I Repent.

 I repent. I have been a fool. I have listened to words of rebellion and I have spoken words of rebellion. No more. Let God be true, and let every man be a liar. I delight to do God's will for my life.

Pastor Mitchell gave us a blueprint that has brought us this far. Evangelism, discipleship, and church planting. I will be a part of this vision in my new home church. I will not go to Hell over things that I do not understand. And I will no longer have fellowship with those who have rebelled against our church and our churches.

To God be the glory, great things He has done!

O You Of Little Faith

 "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?" Matthew 8:26

In this story we read of the time when the disciples and the Lord were in a boat on the sea and a storm rose up. The men in fear cried out to Jesus. He rebukes them, then he calms the storm.

Here is what I was wondering about. These disciples had been with Jesus for some time now. They were as close to Jesus as any man could be. How is it then that the minute trouble happens, they freaked out? How is it that after all of the words they heard from Jesus and all the personal time they spent with Jesus they seem to be unprepared for this situation?

My thought is that when we rely on God for everything, we are incapable to do anything on our own. People who claim to be walking with Christ today and pray about everything seem to be unable to solve any problem or do anything that requires faith.

Also, these men, for spending so much time with Jesus, didn't know him at all. 

"Who can this be?" is their response. Verse 27.

I think that a theology that claims that the answer to life is walking close to Jesus is somehow wrong in it's thinking. Faith is an action word, not a believing word. Faith is seen by what we say and by what we do. Being close to Jesus is not enough. Jesus told them that they had no faith. 

Think about it.

Conference Thoughts

 In Prescott, there are good people who take their family vacations during conference. There are faithful people who stay home and watch the conference services. Why do they not attend? You would have to ask them.

Here, they have been doing conferences for many years, and they act like this is their first time putting on a conference. Some people are still giddy with excitement. Pastor talks to us to tell us what to do and how to behave like we don't understand the magnitude of what conference is.

For me, this conference is about people that I do not know and hearing preaching from pastors who I do not know. I remember the first time that I preached at a local conference. It was exciting. I remember the first time that I attended a regional conference. It was interesting. Conference here is not the first time of anything for me and so I find it neither exciting or interesting.

I could stay home and not feel like I had missed anything. But I won't stay home out of respect for the Fellowship. Maybe I can hear God speaking to me even when the preaching is not aimed at me.

God bless us all.