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.

cheesy fun

Although it does have a bit of velveeta quality to it, i found this video, and in fact this comedian in general, quite amusing in a weird way so i thought i would share it with you. Of course you're entitled to your own opinion, just be careful not to be wrong.

BTW, dookie was the only good album green day put out because it was before they fancied themselves political activists and got stupid. Just my opinion of course, but still a fact.

hair cut finally!!!

After countless mornings having to witness the malay hair drama in the zondervan home getting the girls ready, we finally took one of the matters into our own hands. Addy's hair is so curly that it doesn't look long, but it almost reaches her butt when it's wet and her screams when getting it combed are only trumped by kendra's wailing which i'm pretty sure has broke the sound barrier on occasion. Rumor has it Addy was a very big girl while getting it cut and she looks adorable as always!! A lady from our church did it while she was watching her and we worked so we didn't even have to witness any drama!! (thanks Val and Jessica) Perhaps this will usher in a new era of peace on earth and goodwill towards woman during our morning rituals.

I'm hanging on to my dream of opening a hair salon someday and calling it "WHOOMP HAIR IT IS!" We would have tag team music constantly piped in over the speakers and we would cut hair with shovels, so they could dig it fool!!! Oh well, an entrepreneur can dream.

Ava is next.................

not pacman anymore

I still remember afternoons spent at the fun factory, a local video game arcade that unfortunately for my high school education, was a place I could often be found instead of school. (sorry mom). Even before that, I remember my original nintendo nes and hours of playing games like tecmo bowl, double dribble, and sci-fi games like legend of zelda and metroid.

Like everything else in society, video games have changed. Technology has made immense advancements enabling games to be much more life like and interactive. In addition to that, the saturation of sex into every sector of society has influenced the direction of media and gaming.

"Gaming" has now surpassed the movie industry and is a multi Billion (with a "b") enterprise in America. Despite the attempts to regulate minors being able purchase these games by coming up with a rating system, (mature meaning you have to be 18) statistics show that this is rarely adhered to by retailers who want to sell these games that run upwards of sixty dollars each.

Enter the latest "breakthrough" in gaming. Bio ware is a popular role playing game that was released in time for Christmas last year. It has a mature rating and depicts two men in various sex positions in a scene of homosexual seduction.

I have decided to describe the scene and not provide a link to it. it is pretty graphic and very disgusting.

During a fireside chat, the player's Grey Warden character asks warrior elf Zevran, "Can you join me in my tent?"

The elf reveals he specializes in assassination, and the other character replies, "I bet you're good at a lot of things."

The elf responds, "Mmmm, that's quite an offer, especially coming from another man – if we are both speaking of the same thing."

If the player selects the response, "I suspect we are," the elf agrees to have homosexual sex with the character.

The video cuts to a scene in which the two men are dirty, naked and kissing. They are depicted in various homosexual sex positions, and the clip concludes with the two nestling together and gazing into one another's eyes.

I understand that there are plenty of games that depict heterosexual sex as well, and they should not receive a pass by any means, however I can't help but think that in a game that is marketed to young kids, this brings up new levels of concern.

The only solution I see for parents, is involvement. You have to know what your kids are playing/watching and don't allow them to have computers, gaming systems, or even televisions in their room where you are incapable of monitoring it. Don't just assume that since Jimmy is in his room playing video games and not bothering anyone, it must be all good. Things have come a long way since the days of pacman and centipede.

Here is a video that a friend of mine posted a few months ago of the response of a young man whose mom cancelled his world of warcraft account. ( a sci fi role playing game that has had a huge influence on young people, sometimes being played up to twenty hours a day). His brother set up a hidden camera thinking it would be funny to see his brother freaking out. What you are about to see is disturbing, and is no doubt the result of a demon oppressing this young man. This image is heartbreaking and has stayed with me a long time. pray for this generation.