Devotional Thought

Am I getting nobler, better, more helpful, more humble, as I get older? Am I exhibiting the life that men take knowledge of as having been with Jesus, or am I getting more self-assertive, more deliberately determined to have my own way? It is a great thing to tell yourself the truth.

                                                                                                                  - Oswald Chambers

Theological Term of the Day

Demon

A Demon is a fallen angel that assists Satan in the opposition of God. Demons are evil (Luke 10:17,18), powerful (Luke 8:29), and under the power of Satan (Matt. 12:24-30). They recognized Christ and can possess non-Christians (Matt. 8:29)

Demons are evil spirits that are opposed to God and God's people.  They appear to be fallen angels:  2 Pet. 2:4& Jude 6 are primarily referenced  in the New Testament.

• Matt. 4:24, "And the news about Him went out into all Syria; and they brought to Him all who were ill, taken with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, paralytics; and He healed them."
• Matt. 8:28, "And when He had come to the other side into the country of the Gadarenes, two men who were demon-possessed met Him as they were coming out of the tombs; they were so exceedingly violent that no one could pass by that road."
• Mark 3:22, "And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, 'He is possessed by Beelzebul,' and "He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons."
• Luke 4:35, "And Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet and come out of him!" And when the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him without doing him any harm."
• John 8:48-49, "The Jews answered and said to Him, "Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?" ⁴⁹ Jesus answered, "I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me"

Demons are spiritual beings without physical form.  They are evil spirits that are opposed to God and his work.  They were probably created before the world was and, like Satan, fell away from God. Some believe that Rev. 12:4 is a reference to a third of the angels falling and becoming demons.

The term demon comes from the Greek "daimon."  Demons are found in the New Testament as being able to possess people and animals (Matt. 8:32).  They are very strong (Mark 5:4).  They are also called unclean spirits (Luke 8:29), seem to have a heirarchy of rulership in their demonic realm (Matt. 12:24-27), and can have sacrifices offered to them (1 Cor. 10:20).  Also, they will be judged in the future (Matt. 8:29).  They cannot be redeemed.

Paul recognized demonic forces and referred to them as principalities (Rom. 8:38) and said that we struggle against them (Eph. 6:11-12).  He speaks of them in the heavenly places, but this does not mean heaven where God is, but the upper area above the earth.

Beneva Christian

Another great Sunday at Beneva Christian! Loved the music and fellowship today. It was fun to hear all the comments after church from people who have watched eagles and related their stories to the message today. Here is the final three points from the message today...

Trust God...especially when things are not going the way you desire.
Take Hold...Spend time seeking God and listening to Him. 
Take God's Lead...Follow him as he leads, giving your life away.

Blessings,

Ronn

Devotional Thought... Unconscious Influence

Who are the people who have influenced us most? Certainly not the ones who thought they did, but those who did not have even the slightest idea that they were influencing us. In the Christian life, godly influence is never conscious of itself. If we are conscious of our influence, it ceases to have the genuine loveliness which is characteristic of the touch of Jesus. 
                                                                                                            - Oswald Chambers

Theological Term of the Day

Dead Sea Scrolls

The Dead Sea Scrolls were documents found in Judean Caves in 1947.  These documents, written in Hebrew and Aramaic, were probably written by the Essenes in theQumran area around 250 B.C. to 70 A.D.  They were discovered in eleven caves along the northwest shore of the Dead Sea.  Hundreds of separate scrolls and scroll fragments have been found that cover both biblical and non-biblical writings.    The book of Esther is the only Old Testament book not found among the scrolls. 

The book of Isaiah was found along with Deuteronomy and the Psalms.  The Isaiah scroll is particularly important since it predates the oldest existing copy of Isaiah by 1000 years and helped to demonstrate the extreme accuracy of the copying method of the biblical documents.

                                                                                                                            - carm.org

Quote for the Day

Let no one grieve at his poverty,
for the universal kingdom has been revealed.
Let no one mourn that he has fallen again and again;
for forgiveness has risen from the grave.
Let no one fear death, for the Death of our Savior has set us free.
He has destroyed it by enduring it.

—John Chrysostom, bishop of Constantinople; sermon, ca. 400 

Today in Church History - Loch Ness!

August 22, 565: Celtic missionary and abbot Columba reportedly confronts the Loch Ness Monster and becomes the first recorded observer of the creature. "At the voice of the saint, the monster was terrified," wrote his biographer, "and fled more quickly than if it had been pulled back with ropes" (see issue 60: How the Irish Were Saved).

August 22, 1670: English missionary John Eliot founds a church for Native Americans at Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts.

August 22, 1800: Edward B. Pusey, author of Tracts for the Times and a leader of the Oxford Movement to renew the Anglican Church, is born. He wrote several works promoting a union between Anglicans and Roman Catholics, but the Vatican I Ecumenical Council (1869-70) dashed his hopes when it declared the doctrine of papal infallibility.

Thank You Beneva Christian Church!!!

Wow!!!

My family was overwhelmed today by your love and kindness! What a great Sunday to be at church and worship the Lord together. Praise God for Nona coming forward today and becoming a member of our Church family. That takes a great deal of courage and commitment. As always thanks to Tanya and everyone who sings up front, you sounded great today. (I'll play the drums next week!)

The hugs, smiles, welcome basket, and fellowship was wonderful and a special THANK YOU for whoever bought our lunch after church! 

The Oren family is looking forward to the many weeks and months of serving the Lord with you. God bless!

Ephesians 3:20

Sunday Prayer

I pray today for children of Sarasota who are hurting, and without peace.  I pray for children that are struggling with sickness and are discouraged and broken. I pray that they know comfort and feel God's love.  

I pray for the parents and grandparents at Beneva Christian to have the strength and courage to life up the oppressed, love the unlovely, and help bind up the broken-hearted. This we pray in Jesus name, Amen.

More Pictures!

Pics from our trip to Sarasota...

 We were at the "Antique Archaeology Story" from 

American Pickers TV show on the History Channel

Early American School House

Of course, this is Superman!

Pics of the Trip

Here are some pictures from our trip to Sarasota, included in them are stops at a Civil War Museum, Holiday Inn, Belle Meade Plantation, and more... ENJOY!!!

Quote of the Day

Having some trouble getting some pics off of phone, to computer, and then to blog. (I know, I could do a mobile upload, but I haven't set it up yet, and, the pics are on Yvette's phone.) 

So...here is a great quote!

“People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. 
If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway.
If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway. 
For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.” 
                                                         
                                                                                ― Mother Teresa

We're On Our Way!

We are now Sarasota bound!!!

More Pics coming...

Sunday Prayer

I found the following prayer on faithandworship.com and loved it, and wanted to share it with everyone who reads this blog. (Yes, both of you) :-)

God whose love reaches to the highest heavens
how can we keep silent?
God whose righteousness stands like the tallest mountain 
how can we keep silent?
God whose justice is deeper than any ocean
how can we keep silent?
God whose grace flows like a never-ending river
how can we keep silent?
How can we not proclaim your majesty
from generation to generation?
How can we not raise the lamp of your Salvation 
for all the world to see?
God whose love reaches to the highest heavens
we praise your mighty name!

Today in Church History

August 10, 70: Roman troops, sent by Emperor Vespasian to put down a Jewish rebellion, break through the walls of Jerusalem and destroy the temple. Some said that the event occurred on the same day of the year as the earlier destruction of Solomon's temple by Babylonians.

August 10, 1760: Philip Embury, the first Methodist clergyman to come to America, arrives in New York. 

August 10, 1886: Joseph M. Scriven, Irish Plymouth Brethren hymnwriter, dies. He spent his life performing menial work for the destitute, and both of his engagements ended with the sudden deaths of his fiancees. Nonetheless, his best-known hymn is the uplifting "What a Friend We Have in Jesus.

August 10, 1760: Samuel Leigh, the first Methodist minister in Australia, arrives in Sydney. The Methodist denomination is now Australia's third largest, with an adherence of 10 percent of the population.

                                                                                                                   - christianitytoday.com

Lifespeak Ministries - Executive Director

My good friend Aaron Holsapple, who is the Executive Director of Lifespeak Ministries, is pictured below with and without dreads. He needed to "fit in" while in Jamaica and I recommended a quick style change.

Theological Term of the Day

Deacon

Deacon comes from the Greek word diakonos and is translated as servant in John 6:25; 12:26, and as minister inRom. 13:4. It is an office of the church where individuals are designated to help in the ministry, sometimes serving communion, sometimes by taking care of such needs as church welfare, feeding the homeless, taking care of the sick in the church, etc.

                                                                                                                                                            - carm.org

Apt and Timely

“I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.” 


                                                                - Douglas Adams

Happy Anniversary Yvette!

Today is Our 17th Anniversary!!!

(Dates on pics are when we digitized them)

 She sure is amazing, isn't she?

Today (and Tomorrow) in Church History

August 3, 1492: Christopher Columbus sets sail from Spain for the "Indies." Though the explorer was in part driven by a quest for gold and glory, he also saw himself as a missionary. He thought, if there were a shortcut to the East by sea, missionaries could be sent there faster, thus enabling Christians to meet the provision for world evangelization before the Lord could return (see issue 35: Christopher Columbus).

August 4, 1792: By order of revolutionaries, all houses of worship close in France.

August 4, 1892: English medical missionary Sir Wilfred T. Grenfell arrives in Labrador, Newfoundland. He labored as a physician and missionary for 42 years and was instrumental in building orphanages, hospitals, cooperative stores, and other community organizations.

                                                                                                                        - christianitytoday.com

DESERT UPDATE!!!

Remember this post???





MY FAVORITE - BLACK RASPBERRY PIE!!!

My second favorite desert is...



CHEESECAKE!!!


I wonder if anyone has ever made Black Raspberry Cheescake???


That would be amazing! 

---------------------UPDATE--------------------


SO, Sara Metheny (Beneva Christian Church) read my blog and realized the fastest way to persuade me is through food. :-)


SO just look at what we had for desert this past week!!!!!

BLACK RASPBERRY CHEESECAKE!!!

(Yes, I ate over half of that cake during a two day span.) 

THANK YOU FRANK AND SARA! YOU GUYS ROCK!!!

Theological term of the Day

Cult

A cult is a religious group (but do not have to be religious) that follows a particular theological system. From the view of Christianity a cult distorts the doctrines that affect salvation sufficiently to cause it to be unattainable. For example, it is an essential doctrine of Christianity that there is only one God, and that believing in a false God brings judgment (Exodus 20:1-6).  If a group were to affirm that there is more than one God (i.e., Mormonism), then it would violate an essential doctrine and be outside the Christian faith.  Another essential would be that Jesus is God in flesh (John 1:1,14; Col. 2:9) and that to deny it means a person will die in his sins, John 8:24.  The Jehovah's Witnesses deny Christ's deity and are, therefore, not Christian.

A few examples of cults are Mormonism, Jehovah's Witnesses, Christian Science, Christadelphians, Unity, Religious Science, The Way International, and the Moonies.

                                                                                                                                  - carm.org

Quote of the Day

“Discipleship is not an offer that man makes to Christ.” 


                                                              - Dietrich Bonhoeffer