The Meeting

      Just got back from a morning breakfast meeting of some of the planners of ACTS church men's fellowship. Seems we are on the move again.
        Pastor Joe put forth the vision of claiming a whole corridor of our city to go door to door on foot. We would put on our Nike or Puma footwear and carry a survey with us.
      We would ask: "In the community, what does the church look like to you?" and the second question, " What services should your church be giving you in the community?"
      We would compile the answers and move in that direction of a needs service meeting church.
      So I have wondered also, since you are not my community how would you answer that type of survey if someone came to your door and asked you? Or maybe just talked to you? In other words, what would a church look like  which is meeting the needs you have?
     Interesting question.
     Feel free to comment.
     Also feel free to purchase what is offered here.

               

Bible Study for Growth

   Welcome. I want to spend a little time on the basics of Bible study for growth.
   We start off with a good translation of the Bible. It doesn't matter to me if you have a revised, a New King James, a New American Standard, or the New International translation.
   You just need one that you can read.
   In the study of your Bible you may want to mark up passages that you wish to note as important to you.
   You can get your suppies for this adventure at any stationary store.  I like to use a store like Office Max. They seem to have the products I need. Such as Paper Mate Flair Point pens.
     I also use a notebook-- it is a computer that I store my observations on. I tend to buy my electronics from the large stores such as Staples and Office Max.
     A Toshiba Notebook can also be purchased on line from technooutlet.com . but you can get a notebook from any good computer store also. You don't need to go ouline for everything. You can use a brick and mortar store.
    So now you have a Bible and a notebook and a pen.
   The pen is for jotting down observations in a notepad. so you will need a notepad.
   Open your Bible. Note what book you are studying. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, so we know who overshadowed it and caused it to be written. But we are searching here for the human writer. So you note that down,

Prayer Helps Interpretation

    Let's start with the gospel of Mark. Mark was the human writer. It says so in the title. That one was easy.
   Now you read to see what is being said.  What is the purpose? Who are the characters? Is there something there I should know? Write that down. Make note of it.
   After all, you are doing a Bible study for growth.  You need to record things to be able to go back and see your growth.
    You may also want to mark up your Bible. Yes, go on. It is permissible. You can underline verses you want to remember. Or verses that made an impression on you. You can write notes in the margins.                                  
    A Bible is meant to be interacted with. God is speaking to you through the words used. You talk back to Him in prayer.
    Feel free to comment with me. I will answer.
     

Family Devotions is a Good Idea

    Let me post about something very important. That is important if you want to grow as a family as well as a Christian.
    That is the subject of family devotions. It is also known as family altar. 

The family that does devotions together stays together

    But I very much prefer the term family devotions.
    You gather the family together. Start small. Read from God's word, the Bible. Or you can use a devotional.
      Start where you are.
       So we will use the devotional for this discussion. We will use it because it is easy to explain what to do for family devotions.
    Have one person read the scripture passage suggested. Then have the next person read the explanation. Then have the group discuss what is being said. How it applies to their daily existence.
    If there are needs expressed, have someone record these in a journal somewhere. This is so you can refer back to it as time goes on and see how the answer has been developing.
    Don't make it too literary. Just something like, "Mike was mean to me at school today. Guess I have to learn how to forgive him."
     You can pick up supplies to record these needs such as pens and paper from an office supply store such as OfficeDepot.
      Let me know how you are doing.

A new Pope- Pope Francis I

 Well, the waiting is over. The Roman Catholic Church has a new CEO- I mean-Pope. Pope Francis I is the name he wants. He is Jorge Marco Bergolic of the Argentine. 
  It seems this is the first Latin American Pope. He is of the fellowship of Jesuits.
   This may mean the present Pope will be more doctrinal. The Jesuit order of the Roman Chuch is the order that defends the faith against error.
   Of course that error is according to the misinterpretation of the Roman Church.
   They base their authority on church  ( and even there the term is not the same as a Christian who has a relationship with God, would use) councils and not on the Bible, the writen revealed word of God.
   Therefore their understanding is based on man's not God's revelation.
   Anyway, they now have a new Pope to replace Benedict XVI.
    Only time will tell if they made a good choice.

God is Sovereign

     First of all.. God is a Supreme Ruler. To be more exact He is The Supreme Ruler. He rules everything.
   God is Sovereign.
   He allows everything. Nothing is out of His control. Not even bad events. Not even illness.
   Do you actually think that there is anything God is not aware of? That there is anything God looks at and says, "Now, where did that come from?"
   This means that even evil in the world is allowed and caused by Him.
   Why?
   God is Sovereign, that's why.
     Even Satan is controled by God and there is nothing Satan can do that first doesn't pass by the permission of God.
   Satan is only a lap dog. A very powerful and evil lap dog. But he is not more powerful than  God.
    Satan is not the sovereign one. Dispite what you think, he is not in control untimely. He is not the one who decides how it will end up.
     I am presently reading a book by Kay Arthur. It will be reviewed in another  blog site  as soon as I am done reading it. It is good and I would recommend it. It is about life's disappointments and how God is not surprised that there are disappointments.
    Yes, God created everything perfect. Yes, He allowed evil to come into the perfect world. Yes, He knows what you are experiencing.
     Yes, God is sovereign.
                                Here is a link to the book at Amazon  for those of you who want to purchase a copy.

Jesus , A Man Of History

 Once again I hear people coming up with that remark Jesus didn't exist. That he is someone made up to explain a belief system that has no validity.
   Well, Jesus is a man of history..
   There is just too much evidence for the historicity of Jesus-- more so than for the historicity of a person called Julius Ceaser.
    Even outside the four gospels we have the accounts of Polycarp, Eusebius, Ignatius, Justin and Origin.
    There were no that far removed from the time of Jesus.
    Tacitus, born A.D. 52-54, writing in the time of Nero refered to a person named Christus who was put to death by Pontius Pilate, a procurator of Judea in the reign of Tiberius.
     Josephus born A.D. 37 wrote "There was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it is lawful to call him a man."
     I will not bore you with more. You get the idea.
    And it was this Jesus who claimed to be the Son of Man ( a reference to the Jewish Messiah)
    Just saying that Jesus is  a man of history
    .For reading on the subject try the book here.
  

God's Goodness

I had the question posted in Twitter by someone from Utah. Is God Good? God's goodness is everlasting, the Bible says.
   He got you up this morning. He is good. He allowed you to see another day. God's goodness is everlasting. He has provided to those who recive Him Eternal  Life. A relationship with Him. God is good.
     He gives you feet to walk on. God is good.
    You can wear Nikes or Puma Shoes  when you take that walk. God is good.
    And if you should decide to do a Bible study today and you get your pens and paper from OfficeMax thank God for He is good. God's goodness is everywhere.  For my Bible study I prefer the English Standard Version. Very accurate and up to date. Try it for yourself.