Only God

Only God can take a completely crappy (there's a good theological word for ya!) day and turn it around. On days like today, I am reminded of the encouragement of Paul in Romans that "all things work together for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose..."

So today, I woke up, LATE, on the wrong side of the bed. About 12:30, when I finally got motivated enough to crawl out of "the pit" things began to come together. At the end, here is what God did for a worthless worm such as I:

1. Allowed me to rejoice with the mother of a deployed soldier at the birth of her child.
2. Sold my old washer and dryer without placing an ad, someone called me about something else and it came up. Turns out they needed a set yesterday.
3. Someone who I have been trying to bond with in the church sent me a note thanking me for "doing such a wonderful job" at their grandmother's funeral.
4. Got to encourage a Y. pastor who had to resign because of impossible personality conflicts (not that I would know anything about that).
5. I got a kiss from my wife. A really good one!

To top it all off, my favorite show returns tomorrow night.

Oh me of little faith.

Rev.

My Favorite Rich Song

Jesus: From the Jesus Record
________________________

They say You walked upon the water once

When you lived as all men do

Please teach me how to walk the way You did

Because I want to walk with You

Jesus

They say you taught a lame man how to dance

When he had never stood without a crutch

Well, here am I Lord, holding out my withered hands

And I'm just waiting to be touched

Jesus

Write me into Your story

Whisper it to me

And let me know I'm Yours

Jesus

They say You spoke and calmed an angry wave

That was tossed across a stormy sea

Please teach me how to listen, how to obey

'Cause there's a storm inside of me

Jesus

Write me into Your story

Whisper it to me

And let me know I'm Yours

Jesus

They drove the cold nails through Your tired hands

And rolled a stone to seal Your grave

Feels like the devil's rolled a stone onto my heart

Can You roll that stone away?

Attention Broke College Students!

How to Buy Theological Books (Online):

"When I get a little money I buy books; and if any is left I buy food and clothes."

Erasmus

Warning: This will either be the most boring or useful “how-to” that you ever read. BTW: I’m always looking for good ideas/deals!

Step One: Utilize Your Brain Trust

E-mail some folks you who are “in the know” concerning your subject matter (professors, pastors, other nerds, etc.) Ask the following question: “If you could only own three books on say, supralapsarianism, what would they be?”

Step Two: 3+2=5

Take the top three, by simple majority, and add anything on the subject by Ben Witherington or NT Wright. (Yes, I know that this brings you to five, but I am a preacher, not a mathematician!)

Step Three: Snag the ISBN

First stop: CBD.com. They typically have the most current information on books, i.e. publishing dates, etc. The most important piece of data is that ISBN or International Standard Book Number. The ISBN is unique to that book, although a title may have more than one ISBN due to editions, bindings, etc. Most new books have two ISBNs, a 10 and 13 digit code because of differences in inventory software. The point is, if you have the ISBN from a book, you can usually find that EXACT pressing of that book (in some cases however, the cover will differ as multiple printings will maintain the same ISBN, thus the cover may vary but the binding and content will be identical.

Step Four: Cut and Paste Daniel-san…

Using your trusty Cntrl (option or “squiggle” key on Macs), highlight the ISBNs, then using Cntrl-C and Cntrl-V commands, pasting them into your word processing software. Next, visit the following secure sites using the ISBN to search for your books:

Addall (the mother of all book search engines)

CBD

Buy.com

Abebooks

Amazon

E-Bay

Alibris

As you locate your books, toss them all in the shopping cart (keeping browser tabs up, Fire Fox is best for this IMHO). Then check the total price. Often, shipping incentives on sites like CBD will offset the initial cost of a book. BUT, sometimes you can score huge deals like I did today when I got Witherington’s commentary on Galatians for 20.98 + 3.75 = $24.73. The book retails at $42.00 (I saved $21.22, enough to buy the NT Wright book and a box of Cheeze-Its).

My best experiences have been with Abebooks because of their strict standards on gauging used titles (i.e. any writing at all, even a name, puts the book at “Good” condition or 3 of 5). Another plus to Abebooks, is that they often have titles that are out of stock elsewhere since they are mostly used or “remainder” titles (overstock returns from retail outfits like Mardel or Barnes and Noble).

Step Five: Be Not Afraid

CBD has an amazing “damaged” bin. Damaged to them means that someone dropped the box, so the book had a bent edge, or it has a scratch on the cover from the box being opened hastily etc. 99.9% of the time, a “damaged” book is just as good as a book you’ve had in your backpack for a week. Recently I saw paperback Hebrew OT texts for $10.99, which is like $20 off.

Step Six: CutePDF.exe

As a pastor, the IRS gives me a tax break on some things I buy for the ministry through an “accountable re-imbursement” arrangement with our church. The best way I have found to keep track of my IRS deductible receipts from online purchases is to “print” my receipts using CutePDF writer. CutePDF allows you to use the print menu to create PDF files out of anything, webpages, Word Docs, etc. You can get that from download.com or just Google it to go to their homepage.

Step Six: ROADTRIP!

As for “brick and mortar” Stores, Mardel and Barnes and Noble are usually useless when it comes to (evangelically oriented) academic Biblical studies resources. So, if you want something on Jesus by someone other than Elaine Pegals or Jon Dominic Crossan, you have to look elsewhere. Also, what they have is usually special ordered and then “orphaned” so they want full price to recoup their investment.

My suggestion is to hit used book stores. In Springfield MO the place to go is Redeemed Books (who usually has free coffee!), or ABC Books. The coolest thing about these stores is that you can actually pay for books with books!!! My wife scores tons of home school books using ones we don’t use anymore. Call ahead though, because most stores only allow trades on certain days and have some restrictions (i.e. you can hardly give away Left Behind books!) OH, and Redeemed has two sales a year where things are 25-50% off, AND ministers get a discount on everything, including music.

Lastly, if you are blessed to live near a publishing house (i.e, Grand Rapids, MI or New York, NY…) Dr. Bayer told a story of being able to visit the actual publishing facility and purchasing defective books (like one that were bound upside down) for so little money that they literally filled their car. Just a thought (any one up for a trip to Grand Rapids!?).

So, now that I have eternally secured my status as nerd of the year, happy hunting!

Good News!

My politically incorrect musings on today's headlines. ..

The government is going to save our dying economy by giving out money! Breads and citrons anyone???

Amy Winehouse is going back to rehab... is Winehouse really a stage name?

85% of people say that we should “leave Britney alone”. Good thing she's not a public figure.

NASA found out where sasquash has been hiding, MARS! They've also been drinking...

Mormons say that we just don’t understand them… Whew! That’s a relief; I thought they were a cult!

Lastly, I found my Sci-Fi Canon Blues CD (only two of you care about that).

Could I?

I've been thinking a lot lately about what I am going to do this November. For some time, I was seriously on board with Mr. Huckabee, but it takes more than whit and down home values to run the country that the world revolves around. It has also become increasingly apparent to me that what our nation needs more than anything right now is less dogmatism and more moderation. The bottom line, we need someone who strikes the balance, not to mention someone with experience. Mc Cain seems to be the sort of person that could really help this country. I could wake up tomorrow with different ideas, but with primaries just around the corner in MO, I have to make up my mind fast... hmmm... what will I do...

Straining Gnats...

A word to the “pro-choice” movement:

You call out conservatives for supporting a war while opposing abortion. I call you out for saving whales, dolphins, trees, and puppies yet allowing the lives of unborn children to be stripped away in the name of your “reproductive rights”.

Hypocrites...

There, I got that off my chest.

Rev.

Bruxism and the Bible

About six years ago, Steve, Darryl, and I hit a show in downtown OKC at a venue called City Church. That night was a double threat, Spoken and Living Sacrifice, and it was awesome (and a few legendary concert moments came from that like my Hammering Process CD surviving a mosh pit). That night I stood right next to a massive speaker and I could not hear from my right ear for about eight hours. I also took a stage dive from a monitor during "Reborn" and got dropped at the end or my (AWESOME!) crowd surf, straight on my knee! OW...

So, what does that have to do with Bruxism?

For years, every morning I wake up with serious cramps in my neck, and shoulders. Vicki says you can hear me popping my neck in the living room. My ear is nearly deaf as a post and my knee aches. Yeah, every morning... until a week ago!

My dentist told me that I have Bruxism (TMD) or "clenching and grinding". It happens if you have a job that needs concentration or if you have a lot of stress in your life. (Good thing I'm only a pastor and father of four!) So they gave me this mouth guard to use when I am driving, typing, and sleeping and if you can believe it, my ear, neck, and my freaking knee feel better... odd huh? Bruxism gives you tension in your head and neck that apparently can lead to migraines, back trouble, pinched nerves etc. So this little thing in my mouth has been changing my life. I seriously feel better than I have in years, all because of a silly little mouth guard!

I can't help but see a spiritual analogy here. The small things that I do in my spiritual life help just as much. We started studying Galatians this past Sunday night, so in preparation I have spent hours in my Bible and in books preparing and have been reflecting on the Word quite a bit lately. Wouldn't you know, my attitude has improved, there is more peace in my heart, I feel better about life. That is something that God did, and I am thankful for it, but all it took was little effort from me to tap into what was literally surrounding me all the time (if you know me, you know my family has about thirty Bibles).

I have to go now, I am about to go lay down more money than I really want to spend on a washer and dryer set...

Yes, I'm taking my mouth guard :)

I Suddenly Understood the Truth...

13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
Psalms 139:13-16 (NIV)

This passage is to me one of the most profound statements of the value of the
life of the unborn.

For many years, I had taken the stance that abortion rights, pro-choice and prolife were none of my business, because I am male. Since I could not have a baby, it was not my business to say anything about the issue. All that changed during my first year as a Youth Pastor in Eldorado, OK. I read a book by John Ankerberg called “Facts on Abortion”, simple straightforwardly titled. In this book was a description from a woman who had undergone a “saline” abortion, she described how she was told that there was nothing to worry about, nothing to be ashamed of, that the procedure would be little more than a regular “lady appointment” and that she would be able to return to life as normal very soon. The moment that the doctor injected the saline into her womb, she knew she had made a terrible mistake, and there was no turning back. The child in her womb kicked violently, fluttered and gradually faded, then the dilatation and curettage procedure followed where the remains of her child were removed from her womb. She was then led to a small room with a couch where she was left to recover from the procedure, but how could she ever recover?

I am pretty sure that I am not going to have to convince many, if any, of you that abortion is a grievous sin in our nation. Since the landmark Roe v. Wade case thirty five years ago, more than 40,000,000 abortions have taken place in the US. About 1.25 million each year, or one every 22 seconds. It is illegal to step on the egg of a sea turtle in FL, it is illegal to kill an American Eagle, but it is perfectly legal to end the life of an unborn child. And there is little consistency here.

Without getting graphic, I will only note that the recent high profile case of a pregnant Marine whose boyfriend is suspected of murdering her is wanted on under suspicion of double homicide. Yet if this same woman had gone through what we consider proper channels, then she would have been innocent of a crime. My friends, this does not make any sense.

I have seen the face of abortion, it has touched my family. It has touched my Youth Ministry, it has touched my life. I have a close friend who till this very day can hardly leave her home on two days of the year, her child’s due date and the date of her abortion. I remember the face of a fifteen year old girl whose party life was interrupted by the revelation that she was pregnant. The next time I saw her, she was in my office confessing to me that she had had an abortion. Her
grandmother insisted that she have the procedure, that it was the only way for her to have a “normal” life, she would even pay for it. That girl has never recovered either.

The psalmists, the prophets, they warn us. The value we place on life, particularly innocent life, is a litmus test of where we stand in relation to God. Being guilty of innocent blood is a great offense to God. Yet we say that it is not our business. But it really is. We are exhorted to speak out for those who have no voice, the orphan the fatherless, and the widow, and I am sure that somewhere in the fine print the unborn are taken into consideration.

In ancient Rome, there were those who practiced abortion for the right price. The early fathers spoke of them as assassins. The other option was exposure, unwanted children were simply left to die along the sea, or in the wilderness. Of the distinguishing marks of the early church was that Christians would rescue these children, Dr. D. James Kennedy notes that this practice would gradually develop into what we know today as an orphanage.

They shed innocent blood,
the blood of their sons and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan,
and the land was desecrated by their blood.
Psalms 106:38 (NIV)

You say, now wait just a minute, no one sacrifices their children to idols nowadays. Is that really so? There are many reasons people choose to end a pregnancy in a abortion. It is important that we understand that not every woman who undergoes the procedure does so for selfish reasons, but I remember as an eight grade boy watching MTV’s The Real World, and watching a woman
decided to get an abortion because it was going to interrupt her life. So instead, she chose to interrupt the life of her child. To keep her career, her figure, her image. Is that not idolatry?

Abortions are done mostly for non-medical reasons. As the abortion industry itself admits on the website of the Alan Guttmacher Institute, "On average, women give at least 3 reasons for choosing abortion: 3/4 say that having a baby would interfere with work, school or other responsibilities; about 2/3 say they cannot afford a child; and 1/2 say they do not want to be a single parent or are having problems with their husband or partner."
Source: Priests for Life.org

I cannot pretend to understand all of the complexities of the decision that may lead a woman to have an abortion. Whether it is fear, or finances, or fame, or any other motivation, I cannot be convinced that the answer is ever to end the life of an innocent, defenseless baby. Listen to Jane Roe’s self description of the pivotal moment that turned her from being the poster child for the pro-choice movement, to what would later lead to her conversion to Christianity and later to
her being one of the most outspoken opponents of abortion in America:

"I was sitting in O.R.'s offices when I noticed a fetal development poster. The progression was so obvious, the eyes were so sweet. It hurt my heart, just looking at them. I ran outside and finally, it dawned on me. "Norma," I said to myself, "They're right." I had worked with pregnant women for years. I had been through three pregnancies and deliveries myself. I should have known. Yet something in that poster made me lose my breath. I kept seeing the picture of that tiny, 10-week-old embryo, and I said to myself, that's a baby! It's as if blinders just fell off my eyes and I suddenly understood the truth--that's a baby!
-- Norma McCorvey (Jane Roe)

That’s as simple as it can be put. “That’s a baby.”
Sometimes, issues seem so complex, and then, there is that “eureka” moment, the split second where something abstract becomes concrete, where something theoretical or philosophical becomes gritty reality. Maybe this will help.

The first is a fiber optic photo of a child in the early stage of fetal development. I’m no doctor, but I would guess that this is within the first trimester. Staggering how that even this early, the child is clearly human. From where you are you probably can’t see it, but this child has fingernails, eyebrows, and is apparently sucking their thumb.

The second is a 3D ultrasound of a 24 week old child.



















Technological advances have given us indelible evidence of what should be a given, that "a person is a person no matter how small."

Finally, this photo is one you have probably seen. It has been featured on several billboards across the country the last few years. That hand belongs to a little boy named Samuel Armas. At the end of a prenatal operation to treat Spina Bifida, Samuel literally reached out and grabbed the doctor’s hand! Not bad for an abstract legal and ethical concept huh?

Christians, this is not a political issue, or a bioethical issue, or a question of medicine. This is a moral and spiritual issue. We have to do something. Some ways that we as Christians can combat abortion are to:

Teach our families to value life: It interests me that you don’t have to convince a child that babies are people. However, we should beware activities, entertainment, etc. that cheapen or objectify life. A few months ago I visited a family’s home outside of town and while I was sitting on the floor with my infant son, a five year old stabbed me with a plastic knife. Maybe I’m over reacting, but maybe not…

Have a consistent ethic of human life: Being pro-life is more than being antiabortion. Life at all stages and all colors, races, creeds matter to God. We have to be consistent, but that is another sermon.

Pray: Prayerfully choose leaders that exemplify the ethics and character of the Bible. Pray for women and girls in trouble, for their families. Pray that you will know how you can be not just a voice, but also a helper.

Finally, to the woman who has had an abortion, or to the man who has been a party to one, to the young couple who was scared and didn’t know what else to do… Please hear this, I am not condemning you. I am condemning abortion, not those who have had one. If you have made this decision at some point in your life, there is light in the darkness. Forgiveness and freedom can be found in Jesus Christ, there is hope and grace for you. You have committed a sin, but it is not unpardonable. All you have to do is ask, to confess and ask for forgiveness. If you have Christ in your heart, you have already been forgiven. However, the pain still lingers. One thing that abortion clinics neglect to mention is that there is an alarming suicide rate among post-abortive mothers. The hormonal changes, coupled with the stress and feelings of guilt and remorse often associated with an abortion can be too much to bear. If you are out there, or know someone who is, consider this a helping hand stretched out to you.

God longs to hear us ask for forgiveness. He mourns with you. Let you mourning be turned to dancing today. Joy comes in the morning.

God Hates Nintendo

Okay, made you look. But I am not entirely kidding. Read on:
_______________________________________________
Like a dog that returns to its vomit
Is a fool who repeats his folly.
Prov 26:11 (NASB)

I have a confession to make, and since I am not Catholic (although so ironically named after a pope), you; my friends, will have to do. Confession is good for the soul, and I make this confession publicly because I hope that it may help someone else out there.

Over the past few days, God has revealed something to me. I am an idiot. Okay, no big revelation right? Oh, JP, don't be so hard on yourself! Well, just wait...

About four years ago, a friend of mine gave me the demo for an video game; the sort of game that is VERY time consuming. Like any game, when you get good at it, you find yourself immersed in it for HOURS without even realizing how much time has passed. The first time I played it was for eight hours, seriously. Well, this game became a refuge for me during some tough times in school and at our last ministry where things did not go so well. Then, for the longest time I did not have any time to play. So then, we move to our new town where things are either jumpin' with funerals, visits, conferences, meetings, dinners, etc. OR they are as they have been the last five weeks, utterly sleepy (which is not always bad). Well, I got to wasting time when there was down time, and about six months ago I posted that I was giving up gaming for awhile, that was the day I broke the first copy of the CD-Rom game I referred to above. Yes, I said the 'first' copy...

Let's stroll down memory lane...

Growing up, I had a very serious heart condition which was exacerbated by my mother's vicarious hypocondriactic tendencies as well as her bi-polar fueled need for attention (there is a clinical name for this called Munchausen by Proxy). What this meant for me was that for most of my life I was stuck inside. No sports, no running around outside on hot days eating ppopsicles. I was sort of like the kid from The Secret Garden, able to do things but not permitted. There aren't many things to do when you are nine and stuck inside, so my mom bought me a Nintendo, Zapper, Track & Field Pad, and all. It took me about twenty minutes to realize that it was the coolest thing I had ever seen. Over the years, I have been what most would consider an "avid" gamer (you could easliy measure the tie I have wasted playing video games in years.) So what does that have to do with my confession?

Today I broke my second copy. Yes. God has a flat spot on his forehead from where he strikes it with the plam of his hand while he watches me do dumb stuff like that. Last week I scored a copy of that game on eBay, it came in the mail yesterday and in the last 24 hours, when I should have been reading, or sleeping, or praying, or spending time with my wife and children, I was holed up with my popcorn and my flikcering LCD screen logging five hours on that game, hiding out in an alternate reality where I am God. Where people live or die at my command, where nations rise and fall at my whim, and where absolutely nothing of spiritual or filial value is engendered whatsover. So... where does that leave me now?

Well, it probably sounds dumb to some of you, but I was addicted to that game. (BTW, James Dobson defines an addiction as any behavior that controls you, so there are lots of possible addictions, e-mail, eating, shopping, sex...) Point of fact, I may be addicted to video games period. "There was a time when I thought as a child.... now I have put childish things away." You know, the average age of a gamer in the US is 32 years old. What that tells me is that they got us young, and some of us have been hooked on it like a drug for our whole lives. There are better things that I could do now, and there were things that I missed then. I am going to grow up, its time. I have a life to live, I have a family to raise, a church to lead and I don't have time to screw around while people are lost and their lives are falling apart. God gave me a minstry, it is time for me to take it to the next level and gaming does not fit in to that.

I take responsibility for my actions then and now, I am the fool that returned to my vomit.

Mmmmm, mmmm, good....

Rev.

Firing Squad or Noose?

Saw this on CNN.com today... my heart sank. ____________________________________ Quick Vote Whose ideas would you trust more to stimulate the economy? Congress President Bush or see results

Billy, The Boy Without a Body

I am a very sick little boy. My mother is typing this for me, because I can't. She is crying. Don't cry, Mommy! Mommy is always sad, but she says it's not my fault. I asked her if it was God's fault, but she didn't answer, and only started crying harder, so I don't ask her that anymore. The reason she is so sad is that I'm so sick. I was born without a body. It doesn't hurt, except when I go to sleep.

The doctors gave me an artificial body. My body is a burlap bag filled with leaves. The doctors said that was the best they could do on account of us havin' no money or insurance. I would like to have a body transplant, but we need more money. Mommy doesn't work because she said employers don't hire crying people. I said, "Don't cry, Mommy," and she hugged my burlap body. Mommy always gives me hugs, even though she's allergic to burlap, and it chafes her real bad.

I hope you will help me. You can help me if you forward this e-mail. Dr. Johansen said if you foward this e-mail then Bill Gates will team up with AOL and do a survey with NASA. Then the astronauts will collect prayers from school children all over America and take them up to space so that the angels can hear them better. Then they will go to the Pope, and he will take up a collection in church and send the money to the doctors. The doctors could help me better then.

Maybe one day I will be able to play baseball. Or maybe just use my lungs and heart, when the doctors make them. The doctors said that every time you foward this letter, the astronauts can take another prayer to the angels. Please help me. Mommy is so sad, and I want a body. I don't want my leaves to rot before I turn 10.

If you don't foward this e-mail, that's OK. Mommy says you're a mean heartless person who doesn't care about a poor little boy with only a head. She says that she hopes that you stew in the raw pit of your own guilt-ridden stomach. What kind of wretched person are you that you can't take five lousy minutes to forward this to all your friends so that they can feel guilt and shame for the rest of their day, and then maybe help a poor, bodiless nine-year-old boy?

Please help me. This really sucks. I try to be happy but it's hard. I wish I had a puppy. I wish I could hold a puppy.

Thank You.
Billy 'Smiles' Evans,

The boy with just a head.
And a burlap sack for a body.

Mourn With Those Who Mourn 3.0

I know that I have posted this before, but I have some friends that are in circumstances very similar to those I describe here. This article was published in a longer version in the SBU paper a few years ago. This version was published in the Bolivar paper and I have amended it some since then. May it be of help to someone out there, you all know who you are.
____________________________________________________________

As a pastor I have my share of funerals, ER visits, etc. however, it seems like an uncanny number of people I know have died in the last few years. This summer I went to the funerals of my aunt and my grandfather. A few years ago I recall a time when I attended three funerals in three weeks, one of which was for my mother-in-law. She died quite suddenly, and ironically we were returning home from a wake for a mutual friend when she suffered a violent stroke. These brushes with death had me pondering how little the average Christian is equipped to deal with grief in the lives of others.

In Paul’s magnum opus, Romans, amidst a list of instructions on how a Christian ought to behave, lies an often-ignored instruction concerning our conduct toward the bereaved and downtrodden:

“Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” Romans 12:15 (NIV)

Another rendering from The Message reads: “Laugh with your happy friends when they’re happy; share tears when they’re down.”

Why is this verse so important? I’ll tell you from experience: The last thing someone wants to hear when their world has just caved in is that “everything is going to be all right.” Well, at least I don’t want to hear that. Why? Because this can be like being told that your feelings don’t matter.

Well-intentioned folks seem armed to the teeth with pithy sayings, Internet forwards and half-quoted Bible verses to help you. Perhaps this well-intentioned effort stems from the misunderstanding that Christians are meant to be “happy all the day” (as the hymn relates). We are to be victorious, strong, upwardly mobile, persevering. And this understanding of the Christian life seems to leave no room for the gritty business of mourning. Yet if God had not intended to allow periods of despondency, would he have given us Lamentations? Why did Jesus weep openly? Does he not suffer with his children in some way beyond our understanding? Intentions are not in question here, but effectiveness is. Nothing rubs salt in the wound of loss like the feeling that one’s pain is being minimized.

So I am here to tell you that it is all right not to be happy all the day. Furthermore, that there are times when one would simply be foolish to be that way. You see, my family is amply acquainted with loss. My wife lost seven loved ones in seven years, among them were both of her parents and two unborn children. She is 26. Few people experience that degree of loss in a lifetime. We have cried as David cried, until we could weep no more (1 Samuel 30). Yes, joy came in the morning (Psalm 30:5), but in those moments, fear, anger and despair set in like a tsunami, even though we know that our God is always with us we often wondered where He was.

It is beneficial to be reminded of God’s goodness, yet sometimes Christians are so quick to comfort that they do not even seem to be listening. This leaves believers looking callous instead of compassionate. Timeliness is of the essence. Intentions are not in question here, but effectiveness is. Let me say it again: nothing rubs salt in a wound like the feeling that one’s pain is being minimized. Sometimes what someone needs more than anything is simply to hear, “Man, that is really awful, and I am so sorry.” And in the moment, that can be enough.

I have to say that in the midst of our recent loss, we were so blessed by our church well... that is how this read in the past... but the truth is that our church mostly blew it. If it wasn't for some of our friends from years past our marriage may have disintegrated under the stress of life and the weight of grief. VERY few simply mourned with us. I got the reputation around school of being "intense". Well, wouldn't you be?

The people who helped must have known what that salt can feel like. In their moments of despair, they just needed to know that it was OK not to feel — OK.

So when someone mourns, mourn with them. Don't try to "fix" them, simply let them be broken. Better yet, be broken with them. Then when it is time to say, “Things will be OK,” laugh the darkness away together.

____________________________________________________________

Revisions posted on 01/14/08

J.P. Williams was a senior at Southwest Baptist University and lived in Bolivar. Now he dwells on a private island in the South Pacific with the other survivors of Oceanic Flight 815.

Prophets and Progeny

Perhaps these are unaswerables, but this has been eating at me the last two days. I have read/seen several different new reports where children die: twice at the hands of adult, once after his mother died and he (21 month old) starved to death in the apartment a week later, and one instance where children drowned in an SUV while thier mother tried to save them.

If God brings food to prophets in the wilderness, then why does he allow this sort of thing?

Johnny Cash Tribute at Folsom Prison Canceled

FOLSOM, California (AP) -- A concert marking the 40th anniversary of Johnny Cash's famous concert at Folsom State Prison has been scrapped, with the prison and the promoter blaming each other for the cancellation.

The tribute concert, scheduled for Sunday, was to have been staged in the same prison cafeteria where Cash performed before inmates on January 13, 1968. That breakthrough performance became a popular live album.

Prison officials called off the show late Monday, citing problems over filming rights, media access and security concerns.

Promoter Jonathan Holiff claims the cancellation was just another broken promise by prison officials. "I was in tears when I found out," Holiff said.

The show, which would have been streamed worldwide over the Internet, was to have been underwritten by four nonprofit groups that were to share the venture's profit.

The concert also was to have featured Cash's music and include drummer W.S. "Fluke" Holland, one of his original backup musicians.

The executive director of Prison Fellowship Ministries, which had helped underwrite the event, said Cash fans and the inmates are the losers in this conflict.

"Johnny was wild at heart, just like these men," Joe Avila said. "But just like him, they can change. They can walk the line."

Cash died in 2003

Living Epistles: 2 Corinthians 3:2-3

I. CORINTH: A TRUE PROBLEM CHILD

Corinth was a church with enough problems to keep any pastor busy. Truth be told, I always chuckle a bit whenever I see a “Corinth” church (although I am sure that they are thinking about chapter thirteen, the nearly ubiquitous “love chapter”). From what I can tell, there were at least four letters exchanged between Paul and the church at Corinth as Paul tried to straighten them out on who he was, what he meant, and how they could be the church and do church (orthodoxy and orthopraxy). It is worth noting that American Christians have much in common with the church of Corinth.

The Corinthians had their share of problems, not the least of which was a seeming indifference about being, well what Christ called us to be, different. The folks in Corinth had pretty well slipped into their faith and brought with it all the trappings from their former lives as pagans. They had great difficulty seeing that their boasting, their excess, their immorality, and so forth were in opposition to the new life that Christ had granted them. Paul had received these reports from a trusted source he wrote to Corinth to try to turn things around, in turn they wrote back telling him to give it a rest, but Paul, not to be outdone, wrote to them again and this is where we get 2 Corinthians. This may account for the way that Paul seems to “hit the ground running” in 2 Corinthians. He adjures them to reaffirm their love for God and one another, and then, in chapter three he lays out this appeal to them.

You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men; ³ being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

2 Corinthians 3:2-3 (NASB)

II. CAUGHT BEING GOOD

Paul says something time and time again that really chafes at the independent American in me. “People are watching, so be good…” Have you ever had someone say that to you?

Have you ever been caught being good? One time when we picked our kids up from children’s church they had stickers on their shirts that said “caught being good!” Now that’s a great feeling, much better than that one you get when you get caught sneaking a midnight snack or talking on the phone when you are grounded. A recent news story along the same lines caught my attention:

Excellent Driving, Now Pull Over: Calif. Cops to Reward Motorists With $5 Starbucks Cards

RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif. — Happy holidays. Now pull over to the side of the road. Motorists may be in for a surprise if they spot flashing red lights in their rearview mirrors in this Sacramento suburb during the holiday season. Police are stopping law-abiding motorists and rewarding their good driving with $5 Starbucks gift cards. A traffic officer came up with the idea to "promote the holiday spirit and enhance goodwill between the traffic unit and the motoring public," police Sgt. Tim Curran said. Local businesses donated money to buy the gift cards. "They raised a substantial amount of money," Curran said. "They'll be pulling over a lot of people.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,317215,00.html

III. AND YOUR POINT IS?

I don’t pretend to know all that Paul was trying to communicate here, but I believe that Paul understood something that, once it was brought to my attention, changed my life. Namely that in every situation in life, in every decision that we make, people are watching us; trust me, I am a pastor, I know this! However, once you have been identified as a Christian, as a follower of Christ, the stakes get higher. Now, not only is your character on the line, but so is God’s.

Now some of you are thinking, well, that’s easy then, I just won’t let anyone know that I have a religious streak. Isn’t faith a private and personal matter? It’s none of their business anyhow… right? Jesus said:

³² "Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. ³³ "But whoever, denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 10:32-33 (NASB)

Say it with me now: “hide it under a bushel…” “NO”. God expects us to get the word out. As Paul says in Romans 10:14, “…how will they hear without a preacher?” And by the way, you aren’t off the hook just because you are not on the payroll. We are all ministers of God. We are all a royal priesthood (1 Pt 2:9). We all have the responsibility to proclaim the Gospel. Jesus told us more than once that we are to proclaim the Gospel (Mt 28:18-20, Acts 1:8 etc.). So, that option is out.

IV. LAWLESSNESS

So then, since people know who we represent, what now? Do we live like the Sword of Damocles dangles above our heads? As if God is constantly watching and waiting for a chance to go in for the kill? Perhaps you have seen the Far Side comic where God is about to push the “smite” key on his computer. You might be doing that if that is what you have been taught. I lived that way for some time. I have shared before that I saw our family’s miscarriages as a reflection on my spiritually backslidden state at the time. But if that is what you have been taught, congratulations, this is your emancipation day.

V. 17 of the same chapter tells us that where the spirit of the Lord is there is freedom (lit. liberty). That is more than just a catchy praise tune; that is meant to be a way of life for all God’s children. Liberty from the shackles of sin, but also from the shackles of guilt, and from the shackles of legalism.

V. DEADLY SCRABBLE WORDS

I am afraid that there are two great scourges of American Christianity that for the most part have gone quite unchecked. Think Ecc 11:9. One is antinomianism and the other is legalism. Antinomianism is a Scrabble^TM word for “no rules” or “since I am saved, everything goes!” Should we sin all the more that we might be given more grace? (Rom 6:1) This is a misapplication of liberty and it was rampant in at least one of Paul’s churches.

I agree with my friend Darryl Schafer that this is probably the greatest threat to our generation of Christians. We seem to think that Paul’s exhortations of liberty: “don’t ask don’t tell” (1 Cor 8, Rom 14), “everything is permissible” (1 Cor 6, 10), mean that we are to “chase the desires of [our] hearts“. However we have to read on to where the elder generation camps, “and know that for all these things you will face judgment…” (Ecc 11:9, cf. 12:14, Mt 25, 1 Cor 10, Phil 2, et al.)

For our folks and their folks, the error has been decades of holier than thou and watch out because he’s watching you. Surely, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Prv 1:7: and by-the-way, even if you have heard me preach that that really means “respect”. I’m taking that back. You should have a healthy fear of a being(?) that can flood the earth, bring fire from the sky, and swallow his enemies in the sea and the earth). And the eyes of the Lord are everywhere (Prv 15:3) and he will bring every deed into judgment (Ecc 12:14).

Here’s the kicker though. Just like antinomianism breeds lawlessness, legalism breeds lawlessness. The lawlessness of legalism is either that

1. people get so fed up that they walk away from the faith because they can’t keep all the rules (in my legalistic days, that was something I saw constantly as I pressured kids in my youth ministry to live up to standards even God thought were impossible) and the other way that it is lawless is that it

2. ignores the New Law, the perfect Law of Love and Liberty (Jas 1:25) Rom 13:8-10, Gal 5:14, Jas 2:8). In other words,

The irony, of course, then is that legalists are the worst law-breakers in all Christendom. They not only miss the point, but they keep others out of the Kingdom as well (Mt 23:13)

VI. I WON’T LET YOU GO

Paul has put his blood, sweat, and tears (quite literally I assure you!) into helping these people “see the light” and he is not about to surrender them to the darkness of lawlessness or legalism. But beyond this, he wants what any pastor wants, moreover what God wants, namely for people to see Christ when they see them. You have heard the old saying, “You may be the only Bible that someone ever reads…” Paul tells us to be on the lookout. To be aware that we are a letter, first a letter of commendation for their ministry, and second a love letter to all humanity saying “This is what God can do!” God can heal a marriage, God can redeem an addict, God can heal a body, God can free a prisoner, God can deliver a Wiccan, God can turn a taker into a giver, a liar into a preacher, God can save a soul and set a life right like none other!

In Matthew 25 Jesus tells us, “you did X/you did not do X therefore you are saved/damned”. Paul says in Eph 2:8-9 that we are saved by grace through faith, but he also tells us that we are His workmanship created for good works in Christ. He also tells us that whoever endures to the end will be saved. In other words, two of the marks of Christian are good works and endurance. We are not really saved by our works, but we are proved by them (Jas 2:20), and furthermore, we endure because we are saved (by the way, we are also elect because we are saved, but that is another sermon).

Paul has tried to communicate all this at least once before in 1 Cor 11:1 where we are told: “Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ.” In other words, if you want to know how to be a Christian, do what I do, go where I go, tell and laugh at the jokes I do, so on and so on. This is not a statement of arrogance, but a statement of fact, “I follow Jesus, if you want to know what He wants you to do, follow me.” But more than what we do, the question is one of WHO WE ARE. Whereas in the OT, holiness was about conforming to God’s law, in the NT holiness is about conforming to God’s nature. 2 Cor 5:17 tells us that we are new creatures, what do we have to show for it? Next week we will address this in more detail.

Over the years, this world has had some really, really lousy impressions of Christianity thanks to many poor examples and some wolves in sheep’s clothing that have given us all one black eye after another. It is time for us all to make conscious efforts to demonstrate the Gospel. As they say, ”Don’t just go to church, be the church.” Indeed, this is what we need more than anything. People are so tired of being told what to do, they want to see it in our lives.

Paul is trying to say not only that we are delivering the most important message ever, but that we ARE the most important message ever. A good sermon may be challenging, a good argument may be persuasive, a good book may be thought provoking, but a changed life is undeniable. That Jesus Christ has come to change not only the world, but the very nature of the human heart, to save our souls, that is the message; His life, His death, His resurrection.

Will you help Him get the message out?

I Am Legend and the Iowa Caucuses

Last night, two very important events occurred. First off, I got to see the new Wil Smith flick " I Am Legend". Let me say, that was a trip. As a sci-fi buff, I was weaned on the Robotech books, and the Man-Kazin wars as a youth in N. Dakota. Raised on Star Wars, The Muppet Show, Ren & Stimpy and a host of 50's horror flicks about " target="_self">sea monsters, " target="_self">space invaders, and " target="_self">killer bugs Although I have a broad appreciation for movies in general, I have a soft spot for a good sci-fi flick.

So, in case you are wondering "what makes for a good sci-fi storyline" I humbly offer the follwing:

1. Philosophy: Films like Alien v. Predator don't really fit into the genre for me because they are really more of an excuse for the special effects dept. to justify their existence. Real sci-fi is found in storylines like Lost or Soylent Green where political, religious, and sociological underpinnings abound. Probably two of the best recent examples of this are movies like I Am Legend and the 80's classic Terminator. Both carry solemn warnings about how fast mankind can get too big for their britches in a hurry. The real meat of a good sci-fi story is that it has something to say.

2. Good dialogue: The real bane of the Star Wars prequels was not Jar-Jar Binks, it was the 6th grade lexicon that Lucas and his cretin writers worked with. "This baby will change everything" is a far cry from "The force is in everything around us, it surrounds us and binds us; holds us together..." I Am Legend was sparse on dialogue, but featured some very memorable lines about good and evil, God and suffering (God didn't do this, we did...) and even the monologues were strong, and that takes talent.

3. The Human Experience: Good stories of any kind capture the human drama. Legend has that down pat. It takes a great deal of talent to make someone shed tears watching the Fresh Prince of Bel Aire fight zombies.

4. Good Special Effects: If you can't afford them, then make a romantic comedy. I can tell you, nothing ruins a good sci-fi flick than when you can see the fishing line attached to a flying saucer. Sci-Fi/Fantasy films have broken ground more than any other genre (Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Clash of the Titans, The Abyss).

5. Finally, a good title. I Am Legend is just a dog-gone good title. Way better than Waterworld or The Omega Man. My hope is that films like Legend and the upcoming Cloverfield will bring some respect back to a genre that has too long been relegated to nerds (although I proudly wear that title). For years, Sci-Fi carried the film industry in the 40's-60's before drivel like Walk-Hard and Titanic became the status quo. If people go see good films Hollywood will make more of them. The industry is driven by money, there is a lesson there.

Without giving away anything more about Legend, I would like to say that if you are a pastor/ministry leader or just someone who has spiritual convictions of any kind that you will appreciate some of the themes woven into the movie.

One downside, I think the movie was FAR too short and lacked resolution; furthermore, what resolution the audience is offered leaves much to be desired. This, however, I fear is a symptom of post-modern cinema where loose ends are often left intentionally to leave the audience carte blanche in deciding what happens to some characters etc (Quentin Tarantino; whom I despise, is famous for this).

OH YEAH, and Iowa. I like Huck, I think Obama is going to give Hillary a run for her money and McCain might surprise us, but only if the folks in front of him have disasters. More moderate candidates like Edwards and Tomlinson probably don't stand a chance in a country this polarized. Obama can talk all he wants about how people came together, but if things don't turn around soon, this country is in some serious trouble.

Have a great weekend.

Tonight we are going to see the new National Treasure, should be fun!

Currently watching : The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms/Them! Release date: By 22 August, 2006