Jr. and Senior High youth group spent the night at Chic-Fil-A, Tuesday night June 10. Lot's of Southwood people came to show support for the Costa Rica Missions Team. I even got to hug the cow.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Smashaway Teen Ministry at Chic-Fil-A
Jr. and Senior High youth group spent the night at Chic-Fil-A, Tuesday night June 10. Lot's of Southwood people came to show support for the Costa Rica Missions Team. I even got to hug the cow.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Teen courage
Last Sunday in my "brief" message on Senior Sunday, I mentioned a group at Harvard called the True Love Revolution. Here's the link to the True Love Revolution page at Harvard College's website. Visit the True Love Revolution homepage. This reference came from an article at Chuck Colson's Breakpoint. You can subscribe to his audio podcast commentary on iTunes. In the article he mentions the research on the hormonal release of oxytocin that occurs when there is intercourse, birth, and breast-feeding, a hormone that is involved in creating deep psychological and physiological bonds between people. Is this what Paul is referring to in his letter to the church at Corinth?
1Co 6:16 Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, "THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH."
Colson also had a great series of commentaries on teen culture last week. You can read them here or listen to them here. Check out especially his commentary on May 30, "Rebels with a Cause: Teens Doing Hard Things." He introduces Alex and Brett Harris and their book, Do Hard Things. At 16, they served as the youngest Supreme Court interns on record in the state of Alabama. At 17, they launched www.TheRebelution.com, now one of the most trafficked Christian teen websites on the Internet. At 18, they began touring the country talking to teens. And at 19, they became published authors when their book Do Hard Things hit the stores. Check these out. The whole teen series is well worth the read and/or listen. I highly recommend subscribing to Breakpoint through iTunes and loading it on your iPod.
By the way, all you iPod newbies, Pastor Joel will be teaching an evening course, "iPod and Other Audio Things," in the Gloucester County College Continuing Education program, Tuesday evenings, in September. Stay tuned.
1Co 6:16 Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, "THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH."
Colson also had a great series of commentaries on teen culture last week. You can read them here or listen to them here. Check out especially his commentary on May 30, "Rebels with a Cause: Teens Doing Hard Things." He introduces Alex and Brett Harris and their book, Do Hard Things. At 16, they served as the youngest Supreme Court interns on record in the state of Alabama. At 17, they launched www.TheRebelution.com, now one of the most trafficked Christian teen websites on the Internet. At 18, they began touring the country talking to teens. And at 19, they became published authors when their book Do Hard Things hit the stores. Check these out. The whole teen series is well worth the read and/or listen. I highly recommend subscribing to Breakpoint through iTunes and loading it on your iPod.
By the way, all you iPod newbies, Pastor Joel will be teaching an evening course, "iPod and Other Audio Things," in the Gloucester County College Continuing Education program, Tuesday evenings, in September. Stay tuned.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Rapture Question
Someone asked me, after Sunday morning's message (May 18), what happens to a believer's bodies in the rapture (the taking into heaven of believers prior to the Tribulation). These are questions that are not often explicitly addressed in Scripture but are answered often by inference. The best passage on this questions is 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
If those who are dead in Christ are translated into heaven with resurrected bodies, then it would seem consistent with this passage that raptured ("those caught up together with them") saints are also translated into heaven with resurrected bodies. In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul reassures the believers that their presence in eternity will be in a new body fit for life in eternity.
Issues of the end times are always interesting. On the positive side they encourage us to carefully study Scripture to see what is being said about these issues. We should be cautious, however, to not go beyond what can be clearly discovered by careful bible study. Some issues are intentionally left vague or hidden because God does not want us to be concerned with them.
Furthermore, the intent of prophecy has never been to give us all of the details of what happens in the end times. Rather the primary purpose of prophecy is to encourage us with regard to the faithfulness of God to carry out His sovereign purposes and to diligently pursue Christlike character. Note the concluding verses of both contexts of the preceding passages.
(1 Th 4:13-18 NASB) But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve, as do the rest who have no hope. {14} For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. {15} For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, and remain until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. {16} For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. {17} Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord. {18} Therefore comfort one another with these words.
If those who are dead in Christ are translated into heaven with resurrected bodies, then it would seem consistent with this passage that raptured ("those caught up together with them") saints are also translated into heaven with resurrected bodies. In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul reassures the believers that their presence in eternity will be in a new body fit for life in eternity.
(1 Cor 15:50-52 NASB) Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. {51} Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, {52} in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.
Issues of the end times are always interesting. On the positive side they encourage us to carefully study Scripture to see what is being said about these issues. We should be cautious, however, to not go beyond what can be clearly discovered by careful bible study. Some issues are intentionally left vague or hidden because God does not want us to be concerned with them.
Furthermore, the intent of prophecy has never been to give us all of the details of what happens in the end times. Rather the primary purpose of prophecy is to encourage us with regard to the faithfulness of God to carry out His sovereign purposes and to diligently pursue Christlike character. Note the concluding verses of both contexts of the preceding passages.
(1 Cor 15:58 NASB) Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.
(1 Th 4:18 NASB) Therefore comfort one another with these words.
Stay tuned for my June Messenger article where I discuss in more detail my position on the purpose of prophecy.
Friday, April 4, 2008
New granddaughter born
This morning, 9:35am ET, our new granddaughter was born to James and Kristin Del Mul in Allen, Texas.
Say hello to Renae Joelle Del Mul, 8# 9oz, 21 3/4 in.; healthy and a delight already to Dad and Mom. We can't wait to hold her.
Check out further photos and video at:
www.joelmacdonaldfamily.blogspot.com
Monday, August 6, 2007
[Jott from Joel MacDonald] Outreach to friends the context makes all the difference in the world. You walk...
| Jott From Joel MacDonald |
| Outreach depends on Context: You try to walk into a bar where a bunch of bikers have gathered and offer to pray. See how quickly you are out on your ear. But if just minutes before you have been across the street providing comfort and compassion to one of them who's wife has just suddenly died, and now enter the same bar where his friends have gathered to console him, now walk in and offer words of comfort and the opportunity to pray. Context makes all the difference. |
| Listen to Audio |
| Set reminders, assign, and manage this jott on Jott.com Brought to you by Jott Networks, Inc. |
Friday, August 3, 2007
Grandpop and Grandson
This is a treasured photo, a picture I look forward to enjoying for years to come. I am sure Nathan must be waving hello to me!
[Jott from Joel MacDonald] Hey, just letting all my tech friends know that I found this neat new service ca...
| Jott From Joel MacDonald |
| Hey, just letting all my tech friends know that I found this neat new service called Jott.com that allows you to record notes to your e-mail account or post to your blog site using your cell phone. Just call into it and it sends it. |
| Listen to Audio |
| Set reminders, assign, and manage this jott on Jott.com Brought to you by Jott Networks, Inc. |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)