Friday
20Mar2009
The sheer beauty of watching God fulfill his promises . . .
Friday, March 20, 2009 at 4:45PM 
God gave us the rainbow as a sign and seal of his promise to never again flood the earth in judgment, and it is magnificent to behold. In a similar fashion, it is awesome to simply watch when God goes to work in a local church and produces some things that are well beyond our ability. Here are just a few of the things God has graciously done among us in the last several months.
- I know of several people who have been delivered from chemical addictions which had held them in their grip for years.
- I know of 3 marriages personally that were on the brink of disintegration and divorce and now they are moving forward in a healthy fashion.
- 10 people have been baptized as a public declaration of their faith and we have several more in line even now.
- Our giving has increased dramatically while our overhead has remained consistent, so we are in a position to be generous with those in need going forward.
- One of our Radius families recently adopted 2 small children out of the foster care system, which was a great step of faith.
- We have 17 small groups in Lexington, Irmo, Columbia and beyond. They are very healthy and several are on the verge of dividing because of sheer numbers.
- We have built wheelchair ramps on two different low-income homes in the last few months and done some repairs on several others, just behind the scenes stuff, followers of Jesus being a blessing to others.
- God has sent us more new people than we can count, with us basically tripling since mid-summer.
- I went to Midway elementary yesterday and gave $100 gift certificates to each of the three teachers that graciously allow us to use their rooms for our children. They were surprised and very appreciative of our gifts.
- Jeremiah has a ton of new band members, multiple people who can play each instrument (except for drums - Zach moved away to be a better father - way to go Zach!).
- Our Sunday morning prayer time is back in its appropriate place, our downtown prayer group is growing in size and in prayer, our elders are meeting weekly for prayer . . . our movement is being covered in prayer.
- We are getting a lot of hits on our website from folks outside of Radius and outside of our area so God is using that to give us influence in society as well.
- We have had upwards of 25 students (grades 6-12) at some of our services and we are preparing and moving, asking God how to make these students strong disciples and influencers within their own radius, the local schools.
It is a really fun time to be on this bus . . . I invite you to join us on the journey!
Reader Comments (1)
*One of the 10 Commandments is that we should observe the Sabbath. During the time in the desert God provided manna and on the day before the Sabbath the people were to gather enough for two days so that they could prepare their Sabbath meal the day before so that no work would be done. God states that who ever does work on the Sabbath is to be put to death.
In the Old Testament, while the Israelites were in the desert, a man went to collect wood on the Sabbath. He was stoned to death for violating the laws of the Sabbath.
In the New Testament Jesus states that man was not created for the Sabbath but the Sabbath for man. To me, Jesus tells us to use our common sense in the application of God's laws. For instance when he asks whether one would leave a prized animal that has fallen into a pit on the Sabbath to obey the "law" knowing if one does not rescue the animal it will be too late by the time the Sabbath is over. It would be work to rescue the animal. However, by comparison to the incident in the desert and the one Jesus describes, the problem with the animal was not foreseable as the need to stock up wood for two days was.
After services on Sunday, I head to one of the local restaurants for lunch. Every time I do this I can't help thinking what a hypocrite I am. Yes, I may not be "working" on the Sabbath, but, the people working at the restaurant are "working" and I am one of the reasons they are.
Given this, do you think we honor the Sabbath as God would wish us to?
**I understand that God is "all good" and that as sinners we cannot come near God without Jesus sanctifying us for which I am greatly thankful for. I believe that God is pure love, pure good. No evil abounds within or near him. I pray that God will make my heart like his.
I cannot understand the many references in the bible where punishment is exacted by God. I understand the need...I just can't wrap my head around it coming from God. In God's defense, he is very loving and patient, warning the Israelites over and over, waiting years, sending many prophets to warn the people. I just can't understand death and punishment being decreed by God because He is all good.
***I have a problem with the concept of women in the church in the past and today. Going all the way back to Genesis when God created woman, not even Adam perceived woman the way she was and is perceived or defined.
Adam said "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman, for she was taken out of man."
Does this not sound like Adam had ultimate respect and regard for woman since she was created from his own flesh and bones?
Somehow things went down hill for woman after Adam and Eve with respect to woman. Woman became property and not the "helper" God created for man. No longer is woman "...bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh...". Why?
I read a portion of the Gospel of Thomas online once and in it he tells about a conversation between Peter and Jesus. Basically, Peter tells Jesus that woman is not worthy of the Kingdom of God. Jesus tells him that in God's Kingdom, in our new bodies, there is neither man nor woman.
During Jesus' time on earth as a human he demonstrated many times God's importance of woman.
Believing that the Word of God is divine, I do not think the compassion Jesus demonstrated to woman was "just part of the story".
He healed a woman of illness she had had for 12 years; he had compassion for the widow whose son had died, and awakened him; Mary anointed him and he commended her; Mary washed his feet with her tears and hair. When Jesus was crucified the disciples scattered while the women went to the tomb to tend to the Lord's body. Jesus first appeared after his resurrection to Mary, however, Paul states that he first appeared to Peter.
I am not making an argument for genders sake. I believe we have misunderstood God's intent for woman in relation to man. Human kind has perverted so much and I believe that woman was not omitted.
God said "It is not good for man to be alone", and because a suitable helper could not be found amongst all the living creatures, God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man. The scriptures say "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh."
What happened?