I love kids

This is probably my favorite post right now.  Click and watch a friend’s daughter sing.  I love it! 

This is that childlike faith that Jesus has asked us to have.  Enjoy. 

Stayin’ with it?

Check out the resilience of Sunday school at some of the top churches from 1968.  Mark Wilson posted this.

There are a lot of challenges that hit churches as they become older. 

Fav 5 (Interpreting Christian lingo)

1. When a Christian says, “I am chosen.”  This means that he, or she, is going to Heaven therefore this person does not have to take any responsibility to live according to the gospel.
2. When a Christian says, “I don’t feel the Spirit here.”  This means that he, or she, is mad at the pastor, or the church that the person attends.  This person is seeking another place of worship.  This phrase brings about a wonderful release of responsibility to seek the Spirit and peace in fellowship.  
3. When a Christian says, “You are unteachable.”  This means that he, or she, is frustrated with the person who will not agree with them.  Or, this might mean that he, or she, thinks a person is hard-headed because of a different view point.  This is usually used by a Christian who is upset with another because the other person believes something else. 
4. When a Christian talks about being “Raptured out” continually this means that he, or she is done with the world.  That Christian is looking for an escape from responsibility to others in most cases. 
5. When a Christian tells another that “You sin every day in word thought and deed.”  This means that he, or she does not even try to stop sinning.  This person thinks that if he, or she, can convince other Christians of this, then the guilt won’t be so bothersome. 

I am a witness

I traveled to Indiana this last weekend to see my grandma for the last time.  What made the trip worse was that she did not have a relationship with Jesus Christ.  After a 9 hour trip with my cousin back home we walked into the room and saw that she was close to death. 

When we walked in my grandmother, instead of saying hi, asked me to pray for her immediately.  I imagine this was a result of a lack of energy which caused her to only speak what was most important to her.  I asked the Lord to heal her.  I confess that I was really asking the Lord for her comfort and really did not think anymore than that. 

After that hard prayer in front of my whole family Hospice came in and began to go over all of her options. What a depressing time it was when Hospice cam in; although it is a good organization.  Then the door opened for me to lead my grandmother to the Lord.  Praise the Lord!  It was interesting that she did not know how to be assured of where she was going. 

What was amazing after praying to recieve Christ she began to look better.  I told her so.  We went to her house to stay.  Then we got a call that the doctors wanted to double check her diagnosis, and some thought that Hospice was called in too soon.  So, to make a long story short, she is now up out of bed and the doctors are wondering how their first tests were so wrong.  I am waiting for a confirmation, but I beleive that God has healed her! 

The doctors, as you may guess, cannot explain what happened.  My family can.  By the way, most in my family do not know Christ.  What a witness!  They saw how it all happened, and they cannot deny that there is a God who takes part in our lives.  Jesus did not just save grandma from hell, but He saved her from physical death too. 

To all discouraged ministers

After spending a certain amount of time in ministry, one is likely to feel the drain of joy eventually, and this drain of joy will eventually lead to discouragement.  When discouragement sets in on those who minister to others there is an overwhelming urge to give up.  Here are a few suggestions.

First, when a minister is overwhelmed with discouragement he or she must remember the moment that God enlightened that person for His mission.  After all, discouragement is the seed of giving up because all seems hopeless.  Remembering the moment that the Holy Spirit brought peace and confirmation in the heart will be like hitting the reset button. 

I have personally found that there are times, while in the middle of discouragement that I have to remember how God spoke to me when He called me to that particular situation.  Nevertheless, those are times that I need to hear from God again so that He can tell me that I am going to be fine.  

What if God does not say anything to me when I am discouraged?  Confusion can set in when this happens.  This could mean that He spoke earlier, but I didn’t listen.  This could also mean that He is testing me too.  I had a friend back in Indiana who was married for 49 years!  He used to tell me that his wife would ask him why he never told her that he loved her.  His reply was that he told her that he loved her 49 years ago, and if there had been any change he would have told her so.  

Now, I don’t recommend this type of reply for a marriage.  However, could this reply get at the issue of God being silent?     

Secondly, those who are willing to fight discouragement must read their Bibles.  My family and I struggled greatly a few years ago.  We overcame that by reading through the book of Matthew together.  The TV was off and we read 4 chapters a night.  It was not long before happiness and faith were restored.  And, God took care of the hard situation that we were in. 

Last of all, if the first two suggestions do not work, then here are some other recommendations.  Try watching some Clint Eastwood movies.  Or, some older guy flicks like The Karate Kid.  Some others that are guaranteed to cheer you up are: Billy Jack, Rambo, Rocky, and etc.  Sorry ladies, I don’t know many other remedies for you.  May be The Bridges of Madison County?   

Something is wrong

Watch this disturbing video of a teacher being beaten in her classroom.   What if the churches helped the government deal with shool problems?  Imagine Christians who would go to the schools to simply roam the halls so that they could create a relationship with teachers and students.  In other words, there would be more help and security at the schools. 

We could come alongside.  This is what the Holy Spirit does for Christians.  So is this what Christians are supposed to do for others?

3 Things I love about my wife

She supports me when nobody else does.  If I need her to care for me she will.  If I need her to fight for me she will.  She will do what she can to make something work out for me.  Plus, she worries about my health. 

She believes in me when others don’t.  What is amazing about this is that she might even start out thinking that I am wrong about something along with others, but she we begin to believe in me any way. 

She defends me when I am defenseless.  If you want to stir my wife up; run me down.  She will come to my defense in the blink of an eye. 

I pray that everyone will find someone like that to spend their lives with.  My marriage to my wife is worthwhile, even if she does tell me what to do.

Incarnational living

“Incarnation,” according to Scripture, means “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us” (John 1:14).  This means that God came to us while we were far from Him.  We know that God pursued us through His Son Jesus Christ.  We were not going to look for God; He had to seek us.  Could it be that the word “us” means the everyday common people?  The people that are easily forgotten by the world and the Church?  Likely.  God was willing to “dwell among us” to bring us love, healing, meet our needs, deliver us from bondage, and to give us everlasting life.  Love caused Him to seek us. 

What does this mean for the Church?  If we say that the Lord lives in our hearts, then read how Paul says that are hearts and attitudes are like,  in Philippians 2:5-11, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.  And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.  Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,  that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

To understand how to apply these verses means we must go to Philippians 2:1-4, “Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.  Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.  Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” 

 All Church members, that means those who are part of the Body of Christ, are you taking part in Incarnational living?  This means going to those who are outside of the Kingdom.  We are the Embodiment of Jesus Christ who is in the world today through His Church.  If this is so, then could this mean that the Church is supposed to have more of a hand in seeking the poor and downcast?  Are Christians really getting outside of the walls of the church the other 6 days a week?  Are we remaining part of the Body of Christ those days?  Are we in trouble with God? 

Most churches can measure this by the attendence of new people to their services.  If the church is consistently not gaining any outsiders than is that church acting like the Church?  I suspect that American Christians are falling short for the most part on this subject.  What if Jesus expects more than just simply repeating The Sinner’s Prayer?”  If so, there is trouble ahead.  And we are blind mice. 

10 things my old high school friends would not believe about me

1. I am a minister
2. I am actually overweight now
3. I left Indiana
4. I went back to school and earned a degree
5. I don’t play basketball much anymore
6. I read a little bit now
7. I enjoy learning
8. I don’t party
9. I still play video games
10. I still goof off