"Farewell to the Rapture" by NT Wright

Just thought I'd share this link to an article by NT Wright called "Farewell to the Rapture". I am increasingly encountering people whose beliefs include such anti-Biblical concepts as Jesus returning in secret and taking them up into the sky. This belief comes from a whole system of belief that has infected the church in the US and making inroads over here, it's often known as Premillennial Dispensationalism (as opposed to simply "Premillenialism" which is an orthodox Christian theology thats been around for ages). Premillennial Dispensationalism comes originally from the writings of JN Darby in the 19th Century and was unknown before that. It has been popularised by the "Left Behind" series of novel and movies. NT Wright deals with the subject of the Rapture very well in this typically excellent article.

4 Levels of Spiritual Warfare Against Demons

There are 4 basic levels which a Christian may have to face. Having the specific knowledge on what each one of these levels are all about can really help with planning and carrying out the appropriate battle strategy in which to defeat them should demons ever move in for an attack on either you or any of your close loved ones. Every time that Jesus told his apostles to go out and walk with his anointing to save the lost and heal the sick - He always had the command in there to also cast out demonic spirit where and when needed. So if Jesus was constantly casting out demons, always telling the apostles to cast out demons - then it should only be logical that the church should continue to cast out demons. It has been estimated by many Bible scholars that approximately 25% of the miracles Jesus had performed were him casting demons out of people. Satan and his demons are not confined to the Bottomless Pit at this time. This event will not happen until Jesus returns back t

Baptism Pool

I was on the cusp of buying a birthing pool. They are inflatable and relatively cheap. Unfortunately, they are intended for women of about 5'9" height. I, however, required the birthing pool for a man. The man in question was over 6' tall. He was, of course, not going to give birth but, rather, he had been born again. The pool was required for baptism. So instead of the birthing pool I bought a paddling pool. The pool was 12' in diameter but only 30" high. I set it up in the garden and filled it with water. On my getting into the pool to try it out the week before the baptism, there was a veritable tidal wave engulfing a large section of my lawn. No good then. Instead I borrowed a custom made baptistry from a nearby church. The baptism went swimmingly. A couple of days before the baptism, which took place in our regular Sunday morning service, there was a pool tournament in our church. The guy who was about to be baptised in the baptismal pool

Have friends by being a friend!

The more sociable you are, the happier you are. As you age, it gets more difficult to find friends and meet people on a regular basis than when we were children. Those who seek out friendships and rate this as important, also rate themselves as being happier. Individuals who isolate themselves fall more easily into depression and stress. Introverts need friends just as much as extroverts do, and friends can help take the edge off of loneliness and sadness. Even if you are not a natural extrovert, make a point of building friendships in order to contribute towards your mental health and happiness. People who rely on others to lift themselves up tend to be less stressed and depressed. Having a close friend you can talk to about your problems can serve as an important aid in releasing negative feelings. Confiding in a friend tends to reverse feelings of loneliness, and most friends offer words of comfort which affects you in a positive way, knowing that someone cares. Being the

Pete (The Virtual Vicar)

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