God’s Provision During the Famine as Announced by Elisha

Even as I do some studies on the Reformation, I believe it’s time to blog on the kings yet again. I did an entry on Luke for Christmas already. What I’m going to write on now is found in 2 Kings 7. The story continues from the dreadful famine. Just reading about how people become animals in 2 Kings 6 is downright disturbing. There were no vegetables and people were eating each other. It reminds me of a very old news article from North Korea where people started eating people. We read yet again how a true prophet of God is differentiated from a false prophet. A true prophet says something and it’s not his word. The true prophet gives a warning not from his own mouth but from God’s own mouth. A prophet also gives good news and Elisha was about to give it.

Teachers are Called to be Mentors, NOT Tormentors

There’s no doubt that the Bible places the importance of teachers in the Christian life. The pastor is a teacher and preacher of the Scriptures. 1 Corinthians 12:28 says that first there are apostles, second there are prophets, and third, there are teachers. Ephesians 4:11 includes both the office of a preacher and a teacher. You can’t deny that teaching has an important part in the Christian life. However, do you know that some teachers today are actually not doing their job as they should? They’re becoming tormentors instead of mentors!

The Role of Teachers in the Christian Church

Photo by Max Fischer on Pexels.com

I believe in the saying that the pastor is both the teacher and preacher of God’s Word. Yes, pastors are also to be included during teacher’s day. Since today is teacher’s day, I feel like emphasizing the importance of teachers. Every pastor is assigned as a teacher but not every teacher is a pastor. There’s the need for teachers as evidenced in 1 Corinthians 12:27 which says that God sent apostles first, prophets second, teachers third, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Ephesians 4:11 states that God gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds (pastors in the KJV), and teachers.

The Advocacy of Christ for Imperfect Christians

I would reject the idea that getting saved gives a license to sin. Such a repugnant thought can only be by a false convert. 1 John 2:3-6 talks about the lifestyle of both the unsaved and the saved. There are many who claim to be Christians but their lifestyle is disobedience. I was looking at the study notes of the late J. Vernon McGee and he mentions that assurance also comes from by keeping Jesus’ commandments. Jesus did after all say in John 15:14 that the test of friendship is given in obedience to His commands. John 10:27 talks about obedience as a mark of salvation. However, as Christians are facing sanctification, there is still the problem of the sinful nature.

The “Best Source” to Defend Catholicism as the True Church Founded by Jesus in 33 A.D. is a GOOGLE SEARCH?

I was looking at this video to examine it. Sure, I was tempted not to watch it but isn’t it better to watch a video or read the entire book before one refutes it? The girl who claims she used to be a Protestant claimed that she Googled “Who founded the Catholic Church?” it and found out the truth. This is rather funny because there’s one truth that I can say, “You can’t always trust the Internet.” Some people say that you can’t really do any real research on the Internet. Sure, I can do some basic Google searches but nothing beats actual research, going out, and finding the truth. I did some Googling myself and the top result that Google gave was Catholic World Mission followed by Wikipedia. I don’t trust Wikipedia as a valid source either since anyone can edit. Is that the best way to find the truth?

The Protestant Reformation is the Call to be Biblicists

There are Calvinists and non-Calvinists. Personally, I don’t want to make an issue out of Calvinism vs. quasi-Arminianism. I refuse to use the term Armininaism because it’s often associated with a loss of salvation. I just prefer to say non-Calvinist. I’m pretty fine with non-Calvinists. This Reformation month, it’s important to learn about Church history. It’s important to know what happened. However, Paul David Washer had the right to say that he was getting tired of that language. The name Protestant was meant as an insult to the people who protested against Rome. I even heard the name Baptist was dubbed by Rome to those who openly baptized people during the Dark Ages. Acts 11:26 has the incident that the disciples were first called Christians. Jesus never called His followers as such. It was the people at Antioch. Peter later said in 1 Peter 4:16 that if any man suffers as a Christian. I’m now standing by the view that the name Christian wasn’t a term of endearment. Neither were the names Protestants, Protestant reformers, and Baptists. The same went for Calvinism which was coined some time after John Calvin passed away into glory.

I Could’ve Been a Catholic Priest

During my younger years, I soon became religious in watching Father Peyton’s Rosary Hour and EWTN programs. I was soon told, “If you like whating those Catholic programs so much, why not become a priest?” I was told about having to sleep in school. Yet, I had to deal with materialism where I secretly desired to live a highly materialistic life and have lots of women. Yet, part of me wanted to be pleasing to God. I sought to master praying the Rosary. I was also praying the Angelus and the six o’ clock prayer. I sought answers in attending Catholic mass after Catholic mass. I even got “blessed” with “holy water” hoping my behavior will improve. Yet, nothing worked and I soon felt that nothing was working.