1950's Billy Graham Perspectives on His Life and Theology (part One)

Billy Graham is my grandfather's pastor. To understand my grandfather better it is important to understand the man my grandfather listened to in order to come develop a relationship with Jesus Christ. 


 When I saw that the book Billy Graham His Life and Influence was available for review, I grabbed the book. I am glad that I decided to read this one.  The book unlike a number of others (roughly 128) focuses on a panoramic-historical context of Billy Graham's effect on Christianity from 1949 to the early part of the 21^st century.

There are a number of themes covered in this book, they include:

1. Modern Methods: "We take for granted publicity, bigness, modern techniques. Why should not the church employ some of these methods, that are used by big business or labor unions to promote their products or causes, in order to win men for Christ?"
   
   
2. Mainstream Evangelicalism and its Gospel Representation since 1949 to the early part of the 21^st Century. The terms liberalism and fundamentalism have arisen in modern days. Neither is found in sacred Scripture.
   
   
3. Media's Coverage of American Evangelicals. The media by and large has been friendly and sympathetic in every city that we have visited.
   
   
4. International Relationships through the gospel with diverse groups such as India, North Korea, Germany, England, and New York.

"John Wesley once said, "The World is my parish." Would it be right for us to limit our ministry to only the United States when other countries of the world that are even more spiritually in need. The American government realizes that we no longer live unto ourselves and that what happens in other countries vitally affects us. A spiritual awakening in some of the world's strategic countries will have tremendous impact on the U.S."

  5. Role of Emotions in Evangelicalism:

And I do not think that Christianity holds the emotions in stoic contempt or that it leaves the emotional emptiness of modern life to be filled by secular things…. The content of the message is mainly distinctive bible doctrine.    

 (Items from a look Magazine Article) found at http://www.wheaton.edu/bgc/archives/exhibits/NYC57/05sample23-1.htm

Last visited 06.05.2010

Simplicty of the Gospel Message

 Hitler is Hitler with or without a pink Nazi Uniform.  

Billy Graham stated the message is to remain simple so that everyone can understand you.  Principle James Deny, the Scottish theologian once said, "The Man who shoots above his target does not prove his superior ambition- he simply proves he cannot shoot."  To be ethereal and postmodern hides the truth from the parish.  The dangerous truth is still dangerous even when it is re-marketed with a new pink coat.  

Sweet and Viola seem to want to lead seekers into a large field far from the mind of God, replacing the truth in the bible to the truth of the Volk.   The truth of the Volk is now named Jesus and must be accepted. This is dangerous and denies the laws of logic. 

To God Be the Glory

"Billy Graham His Life and Influence" is a book that centers the history of Christian Evangelicalism since 1949. The book provides a panoramic view point of Christianity today. As Billy Graham came to England in 1954, a crowd of great strength gathered at the train station. Billy descended from the train. As he descended the English Christians opened their hearts in tune to God Be the Glory:



o God be the glory, great things he hath done!

    So loved he the world that he gave us his Son,

    who yielded his life an atonement for sin,

    and opened the lifegate that all may go in.



Refrain:

    Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,

    let the earth hear his voice!

    Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,

    let the people rejoice!

    O come to the Father thru Jesus the Son,

    and give him the glory, great things he hath done!



2.    O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,

    to every believer the promise of God;

    the vilest offender who truly believes,

    that moment from Jesus a pardon receives.

    (Refrain)



3.    Great things he hath taught us, great things he hath done,

    and great our rejoicing thru Jesus the Son;

    but purer, and higher, and greater will be

    our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see.

    (Refrain)

Jesus Manifesto by Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola

Slightly chuck this book into your garden and hope that it will grow amongst the weeds.

This book motivated me to think hard about what I consider my Christian Faith; especially the role of Christ in the body of the Church.

One part of the book was a yes, amen, y'all are telling truth. But the weeds of the book kept me from accepting their gospel.

At other times I felt like the book had something like a scratch on a record being played at 35 rotations a second; irritating at best."The Jesus he presented makes one's brain cells smoke in the efforts to grasp him." (Page 31). I was frustrated that Sweet and Viola did not tell the reader to search the scriptures and find the truth about our relationship with God there. Sweet and Viola seem to want to lead seekers into a large field far from the mind of God, replacing the truth in the bible to the truth of the Volk.   The Volk abstracts the word Jesus so that it can mean absolutely anything.  This form of abstraction is dangerous and denies the laws of logic. I wanted to put the needle back past the errors presented. I wanted to yell, "What about the bible? What about the Catechism? What about the historical church?

A book like this motivates you to sharpen your truth stance in your Christian Walk. It also motivates you to track heretics and martyrs historical battle. Slightly chuck this into your garden and hope that it will grow amongst the weeds.


I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their [...] book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 [...] : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." 

Truth is Not in an Emergent Conversation

Emerging Through the Cult of Personality

What is Authentic in One and One Is Three?

I exploit you, 

still you love me, 

I tell you One and one is three 

I'm the Cult of Personality.   

Keller on Marketing and Tribes

Review of: John Eldredge Wild at Heart

Rock Climbing is difficult, not because of the rock but the lack of faith that rests inside ones heart. We cannot see the next step properly without a faith that the next step will hold us above the ground. We are continually battling a war against the little voice that tries to speak up and say, "Heck! That's an impossible step." "You can't do that!" "You are going to fall!" "Just give up!" Wild at Heart shares that this little voice is a common voice shared by all men. The voice will eventually wear a man down and hallow him out. A hallowed man will either grow violent and be consumed by anger. Or become a man that has checked out and is absent from his family.

Eldredge does a good job of outlining manhood in today's current age. He equips men with stories that enable them to better serve their wives and family. One area that was lacking was a series of author notes in the back; he makes up for the lack of author notes by having a very useful prayer index. I also had difficulty getting hooked into the story. (This may have been just the May blahs or the writing, I am not sure.)

All in all a decent read, one I would hesitantly cluck about. 7.9/10








I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their [...] book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 [...] : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."  

A New Kind of Christian: A Tale of Two Friends on A Spiritual Journey

Challenges to the faith will strengthen not weaken Christianity. The challenges are why we have the Westminster Confession of Faith, the Creeds, and the writings of John Calvin. Questioners need to be raised in order to see the true state of Christianity. Brian McLaren is one of these questioners of the current state of Protestant Faith.

This review will not try to answer if Brian is correct in his assessment. I need to read more in order to create a proper response to his questions.

But the questions are the gift that McLaren endows to the readers; here are a few of the questions:

1. What are the agreements that we make about the proper role of the church?
   
2. What is the framework we utilize to understand the Church's response to the Trinity?
   
3. What did Modernity do to the structure of the Church?
   
4. What does the church do with a loss of a meta-narrative?
   
5. How does money effect the preaching of God?
   
6. Why is their power in the Bible?
   
7. Which kingdom does the Church serve Caesar's Imperialism, or the Kingdom of God?
8. What are the ordinary means of Grace?

Whats next, I plan to read more of Brian McLaren; but I also will read some of the classic church fathers works. As C.S. Lewis says, the Church Fathers offer clarity for this age, because they are not chained to biases of the current age. The Church Fathers help one see the biblical narrative clearly. "Heretic" or "Heretic Not" McLaren has posed a number of beneficial questions.

Please listen to: Beware of Heresy by Gervase Charmley at Bethel Evangelical Free Church • Hanley, Stoke on Trent

Mission Work 863

Be willing to go where you are to all people, at all times, and with any means necessary to spread the word of the gospel.



Matthew 28:19

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age.



Romans 1:5

⁵through whom^(A)we have received grace and^(B)apostleship^(C) to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name^(D) among all the nations,



2 Cor. 13:14

 ^14(A) The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and^(B) the love of God and^(C)the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.



Man has had difficulty in expressing with all nations in a clear voice ever since the fall of the tower of Babel (Gen 11:1-10). We most honor each other's language in order to respect the culture of all nations.

Bible gateway offers a great way to bridge the gaps between cultural landscapes. I use the bible gateway to share scripture with my coworker Telesena. She is Haitian. Bible gateway has a Haitian translation of the scriptures. Telesena loves it when I give her scriptures in her native tongue.

Genesis 13

Singing Godly songs, 

Settling by mighty oaks, 

Abram moved his tent.

Genesis 13

Ephesians 3:18-4:3

Todays Reading for the bible in one year is:
Exodus 23, 1 Kings 10, Jeremiah 24, Romans 14

Saturday is Comic Book Store Day

"Judaism is the Jewish way to get humanity from the world as it is now to the world of final perfection.  To get from here to there, you need both a process to keep you going over the long haul of history.  In Judaism the holidays supply both." pg. 24

Living the Holidays by Rabbi Irving Greenberg.  

My mom always said, "Don't go to the back end of the circle.  OR something like that!"

 John and Stasi Eldredge show what this means in their book, Love and War.   I have created an illustration of this idea.

First their is an itch, something not quit right.   We than say something as a quip, like "She always does this thing you know!"  Then we resign ourselves to this being the TRUTH.  We then have taken the bate and become the devils possessed minions.

The maelstrom has a circular stormy effect and can tear communion between others up.   Lets attempt to live in truth with one another and understand that in Darkness the devil has a foothold.  But also remember that light will always win in the battle of dark forces.

 Hope it helps someone.  Gregorio

Review of Tulip by Duane Edward Spencer

In an age of confusion, the book Tulip keeps it simple for all of us dunderheads who have plenty of adventures in missing the point. Duane Edward Spencer contributes a book that helps clarify the message of our condition under god. The book clarifies the contrasting views of justification held by Armenians and Justification held by Calvinists. I am thankful for a book that keeps it simple and to the point. 

At one time the word bled was changed to dead, as not to get the church goer too bloody under the Cross that our LORD was sentenced to death upon!!!!  

It has been changed back to bled. 

Soldiers of Christ, in truth arrayed,
A world in ruins needs your aid:
A world by sin destroyed and dead;
A world for which the Savior bled.

His Gospel to the lost proclaim,
Good news for all in Jesus’ Name;
Let light upon the darkness break
That sinners from their death may wake.

Morning and evening sow the seed,
God’s grace the effort shall succeed.
Seedtimes of tears have oft been found
With sheaves of joy and plenty crowned.

We meet to part, but part to meet
When earthly labors are complete,
To join in yet more blest employ,
In an eternal world of joy.

Dimensions Dimensions Dimensions

Point of View is a matter of Dimensions.

What the? I need to repent of desiring this book. I should not covet or feel a need to buy it, but it looks very cool. (Check out the Boing Boing Review)

When was Earth Created?

Earth was created mid-day October 23, 4004 BC- Archbishop James Ussher, said this in 1650 when coming out of his morning bath, a frigid affair.

1520 Martin Luther and the Stair Way to Heaven

There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold
And she's buying a stairway to heaven
When she gets there she knows
If the stores are all closed
With a word she can get what she came for

Ooooo, and she's buying a stairway to heaven.

There's a sign on the wall
But she wants to be sure
'Cause you know, sometimes words have two meanings
In a tree by the brook there's a songbird who sings sometimes
All of our thoughts are misgiven

Ooooo, it makes me wonder
Ooooo, it makes me wonder

There's a feeling I get when I look to the west
And my spirit is crying for leaving
In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees
And the voices of those who stand looking

Ooooo, it makes me wonder
Ooooo, it really makes me wonder

And it's whispered that soon if we all call the tune
Then the piper will lead us to reason
And a new day will dawn for those who stand long
And the forests will echo with laughter

If there's a bustle in your hedgerow don't be alarmed now
It's just a spring clean for the May-queen
Yes there are two paths you can go by
But in the long run
There's still time to change the road you're on

And it makes me wonder (Ooh)

Your head is humming and it won't go - in case you don't know
The piper's calling you to join him
Dear lady can you hear the wind blow
And did you know your stairway lies on the whispering wind

And as we wind on down the road
Our shadows taller than our soul
There walks a lady we all know
Who shines white light and wants to show
How everything still turns to gold
And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you at last
When all are one and one is all (yeah)
To be a rock and not to roll

And she's buying a stairway to heaven...

1301 Boniface vs. William Nogaret

"BLATHER!!!!! My masters ship is made of titanium reinforced steel, and has the capacity to complete a Super Nova. The pope does not have a ship that can stand a chance, his ship is made of imaginary towers sitting on the corner of imagination way and ordination avenue. The pope is a man floating on haughty words. BLATHER! Why bother? Boniface will creep in like a Captain, attempt to reign like a mongrel, and die like a filthy Robot. He will be buried in the trash Heep of history. The pope is not to reign like an Emperor!" said Guillaume de Nogare.

1300 - 1500 Christiandom

It was 9:50 AM, a Thursday, and the good ship Boniface was being attacked by English and French Brutes. Phil, a Frenchy, drank his warm creamy latte; he was busy picking croissant crumbs from his shirt, Eddy a Limey, drank tea. He ate his scone with gratitude.

Both laughed, a victorious chuckle, at Pope Boniface and the words that he said:

"I did not mean to cut off clerical contributions for defense in times of dire need."

They were now able to tax the Church at will.

LOVE of the GAME

What is the Spirit in Operation that will find joy in a fallen world? The Spirit hopes we find Joy in the thing itself not in the score. Its like playing the game of golf, you can choose, for the love of the Game or for the LOW Score. When we focus on the score we tend to get frustrated, but when we focus on the LOVE of the swing; we become inspired, enkindled, with a lasting JOY. Where are your eyes set today?

We Are the Dead Men Walking
Saved By A Good Samiritan

Prayer on Comfort:

What price is Comfort? What is it to live outside of the World? WHat should be the proper response to riches and in fame? How does the LORD equip the Lihtnings to be proper witness of the Goodnews that is the Gospel?
It is said; Light is sown [1] for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart. (Psalm 97) Allow us to see that although we may be in power we may not be always right, and allow us to turn to the LORD to hear how HE wants us to lead our households and our doings in the WORLD. AMEN

1209 Massacre of the Cathari

The Pure Ones (Cathari) from a nearby planet heard the news of their impending doom by letter to their council:

The year of 1209, providing that the Cathari have infiltrated European Culture, originating from Bulgaria, before June 1 in this Calender Year. If the Cathari agree to not meet again, they will be spared from the current inquisition into their affairs; however if they do not disband we are determined to extinguish this group of heretics from the annals of history. We the high council in Rome deem this necessary because of your inflexibility to move from your gnostic notion of avoiding: marriage, sexual intercourse, eating of meat, and material possessions. You are to disband or be extinguished.

1209 What Threat Cathari

Cathari ship Troubadour landed in a meadow amongst a flock of lambs. Peacefully the aliens lived within the Empire. But then....the Cathari had become a leading voice in Culture. They had gained the protection of the Princes of Toulouse, and were spreading a new Gospel to Europe. Catholic Bishops and the Pope felt threatened...

1073-1085 Cathari and Heretical War

East of the wormhole the Cathari warship the Troubadour was headed towards Earth. Cathari leaders were devoted to extremes of self denial. They believed in killing the body in order to free the spirit. It was well known through out the universe, that they would rather starve themselves than submit to the whole body position defended by their enemies the Dominicans.

1253-1457 Women

Women had a submissive role in the middle ages due to males misogyny:
"The wickedness of women is grater than all other wickedness of the world and the poison of asps and dragons is more curable and less dangerous to men than the familiarly of women."

- Conrad of Marchtal

(Bynum 15)

"Learn Everything; you will see afterwards that nothing is superfluous."-Hugh of St. Victor

1079 – April 21, 1142 Abelard: Christ Showed us Grace

On the rocky shore of Cedar Key Florida, at low tide, I saw two crabs walking backwards. It was a spectacular morning, around four AM and the full moon was still lighting the beach.

I looked closer and saw that the crabs were kin. The mother was busy scolding her offspring and did not pay attention to me, the weather, or anything else.

"Why in the world, child, do you not walk as the other creatures do-forward instead of backward?" she complained.

"Mother, dear," replied the little Crab, "do but set the example yourself, and I will follow."

Abelard:
"Through this unique act of grace manifested to us - in that his Son has taken upon himself our nature and persevered therein, in teaching us by word and example even unto death - he has more fully bound us to himself by love; with the result that our hearts should be enkindled by such a gift of divine grace, and true charity should not now shrink from enduring anything for him." (Placher 145)

Application: Example is the best precept.

1079 – 1142 Abelard and Heloise

Amongst the Gold tinted columns and dew stained yellow wallpaper, Abelard was kindled by the tickling sensation of lusty sentiments. Cherubs sat naked on top of a fountain, and a young lady sat properly as she continually played with her hair. She attempted to show no interest to Abelard. But there was more kissing than teaching. Abelard was distracted by Heloise's beautiful breasts. He found his hands betraying him. The servants talked. The rich uncle found out. Heloise was sent to a nunnery. The furious uncle hired thugs to castrate Abelard. The flames of romance inspired to make these lovers classic.


Eloisa to Abelard a poem written by Alexander Pope captured Heloise Romantic thoughts:

How happy is the blameless vestal's lot!

The world forgetting, by the world forgot.

Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!

Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd ... ^[3]

1033-1109 Ontological Arguement Revealed to Bertrand Russel

Anslem a monk and Archbishop of Canterburry made this arguement for the existence of God betwen 1033-1109.

1. God is something than which nothing greater can be thought.

2. God exists in the understanding.

3. It is greater to exist in reality and in the understanding than just in understanding.

4. Therefore, God exists in reality

Bertrand Russel in 1894 walked from the University down Trinity Lane.

Women talked about the fashions amongst the green verdant vegetables. The men in red coats and black hats discussed the current philosophy of the day; faith must precede understanding. The sun cast a shadow against the yellow grimly stained buildings full of noisy children learning from their open books and strict school masters. The red roofs of the buildings stood in contrast to the crosses on top of the cathedral.

An idea alighted on Bertrand Russel, like a stick of dynamite. He had gone out to buy a tin of tobacco but on his way back he was struck, the tin went spiraling in the air, and he exclaimed as he made an amazing catch, "Damn, the ontological argument is valid. Great Scott, the ontological argument is valid."

1228-1306 Jacophone De Todi

Plato and Socrates may contend

And all the breath in their bodies spend
Arguing without end -
What's it all to me?
Only a pure and simple mind
Straight to heaven its way doth find;
Greets the King - while far behind
Lags the world's philosophy.

Jaciphone De Todi (1228-1306)

Two medieval point of views emerged:

(1)Those in the monastery held onto the faith. Monks/theologians meditated solely on the word of God and the meaning of Christianity.

(2) Those in the university held onto reason coupled with faith. University professors meditated on the Word of God and how it related to the WORLD. They then waged an intellectual jihad for the merits of Christianity against worldly based human reason.

Dominican and Franciscan monks attempted to blend the role of the professor and the theologian together, an imperfect union of faith and reason.

1179 Wheres Waldo? He's in Rome at the Third Lateran Council.

The poor took comfort from the church, when the church was closed.

The poor took comfort when the parishioners were not in sight.

The church had forgotten the words of Jesus (Matt 19:21)²¹"If you want to give it all you've got," Jesus replied, "go sell your possessions; give everything to the poor. All your wealth will then be in heaven. Then come follow me."

Bishops dereliction of Jesus's mission was caused by a need for Global dominance and a need for security assured in being a Roman Empire.

1225-1253 A Visit with Grossestese

As we walked down the corridor we are greeted by a lone monk.

"Welcome! I am Senior Grosseteste of England. Allow me to amuse you in these hallowed corridors of our Roman Church; where we appoint not pastors but destroyers of the hearts of men. Our clergy rank highly in the arts of covetous, greed and of course immorality. When we hear of protest we deem those protesters heretics, and send them to our Hell-Hound Cerebrus. Cerebrus gnaws on bones with a passion not equaled. What a delightful sound to hear them cry like babies, while our dog gnaws on their flesh, ripping them into pieces. Such delights! We will use any means neccessary to protect the sanctity of our mother the Church. We just ask that you believe."

He thought on God's role of spiritual healing as he gazed at the light blue sky; Aquinas thought he had set the celestial bodies into a grand alignment. Would the Orchestration become a tune worth dancing to? Or would the notes get in the way?

1265-1274 Summa Thologica, Thomas Aquinas

Aquinas walked in the garden amongst the seven Sacramental Oaks: Baptism, Confirmation, the LORD's Supper, Penance, Extreme Unction, Marriage and Ordination.

The tallest tree was the LORD's supper. The tree once a week changed miraculously into the actual body and blood Christ (transubstantiation). Neighbors often thought they had been slipped a pill when they saw Jesus walking in the garden.

1198-1216 Cooking Up Legalism (Pope Innocent III)

See, I have set you this day k over nations and over kingdoms,
t to pluck up and to break down,
to destroy and to overthrow,
to build and to plant.

Jeremiah 1:10

The aliens watched.

The students sat on dry straw, drooling. They drooled, and drooled. Teachers lead them to think that Christ was 1+1+1=3. They had their Harmony of Discordant Canon and Cannon Law memorized. They held onto the legal understanding firmly. Their hearts were quickly deadened, because God is not a number on a box score.

And remember, where you have a concentration of power in a few hands, all too frequently men with the mentality of gangsters get control. History has proven that.
Lord Acton

999-1003 Western Illuminate Aliens visit the Middle Ages

estern Alien Illuminate landed amongst the learned Schoolmarms.
The UFOs were sent out in hopes of discovery to learn the New Being of Christianity . The Aliens chose the time because Christianity had been laid out and thoroughly organized. Schoolmarms had been living religiously in a studious manner. Now they invited the aliens to cups of Earl-Grey-Tea.

Within the temporary tent the teachers solidified the Christian system by reading :

"God reached out, touched my mouth, and said,
"Look! I've just put my words in your mouth—hand-delivered!
See what I've done? I've given you a job to do
among nations and governments—a red-letter day!
Your job is to pull up and tear down,
take apart and demolish,
And then start over,
building and planting." Jeremiah 1:10 (The Message)

1261-1453 Knightly Orders

The crusades failed. It failed to unite the east or west.

It failed to beat the Muslims back from controlling the middle east.

It succeeded in creating three knightly orders: The White Knighted Templars (knights of the temple);
The Black Knighted Hospitaliars (Knights of St. John of Jerusalem: created to care for the sickly and wounded);
and the white robed and black cross Teutonic Knights ( exclusively a German order).

These orders swore to obey God by protecting all pilgrims in Crusading States and to wage perpetual war against the Muslims.

But, these order would grow too large and would succomb to the fate of the tower in Babel. Our efforts outside of Christ, do not secure our footing. We must turn to Christ and surrender our efforts no matter how gallant or visibly holy.

Genesis 11:4-9
(ESV)
Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower^C)">(C) with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth." ⁵And^D)">(D) the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. ⁶And the LORD said, "Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. ⁷Come,^E)">(E) let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech." ⁸So^F)">(F) the LORD dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. ⁹Therefore its name was called^G)">(G) Babel, because there the LORD confused^a]">[a] the language of all the earth. And from there the LORD dispersed them over the face of all the earth.
(Message)
^6-9 God took one look and said, "One people, one language; why, this is only a first step. No telling what they'll come up with next—they'll stop at nothing! Come, we'll go down and garble their speech so they won't understand each other." Then God scattered them from there all over the world. And they had to quit building the city. That's how it came to be called Babel, because there God turned their language into "babble." From there God scattered them all over the world.

12 Signs of A Church Planter

Charles R. Ridley compiled 13 Characteristics of a church planter and this list is the most utilized profile in church planter selection.

1. Visioning Capacity
2. Personal Motivation
3. Creating Ownership of Ministry/Building a Core Team
4. Reaching the Un-churched
5. Spousal Cooperation
6. Relationship Building
7. Commitment to a Healthy Reproducing Church
8. Responsiveness to Community
9. Gift Utilization
10. Flexibility and Adaptability
11. Builds Group Cohesiveness
12. Resilience
13. Exercising Faith

Britains Got Talent

Ezekiel 40:22 (Show Ezekiel 40)
And its windows, its vestibule, and its palm trees were of the same size as those of the gate that faced toward the east. And by seven steps people would go up to it, and find its vestibule before them.

I watched last night before me

an ugly duckling become an elegant swan.
she stood their amongst cat calls.
Salivating wolves licked their chops.
Because she did not look anything like talent.
She opened her mouth in triumph,
her voice flew out fluttering,
wiping tears that appeared in front of my dirty eyes,
wings cleansed my dirty frame,
I had seen an ugly duckling,
but now I saw her beauty take flight.

1095 Blood Baths Amongst the Mohamideans

1095 The Crusades:
What was the reason for Crusading? Why did one Crusader say, "Indeed it a just and splendid judgment of God that this place should be filled with the blood of the unbelievers, since it had suffered so long from their blasphemies?" (Shelley 207) The Crusaders, noble in birth, mostly illiterate, ignorant of the words in the bible, grew into a sea of blood hungry sharks.

Deuteronomy 17:6 (The Message)

6-7 But only on the testimony of two or three witnesses may a person be put to death. No one may be put to death on the testimony of one witness. The witnesses must throw the first stones in the execution, then the rest of the community joins in. You have to purge the evil from your community.

Numbers 35:19-21 (The Message)

19 "In such cases the avenger has a right to kill the murderer when he meets him—he can kill him on the spot.

20-21 "And if out of sheer hatred a man pushes another or from ambush throws something at him and he dies, or angrily hits him with his fist and kills him, that's murder—he must be put to death. The avenger has a right to kill him when he gets him.

Genesis 9:6 (The Message)
6-7 Whoever sheds human blood,
by humans let his blood be shed,
Because God made humans in his image
reflecting God's very nature.
You're here to bear fruit, reproduce,
lavish life on the Earth, live bountifully!"

2 Samuel 14:6-8 (The Message)

5-7 He said, "How can I help?"

"I'm a widow," she said. "My husband is dead. I had two sons. The two of them got into a fight out in the field and there was no one around to step between them. The one struck the other and killed him. Then the whole family ganged up against me and demanded, 'Hand over this murderer so we can kill him for the life of the brother he murdered!' They want to wipe out the heir and snuff out the one spark of life left to me. And then there would be nothing left of my husband—not so much as a name—on the face of the earth.

8 The king said, "Go home, and I'll take care of this for you."

Interlude: Rob Bell Interviews Shane Hipps

Interlude: It's About Him!

Our LORD is a Mighty LORD he REIGNS....from Heaven Above he reigns... he is what it is all about! In him we are assured. In him we find living water; outside of him is the blood in the Nile. In him Joy! In him pain but a pain that rewards in the end because in humility we will be shaped into men ready to drink from the living fountain. I am ready to march around the temple with my trumpet in hand. Knock and he will answer! Be ever ready for the new earth to be revealed in time... he sees and he knows... Amen!

I was a sailor, I was lost in sea
I was under the waves, before love rescued me
I was a fighter I could turn on threat
Now I stand accused of things I've said

Love comes to town,
I'm gonna jump that train
When love comes to town,
I'm gonna catch that flame
Maybe I was wrong to ever let you down,
But I did what I did before love came to town

Used to make love under the red sunset,
I was making promises I that were soon to forget
She was pale as the lace of her wedding gown,
But I left her standing before love came to town

Ran into a juke joint when I heard a guitar scream,
The notes were turning blue as days as a little dream
As the music played I saw my life turn around,
That was the day before love came to town

Love comes to town,
I'm gonna jump that train
When love comes to town,
I'm gonna catch that flame
Maybe I was wrong to ever let you down,
But I did what I did before love came to town

I was there when they crucified my Lord
I held the scabbard when the soldier drew his sword
I threw the dice as they pierced his side,

But I've seen love conquer the great divide

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!!!!

Enjoy the Video

I was a sailor, I was lost in sea
I was under the waves, before love rescued me
I was a fighter I could turn on threat
Now I stand accused of things I've said

Love comes to town,
I'm gonna jump that train
When love comes to town,
I'm gonna catch that flame
Maybe I was wrong to ever let you down,
But I did what I did before love came to town

Used to make love under the red sunset,
I was making promises I that were soon to forget
She was pale as the lace of her wedding gown,
But I left her standing before love came to town

Ran into a juke joint when I heard a guitar scream,
The notes were turning blue as days as a little dream
As the music played I saw my life turn around,
That was the day before love came to town

Love comes to town,
I'm gonna jump that train
When love comes to town,
I'm gonna catch that flame
Maybe I was wrong to ever let you down,
But I did what I did before love came to town

I was there when they crucified my Lord
I held the scabbard when the soldier drew his sword
I threw the dice as they pierced his side,

But I've seen love conquer the great divide

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah