Muslim respect for Quran is impressive…

"Muslim women on their way to glean cotton early in the morning had found the torn pages of the Quran. They took the pages to local Muslim clerics, who in turn took them to the police." 

The respect that Muslims have for the Quran reminds me of the respect my parents tried to teach me concerning our Bible.  I remember I was not to set anything on top of it.  I still think about that today.  I wonder if we should maybe take a que from the Muslims and realize the respect and awe we should have for God's Holy Word?

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Neglect Kills… Faith Heals.

Recently I was on a bus ride.  As is typical in my bus rides, I asked the lady sitting across from me if she had ever seen God do anything.  She in turned looked at her friend sitting across the aisle from her and waited for her friend to answer this old man's awkward question.  I said, something like it wasn't a problem.  The bus ride would be a long one and there would be plenty of time for a "God Spot".  Before the trip was over, she had taken a picture of a "God Spot" and excitedly emailed it to me.  Pretty awesome when you can capture God authenticating His presence and allowing me to blog about it.  

 

On the same bus ride, I sat next to a young lady who had seen much too much of life through a bottle. As a child, she had been raised in a Christian home and prayed the believers prayer.  You know the one.  "God forgive me.  I am a sinner.  I don't want to go to hell.  Please save me."  That is a good prayer to pray.  Where you spend eternity is no laughing matter, but some how the prayer and loving parents was not enough to keep life from being brutal.  Can you relate to living life brutal?

 

Somewhere in her teenage years, she discovered alcohol and friends that fit in with a culture that led to alcohol addiction.  I thought (and think I asked her) how could that be?  How could she ask Christ to save her and then seemingly destroy her life with alcohol?  I wasn't surprised that it had happened.  I just wanted to know how?

 

It seems life becomes brutal one step at a time.  The young lady didn't set her sights on almost dieing from alcohol poisoning.  She didn't look to the future and consider separating from her husband.  She didn't know she would lose a son.  She didn't anxiously anticipate destroying her health.  All she wanted was a simple drink which led her one more step away from the Christ she had accepted as Saviour.

 

She tells of a time only months ago when demons were tugging on her to drag her with them.  She tells of heavenly angelic beings looking over her and discussing her destiny.  Then, she tells of recapturing  her faith and a God waiting with arms wide open.  A loving God.  Not a condemning God.  A saving God.  Not a destroying God. 

 

And in the blink of an eye, she became "ONE" that the world might know.  God instantly delivered her from a desire for alcohol.  She has been sober since and is chasing after a renewed love for Christ.  There are many struggles ahead as she works through the consequences of her actions, but she is confident in her faith and is eager to share it with others through word and deed.

 

This God Spot was special.  God authenticated His presence even before I got to ask the question, "Have you ever seen God do anything for you?"

 

As a parting thought:  Today, are you taking a single step toward God or away from God?

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Home church – Simple church – Micro church – Emerging church – Missional church – Emergent church – Seeker church

I always thought church was a simple concept.  Sunday morning you woke up.  You had pancakes.  You got dressed.  Found your Bible and fought on the way to church.  Seemed easy enough at the time and probably is still that easy for most.  It it that easy for you?

 

Then along came a growing uneasiness among many.  Maybe it was God who awakened their spirits to wanting something more.  Probably sometime during the summer months, you and I began sampling other churches.  We had a sincere desire to see if there was something more.  Although it seemed the experience was flavored differently, it still started with getting up, making pancakes and finding your Bible.

 

It seems many are still searching and some say they have found a more meaningful church experience in a church setting with few people.  The "new" church is being referred to as home, simple, micro, emerging, missional, emergent, etc.  It all gets a bit confusing, but the one thing they have in common is the experience centers around a small group of people.

 

If you are one that worships or has worshiped in a small church setting of some type, I and the world of blog would like to hear from you.  I plan on writing a series of posts chatting about small church experiences.  Please take a minute and share what you know about small church…

If you are aware of a website that focuses on encouraging the success of small church, please post it here also.  Thank you for your help.

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Post Church

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postchurch.pdf (533 KB)

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Do priests wear linen boxers?

Pastor Jeff led us in observing the “Lord’s Supper”.  It is a special time of remembering all that God did for us in having His Son die on the cross for our sins.  It is a time when we “feel the pain” of what it cost Jesus for us to enjoy eternal life.  But it got me thinking…

P.Jeff pronounced P dot Jeff.  I am believer that you can put a period anywhere in a word you want when you are tired of typing.  So, P.Jeff works quite nice and has a good sound to it.  Kinda like the lead singer in a rock band.  Anyway, that has nothing to do with what I was thinking.  It just came out and I was brave enough to type it.

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I was thinking that P.Jeff says we are all priests as members of the priesthood of believers.  So I need to reevaluate my wardrobe.  I don’t want to take this calling lightly.  Does anyone know where priests shop?  Like where do you get the fancy robes and backward collar things?  Are there special priestly shoes to wear or do they wear tennis shoes, hidden by the robe.  Then of course there are the undergarments.  Is there special priestly underware?  Will boxers do?  Should they be made out of silk or burlap?

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Seriously now, I’m thinking about starting a church and want to get this right…

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Tim bags a God Spot!

Guest post by Tim Heibel September 28 at 1:36pm

Archie, You wanted to hear about my Godspot… here is a quote from an email I just recieved. "I've been enjoying your status updates. My brother the Bible scholar! Who'd of thought? In my endless search of faith and patience over the last couple weeks I've also been on a special mission to hear what God has to say to me. So, it really freaked me out to see your post yesterday about your mission to see God!"

My "little" Sister lives in Missouri (where I'm from too) and just sent me this message out of the blue. Only God can speak to my little Sister through me from 800 miles away, when I did not even know she was looking for His leading.

I'm amazed when GOD uses me! ME…WHO AM I?

Tim
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Business as usual…

Business as usual…

I was chatting with a gentleman today and I asked the question, "Have you seen God do anything for you?"  He said, "Yes".   He had almost died and God brought him through all the suffering.  At one point he didn't ever know anyone.  Thankfully, God had restored him to enjoy a good quality of life.  

I then asked him what he thought the point of his suffering was all about.  He said he didn't know, but he was back in the pulpit in record time.   Obviously, God was in the middle of his rapid recovery.  But I am confused.  Have we become to complacent in our faith that we don't search after the deeper things of the faith. 

Shouldn't we ask the tough question, "Why? or better yet, "How might this catastrophe draw me closer to Christ?"  I would find it particularly troublesome if I suffered and did not find myself any closer to God. It's doubtful business as usual is pleasing to God…

 
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Angels battling for your soul…

So I was thinking…

Why is it one person falls in love with God's Word and another reads out of obligation?  I was a desciplined obligation reader most of my life.  I did a pretty good job of reading the Bible or at least I thought I did.  I carried it around sometimes and religiously took it to church.  I could even quote some scripture.

Then one day, my life collapsed and I couldn't live without it.  I began reading God's Word because my life depended on it.  I felt incredible pressure and stress that was only relieved by reading His Word.  I began appreciating the power of God's Word, I began praying His Word into difficult circumstances.  My eyes were opened to God's pleasure in hearing me repeat His Words with authority over the situation I was in.

My confidence and faith in God was simple.  He was either real and active in my life through prayer or He had fraudently misrepresented Himself.  I chose to believe Him as real and He chose to reveal Himself to me.  My life has never been the same.

Today I met a young lady, who has discovered the need for God with expectations of living a life pleasing and acceptable to God.  Her life had not always been that way.  She knew God as a young child, but over time drifted away from the God of life to the gods of death.  God in a miraculous fashion rescued her from a hell here on earth and a hell that was calling her name with eternal consequences.  

The battle was real and of angelic proportions.  It encourages me to hear of a God Spot where there is no doubt to its authenticity.  Just imagine….  angels battling for your soul.  

 
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Is God tired of helping?

It has been a great trip to Laredo and meeting with locals.  The hot dogs, chips, snow cones, pop corn and all have been a great draw to the community.  The hope is to create community awareness and hopefully plant a mission church here.  

I have been chatting with folks and my common question is "Have you ever seen God do anything for you?"  How would you answer that question?  Is it an easy question or does it take a lot of thought?  I am a bit confused.  Why, if God is alive and well, is it difficult to remember the last time God did anything for you?

The question of seeing God at work seems to be just as difficult for a Christian as it is for anyone else.  I must conclude, God either has tired of helping or we have tired of watching for His help.  What other explanation can there be?  I am open to your thoughts, but first ask yourself when the last time you had God do anything for you?

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“God’s word: I’ll take care of you”. ~God

God's eyes never cease searching for people of faith who believe His Word as revealed in our Bible.  It pleases Him to no end when He sees us take His instruction seriously.  He blesses those that love Him and follow Him.  How will you show you love for God today?

"… because you responded in humble repentance, tearing your robe in dismay and weeping before me, I'm taking you seriously. God's word: I'll take care of you". ~God

"The king acted immediately, assembling all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. Then the king proceeded to The Temple of God, bringing everyone in his train—priests and prophets and people ranging from the famous to the unknown. Then he read out publicly everything written in the Book of the Covenant that was found in The Temple of God.

The king stood by the pillar and before God solemnly committed them all to the covenant: to follow God believingly and obediently; to follow his instructions, heart and soul, on what to believe and do; to put into practice the entire covenant, all that was written in the book.

The people stood in affirmation; their commitment was unanimous." 

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