How the Bible rots

“The story of the manna gathered and set aside by the Hebrews is deeply significant. It so happened that the manna rotted when it was kept. And perhaps this means that all spiritual reading which is not consumed-by prayer and by works- ends by causing a sort of rotting inside us. You die with a head full of fine sayings and a perfectly empty heart.”
Julian Green Diaries

According to Science Magazine – there is more happiness in giving than receiving

Can money buy you happiness? Yes—so long as you spend the money on someone else. According to new research, giving other people even as little as $5 can lead to increased well-being for the giver.

That’s the insight into the secret of happiness by HBS professor Michael Norton and two colleagues from the University of British Columbia, Elizabeth Dunn and Lara Aknin. Their article, “Spending Money on Others Promotes Happiness,” appeared in the March 21, 2008 issue of Science.

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Be careful with friendly mechanics!

The one issue Obama and McCain won’t talk about

The presidential campaign has been in full swing for 12 months now, and we’ve heard about every conceivable issue—the economy, Iraq, the candidates’ religious beliefs, and who’s most qualified to take that 3 A.M. call. With all this talk, however, the candidates seem to be ignoring one issue needing our considerable attention….

Click here to discover what that issue is, and why the candidates seem to avoid it.

A dog, a broken-hearted wife, a tired husband, concerned son, and the goodness of God – at 4:00am!

Ruthe and I left for Austin, TX, on Sunday, after church – 13 hour drive. We took our little Shitzu, Deere.

Sidebar: We originally had 2 of these puppies, and named them “John” and “Deere.” John was given to a very nice lady, who provided him a good home and lots of love. Deere stayed with us.

About an hour outside Austin, at 1:00am, I became very sleepy and pulled onto the off-ramp of I-35 in order for Ruthe to drive. We both got out of the car, exchanged seats and drove into Austin. At about 1:50am, we arrived at Joey’s apartment.

When we began to unpack, Ruthe said, “where is Deere?” After a long search, we realized she must have jumped out of the car when we exchanged seats. Ruthe broke into tears of grief. “She is gone, dead, how could this happen….”

Joey and I looked at each other and said, “we’ll go look for her.” I doubted we would find her, Ruthe was doubtful – but we prayed and left.

I wasn’t sure what exit ramp we took – after all, I had been very sleepy. We drove back to Temple, Texas, tried every exit ramp and service road – nothing.

At 4:45am, we started back toward Austin. Just south of Temple, I said, “Joey, turn off here.” We exited I35, coasted along the service road, and a blur of white ran out of the field next to the highway. It was Deere!!!

She had waited on a service road along I35 for almost 4 hours!

She was thirsty, scratched up, but OK. I called Ruthe, who had gone to bed in tears, told her, and Joey and I gave thanks to the God who hears the cry of a grieving wife, a tired husband and a concerned son.

Tim Russert’s death and the timetable

According to today’s New York Times, NBC tried to hold back the news from going public for more than an hour so they could notify his family vacationing in Italy. Mr. Russert was pronounced dead shortly after he arrived at a hospital at 2:23p.m.; Tom Brokaw announced the news at 3:39. But the online encyclopedia Wikipedia had posted the event long before NBC reported it.

They updated Mr. Russert’s page at 3:01 p.m., adding the date of death and turning present-tense verbs into the past tense almost 40 minutes before NBC’s announcement. Officials at Mr. Russert’s home network were understandably frustrated, even “flabbergasted,” as one said later. A spokesman explained, “The last thing we wanted to do was to have the family discover this on the air.”

The story gets even stranger. The employee who made updates to the Wikipedia page has apparently been fired. Eleven minutes after his change, someone else deleted the date of death and turned all the past tenses back into present tenses. Minutes later, NBC made its announcement and the world was given the news.

It’s been said that bad news circles the globe while good news is putting on its shoes. “Give the story no place to go” is always sound advice. Full disclosure as soon as possible is essential. The truth invariably comes out, so it’s best to tell it the first time.

What a lesson for evangelism!

Gen Y and the church

 

Why Gen Y Is Going to Change the Web

Written by Sarah Perez / May 15, 2008 11:30 AM / 105 Comments

Gen Y is taking over. The generation of young adults that’s composed of the children of Boomers, Generation Jones, and even some Gen X’ers, is the biggest generation since the Baby Boomers and three times the size of Gen X. As the Boomers fade into retirement and Gen Y takes root in the workplace, we’re going to see some big changes ahead, not just at work, but on the web as a whole.

There’s some contention over where exactly Gen Y starts and stops – some say those born 1983-1997, others think 1982-1997. In this week’s Entertainment Weekly, Gen Y is defined as “current 13 to 31 year-olds” and BusinessWeek says they can be as young as five. Regardless, we know who they are – they’re the young kids of today, the most digitally active generation yet, having been born plugged in.

How They’re Different

They’re Plugged In: The term “digital native” applies to most Gen Y’ers. Those in Gen Y grew up around computers, the Internet, mobile phones, video games, and mp3 players. They are web savvy multitaskers, able watch TV, surf the web, listen to music, and talk or text on their phones, often performing several of these things at the same time.

TV Isn’t King: Although you’ll find some Gen Y’ers obsessing over the latest episode of “The Hills,” and other shows, they aren’t watching TV as much as other generations do. Instead, Gen Y’ers spend more time surfing the net and using other devices, like iPods and Xboxes, even when it cuts into TV viewing. For them, TV is often just “background noise.”

They Don’t Care About Your Ad, They Care What Their Friends Think: Because they are immersed in media, both online and off, Gen Y’ers are marketed to left and right. But when it comes to making decisions, Gen Y tends to rely on their network of friends and their recommendations, not traditional ads. “Ads that push a slogan, an image, and a feeling, the younger consumer is not going to go for,’‘ says James R. Palczynski, retail analyst for Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Instead, they respond to “humor, irony, and the unvarnished truth.” They’re also somewhat distrusting of ads, which is why grassroots efforts can also work. However, don’t get too comfortable, Gen Y doesn’t have brand loyalty – they’re quick to move the next big thing.

Work Isn’t Their Whole World: Sure, they’re going to go to work, but it had better be fun. For Gen Y, work isn’t their identity. It’s just a place. Gen Y sees no reason why a company can’t be more accommodating, offering benefits like the ability to work from anywhere, flex-time, a culture that supports team communication, and a “fun” work environment. They’re also not going to blindly follow orders just because you’re the boss. Sometimes dubbed “Generation Why?” they need to “buy in” as to why something is being done. Old school bosses may find their questioning insubordinate behavior, but they would be best to just change their management techniques and adapt. Gen Y hasn’t known much unemployment and they’re not going to put up with being treated poorly just for sake of a paycheck. (Bosses, your survival guide is here).

They’re Socially Conscious: Gen Y cares about the world. They pay attention to politics, the economy, social causes, and environmental issues. They think they’re a force to be reckoned with in elections and follow the candidates online on social networks. They read the news, but not in newspaper format, which is is going to hurt that industry even more as time goes by.

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He who has ears to hear, let him hear!!

When Revelation was written,  Christianity flourished in western Turkey, but over the centuries each of these churches gradually succumbed to pressures until the last was virtually stamped out by Islam. The regions where the early church was the strongest (Turkey, Syria and North Africa) are now Islamic strongholds. 

Yet, by and large, it was the church rather than Islam that destroyed the church (Note from Sam – yes, you read that correctly). Muslim invaders simply mopped up after them. In North Africa, Christianity weakened itself through internal doctrinal and ethical divisions, heresies, and the insensitivity of Byzantine and Latin Christians to local cultures. 

Nubia remained a richly Christian African culture until its growing weakness in both missions and Christian education led to its collapse to Islam through the fourteenth through the sixteenth centuries. The disunity of the church led to the demise of a glorious Eastern Orthodox culture before Islam. 

Regions relatively barren of the gospel two centuries ago are now flourishing with the gospel, while parts of the Western world struggle to maintain a Christian voice. Lampstands can be moved from their place (Rev 2:5), and this should serve as a warning to believers in different parts of the world today. We dare not take our role in God’s plan for granted. When part of the church abandons its mission, God will raise up others to fulfill it.

(Craig S. Keener, The NIV Application Commentary on Revelation)

The church killed the church.

How?

1. Internal divisions
2. Heresies
3. A refusal to be culturally sensitive
4. Weakness in missions and Christian education (discipleship)
5. Disunity
 

If you don’t like music… try listening to pigs

I love to read the great reformer, Martin Luther. He had a way of cutting to the chase. For example, take this statement:

“Next to the word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world. It controls our thoughts, minds hearts, and spirits….a person who…does not regard music as a marvelous creation of God…does not deserve to be called a human being; he should be permitted to hear nothing but the braying of asses and the grunting of hogs.”

-MARTIN LUTHER

Enjoy!

Where the devil is attacking…

“If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the truth of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Christ. Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved, and to be steady on all the battle front besides is mere flight and disgrace if he flinches at that point.”

Martin Luther

I am a soldier

I Am a Soldier
Author unknown

I am a soldier in the army of God.
The Lord Jesus Christ is my Commanding Officer.
The Holy Bible is my code of conduct.
Faith, Prayer, and the Word are my weapons of Warfare.
I have been taught by the Holy Spirit, trained by experience, tried by adversity, and tested by fire.

I am a volunteer in this army, and I am enlisted for eternity.

I will either retire in this Army or die in this Army;
but, I will not get out, sell out, be talked out, or pushed out.
I am faithful, reliable, capable, and dependable.
If my God needs me, I am there.
 

I am a soldier. I am not a baby.
I do not need to be pampered, petted, primed up,
pumped up, picked up, or pepped up.
I am a soldier. No one has to call me, remind me, write me, visit me, entice me, or lure me.
 

I am a soldier. I am not a wimp.
I am in place, saluting my King, obeying His orders,
praising His name, and building His kingdom!
No one has to send me flowers, gifts, food, cards, candy, or give me handouts.
I do not need to be cuddled, cradled, cared for, or catered to.
I am committed. I cannot have my feelings hurt bad enough to turn me around.
 

I cannot be discouraged enough to turn me aside.
I cannot lose enough to cause me to quit.
When Jesus called me into this Army, I had nothing.
If I end up with nothing, I will still come out even. I will win.
My God will supply all my needs. I am more than a conqueror.
I will always triumph. I can do all things through Christ.
Devils cannot defeat me. People cannot disillusion me.
Weather cannot weary me. Sickness cannot stop me.
Battles cannot beat me. Money cannot buy me.
Governments cannot silence me, and hell cannot handle me!

I am a soldier.
Even death cannot destroy me.
For when my Commander calls me from this battlefield,
He will promote me to a captain.
I am a soldier, in the Army, I’m marching, claiming victory.
I will not give up. I will not turn around. I am a soldier, marching Heaven bound.

 

Dangerous video

Don’t dare watch -if you don’t want your heart stirred!

I’m warning you – do not watch this, if you are content, complacent, spiritually lukewarm, satisfied with your spiritual life. 

 

It happened in Nicaragua

Preached in prison to about 200 – over 50 indicated first-time faith in Christ

Saw the power of testimonies at 2 drug rehab centers – at one center, 21 of 22 indicated faith in Christ

Broke up a physical fight between 2 women who were waiting to see a doctor

Experienced the beauty of team unity as 25 believers worked in harmony 

Saw an American shine the scuffed shoes of a shoe-shine man in a city park. A crowd was attracted to this strange sight, and the gospel was preached

Distributed 100s of gospel booklets

Heard a prophetic message in tongue, interpreted by 2 believers – first, into Spanish, then into English

Pulled hundreds of bad teeth, giving relief to hundreds of people

Saw immediate answers to prayers for equipment, help, wisdom, healing.

Learned several beautiful new worship songs in Spanish

Heard the stories of the power of God in the lives of a dozen Nicaraguan believers

Saw an active volcano

Entered a dungeon and torture chamber used by the Sandinistas. Saw the following scratched into the walls by former prisoners: “Quiero morir” (I want to die) and “Cristo vive” (Jesus is alive). Despair and faith – what a contrast.

Worked among former Contras – who live in huts fabricated from plastic and sticks. Dirt poor, yet rich in faith.

Almost was bitten by a poisonous snake

Held a pinata party for 400 children – I don’t recommend it!!

Thanks so much for your prayers for us!

 

 

My children’s names are written on my heart

Today, I walked into a convenience store to get a cup of coffee before heading to worship. As I poured, I noticed the name, “Brittani”, tattooed on the neck of the young lady beside me.

“Is your name Brittani?’ I asked.”

“That is my daughter’s name.”

“What will you do when you have other children?”

“I have 4. One’s name is tattooed here (her thigh), one is here (her upper chest) and I haven’t decided about the baby’s location.”

“How many children do you plan to have?”

“A few more.”

“Is your husband’s name tattooed on your body?”

Silence – she walked off. “Wrong question,” I thought.

I have no tattoos, yet – I’ll wait till retirement. But I have four names written on my heart and mind and lips. Every day, I call their names in prayer. I fast for them, dream about them, talk about them, brag about them, weep for them.

Sarah, Corrie, Joey, Charlie.

After Jesus and Ruthe, they are my greatest joy. They are awesome individuals: interesting, intelligent, warm, gifted, humorous, Christ-followers.

I wish I were a better dad, but I could not wish for better children!

Happy Father’s Day!!!

Picking a president and Nicaragua

I’ve just returned from Nicaragua. While there, I became aware, once again, of how American politics are subjects of news and commentary around the world. Every day, La Prensa (a national daily newspaper in Managua) carried headlines of how the candidates were doing, what they were saying. The picture of Obama riding a bicycle in the streets of Chicago even made the front page of La Prensa. how much the presidential race and the candidates themselves

I found the following commentary very interesting. It was originally appeared in Christianity Today and was entitled, “How to Pick a President.”

The President has taken this country to war and the war has not gone well. He has misjudged the spiritual strength of a militarily inconsequential but profoundly committed enemy. War was not even a distant issue when he first became President, and he is increasingly frustrated that this unsuccessful war is defining his presidency. Testy exchanges with journalists have caused him to almost abandon news conferences, he is openly mocked on television and on the street, and his popularity ratings have plummeted. Never one to seek wide counsel, he increasingly surrounds himself only with advisers who give him good news, who tell him what he wants to hear.

No, his name is not George Bush. His name is…

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