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I hope you were all as encouraged by Donna’s message this morning as I was! What an unbelievable picture of faith that Abraham provides us with. I know that this is a trying time for us at South Branch with the uncertainty that we face. Hopefully, today was uplifting to you and will allow us to continue ahead with confidence. God has called us to Clinton in His timing, and I hope and pray that we will persevere and pass the test that we have been blessed with by God. Love you all and look forward to what God will do among us!
Pastor Josh
Posted by Pastor Josh on 07/19/09 and filed in Blog.
Hey everyone!
Thanks for bearing with us while we worked through the updates to our site. Everything should be up to date now. Be sure to check back often for updated blogs, podcasts, and all the other South Branch info you will need.
Josh
Posted by Pastor Josh on 07/07/09 and filed in Blog, Welcome.
Without tipping my political hand (I never will), I was deeply impressed by the Inauguration of President Barak Obama about 12 hours ago. During his speech, President Obama encouraged Americans to “choose hope over fear,” and to “put away childish things” (1 Corinthians 13:11). However, what impressed me most was his declaration of a day of renewal and reconciliation. I don’t believe the idea to be entirely his…with all due respect.
So how do we experience renewal and reconciliation?
Two takeaways:
1. Confess.
No way around it. We need to admit when we’ve messed up. Beyond the shadow of a doubt it is the quickest first step to healing. The Apostle John wrote, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
2. Trust God.
“He is faithful.” He will forgive, He will renew. A big part of renewal is forgiveness, and a bog part of forgiveness is actually trusting that God will forgive you.
I believe in many ways today was a day of renewal and reconciliation.
Peace in Christ,
PT
Posted by Tom Arnold on 01/21/09 and filed in Blog.
Is there any way at all to make giving easier? I mean we are told constantly that we should give…give to the church, give to charities, give to those in need. All good. But during times of financial uncertainty, giving seems to be just that much more difficult.
Give yourself to Jesus first.
“They first gave themselves to the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 5:8)
I think if we did just that, give ourselves totally to Him, then giving anything else to anybody else would be a snap. Everything you have, anything you are, anything you hope to be, give it all to Him.
“Freely you received, so freely give” (Matthew 10:8).
Peace in Christ,
Tom
Posted by Tom Arnold on 01/19/09 and filed in Blog.
Hello South Branch!
We have continued south for the past two days, traveling from Versailles/Paris to Potiers yesterday and now Limoges. For those of you who follow cycling, you will recognize Limoges as one of the stops of the Tour de France.
I was deeply saddened by a place called Oradur sur Glane. It was there, on June 8, 1944, that a fringe SS detachment entered a small village, rounded up every man, woman and child, and systematically executed the entire town. 644 people died that day at the hands of a Nazi squad overcome by hatred. To remind French people of the tyranny of external oppression, the French have left Oradur as it was the day it was destroyed. We walked past bakeries, butchers, schools, and a multitude of homes. All destroyed.
Our tour ended at the church in Oradur were the majority of the executions took place. The interior was riddled with bullet holes. This was an emotional place, because I was reminded that even the walls of a church building could not protect the innocents from the hatred of the enemy.
I am still processing what I saw. In the meantime, I trust my eternity with Jesus.
Blessings and peace,
Tom
Posted by Tom Arnold on 11/14/08 and filed in Blog.
Greetings from Versailles.
“Jesus who rescues us from the coming wrath.” 1 Thessalonians 1:10
We spent yesterday on the shores of Normandy, which was amazing in that yesterday was Veteran’s Day. We actually walked on the shores of Omaha and Utah. I could see vividly US infantrymen running up the shore, many of them dying, as they served their country by giving their lives on a foreign shore. There were actually remnants of the floating harbor they built.
We drove through the countryside of St. Mere-Eliglese and Carantan. Those of you who watched “Band of Brothers” will recognize these places. The countryside was absolutely stunning. Again in my mind’s eye I could see the 101st Airborne running across the country roads, through the hedges as they encountered German soldiers.
The cliffs above Omaha beach, where the German guns were placed, was riddled with craters the size of houses, left there by the barrage of US warships 60 years ago. The German bunkers, while still there, were crumbling.
What did I learn? The French have a rich history of conflict, and captivity. They know how it feels to be rescued. I pray that they will realize that as a nation, they are once again captive. And once again, their rescuer is nearby.
Blessings and peace,
Pastor Tom
Posted by Tom Arnold on 11/12/08 and filed in Blog.
Hi Everyone.
We spent the day traveling from Versailles to Normandy. For those of you who are a little rusty on your World War II history, Normandy was where America landed to liberate France from German occupation on June 6, 1944. The effort is better known as D-Day.
It was awe inspiring to stand on the cliffs overlooking the English channel thinking about the multitudes of boats and planes participating in the invasion. While in the area, we visited a place called “Pegasus Bridge.” It was here that Aussie and British commandos landed gliders with troops and tanks to take the bridge in the middle of the night hours before D-Day. Totally cool.
So why all the sightseeing? The French are very connected to their history, in fact in many ways it defines who they are. By understanding the tyranny of Nazism, and the liberation of D-Day, we begin to understand how they look at the world. But I also realized that France is once again captive, but this time to an invisible enemy. I pray that we will all be a part of this liberation.
“To open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.” Isaiah 42:7
Blessings and much peace,
Tom
Posted by Tom Arnold on 11/10/08 and filed in Blog.
Hi Everyone.
“And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” Colossians 2:15
Another very busy day in and around Paris.
Triumph. After breakfast this morning we headed once again to the Versailles train station for a ride into Paris. Our first stop once in town was the Arch de Triumph. What an amazing sight! The detail of the artwork, although a clear deification of Napoleon, was nothing less than spectacular. Standing under the Arch, you could almost see the German Nazi army marching into Paris almost 70 years ago. That was then, and this is definitely now.
Leaders. From there we were off to a lunch meeting with Al and Carol Clason. The Claysons are involved in lay leadership training for basically all of the Alliance ministries in France. Their work has produced much fruit, as no ministry can last without building into future leaders. They developed a four year program that would rival many Bible schools back in the States.
Posh. We nest found ourselves on the Champ de Elysee, Paris’ equivalent of Fifth Avenue. Honestly, I felt like I was back in New York walking down this street. Very cool…very expensive.
Tower. Back to sightseeing. Our next stop, the Eiffel Tower. To get there we took the famous Metro, which dropped us off on a hill looking down on the magnificent tower. Without a doubt, this is one of the most breathtaking views in all of Paris.
Sail. We then walked down the hill past the Tower and boarded something like our Circle Line in New York. We slowly cruised the Seine River, reviewing sights we had seen earlier in our trip. We cruised past Notre Dame, the Louvre, and so many others.
Quintessential. We exited the boat in one of my very favorite places in Paris: The Latin Quarter. It was dusk, and the city was just starting to come alive. The Latin Quarter is quintessential Paris (i.e. narrow streets, cobble stones, very quaint restaurants, etc). Let’s put it this way…I would have much rather been there with my wife than with two pastors and a missionary, no matter how much I enjoy hanging out with these guys!
Finally, a train ride back to Versailles for a dinner meeting with local missionaries Tom and Bev Hawkins. The Hawkins are involved in grassroots evangelism in and around Paris. They run programs like Alpha and the Marriage course for Parisians far away from God. Bev cooked us a traditional French dinner, complete with duck salad, a beautiful stew, and of course dessert.
We ended the day, as always, with a debrief among the pastors in our hotel cafe. We are learning so much from our hosts and from the local culture. We are humbled at what the Holy Spirit is accomplishing here among a people that gives God very little thought.
More to come.
Blessings and much peace,
Pastor Tom
Posted by Tom Arnold on 11/07/08 and filed in Blog.
“For the battle is not yours, but God’s.” 2 Chronicles 20:15
Hi Everyone.
Nothing like a good night’s sleep. Locals told us that the best way to get acclimated to the time zone is to force ourselves to stay awake until 9:00 and then collapse…I almost made it.
French pastors. This morning we drove 21 miles south from Versailles to a convent in the the town of Orsay to join a group of French Alliance pastors at a retreat. Even with the necessity of translation, it was amazing to hear what God was doing in French local ministries.
I still love cathedrals. This afternoon we caught a train from Versailles into Paris. It was a quick walk to the cathedral of Notre Dame from the train station. I have always been in awe of these large European cathedrals; I love getting lost in their cavernous interiors, wondering what it would have been like to worship there during its peak. I imagine the extreme tension between the monarchy, priesthood, and the peasants. In fact, it was that very tension that led to revolution. I thought of Emily when I saw the statue of one of her heroes: Joan of Ark. At the front of the cathedral there is of course a cross. Strangely (for a Catholic church) Jesus was not on it. In this particular cathedral, Jesus was off the cross and in Mary’s arms. Interestingly, a statue of King Louis XIV was off to one side, offering his crown to Jesus. This offends the French to this day, in that they see this as a the country of France surrendering its autonomy to the Catholic church. They continue to resist this gesture, having turned almost completely from any and all forms of religion.
An empty battlefield. I prayed as I walked the streets of Paris early this evening, and the image that came to my mind was that of an empty battlefield. The streets were crowded with people, to be sure, but the spiritual battle was not happening. Is that possible? The vision reminded me of the Golan Heights…at the time it was peaceful, without battle. But there had been wars there…and there would be again.
Strategy. My friends and I had dinner this evening in a Versailles cafe and spoke of strategy. How would this battle be re-engaged? How would it be won? I will leave the details of that discussion for a future post.
Blessings and much peace,
Pastor Tom
Posted by Tom Arnold on 11/06/08 and filed in Blog.
Hi Everyone.
I’m safely on the ground in Paris after a long flight across the pond. As I write this I am sitting in a very nice garden apartment in Versailles (15 miles southwest of Paris) chatting with Paul Keidel (Field Director of French Missions), Pastor Brian McIntyre (Lakeview Community Church), and Brian McMillan (Centerpoint) about what to expect over the next few days. All I can say is that we are going to be all over the country, from Paris to Normandy to Limoges (I have attached my itinerary to this post).
In addition to our itinerary, we spoke at length about the history and mission of the CMA in France.
We are so exhausted, in that we have been awake for about 24 hours.
More to come.
Blessings and peace,
Pastor Tom
france-trip-itinerary-nov-4-18-2008
Posted by Tom Arnold on 11/05/08 and filed in Blog.
