Today, I have decided to depart a bit from my usual design, social media, technology postings to write about a subject that has been been on my mind the last few days. It was made even more apparent today, so I decided to go ahead and put it out there in my own words..

Most of us grew up either reading the classic Charles Dickens novel, or even watching a variation of A Christmas Carol. The story has been made into lots of movies, including Christian themes, and even with Mickey Mouse.

There might be a few people who haven’t heard of it, but at this time of year it is a fixture. But do we really know the man behind the story? As Paul Harvey used to say, this is the rest of the story.

The main character is Ebenezer Scrooge.  His name has become synonymous with people who pinch pennies as well as people who do not get into a holiday spirit at Christmas time.  We are very quick to judge those who do not seem in a jolly mood as being a ‘scrooge,’ even if we do not know the underlying cause for their lack of enthusiasm.

Some might even blame it on depression or other mental health reasons, but did you ever stop and think there could be a reason for the discouragement, lack of excitement, or even the  lack of free willing generosity of some?

Times Are Hard

Even in the storyline, Dickens wrote about the economic hardship of many much similar to what we are facing today. There was not a lot to go around, and yet people were doing the best they could to survive without help. Wages were down, and  the lifestyle at the time was very diminished. People did not live on credit like we do today, but actually paid for what they used or consumed. In that respect, maybe in some ways it was a better time because they weren’t obsessed with wanting and they didn’t run up huge debt.

However, it is assumed by the storyline that Scrooge is a banker. He loaned money and expected a return on his money.  And for the most part, because of his job, we assume he was a very greedy, selfish man.  He does make his employee work hard, that is without doubt, but as the story unfolds we only think of him as a rude, uncaring individual, and even though his life is displayed before us, somehow we seem to neglect that part.

It is easy to judge people based on what we see, or what stands out in our mind, but we don’t even try to understand how they got that way.

What About Poor Scrooge?

The story talks much about how he keeps to himself, doesn’t really have any visitors, and misses a friend who is no longer around. However, much of what we focus on is what he doesn’t give to others.

Men come to ask him to help out with donations and he turns them down. The assumption from almost everyone is he wants to be alone, doesn’t care about others, and in general is a bitter old man without cause.

Usually missed in the story he gives Bob Cratchit Christmas day off with pay. It seems if you take a step back that people are always asking for something but never giving back in return.  You ever treat anyone like that?

We focus on his attitude and bitterness, but we really do not look deeper into his life to see how he got that way. Maybe if we did, even our attitude toward others who are hurting might change.

Misunderstanding

Underlying the entire story, but missed by most, is that Scrooge is hurting, and yet only Cratchit extends any sort of kindness to him. How do you think you would feel if seemingly everyone treated you that way? Only taking, never giving back.

We see their loneliness, their discouragement, but instead of extending a hand, we only talk to them when we need something. Or rather when we want something they can provide. We don’t ask them why, or try and understand how they got the way they did.

Scrooge was no different. It is in the story, but we miss it.

The Beginning Of Disappointment

As a young boy, Ebenezer Scrooge was sent to a boarding school away from his family. In fact, he doesn’t even get to go home for Christmas. His father, in a sense is willing to pay the school fees but not willing to spend any time with his son.  Over time this would greatly affect anyone. He wasn’t used to spending time with others, because even his own family ‘rejected’ him.

Scrooge works hard to become  self sufficient and take care of himself,  but  most see that as him being a miser, unwilling to share his hard earned money. He does have a low opinion of the poor, but mostly because he believes if I did it, they can.

Because he feels he must prepare for the future, he works more than he should. He must have had some kindness in him because he does get engaged to Belle.

However, she walks away when again he retreats into his work, maybe to make sure she is well taken care of, but instead she sees it as rejection and walks away. 

We don’t know for sure if she was demanding or not, but lost in the story is the possibility he only wanted to care for her like she deserved, and not having been raised in a family that cared, he has a hard time identifying with that.  So, of course he becomes more disengaged and reclusive. Rejected by his father who blames him for his mother’s death, (she died in childbirth, so he never got her love either)  and his fiancée whom he tried to love walks away too. Giving the same circumstance, what would you do?

The Change

Toward the end of the story, Scrooge is visited by a spirit giving him glimpses of his future. He dies alone. Even after his death, people talk bad about him.

He has become so reclusive, keeping everything he makes, not willing to give back and dies without kindness.

However, he takes it upon himself to change the story. He takes charge and takes back some happiness, and we have a good positive ending.

But I find myself wondering, what if someone other than Bob Cratchit had extended him kindness, came around to visit, tried to be understanding of his situation, would the story have been even better?

We get so busy focusing on what seems to be missing from the life of Scrooge, we neglect to look at those who helped to form his demeanor.

Blamed for the hardship of others, even the death of his mother. Misunderstood by the girl he loved, those who would come around only wanted his money, how did they expect him to act?

How About Our Attitude?

In Matthew 25, Jesus talks about being sick and no one visiting; being hungry and no one feeding him; being thirsty and no one giving him a drink.

It is easy to get caught up in our own lives and I understand that. However, are we just as guilty as those who treated Scrooge wrongly? Do we extend our hand to the hurting? Do we visit the sick? Do we try and understand what they are going through? Or do we not take a second thought about it, unless we need something from them?

In taking a look at A Christmas Carol, we focus so much on Scrooge’s behavior, we miss the behavior of those who made him who he was. He gets the blame, even though in the end, his attitude changes.

How about yours?

Do you only take but not give back? Do you forget that the one that is no longer with you is possibly hurting? Do you know the story behind what they are going through? Do you visit them when they are sick?

Or do you walk away like Scrooge’s father and fiancée?

How much would it cost us to give someone a call? Or even go visit them? Do you put money in the red buckets at the entry to most stores?  Do you hurry past them or even those begging beside the road to go get ‘what you need?’ Are they deserving of just being cast aside?

For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.  Matthew 25:42-45

Challenge

I challenge you this Christmas to make a change. Instead of just ignoring that Christmas card in the mail, send them one back with a letter, or give them a call. Reach out to someone who might be lonely and invite them to lunch, or at least church. 

Give a little bit extra to those who are collecting for a charity, or take some food to someone who might be hungry. And especially if someone gives you a gift, even if you cannot afford to give one back, show some gratitude. It could be you being Ebenezer next year.

This past week there has been a multitude of news stories both online and on major media about Tim Tebow. It hasn’t been just about his achievements on the field lately, but rather most of the articles or broadcasts focused on the fact that he kneels to pray and give thanks to God.

The way Tim kneels down on the sideline has become such a phenomenon that he has been emulated all over the world.

Tebowing

In school hallways, sporting events, on desert sands, and more there have been people who have kneeled down similar to Tim Tebow does in games. Are they giving thanks to God? Mocking? Or is it just a fad or a salute to the man for what he has accomplished lately?

I really do not know.

Let me set the record straight. I am a diehard Denver Broncos fan. I have been since before Elway. I have jerseys, signed trading cards, and random trinkets of the Broncos. In good times or bad I am a fan. So, it doesn’t hurt my feelings that Tebow has played as well as he has. In fact, I am thrilled.

However, this act of ‘Tebowing’ has caught on so  much there is an actual website called, Tebowing.com. People from all over the world have submitted photos of themselves or others kneeling down in the pose.

Good thing? I don’t know. Are they giving glory to God? Not sure.

Tim Tebow does seem to be a good guy. He seems true to his faith, he is involved in charity, he is a good football player and team leader.

And he has done amazing the last several weeks pushing the Denver Broncos to victory in the fourth quarter.  In fact, they are behind right now, it is the fourth quarter, and he has just ran in for a touchdown. Will he win again? I am not sure.

Fourth Quarter Again

As I have mentioned, somehow they have been pulling it off in the last moments of the game to win.  There have been many images and video posted of Tim kneeling on the sidelines, eyes closed, alone with his thoughts or prayers.

Many have remarked of the miracle of coming from behind and managing to win anyhow. Last week seemed to be a miracle. They won the game in the last few minutes after having been beaten it seemed.  And most gave credit to Tebow, but some actually gave credit to God. Yes, that God.  They took it upon themselves to say God must have been helping the Broncos win.  In the last few moments of the game, somehow God helps us win the victory. Amazing how familiar that sounds?

Most of us treat God the same way, even if we don’t admit it.

Our Fourth Quarter Miracles

We preach it from our pulpits. ‘Hang on, endure, your promise is coming, He will come through!,’ the words have become our anthem.  From our music, to our teaching, to our brochures, and our fired up shouting, we proclaim that if we can hang on long enough God will hear us.  We just have to keep keeping on.

Ever hear that? Sure you have. We all have if we have any sort of Christian background, let alone apostolic.  We have become accustomed to God coming through in the last moments of life, or in meeting our need.

WHY?

Why does God seem to come through in the last few moments before it is too late? Does He somehow enjoy our stress and pain?  Does He not understand what we are going through?  I mean how could He allow us to go through so many trials and struggles?

Did He not say, ‘I am the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end. I am God, and there is none beside me. Is anything to hard for God?’ We are talking about the creator of the Universe. The One who is omnipresent, omniscient, all powerful God.

The God of Jericho, the Red Sea, that spoke by fire for Elijah, walked on water, raised Lazarus. That same God, who came to earth as a baby robed in flesh to later die for our sins. Jesus.  The I AM. All power in heaven and earth was given unto Him. And He is coming back for us.

That God!

Why does he let us stew in our troubles, let innocents die at the hands of horrible actions, doesn’t  He answer our need? Or if He does, why did he wait so long? Is He really the God of the fourth quarter comeback? Just in time? An on-time God?

Yes, He is those things, but we have become so complacent, so disrespectful, so ungrateful, yet we expect Him to come through and drag us out of our problems.

Does He not have the ability to answer and deliver in the beginning? In the middle? To even stop the trial or situation from happening? Yes!

The problem is us!

He wins from the beginning, if we follow His plan. And when He wins, we win! He told us exactly how to win. We just get so caught up in trying to figure it all out. We forget to let Him be in charge at the beginning, or we get so excited at the little  successes that we assume it will keep going that way, and we let down on our praise, gratitude, and even think we are the ones doing it. And then we lose.

We preach it from our pulpits how God will answer prayer, and then we try to figure out how he will do it. And when he doesn’t do it our way, our time, our… we give up, whine, murmur, complain, get depressed, and get angry at Him.

The fix is pretty simple really:

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

Quit making Him be a come from behind, fourth quarter God. Let Him lead from the beginning, listen and follow His way. Win from the beginning.

How is this about Christmas?

Yes, I realize this doesn’t seem like a Christmas message, but it is. He came to earth, born in a manger as a baby because He knew the troubles of life. He came to rescue us once again, and even more, take us to be with Him always. Only problem is we have to put Him in our game, or we can’t win. 

This year for Christmas give Jesus something back. Give Him the gift of gratitude, praise, and love.  He’s been good all year… well always.

Oh, and by the way, today Denver lost.  I wonder what the media will say about this next week?

This time of year there is a certain respect for most people about the birth of Christ, even if you do not claim to be a Christian.

From children singing ‘Away In A Manger’ to living Nativity scenes in local communities, everyone knows that there is going to be more talk, images, and references to Jesus and His birth.

While the multitudes of people do not acknowledge Him in their own personal lives, they do accept that Christmas is directly related to Christ’s birth and they don’t seem to mind. They may even display Christian symbols; angels, crosses, doves, crèches, mangers on tables, walls, doors, and Christmas trees.

However, there is a growing group of people who are trying everything in their power to not only remove references to Christianity from our lives, they even want to remove Him from Christmas. They have decided that while we cannot discriminate against and must even respect Muslims, Buddhists, or other pagan religions, that Christianity must at all costs be removed from our lives.

In God We Trust

This phrase has appeared on U.S. coins since 1864 and on paper currency since 1957. It has been a part of our daily lives for most of us since birth, and while it does not specifically say Jesus Christ is Lord, it is the accepted reference, and there have been factions that have tried to remove it from our money, or any other U.S. document, building, or monument because of the constitutional statute of separation of church and state. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that this is not a violation of that statute, but still in all there are secular groups that use this as their banner ideology in removing God due to their own opinion that this violates the constitution.

Monuments, plaques, or other displays that include any references to the God of The Bible are considered issues. From the Ten Commandments to crucifixes, The Pieta, and other religious icons are being torn down, or at the very least issues of contention for many who want God removed from view.

It makes one wonder why there is also not such an outcry against Buddhas, Muhammads, Wiccan, and other images? Do they not consider them religious symbols as well? No room for Him here.

Politics Over Personal Preference?

Now, let me make it clear, I am a practicing Christian in all aspects of my life.  I do believe that God is integral even in the DNA of every human body, and I believe that the message must reach every person that they may be saved.

When it comes to being aggressive against other religions, politicians, ideologies, or creeds, I have not adopted a stance of hate against anyone. Even those with values I find abhorrent and against every principle of the Bible, I have chosen not to attack. People are people, and all humankind deserves life.

The Bible says all have sinned, and while there are certain beliefs that are in fact, sin, even God himself gave us free will. Regardless of whether or not you choose to live a sinful life, and are in direct violation against the scriptures, I am not your judge.

However, there are certain aspects of my beliefs that make me want to take a stand and shout unto the heavens against the forcible actions that are attempting to remove Christ from my life and the lives of others. This past year it has became abundantly more clear, that as Christians we must take a stand against the current ideologies of the current U.S. Government administration. Their philosophies and bias has become part of the force to remove Christ, God, and other Christian principles, even inferred ones, from our country. Plenty of room for Buddha, Muhammad, and other religious icons but no room for Christ.

Did You Know?

On September 14, 2011 Chief of Staff C.W. Callahan of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center sent out a memo about policies that cover guidelines for wounded, ill, and injured partners in care (our wounded soldiers).  It stated that, 'No religious items (i.e. Bibles, reading material, and/or artifacts) are allowed to be given away or used during a visit.’

A Republican lawmaker denounced the policy on the House floor and called on President Obama to publicly renounce the military policy.

‘That means you can’t bring in a Bible and read from it when you visit your son or your daughter, perhaps – or your wife or husband,”  Representative King said. ‘It means a priest that might be coming in to visit someone on their death bed couldn’t bring in the Eucharist, couldn’t offer Last Rites. This is the most outrageous affront.’

This would also mean our own Apostolic preachers, or even the soldier’s family could not bring in a prayer cloth, or even giving one of their own magazines, books, tracts, or other religious materials to the wounded soldier.

While Walter Reed National Military Medical Center has said this was not their expressed intent to restrict soldier’s families from praying for them, the policy was enacted as to not force ‘one’s religion on others who may be nearby.’

President Obama has made no comment or taken any action on this issue as of the writing of this article.

No room for Him even with our wounded soldiers who have fought for our liberties?

Removing Christ From Christmas & Thanksgiving

There have been a lot of over the past two years about changing the wording of Christmas celebrations to Holiday or other derivatives.

This year has been no different and unless you have been living in a cave somewhere you are well aware of stories that have come out about communities changing the names of Christmas displays to Holiday displays on the premise that just saying the word, ‘Christmas’ can be construed as offensive.

Our stores are packed with Christmas sales and shoppers and no one seemed to mind regardless of their personal beliefs about that. In fact this year on ‘Black Friday’ was considered one of the best sales days in recent years, even in a bad economy, but let’s get rid of the word ‘Christmas’ anyway. 

I am wondering if they changed it to Holiday sales, would people still come out and shop, and what about sales on other acknowledged holidays?  Maybe we should remove the name of all holidays, including Independence Day, because it will surely offend someone.  If we are intent on removing Christ from Christmas, then what is the difference?

Remove Valentine’s Day from any mention and I wonder what kind of outcry would there be to that?  After all there are many who are single, alone, lonely and do not like that day. But no, this is just one other way to remove Christ from our lives.

Even our own President this year made no reference to God or Christ in his Thanksgiving message. He said to be thankful, but doesn’t being thankful require giving thanks to someone? It is an action word even though we have made it more about turkey, cranberries, and pumpkin pie, than about being grateful to God for giving us another year. I wonder what the Pilgrims would think?

President Obama also this year when bringing in the official national Christmas Tree, called it a ‘Holiday Tree’.  For someone who has been very vocal to say he is a ‘Christian’ to put down distractors who say he is in fact a Muslim, and likely not even an American, I am amazed that he is so afraid of offending that he would call it a Holiday Tree instead of a Christmas Tree. Or is not that he is afraid of offending at all, but instead is like many out there who want Christ removed from Christmas?

If Christ were to be born today instead of two thousand years ago, would there be a bed for Him in the White House?

Is There Room For Him In Your Life?

In John chapter five, Jesus said, ‘I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.’

From His birth to His death, it seemed that many had no room for Jesus. Sure, when it came to miracles and blessings, they wanted in on that. His messages might have moved them on the hillside, and of course the healings and miracles moved people to such a frenzy that the government of that time, much like ours today, plotted to remove Him out of fear of His taking power away from them.

But it goes much deeper than that, many of us do not acknowledge Him in our lives either. We are quick to point out others who would want Christ removed, but possible due to unconscious neglect, or perhaps a whittling away of our faith, we don’t often think of Him either.

I have a print of the cover from The Saturday Evening Post in November 1951 hanging on the wall in my kitchen. It depicts an elderly lady and her grandson praying in a restaurant over their meal, while others look on with great interest.

I have seen movies, and even TV shows from the era that had families gathered around the table saying ‘grace.’  Yet, for many of us, praying over our food has fallen by the wayside. We are in such a hurry running through the fast food drive-thru that we grab our food out of the sack, take a drink from our soda or coffee and back on to the hustle of our lives, without a thought to stop and say a prayer.

Now I realize most of us are in a hurry, but we don’t pray over our meals when we go out with friends or family either, for that matter most of us do not pray over food in our own homes, except for maybe at Thanksgiving or Easter. It has become an afterthought.

Growing up, I remember we always prayed over meals no matter where we were. We would pray before we went to bed, or on a trip somewhere, and many of us had daily family devotions of bible reading and prayer before we would start our day. It was a normal part of our lives. In fact, in my house even guests spending the night, missionaries or evangelists that were staying with us, would also get up early in the morning before my father left for work to read a chapter out of the Bible and each individual prayed one after the other from the youngest that could speak even a phrase or two being helped, to the oldest person in the family. It was a part of our lives.

But now it seems we are too busy. Our Bibles sit on a shelf or table, unless we are headed to church. We get up and eat, or go to bed crashing from the day without taking time to pray or read the Word. I admit I am as guilty as anyone when it comes to personal devotions and prayer. We can make all kinds of excuses, but really it comes down to effort. We don’t take the time because He is not ever present in our thoughts. Maybe that is part of the reason for the decline in marriages working, families being dysfunctional, and the ever increasing amount of tragedies and disappointment in our lives. No room for Him.

Is There Really Room For Him In Your Ministry ?

We shout it out from our pulpits and pews to our literary publications, broadcasts, and music. We exclaim our love and passion for Him and our burden for others to know Him. We rave against those who teach false doctrine, we sign petitions and share emails with references to Christ or His removal from our lives.

We are quick to let it be known we are not the same as others who believe different from us, in fact we often criticize others who do not have the same doctrines or dogmas.

Yet while we criticize other faiths, we see them on the streets sharing their message while we keep our enclosed in the four walls of our sanctuary. We used to be about door knocking, handing out tracts, raising money for missions by collecting aluminum cans or selling baked goods in our shopping malls.

Many a church was built by selling peanut brittle door to door, and many times the life we lead away from church was the instrument for others coming to visit our church, even if we were not eloquent in our speech, or aggressive in our approach.

Now, Instead of being proactive in our communities, we have become more ‘protective’ of our saints to the point that when someone leaves our congregation we stop acknowledging their existence.  We have no room for those who fall away, even if they are in the hospital or going through trials that most of us cannot bear ourselves. It is much easier to criticize and cast judgment than it is to still reach out to the lost sheep.  We are so adamant about keeping ‘our saints’ that we take the message out of our public schools, jobs, and other areas of our community.

But we wonder come Sunday, or a revival meeting, why the handful sitting in our pews are the ones we see all the time? But we will keep shouting about our burden for a move of God, and the revival He has promised so many times. But we will be shouting to the same ones that always hear us. After all, they know where we are. If they needed God why aren’t they coming to church?

We will preach about missing church, not paying tithes, and other parts of our doctrine and be critical about those that miss even one Sunday. But going to church doesn’t make you a Christian. Living the life, sharing the message does. Maybe because we have become so busy in our lives, ministries, programs, and plans, that we do not even realize we didn’t leave room for Him.

No Room For Him?

I woke up this morning to news about a sculpture of Christ near a Veterans Hospital in Montana that overlooks a lake. It has been there since the early 1950s, but somehow there has been a petition to have it removed recently because it might possibly offend someone.

Sixty-plus years that image of Christ has sat in the same spot, and now someone wants it gone. At first, I was outraged, and then I thought about it. An image is just an image, it is not Christ. In fact you can buy a toaster that will put an image of Christ on your morning toast each day, and no putting an image there doesn’t make you more spiritual, nor does it make your toast blessed.

However, the commentator was railing about how dare they want to remove this image? In fact this article started from that idea. But the truth is, while we rail and complain about people wanting to remove Christ from our lives, for most of us, He is not really an integral part of our lives. We call ourselves Christian, but we do not practice even the basic Christianity that used to be normal.

We used to sing, ‘This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine…’ but we do not have time to even stop and whisper a prayer, read a scripture, let alone tell someone.

When is the last time, other than a church service, you picked up your Bible, said a prayer that lasted more than a minute, or told someone not about how wonderful your church is, our how your pastor said this or that, but talked about Christ Himself?

We had room for Him at one time, when we were looking up from the pits of despair, lost without knowing Christ. And even though there are countless souls in the same place, fighting the same issues you were, looking for answers but we do not have room for Him.

No Room For Him… Again

They say history repeats itself. When He came into this world, they couldn’t find a place for Him. When He ministered, He had no place to lay His head. When He died, He was buried in a borrowed tomb. We talk about Him being as close as the mention of His name, and many have shouted His name in peril, but as life slips by once again, we have no room for Him. It really isn’t that hard to find room.

• Get up a little bit early tomorrow and say a prayer, or take time to read a scripture.
• Take a moment when you are rushing through the checkout lane to thank God for the food you are buying.
• When you see someone begging beside the road, even if you don’t have a dollar to spare, take a bit of time to pray for them, or stop and say hi.
• When you think about our country and the changes that are taking us down the wrong path, instead of just getting mad, say a prayer.
• When you put your child to bed, even when they wail about not wanting to go, go with them, kneel by their bed and pray a bit.
• When you come home from a long day at work, take a few moments as you change clothes or prepare some food to thank God.
• Take that extra food in your pantry that you know you won’t eat and give it to someone, or a local food bank.
• When you are unwinding at the end of the day, take a few moments extra, put down that book or remote, and tell God how grateful you are.
• Stop for a moment before you text your friends, or read updates on your Facebook page to remember that without Him none of it would exist.
• Before you open your Christmas gifts this year, gather around with your family and read the Christmas story one more time.  Luke 2:1-21

Make Room For Him… Again

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

How To Make The Best Of It

Once again Facebook has changed their website. It seems they do it quite a bit lately, and unfortunately this will not be the last time. It seems from the postings today, that more people are upset about it all this time. There are more changes coming in a week or two as well in part to compensate for the threat that Facebook perceives from google+.

It is frustrating I agree but here is a work around that  may reduce some of your stress.

Take A Deep Breath

First off, let me say I agree with you. For the most part, many of the changes do not help anyone. Well, that is not entirely true. This is part of a grander marketing scheme to make more money by those behind Facebook. Whether it is about competition with google or not, simply put Facebook is not in this for your enjoyment, but like all websites online, it is about making money.  They want the market share of your attention which makes them more viable for investors.

That said, it really doesn’t do us any good to stress to much about it. So, fret a bit, take a deep breath and move on. This will not be the last change in how your profile looks or how you keep in touch with your friends. In fact, it is likely it will not be the last change this month.

So, it is best to take a deep breath and try to relax.

Unraveling The Mystery

Now, that being taken care of, there is a way to make your Wall and Friends more useful. It isn’t a perfect, but it is better than what you have starting you in the face.

Take a look at the left sidebar.

Right away you will notice it now shows Favorites, Lists, and Groups. If you have any Pages or Apps it will also list those.

Under Favorites it shows:

• Newsfeed
• Events
• Messages

It may show a few more titles. First, you want to go to Lists. Take another deep breath. :)

Lists

Down below that you see Lists. If you hover over Lists, it will show a link that says More. If you click on More, it will open a new page, where Facebook has broken down your friends in groups based on information from their profiles. Facebook assumes this is how you would like everyone grouped. However, it does give the option of creating your own groupings.

You can see some of mine below.

If you click on any one of the list names, Facebook has already added some of your friends to those groups based on your previous information, or your friends profile information. It does make this process a bit faster. But if you want, you can remove them from your lists or add more people to the list.

You can also create new lists and add any of your friends to them.

Notice the pencil to the side of each list. It gives you two options.

• Add To Favorites
• Always Hide

If you click on Always Hide, you will never see information from people in that list in your newsfeed. If you click Add to Favorites, those Lists will show up in your favorites at the top left of your page. It gets better. You can do the same thing with Pages, Apps, & Groups. All of your most important information in the top section.

Rearranging Your Favorites

You should have by now created your lists of friends you most follow. The ones you have marked as Favorites are now listed in your Favorites list. You can go one step further.

Maybe you would like your Favorites in a different order? I did. It is actually fairly simple to do.

If you hover over the different titles in your Favorites, you will again see the pencil. If you click on the pencil it gives too options.

Remove From Favorites

Rearrange

If you do not want an item in your favorites, click Remove and it will no longer be there.

Click Rearrange and you can modify the order the way you would like. Unfortunately, you cannot move the News Feed, but everything else can be moved or removed.

It will then start showing the comments, posts,etc on the different lists you have created and added to your Favorites. Makes it much easier for most people. Just click the link and the group you want to follow most is what you will see. It will stay that way unless you change to another group.

Still Want More?

The News Feed is always going to be on top of the Favorites. It will take some time, but there is another option to what you will see when you sign on to Facebook.

The most recent story by your friends should show up at the top of your News Feed.

On the top story you have several options as to what to do with that story.

• Mark as top story
• Hide Story
• Report story or spam
• Subscribe to All Updates
• Subscribe to Most Updates
• Subscribe to Only Important Updates
• Unsubscribe from status updates, or
• Unsubscribe from Friend

All of these will change what happens with that story and that friend.

On the next story down, you also have options for what you can do with the story.

• Mark it as the top story
• Hide the story
• Report story or spam
• Hide all by that friend

These two options will take time to do, because each story you see will each need to be considered unless you unsubscribe or hide those posts (stories). If you choose that option in time you will no longer see posts from that person or business.

Another Option?

Join google+ It still has a long way to go to be similar, and there are features here that are not yet available on google yet, but it works, and they don’t change every week.

Before you get too excited, guess what? Facebook is adding music features soon. Maybe next week?

It is the ten year anniversary weekend of 9-11. We don’t actually mention the year when we talk about it, because the day is forever etched in our minds due to the heinous acts brought about upon our country by Muslim extremists.

Regardless of who we are, all of us have been affected by the actions of a few upon that day. Most of us, with the exception of a few toddlers, or perhaps some living in far away lands, can tell you what happened on 9-11 by just mentioning the date.

It has changed the way all of us live our lives to some degree, and for many of us we can tell you exactly where we were when it happened. Our memories take us back to that very moment without much difficulty.

We Remember Where We Were When…

It is actually hard to believe it has been ten years, unless I stop and think about it. Over the last few days, there has been lots of commentary online, on television,  and wherever else we get our news. We talk about it with friends and family, and perhaps think back to the day and can tell you where we were, and what we were doing, and how we reacted the moment we heard.

Most of us had never really been affected as much by an event in our lives, on a particular day, until that moment. Yes, we can remember births, deaths, and other moments in our lives, but events that really change who we are, don’t happen very often.

I could tell you in detail the exact moment I heard about 9-11. I know where I was, what I was doing, and how I was drawn to the ongoing news about it. I couldn’t drag myself away from the television for several hours. It affected me. Our country had been attacked.

Yes, there were many who lost their lives, or loved ones upon that day, who were more deeply affected than I was, but the shock of it all will forever be a moment I won’t forget.

It reminds me of hearing stories from my parents and others when I grew up of the assassination of JFK. To this day, my dad could tell you, where he was on that moment.  I remember stories from teachers and family who would talk about the great depression in similar fashion.

These were events that altered the course of their lives. But, when those hijacked jet airliners hit the twin towers of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on 9-11-2001 all of us had the course of our lives altered.  Even those yet to be born will be affected by that day, and will study about it in school history books for years to come. It changed our lives.

I Remember…

Maybe it was the news coverage, maybe my own thoughts, or perhaps a dream, but I woke up around 3:00 AM this morning, thinking about all of this. It brought me back to a memory of another time and another place where I was preaching about ‘Memorial Stones’ in a church where most of my family attended.

I recall the day I was supposed to preach going down by the river and getting several large stones to set up by the pulpit as a visual aid for my message. I wanted the message to impact those who heard me.

I really don’t know if anyone remembers it, but I do. In Joshua chapter four, the scripture talks about the children of Israel getting ready to go into the promise land, and Joshua commands twelve men to take stones with them, and leave them by the banks of the river Jordan.

⁶That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones?

⁷Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever. Joshua 4:6-7

Memorial Stones

We all have moments in our lives we remember. Most of the time when we talk about memories, we talk about the good times. We don’t use stones to help us remember, but most of us have photos, or some other token that will remind us.

In fact, there are entire businesses built upon this fact. Who hasn’t went on vacation somewhere and brought back some small souvenir. Maybe a t-shirt, or perhaps a small icon of a monument, and most of us also take lots of photos.

For those of us who have become friends on Facebook, occasionally someone will post a photograph of a church camp, or some other moment captured in time, and we can look back on that image and recall good times in that place, or with those people.  It is a good thing to remember.

Of course, not all of our memories are good, but it is still good to think about moments in our lives that changed the course of our destiny.

Maybe we can think back to the day we first went to school, or when we graduated for sure.

For some of us, we remember fondly back to the day we got the Holy Ghost or were baptized. Maybe it was in our local church, or perhaps at camp meeting. I recall very vividly to this day my experience at camp meeting. I can still recall the yellow shirt and white jeans I was wearing in the tabernacle at Rocky Mountain District Camp. Camp on the Boulder.

It was a good place, and many of my family and a lot of friends remember good times at that place. The power of God was so strong there. Many miracles took place there. I heard many great messages there from many men who have become leaders and icons of our faith, and I am forever grateful for the messages that they preached that impacted my life.

I know many who were there that it forever changed the course of their lives.  There are some, as well, who I recall pouring out their hearts before God, but yet, they live a far different life now than they seemed to want then.

Where Were You When…

Was it simply that their lives were not as impacted as it seemed at the time? Or perhaps, other events occurred later that also changed the course of their life?

Last night I watched part of an interview with Piers Morgan. The man he was interviewing owned a company that was in the World Trade Towers at the moment the planes struck the towers on 9-11. More than six hundred of his employees died on that day.

That particular morning he would have been there as well, but it was the first day of kindergarten for his son.  He had chosen to be there for his son’s first day of school and he showed a photograph of the moment. Little did he know at that very moment the terrorists had plunged one of the airliners into the first tower at World Trade Center.

When I woke up at 3:00 AM, I wasn’t thinking about all the people who lost their lives on that day, or that it took our country into two wars, or the effect the event had on this man particularly. I was thinking about his son.

What stories did this little boy hear growing up? His son would be a teenager now. What did he hear from his dad and others about what happened? He lost an uncle in that event, but how else was his life affected. What was he told? And is he living the life his father expected for him before that event?

Has It Changed Anything?

Sure, forever there are little things that have changed. Like all of us, getting on an airplane now is different. Probably, due to the changes in his dad’s company, it has changed some things. But is his life better or worse because of it, or do they even still talk about it? Is it just an after thought?

I could ask those reading this the same questions.

I remember some who were so full of excitement, and love for God and their families when I remember back to church camp. It was more than just a religious experience for those of us who got to attend, it was indeed, life changing. There are memories from those days that will forever be fond for me.

There were a lot of fun times, a few times when not everything was so fun. I recall one year when most of the camp ended up leaving sick due to some bug in the water system. But for the most part I remember good things.

For some though, I wonder if those moments meant as much as they did to me?

I also recall moments at the church I attended where lives were transformed. Messages that some individuals preached with anointing from the same pulpit I did. Some of them have passed now, but I can still recall moments of their messages that deeply affected me.

I recall my uncle preaching one Sunday, on ‘A Piece Of An Ear.’ He’s passed on now in a much better place and I am looking forward to the moment I see him again. I recall him with great love and fondness for the impact he made on my life.

Others I recall with great detail about the way they dressed up to make a point, or what happened at the end during the altar call. I remember praying for some and seeing change in them.

But where are they now? Although the message was impacting for me, and changed my life, did it change theirs? Sure, I realize other events have happened in their lives since. I know that some of them went through hardship that seemed to have no limits. But when they look back at the ‘memorial stones’ in their lives, what do they recall?

How Did It Affect Them?

The teenage boy whose dad took him to kindergarten on 9-11, has his life been good? Is he headed in the direction his dad had in mind for him on the morning he documented with a photograph at his child's school? Is he happy?

Or has his path taken a direction that his father would never approve of? Is his son now involved in drugs or some other situation that his dad only hopes will change before it is too late?

We all have events like this. Moments in time that altered our lives, sometimes shattered them. But how has it affected our children? Are they ok? If we could go back to the moment our life was changed, what were we thinking would be the outcome then? And what about our leadership? Are they leading us in the direction we should be going?

Politically, I am sure not many of us would say yes. I think most of us had a different future in mind when we look back to the moments the course of our lives changed.

I wonder if the spiritual ‘us’ from those moments would be happy with where we ended up?

Is Who We Are Who We Were Meant To Be?

If we could step back to some of the moments in time to where we were happy, where good things were happening, would we look forward to the moments we had children and be proud of where they are now? Or would the ‘us’ from that moment not be happy with the outcome of our lives or theirs.

Has our leadership taken us the wrong direction? Watchmen, what of the night? Are you leading us in the direction that is right for our souls? In Isaiah we can read of them setting the watchmen on the wall to keep their eyes open in case something happens. There is a reason God sent forth preachers and ministers. they are not just there to say a pretty message on Sunday. They are supposed to be watching for our souls and leading us in a direction that will ultimately take us to the promise.

Sadly, some have gotten more caught up in personality and performance more than in protection.

Just as 9-11 has affected all of us, the direction the ministry set for our churches also affects us. It can alter our destiny. Are we heading the direction we are supposed to be, or have we ended up off track and are just riding the rail into a path of destruction? Are you happy with where your church is? Are souls being reached? Are lives being changed? And more importantly, is it a good change?

Watchmen, what of the night?

But, it doesn’t just fall to the ministry.

When Joshua commanded them to set memorial stones, he left a lot of the responsibility on the parents. Whether or not we like it, or even accept it, it is mostly the responsibility of those of us who are older to prepare the way and direct the course of those who come after us. If we are parents, it is our responsibility to give proper direction to  our children. We should be leading them in the paths that will not only benefit them in this world, but in the world to come.

Where Are You Now?

Are you where you expected you would be ten years ago? Fifteen? More? Is this the course you set for your life?

Philosophers, politicians, and others in our daily lives have led us in a direction that tends to blame the responsibility on others. It is our parents fault that we ended up this way or that. Or it is the fault of the former leader because he didn’t direct us the way we now think he should have. It is very easy to look back and cast blame for our current situation.

To some extent, they may be right in a global sense, but in personal responsibility, the blame should be cast upon ourselves.  Sure, if our lives are not where they need to be, some of the responsibility can fall on our parents and leaders. We are supposed to set the direction for the generations to come. But ultimately it all comes down to personal responsibility.

Whether we are talking about our emotional, physical, secular needs or our spiritual needs it is our own responsibility to take charge of where we are. But it is still up to those who have gone before, especially our parents, to guide us in the proper direction.

So, I ask you, did you point your children in the right direction? Are you truly happy with their lives? If you could go back a few years, would you still be happy with their lifestyle? Would you do anything different? And are you happy with your own life? Is this where you thought you would end up?

Where Are We Headed?

The course of action that father took on 9-11 forever changed the direction his son’s life will take, just as much as the terrorists who hijacked those planes.

Some sacrificed their own lives to save others. While they are remembered as heroes and possibly protected us from what could have been an even greater tragedy, it still changed the lives of those they interacted with. Many of our military have also made sacrifices for our freedom that personally changed the lives of those who knew them, but it also changed the course for the rest of us.

Each of us holds the responsibility for what happens to the next generation. It doesn’t matter if we are parents, ministers, friends, teachers, or we just pass someone on the street.

The words that come out of our mouths, and the actions we take will affect someone else’s destiny.

Cain, after slaying his brother, asked God, ‘Am I my brother’s keeper?’ YES!

We truly are our brother’s keeper. What you do today, no matter how significant it seems, it will have an effect on someone. We all have responsibility for our lives, for the lives we touch, for our family, for the generations to come.

What will your answer be, when someone asks…

Where Were You When?

Have you ever really stopped and consider the ant?

Oh, I know we all do to some degree. We see them on our kitchen counter and immediately grab something to swat at them. Or perhaps we see some on the floor and look for spray to get rid of them.

We think of them as pests and dirty and do our best to get rid of them as quickly as we can, but have you ever really considered them or took time to watch what they are doing?

Randomness

I was watching some ants the other day. Well, I will be truthful. I saw a couple ants in my house, and I tried to get rid of it. It didn’t work immediately, and I found myself wondering why. I tried some bug spray, a few organic household remedies, and even asked a few people their suggestion. Nothing seemed to work. They were in a spot close to a chair in my house, never really deviated from the area too much, but I found myself watching what they were doing.

They seemed scattered. At first there was just the one heading off in some random direction. And before long there was two, then three, then a few more. They really seemed to be very individual. I didn’t notice much except they seemed to have no pattern to their direction. One would go this way, turn a couple wavy motions and seem to end up back where he started. Another took off in a different direction, and seemed to be going in a circle somewhat.

Remember, I was trying to kill them. So I would try some spray and when that didn’t work, some vinegar was suggested from a friend. Tried that, it did get a couple of them, but before long they were back and seemed to be more of them than before. But they all seemed to be going every which way with no direction. Just random patterns on the floor made by these tiny creatures. They didn’t really seem to have a purpose.

Purpose Driven

Surely there must be some specific thing they do. It does seem like they are going in no specific direction, but they can’t really all be headed no where can they? Maybe they just didn’t find what they were looking for, so they went somewhere else.

It made me think about our walk with God. Many times we see people enter our sanctuaries, come a few times, and then  they don’t seem to come back. In our daily lives we probably appear like we have no purpose. Sure, we go to work, buy groceries at the supermarket, look for clothes in the mall, but we can seem to all be individuals with no specific purpose just going through life.

We too, regardless of our faith and foundation, if we do not find what we are looking for, will go off in some other direction. Looking for something we haven’t found yet. Just like the ant, we do have a purpose, and we will keep looking until we find it.

The Purpose

Today, I saw an ant again. I thought I had gotten rid of them the other day, but apparently not. But this ant instead of roving along in some random direction was attempting to carry a piece of something. I looked closer and it must have been a small piece of a chip or a cracker he found somewhere. I really don’t know where. The place where the ants have been is tiled floor. I do my best to keep my house clean, so where that came from I don’t know. But this ant was trying to get the crumb of food from wherever he found it to somewhere else.

It was bigger than him by at least 5 or 6 times, and so it would move slightly, and then I would see him come around to the other side and it would move a bit of a different direction.

In a space of about ten minutes, that crumb went about six inches. Now, in relation to our size, that is remarkable. I don’t think any of us could move a car by ourselves a mile. Especially, if it didn’t have wheels.

But then I saw a big change. All of a sudden the ant had company. Not just one ant anymore but about ten.

They grasped onto the crumb that the one ant was trying to move. And it began to move again. Only this time they were moving much faster and working together to make it happen.

Unity

We all know that there is strength in numbers. Yet many times, we leave the work to one or two, and the rest of us just reap the benefits. This ant was moving a morsel of food from where he found it to his home. Where all the other ants are. It wasn’t just for his use but for all of them. And no, I do not know where they are all going. It is somewhere unseen, I have looked diligently. But the point is, when the one needed help instead of the randomness of their actions usually, they came together for one common purpose.

They were unified to get that food source back to their home so that they can all partake of it. How do they communicate? I have no idea. It seems in this age of technology, if our battery goes dead on our cell phone we are completely lost. I have seen people sit side by side and text each other back and forth, instead of talking. I guess it is still communication, but ants do not have cell phones do they? Yet they find a way to communicate.

Communication

Unity is good. The ants were swiftly moving the crumb from the place I first noticed it, to where it needed to be for the best use. Ants have six legs if I remember science. Yet, sometimes it can be hard for us to get where we are supposed to be with two.

Yet, here were several ants, each with six legs, which you would think would slow them down, (three legged races are not fast, try it) but they somehow were working in complete harmony together to move a foot or two very rapidly.

There had to be some form of communication that had a purpose. They didn’t question it. They worked together to achieve a common goal.

I wonder how different our own personal lives, our churches, our cities would be if we could come together for one common purpose and work together without division?

Would we be able to get our focus together and act as one unit? Or would we still be scattered and traveling in some seemingly random direction, when we are all still seeking the same goal?

Focus

Yes, I still plan to get rid of the ants. I need to. I realize that I do not want my home filled with ants, but for the moment I left them alone. Crazy? Perhaps, considering I will find a way for them to not find them again where they are. But, they were united in a common goal, and they were using the resources they had available to them to achieve it.

I don’t know what communication looks like to an ant. Do they talk? Print pamphlets? Have mental telepathy? Not really sure, but they roam around looking for something, and when they find it, they come together with a common purpose. They have a focus.

Unlike them, many of us seem not to be focused. Just going through life. Our ministries also reflect this.  Sure, we do ‘our thing.’ But we keep going in some random direction trying to achieve the same goal without using what is available to us.

Do we get so focused on what we are doing that we don’t look for help to make the job easier? Or is it just that we don’t communicate well enough?

Tools

Yes, we have our Bibles. Some of us actually read them, and we attempt to share the word with those we meet. We come together once, or maybe a couple more times a week to focus on our purpose but the rest of the time, we seem just to be heading in random directions.

There are methods of communication available but most of us are so used to doing in the same way we always did, and even though it hasn’t worked as well as it could have, we keep going in the same random path.

We need focus. We need communication. We need tools.

We need to reach people where they are. So, where are they?

Nearly every home in the United States has at least one or two cell phones. Most of the phones have options to look  up information on the internet, or are connected through Twitter or Facebook.

Did you know that almost every home has at least one computer, and most homes have two or more? Even some of the most economically depressed areas of our communities has access to a computer at a library or school, if they don’t have a computer in their home.

Yet, only one, out of about fifty apostolic churches has a presence online. Yes, I will repeat that again. 1 in 50 apostolic churches are online.

Considering?

I am not saying you do not reach people, but you are missing a big segment of the population in your area. We head here and there, and do make some change, but we are moving slow, when we could be reaching the people where they are. And we could do it twenty-four hours a day.

Studies indicate that businesses are losing 75% of their business by not having a website online. Can you imagine that? They are only reaching 25% of their potential if they do not use a resource that really is available to all of us.

It works for ministries too. Imagine if you were reaching 75% more people than you are now?

Those who decide to take advantage of the tools available; website, Twitter, Facebook, have repeat business of 43% of those who come visit them.

Think about that in relation to your ministry.  If you reached 75% more people, and 43% became full time members of your church, how big of an impact would that have on your community? How many more people could be reached if your church was 43% bigger right now? Working together in unity, just how effective could your ministry be?

The ants achieved their purpose by working together. Individuals? Yes, but they knew how to use the resources and capabilities together to achieve a common goal. No longer just random hits here and there but accomplished task.

Consider the Ant.

If you are interested in talking to us about how having a website, social media account, or other services that will help impact your ministry we invite you to contact us. We can help you bring your resources together in one place to achieve the goals you have.

You can reach us by contact here.

Or you can also find us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter for discounts and special exclusive offers for our followers.

God Bless You!

I came across a new resource today to teach values, share thoughts about the Bible,and have a little fun with your children. 

Maybe you have heard of it, but it was new to me. It is sponsored by Focus On The Family, and is similar in format and style to Sesame Street & Veggie Tales.

It is called JellyTelly, and from what I have seen the videos teach concepts and values on a child's level but even adults could learn something.

If you click on the image above it will take you to a video about Humility, and who among us cannot use a little more humility?

What is JellyTelly?

JellyTelly is an online destination for families, developed in partnership between Focus on the Family and Phil Vischer’s Jellyfish Labs. As a Bible-based alternative to video and gaming sites, JellyTelly provides families with a safe place to learn and play online.

JellyTelly was developed by the creator of Veggie Tales, Phil Vischer because he felt kids were not grasping everything they were taught in Sunday School because it is only one hour a week in most places, versus all of the other forms of information they would get during the week.

Churches are doing wonderful work with kids – innovative work – but a church will get about an hour with a child on a Sunday morning and then before it sees that child again, that kid on average has watched more than 22 hours of Nickelodeon and the Disney Channel. Is it any wonder that our kids are growing up knowing more about Hannah Montana than about the apostle Paul?

We need to do something about this – half of kids growing up in church in America are walking away from church when they graduate from high school.

We can do something about this by using the same technology that kids are adapting to as they consume media in new ways. JellyTelly is a way to bring the Bible to life for kids on a daily basis, to show them the work of the church around the world and the role they can play in it.

JellyTelly is more than just videos though. There are also craft ideas, games, and other resources available to put Christ and values in front of your kids, and teach Bible stories as well.

It is important that we spend more time with our children. But, lets face it, between our own work and activities, and everything our little ones are involved in, it can be hard to find time and know that they are getting sound ideas and teaching.

A lot of parents turn on the Disney channel, and then wonder where little Jonny learned this or that. But I have to ask you, have you actually watched the Disney channel with them? Sure, there are still some programs that have some educational, or positive messages, but not all are.

What do you think about having your child watch a show where the babysitter is a vampire?  If you turn on the so-called ‘family channel’, children are engaged in sexual activity, drugs, and other non-christian activity.

I realize the world we live in is no longer ‘Leave it to Beaver’ but honestly I would not want my child watching a show where one of the main themes, is about sex and babies.

Losing Our Children

Now I understand that as apostolics we may not agree with all the values of secular Christianity, but the truth of the matter is many times the children in our churches are overlooked.  Yes, most churches still have Sunday School, but even that is changing in a lot of our ministries.

As churches gravitate from a multitude of services to just one on Sunday, sometimes the children's ministries are the first to go. Sunday School is more than a babysitting service offered to our members, but it is a sad fact that many churches and even some pastors treat the ministry as an afterthought, or just a place to stick the children until we are done.

The bible says to ‘train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.’ The sad fact, however, is that in most homes there is no ‘family time’ that isn’t playing video games or watching TV, let alone Bible reading, teaching Bible stories, or even stories with good principles. And schools are so regulated, that even our Christian teachers are limited to what extent they can bring in that God created the world, let alone about Jesus dying on the cross for us. So, if our kids do not get some training at home, we just may lose the next generation.

Use What Is Available

No, letting your child watch JellyTelly will not teach your child everything they need to know about God, values, and our beliefs, but it is better than what they are getting on TV. Plus, it is interactive. Coloring pages, games, and craft activities are also available.

Yes, I know it means spending a little extra time with your children, but shouldn’t you be doing that anyway? And its free, online. Instead of spending all that time updating your Facebook, take a few minutes and let your child watch a message that will uplift, encourage, and teach.

Usually most of the information I post on this blog has to do with graphic design and web design for ministries. However, this past week I was privileged to watch some of the IMPACT Conference online.

The messages were very inspiring. On Thursday night, July 28, 2011, Jeff Arnold was the featured speaker. I have to say, I have heard him preach many times, but that night was the most anointed message I have heard from him ever, and the best message I have heard from anyone in quite some time.

He preached on miracles and healings, and the reasons we do not get what we need from God. I felt the anointing so strong over the computer. Several times, he said God told him he would show himself if he could get the people to believe the message.

At the end of his message, there were people flocking to the altar and healings were taking place. Bro. Arnold collapsed, and died.

Several people there, as well as paramedics worked on him. The following message is Bro. Arnold in his own words today.  Yes, God raised him back up.

UPDATE JULY 31, 2011 2:25 PM

This morning was Rev. Jeff Arnold’s 30th Anniversary of being pastor of The Pentecostals of Gainesville. The following video is Bro. Arnold talking about the experience.

Browsing around the internet today for inspiration, I was pleasantly surprised to see that some ministries and churches are beginning to update their websites.

It wasn’t that long ago that I wrote about those ministries that still had leftovers on their website from the last millennium and they didn’t look as if they even remembered they had a website, the information was so out of date.

I did run across a few sites that still had a calendar and event banners from 2008 but for the most part, a lot have improved by updating their content and graphics. This is always a good thing.

Information should be updated on your website at least monthly. If you haven’t already, it is a good idea to see if  there is someone in your church that has knowledge to update your website content. It is important for your church members to have a place they can go to if they forget what is happening next Wednesday, but it is also a way for visitors to find out what is currently going on in your church.

Your Site Should Reflect Your Ministry

Many churches have a fairly simple website listing only their schedule, location, and contact information, and there is nothing wrong with that. However, if the contact information is out of date, or perhaps the name of your ministry has changed, or you have new leadership, it should be updated on your site as well as your other promotional materials.

Sometimes the church or ministry website falls into disrepair simply because no one takes time to update it. I know of one site, that shall remain nameless, that has had someone ‘working’ on their site for the past two years. I was surprised somewhat a couple of weeks ago when I went to their site and what I recall from the first time I saw it two years ago, is still there.

Sure, they have the pretty ‘under construction’ images with ‘more information coming soon’ but if it hasn’t changed in two years, you need to hire someone new to take care of it. Or if it is a member in your church or ministry that works on your website, it is time to find someone else. I know if can be hard if you are a small church to find someone who knows how, but if you leave it up to Aunt Josephine’s second cousin’s high school nephew to update your site, there is a good possibility he will be graduating college before your information is updated.

Or perhaps your ministry is as far behind as your website indicates?

Update your website!

Too Much Of A Good Thing

When the children of Israel were wandering in the wilderness, God sent manna each morning to feed them. They were required to rise each morning and collect enough manna to feed their families for the day. It was set up by God to be a daily task.

Some thought they would be wise and not have to get up each day so they collected more than they needed so they would have some left for the next day. I am not sure if they just figured it would be easier, if they were lazy and only wanted to work once a week or so, or maybe they just wanted to sleep in.

But everyone who collected manna new each day had plenty to sustain them for the day. Those who decided they were smarter than the plan of God, ended up with a little extra protein in their manna. Worms.

The manna would be available first thing in the morning with the dew. If you waited to get your supply until noon, you were out of luck. If you had decided to keep extra from the day before, you would open your pantry and find worms squirming in your food. Not very good.

There are plenty of scriptures in the bible that talk about praying in the morning.

Some mention the very early morning talking with God before the day begins. Even before the sun is on the horizon, finding a place of sanctuary with God.

I have found, for myself, praying when I first wake up always seems to leave me with more energy and time for other things, and I am not so easily distracted with life. Maybe that is why for the past couple weeks I am waking up so early? I groan and lay there hoping to fall back asleep, but finally get up realizing it isn’t going to happen. And no, you can never pray too much.

But, I digress, that is a topic for another day, and perhaps one of my other blogs.

It’s Good But It Is Also TOO MUCH

While looking at inspirational websites, I came across a few that had good intentions but from a design and usability feature had entirely too much content on the front page.

One one side of their front page they had the following:

• Social Media Follow Buttons
• A Search Our Store Option
• Free Newsletter Sign-Up
• Splashy Banner for a trip overseas (including cost)
• News articles related to their ministry mission
• Registration Area for a conference
• & a video

The rest of the page was very similar. On the main page they had fifteen (15) call to action options. This did not include all of the links to various articles they had written, topics for discussion, another video, more subscription and order links.

Displaying options for call to action on the main page is very popular and useful in trying to get your viewer to interact with your website. Whether you have something for sale, a video they should see, or perhaps a newsletter you want to entice them to subscribe to, call to action features are vital for keeping the viewer on your site.

But…

When you have so many on one page, the viewer can, and will get lost.

What To Choose?

Just today in the supermarket, I was in the frozen food section where a sale was going on, and I couldn’t get to the item I needed because a lady was there looking at the same thing. She remarked, ‘there are just too many choices to choose from.’ I know how that is.

Go down the cereal aisle sometime.  There are the name brands we all know, but usually in more than one size. There are generic or store brands that are similar but have different names, and usually the packaging is less intrusive but we ‘get more for the money.’ And then there are the new cereals that look so enticing in the commercials and you may even have a coupon. And, lets not forget the weekly circular ad for the store. Even still other cereals are ON SALE.

The same is true of the content on your ministry website.

It has been said that ugly websites do not reach people. The same should be said for websites that are pretty but have entirely too much content in one spot. That isn’t design, that is clutter!

Oh Good! You found the site you were looking for, but where do you go to find out what you want to know? There are lots of links, lots of banners, lots of…

Too much of a good thing?

I am sure somewhere on that website, there was links to what they believe, who they are, and where to locate them. I didn’t see it though.  I am sure they believe in Jesus, after all everything on their site has to do with their ministry, but it was lost somewhere in all the clutter.

What value do you place on the message if they can’t find it? Is that how it is at your church? Too much going on? You have lots of programs, special music, dramas, lights, and more that the message is getting lost? It’s what your website is telling me. No don’t worry. I know the truth already. But what about the person who doesn’t? If they are lost on your website…?

How will they find the message?

Ok, brace yourself. I know some of you saw the title or image and stepped back in disbelief.

The idea that I would say your website needs to be ‘born again.’

Some I am sure are scratching their heads, some think I am being sarcastic, and yet I think there may be a few who have an idea of where I am going.

I do realize some who are reading this may not even have a website. You either have not had funds available or do not understand the importance of a website for your church or ministry. We have covered the purpose in a previous article which is available to you. (Read more…)

You need a Born Again Website to be effective in reaching the lost with the message, as well as keeping your own membership up to date with what is going on in your church or ministry.

Continued from Part I

Really, for most of us, the internet has only been around about ten years or a bit more. The actual internet was created in November 1969 but almost no one had access and the internet as we know it didn’t really come to life until 1983.

Even then, most of us did not get online unless we got AOL and for the most part that was more of a network than what we know of now as the internet. The majority of us probably started getting online in the mid to late 1990s and then it was chartrooms or learning how to use email more than anything.

Essentially, the internet is always evolving. As technology and knowledge increases, so does our abilities, and what we can do with it. Most of us only dreamed about having a cell phone in the early 1990s, but now nearly every individual over twelve years old has one at their disposal. Same goes for the internet and computers.

In the United States, nearly every home has two or more computers and more than 75% of them are connected to the internet at least part of the time. it is the most effective tool of reaching masses of people. Yet, the message is not getting to them.

A Born Again Website?

So what exactly do I mean by a ‘Born Again’ website?

There were relatively few church websites online ten years ago, and until the rise of Google, it was hard to find websites unless you knew the exact url or address.

For Apostolics and Pentecostals, the numbers were very low on who had a website. I do recall The Pentecostals of Alexandria had one, and they were a sustaining force for me in a time of need.

Most church sites were very simple, with a name on a free host, most of which I cannot even remember anymore, and they consisted of a welcome, maybe an image if you knew how to code html, and contact information. They worked, but weren’t pretty to look at.

A short time later, homestead, geocities, and other hosting services showed up with drag and drop layout where you could make a ‘pretty’ site, and most church sites used what was cool at the time.

Remember these?

Animated crosses, fish, sometimes colorful headings were a big part of what most church websites added to their websites to make them ‘stand out.’

Granted, many of the images and icons were much more grainer and pixelated than this cross, but businesses, churches, or individuals, we all had to have the cool images and logos.

But still most churches didn’t use a professional web developer and relied on the skills of a student who knew some html code or was learning some in school to learn ‘how to design.’ And frankly, even the technology and software that was available to professionals was expensive and still relied on some very basic designs and layout. Let’s face it. Websites were ugly and mostly useless.

The sad thing is, some still are. Some churches and ministries have not updated their website since they first made it. The site on the left is an active site that I took a snapshot of today. It has not been updated since 2001, and I hope they didn’t pay anyone to make it. Links are broken, there is no real information on the front page other than the name and an address I blocked out. The green part is links for advertising.

Old sites had lots of advertising links on the sides in order for the free hosting companies to make money. Many of them went under simply because the truth is, not very many people actually click those links, regardless of what advertisers and seo marketers tell you.

Image links are what people click on, simply because as we are all taught as children, ‘a picture is worth 1000 words.’ Websites are no different. If we think about it for a moment, it is all advertising.

The site on the right (new site) is much easier on the eye, information is easier to find, and the images grab your attention. The likelihood is that you are going to stay on the website if you are looking for information much longer than you would on the other site.

A Born Again Site

So, here we are. What is a Born Again site?

To be born again, you must grow, change your lifestyle, adapt to the environment, and live differently. How does that apply to your ministry or church website?

Some decide they will use what tools their organization offers and pay them, but most items on their website look exactly the same as the churches in other cities and states that belong to the same group.

In fact, there are some churches I know of that when someone changes the top of the page on a church site in Indiana, the churches who use this same company in California, Florida, even Idaho have the exact same image. There is no individuality and it doesn’t always apply to the people you are trying to impact in your own city.

We don’t always grow the same, look the same, act the same, or have the same needs when we are born and begin to grow, so why should our church website and ministry? Growth and change are vital to being Born Again.

Build a new website? Yes, that would be the biggest change, and very beneficial to your ministry. You can hire someone to design, or redesign your site. A good designer/developer can help increase your visibility and impact your ministry and effectiveness. It really helps if people are talking about your website and church or ministry to get the message spread.

But you don’t have to.. shhh, don’t tell anyone! A church designer telling you that you do not have to hire someone. What is the world coming to?

Give Your Website A Checkup!

There are a few simple things you can do that will help as well, without costing a dime. You may have to invest some time, or find a member in your church to do so, but it will help bring growth.

1. Check for broken links (menu, references, etc.) and fix them.
2. Fix any images that do not show up, or add in new ones.
3. Check to see if your contact information and emails are still correct.
4. Is your logo on the page the same as what you use on your business card?
5. If you are on a free host, is it the same hosting address as what you have told people?
6. Has your website been updated in the past week, month, six months?
7. Do you have the capabilities to either add messages or video to your website?
8. Does your website share the gospel of Jesus Christ in an understandable way? (Many do not share the gospel at all.)

There are many more things you can check, but right away these will make a difference in your site. However, there are also things you can add to your site to make it more effective.

Add some or all of these options to your ministry.

1. Get a YouTube account and add videos. (nearly every cell phone has some video recording capability, and its Free)
2. Start a photo gallery (Flickr has free options)
3. Create a Facebook Page for your ministry.
4. Add a Twitter account to help keep your site current, as well as notify your members nearly instantly of schedule changes, prayer requests, and information.
5. Start a blog (pastor’s thoughts, messages, etc. Blogger is Free)
6. Add links or widgets from these services to your site to keep information more current.
7. Make sure your  website is regularly updated so that there is always something new to offer.

And if all else fails, hire a designer. You would be surprised how affordable we are and how we can help make your ministry more effective.

Then you too can say that you have a ‘Born Again’ website!