revelife's Revelife

Christians and the Times, Moving Forward or Backwards?

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 02:35:00 GMT

Guest post submitted by AshleyKnows

A few weeks ago, I went to a dinner party hosted by an artist/filmmaker/make-up artist/backup dancer/photographer. There were several unknown actors and over a dozen dancers there. It was quite an interesting time, as I am seldom in the company of a troop of artists and performers! There was so much to learn, to observe, to later imitate.

Anyways, late into the night, there arose a conversation about Prop 8, and what a terrible tragedy it is that it passed, and how Christians were behind this tragedy. The conversation then turned to derision of Christians. More Here...

The Golden Rule is Wrong

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:12:00 GMT

Guest post submitted by sirnickdon

Or, to be more accurate, we get it wrong. We got this idea that Jesus' most central teaching was to love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself. That wasn't Jesus' central teaching, that was his summary (or the most important bit) of the Jewish law.

Jesus' golden rule was this: "I give you a new commandment: love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." More Here...

What Does It Mean To Remember the Sabbath?

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:47:00 GMT

Guest post submitted by ChrisRusso

DISCUSSION!

Given--God commanded His people to "remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy," at the initiation of the Mosaic covenant.

Given--The majority of Protestants I know do not abstain from work on Friday night/Saturday morning. The only Christians I know of that do are either Messianic Jews or Seven-Day Adventists.

Given--Many Protestants do not abstain from work on Sunday, either. (I fall into this category.)

Observation--Those Protestants I know that DO abstain from Sunday work tend to abstain from occupational/educational work, but not neccessarily from work as a whole. (Example: I had a girlfriend for whom Sunday was the busiest day of the week. Between singing in the choir, teaching a Sunday school class during the second service, attending prepatory meetings for an upcoming missions trip in the afternoon, and being in a leadership position in youth group Sunday Night, she worked harder on Sunday than she did on, say, Thursday.)

What is the modern Gentile Christian's position to be in regards to God's commandment to remember His Sabbath? More Here...

Bad Reasons to Believe...

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 19:38:00 GMT

Guest post submitted by MC_Shann

Despite what many of us think about the masses around us, many of these people have a deep belief in something. The term is widely accepted. After all don’t we all need something to believe in? Trouble comes in however when we move from the basics of belief to a specific belief.

Michael Horton states: “When we move to the area of ultimate truth claims were told it’s a private matter, an affair of the heart or a matter of individual preference. So then believing just becomes a form of therapy. The act of faith instead of the object of faith is seen as more important.”

Having worked with students for several years now I get the opportunity to ask them very specific questions on why they are Christians. Below are some answers that I have actually heard come from the mouths of my Sunday school students and a couple I have not heard yet. Overall though they are just bad reasons to believe…More Here...

Ever Afraid of How God Will Answer Your Prayer?

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 16:25:00 GMT

Guest post submitted by RuthViola

Have you ever been in that place where you want to pray but you're afraid of how God will answer?

As a good Christian I know the "proper" way to pray is "your will be done," but it's not an easy thing to ask God. That's where I was this morning. I told God honestly that I couldn't pray as I should because I was afraid to trust Him. I was afraid He would take away the one thing I thought I wanted. The one thing I have waited for and longed for. More Here...

My Ugly Savior?

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:08:00 GMT

Guest post submitted by crevis05

So, throughout my life, I've heard things about Jesus like, "He is beautiful, and He would have the most amazing eyes ever." Anytime Jesus' looks were talked about, the general consession was that He was a good-looking man, like Brad Pitt, or Jared Leto.

That is totally false. Jesus probably wasn't a very good looking person. Isaiah 53:2 says He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

Do you think Jesus was this total hunk? What are your thoughts on an ugly Messiah?

Do You Have a Post for the Frontpage?

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 04:03:00 GMT

Hi Revelifers! If you haven't already, please submit posts and vote on your favorite posts for the Revelife frontpage.

If you've seen a good post or written something you'd like to share please send it to us. Also, by voting on posts you have input on what goes on the Revelife frontpage.

Not sure what we're looking for? Here is an example of the types of things we'd love to feature:

inspirational, or encouraging stories you'd like to share
testimonies of faith
challenges you're dealing with
questions you have

We're so glad you're a part of the community and hope to continue featuring

Thanks again to all those who've submitted posts! God bless!

Close to Abandoning My Faith: Questioning the Scripture's Take on the Afterlife

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 01:50:00 GMT

Guest post submitted by a Revelife reader

I think the reason many people reject Christianity is due to its Scripture. Honestly, it's the reason I'm close to rejecting it as well. I've heard every single defense about the Scripture, and none of them make much sense to me. I understand how no one could ever do enough good in their life to deserve a spot in heaven, but isn't God supposed to be merciful? Does He only give us what we deserve, or does He give us more than we deserve?

Another aspect of the Scripture that bothers me is that the idea of eternal torture as punishment for a sin-filled life seems sadistic. More Here...

Lost In Translation, Bible Translations That Is...

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 23:18:00 GMT

Guest post submitted by ChrisRusso

There are many, many Bible translations out there.

First, you have style. Do you want your Scriptures to be accurate or paraphrased? Poetic or to the point? Gender-inclusive language ("Our Parent, who art in heaven") or retaining the original masculine-as-the-default-gender-tense ("Bretheren" referring also to the female readership)?

Do you want the archaic beauty of the King James or the D-R, the muted archaic beauty of the New King James, the straightforward half-paraphrase of the New International Version, the accuracy of the English Standard Version or the Revised Standard Version or the New American Standard, the unabashed paraphrase of the New Living Translation, or the modern context of the Message? Or just go with the Vulgate? More Here...

How I Imagine Heaven (Warning! Marley and Me Spoiler Alert)...

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 21:04:00 GMT

Guest post submitted by AshleyKnows

This morning I finished reading Marley and Me by John Grogan, and I cried myself silly, giving Ashley the poodle a terrible fright, stirring her into fits of neuroses. I knew it! I knew it would end this way, as I inched closer to the middle and then to the end, the dog would die as all things do, in spite of the comedic snapshots highlighted in the movie's advertisements: This story inevitably ends with tears. I knew that I would be reeled in like a sentimental fool, a fool who received the book as a Christmas gift and who would, by story's end, encourage others to ride the Marley and Me bestseller, highest grossing movie train.

No one wants to die. No one wants to grow old, to see a loved one grow old, to wake up another day and to find the things you used to do easily, you can no longer do. More Here...