Posts

POSTS

(weekly updates)

February, 2005

February 19, 2005: A new Pesher has been posted.

IMPORTANT NOTICE!!!

This website is scheduled for permanent termination on February 23rd. If you want to download any of the material, please do so right away. We have intentions of archiving it and making it available on CD, but it might be months before it will be ready.

This ministry is NOT being shut-down, only our presence on the Internet. You may continue to contact us at PO Box 8701, Moscow, ID 83843 or by phone at 208-882-5135.

If you want to receive weekly email messages with essays, lessons, and updates, you must contact me at james@grailchurch.org before the website is terminated, or send us a letter to the above mailing address. My personal email address will not work either after this Wednesday.

My first email post is scheduled for next Saturday, February 26th. In it I will explain why these changes are being made.

When funds permit, we will re-establish a presence on the Internet under a different venue. Thank you for your support.

God bless you all!

James Stivers, Church Overseer

February 12, 2005: Spokane, Washington is the nearest city to us. I suppose the Spokane/Coeur D'Alene corridor on Interstate 90 is nearing a half a million now. The experts tell us that the Inland Northwest is poised to experience the same growth that the Seattle area experienced during the 1990s. The next decade belongs to us. But, I don't know if that will be such a good thing.

Like Seattle, Spokane's infrastructure has been poorly planned. But more importantly, there is still a hometown feeling to the region. Will that go away when the "cosmos" come to town?

My wife and I had a good laugh last night. The late news reporters soberly informed us of the day's top stories. First, the FBI confiscated some pirated music CDs being sold at a local bazaar. For now, we appear to be safe.

But news of the second story informed us that we are not safe from an area "panty thief" who has been stealing women's underwear. I'm not sure how he does it, we were laughing too hard to hear the full story. I suppose he steals it from local laundromats. I told Kay, "At least we're not living in New York where we would have to listen to the litany of the day's murders."

Update on Orders: I've been sick with a respiratory ailment. It started from an occupational hazard. I'm almost back to normal, but I lost a week. Orders are backed-up. Some of you are waiting patiently. I assure you, they are almost ready to mail. I will catch-up this coming week and mail the orders out Priority Mail - the late ones, anyway.

New Postings: A new addition to the Family Abbey series is scheduled for Monday, perhaps even Sunday night.

We have entered the season of Lent. Have a blessed week!

February 5, 2005: Are you faithful with family devotions? The backbone of the family is worship in the home. Fathers, it's not enough to take them to church. Your children must find Christ in their homes.

I remember when we first began worship in our home. I think my oldest son was two or three at the time. He was so earnest and eager. He didn't quite understand what we were doing, but the look in his eyes as he looked at me was precious. He knew we were doing something important as a family. And we were.

For years, I had procrastinated. I wanted to do it right. Then my wife, Kay, told me to just do it. "If we wait until we can do it right, we may never do it." So, here we are, some seventeen years later, doing daily devotions with seven children and family worship once a week. During some years, when we were in affiliation with local churches, weekly family worship was less: sometimes once a month. But I have had enough of churches . . . finally. Like a drunk returning to a tavern, church was all I had ever known. I hope we got out of it soon enough, lest my children are lured by the temptations of churchianity.

Churchists tell us that you will never find the perfect church. "You should keep your eyes on Jesus", they say. Well, that is exactly why I don't go to church. Church tempts you to get your eyes off of Christ and onto man, the organization or the rituals instead. I left church so that I could keep my eyes on Christ. You should consider the same.

Check out Family Abbeys to learn more.

Have a blessed week!

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