David Bercot
It has been awhile since I updated my blogs. I think one reason for this is because I get the feeling that nobody is reading them. I know that you should blog for yourself, but the truth is that one reason a person would publish their own diary is to be read. I know that with blogs, a person needs to really get out there in the blog community and be interactive and get your URL out there. I only visit a short amount of other people’s blog’s, and there are several reasons for this. One of which is that, in all honesty, I don’t really want to hear what they have to say. I understand that this is completely disrespectful, and I suppose that I reap what I sow. I read and read these other blogs and usually find the same humanistic reasonings and observations, that are to one degree or another a regurgitation of the same opinions as the other people that they are all linked to. I think that it is very common in the blog-o-sphere to find a link ring of people who share like minded opinions. Perhaps I need to find a diversity of thinkers and link them to what I have to say. I think perhaps there is very little interest in what I have to say, and I can understand this. I tend to be very dogmatic, a little intense, mostly making matters a point of seeing only black and white, very little room for gray areas, and I really, really tend to preach. This usually doesn’t make for very interesting reading. But ranting is one of my favorite past times. This is partly due to my excessive spare time. The bible warns of this dilemma be a potential vessel for idleness and evil, so I personally must be careful. School starts up again today, and I am very glad.
I have been reading! Last month I read two C.S. Lewis books: Mere Christianity, and The Great Divorce. Both of which are extraordinary. I highly, highly recommend Mere Christianity to anyone who considers themselves a Christian. He gives us a definitive essay on Christianity and it basic foundations. He talks of Christian life, and the differences to be found in a Christian and other non believing individuals. It is both motivating, and validating. It is beautifully written, and easy to read. He does however get quite complex in his intellectual tackling of some hard to deal with issues. Through out the book, there is little guessing as to the fact that Christianity is the thinking persons faith, and also the soft hearted persons faith. He talks of what we do to allow our hearts to harden to Christ and lays it out like an x-ray. This book is essential to anybody not just claiming to be a Christian, but to somebody who is interested in becoming a Christian. There is just one point in which Mr. Lewis and I differ, and that point is the issue of war. Since I have discussed this in a previous post, I won’t get into it right now.
The Great Divorce is a fictional account of a man who travels between hell and heaven, and during that time he faces a variety of situations that show him how we can make the wrong decisions with our relationship with God, and how we can exclude ourselves from God’s grace. Although, the heaven and hell in this book are more conceptual than biblically realistic, he really drives the point home. The Great Divorce is a quick and easy read, and a mandatory read for anybody who wants to examine their own heart. It can be challenging at times, and allowed me to see my own spiritual weaknesses. It is an excellent book.
I have also been taking time to read this http://www.deerparkwashingtondisciples.net/believers/main.php web site, and have been fascinated with how they are almost exactly what, why, and how I feel and have concluded on my own through bible study and life experiences. The more I read the website, the more I think, “These people have been reading my mind.” I think that the cool thing is that I have come to almost all of the same conclusions that this group of people have come to. I still have trouble trusting though; I am confident that my trust issues are from my religious past.
My past is curious to me. In almost all my stages of Christianity, I was full on convinced that what I was doing was the complete truth; more so, truth that I was willing to die for. I am still willing to die for my faith in Christ, for that is my Christian duty, but I tire of this juggling of the paradigms. I have only been a member of the Disciples of Christ, International church of Christ, and the mainline church of Christ. However, I have visited fellowships of charismatic churches, catholic churches, and Methodist churches. I have also studied with the Jehovah’s Witness’, the Mormon’s (on dozens of occasions), and Baptist’s. I have read up on many other types of Christian faith. Keeping all that in mind, I can faithfully say that one of these “Christian paradigms” are no less better than the rest of them. They all have major biblical fundamental flaws in them. This is frustrating to me. So much so that I felt that there must truly be very few who seek God for His sake (for the promise there in is that you will find wisdom when you do that), and not for self. Then I found this Home fellowship group. http://www.deerparkwashingtondisciples.net/believers/main.php and I can’t find anything that they say on their website that I disagree with. There are a few things that make me leery, but I’m sure that is from my scared heart. But my point is this: what if I find out in the future that even this group is not what the bible requires. I think that all I can do is do what my heart says is right according to what I understand in the bible and go from there. Regardless, I am going to start having our own worship service in our home on Sunday’s, and will start inviting people to join us. I am inspired by the brothers in this home fellowship group, who refuse to name themselves, for the bible didn’t either. I am inspired by their deep bible knowledge and their rich knowledge in church history. They refer to a publishing company at www.scrollpublishing.com which is really the publishing company of David Bercot (author of “Will the Real Heretic Please Stand up?”). They have some great deals on many publications, and a whole series of lectures by brother Bercot himself. I think that I will be making a few purchases there soon.
Due to a research deal I made with my bestest buddy, I have been reading a great deal of writing of the early church fathers, and I see that there are vast differences in what the condoned and condemned and what is practiced in modern day “Christian” practice. Currently I am reading a book called, “A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs” edited by David Bercot. It is quite a book (just over 700 pages), and filled with excellent organizing of topics. Although I have had this book for some time, you can order your own copy at www.scrollpublishing.com.
So, if you are a Christian, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the home fellowship website and what they have to say. Here is to studying…
I have been reading! Last month I read two C.S. Lewis books: Mere Christianity, and The Great Divorce. Both of which are extraordinary. I highly, highly recommend Mere Christianity to anyone who considers themselves a Christian. He gives us a definitive essay on Christianity and it basic foundations. He talks of Christian life, and the differences to be found in a Christian and other non believing individuals. It is both motivating, and validating. It is beautifully written, and easy to read. He does however get quite complex in his intellectual tackling of some hard to deal with issues. Through out the book, there is little guessing as to the fact that Christianity is the thinking persons faith, and also the soft hearted persons faith. He talks of what we do to allow our hearts to harden to Christ and lays it out like an x-ray. This book is essential to anybody not just claiming to be a Christian, but to somebody who is interested in becoming a Christian. There is just one point in which Mr. Lewis and I differ, and that point is the issue of war. Since I have discussed this in a previous post, I won’t get into it right now.
The Great Divorce is a fictional account of a man who travels between hell and heaven, and during that time he faces a variety of situations that show him how we can make the wrong decisions with our relationship with God, and how we can exclude ourselves from God’s grace. Although, the heaven and hell in this book are more conceptual than biblically realistic, he really drives the point home. The Great Divorce is a quick and easy read, and a mandatory read for anybody who wants to examine their own heart. It can be challenging at times, and allowed me to see my own spiritual weaknesses. It is an excellent book.
I have also been taking time to read this http://www.deerparkwashingtondisciples.net/believers/main.php web site, and have been fascinated with how they are almost exactly what, why, and how I feel and have concluded on my own through bible study and life experiences. The more I read the website, the more I think, “These people have been reading my mind.” I think that the cool thing is that I have come to almost all of the same conclusions that this group of people have come to. I still have trouble trusting though; I am confident that my trust issues are from my religious past.
My past is curious to me. In almost all my stages of Christianity, I was full on convinced that what I was doing was the complete truth; more so, truth that I was willing to die for. I am still willing to die for my faith in Christ, for that is my Christian duty, but I tire of this juggling of the paradigms. I have only been a member of the Disciples of Christ, International church of Christ, and the mainline church of Christ. However, I have visited fellowships of charismatic churches, catholic churches, and Methodist churches. I have also studied with the Jehovah’s Witness’, the Mormon’s (on dozens of occasions), and Baptist’s. I have read up on many other types of Christian faith. Keeping all that in mind, I can faithfully say that one of these “Christian paradigms” are no less better than the rest of them. They all have major biblical fundamental flaws in them. This is frustrating to me. So much so that I felt that there must truly be very few who seek God for His sake (for the promise there in is that you will find wisdom when you do that), and not for self. Then I found this Home fellowship group. http://www.deerparkwashingtondisciples.net/believers/main.php and I can’t find anything that they say on their website that I disagree with. There are a few things that make me leery, but I’m sure that is from my scared heart. But my point is this: what if I find out in the future that even this group is not what the bible requires. I think that all I can do is do what my heart says is right according to what I understand in the bible and go from there. Regardless, I am going to start having our own worship service in our home on Sunday’s, and will start inviting people to join us. I am inspired by the brothers in this home fellowship group, who refuse to name themselves, for the bible didn’t either. I am inspired by their deep bible knowledge and their rich knowledge in church history. They refer to a publishing company at www.scrollpublishing.com which is really the publishing company of David Bercot (author of “Will the Real Heretic Please Stand up?”). They have some great deals on many publications, and a whole series of lectures by brother Bercot himself. I think that I will be making a few purchases there soon.
Due to a research deal I made with my bestest buddy, I have been reading a great deal of writing of the early church fathers, and I see that there are vast differences in what the condoned and condemned and what is practiced in modern day “Christian” practice. Currently I am reading a book called, “A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs” edited by David Bercot. It is quite a book (just over 700 pages), and filled with excellent organizing of topics. Although I have had this book for some time, you can order your own copy at www.scrollpublishing.com.
So, if you are a Christian, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the home fellowship website and what they have to say. Here is to studying…
posted by P. Allan Frederick at 7:41 AM
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