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Blog entries for the category Theology
“I Struggle With Assurance of Salvation”
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Thursday, May 3
Someone recently turned in this question: I’ve struggled with assurance of salvation for years. Could it be that I’m not one of the Elect? Here is my answer:The short answer to your question is that your struggles are proof of the opposite, that you are indeed a child of God. A truly lost person has no desire to know the Lord and would h...
Pastor Ray’s Circumcision Talk
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Friday, March 9
This morning I give the final two lectures on the book of Galatians. I started this journey on Tuesday morning with 300 very eager students at Word of Life Bible Institute in Pottersville, New York. I’ve been teaching Galatians for ten years, and each time I face the same challenge. Even though Galatians is amazingly contemporary, I have sp...
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A Visit to the Taj
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Thursday, February 2
If you ever have a chance, you should visit the Taj Mahal.It fully deserves its reputation as one of the wonders of the world. Built as a mausoleum by grief-stricken Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in honor of his third wife, the Taj took 20,000 men 22 years to build. Except for the Shah’s tomb, which was added later, everything in the Taj is perfe...
What Christopher Hitchens Got Right
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Christopher Hitchens died last week at the age of 62 after losing his battle with esophageal cancer. Following the publication of his bestselling God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything, he toured the country debating a series of religious leaders, including some well-known evangelical thinkers. In Portland, Oregon he was interviewed by ...
Christmas IQ Quiz
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Tuesday, December 6, 2011
How well do you know the Christmas story?Most of us know the general outline because we’ve heard or sung it or watched it being enacted in the Christmas programs that most churches offer during December. We know about the shepherds, the angels, the “Wise Men,” the star, the innkeeper, the long journey of Mary and Joseph, t...
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25 Sermons for Thanksgiving
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Saturday, November 5, 2011
Thanksgiving is a profoundly Christian holiday in that it focuses us on the God as the true source of all our blessings. As the hymnwriter said, “All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small, all things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all.” Here are 21 sermons appropriate for Thanksgiving. You are welco...
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The Pastor Who Didn’t Believe in Hell
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Sunday, October 23, 2011
Recently I read about a pastor who lost his faith in hell and then found it again. Having been trained in a liberal seminary, he simply dropped his belief in hell without telling anyone else. He regained his belief first by reading the Bible and then by doing some serious repenting before the Lord. When asked how a loving God could send amazingly ...
Whom I Have Believed
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Tuesday, October 18, 2011
My good friend Phil Newton has been preaching through 2 Timothy. This week he came to one of the best-known verses in the book: “I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.” (2 Timothy 1:12). He applied the truth to the issue of believers dou...
Mormonism and the Cult Question
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Dallas pastor Robert Jeffress says that Mormonism is a cult.Richard Mouw, president of Fuller Seminary, says Mormonism is not a cult. To confuse matters further, William McGurn denounces the “cult” of Anti-Mormonism.Who’s right?The answer is, it all depends on definition and context. Some years ago Walter Martin offered the follow...
A Week With James at the BI
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Friday, September 16, 2011
Word of Life Florida Hudson, Florida I’m writing this note, hurriedly, with about 30 minutes left before it’s time to leave for the airport. In a few minutes Stu Page will pick me up and I’ll start my journey home.Earlier today I gave my final two lectures on James to the 170 students at Word of Life Bible Institute, Florida c...
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Why Christianity Makes Sense
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Tuesday, May 31, 2011
During the five Wednesday nights in June I will be teaching an evening series called “Why Christianity Makes Sense” at Lifeline Fellowship in Tupelo. The church is located at 100 Parkgate Drive in Tupelo. Each session begins at 7 PM. I will introduce the topic and then we will have an open question and answer time. We’re focusing ...
A 19th-Century Response to Rob Bell and Love Wins
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Wednesday, May 25, 2011
There is nothing new under the sun. So said the writer of Ecclesiastes 3000 years ago. That fact is demonstrated by the recent release of the ebook version of The Doctrine of Endless Punishment, written by noted theologian W. G. T. Shedd in 1885. In what sense is this 126-year-old book an answer to Rob Bell? Put simply, Shedd deals with virtua...
Video from the “John 17” Conference in Rochester
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Wednesday, May 25, 2011
In early March I traveled to Rochester, New York to speak at a “John 17” conference for pastors sponsored by Koinonia Fellowship. In every respect it was a most remarkable occasion. We evangelicals talk a lot about what separates us. It was refreshing to see pastors from very different backgrounds talk about what unites us. Here are thr...
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Have I Committed the Unpardonable Sin?
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Tuesday, May 24, 2011
An email arrived from someone who wonders if their past is so bad that God will not forgive them. Have they sinned so much and so greatly that their sin is quite literally unpardonable? The answer is not hard to find. There is such a thing as the unpardonable sin. Jesus spoke of it in Matthew 12:30-37. And in answer to the question, I can say ...
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Unlovely Orthodoxy
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Friday, December 31, 2010
“I think unlovely orthodoxy, unbeautiful Christianity is a tragedy. We have pugilistic Christians; we have acrobatic Christians; we have athletic Christians; we have big-domed, learned Christians. We have all kinds of Christians, but where are the beautiful ones, those who shine with inner beauty? I am looking for them, and I pray that God wi...
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Reformation Day 2010
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Sunday, October 31, 2010
On October 31, 1517 an obscure monk named Martin Luther, desiring to spark theological discussion over the medieval practice of selling indulgences, nailed his 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. The spark he set off ignited a flame that spread across Europe and launched the Protestant Reformation. By challenging ...
FAQs video – “Am I Truly a Christian?”
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Tuesday, August 24, 2010
A missionary I was speaking with recently told me that he sometimes wonders “Am I truly a Christian"? I was surprised by this because he has been faithful in his service to Christ for many decades. But I do not look down on him for his doubts and believe that all or most Christians ask this question from time to time.
Anne Rice Quits Christianity
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Monday, August 2, 2010
A few days ago bestselling author Anne Rice announced on her Facebook page that she is quitting Christianity. She started the ball rolling with this announcement:For those who care, and I understand if you don’t: Today I quit being a Christian. I’m out. I remain committed to Christ as always but not to being “Christian” or t...
When You Are Unfairly Accused
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Tuesday, July 27, 2010
An email arrived from a friend with some discouraging news. She and her husband had launched out on a new venture that, so far at least, has not worked out, putting them in some financial difficulty. A friend at their church urged them to consider applying for help from a fund set up for that purpose (I am leaving out some identifying details). Wha...
Christopher Hitchens and Jesus
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Monday, July 12, 2010
Most people recognize the name Christopher Hitchens even if they can’t quite place him. Besides being arguably the most famous atheist in the world, he also wrote the bestselling book God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything. A few days ago the New York Times published his review of a book by Philip Pullman called The Good Man Jesus ...
Cannon Beach Q and A, Part 3
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Sunday, July 11, 2010
Would you comment on predestination versus free will?How much time do we have? Not enough to cover this vast subject. The question implies that predestination (which the Bible unquestionably teaches–see Romans 8:29 and Ephesians 1:5) and free will somehow oppose each other. But as Spurgeon pointed out when asked how he “reconciled&rdquo...
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Cannon Beach Q and A, Part 2
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Saturday, July 10, 2010
I’m a modest person and I don’t even like undressing at the doctor’s office. If God is always watching us, and angels are always with us, does this mean when my spouse and I are having sex that we have an audience?The short answer is yes. This is part of the doctrine of God’s omnipresence. Read Psalm 139 and you will see how...
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Cannon Beach Q and A, Part 1
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Friday, July 9, 2010
Last week I spoke at Cannon Beach Conference Center in Cannon Beach, Oregon. On Friday morning we had a question and answer session based on questions we had received from the audience. During the Q&A time, contemporary Christian musician Clay Crosse served as moderator. This turned out to be one of the best sessions of the week.We have posted ...
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Do You Love All the Saints?
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Thursday, June 10, 2010
I’ve been pondering Paul’s statement in Ephesians 1:15 that he prayed for them when he heard about “their faith in the Lord Jesus and their love for all the saints.” It’s that last phrase that grabbed me. The NLT says, “Your love for God’s people everywhere.” Clarence Jordan paraphrased it as, “...
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Leaning is Believing
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Friday, February 12, 2010
If you would like some help in keeping on track with your daily devotions, you may want to check a website called Family Times devoted to helping families read the Bible together. Each day Lou Nicholes offers a short devotional based on a Bible passage. Today’s passage talks about Jesus healing the nobleman’s son in John 4:43-54. You ca...
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Pastor Ray’s Circumcision Talk
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Today I gave my first three lectures on the book of Galatians to 350 very attentive students at Word of Life Bible Institute in Pottersville, New York. Even though Galatians is amazingly contemporary, I face a huge challenge in making it seem relevant today because the major issue in the book deals with something we hardly ever talk about in church…
Quickie Quiz on Galatians
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Monday, February 1, 2010
This morning I am on the road again. Last week I was in sunny southern Florida, enjoying the weather and the warm fellowship of the retired missionaries at the SIM Missionary Village in Sebring. Today I’m going in the opposite direction, first to Atlanta, then to Albany, New York, and then 75 miles north, to Word of Life Bible Institute, high...
Christopher Hitchens Gets it Exactly Right
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Monday, February 1, 2010
During a recent trip to Portland, Oregon, noted atheist Christopher Hitchens laid down some seriously good theology. Most people recognize Hitchens as the author of the bestselling book God is Not Great: Why Religion Poisons Everything. Since the book’s publication in 2007, Hitchens has toured the country debating a series of religious leader...
The Unaccountable Man
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Saturday, January 30, 2010
In 1900 the noted British pastor J. D. Jones wrote a little book called “Paul’s Certainties” that contains a chapter on “The Unaccountable Man.” The chapter title refers to that moment in Christ’s ministry when he returned to his hometown and the people began to wonder, “Where did this man get this wisdom a...
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’God Told Me’ . . . Really?
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Tuesday, January 19, 2010
A friend alerted me to an article by R. T. Kendall called ’God Told Me’ . . . Really? that says something I’ve thought for a long time but have never been able to put into words. Kendall is talking about tendency of evangelicals in general (and charismatics in particular) to say “God told me” when they think they have ...
The Trinity and Salvation
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Thursday, November 5, 2009
Someone read one of my sermons on salvation and asked the following question:Does a person have to “understand” the Trinity to be saved? What if they believe in God the Father and Jesus as his son, but can’t really grasp the whole “One God in three persons” thing? I think the answer goes like this. You don’t have...
Bull Poker and Stage 3 Cancer
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Unless you are a fan of rodeo, you may not have heard about a fun event called “Bull Poker” in which three or four cowboys sit around a table in the middle of the arena with a bull let loose to wreak havoc. While the cowboys sit at the table playing poker, the bull roams freely. Eventually the bull is bound to charge the table, scatteri...
Encounter with a Happy Muslim
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Saturday, August 22, 2009
Saturday Afternoon Minneapolis Airport I am writing this note from a tiny cubicle that doubles as a pay phone station next to gate C22. Before our flight to Memphis leaves, I wanted to report on an amazing conversation we had with a happy Muslim. A few minutes ago we landed on our flight from Portland to Minneapolis. Because we had a little time, we ...
Gull Lake Q&A, Part 3
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Monday, July 6, 2009
Here is the final group of questions from the Gull Lake Q&A session last Wednesday morning.1. How do I know if something is the will of God for me? I think the question is asking how to determine which way to go when we are facing an important decision. Often the problem is that we want something God never promised–certainty. We want to k...
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Gull Lake Q&A, Part 2
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Sunday, July 5, 2009
Last Wednesday morning at Gull Lake Ministries in Michigan we had a question-and-answer session. Here are some of the questions along with a general outline of the answers I gave. 1. A friend of mine committed suicide sometime ago. I know he was a Christian and had a personal relationship with Christ, but I am troubled about his salvati...
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Gull Lake Q&A, Part 1
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Saturday, July 4, 2009
On Thursday I wrapped up a week of teaching at Gull Lake Ministries in Michigan. During the second hour on Wednesday morning, I did a Question and Answer session based on questions from the audience. This turned out to be one of the best sessions of the week. We plan to post that session as a podcast soon. I thought you might be interested in readi...
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“It Was Providential”
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Saturday, July 4, 2009
Yesterday Peggy Noonan published a column called Making History in which she reflected on the events that led up to the publication of the Declaration of Independence 233 years ago today. As historian David McCullough makes clear in books 1776 and John Adams, it was no sure thing that the colonies would actually vote to form the United States or th...
Jesus Not Welcome in PA House
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Friday, June 26, 2009
Several weeks ago I wrote about Jamie Mitchell’s bold prayer at the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Today Jamie updated the story on his blog. Not only did some members not like his prayer, they protested so strongly that the Speaker of the Pennsylvania House issued a new policy:1. All prayers must be submitted and approved in advance.…
Pro-Marriage Senator Has Affair
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Wednesday, June 17, 2009
The news from Nevada is not good. Republican Senator admitted yesterday to having an affair with a female campaign staffer. According to this Wikipedia article, he is a member of a Foursquare church in Las Vegas. He is a born again Christian, and he was active in the Promise Keepers movement. He made a public confession and asked for forgiveness. T...
If Archimedes Came to America
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Friday, June 12, 2009
Many years ago I took a night course called “Advanced Apologetics” from Dr. John Warwick Montgomery at a place called Melodyland School of Theology. I’m not making up that name. The school met in a big church building located right across the street from Disneyland. At that time I was pastoring a small Covenant church in a suburb ...
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Dethroning Jesus
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Wednesday, June 3, 2009
On today’s edition of “The Christian Life Today” on American Family Radio, we discussed the whole question of doubt and the Christian faith. The topic seemed to touch a nerve with many people because we had many phone calls from listeners. One woman said she was glad to know that it was okay to talk about your doubts. I’ve a...
“But Some Doubted”
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Monday, April 13, 2009
Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the S…
Will Allen Iverson Go to Heaven?
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Tuesday, February 17, 2009
I confess to not having given any thought as to the eternal destination of Allen Iverson, a premier professional basketball player with the Detroit Pistons, and I would not have thought about it at all if Mr. Iverson had not raised the topic himself. During a press conference in connection with the NBA All-Star Weekend, Allen Iverson brought up the...
Depreciate Not the Cross
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Thursday, February 5, 2009
Any list of the famous ministers of the 1800s must include the Scottish churchman and poet Horatius Bonar. A highly popular author in his day, Bonar edited two magazines, wrote many tracts and many books and penned over 600 hymns, including I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say. In 1874 he wrote a brief book on Hebrews called The Rent Veil. In the Preface…
Get to Know the Character of God
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Thursday, January 29, 2009
There is one final thing necessary in preparing for the ministry. You might state it in a dozen different ways because it has to do with what happens inside your heart. Here’s how it comes out for me.Get to know the character of God.Nothing is more important than that. As I look back over my own pilgrimage, I am sure that I did not appreciate...
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Why Interfaith Services Don’t Work
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Saturday, January 17, 2009
Yesterday we learned more details about the interfaith National Prayer Service that takes place on Wednesday morning at the National Cathedral in Washington. This particular event marks the end of the inaugural events for President Barack Obama. It seems as if the organizers tried to include everyone. Several evangelicals are taking part, including...
Is America a Christian Nation?
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Recently George Barna released some new research showing that Christianity is no longer Americans’ default faith. For a long time most people assumed that being born in America meant that you were raised with a Christian background. That is, even if you didn’t go to church, you were raised in and around the Christian faith. That was you...
Are You Ready?
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Sunday, January 11, 2009
This morning in Sunday School Mike Ferris led a discussion regarding the Second Coming of Christ from 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. He pointed out that our focus ought to be on the fact of Christ’s return, not on the timing because no one knows when he will come back. The lesson dovetailed nicely with the pastor’s sermon on the same topic, t...
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Twenty Ways to Help Cafeteria Christians
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Sunday, December 21, 2008
A recent USA Today article told of new research regarding who goes to heaven. Most American religious believers, including most Christians, say eternal life is not exclusively for those who accept Christ as their savior, a new survey finds. Of the 65% of people who held this open view of heaven’s gates, 80% named at least one non-Christian g…
Tim Keller on Christmas
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Thursday, December 18, 2008
I ran across this quote from Tim Keller in Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus, a compilation of Christmas writings by various authors. Christmas is the end of thinking you are better than someone else, because Christmas is telling you that you could never get to heaven on your own. God had to come to you. It is telling you that people who are sav…
Why Grace is Hard to Accept
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Thursday, December 18, 2008
No doctrine in the Bible is more counterintuitive that the doctrine of grace. We fight against it because it runs against the grain of everything we instinctively believe. Graces forces us to confront two very difficult truths:1) There is nothing at all we can do to contribute to our own salvation.2) If God doesn...
A Remarkable Vatican Sermon
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Last Friday Father Raniero Cantalamessa, preacher to the Pontifical household, delivered a sermon in the Vatican in the presence of Pope Benedict XVI entitled Called by God to Communicate With Son Jesus Christ. It is a simple and profound development of Philippians 3:7-12. The whole sermon is well worth reading for its emphasis on Jesus Christ as t...
Put Marriage in Your Church Constitution
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Friday, November 14, 2008
Last Sunday a group of radical gay activists disrupted a church service in Lansing, Michigan. One group of protesters demonstrated outside the church while another group actually disrupted the worship service, shouting, throwing fliers, and even pulling the fire alarm so the sanctuary would be evacuated.In California gay-rights activists have picke...
Reformation Day 2008
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Friday, October 31, 2008
On October 31, 1517 an obscure monk named Martin Luther, desiring to spark theological discussion over the medieval practice of selling indulgences, nailed his 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. The spark he set off ignited a flame that spread across Europe and launched the Protestant Reformation. By challenging the ...
One Man’s Vote
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Thursday, October 30, 2008
You know it must be a momentous occasion when James Dobson and the New York Times agree on anything. On moral and political issues, they disagree almost completely, but on one major point they are united. This is a turning point election in American history. In its endorsement of Barack Obama, the New York Times says that “this year the natio...
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Are You Ashamed to Go to Jesus?
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Sunday, September 7, 2008
I ran across a quote from Robert Murray M’Cheyne that stuck in my mind because I have received several emails lately from people who feel that their sin somehow disqualifies them for forgiveness. Having felt that way many times myself, I can sympathize with them. But the truth is very nearly the opposite. If grace means anything, it must mean…
Have I Committed the Unpardonable Sin?
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Tuesday, September 2, 2008
An email arrived from someone who wonders if their past is so bad that God will not forgive them. Have they sinned so much and so greatly that their sin is quite literally unpardonable? The answer is not hard to find. There is such a thing as the unpardonable sin. Jesus spoke of it in Matthew 12:30-37. And in answer to the question, I can say with …
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A Dying Pastor’s Final Message
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Saturday, August 30, 2008
For 40 years Rev. Jacob E. Eppinga wrote a column called “Of Cabbages and Kings” for the Banner magazine published by the Christian Reformed Church. He wrote his final column, at the age of 90, earlier this year. He went to be with the Lord on March 1, 2008. Knowing that he was dying of cancer, he summed up his faith and his fears and h…
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Twenty-Five Affirmations About Forgiveness
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Friday, August 29, 2008
A friend who has gone through a hard time sent me a list of things he has learned about forgiveness. His list started me thinking about forgiveness. Most of what follows comes from my friend, but I have rephrased a few things and added a few items of my own. This is obviously not a comprehensive statement about forgiveness—just a place to beg...
Living Waters Q&A—Part 2
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Here is Part 2 of the Q&A last Friday at Living Waters: 7) How do you deal with someone who repeatedly asks for your help but seems completely closed to the advice you give? What do you do when it seems like they are coming not for help but almost using you as a confessional?The answer is, you continue for a while to give advice and pray that a...
Be Still and Know
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Tuesday, May 20, 2008
We have posted a new sermon called Be Still and Know. The sermon came in response to a question from a friend in China who wondered why God sent the terrible earthquake that took so many lives in the Sichuan province last week. As I considered his question, my mind was drawn to Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God. ...
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WMBI Interview with Nancy Turner on Tuesday Morning
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Monday, May 19, 2008
On Tuesday morning I am doing a radio interview with Nancy Turner on WMBI-FM in Chicago from 10-11 AM CDT. We’ll be talking about my new book Fire and Rain: The Wild-Hearted Faith of Elijah. We’re going to focus on what it means to be a risk-taker for God.
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William Blackstone and the 60th Birthday of Israel
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Friday, May 9, 2008
Yesterday marked the 60th anniversary of the founding of the modern nation of Israel, an event that seemed unlikely and even impossible a century ago. Yet well before 1948, and long before the two great world wars that dominated the 20th-century, and long before the current geopolitical crises in the Middle East, there was ...
A Funeral for Someone You Don’t Know
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Tuesday, April 8, 2008
A friend asked me for some advice about how to speak at a funeral for someone you don’t know. That sort of thing happens to pastors occasionally. I can remember a few times speaking at a funeral where my first glimpse of the person was in the casket. Those situations put the pastor in a difficult situation because you ...
God Has a Bigger Plan
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Tuesday, April 8, 2008
We have just posted a new sermon called God Has a Bigger Plan. Here’s an excerpt:A few days ago I received word that Rusty Farabaugh died five years after being diagnosed with Stage 4 liver cancer. Shortly after his initial diagnosis he saw one of my books and was drawn to it because, as he wrote me later, “I wa ...
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The Next 1000 Years of Christianity
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Wednesday, February 6, 2008
In a recent edition of Willow Creek magazine, Kevin Kelly tries to imagine the next 1000 years of Christianity. To put that in perspective, suppose we took a Christian in 1008 (maybe from Africa or Spain or India) and asked him to imagine what the church would look like in 2008. No matter what he said, he would be unlikely ...
What Is Your Only Comfort in Life and in Death?
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Here is the first question and answer from the Heidelberg Catechism, written in 1563:Question 1: What is your only comfort in life and in death?Answer: That I am not my own, but belong with body and soul, both in life and in death, to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with His precious bloo ...
Anchor at the Florida State Fair
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Last Thursday we shipped 4000 copies of An Anchor for the Soul from our Book Depot in Chicago to Tampa, Florida where the Florida State Fair begins this Thursday. The books will be used as part of a daily evangelistic outreach at the Live Prayer gospel tent on the fairgrounds.This is an amazing opportunity because over 500, ...
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Immanuel and Islamabad
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Monday, December 24, 2007
I just read an inspiring meditation on Isaiah 9:7 called Immanuel and Islamabad. If you are feeling discouraged this Christmas season, read this meditation and rejoice that the Babe of Bethlehem is the one true King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And of his kingdom there will be no end.
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A Christmas Benediction
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Monday, December 24, 2007
Here’s a wonderful Christmas benediction that John Armstrong shared a year ago. He heard it in church and then mentioned it on his weblog.May you be filled with the wonder of Mary, the obedience of Joseph, the joy of the angels, the eagerness of the shepherds, the determination of the magi, and the peace of the Christ ...
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Singing the “Begats” of Matthew 1
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Wednesday, December 19, 2007
I ran across this video of a bluegrass version of the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1. Besides being very appropriate for the week before Christmas, it also shows that even the most unlikely parts of the Bible can be put to music. It’s only a little over 2 minutes long, and well worth a listen. (HT to Sam Shaw.)
“The husband of one wife” in 1 Timothy 3:2
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Monday, December 17, 2007
Last Thursday night at the men’s Bible study, we had a lively discussion about the meaning of “the husband of one wife” in 1 Timothy 3:2. At one point, I was asked to explain my views regarding divorced men serving as elders and/or deacons in the local church. My answer was simply that I don’t think this phrase ...
A Sermon for “Poor Performers” and “Splendid Sinners”
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Sunday, December 16, 2007
After writing yesterday’s entry, I decided to expand it into my weekly sermon, Good News for Poor Performers and Splendid Sinners. Here’s an excerpt:The very first thing the angel says is, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard” (v. 14). What prayer has been heard? No doubt he means the prayer ...
Will We See Our Loved Ones Again?
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Tuesday, November 20, 2007
We have just posted a new sermon on the website called Will We See Our Loved Ones Again? Here’s an excerpt:Many of us have had the sad experience of going to a funeral and paying our final respects to someone we knew and loved in this life. Perhaps you laid to rest a dear husband or a sweet wife. Or perhaps you had th ...
Afrikaans Edition of “The Healing Power of Forgiveness” Now Available
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Tuesday, November 20, 2007
The Afrikaans edition of The Healing Power of Forgiveness has just been released. It is available fromChristian Art20 Smuts Ave.PO Box 1599Vereeniging 1930South Africa
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Reformation Day 2007
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Wednesday, October 31, 2007
On October 31, 1517 an obscure monk named Martin Luther, desiring to spark theological discussion over the medieval practice of selling indulgences, nailed his 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. That happened exactly 490 years ago. The spark he set off ignited a flame that spread across Europ ...
Radio Inteview on KBJS This Morning
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Wednesday, October 31, 2007
I am doing a live interview on KBJS (Jacksonville, TX) from 7:30-8 AM today. Click here to listen live.
The Best News I Know
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Sunday, October 21, 2007
“There is more mercy in Christ than sin in us.” Richard Sibbes (1577-1635), Puritan preacher and author.
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Love and Respect
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Saturday, October 20, 2007
When Marlene spoke to the women tonight, she recommended Love and Respect by Emerson Eggerichs. Turns out that several of the women at the conference have read it also. We started reading it the other day, and I can offer my opinion very simply.It’s the best book on marriage I’ve ever read. Period. No exceptions ...
If You’re Going to Die By Hanging, You’ll Never Drown
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Tonight after the final service at Sierra Bible Church in Reno, a woman came by the book table. While she was writing a check, she said, “If you’re going to die by hanging, you’ll never drown.” I looked up and said, “What was that?” She smiled and said that that was a favorite saying of her father. She hated whe ...
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All In For Jesus
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Monday, October 15, 2007
On Saturday Marlene and I flew to Reno, Nevada to speak at the Fall Conference at Sierra Bible Church. This is the second year in a row that we have come to Reno for the conference. Last year when I preached on doubt, I used the illustration of poker players going “all in” in order to win the game. That’s what we have ...
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The Christian and the Pharisee
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Sunday, October 14, 2007
I think it is a bit of divine serendipity that I just discovered this interview between R.T. Kendall and Rabbi David Rosen. Kendall served for 25 years as pastor of Westminster Chapel in London, and Rosen is the former chief rabbi of Ireland. Rosen calls himself a Pharisee in the sense of being a righteous Jew who seeks to ...
Ann Coulter Got It Mostly Right
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Sunday, October 14, 2007
A few days ago Ann Coulter had a dust-up with Donny Deutsch on his CNBC program “The Big Idea.” Ostensibly she was being interviewed about her new book “If Democrats Had Any Brains, They’d Be Republicans.” But the interview turned into a discussion about how the Jews need to accept Christ in order to be “perfected,” a ...
Anchor in a Laundromat
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Saturday, October 13, 2007
Several years ago we donated copies of An Anchor for the Soul to the “Glory to Thee” missionary boat run by John and Gaydean Nolte. Their unique ministry takes them to various ports on the Gulf Coast and also along the inland waterways (including the Great Lakes), sharing the Good News of Jesus. John left a copy of the book ...
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Are We Weak or Are We Hypocrites—or both?
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Friday, August 31, 2007
All week long we’ve heard the sad, sordid story of the senator from Idaho who has been accused of hypocrisy because he was allegedly soliciting gay sex even though he voted against gay marriage. Chief among the complaints is that the senator practiced in private what he condemned in public, and that complaint is stret ...
Teen People of the Bible
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Friday, August 31, 2007
Yesterday I received my copy of Teen People of the Bible by Daniel Darling. Subtitled “Celebrity Profiles of Real Faith and Tragic Failure,” this book examines some of the better-known “teen people” of the Bible, starting with Cain and Abel, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Esau, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Samson, David, Jonathan, S ...
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Christopher Hitchens Has a Point
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Tuesday, August 28, 2007
The current issue of Vanity Fair carries a report by Christopher Hitchens on his book tour to promote his mega-bestseller God Is Not Great. As always, Hitchens has many provocative things to say, and those who are enjoy his sometimes acerbic comments on various religious leaders will not be disappointed. I found it fascinat ...
Anchor in a Texas Women’s Prison
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Monday, August 27, 2007
Over the weekend we received this email from a volunter chaplain in Texas:I am a volunteer Chaplain at the Henley State Jail in Dayton, Texas. We house approximately 550 women. We received a box of your books, An Anchor for the Soul", a while back and our ladies have been requesting it constantly. We are totally out and we ...
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Did you go to an “ecclesial community” last Sunday?
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Wednesday, July 18, 2007
A few days ago the Vatican issued a document that has stirred up a bit of theological controversy about an argument that has been around for 2000 years—Which church is the “real” church? Admittedly, in these days of ecumenical give-and-take, this is not a Politically Correct question. We aren’t supposed to think like ...
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Pictures from the Anchor Book Depot
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Monday, July 16, 2007
This morning I visited the Anchor Book Depot in Chicago for the first time. I traveled to the storage facility with Cliff Raad and Skip Olson. Ernie Schulz met us at Hall’s Self-Storage Facility where we rent a locker. Ernie is amazingly organized. He came with UPS shipping labels already filled out. But best of all, ...
Do Christians and Muslims Pray to the Same God?
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Friday, June 1, 2007
SaWorship.com has reprinted my article Do Christians and Muslims Pray to the Same God?
Prison Poetry
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Last week I mentioned that we are reprinting An Anchor for the Soul and reestablishing the Book Depot. We plan to donate the books to prison ministries, military ministries, disaster relief, and for direct missionary outreach. Yesterday I answered a big stack of prisoner letters that had accumulated over the last several mo ...
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What is a Christian?
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Sunday, May 20, 2007
Last Sunday I preached at Calvary Baptist Church in Tupelo on What is a Christian? I actually started thinking about the topic when Al Sharpton stirred up a theological kerfuffle during a debate with atheist Christopher Hitchens. During one exchange he said something that seemed to imply that Mormons don’t believe in ...
At Home in Tupelo
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Saturday, May 19, 2007
The big news is that we bought a home in Tupelo this week. Marlene and I are both amazed at how God brought all the pieces together. Because we are here for only a couple of weeks, we wanted to get a contract before we left again. In just a few days . . .We found a realtor we liked,Marlene looked at a lot of homes, andI loo ...
The Man from Zimbabwe
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Just received this note from a missionary serving in South Africa: I just want to let you know that I gave An Anchor for the Soul to a waiter I met at a restaurant. He is from Zimbabwe but working here in South Africa. That is a tough county to be from right now needless to say. Almost 2000% interest from what a pastor fro ...
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Video Tour of the Cosmos
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Ron Ethridge invites us to take a video tour through the cosmos to appreciate the greatness of God.
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Lee Roberson Now With the Lord
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Monday, April 30, 2007
Lee Roberson died yesterday morning at the age of 97. It is a mark of the passing years that most of my readers will not recognize his name. In 1942 he became the pastor of Highland Park Baptist Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Under his leadership it became one of the largest churches in America. A few years after arrivin ...
Bill O’Reilly Doesn’t Quite Get It
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Last night Bill O’Reilly interviewed atheist Richard Dawkins, author of the current bestseller The God Delusion. Here is the video of the interview. It wasn’t a particularly illuminating debate, given that it only lasted four minutes and O’Reilly did most of the talking. As most people know, besides a good ...
Create in Me a Clean Heart
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Wednesday, April 25, 2007
We have just posted a new sermon called Create in Me a Clean Heart: A Serious Call to Sexual Purity. Here’s an excerpt:Purity is worth it because the pure in heart see God. They know him deeply, personally, intimately. They have an inner peace that others do not have. They see God and know the comfort of his presence ...
The Evil in Our Midst
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Yesterday I was asked during a radio broadcast why bad things happen to good people. I answered by saying that no one really knows the answer to that question, that the best minds in history have grappled with the problem of evil, and that we can’t draw a straight line from our knowledge to a troubled young man with t ...
The Satanic Nature of Evil
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Tuesday, April 17, 2007
This morning I received an email from someone in Virginia who has been reading Stealth Attack. As part of her message, she quoted a passage that I wrote a few months ago. It speaks to the Satanic nature of evil that has been let loose in the world."I recently purchased your book Stealth Attack and Sunday night I read a bit ...
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The Preacher and the Atheist
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Check out the Newsweek-sponsored discussion/debate between Rick Warren and Sam Harris. Rick is the pastor of one of America’s largest churches and author of the mega-bestseller, the Purpose-Driven Life. Sam is a noted author and an atheist who recently wrote a provocative column called God’s Dupes.Newsweek intro ...
A Note from Nepal
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Just received this email from a friend who serves in Nepal. Note that my friend uses “Lxxd” instead of “Lord” because of posssible email censorship in a country where Christians are often persecuted for their faith. Dr. Pritchard, I am writing from Nepal and am just so very thankful to hear the Lxxd speaking to you and thro ...
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Hell and Holy Week
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Monday, April 2, 2007
Last week the Pope made headlines when he said that hell is a real place. Addressing a parish gathering in a suburb of Rome, he said noted that hell “really exists and is eternal, even if nobody talks about it much any more.” He’s definitely right that we don’t talk about it very much, even in church.When was th ...
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Begin to Weave and God Will Give the Thread
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Saturday, March 31, 2007
Years ago I ran across a German proverb that says, “Begin to weave and God will give the thread.” I always thought that was an extremely good way to look at life. Hebrews 11:1 reminds us that faith is the “evidence of things not seen.” Faith sees what others can’t and acts accordingly. Faith thus is not a feeling but ...
The Million-Dollar Infant Baptism
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Thursday, March 8, 2007
Several weeks ago I had the unique experience of witnessing my first infant baptism. I suppose that one statement says a lot about my own spiritual background in that I managed to live 54 years without ever seeing an infant baptism in person. I was raised Baptist and have spent my ministerial career serving in churches that ...
Why Don’t Pastors Preach From the Old Testament?
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Wednesday, March 7, 2007
“Why don’t pastors preach from the Old Testament?"The question came from the chairman of the pulpit committee of a large and growing church. In their search for a new pastor, they had interviewed the top tier of candidates, only to discover a disconcerting fact. “None of them preach from the Old Testament,” the chairm ...
Christianity Lives Because He Lives
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Sunday, March 4, 2007
Here’s a quote to keep in mind as millions of people prepare to watch the Lost Tomb of Jesus on the Discovery Channel tonight: “Christianity is a religion of facts, not of ideas. It rests upon the being of a personal God. It stands or falls with the reality of the statements in the Apostle’s creed. Its doctrines ...
Albany Airport—3:45 PM
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Friday, March 2, 2007
Last night we had six or eight inches of snow at the BI, and this morning when I tried to get my car out of the driveway, it just kept slipping and sliding and finally got totally stuck. That meant I missed eating breakfast with Mike and Betsi Calhoun. When I called them at 7 AM to report the bad news, Betsi told me she had ...
Podcast on “He Descended Into Hell”
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Thursday, February 15, 2007
On Tuesday I did an interview with Kevin McCullough on WMCA in New York. Each month we take a chapter of my book Credo and discuss it on the air. Since the book is based on the Apostles’ Creed, this is an amazing opportunity to discuss the Christian faith on the number one Christian station in America’s largest ...
Things Found While Surfing the Internet
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Thursday, February 15, 2007
Here are some noteworthy articles and links that I’ve found while surfing the Internet recently:Mark Roberts helps us pray through the gospels.Paul Barreca, pastor of Faith Bible Church in Vineland, NJ, has a son serving in Iraq. Each week he writes an email message to our soldiers. Here are two that he wrote when he ...
What Harry Ironside Told Jack Wyrtzen
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Monday, February 5, 2007
Tonight at Word of Life Florida Harry Bollback preached for the Monday night missionary service. For those who don’t know him, Harry is 83 years old and has been with Word of Life for 66 years, which if you do the math means that he started as Jack Wyrtzen’s piano player in 1941. He is full of energy, enthusiasm ...
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Watch “100 Huntley Street” online
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Saturday, February 3, 2007
Yesterday I appeared on “100 Huntley Street” in Toronto, Canada to talk about my book The Healing Power of Forgiveness. If you would like to watch the broadcast, click here and then go to the broadcast for Friday, February 2.
After Jesus
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Tonight CNN presented a two-hour special called After Jesus: The First Christians. The program traces the beginnings of the Christian religion from its days as a sect within Judaism to its recognition as a favored religion by Emperor Constantine in AD 313. It attempts to grapple with a question that is both historical and t ...
Jay Bakker’s Strange Religion
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Until last week I had never paid any attention to Jay Bakker, the son of Jim Bakker and Tammy Faye Messner. Then someone sent me a link to a CNN article called What the Hell Happened to Christianity? It turns out that Jay is the pastor/founder of a church called the Revolution, with branches in Atlanta, New York and Charlot ...
China Tidbits
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Tuesday, December 19, 2006
1) Do they celebrate Christmas in China? The answer is yes and no. The Chinese (especially in the larger cities) recognize the holiday and enjoy the bright lights, gift-giving and the part about Santa Claus but do not understand the message of the birth of Jesus. 2) Mark has posted some new pictures from his recent birthday ...
The Star of Bethlehem
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Saturday, December 16, 2006
William Gearing provides a helpful explanation of the mysterious Star of Bethlehem:The Star of Bethlehem appears not to be able to be explained by science! Not if we are to hold true to the specific characteristics attributed to this star as defined in the Bible. God, in his providence, called forth the chosen Magi to worsh ...
Christ B.C.
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Wednesday, December 13, 2006
This four-part series explores the Old Testament prophecies concerning Jesus Christ. Feel free to use this material in any way that may be helpful to you as we prepare for the celebration of our Lord’s birth.Born of a Virgin A Prophet Like Moses Lamb of God Seed of the Woman
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Saint Harry
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Monday, December 11, 2006
Tonight I got a call from a man whose voice I did not recognize. The Caller ID said he was calling from somewhere in Ohio, but I didn’t recognize the number or the location. “Is this Saint Ray?” I hesitated for a moment and then said yes. “Do you know who this is?” Having no idea, I suggested that it was President Bus ...
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Doing Fine
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Monday, December 11, 2006
The colonoscopy went well today. The doctor removed a few polyps, which he said were almost certainly benign but will be sent off for examination to be sure. The doctor said that I’m doing fine and told me to have the test again in two years. Thanks to everyone who prayed. Onward.
Brimstone for the Broad-Minded
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Monday, November 27, 2006
Tim Keller explains how to preach hell in a tolerant age. If we are going to faithfully preach the gospel, we must preach about hell to people who don’t want to hear about it. The loss of the doctrine of hell and judgment and the holiness of God does irreparable damage to our deepest comforts—our understanding of God& ...
1 John Resources for January Bible Study
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Monday, November 27, 2006
This morning I am speaking at the Birmingham Baptist Pastors Conference. Each year the Southern Baptists set aside time for their January Bible Study, focusing on different books of the Bible. Last year it was Nehemiah; this year it is the letters of John, known in the English Bible as 1 John, 2 John and 3 John, generally r ...
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How to Apologize in Public
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Saturday, November 18, 2006
Marvin Olasky writes in the current issue of World magazine about apologizing in public (Click here to read comments on the World Magazine blog). Taking as his starting point that confession and repentance should accompany thanksgiving (a helpful fact to keep in mind five days before Thanksgiving), Olasky points out how har ...
A Voice From the Cutting Edge
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Friday, November 17, 2006
Yesterday I wrote about how the Internet is changing the way we do ministry. Derek Taylor wrote a thoughtful follow-up that deserves a wide reading. Here is the heart of what he wrote:I want to echo what you said on today’s post about technology. Yesterday at work we had a very interesting speaker who is on the cuttin ...
New Dudley Pictures
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Monday, November 13, 2006
It’s been a while since I posted any pictures of Dudley, the basset hound that joined our family last Christmas Eve. In another week or so, we will celebrate his first birthday. He’s the best dog we’ve ever had, keeping in mind that like all bassets he loves to sniff and dig and get dirty. Last week he sta ...
Signs of a Restorable Spirit
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Friday, November 10, 2006
It has been enlightening to read the many comments on the weblog this week. It’s clear that the Ted Haggard situation has touched a nerve inside the Christian community. Along that line, Eric Hogue asks, What is the appropriate “rehabilitation” for Ted Haggard? Marshall Shelley discusses the signs of a restorable spi ...
Friday News and Notes
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Friday, November 10, 2006
We’re wrapping up a good week at the SIM Retirement Village in Sebring, FL. Tonight I preach the last message in the Elijah series. Our flight from Orlando leaves at 6:20 AM, which means that we will need to leave Sebring about 3:30 AM to arrive at the airport in time to turn in our rental car and check in for the fli ...
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Don’t You Believe in Miracles?
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Tuesday, November 7, 2006
In the current issue of Dallas Connection, the alumni publication from Dallas Seminary, Greg Hatteberg reflects on his wife Lisa’s struggle with Multiple Sclerosis. I first met Greg and Lisa when I spoke at the DTS conference at Mt. Hermon several years ago. Before each service Greg would wheel Lisa to a place in the ...
SIM Village
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Tuesday, November 7, 2006
I’m writing this note from guesthouse at the SIM village in Sebring Florida, in the southern part of the state about an hour and a half south of Orlando. This is my second visit, Marlene’s first. I spoke here in 2003 on the recommendation of Calvary missionaries John and Anne Ockers. So far the weather has been ...
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If Sin Were Blue
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Monday, November 6, 2006
David Klinghoffer offers a wise perspective on Ted Haggard’s fall. The entire article deserves a close reading because he deals forthrightly with the question of whether or not homosexuality is inborn. In a sense, he answers yes, because all humans are born with a bias toward sin. Theologians call this the doctrine of ...
Ted Haggard Removed as Pastor of New Life Church
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Sunday, November 5, 2006
Kudos to the leaders at New Life Church for acting quickly to remove Ted Haggard from his position as senior pastor. Here is their letter to the congregation explaining the decision. When the facts are clear, as they evidently were to those doing the investigation, nothing is gained (and much is lost) by delaying the final ...
Where Have All the Pastors Gone?
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Friday, November 3, 2006
The email began very simply: “I am so discouraged.” The day before her pastor had resigned. Twelve years ago she had been brought back to the Lord by a pastor who seemed to be a godly man. Later he left his wife to enter the homosexual lifestyle. Then came a good pastor who was falsely accused of financial wrongdoing. Thoug ...
Welcome WCRF Listeners
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Friday, November 3, 2006
This morning WCRF in Cleveland broadcast an interview I did on the subject of repentance. Here’s a link to the message we discussed:Repent! The Forgotten Doctrine of Salvation
All Saints Day
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Wednesday, November 1, 2006
This is All Saints Day, one of the finest, most joyful days of the Christian year. It’s the day when we remember and give thanks for all true believers around the world, especially those who have gone before us into heaven. Evangelicals often pay little attention to the Christian year (for various reasons), but this i ...
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Questions from the Weekend
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Sunday, October 29, 2006
During the Q&A times at the conference, we answered common questions about prayer plus we took specific questions from the audience. Here are some of the questions with my comments in bold type:1) If God is sovereign, why pray? We pray to express our complete dependence on our Heavenly Father. We pray because God comman ...
High-Tech Church Fights
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Saturday, October 21, 2006
I ran across these two articles about local church conflicts that became so bitter that they spilled out onto the Internet:Church Fights Turn High-Tech Bellvue Conflict Bleeds Onto InternetWhat should we say about this?1) Church fights are nothing new. Go all the way back to the New Testament and you discover that Christian ...
In Search of the Early Church
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Sunday, October 15, 2006
Over the weekend a received a question from a friend in Atlanta asking me about the role of elders in the local church. That led me to revisit a series of sermons I first preached in 1992 called In Search of the Early Church when our congregation in Oak Park was considering a new constitution that would establish a board of ...
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Swimming Upstream
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Sunday, October 15, 2006
Here is the newest sermon in the series The Transformed Life:Swimming Upstream
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My Perfect Church Is . . . A Singing Church
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Saturday, October 14, 2006
Consider this a follow-up to my earlier entry on My Perfect Church. After thinking about that list some more, I wanted to pare it down to a few succinct principles that could be easily memorized, I was surprised by the first thing that came to mind, and I couldn’t get it out of my mind so I left it in first place. My ...
Executed
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Friday, October 13, 2006
Yesterday I asked you to pray for a brother on an Asian island who was facing eternity for his Christian beliefs. I just received word that he was executed by firing squad a few hours ago. Here is one Christian’s reaction:My brother met eternity earlier today. His thirst for righteousness was filled. He was maltreated ...
My Perfect Church
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Thursday, October 12, 2006
Not long ago some friends traveled from another state to visit us in Tupelo. During supper the wife asked me a question that seemed to come out of the blue: “What would your perfect church look like?” She caught me completely by surprise, and I realized that a) no one had ever asked me that before, and b) I had never given ...
Urgent Prayer Request
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Thursday, October 12, 2006
12:17 PM CDT I just received the following request for prayer:Please pray for a brother on an Asian island who is facing eternity in the next few hours for his faith. For security reasons, I cannot give more details but there is no doubt that this is true. When I asked my contact how we should pray, this was the answer I wa ...
Is Limbo in Limbo?
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Tuesday, October 10, 2006
According to this article, the Pope may be about to abolish the Catholic doctrine of limbo, a centuries-old teaching that answers the question, “What happens to unbaptized babies that die in their infancy?” The medieval doctrine of limbo taught that they go to limbo, a sort of halfway house between heaven and hell. Why abol ...
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Monday in Reno
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Monday, October 9, 2006
5:21 PM Just got back from our visit to Lake Tahoe. Hard to find the right adjectives to describe the sheer, overwhelming beauty. Awe-inspiring. Our hosts for the trip were Greg Kuehn, pastor of Sierra Bible Church, his wife Debbie, and Dave Smith, executive pastor. Dave and Greg have worked together for 17 years, and they ...
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Nev-ADD-uh
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Sunday, October 8, 2006
This morning we started the Bible conference at Sierra Bible Church in Reno, Nevada. I was informed later (by my sweet wife) that I had mispronounced the name of the state. I called it Nev-ODD-da. It’s supposed to be pronounced Nev-ADD-uh. I guess it’s sort of like outsiders pronouncing Illinois with an “s” on t ...
Mark Driscoll Explains the Mainline
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Saturday, October 7, 2006
Mark Driscoll explains why the mainline denominations are in such a mess. He then offers these ten steps to destroying a denomination:1) Have a low view of Scripture and, consequently, the deity of Jesus. 2) Deny that we were made male and female by God, equal but with distinct roles in the home and church. 3) Ordain libera ...
Repent!
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Friday, October 6, 2006
I just posted the sermon from last week: Repent! The Forgotten Doctrine of Salvation. This particular message has drawn more comments than any sermon in the last month.
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A Life Founded on a Doctrine
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Friday, September 15, 2006
In 1923, J. Gresham Machen wrote a groundbreaking book called Christianity and Liberalism. A leader in the conservative movement within the Presbyterian Church, Machen wrote the book to demonstrate the fundamental difference between biblical Christianity and liberal Christianity. Looking back on the controversy his book pro ...
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Frying the Motherboard
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Thursday, September 14, 2006
For most of this week I’ve been without Internet access, partly because I have been on the road traveling from one place to another and partly because I fried my motherboard. Early on Tuesday I went outside to see if I could find a wireless signal somewhere. It was raining lightly so I sat under a canopy for a few min ...
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Saturday Shout Out
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Saturday, September 9, 2006
A big Saturday shout out to Dave and Anita Eger, Ryan and Melissa Williamson, Chris and Jeanie Brown, Doug Armbrecht, Marshall Wick, Pastor Greg and Marcia Lanzen, Pastor Jim and Becky Shrock, Don Todd, Terry White, Melinda Toler, Nikki Grubb, Dawn Merrit, Laura Smith in Lancaster, PA, Abby Cramton who had a fantastic summe ...
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Interracial Marriage
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Tuesday, September 5, 2006
The following email arrived this morning: “A couple asked me if there was any biblical teaching on interracial marriages (whether or not they were right or wrong). I recall verses about being unequally yoked but believe that applies to believers and unbelievers. Any thoughts you could offer would be appreciated."The whole ...
Quick Notes
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Monday, June 26, 2006
Mark comes home from China in three days. What a happy day that will be.A few days ago I wrote an entry called Between Trapezes. Today I received an email from Gail Blanke who has a website and a book called Between Trapezes. She sums up her message up this way: The mission of my book is to enable people to know that the “i ...
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Wisconsin Pastors Summit
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Today I am in Madison, WI speaking at a Pastors Summit for the Family Research Institute of Wisconsin. I was asked to tell the story of the “God Speaks Today” sermon series in September 2004 that led to our church being picketed one Sunday by three different Gay Rights groups. The following links are provided primarily for ...
John Piper on Preaching
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Friday, May 5, 2006
John Piper has just posted the message he preached at the Together for the Gospel conference in Louisville, KY a week ago. His message is called Preaching as Expository Exultation for the Glory of God. He began his message with this quotation from George Whitefield:Oh…that we shall see the great Head of the Church once more ...
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Zola Levitt Goes Home to be with the Lord
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Wednesday, April 19, 2006
I just learned that Zola Levitt died earlier today. Several months ago he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. He continued to tape his TV program, “Zola Levitt Presents,” until his strength was finally depleted a few days ago. I make mention of his passing because it calls to mind a memory of my first year at D ...
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Praying for Your Prodigal, Part 1
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Monday, April 17, 2006
I received an email with a heartrending question:I have a daughter that I don’t believe is saved. I pray for her but often times I can’t. I suppose that I’m angry she isn’t responding and feel incapable of helping her. What can I pray for on a daily basis so that she will come to Christ? At times ...
My First Podcast
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Wednesday, April 12, 2006
This morning I recorded my first podcast with Stacy Lynn Harp, the president of Active Christian Media in Orange, CA. For those who don’t know, podcasting is the latest technological innovation that allows anyone to become an Internet broadcaster. The neat thing about podcasting is that it is really “media on demand.” ...
Lessons Learned Along the Way
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Thursday, March 30, 2006
The following message has just been added to the website:Lessons Learned Along the Way.
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Do Atheists Make Good Church Members?
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Tuesday, March 28, 2006
A few days ago I blogged about Robert Jensen, the professor from the University of Texas who calls himself a “sort of” Christian even though he doesn’t believe in God or that Jesus was the son of God or that he rose from the dead. Even so, he recently joined St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in Austin, Texas. I wondered ...
Sunday at First Baptist
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Sunday, March 5, 2006
Today I filled the pulpit at the First Baptist Church of Tupelo. The church is currently without a pastor, and I was asked to preach today and also next Sunday morning. In the two morning services I spoke on “If I Believe, Why Do I Doubt?” and in the evening service I spoke on “God’s Providence” from the life of Josep ...
Two Men Live, Five Men Die
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Wednesday, March 1, 2006
After I preached this morning, Marlene and I were driving to lunch when my cell phone rang. It was Harry Bollback calling to see if he and Millie could have lunch with us. We decided to meet at Perkins Restaurant in Hudson at noon. It’s always wonderful to see Harry and Millie because they represent the heart and soul ...
Three Slightly Related Items
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Thursday, February 16, 2006
1) Twice lately friends have encouraged me to read The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman. I bought the book last summer, brought it with me when we moved in October, put it on the shelf, and finally started reading it this week. Friedman demonstrates in a thousand stunning ways that the world of the past is gone forever. Th ...
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Saturday, July 24, 2004
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Saturday, July 24, 2004
8:18 PM Today's entry in the Crosswalk weblog is called Clearing Off My Desk. 6:00 PM We arrived home about 8 PM last night, totally exhausted. I preached 24 times in the last two weeks and together Marlene and I spent more time than ever ministering and praying with people at Maranatha and Word of Life. Before we went, we ...
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Friday, July 9, 2004
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Friday, July 9, 2004
7:42 PM Another nice note—this one from the Philippines:Dear Pastor Ray, Thank you very much for the availability of your free download sermons, I'm happy that this will help me easier when given a time to speak and share the word of God. I am Emmanuel B. Badulis, a civil engineering graduate and working as a college ...
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Sunday, May 30, 2004
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Sunday, May 30, 2004
7:01 AM A Prayer for Sunday Morning Here are excerpts of a prayer by Alexander MacLaren (1826-1910), one of Great Britain's most famous preachers. A contemporary of Charles Spurgeon, MacLaren pastored Union Chapel in Manchester for many years. His multi-volume Bible expositions are still in print almost a century after his ...
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Wednesday, May 5, 2004
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Wednesday, May 5, 2004
12:05 PM Yesterday I answered another stack of prisoner letters from men and women who had read An Anchor for the Soul and wrote to say thanks. Many said they had trusted Christ as a result of reading it. Here is a montage of comments from various prisoners in Georgia, North Carolina, Florida, New York and New Jersey: “...
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Monday, April 26, 2004
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Monday, April 26, 2004
10:53 AM Just about ready to leave for the airport to fly to New York. I fly to Albany where someone from Word of Life picks me up. The Bible Institute is located in Pottersville, a tiny town about 75 miles north of Albany, on the southern edge of Schroon Lake, in the Adirondack Mountains. Usually I'm there in January or Fe...
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Saturday, April 10, 2004
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Saturday, April 10, 2004
8:41 PM Rabbi Daniel Lapin explains why so many Jewish groups passionately hate Mel Gibson. Instead of following the Torah (which we call the Old Testament), they are infected by "secular fundamentalism." The entire article is well worth reading. Here is his conclusion: Once Mel Gibson revealed himself to be, like the p...
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Wednesday, April 7, 2004
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Wednesday, April 7, 2004
8:48 AM Here's a letter from "Dena" who writes from a women's prison in California: Dear Ray, I want to than you for your ministry and the book "An Anchor for the Soul." I am currently incarcerated in prison and I saw the book on the shelf–from the minute I touched this book, I have to say, my life has changed...
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Monday, April 5, 2004
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Monday, April 5, 2004
8:29 PM An e-mail arrived with a question many people have wondered about: "If you believe that Jesus is your Lord and you kill yourself, will you still go to heaven?" Here is my answer: We are saved by what Jesus did for us in his life, death and resurrection. He paid the full price and opened the door to heaven to all...
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Thursday, April 1, 2004
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Thursday, April 1, 2004
10:38 PM Kim Jahns sent an e-mail from missionaries in the Middle East with further insight into the impact of "The Passion of the Christ" in Muslim countries. In just a few short days, more Arab Muslims have been able to clearly hear (and see) the Gospel in their own language than we would be able to reach in a lifetim...
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Monday, March 29, 2004
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Monday, March 29, 2004
9:56 PM My buddy Roy Hodson in Emmalena, Kentucky asked for a personal favor: I need your help to play a joke on a couple of our son, Caleb's, friends. He was in a Christian bookstore over the weekend and came across a couple of your books. He mentioned that you and I were friends and he knew you. Well, they didn't believe ...
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Tuesday, March 9, 2004
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Tuesday, March 9, 2004
9:51 PM Jeff Eaton weighs with a rebuttal of sorts to my essay on barbecue. He makes a strong case that the best barbecue in America comes from Kentucky. Here’s part of what he wrote: I was surfing your blog this morning, and was shocked to see a discussion about barbecue that did not pay homage to my hometown, Owensb...
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Sunday, March 7, 2004
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Sunday, March 7, 2004
9:23 AM Finished my final bike ride before our trip. Marlene is packed already—naturally I've not really started yet. We leave for the airport in a little over an hour. We're flying ATA to St. Petersburg where someone from Word of Life will pick us up and drive us to the conference center in Hudson—about an hour...
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Saturday, March 6, 2004
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Saturday, March 6, 2004
11:31 PM Just about ready to go to Florida. 11:29 PM Last Thursday I did several tapings for WMBI—five "Soul Food" devotionals that will run later this month, an endorsement for the crisis pregnancy centers of Chicago, and an interview about how the gay marriage issue impacts the church. The interview will air Mon...
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Tuesday, March 2, 2004
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Tuesday, March 2, 2004
5:11 PM Bob Weller explains the personal impact of "The Passion of the Christ": It is still and always will be truly amazing to me that our God would devise such a plan simply because He loves us and wants to return us to a place were we can commune with God and be showered by His Love. I would recommend everyone see th...
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Thursday, February 26, 2004
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Thursday, February 26, 2004
9:50 PM Okay, I've got my answer to the question Seth raised below. This just in from Pastor Bob Boerman in Costa Rica:Hey Ray, The guys and I are having a terrific time in Costa Rica. A great Band of Brothers time. Much laughter. Much prayer. Much growing with Christ and each other. It´s Thursday night and the work is don...
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Saturday, November 8, 2003
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Saturday, November 8, 2003
11:39 AM We are beginning the search to fill a new fulltime staff position—Pastor of Outreach Ministries. For more information, scroll down the page to Wednesday, November 5. It's the second entry from the top for that day. 11:19 AM A fine crowd showed up for the prayer breakfast that kicked off our World Focus Weeken...
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