Tripping and Stumbling while following Jesus

For such a time as this

2012-03-04T21:04:00.011-08:00

This coming Wednesday is the beginning of Purim. It commemorates the events that happened in the book of Esther. For some reason I always figured that Queen Esther looked a lot like the Italian actress, Sofia Loren. Now I have the pictures to prove it.

N-E-Way, Purim is not one of the major jewish holidays that YHWH set out for the people when they were under Moses' leadership. It's a secondary holiday like Hanukkah, and the big sale at Bloomingdale's. When I was living in Israel, I viewed it as sort of their version of Halloween. There is a lot of candy and costumes, and kids totally dig it. If you are familiar at all with the book of Esther, it tells the story of how she saved the Jews from a genocide after they had been exiled.

It's a rather tense short-story, but one with a lot of humor in it too. For starters, King Xerxes comes off as the stereotypical "Dumb Jock." The story opens with the Persian version of a Frat party, where the king is showing off all of his bling. The bling apparently included his wife at the time, Queen Vashti. (Which is an awesome name that I hope to use someday.)

Xerxes wants her to come out to where the boys are and show off her hotness. The queen refuses, sending the king into one of his many, and easily achieved temper-tantrums. Long story short, he gets a new queen.

Throughout the book you see the character of Xerxes as one who thinks so highly of himself that he is willing to let all sorts of stupid promises come out. This ends up being very good, indeed, for the Jews.

Another comical fellow is Haman. His ego is at least as large as Rush Limbaugh's, and it ends up getting him in similar trouble. You know what they say about Karma? Well...

At Living Waters, we have been going through The Story, which is the bible slightly reorganized so as to read more like a proper narrative. Today Scott preached on Esther. Since this year, Purim will fall on this Wednesday, the 7th, it seemed only fitting to write a little bit about it too.

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I've never understood "Anti-Semitism." I'm decent with history, and to my knowledge I can't think of any other ethnic group that has been persecuted more than the Jews. At my current job there is a guy who is a Nazi. (And I do mean a Nazi! "Seig Heil, Aryans are the greatest. We need to kill the Jews." All of that crap.) When I have to talk to him, and refrain from hitting him repeatedly about the head and neck with a 2x4, I ask him what any given Jew ever did to him. He never seems to have a coherent answer...which really comes as no surprise to me.

I've heard him and others say that the Jews control the media. I had thought that Rupert Murdoch was Anglican. I've heard him and others say that the Jews control the weather. (I guess they have a semi-secret base up in Alaska.) I know many Jews who live in Minnesota. If they really controlled the weather, our climate would be considerably different, I can assure you.

My own theory is that anti-semitism is satanic in origin. God picked Abraham and his offspring to begin to reveal himself to humanity through. Jesus is jewish, which means that God is jewish. Satan has a rather distant and troubled relationship with YHWH. So I imagine that Satan has a particular disdain for Jews. Ta Da!

Any time I've spoken to someone who is anti-semitic, they can never give me a logical answer to their hate. It is always emotional. "I had a pastrami sandwich in a New York deli that had too much fat on it. Plus, the spices gave me heartburn. I hate those Jews!" And that's about as logical as it gets.

I dunno, maybe Satan doesn't like hummus. He never did strike me as a guy who enjoyed enough fiber.

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Back to Esther.

One interesting fact about this short story, is that God is never, ever directly mentioned. Yet the book made it into the Old Testament cannon. God is never mentioned, but his fingerprints are everywhere. Go figure.

What is interesting about the story is how you see the divine providence of YHWH behind the scenes at all times. He is at work. He is being faithful. He is setting pieces on the board and always ready to make his move. But none of this is overt. It is more of a quiet faithfulness that can only be seen by those whose hearts have the eyes to see and ears to hear.

At this point, the kingdom of Judah had been exiled long ago. The Babylonians had been replaced by the Persians. The great & kind emperors, Darius & Cyrus, have long since passed away. Now the throne of Persia is seated with a fellow who is not particularly bright.

Mordecai, one of the descendants of the exiles, is a minor official in the government. He has been raising his younger cousin, Esther, since she had been orphaned. So right off the bat, you see a man who has remained faithful to YHWH despite the exile. He is doing the right thing with members of his extended family. Ultimately, this shows that God was putting Mordecai in a strategic position without his knowing.

It is from that position that Esther gets the attention of the royal staff. This in turn leads to her becoming Queen. This in turn leads to her being able to intervene at just the right time to avert a slaughter of the Jews.

For those who don't know, Haman, who appears to be a sort of Prime Minister for he empire, gets a bit miffed that Mordecai doesn't grovel in his presence on a regular basis. Naturally, the only logical thing to do for Haman is to enact a genocide on all of Mordecai's extended ethnic group. (Perfectly logical with no hint of overkill, don't you agree?)

However, due to the strategic placement of Mordecai and then Esther in their positions, God prevents this act from taking place. It also helps that God made sure a dimwit was on the throne, and that Haman was a man with a zeal that far out stripped his amazing ability to tie his own shoes.

For me, the central point of this story comes in Chapter 4, when Mordecai confronts Queen Esther with the stark choice that she needs to consider. I also believe it is one that confronts all people, and Believers in particular.

After Mordecai sends word to Esther that a decree has been issued to exterminate all of the Jews in the empire, he ads this statement:

"Don't think that just because you live in the king's house you're the one Jew who will get out of this alive. If you persist in staying silent at a time like this, help and deliverance will arrive for the Jews from someplace else; but you and your family will be wiped out. Who knows? Maybe you were made queen for just such a time as this." (Esther 4:12-14)

Apparently, Mordecai knew who his God was and what he could do. He also saw that this God puts people where they are for reasons that we do not always see at the time.

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I am not a big believer in Great Men & Women of God. Those who seem to consider themselves to be great for God, generally seem to me to be great big poofs.

What I do believe in is average, everyday people with messy hearts and a humility to realize their situation. I also believe in a great & mighty God who will use people exactly like that to do great things by his strength.

I am generally unconvinced that God spends much time worrying about the great & mighty folks. They are usually too busy being great & mighty, and making sure you know just how great & mighty they happen to be, to give God the opportunity to actually use them for his kingdom.

Generally speaking, you can tell the Great Men & Women of God by their earthly success. They create Universities, and have really awful shows on T.V., cable and radio. They often have large churches in which they guard the pulpit most vigorously, lest someone with a less-than-their-version-of-proper-theological-orthodoxy steps in for a few words. Many of them say things like "God told me to run for this political office." To which God will often reply, "Oh sorry, I was out refilling the bird feeder. What were you saying again?"

I am of the opinion that YHWH scratches his head over these people and utters thoughts along the line of, "Well, good luck with all that. But thanks for the thumbs up, bro." I also recall Jesus saying something along the lines of, "I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full."

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Question: Who is the greater man, Billy Graham, the man who led Billy Graham to faith, or the man who led that man to faith?

I think you get the point.

I doubt very much that Mordecai thought he was particularly special. I doubt very much that most of the "Heros" of the bible thought they were very special at the time. Those who did always ended up in trouble. Look at Paul. He expressed the opinion that deep down inside, he was little more than a dirty little rat bastard. It was this realization that, even as such, he was deeply loved and redeemed by Christ that changed his life forever.

Obviously, my Grandmother does not count in this. Obviously, my Grandmother was beyond awesome in all manner of things. But I doubt you could have told her that. My Grandmother began her teaching career in a one room school house in N. Dakota. Later she taught for the Minneapolis Public Schools.

It was during this time that she had a student who shall remain nameless. (His first name is Paul, and I'll leave it at that.) He came from an alcoholic family that was rather poor. He would come to school with neither a jacket nor gloves in the winter time. My Grandmother took that little boy under her wing and provided him with clothes and such. She took special care of him. She loved that little boy because Jesus loved her.

That little boy grew up. He became a millionaire. He became very active in the Democratic Party here in Minnesota. He also became a follower of Jesus. He is very concerned about poverty, and fights against it. To my knowledge, to this day he attends a local Salvation Army church. He honored my Grandmother in public before she died that she was the one who made the difference in his life. She told him about Jesus through her words and deeds.

Because she was faithful and knew who her God was, in turn God used her for his kingdom.

My Grandmother was an average, everyday person with a messy heart. She did not think she was anything special. (Obviously, I would disagree with her.) She was "Last," but she will be "First." When the kingdom is here in full, she will be called "Great" before that king.

And so it is with us.

It is easy for me to discount where I am presently. It is easy for all of us to wonder why God has allowed us to be where we are and what we are doing. Is it his sovereign will at work? Is it his permissive will letting us do as we please? I don't know.

I suppose that what matters is where our hearts are during any and all of these times. I read a post by Dr. Russ Moore a while ago. http://www.russellmoore.com/2012/01/02/the-next-billy-graham-might-be-drunk-right-now/ He posits that the next Billy Graham might be passed out on the floor of some Frat house right now, and doesn't even realize it. Since YHWH has a divine sense of humor, such a thing would not surprise me. (Jesus might even accidently turn up the stereo in the morning to wake him up with a live version of AC/DC's "Hells Bells.")

Maybe you are the guy or gal there, right now, looking at that college kid with the beer dripping out his nose. Perhaps you should get him a bucket.

Perhaps you are digging a ditch and your co-digger is needing to vent about the problems with his wife. Maybe you are the big kid who sees a smaller kid getting bullied. Maybe you are the corporate executive who feels it is immoral to take that bonus while your company is laying people off. Maybe you are the candidate for office who feels that running a campaign that uses a lot of Jesus language ought to actually resemble Jesus instead of using rancid attack ads. Maybe you are the girl who just heard the most devastating piece of truthful gossip that would destroy your rival if properly placed on Facebook. Maybe you are the High School Jock who just had the offer of a lifetime from the hottest girl in school. And perhaps you are simply working at the most boring, dead end occupation you can think of, but a hurting customer just happened to walk in the door.

"Who knows? Perhaps you were made for just such a time as this."

Peace

Joe

The Simplicity of Shorty

2012-03-02T11:44:00.010-08:00

On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

Matt. 10:19 & 20

Every Friday morning, a group of guys from Living Waters meets at a Perkin's in Lakeville for breakfast. We meet at 6AM, which means that I have to get up around 5AM. Since after a night at work, I can't fall asleep until about 11-11:30, this can be most brutal for me. At least now that the Winter sun is beginning to give way to an earlier sunrise, I feel a tad more alert on my drive down...but only a tad.

BTW: I always have the Pigs in a Blanket w/hash browns & eggs scrambled...just in case you were curious.

So anyway, one guy who always shows up is a fellow named Shorty. He lives up to his name. He may be part-hobbit, minus the hairy feet. (I'm uncertain, since I have yet to see him in flip-flops.) He is one of the most up-beat and genuinely friendliest people you will ever meet.

Shorty has a faith based on many years of experience. It is tested, secure and true. Apparently there have been people who have questioned his joy, because in this cynical world, people who appear perpetually happy can often be faking it. However, if you spend any consistent period of time with Shorty, you will conclude that his joy comes from a long experience of the faithfulness of YHWH. This has given him a peace & joy that is solid despite his circumstances.

Still, like any person of honest faith, Shorty often has questions. (I really don't understand how one can have faith without keeping the questions coming. It's how you grow in your relationship with Jesus.) This morning Shorty made a comment over breakfast about how he gets a little frustrated because he doesn't think he has enough "Answers" to people's questions about Christianity. Apparently he does not feel especially qualified as an expert on the bible, or on all aspects of faith.

"Thank you, Jesus!"

Beware of those "Christians" who either believe that they do have the God of the bible all figured out, or who feel the need to have a pat answer at the ready, or to make one up on the fly.

I think that there is something very powerful about the phrase, "I don't really know." There is a power in it because it is honest. And honesty often takes much more strength than pretending. I find it very beautiful when I can hear a Believer say that phrase.

I have no idea when we began to think that followers of Jesus needed a PhD. or such to be faithful to Christ. Instead, since we believe that "Jesus IS the answer," it is often best to simply leave it at that.

Now this does not mean that Christians shouldn't be diligent in their faith. Studying the bible is a very important thing to do. It's the easiest access that we have to God's revelation. We are encouraged to have an answer/explanation for our faith when ever asked. But that hardly means that we have to be able to parse every Greek or Hebrew word. So often we can fall into the trap that our head knowledge is central to our faith. This so easily leads to a false pride. We begin to rely more on our own mental strength, and less on Jesus.

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When Jesus was sending out his followers on one of their first mission trips, he knew full well that they were still largely clueless about most of his teaching. He just told them to go into the various towns in Israel and say that "the kingdom of heaven was near." (Which doesn't sound terribly difficult. A bit confusing maybe, but hardly a difficult phrase to memorize.)

And then he tells them not to get all hot & bothered about the explanation when the powers that be ask for one. He tells them that when the times comes to explain the situation, the Spirit would be there to do it for them. I don't think it takes Sherlock Holmes to figure out that what Jesus was telling his followers was that they should depend on HIM...on YHWH...on the Spirit...and NOT on their own abilities.

That's kind of a scary place to be. We love to be in control of any given situation. I know for myself, I love to have a handy argument and rebuttal. (I dig verbal combat.) I try to be clever, to use my knowledge base as a weapon. I also know from experience how amazingly gifted I am at inserting both size 11s deeply into my mouth, and I do so on a regular basis. (It is truly a beauty to behold and leaves witnesses with a sense of awe and wonder.) I find that I can get into trouble so easily when I depend on myself for answers, even with a decent knowledge base. Mostly because I am depending upon my own cleverness, and not on the one I desire to follow.

Unfortunately, this superpower of mine does not qualify for superhero status. Which is really a pity. Seriously, it's almost like I am an X-Man when it comes to this stuffing-of-mouth-with- feet ability.

I think that when push comes to shove, it would be better for me to let Shorty speak in a conversation on faith with others. I have a long way to go to learn the things he has learned...about dependence on God in various matters, and things of that nature. I can speak from my acquired head knowledge. There is a place for that. But Shorty can speak from his heart, because it is far more open than mine to hear the words of the Spirit.

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In Matthew 11, after Jesus speaks about John the Baptist, he delivers a brief sermon blasting the "Religious" people who had seen his miracles and yet refused to repent. The cities of Korazin, Bathsaida and Capernaum were all very good, religious cities. Jesus had performed many miracles & done much teaching in these places. Yet they all refused to repent.

This used to amaze me. However, as I have grown older I can now see how easily "Religion" can poison the heart of people and fill them with pride and self-righteousness. This is particularly true when it comes to being able to quote Scripture.

Jesus compares them with the pagan cities of Tyre & Sidon, and says that these pagan cities would have repented quickly if they had seen him in action, be it word or deed. At the end of this brief tirade, Jesus even slams his home base which was the town of Capernaum and says that it will be easier for the city of SODOM on judgment day than for that town. Again, Capernaum was where Jesus appears to have taken residence during most of his earthly ministry, so the people of that place were extremely familiar with all that Jesus had done and said. Yet Jesus speaks of it's doom for not repenting, despite how much they "Knew" about him.

Anyone who knows the story of Sodom & Gomorrah knows that these were not places that one would desire to be compared to.

Right after that verbal blast which was specifically directed at very "Religious" people, Jesus prays in front of everyone a prayer that I find most interesting. (I'll give the cliff notes version, because I am saving the rest for another post.)

"I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven & earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise & learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure." Matt. 11:25 & 26

What is it about little kids and their simplicity that allows them to "Get It," when we who are adults can be so very dense?

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Shorty is far from being a little kid anymore, but he gets it. He gets it because his faith is not complicated. Theology, apologetics, various christian-based philosophies and such, are all great, and they do have their place. But nothing substitutes for the relationship that a heartfelt experience of & with YHWH as revealed in Jesus will bring a person. Nothing!

Shorty has walked with Jesus for a long time. He has seen the faithfulness of God. He might wish to acquire more head-knowledge, but I don't think he really needs a whole lot more per say. His experience can & does speak for itself. He simply trusts.

It simply is that simple. The simplicity of a heart that is open to Christ will open up a person to all of the answers that they lack. Probably not all at once. But the promise remains that when it is time to give an account for who you are and who you follow, God will be faithful.

Your mouth will not be empty. Hopefully, your head will be. But it appears that this is exactly what Jesus is looking for. That way, when he does what he promised, the glory is all his. In the end, it really & truly IS that simple.

May the God of the bible richly continue to bless Shorty and his simple faith. And may I continue to learn from and through him.

Peace.

Joe

Fred, and that bad taste in your mouth.

2012-02-25T10:49:00.006-08:00

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you are participating in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.

1 Pete 4:12 & 13

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

James 1:2 & 3

I am in such a great mood. I really am. And I am not %100 certain as to why this would be the case. It could be because that the sun is incredibly beautiful today. I am highly affected by the weather. It could also be that my mildly manic-depressive brain is in one of it's manic phases. I'm certain that these things could all be playing a roll in why I feel so good.

But I also feel that something else is at work, and it has little to do with me, per say.

If Paul is correct in Ephesians 6, where he states that a Believer doesn't fight against the "Flesh" so much, but really it is a battle with the dark & evil forces of the spirit world, then I have been in one for about two weeks now. I realized something yesterday, and gained an even fuller understanding of it today. I believe that this is what is affecting my mood.

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Allow me to introduce you to Fred.

Fred is the name of whatever it is that can come over me and tempt me. Fred likes to remind me of what a loser I am. Fred likes to pile on the guilt and shame for every single stupid thing I have ever done...even going back to early childhood. Fred is also very adept at finding my weak spots and providing me with new temptations. Fred will try to feed me with negative thoughts, temptations, distractions, etc., etc. If it is true that Satan can send one of his little buddies down to attack those who follow Jesus, then Fred is the one who has been assigned to me. I know when Fred is around, yet he is amazingly fast and can ambush me in a split second. (My sister and I gave Fred his name a while ago over lunch. It seemed like an appropriate name at the time.)

Fred has been very busy these past two weeks.

As a dog returns to it's vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.

Prov. 26:11

<--- That would be me after Fred has done another con job on me and I have taken the bait.

The problem is that I don't really like the taste of vomit all that much. I can't say that it goes well with any other flavor combination. Try as I might, it just doesn't taste good. And yet there are times where I will go right back to it after I brush my teeth.

Temptation is not sin. Giving in to temptation is sin. And what is fascinating to me is that the various temptations out there are as unique as the individuals they come over. There are things that tempt me that have no impact on other people. In the same way, there are areas that other people struggle with that simply do not show up on my radar. Weird, huh?

The thing is, I know how Fred can keep a grip on me. There are areas of my life that I simply refuse to turn fully over to Jesus. And it is because I hold on to some of these things that Fred can use them against me. It's his little foot in the door.

Well, I think the reason I am in such a great mood is because YHWH has been pointing that out to me in no uncertain terms. There are things in my life, some quite obvious, others not so, that he wants me to hand over to him. He hasn't been mean or grumpy about it in the least. It's more of him standing next to me with a grin on his face asking me, "So, how's the barf tasting? I got some Listerine if you're interested."

I have an enormous guilt complex to begin with. When Fred has one of his victories, even the littlest, I end up doing most of his work for him. Even if Fred were not there to rub my face in it, I would make a very thorough job of beating up on myself.

Guilt presupposes that you, me, we could have done something to get rid of our sin. We can't. Jesus is not into guilt. He understands full well that there is nothing that we can do about our own sin. Hence the whole becoming sin for us, dying on the cross to atone for them, and then being resurrected and conquering sin & death thingy. So guilt has no place in Christ. In Christ we are something new.

Even though I will certainly struggle with various items & issues until the day that I am worm food, now that I have been hidden in Jesus I really and truly am something new. Even when I do not see it, the Father does. He doesn't see me the way I often do when Fred reminds me of my very juicy failures, limits and imperfections.

So I find myself being reminded of this simple fact over the past few days, even though Fred has been busy. And I'll let Jason Gray explain it is a song...

Take THAT, Fred!

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So yesterday I met up with a friend that I hadn't seen in ages. It was great to catch up over coffee. I felt I owed him an apology because I hogged the conversation (As usual) and talked until his ears were going to fall off. (Of course, that could have been the coffee doing it's thing on my empty stomach.) At any rate, it was most excellent to see him again.

After our coffee, I drove over to a hospital to visit a friend who is in to get a tumor yanked out. I have to confess that the bandage on her head looked really cool. (Seriously!) Kind of like one of those turbans that you see a magician wearing. All it needed was a big eyeball in the center and it would have been perfect. I'm thinking I might have to purchase one for formal dinners and such.

My friend in the hospital has a terrible habit of smiling ALL the time. (Shameful!) She also has the disgusting tendency to be genuinely nice to everyone so as to try and make their day. Even when in pain, she seems to take a genuine interest in the staff, regardless of their station. (Honestly, I am certain that a hospital staffer has much better things to worry about than suffering through wounded people being genuinely kind, considerate and friendly to them. We all know that their joy is made complete in the emptying of numerous bedpans. So stop treating them like people!) All of this has the rotten side affect of the entire staff enjoying her company. My friend really needs to work on this area of her life.

Talking with my friend was interesting. Morphine can have some rather amusing impacts on both your mind and speech. I was informed that her son found it to be rather delightful to observe. Other than having a strong desire to see that put on YouTube, I will just let it be.

I should also add that I began my day with my sister. We had an early lunch together. I am surprised again and again how much God has used my sister in ways that would never have occurred to me. I am not certain if she even realizes it. In the process, the Father certainly ministers to me through her. What is it about Ikea's Swedish meatballs that is so good for the soul?

In all of this I saw something. With my sister, my friend at coffee, and my friend in the hospital and her husband, I saw something. In my struggle with Fred over these past two weeks, I also have been seeing something. I saw & see the faithfulness of Jesus.

No, not perfection on my part. Not attaining some sinless, zero-temptation, trouble free existence. No. I have been seeing that despite whatever difficulties I have, even just the frustration of having to be tempted at all, Jesus is still faithful.

I don't think it is the case that he does not care if & when I fall on my face. I'm sure that it hurts him to see me do that. But what his faithfulness does cause me to believe is that, ultimately, he is not the least bit surprised by it. Nor does it ever stop him from doing what he desires to do. If anything, it only seems to draw him nearer to me, grab me by the shoulders and pull me forward.

"...being confident of this,

that he who began a good work in you

will carry it on to completion

until the day of Christ Jesus." Phil 1:6

I have slowly, but surely, begun a new project in my life. I am never absolutely certain as to what God's will is at any given time. But I am inclined to believe that he has me moving into something new that will open up a whole new chapter for me in my walk with him. What I find

absolutely fascinating is that the moment that I embraced this project, Fred came. Literally the moment that I said "Yes" to this new challenge I felt the full force of the enemy come at me in every direction. He is trying to hurt me through external means that I have almost no control over. He is also using the same old weak spots that I leave open because I stubbornly refuse to turn them over to Christ.

So what do I gather from all of this?

I must be moving in the right direction!!!!!!!

If I were not, then Fred would not waste his time with me.

There is little I can do about the external attacks. Satan can pit even the best of friends against each other at times. There really isn't much I can do other than to turn that over to Jesus. But the same can be said with the internal stuff. I can't complain about my lack of progress on this new project if I am the one who keeps allowing nasty footholds in my life.

So I have made up my mind today that I will turn over everything that God has been revealing to me to him. I fully admit that I do not have the strength to tackle them. Only he has the power to defeat all the various frustrations that come my way. And this is exactly what he has been pointing out to me recently.

I understood most of this in my gut well before the last few weeks. But I wouldn't act on them. Today is different. I have finally decided to act. I am guessing that this will be very difficult for me over the next week or so. I am assuming that Fred will be looking for every opportunity. But in an odd way, I am looking forward to this challenge.

I drove down to Mill's Fleet Farm this morning to buy some seeds. I was listening to the radio and some songs came on that had me smiling from ear to ear, and yet crying at the same time. One of the songs was that one by Jason Gray. The others I will post at the end of this bit.

Suffice it to say that if my mood is better, it is due to God's faithfulness. He can be incredibly gentle when he wishes to be. He can also be incredibly funny, which tends to work well with me. In my heart, I know all that I am not. But I also know that in HIM, I am all that I could ever hope to be and more.

So Fred, I know what you are up to. If I have to face frustrations, then so be it. It should cause me to lean even farther into the Father. Which is where I should be all along.

His faithfulness is amazing, and it is also beautiful. And I am having a very good day.

Thank you, Father, for the good and the bad. Thank you for EVERYTHING!

Peace

Joe

P.S. And now for the other songs I heard while driving...

P.S.S. If it is true that Believers will be the ones who judge Angels, and I am assuming both the good and rotten ones. (1 Cor. 6:3) Then when it is Fred's turn, I will ask YHWH to give me 30 minutes alone in a room with Fred and a tire iron & brass knuckles. I think that my smile shall not dissipate for a long, long time.

I'm just sayin'.

"Even if..."

2012-02-19T20:48:00.000-08:00

Nebuchadnezzar asked, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you don't respect my gods and refuse to worship the gold statue that I have set up? I'm giving you a second chance - but from now on, when the big band strikes up you must go to your knees and worship the statue I have made. If you don't worship it, you will be pitched into a roaring furnace, no questions asked. Who is the god who can rescue you from my power?"

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar, "Your threat means nothing to us. If you throw us in the fire, the God we serve can rescue us from your raoring furnace and anything else you might cook up, O King. But even if he doesn't, it wouldn't make a bit of difference, O King. We still wouldn't serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up."

Daniel 3:14-18 (Message Bible)

The king (Darius) then went back to his palace. He refused supper. He couldn't sleep. He spent the night fasting. At daybreak the king got up and hurried to the lions' den. As he approached the den, he called out anxiously, "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve so loyally, saved you from the lions?"

Daniel 6:18-20 (Message Bible)

So this morning, Pastor Scott was preaching in the 18th chapter of The Story, on Daniel. He spoke about the faithfulness of folks like Daniel, Shadrach, and the other guys with impossible names. These are all great stories, and I fully believe them. But something struck me as Scott was preaching.

At this point in biblical history, the Jews had been exiled to Babylon. They had ignored YHWH, worshipped all sorts of other worthless god, and the final straw was that they didn't care about the poor and most vulnerable in their society. (Ez. 16:49 & 50) So it seems that they had gone out of their way to deserve this punishment.

Exile seems to have drawn a very clear dividing line among the people. Many completely lost their way. Yet, this exile also seems to have brought out a fresh faithfulness on the part of some. In the process YHWH demonstrated that he wasn't bound to a geographical location like all of the other gods back then, but could go where ever he wished. Maybe that was one of the points he was trying to make. YHWH wasn't like any other god. He was, is and always will be Sovereign. Also, he was, is and always will be faithful, and he would demonstrate that.

At the beginning of Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar was the King of Babylon. (His name means "Nebu is my god.") He seemed to have a substantial ego and a bit of a temper problem. The Jews had been sleeping around with other gods while the kingdom of Judah still existed. Now they were swamped in a land with gods in every direction. You couldn't swing a cat without hitting an idol. (Even if you could have missed an idol, you should still swing cats around until you hit at least 3-4 items with them. It's pretty much all they are good for.) So King Nebu decided to make some type of golden statue, most likely of himself, and to have all of his subjects bow down to it.

You probably know the story. Three of the young exiles who were being groomed for government administration refused to bow down to this image. Nebu decided that he would make an example of them and turn them into human S'mores. His threat was not an empty one, but neither was the refusal of Shadarch, Meshach & Abednego.

____________________

There is a strain in American christianity that believes that God wants you to be rich and perpetually healthy. If you have the right kind of faith, and speak that "Word of Faith," God will give you anything yo want. (Much like a genie in a lamp.) Even outside of those really weird types of pentecostal churches, most Americans still seem to think that God is supposed to bail you out of whatever jam you find yourself in. If he doesn't then you either didn't have enough faith, or you now have a handy excuse to blame him, and then to ignore him.

Nebuchadnezzar tells Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego (From here on, simply referred to as SM&A, because their names are too long to keep spelling fully.) that he will kill them if they do not worship what he tells them to worship. Nebu ends his threat with a question. He asks them what god could possibly come to their aid once he tosses them in the fire?

It's a fair question. But the answer is unusual. SM&A refuse to worship, but they also make an interesting response to the final rhetorical question. They point out that they believe that YHWH can rescue them. But they also say that "Even if he does not" they will still not worship that statue or any other gods.

"Even if he does not."

Belief is easy. Faith, however, is not. SM&A had FAITH. I would like to think that I could have that type of faith, but I'm not sure that I do. It's easy to believe that there is some type of God out there. It is even easy to believe that if there is a God, then it can do pretty much whatever it wants to do. It's easy to believe that this type of God could help you out in any given situation. And it's also easy to believe that this type of God might choose NOT to help you out.

What is NOT easy to believe is that a God could do all of the above, including not helping you in a particular situation, but that you would then still keep your faith in that kind of God.

SM&A had that type of faith. They knew what YHWH could do if he so desired. They knew that he could rescue them. They also knew that he might choose not to if he saw a reason for it. But they still had faith and chose to worship him alone.

I don't think I have that type of faith. I would like to believe that I do, but I know the sinfulness of my heart. I guess that is just one more area of my life that God needs to work in.

____________________

Daniel is an interesting guy. Of all of the characters in the bible, most of them have some very significant character flaws. From what is recorded, Daniel has none that were obvious or glaring. He was highly respected, and a very diligent worker. When the other government officials, who I would guess were extremely jealous of him, tried to find a way to get him into trouble, they couldn't find anything. They finally figured out that the only way to trap him would be to use his faithfulness to his God against him.

Think about that. Think about the kind of reputation that had Daniel earned.

He was very good at his job. He was an excellent administrator. He was a close & trusted friend of the Emperor Darius. He was extremely faithful to YHWH. Shame on him for being a man of such high quality!

When Darius was tricked into passing a law that could not be revoked, and would get Daniel killed, he recognized Daniel's character of faithfulness. "May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you." I don't know where Darius' faith ultimately lay, but he knew where Daniel's was. Darius seems to have placed his faith in that.

BTW: Generally speaking, it is a pretty bad idea to play legal tricks and mind games with someone more powerful than you, let alone the most powerful emperor at the time. Unless you wish to see you and your entire family turned into cat toys, I would recommend against such behavior, especially when you are trying to frame an honest man.

You know the end of this story. The bible says that King Darius was overjoyed to see Daniel alive. I can only imagine the expression on his face when he got his hands on the guys who had framed Daniel and then tossed them to the lions. My dog, Rika, gets a very proud and gleeful look when she has managed to kill a squirrel. She will prance up to me and show off her fresh kill with great delight. I would imagine that Darius had a similar expression on his face.

____________________

SM&A and Daniel had a faith that I am still hoping for. They seemed to know their God in a way that I still desire, but have yet to grasp.

We all want to have a good life. A life that has at least a few creature comforts, some fun vacations, and hopefully a happy retirement. But what would it be like to have such an understanding of the more important things, of YHWH and of eternity, that your life would be so altered that you could give it up with little concern? What would it be like to have a faith in the God of the bible so deep in your soul & bones that to lose your life meant nothing?

____________________

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep

to gain that which he cannot lose"

Jim Elliot

For those of you who have read the book "Through Gates of Splendor," or are semi-familiar with it, you know the story of Jim Elliot and the four other missionaries down in Ecuador who were martyred for Jesus. It turns out that they were armed at the time, and could easily have saved their lives. Instead of shooting the Acua indians who were attacking them, they fired into the air...even as they were being killed.

For more on that, you can click this link. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Elliot

Anyone who knows me, knows that John Piper generally drives me crazy. He says that people like me walk with a limp because we have not fully embraced his version of Calvinism. Still, I think he is incredibly gifted and brilliant...and my christian brother. I also thought this video was very insightful. Give it a view.

Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, Ed McCully, Pete Fleming and Roger Youderian all had the chance to save their lives. They could have bowed down for a moment to a statue made of gold, made a diplomatic gesture to a king by ignoring their God for just a while, or shot and killed those who were intent on taking their lives. They chose to do otherwise.

They knew something about their God that I highly doubt most Believers do...and that includes myself. In some cases, YHWH comes through and rescues. Sometimes he does not...for whatever reason. None of them "knew" what the outcome would be at that time, but they did "know" who their God was. They "knew," and that gave them faith. That type of faith allowed them to say "Even if he does not."

I hope that someday I will be able to have that kind of faith.

"Even if..."

Peace

Joe

P.S. For more on the story from "Through Gates of Splendor," it's companion movie "The End of the Spear" and the families involved, watch the following videos.

Be for warned, while the first video starts kind of cheezy, both of them are very powerful and moving.

I really want that kind of faith.

"Crap"-italism

2012-02-16T11:16:00.000-08:00

When he ripped off the third seal, I heard the third animal cry, "Come out!" I looked. A black horse this time. It's rider carried a set of scales in his hand. I heard a message (It seemed to issue from the Four Animals): "A quart of of wheat for a day's wages, or three quarts of barley, but all the oil and wine you want.

Rev. 6:5 & 6

Kinda sounds like the 1%, dontcha think?

"The sin of your sister Sodom was this: She lived with her daughters in the lap of luxury - proud, gluttonous, and lazy. They ignored the oppressed and the poor. They put on airs and lived obscene lives. And you know what happened: I did away with them.

Ez. 16:49 & 50 (Both sets of passages were taken from The Message bible version)

Kinda looks like the 1%, dontcha think?

So this morning I saw a video that Shane Claiborne posted. It really caught me off guard because it was so beautiful. If you don't know who Shane is, go over to my links and click on The Simple Way, or buy his book "The Irresistible Revolution." I recommend that book very highly. (Lucky for you, I have it over in the Books I Recommend section to the right. Hint, hint.)

Anyway, a few words before you watch the video. I don't think I am alone in saying this, but most people I know are fed up with the American economic system. Don't get me wrong, I believe in the concept of Free-Enterprise. Of all the systems that are currently out there, I think it is the best at providing over-all prosperity for a nation. That having been said, I don't particularly like the one that America uses.

However, I don't think it is so much the fault of the system as it is of the culture. Americans are the most individualistic people on the planet. While treating people as unique individuals is good, the way we take it to the extreme creates nothing more than selfishness & indifference. (Which in my opinion, anyway, perfectly sums up the philosophy of Ron Paul.)

It's almost as if we think it is perfectly normal & natural to simply look out for number one, get what you can get, and ignore the others around you...unless they can give you an advantage. It doesn't matter what you do to the people below you, as long as you turn a profit you deserve that bonus...even if it is obscenely out of proportion to the wages of others.

Case in Point: The store I work at has had a wage freeze for three years now. We have to take a one-week UN-paid vacation. We get no more overtime, nor an extra buck an hour on Sundays. Yet, every manager got their bonuses.

I work with a gal who is in her late 50s. She is one of the hardest workers I have ever met in my life. She makes $8.50 an hour and has never received a raise. Nor will she unless this time around, our idiot Union bosses can actually negotiate a relatively fair contract.

Yet, as I said, every manager got their bonuses.

Excuse me if I think there is something profoundly unethical about that.

____________________

For some reason, most likely because this is what we have grown up with, Americans find this to be the normal way of operating. We think it is fine and dandy for the CEOs to make multiple millions in bonuses, while cutting the workers, wages and benefits of the people on the bottom. We just assume that this is how it's done.

Perhaps we need to start asking some questions about that.

____________________

It's no secret that other countries all have their own versions of economics and free-enterprise. Unless you want to remain in the outhouse of luxury, socialism and communism are really bad ideas to try. But, I find it interesting how the various cultures actually impact a nation's economy more than pointy-headed economic formulas.

I had heard many times that the Japanese do things differently than us. I had been told that in many of their corporations, when it comes time to make cuts, it's the folks at the top who take the hit first because they are the ones who make the most and can afford it. I have no idea if that is the norm, but it certainly seems to be the moral way to do things. (Honestly, if you are at the top of the economic food chain, and you can't afford to take a financial hit, then you really must be living wrong.)

One last thing before you watch this news clip; America generally likes to pretend that it is a "Christian" nation. This is a heaping pile of steamy dog-doo sitting in a lovely, freshly fallen snowbank. But let's stick with that nonsense for a moment. Let us contrast that idea and the way we do things over here, with the foul, heathen laden nation of Japan with it's Shinto/Buddhist culture.

Take a look. (In particular, watch Mr. Nishimatsu's expression when he is told how much American executives make in bank.)

Which Capitalist/Free-Enterprise system looks a little bit more like the principles spoken of throughout the bible? Which one do you think looks a little more Jesus-like?

Perhaps American culture needs to do some rather serious repenting.

Something to think about, anyway.

Peace

Joe

Cyrus

2012-02-13T06:09:00.001-08:00

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, oh God, you will not despise.

Psalm 51:17

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Matt. 5:6

YHWH moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a royal proclamation throughout his realm and put it in writing:

"This is what Cyrus king of Persia says; YHWH, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Anyone of his people among you - may YHWH his God be with him, and let him go up." 2 Chron. 36:21-23

I once knew of a man. I used to teach about him in my World History class even though he was not on the regular curriculum because I found him rare & unique among men. He was not from the Chosen People of God. He was a pagan, an infidel...a Gentile. Yet the God of the bible decided to choose him anyway. Why?

This man was a very great leader of men. He was a unifier, then a conquerer, then a unifier again. Finally, he was a man of mercy & humility. Why?

When this man sent his armies to war, he forbade them to rape, loot and pillage. He would not destroy the temples, shrines and works of the people he conquered. Instead, he held them in honor. He would respect the religions and customs of the people whose lands he now held. In fact, he even guaranteed the rights of the various people now in his kingdom. Finally, he even allowed those who wished to go back to their ancient homelands, and sent them away with gifts. Why?

What does this say about the heart of this man?

God bestowed the title "Messiah/The Lord's Anointed" upon him. The very first use of that term in the bible.

______________________

This was Cyrus the Great. He founded the Persian empire back in the 500s B.C. which lasted up until 1978/79. He unified the Persian tribes and overthrew the Babylonian empire. He even decreed that the Jews in exile should be allowed to go back to Israel and rebuild the temple of YHWH.

He also looked really sharp in a bronze helmet, as you can see.

____________________

Many decades before Cyrus was born, the prophet Isaiah told of his coming. God had told Isaiah that after Judah was exiled and punished for 70 years, he would raise up Cyrus to be their liberator...this pagan.

God seemed to have a special place in his heart for Cyrus, and I've always wondered why that was the case. I mean, it's not too many people that God refers to with the title Messiah. (Only one other, near as I can tell.) The only hint I can get as to why God would look with such favor on Cyrus, is because of the position of his heart. And maybe that is WHY.

Back in the day, when a king would conquer a city, the invading army would use it as an excuse to make a frat house party look rather tame. Almost nothing was off-limits to the sword & torch. Never mind what would often happen to any women they could get their hands on. But not so with the armies of Cyrus.

He was an anomaly as far as ancient kings were concerned. He wouldn't let his armies leave a wake of destruction. He absolutely forbade such behavior! He also had the odd habit of heading into the local temples and worshipping there. I have no idea if he actually believed in any of the various gods of all these various temples he went in to, but it certainly won him the appreciation of the local people. But more than that, I think it showed that he was looking for something....something MORE.

_____________________

Is it possible that someone who has never heard of the God of the Bible could still search for this God? Is it possible that someone who has never had the chance to hear the Gospel might still feel a dissatisfaction in their heart that makes them hungry for that which is missing? Is it possible that a person with this type of dissatisfied, hungry heart could still find this God described in Scripture, who is the only one to fill that dissatisfied hole?

Allow me to be bold and say that the answer is "Yes!"

And I strongly believe that the bible implies just such a scenario.

"I am not ashamed of the power of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes, first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from the first to the last, just as it is written; "The righteous will live by faith."...Since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."

Romans 1:16 & 17, 19 & 20

My Dad & I always end up in deep conversations when we are out fishing. Naturally, the bible and various theological topics always seem to pop up. We often talk about the people who do not know Jesus for various reasons. It's one thing to reject Jesus in our American culture. Often the gospel is presented as a bat for "Religious" people to hit others with. Often, you will see highly "Religious" people holding signs and screaming at people. Often, you will see some greedy preacher on the TV hawking his 7 steps to success. Often, I will want to reject that Jesus, and I generally do. Often, I think that Jesus throws up in his mouth when he watches all of this, and rejects it too.

But that is still not a legitimate reason for rejecting the gospel. (Just turn your TV off.) Instead, keep seeking the real one.

But what about people in other cultures who have never even had the chance to hear a faint whisper of the gospel? Is God so powerless that he cannot speak to these people?

I think Paul, writing in his letter to the tiny church body in Rome at the time, answered that perfectly.

I think that it comes down to the heart. What is it's position? Where have you, I, or another, placed it?

As sinful as it is, the human heart can still long for more. Generally, we will set our hearts on lesser things to fill the void we find there. But sometimes, some times...that heart can grow hungry & thirsty for more than creature comforts and base pleasures.

I am inclined to believe that this was the position of Cyrus' heart.

Jesus said that those who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness...in other words, thirsty for MORE, would be filled. When I look at the life of Cyrus, it strongly appears to me that he was searching for MORE. And I believe that he found it. He had the whole world at his feet, yet I can't find any evidence that he grew arrogant or prideful. If anything, it only seemed to make him more hungry for things deep in the soul. He had all of the comforts that a man could want...except for an Ipod, but he seemed to be searching for God. (Why else would he spend so much time poking around shrines and temples?)

____________________

The Psalmist says that a broken & contrite heart is the one thing that God will not despise. Another way of looking at that is to simply admit that you really aren't going to impress the God of the bible with all of yourself or your "Stuff," nor should you waste your time in the attempt.

You: "Check it out YHWH, I just souped up my Hummer with spoilers and gold rims!"

YHWH: "That's great, kid. Have you seen my Merkavah/Chariot? It goes from zero to infinity in half a second, and the 4 living creatures that pull it are all self-cleaning."

If you want to try and impress this God, then turn your heart over to him...and make sure it's all messy so he can go to work on it. (God has a scrubbing fetish.)

It appears to me that somewhere along the line, this is exactly what Cyrus did. This gentile pagan, who knew very little of the God of the Jews still had a hungry heart. Before he was born, God in his foreknowledge must have recognized this attribute. (I'm never sure how all of that foreknowledge & predestination stuff works, so I just let God do his thing and not get all worked up over it.) God honored Cyrus if for no other reason than the position of his heart. He called him his "Anointed one," his Messiah, and God did beautiful & glorious things through Cyrus.

Cyrus recognized this, he admitted it. That says a great deal about his heart. And his heart set the tone for his reign & rule. He not only allowed all of the exiled Jews who wished to, to go back to their homeland under his protection. Cyrus told them that YHWH wanted them to rebuild the temple, and he even returned all of the temple's gold and trappings that the Babylonians had stolen.

___________________

Upon his death, Cyrus had ordered a small tomb to be built for him. It was pretty much the polar opposite of the massive & ostentatious tombs that kings & emperors would have built for themselves back in the day. It says a great deal about how Cyrus saw himself in the grand scheme of things. Perhaps his heart was very contrite after all.

<--- The tomb is still there in modern Iran. Someday I would like to visit it.

Upon the tomb are written these words; "Oh man, who ever you are, from where ever you have come, for I know you will come, I am Cyrus who founded the empire of the Persians. Do not begrudge me this little earth that covers my body." (Personally, I think the wording of that implies a bit of a joke on the part of Cyrus.)

I am of the opinion that in his lifetime, Cyrus had his heart filled. He understood his circumstances. Despite all that he had, he was still searching for more. His conclusion was that he was not worthy by his power, wealth, fame and so on, so he offered the only thing he could... his broken & contrite heart, in faith to a God that he barely understood. I believe that the evidence shows that YHWH honored that offering. This Gentile infidel found the God of the universe and was finally filled. And both were very, very happy to embrace.

Someday I will meet Cyrus and will want to hear his story. If Ezekiel is correct that there will be fishing in the new heaven & earth (Ez. 47:6-12), then I will borrow a boat from YHWH and take Cyrus out for Walleye. I love good stories, so I will hopefully be there for a long, long time...and maybe even write about it. I will listen to his stories for as long as he wants to talk, because in one way or the other, it is about the Good News of the Gospel...so it is glorious.

I will also see if I can trade one of my ball caps for his bronze helmet. It will be glorious.

Peace

Joe

Blog Headaches

2012-02-09T06:33:00.000-08:00

<--- That would be ME, except that I would be a male dolly...and with blond hair that is not quite so long & flowing...and I rarely wear purple gowns...except for that time I was a stunt double in the Miss Walleye & Sweet Corn contest.

ANYWAY...

So Tuesday I swung by my friend, Andy's, house. (Yes, I have friends. I give them a dollar every week.) Andy is helping me to revamp my blog. I rarely have any idea what to do with this technology stuff. I can get my Ipod to work properly if I hit it against a wall enough, but other than that...

Andy is a Tech Geek. He can figure this stuff out as I sit in the corner eating a cookie while drooling happily onto my bib. Andy shows me stuff on here that must look like 2+2 to him. I just scratch my head in awe.

Unfortunately, somewhere along the way he/we/I accidently deleted the links to all the other blogs I glance at. ("Oops," to quote Rick Perry.) At first I thought it was just a part of the blog rearranging itself, but now I know better. So last night and this morning I am trying to recover all of the links that I had. The trouble is, I don't remember all of them, and those that I do I can't quite remember the exact names for the internet addresses.

Gaaaaaaaaaah!

On the bright side, I was planning on deleting a few anyway.

BTW: If YOU have one that you think might be a decent fit for my links, be it your own or some other, feel free to show me. You never know.

So yeah, the blog is going through some changes. I've had friends ask me to include little thingies that you can click on to make it easy to tweet to friends or post on Facebook. I think we did that, but I'm never really sure. I was also shown how to see which posts get the most views. I have no idea how some of them got the most hits. Honestly, I think my best writing was not included in the "Popular" area. Which is sort of the story of my life.

Also, I have decided that it was time to put some ads on here. I highly doubt I'll make more than a few bucks a month, but "Baby desperately needs a new pair of shoes...and to pay the bills...and eat...so..."

As I write this post, the ads are still under review. I got an e-mail from google saying that they would review the blog to see which ads would fit the best for the various posts. (I guess they do it individually.) When I think about the stuff I write about I begin to feel a twinge of sorrow for the unfortunate person/persons who must suffer through this task. I mean most of my stuff has to do with my own fitful journey with Jesus. Usually I am observing what is going on in the church and culture. Heck, my last post was very serious and perhaps even offensive to some. But then I'll write about a completely secular subject or even a particular band that I like at the moment. Or maybe I'll just do a complete spoof of some subject. PLUS, I always try to find a song & video that will illustrate what ever it is that I wrote about. How do you make advertising fit something like that?

Anyway, the ads apparently will take a few days to come online. Of course, they could be up by the time I finish this post. I doubt it, but who knows? Do me a favor though, if you are one of the few semi-faithful or regular readers of this blog, every time you come here please click those ads a couple hundred times. (It should only take an hour or two, maximum.) I would certainly appreciate it.

I dunno. All of this is an adventure to me. I have a massive streak of curiosity in me. That has gotten me into trouble in the past, but hopefully it will serve me well on here. We'll see what happens. Currently, it's a bit of a headache.

Peace

Joe

An inconvenient FACT!

2012-02-05T11:52:00.000-08:00

"But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then even Christ has not been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are found to be false witnesses about God...And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men."

1 Corinthians 15:12-18

I remember that it was around 5AM. I had walked from my school in Jerusalem down to the main road to wait for a taxi to take me to Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv for my flight back to the U.S.

It was still dark out. I sat on my suitcase waiting for the taxi. I remember thinking that it was quite cold. (Desert climates may have hot days, but the nights can really get down there.) I was looking at the walls of the Old City, and at the skyline of West Jerusalem in the moonlight and stars, thinking about home much I would miss Israel and the Middle East.

I sat there in the silence, just thinking. And then I began to hear voices. It was the sound of singing. At first It wafted through the valley that surrounds the old biblical city of Jerusalem. But then I heard it coming over the walls. Soon, I was aware of it everywhere. It was very beautiful. It is a memory that I cherish because it was so powerful.

This is what I heard...

I have only faint memories of me being driven down to Tel Aviv, other than the smell of orange blossoms in orchards, and my ride home on the plane. But I remember hearing THAT song...that "First Call to Prayer" for the Muslims that lived in and around Jerusalem. A devout muslim will pray that prayer 5 times a day.

I grew to be very curious about Islam while living in Israel. I find Islamic history to be very interesting. Islam came into being in the early 7th century C.E., and in a very short time the civilization grew to be incredibly advanced. They invented algebra (Which for a guy like me who sucks at math, it's a mixed blessing at best.), and both the modern compass and the numerical system that we use. Even our concept of writing checks can be traced to Islam. In fact, while my ancestors in Europe were under the impression that a good bleeding would cure what ails you, and that a woman who could float was obviously a witch, those guys were doing cataract surgery. The history and culture are very fascinating, indeed.

And now is where I get to the uncomfortable part...

I have deep respect for muslims, have muslim friends and live next door to a muslim family. I decry the idiotic, anti-muslim rhetoric that I often hear many cheap & greedy politicians and pastors use in public. I also welcome the mosque that is only a mile from my house.

That having been said, I also grieve for the followers of Islam because I fully and completely believe with all my heart that the entire faith is built on a falsehood. The Islamic view of Jesus is wrong.

Completely & Absolutely WRONG!

I don't say that with any glee or malice. I take no pleasure at all in stating this. In fact, I say it with a great deal of grief. But the argument is NOT with me. The argument is with the bible, and the eye-witnesses who tell the stories in the four gospels.

________________________________

About two weeks ago, this video went viral over the internet.

There were many responses to this spoken word performance. Many people loved it, some people hated it. (I even saw a catholic response to it...which was weird.) I thought the most comprehensive response was this piece written by Zack Hunt at The American Jesus. http://theamericanjesus.net/?p=4970

However, the most unusual response was from the muslim community.

A friend of mine named Mike Morrel http://www.mikemorrell.org/ posted this next video on his Face Book page a few days ago. (No, that is NOT Mike in the video, nor is he a muslim. He is one of those crazy, emergent heretics that give hyper-Calvinists and Dispensationalists fits of the spleen. This makes Mike cool in my book.) Other than being a delightful thorn in the side of Fundamentalists, Mikey also has an awesome beard...but he doesn't wear an islamic skull cap.

Anyway, give this video a gander.

I think that this video gives an excellent overview of Islam in general, but specifically their view of Jesus.

Before I go on I'll include this link to the Islamic view of Jesus/Isa as provided by Wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_in_Islam I have an English language version of the Quran which I have not fully read cover to cover. But if you do not have that available, that link does an excellent summary.

For orthodox muslims, the Quran is to be read in classical Arabic because that was the language that Gabriel/Jibril revealed it to the Prophet Muhammed in. So my english version is necessary, but not considered kosher...or "Halal," in this case. (I had always assumed that the language of heaven was Swedish. What do I know?)

Islam treats Jesus with amazing respect, and shares much of what traditional Christianity does. However, there is one central problem. Other than the fact that they do not view Jesus as the visible image of the invisible God (Col. 1:15), in other words that Jesus IS God...which IS what Jesus claimed about himself (John 8:58 & 10:30-33), they also do not believe in either the crucifixion nor the resurrection.

And with that we have a very serious problem.

I am all for tolerance and co-existence. But unfortunately, most Americans tend to interpret Tolerance with Endorsement & Agreement. In fact, it seems that when you talk to most folks they will lump all religions and faiths together as if there is no difference, and that ultimately they are all the same. Personally, if I were a Hindu, I would find it rather insulting to be told that my faith is no different than Judaism. There are major & significant differences that should be acknowledged, respected...and understood!

The fact of the matter is that Christianity rises or falls on the crucifixion and bodily resurrection of Jesus. The Scripture verses I placed at the top of the post prove that. If Islam is correct in that Jesus was never crucified nor resurrected, then as Paul said it is all a lie. In fact, I would go further and say that if none of that is true, then Christianity is idiotic and christians should be mocked for their absolute stupidity.

But if it's true...

The Quran was codified in roughly 633 C.E. In other words, it was revealed to Muhammed roughly 600 years AFTER the eye witness accounts that make up the four Gospels. They clearly contradict each other, and only ONE of them can be right! You cannot have it both ways. "There can be only one!" (Who knew that the Highlander movies would comment on this?)

The fact of the matter is that no one can truly prove to everyone's satisfaction which one in right. Ultimately it comes down to a matter of faith...like virtually everything in life. But let us not kid ourselves that they are the same, or that these differences do not matter.

When I was younger, I looked into other faiths. I was curious. I also sometimes wondered about converting. (I really like much of what I see in Islam and Buddhism. But ultimately if I did I would probably choose the pagan Norse gods of my ancestors because they really knew how to party.) But what finally hit me was the testimony of the Gospels. I couldn't get past the fact that these eye witnesses were willing to die, as many, many, many of them did, to testify to what they saw. They gave their lives saying that Jesus WAS crucified, he WAS resurrected, and that he IS Lord...and not just another prophet. They placed their faith in the Jesus of the Gospels that testify that he is God, and they willingly went to their deaths for that.

How could I possibly ignore that historical fact????

I know that making these statements are not the most politically correct things to say. I know that I may offend and hurt the feelings of many who may read this. As I stated earlier, I say none of this with glee or malice. It makes me sick to my stomach when I see some rejoice at those who are lost.

I say ALL of this because I am convinced and have staked my life & salvation on the truth of the Jesus of the bible. I reject the false Jesus that is presented in the fraudulent bible of the Jehovah's Witnesses, the Book of Mormon AND the Quran.

I believe with all my heart and agree fully with Peter when he spoke before the Sanhedrin and said; "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)

THAT is MY Jesus! And it is my greatest desire that all humanity would give their lives over to him NOW! Because someday, some day, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ IS Lord...and then it will be too late.

And that inconvenient FACT absolutely breaks my heart.

Peace

Joe

This IS where I am.

2012-02-04T21:23:00.000-08:00

I heard a song on the way home from work tonight. It hit me pretty hard.

I know that it has nothing what so ever to do with Jesus...per say. But it still made me think about my VERY wanton relationship with my savior.

Give it a listen...

You can probably figure out who I wish Graham & Johnny to be.

I always seem to be falling behind, but I want this type of passion so much!

A song by First Aid Kit, out of Sweden. What is it about those gals from Scandinavia...?

Peace

Joe

P.S. In case you were interested...

The Ga-Gospel

2012-02-02T11:00:00.001-08:00

"I wanna love you,

but something's pulling me away from you.

Jesus is my virtue,

and Judas is the demon I cling to."

Judas, by Lady Gaga

"I am a whore, I do confess.

But I put you on like a wedding dress,

and I run down the aisle,

and I run down the aisle.

I'm a prodigal with no way home.

But I put you on just like a ring of gold,

and I run down the aisle

to you."

Wedding Dress, by Derek Webb

Which set of those lyrics sounds more offensive?

So this past Sunday I was talking with some friends at Living Waters before the service. I have no idea how the subject came up, but for some reason we started talking about Lady Gaga. (Guess that means we're heretics.) One of my friends did not much care for Lady Gaga and finds her rather offensive. This is perfectly understandable. Let's face it, she is one "Out There" kinda singer. (Great at marketing herself, though.) Much of her subject matter is not exactly the most Jesus-honoring material. However...

I have a friend named Zach who was in on this conversation. Zach is rather awesome even though he is a red-head. He is a combat veteran, which is good for me to know in case I ever need someone "Punished." ($5 and a Pepsi, and he's good to go.) Zach is also a new daddy to the cutest giggling prune EVER!

So anyway, Zach speaks up in defense of Lady Gaga over a particular song of hers. I only know a couple of Gaga songs that I have on my Ipod for gym music. So I was unfamiliar with the song, Judas, that Zach defended. He explained some of the lyrics to me and said that he could identify with them. He said that this is far too often the way his walk with Jesus is. He said that he loves Jesus, but betrays him all of the time. Zach said that he IS Judas more than he would wish to be.

That is Zach.

It is also us.

And it is very much me.

Zach's explanation made me recall a song by Derek Webb called "Wedding Dress." Derek is a Christian artist, and I got to see him perform this song a little over a year ago. I had never heard the song before, but I do recall that I wept throughout the entire performance. I found myself very much in those lines of his that I posted up at the top. I find myself in them for much of my conscious hours.

I once heard Dan Allender preach in Matthew chapter 5, the portion of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus speaks of murder & adultery. Dan said that in our hearts, all humans are killers & whores. (I find it so refreshing when a speaker can be so blunt in a church.) I tend not to emphasize this truth all that much. I tend to emphasize the area of God's amazing grace and love that he extends and offers to all humanity. But the truth remains that my nature is very sinful, capable of very creative & spectacular evil, and that in my heart I am an unfaithful whore. I am. (Which might go along way in explaining why I am so awed by God's grace & mercy.)

In fact, I have grown more comfortable over time in admitting this fact about my sinful heart, because it certainly does magnify my understanding of how great God's love is for someone as sinful as me.

So I find myself identifying with the song, Wedding Dress, by Derek Webb. Zach can find the same identification in the song, Judas, by Lady Gaga. Both songs convict us. Should any of this come as a surprise? If you say "Yes," then think about why that might be the case.

I suppose I should allow you to see both songs, shouldn't I?

It's pretty obvious with the imagery she is using that she is trying to make a point. Perhaps she didn't realize how profound this point might become to certain people. (It did cause me to get this song stuck in my head all night at work.)

What do you want to bet that when she is not on stage or in public, Lady Gaga prefers to sit around her house just doing some knitting or embroidery, while sipping tea and eating poptarts? Hhhhmmm...

Anyway, now for Derek.

Odds are, you probably wont hear that song on your local "Christian" FM station. Which, frankly, is a pity to me.

Music has an amazing ability to transport a person to someplace else. I am not one who believes that music should be easily categorized with labels marking them "Christian" or Secular. For starters, the labels never fit very well. I am convinced that one aspect of being made in the image of God means that all people have some type of creative streak in them. In a way it is God testifying about himself through that person's creativity. So, this is why I can hear God when I listen to a piece of music by Beethoven, or Mozart, even though neither of them followed Jesus.

Secondly, just because something has the label "Christian" on it, does not make it God-honoring. I have seen some so-called Art by Christians that gave me the dry heaves. I have also heard some music by Christians that I am fairly convinced makes God's ears bleed. So labels are not for me. Too many Christians in America already live in a self-imposed ghetto, I see no reason to encourage that in other areas. I am not afraid of the secular world's culture. Nor do I worry all that much when the sacred and secular overlap. Instead, I view these occurrences as opportunities to simply be salt & light.

BTW: I will fully agree that there is plenty of music in the "Secular" world that one should avoid for a variety of reasons. I have a fairly high tolerance for controversy, and I am not easily offended. However, I simply cannot listen to much of the misogynistic lyrics of so much gansta rap and hip-hop, the overt perversion & sexual hedonism of certain artists, or the acute dullness of Garth Brooks. I just can't do it.

Still, I believe that the God of the bible is rather creative, and can use whatever he sees fit to in his attempts to connect to folks. (I also am inclined to believe that he really knows how to use a whammy bar.) Who am I to say to YHWH; "Sorry big fella, we can't have you running about using Techno & Bluegrass to display your glory and kingdom." (Seriously, that would be quite the combo.)

If he wants to use a Lady Gaga song to touch Zach's heart and conscience, who am I to tell him he can't? Oddly enough, every time I hear Neil Young's song "Like a Hurricane," I always think of God. I seriously do. I mean, I know Neil wrote it about his wife, but the lines "You are like a Hurricane. There's calm in your eyes." I always identify those with YHWH. So...

Look, you're dealing with the God of the bible. He really has a terrible time being reduced in size so that he fits into the boxes you want him to. He's just plain odd and extremely complicated in the best sense of those terms. If you want a God who easily makes sense to you, go check out Islam and it's fatalistic approach to everything...or become a hyper-Calvinist. (Then you can do away with thinking all together.)

In the mean time, please stand aside so that I may get my groove on.

Peace

Joe

Appendix: For more on the song "Wedding Dress," watch this video. Derek explains where this song and it's blunt lyrics comes from. It might make you a little nervous. If so, that is because he might just be hitting close to home for you.

Finally, here are some other thoughts of Derek that speak to how Believers ought to engage the culture that we live in. I enjoyed it very much.

"Current" music that Howls!

2012-01-25T12:04:00.000-08:00

"Get me out of here!"

Jordan Gatesmith, to Augsburg College Admissions.

I figured that since my last post was fairly touchy and serious, I should do the reverse for this one. So I figured that I would turn any readers of this blog onto my new favorite band. (Sorry, but probably not all that many observations on the religious scene in this one, folks.)

I say favorite for a couple of reasons. For starters I am extremely biased towards the music in my State, Minnesota. Minnesota has produced the likes of Bob Dylan, Husker Du, The Replacements, The Time, Prince, The Jayhawks, Atmosphere, Brother Ali...and such towering giants as The Trashmen and Whoopee John. (Who doesn't dig a little polka now & then?)

I used to go to a lot of concerts. (Never as many as I would have liked to, but...) I've been to a fair share at legendary 1st Avenue (Which Prince made even more famous in Purple Rain.), and a couple at it's red-headed step child of a venue, the Seventh Street Entry. One of my favorite musical memories was seeing Paul Simon at the Target Center and then running across the street to see the Trash Can Sinatras at the Entry. I also have a memory of two drunk chicks getting into a really nasty cat-fight right in front of me while I was attempting to watch Cheap Trick at 1st Avenue. (Ah yes, found memories indeed.)

BTW: If you read this and have your own good story from some mayhem & insanity you saw at a show, do me a favor and tell me about it in the blog response area. I love a good story. Just keep in PG rated.

My favorite place to watch a show at 1st Ave. was leaning on the stairs that led up to the second level on the left side of the main floor. If you ever remember seeing a man with his arms folded, staring keenly and straight ahead at the stage, with no interest what so ever in the happenings of everyone else around him, that would have been me.

I haven't been there in ages. Something tells me that if I did go at some future point, young people would come up to ask me if I was there to pick up my grandkids, loan them some money...or even possibly buy them beer. Either that, or they would inform the bouncers that some homeless guy was lost and wandering around the venue. (Neither sounds particularly appealing at this point.)

In fact, I rarely go to concerts anymore due to the obscene price of tickets, and the even more obscene molesting you receive from the likes of Ticket Master and it's ludicrously named "Convenient Charges." If you have never had the joy of experiencing a convenient charge before, simply imagine going to the proctologist for an exam and discovering that his new favorite utensil was a large, metallic mellon with spikes...that had been left in the icebox over night. So, no, I do not go to many concerts anymore.

Never the less, I still loves me some tunes!

So there is a rather new band on the local scene. It would also appear that they hit the lottery. http://www.howlerband.com/ The name of the band is Howler, and to my limited knowledge, they have barely been around for a year.

<--- You have to admit, that is a great title for a CD. And it was released less than two weeks ago.

I think it was the week of New Years, and I was listening to what is arguably the best radio station in the country, 89.3 The Current. They had on a bunch of the local critics from the music scene discussing, what else, music. They all seemed to concur that Minnesota music appeared to be undergoing a new golden age.

I have no opinion on that other than that I think it's great if true. For a State of only 5 million folks, and only one large metro area, we certainly pump out some cool stuff. It would be great to see us get more national attention. (See, I'm biased.)

They kept bringing up this band that hit it big over the summer called Howler. So I start googling around and found a couple of videos. I thought these songs were great. When the CD came out I bought it on Itunes. Now the songs are stuck in my head like a painful, yet beautiful & harmonious, sliver.

And this would be the very first song I heard/saw...

You just have to love a song that has the opening lines of; "I wouldn't have it any other way. You're bodies fine, but your mind is not OK."

This next one would be the second song I heard/saw. And before you listen to it, I want you to picture a 70 year old woman in a passenger seat yodeling along to the open sounds of the chorus. (Come on, close your eyes and picture an old bat doing this.) That would be my mother yesterday in my car as we drove home from lunch.

There is just something about a Beach Boy's style croon to a driving beat, with a shot of the Grain Belt Beer sign over the Hennepin Ave. bridge that I must be a sucker for.

Anyway, the main guy behind this group is a college kid named Jordan Gatesmith. (One of the local critics referred to him as "Cute." But if you are 19/20, well...you decide. I DO wish I had his hair,. though) He's been popping around on the scene through High School. He wrote some tunes and picked a bunch of other guys from the scene to help him out. I'm not exactly sure how, but I guess they started to go viral over in the U.K. this past summer. Rough Trade Records liked what they heard. The next thing you know, they have a 4 CD contract.

So this morning I stumbled across a video interview that he must have done VERY recently. I think it's from Holland. I like the interview, but not for obvious reasons. It's not the flashiest...which is good to me. Jordan seems very self-effacing, which is also good in an upcoming star. He also comes off as extremely optimistic and a bit naive...which I actually like.

When you are only 19 and the world of popular music has opened it's doors and given you a big bear hug, you should come off as a little overwhelmed. At the same time, I am hoping that none of this goes to any of their heads...nor any of the other excesses that can come straight at a group of guys that age. (My Dad's inoculation and/or cure for this would be copious amounts of snow shoveling and cleaning all the fish in the live well. That will keep you sweaty, smelly and grounded!)

A word of warning. Jordan likes to cuss...quite a bit. Just so ya know.

Does that kid have any idea how big an ocean he is now swimming in? Probably not. But wouldn't you just love to take his place for a week or two? I would.

_______________________

See, nothing all that thought provoking or deep in this post. I don't have to offer my sage advice or perfectly grounded, unbiased & wise observations on the heavy stuff all the time, do I? I just love music, and this stuff is pretty darn good.

Peace

Joe

P.S. As an added bonus, I shall include alternative versions that the boys did in the Current's studios recently. For more on this station that has obviously been blessed by the very hand of the Almighty, simply click on the following link. (Ooooh, I DID get a religious reference in.) http://minnesota.publicradio.org/radio/services/the_current/

Once again, I give you Howler...

Once again, picture a 70 year yodeling along...

Jeeeeeez, those guys still have acne! I feel very old indeed.

An Anniversary.

2012-01-23T14:43:00.000-08:00

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made..."

Psalm 139:13

"We call upon Southern Baptist to work for legislation that will allow for the possibility of Abortion under such conditions as rape, incest, clear evidence of sever fetal deformity, and carefully ascertained evidence of the likelihood of damage to the emotional, mental and physical health of the mother."

The Southern Baptist Convention, (Meeting in St. Louis, MO. 1971)

"Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, before you were born I set you apart..."

Jer. 1:5

"I have always felt that it was only after a child was born and had a life separate from it's mother that it became an individual person."

W.A. Criswell (Former President of the Southern Baptist Convention expressing satisfaction at the 1973 Roe V. Wade decision.)

Today is the anniversary of the fateful Roe V. Wade decision that legalized abortion in America. It was left up to the individual States to work out the details, and it's been a mess ever since. Even back then, Christians were confused on this issue, and bible verses being taken out of context didn't help the matter.

This post is not an attempt to belittle either side, or to find humor in any of this situation. It is, however, an attempt to call on the need for civility on this issue AND, if nothing else, to call on Believers involved in the Pro-Life movement to recognize that there is a lot more complexity and nuance on this issue than many would lead you to believe. Also, if we want to make any progress on this issue, we had better come to terms with just how complex it truly is, and not simply allow ourselves be lead by the nose by politicians & pastors who gain notoriety & power out of doing so.

For the record, my sympathies lie with the Pro-Life camp. (But they are also the ones I will take to task the most.) Abortion is a dirty business. All of the people I know, both male & female, who have been involved in an abortion have their scars. They are not always physical, but they are there. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. There is nothing easy or simple about an abortion. The people who have been involved in them need compassion, love and grace...not condemnation or self-righteous judgment. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Here is the dilemma: The majority of Americans do not like abortion. The majority of Americans think that they are wrong for a variety of reasons. However, the majority of Americans, even those who dislike abortion, do not wish to see it criminalized. (I won't even bother to put up any links to that statistic. You can easily find it where ever you look.)

And this is where I find myself. I don't like it. But I don't want it criminalized. So what do I do?

Some UNcomfortable Thoughts:

#1. Why criminalizing abortion doesn't work: Let us say that tomorrow the Supreme Court overturned Roe V. Wade, and all abortions were made illegal...would that solve the problem? Would there now by no more abortions in America? (Before you read on, think about that question for a moment. Think about the ramifications.)

Well, the answer would be a solid "NO!" No, abortion would not end. Instead, two things would happen. 1) People from the Middle-Class on up would give a huge economic boost to the Canadian & Mexican medical industry, because that is where they would head. People too poor to afford a trip out of the country would quickly find unsafe back-alleys.

In fact, the World Health Organization just released some facts a few days ago that show that restricting abortions actually has the negative side affect of causing MORE abortions in countries where these restriction occur. http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/fb_induced_abortion.html This study is about as exciting as watching paint dry, but it gets the point across that criminalizing something like this simply doesn't work.

2) If abortion was now illegal, what you would sadly, sadly see would be a bunch of self-righteous "Christians" waddling into their churches next Sunday, patting themselves on their backs and feeling very happy that they could now ignore this problem. They would then be happy to condemn any teen girl who made a big mistake with the words "Congratulations, you're going to be a mother...and stop mooching on welfare!" In the mean time, they could conveniently ignore the fact that abortions were still happening.

Be honest with yourself. You know full well that something along these lines would happen.

#2. Abortion will NEVER be outlawed: This is the great hope and lie that has been fostered for ages now by people drooling for power. Politicians on the Left play to their base when they scare people with the idea of Roe V. Wade being overturned. Politicians on the Right do the exact same thing in reverse. Some of them might actually believe it. However, the vast majority know that neither will ever occur. Not after almost 40 years of it being legal. They also know that harping on this is a cheap & easy way to get votes by playing to their base. In the mean time, no real progress is made to finding a solution that might actually work.

#3. When does "Life" begin: The easy, and I mean easy as in "Simplistic," answer is to say that life begins at conception. Let's face it. It's not a dog or a cat that is now growing inside that woman. For catholics and some others I've talked to, that egg that has now been fertilized has all the same rights as any other fully developed human walking around. However, there are some problems with this...

You might find this interesting. http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2011/1108/Mississippi-personhood-measure-why-support-waned-as-Election-Day-neared

Not to long ago, Mississippi attempted to get Personhood defined as beginning at conception. This is a very Conservative State with a Republican governor. The citizens of the State were asked to vote on the matter, and it all went down in flames. Why? Because for once, people took a few moments to soberly reflect on what that would entail.

It's easy to "Say" that this 3 week old fetus is a human, but...

Does a pregnant woman now buy two tickets when she goes to the movies? What about when she gets on a bus or a plane? What if you see a pregnant woman smoking or drinking (A really & truly horrible idea if you are pregnant.), do you call child protective services? What if a pregnant woman is skiing, jogging, etc. Is that child endangerment? If that 3 week old fetus is now considered a full human, as that attempted law implied, then she would have to buy a second ticket, and you might have to call the police if she has a beer. Even conservative Republican Gov. Hayley Barbour saw the problems with this and turned against the Mississippi proposal in the end. This is indeed a very complicated issue.

From my own perspective, if you really believe that a month old fetus is indeed a human in every respect that matters, then I would say that you should, indeed, buy two tickets. Either live what you believe or stop saying such trite things, because it's obvious that you do not truly believe it.

To further complicate this issue, let's think about the fertilization of eggs in medical labs. The normal procedure is to remove and fertilize numerous eggs. Only some of them will be put back in in the hopes of a successful pregnancy. According to many, those fertilized eggs that remain and are now frozen until and IF they are ever needed again, are now little souls in a dish. In many cases, those eggs are never used again. Does this mean that those are really & truly human beings frozen in state until Christ returns?

I'm very serious about that question. These are the types of things that people do not wish to consider because it leaves us with more questions than answers. This is also why we need to eschew easy answers & simplistic platitudes that are merely politically/"Religiously" correct and popular, and instead sit down to have a mature discussion.

#4. When Pro-Life is really Pro-Birth: To my mind, caring only about a pregnancy only shows that you care about "Life" up to a certain point. My biggest criticism of my fellow Believers on this issue is that they no longer seem to care about a baby after it comes out of the womb. If you really want to earn the label "Pro-Life" then it seems to me that you had better care about the whole life of that kid.

This means that you had better be equally concerned that this baby grows up in an environment as clean as it can be. He better have access to a school that is properly funded, and some decent health insurance. You had better be concerned that there is a decent economic environment for his parent or parents to work in so as to provide a good living for that kid, and so that poverty is avoided. In fact, you had better be savagely concerned about poverty.

Do not even try to tell me that it is only the government's, societies', or an individual's business to make sure all the babies are born, but then it it is not their "Role" to care after that. Be consistent in your concern or shut up! If you do not care about the WHOLE life of the person, you are not, nor ever will, be "Pro-Life." You are merely "Pro-Birth," and to say otherwise is hypocrisy.

__________________________

I think I'll cut it short here. This is a very difficult and sensitive subject. I am disturbed more often than not by what I see on this issue. I see more yelling and screaming AT each other than I do people actually talking TO and discussing WITH others. That is no way to find a solution.

Near as I can tell, the overwhelming majority of people would like to see abortion stop...even those who favor complete legalization. It would seem to me that they only way any of us could work towards nearing this common goal is to find common ground in ways to prevent the desire for an abortion in the first place...and doing so is no easy task.

I dunno. If I had the ultimate answers to fix this, then I would be God...and I'm pretty sure that I am not. I'm sorry if I hurt any readers feelings. That was not my goal. I am hoping that people of good will, Believers and non-believers, on all sides of this issue will begin a dialogue that might actually make some progress. (Unfortunately, I know human nature.) A guy can hope, can't he?

Peace

Joe

The Gospel according to Etta

2012-01-20T20:53:00.001-08:00

Jamesetta Hawkins: a.k.a. Etta Jame, Miss Peaches, the Matriarch of R & B. (1938-2012)

Last Sunday, Pastor Scott challenged all of us to try reading a chapter from the book of Proverbs each day. So this afternoon before work I was perusing through chapter 3. I've been using "The Message" bible version recently, and so far I thoroughly enjoy the earthy quality that this translation has to it.

Any-hoo, so I'm driving to work with one of my favorite stations http://minnesota.publicradio.org/radio/services/the_current/ on, and they announced that the Rhythm & Blues singer, Etta James had just passed away. I can't say that I was a huge fan, nor did I know a great deal about her. I will confess that I have always had a weakness for her song, "At last," for some reason that I think goes back to first hearing it in a cartoon or spoof. But that was about the extent of my knowledge.

In tribute to Etta, the station played a song by her that I was unfamiliar with. I liked it immediately. However, what really hooked me after about 30 seconds was that the lyrics matched extremely well with a portion of Proverbs that I had read only 30 minutes prior.

THUS...

Trust God from the bottom of your heart;

don't try to figure out everything on your own.

Listen to God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;

he's the one who will keep you on track.

Don't assume you know it all.

Run to God! Run from Evil.

Prov. 3:3-9

And now for the lyrics...

"Trust in me in all you do.

Have the faith I have in you.

Love will see us through, if only you trust in me.

Why don't you, you trust in me?

Come to me when things go wrong.

Cling to me, Daddy, and I'll be strong.

We can get along, we can get along, if only you trust in me"

And now for Etta...

It's funny to me, because both of them really do express all that YHWH is asking us for; Trust. I've heard people criticize christianity because you have to recognize that you are a sinner, and should repent of that. Some will say that this means you have to go around thinking that you are a bad, bad, naughty person, and therefor this promotes low self-esteem and what have you. However, to my mind it is more of an embrace of reality.

I am far from perfect. Somedays, I am in a galaxy far, far away from perfect. ("Oh Lawdy! Preach it now!") But that really isn't where it begins or ends for me on this thought, that is merely one portion of it all. When I think about trusting God, it is more of a recognition that I really do not have much in the way of answers to a good many things, but that he DOES. So, if I am often clueless, but he knows what's what...why shouldn't I and place my trust in YHWH? Again, to me it is simply an embrace of reality, albeit one my sinful natures hates to acknowledge. Still...

So, should I write a doctoral thesis in theology based on this musical coincidence? Probably not. Still, I did find it a helpful tonic to have in my head right before work.

Hey, some people find biblical significance in visual arts. I find quite a bit of it in music. (Now if only Neil Young would do a version of that song.)

Who says that the God of the bible doesn't have a sense of humor? (Wait. Don't answer that. I probably wouldn't care about their opinion anyway.)

Nighty night.

Joe

P.S. And now a little something for those who are with their "Special Someone" this evening. (In my case, that would be my dog.)

It's worth it.

2012-01-18T19:15:00.000-08:00

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.

Heb. 11:1 & 2

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trails of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.

James 1:2 & 3

The people served YHWH throughout the lifetime of Joshua and the elders who outlived him and who had seen all the great things YHWH had done for Israel.

Judges 2:7

Why does someone going into the military have to go through boot camp? It's so that the person that they are can be torn away and replaced by someone new...someone who can fight and survive in a very hostile environment.

We had our men's bible study last night. We were studying through Chapter 7 of "The Story," and it's the section where Joshua is going to bring Israel into the promised land and conquer it. The entire lot of us found ourselves giggling over the various sections where the Israelites promised to be faithful to Joshua and to God. In particular, there was one section where the people uttered the phrase; "Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you."

This caused a couple of us to laugh quite a bit, because the Israelites had been anything BUT faithful. In fact, one common characteristic of the people Moses brought out of Egypt is that is that they knew instinctively how to squeal like pre-teen girls at a Justin Bieber concert at the first glimpse of any hardship.

But then we stopped and talked about this. THESE people that were saying this to Joshua were NOT the same people that Moses brought out of Egypt. At best, this group of folks had been kids and young adults. Their parents had been the ones to fuss non-stop. These folks were different. Why?

Boot camp.

Something about living in the wilderness, being truly dependent upon God for 40 years did a number on this group. They still struggled with sin. They had the same law that Moses had given their parents. But they had much more than that. They had experienced God first hand.

It is soooooooo easy & tempting to reduce the God of the bible to a theological formula, something that can be grasped and "Understood" by our finite, little minds. I've come to see that this way of seeing God is pretty comforting in the immediate sense, but doesn't hold much water when things get tough. It's even worse when simplistic platitudes are offered. Worse still when some Health & Wealth moron yanks the bible out of context and says it's all your fault because you lack faith.

In a way, you DO lack faith. You lack faith in the REAL God of scripture. A God who was not meant to be reduced and easily understood. This God was meant to be experienced. And a mutually experienced episode of trial, difficulty, testing, whatever, produces a relationship that cannot be defined or explained in mere words.

I've been going through a frustrating, yet beautiful season for some time now. Money is tight. Job & career options are scarce. While none of that has dissipated or eased, God has been revealing stuff to me over these past months as to how he has been faithful. I can't say that this had made things much easier. But I can say that they have made things quite a bit more bearable.

What I learned last night was how much I am not alone in this. The body I attend is called Living Waters. http://www.livingwaterslakeville.com/ As church bodies go, were not all that large. But I have found that the people there really do have big hearts, and they want those hearts full of Jesus. They also, for the most part, all seem to be going through a lot of trials at the moment. So we talked about this last night.

Most of us have begun thinking and dreaming about trying to find some land to make a permanent home for us. None of us want to build a "Church." We ARE the church. We would just like a base where we can come together and then move out and be the gospel to the local community and society. (BTW: If you are one who believes that the body of Christ has to be about either the "Social Gospel" or purely the "Salvation Gospel", instead of being about the WHOLE Gospel to the whole person, who might get a bit itchy hanging out with us.) Anyway, the thing we desire the most is that whatever we end up doing will actually be God's doing, and not just wishful thinking and willful imposing.

My own take is that the "Sin of Presumption" is a huge problem in the American church. I hear people talk about knowing God's will all the time. Generally, I am left with the impression that this was merely their breakfast burrito speaking.

So last night we began to wonder if all of the various trials that members are wrestling with is sort of a large group participation in God's refining process. Is God allowing all sorts of difficulties to hit us as individuals, and as a group, so as to teach a greater dependence and reliance upon him? Can we, should we, have "Faith" in these circumstances?

Is it worth it?

Faith is hard. It is. Those who tell you otherwise are either very shallow, or merely lying to get your money. Being sure of what you do not see is not the most logical attitude to have.

Is it worth it?

I knew a guy who was a type of commando in the Air Force back in the first Gulf War. He told me about one of the tortures/training things he had to go through. Suffice it to say, it involved walking across the bottom width of an Olympic sized swimming pool with weights and a rope tied to you. (The rope was for when you would pass out...which everyone did repeatedly.)

Was it worth it?

Well, by the time my friend was done with his training, his lung capacity was such that he could run around the mountains like a goat, where as you & I would would most likely cry for our mommies.

Was it worth it for Israel?

40 years in the wilderness had produced a people who knew their God. They made their mistakes, to be sure. However, they KNEW their God. They knew how faithful he was, and what he was capable of. Head knowledge is no substitute for actual experience, and that generation had it in spades.

Is it worth it for Living Waters?

One of the worst things to happen to a church body is to be successful. (A certain irony in that.) Seriously, it is so easy to think that your church growth, or some successful ministry is because God is/was on your side. (If Joshua 5:13 & 14 is to be believed, the only side God is on is his own.) It's easy to become prideful. It's also easy for a church body to become a church fortress. When they really want to give Jesus a black eye, "Churches" can become social clubs and cults of personality.

I get the sneaking suspicion, and I am not the only one to feel it, that God is working to help us avoid these dangers. The temptations will still be there. However, if as a body we not only suffer together, but persevere together...bearing each other along the way, we may find it a bit easier to avoid these temptations.

The biggest hurdle will be how to pass this along to the next generation. The generation of Israelites that succeeded Joshua and the elders were a disaster. But I think it's worth the risk.

Is it worth it for me?

I'm a messy person at the best of times. I went years before I was finally diagnosed with a type of depression. It does not define me by any stretch, but it does inform me. So I have the joys of dealing with external and internal issues. Some of my issues I have done to myself. Some of my issues have been life, society, and the world "doing unto me." Now, throw in the frustrations of the job & career stuff. YAY!!!!!!

But I have to honestly say that struggling with all of it really is worth it to me. God has closed many doors for me. At this point, he is kind of the only option I have left. I'll be the first to admit that it does not make everything easy, or less confusing and frustrating. But I also have to admit how much better my circumstances are than so many, many other people in this world. I should never stop giving thanks for that. All of the stuff that comes my way, both good and bad, should cause me to lean into God. All of it.

In the end, it is worth it to me if I get to experience the God of scripture. He is not the safest being to hang out with. He snuck up on Jacob in the dark and had a wrestling match with him, after all. But I want that. (Watch me eat those words at a later date.) I want to experience him so that my faith is made stronger, and deeper than words can explain. I want IT!

Is it worth it?

Yeah, it is.

It's difficult. It's scary.

In fact, quite often it's nerve-wracking.

But in the end, what else really matters?

It's worth it.

Sorry, this one was just way too easy. :)

Peace

Joe

Trust Fund Kings

2012-01-16T13:03:00.000-08:00

When you enter the land that YHWH, your God, is giving you and take it over and settle down, and then say, "I'm going to get me a king, a king like all the other nations around me," make sure you get a king that YHWH, your God, chooses...And make sure he doesn't build up a war machine, amassing horses and chariots. He must not send people back to Egypt to get more horses, because God told you, "You must never go back there again!" And make sure he doesn't build up a harem, collecting wives who will divert him from the straight & narrow. And make sure he doesn't pile up silver and gold.

This is what must be done: When he sits down on the throne of his kingdom, the first thing he must do is to make a copy of this revelation (The Law) on a scroll, copied under the supervision of the Levitical priests. That scroll is to remain at his side at all times.

Duet. 17:14-19 (The Message Bible)

So this past Sunday, Scott was preaching in chapter 13 of "The Story." It was an overview of the life of Solomon. There never seems to be enough time in any given sermon to cover all the ground that can be unearthed in various passages, and plenty certainly were in these passages.

Thankfully, Scott has ME! Since it's my day off, I can take the time to dig into the stuff that I thought was really thought provoking and see what I can find.

But first, some background:

First, Solomon's name essentially means "Peace...Shalom,". King David, his father, had been a military man from roughly the age of 14. (Not bad if you're a middle school kid trying to impress the girls.) However, YHWH even forbade David to build him a temple because of his bloodshed. David had copious amounts of children, but Solomon was the one chosen to succeed him. (In my opinion, David had not been a very good father. Solomon would not be much better.) In fact, God named Solomon Jedidiah, which essentially means "Beloved by God."

I'm never sure how God's divine favor works with individuals. You can get into all of the predestination nuances you want, but I still end up confused. Suffice it to say that God chose Solomon over all the others for what ever reason.

Second, where as David had spent most of his life in the boot-camp of God, learning how to be dependent upon YHWH, Solomon was born into privilege. Solomon was a Trust Fund Baby. Solomon never had the type of trials that David went through. He essentially had it all handed to him. As unpleasant as they were for David at the time, those trials did give him an advantage that Solomon didn't have.

Also, unlike Saul, his predecessor, David knew how to admit his mistakes and seriously repent. In fact, what I found most interesting is that David was never above being tongue-lashed by the prophets. They could confront him publicly and and call him out. (Something unheard of in any other kingdom.) David had a keen comprehension of where he stood with respect to YHWH due to all of the time he spent experiencing him in hardship. As for his son? Not so much. And one thing to notice with Solomon is that he never seemed to have anyone holding him accountable for whatever reason. (I'm pretty sure that those two often go hand in hand in one way or the other.)

________________________

So I'm sitting with my friends in the service, and as Scott is preaching, my friend Tom leans over and asks me a question. He asks; "Do you think that Solomon would have followed YHWH at all if he hadn't been tasked with building the Temple?"

I thought that was a great question. Truth is, I really don't know. It is interesting to note that during the life of Solomon, he appears to be very faithful to God during the temple building process. Things appear to begin falling apart shortly after that. In fact, lets jump to that point in 1 Kings 9. At the beginning of the chapter, it says that Solomon had built the temple and his palace and "had achieved all he had desired to do." And that's when YHWH appears to him for a final major pep talk and warning.

And things begin to go very wrong from here...

At the beginning of this post, I put up the warnings for any future kings that God had given to Israel ages ago while they were still wandering in the wilderness. They had just come out of Egypt (i.e. SLAVERY) and God was warning them about returning to that land...even in a metaphorical way.

Now take a look at what happened to Solomon...

1. 9:15 = Solomon uses forced labor (A form of slavery) to build his projects.

2. 9:16 = Solomon makes an alliance and marries into Pharaoh's family.

3. 9:17-20 = Solomon builds up a military machine with chariots & horses.

4. 9:20 & 21 = Solomon enslaves foreigners.

Does any of that remind you of another Super Power in that neighborhood?

And now begins a sort of "Quiet before the storm" interlude of sorts. The Queen of Sheba comes to Jerusalem to pay Solomon a visit. After being wowed by his wisdom and splendor she makes some interesting remarks to Solomon. Her recorded final words to him are; "Praise be to YHWH your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of YHWH's eternal love for Israel, he has made you king, to maintain justice and righteousness." (1 Kings 10:9) I am quite certain that the writers of these passages placed those words strategically because of what would happen next. You simply cannot maintain justice & righteousness when you are disobeying direct and clear commands for God.

666:

People get more than a little buggy when they see those numbers. Pretty soon there are all sorts of conspiracy theories running wild. To my mind, suffice it to say that even as far back as the ancient Hebrews, those numbers have simply been a warning that something bad was about to happen.

"The weight of gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents..." (v.10:14) The writers could have chosen a different description, but they didn't. Why? Well, I'm guessing because from here on out Solomon begins to openly, glaringly and obviously break every command that God had given to any potential king well before the people even dreamt of having one.

You read the rest of the story from 1 Kings 10:14 through 11:13 and you will see that Solomon broke all of the commands from Deut. 17, and the result was EXACTLY what God had warned them about. In particular, I love the Message Bible's translation of 11:1, "King Solomon was obsessed with women." Sure enough, Solomon's sex drive lead him away from God and right off a cliff.

God had given those commands in Deuteronomy not only because he didn't want the people to actually hike back to Egypt and live there on the Nile, he didn't want them to become like them. Solomon enslaved people. He gathered up massively obscene amounts of wealth. He not only acquired horse and chariots (FROM Egypt) he also became an "Arms Dealer." He profited off of war!!! (Does that sound oddly familiar to any modern country we might know?) And after all of that, it is then and only then that the narrator records that Solomon fell into sexual hedonism. * (Again, does any of that sound oddly familiar to any modern country we might know?) Once the hedonism was achieved, Solomon was off messing around with other gods...and some of them were really sick even by today's standards.

God had put up those prohibitions to protect Israel from returning to Egypt.

YHWH did not want them to return to that type of slavery.

Solomon had not only returned Israel to Egypt.

Israel had BECOME Egypt.

So what was the result of all of this? Well, Solomon lost. He started well, but he finished pretty weak. God got so worked up that he told him he would break away most of the kingdom from his descendants. However, because God was moved out his love and promises to David he did allow the dynasty to keep a portion and survive.

YHWH is faithful because he IS.

Rehoboam, a.k.a. "You little, spoiled brat!":

At a very affluent school where I worked, there were a couple of kids there whose parents had bought them Hummers for their birthdays. Personally, I think you should be arrested for child endangerment for doing something like that. Those kids waved those cars around as if they were royalty. (They were certainly a royal "Something.")

I am not opposed to people having nice things, or to being wealthy. I wish everyone was. However, those parents did their children no favors by buying them such an ostentatious gift. Those kids had no true sense of ownership, only entitlement. They had put no blood, sweat or serious effort into acquiring those cars. As a result, there was a disconnect from reality to them.

And so it was with Solomon's son, Rehoboam. It's hard to say if little Reh-reh even knew his grandfather David. What he DID know was a life in a palace of magnificence, comfort and ease...and that his Dad had a hard time keeping his robe closed. (Why is it that David's family seemed to produce such poor Father-Figures?) Now try to imagine being a kid among all of that. What do you think is likely to happen?

Again, this produces a disconnect from reality.

Solomon had brought Israel to great fame, progress, and prowess. His architectural achievements were astounding. But the price had been high. He had squeezed the land and the people, and all were tired of it.

When it was time for Rehoboam to ascend the throne, the people asked him for relief. The older generation counseled that it was now time to look to the needs of the people. Everything that needed doing had been done. But instead, Rehoboam listened to all of his buddies that had grown up in the same Trust Fund privilege that he had...including that same disconnect to reality.

You know the end result.

The irony in Rehoboam's story is that his name means "He will enlarge the people," even though the complete opposite happened.

Honestly, I think things would have been different if both Solomon & Reh-reh had been allowed to suffer in a boot-camp-like experience with God. What is it about humans that we need God when things are bad, but immediately seem to forget about him when things are good?Hardship seems to build character like nothing else. Why is that?

I dunno. These were just some observations that came to mind while I was sitting there on Sunday morning. Take it for what it's worth.

Sorry, this was the best I could do to find an appropriate song for this post. "Duchess" seemed like snotty enough title, SO. Still, the vocals are pretty cool.

Peace

Joe

* Footnote: A nation does not become truly freakishly immoral in one day. It is a process. In the fall into sexual immorality that Solomon experienced, there seems to be a pattern. To my mind, it is intentionally set out by the writers of this story. I see it echoed throughout Scripture...and in world history too.

All nations have their births. From there they begin to grow as a community, a shared identity. Eventually, they all face a crisis. Those that survive to be the stronger, soon seem to think it is their destiny to be the master of all around them. After a while, they look at the rest of the world with a dismissive arrogance. All the while, they seem to be ignoring the needs at home...especially for those on the margins.

Maybe it's just me, but I have noticed that when a people begin to ignore the needs of the most vulnerable, they soon seem to ignore people in general. After a while, people are no longer humans made in the image of God. They are just "Things." Once that is achieved, it is only a matter of time that these "Things" can be exploited for all sorts of wants and desires...including sexually.

We can complain all we want about the sexual immorality of Sodom & Gomorrah, but I can assure you that they didn't start out that way. If we are to believe the bible, take a look at Ez. 16:49 & 50. The desire to sexually abuse strangers was only the cherry on the icing on a cake that had been in the works for some time. Those cities began down that road to ruin by neglecting the most vulnerable, those at the margins...the "Least of These." The final step was complete sexual hedonism...and then death. If they had wanted to remedy that, they should have started at the roots, and not simply put a legislative band aid on some of the results.

I can't help but see certain hints of that in the choices Solomon made in his life. And I can't help but see some parallels in a particular country that I live in, too.

The Separation of Nobody

2012-01-14T06:42:00.000-08:00

"Name him Nobody. You've become nobodies to me, and I, YHWH, am a nobody to you."

Hosea 1:9

Yesterday and today were/are my days off. I woke to an extremely cold morning, and the day stayed overcast and dark gray through out. I also woke up to discover that the job I had been working & hoping for for a month now was no longer mine to be had.

OK Lord, I have been asking you to teach me how to trust you in all things. This is difficult for me because I do not go to a "Health & Wealth" church where they teach that you are a cosmic Santa, dispensing whatever we wish for. But I am still frustrated...

I've never, ever been a superstitious person, but I couldn't help but note that it was Friday the 13th.

"To experience the Crucifixion is to lose all the supports that would protect us from a direct confrontation with the world and with ourselves."

Peter Rollins

Almost every single morning when I wake up, I have to wrestle with some less than pleasant thoughts. I am a phony, a fake, a fraud...a fool. Those thoughts are always there, bubbling just below the surface. Always there. Always bubbling. Always.

I am little more than a foolish clown who acts the idiot for all of my "Friends" to see.

Many, many years ago while at Bethel Seminary, all of the students were given a battery of tests to figure out our strengths, weaknesses, personalities, etc. Most people know the term "Extrovert." Well, as luck would have it, I scored highest in the rare category of "Functional-Extrovert." In other words, I am only outgoing when there is a need for it. A rare category to fall into, indeed. An anomaly, a square peg, a loner...a freak. I prefer to be called "Nobody."

"When Israel was only a child, I loved him. I called out, "My son!" - called him out of Egypt.""

Hosea 11:1

So last night I got together with a friend. I see him only once or twice a year at best. He is an artist, and a very gifted one at that. He sees and picks up on things that I can't. I think he is brilliant in many ways I WISH I could be...in ways I BEG to be. But sometimes, I am not sure if what he senses is real or imagined. But he always challenges me and makes me think.

He didn't mean to, but last night he awoke stuff in me that I don't like to be reminded of. Like I said, I doubt he meant to, but he hurt me by awaking these memories. I am certain that this was not his intention. However, it stung pretty bad. Maybe these memories are real, maybe they are imagined, maybe they are just my perception.

But it left me asking; "So, did anyone actually "Like" me all those years ago?" I was left with the impression that I guess not, after that conversation. (To be fair, it was nothing that I had not sensed for years now.) I was a funny guy who was viewed as an annoyance and best.

"From the very beginning, we humans have wanted to escape this world, to become like gods."

Peter Rollins

I have always felt like an outsider, an observer...NEVER a participant. In my quieter moments I never feel like I truly belong anywhere. It's as if my lot in life is to watch everything and everyone else, and simply take a mental record for some unforeseen reason. Other than that, I serve no purpose.

"Nobody remembers what happened yesterday. And the things that happen tomorrow? Nobody'll remember them either."

Ecc. 1:11

I often wonder if I am truly close to anyone. Do I truly have friends, or are they merely close associates? The "Friend" that I hung out with last night is very complicated, and so am I...and so is our history and relationship. Sometimes I wonder if we truly are friends, or if we are nothing more than steel that sharpens steel.

If I feel this alone at the best of times, do I really, truly have friends? Or is this just my perception? If so, does that mean I'm an even bigger freak than I already think that I am?

"They called me a liar. "Exaybachay!...he who talks loud saying nothing." They ridiculed me. My own people. And I was left to wander the earth alone. I am nobody."

Dead Man

I often wonder about the people I have known over the years. What did/do they think of me? What sort of impression did I make on them? More often then not, I get the feeling that I made a fool out of myself on a repeated basis, and that's all people remember about me. That is certainly the impression I get when these memories come back.

At best, it would seem, I was a clown. I couldn't stop putting my foot...both feet actually...deep into my mouth. I still do that. It is one of my greatest skills! As such, I am an object of ridicule. My memory tells me that I was to be pitied by my associates, but never truly befriended.

"Just as the resurrected Christ is said to have borne the scars of the Crucifixion, so our Resurrection life will continue to bear the marks of death we had to undergo."

Peter Rollins

I have always been an outsider. I am a "Third Wheel" in all my dealings and relationships.

"I am still your God, the God who saved you out of Egypt. I'm the only real God you've ever known. I'm the one and only God who delivers."

Hosea 13:4

I am told that I am very gifted and knowledgeable in certain areas. I am good with historical data and biblical information. I can translate complex and complicated theories and ideas into plain English. In other words, I am a wealth & fount of curious facts and pointless trivia.

Too bad I seem to be thwarted at every turn and completely unable to put any of this pointless trivia into practical use.

"Then I took a good look at everything I'd done, looked at all the sweat & hard work. But when I looked, I saw nothing but smoke. Smoke and spitting into the wind. There was nothing to any of it. Nothing."

Ecc. 2.11

I have a memory that is very vivid and clear, and I have never been able to shake it loose so that it falls away. It is a scar deep in my soul, and seems to be a marker that defines who I am and how I see myself. It is of my "Friends" from college...my associates.

It was a Tuesday in the winter of 1986/87. We had agreed to all meet for a movie up by our old college. Tuesday nights were "Discount" nights, so the theater was going to be crowded. I had to work my job 40 miles away. This made it difficult for me, with only a minimal amount of time to get to the theater to meet my friends. Also, I recall that it was snowing that night, which didn't help.

I drove as quickly as I could, through the snow, to meet my friends. By the time I got there, the place was packed and the lines were huge, and the movie was to start in about 5 minutes. I wasn't worried. My friends were there before me. My friends had all bought the tickets, so I was safe and wouldn't have to worry about the impossible lines.

I looked for my friends. When I found them, they were on the other side of the glass in the line headed into the movie. I knocked on the glass and waved to get their attention. My friends waved back. I called out to them to ask which one had reserved a ticket for me.

My friends all looked at each other and shrugged.

Knowing that I was to be driving 40 miles through the snow in barely enough time to get to a place that was going to be overflowing & busy, NONE of my friends had even bothered to think to reserve a ticket for me.

I doubt very much that a single one of them even comes close to remembering that day...but I do.

That's when you understand your "Value" as a living, breathing "Afterthought."

I gave them all the finger and left.

My "Friends."

"What is your name?"

"My name is nobody."

"Excuse me?"

"Exaybachay: He who talks loud, saying nothing. He who talks..."

"I thought you said your name was Nobody?"

"I prefer to be called Nobody."

Johnny Depp & Gary Farmer in "Dead Man."

I am sorry. I am sorry that I am a phony, a fake, a fraud, a fool, a clown...an afterthought.

I never meant to be a burden to anyone.

"The Incarnation tells us that if we want to be like God, then we must be courageous enough to fully and unreservedly embrace our humanity...The faith that is born in Resurrection does not enable us to escape these deeply troubling anxieties; it provides the power to face up to them."

Peter Rollins

Let's hope Peter is correct about that.

The sky is still gray, but not as dark gray as yesterday. It is a bitterly cold morning.

Ladies & gentlemen, my theme song for the entire decade of the 90s.

Exaybachay

A Friendly Dialogue

2012-01-11T20:55:00.000-08:00

Paul then stood up in the meeting at Mars Hill and said: "Men of Athens! I see in every way that you are religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you." Acts 17:22 & 23

I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who makes things grow.

1 Cor. 3:6 & 7

"Chickity China, the Chinese chicken. Have a drum stick and your brains stops tickin'."

Barenaked Ladies

I inhaled a book the other day. Actually, to be fair I haven't totally finished it. But I did burn through most of it in about an hour. It's not that the book was tiny. It is over 140 pages. It's just that I found it so enjoyable and easy.

The book is "A Friendly Dialogue between an Atheist and a Christian," by Luis Palau and Zhao Qizheng. Essentially it is the transcripts of a public discussion they had a few years back. For those who don't know, Luis Palau is a Argentinian Evangelist now based primarily in the U.S. (The new Billy Graham in many respects) and Qizheng is a scientist and Chinese diplomat.

I won't bother going into detail about all that they spoke of, or the interesting cultural nuances that they touched on. Suffice it to say that the concepts of spirituality, Atheism & religion are very different in China as compared to those in the Western world. (I did find it all rather fascinating.) If you are curious for more information you can click here. http://www.christianpost.com/news/interview-luis-palau-on-a-friendly-dialogue-between-a-christian-and-an-atheist-31282/

The main reason I enjoyed this book was that I found it so completely refreshing to hear two adults with different view points behave like adults, interact like adults, and speak WITH, instead of AT, each other like adults. It truly was a civil and respectful discussion to understand each other's perspectives from a position of mutual respect. I suppose the reason that hit me so hard is that this type of dialogue is simply not the norm these days. That is such a pity!

Far too often, what passes for "Evangelism" in the U.S. runs something along the following lines...

"Turn or burn" is such a helpful phrase, don't you think? Nothing makes a person say "Sign me up" faster than someone throwing that in your face. Who needs to sit down and actually get to know a person, their hopes & dreams...and their struggles, when you can just inform them of this truism?

Now, the fact of the matter is that I am convinced that Jesus is correct when he said that he is the only way to peace with God. I agree with Peter when he stated emphatically to the religious leaders of the day that salvation can be found in no other name than Jesus. (But I do not miss the irony that Peter had to point that out to the "Professional" religious establishment.) I am convinced that to reject Jesus is follow a path that leads to terrible sorrow. But how does one show and explain this to others?

When Jesus was doing his public ministry, he established an interesting pattern as a model. Jesus developed these illusive things called "Relationships" with other people. Yes, there was a good deal of public preaching. I don't know if they had tracts and pamphlets back in that day, but if they did I'm sure the Disciples passed a few out. Still, nothing seemed to substitute for an old fashioned relationship. That way, others could see if the one trying to convince them was practicing what they preached.

I should add that it was never about being flawless and perfect. I think that perhaps the strongest evidence of the truth of Jesus is when one of his followers falls right on their face in that relationship, but then shows humility and repentance. That speaks volumes.

Back to the Book:

Both Palau and Qizheng sought to understand each other's worldview. They looked for common threads out of genuine good will and curiosity. As such, this book shows another method that demonstrates true humility and respect. This method is excellent and proper to follow in any circumstance, and oddly enough, was also modeled in Acts by Paul when he first went to Greece.

Paul heads on up to the Areopagus, where the various philosophers of the day hang out, and enters into a discussion with them. The exact translation of the Greek has been lost over time, but I believe it went something like this; And lo, didst Paul holdeth up a sign with the words "God bless I.E.D.s for dead American soldiers," written upon it. And sayeth he unto the crowd; "You stupid, pagan Greeks! What's wrong with you people? Can't you tell that your ideas are all idiotic? You are all going to burn in hell if you don't listen to, and do, exactly what I say! I'm right. You're wrong. End of discussion!

OK, not exactly.

If you read the entire portion in Acts 17:16-34, you will see Paul being very diplomatic and respectful to the city. Paul was very put off by all of the idols that he saw, but instead of bashing them he USED them to make a point. Paul finds common ground in the quest by the the Athenians to find & know truth. He acknowledges that they are curious, religious to a fault, and desired to be respectful to any and all gods. So Paul uses that desire for truth as a bridge to attempt to explain to them about the one, true God he knows. He is respectful of their culture, their religious & philosophical concepts, and speaks to them in a language they understand. (Both linguistically and logically.)

Now THAT'S how it's done, folks.

You really wont get very far by being a rude jerk to people. And such behavior is certainly beneath anyone who claims to follow Jesus. To put it another way, Galatians 5:11 says that the cross is an offense to people to begin with. If this is the case, then WE don't have to be.

When I see the Bryan Fischers and Todd Friels of the world berate, belittle, mock and put down non-believers...as well as other Believers, as is often the case, I learn one thing and one thing only about them and others who use these methods: They are merely trying to show what good, "Religious" people they are...and perhaps trying to justify/earn their salvation. It really & truly is all about them...nothing more, nothing less.

Never, ever forget this; YOU never "Save" ANYONE! And that was never your job to begin with. That is Jesus' job. YOU are salt & light, because Jesus declared you to be by his grace, NOT a witness. Just be who you are, where you are. Let God worry about picking up the shaker and sprinkling you onto others. God will use you to plant a seed. Then HE will be the one to cause it to grow.

My brain fogs over when I try to comprehend how God does what ever it is that he does with those seeds. So I've been learning more and more to not worry about it. I simply have to trust in my own feeble way that the Holy Spirit knows what he's doing with the salt, the light and the seeds. I have enough trouble being somewhat faithful as it is.

The thing is, proclaiming the Gospel is a wonderful privilege. But a part of that privilege is being allowed to swim in the culture of others and their lives. Learning about others and their perspectives teaches the Believer more about the infinite God of the Bible and the amazing beauty of the people, places and cultures he has allowed to flourish in his world. (And the weird, funky foods are pretty awesome, too.) So just be mindful of that beauty when speaking with anyone, let alone when you are trying to be a "Witness," that's all I'm saying.

It's just a thought

Peace

Joe

P.S. Back in 2008 I was fortunate enough to go to China a few months before the Olympics. I was able to visit Shanghai, Xian and Beijing. (Yes, the air pollution in Beijing is as bad as everyone says.) At any rate, other than being able to chew the air in the Capital, it was one of the best visits I have ever been on. I found the Chinese people to be absolutely wonderful, fun and fascinating. The juxtapositions between the amazingly modern buildings that were going up everywhere, right next to architecture that was centuries old, was fascinating. Also, I should mention the food...always an important component for me. The food was fantastic! I LOVE CHINA! (I really want to go back.)

So without further ado, some shots from my trip

#1. Shanghai

By far the most popular fast-food place in China. Good ol' KFC. I never got the chance to eat in one of their Pizza Huts, but I know that in most Asian cultures cheese is kind of an oddity.

#2. Nummy!

Our school group was treated to some of the best chow I've ever had. It's next to impossible to get good stuff like that here.

#3. "You Blockhead!"

Personally, I think I look good in clay

#4. Ethnic minorities and musical police.

<--- It's good to know that the Chinese tourist ministry caters to shape-shifters.

#5. Terracotta warriors & Tourists.

<--- That would be me, 6th from the right.

#6. Xian.

The old Imperial City. With walls so think and wide, you can drive cars around on them. Hence the need to drive busses and traffic through them.

#7. Lost in translation, Part 1.

Enough said.

#8. Lost in translation, part 2.

Even better!

#9. 4 Star Toilets.

Yes, they rate them over there. (Something we might wish to consider.) Trust me, you don't want to get near the ones rated 2 or less.

#10.Baby butt-crack

Should the need for a toilet be required, yet unavailable for your toddler, never fret. Just squat and expunge.

#11. Beijing.

The entire city of Beijing was replicated on a scale map. That was absolutely amazing.

#12. Kids will be kids.

Maybe it was because everyone had black hair, but Chinese teens and young adults always struck me as looking a little "Emo." But they sure are sweet people.

#13. The Great Staircase.

Holy Moly, I can't believe I climbed that whole thing without going into cardiac arrest. The wall is hard to truly imagine until you see it with your own eyes.

I miss China. I really, really do. Hopefully, some day I'll be able to go back.

Iowa & the Sin of Presumption

2012-01-06T10:12:00.000-08:00

<--- Ladies & Gentlemen, the Congressional Representative from Minnesota's 6th District, Michele Bachmann.

Jesus replied; "And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your (Man-made) tradition?...You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:

These people honor me with their lips,

but their hearts are far from me.

They worship me in vain;

their teachings are but RULES taught by men."

Matt. 15:8

Jesus replied; "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment...and do NOT confuse it with your country or origin or it's Constitution!"

Matt. 22:37 (My edit)

"Woe to you, Republicans of the Party and Evangelicals, you hypocrites!..you have neglected the more important matters of the law - justice, mercy and faithfulness. Verily, you have chosen only a small handful of issues to make central to your religion."

Matt. 23:23 (My edit)

"I don't want to see religious bigotry in any form. It would disturb me if there was a wedding between the religious fundamentalists and the political right. The hard right has no interest in religion except to manipulate it."
— Rev. Billy Graham, Parade, 1981

"In my book Kingdoms in Conflict, I make the case for why Christians should never have a political party. It is a huge mistake to become married to an ideology, because the greatest enemy of the gospel is ideology."

Chuck Colson

"Every time Christianity has fallen into the trap of using politics to achieve its means, it has lost its power & effectiveness."

Tri Robinson (Pastor, Vineyard Boise)

So this week the first round of the gladiatorial political games were played in Iowa. A surprise victory of sorts was had by former Sen. Rick Santorum. The first victim of this sport was the representative from my own State, Michelle Bachmann. Soon, the next round of blood letting will happen in New Hampshire, followed shortly by S. Carolina. My own prediction is that Rick Santorum's upset will be short lived. I would also wager that by the time March is here, there will be no true "Social Conservatives" left in the race. I would further argue that this is a very, very good thing for the church.

Let me state for the record a couple of things before I get rolling:

#1. I completely believe that you can be fully committed to following Jesus and vote for many different political parties, be they Democrats, Republicans, Greens, Libertarians or Socialists. No party has a lock on a "Biblical" worldview, despite what some preachers seem to think, and each has issues that it cares about that do fall under the umbrella of Scripture. However, each party is also chock-ful of all sorts of things that are diametrically opposed to the bible. As such, I am strictly INDEPENDENT.

So to my mind, it is absolute foolishness to commit the sin of presumption and assume that one particular party is God's favorite...and that is exactly what has been happening since the early 1980s.

Say what you will about the Democrats...and I have plenty of problems with many of the issues they embrace. However, I will credit and respect them very highly for one main thing: They NEVER run around pretending, or ever seem to live under the Delusion/Illusion, that what they stand for is blessed by the God of the Bible, or that they are Jesus' favorite political party. However, so much of what passes for Social Conservatives and others involved in Republican Party politics claim EXACTLY that. (If you think I am wrong, then try digging a little deeper. I promise that you will see it,)

#2. I actually agree with many of the issues that the Religious Right and other "Social Conservative" groups stand for. In particular, I am no fan of abortion. However, unlike knee-jerk reactionaries, I understand that this is a much more complicated issue than they are willing to entertain. My main beef is in the way and manner that the Religious Right wants to accomplish their goals...which will ultimately bring them to defeat.

#3. I believe that every single person of faith, but Believers in particular, ought to be out speaking up for what they believe and value. But MORE importantly, Believers should be out there LIVING what they believe...and in a healthy, genuine and loving relationship to non-believers. To only live out your faith in a ballot box, expecting some politician to be your savior demonstrates a profound like of faith and discipleship.

And that above statement is kind of the thesis that I want to work on today:

My contention is that too much of the American church has settled for a "Sectarian" world view of "Us vs. Them," instead of an "Us loving and serving Them" worldview, which is the model that Jesus demonstrated. We have allowed secular politics to be the norm by which we use to ram the kingdom down people's throats. And it is always, always, always done from a defensive position! (Which is not the best posture for a people who were told to kick down the doors of Hell because they would not prevail against us.)

You will hear the phrase, "We need to protect..." Now just add what ever common phrase you hear to that sentence from anyone associated with Conservative "Religious" politics. It always strikes me that we are trying to protect God from this big, bad world when I hear stuff like that. Actually, all we are trying to protect is some mythical past in which all was right with our reconstructed memory. In the mean time, we ignore the very fact that all of the New Testament authors AND Jesus stated plainly that we live in a hostile world that will ALWAYS be opposed to the church...regardless of nation, even IF we think it is a "Christian Nation." (Yet some how, so many American Christians think we live in a nation that has always loved Jesus, embraced the gospel, and followed YHWH faithfully until just a few decades ago.)

The Religious Right:

Now here is an interesting fact that most people don't know, but remains a fact none the less. The Religious Right was not founded as a movement opposed to abortion...nor even one that stood up for "Christian" values. No! The Religious Right's initial founding was an attempt to make sure that Bob Jones University, which at the time was an openly RACIST school, received a tax-exempt status from the government. (Get mad all you want, but that was it's initial founding way back in the 70s.)

Randy Balmar used to participate in various functions of the Religious Right movement. A while back he wrote a book titled, "Thy Kingdom Come." You can read more on that here. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5502785 (Please do read this story, if not the entire book.) Whatever your feelings about are abortion are currently, early on various Evangelicals were very mixed on the Roe V. Wade decision. It was not until the Religious Right used it to become a rallying cry to solidify their secular political power base that it came to be what it is today. (BTW: The founders of this movement, especially Paul Weyrich, do not shy away from this fact, disturbing as it may be.)

Rather interesting, don't you think?

When I was a kid, Ronald Reagan became President. I remember seeing signs that said "God is a Republican" in numerous places. At the time, I believed it too. I also believed that only sinful, non-Christian people voted for that head-cold-in-a-flannel-shirt, Walter Mondale. I believed that if you loved Jesus, you would fight to make sure that the Bible's precepts were enforced by law. If you didn't, God would judge this nation.

It was a few years later that I actually met Jerry Falwell and Dr. Tim LaHey at a "Prophecy Conference" in Jerusalem and heard them speak that I began to question these thoughts. (A story for another time.) The first big awakening came when I saw how, after reading from Ezekiel, Dr. Tim rejoiced about God destroying all of the sinners/"Communists" (Those were his words exactly!!!) with fireballs from heaven and sending them to hell. When I watched the entire audience stand up and clap & cheer about this, then I really got worried.

I believe in the Judgment Day. I really and truly do, despite what that might cause you to think of me. I believe in a literal Hell. (Not exactly sure what it will be other than the complete absence of God.) But I also know that I am a very sinful, sinful man who deserves to be judged harshly. I was granted mercy and grace because I offered my wicked & evil heart to Jesus. Does this in anyway make me better than others? Do I deserve no less than those who do not offer their hearts? The answer is a resounding "NO!" And since that is the case, who am I to rejoice or gloat about the punishment of anyone?????

Let me throw out a trick question: There are roughly 312/313 commandments in the O.T. (Depending on which Rabbi you follow.) Let us say that we could legislate them into existence. and enforce them completely. Would that now mean that every single citizen was made righteous in the eyes of God? NOPE! Yet let's be honest, if the Social Conservative movement got it's way, something along those lines is exactly what it would try to do.

Now, I am no alarmist. I read and hear silly stuff from the Left as much as I do from the Right about the secret plots and cabals of the other side. The fact is that none of it will truly come to pass.

What truly bothers me about the Social Conservatives, and the other "Evangelicals" who have been co-opted by the various political forces is that they do so out of a fervent "Religious" conviction that they are pleasing God by doing so. They PRESUME that what they are doing is what Jesus wants. Yet, at the very same time they ignore all sorts of other things that Jesus cared very deeply about..."Justice, mercy & faithfulness."

True, they think they are being faithful. However, they are merely doing what they are told without question by some preacher, or worse, some politician with a lust for power. And it costs them NOTHING to sit in their churches and pine about some mythical path, while a politicians promises them a mythical future. Nothing is required other than to organize the faithful and vote.

There are times where I openly hope for christianity to be criminalized in this country. Why? Because then the American church would actually have to start acting like the church it was called to be. We would be forced to give up the false gods of political parties, our nation, our voting records and actually BE Christians.

For now, we are content to hide in our churches and vote to keep the enemy at bay. Perhaps we stand on a street corner, hand out tracts and yell at others that they are going to hell. We elect a man or woman to office in the hopes that they will be able to accomplish 1/10th of what they promised repeatedly to do...and we will fall for their blather over and over again. And we will do all of this presuming that God's will is being done. We will pat ourselves on the back for our good religious deeds. Then, we will sit in our pews on Sunday morning and "tsk-tsk" over all the sinners out there who are doomed for not taking our forcibly offered head-knowledge to heart.

And then here is what we won't do: We won't make genuine, lasting, authentic relationships with non-believing, "Sinful" people. (Did you know that most studies show that in America, when someone comes to Jesus, with in 18 months they no longer have any "Non-Christian" friends? That is SIN!!!!, you sheltered Idiot!) We will scream and denounce "Gay" people, but we won't take them out for a beer or coffee and get to know them and their story. We won't take time to get to know our Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu neighbors as real people, but instead will warn everyone about their "Foreign" ways gaining influence. We will mock Atheists, but never take them or their legitimate doubts and concepts seriously. We will say that it is not the governments business to help the poor, but then we won't lift a finger because that would be an emphasis on a "Social Gospel."

It is no wonder that the church in America has been steadily losing ground for decades in this country. We deserve it! We have worked diligently to earn a rotten, hypocritical, judgmental, "Right-Wing" politics only, sheltered reputation. It is no wonder at all that the younger generation wants nothing to do with us. And It should come as no surprise in what will only be a matter of years, that the entire "Social Conservative" political movement will be thrown under the bus by the purely secular political Right. It is only a matter of time before that movement has rendered itself irrelevant, and will therefor be ignored.

Maybe, just maybe, at that point the American church will drop the false gods it has been chasing and follow the real YHWH/God of the bible and bring the WHOLE gospel to the WHOLE person to the WHOLE world...and not just the ballot box.

Let me just end with a passage from Shane Claiborne's "The Irresistible Revolution."

No wonder the early Christian church was known as "the Way." It was a way of life that stood in glaring contrast to the world. What gave the early Christians integrity was the fact that they could denounce the empire and in the same breath say, “And we have another way of living. If you are tired of what the empire has to offer, we invite you into the Way.” Even the pagan emperors could not ignore the little revolution of love. Emperor Julian confessed, “The godless Galileans feed our poor in addition to their own.” And the Way had little cells multiplying all over that ole empire. Of course, everyone was forewarned that in this kingdom everything is backward and upside-down — the last are first and the first are last, the poor are blessed and the mighty are cast from their thrones. And yet people were attracted to it. They were ready for something different from what the empire had to offer.

And the early church, with NO political power of ANY kind...in fact, quite the opposite, overthrew an empire because it looked, sounded and behaved like Jesus their one, true king...and not some idiotic, idolatrous political party created by man that then co-opted the church!

And I hope that someday, some day the American church, wether it be Independents, Democrats, Republicans...but especially those involved in the "Religious Right" and the so-called "Social Conservative" movement repent of their idolatry and lack of faith and will be "Born Again" and be like that early church, too.

Peace

Joe

Another year over. A new one just begun.

2012-01-01T10:26:00.001-08:00

"But there will be no darkness for those who were in trouble. Earlier he did bring the lands of Zebulun & Naphtali into disrepute, but the time is coming when he'll make that whole area glorious - the road along the sea, the country past the Jordan, international Galilee.

The people who walked in darkness

have seen a great light.

For those who lived in the land of deep shadows -

light! Sunbursts of light!

You repopulated the nation,

you expanded joy.

Oh, they're so glad in your presence!

Festival joy!

The joy of celebration,

sharing rich gifts and warm greetings.

The abuse of oppressors and cruelty of tyrants -

all their whips and cudgels and curses -

is gone, done away with, a deliverance

as surprising & sudden as Gideon's old victory over Midian.

For a child has been born - for us!

The gift of a son - for us!

He'll take over

the running of the world.

His names will be: Amazing Counselor,

Strong God,

Eternal Father,

Prince of Wholeness,

His ruling authority will grow,

and there'll be no limits to the wholeness he brings.

He'll rule from the historic David throne

over that promised kingdom.

He'll put that kingdom on a firm footing

and keep it going

with fair dealing and right living,

beginning now and lasting always.

The zeal of God-of-the-Angel-Armies

will do all this."

Isaiah 9 (Message Bible)

Yeah, I know it's January 1st and that Christmas was last Sunday. Still, if you are apart of the Orthodox tradition then Christmas isn't for another week. So if I want to post another Christmas carol, I can...so there.

So, 2011 is finally over. An interesting year, to be sure.

Osama bin Laden is dead, but the wars continue. Officially, or course, the war in Iraq is over. We liberated a country from the grip of a tyrant, and are now leaving it a bastion sectarian instability on the verge of a civil war. The cost? Well, tens upon tens upon tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians obviously don't count. But as far as America is concerned, almost 5000 service people are dead. Between both Iraq and Afghanistan it is estimated that at least 300,000 vets now have PTSD and another 320,000 have traumatic brain injuries.

Not bad, considering we put it all on a credit card and sunk the country a couple trillion dollars in the hole.

Actually, now that I think about it, it's a really good thing that we put it all on a credit card. I mean, I completely agree with the sage & wise advice of the now convicted felon, Rep. Tom Delay of Texas, when he said; "Nothing is more important in war time than tax cuts." Asking the wealthiest to sacrifice for their country is virtually treasonous. If they had to pony up some dough, they wouldn't be able to create all of the millions of new jobs that we now have in this robust economy of ours.

God bless those Bush era tax cuts for all of the prosperity that we now enjoy!

It makes me want to run out and elect another Texan to the Oval Office so we can enjoy even more guidance like that. Hopefully, who ever gets into office will remember the names of the various departments they wish to cut. Whatever happens, be sure to make the most needy & vulnerable the ones who pay the highest price. In America, if you can't pull yourself up by your own bootstraps, you must be punished!

Oh yeah, speaking of elections, tomorrow is Iowa's massive Comic-con convention. Numerous cartoon characters will vie for the Republican endorsement on this glorious day in the hopes of battling our cerebral & largely ineffective President for his throne. My own locally grown lunatic forgot her meds and has been touring all the counties in Iowa in the hopes that someone will care.

As it turns out, someone did care. Mz. Bachmann's Iowa campaign chairman defected to the Ron Paul camp. Such is politics.

Such was life in 2011. I'm not sure in this year will be much better.

I found out this past week that a friend of mine is leaving for Afghanistan tomorrow. I'm not %100 sure where he will be serving, but from what I could tell he will most likely be enjoying the fabled hospitality of not only the Taliban and whatever is left of Al-Qaeda, but also the Haqqani Network. (Think of them as a death cult with deep family ties.) The best part is that my friend knows he is going to a war that we have already lost. We lost it back in 2003 when we left for Iraq. Now we're just keeping the lights on until a proper civil war can break out upon our departure.

I'm not exactly happy about this. I'm not exactly happy about any of the above. At least when I'm cranky, I can use humor to vent.

I've been really tired lately. This whole past week was one in which I never felt like I fully woke up. Last night it rained and then froze...and then a layer of snow was added. All in time for the midnight revelry of New Years. Not to fret, I worked last night...because that's how I like to spend my swinging New Years Eve. Yee-HAW!

I can't say that I like to start off the new year feeling crabby and beat. It could be the weather. Gloom is not good for me. But it could also be that combined with the ups & downs of last year AND the less-than optimistic news that seems to rung through the entire year.

I seem to spend most of my conscious hours thinking about God. Not necessarily your God, nor the god of most people's...or that of many who call themselves "Christians." No, I am talking about the God that reveals himself in the bible. (Not to be confused with the tame, domesticated, Americanized mid-western god that feels like either a wooden bat or a squishy marsh mellow that most...including the majority of "Christians" in this country have.) Nope. I'm talking about the God who frustratingly chooses only to reveal as much about himself as he wants in the bible. It makes me nuts!

I've been reading through "The Story," http://www.thestory.com/home, which is essentially the bible tweeked so that it reads more like a proper narrative, with portions shortened and different books and passages smooshed together. (I'm certain it will give King James Only-ists numerous fits & seizures.) I've been thoroughly enjoying it. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed the narratives in the Old Testament. I finished chapter 17 this morning, and am about to read the story of Daniel.

For some reason I easily relate to the various prophets. They experienced God in ways that I truly long for in the deepest parts of my being. My frustration with God is that while he can be so present, he can also feel so silent and distant at the very same time. The more I read the bible...and the times that I really and truly do experience God profoundly and in less-than-normal ways, I find myself more & more confused about God.

Not that I doubt YHWH in any way.

It's just that he confuses me.

I can fully understand why people have a hard time with a good deal of the bible. Sometimes God seems almost bi-polar when you compare the Old Testament to the New Testament. But then you hear Jesus...gentle, meek, loving Jesus make some brutal pronouncements. In fact, Jesus talked about hell more than anyone...and he usually directed it towards people who were following him. At the same time, God in the Old Testament makes some incredibly beautiful & gentle statements towards people who fully deserved a kick in the crotch. Like I said, confusing.

Then you get the parts of the bible that people take literal when they should see it as allegory & such. Never mind the human tendency to yank things out of context. Worst of all, there are parts of the bible who's cultural context seems to have been lost for good. (Which really doesn't help matters.)

Having said all of that, the majority of the bible is self-explanatory. It seems also, that when it comes to the hard parts, God doesn't really care if "We" have issues with it. He never apologizes for things like that or for who he is. He also never apologizes for being confusing in how much he lets us understand about HIM.

While that drives me nuts, there is also a certain level of comfort in that. I'm not sure I would want to follow a God who could be understood. I would prefer to experience this God. The problem is that I can't just drive over and hang out with him at the coffee shop. It's not that YHWH owes me anything to begin with. But the desire to feel him, to experience him is totally natural...I hope.

Back to the various prophets.

When I read the prophets it's pretty difficult not to notice that all of them spoke of a future hope for God's people. The prophets seemed to be most numerous and busiest during the worst time for Israel. The people were being unfaithful jerks. The times were shaky at best, both economically, politically and diplomatically. (Sound like today.) But they all spoke of a time when God's kingdom would be here in full, and everything would be set to rights.

The Aztecs have that goofy calendar that ends in 2012. A lot of people are a bit perplexed by it. I just tend to agree with the cartoon at the top. Still, there is a large part of me that hopes the Aztecs were on to something. I would love to see Jesus set up full residency today.

All war would be over. There would be no more weak & fallible politicians trashing each other as they try to climb to the top of the dung heap. No more greedy corporations exploiting the people at the bottom so that the top can get obscene bonuses. No more pollution. No more hunger. No more "Want" of any kind.

And my friend would not be leaving for Afghanistan tomorrow.

He who testifies to all these things says it again: "I'm on my way! I'll be there soon."

Yes! Come, Master Jesus!

The grace of the Master Jesus be with all of you. Oh, Yes!

Rev. 22:20 & 21

Happy New Year

Peace

Joe

Cowboys & Angels

2011-12-25T14:27:00.000-08:00

"There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God's angel stood among them and God's glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The Angel said, "Don't be afraid. I'm here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David's town, a Savior who is Messiah & Master. This is what you're to look for; a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a feed trough."

At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God's praises:

Glory to God in the heavenly heights,

Peace to all men and women on earth who please him.

As the angel choir withdrew into heaven, the sheepherders talked it over. "Let's get over to Bethlehem as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to us." They left, running, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a feed trough. Seeing was believing. They told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child. All who heard the sheepherders were impressed.

Mary kept all of these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself. The sheepherders returned and let loose, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen. It turned out exactly the way they had been told."

Luke 2:8-20 (The Message Bible)

I've lived in Israel. I've seen my share of shepherds with sheep, goats and even camels. The Bedouin, who are generally the folks that tend these flocks, tend NOT to look so much like a ripped teenager from an A&F Kids store, as the above picture would allude to. Nor do they tend to sit around the Judean hillsides at night shirtless, no shoes, and only in a towel. (That desert wilderness gets COLD at night!)

<---- Sorry to pop any bubbles you might have about any romantic notions of those shepherds, but odds are that they looked a bit more like these guys.

Sheepherders were not thought of with any particular esteem back in the day. It was not considered the noblest of professions. In many respects, they were the cowboys of their day...except with a lot less bathing involved.

There is also the particular oil that sheep secrete that can apparently have a less-than pleasant aroma. (My Grandfather, who had some on his farm as a boy, refused to eat lamb ever again because of the smell.) Combine that with sleeping in the open, around copious amounts of sheep dung, and you might get the idea that townspeople would know when those guys were in town...even in the dark.

It's tough to be a shepherd.

Yet, look who gets an a-capella chorus from divine messengers.

It must have been very strange for the townsfolk of Bethlehem to hear these smelly cowboys running around, swearing up & down that they had just had an encounter with God AND that this baby they had found was the Messiah that had been promised centuries ago. I would have had a hard time believing it. I mean, seriously, wouldn't God have done better to have made this type of announcement to the entire Sanhedrin or some type of proper and established religious/political authority?

Apparently not.

But then again, why in the world did God choose an unwed teenage girl to be his birth vessel? Why did he reveal through some astrological sign to a bunch of pagan scholars outside the empire that a Jewish king had been born when they already had a king...even if he was a puppet of the Romans? (Jeez, it took those guys almost two years to get to the party.) Why did God choose to make his first appearance in the flesh in a feed trough in some type of barn structure with all of the nasty smells and "Things" to step in all over the place?

It just doesn't make sense. Not to me, anyway.

That having been said, try putting yourself in the Angel's perspective. I'm no expert on angels by any stretch. I do know that generally when they show up on the scene, they tend to take a Male form for some reason. However, nowhere are they seen with either wings, halos or perfect blond hair.

The word "Angel" simply means "Messenger." With that in mind, perhaps they resembled the ancient world's equivalent of the Wester Union delivery boy...with the power to destroy entire cities when authorized. I dunno.

From what I do know about angels, they know God in ways that we never will. Yet, at the same time, we will know God in ways that angels never will either. In fact, according to 1 Cor. 6:3, humans will stand in judgment of angels. (The demonic ones, I'm guessing.) To me, what is most interesting about angels is that the bible hints that they have a healthy sense of jealousy & curiosity about the relational potential that every human has with God. (1 Peter 1:12)

So imagine yourself an angel during this particular "Christmas" scene. First off, you have to go through the usual calming period once you make an appearance. Every time you show up the humans freak out. THEN, you have to wrap your head around the idea that you were just standing in front of God in heaven, and now you are witnessing him in the form on a 8lb. wet human prune, swaddled and placed on a mound of hay that the donkeys desperately want to eat. I may be reading into the text things that are not there, but my take is that angels don't have the type of free-will that we do, and thus do not have the same type of understanding that we do. Their perspective on the way God and humanity relate must be rather odd I would think.

SO...

Angel Bob: "Why's the boss all tied up like that in those strips? His face looks all shiny, but not from the halo."

Angel Scott: "I think that is from the sweat and after-whatever that humans get when they pop out."

Angel Shawn: "They haven't invented diapers yet. I've seen this before when I was keeping an eye on little Moses. They call it Swaddle, but it's really just old clothing that gets snagged on door posts."

Baby God: "Waa, waa...WAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Angel Bob: "HEY, what happened to the boss's voice? He doesn't sound like James Earl Jones!!!"

Angel Shawn: "That's human talk for "Feed me NOW!" Boss is working on his Yiddish accent."

Angel Scott: "Bob, I know they can't see us or sense our presence, but a goat just walked through your legs."

Angel Bob: "I thought I felt something tickle."

Angel Shawn: "Well, don't step backwards because the cow left something on the floor...and I don't think it will tickle."

Angel Bob: "Eeew! Boss just made a mess in the swaddle."

Angel Scott: "Fffeeee-Uuu! I can smell the shepherds coming. Let's get back to heaven and short-sheet one the Seraphs beds."

It could have happened...

Anyway, shepherds...shepherds, an unwed teenage girl, pagan astrologers. Poor people, nobodies, smelly people...people on the margins. In other words, people that most people choose not to think much about, or look away from when they encounter them. And it is to those very people that heaven pours out it's glory in the form of music, and the kingdom of heaven comes crashing into...and the sustainer of everything takes the form of a helpless baby knowing full well what his fate will be when he becomes a grown man.

It makes no sense. No sense. And maybe that's the point.

Happy Christmas

Joe

P.S. Many biblical scholars note that it was the area around Bethlehem that the sheep to be sacrificed in the temple were grazed. The odds are decent that these shepherds may have been tending these flocks because they would have been substantial in number. If so, do not miss the subtle and beautiful irony that they were witnesses to the lamb would would later be sacrificed to take away the sins of the world and grant freedom to all who would repent and follow.

Exporting Christmas

2011-12-21T07:35:00.000-08:00

"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us...and verily didst he bite the naughty children upon their heads, kidnaping them if wouldst they were beyond incorrigible, or mayhaps leavist them lumps of coal." Hesitations 1:14

I love Christmas. I really do! Although this post might give you the impression that I am a cynical Scrooge to a certain extent. I'm not...really. I know all about the pagan background of Christmas. It doesn't bother me at all. In fact, I find it fascinating how different countries and cultures do up Christmas in their own unique ways.

In my own family, which is racially diverse, we bring both Norwegian AND Swedish culture to the table. (A lot of ethnic tension there, I can assure you.) The lefse, lutefisk, meatballs, lingonberries and krumake gets pounded down with zest and vigor. (Krumkake sounds dirty, doesn't it?)

N-E-WAY...

This particular post is nothing more than an excuse to get you to watch a video I came across this morning. Yesterday I heard a story on NPR about a movie titled "Rare Exports." It's a Christmas movie, but not exactly the kind that you would have your kids all gather around with a big bowl of popcorn to watch.

The premise is that way up just below the arctic circle, a group of miners discover the burial mound of the original Santa Claus. I wont spoil it for you. But suffice it to say that the original Santa, according to Nordic legend, wasn't all that interested in giving gifts. Also, as far as naughty people were concerned, well...you better watch out.

If you wish to read the original story from NPR, simply click this link. http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2011/12/20/144024799/dvd-picks-rare-exports-a-christmas-tale

So I looked it up this morning and found out that it was based on a short film from Finland back in 2003. I watched it, and found myself laughing hysterically about half-way through. There is nothing like the sight of a "Wild" Santa being trained to NOT bite children that just makes me roll. Have a look, won't you?

Advisory: Wild Santas, living in their natural habitat, do not wear cloths!!! So be aware.

Now tell me that you didn't find that funny.

Like I said, I love Christmas. I know that the early church chose the date to counteract the pagan religions around them. I know that the Christmas tree was chosen because it was triangular, which symbolized the Trinity. Also, because it was an Evergreen, which symbolized eternal life. The early church did a lot to missionize the cultures around them by co-opting the symbols of those very cultures. I think that's a good thing. Unfortunately, now days the church is the one being co-opted by our own culture. (Just look at Rick Perry.)

I like to give gifts. I'm good at wrapping, too. My Dad says I can make a dead fish look good the way I wrap a box. Which is true as he'll find out when he opens his presents from me on Christmas Eve. I also tend to be done with any purchases before Thanksgiving. This allows me to go to the mall and enjoy the angst, stress and misery of everyone else around me. Like I said, I love Christmas.

My main complaint about Christmas actually IS the date. December 25th is rather early in the beastly season of a Minnesota Winter. After that we have nothing to look forward to until mid-March when the thaw may or may not happen. This year has been a bit of drought thus far. Last season we had a blizzard every week. (Seriously, we did.) I have every confidence that the weather will seek it's revenge later this season and even into Spring. So, it might be easier to handle if Christmas was celebrated in late January or early February.

Christmas, I love it! I was in Cairo for a Christmas break when I lived in Jerusalem. Cheeseburgers are illegal in Jerusalem due to Kosher laws, ("Oy va VOY!") so we headed to Egypt to find one. The hotel we stayed at had Christmas trees and Santas all over the place. (Which is something considering it is illegal to convert to Christianity in Egypt.) In Jerusalem, Christmas is celebrated with the beating of the Palestinians by Israeli troops. In Bethlehem, it is celebrated by the annual fist fights that Catholic and Orthodox priests get into over who will sweep the manger floor.

Christmas celebrations and traditions are fascinating and awesome to me. In China, they imprison dissidents. (Actually, they tend to do that year round.) In the Scandinavian countries, a hot blond chick will essentially light her head on fire and douse in out in a barrel of whitefish soaked in lye. (Which is how you make traditional Lutefisk.) In the Czech Republic, Dad will go to the market for a live Carp, keep it in the tub until Christmas day, then whack it on the head and smoke it. (Seriously, they do that.)

In Canada, they play hockey, drink Molson Ale, and put Mayonnaise on the tree. In Ethiopia & Eritrea, they drink Christmas coffee and have a delicious meal of roasted sand. In England, Father Christmas leaves a Yul Log in your fireplace. (Seriously, the Brits desperately need to find a better area to place a toilet.) In Iran and Saudi Arabia, they don't "Do" Christmas, but they will beat or stone you for being a woman.

Here in America, we have numerous traditions. Generally, we just tend to go deep into debt in hopes that it will revive our flagging economy. However, there are regional differences. For example, in the mighty metropolis on Minneapolis & St. Paul, we all run down to the Mississippi River and pee in it as it flows to Iowa. (It's our favorite gift to give.) In California, they give Kardashians to men for the weekend. (A LOT of re-gifting in that area.) In both Mississippi & Alabama, cousins and other close relatives will "Make Out" under the mistletoe. Florida gets boat loads of Cubans and Haitians as gifts. Texas and Arizona employs and then incarcerates Mexicans. Finally, in Utah, each husband gets an extra wife.

Not to be outdone, political parties have their own traditions. The Democrats hold a very disorganized "Holiday/Festivus/Non-Offensive, Neutral-Name" party, in which nothing meaningful gets accomplished. Republicans give tax cuts as gifts to the wealthy so as not to encourage class warfare and stimulate the creation of incredibly crappy jobs on the bottom rung of society. Members of the Green Party give each other fruit (Emphasis on "Fruit.") cakes made from %100 organic and "Fair Trade" flour. Finally, Libertarians don't give gifts at all. They expect you to pull yourself up by your own boot straps and buy your own.

As I understand it, Jews celebrate Christmas buy going to the movies after the traditional meal of Chinese.

So, however you do Christmas, I hope yours is fantastic. Don't mind the pagan stuff or the campiness, just have fun.

Also, be happy you didn't grow up in the Netherlands. (Give it a listen, it's awesome.)

Peace

Joe

Baked Ham for a Blog Carnival.

2011-12-15T11:24:00.000-08:00

So I while back I was conversing with this crazy person from Montana that I know. He had this goofy idea that a bunch of us who write blogs ought to pick a topic and all write about it. That would be the genesis behind this particular post. Once all of the other bloggers have completed this task, we will link up each other's various sights to our on. (So you may very well have to come back to this post down the road to see the other links.)

In the mean time, if you would like to check out the initial maniac's blog, simply click on the following link. http://wordofmouthministries.blogspot.com/2011/12/blog-carnival-subconscious-cultural.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FubSZ+%28%7E+emerging+thought+in+Montana+%7E%29

For the record, the subject is loosely based on "Unconscious Cultural Assumptions." Which is a fancy way of saying "We've always done it like this...so it must be right."

So here goes...

Stop me if you've heard this story before: A young wife is going to bake her first ham for Easter Dinner. She asks her mom for advice on what to do. Her mother gives her a great recipe, and then reminds her to cut 2 inches off the end of the ham. The daughter asks her mom why she should cut off the end by two inches. The mom explains that this is what her own mother taught her to do. "We always do it like that," she tells the younger. "It's the right way to cook the ham." So new wife calls up Grandma to ask why she should cut off the end portion. Grandma explains, "It's the right way to cook the ham, dearie. We've always done it this way." Granny concludes with, "It's how my mother taught me to do it." So, new wife heads over to the nursing home to commune with Great-Grandma about this puzzlement. In between gulps of prune juice from a cup & oxygen from a mask, Great-Grandma simply states; "I had to cut two inches off from the ham because the pan was too short."

TA DA!

And so it is with all of us. We are all products of our environment, culture, family and upbringing. We make assumptions about "Truth" based on a many layered foundation that we rarely think about. A good deal of the time, this "Truth" might not actually be true at all...or at best, partially true or even merely "Functional" and expedient. In fact, even if it is working at the moment, it might be a very short-term "Truth" because it is only relevant to the immediate circumstances.

I'm a Believer. I follow Jesus. More often then not, I'm probably fairly lousy at following him. Still, he is the one I long to be with. I'm guessing that not everyone in on this blog carnival comes from this perspective, but this is my particular world view. So...

I see these "Unconscious Cultural Assumptions" at work in the American church all of the time. In fact, one of my main beefs with the American church is how it has largely been co-opted by the culture at large. "Neo-Paganism" is my own coined term it. (Gotta get that copy written one of these days.) For some odd reason, we seem to think that representative democracy & capitalism are Jesus' preferred & blessed forms of being. They may in fact BE a better form of government than North Korea's, and a better way of creating a decent economy for the society at large. But that hardly makes it biblical. In fact, I will bet you $10 right now that the average American christian only believes this because he/she has never experienced any other form. "We've always done it like this"...ergo; "It's the right thing to do."

My contention is that current American Evangelicalism has been hijacked by secular political forces. (Mostly, but not exclusively, from the Right.) We see a painting of George Washington praying in the snow and we assume that he would sign the statement of faith for students at Bethel University or Northwestern College. We listen to a candidate drop the "Jesus" word in his advertisement and we may begin to think that he/she is god's anointed candidate. (That and the fact that he is not a secret Muslim who was actually born in Kenya.) We make assumptions about this "Christian" country based on "Manifest Destiny" and other types of cultural mythology. And because that worked at the time, we then layer on further assumptions that stand on top of the previous ones. The next thing you know, what ever American stands for Jesus does too...even if the particular issue directly contradicts the bible. The end result is that if you criticize this country, you are somehow less godly or a not a "Christian" at all.

Oddly enough, Jesus was surprisingly silent about ballot initiatives. Nor did he have a great deal to say about Capitalism, Socialism, Collectivism, Mercantilism and so forth. He did, however, say crazy things like; "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." (Matt. 25:40) Also, he did mention on a couple of occasions that when his kingdom was finally established, it was most likely not going to be a democracy, but instead something along the lines of a divine-right, absolute monarchy. (But that could just be my editorializing.)

When I listen to guys like Rev. James Kennedy and Pat Robertson...and Jerry Falwell before them, I often wonder what would happen if they were to be dropped off in a foreign land for an extended period. Would they still even know what a "Christian" was, or how to be one? (I mean, how could one possibly live in Canada and love Jesus?)

There is nothing unique about the American church doing this. Every nation before it that claimed to be a "Christian" nation did the very same things. The same could be said of much of the theology and biblical understandings that are at work in the American church. We take it as given and for granted that whatever position we hold is the right one. Often it is. However, because we are prone to being "Religious," which is a fancy way of saying that we are always trying to earn our grace and be self-righteousness, we often take things way out of context. (I'm big on Context.) We assume they are true because that's what we have grown up with.

I'm neither a Calvinist nor an Arminian, but I like to tease hard-core "Calvis" at bit when they get up in arms about their position as being the only proper and obvious one. They will claim that their theology is based on the unchanging, infallible, inerrant, inspired Word of God. I like to remind them that Christianity didn't figure that out until the 16th century, and had merrily existed for 1500 years before that. I then like to ask them how people knew they were following Jesus before that if they didn't have the proper "Head Knowledge?" (I usually get some confused looks after that.)

Anyway...

We all have these bags that often need to be unpacked when we talk to each other. Because of these unconscious assumptions we can often be speaking the same language, but mean very different things. I know that I can certainly be a big dope and speak with certainty about issues, not realizing that my sage & wise knowledge is based upon previous experiences that I haven't fully thought through.

When we do things like that...taking things out of context and simply assuming they are true because "that's just whatcha do," all we're really doing is cutting off two inches of the ham for no good reason. (And that's just less really awesome left-over sandwich meat for you, buddy.)

FINALLY.

Anyone who knows my blog, knows that I try to find an appropriate video that will help illustrate each post. In this case I'm running a bit dry. However, since I first ran into Iggy (The guy whose idea this whole thing was) while looking for pictures of the Ramones, this one seems relatively fitting...

Peace

Joe

P.S. The following are links to the others who posted in this blog carnival.

1. http://wordofmouthministries.blogspot.com/2011/12/blog-carnival-subconscious-cultural.html

2. http://spritzophrenia.wordpress.com/2011/12/16/how-to-change-subconscious-cultural-assumptions/

3. http://www.facebook.com/notes/ben-currin/subconscious-cultural-assumption-and-the-other/10150518597275135?notif_t=note_tag

The Christmas Story...from "Down Under."

2011-12-14T06:03:00.000-08:00

I can get fairly cynical about much of what passes for "Christianity" in this country...or "Christianity" in general. There is plenty to be cynical about. The Christmas story is no different. It's routinely misunderstood and misinterpreted. (Call me Scrooge.)

However, every once in a while I stumble across something that I think is brilliant & beautiful...even if the exegesis & theology is not exactly spot on. So, with out further ado, here is "The Christmas Story" as told by The Mom Creative. Much thanks to Jesus Needs New PR. http://www.jesusneedsnewpr.net/

BRILLIANT!!!

Plus, who couldn't love little kids with Aussie accents?

"G'Day"

Joe

How to make me lose my lunch...and respect for you.

2011-12-10T06:07:00.000-08:00

"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth...ALL SCRIPTURE is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Tim. 3:15 & 3:16

That was Paul writing to his little buddy, Timmy, as Timmy became the pastor at his local church. Paul is telling Timmy that every bit of Scripture is "God-breathed." Which is a fancy way of saying that whoever happened to be writing at the time was somehow under the influence of the Holy Spirit.

Now, let's take a look at the way other writers of the New Testament felt about Paul's writings, shall we. (Unfortunately, for space & time's sake, I have to smoosh all of this next bit together. But feel free to read it all for yourself.)

"First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires (Ain't that the truth!)...So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do other Scriptures, to their own destruction..." 2 Peter 3

Well, it would appear that even before the early church canonized what we now call the New Testament, the other Apostles already recognized that some of them, and certainly Paul, were writing divinely inspired Scripture. Interesting, don't you think?

I've been reading some stuff as of late, and hearing some things from others, that really tends to make me sick to my stomach. It's by people who call themselves Believers, and yet they complain & equivocate about what's in the bible. In particular, Paul seems to be everyone's favorite whipping boy. "That Paul was messed up," they'll say. Or, they will complain; "I don't like what he had to say about X,Y & Z." It's always something along these lines.

For the record, I am not talking about legitimate arguments and debates about actual theological issues. Those arguments are for the people who actually DO take the WHOLE bible seriously. Nor am I talking about wether or not someone is reading the bible in or out of a particular portion's context. I'm talking about wether or not you actually take the bible seriously at all, or wether you are just picking & choosing which bits seem convenient for you on any given day.

I get really frustrated by Fundies...and for lack of a better term; "Word-for-word Literalist, Far-Conservative" people, who treat the bible like a chunk of dead wood with which to bash others. They often dismember & dissect the bible like an object on a lab table. Then they cherry pick the verses that make themselves feel self-righteous.

But that's not what makes me lose my lunch and my respect for someone.

I get the most upset with the liberal "What-Everists," who look down at the bible as simply a man-made work, that can then have portions discarded when they become uncomfortable. A few days ago, I listened to a very influential idiot refer to the bible as "Holy Scripture," but then immediately turned around and spoke of how it was simply a man-constructed work, and that anything that was not to his liking should be ignored...because what ever those portions might be were simply the words of men.

I wanted to ask him why, in any way, shape or form, he then thought there was anything "Holy" about the supposed "Scriptures" he was reading.

Just yesterday, I was talking to a friend who I care deeply about. When we got close to talking about how one might wish to live a life pleasing to Jesus, he immediately jumped on to a very familiar bandwagon. He simply dismissed parts of the New Testament because they had been written by Paul. And as we all know, "Paul was messed up." (I lost a tremendous amount of respect for him at that moment.)

It was nothing I haven't heard before. However, what I would like to point out is that just because Paul...or Peter, Luke, Isaiah, Moses, John or Micah, was holding the pen, quill, chisel at the moment, don't blame them for what they wrote. Blame God. Yes, blame God for the parts you don't like. In fact, the next time someone whines about what they don't like about the bible, a better and more accurate complaint would be to say; "That Holy Spirit is messed up," OR "That breath of God needs some mouth wash." Because the blame for passages you don't happen to like land squarely at God's feet.

Agnostics, "Skeptics" and Atheists are one thing. They can poo-poo the bible all they want. That is their right. However, if you really and truly DO want to follow Jesus, then you have to take the bible seriously...because HE DID. (And please do not give me some stupid excuse along the lines of agreeing to take it serious only & up the book of Acts.)

The overwhelming amount of the time when I hear people whining about what's in the bible has to do with behavior and personal piety. We love the bits about how "God is love," and that he is willing to forgive anyone who asks. We can't get enough of those parts.

But then we come to the parts about how we are to be living sacrifices to Jesus. How Jesus expects us to be disciplined, and not hedonistic, in honor of him. We don't like those ones at all. "You mean I can't get drunk when ever I want? I have to love the unlovable? I have to keep my pants on? I can't drool over and reduce another human created in the image of God to an object of my lust?"

And then I'll hear; "But that's not fair. I was born this way! I was born loving to booze it up. I was born greedy for money & material objects. I was born wanting to get stoned. I was born horny for women, men, sheep, goats and all-of-the-above. It's not natural to be committed to only one person because I was born selfish. Science proves it!"

Buzzzzzzzzz! WRONG! You were born with a sinful nature! That's what science proves!

You don't have to like those passages. But don't pretend they are not there, or that they should not be taken seriously. Exactly how much disrespect do you want to show to Jesus? If you decide to pick & choose which parts of the bible are convenient for you, be sure to throw out the ones about Jesus becoming sin for us and volunteering his life as a ransom on that cross while you are at it.

Also, while you are at it, stop calling yourself a Christian. As much as I dislike that label because of all the negative baggage it now carries, it still essentially means "One who follows Christ." So if you are one that chooses to ignore the parts of Scripture you don't like, because they actually require you to give back to Jesus in honor of everything he did for you, start saying something like, "Well, I'm a little "Chri-Curious" on the weekends sometimes."

Quite often, the bible can drive me nuts. The fact is that there are plenty of portions of Scripture that I can't explain. I certainly know that we are prone to take things out of context. However, when you look at the big picture, and DO make an attempt to read it all in context, there is more than enough to satisfy the soul of a Believer. In fact, quite often I will look at some of the more tricky parts of Scripture and think that it must be more than man-made. Why? Because if it were all a man-made creation, those writers would have done some very serous editorializing to clean it up.

Every single "Hero" in the bible was messed up with major character flaws. In fact, one good argument for banning the bible from schools is that the book should be rated NC-17. (Try reading the "Song of Solomon" if you don't believe me.) There is rape, murder, incest, revenge, polygamy, lying, deceit, betrayal, and so on & on. In fact, the only "Good Guy" in the bible would appear to be God, who ultimately reveals himself in that crazy, homeless rabbi named Jesus. That crazy rabbi goes on to love those deceitful, cowardly, scum-bag followers of his so much that he gives his life away for them.

The fact is that the bible is brutally honest & blunt about the human condition, the sinful nature at work in all of us, and how a very, very holy God deals with all of it...and sometimes it is not all that pretty. However it is that very honestly that causes me to believe.

I came across Dan Kimball's post yesterday from his "Vintage Faith" blog. http://www.dankimball.com/vintage_faith/2011/12/quoting-single-bible-verses-and-the-start-of-wednesday-weird-bible-verses-.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+VintageFaith+%28Vintage+Faith%29

He was writing about the Scripture verses he sees people posting on Facebook. They are always cheery, pick-me-up style verses. He said that was great, and people should keep it up. But he wondered why people never posted the freaky verses from the bible...of which there are legion. But that made him think...

"The Bible is filled with verses you never see in those daily calendars with a Bible verse each day in it. Or on Christian coffee cups or t-shirts or memory verse cards. There are hundreds of very strange sounding, weird, sex descriptive, bizarre and even violent verses in the Bible. It shouldn't be a surprise as life is filled with weird, bizarre and all kinds of unusual things. The Bible captures life at different time periods in history and I love the honesty of the Bible. That is one of the things when I first was studying the Bible I was impressed with and made me have more confidence in it's inspiration. If it was soley a human document, we probably would have cleaned up all the stories to have nice endings and removed the weird sounding things. But I believe God gave us an accurate record of what was happening and left in the happy, encouraging parts as well as the bizarre, weird and not so happy ending parts."

I agree with him. The bible IS accurate in so far as what God chose to reveal to people, through people, about himself and this world in particular places, times and events. Just because parts of it make me, you or anyone else uncomfortable does not give you the right to ignore it or throw it out. If you do, you are not being faithful. Nor are you getting an accurate picture. Do not "Cherry Pick" the verses you like to beat people up. But then again, do not "Cherry Pick" the verses you do not like and throw them out just so you can go on with what ever suits you.

One thing I have seen over and over again...and I am often very guilty of this too. We love the idea of Jesus as our savior, but we very often HATE the idea of him as our Lord. We desperately want that "Get out of Hell" ticket. But the idea of submitting our lives to Jesus after that? Well...

It's just a thought

I'll end this post with a video of N.T. Wright. He has a very thoughtful approach to Scripture that I find very wise. Because of our sinful nature, we will often look at Scripture through our "Religious" eyeballs and come away with all sorts of bad ideas & theologies...wether it's "Dead wood," conservative, fundamentalist nonsense, or watered down, liberal, "What-Everist" nonsense. I think Wright hits just the right tone. (No pun intended.)

N.T.Wright "The whole sweep of Scripture" from Rodica on Vimeo.

Peace

Joe

For Phil

2011-12-06T20:13:00.000-08:00

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear....Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?...For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all of these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matt. 6:25-34

So the other night I was having a discussion with a friend named Phil. He is a very cool guy who in many respects is wise beyond his years. However, I can out-fish him any day of the week. Despite his fishing weaknesses, his faith is genuine & strong, and I enjoy watching what the Living God is doing in his life. I also miss the fact that I don't get to talk to him on a regular basis.

We were talking about politics & religion. (Yea & verily, they of the dangerous mix.) He tends to be a bit of a Ron Paul supporter. I like a few of Paul's ideas, but think he doesn't stand a snowball's chance. I also tend to think it's kind of funny how so many people look to him, and yet somehow instinctively understand that Ron Paul is essentially Don Quixote tilting at windmills.

My friend worries about the world's economy and how it seems to be falling apart. He doesn't see much hope for this world or this nation in the long term. I tend to agree with him. So we both worry...a lot.

I'm really good at worrying. I rarely even realize I'm doing it. It can manifest itself at strange times and in strange situations. Yet, at the same time, I worry a whole lot less then I used to.

I told my friend a true story about myself and how I learned to worry a little less. Here is that story in a short form:

Many years ago I had what I term an "Anxiety Breakdown." Nervous breakdown would also work, I suppose. But this pretty much had to do with all of my pent up anxieties, so...

I ended up on the therapist's couch for a quite a while. It was an interesting experience. In fact, I enjoyed the first breakdown so much that I had another one about 6 months into therapy. (Who wouldn't enjoy a complete break from emotional stability, a semi-public self-humiliation?) Like I said, it was an interesting experience.

Anyhoo, I told my friend about the moment that God began to heal me. (He's still working on that. I'm quite the mess.) I remember that I was sitting in my favorite chair at home one morning. Naturally, I had stuff stewing in my mind about all of my stupidity, past, present and all my potential future stupidities. I worried.

I also happened to be reading through "The Lord of the Rings" at the time. I remember very clearly what happened. As I was going through the book and I came across the part where Frodo was lamenting to Gandalf about every having been given that evil ring, and all of the trouble that it was going to cause. And Gandalf said something very interesting to Frodo in response...

The film changed the setting of this quote, but you get the idea.

I remember sitting there reading and re-reading that section. Then I reached over to my bible and opened it to Matthew 6. (Anyone who misses all of the obvious Christian metaphors & allegory in Tolkien's story is clearly not paying attention.) I read what Jesus had to say about the subject of worrying, and it all just began to wash over me like a warm wave. And that is also the moment that God began to clean up my goofed up mind.

It's not that people should NOT be concerned about daily events and planning for their futures. But where are we placing those concerns? Are we so caught up with making sure that our lives are safe & secure that we miss out on the adventure that God has for us? Are we making the mistake of, once again, trying to BE God, and working to control all aspects of our lives? Or are we placing those cares on him in trust and humility, knowing that ultimately he is in control?

Americans are looking for a new messiah to rescue us from the last messiah we put into the Presidency. I remember how the Left had icons of Obama made with the word "Hope" written on the bottom of it. He would be the promised one who would rescue us from the evils of the Bush administration. Plenty of hopes & dreams were placed on the new President. Hopes & dreams that no man could possibly fulfill. Now, the Right is doing the same thing...with the same religious fervor...if not more so, considering how "Neo-Paganized" the Right has become. (Looking at the choices that the Republicans are offering makes me wonder why anyone would vote for a cartoon character. But, hey...)

Americans worry. Americans place their hopes in their fallible and VERY human candidates. Americans, like other humans, never seem to learn that their trust should not be in other humans, their institutions, economic & political ideas, or the "Isms" of this world.

So tonight at the men's bible study, Shorty (I don't even know his real name) was talking about his trust in God. Shorty is a very interesting & likable guy. His joy tends to be infectious. If it were someone else, I might not believe it when he says that he has learned how to give over almost everything to God. I believe Shorty. I want to be more like him. Shorty has a very healthy, child-like trust in Jesus.

Jesus put things into perspective to his listeners. The Father is not as dim as we tend to treat him. He knows what our needs are. In fact, he knows them better than we do. If we would stop worrying so much and simply trust him, things could be very different. God will give us our needs when we place them in his hands.

I have seen people completely yank those verses from Matthew 6 out of context. The idiots who spout that "Health & Wealth" apostasy will tell you that if you come to Jesus, he will make you a millionaire. "Jesus said that God will give you the desires of your heart. This means that if you desire a mercedes, God will give you one." I've really heard them say that. It certainly demonstrates where the heart of someone who says such things truly is.

Jesus said, right before telling his followers not to worry so much; "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." I would ask those people who teach the above mentioned nonsense the same thing I need to ask myself regularly; "So where is your heart really at?"

Over the last few months, YHWH has been revealing to me just how faithful he has been. During that time, I worried a lot. I still worry. However, God has shown how faithful he has been to me even when I did not see it, and was not always faithful to him. He is always faithful. That way, he gets all the credit. And that is as it should be.

Currently, I am trying to learn to "Wait in Anticipation" on the Lord. This is not an easy task for me. You may have noticed, I like to worry. (Perhaps it's a hobby.) Still, I am eager to learn how to do this. It's weird, scary and exciting all at the same time. Last year, a short-term teaching job came to me completely out of the blue. I wasn't looking that direction, nor would I have seen it coming in a hundred years. Yet there it was, dropped right in my lap.

God got all of the credit.

At the moment I have very few options other than to trust the Father...or to worry a lot.

God knows what I need. I have little faith in politicians. I have even less faith in the institutions of man. This world is a mess, and it ain't getting any better...and there is very little I can do about any of it.

God has slowly, but surely, been teaching me to seek his kingdom first, and that all will truly be well. I would like to say that this lesson is complete, and that I now have the faith of Shorty. But I don't, and the lesson is not over yet. Still, in it's own freaky way, it is exciting. I sit. I wait in anticipation. I can honestly say that in my own VERY imperfect and wiggly, squirmy way, that I am anticipating that YHWH my God will do a work that will bring him all the credit & glory...and blow my freakin' mind in the process.

Where else would it be wise to place my hope?

Peace

Joe