Dare I Admit It?

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I am having feelings.

Real honest feelings!

God forbid that I would admit them, though, because that might expose some kind of emotional need, or something!
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I Am The Man

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A man was lamenting to his mentor about his feelings of ineffectiveness in his specific prison ministry. This man went on to comment that though he has seen fruit in the lives of those he has ministered to in the past; currently he feels ineffective and unfruitful. Further he stated that he wonders whether the time away from his family and his church associates is worth the sacrifice for this seeming lack of success.

The mentor replied, ‘A man’s success in ministry need not be measured by fruit or effectiveness but rather by his obedience to the call. If a man is called to a specific ministry, he is obligated to obedience, regardless of successes, or lack of.’
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Chuck Colson on Power

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Power is like saltwater; the more you drink the thirstier you get. The lure of power can separate the most resolute of Christians from the true nature of Christian leadership, which is service to others. It's difficult to stand on a pedestal and wash the feet of those below.

Quoted by Alexander Strauch in Biblical Eldership
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Accomplished or Received?

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Is baptism (and the elements of communion) something we accomplish as an act of faithful obedience or some thing we receive?
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Crosshairs

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I feel like the enemy, that old serpent, the devil, has leveled his weapon and set his sights on Greenville Fellowship. I can't really explain the feeling, but everytime I'm in prayer specific to need or visions of Greenville Fellowship I find myself easily distracted and the heaven's seem like brass. Also, I find myself constantly battling against evil imaginations about my brothers and sisters. I pray that through the power of our Lord, Jesus the Christ, we can be more than conquerors in this battle!
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Experiential Perfection?

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"Every church has problems. So you might as well stay where you're at and work with what you've got"

"There's no such thing as a perfect church. So you might as well quit looking."

"Anywhere you have people you'll have personality clashes."

"[Insert specific church name] isn't the 'answer'."

You know what, people. I'm getting a little weary of all the prattle. Why does everyone think a decision to change where one gathers for worship and fellowship is automatically an attempt to discard baggage and experience perfection? Why is 'perfection' the sought after misnomer? Shouldn't we be seeking an environment where we can honestly worship Jesus Christ. Shouldn't our seeking be less about perfection and more about open, honest worship? Shouldn't we focus less on eliminating personality conflicts and more on honest handling of God's written word?

Don't we have our focus wrong? Shouldn't we adjust?
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Grace of Repentance

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Be gracious to me, O God, according to your kindness; according to the greatness of your compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified when you speak and blameless when you judge.

Behold, I was born in iniquity, and conceived in sin. Behold, you desire truth in my innermost being, and in my heart you will make me know wisdom. Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness, let the bones which you have broken rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out my iniquities.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steady spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence and do not take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach sinners your ways, and they will be converted to you.

Deliver me from heart sins, O God, the God of my salvation; then my mouth will joyfully sing of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, that my mouth may declare your praise. For you do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; you are not pleased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

Father, thank you for the grace of repentance as you allow my heart to be revealed to me. Keep my feet on your path and my heart seeking yours. Continue the work of conforming and transforming me into the image of your Son.
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Politically (In)Correct

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Have I offended you?

Does what you read here bother you?

Am I too free with my feelings?

This is MY blog.

It has come to my attention that some who (apparently) read this blog regularly have found offensive or alarming content here. Is that you? Have you struggled with some of the subject matter found here?

I'm not insinuating that the subject matter is of an inherently offensive nature, but rather my open, honest transparency with my feelings and opinions is offensive to some. I, like many of you, find myself frustrated with the 'anonymous' bloggers present in cyberspace, but I think I'm starting to understand why they remain faceless. They have opportunity to be honest without everyone going around behind their back slandering their character. You know what people? I have feelings. I have opinions. I have preferences. I have emotional needs. I have dreams, goals, heartache's, problems, joys, struggles, etc. This is my little corner of the world. Can I be honest in it?

Can I?

Will you allow me?

Or will you use my honesty to castigate me? There is one thing I know. You also have struggles, frustrations, heartache's, preferences and emotional needs. Can you be honest with them? Will you be, or are you going to spend the rest of your time pointing your fingers at those of us who do?

Sure, if you read something on here that is cause for alarm, approach me. Please do. But please approach ME; not my wife, my children, my siblings, my parents, my friends, or a complete stranger. APPROACH ME if your concern is with me! Please? Am I asking too much?

Galatians 6:1
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What If

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I’m afraid I’ll lose the faith.

I’m not worried about tomorrow; or next week or month; or next year; or even 5 yrs from now. I’m afraid that 15, 20, 30 yrs from now I’ll run out of energy. I’m afraid I’ll get tired of fighting for truth. I’m afraid I’ll lose the zeal to preach the Word. I’m afraid I’ll lose my burden for the souls of men. I’m afraid the burden of ministry will become more than I can handle.

I’m afraid I’ll simply run out of steam.
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Why?

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Meet Doug!

Doug is ‘Joe Average Red Neck American’ from Mercer County, OH. Doug is an employee at Kozy Kampground where I was working for an outside contractor for much of the last month. Doug and I became acquainted simply by my attendance at his employer’s facility. After much of a month of watching myself and my counter-parts work, interact, banter and cooperate with one another Doug asks this question to me, ‘What made you turn to the Bible?’.

Now hold on just a minute……where did that come from? And further, isn’t that question wrong in every spiritually imaginable way? I mean, turn to the Bible? Isn’t it Jesus we turn to? And what made me? What about election and divine influence on the individual’s heart and God drawing people to Himself? And then it hits me, ‘Hoblit, don’t blow this one. This guy is asking a genuinely seeking question.’

So what did I do? Easy, I passed Evangelism 101, I walked him down the Romans road complete with a sinners prayer at the end, handed him the decision card to sign and promised to send him Bible study literature! NOT!!! I answered his question; I shared my story; my testimony. Little did I know Doug was raised in a religious sub-culture, had tried all the religious things, found them wanting and empty, had turned to chemicals and depression settled in resulting in attempted suicide. Wait, did I say that was Doug or me? Or both! He was flabbergasted. He never imagined someone as normal as he presumed I was (obviously he didn’t know me well, eh?) could have a life story so similar to his.

So the short version of the long answer I gave his short question was this, ‘Finally I came to a place where I had to prove that either God was real or he wasn’t. I didn’t care which conclusion I came to; I just needed a confirmed conclusion, so the Bible is where I went looking and the rest is history.’

Why do I share it with you? Good question. I suppose simply to remind you (as Sam did the other day) life happens when you’re busy making other plans. Life is happening today, don’t miss it!
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1 Constipations 11

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I hear that there are viruses among you, and I partly believe it. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.


Four days in a row.....I'm tired of it already!!
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