Theormin's blog

Now that we are here . . .

2011-04-16T09:17:00.001-07:00

It has been a while since I last did an update, partly because it has just been so busy. We have already moved again since arriving here and are now in a cozy duplex near the church. We also discovered that Alicia is pregnant with our third child who is due in August. We are so excited for this new addition to our family! On a sadder note we have discovered that Bailey our dog has a tumor of some sort. We are still trying to figure out what it is and if we are able to to anything about it. We do miss our family and friends but we are excited to have discovered that Alicia has relatives on the island. They now live in Nanaimo but they were also missionaries in Pakistan. We have been getting to know our new friends and Alicia has now started a new blog with one of them called Two Hens In The Kitchen. They will be blogging about their adventures in healthy cooking on a budget with Joel and myself the guinea pigs. At any rate we are having a blast on the island and we are getting excited for the summer!

On The Move

2010-11-11T06:58:00.001-08:00

It is now official! Alicia and I have accepted the position at Highway Christian Fellowship in Sidney, BC (Geocaching capital of Canada and maybe the world). I will be going a Minister to Young Families. Some aspects of this job will be familiar but others will be breaking new ground for myself and the church. We are so excited for what God has in store for us!

For those of you that know us, we miss all of you back in Ontario and we will miss our friends from Alberta. We hope that we will be back to visit before too long but for now we hope that you will pray for us as we enter this new chapter in our story. Maybe some of you will have the opportunity to visit us!

For those of you from Sidney, we are so excited to get to know you and are praying for you. We will be arriving at the end of November and begin on December 1. Thanks so much for the warm welcome we are already receiving from many of you. We are so proud to be working with pastor John and the great team that he has built around himself. It can be so easy to loose sight of how blessed we are when we rarely if never see the alternative. You are a blessed church and we are humbled and grateful to be a part of it.

So here's my question for everyone - What is your greatest need currently as a young adult/married/family?
For the Sidney folk - What do you see as the greatest opportunity in our city in relation to young families?

Geocaching Tip #1 - Gloves

2010-10-09T16:53:00.003-07:00

The one thing that has made the difference between finding a cache and reporting a DNF (did not find) in my experience geocaching is having a good set of work gloves. We recently went out and purchased some light weight, snug fitting gardening gloves and went out to find several caches that had been eluding us. In each case we had given up in the past after getting tired of prickly pine trees and thorny weeds. Armed with our $15 gloves we returned to each of the sites and found them all within a couple of minutes of searching.
Bottom line: get yourself a decent pair of gloves and avoid all of the scrapes and scratches and leaving dissappointed after a long search in the woods

Garmin GPSMAP 60CX - Review

2010-09-04T07:14:00.000-07:00

My first GPS unit was my HTC Touch. The antena is weak and so your location jumps all over the place and the battery life using the GPS is terrible. Never-the-less it was a great way to dive into Geocaching without making a big investment.

More recently I purchased the Garmin GPSMAP 60CX. This is the best rated unit on Geocaching.com. I would join in with those reviews to say that this is a great unit. WAAS technology combined with a quad-helix antena make location finding very accurate. I almost always have an accuracy of 2-3m even in the mountains and dense tree cover. You might think that it would make caching too easy and take the fun out of it. I find it takes the frustration out of wondering whether a cache is 10m north or 10m west. Going back and forth wastes a lot of time and often makes more difficult caches impossible to find.

As a dedicated GPS unit with a sturdy design and weather resistance there isn't a comparable unit on the market. I also used this unit on a canoe trip recently. We dunked a couple of times and the unit stayed clipped to my belt (I also had the strap clipped in my life jacket as a precaution) and kept working with no problems. The only issues I have encountered with it are:

Paperless Geocaching - As a geocacher it does have some caching capabilities which were important to me but its not fully paperless caching unfortunately. A software update would be enough to resolve this issue but it doesn't seem likely.
Maps - It is a map capable device but the base map it comes with is almost useless. It does show most cities and major highways but not much else. Maps for Garmin are still high priced and with the iPhone, Android or many other devices you can get up-to-date maps through Google for free you just don't have the dedicated GPS technology.
One last problem I ran into is the nob for cliping the unit on the belt clip fell off my unit while caching one day. This nob screws onto the back and if not extremely tight the motion of the unit swinging back and forth is enough to loosen the nob right off. If using the belt clip ensure you tighten this nob very tight and check it regularly to ensure that it is not loosening off.

* Update: Garmin now has a GPSMAP 62ST which is virtually the same as this unit but has a few updated features such as an electronic compass and barometric altimeter.

Geocaching - Tips for getting started

2010-06-01T17:23:00.001-07:00

Geocaching.com has a getting started guide which you should read first but I thought I would write my own tips in hopes that I can help people overcome some of challenges that I faced in getting started.

Sign up for an account @ geocaching.com
Include your home co-ordinates to make finding caches near you easy.
Finding caches is a lot easier if you have a good dedicated GPS

Some libraries have GPS's that you can check out like a book
Car GPS's and cell phones are typically not suited to geocaching. Car GPS's typically have a lock to road function and are not designed for off road and high accuracy. Cellphones often use GSM positioning or when they use GPS have very limited battery life and are generally not accurate enough to find a cache.

Try to find someone that has done it before to go with you the first few times or bring a couple extra sets of eyes. It usually takes a couple caches before you know what to look for.
Be patient. Finding your first cache is almost always the most difficult and may take a couple of tries.

Is Social a Four Letter Word? - Acts 4:32-37

2010-06-01T16:58:00.001-07:00

I have to be honest reading this passage both scares me and convicts me at the same time. It scares me because I know what it would cost to live the way these early believers did. It convicts me because I know I am way more selfish and greedy than I should be. A while ago Glen Beck said in his broadcast;

"I beg you, look for the words 'social justice' or 'economic justice' on your church Web site. If you find it, run as fast as you can. Social justice and economic justice, they are code words (for communism)."

I believe that you have to get down to really defining what social justice in a Christian context is really about. Its not just about government reform. Its not a political agenda. Its about a life that has been regenerated through the power and grace of Jesus Christ. A life that has been called to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself. The only reason that the believers in Acts could live with this "socialist" type of mindset is because of the lack of greed and the generosity that every person showed. When we cover next section in Acts it shows us what happens when greed is allowed to creep in.

If you got really honest does Acts 4 living scare you, convict you, or does it excite you? Is Acts 4 an ideal that lacks practicality or is it a plausible way to live today?

When Nations Scheme - Acts 4:24-31

2010-03-17T15:29:00.001-07:00

Everything in the world will come against the gospel of Christ moving forward. There is a constant battle that aims to rip the church apart. On this particular occasion the Bible tells us that the attack on Peter and John united the disciples. Why is is that conflict so often leads us to division when it should lead us to unity?
The conflict drove them to pray so intensely it led the author to note how loudly they prayed. Some people have a problem with loud prayers. No, I don't have to be loud to pray. No, it doesn't make it more effective. There has to be some sort of connection between my faith and my emotions though. People that claim Pentecostals are all emotional are sometimes right. It shouldn't be my emotions that drive my faith, however. Instead my faith should drive my emotions. That is the difference between the authentic work of God and emotional hype.

So the disciples prayed. They prayed scripture. They prayed for God's will. It is interesting that they recognized that as unjust and wrong it was for the people to crucify Christ, that it was God's plan from the beginning. The resurrection wasn't plan B. It's not like they crucified Him and the Father was like "oh shoot I was really hoping that wasn't going to happen. Guess I'll have to raise Him from the dead."

It was this knowledge that shaped the disciples prayer. They didn't pray for the persecution to stop. They didn't call down fire and lightning on the rulers and leaders of their day. Their prayer - pay attention to their threats now, and allow us to speak your word boldly." Their concern wasn't that they would be hurt or put in prison or mistreated. Their concern was that the Gospel went out. Their concern was that miracles and healings would continue to verify the message and name of Jesus Christ. Has the church become so preoccupied with staying out of trouble that it is no longer worried about the Gospel moving forward?

Noticed - Acts 4:1-22

2010-03-11T12:40:00.001-08:00

How often have you tried to do something without the Holy Spirit? I have discovered the hard way that I desperately need to live, speak and act based on the power of the Holy Spirit. Whenever I haven't relied on Him I have found myself falling flat on my face.

Verse 8 says that "Peter, because he was filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them". Peter didn't speak because he was smart, influential, articulate, arrogant, or anything other than one simple fact - he was filled with the Holy Spirit. It was this reality that allowed Peter to speak boldly and authoritatively.

After Peter spoke the rulers noticed several things about Peter and John (:13)

They were uneducated - Its easy to fall back on our training and education. I wonder if we sometimes let our heads get in the way. We rationalize all of the reasons that this isn't the way God works or speaks.
They spoke boldly - We are all driven by fear so much of the time. The only weapon we have against fear is surrender to Jesus and the Holy Spirit
They had been with Jesus - When was the last time you encountered Jesus? That changes everything! Notice it doesn't say they had been hanging out with the High Priest, or the most learned Pharisees or Rabbis. They hadn't noticed them around Roman rulers and authorities. They noticed that they had been with Jesus.

What do people notice about you? Do they see your accomplishments, your skills, or your knowledge or do they see that you are filled with the Holy Spirit and that without Him you are really nothing?

A quick update

2010-03-01T16:43:00.001-08:00

I have made a few changes to the site and will continue to add some more contact but I wanted to draw some attention to the links at the top of the page. Feel free to click around to see more info about me and some of the projects I am working on. I am doing a lot to enhance these projects and get them ready to share with people. If anything you see interests you please contact me or leave a comment and let me know what you think.

A New Direction

2010-02-21T10:00:00.007-08:00

Today we are announcing that we are leaving the church in Camrose. We are very sad that we must go. We have had some great experiences here and we love the people. At this time we do not know where God is leading us but we trust Him with our lives and look forward to what He has in store for us. We know that some people will not understand, others will feel abandoned and still others will be thrilled! Just know that we love you all and wish you the best.

What did he just say? - Acts 3:11-26

2010-01-25T10:45:00.002-08:00

Last time I talked about Peter's boldness and now we see it even stronger. I think we can read many parts of the Bible and in our heads we say "oh he's sharing the gospel" but miss what is being said. Imagine this, you are a 1st century Jew and you spend a lot of time hanging around the temple in Jerusalem. You have been taught the Holy Scriptures and along with all the people around, you are awaiting a promised messiah. Now imagine being amidst this crowd of people in astonishment of what has just happened and Peter stands up and says you know the messiah you've been waiting for? Well actually you guys killed him.

You might just stop listening there but Peter continues. Its ok God raised Him from the dead. You didn't actually know what you were doing, like your rulers you were just tools.

Now for the pitch - if anyone wants happiness and to go heaven please raise your hand, fill out the communication card and we'd love to have a non-confrontational prayer with you. But that's not what Peter does here is it? Peter doesn't give the grace talk he tells them to repent which the God's Word Translation accurately interprets "change the way you think and act." Peter calls for life change.

We are all guilty. While it may not have been my hands that put Jesus on that cross it was my sin that put Him there. Peter's approach certainly wasn't the way we like to present the Gospel but it was effective (see Acts 4:4)

Boldness - Acts 3:1-10

2009-12-30T18:45:00.001-08:00

What takes a guy from being "all talk" to becoming a man who commands a cripple to his feet? Peter always had guts. He was the boisterous, go get 'em guy who was willing to step out of the boat, chop off a soldier's ear to defend his Master, and yet struggled with fears over and over again? Last Sunday I preached a message about power and authority. When believers operate in the area of their authority with God's power they will experience incredible things. When Jesus sent out the 12 and later the 40 the Bible says that He gave them power and authority. It was this deadly combination that allowed them to heal the sick, drive out demons and see powerful miracles. When Christ left He delegated authority to His followers and told them to wait for the power of the Holy Spirit. So when Peter received the Holy Spirit he went out with boldness not because of who he was but because of who God is. Peter was able to have boldness because he was walking in his authority and in the power of the Holy Spirit.

What things cause people from experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit? What things keep people from walking in the authority God has delegated to them? Have you ever had a moment where you discovered the authority you have? Have you ever seen this combination at work?

Humble Beginnings - Acts 2:40-47

2009-12-23T19:48:00.001-08:00

The church in its earliest days looked very simple. Things were very exciting and everyone just got along. What happens to that joy? What happens to the simplicity? One of the big challenges we have is when we get comfortable. Things are going good, people are getting saved and the next thing you know God wants to knock you out of your box. Its a good thing when God shakes things up but we rarely like it. The whole book of Acts documents the early church having their pre-conceived ideas and biases messed right up. Everything from a Jewish teacher who was trying to rid the world of the Church becoming a Christian (but God he's a killer!) to gentiles being filled with the Spirit. Its not comfortable. Its not so simple anymore. Has God caused your box to be blown apart lately? What is God doing in your life that goes against all the notions you have about how God works?

Youversion Reading Plans

2009-12-21T09:18:00.001-08:00

I recently decided I wanted to continue something I started a few years ago. Back before I moved to Camrose I had begun blogging my way through Acts. Look back through the archive to see my previous posts. In the next few days you will start to see new posts here talking about a small excerpt from Acts.

I'm not writing this post just to tell you about this goal but what triggered me to do this. A short time ago Youversion (an excellent online Bible meets mobility and to some extent social networking) announced a new feature. Nearly 30 different reading plans are now available on the site. With a login they have made it easy to start a reading plan and track your progress. I'm currently following the "New Testament Epistles and Acts" plan. The plans are flexible so if you miss a day its no big deal and you just pick up where you left off.

One of the greatest features also included is an accountability feature. This feature allows you to connect with a friend and sends emails of your progress and you can also follow your friend's progress. I don't just see this as an accountability option but a way to start conversation. I can picture a buddy calling up and saying hey what did you learn in your reading today? What a great way to encourage each other and build each other up in faith.

Youversion is a fantastic online Bible and if you have a web/wifi enabled device like an iPod it gets even better letting you take the Bible anywhere. I would encourage you to head over there and check it out. And if you are from Calvary Pentecostal Church get signed up for an account and join our group.

What's right with Christmas!

2009-12-18T09:00:00.007-08:00

'Tis the season to be critical! It seems that every year around this time we get bombarded with articles, sermons, and even tweets about everything that is wrong with Christmas. It usually starts with Santa, which is actually just satan scrambled up, right? Follow that with a message about how commercialized Christmas has become. Its not that I disagree with the criticisms and its not that I don't think we need to have these kinds of dialogs. But, is it possible that in our pursuit to defend the true meaning of Christmas we lose sight of it?

Christmas really is a time to celebrate! Take a moment to think about it. The hope of the world comes to earth, a true miracle child, our Savior. For a moment in time a baby captures the attention of the lowest class - a group of shepherds and the highest class - Magi from the east! Jesus wasn't the proclamation of everything that is wrong in the world although He did have those conversations. Jesus was God's love incarnate - the message of hope to all mankind that while the world is messed up He came to save people.

So instead of asking what's wrong with Christmas, I would like to take a moment to celebrate what's right with it!

When I first moved to Camrose two years ago I spent a day during this season at West Edmonton Mall waiting for my car to get fixed. Things had already started out bad I had to take a cab to the mall with my 2 year old son because the shop wouldn't give me a ride. I had to find some place to put his car seat and then we spent a long time walking around looking at all the different things there are to look at. After a few hours the sights and attractions at the mall start to get old. My son had done very well but a toy caught his eye and he wanted it! He finally broke down, collapsing on the floor he cried. A girl from one of the booths in the middle of the mall came over to comfort him. Of course the shyness kicked in and he got real quiet but he didn't move. The girl went over to the coffee shop nearby and bought him a giant green cookie which always seems to have a calming effect on children we thanked the girl and ran to get a cab back to the shop.

Isn't that what Christmas was about? Romans 5:8 says that we were still sinners when He sent Jesus. God saw us kicking and screaming and although He was a stranger to us He saw it in Himself to give more than just a cookie or a quick fix but gave His only Son. Psalm 40:2 says "He lifted me out of the ditch, pulled me from deep mud. He stood me up on a solid rock to make sure I wouldn’t slip." All we have to do is receive Him and put our trust in Him. When I see acts like that girl in the mall I see the hope that we have in Christ that while we were still in the deep stuff He sent His Son to lift us out.

- written for the Camrose Canadian

God is bigger than one event

2009-12-02T15:14:00.001-08:00

To date In-tents weekend has been the biggest event I have organized. For those who don't know In-tents weekend was a conference I put together for the youth and young adults in our church as well as a full rally on the Friday night. Four services over three days with youth staying in the church all weekend. We invited Keith Warra to speak and Activate Ministries to lead worship. All of them did an incredible job, brought the Word, powerful and meaningful worship, and such a humble, servant attitude. It was a powerful weekend and God did some incredible things.

Looking back on that weekend, which feels like a blur, I realize something: That God started the work long before In-tents. That during the months leading up to this event God had been working in everyone (including me) to prepare us for what was coming. Not only that but God wasn't finished with us yet. In-tents was a powerful weekend but God doesn't need special events in order to move. He has faithfully continued to move since! It all points to the reality that God isn't interested in events, He's interested in people. He wants to be part of the most mundane moments of our lives.

My ongoing concern now is not how fast our youth are changing and growing, but how we've stepped on Satan's toes and he's looking for some revenge. I'm more than happy to give the devil a black eye for the kingdom but I'm also aware that he's anxious to undo everything that God is doing in our lives. If you are part of our group you probably know what I'm talking about. For some of you it's been sickness, others are dealing with depression, and still others are dealing with temptation. Ever since that November weekend I have been praying protection over you. I've been praying that the work that God has begun would be sealed in your lives knowing that He will bring it to completion. So if that's you I want to encourage you to take up the authority you have in Christ. Don't submit to sin or depression. Submit to Christ. Resist the devil and the Bible says that he'll hit the road (James 4:7). God's not finished yet, there's still more to come!

Changes

2009-11-27T06:55:00.001-08:00

A few days ago my hotmail account was compromised. The result was that some settings were changed and emails were sent out from my account that I didn't send. As a result I have decided to drop all of my MSN services to switch to Google. I have now imported my entire blog from live spaces and maybe that will be motivation to start writing again. I've been wanting to get away from everything Microsoft for a while and now I finally have an excuse!

Taking big steps

2008-04-14T15:06:00.001-07:00

So I've been here in Camrose, which in and of itself has been life changing, for 6 months already. I am learning like I never have before, growing in ways that I never imagined and stepping into new things. I am so excited about what is to come for Camrose, our church, my family and me! I know that things are just starting. To top it all off I have learned that approximately a year from now I will be eligible and present to the district conference of the PAOC for ordination. These are pretty exciting times in my life.

This month I will also be tackling a major topic as I speak on the gift of faith April 27. This is an area that I have never really taught on and as I've been studying and praying about this I have been really growing in my personal life and developed an even greater understanding of this topic and the roots of a lot of misconceptions and false teachings that have become so prominent in North American society. Because of this I am really praying that I communicate these truths well and that people receive the gift of faith maybe even for the first time in their lives! And also that I walk and live daily in this reality that I need the faith that only comes from God. Not just something I can whip up or talk myself into but real faith that transforms and opens doors that can only be accessed supernaturally! I am already so excited about speaking this message and while I still have so much to learn I just want to share what I am already discovering.

Here We Are

2008-01-10T09:54:00.001-08:00

So we have been here in Camrose for 2 months already and we love it. I have already spoken 3 times in the main service and it has been a pretty busy time since arriving. I finally got some time to really attack the mess in our house and that feels good. Now if it would only stay unmessy :) I am so excited to be here. The people are so different and the air just feels somehow clearer. The weather although colder is much more consistent and we have had lots of sun. We have found lots of new friends although we miss our old ones. We can't wait to see what God has in store for us!

On another note I am so excited because my baby sister is getting married. Mae is marrying a guy she met in Colorado Springs named Sean...we're still trying to get him on facebook! At any rate its pretty cool. I look forward to May for her wedding. I'm also excited to get to finally see her church New Life. Fun fun fun!

The Rose of Cam

2007-10-02T07:28:00.001-07:00

So it's official! We're moving out west to Alberta. We have accepted a position at a church in the city of Camrose which is about 45 mins from Edmonton. We will miss all of our Ontario friends and family but we are looking forward to this next phase in our lives! I believe God has great things in store for us there.

Check out the website at:

http://www.camrosecpc.com/

Ok so were not going that far

2007-08-30T16:42:00.001-07:00

Ok I know no one is actually reading this but its good practice anyway :) It's been a while since I last made a post and that is because I have been really busy. I've been working painting with my buddy Darryl who has put up with my bad painting and bad jokes (hey they're better than his dads :). Plus we went camping at Mcrae Lake (pics to come soon) for 4 days which was awesome! Anyway, we are only moving to London. All of our stuff is going into storage on Monday sept 3rd so if you aren't busy drop by our house and give us a hand starting at 10 am. We are still looking for a position but we are trusting that God will open the right place for us (so whoever's in our position hurry up and quit! haha) Anyway, its fun writting when you know no one will likely read what you've written!

Leaving on a Jetplane

2007-08-16T06:57:00.001-07:00

Ok so there's no cliche there! Anyway we are moving up to Prescott to live with my parents for a while until we find where God wants us to go. If you have me on MSN or Plaxo you will have my updated information soon. If anyone wants to help us move our stuff into storage give me a call...I have lots of work ahead of me! yay.

Speaking the "God-inspired Things" - Acts 2:14-39

2007-08-01T08:20:00.001-07:00

(I discovered that he wrote about this on his blog. Here's the link: Why Do We Need Spirit Baptism)

I've been studying an article by Tim Enloe entitled "The Nuts and Bolts of Ministering the Spirit Baptism" In it he discusses how we should minister the Gift of the Spirit to people. It is insightful and helpful in bringing something that often seems so mystical into a realm where the mystery still is present but not weird. In one part he talks about the role of tongues and how we often get derailed in thinking that we are baptized just so we have this spiritual language. He says:
"if you can trust God to order your words in the spiritual language, how much more can you trust Him afterwards to order your words in English to unbelievers? The Spirit baptism is all about saying the right things, the God-inspired things; first in tongues, but most significantly in our known languages as we prophetically minister words from God’s heart."
Here we see Peter after the Spirit came on all of them in that upper room. He comes out and with a supernatural empowerment begins to speak in the generic language of that time (I almost said English oops haha). This wasn't a three point sermon he spent the last week preparing and Peter wasn't just smooth with words. Peter was obviously empowered to stand up in front of thousands of people (remember he denied even knowing Christ before) and declare a message that could easily offend and upset people but it was a message birthed by the Spirit.
I know that since I was baptized in the Spirit not everything I have said was birthed by the Spirit. In fact I've said a lot of ungodly things (its true!). I have however, had many experiences where I've talked with people and I have wondered where are these words coming from? This stuff is not from me. Some of these times I've been able to recall scripture that I hadn't purposely memorized and it was like God's wisdom poured out of my mouth.
How about you? Do you believe that God doesn't just want to make funny sounds through you rather He wants to use you as His mouthpiece to proclaim truth and life? Have you had experiences where God has spoken through you and you realized there was just no way that it could have came from yourself?

Preaching Hell in a Tolerant Age: Brimstone for the broad-minded

2007-07-31T07:54:00.001-07:00

Here is an awesome article on teaching about Hell. If you've ever struggled with the questions of exclusivity of the Gospel, how a loving God could be full of wrath, or how He could send someone to hell this is something to check out!

Preaching Hell in a Tolerant Age: Brimstone for the broad-minded. | TheResurgence

Miracle Maker - Acts 2:5-13

2007-07-30T10:16:00.001-07:00

Miracles, signs and wonders, were always intended by God to draw those who are far from God to hear the message of the gospel and give that message credibility. But what happens when this gets abused and the message gets distorted in the grips of power and money hungry people. I believe our generation has missed out on so much of what God has for us because these abuses run rampant. Greed has brought about the prosperity gospel and caused many to believe that God no longer works in these ways or worse that He doesn't exist.

This passage however, is no parlor trick. God is showing mankind not only the way to Him but that He has poured out His Spirit on average men and women in a way that He never has before. So how do we as Christians respond to all of the abuse? Some say that times have changed. That even though God never changes, we need to be relevant to our culture - and the miraculous is no longer relevant. After all we have medicine and technology like we've never seen before. I believe our society and our world needs the authentic outpouring of the Holy Spirit like never before. I believe that in spite of the abuses we need to call to God, to press on, to demonstrate that you don't have to throw away your medicine, money and whatever else for God to make Himself real in people's lives.

A passage comes to mind (Luke 8:43-48) of a women who had a menstrual problem where her bleeding would not stop. She chased every doctor, every "miracle" worker, and had finally spent her last dollar. Then she discovered Jesus. Her bleeding made her unclean, but she believed if she could just touch the hem of Jesus garment everything would be alright. Jesus didn't stop her and ask for money as an "act of faith." He didn't say she had visited too many doctors and that was a sign that she had no faith. All she did was go to Jesus and He said that was enough. That was her show of faith.

Have you had an experience where someone abused scripture while offering a miracle? Have you been put off by the television "evangelists" or others who claim to bring miracles if you just give enough? Have you experienced the real authentic move of God in your life? How do you think Christians should respond to all of the abuses? Do you believe that God still wants to do miracles and draw people to Himself in this way?

Sealed - Acts 2:1-4

2007-07-25T08:29:00.001-07:00

I love these four verses. They give me chills to read. What would it have been like to have been in that room at that time? It must have been incredible! After 40 days of prayer and waiting the Holy Spirit "suddenly" makes His entrance. Numbers always seem to be symbolic in the Bible. I talked about the 40 days that they waited for the Holy Spirit, the 40 years that the Israelites were in the desert, and there are so many examples of the number 40 repeating in the Bible. But one that came to my mind is the 40 days that Noah spent on that boat. In the end God sealed that historic event with a promise that he would never wipe out the inhabitants of the earth with a flood again. Do remember that promise every time you see a rainbow?

Now we see here in Acts 2, again, after waiting 40 days God sends His Promise and seals His people with the Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 1:22, Eph. 1:13,4:30). How awesome is the Promise, how amazing His Presence in our lives. For those baptized in the Spirit speaking in tongues is our rainbow knowing that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us (2 Cor. 4:7). The gift of the Spirit should humble us, cause us to become selfless and long for the lost. It should cause us to see deeper into God's heart for our world.

Some people would like if we could just remove all of the passages about the Holy Spirit from the new testament. The idea of giving up such a huge degree of control scares people. After all there have been so many abuses and so many people who have gone wrong, wouldn't we be better off without all of this? But it is there.

So how has the Holy Spirit's presence in your life effected you? Does the idea of giving up control scare you or give you joy? If you've been baptized in the Spirit does the ability to speak in tongues remind you that You belong to God, You have been sealed, you have the power to live right, that you are called according to His purpose? Does it remind you that the lost need to know Christ?

Too Good not to post

2007-07-24T14:06:00.000-07:00

A very funny article entitled "So Easy A Calvinist Can Do It" (no I'm not Calvinist but I love to laugh :)

Eanie Meanie Minie Moe - Acts 1:15-26

2007-07-24T09:56:00.001-07:00

I was talking to someone the other day about our process of selecting staff in the church and how far we seem to have strayed from the Biblical example of searching for someone. We say all of the things like we'll pray about it, fast and do all of those spiritual things. The question is when finding a church or finding a staff member how much weight do we put on the prayer and spiritual guidance and how much on the newish techniques of interviewing, personality profiling, and such.

Now here the disciples are trying to discover God's man to fill Judas' place (being dead and all I guess he couldn't keep going) and they determined a few main qualifications (being around since Jesus baptism to the time He ascended) and then prayed. What followed was a very spiritual way of selecting someone - they gambled. They drew lots! And the lot falls on Matthias. 1 Tim. 3

outlines qualifications for an overseer and yet none of these include education, and only one item describes ability (able to teach) and then the rest are all about character and right living.

So here are my questions - Are all of our modern methods of interviews and business-like research Biblical? Do you think we operate our churches too much like a business with too little reliance on faith and on God? And lastly - Do you think it is right or wrong if we do?

Unity - Acts 1:12-14

2007-07-21T07:43:00.001-07:00

Unity was the catch phrase of my youth group in the early nineties. It was so important to my youth pastor at the time (Kevin Begley) that he constantly emphasized its importance, prayed for it, taught about it, and I believe saw it. But what is unity all about? :14 tells us that the followers of Christ "continued with one accord in prayer and supplication." Is it enough to just not be fighting and arguing? Is being in one accord synonymous with always agreeing with each other in terms of doctrine, or music style, or clothing? Here it tells us that they were unified in prayer. Prayer is a powerful thing. It seems that the one thing that could unite us to be a mighty army for God is the one thing that we don't do . . . especially not as a body. No wonder the devil is constantly at work to keep us from that one thing. No wonder Jesus said that the world would know we are His disciples by our love (John 13:35). No wonder one of Jesus' deepest prayers was that we would be one (John 17:11).

So what do you think unity is all about: is it agreeing with each other or not arguing or what? What do you think would if we started to pray together as the body of Christ? Do you think worship styles, doctrine, attitudes, or non commitment would continue to matter when the church begins to pray together in unity. Do you think there is a correlation between unity and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (which we will see in the next chapter)?

Where's Your Head At? Acts 1:9-11

2007-07-19T08:36:00.001-07:00

There are Christians who walk around with their heads in the clouds so to speak. It's like some people are so Heavenly minded that they are no earthly good. And here come two men to bring us back down to earth without us loosing sight of that great day when we will see Christ again. Jesus told them that He would be departing earlier. He said "if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you." (John 16:7) In Pentecostal circles we often loose sight of the purpose of the Holy Spirit. We see all kinds of things that have resulted in us being called fanatical and crazy. But Jesus told us why He sent the Holy Spirit: John 16:8 "He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment"; Acts 1:8 "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you" why? "and you shall be My witnesses . . ." See we miss the point of the baptism of the Holy Spirit when we think it is all about speaking in tongues and the gifts. The main point of the gifts and the point of the baptism has always been to point others to Jesus, to reveal the sinfulness of man.

So where's your head at? Have you lost the plot? When was the last time you shared your faith with someone? Discuss what the Holy Spirit means to you. Have you had an experience that demonstrates the Holy Spirit empowering you to share the gospel or where the conviction of the Holy Spirit was at work?

What are you waiting for? Acts 1:4-8

2007-07-19T07:43:00.001-07:00

We have this difficulty with waiting. We always seem to long to see the promises of God become a reality in our lives. Imagine you have 10 minuets to speak to the closest people in your life before going on an extended trip in which you would not see them again for the next 40 years. What would you say? What words would you want to leave behind? And here Jesus commands them to wait . . . It's interesting in my Bible (NKJV) Jesus commanded them to wait for the Promise of the Father - capital P Promise. 40 years the people of Israel waited for the promised land because of their lack of faith. 40 days the Christians waited for the Promise of the Father. I believe that if God wants to teach us anything it is that time is in His hands. As we wait for the promise of His coming and wonder why it has not happened yet God just says time is in my hands (:7) It is truly a comfort that as surely as He sent His Holy Spirit - the Comforter - and His Promise (capital P) lives in me, His word will not return void and His promise of the kingdom is not far behind. In the meantime we wait actively as witnesses to Christ, His death and resurrection all over the world.

What are you waiting for? Has God promised you something in the past or through His word that you have yet to see become a reality in your life? Have God's promises in a way seemed too good to be true? How important is patience in your life and do you take time just to wait until God acts? We often refer to this book the Acts of the Apostles but would the Acts of God be a more appropriate title?

For the Record - Acts 1:1-3

2007-07-18T08:29:00.001-07:00

Luke's former account gave us meticulous information about Christ and all He had done during His life and ministry. Now he picks up where he left off and he is going to record the works of the early church. I think it is so important that we have people who follow Luke's lead in keeping an accurate and focussed account of the church throughout the years. Luke seems unconcerned with his own analysis than with the facts. He's a true reporter just telling us how it was as best as he can without clouding it with commentary or opinions and yet the book of Luke and Acts continue to be the source of incredible insight, theology, and some of the most interesting stories in the Bible. Not only could he report the facts as objectively as possible he did so in a way that continues to capture our attention such as few other books do.

Who have those people been in the past? Who are those people in our generation? How important do you think it is that we keep a meticulous record?

Gauging Influence

2007-07-18T07:30:00.001-07:00

So I was reading the most recent list of America's most influential churches (the list can be found here) and it got me thinking about that term "influence". What is influence? Wikipedia describes influence as "the ability to indirectly control or affect the actions of other people or things. The meaning of influence therefore depends on who or what is being affected, and to what end."

So the question that runs through my mind as I read this list is: As the church how do we gauge influence? How can we determine who is more or less influential? Is it based on the number of people we are reaching or the number of people who actually act upon what we are saying or is it something else entirely? Maybe it has more to do with the status of the people we are reaching (presidents and CEO's vs. peasants and the homeless)? If that is the case it raises people like Mother Theresa and Hudson Taylor to mind who have done incredible things but did they have influence? With them in mind does influence refer more to the mark you've left on history and if your name is on the lips of multitudes long after you've passed? If that is the case can we gauge influence before we've passed on?

I've noticed that in cases like this where they are talking about what church has the most influence they often are referring to the church leader primarily and the congregation is only secondary. Can we talk about influence in reference to groups of people rather than just individuals?

And I suppose the most important question I can ask is: Which is more important - how influential you are or how are you influencing the people in your trust? So, what do you think?

What do you think?

2007-07-16T07:47:00.001-07:00

Hey now that I have some different info about me here feel free to look around, give me feedback, respond to anything I blog about, and sign my guest book which is looking pretty lonely right now.

Edit: there is actually no guestbook since I moved this blog from Live Spaces

My new personal blog

2007-07-14T07:48:00.001-07:00

Hey all! This is my first attempt at a personal blog. I will mostly be blogging about what's happening with me but you will probably find me making posts from other blogs, sharing my heart on the church, or just ranting about something or another. I will try to get on here once or so a week and write something but who knows!

On a personal note, currently my wife and I are in transition and are looking for a new church. We will keep you up to date and let you know where we are going. For now we will be in this house until the end of August at the latest.