The Prize

by Mike Ratliff

ἀδελφοί, ἐγὼ ἐμαυτὸν οὐ λογίζομαι κατειληφέναι· ἓν δέ, τὰ μὲν ὀπίσω ἐπιλανθανόμενος τοῖς δὲ ἔμπροσθεν ἐπεκτεινόμενος, κατὰ σκοπὸν διώκω εἰς τὸ βραβεῖον τῆς ἄνω κλήσεως τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ. (Philippians 3:13-14 NA27)

Brothers, I do not consider myself to have made it my own; but one thing, forgetting what lies behind while straining forward to the things ahead, according to the goal I pursue the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (a personal translation of Philippians 3:13014 from the NA27 Greek text)

Those truly in Christ are new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17). Not all agree about what that means, but according to that passage it does tell us plainly, “ὥστε εἴ τις ἐν Χριστῷ, καινὴ κτίσις· τὰ ἀρχαῖα παρῆλθεν, ἰδοὺ γέγονεν καινά” or “so that if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; the old things passed away, behold he has become new.” Those who are a καινὴ κτίσις· have moved from spiritual death to spiritual life in Christ Jesus. He or she now live for Christ by living for others, effected by the power of the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:3, 6, 18) and the death of Christ (5:14-15). This was destined by God to come amid this evil age. Notice it was never meant to suppliant it, but to be in the midst of it and be continually at war with it. This war causes many casualties. So many professing Christians fall victim to taking the wrong side in this war and find in the end that their profession was nothing more than words. The god of this age blinds the eyes and hearts of his slaves and many of them are very religious. This blindness creates hearts so hard and unbelief so thick that the Gospel, even when well preached, interests them not at all. 

Being Light in the Darkness

by Mike Ratliff

Διὰ τοῦτο, ἔχοντες τὴν διακονίαν ταύτην καθὼς ἠλεήθημεν, οὐκ ἐγκακοῦμεν (2 Corinthians 4:1 NA27)

Therefore, having this ministry as we received mercy, we do not lose heart. (a personal translation of 2 Corinthians 4:1 from the NA27 Greek text)

As we have been exploring the depths of apostasy attacking the visible church from the very beginnings of this ministry, it has been from a viewpoint, at least from me, that we were seeing depths of darkness that had to leading to God’s coming judgment. The Gospel was being abandoned left and right. Those who previously held it and the Word of God high were now compromising and seen standing in ministry with outright heretics. I remember seeing a very well known evangelist being interviewed on television by David Frost alongside a Roman Catholic Bishop and it was if they were old friends. It was then that I realized what a foolish thing it is for Christians to follow after men for then we can make the mistake of idolizing them and when they fall off those pedestals, it can indeed shake our faith. That is, our faith can be shaken if it is not rooted in Christ and Christ alone. 

Harold Camping – Family Radio Resource List

This is a very well done resource page put together by Alpha and Omega Ministries dealing specifically with Harold Camping.

Harold Camping Post May21 Press Conference

Here is the link to the mp3 for Harold Camping’s News Conference he gave after it was certain that his prophecy about May21st 2011 being Judgment Day was wrong.

James White vs Harold Camping Debates

Below are the links to mp3’s of the debate between James White and Harold Camping.

I had never heard Harold Camping speak before listening to this debate. I had never heard what he had taught except through third party references. When he revealed his method of Biblical interpretation in these debates I was stunned. How could anyone take this man seriously? You judge for yourself. If I am wrong, please let me know.

Part 1 Debate

Part 2 Debate

Part 3 James White Review

Part 4 Harold Camping Review

Teaching Doctrine

by Mike Ratliff

ἕως ἔρχομαι πρόσεχε τῇ ἀναγνώσει, τῇ παρακλήσει, τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ. (1 Timothy 4:13 NA27)

Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. (a personal translation of 1 Timothy 4:13 from the NA27 Greek text)

I witnessed the changing of the guard this morning at our church. The pastor who planted it about 10 years ago participated in the ordination of the service of his replacement. The pastor whom God sent to plant our church is moving into a ministry to the sick and dying as a hospital chaplain. I love him. I love all the elders at our church. I was sitting there last Sunday in a lot of pain just a few days before my shoulder surgery and one of them came up and just conversationally asked me what was going on and as I shared that he immediately had me added to the prayer ministry. I sat in a strategic place this morning so I could see the whole ordination service take place and I thought no one would really notice me off to the side yet I was approached by elders and friends all wanting to know how it all went and how I was doing. However, my favorite part of this morning was that, before any of that, I got about 30 seconds of my new pastor’s time to give him a hug after he asked me about the surgery as I walked through the front door. I told him that I came there this morning for two things, to hear him preach the word and see him ordained. Then I got another hug. 

The Mystery of Iniquity

by Mike Ratliff

τὸ γὰρ μυστήριον ἤδη ἐνεργεῖται τῆς ἀνομίας· μόνον ὁ κατέχων ἄρτι ἕως ἐκ μέσου γένηται. (2 Thessalonians 2:7 NA27)

For the mystery of iniquity is already at work. There is one restraining it until He is out of the way. (a personal translation of 2 Thessalonians 2:7 from the NA27 Greek text)

Before my surgery this week, my friend Mickey sent me a piece on The Mystery of Iniquity, which was an exposition of 2 Thessalonians 2:7. I promised that I would write something on this as God led me. Of course, the reason I made that promise was that I was already being drawn to into researching it. Without a doubt, much of what we see in the ‘visible church’ is not Christian. They are apostate religious institutions that were either once contained within the genuine Church because the Gospel was preached there and the Bible was believed and held high as the Word of God, but they have abandoned all of that or they are heretical man-made religious groups that call themselves ‘Christian,’ but they are anything but. 

Giving Thanks

by Mike Ratliff

καὶ ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον παρὰ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ εὐχαριστῶν αὐτῷ· καὶ αὐτὸς ἦν Σαμαρίτης. (Luke 17:16 NA27)

and he fell on his face at His feet thanking Him and He was a Samaritan. (a personal translation of Luke 17:16 from the NA27 Greek text)

I woke up in the recovery room in the Ambulatory Surgery Center about 3pm CDT this afternoon. I noticed two things right away. I was cold and the place on my right arm the Orthopedic Surgeon had marked with his pen about two hours earlier was very sore. There was an ice pack on my right shoulder. There were tubes and wires running everywhere, but the only other person I saw was a nurse who asked me if wanted something to drink. I nodded and as she went to get some water, she offered me some Teddy Grahams as well. That sounded great and so the first words from my mouth in hours was my enthusiastic assent. I ended up eating two bags of those and drinking several cups of ice water. Of course, all of that was a test to see if was going to get sick from the anesthesia. Other than the sore spot on my shoulder and the cold from the ice pack, I felt great. I was already offering up my gratitude to my Lord for all He had done. 

Proclaiming Christ and Him Crucified

by Mike Ratliff

οὐ γὰρ ἔκρινά τι εἰδέναι ἐν ὑμῖν εἰ μὴ Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν καὶ τοῦτον ἐσταυρωμένον. (1 Corinthians 2:2 NA27)

I decided to not know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. (a personal translation of 1 Corinthians 2:2 from the NA27 Greek text)

As I shared in Those Who Love God, when I started this writing ministry I had completely different goals (i.e. motives) than what I have now. I was doing this as a career move. I approached it from that perspective, but it did not take very long at all for God to force the issue and take away all of that as most in what we know of as the ‘visible church’ would consider what we do here as borderline reprehensible. However, I find it interesting that many of these same people do not hesitate to come to us for prayer and counsel when they hit rock bottom and God leaves them without an escape from the fiery trial that has come upon them. 

Homosexuality and the Church

by Mike Ratliff

You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. (James 4:4 ESV)

During my trip to Oklahoma at the end of April into the first part of May I received a request from a publisher for permission to quote from one of posts in a book they are about to release. What surprised me about that was that the press date is just a few weeks away and they are just now getting around to asking me for rights to use my copyrighted article. The name of my article is Homosexuality is a Sin, which I originally posted on May 11, 2009. The entire article is reposted below. They do need my permission to use my article. It bothered me that they were trying to rush this through. The name of the book they are publishing is Issues that Concern You: Homosexuality. I tried to contact the permissions coordinator for the publisher to tell them that I would grant them permission only on condition that I approve of how my article is used in their book. I have not heard back. 

Those Who Love God

by Mike Ratliff

Οἴδαμεν δὲ ὅτι τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν τὸν θεὸν πάντα συνεργεῖ εἰς ἀγαθόν, τοῖς κατὰ πρόθεσιν κλητοῖς οὖσιν. (Romans 8:28 NA27)

And we know that to the ones who love God, He works all things together for their good according to His purpose. (a direct translation of Romans 8:28 from the NA27 Greek text)

As I shared with some of you in private conversations over the last several days and weeks, the place God has taken this ministry over the last few years is remarkable, but the way He has done it in and through me has been quite painful. Through these lessons of submission to His will and obedience through fiery trials and tests, I have let go of many things I used to think were important while submitting more and more to His will in simply having no goals or ambitions for me or this ministry in this world at all. When I first began, I thought that God was going to eventually grow this ministry into something and use me and who knows how far He would take us? However, that has not been the case at all. 

Do Not Become Puffed Up

by Mike Ratliff

Now these things, brothers I made into a figure of speech with respect to myself and Apollos for you, that through us you by learn not to go beyond what things have been written, lest any of you be puffed up against another. (1 Corinthians 4:6-7 a direct translation from the NA27 Greek text)

Pride is an insidious enemy. Any teaching about the Gospel that attempts to explain away the clear teaching of God’s Word in favor of what is not taught there, but is more favorable to what people want to hear is both rooted in pride and feeds it. As you know if you have kept up with what I have been teaching over the last several weeks, we must always stick like glue to God’s Word for our truth, never adding philosophy or the so-called wisdom of the world to it nor the requirement of man’s experience. Those who do these things always place their interpretations on a higher plane than the clear, direct teaching from God’s Word. They do this because they are puffed up in their pride and so are in unbelief in what God’s Word says and in that darkness lash out and attack not only God’s Truth, but also those who teach and preach it. 

Chosen in Love

by Mike Ratliff

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. (Ephesians 1:3-6 ESV)

Just as I prepared to come down to my basement office to put together a post for my blog, I got a phone call from work. A server had a problem and they needed my help. Here it is nearly three hours later and I am just now getting to ready to post. I don’t have much time and am very tired. Carefully read the passage I placed at the top of this post my brethren. In love, God predestined believers for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ. Our Creator’s great love for us moved Him to call us out of the passion we had for Satan and the kingdom of darkness. 

Unity in the Body of Christ

by Mike Ratliff

Therefore, we also from the day which we heard, do not cease praying for you and asking that you be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, to walk worthy of the Lord in every way pleasing to Him in every good work bearing fruit and growing in the knowledge of God. (a direct translation of Colossians 1:9-10 from the NA27 Greek text)

It seems my life has become a continuous series of tests and trials, putting me into places of contention in which it is clearly apparent to me that the way I have gone before is not how God would have me go and be walking worthy of the Lord in every way pleasing to Him in every good work bearing fruit and growing in the knowledge of God. Of course, the reason this is clearly apparent to me is that the part of me that is under the spotlight is my pride. I can act like those around me in arrogant, self-protection or I can, in the power of the Holy Spirit, deny self and μετὰ πάσης ταπεινοφροσύνης καὶ πραΰτητος, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, seek to ἀνέχομαι, forebear with those with whom I in contention ἐν ἀγάπῃ, in love. Of course, I have paraphrased Ephesians 4:2, which is actually about unity within the Body of Christ. However, I am convinced that we must also apply the same forbearance to everyone while never compromising by unifying with those who are not true Christians.