Friday, November 07, 2008

Seriously Funny

Christmas is just around the corner and we are excited to begin practicing for our special Christmas services on the weekend of December 20th and 21st.  I heard today that retailers are giving big discounts for the Christmas season, so I hope you will be ready for Christmas early this year, or if like some of my neighbors, you are ready for Christmas year round, all that's left is to plug in the string of lights permanently nailed to your roof!

Planting Churches Cross Culturally

I have been reading a book for my Master's work in church planting that I want to reccomend to all those who are planting churches.  Cross cultural church planting is in fact a reality for most church plants taking place in the US today.  Not only does David Hesselgrave give pratical insights, but the book os choc full of charts and forms that can be used to organize your new church.

Some take-aways....

1. Seven Steps ... Go where people are, preach the gospel, gain converts, gather them into churches, instruct them in the faith, choose leaders, and commend believers to the grace of God.

2. It is evident in scripture that God is interested in numerical growth, and one of the best measures of qualitative growth is numerical increase.

3. We need fellowship with, and the approval of, other humans.

4. Belongingness
     - Humans are social beings
     - God created a new society for the redeemed
     - In belonging to a church new believers have identity
     - Identification with the group, however, does not destroy individuality

5. True worship is prompted by disclosure of the secrets of the heart, detection of the presence of the Lord, and realization of accountability to God.

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Vomiting

The 2008 election has reminded us of a valuable lesson.  Politics is sickening!  Last night President-elect Obama won the election by making no apologies for being the most liberal person in Washington.  In the end, the "Maverick" middle of the road guy lost.  As a pastor and conservative, I was never a fan of John McCain, and though Palin sweetened the ticket, I still felt she was the orange syrup they put in really bad medicine.  The defeat for the Republican party was in fact a victory for conservatives.  My fear when Bush left leading and started following, and his numbers fell, was that the Republican party would leave their moral conservative base in exchange for what has become known as "Fiscal Conservativism."  (I would rather lose an election than a political party.) The thought was that Christians care more about their pocketbooks than they do their Bible.  What is amazing to me is that in a year when Republicans lost heavily, the FL Marriage Amendment overwhelmingly won with 62% of the vote.  This is clear.  When you water things down and serve luke-warm ideas, people are not inspired, people don't campaign, people don't vote.  What we can learn as believers is that we cannot win the battle for souls by compromise.  Luke warm never works.  Look how Jesus states it in Revelation 3... " 15“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. "


So the day after the election, I pray that Republican Party will be vomiting.  Now is the time for all of us to turn to Christ, and follow Him without compromise.