Lecrae dancing to Beiber is HILLARIOUS!!!
The blog of Dennis Ellingburg, Pastor of New Journey Church in Columbus, MS.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Tuesday's Question to Ponder
This week's question:
What is grace?
I know that this seems like a simple question, but is it really? The answer to this question says a lot about your theology, and soteriology (doctrine of salvation).
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Thursday Morning Funny!
All I have to say to preface this funny is "Hooooooooooooooo! I know, a little bit spooky ain't it." Enjoy!
Marriage: It's Good for Your Heart
This morning I read an article in USA Today that got me thinking. The article was about how Marriage keeps your heart healthy after surgery. The article sited a study in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior which stated that adults who were married were three times more likely to survive the first three months following major heart surgery than their single counterparts and twice as likely to survived over five years. The take-away for the researchers was that having a spouse discouraged them from high risk activities such as overeating and smoking, and encouraged a healthy lifestyle. While this may seem like news to the world, believers have the benefit of Scripture.
Scripture is filled with words supporting the benefit of marriage. Proverbs 18:22 states "He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord." and Proverbs 5 men are admonished to seek sexual and emotional fulfillment in a monogamous relationship because the wicked man "dies for lack of discipline, and because of his great folly he is led astray." Granted, it's unlikely the Proverb writer was thinking of overeating and smoking following coronary surgery, but it is clear that marriage is a blessed union that enjoys many benefits. As we share life together with our spouses, we enjoy many benefits including:
Scripture is filled with words supporting the benefit of marriage. Proverbs 18:22 states "He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord." and Proverbs 5 men are admonished to seek sexual and emotional fulfillment in a monogamous relationship because the wicked man "dies for lack of discipline, and because of his great folly he is led astray." Granted, it's unlikely the Proverb writer was thinking of overeating and smoking following coronary surgery, but it is clear that marriage is a blessed union that enjoys many benefits. As we share life together with our spouses, we enjoy many benefits including:
- 90% of married women who were alive at 45 make it to 65 vs. 80 % for divorced or never married women. But it is more striking in men. 90% of married men who were alive at 48 years old made it to 65 as opposed to only 60 to 70 % of their unmarried counterparts (a 250% higher mortality rate.)
- A married man with heart disease can be expected to live 1,400 days longer than an unmarried man with a healthy heart.
- A married man who smokes can live as long as a divorced man who doesn't smoke.
- Unmarried people spend twice as much time in hospitals as married people.
- Cancer cures are 8 to 17 percent more successful when a patient is married.
Also,
- Divorce or marital separation more than doubles the risk of suicide in men.
- Married men and women drink less alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine as unmarried.
- Divorced men are more likely to smoke, while married men are more likely to quit.
- 70% of chronic drinkers were divorced or separated while only 15% were married.*
No, I am not trying to contradict Paul and his admonition and encouragement to singles (1 Cor. 7:1-9), but it is clear that when God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone" (Genesis 2:18) that God knew exactly what he was talking about. We were not created to be alone, but rather we were created for fellowship: Fellowship with God (1 John 1:3) and fellowship with other believers (1 Peter 4:10)**.
*statistics from www.everydayhealth.com
** I am not saying that God called singleness is unhealthy. I think Paul's admonition was that we seek the state to which God has called us and in which we can best accomplish His purposes for our lives, i.e. marriage vs. singleness. I this article on the health benefits of Christian Fellowship should encourage my single brethren and sistren! http://www.molokane.org/molokan/Religion/2005_May_WSJ_Healthy_Churchgoers.html
Marriage: It's Good for Your Heart
This morning I read an article in USA Today that got me thinking. The article was about how Marriage keeps your heart healthy after surgery. The article sited a study in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior which stated that adults who were married were three times more likely to survive the first three months following major heart surgery than their single counterparts and twice as likely to survived over five years. The take-away for the researchers was that having a spouse discouraged them from high risk activities such as overeating and smoking, and encouraged a healthy lifestyle. While this may seem like news to the world, believers have the benefit of Scripture.
Scripture is filled with words supporting the benefit of marriage. Proverbs 18:22 states "He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord." and Proverbs 5 men are admonished to seek sexual and emotional fulfillment in a monogamous relationship because the wicked man "dies for lack of discipline, and because of his great folly he is led astray." Granted, it's unlikely the Proverb writer was thinking of overeating and smoking following coronary surgery, but it is clear that marriage is a blessed union that enjoys many benefits. As we share life together with our spouses, we enjoy many benefits including:
Scripture is filled with words supporting the benefit of marriage. Proverbs 18:22 states "He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord." and Proverbs 5 men are admonished to seek sexual and emotional fulfillment in a monogamous relationship because the wicked man "dies for lack of discipline, and because of his great folly he is led astray." Granted, it's unlikely the Proverb writer was thinking of overeating and smoking following coronary surgery, but it is clear that marriage is a blessed union that enjoys many benefits. As we share life together with our spouses, we enjoy many benefits including:
- 90% of married women who were alive at 45 make it to 65 vs. 80 % for divorced or never married women. But it is more striking in men. 90% of married men who were alive at 48 years old made it to 65 as opposed to only 60 to 70 % of their unmarried counterparts (a 250% higher mortality rate.)
- A married man with heart disease can be expected to live 1,400 days longer than an unmarried man with a healthy heart.
- A married man who smokes can live as long as a divorced man who doesn't smoke.
- Unmarried people spend twice as much time in hospitals as married people.
- Cancer cures are 8 to 17 percent more successful when a patient is married.
Also,
- Divorce or marital separation more than doubles the risk of suicide in men.
- Married men and women drink less alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine as unmarried.
- Divorced men are more likely to smoke, while married men are more likely to quit.
- 70% of chronic drinkers were divorced or separated while only 15% were married.*
No, I am not trying to contradict Paul and his admonition and encouragement to singles (1 Cor. 7:1-9), but it is clear that when God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone" (Genesis 2:18) that God knew exactly what he was talking about. We were not created to be alone, but rather we were created for fellowship: Fellowship with God (1 John 1:3) and fellowship with other believers (1 Peter 4:10)**.
*statistics from www.everydayhealth.com
** I am not saying that God called singleness is unhealthy. I think Paul's admonition was that we seek the state to which God has called us and in which we can best accomplish His purposes for our lives, i.e. marriage vs. singleness. I this article on the health benefits of Christian Fellowship should encourage my single brethren and sistren! http://www.molokane.org/molokan/Religion/2005_May_WSJ_Healthy_Churchgoers.html
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Monday Morning Motivation
A great video from the Gospel Coalition asks: What gets you out of bed each Monday?
Monday Morning Motivation from The Gospel Coalition on Vimeo.
Monday Morning Motivation from The Gospel Coalition on Vimeo.
Friday, February 17, 2012
How Does Scripture Interpret Scripture? - Answers in Genesis
How Does Scripture Interpret Scripture? - Answers in Genesis
How Does Scripture Interpret Scripture?
For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.(Exodus 20:11)
Today’s big idea: how does Scripture interpret Scripture?
Today, we will look at our text less in relation to what it is saying and more in relation to what it is actually referring to. All through Scripture, we see Scripture quoting Scripture. In the New Testament, the prophets are quoted numerous times, showing the truth of God’s authority over history as it applied to the life and works of Christ. Jesus also quoted Scripture in an amazing show of the Word (John 1:1–5) quoting the Word. Not only this, but we often are able to find a clear understanding of a text and historical context by looking at different accounts of Scripture. We get a thorough understanding of the life of David by looking at the accounts of his life from the books of Samuel, Kings and Chronicles, as well as many Psalms.
Scripture also helps us to understand the very narrative of Scripture. Take for example our verse today. Many people consider the book of Genesis to be poetic in genre or allegory in nature. But this is not how Scripture itself interprets the book of Genesis. In Exodus 20:11 God is giving the commandment to rest on the seventh day (the last day of the week). In doing so, He refers to how He originally created. God made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them in six days and rested on the seventh. This set the platform for the six-day work week with one day of Sabbath rest for Israel. If the account of Genesis was allegory and the days of creation were simply a literary device to indicate long periods of time, there would be no historical significance to the command God gave Israel for Sabbath rest. Only when Genesis is taken as a historical narrative—giving us a correct account of creation—can this command in Exodus to Israel make any sense. Scripture interprets Scripture.
The text of Scripture must be interpreted by taking into account its literary forms and devices—and in understanding these forms, Scripture is still our guide. The inerrancy and infallibility of Scripture is so profound that by studying it carefully, we can not understand only that we are reading truth, but learn how to know truth. This takes careful study and application, but it does not require a Bible college degree. Scripture itself is our best theology professor in helping us understand and apply Scripture.
Today’s big idea: if you want to understand Scripture, read it . . . carefully.
What to pray: seek repentance in your life for times when the words of men—even good men—have become more important to you than the Word of God.
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