DEATHBED MUSINGS

________________

 

Christian Triumphant

"For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing." (2 Timothy 4:6-8 NASB)

Atheist Triumphant

"I am about to depart this life. I have fought the good fight. I have successfully resisted every opportunity to be saved. I have never conceded one point to any Christian that I have dialogued with. I have never once succumbed to any suggestion that I will have to give an account of myself before a just and holy god at the end of my life. What now?"

Thirsty?

_________________
 ¹ As the deer pants for the water brooks,
So my soul pants for You, O God.
² My soul thirsts for God, for the living God;
When shall I come and appear before God?

Psalm 42:1 & 2 (NASB)
____________________

Textbooks Used in Seminary Evangelism Course

_______________________

These books are required reading for Introduction to Evangelism* at Reformed Theological Seminary, Jackson Mississippi.

Tell the Truth: The Whole Gospel to the Whole Person by Whole People
by Will Metzger

A Faith Worth Sharing
by C. John "Jack" Miller

Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God
by J.I. Packer

Creation Regained : Biblical Basics for a Reformational Worldview
by Albert Wolters



Selections from the following books are also required reading:

The Heart of Evangelism. by Jerram Barrs

Becoming a Contagious Christian. by Bill Hybels and Mark Mittelberg

The Reason for God : Belief  in an age of Skepticism. by Timothy Keller

Evangelism Explosion (4th Edition) by D. James Kennedy


* (This information is from the course syllabus for the Fall, 2009 semester.)


Students were also strongly encouraged to include one chapter each day from the book of Acts in their devotional reading. A thorough familiarity with The Westminster Confession of Faith was also stressed. I noticed that the recommended reading for R.T.S.'s Atlanta campus included, God Centred Evangelism by R.B. Kuiper and Ray Comfort's Hell's Best Kept Secret.

In addition to the books, a number of articles are included in the required reading. Two titles especially caught my eye. One was "Why Evangelicals Don't Read Pilgrim's Progress (and Why they Should)"; the other was "The Unconverted Calvin." 

Craig

.

Prayers Answered

Last week, I posted a prayer request for Joseph, who had just been informed by his academic advisor that funding had stopped for the program in which he was working. This would have meant, 1.  finding a new job immediately, and, 2. completing what he had been working on within one week.

Joseph found out yesterday that there is now funding that will allow him to work in the lab through the summer, while he is searching for employment in the biochemistry field. There is still a crucial time constraint for completing the paper he is writing, but he at least has some breathing room.

Thanks to Joel, Eddie, Persis, JT and all the others (God knows who you are) for praying for our son.

Craig

Just What We Might Have Expected From Ray Comfort

I was prepared to do a satirical "repost" today from the Olive Press on the non-rapture of the church, but seeing these 2 Facebook postings from Ray made me change my mind.

"The bad side (rapture coming 2day) is the mockery it'll bring tomorrow, but the good side is that it can open conversations with the lost." (Saturday Morning)

"We are still here. No rapture or Judgment day, as yet. This is great news, because it means that we still have time 2 reach out to the lost." (Saturday night)

The End of the World

~~~~~~~~~~

I woke up in the morning and I wondered,
Why everything's the same as it was.
I can't understand. No, I can't understand,
How life goes on the way it does.

Why does the sun go on shining?
Why does the sea rush to shore?
Don't they know it's the end of the world?
Or did the prophecy fail, just like before.

Why do the birds go on singing?
Why do the stars glow above?
Don't they know it's the end of the world?
The math all seemed to work, sort of.


Lyrics loosely based on  End Of The World, sung by Skeeter Davis.
Dedicated to Harold "The Seer" Camping.

.

Urgent (But Not "Anxious") Prayer Request

~~~~~~~~

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  Philippians 4:6 (NASB)

Joseph (see previous post) just found out that the funding for the program he is working on is unexpectedly ending. He had been told by his advisor that he would be able to work in the lab until the end of summer.

Let's pray that the Lord will provide a job for him REALLY SOON, and that he will be enabled to complete the paper he is writing in ONE WEEK.

Thank you in advance to all pray-ers who read this blog.

Craig

A Great Weekend in Tucson



Joseph Boyd, Ph.D.

 It has been a great weekend for our family. It will be five years ago this coming August since I drove Joseph to Tucson to check in at the University of Arizona, where he began working on his doctorate in bio-chemistry and molecular biophysics, (as the department was then called). A month ago, Joseph passed the oral final examination for his doctorate. After 4.7 years of hard work and study, a lot frustration followed by success, he graduated this past Friday. Sheila and I arrived on Thursday afternoon, while our daughter, Becky, flew in from Pennsylvania later that night. We were treated to a celebration brunch on Friday morning, followed by the commencement celebration that began at noon. For the rest of the weekend we enjoyed visiting with Joseph and a few of his friends.



Drawn by Rebekah Fusina

 

Becky, Sheila, Joseph and me
at the brunch celebration extravaganza.

What would a visit to Tucson be without a Saturday morning breakfast at Waffle House?

Me, Joseph, Sheila and Rebekah



Gettin' Out of Town

Leaving for Arizona in half an hour. Joseph's graduation & "hooding ceremony is tomorrow. We will worship at Desert Springs Presbyterian Church on Sunday, and return to California later that day.

Two New Widgets Added

HEIDELBERG CATECHISM &

WESTMINSTER SHORTER CATECHISM

This morning I added widgets for the Heidelberg Catechism & Westminster Shorter Catechism. They are at the bottom of the left sidebar. The Heidelberg Catechism is one of the Three Forms Of Unity, which along with the Ecumenical Creeds comprise the doctrinal standards that the Reformed Church confesses. This is our church's "statement of faith" and is a summary of the basic beliefs of the Bible as taught in the Reformed Church.

The Westminster Shorter Catechism is part of the "Westminster Standards" which states what the Presbyterian Churches hold to and believe.

Although there are a few minor differences, the Shorter Catechism and the Heidelberg provide an excellent basis for learning and studying the essential doctrines of the Christian Faith. The complete text of the Heidelberg with Scripture references can be found by clicking (here). You can read the Westminster Shorter Catechism, with the accompanying scriptures written out (here).

As I mentioned, we believe these statements of faith summarize the Bible's basic teachings and they are subordinate to the Scriptures. As with all church creeds and confessions, you should check what they teach against the Bible itself.

A daily Bible reading plan (like the one at the top of the left sidebar), plus a daily review of a catechism question and answer, is a great way to understand the Christian Faith and to know God.

Craig 

Obituary - 'Body Snatchers' star Dana Wynter dies at 79

* Reposted from The Olive Press ~ humor

Dana Wynter, who starred with Kevin McCarthy in the 1956 science-fiction classic "Invasion of the Body-Snatchers," has died in Southern California.

Still considered one of the most frightening movies ever made, Invasion of the Body Snatchers was adapted from a novel by Jack Finney. 'Body Snatchers' is a sci-fi story of a small Southern California town overtaken by alien seedpods that mutate into emotionless doppelgangers of the human inhabitants. The scenario bears an uncanny resemblance to what has been happening to U.S. Supreme Court justices over the past two decades.


*The Olive Press is a division of Error On Page Publishers

Happy Mothers Day, Fur Elise

Fur Elise: mother of five. You can almost see J.L. getting a licking from Mom. Others are: Pierre, Sprinkles, Scout, and Paula (top-right)

THE STORY

~~~

The Gospel Story as told by R. Scott Clark

The article, "This Christian Life," originally appeared in Valiant for Truth, Westminster Seminary California's blog, on January 25, 2011.

   

"...At the beginning, God walked in the garden with Adam and told him a story. He told him how He had created everything from nothing by His powerful Word. He told Adam how He had created him from the earth and how Adam had it within his power to experience more than his present life in the garden; that there was before him a consummate, glorious existence of intimate, perfect, and endless fellowship with God and man; if only he would pass one test..."

Read, enjoy, and appreciate the article here. http://wscal.edu/blog/entry/this-christian-life

AND THE WINNER IS............

                                                             

"Bye Bye!"



Bin Laden in Paradise: The prize is 71 black-eyed virgins AND a voucher for a FREE CAR WASH.

(winner must show up in person to claim his prize)




Latest News from The Olive Press :  Category: SUDDEN DEPARTURES