“To an Authentic and Renewed Conversion”: Vatican II and the Year of Faith (Part 2)

During the current Year of Faith, Catholics are invited to rediscover the challenge and adventure of the journey of faith through an authentic and renewed conversion of mind and heart to Christ. The fiftieth anniversary of the Second Vatican Council provides an excellent opportunity to help people better understand and appreciate the great potential of Vatican II for the renewal of the Church today.

Is There A Hell?

Although it’s a very unpopular subject, Hell is not to be ignored. Given that the Bible teaches it’s not a place to spend your eternity, it’s fair to say that more people are going there than might be expected.

Do You Really Love Your Child?

We all have the freedom to believe what we want about God. In fact, it was He who gave us free will in the first place. But, is it fair to raise a child with beliefs that have little or no basis in truth?

The Whole or The Healthy Have No Need of a Physician

Did Yashua Anointed literally mean what He said or was He being facetious and sarcastic and thereby mocking certain people who thought they were God’s gift to creation i.e healthy? I tell you, folks, there really are people out there who think that they have no need of The Physician and really think they can stop sinning using their own will, strength and determination. Wonderful people eh?

Christian Consistency

One of the hindrances to successful Christian outreach is the lack of consistency in the Believer. During times of inconsistency, the world judges the Believer and is consequently driven further away from the reality of the love of God.

Was John The Baptist a False Prophet Or Did He Speak The Truth About Christ?

Jesus called John the Baptist the greatest of all prophets. In order to be a true prophet the message spoken must be completely spot on. What was the message of John? He pointed to Christ and said “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Do you believe that Christ has taken away the sin of the world? Or do you think He has done less than that? Is it possible that John was missing the point? Or have you and I been missing the point? If the message of John is true, what does that mean for you and me? If his testimony was false, what would that mean for us? Was Christ a success? Or did He fail in His mission to take away the sin of the Cosmos? Was the cross about saving all or simply a small few? What are we saved from? These are important questions for every man and woman to consider.

Living A Life Without Limitations – Part IV

Is it true that our concept and understanding of the term “FATHER” can limit us? It can, if we carry over the negative thoughts, attitudes, and assumptions many have of their earthly father. On the other hand, if you had the honor of having a Godly and loving natural father, you may very well be far ahead of many who desire to live a life without limitations.

Developing Courageous Discernment For The Purity Of The Gospel

The gospel of Christ has always been the subject of controversy as to its essential core, and what it sets out to accomplish, including its authority and relevance to people today. Here is a brief look at the centre of the gospel of Christ, and why we need to be alert to and guard against all the subtle assimilation with contemporary thought that is going on all around us. Often the illusion of progress is offered in such movements as spiritual formation and contemplative prayer, new evangelicalism, conditional immortality, theistic evolution, neo-liberalism, an integrationist approach to modern psychology, advocating contemporary worship and the emerging church and seeker-sensitive cultures and a whole lot more besides.

Unsubstantiated Theories About God and the Dreams of Men

Without the right knowledge theories are apt to be exploded when the facts are known. Those who dreamed of the sun as a god and built all known religions from it worked from ignorance and hope.

“To an Authentic and Renewed Conversion”: Vatican II and the Year of Faith (Part 1)

When Pope Benedict XVI announced a Year of Faith to mark the fiftieth anniversary of Vatican II, he called it “a summons to an authentic and renewed conversion to the Lord, the one Savior of the World.” Why did Benedict declare this Year of Faith? And what is faith?

Stuck In That Lonely, Nowhere, Thankless Place of Church Leadership

Leaders, and especially leaders in the church, are predisposed to not only being in privileged places, but they are just as predisposed to being in that lonely, nowhere, thankless place. A case in point is this: when, as pastors, we are given charge to create change – and, in that, express our leadership – we are destined for rocky days and nights where we will feel isolated, alone, confused about ambivalent responses, and confounded by negative reactions. Some people will see us as ogres; as those who cannot be trusted and as those who hurt them or don’t care, and we won’t have the chances we need to repeal that hurt.

Dollar Signs Or Discernment? God Turned Over The Honey Buckets On Solomon

We read in 1 Kings 3 how God appeared to King David’s son Solomon in a dream and promised to give him anything that he wanted. Solomon prayed for wisdom. God gave him wisdom, plus much, much more!