When Tragedy Strikes a Congregation

A tragedy has struck a family in my beloved "First Congregational Church of the Bereans". My wife and I are new to the church and the family that tragedy has struck isn't highly active in the church   so we didn't get to know them well, still it hurts to see them in such pain and in such a state of helplessness. 

The "First Congregational Church of the Bereans" is a small congregation, just a handful over one hundred souls, just the way I like it - a family where you know everyone and the pastor can give every member the individual attention they want (and in worst case - the attention they need)

The tragedy, which I will not describe for the privacy of those affected, just happened recently and the First Congregational Church of the Bereans is still mobilizing. I'm sure that the women of the church are already doing everything they can for the family, when I get home from work later this afternoon I'm sure my dear wife will have more information on the church's response and I'll gladly pitch in where ever I can. Unfortunately before my darling left for women's bible study last night one of the last details that she left me was that Mrs. Pastor was in tears the entire day.

OT Tuesday: Calming The Waters

How many times as children have we heard the story of Noah and the Ark? I even remember the Fischer Price Noah and the Ark toy with all the animals you could march into the ark two by two and the giraffes never actually fit right. Did you ever notice how almost every painting or drawing of Noah and the Ark includes Giraffes? It's so cute.

But like many other bible stories we miss so many details. First of all, the word "ark" doesn't mean "boat", it means "box". "Boat" implies a means of control or steering and a design for an aquatic environment, like in this picture I used here with the itty bitty giraffes peeking over the well constructed gunnels. A box does not imply anything like a boat. No control, no stately prow, no porthole for giraffes to peer through. In fact a box brings other thoughts to mind - like a coffin.Maybe it's best to keep that in mind because the Ark was an emergency survival tactic and not a yachting expedition for the Antediluvian Zoo.

We overlook that the animals weren't loaded two by two, just the unclean animals were. Genesis 7:2 says that the clean animals were loaded seven by seven. We also forget that it wasn't just the rain that flooded the earth but the floodgates of the great deep burst open as stated in Genesis 7:11 But one thing we really really need to remember is WHY this all happened 

Emergent Monday: Is My Church Submerging?

Pastor Joe Schimmel, senior pastor at the Blessed Hope Chapel in Simi Valley CA has been a leader in exposing the emerging church for what it really is: a Submerging Church; submerging into the depths of humanism, heresy, and apostasy. Emergent pastors are now preaching the joys of polluting the purity of the Gospel with Hinduism and Islam, they're ignoring the fact that God made man in His image and are busy remaking God in man's image. Pastor Joe's websites, GoodFight.org and Submerging Church.com are both a real eye openers to what is happening in the formerly God centric world of the evangelical church. At one time it was thought that the emerging church was a passing fad, but Pastor Joe plainly shows that the emerging church is here, it's real, and that the Bible is right when it says that the emergent church is not going away until Jesus comes back to fix things. 

1 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. 2 Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; 3 and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. (2 Peter 2:1-3)

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas...

...my true love gave to me

Twelve Drummers Drumming
The twelve points of doctrine in the Apostles' Creed: 
1) I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. 
2) I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. 
3) He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. 
4) He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell [the grave]. 
5) On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. 
6) He will come again to judge the living and the dead. 
7) I believe in the Holy Spirit, 
8) the holy catholic Church, 
9) the communion of saints, 
10) the forgiveness of sins, 
11) the resurrection of the body, 
12) and life everlasting.

On the Eleventh Day of Christmas...

...my true love gave to me

Eleven Pipers Piping
The eleven Faithful Apostles: 
1) Simon Peter
2) Andrew
3) James
4) John
5) Philip
6) Bartholomew
7) Matthew
8) Thomas
9) James bar Alphaeus
10) Simon the Zealot
11) Judas bar James.  
(Luke 6:14-16).  The list does not include the twelfth disciple, Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus to the religious leaders and the Romans.