On the Silent Planet

Who are the Pharisees in Your Neighborhood?

2010-09-08T20:35:00.003-05:00

It's occasionally been said that comparing someone to Hitler is one of the most cliche forms of ad hominem attack in politics. All you need to do is say your opponent is like Hitler - the really bad guy in history - and hope that it sticks.

Sometimes, in Christian circles, we have similar favorite bad guys...since Jesus pointed out how evil the Pharisees were in his day, Christians can often throw around the "pharisee" line quite a bit. I've seen it used to describe Christians who would be perceived as theologically, socially or culturally conservative - regardless to any actual observed character traits. For example, some Christians could use the "pharisee" label to describe a local "KJV Only" congregation or one that observes odd dietary or social rules. This could be nothing more than slander, though - as one's theological idiosyncrasies do not necessarily indicate that one is like a pharisee.

I think one of the best passages to narrow down what Pharisaical behavior looks like, is the end of Luke 11.

When Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat with him; so he went in and reclined at the table. ³⁸But the Pharisee, noticing that Jesus did not first wash before the meal, was surprised.

Then the Lord said to him, "Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. ⁴⁰You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? ⁴¹But give what is inside the dish ^j]">[j] to the poor, and everything will be clean for you.

"Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.

"Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the most important seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.

"Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, which men walk over without knowing it."

One of the experts in the law answered him, "Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us also." Jesus replied, "And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them. (NIV)

This passage indicates that personal hypocrisy, largely for personal gain, along with a lack of justice and love were indicators of the Pharisees' sin. Similarly, I think the last verse contains a key point - the experts in the law, load people down with the law and give them no grace to remove it. Or, the heap on the condemnation, without gospel grace.

The Pharisees were obsessed with the details of the law of Moses and ensuring that people followed it. However, no one can see the heart, so their following of the law was primarily in keeping the outward details of it that would win favor with people, while not pursuing justice and love - those parts of the law that might not be as popular or outwardly visible.

For example, for more socially liberal Christians, this could play out as trying to always be on public front of what issues are currently popular to deal with. For example, a popular Christian author or musician might protest genocide or hold an AIDS benefit concert - because those are "cool" ways to care. The same person might not really talk about "controversial" issues like abortion or homosexuality; where a Christian worldview would be viewed as narrow-minded or less "progressive" than acceptable in some cultural circles. It would be concerning when Christians become so ecumenical that they cease to be "Christian" and drift into essentially a Universalism where all religion and spirituality are all just fine.

Similarly, more conservative Christians might be in a position where they are heaping on condemnation with little grace, putting burdens on people's backs without helping them. In recent days, a pastor has been encouraging people to burn Korans....I haven't heard this man mention the gospel once in all of his televised interviews. Similarly, most readers are likely aware of the church which frequently pickets with anti-gay propaganda, especially at soldier's funerals and gay pride celebrations. Similarly, I've yet to hear this preacher proclaim the hope of the gospel. It's all condemnation, all the time.

I think most of us tend towards one side of the fence or the other, or we bump back and forth. I've found myself serving for self-glorification at times and I've found myself proclaiming the law with little grace or hope. We were all damned under the law, if not for the grace of God.

In both of the cases where Christians can be tempted to Pharisaical behavior, it's interesting to see that self-righteousness is right there. In one case, it's behaving in a publicly acceptable way to get popular accolades. In Jesus' day it might have been acting pious to get the seat of public honor...today it might be to get on Oprah. In the other case, it's pointing out a sin and making the sinner aware of it, condemned by it; then cruelly withholding the hope of Christ. It makes the "Pharisee" feel good about their level of holiness, because they aren't dealing with that sin (or may be, but out of the public eye).

It's important to note, in closing, that these were just two examples where we might see this type of behavior. We certainly will see culturally conservative Christians doing things that will get them approval of their peers (such as disapproving of certain styles of music, out of hand) and culturally liberal Christians heaping on the condemnation (such as making blanket statements about how people don't care about the poor, without indicating the hope of the Gospel to those sinning with their selfishness).

Regardless of one's particular bent and opinions, it is essential that we are aware of the sinful tendency for self-glorification and depreciation of others. We are always looking for ways to make ourselves look good, give our opinions as the most important ones and see our views as somehow straight from the throne of God himself; consequently, we thrive on tearing others down, snottily dealing those we disagree with and acting as if we alone deserve the Gospel

The Silent Planet Reboot...

2010-08-24T22:42:00.003-05:00

Well, it started back in the day...

Sunday, November 26, 2006....man, that was almost four years ago.

I began "The Silent Planet" my experiment in blogging. It was fun, as I enjoyed the writing outlet quite a bit. But, then I started grad school...where I was writing for credit. Then, I moved to Philadelphia. Then, I started dating Anna, who is now my fiance. So, frankly, I got a life.

As I browsed through the back pages of the Planet, it did remind me of God's faithfulness. It recorded some really great experiences, such as my Bolivia missions trip, the decision to move back up north - but also some really dark times where I was holding onto my sanity and faith by a thread.

There were other reasons why my blogging became more of a rarity. One of the primary reasons was increased conviction from God about how people relate in the blogosphere. Proverbs 18:2 ("A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions.") began to resonate with me. Similarly, there was an op-ed piece by Dick Polman in the Philadelphia Inquirer, called, "The Incivility Death Spiral." It talked about the behavior in the internet media world, particularly in relation to the deaths of Senator Ted Kennedy and journalist Tony Snow. Polman talked about how political opponents of these men gleefully gloated about their sickness and expressed joy about their deaths. Polman observed how the anonymity of the internet (or I could argue, the distance and impersonal nature of it), makes public discourse particularly nasty.

To compound this, a long held trick in the blogging world is to be as controversial as possible in order to get readership up. I discovered this trick while editing my college paper, which frankly was a journalistic equivalent of a Victorian Penny Dreadful. If people weren't reading, be a jerk - then watch the fire burn as you see people tear each other up. Not very edifying, particularly when addressing theological issues. Christians often seem to enjoy vilifying each other more than they like doing what they are supposed to. I enjoy theology, but good theology is supposed to result in a Godly life. The more time I spent in the blogsphere, the more I got annoyed by watching Christians engage in trolling. Trolling, would be defined as posting inflammatory articles or making snotty or insulting comments just start an argument. Frankly, I'm rather over that stuff....I'm a bit tired of the broad stereotypes and blatant misinformation: "Evangelicals don't care about the poor," "Obama is a secret Muslim," "9/11 was an inside job"....and other utter nonsense. It's not that people don't have a right to express themselves, but I'm really tired of people doing so in an arrogant and condescending manner. It gets really, really old and doesn't do anything to solve problems or edify anyone.

To repeat myself, this is especially awful when Christians do this to each other. Seriously, there are heretics out there, real heretics. If you want to turn your guns and fire, point at Spong, McClaren, Tillich and others who have a Christian label but have completely turned from orthodoxy and gospel - they are pied pipers on the road to hellfire. Posting rude and insulting comments about fellow believers who you might disagree with is sinful. Making snide comments about denominations or traditions you may disagree with on finer points of doctrine is uncharitable. Gloating in the downfall of church leaders that you might disagree with is perverse.

Unfortunately, I did most, if not all, of these during the early years of The Silent Planet. I was convicted about how I was stirring up dissension and engaging in all sorts of sinful, proud behavior. There is much to be said in scripture about such things:

Proverbs 6 describes one who stirs up dissent as a villain, it continues to say that God hates it when people stir up dissension between brothers.
Proverbs 10 states how hatred is the root of stirring up dissension.
Proverbs 16 says that stirring up dissension is perverse.
Lastly, Proverbs 29 says that stirring up dissension is a display of anger.

I hope that as The Silent Planet makes a comeback, this will be true of me:

" ⁹Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. ¹⁰Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. ¹¹Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. ¹²Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. ¹³Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

¹⁴Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. ¹⁵Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. ¹⁶Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

¹⁷Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. ¹⁸If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. ¹⁹Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. ²⁰On the contrary:
"If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." ²¹Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (Romans 12, NIV)

I have archived all the old entries in case I need to resurrect something. I've also left a few of my favorite entries up, although some of them might be not as charitable as I'd like.

Godly Ambition

2008-08-03T12:43:00.003-05:00

My church just finished a short sermon series on godly ambition, which was quite helpful. You can visit the website to download it (the series is "Wired For Glory.")

The title and content of the series reminded me of C.S. Lewis' essay "Weight of Glory," where Lewis discusses that motivation and the desire for approval is from God but that must be centered on pleasing God and striving for heavenly reward. Many of us are familiar with this quote from that essay:

"Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased."

I'm not going to recap the sermons, as I'd just recommend any readers download them and listen. However, a few points that came to mind:

1. Ambition is a good thing, but can quickly turn ugly.

Like all people, I tend to be a contradictory chimera. I am ambitious, but prone to laziness. My motivation often tends to follow how much natural ability I have in a given area. Or, I follow the path of least resistance and do what I like and avoid what I don't.

I have been known to beat the proverbial dead horse and not give up on a blocked ambition. A classic example was in my pursuit of flying as a career. It was pretty clear by my freshman year in college that I was not going to be an airline pilot....but I fought with God over that for two years. God resists the proud, and as my pride rose so did his resistance. I became angry, discontent and generally just miserable about where things were going.

In one sense, this idea of faithful dedication to a cause can be beneficial. Sometimes, persistent work can yield success and build character at the same time. I'm grateful for people in my life who haven't just bailed when times got tough or when they got a "no" or "get lost" the first time they asked me a question. Church history is filled with people that were ambitious and who saw the fruit of their labor only in their final years, or after their passing.

Faithfulness and standing steadfast are a good thing - but if we are doing it against counsel, God's revealed will or the conviction of the Holy Spirit; then it becomes an evidence of pride and is a symptom of having a hard heart. One of the most convicting things I ever encountered in preaching was when Mark Driscoll commented in his Ecclesiastes series that people who resist change are sometimes just resisting God. My friend and former pastor Daryn had once told me the same thing and Driscoll's sermon put that tendency of mine in perspective.

2. A lack of ambition is laziness.

However, I'm paradoxical. If something isn't high up on my "desire" list, I can be less than ambitious. This would be laziness. If I see something as unlikely, hard or requiring years of work with little chance of success - a clear lack of faith in God is evident in my life. I don't really trust God to change me or intervene in certain circumstances. I find it kind of odd that the same person who who is seen as goal-driven has many areas where I'd rather just do nothing.

As I've moved to Philadelphia, I've found myself at a large church where on the surface it seems like they got everything covered. Covenant Fellowship has a paid staff and a lot of members to serve. Many of them are more gifted then me. So, I've been finding myself prone to laziness; although I have a strong love for the local church and God's people, I've been putting off seriously looking for areas to serve. Even if it is a big church, there are areas where servants are needed and it's plain lazy for me to just sit back and rest.

3. Cynicism is an ungodly response to unfulfilled ambition.

I am a fairly established cynic, or realist, as I would put it. In the last sermon (August 3), Dave Harvey noted how one response to discontent can be an attempt at taking our ambition off the table with God. It's basically the adult version of throwing a fit, and taking our ball home because we didn't like the rules or outcome of the game.

Yes, in one sense, I tend to look at the darker side of life. I suppose some of that is my propensity to introspection, but it can be unhealthy if I don't see God's answer to the cold realities of life. However, I have been one to play the "take my ball home" game quite often. Why?

Much of this has to do with pride: I don't like to admit that I failed. Sometimes the failure was due to my own incompetence or weakness. Instead of chalking up the failure to learning the hard way and being grateful that God is growing my character, I decided to blame the failure on external circumstances or just shove it in the junk drawer of my life. I find it funny how even some of the neatest people I know have a few closets or drawers where the junk that they don't want to deal with gets tossed. Heck, there are people whose entire basements are monuments to forgotten projects and bad ideas! I guess I assume that if I don't have to see it or live with it, then I don't have to deal with it. Let's not talk about my failures, just my successes (and then you can remind me, as much as you'd like, how wonderful I am) - thank you!

In my pride, I want to set the direction for my life and have those plans come to fruition. Compared to where I was three or four years ago, God has shown me that he has precedent over my calendar and goals. But, when I set out on a given path that I've decided on, deviation can be hard and I can resist. (Again, the Mark Driscoll quote about resisting God comes to mind.) When I want to do something, I'll won't give up - the sinful side of steadfastness is stubbornness. So, when my plans are frustrated, I'll turn into a cynic and tell everyone else how stupid of an idea it is and how I'm just better than that. Pride again, my friends.

The odd thing about cynicism is that it finds company. I would find friends in similar circumstances and we'd just feed on our discontent and heap what essentially amounted to mutual discouragement on each other. Instead of serving one another by stressing what Christ has done for us and his amazing love demonstrated on the cross, cynical friends remind each other that life is just giant discouragement with more loss around the corner. The biblical view is that life is a mix of good and bad circumstances, but as the sermon series notes - contentment is not rooted in our circumstances and transcends them. A cynical philosophy encourages others to incorrectly measure their view of God by their immediate circumstances.

Thankfully, I have faithful friends that would step into my cynicism parties and yank the needle off the spinning record of despair. Those friends were faithful and true, because I usually didn't take to this all that well.

When sin is pointed out in my life, the response often isn't, "Thank you bro, for bringing that sin to light. I am so gracious for the means of grace you are to me." I tended to be harsh, argumentative and would try to sell them on joining the Traveling Despair and Cynicism Road Show. It is a great calling to spend your time extinguishing hope and joy in others, I tell you. I'd say that I was just bringing people to see the futility of chasing their silly dreams and to be "content" where God has called them to be. Really, what I meant was to give up and stew in anger over God's sovereignty and kind intervention in our lives.

I think this series has provided some clarification for ambition. It is a good thing, but involves a big picture view of what God is doing. A large part of this involves exhibiting humility and understanding that God does give us desires and plans, but that they are not to be our idols. Chasing those idols, as C.S. Lewis points out in his quote from "Weight of Glory," is a poor excuse for the real thing.

May we make our ambition to have a holiday at the sea and not to merely find contentment with the mud in our backyard.

A Time For Every Purpose Under Heaven…

2008-04-17T17:16:00.003-05:00

Life has been busy as I look for a place to live, but things are going very well here in Philly. Well, I haven’t been robbed or shot at yet, nor has my car been broken into. So, I’m feeling rather fortunate.

Right before I left for Philly, a family from church invited me over for fellowship and in the course of conversation, provided me with a copy of Mark Driscoll’s series on Ecclesiastes. I’ve been reading a book on postmodernism and Ecclesiastes, and have always enjoyed studying that book of the Bible.

However, this series has challenged me in many ways. I’m generally familiar with the book, but Mark’s teaching has been really used to illuminate some areas in my life where God is at work. I’m grateful that God has provided this teaching for me at this time, as it’s just another example of his faithfulness. In particular, I’ve been considering the following:

1. What am I pursuing to make me happy? Driscoll preaches straight-up old school John Piper in this series, but with my sense of humor. (I think that is what makes people either like or hate Mark J….who can’t love a line like, “I’m glad God made cows out of steak.”) The messages have emphasized that our goals will never make us happy. I’ve learned this in some sense as I’ve lived my life this far, where the things that once seemed really exciting or the next big thing, ended up being fairly dull once they were attained or became common. We get bored with new toys, it happens as children and it will happen to us as adults. I’m frequently pursuing the next big thing and often have so much of my joy tied up my expectations. This series has reminded me to seek my satisfaction in God and for him to give me the ability to enjoy life.

2. Where am I? One of the best messages so far was the one on seasons of life. Although Mark did crack on The Byrd’s song “Turn, Turn, Turn,” of which I’m a fan – I’ll forgive him. This sermon reminded me that there is a time and a season for everything and that we can seek to enjoy what God has given us now. Particularly of interest was when he talked about those who fight change and want to keep things the same, just because they like it that way. Mark noted that often people like that are fighting what God is doing. As most of you know, I don’t like change a whole lot. I’ve put a lot of effort into changing that over the years and have seen some fruit and situations like this relocation to Philadelphia will certainly encourage growth. However, it was an encouragement for me to relax and stop trying to control the minutia of my life. One thing that was particularly interesting was where he talked about “giving up” for a time when God is not working in a given area. He used the examples of someone trying to find a spouse or a promotion, if I recall. The tendency noted was becoming more and more agitated as things weren’t happening – who does that sound like? Mark made the observation that if God isn’t working somewhere in your life, it is okay to step back, take a breath and work on other things. I wish that I’d figured that one out a few years ago, but it is a good reminder that I need to remember that God is sovereign and that if doors aren’t opening in a given area, that’s okay.

3. Friendship. If Ecclesiastes is a book about philosophy, where does it talk about friends? Mark gave a great message from chapter 4 on fellowship. He made the point that there are obstacles to fellowship, particularly greed, envy, laziness and apathy. People that live in these various forms of selfishness are prone to have very messed up relationships, if they have many at all. In moving to a new city, I found this to be quite insightful, as I tend to have difficulty with making friends – often for a few of those reasons. I don’t really see myself as greedy and working too much. But, envy, laziness and apathy are things that I can relate to quite well. I find it a heck of lot easier to come home and do my own thing, rather than to deal with the “headaches” of other people. I know that is sad, but it’s often a true indicator of how my heart can be. The sermon encouraged people to repent of those sins and to pursue community through participation in their local church. I have begun the long process of building those friendships here in Philadelphia, and I will have to purpose to look out for the interests of others over my own shallow happiness, which would prefer to find a book and a beer at the end of long day work. I find it quite difficult to break into existing social networks, but then again, as I noted earlier, there is a time for everything.

So, these messages have provided a unique equipping for this season of life that I’m in. I almost have this dumb look on my face frequently, “Huh, how did I get back to Philadelphia?” At times in my life, there have been certain growing seasons where a lot of fruit was produced and the lessons taught from scripture were very beneficial. I think this may be one of those times on the horizon. It seems like God has put me in an uncomfortable spot, where I have to exhibit practical put-one-foot-in-front-of-the-other faith in Him, and where I can live out a lot of the truths that I’ve been exposed to.

The Best Philly Song Ever....

2008-03-13T08:00:00.002-05:00

As I fly up to Philadelphia today, I had to remember the best Philly song of all time. I'm sorry folks, I like The Boss, but this is way better than Springsteen's thoughts on the city:

See how many Philadelphia landmarks you can find in the video :).

Some things aren't meant to go together....

2008-01-02T22:29:00.000-05:00

I am quite the fan of some of the various Celtic influenced music. I like some of the more traditional Celtic bands, such as Clannad. I also enjoy Iona's Celtic influenced Progressive Rock (sorta Clannad meets Pink Floyd). Then, who can't enjoy the the strains of some good old Celtic influenced punk, like the Pogues, Flogging Molly or Boston's own - the Dropkick Murphys.

However, I while egosurfing for my own last name, I made a horrific discovery. A chimera of shocking proportions. A freak of nature.

I discovered Irish Country Music. No, this isn't another name for traditional Irish music. This is Celtic influenced country - and was absolutely awful.

I'm not a huge country fan, but some of it I do like - I actually like Garth Brooks quite a bit and Johnny Cash as well. Although bluegrass brings out the northeastern prejudices of mine and I can only think of snake handlers and Deliverance, I actually do enjoy some bluegrass influenced folk rock, such as Indelible Grace and Caedmon's Call.

However, this genre sets a standard of just being terrible. What's odd and scary is that it seems to have been around for a while and actually has fans.

I include a few videos below and I apologize in advance if any of my readers are avid Irish Country fans.

Jon's Management Hall of Fame

2007-11-11T22:46:00.000-05:00

As I come down to my final stretch for my "Leadership in Times of Change" class, I had to reflect on those whose management strategies and principles I strive to emulate.

1. C. Montgomery Burns -Mr. Burns effectively manages the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. He also is a civic leader, who participates in the Republican Party of Springfield. He sees the fact that employees are mindless, hapless fools that must be managed ruthlessly. He seems to have paid attention in his mid-Industrial Revolution management classes. I tell you, the world has just gone to pot since they took the kids out of the mills. Now they just hang out at the mall when they could be making stuff cheaper than they do in China.

2. Dr. Evil - Cryogenically frozen in the 1960s, he returns to take over the world and kill people with his "frickin' laser." I want one of those. Plus torture devices made with "frickin' sharks" with "frickin' laser beams" on their "frickin' heads" should be a staple in many more offices. That would cut down on the number of "coaching sessions" needed for inane behavior. Although I loath cats, I'd like to have a companion like Mr. Bigglesworth as well. I learned in my class that building a coalition is a part of managing an organization, I need a team like Dr. Evil's. With FB, Mini-Me, et al - who could go wrong.

3. The Brain - A lab rat turned evil genius. Who'd figure. "What are we going to do tomorrow, Brain?" "The same thing we do everyday, Pinky. TRY TO TAKE OVER THE WORLD!"

4. Dr. Strangelove - A megalomaniac with nuclear weapons. Oooooh. In my class we had to watch "12 O'Clock High," a WWII classic on a dysfunctional bomber unit and review the leadership styles and influence on the team. How about a real leader who knows where the big red button is and isn't afraid to push it :).

5. Darth Vader - If elected President, my first Executive Order will be to replace the wussy "Hail to the Chief" with the "Imperial March." How "frickin' " cool would be to have AF1 taxi in, the stairs roll up and the prez come down with his black cape and the band playing William's epic Imperial March. The State of the Union address usually even puts Ted Kennedy asleep (oh, sorry, that's a 1/5th of scotch...I forgot). But, imagine if Lord Vader was giving the speech.....oooooh yeah.

Remember the Gipper

2007-11-10T16:37:00.000-05:00

Some of the worst...

2007-10-31T14:56:00.000-05:00

Yes, today is Halloween and much like it brings out the worst of the world's darkside, it's one of those holidays that brings the worst of Christendom to the top of pot. We often are subjected to baseless urban legends about satanic ritual abuse, razorblades in apples and poisoned candy - all of which have a lot of hype and little substance. Discredited kooks like Jack Chick and Bob Larson make their rounds telling outright crap - and then people buy it and feel obligated to spread the silliness around church.

Anyway, in the spirit of the holiday, I offer two of the worst offenders on the nutcase list:

First, Carmen's "Witches Invitation" video. It is 1980s-era tacky and carries a hint of the Satanism urban legends that were rampant at that time. Plus, it also features Carmen - who probably ranks as one of the least talented and cliche musicians of the era. He was to Christian music what David Hasselhoff was to television. The "witch" is hilarious too in this video, looks like such an Anton LeVay clone...and gotta have the Dungeons and Dragons games thrown in there too.

Next, my friends, you probably have seen this at least once in your life. Some people like to give it out to trick or treaters and its distributed far and wide around this time of the year. I have to bring up Halloween comics by the one and only Jack Chick!

Jack is famous for his factually-challenged scare-me-into-salvation comics, that come really close to being offensive - such as his one that claims that the Holocaust was a Jesuit conspiracy. An early edition of his comic "Dark Dungeons" claimed that C.S. Lewis and Tolkien wrote occult books, ROFL!

Anyway, here's the link: "http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/0058/0058_01.asp"

The "Satanist" killing the cat is a hoot.

While I'm ranting, please let me recommend Snopes to you. Before you ever repeat a story or forward an email with juicy gossip, like "Hotel California" is a Satanic song, KISS stands for "Kids/Knights in Satanic Service," Proctor and Gamble is ran by the Satanic Church, xxxxx Christian singer/celebrity is really a Satanist....and blah, blah, blah...please visit Snopes. You'll find about 90% of the stuff is a load o'crap.

I'm done now. There's a neighborhood of cats waiting for me ;).

In the shadow of the moon.....

2007-10-02T21:30:00.000-05:00

Ron Howard's new documentary "In the Shadow of the Moon" has just been released in limited theaters, thankfully one of them was in Tampa. Unfortunately, as there were no takers to go along...I went by myself, but it was a great film.

The best way I can describe it would be that it was like having a cup of coffee with those men who went to the moon. Since it happened recently, I think many of us miss the gravity of that event: the landing on the moon was one of the most historically significantly moments in human history. To put this film in perspective, it's like having a conversation with Magellan, Columbus, Marco Polo or da Gama.

I really enjoyed how the film captured the astronaut's personalities so well. You see a side of them that you don't get just watching mission footage. It was also interesting to see Charlie Duke, I had the chance to hear him speak when I was in Junior High.

The entire documentary was taken from real footage, too. No CGI, animation or artists impressions. All footage was from the real missions.

A quite memorable part was discussing Apollo 8, the first flight around the moon. As the astronauts were orbiting the moon on Christmas Eve, they read Genesis chapter 1. If you look at my blog's main page, you'll see the stamp that commemorated that event.

Visit the Film's website at: http://www.intheshadowofthemoon.com/ to see if it is showing at a theater near you. If not, be sure to rent the DVD.

Hopefully we go back to the moon, and beyond in my lifetime. I missed Apollo by a few years and hope that Constellation can get us there again.

Don't be left behind........

2007-09-12T22:53:00.000-05:00

For your dispensationalist friends.

They are available here at the Old Lutheran store

There's part of my sick, twisted sense of humor that really wants a pair.

Find Your Inner Garbage Pail Child

2007-08-29T12:47:00.000-05:00

For those of us who are Children of the '80s, aside from Reagan, hair metal and the Berlin Wall coming down - there were those famed sticker trading cards, the Garbage Pail Kids. They were usually frowned upon by parents and teachers alike, which resulted in them being a hot underground commodity in my elementary school.

Anyway, for those who want to find out if their name was feature as a GPK, check out this site!

http://www.gpkcentral.com/main.php

A Great Version of "When I Survey"

2007-08-14T22:39:00.000-05:00

Someone posted a homemade video of Iona's incredible rendition of "When I Survey" on YouTube. Iona is a fantastic Celtic-influenced progressive rock band from the U.K. and probably my favorite group :)! Check out the video....at least for the song!

Teacher in Space 2.0?

2007-08-07T21:37:00.001-05:00

If all goes according to plan, at 6:36 PM local time tomorrow, I finally might have some resolution to some unfinished childhood business.

21 years after the Challenger accident, Barbara Morgan is scheduled to fly on Endeavour tomorrow. She was the backup for Christa McAuliffe in the "Teacher in Space" program. Although she will be more of a crew member than a civilian passenger, in some respects it seems like NASA is finally finishing what they started.

For the latest "play-by-play" for tomorrow's launch: visit http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts118/status.html

The best video coverage, by far is on NASA TV:
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/

I'll probably be up at the Gandy Bridge watching the launch tomorrow...hopefully the weather is clear enough to see it :). Yeah, I'm a dork.

See my earlier entry on Challenger, Columbia and Apollo 1 here. There's also a link to a video for Rush's song Countdown which was about the maiden flight of Columbia.

VeggieTales: Larry goes to purgatory

2007-08-06T22:10:00.000-05:00

Here you go, Mark :)

Perseverance in Prayer (or Dr. Strangelove in Diapers)

2007-08-05T16:05:00.000-05:00

This is a bit of writer's block break. I've been working on my little write-up on Bolivia to send out to friends and family. It's six pages long and I've got an insane headache...I've been a little under the weather since yesterday, for no good reason. I suspect it's a lack of sleep from the overtime I worked Saturday compounded by my early morning today. (For the third week in a row, writing and printing the church bulletin has been a sanctifying experience. I rebuked the demon of paper jams from the copier today and tried to cast it - in the name of Jesus - into the dog walking down the street, but I was not successful.)

Anyhow, as I was out and about on Friday, God reminded me that he answers prayer - This was such an encouragement!

I tend to be very self-sufficient: I hate asking for help and really, really dislike depending on others to give it. So, often times I lack faith to pray. I'll think things like, "Oh what's the point. God is sovereign anyway. He's already made up his mind." Or, "How do I even know what to pray for? What I want might be really bad for someone else." Sometimes really stupid thoughts cross my mind - ones like, "God is so busy with REAL problems. He doesn't need to hear this too." There are times, when instead of going before the throne of grace, I feel like Charles Manson going before the parole board - where I'm showing up, doing the duty but with little faith that God will provide any positive answer.

But, as I was thinking the other day, God started bringing back memories of all the prayers I've had over the years. Here's the funny thing: all the big ones were answered. I couldn't think of a major previous concern that I've had, which God had not addressed in some fashion.

So, does that mean that the silly things I prayed for as a kid happened exactly as I wanted? No, not really. Let's just say that many of my childhood fantasies were quite megalomaniacal. If they were answered exactly according to my wishes - it would probably suck for the rest of the world. But, the underlying concern that was there when I prayed has always been provided for. Sometimes, God would change my desire, to where the things I wanted as a child, I no longer wanted - such as the desire to take over the world :). Other times, God did grant exactly what I requested, but not under the time frame or circumstances that I demanded.

Fortunately for humanity God didn't answer my prayers for ICBMs - they were for my proposed tree house of mass destruction. Yes, friends, I was a very odd child. Dr. Strangelove in diapers, but by the grace of God I've changed. No, I didn't really pray for thermonuclear weapons, but they would've been cool. (Extensive plans for the treehouse, did in fact, exist - along with a list of targets.)

On a serious note, the other day, God reminded me of how trustworthy he is. When I approach his throne of grace with a request, I can trust that he is going to do the right thing. If what I want isn't such a great idea (a 6 year old with Peacekeeper missiles), he will give what is appropriate and at the right time.

One story in the Bible that I sometimes relate to prayer is the story of Hannah. I'm sure that after years of praying for a kid, she had thoughts like we often do - "why bother," etc. But she persisted and probably wondered why God simply wouldn't answer. She wasn't asking for much, just a baby - something God was perfectly capable of doing. He's certainly been blessing Peninnah - the other wife of Elkanah who was a rather nasty lady. I suspect that it seemed to Hannah that God was holding out on her. From the account in 1 Samuel, she was pretty distraught about the whole experience - emotionally unstable enough to where Eli tells her to get off the bottle and sober up.

When God deemed appropriate, he answered the prayer. Samuel needed to be born at the right place and time to serve Israel through an important time in it's history. Also, Hannah's prayer of thanks is a marvelous piece of poetic praise to God, whose themes - if not direct quotations, ring throughout scripture.

A while back I heard a sermon where the preacher referenced the movie "Apollo 13", which was based on the real life incident that occurred on that spaceflight. He used the illustration of one point where the astronauts became agitated and angry because they needed instructions from mission control and wanted them now. But those instructions were ready for the crew at exactly the right time. We were reminded that God has a sovereign plan and that we can trust him, but that we need to be patient.

Maybe you might want to think back about things you've prayed for over the years? See how God answered those concerns, either by providing for you as requested or providing something more appropriate. Feel free to post in comments, that's why they're open.

Jon Takes on The Veggie Tales....

2007-08-01T17:28:00.000-05:00

Posted by popular demand:

What happens when I have a half hour of free time and photoshop. Still need to do the Larry DOA in the pickle jar for Mark Alderman.

This salad shooter one might need to become a t-shirt...the other is a bit PG-13 for that :).

My trip to Philly was great and I've been very busy since I got back. Been kicking around some good ideas for Blog entries, but nothing for certain yet.

The Five-Oh-Four to Boston

2007-04-08T22:51:00.000-05:00

The coldness of the station, the bite came sharp anew

People huddled close together, hoping for warmth

Close, but yet distant.

The destinations different, but the cold still the same.

Fog in both directions closed in the platform.

A flicker in the distance, people move to the yellow line.

The next train might be yours - or theirs - or ours – or mine.

The destinations different, but the fog still the same.

The clock stands high above, marking time having passed.

Every moment gained is lost – as the obscured sun marches on

Some ignore the marching beat, reading their books and papers.

Others check their watches with persistence, in fear of the consequences of delay.

The destinations different, but the clock still the same.

The ground shakes gently and in the distance a call is heard.

Metal on metal. Brakes against steel.

The fog is pushed away and the engine rolls into place.

I waited for the Five-Oh-Four to Boston; but for others this was the one.

The destinations different, but the trains all look the same.

I asked the agent, uniform neat and pressed.

“When will the Five-Oh-Four depart, I really need to know?”

He shook his head and said “Soon,” as he marked time on his watch.

“Is it on-time, is it late? Will it come at all?”

The agent turned to serve other customers with more pressing business than I.

The destinations different, but the customers look much the same.

Another shriek of metal, and the squeal of something new.

I hope. A warm train car. A seat. A coffee. A conversation. Progress.

Express service to the end of the line, but not for me - Boston is somewhere in-between.

Almost alone on the platform, through the glass, I see warmth.

Figures wrapped around cups of coffee, or maybe tea.

The destination was different, but my predicament remains the same.

The clock marched on, well past quarter-till-three.

Train, after train came – but yet none for me.

Bob the salesman, Tom the preacher, Joe the lawyer – my platform friends, all were gone

I see a rat below, playing with an empty can.

The destination is irrelevant; beside the vermin, I stand alone.

The clock ticks.

The fog sits.

The rails came from the past and go into the future.

But here I wait. At a small station, fog obscured.

Waiting for the Five-Oh-Four to Boston.

How to Secure God's Blessing

2007-03-28T20:40:00.000-05:00

Rev Bob (aka "The Farting Preacher") has been one of my favorites for years. When it comes to Old Time Rob Your Grandma Religion, Bob has the show down to a science. Anyway, I came across a picture of his famed healing calendar. I remember him offering this on Success N Life way back in the day.

For entertainment purposes only, you can visit Rev Bob's website at: http://www.roberttilton.tv/resources

I especially like the title: "How to be rich and have everything YOU ever wanted." I think Jesus said that in the bible somewhere, really. Maybe it was to the rich young ruler.

Wow! An Arminian Bumper Sticker...what a suprise?!

2007-03-15T20:28:00.000-05:00

If anyone knows where I can find this gem, please let me know :). I've visited almost every Jesus Junk Store (JJS) in the Tampa Bay Area.....they have plenty of crap, but...sigh...not this fabulous sticker. I could get so much mileage out of this :).

Oooh, a t-shirt would even be better. That might go over really well at New Attitude this year.

There are few smaller JJSes that I still need visit....but I feel like I'm going into a house of ill repute or something, ugh. Maybe I can pick up the latest offering in the "Your Best Life Now" franchise - then again, the "Prayer of Jabez" stuff is probably on clearance now.

From church this morning.

2007-02-18T15:05:00.000-05:00

Great God, when I approach thy throne,
And all thy glory see;
This is my stay, and this alone,
That Jesus died for me.

How can soul condem'd to die,
Escape the just decree?
A vile, unworthy wretch am I,
But Jesus died for me.

Burden'd with sin's oppressive chain,
O how can I get free?
No peace can all my efforts gain,
But Jesus died for me.

My course I could not steer
Through life's tempestuous sea;
Did not this truth relieve my fear,
That Jesus died for me.

And Lord, when I behold your face,
This must be all my plea;
Save me by thy almighty grace,
For Jesus died for me.

-Hymn 38, William Hiley Bathurst (1830)

O Great God

2007-01-28T22:43:00.000-05:00

O great God of highest heaven
Occupy my lowly heart
Own it all and reign supreme
Conquer every rebel power
Let no vice or sin remain
That resists Your holy war
You have loved and purchased me
Make me Yours forevermore

I was blinded by my sin
Had no ears to hear Your voice
Did not know Your love within
Had no taste for heaven’s joys
Then Your Spirit gave me life
Opened up Your Word to me
Through the gospel of Your Son
Gave me endless hope and peace

Help me now to live a life
That’s dependent on Your grace
Keep my heart and guard my soul
From the evils that I face
You are worthy to be praised
With my every thought and deed
O great God of highest heaven
Glorify Your Name through me

- Bob Kauflin

I really love this song. We sung it in worship at church this morning....it just makes me thankful every time I sing it.

This Week In History

2007-01-27T11:21:00.000-05:00

"The space shuttle is by far the most complex machine in the world. When you think about all the thousands of people it took to sit down and design this machine -- the main engines, auxiliary power units, the hydraulics, the flight control systems, the reaction-control jets, the solid rocket boosters, the external tank that fuels the main engines, the crew compartment with all the controls and how we control the vehicle, and all of the time that was spent to put this thing together and make it work - it's to me, inconceivable that you could take a look at the universe and think that it just all happened by accident.

There is no doubt in my mind that God had a very specific and complex plan that He put into work when He created the universe. And inside the vehicle (are) seven astronauts, each one of which is more complex than this vehicle we went up in. And God is an awesome God."

- Commander Rick Husband, STS-107.

January 27, 1967 - Apollo 1 catches fire while undergoing a launch pad test.

January 28, 1986 - Space Shuttle Challenger explodes 73 seconds after liftoff.

February 1, 2003 - Space Shuttle Columbia breaks up on reentry.

In the spirit of exploration, I present one of the best songs written about space flight. Countdown by Rush. (You got to love '80s synth progrock :)! )

A Brilliant Quote

2007-01-22T22:24:00.000-05:00

In an earlier post I was talking about how much I was enjoying "Man Who Was Thursday" by G.K. Chesterton. Here is a quote from Chapter 4 that I really enjoyed:

"Thieves respect property. They merely wish the property to become their property that they may more perfectly respect it." :).

A Birthday Gift For Me...

2007-01-21T22:58:00.000-05:00

As you may be aware, my birthday is just a few short weeks away.

I came across this game in Borders the other day. I'm sure that if the good Reverend Osteen's picture is on it, it must be good. When you hit 1 million viewers as a televangelist, do they throw in the hairstylist? It looks like he's been visiting the same barber as our friends Rev. Tilton and Rev. Hinn :).

How Deep the Father's Love For Us

2007-01-14T21:45:00.000-05:00

How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

- Stuart Townend

What's Worse? The theology or the music?

2007-01-04T08:01:00.000-05:00

Justin Taylor posted this on his blog.

From our friends at the Pensacola Correctional Center (aka Christian College).....

A Childhood Christmas Memory...

2006-12-23T09:57:00.000-05:00

My favorite Christmas song from 8th grade:

It's Christmas at ground zero
There's music in the air
The sleigh bells are ringing and the carolers are singing
While the air raid sirens blare

It's Christmas at ground zero
The button has been pressed
The radio just let us know
That this is not a test

Everywhere the atom bombs are dropping
It's the end of all humanity
No more time for last-minute shopping
It's time to face your final destiny

It's Christmas at ground zero
There's panic in the crowd
We can dodge debris while we trim the tree
Underneath the mushroom cloud

You might hear some reindeer on your rooftop
Or Jack Frost on your windowsill
But if someone's climbing down your chimney
You better load your gun and shoot to kill

It's Christmas at ground zero
And if the radiation level's okay
I'll go out with you and see all the new
Mutations on New Year's Day

It's Christmas at ground zero
Just seconds left to go
I'll duck and cover with my Yuletide lover
Underneath the mistletoe

It's Christmas at ground zero
Now the missiles are on their way
What a crazy fluke, we're gonna get nuked
On this jolly holiday

- Christmas At Ground Zero, "Wierd" Al Yankovic

Yes, I was pretty much the incarnation of "Calvin" of "Calvin and Hobbes" fame.

In The Crucible of Grace

2006-12-21T17:34:00.000-05:00

"Your wickedness makes you as it were heavy as lead, and to tend downwards with great weight and pressure towards hell; and if God should let you go, you would immediately sink and swiftly descend and plunge into the bottomless gulf, and your healthy constitution, and your own care and prudence, and best contrivance, and all your righteousness, would have no more influence to uphold you and keep you out of hell, than a spider's web would have to stop a falling rock....There are the black clouds of God's wrath now hanging directly over your heads, full of the dreadful storm, and big with thunder; and were it not for the restraining hand of God, it would immediately burst forth upon you. The sovereign pleasure of God, for the present, stays his rough wind; otherwise it would come with fury, and your destruction would come like a whirlwind, and you would be like the chaff on the summer threshing floor."
- Jonathan Edwards, "Sinners in the Hands of An Angry God"

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls." - I Peter 1:3-9 (NIV)

"'I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.'" - John 15:5-6 (NIV)

For some reason, I like those television shows where they show you how it's made. Maybe it's a hold over from the days of watching "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood," but even the show on how they made cornflakes was fairly fascinating. Yes, if you stopped by Jon's world looking for latest in adrenaline-fueled adventure, you'll be disappointed. I'm a pretty boring guy, who is interested by the mundane :).

Last night, I was watching a show on how they make gold coins. I've always thought the Saint-Gaudens' designed American Eagle coin is simply one of the most beautiful pieces of art made in the 20th century. I also found it interesting that the gold blanks for the Eagles are made in Rhode Island before they are made into coins at the West Point mint. Anyhow, it showed how the 99.999% pure gold was heated, refined, tested, heated, refined and tested some more - but in the end, was finally good enough to be made into a coin.

While drinking a cup of coffee at the local Home of the Siren and reading some Bonhoeffer, my mind strayed and began to think about stuff.

Over the last year or so, I've been in significant period of discipline from God. No, I haven't broken out in sores and my shower isn't spraying out blood, nor is their a plague of locusts in my backyard. But, God has been putting difficult circumstances in my life that bring out sin and force me to deal with it.

Often, I've feared discipline, in direct opposition to Proverbs 3:11-12 and Hebrews 12, where we are told expressly that discipline is an expression of God's love for us. I've often cowered under the bed of life, expecting God to come home like an drunk father, swinging a stick of wrath around looking to inflict punishment. What a wrong view of God, based on what he says about discipline. Sometimes, I, like Adam, hide from God in my sin; forgetting that I have a mediator in Christ and that I am blessed because my transgressions are forgiven, and that my sins are no longer counted against me (Psalm 32:1-2)!

A few years back, in our singles group at church, we had a discussion on how God disciplines us. It was an interesting discussion, but one question I asked was, "What's the difference between discipline and wrath?" I still think about that question a lot. I think the scriptures I quoted at the beginning tell us something.

Fire is fire. Yes it is. Isn't it somewhat existential to say that the same event happening to two people can be different? A Christian and an unchristian experience the same event in their lives, but for one it is wrath; the other discipline. How does this make any sense at all. For both, it could be the consequence of sin. For both, it could be painful and degrading. I think we need to look at a few things to understand the difference: the purpose, the method and the result.

The purpose of wrath is destruction. There isn't any redemption in the end. It it is simply getting what you deserve. It is the stick being gathered to be burned. It is the hopelessness and despair found at the end of an empty life of sin without God. It is the fire of hell. It's the wholesale destruction of yard waste. The idols of peoples hearts are put on par with the lawn clippings and dead branches. God will collect them up and burn them because these things are -in the end- just trash. Wrath is always retributive and is simply justice served. It is going to the prison, the gallows or hell. It is, as Jonathan Edwards put it, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God."

The purpose of discipline, however, is rehabilitative. God loves his children, those partnered for the gospel- and God will complete the good work he began in us (Phillipians 1:6). When God promises something, he will do it - rebellious and hard-hearted as we may be. But, getting through that sin is going to be hard at times.

This is especially true when God messes with the idols of our hearts. We hold onto dead branches like they are gold. From our heavenly father's perspective, we must really appear to be silly children - screaming, crying, cursing and arguing as he takes away those things that are truly worthless.

Charles Spurgeon, a British preacher from the late 1800s frequently suffered from physical pain, stress and depression. However, he began to notice, interestingly enough - that his most serious times of depression were almost prophetic indications of God about to do a great work in his life. He began to see the discipline and trust that God's work was being done. In a sermon he wrote to encourage pastors, John Piper quotes Spurgeon :

"Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit, saith the Lord.' Instruments shall be used, but their intrinsic weakness shall be clearly manifested; there shall be no division of the glory, no diminishing of the honor due to the Great Worker ... Those who are honoured of their Lord in public have usually to endure a secret chastening, or to carry a peculiar cross, lest by any means they exalt themselves, and fall into the snare of the devil"

"This depression comes over me whenever the Lord is preparing a larger blessing for my ministry; the cloud is black before it breaks, and overshadows before it yields its deluge of mercy. Depression has now become to me as a prophet in rough clothing, a John the Baptist, heralding the nearer coming of my Lord's richer benison"

As someone who at one time or another struggled through many of the same things as Spurgeon, I thought long and hard about this and could, by God's grace, really see a correlation. The times in my life where I was really, really "beat down" were definitely preparatory. This was enormously encouraging to me.

I specifically remember one occurrence, in early 2002. I was woken up in the middle of the night and felt very impressed by the Lord that this was going to be year of discipline and refining. I'm very skeptical of experience, even to a fault at times - where I will ignore or discount God's prophetic word. But this, honestly scared the life out of me. I remember praying that God would be merciful....I felt like an Old Testament prophet pleading for his people. Oddly though, God brought a huge amount of peace to my heart and made it clear that I was to trust him.

The next twelve months were indeed a time of enormous struggle where my faith in God was tested. Although this period of discipline was multi-faceted, one area where God worked in particular was regarding my employment.

My work location was shut down and felt that I was called to stay here in Florida, when I had the opportunity to relocate back to Pennsylvania to keep my job. God faithfully provided, after six months of rejections, a new job the week that my unemployment ran out. This job, while adequate for my provision, was a humbling one. I remember joking with friends that I, like King Nebuchadnezzar, was sent out to eat grass.

Seriously, though, I had been arrogant and proud in my previous position. I wasn't even that high up in the company...I was actually at the bottom of the food chain, but I would still walk around the roof of my palace, survey my kingdom and think very highly of myself. I was also very lazy and complained frequently. I also idolized my preferences in employment, where my career in aviation was going to happen and nothing was going to get in the way.

Through the new job, I learned that God was ultimately in charge of my provision. God cultivated a servant's heart in me. My selfish ambition was transformed into godly ambition. I became content in a situation where, just a year before, I would have been absolutely miserable. One year to the day after starting that new job, God blessed me with a job that I love. It was a job that I was turned down for a year before. However, the lessons I learned during that time of discipline have made me a much more Godly man and I wouldn't trade that experience for any in the world. I felt God's hand, saw his provision and regularly experienced his comfort in an almost outlandish fashion.

As Kierkegaard said, "Life can only be understood backward, but it must be lived forward." I don't think we can really understand everything that happened in the past, but we can certainly learn from it. God has kindly brought these previous times of faithfulness to mind and have encouraged my soul significantly.

The purpose of God's discipline in the life of a Christian is refinement. It is making us holy, also known as sanctification. God is committed to this cause and, like the gold being prepared for coinage, purify us to be useful and beautiful to him. As one of God's children, we should not equate his discipline with wrath. Christ took that wrath already on the cross and is has been dealt with, forever. Period. Now, we can embrace God's discipline, even if it is hard and painful, trusting that God has a purpose in mind and that the result will be purity in our lives and glory given to His name. It is a work of grace. A crucible perhaps, but still a work of grace.

What is the method of discipline that God uses? It can be very varied. God will use the appropriate tools and force to forge holiness in our lives.

The most obvious, is by bringing adversity into our lives. It can be almost anything - a sovereign God knows how to remove the tumors of sin. It could be death, physical pain, emotional trauma, injustice, persecution, etc. God will bring events into our lives to keep us on course, spiritually speaking.

For example, God promises that he will resist the proud because he is righteously jealous of his honor. To quote James, "Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.' " (James 4:5-6 (NIV).

How might he do that in your life? It depends where you are proud. If you are proud in the workplace, like I was, God may humble you there. If you are proud in your talk and prone to bragging, God might publicly humiliate you. If you think you are in control, God might take that from you.

Secondly, discipline may be the direct result of sin. In this fallen world, sin still has consequences, even for the redeemed. For example, the book of Proverbs gives much advice and warnings that are completely true for both the Christian and unchristian. Immorality and greed result in destruction. Laziness will result in poverty. Fools (i.e. the arrogant who refuse counsel) will be humiliated. If you live in disregard for God's law, there are consequences in this life, even if you are forgiven by God.

However, here is where the paradox mentioned early is absolutely critical. The sins committed and the results may be the same, but the outcome will be different. For the unbeliever, the consequences of sin are just the storm clouds of eternal wrath; but for the believer they are a means of grace.

This is the result of discipline. As Paul writes in Romans 8:1-4

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit."

The consequences of sin in the life of the unbeliever are condemning. A condemned man is one who has been marked for wrath by his deeds. Because Christ paid the price for our sin, "there is now no condemnation." This is so important for me to see and I hope you see it as well. When the stench of your sin drives you to frustration, remember that God's justice has been satisfied and Christians are no longer condemned people!

As Paul joyfully continues in Romans 8:

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: 'For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.' No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Praise God! To quote Spurgeon again,

"You may say, 'But I have sinned.' So you have, but sin cannot sever you from His love. He still loves you. Do not think that the scars of your old sins have marred your beauty or that he loves you less because of that blemish. He loved you when he foreknew your sin, and he does not love you any less now. Come to him in all boldness of faith, and tell him that you are sorry that you grieved [the Holy Spirit]."

In God's perfect wisdom, he will turn the sin that you committed around for his glory. This may occur through the consequences of that sin, but you can trust that he has your ultimate good in mind. The result, is sanctification and growth in godliness, not destruction.

Here is another point to remember. Discipline may not always be hurtful, though. Many Christians, including the author, have often equated discipline with a trip out to the proverbial woodshed. An athlete is also disciplined regularly by his coach. This can be a serious rebuke at times, it might be getting benched for a game - but it also can be encouragement, strength training and building endurance for the road ahead. You may be getting disciplined by God when a brother or sister encourages your faith or reminds you of God's truth. If you're reading your Bible or praying, you're encountering God's discipline daily. Every Sunday's sermon is experiencing God's discipline.

In summary, Christians should watch for God's discipline in their lives and pursue it eagerly. When adversity comes, the consequences of our sin are in front of our eyes or when we are weary from training; we press on. That is much easier said than done, I agree. But I'm in the same fight as you.

Paul says, "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

"Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize." (I Corinthians 9:24-27)

No one ever got to Olympics by watching ESPN. Let's get to work.

Stale Blogs are Bad Blogs

2006-12-12T18:27:00.000-05:00

So, just a deep thought for your synapses to masticate on.

Have you ever noticed how:

Sanity seems to be inversely proportional to:

A) The number of bumper stickers on the back of one's vehicle
B) The number of cats on photos, calendars or other paraphernalia displayed in one's office cubicle

Deep, huh?

Escher's World

2006-12-03T13:43:00.000-05:00

Through the passing strange I fell
To the wide-eyed opposite
My agenda was hidden well
Now I don't know where I left it
I woke up in Escher's world today
My mother said it was okay

Up's down, down is out, out is in
Stairways circle back to where you've been
Time falls, water crawls, are you listening?

Did you ever chase your tail
Through a maze of exit doors?
I have seen the light by braille
I have blazed the road before us
We're living in Escher's world again
Rise up, you nimble-minded men

Birds roar, lions soar, sheep are cruel
Snails pace, papers chase, midgets rule
Stuffed shirts, status hurts, we ain't foolin'

Let the sequels have their day
The remake's on it's way
We're living in Escher's world, it seems
We're wide awake within our dreams

Socks hop, lemons drop, butter flies
Tough wimps, sadoshrimps, mojos rise
Pips squeak, widows peek, are you surprised?

We're living in Escher's world it seems
We're wide awake within our dreams

Birds roar, lions soar, sheep are cruel
Snails pace, papers chase, midgets rule
Stuffed shirts, Ethel Mertz, we ain't foolin'
Socks hop, lemons drop, butter flies
Tough wimps, sadoshrimps, mojos rise
Pips squeak, widows peek, are you surprised?
Up's down, down is out, out is in
Time falls, water crawls, are you listenin'?
Stairways circle back to where you've been
Stairways circle back to where you've been
Stairways circle back to where you've been

-Chagall Guevara

Here I stand, Kicking My Ass

2006-12-02T16:11:00.000-05:00

"And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.And God's anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the LORD stood in the way for an adversary against him.

Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him. And the ass saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way.

But the angel of the LORD stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side. And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall: and he smote her again. And the angel of the LORD went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left. And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff.

And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times? And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee. And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? And he said, Nay.

Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face. And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me: And the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times: unless she had turned from me, surely now also I had slain thee, and saved her alive. And Balaam said unto the angel of the LORD, I have sinned; for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me: now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me back again." -Numbers 22:22-34, KJV

For anyone who knows me, I'm a fairly meticulous person. I like things planned, organized, reliable and to go according plan - ahem, my plan. I spend time thinking, praying, thinking some more and then making the best plan possible that will (hopefully) ensure some measure of success.

This week, I had a plan - nothing sinful, nothing rebellious, just following what I thought what might be God's direction. I happily mounted my ass and trotted off into the sunset, then God stopped me - dead in my tracks. Much like Balaam, I got really angry and proceeded to beat the living snot out of the proverbial ass.

Then, today , although I was reading the Psalms - God suddenly reminded me of Balaam and his ass. I always remembered that story from Sunday School. (I guess when you're a kid at a church that prefers the ye-olde King Jimmy, any flannelgraph bible story with the a-word in it is pretty memorable. "Huh, huh, Beavis, the Sunday School teacher said......" Okay, I've demonstrated my childhood depravity....back to the story.)

I was quite convicted of my lack of belief in God's providence. We often hear those stories about the guy who got stuck in traffic and then missed the plane that crashed. Oddly enough, while I was praying about my decision and direction, I kept asking for God to make his will known. Duh, God answered my prayer - and I just stand there, stick in my hand, beating the ass.

I can't quite say that I suddenly looked up and saw an angel with a sword....but I suddenly came to the realization that God sees the road ahead. I'm standing here on the side of the road, angry about my delay, angry about my plan being messed with, angry that God is messing with me - but do I see the angel in the road? Am I angry at God's providential care and concern for me? I'm out swinging my stick, striking out at friends, God and about anything else around me - totally oblivious of what God is doing here. Not like I have the slightest clue what God is doing....but if he cared enough to stop me on the road....shouldn't I, like Balaam, fall to my knees and worship?