American Prayer
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dave-stewart/an-anthem-for-change_b_120514.html
“As an Englishman, I’m not an expert in all the intricate details of American politics. But as an artist, I understand how rare it is to inspire a connection to a bigger idea or purpose. This video isn’t so much an endorsement of Barack Obama as much as it is a celebration of all those who have picked up a sign, who have registered to vote and are working to make the world a better place. So as Senator Barack Obama ascends to the mountain top, let us not forget all of the others who for the past 40 years have sung anthems of change to make this moment possible.”
I received a post on my “myspace” from one of my favorite music artists asking me to check out a video they had an opportunity to be in. After doing so, I was disappointed to say the least. As much as the writer of the song wants to say
“This video isn’t so much an endorsement of Barack Obama as much as it is a celebration of all those who have picked up a sign, who have registered to vote and are working to make the world a better place”,
that’s exactly what it is. Show me anywhere in the video that this video or song promotes John McCain!
I guess what really kills me is people really think that Barack Obama can turn this country around like he is some kinda of God. Man cannot do this. A president cannot do this. For one, only God can do that. And two, it takes and act of MANY people to make decisions and create laws on Capitol Hill in order to change things.
What has this man done to prove that he can do these things? He has spent one term as a Senator and missed many crucial votes and people really think this guy is God! I’m just not getting it folks. Let me also say that I am not really for John McCain either so don’t bash me for bashing Obama. But at this time I’m not voting for someone. I’m voting against someone. That would be Barack. Because I can’t find faith in him. I can’t find hope in him. I can’t believe in him like everyone wants to. I can’t and I won’t because it’s not there. My faith and hope and belief lives and remains in Jesus Christ.
Which begs the question. Since when did it become an American prayer? And since when did any of those in the video bear fruit that we may all see they are living a life devoted to Christ, the ONE who they are supposedly praying to? Wait. Maybe they aren’t praying to Him. Well, that goes without saying their prayers will surely be unheard. And then again, I believe it does say in John 9:31 that
We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but he does listen to anyone who worships him and does his will.
Show me you faith without deeds and I will show you my faith by what I do.(James2:18) What are these celebrities doing for Christ. Yeah, I didn’t think so either. Which leads me to believe who is this American Prayer being prayed to? All gods that might listen. Yeah I believe Paul had something to say about that in Acts.
And to put a topping on this cake, the co-writer along with Bono is an ENGLISHMAN. What is he doing getting involved with American affairs? Hey englishman, how about grabbing a relationship with Jesus Christ and inspire a connection to Him. He surely has a bigger idea and purpose.
Y’know, I wished celebrities and artists would simply quit using their platform for agendas other than their music. PLEASE!!!!!!!
And to say lastly, THE SONG SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Put that in your pipe and smoke it!
Grading on a Curve System
Since when did we start grading the 10 commandments on a curve system?
ONE: ‘You shall have no other gods before Me.’
TWO: ‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image–any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.‘
THREE: ‘You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.‘
FOUR: ‘Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.‘
FIVE: ‘Honor your father and your mother.‘
SIX: ‘You shall not murder.‘
SEVEN: ‘You shall not commit adultery.‘
EIGHT: ‘You shall not steal.‘
NINE: ‘You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.‘
TEN: ‘You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.‘
I think, and correct me if I’m wrong, but there are only four that can be punishable by American Standard law; commandments 6,7,8, and 9. After that there is maybe one, possibly two that are frowned upon in today’s society; commandments 5 and10.
The other four can quite possibly be thrown right out the door because in today’s society and by law, they are irrelevant. Spiritual pluralism and moral tolerance is the way to go these days.
But if our standards of laws were modeled after the Ten Commandments, what happened. How did four out of the ten make it be punishable by land laws? And that’s only if you bear false witness in the courts. It’s only frowned upon outside of court.
I thought sin was sin. Equal to one another. You break one, it’s like you broke them all. How did we ever get so far to start grading them saying one is worse that the other?
I just thought about this as I was driving back home and saw a huge monument in front of a church that looked like an over grown version of the tablets in the movie, the ten commandments.
Burn Us Up-Shane and Shane
You are able to deliver from the fire of affliction!
It’s the declaration of my Lord!
You’re not an image of gold!
You’re the God of Old.
You have made us. Come and save us. We are yours!
But even if you don’t we will burn.
So burn us up in the furnace of your desire.
“Shane and Shane-Burn Us Up”
Here’s something I deal with. I have been taught that if I read my word, I can have an intimate relationship with God and I can know his will in my life. But let’s take a story and apply it to real life for a moment. Shadrack, Meshack, and Abdnego were gonna be tossed into the fire for not worshiping the king. I think we’re all familiar with the story. Put yourself in their place for a moment.
You have faith that God will deliver you from the fire yet if He doesn’t you will burn anyway. No matter the circumstance, you win. But the attitude most people would have is this. Let’s say the fire didn’t consume you yet it did injure you quite terribly. The attitude you would probably have is to be angry with God because you weren’t consumed to be remembered as a martyr and you weren’t saved to be remembered as a miracle.
You were hurt. Spiritually and physically. So how can we truly now God’s will and purpose? Can we? I think we can but it takes getting on a God-level in our life and looking down on the situation rather than looking it at a human level. We will never understand His ways if we continue to look at things on a human level. We HAVE to look at it on a God-level.
So to look again at the situation we have brought up. Maybe you think God’s purpose was to martyr you and you were left a vegetable. You start questioning your faith. You start questioning if you really know God’s will in your life. You start questioning how close you really are to God to really understand what He wants in your life.
It’s just a thought. Because alot of times, I find myself in this very situation where I had faith God was going to do something, be somewhere and take care of situations only to find that God didn’t move the way I thought He would. Did the three guys know that they would be delivered or did they think they would be consumed? Nevertheless, they weren’t about to serve King Nebby!
If we take Romans 8:28 to heart, no matter what happens to us in life, we will overcome. I have come to learn no matter what I take on in life, it shouldn’t be for my glory at all. For I have been bought by the blood of Jesus and I am no longer mine but a bondservant of His. So if I were to be thrown in the fire, may God have the glory if He so chooses to rescue me, and may He have the glory if He so chooses to allow me to burn.
To God be the glory!
Bradley LaShawn Fowler sues bible publishers over hate speech
http://blog.mlive.com/grpress/2008/07/lawsuit_against_zondervan_comp.html
Lawsuit against Zondervan complains about Bible statements on homosexuality
“Bradley LaShawn Fowler, 39, is seeking $60 million from Zondervan, based in Cascade Township, and another $10 million from Thomas Nelson Publishing in the lawsuits filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.”
“Fowler alleges Zondervan’s Bibles referring to homosexuality as a sin have made him an outcast from his family and contributed to physical discomfort and periods of ‘demoralization, chaos and bewilderment.’ “
I’m sure alot of people have already heard about this. Is this insane or what? Maybe not! To me it is because let’s face it. I’m offended by the bible everyday. That’s what draws me closer to it.
But this guy… Wow! I mean I thought the coffee lady at McDonald’s had gone loopy. Or people suing gun manufacturers because someone killed their loved one. But I about fell out of my chair when I heard about this one. Just another stunt for the homosexual agenda.
Let me say, that if I were a homosexual, this would be the exact thing I would do. Where do we get our authority to say it’s wrong? From the bible. And since I can’t sue God, I would sue the next best thing. The very manufacturer that keeps reprinting His word. Smart move.
I am however in somewhat of fear because this country is leaning heavily to punish people for hate speech. Like I said before. The bible is full of hate speech. The hatred of sin that is. (Psalm 97:10) And there sure s alot of it here in America.
But thank God for our protection in the first amendment that says we have the right to free speech and that it says no law can be made to prohibit free exercise of religion. BAM!!!!! The problem with this is nowhere in the bible at least in the original format does it use the phrase “homosexual”. So it may come down to the Supreme Court translating the bible for us to decide what exactly it means by “sexual immorality”. God help us there.
So where do we go from here. We cn only hope since this guy is defending himself that it misses the mark by a mile. But the one mark it will hit is cheering on othere to follow in his steps to close up the holes and succeed with the agenda of saying religion is hate speech.
I just read this on my AFA email.
Where in the world is Kevin Riner
What good is a blog if I don’t write. I guess I’m going through a season of not writing. I have been pretty busy with “church” stuff and and been sick the last three months and trying to get better. Writing hasn’t been a desire lately. Especially when I look at the stats and every bit of 6 people read my rants and ravings anyway!
SO!!!! Pray that God would give me a writing desire to keep up the fun in my life. How about a little inspiration!
Is God Fer Real????
These are the moments when you ask God, “Are You fer real?” Honestly guys. Lets get on a real level here. No fantasy god-escapes. No McDreamy fantastical lives. How many of us truly ask God persistently to manifest in situations to see no fruition of mercy?
Really !! This is where I stand. Almost 3 months of sinus problems after 30 years of no sinus problems and there seems to be no end in site. And I’m sure by far that God is tired of hearing about it at 4:00 in the morning when my nose seems to gasp for breath which is a feat within itself taking in consideration the magnitude of the size of my nose.
No answered prayers so far so it seems. Misery loves company and it has made me it’s new best friend. I’m tired. Tired of asking God to help. Tired of medications. Tired of not being able to breathe. Tired of nasaly singing. I’m tired guys.
I stand here with the purest of adoration for my maker. I stand here with the most honest of inquisitions to say why won’t you heal if you are the “ultimate healer”? I stand here on my knees with the most humble of all beggars to ask “what is your purpose and why won’t you reveal it to me”?
You want honesty from a rooted christian who sometimes doubts his faith and his maker? You got it. I am as transparent as it comes. Vulnerable with my heart on my sleeve. Where is God when it seems that I’m hurting and He’s not listening? I believe He’s here. I believe He’s hurting as much as I am. I believe it hurts to see me (his child) hurt. I believe He has great motives for allowing suffering in our lives.
He hurts. I hurt. Thank God for a God who is far more smarter than I.Thank God for a God who know what I need more than I do, yet it hurts to allow me to have some things I need to make my faith grow. Funny how He allows things to happen so that they may have an opposite yet altering affect on you.
I’ve told God that if I’m suffering for a cause greater than I, I would appreciate it if He’d let me in on the plan. But I don’t guess that’s gonna happen. I’m miserable. And my joy… It seems to be fading. But maybe… just maybe somewhere deep in the middle of my suffering, I can find a new and rewarding moment to boost my joy factor. I still praise Him. I still love Him. I still adore Him. I’m just joyless at the moment. Has it been stolen. Slightly! I know that soon or later, it will return to me.
Till then I will boast in a God that blows my imagination, consumes my inquiries, baffles my mind, gives me peace that I can’t understand.
He is truly GOD!!!
Aggressively Passive Christianity-part I
I think I have come to realize through much deliberation with myself about many things in my life that I am truly aggressively passive when it comes to most things, mainly Christianity. I don’t like to push Jesus on people. Most people around here know who He is and are pretty aware of His happenings. I don’t see the point of force feeding someone the gospel if they’re not up to hearing about it.
Last Sunday, my Pastor had a great sermon on Offensive Christianity. In other words, he was saying we need to quit being on the defense and start moving towards the enemy and getting on the offense and score rather than defending the gospel and defending our right to exercise our faith. For the most part, I agree. But like the bible says, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Ephesians 6:12. These are the things to get on the offense for. Unfortunately, these rulers of darkness tends to use our friend and family to do their work.
So here am I. Aggressively passive about the whole thing. I live my life out in front of others and if someone tells a dirty joke, I don’t laugh. If someone wants to involve themselves in mind altering substances, I don’t participate. If the principalities become offensive, I defend. But being offensive, I am not. When I have the ball, I sit on it. I won’t shoot. I won’t swing the bat. I won’t pass.
So where does this leave me? I believe it leaves me not being a salesman of the gospel, yet a giver to those who ask. I choose not to hold a for sale sign behind my coat and show the price when the homeowner opens the door, and begin to say, “Just $5.99 and you too can have the saving grace of Jesus Christ if you’ll just give your last dime to the church and bid yourself to the work of the Lord!!!!!”
I believe there is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more to the gospel that cannot be communicated in a brief conversation in a waiting line. The gospel means suffering. The gospel means servant hood. The gospel means giving up oneself. The gospel is more complicated than the gospel my grandparents tried to teach me. The gospel is bigger, more grandeur than our imagination. The gospel is inexplicable. The gospel is deeper than the bible. Yet, the gospel is the good news. The gospel is worth more than the paper it’s written on. The gospel is more beautiful than any eyes have ever seen. The gospel is more celebratory than salvation itself.
The gospel is (you fill in the blank) !
Prodigality
Luke 15:11-32 The prodigal Son
Is it me or does it seem that this parable has been one of the most preached parables EVER? We had to go through this parable last night during small groups and yes, I sighed when I found this out.
I’ve heard just about every way you can preach this parable: from the dad’s pov, from the eldest son’s pov, from the prodigal son’s pov, from the pig’s pov, from the pig owner’s pov, from the prodigal’s mom’s pov, from the servant’s pov, from the dog-gone fattened calf’s pov!
You’ve all heard the story: a kid wants his inheritance because he’s for some reason or another decided to get the heck outta dodge. He then moves off to a far-away town and blows it all partying. After he realizes he has no more, his friends leave him and his wallet left him with no choice than to work. So he goes and gets a job feeding pigs and he’s so hungry that he wishes he could feed himself with the food that came in the pods he’s feeding those pigs.
After he’s had enough, he starts to think about what he could do to get outta there. So the thought crosses his mind that he could go back home and work as one of his father’s servants. They’re getting fed better than he is. So that’s just what he does. He tells the pig farmer, “Take this job and shove it,” and head’s back home.
When he gets there, his dad has some kind of spidey senses and can see his boy from afar off. Dropping everything, he runs out to receive him with all his servant’s behind him because they want to know what all the fuss is. He tells his servant’s put a ring on his finger, clothe him and kill the fattened calf, we’re gonna have a feast in his honor for my son had left but has came back.
So this is where my mind caught something, unbelievably, I have never seen before in this story. When the father realizes something is wrong with the older brother, he goes to him to see what was wrong. The older brother tells him that he’s been working and been faithful for all these years and never once got a goat. As soon as this heathen child (This son of yours) comes home after blowing all you gave him, you throw him a party? That is so not right!
His father comes back with something I thought was cool. He says, “This brother of yours was dead and is now alive, was lost but is now found!”
POINT—- The older brother tried to deny relations to his younger brother because of his shamefulness. He wanted nothing to do with him. (You ever thought that way about a sibling?) Yet his father reassures him, no matter of your brother’s ignorance, you will always be family. You can’t deny him. He is your brother.
Tough!
We are family
I got all my brothers with me
We are family
Get up ev’rybody and sing
Would you please STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I live just south of Nashville TN. Franklin is somewhat know as the Christian music capitol of the world. The local Christian radio station is WAY-FM 88.7. Great station to a point and that point is they can’t quit playing the same top 10 songs over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over. I think they have energizers in their station keeping it going like that.
Someone PLEASE call the program director and tell him/her to STOP the madness.
I have figured that over the past year, “Flood” gets played every day at least once. I like Jars of Clay just as much as the next guy. Dan Haseltine has got to be one of the greatest songwriters of all time. It’s obviously proven from this very song. But yesterday, it came on and I had had enough and turned it. Just today, it came on and once again I flipped the station and later… IT CAME ON AGAIN!!!!!! PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!
Is it that they can’t find any other song to play or does Jars of Clay give like a load of money to the station so they feel like they have to play this song? Jars has a lot of good songs. Why do they have to keep playing this one. I mean come on, it’s a classic song now. It has a copyright of 1995. That’s over ten years and it’s being rotated like it came out yesterday.
If you can personally communicate to the program director of the station, please refer him to my blog. I will more that happy discuss my disgust in the radio station that will not give anyone and opportunity unless they have a record deal with the biggest labels around. There is a lot of good music, but will never see the light of the day on radio cause they keep playing “FLOOD”!
