My new, old blog.

Welcome to my new - old - blog. It has been about three years since I've posted anything - I'm guessing that Facebook kinda took the place of my blog. So, here's my first installment if you are interested.

"But ye shall receive power"

For you bible readers... that quote is taken from Acts 1:8. One of the most omitted and glossed over, skimmed past, and taken with a grain of salt statements in history. The result is, obvious... powerless, superficial, very ordinary Christians... and very ordinary, weak, powerless churches.

Notice that I didn't say, "Unsuccessful" churches or Christians. Many churches have huge sanctuaries, with hundreds and thousands of members whom all love God - and most of whom will spend eternity in heaven. Lots of Christians that live a wonderful life, raise Godly children, serve God, win people to the Kingdom, etc... We must redefine what we refer to as success. Now, it doesn't matter how big the church is... but I will say that 30,000 people can be wrong... or 30 people... it doesn't matter.

Oh, believe me - I'm not saying that I have this thing all figured out or that my church does - don't take me for a fool. But we must all realize that even though we have had some success - that too many people in America have turned from the faith... Not to mention the gazillion others that HAVE NEVER HEARD the GOSPEL and never had the chance to reject it.

Power is the problem... we've trusted in our own wit... catchy sermons, secular music translated in to something kinda Jesus-ee, programs, events, cool stuff to lure in people. Truthfully, most church growth is cross-growth. That means people just change churches. It's consumer driven. When are we going to realize how shallow that is? There is a white elephant in the room - the world sees it - but us Christians have been blind to it. If you're thinking "The ends justifies the means" then you are wrong just as I used to be wrong. It does matter how we reach the world - because the only way the fruit will remain is if we do it God's way.

1 Cor 13:2-10 THE MESSAGE
If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. 3-7If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
Love doesn't strut,
Doesn't have a swelled head,
Doesn't force itself on others,
Isn't always "me first,"
Doesn't fly off the handle,
Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn't revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.
Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled.