1 Corinthians 12:7 "A manifestation of the Spirit is given to each person to produce what is beneficial..." What is given? A manifestation of the Spirit. For what purpose? To produce what is beneficial. These are Divine gifts given not merely to the individual through whom they are manifest, but to other members of the … Continue reading This is the Body
Tag: christianity
Identity Drift
I have been thinking, lately, about spiritual identity. This was inspired by looking at the attitudes Jesus confronted in His lifetime, as well as the multitude of denominations, sects and movements in existence today, each defending their viewpoints passionately. In my opinion, many are searching for a purer, truer expression of the faith, and many … Continue reading Identity Drift
Ancient Twitter
"Now all the Athenians and the foreigners residing there spent their time on nothing else but telling or hearing something new." -Acts 17:21
Culturally Objectionable Words
Mainly, I wanted to share an article a friend sent me awhile back about about the use of, let's say, culturally objectionable words. My disclaimer here is that I have not fully evaluated all the claims made by the authors of this site, so I want to clarify that my sharing here is in no … Continue reading Culturally Objectionable Words
Bare Minimum
A brief thought on the Christian debate between 'Eternal Security' (which may have other names, but very basically asserts that a person cannot lose their salvation), and other viewpoints which argue that you can lose your salvation (by falling into a pattern of sin, and generally not practicing your faith): Maybe one problem with the … Continue reading Bare Minimum
Father
"No one who denies the Son can have the Father; he who confesses the Son has the Father as well." -1 John 2:23 The latter half of this verse is somewhat of an affirmation for me, because until very recently my prayers were adressed "Christ Jesus". I actually felt a bit self-conscious about that because … Continue reading Father
Things are not as They Appear
"For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgement to himself if he does not judge the body rightly" - 1 Corinthians 11:29 1 Corinthians 11:17-33 is not a passage to be used by your church as an incantation for their particular theological bent on communion. Instead, it is a call for the church … Continue reading Things are not as They Appear
Unique
"Based on the gift they have recieved, everyone should use it to serve others, as good managers of the varied grace of God." -1 Peter 4:10 Two things I want to emphasize here: "based on the gift they have recieved", and, "the varied grace of God". If you don't fit in, maybe it's because God … Continue reading Unique
Deviating from Peace
"Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and they hid themselves from the LORD God among the trees of the garden." - Genesis 3:8 It fascinates me that, after the man and woman ate from the tree of … Continue reading Deviating from Peace
Callings and Arguments
In John 12:1-7, Judas chastised Mary for anointing Jesus’ feet with an expensive, fragrant oil, which he argued could’ve been sold and the proceeds given to the poor. Jesus replied, “Leave her alone; she has kept it for the day of my burial. For you always have the poor with you, but you do not … Continue reading Callings and Arguments
Andrew K. Banks 