I found it a little more difficult to come up with this week’s discussion topic than usual.  Usually I know what I want to discuss at least a week ahead of time but this time I could not narrow it down.  There are still lots of questions in me but I am just not sure if they would interest you.

And current topic discussions seem to be a little heated to some but be assured, on my part, that they are just discussions.  Part of the reason I wait to comment on this Tuesday thing I am doing is to get real responses because I know that sometimes I am going to be a little controversial.  And I really value your input.  So I wait.

Then it has a tendency to get a little deep sometimes but I love you guys, and these discussions.

But this week will be, I think, maybe just a little less opinionated and more thoughtful.  But opinions are thoughts, so I don’t know really.  So here we go.

I have been reading about the different church models many ministries are trying.  Most seem to have the bigger is better mindset but there seems to be a growing movement based on the benefits of “house” or “home” churches.  These seem to be smaller groups of Christ followers just getting together for scripture exposition, worship and prayer time, and fellowship in either a home or some other small establishment.

Some think that this is the proper model after studying the early church, especially as depicted in some parts of Acts.

What do you think?

Do we need large buildings with many members and paid staff?

Do we even need the small 100 member churches with a small building but as much of the traditional trappings of church as they can afford?

Can a house church do what Christ instructed us to do?

Love you all.

Tags: Christ, christ followers, Church, Discussion, Fellowship, Love, Prayer, proper model, scripture, town hall, Value

There was once a group of people that were led by a loving, just ruler.  He had their best interests at heart and He provided for them in all ways.  Materially, physically and spiritually.  He was stern at times but always quick to dispense mercy and grace. 

But the people were not happy.  Their ruler was not like the rulers that surrounded them in other kingdoms.  Their ruler was never seen and chose to give out His instruction through other men and sometimes directly to individuals.  And His main goal for His people was to spread the knowledge of who He was, all of His love, mercy, grace, provision and instruction, to all people. 

This ruler was the perfect ruler but He was not good enough.  The people He tried to lead wanted something else.  They wanted a king that was a man from among themselves.  This ruler, who by now you know was God, warned them that it would not work out the way they wanted.  But He gave them what they wanted.  He gave them Saul.

From that very first earthly king, things never went the way they should have.  There were a couple of good kings to the Israelites, but none of them ever came close to keeping them in proper relationship with God.   

This post is my response to the questions I put forth on Tuesday.  And for all who responded I seriously thank you and value your input.  I am not being pretentious in saying what I am about to say.  These are new thoughts for me, after spending lots of time in prayer over these issues of voting and the choices laid out before us. 

We are ambassadors of our own King if we have chosen to be a part of the Kingdom of God.  We are supposed to serve Him and His Kingdom.  But instead we seem to think it is the Government of the United States job to uphold our ways and laws.  We seem to think that it is actually the reverse of the way it is.  That this country and its rulers are the ambassadors.  Jesus told us that we are of another Kingdom.  And He told us, while we are here to give to this kingdom what belongs to it but to give to our Kingdom what belongs to Him. 

As Shelly said, even the rulers we think are the right ones turn out to be something other than what we perceived. 

We happen to be in a country where we have been given the “right” to vote.  This “right” has been given by the Constitution, not God.  There is simply no justification that I can find for anyone saying that we are obliged to vote.  God allows it but would not require it. 

And this is the most important part of this post.  If we are going to exercise our “right” to vote, then we better vote for that person that lines up mostly with the heart of God.  If we do not, then we will be held accountable for that vote. 

But as for the question I proposed, I do not believe a person of another faith, even if that person might not make it to eternity with us, cannot have a heart closer to God than someone who declares themselves Christian.  And surely they might be better able to run this country.  

And if you haven’t seen what I am implying yet, I am not sure we should even be concerned with voting.  And know that I expect to get some flak from this.

We have a King.  And instead of listening to Him and doing as He says we waste, yes waste, our time in all the intricacies of the political process. 

Just answer this.  Have you spent as much time talking about Jesus as you have talking about McCain or Obama?  Have you spent as much time reading the bible as you have reading the reports on either of the candidates?  Have you spent as much time seeking Truth as you have the latest sound bite or lie about any politician?

When God calls someone to do something, He knows they can get it done.  Not necessarily that they will.  There is no way in the corrupt system we have now in the US of A, that a politician can be Holy and be an effective leader of this nation at the same time.    Therefore I do not believe God is trying to put any of them in the position.  And He really does not have to. 

God anointed Saul as king.  He anointed David as king.  Then He anointed Jesus as King.  We do not need another. 

I wish these facts were not so.  I wish we could vote the right candidate in and all of the terrible things going on in this nation, which grieve and anger our Lord, would be made right.  But even more, I wish that we would try to start doing what He wants us to do.  Then we could change this nation.  It is never going to be up to the elected officials to bring about the Godly change we need.  It is going to be up to us. 

2Ch 7:14  if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

The people of God must do these things.  Not the House, or the Senate, or the Judiciary, or the President, but only the people of God.  We want to blame everybody but ourselves.  And like when God called all the people to clean themselves up and come up the mountain to meet Him, we want someone, maybe another Moses, to do it for us. 

God help us and have mercy on those we have failed to reach.

I love you all so very much

Tags: Believe, Bible, Eternity, God, Government, Grace, King, Kingdom, Knowledge, Love, Mercy, Perfect, Prayer, Value, Vote, Work

Jonathan Wallis was born on April 4 1975.  His father was a steelworker and his mother was a waitress.  He didn’t have much when he was a child because his parents split up early in his life.  But he was a good boy and when his mother had to work at two jobs he had a lot of time alone.  He loved to read and stayed out of serious trouble and after a rough start, did very well in school.  He put himself through college and graduated with two doctorates.  At the age of thirty one in 2006 he developed a laser treatment that removed tumors in the brain without invasive surgery.

Susie Johnston was also born in 1975.  Her parents were in college when she was born and the strain on their relationship was tremendous but, they worked through it and were able to raise Susie in a good, loving, giving environment.  She became a nurse and in 2003 moved to South America to open an orphanage and medical clinic.

Josh Burroughs was born in August 1975.  He was placed in a state home immediately because his mother was in a rehab program and didn’t want him.  He was moved around for a few years and was abused.  But the Burroughs, Bill and Gloria, adopted him at 10 years of age.  With a lot of love and affirmation they motivated him to also finish college and move into research.  Just this year he announced, along with his team, that they had developed a cure for AIDS.

By this time you might be saying to yourself, “Wait a minute.  I haven’t heard of any of this.”  And you would be right.  None of the above happened.  I made it all up.  I was just wondering, what might have been. 

These three fictitious people, born thirty three years ago, might have been real.  They might just be three of the over one million casualties of war that happened in the worst battleground that existed in 1975.  That battleground was the womb of a woman that was told it was her right to kill an innocent.  An unwanted and unplanned child could be slaughtered in the womb and discarded as trash by any woman for any reason.  What an age of compassion and enlightenment we live in. 

Legislation was passed as the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA), and signed into law in 1970.  This established the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Council on Environmental Quality

In 1972, the United Nations held the first Human Environment conference which led to the development of special government agencies like the UN Environment Program to help regulate and set environmental standards.  This was so we could make sure and protect this earth we live on. 

In 1973 came the Endangered Species Act.  Peter Singer was also working on his book, Animal Liberation, which was published in 1975.  His main thesis is that if women can have rights, then animals should too. 

Our enemy also won a major victory in 1973.  Around the same time so many came to the defense of the planet and the animals that live on it, a few men sold out to the enemy and overturned many state laws that had protected the innocent child. 

And look at how far we have come.  We have a multitude of laws protecting the environment and animals.  We have groups out to convince us of global warming and animal species extinction.  We can go to jail for inhumane treatment of an animal.  We can’t even, by law, put a dog out of its misery in old age but instead, must let a veterinarian do it, in case we cause it to inadvertently suffer.

Peter Singer has moved on to teaching that a child is not even a person until some elusive time when it obtains, “rationality, autonomy, and self-consciousness.” These are required for a child to have the “essential characteristics of personhood.” 

So it’s okay that since 1973, because of some of our most prestigious judges being sold out to the enemy, we, as a nation, have slaughtered almost forty million innocent children in the name of selfishness. 

Imagine the potential that has been wasted.  Some of the earlier casualties of this warfare would be reaching the ages of maximum contribution to society.  God had a plan and a set of abilities and gifts for each one of them.

In the fiction I wrote at the beginning of this article, Jonathan was aborted because the parents didn’t really love each other and didn’t want a kid.  Susie was aborted because her parents found her to be inconvenient and an unfair burden to come from an evening of fun.   And no one was there for Josh’s mother to tell her that she could do something different.  The center she was in just wanted the child out of the way. 

There are many reasons that some think they should murder the innocent.  And I really hate that I sound so harsh.  And I do not judge or condemn anyone that has made this decision.  God loves you no matter what you might have done.  He can forgive you for whatever you might have done. 

I just wanted to point out one thing. 

Satan told Eve a lie.  She believed it and brought all of us into a war we didn’t ask for.  He is still lying.  He is telling some that murder is okay and he is telling some that it doesn’t matter if others do it as long as they don’t.  If anyone is okay with abortion, whether a woman having one, or a politician okay with it, or a person ignoring this by their vote, they are serving the enemy.

Anyone that could be a party to the dismemberment of an innocent, helpless child is deceived by the enemy of all of our souls.

Don’t buy into his lie?

I really love you all

Tags: Abortion, Church Issues, Enemy, Evil, Kingdom, Lie, Lies, Murder, Pain, Selfishness, Silence, Spiritual Warfare, Value, Worth

Psa 139:14  I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. ESV

I work in construction; cabinet sales, design and installation; and before this year started I was overwhelmed with more work than I could stand, almost.  It was financially rewarding but temporally taxing.  I had no time to do much more than work and go to church.  I had no clue what a blog was. 

Then the work came to almost a screeching halt.  A lot of people in the construction industry are not doing too well right now. Please pray with us and for us.

But that is not what I want to write about.  It is simply that I have quite a bit more time on my hands and this is how I started finding blogs and forums and online communities.  At first it was not that interesting to me.  People writing about politics and sports, their families and pets, and a vast array of other topics, didn’t hold my interest very long.  Then I found a site called Evangelical Outpost and I read quite a bit of its archives.  I was hooked.  Then I found some others like Parchment and Pen and Theologica.  All of these led to more than I could keep up with.  It made me want to write.

You see, I love talking about God.  What Jesus did for me is just so amazingly mind boggling that I can’t shut up.  So, since I spend more time alone than with people, this is an excellent way to keep me from just talking to myself or to God about Himself.  Although, that has been quite rewarding itself.  But God does want us to do the work He has left us to do.  To fight the battles that are before us.  This is just one of the ways I am following His orders.   

But there was a big problem.  I didn’t feel like I could possibly have any impact.  I wanted to have the writing skill that my brother in Christ, Shannon Mimbs, has.  I wanted to reflect the deep insight I detect in the posts of Dan at Cerulean Sanctum.  I didn’t want to make spelling or grammatical errors that would be out there for all the world to see.  (Like that might happen)  But finally, and I truly believe God told me this, I realized that it didn’t matter.  I was not supposed to be any of those others. 

David wrote the passage in the Psalms that I used above, and it applies to us all.  You and I were fearfully and wonderfully made.  We are precious in the eyes of God.  (1Pe 2:4)  Each and every one of us has a role to play, a part to do, a mission to accomplish.  (Eph 4:16)  We all have been given gifts to use in service to one another.  (1Pe 4:10) We are unique, one of a kind, and this is how God made us. 

We appraise and valuate a thing based on a few criteria.  A gem will be worth more if it is rare and or unique.  Gold’s valuation is determined on its scarcity and beauty.  An original piece of art is worth so much more than the best copy.  It has always amazed me that a forgery of art that is so good it may not be detected for years, once it is exposed, becomes worthless.  Copies are not worth a thing.  Even if almost perfect. 

So I don’t need to be you.  And you don’t need to be me.  We are the way we are and with the help of the Holy Spirit, any changes that need to be made will be.  But His mission is not to change me into you, it is to change me into a better me. 

All of my brothers and sisters rejoice in who you are, in who God made you to be.  You are precious to God and He wants to use you.  Use the gifts and abilities He has given to you. 

Don’t waste time trying to be someone else or envying their gifting and wasting yours. 

Love you all

Tags: Fearfully and Wonderfully Made, Identity, Praise, Value, Worth, Writing