Have you ever noticed that if you say a word over and over long enough it no longer sounds like a word? Such as "boat" or "ethics".
Been close to a month since my presence has graced this domain. Been busy. Cut me some slack. I've got this new woman in Peoria who has been monopolizing my time...and I am very happy about that.
This will be one of those random thought blogs since it's been awhile and I am playing catch up...or is that ketchup? Plus, this is how my brain usually works anyway. So buckle up kiddos.
According to an FBI agent who was interviewed on "60 Minutes" and was Saddam's chief interrogator, Mr. Hussein didn't believe the US would attack Iraq because of weapons of mass destruction, so he concealed the fact that he didn't have any to prevent an Iranian invasion. He apparently stated that he miscalculated President Bush's intentions. Yeah...I would say so. Now, I don't know if I completely believe this or not. Even if it is true it is widely believed by those close to Saddam that he had every intention of ramping his WMD programs up again and he certainly had a precedent for using them - just ask the Kurds in the North. "60 Minutes" loves this though as it gives them one more data point to call into question the decision to send our military into Iraq in the first place. Of course, there are so many holes in that thought process it is hard to know where to begin:
1) The best anyone can do at any point in time is make the best decision with the information that they have on hand.
2) To now call in a question based on information made public after 7 years is ridiculous. I've heard of Monday morning quarterbacking but this is insanity.
3) To say that we should not have gone into Iraq when we believed Saddam had WMDs is to say that the 9/11 attacks should not have changed our foreign and security policies. That is as absurd a position as choosing to ignore Pearl Harbor would have been.
4) Are we safer after going into Iraq or less safe? This is also the wrong question. We are safer than we thought we were. End of story.
OK...that topic took awhile. Let's move along. Nice article on Yahoo following another "60 Minutes" interview - this one with Joel Osteen. The title of the article? "Popular Preacher Doesn't Talk Much About God" Wow...nice title Joel. Could that possibly be why you are so popular? Don't want to get bogged down with all that God stuff. Much better to talk about being positive and being kind and to let people know that God has ordained numerous blessings for them...they just have to show a little patience. I watched some of that interview. The guy asking him questions actually did a good job. At one point he asked Joel why in his 16,000 seat auditorium there were no Bibles and Jesus was rarely, if ever, mentioned by name? Joel stated, and I am paraphrasing, that teaching Scripture isn't his gift. Can you really be a Christian pastor and not teach the Bible to your congregation? I don't think so. Joel was not called to be a pastor. Perhaps his father was...I never heard him speak. I think the interiewer was much closer to the truth when he compared Joel to Dr. Phil. It really loves me wondering what is going on in Joel's heart.
Stimulus package got passed. Everyone excited? The government is borrowing money...a lot of it from Chinese investors...to give you a little spending cash. Oh, of course, it will be your tax money that eventually has to pay off that loan...and with interest it will end up costing you more in the end then you will be getting now. But hey...at least Congress is doing something, right? Blah. No wonder their approval ratings are lower than Shaq's shoe size.
Best line from "Numb3rs" last night..."Satisfaction doesn't come from having all the right answers but in helping others find them." Amen. That is why I love discipling others.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Monday, December 31, 2007
Phil Hartman
I know this isn't the type of happy, feel good message that would be typical of a New Year's Day post. I was watching a 90s retrospective on Saturday Night Live this evening and they talked about the deaths of Chris Farley and Phil Hartman. The former was tragic in that it was self-induced and the latter was tragic in that it was at the hands of his drug-altered wife. While it is often true that television isn't the greatest source for improving one's mind, it has provided me with much needed laughter and smiles over the years.
Phil Hartman was amazing. The man could play any part, do any voice, deliver any line. Those who knew him loved him as a person and as an entertainer. I don't know if he knew Christ as His Savior. But I do know the world was a better place with him in it and I still miss him.
I share a lot of the things that make me laugh. This clip of his castmates on Newsradio is something that always brings a tear to my eye...as it should. It shows just how much he meant to them and to all of those who felt they were his friend just from watching him on their TV screen.
Quick Follow Up
Bill Keller's devotional from 12/30 did a good job of spelling out the church's responsibilities and it is certainly worth repeating here:
The church's greatest responsibility is to bring the lost to faith in Jesus Christ. I realize the church is to spiritually feed its members, to equip the saints for service, to be a place where Believers can find fellowship with other Believers, and where most followers of Christ serve Him. However, without question the most important job of the church is to reach out to the lost and hurting and to help lead people to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, the forgiveness of their sins, and God's free gift of everlasting life through faith in His Son!
Thank you Lord for our time together this evening. May Your Name be glorified throughout this broken world and in my life in 2008. Amen!
The church's greatest responsibility is to bring the lost to faith in Jesus Christ. I realize the church is to spiritually feed its members, to equip the saints for service, to be a place where Believers can find fellowship with other Believers, and where most followers of Christ serve Him. However, without question the most important job of the church is to reach out to the lost and hurting and to help lead people to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, the forgiveness of their sins, and God's free gift of everlasting life through faith in His Son!
Thank you Lord for our time together this evening. May Your Name be glorified throughout this broken world and in my life in 2008. Amen!
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Joel Osteen and Ourselves
I remember when I first came upon one of Joel's televised sermons on late night TV from his Lakewood Church. I actually thought it was pretty good. He held up the Bible at the beginning and had the congregation say with him that the Bible is the inerrant and irrepressible Word of God. His sermon included Bible passages and he seemed passionate about what he was saying. So I tuned in for a few weeks in a row until I started to realize that what Joel was preaching was not in line with what God's Word is really all about. Joel was preaching a self-help version of Christianity in which you can make your life better by making smarter decisions and being a positive thinker. Somehow my optimism in life can have a greater impact than God's strength and purposes. There was also an underlying prosperity gospel message but it took a backseat to the simple idea of happiness.
I then read about his recent comments from his interview with Fox News' Chris Wallace. In this interview, Osteen actually told Wallace, "But just, you know, as a pastor, I'm not trying to get everybody saved, that's not my main calling, like Billy Graham's." When asked about why he won't talk about sin and deal with the hard issues of the day, Osteen responded, "Sometimes when you take strong stands, if you're not called to do it, you're dividing the audience you're trying to reach." Sadly, he was asked about Mitt Romney and if a Mormon is a Christian. " Well, in my mind they are. Mitt Romney has said that he believes in Christ as his savior, and that's what I believe, so, you know, I'm not the one to judge the little details of it. So I believe they are."
That is shocking stuff...especially when you consider the size of the audience that Osteen reaches through his church, his TV time and his books. You are not trying to get everyone saved? That isn't your calling? I can guarantee that your calling is not reaching #1 on the NY Times Bestseller List. And he doesn't feel called to take strong stands? We are all called to do that. Jesus even tells us we will likely be persecuted for it but we will be blessed because of it. Of course, you don't want to take a strong stand when your popularity has become more important than God's truth.
But isn't that a reality for all of us? We should be deeply concerned about Joel's message and the fact that he is leading people on a path that has much more to do with themselves than with God. However, the more personal lesson is that we have all, at one time or another, chosen popularity over the sometimes divisive truth of the Bible. Joel should serve as a sober reminder to each of us that we must strive to give everyone we meet a clear presentation of the Gospel through our words and actions. We must love everyone but not be afraid to offer them God's truth. Love is not sparing the feelings of another so they will keep liking you. Love is offering them hope and truth in spite of the risk that they may not like you.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/pastor-rick-henderson/osteen-meyer-prosperity-gospel_b_3790384.html
http://sukofamily.org/5-ways-the-prosperity-gospel-short-circuits-your-spiritual-growth/
I then read about his recent comments from his interview with Fox News' Chris Wallace. In this interview, Osteen actually told Wallace, "But just, you know, as a pastor, I'm not trying to get everybody saved, that's not my main calling, like Billy Graham's." When asked about why he won't talk about sin and deal with the hard issues of the day, Osteen responded, "Sometimes when you take strong stands, if you're not called to do it, you're dividing the audience you're trying to reach." Sadly, he was asked about Mitt Romney and if a Mormon is a Christian. " Well, in my mind they are. Mitt Romney has said that he believes in Christ as his savior, and that's what I believe, so, you know, I'm not the one to judge the little details of it. So I believe they are."
That is shocking stuff...especially when you consider the size of the audience that Osteen reaches through his church, his TV time and his books. You are not trying to get everyone saved? That isn't your calling? I can guarantee that your calling is not reaching #1 on the NY Times Bestseller List. And he doesn't feel called to take strong stands? We are all called to do that. Jesus even tells us we will likely be persecuted for it but we will be blessed because of it. Of course, you don't want to take a strong stand when your popularity has become more important than God's truth.
But isn't that a reality for all of us? We should be deeply concerned about Joel's message and the fact that he is leading people on a path that has much more to do with themselves than with God. However, the more personal lesson is that we have all, at one time or another, chosen popularity over the sometimes divisive truth of the Bible. Joel should serve as a sober reminder to each of us that we must strive to give everyone we meet a clear presentation of the Gospel through our words and actions. We must love everyone but not be afraid to offer them God's truth. Love is not sparing the feelings of another so they will keep liking you. Love is offering them hope and truth in spite of the risk that they may not like you.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/pastor-rick-henderson/osteen-meyer-prosperity-gospel_b_3790384.html
http://sukofamily.org/5-ways-the-prosperity-gospel-short-circuits-your-spiritual-growth/
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Merry and Blessed Christmas Everyone
Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David... to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. (Luke 1:68,74)
Random Thoughts
The weekend before Christmas. A time to start to unwind from a busy month. A time to reassert my gaze on Christ and the incredible miracle of His birth. This month has seemed busier than past Decembers but it was a good busy. Looking forward to a steak dinner tonight and seeing the family tomorrow. Thank you Lord.
So, due in part to the busyness, I feel like I am behind on a number of things I have been thinking about writing down. So this will be a quick overview and I may expand on things in later posts.
Do you wonder why you have heard less about Iraq in recent months? Well, that is because we are having success there and it just doesn't seem to be worth reporting as much as when we are facing escalating casualties and violence. The surge is working and we will soon start seeing some of our troops come home or be deployed elsewhere. Iraqi forces have formally taken security control of half the country. Military success is a function of persistence and courage...two qualities that many Americans no longer possess.
Archaeologists found the quarry that provided King Herod the stones he used to renovate the biblical Second Temple compound. Just more science backing up the Bible as fact unlike other "religious books"...right Joseph Smith?
77% of Americans support schools providing birth control. I guess in a society that no longer has a moral foundation this isn't surprising. I understand the safety aspect if kids are going to have sex anyway but I also can't shake the feeling that it is implicit encouragement to engage in whatever activities make them feel good regardless of physical, emotional or spiritual consequence.
Gunmen slaughtered 11 relatives, including 7 children, of an Iraqi journalist who was operating an electronic news Web site. Two thoughts: Evil is quite real and Americans are not the terrorists.
How far left has the Episcopal Church gone? So far left that an entire California diocese with more than 9,000 members was thinking of seceding over gay issues. When you get too liberal for California you should really begin to question the path you have taken. Still, out of 7,600 Episcopalian congregations, only 32 have left and another 23 have voted to leave. To those remaining...when your "church" no longer believes and follows the inerrant Word of God you are no longer going to church. You can't stay out of comfort or habit. Either be an agent of change on behalf of Christ or get the heck outta there asap.
Romney had a nice speech telling America that he believes Jesus Christ is the son of God and the savior of mankind. Sounds good, right? Sounds like a Christian to most who were listening. Hey Mitt...do you believe in the virgin birth? Didn't think so. There goes the Bible and God's plan of salvation. Also, to be clear, faith in their version of Christ is not the determining factor for Mormons when it comes to salvation. It is only a necessary prerequisite, not the whole enchilada in stark contast to John 3:16.
I have nothing against Mormons. I have a burden on my heart for them and for anyone who is missing faith in the true Jesus Christ and is following doctrine that does not come from the one true God. So, speaking of Mormons, I was watching Glenn Beck a few months ago and he had a very interesting piece on President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (I copied and pasted the name) and his belief in the Mahdi, which is the prophesied redeemer of Islam. It is roughly the Christian equivalent of Christ as they believe the Mahdi will come back to restore peace and order and just Islamic society ahead of the Day of the Resurrection. The exact nature of Mahdi varies among Sunni and Shi'a Muslims but Mahmoud believes very strongly that the time of his arrival is near. In fact, when Mahmoud took over as president of Iran, he publicly stated that he thought the Mahdi would return in 2-3 years. Well, we are there now. In fact, Mahmoud has traditionally ended his speeches with a plea for the return of Mahdi but at his talk at Columbia University he began his speech with a prayer for Mahdi to return. That is significant. The worst part is that he believes that he can quicken the return of Mahdi if the world is in chaos and turmoil. I think this offers trememdous insight into the thinking and actions of this man. He doesn't just talk about wiping Israel off the face of the map or prohibiting an Israeli/Palestinian treaty because he hates Jews. He is also motivated by his spiritual beliefs. Iranian soldiers and IEDs don't end up in Iraq just because he hates Americans but because he is trying to continually sow the seeds of death and discord. Keep all that in mind as we wait to see what he does next.
http://www.mrm.org/an-lds-apostles-attitude-toward-doubting-mormons
So, due in part to the busyness, I feel like I am behind on a number of things I have been thinking about writing down. So this will be a quick overview and I may expand on things in later posts.
Do you wonder why you have heard less about Iraq in recent months? Well, that is because we are having success there and it just doesn't seem to be worth reporting as much as when we are facing escalating casualties and violence. The surge is working and we will soon start seeing some of our troops come home or be deployed elsewhere. Iraqi forces have formally taken security control of half the country. Military success is a function of persistence and courage...two qualities that many Americans no longer possess.
Archaeologists found the quarry that provided King Herod the stones he used to renovate the biblical Second Temple compound. Just more science backing up the Bible as fact unlike other "religious books"...right Joseph Smith?
77% of Americans support schools providing birth control. I guess in a society that no longer has a moral foundation this isn't surprising. I understand the safety aspect if kids are going to have sex anyway but I also can't shake the feeling that it is implicit encouragement to engage in whatever activities make them feel good regardless of physical, emotional or spiritual consequence.
Gunmen slaughtered 11 relatives, including 7 children, of an Iraqi journalist who was operating an electronic news Web site. Two thoughts: Evil is quite real and Americans are not the terrorists.
How far left has the Episcopal Church gone? So far left that an entire California diocese with more than 9,000 members was thinking of seceding over gay issues. When you get too liberal for California you should really begin to question the path you have taken. Still, out of 7,600 Episcopalian congregations, only 32 have left and another 23 have voted to leave. To those remaining...when your "church" no longer believes and follows the inerrant Word of God you are no longer going to church. You can't stay out of comfort or habit. Either be an agent of change on behalf of Christ or get the heck outta there asap.
Romney had a nice speech telling America that he believes Jesus Christ is the son of God and the savior of mankind. Sounds good, right? Sounds like a Christian to most who were listening. Hey Mitt...do you believe in the virgin birth? Didn't think so. There goes the Bible and God's plan of salvation. Also, to be clear, faith in their version of Christ is not the determining factor for Mormons when it comes to salvation. It is only a necessary prerequisite, not the whole enchilada in stark contast to John 3:16.
I have nothing against Mormons. I have a burden on my heart for them and for anyone who is missing faith in the true Jesus Christ and is following doctrine that does not come from the one true God. So, speaking of Mormons, I was watching Glenn Beck a few months ago and he had a very interesting piece on President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (I copied and pasted the name) and his belief in the Mahdi, which is the prophesied redeemer of Islam. It is roughly the Christian equivalent of Christ as they believe the Mahdi will come back to restore peace and order and just Islamic society ahead of the Day of the Resurrection. The exact nature of Mahdi varies among Sunni and Shi'a Muslims but Mahmoud believes very strongly that the time of his arrival is near. In fact, when Mahmoud took over as president of Iran, he publicly stated that he thought the Mahdi would return in 2-3 years. Well, we are there now. In fact, Mahmoud has traditionally ended his speeches with a plea for the return of Mahdi but at his talk at Columbia University he began his speech with a prayer for Mahdi to return. That is significant. The worst part is that he believes that he can quicken the return of Mahdi if the world is in chaos and turmoil. I think this offers trememdous insight into the thinking and actions of this man. He doesn't just talk about wiping Israel off the face of the map or prohibiting an Israeli/Palestinian treaty because he hates Jews. He is also motivated by his spiritual beliefs. Iranian soldiers and IEDs don't end up in Iraq just because he hates Americans but because he is trying to continually sow the seeds of death and discord. Keep all that in mind as we wait to see what he does next.
http://www.mrm.org/an-lds-apostles-attitude-toward-doubting-mormons
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