Rich Maffeo / is on Nostr

Catholic convert, author and blogger.

Last Notes

2024-08-06 16:19:39

This comment by CS Lewis ought to be memorized and lived by everyone who’s become a child of God through their faith in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus for their individual sins:
“I think that if God forgives us, we must forgive ourselves. Otherwise, it is almost like setting up ourselves as a higher tribunal (a higher court) than Him.”
Said a different way, how dare we sit in the corner nursing our guilty conscience when the faithful, and utterly trustworthy God has said to the penitent: I forgive you?

2024-07-20 01:53:10

LOTS of people wanted him dead. But God didn't.
And I think this passage from God's inerrant and infallible word applies: “No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; And every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their vindication is from Me,” declares the Lord. (Isaiah54:17)
Take warning, you evil ones who still want the man dead.

2024-07-16 17:22:12

Call me old-fashioned. I just do not understand how ANY person with a correct moral compass can remain in a political party where those in that party – even at the highest levels of that party – call for the MURDER of their political opponent.
The pre-meditated, first-degree MURDER of their opponent.
I mean – really? You align yourself with such unvarnished evil? Really? What kind of a person are you?

2024-07-15 14:27:18

Lessons from Noah
Noah endured God's SILENCE for nearly 100 years. Let me repeat this for emphasis: Noah endured all of it after hearing from God ONLY ONCE. But once was all he needed. God had not only promised to destroy humanity with a flood, but God ALSO promised to establish a covenant with him.
One time. One promise. And nothing more for decades. Is there any application to you and me today?
You can read the rest of this message on my blog:
https:// inhimonly.blogspot.com/2024/07/more-lessons-from-noah.html

2024-07-07 15:25:11

Just a thought that I think about a lot:
We must be very careful to not make the Bible say what it doesn't say in order to justify our lifestyle -- or our theology.
Instead, we must ensure that we let the Bible say what it says -- and then adjust our lifestyle and theology to match.

2024-06-30 20:57:45

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@npub1zl2…c263 Do an internet search for key words such as 'young earth creationism. and it will pull up many sites for your consideration.

2024-06-11 20:48:40

How old were you on your last birthday?
If you gave a number that counts only the years since you were born, you answered my question incorrectly.
Biologically, you are nine months (give or take a few days or weeks) – you are nine months OLDER than your age on your birthday because your life BEGAN at your conception and NOT when you were born.
Think about that the next time the subject of abortion comes up. Abortion takes away the LIFE of a boy or girl before they even have a chance to celebrate the day of their birth.

2024-05-26 19:56:39

Memorial Day and the Cross
As I reflected last week on this upcoming Memorial Day holiday, I realized Memorial Day is also a very good day to remember another casualty of another war – a war which was the worst ever fought in history since Genesis chapter one. And the loss of this particular life resulted in a cost incomparable to the cost of any conflict since the Garden of Eden.
You can read the rest of this message on my blog:
https://inhimonly.blogspot.com/2024/05/memorial-day-freedom.html

2024-04-14 20:19:58

The Ascension – Part Two
This is part two of my two-part message drawn from the ascension of the Lord Jesus as Luke records in Acts chapter one. As was true with part one, this message also has some significant implications for our lives in Christ. You can read the entire text on my blog:
https://inhimonly.blogspot.com/2024/04/lessons-from-ascension-part-two.html
By the way, the list of Christian ministries I mention toward the end of this text is available from me on request.

2024-04-08 13:55:18

The message I preached yesterday:
The Ascension, Part One
Last week we celebrated the resurrection of our Lord Jesus. It would be yet another 40 days before He ascended to His heavenly throne, and over the next week or so I will focus our attention on that event. I will do so because the Lord’s ascension holds significant implications for Christians – AND for non-Christians. You can read the full message on my blog:
https://inhimonly.blogspot.com/2024/04/lessons-from-ascension-part-one.html

2024-04-04 00:48:36

Amazon Prime movie: I Believe.
A good movie with a GREAT gospel message.

2024-03-31 14:31:03

This is a perfect message to Christians for this day:
https://www.complicitclergy.com/2024/03/31/on-easter-sunday-jesus-weeps-for-our-nation/

2023-12-24 02:50:41

Each December 25, Christians celebrate the time when God became flesh. The technical term is wrapped in the word, ‘incarnation.’ And this is a good time to consider a question (below). But first some backstory:
Some time ago I led a weekly Bible study regularly visited by a middle-aged woman. After about a year of near-weekly attendance, she engaged me in a discussion of a book she was in the process of reading. It was written by a Buddhist whom she’d met on several occasions. She called him a ‘holy man’ and suggested I also read the book.
I told her in as plain language as I could, God does not – God cannot – consider any Buddhist, or Muslim, or Hindu, or any non-Christian ‘holy.’ Such an idea is as far removed from Biblical teaching as darkness is from light.
Sadly, she never returned to my Bible studies.
And now, my question. I ask it because that woman is not the only church-attender who is of the opinion that one does not have to follow Jesus to be holy. Or go to heaven after death.
The question: Do you believe God considers any person of non-Christian faith to be ‘holy’?
If you think yes, please support your opinion with Scripture. If you think not, please do likewise. And if you wish to include your church affiliation, I’d be curious to know that, too. Consider this a quick and non-scientific survey during the season we celebrate the incarnation.

2023-10-30 14:49:44

Please share with others if you wish:
I read this text a few minutes ago: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10)
With the indisputable devotion of Halloween to things of Darkness – to skeletons and witches and goblins and death – I cannot fathom why Christian parents let their children participate in the day devoted to death.
Yeah, yeah, I know the TRUE history of All Hallow’s Eve and All Saints Day. But that history, and the knowledge of that history has, for all practical purposes, has been swallowed up by Satan and his children – and when I say his ‘children’ I do not mean demons. I mean humans who wittingly or unwittingly spread his evil among us – even in the Church.
Is it because ‘all their friends’ are chasing after candy that parents turn a blind eye to the Darkness that has nearly obliterated the Light of the Gospel in our culture?
Is it because they don’t want to offend their CHILDREN that they capitulate to our culture of Darkness?
Christian parents – Jesus is WARNING you. The Thief is working in our culture to destroy your children, to mislead your children, to soften them to the occult.
You have a choice to protect your children – or let them follow their friends into Darkness.

2023-10-26 14:10:41

If it’s been a while since you’ve read the story of Jesus and the woman of Samaria, I urge you to do so. It’s only 42 verses.
At the conclusion of His short conversation with her, she ran back into town and told everyone that she’d met Messiah. We pick up the story at verse 39:
“From that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all the things that I have done.” So, when the Samaritans came to Jesus, they were asking Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. Many more believed because of His word; and they were saying to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world.”
And now, the point: Do we believe in Jesus because others have told us about Him – parents, pastors, and so forth – or do we believe in Christ because we have MET Him for ourselves?
That really IS an important question we each have to answer – hopefully before we meet Him on the other side of the grave.
And what is the mark of a man or woman who has truly met the Christ? That’s easy to answer: A lifestyle of obedience to His commandments, and a life of ongoing humble repentance for our daily sins.
Have you met Jesus?

2023-09-15 14:25:38

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@npub1vz4…rnyf A generic statement. Applies to anyone and everyone, today, yesterday, tomorrow, who are told they don't need to read the Bible because their 'clergy' can explain to them what it means.

2023-08-30 14:59:00

I’m reading again through Mark’s gospel and the Holy Spirit stopped me here in chapter six: “He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two . . 12 So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent.”
This reminded me of what the Lord Jesus did immediately after His baptism and wilderness temptation: “From that time Jesus began to proclaim, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” (Matthew 4:17)
Repentance. THAT is the primary calling and purpose of the Church – to call people to repentance. To call people to turn from godless lifestyles.
If your church focuses more on ‘feel-good’ messages than it does on begging people to repent and live holy lifestyles – then perhaps you need to find a different church.