Pester Brat's Saint and Sinner Hypocrisy Blog

3 Months that Seem like 3 Years It's been three months since the tropical monster Katrina hit our area. It feels like three years. Since then we've seen incredible things, things that are just too amazing to understand by photo or by print. Those of you who have visited this area and have worked with us here in Slidell and New Orleans know what I mean. The level and intensity and broadness of the destruction that the Lord levied on this area is something you cannot communicate. It has to be witnessed firsthand. We've seen God answer prayer almost instantaneously; even bringing to us under our feet a domesticated pet rat roaming in the very backyard of a boy who had recently prayed for a replacement to his drowned rat, Debbie. Provision under Providence is a faith builder and the Lord has shown us His sustaining grace each and every day as we labor. This experience has shown us that for the most part, we play church and live complacently in our communities. Having your hand ...

Reinventing Calvinism - A Generous Heresy ...the gospel according to Brian McLaren Mr. McLaren has tried in a portion of his book, Generous Orthodoxy, to attempt to redefine the meaning behind Calvinism's theological acrostic T.U.L.I.P., known as the "Doctrines of Grace," through the onion skin of his postmodern blended-faith. Though an effort in futility, an appropriate subtitle could have been (please sing alone) “he don’t bring me tulips anymore.” If Brian McLaren's name is new to you, he is the latest guru of evangelicalism's "search for significance movement" which he and others have coined as “The Emerging Church.” This is the new "flavor of the month" in Christian circles. He is featured currently in the cover article of CT (Christianity Today) on the theme of "The Emergent Mystique." More on “The Submerging Church” later ("submerging" - for what is emerging is not a biblical church at all, but more appropriately - a ...

This is edited from and e-mail I sent out recently. This just briefly outlines where I stand in certain areas of this issue: 1. Dating is different than courtship. While some may use the terms interchangeably, the idea is that there is no biblical purpose for dating and having an intimate relationship if it is too early, or the person is not ready for, or has no intention of getting married. In this case, a boy/man and girl/woman should remain friends, and act and treat each other accordingly. 2. While this is really covered in #1, there is no purpose in and it is unbiblical to have an intimate relationship and date an unbeliever. There is even the question of whether it should be subject to church involvement and discipline if necessary, if it happens. 3. Courtship is for a Christian man and woman who has gotten to know each other through or outside of church in group settings and believe that it may be possible that the Lord would have them to be man and wife, and so spend more time ...

"My religious beliefs teach me to feel as safe in battle as in bed. God has fixed the time of my death. I do not concern myself with that, but to be always ready whenever it may overtake me. That is the way all men should live, and all men would be equally brave." --Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson

Mayflower Compact In the name of God, Amen. We whose names are underwritten, the loyal subjects of our dread Sovereign Lord King James, by the Grace of God of Great Britain, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, etc. Having undertaken, for the Glory of God and advancement of the Christian Faith and Honour of our King and Country, a Voyage to plant the First Colony in the Northern Parts of Virginia, do by these presents solemnly and mutually in the presence of God and one of another, Covenant and Combine ourselves together into a Civil Body Politic, for our better ordering and preservation and furtherance of the ends aforesaid; and by virtue hereof to enact, constitute and frame such just and equal Laws, Ordinances, Acts, Constitutions and Offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general good of the Colony, unto which we promise all due submission and obedience. In witness whereof we have hereunder subscribed our names at Cape Cod, the ...

I've seen this before, I just can't remember if I posted it on my Blog or not. Even if I did, it's buried in the archives somewhere. May the Lord receive the glory as this is impressed upon our hearts! Brother Bret I Refuse to Compete So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. --1 Corinthians 3:7-8 "Dear Lord, I refuse henceforth to compete with any of Thy servants. They have congregations larger than mine. So be it. I rejoice in their success. They have greater gifts. Very well. That is not in their power nor in mine. I am humbly grateful for their greater gifts and my smaller ones. I only pray that I may use to Thy glory such modest gifts as I possess. I will not compare myself with any, nor try to build up my self-esteem by noting where I may excel one or another in Thy holy work. I herewith make a blan...

The Gospel According to Timothy McVeigh By John Nolan “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.” Such were the chilling last words of mass-murderer Timothy McVeigh released to the public shortly before his just execution. He entered eternity embracing the malevolent arrogance of this sentiment borrowed from the words of a dead poet. This was his Gospel. Is it yours? Will you enter eternity believing that you are the master of your destiny? It sounds preposterous, right? How can man be the master of his destiny? Does the Word of God not say of the Sovereign LORD, “He doeth according to His will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay His hand, or say unto Him, What doest thou?” (Daniel 4:35) And again, the inspired apostle rebukes those who claim to have power over the Great Potter, “Who has resisted His will? But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me...

Victory Christian Center Pastor Attacked During Services Tuesday November 22, 2005 5:15pm Reporter: Mark Bradshaw Posted By: Kevin King Tulsa - One of Tulsa's best-known ministers was attacked Sunday while giving the altar call. NewsChannel 8's Mark Bradshaw spoke with Billy Joe Daugherty of Victory Christian Center, who was almost knocked out in church. Daugherty has preached in more than forty countries, many of them dangerous, third-world countries. And, he was in Russia last week. In all of his travels around the world, he has never been physically attacked. That all changed Sunday, in of all places, right in front of his own congregation at Victory Christian Center. "Standing just like this, he went 'POW', and that knocked me back and I spun like that and he grabbed my coat." It was an altar call Billy Joe Daugherty will never forget. The pastor is now sporting a black eye and stitches two days after the altercation at the altar that was caught on tape. ...

26. Bill Triance: Friend and brother in Christ. 27. Nina: Friend and sister in Christ from MIRC and Paltalk. 28. Denise: Friend and sister in Christ from Paltalk. 29. Carla: Friend and sister in Christ from Paltalk. 30. Ava: Friend and sister in Christ from Paltalk. 31. Diane: Friend and sister in Christ from Paltalk. 32. Stacey Norris: Friend and sister in Christ from Prosapologian and Paltalk. 33. Jim Benkerk: Friend and brother in Christ from Paltalk. 34. Terry West: Friend and brother in Christ from Paltalk. 35. Steve Horn: Friend and brother in Christ from Paltalk. 36. Charles Benfield: Friend, brother in Christ, and church member at former church. 37. Jerry Wallen and family: Friend, brother in Christ, and church member at former church. 38. James Barcelona: Friend and brother in Christ from MIRC, E-Mail and Phone. 39. Kerri Ciriago: Friend and Asst. Manager at Washington Mutual in SE Florida. 40. Steve Wood: Brother in Christ, future pastor of future church (Lord willing) in Eag...

Something that I have been thinking about for the last week or so is those that I appreciate because of the influence they have had in my lives since the Lord has been pleased to save this 'undone' sinner.' So I am going to mention their name(s)/group and just briefly why which are not all (except the first two) necessarily in order of importance. 1. The LORD: For all He is and has done. For saving this undeserving sinner. 2. My wife Nola and three children (Mandye, Shelley and Nikki). 3. Pastor James Sasser: My first pastor and still good friend and brother in Christ. 4. Pastor Frank Owens: 2nd Pastor and brother in Christ. 5. Pastor Jim Fairchild: 3rd Pastor and brother in Christ. 6. Pastor Chris Tippett: Former Asst. Pastor at last church & good friend and brother in Christ. 7. Pastor John McCarty: Brother in Christ and good friend. 8. Pastor Joey Rogers: Brother in Christ and good friend. 9. Pastor Bob Colson: Pastor is sister church in town, brother in Christ and g...

The Real Fundamentalists I grew up in what I thought was the fundamentalist movement. In my formative years I was enamored with the Sword/Hyles branch of fundamentalism and what it supposedly represented. As the years went by I began to see that this movement (which I now affectionately label 'IFBx') was only a caricature - a mean-spirited shallow one at that - of what fundamentalism once was at its conception. When I compare the modern Church to the Church of 100 years ago, the group that now labels itself 'fundamentalists' in many ways does not resemble its forebears. I know that I run the risk of painting with too broad a brush, but that's okay. Maybe the fact that I do will enliven the conversation. I'm no church historian, but there are two things that I see that I think you have to be in order to call yourself a fundamentalist properly. You must have two characteristics. The first is an adherence to the fundamentals of the faith as historically defined by ...

The Cessation of Tongues Leonard J. Coppes In this chapter we intend to show that the Bible teaches that tongue-speaking ceased when prophecy ceased. The discussion on tongues-speaking is quite complex and their are a number of studies which survey the New Testament evidence in detail.1 The present approach will focus on the two main New Testament passages, Acts 2 and I Cor. 12-14. It is our thesis that tongues-speaking was probably a declaration of the gospel (the mystery or mysteries of the Old Testament divinely revealed through the apostolate and prophets of the New Testament) in foreign languages. Peter (in Acts) and Paul (in I Cor.) both quoted Old Testament passages which together with the context of those quotes unquestionably identify tongues-speaking as a species of prophecy. We saw in the last chapter that all prophecy has ceased. Since, tongue-speaking is a kind/species of prophecy, it, too, has ceased. I. THE PENTECOST ACCOUNT The most important passage on tongues is in th...