Question

it has been said that technology adds to our relational experience. my question is that true, or are we as children of technology finding ourselves more empty by it?

Prayer

I realized something today on my way to Chapel. If you begin to pray for Godly things, and for actions that are clearly within God's will and desire. He gives them. Just be careful for what you ask for.

I am reading a book, Bruchko, and with it tells a very passionate story about a young man who is passionate about God. He simply prayed, "God, change me like you changed the people in the bible" and after being struck with God's presence he continued, "and give me the passion that you gave them."

A very simple prayer, but one with a lot behind it. If you think about what kind of passion it takes to be like peter, or to have faith like john, then asking for that would mean a lot.

I asked God this morning that he would give me a passion like Peter's and a faith like John's and a drive and compassion like Paul. Already within the day I have felt a greater desire toward those very things.

Be careful what you pray for.

Am I A Soldier of the Cross?

Am I a soldier of the cross,
a follower of the Lamb,
and shall I fear to own his cause,
or blush to speak his name?

Must I be carried to the skies
on flowery beds of ease,
while others fought to win the prize,
and sailed through bloody seas?

Are there no foes for me to face?
Must I not stem the flood?
Is this vile world a friend to grace,
to help me on to God?

Sure I must fight, if I would reign;
increase my courage, Lord.
I'll bear the toil, endure the pain,
supported by thy word.

Thy saints in all this glorious war
shall conquer though they die;
they see the triumph from afar,
by faith they bring it nigh.

When that illustrious day shall rise,
and all thy armies shine
in robes of victory through the skies,
the glory shall be thine.

Suffering = hope?

Romans 5:3-5 "Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us".

This world is full of deceit and evil. We are going to suffer on this earth, and we aren't going to like it. its going to hurt,we are going to cry, and we are going to be persecuted for what we believe. So what's the point? why bother? Well, in 1 Peter 4 it talks about suffering for God. and we are called to suffer, knowing that its God's plan, and how much we suffer, shows us that we are doing his plan. And suffering isn't just for that reason, no, far from it. Because if suffering was just for that, then wouldn't you think God would come up with a better way to show us his plan? God also provides suffering for us, to help us grow. for suffering also produces endurance (perseverance) and endurance produces character. Character is one thing that everyone has... strength. But how much you have its determinded by your character. How many hardships or trials have you gone through, haven't you grown from them? exactly! And from character ( strength ) theres hope. God isnt going to make you suffer just to suffer, he does it so you can build that strength, and from building strength, it gives you hope. Knowing, that this world is not our home. we are only here for a limited amount of time. so lean in to the trials, lean into the pain, for its only going to produce strength and further more....Hope.

First order of business...

First and foremost we must pray!
For directions, for God's blessing, for pure motives, and a ever growing love for God to name a few starters.

Broken Sinners

If you think that we have any idea what we am doing you are greatly mistaken. If you want a step by step process of how we are going to grow and invite people into the body of Christ we don't have one. If, for whatever reason, you want a safe place to find encouragement and be a fair-weathered Christian, you won't find that here. What you will find is a bunch of broken sinner in need of a great savior who want to extend the favor to other and will go to great lengths to do so.

As you might have guessed, this is a blog to provide a opportunity for the body of Christ to purposefully join together to do those good works "which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them" (Eph 2:10).

This is a multi-author blog, there is no one person in charge. This is about people, not programs - if this blog project crashes and burns it will only be in vain if people aren't impacted for Christ.

Welcome to the journey fellow pilgrims and exiles on this earth.

Ephesians 4

 1Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, 2with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, 3being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.
      7But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
8Therefore it says,
         “WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH,
         HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES,
         AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN.”
9(Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.) 11And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 14As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, 16from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.


      17So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, 18being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; 19and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. 20But you did not learn Christ in this way, 21if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, 22that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 23and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.
      25Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE of you WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another. 26BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27and do not give the devil an opportunity. 28He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need. 29Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. 30Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.