The WayBack Machine: July
Some things just get better with age. “The Wayback Machine” posts occur at the end of every month and reference the best posts of that month in years past. My hope is to provide a good jumping on point for readers whTho have never been to Pursuing Glory.
2010
This is my first attempt at poetry here at the blog. I wrote this both as an introduction to who Jesus is for people who don’t know Him. I was also trying to find ways to explore the artistic side of my writing. I hope you enjoy it. ***If you’ve never encountered Jesus or don’t have a relationship with Him, this should be the post you read.***
My Daughter: The Newest Fiery Believer I Know
Earlier in the year Ariel accepted Christ and was baptized. There was an immediate turn in her heart and attitudes. It was fun to watch and these are my thoughts from shortly after the event.
False Prophets, Acts Chapter 2, and Our House Church
I wrote this post in December of 2009, but only got around to posting it July of last year. In my mind this post captures the best of where we were as an organic spiritual family in 2009 and 2010. If you’re wondering what sometimes happens when our house church gathers, this is the post for you.
Much of the church in the Western world is devoid of supernatural power. I wrote this post as I was reading through Visions Beyond the Veil by R.A. Baker. The book has some important insights into our anti-supernatural leanings as a Western Church and I shared some quotes as well as my own thoughts.
2009
This was my first post after coming back from my trip to Ethiopia. If you want a good picture into the heart of a guy who just returned from Africa, this is the post to read. It will be interesting to see what the Lord continues to do with us in Ethiopia in the next year.
2008
I wrote this post about an encounter I had with one of my 50,000 coaches, Dick Speight. Dick helped me see that I was off in my walk with the Lord because I was lacking time in the secret place. I wrote this post as I wrestled with the fact that I should know better than to let communion with the Lord slide.
This post was born out of a trip I took to meet with others who practice meeting as organic churches in Iowa. It centers around the idea that we are quick to believe others have imposed religion on us, but frequently something far more subtle is at work. If you’ve ever struggled with a “religious spirit” you’ll want to read this post.
2007
This blog is me wrestling with whether this blog will be a personal blog (which it started out as) or whether it will be a resource blog about house churches, apostolic Christianity, and revival. I think I’ve settled on it being both, mostly because I’m both and I think about these things a lot. But this gives you a good snapshot into some of my early thoughts on the subject.
“Tell a Little Story…Do a Little Miracle…”
This post represents some of our early thoughts about evangelism that we had as a house church. I still believe these are things we’re called both to see and do, and that stories and miracles have a much bigger part in the spread of the Gospel than most of the Western Church understands.
2006
On Being Me and Where I See Me in Movies
This was my very first post on my blog. I started this blog as a journey into self expression and finding God in the midst of the things I love. I write about some bloggers that were stunningly honest about their lives in their blogs and some movies where I saw myself in some of the characters. Social media has given me a few more outlets to do the every day life sort of posts, but I hope to never loose the honesty and simplicity this post captures.
One of the movies that I saw back then was Akeelah and the Bee. I’ll spare you the synopsis, but a turning point in the movie talked about how Akeelah has 50,000 coaches. I was struck by the fact that many of us neglect the 50,000 coaches God has given us in our lives. This is a phrase I keep coming back to over and over again.
How To Get the Most Out of Pursuing Glory
There are lots of ways to get more out of Pursuing Glory than just stopping back to check for new content every few days. Here are some of the main ways you can join the conversation, learn, and contribute to the conversation we’re having:
Subscribe by Email or RSS
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Comment
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Follow Me On Twitter
Twitter is where I post thoughts and quotes that will either become a full post here or is relevant to the topics we discuss here. I’m also planning at least one Twitter/Blog series where one set of unique material will show up in my twitter stream that will correspond with a blog series I’m running here. You can find me on Twitter @traviskolder.
Notes From The Margins
On a somewhat irregular basis I post a blog in my “Notes from the Margin” series. The point of the series is not just what I’m finding in Scripture and what I write, but also what you’re finding in Scripture and what you’re writing about it. If you have a blog, I’d love to see you take this series and do your own. You can check out the guidelines for Notes from the Margins and read examples of the series here and here.
Email Me
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More Quotes From Visions Beyond The Veil
In my last post, I quoted a passage from Visions Beyond The Veil and applied it to our experience of church that we are living in now. Again, we should be part of a supernatural church. It’s our nature and it’s Jesus’ inheritance. Many times the church backs away from the supernatural realms of God because of fear. Here, R.A. Baker describes their approach to the powerful and unusual events they experienced:
“From the very beginning the manifestations of the Spirit, the visions, and the revelations carried everything into the supernatural realm so far beyond our own limited knowledge or experience of supernatural matters that Mrs. Baker and I confessed to each other that these things had already passed to the place where the only resource we had was to believe that God was bigger than the devil. We took refuge behind the promise of God that we had before found safe, the promise that those who sought the Father for bread would not get a stone; those who sought a fish would not get a serpent; those who sought an egg would not get a scorpion; those who with pure motives, like these children, sought the Holy Spirit would not get evil things or demons, but would get exactly what they sought, the Holy Spirit (Lu. 11 :13)” (Emphasis Mine).
Has your experience in the supernatural ever pushed you to trust God more? If so what was the outcome? Tell us a part of your story in the comment section below.
You can get a free copy of Visions Beyond The Veil here.
Photo Credit: Holy Spirit Stained Glass by Hickory Hard Scrabble.
The Supernatural Church
Right now I’m reading Visions Beyond the Veil by R.A. Baker. The book recounts an amazing outpouring of the Holy Spirit that happened among a group of street children in a mission in China during the early part of the 20th century. Baker was the grandfather of Rolland Baker of IRIS Ministries fame.
As I read through the introduction I watched Mr. Baker defend the legitimacy of the supernatural encounters these children were having. I’m absolutely certain this was necessary, especially considering it had been a very short time since the things of the Spirit had gained any widespread acceptance. So when I saw this quote I had to share it. I think his words are as challenging and relevant today as they were then:
“Our Lord has gone. Where, oh, where is the Holy Spirit that has come to take His place; to carry on His uncompleted task; to work in the midst of His church in signs and wonders and gifts of the Holy Spirit? Has God died? If so, when? […] After all, is the Holy Spirit, this great power of Christ, the Christ whose words the wind and waves obeyed, whose words burst tombs, is this Great Substitute just a gentle influence? Where is the Holy Spirit Who shook and filled a whole house of praying disciples and through them shook a world?
These trances, visions, revelations, and supernatural manifestations are normal experiences in the supernaturally founded, supernaturally filled, and supernaturally directed Church of the New Testament, the only church the Bible tells or fortells anything about.” [Emphasis Mine]
What are your thoughts? Have you seen a church that looks like this? Share an experience in the comments below.
Photo Credit: I HOPE THIS DOESN’T MEAN THEIR ARE NO MIRACLES LEFT…! by JOPHIELsmiles
Cluster Map
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