Mark 3:14 And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,

Jesus chose His disciples, apostles! He chose them that they might be with Him and then that He might send them forth to preach!

With-ness is a term that I first learned from Gunther Krallman in his book Mentoring for Mission! I want to highly recommend this book to all of you that are in the process of training leaders or discipling!

The way Jesus trained men was that He spent time, life with them! Discipleship is not a series of lessons. It is life on life. It is one person loving and living life with another so that what God has done in one life affects another to the degree that the disciplines are learned.

It is not an academic exercise but meaningful sharing of your life. Now if you are not living the life you should then it will not do the necessary job. But if you love Jesus, read your Bible, pray, honor your marriage etc. then they will learn not from what you say but from what you do!

Remember what was said about the disciples in the book of Acts:

Acts 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

Timothy had been with Paul so much that seeing Timothy would remind you of Paul and how he did the ministry!

I challenge you today to live life in such a way that it would be a meaningful testimony to the grace of God. I ask you to live a life that is reproducible in others. I challenge you to spend time with people so that they can see a real Christian life in action.

The key word in this verse is with! They are practicing with-ness not just witness! Many of us want to live one way and preach another. We want to live like we want and teach and preach that others should something!

Let’s just live in such a way that if they spend time with us that they will turn out more and more Christ like every day!

I beg all you dads to read this!

Are you dating your daughter? Recent research suggests that you might want to start! The Children’s National Medical Center says that just ten years ago, new eating disorder patients tended to be around age 15, but now kids come in as young as 5 and 6. Girls, at increasingly younger ages, are invited to try on and wear clothes designed to highlight female allure. Instead of making little girls feel good about their bodies, they feel fat and ugly. In essence, the Internet, magazines, fashion trends and television are courting your daughter and defining her sense of beauty. And by the world’s definition this can include anything from thong underwear to being an impossible size O.

The best way to fight back is parent-child connectedness-spending time with her! You can educate her, send her to Bible study, take her to church and even sit her in front of a counselor but none of those things can come close to the power of mother/daughter connectedness. (By-the-way, I do this with my 19 year old son, too!) I believe so firmly in using creative investments of time to overcome the clamor of our culture. As I write this, I’m headed out for an afternoon of shopping and Chinese food with my girls. Here’s the key: I have every intention of using our shopping time as fun girl time, but I’ll also sneak in ways to pass on my values. Here’s a little of what’s on my mind.

A Shopping Challenge

Peer pressure has power. Social studies tell us that to really get your daughter saying “no” to skimpy clothes, you need her friends to join her. So, I’ll have a few other friends on this trip. They are in their twenties and understand true beauty and modesty, having fought their battles with eating disorders and won. This is how our shopping trip will work and how you can us it, too:

Present some creative guidelines for what you consider tasteful and age-appropriate. Forgot hard-fast rules like “your shorts have to come to your finger tips!” Make this fun. You might make one up called “I see London, I see France…Can you see my Under-pants?” To take this test, have your daughter sit with her legs crossed in front of mirror when she tries on a skirt. If it’s too short, the answer will be “yes!” (For ideas, check out my Secret Keeper Girl’s creative Truth or Bare Fashion tests at www.secretkeepergirl.com.
Give each girl a specific amount of money and a specific amount of time, then release them to shop ‘til they drop. You might try $50 in fifty minutes or $20 in twenty minutes. The time factor makes it suspenseful and fun. Here’s the real challenge: each girl has to purchase something that passes all of your fashion tests!
Hit the ice cream shop to debrief. Make sure you end this creative date with a group conversation about both how much fun you had and how much you all learned. Use these Girl Gab questions to guide your conversations!

Girl Gab Time: Ask the girls if it was ever hard to find clothes that weren’t too short, too tight or too low-cut? Ask them if they’ve ever noticed other girls wearing clothes that reveal too much and what that makes them think about? How does it make them feel? Talk about what gives them the most value…cool clothes and the way they look OR internal beauty, such as, kindness, peacefulness, friendliness and love. Let them know that you know their value lies on the inside and that’s why you won’t let the culture define them by how they dress and look!

© Dannah Gresh

Bill banning forced identity-chip implants clears House

By Lauren Boyer
Inquirer Staff Writer

HARRISBURG – Invasion of privacy is an issue that really gets under State Rep. Babette Josephs’ skin.
That’s why the Philadelphia Democrat introduced a bill, passed unanimously last week by the House, that would ban the forced implantation of computer chips in humans.

Conjuring Orwellian images, Josephs worries the identification devices – the size of a grain of rice – could lead to a real-life Big Brother nightmare.

“I’m doing, I think, what the legislature does too little of,” she said. “This is a problem on the horizon, and I want to address it before it becomes a societal disgrace.”

Though the technology hasn’t debuted in Pennsylvania, VeriChip, a company in Florida, received federal Food and Drug Administration clearance in 2004 to market the implanted microchips, which were tested on 200 Alzheimer’s patients.

Injected into the triceps, the chips have unique 16-digit codes and GPS capabilities that allow nursing homes to find wandering patients.

“I think it’s really horrible that we want to chip them like barcoded packages of meat,” said Kim Sultzbaugh, a research specialist who helped Josephs write the bill.

California, North Dakota, and Wisconsin have enacted laws similar to the ban Josephs is proposing.

The technology can also be used for security, as in a widely reported case in Mexico. There, the implants were required for some government employees to enter restricted buildings.

A bar in Scotland even offers to implant patrons with chips that allow them to purchase pints without a credit card, according to news accounts.

Despite the technology’s potential usefulness, Sultzbaugh said, some Christian groups liken the identification devices to the “mark of the beast,” a Satanic mark described in the Book of Revelation and represented by the number 666.

Josephs said electronic ankle bracelets could keep track of someone in a less-invasive manner.

But for some “murderers, killers, and rapists,” ankle bracelets won’t do the trick, said State Rep. Dan Moul (R., Adams).

Moul amended Josephs’ bill to allow chips to be implanted by court order. The bill also would allow the chips to be implanted in Guantanamo Bay detainees who end up in Pennsylvania.

“Terrorists could take that ankle bracelet off with a saw and strap it to a dog and let them run around,” Moul said. “We need to know if these people are returning to the war to fight against America.”

Josephs called Moul’s changes “inflammatory” and “sensational” and hopes the Senate throws them out when it considers the measure.

Erik Arneson, spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R., Delaware), said the bill was not scheduled for immediate action.

Keith Shumaker – Contentment from Mark Tolson on Vimeo.

Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

I love this verse. I do not know of one that is it’s equal exists in the Bible. Jesus states the obvious. He says that He has all power. Not just all power but all power in heaven and earth. That means that He has all the power of Heaven-He is God. He has all the power of earth absolutely no one exists who has more power.

This word power means authority. He has all authority. He can say anything that He wants to say. He has all power that means no one tells Him what to say nor does He say something that isn’t from the heart.

He is God. He has just died on the cross for the sins of the world. He has been buried for 3 days. He has overcome death and the grave. He lives. He carries the keys of death and Hell on His belt.

Now that He has stated clearly who He is and has reminded us that He can say anything that He wants to say-notice what He says.

Matthew 28:19-20 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

He gives the Great Commission. He has His most important moment for a speech or declaration. He emphasizes that point for us. Before He ever says a word He makes it abundantly clear that He can say what He wants to say. Then He says:

Go and teach all nations, baptize them and teach them to do all that I command.

Now if this was a super important speech! If He had the right to give the command! If it is like the climax of His life and the book of Matthew I have a question. How is it that so much of the church takes for granted this great verse and the command that follows.

How come world evangelism is placed on the back pages of our ministry proposals and plans. How come the health of our family is more important than what Jesus said when He prefaced His comments with

I am the man, I can say what I want, I have all authority and power and I say that I want you to take the gospel to the entire world.

He can say what He wants but I guess we figure that we can do what we want with what He says! I don’t get it! I say let’s get busy about what was so important to Him!

I am excited today as we celebrate our freedom. I thank God for all those that have done so much to gain our liberty and to maintain it. My dad, brother, and uncles all served in the military. The uncle that I am named for died in the service of our country. I love the United States of America. I thank God for the privilege of being born here and serving God here.

I am even more thankful for the freedom that I have in Christ Jesus. We, as Americans, have many freedoms but none so precious as the freedom from sin, death, and Hell. You say we will die but according to Jesus we will not really die. John 11:26 We are free from the penalty of sin and death has lost its power.

Today we begin preaching through the book of Ephesians. I am really excited about this wonderful book that deals with all that we have in Christ Jesus. You are going to love it.

The message today is on Saints and Faithful and that is what we are because of the work that Jesus has done in us. You will be thrilled as you learn all that God has done for you through Jesus Christ!

Thanks for all you do and thanks for being here today. God bless each of you.

Austin

Matthew 26:70 But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest.

We all know the story of Peter and how he denies the Lord Jesus Christ three times. It was a very scary time. Had he not of denied Jesus he may have had to pay with his life. He might have been arrested or even worse.

I think that we have all been pretty quick over the years to point out Peter’s failure but as I read today I asked myself the question, What does it take to make me deny Him? I have never been in a position that endangered my life or even possessions. I have never really been afraid of physical harm because of my faith.

Peter was! But can I say that in certain ways we have all denied our faith. We have been guilty of not mentioning Jesus when we had the perfect open door. We ask for open doors in prayer and then ignore them.

The Holy Spirit set us up! There it was, a perfect chance to witness of the Lord Jesus Christ but we took the chicken’s way out. We ran for the door. No we didn’t say that we never knew Him but we didn’t acknowledge knowing Him when we had the chance.

Some how we have separated our knowledge of Christ from the workplace, the play place, and even the family. Jesus and Church are for Sundays. No need to take Sunday into Monday!

So the question comes, What does it take to make us deny Him? It isn’t really danger. It isn’t really getting hurt. It is more a losing of our comfort. If they knew that we were confident followers of Jesus Christ then they would have a different opinion of us.

We would rather they just think that we are good moral people. No need to bring Jesus into this discussion! I am just a good ole hard working boy. Been lucky too! Smarter than most!

Not that God has done great things in my life. Not that I have followed Biblical principles. Wouldn’t want to risk anyone thinking that I am a religious fanatic or nut!

What do you think?

We finished a great month with directing and serving at the Our Generation Student Leadership Camp being one of the highlights. It was an exciting week where we were able to challenge students to be willing to give their lives to take the Gospel to the world. One of our goals was to show these students the world from Atlanta, GA, so throughout the camp, we visited a Greek Orthodox Church, Mormon Temple, Buddhist Temple, 2 Hindu Temples, and a Muslim Mosque. We also had an outreach activity during the week in an apartment complex that was filled with refugees from many different nations around the world. (Find out more information at www.ogcamp.info). It was both convicting and heart breaking to learn about and speak to those who believe so strongly in these false religions.

Also, the most exciting news of the week, we had 2 saved! Praise the Lord! Natasha had the privilege of leading one of the ladies to the Lord after giving her testimony in one of the workshops!

June in Review

* June was our sixth month on full-time deputation.
* We were able to be in 10 churches total.
* We were able to work in a 5 day missions camp, The Our Generation Student Leadership Camp, June 15 – 19 (www.ogcamp.info).
* We added 4 new supporters this month!
* We are currently at 39.25% of our support…just shy of 40%!
* We traveled 4,172 miles within 4 states: NC, FL, GA, & WI.

Recent Praise: We were able to safely complete another month of traveling on deputation. We try to never take that for granted!

Prayer Request: At the end of this month, we we will be downsizing and moving out of our house that we have been living in for two years. Pray that everything will go smoothly as we move into a basement apartment.

Thank you for being a part of our team, Project China, with your prayer and financial support!

In Christ,
Mark Tolson

Matthew 25:24-25 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.

I have been like this man in more ways than one and I think you might have had the problem also. How many times have we felt that God was unfair with us. He hasn’t blessed me like He blessed the other person. He didn’t gift me like He did the other person.

Instead of using my one talent to the best of my ability I get mad that I didn’t get five talents or even two. I start making excuses right from the start. Since I am not like the other person then it is not my fault if I can not produce.

God gave the other guy more talents to use in business, in ministry, and in every way! That simply isn’t fair. I would give if He had blessed me like He did the other fellow! But since He is so hard I will use my money for myself.

I would serve in the church but I am not as gifted or as well liked and respected as the other guy so I will just sit on my talent. All they want me to do is keep the nursery anyway. That is not important and so I just will not do anything.

God has allowed that missionary to raise more money, have a bigger work, than He has me. So I will just coast and blame God. After all He decided not to bless me.

God, I want you to forgive me for my bad attitudes. I want to serve you. I want to be used of you. I know that I may not have what others have but I can use what I have. I have been guilty of whining and complaining. I have been guilty of comparing and justifying myself. I repent and ask you to use me with what you gave me to your honor and glory.

Matthew 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

She just needs some “me time!” He knows lots of Bible but is just tired of church! They used to be very faithful Christians and never missed church services. They used to be believers. They are not interested any more! This church isn’t their style. They want more music and less Bible preaching!

We have all heard it all! You know as well as I do that many people who say they are Christians have grown cold. They “used to” do lots of things.

They say that the church is old and that it is not meeting their needs. They say that the Bible doesn’t apply to life in 2009.

Jesus said that their love had grown cold because iniquity or sin was on every side. Today, I think you need to analyze why you don’t love Jesus like you used to love Him. I ask you to consider why attending church, being involved serving Christ, reading your Bible every day etc. is not as important as it used to be.

Who changed? Was it God? Was it the church? Was it the Bible? Or can we be honest and just say that sin became more and more important to you? Would it be fair to say that other “loves” just become more important than your love for Jesus Christ?

By the way the principal sin that would cause us to grow cold in our love for God would be loving self! We look for what pleases us rather than what pleases God.

God just doesn’t fit my schedule right now! I do love Him but just don’t have time. As soon as I finish these things I will have more time for God and the things that please Him!

Love is growing cold but can we be honest and quit blaming others and just realize that sin abounds in our lives?

So many distractions that we do not have time to love God. So many “me things” to do that we do not have time for “Him things!”

At least today ought to be a day that we consider what is happening in our lives. Has your love grown cold? Why?