Published on February 16th, 2008 | Guest Posts

This week I’m beginning a new section on my blog called “Truth Streams.”

In this section, I will feature truth (words) from the Body of Christ. I believe it’s important for people to drink from a variety of streams and ministries in order to experience a deeper and richer journey with the Lord.

I’m excited about this section because I can share with you some of the wonderful streams and ministries I’ve enjoyed over the years.

Until then.

Blessings,
Charlie†

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Published on February 15th, 2008 | Technology

What Is A Blog?

A blog is an easy-to-use web site, where you can quickly post thoughts and interact with others. Most blogs are primarily textual, although you will find some focused on art, photographs, videos, and music. Blogs have become a large part of a wide social media network.

A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive way is a very important social aspect of blogs.

Micro-blogging is another type that consists of blogs with very short posts. The possibilities are really endless on what types of blogs and information that you can disseminate. This information is then easily read using their web browser.

Is Your Website RSS Ready?

Blogs use a technology called RSS (Really Simple Syndication) to deliver news and information to users’ desktops. RSS is an alternative way of accessing vast amounts of information that exists on the internet. By using your standard web browser or hand held unit (such as a cell phone or PDA), you can quickly view anything that delivers information using this technology.

What Does RSS Mean?

RSS is an acronym and stands for Real Simple Syndication. It’s used to allow people to subscribe to news or blog feeds. Many of you have already subscribed to newsletters which you view by email. RSS technology takes that concept to a whole new level because it places all of your information (called subscriptions) into a single place called a “feed reader” or “aggregator.”

The really cool thing about RSS feeds is that they are real-time. This means that as soon as the news or blog is published, it is immediately sent to your “feed reader” for your viewing pleasure.

Think of it like a microwave – instant gratification. It quickly cooks up all your content subscriptions and serves them back to you – nice and piping hot.

Instead of browsing countless websites for information of interest, the information you want is sent directly to you. The beauty of this being that you can receive RSS feeds from all of your favorite websites that use this technology. You can scan for the latest information from a wide range of topics without ever having to visit hundreds of web pages or websites.

Think of it like T.V. without all the commercials. Sweet!

There are two parts to this RSS system that makes all this work.

1. Your RSS capable web browser like FireFox, IE, and Mozilla.
2. A website which makes its content available via RSS Feeds.

Want to try it out? Subscribe to our blog entries.

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Did I mention it was free?

Blessings,
Charlie†

Published on February 14th, 2008 | Articles, Technology

When is the marketplace not the marketplace? When it’s acting like the church. The paradigm shift taking place in businesses around the world is astounding when compared with the shifts in our nation’s churches. Recently, I listened to a recording of a telephone interview with a panel of entrepreneurs from the marketplace. After about five minutes into the conversation, I could have sworn I was sitting on an Elder board in a local church.

The theme was focused on the corporate world and how they were trying to take full advantage of the changing landscape. They all recognized that the rules were changing and that the institutionalized methods would never thrive in the next decade. While listening to them, I realized the mistakes that have occurred in the corporate world are the very same ones being made by the Church.

One of the panel members was Seth Godin, an entrepreneur who recently wrote a book called “Meatball Sundae.” In this book, he addresses the changing landscape in the corporate world and how best to position ourselves for this new paradigm.

In the marketplace, new ideas, new technologies, and new media are beginning to emerge. Larger institutionalized corporations are trying to tap into these by simply transplanting or adding those methods into their current business model. What happens is that these great new methods end up becoming more like an appendage rather than the new business model they were intended to become. What these entrepreneurs are quickly discovering is that this kind of thinking will never work in business world.

If it will never work in the marketplace, it most certainly will never work in the Church.

I believe that God is speaking loudly from the marketplace.

What Is He Saying?

I believe He’s saying that the landscape of the institutional Church as we know it is changing. There are emerging voices with very different choices and ideas on how to do church differently in the 21st Century.

The institutional Church has missed it the same way the corporate world has. People simply don’t want to spend their entire lives sitting in some cubical or in a pew somewhere to simply become fodder for some rising corporate star or charismatic leader. (Ouch!)

What the Church needs to learn are the lessons from the corporate world – that the landscape has become much more relational, far more social than we have ever imagined possible. If the Church is willing to think outside the box, we can uniquely position ourselves to take full advantage of the changing climate over the next decade.

History Lesson

This is not the first time that God has spoken through the marketplace. We only have to look at Joseph, who in one day became the corporate CEO of the entire nation of Egypt.

Joseph, in many ways, was a pioneer – an entrepreneur. Because of his relationship with God, Joseph was able to accurately forecast a seven year bull market. He knew by revelation that the hottest commodity would be food; more specifically wheat.

When the bull market ended seven years later, he knew (again, by revelation) that a bear market would begin and last seven years. In fact, because of the great famine, it was more like a stock market crash. Joseph took full advantage of every business opportunity, every leverage, in order to obtain great riches for the nation of Egypt. Joseph became uniquely positioned to be a provision; not only for his family, but for the entire earth.

The rest is history. Joseph made a killing (financially speaking) and saved millions of lives, creating new jobs in the process. During his life, Joseph became the second most powerful man in the entire world.

God works in the marketplace to advance His own purposes.

Lessons Learned

What we need to learn is that in the Church, as in the marketplace, there are pioneers and there are settlers. Pioneers are those who explore new technologies and new ways of thinking. Settlers are those who embrace these new technologies and further expand them by helping to fully develop and establish other practical uses for them.

We need pioneers to push the envelope; to explore uncharted waters. However, we also need settlers who will occupy the land and establish new businesses based upon emerging technologies. In any healthy corporation, as in any church, we need to embrace and appreciate both types of individuals. We need to honor and appreciate their gifts, talents, and abilities and help to further develop them for the greater good.

Pioneers and settlers both view the emerging landscape quite differently. Neither is right or wrong – they simply approach it from a different perspective. If we can appreciate our differences and realize that in a healthy environment it is not simply one or the other but by necessity both, then together we can excel and the possibilities will be endless.

We need to learn these lessons if we want to harness the power of the pioneering spirit while fulfilling the social needs of the settlers. Both bring values to the table. Both need to be embraced.

In the Church and in the marketplace there are ministries and businesses that are running parallel to their older institutional counterparts. These are the pioneers – these are the entrepreneurs in the Church and in the marketplace. Once new ground is taken, the settlers (social relationships) must be encouraged to follow and do what only they can do best – take this new ground, expand it and develop it.

I believe that some of the greatest ideas and concepts have yet to emerge. I believe some are still lying dormant, deep in minds of those sitting in a cubicle somewhere or still sitting on a pew.

Let’s find them and help to develop them for the greater good of all.

Charlie†

Published on February 12th, 2008 | Technology

Besides helping people understand the Bible, I’m also pretty good at helping them to understand and embrace new technology. For the past twenty years I’ve made a career of helping people just like you get the most out of their computers. During that time I’ve seen a great many changes. Along the way, I have literally helped thousands of people understand emerging technologies and how best to utilize them.

What I’d like to cover over the next few posts has to do with having a better understanding of some of the technologies that are deployed from a website like ours – cWorshipMusic.com.

So, today I would like to cover the comment section of our blog.

Did you notice the very large blue balloon on the left with the number 5 in the center? That’s the image that we use at this site to let you know that you can comment on a particular post. You will also notice that it’s a great deal larger than the smaller version just above it. The smaller version being the real one and the larger simply an example.

In our example the blue balloon has the number 5 in the center. If you saw that on our site that balloon would be telling you that 5 people have already commented on that particular post. So, if you wanted to add your comment you would simply click on the balloon and type in your text – then click send. Once approved, your comment would show up in the comment section just under the last comment. The number would change in the blue balloon to reflect the additional comment – yours.

So, at the beginning of every post on this website you will see a small blue balloon just to the left of each post. This section is for you to interact with us by clicking on that image to access the comment section. If you see a zero “0″ that simply means that you can be the first person to comment. If you see a 9, then you know 9 people have already commented and you can be the 10th. So on and so forth.

We invite you to join in on the conversation here at cWorshipmusic.com. If fact we really encourage you to do so.

How?

Again, simply click on the little blue balloon to the left and you will be presented with a little form where you can leave remarks for others to read. You can simply comment with a simple “Amen” or you can say things like, “I really liked this post but you forgot to mention… blah blah blah.”

If you see a comment from someone that you like you can tell that person that you really liked what they added to the conversation.

For instance if someone like say Tom said something really awesome you could click on the blue balloon and use a special character like the @ symbol to let Tom know you liked what he had to say.

Like this, “@Tom… really loved that part about Jesus.”

So you see, blogs really allow people to interact and communicate on a whole new level. As mentioned before we really encourage you to leave a message or comment as often as you would like. The Bible tells us that, “we see in part and we all know in part.” So, by putting all the parts together we will all have a much better picture of the majesty of God.

Hey did I mention that you could subscribe here to the comments on this blog. That way you won’t miss a single one.

Until next time,

God Bless!
Charlie†

Published on February 9th, 2008 | Articles

Well, are you? If you’re not familiar with this expression, it’s one that’s used to describe an individual who’s been listening (for far too long) to a pack of lies. It may have tasted sweet at first, but in the end… none of it is good for you – it leaves you empty.

Let me shine some light on what I consider to be two symptoms of this travesty.

They are: sin consciousness and self condemnation.

Perhaps you don’t struggle with these issues; however, a number of people do.

• Sin consciousness can simply be defined as “always being aware of our sins; our shortcomings; our failures.”

• Self condemnation can be defined as “always beating ourselves up because we feel like we just don’t measure up.”

Does God really want us to live under this guilt; under this condemnation?

No!

God doesn’t want us to live one day under that lie.

Our sin problem was handled years ago through Jesus Christ.

The only problem NOW is whether or not we will accept Jesus; accept his help in these areas of our lives.

Romans chapter eight, verse one says, “The truth is that no condemnation now hangs over the head of those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Let me unpack that for you.

What this is saying is that God has some really good news for us. He doesn’t want us to live our lives in condemnation. He wants us to stop beating ourselves up all the time. In short, stop drinking the devil’s Kool-Aid.

Extra! Extra! Read All About It! GOD IS A FAMILY MAN who longs for of a real, true, intimate relationship with us.

God created the universe for the earth, the earth for Man, and Man to enjoy an intimate relationship with Him. That’s the real truth. That’s the gospel.

The word gospel means “Good News.” The good news affirms that God is our loving heavenly Father who wants to reveal His plan for making us right in His sight. God simply calls this plan – “His gift of righteousness.”

Righteousness can be defined as, “the desirable quality of being able to stand before God without any sin consciousness, guilt or condemnation.”

Does that sound like something you might desire in your life?

Yep! I thought so.

God’s righteousness is ascribed to our lives when He sees our faith in Jesus and simply declares, “You are righteous.”

Why would He do that? Glad you asked!

Because He is a GOOD God. He wants to do it. He longs to do it. He sent His Son Jesus into the world so that He could do it.

Again, being righteous before God [having a right standing before him] is simply imparted [ascribed] to us through faith in Jesus Christ.

God made all this available to us through the death, burial and resurrection of His Son – Jesus Christ.

“You can be right with God through Jesus Christ”

The Bible says that faith comes by hearing. Hearing what? The good news! What good news? That you can have a righteous relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

You see, you simply hear this good news with your own ears, then you choose to believe it.

That’s faith. It’s that simple.

In the same way that Abraham simply believed God, thereby having righteousness ascribed to him. Righteousness is also ascribed to us simply by believing the good news, believing in Jesus and believing that God was able to raise Him from dead once the atonement was made, once we were justified.

So, what do we need to do to have God ascribe righteousness to us? Have faith!

How?

Simply by saying [making] Jesus is Lord in our lives and believing [in our heart] that God raised him from the dead. Then we are justified; just as if we never sinned.

Then we are made righteous before God through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.
Jesus died on the cross (instead of us) so that through his death He could make a complete atonement for us; a redemption of our lives to God.

Romans 10:8b-13 – The New Testament in Modern English (J.B. Phillips)

It is this word, which is the burden of our preaching, and it says, in effect, “If you openly admit by your own lips that Jesus is the Lord, and if you believe in your own heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

For it is believing in the heart that makes a man righteous before God, and it is stating his belief by his own lips that confirms his salvation. And the scripture says: “Whosoever believes in him shall not be disappointed.”

And that “whosoever” means anyone, without distinction between Jew or Greek. For all have the same Lord, whose boundless resources are sufficient for all who turn to him in faith. For: “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord [Jesus] shall be saved.” (Emphasis mine)

This is what it means to be born again; born from above. Our faith allows us to have righteousness ascribed to us and receive eternal life; a spiritual birth (born of God).

Summary

Never forget that God is a family man who longs for of a real, true, intimate relationship with us. He is a tender, loving heavenly Father. It is the goodness of God that causes an individual to turn their life to God.

God created the universe for the earth, the earth for Man, and Man to enjoy an intimate relationship with Him. All of that is made possible through Jesus Christ.

It’s just that simple.

This is the gospel message. No smoke… No mirrors… No Kool-Aid.

The Bible says in one translation that “wisdom stands at the crossroads.” Today you can choose to walk a different road. You can make a different choice.

You can choose to drink from the fountain of living waters – The Lord Jesus.

I choose Jesus. How about you?

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Blessings,
Charlie†