Samstag, 1. Juni 2013

Back to Jesus

"Back to Jesus,"was the challenge brought to us from one of the books ( Thom Rainer & Eric Geiger, Simple Church, Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2011), we had to read in one of the courses at CIU.
We are living in a busy time clustered with programs and activities. All seem to be quite important and necessary. We have just become too busy.
The call "Back to Jesus" is timely. Are we still allowing time to be molded in HIS image? Are we still in the process of becoming His disciples? Or have we aborted that concept and exchanged it for more important activities? In the quoted book Rainer & Geiger describe the situation of churches they came across in their research.

    Many churches are littered with clutter. Floundering programs and ministries are stored and piled
    on top of one another. It is hard for people to make their way through the process of spiritual
    transformation because of the destructing clutter (p.204).

Does that statement describe our lives?

   Many of our churches have become cluttered. So cluttered that people have a difficult time
   encountering the simple and powerful message of Christ. So cluttered that many people are busy
   doing church instead of being the Church (p. 19).

Transferring that simple truth into our lives raises the question: Are we doing Christianity or are we Christians? Are we disciples of Jesus Christ?


Barbel and Gabi went to Germany in the first week of May. Gabi has to work for urgent needed cash helping to finance her next semester. On May 23rd, Michael finished his work for the spring semester at CIU and is at present visiting our children.

The first stop was with Martin at LeTourneau University in Longview Texas, were he is studying at the school of aeronautical science with a concentration in mission aviation.































Recently Martin earned his commercial pilots license. He has one more year before he can graduate. We thank the Lord for supplying the financial needs for Martins education. Glory to HIS name.

Aaron and Andrea continue to live and work in Kerrville, Texas. They are both teachers at local schools and are active at Trinity Baptist Church.
















Ryan, Christine & Naomi
will be my next stop. Grandpa Michael is very much looking forward to see our first grandchild. Grandma Barbel won this race, she already visited a week after Naomi Grace was born.

 
Ryan & Stine live in Carpentersville near Chicago, IL. Ryan is working as a teacher and Christine is getting used to being a mum as she waits for her "green card." They are active in a fairly new planted Christ Community Church. At this time they are searching for a place to live closer to Ryan's work. Thank you for supporting that quest in prayer.

Gabi is starting her third year at Judson University in Elgin, IL. This next semester she will be an exchange student in the country where Barbel was born, Japan.


Thank you for all your prayer support, may our Lord Jesus Christ richly bless you .