The Search for God and Guinness by Stephen Mansfield officially releases October 13, 2009, but you can get it now at Amazon. I’ve got my copy for review on the way from Thomas Nelson. From the trailer it looks to be a good read. Wonder if it’ll be in Lifeway or Family =)
I like to read.
A LOT.
Problem is, over the past few months I’ve been buying books faster than I can read them.
So, I’ve got 21 books sitting on the shelf waiting to be read.
And every month more come out that I want to read.
I’ve got some work to do, and I need your help.
I’m currently reading Wasabi Gospel by Shawn Wood and plan to finish it within the next few days. Great book.
But I need help choosing what to read next. Like I said, I’ve got 21 books to choose from – but they all look good.
So, you get to pick what I read next. Make your selection in the poll below, and you can leave a comment below that if you wish.
4 From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way. 5 And the people spoke against God and against Moses, Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food. 6 Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. 7 And the people came to Moses and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. So Moses prayed for the people. 8 And the Lord said to Moses, Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live. 9 So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.
Numbers 21:4-9
1 In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah. 3 And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done. 4 He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan).
2 Kings 18:1-4
When Hezekiah became king of Judah one of the first things he did was abolish idolatry and that included the bronze serpent Moses was instructed by God to make, because what had been a symbol of redemption had, over time, become an idol. People were more concerned with the object than what it had provided.
Many Christians are quick to point out things that could be idols for us in the 21st century: money, entertainment, success, sex, work, people…… the list could go on. Really, anything we put above God is an idol.
But one area we ignore is our own traditions.
People in church will argue over what music should be played, what you should wear, even what color the carpet should be!
So here’s a question: has the cross become an idol?
How many songs have you heard about the cross, instead of what Jesus did on the cross?
How many people wear a cross around their neck as if it were some good luck charm?
How many church buildings have a cross in their sanctuary or on top of their steeple for decoration?
I’m not saying that having a crucifix in your church or around your neck is wrong. It’s the why that makes it right or wrong.
So, have you made the cross an idol?
For those that don’t remember learning this as a child, when you assume, you make an ASS out of U and ME.
Get it?
ASS+U+ME = ASSUME
In all seriousness though, ever since President Obama took office I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen or heard people play the race card on someone who publicly disagrees with Obama. From Facebook to Twitter to blogs to MySpace to face-to-face, it seems that if you are white and don’t agree with Obama, you’re a racist.
At the same time, I’m so tired of hearing people on the other extreme decry Obama as wanting to be a socialist dictator. Or that he’s going to usher in the return of Christ. I heard the same thing about President Clinton, but guess what – WE’RE STILL HERE!
This brings me to two things that have happened in the past few weeks. First, Obama’s speech to students last week. I was ashamed when I saw so many Christians claiming Obama was going to indoctrinate their children with a socialist agenda, and that they were going to keep their kids home that day. Sad, especially considering the fact his speech (word for word) was made available online days before the event. Then last night, former President Jimmy Carter claims that “an overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity toward President Barack Obama is based on the fact that he is a black man”.
Now before someone accuses me of being blind, naive or utopian, yes, I believe racism is still an issue in the United States of America. And as long as people have free will, it will continue to be an issue. But to assume an “overwhelming portion” of the opposition Obama has faced is due to racism is just as naive as thinking racism is not an issue in this country.
I’ll say it right here: I did not vote for President Obama.
Nor did I vote for John McCain.
I did not vote in the 2008 presidential election at all because I did not see any candidate that I could stand behind 100%.
There are some issues where I do agree with him. That does not mean I want to bring a socialist dictatorship to America.
There are some issues where I do not agree with Obama. That does not mean I am racist.
I support and pray for President Obama because he is my president, and I encourage you to do the same, regardless of who you voted for.
So please people, when someone says they disagree with President Obama’s policies or his politics or his health care plan, don’t immediately label them as being racist. And if you are one of those who disagrees with Obama, do some fact checking before you start making claims; otherwise, you do come off looking bad.
