Kid nation and the gospel

I have been watching kid nation on cbs tv though i have some problems with it- i learned something from the show which is this:

We reformed sometimes overemphasize we are all born sinners with our young people and chlidren:

as it is written: (Q) "None is righteous, no, not one; 11no one understands; no one seeks for God.12All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one."13(R) "Their throat is(S) an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive."(T) "The venom of asps is under their lips." 14(U) "Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness."15(V) "Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16in their paths are ruin and misery,17and(W) the way of peace they have not known." 18(X) "There is no fear of God before their eyes."(romans 3:10-18)

that they sin daily. Yet we forget they too are co-image bearers of God:

26Then God said,(A) "Let us make man[a] in our image,(B) after our likeness. And(C) let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."(gen 1:26)

so as co image bearers we should encourage,mentor,lead,teach the young people and children to attempt great things from embracing Christ as their Lord and savior to attempting great things for God.

minorities and the reformed faith by john frame

http://www.frame-poythress.org/frame_articles/2003Minorities.htm

Interesting article trying to answer why minorities are not attracted to the reformed faith.

New york Mets and the christain life

I have been a mets fan since i was born-as a matter of fact they were the first thing i saw on tv-they were playing the cubs. Sadly they are poised to perhaps lose first place and the division title. They had a 7 game lead and they rested on it and now it is just one game lead with 4 to go over the phillies. This reminds me of the christain life both as individuals and as a church.
we rest on our past achievements,testimonies(as a matter of fact this is what irks me with nicky cruz-thru out my christain walk 22 years every time i see nicky cruz or hear about nicky cruz he is talking again and again that he used to be a gang banger-come on what else has God done IN your life?/or what have you done with the new life He has given you?) well anyway,gifts etc and we rot. So we like the mets as individuals and the church should not rest on our "7 game lead" but run the race and finish at the victory line:Heaven.

14"And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: 'The words of the(AJ) Amen,(AK) the faithful and true witness,(AL) the beginning of God’s creation.
15"'I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot.(AM) Would that you were either cold or hot! 16So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. 17(AN) For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor,(AO) blind, and naked.(Revelation 3:14-15)
'I know your works. You have the reputation(B) of being alive,(C) but you are dead. 2Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works(D) complete in the sight of my God. 3(E) Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up,(F) I will come(G) like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. 4Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not(H) soiled their garments, and they will walk with me(I) in white, for they are(J) worthy. 5(K) The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never(L) blot his name out of(M) the book of life.(N) I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. 6(O) He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'(rev 3:2-6)

10For he who has once entered [God's] rest also has ceased from [the weariness and pain] of human labors, just as God rested from those labors [a]peculiarly His own.(A)
11Let us therefore be zealous and exert ourselves and strive diligently to enter that rest [of God, to know and experience it for ourselves], that no one may fall or perish by the same kind of unbelief and disobedience [into which those in the wilderness fell].
12For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the [b]breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart.(heb 4:10-12)
1Therefore, seeing we also are compassed about by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3For consider Him that endured such contradiction from sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.(HEB 12:1-3)

23And I do this for the sake of the good news (the Gospel), in order that I may become a participator in it and share in its [blessings along with you].
24Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but [only] one receives the prize? So run [your race] that you may lay hold [of the prize] and make it yours.
25Now every athlete who goes into training conducts himself temperately and restricts himself in all things. They do it to win a wreath that will soon wither, but we [do it to receive a crown of eternal blessedness] that cannot wither.(1 Corinthians 9:23-25 )

blue letter bible

http://www.blueletterbible.org/

Columbia university and west harlem

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/23/opinion/nyregionopinions/CIcolumbia.html?ex=1191384000&en=0f9232aa9d90e752&ei=5070&emc=eta1

Link above to a interesting article in ny times on columbia university and west harlem.

jena 6 and racism

Found this on pilgrim in progress blog-this video makes you wonder what is the church and this nation doing in fighting racism-will it continue to bury their heads in the sand like the ostrich? The nation restrains the man's outer actions with laws and force-while the church must reach the heart to produce true change in one's life:

http://blog.therivendellcenter.org/2007/09/16/racism-today/

sins banquet table

Starving sin on our own strength,wisdom and efforts is prone to fail everytime-for sin is preparing its menu,its banquet table in our hearts,lives and minds and is waiting asvp for our invitation,our reservation-when we realize we can not do it by our own efforts and out of pride,indifference,ignorance,idolatry...refuse to turn to the only person who can help us: Jesus Christ our lord,savior,prophet,priest and king.

our Lord;king to defend us from sins tryanny and might

our Lord and king: to lead us in battle with sin and lead us to His heavenly kingdom

our savior who died for our sins-whose blood alone can overcome sins wall between us and God

our savior whose blood cleans our filthy rags and gives in turn princely clothes

our priest who prays,interceeds for us when sin seeks to devour us

our priest who bandages our wounds with His blood and grace that sin creates when it attacks daily

our prophet who teaches us the way across the traps sin places in our lives

our prophet who teaches us to love Our God and love our neighbor

Christ our sole guarentee of eternal victory...

11/09: New Theologians Needed to Save Christianity from Dying In Black America

anthony bradley lightening insights(us hispanics can learn as well):

On August 9th, I was a guest on the "Morning Coffee with Tracey & Friends" program, a program for the Black community, hosted by Tracey Winbush, on WGFT - AM 1330 in Youngstown, OH, discussing a whole myriad of issues in the Black community. Tracey Winbush, an absolutely provocative radio host, and her entire group of African American “friends” offered an interesting and lively discussion (“y’all know how we do” especially when you get a bunch of us in a room talking about God!) To my surprise, I spent nearly an hour defending the existence of the Trinity. Didn’t we cover that at Nicea in 325 AD?During our conversation I came to one long conclusion: Christianity in Black America is in serious trouble. Much of it is dying, moving toward old errors and heresies while some orthodox circles are not addressing contemporary issues, and we are in desperate need for a new generation of Black theologians. Here’s why I’m worried:(1) Oneness Pentecostalism (Modalism) must be addressed directly and definitively. I still can’t believe that I was debating the Trinity on a radio program full of Black Christian folk. Even worse, very few of the callers to the show seemed to believe in the Trinity either. Modalism is a growing virus in Black churches. Modalism is an ancient theological error that denies the Trinity by arguing “that God is a single person who, throughout biblical history, has revealed Himself in three modes, or forms. Thus, God is a single person who first manifested himself in the mode of the Father in Old Testament times. At the incarnation, the mode was the Son. After Jesus' ascension, the mode is the Holy Spirit. These modes are consecutive and never simultaneous. In other words, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit never all exist at the same time, only one after another. Modalism denies the distinctiveness of the three persons in the Trinity even though it retains the divinity of Christ” (Source: “Modalism,” www.carm.org).Who is teaching this heresy that God is three modes and not three persons in the Black community today? Well, their first names tend to start with the word “Bishop” and they tend to wear really nicer suits than the rest of us. This profound theological error has grown with reckless abandon in many apostolic, Pentecostal, and charismatic Black churches which seems to be an ever dominant form of conservative Christianity in Black America today.(2) The “prosperity gospel” virus is killing Christianity in Black America and destroying Black people. Often on Sundays I listen to Black gospel music on the way to church as needed therapy and I’ve started to notice, more and more, that the newer music has more to do with “getting a blessing from God,” a material one, instead of praising God for his redemptive grace shown to his people. Christianity has become a lottery system where, if you have enough faith, you can “claim” your next Lexus, your next house in a gated community, a promotion, etc., all in “the name of Jesus” and it will be granted to you because “when praises go up, blessings come down.” There are Black Christians running around worried and scared because they don’t want to “miss their blessing.” “Hey, you’d better live right, or you won’t get your blessing.”(3) Where are all the Black folks with PhDs in theology and biblical studies? You will be hard pressed to name more than five Black theologians teaching on the main campus (not a satellite extension) of the conservative evangelical seminaries in America combined. I can only think of five, and four of them are Baptist. Why is this? One reason: there are not enough Black folks completing PhDs in theology and biblical studies. Conservative evangelical seminaries are not racist but they literally don’t have much of an applicant pool to choose from when looking for Blacks (and Latinos) to teach something other than practical theology.To some extent, it is the seminaries’ fault for not raising up their own future leaders. If you’re a Black student at an evangelical seminary you are much more likely to be railroaded into “urban ministry” (where I guess, Blacks belong) than you are encouraged toward the academy. When I was in seminary one of my fellow students said to me, “Hey man, we [the whites] are so glad you’re here. We need more guys in urban ministry.” I just stood there and gave him a weird look. He apologized later. If conservative evangelical seminaries want Black professors they may need to invest ($) in “growing their own.” Also, there won’t be an influx of Blacks into evangelical seminaries until evangelical denominations and church associations have very large, all Black mega-churches. Look at what Tony Evans did for Dallas Theological Seminary.(4) The “back-to-the-old-days” theology is not enough. Like I’ve said before, attempts to turn Black Christians into a bunch of dead Dutch or Puritanical dead White guys from a by-gone era is not going to help the Black community today or in the future. There is this romantic idea that “if we could just get back to the faith of our fathers” we will live happily every after. While this is understandable it’s not nearly enough.What that statement really expresses is a rightly oriented longing for orthodoxy but that orthodoxy needs to be applied to present day problems and issues in the Black community with an ever-reforming interaction with issues in the future. Simply restating the same formulas of the past is not going to address issues like the HIV/AIDS crisis where Black women make up almost 70 percent (7,586 out of 11,859) of all new AIDS cases among women or that nearly 70 percent of all Black kids are born to single parents, for example.Since the errors and heresies of old still pop up, like in the case of modalism, historical theology is vital for growing a vibrant progressive church because the Enemy, Satan, continues to introduce the tired confusions of the past among God’s people and these errors need to be addressed (again and again). Black folk writing Christian books for the Black community that are not directed at the current issues in Black community in the 21st century are not helping “Tanisha, Mookie, and ‘dem” apply the gospel and kingdom here and now.(5) Will evangelical publishers risk reaching Black folks? Some might argue that one of the key signs that some of the major evangelical presses are void of Blacks (and Latinos) in editorial positions is that there is very little activity directed at trying to capture the Black Christian market. Please forgive me for thinking economically for one moment.If I could get all of the decision-makers at evangelical presses in one room I would remind them of this:• In 2006, the Selig Center estimated African Americans to have $852.8 billion USD in purchasing power, as a country African Americans would be the 18th wealthiest nation.• There are approximately 46,000 predominantly African American Christian congregations.• 86% of African American Christians belong to historically Black denominations.• 8% of African American Christians belong to mainline "majority" white denominations.• 43% of African Americans attend church on a given Sunday.• The average African American congregation has an average attendance that is 50% greater than that of the average white church.• 63% of African American parishioners believe the pastor is the most important leader in the African American community.Translation: Whoever publishes forward thinking, progressive books directed at actual Black readers—even beyond the eight percent Black evangelical choir—will increase their market share across more sectors of world Christianity. The key to the longevity of any business is flexibility and diversification. This is why General Electric makes microwaves, airplane engines, and has an asset management division. Publishers who have all of their eggs in the White evangelical basket will face a future of declining sales and market share in a worldwide Christianity that is predominantly brown, tan, and yellow.There are more issues that aren’t listed here for sure. However, I’m simply arguing that Christianity in Black America in the future may range from unrecognizable to completely dead in relationship to historic, orthodox Christianity if: theological error is not ushered out by studied church leaders, applications are not made to current realities directly and if Black leaders are not given a platform to bring the historic truths of Christianity to Black communities everywhere.Who’s thinking, writing and publishing for the 46,000 congregations?

Black and Reformed

http://www.blackandreformed.blogspot.com/

http://www.westernseminary.edu/papers/index.htm

A panacea

A panacea
(Thomas Watson, "The Ten Commandments")The Scripture is a golden epistle, written by the Holy Spirit--and sent to us from heaven!The Scripture is a spiritual looking-glass, to dress our souls by. It shows us heart-sins, vain thoughts, unbelief, etc. It not only shows us our spots--but washes them away! The Scripture is an armory, out of which we may fetch spiritual artillery to fight against Satan. When our Savior was tempted by the devil, He fetched armor and weapons from Scripture: "It is written!" The Scripture is a panacea, or universal medicine for the soul. It gives a remedy to cure deadness of heart, Psalm 119:50; pride, 1 Pet 5:5; and infidelity, John 3:36. It is a garden of remedies, where we may gather an herb or antidote, to expel the poison of sin!The Scripture is "the only standard of conduct." It is the only rule by which we are to square our lives. It contains in it: all things needful to salvation; what duties we are to do; what sins we are to avoid. "When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart's delight!" Jer. 15:16. All true solid comfort is fetched out of the Word. The Word is a spiritual garden, and the promises are the fragrant flowers or spices in this garden. How should we delight to walk among these beds of spices! The Scripture is a sovereign elixir, or comfort,in an hour of distress. "Your promise revives me; it comforts me in all my troubles!" Psalm 119:50. If we would have the Scripture effectual, let us labor not only to have the light of it in our heads;but its power in our hearts! "I have hidden your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against you." Psalm 119:11. The Word, locked up in the heart--is a preservative against sin. As one would carry an antidote with him when he comes near an infected place--so David carried the Word in his heart as a sacred antidote to preserve him from the infection of sin. When we read the holy Scriptures--let us look up to God for a blessing. Let us pray that God would not only give us His Word as a rule of holiness--but His grace as a principle of holiness! It is said, that the alchemist can draw oil out of iron. God's Spirit can produce grace in the most obdurate heart!

john bunyan

http://acacia.pair.com/Acacia.John.Bunyan/

senator suing God

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070917/ap_on_fe_st/odd_suing_god

gracias

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGNcfWwuxQw

our hearts should always be thankful for everything we are,will be,have,will have......

a reformed plant in east harlem

Thank you for your willingness to pray for and support the East Harlem Church Plant.
We will be sending you an e-newsletter each month to let you know what is happening and inform you about our specific
prayer needs. September will be an exciting and busy time. Please join us in praying for the following:
• Melanie and I have already met twice with who we hope will become a core group of leaders for the new church and I am
meeting with others who have expressed an interest in joining the team. Please pray that God will bring the right team
together and develop solid relationships and a common vision for His work in East Harlem.
• I will be participating in several small groups designed to provide encouragement and mentoring in church planting and
urban ministry, as well as attending the celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the Fulton Street Revival. Please pray
that God will use these gatherings to help me grow as a leader and to build relationships with other ministries.
• I’m honored to have opportunities to preach twice this month at Christian Reformed Church congregations in New Jersey.
Please pray that God would bless my words.
• Pray that God would grow the relationships we have with our neighbors in our building and community, and that He
would prepare many of these wonderful people to be part of the church.
• Pray for Adrian and David as they return to school this fall - Adrian a freshman in high school, David in fifth grade.
Ask God to protect them and use the challenges they face to bring them closer to Him. Pray that as parents we would
know how to help them understand the church plant and their roles within it.
Johnny Acevedo . East Harlem Church Plant . 1400 5th Avenue #2E . New York, NY 10026
(212) 534-1359 . (917) 238-0029 (cell) . church4elbarrio@gmail.com
Checks can be made payable to Mid Atlantic Ministries and sent to our address. Gifts are tax-deductible.
Thank you for your support!
[1]
EAST September 2007 Update
HARLEM
CHURCH
PLANT
Urban Word:
Also, seek the peace and
prosperity of the city
to which I have carried
you into exile. Pray to
the LORD for it, because
if it prospers, you too
will prosper.”
Jer. 29:7

Building a systematic theology

http://www.youtube.com/user/LGwalt

teaching videos taught by richard pratt: this is a article for you to know who he is:

http://reformedseminary.org/people/RichardPratt215x241.jpg

Robotech and voltron

Looks like two of my favorite childhood cartoons is coming to the big screen:

http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=0&id=43144

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070908/film_nm/maguire_dc

westminster confession chapter1:6

VI. The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man's salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture: to which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelations of the Spirit, or traditions of men. Nevertheless, we acknowledge the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the Word: and that there are some circumstances concerning the worship of God, and government of the Church, common to human actions and societies, which are to be ordered by the light of nature, and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the Word, which are always to be observed.

2 Tim. iii. 15–17; Gal. i. 8, 9; 2 Thess. ii. 2.2. John vi. 45; 1 Cor. ii. 9, 10, 12.3. 1 Cor. xi. 13, 14; xiv. 26, 40

little pramatists in our hearts

Truth is truth, and error, error, and that which is unlawful is unlawful, whether men think so or no. God hath put an eternal difference betwixt light and darkness, good and ill, which no creature’s conceit can alter, and therefore no man’s judgement is measure of things further than it agrees to truth stamped upon things themselves by God.
..................................... -Richard Sibbes (1577-1635)

something we should take to heart sometimes we are pragmatists with the attitude "hey it is working--so God must be blessing it!!!

Our 300-our persian invader

I just saw 300 yesterday and it got me to wonder this: We hispanics have our own "300" fighting in liberal denominations,small churches-fighting againest our persian empire the false gospel of health/wealth,cults,postmodernism,liberalism,false christs,of unbibicals fads etc:

18(A) Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not(B) kissed him."(1 kins 19:18)

2-6Do you remember that time Elijah was agonizing over this same Israel and cried out in prayer? God, they murdered your prophets, They trashed your altars; I'm the only one left and now they're after me!And do you remember God's answer? I still have seven thousand who haven't quit, Seven thousand who are loyal to the finish.
It's the same today. There's a fiercely loyal minority still—not many, perhaps, but probably more than you think. They're holding on, not because of what they think they're going to get out of it, but because they're convinced of God's grace and purpose in choosing them. If they were only thinking of their own immediate self-interest, they would have left long ago. (romans 11:2-6)

and they are waiting for the solidly biblically churches to come to their aid in the urban centers and not hiding behind their ivory towers called the suburbs or upper class neighborhoods......

14 Ye are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid.
15 Neither do men light a lamp, and put it under the bushel, but on the stand; and it shineth unto all that are in the house.
16 Even so let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. (matt 5:14-16)