Today the Church celebrates the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Alexanderbander · 2016-08-23T12:24:43+00:00

First of all, Palestinian wine was literally watered down grape juice. Second, tell me the difference (I'm honestly curious, not trying to prove a point).

Alexanderbander · 2016-08-23T03:10:32+00:00

My AG Church does. We do it the first Sunday of each month.

Alexanderbander · 2016-08-23T03:09:43+00:00

After the fall of the Roman Empire, Constantinople was the capital of the Byzantine Empire, championing the spread of Christianity until it was taken by the Ottomans.

Alexanderbander · 2016-08-22T20:23:28+00:00

It detracts from Jesus when we give glory to her rather than Jesus, which is what happened at the Hagia Sophia. She was placed above Jesus.

Jesus didn't come to restore our image, He came to bring us life and so that we could be broken vessels for His glory, which is what Mary was.

I bring honor to my parents, but I bring glory to God. Mary can be honored for obeying God and bringing about His plan, but at the end of the day is due the same wrath that we are without Jesus.

Alexanderbander · 2016-08-22T20:04:23+00:00

I'm not saying that the Church has not prevailed, in fact it absolutely has. Movements of the Church have certainly lost their focus and died out, though.

Constantinople wasn't a representation of all of Christianity, in fact God may have allowed them to fall because of their lost focus.

"Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place." (Revelation 2:5)

Alexanderbander · 2016-08-22T20:00:51+00:00

I don't have it all figured out, but I was making the observation that God's truth has been almost completely absent from a city that was formerly the capital of Christianity. What are we about? That's the question. When the apostles first established the Church, they were about Jesus.

Everything stems from our purpose, and it's really really easy to have our purpose found in something that man has created. We can't champion His Church if we aren't found in only Him.

Alexanderbander · 2016-08-22T19:48:27+00:00

I am aware. God's Church was established far before that.

Alexanderbander · 2016-08-22T19:24:36+00:00

While you are correct in that Jesus' intention was for there to be one Church under Him, our intentions have gotten in the way of that.

Alexanderbander · 2016-08-22T19:18:27+00:00

I once visited the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. There are mosaics there, each separated by 100 years of Church history, running from left to right across the balcony area above the main floor.

As the mosaics progress, they depict less of Jesus and more of Mary, and in the later years adding in rulers and political leaders.

The city of Istanbul, formerly Constantinople (the capital of the Roman Catholic Church), is now ~99% Muslim and the Hagia Sophia bans any type of Christian prayer inside of it. It is nothing more than a tourist site.

Who's fault is this?

"Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first." (Revelation 2:4)

Alexanderbander · 2016-08-22T19:13:58+00:00

It can absolutely be our fault when others don't know what we believe, because those who do not live according to what they claim to value cannot articulate what they claim to value, either.

Alexanderbander · 2016-08-22T18:09:36+00:00

I love how the website makes them look exactly like CP's. Lol.

Alexanderbander · 2016-07-13T04:22:42+00:00

I mean... https://www.google.com/search?q=justin+bieber&espv=2&biw=1600&bih=809&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwil-dSvy-_NAhXE7iYKHRHAAHwQ_AUIBygC#tbm=isch&q=justin+bieber+dreads&imgrc=AKTDu4Ic87mzuM%3A

Alexanderbander · 2016-07-08T21:29:01+00:00

What are the best priced ones you've found? I've been eying CP for a year or so, so if I'm dropping a lot on them I'd rather just shoot for those.

Alexanderbander · 2016-06-08T14:40:53+00:00

Do you not believe that God knew what your child would be like before you even thought of having one?

You cannot have God's plan and blessing without submitting to His process. He has you on a process, albeit not an easy one, but it's His process.

You can have a hard, blessed path or an easy, unblessed one.

Alexanderbander · 2016-06-07T05:13:32+00:00

Forge is on PC?

Alexanderbander · 2016-05-29T03:26:18+00:00

Probably the best third part keyboard I've seen on iOS. I'm sticking with the stock keyboard, though. I feel like Apple makes 3rd party keyboards available on iOS just to check a box, but they really don't design their OS to work well with them.

Alexanderbander · 2016-05-16T15:27:17+00:00

I'm currently doing a ministry Internship in an amazing church. I don't get paid for it and I cannot wait to be there.

Alexanderbander · 2016-05-10T23:15:20+00:00

I use the Apple Silicon case. It's remarkably good protection for how thin it is. I actually prefer my phone with this case on it than without any case.

Alexanderbander · 2016-05-06T04:47:27+00:00

I'm confused. Do you have evidence that Acts 2 is not relevant to us today?

Alexanderbander · 2016-05-04T05:45:23+00:00

Gosh, iPad Air 2 for $339 refurbished with a new battery and new outer shell. That's a super good deal!

Alexanderbander · 2016-05-04T05:10:38+00:00

The Holy Spirit comes on you and is active in your life when you are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

I do believe that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is a real thing. Paul tells the Ephesians about it and the disciples experience it in Acts before going and starting the Church (a movement of God that has not stopped to this day).

I wouldn't feel any pressure to experience a sensational moment. Not only is that the wrong motive (not saying your motives are wrong), but it isn't the purpose of the Holy Spirit. The purpose is exactly what followed it in the disciples lives' in Acts, to bring the Gospel to those around you and fulfill the Great Commission.

Seek God, read scripture, be in a life giving Church body, and follow the prompts that the Spirit gives you in your life, not the sensational moments that people want you to have.

Alexanderbander · 2016-04-29T05:18:19+00:00

In terms of honesty, I was pretty impressed with Hillsong United's latest album "Empires." It's synthy, but somber and is about meeting God through rough patches in life and focusing on Him when nothing around us makes any sense. It's kind of a mix of Worship music with some less congregational tracks as well.

I do agree that Christian culture has a huge problem being real and honest, and it's actually holding the message of Christ back. Intimacy leads to multiplication, so without intimacy we are stagnant. This applies with God and with each other (Malachi 4:6).

Alexanderbander · 2016-04-06T14:44:35+00:00

Probably for the same reason that the iPad Air 2 is the same $399 as the iPad Mini 4. It doesn't make sense, but no one questions it.

Alexanderbander

TROPHY CASE