tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77031592115855951872024-02-06T23:01:05.510-05:00Random Thoughts with RobRandom Thoughts from a Random GuyAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916229680074514072noreply@blogger.comBlogger59125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703159211585595187.post-89742993372859483902012-05-05T01:07:00.000-04:002012-05-05T01:13:40.309-04:00Is being Conservative Always Compatible with Being Christian?I have some friends who are very adamant that in order to be a Christian one can only be a Conservative politically. While I do not want to argue politics here, I do have to wonder about a number of things.<br />
<br />
1. How does a person in Guatemala, who doesn't really have a political system like ours handle this question?<br />
2. How does a believer in Communist China, or N. Korea deal with this issue?<br />
3. Are the above groups disqualified?<br />
<br />
These aren't the only questions about the stance of Conservatism as a necessity to Christianity. I have tons of questions on the matter. I might spend some time expounding on a number of the questions in my head, but I want to start with this one.<br />
<br />
I read this article called "<a href="http://www.ijreview.com/2012/05/4773-what-it-means-to-be-conservative/" target="_blank">How to Show Your Kids They're Conservative</a>." On one hand, it teaches the value of hard work and earning something. It touches on what feelings you would have if your efforts at achievement were stripped from you and passed on to another without warning or anything. It makes you think for a minute.....<br />
<br />
... And think I did. Funny enough, since I am a boring, one trick pony, who only thinks about or talks about Jesus, I thought about the Cross. Salvation is offered to all. There is no earning on our part. We do nothing to gain it. The Cross gives us what we don't deserve and frees us from the debt we do deserve. The Cross gives us all a 4.0 when we deserve to fail.<br />
<br />
It hit me that Jesus Himself doesn't model Conservatism in all cases. The Sermon on the Mount hit my little brain. Matthew 5:38-42.<br />
<br />
<span class="text Matt-5-38"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum">38 </sup> “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’</span></span> <span class="text Matt-5-39" id="en-ESV-23274"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum">39 </sup>But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.</span></span> <span class="text Matt-5-40" id="en-ESV-23275"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum">40 </sup>And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic,<sup class="footnote" value="[<a href="#fen-ESV-23275h" title="See footnote h">h</a>]"></sup> let him have your cloak as well.</span></span> <span class="text Matt-5-41" id="en-ESV-23276"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum">41 </sup>And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.</span></span> <span class="text Matt-5-42" id="en-ESV-23277"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum">42 </sup> Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="text Matt-5-42" id="en-ESV-23277"><span class="woj">Now, I am not swinging on a limb that is saying Jesus is a Socialist either. Let me make that clear. I am, however, implying that there is more going on here that needs to be considered. This passage does not sit with the article above very well to some degrees. To some degree this passage is in direct opposition to what it means from the article above to be a Conservative. So that leads me to other questions.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="text Matt-5-42" id="en-ESV-23277"><span class="woj">1. Are Christianity and Conservative values always one and the same?</span></span><br />
<span class="text Matt-5-42" id="en-ESV-23277"><span class="woj">2. If they are on opposition, which should win out?</span></span><br />
<span class="text Matt-5-42" id="en-ESV-23277"><span class="woj">3. Is our allegiance more to Country or Creator? </span></span><br />
<span class="text Matt-5-42" id="en-ESV-23277"><span class="woj"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="text Matt-5-42" id="en-ESV-23277"><span class="woj">To answer these questions in a short time I will say:</span></span><br />
<span class="text Matt-5-42" id="en-ESV-23277"><span class="woj"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="text Matt-5-42" id="en-ESV-23277"><span class="woj">No. Christianity and Conservative values are not always the same. There are times that they are in direct opposition to each other. When they are in opposition, since our allegiance is to a Creator and Savior, we must allow Christ and His way to win out over being Conservative. </span></span><br />
<span class="text Matt-5-42" id="en-ESV-23277"><span class="woj"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="text Matt-5-42" id="en-ESV-23277"><span class="woj">I could ramble about this topic for a few hours. I wanted to ask a tiny question, but an article I read several hours ago has now turned into an intense study that 1:00am is too late to share with you. For now, I wanted to ask this question and just tell you what hit me as I pondered it.</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916229680074514072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703159211585595187.post-56423928819289304622011-06-04T14:52:00.000-04:002011-06-04T14:53:23.972-04:00EACH Campaign 2011<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/24610725?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0"></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/24610725">EACH Recap</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user4709517">E.A.C.H.</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916229680074514072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703159211585595187.post-24381637980860114422011-01-20T08:22:00.002-05:002011-01-20T09:01:12.841-05:00Reasons for the Rise and Fall of Leaders by Joseph Mattera<a href="http://josephmattera.org/_blog/Free_Articles/post/Reasons_for_the_Rise_and_Fall_of_Leaders/">There is a lot to learn from in this post written by Joseph Mattera. <br /></a><br /><br />Introduction<br />Scripture is replete with examples of how leaders rise and fall. One of the reasons why I believe the Bible is the inspired word of God is because it so honestly and accurately portrays the plight of human beings regarding their reasons for success and failure. It adequately portrays the dark side of the saints of old and is not like the common biographies of great people in history that are more hagiographic in nature than historic (that is, they don’t reveal the failures of the person).<br /><br />From what I have observed many, if not most, leaders do not end well. The following reasons have to do with long-lasting success or failure. Some may experience both for a short period of time but not end up that way in the long term.<br /><br />The following are 11 reasons why leaders are promoted by God for lifelong effectiveness:<br /><br />I. They are promoted by God to be used by God to complete a particular assignment<br /><br />God promotes who He chooses (Psalm 75:6-7). There is no other explanation. There are some folks that we know who are very effective and very godly leaders who are not very well known. Then, there are well known leaders who are not very effective or godly. It is a divine mystery to why God gives some people more of a public platform than others. Like Paul said, no person should boast or brag as if they themselves have elevated themselves; everything we have received has come from God. Thus we should not be jealous of others or become worried about the amount of influence we have (Proverbs 3:5-7; 1 Corinthians 4:7; 2 Corinthians 10:12-18).<br /><br />II. They have learned to live a life of brokenness and dependence on God instead of living a life based on their own strength and giftedness<br /><br />I have been in full-time ministry for almost 30 years, and one thing I have found is that the true people of God who have a track record of long-time success all have one thing in common: they have allowed the Lord to break their strong wills and soften their stubborn hearts. Like Jacob of old, they walk with a limp (Genesis 32:24-31). Anyone who has allowed God to deal with them will walk with a limp. I don’t trust any leader who doesn’t walk with a limp!<br /><br />III. They have learned from the lessons of the past<br /><br />All of us will go through great challenges in our lives. The book of Proverbs tells us that a person who accepts correction is wise (10:8) but a fool refuses correction (15:5). In the arena of life, not only will wise people like our parents or pastors attempt to correct us, but the situations of life are also orchestrated by God so that we are conformed to His image (Romans 8:28-30). The wise person learns from both people and life experience and doesn’t repeat serious mistakes.<br /><br />IV. They have learned from the lessons of what others have experienced<br /><br />Effective leaders do a lot of reading of other successful leaders, and do a lot of listening when in the company of wise, great leaders. We have to do more listening than speaking and make time to fellowship with great minds by reading the books of those we want to emulate.<br /><br />V. They get adequate counsel<br /><br />Proverbs teaches us that before we go to war we need an abundance of counsel. To be effective you must learn to hire staff based on your weaknesses, while concentrating on your areas of expertise and strength. The smartest people in the world are those who know and have access to the smartest people they can possibly surround themselves with.<br /><br />VI. They have adequate coaching and mentoring in specific areas of need<br /><br />I have an inner circle of people and receive coaching in numerous areas of my life. I don’t have the time to read every available book or get every available degree, so I constantly receive coaching and mentoring from others with more expertise than me in areas like administration, finances, law, nutrition, health, emotional well-being, marriage and relationships, etc. If I didn’t have people who constantly coached me then I would be a disaster and would greatly limit my leadership ceiling!<br /><br />VII. They are accountable to others<br /><br />If you desire long-lasting success then you must have accountability regarding your finances, marriage, personal relationships, how you do ministry, strategic planning, and the like. Because all of us have a dark side, we need to have open relationships with people God has assigned to us and give permission to speak correction into our lives.<br /><br />VIII. They live a balanced life that includes emotional and physical health<br /><br />Jesus was both human and divine. Many of us forget that we must take care of our emotional and physical health, not just run on spiritual fumes and anointing! We are called to love our neighbor even as we love ourselves. If we do not care for ourselves we will burn out and not be able to be a blessing to others! We need to set physical and emotional boundaries that limit our activities and what we say yes to, so that we will remain a blessing to our families and have time to minister to the Lord for self-renewal.<br /><br />IX. They know how to read, interpret, and discern the hearts of other key people around them<br /><br />This is not something that can be taught. Great leaders have an intangible, intuitive ability to read other people accurately. They usually know who to trust and who to partner with. Often, they can tell when God is connecting them to someone instantly, even without meeting that person before!<br /><br />X. They have a heart after God more than a desire for promotion and ministry<br /><br />For long-lasting success we need to come to a place where we truly desire to seek God and know God more than making Him known! Only then can God trust us.<br /><br />XI. They have prudence in the governance of their ministry<br /><br />A person once told me that he heard Billy Graham met with his team many years ago and decided on certain core things they would always follow for the success of their ministry:<br /><br />a. Excellence in administration (vision without administration is only a pipe dream!)<br /><br />b. Never be alone with a woman who you are not married to.<br /><br />c. Never exaggerate: they vowed to call their ministry what it really was. If there were 50 people in a meeting then they would say publicly that there were 50 people at the meeting; don’t say there were 150 people, etc.<br /><br />d. Have financial scrutiny and integrity. Hiring outside independent auditors as if they were IRS agents checking the ministry’s books is something every leader should do on an annual basis.<br /><br />Reasons for the fall of leaders:<br /><br />I. They live out of their natural giftedness and spiritual anointing but do not build on character and integrity.<br /><br />First Corinthians teaches that the Corinthian Church lacked no gift (1:7) yet they were also carnal, acting like mere babes in Christ (3:1-4). It is no accident that, after the great chapter describing the manifestations of the Spirit (12), the next chapter is fully devoted to love (13). Paul says that if we have faith that can move mountains but have not love we are nothing! Matthew 7:21-23 tells us that we can do miracles and still miss the Kingdom of Heaven! We need to focus on living a life in which the love of God is fully integrated into our character and habit patterns. This is the only way we can build a long-lasting foundation.<br /><br />II. They have not learned how to process pain<br /><br />Because leaders are targets and often experience betrayal they need to learn to give adequate time to process the pain they feel when someone leaves their church or organization. If we do not fully process and face our pain then these unresolved issues will spill over and cause anger, resentment, sarcasm, and bitterness that seep into our lives, cause great dysfunction, and cut off the ability for ministry longevity. We have to learn to grieve, mourn, and process pain until we fully face it and fully forgive before we move on to the next phase of our lives and relationships.<br /><br />III. They are emotionally immature in certain areas of their lives<br /><br />Any area of our lives in which we were traumatized--even as a young child--will cause us to stop growing emotionally until we actually face the trauma and allow the Lord to release us from it and heal our hearts. Often this means we also have to forgive folks, whether they are still alive or dead.<br /><br />IV. They are quick to form an opinion and judge others<br /><br />V. They are not aware of their dark side and so live in self-deception<br /><br />We purposely allow areas of discomfort to be rationalized away or pushed aside so we can paint our own picture of ourselves, our worth, and our ministries. Often, the reality of who we think we are does not line up with who God made us to be. Exhibition A is watching the tryouts for American Idol. Some people have no skill in singing and yet they are convinced, based on years of dreaming certain things, that they will one day become a superstar. Simon Cowell of American Idol may be rude and blunt but at least he gives people a shot of reality!<br /><br />VI. They live for the future and are never living in the present<br /><br />Many leaders live miserable lives because they are always yearning for something more. Unfortunately, they are never really living in the present but only in past regrets, and the future. Thus they never stop to enjoy and appreciate the people around them, instead taking advantage of them so they can reach their illustrious “future.” I am sick and tired of some of the prophecies that come forth about some glorious future that may or may not come to pass in our lifetime. I think we also need prophecies getting us to appreciate what God and who God has put in our lives today so we can begin to maximize our gifts and release our great potential. If we don’t appreciate what God is doing in the present He can’t trust us with a more glorious future (1 Thes. 5:16, 18)!<br /><br />VII. They use people instead of loving people<br /><br />Many are the leaders who view the people around them merely as objects to serve in the church--to tithe or to be some kind of blessing to bring them and their organization to the next level. God is looking for leaders who will celebrate and not exploit the people He has entrusted to them!<br /><br />VIII. They have a heart for ministry more than a heart for God<br /><br />Those who only seek God or study the Bible to preach a message are truly missing it. I have found that when I seek God just to delight in Him, He pours amazing messages into me for the church and gives me all the strategy I need to go to the next level. God chose King David because he was a man after God’s heart!<br /><br />IX. They do not receive correction or coaching from others<br /><br />I have been with leaders who did not want to hear any negative things about their life or ministry. Hence, they never grew and often failed and left their positions in Christ. We need each other not only for moral support but even so we can effectively hear from God as a hermeneutical community. Those who can learn from the community of people God has surrounded them with will grow the fastest. This is one of the things I admire so much about Bill Hybels. He radically changed the way he did church based on an honest church survey that he calls “REVEAL.” If he wasn’t open to hearing from God from his community then he would still be attempting to employ unsuccessful strategies to make disciples in his local church today.<br /><br />X. They seek and need the approval of men more than the approval of God<br /><br />Many who are involved in ministry have never dealt with the need for approval from a father who abandoned them. Thus they are ministering more out of a need for respect and affirmation than to please God. Consequently, they will live without limits and say yes to numerous ministry endeavors that God didn’t lead them to do. They will also push their churches to fund projects more because they desire a monument that points to the success in their lives than being motivated to expand the Kingdom of God. These leaders often burn out and have terrible family relationships because, ultimately, they are “driven” personal need more then being led by the Spirit of Christ.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916229680074514072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703159211585595187.post-9116307048096907442010-11-06T13:41:00.003-04:002010-11-06T13:47:06.525-04:00Make Disciples and Be Witnesses Where?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Make Disciples and Be Witnesses Where?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> PREFACE: There are a few definitions I will need to give in order to give an understanding of several things I am talking about.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=z-v8_BkQ2n8C&lpg=PT9&ots=hcGgKgSAtW&dq=Reducing%20and%20Eliminating%20Systemic%20Racism&lr&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q=Reducing%20and%20Eliminating%20Systemic%20Racism&f=false">SYSTEMIC RACISM</a>- Discriminatory habits, stereotypes, generally racist attitudes whether conscious or not.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">An example-While driving to Tennessee I saw a multitude of construction crews.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Each crew had a pattern.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Those working with hand tools were Mexican.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Those working with equipment were black.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Finally, those who were telling people what to do, holding the clipboards, and keeping charge of each crew were white.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"> </p> <h2 style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: normal;font-size:100%;" >SYSTEMIC- Definition of <span style="">SYSTEMIC <a href="http://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/systemic">http://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/systemic</a></span></span></h2> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style=";font-size:100%;" >:</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > of, relating to, or common to a system: as <span style="">a</span> <span style="">:</span> affecting the body generally <span style="">b</span> <span style="">:</span> supplying those parts of the body that receive blood through the aorta rather than through the pulmonary artery <span style="">c</span> <span style="">:</span> of, relating to, or being a pesticide that as used is harmless to the plant or higher animal but when absorbed into its sap or bloodstream makes the entire organism toxic to pests (as an insect or fungus) </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"> </p> <h2 style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: normal;font-size:100%;" >RACISM- Definition of <em><span style="font-style: normal;">RACISM <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/racism"><span style="">http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/racism</span></a></span></em><em></em></span></h2> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style=";font-size:100%;" >1<strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">:</span></strong><span class="ssens"> a belief that <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/race%5b3%5d">race</a> is the primary <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/determinant">determinant</a> of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style=";font-size:100%;" >2<strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">:</span></strong><span class="ssens"> racial <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prejudice%5b1%5d">prejudice</a> or discrimination </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> HAVE/HAVE NOT-Societal groups determined by who is in a position of wealth, power, or acceptance on the social scale.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">_____________________________________________________________________</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">[The Great Commission]</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">[16] Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. [17] And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. [18] And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. [19] Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [20] teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” </span></p> <p face="arial" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">(Matthew 28:16-20 ESV)</span></p> <p face="arial" class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p face="arial" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">[The Ascension]</span></p> <p face="arial" class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">[6] So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” [7] He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. [8] But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” </span></p> <p face="arial" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">(Acts 1:6-8 ESV)</span></p> <p face="arial" class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p face="arial" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">For those of you who remember the <a href="http://promisekeepers.org/about/statementoffaith">Promise Keepers Movement</a>, one of the things they attempted to do was to work toward <a href="http://promisekeepers.org/about/7promises">racial reconciliation</a>.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">You might ask, “What do these passages have to do with racial reconciliation?”</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Bear with me a little while longer and I will do my best to share with you.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">First, however, let me give you a little history lesson over the last 110 years.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p face="arial" class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Somewhere around April, 1906 there was a little phenomenon called the <a href="http://www.azusastreet.org/">Azusa Street Revival</a>.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">In that revival, African American Pastor, William J. Seymour led the way.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">During that time people of primarily black and white descent were present and worshipping side by side.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">The revival ended around 1915.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Unfortunately, whites went back to their homes, as did African Americans.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Just a side note: Blacks were treated as second class citizens only being approximately 40 years removed from slavery.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Also of note, <a href="http://healingandrevival.com/BioCFParham.htm">Charles Parham</a> (father of Pentecostalism) (white person, in a position as a “have” in society), wanted to take credit for this revival and keep the segregation of “races.”</span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">In 1964 Martin Luther King Jr. was named the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in the Civil Rights Movement.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">This movement was led by this African American pastor to work toward ending racial segregation and discrimination.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Many in the world know the famous “<a href="http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm">I have a Dream</a>” speech.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">This speech had elements of Scriptures like Galatians 3:28, and Ephesians 2:15 put into our American context.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">It is at this point that I must ask a question.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">What is the work of the Church?</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">I stated it above with the Great Commission, did I not?</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">That is a major part of the work, but what must happen along with that?</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">This is where I look to correct what I see as an error in American Christian thinking.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Is it enough for the world to get a “get out of Hell free” card?</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">This is, unfortunately, our way of thinking about the mission of the Church.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">It is not enough to lead people through a simple formula of the sinners prayer in order to deliver their souls from Hell.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">There is a word called repentance, and it simply means to turn from that which you were before.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">What are other major responsibilities of the Church?</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">For the sake of time I will list some (this is not an exhaustive list):</span></p> <ul style="margin-top: 0in; font-family: arial;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:100%;">To share the Gospel</span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:100%;">To make Disciples of Jesus</span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:100%;">To lay down our lives for others</span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:100%;">To minister to the poor</span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:100%;">To give food to the hungry</span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:100%;">To</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">give drink to the thirsty</span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:100%;">To welcome the stranger</span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:100%;">To clothe the naked</span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:100%;">To care for the sick and in prison</span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:100%;">To become all things to all men so that by all means you might win some</span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:100%;">To become the bride of Christ</span></li></ul> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">You might say, “Rob, we do all these things.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">What does all this have to do with the above?”</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Let’s go back and look at the last words of Jesus before His ascension into Heaven.</span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">[The Ascension]</span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">[6] So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” [7] He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. [8] But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” </span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">(Acts 1:6-8 ESV)</span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">NOTE:</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">I could go on into the entirety of the exegeses of this passage and discuss our American weakness to government and our subsequent codependence on God plus our party, but that would be another paper… For now I would like to focus on the words in verse 8.</span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">From what I understand of history in this time period, the Jews were occupied by a Roman government.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">On one hand, one could argue that the Jews were minorities.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Unfortunately, this was in their homeland, so this argument is not accurate.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">They were the majority.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">The Samaritans, however, were the minority to the Jews.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Jesus mentions the Samaritans in one of His parables:</span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">[The Parable of the Good Samaritan]</span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">[25] And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” [26] He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” [27] And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” [28] And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” </span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">[29] But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” [30] Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. [31] Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. [32] So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. [33] But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. [34] He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. [35] And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ [36] Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” [37] He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.” </span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">(Luke 10:25-37 ESV)</span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">If you would care to note, in v37, after being asked who the good neighbor was, the man could not even say the word “Samaritan.”</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">This is because the Jews despised this people group.</span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Jesus also has a direct encounter with the people of Samaria.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">This account can be found in John 4:1-42.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">In Jesus’ days the people would not go through Samaria.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">They would pass around it.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Jesus “had” to go through it.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">He “had” to talk to a Samaritan.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">He “had” to talk to a woman.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">He “had to set a precedent for His disciples to follow.</span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">We have established that the Samaritans weren’t looked on very favorably by the Jews.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">We have established that we are to be witnesses to all people groups.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">It is at this point that you might say that, “We are firing on all cylinders.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">We are sharing the Gospel throughout the world.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">We do missions.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">We have a food pantry.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">We help the poor and the needy.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">What are you getting at?”</span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Let’s look at how we have this wrong for a minute.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Let’s assume that Jerusalem is our church, and our friends.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Judea is our community, and the end of the earth is missions.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">How do we stack up?</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Unless we have immersed ourselves in the church, and have only church friends, many of us have unsaved friends with whom we need to be sharing the Gospel.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">How about the area of missions?</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">In missions, we in America are weak.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">I would say that too many of us look at missions as our “Hollywood.”</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Missions are treated in the church as a glorified vacation in which the rich Americans go to help the poor people of ___ country.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Some of us have mission funds in which we only send money to “do our part.”</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">That again, may have to be saved for a later conversation.</span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">What about Samaria?</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">What is our Samaria?</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">How are we doing in Samaria?</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">“Well, we have minorities in our congregation, if that’s what you are asking.”</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">That’s a start.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Are we, however, seeking to build with those who are “American like us, but not like us?”</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">I would argue that we are not good in this.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">The evidence can be seen in America every Sunday. “Well, that’s because we prefer to worship with those who are like us.”</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">This is a comment that I have heard often.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Do you see the error in this?</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. </span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">(Galatians 3:28 ESV)</span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">[15] by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, [16] and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. </span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">(Ephesians 2:15-16 ESV)</span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">How then do we live out becoming one new man? </span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">If we took another look at our American history we would see that along with seeking a new land in which to worship, sinners (believers and unbelievers alike) came to America.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Since those who came to America were sinners, some of them were given to the sin of slavery.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Some of the sinners who came to America were given to the sin of greed.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">This combination left the door open to the selling and trafficking of human beings.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Due to this, </span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">our country has been a part of approximately 400 years of oppression followed by a century of systemic racism (<a href="http://www.pbs.org/wnet/slavery/timeline/1619.html">Jamestown contains the first recorded acceptance of Africans from a slave ship in 1619</a>). </span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">It is here that I have heard the argument that Jesus used the Samaritan as being the one who was good, so therefore it should be the minorities who do the reaching out to end </span><span style="font-size:100%;color:red;"><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=z-v8_BkQ2n8C&lpg=PT9&ots=hcGgKgSAtW&dq=Reducing%20and%20Eliminating%20Systemic%20Racism&lr&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q=Reducing%20and%20Eliminating%20Systemic%20Racism&f=false">systemic racism</a></span><span style="font-size:100%;">.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">In that I would ask if we understand the part of Luke 12:48 that says, “Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.”</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">That simply means that we have been given much.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Much is required of us.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">If we are the “have” people, and we see that our brother “has not,” then we are to share with him.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">This is a principle taught by Jesus over and over, then carried out by the first church in Acts 2:45.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">In conclusion, this area of the church in America is an area that I feel needs to be improved upon.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Whether we are doing an acceptable job in our mission to make disciples in Jerusalem, Judea, and the ends of the world, is a question that I don’t think we can answer until we determine how we are doing in our mission to our own “Samaria.”</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">As I have pointed out, the church in America has had a number of opportunities to tackle this "Power and Principality" battle and defeat it, but has fallen short. If we are ever to become one new man in Christ, then we must add intentionally working to minister in our "Samaria" as one of the missions of the church. Are we willing to look beyond ourselves and move intentionally toward reconciliation?</span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"> </p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916229680074514072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703159211585595187.post-74667295754224758292010-11-01T08:20:00.002-04:002010-11-01T09:31:06.789-04:00The Church in America IntroThe Church in America <br />Intro <br /><br />For quite some time I have been a worker in the church. For quite some time I have been interested in church movements across our country. I have watched the rise and fall of the Vineyard Renewal, the Promise Keepers Movement and a few other things. In recent years I have watched the emergence of the emergent church, the religious left, and the new reformation. It has been through these events and movements that I developed a desire to take a look and see what I can learn from it all. <br /><br />Over the years I have developed several things that I really se about the church in America that I think we miss or lack. Please note now that I am not writing an indictment against the American church. My tendencies are to be harsh and black and white, and this might come off as such. Let’s just say that I am a sinner saved by grace, and understand that we all only see in part and prophesy in part (1 Corinthians 13:9-12). I say that to help you understand that these are my observations after looking at the church in America, other countries, and seeking Father to be who He wants me to be as a pastor and a leader.<br /><br />With that said, I could sit here with my trusty laptop and write away about a billion and one things that I see about the church. Let’s face it, the American church is pretty silly and is often looked at as a joke by the world we are supposed to be ministering to. I could type about things like:<br />• Sin in the church<br />• In-fighting<br />• Errors in preaching<br />• Errors in teaching<br />• Errors in Bible study<br />• Our attempts to be culturally relevant<br />• Our lack of “need” of God and a Savior (which I will get to soon)<br />• Our tolerance of fallen Christian leaders, but our intolerance of those who have not heard or understood His grace<br />• Teaching Jesus as a principle or a concept as opposed to teaching Him as a person, the flesh part of the triune Godhead with whom there is relationship<br />• The subconscious thinking that you can serve God and politics simultaneously<br /><br />I could go on and on like a Journey song at this point. There are so many things out of line with the church that we need to address. Over the next few posts I will be working on explaining some of the things that I think are extremely out of line. I will be starting with some of the lessons taught in the Promise Keepers Movement. As I go on, feel free to let me know your thoughts because, as I said before, I do not claim to have the whole answer.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916229680074514072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703159211585595187.post-46011204708869115312010-07-13T20:41:00.001-04:002010-07-13T20:43:42.471-04:00Some insight on Hebrews 10:25"The gospel is never for individuals but always for a people. Sin fragments us, separates us, and sentences us to solitary confinement. Gospel restores us, unites us, and sets us in community. The life of faith revealed and nurtured in the biblical narratives is highly personal but never merely individual: always there is a family, a tribe, a nation-church…. A believing community is the context for the life of faith…. Love cannot exist in isolation: away from others, love bloats into pride. Grace cannot be received privately: cutoff from others it is perverted into greed. Hope cannot develop in solitude: separated from the community it goes to seed in the form of fantasies." --- Eugene Peterson "Reverse Thunder", The Revelation of John and the Praying ImaginationAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916229680074514072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703159211585595187.post-5332100562771820692010-03-23T07:57:00.004-04:002010-03-23T08:10:28.852-04:0040Well, I am officially 40. I am actually pretty happy about this. I wondered if I would make it this far. I am happy to say I did. I found out that U2 was pretty excited about this event and they wrote a song about it.<br /><br></br><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/AjtpplE39_g&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/AjtpplE39_g&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br></br><br /><br />I also found out David wrote a Psalm about it:<br /><div class="esv-text"><h3 id="p19040001.01-1">My Help and My Deliverer</h3> <h4 class="psalm-title" id="p19040001.06-1">To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.</h4> <div class="block-indent"> <p class="line-group" id="p19040001.13-1"><span class="chapter-num" id="v19040001-1">40 </span>I waited patiently for the <span class="small-caps">Lord</span>;<br /><span class="indent"></span>he inclined to me and heard my cry.<br /> <span class="verse-num" id="v19040002-1"> 2 </span>He drew me up from the pit of destruction,<br /><span class="indent"></span>out of the miry bog,<br />and set my feet upon a rock,<br /><span class="indent"></span>making my steps secure.<br /> <span class="verse-num" id="v19040003-1"> 3 </span>He put a new song in my mouth,<br /><span class="indent"></span>a song of praise to our God.<br />Many will see and fear,<br /><span class="indent"></span>and put their trust in the <span class="small-caps">Lord</span>.</p> <p class="line-group" id="p19040004.01-1"><span class="verse-num" id="v19040004-1"> 4 </span>Blessed is the man who makes<br /><span class="indent"></span>the <span class="small-caps">Lord</span> his trust,<br />who does not turn to the proud,<br /><span class="indent"></span>to those who go astray after a lie!<br /> <span class="verse-num" id="v19040005-1"> 5 </span>You have multiplied, O <span class="small-caps">Lord</span> my God,<br /><span class="indent"></span>your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;<br /><span class="indent"></span>none can compare with you!<br />I will proclaim and tell of them,<br /><span class="indent"></span>yet they are more than can be told.</p> <p class="line-group" id="p19040006.01-1"><span class="verse-num" id="v19040006-1"> 6 </span>In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted,<br /><span class="indent"></span>but you have given me an open ear.<span class="footnote"> </span><br />Burnt offering and sin offering<br /><span class="indent"></span>you have not required.<br /> <span class="verse-num" id="v19040007-1"> 7 </span>Then I said, “Behold, I have come;<br /><span class="indent"></span>in the scroll of the book it is written of me:<br /> <span class="verse-num" id="v19040008-1"> 8 </span>I delight to do your will, O my God;<br /><span class="indent"></span>your law is within my heart.”</p> <p class="line-group" id="p19040009.01-1"><span class="verse-num" id="v19040009-1"> 9 </span>I have told the glad news of deliverance<span class="footnote"> </span><br /><span class="indent"></span>in the great congregation;<br />behold, I have not restrained my lips,<br /><span class="indent"></span>as you know, O <span class="small-caps">Lord</span>.<br /> <span class="verse-num" id="v19040010-1">10 </span>I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart;<br /><span class="indent"></span>I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation;<br />I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness<br /><span class="indent"></span>from the great congregation.</p> <p class="line-group" id="p19040011.01-1"><span class="verse-num" id="v19040011-1">11 </span>As for you, O <span class="small-caps">Lord</span>, you will not restrain<br /><span class="indent"></span>your mercy from me;<br />your steadfast love and your faithfulness will<br /><span class="indent"></span>ever preserve me!<br /> <span class="verse-num" id="v19040012-1">12 </span>For evils have encompassed me<br /><span class="indent"></span>beyond number;<br />my iniquities have overtaken me,<br /><span class="indent"></span>and I cannot see;<br />they are more than the hairs of my head;<br /><span class="indent"></span>my heart fails me.</p> <p class="line-group" id="p19040013.01-1"><span class="verse-num" id="v19040013-1">13 </span>Be pleased, O <span class="small-caps">Lord</span>, to deliver me!<br /><span class="indent"></span>O <span class="small-caps">Lord</span>, make haste to help me!<br /> <span class="verse-num" id="v19040014-1">14 </span>Let those be put to shame and disappointed altogether<br /><span class="indent"></span>who seek to snatch away my life;<br />let those be turned back and brought to dishonor<br /><span class="indent"></span>who delight in my hurt!<br /> <span class="verse-num" id="v19040015-1">15 </span>Let those be appalled because of their shame<br /><span class="indent"></span>who say to me, “Aha, Aha!”</p> <p class="line-group" id="p19040016.01-1"><span class="verse-num" id="v19040016-1">16 </span>But may all who seek you<br /><span class="indent"></span>rejoice and be glad in you;<br />may those who love your salvation<br /><span class="indent"></span>say continually, “Great is the <span class="small-caps">Lord</span>!”<br /> <span class="verse-num" id="v19040017-1">17 </span>As for me, I am poor and needy,<br /><span class="indent"></span>but the Lord takes thought for me.<br />You are my help and my deliverer;<br /><span class="indent"></span>do not delay, O my God!</p> </div> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916229680074514072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703159211585595187.post-20515418906403149532010-02-09T19:00:00.004-05:002010-03-02T07:25:27.166-05:00After a Year<p>After a year of trying, I have finally been able toget our church podcast recognized and added by one of the two major Mp3 companies. We are now a featured site on the Zune Network. If you would like to subscribe to the Lord of the Harvest podcast, then click below.</p><a href="http://social.zune.net/podcast/Lord-of-the-Harvest-Christian-Fellowship-Podcast/25350096-9146-491A-BE4E-FBE8ACA5BBCE"><br /><img src="http://social.zune.net/xweb/lx/pic/zuneclick.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br />Now, can someone tell me how to get the podcast on iTunes? I can't figure it out.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916229680074514072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703159211585595187.post-65502780262533837082009-04-22T04:01:00.001-04:002010-05-29T11:06:24.351-04:00Another Inspirational VideoHere is another inspirational video, though not from a topic you would expect.<br /><br /><br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/i6ejPG-i03I&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/i6ejPG-i03I&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07661583602799129279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703159211585595187.post-14402916309691231562009-04-17T07:16:00.000-04:002009-04-17T07:17:26.614-04:00Not Your Typical Parallel<object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/i6ejPG-i03I&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/i6ejPG-i03I&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916229680074514072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703159211585595187.post-65451554224629975872009-04-07T07:41:00.004-04:002009-04-07T08:10:42.814-04:00Trial and JesusThis is a great video by Marc Driscoll about the effects of trial in our lives and how we handle them. I recommend, whether you are young or old, that you take some time to watch this video.<br /><object width="400" height="275"><param name="movie" value="http://www.marshillchurch.org/v/1jw6he7735rw"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.marshillchurch.org/v/1jw6he7735rw" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" allowscriptaccess="always" height="275"></embed></object>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916229680074514072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703159211585595187.post-86311378549905322802009-03-18T08:10:00.002-04:002009-03-18T08:16:31.075-04:00Piper on PsalmsA while back I posted some of the links to the video series our youth was watching. It is a very powerful series on basically finding yourself in the book of Psalms. I wanted to make sure everyone had all of the links so I am posting a summary of them here:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/MediaPlayer/2785/Video/">Thinking and Feeling with God part 1</a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/MediaPlayer/2806/Video/">Thinking and Feeling with God part 2</a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/MediaPlayer/2832/Video/">Thinking and Feeling with God part 3</a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/MediaPlayer/2873/Video/">Thinking and Feeling with God part 4</a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/MediaPlayer/2917/Video/">Thinking and Feeling with God part 5</a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/MediaPlayer/2940/Video/">Thinking and Feeling with God part 6</a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/BySeries/84/">Main Link to the Series</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916229680074514072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703159211585595187.post-57677482900384632622008-12-01T09:44:00.001-05:002008-12-01T09:45:35.731-05:00What are Mooks and Midriffs?Please take a look at this <a href="http://jeremydelrio.com/blog/2007/01/23/mooks-midriffs-myspace-and-more-downloads/">blog </a>to find the answer.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916229680074514072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703159211585595187.post-86497431720969537222008-11-26T07:00:00.002-05:002008-11-26T07:19:31.323-05:00Psalms by Piper Part 3The third Psalm Mr. Piper addresses in this series is Psalm 51. The title of this sermon is "A Broken and Contrite Heart God Will Not Despise." As you may know, this Psalm is from a time in David's life when he is confronted by Nathan about his sins. <br /><br />Some things that stuck out to me were:<br /><ul><li>David is truly full of sorrow over his sins</li><li>If you look at the story in 2 Sam 11-12, you see an early occurrence of God putting away the sin of David. This is what He does for us.</li><li>David doesn't make excuses for his sin, he owns that he is a sinner</li><li>David points out the the root of his sin is that he lost the joy of his salvation. This is important for us to look at.</li></ul>Here is the link to the video <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/MediaPlayer/2832/Video/">"A Broken and Contrite Heart God Will Not Despise"</a><br /><br />Here is the <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByDate/2008/2832_A_Broken_and_Contrite_Heart_God_Will_Not_Despise/">main link</a><br /><br />Here is a link to <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+51">Psalm 51</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916229680074514072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703159211585595187.post-77552979088075226632008-11-22T15:52:00.003-05:002008-11-26T07:21:08.098-05:00Psalms by Piper Part 2The second sermon in the series on Psalms by John Piper is entitled "Spiritual Depression in the Psalms.<br /><br />This is an incredibly important word for people who find themselves in times of trouble. The Psalmist deals with how to handle adversity and trouble in God. He deals with hopelessness and despair from the world and how to deal with yourself in it.<br /><br />Here is the link to the <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/MediaPlayer/2806/Video/">video Spiritual Depressions in the Psalms</a>.<br /><br />Here is the <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByDate/2008/2806_Spiritual_Depression_in_the_Psalms/">main link</a>.<br /><br />Here is the link to <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+42">Psalm 42</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916229680074514072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703159211585595187.post-19550372490178571452008-11-21T08:07:00.003-05:002008-11-26T07:21:28.879-05:00Psalms by John Piper Part 1The first video of John Piper is "Songs that Shape the Heart and Mind." Mr. Piper tackles Psalm 1, and encourages the audience on several points. I am going to give you several points I got out of this message.<br /><ol><li>The Psalms are to be read to influence, not only to instruct.<br /></li><li>The Psalms are meant to be sung to yourself.</li><li>The Word of God is meant to be learned.</li><li>You can find yourself in many of the Psalms. Wherever you are in life, you can find yourself in the Psalms.</li></ol>This is the link to the <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/MediaPlayer/2785/Video/">Video of John Piper, Songs that Shape the Heart and Mind.</a><br /><br />This is the <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByDate/2008/2785_Songs_That_Shape_the_Heart_and_Mind/">main link</a>.<br /><br />Here is a link to <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%201">Psalm 1</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916229680074514072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703159211585595187.post-34333131185007670762008-11-21T07:32:00.004-05:002008-11-26T07:21:50.289-05:00The Power of Music Intro to Series "Psalms by John Piper"Does anybody know the name Elvis? Of course you do! When you hear that name your mind goes to the vault and pulls up Jail House Rock, Hound Dog, Love Me Tender, and a whole slew of other songs. As you think of the name your hips start to swing! If you are not careful you might end up swinging and singing in the shower with the back scrubber as your microphone, trying to mimic Elvis' every move! The next thing you know you are standing in the shower with a shampoo waterfall hairdo singing Jail House Rock in the mist covered mirror with a million fans (in your mind) screaming and cheering for you!!!<br /><br />What if I said "Come Together?" Your mind travels to the Beatles. You have a million and one Beatles songs coursing through your veins. Your mind starts to think of the "love" generation.<br /><br />Jimi Hendrix? Automatically, you grab your air guitar and start playing the greatest solos ever heard!<br /><br />Devo? Whip it!<br /><br />Pink Floyd? The Wall. We don't need no education anyway. You start to feel negative toward all your teachers.<br /><br />Just about everyone I know (save for two) gets lost in a Journey song!<br /><br />Eminem? Your hand goes up, your other hand holds the mic to your mouth and you start rapping away.<br /><br />The Cure? If you know them you think, "the front runners to emo."<br /><br />My point is that music has an incredible power to influence the mind, emotions, dress, and sometimes the actions of a person. Many times people will sing themselves songs to comfort themselves in times of trouble. Whole cities can be found singing Queen's We Are The Champions when their local sports teams win a national championship. The Cure's Killing An Arab made a resurgence after the atrocity of 9-11. The whole 60's were influenced and shaped by musicians and what they were doing.<br /><br />I was pondering where to go next with our youth ministry and how to help them find a true hunger for God when I started thinking about the power of music in our lives. I felt the urging to go to Psalm 1. I started to study and think about the Psalms and how they can help us. Fortunately, I ran into a podcast from <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/">John Piper</a> on my Zune. It happened to be on Psalm 1.<br /><br />Over the next several weeks I am going to post links to the series John Piper did on the Psalms. I want to post them after our youth have heard them so that any who missed can catch up, but I encourage you to take a listen as well.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916229680074514072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703159211585595187.post-23077397362180603292008-11-10T07:25:00.004-05:002008-11-26T07:24:36.135-05:00A Worship PostMy friend Jeremy posted this a while back. I really have been thinking about it lately. I hear the comment, "it's just worship," a lot as though worship is some routine habit like anything else. I don't claim to be an expert on worship, but I think this video can say all I want to for the moment.<br /><br /><a style="left: 0px ! important; top: 0px ! important;" title="Click here to block this object with Adblock Plus" class="abp-objtab-008538881091022643 visible ontop" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/IpVsF4W8V2Y&hl=en&fs=1"></a><a style="left: 0px ! important; top: 0px ! important;" title="Click here to block this object with Adblock Plus" class="abp-objtab-008538881091022643 visible ontop" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/IpVsF4W8V2Y&hl=en&fs=1"></a><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/IpVsF4W8V2Y&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/IpVsF4W8V2Y&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916229680074514072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703159211585595187.post-69028777992621618272008-11-07T08:25:00.006-05:002008-11-26T07:23:05.683-05:00What a Disappointment!I read this the other day and unsubscribed from this "devotional." Is this how Jesus commanded us to act?<br /><br /><hr /><br /><a href="http://www.liveprayer.com/ddarchive3.cfm?id=3502">God Removes His Hand from the United States</a><br /><br />(1 Samuel 8:1-21)<br /><br />But when they said, "Give us a king to lead us," this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. And the LORD told him: "Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do." 1 Samuel 8:6-9<br /><br />The LORD answered, "Listen to them and give them a king." 1 Samuel 8:21<br /><br />God removes His hand from the United States, it is now time to act! With the election of Barack Hussein Obama as the next President of the United States, yesterday marked a watershed day spiritually for this nation. For decades now, this country has been operating in rebellion to God and His Truth. We legally slaughter 4,000 babies every day. We have made a mockery of God's Holy Institution of Marriage. God's plan for the family has been decimated. We have totally given ourselves over to the lusts of the flesh and the pleasures of this temporal world. We have bowed down to and worshipped every false god and idol created in rebellion to the God of the Bible.<br /><br /><ul><li><i>ROB'S NOTE: America has been going in the wrong direction for a long time. I agree that these things are a travesty. But, has God removed His hand???</i></li></ul><br />Out of our rebellion to God, the people have now elected a man to lead this nation who is a staunch supporter of legalized infanticide. Speaking to the Planned Parenthood Action Fund on July 17, 2007, Senator Obama said, "The first thing I'd do as President is sign the Freedom of Choice Act. That's the first thing that I'd do." President Obama will repay the support of those in the baby killing industry by insuring abortion on demand at any stage of the pregnancy, and through executive orders, he will wipe out any progress individual states have made in trying to ban abortions in their state. As President, he will elect judges to the US Supreme Court who will insure Roe vs. Wade is never overturned, as well as activist judges to the Federal Courts who will rule on the side of death in any abortion cases.<br /><br /><ul><li><i>ROB'S NOTE: I am very disappointed by President elect Obama's stance on abortion. We will need to pray for a change of his heart. We will ALSO need to be on the forefront of the battle now. We will need to actually reach people in sin in whatever condition, young, old, adulterers, rapists, BEFORE there is a need to get an abortion. Yes, I am suggesting that if anyone feels the need to have an abortion, the church wasn't there with the love of Jesus and the Gospel soon enough.</i></li></ul><br />President Obama is also a great friend to the homosexual community and will be a champion of their radical agenda. President Obama will make it easy for gay couples to adopt children. I remember years ago warning people in my Daily Devotional that the homosexual community was targeting your children. People said I was over reacting. Today, an entire generation of children has grown up being brainwashed that being gay is normal and acceptable. They are being indoctrinated as young as kindergarten that there is nothing wrong with this choice of deviant sex. Again, through executive orders he will wipe out any gains made by various states to insure gay marriage will quickly spread across the nation, and the judges he appoints will help the radical gay agenda to move forward.<br /><br /><ul><li><i>ROB'S NOTE: This is an issue to be concerned about as well. I believe that marriage was first mentioned in the Bible. Could not this, then fall under "separation of church and state?"</i></li></ul><br />Today, the people of Israel should be very concerned. Over these past 60 years, they could always count on the full and total support from the United States government. No longer. It is bad enough we have had numerous Presidents now trying to make peace by giving away part of the land God gave to the children of Israel to those who want to see the Jewish people wiped off the face of the globe. Under President Obama, Israel will no longer have a friend in Washington that they can count on. Sadly for this nation, Genesis 12:3 that promises God will bless those who bless Israel and curse those who curse Israel is still in effect.<br /><br />The truly sick fact is this will all be done by a man who will professes to be a Christian. Despite supporting the killing of innocent babies, the agenda and special rights of those who choose to commit acts of homosexuality, and believing the universalistic lie that everyone will get to Heaven regardless what they believe, President Obama proclaims to be a Christian. I have told you for the past few years that the biggest problem in Christianity, is the ever growing group of people who make up the Christian left. These are people who call themselves Christians, yet don't hold the Bible to represent Absolute Truth.<br /><br />This liberal group that President Obama is part of, focuses on a social Gospel, things like world hunger, AIDs in Africa, and climate issues to name a few. These are noble causes Christians need to be involved in, but you can't just ignore issues like abortion and marriage like they don't exist. Most in the Christian left are a byproduct of this seeker/purpose driven/emerging church/liberal mainline denomination generation that lays down the absolutes of the Bible to attract warm bodies. It has flourished due to the gutless pastors who refuse to lead and preach a watered down, feel good, ear tickling message void of hard Truth so nobody is offended.<br /><br /><ul><li><i>ROB'S NOTE: Okay, this is where I get off.</i></li></ul><ul><li><i>First, who can judge whether Obama is truly a Christian? It is true that many of his policies would lead you to think he is not, but how can you really know?<br /></i></li><li><i>Second, when did it become a prerequisite that the president had to be a Christian?</i></li><li><i>Third, isn't God concerned with those things as well as abortion? Didn't Jesus spend the bulk of his time on earth with the poor, the weak, and the sick? Didn't He criticize the leaders of the religious and political spheres for their lack of involvement? Can it be possible that God is concerned with ALL of these things, that it should be a "both and" type thing and not an "either or" type of thing?</i></li><li><i>Lastly, though I am sure there are many watered down churches in America, when did Bill Keller earn the right to judge them all? There are many churches who are preaching Christ, who care about all aspects of the Bible. Many of them might still be considered politically conservative. This just really irks me that a Christian can be so narrow minded and not see that all of these issues are important to God. Maybe Bill Keller needs to be reminded of Jesus' words in Matthew 25:31-46. Maybe he also needs to consider the establishment of the first church after the ascension of Jesus into Heaven in Acts 2...</i><br /></li></ul><br />The nation has had Presidents before who were no friend of God and we didn't crumble spiritually. That is because there was still a vibrant remnant of true followers of Christ. Today, we have the better percentage of two full generations who have never been to church. So many churches today do little or no evangelism. Over the past 40 years, that remnant of true followers has dwindled down considerably as older saints have gone to be with the Lord and haven't been replaced.<br /><br /><ul><li><i>ROB'S NOTE: Maybe, if there are the better part of two generations who haven't heard the Gospel, we as the church need to roll up our sleeves and get our lazy butts to work!</i></li></ul><br />The effect of Obama's election is that it will empower those who oppose the work of God. Those who serve satan will be bolder and more aggressive than ever. They will be targeting like never before, true followers of Christ. Spiritual crack dealers like Oprah who peddle New Age garbage are ok. Those who promote cults like Mormonism, the JWs, Scientology, Kaballah, and others are ok. The false religions like Islam, Buddhists, and others are ok. Those in the Christian left with their social agenda are ok.<br /><br />Their target will be zeroed in on those who believe, preach, and teach the Bible is God's inspired, inerrant Word, representing Absolute Truth and our final authority in all matters. They will be out to destroy true followers of Jesus Christ. This will come in many forms, such as laws to call the Bible hate speech as other countries have already done. For the first time, real and tangible persecution is going to be felt by those who refuse to compromise the Truth of the Bible and preach the Gospel.<br /><br />The end result is that people are no longer going to be able to stand in the middle. The election of President Barack Hussein Obama is going to finally force people to take a stand. You are either a follower of Christ, which means you are also a follower of His Word, or you are not. Jesus said you can't serve two masters. Elijah told the people on Mt. Carmel to CHOOSE who you will serve. My friend, it is now time to choose. If you going to follow Jesus, it is time to act!<br /><br /><ul><li><i>ROB'S NOTE: I am kinda back on with this point, though I think Bill is too narrow minded in his thinking. Now is the time to act if people like Bill are ever going to be saved. (I say that with sarcasm. I just can't figure out smileys on this blog yet.) This will be a time of choice and the church will need to be on guard. We will need to be more active than ever. We need to unite, though, support our president in prayer, get out on the streets and share the love of Jesus, and embody the Gospel, regardless of what the world around us does.</i></li></ul><br />I love you and care about you so much. I realize that very few can "hear" what I am saying today. They woke up in their bed this morning and it seems like just another day. I can empathize with the frustration of the Old Testament prophets as they warned the people of God's coming wrath and most of the people simply ignored them or wrote them off as kooks. Yesterday, God's hand came off this nation. True followers of Jesus Christ no longer have the luxury of sitting back and doing nothing. Silence is not an option any more. We must take our stand now, or we will no longer have that opportunity. We have the only true answer for this nation and for the souls of men. It is time to boldly and without shame or compromise declare that answer!<br /><br /><ul><li><i>ROB'S NOTE: Did God's hand come off the nation? Could it be that God knows more of what He is doing than we do? Could it be that God is putting His hand on the nation by causing it to take a great step forward to end racism? Or, could it be that He has just placed His hand on our country in a little more painful place than we are used to? (Meaning a big slap on the butt for Christians in American who have become complacent American consumers over being salt and light.)</i></li></ul><br />As I was praying over all of this the other night, before going to sleep I was flipping through the stations and I stopped at TBN. On the eve of the election, with the spiritual course of our nation hanging in the balance, I expected to see true men of God preaching great messages of repentance and a turning back to God. Sadly, these people are as lost as the sons of Eli or Samuel. What were they doing? Having a telethon, raising money by promising people if they sent them money all of their financial problems would be solved. It was like watching the fiddler play while Rome burned !<br /><br /><ul><li><i>ROB'S NOTE: Did you really expect to see anything else on TBN?</i></li></ul><br />For those who have been following Liveprayer, you know in the Spring God gave me a vision for this nation. In July, I launched the Jonah Project. The Lord gave me this vision and the Holy Spirit guided me to set up this vehicle for exactly where we are at today. The Jonah Project is the plan from God to bring together the true followers of Christ at this moment in human history, to call this nation to repentance, to turn back to God and Biblical Truth, and to help lead the lost to faith in Jesus Christ while taking a bold and visible stand on the social issues of our day.<br /><br /><ul><li><i>ROB'S NOTE: Why didn't you have this vision when you were converted?</i></li></ul><br />Let me encourage you today to become part of the Jonah Project. You can go to the Jonah Project homepage at http://www.liveprayer.com/jonah/ , watch the vision video, and sign up to be part of this great last days move of God. My friend, this is the only hope for our nation and for each soul. There is only one answer, JESUS!!!<br /><br />In His love and service, Your friend and brother in Christ, Bill Keller<br /><br /><hr />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916229680074514072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703159211585595187.post-75967043943861435522008-11-06T21:18:00.002-05:002008-11-26T07:25:01.380-05:00A Great Post by my Wife!<a href="http://www.redeemedvessel.com/2008/11/what-do-we-do-now.html">http://www.redeemedvessel.com/2008/11/what-do-we-do-now.html</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916229680074514072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703159211585595187.post-12568601059676410692008-11-02T21:24:00.002-05:002008-11-26T07:22:21.071-05:00A Devotional About Reaching Out to the OtherThe other day I got a devotional that I wanted to pass along.<br /><br />Relating to those Different from Us<br />TGIF Today God Is First Volume 2, by Os Hillman<br />10-31-2008<br /><br />"The Samaritan woman said to him, 'You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?'" (John 4:9).<br /><br />Do you find it difficult to relate to others who are different than you? Do you shy away from interacting with those who may have a different belief?<br /><br />Jesus interacted with his culture and especially those who thought differently than He. When Jesus met the Samaritan woman at the well it was much like a Christian speaking to a Muslim or a Jew speaking to a Palestinian. Jesus built a relationship with the woman instead of taking an adversarial position.<br /><br />In order to influence our culture it is vital believers engage with those unlike us. We often assume others who come from other cultures do not want to engage with us. This is a deception from Satan. Many who grow up in other faiths do so as a cultural tradition, not because they have strongly held beliefs. For instance, many Muslims do not know what is in the Quran and simply believe what they are taught based on tradition.<br /><br />Every person is looking for a genuine relationship with God. Jesus operated based on that assumption. Notice how Jesus engaged with the woman.<br /><br />"Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water." He told her, "Go, call your husband and come back." "I have no husband," she replied. Jesus said to her, "You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true." "Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet (John 4: 13-19).<br /><br />Once Jesus established a rapport with the woman He began to engage with her. He spoke supernaturally into her life which broke through the religious spirit which prevented a theological debate. This led to faith in Christ and even the city being impacted.<br /><br />Why not seek out a relationship with someone different from yourself. You'll be surprised how God might use you.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916229680074514072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703159211585595187.post-78130174560449982452008-10-02T07:21:00.003-04:002008-11-26T07:22:43.509-05:00Government Exists because Worship Doesn'tThe other day I had the privilege to hear a person speak on the election from a biblical perspective. He did an excellent job of pointing out a number of criteria that we need to consider when we vote. As he spoke I got to thinking, though. Something made me angry inside but I couldn't put my finger on it.<br /><br />As I was on my way home I was reminded by a phrase that <a href="http://theresurgence.com/md_blog">Mark Driscoll</a> often says. "Missions exists because worship doesn't," popped in my head and would not leave. This really got me thinking about the upcoming election.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1SAM%208">1 Samuel 8</a> tells us the story of the nation of Israel begging Samuel for a king. A weak reason seems to be found in <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1SAM%208:5;&version=31;">verse 5</a>. "We want a king because everyone else has a king..." (Paraphrase by me.) God reminds Samuel in verses 7-8 that they are not rejecting Samuel, but God himself. Even after things like deliverance from Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, and any number of things until that day, God was not enough for them...<br /><br />This is what was bothering me. So often we are reminded by our "for God and Country" radio station that we need to get out and vote. We need to let our voices be heard in the political arena. We need to support "God's man," in "every" coming election. It makes me want to pull my hair out.<br /><br />It is very simple, though, as to why this is. Our condition, EVEN AFTER JESUS, is no better of than that of the people of Israel in the time of Samuel. We pledge our allegiance to America, and to the Republican or Democratic Parties simply because God isn't enough for us. We live like everyone else because we want a king like everyone else.<br /><br />I am going to be taking a look over a couple of posts as to what to do about this. In the mean time, I am convicted as I write this and I hope I can articulate what is in my heart that we might take a step forward.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916229680074514072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703159211585595187.post-8343102757266617512008-04-06T15:23:00.001-04:002010-05-29T11:27:29.550-04:00Vision, Vision, VisionWell, the last several months I have really been challenged by the Lord. As the three of you who read my blog know, I finally got the guts to sit down with my wife and my senior pastors to tell them about the vision to plant a church that has been growing inside me. After that I started talking about it out in public as my pastor directed. This has really stretched me. I think actually telling others with the blessing of my pastor has been a very humbling experience. This is all topic for another blog, though...<br /><br />So we have been rolling along with youth ministry, then the Father lets me know I need to change direction with the youth. This has been a good thing for our youth. We have a small group, but I must admit that they have been a blessing, and I have seen the Lord work in them in many ways.<br /><br />It all started when I was praying about the vision to plant this church. I was on the road spending time with Father and was impressed about the need to impart vision now. As I was thinking on this He reminded me about David as a young man. From there He reminded me of a number of young men in the Bible and showed me how they had the same vision.<br /><br />Then, my pastor has been corresponding with a young pastor in Alabama, I believe. This young man sent him an Mp3 of one of his recent sermons. Guess what??? It was very similar to what the Lord was speaking to me above.<br /><br />David was a young man in the place where Father pointed me to. He was asked by his mother to bring some food to his older brothers who were in the army. Those brothers were sitting in a camp waiting for a battle to begin. These guys were trained for battle. They were military men and ready for war, but something stood in their way.<br /><br />On the other side of the field stood a big obstacle. A large man, somewhere near 9' tall opposed the army that David's brothers belonged to. He issued a challenge to the army daily, "One of you face me." I am sure this army was versed in battle, but they were versed in a certain type of fighting and this giant fighting wasn't it. Also, how would you like to be the one who loses to this guy and causes your whole army to be enslaved to the enemy???<br /><br />David didn't like the smack he heard going out from this guy, though. To talk bad about the army was one thing, but to talk about David's God was another thing. Anger burned inside David. He knew God. God was his friend, his provider, his protector, his father, and spent time loving him daily as he attended sheep. He went to God as he was lone and had no one to talk to. He was comforted and guided by God. This person on the other side of the field needed to be taught a lesson. I can hear David's thoughts, "This guy has to go... No one talks about god like that and gets away with it, that dirty blasphemer..."<br /><br />Let me sum this thought up for the sake of time as I have a lot to talk about here. His brothers were a little annoyed with David as they had been trained for battle. King Saul had been trained for battle as well. As a matter of fact, if you have already read the story, you know the Israelite army could whip the Philistine army. So what is my point? The Israelite army was paralyzed by not knowing how to face this enemy. This enemy was an enemy of God, though, and David had a real, lasting, relationship driven vision of the Father and nothing was going to drag His name in the mud while David could do something about it. It took a person with a vision of Father to release an army to fulfill its destiny.<br /><br />Let's look at the older brothers and the whole army as the "adult church", and look at David as the "young church" for a minute. I believe that there is a need for young people to rise up and take a stand against the enemy. I know you may have heard that before, but I think too often the older church has missed the point, leaving another generation burned out. Since I focused on the young church in the youth ministry, I will continue to do so here. <br /><br />I believe that if the young people of the church truly seek Father, and get a true vision of Him, and oppose the enemy, that the older generation will be able to move forward in battle and the whole body of Christ will be able to achieve victory over the enemy of our times.<br /><br />You might be saying a couple of things:<br /><br /><ol><br /> <li>You keep mentioning vision, what's up with that?</li><br /> <li>What enemies?</li><br /></ol><br />I guess I will answer them in order.<br /><br />What is up with Vision?<br /><br />As we know, the Bible says that without vision, people cast off restraint and perish. I have noticed that a large number of Christians have lost some sense of vision. I have also noted that the older we get, the more vision we lose. I have also noticed that when I am not wrapped up in thinking about Father I am an easy target for the enemy to sneak up and get me sinning. Vision is essential for the Christian. If we do not have vision we follow aimlessly. If we do not have vision we get caught up in "good" rituals. If we do not have vision we can miss Him entirely. For this I submit the following test I found (this test is actually for cycling, but I think it makes a strong point)<br /><a style="left: 425px ! important; top: 0px ! important;" title="Click here to block this object with Adblock Plus" class="abp-objtab-04720953249436536 visible ontop" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ahg6qcgoay4&hl=en"></a><a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ahg6qcgoay4&hl=en" class="abp-objtab-033670355037191757 visible ontop" title="Click here to block this object with Adblock Plus" style="left: 425px ! important; top: 0px ! important;"></a><object height="355" width="425"><br /><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ahg6qcgoay4&hl=en"><br /><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ahg6qcgoay4&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />As you can see, it is easy to miss something you are not looking for. This is why it is imperative that we seek Him for His vision. We need to seek Him to know Him. We need to know Him to see Him. we need to see Him to have a vision of Him. We need to have a vision of Him to have His vision for the world.<br /><br />What enemy?<br />There are so many enemies to our world right now. In our particular area some of them are:<br /><ul><br /> <li>For God and Country</li><br /> <li>The American Dream</li><br /> <li>Family above _____</li><br /> <li>Materialism</li><br /> <li>Poverty</li><br /> <li>Injustice</li><br /> <li>Racism</li><br /></ul><br />I will point out here that I left a number of holes in this blog. I purposely didn't put the scripture in because if you read it I hope you would know where to find the passages. I thought it would be fun to see if anyone can mark the verses.<br /><br />Second, I left a number of holes in here as there were a month worth of sermons to our youth. I can't do them all justice.<br /><br />Third, I just want to hear your thoughts.Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07661583602799129279noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703159211585595187.post-80311113731563712282008-03-21T15:59:00.001-04:002010-05-29T11:29:35.868-04:00A Must ListenI wanted to pass this on to everyone. This audio is from my pastor at our <a href="http://www.mbfellowship.com/">Master Builders</a> National Leadership conference. If you are experiencing changes in your walk or changes in your church, this might shed some light on the subject.<br /><a href="http://www.lhcf.net/main/images/stories/MOsminskiMasterBuilders2008.mp3">http://www.lhcf.net/main/images/stories/MOsminskiMasterBuilders2008.mp3</a>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07661583602799129279noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703159211585595187.post-39512509175886623642008-03-04T02:34:00.001-05:002010-05-29T11:31:31.045-04:00Six Word Memoir<a href="http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/anotherblogonthefire/491516/">Anotherblogonthefire</a> tagged me to sum up my life in six words. At first I thought this was going to be so hard as I am a pretty talkative fellow, but then I remembered I have a personal slogan:<br /><br />Live the Faith! Ride it Out!<br /><img alt="Live the Faith! Ride it Out!" style="display: block;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2044/2126887126_5a67f46d07.jpg?v=0" /><br /><br />For info on how to do this tag, go <a href="http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/anotherblogonthefire/491516/">here</a>:<br /><p>to start a six word memoir meme here are the rules: </p><br /><p><em>1. Write your own six word memoir<br />2. Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you’d like<br />3. Link to the person that tagged you in your post and to this <a href="http://bookbabie.wordpress.com/2008/02/18/6-word-memior-meme/">original post</a> if possible so we can track it as it travels across the blogosphere<br />4 .Tag five more blogs with links<br />5. And don’t forget to leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play!</em></p><br /><br />I tagged:<br /><a href="http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Kalene">Kalene</a><br /><a href="http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/AuntLisa">Lisa</a><br /><a href="http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Christina31">Christina</a><br /><a href="http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Emmy">Emmy</a><br /><a href="http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kingdomlifemom">Cheryl</a>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07661583602799129279noreply@blogger.com1