There’s a sermon in here somewhere:
Signs of Hope: Habakkuk’s Questions, God’s Answers
September 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment
An audio version of the full speech is available (mp3, approx 45+ minutes):
Carl Townsend spoke adult Singles at Rolling Hills Community Church September 18 at 10:45 A.M. on Signs of Hope: Leadership in an Age of Chaos. Carl looked at Habakkuk and what he saw and the burden that drove him to prayer. Carl then looked at where the Church is today and the responsibility of the Church when the vision Habakkuk saw is much the same one we see today. And this was supposed to be a chosen nation!
In reading that first chapter, the Northern Kingdom was already gone and the Southern Kingdom was about to be taken away by the Babylonians. The issue was not the Babylonians. The issue was that the Southern Kingdom was already destroyed, and from within.
The historian Arnold Toynbee has pointed out of the twenty-two civilizations that have appeared in history, nineteen of them collapsed when they reached the moral state the United States is in now.
Another version of his same quote:
Out of the 21 civilizations he studied that collapsed, 19 died from within, not by conquests from without. He tells us that there were no bands playing or flags waving when these civilizations decayed. It happened slowly in the quiet and the dark when no one was aware of what was happening.
What did God want Habakkuk to write on the billboard?
The Just Shall live by faith. (verse 4)
What is the billboard today?
What is the promise in the last verse of the book?
Signs of Hope – The Imago Dei Community Church in Portland
September 3, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Whereas church growth leaders are telling us the (institutional) church is dying, here is a church in the Portland area that challenges that. Moreover, the church is attracting and extremely popular with young people. Here is an interview with Kevin Palau of the Palau Evangelistic Association with Rick McKinley, pastor of the Imago Dei Community church:
There is a Part II on YouTube and more stuff from Rick.
The Church is not dying, nor has its mission changed. The Gospel is needed now more than ever. Young people today will serve and are serving in a world very different from the world I knew as I grew up. What do you think this means for a Church today?
What did the Queen of Scotland Fear More than the Armies of England?
August 1, 2011 By 2 Comments
I fear the prayers of John Knox more than all the armies of England
Queen of Scotland
Joihn Knox
Throughout history, there have always been leaders who emerge in cities and regions, take the leadership in praying for the coming of the Holy Spirit, and claim their city or region for the Lord. We often look to these men and women as “John Knoxers” – willing to risk everything, including their life, on the line. I think of Julio Cesar Ruibal in Cali, Columbia, who died as a martyr as he rallied the churches there to take the lead together against the drug lords. There is the story of John Woolman, who let the Quakers to free their slaves years before the rest of the country. I can think of the “John Knoxers” who have led in my own city of Portland – Dr. Joe Aldredge, Terry Dirks – that had a contagious passion and could talk of almost nothing else but seeing our city swept by the power of the Holy Spirit.
What about you? What is your passion? What do you pray for?
What is our greatest peril?
July 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment
“Our greatest peril is not the power of the enemy, but our own prayerlessness.” Ronshausen
Carl took some badly needed R&R with a friend at a resort in Tahoe last week. Loved it. You can see the pics at:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2014980128241.2109634.1055950054&l=e79bb04739&type=1
Changes at the Department of Justice? Scarier every day.
January 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment
A Tiny Little Change. Just a wee bit more to dislike …How interesting. It seems that the U.S. Department of Justice changed their website yesterday. Gone are the colorful red, white and blue patriotic U.S. flag decorations on the page, to be replaced by stark black and white. And at the top of the page is an interesting quote: “The common law is the will of mankind, issuing from the life of the people.”Catchy, huh? Just one tiny little (too small to be relevant obviously) point . . . the quote is from C. Wilfred Jenks, who in the 1930s was a leading proponent of the “international law” movement, which had as its goal to impose a global common law and which backed ‘global workers’ rights.’Call it Marxism, call it Progressivism, call it Socialism, call it Obamaism – under any of those names it definitely makes the DOJ look corrupt in their sleek, new black website with Marxist accessories to match.Go here and see for yourself:http://www.justice.gov/
Inception movie out
December 9, 2010 By Leave a Comment
The Inception movie is out this week. At least for sale. Best movie I’ve seen this year. It won’t be available for rental until next month.You will ALSO find a great article on this movie in the recent WIRED magazine – the one with the TRON stuff on the cover. Lots of postings here on the movie.Note: – I don’t know why WB delays their DVD rentals from the start of the sales by a month. Don’t they know that by a month the people that they are trying to fight have copies of the disk and they don’t have to rent it?
Islam being taught in our public schools
December 1, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Wow – Islam is now being taught in our public schools. What next?http://www.onenewsnow.com/Education/Default.aspx?id=1238300
Stunning earth pictures by an astronaut!
November 18, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Stunning pictures of earth taken by one of the astronauts from the space station.Another reason to thank God.http://twitpic.com/photos/Astro_Wheels
