What Real Encouragement Looks Like Sometimes!

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Who would've thought that "encouraging each other in the Lord" would take the form of two hours of telling each other, "Yep, that crap's hard!"?

- A text I got from a friend after a long conversation about the trials we've been through, the heartaches we've known, and how difficult life can be sometimes.  It made me smile!

Most Popular Posts of the Week:

Hardest Spiritual Lesson #5: Just do your job

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Finally, another "hardest spiritual lesson" (here's #4: Thankfulness , #3: Praise , #2: Prunings , and #1: Let Go ): 5.    Obediently Doing Your Job and Letting God Do His Okay now, be honest and raise your hand if   you like to lead instead of follow?    To push through with your plans and make things happen?    To set your own rules and goals?  To follow your dreams?  To stand in the spotlight?   Our world values go-getters and leaders - people who succeed, who make the impossible possible, who dream big dreams and make them come true.    It doesn’t put much value on  people who shine the spotlight on someone else, who spend their lives in service to someone else, who work quietly in the background, or who follow and obey what someone else tells them to do .    It doesn’t respect submission, obedience, and following, not nearly as much as it does autonomy, self-reliance, and leading.    And so the wor...
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List of Calvinist Preachers, Authors, Theologians, Websites, etc.

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I  found a lot more names to add to my list of known Calvinists (found in my various  "How to Tell if a Church, Pastor, or Website is Calvinist"  posts).  But instead of adding this huge list to all those posts, I am going to put it here, and I'll just provide a link on those posts to this one.  [FYI: I added a note at the bottom of this post on May 5, 2021.] So here it is, a "master list" of known Calvinists to help you be careful and discerning about who you listen to and where you get your theology from.  There are plenty more Calvinists out there, but these are just the names that I ran across the most.   These are either definite, self-professed Calvinists or "most likely Calvinist," in my estimation.  (I haven't heard of most of them, but it's good to know their theology before I do.)   After finding these names in various places online, I looked up each person to see if they are Calvinist.  If they did not self-identify ...
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The Gospel According To ...

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The Gospel according to the Bible: "Because Jesus died for the sins of all men, the offer of salvation is for everyone.  Everyone has the opportunity to go to heaven.  God calls all people to seek Him, to believe in Him, to repent of their sins, and to accept His offer of salvation.  And it is indeed possible for everyone to do this.  But He lets us decide whether we want to do this or not.   Whether we will accept His offer of salvation or reject it.   Whether we will repent of our sins or embrace them.   Whether we will bow down to Him as our God, as Lord and Savior, or try to live as our own ‘god.’   And those who repent of their sins, who choose Jesus as their Lord and Savior, accepting His sacrificial payment for their sins, will be saved.  But those who choose to reject God and His offer of salvation have chosen to pay the price for their sins themselves, which is eternal death.   Hell.   An eternity without God.  The...
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Okay, I've Got Some More Anti-Calvinism Memes

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  (All memes made with   IMGFLIP )   ME! What's Next? What is it again ... A Calvinist Hearing ... #1 A Calvinist Hearing ... #2 A Calvinist Hearing ... #3 How God Looks at Calvinists Hi, My Name's John Calvin Uhhh ... #1 Uhhh ... #2 Calvinist God Yelling Yeah.  Why? What Do You Mean ... Unelected "Jesus Loves Me" When a Calvinist Stands Before God ... It's right there ... "The World"
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Homemade "Spiced" Hand-Sanitizer with Essential Oils

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Two posts in one: Post #1: Aloe-Based Hand Sanitizer This is a repost of a recipe I posted almost exactly 3 years ago, to the day - 3/3/17.  (How funny!  I had no idea it was almost the exact same date when I decided to repost it now.)  With the coronavirus going around (and the panic surrounding it), it seems like a good time to share this recipe again.   FYI:  There are no guarantees for this recipe about effectiveness against any virus.  But this is for those who like to try natural methods for germ-control first, who want to do what they can for a little extra protection.   I am not a big fan of hand-sanitizers because I fear that their overuse leads to stronger germs.   But sometimes, it’s better to use a little than risk getting the nasty illnesses going on all around you.   I made this for the times that we need it - when I hear a kid coughing like a barking seal or when I see someone sneezing or coughing into their ...
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DC Talk - "Fearless"

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One of my favorite bands as a teen was DC Talk.  And I am talking way back from their first album with "Heavenbound" and "Spinnin' Round"  and their second album with "Nu Thang" and "I Love Rap Music."    (Wow, that really dates me!  And wow, was it nostalgic to go back and watch these videos again!)   I even had (have) their video tape "Rap, Rock, & Soul."  I tell ya, I was a fan!  Always will be.  (My friend and I even did a choreographed "dance" to "Spinnin' Round" in front of our Christian camp one year in matching blue button-down shirts and men's ties.  Thank God there were no cell phone cameras back then.)   Here's one of their great later ones, one many people can probably relate to: Fearless (And I've always loved these three also: "What If I Stumble?" and "Colored People" and who could forget "Jesus Freak."   I don't get the videos, but I love th...
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I Added Some Names to "How to Tell if a Church, Pastor, or Website is Calvinist"

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Since I first wrote these posts, I have added some more names of Calvinist theologians, authors, and websites.   So for reference, I'm giving the links to these posts: "How to Tell if a Church, Pastor, or Website is Calvinist, Simplified Version"   [By far the most popular post on my anti-Calvinist blog] "How to Tell if a Church, Pastor, or Website is Calvinist, Extended Version"   [I know what you're thinking ... "How on earth could you possibly make it longer than the so-called  simplified  one!?!"  I know.  Sorry.] "Only the Links from 'How to Tell ..." "Avoiding Calvinist Websites"    [Only the "website" portion of those posts]
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John Calvin Adds Things That Aren't In The Bible

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This is a section from my post "Problems in John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion."   I wanted to break that long post up into smaller sections long ago, but I never got around to it, until now. This is Point #4 from the original post: Calvin adds things that aren't in the Bible (at least not in our translations of the Bible). Such as (these are just a couple examples), in Book 1, Chapter 16, section 5, he refers to Matthew 10:29 by saying, "Not a sparrow falls to the ground without the will of his Father."   However, he basically added the word "will," which makes it sound more like God willed the sparrow to die, that every time anything happens it's because God actively willed it to happen.  But there is only one translation I can find that has the word "Father's will" in it, the World English translation.  Every other one just says something like "apart from the Father" or "the Father...
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Christian Testimony about Spiritual Warfare (Jessica)

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I've linked to this woman's testimony before, about how she became a Christian after being an atheist ( click here to see it ).  But I recently stumbled across her YouTube channel again, and I saw that she had posted some videos on spiritual warfare, and so I watched them, and they're good.  And she speaks from experience - her sister and mother are practicing witchcraft, and it pours over into her life and family.  It's a shame that she had to put up some strong walls with her sister and mother because of it, but she is right in doing so.  For her own spiritual protection and that of her children.  [ Update : While I like and recommend her testimony video and the one on spiritual warfare, I am leery of the current ones she's posting about dreams and prophetic messages.  I am very wary about that kind of stuff, especially when it's about earthly blessings or opportunities.  Personally, I'd stay away from (or at least be very cautious and discerning abo...
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Links To Other Anti-Calvinism Posts

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Some of my thoughts and research on Calvinism (Why I believe it's not Scriptural!): Why is Calvinism So Dangerous? If Calvinism is true, then God is a liar! What's The Best Way To Make People Agree With Your Calvinist Views? Letter To Our Elders Regarding Calvinism Growing In Our Church Acts 13:48: Not As "Predestination" As It Sounds Sovereignty and Free-Will Working Together Anti-Calvinism Memes and Links Why Is It So Hard For Calvinists To Get Free From Calvinism? Can You Lose Your Salvation? Problems in John Calvin's  Institutes of the Christian Religion Are We Only Here For God's Glory? What About God's Love? So Job was a dimwit, huh? "Defend Your Calvinism" Challenge More Anti-Calvinism Memes.  Just for fun! Some of John Calvin's Contradicting Nonsense! How to tell if a Church, Pastor, or Website is Calvinist (extended version)  and the  (simplified version) You know what happens when you assume things!  A look at John Calvin...
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