Thank you for leaving a comment!!! Jesus got much worse treatment than the rebels of our time. He was crucified for us.

Keep reaching out. Most of us do not do that…and then we wonder why the church is not growing. It is because of us. We are to make it grow…not the pastor. He is to teach and minister, etc. But we have to make the fields grow so to speak. And most of us do not do it well at all…no matter what our ages are.

By the way, I don’t imagine that anything you can do to reach out to people is anywhere nearly so “radical” as the things Jesus did. I would like to know what kinds of efforts you and others are making which result in “nothing short of contempt”.

There is another “radical” which also needs to be met in the church. It is called “radical hospitality”. People read the book from which the term is taken, FIVE PRACTICES OF FRUITFUL CONGREGATIONS by Robert Schnase. It is a terrific book. Anyway, when I read the chapter on “radical hospitality,” I was amazed. It was nothing more that what is written in the Bible about hospitality!! It is a good book. If we all did that stuff, we would end up with more Christians, and the churches would thrive…but we don’t do it.

Once again. Thanks for leaving comments. Keep reaching out. It will be successful…even if you cannot see it. Part of our problem is that if we do not immediately see the results of our labors, we stop. We must persevere.

When I started our website, about three or four people a day would come. When I began “Read the Bible in a Year” page and blog, nobody seemed to be there. I write almost daily and rarely hear from a soul. But I know people are out there so I continue.

Once again, you and your friends continue reaching out no matter how you are treated. Christian love will always win the day. But you may not see the outcome.

Bless you,

Carol

I remember worrying about tests…oh, did I worry! But all I did was to use up energy I could have used in studying. One thing I think many of us do not realize is that it takes lots of energy to worry. Worry diverts us from the constructive activities which we want to do. We are not able to focus well on our task at hand…and then we worry some more.

It seems to me to be a vicious circle. Until we are able to break it, we will continue to chase ourselves in a circle.

I cannot imagine that Jesus worried, can you? He knew what He had to do in His life, and He went right ahead and did them…despite everything. Just think of all the things He could have worried about. But He did not use His energy in that way. He used it to heal, preach, teach, and finally to die for our salvation.

What a life! What a gift!

Bless you and Brad,

Carol

I liked what you had to say about worrying. No matter how much we worry, the Lord will give us what we need in His time. It may not be what we want but our heavenly Father know what we truly need. I am worried about my last 3 week of this semesters college classes. I have numerous papers and final exams. But in the end, I am assured and comforted by My Lord because I know he loves me and will help and all of us get thru life…one day and one prayer at a time.

God Bless You!!
Barb Bidwell

Thank you so much for your comment!! It is good to know that somebody is “out there”. Doing this Bible in a Year is kind of an act of faith on my part. I have no special knowledge, but I wanted a program to be available for people who might want to participate. Thank you for participating.

Thanks also for the link to your article. As you thought, I had just included the footnote which was in my Bible. At the time I wondered who decided to include/exclude the remaining chapters.

I have not read your article completely yet, but I will because you have done some terrific work on it. I also am terribly curious about such things.

Once again, thank you for participating.

God bless you and your church!

Carol, website editor, budding computer guru, JGIT (Junior Geek in Training)

Regarding that footnote about Mark 16:9-20 — it isn’t worded very well. Two important Greek manuscripts from the 300’s do not contain Mark 16:9-20. But three patristic writers in the 100’s used material from Mark 16:9-20. Irenaeus, bishop of Lyons, explicitly quoted Mark 16:19 and said that he was quoting from near the end of the Gospel of Mark, in the third volume of his composition “Against Heresies” (III:10:5-6), and that was in 184, more than 100 years earlier than those two copies from the 300’s.

In addition, one of those copies (Vaticanus) has a blank space after Mark 16:8, and the other one does not have its original pages from Mark 14:54 all the way to Luke 1:56.

For more details, I welcome you to read an online presentation that I have developed especially to address the issue of whether or not Mark 16:9-20 is authentic Scripture. It includes replicas of manuscript-pages and lists some patristic evidence. It begins at
http://www.curtisvillechristian.org/MarkOne.html .

Yours in Christ,

James Snapp, Jr.
Minister, Curtisville Christian Church
Tipton, Indiana
(Class of 1986, Northfield H.S.)

It was not my intent to justify bigotry against people with epilepsy. I have had it for 30 plus years myself. What I was trying to do was to explain why the disciples were ineffective. I see that I didn’t write this piece very well. I had trouble writing it and was trying not to do what I seem to have done.

Thank you for commenting. I will be more careful with what I say. Epilepsy can be difficult enough without my adding fuel to the fire so to speak.

I checked out your blog. I like what you have done with it. Thank you.

God Bless you as well.

Carol

This story is problematic for those of us with E. because it has been used in so many ways to justify bogotry against persons with E.

God Bless you.
Paula Apodaca
http://www. epilepsy-paula.blogspot.com

Thanks for commenting! What a joy to know that someone is out there. I understand that God is with me so I am not alone.

But it certainly is nice when a person shows up. Thanks for telling your Sunday School class.

Hello to Archdale UMC!!

Carol

I clicked on the link to your church’s “Read the Bible in a Year” link from our church webpage in North Carolina. This is a wonderful ministry. Thank you for sharing with us.

I am sorry you have been sick and that you have been alone in your postings! Of course you know that you are never alone. I am not planning to continue this journey with you, but wanted you to know that I am sending a prayer to our Father for peace, health, wisdom for you and fruitfulness for your ministry.

Thanks for sharing. I will share this site with my Sunday School members.
Carolyn