Pray For Our Troops

"There is a time for everything ,
and a season for every activity
under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to up root,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace." Ecclessiasties 3:1-8

Whatever your view is of the war, we must support our troops.
Please, keep them in your prayers daily.
Remember that it is someones grandson, granddaughter, husband, wife, son, daughter, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece, cousin, best friend, and most of all American.

Do you have any loved ones in the military overseas, in the war, Iraq or Afganistan?
Share if you would like how it feels knowing that other Christians are praying for you and loved one.
If you would like share how you have been bless by the church while they have been gone.
If you would like share how you have felt the strength that God provides during times of seperation.

I want you to know you are not alone God is with you and I and many other Christians around the world are in daily prayer for your loved one.
God bless them and your family for what they are doing.

What Will The Bride Look LIke When The Bridegroom Returns?

I can remember how I saw my bride on my wedding day. Beautiful. White dress. Pure.
The Church is described as the beautiful bride of Christ in the scriptures. Will Christ find her that way when He returns? Some fight over what version is right and which version is wrong. Fighting goes on over how to do worship, what women can do, how many elders to have, what elders should do, if there should be fellowship halls or not, gyms or not, power point should be used or not, what color the carpet should be. Fights, fights, fights. Splits. Splits. Splits happening everywhere. With every fight and with every split puts a bruise and blemish on the bride of Christ.

So how can we stop the fighting? How can we make peace? How can we focus more on loving our brothers and sisters who have different opinions than we do? How can we make make the bride of Christ look beautiful attractive instead of battered when the bride groom comes to get the bride on His wedding day?

What do you think?
Share your thoughts.

What Makes A Person A Christian?

What do you think makes a person a Christian? Is it belief in Jesus? Is it accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior? Is it going to church? Is it a person who has been baptized? How? Where? When? Does it matter? What age? Does age matter? Does a certain denomination or group make you a Christian? Is it grace? Is it obeying the will of God? Do you think it is following certain rules that make you a Christian? I really want to know what do you think that makes a person a Christian?

What do you think?
Share your thoughts.

Spiritual Warfare

I remember there was a time when and maybe still for some congregations, when the Church of Christ would never talk about the "Supernatural". Preachers and bible class teacher didn't talk about "Spiritual Gifts" if so, it was "reactionary" to Pentecostalism instead of what the text intended. You didn't hear sermons on angels or demons or spiritual warfare very often if any. You did get a lot if so often, "hell, fire, and brimstone sermons."
As Christians we must realize we are at war spiritually. It is a supernatural war like never before. Ephesians 6:10-ff tells us that we are in a Spiritual Battle as Christian, not of flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of the this present darkness with the evil spirits in the heavens." vs.12
Ministers, I am sure you are seeing it in our churches with the counseling the that we are faced with daily. The number of sick people in the congregation, death, lack of commitment, attendance at class vs. worship, the number of those who will be involved in public worship, number of divorced is on the rise. Satan tries to get good Christian leaders: elders, deacons, teachers, wives, teens, hooked on drugs and alcohol. There are many Christians who suffer from emotional , sexual, verbal abuse just for being a Christian in homes where mom and dad aren't Christians. .
We must understand we are at war. We can no longer ignore that there is not battle. We can no longer just go to church on Sunday morning, go to our comfortable pew and worship for an hour and leave unchanged. It is time to fight. It is time yes to minister and strengthen those for the battle in the church and to win those over who are on the wrong side. Can we do it? Yes!

Read Ephesians 6:10-20.

We as David did must understand that God is going to help us fight. God is our banner! God is our help! We can do all things through Christ! Nothing is impossible with God, Nothing! The time is now! Will you put your armor on and leave it on? Will you fight the good fight as Paul says? Will you fight till the end? Will you keep it on? Will share the good news with passion? Will you be strong and courageous?
I will pray that we will . It is my prayer. Because the battle is not over. Yes, we know the ending, but how will it end for you, your friends, co-workers, family members, fellow students, professors, people you haven't event met yet?

Share your thoughts.
What do you think?

T-ball, Spurs, & Good Old Christian Fun

My oldest son is once again playing T-ball. He is excited about his first practice last night as alot of his friends are on the same team. The first game is on Wed. night at 6:00 each team gets to bat twice through, no score of course, just good kids having fun of the game. Then rush back for worship at 7:00.

Go Spurs Go! I am a spurs fan all the way. It has been a rough series with the Suns both ways. Go Spurs Go!

Hopefully we will have our Church party to watch the Spurs win the finals again like we did a few years again. It was good Christian fun. I think Christians should show the world that we have fun together. That we have can have a great time at sporting events, concerts, six flags, parties, etc. I also think those kind of informal fun gatherings are great way to invite people who are intimidated to go into a church building to see what we are like and get know what we are about. As a youth minister I saw that was how our youth ministry grew and how evangelism took place and discipleship followed. Can it work in other ministries as well? What do you think?

Share your thoughts.

What Is Your Take On Paul Meaning in 1 Cor 13:10?

In Pauls first letter to the Church to Corith in chapter 12-14 he talkes about Spiritual Gifts and the body of Christ. The question that I have is what do you think Paul means when he states in Chapter 13:10 "but when perfection comes, the imperfection disappears."

Is it the return of Christ? Is it the death of the Christian? Is it establishment of the Church? What do think this means and why? Do we still have Spiritual gifts today? If so,which ones? Why? If not, why not?

What do you think?
Share your thoughts.

What Do You Think About Christians Bringing Concealed Guns To Church

In light of the Virginia Tech shootings Governor Rick Perry has proposed a law that would make it okay for people to bring a concealed gun to Church which has not been law in Texas since the 1800's. What do you think? Should people be allowed to bring guns to Church? Why or why not? What would be the purpose be to bring a gun to church? Do you think it could happen in your state? What message does that send to the world? Does it harm the message that we are trying to send to the world of love your neighbor as yourself? Does iwould it make it harder so show the message of and demonstrate to the visitors and the world God's love? Does it show that we are a people of grace and mercy? A community of hope and forgiveness? So, again I ask what would the purpose be to bring a gun to church? Are you for it or against or both?

What do you think?
Share your thoughts.

Prom or Not To Prom? That Is The Question In Some Churches

Being a former youth minister this time of year would come, yep, time for the prom. There would be teenagers who would go to the prom and teenagers who's parents who would not let them go to the prom and would want me to plan an alternate prom trip. The alternate prom trips we made very attractive to get as many as we could not to go to the prom but on the trip. One trip we took was a trip to Dallas and ate at a five star restaurant at Reunion Tower and went to Six Flags the next day. Others that I can remember were San Antonio ate on a river boat and went to Sea World. All trips off course where payed by the church of course.

So the question I have are: Is it bad for teens to go to prom? If so why? If not why not? Should churches make the decision? Or should it be the choice of the parent? why or why not? What do you think of alternate prom trips? Do they do good or harm within the youth group? How can you see it causing division between teens and parents? Where in the Bible does it say dancing is a sin? Are you for or against prom? Why or why not? If you are a minister would you let your teenager go to the prom if he or she wanted to go? Why or Why not?

What do you think?
Share your thoughts.