Thank you from the blogger

The following is a blog that I posted on December 10th, 2008, just over one year ago.

Just a note to thank you for reading the blog. Today we went over the top, 10,000 views since March of 2008. I am humbled that so many people have come. I am also dedicated to continue. I have had people from youth through senior citizens who have said they read every day and can’t wait to see what is posted. You will certainly get to know me better by what I say and do. I have a passion to share Christ with the World, starting in my own community. I have a passion for my family, adoption, my reading and my running.

As long as people read, I will blog. God is at work!

Ronnie

Wow, that was just one years ago and the blog to date has been visited 42,202 times!

More than 30,000 views in just one year.

Thank you, I am humbled that people are reading and I repeat from 2008. As long as you read I will continue to blog.

Ronnie

Sermon: Ephesians 5: 15-17

Ephesians 5:15-5:17

New International Version

¹⁵Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. ¹⁷Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.

Contemporary English Version

¹⁵Act like people with good sense and not like fools. ¹⁶These are evil times, so make every minute count. ¹⁷Don’t be stupid. Instead, find out what the Lord wants you to do.

Here we are, the Last Sunday of 2009.

I wonder how we’ll do in 2010? Will we be as busy? Will we make any better use of our time than we did in 09?

In 365 days, when the year is over, will we be looking back with joy, or with regret? Will we be looking at the future with anticipation, or with dread?

As we look forward to 2010, I believe this passage will help us.

Ephesians 5:15-17

“Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”
Psalm 39:4, “Show me, O Lord, my life’s end & the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life”.

Psalm 90:10 Seventy years are given to us! Some even live to eighty.    But even the best years are filled with pain and trouble; soon they disappear, and we fly away.

The Psalmist tells us to number our days.

A few years ago People Magazine published an article entitled “Dead Ahead” telling about a new clock that keeps track of how much time you have left to live. It calculates an average life span of 82 years.

The Psalmist told us to do this – to number our days.

According to the clock, how many years do you have?

But wait a minute. I don’t have a guarantee of even one day more to live.

In fact the Bible tells us not to count on tomorrow because tomorrow may not come for you or for me. All we have is right now. So our time on this earth is valuable because it is very limited.

MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY OPPORTUNITY

Secondly, Paul tells us that we must make “the most of every opportunity.” and he gives a reason, “because the days are evil.”

Jesus said that Satan is a robber and a thief, one of the things he tries to rob from us is our time because time is a very precious possession.

Just think of the time that is wasted.

Arguing over things that really don’t matter

in gossiping or spreading rumors.

time wasted worrying

worrying about the sins of the past.

Satan is a thief and a robber!

Sometimes even good things can take the place of the best things in our life.

You know the story. Martha gets upset because Mary is not in the kitchen, too. So she complains to Jesus, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” Luke 10:40

“Martha, Martha,” Jesus answered, “You are worried & upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, & it will not be taken away from her” Luke 10:41-42.

Martha was so preoccupied with what she was doing that she didn’t realize that God was in her living room.

Sometimes we get so caught up in good things that we miss out on the best things.

Richard Swenson, a medical doctor, wrote a book in which he discusses one of the major maladies of our time – anxiety & stress. He calls it “overload,” and says that people are just plain overloaded.

1. We’re overloaded with commitments. He says we soon begin meeting ourselves coming & going because we have overloaded ourselves in the area of commitments.

2. We’re also overloaded with possessions, he says. Our closets are full, & our garages are overflowing. We’ve gone into debt to pay for all of these things that we “simply must have.” And now we’re so afraid that someone will steal them. We are overloaded in the area of possessions.

3. Thirdly, we have an overload in the area of work. We get up early, fight traffic, & experience intolerable working conditions because we have to if we’re going to pay for all those possessions that we’ve accumulated.

4. There is also an information overload. He said that as a doctor he has to read 220 articles a month just to keep up with all the changes in his profession. And now with the internet there’s an information superhighway. But the problem is that we can’t possibly absorb it all. So we feel an overload in this area, too.

There are so many demands on our time, so many good things that need to be done. But there are only 8,760 hours in a year.

Make the most of every opportunity

UNDERSTAND WHAT THE LORD’S WILL IS

Paul says, “…do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”

Now what do you think God’s will is for you in this New Year? Do you think He wants your mind so saturated with worries and anxieties that you can’t think spiritual thoughts? Do you think He wants your calendar so crowded that you don’t have time for the important things? What do you think God’s will is for you in 2010?

Let me make a couple of suggestions for you to consider.

First of all, establish your priorities.

Make it a priority to be in church, worshiping God with fellow believers.

Make it a priority to pray, read, and practice His Word.

Devotionals are a great way to study and meditate

Read the Bible through this year

First of all, establish your priorities.

There is a girl who went to college & she just hated it. But she told herself, “If I can ever get out of college and get married and have children, I know I’ll finally be able to enjoy life.”

So she stuck with it. She went to classes every day and finally graduated from college. Then she got married, had children, and discovered that children are a lot of work. So she told herself, “If I can just get these kids raised, then I’ll be able to relax and really enjoy life.”

But about the time the kids were entering high school her husband said, “Guess what? We don’t have enough money to send our kids to college. I guess you’ll have to get a job.”

Well, she didn’t want to, but she knew he was right and they needed the money, so she went to work. And she hated it. But she told herself, “If I can just get these kids out of college, and get all of the bills paid, then I can quit work and really enjoy life.”

Finally, the last child graduated from college, all the bills were paid. So she walked into her employer’s office and said, “I quit.” He said, “Oh, you don’t want to quit now. If you stay with us just another 8 years you’ll have a pension for the rest of your life.”

She thought, “Well, I don’t want to work another 8 years, but there’s all that money there, and I really can’t turn down the opportunity.” So she worked for another 8 years. Finally, she and her husband retired at the same time. They sold their home and bought a little retirement cottage.

Then they sat down on the swing on their front porch and looked at the family picture album and dreamed about the good old days.

Someone said, “Life is what happens to you while you’re making plans to do something else.”

True, isn’t it? Another year has come & gone. A new year stretches before us.

Help us Lord, to redeem the time.

Lord, please help us to use the 8,760 hours of 2010 the wisest way we can for you and for your glory.

Ronnie

Witness Team Challenge 2010 Holston Conference

Witness Team Challenge 2010

The following is a letter written by Harry Denman in 1949

Dear Friend:

This letter is to ask every pastor not to observe Pentecost on June 5, but to meet the conditions so that every church will have a Pentecost on that day. It can be done if we will organize our church to witness to the fact that Jesus is Christ and that he is alive and can save persons from sin and death.

Easter to Pentecost

Fifty Golden Days of Evangelism

EASTER, We celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Redeemer. We have a living Christ. This is the beginning of evangelism. Why shouldn’t every church organize visitation teams to visit one night each week during this period and secure thousands of first commitments for Christ and his church, to be received on Pentecost Sunday, June 5?

FAMILY WEEK. May 1-8, This is a splendid time to visit young families and secure their first commitment for Christ and his church and establish a Christian home. What holy days they are, Easter to Pentecost, Including Family Week!

There were One-hundred-twenty in the Upper Room. They were all filled with the Holy Ghost. Three thousand were baptized that first Pentecost. How many will be baptized in our churches on Pentecost Sunday 1949?

Let us pray and work daily that every church will have a Pentecost.

Your Friend, Harry Denman

Shepherds, May 1949

Source: The Prophetic Evangelist

In memory of Evangelist Harry Denman, the Witness Team is presenting a challenge to all United Methodist Churches in the Holston Conference.

Easter Sunday is April 4th, 2010 and Pentecost Sunday is May 23. There are 50 days between Easter and Pentecost. We are presenting the challenge to each church to organize visitation teams to visit and knock on doors in your community one night each week during these 50 days with the intentional purpose of inviting people to church.

In his book “The Unchurched Next Door”, Thom Rainer and his group conducted a scientific survey and found the following results.

• 82 percent of the unchurched are at least “somewhat likely” to attend church if they are invited.
• 8 out of 10 unchurched persons said they would come to church if they were invited.
• Only 21 percent of active churchgoers invite anyone to church in the course of a year.
• Only 2 percent of church members invite an unchurched person to church.
• Very few of the unchurched have had someone share with them how to become a Christian.
• The unchurched would like to develop a real and sincere relationship with a Christian.

“For years I have been asked how churches can grow. I have consulted with hundreds of church leaders across America, leaders who sincerely desire that their churches reach people. “Why aren’t we reaching people?” I am often asked. “Why is our society so resistant to the gospel?” many inquire.

“After nearly a decade of research and almost fifteen years of consulting with churches, I am becoming more and more convinced that the answers to most of these questions can be found in the mirror. Nearly 130 million people in the United States alone would come to church if they were invited. And if they came, many would hear about the Savior who offers the only way of salvation.”

Thom S. Rainer, The Unchurched Next Door

When is the last time you invited an unchurched person to church?

The Witness Team will offer suggestions for the teams of people in your church who will be visiting the homes in your community.

We will provide you with computer models of door knockers to leave at the homes where no one is available, post cards to make follow-up contacts and many other tools for reaching your community for Christ. We will make these tools available on the Holston Conference web site in the near future.

There will be a reporting tool on the web site as well as a phone number that you can call to report the number of visits made by your church as well as the visitors who attend your services.

Please e-mail us to let us know that your church will participate in “50 Golden Days of Evangelism 2008”. Someone will then contact you with further information.

Let us pray and work daily that each of our churches will have a Pentecost Sunday on May 23, 2010.

If you have questions, please contact Rev. Ronnie Collins of The Holston Conference Witness Team 276-728-2434 or ronnie24317@yahoo.com

Running the Spiritual Path

I just started reading this one this afternoon. I already feel some connection to the book because what Roger Joslin calls “Meditation running”, meditation being inner changed with prayer, “Prayer Running”, I have been doing for quite some time. The big difference is that I have many times been on “Prayer Walks” and usually thought of my running as more of a meditative time. However Joslin uses a quote from Thomas Merton “the desire to pray is prayer”.

I will warn you after just reading the preface and first chapter that Joslin writes from a perspective that may be offensive or disagreeable to some. By that I mean, he brings other groups into the conversation, other than Christians. Joslin himself is a Priest in the Episcopal Church.

I am a very open-minded person, I have no problem reading about how other groups of people worship and who they worship, it does not demean my worship of the One True God at all. I just want folks to have a heads up in case this looks like a book that you may want to read. So far I am enjoying the book. I will share more as I read and a review when I complete the book.

Ronnie

Product Description

Imagine achieving physical fitness and spiritual growth simultaneously. Roger Joslin’s step-by-step program is an engaging exploration of the truth that spiritual well-being is as likely to happen while running, as it is within the more traditional settings of neighborhood churches, synagogues, or mosques. Through awareness, chants, and visualization, and through attention to the present moment–the weather, pain, or breathing—a simple run can become the basis for a profound spiritual practice.

From the Back Cover

“If you’re great at lacing up your running shoes, but you can’t fold yourself into lotus position, here’s the guide to finding a spiritual connection to your favorite physical activity.”
– Times-Picayune, New Orleans

“While drawing from and exhibiting an abiding respect for the traditions of the world’s great religions, the author describes a heretofore unexplored method of sacred running, of bringing meditation and a prayerful communion to the running trail.”
– The New Times

“In this refreshingly cogent and practical work, Joslin reveals the many ways in which a regular run can be turned into a lively and enriching encounter with the Divine.”
– Spirituality & Health

“A splendid, new, outside-the-box contribution. . . . At the deepest level, what Joslin has offered us is far more that just an excellent handbook. It is a record of a soul in progress—progress toward integration and harmony.”
– The Episcopal New Yorker

“Joslin recounts his profound experiences on reverent runs and offers readers suggestions on how to infuse spiritual growth into their jogs through running mantras, stretches as prayer posters, and more. Incorporate some of his suggestions on your next outing and you’ll say I’ve come this far by faith.”
– Heart and Soul magazine

“Joslin inspires us to bring intention and purpose to any activity we do regularly, seeking communion with God whether we are cooking, cleaning the house, or commuting. In other words, you don’t have to be a runner to get guidance from this practical book.”
– Spirituality and Health

Leading from the Second Chair

I have a huge desire to be a better leader in 2010. I am an associate pastor and sometimes it is hard to know when, where, and how to make decisions that don’t cross over the line of the Senior Pastor. I have had this book in my office for several months and today I picked it up and started to read. I will share insights as I read and in the end I will do a review of the book and what I find to be helpful. I desire your prayers as I attempt to lead from the Second Chair in 2010 @ First Hillsville UMC.

Ronnie

They say it’s lonely at the top. And it can be even lonelier when you are almost at the top. Church leaders who hold “second chair” positions are under tremendous pressure. They are expected do to their jobs and provide leadership but defer to the top leader, too. It’s a demanding balancing act. How can they lead effectively while serving under someone else’s leadership?

Leading from the Second Chair offers an invaluable resource to leaders who serve in second (and third and fourth) chair roles, enabling them to become more productive, proactive, and fulfilled. The book reveals the paradoxes of second chair leadership. These leaders must be subordinate to the top leader yet lead in their own right. They should be deep in their expertise but wide in perspective. And they must be content in their jobs yet remain enthusiastic about their dreams for the future.

Mike Bonem and Roger Patterson share their own and others’ experiences of failures and successes in this vital role. They offer support and practical advice for reshaping the way second chair leaders can serve well and improving the overall performance of their church or organization.

Leading from the Second Chair equips readers with the positive attitudes, skills, and strategies needed to become influential leaders who will excel in leading and following in a God-honoring way.

Using Greek and Hebrew in Logos