I think of myself as a contemplative. I enjoy time away from the regular rush of the day to focus in and allow the Lord to speak into my like. So today I am taking a different course and spend a full day in Bible reading, prayer, and meditation. I have been going to Rosary Heights for many years with groups and by myself. It has been my secret get away within a fifteen minute drive. The house is operated by a few nuns who make wonderful conversation and serve the Lord day and night in prayer and by making this house available for people like me.
Over the years of too much to do, raising four wonderful children and lack of discipline, I have let this regular spiritual practice slip. Today I am hoping to re-engage with a old renewed habit and reestablish the value of of time away to connect with the Lord.
I can still remember, as brand new Christian in my early twenties, scrapping paint off the baseboard of the 110 year church bathroom while listening to a new (to me) genre of music called “worship” or “praise music and memorizing scripture for my home group assignments. There, on my knees in that bathroom, I realized there was a God - He received me, a people who loved me, and a welcome place to explore my Christian faith and a way to contribute in a tangible way to the work of God. Now, 24 years later, I see the same process still being followed by those who come to our churches. Any church you decide to attend should be a place to grow in your Christian faith, a place where people will love you, a place where God will be at work in your life and definitely a place where you can play a significant role.
I hold relationships, Bible teaching, Bible learning and ministry activity in high regard. It is important for disciples of Jesus to possess doctrine that is not only theologically sound, but also applicable to everyday life. I also believe that learning best takes place by those gifted by the Holy Spirit to teach, preach and lead. The church plays a powerful role in the development of the person and of the family. It is my desire that every person who walks through the doors of my church will not only be warmly welcomed but will easily connect to and become active in this wonderful church community.
Good Friday service was today at noon. Good Friday is that dip three days before the monumental pinnacle of Easter Sunday. For me it is a time of reflection, confession, repentance and connection with Christ in a renewed effort toward humility. Good Friday is probably the most raw view of Jesus, and what He has done for me, that I get throughout the year. This year I fasted the entire day (except for a small bowl of cereal in the morning to fight of intense nausea) prayed throughout the day and an hour before bedtime.
For our Good Friday service today I had the saying, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” the question naturally emerges, “how - or why - forgive a person for something they do not even know they are doing? Because we can be guilty for not knowing what we are doing and it’s sinfulness. Granted the notion of sin is diminishing, and definition of sin is being rewritten with each act of justification. Jesus makes it clear from the cross, forgiveness is only needed for the guilty, an innocent person does not need forgiveness and nobody can forgive an innocent person. And Jesus does not support the notion of “let your conscience be your guide…” it is clear - conscience is NOT the determining factor of wrongdoing. In other words, ignorance does not equal innocence. This is what I am thinking today on this Good Friday evening. God bless, Good Night.
I have been reading some prayer classics during lent. About half way into my second book, E. M. Bounds, “The Weapon of Prayer”, I’ll go ahead and state what God already knows. I suck at prayer! I know it’s not cool to say that about your now redeemed self, but when it comes to being a faithfully praying man, I do not do well. Oh, I am not saying I do not pray. But during Lent I have been keeping a journal/record and I know exactly when I pray, where I pray, what I pray and how long I pray. And I conclude that I suck.
One thing I can know, I am praying more now than if it were not a focused discipline during Lent. And the journal’s intention was to take away the mystery of when and how much I pray. I think most people think they pray more then they do. But prayer is also one of those spiritual practices that no one would say they do as much as they should. Interesting paradox. Why make a bid deal about prayer anyway? I’ll tell you why it is a big deal, and if you are not praying, here’s why you should.
God needs praying men. Praying men are the only men who can have influence with God. And praying men are the only men who can represent God in the world. I have never known the Holy Spirit to descend upon prayerless men. He never fills them, He never empowers them. If prayerless men are moved, it is by some other force; the prayerless man is counting on some alternative source to get his stuff done.
E. M. Bounds reminds us that Jesus committed the future destinies of mankind to men who made praying their chief business. No doubt, prayer should be a controlling factor in our lives and especially for those who lead. They must get their leadership in and from prayer because men of spiritual might will always value prayer. Prayer is the only channel through which spiritual supplies come.
Q> What value do you put on prayer?
Q> Is your spiritual work primarily the result of prayer?
Canvas did their CD release concert tonight at the church. It Rocked! A lot of energy with radiant hearts showcasing new songs. These guys really make me proud. I am happy to be friends with the band, one of their fans and associated with the product.
For those of you outside of Cedar Park land that want to get your hands on this new released album, Everlasting King, you can order the CD from the Cedar Park Store. I heard rumor that the album will be available on iTunes. So, it’ll be cheaper if you wait…but then, of course, you won’t have the actual CD. It’s your choice.
I like all the songs. The Title track is probably my favorite, thanks Jordan. Coming King is an awesome song for any church that celebrates Palm Sunday, like we do.
Turn the World still makes me tear up when we sing it. You should grab a copy of the CD and make up your own mind.
Track list
1. Hear Our Praise
2. Let the Earth Proclaim
3. Coming King
4. Everlasting King
5. Everlasting King Reprise
6. All Creatures of Our God and King
7. Thank You
8. Turn the World
9. Your Name
10. I Want to Sing
11. Great is the Lord
This is not funny, yet very funny. the Holy Observer reports that a hacker got into Biblegateway.com and did the devils work by switching Bible versions. From Sunday at 1:28 AM till Tuesday at 7:39 PM anyone at BibleGateway.com who looked up passages in the King James Version of the Bible was actually presented with passages from the Amplified Bible (and vice versa). It wasn’t until BibleGateway.com’s feedback center was bombarded with thousands of complaints that they looked into and resolved the issue. Compliments were also submitted.
Don’t get me wrong, people should not mess with the Bible. But at the same time people who take their Bible translation this seriously should come up with a better method than cut/paste.
Some comments that stick out to me from this incident.
Funny…
The American Fundamental Baptist Association National Conference on July 12th, where pastor and co-chair of the AFBA Jimmy Rainford accidentally quoted and displayed a verse from the Amplified Bible instead of his authorized KJV on three 20-foot screens during an evening sermon. More than 11,000 of the 13,000 appalled attendees walked out of the stadium while over 100 attending pastors’ wives fainted in their dismay.
Rainford explains, “I was up very late on little sleep Friday night gathering God’s word for my sermon slides. I must’ve been too tired to notice the devil’s foothold pulling me down into the demonic realm of blasphemy. The screen said it was the KJV, but evil can creep in very subtly!”
Some of Rainford’s cohorts, while horrified by the mix-up, are surprised that he of all people could let this slip by. Pastor Dale Embrook, another speaker at the conference, explains, “Good mercy, there was nothing subtle about the toxin that was spewing from his mouth! How Satan was able to deceive him on such a simple verse, I do not know.”
I sometime forget that Almighty God rules the world! My failure to pray really is my failure to exercise this most basic truth. And, according to E.M. Bounds, “failure to pray is failure along the whole line of life.” On that same line, if I do not pray, I rob myself of God’s help and places God where he cannot help me. I believe God has made it so that prayer cannot be a secondary force in the world.
Prayer is not just an absolute necessity for me, but it is in carrying out God’s work. God made it so. I am thankful that Hybells wrote a book about “Too Busy Not to Pray”. I have read it - oh, five times. However, I am still the crash test dummy for the “Too busy to pray…”, mantra. This practice is a precursor to backsliding. God cannot do his will and his work with backsliding people. Satan has effectively disarmed us when he keeps us too busy to pray, this is why prayer needs to be on our regular diet of disciplines. The apostles effectiveness in the word is connected to their devotion in prayer. So they gave up some “right” things so they could remain loyal to a few other right things. However, the wrong right things may become the destructive things when they are allowed to fix inordinately upon our hearts.
Every licensed or ordained minister in the Assemblies of God received a copy of George O. Woods book, “Core Values; serving Christs Cause with Effectiveness and Excellence” I got mine in the mail just before I headed out of town for a few days away with the family. I thought I’d read bits and pieces throughout those “clutch” times throughout the day, where we shift from one activity to another.
U.S. Assemblies of God is planting, on average, 275 churches a year. That works out to one new church about every 1.3 days
U.S. Assemblies of God closes, on average, 275 churches a year. That also works out to one less church about every 1.3 days
Believes that is we lessen ecclesiastical structures, rules and regulations that often alienate, we will place a welcome mat out to younger ministers
There are 25,150 communities that can be identified demographically. The Assemblies of God has no churches in 18,742, or 74.5 percent.
230 U.S. communities have between one hundred thousand and five hundred thousand people. We have church in all but six of those cities. Six cities with six figure populations and not a single AG congregation.
AG has churches in all of the 31 cities of more than 500,000 in population.
2/3 of all US AG churches are fewer than 100 in attendance. 1/3 are fewer than 50, and 1/3 are between 50-100.
Plan is to have 1000 churches planted or on the drawing board in 2009
Even though we follow the national downward trend for Sunday school, AG Sunday School attendance holds at 1 million.
George’s first official act as the newly elected Superintendent was actually at 1:30 the morning following his election. He logged onto futureAG and told the young leaders who formed the blog that they have a place around the table of leadership at the AG. I think this will prove to be one of the wisest acts showing fruit for decades. Listening and partnering with young leaders.
Some stuff about George:
Did not think he would be elected to office
Has personally known every General Superintendent since E.S. Williams
Completes Sunday Sermons by Friday afternoon. Cannot see how anyone can minister effectively by scrambling to prepare a sermon on Saturday night!
His father was a missionary in Tibet and was poisoned with enough poison to kill 10 men. He survived!
George occasionally wears his moms “Avon’s Highest Honor” pin
Favorite quote of the book:
“When the church has no power [in prayer], it is reduced to argument.”
During Lent we concentrate our efforts on the work of the spirit, how to strengthen the spirits work and weaken the work of the flesh. This process often uncovers otherwise invisible inbred actions and attitudes that have not been surrendered to Christ. These habits control our lives. But we also know that nothing should control our lives but the working of the Holy Spirit. We easily can think that what is needed is shear effort. But what we really need is “lift”. The lift is the work of the Spirit. For the past 12 years we have held a service during lent to help people connect with the power of the spirit. Following worship and preaching, pastor gives instruction to write out what they sense is controlling them that is not the spirit of God. Then everyone makes their way forward and pins this addiction or controlling habit to the cross.
“Dear Heavenly Father, I ask that You release my mind, body and spirit from the controlling influence that I am powerless against. I realize the only thing that should lead my life is the Spirit of God. So, I confess to You, and ask for Your help in the following area(s)”:
“Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to its lustful desires. Do not let any part of your body become a tool of wickedness, to be used for sinning. Instead, give yourselves completely to God since you have been given new life. And use your whole body as a tool to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you are no longer subject to the law, which enslaves you to sin. Instead, you are free by God’s grace. ” Romans 6:12-14
I think of myself as a contemplative. I enjoy time away from the regular rush of the day to focus in and allow the Lord to speak into my like. So today I am taking a different course and spend a full day in Bible reading, prayer, and meditation. I have been going to Rosary Heights for many years with groups and by myself. It has been my secret get away within a fifteen minute drive. The house is operated by a few nuns who make wonderful conversation and serve the Lord day and night in prayer and by making this house available for people like me.
I have been reading some prayer classics during lent. About half way into my second book, E. M. Bounds, “The Weapon of Prayer”, I’ll go ahead and state what God already knows. I suck at prayer! I know it’s not cool to say that about your now redeemed self, but when it comes to being a faithfully praying man, I do not do well. Oh, I am not saying I do not pray. But during Lent I have been keeping a journal/record and I know exactly when I pray, where I pray, what I pray and how long I pray. And I conclude that I suck.
Every licensed or ordained minister in the Assemblies of God received a copy of 
