Welcome to
Earthen Vessel Journal
See our books and DVDs at our publishing site: www.earthenvessel.net.
| Articles and Features | |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
He is Risen Indeed! - Brian BaileyThe question of the ages since those days is simply this: How do we know what happened that early spring morning in A.D. 30? And if it did happen, what does it mean for us today in this narcissistic age? Why believe this fantastic claim? posted 4/9/2012 |
 |
Santería - ¿Sabe lo que es? - Kent Allan PhilpottJesús es vencedor sobre el Diablo. No importa que tan poseído puede ser uno, no importa en que actos terribles uno ha participado, pueden ser perdonados. Nadie está sin esperanza.Es Jesucristo y él solo quien te puede liberar el poder del Diablo y sus demonios. No necesitamos temer los malos espíritus; los espíritus malignos temen el Dios y padre de nuestro Señor Jesucristo.Por el poder del Espíritu Santo se puede liberar. 3/11/2012 |
 |
God, an Incredible Teacher (Part 10 in The Jesus Revolution) - David HoytMy mind was racing, rehearsing what just happened, but I knew attending Bible College was not to be. Suitcase in hand I lumbered down the main road from the campus with a heavy heart as my pace slowed to an aimless shuffle. Was it the length of my hair, my clothing? Then out of nowhere, I heard a voice similar to the day I received Christ, saying, “That's all right, I will teach you.” posted 3/6/2012 |
 |
Must Christians Believe in Hell? - Kent Allan PhilpottDidn't Christians come up with the doctrine of hell in order to scare people into heaven? ... Where did hell come from? The answer may be rather astonishing.... Holy - this is the key word. Settle back for a moment and consider the following argument. posted 3/1/2012 |
 |
Holy Meeting Ground - Michelle ShelferLast September I was blessed to visit the land of my mother’s birth, Vienna, Austria, with my mother and my sister. Mom fled from Vienna with her family after the Nazi Anschluss of March, 1938, escaping the horrors of the holocaust as it played out in Austria, and living out five years of her early life in and out of a refugee camp... posted 2/3/2012 |
 |
A Steep Learning Curve (Part 9 in The Jesus Revolution) - David HoytFollowing Jesus in baptism was one more decisive step, and I sensed the presence of the Holy Spirit as I came up out of the waters of baptism. ... It was evident; the dark side of my old life was on the run! ... But who would have guessed I would have an encounter with Jesus Christ in a Radha Krishna Hindu Temple in San Francisco? posted 2/1/2012 |
 |
Santeria - Do you know what it is? by Kent PhilpottSanteria has been around for 400 years and is growing rapidly. Santeria comes from the Spanish word for "saint." When the African slaves in the New World realized their masters did not understand or appreciate their magical religious rites, they simply folded their magical system into the prevailing worship of the Roman Catholic Church. The process is referred to as syncretism, which is blending of competing systems with a resultant creation of a new identity in both name and practice. But their focus is the placating of gods, spirits, demons, even the devil, to do the bidding of the worshipper... posted 1/28/2012 |
 |
After That - A Salute to Veterans of Two Sorts - Roger PalmsNo matter the war, veterans who have been in combat, who have seen buddies killed, understand the feeling that, "It could have been me." They know the feeling of living "after that." But so do the rest of us who belong to the Savior. We, too, who are in a different kind of war, understand that we live in a time called "after that." posted 1/30/2012 |
 |
Attract or Repel? (Preaching the Gospel) - Kerry JohnsonInside the bag were a couple other magnets, Lego pieces, paper clips, rocks, a nail, small toys, and other random objects. The kids would guess which items would attract and which would repel and then test them out. ... and it reminded me that we never know who will attract and who will repel to the gospel of Jesus Christ. posted 1/21/2012 |
| Bits of Books | |
 |
Are You Really Born Again?: "How False Conversion Occur" (chapter 8) - Kent Allan PhilpottThe methodology of the church-growth movement may result in false conversions when churches want to make it easy for people to become members... Church-growth techniques seem to work, while preaching a straightforward gospel message often drives people away. ..Those who are satisfied with their own righteousness will baulk at the truth, which declares that they must either come to Jesus and his cross for forgiveness, or else they will be lost forever. posted 10/5/2011 |
 |
How Christians Cast Out Demons Today: "A Theology of the Demonic" (chapter 4) - Kent Allan PhilpottThe devil’s name is Satan, meaning adversary, opponent, or enemy; Satan wars against God and His creation. The word “devil” is best understood as slanderer or accuser. He was thrown down to the earth along with his angels who are created, intelligent beings who have a measure of free will, demonstrated by their capacity to rebel against their Creator... posted 1/23/11 |
 |
If the Devil Wrote a Bible: "Experience as much of life as you can" (Chapter 3) - Kent Allan PhilpottDevil: Experience as much of life as you can. All that really matters is your happiness anyway. Remember the grave is the end. Therefore I command you, reject religion, which only mires you down in rules and guilt. Explore every choice and live free. posted 10/9/10 |
 |
Are You Being Duped?: "Do you think the grave is the end?" - Kent Allan PhilpottHow sure are you, if you believe that the grave is the end, that you are right? Oh, you may believe it with all your heart and soul! But how do you know you are right? Do you have anything to prove your position? Are you willing to risk absolutely everything? |
 |
For Pastors of Small Churches: "Examine Yourself" - Kent Allan PhilpottWe must be sure of our own conversion. To be engaged in pastoral ministry and yet be unconverted--this is a great tragedy. Many think they are converted on the basis of church membership, baptism, good deeds, holding to orthodox creeds and doctrine, and so on. In fact, some mistakenly believe they are truly converted because they are ministers. |
 |
How to Care for Your Pastor: "The Pastor is Growing" - Kent Allan PhilpottI have known pastors who have changed in some point of theology and have had to resign as a result. Their congregations were not mature enough to work through a very natural and necessary experience or did not have the personal and spiritual security to allow the pastors to work out their salvation with fear and trembling. |
 |
Tales from San Quentin: "First Day of Baseball Tryouts" - Kent Allan PhilpottFebruary 27 turned out to be a cold and rainy day, but we went on with the tryouts anyway. About forty men came out. There were a few guys I cut on that first day—anyone would be able to see that baseball was not their game. There were five of these, older convicts, who wanted to be part of this most elite group in the prison, a team that had received national attention more than a few times. Making cuts is the most unpleasant part of... |
 |
Reforming: "Early Confusion" - Kent Allan PhilpottI slowly began to understand. Grace was not grace if salvation depended upon human action. Were we really dead in our trespasses and sins or not? If there was no free will to enable one to make a decision--what was to be done? It was at this point that I began to talk to other evangelical pastors and ask their opinion. Each one I consulted admitted that it was obvious that repeating the sinner's prayer was no sure fire means of conversion, and these were all pastors holding to an Arminian theology. Anyone who had been a pastor for very long saw it plainly... |
|
The Third Sex? revisited: "Born Homosexual or Not?" - Kent Allan PhilpottI came to the conclusion that being born gay was little more than a cultural myth in the homosexual community. “I was born gay, homosexuality is natural for me” was an identity marker that went with the territory... What counts for me is what God has revealed. Of course, if one does not have a high view of the Scripture, then what I am presenting will be next to meaningless... |
 |
Why I Decided Not to Kill Myself: "Carla's Story" - Kent Allan PhilpottQuickly, too quickly, I jumped into a rebound relationship, and when that one came to its inevitable end, I crashed. I felt the full force of being alone in the world and was not prepared for it. I was depressed, and I began to think about suicide. I remembered something from the recovery workshop—90% of the people who go through divorce seriously consider ending it all... |
| Of Other Interest | |
 |
Islam Insights: A Collection of Essays over time - Kent Allan Philpott
|
 |
A "New Calvinism" - Kent Allan PhilpottApparently there is renewed interest and attraction to Calvinistic or Reformed theology. In this article I want to comment on how one person came to embrace the doctrines of grace—this is my own story. |
