Prepare the Way

Alcorn on Salvation and Rewards

2009-09-23T10:23:00.000-07:00

A great article on distinguishing how works affect these two areas.

Gianna Jessen - not here to make us comfortable

2009-09-18T19:33:00.000-07:00

This gal is one of my new heroes. Check it out:
Gianna Jessen

Responses to "Jesus Tomb" Hype

2007-03-03T19:11:00.000-08:00

Hey all, here are some responses to the "Jesus Tomb" hype going on. Thanks to Justin Taylor, his Between Two Worlds blog is where I found most of these.
Craig Blomberg
Denny Burk
Andreas Kostenberger
Darrell Bock
John Piper

Great Blog Posts, Spurgeon, Hymn, and Poem!

2007-02-28T20:38:00.000-08:00

Here are some great blog posts that point us to great works of saints before us. I highly encourage you to read over these and meditate on them, and be amazed at our great God and Savior

Come ye sinners

Only Jesus

And this poem that I found on this blog: Do the Next Thing

Bride in Boots

2007-02-17T09:21:00.000-08:00

Hey all! Last night Prepare had the annual Romance of the Ages Banquet. Praise God for another year of His faithfulness and grace to Prepare Ministries. We hope God will be pleased to continue to bless Prepare and grant more grace for us to display the glory of Christ Jesus on the college campuses.

Gary's message was about being a "bride in boots". We long to be filled with a loving, adoring heart towards Christ our Savior, and be striving to increase in our personal spiritual beauty day by day as we await for our great and glorious sovereign Bridegroom to break into this earth from heaven and usher His kingdom into earth in its final consumation. So we long to be a pure and holy bride for Him in that day, and to focus on fellowship with Christ, and beholding Him so that we will love Him as He deserves.

But along with being a bride, we must realize there is an unspeakably urgent and serious war going on around us. There is work to do! We have a very short time on this earth, and there is a battle for the praise and glory of God in the souls of men all around us. A battle that affects peoples' eternal destinies. There is work to be done in showing mercy to those in need, those in poverty, especially those in need of the Savior.

So let's call out to God for grace to be a loving, adoring bride, loving the appearing of Christ (2 Tim 4:8). And for grace to put on our boots and work and fight hard for the glory of God and the everlasting good of men's souls.

Mat 9:15 And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.

Joh 9:4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.

Rom 12:11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.

Happy Birthday and Online Tracts

2007-01-31T16:34:00.000-08:00

First off, today is the birthday of the distinguished founder and leader of Prepare Ministries, Gary Gilbertson! This man of God is celebrating his 63rd today, and we in Prepare would like to thank and praise God for working through Gary in our lives. Happy Birthday!

Here are some online gospel tracts from a great blog: Irish Calvinist
Free Gift
More Tracts

So if you want to share the gospel via blog, shares these links with those in need of our Great God and Savior. They are very well presented and Biblical gospel presentations.

God bless us all.

Sanctity of Life

2007-01-22T19:10:00.000-08:00

Last Monday, Jan. 22nd, was Sanctity of Life day, the day we sadly remember that Roe v. Wade was passed into law 34 years ago. Here is an extended quote from an article by Alveda King, niece Dr. Martin Luther King:

"Oh, God, what would Martin Luther King, Jr., who dreamed of having his children judged by the content of their characters do if he’d lived to see the contents of thousands of children’s skulls emptied into the bottomless caverns of the abortionists pits?

It is time for America, perhaps the most blessed nation on earth to lead the world in repentance, and in restoration of life! If only we can carry the freedom of repentance to its fullest potential. If only America can repent and turn away from the sins of our nation. Abortion is at the forefront of our destruction. Partial Birth Abortion is perhaps the most heinous form of this legal genocide. Direct links connecting abortion and serious conditions such as breast and cervical cancer, emotional disorders and other serious ills must be considered! The only healing and redemption is in the blood of Jesus, blood willingly shed so that we could stand today and cry out for the blood of the unborn that is drenching the land of our children.

...I too, like Martin Luther King, Jr., have a dream. I have a dream that the men and women, the boys and girls of America will come to our senses, and humble ourselves before God Almighty and pray for mercy, and receive His healing grace. I pray that this is the day, the hour of our deliverance. May God have mercy on us all."

Read the whole article here

May God give us passion, boldness, and wisdom to be full of grace, truth and light to speak the truth in love to our generation.

Spiritual Warfare Retreat

2007-01-14T18:47:00.000-08:00

Eph 6:10-13
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.

Hey all! Just want you all to be reminded and invited to come to the Spiritual Warfare Retreat next weekend. Here's Tom's writeup about it:

Spiritual Warfare Conference

Date : 19 January 2007 (Friday)

Event Description :

Intro: Prepare Ministries' first ever spiritual warfare conference; through it you will recognize spiritual attacks and how to defeat them.

Cost: $20 with the book / $15 without book (covers food and housing)

Requirements: Read "The Final Quest" before the conference. (It is available either hard print or via the web at: http://www.prepareministries.com/images/TheFinalQuest.pdf (187Kb) ). The book will take about 3-4 hours total to read, and it is worth it! The article online is shorter at about 2-3 hours.

Registration: Email Charlie by Jan. 15th and indicate which method you want "The Final Quest", either *.pdf or bound.

Details: Do you struggle with thoughts that you do not desire? Have a hard time controlling the mind? Need a refresher before the school year begins? The battlefield of the mind is the greatest place for spiritual attacks. Understanding these attacks and their natures is a key to walking in further freedom. Understanding the battle of you're mind is essential to walk in deeper Christianity.

Rough Schedule: On Friday night Gary will speak at 7pm on the nature of Spiritual Warfare a discussion, snacks, and hanging-out will follow. Those who desire it are welcome to stay overnight at the Weber's house, however you'll need to bring a sleeping bag as beds are limited. On Saturday we'll have breakfast together and then move into a second session, followed by a late lunch and then a third session. The conference will end late afternoon around 4pm.

Email To RSVP or Questions: events@prepareministries.com

Gospel and Islam

2006-12-13T09:20:00.000-08:00

Here is a good interview with former Muslim Thabiti Anyabwile about the gospel and Islam. Thabiti is now a very well respected pastor.
Interview

OneThing

2006-11-27T10:00:00.000-08:00

Hey all, don't forget to go to the OneThing conference in Kansas City this year. Dec. 28-31st. Prepare is taking a group there, contact Tom for details.
tom@prepareministries.com
OneThing
Psa 27:4 One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple.

Media Files from P&P

2006-11-23T16:08:00.000-08:00

Hey all. For any who couldn't make the retreat, or if you need a refresher on this great weekend, you can get all the audio, and some video from the Passion and Purity retreat on Prepare's website.
Here are the links:
http://movies.prepareministries.com
http://audio.prepareministries.com
Be blessed, and perservere in the Lord.

"Hard Questions" with John Weber

2006-11-20T23:42:00.000-08:00

What is “hard questions”?

Hard questions is a theology study group that started at the beginning of J. Term 2006 at Gustavus. Its full name is "Hard Questions Christians don't want to Ask" and, as its name suggests, we explore the controversial topics of Christianity.

Why this genre of study?

Most Christians believe what they believe because their minister believes it, because it was what they were taught, or because it's what makes the most comfortable. Hard Questions takes the position that all viewpoints are welcome, particularly the skeptical viewpoint, but at the end of the day only the Bible's viewpoint matters. This framework is where the very controversy comes from. There are scores of difficult texts in the Bible for the modern reader. In our culture some of them seem unethical, some seem to conflict with other passages of Scripture, some seem false, some seem mythical, and some seem offensive. What Hard Questions tries to do is answer the question "how would the Bible itself answer these difficult questions"?
The other main reason Hard Questions exists is to try to study Biblical controversies that most people would rather avoid. While avoidance bypasses the difficulties altogether, it also costs the reader the richness of so much that the Bible offers. A better understanding of these questions, the mysteries they raise, and their answers, gives us a better understanding of God. Jesus said in Mark 12:30 "And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." When we better understand the depth of the riches of God we engage our mind in worship, something God made it to do but which we seldom give it a chance to do.

Do you find college students are afraid to really challenge the Scriptures?

Skeptical college students are eager to challenge the Scriptures. But faithful evangelical Christian students can be timid. They may not express outright fear but their very unwillingness to explore these issues suggests that that fear is present at least subconsciously. This is good and bad at the same time. It's good when we see students' devotion and faithfulness. But time and time again the same students interact with skeptical peers all the time and want to be able to give an answer for why they believe but are not ready to do so.

We hear all kinds of statistics of young people coming into college as believers and losing their faith somewhere along the way. What do you attribute as the main reason or reasons for this?

First I'd say being bombarded by seemingly irrefutable "facts" from critical college profs, other students, popular media, and culture. These "facts" include ideas like Jesus never said he was divine but instead was really a traveling teacher of wisdom, the supernatural does not exist, all paths lead to God, God does not exist, Christianity's past is full of bloodshed as witnessed in the Crusades and the Inquisition, and "you have to turn off your mind to be a Christian". Second, not finding fellowship and encouragement with other Christians. In other words trying to live the Christian life as an isolated island. Last students are drawn away by other passions. Being increasingly exposed to other viewpoints and other demands on their time they start sharing the throne of their life with academic pursuits, graduation and career, social and/or political causes, and relationships. Everything I said in the previous sentence is a good pursuit in its own right. However when they begin competing with the greatest love of their hearts, which should be God, they unintentionally turn a good thing into a god itself. It's a very sad thing to see college alums that were once passionate for God but are living spiritually bankrupt lives.

Can you give some sort of demographic or description of the “hard questions” attendee(s) at Gustavus?

Hard questions attendees are as varied as Gustavus itself. Usually most students have a curious or intellectual bent to them. But beyond that it's really hard to characterize them.

What are some Scripture passages that you’ve had to really wrestle with?

In 1 Samuel 15 God seems to say he changes his mind and yet he doesn't change his mind. In Matthew 13:14 Jesus says that the purpose of parables is so "You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive." How should one understand original sin and Romans 5? How should one respond to Psalm 69 and others like it where David asks God to bring judgment against his enemies? Can a Christian's salvation be lost according to Hebrews 6?

Perhaps there are some reading this interview who like the concept of “hard questions”. What advice would you give them on starting their own “hard questions” group?

First I would suggest some very practical resources. Online there are excellent apologetics resources including carm.org, probe.org, apologeticsindex.org, leaderu.com, and str.org. In print I would suggest "Bible Doctrine" by Wayne Grudem and "Hard Sayings of Jesus" by F. F. Bruce. A very useful Bible commentary website such as studylight.org can be helpful. Using these resources I would begin to try to answer several of the questions already posed in this interview. Additional questions that always seem to come up include free will and predestination, how did we get the Bible, responding to relativism, and do all paths lead to God? Many of these websites and books offer good information on answering hard questions about Christianity.

Passion & Purity Pictures!

2006-11-18T13:10:00.000-08:00

Passion and Purity Recap

2006-11-15T09:41:00.000-08:00

Praise God for the wonderful time we had at the Passion and Purity retreat this past weekend. God met us in every way through the speaking, worship and prayer ministry. Here's a quick thought about Gary's message from Saturday night. Last year, Gary spoke about dancing to end the retreat. When people are passionate about something, they often dance! Gary spoke of dancing before the Lord. This year, Gary spoke about passion causing us to have tears before the Lord. "Those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy"! (Ps 126:5) Putting these two messages together, I'm reminded of a quote by Mike Bickle. He said that the Lord is "looking for a dancing bride with tears in her eyes." I want to be that way, dancing before the Lord with tears in my eyes. Tears because of my own sin, tears because people are suffering, tears because there are people who are lost in this world, tears over the astounding grace God has shown me in Christ. Let us be "sorrowful, yet always rejoicing." (2 Cor 6:10) As John Piper says about this verse: "I don't want us to be a 'chipper' people, I want us to be happy, with tears running down our face."
Come back soon for pictures from P&P!

Bob Kauflin's thoughts

2006-11-09T15:27:00.000-08:00

Here is a good response to the Ted Haggard situation: Worship Matters Blog Praise God, these disheartening situations can lead to ultimate good in the body of Christ, and Bob helps us see some ways how this can help us all.

Hope to see you all at the retreat this weekend!

Passion and Purity Brochure

2006-10-16T15:33:00.000-07:00

Hey all, you can view the brochure for the Passion and Purity Retreat now.
Passion and Purity Brochure

Two Posts in a day!

2006-10-08T10:11:00.000-07:00

One other thing. Please be in prayer for our very own Charlie Oglesby, who is in Rwanda right now on a short-term mission trip. Please pray that God would bless Charlie with much fruitfulness for the glory of God!

Some Stuff

2006-10-08T10:02:00.000-07:00

Hey all. I hope you all are marking your calendars for the Passion and Purity Retreat coming up in a month. More info on that to come, God willing.

The Prepare Website now actually has some audio sermons from Gary posted on it! Go here to listen.

Here is a wonderful account from Sam Storms of seeing Joni Eareckson Tada dance at one of Desiring God's national conferences. I highly encourage you to read it.

Supremacy of Christ-Amen!

2006-09-30T06:29:00.000-07:00

As Tim Challies is getting ready to blog from this year's Desiring God Conference, The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World, he begins with some wonderful thoughts about Christ's complete incomparability in His greatness. Whether interested in the coference or not, I highly recommend this post as he introduces the conference and David Wells. Here is an excerpt:

"The world has known some great people. We speak of many who are "great." But Jesus Christ is not "great." He is incomparable. He is in a category all of His own. He is unique. Of whom else can you say that He was God incarnate, that He bore our sin in our place, that He rose from death, that He now reigns supreme? That cannot be said of anyone else. The book of Scripture that argues this most insistently is Hebrews."

Pope-Islam Controversy

2006-09-21T13:27:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have been following the controversial statements the Pope recently made about Islam, here is a good article to check out.

Prepare Website

2006-09-20T08:11:00.000-07:00

Thanks be to God for blessing Prepare with our new staff member, Tom. Not only is he a wonderful brother in Christ, but he has actually been updating the website! So check it out, as it is no longer outdated by two years.

We're off!

2006-09-11T20:09:00.000-07:00

Well, the school year is definitely upon us. All the campuses have had one or two meetings now and we are hoping and praying for God's grace upon us to glorify His Name on the campuses this year. Also, Gary feels we should focus on our heart this year. Paying attention to, tending to, and asking for God's grace upon the state of our hearts. At the fall kickoff this past Saturday, Gary gave a great message about tending to our hearts in the way a stork tends to their young, and contrasting that by how an ostrich tends to their young. (see Job 39:13-17) Like the ostrich, we can look great on the outside, while neglecting one of the most essential and important things about us. So let's all seek God to give us pure and undivided hearts full of devotion to Him. He is so worthy of this, for who is a great God and Savior like Him, even sending His Son to redeem lost and sinful people! "Blessed (Happy) are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" Matthew 5:8

(Picture above is from praise and worship at fall kickoff)
Here's a quick summary of meetings, if you want more info on times and rooms contact info@prepareministries.com, or go to PrepareMinistries.com.
Monday nights St. Cloud State meets
Tuesday nights College of St. John's and St. Ben's meets
Wednesday nights Gustavus Adolphus and the U of M meets
Thursday nights MSU-Mankato and SMSU in Marshall meet

Go to this site and tell others!

2006-09-02T17:12:00.000-07:00

This site is full of excellent resources.

Also, through the DesiringGod website, listen to this excellent sermon
I pray we'd all get near to God's heart about this!

Baptism and Peter

2006-08-28T15:28:00.000-07:00

More from camel camp! Here is a shot of Gary's sermon before our four brothers got baptized, and below is a shot of Peter getting baptized. By the grace of God,Peter is an enthusiastic and faithful disciple of Christ who attends Gustavus Adolphus.

Rom 6:1-6 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.

Brother Steve at Camel Camp

2006-08-23T16:03:00.000-07:00

Steve is another brother who got baptized at Camel Camp. Here you'll see a shot from his baptism, and a picture of him getting prayer. Below is Steve's testimony from his experience at Camel Camp.

Camel Camp in the summer of 2006 was a very profound experience. I arrived to camp feeling like I shouldn’t have gone there, but left at the end of the week feeling completely renewed. The staff taught very insightful lessons regarding the theme of the wilderness. The other campers turned out to have their own lessons to share as well as becoming ministers in their own right, as well as friends. Most of all, God had created ways to fill the week chalk full of life-changing moments in ways we didn’t expect. Personal revelation, insight, and direction came from all sorts of places. The guest speaker was astounding. All in all, it was an experience that I wouldn’t trade for anything.