now thats what I call music 47?

I love this song. Maybe it's a little sappy, but I have always had a soft side for ballads. I guess I'm just a romantic at heart=) REO Speedwagon has to be one of the greatest bands not only of the eighties, but of all time!! This was back when music videos were actually "meaningful" By meaningful of course I mean cheesy beyond belief, but at least its not jam packed with sexuality and swearing. I really did listen to this song about a million times in a row back in the day as I dreamed about my fourth grade girlfriend that i loved with all my heart but never once talked to.

I hope you will watch this amazing video for it entertainment value alone, but just incase you need some coaxing, I have taken the time to highlight with time codes exactly why its awesomeness can barely be articulated with our limited english language. Please follow along, I know it will help you appreciate it. Please leave your favorite 80's song in the comments, your video may be next!! ENJOY!!





:36--notice the sports theme in their underground lair? Ping pong and a sky hook? AMAZING!
:40---is there anything quite like authentic 80"s hair?
:47--what kind of creative genius comes up with exotic birds instead of dancers?
:53--I'm sure those are his sisters
:57--naughty hand!
1:07--he is actually "playing" a bowstaff!! how proud would napoleon be?
1:22--OWWW MY EYES!!!!!
1:46--family entertainment at its finest. Pinball with your daughter, is their a more powerful way to bond?
1:56---Chris brown who?
2:02--quick shot of psycho lady who boiled a pet rabbit in that one movie. Not sure what she's doing there
2:27--more choreography to make even miss jackson if your nasty green with envy
2:51--I actually auditioned to be the eraser clapper on the left. They told me I was pretty fly for a white guy, but had no rhythm.
3:03--A little too much "unity"? I'm not gonna lie, its a little weird, 3 dragons
3:41--oh, some random kid can play the guitar but I get cut from banging erasers? I'm not bitter.
3:54--little too intense/creepy facial expression from gloved drummer
4:27--high five then cuts to awesome 80's video game I can't remember the name of!~!
4:35--not sure about zooming in on the crazy mustache guy, little scary.
4::37--can 1,292,841 viewers really be wrong?

Thoughts on Tiger

Everyone has an opinion on Tiger woods and not only his public appearance today, but the ordeal he and his family have endured these last few months.

Here are the two scriptures I could not get out of my head as I watched.

Lamentations 3:21 "This I recall to mind, therefore I have hope. Thru the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, for they are new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness"

Psalm 130:3 "if you Oh Lord kept a record of our sins, who could stand? But there is forgiveness in you that we might learn to fear you"

Tiger by his own admission fell victim to the lie that sin tells everyone........"you deserve this, this will make you happy, this won't affect you negatively." You see it in sports stars, actors, and politicians who because of status, money, and fame are basically never told "no" and follow the voice of their desires.

That is why the bible exhorts ALL people to "live soberly, wisely, and righteously in this present age" (titus 2:12), because sin is indeed crouching at the door. While it can be easy to point the finger at a Tiger Woods, all of us have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God and apart from the gift of grace, all of us would still be slaves to sin.

As the Church, and believers in Jesus, we have a responsibility not cast stones, but to pray all the more for the kingdom of God to be here on earth as it is in heaven. This post is not intended to bash Buddhism, but the end of the suffering that Buddhist's are looking for is not found in keeping noble truths, or eight fold paths, but faith in Christ alone. I do pray that Tiger comes to the knowledge of the true freedom found only in Jesus Christ. Our responsibility is to demonstrate this truth by love, not judgement.

My prayer is obviously not just for famous people that we all know about, but every person that is still working for the "wages of sin that bring death," would come alive to the realization that the "gift of God is indeed eternal life" and cannot be earned by good works or trying harder. I commend tiger for realizing he is responsible for the mistakes he has made and is owning up to them, but he will never find lasting change and true freedom by "trying harder"

Psalm 32:1-2 (The Message)

1 Count yourself lucky, how happy you must be— you get a fresh start,
your slate's wiped clean.

2 Count yourself lucky—
God holds nothing against you
and you're holding nothing back from him

Micah 7:18-19 (New International Version)

18 Who is a God like you,
who pardons sin and forgives the transgression
of the remnant of his inheritance?
You do not stay angry forever
but delight to show mercy.

19 You will again have compassion on us;
you will tread our sins underfoot
and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.

forget about it

forget---"to cease or fail to remember, to neglect unintentionally"

Let's be honest, when it comes to a lot of things, we forget pretty easily. I"m not talking about car keys or your daughters name.........wait, ummmmm, I don't really forget their names, I just switch them around occasionally when I'm elevating the volume of my voice in accordance to their attitude at the time.

I'm talking about events. Remember the tylenol scare in the 80's when someone poisoned the tablets and people were dying from taking them. Johnston and Johnston shares fell 35% in a month. In more recent events you have the firestone tires that were blowing up on explorers and remember the toys that were recalled due to lead.

Of course these images taken from the air remind us of one of the most horrific events in any of our lifetimes, the senseless murder of three thousand innocent people as airplanes became killing machines on september 11 2001.

It can be all too easy, and even part of human nature, to forget about these things over time. Unless of course, it directly affected you. For example, I don't think about the tylenol poisoning all that often, no one I knew died. But every time there is a mesothelioma commercial on television, I remember what that brutal cancer did to my dad and how it robbed him of his joyful life so prematurely and abruptly. Instantly there is an emotional connection for me, when I'm sure millions of others who see the ad have no idea what mesothelioma even is. What if it was your child that died from the tylenol, your tires that blew up on the highway, your loved one trapped in a burning building. What has directly affected you, stays with you much longer.



Here's the real question. How has Jesus and His sacrifice directly affected you? Is christianity your status, or is it your reason for living? Are you intentionally keeping how God has saved you, redeemed you, and blessed you on the forefront of your mind, or has it become somewhat of a fading memory. I know as christians we would never say that, but is how you live your life directly reflecting the incredible price God paid for you? We cannot unintentionally allow the greatest day in history to become less powerful over time.

1 corinthians 10 talks about the idolatry and disobedience of the Israelites, vs 11 tells us that these things were written as an example (reminder) for us who live at the end of the age. Take a moment to thank God for His saving grace, and may we never forget.

"when we've been there, ten thousand years,
bright shining as the sun,
we've no less days, to sing God's praise,
then when we've first begun."

planes trains and automobiles

Here is a news clip about a prominent pastor in Texas, Ed Young, being questioned about the possible use of a private jet. Allegations of not being transparent concerning his salary and housing allowance are also mentioned. This is a touchy subject especially when pastors are being paid by peoples giving. In my opinion, the guy in a hood with the "darth vader" voice certainly should come out of hiding if he really wants to be credible. If you believe what you say is true, why don't you want to be seen?

Every church situation and budget is different so I'm not going to say what someone should or shouldn't be making, but all of us who receive compensation from tithes and offerings have a responsibility to be good stewards and have a measure of transparency. The bible says that a workman is worth his wages and pastoring a church of 17,000 has got to be very difficult.

That being said, should a pastor make 1.2 million a year and have a jet............you tell me. All I'm saying is let any accusation against an elder be brought by two or more witnesses, not just a disgruntled ex employee with an axe to grind.

What are your thoughts?

here is Ed Youngs recent reply......

platform

Platform---"a set of principles, a place of public discussion or forum" Here is a cool video of Drew Breeze, superbowl champion and MVP talking about what it means for him to be a Christian. I love that fact that he acknowledges how much has been given to him and that he in turn wants to give back as much as he can.

Drew Breeze obviously has a big platform and I pray that people of influence, whether that is athletes, politicians, or movie stars become Christ followers in more than "status", but actually live what they say they believe. Certainly when this happens the potential is there to get your life message about God out to alot of people.

The real truth here is that everyone has a platform. You may not be a superbowl MVP, but there are people in your life that can be directly influenced by you. What are you and I doing with the "platform" God has given us? Do our words and actions bring glory to God, even when we think no one is looking? That is the mark of a true follower of God.

Don't believe the lie that your testimony isn't powerful, God gave everything because He believes in you, now live for an audience of one and you'll be surprised who else might be watching.

the hour I first believed

Every Christian goes through peaks and valley's when it comes to their faith. Sometimes your zeal, passion, and even relationship with God can feel stronger at some times than others. . While I think that is normal, we must guard against the trap of "coasting" thru seasons of your christian life, and subconsciously drifting away from what God has saved you from, or where He is calling you to.

Yesterday i had the humbling honor to have coffee with a young man who gave his life to the Lord for the first time at our church on sunday. He emailed me and asked me if I would meet with him and point him to what he should do now. After the brief life history and introduction, (I'd never met him before) I just sat there and listened to him talk about how excited he was to now serve God and how for the first time he truly believed that God loved him and had a plan for his life.

I talked to him about staying in the word and the importance of the church body, then prayed with him before we left. I came to the coffee shop to help him, but I can't express how much our meeting helped me. To be around a new christians who had such a fresh appreciation and love for the grace and presence of God brought me back to the cross, and my own experience.

"How precious did, that grace appear, the hour I first believed" Never allow the grace and presence of God to be anything but amazing. Remember the God of the universe has humbled himself to know and rescue you. Don't let sin, apathy, pride, or the mundaneness of life rob you of the Amazingness of our God.

David in the midst of his terrible sin prayed in psalm 51, "restore to me the joy of my salvation" Basically he was asking to be taken back to how it felt to first experience the goodness of God. If grace has become less than amazing in your life, take a moment to reflect on what Jesus Christ has done for you.