CHRISTIAN TOP 500 » Theology Online

Why we go to Church?

ayong — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:15:01 +0000

Over the next few blogs we are going to tackle questions addressing churches, such as “Why go to church?”, “Can women be leaders in a church?” and I will also cover some more personal opinions such as my views on “The Multi-Site Church” and “The Mega Church”. If you have any questions you would like addressed please feel free to send us a communication and we will be more than happy to address these.

For today we are going to start with the question, why go to church? Now for some this might not be a relevant topic but over the past few months I have heard people give various reasons why they do not go to church, such as they feel the church has become hypocritical and judgmental or they feel that churches do not model the church of the Bible so they do not feel a need. While these statements might be accurate to some standard they by no means disqualify the need to go to church or the value the Bible places on going to church.

I will confess that at times it can be hard to find a church, I struggled with this very aspect when I relocated to Florida 5 years ago, in fact for my first 4-5 months here I was hopping around fairly regularly looking for the “right church” and that is a mindset that I will warn people about because I think it is dangerous to try to find the “right church” or what you feel is the “perfect church”. In fact I have a friend who so often likes to quote a saying that was said to him awhile back and that is, “if you find the right or perfect church, do not join it because you will just mess it up!” The fact of the matter is there really is not right or perfect church out there, even in looking at the church I was so often comparing churches here in Florida to I could find flaws in the church although I loved it because it ministered to me greatly in years that really formed my beliefs. I would urge anybody though to just find a church, as John MacArthur so eloquently summed it up, “where the word of God is preached and Christ is exalted.” If you can find that in a church then there is no reason you should not join that church because you will spend your life trying to find the church that fits the mold you are looking for and more than likely what you are looking for fits more into a selfish mold to begin with.

So back to our main point in hand, why join a church? Quite frankly this is a fairly easy question to answer and the answer is, because we are told to. If you look in Hebrews 10:25 Paul covers this very clearly when he says, “not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” Paul tells us clearly that we are to meet together so that we can encourage one another

I went into this with a friend of mine who was leaving our church stating he did not feel our church fit into his beliefs because it asked him to take our membership class before he could become active as a leader in certain ministries and he did not see anywhere in the Bible where you took a membership class for a church. While this may be true you will not see many things in the Bible when it comes to churches today, mostly because the idea of the church as a facility and place of teaching and discipleship was so young in its existence. While churches have come a long way and there are many things going on in churches that I do not agree with, those small things do not trump the fact we are meant to be in fellowship with one another, with the body.

In Ephesians 4:11-14 Paul discusses the body stating, “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;”

Without the fellowship of the church how will you learn from the pastors and teachers, how will you be equipped, how will you grow from being a child, “tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men”?

BOOK REVIEW and AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Letters to Ethan

ayong — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:15:01 +0000

Title

Letters to Ethan

Author(s)

Tom McQueen

Publisher

Seraphina Press, 2010, 154 pages

My Review

by Carley Cooper

I am sitting in front of my laptop trying to think of what I should say about this book. The only words that keep flashing in my mind’s eye are “Wow” and “AWESOME”.

Ethan is one incredibly blessed young man to have someone so loving in his life as his Grandpa Tom! He’s also blessed to have someone who is so aware; and so in touch with, both, God and the makings of the human spirit. This book will bless not only Ethan, but it will bless you too. If only each one of us, could have started out life, and continued on through life with such fantastic support, advice, lessons, and guidance as Ethan; the world would, literally, be a different place. We would all have close relationships with Jesus and with each other.

My Over-all Rating

Author Interview

Author, Tom McQueen

& Ethan

What sparked the idea to write Letters to Ethan?
One day I started thinking about my own mortality and how I would want to be remembered by my children and grandchildren. I just didn’t want to die and leave them a memory, although positive memories are certainly important and valuable. I wanted them to know that they’re here for a purpose, that God loves them; that I love them; and I wanted to share the mistakes and miracles of my own life with the hope that it would be of some benefit to them as they encountered their own challenges and opportunities in the future.

Why do you think it’s important for letters to be left behind?
I believe that it’s important to leave letters for your children and grandchildren to give them a perspective on life in general, your family traditions, the role that faith has played in your family as well as the wisdom that you’ve acquired over the years. In addition, each letter is a ray of hope in that it communicates to the recipient that we all face challenges and obstacles in our lives and that with patience, persistence, passion, and purpose those challenges and obstacles can be overcome and result in a meaningful life.

Do you really think letters can have an impact on young people?
Absolutely. I’ve seen the results first-hand in adult children whose parents left legacy letters for them. In addition, when parents have shared letters with their adult children, the feelings of joy, contentment, and satisfaction have strengthened the bond between them immensely. In addition, when a young person realizes that a grandparent took the time to write them a legacy letter, it has a definite impact upon their sense of self-esteem and self-worth.

What inspired you to start Legacy Nation? (www.legacynationusa.com)
Two events triggered my passion for Legacy Nation. First of all, I had two sets of grandparents — one that I lived with growing up in a two-story flat in upstate New York and knew as well as my parents, and the other set of grandparents that I never met. I still remember the happiness that I enjoyed with the grandparents that lived upstairs and the sadness that I felt at now knowing anything about my paternal grandparents.

I saw Legacy Nation as an opportunity to bridge two worlds. Parents and grandparents could write letters to their children and grandchildren on an ongoing basis while they are alive, sharing their wisdom, experiences, trials and tribulations, joys as well as the faith, hope, and love that they have in their kids and grandkids. Their children and grandchildren then would have those letters as a legacy that they could learn from and continue to build for their children and grandchildren as well.

At the same time, our nation is hurting. We need a re-energized faith, a new hope, and a return to that family foundation of love and respect that our forefathers relied upon to build these United States of America.

Progress is wonderful, technology is great, and the speed of change is a fact of life. Unfortunately, traditional family values are feeling the pinch from our current economic crisis and the demands placed upon our time result in less meaningful interaction with our kids and grandkids. I’m worried about the future of my children and grandchildren.

I founded Legacy Nation as a means to return to those values that made our nation great as well as an admired and respected people, a beacon of hope to mankind, and a blessing to our children and grandchildren.

If you could offer just one piece of advice to the next generation, what would it be?
God gave you three priceless gifts: your emotions, your intellect, and your will. And if you remember this thought you’ll know what to do with them: “God said, ‘Let’s build a better world.’ And I said, ‘How? The world is such a cold, dark place and so complicated now that there’s nothing I can do.’ God in all His wisdom said, ‘Just build a better you.’”

Where can we find out about more opportunities for a free copy of this book?
Follow @ChristianSpkrs on Twitter.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for posting the author’s interview on my blog. This blog tour is managed by Christian Speakers Services (http://ChristianSpeakersServices.com).

Check out the Letters to Ethan virtual book tour on the Christian Speaker Services Facebook page (click here on the CSS Virtual Book Tour photo)

Author Tom McQueen, America’s Grandpa
on The Balancing Act – Lifetime TV

WATCH VIDEO – CLICK HERE

Worshipers, I have a special request. Could you please, go to Amazon.com, and leave a review of your own on the book ‘Letters to Ethan’. This will help Author, Tom McQueen reach some goals. C’mon troops, let’s help our Brother in the Lord, fellow author, and Grandpa with a message.

Matthew Bible Commentary

ayong — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 04:14:32 +0000

Matthew Bible Commentary – This Gospel is believed to be written by Matthew the tax collector, one of the 12 Apostles of Chrisrt.

Matthew in the Bible

The name Matthew means “Gift of the Lord”.

He possibly wrote primarily for the Jews in the Greek speaking world, trying to show that Jesus was their Messiah.

He therefore quoted many times from the Old testament, showing how Jesus fulfilled

Promises of God’s Love

ayong — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 04:14:32 +0000

I Love God – God is Love and His Promises towards us all are true. See a Mini Poem below on God’s Love and promises.

Promises of God’s Love

I Love God
Promises of Love
His Promises of Truth
Promise of His word is Love
His Love for me and you

He gave me life
He gave me strength
Upon all circumstances
Forever that I take

Promises of Love
His promises of Truth
Promise of His word

Lost Diamond Found

ayong — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 17:09:06 +0000

Here’s another St. Anthony story I recently remembered.

This happened in about 2000 or 2001. I was working at a corporation in Chicago with several consultants. We were having a group meeting with my boss when I noticed the lady consultant sitting next to me was missing the diamond from her wedding ring. As soon as the meeting ended and before we even rose from our chairs, I called her attention to the missing stone. All of us began looking carefully on the floor and all around, and she stood and brushed her clothing hoping it would fall out. No luck. We all looked carefully all around the meeting room, then out into the hallway and even all they way back to her temporary office hoping to spot the stone. But we did not find it. After about a half hour of looking I told her I told her I would pray to St. Anthony to find the diamond, and told her she should pray too. She was skeptical and looked at me as if I were not very bright, and I do not think she prayed. After a while we stopped looking but I continued to pray for her to find her diamond, and she was quite upset to have lost it, having been married over 25 years. A few days later I got a phone call from her at work. She was very excited and told me “You are not going to believe this!” The evening before she had done some laundry, and when she went to put away some clothing in her lingerie drawer, there gleaming in the drawer amid her clothes was her diamond! I immediately said, “Thank you St. Anthony!!!” and she thanked me profusely for praying. I hope she became a devotee of St. Anthony that day!

Thank you again B.B. for another inspiring story. Have your own testimony to share about St. Anthony and answered prayer? Email us to have it posted on our blog~

Lost Checkbook Found

ayong — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 06:08:58 +0000

I love Saint Anthony! My favorite miracle that he prayed for me was finding my checkbook! I was expecting our first child, and had already lost the family checkbook once! Luckily I found it easily, but a few weeks later it went missing for a few days. I was in a panic. I came home early from work and checked again the shelf that we kept it on. It was not there. I began to pray fervently to St. Anthony and went into the garage to thoroughly check my car. 30 minutes later I was in tears, I had not found the checkbook. I went back into the kitchen and looked at the shelf. Sitting there, in plain sight, was the checkbook, right where it usually is. Saint Anthony has come through for me so many times before and since this incident, but that is one of his more dramatic rescues for me.

Thank you to Sue commenting on The Path Less Taken blog for this heartening St. Anthony story~

Who Is Your Guardian Angel?

ayong — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 06:08:58 +0000

~~ Psalm 91:11-14(NIV84) ~~ For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. “Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

by Carley Cooper

Photo by Carla Cooper
One of many Angels in my collection
All Copyrights Reserved

This is the second article in my series on Angels. In my first post (Angels From Heaven) I talked about how some people in our lives are so special that we can only believe that they were sent to us by God. We know that they are real people; human beings who live on this planet with us, but they have been such a key factor in helping us at some point, that our only conclusion is that God purposely placed this individual in our life at this moment. There have been several, including my dogs, that I can look back and believe were my angels here on earth.

However, what about the traditional type of angels? That is those we see we can’t see because they’re really celestial beings. Most of us believe that we have at least one angel that is sent to protect us throughout our lives. Of course, some of us need a whole team of angels to keep us from the constant mess that we seem to have a talent for getting into. But, that’s a whole other blog! The trouble is, as I mentioned, we can’t see our heavenly BFFs (for those who were either born yesterday or never went to high school, BFF means Best Friend Forever). Imagine if we could look them in the eye every day. Think about it; we’d never be lonely, there would always be someone to give you advice, and someone to bounce an idea off of before you blurt it, out only to wish you could take it back. For the rest of your life there would always be someone to laugh at you when you fell or messed up. Plus, when you die your angel could stay behind for a day and wipe out your hard drive for you!

How do you know, with any certainty that you haven’t seen your angel? Just because we don’t see them every day, doesn’t mean that we have never seen them. There are millions of stories from people who have seen or done things that cannot be explained by mere human logic. One of these stories happened to one of my closest friends, Paul Duarte. I’ve invited him to write his story to post here as a Worship Melodies Guest Author. This is Paul’s true story!

God loves each and every one of us. In His eyes we are all celebrities. That’s why we need our divine body guards; to protect us from the underworld’s paparazzi, or worse!

Who is Your Guardian Angel?

by Paul Duarte

Psalm 23:4 (KJV) Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Once upon a time, I was working in Toronto as a self employed courier and delivery man. I had a small three ton truck and subbed work from another company in Ajax, Ontario – I was on call pretty much anytime during the day or night. One day, on a cold and drizzly afternoon in February, I got a call sometime late afternoon to make a delivery to the small town of Bracebridge, an hour and a half north of the city. The weather was miserable, the day was dark and gloomy. It had been raining all day that day – so the ground and the roads were just a clear sheet of ice.

I did not fancy the thought of going out that afternoon at all, but I needed the money, so I went anyway. I figured since I was driving a heavy vehicle, if I took it easy I would be fine. At about forty five minutes into the trip, it was late afternoon and the dark started to close in. You need to remember that in February in Ontario, it starts getting dark at 4:30 PM. It started to drizzle and ice started to accumulate on the wipers. Visibility was next to zero, but I pressed on just in case it would get worse later. I did not want to get home in the middle of the night.

The bright city lights started to fade in my rear view mirror and I found myself in the country, no houses or buildings of any kind to be seen anywhere around me. Things were going smoothly, until I hit a patch of ice on the road where the road maintenance crew had not passed by with the salt trucks yet. I swerved to the right; I swerved to the left and no response. The truck only came to a full stop when I came crushing into a ditch. I took a walk around the truck and was relieved to see that there was no damage to the vehicle. It was cold and with the wind chill, it must have been a good minus-twenty outside.

I climbed back into the cab; I laid my hands on the wheel, rested my head between my hand and I started to pray. “Father, I come to you in my hour of need. You know the situation I am in. I have no radio, if I let the truck run with the heater going, I will run out of gas and I have no money or credit card to refill and only You Father, knows where the closest station is. I will surely die frozen before I am found. If I turn off the truck to conserve fuel, the end result will be the same because I am low and I need that fuel to get back home. So I am begging you Father, hear my prayer and make a miracle happen.”

I finished my prayer; I lay down on the seat and prepared myself for the worst. Not more than fifteen minutes later, I heard a tractor with chains on, coming up the road.

I thought to myself, “What the heck! Where did this guy come from? There were no farms, no roads and no driveways for mile.”

I thought nothing more of it. I needed help and here was this frail old man, all bundled up, in a rickety old farm tractor offering to get me out. I thought there is no way; this little tractor is going to pull out a three ton truck. But he insisted that he could and proceeded to hook up the chains to the rear of my rig.

He said to me in a firm but rusty voice, “Get in, start the engine and put it in reverse slowly.”

I did as he requested and low and behold, that little tractor pulled me out without any effort what-so-ever. I was dumb founded; I could not believe my eyes.

I said to the kindly old man, “look I am sorry but I don’t have any money on me, but what do I owe you anyway. I will send you some, I give you my word.”

The old guy replied, “I believe you would, but I don’t want any money.”

I said to him, “Well there must be something I can give you or do for you.”

He said, “There is something you can do for me.”

“What is that?” I replied.”

“Simply this! Whenever you come across someone in distress like you were, stop and help them just as I helped you.” He said.

“Ok,” I said.

“Promise me,” he said.

“I promise.” I told him.

I wanted to get his number anyway, because somehow I wanted to repay him for his kindness. So I asked him to wait while I got a pen and paper from the glove box. I headed towards the cab and I heard him start up the tractor. I got the pen quickly and came out to ask him to wait, but he and the tractor was gone. Vanished into thin air! I could see for quite a long distance up the road ahead of me, and behind me; he was nowhere in sight, and there were no side roads or driveways to turn into. Where did the old man and his little tractor go? I do not know.

I made my delivery and went home. For two days, I could not think of nothing else, but the events of that night. I cannot explain this story and some may think I was crazy and delusional from the cold. Even though I prayed to God, I was not a Christian back then, nor did I believe in miracles. But I tell you, from that day forth, I began to believe.

~~ Dear God ~~ thank you for all the blessings you bring before us, when we are too blind to see them. Thank you for your words when you speak to us, even when we are too deaf to hear them and thank you for all the miracles you bring before us, even when we too busy and fail to recognize them.” Amen

To learn more about Paul or to purchase his books, see his website at:

www.duarteandassociates.com

To connect with Paul on Facebook see:

www.facebook.com/pauljsduarte

Love Bible Verses

ayong — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 06:08:56 +0000

Love Bible Verses – Welcome to I Love God. Below you will find 25 famous Bible Verses on Love for you and your loved ones.

Love Bible Verses

Love Bible Verses from Luke

Luke 6:35 “But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and

February 2012 Pictures – Wallpapers

ayong — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 06:08:55 +0000

February 2012 Pictures and Wallpapers to grace your Desktop this Season.
Here are Just 2 February 2012 Pictures/Wallpapers. More coming your way soon.

We’ll be uploading More February 2012 Custom Wallpapers (Crested with the I Love God Logo for your Desktop and Phone Screen Savers soon)

Be blessed.

A Dream Of St. Anthony

ayong — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:06:42 +0000

My father was a lax Baptist but a wonderful Dad and husband. As such he knew nothing about Saints. One day, he lost something and demanded to know whether there was a saint for “lost stuff.” I told him about Saint Anthony. From then on whenever he lost anything Daddy would ask St. Anthony for help, but in a not very respectful way. I hated the fact he would approach a Saint of God that way, and I would scold him for it. But the saint would always help my father find lost things. “Tony understands me,” Daddy would say.

Years later when my father was dying, I was living and working somewhere else, and I was worried about what was going to happen with my dad. The whole family thought that he would die on the same date as my mother did years before on June 17th. The early morning of June 13th, I had a dream in which I saw a fairly stout looking man dressed as a Franciscan come over to a hospital bed where my father was lying in a coma. I saw this friar lean over and pat my father’s face and say, “Pablito, Pablito then it sounded like, vente, vente!”

Then in the dream I saw something rise out from my father’s body and form a shape just like my father used to look when he was young and vigorous. He looked at the friar and frowned. Before he could say anything the friar took my father by the hand and spoke to him something like Ici, then he patted his chest and said what sounded like Souez Antonio, Vente,”

My father looked confused but when the friar put out his hand to him, Daddy took it, smiled shyly, put his head down like a child and they walked away into this really bright light that led up into the ceiling. Then they were gone. A few minutes later I called my sister and found out that Daddy had gone.

So, to this day, Saint Anthony is our family patron saint.