I’ve heard sermons, lessons and seminars that advise Christians to do something for God and “get out of your comfort zone.” It gets really awkward when Ray Comfort does it. Carrying your Bible in public, praying over lunch in the school cafeteria and volunteering for short term foreign mission fields are all examples of what can only be done once we leave our comfort zone. While all of those and many other examples are great things that Christians should be doing, I’ve never like the expression. I don’t think I’ve ever told anyone to get out of their personal comfort zone. My blog archives go back to 2008, check me on that if you’d like. Continue reading
Christian Rock, What Say Ye?
In the 70’s we were told that Rock music was Satan’s tongue. Then in the 80’s came the advent of “Christian rock,” loud music featuring electric guitar solos and driving drum beats with lyrics promoting the Gospel.
In the past 24 hours I have encountered two polar opposite opinions. There’s this guy:
Happy Monday
I’m thinking if Superman is starting a new day Batman is just about to call it a night. At any rate, pour yourself a cup and let’s Happy Monday. Continue reading
Bible Gateway Blogger Grid, Take 2
Last week I announced The Master’s Table was joining the Bible Gateway Blogger Grid. Then on Twitter I called it the Bible Gateway Blogging Grid. Bible Gateway re-tweeted my post but I still felt like a chump.
Or Android or Kindle
I did mention the Bible Gateway site, offering dozens of English translations and a host of others. I failed to mention the Bible Gateway Mobile App. Check out the classic Bible Gateway site then take a look at the Beta version which is coming soon. Read up on the Bible Gateway Blog or test your knowledge with the Bible Quote Quiz. It’s fun and you might learn something. On social media outlets (Facebook, Twitter, G+) posts tagged #bgbg2 are from Bible Gateway Blogger Grid members. You may have also noticed the Verse of the Day in the left-hand sidebar with a link to Bible Gateway; you can also subscribe to Verse of the Day via email.
We devoted a week of posts to Holy Week in April, then another week preparing for the National Day of Prayer. Next week will be sort of a return to business as usual; expect 2 or 3 posts a week that are God honoring and Christ centered, with all scripture references linked to Bible Gateway. My translation of choice is the English Standard Version (ESV) but your favorite versions plus some you may have never heard of are waiting for you at Bible Gateway.
Update on God is Near
UPDATE: Book details, review summaries, ordering information and more here.
A few weeks ago I announced a forthcoming book. There is not an official release date but right now it looks more like June 1st than July 1st. Clicking the thumbnail at left will open a full size image of the front cover.
143 Facebook users like The Master’s Table Facebook page. There is now a God is Near Facebook page as well, for those so interested. You can view the front and back cover, read the Wholesaler’s Summary and get more frequent updates. Twitter users can follow @Godisnearbook for announcements and teasers.
National Day of Prayer
UPDATE: This post talks about the persecuted church and what life is like for some Christians around the world. In his address today President Obama said in part: “As we give thanks for our liberties, we must never forget those around the world, including Americans, who are being held or persecuted because of their convictions. Let us remember all prisoners of conscience today, whatever their faiths or beliefs and wherever they are held. Let us continue to take every action within our power to secure their release. And let us carry forward our Nation’s tradition of religious liberty, which protects Americans’ rights to pray and to practice our faiths as we see fit.” Continue reading
God is a Collector
reprinted from September 19, 2011
Stamps, coins, baseball cards… all things that get collected. Perhaps Barbie dolls and firearms could be collectible. It takes a special type of person to collect exotic sports cars. What collectors have in common is the desire to gather, catalog and/or display as many of a particular item as can be obtained.
God is a collector, too. What could God possibly collect? He created the heavens, the earth, and all that exists. He owns the cattle of a thousand hills. What could be of such importance to God that he pays careful attention to gather, store with care, and perhaps one day put on display? Continue reading
Prayer Week: Posts, Quotes and Verses
Tomorrow is the National Day of Prayer. Paul Wilkinson has compiled a collection of archived posts from Christianity 201 on the subject of prayer and this post at Everyday Student has several quotes on prayer (Joseph Smith and Rick Warren on the same list) and a huge collection of Bible verses on the topic. Continue reading
Blogs and Prayers
I went looking for some good blog posts on prayer yesterday and came up with a rather extensive list. It’s not my list, check out 50 Great Prayer Blogs at PrayerCoach.com. The site also offers prayer quotes, prayer guides and is itself a resource. I can’t personally vouch for every link on the list but I did click quite a few before giving the list a head nod. This one – Daily Devotion – is particular well done while others, well. (If your blog title is A Prayer a Day maybe update that more often than three times a year.) Continue reading
National Day of Prayer, a History Lesson
From General Washington’s struggle at Valley Forge to the present, this Nation has fervently sought and received divine guidance as it pursued the course of history. This occasion provides our Nation with an opportunity to further recognize the source of our blessings, and to seek His help for the challenges we face today and in the future. -Ronald Reagan
The Second Continental Congress (as in the guys that signed the Declaration of Independence) first asked colonists to pray in 1775, recommending “a day of public humiliation, prayer and fasting.” Only in 1952 did President Harry Truman sign a bill stating that each successive president must designate a national day of prayer each year on a date of his choosing. A National Prayer Committee was formed in 1982 to establish a fixed day annually. Since 1988 the National Day of Prayer has been the first Thursday of May. George W. Bush is the only president in recent history to host an annual event in the nation’s capital in observance of the Day of Prayer (Reagan and H.W. Bush each had one). Continue reading
