I was reading over parts 1 and 2 (from 2010) for this piece and decided it needed an updating if only to report the successes in 2011 and 2012.
In late 2011, my wife and I delivered some used toys we had collected to a church, Crossroads Baptist, located north on Highway 57 in Oakland City, Indiana. The church was collecting the toys (and also blankets) for a giveaway for Christmas.
While delivering the toys, we met Jeanne Lee, administrator of the giveaway. We struck up a conversation about churches working together. She was very interested in teaming up to serve the community. We decided to meet at a later time to talk more.
In early 2012, we met again with Jeanne Lee. She brought along a couple from Crossroads who were community-minded, Roger and Candy Pancake.
We talked about working together despite differences in doctrine and theology. It was clear we held serving in the name of Jesus, showing His love, was more important than focusing on which denomination was "more right."
We scheduled three events to partner together: a community baby shower in May 2012, a back-to-school giveaway in late summer 2012, and the toy/blanket giveaway in December 2012.
While the folks from Crossroads were not able to help out at the Community Baby Shower, we did get together for the Back-to-School giveaway and the toy/blanket giveaway. In fact, the toy/blanket giveaway marked the first full year of our partnership.
Also in 2012, we met Heath Shradden and his wife, Michelle, from Greater Holy Temple Church of God in Christ in Princeton, Indiana. They direct a food ministry at the church. Heath and I have become good friends and we help them when we can, most often at their monthly end-of-the-month food giveaways.
Heath also is a leader in the March for Jesus ministry that conducts a non-denominational prayer march followed by a worship/praise concert from many churches. The march is in October of each year.
I would love to say there were only successes but there are two negatives. A pastor from a local church did ask our church to help his ministry financially. We stated we did not have the funds to support another ministry but would love to team up. He said he was excited about the prospects and wanted to talk again. We exchanged email addresses and then, nothing. I wrote him twice to followup but he did not respond.
Also while ministering with Heath in Illinois collecting food for a giveaway, we met a pastor from a local church in Mount Carmel, Illinois, who requested we take all the food we collected to a local food bank in Mount Carmel rather than the food bank in Princeton. Even though we agreed, it was an intense discussion and I decided to look into the matter more.
I learned that the food bank in Mount Carmel has been struggling as have all food banks. The recession has made the need for food even tougher as prices continue to climb. Perhaps this pastor felt we were "stealing" from the Mount Carmel needy? Only God knows. Either way, the pastor obviously felt we were out of our "jurisdiction," so to speak.
So there you have it. Is the Body broken? Oh, yes, but signs of healing are evident. Keep moving forward!
Brian
Friday, December 21, 2012
Monday, December 17, 2012
Goodbye, Dan and Sue!
In 2004, my family and I visited Lighthouse Christian Fellowship for the first time. At that time, we met Pastor Dan Caldwell and his wife, Sue. When we met them, my wife and I had went through a very hard time in our ministry and were feeling very discouraged. I was also having trouble keeping a job. All in all, it was very stressful.
We were showered with love and felt very welcome there even though we were just visiting.
Later that year, we announced to our families that we were moving to Arkansas to start a new life away from Indiana. In all the time in Arkansas, we were reminded of Lighthouse Christian Fellowship and Pastors Dan and Sue Caldwell.
Finally, after 3 years in Arkansas, we decided to move back to Indiana. Before securing a job or even a place of our own to stay in, we were at Lighthouse Christian Fellowship for church the next Sunday. And we have been there ever since.
Many times have I entered the office of Pastor Dan Caldwell; not once was I turned away. Not once was I told to make an appointment. Sadly, I have had pastors that did require an appointment from me. Dan always made time as soon as he possibly could to do what he could. Often, I just needed to vent and let off steam about something that was frustrating me. He always listened.
I remember well attending a leadership conference that Pastor Dan led in Boonville, Indiana. A lady there stopped me and asked, “Do you belong to the Caldwell’s?” I assumed she was asking if I attend Lighthouse Christian Fellowship so I responded that I did. She then said, “I knew it. You favor the Ashby’s.” “Ashby” is Sue’s maiden name. I told Dan and Sue about it. Sue just smiled and said, “We’ll claim you.” And that sums up Dan and Sue Caldwell: they are family. My family and I love them dearly and are very blessed to have them in our lives. We are excited for them as they embark on this new journey. God bless you, Dan and Sue.
We were showered with love and felt very welcome there even though we were just visiting.
Later that year, we announced to our families that we were moving to Arkansas to start a new life away from Indiana. In all the time in Arkansas, we were reminded of Lighthouse Christian Fellowship and Pastors Dan and Sue Caldwell.
Finally, after 3 years in Arkansas, we decided to move back to Indiana. Before securing a job or even a place of our own to stay in, we were at Lighthouse Christian Fellowship for church the next Sunday. And we have been there ever since.
Many times have I entered the office of Pastor Dan Caldwell; not once was I turned away. Not once was I told to make an appointment. Sadly, I have had pastors that did require an appointment from me. Dan always made time as soon as he possibly could to do what he could. Often, I just needed to vent and let off steam about something that was frustrating me. He always listened.
I remember well attending a leadership conference that Pastor Dan led in Boonville, Indiana. A lady there stopped me and asked, “Do you belong to the Caldwell’s?” I assumed she was asking if I attend Lighthouse Christian Fellowship so I responded that I did. She then said, “I knew it. You favor the Ashby’s.” “Ashby” is Sue’s maiden name. I told Dan and Sue about it. Sue just smiled and said, “We’ll claim you.” And that sums up Dan and Sue Caldwell: they are family. My family and I love them dearly and are very blessed to have them in our lives. We are excited for them as they embark on this new journey. God bless you, Dan and Sue.
Wednesday, November 07, 2012
Mental Vote?!
I met someone this morning who said they cast a "mental vote" for this election season. And this person was happy with the results.
I find it interesting a person who did not vote would care one way or the other how an election turned out. By not voting, all you are doing is trusting your opinion to the majority. Basically, whatever they decide is alright with you.
Here in Indiana, we were voting not only for the President of the United States, we were also voting for a new Governor, a Senator, and a Congressman. Not to mention the local and state government offices as well.
That is a lot of trust and faith to place in the electorate to not place an actual vote, but instead cast the "mental vote."
On a side note, the Associated Press is reporting voter turnout is lower than 2008 and even in 2004. However, early voting in 2012 was higher than 2008. According to this news and the aforementioned person who cast their "mental vote," it is safe to say the majority of Americans are not Republican, Democrat, Independent or undecided. They are uncaring.
I find it interesting a person who did not vote would care one way or the other how an election turned out. By not voting, all you are doing is trusting your opinion to the majority. Basically, whatever they decide is alright with you.
Here in Indiana, we were voting not only for the President of the United States, we were also voting for a new Governor, a Senator, and a Congressman. Not to mention the local and state government offices as well.
That is a lot of trust and faith to place in the electorate to not place an actual vote, but instead cast the "mental vote."
On a side note, the Associated Press is reporting voter turnout is lower than 2008 and even in 2004. However, early voting in 2012 was higher than 2008. According to this news and the aforementioned person who cast their "mental vote," it is safe to say the majority of Americans are not Republican, Democrat, Independent or undecided. They are uncaring.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
The Plan
In another post, I had mentioned a vision, a plan, that saw local churches coming together. I saw each township in Gibson County being a "hub church" that connected to the other "hub churches" in the county. The hub church of a particular township would work to coordinate the other local churches in that township to reach out and serve the community together. Ultimately, the goal is to draw everyone together to worship God in unity, in spirit, and in truth.
Let me paint an economic benefit to churches working together. Imagine all the combined resources (volunteers, money, etc) being focused locally in our communities. Similar ministries and projects combining would eliminate redundancy and waste. It would also exponentially multiply effectiveness.
Let me paint an economic benefit to churches working together. Imagine all the combined resources (volunteers, money, etc) being focused locally in our communities. Similar ministries and projects combining would eliminate redundancy and waste. It would also exponentially multiply effectiveness.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
An Audacious Idea
Here's an idea: churches working together! And I even have a plan!
I attend a church Lighthouse Christian Fellowship in Somerville, Indiana. We are partnering with Crossroads Baptist Church this summer to host a back-to-school backpack giveaway.
My question: why stop there?
Here's the concept: Gibson County is divided into 3 school districts: East, South, and North. The county is even divided more into 10 townships. Within each one of those townships, one church would align with a church from each of the other townships. This would create a co-op of 10 churches within Gibson County working together to transform Gibson County! The 10 churches would meet on a semi-regular basis to coordinate and chart community events and joint worship services for the county. Sounds too easy, doesn't it? Well, this is what God has shown me.
Once the co-op is firmly underway, we would begin looking at neighboring counties to do the same thing. Adjacent to Gibson County are Edwards, White, and Wabash counties in Illinois. In Indiana, Knox, Pike, Warrick, Posey, and Vanderburgh are our neighbors.
Like I said...audacious.
Here we go.
I attend a church Lighthouse Christian Fellowship in Somerville, Indiana. We are partnering with Crossroads Baptist Church this summer to host a back-to-school backpack giveaway.
My question: why stop there?
Here's the concept: Gibson County is divided into 3 school districts: East, South, and North. The county is even divided more into 10 townships. Within each one of those townships, one church would align with a church from each of the other townships. This would create a co-op of 10 churches within Gibson County working together to transform Gibson County! The 10 churches would meet on a semi-regular basis to coordinate and chart community events and joint worship services for the county. Sounds too easy, doesn't it? Well, this is what God has shown me.
Once the co-op is firmly underway, we would begin looking at neighboring counties to do the same thing. Adjacent to Gibson County are Edwards, White, and Wabash counties in Illinois. In Indiana, Knox, Pike, Warrick, Posey, and Vanderburgh are our neighbors.
Like I said...audacious.
Here we go.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
The Body of Christ is Broken, or is it?
Yesterday was a very good day. I met with a pastor from another church and he agreed that churches should work together. Our churches will begin reaching out to the neighborhood together this weekend! Praise God!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Christian Unity: It Will Happen
Christian Unity: It Will Happen
It has been some time ago when God first spoke to me about Christian unity. I had a vision about 8 years ago of a large number of people worshipping God together. In my dream, this large gathering was in a large stadium and the youth band from the church we were then attending was on stage.
When I awoke from the dream, I became very excited just knowing the Holy Spirit had spoken to me in a dream. I dug into my Bible and found the words of Jesus leaping off the pages at me and into my heart from John 17, “That all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You. May they also be in Us so that the world may believe that You sent Me. I have given them the glory You gave Me, that they may be one as We are one: I in them and You in Me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me.”
The Lord says that our being one shows the world that God sent Jesus and that He loves us. It is proof of the love of God for the world!
Years have passed and opportunities have come and gone but I know that one day, the Body of Christ will unite and we will take the Gospel to the four corners of this world as never before! Then a great harvest will come about and “a multitude that could not be counted” will turn to God!
It will happen.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
At Board of Education, church-state fight grows
12:00 AM CDT on Saturday, May 15, 2010
By TERRENCE STUTZ / The Dallas Morning News tstutz@dallasnews.com
AUSTIN – A leading social conservative on the State Board of Education will push for further doubt to be cast on separation of church and state when the board goes back to work on proposed curriculum standards for social studies next week.
Board member Don McLeroy, R-College Station, has distributed several changes he will propose before board members take a final vote on the standards. The curriculum will dictate what is taught in classrooms and must be included in textbooks for U.S. history, government and other social studies courses in Texas schools.
The GOP-dominated board shot down an earlier attempt by Democrats to have high school students study the reasons the Founding Fathers barred the government from promoting any religion.
McLeroy now wants to include a requirement that eighth-grade history students study the issue from a different perspective.
Under his proposal, students would "contrast the Founders' intent relative to the wording of the First Amendment's Establishment Clause and Free Exercise Clause, with the popular term 'Separation of church and state.' "
The language reflects the opposition of social and religious conservatives to the legal doctrine of separation of church and state, which has been upheld multiple times by the U.S. Supreme Court, including one far-reaching decision that outlawed school-sponsored prayer.
McLeroy and other board members contend that separation of church and state was established in the law only by activist judges and not by the Constitution or Bill of Rights.
The Texas Freedom Network, which has battled with social conservative groups, accused McLeroy of "trying to rewrite history and promote political agendas in our kids' classrooms."
Another change sought by the Republican would require students to discuss alternatives to "long-term entitlements such as Social Security and Medicare" because of the decreasing ratio of workers to retirees.
"This is relevant to assessing the policies of the various ideologies that have shaped where we are as Americans," said McLeroy, who has joined with other members of his board bloc to put a more conservative slant on the social studies standards.
For example, high school students will have to learn specifically about leading conservative groups from the 1980s and 1990s in U.S. history, but not about identified liberal or minority rights groups.
12:00 AM CDT on Saturday, May 15, 2010
By TERRENCE STUTZ / The Dallas Morning News tstutz@dallasnews.com
AUSTIN – A leading social conservative on the State Board of Education will push for further doubt to be cast on separation of church and state when the board goes back to work on proposed curriculum standards for social studies next week.
Board member Don McLeroy, R-College Station, has distributed several changes he will propose before board members take a final vote on the standards. The curriculum will dictate what is taught in classrooms and must be included in textbooks for U.S. history, government and other social studies courses in Texas schools.
The GOP-dominated board shot down an earlier attempt by Democrats to have high school students study the reasons the Founding Fathers barred the government from promoting any religion.
McLeroy now wants to include a requirement that eighth-grade history students study the issue from a different perspective.
Under his proposal, students would "contrast the Founders' intent relative to the wording of the First Amendment's Establishment Clause and Free Exercise Clause, with the popular term 'Separation of church and state.' "
The language reflects the opposition of social and religious conservatives to the legal doctrine of separation of church and state, which has been upheld multiple times by the U.S. Supreme Court, including one far-reaching decision that outlawed school-sponsored prayer.
McLeroy and other board members contend that separation of church and state was established in the law only by activist judges and not by the Constitution or Bill of Rights.
The Texas Freedom Network, which has battled with social conservative groups, accused McLeroy of "trying to rewrite history and promote political agendas in our kids' classrooms."
Another change sought by the Republican would require students to discuss alternatives to "long-term entitlements such as Social Security and Medicare" because of the decreasing ratio of workers to retirees.
"This is relevant to assessing the policies of the various ideologies that have shaped where we are as Americans," said McLeroy, who has joined with other members of his board bloc to put a more conservative slant on the social studies standards.
For example, high school students will have to learn specifically about leading conservative groups from the 1980s and 1990s in U.S. history, but not about identified liberal or minority rights groups.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
"THE ROOM" as written by a 17 Year Old Boy.
This is excellent and really gets you thinking about what will happen in Heaven.
17-year-old Brian Moore had only a short time to write something for a class.
The subject was What Heaven Was Like.
"I wowed 'em," he later told his father, Bruce. It's a killer. It's the bomb It's the best thing I ever wrote." It also was the last.
Brian's parents had forgotten about the essay when a cousin found it while cleaning out the teenager's locker at Teays Valley High School in Pickaway County.
Brian had been dead only hours, but his parents desperately wanted every piece of his life near them, notes from classmates and teachers, and his homework.
Only two months before, he had handwritten the essay about encountering Jesus in a file room full of cards detailing every moment of the teen's life.
But it was only after Brian's death that Beth and BruceMoore realized that their son had described his view of heaven.
It makes such an impact that people want to share it. "You feel like you are there," Mr. Moore said. Brian Moore died May 27, 1997, the day after Memorial Day. He was driving home from a friend's house when his car went off Bulen-Pierce Road in Pickaway County and struck a utility pole.
He emerged from the wreck unharmed but stepped on a downed power line and was electrocuted.The Moore's framed a copy of Brian's essay and hung it among the family portraits in the living room. "I think God used him to make a point. I think we were meant to find it and make something out of it," Mrs. Moore said of the essay. She and her husband want to share their son's vision of life after death. "I'm happy for Brian. I know he's in heaven. I know I'll seehim.Here is Brian's essay entitled:"THE ROOM"In that place between wakefulness and dreams, I found myself in the room.
There were no distinguishing features except for the one wall covered with small index card files. They were like the ones in libraries that list titles by author or subject in alphabetical order. But these files, which stretched from floor to ceiling and seemingly endless in either direction, had very different headings.As I drew near the wall of files, the first to catch my attention was one that read "Girls I Have Liked." I opened it and began flipping through the cards.
I quickly shut it, shocked to realize that I recognized the names written on each one. And then without being told, I knew exactly where I was. This lifeless room with its small files was a crude catalog system formy life. Here were written the actions of my every moment, big and small, in a detail my memory couldn't match. A sense of wonder and curiosity, coupled with horror, stirred within me as I began randomly opening files and exploring their content. Some brought joy and sweet memories; others a senseof shame and regret so intense that I would look over my shoulder to see if anyone was watching.
A file named "Friends" was next to one marked "Friends I Have Betrayed." The titles ranged from the mundane to the outright weird. "Books I Have Read," "Lies I Have Told," "Comfort I have Given," "Jokes I Have Laughed At."Some were almost hilarious in their exactness: "Things I've Yelled at My Brothers." Others I couldn't laugh at: "Things I Have Done in My Anger", "Things I Have Muttered Under My Breath at My Parents." I never ceased to be surprised by the contents. Often there were many more cards than expected.Sometimes fewer than I hoped. I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the life I had lived.Could it be possible that I had the time in my years to fill each of these thousands or even millions of cards? But each card confirmed this truth.Each was written in my own handwriting. Each signed with my signature.When I pulled out the file marked "TV Shows I Have Watched," I realized the files grew to contain their contents. The cards were packed tightly, and yet after two or three yards, I hadn't found the end of the file. I shut it, shamed, not so much by the quality of shows but more by the vast time I knew that file represented.When I came to a file marked "Lustful Thoughts," I felt a chill run through my body. I pulled the file out only an inch, not willing to test its size, and drew out a card. I shuddered at its detailed content. I felt sick to think that such a moment had been recorded. An almost animal rage broke on me.One thought dominated my mind: No one must ever see these cards! No one must ever see this room! I have to destroy them!" In insane frenzy I yanked the file out. Its size didn't matter now. I had to empty it and burn the cards.But as I took it at one end and began pounding it on the floor, I could not dislodge a single card. I became desperate and pulled out a card, only to find it as strong as steel when I tried to tear it. Defeated and utterly helpless, I returned the file to its slot. Leaning my forehead against the wall, I let out a long, self-pitying sigh.And then I saw it.
The title bore "People I Have Shared the Gospel With."The handle was brighter than those around it, newer, almost unused. I pulled on its handle and a small box not more than three inches long fell into my hands. I could count the cards it contained on one hand.And then the tears came. I began to weep. Sobs so deep that they hurt. They started in my stomach and shook through me. I fell on my knees and cried. I cried out of shame, from the overwhelming shame of it all. The rows of file shelves swirled in my tear-filled eyes. No one must ever, ever know of thisroom.. I must lock it up and hide the key. But then as I pushed away the tears, I saw Him.No, please not Him. Not here. Oh, anyone but Jesus. I watched helplessly as He began to open the files and read the cards. I couldn't bear to watch His response. And in the moments I could bring myself to look at His face, I saw a sorrow deeper than my own.
He seemed to intuitively go to the worst boxes.Why did He have to read every one? Finally He turned and looked at me from across the room.. He looked at me with pity in His eyes. But this was a pity that didn't anger me. I dropped my head, covered my face with my hands and began to cry again. He walked over and put His arm around me. He could have said so many things. But He didn't say a word. He just cried with me.Then He got up and walked back to the wall of files.. Starting at one end of the room, He took out a file and, one by one, began to sign His name over mine on each card. "No!" I shouted rushing to Him.
All I could find to say was "No, no," as I pulled the card from Him. His name shouldn't be on these cards. But there it was, written in red so rich, so dark, and so alive.The name of Jesus covered mine. It was written with His blood. He gently took the card back
He smiled a sad smile and began to sign the cards. I don't think I'll ever understand how He did it so quickly, but the next instant it seemed I heard Him close the last file and walk back to my side.He placed His hand on my shoulder and said, "It is finished."I stood up, and He led me out of the room. There was no lock on its door.There were still cards to be written."For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16
If you feel the same way, forward (copy and paste) it to as many people as you can so the love of Jesus will touch their lives also.
My "People I Shared the Gospel With" file just got bigger, how about yours?
IF THERE IS ONE EMAIL THAT I HAVE READ THAT NEEDS TO GO AROUND THE WORLD, ITIS THIS ONE, PLEASE PASS THIS TO EVERY ONE YOU KNOW, CHRISTIAN OR NOT!"LET'S FILL OUR OWN FILE CARD" AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALL!
You don't have to share this with anybody, no one will know whether you did or not, but you will know and so will He.
This is excellent and really gets you thinking about what will happen in Heaven.
17-year-old Brian Moore had only a short time to write something for a class.
The subject was What Heaven Was Like.
"I wowed 'em," he later told his father, Bruce. It's a killer. It's the bomb It's the best thing I ever wrote." It also was the last.
Brian's parents had forgotten about the essay when a cousin found it while cleaning out the teenager's locker at Teays Valley High School in Pickaway County.
Brian had been dead only hours, but his parents desperately wanted every piece of his life near them, notes from classmates and teachers, and his homework.
Only two months before, he had handwritten the essay about encountering Jesus in a file room full of cards detailing every moment of the teen's life.
But it was only after Brian's death that Beth and BruceMoore realized that their son had described his view of heaven.
It makes such an impact that people want to share it. "You feel like you are there," Mr. Moore said. Brian Moore died May 27, 1997, the day after Memorial Day. He was driving home from a friend's house when his car went off Bulen-Pierce Road in Pickaway County and struck a utility pole.
He emerged from the wreck unharmed but stepped on a downed power line and was electrocuted.The Moore's framed a copy of Brian's essay and hung it among the family portraits in the living room. "I think God used him to make a point. I think we were meant to find it and make something out of it," Mrs. Moore said of the essay. She and her husband want to share their son's vision of life after death. "I'm happy for Brian. I know he's in heaven. I know I'll seehim.Here is Brian's essay entitled:"THE ROOM"In that place between wakefulness and dreams, I found myself in the room.
There were no distinguishing features except for the one wall covered with small index card files. They were like the ones in libraries that list titles by author or subject in alphabetical order. But these files, which stretched from floor to ceiling and seemingly endless in either direction, had very different headings.As I drew near the wall of files, the first to catch my attention was one that read "Girls I Have Liked." I opened it and began flipping through the cards.
I quickly shut it, shocked to realize that I recognized the names written on each one. And then without being told, I knew exactly where I was. This lifeless room with its small files was a crude catalog system formy life. Here were written the actions of my every moment, big and small, in a detail my memory couldn't match. A sense of wonder and curiosity, coupled with horror, stirred within me as I began randomly opening files and exploring their content. Some brought joy and sweet memories; others a senseof shame and regret so intense that I would look over my shoulder to see if anyone was watching.
A file named "Friends" was next to one marked "Friends I Have Betrayed." The titles ranged from the mundane to the outright weird. "Books I Have Read," "Lies I Have Told," "Comfort I have Given," "Jokes I Have Laughed At."Some were almost hilarious in their exactness: "Things I've Yelled at My Brothers." Others I couldn't laugh at: "Things I Have Done in My Anger", "Things I Have Muttered Under My Breath at My Parents." I never ceased to be surprised by the contents. Often there were many more cards than expected.Sometimes fewer than I hoped. I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the life I had lived.Could it be possible that I had the time in my years to fill each of these thousands or even millions of cards? But each card confirmed this truth.Each was written in my own handwriting. Each signed with my signature.When I pulled out the file marked "TV Shows I Have Watched," I realized the files grew to contain their contents. The cards were packed tightly, and yet after two or three yards, I hadn't found the end of the file. I shut it, shamed, not so much by the quality of shows but more by the vast time I knew that file represented.When I came to a file marked "Lustful Thoughts," I felt a chill run through my body. I pulled the file out only an inch, not willing to test its size, and drew out a card. I shuddered at its detailed content. I felt sick to think that such a moment had been recorded. An almost animal rage broke on me.One thought dominated my mind: No one must ever see these cards! No one must ever see this room! I have to destroy them!" In insane frenzy I yanked the file out. Its size didn't matter now. I had to empty it and burn the cards.But as I took it at one end and began pounding it on the floor, I could not dislodge a single card. I became desperate and pulled out a card, only to find it as strong as steel when I tried to tear it. Defeated and utterly helpless, I returned the file to its slot. Leaning my forehead against the wall, I let out a long, self-pitying sigh.And then I saw it.
The title bore "People I Have Shared the Gospel With."The handle was brighter than those around it, newer, almost unused. I pulled on its handle and a small box not more than three inches long fell into my hands. I could count the cards it contained on one hand.And then the tears came. I began to weep. Sobs so deep that they hurt. They started in my stomach and shook through me. I fell on my knees and cried. I cried out of shame, from the overwhelming shame of it all. The rows of file shelves swirled in my tear-filled eyes. No one must ever, ever know of thisroom.. I must lock it up and hide the key. But then as I pushed away the tears, I saw Him.No, please not Him. Not here. Oh, anyone but Jesus. I watched helplessly as He began to open the files and read the cards. I couldn't bear to watch His response. And in the moments I could bring myself to look at His face, I saw a sorrow deeper than my own.
He seemed to intuitively go to the worst boxes.Why did He have to read every one? Finally He turned and looked at me from across the room.. He looked at me with pity in His eyes. But this was a pity that didn't anger me. I dropped my head, covered my face with my hands and began to cry again. He walked over and put His arm around me. He could have said so many things. But He didn't say a word. He just cried with me.Then He got up and walked back to the wall of files.. Starting at one end of the room, He took out a file and, one by one, began to sign His name over mine on each card. "No!" I shouted rushing to Him.
All I could find to say was "No, no," as I pulled the card from Him. His name shouldn't be on these cards. But there it was, written in red so rich, so dark, and so alive.The name of Jesus covered mine. It was written with His blood. He gently took the card back
He smiled a sad smile and began to sign the cards. I don't think I'll ever understand how He did it so quickly, but the next instant it seemed I heard Him close the last file and walk back to my side.He placed His hand on my shoulder and said, "It is finished."I stood up, and He led me out of the room. There was no lock on its door.There were still cards to be written."For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16
If you feel the same way, forward (copy and paste) it to as many people as you can so the love of Jesus will touch their lives also.
My "People I Shared the Gospel With" file just got bigger, how about yours?
IF THERE IS ONE EMAIL THAT I HAVE READ THAT NEEDS TO GO AROUND THE WORLD, ITIS THIS ONE, PLEASE PASS THIS TO EVERY ONE YOU KNOW, CHRISTIAN OR NOT!"LET'S FILL OUR OWN FILE CARD" AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALL!
You don't have to share this with anybody, no one will know whether you did or not, but you will know and so will He.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
THE BODY OF CHRIST IS BROKEN, PART 2
THE BODY OF CHRIST IS BROKEN, PART 2
As a follow-up to the article "The Body of Christ is Broken," I tried to once again reach out to that pastor via email asking if we could get together and talk. That was a week ago. I have not received a response.
I honestly did not think he would but I was hopeful.
Whether he wants to admit it or not, the world is quickly moving towards total chaos and only a Complete Church can change things. Eventually it will happen. It's prophesied in the Bible. At the Second Coming, Jesus comes to take His Church. One Church. Nowhere in Revelations can we find Heaven divided by denominations.
Why can it not be that way now?
As a follow-up to the article "The Body of Christ is Broken," I tried to once again reach out to that pastor via email asking if we could get together and talk. That was a week ago. I have not received a response.
I honestly did not think he would but I was hopeful.
Whether he wants to admit it or not, the world is quickly moving towards total chaos and only a Complete Church can change things. Eventually it will happen. It's prophesied in the Bible. At the Second Coming, Jesus comes to take His Church. One Church. Nowhere in Revelations can we find Heaven divided by denominations.
Why can it not be that way now?
Friday, April 23, 2010
We have been trying to buy a house for almost two years now. For the most part, the process has been long and altogether painful. We are currently on home #3. Home #1 was going to be next door to my mom and dad's home. It was going to be built on the site of my grandparents' recently demolished home. That project fell through because the lender required city water and this site had a well. Home #2 was a home we found in Gibson County. After the seller accepted our offer and all was right with world, the lender said that our loan had been approved, but we could not buy the house we chose. The lender said the siding on the home would hurt the re-sale value. So now we are on home #3. After haggling with the sellers and finally getting an accepted offer, this deal is in danger of falling apart because my dad gave us a CD as a gift to help with the home if it was needed. Plus there are back taxes on the property that may push us over the debt/income ratio. Headaches galore...
Monday, March 22, 2010
The Body of Christ is Broken
The Body of Christ is Broken
A few months ago, my family and I were invited to church. A co-worker was inviting people from work and I didn't want her to get discouraged. I agreed to go and we did.
The church was from a different denomination than ours and that didn't bother me. I'm of the persuasion that Jesus is all that matters and the rest is just fodder to start arguments. Long story short, I went, I saw, I liked.
I walked away from the service feeling like there could be something more. I saw the opportunity for two churches from different denominations working together. What a radical concept! I was encouraged by the words of Jesus in John 17. He prayed that the Church would be one as He and God were one so that the world would know He loved us.
I called the pastor of that church not long after and he agreed to meet with me and talk. He was curious why I wanted to meet. I explained that the Body of Christ is broken by division. (He agreed.) I went on to say this should not be, that we, as Christians, should be able to reach out to the world together and not let theological differences keep us apart. (He agreed with that as well.)
We then discussed our differences and, interestingly, there was only one: we disagreed on the Biblical definition of tongues. His view: tongues are speaking in different languages. My view: tongues are a language we do not know nor understand because it is the language of the Holy Spirit. On this, we agreed to disagree but confirmed (again) it was not enough to keep us from working together.
We parted ways saying we had much to pray over and we would talk again. On the table was the possibility of our two churches minstering together over the summer two separate times: one time, they would come to our town and help us; and another time, we would go there and help them. We also discussed a joint worship service. I was excited.
I sent a follow-up email thanking him for his time and stated I was excited about the possibilities. He responded with a short "we'll talk soon." As of this writing, that pastor has not written me back. (it's been a month now) I checked facebook and the topic of his sermon this past Sunday was "Tongues: The Biblical Definition of this Misunderstood Gift." I believe I gave him a sermon idea.
What disappoints me most is that this pastor touted his church being different than the other churches of his denomination. When we arrived at the bottom line, however, he was not different at all.
The Bible speaks of those who "have a form of Godliness but deny its power." I met one of those people and he is a pastor, a shepherd leading his entire flock away from a beautiful thing and into a cage.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
More Conversations with Atheists
The youtubing atheists have returned. At least one of them has: youtuber #2. Here we go...
(Youtuber#2)
Even if homosexuality was a choice, why are you doing the exact opposite of what you're saying Jesus did? 1 Peter 4:15 "But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters." When you start telling other people how they should live their lives and forcing your doctrine upon them, you are not helping them.This boycott is pointless. You're enforcing bigotry and bringing people down, when you should be building them up.
(Me)
Wow. Now you're using Scripture for your arguments? You don't agree with the Bible, but will use it for your purposes? As for forcing doctrine, isn't that what McDonalds is doing by promoting that lifestyle? And the boycott is not pointless. The point is that McDonalds should stick to making Big Macs. Period. The boycott is about nothing else to me.
(Youtuber#2)
And if you wanna talk about so-called "choice", how many teenagers have killed themselves upon realizing they were gay, because it'd been driven into their heads from birth that it was immoral and wrong? If it was a choice, why wouldn't they just choose to not be gay if it was so bad?In Leviticus 20:13, "abomination" came from the Hebrew word "to'ebah" which was translated into "bdelygma"- ritual impurity. Which lumps it into the same category as eating shellfish, etc. Not applicable anymore.
(Me)
This is from a book review of "Helminiak: Lying for Gays." It's found at http://www.amazon.com/review/RUIQBOYOD2Z32. This is from the fifth paragraph. "Then we come to Helminiak's best lie. His word study of toevah and bdelygma on p. 64-65. Toevah is the Hebrew word usually translated as abomination and bdelygma is the Septuagint Greek equivalent translation. Toevah is used in the Levitical prohibitions on male-male sex in Lev 18:22 and 20:13. He confidently asserts that toevah means "what is culturally or ritually forbidden" it is not a sin. He then compounds the error by saying that the Greek translation bdelygma, which he says, means a "ritual offense". When I looked up the meaning of the words toevah and bdelygma, the actual meanings of these two words is nowhere near as narrow as Helminiak implies. Toevah can be used in both a ritual and a moral sense, the same as bdelygma. In Lev 18:26-30 toevah is used four times and refers to adultery, child-sacrifice, male-male intercourse and bestiality (in Lev 18:20-23), bdelygma translates toevah in three of these verses. In the New Testament bdelygma is used of the "abomination of desolation" (Mat 24:15)."
Your argument is not new, do you have anything else?
The youtubing atheists have returned. At least one of them has: youtuber #2. Here we go...
(Youtuber#2)
Even if homosexuality was a choice, why are you doing the exact opposite of what you're saying Jesus did? 1 Peter 4:15 "But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters." When you start telling other people how they should live their lives and forcing your doctrine upon them, you are not helping them.This boycott is pointless. You're enforcing bigotry and bringing people down, when you should be building them up.
(Me)
Wow. Now you're using Scripture for your arguments? You don't agree with the Bible, but will use it for your purposes? As for forcing doctrine, isn't that what McDonalds is doing by promoting that lifestyle? And the boycott is not pointless. The point is that McDonalds should stick to making Big Macs. Period. The boycott is about nothing else to me.
(Youtuber#2)
And if you wanna talk about so-called "choice", how many teenagers have killed themselves upon realizing they were gay, because it'd been driven into their heads from birth that it was immoral and wrong? If it was a choice, why wouldn't they just choose to not be gay if it was so bad?In Leviticus 20:13, "abomination" came from the Hebrew word "to'ebah" which was translated into "bdelygma"- ritual impurity. Which lumps it into the same category as eating shellfish, etc. Not applicable anymore.
(Me)
This is from a book review of "Helminiak: Lying for Gays." It's found at http://www.amazon.com/review/RUIQBOYOD2Z32. This is from the fifth paragraph. "Then we come to Helminiak's best lie. His word study of toevah and bdelygma on p. 64-65. Toevah is the Hebrew word usually translated as abomination and bdelygma is the Septuagint Greek equivalent translation. Toevah is used in the Levitical prohibitions on male-male sex in Lev 18:22 and 20:13. He confidently asserts that toevah means "what is culturally or ritually forbidden" it is not a sin. He then compounds the error by saying that the Greek translation bdelygma, which he says, means a "ritual offense". When I looked up the meaning of the words toevah and bdelygma, the actual meanings of these two words is nowhere near as narrow as Helminiak implies. Toevah can be used in both a ritual and a moral sense, the same as bdelygma. In Lev 18:26-30 toevah is used four times and refers to adultery, child-sacrifice, male-male intercourse and bestiality (in Lev 18:20-23), bdelygma translates toevah in three of these verses. In the New Testament bdelygma is used of the "abomination of desolation" (Mat 24:15)."
Your argument is not new, do you have anything else?
The sad part is that youtuber#2 is just using other people's ideas and making them his/her own. We'll see what they come up with next.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Conversations with Atheists
I've gotten involved with a couple of youtubers over this mcdonalds boycott video (see below). One proclaims the Bible cannot be proven true because the Bible says it is and the other says the Bible is full of contradictions, then changes his/her mind. I haven't talked to either one since.
(Youtube poster #1)
just a note to the "48% who agree with scripture":your scripture is written by humans, with no inspiration from the divine. and even though you shroud your stance by hiding behind the words of long-since-dead men, that doesn't make you any less of a bigot.are you hateful? yes. yes you are.
(Me)
2 Timothy Chapter 3 verse 16 and 17: "All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."
(Youtube poster#1)
brian:first, you cannot prove the bible is true by showing us that the bible SAYS it is true. besides, we all know the koran has been given to us as a more updated set of commands. would you like me to cite you where the koran says that its words take precedence over those of the bible as evidence of this? (LOL)and on a related note, 2 timothy was written long before it or any other future NT writings would ever be considered "scripture". the human church decided what would be "scripture".
(Youtube poster #2)
That's circular logic for ya. Because the Bible SAYS it was written by God and is the ultimate truth, it MUST be! That's like me saying my mother was a horse. Whelp, I said it, you gotta believe me doncha? It must be true!I think the Bible has a lot of good teachings in it that we should follow simply because it's good advice. But there are also so many blatant contradictions it's impossible to follow the whole thing righteously.
(Me)
Give me an example of a contradiction and I will discuss it with you. I challenge you, however, to find this contradiction yourself. Think for yourself rather than jumping on a bandwagon. And, before anyone accuses me of jumping on the bandwagon too, the reason for the boycott is because McDonalds has chosen a side against us. Therefore, we're not eating there until McD's goes neutral. Anyway, enjoy getting fat.
(Youtube poster#2)
Ok... I take back what I said about the contradictions. Apparently most of those are due to translation error, which naturally happens frequently between Hebrew/Greek and English. Circular logic still stands, however.I was unaware of this "sides" thing going on. Are you talking about Homosexuality vs. Christianity? Because that's ridiculous. Homosexuality is not a religion, it's a sexual orientation. And Christianity is not about hating gays, it's about loving your fellow man. Think, WWJD?
(Me)
You know, good question. What WOULD Jesus do? I know what He DID do. He gave His life willingly on the cross to pay for the sins of man that whoever would believe would be saved (John 3:16). The Bible tells us that the teachers of Israel despised Jesus Christ for eating with and talking to sinners. He responded by saying the healthy do not need a doctor, but the sick do. Jesus would do what we all do, love the sinner, hate the sin. Homosexuality is a choice that is an abomination to God.
Like I said, I haven't heard from either one since.
I've gotten involved with a couple of youtubers over this mcdonalds boycott video (see below). One proclaims the Bible cannot be proven true because the Bible says it is and the other says the Bible is full of contradictions, then changes his/her mind. I haven't talked to either one since.
(Youtube poster #1)
just a note to the "48% who agree with scripture":your scripture is written by humans, with no inspiration from the divine. and even though you shroud your stance by hiding behind the words of long-since-dead men, that doesn't make you any less of a bigot.are you hateful? yes. yes you are.
(Me)
2 Timothy Chapter 3 verse 16 and 17: "All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."
(Youtube poster#1)
brian:first, you cannot prove the bible is true by showing us that the bible SAYS it is true. besides, we all know the koran has been given to us as a more updated set of commands. would you like me to cite you where the koran says that its words take precedence over those of the bible as evidence of this? (LOL)and on a related note, 2 timothy was written long before it or any other future NT writings would ever be considered "scripture". the human church decided what would be "scripture".
(Youtube poster #2)
That's circular logic for ya. Because the Bible SAYS it was written by God and is the ultimate truth, it MUST be! That's like me saying my mother was a horse. Whelp, I said it, you gotta believe me doncha? It must be true!I think the Bible has a lot of good teachings in it that we should follow simply because it's good advice. But there are also so many blatant contradictions it's impossible to follow the whole thing righteously.
(Me)
Give me an example of a contradiction and I will discuss it with you. I challenge you, however, to find this contradiction yourself. Think for yourself rather than jumping on a bandwagon. And, before anyone accuses me of jumping on the bandwagon too, the reason for the boycott is because McDonalds has chosen a side against us. Therefore, we're not eating there until McD's goes neutral. Anyway, enjoy getting fat.
(Youtube poster#2)
Ok... I take back what I said about the contradictions. Apparently most of those are due to translation error, which naturally happens frequently between Hebrew/Greek and English. Circular logic still stands, however.I was unaware of this "sides" thing going on. Are you talking about Homosexuality vs. Christianity? Because that's ridiculous. Homosexuality is not a religion, it's a sexual orientation. And Christianity is not about hating gays, it's about loving your fellow man. Think, WWJD?
(Me)
You know, good question. What WOULD Jesus do? I know what He DID do. He gave His life willingly on the cross to pay for the sins of man that whoever would believe would be saved (John 3:16). The Bible tells us that the teachers of Israel despised Jesus Christ for eating with and talking to sinners. He responded by saying the healthy do not need a doctor, but the sick do. Jesus would do what we all do, love the sinner, hate the sin. Homosexuality is a choice that is an abomination to God.
Like I said, I haven't heard from either one since.
My family and I went to Indianapolis last night to watch the Colts play Jacksonville. Going in, we were a little worried about the Colts' chances. After all, they did come back masterfully against Minnesota the week before, but we were worried nonetheless.
Our main concern was that Jacksonville would run the ball alot and run the clock by keeping the possession. According to AP, the Jaguars kept the ball for 41 minutes. They had over 220 yards rushing. Peyton Manning threw two interceptions and a ref fell down during a punt return. (The ref falling down while backpedaling didn't affect the game, but it was funny.)
Anyway, with around two minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Jags were up 20-14 and Manning takes over again. He just has great plays in him somewhere that he can just draw on. The Colts score the TD, kick the extra point and with about a minute to go, the Colts are winning 21-20. I then noticed on the scoreboard that the Titans beat Houston. That put the hope of being tied for first with Tenn out of reac for now.
Then Jacksonville marched to mid-field and kicked a 51-yard field goal that let all the air out of the stadium. The Colts then tried some lateral passing on the punt return for the remaining 4 seconds and it was over.
So now, Tennessee is 3-0 and the Colts are 1-2, tied for second with Jacksonville, and leaving their fans with the hope the offensive line can protect Manning better and the defense can stop the Jaguars running game, or anyone's running game for that matter.
The Colts have a week off then face the Texans on 10/5.
Go Colts!
Our main concern was that Jacksonville would run the ball alot and run the clock by keeping the possession. According to AP, the Jaguars kept the ball for 41 minutes. They had over 220 yards rushing. Peyton Manning threw two interceptions and a ref fell down during a punt return. (The ref falling down while backpedaling didn't affect the game, but it was funny.)
Anyway, with around two minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Jags were up 20-14 and Manning takes over again. He just has great plays in him somewhere that he can just draw on. The Colts score the TD, kick the extra point and with about a minute to go, the Colts are winning 21-20. I then noticed on the scoreboard that the Titans beat Houston. That put the hope of being tied for first with Tenn out of reac for now.
Then Jacksonville marched to mid-field and kicked a 51-yard field goal that let all the air out of the stadium. The Colts then tried some lateral passing on the punt return for the remaining 4 seconds and it was over.
So now, Tennessee is 3-0 and the Colts are 1-2, tied for second with Jacksonville, and leaving their fans with the hope the offensive line can protect Manning better and the defense can stop the Jaguars running game, or anyone's running game for that matter.
The Colts have a week off then face the Texans on 10/5.
Go Colts!
Monday, August 25, 2008
Name Your Enemy
Today, after I returned home from trying to land a job, I received an email that told me my resume had went to certain people and that I was being considered for a position in a company. That same email told me to "pray...pray...pray!"
I looked up today's devotion at Bible.com and was told given a passage from Mark where Jesus talked about removing parts of my body that caused me to sin.
What's more is that my pastor, Dan Caldwell, began a message he called "Conversion Preaching." He spoke of what being a disciple means.
When I became quiet and was about to pray, a voice (spoken to my heart or mind) told me to know my enemy. I believed I was being told to speak out against my situation (finances, job situation) but I was wrong. I then thought (per the devotional) that I was being told to pray against any spirits that had an assignment on me. I was on the righ track but it went deeper than that.
I was told to name my enemy.
His name is satan.
The Bible says that all he wants to do is kill, steal, and destroy.
With all the tools he has had available, he has been doing just that in my life. He first plan (Plan A) is to steal you from God, to steal your salvation, steal your joy, your eternal happiness. We are bombarded continually by forces that appeal to our basest natures, our flesh. Our desires for satifaction are hard to keep in check on their own without the help of internet and other media making the job nearly impossible. With the help of Jesus and willpower, we can resist and not indulge our fantasies.
So there's Plan B: destroy.
If satan cannot steal you from God, he will try to destroy you by whatever means he has available. He will do anything he can to slip you up, get you frustrated, and make you want to quit trying. Once he gets you to quit trying, he's won.
Then finally, the last one: he will kill you. That speaks for itself. It's better that you're alive in heaven where you're not influencing events here on earth.
That's it. Satan's master plan for you.
Now ask yourself why you're so important to God that satan would go to such lengths to keep you out of God's plans. What is it about you that has satan so worried that he would go to so much trouble to steal you, destroy you, or kill you?
If he's not trying to do these things to you, if he's not worried about you, then you're not a threat. And that's only possible if plan A or plan B was successful.
Only you can answer that.
Today, after I returned home from trying to land a job, I received an email that told me my resume had went to certain people and that I was being considered for a position in a company. That same email told me to "pray...pray...pray!"
I looked up today's devotion at Bible.com and was told given a passage from Mark where Jesus talked about removing parts of my body that caused me to sin.
What's more is that my pastor, Dan Caldwell, began a message he called "Conversion Preaching." He spoke of what being a disciple means.
When I became quiet and was about to pray, a voice (spoken to my heart or mind) told me to know my enemy. I believed I was being told to speak out against my situation (finances, job situation) but I was wrong. I then thought (per the devotional) that I was being told to pray against any spirits that had an assignment on me. I was on the righ track but it went deeper than that.
I was told to name my enemy.
His name is satan.
The Bible says that all he wants to do is kill, steal, and destroy.
With all the tools he has had available, he has been doing just that in my life. He first plan (Plan A) is to steal you from God, to steal your salvation, steal your joy, your eternal happiness. We are bombarded continually by forces that appeal to our basest natures, our flesh. Our desires for satifaction are hard to keep in check on their own without the help of internet and other media making the job nearly impossible. With the help of Jesus and willpower, we can resist and not indulge our fantasies.
So there's Plan B: destroy.
If satan cannot steal you from God, he will try to destroy you by whatever means he has available. He will do anything he can to slip you up, get you frustrated, and make you want to quit trying. Once he gets you to quit trying, he's won.
Then finally, the last one: he will kill you. That speaks for itself. It's better that you're alive in heaven where you're not influencing events here on earth.
That's it. Satan's master plan for you.
Now ask yourself why you're so important to God that satan would go to such lengths to keep you out of God's plans. What is it about you that has satan so worried that he would go to so much trouble to steal you, destroy you, or kill you?
If he's not trying to do these things to you, if he's not worried about you, then you're not a threat. And that's only possible if plan A or plan B was successful.
Only you can answer that.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Dear John Jesse
by Milan Ford
Last week, millions of people were stunned by the crude remarks Rev. Jesse Jackson made about presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, Sen. Barack Obama, during the commercial break of a Fox News interview.
After watching the clip for myself, I'm still not exactly sure what hit the floor first: my mouth or my heart. Like many around the world, it probably was a photo finish between the two.
"Why in the world would he say something like that?" I thought to myself. It wasn't long before my thoughts lead to some rather intense conversations within my network of friends. As I got in line with ambulance chasers all over the nation, God struck my heart with something. I pray it touches your heart here in this devotional today the same way it did mine.
What do you do when your prayers appear to go unanswered?
One of my favorite Biblical leaders is by far John the Baptist. John's life and destiny had been framed by God before he was even born. John was charged with the incredible responsibility to prepare the people of God for the coming ministry of Jesus Christ. While John's mission was crystal clear, it was far from simple. He spent his entire life in opposition to the religious systems of his day. His stance and unwavering message of repentance was one that led to his imprisonment. And eventually to his death.
In Matthew 11 (v.2-3), God gives you and me an opportunity to look deep into the heart of this leader:
"When John had heard (in prison) about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, 'Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?'"
Hard to believe, isn't it? How in the world could John the Baptist, a giant of the faith, a leader of an incredible movement of resistance and change, question whether or not Jesus Christ, the Savior he had dedicated his entire life to preparing people for, was in fact the real thing?
Simple. It was because John...was in prison.
It is amazing the questions you and I can have as believers towards God when we find ourselves in "prison," and when the prayers concerning our lives seem to go unanswered by Him.
"God...why am I still single?" "Why did you allow my business to fail?""Why didn't I get that job promotion?" "Have I not been faithful?"
"Why am I in this prison?" "Are you the coming one...or do I need to look for another?"
Like John, questioning God is something many of us as believers have been guilty of. More often than not, our times of confusion as to what God may be up to can cause us to react in ways that are unhealthy to not only ourselves, but those around us. Last week was a prime example.
Here is John (sorry, I mean Jesse), a veteran civil rights leader, one who (along with many others) has helped paved the way for a new generation of leaders to have the opportunity to rise and make a lasting impact on today's society; the most prominent of which is Sen. Barack Obama.
At a time that many would argue is the twilight of his career, when so many around the world were moving behind a new voice and vehicle devoted to bringing about change...
...God may have allowed us all to look into the soul of a man who quite possibly may have been struggling with and through whom God had decided to bring about that change.
So what does God have to say to those of us, like John (sorry, I mean Jesse), who may want some answers to the prayers and pains of life we no longer feel we can bear?
Take a look back at Matthew 11 (v.5-6):
"And Jesus answered and said unto them, 'Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see, the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and to poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of me.'"
What an incredible response! Despite where we may believe we are in life, God unveils through His word that His plans for us may include us, but they are not just about us!
This is a clarion call to each of us as believers today to rise above our struggles and to see things from God's perspective. While He is a compassionate Father, He is also a sovereign King; one who is concerned about our personal lives, but is more concerned about His Kingdom agenda.
Today, I challenge each of us to mature in our prayer life with God. Let's rise above what we see and begin to discover what God may be up to through His perspective. Be sure to always take an examination of your heart when praying through tough circumstances.
'Cause you never know when your mic may be on!
Milan Ford is a 12-year leader (and survivor) of college and student ministry within the local church. He serves as Content Editor for Streaming Faith and as the author of "The Pew View" (www.thepewview.com), a blog for church ministry leaders.
© Streaming Faith all rights reserved.
by Milan Ford
Last week, millions of people were stunned by the crude remarks Rev. Jesse Jackson made about presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, Sen. Barack Obama, during the commercial break of a Fox News interview.
After watching the clip for myself, I'm still not exactly sure what hit the floor first: my mouth or my heart. Like many around the world, it probably was a photo finish between the two.
"Why in the world would he say something like that?" I thought to myself. It wasn't long before my thoughts lead to some rather intense conversations within my network of friends. As I got in line with ambulance chasers all over the nation, God struck my heart with something. I pray it touches your heart here in this devotional today the same way it did mine.
What do you do when your prayers appear to go unanswered?
One of my favorite Biblical leaders is by far John the Baptist. John's life and destiny had been framed by God before he was even born. John was charged with the incredible responsibility to prepare the people of God for the coming ministry of Jesus Christ. While John's mission was crystal clear, it was far from simple. He spent his entire life in opposition to the religious systems of his day. His stance and unwavering message of repentance was one that led to his imprisonment. And eventually to his death.
In Matthew 11 (v.2-3), God gives you and me an opportunity to look deep into the heart of this leader:
"When John had heard (in prison) about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, 'Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?'"
Hard to believe, isn't it? How in the world could John the Baptist, a giant of the faith, a leader of an incredible movement of resistance and change, question whether or not Jesus Christ, the Savior he had dedicated his entire life to preparing people for, was in fact the real thing?
Simple. It was because John...was in prison.
It is amazing the questions you and I can have as believers towards God when we find ourselves in "prison," and when the prayers concerning our lives seem to go unanswered by Him.
"God...why am I still single?" "Why did you allow my business to fail?""Why didn't I get that job promotion?" "Have I not been faithful?"
"Why am I in this prison?" "Are you the coming one...or do I need to look for another?"
Like John, questioning God is something many of us as believers have been guilty of. More often than not, our times of confusion as to what God may be up to can cause us to react in ways that are unhealthy to not only ourselves, but those around us. Last week was a prime example.
Here is John (sorry, I mean Jesse), a veteran civil rights leader, one who (along with many others) has helped paved the way for a new generation of leaders to have the opportunity to rise and make a lasting impact on today's society; the most prominent of which is Sen. Barack Obama.
At a time that many would argue is the twilight of his career, when so many around the world were moving behind a new voice and vehicle devoted to bringing about change...
...God may have allowed us all to look into the soul of a man who quite possibly may have been struggling with and through whom God had decided to bring about that change.
So what does God have to say to those of us, like John (sorry, I mean Jesse), who may want some answers to the prayers and pains of life we no longer feel we can bear?
Take a look back at Matthew 11 (v.5-6):
"And Jesus answered and said unto them, 'Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see, the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and to poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of me.'"
What an incredible response! Despite where we may believe we are in life, God unveils through His word that His plans for us may include us, but they are not just about us!
This is a clarion call to each of us as believers today to rise above our struggles and to see things from God's perspective. While He is a compassionate Father, He is also a sovereign King; one who is concerned about our personal lives, but is more concerned about His Kingdom agenda.
Today, I challenge each of us to mature in our prayer life with God. Let's rise above what we see and begin to discover what God may be up to through His perspective. Be sure to always take an examination of your heart when praying through tough circumstances.
'Cause you never know when your mic may be on!
Milan Ford is a 12-year leader (and survivor) of college and student ministry within the local church. He serves as Content Editor for Streaming Faith and as the author of "The Pew View" (www.thepewview.com), a blog for church ministry leaders.
© Streaming Faith all rights reserved.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
A HIGHWAY FOR THE GOSPEL
In "The Tipping Point?", the author points out the concessions the dictatorial junta in Myanmar has made in dealing with disgruntled citizens. Whereas before, demonstrators were either killed or imprisoned for 20 years, most now are released after a day or two.
Another point is that Buddhist monks have found the situation not to their liking. The monks lean on the populace to provide food in trade for Buddhist teaching. Since prices have increased, the giving has been down. Therefore, teaching has been less as well.
Burma is about 4% Christian. It seems as though Myanmar would be a prime candidate for evangelists to preach there. But the door has been relatively closed...until now.
With Myanmar ravaged by a cyclone and the junta unable to deal with the situation, doors will have to be opened to outside aid in order for this catastrophe not to get proportionately worse. Leading the way will be Christian organizations with fresh water, food, medical aid, and other supplies such as Bibles and missionaries waiting to talk and pray them through their grief.
God is awesome and in control. He can do whatever He wants, whenever He wants. The junta in Burma cannot keep God out of Myanmar.
In Christ,
Brian
In "The Tipping Point?", the author points out the concessions the dictatorial junta in Myanmar has made in dealing with disgruntled citizens. Whereas before, demonstrators were either killed or imprisoned for 20 years, most now are released after a day or two.
Another point is that Buddhist monks have found the situation not to their liking. The monks lean on the populace to provide food in trade for Buddhist teaching. Since prices have increased, the giving has been down. Therefore, teaching has been less as well.
Burma is about 4% Christian. It seems as though Myanmar would be a prime candidate for evangelists to preach there. But the door has been relatively closed...until now.
With Myanmar ravaged by a cyclone and the junta unable to deal with the situation, doors will have to be opened to outside aid in order for this catastrophe not to get proportionately worse. Leading the way will be Christian organizations with fresh water, food, medical aid, and other supplies such as Bibles and missionaries waiting to talk and pray them through their grief.
God is awesome and in control. He can do whatever He wants, whenever He wants. The junta in Burma cannot keep God out of Myanmar.
In Christ,
Brian
The Miracle on Bourbon Street?
Today in church, our pastor read aloud an email he had received. The email was an account of Billy Graham leading 16,000 people from a New Orleans arena on a one-mile trek to Bourbon Street and the french quarter. As my pastor read the account, I found myself saying "yes, God" in my heart. I pumped my fist in praise. He went on to say that Billy Graham led the crowd onto Bourbon Street and led many to the Lord.
Unfortunately, the email was proven a hoax from 2006.
Am I disappointed? Yes. But, God can do whatever He wants, whenever He wants. Hope springs eternal and, if God wants to, and we, as Christians ought to, pray for revival to fall in New Orleans like Jonah going to Ninevah, then the story can become true.
In Christ,
Brian S.
Today in church, our pastor read aloud an email he had received. The email was an account of Billy Graham leading 16,000 people from a New Orleans arena on a one-mile trek to Bourbon Street and the french quarter. As my pastor read the account, I found myself saying "yes, God" in my heart. I pumped my fist in praise. He went on to say that Billy Graham led the crowd onto Bourbon Street and led many to the Lord.
Unfortunately, the email was proven a hoax from 2006.
Am I disappointed? Yes. But, God can do whatever He wants, whenever He wants. Hope springs eternal and, if God wants to, and we, as Christians ought to, pray for revival to fall in New Orleans like Jonah going to Ninevah, then the story can become true.
In Christ,
Brian S.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
I'M TIRED...
I'm tired of rising gas prices. Or more to the point, I'm tired of the reasons that are given for rising gas prices.
Rising demand globally plus stagnant supply ... ok, I know that if demand increases while supply stays the same, that creates a shortage and prices go up, but how can a Scottish strike possibly cause a shortage at the local shell station that same day?
The truth is that prices are the way they are because oil is traded on the commodities market. Investors speculating on whether or not oil will be flowing as freely tomorrrow as it is today are causing the prices at the pump to skyrocket. If oil-related bad news (such as a Scottish labor strike at a refinery) surfaces, investors buy commodities today in hopes of selling tomorrow for high profits. How does the market reflect increasing demand for oil commodities? The price rises. As the prices of a barrel of oil rise, gas prices tend to rise also.
How do we deal with it? Take oil off the commodity market. Or better yet, do away with the commodity market altogether. Let billionaires find another game to play.
I'm tired of rising gas prices. Or more to the point, I'm tired of the reasons that are given for rising gas prices.
Rising demand globally plus stagnant supply ... ok, I know that if demand increases while supply stays the same, that creates a shortage and prices go up, but how can a Scottish strike possibly cause a shortage at the local shell station that same day?
The truth is that prices are the way they are because oil is traded on the commodities market. Investors speculating on whether or not oil will be flowing as freely tomorrrow as it is today are causing the prices at the pump to skyrocket. If oil-related bad news (such as a Scottish labor strike at a refinery) surfaces, investors buy commodities today in hopes of selling tomorrow for high profits. How does the market reflect increasing demand for oil commodities? The price rises. As the prices of a barrel of oil rise, gas prices tend to rise also.
How do we deal with it? Take oil off the commodity market. Or better yet, do away with the commodity market altogether. Let billionaires find another game to play.
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