The Absolute Basics of Christianity is a Bible Study work book that has been designed to be used by believers at all stages of spiritual growth and maturity. This Bible study can be used in small groups, Sunday School classes, or as a self study. This thirteen-week study is biblically based, theologically enlightening, and spiritually engaging. This is truly a study that all believers should consider! Click the button below for more information.
Several people have recently asked me to recommend websites and other free resources that can assist them in growing and going deeper in God's word. Like most ministers, I use Bible software for my personal study. However, such software can be very expensive, and while a great investment for full time ministers who use it for hours each day, it is really not practical or needed for most Christians. With that said, here are some resources that you might find useful.
Paid Software:
Bible Navigator- For under $20 you get a very good Bible software program. The problem is that you will have to buy many of the translations, commentaries, and other resources that you want. Basically they sell you the program and then you get to build your own personal library by purchasing books and Bible translations. This is great because you don't have to pay for a bunch of stuff you won't use, and you can buy additional resources over time. Before I started using MAC's this was the program I had on my windows computer. This program will only work on the window's platform.
Accordance- If you own a MAC this is for you. Personally this is the program I am currently using. They have many different pricing levels ranging from $99 to $600 for your primary package. Of course the more you pay the more you get in the way of commentaries, Bible translations, and other resources. Like most other software programs you can add additional resources to build your custom library over time. They also have a FREE trial version, if you would like to test drive it before you buy.
Logos- Logos has primarily been for windows users although they are currently developing a version for MAC as well. Personally I have never used Logos as my primary study platform because the MAC version that I tried was not that good. However, for windows users this seems to be the preferred software. It starts at around $149 and goes up to $4,200 depending on how much you want in your package. There are many great features about this product, however it is one of the most expensive programs of it's kind on the market today.
There are several other programs like Bible Works, Esword, and Quick Verse that are reportedly very good programs as well, however I have not personally used them enough to recommend them.
This is the bottom line, if you are going to purchase one of these programs, do your research, and make sure you are getting something that you need, and can use. Look at each product realistically and evaluate it based on your needs. If possible test drive the software or find someone who owns it already and see if they will sit down with you and show you how it works. The better option might be to use online resources that are FREE. Below is a list of available FREE resources that you can find on the web. These sites will do most of what the programs mentioned above will, the downside is you may have to visit multiple sites to find what you are looking for. With the programs above all the info is at the tips of your fingers.
FREE Resources:
Biblestudytools.com- This is probably as close to an all in one FREE Bible study resource that will be very similar to what you can get with a paid program. This site makes money with the advertisements that you have to look at while you are doing your research. But this is a very complete resource, you can view many translations of the Bible, see cross references, make personal notes, highlight, print, email, even post stuff on Facebook or twitter. The downside is they use older commentaries that are public domain, and of course you can only choose from the 7-10 choices they give you. However for the price of FREE you can't complain to much. I have used this site some and enjoy it, but for someone who spends hours each day researching scriptures it is just to slow and bulky for me personally. However for the lay member who desires to double check something the pastor said, or prepare a bit extra for next weeks Bible study, or make personal notes they can use in the future about different scriptures this site is really good.
Biblegateway.com- This is a free service for reading and researching Scripture online--all in the language or translation of your choice! They provide advanced tools you can use to search the Bible by keywords or verse, as well as other tools to enhance your study of the Bible.
Biblos.com- This site has so much information on it. The downside is you can easily be overwhelmed when visiting the site. Once you learn how to navigate through it to find the information you are looking for this site will become an amazing resource. You will find, time lines, commentaries, outlines, interlinear translations, pictures, and much more on this site.
Blueletterbible.org- Here is how they describe themselves. "Our mission is to facilitate in-depth study of God's Word through an on-line interactive reference library continuously updated from the teachings and commentaries of selected pastors and teachers who hold to the conservative, historical Christian faith." What I like most about this site is it's simplicity. When you search a scripture for example, these six little buttons come up next to the scripture you searched. From there you can easily access commentaries, and much more about the passage.
Bible.com- is a site that encompasses various translations, languages, scriptures, studies, and dynamic Biblical based content. Our online Christian Community offers visitors a place to gather, learn, interact, and share the Bible’s teachings. Website users can access a host of tools, news, articles, and products pertaining to the Bible - presented in an interesting, captivating and engaging way. Our Site covers such areas as kids, family, culture, and more based upon Biblical principles.
These websites can also be found on www.cowboyfellowship.org, and www.pastorpete.org in the additional links section. If you have questions please let myself or any of our staff know and we will be glad to help you find the best solution for you to be able to mature, and grow as you study God's word. more >>
There has been a great deal of controversy about the Islamic Mosque that is planned to be built near ground zero in New York City. As I have listened to the debate I have wondered how the Islamic community might respond if Christians attempted to build a church under similar circumstances. The article below was published on Friday Aug. 6, 1010. The Muslim community has opposed the erection of this church for no reason other than the fact that they oppose Christianity. I pray that Americans will one day wake up, and stand up, for the things we believe as well. Otherwise we better prepare to shut up, because we will soon have no voice at all.
Zanzibar Muslims Stop Church Building, Erect Mosque NAIROBI, Kenya (Compass Direct News) – On an island off the coast of East Africa where the local government limits the ability of Christians to obtain land, officials in one town have colluded with area Muslims to erect a mosque in place of a planned church building. On the Tanzanian island of Zanzibar, Pastor Paulo Kamole Masegi of the Evangelistic Assemblies of God had purchased land in April 2007 for a church building in Mwanyanya-Mtoni, and by November of that year he had built a house that served as a temporary worship center, he said. Masegi intended for the house to serve eventually as his family’s home within the church compound, but on Nov. 11, 2007, his congregation began to worship there. Soon area Muslim residents objected, saying they didn’t like seeing the church in the area, said Pastor Lucian Mgaywa of the Church of God in Tanzania. “This was the beginning of the church’s tribulations,” Pastor Mgaywa said. In August 2009, local Muslims began to build a mosque just three feet away from the church plot, Pastor Mgaywa said. In November 2009, Pastor Masegi began building a permanent church structure. Angry Muslims invaded the compound and destroyed the structure’s foundation, the pastors said. Church leaders reported the destruction to police, who took no action – and also refused to release the crime report for court purposes, Pastor Masegi said. When he would inquire about the case, he said, the station head would inform him that the district police chief had the crime report and therefore it was not available. “So it’s not possible to take the file to the court, because doing so would amount to defending Christianity,” the station police chief told him, according to Pastor Masegi. With the district police chief sealing off any possibility of a court hearing, the church was unable to proceed with plans for building a permanent structure. In the meantime, construction of a mosque was well underway. It was completed by the end of December 2009. The planned church building’s fate appeared to have been sealed earlier this year when Western District Commissioner Ali Mohammed Ali notified Pastor Masegi that he had no right to hold worship in a “residential house.” The Feb. 16 letter from the commissioner to Pastor Masegi forbidding him to convert his house into a worship center confirmed the decision by the district chief of Bububu police station not to prosecute those who destroyed the foundation of the planned church building, he said. “Now the Christian faithful are feeling targeted even by the government officials,” said Pastor Masegi. “The region is predominantly Muslim, and attempts at evangelizing are always met with brutal resistance.” Since the prohibition to conduct worship services in his home, both police and area Muslims monitor Pastor Masegi’s movements, he said, and the congregation has no place to worship. In predominately Sunni Muslim Zanzibar, churches face other hurdles. There are restrictions on getting land to build churches, open preaching is outlawed and there is limited time on national television to air Christian programs. In government schools, religion classes are limited to Islam. Zanzibar is the informal designation for the island of Unguja in the Indian Ocean. The Zanzibar archipelago united with Tanganyika to form the present day Tanzania in 1964. Muslim traders from the Persian Gulf had settled in the region early in the 10th century after monsoon winds propelled them through the Gulf of Aden. The 1964 merger left island Muslims uneasy about Christianity, seeing it as a means by which mainland Tanzania might dominate them, and tensions have persisted. more >>
Christians we need to remember to pray for our brothers and sisters around the world who deal with this kind of stuff everyday. Read the article below.
Muslim Protesters Surround Worshippers in Indonesia DUBLIN (Compass Direct News) – Around 300 Muslim protesters and 300 police officers surrounded members of the Batak Christian Protestant Church (Huria Kristen Batak Protestan or HKBP) on Sunday as they worshiped in an open field in Ciketing, Bekasi, local sources said. “There were many police on guard, but the attackers were able to get very close to the congregation,” Theophilus Bela, president of the Jakarta Christian Communication Forum, said in a statement to international government and advocacy groups. “We are afraid that they will attack the church again next Sunday.” He added that a protester hit the Rev. Luspida Simanjuntak on the cheek. Police held back the shouting protesters while the church worshiped, but at one point they allowed Murhali Barda, leader of the Front Pembela Islam (FPI or Islamic Defenders Front) in Bekasi, through the cordon for an angry confrontation with church leaders, Voice of America (VOA) reported. Bekasi police commander Imam Sugianto told VOA that his forces were there to protect “both sides.” The New York Times quoted Sugianto as saying that, “If the local people don’t give their permission, they can’t worship here,” but Pastor Simanjuntak said the Bekasi administration had approved the church’s decision to meet in the field, according to The Jakarta Globe. “We demand the Bekasi administration to let the public know that they gave us the green light to conduct our prayers here,” Pastor Simanjuntak reportedly said. The 1,500-strong congregation, established some 15 years ago, initially met in each other’s homes before purchasing a residential property in the Pondok Timur housing complex in Bekasi for use as a worship building. The group then met in the building while they waited for local officials to respond to a building permit application filed in 2006. When Muslim neighbors in December objected to the meetings in the housing complex on the grounds that the church had no permit, officials banned church members from meeting there. As the local government had delayed the processing of its application for a building permit, the church ignored the ban, leading officials to seal the building on June 20. Bekasi Mayor Mochtar Mohammad on July 9 said he would allow the congregation to meet in public areas or at the city hall, according to the Globe. Pastor Simanjuntak chose to move to the proposed building site, and Sunday meetings at the field in Ciketing were soon greeted by crowds of protesters. The FPI’s Barda said the church’s insistence on worshipping at the site was a provocation, according to VOA. He also accused Christians in Bekasi of attempting to convert Muslims away from their religion, citing a recent Internet report claiming that the Mahanaim Foundation, a local Christian charity, had carried out a mass baptism of new converts. Foundation spokeswoman Marya Irawan, however, told The Jakarta Post that the crowds were not baptized but only invited to Mahanaim leader Henry Sutanto’s home as part of an effort to reach out to the poor. Pastor Simanjuntak’s church has now filed a case against the Bekasi administration. “I fully support any efforts to take this to the courts,” a local Christian leader who preferred to remain unnamed told Compass. “We need to respond through legal channels and let the government know that these attacks are a gross human rights violation.” Hard-line Islamic groups held a congress in Bekasi on June 20, and on June 27 announced their united intent to combat the “Christianization” of the region. Bonar Tigor Naipospos, spokesman for Indonesia’s Institute for Peace and Democracy (Setara), told VOA that unsubstantiated rumors about Christians using deceptive practices to convert Muslims have fueled the anger in Bekasi. He reportedly said that Muslims believe that Christians badger people to convert and entice them with money, food or other incentives. Pastor Simanjuntak has said that she and her church will continue meeting in the field, as they have nowhere else to go. more >>
Thanks for allowing God to work through you, these kidss have a great start to a new school year becuse of the work you have allowed him to do. Cowboy Fellowship
Ejok! (greetings) to our friends at Cowboy Fellowship from Karamoja, Uganda. It is hard to believe it has been 3 months since I (Kenneth) stood before you and received your prayers before we left for the mission field. For my family and I, we can definitely say that we’ve seen God’s hand of provision over us the whole way. He has provided in abundance during our transition and he is sustaining us now as we make a new life in a strange country. I would love to have you all keep us with what is going on and you can do so best through our blog http://www.williamsinthewilderness.com My wife, Kristi, and our children are all doing well. Kristi, gave birth to our 5th baby on August 8th. Her name is Selah Naomi Williams and she was 8 lbs 8 oz. She was born in our home and they are both doing well. It is something else to have a child in a place with no electricity and running water so we were praying some specific prayer requests like “please let it be in the day so we can see” , “please let it not be so hot”, etc. God answered all of our little prayers. She came at 8am in the morning after a night of rain so that it was nice and cool and there was daylight so that we didn’t have to use the lanterns. We have been blessed through it all.
As far as the work goes… Our main focus now is learning the language (Ngakarimojong) and will be for the next year. We have also gotten some money from a donor to proceed with the orphanage so we will try to complete it so we can get the kids in soon. My hope is that they will be back with us by Christmas. I don’t know if that is realistic or not but I’m praying and would love it if you would pray with me. We will make sure to keep you updated as it progresses. We would also love to hear from you and pray with you in whatever needs Cowboy Fellowship has. God bless and thank you for your support. Co-laborers in Christ,
1 Thessalonians 2:2 NIV We had previously suffered and been insulted in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in spite of strong opposition.
Many cite their past as their reason for not sharing the gospel. They had a bad experience, or they suffered some kind of humiliation, or the sense of failure is simply to much for them to overcome. As a result they decide to not share the gospel with those they love. Paul speaks directly to this point in the text above.
Even if they couldn't see the bruises, the scars, the blood they would have received from that beating in Philippi, certainly this was so fresh on Paul and Silas' mind, they told the Thessalonians about it. Certainly, as the opposition arose in Thessalonica, Paul would have warned the people of Thessalonica and would have said, "Things like this may happen to you as well" pointing to his past suffering.
But yet, it says, "He dared to preach the gospel in Thessalonica." He dared, after all of that in Philippi, he dared to walk down the road and show up at the next town because God had called him to go and tell somebody else. The two words…suffered and insulted… in our text are important. They're two different words in the Greek, and they mean two different things.
The word suffered refers to physical abuse. It refers to a beating, a severe beating. It refers to being pummeled, getting the snot beaten out of you. The word insulted refers to public humiliation. It refers to being treated badly. It refers to being made a public spectacle. It refers to being humiliated in front of your peers, or being humiliated in front of other people, being treated like an animal, being degraded and brought down, being shamefully treated. Paul says, "We weren't just physically battered, but we were shamefully treated us as well. They humiliated us in public. They stripped us down naked when they beat us. They put us in stocks in the inner cell. We weren't just beaten, but we were insulted. We were humiliated in front of everybody while we were there."(See Acts 16:19-40)
Despite the physical abuse, despite the public humiliation, despite the insults, despite all they endured in Philippi, they still decided to show up in Thessalonica and they still dare to tell them about the good news of Jesus, despite knowing the persecution could very easily happen again in that city. Despite their past, they continued to tell people about the good news.
I wonder how many times we don't share because of our past. We've tried it. We did it once. But we didn't have a good experience. They laughed at us. They told us it was a waste of time. They told us, "Aw, that's just for wimps. I don't need that." They told us they didn't care.
Whatever your past is, it's not nearly as colorful or nearly as painful as the things these men suffered in their past, yet they still dare to go to tell them the gospel. The people who opposed Paul and the gospel he proclaimed didn't just laugh at them. They didn't point fingers and call them names. They didn't refuse to sit with them at the dinner table. No, they severely beat them as they were chained up like animals, naked in front of everybody, then put them in the inner cell, and chained them up once again like dogs, yet they dared to tell the people of Thessalonica the gospel.
He points to the past, and he says, "It didn't stop us." And whatever your past maybe I pray it does not stop you from daring to tell someone about the Gospel as well.
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Romans 12:18 (NIV)
"Even God can't please everybody. Only a fool would try to do what even God can't do."
Have you realized that there are some people you can't please? No matter what you do or what you try or how nice you are to them. You just can't please everybody.
But the Bible tells says you don't need to please everybody. "It is dangerous to be concerned with what others think of you." (Proverbs 29:25 LB) It's an emotional trap when you start worrying about what other people think. We buy things we don't need with money we don't have to impress people we don't even like -- all because we think we must be liked by everyone in order to be happy. That's foolish!
Jesus said, "I only seek to please Him who sent me." (John 5:30 LB) Even Jesus didn't try to please everybody. One person wants it to rain; another doesn't want it to rain. I was one in Texas talking to oil people. They want oil prices to go up; the rest of us are hoping they'll go down. Even God can't please everybody. Only a fool would try to do what even God can't do.
In Luke 6:26 Jesus said, "Woe to you when all men speak well of you." (NIV) That's probably because the only time everybody's going to speak well of you is at your funeral!
I meet Christians all the time who must live with someone who makes life crazy. Every day they face someone who is an EGR (extra grace required). They say, "I try and try to make peace with this person, but I fail and I feel so guilty." The fact is, it may not be your fault. It may be the person you're trying to make peace with is just flat out difficult.
Give that person to God and focus on pleasing Him. more >>
While the World Cup might not be real popular in America, many in the rest of the world set their clocks by it. From the moment the final whistle blew on the 2010 world cup, fans from all around the world started the countdown to 2014 when the event will take place in South America. There is a strong Christian movement in Brazil and South America in general right now. Some in Brazil have already started making plans for evangelism work to take place surrounding the world cup in 2014. What foresight, vision, and extreme passion these men and women have! Not for a game, but for eternity. I wonder what part our church and others in America, might play in this event that captivates the world for weeks and causes millions to flock into the host country from all around the world? What a stage, what a mission, what an incredible opportunity, Soccer and Jesus who would have thought???
With my first daughter on the way, I was intrigued when I saw this article. Dr. Dobson's book Bringing up Boys was GREAT. When I heard he was releasing Bringing Up Girls I knew I would want to read it. Admittedly, I have not yet read his newest book but I plan to in the near future. The article linked here is something that anyone with girls should read. And you might want to pick up a copy of Dr. Dobson's books if you have boys or girls. They are worth the small investment.
1 Thessalonians 2:2 NIV...but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel...
When you consider the extreme suffering, persecution, pain, and torment that Paul has faced just before his arrival in Thessalonica one question naturally arises. Why in the world would Paul go to Thessalonica? Why would he go to proclaim the good news and risk more pain, humiliation, or possibly death? Then we naturally think "he must have really loved God to go do this for God." What makes peole like Paul do what they do?
The answer is simple, Paul did not do anything for God, instead he did things with God, there is a huge difference between the two. When I think back on my past and I began to think about all the things I've attempted for God, it is clear that some of them have worked out, but on the other hand many of them have failed miserably as well. When I consider the things I have done with God it is easy to see that not a single one has ever failed. There is a difference between doing things for God and doing things with God. We go out and we think we just need to just go do stuff for God. Wrong. We need to do things with God. Paul says, "With the help of God, we dared to tell you the gospel." Without God's help, these men wouldn't have gone to Thessalonica. If they didn't believe God was in the middle of this mission, and that God wanted them to be in this city, they wouldn't have packed up and headed to the next city. They would have instead gone home, but with the help of God and because God was in it, and because they wanted to participate with God, they went and they dared to tell these people in this new city the gospel.
May we never go out and try to tell somebody the gospel for God. May we never go out and try to do it because our pastor said we need to or we have to. Instead, we need to go out and do it with God. We know God wants us to do this. We know that Jesus wants all men to be called unto Himself to be saved. That's what's happening here in Thessalonica. The church of Thessalonica, what set them apart was they weren't doing these things for God; they were doing these things with God. May we never forget the difference between the two.
1 Thessalonians 2:1 NIVYou know, brothers, that our visit to you was not a failure.
Have you ever felt like a failure? Has anyone ever accused your ministry or something that you attempted to do for the kingdom of God to be a failure? Let's face it, failure is a part of life and we will all be forced to deal with it. Paul and his companions had dared to share the gospel while in Thessolanica and now as he ministers in Corinth he receives word that people are claiming that his ministry and his efforts in that city were a failure.
Some translations translate the word failure a little bit differently because it is a difficult word to translate from the Greek text. If you have a King James Version of the Bible, a New King James, a New American Standard, an English Standard Version of the Bible, they use the word vain. One translation says, "For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain." Another translation says, "You know, brothers and sisters, that our time with you was not wasted." The New English translation says, "For you yourselves know, brothers and sisters, about our coming to you. It has not proven to be purposeless."
The Greek word is kenos, it doesn't just mean wasted, and it doesn't just mean vain, and it doesn't just mean worthless, it means all of the above. It means whatever you put your energy and your effort and your time into turned out to be pointless. It turned out to be ineffective. It turned out to be a waste of time. In other words it turned out to not be worth the effort.
Paul calls the church to remember that while they were there, the things they did and the things they said and the way they dared to tell them His gospel, made a difference and had an effect on the lives of people all because they dared to share. Because they dared to do that, people's lives had been transformed and a city was in the process of being changed all because Paul and those with him dared to go and tell. They dared to share the gospel.
When we dare to tell others the good news we are not promised a 100% success rate. We are not guaranteed to receive accolades, awards, and the applause of all men. But we can be certain that the work we do in God's Kingdom is never wasted or pointless.
Maybe it's a sign from God but my dad just got an iphone. I would have never in a million years thought that my dad would own such a stunning piece of technology. If my dad can use it anyone can. He had never even had an email, now he has an iphone, crazy! Ok time to move on to my point.
"Sometimes when we talk about updating technology people will say that Paul didn't need the latest technology to spread the gospel. I think Paul did use the best technology available at the time. He did not write his letters on stone tablets or paint them on cave walls. He often traveled by ship or by horseback rather than by foot. I believe that if Paul lived in the twenty-first century, he would have a blog detailing his missionary journeys, stream his sermons on the internet, and send pastoral emails to the churches in Asia. When he said that he used all means possible so that he might save some, I can't help but believe that would include cutting-edge technology."
At Cowboy Fellowship we have always tried to be up to date on the latest technology without jumping into fads or crazy things that no one else is using. We were one of the first Cowboy Churches to have a web site, put sermons and other media up for others to download, and as far as I know we are the only Cowboy church that streams live video from our weekend services. We use video and other media in our worship services. We have cameras to ensure that everyone gets the best view possible as well. I just wonder what's next?
My dad has an iphone... and with the new ipad now on the market I just wonder what it means for the church. I can't see myself ever preaching from an ipad, but if I was sitting in church every week as a member I would love to read my bible and follow along with the sermon notes on one. I wonder if a church app for Cowboy Fellowship would be useful for anyone? App development has gotten much cheaper and the church app could tie into our live sermon streams, media, podcasts, calendar, online giving, announcements, and much more. I don't know what all this means, all I know is my dad has an iphone and that has to mean something. Do you think we should be the first Cowboy Church to have an iphone/ipad app? Let me know, I really want to hear from you! Leave a comment or email me. more >>
There seems to be an increasing interest among many people about Angels I read a book many years ago that was very well researched and written entitled Angels: Elect and Evil by C. Fred Dickason. He covers just about any topic you can imagine when it comes to both good and bad angels. There is a great deal of scripture in this book to back up each of his points. I don't consider myself to be an expert on this topic, but if things like this interest you, this book is worth a read. It really helped me to understand more about Angels.
For some reason many church leaders and church members have incorrectly assumed that just because the church belongs to God the devil will leave it alone. They are wrong. In fact, this makes the church even more likely to be attacked because the devil is opposed to all things that are Holy, right, pleasing, and praiseworthy. He wants to destroy your church I promise. Others know he is there, they see him working but they refuse to confront the issue or admit that there is a problem, once again incorrectly assuming that the devil will just get tired and leave. The fact of the matter is, the devil is either in your church or trying to get in. Scripture declares that he was present and at work in no fewer than 7 New Testament churches. Paul also indicated that there was a good possibility that he was at work in an eighth church as well.
7)Philadelphia Rev. 3:9 8) Thessalonica- 1 Thess 3:5- He knew that “the tempter” (i.e., Satan; cf. Mt 4:3) had been at work among them and that God permits the enemy this activity. What Paul did not know about the Thessalonians, however, was whether or not the tempter’s solicitations had been successful, making his work and that of his colleagues “useless.”1
If he attacked and attempted to destroy these churches why would he not attack yours? The fact of the matter is, the devil is at work and he will destroy not only individual believers, but the churches that seek to honor God as well. Be on your guard, help protect your church, because the enemy is on the prowl.
1. Kenneth L. Barker and John R. Kohlenberger, eds. Zondervan NIV Bible Commentary. Accordance electronic ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994), n.p.
This year's mission trip to Kenya was by far one of the most challenging, and yet one of the most rewarding trips I have ever been a part of. Our team this year consisted of 8 youth – Jay Hill, Jordan Solomon, Derek Lucas, Taylor Shearrer, Josh Neumann, Shelbee Ripple, Sarah Price, and Katie Elmer- and 4 Adults – Tanner Butkay, Mike and Barbara Dickmann, and Scott Shearrer. This year’s trip was a little different then the previous years in that all of our witnessing was through our service. For the entire trip all we did was work, and when I say work, I mean WORK!!! The Kenyans bring a new meaning to the word work, because I would feel confident in speaking for the whole team in saying this was the hardest work any of us have ever done. We mixed concrete by hand, hauled dirt and rock to mix with the concrete, hauled trees for support beams, and spent a couple days cutting and bending rebar to create the support beams for the roof.
The building that we were working on is going to be the new school building for the students going into 4th grade all the way up to 7th grade. This is so rewarding to be a part of, because in helping get this building completed, we are a part of helping insure that these students are not only getting an education, but making sure that the students are also hearing the gospel on a daily basis. I believe that this is also a big part of why this trip was so trying. The devil knew what our mission was and was definitely at work trying to destroy it as well, by attacking our team. But our goal was not to please ourselves, or make the Kenyans happy, it was to serve God by doing whatever it was that he called us to, and by turning to him in our times of trial, we were able to overcome, through his strength and guidance, during our weakest times. One of the most encouraging things I was able to experience was that after talking with some of the workers over there, they informed us that we were the only team to ever come in for a major construction project and actually stick with it for the entire time. Usually, because the work is so hard, people can’t handle it so they end up doing something else. This was encouraging because after doing the work, and knowing that it was all through God’s strength that we were able to persevere, we were able to complete the task and finish what it was that God set before us to do, and lives will be changed as a result. Thanks again for all of your support, financial and prayer, for us for this trip. Check out the pictures below of our trip.
Having worked in Kenya with Cowboy Fellowship and Operation H2O for the past six years I am very familiar with the Mungiki. Most Americans have never heard of them but they are an extremely radical and violent group that at one time threatened to overthrow the Kenyan government and they may have had the means and ability to actually do so. Several years ago the paper in Kenya reported on multiple beheadings each day in the countries capital of Nairobi. The story below just goes to show how powerful our God is. We can look at this man's conversion with understandable skepticism but I truly believe our God is mighty to save even people like this.
Two decades ago, Maina Njenga created a quasi-religious sect known as Mungiki, whose young men snuffed tobacco, prayed to Mount Kenya, and took oaths of loyalty. The gang became synonymous with grisly machete killings, extortion, and organized crime.
In early December, Njenga seemed to take a step in the other direction, renouncing the group he led for 20 years and being baptized into one of East Africa's largest churches. An estimated 500 Mungiki sect members followed suit in baptism as Njenga had promised.
"Let those who were doubting know we are now moving on while they have been left behind," he said.
The leader of a sort of Kenyan mafia claimed he converted to Christianity during a 29-month detainment on murder charges dropped due to lack of evidence.
Local evangelical leaders were skeptical: past Mungiki leaders have made the same claim but stayed involved in gang activities. Most took a wait-and-see approach, praying that Njenga's baptism at Jesus Is Alive Ministries would be the beginning of a movement of God among the millions of Mungiki, all young men from Kenya's largest ethnic group, the Kikuyu.
"I am not scared to welcome Mungiki into my church," said Daniel Thiuri, moderator of the Baptist Convention of Kenya, which includes more than 4,000 congregations. "I was a sinner. God doesn't rank sin. He forgives all of us. Everyone has the right to come to Christ."
Catholic Bishop Martin Kivuva, head of the Diocese of Machakos in Nairobi, said only time will tell if Njenga and his followers have truly reformed or if they are using churches to become more acceptable to the public.
"It is only by their fruits that we shall know whether they are genuine," said Kivuva. "I will definitely not say, 'Hallelujah, they have all changed.'"
Working in a place haunted daily by Mungiki bogus taxes and beatings, Baptist pastor Charles Mwangi said he's seeing evidence of change. In the past, Mungiki gangsters would show up to his Bible study groups in the Dagoretti marketplace to steal and wreak havoc. Now, Mwangi said, more than 60 Mungiki come to learn Bible stories next to women they had previously extorted.
"Is Njenga's conversion real? Only he can answer that question," Mwangi said. "What I can tell you is that I'm seeing hardened gangsters changing their lives for Christ. Something like this is never a small thing to God."
In case you have not heard, our baby girl arrived at 9:27 pm on Tuesday, July 27th 2010. She weighed in at 6 pounds 1 ounce and was 19 1/2 inches long. Mom and Hadley are both doing great. We are all just tired. Peter Isaac is adjusting well in his new role as BIG brother. She will not be at church this weekend of course but I will be sure to bring some pictures for all to see. Some are posted on my Face book, and I should have more up there sometime tomorrow as well. Abby and I both would like to thank everyone for their prayers and support. We are so blessed to have a church family like you guys at Cowboy Fellowship!
JAKARTA, Indonesia (Compass Direct News) – Public order personnel on Monday supported Bogor police officers who demolished a house where a church regularly met in a village in Bogor Regency, West Java. Clashes broke out with church members and others as police tore down the Narogong Pentecostal Church building in Limusnunggal village, Cileungsi sub-district, and officers arrested 10 people. The structure was located on the Narogong Highway in Bogor Regency, south of Jakarta. Those arrested were questioned and released, according to Police Commissioner Zulkarnain Harahap. Some officers and a civilian were reportedly injured. Dozens of people tried to stop Bogor police from demolishing the building, as rumors of the impending destruction had spread far beyond the area. Church members had been guarding the building since the early morning the day it was to be demolished, but a senior police official told The Jakarta Post that he suspected many of the demonstrators were from outside the area. Eddy Hidayat, head of Bogor police operations, said officials were forced to destroy the building because it lacked a use permit. “The permit was for a home, but it was used as a place of worship,” Hidayat told Compass. The building coordinator for the Pentecostal church, Hotlan P. Silaen, said police were not neutral in the dispute but succumbed to the pressure of the Muslim group. “The clash with citizens could have been avoided if the police had been neutral and not been goaded into a situation that caused bodily harm,” Silaen said. Area residents, including non-Christians, had accepted the presence of the church, said local Block Captain Junaedi Syamsudin. He said local people had no objections to the church and there had never been any problems with its presence. “It was named a house of worship, and there was no problem,” he told Compass, adding that conflicts may have arisen because the church was located in a house rather than in a traditional church building. The church met without incident until the emergence in 2008 of an opposition group calling itself the Forum of the Muslim Brotherhood of Limusnanggal, Syamsudin said. This group worked persistently to have the church eliminated, and three months ago its members went to Cileungsi offices to object to its presence. The Islamic group “met with regency officials and had an audience with the regent,” Syamsudin said. “In the last meeting with the regent, he promised that his orders would be carried out on July 19.” Deputy Senior Police Commissioner Tomex Kurniawan maintained that the police presence had been positive and kept the conflict from spreading. “Hundreds of people were blocking the way and prepared to fight when the house of worship was demolished,” he said, asserting that officers were able to calm emotions and forestall further violence. “We worked to keep the hundreds from being drawn in to fighting against officials.” Kurniawan said two of his men were injured while trying to maintain peace. The Rev. Rekson Sitorus said the more than 200 people who attend the church, which has existed since 2006, have lost their place of worship. The nearest venue for worship is far away for the congregation, many of whom work in the Bantar Gebang garbage dump, he said. The church is in the process of applying for a permit for a church building, he said. Sitorus said the church will take legal action against those responsible for demolishing the house, including the Bogor administration. more >>
Genesis 6:22 NIV Noah did everything just as God commanded him.
From the Life Application Study Bible: Noah got right to work when God told him to build the huge boat. Other people must have been warned about the coming disaster (1 Peter 3:20), but apparently they did not expect it to happen. Today things haven’t changed much. Each day thousands of people are warned of God’s inevitable judgment, yet most of them don’t really believe it will happen. Don’t expect people to welcome or accept your message of God’s coming judgment on sin. Those who don’t believe in God will deny his judgment and try to get you to deny God as well. But remember God’s promise to Noah to keep him safe. This can inspire you to trust God for deliverance in the judgment that is sure to come.
Life Application Study Bible, Accordance electronic ed. (Carol Stream: Tyndale House Publishers, 2004), n.p.
“When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.” Nehemiah 1:4 (NIV)
This text calls attention to several questions every true believer must dare to answer. First, what breaks your heart? Nehemiah was not just moved when he heard about the plight of his country and countrymen, he was broken. His heart was not just touched, it ached with pain. His spirit was not just stimulated, it was shattered. He sat down and wept bitterly over the things he had just heard. The Hebrew text implies that this horrific news caused him to abruptly become torn and broken before God. Have you experienced this same brokenness as you passed a homeless man on the street or witnessed a single mother struggle to feed her children? Has your heart been shattered at the news of children who drink contaminated water, die of hunger, or remain uneducated in third world countries? What have you seen or heard that caused abrupt and sudden brokenness in your life? The second question is what will you do about that which breaks your heart? Nehemiah sat down and wept, he prayed and fasted continually for some time, through his shattered heart. He was immediately moved to become spiritually involved. His spiritual involvement then lead him to approach the king for permission to become physically involved in the situation. Brokenness is worthless if we refuse to act. Your shattered heart is God’s prompting for action. Certain cases will demand only spiritual action such as praying and fasting for that which breaks your heart. However, at times God will demand that you act physically as well. This may entail going, giving, recruiting, fund raising, leading, serving, or even moving among other things. There is no greater tragedy in all the world then a broken heart that is wasted when one refuses to respond with the action that God desires.
"Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles so that we may be able to comfort those experiencing any trouble with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow toward us, so also our comfort through Christ overflows to you." 2 Corinthians 1:3–5 NET
Life Application Study Bible
Many think that when God comforts us, our troubles should go away. But if that were always so, people would turn to God only out of a desire to be relieved of pain and not out of love for him. We must understand that being “comforted” can also mean receiving strength, encouragement, and hope to deal with our troubles. The more we suffer, the more comfort God gives us. If you are feeling overwhelmed, allow God to comfort you. Remember that every trial you endure will help you comfort other people who are suffering similar troubles.
[1]Life Application Study Bible, Accordance electronic ed. (Carol Stream: Tyndale House Publishers, 2004), n.p. more >>
Hey here is the last post for Haiti in this series. This was the last day and when I started off the morning I was really excited about being able to work all day and put in a good day of work. Ha ha... my body had other plans I did not know about! I did good for the first 3 hours, then I got sicker then a dog. I went to a small room close to the school to cool down and the next thing I knew I had passed out. I woke up right before lunch and felt great. I took some time, ate some lunch, talked with our Medical staff and went back to work.... Thankfully the clouds blew in and it was cloudy and windy. The next thing I know, one of the workers wives came running up to us and was in tears. Their baby had a seizure and they did not know what to do. One of the greatest things that we often forget, and is one of the first things that people of third would countries do first, the workers came around, grasped hands, and started to sing. After a song of intercession, they all started to pray at once. This went on for thirty minutes. I have no idea what they sung. I have no idea what they prayed. All I knew was that I was there in this circle of men and was a part of what God was doing in their life and the life of that little boy. It's overwhelming, I remember that my prayer was this, God hear the prayers of these men. I know that Daniel had prayed and the answer was coming but was delayed, so I had prayed with tears in my eyes that a mighty host of angels would be able to deliver this message to our God and that they would fight to come and help deliver His answer for this little boy. That was what was on my heart and in my mouth as I prayed along side of these men. This is where the video blog picks up, after this time of prayer that I had with them. I did not deserve to be a part of that time, but yet God allowed me to be a part of those people's lives. If you listen you to will be able to be a part of the lives of other people not your own. My question to you is this: who does not deserve to be used by God and continually are? Will you go somewhere? Will you join in the work God is doing? Will you Go?
Wednesday was a busy day. The California team left, and it was a hectic morning, so I did not get to video blog. I did take several videos of work being done. Again, it started to get hot during the day, it was 100 degrees in the shade and the humidity was very high. I had not worked like this since college really. Or I am just older now and I was having a flashback to working back in the day... ha ha ha.. Just working slow and consistently seems to be the key. That's what the men here in Haiti do. Here in America we work hard and fast. If you do that in Haiti, you will be picking yourself up off the ground like I did once or twice, or if your not careful, someone else will be picking you up off the ground. You find out more about that on my next post. God was faithful to provide energy when I needed it. Thursday ended up being our day alone. The Cali team had left and it was just Michael and I. He was working with the clinic and I was working with the workers. It started off a great day with some clouds and showers, and it was a good day, but still very humid. Still my question to you is, where is God opening the door for you to go? You have to get that passport, you have to challenge your friends to come with you. Don't be satisfied with just being safe. Take yourself outside of the comfort zone and go and explore and see where else God is at work besides just in your home town. Have a great day and I pray you have gotten something from these posts that help draw you just a little bit closer to God. Have a great day everyone. Scotty
Hey everyone, You will hear from me today about it being day 3 for me. What happen to arriving on day one and day 2? Video blogging had slipped my mind, but i did film a lot of the destruction. Those clips are on the YouTube site if you would like to check them out. I had arrived on a Saturday and man, coming to the camp was a 3.5 hour drive and 2.5 hours of that was spent in a heavy downpour in the back of a truck. Ha ha, so there was not much to see there. Sunday was church day. It was a great time of church, very hot of course, and then they took us out to the beach later that day since there was no work to be done. We got to swim in the ocean all afternoon, saw a huge eel that was over 4 foot long, it was so cool. I found some amazing sea shells to bring back to my boys and my wife. I was able to film a lot of tent cities on the way to the beach and back, and a Samaritan's Purse water purification plant for one of the tent cities we passed by. I was amazed at how much Samaritan's Purse actually did in Haiti. It was quite incredible. The one really good thing I noted in those 3 days was how much access to clean water the people had. People who have been helping Haiti have made it a huge point to be able to get them access to much needed clean water for drinking. I sure that has helped a lot. Enjoy the video blog, and I know the verse I share from is addressing as a verse of salvation, but also at the face value of the story, it challenges us to be open and honest and to do. But please use this as a question to yourself......... Will You Go?
I knew I would want to read it. Admittedly, I have not yet read his newest book but I plan to in the near future. 
the following about Technology:
by C. Fred Dickason. He covers just about any topic you can imagine when it comes to both good and bad angels. There is a great deal of scripture in this book to back up each of his points. I don't consider myself to be an expert on this topic, but if things like this interest you, this book is worth a read. It really helped me to understand more about Angels. 
