Monday, June 11, 2012
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Back Home!
Just returned from annual conference where we spent three days listening to some of the best preaching in the country! I tried to embed this video, but my mind is too fried to figure it out, so here's a link for the first session that Jorge Acevedo, lead pastor of Grace Church in Cape Coral, FL gave about building healthy teams. Watch the video and if you want more info go to their website at http://www.egracechurch.com/. I've also included a link to Bishop Palmer's presentation on risk taking missions with the poor. Enjoy!
Jorge Acevedo 1st presentation
Risk-Taking Missions: Poverty
Jorge Acevedo 1st presentation
Risk-Taking Missions: Poverty
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Peoria or bust!
As I write
today I am only half here…the other half is continually going thru a mental check list of what I
need and what will be going on at Annual Conference later this week. We meet
annually to conduct the business of the conference but
more important, at least for me, is the opportunity to worship. There will be a
memorial service, a service of ordination, a service for those retiring, and finally, a service of appointments. It is great to meet with several of my colleagues
and friends that, because of geographical distances, I no longer see routinely…it
is even better to meet God there! If you haven’t started yet, begin praying for
the conference today…for the business meetings, for the services, for traveling
mercies for all those attending. If you want you can follow the conference online at http://www.igrc.org/annualsession, where you can even watch a
live stream of the business sessions and services. I am not sure exactly what my
schedule will be for the rest of the week, but I will try to post some from
Peoria between activities. If that doesn’t happen, know this: God is still on the throne!
Monday, June 4, 2012
Fear of What?!
The second
chapter of Francis Chan’s book, “Forgotten God” asks believers what I think is
the most relevant question before us concerning the Holy Spirit or God for that
matter: “What are you afraid of?” It seems that fear drives may people in our
day…both outside the church and inside. We’ve even got a scientific name for it…is
anyone really surprised by that? Theophobia is the fear of religion or of God…this
is not the healthy fear of the Lord that we read about in Scripture, which by
the way is the beginning of understanding (Proverbs 1:7)…this is an irrational
fear that grips us and refuses to let go. That’s what I think Chan is speaking
of…fear that God might be right and I might be wrong. Fear that God wants to do
something in my life and I am not sure I want to go there. Fear that I might be
seen as a radical or a “religious” person, I mean, what would others think?
Fears like these cripple disciples (I use the term loosely), causing their lives
to be spent worrying and wondering what might have been, rendering their witness
virtually useless for Kingdom purposes. It’s a sad day when satan can render
someone useless because of what might be. The Holy Spirit offers us assurance,
boldness, confidence and power. No fear here!
Friday, June 1, 2012
Being Fruitful
In John 15
Jesus talks about being the true vine and we are the branches…I am not sure
many understand the gravity of this chapter. It is full of words like “you will”
and “you can”…I don’t find any “if you want to’s” in the text. Jesus says we
will bear fruit (not to be confused with being fruitful in Gen. 1:27!) if we are his branches. Actually, it says those branches who do
not bear fruit will be pruned! And so many people believe they are bearing fruit
for Christ by doing those nice little things that they enjoy doing for the Kingdom.
However, a branch does not decide what fruit it will bear, the vine dictates
that. The branches on a grapevine will not produce peaches. A branch on a
cherry tree will not produce apples. The vine and/or tree decide that. If we are in Christ we will produce the
fruit HE produced. Being religious or holding an attendance record at Sunday
school is not Jesus’ idea of fruit. Jesus’ fruit is loving the unlovable,
having compassion on the brokenhearted, and healing the hurting. Kind of makes
that perfect attendance pin look like the cheap costume jewelry it really is!
So rather than doing the things we want to do and claiming it as fruit, we are
to “produce fruit that will last” (verse 16). Then Jesus goes on to broadly define
exactly what fruit that will last is in verse 17, “So I command you to love each other.”
Any questions?