Check out this blog and ask yourself the question.
www.perrynoble.com/2010/07/21/8-reasons-some-churches-do-not-grow/
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
The Mind.
Got this from www.carm.org this website is worth a look. Rich
Your Mind
The Bible sees the mind as that place of contemplation, judgment, and intention. Our minds allow us to be rational, to weigh evidence, to make decisions about right and wrong, options, etc. Our minds allow us to worship, praise God, pray, love, repent, and trust. In this we are made in God's image with the mental capacities not shared by any animal on the planet.
How many thoughts pass through our minds every day? It must be thousands. We constantly think and contemplate. If we multiply this by the number of years we live, then we undoubtedly produce millions and millions of thoughts. Furthermore, if we realize that we are to give account to God for all our words, then we are quickly sobered. Jesus said, "For nothing is hidden, except to be revealed; nor has anything been secret, but that it should come to light," (Mark 4:22). All we can do is humbly lay ourselves before God and be grateful for God's grace to us. Because of Christ's sacrifice He will not remember our sins either of deed or of thought (Heb. 10:17). Thank you Lord and may you be praised for your kindness.
Knowing that we are cleansed in Christ, we can then set our minds on godly things. "Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God," (Col. 3:2-3). Notice what Paul says. He says that because we have died with Christ (trusted in Christ and been counted in Him on the cross), that we are to set our minds on the things above, not the things on earth. Paul is not saying we can't think about our mortgage, food prices, family, etc. He is stating that our minds need to be focused on God, on living the Word, on presenting Christ to the lost, on God's glory, etc. We are not our own. We belong to the one who has purchased us with His blood, (Acts 20:28) and indwelt by God Himself (John 14:23). Our minds are to be taken into the service of godliness. Our thoughts are to be holy.
Again, praise be to God for His grace to us in revealing to us what the focus of our minds is to be: "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things," (Phil. 4:8). Within the confines of our daily lives, are we guiding our thoughts to dwell on what is pure, lovely, good, excellent, and worthy of praise?
The more you read God's word and the more you humble yourself in prayer, the more you are able to set your minds on the things that are above. You cannot be godly in your mind apart from the strength of God's presence. This is why you must seek God and be close to Him in fellowship (1 Cor. 1:9). In His presence, your mind is changed and your heart is moved. As Moses' face shined with the glory of God after leaving His Almighty presence, so too will your mind shine with the glory of God as you spend time in devotion to the Lord. Let your mind dwell on God's mercy, goodness, love, kindness, grace, provision, and faithfulness. Memorize scriptures that deal with God's holiness and purity. Wash yourself with the Word. Spend time in prayer with God and seek His will and guidance. He desires to be with you (Ex. 25:8).
"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect," (Rom. 12:2).
Your Mind
The Bible sees the mind as that place of contemplation, judgment, and intention. Our minds allow us to be rational, to weigh evidence, to make decisions about right and wrong, options, etc. Our minds allow us to worship, praise God, pray, love, repent, and trust. In this we are made in God's image with the mental capacities not shared by any animal on the planet.
How many thoughts pass through our minds every day? It must be thousands. We constantly think and contemplate. If we multiply this by the number of years we live, then we undoubtedly produce millions and millions of thoughts. Furthermore, if we realize that we are to give account to God for all our words, then we are quickly sobered. Jesus said, "For nothing is hidden, except to be revealed; nor has anything been secret, but that it should come to light," (Mark 4:22). All we can do is humbly lay ourselves before God and be grateful for God's grace to us. Because of Christ's sacrifice He will not remember our sins either of deed or of thought (Heb. 10:17). Thank you Lord and may you be praised for your kindness.
Knowing that we are cleansed in Christ, we can then set our minds on godly things. "Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God," (Col. 3:2-3). Notice what Paul says. He says that because we have died with Christ (trusted in Christ and been counted in Him on the cross), that we are to set our minds on the things above, not the things on earth. Paul is not saying we can't think about our mortgage, food prices, family, etc. He is stating that our minds need to be focused on God, on living the Word, on presenting Christ to the lost, on God's glory, etc. We are not our own. We belong to the one who has purchased us with His blood, (Acts 20:28) and indwelt by God Himself (John 14:23). Our minds are to be taken into the service of godliness. Our thoughts are to be holy.
Again, praise be to God for His grace to us in revealing to us what the focus of our minds is to be: "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things," (Phil. 4:8). Within the confines of our daily lives, are we guiding our thoughts to dwell on what is pure, lovely, good, excellent, and worthy of praise?
The more you read God's word and the more you humble yourself in prayer, the more you are able to set your minds on the things that are above. You cannot be godly in your mind apart from the strength of God's presence. This is why you must seek God and be close to Him in fellowship (1 Cor. 1:9). In His presence, your mind is changed and your heart is moved. As Moses' face shined with the glory of God after leaving His Almighty presence, so too will your mind shine with the glory of God as you spend time in devotion to the Lord. Let your mind dwell on God's mercy, goodness, love, kindness, grace, provision, and faithfulness. Memorize scriptures that deal with God's holiness and purity. Wash yourself with the Word. Spend time in prayer with God and seek His will and guidance. He desires to be with you (Ex. 25:8).
"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect," (Rom. 12:2).
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Oral Roberts
Oral Roberts died today aged 91. he was a pioneer of the Charismatic movement and a man of revival. whether you agree with his doctrine and some of his theology much of his ministry has shaped the churches we have come to accept as normal. Oral Roberts has a legacy of over 300 crusades in 6 continents with millions of people saved through his ministry. he was a pioneer in televised church services and wasn't afraid to put his faith out there for all to see. He started a university on 500 acres and built a medical centre. his phone in prayer ministry has touched over 23million lives. was married 66 yeasrs and still had time to write 130 books
Reading his Biography made me realise just how far I have to go in ministry and that things are possible in God that exceed my wildest dreams. Thanks Oral Roberts for being a pioneer who was not afraid to think big, plan big see big and build big. I pray all of us rise to our full potential in God and achieve all He has planned for us.
have great day. Richard
Reading his Biography made me realise just how far I have to go in ministry and that things are possible in God that exceed my wildest dreams. Thanks Oral Roberts for being a pioneer who was not afraid to think big, plan big see big and build big. I pray all of us rise to our full potential in God and achieve all He has planned for us.
have great day. Richard
Monday, November 30, 2009
I've been challenged by my 70 year old friend Leon (pictured with his equally amazing wife Pat) and his amazing passion for Jesus. but more than that with his wealth of wisdom. I can only dream that at that age I will be so wise and have ordered my life to the extent to which he has done. I'm challenged that I am undisciplined, lazy and easily distracted and that so many of the problems I face actually come as a product of these aspects of my life.
I know I can't change everything in an instant but maybe, just maybe I can make one change today and another tomorrow and so on. Life, they say, is what happens while we're making plans. but I believe that this coming year for us is to be a year of action and change. building our new home is a part of that change but really all that will achieve is a relocation of the same problems into a better environment. NO! change must happen independent of circumstances, change must come regardless of environment. only then will that change be sustained and successful.
Stay tuned and I'll let you know how I go.
Have a great day. Richard
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
How do you View the Bible?
I read an article by the Barna group. (see link below) about the difference in how generations view the Bible. It challenged me about how I think about God's word, what I am doing to make the Bible relevant to the Generations following and what legacy I am leaving as to the Word of God.
Let me know what you think. Rich
Perceptual Gaps
However, despite these similarities, the Barna studies show that the youngest generations are charting a new, unique course related to the Bible. Here are the types of changes being forged by young adults:
Less Sacred – While most Americans of all ages identify the Bible as sacred, the drop-off among the youngest adults is striking: 9 out of 10 Boomers and Elders described the Bible as sacred, which compares to 8 out of 10 Busters (81%) and just 2 out of 3 Mosaics (67%).
Less Accurate – Young adults are significantly less likely than older adults to strongly agree that the Bible is totally accurate in all of the principles it teaches. Just 30% of Mosaics and 39% of Busters firmly embraced this view, compared with 46% of Boomers and 58% of Elders.
More Universalism – Among Mosaics, a majority (56%) believes the Bible teaches the same spiritual truths as other sacred texts, which compares with 4 out of 10 Busters and Boomers, and one-third of Elders.
Skepticism of Origins – Another generational difference is that young adults are more likely to express skepticism about the original manuscripts of the Bible than is true of older adults.
Less Engagement – While many young adults are active users of the Bible, the pattern shows a clear generational drop-off – the younger the person, the less likely then are to read the Bible. In particular, Busters and Mosaics are less likely than average to have spent time alone in the last week praying and reading the Bible for at least 15 minutes. Interestingly, none of the four generations were particularly likely to say they aspired to read the Bible more as a means of improving their spiritual lives.
Bible Appetite – Despite the generational decline in many Bible metrics, one departure from the typical pattern is the fact that younger adults, especially Mosaics (19%), express a slightly above-average interest in gaining additional Bible knowledge. This compares with 12% of Boomers and 9% of Elders.
However, despite these similarities, the Barna studies show that the youngest generations are charting a new, unique course related to the Bible. Here are the types of changes being forged by young adults:
Less Sacred – While most Americans of all ages identify the Bible as sacred, the drop-off among the youngest adults is striking: 9 out of 10 Boomers and Elders described the Bible as sacred, which compares to 8 out of 10 Busters (81%) and just 2 out of 3 Mosaics (67%).
Less Accurate – Young adults are significantly less likely than older adults to strongly agree that the Bible is totally accurate in all of the principles it teaches. Just 30% of Mosaics and 39% of Busters firmly embraced this view, compared with 46% of Boomers and 58% of Elders.
More Universalism – Among Mosaics, a majority (56%) believes the Bible teaches the same spiritual truths as other sacred texts, which compares with 4 out of 10 Busters and Boomers, and one-third of Elders.
Skepticism of Origins – Another generational difference is that young adults are more likely to express skepticism about the original manuscripts of the Bible than is true of older adults.
Less Engagement – While many young adults are active users of the Bible, the pattern shows a clear generational drop-off – the younger the person, the less likely then are to read the Bible. In particular, Busters and Mosaics are less likely than average to have spent time alone in the last week praying and reading the Bible for at least 15 minutes. Interestingly, none of the four generations were particularly likely to say they aspired to read the Bible more as a means of improving their spiritual lives.
Bible Appetite – Despite the generational decline in many Bible metrics, one departure from the typical pattern is the fact that younger adults, especially Mosaics (19%), express a slightly above-average interest in gaining additional Bible knowledge. This compares with 12% of Boomers and 9% of Elders.
Monday, August 31, 2009
that moment of realisation
Yesterday I went with my daughter to check out University and the options in another city...seemed simple enough or so I thought. as we walked through the dorm rooms looking at the prison like conditions it suddenly dawned on me that my little Girl would be leaving.
It was a bit of a 'father of the bride' moment when something inside began to hurt.
This girl who has been so dependant and makes up...and takes up...such a huge portion of my life will ultimately leave to live a life outside of the influence and guidance that I have in her life.
It's not that I don't trust her...I do. it's that I don't trust everyone else! These people who I have never met will now be mentors and guides, teachers and lecturers. Have I put in enough? Have I adequately laid the foundations? Will she hold to the values and morals we have endeavoured to instill in her? Time will tell. But there is a more personal hurt I feel because this Girl is not just a daughter but a friend and one sixth of our home and our family. That moment of realisation is that our family in another year is going to change for all time and that the balance of what we have known is no longer going to be the same. Forest Gump said life is like a box of Chocolates and you never know what you're gonna get...But you also don't get to eat the same chocky twice so make sure you enjoy it when you do.
Have a great day. Richard
It was a bit of a 'father of the bride' moment when something inside began to hurt.
This girl who has been so dependant and makes up...and takes up...such a huge portion of my life will ultimately leave to live a life outside of the influence and guidance that I have in her life.
It's not that I don't trust her...I do. it's that I don't trust everyone else! These people who I have never met will now be mentors and guides, teachers and lecturers. Have I put in enough? Have I adequately laid the foundations? Will she hold to the values and morals we have endeavoured to instill in her? Time will tell. But there is a more personal hurt I feel because this Girl is not just a daughter but a friend and one sixth of our home and our family. That moment of realisation is that our family in another year is going to change for all time and that the balance of what we have known is no longer going to be the same. Forest Gump said life is like a box of Chocolates and you never know what you're gonna get...But you also don't get to eat the same chocky twice so make sure you enjoy it when you do.
Have a great day. Richard
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Go into all the World etc...
I'm wrestling with the concept of what it means to go into all the world and make disciples. for so many it is the principle of lots of talk and not much action. but for me personally what does it mean and how can I achieve it? I don't want to repeat the doing it in my own strength option which ended badly for me last time. But I often feel like I'm spinning my wheels and not exactly making much impact on the world.
I'm now 45 and I want the last 20 -30 years of working life to be more effective than the last, so what does that mean? am I destined to try and be a blogger and that is my effectiveness?
How does one truly build disciples anyway? and If I'm not doing anything constructive what am I discipling them into? Hmmmm what does all this mean? I don't know? If you read this blog I'd love you to leave a comment no matter how brief.
Have a great day. Rich
I'm now 45 and I want the last 20 -30 years of working life to be more effective than the last, so what does that mean? am I destined to try and be a blogger and that is my effectiveness?
How does one truly build disciples anyway? and If I'm not doing anything constructive what am I discipling them into? Hmmmm what does all this mean? I don't know? If you read this blog I'd love you to leave a comment no matter how brief.
Have a great day. Rich
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