Tonight marks the first night in a month-long radio program; Refuge Radio. It will air on KPRZ 1210 AM & can be heard live via their website from 8:30 to 9:00 Pacific Standard Time. Get information off my splash page: http://www.refugeradiosd.org/
The nightly program goes like this: Dr. James Dobson, then Focus on the Family, insert "Refuge Radio," followed by R. C. Sproul, and then J. Vernon McGee. Uh.... What?!!!
For those of you who are wondering what our week will look like, it goes like this:
DAY ONE: The history behind this church plant
DAY TWO: How we got on the radio
DAY THREE: The word "Refuge" (what it means & why we chose it)
DAY FOUR: Things we "hate" about church
DAY FIVE: The vision for our church
I wanted to jot this stuff down before I actually hear the show. I have absolutely NO IDEA what it will sound like. For those of you who haven't done radio, it goes like this: Enter room, sit down in front of mic, hit play, and whatever you say for the next 26 minutes is the show. Hit stop and wait to hear it when everyone else gets to hear it.
Boy I hope it doesn't suck.
Next week we'll be focusing more on teaching from the book of Galatians (you find that out in Friday's show). Our goal for the first week is to promote and invite people to our church, and in week 2 we want to relax a bit in God's word.
I told Katie earlier that I keep hearing, "It's the FINAL count-down... Do-do Doooo-do, do-do do-do-doooo, Do-do Do-dooooo, Do-do do-do-do..."
Well God - You made me, called me, and here I am. May the work I put forth bring glory to Your name and peace to my heart.
"It's the FINAL count-down..." (roughly 36 minutes and counting to we hit the air)
Pray for us...
Monday, January 10, 2011
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Update - 2011
As we move into a new year, our small church plant is already experiencing some amazing opportunities! In our last meeting there were 6 people in attendance & we agreed to take a break for the holidays. We're starting up again on the 9th of January but since the break, we have been in contact with several others who have expressed an interest in joining our group. If everyone were to show up who says they want to show up, we will have gone from 6 to 20+. This includes some families with children (including my own who have yet to attend).
Based on this, I realized there was NO WAY we would be able to fit all those people in the house we currently meet in. After sharing this news at a Christmas Eve service, I was presented with the possibility of being given access to a building in Lemon Grove for our group to use. The space will potentially be free (or @ most at an extremely reduced rate). We have yet to visit the location but are excited by the way God is already answering our needs. The person who made the offer emphasized the fact that the space in question is, "Unfinished," which excited me even more because like that building, we too are a work in progress.
Our goal with Refuge is to build up a community where we can mutually experience God and grow together in our faith. I love when Paul writes in the book of Romans, "I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong - that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith" (Rom. 1:11-12). That's how I feel about these people - I long to get back into meeting together and continuing our journey toward a closer relationship both with Christ and with each other.
Pray for us...
Based on this, I realized there was NO WAY we would be able to fit all those people in the house we currently meet in. After sharing this news at a Christmas Eve service, I was presented with the possibility of being given access to a building in Lemon Grove for our group to use. The space will potentially be free (or @ most at an extremely reduced rate). We have yet to visit the location but are excited by the way God is already answering our needs. The person who made the offer emphasized the fact that the space in question is, "Unfinished," which excited me even more because like that building, we too are a work in progress.
Our goal with Refuge is to build up a community where we can mutually experience God and grow together in our faith. I love when Paul writes in the book of Romans, "I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong - that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith" (Rom. 1:11-12). That's how I feel about these people - I long to get back into meeting together and continuing our journey toward a closer relationship both with Christ and with each other.
Pray for us...
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Refuge Radio
So a few weeks back Dean & I were asked to present our church planting budget before a room full of people we didn't know. We weren't told how much we should ask for or how much to expect to get. We were more or less told to throw it out there and see what happens. It was like being invited to a dinner and asked, "Tell us what you would like to eat - whatever you want."
So we did.
We broke our budget out like a menu - pricing each meal and explaining what they included. We ranged from a cheap grilled cheese to an 8 oz. fillet/lobster tail combo. If they agreed to fund us entirely, the total budget was somewhere around 2 million for the first year. Mind you, that was the high side of a budget with no actual cap or financial direction written by two guys attempting a first-time church plant with very little guidance to go on. It included the purchasing of a building, salaries for the two of us, building renovations, sound equipment, office supplies, advertising, and the funding of a weekly radio program.
And then, after we had finished our presentation with some jaw-dropping results, we found out all they intended to feed us was a pack of gum. They were excited and encouraging but we WAY overshot what was available.
So here it is - the meeting concluded with them agreeing to fund three months of radio air time for Dean & I (that's right - Dean & I will be on the radio soon), and they will cover the costs associated with getting a church website up. They will also establish our account under their non-profit status so we can start collecting donations. We're hoping these two methods of support (the radio program and the web site) will allow us to generate additional funds to assist us in our attempted church plant.
Today Dean & I had our first meeting with KPRZ 1210 AM to get some actual numbers on the cost and the available air times. The interview went great and the ball is beginning to roll. We'll soon be presenting the cost options to our sponsors to see what they are willing to pay (oh please let it be the "Monday - Friday; 1/2 hour a night" option) and humbly ask for your prayers concerning this matter - pray God brings funds where funds are currently lacking.
Our church has begun meeting @ 4:00 p.m. in a house in Alpine (started last week) and while small in number, we are determined in spirit. We're going through the book of Luke and having a blast discussing the "realities" of scripture.
I like to think of it from the perspective of those who lived it and last week's big side-track dealt with Eve's lack of a reaction when a snake - a slithering serpent - started talking to her. It opened up all kinds of stuff unrelated to our study but downright enjoyable.
The study itself was amazing. We learned about the significance of some of the names given to the people and were blown away by the subtle complexities one can discover in God's word. It was also great to be in an interactive environment where not just one person preaches. We all contributed to the lesson by adding our own personal insight to what was being taught. It was definitely more like a Bible study format which is how I think a church service should be. That's our goal - to create a church where you don't just fill a seat and then go your own way. We want people to be engaged and hopefully transformed by the experience.
Pray for us...
So we did.
We broke our budget out like a menu - pricing each meal and explaining what they included. We ranged from a cheap grilled cheese to an 8 oz. fillet/lobster tail combo. If they agreed to fund us entirely, the total budget was somewhere around 2 million for the first year. Mind you, that was the high side of a budget with no actual cap or financial direction written by two guys attempting a first-time church plant with very little guidance to go on. It included the purchasing of a building, salaries for the two of us, building renovations, sound equipment, office supplies, advertising, and the funding of a weekly radio program.
And then, after we had finished our presentation with some jaw-dropping results, we found out all they intended to feed us was a pack of gum. They were excited and encouraging but we WAY overshot what was available.
So here it is - the meeting concluded with them agreeing to fund three months of radio air time for Dean & I (that's right - Dean & I will be on the radio soon), and they will cover the costs associated with getting a church website up. They will also establish our account under their non-profit status so we can start collecting donations. We're hoping these two methods of support (the radio program and the web site) will allow us to generate additional funds to assist us in our attempted church plant.
Today Dean & I had our first meeting with KPRZ 1210 AM to get some actual numbers on the cost and the available air times. The interview went great and the ball is beginning to roll. We'll soon be presenting the cost options to our sponsors to see what they are willing to pay (oh please let it be the "Monday - Friday; 1/2 hour a night" option) and humbly ask for your prayers concerning this matter - pray God brings funds where funds are currently lacking.
Our church has begun meeting @ 4:00 p.m. in a house in Alpine (started last week) and while small in number, we are determined in spirit. We're going through the book of Luke and having a blast discussing the "realities" of scripture.
I like to think of it from the perspective of those who lived it and last week's big side-track dealt with Eve's lack of a reaction when a snake - a slithering serpent - started talking to her. It opened up all kinds of stuff unrelated to our study but downright enjoyable.
The study itself was amazing. We learned about the significance of some of the names given to the people and were blown away by the subtle complexities one can discover in God's word. It was also great to be in an interactive environment where not just one person preaches. We all contributed to the lesson by adding our own personal insight to what was being taught. It was definitely more like a Bible study format which is how I think a church service should be. That's our goal - to create a church where you don't just fill a seat and then go your own way. We want people to be engaged and hopefully transformed by the experience.
Pray for us...
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Hammered
Lately I've felt like a nail being hammered into a wood block by an unskilled worker. This isn't the heavy, single swing of an expert carpenter smacking home the fastener with one swift stroke. This is the awkward beating of someone who never held a hammer before and is now smacking away violently in an attempt to sink me ever deeper into the block. It's clumsy, painful, and downright annoying.
The hammer has been my recent spurt of unexpected troubles. Blown water line, a rat the size of my forearm, no heat in the house, both cars breaking down on the same day, my wife's sudden string of headaches and throat troubles, my dog going straight psycho, my neighbors yelling at me over my dog, my unemployment suddenly being cut-off unexpectedly, unmentionable family troubles, and a slew of other sudden problems I'd rather forget than record.
I'm not one to typically blame situations on spiritual warfare but I'm straight under assault right now. The Bible says it exists and the book of Job is an amazing depiction of what life can be like when the Devil gets involved. That being said - these problems all started when I agreed to plant a church. I've shared these experiences with those closest to the plant & I've told them how these events just confirm that this is exciting stuff but seriously God, enough already. Time to shelter me in your shadow and encase me in a cosmic force field of anti-bad stuff or something. I'm straight done being hammered...
Pray for us.
The hammer has been my recent spurt of unexpected troubles. Blown water line, a rat the size of my forearm, no heat in the house, both cars breaking down on the same day, my wife's sudden string of headaches and throat troubles, my dog going straight psycho, my neighbors yelling at me over my dog, my unemployment suddenly being cut-off unexpectedly, unmentionable family troubles, and a slew of other sudden problems I'd rather forget than record.
I'm not one to typically blame situations on spiritual warfare but I'm straight under assault right now. The Bible says it exists and the book of Job is an amazing depiction of what life can be like when the Devil gets involved. That being said - these problems all started when I agreed to plant a church. I've shared these experiences with those closest to the plant & I've told them how these events just confirm that this is exciting stuff but seriously God, enough already. Time to shelter me in your shadow and encase me in a cosmic force field of anti-bad stuff or something. I'm straight done being hammered...
Pray for us.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Money
"How much is this going to cost?" They ask.
"How much you got?" I respond.
Not the best thing to say when seeking funds for a church plant.
At this point these men are probably picturing me as a big-chested, gum-chewing girlfriend who just asked her "new man" for his credit card so she can go out shopping with the girls. It doesn't matter that I'm not that type of girl. I'm the type of girl you want to take home to mother and display with pride around town!
Bottom line: I've been asked to present a budget for my church plant without knowing the amount available within the denomination for church plants. My budget could either be a great garage sale bargain or an over-priced NFL wide receiver no sane team should ever place on contract. I have absolutely no idea how much to ask for, nor how much I can expect to receive. And even if I get what I ask for... Will it be enough?
I recently had a conversation with one of the men who is assisting me in this process. When I told him how "they" wanted to know how much this would cost his response was immediate: "Everything."
He went on to explain that when men of God are seeking to share the Word of God with people who don't know God, we should spend EVERYTHING to see it done. I was encouraged.
But now, as I sit here typing, I have to pause to consider that one word: Everything. How much is this going to cost? Everything...
I'm about to plant a church and it's going to cost me everything.
I'm sitting here worried about an estimated budget I'm going to present for approval when what I should really consider is how much I am willing to spend to see this done. Can I really give EVERYTHING to this? Can I give up my care free nights of playing video games or watching cheesy late-night movies? Can I give up lazy Saturdays? Unplanned week nights? Uninterrupted evening meals? Time with my kids, or my wife, or for myself?
When you stop to think about it "everything" is a pretty big word that includes "everything." Am I willing to spend "everything" to see this church happen? God has used me in the past to minister to the lost and through that ministry I have seen people come to Christ in a powerful - often tearful on my part - fashion. Can I give "everything" to see that happen again, and again, and again?
May God grant me the strength to be more than I am and to recognize that what I give is nothing compared to what He already gave...
Pray for us.
"How much you got?" I respond.
Not the best thing to say when seeking funds for a church plant.
At this point these men are probably picturing me as a big-chested, gum-chewing girlfriend who just asked her "new man" for his credit card so she can go out shopping with the girls. It doesn't matter that I'm not that type of girl. I'm the type of girl you want to take home to mother and display with pride around town!
Bottom line: I've been asked to present a budget for my church plant without knowing the amount available within the denomination for church plants. My budget could either be a great garage sale bargain or an over-priced NFL wide receiver no sane team should ever place on contract. I have absolutely no idea how much to ask for, nor how much I can expect to receive. And even if I get what I ask for... Will it be enough?
I recently had a conversation with one of the men who is assisting me in this process. When I told him how "they" wanted to know how much this would cost his response was immediate: "Everything."
He went on to explain that when men of God are seeking to share the Word of God with people who don't know God, we should spend EVERYTHING to see it done. I was encouraged.
But now, as I sit here typing, I have to pause to consider that one word: Everything. How much is this going to cost? Everything...
I'm about to plant a church and it's going to cost me everything.
I'm sitting here worried about an estimated budget I'm going to present for approval when what I should really consider is how much I am willing to spend to see this done. Can I really give EVERYTHING to this? Can I give up my care free nights of playing video games or watching cheesy late-night movies? Can I give up lazy Saturdays? Unplanned week nights? Uninterrupted evening meals? Time with my kids, or my wife, or for myself?
When you stop to think about it "everything" is a pretty big word that includes "everything." Am I willing to spend "everything" to see this church happen? God has used me in the past to minister to the lost and through that ministry I have seen people come to Christ in a powerful - often tearful on my part - fashion. Can I give "everything" to see that happen again, and again, and again?
May God grant me the strength to be more than I am and to recognize that what I give is nothing compared to what He already gave...
Pray for us.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Denomination
I think it's time to discuss the big "D." I've never been a big fan of denominations; you don't find them in the Bible. They developed over time as one Christian thought one thing and another thought something else, and so each went a different way and started groups of like-minded people. It's a little more involved than that but not much. The denomination I will be planting through is the Advent Christians. Having just finished a rather long book (the first of two) teaching on the founding of the group, I figured I'd sum it up right quick.
Back in the day this guy William Miller, a civil war veteran and a farmer by trade, studied his bible. He didn't use the writings or teachings of others... One day, later in life than most, he came to the conclusion that Christ is real. Some near-death war experiences helped him with the decision. This could have gone either way; war can either make you a believer or a hard core skeptic. I think to some degree Miller was a skeptic, as all believers should be, and it was this skepticism that drove him to study his bible to see for himself what it had to say.
Over the years he began to see a pattern concerning both the Old and New Testament prophecies. Christ was coming back! He pulled out his counting beads, or whatever they used for calculators back then, and began to run some numbers based on the prophecies and came up with a date for Christ's return. In 1831 he began preaching, letting everyone know Christ would return in 1843 or 1844. His message was simple: "Christ is on His way, are you ready?"
His message gained momentum and soon a bunch of scholarly folks came alongside of him confirming his date and teaching the same message. Think of it like giant Billy Graham crusades only with more speakers, really big charts and graphs, and an impressive degree of urgency. These men and women believed time was running out and they desperately wanted to see as many people accept Christ as possible before Christ's return.
But then something happened... 1843 came and went... Then 1844 came and went... And no Jesus. They call this the Great Disappointment. So now you have all these folks from all these different denominations who are now standing around without a church home because they've been kicked out of the ones they used to attend. Some were broke because they sold all their possessions and gave to those in need expecting the return of Christ. Think of it like the big "2000" scare where people were stocking up on food and building shelters because all the computers were going to crash but instead these folks were thinking, 'Jesus is coming back. Why do I need a house? I better get on the ball with that love your neighbor thing.'
Eventually these guys formed a denomination. This wasn't Miller's goal. His goal was to tell as many people about Jesus before Jesus showed up. He viewed the "church" as a possible source of evil mentioned in biblical prophecy and didn't intend to create a group within the group he didn't entirely trust. He was more like the guy who says, "Dude, your house is on fire. Seriously - it's on fire!" and then some other guy comes along and says, "Let's start a fire brigade because we all recognize the importance of letting people know when their house is on fire."
So the Advent Christian denomination was born. Because of its distrust of "organized religion," they established themselves to allow each church (defined as a group of like-minded believers meeting in fellowship) to regulate itself without interference from the appointed leaders of the denomination. Think of it like Fed. vs. State where the State has complete independence and the Fed. is there to help when needed.
Of course this led to me asking, "Then what the heck defines an Advent Christian church? Sounds like they could be whatever they want and nobody could say or do anything about it!"
And here in lies the problem - in their attempt to remain free, they created an environment where those freedoms can be abused. While at their core, the denomination holds to certain beliefs, there is no regulation to assure all the churches in the denomination hold to those beliefs, nor is it a requirement for membership.
There are three main things that typically separates the Advent Christian denomination from other church groups. They believe in the imminent return of Christ, conditional immortality, and soul sleep. Let me sum them up right quick and close this thing out:
Pray for us.
Back in the day this guy William Miller, a civil war veteran and a farmer by trade, studied his bible. He didn't use the writings or teachings of others... One day, later in life than most, he came to the conclusion that Christ is real. Some near-death war experiences helped him with the decision. This could have gone either way; war can either make you a believer or a hard core skeptic. I think to some degree Miller was a skeptic, as all believers should be, and it was this skepticism that drove him to study his bible to see for himself what it had to say.
Over the years he began to see a pattern concerning both the Old and New Testament prophecies. Christ was coming back! He pulled out his counting beads, or whatever they used for calculators back then, and began to run some numbers based on the prophecies and came up with a date for Christ's return. In 1831 he began preaching, letting everyone know Christ would return in 1843 or 1844. His message was simple: "Christ is on His way, are you ready?"
His message gained momentum and soon a bunch of scholarly folks came alongside of him confirming his date and teaching the same message. Think of it like giant Billy Graham crusades only with more speakers, really big charts and graphs, and an impressive degree of urgency. These men and women believed time was running out and they desperately wanted to see as many people accept Christ as possible before Christ's return.
But then something happened... 1843 came and went... Then 1844 came and went... And no Jesus. They call this the Great Disappointment. So now you have all these folks from all these different denominations who are now standing around without a church home because they've been kicked out of the ones they used to attend. Some were broke because they sold all their possessions and gave to those in need expecting the return of Christ. Think of it like the big "2000" scare where people were stocking up on food and building shelters because all the computers were going to crash but instead these folks were thinking, 'Jesus is coming back. Why do I need a house? I better get on the ball with that love your neighbor thing.'
Eventually these guys formed a denomination. This wasn't Miller's goal. His goal was to tell as many people about Jesus before Jesus showed up. He viewed the "church" as a possible source of evil mentioned in biblical prophecy and didn't intend to create a group within the group he didn't entirely trust. He was more like the guy who says, "Dude, your house is on fire. Seriously - it's on fire!" and then some other guy comes along and says, "Let's start a fire brigade because we all recognize the importance of letting people know when their house is on fire."
So the Advent Christian denomination was born. Because of its distrust of "organized religion," they established themselves to allow each church (defined as a group of like-minded believers meeting in fellowship) to regulate itself without interference from the appointed leaders of the denomination. Think of it like Fed. vs. State where the State has complete independence and the Fed. is there to help when needed.
Of course this led to me asking, "Then what the heck defines an Advent Christian church? Sounds like they could be whatever they want and nobody could say or do anything about it!"
And here in lies the problem - in their attempt to remain free, they created an environment where those freedoms can be abused. While at their core, the denomination holds to certain beliefs, there is no regulation to assure all the churches in the denomination hold to those beliefs, nor is it a requirement for membership.
There are three main things that typically separates the Advent Christian denomination from other church groups. They believe in the imminent return of Christ, conditional immortality, and soul sleep. Let me sum them up right quick and close this thing out:
- Imminent return - Christ could come back at any second and life should be lived accordingly. Live each moment as if it were the last and attempt to talk to as many people as possible about Jesus.
- Conditional immortality - People aren't born immortal; they are made that way upon confessing Christ which would mean that those who don't confess Christ can't be punished eternally. Think of "Hell" as a furnace where everything gets burned up and no longer exists.
- Soul sleep - When a person dies, they don't go straight to Heaven. They "sleep" while awaiting the return of Christ. Jesus is coming back to collect the Saints; both living and dead. Right now Jesus is "preparing a place" for us - He isn't taking us straight there.
Pray for us.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Licensing
THE BACKGROUND: A few weeks ago I was given roughly 5 pages of questions to fill-out to begin the process of being ordained in the denomination interested in providing me with the financial support for a church plant. I filled them out, turned them in, and today sat in a room discussing my answers.
One of the men, a pastor of a church, asked, "Your answer concerning Biblical prophecy was a bit vague. Can you expound on it?"
"Sure," I say, "I hate it."
It's becoming a running theme with me.
Unfortunately this group of men really love Biblical prophecy. If Biblical prophecy were one of those long body pillows, they'd be the first to straddle it. Their entire denomination revolves around a deep-rooted love for the stuff and I just said I hate it.
I go on to explain that it isn't the fulfilled prophecies concerning Christ that I hate; those are mind-numbingly awesome. There are dozens of things Old Testament scholars said concerning Christ (who He had to be and what He had to do), and He fulfilled them all to the letter. I'm cool with those.
And come to think of it, I'm cool with all the ones concerning the return of Christ. The Bible says He left and He's coming back and while vague in nature, it's very clear it's going to happen and we're even given some hints about what to look for and what it will be like when it happens.
What I hate about Biblical prophecy is the amount of time believers spend chewing on it, discussing it, and arguing over it. It reminds me of the scene in 'The Life of Brian,' when Reg (the leader of the Peoples' Front of Judea; more commonly known as the PFJ) and his cohorts are sitting around a table talking about their revolution. Then Brian's girlfriend Judith bursts into the room telling them Brian is about to be killed and they immediately go right back into their discussion of what to do rather than getting up and actually doing anything.
I guess this is how I view Biblical prophecy; it's like the "Bejeweled" for Christians - an epic time suck that rarely gets anything accomplished. But instead of yelling, "Look at my score," these scholars get all puffed up over how much they know on the subject and yet fail to realize that this knowledge concerning the return of Christ should have them running in droves to their neighbors' door yelling, "He's coming back! Please let me tell you more about Jesus!"
And what gets me most about all this is when Jesus' disciples went to Him and were all, "Tell us more about your return," and Jesus was all, "Don't sweat that - I'll come when you least expect me - Just make sure your house is in order..." and then we, the ones reading this, spend all our time trying to figure out when He's coming back! Didn't He just say NOT to do that?
As I stated before, I'm writing these posts to both remind me of these times and to inform others of the church planting process. I felt this one was of particular importance. Today was the first major step toward my ordination and served to remind me that it isn't about the prophecies - It's about the man the prophecies talk about. The Apostle John ends the book of Revelation by writing, "Come Jesus come," but I'm much more of the mindset of, "Give me a minute, I've got a few more people to talk to about You..."
Pray for us.
One of the men, a pastor of a church, asked, "Your answer concerning Biblical prophecy was a bit vague. Can you expound on it?"
"Sure," I say, "I hate it."
It's becoming a running theme with me.
Unfortunately this group of men really love Biblical prophecy. If Biblical prophecy were one of those long body pillows, they'd be the first to straddle it. Their entire denomination revolves around a deep-rooted love for the stuff and I just said I hate it.
I go on to explain that it isn't the fulfilled prophecies concerning Christ that I hate; those are mind-numbingly awesome. There are dozens of things Old Testament scholars said concerning Christ (who He had to be and what He had to do), and He fulfilled them all to the letter. I'm cool with those.
And come to think of it, I'm cool with all the ones concerning the return of Christ. The Bible says He left and He's coming back and while vague in nature, it's very clear it's going to happen and we're even given some hints about what to look for and what it will be like when it happens.
What I hate about Biblical prophecy is the amount of time believers spend chewing on it, discussing it, and arguing over it. It reminds me of the scene in 'The Life of Brian,' when Reg (the leader of the Peoples' Front of Judea; more commonly known as the PFJ) and his cohorts are sitting around a table talking about their revolution. Then Brian's girlfriend Judith bursts into the room telling them Brian is about to be killed and they immediately go right back into their discussion of what to do rather than getting up and actually doing anything.
I guess this is how I view Biblical prophecy; it's like the "Bejeweled" for Christians - an epic time suck that rarely gets anything accomplished. But instead of yelling, "Look at my score," these scholars get all puffed up over how much they know on the subject and yet fail to realize that this knowledge concerning the return of Christ should have them running in droves to their neighbors' door yelling, "He's coming back! Please let me tell you more about Jesus!"
And what gets me most about all this is when Jesus' disciples went to Him and were all, "Tell us more about your return," and Jesus was all, "Don't sweat that - I'll come when you least expect me - Just make sure your house is in order..." and then we, the ones reading this, spend all our time trying to figure out when He's coming back! Didn't He just say NOT to do that?
As I stated before, I'm writing these posts to both remind me of these times and to inform others of the church planting process. I felt this one was of particular importance. Today was the first major step toward my ordination and served to remind me that it isn't about the prophecies - It's about the man the prophecies talk about. The Apostle John ends the book of Revelation by writing, "Come Jesus come," but I'm much more of the mindset of, "Give me a minute, I've got a few more people to talk to about You..."
Pray for us.
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