Why Should Your Church Have a Website?

• To let people know you exist.
• To show you've moved into the 21st century.
• To find new prospects.
• To share the plan of salvation with those who may never enter a church.
• To share sermons, devotionals, Christian articles, etc.
• To keep the community informed of upcoming events.
• To encourage Bible reading.
• To accept and share prayer requests.
• To let people know more about your pastor(s).
• To provide fun, weekly interaction among members.
• To ofer free games, puzzles, crafts, etc. to your children and teens.
• To provide directions on how to contact you or locate the church for services.

I offer a three page church website design for only $50. At that price, why wouldn't your church have a website?

Contact me to order yours today!

Beating the Indecision Blues

Indecision. It's a paralyzing malady. In the middle of a "What do I do?" attack, we often do nothing. Sometimes that works best because we simply need to "be still and know that He is God." (Psalm 46:10) Too often, however, indecision cripples the progress we could make by choosing a path.

As pastors, Greg and I are often faced with important decisions that affect, not only our own lives, but others' lives as well. There are times when the "demon" of indecision rears its ugly head and hinders us from heeding that still small voice within. So, how do we combat the enemy?

First, we pray. We ask God to speak clearly to us and to help us hear His voice.

Next, we listen to our own feelings. I'm a firm believer in a "gut feeling" - that sense, or intuition, deep within us that tells us what's right or wrong. I believe that's the voice of God's Spirit directing and guiding us as He did Elijah in 1 Kings 19. We just need to listen.

We may also seek the advice of godly counselors. Proverbs 15:22 says "Without counsel, plans go awry, But in the multitude of counselors they are established." And in verse 11:14, "in the multitude of counselors there is safety." Seeking advice and wisdom from other Christians can be helpful when we need to make a decision. Sometimes God will reveal His will to us through the words of others. We just need to seek them out.

Whenever we're faced with indecision, the first rule is to remember that - ultimately - the decision is the Lord's. Our place is simply to discover His will on the matter, whatever the matter may be.

Unfortunately, that may take a time of waiting, praying, and seeking His face. But He has promised He will answer. When we trust in Him, His word promises that "If any of [us] lack wisdom... it will be given to him." (James 1:5)

What a blessing to know an all-knowing God has the answer we need for every indecision we face in life!

9 Ways to Improve Your Prayer Life

There has been so much written about prayer that every Christian should be an expert at it. Yet, there are so many misconceptions about prayer that this seemingly simple, all important, Christian discipline is often neglected because of our lack of confidence in our ability to pray.

God doesn't want fancy words or flowery phrases. He wants to communicate with His children. And one of the ways He does that is through prayer. Here are seven ways to improve your prayer life, and through it, your intimacy with Jesus.

1. Pray while driving. This can be the most productive time of prayer you have. Just talk to the Lord about whatever is on your mind. (But keep your eyes open and on the road!)

2. Pray with your spouse and/or children before going your separate ways each day. A simple prayer time before everyone heads out the door will improve your outlook for the entire day.

3. Pray together before bed every night. It helps to settle our minds and spirits, and prepares us for a more restful sleep.

4. When asked to pray about something, stop right then and there, and pray. Then remember the need whenever it comes to mind throughout the day. Your friends and loved ones will appreciate knowing that if they ask you to pray about something, you will.

5. If you get irritated, angry, frightened, impatient... pray. Also, if you're happy, peaceful, on top of the world... pray.

6. Pray before meals no matter where you are - even in a restaurant, or at a friend's house. Pray silently if you need to, but honor the Lord and thank Him for providing the food you need.

7. Pray in your own words. You don't have to use "thee" or "thou" to pray (though you can if that's more comfortable). But God speaks and understands the language you speak. He just wants to hear from you.

8. Thank God for anything that comes to your mind... the beauty of creation, safety, warmth, an A on your final exam. Nothing in the lives of God's children is trivial to Him.

Do you feel it's trivial, silly, or inconsequential when your child asks you for something? Or if they thank you unexpectedly? Of course not! Nor does God, our Heavenly Father, who loves His children, too.

9. You can pray sitting, standing, or lying down. Kneeling isn't a mandatory position for praying.

Prayer is communicating with God. So simply talk to Him as if He were your very best friend. Share with Him. Be honest and open about what's on your heart. (He knows it all, anyway.) He invites us to bring everything to Him in prayer because He cares for us. And it makes us feel so much better when we pray, too!

So... pray.

Letting People Be People

NOTE: Enjoy this guest post by Rev. Neal Stover, Pastor of South Haven Church of the Nazarene, my "Spiritual Father" and friend.

In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? (Psalm 56:11)

Greetings in the name of Jesus!

The more we trust God's perfection, the better we can deal with human imperfection.

There is no other healthy way to survive life in a broken world. Nothing short of divine love can equip us to love others as we should, for it is our security in God's perfect love that makes it safe to love those who are not perfect.

Without the God who ordained them, the laws of love would be difficult and dangerous indeed.

When our ultimate trust is in God, we're not as vulnerable to the disappointments that arise in our dealings with others.

We can be authentically patient and forbearing. We still deeply hurt when others fail us, to be sure, and it's not right to pretend otherwise.

But in our pain, we are able to view this reality from a much larger perspective. When our earthly "treasures" are threatened, we don't react as we would if these were our only treasures.

To the extent that we have confidence in God's power to accomplish His purposes in His own way, we'll not be driven by the urge to "control" what takes place around us and to keep certain things from happening.

"As your faith is strengthened you will find that there is no longer the need to have a sense of control, that things will flow as they will, and that you will flow with them, to your great delight and benefit" (Emmanuel).

When we have entrusted the fulfillment of our deepest needs to God, we won't look to other human beings to provide us with more than they can provide.

Our expectations of others will be more realistic when we see God as the only Source of what we most deeply need.

Secure in His love, we'll not place on anyone else the impossible burden of loving us perfectly.

It should also be said, however, that trust in God's perfection frees us to see our own limitations in a better way.

Pride is, after all, a very tiresome, unproductive thing, and the humble recognition that we are not God is not confining; it is empowering.

We'll do a better job of being human beings when we quit trying to do God's work and focus on the duties that are truly our own.

Faith enables persons to be persons because it lets God be God.
...Carter Lindberg

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Pastor Neal Stover
http://www.southhavennazarene.org

Marriage by the Book... Unequally Yoked

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Christian marriage Q & A from a minister, writer and successful marriage partner of over 25 years!
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DISCLAIMER: While I am a pastor, I am not a psychologist, psychiatrist or degreed counselor. Please understand this (I will remind you often). What I am is a wife of over 25 years who has made many observations, both humorous and grave, enlightening and frustrating, and who has come to many conclusions about marriage. The purpose of this column is to share the Biblical insight God has given on this remarkable union between man and woman, and to share the minuscule traces of wisdom that I've acquired from doing marriage wrong, and doing it right!
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Q. Hi. I recently met a lady who said she was a Christian but I found that she really used the name Christian for what she perceived was an unconditional love. When I explained to her about salvation through Christ she rebelled and said I feared God rather than loved him, that I hated all people who weren't like me, i.e., gays, etc. She said she couldn't accept a narrow view of God saving only Christians. Of course, we broke up. I still care for this woman and am praying for her salvation. Perhaps I'm wasting my time.

Right now she's rebelling against Christianity and what I've told her about being saved. She said, "God loves me, therefore I'm saved." If she won't believe ever, then of course, we will never get together. Which is my main reason for writing you. I thought if there was a chance to reach her... Well, I leave it in God's hands and appreciate any help you may offer.

* Mark, A Lonely Christian

* Personal details have been changed.

Thanks for your message. Let's see if we can find some answers for you... But, as always, let me say two things about any counsel that I offer...

1. It may not "tickle your ears." It may not be what you
WANT to hear, but...

2. It will be Biblical. I will share scripture with you and let God's word speak for itself.

Having said that, let me direct you 2 Corinthians 6:14-17 which says, "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: 'I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people. Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.'"

This isn't always an easy task. I understand. But you've done what the Lord has required of you. That's a good thing, and I commend you for following the Bible's instructions.

As to your friend... you definitely need to continue to pray for her. Pray specifically that God will open her eyes. That He will remove the wall of rebellion she has built around herself. That He will show her the TRUTH, not the lies that Satan is feeding her. But unless she accepts Jesus Christ as her Savior, you and she cannot have a right relationship in the eyes of God. I think you know that, hard as it may be to accept.

It sounds to me that your friend is involved in a lot of New Age thinking. Such as, "there are many ways to God." Yet the Bible says, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." (Matthew 7:13-14) And in verse 21: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."

And that "we don't need to fear God"... yet Job 28:28 says, "And [God] said to man, 'The fear of the Lord--that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.'" And in Psalm 111:10, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise."

Also, that "our beliefs or our behavior is unimportant"... yet Hebrews 12:14 says, "without holiness no one will see the Lord." And in Ephesians 5:4: "Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving."

The idea that because "God is love" (1 John 4:8) He will let people do anything they want to do, rebel any way they want to rebel, believe anything they want to believe, and then will someday allow them to enter into His holiness is another lie of the enemy. Romans 3:22-23 says, "righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." And in 6:23, "the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Jesus said of Himself in John 14:6, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." As Christians, we know this to be true. And just as plainly, if someone denies this truth, they do not belong to Him. That's sometimes hard to swallow. But we believe the Word of God (the Bible) is truth and that's what it says.

I don't think I really have to tell you these things... I think you know them in your heart. I perceive that the problem lies in the very last statement that you made: "A lonely Christian."

Loneliness will make us think, and do, and want to accept things that we know are not right, simply because we don't want to be alone. It's one of the most difficult trials we must face. Believe me... I know this from personal experience.

Can I make a couple of suggestions?

1. Get involved in a single's ministry. Don't look for a "mate" - look for friends to spend time with, to go places with, to do things with. Look for CHRISTIAN friends. This will help alleviate the loneliness.

2. Pray. Pray for your friend. But pray for yourself, too. Pray that God will send you the person HE has for you to spend your life with. Pray that if this friend is that person, that He will save her soul, that she will accept Him as her Savior. But if that doesn't happen soon, I'd be very careful of continuing a relationship with her. "Do not be misled: 'Bad company corrupts good character.'" (1 Corinthians 15:33).

Your friend apparently doesn't understand your faith, and it's very possible that Satan is attempting to use her to draw you away from God.

3. Trust the Lord. He knows you... he knows your situation. And remember that "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it" (1 Corinthians 10:13). Look for His answer and listen to it. He'll show you the way. He promised.

I pray that God will help you to remain faithful to Him during this time and that He will help you to "put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand." (Ephesians 6:13)

God bless you... and please feel free to contact me again.

All scripture quoted is from the New King James Bible (NKJV).

Destiny

NOTE: Today, as I was considering the Lord's return to claim His Bride, I came across this story by Donald Mehl. I thoroughly enjoyed it... I pray you do, too!

In a gently rolling meadow of lush green grass and fragrant wild flowers, a magnificent milk white stallion stood proud, tall, and alert like none other.

He had always been meticulously groomed with carefully trimmed hooves, his hair was soft and smooth as pure white silk, and his mane and tail had always been combed to perfection. It was as if he was always prepared for an imminent showing.

With powerful muscles rippling in the light of the day, he seemed to be the perfect picture of a Triple Crown winner, and so much more. Truly, this superb animal was fit to belong to a King.

This horse was not a racing champion, nor was he a show performer, for he had never been ridden by anyone. As a result, he had never understood or experienced his purpose in life. However, unknown to him, he would fulfill a destiny that the whole world would see. He would soon discover his long awaited mission in life...and what a mission that would be!

But somehow, he could sense that today would in some way be different and unlike any other day - that something wonderful and exciting was about to happen. He began to pace and stomp nervously with anticipation while scanning the horizon for any movement. His ears were erect and focused to catch the slightest sound. Off in the distance, he thought he could see someone walking toward him. His sensitive ears also heard the sound of the approaching footsteps. With nostrils flared, he could smell the sweetness of his Master nearby. It was then that he knew his Master was coming to him.

His Master greeted him with a warm smile and kind words of encouragement while tenderly stroking his soft muzzle. The horse loved his Master and responded by gently nuzzling his Master's hands - searching for a treat. He had never been disappointed and today was certainly no exception. It was just the two of them in that place, together enjoying the close relationship they shared.

Suddenly in the stillness of the moment, a loud pure voice was heard that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere. The voice said, "Son, now is the appointed time. This is the day I had set from eternity past. Go now and fulfill Your prophecies promised to mankind. Go quickly!"

Without hesitation the Master turned and easily leaped up onto the back of the beautiful white stallion. With arched neck and extended tail, the horse, proud to serve his Master, pranced with almost overwhelming anxiety. Very quickly they were joined by the armies of heaven, tens of thousands of them, also on white horses, and all wearing clean white linen.

At that point, the Master's demeanor changed. With eyes as fire, dressed for battle, and armed with the all-powerful Word of God, He was ready to make war against evil once and for all. At the Master's command His milk white stallion instantly charged forward leading the way to engage the enemy. It was at that moment in the midst of an enormous flurry of thundering hoof beats that the Master's white horse finally realized his prophetic destiny. He was carrying his beloved Master...the King of kings and the Lord of lords, Who with great power and glory would claim victory over all evil.

Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:

KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
(Rev. 19:11-16 NKJV)

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During retirement, my prayer is that I might serve the Lord by sharing the Gospel through my writing. As the Lord leads, my work will inform, challenge and encourage. I also enjoy Biblical theme woodcarving, Bible studies and Christian music. Watch, pray and keep looking up!
...Donald Mehl

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com

The Emerging Church

Recently, a fellow pastor and friend gave Greg a DVD to watch. It included information about "the emerging church." I do a lot of reading and had come across the term but wasn't overly familiar with the implications of what was meant by it. Until I watched this DVD (and off the top of my head, I can't remember who produced it), I had never given much thought to this being an issue within the Church at large. To be honest, I took it to be simply another of many church growth movements. Now, I'm not so sure.

This is what Wikipedia has to say about the emerging church:

The emerging church (sometimes referred to as the Emergent movement) is a Christian movement of the late 20th and early 21st century that crosses a number of theological boundaries: participants can be described as Evangelical, post-evangelical, Liberal, post-Liberal, charismatic, neocharismatic and post-charismatic. Participants seek to live their faith in what they believe to be a "postmodern" society. Proponents of this movement call it a "conversation" to emphasize its developing and decentralized nature, its vast range of standpoints and its commitment to dialogue. What those involved in the conversation mostly agree on is their disillusionment with the organized and institutional church and their support for the deconstruction of modern Christian worship, modern evangelism, and the nature of modern Christian community.

Okay, on the surface the latter part of that definition is okay. I understand people being disillusioned with the organized church. We meet so many church goers who only claim Christianity and yet who don't even attempt to live by the tenets and principles of Christian life as Jesus taught them. But the first section of this definition concerns me...

a Christian movement... that crosses a number of theological boundaries: participants can be described as Evangelical, post-evangelical, Liberal, post-Liberal, charismatic, neocharismatic and post-charismatic.

Sounds to me like the emerging church has no idea who they are!

What really concerns me, however, is what the same article says further down in a quote by Mark Driscoll:

In the mid-1990s I was part of what is now known as the Emerging Church and spent some time traveling the country to speak on the emerging church in the emerging culture on a team put together by Leadership Network called the Young Leader Network. But, I eventually had to distance myself from the Emergent stream of the network because friends like Brian McLaren and Doug Pagitt began pushing a theological agenda that greatly troubled me. Examples include referring to God as a chick, questioning God's sovereignty over and knowledge of the future, denial of the substitutionary atonement at the cross, a low view of Scripture, and denial of hell which is one hell of a mistake.

I hope that you realize the issues with this approach to our faith. While there may be much good to what the emerging church is trying to do, removing the sovereignty of God and the authority of Scripture is not only not good, it's eternally dangerous.

I don't pretend to have all the answers and insights into this movement, its practices or its leaders, and while I do believe the Church needs to make some changes - we need to be living our faith, not just talking about - please be wary of anyone who would distort the message of the Bible.

As I've done in the past, I encourage you to test the spirits to be sure they are of God (1 John 4:1) and to take the authority of God's word (2 Timothy 3:16 ) over the opinions and beliefs of man (or woman). Search it out for yourself and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you into all truth (John 16:13). That's one of the things He does best.