Author Archives: MzEllen

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I have a few thoughts on "faith based organizations. There are so very many Christian organizations that do what need to be done and they do it very well.

Do we, as Christians, have a duty to speak out if we see one that is NOT doing a good job?

A "for instance". We have our Salvation Army Stores and Goodwill - you may or may not call "Salvation Army" Christian and Goodwill (I think) is not marketed as Christian. Besides, they sell their goods, and that's not really what I'm going to be pointing at.

There are a few organizations that give donated goods to people who qualifiy financially. I was in one of those buildings today.

I realize that people who give away stuff, not sell it, are going to keep costs to a minimum. I'm not worried about the age of the building or that the floors are unfinished and crooked.

I'm talking about the fact that the bathrooms were not clean. There was not toilet paper and no paper towel. The place was musty and dusty.

I'm wondering if there would be a difference in how the place was prepared for "customers" if the customers had money - were a "different" class of people.

Can we not treat the "least of these" as though we were treating Christ the same way?

Can we at least make sure there is toilet paper in the restrooms?

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My father-in-law was a Baptist pastor for 30 years and I heard him say a lot of things.

One of the stories he told has always stuck with me.

A woman came to him for counselling - not for her, but on "behalf" of her husband.  It went something like:

My husband is not a Christian.  He smokes and drinks.  It makes it hard for me to have friends over because of the things that he does.  I wish that he would be a Christian and stop doing these things - it would make my life so much easier!

My father-in-law's answer:

Get your priorities straight.  You're not concerned about your husband's salvation because of his eternal soul.  You're concerned about it because of the way it's affecting you and that is self-focused on you.  You cannot effectively witness to this man until he feels and knows that you want him to change for HIS sake, not yours.

I'm not sure I ever got that quite right in my marriage - it's hard to be concerned for the other person, when you feel that he(or she) is not concerned about you.

In the end, my husband turned to God.  It wasn't because of me.  God-willing, God was able to use me, but it was a work of God - no question.

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Bill tagged me!!!

1. If you could pick your own theme song, what would it be?

Derek Webb - "Nothing Without You"

2. Now be honest...if others had to pick a song that described you, what would they choose?

(I can't think of one - I even asked a frien; I think it depends on what day it is)

3. What song would be/was the first dance at your wedding?

Baptist wedding - no dancing.

4. What song gets stuck in your head most often?

Banana Phone.

I won't link to it because - it's not a nice thing to do.

5. What song would you want played at your funeral?

He Giveth More Grace

He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength when the labors increase;
To added affliction He addeth His Mercy To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.

His Love has no limit; His grace has no measure;
His power no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth and giveth and giveth again

Annie Johnson Flint

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"Papal Sin: Structures of Deceit" by Gary Wills.

This author is a (liberal) Roman Catholic and many[rating=3] Roman Catholics will disagree with him and detest the book.

Many of the points that he makes (and conclusions he comes to) I disagree with. The main use that I would have for this book would be as a source for outside information (footnotes and citation lists, encyclicals, books and history).

AsI said, the author comes to conclusions that I would not come to, even after reading his book and finding the history accurate. Even in disagreement, I found the history fascinating.
I have a few books in my library that are very good resources - not for theology, but for the history. This may become one of them.

The first section of the book deals with the holocaust. The history is good, but it is history. Even if Rome had been more outspoken about what was happening, who can know how much of a difference it would have made? There is an interesting story of Ste. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, canonized in 1998. Born Edith Stein, this Roman Catholic saint was a Jew who converted to Roman Catholicism and became a nun. She was killed (along with her sister Rosa and many other ethic Jews) at Auschwitz on August 9, 1942. Whether or not she died because the Nazis were killing Jews, or whether she died because she was preaching the Gospel is debatable. But she is now a Roman Catholic saint.

As a result of Wills' book, I've read about Stein and - wow. I'd urge you all to google and read, this was an incredible woman.

The second section is called "DOCTRINAL DISHONESTIES" - here is the list of chapter titles:

  • The Tragedy of Paul VI: Prelude
  • The Tragedy of Paul VI: Encyclical
  • Excluded Women
  • The Pope's Eunuchs
  • Priestly caste
  • Shrinking the Body of Christ
  • Hydraulics of Grace
  • Conspiracy of Silence
  • A Gay Priesthood
  • Marian Politics
  • The Gift of Life

Topics include contraception, the history of unmarried clergy, the various sexual scandals. On "excluded women", I believe that male clergy and leadership is right and Biblical, I do think that the way Wills describes Rome's way of getting there is convoluted and based on the magesterium, not the Bible.
The last third of the book looks at honesty and truth. A lot of time is spent on Augustine; I like the history.

MY CONCLUSION:

  1. If you trust in the infallibility of Rome, you will not like this book.
  2. If you are interested in the history of theology, you may like this book
  3. If you want the side of the Roman Catholic coin, from a man who does believe that Rome holds the truth but has erred in some places, this will be an informative book.

The next time I go through it, it will be with a highlighter and sticky tabs.

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Romans 10:4
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

A long time ago I led a woman's Bible study through the book of Romans. (If anybody knows the company that puts these studies out, please let me know; I'd like to do more but I can't remember the name. It's not a book; it's a series of three hole punched studies that march right through books of the Bible. The complany logo looks like a rising sun behind - if I remember right - a cross)

But right now, I'm going to go off in another direction.

Thirty-three years ago my mom sang a solo in our church's Christmas Cantata. I remember this very clearly because Mom was singing the part of "Mary" and at the time was "heavy with child" - my sister Becky was born in January.

The song was "Have Thine Own Way"

1. Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way!
Thou art the potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after thy will,
while I am waiting, yielded and still.

2. Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way!
Search me and try me, Savior today!
Wash me just now, Lord, wash me just now,
as in thy presence humbly I bow.

3. Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way!
Wounded and weary, help me I pray!
Power, all power, surely is thine!
Touch me and heal me, Savior divine!

4. Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way!
Hold o'er my being absolute sway.
Fill with thy Spirit till all shall see
Christ only, always, living in me!

It wasn't until later that I connected the words of this song with anything other than "Mary submitting to God" or "Christians 'rededicating'"

...continue reading →

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It is the position of Reformed theology, as well as some Arminian denominations, that one who has been given a true, saving faith by God cannot be lost.

Here are a few essays:
Can a Christian Lose His or Her Salvation? by Greg Johnson
Assurance of Salvation: Can I Really Be Sure? John G. Reisinger
The Blessing of Full Assurance May 13th, 1888 by C. H. SPURGEON

On one of my "favorite Christian women" bloggers, Carrie "Of Christian Women", started a series based on one of John MacArthur's sermon series. She was challenged with a series of "difficult" passsages.

I'm going through them here because it made for a rather long post.

...continue reading →

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I'll make it very clear at the top that I do NOT believe that all Muslims are terrorists...I don't believe that all terrorists are Muslims. I believe that there are Muslims who condemn the terrorists...I also believe that I should be open about when I think the pope says something very accurate...

If Islam is a "religion of peace" then Islamic clerics should be very loud about condemning radical Islamic terrorists. We don't see many Muslims speaking out. Anywhere.

VATICAN CITY – Pope Benedict XVI did not intend to offend Muslims with remarks about holy war, the Vatican said Thursday...

Religious Affairs Directorate head Ali Bardakoglu, a cleric who sets the religious agenda for Turkey, said he was deeply offended by remarks about Islamic holy war

Hani Pahas in the London-based Arabic-language daily newspaper Al-Hayat, who wrote “the pope’s comments may lead to war;  

“The emperor goes on to explain in detail the reasons why spreading the faith through violence is something unreasonable,” Benedict said...

Koran 5:33
The Punishment for those who oppose Allah and his messenger is : Execution or Crucifixion or the cutting off of hands and feet from opposite sides or exile from the land

“Violence is incompatible with the nature of God and the nature of the soul,” the pope said, issuing an open invitation to dialogue among cultures."

Hussein Shabakshy wrote in an article published by the London-based Arabic-language newspaper al-Sharq al-Awsat “There is no difference between Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri speaking from their caves in Tora Bora and the stage of an important Christian saint. Both parties contribute to the world verbal weapons for mass destruction.”

Koran 17:16-17
When we decide to destroy a population, we send a definite order to them who have the good things in life and yet transgress; so that Allah's word is proved true against them: then we destroy them utterly. How many generations have we destroyed after Noah? And enough is thy Lord to note and see the Sins of his servants

"Renounce the way of violence which causes so much suffering to civilian populations, and instead to embrace the way of peace," he [the Pope] said in a statement issued through Vatican Cardinal Secretary of State Angelo Sodano, in response to terrorist attacks at the popular Red Sea resort of Sharm al-Sheikh in Egypt.

The pope also was criticized by Yusuf al-Qaradawi, an Egyptian-born scholar based in Qatar and regarded as the spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood. Qaradawi has come under fire for praising Palestinian suicide bombers and for calling on Muslims to fight against U.S. forces in Iraq.

Qaradawi was quoted as telling al-Jazeera television that the pope should "apologize to the Muslim nation for insulting its religion, its prophet and its beliefs."

An Italian nun was shot dead at a hospital by Somali gunmen Sunday, hours after a leading Muslim cleric condemned Pope Benedict XVI for his remarks on Islam and violence.

"What is at the pope's heart is a clear and radical refusal of the religious motivation of violence," said spokesman Federico Lombardi.

Palestinians attacked five churches in the West Bank and Gaza — erupted through much of the Muslim world over a speech Benedict delivered to Regensburg university professors during a pilgrimage earlier in the week to his native Germany.

Followers of the "religion of peace" burning the pope in effigy.

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I'd love to be able to put a second blog on the website (and will, eventually)...

For the time being, I've got diet and fitness stuff parked here.

I went shopping and found a pre-packaged salad...everything is in the sealed bowl (fork, dressing, etc.)

Together with an apple, they'll make a great lunch.

I went to the WW meeting and with the plan, it's very legal to go to my favorite coffee shop (in the same strip mall)and get 3 (or 4) shots of espresso with skim milk and splenda - and after the meeting go to taco bell for one taco.

Atkins is just not doing it for me - the structured flexibility with accountability will (I hope) do the trick for me.

I'll throw in some recipes now and then (assuming I'm going to cook) and keep up to date with exersize and other stuff.