Welcome to
Earthen Vessel Journal
Issue 2: July, 2010
See our books and DVDs at our publishing site: www.earthenvessel.net.
In this issue:
| Awesome Articles | |
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"The Global Revival (?) is Here Whether We Like it or Not" - Kathleen MorganA series of videos demonstrate how ministers from Bethel, IHOP, Extreme Prophetic, Morningstar Ministries, and others are not teaching young believers to learn scripture and rightfully divide the Word of Truth. They teach that supernatural experiences are more important and what is happening is so new and different that no one has a written guide book for this new thing supposedly of God. Is it God leading them to gyrate, hiss like snakes, bark like dogs, and laugh uncontrollably? |
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"A Cry Rushed Upward to a Place Called Heaven-Jesus People, Part 2" - David HoytAs the Vietnam War dragged on, anti-war protesters took to the streets across America. As the deaths of young soldiers multiplied, a hunger for purpose, significance, and truth bubbled up through the psychedelic purple haze of getting high. |
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"He Who Has Ears, Let Him Hear" - Michelle ShelferIn this musical selection, “Oye, Shema, Hear”, I am addressing one suffering from abortion. A hand is extended, a path to peace is offered, a joy is revealed in the midst of even the deepest wound. I sing as one who suffered from my own abortion experience, and after 25 years found peace in Jesus. |
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"The Apocryphal Books, Part 2" - Bob BurnsDoes the body of literature known as the Apocrypha has any relevance for Christians living today? Burns explores the history of these mysterious books and how to place them canonically and authoritatively. |
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"Meet Mark, A Man Who Made His Mark" - Timothy CrossDid you know that one of the four Gospel accounts contains a reference to a streaker? The common consensus is that this streaker was actually young John Mark himself, the writer of the Gospel. |
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"Discipleship and Formal Education-the Biblical Distinction" - Saul Plotkin“Should—or must—we home-school our children?” “Is it okay to send our children to public school?” “What about Christian school?” In this essay I would like to address the issue of education as a believing parent speaking to believing parents. |
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"What Every Parent Should Know About the Internet, Part 1" - David ClarkAcross the world, an estimated 1 billion people now have access to the Internet. In 2006 there were over 4 million pornography web sites, 100,000 of which offered illegal child pornography. What should we do? Is there a Biblical response? |
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"I Never Knew You": Matthew 7:21-23 - Katie PhilpottIn that day, when some who performed miracles in His name call Him "Lord, Lord," He will say to them, "I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness." What could this mean? |
| Fabulous Features | |
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"God's Pots - Ourselves!" - Timothy CrossFaith makes us rich with the eternal riches that cannot ever be taken away from us. Yet, says Paul we have this treasure in earthen vessels. It is only in the age to come, says Paul, that we will exchange these bodies of ours - earthen vessels - for something less fragile. We are vessels of salvation, service, mercy and... |
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"Open Air Preaching" - Larry RosenbaumMuch of Jesus' ministry was that of a street preacher; Peter, Paul, and the other disciples preached God's Word boldly in public places. What about Christians today? What about you? |
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"Ruth: A Guide for Life's Troubled Times" Chapter 2 - Brian BaileyThere are times that we as people simply have to respond to these life events that are larger than ourselves with the best choices that we can make at the time. At times these choices have no moral overtone but unintended consequences may be truly adverse or even tragic... |
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Sufism: An Insider's Story - Kent Philpott interviews NoemaOn his Muslim father’s side is an ancient family of titled landlords, and his Jewish mother comes from a Persian-speaking family. His grandfather taught him the ways of Islam, and he learned how to fall into a trance-like state of spiritual ecstacy in the dhikrs. He also learned how to control others through a kind of mental telepathy. Now he says, "The focus of my new life is God; now I am content, and... |
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Feeling the Spirit? - Kent PhilpottI was once a wild-eyed Pentecostal. Somewhere, somehow I changed my mind. There are going to be feelings and emotions, happiness and tears, and sometimes more than that in a worship service. These can not be avoided and neither should they be. But, and this is the point I want to make, to equate the Holy Spirit with feelings is dead wrong. |
| Bits of Books | |
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Are You Really Born Again? - Chapter 1: "Christianization or Conversion?" - Kent PhilpottJohn thought highly of Jesus as a great spiritual teacher, but he was not converted. Jose had been christianized--he had been tricked. Mike had neither expressed a sense of needing to be forgiven nor of needing a Savior. Sherie had simply embraced the lifestyle and philosophy of her rescuers. Bob asked, "Why don’t I enjoy being a Christian?” Gladys decided one day she wasn’t a Christian after all. Why? Because they were never converted... |
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How Christians Cast Out Demons Today - Chapter 1: "Jesus Cast Out Demons" - Kent PhilpottIt is because of his victory over sin and Satan that Jesus extends to His Church authority even to cast out demons from people. The kingdom of God had come in the very person and presence of Jesus. The proof of this was demonstrated in his casting out of demons, by which it is traditionally thought that Jesus caused the demonic kingdom... |
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Are You Being Duped? - Chapter 1: "You have been duped if you think you are the 'Master of your fate and the captain of your soul'" - Kent PhilpottUltimately neither Henley, McVeigh, nor anyone else is in control of anything that has to do with fate and soul. We have plenty of free will, but it is limited, securely bounded on all sides; we have only enough free will to get ourselves into trouble, not enough to save us. And reincarnation is a false hope. You will die and you will not come back. Here’s what will happen after you die... |
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The Third Sex? and The Gay Theology (Revisited) - Chapter 1: "What followed the publication of
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How to Care for Your Pastor - Chapter 2: "The Pastor is a Person" - Kent PhilpottMany people in our churches do not understand that the pastor is a person, someone not unlike everyone else. Yes, there is a higher standard that a leader in the church is called to, a trust that is to be honoured, but the pastor is still a person who is growing up into the stature of the fullness of Christ. God does not give up on people, even pastors who know what it is to be human, a saint, and a sinner... |
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If the Devil Wrote a Bible - Chapter 1 Verse 1: "The serpent said to the lady..." - Kent Philpott"I hate the woman and her man, mostly because youknowwho made then and loves them. Sickening indeed." The devil did, in fact, say, “You will not surely die” to the lady known as Eve. It actually is in a bible, and not the devil’s, but in the real Bible...Adam and Eve were overwhelmed and ruined as a result... |
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For Pastors of Small Churches - Chapter 2: "The Call to Pastoral Ministry" - Kent PhilpottBefore entering the pastoral ministry it is necessary to be as clear as possible that it is the will of God. And this is not easily known. From Scripture we know that Jesus called the Twelve to Himself. They did not choose Him; He chose them. Lloyd-Jones quotes Spurgeon who said to his students that if you can do anything else, stay out of the ministry...
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Why I Decided Not to Kill Myself - Chapter 1: “Kent will go insane or commit suicide before one year is up.” - Kent PhilpottI would never give that false prophet or her eager hearers the satisfaction of seeing her predictions come true. Is this a bad motivation? Whether these people learn grace and forgiveness is not my problem; I have forgiven myself as best I can, despite the fact I cannot forget; I have been forgiven by God, so I refuse to live a life of guilt and shame... |
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Me 'n' Bobo: And Other Tales from San Quentin - "#1 The 2010 baseball season: Before the Tryouts" - Kent PhilpottAs far as we know, there is nothing like our baseball program anywhere in the country, maybe the world: at San Quentin outside teams come in to play convicts—that is the uniqueness. Fifteen years ago I began managing baseball teams at San Quentin after fourteen years doing ministry out of the Garden Chapel at the prison. One thing we coaches were all sure of—certain “poison”players who plagued us from prior years would not be on the team. Deselection would have to be done for the sake of the team as well as for the peace of mind of the coaches... |
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Reforming - Chapter 1: "The Journey" - Kent PhilpottI will not suggest here that an acceptance of Reformed theology is an indication of spiritual growth and maturity. No, I am simply going to make an effort to recount the chronology and map of my own spiritual journey. Throughout my whole Christian life I had been told that we cooperate with God. The fairness concept played heavily upon me as well. It simply would not work that God should save some and condemn others...In a kind of miraculous way I stumbled across something that brought me to a place of peace... |
| Of Other Interest | |
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Islam InsightsA collection of essays written over several years on the subject of Islam and Christianity. |
