Ray McDonald - Thoughts and Reflections

New Blog Page

2010-02-13T11:19:00.000-05:00

My new blog page is found at http://raymcdonald.wordpress.com - come visit me there!

Daniel's Fast Day 18

2010-01-18T13:10:00.002-05:00

The day has started out very slow. Spent most of the morning trying to create a new website for the church - no luck so far. Others are trying now - good luck brothers.

I stayed away from the men's breakfast Saturday morning because I knew it would be hard to be around Carl's good cooking and not eat it or look like I wanted to eat it - lol. This passage came to mind:

Matthew 6:16 - When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.

I am going to work on my sermon some this afternoon and I will post more later.

Martin Luther King Jr.

2010-01-17T21:04:00.005-05:00

Martin Luther King, Jr., (January 15, 1929-April 4, 1968).

In 1954, Martin Luther King became pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama.

In December, 1955, King accepted the leadership of the first great Negro nonviolent demonstration of contemporary times in the United States, the bus boycott described by Gunnar Jahn in his presentation speech in honor of the laureate. The boycott lasted 382 days. On December 21, 1956, after the Supreme Court of the United States had declared unconstitutional the laws requiring segregation on buses, Negroes and whites rode the buses as equals.

In 1957 he was elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization formed to provide new leadership for the now burgeoning civil rights movement.

In the eleven-year period between 1957 and 1968, King traveled over six million miles and spoke over twenty-five hundred times, appearing wherever there was injustice, protest, and action; and meanwhile he wrote five books as well as numerous articles.

He directed the peaceful march on Washington, D.C., of 250,000 people to whom he delivered his address, "l Have a Dream", he conferred with President John F. Kennedy and campaigned for President Lyndon B. Johnson; he was arrested upwards of twenty times and assaulted at least four times; he was awarded five honorary degrees; was named Man of the Year by Time magazine in 1963; and became not only the symbolic leader of American blacks but also a world figure.

At the age of thirty-five, Martin Luther King, Jr., was the youngest man to have received the Nobel Peace Prize. When notified of his selection, he announced that he would turn over the prize money of $54,123 to the furtherance of the civil rights movement.

On the evening of April 4, 1968, while standing on the balcony of his motel room in Memphis, Tennessee, where he was to lead a protest march in sympathy with striking garbage workers of that city, he was assassinated.

For this and other information go to:
http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1964/king-bio.html

Daniel's Fast Day 17

2010-01-17T20:25:00.001-05:00

Day 17 – only 4 more days. I just finished my lunch – a bowl of beans and a salad – and surprisingly I feel like I had plenty. I would love to top it off with a diet soda though – lol.

Worship today was awesome. I really felt like God was present and was leading the whole service. I pray the word I shared touched someone’s heart. It certainly was from the Lord. Those who were at 8:45 heard Babette’s testimony and know the power of God from that sharing.

This afternoon the following passage came to mind.

Luke 9:23-27 – 23 Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? 26 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. 27 I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”

It followed right on the heals of today’s message about celebrating Jesus – about commending God to the next generation. It really touched my heart – for sure. I hope it touched yours.

I would love to hear from some of you who went through the fast last week. What has or is the Lord telling you?

Haiti Relief

2010-01-16T19:45:00.002-05:00

Mt. Oak & Friends,

Recently I was listening to a podcast from a pastor I respect greatly – he said that if a pastor wants to lead by example – he must be willing to share what he is doing. With that in mind he gave an example of how he and his wife gave to a project at their church – not in figures (amounts) – because that would only be relevant if they knew his pay and then only based on his pay scale… what he did was make it relevant to all.

With this in mind – we should all be aware of what has happened this week in Haiti. More than 3,000,000 Haitians – a third of their county – has been impacted by a devastating earthquake. It has been called the greatest one day death toll in the history of earth.

With this in mind and with the mind of encouraging our congregation - Carolyn and I have decided to give an extra week’s giving (a gift beyond our tithe) to the relief effort in Haiti. We give weekly so it was easy to figure out our gift. If you would like to follow suit, figure what a week’s giving would be for you and yours and give it tomorrow or next Sunday – a check made out to Mt. Oak UMC with Haiti or UMCOR in the memo.

If we all do this – Mt. Oak could send from $12,000 to $15,000 to UMCOR for the Haiti relief effort – wouldn’t that be amazing? I know this would be a challenge for some – maybe for most – but it is nothing compared to what those in Haiti are facing as they try to recover from this devastating earthquake. Some of our weekly gifts to the church are more than some Haitians make in a year. You can see how it will help.

UMCOR is the United Methodist Committee on Relief and is already in Haiti. 100% of our gifts will go to the relief effort. We will collect the checks over two weeks and write one check to UMCOR from Mt. Oak.

I pray that you will put this to prayer and do as God leads you to do.

Daniel's Fast Day 16

2010-01-16T09:49:00.003-05:00

Day 16 began very early - at 5:30 am I was at my desk working on Sunday's sermon. It isn't flowing very well and I would appreciate your prayers.

Most of the things we do are in light of something. We are a product of our environment by-in-large. What has happened in our life helps to shape us. For the good or bad. We are not slaves to what has happened in the past. We can rebuke the bad and strive to live in the light of Christ. God can forgive the sins of our youth, the sins of the past, and by His grace we can move forward in Christ.

When a message doesn't flow, some times I think it is because I have something blocking God from speaking to my heart. So I have spent some time this morning confessing and repenting of my sins. Someone prayed for me this week - that a yoke sin or burden would be removed from around my neck - and I have been praying the same thing.

The fast seems natural now, I have less than a week left in my 21 day fast. There is still the occasional urge for a Diet Pepsi, a ham sandwich on rye, or a bowl of ice cream (any flavor). One of my prayer during the fast is that this will be a new way of eating even after the fast - with a shrunken stomach that requires less to satisfy it. My weight was one of my sins - a miss use of the temple of God. I pray that I have a gained spiritual control over the physical hunger and sinfulness that reigned before this fast.

Last night I shared with the congregation gathered that unity has been my key thought through the fast. Yet I believe God has so much more for me/us. It might be that after I have shown spiritual control over some physical aspects of my life, God will speak.

In Isaiah 58, the prophet writes about fasting. He gives a how not to and a how to and after he has taught about fasting he writes these words:

Isaiah 58:9a - Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

The implication I get from this passage - in its context - is that after the fast, after showing our love for God by showing spiritual control over the physical in our lives, God will speak with us. Then is a word that means after what is before - then. So I look forward to the weeks and months after the 21 day fast for God to continue to speak to me and to Mt. Oak now that our week long fast is over.

Listen to God and share what He tells you!
NIV

The Manhattan Declaration

2010-01-16T09:07:00.002-05:00

A Call of Christian Conscience (read all at http://www.manhattandeclaration.org/)

Christians, when they have lived up to the highest ideals of their faith, have defended the weak and vulnerable and worked tirelessly to protect and strengthen vital institutions of civil society, beginning with the family.

We are Orthodox, Catholic, and evangelical Christians who have united at this hour to reaffirm fundamental truths about justice and the common good, and to call upon our fellow citizens, believers and non-believers alike, to join us in defending them. These truths are:

the sanctity of human life
the dignity of marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife
the rights of conscience and religious liberty.

Read this whole article at http://www.manhattandeclaration.org/

Daniel's Fast Day 15

2010-01-15T15:58:00.002-05:00

Today is day 15 for my Daniel Fast and day last for those who have been on a fast for the week at church. Tonight is a celebration of what God has done in our lives so I hope you plan to be there!

Numbers don't mean a lot to some people but - for those who like them - since January 1 I am down 14 pounds on the Daniel Fast - not why I did it but a nice side note. Down 24 since last fall. Carolyn is so excited she wants me to stay on the fast till Easter. Jaclyn till her wedding in June - lol.

Unity and the family continue to be in my prayers. Today I was thinking about the paid staff and the lay leadership teams at Mt. Oak. How can we be more excited and committed to Christ? How can we be more of one accord as the sisters and brothers at Pentecost? How can we - collectively - reach the community for Christ in a more effective manner? What would draw us together?

1 Peter 3:8-12 - 8 Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. 9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 10 For,"Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. 11 He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."

See you tonight at the celebration as the churchwide fast ends!

Marriage and the Family

2010-01-15T07:09:00.005-05:00

As marriage comes under attack - so does the family. Today people living together and not married is common place. Divorce is common place. Other living arrangements are common place.

How about listing some resources to help the family and our marriages? Put some links up that will be good reading.

Here's one from Focus on the Family
http://www.focusonthefamily.com/marriage/divorce_and_infidelity/should_i_get_a_divorce.aspx.

You will find links to articles about subjects like:

Who gets divorced?
How would divorce affect me?
How could divorce affect my kids?
Is there hope for my marriage?
How should a Christians view marriage and divorce?

And more...

Are there some you are familiar with and could pass along?

Daniel's Fast Day 14

2010-01-14T16:49:00.005-05:00

Today my prayers stayed with unity but centered on the family - specifically the marriages in our church. Years ago I taught a Marriage Enrichment Group. This was a group where I would present certain teachings about marriage and a group discussion would ensue. It was very helpful. In 30 plus years as a pastor I have worked with couples from pre-marriage counseling to post marriage counseling and everything in between. Some would be surprised at the similarities of concerns many couples face. Attending a group where marriage joys and concerns are discussed - short term - can be very eye opening. I offer such a group if there are any interested couples. This is not a group for couples with only issues. It is for health to troubled marriages and everything in between. It can be beneficial for all.

In focusing on unity I realize that what impacts our society the most, in my humble opinion, is the destruction of the family. Our society has labeled marriage and the family as discardable. If at first you don't succeed, society says, don't be surprised, try again and again and again.

Mt. Oak is very pro-family - which includes singles, couples, couples with children, singles with children, and more. I am not trying to define what a family is - rather I am suggesting that we spend more time and focus on keeping the family together.

I am convinced that Satan would like nothing more than to destroy the family and promote our sinful, carnal, nature - to satisfy self at all costs. Pray with me for ways we can strengthen the family at Mt. Oak.

I would like offer a short term - 3-6 week group. Is anyone interested? We would limit it to 4-6 couples and offer it over and over again if the demand called for it. Pray with me. If the demand is great, we will work with people's schedules.

Every marriage could be strengthened by sharing with a group like this.

Daniel's Fast Day 13

2010-01-13T18:17:00.003-05:00

Today has been the best day yet - not sure why. Maybe God is at work - you think?

I was late to prayer time this morning because I wanted to pray with my daughter before she went for her wisdom teeth surgery - I didn't want to wake her so I waited till she woke. After that I went into the church and those who were there this morning came and prayed for me. That was awesome.

I was able to work out strong this morning at the gym - 55 minutes on the ellipitical - was only planning on 30 minutes but the movie was good and I felt strong. I showered and went to work. I have had good focus all day. My health coach (from my insurance company) called mid-day and encouraged me to stay strong and answered some medical concerns. I stayed focused all day - first time in some time.

As I was praying this morning - unity was still the subject that came to mind. Unity in the staff, in the leadership, in the congregation. We need a joint focus - maybe that has been my reason for having focus issues - to realize that you cannot accomplish much when you are not focused.

Lazar Focus is the title of the next sermon series. Since focus has been my issue during this fast - I thought maybe we should preach a series about what is it we should be focused on as Christians and a congregation.

At this time the series includes sermon titles:
--Focus on Repentance
--Focus on God
--Focus on Jesus' Love
--Focus on Hearing God
--Focus on Serving God
--Focus on Celebrating Jesus
--Focus on Being the Church

It starts January 24.

Word of Encouragement

2010-01-13T06:49:00.003-05:00

Just a quick word of encouragement this morning - if you tried to fast and your fast didn't go well - do not let Satan beat you up and say you were a failure. If fasting is new to you or you have medical issues that impacted your fast - don't let Satan beat you up. You have one of a few choices if you broke your fast since Sunday. You can get back on the fast for the rest of the week. You can continue to pray, even through the fast is broken. Or you can give up and say that Satan won. I do not like that last one! So either get back on the fast and pray or allow the fast to pass and continue to pray. God is not through with you yet my friend. Be encouraged and remember, I warned you that if you took a step out of your comfort zone Satan would attack you - confess, repent, and move deeper in Jesus and rebuke Satan at every wave (turn). Praise God.

Daniel's Fast Day 12 Part II

2010-01-12T13:03:00.005-05:00

I'm sitting in the Food Court at the Bowie Town Center - trying to find my focus! I'm praying and reading the Bible, feeding my spirit (after some vegetables and water to feed the body).

As I was reading I opened to a favorite book - the Book of James - Christ's brother. I came across that famous passage at the beginning of that book.

James 1:2-4 - ²Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. ⁴ Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

That is what I seek after - to not lack anything. I want all that God has for me - all that He has planned for me - I want to avail myself to God so that God may do all that God plans in me. I do not want to resist in anyway - I do not want to put up a barrier of any kind.

In order to lack nothing, I persevere. It is through the testing of my faith that perseverance comes - so I celebrate the trials that come my way today - knowing that as God carries me through them, I will be that much closer to perseverance which leads to lacking nothing!

Are you having a rough day? Are you having a hard time staying on task? Are you facing a loss of work or a deadline that seems hard to meet? Are you facing a troublesome marriage or child? Are you dealing with health issues? Are you facing the death of a loved one? Does life seem unfair to you at the moment? If these or anything like these - know that God can carry you through this time and as you arrive on the other side - you will be that much closer to lacking nothing! Celebrate what God is doing and going to do in you, even if it is a tough place to be right now.

James 1:2-4 - ²Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. ⁴ Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

God, keep me focused on Your plan - Your will for me today.

Daniel's Fast Day 12

2010-01-12T11:19:00.003-05:00

For those on the week of prayer and fasting, this is day 3. For me, it is day 12 of the Daniel's Fast - started January 1, 2010.

I'm struggling today. My ability to focus on a task has been challenged again. My energy level is low and I slept or was in bed at least 10 hours last night.

I ask for prayers that God would see me through yet another rough spot.

God is showing me somethings along the way. He has reminded me that nothing comes my way that catches Him off guard. I was reading in Jeremiah this morning and in the opening chapter, God tells Jeremiah: before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; (1:5).

My God is an awesome God and He knew that I would be going through this time of struggle and the time of struggle you face each day - well before it happened. And our God knows us full well and has a plan for us. We only need to trust and rely on His plan, His will, instead of going our own way. We can resist God's plans, or we can yield to His perfect plan for us.

Lord, show me Your plan today, give me all that I need today to accomplish it for Your glory, and keep me set on Your plan for me!

Thoughts from Dione on his fast

2010-01-12T11:01:00.002-05:00

I know the Lord speaks to us all the time in so many ways. We aren't always listening when he is speaking. The prayers of hearing from the Lord have happened for me and I truly believe it is because I don't have any electronic noise or distractions. I spent 90 minutes in prayer and reading last night with no break! May not be a big deal to you but it was AWESOME. I had to stop so I could be in bed by 12 midnight (which is something I am striving to do this year) and I didn't want to stop. It continued into my laying or lying (whichever one is the proper one to use there) to go to sleep. I felt like I was in communication with God like a back and forth. It was just like if I were talking to anyone of you. It was a back and forth and I know that is the way it should be. It was just awesome to have that and feel it. In the mist of going through some troubling times with some of my friendships I knew that the friendship/relationship/ partnership/bond that I want to have with other people, God wants to have with me and then some. O it excites me to no end! It is as if I truly got it. It is love. The love that 1st John speaks of. I felt it and I am feeling it. O how I only want to go deeper. O how I can feel my soul yearning to have Him more and the temptations growing strong not only to break my fast but in other ways but I feel so in-tune with God that they get dismissed very quickly. I have already made some changes that the Holy Spirit showed me and I have others still to make. I don't want to feel or know God any less than this. I am excited to continue the fast. I pray against the spiritual attacks that will try to come up against me and my family and I pray against those same attacks that will try to come up with you and yours. O it shall only get better and deeper is my prayer.

Daniel's Fast Day 11

2010-01-11T17:18:00.003-05:00

Praying together has it's merit. Sunday night and this morning were great times for prayer. I look forward to tonight's prayer time and each opportunity.

Having said that - praying alone also has it's merit. Christ often prayed alone. Here is one instance.

Matthew 14:23 - After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,

I have had several opportunities during this fast to spend time praying alone. I recommend it - spending time conversing with God alone. And being honest - cause you can't fool or fake God - right!?

I was in the balcony this morning during the corporate prayer time and it was amazing to be in the Sanctuary praying early in the morning. Hope you are able to attend the rest of the week.

God has been stressing unity to me in my prayer time. Unity in the faith and unity in the church. We are a family and need to live as one - caring for each other as family.

Ephesians 4:2-6 - 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit— just as you were called to one hope when you were called— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Daniel's Fast Day 10

2010-01-10T14:43:00.003-05:00

Worship was off the charts this morning - it inspired me and has energized me.

Today is a day of confession for me - I have opened my heart to God and asked for forgiveness for my many sins. I am striving to confess and repent.

1 Samuel 7:6 - When they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the Lord. On that day they fasted and there they confessed, "We have sinned against the Lord." And Samuel was leader of Israel at Mizpah.

I remember having a Mizpah medallion as a youth - it was a sign of my affection for a young lady and hers for me - as we each wore one half. Oh that I would love God with the same if not more affection. That is my prayer, that I would love Christ more than these.

After today's message, I pray that we will all take one more step deeper into completely following Christ this week. Wherever our comfort zone is - with a firm foundation - we need to step a little deeper in Christ.

Know that Satan will be out to stop you - to persecute you - to rattle you - but also know that you have brothers and sisters walking with you this week.

Daniel's Fast Day 9

2010-01-09T19:11:00.003-05:00

Well, 9 days are just about through on the Daniel Fast. God has been at work in my heart and in my body for sure. Today, after a noon time funeral and some family time I got back to the word for tomorrow. As I conclude the message, I use the following passages.

Ephesians 6:11 - Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.

1 Peter 5:8-9 - 8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

Throughout this fast I have felt under attack. Not only from the noted toxin cleanse but also because I have been putting more than normal time to reading the word and praying. I have used more time to rest the body and charge up the spirit. I have felt under attack as I try to step up my walk with Jesus.

Pastors, as well as other Christians, need to step it up once-in-a-while. Go to a new level of commitment, a new level of closeness with God. Any time any of us strive to get closer to God, Satan will attack us to try and change our mind - try to persuade us to give up our efforts.

An example that comes to mind is when I am at the beach. If I stand in one place long enough, by the water's edge, I begin to sink into the sand and a firm grip or foundation is made. I am anchored in one place and the waves have little impact on me. But if I get out of my comfort zone of security and go a little further out, the waves hit me and I am less stable, until I have planted in one place again.

We all need to advance - closer and closer to Christ - refusing to stay in one place too long. Growth is a constant struggle. As you fast next week, be prepared for the attacks of the evil one, if you are truly striving to be closer to God.

Daniel's Fast Day 8

2010-01-08T15:14:00.004-05:00

Last night was rough - my wife and I hosted a Young Adult Group and she asked me to go to Edgewater and pickup four large pizzas. Oh the smell was killing me on the way home and then I had to watch as young adults devoured them. At least they ate a salad with me beforehand. Lol.

This morning I felt loads better than the last three days. I was more alert and focused. I slept a normal time frame and was up to shovel snow off our driveway so the ladies in my family could get to work and play (my day off). After making sure the fire was going good - I headed to the gym at church to play basketball with some other clergy. We had a small group because of the snow and delayed openings, but we had a good two hour work out. It felt really good.

Back home now, working on Sunday's sermon - I know - my day off - but I lost almost all of yesterday to the lack of focus - so I have some work to do.

Today I was taken to 2 Samuel and I was reading about David fasting when he got sad news. I wonder, do we turn to God during these sad times. When Saul and Jonathan and the armies of Israel died, David mourned and fasted as a response. To honor them and to get right with God.

2 Samuel 1:11-12 - 11 Then David and all the men with him took hold of their clothes and tore them. 12 They mourned and wept and fasted till evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the army of the Lord and the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.

We have dear friends who are facing death. How many of us have been fasting - seeking the Lord's face - for our friends? How many will if they perish? Is fasting a lost spiritual principle? Have we lost the desire to deny ourselves - seeking the Lord? Are we so self centered that denying ourselves is the last thing on our minds? I wonder...

Thank you to those who have been praying for me... I felt them!

Daniel's Fast Day 7

2010-01-07T10:47:00.005-05:00

1 Peter 1:13 - Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.

As I enter day 7 I trust in this passage - two weeks left in the Daniel Fast - and the cravings are still there - but God is greater than them. I must set my mind today on Jesus and His love and life.

I have had a battle today and actually for three days with staying focused. The only thing I can believe is that the chemicals from years of diet soda, junk food, processed foods and more are starting to lose the battle in my body and I am starting to be cleansed. I pray that is the answer.

Pray for me and join me during the week of Prayer and Fasting - January 10-15.

Question: when you fast, do you go through withdrawals?

Daniel's Fast Day 6 Part II

2010-01-06T14:21:00.002-05:00

I continue to struggle - brain not functioning right today.

As I search the word I am often amazed at the unity of the early church. Oh, what God could do with a church of leaders or a church as a whole that had this kind of unity.

Acts 4:32-35 - 32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. 33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. 34 There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35 and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need. NIV

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. What an amazing time - could we ever dream of being so united as the Body of Christ today? We have troubles walking this walk in our families - in our own church family - let alone in the whole of the Body of Christ.

Lord, forgive our sinful hearts and help us to have the heart of those who went before us!

Daniel's Fast Day 6

2010-01-06T12:50:00.003-05:00

Today has been a big prayer day for me. I am struggling with the fasting today. When I struggle in the fast, I spend more time in prayer.

The Lord has stressed unity to me today. I e-mailed the Church Council for 2010 reminding them of the need to be united and to stand together as leaders of the church during the week of prayer and fasting - January 10-15.

The following Psalm has been running through my head as I pray.

Psalm 133:1-3 - 1 How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! 2 It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron's beard, down upon the collar of his robes. 3 It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore. NIV

Lord, give me strength to continue the fast and stand strong against the evil one. Show me Your word and Your truth.

Daniel's Fast Day 5 Part II

2010-01-05T15:01:00.002-05:00

Nehemiah was a cupbearer in the King's palace and he humbly came before the Lord in prayer. His short prayer is found in Nehemiah 1:11

"O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man." I was cupbearer to the king. NIV

I have prayed this prayer with a small modification since January 1 - the start of my Daniel's Fast.

O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this Your servant who delights in revering Your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in Your presence.

I await the Lord giving me some new insights. In the past, it has taken several days of the fast before I started hearing from the Lord. That is one reason I began my fast a week before the congregation's fast.

Speak to me - to us - Lord.

Daniel's Fast Day 5

2010-01-05T06:04:00.003-05:00

Heading to the gym again this morning. Another hour on the elliptical machine. Now that I have gotten up to an hour and need to increase my speed or intensity. I wonder what movie they will be showing this morning? Bowie Gold's if anyone wants to join me.

One thing I have noticed - it may be caused by the reduction in chemicals I have in my body - is that it is hard to quiet my mind at night in order to sleep. My mind is racing a hundred miles an hour. When to bed around 10 pm and it was 2 pm before I felt like I went sound asleep. Of course the dog wanting out every half hour might have played into it all too.

Had a wonderful salad last night for supper. Oh how I wanted some Ranch dressing on it and a diet soda on the side - lol.

Of to the gym!

Daniel Fast Day 4 Part II

2010-01-04T10:57:00.003-05:00

The workout at the gym was great - there is a completely different group of people at 5:30 am!

Did 60 minutes on the elliptical machine - it said I burned 725 calories - but who knows. I did lose 3 pounds from my last weigh in - that is real! After the cardio I worked on the weights some. There are some really big guys in Gold's in Bowie!

At the office now - have the munchies. Trying to appease them with baby carrots - but not cutting it - guess I better stop and pray some. Also have a craving for a Diet Soda - this ain't as easy as it sounds!

I want to go to SUBWAY! Keep praying for me folks!

Daniel's Fast Day 4

2010-01-04T03:17:00.003-05:00

Well, day 3 wasn't too bad - I did have a desire for a Diet Pepsi - twice - during the Ravens game. Even got up to go get one in the frig before catching myself. No headaches, other than the close score of the game, but at least my team was playing for the playoffs.

I feel good going into day 4 or 21. I am heading to the gym early this morning (it is now 3:20 am). I was thinking of going back to basketball a couple of mornings and the gym but that might be a little too much - until my frame has less of me to carry around. My exercise routine will be 1 hour of cardio followed by 30 minutes of body building (or reconstructing - lol). My hope is to be at the gym early enough to get to the office between 8-9 am each morning. We'll see.

I want to add one more goal to my fast. If you remember from day 1 they were:

Deny myself and show spiritual control over my eating habits
Seek the face of God more and more
Connect in a deeper way with my wife who is fasting with me
Get in better physical and spiritual shape

I believe that as I exert spiritual control over my physical desires I will grow spiritually and reduce the physical in several ways.

Off to do my daily devotions, then off to the gym.

Daniel's Fast Day 3

2010-01-03T08:22:00.006-05:00

I'm told this is the day withdrawal from sugar and soda hits. So I am praying for grace cause I was a diet 'sodaholic'.

Ready for worship in 20 minutes. My prayer is that God will use today to His glory. That I would step out of the way and let God have glory!

It is a cold morning - so glad I have my car in the garage. The dog didn't even want to go out this morning at 5:30 am. He is getting old.

Had an orange this morning and two waters already. They say eight per day but I love fluids so I go about 10-15 a day - lol.

So far I have been strong - but I know weak moments will come - your prayers are appreciated.

People are starting to show up now - so more later. I will share my intended exercise plan tomorrow...

Daniel's Fast Day 2

2010-01-02T10:44:00.004-05:00

Still fighting a cold so I slept in some today. Praying for my children this morning - that they continue to make wise decisions and choices. Seeking God's face for them and for the church I serve. We have much before us.

Going to spend some of the middle of the day seeking God for the message tomorrow on "What is Fasting?" I pray that I am able to share some insights that will enlighten some and challenge others.

Munching on a bag of baby-cut carrots. So far the only thing I have had a yearning for is a Diet Pepsi, but that passes.

Will spend some of the day reading. I'll report on that later.

Your prayers of support are felt.

Daniel's Fast Day 1 Part II

2010-01-01T18:59:00.005-05:00

I want to make it clear why I am sharing my thoughts - since someone has already challenged that I am doing so. I respect those who wish to keep their spiritual journey private. As a pastor, I am trying to model for the congregation the spiritual principle called fasting.

Matthew 6:16-18 – 16 "When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. NIV

The call here is to not go around saying wow is me, I’m fasting. Jesus said - When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do. Jesus was talking about letting the world know you are fasting by going around depressed and unkept. He says when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen. Paul, in several of his writings, talks about fasting, speaking in tongues, healing folks and more as a witness and an example to others. It is this model I am trying to follow. I am not looking for any reward – simply an opportunity to model prayer and fasting.

Today I began the journey of fasting to start my year. It hasn't been an easy first day. I love my Diet Pepsi and I love eating a ham sandwich for lunch. Yet today I had none. I ate two apples, three small oranges (they have a special name but I don't know it), some corn and green beans. I also had a bowl of kidney beans and some other beans. I drank 10 water bottles full of water - lol.

During my prayer time this morning I felt lonely. But tonight I feel closer. Today, as I sought God's face - I was seeking discernment about future sermons, teachings, and direction for the church. I will spend about an hour tonight reading and praying and seeking God's face.

More tomorrow.

Daniel's Fast Day 1

2010-01-01T08:22:00.007-05:00

Today - January 1, 2010 - my wife and I have started the Daniel Fast. I plan to do a daily blog on the fast and what God is revealing to me in my prayer time. I pray that this is a help and not just something to blog about.

I'm starting this fast a week early from the week of Prayer and Fasting we have called the congregation to because I wanted to model a fast and because I want to be in a place where I am better able to lead during the congregational fast.

I have fasted from all foods before for a day, a three day, and a week. I plan to do the Daniel fast for the three weeks found in Daniel 10.

Let me give some foundational material for the Daniel Fast found on the following website - http://daniel-fast.com/index.html. Read if you would like to know more or if you would like to join me in this fast January 10-15.

The Daniel Fast teaches us to deny our "selves" and instead put our spirit in control over our flesh. As you plan your meals and eat your food, keep in mind that the definition of a fast is to deny food for a spiritual purpose.

What is the Daniel Fast?

The Daniel Fast is a Biblically based partial fast. It is a method of fasting that men, women and young people all over the world are using as they enter into the spiritual discipline of prayer and fasting.

There are two anchoring scriptures for the Daniel Fast. In Daniel 1 the Prophet ate only vegetables (that would have included fruits) and drank only water. So from these scriptures we get two of the guidelines for the fast:

1. Only fruits and vegetables
2. Only water for a beverage

Then in Daniel 10 we read that the Prophet ate no meat nor any precious breads or foods and he drank no wine for 21 days. So from this scripture, we get a third guideline:

3. No sweeteners and no breads

Another important guideline is drawn from Jewish fasting principles, where no leaven is used during the fast. So that's why yeast, baking powder and the like are not allowed on the Daniel Fast.

Finally, with all the above puzzle pieces, we conclude that no artificial or processed foods nor any chemicals are allowed on the Daniel Fast.

When asked about the eating plan on the Daniel Fast, I often say it is a "vegan diet with even more restrictions."

Be sure to read the ingredients on labels of prepared foods to make sure they only include Daniel Fast friendly ingredients.

Today is day one for me on this fast. My goals for the fast are:

Deny myself and show spiritual control over my eating habits
Seek the face of God more and more
Connect in a deeper way with my wife who is fasting with me

To the above I have added beans and nuts to my fast - mainly natural products.

James & Mark Batterson talking about Primal Faith

2009-12-29T22:18:00.000-05:00

This week – we have been looking at portions of James.

I’m reading a book written by Mark Batterson – Primal. The premise of the book – which he wrote as a result of a trip to the Holy Lands (Brian – we’re looking for a book from you when you return from Israel) is an examination of what we call Christianity today in light of what Christianity was from the beginning.

James asks these questions about religion.

James 1:26-27 – 26 If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. 27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Mark and James both ask us questions about our faith and about our practice of that faith. I have to hope that our faith is more than committee meetings, weekly worship, giving of offerings, and the like.

As I read this book further I will give you some more of Mark’s insights. Suffice it to say we need to be real and authentic in our faith – in our worship of God. Going through the motions won’t cut it. Pretending to be a Christian won’t cut it with God either. His grace is free, but not cheap.

John 3:16 – "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” NIV

Believing in Jesus is not merely head knowledge – although we should study to know God’s Word and truths. Believing in Jesus is not about doing good deeds – although serving others is a part of our faith journey. Believing in Jesus is about a relationship with Jesus – something that is life changing, something that is Primal – base and sturdy.

Just something to think about today as you go on your way.

Prayer and Fasting

2009-12-29T04:25:00.002-05:00

From Sunday January 10 - through Friday January 15 - we are calling the whole of the church to fast and pray.

We will share with the congregation information about different types of fasts and also a list of different things to pray about during the fast.

Here is a wonderful website with information about prayer and fasting - from the Campus Crusade for Christ International - http://www.ccci.org/growth/growing-closer-to-god/how-to-fast/index.aspx. Check it out and share your thoughts here.

Prayer

2009-12-29T03:54:00.003-05:00

How about some discussion about our prayer life?

Do you have a "normal" place for prayer? A prayer closet so to speak?

Do you set aside a time in the day - or several times in the day - to pray?

Do you pray out loud or silently or both? When and why?

Do you pray with someone on a regular basis?

Do you pray written prayers?

Do you pray at work?

Do you stop and pray when someone presents you with a need or wait till your prayer time?

What is the most important part of your prayer life?

How many minutes would you estimate you spend in prayer most days?

Favorite Christmas Movie

2009-12-28T20:20:00.003-05:00

What is your favorite Christmas movie?

Mine is It's a Wonderful Life with Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed made in 1946.

Something about the older movies - maybe it is the morals! Just a fresh movie with no foul language or nude scenes. I also think many of us have thought of what life would be without us.

Sermon Series

2009-12-24T16:10:00.003-05:00

Starting this coming Sunday we will preach a four-week series on Prayer and Fasting. Prayer and Fasting is not a subject many Christians are very fluent in these days, yet it is a spiritual discipline Jesus speaks about a great deal.

Do you remember the story about the Disciples trying to heal someone and Jesus reminded them they needed to pray and fast to do this? Here it is.

Matthew 17:14-21 – 14 When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. 15 "Lord, have mercy on my son," he said. "He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16 I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him." 17 "O unbelieving and perverse generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me." 18 Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, "Why couldn't we drive it out?" 20 He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." 21 But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.

There is spiritual strength gained from prayer and fasting. Prayer is communication with God. Fasting is about showing spiritual control over the physical world around us.

When we pray, we should not come with a laundry list, but rather an open heart. We should give God time to speak with us – that’s right – speak to us. If prayer were only one way communication – that wouldn’t be very good communication – would it? Prayer is about speaking with God and allowing God to speak with us as well. It may be a still quiet voice or it may be a voice that pierces our very heart.

When we fast from food or certain foods, we are showing that our physical hunger does not control us. When we fast from certain activities, we are showing that we are not under the control of the activities of life. We are not addicted to certain foods or habits.

Fasting is a spiritual discipline that allows us to grow the spiritual nature in us, over and above the human nature that has always resided in us. It is spiritual exercise. If you have never fasted, is it any wonder that you feel spiritually weak? Just a thought. During the series we will be teaching through the E-News about Prayer and Fasting. We will also call the church to a week of prayer and fasting and to come together to pray.

Stay tuned – the adventure begins this weekend!

Prayer and Fasting

2009-12-22T13:55:00.003-05:00

A new sermon series will begin Sunday - December 27 - titled Prayer and Fasting. The sermon titles are:

How Much Prayer is Enough? - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22
What is Fasting? - Matthew 6:16-18
Communication with God - John 14:12-21
Celebrate in Christ - Psalm 145:1-7

You can listen to any you miss at http://www.mtoak.org/sermons.html.

Do you have any ideas or thoughts or experiences with prayer and fasting you would like to share?

Christmas Memories

2009-12-21T09:54:00.002-05:00

What are some favorite Christmas memories?

My favorite all time gifts as a child were my red 26 inch bike and my GI Joe multi-tool gun. It shot plastic bullets, grenades, air, made machine gun noise and more.

My favorite Christmas memory is the late Christmas Eve service - candle light and singing Silent Night.

Family Christmas is always nice - especially when the children were young.

Kingdom Work

2009-12-11T15:46:00.002-05:00

The older I get, the more I want to jettison the things in my ministry that are not about kingdom work. Last week in my devotions I was listening to a podcast that reminded me to think about the difference between the things that are essential and the things that are cultural or habit. For instance, to worship God is essential. The style of our worship is cultural.

Old patterns of doing things may have worked in ages past, and some may still work today, but the way we do things is not the essential element. The older I get the more I want to focus on the essential.

A good example of this is what we have done with our children’s ministry. The essential element is that we present Jesus to our children. The cultural non-essential is whatever pattern of presenting Jesus we use or have used in the past. The old way of presenting Jesus in most United Methodist Churches is called Sunday school – placing children in a room for an hour with a teacher and a lesson plan. We decided the method was not what was essential, but rather that we find a way to present Jesus to our children that would be impactful and life changing. Our old Sunday School program, just a year and a half ago, had 6-12 children. We decided that what we were doing was not working for us so we started what we call Kingdom Kids. Kingdom Kids has their own worship team, a puppet ministry, their own place to meet, and we use a variety of methods to teach the children about Jesus (the essential).

The last three Sundays we have had over 60 children attending this new program and parents are amazed at what the children are learning and retaining about Jesus. Sunday School worked at one time and might still work in the right setting. What we found more impactful was a new method and we were not afraid to try it.

We must be more concerned with kingdom work than the survival of an old method, process, or institution. We cannot fall in love with the structure and allow it keep us from being as impactful as possible in our kingdom work. Time just does not allow it.

When we started our season of ministry together one of the first things I mentioned was I was more concerned as a pastor with us doing kingdom work than with the survival of our church setting. I would rather close this location of the church, doing kingdom work as we go, than have the location survive, at the cost of kingdom work. I tried to say that as clearly as possible. The institution can survive while doing kingdom work, but the focus needs to be on the kingdom work, not survival. Does that make sense?

This brings me to the point I wanted to write about this week and will write about again. Did you know that within five miles of Mt. Oak there are nine United Methodist Churches? That was amazing to me when I did the research online. I began to look at each church and ask the question – why so many with so little connection? We call ourselves a connectional church, yet, within five miles there are essentially nine congregations of the same denomination (I’m sure I would be floored by the total number of Christian churches within 5 miles of Mt. Oak) with very little contact or connection.

I have had conversations with some pastors about how we can connect. I have also had conversations with denominational leaders around this subject.

There is a variety of ways to connect. We can share some ministries, some resources, and staff. We can officially connect or informally connect. We can share our calendars. Just think what could be accomplished for the kingdom with over 2,000 United Methodists working together in this area verses each individual church location trying to do things alone.

What tends to be the roadblock to connectional ministries in some cases is the sense of independence at each location. Whether they have a worshiping body of 20 or 400, each location of the church has some sense of autonomy and the survival of their location becomes more important than the kingdom work that can be accomplished together.

Pray with me that we would focus more on kingdom work and ask the question – how can our location and other resources be best used for the kingdom rather than – what can we do to survive!

In future articles I will write about ways we can connect in a more concrete way. Maybe you have some ideas you could send me as fodder for future articles. God bless you!

Podcasts

2009-12-09T06:39:00.003-05:00

How about sharing some of the Podcasts that you listen to on a regular basis. Here are some of mine.

On iTunes – search for the following under Podcasts:
- Mt Oak UMC
- North Point Ministries: Andy Stanley
- North Point Community Church
- Let My People Think (RZIM)
- Catalyst Podcasts
- The Passion Podcast
- The Village Church - Sermon Audio

Later I will share something about each of these. When you suggest a podcast to listen to - please share something about it.

Vision Part I

2009-12-04T19:10:00.004-05:00

Recently in a staff meeting, we were talking about vision. We agreed that it is important to be clear about who we are as a church and where we are aimed. I firmly believe – if you aim at nothing, you are bound to hit it!

Do you know the vision of our church? Do you know what where we are aimed as a church? How important is it that our members are able to articulate the vision of their church?

At North Point Community Church, in Atlanta, GA, the vision of the church is to create a church that unchurched people love to attend. Their vision is pretty clear and easy to remember. They weigh everything they do in light of their vision. They are a seeker friendly church. That does not mean they do not mature the saints, or have a full cycle discipleship plan, but their focus is to create an environment where unchurched people will feel comfortable and will want to return. They do not do all things, yet they try to do the things they do well!

A vision statement not only gives the church as a whole a target to aim toward, a yardstick to use for measurement, but it also presents to the community a glimpse of who the church desires to be. Using North Point Community Church as an example – people in the community would be right to assume they are not church as usual.

The Great Commission points us toward the goal of every church – to make disciples of Jesus Christ. Matthew 28:19-20 – 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

If we are called to make disciples of Jesus Christ, we must be about bringing folks to Christ (reaching the unchurched or unsaved), building them up (discipling or equipping the saints) in the faith, and sending them out (outreach or being a disciple) to DO the ministry of Christ.

Currently our vision statement is Living as Disciples of Jesus Christ. How many of you knew that? It comes straight from the Great Commission.

Our current mission or plan to live out our vision is by: Introducing people to Jesus Christ, Developing relationships in Jesus Christ, Making mature disciples of Jesus Christ. You can find these on our website by clicking the link on the lower left that reads: Our Vision and Mission – www.mtoak.org.

Good stuff for sure. Introducing people to Christ is all about reaching the unchurched, the unsaved. Developing relationships in Christ is all about growing disciples, maturing the saints. Making mature disciples of Christ is about taking what we have learned and doing the work of Christ. It is supposed to be circular. We bring people to Christ, build them up in Christ, and send them out to be Christ to a world that needs Christ.

Some of the questions the staff has been wrestling with and will ask other leaders to wrestle with are as follows. Is our vision and mission descriptive of who we are or who we want to be? Is it easy to remember? Is it easy to explain? Is it a useful tool for the church leadership and membership alike?

Would you pray with me as we seek discernment on our focus? God is not through with us yet!

What are your favorite Christmas Carols/Songs?

2009-12-02T14:21:00.003-05:00

What are your favorite Christmas Carols? Name the top five if you can.

Not in this order - but I would name these hymns
--O Come, All Ye Faithful
--Joy to the World
--Away in a Manger
--Silent Night
--O Little Town of Bethlehem

How about some non-hymn Christmas Songs?

And, not in order I would say:
--Mary Did you Know
--Grandma got run over by a reindeer
--I'll be home for Christmas
--Silver Bells
--I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

Thinking Out Loud about the Church

2009-11-30T16:22:00.005-05:00

Think out loud with me.

Did you know that there are 9 UM churches within 5 miles of Mt. Oak?

I was listening to a podcast recently and two things hit home with me. The first was a saying attributed to a popular pastor. The way to reach the people no one is reaching, is to do what no one else is doing. The second thing that hit me was the pastor speaking saying that someone would come up with an idea that would radically shake the church, and it will revolutionize the way we do church. And he wasn't speaking about style of worship or how we dress or anything as simple as that.

I would like to dialogue with anyone who would join me in discussing an idea.

Here is my idea - raw I admit - but worth some investigation and thought.

What if all 9 churches or even 4-5 of the churches decided to work together. Could the resources including money, laity, buildings, volunteers, and more be used more effectively, together?

What if each church didn't try to do all the things churches try to do? What if there were ways to use the gifts of the staff more along the lines of their gifting rather than each clergy needing to be all things to all people? What if the mindset was not survival of each location but rather how could we be used and even used up serving Jesus and reaching as many people in our community for our Lord?

I have so much more - but this is a lot to chew on - how about your thoughts?

Your Favorite Thanksgiving Memory this Year!

2009-11-28T18:09:00.001-05:00

What is your favorite Thanksgiving Memory this year? Share some nice moments in your life this holiday season.

1 Corinthians 13

2009-11-22T18:06:00.004-05:00

I have been doing my Daily Messages (last week and this week coming) on 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a. Do you have any comments or thoughts?

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 - 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8a Love never fails. NIV

Thoughts from Brunch and Worship

2009-11-22T15:43:00.002-05:00

How about sharing some thoughts from brunch and worship today?

What is your opinion about the most recent sermon series on fishing?

2009-11-18T16:23:00.001-05:00

How about giving some feedback on the latest sermon series on fishing? You can listen to the sermons on our web page at http://www.mtoak.org/sermons.html starting October 18.

Be honest but be constructive please.

In the Body of Christ, should there be any standards or should all be acceptable?

2009-11-14T12:23:00.002-05:00

In the Body of Christ, should there be any standards or should all be acceptable?

If you ever hold to a standard, be prepared to be called judgmental.

Sabbath

2009-11-11T22:37:00.001-05:00

Do you take a Sabbath?

If so, what do you do on your Sabbath?

What don't you do on your Sabbath?

Veteran's Day

2009-11-09T22:41:00.002-05:00

Wednesday is Veteran's Day - Share some stories about how you feel toward those who have laid their life on the line for our safety and freedoms.

Thanksgiving Memories

2009-11-09T22:39:00.002-05:00

How about sharing some Thanksgiving memories? What is special about Thanksgiving for you and your family? What are some of the traditions you follow still today? What are some you remember, fondly? Not so fondly?

Three Basic Rules for Methodists

2009-11-03T14:52:00.001-05:00

Without doing an internet search - is there a lay person out there that knows the three simple rules for Methodists?

Halloween

2009-11-02T10:33:00.002-05:00

I would like to debate the holiday called Halloween.

I understand All-Hallows Eve and its history - Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and other traditions. We did remember All-Saints Day Sunday by remembering those who had passed since last November 1st.

I understand that most people simply see it as a holiday to dress up and collect candy, so what is the fuss. Because we don't understand the true nature of something, do we simply make own plans?

I also understand the religious holiday it represents - it is a Druid holiday (Satanic - witchcraft).

I had to change my workout routine because the workout theater at my gym played horror films during the week.

Why would a church family - trying to offer some alternative event for their children - bring children dressed as demons, devils, witches, etc. and dress that way themselves?

Is this no big deal? Is it a non-issue with most? Should it be? Should it not be?

Debate on!

Debate on Christmas to follow...

Inclusiveness, the Church, and Membership

2009-10-31T18:40:00.002-04:00

The Methodist Church of Great Britain voted this summer at its annual conference to prohibit any member of the political party, the British National Party (BNP), from joining any Methodist Church of Great Britain.

This normally might not be news deserving special mention, but it does raise an issue similar to that being discussed by United Methodists, namely: in a day when "inclusiveness" seems to be a new Christian value, should anyone for any reason be prohibited from Methodist Church membership?

Top Five Keys to a Successful Marriage

2009-10-28T12:40:00.007-04:00

Here is a pretty open ended post - what are the top five keys, in your humble opinion, that would lead to a successful marriage?

I will start the ball rolling with my five: not in any special order...

1. Communication - regular communication
2. Learning your partner's love language
3. Team work/Partnership - developing an us against all odds mindset
4. Learning to disagree without being disagreeable
5. Common Goals

OK - what are some of your ideas? Of course I left out a common faith - duh - so important.

Fishing Examples

2009-10-24T21:17:00.002-04:00

Many of you have read some fishing examples I shared this past week in the Daily Messages - http://www.mtoak.org/dailymessages.html. What about sharing some fishing examples of your own?

Repentance

2009-10-23T08:56:00.003-04:00

Can you help me with the concept of repentance? What does repentance mean to you? Wednesday night at Bible Study we came across this passage and we thought it helped to explain repentance.

James 4:7-10 - 7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. NIV

Can you think of some word pictures or other Scriptures that will help us understand repentance?

The Will of God

2009-10-12T21:35:00.003-04:00

Have you tried to figure out the will of God in your life? Several people stood Sunday when I asked - has anyone here ever wondered or asked why they were here. Figuring out God's will for our lives is of utmost importance I believe.

Most of you know that one of my favorite passages in the Bible is Romans 12:2 - Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.

It clearly states that if we put more of God into our lives and less of self and/or the world and we will be able to see more clearly the will of God in our lives.

John's gospel recorded John the Baptist saying the same thing in a different way. John 3:30 - He must become greater; I must become less.

Practically speaking - spending more time in worship, in study of the Bible, in prayer, in conversations about God, in listening to Christian music, in serving others for Christ's sake, will translate into a clearer understand of what God wants in our lives.

Do you agree?

Evangelism

2009-10-10T19:49:00.003-04:00

What responsibility does the church body have to evangelize for Christ? Does this passage give us any insights?

Matthew 28:16-20 - 16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Your thoughts? Is this a commandment for pastors or for the whole church?

Sermon on Trusting God

2009-10-05T18:32:00.002-04:00

Did you attend church October 4? If so, you might have heard the sermon on Trusting God. If not, you can listen to it on our web page - http://www.mtoak.org/sermons.html.

I am opening the floor for comments about this message?

Evangelism

2009-09-26T14:53:00.001-04:00

Tell me how you witness to folks - day to day.

What methods - opportunities - situations do you look for/use?

Why were we born where we were born?

2009-09-19T12:31:00.004-04:00

I have a question I have never been able to answer - maybe you can help me.

Why were we born where we were born? Is it completely random that I was born into the majority race, to middle class, educated, moral and Christian parents?

Israel was called from among the nations - beginning with Abram - as God's chosen nation. They were chosen for service - not for priviledge. They were called to tell the nations about God, yet they began to call the other nations pagan, godless. They withheld the knowledge of God from the world, in many cases. Even the Disciples had a hard time with Paul taking the Gospel to the Gentile world.

You may not be the most privileged in our society - but compared to the world - all of us are the most privileged.

Why were we born with the privilege we have? And if for a reason, are we fulfilling it?

Luke 12:48b - From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. NIV

Luke 12:48b - For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more. NKJV

What is Unique?

2009-09-16T15:59:00.002-04:00

What is unique about Mt. Oak compared to other churches?

If we assume that a church is Biblically based, and strives to make disciples of Jesus Christ, what makes us unique. How would you describe us to a friend who wanted to know about us?

Respond to this statement...

2009-09-15T09:10:00.003-04:00

Christianity boils down to attitude. The position and condition of your heart speaks volumes about your relationship with Jesus.

Do not conform any longer

2009-09-09T15:48:00.002-04:00

Romans 12:2 - Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.

In what ways do you see the Christian church, in general, conforming to the world today?

In what ways do you see the Christian church, in general, being transformed in Christ's likeness?

09-09-09

2009-09-09T06:03:00.000-04:00

Today is 09/09/09. It only comes around once a century. It is a special day. Do you have any special days in your memory banks? Maybe your birthday? Maybe your anniversary? I remember a couple at my last church that wanted to be married on 07/07/07. Dates like that are unique and make it hard to forget an anniversary – lol. Can you remember the day you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? It is THE most important day in your life. You were born of the issue of your mother’s womb, and that was a physical birth, but it will be followed by a physical death. Your salvation moment, being born of the Spirit, is a birth that leads unto everlasting life.

John 3:1-6 – 1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him." 3 In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." 4 "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!" 5 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.

When were you born again? I know some believe you are saved through baptism. I don’t. I know some believe you can grow into salvation. I don’t. You may grow into your relationship with Christ, but at some point in time, you MUST make the decision to yield your life’s lordship to Christ. Do you know when that happened for you? Or have you sort of thought you grew up Christian and that you always were a Christian?

Romans 10:13 – for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

What does it mean to call on the Lord? Is Jesus the Lord of your life? Have you accepted His Lordship? Have you yielded your life to Him? The believer’s prayer goes something like this – variations are many – Lord, I need You. I confess that I am a sinner, lost on my own, in need of Your forgiveness. Forgive me and come into my heart and sit on the throne of my life, be my Lord and Savior. If you have never come to that place, to a prayer similar to this one, you may be fooling yourself, thinking you are saved. We must humble ourselves before Jesus and allow Him Lordship in our lives. Perfection will not immediately follow in the physical world, but in the Spiritual, we are justified, made just as if we hadn’t sinned, perfection in God’s eyes!

Just something to think about today as you go on your way.

9-11

2009-09-04T18:51:00.000-04:00

Friday, September 11, is the anniversary of the attack on America by radical Islamics.

In a multi-cultural society, radicals like those who take such violent actions give the whole a bad name. What are your feelings about this date and how we should remember it?

How we can form a stronger society? Radical Islamics, Christians, Jews, Anglos, Africans, Latinos, and others can cast a cloud on the whole of our society and world. How can we reach out to one another in peace and love?

How can we honor those who have lost their lives in the attacks and in the war that has followed? Your thoughts?

Gossip - Has no place in the Church

2009-09-02T07:16:00.002-04:00

We often write about divorce, drunkenness, etc., in the church. I would like to write about one of the sins that can destroy a church and a ministry in a very short time. Gossip about your pastor, about your leadership, about your church family, can be more deadly than just about anything.

Scripture speaks to this sin for sure.

Leviticus 19:16 - Do not go about spreading slander among your people.

Proverbs 11:13 - A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret.

Proverbs 20:19 - A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid a man who talks too much.

Luke 6:45 - The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

As Paul was writing to the church in Corinth, he was concerned about gossip along with other sins in the life of the church.

2 Corinthians 12:20-21 - 20 For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder. 21 I am afraid that when I come again my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved over many who have sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual sin and debauchery in which they have indulged.

It isn't always the outward, visible sins that hurt and destroy. Gossip, along with other relational sins as mentioned in the above passage can do as much if not more damage. I have seen attitudes, gossip, anger, rage, jealousy, envy, unstable emotions, and more hurt ministries.

Your thoughts?

Discipleship

2009-09-01T13:07:00.002-04:00

What does it mean to be a disciple of Christ? How does that play out in your life? Are you in a comfortable place, as a disciple, or are you struggling with the place God has you?

I was spending some time with a member recently, and he shared that he was not comfortable with where God had him, and he was glad. When we get comfortable, it is time to move on to a new challenge. To follow Christ is not to be in a comfort zone. It is to be stretching and moving to new places where there is faith, rather than comfort.

Have you ever read and then struggled with the following passage? These are words from our Lord.

Matthew 10:32-39 - 32 "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven. 34 "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn "'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law— 36 a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.' 37 "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

I do not see comfortable in any of these verses. Where are you, as a disciple of Christ, going to places where you are not comfortable - serving your Lord?

Your thoughts?

Video on Sunday August 30

2009-08-31T13:42:00.005-04:00

What is your opinion about this video that we used in the sermon Sunday?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXut0HxncvY

This video was created by The Skit Guys (http://www.skitguys.com/skitguys/) and we will use more of their material in the future pending your thoughts.

The Shack

2009-08-31T13:37:00.002-04:00

What is your opinion of the book The Shack written by William P. Young?

Did it help you understand any theological concepts?

Did you find it helpful in your Christian journey?

Did you find it an interesting book?

What thoughts or questions did it instill in you?

How to Critique Positively

2009-08-28T21:58:00.001-04:00

As a pastor, on one hand I work for God. On another hand it can be said I work for 400-500 people who make up the congregation I serve.

After 30 plus years of doing my job and countless years of training and several degrees, I still don’t always hit the nail on the head in everything I do. I admit that I make mistakes or miss things from time to time. I have even asked the SPRC committee and even the entire congregation to help me see where I fall short in serving the congregation as pastor. I would like to take the space of this article to share some insights as how best to go about that process. How to best critique your pastor (or anyone).

Critiquing people is an art. The old adage that you can get more flies with honey than vinegar is very true. The way we critique a person or an event is almost as important as what we have to say in our critique. If the person/group being critiqued won’t receive the information because of how it is offered, then it hasn’t done any good, now does it.

A great example is found in Revelation as God critiqued the seven churches. Here is an example.
Revelation 2:18-20 – 18 "To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. 19 I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first. 20 Nevertheless, I have this against you:

The critiquer identified His credentials for making such a critique, praised the one being critiqued, and then got into the critique. We don’t always follow such a godly method, now do we? Over the years I have had several persons in the congregations I have served feel the need to critique me on some aspect of my job. Some have critiqued the way I dress, or the amount of hair on my face, or head, the hours I keep, the behavior of my children, my sermons – content, length, purpose, etc. – and more.

I have asked for critique over the years, always wanting to learn, grow, and reach the people I am called to serve. Yet there is a way to critique that will have a positive impact and a way that will lead the hearer to the delete button quickly. Let me repeat that my staff and I are always open to ideas and helpful hints. What we will not take kindly to are people who can’t express themselves without belittling the one they are addressing. I have been critiqued by both positive and negative critiques over the years. I can tell you that the negative approach often makes me more concerned with the messenger. This is never the approach that should be taken. You want the message to stand out, not leave the person hearing your critique to wonder what the messenger’s motive was in sharing. It should be very clear that the message is being shared in love. That the intended purpose is to ask a question or give some
insight. And that you, the messenger, are open to a clear explanation of the issue at hand. Maybe, just maybe, the messenger giving the critique was missing something?

At times valid points are made in critiques that never get heard because of the manner in which we offer the critique. After all, your effort is to help the hearer of the critique, not beat them into submission! Right?

Your thoughts?

Doubting Thomas

2009-08-23T20:03:00.002-04:00

So, after hearing today's message (Conquer the Thomas in You - http://www.mtoak.org/sermons.html), have you begun to think about where your limits are in your Spiritual Journey? Where are you a doubting Thomas, needing things proven to believe?

Where are you in your spiritual journey? Where are your growing edges in your spiritual journey where you need God, you need faith?

Maybe your growing edge or limit is reading the Bible regularly? Digging Into God's Word is what we are called to do but maybe you have a hard time doing this on a regular basis. Is this your growing edge?

Maybe your growing edge or limit is your prayer life? Praying is More Than Grace might have helped you approach this in a different way.

Maybe your growing edge or limit is walking in the Spirit? Leaning on the Holy Spirit might have presented this limit to you.

Maybe your growing edge or limit is attending worship on a regular basis. Gathering Together may have hit home with you.

Maybe your growing edge or limit is serving. Serving Others Required may have challenged your thinking.

Maybe your growing image is something else. Maybe it is trusting God with your money and tithing is your growing edge. Maybe it is witnessing to others, or holding your temper, or resisting temptations.

Next week the sermon series will sum up some of these questions. Live One Day at a Time will challenge us to seek first God and His kingdom. We will never be able to approach any of our growing edges or limits on our own. If we could, they wouldn't require faith.

So where is it in your spiritual journey that you need God? Where is faith required for you?

Key Question for Church Staff & Lay Leadership?

2009-08-19T09:34:00.001-04:00

What is the key question to ask church staff and lay leadership?

If the given is how is your devotional life or how is your relationship with Jesus - what else would you ask?

Moving Forward

2009-08-18T13:00:00.004-04:00

Why is it that some of us have trouble moving forward? I often run into people who almost seem to be living in the past. Why is it that some folks tend to remember the past and allow the past to impede their future?

In the church I have heard complaints about past pastors, about past members, even about current members, but from the past. How can we move beyond the past and move forward to allow God to heal us and others? Does everything have to line up the way we see it to move forward? Can we not put the past behind us?

God models forgiveness - He models putting the past behind.

Psalm 103:11-12 - 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

Your thoughts?

Spiritual Hunger

2009-08-13T17:04:00.002-04:00

What do you spiritually hunger for these days?

Matthew 5:6 - Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Do you hunger for Jesus? For worship? For fellowship with other believers? For opportunities to serve? Do you hunger to connect with others? Do you hunger to draw others to Christ?

What is it you hunger and thirst after today?

Small Groups

2009-08-11T07:17:00.002-04:00

In my sermon Sunday - http://www.mtoak.org/Sermons/2009/3rd%20Quarter/080909.mp3 I mentioned our emphasis on small groups this fall. We will be putting more and more information out as the time draws near.

How about sharing some uplifting experiences you have had in small groups in the past! How have they helped your sense of belonging, your sense of community? How have they helped your spiritual walk, your daily journey?

Sunday's Message was titled "Gathering Together"

2009-08-09T19:01:00.004-04:00

Sunday's message was titled Gathering Together.

What was your favorite part?

Which part of the Scripture hit home the most?

^{Hebrews 10: 25}
1) Let us not give up meeting together,
2) as some are in the habit of doing,
3) but let us encourage one another—
4) and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

If you need to listen to it again check out http://www.mtoak.org/sermons.html

Alcohol - Abstinence or Not?

2009-08-08T16:00:00.003-04:00

Alcohol - Abstinence or Not?

The Methodist Church has long held that Abstinence from alcohol is the best Christian witness.

Paragraph 162J of the United Methodist Book of Discipline affirms the denomination’s “long-standing support of abstinence from alcohol as a faithful witness to God’s liberating and redeeming love for persons.”

What do you think?

Another good question along these lines is what is your definition of drunkenness? When is a person under the influence of alcohol? Is it a blood level? Is it a behavioral change? Is it some other standard?

Scripturally there are passages that support abstinence and that support having a little wine for your stomach's sake. Yet remember, you take medicine by the spoon full, not the jug full - lol.

Your thoughts?

Women in the Ministry

2009-08-06T14:25:00.003-04:00

Seems like I can't get dialogue without controversy - so here's one that will set the posters posting! Should women be in the ministry? What is your opinion and how would you support it? Here are some Scriptures used in the debate.

1 Corinthians 14:33-35 - 33 For God is not a God of disorder but of peace. As in all the congregations of the saints, 34 women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. 35 If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.

Galatians 3:26-29 - 26 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Matthew 28:1-10 - 1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. 2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. 5 The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you." 8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."

These are three Scriptures used for either side of the debate. Are there others? What do you think? Is there a difference between being on a pastoral staff and being a lead pastor? Should there be any restrictions?

Doing what God says...

2009-08-04T10:53:00.002-04:00

Do you do what God says to do?

Jesus says, if you love me, you will do what I say.

John 14:15 - If you love me, you will obey what I command.

Noah was called by God to build an Ark - and without any knowledge of what an Ark was - he built it. He did what God said.

Genesis 6:22 - Noah did everything just as God commanded him.

What is the hardest thing about listening to God for you?

Toughest Part of Marriage for You?

2009-08-01T13:48:00.003-04:00

If you are or have been married, what is the toughest part of marriage for you? If you wish to not answer for your marriage, what has been the toughest part of marriages you have seen?

If you're not married, what do you think will be the toughest part of marriage?

Wednesday Night Fellowship Meal

2009-07-29T14:41:00.002-04:00

How important is the Wednesday Night Fellowship Meal?

Rate the importance, 1-5, with 1 being the highest priority, between the following...

Convenience (come straight from work/etc.)
Quality of Food
Opportunity to Fellowship with others
Price
Family Night Out

Recent Polls II

2009-07-29T14:32:00.004-04:00

In some recent polls the numbers came out like this - for those who responded:

In response to their favorite grocery store:

Safeway is the choice for food - by 44%
Giant came in second at 21%

As we plan Small groups this fall

65% of respondents were looking for a small group this fall

Prayer life is pretty evenly split:

30% spend 0-5 minutes a day speaking with God
28% spend 5-15 minutes
28% spend 15-30 minutes

5% said they spend 2 hours or more in prayer

As we plan a third service the following were the results:

52% said Sunday night would be best
20% said Wednesday
17% said Saturday
8% said Friday

Back at Prayer Life - people responded:

45% said their prayer life was sporadic
22% said too short
14% said vital to my walk with Jesus
14% said non-existent
2% said it was too self-centered

If Married, which marriage?

85% said they were in their first marriage

Marriage is a...

40% said a religious arrangement
40% said a legal arrangement

Recent Poll Results

2009-07-25T06:36:00.003-04:00

Recent polls indicated - from those who responded...

53% believe the United Methodist Church is headed in the right direction.
28% believe it is not
19% believe it is too early to tell

54% like the new look on my blog page
25% could take it or leave it
21% don't like it

49% get between 6-8 hours a sleep a night
35% get between 4-6 hours
The rest get more or less

36% work between 60-69 hours a week
18% work between 50-59
18% work between 40-49
13% work 29 or under
10% work 70 or over
5% work 30-39

Define Marriage

2009-07-23T13:39:00.003-04:00

How would you define marriage?

One definition I found is: The union of a man and a woman as husband and wife, which becomes the foundation for a home and family. (from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright © 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)

The Biblical story of creation give us this: Genesis 2:20-24 - 20 But for Adam no suitable helper was found. 21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. 23 The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man." 24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. NIV

How would you define marriage?

Tell Me about Your Prayer Life

2009-07-21T11:33:00.004-04:00

Tell me about your prayer life?

Where do you pray?

When do you pray?

How important to your spiritual journey is your prayer life?

Do you have a prayer language?

What is most uplifting about your prayer life?

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 - 16 Be joyful always; 17 pray continually; 18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

James 5:13-18 - 13 Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. 14 Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. 17 Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

Why are You Called a Christian?

2009-07-19T22:22:00.004-04:00

Why are you called a Christian (if you are)? In the early church they were called a Christian because they were following Jesus and it was evident.

Acts 11:19-30 - ¹⁹Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews. ²⁰Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. ²¹The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord. ²² News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. ²³When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. ²⁴He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.²⁵Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, ²⁶and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch. ²⁷During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. ²⁸ One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) ²⁹ The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea. ³⁰ This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.

Do you see yourself as a Christian? If so, why? If not, why not?

A Third Worship Service

2009-07-17T13:38:00.004-04:00

A number of us have been speaking about starting a third worship service. I have been praying about it for over two years now.

I'm hoping that this will be another weekly worship service. It is not meant to be an additional service for people to attend, although we can never get enough of worship.

Our primary target audience would be those who cannot attend on Sunday mornings because of a variety of reasons. We have heard from folks who work every or every other Sunday morning and they need a time and place to worship. There are also folks who normally attend worship on Sunday mornings but a few times a year they miss worship all together because of some event that draws them away on Sundays.

An additional audience might be some local pastors and worship leaders who are looking for a place to be in worship rather than leading worship. There is a difference.

Any thoughts about this service? Anything to help us develop the plan for this service?

I have a worship leader praying about serving in this service but would need some additional volunteers to help with the praise team, prayer team, and servers! Let me know.

What do you think...?

2009-07-17T09:23:00.000-04:00

What do you think of the new blog page layout?

Share your thoughts about the United Methodist Church

2009-07-17T09:07:00.006-04:00

For over 30 years I have been a United Methodist Pastor and for all of my 54 years I have been a Methodist. I have seen much change over my life time. There were the days when we sought after holiness. Seeking to be better ambassadors for Jesus. In the decades that followed we went so far as to use a word - pluralism - which many took to mean we accepted anything and everything. It was a painful time we have not fully recovered from yet. But, I believe we are moving back toward a Biblical holiness, albeit a slow turn. God is not through with us and I pray that the decades I have left in life will see our church become the strong evangelical voice it was once, drawing people to Christ.

I have seen slogans like "each one win one" but have not seen the true heart to reach the lost for some time. If there were slogans or programs to grow the church it was more to survive, to grow the numbers. I am beginning to see more and more pastors and congregations with a true heart to reach the lost for the sake of Christ and the kingdom. I am seeing more and more evangelical pastors and churches in our conference, which is one of the more liberal conferences in the United Methodist Church. I take this as a good sign. God is at work. I pray we stay out of God's way and let God use us and use us up for the kingdom's sake. I pray God will work in us, through us, and in spite of us to draw people unto salvation!

What are your views of the United Methodist Church - where she has been, gone and is headed?

What other views do you have from other faiths or denominations that help you decide your current spiritual journey?

Where do you see Mt. Oak fitting into this process and how could we be of more help to you during your journey?

I'm so proud

2009-07-16T22:03:00.005-04:00

I am so proud of our youth. They are the very best.

Two years ago StreetReach – as I was arriving at Mt. Oak – our youth went on a trip to Ireland – a youth rally – and then after the rally 5,000 plus youth hit the streets of Belfast – working on yards simply because Christ’s love is free – people that maybe couldn’t or wouldn’t keep their yards up were helped.

Our youth came home excited – wanted to do it locally – did last summer and one Saturday each month throughout the year – 50 this summer for a week mission trip – several churches want in and a team from Belfast is coming next summer – worked on over 20 homes the first two days – still have through Friday this week – evening events each night – had over 150 people for movie night Wednesday – concert in Allen’s Pond in Bowie at 7 pm – our praise team – Friday night – it is awesome! Reaching the unchurched – several folks have called the church wanting to know who and where we were – all the kids are in lime green shirts with StreetReach on one side and Mt. Oak and our symbol on the back – very exciting… God is at work!

Living the Christian Life

2009-07-15T11:20:00.002-04:00

A new sermon series will begin Sunday - July 19 - and run through September 13. It is a series of sermons on "Living the Christian Life".

Do you have any questions about living the Christian life that you would like addressed during this series? The list of topics and base Scriptures can be found at http://www.mtoak.org/sermons.html

The current plan is to deal with these topics:

Digging Into God's Word
Praying is More Than Grace
Leaning on the Holy Spirit
Gathering Together
Serving Others Required
Conquer the Thomas in You
Living One Day at a Time
Battling Temptation
You Gotta Tell Somebody

Do you have any questions? If so, leave them here and we'll see what we can do.

VBS (Vacation Bible School)

2009-07-14T22:07:00.004-04:00

How about some testimonies about this year's VBS at Mt. Oak?

I personally enjoyed watching the children learn about Rome in the time of Jesus and learning about Jesus. One story - as a Roman talked about worshiping many Gods - one of our children told them - you need a Bible - there is only one God!

How about sharing some thoughts about a VBS in your past?

I remember VBS as a child at Mt. Zion - singing songs - having fun - playing baseball and trying to hit the ball to the corn fields - and learning about Jesus being made fun.

How about your memories?

Your Last Book

2009-07-10T00:13:00.005-04:00

What was the last book you read and what was special about it?

My last book was The Shack. I found it to be very well written and some challenging concepts of God and God's love/mercy. I especially was challenged with my limited view of God. I was forced to see God as greater than my ability to describe Him.

I was also emotionally spent when I finished the book. Sections tackled some really tough questions about life, death, and life in between.

How about you?

Our Sermons

2009-07-07T23:36:00.001-04:00

In a recent poll, of those who responded, the following were the results to the question: After theological soundness which of these is most important to you about a sermon?

Relevancy - 65%
Personal Examples - 12%
Keeps My Interest - 12 %
Mode of Delivery - 5%
Length - 5%
Who delivers it - 0%

Your thoughts?

Use of Video Clips During Worship

2009-07-07T23:32:00.001-04:00

In a recent survey or poll, of those who responded the following were the results...

19% would use them every week
33% would use them more often than we currently do
33% think we use them about right
9% think we should use them a little less
4% wouldn't use them at all

What is your opinion?

Holiness

2009-07-05T13:13:00.003-04:00

What an awesome word today on holiness from Rev. Kevin Baker.

We are called to holiness -

1 Peter 1:13-16 - 13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."

1 Timothy 2:1-4 -1 I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

Oh what God could do with a church that strove - by God's grace - to be holy - representing Christ more and more each day in their lives.

I remind you of a post in May 2008 about holiness - http://raymcd.blogspot.com/2008/05/holiness.html

Job 1:21

2009-07-02T12:18:00.001-04:00

Job, in the midst of his suffering, stated:

Job 1:21 – and said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised."

This passage raises several questions.

† All questions could simply be answered by saying – this is a true statement – we have a Sovereign God who controls all things
† Questions arise when we say that not all things quoted in the Bible are good thing or God things – for instance:
o The story of David, Bathsheba, and Uriah in 2 Samuel 11 doesn’t suggest that we should all desire other men’s wives (even if we have the power to do so).
† Although God is Sovereign and is the supreme ruler, to assume that God gives and God takes away, as a general truth for God leads to many unsettling circumstances.
o Is it God who takes a baby in crib death?
o Is it God who takes a baby in a miscarriage?
o Is it God who takes a baby through abortion?
o Is it God who causes a child to be bore handicapped?
o And so on…

Where as it is true that we came into the world with nothing and will leave it just the same – maybe some fancy clothes on our body in our casket – but none-the-less – without anything. It may not be a truism that God gave it all and took it all away. Our free will has played into the equation and the free will of others as well.

Because Job felt all he had came from God and if God wanted to, He could take it all away, doesn’t mean a universal truth is that God gives and God takes away. Our free will many times takes away our health, the life of others, and even at times impacts the lives of those around us.

Evangelism

2009-07-01T17:26:00.002-04:00

Recently a pastor recounted an experience of being called Evangelical but not knowing what the one naming pastors such believed that meant.

Here is a definition I found.

The National Association of Evangelicals defines an evangelical as someone:

who believes that the Bible is authoritative
who has had a born-again experience
who shares this message of faith.

To evangelize means you explain your beliefs to others with the view that they might want to adopt your beliefs. An evangelist is someone who preaches the Gospel to try to get people saved and on their way to Heaven. The English words come from Greek words that mean to announce good news, bring a good message, or preach the Gospel.

Your thoughts?

Series on An Empowered Christian Life

2009-06-29T15:29:00.003-04:00

We just completed the Series on An Empowered Christian Life. The sermons included the following:

June 7 - Filled with the Holy Spirit
June 14 - The Baptized in Jesus
June 21 - Boldly Go Where Others Won't
June 28 - The Evidence of a Filled Life

These and other sermons can be heard at http://www.mtoak.org/sermons.html.

What are your thoughts on this series?
1. Was it helpful?
2. Did you learn anything new?
3. Did it meet with your understanding of the Holy Spirit's work?
4. And any other thoughts you might have concerning the series.