We gather in a Wesleyen style Class meeting on Monday nights at Clapps Chapel UMC. this blog is an outpouring of the growth that occurs there.

Gabe Davis

MEN OF PRAYER

From the writings of Civil War Chaplain, E. M. Bounds:

“We are continually striving to create new methods, plans, and organizations to advance the Church.  We are ever working to provide and stimulate growth and efficiency for the Gospel.  This trend of the day has a tendency to lose sight of the Man.  Or else he is lost in the workings of the plan or organization.  God’s plan is to make much of the Man, far more of him than of anything else.  Men are God’s method.  The Church is looking for better methods; God is looking for better Men…..What the Church needs today is not more or better machinery, not new organizations nor more novel methods.  She needs Men whom the Holy Spirit can use---Men of prayer, Men mighty in prayer.  The Holy Spirit does not flow through methods, but through Men.  He does not come on machinery, but on Men.  He does not anoint plans, but Men---Men of Prayer!”

Written over 150 years ago, the message is still good for today’s Church.

Letter to the Editor

I recently read a letter to the Editor in the Knoxville News Sentinel and at first blush it appeared just to be an Anti-Christian hit piece, but if you read it carefully I think you will see it is really a hopeless man's call for help. I hope you all can prey for him and what ever situation has driven him to strike out. His letter is as follows:


Jesus long dead and never coming back
This is in response to the Jan. 28 letter "Jesus desperately needed now."
It's been more than two millennia since Jesus of Nazareth preached "The time is come, and the kingdom of God is at hand!" (Mark 1:15). Yet even after he was executed for sedition, his doomsday cult continued to thrive amongst illiterate peasants.
The New Testament canon is replete with claims of his imminent return to render judgment upon humankind. In fact, Jesus explicitly predicted his "second coming" would occur within the lifetime of his immediate followers (see Matt 16:28, 24:34, 26:64). Despite such failures, the true believers are still waiting. Christians across the globe, with no concept of history, eagerly lust for the apocalypse, urging us to repent before it's too late.
Well, please allow me to retort: grow up. No fabled superhero is going to save the day. Jesus isn't seated on some throne in the sky listening to your prayers. He's long dead, and he's never coming back. We're on our own here.
Justin Blair
Knoxville

I underlined the last line since I think it sums up how people feel with out God. I fear that there are many people who feel alone in our world and we need to do a better job of showing them love.

If you wish to see the original letter you can follow the link below.     God BlessLetters: Feb. 13 » Knoxville News Sentinel

Inspirational video

Click on the link below and watch a very inspirational video about a quadrapelegic who is doing God's work.

Look at yourself after watching this. [VIDEO]