Blog
Pastor Ray’s thoughts on issues in the church and contemporary culture.
Jesus, Healer Of The Oppressed
The Biblical meaning of oppression is “to exercise power over; to tire down with toil; exhaust with labor; afflict”, according to Vine’s Expository Dictionary. When Israel was in Egypt and being cruelly treated, Scripture declares that God saw their oppression and...
Matthew 5:14-16 … Selah
“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works...
Personal convictions and different views
Romans 12.16 Be not wise in your own conceits.Let me show you a couple of other translations on this verse: And don't think you know it all! (NLT) Be not wise in your own estimation.(HCSB) Do not be conceited.(NIV) In chapter 14 of Romans, Paul deals with saints...
Edification, not entertainment
1 Corinthians 14.12 Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual [gifts], seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church. Why does God bless His children with a variety of gifts and talents? These gifts are to be used to edify, or build up the rest of...
Worship God, not your brains
Matthew 22.37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This of course was Jesus' reply to the question, what is the greatest commandment. Amen to His response. But what does it mean to...
And it shall come to pass
Then said the Lord to me, You have seen well, for I am alert and active, watching over My word to perform it. (Jeremiah 1:12 AMP)Jeremiah was ordained by God before the foundation of the world to be a prophet to the nation of Israel. He was given the difficult...
Give me The Book!
Ecclesiastes 12:11 The words of the wise [are] as goads, and as nails fastened [by] the masters of assemblies, [which] are given from one shepherd. Psalms 19:7-11 The law of the LORD [is] perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD [is] sure, making wise...
The evening news and bible commentaries
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God [is] quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and [is] a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.I am very thankful for...
A Bride, not a Denomination
Acts 1:11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. Revelation 19.7-9 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to...
Rise Up, Oh Man of God!
1 Corinthians 16:13 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. I remember singing the chorus when I first came to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ: “Rise up O men of God, Have done with lesser things, Give heart and soul and mind and...
Vanity or Victory?
Jeremiah 2:5 Thus saith the Lord, What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain? Micah 6:3 O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me....
Which spirit governs you?
1Corinthians 2.12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. There are only two spirits at work in the lives of mankind today. One is the spirit of the world. The...
Missing word's in today’s church: Sacrifice, The Cross, Self Denial.
Luke 14.26,27 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. Let me...
The peril of forgetting God
"And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the Lord thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish. As the nations which the Lord destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish; because...
Hear Him!
Mark 9.2-8 And after six days Jesus taketh [with him] Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them.And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can...
Honoring Fools
Proverbs 26:1 As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honour is not seemly for a fool.Who is a fool, you may ask? According to the Psalmist, a fool by definition is a person who does not believe in God. According to the prophet Isaiah 45, there is no God else...
Really?
Today's blog is more on the personal side. It is an observation stemming from a post bible study conversation with a brother. After this study, a brother from a Reformed Church said to me, are you a Calvinist? I asked why he would say that. He said because I gave a...
The Lord Almighty Reigns!
The Lord Almighty reigns is the declaration of heaven (Revelation 19:6)! Right now, right where you are, think about that for a moment. Our God, enthroned on high, reigns. Read the words of Scripture and breathe in the wonder of it all. When the prophet Isaiah...
Oh My!
I will love thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. (Psalms 18:1, 2 KJV)Scripture is very clear regarding the personal...
The Spirit and Power of Elijah
Isaiah 40:3-5 The voice of him that cries in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and...
The Danger Of Unholy Mixture
It is human nature to want to fit in. Nobody wants to be labeled as strange or weird. The flesh will always seek to compromise in order to “keep the peace.” But as Bible-believing Christians we need to realize that compromise and peace do not even exist in the same...
Statistics or a Scripture?
Luke 18:8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?I was reading an article regarding church growth the other day. It is a template used by megachurch planters that is a formula for...
Let’s Plant A Garden
Scripture uses nature to teach us many lessons. For example, Christians are likened to farmers. Some plant, some water but it is “God who gives the increase.” What a challenge! You and I can be implements used in the Lord’s garden. And for each task there is a season....
Deliverance
The Scriptures reveal our God as Deliverer. David declared this (2 Sam 22:2); so did Paul (Rom 11:26). The only message in the entire universe that frees sinful, fallen man is the gospel of Jesus Christ. We, as Christians, need to cling to this liberty that Jesus...
Faithful Fatherhood
Our generation has seen the entrance of the backseat, passive father. Sad to say, even today’s father’s alleged “involvement” in their children’s lives are only in areas where dad gets blessed. What does God expect a godly father and husband to be like? Simply put...
Feeding On The Word
For one whole year, Barnabas and Saul spent time with the saints in Antioch teaching them the Word of God. (Acts 11:22-26) To “feed sheep” is what Jesus commanded Peter to do. This same exhortation is what Peter was commanded to write by God the Holy Spirit. This is...
Encouragement
Scripture tells us that Barnabas was a man of encouragement. (Acts 4:36) There possibly has never been a time in either the history of mankind or the church when the gift of encouragement has been more needed. To encourage means “to give courage, hope, or confidence...
Follow Me
Isn’t it interesting how we can turn aside from the simplest commands into confusion? For example, the singular call of Jesus to His disciples is to “Follow Me.” Those words are a call from Jesus to come near to Him, and, in doing so, to learn from Him. In other...
Taking A Stand For Jesus
Stephen, the first Christian martyr, died because he took a stand for Jesus. His death wasn’t in vain. I believe that his demeanor at the time of his departure planted an indelible impression upon the mind and the heart of Saul of Tarsus, who would become the apostle...
Legalism: A Perspective
It truly frustrates me when I hear religious terms thrown around, but am left hanging as to what they are supposed to mean. One of those terms is “legalism”. Now, I can only give you my perspective of what legalism is. As I search the Scriptures, it appears to me that...
About Me
I am the Lead Pastor of Koinonia Fellowship, a husband, father and grandfather. I also serve on the worship team as one of the drummers.