The times, they are a changin'

Missions Incredible - Christianity Today Magazine: "South Korea sends more missionaries than any country but the U.S. And it won't be long before it's number one."

good quote, good guy--Friday 8pm @ study center

Ken Myers wisely writes: " … we should regularly practice media fasts: days or weeks during which we reduce the flood of information we receive to the merest trickle. Not only will such a practice enable us to set our knowledge in perspective, it also will help us recognize the love/hate relationship we have with information overload. We say we are frustrated by having so much to respond to, but we still carry cell-phones everywhere and check our e-mail every 10 minutes. It makes us feel important to be so busy. Media fasts should help us become more honest about our motivations."

If we read at all during a media fast, we limit ourselves to something that nourishes the soul — slowly, meditatively. (taken from l'ship journal, i think)

i post this b/c lent starts wednesday and media fast is on my radar (yours?) and Ken Myers is speaking friday nite at Christian Study Center

Letter to the editor

rare is the paragraph you remember from a book you read in 1997... here is one...
it is a suggested letter to the editor from the The Bible-believing church to our community...

In recognition of our sins against God and our neighbors, by seeking our own interests and confusing our own aspirations with the will of God, we ask for your forgiveness. Our witness has often been marked by our own greed, power, scandal, self-righteousness, and competitiveness even with each other. We have not modeled the life of God’s kingdom, nor have we served our chief purpose in terms of proclaiming the eternal realities which give hope and meaning to our lives here and now. When you came to our churches for bread, too often you were given stones. When you sought water to quench your eternal thirst, we were too busy with secondary pursuits. As we have received God’s forgiveness, we ask for yours. And if you want to give us another hearing, we would like to get to know you- regardless of your ideology, politics, beliefs, or values. We may not agree with you, but this time you’ll hear something about God and His kingdom. This time, we’ll give you bread. We promise.

-Michael S. Horton, BEYOND CULTURE WARS

random leftovers from y'days sermon

1. i blew it by forgetting/failing to tell you that Jesus loved God the way that the catechism question said is demanded by the 1st commandment. and that record of righteousness is OURS, received by faith.

2. Apollos never received baptism in Jesus' name, or baptism for the forgiveness of sins... which is troublesome if one thinks that a certain water baptism is a requisite for salvation

3. 19:1 as paul enters ephesus/achaia... this is a door that was SHUT by the Holy Spirit 2-3 years prior (remember acts 16? when the HS wouldn't let Paul go there?)
Are their doors that God previously shut for you that He may be opening now. Is one shut by Him today that He may open later?

4. One more on baptism... some churches/groups that want to say, "We do baptism just like the bible teaches!" are very inconsistent, in my opinion. Example, they may say the Ephesus 12 weren't saved until they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. But that same church/group will not be as strident in demanding verse 6, the tongues and prophesy. Seems inconsistent, hmmm?

This is where I have more respect for the snake-handling pentecostals who seek to be consistent with their bible interpretation (i.e. hermeneutic.

Sunday at Oak Hall when Christ Community Gathers

9am Classes
<> Children's
<> Richard Horner on "Gospel of Luke" in MEDIA CENTER
<> Intro to Christ Community Seminar, teacher Rob Pendley, Room 13

10am Worship in the theater
Children's church for age 5-grade 2 will be dismissed prior to sermon

Teachers needed

Teachers are still needed for El Shaddai School in Miami, and a teacher and medical doctor are needed to work in Haiti. For more information and to apply, please contact Dony St. Germain at 305-688-0344 or dstgermain AT pcanet DOT org

Christ has died!
Christ is risen!
Christ will come again!
Alleluia!

"We have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."

this is what the group Paul ran into in Acts 19 says... I'll deal w/ them Sunday. (Lord willing)

For now... just thinking of what they said has made me think of conversations i've had w/ adults who grew up in bible-believing churches and say the same thing. "We have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."
How grievous! May it not be so of anyone who spends any time in Christ Community. May the children who grow up here love the Holy Spirit... knowing & cherishing how He brings them to Christ and Christ to them... daily!

opportunity

Christ Community Church would like to let you know about an opportunity to help serve the church. Part of meeting at the Oak Hall campus includes un-locking the facilities and putting up signs to direct people to services, classes, child care, etc. We are recruiting people to help with these duties. The job requires about an hour total out of each weekend that you serve. Participants are usually scheduled once or twice per bi-monthly period. If you are interested in helping serve in this capacity, please contact Mark O'Neal (336-2613, mwoneal AT gmail DOT com).

spurgeon

“When you see a man with a great deal of religion displayed in his shop window, you may depend upon it... he keeps a very small stock of it within”

Coming to a rooftop near you...

... me! Screaming, "Come to Richard Horner's 9am class on Luke" Sundays at Oak Hall when CCC gathers

Today a bright young student told me they were personally studying Luke and I said, "What do you think of Richard's class?" Silence. "What class?"

Dude, his class on Luke. Seriously, this is a golden opportunity to learn from a wise man. 9am, Sunday.

16 times as much

"The Church is so important... you might say that when two Christians are following Christ together there is not twice as much Christianity as when they are apart, but sixteen times as much." CS Lewis

Dessert Offer

If you are new/newer to Christ Community... you are welcome to come to my home Friday night for dessert.
7:00-8:15pm
The other elders and i hope to meet you there and get to know you a bit.
Call office for details or to reserve your spot.
379-4949

a comment from a reader

Yesterday's post (on naked or clothed) Makes me think of… true Christianity being done out of a fullness, rather than an emptiness. The elder brother (in luke 15) “slaves” for his father because he’s looking to be filled, rather than because he really, in actuality, already IS filled (with the riches of the father, as the parable goes)…. sometimes you just need to sit and be filled before you go out and serve…because if you leave when you’re empty, you’re doing it all on your own….stay a while, sit by the Father and the Son and be filled by the Spirit before you go out and do. Of course, there’s an extreme to that that’s dangerous, but most people, as you’ve mentioned and I’m finally agreeing--in our circles need to do more sitting and less doing, at least for a little.

Amen.

Clothed or Naked?

"This is the difference between true Christianity and human religiousness. The former is founded upon the fact of a man's being clothed; the latter, upon the fact of his being naked. The former has for its starting point what the latter has for its goal. All that a true Christian does is because he is clothed—perfectly clothed; all that a mere religious person does is in order that he may be clothed. This makes a vast difference." CH Mackintosh, Notes on Genesis, 1879

Sunday February 19

9am classes
10am worship
baptism, membership vows, preaching on Acts 18 and
you'll hear a report from Sid and me on our Mexico trip... and we'll sing...

You said, "Ask and I’ll give the nations to you," Oh Lord
That’s the cry of my heart,
Distant shores and the islands will see,
Your light, as it rises on earth

leave it to God

“I know the words ‘leave it to God’ can be misunderstood, but they must stay for the moment. The sense in which a Christian leaves it to God is that he puts all his trust in Christ: trusts that Christ will somehow share with him the perfect human obedience which He carried out from His birth to His crucifixion: that Christ will make the man more like Himself, and in a sense, make good his deficiencies. If you like to put it that way, Christ offers something for nothing: He even offers everything for nothing. In a sense the whole Christian life consists in accepting that very remarkable offer. But the difficulty is to reach the point of recognizing that all we have done and can do is nothing. What we should have liked would be for God to count our good points and ignore our bad ones…if you have really handed yourself over to Him, it must follow that you are trying to obey Him. But trying in a new way, a less worried way. Not doing these things in order to be saved, but because He has begun to save you already.” C S Lewis, Christian Behavior

catechism excerpt that is powerful--updated

The duties required in the first commandment are, the knowing and acknowledging of God to be the only true God, and our God; and to worship and glorify him accordingly, by thinking, meditating, remembering, highly esteeming, honoring, adoring, choosing, loving, desiring, fearing of him; believing him; trusting, hoping, delighting, rejoicing in him; being zealous for him; calling upon him, giving all praise and thanks, and yielding all obedience and submission to him with the whole man; being careful in all things to please him, and sorrowful when in anything he is offended; and walking humbly with him. --larger catechism

last night at dinner we thought through these words and offered answers to these questions:
1.) Which one of these things has God's Spirit empowered you to do lately
2.) Which one of these have you known none of lately?

After thinking about this amazing list and having God's Spirit humble you and drive you to the cross... this is what to keep in mind. Jesus perfectly obedied all 23-28 of these things ALL THE TIME. And that record of righteousness which He built for 30+ years... IS YOURS! Whenever you confess your sin, remember that the God deals with you according to the obedience of Jesus. He dealt with Jesus according to your failure. Praise His holy name!

a day after valentines.... but good gospel stuff

--when i was in orlando at a training/renewal worshop, one of the presenters was a gifted lady from Atlanta... while reflecting on God's work in her marriage she said this:

I am most grateful that my husband keeps learning that no one can pursue, strongly lead and cherish me the way he can.

...that when I’m withdrawn and discouraged, his gentle wooing speaks volumes...when I’m masking deep hurt with anger, his strong, consistent pursuit melts me like nothing else

...when darkness has masked Jesus face, I have felt another strong hand leading me home

....and when it’s all said and done, and we are at The great marriage feast I will recognize the tastes and sounds and smells. The dance will be vaguely familiar. For hints of the realm unknown have drifted across the border land. And I have caught glimpses of what is yet to come. My husband has shown me the way.
--Sheri Thomas

Intro to Christ Community starts Feb 26

I'll be teaching on the basics of life in Christ Community. If you are:
--new or newer to CCC OR
--desiring membership OR
--more than 3 years removed from removed from the Intro seminar

... then i encourage you to join me for 6 sunday mornings at 9am. We'll discuss the the gospel, the church's future, the gospel, evangelism, the gospel, repentance, the gospel, community groups at CCC, membership, the gospel, the Oakland Raiders, mercy, the gospel... et al

If you are involved with Richard Horner's class, stay there! You can do Intro later.

Good & Concise Meditation on Valentine's Day

Valentine’s Day is a good time to remember that we are called to love others more than ourselves, and to give ourselves in love through daily deeds of sacrificial service.

To think about these noble virtues is to be reminded of Jesus Christ, the lover of our souls. “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).

full text here

an old friend

not sure why... but sin has been on my mind and heart today... and i stumbled across this definition of sin from a writer who has helped/influenced me tremendously... so much that i call him an old friend... chew on this by(Richard Lovelace) ". . . the structure of sin in the human personality is far more complicated than the isolated acts and thoughts of deliberate disobedience commonly designated in the world. In its biblical definition, sin cannot be limited to isolated instances or patterns of wrongdoing; it is something much more akin to the psychological term complex: an organic network of compulsive attitudes, beliefs, and behavior deeply rooted in alienation from God. Sin originated in the darkening of the human mind and heart as man turned from the truth about God to embrace a lie about him and consequently a whole universe of lies about his creation. Sinful thoughts, words and deeds flow forth from this darkened heart automatically and compulsively, as water from a polluted fountain..."

ESV Bible Online: Passage: 1 John 3

ESV Bible Online: Passage: 1 John 3: "See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears [1] we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. "

back at mi casa

sid gaitonde and i are back in gnv and you'll hear more in days to come... excellent trip, thank you for praying

heading home tomorrow

hoping that you have had a wonderful day together... worshipping God and hearing of His great love through steve´s teaching on hell... then the chocolate event tonite...

sid and i continue to be encouraged by the beginnings of a movement we are seeing in northern mexico... it is hard for us to imagine why a group of people from america would be so strengthening to these small mexican churches... but tonite when it dawned on me that about 2 percent of their population is evangelical christian== the Christians here really are a minority...
sid and i will be talking with many of you about opportunities to visit here and play a role in encouraging the churches and learning about the glory of God as he builds his church in mexico.... we are scheduled to arrive home tomorrow evening

on of the churches is made up of young professionals and students and you can
see their website here

hasta luega

monterrey update from Sid

So far the trip to monterrey has been a spiritually strengthening experience for all the people on this trip. This being my first mission trip i am amazed at how our Lord has been moving in the life of our Mexican brethren and how passionately they are seeking for His glory.

The church planters who have established these churches are people of very modest resources who have had to combat many adversities to establish these churches, but it is just facinating to hear their stories and experience how our Father has provided for means to spread the gospel in the surrounding areas. Speaking with some of the members, it is very interesting to note that almost all of them are new beleivers who have some very compelling evidence of how the holy spirit is moving in their lives.

Being here has made us realize the tremendous opportunity and potential we have been provided by our Lord to help these churches to grow and develop and spread the Good News to people who have had no access to it so far.

hola from monterrey

sid and i had the privilege of having lunch with a pastor of a section of monterrey that is growing rapidly... 10 years ago the area had 300 families... today 1000
the church is called BETHEL and the pastor was overflowing with thanks for the americançs who come to encourage them... "you have no idea how much your coming encourages us to keep going strong" this from a lay pastor who has led 60 men to Christ in Bethel Church

tonite we´are meeting with 60 lay leaders from across the presbytery-district... we met them at Encounter with God Church... it was mainly made up of professionals and students... many of them spoke wonderful english, which was nice

thanks for praying... on saturday we are going to look at several potential sites for the next church plants

monterrey is city of 5 million which produces about half of mexico´s gnp

Sunday Night

"Chocolate for Dinner" event ... don't forget. 6:00-8:00pm
Appetizers and Desserts will be served.
Entertainment and Games will be provided.
EVERYONE WELCOME!!
Need Childcare? Contact Lindzee Folgate @378.7608 for details.

6:00-8:00pm
(Map of 10826 Nw 18th Ct; Gainesville, FL 32606)

Current & Former Students at Work

Many of you know that while studying in Tanzania Sydney Schaef helped with an orphanage... here is the website she put together with a Christ Community former student, David Lipps
hananasif.org

Sid and I will be here

Mission to the World - Northern Mexico

Christian Study Center of Gainesville - "The Church and Cultural Discernment: Distinguishing Engagement from Captivity"

this looks good

"The Church and Cultural Discernment: Distinguishing Engagement from Captivity" March 3rd

Precious Lord Jesus,
Give me faith to behold . . .
my name engraved in Your hand,
my soul and body redeemed by Your blood,
my sinfulness covered by Your life of pure obedience.

May . . .
Your comforts cheer me in my sorrows,
Your strength sustain me in my trials,
Your blessings revive me in my weariness,
Your presence render me a fruitful tree of holiness,
Your promises establish me in peace and joy,
Your revivings kindle in me undying devotion.

Search my heart. Show me more of my
corruptions and helplessness, that I may . . .
flee to You,
cling to You,
rest in You,
as the beginning and end of my salvation.

May I never vex You by my indifference and
waywardness; or grieve You by my cold welcome.

Answer my prayers, O Lord, for Your great name's sake.

(a puritan prayer, from valley of vision)

Christians Concerned for the Community

This organization is having a meeting tonite to re-envision their purpose in Gainesville and has asked the local churches to have input.

Several from Christ Community are planning to make it. You can join them at Creekside Community Church on NW 39th Ave at 7pm

9am classes; 10am communion service

Jesus, I Come
Out of earth’s sorrows into Thy balm,
Out of life’s storms and into Thy calm,
Out of distress into jubilant psalm,
Jesus, I come to Thee.

Friday 7pm Peacemaker
Saturday 9am Peacemaker
both held at Faith on NW 39th Ave, come when you can

sunday
9am classes for all
10am worship service with communion