The Village Pastor's Weblog

This Blog is Moving

villagepastor — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 21:29:52 +0000

I am in the process of moving this blog to a different hosting service, to allow for more flexibility–I need things to be quick and easy, and frankly, some of the functions of the new site are both compared to this host site. So, you will find all new posts at the following link. Hopefully you those feeds that link here will be changed shortly. Until then, please go here, and change any favorites, feeds, or links you have for this site to:

www.gbcvillagepastor.blogspot.com

Older posts will remain here unless or until I can find a way to import them to the new site.

Follow up on the Bible Reading sermon

villagepastor — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 18:11:28 +0000

If you wanted to check out any of the resources mentioned in yesterday’s messge, click here to get to the audio, outline, and additional helps mentioned.

And let me add two additional encouraging words for you.

First, if you miss a day, or two, or a week, DON’T QUIT. As soon as you realize this and want to get back to it, start where you left off. Don’t let guillt keep you away–that is Satan’s tool, not God’s, in this case. I miss from time to time, and so does everybody else, I imagine. If you don’t, then I want to learn from you–seriously! Vacations and times when my schedule is not my own are especially hard on consistency.

Second, if I didn’t mention this in your service–choose a version you want to read and find helpful to read. For reading (not in-depth study) you can use the ESV, the NIV, the Message, the NLT, the NASB, the HCSB, the KJV, the NKJV–you name it, as long as it is a translation that seeks to be faithful to the meaning of the original text. All these are translations–from very free (the Message) to very literal (the NASB). After you get going at this, you may change versions if you are covering similar ground to have the Word speak in fresh ways to your heart.

If you went to a Grace Group after the messge, then you know that one of the matters we hope to instill in our community groups is accountability. Can I encourage you to have others who ask you how your reading is going? It is a way fellow believers can encourage and exhort each other to keep it up.

I’m praying for you all this week, that you will be reading and having God teach you this week!

2010 in review

villagepastor — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 23:20:09 +0000

The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health:

The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads This blog is doing awesome!.

Crunchy numbers

A helper monkey made this abstract painting, inspired by your stats.

A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 4,200 times in 2010. That’s about 10 full 747s.

In 2010, there were 22 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 116 posts. There was 1 picture uploaded, taking a total of 73kb.

The busiest day of the year was October 27th with 44 views. The most popular post that day was George Mueller, Prayer, and the Will of God.

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were gracecedarville.info, gracejoomla.philschanely.com, facebook.com, Google Reader, and alphainventions.com.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for matt chandler the village, advent reading schedule, a million miles in a thousand years, good sermons to listen to, and the great sadness.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

George Mueller, Prayer, and the Will of God October 2010

Praying for Matt Chandler December 2009

The Great Sadness: The Shack’s Kitsch March 2009
1 comment

A Theological Nit to Pick in our Advent Book December 2009
2 comments

Where to listen to some good sermons… April 2008
1 comment

Does the Shoe Fit? | CCEF

villagepastor — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 21:42:50 +0000

This excellent article by David Powlison reminds me, and us, that God uses critics in our life to help us grow. Click here to read.

A Gem from Spurgeon

villagepastor — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 16:36:09 +0000

From today’s “Morning and Evening, Spurgeon comments on Joel’s directive to “rend your hearts, and not your garments…”

HEART-RENDING is divinely wrought and solemnly felt. It is a secret grief which is personally experienced, not in mere form, but as a deep, soul-moving work of the Holy Spirit upon the inmost heart of each believer. It is not a matter to be merely talked of and believed in, but keenly and sensitively felt in every living child of the living God. It is powerfully humiliating, and completely sin-purging; but then it is sweetly preparative for those gracious consolations which proud unhumbled spirits are unable to receive; and it is distinctly discriminating, for it belongs to the elect of God, and to them alone.

Spurgeon, C. H. (2006). Morning and evening : Daily readings (Complete and unabridged; New modern edition.). Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers.

Hallelujah!

villagepastor — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 21:34:15 +0000

This performance at Macy’s in Philadelphia has to make you just a bit more joyful, and that’s good, since tomorrow’s Advent theme is JOY!

Pray for Dr. Ebersole

villagepastor — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 19:36:52 +0000

Dr. Russ Ebersole, Jr.

Many of you may know Dr Russ Ebersole, Jr., who serves in Togo with ABWE at their hospital there. I just received word that he has had to be evacuated from the country due to a serious medical condition, but have no further word on the disease or his condition. I do want to encourage all of us to be praying for him. The work that is being done for the advance of the gospel through this hospital is hard to overstate, and Dr. Ebersole’s contribution is very significant. Pray for him, for his family, and for the work of God there.

Amazing Testimony from N. Korean student

villagepastor — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 20:05:37 +0000

Click on the link below to watch a 9 minute video that was one of the highlights of the Cape Town 2010 meetings, and a glimpse into the work of God in North Korea.

Truth :: Testimony from North Korea | 12 CITIES | 12 CONVERSATIONS.

Links for Global Praying!

villagepastor — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 14:35:22 +0000

Alright, it’s been almost a week, and I’ve not gotten these links and information published yet. But, here we go, finally!

For those looking for information concerning the persecuted church

Open Doors USA–founded by Brother Andrew, who was known as God’s Smuggler from his years of carrying Bibles behind the Iron Curtain. And I would encourage you to read God’s Smuggler, Brother Andrew’s autobiography, too! Open Doors has connections around the world and mobilizes Christians to help in situations of state persecution.

Voice of the Martyrs was started by Richard Wurmbrand, a Romanian pastor whose amazing story is told in his autobiography, Tortured for Christ (another great book to read). This organization also keeps track of persecution, and provides opportunities to help the oppressed.

Operation World–by Jason Mandryk. You can find various places online to buy this book, or get it from Amazon.com here. Learn about missions and evangelism in every place around the world. Pray for believers and workers everywhere. It’s a big book, but it’s a big world to pray for!

Global Prayer Digest is a monthly prayer guide that highlights an unreached people group every day, and also tells of those seeking to reach these groups. This is an eye-opening resource.

You don’t have to do everything, but let the Spirit of God guide you to do something!

John MacArthur on the Potential Perils of Social Media

villagepastor — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 14:10:25 +0000

John MacArthur never wavers from examining current issues and offering a perspective informed by his lifelong study and pastoral concern, and social media’s popularity is one of the biggest. This article from his blog presents some thoughts worth considering. While not condemning, it is a cautionary note we should consider, especially our younger Christian brothers and sisters.

Click here.