Blog
Pastor Ray’s thoughts on issues in the church and contemporary culture.
Get Excited!
I was reading Colossians 3:2 and, as is so often the case when I study the Scriptures, I ran across an interesting translation of this verse. The King James Version reads, Set your affection on things above. However, the Greek meaning in a literal sense is to interest...
The Weapons of Thanksgiving and Praise
Life can be gloomy and downright depressing at times. When our bodies are racked with pain. When our souls are drained because of tears shed for wayward children. When the nightly news is one sad story after another.
His Yoke Destroys Bondage
Through the blood of Christ, we have been delivered from yokes of religion, sin and bondage.
The Mary Doctrine
Why pray to Mary when you can go right to Jesus? Sounds pretty simple, doesn't it? Sadly for some, tradition has made the work of God of no effect. Religious traditions have a way of mesmerizing their adherents. For example, in the Catholic church Mary is elevated...
Christ – The Only Rock
God created music to glorify Him. Music is a gift from God and can minister to us in the form of “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs”.
O Jerusalem!
The prophet Daniel (in chapter nine), when praying for the restoration of his people after years of captivity, acknowledges the true owner of the city Jerusalem in verse. Jerusalem is God's city and is a key piece of Bible prophecy. The first coming of Jesus Christ...
Impressions
It’s sad to see the people of God “in awe” of those who are highly esteemed in any field, yet ungodly.
Religious Freedom
I get concerned whenever there is any movement for religious freedom under the umbrella of a secular government. Will fighting for constitutional rights really grant to born-again Christians religious freedom? Yes, we should do all that we can within the system to...
Sterilizing The Gospel
Do you recall when the scribes and Pharisees murmured against the Lord and His disciples because they ate with publicans and sinners? In those days publicans were the notoriously wicked tax collectors. They were looked down upon with such disdain that if a Pharisee’s...
Can the Church Implode?
The supreme commandment of Jesus is that we love one another, but Satan works within the hearts and walls of the church to bite, devour, divide, and destroy.
Peace in a Troubled World
Our world is like a ticking time bomb. ISIS, financial instability, disturbing physical conditions that are confounding the best medical minds in the world. Racial tensions and anti-Semitism are on the rise. To live for and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ is to be labeled as using hate speech and is not politically correct.
Convenient Christianity
Christianity is not a religion of convenience by any means. And yet, as indicated in the Scriptures, human nature finds it so easy to excuse itself from doing the Lord’s work., I’m amazed at the excuses that keep people from regular Sunday services, mid-week studies,...
Togetherness
Fellowship is not an option; we are commanded to assemble together. Maybe it’s time to get out of the pew and into the action.
Expectations
A very common error exists within the church. It is the error of placing divine expectations upon one another. Whenever we place sinless, flawless expectations upon any human being, we are setting ourselves up for disappointment and that individual for a fall.
Grow Up!
Growing in Christ is an ongoing process. Nobody ever arrives in this life. But when a Christian begins to grow up in The Lord, they put away childish behavior.
The Tears of Jesus
I believe that Jesus is weeping over our nation today. I do not believe that Jesus relishes the pain and sorrow caused by rebellion and sin against His Father.
Discipleship Is Costly
It appears to me that much of contemporary Christianity and ministry is more like a religious emporium where marketing strategies and fancy websites and sound bites are being used by ministries to build “their church” rather than promote The Lord and glorify Him. True giving and service unto The Lord is always measured by the amount of selfless sacrifice that is made.
Religious franchise or family of God?
Mark 9:37-41 Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me. And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and...
The Imperfect Church
I think one of the most unusually comforting thoughts for me as a pastor is the imperfection of the church in the book of Acts and following epistles. If you examine those Scriptures closely, you’ll find that we are not much different than they were. Deifying the...
Remember Lot's wife
Smack dab in the middle of Jesus’ discourse on the days prior to His coming, He warns us with these words, “Remember Lot’s wife.” (Luke 17:32) She looked back on Sodom and turned into a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:26). The tragic error of Lot’s wife was that she placed...
The Two Ways Of Reconciliation
I hope that the statement I’m about to make will not be a new revelation to you, but here goes. Born again Christians at times have differences, disputes, and flare-ups, for any number of reasons. Some are theological, some are personal. Some are real, some are...
Setting Affections on Things Above
Colossians 3:1,2 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. The apostle Paul begins his practical application portion of his letter...
Giving – A Way We Worship
Philippians 4:14 Notwithstanding ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction. As Paul closes his letter to the Philippians (4:14-23), he thanks them once again for their generous giving and care for him. He says that they ministered to him in his...
Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up
Paul warned the Corinthian church about those who preach another Jesus (2 Corinthians 11:4). He would go on to say this about those who preach another Jesus: “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no...
Beware!
Philippians 3:2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision. Ten times our Lord Jesus gave the warning to beware. Three of the warnings were to beware of false prophets (Matthew 7:15), of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees (Matthew 16:6,...
Counterculture Christianity
Luke 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. “Counterculture” is a buzzword in our nation today. Its basic message is calling for a radical change of society that is based on new,...
Fellowship With The Saints
It cannot be stressed enough how important it is for every one of us to attend a home study. Relationships develop there. Prayer partners are birthed. And needs of the saints are often met as those needs are made known.
The Ministry Of Music
Music is a universal language. In every culture the Holy Spirit inspired music for worship, inspiration, edification, and evangelism. There is no one style, pattern, or method in music any more than there is in any other ministry.
Exhortation: Fanning the Flame of Faith
One of the most abused and neglected means of personal growth in Christ is by the exhortation that comes from fellow saints. The vast majority of Christians are more concerned with living out their careers and hobbies than they are gathering together in the white hot pursuit of faith in Christ.
Saved to Serve
Could it be that Jesus looks down at His church and notices those who simply observe the work of The Lord being done, but refuse to lift a finger to help? Or perhaps they are simply too busy to serve because of other commitments?
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.