FOUR MONTHS SINCE MY LAST BLOG WOOOOOOWOWOWOOWOW! How time flies! Next weekend we are off to our church's anual Men's Conference. Man this year flew by. I wonder what Christ thinks of me at this moment? I've learned so much this year, about my life, the Word, my relationship with Christ, my wife, my family and life.



Before the Men's Conference last year, I felt as if I had spent forty years in the wilderness of life. Knowing I was a Christian, not really growing, getting by with my personal believes, some biblicle, some "marclicle", none really involving my relationship with Christ. What made the difference this year? What things are different now in my life or those around me?

I think I will start with what I've learned from the word.

1. Salvation can not be lost.

2. The moment a person receives Christ, a FULL portion of the Holy Spirit dwells in the new Christian's soul. The Holy Spirit is permanent, never will leave a Christian, and a Christian does not need more of the Holy Spirit, one just needs to listen.

3. The Holy Spirit speaks for Christ and should never be the center of attention or much less build a religion around the Holy Spirit. The focus should always be CHRIST.

4. Terms like "spirit filled", "speaking in toungues" or "heavenly language" are interpretations of the word that some Christians believe are praying in the Holy Spirit's language; Speaking in tougues is a spiritual gift that one can receive merely by asking God for the gift. But all Christians are "spirit filled" long before one ever asks for any of the spiritual gifts. Understand you can not receive any of the spiritual gifts until you become a christian and the holy spirit fills your soul. When you receive a gift you know it. And if Christians know it? I say lets let them believe it. Its not going to keep a Christian out of heaven. The bottom line is all Christians are spirit filled and there is no spirit in a church building or in a place or someone's home, but get a couple of Christians in a anywhere and its time to have church.

5. The overused term of "MAN'S FREE WILL" changes once man receives Christ. Before Christ the question is to become a believer or not. After receiving Salvation, the question of "MAN'S FREE WILL" becomes does one listen or not. Once a person receives Christ, that person is owned by God and there is nothing man can do to seperate oneself from Him.

6. Christians have a greater influence on their Oikos than they think. Christ is revealed through a Christian's relationships on a day to day basis

7. God's plan for all Christians is to: Love God, Love others, Follow God. This call never changes.

Finally I know that Sean, Myke, Jeremy, Jessie, and Ross are ALL IN!

I BELIEVE..........

I believe that all mankind are sinners and that we need Christ for forgiveness and redemption. How wonderful that I live in a county that allows me to believe in God in a way I want to believe! I give thanks to GOD, my country the USA, and my fellow AMERICANS that have made this FREEDOM possible. I pray for OUR CHILDREN who are fighting the war on terror, and I hope everyone of them will return home safe and sound.

How can God allow this?

The Oklahoma City bombing, 9/11! ManTalk has peaked my interest in this subject. It is true that God is the creator of all things, so one can conclude that God allowed this to happen or God did nothing to stop these terrible deeds. The truth in the matter is that God has tried for ages to keep the world's evil away from his followers, God uses His people to try to bring sense to all this kaos. Its so easy to blame GOD! This is the very evil that GOD has been putting up with for 1000's of years.

The political sense, we as a nation were asleep at the the wheel, especially 9/11. We saw what happened in OKC bombing and 9/11 still occurred. This is the evil God rejects. God is leading us now on a campaign to keep the fight out of this nation. Yes I did say God and not President Bush, President Bush is only a servant to our Lord and he's been chosen to protect God's people from senseless violence on the innocent.

The common sense, no one has attacked us since, thank you God, our prayers are being answered. And I thank every son and daughter of this great nation that is protecting the ones I love at this very moment.

The religious sense, thank GOD president Bush is a Christian! This is a Christian Nation, no matter how hard we try to separate the church and state, or maybe better put the people who run our nation, the majority are Christians.

God is not a co-conspirator with the evil that man does as a point of fact (just read His Word) and certainly not in these two events! As always, God was able to rally this nation in the aftermath of these catastophies. More and more people came to God and asked why, and people were saved, and people, GOD's people mourned for those we have never even met, and Christ brought comfort. As Christians now its our job to bear "much fruit". We must keep raising Christian Children, we must support our Missionaries, we must support those who protect us and above all we must pray.

Paul after a rough night on the court...too old for this

Dodge Ball at Man Night

50 years...WOOOOOOOOOOW Love you Mom and Dad

SUGAR!!! Here puppyyyyyy pupppppppppy

TEMPTATION

Sometimes I don't always recognize temptation til its too late, boy, I'm glad I'm a Christian! I know God is carrying me through these times. I am in his hands when the sin in me rises up from the very nature of my soul. I just need to listen. Time and time again I've been witness to the fact that Christ offers a way out of every temptation. I just need to listen.

The bible says that Christ' followers recognize his voice. That little voice that says DON'T DO IT! That is really Christ. It's not me! I've surrendered my life to Christ! If you're not a christian and you hear that voice you're just darn lucky we were all created in God's Image, made to be perfect, til the sin of Adam. Go ahead keep gambling with eternity.

So in those moments, when rationalization of sin creeps in, Christ is speaking to us, giving us direction, so recognize his voice. Christ says HIS sheep recognize his voice and listen to him.

OK SHEEP, ARE YOU HIS?

Hey Small Group

Pastor Todd was on the ball this week!

We are about to embark on Jesus' mission for us. Jessie and Bernadettes's (The Lees) Oikos! We get to meet them and enteract with them. How will the Lee's Oikos recognize Jesus in us? This is the oppurtinity that I've been praying for since we started this study of John. This study of John is the the Ultimate WWJD. OK I'm praying for the Lee's Oikos. I'm praying that we can be a shining light that Jesus would be - if he attended this Celebration. Time to plant the seeds of salvation, people. ARE YOU UP FOR THE TASK?

We are about to meet face to face the Lee's family that know they are Christians, and they may be skeptical like Jesus' own family was.

We are about to meet the confused, that will say what kind of church is this HDC that the Lee's attend.

We are about to meet the receptive that love the Lee's and only wish the best for them, but like Nicodemus, will need proof the the Lee's and our small group - are we really the Christians that we say we are.

Our small group must show the Lee's that we are behind them in every aspect of their lives, their marraige, their family, and their oikos.

What can we do special for the Lees at this Celebration?

Pastor Todd nailed this one for us, Our mission is to provide the means of Salvation to the Lee's Oikos and Demostrate undenying Love to Lee's Oikos.



Marc and Deb

Oikos! My spirtual family

So my life has been pretty much planned out by me, Marc Shivers, pretty much making decisions and fitting God into "my" plans for my life. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm! So what's wrong with this picture? Well Pastor Tom has tasked our small Group with stepping out and asking about our oikos "what kinds of breads do people in your oikos seek so they can satisfy their spiritual hunger." Suprisingly, I did not know my oikos well enough to answer. I have a vague idea, based on their actions, but the fact remains, I have not been interested enough in their soul to notice. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm! There's still something wrong with this picture. God get me on your road, and I'll fit my life into your plans for a change.

YO! Jeremy

www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWiMfQydZ_g

FOR MY SMALL GROUP - A Gift from GOD!

Today people have a hard time believing the message of Christ. They accept that Jesus is the son of God, but they lack the experience, the personal experience! People don't think they need the hope that Jesus offers.

So when we talk about the body of Christ (the church body), we are the backbone, we are here, seeking Jesus, living salvation, studying the word, experiencing a personal relationship with Christ. So when the non-church goers and the unsaved need help, we are there, we are ready.

This is our mission! To be prepared when God brings us an extended mission. So if you feel we are not doing enough, that is satan and guilt. The mere fact that you are here, growing in his word, you are being prepared for your extended mission.

So lets pray as a group that God will bring us an extended mission, a mission that will put us face to face with non-believers. Lets be obedient and look where Christ is leading us as a group. Lets not look so much at what I can do by myself, but what we can do together. Lets pray in earnest as a group that we can be prepared for what Christ needs done and lets take the step of faith, whether we think we are prepared or not, to accept a MISSION FROM GOD!

THIS IS WHAT I MEAN BY TOUGH!

Gifts

I've been praying for the gift of faith, you know that faith that is God-given. For decades, I've been relying on the "my own" faith in God to get me by. Well I just did get by, now that my God-given gift of faith is in me, I know now that Christ is in me and always will be no matter what. When I'm weak and not feeling very spiritual, God is there actually carrying me through my despair. God gave me a word for our Bible Study Group, how exciting! Another wonderful gift that I didn't ask for, God is Good! I can't wait to share with em.