A Life Unfettered

Pray Specifically by Name

2007-11-15T06:18:00.000-08:00

Just reading Colossians 1.9-12 in accordance with Charles Stanley's devotional for the day. How often do you read scripture, praying through it, with a specific person's name in it? I remember working in the restaurant business and learning how to say "Please", "Thank You", "Hello" and "Good night" in about a dozen different languages. A total of 48 phrases, if you do the math, made a world of difference to the people who were native speakers of those languages. Now, while God knows every word on our heart and is not moved by flattery, don't you think it honors Him when we speak His language?

Try praying through His word and see what power meaningful specifics have in prayer over the blandness of wandering generalities.

9. For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.
10. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,
11. being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully
12. giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.

He is faithful.

Hope = confidence?

2007-11-14T07:14:00.000-08:00

Recently, I was reading in Romans 8 where Paul describes hope and asks "But hope that is seen is no hope at all. For, who hopes for what he already has?" And, then, he expounds in verse 25: "But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently." So, hope = waiting patiently.

But, I felt God leading me deeper into that definition. For some reason, I felt a pressure in my head that made me think about the word "waiting". I thought about some of the things we wait for and the attitude surrounding our wait. We wait for the light to turn green. Okay, I can see the choice to wait patiently or impatiently. Hope would be active in this moment. We wait for the bus to come. We can wait paitently or impatiently. That makes sense, too.

But, when we cross the line from patiently waiting to impatiently waiting, I think we begin to lose hope, not only by definition, but by absense of a certain assumed quality: confidence. Sometimes, I'm waiting at a red light that just won't turn, I'll do that mythological high beam flash so the light will think I'm an ambulance and then change for me. Other times, impatience leads me to roll over the sensor again... and again. "Did you notice my car here?!" These actions are all outpourings of a loss of confidence. Doing this is a key indicator that I'm not confident the light will ever change. No confidence, no patience. No patience, no hope. Suddenly, I've crossed the border of waiting and moved to wondering.

This morning, during quiet time, I was mulling over a few things about the wedding, the move, the bills, and all that comes with an impending marriage. I found myself doing something I have done four or five times this week, and caught myself doing. Sighing. Immediately, Romans 8 came to mind when Paul talks about the creation being subject to frustration and groaning inwardly with anticipation. My betrothed has said repeatedly - "I just want the wedding to be over [so we can enjoy being married]." I found myself in a sympathetic echo.

I looked up, and did the only thing I could do, I laughed. "Father, you have such a clever sense of humor." For God to have brought me through these verses so much in the past month and then to catch myself groaning, it was like an "I get it." moment. We laughed. God and I laughed together. I in spite of myself and God in a sort of "now, you understand what I go through with you?" kind of way.

"Now, wait patiently. Be confident that I will do what I said I would do. Hope in me."

The Lord makes me laugh and He gives me confidence to wait...

patiently.

To Hell and Back

2007-04-22T19:52:00.000-07:00

Ever feel like the phrase "Go to Hell." is a bit overused in our culture? If you saw what I saw tonight, I am confident that even if you're not a "church person", you'd eliminate that from your vocabulary. I have seen Hell, or at least enough of a glimpse of it to break my heart.

Tonight, I attended "do.justice", a "stylish singles event to celebrate freedom". In a converted industrial building in downtown Atlanta, several hundred of us were ushered in groups of 30 into a long, dark hallway filled with huge movie screens. On the first screen, we saw the story of a young boy named "Patrick". At age 12 soldiers came into his Ugandan village with AK-47s and machetes and unleashed an indescriminate attack on all in their way. They beat him and handed him a gun, telling him to shoot the man and woman in front of him or he would be shot instead.

Heads up: this gets a little graphic.
After he shot them, they did spare his life, only to force him to carry the severed head of the man he shot and wear the intestines of the woman around his neck as they marched him 20 miles that day. When asked why he would carry them he said, "because they were my parents."

The next story was about a child named Srey. She was given away by her parents for money, then sold to a brothel in Southeast Asia, where she was "employed" and beaten daily. Once, the police came in and shut down the brothel, freeing her, until the appropriate bribes were paid. Then, the proprietor moved them all across the street and resumed business as usual.

There are roughly 27 million people in the modern day slave trade. No, that's not the people running the trade, those are the actual slaves. Yes, in 2007, there are enough people enslaved worldwide today to populate the state of New York one and one half times.

In the midst of all the "where is God?" talk following the horrid shootings at Virginia Tech, comes an echo of the wake up call "God is watching. And I don't think He's impressed." In fact, when I left the event tonight, I thought I was heartbroken, but I'm sure God's heart is broken even more. The Bible teaches that He is not a God who employs mindless puppets, that our every move should be decided for us on our behalf, stripping us of free will. On the contrary, He has given us a will of our own, and starting with Adam, we've made some of the worst choices that could be made.

Further, the Bible teaches that sin entered the world through one man [Adam], and death through sin, that is, we live in a broken world ruled by God's enemy. In this fallen world, trials, disease, and unspeakable terrors coexist with the Biblical promise of redemption. There is a Heaven. There is a Hell. Sadly, millions of children are forced to live in Hell even today. The church, the government, and the secular movement, for their own unique and divergent reasons must leverage every ounce of power they can to expose and stop this sadistic industry. (Yes, if you brought in $5 billion a year globally, I'd call you an industry, too.)

Below are a list of websites that you may choose to visit. I urge you to visit them, even if you don't have the time to. Put them in your favorites bar and refer to them as often as it takes to get you to do something on behalf of these tortured souls.

Go to Hell.

Once you have a glimpse of it burned indelibly into your mind's eye, come back, and do something about it.

Not For Sale Campaign
Sam Childers: Saving the Invisible Children
Addressing sexual exploitation in Atlanta, Ga

May you never be the same again. May you live a life unfettered. May you take action today that echoes through eternity and impacts the life of a child fettered by the evil in the hearts of sinful men. May you show a hellbound human being a glimpse of the light of heaven in what you do and fall in love with the God who redeems you both. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Reprint - Weaker Than WHO?!

2007-04-03T19:49:00.000-07:00

In light of a few debates I've been sucked into lately, I've decided to republish an old post I wrote last summer. Enjoy.

"In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat her with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God's gift of new life. If you don't treat her as you should, your prayers will not be heard." 1 Peter 3.7 NLT

I think the NLT gets the Greek word "time" right here - it is often translated "respect" or "value". But, "honor" is a word often used reciprocally in reference to the relationship husbands and wives should have. But, there is no need for offense. This is not a "barefoot and pregnant" command. This is not in any way meant to be misogynistic. Hard to believe?

Let's give credit where due - we men, as a whole, tend to be rough, brash, more focused on logic and solutions than women. Oops. Just lost credibility... Am I painting with broad strokes? So was the apostle Peter in this verse. Does he leave room for exceptions? Clearly. However, as a general rule, if you were God for a moment and you knew how stubborn men were on the whole, and you had seen them screw up this relationship thing over and over, wouldn't you give them a clear and clamorous caveat about their bumbling approach to relationships?

Boys, what do we do when carrying an object of great value? I'm thinking a priceless Ming vase filled with Philippe de Rothschild's finest wine. Are we a bit more careful where and how we step? Do we take into consideration every edge, corner, and surface of the objet d'art we hold in our hands?

Notice, though, that the apostle Peter urges us in indefinite terms first and then comes back to definite status "she may be weaker... but she is your equal partner". In other words, "you are equally yoked, but will have a tendency to pull at different speeds - in emotional situations she will walk more steadily than you, but you may have a tendency to drag her through logic when she really needs nurturing. Take care - heed her mood, read her mood, lead her mood in the way she needs her mood to be lead, and then you will avoid unnecessary relational damage, scars, and bruising - your prayers will not be hindered."

Am I reading too much into this? Are these generalizations degrading to women? What if God knew something ages ago that we still struggle with and stumble over to this very day - that men and women are different and we must learn how to treat each other to avoid the relational chaos that so permeates our broken, selfish world? If He didn't know that, do you think He'd have put so many pairs of relational counsel in His word? Notice how often advice is given first to one sex and then to the other? For fun, look at the two lines He commands for women in chapter 5 of Ephesians that preceed the four lines that follow directed right at the men. No pressure, guys...

We have the potential to come together with the word of God between us, or to let our misunderstandings of it divide us. But, if God's greatest commands are to love Him, and love others as ourselves, wouldn't it make sense that his warning to men would be - treat her tenderly, with honor, value, and respect, as you would if she were a weaker partner or your hard, unflexible heart will connect to me like a bogged down dial-up connection in a busy chat room?

Simply stated: "Treat her as if or I'll make you wish you did." - God

Or, in the words of my favorite Haiku

"Oh, she wants me to
love her just like she would love
her if she were me..."

In, but Not Of

2007-02-20T07:17:00.000-08:00

We are told to live in the world but be not of it.

Sounds like symantics to me. At least, that's what I thought the first few times I heard it. Then, I ignored or forgot it for years. The next time I heard it, it was from someone trying to sell me something. And then again, I heard it from a preacher who was able to make sense of it - Father Robert DeNiro.

Heat is not a movie I'd recommend to someone trying to avoid violence and four letter words. But, DeNiro's character, a professional heist orchestrator, preaches to a career larcenist played by Val Kilmer, to never get attached to something or someone "you can't walk out on in 30 seconds if the heat comes down."

Christians believe in a god, God, who desires their undivided attention. His enemy seeks to divide their attention. If we realize that we live in a temporary world, we must acknowledge that some day we'll be freed from math class (the adding up of dollars and accomplishments) and given an eternal recess/gym class/lunch, where we'll get to be with an interesting, vibrant, exciting god for ev er.

But, if Christ's claims are true, the Bible is authentic, and you were the CEO of hell, you'd know that those who Christianity states have been "adopted as God's children" are impossible to take away, wouldn't you at least try to distract them from Him for the 70 years you can?

God's call that we should not love the stuff that so often owns us is not unlike DeNiro's warning to Kilmer, not unlike refusing to leave math class. What if the Bible is true? What if God really knows better than all we could ever know? What if there is something sinister in loving our stuff that takes away from the experiential richness that could exist in our lives, our relationships, our souls?

I have set goals this year for what I intend to accomplish. My New Year's resolutions are written down and will be read monthly, updated quarterly, and accomplished with God's grace and my effort. But, what if we all wrote down the things we intend, vow not to do this year?

"I don't need another payment. I don't need a new computer. I'm going to intentionally choose not to buy x, y, and z."

Is it possible that in filling this command, by setting high and lofty goals, leaving them to the work of our hands and the favor of God, and guarding ourselves against the stuff that so silently weighs us down, we may set ourselves free from what we thought was freedom, and truly discover what freedom really means?

Again, I could be nuts, but at least these chips are out on the table.

Total Cost of Ownership...

2007-02-16T09:09:00.000-08:00

Q: What have you paid for today?
A: "Lunch", "gas", "my cell", "the toll on GA 400", "my drycleaning"...

I've never interviewed people on their spending habits. But, if we posed that question to 100 people on the street, we'd get very few answers like "a lie that I told" or "a lie I was sold". And, yet, I'm willing to bet you and I have bought and paid for more lies than gas, food, or cellphone bills.

31 days ago, my younger brother shot and nearly killed himself in a dark, depressed, and angry moment. But, therein lies a lie that I'm newly passionate about dispelling. While the attempt at suicide happens in a moment, the act itself does not. The word "world" appears in the book of John roughly 50 times, and is used there as "moral climate". Suicide is not an event, it's a symptom of the climate inside of us. It is akin to the greenhouse effect - the buildup of contaminants that reflects energy back inward until everything gets so hot that all life suffocates under the weight of its own detritus. Convenience comes at a cost.

Not a one time purchase, a payment plan. Not an event... a process.

I'm not here to debate the veracity of global warming, merely, based on the assumption that everything has a price, to pose the question "what kind of interest are we paying on the convenient monthly payment of hydrocarbon use". Or, more apropos to our discussion here:

"What is the total cost of ownership of silence over critical life issues?"

For my brother, it nearly cost him his life. But, not everyone is willing to talk about their "private" stuff, the stuff that's "no one's business". And, therein lies yet another lie. Privacy, in a world where two or more people interact, is a myth.

The Bible explains that none of us live in a vacuum, that we are all potentially part of "one body". James is very blunt about the consequences of buying this lie. When things go awry on multiple levels: financial, relational, emotional, physical; and we tuck them under the carpet in our head or the catch all closet in our hearts, the process of death begins. Yes, death. Relational death? Financial death? Emotional death? What more accurately do we want to call it? Suffocation of the soul? That works, but it's still a process

Everyday our lives brush against the lives of others and the climate inside us comes into contact with the climate inside them. We can try to keep things private, but as our private stuff brings or destroys life within us, how can it not affect those with whom we come into contact? If we relent when hurt people around us retreat to their carpets and catch all closets to stuff away their stuff, we are allowing them to suffocate themselves. They have bought the lie, it's up to us to show them the fraud.

So, today, in my email update to friends regarding my brother's "miraculous" recovery, I have charged them with this prayer:

"God, I'm trusting in the notion that You know everything and, in the midst of what seems random and frightening and huge, have a plan that's far too big and ornate for my eyes to see or mind to comprehend. Thank You for the people in my life, and indeed my own life. Thank You for my unique and complicated problems and great triumphs and talents. Please, help me to trust that all I see is not all there is, and through this, gain enough perspective to see and pursue the relationships that really matter while there is still time. I trust you to guard and protect me/those in need and pain, even when it seems their path is going amiss. That would make you a pretty ginormous God, and that's the kind of God this world needs. Thank you for being ginormous, however big that is. Amen."

Calling All Prayers

2006-09-17T12:08:00.000-07:00

I'd like to ask, something I've often been loathe to do, for the help of those whose eyes and minds tread on this space. I'd like to ask for a few prayers for myself and those around me.

The singles ministry in which I serve at church, (little "c"), is going through some great new changes. I have opportunities to serve therein in leadership capacity, as do nearly 50 to 100 others who have seen the cast vision of this new environment. I also, having taken a season off from leading a small group, am leading a new weekly group of 8 guys for bible study, accountability, and prayer, or as we say "doing life together". I also have a job. A bit more than a job, really - a career opportunity wherein I have the chance to grow in my current skill set, develop a new set of skills, and allow the ebb and flow of pressure and time at God's direction, to mold me in the man He has envisioned.

I cannot do this alone.

I covet your prayers for leadership, courage, self discipline, and purity as I step into the gap that He has made visible to me. Would you pray that I would be attuned to His will, desire to know His loves and concerns, so that I can test and approve what His will is and respond as a servant leader of the Leader of leaders? Would you pray that I could stand in the face of fear, not desiring for fear to go away, but that I would press on in spite of it, because He is with me and I with Him? Would you pray that I would love my Lord not only with my words and songs, but with my actions, doing what needs to be done dutifully, yet out of respect and love for the God who has made them all possible? And last, would you pray that I could continue to be "man without mixture", pure in my heart, will, and body in respect for the righteousness I have inherited as a child of God through Christ?

For those of you that are not "followers of Christ", this may seem like a whole lot of God-speak, and it is. But, I would ask you for purposes of taking our debate and relationship to the next level that you would verbalize these thoughts, even silently, and ask them in the name of Christ. I guess I'm asking you to "try it, you'll like it" of the ancient Thinker that I believe to be the one, true, living God. This may seem a bit strange. I appreciate that, and thank you all the more for stepping out of your comfort zone.

Pray, also, for His blessing over this blog (even more wierd, huh?), that the conersations that come from He to me would continue to be loud and clear and that I may effectively communicate them in this cyberspace. Pray that my plans for updating this internet real estate would coincide with His plans and that I would create enough margin to approach it without hurry or a lack of care.

Be well, and may the love of Christ be a stone in your shoe until the truth that irritates your foot causes you to run to him for relief.

Peace.

Aarron

Brief Hiatus

2006-08-07T19:21:00.000-07:00

As you have noticed, there have been no posts for the month of August, and a few missed Fridays over recent months. Due to a variety of reasons, I am taking the month of August off. Feel free to check in from time to time, just in case inspiration and timing happen to collide unexpectedly, but it is my intention to start fresh after Labor Day.

This may also mean the new look, new plan, and new collaboration I've been mentioning, as well, but only time will tell. For now, take some time to review some old posts you've not yet commented on, comment on a few, and surf my brief blogroll for something else worth reading. There's plenty to go around.

Enjoy the rest of your summer and we'll see you in September.

Grace and peace,
Aarron

Leadership - Let's Start with Followship

2006-07-31T20:05:00.000-07:00

Just read an interesting exegesis at Pastor Jon's blog. It's a wee bit long for my taste, but has a fair bit of application for those who feel called to pursue Christ. For those who don't, it will give you a behind the scenes look at some of the strange things we believe as Christians and the ways we ought to, but often fail to, live our lives as those who have been ransomed from death.

I like the fact that he makes a point to say that being subject to does not equal passive. His quote from Briscoe is poignant, considering the level of debate often heard between believers and non believers in the majority of our media outlets. (Christianese: "believer" - one who believes that man and God are separated by sin but rejoined relationally through faith in the substituionary sacrifice of Jesus Christ's death on the cross and resurrection thereafter.)

Please, drop him a comment, when you get a chance.

Choosing Sides

2006-07-25T18:19:00.000-07:00

The phrase "The Lord is with them/him" appears more than a dozen times in the Old Testament. Popular culture and leaders striving to motivate the masses often tout the phrase "God is on our side..." I'm asked from time to time - "What will you ask the Lord when you see Him in heaven?"

What about being "with the Lord" or "on God's side"?

Don't get me wrong, I believe the Bible to be the inerrant word of God. I just don't understand yet what He wants us to learn from the repetition of that phrase from that vantage point. He has expressed often that He desires relationship with us, that He is perfecting us into the image of His Son, so shouldn't that phrase be the other way around?

Anyone who understands the original Hebrew, could you shed some light on that for me?

Preciate ya.

Holla back.

A

You Are What You Think...

2006-07-24T19:03:00.000-07:00

Many years ago, a mentor introduced me to a book called "Think and Grow Rich", written in the early 1900s by Napoleon Hill. He was a young man who studied some of the most wealthy people in the nation over the course of about 20 years to write this book. In it, my mentor pointed out, was the difference between the J. Paul Getty/Nelson Rockafellers of the world and the average week to week, paycheck to paycheck folks. He discovered that the key difference between those who were successful financially and those who weren't was their belief system.

20 years, hundreds of people, multiple millionaires and he comes up with "Rich people just plain think differently.

A decade later, I look at the wealth I would like in my life and I discover that it's not all measurable by dead presidents. Where do you want to earn your millions? In relationships? In wisdom? In emotional stability? In fitness? Paul teases out one of the same principles Hill discovered in the 1900s, only Paul got it from God and wrote it down 1800 years before.

"...whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things." Phil. 4.9

Hill was right - thoughts are things. What you think is what you become. We are what we know, we become what we learn. So, do you take this verse like I did, like God was just trying to snuff out "fun", or is it possible that the Great Designer has better plans for us than we have ever imagined and is just waiting for us to get our act together before He unleashes a tsunami of blessings on our lives?

Relationships that Strengthen and Encourage?

2006-07-19T19:48:00.000-07:00

For those of you who understand my home church's philosophy on "big church", this will be more obvious. For those who don't, understand that the church I attend weekly is considered one of those churches... those megachurches (insert diabolical villain music here) Not only is it large, but it is growing extremely rapidly - multiple campuses, multiple church plants, multiple "strategic partnerships". And yet, it still manages to maintain a certain intimacy, even among the timid and softspoken. The mission: "To lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ by creating environments that encourage people to pursue intimacy with God, community with believers, and influence with outsiders" sets the stage for a thriving community of "small groups".

These groups of 5-8 men, 5-8 women, or 4-7 couples, meet weekly for accountability, Bible study, and prayer. And you know what? I just don't have time for that.
I've never had time for it, even when I wanted to know God and walk closely with Him. But, that stubborn Spirit of God that urges us to do the right thing, make the wise choice, stand in the face of danger, pushed and pushed and pushed me to make time for it over three years ago, and I can't explain in a hundred posts what impact it's had on me and my walk with the God we believe asks us to call Him "Father".
Over time, I have experienced weeks of just being "slammed" at work - no margin, no rest, no breaks, frustration, abundance, dry spells, and dam breaks that have left me drained, exhausted, depressed, or just plain overwhelmed. Those are the nights I just want to drive straight back home and drift into a coma until the alarm goes off again. Sometimes, when things aren't going my way, I just don't want anyone to see me "off". (You know what it's like, being "on" all the time, right?) These are the times that I can hear God's voice, ever so clearly steering me away from temptation.

So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.

Funny, God knows us so well. When we're depressed, exhausted, overwhelmed, we often just want to let the night do its magic - to shut down, reboot, and see a new sun the next day. The enemy longs to lead us into the lie that "I just shouldn't/can't/don't want to be/am too X to be around people right now. And, we have a great propensity to believe the lie. God has wired us to thrive, yes, even introverts, on the accountability, belonging, and care of the Church, that is, the body of Christ.

Chipper Jones is only batting about one in three as of today. But imagine him trying to bat by sitting in the dugout and just sending his arms to do the work while he watched from the side. Chipper Jones - batting .336 (7/19/06)We individual body parts work best when we are attached to the body. (To the Red Sox Nation: I am only using a Braves player to appear relevant to the offline community here in Atlanta. My ATL audience already know I am a die hard Sox fan. They are so blinded by Satan that they believe that the Braves actually have a chance this year.** That's why the evil empire of Atlanta Police towed my car at the Sox game three weeks ago here at Turner Stadium, not because I was illegally parked with the other 9 people who got towed that night.)

Moral of the story - get connected. If you're already connected, stay connected. If you're tired, angry, depressed, busy, too scattered, too upset - re-connect. Don't let the enemy convince you that solitude will get you out - the worst things can happen when we're alone at night, sleeping too much, drinking too much - how would your life look if the last thing in your mind before bed was a controlled, deliberate, intentional prayer, thought, or meditation, versus haphazard, random thoughts with no connection to your long term direction?

Need to get away? You may be right. But, staying away never solves the problems that have driven us there, muchless shaped us or our character the way God is forging us during those difficult times. Leverage the relationships God has given you to keep yourself strong and plugged in.

Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 1 Thess. 5.11 (NIV)

Do you know someone who is depressed or angry and needs to reach out or be reached out to? Someone who knows they need to be around people but has grown reclusive? Would you please send them this link and ask them for their opinion on it?

** for those who have a tendency to react with anger, disgust, or confusion to overrighteous Christians, please re-freakin-lax. I'm being sarcastic here. The Sox rule, I am not implying that Braves fans or players, or Atlanta's finest are in league with Lucifer (That's Johnny Demon you're thinking of...) or that there's some cosmic conspiracy going on in the world of worldly sports. I'm just being a boisterous fan. Get over it and enjoy some Biblical truth, yo.

Oh, and Go SOX, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Dessert Before Dinner

2006-07-19T19:42:00.000-07:00

Tonight (yes, it would be nice if Wednesday's post came out more than an hour before it were no longer Wednesday...), I'd like us to have a little fluff before we get to the meat. I was over at Tall Skinny Kiwi, another blog I need to blogroll and visit more often, and saw this post on how to fold a shirt. I promise, that while bringing you the truth about what God has revealed to us, helping us to sort through the lies of the enemy with the sword of the spirit, that I will also inform you of other, extra-Biblical nuggets of applicable wisdom from time to time.

Here is one.

Enjoy.

I Wanna Be Like Mike

2006-07-17T19:47:00.000-07:00

Thinking like God is both a noble desire and a dangerous quest. When we read the circumstances surrounding what separated us from God in the first place, it was the enemy who chided Eve - "You won't die if you eat that fruit, God's just holding out on you because He doesn't want you to be like Him..."

Wherein is the lie? Does God not want us to know His ways? Does God not want us to think like Him?

If the Bible is truly God revealed to us, then the answer must be "yes, He wants us to know His ways and to think like Him. More than 30 times in the course of the 66 books we call the Bible do we see the phrase "your ways". Each and every time, someone is talking about the distance between who we are and who God isn't. In other words, God is righteous and holy and majestic and omnipotent and we are not. The Bible also makes it clear in 1 Cor. 1.30 that we are only righteous, or "good enough", because of the substitutional sacrifice of Christ on the cross.

But, if being like God was what got us in trouble with Him in the first place, why is His word so insistent on the theme of making our ways more like His?

Adam and Eve's sin wasn't over thinking like God. I believe that it was because they wanted to think like Him for selfish reasons. The enemy broke the trust and planted a selfish thought in their hearts. Think about it, these two were walking with the God of the universe in the Garden... everyday. If they just wanted to be like Him, they'd have asked Him. Instead, the enemy sold them on the idea that God was holding out. This distrust got in the way of them consulting or confronting God on this issue.

So, today, as we lead people at work, as we lead people in marketing, sales, accounts payable, server station 2, kiosk number 5, Wal-Mart 527, or CEO roundtable 12, we must lead not from our own selfish, untrusting desire, but from a zealous, thankful, and trusting heart that understands God's ways, yet is in alignment with them also.

Where do you slip up? Where do you see selfishness get in the way of serving the Lord? If this whole Bible thing is true and God is as great as He says He is, and a God that great is worthy of being worshipped, followed, and honored, then why do you and I so frequently get stuck on what "we" want instead of what "God wants"?

Show Me Some Love

2006-07-12T19:46:00.000-07:00

No greater love...

Is there anywhere in the world another faith whose central teaching is that to love and follow the Creator, one must be willing to die for their friends? Is there another faith anywhere in the world wherein the Creator would die for His creation?

I don't have much more to ask you today. I'm just occupied by the thought that Christianity - not the religion, but the act of following Christ, the lifestyle of pursuing the God of the Bible - is not about a lifestyle. It's about an event. It's about a sacrifice, a resurrection, and leaning on that event with one's whole soul. It then follows, that the only logical lifestyle is to love others. I still think I'm lousy at it, but that cross, that cross, that rugged old cross - it keeps bringing me back to the fact that that guy who just cut me off, that girl who's completely immodest, that sales force from a competitive company, I ought to love them as Christ did the church.

"just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy." (somewhere in Ephesians 5. I'm tired. Look it up, I dare you...)

Can you imagine loving God so much that you're willing to love your competition, the lost, the difficult?

Why Are You Here?

2006-07-10T21:05:00.000-07:00

Lately, I've been wrestling with exactly why I am on the path that I'm on. Am I here because of the challenge my job presents to my skill set? Am I here because of the money I'll make this year? Am I here to help members of my company's staff grow in their own walk with Christ? Am I here so that 6 months from now I could be making a sales call and hear something in conversation with my prospect that leads to a conversation that leads them to church that leads them to the Word that leads them to the Lord?

Paul's introductions always bear out that he is doing the Lord's work. Whether to the Ephesian church, the Roman church, the believers at Corinth, he was always prefacing his letter from the standpoint of why he was there.

At dinner tonight, some friends and I wrestled with what it looks like to live for God - do you have to work at a church, in ministry, as a missionary? So many of the examples we have of those who serve God are the "pros". People who "do God stuff" for a living. But, what about just being an Account Rep, a Sales Manager, an Accounts Payable Director, a CEO, a CIO, a PhD in XYZ?

No, I don't have a point that I'm driving at today, just wanted to stir up some fo the mud that's settled in our collective brains to see if we're on track or off track. No matter what you do, are you doing it for the Lord, not for men? For the Lord, not for the Benjamins? For the Lord and not for the recognition? Check yo sef.

Field Trip - Precious or Porn?

2006-07-05T19:59:00.000-07:00

Wednesday is our day to bring up issues or purity or relationships. For our field trip today, we're going offsite to an Albert Mohler article, I'd like to direct your attention to the slippery slope of "erotica" versus "pornography". First, I believe that if we read the Bible cover to cover, regardless of whether we take it seriously or not, we see that "sexual immorality" could most cogently be described as "anything that points toward sex outside of marriage". This definition in mind, there is no difference between erotica and pornography - neither have any place in front of my eyes.

What grieves me today is the article linked below. There are a handful of artists who insist that there is a very clear line between erotica and pornography, all the while blurring the line between decency and disgust. There is nothing graphic in this article, but I still find it disturbing.

The Ever-blurring Line Between Art and Sick...

All jokes about Alabama aside, I think their court system may have gotten this one right. No, I'm sure they got this one right.

Your comments appreciated, as usual, especially if you think I'm a conservative, fundamentalist, right wing psycho bent on conforming society and the government to some narrow-minded first century philosophy.

Deadlines...

2006-06-30T19:39:00.000-07:00

What do you do when you're under the gun? Focus or fold?

Christ told a story one day that confused the poo out of His followers. He was very good at that, you notice? One day, He starts telling them this story about a guy who's going to lose his job as a CFO. The CFO realizes he's about to be out of a job and so does the proper Christian thing: starts planning for his next career move. (Okay, was that sarcasm?)
He starts calling in debtors and cutting them the "settled in full" deal on what they owed his boss. Christ points out that though this may have been a dishonest maneuver, it created cash flow and showed initiative and craftiness. The CEO's praise of his soon to be fired cashflow manager was not for his dishonesty, but for his "pour on the steam and make something happen"-ness.

If God is our creator, truly a loving Father, and desires for us to live a life unfettered from our own weakness, laziness, and self deceit, do you think it's possible that He knows us better than we do? Why do you think He put that lesson in His word?

When I walk away from this verse, what stays with me is a distinct sense that He wants me to develop a keen sense of the amount of time I do or do not have left here on earth and to act as if it could all be over tomorrow.

How do you react when you know you absolutely, positively, have to get it done right away?

Naturally Speaking

2006-06-28T19:22:00.000-07:00

Josh Justice is a smart fella. I hear I am, too.

Both of us proved this wrong on Sunday because he told me he started a new blog about purity, chastity, abstinence, and he never bothered to tell me the URL, nor did I bother to demand it from him.

So, here I sit, ready to post about purity, and have no link to publish, and Josh hasn't yet returned my call. I'm publicly holding us both accountable for being more intelligent than that.

***Update*** I'm the lone moron, now. As I was posting, Josh was eMailing and sent me the aforementioned link. Your blogging homework has doubled, dear reader. Now, I am happy to introduce a controversial new blog by Josh Justice:
Glorious Gain. Read on...

***We now rejoin our blog post already in progress...***

Therefore, all I have to say today is-

Flee!!!

If you've never heard me say it before, look it up. And get serious about it. If you don't believe in God, just pretend that He exists for a moment, He loves you as an individual, and wants you to experience maximum freedom in the arena of sex. Unfortunately, we have been taught that maximum freedom in sex means "anywhere, anytime, with anyone." More unfortunately, that's akin to saying that maximum freedom with a lawnmower is "anywhere, anytime, with anyone."

The lie we believe is that "it's natural". Yes, sex is natural. "Animals do it." Yes, they do. But, we are capable of much higher thought and emotion, vis-a-vis intimacy. And, as long as we look at sex as an event, a thing we do, a moment, we miss the value and intimacy that God intended it to have. In fact, as long as we separate sex from intimacy, or fail to make the connection, we're cutting our lawn with a dull blade and a missing wheel - sure, the lawn is shorter, but it just "don't look natural..." Furthermore, we're not getting highest and best use of an amazing invention!!! What a waste of time...

We don't have time to get into the spiritual side of sex, but let's just throw this question out there to stir things up:
If sex is more than physical, more than emotional and mental, but spiritual, too, what are we missing when we consistently fail to tap into one whole side of it? The Bible teaches that we live in a broken world and what is natural after The Fall of man is really a warping of what God had originally intended. That is to say, "natural" doesn't necessarily equate to "beneficial" or "holy". What's natural about sex for sons and daughters of Adam and Eve is the union of all pleasures - physical, sexual, emotional, mental, and spiritual in the process, not event, of sex. What's unnatural is when the enemy tells us through direct counsel, media, or peer pressure, that the separation of urge and state is more fulfilling than God's "whole enchilada" approach.

When I began to discover this, I got very angry. I don't like getting ripped off. How about you?

That's all I've got for today. For now, think it over. Pray about it. (If you don't know how to pray, but feel moved to do so, just start out with "God..." and fill in what you're feeling. It's customary to end with "amen.")

When you're done with that, follow this link, and you'll be happy you did.

Measuring Your Maturity

2006-06-26T19:23:00.000-07:00

It's easy to tell the truth when things are going your way. But, when money is tight, times are hard, relationships are strained, and the only difference between success and failure is so small that only you and God would know the difference, that is when your character, your integrity, your trust that God is big enough, will be put to the test.

"When a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said" (Numbers 30:2 NIV).

Today, our task is simple - look for the moments when things aren't going your way. You may be in one right now. If so, ask yourself: "Is what I am saying exactly what I would say if everything were going perfectly?.

When the answer is an unqualified "yes"
and only then
open your mouth and speak.

I got so good at telling "white lies" for so long that I began to lose sight of the difference between truth and fiction. Today, I struggle with that area of spiritual maturity. And now, I win, but not without God's help and the loud, clear, admonishing voice of the Holy Spirit. Do you realize, because I didn't at the time, that your lie is a vociferous broadcast to the God who loves you, that you think He's big enough to handle eternity, but not big enough to handle the critical areas of your well-being?

The battle over integrity is never about what we would gain in the moment, but about what we would lose long-term in the habit of spreading falsehood over and over. It's like an investment in character - miss a payment to your Roth IRA one month, no big deal. Fail to invest over a five year period, and you're a million and a half off your goal in the end.

It doesn't mature. Character is the same way.

So, there's the question, and a possible answer - "Are you mature enough in your character and relationship with Him to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?"

Weaker Than Who?

2006-06-21T19:48:00.000-07:00

While Peter is busy scratching away under the influence of the Holy Spirit, words come out that have offended the feminist movement for ages...

"In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat her with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God's gift of new life. If you don't treat her as you should, your prayers will not be heard." 1 Peter 3.7, NLT

I think the NLT gets the Greek word "time" right here - it is often translated "respect" or "value". But, "honor" is a word often used reciprocally in reference to the relationship husbands and wives should have. But, there is no need for offense. This is not a "barefoot and pregnant" command. This is not in any way meant to be misogynistic. Hard to believe?

Let's give credit where due - we men, as a whole, tend to be rough, brash, more focused on logic and solutions than women. Oops. Just lost credibility... Am I painting with broad strokes? So was Peter. Does he leave room for exceptions? Clearly. However, as a general rule, if you were God for a moment and you knew how stubborn men were on the whole, and you had seen them screw up this relationship thing over and over, wouldn't you give them a clear and clamorous caveat about their bumbling approach to relationships?

Boys, what do we do when carrying an object of great value? I'm thinking a Ming vase filled with water. Are we a bit more careful where and how we step? Do we take into consideration every edge, corner, and surface of the objet d'art we hold in our hands? Notice, though, that Peter urges us in indefinite terms first and then comes back to definite status "she may be weaker... but she is your equal partner". In other words, "you are equally yoked, but will have a tendency to pull at different speeds - in emotional situations she will walk more steadily than you (broad strokes, again), but you may have a tendency to drag her through logic when she really needs nurturing. Take care - heed her mood, read her mood, lead her mood in the way she needs her mood to be lead, and then you will avoid unnecessary relational damage, scars, and bruising - your prayers will not be hindered."

Am I reading too much into this? Are these generalizations degrading to women? What if God knew something ages ago that we still struggle with and stumble over to this very day - that men and women are different and we must learn how to treat each other to avoid the relational chaos that so permeates our broken, selfish world? If He didn't know that, do you think He'd have put so many pairs of relational counsel in His word? Notice how often advice is given first to one sex and then to the other?

We have the potential to come together with the word of God between us, or to let our misunderstandings of it divide us. But, if God's greatest commands are to love Him, and love others as ourselves, wouldn't it make sense that his warning to men would be - treat her tenderly, with honor, value, and respect, as you would if she were a weaker partner or your hard, unflexible heart will connect to me like a bogged down DSL connection in a busy chat room?

Simply stated: "Treat her as if or I'll make you wish you did." - God

Or, in the words of my favorite Haiku

"Oh, she wants me to
love her just like she would love
her if she were me..."

Wait... WAIT?!?!

2006-06-19T19:37:00.000-07:00

The Bible is full of passages that talk about trusting in God and waiting on Him and "His timing" and "working all things for the good..." And, in an ideal world, that just sounds so nice and warm and fuzzy, doesn't it? But, we live in a broken world, where crime, disease, dishonesty, depression, chaos, financial "oops!"es seem to violently lock answers with these so-called "truths". But, God is beyond optimist - He is beyond pragmatist - He is God. He is supernatural and can make anything happen that He wants.

But, He doesn't. He doesn't make us love Him. He doesn't make us follow or obey Him. He is gracious enough to let us choose or deny those opportunities. And yet, in the balance hang the desires of our hearts. He gives us boundless opportunities to go after them the right way, while the enemy entices us with boundless times 1,000 ways to get them the wrong way.

Being beyond optimist, He also gives us the opportunity to grow and become more and do more, but only through believing more first. I firmly believe that as it is written Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

We are granted the opportunity to see the glass as half full or half empty - to see something in our minds that our eyes can not perceive. What does that tell us about God? What does that tell us about us? Will you think about that today? What is it that you want deep in the core of your heart that God has not yet delivered? What could happen if you verbally committed to the statement: "God, this is Yours. I'll do everything I can to achieve it or get it, but I'm trusting you to fill in the gaps."? What if all you have are gaps? Do you believe in a God who is big enough to bring in an Africa sized dump truck to fill in those gaps?

Trust in the Lord...

2006-06-16T21:25:00.000-07:00

You know, I've heard that verse about "trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding... and He will make your paths straight."

Tonight, I trusted that regardless of lousy pitching, the Lord would deliver the Red Sox into victory. And He did. I also trusted that He gave me a very cool parking space at Turner Field. But, when I returned to that very cool parking space, I found several people on their cell phones with the same look on their faces. It was the "dude, where's my car" look. Yes. We had all disobeyed a rule that we had never even seen and they towed probably a good 25 cars, among them, mine.

This does not seem like a straight path to me.

But, then again, whose eyes am I looking through to see the path?

And, dare I ignore the Lord's counsel? Heck, no. If scripture is true, there's likely something amazing waiting for me on the other side of this!

After walking 2 miles back to where my friends could pick me up, I found out that the 24 hour impound does not allow you to pick up your car without paying for the release at the Atlanta Police Station... and that doesn't open until 8:00 AM. So, why was I so calm?

I'm not sure it's anything I did that made me that way. But God has been stamping into my heart and head that it's not really my car or my stuff in the first place. It's all created by Him, owned by Him, and loaned to us for a moment in time.

We don't own it, we're just lucky to manage it for a while. So, suck it up and trust in the Lord. Is it possible that making our path straight could bear striking resemblance to creating a more proactive character that looks out for "too good to be true" scenarios? What if God is dragging you through some unintelligible mess to prepare you for an impending tragedy?

World Ends at 10, details at 11.

2006-06-14T17:05:00.000-07:00

Splitting headache tonight. I'll keep it short.

If there are five love languages, is it possible that there are five anger languages, too? I mean, if people whose love language is "quality time" know they are loved when people spend quality time with them, is it possible that people whose anger language is "fits of rage" only know that others are angry when they throw fits of rage, even if the other party's anger language is "reserved introspection"?

Anyone?

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." Eph. 4:26-27, NIV.

It's Not What You Say...

2006-06-12T19:45:00.000-07:00

John Maxwell and Jim Dornan put together a great book called "Becoming a Person of Influence". Right from the outset they make it clear that regardless of what we want with influence, we all have it with others. Some have it on a much larger scale than others, but we all influence people: in work, at home, in shopping, in driving, in all we do - we show a bit of who we are and what we believe is appropriate to do.

In Ephesians, chapters 4, 5, and 6, Paul gives us clear instruction on how we are to live. What examples does God want us to give to the world through the way we live our lives? If we are sent by our boss to a convention, a meeting, or a sales call, what will people think of our corporation based on our conduct? If we are sent to another nation as an ambassador of our country, what impression do people get based on how we carry ourselves?

It's an easy picture to draw, but, let's take it a step further. What if we had a camera crew come out to visit us at work, in school, in traffic (uh-oh...) and they were going to film us on a live simulcast to 180 nations around the world? What if, they had publicized this event for months in advance so that the world, indeed, would be watching? And what if, moments after they began filming, we were struck dead by a massive stroke? What, aside from our untimely death, would be the last words uttered from our mouths? What would the last thing we did, be?

A kind word of encouragement to a classmate? An act of selflessness for a co-worker? A one-finger wave and curse yelled at the idiot with his turn signal off? A word of condemnation to that subordinate that "just won't learn"? A "piece of our mind" to that professor who doesn't teach the way we learn?

Like it or not, we are all role models. We model what role we believe to be acceptable behavior given the circumstances around our actions. Whether people chose to follow that example is much farther removed from our control.

So, what do you want your last moment to be? How do you want to be remembered? How are you being remembered right now?

Can I Ask You a Question?

2006-06-05T04:49:00.000-07:00

Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech:

"How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?

If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you.

But since you rejected me when I called and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand, since you ignored all my advice and would not accept my rebuke,

since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke,

they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes."
Prov. 1:20-25,30-31

It almost seems as if there's no commentary needed here.

Unfortunately, that's just not the case, because while we all, Christians or not, alike, look at this passage and say "Yeah, that makes sense." we're still prone to glossing over the truth that lives within the text. We would all stroke our beards (those who have one) and say "wisdom is sooooo important..." But, the Bible classifies people in 4 different ways, repeatedly -
1) the righteous - those who heed the word of God in humility
2) the simple, or naive who just don't know what they don't know
3) the fool, who believes they are beyond consequence
and
4) the mocker, or scoffer whose attitude is more "I know, I just don't really care what you say..."

This is where one of my favorite questions comes in:"In light of my past experiences, my current circumstances and responsibilities, and my future hopes and dreams, what is the wise thing to do?"

A very secular question, but when applied through the lens of a relationship with a God who calls us His children and who has a plan for our lives, it's a bit weightier than the average "What's the right thing to do in this situation?" kind of question, isn't it? Honestly, with the weight of Divine appointment, eternal treasures in Heaven, and the eternal future of those God tells us are lost without Him, can you feel that question grow heavier in your hands?

So, there's the question for the day:
Not only, "what's the wise choice?", but in light of your relationship, or lack thereof, with a personal God, how much more valuable is that question in evaluating the many decisions you face today, this week, this month?

Running Lapse

2006-06-05T04:40:00.000-07:00

Sorry, to all of you loyal readers. Last week was a bit mad with a lapse in internet at my new location, too much work to blog before or after work, and more chaos than I could shake a stick at.

"And runnin', runnin'; and runnin', runnin'; and runnin', runnin'..."

Pray that this week is no easier, rather, that I get better at managing it and saying "no" to low level tasks.

Back to the regular schedule, starting now.

Grace and peace,

Aarron

What About the Good Guys?

2006-05-26T05:25:00.000-07:00

I'm not going to use a concrete example of the folks who are doing things wrong with money in God's name. It's unnecessary - as soon as I mentioned the concept, you already had a picture in your mind of the people who you know that have done this. There are well over 2,000 verses in the Bible related to money and posessions. They all point to the wise use of the resources God has entrusted to us as well as the anger of God when His people misuse His power for their purpose.

Christ called Satan "the father of all lies" who speaks in the native tongue of Liarsville - Lies. Where do you think the "Liar, liar, pants on fire" thing came from anyway? Alright, that's silly, but the point is, Paul tells us that we are in the midst of spiritual warfare. There is a war raging everyday, not in the typical, action movie style we love to watch in HD, DTS 7.1 surround sound. It is one in which the enemy does all he can to discredit the God who allows us to call Him "Father".

Today, let's take a moment to Google ministries that are doing things right with the money collected in God's name. Start out at The Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, and take a few moments to celebrate those who are using the resources God has entrusted to us to reach those who are lost from Christ. Take up the shield of faith and extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one with the knowledge that God has called us to do things wisely, righteously, in His name and for His glory. Fight back at the lies with the sword of faith that there are a great many who have answered this call and done so with integrity.

What's It Going to Take?

2006-05-24T19:26:00.000-07:00

So often God has encouraged us in His word. So often did Christ urge us to make the wise choice. So often did Paul, James, John, and others tell us about the great things that will come if we walk upright and show our love for God vis-a-vis our love for others.

And yet...

So often has he had to discipline us - to bring loss and pain front and center in our lives in graphic, personal, relevant detail.

Of the two scenarios, which makes us move faster, more urgently, with more passion and concern? Unfortunately, our Creator knows that we are often lazy. Without the threat of being run over by the carriage we're pulling, we may lose interest in the ever elusive carrot on the string.

So, who do you know that needs encouragement? And, if you've been only encouraging them with the carrot, is it possible that God will move their hearts only when you show them the possibility of the pain of the carriage in clearer, pertinent detail? I've never seen the Bible tell us to spur one another on to love and good deeds by threats and baseball bats. However, have you noticed that people rarely jump up out of their seat when the thumbtack on their cushion is pointing down?

Just a thought that's been plaguing my mind.

What Would Jesus Do?

2006-05-22T19:32:00.000-07:00

I'm always bothered by that question. Yet, I see so many followers of Christ using that as a litmus test for how to live their lives.

It sounds noble. It sounds wise. And yet, when you look at how Jesus handled the "tricky" situations the Pharisees surrounded Him with, you begin to track with me on the same path...

Luke 20.19-26 is a depiction of the Pharisees trying to trick Jesus into taking sides. But, as my pastor often says, "Jesus didn't come to take sides, He came to take over. Christ sees into the hearts of men and cuts them off at the intellectual pass. Often, his opposition would be thinking something and He, knowing their hearts, would answer the question they hadn't yet posed.

Now, I'm all for being wise, reading people, and asking the questions that really get to the bottom of the issue at hand, especially when it is a complete strawman. But, I'm not sure I have the gift of telepathy or heart-reading. Do you ever get confused in those WWJD situations?

What would Jesus do in this situation?
"Uh, read their minds and ask them the real question..."

Is it theologically sound to answer the question with a confident "I don't know"?

Talking Behind Your Back

2006-05-17T19:49:00.000-07:00

I've commented before on James 5.19-20 and Psalm 27.17 before.

They are favorite portions from God's word that urge His followers to constantly challenge each other when someone is drifting and to challenge each other even when not drifting. In short, "If you love someone, set them free" falls secondary to "If you love someone, don't let them be." But, all the active discussion and leadership by example will be wasted if we fail to talk about them behind their backs.

Huh?

Yes, that's what I said, but not what you probably heard. In John 17, Christ prays for His disciples - asking God, the Father, to protect them, to sanctify them, and that they may be made like Him. He often went off on His own to pray but the Bible is sketchy on what He prayed for. Do you think He prayed for them from time to time? Said things to God about them to ask His Father to continue to stretch and grow them? Again, sketchy, but a fair assumption.

What do you think His conversation and prayer were like on the day that Peter stepped out of the boat, becoming the only man to sink next to Christ, because He dared to walk on water, too? Do you think He shared with God how great He is for pushing Peter's buttons far enough to get him onto the water in the first place? Do you think He was Peter's greatest cheering squad? The prayers we know nothing about are likely the prayers that manifest themselves in "A-ha!" moments wherein we notice the fruits of previously unnoticed sowing and growing.

Bottom line, growth doesn't happen only from sermons and examples - the encouragement of prayer, unbeknownst to the prayee - catalyses change. So, who are you praying for? Who are you celebrating because of the little victories in their life? Who are you encouraging to God? Who do you care enough about to talk about when they aren't there?

talk to them about them - find out where they are
talk to God about them - ask Him to push them further down the path.

Guest Appearance by Andy Stanley?!

2006-05-14T14:02:00.000-07:00

Well, maybe not. But, Catalyst recently published a great article Andy wrote that addresses both of our Monday topics: Leadership and Work. Here it is, printed without permission. Here is the link to the actual article. Further, I've added Catalyst Monthly to our list of "gotta read it" blogs, even though it's a newsletter and not a blog. Is that so wrong?!

Trust is the currency of relationships. Great leaders cultivate a culture of trust, and thus a culture where relationships thrive. But how do you foster trust between members of your team?

For some, trust is not the intuitive choice. However, I believe it is just that. A choice. In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul says that along with forgiving, enduring, and bearing all things, love believes all things. We must reconcile the scriptural charge to believe all things with the fact that it is not always easy to do. If we believe it is possible for us to choose to love, or be kind, or be patient, then we must also believe we can choose to trust.

But the gap between what we expect of people and what they actually deliver makes it hard to trust. We can either fill that gap with trust or with suspicion. How we handle these opportunities is the greatest determining factor in the success or failure of the relationships in our organizations.

I started by saying that trust is the currency of relationships. Currency implies an exchange of one thing for another. Relationally, we give trust, and we expect trustworthiness in return. But trustworthiness is not a synonym for perfection. Trust is not built on flawless character, but on authenticity. I will extend trust to people who will admit their imperfections. It is people who defend their infallibility who make me suspicious.

There are situations that merit suspicion. What's important is how we handle them. When over time a person's actions erode our trust, and we believe those actions leave the organization vulnerable to harm, we have a responsibility . to talk to that person about it, (not the rest of the team), to address the gap, and give that person the opportunity to re-establish their trustworthiness. Trustworthy people will address the suspicion they've created.

I wish this principle were easy to implement. It's not. But it is crucial for building a strong team. Here are three things to keep in mind when a trust versus suspicion issue surfaces:

1. When there is a gap, choose to trust.
2. When you see others filling the gap with suspicion, come to the defense of the suspect.
3. If what you see continues to erode your trust, go to the person directly.

Great leaders create a culture in which people have learned how to trust. Modeling biblical trust as outlined in 1 Corinthians 13 is one of the greatest leadership strategies you can employ. Biblical trust is not denial - pretending that you don't see behavior that erodes your trust. It's not withdrawal - refusing to confront. The key is to choose to trust. When it becomes impossible to fill the gap between expectation and behavior with trust, ask for clarification.

Trust is the currency of relationships. Trust is a dynamic your team cannot afford to be without. Model it. Extend it. Choose to trust.

Friday: Time and/or Money...

2006-05-12T20:46:00.000-07:00

I had a great opportunity last fall to meet Tod Bolsinger. Very aunthentic and decent guy. And he loves the Lord.

I say with embarrassment that I have not read his blog It Takes a Church... in several months. He is quite perceptive and understanding. On this time or money Friday, I want to defer to him to talk about something we've looked at before: rhythm in life....

Not too long ago, I read a lengthy article about the legendary track coach from the University of Oregon, Bill Bowerman. Bowerman was to running, what John Wooden was to college basketball. Indeed, it was Bowerman’s genius that led to the modern running shoe, as he used his wife’s waffle iron to create the first wide waffle-soled shoe. He was also one of the co-founders of Nike.

Back in the day when all training for running simply meant logging as many miles as hard as possible, Bowerman was convinced that it was impossible to reach your potential as a runner unless you also built in regular, committed, disciplined, dedicated periods of NOT running. He used to gather his new recruits to the university together at the beginning of the season and tell them:

“Gentleman, take a primitive organism, any weak, pitiful organism. Make it lift or jump or run. Let it rest. What happens? A little miracle. It gets a little better. That’s all training is. Stress—recover—improve.”

I believe that without even recognizing it, Bowerman was pointing to the rhythm for all living the way God intended it to be.

Stress, recover, improve.
Stretch, relax, change.
Work, rest, grow.
Trial, trust, transform.

Listening with the Heart

2006-05-10T19:43:00.000-07:00

"He who has ears, let him hear." Mt. 13.9

I bet the disciples were confused when Jesus told this story about seeds that were planted - "Some fell on this ground, others on rock, others grew up, some never took root...He who has ears, let him... What the heck is that all about!"

It just seemed so out of place until He explained further that some people just don't listen. Some people's hearts are as fertile for new ideas as a rock sown with seed. Sales is teaching me a lot about listening skills. It's also teaching me that you often have to repeat yourself or people will listen but not hear.

It's also teaching me that I'm not immune to having deaf ears or a hard heart...

Where does God want to transform you? What parts of your heart have you closed off to people you just have had enough of? Christ lets us know here that not everyone will hear God's truth willingly. Perhaps we all need some brokenness to break down the harder, less fertile parts of our souls...

Don't Worry, Be Happy?

2006-05-08T19:57:00.000-07:00

Cast your anxiety on Him.

I've glossed over that verse so many times without paying attention to the fact that God gives us advice on what to do with our anxiety and worry. Worry comes up in the Old and the New Testaments - always in the negative: "Do not worry..." Have you conformed to the pattern of the world that sells the vision of success as the wrinkle free life? Do you believe, like many Christ-followers mistakenly do, that to follow Christ means no fear, no worry, no anxiety?

What's your vision of success? Flawless living? No arguments, no fears, no cares?

I think we fail to read the context in which those things do not exist - that's in heaven that we lose all the worry. I think that God is telling us that worry is normal. It will come into our lives. It will invade our space. It will seek strongholds in our brain. But, when that happens. Don't try to be the hero and fight it. (Is that scripturally sound?) Instead, deposit it at the cross. God calls us to give those thoughts over to Him, to replace those thoughts with "my God is bigger than these things".

Worry always leads to regret. That's my vision of success. That's God's vision of success for our lives. No regrets. Remember, we get to review our movie in heaven with the Director Himself. How will you account for your performance?

So, today, I rejoice in the fact that God is the god of worry. He can take it. He will take it. He wants you to give it to Him.

No more worry. No more regrets.
Praise Christ.

Give It Away, Give It Away, Give It Away Now

2006-05-05T20:07:00.000-07:00

Let's be frank about this - I grew up with a "healthy" degree of skepticism when it came to giving money to the church. I mean, in my denomination, it was all about robes and big hats, stained glass windows and hundred thousand dollar organ lofts, and pomp and circumstance out the wazoo. It just seemed a bit suspect, you follow?

So, it follows naturally, that whenever I looked into scripture and saw commands to give money to support the high priests or saw one of those bible thumpin guys on TV talking about "God wanted me to have a Mercedes..." I was further turned off. Can you relate at all?

So, when I read this piece of scripture, it caught me a bit off guard -

For God is the one who gives seed to the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will give you many opportunities to do good, and he will produce a great harvest of generosity[a] in you. Yes, you will be enriched so that...

So that, if you pray to God and obey all the rules and do a good deed or two when it's convenient, God will rain down that Mercedes and 7,000 square foot home on Lake Lanier just for you...

Wouldn't that be the line that the TV preacher would quote you? Doesn't the Bible say that everything you ask for, God will just give it to you because He made the mistake of giving you the Aramaic Express Black card - "Whatever you ask for in my name..."? I mean, it's His fault. He gave you carte blanche to ask and receive, too bad He didn't know you'd be asking for that 1,001 hp 16 cylinder Bugatti sport.

How big is your God?

The last half of that verse is so crucial. It's not about what you want. read this over once or twice:

Yes, you will be enriched so that you can give even more generously. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will break out in thanksgiving to God.

He gives to us, knowing our hearts. What do you think He's looking for? I believe angels are betting whole galaxies that you'll succeed at using your abundance wisely. I believe demons are tempting us constantly to trick us into believing God gives to us for us. In reality, He's just testing to see how trustworthy we are with a little before He gives us more than we can handle.

Thought for the day, all this in mind:
Take advantage of your advantage to give advantage to the disadvantaged.

Field Trip!!!

2006-05-03T19:30:00.001-07:00

Click here to take a field trip for today over to "Gospel Driven Life". An article on relational health, God-style.

I only disagree with Mark on one point. I don't believe the gospel writer means that we confess to God and have fellowship with each other. I think it's more like "confess to each other and have fellowship with God". I say this for two reasons - first, Matthew makes it clear that God's desire is greater that we are reconciled to each other than to make sacrifices of atonement to Him. Second, we are the body of Christ, we as a close knit group are a semblance of God. When we are all reconciled to each other, our fellowship with God becomes seamless.

This point aside, I think Mark's hit this one on the head. What do you think?

So, What Do You Do?

2006-05-01T20:22:00.000-07:00

For everything in the world — the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does — comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. (1John 2.16-17)

In some contexts, "kosmos" means "a place where people live". In others, it refers to a system that opposes God. There are three clues he gives us to show us when we are off the God track and stuck in the world's rut - the cravings of our sinful nature (rebellion, in the sense of "I know it's wrong, but I'm going to do it anyway), lusting after "stuff", and the tendency to equate who we are to what we do - title, fame, glory.

Steven Covey and I depart on the point of the divinity of Christ, but are in accord when it comes to a very Biblical principle: the private victory. Fighting the temptation to hang my identity on what I have and do is so counterculture that even mature Christians - those who have followed Jesus, well, for a long time - find themselves giving in to this both accidently constantly. When people ask what you do and what you do does not match what you've always wanted to do, does that voice in your head convince you to polish it up? Do you go from being a mild mannered waiter to "Executive Guest Liaison to the Culinary Staff"?

John is very in your face about this - what you do and what you take pride in in this life will wither and die. The Bible teaches us that this is all going to be burned up some day (Rev. 8.7). Someday, it will all go away. The car you worked so hard for, the awards and accolades from your peers, all that stuff that the world teaches as vital will be gone. Our only fig leaf will be that which we have done in His service.

Gonna be a lotta folks wandering around butt-nickett, that would, believe it or not, be happier dressed to the nines.

Alone?

2006-04-28T18:51:00.000-07:00

Isn't it interesting that after days and days (or ages, depending on your interpretation of Genesis), of creating, saying "it is good", creating, saying "it is good", that God would say that something as terrible as "it is not good"? Rob Bell pointed this out to me - the Garden was not perfect. There was something wrong within God's perfect creation: not an imperfection of what He made, but something created by the enemy.

It is not good for man to be alone.

What are you doing in your day to day activities to make sure that those who look up to you are being fed compassion and belonging? What are you doing to support them and guard them against lonliness?

Homosexuality...

2006-04-26T18:15:00.000-07:00

Today, I defer to the wise and well spoken Brian McLaren.

The Homosexual Question

God & Geometry, Part II

2006-04-24T20:13:00.000-07:00

Trust in the Lord and lean not on your own understanding and in all your ways he will make your paths straight.

I can't help but think of what the angels were thinking while Moses wandered through the desert for 40 years. I mean, is it really that long of a trip? Let's say the desert were many times larger than it is, say, the size of the continental US. Would it take you 40 years to go from Miami to Seattle? How about Portland, ME to San Diego?

Clearly, the nation of Israel was violating this crucial axiom while it corkscrewed and figure-eighted through the barren wasteland from Egypt to the land of milk and honey. Forty years!!! Are you freaking kidding me?! Even if we only walked 2 miles per hour for 6 hours a day, six days per week, we'd still make our destination in less than a year!!! Okay, they couldn't stop at the McMatzah's for a Moishe-burger and Gefilte fries, but even at 3 hours a day, we're only talking 85 weeks or less to travel 3000 miles.

The Bible tells us in many places that God wants to prosper us, to grow us, to stretch us beyond who we are or ever could be without Divine intervention. With this in mind, is it any wonder why every time we grumble and rebel against Him, we automatically stretch out the amount of time between us and our eventual destination? Is it any wonder why we find ourselves wandering in circles with little to sustain us in dry, empty wilderness?

There's more to teach about, but so little more that needs to be said - Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Mt. 6.33, ESV)

I think it's very easy for us to suffer from "Small God Syndrome". Instead of imagining God as huge, complex, and wise, we see His discretion and timing as if He is out of control - too small to give us what we want, deserve, or "need". Our path wanders around like Moses and the grumbling Israelites in the desert. A small child is distracted by a small toy and easily gives up what is in their hand for something less valuable. Or, is that you and I? Do we misplace our trust for God and trade greater things for lesser because we are so headstrong on the path to what we want that we miss what we need?

What if we gave God the space to be God - to be large and in charge - and guide us on the most direct path to His ultimate destination for us? Is it possible we might look back one day and discover that He had pulled all the other things we desired to us? Is it possible that we may one day see in our wake the greatest life we could have lived because we sacrificed the lesser for the greater?

Only if our God is big enough.

Ends vs. Means, Part 1

2006-04-21T20:35:00.000-07:00

"Perhaps" is such an interesting word for today. It expresses the truth that we are uncertain and hope that something will occur. In this context, it sounds like insanity - 2 men against thousands. Erwin McManus took me on a walk this week through the background music of my thoughtlife - a haunting, ever present descant that reminds me often that while God has a plan for all of us and promises to deliver us, He never promised a safe ride.

No, the God who spoke the universe into being has a more elaborate and convoluted plan than we could ever hope to understand. But, as He is God, and God is the epitome of greatness, why would anything less than God be His priority? I've heard Louie Giglio talk over and over about how God is righteously and rightly "stuck on Himself". That frightens us, at least to some degree.

But, we are urged to do something - anything - the next right thing. And that is what Jonathan does in that passage - as Erwin says, "chasing daylight". Asking the Switchfoot question "this is your life: are you who you want to be"? How would you live if you knew you'd be dying in a week? What kind of chances would you take, thoughts would you think, and how obedient would you be if you knew that God was not letting you off the next plane alive? Could you live for Him? Could you still point to Him, trusting His judgement?

Some of you have already left - walked away, because you blame Him for where you are or who didn't make it. But, this ignores the opportunity with which you have been presented: "Do you trust Me? Will you trust that through the bad, the ugly, and the terrible, I can make it right?"

All men die. Not all men truly live.

What will you do?

Hard to be Selfless...

2006-04-19T19:37:00.000-07:00

I just caught a glimpse of an oft quoted and preached verse in Matthew 6. Verses 3 and 4 have this to say about why we do what we often do:

When you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret.

John Ortberg once reminded me about "impression management" - how often we say things to position ourselves as more important or less awkward or more intelligent than we really are. I just did it right there, nonchalantly dropping his name as if he spoke this as a reprimand to a longtime friend who has permission to speak wisdom into my life, when in actuality, I read it from a book he wrote. Don't I seem connected, respected, relevant?

But, herein lies the dilemma: when we seek spiritual growth and transformation, are we seeking a victory that we share with only ourselves, building our own ego, our own self image, or is our audience the God who commands us to be made new in the attitude of our minds? (Eph. 4.23) Do we seek personal growth or Godular growth? I mean, who are we trying to please? Did you give that homeless lady your shirt to impress your girlfriend, make your parents think you're "getting this God thing", or to please God? Or worse, are you doing it because God tells you to and you're just trying to get in with Him? Just storing up treasures in Heaven...

Treasures for who?

I'm accusing us as being selfish in our selflessness. Do we seek to do God's will or do we seek to get his attention, respect, or favor so we feel better about ourselves, so our circumstances improve? At the root, we all have a tendency to do things, "selfless things" because of what it will do for us. It is so hard to separate ourselves from this pattern.

I think this is where the Holy Spirit comes in and comes in handy - relying on Him to move our hearts toward a decision not because it seems "right", feels "good". If we think for ourselves, we often do just that: think for our selves. We know something is rright, wrong, good, evil, etc. because of that little barometer that goes off in our hearts when something doesn't seem right or something makes sense (caveat: Jeremiah 17.9). Rather than relying on feeling, we are urged to listen for the voice of God through His Messenger. This can help us separate God's will for us from our selfish acts of selflessness.

Are you listening or are you building the biggest stack of bling in Heaven? Is that bling for your glory or His?

Pray hard.

Exposing the Truth: None of my business...

2006-04-17T19:07:00.001-07:00

So many times I hear the question - "If God were so good, why would ___?" I've even asked it from time to time. It's a bit of a loaded question, though, isn't it? When we look at the situation, we assume that God allowed it to happen almost in a vacuum. We assume that there is no war going on and that there are to be no casualties. Aren't we sort of assuming that God wins every battle? Wouldn't be much of a contest, would it?

Imagine, the Pittsburgh Steelers, or better, the New England Patriots go marching down the field with their fistfuls of Super Bowl rings, but there's no opposing team!!! It might be fun for New England fans for about the first 3 or 4 touchdowns, but after a while, it's not much to look at, is it? For some reason we all get tragically offended to think that we are part of a game on a field, and I can appreciate that. I'm even with you for a good portion of that angst. But, when we look at the context for life in the world (Greek: kosmos - system of belief, rules, a matrix or philosophy from which a worldview is sourced), which is more fierce than a game - it is a struggle, a battle in no uncertain terms.

The basic Biblical explanation is that when sin entered the world through Adam and Eve, it brought with it a whole host of other junk - death, disease, depression, the need for disinfectant and deodorant. Alright, facetiousness aside, we - the traitor race - betrayed the God who walked with Adam and Eve in the garden. We broke the one and only rule and set loose a chain reaction that a good and righteous God could not let go unpunished. (If He did, He wouldn't be righteous, would He?) And so, with it, sin always brings consequences, shrapnel, as I like to call it. Nothing that's bad in the world can not fall into the category of shrapnel.

Some of us know this because we work around it every day. There are people on our team, above us or below us, who are doing something unethical, incorrect, or just plain wrong. I recommend a very important verse for all of us to meditate on from time to time: My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins. (James 5.19-20) Some of us have a serious ethical dilemma to face "do I turn them in? Do I say something?"

So often, our answer ranges on the weak side of courage where resides justification and rationalization. You know, "It's none of my business.", "It's not hurting anyone...", "It's making us more money, forget about it..." How blind are we to our own fear or rejection?! If it's not your business, explain that to a guy with 25 years in at Enron and all his retirement stacked up in company options when the plug got pulled. BOOOOOM!!! Shrapnel. Could someone have made it their business years before that bomb went off? Nope. It was none of their business. What about the guy who's chatting online with some girl who's not his wife, gets caught by his wife in bed with someone else who's underage, now you've got three months of 70 hour weeks doing his work while they find a replacement. None of your business...

I'm going to encourage you to think selfishly on this one for once - because Jesus would, too. He's thinking about the shrapnel that kills you when you make the unwise or unholy choice, but just as importantly, those around you who will bear the pain and scars from the shrapnel you may emit when your life explodes. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. (Phil. 2.3)" Consider others. Would you? It's not necessarily about what one individual is doing that's "harmless", but the long term and short term consequences by their behavior. What would Jesus do? Would he explain away or expose the truth?

Here's our work for the day, the week, the life: "have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them... (Eph. 5.11)"

A Horse With No Name...

2006-04-14T20:55:00.000-07:00

The song goes: "I've been through the desert on a horse with no name. It felt good to get out of the rain. In the desert, you can remember you name, because there ain't no one for to give you no fame..."

Catchy tune. Catchy lyrics. Yet, we lose the meaning in the midst of our hurried lives. Christ so often went to the desert or a solitary, remote place before a major event or undertaking - did He know something about unplugging from the hurried life that we have failed to notice? Is it possible that a temporary break from status, titles, fame, and the rain and flurry of activity with which we are barraged could help us to recharge?

Yes, this is fairly intuitive. Nothing we need to take notes on, eh?

Or, do we forget? Do we talk ourselves into believing that we are above the laws of nature, society, and physics (all God-given laws) and the "just this one time" principle won't come back and bite us in the butt? How often have you bought that lie? Are you keeping holy the Sabbath? This isn't a look at legalism and you, it's a look at "why did God put that rule out there?" Why would the Sabbath Day be so high up on the list of "only 10 things you need to know from God"?!

That song, by America, is catchy, but what if they recorded it with random tempo changes? How catchy would it be then? Rob Bell explains that God has a rhythm. God. Yes. He worked 6 days and rested 1. He told us to work 6 days and rest 1. Why? Should He really care, or is He just looking to lay down some rules because He wants to toy with us and rule over us? Consistent rhythm is far more impotant than the pace at which we work. Clearly, the Bible insists we work with vigor and urgency but, more importantly, it commands we maintain an even, urgent, 6 on 1 off rhythm.

So, how are you doing? Are you taking inventory of which cars are in the two lanes in front of you so you can plan which one is going to proceed through the stop light fastest? Do you take time to intentionally go to the desert, take a day off, and recharge? Do you take time to reflect on where you are going regardless of your title, status, and other factors that unwittingly drag you down?

Do what you must, but I say detatch once a week, throw your Crackberry in the freezer, forget all the accolades, and recharge. Sabbath. Take a sabbatical from the wolrd. Dedicate yourself to a consistent 6 and 1 rhythm and see how catchy your tune becomes...

Cleanest Common Denominator

2006-04-12T19:45:00.000-07:00

"You were taught with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires, to be made new in the attitude of your minds...(Eph 4.22-23) NIV"

I am divorced. I believe that the scriptures do not make provision for a man or woman to remarry while both are still alive. It is a very unpopular, but biblically sound standpoint. It also causes tremendously heated debate. For this reason, I have remained single and gratefully turned down opportunities to date for the past three plus years. Scripture's clearest and wisest path for my life (given current circumstances), is to "seek first His kingdom" regardless of whether or not "all these things will be given to" meMt.6.33.

Teasing this out means - the wisest path for me to take is to continue to work on who I am through renewing my mind with God's word and becoming he best that God would have me be. Should my ex-wife predecease me, then I may take steps toward dating, but only after wise counsel and prayerful consultation with the Lord..

While quite a controversial stance, this is not the purpose of this post, rather context for a revelation God has made to me. While single, my view of the love relationships around me has become remarkably clearer. Without a dating relationship in my own face, my ability to see more objectively has been unhindered. What I have seen, for the most part, are women who are dying to be dated and men who feel they have to be dating in order to be a man.

I am painting with rather broad strokes, but I've got to ask - have you seen people jump from relationship to relationship thinking it was the relationship that was bad rather than the participants in the relationship? How many times have you seen her make the same relational mistake with guy after guy? Have you mentioned to her that the common denominator may not be the guys?

Scripture bears out that God desires a relationship with us and to prosper us, unfettered by the many snags and pitfalls that come being broken people living in a broken world. That being said, wouldn't it be smart to take some time off from intimate relationships to "renew our minds" (and, consequently, our hearts and souls) before moving to the next one? Could God be smart enough to create the universe, 600 kinds of beetles, and know what is right for us in all areas of our Lives? Is it possible that "defragmenting" your hard drive could make your computer run faster and access your files more efficiently? Is it possible that a renewed, rebuilt engine could function close to a new one? Is it possible that orange juice could taste any worse than after you've just brushed your teeth and not let the mint flavor wear off of your tongue?!

Then, why do we insist on leaving one relationship to jump into a new one, without renewing our minds? Knowing that there are three sides to every story, how much weight do we put on our side of the equation? How much have we truly prepared for a new relationship based on the empirical, objective behaviors that played even a minor tributary's role in the past relationship's collapse?

Can you pinpoint and own the actions you took that contributed to its demise?

Then, perhaps, you're ready to "put on the new self."

Then, perhaps, you're ready to meet someone else's new self.

Big Brother is Watching

2006-04-10T04:16:00.000-07:00

Having read Orwel's "1984" during the 80s, I was disturbed by how accurately prophetic his work of fiction was at its core. At that time we didn't have web cameras, cell phone cameras, and traffic cams were few and far between. Today, I'm not sure if I'm more bothered by the red light cam that snaps $70 photos of your car blowing through the intersection or the cameraphone that catches me picking my nose at the traffic signal I no longer rush through. Doesn't it bother you that you're being photographed or filmed nearly every day and that every little move you make, intentional or accidental can come back to haunt you?

As Christians, we are told over and over that God is watching. For many of us who grew up that way, Our parents abused this principle to keep us in line. But, our Father in Heaven, if He is truly our father and not some cosmic soup-Nazi out to squash every ounce of happiness out of our lives, wants us to know that he cares so much about the banal details of our day-to-day, that He's promised a replay in Heaven. We are to give an account for all that we have done.

Now, the Bible is sketchy on the details - will it be an invite only crowd? Will it be a sold out show? Will it be just me and God on the back porch of heaven and a 15" black and white set sitting in rocking chairs throwing back a few 1Samuel & Adam's reviewing a play-by-play narrated by the apostle, Paul? Who knows? Doesn't matter. Bottom line, we get to sit through the podcast of our life with the author of life and explain every "what was I thinking" moment, moreover, what we were thinking.

So, let's get to work. An acquaintance of mine was frustrated in a retail store a few weeks ago - a Christian bookstore. His view of what "working for the Lord, not men" means is that we work hard to give people courteous, thoughtful customer service. I happen to agree. But, when he didn't get that kind of service, he explained to the clerk that she was making it easier for him to shop at Amazon.com. I believe he did it with tact and poise, but what's your response to either side?

Are you working to give the best service out there, regardless of the depth of your job description, rate of pay, or kind of day you're having, or do you succumb to external circumstances? When you don't get what you want, would you be surprised when the person behind you in line shows you the phoneCam version of your attitude? What will either of you say when the Almighty reaches for the remote control? As Dwight Moody says, "Character is what you are in the dark."

Are you working for a paycheck? Are you working for recognition? Or, are you working out of gratitude for the One who will review your life with you? Big Brother is watching. Which would you rather for your title: "The Amazing Adventures of..." or "Heaven's Funniest Home Videos"?

MINE!

2006-04-07T19:47:00.000-07:00

John uses the Greek word "kosmos" to describe a system of rules and philosphies that engender opposition to God. This "worldview" is a similar in meaning to the "world" we are warned not to conform to. (One has more of a spatial connotation, while the latter, more of a temporal - "the age"). In either case, both writers express that there is a philosphy at work purposed to turn our hearts against God.

Many non-Christians and agnostic/atheists are what they are because of the many "bad" things that don't seem to add up to a good God. Yet, if we look at the Bible as if it really were a message from God to us, we are warned not to "surrender to the system of beliefs that blames God for all of the bad".

One area of life in which even Christians struggle to overcome this admonition is in the area of finances. Don't you notice some people just bristle when you bring up questions that are "too personal" about their finances? It's as if their money were an unruly child in a crowded mall - embarassment rapidly converted to anger. Yet, God has promised that he will prosper men not on their own efforts alone, but on His good graces and on His timetables.

The world wants us to believe that "time is money", yet in an instant companies fold, scandals unfold, and schemes unravel - regardless of all the time put in prior to the instant. How much money do you take with you when you die? None? But, if time were money, wouldn't we have it made at the end of this life? The Bible has over 2,000 verses that cover money and posessions. One of the most fundamental is 1 Chron. 29:11-12 which credits God with the power to give wealth and honor to all. If we were to view honor and financial success through this lens, what would we say when things didn't go our way?

If it's not our money, why freak out? If God's really in control, then He didn't just crash your car - He just crashed His car. That doesn't change the fact that you were driving it, nor does it change the fact that you were in posession of it. Biblically, we don't own anything, we manage it. We steward it. We tend it like a flock. Why do you think there are so many references to sheep in the Bible? It was a relevant metaphor, considering the economy at that time, and shepherds knew of the temporal nature of their flock - hair today, gone tomorrow. Ten sheep could be carried off one night by wolves. Eight could die of natural causes. The point wasn't how many you had, it was how you treated the ones you had, and how you managed your portfolio, while you had it.

So, how's your perspective? As a Christian, do you lose your mind when financial problems rear up? Do you get noticibly angry and irritable when things are tight? Have you never thought of things in this light? As a non-Christian, does this bother you? Does this help you to understand why Christians are the way they are?

While you're thinking, check out these resources: Crown Ministries, Dave Ramsey, and Ron Blue and see how they help.

Can I Get a Witness?!

2006-04-05T04:49:00.000-07:00

There are dozens of books to be read, studied, and turned into boot camps for those men who take God seriously about living a life of purity in an impure world. Ladies, believe it or not, there are men out there, Christian men, who are walking the walk. But, can I tell you something about the walk? Walking in purity is like crossing the Grand Canyon on a tightrope, on a windy, rainy day, carrying a sofa on your back, with rollerblades on.

And then, some woman you know starts throwing rocks at you!!!

Job is urged by his friends to admit that he has been unrighteous because his friends believe that God is punishing him for it. He reminds them repeatedly that he has done nothing wrong, even stating "I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl." (Job 31.1)

For most guys, looking at women lustfully, even in the "wow, she's hot", socially acceptable way, is a pasttime that we have not only grown fond of, but also very skilled at. We can think lustfully about a woman as easily as that woman can drive, talk on her cellphone and do her lipstick - it's second nature.

Unfortunately, once God has revealed to our hearts the importance of purity, we've gotten so second nature at it, it's nearly first nature. While you and your girlfriends are having a 45 minute conversation about that cute little outfit you just got and how Belk had it, but Kohl's had it for less, and you got it in three colors and saved another 10% off the sale price, are you aware that there are godly, Christian men who are trying to cross the Grand Canyon?! You may not even know it, but your cute little outfit is more than cute, it's dang near making us lose our balance!!!

Guys, can you weigh in on this one for me? Are there Christ loving, Proverbs 31 kind of women out there that have the confidence and character that make you lose your mind who unknowingly cause you to stumble? Guys, can you vouch for your brothers, that it doesn't take a pervert to struggle with lust?

Sisters, has a guy ever made you aware that while your sole motive is to look cute when you put it on, some of those outfits you start wearing here in HotLanta around this time of year truly give the devil a foothold? Could we make a deal with you? We'll tell you you're beautiful on demand if you'll just trust that we really mean it and you'll cover up just a little bit? We love you. We love your character. We love your love for the Lord. We love that you love the Lord more than you could ever love us, and we're secure in that.

But, could you give a brutha a hand an cover yourself with the other?!

God and Geometry, Part I

2006-04-03T19:45:00.001-07:00

The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. This is a vital axoim in math, but for comic Stephen Wright it was disastrous in baseball: "I tried to steal third from first and argued that second was out of my way."

I'm a bit of an outside the box rebel, like Wright - eating cereal with a fork. Too many rules are one too many. Likewise, when I am out to get what I want with a burning desire and unbridled focus, I am not a fan of the law of God, specifically the oft quoted "wages of sin is death" (Rom. 6.23) I recall as a non-Christian seeing this as obnoxious and cumbersome, another in the long list of reasons why God sucked and I wanted nothing to do with Him. "You're so great, God, how 'bout some rules that work in my favor?!"

Theologically, this is much easier to explain to someone who holds God's will for their life as the highest cause. Until I became a Chrisian, my plan was the only plan. Being a Christ follower, I discovered, carries with it the assumption that you are doing just that: following Christ. He even stated he had a perfect will for my life. Your life. Geometrically, before him, we were stuck at point A or A and a half. But now, He has something far better than point B, He's got a perfect will for us call it point "X" - the highest and best purpose for your life.

Sin, in God's eyes, is anything that we do that creates a curve on our path from where we are to point X. I can't think of a better word than "death" for what that earns us - relational death, financial death, emotional death. If perfect relational, emotional, fiscal, or physical health is His plan, what else do we call voluntary failure to live up to potential? Distraction? Sure, but distract my fresh basil from the light for a day, and what ensues? Wilting and death... Not all that desirable, eh?

The Bible teaches that we live in a broken world, ruled in part by the enemy of God, and are thus prone to be distracted by anything that catches our eye. We are in bondage to shiny, sparkley, sexy, sleek, stuff which will constantly take us off the path from A to X. It's like spiritual ADD.
Reminds me of a favorite joke:

Q: How many kids with ADD does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
A: Let's go ride bikes.

Today, let's start with the basics. Let's all, Christians or not, imagine that the Bible is right, inerrant, and true and that there is a God who loves us and invites us to call Him "Father". Let's imagine that He really is all knowing and all powerful and refuses to mess with free will. Next, let's imagine He's got a plan to prosper us and not to harm us, to give us a hope and a future and abundant life. Now, let's imagine He's trying to explain how to get to that life, point X, but we're busy with our Quest for Stuff, Power, Prowess, Fame, and/or Other non-Point-X-Miscellany. He's stuck talking to ADD boy.

So, what are you up to? What's disctracting you from His plan for your life? What's your purpose in relation to what His picture of your ultimate role in the eternity long saga could be? I've never said "God, I know you're wicked smaaht [Bostonian for "beyond intelligent"], but I have a better plan, so why don't you just tend to the orphans in Africa and I'll get back to you when I need you to bail me out of the mess I'm about to create."

At least, not in those words...

Perspectives on Failure

2006-03-31T18:10:00.000-08:00

The only difference between a rut and a grave... is their dimensions. -Ellen Glasgow

The Bible teaches that if we commit to the Lord what we do, we will succeed. Now, you'd think that if the Bible were truly the inerrant word of God, that the logical conclusion would be success, success, success. Well, yeah, that makes sense.

And later, we read that even if our heart, which is hopelessly flawed, gets off track, God will step in and work for the good of those who love Him...[and] called...to His purpose. Romans 8.28.

So, doesn't this mean that every ministry effort committed to God will succeed?

That depends on what your definition of is is...

This is not a dance with symantics. Success, if it is to be viewed as a result of the intersection of our faith and God's faithfulness, can not be defined entirely by what we view as success. There are two sides to this equation. As I ranted earlier this week, the Christian life is marked by a foundational belief that Father reall does know best and He will prosper us from time to time despite our own efforts. Just because we perceive an event as failure doesn't mean it is a failure in His eyes, nor does it mean that the event is the final outcome.

How's your vision? Are you seeing failure as an event or another dashed line along the highway to God's ultimate plan for your life? Are you in a rut? Even great leaders will get into ruts from time to time. The difference between a leader and a drifter is how long and how deep they stick around. Leaders don't let temporary defeat become their final resting place. Drifters let the rut become the defining characteristic of their life.

Relationship Check...

2006-03-29T18:49:00.001-08:00

I've promised to talk about relationships today. But, I think God wants to have a DTR with all of us.

Jeremiah 18.6 compares our relationship with God to a potter and his clay. Not very flattering, at least on the surface. I mean, who wants to be at someone else's whim so close to taking final shape when "WHACK!", the potter's fist comes crashing down on them, only to drag them, against gravity and their own will, back through the same long process they went through before the whack?! That's whack!!!

I used to think - "That's ridiculous, God just gets to mush me and start over anytime he wants?" But, this failed to take into account the critical element of any relationship - trust. "Who does God think He is, some kind of ... oh, yeah. My bad. God." Trusting God is such a scary thing, even as a "mature" Christian - He never promised a safe flight, only a safe landing, as the saying goes. But, trusting that He is smarter, wiser, and more amazing than the cliffs, glaciers, rapids, redwoods, barred galaxies, spiral nebulae that He came up with in the first place, provides a little perspective. Does He have a greater eye for detail? Would He really scrap us as a project if our impurities, bubbles, and lumps were being incooperative with His potter's wheel and touch?

It was relayed to me that while being publicly ridiculed in front of hundreds of his peers before an election in which he was a candidate, Charles Stanley said not a word in his own defense. When asked why his demeanor was undaunted, and I love his response, he said

"If I win, I win. If I lose, I win. My responsibility is to obey God and trust Him with the outcomes."

Is that possible? Could you trust someone, even a God you can't see, to care enough to break you down and build you back into something He sees as perfect? Or, do you place your trust fully in the premise that a finite person like you or I could come up with a better, more perfect final destination? If adversity builds character, can you take the adversity, despite your own ability to measure the return on investment? Yet, without knowing their grand vision for the universe, we hopped up on the schoolbus at age 4 or 5 and trusted a public school bus driver to navigate a 30 foot metal and glass cage to school safely for 180 days a year...

How about you? Could you trust the God who spoke the universe into being to manage the mundane details of your life, provided you did (or in many cases did not) do your part?

Whattaya Gonnado?

2006-03-27T18:20:00.000-08:00

Why do we insist so often on publicly performing that which we are just not good at? Are we addicted to doing it all?

In Exodus, chapter 4, Moses spends an inordinate amount of energy trying to convince the God of the Universe that he is the wrong guy for the job - too old, too stutterish, too 'what if they don't believe me?', too 'oy vey'! I can't help but to think that Moses' vision of carrying out God's commission is having to do it all himself.

My pastor has written a number of really great books and gets invited to all the big deals because he's perhaps the most effective communicator in the country. One of my favorite quotes of his is "Only do what only you can do." He often mentions that you'll never see him editing video with the Final Cut geeks in the production room on Saturday night. He just doesn't belong there. But, is it pride, stubbornness, tenacity, or just ignorance that keeps us in a Moses mentality?

Ever feel like that? Like you're being asked to carry the whole load and then some? "Your playing small doesn't serve the world." But then, your playing bigger than you really are can either stretch you to do great things or snap you in half. Spreading anything or anyone too thin and you sacrifice potency and power. Is the trick in trusting that God will fill in the gaps, that you can sub out your weak trades, or in the "fake it 'till you make it"?

Options -

Wimp out - Moses whined so bad, God appointed someone to speak for him.

Blow-out – Peter, the only other person to walk on water, began to sink as his faith waned.

Cop out – The rest of the disciples never even got out of the boat...

Sub out – Take inventory of what you can do, those around you that complement your weaknesses, and lean on God for the rest...

Which option we choose is clearly up to us, but in light of the vast number of subcontractors God lists in both Exodus and several other OT books, what's the wise choice? Does God intend for us to 'go it alone' or is there applicable merit in Proverbs 11.14?

Numbering Our Days a Bit More

2006-03-26T19:07:00.000-08:00

It's obvious we could use a facelift around here. That is forthcoming. However, in reading over the scripture regarding the numbering of days, it seems appropriate to revisit my commitment to writing more regularly, but also, wise to develop and stick to a more predictable schedule and set of topics.

After prayerful consideration, here's where I'm lead:

Mondays - Leadership and/or work.
Wednesdays - Relational health and/or purity.
Fridays - Time and/or money.

In redesigning the look and feel of this site, I'd like to also throw in a few media reviews from time to time, including a retro-review of a Jeff Scott CD, in anticipation of his next release, later this year. In the meantime, I've been snapping tons of photos and haven't really shared them with anyone. My bad. These will be forthcoming as well.

Thanks for reading, more for replying, and most for referring!
In Christ,
Aarron

Numbering Our Days

2006-03-20T05:20:00.000-08:00

What would you do if you knew when your last day on earth would be? Not, "if you were going to die tomorrow." But, what would you do with all the time between here and then if you knew your last day would be February 12, 2050? November 16, 2010? June 30, 2024?

The popularity of occult practices such as tarot card reading, palm readings, and other forms of divination all point to a desire to know the outcome of a period of time. While these methods of foresight are unbiblical, the desire is eveidence of God's fingerprint on our lives. Haven't you ever caught yourself thinking - "If only I knew what this would look like in the end, I could figure out how to get there."? God has burned this desire into our souls as he made us in His image.

Moses, in frustration over the brevity of life compared to the eternity of God, expresses this desire to see the end as a way of learning their means in Psalm 90 when he cries out to the Lord - "teach us, O Lord, to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom."

Special Needs Educator Richard Lavoie explains that children with learning disabilities often struggle with spelling and task management becuase their ability to visualize things in their minds. He suggests taking a photo of a clean room and hanging it there as a means to help the child know when they have completed their chore. In a very plain way, Moses seeks this advice, or at least the time frame, as a point of wisdom to guide him toward an abundant, unfettered life.

If God truly has a purpose for my life and I live to be 80, I will only have 16498 days remaining to determine and accomplish these tasks. Where do you think you're at, and what would you do with your 16,498 days?

T-shirt or Wifebeater?

2005-12-25T21:01:00.000-08:00

After my passionate tirade on "Closed for Christmas", I read Joe Carter's article on how many great men are kept out of the Great Battle because of their preoccupation over lesser squabbles. Sometimes I hate it when he's right.

Can we all just trust each other on this Christmas thing, proclaim the gospel, and get along? We are not the enemy, the enemy is the enemy. If we are truly to live an unfettered life, free from the chains that weigh us down we must seek to win the hearts and minds of the lost, not bicker within.

Merry Christmas, whenever you celebrate it.

The inn is empty, the manger is stinky, and the tomb is empty. A son is born.

Amen.

Merry Christmas. Yes, we're closed.

2005-12-25T20:10:00.000-08:00

I'd like to start by wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and direct your attention to the fact that God's response to a lost world that had turned its back on Him was to lean in and send His Son to be punished in its place. This is why we celebrate today.

Today is also Christian dirty laundry day, so excuse us while we air out a few things about what's being said about this "Closed for Christmas controversy", then, I'd like to ask a few questions that really demand an answer. (For those out of the loop, my home church is one of many that moved its Christmas services to a non Sunday day of the week.)

Read Adam Cleveland's blog entry. If you're serious about the debate and not just trying to vent, not just angry or disgusted, then I believe you really will wade through the facts and stories - I have. As an infant Christian attending a mega-church, I don't want to blindly follow the herd - you are wise to ask questions, but quit being so dogmatic. Read Scot McKnight's entry as well.

Ben is understandably up in arms over this, too. Question: If the reason for closing really was for fear that people would not attend, then yes, shame on us. But this is not the case - we are celebrating Christmas, just on a different day. He continues:

Here's another little thought. Would you willingly miss your own child's birthday? I don't think so if you really love your children. Why would you miss the birthday celebration of the birth of God' only begotten Son?

No, Ben. But we could celebrate with publicly on one day and have a more deeper, private celebration with our family on the actual birthday. How many kids would say "no" to two birthday parties? Neither would the Lord. Is God more pleased with what we do out of obligation or what we willingly give and with a cheerful heart? (Not rhetorical, just weigh the question for a moment).

"Kim" from one of the "offending" churches wrote on Adam Cleveland's blog:

At Willow we never have church on Christmas, preferring to celebrate the incarnation as a church family in the days leading up to Christmas instead. We don't have "holy days of obligation," nor do we need a priest present to worship God, so worshipping from our homes is not really a problem.

While it's not about the numbers, they do tell a tale - her church is doing 17 services at 4 locations in 4 days for 50,000 people. What about that implies a lack of seriousness and dedication to glorifying the Lord's birthday?

My pastor, Andy, at NPCC, again shows why he's the senior pastor and I'm just sitting back, taking notes... [also at POMO - look for the whole response, I have no room to post it all and it deserves your attention]

To begin with, we have called off church on the Sunday following Christmas since we started the church ten years ago[...] Every year I encourage our attenders to attend church somewhere else on that Sunday, or stay home and worship as a family , or gather with people from their small group.
The reason we shut everything down on the Sunday following Christmas is to honor our volunteers. [roughly 1800-2000 per Sunday...] The interesting thing is, we’ve never taken any heat for shutting down on a Sunday. I guess nobody was paying any attention.
[...] The way I read it, the spirituality of an individual or a group should be judged by their track record in two areas – love for one another and generosity with resources.

Bottom line, I may not be a very good Christian or pastor, but this Christmas season there are several hundred people who think I’m a good boss.

Merry Christmas

For those of you steaming in anger or just scratching heads - how large an organization have you ever co-piloted before? How many people do your decisions directly effect? How many people have been baptized because of the organization God developed through your obedience and work effort? Is it possible that you are elevating the traditions of man over the commands of scripture? All respect is due to the offended because many of you have large, cogent, and wise responses,

but most of you do not.

Until you have lead thousands to Christ, employed hundreds of people and thousands of voluteers, and partnered with God to advance his kingdom beyond the four walls of the "little c" church, I ask you to hold your tongue and do any and all of these three things first.

Then cast your stones.

Amen.

P.S. Kudos to Christian Visioneer DJ Chuang for posting where we can go if our church is closed. I would add to that the following: bring gifts or a meal to a homeless shelter or shut-in. PROCLAIM THE GOSPEL!
DJ, you rock!

Reflections on The Chronicles of Narnia

2005-12-08T19:19:00.000-08:00

I know what wrongs I will do and what rights I will fail to do when given the opportunity.

On our way back through the wintery woods, my brother, our friend Joey, and I ran into 5 or 6 kids about our age (about 13 at the time, for Joey and I, 10 for by brother). They were from the next town over, always picking fights for fights' sake, and today was no exception.

I wussed out and stood frozen, not by the snow, but my own fear of injury and greater numbers. One of the 12 year olds had started punching my young brother. Fortunately, Jay surprised us all with a few good blows that pursuaded our foes to seek fisticuffs elsewhere. While I forgot their faces decades ago, this cowardice haunted me for years as one of the most disturbing choices I made in my young life. It didn't do much to bolster my self-image or sibling relations.

John Maxwell wrote a book called "Failing Forward" that reminds us that we will fail, but we need not be weighed down nor stay down. "While you're down there, pick something up", he writes. Tonight, we saw C.S. Lewis' "Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe", and I was reminded of these two truths again.

Growing up in what I thought to be a "traditional" Catholic environment, I learned that God was watching, waiting, and ready to punish me at every wrong turn. That pains many Catholics to hear, because some of the most devout of them know this was both poor delivery and application of their dogma. This theology, like that of the Evangelical community, is that left to ourselves, we will not only do wrong, but fail to do right, at many checkpoints in our lives. Like Edmund, the younger brother in the Narnia movie, I have felt hopeless to do right on my own and been wracked with guilt over my "sins of omission", as well. I have betrayed those closest to me, including my own self, and allowed my enemies to condemn me for this.

Are there parallels between Narnia and the Gospel? Many. The one that I find most liberating, most unfettering tonight, is that while I will often screw up, God will never beat me up, and He has promised to always lay Himself down. In Christianese, we would say He will not "forsake" (Aramaic: abandon) us. Aslan pardons Edmund and commands the three kids not to knock him for his betrayals. Jesus asks us to demonstrate our love for Him vis-a-vis our love and care for others. We need help to be saved from ourselves and the calamity that surrounds us as a result of the car crashes and IED's of everyone else's idiocy.

Now, that sounds cute and warm and fuzzy and thanks for beating your Bible for us, Mr. Ex-coward Who Can't Do Anything Right Even If He Wanted To. But, how is that relevant to me? Why does your 2000 year old book about shepherds and temples and deserts and morals matter to me today in 2005?

I'll take a stab at that: Lewis invites us to trust those who have failed us in the past, because as Lucy says in the movie "this isn't helping Edmond". He invites us to "become who we were meant to be". The God of the Bible invites us to practice His principles, which exclude beating one's self up over errors in the past. Rather, to grow stronger by learning from one's mistakes and seeking a truth larger than one's self, which leads to a transcendant understanding. In effect, not to be discouraged by what we see (our shrapnel-riddled choices) when we hold our lives up against a flawless hypothetical (God's perfect will for our lives), but to grow in spite of our misdeeds (or missed deeds).

So I ask my favorite question - "What if?" What if the Bible really is the inerrant word of God? What if there is knowledge therein that could help us to strip off the shackles of our own guilt and self ridicule? What if there are principles to be learned from a real, living God who has a plan to prosper us in spite of our own unwise choices? What if religion is a flagrantly abused institution based on a truly awesome relationship that went sour over time because of our own poor choices, which make us look back and say "how could I have been so foolish?" What if...

Was it a great movie? I don't know. I've never been smart enough to agree with the right critics until after the dust settles. I'm too ruled by my own emotions to give strong objective critique in well-argued statements.

If you've ever let yourself down, see The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe.
If you've ever been let down or betrayed by someone close to you, see The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe.
If you're tired of people who say all the right things but never do them, see The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe.
If you don't understand why Christians get all "ewy-gooey" at Christmas and Easter, see The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe.
If you're a Lord of the Rings, X-Men, Star Trek, Star Wars, special effects geek, see The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe.
If you don't fit into any of these categories, see The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe.

And, think on these things. I could be an ideologue. I could be a weak minded fool. I could be looking for God where He isn't. If that's what you think, nothing I can say will sway you. But, experience this movie and shine its light on your failures, your strengths, your growth, your "a-ha" moments, and see what it tells you about yourself. Narnia is so accessible that a small, naive child can experience its full glory just because they give it a shot and as John Ortberg writes "God Is Closer Than You Think".

I didn't spell check or really sit down and edit, but feel free to critique those aspects of today's post anyway.

Relevant, timely truth from ancient teachings:
God is Closer Than You Think
The Barbarian Way (Erwin Raphael McManus)
Mosaic podcast (Erwin Raphael McManus)
Relevant Magazine
Catalyst Conference: Applying Biblical truth to your business, life, and relationships.
Inside Narnia

Just in time for Christmas...

2005-12-06T19:53:00.000-08:00

Part 3 of our 4 part series on pornography is partly written... (Posted by this Friday, scout's honor... CRAP, I'm not a scout!)

This is a great piece of news for all parties involved and poignant considering the "giving" nature of the story.

Trinity Project milestone - Woman, thou art loosed!

Over $14,000 was raised to make this all possible, now we put our faith in The Trinity to help Trinity make it all worthwhile. What a great time of year for thanks and giving!

Grace and peace. A.

Salt and "lite"...

2005-11-29T03:49:00.000-08:00

The Bible says that we are created in God's image and created to do the good things that He has planned for us. If we are truly a reflection of the God who created the universe, the Grand Canyon, Haagen-Dazs ice cream, sex, New Zealand, surfing,(alright, perhaps the ice cream was our creation, but God wired us to know it is nnnnnice), shouldn't there be excellence in all that we do?
No, we're not all made perfect, and I frequently fail to spellcheck (read: guilty like the rest), but shouldn't our signs and placards be proofread before we start waving them around in protest?!

Hukked on fonix werked fur me...

My bad, I should be more encouraging. Alright, let me put on my encouragement hat. I am a God loving, Bible believing, Jesus Freak, and I want to do the work we are commanded to do by the Father who loved us just as we were and has great, Jermiah 29:11 plans for us. But, folks, can we please remember that the brand we're representing here is His Kingdom? Spellcheck your signs, or my buddy Jeremy Thiessen won't have to publish a post like this I mean, come on, there are people watching!!! Let's get it together, team.

Couldn't have said it better myself..."

Here's a blank check for you to carry around: If I am ever guilty of misquoting, misspelling, will you puhleeeeze bring it to my attention? If that check ever bounces, I'll never ask you to read my blog again. Fair?

Thanks for your attention. I will now step down off of my soapbox.

Grace and peace.

Porn-Again Christians...

2005-11-29T03:08:00.000-08:00

Later this week, part 3 of 4 on our series on pornography. Coming soon, a topic that gets everybody fired up - divorce and remarriage... Uh, oh. If you didn't have your eyes covered for the porn series, you might want to get prepared for this one.

In the meantime, I received a link to this page in my eMail today. Not laugh out loud funny, but at least clever.

Baby's Got Book

(Click here to download Windows Media Player).

Enjoy.

In the name of Allah...

2005-11-14T20:28:00.000-08:00

I try to stay out of political discussions when I can, but my big mouth opens up and words spray out in a very Brian Regan kind of way (Oh, NO! The WORDSARECOMINGOUT!!!) I'm likely well known for my lack of understanding and perspective on world events, but today I had to side with a wise Jewish scholar, Dennis Prager, who poses five very poignant and interesting questions to the Muslim community. Dennis is a scholar well versed in the Middle East conflict and many other contemporary political issues. His show is on KRLA radio in Los Angeles and broadcast live on 920WGKA Atlanta from 12PM to 2PM EST on weekdays.
His questions are pointed, but not pointy, and could lead to a very important dialogue between Muslims and non-Muslims who truly care to know the truth and build bridges between the two communities. (HT:Lores the Lovely and Godly.)
Please encourage this dialogue to move forward. Send your educated Muslim friends here and help us all to understand the answers to these questions, or if these questions are unfair, what questions we should be asking.

Grace and Peace,
Aarron

Jewish folklore...

2005-11-06T19:34:00.000-08:00

I was away last weekend, fulfulling the tail end of a long commitment to the hospitality industry. I had a cool opportunity to help Pappadeux's open their newest location in Cincinnati, Ohio. I got to meet a ton of great people, including about 50 of what will eventually be closer to 100 waitstaff, and hopefully made an impact on their technique, their personal customer service philosophy, sales skills, and God willing, their worldview.
In winding down from a 14 hour day of mental taxation without gratification, I decided to "zone out" with some tube and gave HBO a chance. Laden with cynicism, humor, and a sarcasm thicker than the Mohorovicic Discontinuity, Bill Maher hosts a panel show discussing the issues of the day (week) with a variety of celebrities, newsmakers, and dignitaries. In the course of the show, he made a comment that some of you will find interesting and funny, but I found to be slightly a bit sad. (Not judgemental sad, but "sorry to hear that" sad.)

"...that good old book of Jewish folklore - the Bible."

Now, a few years ago, I might have been offended. But, in hearing it this time, I think I snickered a bit, then simply felt bad for Bill. Could the Bible be a grand anthology of "folktales" by 40 varied authors? Could it be merely a book-form conspiracy formulated over a 2000 year span to establish a power dynamic for those "in the know"? Could it be a bunch of cute stories and clever teachings that just help weak people get through the night?

Sure.

But, that would go against all the archaelogical evidence, historical evidence, extra-Biblical evidence, that "demands a verdict" of "not guilty" of any of the above claims. I admit, I'd find it a bit odd to hear someone say "I have a great relationship with Ann Rice through her book 'The Vampire Lestat'." So, I can see where someone might be a little wierded out by a statement like "I have a great relationship with God through the Bible."
However, this excludes the fact that my relationship with God is not some compartmentalized event that happens only on Sunday or when I open His Word. Further, it would ignore the fact that Ann Rice's books never make a claim for veracity. The Bible actually claims to be true. More on that later? Yes, just not today.
Here was the collision between an accusation that the Bible is nothing more than a collection of stories, and the four days I had spent unpacking much of its truth to the Pappadeaux's waitstaff. No, I wasn't proselytizing for Pappas, but I had just spent 4 days applying Biblical truth to real life situations - procedure, mindset, worldview, that I have learned from explicitly Christian sources from John Maxwell to Andy Stanley to Rob Bell and a variety of other lesser known trainers and people of faith who have often stressed "self over others" and "servant leadership" in no uncertain terms.
My application of these principles doesn't make the Bible any more or less true, but does cast Maher's comments into a slightly different light. If the Bible is more than just folklore, if the Bible is one of several keys to unlocking an abundant life, unfettered by the many things that can and often slow us in our progress, doesn't it suck that Bill just dismisses it into a bookshelf next to "Goldilocks" and "Hansel and Gretel"?
Sure, we learned lessons from the Three Bears and Cinderella, but again, neither of those books ever invite us into a deeper relationship with the Creator of the universe - a central tenet of Christianity and Biblical living. Furthermore, the Bible makes a fantastic claim that not only does there exist eternal life, but that it is a free and open option to those who will take it. The fact that a superfuluous number of idiots have taken Biblical principles and used them for their own gain and /or to harm others does not mean that the Bible is wrong or untrue. Conversely, when the actions of these individuals is held up against the backdrop of what the Bible expressly or implicitly states, their infidelity to the god they claim to represent becomes painfully apparent.

So what's the deal - no judgement or dart throwing from either side of the aisle -
1. What bothers you most about the statement "The Bible is the inspired and inerrant word of God?"
2. What Biblical principles, if any, do you know of that when applied, paint a picture of "a god who loves us"?

I intend for this environment to be one where non-adversarial discussion can take place free from ad hominem attacks. Where I am guilty which I often am, vis-a-vis my waning sarcasm, point it out, but try to comment with this in mind.

3. Is the Bible merely folklore that promotes intolerance?

What if? What if the 66 books written over a 1600 year period by 40 different authors and preserved and perverted by better and wiser men than we, is really the inspired word of God, a god who seeks not a world of automatons praying, kneeling, standing, and hypocritizing in lock-step, rather a body of believers, each unique in their gifts and talents, approaching Him from their unique perspective and meant to manifest their love for him via their love for those around them? What would the world look like if the principles espoused by the Bible were taken to their logical ends?
Chocolate chip cookies for every referral. Pass this link on to your friends and let the fun roll on...

Shameless gloating!!!

2005-10-31T20:41:00.000-08:00

Undisputed results: "The Best Looking Guy at GodBlogCon 2005"

Now, everyone who was at God Blog Con was pretty well set on either Matt Anderson or the dashing, young Joshua Claybourne, both may well be close to as good looking as I, just not close enough. When brought to a preliminary vote though, it came down to myself and David “Jollyblogger” Wayne. But, somehow, a surprise, grassroots fueled, 11th hour surge propelled a wily, shine-headed, upstart from Atlanta to the top of the pile (read: I got all my friends to vote for me)!

David, I may be all form, but your content kicks my blog anyday. Thanks for being a good sport.

Thanks to y'all who voted. Thanks to y'all who continue to support via readership and referral. Thanks, also to Stacy for the contest!

Grace and peace.
A

P.S. Claybourne, I'd have voted for you, bro. You're a sharp lookin' dude, and wicked smaaht. Matt, you're a newlywed, so you get to hear how handsome you are all the time...
P.P.S. “Sinful pride” is not a value we condone, here at ALU. The above gloating is actually a pride of the not-so-sinful “Shameless Advertising for Purposes of God’s Glory” variety.

Pornography- Hardcore facts? (2 of 4)

2005-10-31T19:23:00.000-08:00

***Original post at 7:23 PM on 10/26/05*** Scroll to next "***" for updated post.
Come on, Christianboy. Pornography is a national past time! Take your "sin" talk and go back to church...

Fair enough. I will. By Friday evening, I will post the "secular" part of our interview. I'll do my very best to present "The Problem With Porn" without mentioning the "G" word. (God, silly.) Some of you out there are asking a really great question: "Why don't you mind your own business?" We'll even discuss that topic - it's a bit of a rager, and could get heated. Are you okay with that? Well, I had a great opportunity to talk with some people who have a clear and secular position on pornography that doesn't involve the "S" word (sin...). I promise I won't even use that word!

More of our interview with Michael Leahy from Bravehearts regarding the problems he faced when pornography's grip tightened. Possible details from a former "sex industry" worker or two who will discuss the "complications" porn brought into their lives. "Compli...?" Trust me, you'll have a chance to talk back - it's a blog, remember?

Thanks for your patience while we adjust to a new schedule.

Aarron

Update

Pornography:

Stinkin’ Habits of Highly Defective Relationships

Michael Leahy wasn’t the most popular kid in school. But, when college came, he began to shine. A two year letterman on his football team, student body president, he was recruited by IBM to live the American Dream. Along the path to success, he married his wife, Patty, continued the corporate climb with Unysis and NEC, and started a family.

Michael’s secret affair with pornography led him to a very dark place. First of all, he had to keep the relationship secret, and second, he experienced a need for more graphic porn and eventually began seeking to act out his fantasies in real life, leading to an affair with a woman outside his marriage. The affair with both the woman and the images eventually cost him his marriage, but the trust and respect o his children, his brother (with whom he had a successful business partnership), and his business. Michael now spends his time lecturing to (this year) over 50,000 college students about how his relationship with porn led his life awry, nearly ending in suicide. Students get to hear about the dangers inherent in porn and the result of his battle with addiction over a two night lecture series.

While porn carries with it some intrinsic dangers, a prolonged relationship with it leads to a package of habits he calls “sex syndrome”. One of these dangers is “Objectification”. By definition, reducing a person, or even object, that is complex and multifaceted, to the status of a simple object, is objectifying. Please hear this, not as an indictment or condemnation: when all we see and are concerned with is the speed of the new, improved, Corvette, the sizzle of that Cajun marinated steak, or the “***”s on that girl, we are objectifying the car, the food, the human being. The consequences of doing this are what can be damaging to us as individuals and as a culture.
In Michael’s words, “I began to see everyone in my life as an object, not just women. Everyone I met, I looked at from a “what’s in it for me” point of view.” This simplification of a person down to the body part that you admire most or the sex act that you saw them perform is a natural result of porn. “I didn’t want any of those women, I just wanted the sex.” Anyone he met was now a product for his consumption. I’m not condemning consumption, but how would it make you feel to cross his path? Like an... object? Ladies, pick a sex part and raise your hand if that’s the first thing you want your Prince Charming to think of when he rides in on his white horse. (Yes, I know I’m making a big assumption about the prince, and the horse. Cut me some slack for purposes of this example, cool? Thanks.)

Unbalanced Education

Out of 14,000 hours of education from K-12 we are never required more than a superficial knowledge of, rarely ever accompanied by critiqued and strategic role playing, personal intimacy, much less the psychosocial ramifications of sexual relations that ought to go along with sex education if it is to be taught at all. Porn, even over the short term, gives us what we mistakenly believe to be a PhD in sex, but only the act itself instead of a "well rounded", Renaissance paradigm.

Are we really wiser for the wear? Do we really believe it is meant for “educating” us on how to resolve conflict in a relationship, how to manage expectations in marriage, how to experience non-physical intimacy that could carry us through difficult times, how to confront abusive behavior with our spouse, how to develop and maintain character and bolster our mate’s self esteem? And yet, the sex act is so titillating, so enticing, that watching it burns into our brains images that we can never remove on our own, building concurrently lopsided expectations and an unbalanced understanding of what sex “ought to be”.

Watching porn emphasizes and consequently overemphasizes the image and the act alone, separate from the relational acts of intimacy that we all so desperately desire and therein seek. Why watch hours or tens or hundreds of hours of bodybuilding films when you could spend that same time actually lifting weights? What if the same time spent watching porn was spent learning and improving relational and personal intimacy skills? Could one, then potentially learn to be a better husband, father, co-worker, customer service conflict guru, boss, Grand Pubah of Management and Sales?

Conversely, what long term, broad based consequences can, have, or will arise out of a society driven primarily by men who see people only as objects? What then when the women join in step? Is that the kind of society of which we'll be proud to raise the next generations? It is partly for this reason that Christians see pornography as "their business". It is also because so many Christians are victims and/or partners in pornography addiction. (Sidenote: We are not immune to these effects and must not shame, attack, or denegrate those that are struggling - it is simply anti-Christ to do so. Hello?)

Decrease in Intimacy

If feeling less like an object than a person does not cause intimacy problems enough, let’s look at another facet of the interpersonal effects of porn. Ladies, how many of you really equate intimacy with sharing your boyfriend or husband with another woman? Michael’s ex-wife, Patty is like hundreds of thousands of women who share the sentiment of a 34-year-old woman married 14 years to a minister who she discovered was compulsively seeking sexual satisfaction by visiting pornographic sites on the Internet.

“How can I compete with hundreds of anonymous others who are now in our bed, in his head?” the woman wrote. “Our bed is crowded with countless faceless strangers, where once we were intimate.” (HT: New York Times)

The more sexual images we load into our brains, the harder it becomes to be truly intimate with the person we’re with at the time. Here’s a little litmus test for you, ladies:

While making love to your partner, how sure are you that they are thinking only of you?

If your certainty is less than 90%, how excited are you over the level of personal sexual intimacy you are currently experiencing? How can you possibly connect deeply, or how deeply can you possibly connect with one person while he is imagining your head on her neck with her(2) arms, her(3) body, and their legs? His head and consequently, your bed is full of other women, all vying for his affection!

Getting Off

Our pastor, Andy Stanley, interviewed Michael and his ex-wife in November of 2004, for a part two of a two part series called “Exposed”. His bottom line was simple “Pornography is a path, not a past time.” Looking at porn and what our mind does with it exists on a continuum from casual viewing to acting out in real time. We don’t get on 95N in Florida and get angry that we wound up in Maine two days later. That’s just where that road leads. The consequences Michael has experienced are the eventual destination of the Porn Parkway. Whether and where we get off that road before then is clearly up to us. But, isn’t it nice there are plenty of exits between Florida and Maine?

Am I crazy? Is it possible that I’m right? If so, what’s the wise choice? Michael's simple advice regarding a split with porn: “What you feed, grows and what you starve, dies.” Do all you can to distance yourself from the imagery and you can then begin to reconstruct more balanced and deeper personal intimacy skills. My walk down that path ended at 31 and didn't cost me a marriage, a business, or more than $12 in late fees. Lucky? Perhaps. But, now that I have decided that I don’t want porn in my head, I’ll be lucky if I ever get what’s already in there out. Better not to have looked in the first place, or as Linkin Park chants “and the memory now/is like the picture was then/when the paper’s crumpled up/it can’t be perfect again.”

How badly “crumpled” is your memory? How deep the creases? What are you willing to do to iron them out and make it pure again? For me, it’s been three years porn free, intentionally, deliberately, and not without the support of my community group, and certainly not alone.

Decidedly Christian resources:
Every Man's Battle This book was very practical and a purposeful aid in helping me break the habit.
Not Even a Hint Great little book for Christians struggling with lust (that would be all of us...)

Any other good links, secular or not? Comment below...

The Naked Truth

2005-10-28T17:06:00.000-07:00

I know, not a very original title. Neither is the story. It's about a guy who had everything and lost it pursuing something he could never get.

Unfortunately, you've had to wait. Now you have to wait until tomorrow...
Due to unforseen circumstances, my next article will not be up until Saturday. I promise I will get it done. Thank you for your readership. It means a lot.

Aarron

***Update
***As promised, I've got it done, just need to get it posted tonight, no service yesterday, but it'll be up. Thanks for the patience.
A

Character.

2005-10-27T19:48:00.000-07:00

Most of you know I started a new career last week. While on a job site yesterday, I saw a page prominently hung on the wall over a young lady's desk. It said:

Your gifts and talents can take you to great places in work and in life.
It is your character that will keep you there.

I met the most amazing woman when I went to Los Angeles this month. This is not a romantic reference. I am saying that I met someone of clear intellect who lives her life with character, by principle, not pretension. Are you encouraged by the fact that women exist who have not fallen for the lie that "image is everything", "it's not who you are, it's who you know". Let's just say this: Lores, has written an article that sets this type of woman apart - not because of her political affiliation, faith, or any other superficial title. This is the example we are trying to set here - that all are welcome, none are more or less important, but that God has a life for us to lead that is demanding, difficult, and disciplined, but rewarding, relationally rich, and 'rithmetic. (Couldn't find another "r" off the top of my head, and we were getting a bit too serious.)

For now, just check this out: and visit this blog and hers more often - we will talk more about character, responsibility, humility, integrity, purity, modesty - all in ways that I once thought were either weak or irrelevant, but now see as answers to many of the greatest problems our society suffers.

Thanks for reading. Pass this blog on, will ya?
Grace and peace,
Aarron

P.S. For those who do pray, please keep my family in your utterances - we just lost a very unique and warm aunt this week and discovered that there are many of us around the country unable to attend the funeral - comfort them while they handle the difficulties surrounding Aunt Betsy's passing.

But, in the meantime...

2005-10-26T22:15:00.000-07:00

While I'm busy working billion hour days, thinking about someday writing part 2 of the "Why Both Sides and I Think Pornography is a Bad Influence"...

Jan was taking a break from her knitting and made a rather nice comment about the preferred tone of our little blog. Periodically, I think it helps to repeat a point of focus, for reinforcement and to keep those who join in late up to speed. Christians, as a matter of history, have been well known for works, both good and bad. One of the confessions I will continue to make is that while we have often attracted great doers, some of our thinkers do in a rather unthinkful way. (My blog, my word... tough.)

An acquaintance of mine, Jeremy Thiessen, of the very cool band Downhere, has a similar gripe to mine. My contention is that if the claims of the Bible are true, and the worldwide conglomeration of professed Christians really are "the church", then we really do represent "the Brand" and ought to do so with excellence. After all, if God is so great and all that we do in response to His greatness is defined as worship , then shouldn't it be representative of an irresistable, perfect, and loving God?
A lot of us really need to find a nice, comfy chair and read a great book called "Following Jesus Without Embarrasing God". Now, before my brothers and sisters in Christ flip out, "Yes, God loves us even if we can't spell well or have lousy grammar." This is not an excuse for mediocrity. If we are commissioned with "drawing people near to God" and "winning souls to Christ", how appealing is a God whose people don't even tip 15%? [Yeah, I want to "join your club so I can be a cheapskate like you..."] How winsome are those who speak only in Christianese jargon, thinking that throwing "Bible darts" at people will magically show them a true and cogent understanding of mercy and grace (which I'll define later for those confused by this ironic use of jargon)?
Case in point: the aforementioned rockstar and I believe that those signs outside of churches are just flat-out suckin' the life outta' me!!!

Let me catch my breath.

Alright. Having struggled with a bad temper for nearly three decades, I understand how poor self control turns people off in any argument, discussion, or discourse. 7 years in the restaurant business taught me that "presentation and perception are everything", meaning all else being equal, if it don't look good, people aren't going to want to taste what's on their plate. Paul admonishes in his letter to the church at Colossus: "Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. (Col. 4.6)NIV" Doesn't that mean we should respond to neoCons in neoConese, libDems in libDemese, hackers in code? Our continued resistance to engage the culture without embracing it (of but not in, in Christianese), speaking in code will rarely ever influence a "non-believer" the way our heart desires. (Jargon breakdown: "non-believers" are those who are not and have never been "professing Christians" - hopefully I didn't just define jargon with jargon).

Our goal, even if both sides disagree on theology is to at least help them get better at presenting their ideas - raise the bar on the quality of the ongoing dialogue.
• If you know a church that "just doesn't get it", find a polite and "seasoned with salt" way to bring up that (Col. 4.6) verse to them. Ask them how they feel it applies to the catchy signs and sayings that are associated with their church's marketing materials and signage. For added credibility, if you're not a professing Christian, let them know you're speaking as a representative of their "target market" and are turned off by their approach. (Again, try it with more season and less "salt"). Contact the guys over at Church Marketing Sucks and hook them up with your newly adopted friends at "First Jargon Episcopalebycomparison Church" to see if they're a match made in marketing heaven.
• If you're a "believer", check out some things at The Church Report's 50 Most Influential Churches". See what some of these churches are up to. Look at how they are "reaching" people for Christ (Jargon breakdown- reaching: explaining the gospel in a coherent manner that is relevant, convincing, and life changing). #3 on the list, Andy Stanley is well known for saying "your discipleship model is perfectly designed to give you the results you are currently getting." Thus, if you want different results, change what you're doing.
• Post a link to this blog, Jeremy's blog, or any on my blogroll, and encourage people to engage in the discussion. Listen, even those "actively apathetic toward religion (AARTs) [HT:WB" would agree that Christianity offers at least some good wisdom and valuable teaching. We may never all agree on my "narrow" Christian view of "approaching God through Christ alone", but what if we could get a massive majority of AARTs just living a life that reflects what the Bible teaches? Could we make an impact on poverty, disease, illiteracy, and war? Could we balance a budget and raise people who live on cash instead of debt? Could we create a society of people in control of their tempers and appetites? What couldn't we do?

Remember, I could be a complete idiot.
What's your opinion?
A

Pornography- It’s No Big Deal (1 of 4)

2005-10-18T21:39:00.000-07:00

No, perhaps not. While we’re at it, perhaps Chris Farley is still alive, the world is flat, and Michael Jackson’s still legally black. These things are all true from some angle, since I was just watching “Tommy Boy” as Farley and Spade drove across the flatlands of the Midwest and I made an iPod playlist including “Billie Jean” and “Thriller”. But, if porn is not a big deal then tell me why internet pornography now does over $1B per year, why a study released over a year and a half ago stated that the porn industry did over $57B that year, $3B of which was child pornography, and why my friend, Michael Leahy, lost his marriage, his business partnership, and the trust of his friends, family, and peers.
Tonight, I had the privilege of interviewing Michael, as well as two very gifted and (to use the Christian buzzword) “relevant” pastors, Mike and Craig, who are taking action to make a difference in a way that sounds entirely “unChristian” given the track record of most believers that you and I have experienced.
Mike Foster and Craig Gross founded “The #1 Christian Porn Site: XXXChurch,” about three years ago in an attempt to address the myriad problems posed by the “crack cocaine of the internet”. Since then, they have preached the message that “Jesus Loves Porn Stars” all over the US, the TV, and even the AEE (yes, the Adult Entertainment Expo!).
Their ministry intends to not only to drag porn out of the closet (their Podcast is called “Dirty Little Secrets” from the song by the metal band “Pillar”), but also to minister to those within the industry itself. They have attended this adult industry trade show, and others, for three years now. While most protestors of virtually any cause typically stand outside waving signs and shouting useless, condemning slogans, these two take the “Jesus” approach. They actually mingle with and actively love the sinners within. (Note: Since Christianity states that we are all sinners (Rom. 3.23), I ask you remain assured this is not a fingerpointing session without the first finger back at the finger waver.)
This sounds preposterous to most and opposition, is loud, ever present, and even posted on their site. Unfortunately, it comes mostly from Christians. While the wisest man in the world once wrote “better is open rebuke than hidden love. (Prov. 27.5)” Christians are also told “Let your conversation be always full of grace...(Col. 4.6)” Is it possible some of these good hearted folks have missed the point? (Please paint question a non-sarcastic shade of red).
A majority of the rebuke comes from a serious concern over how exactly to address the issue of porn. In a conversation with one young man tonight after Mike and Craig spoke at 7:22, he admitted to me “I want to talk about this with people [to help them], but I don’t know what to say. It’s always avoided in sermons. No one’s ever said to me what these guys said tonight.” Bill Hybels, pastor at Willow Creek Church, concurs: “the reason why churches don’t talk about porn is because they are not equipped to do so.
Standing firmly divided on methodology, what do we do? What should we do? What can we do? Mike Foster fights the “you’re just in this for the money” objection and commands “go to our website. Download the free [accountability] software and start talking about this with the people who are close to you.” Drag the discussion out of the dark. Michael Leahy agrees: “what you feed grows. What you starve dies”, obviously referring to the addiction to pornography but pointing also to the fact that if the stigma attached to the “dirty little secret” stays both dirty and secret, it will eventually stop being small and derail relationships, careers, and lives.
The floor is open. What’s fair game theologically – do we rebuke these guys privately, or publicly, for taking an “unorthodox approach”? From a secular point of view, where do we go?

In part 2, we’ll talk directly with Michael Leahy, of Bravehearts, who speaks directly to tens of thousands of college students each year about the dangers of porn from both a Christian and secular worldview. In part 3 we’ll discuss more from pastors Mike and Craig, and in part 4 we’ll address much of the aggregated feedback.

Welcome

2005-10-18T15:27:00.000-07:00

This is our inaugural post. Thank you for visiting. I started this blog because as a non-believer, I have been increasingly frustrated with the many wrongs that Chrsitians have done all in the name of "God". This is especially difficult to deal with now that I AM a believer. Imagine waking up one morning as the head of a PR firm that defends Dow Chemicals. How could you champion the cause of a corporation with a record for pollution a mile long? Sure they create solvents, paper, and even cleaners, but the byproducts have wreaked havoc with the environment!
It is challenging to know the message that God says "come as you are, I'll clean you up" is being twisted by people within His very church to make them feel guilty, dirty, and ashamed. I listened in awe today as I heard a pornographer state
"I think religion is the most destructive and hurtful industry in the world."
That's not the gospel.
That's because of people, just like you and I if you're a believer, that have misbehaved, misjudged, and mistreated others, thereby misrepresenting the Brand. Doesn't the Bible teach "while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Rom. 5.8)? Doesn't it teach "we were by nature objects of wrath. But... God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive in Christ even while we were dead in transgressions.(Eph. 2.4-5)"? Isn't it written: "...in humility consider others better than yourselves (Phil. 2.3b)"?
I want to hear your take on this. What confusions do you have about Christianity? What concerns you about "Christians"? What is the worst treatment you've ever received from a "professed" Christian? What is the worst I've ever done to you? The way I read it, Christianity is more about the life change that happens when faith intersects with faithfulness. How can we spread that message if we can't connect person to person, honestly, transparently, and with true confession? I'll repent, will you be a partner in that process? Your comments are invited and welcome. Please, though, respect that I do intend to keep this website free of profanity. I do not edit posts, but I will delete them if we're using unnecessary language - this does not mean that truth needs be suppressed, but use sound judgement. We will tackle difficult subjects: homosexuality, divorce, hypocrisy, pornography, just try to keep the language appropriate.
Holy hollerback.