Blog
Pastor Ray’s thoughts on issues in the church and contemporary culture.
Being Holy, Not Hip
And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them...
Form of Godliness, but void of power
2 Timothy 3.8 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof. This statement made by Paul follows a blistering portion of Scriptures that are descriptive of the DNA of fallen man in the last days. The last days, of course, is a description of the time from...
In God We Trust
On the back of the $1 bill that I have in my wallet (that’s the currency that I see the most of!), I read the phrase, “In God We Trust”. In our study today, we look at the believer’s responsibility towards their government (Romans 13:1-7). Obviously, since the middle...
The Master Method and Power for Ministry
1.1,2 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: The first chapter of the book...
Worship God, not Worship
Psalms 81.9,10 There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god. I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. I have come to a belief that one of the strangest "gods"...
Commitment
Nehemiah 10.38,39 And the priest the son of Aaron shall be with the Levites, when the Levites take tithes: and the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes unto the house of our God, to the chambers, into the treasure house. For the children of Israel and the...
Outside the Camp
Hebrews 13.12-14 Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come. It is clear...
Choose Life
The fall season and a new school year are upon us. No matter how parents choose to educate their children, there are things that are necessary to be done to get ready. For one thing, school materials, books or electronic data needed for subjects being taken by their...
Secular society and the Lord's Day
Heb 10.25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some [is]; but exhorting [one another]: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. Secular society is at war with God. John calls the spirit of this world "antichrist". This war...
Method Or Power?
One of the unfortunate dilemmas in the Church today is the current trend in methodology on “how to” do church effectively. We gather our population spread sheets and combine them with secular surveys of what people are looking for, and then tailor our church buildings...
Hear, O Israel!
One of the mysteries in the New Testament is the mystery of the present day spiritual blindness of the nation of Israel (Romans 11:25). While many Jewish people are coming to the saving knowledge of Yeshua as their Messiah (Romans 11:1), by and large the Jewish people...
Fighting together
2 Samuel 10.11 And he said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me: but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will come and help thee. 12 Be of good courage, and let us play the men for our people, and for the cities of our God:...
Godward Investments
1 Timothy 6.17-19 Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to...
I Make All Things New
Revelation 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. For those who have come to Christ for salvation, these words: “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there...
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...
Stop It!
Romans 13.11-14 And that, knowing the time, that now [it is] high time to awake out of sleep: for now [is] our salvation nearer than when we believed.The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the...
Almighty God, not Mother Earth
The Bible clearly tells us that the heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows the work of His hands. The Bible begins with these words, "In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth." Thus, the ownership and maintenance of this universe...
Not Ashamed
The Lord Jesus Christ warns us about the consequences of being ashamed of Him and His words. Couple that statement with the words of Jesus that the world hates Him, and that men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil, and you have a sure recipe...
The Godly Woman
Titus 2:3-5 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet,...
Born of The Spirit
Until a person is born of a the Spirit, he or she remains unconverted. That which is born of the flesh is flesh (human birth), and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit (spiritual birth). While every human being bears the image of God by creation, none are His...
Current Events and the Sovereignty of God
I was engaged in a conversation with a few brothers the other day about current events, dangerous political leaders, terrorism and an ever increasing occurrence of devastating weather phenomenon. Now please do not get me wrong, those things are of real concern to me....
Content being Christian
Acts 11:26 "And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught a great many people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch." It is NOT my intention to...
The seeker friendly gospel
Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost, but what was the gospel that He commanded us to preach? Was it a message that God promises you health and wealth? Don't need Jesus for that, friends. Join any health club, eat organic food, and attend a financial...
The Fruit Of Love – Refreshment
Thomas A’Kempis once said, “I’d rather be able to demonstrate love than know how to define it.” Jesus said, “By this shall all men know that you are My disciples, if you have love one to another.” When agape love is truly working in our lives, its effect within the...
Mourning, The Path To Divine Comfort
To the natural man, the words “mourning” and “comfort” do not even belong in the same library. But the Scriptures tell us they belong together. Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are...
Fellowship In The Gospel
This morning we are talking about the importance of fellowship. First of all, what does the word fellowship mean? The English word “fellowship” is a translation of the Greek word koinonia. The exact definition of that word according to Strongs concordance reads as...
What’s in Your Heart?
Isaiah 29:13 Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: When the prophet Samuel went to the...
In Hard Times, Don’t Harden
The times that you and I live in are indeed quite perplexing. “Distress of nations with perplexity” could be the front page headline of any paper on any newsstand. The “ripple effect” of sin has affected our planet’s morals and economy as well. These days are indeed...
Faith in the Power of God
Corinth was a city that prided itself as being a center of eloquent orators. That was a typical notion of the Greek and Roman world of the time. Like Corinth, our day and age is captivated by mesmerizing orators and motivational speakers. The "mantra" of the day is...
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...
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.