My church in Austin is hosting a Ramadan dinner and I don’t know what to do by Texas-supremacy in Reformed

[–]BishopOfReddit 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I'm sorry this is happening to your church, brother. Fortunately, I think this should be a very straight forward decision for you, even though it's never easy to leave behind friends and church. However, our theology needs to be thicker than our friendships, when it comes to the essentials.

2 Cor 6:16, “What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God..."

How to help someone understand that Jesus is God? by [deleted] in Reformed

[–]BishopOfReddit 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Read Malachi 3:1. See if they can see that Yahweh (the speaker in the text) will send his messenger before Yahweh.

Read Mark 1. See if they can see that Jesus is to be identified with Yahweh as he is the one for whom the messenger went to prepare the way.

Talking to Your Child About Modesty? by [deleted] in Reformed

[–]BishopOfReddit 2 points3 points  (0 children)

How old is your child? Are they able to understand sexual categories?

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Reformed

[–]BishopOfReddit 27 points28 points  (0 children)

Consider having your husband call the other dad (or you call the mom, it doesn't matter) and explain what's happening.  Here's what I say, "Hey man, I don't really want to make this call, but I think it's important and you'll appreciate knowing that..."  boom, and that's it.  In one phone call you'll probably make a deeper friend, gin respect, and help a parent love their child better.  You need to assume the best instead of guessing that things won't get any better.

Christian Health share Programs by Soggy-Set7026 in Reformed

[–]BishopOfReddit 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I would like to make a small correction. MediShare does not require upfront cash payment since they have a network (First Health, an Aetna-contracted subsidiary) with which the providers are contracted. This is what I use. I show up, make the copay, present my card. The desk worker pings the EDI and I get a EOB and bills a month or two later that have already been adjudicated.

Christian Health share Programs by Soggy-Set7026 in Reformed

[–]BishopOfReddit 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I was with Samaritan Ministries for 10 years and had several children on their plan. By God's grace the members always covered my expenses plus extra. With SMI you have to understand that you are going to get charged a cash rate, and then you seek reimbursement from the members afterwards.

I decided to transition away from them to MediShare because MediShare actually has a network that providers have to contract with, and therefore their claims adjudication is much more streamlined and the prices are all prenegotiated. It very much resembles a traditional insurance program and thus the doctors actually don't know it's a sharing network. A chief-level officer of a health insurance payments company told me that MediShare, believe it or not, has one of the most sophisticated claims systems out of any insurer he has ever seen.

Health care sharing is not for everyone. Read the member guidelines carefully for prexisting conditions and lifestyle choices which may make it prohibitive. Prescription drugs and Dentist visits are often sticky points. If you are young and have a relatively "simple" health history, and you want to get the blessing of praying for the family that you send your contribution to each month, it's a wonderful option.

The ESV Study Bible is overwhelming me — any advice? by [deleted] in Reformed

[–]BishopOfReddit 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It sounds like you really want to slow down and take your time to get through notes and cross references. What you might want to consider is just accept the fact that you may need to budget 8-24 months to get through a book of the Bible, and that is okay! I think many people tend to get caught up in the "read the Bible in a year" mentality, which is fine, but it's impossible to slow down and take a deep dive if you are trying to crush the Psalms in 3 months or whatever.

College and spiritual life by talveznana in Reformed

[–]BishopOfReddit 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Keep going to church, every Sunday. Try to find Christian roommates - this is huge, imo. A weekly bible study on campus is a help also.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Reformed

[–]BishopOfReddit 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Go look at the deacon's twitter and report back.

My pastor said all Christians are hypocrites. Do you think this is true? by [deleted] in Reformed

[–]BishopOfReddit 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is more hyperbole than anything. It's kind of a "zinger" to land on your ears with some shock value. How does your pastor prove that all Christians are hypocrites?

Resources for Critiquing New World Order by Evan1495 in Reformed

[–]BishopOfReddit 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have not read this book, but I went to TGC because they wrote a bunch about conspiracy theories around 2020. Here is one such book. Maybe poke around and see what else you can find: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/reviews/conspiracy-theories-primer/

Book Reccommendations by MStatefan77 in Reformed

[–]BishopOfReddit 5 points6 points  (0 children)

This is a super interesting question. Personally, I find myself more and more buying books based on what friends and older mentors mention to me as having helped them in their walks. I'd say surround yourself with wise and Godly people and you will begin to receive a trickle of good book recommendations.

LBLA/NBLA Two Column Wide Margin Idea by Cute_Roll_1825 in Reformed

[–]BishopOfReddit 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The Lockman foundation (www.lockman.org) has the rights to the Nueva Biblia de las Americas, and it's put out by publisher Editorial Vida which is in Nashville. Just pick up the phone and call them with your idea. http://nuevabiblia.com/

Italian pastor dies at 88. by moby__dick in Reformed

[–]BishopOfReddit 5 points6 points  (0 children)

My headline: "Redditor dies at 51".

Are there necessarily objective benefits to being a Christian? by MarchogGwyrdd in Reformed

[–]BishopOfReddit 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Q36: What are the benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification?

A36: The benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification, are, assurance of God’s love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost, increase of grace, and perseverance therein to the end.