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My family and I were having dinner the other night when I noticed a table of teenage girls sitting across from us at the restaurant. I began to observe their interaction and noticed that they had not said a word to each other the entire time. Rather, they were all on their smartphones texting other people–probably even texting each other. This is not normal. For humans.
OK, phones are not necessarily a problem, but really? Texting the friend just beyond the half empty ketchup bottle instead of simply speaking it? This is not why we go to Outback, is it? (Disclaimer: I fully condone texting an individual in a group conversation as an alternative to whispering a secret. For example, Steve, can you believe those girls are just texting?)
But, as a consequence of this digital phenomenon, many people do not know how to communicate face to face because they are so used to hiding behind a screen. They don’t know how to deal with an actual human being. I even find myself texting people confrontational things I would likely not say to their face. And when I encounter them, I often regret the text.
Now, I love texting. It’s great. Probably the best invention since the Chi. It saves time, can get me out of a tight situation (Steve, what’s your friend who works at Best Buy’s wife’s sister’s name?), and is an overall good thing. But it does not replace personal contact.
God is a relational God. And He created you and me to be relational, too. We need personal contact. We need to relearn the art of conversation. We need to be able to encounter intimacy in our friendships. Jesus lauded Mary for sitting at his feet, soaking in his presence. There is no substitute for face time! (see what I did there) We need community. We need to text sometimes, too. But that should never take the place of a good ole heart to heart, while face to face.
In January, more than 60,000 college students converged on the Georgia Dome in Atlanta for the annual Passion Conference.[1] At this conference, the End It Movement was born.
Over a decade ago, the United Nations estimated that more than a million children are trafficked into the global commercial sex trade every year; most of those children are 12-18-year-old girls.[2] Right now, our best statistics estimate that more than 27 million people are enslaved around the world in factories, brothels, and mines.[3] Revenue generated by human trafficking, or the trade of humans for labor or sexual exploitation, is second only to income from the sale of illegal drugs, and a huge percentage of that revenue comes from the sexual slavery of children.[4]
This year at Passion, concern for enslaved people reached a crescendo when students – a demographic not usually known for its deep pockets – raised nearly $3.3 million to combat human slavery today.[5]
Slavery isn’t an issue relegated to the slums of Mumbai or the brothels of Phnom Penh. In the United States, roughly 300,000 children are victims of human trafficking.[6]
Some things in life are optional, but the church’s responsibility to confront slavery isn’t one of them. And Christians all over the world are awaking to this reality. Throughout Scripture, God emboldens His followers to be His hands and His feet. In order to be God’s limbs, we first have to have His heart.
God isn’t silent about His concern for the helpless and oppressed. When we refuse to ignore the abuse propagated by the slavery of children and adults, we’re joining God’s plan to “bring good news to the poor … heal the brokenhearted …[and] proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners” (Isaiah 61:1). When we shed the light of Christ on the devil’s bedroom, we affirm God’s commitment to uphold justice for the needy (Psalm 140:12). And when we work toward redemption and freedom for all people caught in bondage, our actions confirm that our faith is alive and well (James 2:20).
God doesn’t give His followers a “pass” when it comes to confronting slavery and human trafficking. When we speak for those who can’t speak for themselves – the runaway, the prostitute, the abused – we’re partnering with God to shower love on His children and give them hope for the future.
How do we open our eyes to the at-risk people in our schools, communities, and world? If Edmund Burke was right when he said that “all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing,” what does that mean for the church?
If you’re interested in learning more about the End It Movement, check out http://enditmovement.com/.
As the time for spring clean-up in the yard approaches, be on the lookout for items from nature that you can use in your home. It doesn’t take long when browsing design magazines to come across a common item incorporated into home décor…tree stumps!
I love the interest and little bit of quirkiness of stumps as accent tables. I knew that I could easily make my own, for next to nothing, rather than dish out hundreds of dollars (seriously!) for one. I kept an eye out curbside for stumps being thrown out, but I never saw anything that was the right size. So, we went to the wood lot where we buy our firewood and the guy was willing to let me look through the pile that hadn’t been split yet. I chose 2 that were about the same size (about 15″ tall).
After bringing the stumps home we rinsed them off and sprayed them with bug spray and let them sit for a few days. Then, I washed them off again just because I didn’t want any pesticide residue on them. You do want to make sure that your wood is nice and clean and doesn’t have any unwanted visitors living inside it.
I wanted casters on them to add a little height, but also because these things are heavy! The rollers have been invaluable when I need to move them around for cleaning or whatever.
I like the look of the bark left on, so all I did was sand the top a bit and rubbed 3 coats of paste wax on. I wanted it to repel water just in case a sweaty glass was left on it. The darker portion in the picture is where I had just applied the wax, but as it dried the wood went back to the original color.
If you don’t like the look of the bark, it can easily be stripped off and with a light sanding and maybe some sealer the wood is beautiful on it’s own. I’ve even seen them painted white, or whatever color you desire.
These are so handy and are the perfect spot for the remote and a drink. In a pinch they also work well as extra seating. You could even make a grouping of them in slightly varied heights for a show-stopping coffee table arrangement. And, they would be very cool for extra seating on a patio or around a fire-pit.
We paid the wood lot guy $5 for both stumps and the casters were about $6 for 2 at Home Depot. I think less than $30 was a great investment for this project!
I watched the first show of The Bible on the History Channel last night. I was fairly satisfied. Alas, I didn’t get out my Scofield KJV black-cover Bible to analyze every line that I heard, nor every scene that I viewed.
However, one potential popular criticism I could see occurring throughout this five-week series is that they might leave out portions of the individual stories, but to cover the entire 66-book story of God’s Word would be impossible for a 10-hour synopsis. Plus, there are certain parts of Leviticus I don’t know if I could endure watching.
Therefore, I’ll allow some latitude as long as there isn’t blasphemy or a clear steering away from what is told in Scripture in order to promote an alternative message.
The beginning of the show was interesting. It’s basically Noah, his family and a WHOLE bunch of livestock on the Ark, enduring a major storm. Noah recaps the Creation story plus Adam and Eve’s temptation, which leads to sin and corruption of all humanity and God destroying the world through the flood.
The visual effects throughout Noah’s narrative are impressive. The highlight for me was watching the formation of Adam from dirt.
Then comes Abraham’s story with his wife Sarah and his nephew Lot and their journeys and experiences. Lot’s wife is pretty snooty, which means she does an excellent job of making me not feel sorry for her eventual result (I’ll try not spoil it for you. Let’s just say she’s pretty salty).
I did enjoy the two angel “warriors” going through Sodom and thrashing up the Sodomites. This almost had a Matrix feel while I was watching it.
Here’s my first criticism. The portrayal of Sarah when Abraham was going to sacrifice Isaac was weak. I can understand the purpose of this “literary latitude” was to appeal to moms and women in general, but Sarah should not have been a focal point in this part of the story.
This was about Abraham demonstrating his faith in God. Sarah’s hysteria made Abraham look like a crazy man, and this deemphasized God’s purpose.
The final part of the show focused on Moses. This had a few variations from the literal story. Growing up, Moses is portrayed as being a rival to the heir apparent to Pharaoh. Also, Moses is never shown to be the coward he actually was when facing God during the burning bush (another impressive visual effect).
Turning the Nile into blood was an exciting scene, and making the conversion while Pharaoh was in the river was a nice touch. When Pharaoh got out, he reminded me of Darth Maul.
Various scenes are displayed of all the plagues, and they seem to cover them all, from frogs to flies to livestock dying to boils to hail to locusts. Then came one of the most significant scenes of the night… with a commercial break and everything.
Moses reveals to the Israelites the final plague, death of all the firstborns. This causes panic to all the listeners, and then Moses gives them the instructions for the Passover.
What I found interesting about this part was the emphasis that everyone was going to be affected by this death plague. The only distinguishing mark for the Lord to pass over a house’s inhabitants was the animal’s blood displayed on the doorpost. This was an excellent depiction of the Gospel that hopefully viewers would come to understand.
Of course, the parting of the Red Sea was dramatic and effective. From there, Moses obtains the Ten Commandments and eventually gives advice to Joshua who becomes Israel’s new leader, which ends the show. It will be continued next week.
I am sure there are many other opinions on this show, so I welcome your thoughts. Tell me what I left out, or where I am incorrect.
(By the way, I actually don’t own a Scofield KJV black-cover Bible.)
Recently I heard one of the counselors at Rob’s Ranch tell the clients….”Everyone will relapse, but no one ever has to take another drink or do another drug.” The more I pondered this, the more it made real good sense, but not only for the “addicted” out there, but for the general population as well.
Before I get too far into this, for those of you who don’t know what the word “relapse” means here is a definition. I know there are a few out there because my daughter asked me over the weekend and I had to try and explain it. So here is my very simple definition.
Relapse – When after a period of abstinence a person reengages in an activity that is painful to themselves or to others.
Relapse, backsliding, setbacks, regression, falling off the wagon, it doesn’t matter what you call it or specifically what you are speaking to. The point is, none of us are perfect and we all will have moments of relapse in our thinking, speaking or even in our actions. The important thing we must focus on is how we go about recognizing what we are doing. If we can strengthen our ability to assess our behavior in real time, to tune into what the Holy Spirit is convicting us of, we can be better suited to stop ourselves from ever “taking that drink” or “binging” or “visiting that website” or doing whatever it was that we are trying not to do.
For those of us that are chemically dependent we know that for a long time we have medicated our pain with chemicals. Drugs or alcohol….for many of us – both. Since this is where I have the most experience, I will stick to speaking to “using” drugs or alcohol, but I want to make it clear that this general principle of relapse is common to anyone out there trying to rid themselves of some type of addiction, habit or hang-up. Be it a porn-addiction, compulsive eating, gambling, etc.
Relapse does not start when we decide to finally use again. It’s a long process of us slowly migrating back into old behaviors, practices or attitudes. Below are the 4 common areas of Relapse, areas in our life that we can quickly look at to gauge how we are living and how actively we are pursuing our choice to be abstinent. Like a barometer, measure yourself in these categories and ask yourself this question.
What is your pain in these areas….?
Relationships
God -Check your relationship with God?
YOU – How much do you love yourself today? What is your self-worth level?
Others – When we are using, on average, we hurt 21 other people. Are hurting others again?
Lying
How do you feel about lying to God, to others?
Is this a practice that has crept back into your everyday actions?
Are you lying to yourself about your true spiritual condition?
Delusions and Denial
Are you beginning to negotiate with yourself in order to do things you haven’t been doing or know you shouldn’t?
Are you criticizing others?
Are you hanging with the wrong people?
What are you watching, listening to or attending? Your environments are huge influences on your overall well-being.
Letting up on daily disciplines
Are you justifying missing meetings, daily devotional readings or family events?
Procrastinating on step work, calling your sponsor or hanging with encouraging and positive people?
Have you missed church for weeks at time?
Are you reading the word or excusing that time for selfish gain?
If you are nodding yes to yourself as you read some of these bullet points, then check your program, check your behavior and call someone who cares about you right now.
Also here are a few points to help you steer clear of relapse.
Stay away – Steer clear of slippery people, slippery places and slippery things.
Stay Motivated – Find whatever it takes to keep you positive, passionate and living “on purpose.”
Stay in Routine – As soon as you realize you’ve slipped into a state of relapse. Immediately go back into the routine that keep you sober the first 30-90 days. Prayer, devotional, gratitude, meetings, church, etc. Whatever it is for you get back in to a positive routine.
Get motivated! Get back in your routine! ODAT!
People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily. — Zig Ziglar
Seth MacFarlane’s turn as Oscar host Sunday night was a risky experiment. MacFarlane’s vulgar television and movie productions are not everyone’s taste, myself included. As much as I love movies, I was almost tempted to opt out of watching the Oscars this year because he was hosting.
However, keeping with tradition, I hosted an Oscar party and tuned in anyway. And I’m glad I did. I wound up enjoying (most) of the event, especially the musical performances. And I think he did a much better job than James Franco did a couple of years back.
I was open to giving MacFarlane a chance because of a story about a personal encounter I had once heard.
A couple of years ago, MacFarlane was a guest on HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher.” Also on the program that evening was conservative media mogul Andrew Breitbart. They were coming on the show to present opposing views on various political and pop culture issues. After the show, Breitbart approached MacFarlane.
“I’m glad you didn’t lay into me,” Breitbart told the animation mogul. “My son is a huge fan of ‘Family Guy,’ and he would have sided with you.”
“Where’s your son now?” MacFarlane asked.
Andrew said that he was sleeping over at a friend’s house.
MacFarlane then spent 10 minutes on the phone with the youngster imitating all the boy’s favorite characters and creating a very special memory. Regardless of the fact that I don’t consider “Family Guy” appropriate viewing for children, for MacFarlane to go out of his way to do something nice for the child of someone he had just met, someone he met precisely because they are fundamentally opposed ideologically, speaks well of him as an individual.
MacFarlane is no Christian, but displayed genuine kindness to someone he was moments earlier passionately opposing on national television. Can I say I am as gracious to those I have significant disagreements with?
There are plenty of popular fantasy novels written for children out there. Whether Harry Potter or the more insidious Golden Compass, I have found that none can come close to the warmth, wisdom and status of a timeless classic as C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia. Even The Hobbit, which is one of my favorites and is a superbly written classic, cannot quite attain the same level.
I must admit up front that I am biased, because God used Narnia to bring me to repentance and acceptance of Christ in my childhood. But I find there are many biased for this reason, and that is the series’ first and best quality. While other fantasy novels entertain and inspire, The Chronicles of Narnia points the way to Christ and eternal life.
The series has sold more than 100 million copies and has been adapted into major motion pictures. A brief overview from the Internet goes as follows: “Set in the fictional realm of Narnia, a fantasy world of magic, mythical beasts, and talking animals, the series narrates the adventures of various children who play central roles in the unfolding history of that world. Except in The Horse and His Boy, the protagonists are all children from the real world, magically transported to Narnia, where they are called upon by the lion Aslan to protect Narnia from evil and restore the throne to its rightful line. The books span the entire history of Narnia, from its creation in The Magician’s Nephew to its eventual destruction in The Last Battle.”
Unlike many writers today, Lewis did not select the most popular genre of the day and use a consultant’s business model to produce a series and milk it for all the money it’s worth. If he had, Lewis most certainly would not have chosen the children’s genre for his great ideas and themes.
Lewis says, “You and I who still enjoy fairy tales have less reason to wish actual childhood back. We have kept its pleasures and added some grown-up ones as well.” Each of the Narnia books is a pleasure to read and perfect for the whole family.
My young children enjoy it when I read them aloud. My oldest, now nine, has read parts of the series, which include all the great fictional characters a child could want—fauns, witches, centaurs, and even Santa Clause. Amid the plotline, Lewis cleverly “smuggles in theology,” as he says, so that the young are predisposed toward Truth and Christ.
The most beloved in the series is its second book, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. In the future, I plan to begin by reviewing it, then all seven of Lewis’ children’s novels in the Narnia series. Better still, the “Word Slingers” site would accept reviews from you on Narnia. To that end, we extend the invitation to all you “Narnian” writers out there. Contact us at communications@bgco.org if you are interested in composing a review.
Sing us a song, you’re the piano man; sing us a song tonight.
For we’re all in the mood for a melody, and you’ve got us feelin’ all right.
It’s time for dishes and the after dinner clean-up. In our house, this means it’s time for music. We have a rather eclectic taste in music, enjoying a wide variety of musical genres.
Thursday night, The Piano Man came on. As the soap suds and food particles mixed, and my hands began to prune, I listened to Billy Joel describe the menagerie of people who frequent the local bar at 9:00 on a Saturday.
There’s the old man sitting next to the piano. He wants the Piano Man to sing him a sad and sweet melody he remembers from his youth.
There’s John at the bar (who’s quick with a joke, or to light up your smoke). John is a nice enough fellow, but we find that he feels like he’s slowly dying in his current profession and wishes he could make a go of it as a movie star.
There’s Paul, the real estate novelist and lifelong bachelor, who is talking with Davy, the career Navy man.
There’s the unnamed waitress who is an amateur politician, and the businessman who is smoking his way to oblivion. They make an unlikely pair, but they share a drink as they discuss their loneliness because “its better than drinking alone.”
All of the people in the bar have one thing in common – they are all miserable. Dissatisfied with their current lot in life, they come to the bar to drown their sorrows, hoping the Piano Man will assuage their depression for a few hours. While the sounds of the carnival roll off the ivories, the Piano Man plays the part of the court jester, providing enough distraction that the miserable ones can “forget about life for awhile.” But nothing ever changes; the misery never ends.
One of the great things about music is that everyone listens through the lens of their own experience. I am a preacher, and I can relate to the Piano Man. At 11:00 on a Sunday, the regular crowd shuffles in, hoping for some distraction. A joke here, a clever story there, a melody that takes them back in time. And after a little while they leave, back to their lives, feeling a little better for having come.
But I am not the Piano Man.
I am not a court jester; I am not here to entertain and distract. I am not singing melodies that create feelings of nostalgia. I am not here to make people feel better about their lives.
I am the Preacher. I don’t tell stories; I speak truth. I don’t distract people from the misery of their lives; I affirm their misery. And I point them to the One who bore their misery to bring them joy. My job is not to get people to forget about their life, but to think about their life, to think about their sin. My job is to get people to think about guilt and judgment and wrath. And then my job is to tell them of the sin-atoning, guilt-removing, judgment-bearing, wrath-absorbing death of Jesus Christ. My job is not to bring people distraction, but to bring people into their destiny.
College is the time when young people emerge from the protective realm of their parents’ authority and venture into their own lives, lives which are affected by their own decisions. For many, this is an intensely freeing sensation, but it is also a fairly daunting one in some respects.
As a Christian, one of the hardest things about coming to college was leaving my home church. I had attended the same church since the time I was four years old. When I started school in a new city, I hadn’t really put much thought into where I would attend church while at college.
At first, it seemed like such an intimidating task. I was trying to find the place where I would receive a significant amount of my spiritual nourishment. I had to make sure it was perfect. I had to make sure the preacher was preaching solid doctrine, that the people were sincere, that Jesus was really acknowledged as King. The last thing I wanted was to settle in a church that didn’t speak truth. But I was no theologian. What qualified me to know what made a good church versus a bad church? I felt woefully ill-prepared, so I was intensely paranoid at the beginning of my “church hopping” experience. But, the longer my search lasted, the more comfortable with the task I became. The challenge, in and of itself, was bringing me closer to God.
When I walked into a new church, I wouldn’t know anybody there. I was a total stranger in that place. But for some miraculous reason, I never felt like I was visiting a church on my own. I always felt like it was me and the Holy Spirit exploring the place together. I would have this feeling of, “Okay God, it’s just you and me.” I felt urged to test these churches against what I knew to be true from Scripture. I admit, I don’t always think about consulting the Holy Spirit when I make a decision (something I should probably work on), but in this case specifically, it was an adventure to go through this experience with my God by my side, making the decisions together.
For the first time in my life, I was having to define the qualities in a church that really mattered to me. Every church I visited was a little different, and I learned something new about myself at each one. I learned what style of teaching really speaks to me. I learned what kind of atmosphere of worship helps me better approach the throne of grace. I learned that I disliked it when I could slip in and out of a church without being noticed, but that I loved it when people reached out and made an effort to know me.
I eventually found a church that satisfied each of these desires in my heart, and the time I spent searching for my church home was an intense blessing to my soul.
On second thought, it would be a little weird addressing God, “Dear Heavenly Picasso.” So, scratch that, just stick with Father.
God is creative.
Blog post done.
Then again, I think expanding on this statement may bring light to what’s on my heart today.
Last night (Feb. 20), there was a decent little snow storm that blew its way to my house. I woke up at normal time in order to get ready for school, however, my phone was lit up with texts informing me that class had been cancelled for the day.
JOY.
Naturally, I looked out my window, and saw a thin blanket of snow covering my front yard. Beauty. God’s good. God is so creative in each blessing He bestows.
“To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” Psalm 19:1
On the contrary though, I think there’s a common thought that pollutes the minds of many in today’s society. That thought being this:
God is predictable.
I see churches gathering with a minute-for-minute agenda on how a worship service will be carried out. I see charismatic churches frowned upon because the Spirit “doesn’t work like that.” I see children being told not to pray about their lost dog or cat because “God doesn’t care.” I see people believing God’s plan will work out whether or not Christians pray.
Now, all these together may sound a little vague. However, I believe these things occur because of the lack of hope we have in God’s creative intervention.
We tend to decide beforehand what God can/can’t do in a certain situation. But, as I look at Scripture, I see a creative God that fascinates.
“The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed and received my sight.” John 9:11
Using mud instead of Lasik? Okay, I see you Jesus!
“And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.” Jonah 2:10
Making fish spit dudes out? That’s some creative resolve.
“but was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkeyspoke with human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.” 2 Peter 2:16
Shrek comes into the scene in the next chapter.
Back to my point, God is creative. I see my Lord and savior using mud to heal blindness, God using a fish to bring Jonah back to Him, and God working through a donkey to bring clarity. Now if that’s not creativity, I don’t know what is.
This is my conclusion: God’s people should always hope in the Lord, but also, hope in His creativity. Trust that He is able to work in all things for the good of those who love Him. Don’t doubt the power of God, for He is capable of all things.
