Old methods of church growth outdated???

I have heard alot lately about how the times are changing, and if we are going to get people into the church, we must change too. It has been said how we must not let church traditions get in the way of growth. To an extent, I do agree with this, and it certainly sounds good on the surface.

Those who know me, know that I am a conservative Christian with dress standards. Let me make this plain right now, my salvation is not in my dress standards. You will not make it to Heaven by dressing different, or just changing the way you live. I believe in a heart religon--between God and you. You will make it to Heaven by asking Him for forgiveness for the things you have done wrong, and obeying him from there on--obeying what He tells you to do. Obedience to God is the key to the secret of Heaven's entrance.

In holiness churches, we also do somethings perhaps in someways different from more liberal churches. Somethings we begin to feel like somethings have to be or God cannot be there. In this context, I would agree with my first paragraph that we shouldnt let church tradition get in the way of growth. If God is in certain types of change, I am totally for it. So in our churches too, obedience to God is the key to growth.

Someone said we remember the great movings of God in the yesteryear, and we hear of them, and try to use the same methods as they used to make our churches grow today, and it doesnt work. It was said that we live in a new age, and must use new methods that appeal to people of today. Here is where I have my problem: the major reason for the great movings of God in the past, the major source of the great revivals, and major cause of church growth was PRAYER. I am sorry, friends, it is not outdated, and it STILL WORKS!! Your church may grow without it, but it will not grow spiritually. You can get people in with entertaining singing, extra fellowships and parties, maybe some video, etc..., but these things do not build spirituality. Prayer and obedience make powerful tools for the growth of a spiritual church.

If only people would learn to spend more time in prayer, our people would be more spiritual. As you grow more spiritual, you become more like God, and will "love everybody". People respond to love. The presence of God would reign in our services, and the true presence of God will never drive anyone away!! Love and His presence will bring the lost in.

What happened to the extra prayer meetings where people just prayed? What happened to those sweet times of prayer right in service where we were not in a hurry to get up?

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!

Thy wings shall my petition bear

To Him whose truth and faithfulness

Engage the waiting soul to bless.

And since He bids me seek His face,

Believe His Word and trust His grace,

I’ll cast on Him my every care,

And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

Prayer will NEVER BE OUTDATED. It fits perfectly with the times.

Hey everyone!! Long time, no write!! Been so busy....

The kids are working hard to finish school. That takes alot of time. We have been spending alot of time working on sign language too as there is a lady in nursing home we visit who is deaf. The kids have fell in love with her, and want to be able to talk to her more. Education is a busy business!!
In March, Daniel was in the hospital with pneumonia for a few days.

Rebekah went to a Gaither Vocal Band concert last night. She got a ticket for her birthday, and was totally thrilled with it. She throughly enjoyed herself, and here is few pictures of her with singers she likes.

Here is Rebekah and Michael English--the one that she was the most excited about seeing.

Here is Rebekah and my brother, Matthew with David Phelps.

....and with Wes Hampton.

Well am not in the mood to digress at this moment--just letting all know we are in the land of the living, and sharing the pics! Guess I will catch up on everyone else's blogs at this moment!! Adios!!

Making Pancakes

I got this in an email today and thought it was so good I would share it!


Making Pancakes
Six year-old Brandon decided one Saturday morning to fix his parents pancakes. He found a big bowl and spoon, pulled a chair to the counter, opened the cupboard and pulled out the heavy flour canister, spilling it on the floor.
He scooped some of the flour into the bowl with his hands, mixed in most of a cup of milk and added some sugar, leaving a floury trail on the floor which by now had a few tracks left by his kitten.
Brandon was covered with flour and getting frustrated. He wanted this to be something very good for Mom and Dad, but it was getting very bad.
He didn't know what to do next, whether to put it all into the oven or on the stove and he didn't know how the stove worked!. Suddenly he saw his kitten licking from the bowl of mix and reached to push her away, knocking the egg carton to the floor.
Frantically he tried to clean up this monumental mess but slipped on the eggs, getting his pajamas white and sticky.
And just then he saw Dad standing at the door. Big crocodile tears welled up in Brandon 's eyes. All he'd wanted to do was something good, but he'd made a terrible mess. He was sure a scolding was coming, maybe even a spanking. But his father just watched him..
Then, walking through the mess, he picked up his crying son, hugged him and loved him, getting his own pajamas white and sticky in the process!
That's how God deals with us.. We try to do something good in life, but it turns into a mess. Our marriage gets all sticky or we insult a friend, or we can't stand our job, or our health goes sour.
Sometimes we just stand there in tears because we can't think of anything else to do. That's when God picks us up and loves us and forgives us, even though some of our mess gets all over Him.
But just because we might mess up, we can't stop trying to "make pancakes" for God or for others. Sooner or later we'll get it right, and then they'll be glad we tried...

Last night

We had a nice evening last night. First of all, I have to admit--I didnt go to church, but that is not what made the evening nice!! I have arthritis in my joints. My elbows were hurting, and told hubby that I was dreading going out in the rainy weather, because I knew I would hurt all over then. He suggested I stay home. Well we had my brother and his wife, and a new friend we have over. I had calzones to eat, and had made pie the day before too. My brother who said he would only stay til 9, ended up staying til 10, and Mark was here til 12 something. It was very enjoyable for Shawn and I.
To be honest, we hardly ever have anyone over anymore except for family. When I went to the church I went to for 17 or 18 years, I used to have people over at least 2 or 3 times a week. Then we left, and have went from church to church, and have not been comfortable having alot of people over. The one pastor we had at the one church we attended became a good friend, and came over alot. We missed him alot when he moved away. This is so cool having a friend our age again. We can talk about anything, and can even have comfortable moments of silence! (And my kids like this guy even, and arent like "oh no" when he is coming over.)
We hit on some different topics that I would like to explore in this blog some more sometime. Well that is it for now. Later folks!!

Head Lice!!! AAAAA!!!

We were exposed to head lice, and Rebekah got them--and what a battle it has been!! What is sad is that the poor child was itching, and probably had them for a week before I found them. I didnt know what I was looking for, and she has always had a problem with dandruff....but I finally seen them on a Saturday night about 11:30 , so off Shawn went to Walmart! That night we were up til 4:00 treating them, and treating my head as a safety precaution (however, we have never found any on my head, and my mom searched me good!), and then on Sunday, I worked the most I ever had on a Sunday in my life washing bedding and chair covers, etc.... I even completely kept her home for a week so she wouldnt drop a egg I missed on someone else!--and then she treated her head again. We went about a week or so, and guess what??? I found a few nits on her head Friday night again!! Same rigamarole again except I did let her go to church this time as there wasnt many, and as I understand it several people in the church have been getting the nasty things!! Hopefully we got it all this time, as there wasnt many this time, and I found no visible lice.
Any problem I have, I usually research good so I know what I am dealing with. I did the same with head lice, so I want to impart a few facts. Head lice do not like oily, dirty heads--they like clean heads--it easier for them to hang on to the hair. I think where the rumour must have started is when alot of time poor people had them, and the problem was not having the money to treat them, or ignorance. Sorry--lice do not look at your pocketbook before they make a home in your hair!! Viable nits are usually brown, and the white or clear ones are empty shells where the louse has hatched and left. Lice do not jump from head to head, they crawl at the speed of about 9 inches a minute. The major thing you can do to get rid of lice is to comb and comb and comb to get the nits out. The expensive shampoos you buy kill lice but not the eggs! The eggs live for about 2-3 weeks, and that is why anywhere that your head is going to be near needs to be put under heat for about 20-30 minutes. Heat kills lice--water does not. That is why we run coats, bedding, hair things, etc... through the dryer. (I think that maybe where I went wrong--I forgot to do the coats and hats last time!!) It is possible that the mayonaise treatment and kerosene(which can be dangerous) might kill lice, but if you dont get the eggs out you will get them again!! I have heard so many things my whole life about lice and alot was not true, so I thought I would impart my knowledge to you!! lol!!
Wishing you good luck in your life that you will not get them!!

Mercy

Tonight I watched a girl sign the song, “The Mercy Seat”. The sign she made for mercy was rolling both hands over and over. It struck me as so appropriate when being compared to God’s mercy---it extends to us over and over as we are so needing of it. It also reminded me of a Bible story.

The church leaders found her in the very act of adultery. Probably she was of such character, that they knew she would be an easy target. What an embarrassing position to be caught in by the holier than-thou-church leaders of the day—possibly unclothed and with someone that was indeed not her husband! She tried to pass it off like she didn’t care with them, yet she did. She really did want to be accepted, but her lot in life had been hard, she had fallen on hard times, and somehow had found herself trapped in a lifestyle that no one would personally desire. Now at this stage in her life, she knew even if she changed, no one would forget, no one would ever again think good of her, so why try to change? Yet in her inmost soul, she felt her dirtiness and shame as they dragged her along. What was the purpose of this intrusion on her life? If they had been going to put her to death as the law demanded, why had they not done it years before? Perhaps, because some of them in the dark of night had also visited her? She was not worried of death, but felt a sense of foreboding, and knew they would not drag her out in the daylight for anything good. She looked up and realized she was at the door of the temple—why, oh, why, would they bring her to such a holy place? She had not been near the doors since she was very young. This was not good.
In though the doors, and up toward the front where a young man stood teaching. Her cheeks burned at being here in her condition, and grabbed at her hastily put on robes, arranging them to cover her more thoroughly as she heard the voice of one of her captors speak,
"Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. In his teachings, Moses ordered us to stone women like this to death. What do you say?"
Fear struck her heart then. So they were trying to put her to death! Yet, with the fear, came anger. She knew the man that spoke, she knew him intimately, and how was it that the law would only judge her? It was so unfair! What would this supposed Teacher say? Bravely, she lifted her eyes as the man turned toward her. His eyes fastened on hers. She had never seen such eyes. She knew men, and she knew their leering looks, their admiring looks, their lustful looks, but this woman had never had someone look at her like this. She began to tremble violently—perhaps she should look down--yet she could not!! Was he reading her heart? Could he see her soul? Yet, it almost seemed that there was compassion and love in that intense gaze.
When she felt as if she could bear his searching eyes no longer, he turned without looking at her captors, and knelt in the dirt and began to write with his finger. The temple was very quiet as the men around her began to jostle forward. She was moved along with them with the viselike grip that one had on her arm. In spite of herself, she craned her neck forward that she might see too. He was writing the Ten Commandments in the dirt! When the church leaders realized what he was writing, a clamor of voices rose again in the air,
“Answer us, Master. We know these commandments, and we know what was inscribed on the tablets, but do you agree with what Moses said we were to do about the violation of the 7th commandment?”
Then he looked up, and the room immediately grew quiet as he looked at each of them face by face. When he at last spoke, it was a firm, gentle, but an oh-so-knowing voice.
"He, who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." And he knelt and continued writing on the ground.
The words were like a bombshell in the room. She realized they were testing this man in someway that she did not understand, and that it had never really been about her personally, yet even she knew how ungodly they were underneath their façade. Before them were the commandments written by God originally, and not a man among them was completely innocent of that list. There was rustling as they began to turn and the leave the temple with heads down, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest. There was no good answer with which to defend themselves. Finally, they were all gone, and all that was left in the room, was the Master and the woman.
She knew of her own sins. She knew this man was really holy, quite unlike the self-proclaimed, holy men that had just left the room. What would he do with her? Tears began to stream down her cheeks.
"Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?"
She looked up. He was looking at her with kind, gentle questioning eyes. Who was he? She could tell in those eyes that somehow He knew her, and yet he loved her! How could this be?! Her voice cracked as she spoke,
“No man, Lord.”
Somehow she was not frightened to look in His face anymore. A hint of a smile touched His lips as He spoke,
“Neither will I condemn thee. Go, and now sin no more.”
How could it be? He didn’t care what she had done in her life. He did not condemn her. He was forgiving her—he only cared that she sinned no more!! The woman knew in her heart of hearts that she had looked into the face of God in the moment, and she knew He was nothing like she had ever imagined him to be in the past. She knew Mercy. Maybe, just maybe, she could be different.

When I think of mercy, I think of this story, and know it to be true. He does not care about all the awful sins that you and I have committed, He, the truly pure and sinless One, cares only that we quit sinning. Each time we mess up, we bring it to Him, and find forgiveness and love, and here Him say,
“Neither will I condemn thee. Go, and now sin no more.”
Mercy, over and over, again. What a lovely word. Mercy.

Pictures!!

I was looking through my mom's pictures and found these pictures of Daniel hard at work helping Papa, and thought I would share them!

And here is a picture of Rebekah reading on Grandma and Grandpa's porch. Dont know how I missed seeing these before, but I liked them.