Tune and Prepare!

Prayer, Fasting, lent and other devoted events before Gd Almighty I would like to be short & pointed, clearly separating the recent {popular} practice from the biblical teaching about prayer and fasting. We can see various religious special days, pilgrimage, festivals and special events around us and I think this little study will surprise you. The 3rd century saw many changes in the then "Catholic" Church, which was in her new power in the Earthly domain. And new power means : carnal, political power-circles. In this way the "church" & the leaders significantly rethought (or over thought?) then "adjusted" and eventually replaced the original apostolic practice, which was based on Christ's teachings. The more religious pious people earned acceptance and benefit in the pagan Roman world the more spectacular and pompous ceremony took place around the church. Jesus Christ is crystal clear on this: "Do not lay up fo...

As the majority of modern Christians struggle with a kind of Judaized-Christian worldview, every Bible teacher has a constant duty to maintain an apostolic view of justification by faith and righteousness. On this page we learn from the epistle of Galatians. Here we read an important exposition of how the new state of being redeemed in Christ and justified by faith is distinct from the Jewish view of the law. Background: Paul writes to the churches he established in the southern part of Galatia during his first missionary journey (Acts 13:1–14:28). Unlike Paul’s other greetings here you can not find thanksgiving for or reference to the Galatians’ faith, or love. Earlier, in the chapter 2 he explains, warns that "Justified” life means “counted righteous” or “declared righteous” by God. He points out that by human nature this is not possible: If people obeyed all of God’s perfect moral standards, they could be justified by their own merits. But Paul says that this is...

F   or two millennia a battle has raged for the soul of the church. And still the conflict rages. It is the contest between: The life of God, as he moves unpredictably and powerfully saving and transforming lives and creating Spirit-filled communities, and... The desire of man, to own, control and contain the work of God through traditions, programs and human authority structures. From from Duncan Kellard's book: "Grassroots Christianity" Grassroots...

Apostolic Instructions on Prayer, and the technical meaning of "Christ". First of all, then, I urge 1 that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone 2 , for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life 3 in all godliness and dignity. This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For 5 there is one God and one mediator between God and humanity, Christ Jesus, Himself human, who gave Himself — a ransom for all 6 , a testimony at the proper time. ... I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or argument... 7 1Tim 2:1-6,8 (Holman C.S.B.) Notes 1 "I emphatically tell you.." It's not a command but a strong suggestion with apostolic authority. 2 "for everyone" means everyone. The next verses explain the social layers and ...

A   nd where there agape exists, there is a loving invitation and calling. We have a calling to the nations, and NOT an increase in numbers in a club. Club members meet for fellowship - but not to save other people's lives. There is a difference between filia and agape .

 Here is Edward Bear, coming downstairs now, bump, bump, bump, on the back of his head, behind Christopher Robin. It is, as far as he knows, the only way of coming downstairs, but sometimes he feels that there really is another way, if only he could stop bumping for a moment and think of it . And then he feels that perhaps there isn't. A. Milne: Winnie the Pooh · Recommended article  A.  · Recommended article  B.  ☆

By Ed Welch During my first year in seminary, I stumbled across a sentence that would deeply shape my relationships with God, those closest to me, and the people I would counsel. It was a year when Scripture appeared to me as a series of fragments. They were all good fragments, but the pieces seemed to lack coherence — and that lack of coherence could sometimes feel painful. So I was always alert to books and ideas that could help me see one story in Scripture rather than an anthology of short stories. I was reading J. Gresham Machen’s book The Christian View of Man with that in mind, and a comment caught my attention. It was something like this: as God is personal, so man is personal. Ah, here was a grand unifying principle for Machen; perhaps it would become one for me.. ... Around the same time, I read Biblical Theology by Geerhardus Vos. He wrote so well about Christ as the center of Scripture, which set me off in a direction that I am still on... Vos gav...

by Luke Wesley {Chinese mission} On the basis of my experience in China over the past 30 years, I want to highlight five theological truths that inevitably emerge as crucial battleground issues for Christians living in a hostile, totalitarian environment. Although the experience of Christians in the U.S. is vastly different, we can learn from the faithfulness of our brothers and sisters in China. 1. Head of the Church Jesus Christ, not any government or human authority, is the head of the church. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has consistently sought to assert its authority over the church since the formation of the “new China” in 1949. I vividly remember a dialogue I had some years ago with a Chinese government official. When he asked, “Are you here to propagate religion?” I responded, “I am a Christian. If people ask about my faith or express interest, I will tell them about Jesus.” He shouted his response: “You will obey Chinese law.” There you have it. Who’s in c...

This article is a reference to the book Winnie-the-Pooh (1926) by English author A. A. Milne (1882–1956), in which the characters Winnie-the-Pooh and Piglet follow their own tracks in the snow, believing them to be the tracks of the imaginary “Woozle”. The phenomenon whereby frequent citation of earlier publications leads to a mistaken public belief in something for which there is no evidence, giving rise to an urban myth. Prior to the introduction of the specific term "Woozle effect", the underlying research phenomenon (and connection to the Woozle) dates back over 60 years.  According to Donald G. Dutton , a "Woozle effect", or a "Woozle", occurs when frequent citation of previous publications that lack evidence misleads individuals, groups and the public into thinking or believing there is evidence, and non-facts become urban myths and factoids. The creation of woozles is often linked to the changing of language from qualified ("it may...

Tanulmányok a Káptalanházban Kölcsönös hit és a gyülekezeti kapcsolatok Az Újtestamentum szellemisége ápolja a tehetségeket, segítve mindenki személyiségét és értékeit. A szimplán vallásos emberekkel ellentétben a hívők elmerülnek Isten szavának és kinyilatkoztatásainak tanulmányozásában. Ez egy szellemi munka: nagyfokú egymásra­utaltságot / kölcsönösséget igényel. A kölcsönösség igazi kihívás, manapság feltérképezetlen terület. Ahogy Tim Maton ( Everyday Church, Wimbledon ) bölcsen megjegyezte: 59 konkrét "egymást" kifejezés, utasítás van a Bibliában arról, hogyan viszonyuljunk egymáshoz az egyházi közösségen belül. Az "egymás" kifejezés a görög allelon [al-el-on] szóból származik, ami azt jelenti, hogy " egymásnak, egymás között, kölcsönösen ". Többek között úgy olvashatjuk: szeretni, gondoskodni, szolgálni, építeni, tisztelni, elfogadni, vigasztalni, bátorítani, és imádkozni egymásért, valamint az a parancs, hogy figyelmeztessü...

"Faithful to Christ – A Challenge to Truly Live for Christians" A book by Charles Spurgeon T  here is nothing the human heart falls into as easily as pride, and yet there is no sin that is more frequently, more emphatically, and more eloquently condemned in Scripture. Pride is unjustified. It stands upon the sand, or worse than that, it puts its foot upon the waves of the sea that give way beneath its step — or worse still, it stands upon bubbles that soon must burst beneath its feet. Of all things, pride has the worst foothold. It has no solid rock on earth on which to place itself. We have reasons for almost everything, but we have no reasons for pride. Pride is something that should be unnatural to us, for we have nothing to be proud of. Pride is foolish. It brings no profit with it. There is no wisdom in self-exaltation. Other sins might have some excuse, for people might seem to gain by them. People might make excuses and find temporary worldly benefit in...

Charles Spurgeon: "Hűen Krisztushoz – kihívás az Igazi életre, keresztyének számára" c. könyvéből A z emberi szív semmibe sem esik bele olyan könnyen, mint a büszkeségbe, és még sincs olyan bűn, amelyet a Szentírás gyakrabban, nyomatékosabban és ékesszólóbban elítélne. A büszkeség indokolatlan. A homokon áll, vagy ami még rosszabb, a tenger hullámaira teszi a lábát, amelyek a lépése alatt meginognak - vagy ami még rosszabb, buborékokon áll, amelyeknek hamarosan szét kell pukkadniuk a lába alatt. Minden dolog közül a büszkeségnek van a legrosszabb talpa. Nincs szilárd szikla a földön, amelyre támaszkodhatna. Szinte mindenre van okunk, de a büszkeségnek nincs. A büszkeség olyasvalami, aminek természetellenesnek kellene lennie számunkra, mert nincs mire büszkének lennünk. A büszkeség bolond. Nem hoz hasznot magával. Nincs bölcsesség az önfelmagasztalásban. Más bűnöknek lehet némi mentsége, mert az emberek látszólag hasznot húznak belőlük. Az emberek talán kifogá...

­ Tozer a Szent Szellemről Áhítat A mikor a Szent Szellemet figyelmen kívül hagyják vagy elutasítják, a vallásos emberek vagy arra kényszerülnek, hogy saját maguk teremtsenek valamit, vagy teljesen megkövesedjenek. Néhány egyház "Isten akarataként" elfogadja a megkövesedést és belenyugszik abba, hogy megőrizze a múltját, ezen munkálkodik - mintha azt meg kellene őrizni. Mások igyekeznek modernnek tűnni, és a világ jelenlegi tevékenységét utánozzák, azzal a téves elképzeléssel, hogy kreatívak. És egyfajta divat szerint azok is, de az alkotó, kreatív készség teremtményei biztos hogy csupán apróságok, játékok lesznek - a Világ puszta utánzatai, amelyekből teljességgel hiányoznak az örökkévalóság tulajdonságai: a szentség és a szellemi méltóság. A Szent Szellem ismertetőjegye hiányzik, nincs ott. Nehéz elképzelni fájdalmasabb kiábrándulást, mint amikor Krisztus ítélőszékéhez érkezünk, és azt találjuk, hogy egész földi életünkben a test után törekedtünk, soha nem enge...

­ Tozer on the Holy Spirit Devotional W hen the Holy Spirit is ignored or rejected, religious people are forced either to do their own creating or to fossilize completely. A few churches accept fossilization as the will of God and settle down to the work of preserving their past—as if it needed preserving. Others seek to appear modern and imitate the current activities of the world with the mistaken idea that they are being creative. And after a fashion they are, but the creatures of the creative skill are sure to be toys and trifles—mere imitations of the world and altogether lacking in the qualities of eternity: holiness and spiritual dignity. The hallmark of the Holy Spirit is not there. It is hard to imagine a more painful disillusionment than to come to the judgement seat of Christ and find that all our earthly lives we had been striving after the flesh and never permitting the creative Holy Spirit to work in us that which was pleasing in His sight. HU ...

We were never intended to “do Christian­ity” alone. Over 40 “one-another” verses demonstrate our mutual dependence. We all need others to pray for us, encourage us admonish us, build us up & so on. Isolated believers won’t prosper. “They were together” Acts2 Terry Virgo (→ article: Reciprocity )

Hadd mutassak meg két alapvető apostoli gondolatot, amelye a Szent Szellem által vezérelt keresztényt: az Új Embert írja le. Mindkettő ugyanakkor kontraszt-leírást is ad a hús vezette ó emberről.   Pál azt mondja: Ha a Szellem vezet, akkor nem vagy a törvény alatt. A test cselekedetei nyilván­valóak: paráznaság, tisztátalanság, érzékiség, bálványimádás, varázslás, ellenségeskedés, viszálykodás, féltékenység, dührohamok, rivalizálás, nézeteltérések, megosztottság, irigység, részegség, orgiák és hasonlók. Figyelmeztetlek, ahogy korábban is figyelmeztettelek, hogy akik ilyeneket cselekszenek, nem öröklik Isten országát. De a Szellem gyümölcse: szeretet, öröm, békesség, türelem, kedvesség, jóság, hűség, szelídség, önuralom; ilyen dolgok ellen nincs törvény. És akik Krisztus Jézuséi, azok megfeszítették a testet szenvedélyeivel és vágyaival együtt. Gal 5:18 Jakab azt mondja: ..ahol féltékenység és önző ambíció van, ott rendetlenség és minden aljas gyakorlat les...

Let me show you two basic apostolic thoughts which describes the Spirit led Christian: the New Self. Both of them gives a contrast-description too about the fleshy man.   Paul says: If you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Galatians 5:18 James says: ..where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is firs...

­thoughts of József Farkas We started from the premise that Jesus was heretic — heretical in a different way! He thinks differently, acts differently than the world around him.  And, there is something more about this “otherness”. Something about salvation.  Even in this great and beautiful cause, Jesus was different from his early theologians, believers. The public perception was that " the man has fallen, guilty: worthy of judgment, of death, of condemnation !" And some help must be given to one's sins, that the one can be forgiven. Salvation is to somehow settle the matter, a person's sin case. Jesus was far more radical in this respect than the others. Because others have said that 'man has sins and has good qualities. For example, religiosity is the opposite of sin. It is in religiosity that the case of sin can be settled. When one prays, murmurs the Torah to himself, he is in a state of salvation, unlike when ... and here, they listed their s...

­Farkas József gondolatai Abból indultunk ki, hogy Jézus eretnek – oly módon eretnek, hogy más! Másként gondolkodik, másként cselekszik, mint ahogy körülötte a világ. Még valamit erről a „másféleségről”. A megváltásról valamit. Ebben a hatalmas és gyönyörűséges ügyben is más volt Jézus, mint kora teológusai, hívői. Az volt a közfelfogás, hogy „az ember elbukott, bűnös: ítéletre, halálra, kárhozatra méltó!” Az embernek a bűneire kell valami segítséget adni, bocsánatot szerezni. Az a megváltás, hogy valami módon elintézzük az ember bűn-ügyét. Jézus ebben a vonatkozásban is sokkal radikálisabb volt, mint a többiek. Mert a többiek azt mondták, hogy vannak az embernek bűnei és vannak jó tulajdonságai. Például a vallásosság a bűnnek az ellentéte. Éppen a vallásosságban lehet a bűn-ügyet elintézni. Amikor az ember imádkozik, a Tórát mormolja magában, akkor a megváltás állapotában van, nem úgy, mint amikor... és a bűneiket sorolták. Jézus radikalizmusa abban mutatkozott, hogy szerin...