Work has officially begun on the new web site. I have purchased the rights to the domain name www.nailmark.org. There's nothing there yet but a sign that says the web site is under construction. My developer thinks that he should have at least the shell of the web site done by the end of the week. All email in concern of the apologetics ministry should now be directed to jacob@nailmark.org. I will continue to keep you updated as things develop and let you all know when there is something to look at.
Sola Deo Gloria,
Jacob Allee
Monday, March 31, 2008
Sunday, March 30, 2008
New Web Site to Begin Construction
I just talked to the individual who will be putting together the new web site for me and we will begin construction tomorrow. I'm not certain how long it will take or what the web address will be just yet, but I am very excited about the prospects of what I'll be able to do with this site in comparison to the limits of my current site's.
We will be changing the name from Reformation In Progress to Nail Mark Ministries as I feel the new name will reflect more closely the main goal of the ministry, pointing people towards the risen Lord Jesus Christ.
I'll be sure to let you know as soon as the new site is up and running.
Sola Deo Gloria,
Jacob Allee
We will be changing the name from Reformation In Progress to Nail Mark Ministries as I feel the new name will reflect more closely the main goal of the ministry, pointing people towards the risen Lord Jesus Christ.
I'll be sure to let you know as soon as the new site is up and running.
Sola Deo Gloria,
Jacob Allee
Thursday, March 27, 2008
God is Not Passive
Something that is often heard in church's, whether by preaching or even in the hymn's and modern praise songs is that "Jesus is patiently waiting." Meaning that God has done all that He can do and now it is just up to you.
Now maybe it's just me, but that makes my skin crawl. The presentation of the almighty maker of Heaven and Earth, the Alpha and Omega, the Great I AM, the Word become flesh, as completely helpless, inept and unable to do anything more... now He is just patiently waiting, beckoning the sinner to come home.
Here's my question, is this how the Bible presents God's role in salvation....the patient waiter?
No. God is not passive, God is the God who saves to the fullest! God is the God who knocks people off horses and claims them as His own (Acts 9). God is the God who anoints shepherd boys and makes them kings (1 Samuel 16) God is the God who overthrows armies by the smashing of clay jars and blowing of horns (Judges 7). But is he waiting patiently...hoping that you will accept Him? I don't think so.
God is not passive and He is not impotent. God has from the foundation of the world chosen those whom He will save. Ephesians 1:4-6 tells us:
"4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved."
and verse 11
"In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will"
This is the God who works all things according to the counsel of his will. The God who does whatever He wants with the inhabitants of the earth (Daniel 4:35).
Certainly the Bible describes God as patient (2 Peter 3:9) but this is not patient as in waiting to see if we will come or not, but rather patient to fulfill His promise. God is patiently working out the counsel of His will among the people of this world.
Yes it's true that God is patient....but He is not waiting, He is fulfilling! So let's throw this bad theology out the door and on it's ear that says, Jesus has done all that He can do and He wants you to come to Him but it's just up to you, but he really hopes you will...blah, blah, blah. Instead let us recognize that God is a God who is Sovereign and saves to the fullest. If He wants you, he's gonna get you....and there is nowhere you can hide.
Jesus put it this way:
"All that the Father gives to me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out." (John 6:37)
God is not passive.
Sola Deo Gloria!
- Jacob Allee
Now maybe it's just me, but that makes my skin crawl. The presentation of the almighty maker of Heaven and Earth, the Alpha and Omega, the Great I AM, the Word become flesh, as completely helpless, inept and unable to do anything more... now He is just patiently waiting, beckoning the sinner to come home.
Here's my question, is this how the Bible presents God's role in salvation....the patient waiter?
No. God is not passive, God is the God who saves to the fullest! God is the God who knocks people off horses and claims them as His own (Acts 9). God is the God who anoints shepherd boys and makes them kings (1 Samuel 16) God is the God who overthrows armies by the smashing of clay jars and blowing of horns (Judges 7). But is he waiting patiently...hoping that you will accept Him? I don't think so.
God is not passive and He is not impotent. God has from the foundation of the world chosen those whom He will save. Ephesians 1:4-6 tells us:
"4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved."
and verse 11
"In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will"
This is the God who works all things according to the counsel of his will. The God who does whatever He wants with the inhabitants of the earth (Daniel 4:35).
Certainly the Bible describes God as patient (2 Peter 3:9) but this is not patient as in waiting to see if we will come or not, but rather patient to fulfill His promise. God is patiently working out the counsel of His will among the people of this world.
Yes it's true that God is patient....but He is not waiting, He is fulfilling! So let's throw this bad theology out the door and on it's ear that says, Jesus has done all that He can do and He wants you to come to Him but it's just up to you, but he really hopes you will...blah, blah, blah. Instead let us recognize that God is a God who is Sovereign and saves to the fullest. If He wants you, he's gonna get you....and there is nowhere you can hide.
Jesus put it this way:
"All that the Father gives to me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out." (John 6:37)
God is not passive.
Sola Deo Gloria!
- Jacob Allee
Monday, March 17, 2008
Ministry Update
Hello friends!
I'm excited to tell you that there are some things going on! I am still seeking full time employment as an associate pastor, but in the mean while my wife and I have talked it over and I am going to scale back my hours at the job I'm at now and see if we can't make something really happen with this ministry.
So here are some things that are going to be happening with the ministry of Reformation In Progress....
1. We are considering a name change.
My desire as an apologist is to equip the body of Christ with what they need to affirm their faith and defend it against competing worldviews and religions. I unashamedly hold to the doctrines of grace, but I still wish to partner with churches who are not 5 point Calvinist's. The name Reformation In Progress I'm afraid scares some people away before they even give the ministry a second look. So, though I'm certainly not going to change my convictions or teachings, I though a name change would at least help me get into churches that disagree with Calvinism so that I can partner with them in teaching things like defending the trinity, witnessing to Mormon's, etc.
So here is the name I've been considering most strongly: Nail Mark Ministries. Why? Because of what Thomas says in John 20:25.
" But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe."
The heart beat of this ministry is to give people what they need through plain reason, Scripture and other evidence, to be able to fall down before Jesus' feet and proclaim "My Lord and my God!" just as Thomas did.
Feel free to leave your thoughts about the idea for this name.
2. We are going to be building a new web site.
I am hiring a very computer savvy individual to build the ministry a new site. Once completed we will have a lot more flexibility with what we can do online as a ministry. The blog will be on the same web site as all the articles and resources that are now on www.reformationapologetics.com. There will no longer be a need for two separate sites. We will eventually have an online store. You will be able to download Mp3's and there will be a forum for apologetic and theological discussions. And more. My hope is that when it is all done it will function very similarly to www.aomin.org.
3. As soon as possible we are going to become an officially non-profit organization.
This will allow donations to the ministry to be tax deductible.
4. I will be actively pursuing opportunities to speak in churches about how to defend the Christian faith.
I have done some work in this area already, but I will be coming up with some materials so that I can lead training workshops in churches that will walk people through Scripture, relevant history and evidence so that they can become prepared to give a reason for the hope that is within them.
None of this of course will happen over night, but I am excited as I am going to be turning more of my attention back to this ministry as I wait for God to take me and my family wherever He wants us to go.
I appreciate your prayers, idea's and suggestions as we continue to work towards the above mentioned plans and goals. We need to raise some money (hopefully by speaking at a few churches in the near future) in order to pay for the expenses that come along with setting up a non-profit status, so be praying for that as well.
I will be blogging more regularly starting this next week I think! Can you feel the excitement? Yeah buddy!
Serving Christ our Lord,
Jacob Allee
I'm excited to tell you that there are some things going on! I am still seeking full time employment as an associate pastor, but in the mean while my wife and I have talked it over and I am going to scale back my hours at the job I'm at now and see if we can't make something really happen with this ministry.
So here are some things that are going to be happening with the ministry of Reformation In Progress....
1. We are considering a name change.
My desire as an apologist is to equip the body of Christ with what they need to affirm their faith and defend it against competing worldviews and religions. I unashamedly hold to the doctrines of grace, but I still wish to partner with churches who are not 5 point Calvinist's. The name Reformation In Progress I'm afraid scares some people away before they even give the ministry a second look. So, though I'm certainly not going to change my convictions or teachings, I though a name change would at least help me get into churches that disagree with Calvinism so that I can partner with them in teaching things like defending the trinity, witnessing to Mormon's, etc.
So here is the name I've been considering most strongly: Nail Mark Ministries. Why? Because of what Thomas says in John 20:25.
" But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe."
The heart beat of this ministry is to give people what they need through plain reason, Scripture and other evidence, to be able to fall down before Jesus' feet and proclaim "My Lord and my God!" just as Thomas did.
Feel free to leave your thoughts about the idea for this name.
2. We are going to be building a new web site.
I am hiring a very computer savvy individual to build the ministry a new site. Once completed we will have a lot more flexibility with what we can do online as a ministry. The blog will be on the same web site as all the articles and resources that are now on www.reformationapologetics.com. There will no longer be a need for two separate sites. We will eventually have an online store. You will be able to download Mp3's and there will be a forum for apologetic and theological discussions. And more. My hope is that when it is all done it will function very similarly to www.aomin.org.
3. As soon as possible we are going to become an officially non-profit organization.
This will allow donations to the ministry to be tax deductible.
4. I will be actively pursuing opportunities to speak in churches about how to defend the Christian faith.
I have done some work in this area already, but I will be coming up with some materials so that I can lead training workshops in churches that will walk people through Scripture, relevant history and evidence so that they can become prepared to give a reason for the hope that is within them.
None of this of course will happen over night, but I am excited as I am going to be turning more of my attention back to this ministry as I wait for God to take me and my family wherever He wants us to go.
I appreciate your prayers, idea's and suggestions as we continue to work towards the above mentioned plans and goals. We need to raise some money (hopefully by speaking at a few churches in the near future) in order to pay for the expenses that come along with setting up a non-profit status, so be praying for that as well.
I will be blogging more regularly starting this next week I think! Can you feel the excitement? Yeah buddy!
Serving Christ our Lord,
Jacob Allee
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