Bible is now available as a free download. For more information about the RCV and to download the latest version, go to spiceminesofkessel.com/rcv.
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Tags: bible, holy bible, rcv, revised common version
Categories : Christianity
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