July 2010
4 posts
A TASTE OF DEFEAT AND A TASTE OF GOD
hi all. wanted to touch on what i find to be a very important part of the story of shadrach, meshach, and abednego in daniel 3. first, because i believe satan is an actual personality in scripture, i believe in the idea of spiritual warfare. with that in mind, i have no doubt satan was behind the idea nebuchadnezzar should build his great image and demand everyone bow and worship under threat...
digging deeper into unintended consequences
last week i thought out loud about the shirley sherrod debacle. as far as i can tell, its another in a long line of unintended consequences that happen so often. here is what i mean, we highly value being ”politically correct” in our society. this is to protect minorities from harm. yet it was political correctness that led to shirley, a black woman being fired/forced to resign.
...
POLITICAL CORRECTNESS AND UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE
hi folks. if you have been following the news you are well aware of the controversy involving shirley sherrod. as if there isn’t enough out there already, i will throw my two cents out there.
first, let me say as clearly as i can. i do not think political correctness should be a national priority or value. in fact, i believe it is political correctness that is at the heart of this...
STRUGGLING WITH JUSTICE...FAIRNESS
hi all. lately i have been thinking about the story of asaph. not familiar? well that’s understandable. asaph was a musician attached to the temple in ancient israel and wrote about a dozen psalms. the most significant of which, at least in my opinion, is psalm 73. it is an amazing story of how asaph wrestled through a crisis of faith and somehow came out the other end, better. ...
June 2010
6 posts
is there a lesson in here...somewhere???
i am presently involved in a bible study on monday morning where we have been studying the book of judges. we are presently in the midst of the story of samson. have you ever thought about samson and his life? i recommend it, but i will warn you up front. as you do, you will probably struggle with a number of inconsistencies. now, i’m not trying to demean the bible record, or suggest it...
why would god allow such a thing?
hi out there. spent some time in the book of job in recent days. gonna wrap up our series on the biggest losers, by looking at his 3 friends who had a chance to come alongside job in an incredibly painful moment, and completely failed. what’s worse is, not only did they offer no comfort, they actually piled on with judgementalism making the situation even worse. even if they had been...
something's been bugging me lately
i would like to get your opinion on something. maybe i am a bit off base here, maybe i’m a bit calloused, but it seems to me i am hearing an awful lot of promotion towards what i would describe as “random acts of kindness” as if that is what the bible means when it calls us to love our neighbors as ourselves. now let me say as clearly as possible, i am not opposed to random...
"His Story"...It keeps going, and going, and going
hi folks. been doing a lot of thinking about ancient egypt and pharaoh this week, he’s our next biggest loser. it really is an interesting story and i would encourage you to check it out in exodus 1-14. the focal point of the story in my humble opinion is pharaohs unwillingness to submit his will to god (for those unfamiliar with the story, god sent moses to tell pharaoh to let...
anybody out there think this is a good idea???
consider this another wrinkle to yesterdays blog. as i reviewed the news of the day, i was amused by how many people are calling for an end to the israeli blockade of gaza. without going into all the details, practically this is what that would mean. iran is busy pursuing nuclear weapons, last report i read was they have enough nuclear material to build 2 bombs and could do so within 1-2...
international outrage...again...yawn
is anyone else out there puzzled by the international outrage over the incident between israel and the international aid ships trying to run their blockade??? i know 10 people died, but lets compare this outrage to another recent maritime event…when north korea torpedoed a south korean ship killing 46 sailors. does anyone remember any outrage? i don’t, did i miss something? do you...
May 2010
4 posts
Don't Ask, Don't Tell...Making Sense out of...
last week i blogged on how difficult it can be to integrate our faith into real life. to me, here is another example of just how difficult it is. now, let me mention a few things that i think are pertinent to this discussion.
i am not an expert in the military. therefore my insights into the don’t ask, don’t tell policy that has been debated recently is beyond my experience and...
integrating faith and life...easier said then done
have i got your attention? hope so. this past week i got tangled up in a rather extensive discussion on facebook dealing with illegal immigration. the discussion was framed around the question “what should be the xtian response”? i thought i would use this post as an opportunity to summarize my thoughts in light of this discussion.
first, let me broadly define where i am coming...
biggest losers
hi out there. it has been an interesting week. i have officially entered the 21st century. my blog is now linked to facebook. the results have been cool in that i have had a number of very good conversations on some very relevant topics where i get to suggest how god’s truth intersects with real life. that is exactly what i was hoping for, so thanks for your feedback.
this past sunday...
what do you think about the oil spill???
hi out there. got a lot of feedback from my last blog so i thought i would stir the pot again by talking about the big oil spill in the gulf. but first let me mention one thought that carries over from last weeks topic. several of you mentioned to me a concern due to the fact this new law in arizona would require people to carry identification to prove they were here legally. it could lead to...
April 2010
2 posts
what do you think about....the arizona law???
hi everyone. it has been awhile since i blogged. largely b/c i rarely hear from any of you and find myself wondering if this is even a worthy use of my time. feel free to chime in on that, but with all the buzz over the arizona law on illegal immigration, and the cultural relevance of this topic to us folks who live in california, i found myself itching to blog…so blog i will. now,...
a famous non-believer
hi out there. we are in the midst of the easter season. the events of easter some 2000 years ago represent the most significant happenings in all human history to we christians. we believe jesus died on the cross to pay the price of sin in full and that he rose from the dead to offer us the life that was lost in the garden when man rebelled against god. there is only one catch, if you call it...
March 2010
1 post
3000 percent
unless you have spent the last year on another planet you are well aware of the ongoing controversy in washington over health care. now, i do not want this to be a political blog. there are plenty of those with much more information than i would ever be able to deliver. and in general, i am very ambivalent to politics these days. not so much because i don’t care about the policies, but...
February 2010
3 posts
the lost art of listening
hi all. its been a while, it is good to catch up. by the way, i often struggle with what exactly to share with you…insights into current studies, comments on current events, life experience, etc. with that in mind, i would love suggestions or requests…as in what are your thoughts on …?
i guess today, i am thinking of a hybrid. kind of a cross between current events and...
if the shoe fits...
hi again. just wanted to fire off a follow-up to what i mentioned last time. the lead up to the superbowl was filled with outrage from the supposedly pro-choice groups because a previously unseen advertisement by focus on the family featuring tim tebow and his mom had been approved by cbsto air during the game. even though they had not seen the ad, they were sure it was offensive,...
pro choice...really???
hi everyone. i was wondering if you have been following all the controversy surrounding the focus on the family super bowl commercial featuring tim tebow and his mom, pam? apparently this ad, unseen by everyone other than focus on the family, cbs, and the tebow’s has caused quite a stir in the feminist community. the national organization for women, the women’s media center, the...
January 2010
4 posts
the position of religion in american government
hi all. recently i got into a pretty heavy conversation over the role of religion in american culture…especially politics. now let me mention a few things right up front. let me start by explaining what i mean by religion. to me religion is a man made system that defines god, man, and explains how man can be rightly related to god. this changes from religion to religion. this is not...
why most people of character dislike politicians
the title of this blog may be objectionable to some, and it has not been tested in any kind of scientific poll, but i’m using it anyway. my experience with normal, everyday people is there is little respect for the political class. here is my spin on why.
let me start by saying there are so many problems with politicians, i cannot possibly address them all. but recent events are a perfect...
buddha versus jesus
have any of you been following the flap over the comments of brit hume??? if not, he commented that tiger woods should consider turning to christianity because forgiveness and transformation are foundational beliefs of christianity. in doing this he referenced that tiger was apparently a buddhist, due to his mothers influence, and brit was not sure whether forgiveness was an essential element to...
do not love the world????
we have been studying 1 john for several weeks now in our sunday morning services. we have come to one of the more significant texts in that letter where john commands these believers “do not love the world”. jesus often focused on the relationship of the believer to the world in which they lived, as did paul, as did peter, as did james. in fact i can’t think of an author in...
December 2009
1 post
been a long time
wow, it has been a few weeks since i sat down to “blog”. no one reason explains this lapse, it has been a cumulative effect. as i mentioned in my last post, it all started with the death of my father in law. but then there was thanksgiving, a visit to pennsylvania to see family, return trip and the inevitable catch-up, and now christmas is upon us. time sure flies.
i don’t...
November 2009
4 posts
we buried a great man this week
sorry it has been a while. my father-in-law, dr. e. robert jordan, (chief for short…he was a chief petty officer in his navy days) died last wednesday so my wife has not been home for several weeks leaving me to scramble to get everything done. blogging was shorted. but i really feel this particular blog is important for several reasons. first, chief really was a great man. since most...
if it walks like a duck...
have you ever heard the old phrase…if it walks like a duck, if it quacks like a duck, if it looks like a duck, it’s a duck? i would describe that as common sense. unfortunately. common sense is not a value we embrace any longer in our culture. it has been replaced by things like moral relativism, tolerance, and political correctness.
now, i will warn you, this blog will be more of...
does it seem confusing???
hi out there. we made a short video to explain last weeks boating accident leading to broken ribs. granted, it’s a little over the top…but i think very funny.
anyway, on to more serious stuff. do you ever have doubts about christianity? do you find it confusing at times? do you ever wonder if we really have the truth…as in the bible…and can it be relied on? if we are...
Watch
October 2009
5 posts
a great adventure
have you ever had one of those days? most of us have. last friday was one for me. let me tell you what happened. it had been a good week, i had gotten everything i needed to do for the week done, and i had plans to go fishing that afternoon with one of the elders in our church. seemed like the start of a great weekend. i have been fishing with bill many other times, i was familiar with the...
what is life that is truly life?
we are starting a study of 1 john this week in our sunday worship service. it is interesting to see the similarity between the opening of john’s gospel, and the opening of this letter. both are rather complex sentences that surely could have been simplified. why they weren’t is a matter best taken up in heaven. despite this complexity, it is clear in both places john points to...
where is the problem???
if you read the last blog, you know we raised the question whether it is ever acceptable to be angry with god. i did this because in jonah 4, jonah was quite angry with god, and god confronted him. now, suppose we had the chance to ask jonah…what’s the problem? what do you think he would say? as i understand this story, it is clear to me, he would reply: the problem is those evil...
angry with god???
hello again. here’s the question for today…is it okay to be angry with god? i know that is an unfair question without giving you a context, but what do you think. as i see it, there are times when god seems to be okay with our anger. jeremiah felt god had deceived him when he was called to his prophetic office, and it appears god indulged him (as opposed to immediately squashing...
how do you think of grace
as you may know, we are studying the book of jonah on sunday mornings. quite an interesting study. i see an awful lot of grace traced throughout the story…but often i see that grace in a context i,we, wouldn’t immediately associate with grace. here is what i’m getting at. isn’t it true that most of the time we associate god’s grace with positive experiences. when...
September 2009
4 posts
do you believe...
hi once again. since last week i mentioned the whole jonah and the whale thing, i will not dwell on it now other than to make a few quick points and move on. first to dismiss this account as a myth undermines the integrity of scripture and nullifies our faith in anything scriptural. to see it as an allegory has the same chilling effect in that we can then label anything we find controversial,...
Really ?????
we are starting a new study this week in our sunday worship service. we are gonna work through the book of jonah. one of the things i found interesting is jonah is apparently the most disputed book in the bible. can you believe that? do you believe that? i guess i do, but that doesn’t mean i understand all the objections. here is what i mean.
think about all the stories in the bible. ...
memo to all leaders
hi again. unless you have been on another planet for the past week or so, you are well aware of all the flack over president obama speaking to the students of our nations schools. it was one of those mountain out of mole hill moments so prevalent these days in the media. and depending on where you get your news, the facts being presented were quite slanted. for instance, and i have no...
thinking out loud and wondering about the what and...
hello, hello. i’m back and want to go in a completely different direction this morning. it’s a long story, but it ended up with me in the post office mailing a package to france. well, as if god thought this would be entertaining, wouldn’t ya know, there was a rather unique individual just a few people in front of me. let me describe him.
his toenails were painted turqouise,...
August 2009
3 posts
TROUBLED SOUL
hi out there. sorry for not blogging in awhile, went to tahoe for a few days last week and then had to play catch up. most of that is behind me now. was mulling over a lot of stuff about which i was gonna blog, and then senator kennedy died. i don’t know about you, but that has caused me to do some soul searching. let me explain.
politically i lean toward conservatism. there are...
just how does he do it ????
last week i started looking into the fact christ said he would build his church. my thought process was primarally on a number of predictions that said the evangelical church as we presently know it will soon collapse. how could that be if christ said he would build his church? i will not re-write last weeks content, but would recomend you check it out. today i want to explore the practical...
I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH
hi folks. yesterday (sunday) i was looking into what on the surface strikes me as a potential contradiction. let me backtrack. in the past 6 mos. or so i have read a number of blogs, articles, editorials, etc. that have predicted the demise of evangelical christianity as it presently exists. different “experts” gave different reasons, some quite varied, some made sense, others were...
July 2009
3 posts
a lesson in history
hi out there. i’m gonna ask you to indulge me for a moment, to make a point about some recent events, and then tie it all together when we get to the end of this blog.
did you watch any of the british open? i admit i am close to being a golf addict, so i made sure i saw as much as my schedule allowed. for those who didn’t catch it, 59 year old tom watson (2 month’s shy of...
CAN IT GET ANY SCARIER ???
hi out there. i’m interested in your thoughts on the whole michael jackson thing. after a few weeks of media frenzy, i am at wits end. as i said in my title, i don’t know if it can get any scarier. have we come so far…or sunk so low…that the cultural focus (at least through the lens of the media)has been 24/7 coverage of all things michael jackson. not to speak ill of...
THE BEAUTY OF BAPTISM
hi out there. i’ve been doing some thinking lately on baptism. i know this means different things to different peoples and groups, and i’m not trying to be controversial, but i really think the picture of baptism (by immersion, following a personal committment to follow christ) is quite beautiful. now, the reason i suggest immersion is based in a number of scriptures. first of all...
June 2009
5 posts
creation mandate
hi out there. was wondering if any of you had any thoughts on the creation mandate. the reason being lately i have been hearing and reading some thoughts that i’m not so sure are in tune with what scripture actually teaches. for instance, the other day i’m having lunch with a local pastor and we drifted into the area of politics. as you probably know, the obama administration is...
the unavoidable slide
is anyone out there familiar with the focus on the family resource entitled “the truth project”? we have been using it in our church for almost a year and i would highly encourage you to check it out. it is designed to challange the participant on their worldview and hopefully flesh out the worldview that should characterize us as followers of jesus. the other night we got into a...
it's still the economy
i’m back and continuing what i started yesterday. you may want to read yesterdays blog. as i was wrapping up my thoughts, i mentioned something has to give. our ecomy is based on consumption. to allow for optimal consumption we have credit. but the use of credit may, often does, result in debt (another word for slavery). and debt eventually takes its toll. this is exactly what has...
it's the economy, stupid
i’m not sure when i first heard that, i think it was in the bush v. clinton campaign of 1992, but i could be mistaken. it really doesn’t matter when, what does matter is how very relevant that statement remains in our present crisis. now, don’t misunderstand, as a christ follower i am not about to buy into the sky is falling mentallity that is so pervasive today. jesus is bigger...
INTERESTING TIMES
hi out there. have you been following the news? some amazing things have occured in recent times. some of them have far reaching impact on things we as christ followers hold dear. for instance, dr. tiller, the late term abortion doctor was murdered this past sunday while he was attending the services of his church. do you realize how this is being presented in the main stream media? how this...
May 2009
4 posts
are you feeling a bit like mr. bill
do you remember mr. bill from the late 70’s, early 80’s SNL? he was the guy always being run over by the steam roller…oh noooooo! i don’t know about you, but i’m feeling a bit like him lately. not to gain your sympathy, (but all sympathy is appreciated) i’m tired from helping my son remodel my mom’s master bath last week. non stop construction from...