eChurch Blog

We are as a church going through the 40 days for ‘Purpose Driven’ and I must confess I personally am not much of a fan. I have no real gripe with the guy it’s just that I have personally struggled with the concept of my purpose in life even as a Christian. I feel that formulaic books probably won’t help with the issue for me personally, but I accept the benefits for others.

Rick Warren has been cited by Time Magazine as one of the World’s most influential people and his ‘Purpose Driven Life’ book is the second best selling book of all time, surpassed only by the Bible…gosh!

The following excerpt was emailed to me so I thought I would publish it, I don’t know the original interview source:-

‘Purpose Driven Life ‘ author and pastor of SaddlebackChurch in California

In the interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, Rick said:

People ask me, What is the purpose of life? And I respond: In a nutshell,
life is preparation for eternity. We were not made to last forever, and God
wants us to be with Him in Heaven.

One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body– but
not the end of me.

I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of
years in eternity. This is the warm-up act – the dress rehearsal. God wants
us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity.

We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn’t
going to make sense.

Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you’re just coming
out of one, or you’re getting ready to go into an other one.

The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than
your comfort.

God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your
life happy.

We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that’s not the goal of life.
The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness.

This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest,
with my wife, Kay, getting cancer.

I used to think that life was hills and valleys – you go through a dark
time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don’t believe that
anymore.

Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it’s kind of like
two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and
something bad in your life.

No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad
that needs to be worked on.

And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something
good you can thank God for.

You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems.

If you focus on your problems, you’re going into self-centeredness,’which is
my problem, my issues, my pain.’ But one of the easiest ways to get rid of
pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.

We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands
of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for her.
It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her
character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a
testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people.

You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life.

Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance,
this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it
made me instantly very wealthy.

It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before.
I don’t think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego or for you
to live a life of ease.

So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and
influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to
do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72

First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our
lifestyle one bit. We made no major purchases.
Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the
church.

Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan to
plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and
educate the next generation.

Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I
started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to
serve God for free.

We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity?

Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am
I going to be driven by God’s purposes (for my life)?

When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I
don’t get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You
better. God didn’t put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He’s more
interested in what I am than what I do.

That’s why we’re called human beings,not human doings.

OK I do apologise for posting the below from UK Apologetics (with kind permission from our brother Robin Brace – make sure you check out his fabulous Christian resource website)

I just really really enjoyed this article as it is so ‘real’ to me personally!! What a public admission, hope nobody from my church ever reads this

OKAY, I ADMIT IT: I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH ‘CHURCH SOCIALS’!!

WHAT DO I THINK OF THE TYPICAL ‘CHURCH SOCIAL’? YUK!

QUESTION: WHAT IS THE RITUAL WHICH CHURCH CONGREGATIONS GO THROUGH ANYTHING FROM 3-12 TIMES PER YEAR WHICH MAKES STRONG MEN QUIVER AND TREMBLE??

ANSWER: THE CHURCH SOCIAL!!

Men who never took a step backwards in Korea, Vietnam, the Falklands or the Gulf dread the onset of ‘the church social’ season. Why? Well, I guess it’s always been a sort of ‘church joke’ hasn’t it? Ladies love church socials and they are usually very good at them – loving the organisation of ‘pot luck meals’, the organisation (or, disorganisation) of the children, and the ‘children and family’-based chatter which is so often the order of the day on such occasions. But we men are far less enthusiastic about them. Perhaps we have a stressful job during the week and it is hard to unwind, or perhaps – by our very chemistry – we men are not always naturally great conversation makers (unless a topic comes up that we are passionate about, then try to stop us!!) But, for whatever reason, I have noticed over many years of congregational attendance that the majority of men either try their hardest to keep away from church socials (they almost never succeed because most wives are determined to drag them along), or they do indeed (apparently) cheerfully go along yet cannot wait for the whole thing to finish!

Okay, its time to come clean: What are my personal ‘beefs’ about church socials and why is it that I now (confession time!) often try to avoid them?

1.The Conversational Problem

On more than one occasion I went (okay, I admit it, sometimes got dragged) to church socials with some burning issues on my mind which I really wanted to discuss and longed to discuss with my brothers and sisters in Christ; issues concerning our country, liberalism and the Holy Bible, issues concerning life and death and the gospel. I really hoped that we could all get into some spiritual discussions, after all, surely one should expect such discussions when Christians meet socially? – but, for some reason, it hardly ever proved possible. I am not talking about the ‘Bible-basher who cannot keep quiet’ scenario at all, I am talking about a situation in which most would want to contribute and not feel intimidated. But I found that there was almost a conspiracy to keep all talk and chatter on quite a superficial level; holidays, home improvements, how Mary is doing at college, which supermarket offers the best shopping, the new dresses Sandra has just bought for the twins….. these seemed to be the preferred topics! This always disappointed me. Should not the conversation of Christians be markedly different to the world? (As an aside, I was also often saddened at the tendency for the ‘marrieds’ to ignore shy single people).

2. The Reason for Church Socials.

I have always been puzzled by the justification for church socials offered by the ministry. The most common reason for having socials is usually expressed in a manner something like this ‘So we can all get to know and love each other a whole lot better!’ – yet the reality was that one always seemed to rub shoulders with exactly the same group of people whom one already knew rather well. In the mega church we attended, we only seemed to be encouraged to meet socially with the group of people who lived closest to us, a group we already knew quite well, yet, to be frank, many of us were not perfect ‘soul-mates.’ Yes, we were always encouraged to invite non church members along to such Bible Studies and socials but I cannot honestly say that this was productive, nor can I recall a single occasion when a non-Christian neighbour or friend joined us.
Sometimes an unhealthy and unspiritual competition seems to develop among church ladies regarding who can best host these sort of socials/gatherings. In one place I was told of, the lady hostess would present the main meal and the intention was always to ‘outdo’ the last church social host! So, as these socials moved from home to home, real competition developed to produce the best meal and the most sparkling conversation. One e mailer told me that his wife would have spasms of nausea the two or three days leading up to any social they were hosting because of her stress and tension! Finally he insisted that he and his wife withdrew from hosting any socials. The pastor, apparently, never spoke to him again!!

3. Is There a Better Way?

Do we Christians make some mistake when we socialize in this rather forced and contrived manner with other Christians? In most cases, do we really need to get to know each other any better? Or is there something else we should be doing? Jesus said,

‘…..”When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbours; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” (Luke 14:12-14, NIV).

Should Christians be part of a mutual appreciation society or a mutual congratulation club? Should we regularly have these exclusivist meals attended by other well-to-do Christians?

I know a lady who has put the words of Jesus into practise. She hires church halls and invites the sick, the unemployed, drug-takers and alcoholics. They are given a fine meal, after which the gospel is preached to them. I believe I am right in saying that she has encountered opposition from fellow Christians. She is a fine example and a brave and bold lady.

Shouldn’t we all be doing this? Wouldn’t this be a better and more Godly use of our resources?

Please let us all give serious thought to this! It is risky but aren’t there risks involved in anything which is worth accomplishing??

Robin A. Brace

This post has now been removed from this blog.

This post has now been removed from this blog.

Please Visit the new UK Christian Mental Health Website for support, advice, articles, discussions and more.

Free will. My goodness this is a subject that has been the heart of philosophical thought since Adam begin.

Like many atheists and materialists I don’t believe in free will, although of course for differing reasons to them!

As my post about election shows man hardens his own heart, but that is because God has removed his hand of restraint from him.

I don’t believe that we have a choice to accept Jesus Christ or not to accept Jesus Christ. I totally believe in His irresistible grace.

Why? Because God, forbids us to judge one another. Therefore I do not believe that He would allow us to judge Him and His plan for humanity. Let alone judge His Son and His all encompassing atonement for us, and for us to decide whether He is worthy or not.  We do not have the right to judge God. I think that the belief that we have chosen Him, can be perceived as works and adding to the Cross.

The thought of God allowing us weak, sinful, pathetic humans to judge the Christ is just not the YHWH I know of. God chooses, period.

Throughout the Scripture God chooses us, not the other way round. He chooses, Abel, not Cain, Jacob not Esau, Isaac not Ishmael The nation of Israel and of course young David from all his brothers.

However, we do have to respond by loving Him, with our all our heart, soul and mind and dedicating our lives and living a life of worship. Rom 12:1

Does God chose to allow millions to go to damnation?

No, everyone should and deserves to go to damnation.

But He has chosen millions for salvation.

When I step back and look at the history in scripture. I see God was fully prepared to kill off the whole mankind once before at the Flood, but by His grace He didn’t.

Even when Jesus came, He came for the Jews, first and foremost.

This was obvious from the Greek woman who repeatedly asked for the demon to be cast out of her child, Jesus said” Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs” (the gentiles were called dogs by the Jews, but I guess you know that).

But God had a plan not only for Israel but to take people from every tribe and nation (John 3:16). If He really, really wanted to save every single person, He could, period.

However, He has chosen people for Himself to live with him for eternity.

The really big question is – How will we live our life here? Do we live this life with our eternal life as our main focus?

Because what we do in this life determines how we will live our eternal life.

Many will be there ….but by the skin of their teeth..not too regrettable for them, as better to sweep the streets of the New Jerusalem with God…

Will we built upon the foundation of Jesus with gold, silver and precious stones or we will build with hay and stubble? This is our choice!

We will live forever, Praise God, predestined before the foundation of the world, chosen to live with Him, because of His grace and mercy. However this is only because of God will give us immortal and incorruptible new bodies. He will sustain us by His Spirit and by partaking of the living waters and the tree of life.

This was why the Garden of Eden was closed off from Adam and protected by angels. The eating of the fruit from the tree of life continually gives immortality and if Adam had partook of the fruit after sin had entered him, we would have all been doomed.

I also believe that the spirit (essence) of man is eternal. However, I do not believe that the soul is eternal, animals have souls and yet scripture shows us that they are not eternal.

From physics we know that energy is indestructible and only transferable. The essence or spirit returns to God, from whence it came.

There is also so much scripture supporting the eventual destruction of the soul, and also the references to the second death (Rev 2:11, 20:6, 20:14, 21:8)

The lake of fire is however, everlasting as quoted in  Rev 20:14

“Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.” This is repeated in Rev 21:8 and the wicked “with have their part in the lake of fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

However, Rev 20:10 says that satan and his brethren are tormented for ever and ever.

Just wanted to add what Charlie Spurgeon said

“I do not come into this pulpit hoping that perhaps somebody will of his own free will return to Christ. My hope lies in another quarter. I hope that my Master will lay hold of some of them and say, “You are mine, and you shall be mine. I claim you for myself.” My hope arises from the freeness of grace, and not from the freedom of the will.”

Blessings

Christians in the UK must stand by their persecuted brothers and sisters “in spirit”, says Baroness Caroline Cox.

Baroness Cox, founder of the Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust (HART), said at the Baptist Assembly on Saturday that there were at least 250 million Christians suffering around the world because of their faith.

“They are suffering … we do have an obligation to them. We have a living faith today because so many others paid the ultimate price.”

She added: “We cannot afford to forget that when one part of the body suffers we all suffer.”

In a session on persecution, Baroness Cox recounted visits she had made with HART to people suffering at the hands of oppressive governments, including Christians in North Korea, Armenia, Sudan and Burma.

She went on to say that reaching persecuted populations had often meant entering countries illegally and under dangerous circumstances.

One Armenian pastor she met would wake up each morning, even at the height of a bombing campaign by Azerbaijan, to pray in the pitch dark and freezing cold for his people. They narrowly escaped being killed in a direct hit on his house when a slab of concrete fell on the spot where they had been sleeping just moments after they had got up to pray together.

“It was one time I was literally saved by prayer,” the Baroness joked.

The pastor’s response to the bombing was to say: “Whatever demonic forces come against us … we must never hate; we must always love.”

Baroness Cox went on to condemn the “brutal crimes against humanity” committed by the Burmese military junta against its own people, including torture, rape, forced labour and the use of human minesweepers.

In Sudan, meanwhile, she warned that radical Muslims were investing massively in the southern region, particularly Darfur, and that church leaders there were desperate for Christian mission agencies to return to help them counter the spread of Islam.

“Sudan is on a knife edge,” she said.

Baroness Cox said that although supporting suffering Christians did not necessarily mean joining them in receiving the persecution, she said praying for them and “being with them in spirit” were very important.

“While we are living in our comfort zones, our brothers and sisters are still enduring their Calvaries and Gethsemanies,” she said. “We have a biblical mandate to be with the lost, last, least, forgotten.”

At church today the Pastor spoke on the following scriptures:

Luke 5

Four Fishermen Called as Disciples

1 So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, 2 and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. 3
4 When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”
5 But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” 6 And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. 7 So they signaled to Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat. their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”
9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; 10 and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.” 11 So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.

Leaving aside for the moment the miracle itself and the fact that these fishermen immediately forsook all to follow Jesus….

The preacher majored on the need for the fishermen to unify together to haul in the abundant harvest and related this to the need for Christians to unify together in the same way.

A valid point and incredibly the issue of online social networking came up! I say incredible as I have been blogging about this very issue today!

Evangelism Using Twitter To Reach The World For Jesus

Twittering Christians

How the Spirit moves!

The Internet like everything else is a tool that can be used for Good or Evil and I think it is time to really push for the Internet to be used for Jesus by all Christians. I know many wonderful Christian websites already exist and my wifey is a big user of Christian forums.

Whether we like it or not, online internet social networking is HUGE and growing FAST and it can be a great opportunity for Christians to network together across denominational boundaries and in ways that would not normally be possible or practical.

I believe earnestly that Christians communicating together online can help us to understand each other and break down barriers and create a Spirit of unity.

Take this eChurchWebsites Blog for example, which has not been online very long. I posted some articles about Christians and mental health and was surprised by the interest that this topic generated and have now become aware of a need within our community (based on internet searches).

My response is to try to partner with specialist online Christian Psychiatric ministries and gain permission to use their expert articles on this issue. I am awaiting their responses but this is an example of Christian partnering online. I will of course ensure that all material is referenced to their website, so folks can go to them for support and guidance.

I was pointed to the Christian Concern for our Nation website and was so impressed and moved by their ministry that I am supporting them on this blog and disseminate their articles.

These are just a couple of ways that I am partnering with other Christians online.

I have also had this blessing the other way around, with Ultimate Tube helping me with website exposure on their website and also UK Christian Websites listing me on their exclusive Christian directory.

I know I might be biased as website development for Christians is what I do, but I believe that the Internet is a massive under utilised tool for the Christian community in general.

If you have an urge in your Spirit to have a Christian internet presence, (it could be a website, blog, directory, forum, social networking website or whatever else you can think of), do get in contact for an informal chat today!

The more Christians that are online, supporting one another and linking together creating networks, the more powerful our voices become.

Blessings Webmaster

On my ‘theme for the day’ which seems to be about Christians and the social newtorking website Twitter, I can’t resist but post the below as it made me

Cardinal Sean Brady, the head of the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland has suggested that believers embrace Twitter for prayer.

The Cardinal, speaking at Mass in Country Mayo on Sunday, said that it was a good way to send people prayers.

He said, “Make someone the gift of a prayer through text, twitter or e-mail every day,” reports the BBC.

“I ask young people in particular to think of sending their friends and family an occasional twitter or text to say that you have prayed for them.”

Cardinal Brady’s sermon was delivered to mark the centenary celebration of the life of Father Patrick Peyton, who was also called “the Rosary priest”.

Cardinal Brady claimed that Father Peyton had a “great gift” for communication and would have been a prolific texter and Twitterer had the technology been available in his day.

The Cardinal urged people to start up prayer groups using modern technology such as Twitter. He said, “Such a sea of prayer is sure to strengthen our sense of solidarity with one another and remind us those who receive them that others really do care.”

Blessings Webmaster

I keep toying with the idea of setting up a twitter account. Even though the Internet is my business I am not big on social networking, not because I don’t like it or agree with it, I simply don’t seem to have the time!

My Wifey really enjoys social networking and spends time talking with friends and family on Facebook.

In truth I can’t really imagine folks actually being interested to sign up to follow my fascinating life on Twitter

I am aware however that social networking is being utilised by Christians to evangelise the Gospel and of course should a Christian want to utilise these tools I would be happy to get involved.

Below is an extract that I found online that talks about Christian evangelism and social networking, specifically with Twitter:-

If you are a Christian, and are open to learning a new way to reach people, you will greatly enjoy this information. I would argue that Jesus Christ was the greatest networker in history. I truly believe that if he were walking the earth today, he would include the Internet in his plans to share his message of redemption. As Christians, we tend to be the last group of individuals to take advantage of new technologies. While the Internet is certainly used for evil purposes, it can also be used for good. Just as believers use the technology of radio and television to share our faith, we should consider the Internet the newest and most powerful means to deliver our message.

A few short months ago, I had not even heard of Twitter. Furthermore, upon hearing of it, I didn’t like the name, assuming that those who participated in such nonsense were undoubtedly twits!

It finally dawned on me that Twitter, if utilized properly, could me a marvelous medium by which to share the love of Christ with people around the World!

Please join me in sharing Christ with the World one “Tweet” at a time.

Social Networking? You may be saying to yourself, “I don’t get Social Networking. I know it is surging in popularity, especially with young people, but should I pay attention to it?”
J.A. Barnes coined the term “Social Networking” to describe patterns of relationships within society in 1954. Social networks have subsequently been used by sociologists and social psychologists to study ways in which society functions and interacts.

Anthropologist Robin Dunbar theorized that in order for a social structure to remain cohesive and active it must maintain at least 150 members. Today, Social Networking websites have emerged to tighten this relationship and further develop a web of social ties.

The number of members of Social Networking websites today far exceed Dunbar’s 150. Myspace alone, for example, has 168,112,249 members with more joining every day.

I urge you – don’t pass up this opportunity to reach the world for Christ! The secular-world is employing this phenomenon to its great benefit. Why not the Church?

Too often, we Christians conclude that we need to avoid, like the plague, any practice with which we are either unfamiliar or uncomfortable. Where would be today if our Church Fathers refused to do that which they found uncomfortable?

As Christians, we often feel a burning-desire within us to do something to reach the world with the blessed hope that is within us. However, we frequently struggle, thinking, “What can I, a single individual, do to reach those to whom I’ve been called? Furthermore, to whom am I called?”

I contend that one of the most phenomenal opportunities to do just that has come about! That opportunity is Social Networking. The most popular and fastest-growing social networking sites in the world is Twitter!