They have been exhausting. I was begging for this weekend. Thankfully, I do get four days off, then I work for two days, then I have four more days off. So it's like a mini-vacation. And I do get three weeks off next year, too. So I feel like I'm climbing the ladder a little. But it's only going to get harder. Seeing as how it's my office manager that's getting married on Friday. I know i'm going to get stuck doing numerous things that I don't know how to do. I'll have to spend extra time in the office, doing reports and things. Not that I mind. But it will involve a lot of time. I pray for stamina.
The biggest news from last week is that I dyed my hair bleach blonde. I've wanted to do something crazy with it. I finally got up the nerve. It was quite yellow last week at this time. Now it's settling in more red-orange. Not bad. I've only gotten one negative comment, from a patient whose sanity I question to begin with. I like it. I think I'm going to keep it this way. I'm looking to post a new picture when I get a chance.
Carissa and Rachel are definitely heading into music. Both have solos tomorrow night at church. Rachel, age 5, did a knock-out "Away in a Manger" and earned herself a spot in the Christmas Eve service. I'm doing a reading as well.
I'm also finishing a first draft of a Christmas play, possibly to be done (in one form or another) next year. It's similar to other plays I've done - a lonely diner becomes a refuge for an odd cast of characters who are stranded during a snow storm. They learn about themselves and God on a strange Christmas Eve. It's funny and touching, with some wierd people. Like the odd ball who wrote it.
Well, I want to write a longer piece on my Christmas reflections. Christmas has always been an odd time for me. I never really seem to "get it". So many I read are captivated by the Christ Child this time of year - the manger, the star, the wise men, etc. - and I am grateful for that first Christmas morning. But I don't think I've ever had that sense of wonder. Maybe it's my lack of religious upbringing as a child. Christmas always just a gift-getting time. Or now that i'm in the church, I've always been up to my nose hairs in cantatas, plays, Christmas Eve services and the like to really ever focus on the manger and all the like. I'm always just filled with such a sense of...exhaustion. Tomorrow is a rare day - Christmas Eve on a Sunday. We basically will spend all day in church. It doesn't have to be a chore. Going to church never is for us anyway. But tomorrow could be a golden opportunity to shut the world out and just worship. Focus on all that Jesus is and what He came to give us. Now that all the running around is done, we can get down to business. If there's any energy left within us.
Merry Christmas. May He find you ready this year for the radical invasion to overtake you, the way I hope it overtakes me.
12.11.2006
When the questions change...
Well, the Christmas play is over. What a great experience! Three shows, three packed houses. The message of Christmas, and how this little baby calls us "home for the holidays" was powerful. We had several people give their hearts to the Lord, numerous re-commitments, and lots of folks challenged about their relationships to the earthly father and their Heavenly Father. What a privilege to serve and minister in a place where the arts are so freely expressed. There is no sense of "you can't do that...we're in a church!" at all. It's great to know there are no boundries for creativity; simply holding our work up to the Light of Truth for our Daddy to touch with His hand.
When you live in your passion, it's amazing what you'll do and the lengths you'll go to see God glorified. Tricia and I have been unsure about several things in the last couple of years. Where are we to live? Should we move? Should I look for a better job? Should we stay put? There have been many unsure days. After this weekend, many of those questions have been put to rest, at least for me. We're are here. We're not going anywhere. We're planting at CalTab and we're going to see things through to follow the "wild goose" as Eldredge calls the Holy Spirit. For anyone from CalTab who might read this, it's not like we were thinking of leaving the church or anything. We love the leadership and all God is doing. But I think we have always had a "we're here until..." mindset. We didn't "100%/burn the ships/no doubt" commit. You know, there may always be a greener pasture somewhere else. Forget the greener pastures. They may exist. But the one we're in is pretty green. We like it. Why change?
My job is the same way. Sure, it's not perfect. Name me a job that is! But I do well, I'm good at it, my boss is a Christian. My main office is 1.2 miles from my house (more on that in a second). My other office is in the town of my birth. I know lots of people there. My mom is still there. I make good money. It's not like I'm digging ditches or anything. I'll stay.
Now, the house is the thing. We bought our house in 1999, thinking it was a temporary thing. Again, we weren't necessarily staying in the area, let alone Schenectady, too long. So now, we're here. Committed to the city. OK. Now our house is too small. It needs a lot of work, which we've ignored because, again, who cares? We'll make our NEXT house nice. But this may be our next house. And our only house. We're staying in the city. But do we sell our current house for a bigger, nicer one? Or do we work on the one we have? We could add on and fix up. Tricia's brother does that sort of thing and there's a grant program with the city.
Our questions seem to have a little more permanance these days. That's cool, but scary in a new way.
What else is scary is my older daughter being 9 years old next week. She had such a great time in the play. I kissed Carissa good night last night and told her I was proud of her and she said, "Yeah, I guess acting runs in the family, huh?" Oh, boy...and Rachel's even more of a ham than her sister. Well, Rachel gets a pink guitar for Christmas, Carissa gets the keyboard.
It's about planning for the future. And the future doesn't just revolve around me. There are three little destinies under my roof (where ever that roof is!) and it's my job to refine and nurture them. Crying out loud! I'm just getting mine under control!
Well, that's life for now. I'm waiting for an evaluation, who's supposed to be coming in 30 minutes. We'll see. After yesterday and the play and church, I'm ready to go back to bed!
When you live in your passion, it's amazing what you'll do and the lengths you'll go to see God glorified. Tricia and I have been unsure about several things in the last couple of years. Where are we to live? Should we move? Should I look for a better job? Should we stay put? There have been many unsure days. After this weekend, many of those questions have been put to rest, at least for me. We're are here. We're not going anywhere. We're planting at CalTab and we're going to see things through to follow the "wild goose" as Eldredge calls the Holy Spirit. For anyone from CalTab who might read this, it's not like we were thinking of leaving the church or anything. We love the leadership and all God is doing. But I think we have always had a "we're here until..." mindset. We didn't "100%/burn the ships/no doubt" commit. You know, there may always be a greener pasture somewhere else. Forget the greener pastures. They may exist. But the one we're in is pretty green. We like it. Why change?
My job is the same way. Sure, it's not perfect. Name me a job that is! But I do well, I'm good at it, my boss is a Christian. My main office is 1.2 miles from my house (more on that in a second). My other office is in the town of my birth. I know lots of people there. My mom is still there. I make good money. It's not like I'm digging ditches or anything. I'll stay.
Now, the house is the thing. We bought our house in 1999, thinking it was a temporary thing. Again, we weren't necessarily staying in the area, let alone Schenectady, too long. So now, we're here. Committed to the city. OK. Now our house is too small. It needs a lot of work, which we've ignored because, again, who cares? We'll make our NEXT house nice. But this may be our next house. And our only house. We're staying in the city. But do we sell our current house for a bigger, nicer one? Or do we work on the one we have? We could add on and fix up. Tricia's brother does that sort of thing and there's a grant program with the city.
Our questions seem to have a little more permanance these days. That's cool, but scary in a new way.
What else is scary is my older daughter being 9 years old next week. She had such a great time in the play. I kissed Carissa good night last night and told her I was proud of her and she said, "Yeah, I guess acting runs in the family, huh?" Oh, boy...and Rachel's even more of a ham than her sister. Well, Rachel gets a pink guitar for Christmas, Carissa gets the keyboard.
It's about planning for the future. And the future doesn't just revolve around me. There are three little destinies under my roof (where ever that roof is!) and it's my job to refine and nurture them. Crying out loud! I'm just getting mine under control!
Well, that's life for now. I'm waiting for an evaluation, who's supposed to be coming in 30 minutes. We'll see. After yesterday and the play and church, I'm ready to go back to bed!
12.07.2006
Uh, oh! He's gone into shut-down mode again...
Not so, my friend, not so! I did, however, realize last night that it had been a couple of weeks since i've logged anything here, and longer since I've gone into any great detail. So, since I have brief break in my work day, I thought I'd put a brief catch-up post together.
If you are near the Schenectady/Albany, NY area, and would like to hear yours truly in his first singing solo in roughly 17 years, please attend "Come Home For Christmas" this weekend. It is our church's annual Christmas production and it's pretty cool. It has a strong message of salvation, music, dancing, amazing pyrotechnics...ok, I made the last one up. But it's fantastic. Our worship leader, Delray, wrote the script (with some initial brainstorming from yours truly), most of the music, and directed! And it's coming together very nicely. Also, you'll see Carissa and Rachel, my two oldest, make their stage debuts as angels! You'll be blessed! Bring a friend. Hey, you even get a free Christmas cookie during the show! That's a bargain!
I've been continuing with my Berean studies through the book of Acts. Work has, thankfully, been very busy as well. So there has been precious little time to devote to extra things. As I mentioned in an earlier post, my book is basically shelved. I just can't seem to get the direction I need to make it what I feel it should be. I may still try the screenplay route at some point. But otherwise, "On the Fritz" is on the scrap heap.
But I have been putting a little more time into songwriting. When I get a free moment, I've been jotting down lyrics and little musical ideas. They've been coming out as country songs. Sorry to all of you who hate it. But I feel like my singing and musical voice comes out country. Now, I will not wear a cowboy hat or put a gun rack in the back of my Camry. I hate NASCAR! But the way the songs flow and my vocal range limitations, country songs are pretty easy for me. Mom will be proud.
I will try to blog about the play and how it goes. If you want some challenging reading in the meantime, please check out my friend Denes' blog site under the links to the right of the page (Under the Crimson Line). He's started a well-documented study of the Word-Faith (name it and claim it, prosperity doctrine) movement. Good stuff to focus our minds on sound doctrine, which is always important.
God bless for now...
If you are near the Schenectady/Albany, NY area, and would like to hear yours truly in his first singing solo in roughly 17 years, please attend "Come Home For Christmas" this weekend. It is our church's annual Christmas production and it's pretty cool. It has a strong message of salvation, music, dancing, amazing pyrotechnics...ok, I made the last one up. But it's fantastic. Our worship leader, Delray, wrote the script (with some initial brainstorming from yours truly), most of the music, and directed! And it's coming together very nicely. Also, you'll see Carissa and Rachel, my two oldest, make their stage debuts as angels! You'll be blessed! Bring a friend. Hey, you even get a free Christmas cookie during the show! That's a bargain!
I've been continuing with my Berean studies through the book of Acts. Work has, thankfully, been very busy as well. So there has been precious little time to devote to extra things. As I mentioned in an earlier post, my book is basically shelved. I just can't seem to get the direction I need to make it what I feel it should be. I may still try the screenplay route at some point. But otherwise, "On the Fritz" is on the scrap heap.
But I have been putting a little more time into songwriting. When I get a free moment, I've been jotting down lyrics and little musical ideas. They've been coming out as country songs. Sorry to all of you who hate it. But I feel like my singing and musical voice comes out country. Now, I will not wear a cowboy hat or put a gun rack in the back of my Camry. I hate NASCAR! But the way the songs flow and my vocal range limitations, country songs are pretty easy for me. Mom will be proud.
I will try to blog about the play and how it goes. If you want some challenging reading in the meantime, please check out my friend Denes' blog site under the links to the right of the page (Under the Crimson Line). He's started a well-documented study of the Word-Faith (name it and claim it, prosperity doctrine) movement. Good stuff to focus our minds on sound doctrine, which is always important.
God bless for now...
11.27.2006
More of other guys, less of me...
Hope everyone's Thanksgiving was great. Mine sure was. Two full dinners, and all the turkey soup and hot turkey sandwiches I could ever want! Who's complaining? My wife's soup rocked the house!
Anyway, with a busy week of work (including trips to Binghamton and Boston), working on my Berean classes, my re-write of my book (which seems to be going nowhere, unfortunately), and church plays - plus a thousand other things - all you get from me today is another essay from another featured writer. But I don't know of too many better than john Piper, one of my personal favorites. This was in his weekly e-mail today. Enjoy. Maybe I'll actually write something of my own soon! Yes, that's a promise, not a threat...
Do Seeker-Driven Pastors & Churches Minimize the Bible?
John Piper
I have been pondering a possible relationship between the minimizing of the Bible in so-called seeker-driven churches and in some of the radical forms of contextualization that have emerged in missions. Perhaps there isn’t any connection. But I wonder. The common denominator that I am pondering is the loss of confidence that declaring what the Bible says in the power of the Holy Spirit can create and sustain the church of Christ.
John 2:11, “This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.” I bowed and prayed, “O Lord, this is how faith happens. People are given eyes to see your glory in your person and in your deeds. Please don’t let me turn away from the ministry that puts all the emphasis on the ‘gospel of the glory of Christ who is the image of God’” (2 Corinthians 4:4).
Then I was reminded of another text in John that connected the revelation of Christ’s glory to the written word of God. John 20:30-31, “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” The signs that reveal the faith-awakening glory of Christ are not mainly new signs being done today, but the signs that are written in the gospels. These are written “so that you may believe.” He “manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.” That is the way faith comes. Jesus said that when the Holy Spirit comes “He will glorify me!” (John 16:14). Therefore we declare the fullness of the glorious Person and Work of Christ in history. That is how the church is created and sustained. It seems to me that a growing number of pastors and missionaries have lost confidence in this truth. They have concluded that the gap between the glory of Christ and the felt needs of their neighbors, or between the glory of Christ and the religion of the nationals, is simply too great for the fullness of God’s word to overcome. The upshot seems to be the minimization of the Word of God in its robust and glorious fullness."
It seems to me that a growing number of pastors and missionaries have lost confidence in this truth. They have concluded that the gap between the glory of Christ and the felt needs of their neighbors, or between the glory of Christ and the religion of the nationals, is simply too great for the fullness of God’s word to overcome. The upshot seems to be the minimization of the Word of God in its robust and glorious fullness.
This is on my front burner just now because in recent weeks I have received a steady stream of testimonies from aching saints who say in so many words, “Our pastor doesn’t proclaim to us what the Bible says and means. The messages are not revelations of the glory of Christ. They are advice-talks with a religious twist.” And then I have been reading about certain kinds of gospel contextualization in missions that seem to minimize the fullness of the biblical revelation which converts should share with others. So I have been pondering whether there are connections.
I have no desire to naively equate the cultural conglomerate of western Christianity with the true, spiritual body of Christ. I can appreciate avoiding the word “Christian” in a missions context where it signifies: degenerate, materialistic, immodest western religion. And I realize that most of the ways we “do church” are culture specific rather than biblically mandated. But there are other questions that trouble me:
1) Are the essentials of biblical faith embraced by new converts to Christ, and do they make them known in love to others? For example, do they embrace and make known that the Bible is the only inspired and infallible written revelation of God, and that Christ is God and was crucified for sin and raised from the dead above all authority?
2) Are the former religious behaviors of converts to Christ, which they may retain, communicating regularly a falsehood about what the convert means and believes?
But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God” (2 Corinthians 4:2)?
I may be wrong about a Bible-minimizing connection between seeker-driven pastors and radically contextualizing missionaries, but it is hard not to see a loss of faith in the power of God’s Word when I hear that the Bible is not preached at home, and when I read from the frontiers: “We have little hope in our lifetime to believe for a major enough cultural, political and religious change to occur in our context such that Muslims would become open to entering Christianity on a wide scale.”
Let us pray for the Holy Spirit to come in power in our day for the sake of powerful displays of the glory of Christ in the declaration of the Word of God where those glories are revealed with infallible and converting authority.
Anyway, with a busy week of work (including trips to Binghamton and Boston), working on my Berean classes, my re-write of my book (which seems to be going nowhere, unfortunately), and church plays - plus a thousand other things - all you get from me today is another essay from another featured writer. But I don't know of too many better than john Piper, one of my personal favorites. This was in his weekly e-mail today. Enjoy. Maybe I'll actually write something of my own soon! Yes, that's a promise, not a threat...
Do Seeker-Driven Pastors & Churches Minimize the Bible?
John Piper
I have been pondering a possible relationship between the minimizing of the Bible in so-called seeker-driven churches and in some of the radical forms of contextualization that have emerged in missions. Perhaps there isn’t any connection. But I wonder. The common denominator that I am pondering is the loss of confidence that declaring what the Bible says in the power of the Holy Spirit can create and sustain the church of Christ.
John 2:11, “This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.” I bowed and prayed, “O Lord, this is how faith happens. People are given eyes to see your glory in your person and in your deeds. Please don’t let me turn away from the ministry that puts all the emphasis on the ‘gospel of the glory of Christ who is the image of God’” (2 Corinthians 4:4).
Then I was reminded of another text in John that connected the revelation of Christ’s glory to the written word of God. John 20:30-31, “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” The signs that reveal the faith-awakening glory of Christ are not mainly new signs being done today, but the signs that are written in the gospels. These are written “so that you may believe.” He “manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.” That is the way faith comes. Jesus said that when the Holy Spirit comes “He will glorify me!” (John 16:14). Therefore we declare the fullness of the glorious Person and Work of Christ in history. That is how the church is created and sustained. It seems to me that a growing number of pastors and missionaries have lost confidence in this truth. They have concluded that the gap between the glory of Christ and the felt needs of their neighbors, or between the glory of Christ and the religion of the nationals, is simply too great for the fullness of God’s word to overcome. The upshot seems to be the minimization of the Word of God in its robust and glorious fullness."
It seems to me that a growing number of pastors and missionaries have lost confidence in this truth. They have concluded that the gap between the glory of Christ and the felt needs of their neighbors, or between the glory of Christ and the religion of the nationals, is simply too great for the fullness of God’s word to overcome. The upshot seems to be the minimization of the Word of God in its robust and glorious fullness.
This is on my front burner just now because in recent weeks I have received a steady stream of testimonies from aching saints who say in so many words, “Our pastor doesn’t proclaim to us what the Bible says and means. The messages are not revelations of the glory of Christ. They are advice-talks with a religious twist.” And then I have been reading about certain kinds of gospel contextualization in missions that seem to minimize the fullness of the biblical revelation which converts should share with others. So I have been pondering whether there are connections.
I have no desire to naively equate the cultural conglomerate of western Christianity with the true, spiritual body of Christ. I can appreciate avoiding the word “Christian” in a missions context where it signifies: degenerate, materialistic, immodest western religion. And I realize that most of the ways we “do church” are culture specific rather than biblically mandated. But there are other questions that trouble me:
1) Are the essentials of biblical faith embraced by new converts to Christ, and do they make them known in love to others? For example, do they embrace and make known that the Bible is the only inspired and infallible written revelation of God, and that Christ is God and was crucified for sin and raised from the dead above all authority?
2) Are the former religious behaviors of converts to Christ, which they may retain, communicating regularly a falsehood about what the convert means and believes?
But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God” (2 Corinthians 4:2)?
I may be wrong about a Bible-minimizing connection between seeker-driven pastors and radically contextualizing missionaries, but it is hard not to see a loss of faith in the power of God’s Word when I hear that the Bible is not preached at home, and when I read from the frontiers: “We have little hope in our lifetime to believe for a major enough cultural, political and religious change to occur in our context such that Muslims would become open to entering Christianity on a wide scale.”
Let us pray for the Holy Spirit to come in power in our day for the sake of powerful displays of the glory of Christ in the declaration of the Word of God where those glories are revealed with infallible and converting authority.
11.20.2006
Ministry in the 21st Century
I'm including another great article by Ray Pritchard. His comment that seminary doesn't resemble how ministry is done today got me thinking about my own college experience. I only graduated in 1993. E-mail was just coming into its own then. We had INTRA-net at Plattsburgh, where you could sit on your "green screen" first generation Macs (remember those?) and send little messages to others logged on in the computer lab. We thought that was incredible. Now look at the technonlogy today. It's apples to oranges. No one had laptops then. They were not even a thought for the typical college student. Now everyone has one, and Wal-Mart will sell them this Black Friday for around $200. We do live in a different world. As Christians, we either catch up and swim, or we're going to drown in the pool of irrelevency.
As an addition, Pastor Lorenzo has some "technology in minstry" details on his web site, linked to the right of this post.
How the Internet is Changing Ministry
Ray Pritchard
I ran across two recent articles that reinforced the notion that the Internet is radically reshaping how we will do ministry in the 21st century. Brian Bill pointed out an article in CT called "What's Next: Publishing and Broadcasting." Here is the money quote:
Already, industry insiders are talking about on-demand kiosks that will print paperbacks right in bookstores within seconds. These kiosks' product lists could number into the hundreds of thousands, offering bestsellers, stand-alone book chapters, and self-published titles from authors around the globe.They also imagine broadband sites and iPod/cell-phone services that will broadcast original programming from media giants alongside YouTube-style self-productions. The old media won't die, most agree, it will just be distributed in new ways, and it will face greater competition from new technologies. Radio will confront popular podcasts; TV, viral videos; books and magazines, e-publications.
The second article deals with the decision by Desiring God Ministries to take John Piper's radio broadcast off radio altogether. Calling their approach "Radio Without Radio," they offer an impressive array of statistics to show that alternative means of media delivery are skyrocketing in popularity, offering the chance to reach huge listening audiences at a fraction of the cost of traditional radio ministry. Here are the four key words that shape their strategy for the future. Media must be:
Accessible: We want people to have convenient access to as many of our resources as possible. Our new website has been designed for this purpose.
Portable: We want our resources, whenever possible, to be in a portable format, so that you and others can read, listen, or view them where and when it's convenient for you.
Transferable: We want many resources that you can easily pass along or show to others, so that the vision of God we love together will most effectively spread.
Economical: We are pursuing strategies that we believe will be the most effective at spreading a passion for the supremacy of God, while keeping our costs and prices low.
Readers of this weblog know that I keep hammering away at this point. We're not living in the 50s or the 60s or the 70s. It occurred to me recently that the world that seminary prepared me to minister to bears almost no resemblance to the world we live in today. That's not a criticism, just an observation. When I attended seminary in the mid-70s, we were still following models that worked in the 50s and the 60s. Change on the horizon, and we sensed it was coming, but no one foresaw the cultural and technological revolution of the last fifteen years.
Frankly, I can't think of a better time to serve the Lord. We have tools for reaching the world that D. L. Moody (who died in 1899) and Bill Sunday (who died in 1935) never dreamed of. If we are going to reach our own generation, we must be at least as proactive with technology as Moody and Sunday (who were both innovators in terms of their evangelistic methods) were in their own day. By the way, lest anyone think I am advocating watering down the gospel message to somehow "make it relevant" to the post-moderns (or whatever term we're using nowadays), just check out John Piper's website. Everything he writes is saturated with strong biblical content, but his ministry in Minneapolis is also very innovative in the best sense of that term. He offers an excellent model for the rest of us to follow.
Occasionally I visit churches that seem to think that this is 1956 instead of 2006. And they wonder why they aren't reaching people. I am not calling for changing our message one iota, but in the name of Christ, for His glory, in order to follow His command to take the gospel to every nation, if we truly want to make disciples in our own day, we must let go of some things that worked well a generation ago and rethink how we do church, how we reach people, and how we harness modern technology for the sake of the gospel.
I keep saying this, and I intend to keep saying it because I believe it so deeply.
As an addition, Pastor Lorenzo has some "technology in minstry" details on his web site, linked to the right of this post.
How the Internet is Changing Ministry
Ray Pritchard
I ran across two recent articles that reinforced the notion that the Internet is radically reshaping how we will do ministry in the 21st century. Brian Bill pointed out an article in CT called "What's Next: Publishing and Broadcasting." Here is the money quote:
Already, industry insiders are talking about on-demand kiosks that will print paperbacks right in bookstores within seconds. These kiosks' product lists could number into the hundreds of thousands, offering bestsellers, stand-alone book chapters, and self-published titles from authors around the globe.They also imagine broadband sites and iPod/cell-phone services that will broadcast original programming from media giants alongside YouTube-style self-productions. The old media won't die, most agree, it will just be distributed in new ways, and it will face greater competition from new technologies. Radio will confront popular podcasts; TV, viral videos; books and magazines, e-publications.
The second article deals with the decision by Desiring God Ministries to take John Piper's radio broadcast off radio altogether. Calling their approach "Radio Without Radio," they offer an impressive array of statistics to show that alternative means of media delivery are skyrocketing in popularity, offering the chance to reach huge listening audiences at a fraction of the cost of traditional radio ministry. Here are the four key words that shape their strategy for the future. Media must be:
Accessible: We want people to have convenient access to as many of our resources as possible. Our new website has been designed for this purpose.
Portable: We want our resources, whenever possible, to be in a portable format, so that you and others can read, listen, or view them where and when it's convenient for you.
Transferable: We want many resources that you can easily pass along or show to others, so that the vision of God we love together will most effectively spread.
Economical: We are pursuing strategies that we believe will be the most effective at spreading a passion for the supremacy of God, while keeping our costs and prices low.
Readers of this weblog know that I keep hammering away at this point. We're not living in the 50s or the 60s or the 70s. It occurred to me recently that the world that seminary prepared me to minister to bears almost no resemblance to the world we live in today. That's not a criticism, just an observation. When I attended seminary in the mid-70s, we were still following models that worked in the 50s and the 60s. Change on the horizon, and we sensed it was coming, but no one foresaw the cultural and technological revolution of the last fifteen years.
Frankly, I can't think of a better time to serve the Lord. We have tools for reaching the world that D. L. Moody (who died in 1899) and Bill Sunday (who died in 1935) never dreamed of. If we are going to reach our own generation, we must be at least as proactive with technology as Moody and Sunday (who were both innovators in terms of their evangelistic methods) were in their own day. By the way, lest anyone think I am advocating watering down the gospel message to somehow "make it relevant" to the post-moderns (or whatever term we're using nowadays), just check out John Piper's website. Everything he writes is saturated with strong biblical content, but his ministry in Minneapolis is also very innovative in the best sense of that term. He offers an excellent model for the rest of us to follow.
Occasionally I visit churches that seem to think that this is 1956 instead of 2006. And they wonder why they aren't reaching people. I am not calling for changing our message one iota, but in the name of Christ, for His glory, in order to follow His command to take the gospel to every nation, if we truly want to make disciples in our own day, we must let go of some things that worked well a generation ago and rethink how we do church, how we reach people, and how we harness modern technology for the sake of the gospel.
I keep saying this, and I intend to keep saying it because I believe it so deeply.
11.15.2006
Addendum to Elton's Letter -
I just want everyone to know that I have tried to e-mail the previous post to Elton directly to communicate with him. The only e-mail address I could find was to his record company in NYC. After sending the e-mail, it was put in the holding tank, then was mailer-daemoned. I tried. If anyone has Elton's phone number at the winter residence in Bermuda, please pass it along. I promise I'll only use it once. Then I'll destroy it...after I post it here...NO I WOULDN'T DO THAT!!!!!!!
11.13.2006
An open letter to Elton John -
Dear Elton -
I must admit at the outset that I'm not the biggest fan of your music. I'm more of a Billy Joel-type; though I'll admit to liking some of your late 70's-early 80's stuff. Anyway, I felt the need to write to you after reading your comments in my local newspaper this morning. I'm supposed to be working on a re-write of my book, but this topic seems to be front and center for me this morning.
According to the article, you said, "I think religion has always tried to turn hatred toward gay people. Religion promotes the hatred and spite against gays." You went on to say, "From my point of view, I would ban religion completely. Organized religion doesn't seem to work. It turns people into really hateful lemmings, and it's not really compassionate."
As a "lemming" - a proud born-again Christian, I must say you are painting all religious people with the same broad brush that many of us paint the gay community with. You make a valid point - the "God hates fags" people ought to be ashamed of themselves. Many give gays and lesbians blind hatred and dismiss them altogether, as religious folks have done through the centuries to those they do not understand. There is intolerance, especially in the Christian church. By that, I do not mean acceptance of a lifestyle (for, no matter how we slice this, homosexuality to those who believe what the church has taught from the beginning is sinful, immoral behavior. This is not a forum to argue that topic, which could go on for days), but acceptance of a person. We should never turn anyone away from the doors of our churches, no matter what. Some feel it's just more comfortable to only deal with "our kind". It takes all the risk away.
But I see your statements as having the same basis in reality as some religious peoples' comments. Especially your idea that religion isn't compassionate. Oh, no? Who started hospitals? Christians. Who created the first schools? Christians. What group of people has workers in nearly every country on earth to help the poor, orphaned and widows? Christians? Who give BILLIONS of dollars every year to see this work goes forth? Christians. Mother Theresa? Not commpassionate? Ish!
Forget the "big names". I'd love to have you come visit my church the next time you're in the Albany, NY area on tour. I know my pastor, Lorenzo Agnes, would love to show you around our community outreach, the Haven. When we built our new sanctuary, we converted the old one into a gym/learning center. Kids come from all around to play basketball, get tutoring and find a safe place to be, off the streets. Why? Because we're in the area and it's our mandate as Christians to do it.
Hopefully, Sandy Lawyer will be home from South Africa, and you could meet her. In her retirement, she decided to go to Africa to help the widows and those dealing with HIV/AIDS. She goes door-to-door, loving each person and meeting their needs. Compassion? Meet George Snyman, the man who runs Hands @ Work in South Africa. His level of service for people is of a kind I have never seen.
My pastor left yesterday for Bulgaria, to minister at a leader's conference. We're connected to a large group of Christians, most of whom have either come out of orphanges or work with them. Our church has committed to seeing these kids grow in all ways, turning them into people who will change the culture of a nation.
Our church has a large group of people in Nuevo Laredo, Texas even as we speak, meeting several needs for a small orphange and church there.
I could even tell you of the girl several years ago in our church who wanted to work with the children in the nursery. She was HIV positive. Our church allowed her to serve, with the obvious precautions. Because she's not a leper. She deserves a place in the church. You know why her story is important? Because it's true. And because I don't even know the girl's name. My pastor mentioned it one Sunday in passing, as if to say, "Of course we let her serve. Are you crazy?"
I could go on and on about work going on in our church. And there are countless thousands of churches all across the United States and the world who work this way. Why? Because we take our beliefs seriously. And if we really live what we say we believe, it's going to radically effect the way we live our lives and what we do. We're not about putting our faces on TV or being commended for all we've done. We believe the treasure waits in Heaven. It's really not about the reward anyway. Compassionate service springs from the notion that we have been blessed beyond our ability to grasp it. We must give as we have received. I'm not just speaking of Christians, though I can only speak intelligently of my religious culture. Other faiths do great compassionate work, I'm sure, for which they simply want to help. They are to be commended for that.
I have found that it is nearly impossible to make blanket statements about groups of people. Because they are rarely, if ever, true. I find your statements about religious folks like that. You cannot justify your comments for all who hold to a faith-based belief system. Your ignorance is just as shameful as the ignorance on my side.
My invitation is open to visit to meet with me and folks from my church. I'd love to show you how compassion works and how 'narrow-minded' folks actually live. I think we'd both be surprised.
Thank you for reading this letter. I hope it finds you well.
Cordially,
Darren
I must admit at the outset that I'm not the biggest fan of your music. I'm more of a Billy Joel-type; though I'll admit to liking some of your late 70's-early 80's stuff. Anyway, I felt the need to write to you after reading your comments in my local newspaper this morning. I'm supposed to be working on a re-write of my book, but this topic seems to be front and center for me this morning.
According to the article, you said, "I think religion has always tried to turn hatred toward gay people. Religion promotes the hatred and spite against gays." You went on to say, "From my point of view, I would ban religion completely. Organized religion doesn't seem to work. It turns people into really hateful lemmings, and it's not really compassionate."
As a "lemming" - a proud born-again Christian, I must say you are painting all religious people with the same broad brush that many of us paint the gay community with. You make a valid point - the "God hates fags" people ought to be ashamed of themselves. Many give gays and lesbians blind hatred and dismiss them altogether, as religious folks have done through the centuries to those they do not understand. There is intolerance, especially in the Christian church. By that, I do not mean acceptance of a lifestyle (for, no matter how we slice this, homosexuality to those who believe what the church has taught from the beginning is sinful, immoral behavior. This is not a forum to argue that topic, which could go on for days), but acceptance of a person. We should never turn anyone away from the doors of our churches, no matter what. Some feel it's just more comfortable to only deal with "our kind". It takes all the risk away.
But I see your statements as having the same basis in reality as some religious peoples' comments. Especially your idea that religion isn't compassionate. Oh, no? Who started hospitals? Christians. Who created the first schools? Christians. What group of people has workers in nearly every country on earth to help the poor, orphaned and widows? Christians? Who give BILLIONS of dollars every year to see this work goes forth? Christians. Mother Theresa? Not commpassionate? Ish!
Forget the "big names". I'd love to have you come visit my church the next time you're in the Albany, NY area on tour. I know my pastor, Lorenzo Agnes, would love to show you around our community outreach, the Haven. When we built our new sanctuary, we converted the old one into a gym/learning center. Kids come from all around to play basketball, get tutoring and find a safe place to be, off the streets. Why? Because we're in the area and it's our mandate as Christians to do it.
Hopefully, Sandy Lawyer will be home from South Africa, and you could meet her. In her retirement, she decided to go to Africa to help the widows and those dealing with HIV/AIDS. She goes door-to-door, loving each person and meeting their needs. Compassion? Meet George Snyman, the man who runs Hands @ Work in South Africa. His level of service for people is of a kind I have never seen.
My pastor left yesterday for Bulgaria, to minister at a leader's conference. We're connected to a large group of Christians, most of whom have either come out of orphanges or work with them. Our church has committed to seeing these kids grow in all ways, turning them into people who will change the culture of a nation.
Our church has a large group of people in Nuevo Laredo, Texas even as we speak, meeting several needs for a small orphange and church there.
I could even tell you of the girl several years ago in our church who wanted to work with the children in the nursery. She was HIV positive. Our church allowed her to serve, with the obvious precautions. Because she's not a leper. She deserves a place in the church. You know why her story is important? Because it's true. And because I don't even know the girl's name. My pastor mentioned it one Sunday in passing, as if to say, "Of course we let her serve. Are you crazy?"
I could go on and on about work going on in our church. And there are countless thousands of churches all across the United States and the world who work this way. Why? Because we take our beliefs seriously. And if we really live what we say we believe, it's going to radically effect the way we live our lives and what we do. We're not about putting our faces on TV or being commended for all we've done. We believe the treasure waits in Heaven. It's really not about the reward anyway. Compassionate service springs from the notion that we have been blessed beyond our ability to grasp it. We must give as we have received. I'm not just speaking of Christians, though I can only speak intelligently of my religious culture. Other faiths do great compassionate work, I'm sure, for which they simply want to help. They are to be commended for that.
I have found that it is nearly impossible to make blanket statements about groups of people. Because they are rarely, if ever, true. I find your statements about religious folks like that. You cannot justify your comments for all who hold to a faith-based belief system. Your ignorance is just as shameful as the ignorance on my side.
My invitation is open to visit to meet with me and folks from my church. I'd love to show you how compassion works and how 'narrow-minded' folks actually live. I think we'd both be surprised.
Thank you for reading this letter. I hope it finds you well.
Cordially,
Darren
11.10.2006
A necessary apology -
It was brought to my attention tonight that information that was posted in a prior article here on my blog site was hurtful and damaging to a relationship I have with certain brothers in the Lord. It is never my intention to smear people or to let personal issues become public fodder. I screwed up and spit out stuff that should have been kept private.
I ask those who were offended for forgiveness. I am truly sorry for letting, possibly, the whole world know what was going on between the three of us. I guess I forgot that, in reality, people really do read this stuff. And I am responsible for what is written here.
I have deleted that section of the article from the site, never to be seen again. And I will surely be more careful about the things that are posted here. We can speak our minds and have concrete opinions. But not when they cross the line into bad taste or, in my case, closed-door issues.
Again, I ask those who were hurt for forgiveness. You got me. I blew it.
I ask those who were offended for forgiveness. I am truly sorry for letting, possibly, the whole world know what was going on between the three of us. I guess I forgot that, in reality, people really do read this stuff. And I am responsible for what is written here.
I have deleted that section of the article from the site, never to be seen again. And I will surely be more careful about the things that are posted here. We can speak our minds and have concrete opinions. But not when they cross the line into bad taste or, in my case, closed-door issues.
Again, I ask those who were hurt for forgiveness. You got me. I blew it.
11.08.2006
Let me qualify my last post, with another radio guy's comments...
In listening to even more talk radio tonight (I'm a glutton for punishment, no?) I heard Michael Savage - typically out of control and unlistenable - said something interesting.
I commented how most Republicans lost and how it seems like people are rejecting the conservative message as expounded upon by Rush and Hannity, etc. Well, Savage pointed out that many conservative referendums passed - limiting affirmative action in Michigan, parental notification law in California, several same-sex marriage bills. Even in states where Republican senators or Congress seats were won by Democrats, conservative ballot initiatives won. What do we make of all this? It seems to be the classic "throw the bums out" mentality.
Conservatives have watered down Reagan's message. They spend too much, they're weak on border enforcement, they mostly sound like Democrats. Maybe the American people are very smart and more conservative than we think. They are craving someone to stand up and unashamedly say, "I'm a conservative". Maybe Rush is right. A candidate who doesn't compromise on thier right-wing beliefs would actually win!
Savage says it was a moratorium on Iraq. I can see that, especially now that Rumsfeld got the ax. But I don't know if I'd do anything different. What DO you do? No one else I've heard today has a better idea than what's currently happening. If there seems to be a better idea well, by all means, do it!
It will be interesting to see what the Democrats come up with. Maybe the charge will be led by new congress-chick Kirsten Gillibrand...man, why do I have to take a dump everytime I say her name? Gotta go, gotta go, gotta go right now...
I commented how most Republicans lost and how it seems like people are rejecting the conservative message as expounded upon by Rush and Hannity, etc. Well, Savage pointed out that many conservative referendums passed - limiting affirmative action in Michigan, parental notification law in California, several same-sex marriage bills. Even in states where Republican senators or Congress seats were won by Democrats, conservative ballot initiatives won. What do we make of all this? It seems to be the classic "throw the bums out" mentality.
Conservatives have watered down Reagan's message. They spend too much, they're weak on border enforcement, they mostly sound like Democrats. Maybe the American people are very smart and more conservative than we think. They are craving someone to stand up and unashamedly say, "I'm a conservative". Maybe Rush is right. A candidate who doesn't compromise on thier right-wing beliefs would actually win!
Savage says it was a moratorium on Iraq. I can see that, especially now that Rumsfeld got the ax. But I don't know if I'd do anything different. What DO you do? No one else I've heard today has a better idea than what's currently happening. If there seems to be a better idea well, by all means, do it!
It will be interesting to see what the Democrats come up with. Maybe the charge will be led by new congress-chick Kirsten Gillibrand...man, why do I have to take a dump everytime I say her name? Gotta go, gotta go, gotta go right now...
Limbaugh and Hannity - shut the %$!@#% up!
What? Has he completely lost his mind? Has passion and belief in Kirsten Gillibrand's congressional campaign overtaken Mr. True Heart Times? Hardly...
I spend quite a bit of time listening to political talk radio. I'm not a die-hard; it does get a little tiring after a while. But I'm thinking all of these guys have jumped the shark. They're becoming irrelevant. At least their constant badgering of the listener is growing tiresome.
Here's why I say this - All of these national guys (Rush, Hannity, Glenn Beck, et al) are listened to by countless millions of people every day. They are on the most listened to radio stations in the country. Their books go to #1 on the best sellers' list. They all are vitriolic - the nation skews conservative. They have been beating the Democrats up for months and years. I can't tell you how many times I heard Sean Hannity say, "The thought of Nancy Pelosi as the Speaker of the House ought to scare you.". Well, it does scare me. But apparently, it doesn't scare enough people, since beginning Jan. 1, she will be. With all of the listeners they have, all of the power they supposedly possess, all of the campaigning they did for their "buddies", most every conservative that ran for office lost! But how can that be, guys? If so many of your listeners were motivated enough to go to the polls, wouldn't there be enough votes across the nation for the "good guys" to win? It just seems odd to me that despite all of the venom they shot at the Democrats, they still came out and won.
Of course, with the Senate apparently 51-49 and the House swinging just a couple of Reps to the Democrats, it's hardly a "national mandate". The left cannot claim some kind of completely victory. But Santorum, Allen (who I thought had a shot for President in '08), John Sweeney (more on him later), and so many others losing, we need to re-evaluate the effect talk radio has on the political process.
John Sweeney's seat was fought for by Kirsten Gillibrand, a political newcomer. They didn't debate, and the ads that were slung back and forth between them were disgusting on both ends. I still haven't heard Kirsten...
I'm sorry, let me give and aside here. I can't deal with
the fact that we have a local congress-ette named
"Kirsten". It's like my lawyer being named "Barbie".
Anyway...
I still haven't hear Kirsten (ick) talk for more than 30 seconds in an ad. I don't really even know if there IS a Kirsten Gillibrand. I contest she's just a New York City actress paid to stand in for Bill Clinton, who's really running the show. I know, lots of anger. But here's my point - and I do have one - Paul Vandenburgh is the #1 talk morning host in Albany. He's a conservative and, to be fair, a friend of John Sweeney. But on Election Day, Paul was on the air telling all his listeners to go and vote for Sweeney. He'd been doing that for weeks, months! And you know what? Even the #1 guy in the market couldn't get the people to re-elect a three term Congressman who's done great things. Evil commercials, nasty politics, a little Bill Clinton and WHAM! you can win the election. Congress-chick Kirsten (bleck) Gillibrand.
I am not saying we should give liberals the benefit of the doubt. They are going to raise my taxes, allow same-sex marriage, abortions all over the place, investigations and impeachement proceedings, and anti-Christian bigotry. That's not conjecture; that's from their own press conferences today.
But now the right-wing talk show hosts are spinning so fast they're going to toss their cookies. Rush says he feels liberated. At least Hannity was giving examples of how the right messed it up. But Sean kept saying, "Don't let your heart be troubled.". Kind of like Kevin Bacon in "Animal House" - he kept saying "All is Well!" as he gets trampled by the thundering horde. Clueless. We also have to thank the guy in Colorado who outed Ted Haggard last week. That didn't help either.
I think talk radio needs to re-evaluate its message. Yesterday proved most talk radio hosts are screaming and yelling and carrying on and many are listening, but it seems they're losing ground. More and more are drifting away from the party line. Has their brand of talk radio crossed too much into entertainment? With situations like the Michael J. Fox controversy, did Rush BECOME the news instead of commenting on it? Were people turned off by that? I think time will tell on many of these issues.
I know that as I grow in Christ, and get more involved in social action at my church, I'm finding myself not as right-wing as I thought I was. Jesus was not a Republican, remember! Christians can't just buy everything the Republicans feed them. As my pastor said on Sunday, "Don't vote as a Republican, Democrat, Green, Yellow, Purple, ETC., vote as a resident of the Kingdom of God." I did. ALL of those I voted for last night lost. But His Kingdom is not of this world. Should I expect any less than all of my preferences going down?
It will be an interesting two years. Kirsten...Ugh! I think I'm going to be sick...
I spend quite a bit of time listening to political talk radio. I'm not a die-hard; it does get a little tiring after a while. But I'm thinking all of these guys have jumped the shark. They're becoming irrelevant. At least their constant badgering of the listener is growing tiresome.
Here's why I say this - All of these national guys (Rush, Hannity, Glenn Beck, et al) are listened to by countless millions of people every day. They are on the most listened to radio stations in the country. Their books go to #1 on the best sellers' list. They all are vitriolic - the nation skews conservative. They have been beating the Democrats up for months and years. I can't tell you how many times I heard Sean Hannity say, "The thought of Nancy Pelosi as the Speaker of the House ought to scare you.". Well, it does scare me. But apparently, it doesn't scare enough people, since beginning Jan. 1, she will be. With all of the listeners they have, all of the power they supposedly possess, all of the campaigning they did for their "buddies", most every conservative that ran for office lost! But how can that be, guys? If so many of your listeners were motivated enough to go to the polls, wouldn't there be enough votes across the nation for the "good guys" to win? It just seems odd to me that despite all of the venom they shot at the Democrats, they still came out and won.
Of course, with the Senate apparently 51-49 and the House swinging just a couple of Reps to the Democrats, it's hardly a "national mandate". The left cannot claim some kind of completely victory. But Santorum, Allen (who I thought had a shot for President in '08), John Sweeney (more on him later), and so many others losing, we need to re-evaluate the effect talk radio has on the political process.
John Sweeney's seat was fought for by Kirsten Gillibrand, a political newcomer. They didn't debate, and the ads that were slung back and forth between them were disgusting on both ends. I still haven't heard Kirsten...
I'm sorry, let me give and aside here. I can't deal with
the fact that we have a local congress-ette named
"Kirsten". It's like my lawyer being named "Barbie".
Anyway...
I still haven't hear Kirsten (ick) talk for more than 30 seconds in an ad. I don't really even know if there IS a Kirsten Gillibrand. I contest she's just a New York City actress paid to stand in for Bill Clinton, who's really running the show. I know, lots of anger. But here's my point - and I do have one - Paul Vandenburgh is the #1 talk morning host in Albany. He's a conservative and, to be fair, a friend of John Sweeney. But on Election Day, Paul was on the air telling all his listeners to go and vote for Sweeney. He'd been doing that for weeks, months! And you know what? Even the #1 guy in the market couldn't get the people to re-elect a three term Congressman who's done great things. Evil commercials, nasty politics, a little Bill Clinton and WHAM! you can win the election. Congress-chick Kirsten (bleck) Gillibrand.
I am not saying we should give liberals the benefit of the doubt. They are going to raise my taxes, allow same-sex marriage, abortions all over the place, investigations and impeachement proceedings, and anti-Christian bigotry. That's not conjecture; that's from their own press conferences today.
But now the right-wing talk show hosts are spinning so fast they're going to toss their cookies. Rush says he feels liberated. At least Hannity was giving examples of how the right messed it up. But Sean kept saying, "Don't let your heart be troubled.". Kind of like Kevin Bacon in "Animal House" - he kept saying "All is Well!" as he gets trampled by the thundering horde. Clueless. We also have to thank the guy in Colorado who outed Ted Haggard last week. That didn't help either.
I think talk radio needs to re-evaluate its message. Yesterday proved most talk radio hosts are screaming and yelling and carrying on and many are listening, but it seems they're losing ground. More and more are drifting away from the party line. Has their brand of talk radio crossed too much into entertainment? With situations like the Michael J. Fox controversy, did Rush BECOME the news instead of commenting on it? Were people turned off by that? I think time will tell on many of these issues.
I know that as I grow in Christ, and get more involved in social action at my church, I'm finding myself not as right-wing as I thought I was. Jesus was not a Republican, remember! Christians can't just buy everything the Republicans feed them. As my pastor said on Sunday, "Don't vote as a Republican, Democrat, Green, Yellow, Purple, ETC., vote as a resident of the Kingdom of God." I did. ALL of those I voted for last night lost. But His Kingdom is not of this world. Should I expect any less than all of my preferences going down?
It will be an interesting two years. Kirsten...Ugh! I think I'm going to be sick...
11.05.2006
OK, so I wrote this book last year...
It was called On the Fritz. It was the story of a successful pastor, Steven Hassmann, who seemingly had it all - a large, influential church, a beautiful wife and daughter, a strong marriage. And now, the latest and greatest: he's been hand-picked to be the new President of the National Evangelical Union, the largest Christian organization of its kind. Nothing could be better, right? Except the fact that Steven has had a sexual addiction since high school.
He tried to keep it all under wraps. The mountain of dirty magazines he'd collected. The on-going relationship with a prostitute while at seminary. The random encounters he'd line up while traveling the country "preaching the good news". Rev. Hassmann's double life is found out at the worst possible time for himself and the organization. He is stripped of his pastorate and his title and goes into seclusion. The rest of the book details what happens next - hitting rock bottom and the healing that comes as a result.
Sound vaguely familiar? I was stunned when I read of Ted Haggard's mess Friday morning. 24 hours later, and he's a goner. He never admitted to having sex with the massage guy, but it's obvious what he was doing was out of bounds and he needed to be punished for it.
I'm angry that Haggard was doing all this. That he was so loose with his personal issues. I'm angry that no one around him saw the signs or, if they did, had the stones to say something. I'm angry for the political opportunism that is so apparent in all this. I'm angry for trash blogs like the one at (no surprise) the San Francisco Chronicle, who accuse Haggard of everything from male gang sex to beastiality, profaning the name of Jesus in the process. I'm angry that Christians now will have to answer all the Jim Bakker/Jimmy Swaggart/et al questions again.
I'm angry that most Christians won't be able to come up with a suitable answer to the world's blistering critiques. I'm angry that even this won't wake up most men who are bound up by sexual addiction, and they'll stay locked away in their closets, convinced no one will ever know.
Proverbs 26:24-26 says, "A malicious man disguises himself with his lips, but in his heart he harbors deceit. Though his speech is charming, do not believe him, for seven abominations fill his heart. His malice may be concealed by deception, but his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.". Remember Moses' famous line, "Be sure your sin will find you out" (Numbers 32:23). NO ONE can get away with sin forever. If there is hypocrisy, it will be exposed. Set up as much Teflon around you as you want to, it doesn't matter. Light will shine on you sooner or later. I tried to hide my sex addiction for years. No one needs to know that. I can be on the radio, preach in churches, expect to pastor a church even! All with the core of my being rotting away from unrepentant sin. I confessed to my wife, my pastors, the guys at GFF. I found freedom. Am I 100% yet? No way. I still struggle daily. I'm finding it easier, little by little, to not let my eyes wander. I check lust on a minute by minute basis. I'm doing much better.
But why am I where I am now? Because I confessed it! I spoke it out to many people. I broke the agreement with the enemy. Psalm 32 is a beautiful account of David confessing sin to the Lord. Verses 3 and 4 says, "When I kept silent (did not confess my sin), my bones wasted away...your hand was heavy on me...my stength was sapped". It's obvious unspoken sin was taking its toll on David. What happens in the physical realm when we have a disease inside us, like cancer, that we don't treat? It destroys us. Sin does the exact same thing. Thanks to Jesus taking our sin, we no longer have to bear the weight of it. It's not like we could BEFORE the cross either. But they had the sacrifices to at least give them some semblance of hope. Now we can lay all our burdens on Jesus. The trouble is, we still have pride and think we can save ourselves. Even Christians I have heard talk about how they need to just "toughen up and get back in the Word" to get rid of sin. News flash for you all: No works you do will get rid of your sin. Pray all you want for healing and freedom, change jobs, go to church eight days a week. You'll still be tempted.
What does it take? First, it's trust that Jesus is who He said He was. If He came to save His people from their sins, that means every last one of them is forgiven. There is no "back room" where you hide all the really nasty ones. Even if there were, He'd know about it and want you to confess it anyway. Second, it's confessing the sin. 1 John 1:9 is good here, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.". The next portion of Psalm 32 is also good, "Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity....and you forgave the guilt of my sin." (v. 5). Third, it's like the woman Jesus caught in adultery - "Go and sin no more (John 8:11)" - we need to turn away from the sin. Not in a self-effectuating sort of "I'm tougher than my sin and I can beat it", but a humble, innocent, "I'm going to strive after Jesus with all I have. I'm sorry, I don't have time for my sin any more".
All that to say this: Ted Haggard made some GIGANTIC mistakes, which he'll never get back. If his mindset is as mine was two years ago, he never wanted to hurt anyone, never wanted to destroy a church and a national movement. But here he is. God has forgiven him, we can too (though it will be in stages for some). We prayed for him and his family in church this morning. I realized this morning how utterly desperate I am for His grace. As good as he's been in the last 17 years, even just today! there were untold numbers of times that I've turned around and spit at Jesus as I disobeyed and sinned. But yet He still forgives. He's still faithful. No matter how far away the person has gone, Jesus ALWAYS takes us back. He has taken Ted back. No questions asked.
If you are reading this and you've never asked for His forgiveness, you need to do it now. You know now, the Holy Spirit is convicting you, that what you've been doing is wrong and you have no way to clean your soul on your own. Jesus will do it for you. He already has, by dying that substitutionary death on the cross. Don't listen to what some may say, "God isn't real. The church is playing a game. They're all hypocrites". I dare you, look into my life. You know what you'll find? I am saved by grace, and this not of myself, it is the gift of God. Jesus never asked us to be perfect. He wants us to be holy, set apart.
May Ted Haggard and his family find hope, support, peace and privacy during this tough moment.
He tried to keep it all under wraps. The mountain of dirty magazines he'd collected. The on-going relationship with a prostitute while at seminary. The random encounters he'd line up while traveling the country "preaching the good news". Rev. Hassmann's double life is found out at the worst possible time for himself and the organization. He is stripped of his pastorate and his title and goes into seclusion. The rest of the book details what happens next - hitting rock bottom and the healing that comes as a result.
Sound vaguely familiar? I was stunned when I read of Ted Haggard's mess Friday morning. 24 hours later, and he's a goner. He never admitted to having sex with the massage guy, but it's obvious what he was doing was out of bounds and he needed to be punished for it.
I'm angry that Haggard was doing all this. That he was so loose with his personal issues. I'm angry that no one around him saw the signs or, if they did, had the stones to say something. I'm angry for the political opportunism that is so apparent in all this. I'm angry for trash blogs like the one at (no surprise) the San Francisco Chronicle, who accuse Haggard of everything from male gang sex to beastiality, profaning the name of Jesus in the process. I'm angry that Christians now will have to answer all the Jim Bakker/Jimmy Swaggart/et al questions again.
I'm angry that most Christians won't be able to come up with a suitable answer to the world's blistering critiques. I'm angry that even this won't wake up most men who are bound up by sexual addiction, and they'll stay locked away in their closets, convinced no one will ever know.
Proverbs 26:24-26 says, "A malicious man disguises himself with his lips, but in his heart he harbors deceit. Though his speech is charming, do not believe him, for seven abominations fill his heart. His malice may be concealed by deception, but his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.". Remember Moses' famous line, "Be sure your sin will find you out" (Numbers 32:23). NO ONE can get away with sin forever. If there is hypocrisy, it will be exposed. Set up as much Teflon around you as you want to, it doesn't matter. Light will shine on you sooner or later. I tried to hide my sex addiction for years. No one needs to know that. I can be on the radio, preach in churches, expect to pastor a church even! All with the core of my being rotting away from unrepentant sin. I confessed to my wife, my pastors, the guys at GFF. I found freedom. Am I 100% yet? No way. I still struggle daily. I'm finding it easier, little by little, to not let my eyes wander. I check lust on a minute by minute basis. I'm doing much better.
But why am I where I am now? Because I confessed it! I spoke it out to many people. I broke the agreement with the enemy. Psalm 32 is a beautiful account of David confessing sin to the Lord. Verses 3 and 4 says, "When I kept silent (did not confess my sin), my bones wasted away...your hand was heavy on me...my stength was sapped". It's obvious unspoken sin was taking its toll on David. What happens in the physical realm when we have a disease inside us, like cancer, that we don't treat? It destroys us. Sin does the exact same thing. Thanks to Jesus taking our sin, we no longer have to bear the weight of it. It's not like we could BEFORE the cross either. But they had the sacrifices to at least give them some semblance of hope. Now we can lay all our burdens on Jesus. The trouble is, we still have pride and think we can save ourselves. Even Christians I have heard talk about how they need to just "toughen up and get back in the Word" to get rid of sin. News flash for you all: No works you do will get rid of your sin. Pray all you want for healing and freedom, change jobs, go to church eight days a week. You'll still be tempted.
What does it take? First, it's trust that Jesus is who He said He was. If He came to save His people from their sins, that means every last one of them is forgiven. There is no "back room" where you hide all the really nasty ones. Even if there were, He'd know about it and want you to confess it anyway. Second, it's confessing the sin. 1 John 1:9 is good here, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.". The next portion of Psalm 32 is also good, "Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity....and you forgave the guilt of my sin." (v. 5). Third, it's like the woman Jesus caught in adultery - "Go and sin no more (John 8:11)" - we need to turn away from the sin. Not in a self-effectuating sort of "I'm tougher than my sin and I can beat it", but a humble, innocent, "I'm going to strive after Jesus with all I have. I'm sorry, I don't have time for my sin any more".
All that to say this: Ted Haggard made some GIGANTIC mistakes, which he'll never get back. If his mindset is as mine was two years ago, he never wanted to hurt anyone, never wanted to destroy a church and a national movement. But here he is. God has forgiven him, we can too (though it will be in stages for some). We prayed for him and his family in church this morning. I realized this morning how utterly desperate I am for His grace. As good as he's been in the last 17 years, even just today! there were untold numbers of times that I've turned around and spit at Jesus as I disobeyed and sinned. But yet He still forgives. He's still faithful. No matter how far away the person has gone, Jesus ALWAYS takes us back. He has taken Ted back. No questions asked.
If you are reading this and you've never asked for His forgiveness, you need to do it now. You know now, the Holy Spirit is convicting you, that what you've been doing is wrong and you have no way to clean your soul on your own. Jesus will do it for you. He already has, by dying that substitutionary death on the cross. Don't listen to what some may say, "God isn't real. The church is playing a game. They're all hypocrites". I dare you, look into my life. You know what you'll find? I am saved by grace, and this not of myself, it is the gift of God. Jesus never asked us to be perfect. He wants us to be holy, set apart.
May Ted Haggard and his family find hope, support, peace and privacy during this tough moment.
11.04.2006
"Have You Been to Jail for Justice?"
I got a couple of comp tickets to see Peter, Paul and Mary last night. I thought it would be a nice date night for me and Carissa, my eight year old. You know, "Puff the Magic Dragon" and all that. In my naivete, I said to my wife over dinner last night, "Boy, I hope they don't spend all night ranting and raving about politics." I wouldn't call it ranting and raving - more like a constant dull whine. The kind you get in your car. But instead of fixing it, you just push the car over a cliff to put it out of its misery. After nearly two and a half hours, I was just about ready to gauge my eyes out with a spoon.
Let's see, which part was the wackiest: the two blatant references to accepting the gay/lesbian lifestyle, the equating of rejecting illegal immigrants to "bigotry" (in a song, appropriately named "Hey Mr. Bigot"), the speech Mary gave where she got a stem cell transplant for her leukemia but they "weren't the type the President hates"; then she considered reversing the procedure if she found out her stem cell donor was a Republican. Then there's the song that spawned the title of this entry, "Have You Been to Jail for Justice", an obvious 60's hold over. There's just something odd about seeing Mary violently shaking her cane at the audience, yelling, "SEND 'EM ALL TO JAIL!!!!" as if she's yelling for the neighborhood punks to get off her lawn.
Average age of the audience: 55
Average number of conservatives present: 1
Several thoughts went through my head as I sat being "entertained" -
First, if I attempted to yell, "Shut up and sing!", I wouldn't been hurled from the balcony. So I sat there and took it like a man. Speaking of men...
There were supposed to be two men singing on stage. I couldn't find them. Peter Yarrow and Noel Paul Stookey are nice guys. Sweet, kind, compassionate, thoughtful. They're Mr. Rogers! I kept thinking, in true Wild at Heart fashion, "They may be heroes, famous for their protest songs; but I wouldn't want them to be my dad. I wouldn't want to be like them." They're soft, almost feminine. It's all about emotion to them. There is no realism, no facts. Just love one another, be tolerant and compassionate, and everything will be OK. They may be bold, but it's the boldness you would see from a woman. It's no wonder gender roles are blurred in their politics - they seem rather confused themselves.
I also considered the weight of their message. They advocate harmony and working together. All that "This Land is Your Land/If I Had A Hammer/We Shall Overcome" business. But they are so antagonistic to anyone who doesn't agree with them. If I, as a Christian who is a conservative, told them I work to reduce poverty and bring equality to the inner city, but only by using a Gospel-centered program, they'd ridicule me, call me intolerant and narrow-minded. It's only inclusive if it includes everyone who thinks like them.
Lastly, I was struck by the lengths they would go to stand up for ca-ca politics and dogma. I was seeing images of myself standing up for the cause of Christ, press conferences, books, speeches, confrontation, etc. "Have I Been to Jail for Justice?" No. And I'm ashamed by that. Not that I have been thrown in jail for my faith. But do I live so that all would know what I beleive from day one? Do I witness for Him when it's convenient, or when someone needs to hear? What legnths would I go to proclaim that He Lives, He has His being in us. We need to move on the offensive, beat back the darkness. Would we stand on the corner and protest if the government tried to take our religious freedoms away? Risk losing our jobs, our homes, etc.
This week's Today's Pentecostal Evangel magazine details the plight of the persecuted church around the world. Some of the stories will make you sick. Blatant human rights violations. Now, the Peter, Paul and Marys of the world will defend these foreigners right to religious freedom (at least I hope so, or we're in bigger trouble than I thought) overseas, but will attempt to pass laws to shut Christians up here! They will stand and sing pseudo-spirituals, but approve of a school denying a Christian student the right to pray in school. Shouldn't the children of the sixties be so open-minded, that ALL ideas would have equal value in the marketplace. But there is something they hate about the cross. And those who follow Him. We're narrow-minded, intolerant. We deserve no place in the public square.
I think it's going to take a new Martin Luther King, Jr. in our generation. Someone with the stones to face all the onslaught of the lefties and come out smelling sweet. Only a God-anointed person could do that. I'd get chewed up in three seconds. But God has a man, I know it. We almost need to create a new protest streak. Amazingly enough, the last one is now in power in many places. And they rule by fear an intimidation, the very thing they accused their parents' generation of. It's truly amazing to see how they've become what they once feared.
Well, I've sufficiently washed all the liberalism off. At least all Carissa remembers is "Puff" and stopping by the gift shop and getting a new Beany Baby. Thankfully, she's too young to be brainwashed. I can't say the same for the more than 2,000 who were there with me.
I also want to tackle the Ted Haggard mess. As one who wrote (what is now slightly prophetic) On the Fritz, the story of a pastor who is dismissed from his church based on sexual allegations, I think I offer a fresh perspective on it all. Hopefully, tomorrow. If not, soon. You'll see...
Let's see, which part was the wackiest: the two blatant references to accepting the gay/lesbian lifestyle, the equating of rejecting illegal immigrants to "bigotry" (in a song, appropriately named "Hey Mr. Bigot"), the speech Mary gave where she got a stem cell transplant for her leukemia but they "weren't the type the President hates"; then she considered reversing the procedure if she found out her stem cell donor was a Republican. Then there's the song that spawned the title of this entry, "Have You Been to Jail for Justice", an obvious 60's hold over. There's just something odd about seeing Mary violently shaking her cane at the audience, yelling, "SEND 'EM ALL TO JAIL!!!!" as if she's yelling for the neighborhood punks to get off her lawn.
Average age of the audience: 55
Average number of conservatives present: 1
Several thoughts went through my head as I sat being "entertained" -
First, if I attempted to yell, "Shut up and sing!", I wouldn't been hurled from the balcony. So I sat there and took it like a man. Speaking of men...
There were supposed to be two men singing on stage. I couldn't find them. Peter Yarrow and Noel Paul Stookey are nice guys. Sweet, kind, compassionate, thoughtful. They're Mr. Rogers! I kept thinking, in true Wild at Heart fashion, "They may be heroes, famous for their protest songs; but I wouldn't want them to be my dad. I wouldn't want to be like them." They're soft, almost feminine. It's all about emotion to them. There is no realism, no facts. Just love one another, be tolerant and compassionate, and everything will be OK. They may be bold, but it's the boldness you would see from a woman. It's no wonder gender roles are blurred in their politics - they seem rather confused themselves.
I also considered the weight of their message. They advocate harmony and working together. All that "This Land is Your Land/If I Had A Hammer/We Shall Overcome" business. But they are so antagonistic to anyone who doesn't agree with them. If I, as a Christian who is a conservative, told them I work to reduce poverty and bring equality to the inner city, but only by using a Gospel-centered program, they'd ridicule me, call me intolerant and narrow-minded. It's only inclusive if it includes everyone who thinks like them.
Lastly, I was struck by the lengths they would go to stand up for ca-ca politics and dogma. I was seeing images of myself standing up for the cause of Christ, press conferences, books, speeches, confrontation, etc. "Have I Been to Jail for Justice?" No. And I'm ashamed by that. Not that I have been thrown in jail for my faith. But do I live so that all would know what I beleive from day one? Do I witness for Him when it's convenient, or when someone needs to hear? What legnths would I go to proclaim that He Lives, He has His being in us. We need to move on the offensive, beat back the darkness. Would we stand on the corner and protest if the government tried to take our religious freedoms away? Risk losing our jobs, our homes, etc.
This week's Today's Pentecostal Evangel magazine details the plight of the persecuted church around the world. Some of the stories will make you sick. Blatant human rights violations. Now, the Peter, Paul and Marys of the world will defend these foreigners right to religious freedom (at least I hope so, or we're in bigger trouble than I thought) overseas, but will attempt to pass laws to shut Christians up here! They will stand and sing pseudo-spirituals, but approve of a school denying a Christian student the right to pray in school. Shouldn't the children of the sixties be so open-minded, that ALL ideas would have equal value in the marketplace. But there is something they hate about the cross. And those who follow Him. We're narrow-minded, intolerant. We deserve no place in the public square.
I think it's going to take a new Martin Luther King, Jr. in our generation. Someone with the stones to face all the onslaught of the lefties and come out smelling sweet. Only a God-anointed person could do that. I'd get chewed up in three seconds. But God has a man, I know it. We almost need to create a new protest streak. Amazingly enough, the last one is now in power in many places. And they rule by fear an intimidation, the very thing they accused their parents' generation of. It's truly amazing to see how they've become what they once feared.
Well, I've sufficiently washed all the liberalism off. At least all Carissa remembers is "Puff" and stopping by the gift shop and getting a new Beany Baby. Thankfully, she's too young to be brainwashed. I can't say the same for the more than 2,000 who were there with me.
I also want to tackle the Ted Haggard mess. As one who wrote (what is now slightly prophetic) On the Fritz, the story of a pastor who is dismissed from his church based on sexual allegations, I think I offer a fresh perspective on it all. Hopefully, tomorrow. If not, soon. You'll see...
10.30.2006
What We Need is a Change of Heart...
Here goes Darren, treading into the stormy sea of tithing and giving. But I read this article today, and it hits some pretty good points. I still can't believe the figure that the average church goer only gives about 2.5% to the church.
I'm not necessarily a "10% at all costs" kind of guy. When we were having financial struggles earlier this year, we didn't give for three weeks. It was either tithe or eat. Sorry, we ate! But when we have, we give 10%. Period. I feel my pastors and my church are worth it, especially as they endeavor to reach the world with the Gospel. It takes money to do this, and I put my wallet where my faith is. I enjoy giving. And we've seen God pull us out of crazy situations, because of our mindset that the money really isn't ours to begin with.
See what I mean? This can go around forever. Read what Dr. Dean has to say. Leave comments if you are so inclined...
Membership Up, Giving Down: What's the Heart of the Problem?
Dr. Paul Dean
As an expository preacher who generally preaches verse by verse through bible books, I typically preach on giving or tithing when it's in the text; and that means rarely. The heretical health and wealth gospel is a blight on the bride of Christ and the scandalous "sow your monetary seed" preaching that is propagated in a variety of circles must be eschewed by every man of God who is called to herald the glorious gospel of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. Yet, the issue of giving is of import in terms of both gospel advance and individual Christian commitment.
Citing the Washington Times, Monday Morning Insight noted that "church members continue to give less of their income to churches despite increases in membership." Church members gave only 2.56 percent of their income in 2004. "The study also found more than 85 percent of contributions to churches funded the general operations of the local congregation, while about 15 percent went toward 'benevolence,' which was defined as for "the broader mission of the church, beyond the local congregation."
Sylvia Ronsvalle, co-author of the study, raises a few questions: "Has the church lost its vision? Is the church turning into a club, or does the church see itself as salt?" She further noted a correlation between a decrease in giving and an increase in income. "When everyone was poor, you obviously gave. You knew that your kids were one step away from it. When we all started getting comfortable in this world... ministers found that people weren't so excited hearing about the poor." At the same time, she asserted that the issue is a question of leadership. "Who can galvanize people to say, 'We don't want to live in a world where people are dying?'"
Surely Ronsvalle is on to something when she speaks of the church losing its vision and turning into a club of sorts. So often the church is a social outlet for those who can't afford the local country club. For others, it's a place not unlike the local chamber of commerce where folk can network. All but lost is the notion, let alone the commitment to the reality, that the church is the body of Christ in the world and her members gather to worship and scatter to evangelize.
At the same time, if persons formerly gave to the poor out of a realization or fear that their own children were one step away from poverty, their motivation was all wrong. Biblical giving is not grounded in a focus on oneself. Giving that honors God is motivated by a desire to see Him glorified. Love for others is certainly involved but even that dynamic is grounded in a desire for Him to be praised by others. God has a heart for others and those who long to see Him exalted among the nations will have His heart. If Dr. Piper will allow me some license, love is most exemplified in us when we see to it that God is most glorified in others.
The Lord Jesus Himself said, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Luke 12:34). As always, to borrow from Henry Brandt, "the heart of the problem is a problem with the heart." Christians in America seem to have a lot of treasure but precious little of it is in the form of kingdom advance, others orientation, or the propagation of God's glory. To translate the Lord Jesus, people are committed to what they love. When it comes to giving, in the end, we don't need a vision, a fear of poverty, or better leadership. What we need is a change of heart.
I'm not necessarily a "10% at all costs" kind of guy. When we were having financial struggles earlier this year, we didn't give for three weeks. It was either tithe or eat. Sorry, we ate! But when we have, we give 10%. Period. I feel my pastors and my church are worth it, especially as they endeavor to reach the world with the Gospel. It takes money to do this, and I put my wallet where my faith is. I enjoy giving. And we've seen God pull us out of crazy situations, because of our mindset that the money really isn't ours to begin with.
See what I mean? This can go around forever. Read what Dr. Dean has to say. Leave comments if you are so inclined...
Membership Up, Giving Down: What's the Heart of the Problem?
Dr. Paul Dean
As an expository preacher who generally preaches verse by verse through bible books, I typically preach on giving or tithing when it's in the text; and that means rarely. The heretical health and wealth gospel is a blight on the bride of Christ and the scandalous "sow your monetary seed" preaching that is propagated in a variety of circles must be eschewed by every man of God who is called to herald the glorious gospel of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. Yet, the issue of giving is of import in terms of both gospel advance and individual Christian commitment.
Citing the Washington Times, Monday Morning Insight noted that "church members continue to give less of their income to churches despite increases in membership." Church members gave only 2.56 percent of their income in 2004. "The study also found more than 85 percent of contributions to churches funded the general operations of the local congregation, while about 15 percent went toward 'benevolence,' which was defined as for "the broader mission of the church, beyond the local congregation."
Sylvia Ronsvalle, co-author of the study, raises a few questions: "Has the church lost its vision? Is the church turning into a club, or does the church see itself as salt?" She further noted a correlation between a decrease in giving and an increase in income. "When everyone was poor, you obviously gave. You knew that your kids were one step away from it. When we all started getting comfortable in this world... ministers found that people weren't so excited hearing about the poor." At the same time, she asserted that the issue is a question of leadership. "Who can galvanize people to say, 'We don't want to live in a world where people are dying?'"
Surely Ronsvalle is on to something when she speaks of the church losing its vision and turning into a club of sorts. So often the church is a social outlet for those who can't afford the local country club. For others, it's a place not unlike the local chamber of commerce where folk can network. All but lost is the notion, let alone the commitment to the reality, that the church is the body of Christ in the world and her members gather to worship and scatter to evangelize.
At the same time, if persons formerly gave to the poor out of a realization or fear that their own children were one step away from poverty, their motivation was all wrong. Biblical giving is not grounded in a focus on oneself. Giving that honors God is motivated by a desire to see Him glorified. Love for others is certainly involved but even that dynamic is grounded in a desire for Him to be praised by others. God has a heart for others and those who long to see Him exalted among the nations will have His heart. If Dr. Piper will allow me some license, love is most exemplified in us when we see to it that God is most glorified in others.
The Lord Jesus Himself said, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Luke 12:34). As always, to borrow from Henry Brandt, "the heart of the problem is a problem with the heart." Christians in America seem to have a lot of treasure but precious little of it is in the form of kingdom advance, others orientation, or the propagation of God's glory. To translate the Lord Jesus, people are committed to what they love. When it comes to giving, in the end, we don't need a vision, a fear of poverty, or better leadership. What we need is a change of heart.
10.28.2006
Congratulate me! OK, just humor me and applaud or something...
Because I posted earlier this week that I was abandoning my efforts to write the Great American novel a second time during NaNoWriMo to get back into my Berean School studies. Well, I have moved out in my efforts to finish my classes. This morning, I woke up early and not only finished all the essays I needed to submit (all seven pages of them, plus a reference list. I haven't done bibliography work in 14 years!), but I had enough time, I decided to take the final exam, too. Drum roll, please...
I got a 90% on the test! Hallelujah! I won't know on the essays for a few days, but I'm confident they're good. So, two classes down. Next up is a survey class in the book of Acts. From there, it's on to hermeneutics, ethics in ministry and other classes in level one. Then, levels two and three. From there, who knows? Stay faithful and let God lead. Don't get too far ahead, but don't sit back and wait for Him to do everything, either.
That's all for now. I'm going to take advantage of the extra hour of sleep tonight and go now. So, the clock actually says 11 pm, but it's really 10 pm. A clock is a confusing thing to me on a regular day. How the stink am I supposed to navigate this now? Maybe Berean will have a class on clock management. Of course it will never start on time. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!
Oh, that was good. WHEW! I'm exhausted now. See ya...
I got a 90% on the test! Hallelujah! I won't know on the essays for a few days, but I'm confident they're good. So, two classes down. Next up is a survey class in the book of Acts. From there, it's on to hermeneutics, ethics in ministry and other classes in level one. Then, levels two and three. From there, who knows? Stay faithful and let God lead. Don't get too far ahead, but don't sit back and wait for Him to do everything, either.
That's all for now. I'm going to take advantage of the extra hour of sleep tonight and go now. So, the clock actually says 11 pm, but it's really 10 pm. A clock is a confusing thing to me on a regular day. How the stink am I supposed to navigate this now? Maybe Berean will have a class on clock management. Of course it will never start on time. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!
Oh, that was good. WHEW! I'm exhausted now. See ya...
10.27.2006
Fast food nirvana (not Heaven, it'll be better there. However...)
I was born in Cobleskill, New York and, thanks to my job with Hear For You, I get to work down there one or two days a week. My schedule during the day typically means I'm seeing patients all day and I have to run back to Rotterdam (approx. 30 miles) to file my reports and order any hearing aids. So I end up eating fast food for lunch. Now, I'm a very knowledgeable junk food eater. I remember my first Whopper (age 6, brought home by my mom. Ate it in her bedroom watching TV. I think I ate the whole thing, too.). The McRib sandwich was a big hit when I was young, too. Then, I expanded my options when I went to college - Subway, Taco Bell, Wendy's among others.
But there is something about fast food in Cobleskill. I'm not sure why, but the end result you get in the bag is just...better! It tastes better. It's cooked and fresh, nice and warm. I've had many cheeseburgers at the Mickey D's and they just don't taste the same as they do anywhere else. Just the right amount of ketchup, mustard and fake onions.
Then it happened today (which is why I'm taking time out of my day to post this). I went to Arby's in Cobleskill and had a Reuben sandwich combo. Now, Arby's is a little different. You get what amounts to "real food", no junky burgers. But at the Arby's in Rotterdam, the Reuben was thin, a skimpy slab of corned beef. Cold. Small. Ick. Especially when they're asking almost 7 dollars for it. But today - it all changed! I opened up the Reuben today...whoa! 3/4 inch of beef, loads of sauerkraut, just right temperature. The curly fries? Not too crispy, full container of fries. And I always ask for a soda with no ice. The cup was FULL! They didn't cheat me because of not having ice! I was so happy after I ate. Fat, bloated, and happy.
Yep, I eat too much fast food. But I can't imagine if I lived in Cobleskill. I'd be 650 pounds by now. And let's not get into the pizza I had at Little Law's on Main Street a few weeks ago while my family visited my mom's house...wonderful thin crust style!
That's my rambling for today. I need a nap...
But there is something about fast food in Cobleskill. I'm not sure why, but the end result you get in the bag is just...better! It tastes better. It's cooked and fresh, nice and warm. I've had many cheeseburgers at the Mickey D's and they just don't taste the same as they do anywhere else. Just the right amount of ketchup, mustard and fake onions.
Then it happened today (which is why I'm taking time out of my day to post this). I went to Arby's in Cobleskill and had a Reuben sandwich combo. Now, Arby's is a little different. You get what amounts to "real food", no junky burgers. But at the Arby's in Rotterdam, the Reuben was thin, a skimpy slab of corned beef. Cold. Small. Ick. Especially when they're asking almost 7 dollars for it. But today - it all changed! I opened up the Reuben today...whoa! 3/4 inch of beef, loads of sauerkraut, just right temperature. The curly fries? Not too crispy, full container of fries. And I always ask for a soda with no ice. The cup was FULL! They didn't cheat me because of not having ice! I was so happy after I ate. Fat, bloated, and happy.
Yep, I eat too much fast food. But I can't imagine if I lived in Cobleskill. I'd be 650 pounds by now. And let's not get into the pizza I had at Little Law's on Main Street a few weeks ago while my family visited my mom's house...wonderful thin crust style!
That's my rambling for today. I need a nap...
10.25.2006
A note on my writing and a note on someone else's...
Hey, there! After a few days of musing, I have decided to table my efforts to write my second NaNoWriMo novel. I'm not giving up writing or anything. It's just in the last couple of days I've been led to other things. Back about a year ago, some of you may remember I started taking correspondance classes through Berean School of the Bible, an A/G program. Well, I breezed through my Intro to Pentecostal Doctrine class - got a 96 final average! Then I hit the second class on the Synoptic gospels. I'm not really sure what happened or how I got derailed, but I never finished. And the books kind of sat on my desk. I'd move them, look at them. Wonder where the excitement went. Put them down. Sigh. Walk away.
But this week, a lot has happened. Tricia and I were seriously considering ditching everything here and moving to Missouri so I could enroll at A/G Seminary. I'd quit my job, we'd sell the house, the whole enchilada. Life and people and situations and the threat of Governor Eliot Spitzer were all beating down on me and I figured it was just time to go. Tricia wasn't excited about it, but I really didn't think there was any other option. We've been hearing all these messages in church about leaving all, giving everything, going to the ends of the Earth. So it seemed like confirmation. Those books kept looking at me funny. Like I had the answer sitting in front of me and I was "too spiritual" to see it.
Then, I get an odd out-of-nowhere vote of confidence at work. Then an informational meeting is happening in two weeks about overseas adoption. Then we realize our church family is more important to us than we could've imagined. Little by little, those books are starting to speak..."Remember us? We're part of the plan. Study to show yourself approved!"
So it doesn't make all the sense in the world, but we're staying put. I'm still working for Hear For You. We're still at Calvary Tabernacle. We're letting our roots grow down and we're going to enjoy the journey. We're considering adoption. My son. Ministry? I've got a lot to learn. I'm not ready for the responsibility yet. God's not done on this "threshing floor" journey He's taking me/us on.
Something's going to happen in February. It's just an impression the Lord gave me months ago. Not sure what, but something. Stay tuned on that...
Oh, and that brings me back to NaNoWriMo. If I'm going to devote time to my classes (polish off the Synoptic Gospels class, go through the Book of Acts, then it's on to hermeneutics!) I need to put off other things for now. So no NaNoWriMo. Tricia's going to do it, though! I should set her up with a blog so she can post her stuff, too. Fifty bucks says she gets to 50,000 words!
Anyhow, that was my writing. Now for someone else's...go to www.jakecolsen.com. You will find there an intriguing book, "So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore?" written for the skeptic and searcher in all of us. It's posted on-line, so you don't even have to spend money and buy a book that will sit on your shelf and collect dust! I read the first chapter and was blown away by the down-to-earth style and refreshing honesty by the author(s). If you have a chance, check it out. And pass the link on...
But this week, a lot has happened. Tricia and I were seriously considering ditching everything here and moving to Missouri so I could enroll at A/G Seminary. I'd quit my job, we'd sell the house, the whole enchilada. Life and people and situations and the threat of Governor Eliot Spitzer were all beating down on me and I figured it was just time to go. Tricia wasn't excited about it, but I really didn't think there was any other option. We've been hearing all these messages in church about leaving all, giving everything, going to the ends of the Earth. So it seemed like confirmation. Those books kept looking at me funny. Like I had the answer sitting in front of me and I was "too spiritual" to see it.
Then, I get an odd out-of-nowhere vote of confidence at work. Then an informational meeting is happening in two weeks about overseas adoption. Then we realize our church family is more important to us than we could've imagined. Little by little, those books are starting to speak..."Remember us? We're part of the plan. Study to show yourself approved!"
So it doesn't make all the sense in the world, but we're staying put. I'm still working for Hear For You. We're still at Calvary Tabernacle. We're letting our roots grow down and we're going to enjoy the journey. We're considering adoption. My son. Ministry? I've got a lot to learn. I'm not ready for the responsibility yet. God's not done on this "threshing floor" journey He's taking me/us on.
Something's going to happen in February. It's just an impression the Lord gave me months ago. Not sure what, but something. Stay tuned on that...
Oh, and that brings me back to NaNoWriMo. If I'm going to devote time to my classes (polish off the Synoptic Gospels class, go through the Book of Acts, then it's on to hermeneutics!) I need to put off other things for now. So no NaNoWriMo. Tricia's going to do it, though! I should set her up with a blog so she can post her stuff, too. Fifty bucks says she gets to 50,000 words!
Anyhow, that was my writing. Now for someone else's...go to www.jakecolsen.com. You will find there an intriguing book, "So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore?" written for the skeptic and searcher in all of us. It's posted on-line, so you don't even have to spend money and buy a book that will sit on your shelf and collect dust! I read the first chapter and was blown away by the down-to-earth style and refreshing honesty by the author(s). If you have a chance, check it out. And pass the link on...
10.22.2006
Did you ever feel like everyone's ganging up on you?
I know I have recently. I don't know who originally said it, but I heard it first in a Billy Crockett song - "Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they really aren't out to get you". Sometimes, that rings true. You just feel like you can do nothing right. You can't please anyone. You can't even breathe correctly without someone getting offended. In the last few weeks, I've had five separate occasions (two work, three personal) where conversations or circumstances just kind of spiraled out of control. Getting blamed for things I didn't do and had no control over. Being confronted over the stupidest stuff.
Now, if you know me, you know I'm typically "the nice guy". I'm easy going, friendly. I rarely start a fight. Why? Everything's cool. The problem with that is that if something bad does happen to you, and you need to stand up for yourself or defend a position, you can't. You don't know how. That's been my problem throughout my life. I'm always afraid if I'm pushed over the edge, I can't trust myself with my response. I may get violent, irrational. Ungodly. Or, I'll make a snap decision that I'll pay for years down the line. In turn, I bottle up my anger and rage. It simmers somewhere under the surface, just below a boil. Then, when acted upon, it fires up to nine billion degrees. That's why a little spilled milk by a child can lead to punching a hole in the wall. A man doesn't have a rage problem. It's no problem - he's GOOD at it. The problem is the outlet. Learning how to stand up, with self-control, and defend your position with righteousness.
Now, of course, this doesn't mean you should get into petty arguments with everyone you disagree with. Scripture warns us to put aside petty squabbles. And, if you are really wrong, it doesn't mean you should try to win a battle of persuasion to make people think you're right. If you're wrong, bend over and take it like a man!
Example - I do a monthly in-service at a retirement home where I check people's hearing. This past month, out of four appointments I had, the care staff at the facility only brought one down to my exam room on time. Very frustrating. One of them was taken to lunch! In finding this out, I told the staff to make sure she hurries up, and I'll see her when she's done shoveling her food down. Well, it was more than an hour later and I was already into my next appointment, and the lunch-eating lady winds up at my door. Nothing I can do. She'll have to reschedule.
The activities coordinator comes into my room a few minutes later. I think she's ready to apologize for the mix-ups. No, she's in the room to blame ME for the problem. "This is your problem, because you told her to eat lunch first. You never should just change the schedule. You should talk to the staff first.". She's talking to me like I'm seven years old. And ignoring the fact that it was HER staff that brought her to lunch instead of my office in the first place. But, here I am, sitting in the principal's office after throwing spit wods at Pauline Zanger (obscure 6th grade reference). It's hard enough to be spoken to like that, but (and this is going to sound sexist) when a woman does it, it's even worse. It's like you're getting your testicles ripped off. That alone can stir up great amounts of anger, not to mention the false accusations.
So, what do you do? Well, the religious left-wing progressives would say, "It's simple. Turn the other cheek." Excuse me? "Sure, Jesus faced all sorts of accusations, but he never got angry at anyone. So we should not get angry at anyone, no matter how wrongly they treat us.". Really? So, in Luke 12, when Jesus is scolded by the Pharisees for healing the woman on the Sabbath and he stares them down and calls them hypocrites, then in the next chapter calls the Chief Priest an "old fox", then later in Matthew's gospel brings down the seven woes upon the religious leaders in a tone that is just dripping with venom, and I haven't even mentioned those famous temple tables yet...this is "turning the other cheek"? Eldredge wrote about this in Wild at Heart -
"We have really misused that verse. You cannot teach a boy how to use his strength by stripping him of it. Jesus was able to retaliate, believe me. But He chose not to. And yet we suggest (my note: in reference to playground bullies, of whom I always ran away from, never standing my ground) that a boy who is mocked, shamed before his fellows, stripped of all power and dignity should stay in that place because Jesus wants him there? You will emasculate him for life. From that point on all will be passive and fearful. He will grow up never knowing how to stand his ground, never knowing if he is a man indeed. Oh yes, he will be courteous, sweet even, deferential, minding all his manners. It may look moral, it may look like turning the other cheek, but it is merely weakness. You cannot turn a cheek you do not have. Our churches are full of such men." (p. 79)
Like I told Delray, my worship leader and pastor's wife, "God is teaching me not to curl up and be abused. If I get spit at, I need to know I can stand up and spit back." Now, again, I must be on the side of truth and righteousness. And I'm not advocating being a Spirit-filled vigilante. But we have the right not to be spoken to condescendingly, especially by the world. DOUBLE ESPECIALLY by other Christians. We can speak up and say, "That is wrong!" and not be labeled judgmental.
Paul said in Ephesians, "Be angry, but do not sin". There is nothing wrong with anger in and of itself. It is a God-given emotion. Anger motivates. Anger makes us seek justice for the wronged. Anger is a passionate tool. But you don't throw out the tool because the one who wields it does so inappropriately. You give it to the craftsman. A knife can perform surgery or it can kill. Pick the person you want to execute the right one.
So, what did I do with that annoying lady? I refused to agree with her. That would give her power. The conclusion she was coming to was wrong. She should not be made to win. So, in as calm a voice as I could, I repeatedly told her my point of view. As she got angrier (because I was not just kneeling down and submitting, like her employees probably do), I kept repeating her statements back to her. When she would make a blind accusation, I would say, "So what you're saying is...". Two reasons: first, maybe she'll actually hear how crazy some of her proposals were and second, so I was sure I was hearing what I was actually hearing. A lot of times, we'll get into arguments with people over miscommunication. Asking the other person what they meant on the spot resolves that. And it also helps in the final step - this week, my boss and I and her boss will be meeting to discuss the situation. Hopefully, if this is a trend, she'll be reprimanded for it. My job is not to punish. It's simply to speak the truth. And I will.
I've always run from confrontation. Don't return a phone call. Don't answer an e-mail. Avoid it. Ignore it. Maybe it'll go away. But God is pulling me out of my comfort zone. He's forcing me to live from the strength He's placed there. Don't be afraid of it. It's the passion that can get a lot of things done. But it's wild now, like a stallion. There's danger, but there's a fierceness to it, too. We need to practice controlling our anger and hostility, so that when we are provoked, we are able to speak the truth without crushing someone's skull. That'd be baaaaad.
Actually, I just thought of another work issue I need to address tomorrow. I think everyone...EVERYONE...is really out to get me. At least I know I trust in the strength He supplies. Bring it on, puppy! Bring it on!
Now, if you know me, you know I'm typically "the nice guy". I'm easy going, friendly. I rarely start a fight. Why? Everything's cool. The problem with that is that if something bad does happen to you, and you need to stand up for yourself or defend a position, you can't. You don't know how. That's been my problem throughout my life. I'm always afraid if I'm pushed over the edge, I can't trust myself with my response. I may get violent, irrational. Ungodly. Or, I'll make a snap decision that I'll pay for years down the line. In turn, I bottle up my anger and rage. It simmers somewhere under the surface, just below a boil. Then, when acted upon, it fires up to nine billion degrees. That's why a little spilled milk by a child can lead to punching a hole in the wall. A man doesn't have a rage problem. It's no problem - he's GOOD at it. The problem is the outlet. Learning how to stand up, with self-control, and defend your position with righteousness.
Now, of course, this doesn't mean you should get into petty arguments with everyone you disagree with. Scripture warns us to put aside petty squabbles. And, if you are really wrong, it doesn't mean you should try to win a battle of persuasion to make people think you're right. If you're wrong, bend over and take it like a man!
Example - I do a monthly in-service at a retirement home where I check people's hearing. This past month, out of four appointments I had, the care staff at the facility only brought one down to my exam room on time. Very frustrating. One of them was taken to lunch! In finding this out, I told the staff to make sure she hurries up, and I'll see her when she's done shoveling her food down. Well, it was more than an hour later and I was already into my next appointment, and the lunch-eating lady winds up at my door. Nothing I can do. She'll have to reschedule.
The activities coordinator comes into my room a few minutes later. I think she's ready to apologize for the mix-ups. No, she's in the room to blame ME for the problem. "This is your problem, because you told her to eat lunch first. You never should just change the schedule. You should talk to the staff first.". She's talking to me like I'm seven years old. And ignoring the fact that it was HER staff that brought her to lunch instead of my office in the first place. But, here I am, sitting in the principal's office after throwing spit wods at Pauline Zanger (obscure 6th grade reference). It's hard enough to be spoken to like that, but (and this is going to sound sexist) when a woman does it, it's even worse. It's like you're getting your testicles ripped off. That alone can stir up great amounts of anger, not to mention the false accusations.
So, what do you do? Well, the religious left-wing progressives would say, "It's simple. Turn the other cheek." Excuse me? "Sure, Jesus faced all sorts of accusations, but he never got angry at anyone. So we should not get angry at anyone, no matter how wrongly they treat us.". Really? So, in Luke 12, when Jesus is scolded by the Pharisees for healing the woman on the Sabbath and he stares them down and calls them hypocrites, then in the next chapter calls the Chief Priest an "old fox", then later in Matthew's gospel brings down the seven woes upon the religious leaders in a tone that is just dripping with venom, and I haven't even mentioned those famous temple tables yet...this is "turning the other cheek"? Eldredge wrote about this in Wild at Heart -
"We have really misused that verse. You cannot teach a boy how to use his strength by stripping him of it. Jesus was able to retaliate, believe me. But He chose not to. And yet we suggest (my note: in reference to playground bullies, of whom I always ran away from, never standing my ground) that a boy who is mocked, shamed before his fellows, stripped of all power and dignity should stay in that place because Jesus wants him there? You will emasculate him for life. From that point on all will be passive and fearful. He will grow up never knowing how to stand his ground, never knowing if he is a man indeed. Oh yes, he will be courteous, sweet even, deferential, minding all his manners. It may look moral, it may look like turning the other cheek, but it is merely weakness. You cannot turn a cheek you do not have. Our churches are full of such men." (p. 79)
Like I told Delray, my worship leader and pastor's wife, "God is teaching me not to curl up and be abused. If I get spit at, I need to know I can stand up and spit back." Now, again, I must be on the side of truth and righteousness. And I'm not advocating being a Spirit-filled vigilante. But we have the right not to be spoken to condescendingly, especially by the world. DOUBLE ESPECIALLY by other Christians. We can speak up and say, "That is wrong!" and not be labeled judgmental.
Paul said in Ephesians, "Be angry, but do not sin". There is nothing wrong with anger in and of itself. It is a God-given emotion. Anger motivates. Anger makes us seek justice for the wronged. Anger is a passionate tool. But you don't throw out the tool because the one who wields it does so inappropriately. You give it to the craftsman. A knife can perform surgery or it can kill. Pick the person you want to execute the right one.
So, what did I do with that annoying lady? I refused to agree with her. That would give her power. The conclusion she was coming to was wrong. She should not be made to win. So, in as calm a voice as I could, I repeatedly told her my point of view. As she got angrier (because I was not just kneeling down and submitting, like her employees probably do), I kept repeating her statements back to her. When she would make a blind accusation, I would say, "So what you're saying is...". Two reasons: first, maybe she'll actually hear how crazy some of her proposals were and second, so I was sure I was hearing what I was actually hearing. A lot of times, we'll get into arguments with people over miscommunication. Asking the other person what they meant on the spot resolves that. And it also helps in the final step - this week, my boss and I and her boss will be meeting to discuss the situation. Hopefully, if this is a trend, she'll be reprimanded for it. My job is not to punish. It's simply to speak the truth. And I will.
I've always run from confrontation. Don't return a phone call. Don't answer an e-mail. Avoid it. Ignore it. Maybe it'll go away. But God is pulling me out of my comfort zone. He's forcing me to live from the strength He's placed there. Don't be afraid of it. It's the passion that can get a lot of things done. But it's wild now, like a stallion. There's danger, but there's a fierceness to it, too. We need to practice controlling our anger and hostility, so that when we are provoked, we are able to speak the truth without crushing someone's skull. That'd be baaaaad.
Actually, I just thought of another work issue I need to address tomorrow. I think everyone...EVERYONE...is really out to get me. At least I know I trust in the strength He supplies. Bring it on, puppy! Bring it on!
10.19.2006
Food for Christian thought for a Thursday...
All credit to my pal Pastor Denes who posted a link to this article on his Crimson Line blog -
"It is only when the human person takes his place as the redeemed creature God made him that we begin to truly see his face and know his name." The new name! Right! And elsewhere, "That is what sin is: a betrayal of who we are, not a revelation of who we are.".
Brilliant stuff. And it's only part one of three. Stay tuned...
I've got to be out of my mind!
I said I wasn't going to do it. I told myself that last year was a fluke, a year of destiny never to be repeated. I was standing strong, dedicated, determined. My past was behind me. My future staring me in the face...
I am not doing National Novel Writing Month this year. What, have I got a death wish or something?
Sure, it was exciting last November. The fact that this wierdo actually got through a 50,000 word book in less than 30 days is amazing (I still have my winner's certificate and my picture of the word count saying 50,000 words, but I've yet to frame them). I count it as one of the truly awesome events of my whole life. I set out to do something that was, as Kevin Costner puts it in Field of Dreams, "highly illogical". And I actually followed through and did it! My book, On the Fritz, is really quite a good story. Truth be told, it's not really finished in the "God did it all in six days and then rested and declared it all good" kind of finished. It has a great beginning and a superb ending. The middle is still a little off. I actually re-visited it mid-summer to redo the middle. I expanded it a bit and thought it would work, but it didn't. It's actually a tad longer now. Probably close to 52,000 now. But it's still not really "done". I also thought of turning it into a screenplay. There's about 15 or 16 pages of that on my hard drive, though it's really not good. I probably would need another set of eyes to do that.
I was awoken this morning at 5. Nablina's purring (not to mention a thrilling view of her "pinkhole") first caught my attention. Then, Rachel's bony little foot kicking me in the stomach added to my anxiety and startled emotional state. But as I lay in random states of conciousness, a thought crossed my mind:
Go downstairs. Log on to nanowrimo.org. Sign up to participate. Write another book. Call it Declan Rummel's Dark Ride. Do it. Don't be a puss.
I know, that's a lot to get all at once. What can I say? Dinner must've been very spicy last night. But I'm trying to listen to the odd thought more and more these days. Anyone can walk through life and not do the "odd thought". What fun is that? Where's the adventure? The risk? Now, obviously, I'm not going to just do something freaky for the sake of being on display. But there are so many things I want to do during the rest of the time I have here on earth. I want to preach and teach the Word of God. I want to publish a book or have a movie made of a screenplay I write. I want to write a song that people use to worship God. I want to go to a baseball fantasy camp. I want to drive a new car - just once. I want to go to Australia. Even with my "Don't ask yourself what the world needs..." mentality, it's incredibly easy to get caught up in the day to day BS. So, every now and then, throw life a curve...or at least a 3-1 slider that gets the hitter out on his front foot and even if he doesn't swing and you walk him, the next hitter has no idea what you'll do if he gets in the same situation. As a true movie icon, Ferris Bueller, said, "Life goes by fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you might miss it." Not me.
So, I guess doing Nanowrimo is a necessity, a mandate, huh? I'm being summoned unto the high ground of writing a 50,000 word novel in 30 days.
Ok, ok, ok. I'll do it. Now can I go back to sleep?
I am not doing National Novel Writing Month this year. What, have I got a death wish or something?
Sure, it was exciting last November. The fact that this wierdo actually got through a 50,000 word book in less than 30 days is amazing (I still have my winner's certificate and my picture of the word count saying 50,000 words, but I've yet to frame them). I count it as one of the truly awesome events of my whole life. I set out to do something that was, as Kevin Costner puts it in Field of Dreams, "highly illogical". And I actually followed through and did it! My book, On the Fritz, is really quite a good story. Truth be told, it's not really finished in the "God did it all in six days and then rested and declared it all good" kind of finished. It has a great beginning and a superb ending. The middle is still a little off. I actually re-visited it mid-summer to redo the middle. I expanded it a bit and thought it would work, but it didn't. It's actually a tad longer now. Probably close to 52,000 now. But it's still not really "done". I also thought of turning it into a screenplay. There's about 15 or 16 pages of that on my hard drive, though it's really not good. I probably would need another set of eyes to do that.
I was awoken this morning at 5. Nablina's purring (not to mention a thrilling view of her "pinkhole") first caught my attention. Then, Rachel's bony little foot kicking me in the stomach added to my anxiety and startled emotional state. But as I lay in random states of conciousness, a thought crossed my mind:
Go downstairs. Log on to nanowrimo.org. Sign up to participate. Write another book. Call it Declan Rummel's Dark Ride. Do it. Don't be a puss.
I know, that's a lot to get all at once. What can I say? Dinner must've been very spicy last night. But I'm trying to listen to the odd thought more and more these days. Anyone can walk through life and not do the "odd thought". What fun is that? Where's the adventure? The risk? Now, obviously, I'm not going to just do something freaky for the sake of being on display. But there are so many things I want to do during the rest of the time I have here on earth. I want to preach and teach the Word of God. I want to publish a book or have a movie made of a screenplay I write. I want to write a song that people use to worship God. I want to go to a baseball fantasy camp. I want to drive a new car - just once. I want to go to Australia. Even with my "Don't ask yourself what the world needs..." mentality, it's incredibly easy to get caught up in the day to day BS. So, every now and then, throw life a curve...or at least a 3-1 slider that gets the hitter out on his front foot and even if he doesn't swing and you walk him, the next hitter has no idea what you'll do if he gets in the same situation. As a true movie icon, Ferris Bueller, said, "Life goes by fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you might miss it." Not me.
So, I guess doing Nanowrimo is a necessity, a mandate, huh? I'm being summoned unto the high ground of writing a 50,000 word novel in 30 days.
Ok, ok, ok. I'll do it. Now can I go back to sleep?
10.08.2006
"If the Son has set you free..."
First, I want to thank all of you who prayed for Joe, Steve and myself this past Saturday as we ministered at the Greene County Correctional Facility. Joe is the Chaplain there, as well as one of the elders in my church. It was his idea to do a one-day Wild at Heart seminar with the guys there, most of them need lots of help in understanding what it means to be a godly man. Joe gave me a lot of tips on what to expect and how to handle being inside; but nothing really prepares you for what it’s like to be in there.
For instance, the slamming of iron doors is freaky. Where we were was a medium security facility, so there are many larger open areas for the guys to walk around, get fresh air. The large doors are actually outside. But that doesn’t mean they’re any quieter. They stay more in large bunk rooms than in cells. They are locked down and after lights out you can’t so much as sit up in bed without a corrections officer giving you a hard time. But during the day, there’s a lot of movement. The medium facility had two facilities on either side; one was a maximum security where guys are locked down, two to a cell, at night (what you might commonly think of as jail). On the other side was the "super max", where the worst of the worst are in small cells 23 hours a day. They get one hour of sunlight and recreation. Otherwise, they’re planted in a room. You know, sliding the tray of food under the door and all. I did not go into these other two buildings. Nor did I want to.
You’re familiar with the wire that is set on top of the fences to make it harder for the prisoners to escape, right? Think it’s just regular barbed wire? Think again. Try "razor wire". Two-inch long razor blades, positioned every two feet or so around the wire. If you do try to climb a fence, the razors will slice you up. And if you happen to make it over the first fence, there’s about 30-40 feet before another fence just like the first one. But don’t worry about scaling the second fence. The security guards in the sniper positions above the buildings will gun you down before you ever start the second climb.
Our meetings were held in Building 38, a multi-purpose room that looked a lot like many church fellowship halls. Florescent lights, tile floors, high ceilings - bad acoustics. Joe wanted to do some worship, so he set up the electric piano. One of the men played a bass guitar and there was a beat-up old drum set in the corner. They gave me the drum sticks (they had to be taken out from a locked box - we are in prison and a drumstick IS a potential weapon!) and we lifted a mighty praise! We played standard worship fare - "Blessed Be Your Name", "How Great is Our God", "Holy, Holy, Holy", and others. The guys were really ministered to by the music (they LOVE to worship) and by my playing. One guy wanted to have me give him lessons. I ended up praying at the end for him to receive a "drum anointing". :)
Joe and Steve taught their sessions in the morning. Joe talked about the spiritual battle we’re all in and how the enemy wants to rob us of our masculine strength. Steve did a great interactive talk about the false images we portray and how we need to live out our lives as God designed us to really be. The men really were following along, because right before lunch, the guys split into groups to discuss all that had been shared to that point. I sat in on a group of five or six and the leader, I forget his first name, was speaking powerful, healing words into the lives of some of the guys. I was blown away, especially considering he is only 21! There are pastors I know who do not have the power in their character to minister the way he does.
After lunch, we worshiped a little more (including "O Happy Day", a song I had never played before). Then, it was my turn to preach. I shared how our hearts are central in our lives, how they are broken through the wounds we take (primarily from our fathers), how Jesus came to heal our broken hearts and set us on the path to our original glory, set down from before we were made in our mothers' wombs. Alot to get through, and I only had 45 minutes! I got to share some of my testimony and talk about how though we may walk this life with no earthly father, we have a Heavenly Father who came confirm in us all the things the world never would. I was afraid I was going to lose them, from the length of time I spoke (their attention span is rather short) and the seriousness of the subject. But they hung on every word. Joe seemed to be very excited about how everything went.
I had a chance to bless and encourage a number of the guys one-on-one, which was exciting. I always used to be the guy who’d stand in the corner, shy and afraid. Saturday, I was walking right up to guys, asking them about their deep, dark stuff. We were definitely covered in prayer; I did not feel much spiritual oppression. But I was only in for a few hours. And we were prayed up well, so I could well have been isolated from it, which I am thankful if that is the case.
Picture the scene, 50-60 guys, most in their 20's or 30's, who are inside for some pretty serious stuff. But they had a peace that passes understanding and, to repeat a word I used before, a depth to their walks with the Lord. When you teach prisoners, you’re not dealing with idiots. They may not read very well and can’t tell you all about politics and quantum mechanics, but they are so close to God that if you’re a fake, they’ll smell you a mile away. And they were digging into the topic. You could tell by their comments and their questions that they saw their need for a deep inner healing. Many are on their way to incredible freedom in Him, a freedom many on the outside never experience.
On a personal level, God really spoke to me on several different levels. God further released something in me that had laid dormant for years - the desire to preach and teach the Word. I’ve been feeling like Jeremiah lately - if I don’t preach, it’s like fire being shut away in my bones. I spoke with very few notes and went for 45 minutes, held prisoners’ short attention spans and actually had something to say. He gave it to me. I trusted Him, didn't over prepare and stifle the what the Spirit wanted to do, and the Lord held up His end of the bargain. I told my wife last night as we talked about it, "That's it! That's what I'm put here to do. Minister. Preach and teach the Word. Be mightily used in His service. It's time to stop pleasing myself and striving for what I want. Drop the nets. Expand my circle. It's time."
Now what do we do? Seminary, on-line or distance learner? Straight into ministry? There must be more. But to me it doesn’t matter. He has a plan and a destiny. I will fulfill it! I can’t wait to get Lorenzo’s "Flying Blind" sermon. I’ll probably post it up here when I get a chance. And, if you have it, listen to Steven Curtis Chapman’s "Free", on the CD Signs of Life. His song is almost word for word what I experienced.
There is so much more to say. I’m sure I’ll share more as we go along. Again, we believe your prayers were vital in us having the success we have had. Thank you!
For now, I’m falling asleep. In fact, you should’ve read some for the stuff I erased as I was trying to write and sleep at the same time. Good stinking luck! No psychologist can figure that out!
Walk with God...
For instance, the slamming of iron doors is freaky. Where we were was a medium security facility, so there are many larger open areas for the guys to walk around, get fresh air. The large doors are actually outside. But that doesn’t mean they’re any quieter. They stay more in large bunk rooms than in cells. They are locked down and after lights out you can’t so much as sit up in bed without a corrections officer giving you a hard time. But during the day, there’s a lot of movement. The medium facility had two facilities on either side; one was a maximum security where guys are locked down, two to a cell, at night (what you might commonly think of as jail). On the other side was the "super max", where the worst of the worst are in small cells 23 hours a day. They get one hour of sunlight and recreation. Otherwise, they’re planted in a room. You know, sliding the tray of food under the door and all. I did not go into these other two buildings. Nor did I want to.
You’re familiar with the wire that is set on top of the fences to make it harder for the prisoners to escape, right? Think it’s just regular barbed wire? Think again. Try "razor wire". Two-inch long razor blades, positioned every two feet or so around the wire. If you do try to climb a fence, the razors will slice you up. And if you happen to make it over the first fence, there’s about 30-40 feet before another fence just like the first one. But don’t worry about scaling the second fence. The security guards in the sniper positions above the buildings will gun you down before you ever start the second climb.
Our meetings were held in Building 38, a multi-purpose room that looked a lot like many church fellowship halls. Florescent lights, tile floors, high ceilings - bad acoustics. Joe wanted to do some worship, so he set up the electric piano. One of the men played a bass guitar and there was a beat-up old drum set in the corner. They gave me the drum sticks (they had to be taken out from a locked box - we are in prison and a drumstick IS a potential weapon!) and we lifted a mighty praise! We played standard worship fare - "Blessed Be Your Name", "How Great is Our God", "Holy, Holy, Holy", and others. The guys were really ministered to by the music (they LOVE to worship) and by my playing. One guy wanted to have me give him lessons. I ended up praying at the end for him to receive a "drum anointing". :)
Joe and Steve taught their sessions in the morning. Joe talked about the spiritual battle we’re all in and how the enemy wants to rob us of our masculine strength. Steve did a great interactive talk about the false images we portray and how we need to live out our lives as God designed us to really be. The men really were following along, because right before lunch, the guys split into groups to discuss all that had been shared to that point. I sat in on a group of five or six and the leader, I forget his first name, was speaking powerful, healing words into the lives of some of the guys. I was blown away, especially considering he is only 21! There are pastors I know who do not have the power in their character to minister the way he does.
After lunch, we worshiped a little more (including "O Happy Day", a song I had never played before). Then, it was my turn to preach. I shared how our hearts are central in our lives, how they are broken through the wounds we take (primarily from our fathers), how Jesus came to heal our broken hearts and set us on the path to our original glory, set down from before we were made in our mothers' wombs. Alot to get through, and I only had 45 minutes! I got to share some of my testimony and talk about how though we may walk this life with no earthly father, we have a Heavenly Father who came confirm in us all the things the world never would. I was afraid I was going to lose them, from the length of time I spoke (their attention span is rather short) and the seriousness of the subject. But they hung on every word. Joe seemed to be very excited about how everything went.
I had a chance to bless and encourage a number of the guys one-on-one, which was exciting. I always used to be the guy who’d stand in the corner, shy and afraid. Saturday, I was walking right up to guys, asking them about their deep, dark stuff. We were definitely covered in prayer; I did not feel much spiritual oppression. But I was only in for a few hours. And we were prayed up well, so I could well have been isolated from it, which I am thankful if that is the case.
Picture the scene, 50-60 guys, most in their 20's or 30's, who are inside for some pretty serious stuff. But they had a peace that passes understanding and, to repeat a word I used before, a depth to their walks with the Lord. When you teach prisoners, you’re not dealing with idiots. They may not read very well and can’t tell you all about politics and quantum mechanics, but they are so close to God that if you’re a fake, they’ll smell you a mile away. And they were digging into the topic. You could tell by their comments and their questions that they saw their need for a deep inner healing. Many are on their way to incredible freedom in Him, a freedom many on the outside never experience.
On a personal level, God really spoke to me on several different levels. God further released something in me that had laid dormant for years - the desire to preach and teach the Word. I’ve been feeling like Jeremiah lately - if I don’t preach, it’s like fire being shut away in my bones. I spoke with very few notes and went for 45 minutes, held prisoners’ short attention spans and actually had something to say. He gave it to me. I trusted Him, didn't over prepare and stifle the what the Spirit wanted to do, and the Lord held up His end of the bargain. I told my wife last night as we talked about it, "That's it! That's what I'm put here to do. Minister. Preach and teach the Word. Be mightily used in His service. It's time to stop pleasing myself and striving for what I want. Drop the nets. Expand my circle. It's time."
Now what do we do? Seminary, on-line or distance learner? Straight into ministry? There must be more. But to me it doesn’t matter. He has a plan and a destiny. I will fulfill it! I can’t wait to get Lorenzo’s "Flying Blind" sermon. I’ll probably post it up here when I get a chance. And, if you have it, listen to Steven Curtis Chapman’s "Free", on the CD Signs of Life. His song is almost word for word what I experienced.
There is so much more to say. I’m sure I’ll share more as we go along. Again, we believe your prayers were vital in us having the success we have had. Thank you!
For now, I’m falling asleep. In fact, you should’ve read some for the stuff I erased as I was trying to write and sleep at the same time. Good stinking luck! No psychologist can figure that out!
Walk with God...
10.06.2006
Prayer for me tomorrow! (But pray now, please!)
Hello!
Wanted to send out a prayer request for me, Joe Prisk and Steve Black as we'll be ministering at Greene County Correctional Facility tomorrow from 9am-2:30pm. Joe is the Chaplain there, and he's organized a seminar day based on Wild at Heart. Originally, it was going to be a very structured event, based around the message of the heart. But the more I've been praying, the more it seems God just wants the three of us to go in there, give our testimonies, be transparent, and let the Holy Spirit show up. Joe, Steve and I are meeting tonight to pray and do final prep for the event.
There has been intense spiritual warfare going on the last few weeks, so as if we didn't figure that we were invading enemy territory, it's more apparent right now. Also, I'm feeling like this is a "test case" for me. I've been feeling more and more that God is calling me to preach (or to finally move on a calling that He planted years ago and I've buried under my own plans). I'm excited to have the chance to do it with a heart that's "wild, unfettered and free". More of Him, none of me.
Thanks for your covering. I'll be sure to post highlights later this weekend.
Walk with God...
Wanted to send out a prayer request for me, Joe Prisk and Steve Black as we'll be ministering at Greene County Correctional Facility tomorrow from 9am-2:30pm. Joe is the Chaplain there, and he's organized a seminar day based on Wild at Heart. Originally, it was going to be a very structured event, based around the message of the heart. But the more I've been praying, the more it seems God just wants the three of us to go in there, give our testimonies, be transparent, and let the Holy Spirit show up. Joe, Steve and I are meeting tonight to pray and do final prep for the event.
There has been intense spiritual warfare going on the last few weeks, so as if we didn't figure that we were invading enemy territory, it's more apparent right now. Also, I'm feeling like this is a "test case" for me. I've been feeling more and more that God is calling me to preach (or to finally move on a calling that He planted years ago and I've buried under my own plans). I'm excited to have the chance to do it with a heart that's "wild, unfettered and free". More of Him, none of me.
Thanks for your covering. I'll be sure to post highlights later this weekend.
Walk with God...
10.05.2006
Cool video...just for you!
Our worship leader extraordinare, Delray Agnes, sent a link to this video on the WorshipHouse Media web site. We're going to be playing the video clip on our Jumbotron while we play "Nothing But the Blood" over it. I don't know, Telecast's song is pretty cool, too. Check out the other samples found on the site. Good to see creative people doing neat stuff for the Kingdom.
The link is here: http://worshiphousemedia.com/index.cfm?hndl=details&tab=MM&id=4522
Walk with God...
Darren
The link is here: http://worshiphousemedia.com/index.cfm?hndl=details&tab=MM&id=4522
Walk with God...
Darren
10.02.2006
REPENT!!!
I subscribe to a number of free e-mail services. Some are great, like John Piper's. Others are, to be blunt, advertisements for the latest church growth gobbledy-gook. I got this one today from Ray Pritchard. I thought it so excellent that I'm posting it here for your edification. Pritchard has a whole blog of his own at www.crosswalk.com. Just search for it...
Repent! The Forgotten Doctrine of Salvation
Ray Pritchard
Please see Acts 17:30.
In 1937 the American Tract Society sponsored a contest in which they offered a prize of $1,000 for the best new book written on one of the “essential evangelical doctrines of the Christian faith.” Sixty-one years ago, $1,000 was a lot of money and a great many well-known Christian authors entered the contest hoping to win the prize. A committee representing six denominations judged the entries. The judges unanimously chose a book written by a man whose name I have mentioned before — Dr. Harry Ironside, who for many years served as pastor of the famous Moody Memorial Church in downtown Chicago. The book he wrote is entitled Except Ye Repent. The title is taken from the King James Version of Luke 13:3 where Jesus said to the men of his day, “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish”.
Let me quote the first sentence from Dr. Ironside’s introduction: “Fully convinced in my own mind that the doctrine of repentance is the missing note in many otherwise orthodox and fundamentally sound circles today, I have penned this volume out of a full heart.” Repentance, he says, is the missing note in many otherwise sound churches. If it was so in 1937, how much more it must be true in 2006.
In our day, and in our circles, the doctrine of repentance is not preached very often. There are several reasons for this. First, we live in a superficial age and any preaching of repentance is bound to cut through the superficiality. This is one point on which both liberals and conservatives share unspoken agreement — no one wants to go to church and hear hard truth from the pulpit, and repentance is the ultimate hard truth. Second, some evangelicals fear the preaching of repentance because they think it somehow opposes the gospel of grace. Their fears are justified if repentance is made to equal penance, the act whereby a man atones for his own sin. But that is not true biblical repentance. Where true repentance is preached, it actually promotes the grace of God.
A Major Biblical Topic Even a casual reader of the Bible soon discovers that repentance is a major biblical topic. All the prophets mention it in one way or another. Isaiah called Israel to repent, as did Jeremiah and Ezekiel and Hosea and Micah and Malachi. A survey of the New Testament shows that the words “repent” and “repentance” are used in various forms 55 times. John the Baptist cried out, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (Matthew 3:2). The entire message of Jesus is summed up in these words: “Repent and believe the good news” (Mark 1:15). When Jesus sent the 12 apostles out, they preached “that people should repent” (Mark 6:12). Our Lord also declared, “I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance”(Luke 5:32). When Luke recorded his version of the Great Commission, he tells us that Jesus ordered that “repentance and forgiveness of sins be preached in his name to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47). Evidently Peter took those words seriously because on the Day of Pentecost he concluded his powerful sermon by calling on his hearers to “Repent and be baptized … for the forgiveness of your sins” (Acts 2:38).
Before we move on, consider these two verses:
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promises, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
“In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30).
What is God saying?
He wants you to repent!
He commands you to repent!
That last statement would have bothered the men of Athens. Up until this point, they would have been quite happy with Paul’s message on Mars Hill. Even if they didn’t agree with everything, the Stoic and Epicurean philosophers would have found much food for thought. But with the mention of repentance, they would have become very uncomfortable. Intellectuals love to discuss but hate to decide. The men of Athens would have welcomed Paul’s theological presentation but they could not accept his demand for repentance. That came too close for comfort.
But our text is perfectly clear. If you want to go to heaven, you must repent of your sins. This is not only God’s desire; it is also God’s command. As all good soldiers know, when a command is given, you don’t discuss it or debate it. You have but one choice — to obey. If you don’t, you are guilty of insubordination.
No one likes to be commanded to do anything. But here is a command from Almighty God that applies to every man, woman, boy and girl born on this planet. God says you must repent. No excuses will be accepted. If you do not obey God’s command, you will someday face a divine court-martial.
I. The Definition of Repentance Before going further, it’s important that we clearly understand what repentance really means. In the Old Testament, two Hebrew words help us understand repentance. The first is the word nacham, which means to turn around or to change the mind. The second is the word sub. It is used over 600 times in the Old Testament and is translated by such words as “turn,” “return,” “seek,” “restore.” You see it very often in phrases like “to turn to the Lord with all your heart.”
When you come to the New Testament there is one word you need to know — the Greek word metanoia, which literally means “to change the mind.” Repentance fundamentally means to change your mind about something. It has to do with the way you think about something. You’ve been thinking one way, but now you think the opposite way. That’s repentance — the changing of the mind.
Let’s suppose a man wants to learn how to parachute. So he goes to a parachute school and they show him how to rig up his gear, how to pull the rip cord, and how to land safely. Finally the day comes when they take him up in an airplane. He’s scared to death but he’s afraid to back out. The moment comes when he is to jump. He goes to the door of the airplane and sees the ground 7,000 feet below. His legs grow weak, he’s about to throw up, and somebody behind him is trying to push him out of the airplane. At the last second he says, “No. I’m not going to do it.” “Go ahead, you can do it,” his instructor shouts. “I’ve changed my mind,” he replies. “I’m not going to jump.” And he doesn’t. That man has repented. He’s changed his mind in a decisive way. That story illustrates how repentance works. Repentance is a change in the way I think that leads to change in the way I live. When you really change your mind about something, it’s going to change the way you think about it, talk about it, feel about it, and act about it. I’m suggesting that true repentance is more than just a mental game. Repentance is a decisive change in direction. It’s a change of mind that leads to a change of thinking that leads to a change of attitude that leads to a change of feeling that leads to a change of values that leads to a change in the way you live.
I can remember almost 40 years ago going to a small Baptist church in northwest Alabama to hear Ed McCollum — my father in the ministry — preach in a revival meeting. I’ve never forgotten how he explained the doctrine of repentance. He went to one end of the platform and started walking. About the time he got to the other end, he turned around and started going in the other direction. “That’s what repentance is,” he declared. “You were going one way in your life and now you are going in another.” That’s why the typical Old Testament word for repentance is “turn.” Turning is always involved in repentance. It’s a change of mind that leads to a change of direction.
Someone may object — rightly — that to leave the matter there may make it seem as if repentance is an outward work I do, a kind of self-reformation where I try to clean up my life. That would indeed be opposed to the gospel of grace. But that’s not what I mean. What I am trying to show is that true repentance affects the way I live and if it doesn’t affect the way I live, it’s not true repentance. It’s not just mental arithmetic; it’s a true change in the values by which I live my life. There are dangers on both sides. I think by far our greater danger is that we will minimize repentance to the point where it doesn’t mean anything at all.
Only God Can Grant RepentanceIt’s also crucial to point out that repentance is a gift from God. We are all born with a sin nature that leads us constantly away from God (Ephesians 2:1-2). Left to ourselves, we will always walk in the wrong direction. No one will ever have the slightest desire to change directions — and no one will have the power to make the change — unless and until God touches that person with the power of the Holy Spirit. That’s why both Acts 11:18 and 2 Timothy 2:25 speak of God granting the gift of repentance. Without that gift, no sinner could ever turn from his sin and find the Lord Jesus Christ.
In passing, let me say that there are two things that repentance is not. First, repentance is not mere sorrow for sin. Repentance is not measured by the number of tears you shed. Judas, we are told, regretted having betrayed Christ. He was genuinely sorry but he did not repent. There is a place for weeping and agony of soul, and we would all be better off if we took our sin more seriously, but sorrow in and of itself is not repentance. Second, repentance is not merely a promise to do better. I’ve already said that repentance is not self-reformation. It’s not a spiritual New Year’s Eve resolution. Yet repentance includes both ideas. When I truly change my mind about the way I have been living, there will be sorrow for sin because I will see my sin the way God sees it. It will grieve me the way it grieves God. And repentance implies a decision to make a break with the past and to live a life pleasing to God. So those two things aren’t wrong; they just don’t go far enough.
The first step in changing the direction of your life must come from within. You’ve got to want to change. If you don’t want to change, no one can make you change. And you must be willing to do the hard work of repentance. Most of us change slowly and often only under great pressure from within or without. That explains why Christians often continue in sinful patterns of conduct even when we know we are hurting ourselves and others. It’s easier to keep on doing what we’ve been doing. Real change is hard work. But if there is no real change, there is no real repentance. Until you can say, “I was wrong,” you will never be able to repent. If you never admit your faults, you can never be healed. Until you admit that you are traveling down the wrong road, you can never change the direction of your life.
Once when preaching on this topic, I asked the congregation to say "I was wrong" out loud with me. With more than a few sheepish grins, we all said it together. Why not stop reading and say it out loud wherever you are? As you grow spiritually, it ought to become easier and easier to say those words.
II. Repentance Illustrated It’s not hard to find many examples of true and false repentance in the Bible. On the positive side we have the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32) who took his share of his father’s inheritance, left home, went to the “far country,” and wasted it all on riotous living and sexual immorality. When the famine came (as it always does sooner or later), he found himself broke, hungry, friendless and penniless, far from home. He ended up hiring himself out to a farmer where he fed the pigs and dreamed of eating the husks himself. Finally he came to his senses, he realized what a fool he had been, and resolved to return to his father’s house. He mentally rehearsed what he would say: “I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.” Then he got up and began the long journey home. But when his father saw him coming, he ran to him, embraced him with tears, and welcomed him back with joy. The son repeated the words he had rehearsed and his father responded by putting a robe on his shoulders, a ring on his finger, and sandals on his feet. He called for a great celebration because his son who had been lost at last was found — as if he had come back from the dead.
On the other hand consider Judas who betrayed the Lord for the price of a slave. When he realized his error, he returned the money to the high priests and tried to cancel the deal, but it was too late (Matthew 27:1-10). The older versions say Judas repented, but the newer versions more accurately record that he was filled with remorse. Later he ended up committing suicide.
What made the difference between these two men? Both knew they had done wrong, both felt deep remorse. Yet one was forgiven and the other was not. Why? Surely the crucial point must be that the prodigal son cried out to his father for forgiveness while Judas did not. He confessed his sin — but not to God — and that made the difference between heaven and hell.
III. Repentance Applied Repentance is the doorway to heaven and there is no other entrance. That’s a bold statement to make — yet I believe it is entirely biblical. If we fail to preach repentance, we are leaving out a vital part of the gospel message. Our failure in this regard has produced an anemic gospel, stripped of its power to change human lives. But there is more to repentance than the initial act of coming to Christ for salvation. Repentance is to be part of our daily walk with God. It is foundational to a growing Christian life. When Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany in 1517, he began with this crucial statement: “When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said 'Repent,' He called for the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.” In a sense the entire Protestant Reformation hangs on those simple words. If you are a Christian, repentance ought to be part of your daily life.
When Paul said that by the Spirit we should “put to death the deeds of the flesh” (Romans 8:13), he was talking about repentance.When he said, “If we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged” (I Corinthians 11:31), he was talking about repentance.When Peter said to his readers, “Rid yourselves of all malice and deceit” (I Peter 2:1), he was talking about repentance.When James said, “Wash your hands, you sinners” (James 4:8), he was talking about repentance.When John said, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9), he was talking about repentance. The words are different but the meaning is the same.
One reason revival does not come is that we take our sins too lightly. Repentance is hard work. It demands we stop excusing ourselves. It means looking at life from God’s point of view. The reason we don’t want to repent is because we know our lives would have to change, and that makes us uncomfortable.
The doctrine of repentance is not given to heap more guilt upon us. It is given to free us from guilt. We drift and slide away from Christ precisely because we don’t want to repent. Repentance means a genuine change of mind about ourselves and the way we’ve been living. It’s costly. It’s not easy. Things are going to change if we repent. But if we dare to obey God when it isn’t easy, if we break up the hard soil of our hearts, God will plant within the seeds of joy and peace. Repentance is not opposed to grace; true repentance leads us on to grace where we are forgiven and restored to fellowship with God.
When I preached this, a friend commented that anyone who thinks repentance is opposed to grace doesn’t understand either one. I think he’s right.
What Repentance Looks Like What does repentance look like in practical terms? Here are five statements that help us answer that question: I know I have repented when…
A. I admit I did wrong.
B. I feel sorrow over my sin.
C. I confess my sin to God and to others.
D. I resolve to make restitution where possible.
E. I walk in the path of new obedience.
Our greatest need is for a holy dissatisfaction. Not a morbid introspection. Not a self-conscious recital of every sin we have committed. But a holy hunger for God to reveal himself in a new way. Where do we go from here? We need to have a time of prayer and personal commitment. I think many of us are somewhere on a downward slide spiritually. Many of us are conscious of being so busy that we hardly have time for the Lord anymore. That’s the first step in a bad direction. Now is the time to turn away from our sin and find forgiveness and cleansing.
One final word. The Gospel invitation begins with repentance. The first step in becoming a Christian is changing your mind about Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “Unless you repent, you too will perish.” It would be terrible to go to hell because you never repented of your sins. Terrible because God has already done everything necessary for you to go to heaven. He sent his own son to die on the cross, bearing your sins, taking your place, paying your penalty. A hymm written in 1759 by Joseph Hart contains a verse that says it well:
Let not conscience make you linger
Nor of fitness fondly dream.
All the fitness he requireth
Is to feel your need of Him.
If you go to hell, don’t blame anyone but yourself. The way to heaven has been open for 2,000 years. Jesus died that you might enter God’s presence forever. No one else could have done what he did. No one else would have done it. The same hymn contains this message of gospel hope:
Come, ye weary, heavy laden,
Lost and ruined by the fall;
If you tarry till you’re better,
You will never come at all.
The refrain promises that Christ will welcome us when we come to him:
I will arise and go to Jesus,
He will embrace me in His arms;
In the arms of my dear Savior,
O there are ten thousand charms.
Do you feel your need of him? If you do, I urge you to come to Christ and put your trust in him. Do it today and enter into the salvation God has prepared for you. Amen.
Repent! The Forgotten Doctrine of Salvation
Ray Pritchard
Please see Acts 17:30.
In 1937 the American Tract Society sponsored a contest in which they offered a prize of $1,000 for the best new book written on one of the “essential evangelical doctrines of the Christian faith.” Sixty-one years ago, $1,000 was a lot of money and a great many well-known Christian authors entered the contest hoping to win the prize. A committee representing six denominations judged the entries. The judges unanimously chose a book written by a man whose name I have mentioned before — Dr. Harry Ironside, who for many years served as pastor of the famous Moody Memorial Church in downtown Chicago. The book he wrote is entitled Except Ye Repent. The title is taken from the King James Version of Luke 13:3 where Jesus said to the men of his day, “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish”.
Let me quote the first sentence from Dr. Ironside’s introduction: “Fully convinced in my own mind that the doctrine of repentance is the missing note in many otherwise orthodox and fundamentally sound circles today, I have penned this volume out of a full heart.” Repentance, he says, is the missing note in many otherwise sound churches. If it was so in 1937, how much more it must be true in 2006.
In our day, and in our circles, the doctrine of repentance is not preached very often. There are several reasons for this. First, we live in a superficial age and any preaching of repentance is bound to cut through the superficiality. This is one point on which both liberals and conservatives share unspoken agreement — no one wants to go to church and hear hard truth from the pulpit, and repentance is the ultimate hard truth. Second, some evangelicals fear the preaching of repentance because they think it somehow opposes the gospel of grace. Their fears are justified if repentance is made to equal penance, the act whereby a man atones for his own sin. But that is not true biblical repentance. Where true repentance is preached, it actually promotes the grace of God.
A Major Biblical Topic Even a casual reader of the Bible soon discovers that repentance is a major biblical topic. All the prophets mention it in one way or another. Isaiah called Israel to repent, as did Jeremiah and Ezekiel and Hosea and Micah and Malachi. A survey of the New Testament shows that the words “repent” and “repentance” are used in various forms 55 times. John the Baptist cried out, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (Matthew 3:2). The entire message of Jesus is summed up in these words: “Repent and believe the good news” (Mark 1:15). When Jesus sent the 12 apostles out, they preached “that people should repent” (Mark 6:12). Our Lord also declared, “I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance”(Luke 5:32). When Luke recorded his version of the Great Commission, he tells us that Jesus ordered that “repentance and forgiveness of sins be preached in his name to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47). Evidently Peter took those words seriously because on the Day of Pentecost he concluded his powerful sermon by calling on his hearers to “Repent and be baptized … for the forgiveness of your sins” (Acts 2:38).
Before we move on, consider these two verses:
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promises, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
“In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30).
What is God saying?
He wants you to repent!
He commands you to repent!
That last statement would have bothered the men of Athens. Up until this point, they would have been quite happy with Paul’s message on Mars Hill. Even if they didn’t agree with everything, the Stoic and Epicurean philosophers would have found much food for thought. But with the mention of repentance, they would have become very uncomfortable. Intellectuals love to discuss but hate to decide. The men of Athens would have welcomed Paul’s theological presentation but they could not accept his demand for repentance. That came too close for comfort.
But our text is perfectly clear. If you want to go to heaven, you must repent of your sins. This is not only God’s desire; it is also God’s command. As all good soldiers know, when a command is given, you don’t discuss it or debate it. You have but one choice — to obey. If you don’t, you are guilty of insubordination.
No one likes to be commanded to do anything. But here is a command from Almighty God that applies to every man, woman, boy and girl born on this planet. God says you must repent. No excuses will be accepted. If you do not obey God’s command, you will someday face a divine court-martial.
I. The Definition of Repentance Before going further, it’s important that we clearly understand what repentance really means. In the Old Testament, two Hebrew words help us understand repentance. The first is the word nacham, which means to turn around or to change the mind. The second is the word sub. It is used over 600 times in the Old Testament and is translated by such words as “turn,” “return,” “seek,” “restore.” You see it very often in phrases like “to turn to the Lord with all your heart.”
When you come to the New Testament there is one word you need to know — the Greek word metanoia, which literally means “to change the mind.” Repentance fundamentally means to change your mind about something. It has to do with the way you think about something. You’ve been thinking one way, but now you think the opposite way. That’s repentance — the changing of the mind.
Let’s suppose a man wants to learn how to parachute. So he goes to a parachute school and they show him how to rig up his gear, how to pull the rip cord, and how to land safely. Finally the day comes when they take him up in an airplane. He’s scared to death but he’s afraid to back out. The moment comes when he is to jump. He goes to the door of the airplane and sees the ground 7,000 feet below. His legs grow weak, he’s about to throw up, and somebody behind him is trying to push him out of the airplane. At the last second he says, “No. I’m not going to do it.” “Go ahead, you can do it,” his instructor shouts. “I’ve changed my mind,” he replies. “I’m not going to jump.” And he doesn’t. That man has repented. He’s changed his mind in a decisive way. That story illustrates how repentance works. Repentance is a change in the way I think that leads to change in the way I live. When you really change your mind about something, it’s going to change the way you think about it, talk about it, feel about it, and act about it. I’m suggesting that true repentance is more than just a mental game. Repentance is a decisive change in direction. It’s a change of mind that leads to a change of thinking that leads to a change of attitude that leads to a change of feeling that leads to a change of values that leads to a change in the way you live.
I can remember almost 40 years ago going to a small Baptist church in northwest Alabama to hear Ed McCollum — my father in the ministry — preach in a revival meeting. I’ve never forgotten how he explained the doctrine of repentance. He went to one end of the platform and started walking. About the time he got to the other end, he turned around and started going in the other direction. “That’s what repentance is,” he declared. “You were going one way in your life and now you are going in another.” That’s why the typical Old Testament word for repentance is “turn.” Turning is always involved in repentance. It’s a change of mind that leads to a change of direction.
Someone may object — rightly — that to leave the matter there may make it seem as if repentance is an outward work I do, a kind of self-reformation where I try to clean up my life. That would indeed be opposed to the gospel of grace. But that’s not what I mean. What I am trying to show is that true repentance affects the way I live and if it doesn’t affect the way I live, it’s not true repentance. It’s not just mental arithmetic; it’s a true change in the values by which I live my life. There are dangers on both sides. I think by far our greater danger is that we will minimize repentance to the point where it doesn’t mean anything at all.
Only God Can Grant RepentanceIt’s also crucial to point out that repentance is a gift from God. We are all born with a sin nature that leads us constantly away from God (Ephesians 2:1-2). Left to ourselves, we will always walk in the wrong direction. No one will ever have the slightest desire to change directions — and no one will have the power to make the change — unless and until God touches that person with the power of the Holy Spirit. That’s why both Acts 11:18 and 2 Timothy 2:25 speak of God granting the gift of repentance. Without that gift, no sinner could ever turn from his sin and find the Lord Jesus Christ.
In passing, let me say that there are two things that repentance is not. First, repentance is not mere sorrow for sin. Repentance is not measured by the number of tears you shed. Judas, we are told, regretted having betrayed Christ. He was genuinely sorry but he did not repent. There is a place for weeping and agony of soul, and we would all be better off if we took our sin more seriously, but sorrow in and of itself is not repentance. Second, repentance is not merely a promise to do better. I’ve already said that repentance is not self-reformation. It’s not a spiritual New Year’s Eve resolution. Yet repentance includes both ideas. When I truly change my mind about the way I have been living, there will be sorrow for sin because I will see my sin the way God sees it. It will grieve me the way it grieves God. And repentance implies a decision to make a break with the past and to live a life pleasing to God. So those two things aren’t wrong; they just don’t go far enough.
The first step in changing the direction of your life must come from within. You’ve got to want to change. If you don’t want to change, no one can make you change. And you must be willing to do the hard work of repentance. Most of us change slowly and often only under great pressure from within or without. That explains why Christians often continue in sinful patterns of conduct even when we know we are hurting ourselves and others. It’s easier to keep on doing what we’ve been doing. Real change is hard work. But if there is no real change, there is no real repentance. Until you can say, “I was wrong,” you will never be able to repent. If you never admit your faults, you can never be healed. Until you admit that you are traveling down the wrong road, you can never change the direction of your life.
Once when preaching on this topic, I asked the congregation to say "I was wrong" out loud with me. With more than a few sheepish grins, we all said it together. Why not stop reading and say it out loud wherever you are? As you grow spiritually, it ought to become easier and easier to say those words.
II. Repentance Illustrated It’s not hard to find many examples of true and false repentance in the Bible. On the positive side we have the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32) who took his share of his father’s inheritance, left home, went to the “far country,” and wasted it all on riotous living and sexual immorality. When the famine came (as it always does sooner or later), he found himself broke, hungry, friendless and penniless, far from home. He ended up hiring himself out to a farmer where he fed the pigs and dreamed of eating the husks himself. Finally he came to his senses, he realized what a fool he had been, and resolved to return to his father’s house. He mentally rehearsed what he would say: “I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.” Then he got up and began the long journey home. But when his father saw him coming, he ran to him, embraced him with tears, and welcomed him back with joy. The son repeated the words he had rehearsed and his father responded by putting a robe on his shoulders, a ring on his finger, and sandals on his feet. He called for a great celebration because his son who had been lost at last was found — as if he had come back from the dead.
On the other hand consider Judas who betrayed the Lord for the price of a slave. When he realized his error, he returned the money to the high priests and tried to cancel the deal, but it was too late (Matthew 27:1-10). The older versions say Judas repented, but the newer versions more accurately record that he was filled with remorse. Later he ended up committing suicide.
What made the difference between these two men? Both knew they had done wrong, both felt deep remorse. Yet one was forgiven and the other was not. Why? Surely the crucial point must be that the prodigal son cried out to his father for forgiveness while Judas did not. He confessed his sin — but not to God — and that made the difference between heaven and hell.
III. Repentance Applied Repentance is the doorway to heaven and there is no other entrance. That’s a bold statement to make — yet I believe it is entirely biblical. If we fail to preach repentance, we are leaving out a vital part of the gospel message. Our failure in this regard has produced an anemic gospel, stripped of its power to change human lives. But there is more to repentance than the initial act of coming to Christ for salvation. Repentance is to be part of our daily walk with God. It is foundational to a growing Christian life. When Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany in 1517, he began with this crucial statement: “When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said 'Repent,' He called for the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.” In a sense the entire Protestant Reformation hangs on those simple words. If you are a Christian, repentance ought to be part of your daily life.
When Paul said that by the Spirit we should “put to death the deeds of the flesh” (Romans 8:13), he was talking about repentance.When he said, “If we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged” (I Corinthians 11:31), he was talking about repentance.When Peter said to his readers, “Rid yourselves of all malice and deceit” (I Peter 2:1), he was talking about repentance.When James said, “Wash your hands, you sinners” (James 4:8), he was talking about repentance.When John said, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9), he was talking about repentance. The words are different but the meaning is the same.
One reason revival does not come is that we take our sins too lightly. Repentance is hard work. It demands we stop excusing ourselves. It means looking at life from God’s point of view. The reason we don’t want to repent is because we know our lives would have to change, and that makes us uncomfortable.
The doctrine of repentance is not given to heap more guilt upon us. It is given to free us from guilt. We drift and slide away from Christ precisely because we don’t want to repent. Repentance means a genuine change of mind about ourselves and the way we’ve been living. It’s costly. It’s not easy. Things are going to change if we repent. But if we dare to obey God when it isn’t easy, if we break up the hard soil of our hearts, God will plant within the seeds of joy and peace. Repentance is not opposed to grace; true repentance leads us on to grace where we are forgiven and restored to fellowship with God.
When I preached this, a friend commented that anyone who thinks repentance is opposed to grace doesn’t understand either one. I think he’s right.
What Repentance Looks Like What does repentance look like in practical terms? Here are five statements that help us answer that question: I know I have repented when…
A. I admit I did wrong.
B. I feel sorrow over my sin.
C. I confess my sin to God and to others.
D. I resolve to make restitution where possible.
E. I walk in the path of new obedience.
Our greatest need is for a holy dissatisfaction. Not a morbid introspection. Not a self-conscious recital of every sin we have committed. But a holy hunger for God to reveal himself in a new way. Where do we go from here? We need to have a time of prayer and personal commitment. I think many of us are somewhere on a downward slide spiritually. Many of us are conscious of being so busy that we hardly have time for the Lord anymore. That’s the first step in a bad direction. Now is the time to turn away from our sin and find forgiveness and cleansing.
One final word. The Gospel invitation begins with repentance. The first step in becoming a Christian is changing your mind about Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “Unless you repent, you too will perish.” It would be terrible to go to hell because you never repented of your sins. Terrible because God has already done everything necessary for you to go to heaven. He sent his own son to die on the cross, bearing your sins, taking your place, paying your penalty. A hymm written in 1759 by Joseph Hart contains a verse that says it well:
Let not conscience make you linger
Nor of fitness fondly dream.
All the fitness he requireth
Is to feel your need of Him.
If you go to hell, don’t blame anyone but yourself. The way to heaven has been open for 2,000 years. Jesus died that you might enter God’s presence forever. No one else could have done what he did. No one else would have done it. The same hymn contains this message of gospel hope:
Come, ye weary, heavy laden,
Lost and ruined by the fall;
If you tarry till you’re better,
You will never come at all.
The refrain promises that Christ will welcome us when we come to him:
I will arise and go to Jesus,
He will embrace me in His arms;
In the arms of my dear Savior,
O there are ten thousand charms.
Do you feel your need of him? If you do, I urge you to come to Christ and put your trust in him. Do it today and enter into the salvation God has prepared for you. Amen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)