From Charles Swindoll

I wanted to share Mr. Swindoll's Blog post because it sounds like truth. We should think about this.

Here is the link to the original post

The Church Awakening: An Urgent Call for Renewal

By Charles Swindoll

For this post I’m going to do something I rarely do.
I want to share with you why I’ve written my newest book, The Church Awakening: An Urgent Call for Renewal. Truth be told, part of the reason I wrote the book is because of you, my fellow pastors.

Ours is a whole new world, and nothing has been more adversely affected by postmodernism than the church and its relationship to God’s Word. When the Bible loses its central place in the church’s worship—even if good things replace it—the fallout is biblical ignorance. The longer substitutes replace the preaching of the Word as the centerpiece of Christian worship, the more we will witness the intensifying drift into ignorance. Over time, a congregation that is distant from the Word of God seeks more entertainment and less biblical truth.

The slumbering evangelical church has now bought into this way of thinking. I have worked hard to explain why and how in this book. But let me add that I have not written this volume just to point out all that’s wrong. That is not my intention. My writing has always had an emphasis on grace, which is God’s emphasis in the Bible. Each chapter addresses solutions—not just problems—and points to the hope that God offers in His Word.

I have written The Church Awakening primarily to two groups of people. First, to serious-thinking churchgoers, who know there is a better way. In the Bible there was a group of clear-thinking, tough-minded men called the “sons of Issachar” (1 Chron. 12:32). They were those who “understood the times and knew what Israel should do.” We need that same clear-headed discernment today in the church. And along with discernment, we need an equal supply of courage. My aim is to ignite that passion within those who are willing to think seriously.

I am also writing to you pastors, especially to those who are on the fence, who need a voice of permission to buck the tide and to put the preaching of the Word of God back in its central place of the church’s worship.

In my almost fifty years in ministry, I have never been more passionate, or hopeful, for The Church Awakening—that is, for the church to wake up, to see how far it has drifted, to begin walking with God, and to engage the culture for Jesus Christ.

It is my hope that God will use this new volume in a powerful way to contribute to the master plan Jesus is building. He was the One who promised: “I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it” (Matt. 16:18).

Bumps in the road

By  Glenn Wintemberg
We all run  into bumps in our life road. Some may cause severe damage to our spiritual or  physical chassis; others are only annoying, and some are amusing. They are usually  surprises.
        I  recently encountered a two life bumps.
        First,  my 87-year-old mother has been dealing with dementia/Alzheimer's for a few  years.
        Second,  on June 30th I retired from the Parkway School District after 33.2 years of  maintaining HVAC equipment and serving as the lead man of the HVAC/Plumbing Departments  for the last 12 years.
        At  the beginning of March, Parkway made their employees a Godfather offer that was  difficult to refuse. They offered a retirement package that included the  three-year payment of our medical, dental and vision insurance.
        At  56 years young, they only gave me the month of March to make a decision that  would affect the rest of my life. As you can imagine I had to answer a lot of  questions about what I was going to do when I retired. I knew that I would be  spending more time with my mother and catching up on 28 years of deferred  maintenance at the house.
        With  one month in retirement under my belt, I find myself spending five days a week  at Mom's house providing companionship and making sure she is eating and taking  her pills. I enjoy the opportunity to spend more time with my mom and am  blessed that retirement allows me to do that.
        There  are times in our lives when we all need someone in whom we can confide when we  encounter surprise bumps in life. One of those questions we have asked men is:  "Do you have another man that you can call a close friend — A man that knows  you inside and out?"
        There  are men throughout out our denomination that have encountered a few bumps in  the road. Today presents an opportunity for us to help repair the damages.

Glenn Wintemberg, vice  president
General Commission on  United Methodist Men
unitvent@yahoo.com

Studying Islam is hard.

MY THOUGHTS ON SUNDAY’S STUDY
(from Richard Wright)

 LAST SUNDAY EVENING WE STUDIED THE MUSLIM RELIGION OF ISLAM.  IT WAS VERY DISTURBING TO A NUMBER OF PEOPLE FOR MANY DIFFERENT REASONS.  HOWEVER, I FEEL THAT ADAM HAMILTON “HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD” IN HIS INTRODUCTION---------

 “JESUS CHRIST TOLD HIS FOLLOWERS TO GO INTO THE WORLD AND MAKE DISCIPLES (MATH 28:16-20).  HOW CAN WE AS CHRISTIANS DO THAT EFFECTIVELY WITH PERSONS OF OTHER FAITHS IF WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEY BELIEVE?  HOW CAN WE SHARE CHRIST IN A SENSITIVE WAY IF WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT SOMEONE ELSE’S IDEA OF TRUTH IS.”

 HE ALSO POINTED OUT THAT “MANY OF US ARE CHRISTIAN BECAUSE OUR PARENTS WERE CHRISTIANS.”  CHRISTIANITY WAS THE RELIGION OF OUR FOUNDING FATHERS AT THE FORMATION OF AMERICA.

 IN IRAN, IRAQ AND MOST MIDDLE EAST COUNTRIES, ISLAM IS THE ONLY RELIGION BEING TAUGHT.  UNLIKE THE U.S., WHERE THE CONSTITUTION ALLOWS FOR “FREEDOM OF RELIGION”, CHRISTIANITY IS NOT ALLOWED TO BE TAUGHT, UNDER PENALTY OF DEATH.  THERE ARE NO BIBLES ALLOWED.

 ISLAM, TO ME, IS A FORCED RELIGION.  IF YOU ARE BROUGHT UP BEING TOLD THAT AN APPLE IS A PEAR, AND NO ONE TELLS YOU ANY DIFFERENT, GUESS WHAT??????  TO YOU THAT APPLE IS A PEAR.  THE SAME APPLIES TO RELIGIONS.  IF THE ONLY RELIGION YOU ARE ALLOWED TO HEAR, LEARN ABOUT, BE IT  ISLAM, HINDU, BUDDHISM OR CHRISTIANITY, IT STANDS TO REASON YOU WILL FOLLOW THAT RELIGION.

 BUT GOD SAW THIS FLAW AND GAVE MANKIND FREEWILL, THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR, THINK AND DECIDE FOR OURSELF.  THE ONLY PROBLEM WITH THAT IS “MAN”.  MAN WILL NOT ALLOW IT IN MANY PLACES OF THE WORLD.

 THERE ARE EXTREMIST IN EVERYTHING, CALL IT THE 10%, IN POLITICS, ECONOMICS AND,YES, EVEN IN RELIGION.  BECAUSE OF THE MODERN DAY NEWS MEDIA, WE HEAR ALL ABOUT THE 10% WHILE THE 90% STAY IN THE BACKGROUND AND KEEP QUITE.  

 SURE, THERE ARE LOTS OF DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD, BUT THERE ARE ALSO MANY, MANY SIMILIARITES; ie  “ONE TRUE GOD”.  WE AS CHRISTIANS MUST NOT JUDGE THE ENTIRE ISLAM RELIGION BY THE ACTS OF THE 10%.  AS THE OLD SAYING GOES,  “ONE BAD APPLE DON’T SPOIL THE WHOLD BUNCH”.  WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE 90% IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND THEIR WAY OF THINKING. 

 THEN AND ONLY THEN CAN WE BEGIN TO TAKE THE  LIGHT, THE TRUTH, JESUS CHRIST, TO THEM.

Very True!

If Satan cannot get you to believe his lies or fall into one of his traps, he will turn around and oppose and resist anything you try to do for God. You can bank on Satan's opposition in your efforts to live for Christ, but that's a good sign because it means that Satan considers you worth opposing! He doesn't waste his time messing around with people who aren't doing anything.

- Tony Evans.

Mother of African Orphans

The Agenda

Changes and Challenges

By Gil Hanke

I expect some of you have read or heard  something about the Call to Action, an effort launched by the Council of  Bishops and the Connectional Table.
        Over  the past two years, several committees have moved the Call to Action from  research to several recommendations and a proposed new structure to be  considered by the 2012 General Conference.
        I  strongly encourage you to follow these developments at www.umc.org; add your comments to news stories  posted there. I also encourage you to express your opinions and concerns to  members of your conference delegation to General Conference.
        As  I write this, Bishop James King, Martha Davis and I have just completed a week  of meetings where this "reordering of the church" was debated. There is no  doubt our denomination must make changes that will result in more vital  congregations, the debate is how that can be achieved.
        A  Call to Action committee and the Connectional Table are recommending a massive  reordering of all general agencies. How that translates to needed reforms  within the local congregation is unclear.
        Under  the proposed plan, only the UM Publishing House and the General Board of  Pension and Health Benefits would continue in their present structure. The  governing boards of all other agencies, including GCUMM, would be discontinued.  Under the proposed structure, the functions of these agencies would be guided  by a 15-member board of directors.
        It  is not clear how the functions of UMM and UMW will fit in this organizational  model. Harriett Olson, deputy general secretary for GBGM and top staff executive  of the Women's Division, and I have been asked to propose ways in which the  work of our organizations might be included. That proposal will be completed in  the next few weeks.
        No  one is questioning the functions of the GCUMM. Men's ministries and scouting  ministries do help create vitality in congregations.
        Please  continue to pray for me and for the other general secretaries as we go through  this process. We know that our funding from World Service apportionments will  be reduced by 6.5 percent beginning in 2013. If the plans from the Call to  Action are enacted at General Conference that reduction is projected to be 16  percent. Such a reduction would affect the staff and the core functions of  every agency, including GCUMM.
        In  the midst of all this, I have hope. God's hand was on the creation of the  GCUMM, and He is not done with us yet. Readings in the Upper Room Disciplines remind me that we can do more together than  we can do on our own.
        Along  with these meetings there has been a lot of writing for the upcoming magazine,  webinars, the new edition of Guidelines,  and a report to General Conference. In each, I get to relate God sightings as  we journey together.
        I  am thankful that my work and prayer have led me to more work and more prayer.  Please let me hear from you.
        I  am honored to be of service to you, your congregation and the men in your  community who don't yet know Christ.
        Striving, 
Gil Hanke, general  secretary
General Commission on  UM Men
GHanke@gcumm.org