There the Holy Spirit brings rest and peace to the consciences and hearts of the believers in true Christian love and unity; there also is found the living hope, whereby the believer hopes for salvation through the grace of Jesus Christ, yea so that he is assured and certain that he is being sanctified, and … Continue reading True Knowledge of God
Anabaptist
Why I wear a beard
Well, it's not a decision I have to make every morning, like deciding if this is short sleeve or long sleeve weather, it just grows there. I would have to physically remove it with some kind of blade every morning if I didn't want it. Now, I think that if God made me in such … Continue reading Why I wear a beard
The difference between worship and entertainment
Worship is an act of homage, reverence and devotion paid to a deity. Entertainment is something that offers us amusement, excitement and a diversion from the mundane problems of our life. Worship is something we do; it implies an active participation in the act of worship. Entertainment is an activity where we are merely spectators. … Continue reading The difference between worship and entertainment
Eloquent words
I was a member of the Anglican Church of Canada during my youth and a faithful participant in her worship services. The services and prayers of the Book of Common Prayer presented the gospel message in simple, yet eloquent, words and I found comfort in the familiar liturgy. As I entered my twenties, I realized … Continue reading Eloquent words
A theology of suffering
Henry Funk, whom I’ve been quoting the past few days, was only a generation of two removed from the persecution of the Mennonites in Switzerland. The reality of the possibility of suffering for the faith was real to him, and he did not shrink from it. A few centuries have passed and Mennonites in North … Continue reading A theology of suffering
The baptism of suffering
So soon as the believer has the witness of the spiritual baptism and has received the baptism with water, he should yield himself willingly to receive the baptism of the shedding of his blood for the name of Christ, if required, and take on him the witness of blood, according to 1 John 5:8: "And … Continue reading The baptism of suffering
No earthly ground
Of this water we find further, extensively, in the prophet Ezekiel, chapter 47, where he was brought to the house and saw waters issuing out from under the threshold of the house eastward. . . . This water is typical of the spiritual water of the word of God which flowed from the temple, that … Continue reading No earthly ground
Baptized into the death of Christ
From the words, to be baptized into the death of Christ (Romans 6:3); and to be buried with him by baptism into death (v. 4) flows also the following doctrine: that when the believer delivers himself to baptism, he gives himself up with body and soul to become a member of the body of Christ … Continue reading Baptized into the death of Christ
The baptism of the Holy Spirit
The Bible speaks of three types of baptism: the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the baptism of believers by water and the baptism of suffering. Of the three, the most important is the baptism of the Holy Spirit, as it is a precondition for the other two. There is evidence of this Holy Spirit baptism … Continue reading The baptism of the Holy Spirit
Is Christianity a subculture or a counterculture?
Subculture, a cultural group within a larger or predominant culture but distinguished from it by factors such as class, ethnic background, religion, or residence, unified by shared beliefs or interests which may be at variance with those of the larger culture. A group within a culture, distinguished from it by features of custom, conduct, etc. … Continue reading Is Christianity a subculture or a counterculture?