Love Your Enemies

May 26, 2010 in Jesus with 5 Comments

A topic that keeps coming up in conversation with friends is Christ’s command to love our enemies.

The analogy I’ve used with them is to think of someone you can’t stand.

A friend who betrayed your trust.

An ex who broke your heart.

As one friend said, someone who, if you found out had died, a part of you might actually be glad.

Yeah, that’s a little screwed up, but it works.

Then I was reading something Donald Miller posted at his blog and saw a perfect example – Osama bin Laden.

Think about it.

Who do Americans hate more than bin Laden?

Now, before anyone freaks out, remember, the Bible never says love and forgiveness = removal of punishment or consequences. Just look at King David as an example; he had sex with another man’s wife, got her pregnant and then had her husband killed in battle to cover everything up. And even though God used the prophet Nathan to confront David and forgave him of his sins, David still had to face the consequences of his actions (2 Samuel 12:11-23).

So I’m not saying that by loving and forgiving bin Laden we also let him off the hook.

I am saying if we are to live according to Matthew 5:44, we have to love even bin Laden.

It’s a tough pill to swallow, but to follow Jesus it is necessary.

Love Your Enemies

May 25, 2010 in Jesus with 0 Comments

HT Donald Miller

Sunday’s Coming

May 6, 2010 in Church with 0 Comments

A rather humorous look at trends in the church, thanks to the church many would call a trendsetter, North Point Community Church. This was played earlier this week at their annual Drive Conference. I think the message here is quit copying others and do what God told you to do.

“Sunday’s Coming” Movie Trailer from North Point Media on Vimeo.

Nashville Flood Recovery

May 5, 2010 in Uncategorized with 0 Comments

Here’s a video from Ed Stetzer’s blog on how you and your church can help with disaster relief efforts.

The Exchange with Ed Stetzer, 05-04-10 from Ed Stetzer on Vimeo.

Websites Mentioned:

Twitter: Pete Wilson, Rice Broocks, Ed Stetzer

Churches: Cross Point, Bethel World Outreach Center, Two Rivers Baptist Church

Ministries: Samaritan’s Purse, North American Mission Board Disaster Relief, Nashville Baptist Association

Please get involved.

Pet Peeves

May 3, 2010 in Culture with 1 Comment

What’s the deal with people who have no clue when it comes to proper grammar and spelling?

I realize Twitter has a 140 character limit and Facebook also has character limits, so sometimes you have to shrink words – but seriously, there’s no excuse for some of the butchering of the English language that I see on the web.

Here’s an example, taken from a Facebook fan review of A Nightmare on Elm Street:

People Have An Issue Becuz Freddys Not As funny As He Was In Da Other 1s.. But They Cant Make The Movie Exactly Da Same. They R Changing All The Movies A Bit. I Mean in Friday The 13th Jason Was Running. It Was Gud U Just Have 2 B Open Minded N Not Expect The Original Knightmare On Elm Street

Not bad enough? Here’s another from the same comment thread:

PPL TLD MEIT WAS ASS BT IMA WATCH IT BOTLEG SHIID IAINT WASTING MY MONEY

You can make any excuse you want, but that ain’t leetspeak. That’s something else entirely, but for the sake of my readers I won’t write it.

But it rhymes with mucked up.

=)

Found “Ark” A Hoax?

April 29, 2010 in Religion with 6 Comments

In case you’ve been living under a rock this week, on Tuesday a group calling themselves Noah’s Ark Ministries International announced they were 99.9% sure they had found Noah’s Ark.

Two days later, a former member of their team is claiming hoax.

This post is not meant to argue the validity of the researchers claims, nor is it meant to slander them and call Christians gullible (although I’ve met a few in my lifetime that meet the requirements).

I was reading a post where author Jason Boyett interviewed renowned archaeologist Robert Cargill. Maybe you’ve seen him on History or Discovery, talking about the Bible or debunking aliens.

Anyways, here’s an excerpt:

…the flood is one of the biblical stories that just about everyone has heard, even the non-religious. Thus, if you can find Noah’s Ark, then there must have been a flood, and if there was a flood, then the Bible is historical and true, and if the Bible is historical and true, then why don’t you accept it?

It’s a hoax. We’ll never find Noah’s Ark, the Ark of the Covenant, etc., not only because they may not be historical, but because the ancients were far better recyclers than we are. My Prius and I are no match for ancient recyclers, who would have torn or melted down and reused anything of value, especially wood and gold. Don’t base your faith on relics.

“Don’t base your faith on relics.”

That REALLY spoke to me.

This is just the latest example of people trying to find evidence in order to prove their faith, forgetting the key word there is FAITH.

Time.com posted an article titled Top 10 Religious Relics to coincide with the first public viewings of the Shroud of Turin since 2000.

Whatever happened to the Biblical definition of faith found in Hebrews 11:1?

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

I’m not afraid to say it: I can’t prove there is a God. But I believe He exists.

I can’t prove Jesus Christ is the Son of God. But I believe He is.

I can’t prove that Jesus Christ was resurrected nearly 2,000 years ago. But I believe He was.

I can’t prove the existence of a real Heaven and a real Hell. But I believe they exist.

There’s not a whole lot pertaining to the Christian faith that I can prove. But that’s why it’s called FAITH.

Just my two cents.

For more from Jason Boyett, check out his website and blog.

Jesus Is Coming…… Look Busy!

April 27, 2010 in Jesus with 1 Comment

I was reading in Matthew chapter three today and this passage stood out to me:

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not presume to say to yourselves, We have Abraham as our father, for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 10 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

It reminded me of a tee-shirt design that’s been around for years.

Now, I still smile a little bit when I see that design, but John the Baptist’s words in Matthew 3:7-10 give a pretty clear indication that those who think they’re holy might just need to repent of a sin called pride.

As Perry Noble would say,

If we listen to a sermon on Sunday and think, “I hope THEY are getting this,” rather than, “Jesus, shape MY life through this!”

Resurrection

April 4, 2010 in Jesus with 0 Comments

Resurrection: Rob Bell from The Work of Rob Bell on Vimeo.

At the heart of the historical Jesus story is the provocative, compelling, subversive, beautiful insistence that nothing can ever be the same again, not after resurrection.

Here’s the transcript from the video:

Jesus is standing in front of the temple in Jerusalem
the massive gleaming brick and stone and gold house of God
and he says destroy this temple
and I’ll rebuild it in three days

the people listening to him said how are you going to do that?
it took 46 years to build this temple!
but he wasn’t talking about that temple
he’s talking about himself
he essentially says, listen
I’m going to be killed
that’s where this is headed
because you don’t confront corrupt systems of power
without paying for it
sometimes with your own blood
and so he’s headed to his execution
if you had witnessed this divine life extinguished on a cross
how would you not be overwhelmed with despair?

is the world ultimately a cold, hard, dead place?

does death have the last word?
is it truly, honestly, actually dark
and so whatever light we do see
whatever good we do stumble upon
are those just blips on the radar?
momentary interruptions in an otherwise meaningless existence?
because if that’s the case then despair is the
only reasonable response

it’s easy to be cynical

but Jesus says destroy this temple and I’ll rebuild it
he insists that his execution would not be the end
he’s talking about something new and unexpected
happening after his death
he’s talking about resurrection

resurrection announces that God has not given up on the world
because this world matters
this world that we call home
dirt and blood and sweat and skin and light and water
this world that God is redeeming and restoring and renewing

greed and violence and abuse they are not right
and they cannot last
they belong to death and death does not belong

resurrection says that what we do with our lives matters
in this body
the one that we inhabit right now
every act of compassion matters
every work of art that celebrates the good and the true matters
every fair and honest act of business and trade
every kind word
they all belong and they will all go on in God’s good world
nothing will be forgotten
nothing will be wasted
it all has it’s place

everybody believes something
everybody believes somebody
Jesus invites us to trust resurrection
that every glimmer of good
every hint of hope
every impulse that elevates the soul
is a sign, a taste, a glimpse
of how things actually are
and how things will ultimately be
resurrection affirms this life and the next
as a seamless reality
embraced
graced
and saved by God

there is an unexpected mysterious presence
who meets each of us in our lowest moments
when we have no strength when we have nothing left
and we can’t go on we hear the voice that speaks those
words

destroy this temple and I’ll rebuild it

do you believe this?
that’s the question Jesus asked then
and that’s the question he asks now

Jesus’ friends arrive at his tomb and they’re told
he isn’t here
you didn’t see that coming, did you?
he’s isn’t here
there is nothing to fear
and nothing can ever be the same again
we are living in a world in the midst of rescue
with endless unexpected possibilities

they will take my life and I will die Jesus says
but that will not be the end
and when you find yourself assuming that it’s over
when it’s lost, gone, broken and it could never be
put back together again,
when it’s been destroyed and you swear that it could never
be rebuilt

hold on a minute
because in that moment
things will in fact have just begun

© Copyright Rob Bell

New Variant of Guinness?

April 1, 2010 in Funny with 0 Comments

John Piper’s Upcoming Leave

March 28, 2010 in Church, Family with 0 Comments

I was checking Facebook this afternoon and noticed a link that Scott Thomas (Acts 29 director) posted with the caption,

John Piper is taking 8 months off to examine his ministry, marriage and family. Pray for Pastor John.

Now, I don’t know about you, but the first thought that came to mind (God forgive me) was moral failure.

Thankfully, I was wrong.

After reading the entire blog post from Pastor John, I’m actually speechless. Here’s an excerpt:

I asked the elders to consider this leave because of a growing sense that my soul, my marriage, my family, and my ministry-pattern need a reality check from the Holy Spirit. On the one hand, I love my Lord, my wife, my five children and their families first and foremost; and I love my work of preaching and writing and leading Bethlehem. I hope the Lord gives me at least five more years as the pastor for preaching and vision at Bethlehem.

But on the other hand, I see several species of pride in my soul that, while they may not rise to the level of disqualifying me for ministry, grieve me, and have taken a toll on my relationship with Noël and others who are dear to me. How do I apologize to you, not for a specific deed, but for ongoing character flaws, and their effects on everybody? I’ll say it now, and no doubt will say it again, I’m sorry. Since I don’t have just one deed to point to, I simply ask for a spirit of forgiveness; and I give you as much assurance as I can that I am not making peace, but war, with my own sins.

By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: desiringGod.org

Wow.

I don’t always agree with Piper’s teachings, but those differences are with secondary issues. I pray God raises up more pastors and leaders like John Piper. Leaders who aren’t ashamed to admit they are human and as such have flaws that they allow God to reveal to them and then work out of them.

Click here to read the full article.

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