Interesting story of an Atheist who becomes a Christian

Two months after he threatened to sue a Texas county for allowing a Nativity scene on public property, longtime atheist Patrick Greene has announced that he is not only converting to Christianity, but also plans to become a pastor, the Christian Postreports.

Greene, an Air Force veteran from San Antonio who has a history of activism,threatened in February to file a lawsuit against Henderson County, Texas, if they did not remove a Nativity scene in front of the courthouse, Malakoff News reported.

But he was forced to drop the lawsuit after doctors told him that he had developed eye cataracts and was in danger of losing his vision, according to the Houston Chronicle. Shortly thereafter, Greene's failing vision forced him to quit his job as a taxi driver and he was left with the challenge of supporting himself and his wife of 33 years.

That's when Jessica Crye, a Christian woman who read about Greene's troubles in the paper, went to members of her church and asked if they would be willing to donate money to help Greene. They ended up raising $400 in donations for Greene, which left him "flabbergasted that Christians would help atheists," the Athens Reviewreported at the time.

Both Christians and atheists alike ended up donating to Greene through a fundraising account he set up on the site GoFundMe.com.

It's that compassion that Greene says compelled him to start rethinking his religious beliefs. He told the Christian Post that after thinking deeply about Christianity and reexamining his views on evolution and animals, he decided to start practicing the religion.

"There's been one lingering thought in the back of my head my entire life, and it's one thought that I've never been able to reconcile, and that is the vast difference between all the animals and us," Greene told the Post.

He added later, "I kind of realized that the questions I [was] asking you just had to accept on faith without doubting every period and every comma."

Now Greene says he plans to use some of the money he received from good samaritans to move out of San Antonio and buy his wife her "dream" mobile home, according to the Christian Post. He's also planning to write a book about the donations he received that he's tentatively titled "The Real Christians of Henderson County."

Here is the post on the internet http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/04/patrick-greene-atheist-christianity-conversion_n_1404196.html?fb_action_ids=3361463009330&fb_action_types=news.reads&fb_source=other_multiline

MAY 17 WORLD PRAYER ASSEMBLY

.http://www.globaldayofprayer.com/

World Prayer Assembly
What impact could tens of millions of Christians from across the planet and united in prayer, have on the course of history? 


Momentum is growing for the World Prayer Assembly (WPA) gathering that is being co-hosted by the Indonesian and Korean Prayer movements, two of the most powerful prayer forces in the world. On May 17, 2012, 100,000 believers will be gathering to pray in the national stadium of Jakarta. It is estimated that another five million Christians, from 400 cities throughout the nation, could also be participating. Global Day of Prayer will be broadcasting the event globally through satellite TV to tens of millions more believers. The result of this venture will mark the WPA as an unparalleled day of united prayer around the world.

We expect at least 5 million believers in Indonesia on that day will pray together.



Indonesia already stands as a powerful nation in prayer. They currently have fifty-two "prayer towers"that are continually manned by intercessors praying 24-7-365. There are almost 1100 "prayer bases"where believers and leaders meet weekly to pray together. However, they are increasing the effort before WPA with a further 2000 believers gathering weekly in Jakarta until May 17th.

Prayer Points:

· That the people the Lord is calling from every nation will be able to come to WPA.

· That hundreds of children and youth from all 12 world regions would be able to take part.

· That the WPA would be abundantly financially supplied for every individual need.

· Unity between the leaders of the co-hosting countries, Indonesia and Korea.

· Humility, joy, unity, and the anointing of the Holy Spirit during the planning process.

· Continued favor of the political authorities and the people of Indonesia.

· Protection over the people and WPA venues and a creative solution for Jakarta's legendary traffic problem.

· A great wave of the spirit of revival and transformation to be released during the WPA to flow through Indonesia and all the Nations of the Earth.


 

Prayer for our City!

I just signed up for this after the National Day of Prayer… Let’s cover Pinellas County in prayer! http://www.transformourworld.org

Wycliffe Words

Check out Wycliffe Bible Translators latest game! http://www.wycliffewords.org/

Fish Farms

Rick Hermanns, a member of our church, has a foundation through his business that supports ministries around the world through Tilapia ponds. This is what he wrote about them.

 

Fishers of Men

Most of us have heard the expression, “Teach a man to fish, feed him for a day.  Teach a man to fish, feed him for life.”  But what can this look like in a Christian context and in practice?  For five years now, the HigherQuest Foundation has been building fish farms for ministries across the globe.  These fish farms provide an excellent way to provide not only daily sustenance for the people served by the ministry but they help the ministry itself thrive by relieving it of fundraising worries and brings the satisfaction that comes with ownership.

There are several excellent reasons to set up fish farms for ministries overseas.  Some of these include:

Fish Farms Provide an Excellent Return on Investment

As a general rule, in most countries and with proper supervision, a fish farm will produce 150 to 200% per year in fish value relative to the cost of installing the fish farm.  That is, if the fish farm cost $1000, it should produce about $1500 to $2000 worth of fish per year.  As such, the recipient of the fish farm sees significant value from his/her effort.

Fish Farms Provide More or Less Permanent Income

A typical fish farm will last for years and even when it needs to be rehabilitated, it will have already earned enough funds to provide for the rehabilitation.  This fact has several important ramifications.  For example, a donor can know that he or she has not just “stood in the gap” for a temporary period of time, but rather has given a gift that will continue for years to come.  This further allows the donor to gracefully support a different ministry in the future while knowing that they have not abandoned the first.  Let me give you an example, our second and third fish farms were built for an orphanage and an old age home in India.  While there are numerous other needs there, the HigherQuest Foundation can know that it is providing ongoing assistance even while we have moved on to work with other ministries.  That is, each year, our fish farms are providing for the ministry there. 

Another important aspect of the permanence of the fish farm is that the ministry can expand its use.  Some ministries are better than others at this but we have seen ministries take one small fish farm and parlay it into 5 or 6 fish farms.

Fish Farms Can Provide a Great Way to Assist Pastors

Our last project was a collaborative effort in Indonesia with Pioneers, Clean Waters, and Mustard Seed.  In only six weeks and with only $7,800 we built 21 fish farms, 2 hatcheries, and a fish food making facility.  The fish farms are basically backyard fish farms designed primarily to allow pastors to support themselves.  In countries like Indonesia and India, it is incredibly difficult for pastors to support themselves.  Their congregations tend to be poor, forcing them to typically be bi-vocational.  However, as it is known that they are Christian, finding proper employment is usually very difficult , if not impossible.  Thus the backyard fish farm provides for about half of what the pastor needs to live—all for a minimal upfront investment.  In our Indonesian effort, the strong local organizations are allowing the seeds we planted to grow dramatically.

Fish Farms Provide a Basic Need

Other than air and water, food is about as basic a need as we have.  Lack of access to protein has huge long-term ramifications to our health.  In the orphanages where we have installed fish farms, the children have been supplied with a high quality source of protein in their diet that would otherwise have been unaffordable.

Fish Farms are Versatile

We have built systems as small as a large hot tub and as large as a system with three interconnected ponds totaling several acres.  Based upon the land available, the funds available, access to power and water, our fish farms can be tailored to the needs of the ministry being supported.

Of course, there are many factors that are critical to the success of fish farming and the purpose of this article is not to be exhaustive.  However, if there was one critical element to the success of the fish farm, it is the commitment of the recipient ministry.  Only if the ministry sees the value and is sold on the concept will the fish farm(s) succeed.

Into the Future

From just a nifty idea a few years back, we have grown and learned a great deal.  As we have learned from our experience and mistakes, we have adapted and planned for an even bigger future.  Some of the exciting plans are as follows:

·        We are building a training center near Orangeburg, South Carolina.  The training facility will have housing and all that is needed to learn to set up a fish farm.  We expect our first classes to start next summer.  Our hope is that any individual or organization with the desire to build fish farms will participate.  We have very limited resources and want to help maximize what we do have.  In short, it is not about how many fish farms we install, it is about making the most of the talents God has given us.

·        We are in the process of establishing the ability of individuals to loan money to ministries overseas to set up a fish farm.  By requiring the recipient to repay the cost of the fish farm creates even more “ownership”, helps encourage seriousness of purpose, and allows us to extend our resources.  Of course, a person can always donate but the loan program will allow donors to connect even closer to the recipients of their aid.  Simply put, the more financial resources we have, the more fish farms we can build.

·        We are building partnerships with other churches and organizations to identify overseas ministries that would benefit from our services.  As stated earlier, the commitment and quality of the donation recipient is the single biggest determinant of success in the long run.

 

Pioneers Article

Your Future in Mission

40 Practical 'Next Steps' to help you find your role in God's global drama.

by Andrew Russell

To put them in some type of helpful order I'm going to use the Trail Guide Map from Jeff Lewis' book

'God's Heart for the Nations'. His steps include:

1. Begin. 2. Get Good Shoes. 3.Get Informed. 4 Get Cross‐Cultural. 5. Get Evangelistic. 6. Get

Counselled. 7. Get Prayer. 8. Get Going!

1. So let's Begin

1. Don't wait for a call; rather see the great commission as a command. So many don't go beyond

exploring because they are yet to experience a specific call.

2. Be attentive to the Holy Spirit leading you where he wants you to go.

3. Learn to be a learner/observer – the mission world doesn't need any more experts.

4. See yourselves as a servant – go to the place to serve.

5. The world doesn't need more of you – it needs more of God. Devote yourself to knowing God,

know his book, people are hungry for it.

6. Hold nothing back – surrender everything!

2. Get Good Shoes

7. Find God's mission in the Bible. Do Bible studies like Jeff Lewis' "God's Heart For The Nations"

8. Do the Perspective's course or the Encountering Islam course.

9. Discover the gifts and abilities that God has given you and find ministry outlets and mentors

who will help you to intentionally develop those gifts.

10. Spend significant time and energy developing your ability to interact with God and discern his

voice through the Word and prayer.

11. Look at how God has been equipping you so far.

12. Be intentional – only those who are intentional and take the initiative and keep moving in the

direction of the mission field are the ones who get there.

13. Keep a journal of your daily devotionals/notes on your readings, thoughts and prayers as you

journey – these will help to encourage you in the low times.

14. Develop strong habits in the spiritual disciplines (being able to feed yourself deeply).

3. Get Informed

15. Know the globe and its needs. Get a world map; watch the news, read newspapers – world

section, surf websites like the BBC and CNN.

16. Get a copy of Patrick Johnstone's Operation World or 100 Gateway Cities and start praying daily

for the needs of the world.

17. Read stories about missionaries/biographies of ordinary people used extraordinarily by God.

18. Write to cross‐cultural workers on the field and commit to praying for them – they will be so

encouraged and so will you.

19. Read Duane Elmer's, book Cross‐Cultural Servant hood, also Sherwood Lingenfelter's book

Ministering Cross‐Culturally.

20. Learn to live more simply.

21. Undertake a Bible college course if you can – get a good Biblical foundation for mission.

22. Do some good cross‐cultural subjects before heading overseas.

23. Start learning another language. It doesn't have to be one you might use – just learn the process

of language learning. It will come in very handy.

4. Get Cross‐Cultural

24. Start at home and get to know your cross‐cultural neighbours

25. Spend time with people from other cultures, learning, listening, getting involved in their lives.

26. Experience the unreached face to face – take a missions trip and get exposure – be intentional

about where you go – spy out the land God has put on your heart.

27. Befriend internationals – talk to them about their faith/become familiar with what they believe

28. Become a good question asker and do so in a way that conveys care and concern for the person.

29. Live in community – it is essential that potential cross‐cultural workers learn to live in

community with others they will serve with.

5. Get Evangelistic

30. Develop a witnessing lifestyle – get involved in outreach where you are now. If you can't do it at

home you won't do it overseas.

31. Get out of yourself. Every cross‐cultural worker needs to seek to meet the needs of others – it is

what Jesus did.

32. Get involved in your sending churches' ministries – start serving at home as you will need the

experience.

33. Start a discipleship group on your campus, at work or at home – share your lives with others.

34. Try to church plant in your home country first before you attempt to do it overseas among

'unreached' peoples.

6. Get Counselled

35. Seek accountability and advice for the journey ahead – find a mentor or coach you respect. Let

them speak honestly into your life.

36. Interact with cross‐cultural workers – be encouraged by them and their stories.

37. Share your heart for missions with your home church leaders and see how you can pursue this

together as a body. It is not your work alone – explore how cross‐cultural ministry can be a

natural extension of what your home church is already doing.

38. Start doing an informal survey of mission agencies – it is never too early to narrow it down to 2

or 3 you want to really get to know. Then ask them tough questions and find out which one will

celebrate who you are and how God has uniquely shaped you for mission.

7. Get Prayer

39. Share your vision with others, start gathering to pray for the nations with like‐minded brothers

and sisters. It is never too early to invite people on the journey with you.

40. Stay in regular contact with these supporters – remember that these people are real partners in

your work and treat them as such with frequent communications and invitations to pray and

share their perspectives and insights with you.

41. Build a strong prayer team now no matter how far away you are from serving cross‐culturally.

42. Make good use of the latest technology to bring people on this journey with you. Blogs, Face

book, email, Skype, phone calls, faxes, telegrams, courier pigeons. (Well maybe not the last

three 

8. Get Going

Get going because it is later than you think!

So remember ‐

"Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given and sink yourself into

that! Don't be impressed with yourself don't compare yourself with others. Each of you must take

responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life."

Galatians 6 v 3‐5 The Message

"Twenty years from now, you'll be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than the ones you did.

So throw off the bowlines. Leave the still waters of the harbor. Catch the trade winds with your sail!"

Mark Twain

One final thought and word of encouragement ‐

"But I solemnly swear to keep you safe in the boat, with your wife and sons and their wives."

Genesis 6 v18

"Finally, the day came when the Lord said to Noah; go into the boat with all your family, for among all

the people of the earth, I consider you alone to be righteous."

Genesis 7 v 1

These verses are from the New Living Translation of the Bible. What is interesting is that in some

versions the word 'go' is replaced with the word 'come'. This gives it a totally different meaning.

Come into the ark, come thou and all thy house into the ark.

What a beautiful thought. The Lord was not saying to Noah and his family to go into the ark but to come,

signifying that God was already in the place he was calling Noah and his family too.

So remember God is not telling you to 'GO' anywhere but to 'COME' and join him in his redemptive

drama.

Mission Quest Adventures Laser Tag!

Check out our latest fundraiser for Missions trips!  www.missionquestadventures.com  or go to our Facebook page and click on LIKE!

http://www.facebook.com/MissionQuestAdventures