"Thomas, called Didymus"

As I look back, upon my travels with Him, every time I cannot help but feel a hinge of regret. Regret that I traveled with Him? Not at all. Traveling with him changed my life. Regret that I didn’t see, that I didn’t fully believe sooner. Regret that I wasn’t all the more faithful when he was still with me. I am also not the same from when he called me.

From the beginning it was like nothing else. Here is this Rabbi with crowds upon crowds following him. At that time he already had a following, those who were interested. I was interested. We had heard all about him down by the shores, but we were lowly fishermen. Even though we hear of news, we keep to ourselves. Like a dog longing to enter into the home, but having to stay outside because he is a dog, so we were when we saw the crowds speak such excitement of this up-and-coming Rabbi.

But what does he do? He comes down to the sea. He walks along and speaks to us fishermen, “Come follow me” he says. He chose us. We were the lowly of the low. Dirty, despised, looked down upon. And yet this great teacher chose me. He chose us, Simon and Andrew, James and John and I, the fisherman of the twelve who were called to follow Him.

There was excitement at first; I felt a peace at heart when he called me. But soon I found my self skeptical. Who was this man?

We followed him closely for three years. There were times when I longed to go back fishing, during the trying times I dreamed of the sea. But my teacher showed me such grace. During the times when my heart be came skeptical and critical, my teacher reassured me. He would look me in the eyes, and in his eyes I could see the peace of the universe, and he would speak to me in such a reassuring way, speaking what he first spoke to me “follow me.” There were times when it was as if he was reading my mind, or even more, my heart, and he would say in the most loving and reassuring way “follow me., As if saying that his way, that He was the right way to follow. How could I have doubted? How could I have been skeptical, critical for a moment? So many miracles followed this man, and yet he found time to work on my heart, to disciple me with his unending mercy and grace, reassuring me every time the thought of doubt entered my mind.

There was a time when we traveled up through Judea. The other eleven seemed dismayed, uneasy.  I realize their uneasiness was much attributed to the growing hatred by the Pharisees, which in turn caused hatred among the people. Many feared death. Many feared the death of our Lord. This seemed to be one of the few times that my heart did not fail me. “Let us go, that we may die with him.” How could I leave such reassurance? Such forgiveness? Such mercy? Such grace? I felt as though I would leave this life for him.

It was not long after this that we were in the Garden. They came, brought to us by one of our own. A deceiver.  The guards surrounded and took our Lord, though he went willingly.  And we scattered. One moment speaking of our never-abandoning faithfulness, the next we were gone. He was in the hands of the religious system. They beat him. They tormented him. They lifted him up, high above the ground, like a common criminal, this man, my Lord. And they killed him. I was broken. They killed my Lord. How could they do such? It was not after that I remembered my Lord speaking of such that was to come, in the past of the future.

The apostle banded back together, but I was still torn, numb. I kept to myself. But then there was talk that he wasn’t in the tomb. That he had arisen. I couldn’t believe this, was this true? I didn’t have my Lord with me to reassure me. There was even greater cry amongst the other eleven when they claim that our Lord appeared to them, even with all the doors and windows shut up. I was jealous and hurt that he had not appeared to me.  “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” They called me the ‘doubting one.’ But like my Lord, my savior, constantly reassuring me, he appeared once again, more than a week later. We were all together in the house, locked up once more, and the Lord came to us. “Peace be with you” he spoke so beautifully. Then he turned to me, and with that loving, merciful, graceful and gentle look; “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” With this revelation to me, I was only able to spill out five words. “My Lord and my God.” For this truly was my Lord, and this truly was God. My God. “Have you believed because you have seen? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe” he spoke to me.

He showed me such mercy and grace, such love and patience. When I questioned, he comforted, when I doubted, he reassured in life and in resurrection. I am not the same as I was when I began my journey with my Lord. I once lived and doubted; now I have died unto myself, and believed. 

Play to your Strengths! - Marcus Buckingham

I have heard much of the book Now Discover Your Strength, and upon hearing that we would be watching a clip by the author of said book, I greatly looked forward to it. When we started watching the video of Marcus Buckingham speaking about the concept of strengths, what struck me was that this isn’t at all what I envisioned the author of Now Discover Your Strengths to look like. I envisioned an older business suit, rather than a young, tall, stylish mind. Following this mild surprise I greatly enjoyed listening to Marcus speak about the problems that this nation faces when it comes to strengths.

His brilliant, main central idea of strengths and weaknesses is: “Build on [your] strengths and manage around [your] weaknesses.” He made some fascinating points that hold very true to our current studies of today: when we want to learn about health, we study disease. When we want to study great marriages, we study divorce. The idea is that when we want to figure out the good, we tend to look at the bad.  Following this and quoting Marcus, “you only learn about excellence form studying excellence,” how true and yet how seemingly unknown.

            Marcus remarks that we, as a nation and even world need to move from remedial one to strengths based one. Only 12% of the people polled in 2007 claimed they play to their strengths.  Towards the end of the video clip that we watched, Marcus concluded with three myths that will help you change for your strengths. Myth 1: As you grow, your personality changes. Truth: values may change, self-awareness may change, but your dominant personality will never change. Myth 2: You grow most where you are weak. Truth: you’ll grow most where you are already strong.  Myth 3: A great team member puts his strengths aside and does whatever it takes to help the team.  Truth: a great team member volunteers his strength to the team most of the time. 

'You will have forever to worship God, but not forever to reach people' - Bob Hulett

Listening to Bob Hulett speak about his ideas on ministry and pastoring a church, I felt, were as unique as they get, but I also felt they were brilliant, and seemed to work well for Bob and his past and (God-willing) future churches..

Bob grew up in a Catholic, ‘very unsaved home.’ It was not until the great charismatic groups of the 70’s that Bob gave his life to the Lord, and then later attended Valley Forge Christian College in the 80’s, graduating in ’84. It is also interesting to note that before Bob was in college, his father, who also lived much of his life apart form the Lord, was called into the ministries and planted a church at the age of fifty.  After graduating from college Bob planted a church in Pennsylvania and in time was called to a particular ailing church in Florida to which he accepted the call and made his way down South to lend a hand, and it would turn out that God, through Hulett, would eventually turn the church around.

When Bob arrived down in Florida at the church he was going to be working with, he came upon what seemed as a very unstructured church. From worship to the service, the lack of structure and focus was truly hurting the church. Bob turned the focus from the intense Sunday morning services, to the unchurched, non-believers. He believed it was these that needed to be spoken into their lives on Sunday mornings, along with everyone else. Bob focused Sunday’s for the unbelievers, and Wednesday night services for extra worship, and for a deeper relationship with God, a sort to of ‘extra service’.  Bob also was strong in praying for the gifts of the Spirit that would be of usefull on Sunday mornings, such as hospitality, servitude, evangelism. God would grow this church from 200 to 900 over six years, but in time doors closed and opened elsewhere and Hulett was called back up North.

Bob came back up North and was faced with the struggles of traveling to a church in NY and working many different jobs. Eventually, more doors would open and would allow Bob to open up a church in PA once again. This church will be connected with a spa to help out with the ‘business,’ financial and outreach of the church.

I found listening to Bob to be very enlightening in the area of focusing one’s services for the unbelievers that come into the church, and also his ideas on have other ‘businesses’ as apart of the church. Although these seemed to have worked extremely well for him, and I feel I could benefit form similar ideas, I can definitely see how they may be challenging to do especially in the different areas of church-people in the country. 

From the Court to the Pulpit - Interview with Dr. Daniel McNaughton

I have been attending Spring Valley Community Church most every Sunday ever sense I have been attending Valley Forge Christian College. I have been listening and enjoying the youth pastor, who speaks on occasion, and have been especially blessed through the teachings of Pastor Daniel McNaughton. As I found out he was speaking in our Disciple Making and Equipping class I looked forward to hearing from the heart of this pastor and seemingly wise man. My hopes were not at all let down. Although I have heard a bit from the testimony of Pastor Daniel McNaughton through his weekly sermons, having him speak openly in our class was truly a blessing and painted a whole different, more real picture that was Dr. and Pastor, Daniel McNaughton.

Dr. McNaughton had a unique testimony in that even growing up in more or less a church environment, at a young age he had many deep questions that seemed to go uncared for and unanswered by those whom where amongst the church family. Dr. McNaughton was also faced with the challenge of growing up with a mother whom suffered from Bipolar disorder. With questions regarding his mothers illness, and wondering why God would grant such suffering, the young Dr. McNaughton’s questions were left unanswered and backs were turned to him amongst the church because of his questions.

With backs turned towards him from the church, Dr. McNaughton turned his back to them, and to God.  McNaughton found solace in his up and rising basketball career. Although there was great hope in his future for this, there was no fulfillment. With every level achieved in basketball left McNaughton with the gnawing feeling of: ‘this is it?’

Eventually, McNaughton decided he was going to spend a couple months seeking God, and if he were not sought McNaughton contemplated serious actions against himself. Months went by with only the same response to those in the church, hypocrisy and abandonment. McNaughton, alone in his backyard, contemplated what to do, if life was worth living, when God’s presence fell down upon him. This presence of God, and realizing God’s loving-kindness changed his life, and he turned his life around.

McNaughton soon attended Evangel University on a basketball scholarship. After this he continued education at Gordon Conwell, and while studying Hebrew and former professor at the school made it known to McNaughton that the professor thought he had a gift in teaching and should become a professor. Later on, through the hand of God, McNaughton was accepted at the University of Toronto where he continued his excruciating doctorate program while also being newly married to his current wife.

Fast forward and Dr. McNaughton has been a teacher at VFCC for many years and is currently pastoring a church in Spring Valley, PA. Dr. McNaughton has also recently published his first book on discipleship entitled: Learning to Follow Jesus.

Being a fellow attendee of Dr. McNaughton’s church, it has truly been a blessing to hear of his testimony, to paint a vibrant and beautiful picture of the workings of Christ and to ensure anyone and all that Christ can do all things.   

First Interviewee and 'head-of-class' : Tom Rees

As we sat down for class, and found out that we would be questioning and hearing from Tom Rees on the evening of the 31st, I was much intrigued for I have heard a lot of positive feedback about Tom and looked forward to getting to know the 'real' Tom Reese. Questions were answered and conversations had, and in hindsight I am very thankful for that night, for I feel we were able to peer into the heart of a very true fellow brother-in-Christ.

As one's testimony usually goes, we started from the beginning. And like all, Tom has quite the testimony. Growing up in Philly and from the beginning of a young age, Tom faced much adversity through the loss of his father (though they would meet up later on in life) and the eventual loss of his step-father in the Vietnam War. Struggles didn't seem to stop as Tom and especially his beloved mother were deeply hurt by their third step-father and husband. It was around this dark time that Tom's mother found the will and strength to call out to God. This moment would change her life, and lead herself and Tom down the narrow  path of Christ.

Tom gave his life to the Lord around the age of 17 and at a camp ministry meeting was baptized in the Holy Spirit and called into the ministry. Tom was also helping out as a youth leader at a church a year after he came to Christ. Tom continued his faith and following through to college, attending VFCC in 1980 and eventually attending Temple University, receiving his Masters. Tom, just out of school, worked with Glad Tidings in Reading, PA where he worked in many different areas of ministry. Eventually, Tom worked amongst the head of the Penn-Dell district of the AG and also taught at VFCC.

After hearing a bit of Tom's life, I am very thankful for have a very 'imperfect' and very real brother-in-Christ and teacher. It is through the challenges in life that Tom has overcome through Christ, Jesus, and continues to battle that make him the true and honest man that he is. It is these qualities that one can see why Tom was placed into leadership. I am thankful for such interview, and look forward to having future classes with Tom Rees.