Everything points to Him
Posted by D Anderson in church on August 24th, 2010
How many are your works, O LORD! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. Psalm 104:24
Do you see your Heavenly Father when you peer into the eyes of another person who is made in his image? How about your pets and even your houseplants? These things are from his loving hand of bounty and should direct us to thoughts of Him. Reader, may I inquire, is that the case with you?
About 500 years ago a Christian writer and reformer made the following observation:
“There is not one blade of grass, there is no color in this world that is not intended to make us rejoice.” John Calvin
May the creation lead us to the Creator and not become a substitute for Him. All things were made by him and every relationship established.
Epidemic of Emotional Affairs
Posted by D Anderson in church on May 25th, 2010
The sad news of house churches falling apart due to marital infidelity regularly reaches our ears. In our own area, we have recently witnessed the devastating effects of an “emotional affair.” Even though the affair did not get physical before it was discovered, lingering chaos and grief were the results.
It doesn’t take a genius to realize that if Satan can destroy another Christian home, he can later exploit all the resulting problems will emerge in the kids and even the parents. Obviously, the chances of such a devastated family later hosting the church is diminished (though not impossible by the grace of God, of course).
From the Focus on the Family Site:
“A new crisis of infidelity is emerging in which people who never intended to be unfaithful are unwittingly crossing the line from platonic friendships into romantic relationships … ,” asserts the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. The statement is backed up by alarming statistics conducted through a national poll. While the findings showed that 15 percent of married women and 25 percent of married men have had sexual affairs, it was also revealed that an additional 20 percent of married couples have been impacted by emotional infidelity.
…..
So how can you recognize an emotional affair? These signs may indicate that a relationship has gone too far:
- You share personal thoughts or stories with someone of the opposite sex.
- You feel a greater emotional intimacy with him/her than you do with your spouse.
- You start comparing him/her to your spouse, and begin listing why your spouse doesn’t add up.
- You long for, and look forward to, your next contact or conversation.
- You start changing your normal routine or duties to spend more time with him/her.
- You feel the need to keep conversations or activities involving him/her a secret from your spouse.
- You fantasize about spending time with, getting to know or sharing a life with him/her.
- You spend significant time alone with him/her.
source: focusonthefamily.com/marriage/divorce_and_infidelity/affairs_and_adultery/emotional_affairs.aspx
Brothers and sisters, let us guard our own hearts, warn others, and be ready to lift up the fallen.
Simple Doesn’t Mean Easy
Posted by D Anderson in church on May 19th, 2010
“Simple church” may lead some to the premise that simple is necessarily going to be easy. I think not, though I am not uncomfortable with the phrase: simple church.
Things indeed have gotten a little too complicated with respect to most institutions – government, family, school – just about every aspect of life.
Losing weight, for example, is simple but not easy. Love is simple but not easy. Etc. Most every solution to every problem can be reduced to something… simple.
Praise the name of our Lord and for the simplicity of Jesus Christ! Yet his love is such a mystery that even angels desire to peer into its depths.
It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things. 1 Peter 1:12 niv
Atlanta House Church Workshop
Posted by D Anderson in house church on September 29th, 2009
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Reformation Day House Church Workshop
Some think of October 31 as Halloween, but it is also the day that Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to Wittenberg’s Castle Church door. It will also the day that there will be an Atlanta House Church Workshop!
Led by Steve Atkerson and Ed Caouette, this Saturday workshop will be held in NE Atlanta (Lilburn). It will begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at 5:30 p.m. Covered will be the basics of New Testament church life:
The Lord’s Supper: Rehearsal Dinner for the Marriage Banquet of the Lamb
Elder Led Congregational Consensus
Participatory Church Meetings
First Century Apostolic Traditions Practiced Today
We advocate the wine of historic, orthodox Christian theology poured into the wineskin of New Testament church practice: apostolic teaching wrapped up in apostolic tradition!
The workshop is free, and lunch is provided!
However, pre-registration is required. Please send name, address, email and phone number of each person coming to: lionottr AT bellsouth.net
You will get by return e-mail the location and directions. Space is very limited, so don’t delay registering or you may be left out! No child care will be provided.
Steve Atkerson
NTRF.org
4 McCains
Posted by D Anderson in christianity, family, home school, house church on June 16th, 2009
John McCain’s grandfather and father would become the first father-son team to reach the rank of four-star admiral.“My father spoke of him to me often, as an example of what kind of man I should aspire to be,” John McCain recalled.Halsey biographer Potter wrote that “there were few wiser or more competent officers in the Navy than Slew McCain.” The Navy honored him in 1953 by naming a new destroyer the USS John S. McCain. Slew McCain is buried next to his brother, William Alexander McCain, a cavalry officer known as “Wild Bill.”Bill McCain, who graduated from West Point, chased Mexican insurgent Pancho Villa with Gen. John J. “Black Jack” Pershing, served as an artillery officer during World War I and attained the rank of brigadier general.In his 1999 book, Faith of My Fathers, McCain details his Scotch-Irish roots, noting that his great-aunt was a descendant of Robert the Bruce, an early Scottish king. On this continent, McCain’s roots date to the American Revolution.An early ancestor, John Young, served on Gen. George Washington’s staff. After the family moved to Mississippi, a number of McCain’s ancestors fought in the Civil War on the side of the Confederacy.source: azcentral.com
House Churches Unlimited
Posted by D Anderson in church planting, ecclesiology, house church on May 11th, 2009
Free ebook!
This book addresses the dangers and delights of the house church format. It covers support and accountability, advantages and disadvantages, leadership and mentoring issues, worship and sacramental needs, conflict resolution and preaching, starting and multiplying house churches.
This work originally appeared in a book titled “House Churches Unlimited” by I. G. Spong in 1998. This is an updated version.
http://knol.google.com/k/ian-grant-spong/-/25uwu3q02a7v6/63#view
Pat Summitt on family
Posted by D Anderson in church, family, home school, house church on May 2nd, 2009
House churching, or whatever your preferred terminology, presumes a (hopefully somewhat stable) family. After all, church is family. And family is the cradle of society, too.
Here is a short audio clip released earlier this week by my fellow Tennessean and award winning coach of the UT Lady Vols. Pat has observed kids for more than 40 years and has now concluded:
… parents are too concerned to be the child’s friend rather than the child’s parent …
Home meetings restricted in VA
Posted by D Anderson in church, ecclesiology, house church, theology on March 18th, 2009
The Commonwealth of Virginia was once the bastion for ideals such as freedom of religion and the right to assemble. Now look.
Will your state be next to require permits and limit the number of attendees?
Virginia Beach has agreed to consider giving a group of Buddhist monks a permit to hold worship services at their home. The tentative agreement would settle a federal lawsuit the monks filed against the city in September after complaints about traffic prompted the City Council to shut down their services. City officials filed a stipulation of settlement yesterday in U.S. District Court. The proposed permit would limit Sunday meditation services at the home to no more than 20 people at a time. Festivals wouldn’t be allowed but the city agreed to help the monks to find another location.
Source: Richmond Times-Dispatch, March 17, 2009
Classroom size with respect to intimacy
Posted by D Anderson in church, ecclesiology, home school, house church on December 17th, 2008
Colleges and universities are rated on a number of criteria. A high rating comforts parents as they write out the checks each semester. One criteria is the faculty to student ratio, supposedly a measure of teacher/student interaction and intimacy. Another rating consideration is the average class size. The lower the ratio and smaller the class size, the better the rating.
Obviously, there is a parallel to small Christian groups such as house churches.
(In fairness to the traditional churches, it should be duly noted that Sunday Schools also allow and encourage intimacy.)
Cheers to the Lamb in whom are hidden the treasures of wisdom and knowledge!
Do Chinese house churcher’s desire to come out?
Posted by D Anderson in church on August 24th, 2008
Do Chinese house churcher’s desire to come out?
It’s easy for us to extol and honor them for their endurance under persecution but what do they want in terms of being able to meet openly?
Any of you Chinese house churcher’s out there? I realize that most Christian sites are blocked.
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