Thought for the days

For the world....their problems define their theology.

For the Christian....their theology defines their problems.
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Schweppes Burst slow motion balloons Ad

My life today was anything but slow motion, but watching this made me quite aware that slowing down to enjoy life isn't really a bad thing.

Just thinking

I have just a few moments before I need to head out for a meeting early this morning. It seems that lately the days are long and the nights are short, but as one friend told me, "I can rest when I'm dead!"

I'm just thinking this morning-

The most important thing on planet earth are the people. How do we care for and help one another through these days? How do we demonstrate God's love to those around us? What's the best way to help people with all their fears and worries in the days we are in?

It seems that this is the perfect time for the church to be what it was meant to be- the body of Christ on planet earth caring for one another and demonstrating the love of God for the world to see. Our culture is such an individualist society that group caring and sharing are not in our minds. We don't think as a body, as a family. We focus on "ME". What an amazing opportunity for the church to become what it was designed to be- a living, breathing body of believers madly in love with God and each other, caring for one another and demonstrating that we love each other more than we love our stuff. What a testimony we would tell if we opened our homes to one another, sharing our resources and our lives with each other.

In a time when everyone is afraid what an opportunity we have to shine a bright light on the family of God caring for one another, loving each other and sharing our lives with each other. I wonder....could we duplicate what we see in Acts 4 and 5? Could we really come together and care for each other in this way? This morning I'm just thinking about what could be......

Photo dictionary: Bliss

Quote of the day

This quote made me smile, which then made me sad because I actually understood exactly what he's talking about.

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By the time a man is wise enough to watch his step, he's too old to go anywhere. -Billy Crystal

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Quote of the day

The Christian's chief occupational hazards are depression and discouragement. - John R. Stott

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Simple problem solving

One of our ladies came in last week for counseling. We talked for a long time about all she is dealing with. I listened a lot. Briefly, I shared a few thoughts with her, but then got out a piece of paper and drew a circle on the blank piece of paper-

I showed her the picture.....and then I said, "this is the solution to your problems." Then I waited......

After a moment she looked at me with a puzzled look on her face as if to say, "WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? ARE YOU CRAZY?" But she was kind enough to actually say, "I don't understand...." I told her, "There are only a few things you can do anything about. Those things are inside the circle. Everything outside of the circle is out of your control. You have been focusing your attention and efforts on the things you can't do anything about and so you are frustrated. Focus you attention on the things you can do something about, and don't worry about the rest." She left my office with a dazed look on her face and I wondered if she got it.

The next day she called and was a different woman on the phone. She said, "your picture changed my life! I got it! I understand and it's so much easier when I only have to work on what I can do something about." I smiled.

So, today, draw a circle on a piece of paper and list in the circle those things you can do something about...then work on those things. Don't worry about the things you can't do anything about. Trying to change those things will only make you crazy!

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Bears begging for food

What can I say? Amazing!

Never give up! Never surrender!

In my reading of different news sources and articles there are some articles that make you smile and others that make you cry....imagine one that does both-

South Korean woman fails driver's test 775 times

Sat Feb 21, 12:57 am ET
SEOUL, Feb 21 – A South Korean woman who has failed the driver's exam 775 times is not about give up on her hope of buying a truck one day to go into her own business, whether other drivers want her on the road or not.
Cha Sa-soon, 68, has been trying since 2005 to pass the written portion of the test to get a licence, but she has so far failed to get the 60 percent required to clear it.
"I've looked up some guidebooks to get a driver's license, and they were saying it takes at most five years to get this," Cha said in North Jeolla province, where farmers on tractors or cows can be just as common on country roads as motor vehicles.
"It's already been four years, so I might pass the test next time. That's what I hope for."
Driving schools in South Korea offer courses to enable applicants to walk away with a licence in a week. Cha has not been fortunate enough to set foot in such a class, which tends to congregate more in busy metropolitan areas, but she remains unfazed, even after having spent more than 10 million won ($6,800) on test applications.
"I believe you can achieve your goal if you persistently pursue it," she says. "So don't give up your dream, like me. Be strong and do your best."

(Reporting by Reuters TV, writing by Jack Kiml Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)

Something I don't care about

Last night was "OSCAR NIGHT!" The academy awards were given out and the Hollywood show was center stage.

This morning, as I'm working at home on my day off, the news is all aglow with photos and stories about the dresses, the hair, the looks, the "stars."

And I'm thinking....yeah, but there are people with real problems who just need grocery money...why this in-your-face waste? Why such a focus on all this now? It's amazing to me, and one thing I don't care about....in case you were keeping track....this is an event, as far as I'm concerned, that is completely wasteful and meaningless.....there, I feel much better now. Thanks for letting me complain.

Is your God big enough?

I'm surprised at how often I have to ask this question as I talk to people and talk to myself- "Is your God big enough...?" Big enough for your problem, big enough for your need, big enough because you are out of work, big enough because of your situation....is YOUR God big enough?

That should be an easy question, but the truth is that often our words and thoughts tell us and others that our God is small....unable to help us, so we have to take care of it ourselves. I know my own heart, so I can say this with great confidence- most of us worship a god we have created, and not the God who created us! If your God isn't big enough to help then you should be worried! You have a real problem, and it's not simply that you don't have a job, don't have enough money, are sick or have some other problem. You have a problem because your god isn't the right one. The battle of the bible and the battle of the ages is to get men and women to worship the God who is....the God who is able, who is big enough, who can meet your needs...answer your prayers...help you.

Are YOU worshipping the God who created you or have you created one of your own? For me...even as a Christ follower for many years...I have to constantly clean out my "idol closet" and once again worship the God who is...it's the ongoing battle of the human heart. Let me close this by saying there is only one God who is big enough. If your eyes and heart are focused on him then, regardless of the battle ahead, you will be ok.

Monday's cartoon

Not only was Noah the worse preacher who ever lived he was also the master of the bad pun.

Fear of falling

What a time we are living in! Every day I'm hearing of members of our church family who have lost their jobs, wives who have to go back to work and fears of loss most in our culture have never experienced. The fear of falling is in the air. The sense of panic is toxic. We are in a time when we can no longer be self-reliant....it's not enough. Our best experiences, our multiple degrees and our years of self-reliance will not sustain us through these days. We are in a time when the fear of falling is real. All around us are those who have hit the ground and are struggling to recover. What will we do if WE fall? It is a fearsome time in a culture that has been proud, confident and self-reliant. What's amazing to me is that this fear is worldwide. All around us the things we have trusted in are crumbling before our eyes. All around us the things we depended on are collapsing. What do we trust in now? How will we survive now? What do we do now?

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King David asked the same questions. Here's his answer. It's been the answer for multiple millions. In case you are looking for something to calm your fear of falling may I direct your focus to David's solution-

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Psalm 42:5-11- Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him For the help of His presence. O my God, my soul is in despair within me; Therefore I remember You from the land of the Jordan And the peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls; All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me. The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime; And His song will be with me in the night, A prayer to the God of my life. I will say to God my rock, "Why have You forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?" As a shattering of my bones, my adversaries revile me, While they say to me all day long, "Where is your God?" Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.

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Saturday's cartoon

The Crevasse - Making of 3D Street Art

This is very interesting. I thought you would like it.

Twisted roads, difficult days

A year ago this week my life changed completely. I didn't plan for it to change, but change it did. A year ago this week I used a bar stool to plug in the new clock at the back of the church. In a moment of bad judgment on my part my route for the next year would be filled with pain and inconvenience. In a moment of time I lost my balance and fell from the stool crushing my heel. I had never really experienced blinding pain until that moment. My route for the year ahead of me was changed with twists in the road marked "surgery" and "crutches", "casts" and "narcotics". All turns in life I have tried to avoid in the past. It's been a difficult detour to take, but I have learned a lot in the last year with each bend in the road. I have learned a lot about myself and others. I have experienced a lot and know more keenly what others must endure to simply get through a day. It's been a very twisted path I have taken, but looking back on this difficult year I must tell you that I cherish all I went through. The scars, the pain and twists of the road I have traveled have helped me in ways I am still discovering. So, when you see a bend in the road of your life don't resent it as an inconvenience, but look forward to it as an opportunity to see what God is going to do next....it will never be boring and you will never be the same.

Quote of the day

I got an e-mail this morning from an amazing lady in our church who serves many behind the scenes in ways I can't even tell you about, but her ministries (yes many) help hurting people and she does it all without seeking any glory for herself. I told her in my note how much I appreciated her ministry and work for God and her response is the quote of the day-

"It’s an honor that He chose one such as me to serve one such as Him!" -Patti

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Confusion rather than clarity

Seeing this sign made me aware of the fact that often, when we are trying to give warning and clarity, in fact we actually confuse people. I wonder how often I have done that? I thought my words were helping others to understand, but by the look on their faces I know they are more confused than ever! The confusion this sign brought to my mind was multi-layered- What other kind of children play? I thought only live children could play....maybe I am missing something. What are they playing that I need a warning? I know, as a kid, there were games we played that proved quite dangerous...is that what awaits me beyond this sign? Why do I need a caution? Well, you get the idea. I often read signs that create more questions than clarity. I hope I don't do that in what I say, but if that ever happens just ask me, "What on earth are you talking about?" Then I'll know...clarity, not confusion.

Uninvited visitors

For several weeks now we have lived with uninvited visitors in our home. They haven't come in through the front door, but they have moved in. We are most aware of their presence early in the morning as we are awakened from sleep by a gnawing sound in the wall above our bed or the scurry of little feet above us. Our guests have rudely disturbed our sleep on several occasions. Our visitors are uninvited and unwanted, but we have no idea who they are. Rats? Squirrels? Raccoons? We still don't know.

Finally, with no other resort, we called our local "pest" control specialists. A really nice man came to our home and within an hour had set out a series of traps that he said would take care of our problem.

I'm awake early this morning and have been listening for our unwanted visitors, but have heard nothing. With one simple visit our pest control specialist has resolved our problem and it appears our uninvited guests have gone.

I can't help but think about this in terms that make it an illustration for my life. It's even more vivid for me because I'm in the middle of teaching through the book of Revelation. I'm not sure how to label our visitors, whether it is called sin, Satan or something else I am glad that we called a specialist who knew what to do about our problem.

This, very simply, is the message of the gospel. Having become "infested" with the pest of a sin nature that is eating away at our lives and keeping us awake at all hours, we have invited one who can solve our problem and turned our "house" over to him to fix our infestation. Doing what we cannot he has provided us with the peace we long for. I know, it's a huge reach, but I'm awake and it's 3:30 in the morning.....it's just a few of the crazy thoughts racing through my mind.

The interesting thing to me were the words of our specialist when he told us, "I can't see how they got in, but they are here!" Isn't that the way it is with all the junk of our lives? We don't always know how we got here, but here we are. Now we need help to fix our problem. I'm glad God is always available to come over and help me with my "pest" problems.

A little rest is never enough

Funny how a few days off make it really hard to go back to work....any work. BUT, if you don't have a job then work seems like a dream come true. Funny how we look at things. What we have we don't want and what we don't have we want. It's an amazing thing to me that we are never happy with what we have. If only I could......or, I wish I didn't have to......or, life would be great if....and on it goes. I am really looking forward to the day when this discontent I know we all feel is satisfied in being who we were meant to be and having what God designed us to do. I know he will wipe away every tear, but I look forward to the day when he will wipe away even our yawns.

Monday's cartoon, part 2

This one came out later than my first cartoon for Monday, but it's so good I had to post it. What a great truth and awesome hope we have!

The plan of God in difficult days

I just finished a new book by a friend of mine on the life of Joseph. It is a timely book for our day. As I read about God's workings in Joseph's life through this author's eyes it gave me great hope for my own life and God's work in and through me. The author focused his attention on God's dealings in Joseph's life more than the details of his life. In other words the book was really about God! If we are talking about our lives in light of what's going on around us aren't we really talking about what God is up to anyway? I didn't get anything new or revolutionary from this book, but was once again greatly encouraged by God's great plan and sovereignty. We may never be notables of history but we are part of HIS story, and that's an amazing role to play.

Monday's cartoon

And yet......even if the economy gets worse we have a wonderful God and Father who promises this,

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Php 4:19 You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need, his generosity exceeding even yours in the glory that pours from Jesus.

Another great sign

Quote of the day

"I love Jesus, but I drink a little."

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-Gladys, an 88 year old woman from Austin, Texas (on the Ellen DeGeneres show)

Thoughts on 35 years

35 years ago on February 15, 1974, to my amazement, a beautiful young lady walked down the aisle to be my wife. We had met less than 3 months earlier (yes, I said 3 months) and in that short time I fell in love with this wonderful lady. Now, 35 years later, it's better than I could have imagined. Where do 35 years go? How can you describe the years together of struggle, tears, happiness, love and at times frustration? It's really too much for words. Let me just say that I know God loves me because he has given me such an amazing wife. (I do wish he would have let me keep some of my hair though.) Together we have gone through difficult years in the pastorate when we had nothing and I was working 80 plus hours a week. We took a number of years away from the pastorate and used those years to raise our two wonderful children. That's another blessing I want to mention- our kids are most amazing because of my sweet wife, Joye. It's her love and nurture that helped them become who they are. I do wish I could take some of the credit, but alas I must bow to her amazing love and care for them. So, in celebration of 35 (all too short) years of marriage to a wonderful woman I want to say two things- Joye, I love you. Thank you for being my partner in this life we have together. And, second, Lord, thank you for giving me such an amazing wife!

Quote of the day revisited...

A few days ago I posted a quote from our new president and asked for your thoughts. You were kind enough to comment. I have waited for a bit, but let me share my thoughts on his comment. Here is what the president said, and then my observations-

"There is one law that binds all great religions together. It is, of course, the Golden Rule - the call to love one another, to understand one another, to treat with dignity and respect those with whom we share a brief moment on this Earth." -President Barack Obama

First, the golden rule does not bind all great faiths together. It is not part of many of the faiths of the world. It is a primary faith statement of only two faiths- the Jewish faith and the Christian faith. The call to love one another comes from no other religion but these two. It comes only from these two because only these two have a sovereign God who has given his people this instruction. To be able to understand one another, to treat with dignity and respect those we live with on planet earth must start with a correct view of faith. You won't find this call to love in the Muslim faith, it's not part of Hinduism or any of the eastern religions. It only comes from the God of the bible and it's based on a life lived under his rule. There is no other way to love others unselfishly. As much as we might want to make these nice words work for everyone it will only "work" if you are worshiping the right God.....the one who called us to this unselfish expression of how he treats us.

Celebrating "Darwin Day"

"Darwin day" is February 12th. It's the celebration of the 200th birthday of Charles Darwin. From his own writings, conjectures and theories he developed the theory of evolution. Charles Darwin, a Christian most of his life who later claimed to be agnostic, postulated a theory of evolution that eliminates the need for a sovereign creator God. The theory of evolution has been taught so convincingly that many consider it truth. But, it's still only a theory. So, for all my evolution friends I hope you have a great Darwin day. For me, I'll use it to thank and celebrate the creator of everything- the God of the bible.

Quote of the day

“I have missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game winning shot . . . and missed. And I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why . . . I succeed.” -Michael Jordan

Living for the day

In my reading this morning I came once more to Matthew 6. This chapter is part of the sermon on the mount, and in the second half of the chapter Jesus makes this statement,

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Mat 6:31 "Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?'
Mat 6:32 "For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
Mat 6:33 "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

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These verses always amaze me because this is not how we live. We are people who worry about everything! We do worry about food, drink, clothing, housing, jobs, cars, ETC! We are masters of worry. The one phrase that changes everything for me is this short, simple statement, "for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things." For me, those few words speak volumes about our problem. Worry is a clear sign of a very short list- 1. He's not my Father, 2. I don't think he can help me, or 3. I don't think he loves me. One or more of these 3 things is the problem for those of us who worry rather than rest. I love this chapter, but it frustrates me as well because it brings to light my own lack of faith as I watch my worry filled life.

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He is my Father, so that's not the problem, now I'm down to one of two issues, either he's not able to help me (not big enough) or he's not willing (doesn't love me). I know from what I read in the rest of the bible that neither of these are true, so worry for me is a great opportunity to check my spiritual pulse. I know God is able and I know he loves me, so why am I worrying. His promises here are sure. He is trustworthy. So, in the midst of a world in chaos don't forget that God is still in charge, still strong enough, still able to help and he loves us.

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As one author wrote, "Dear child, good morning. Today I will handle everything for you. You don't have to worry about a thing. I will take care of you. Have a nice day. God."

Bright Star Heralds Appearance of World Teacher

Jan 26 02:28 PM US/Eastern
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=prnw.20090126.DC62732

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following was released today by Share International:

"For over 30 years author, lecturer and artist Benjamin Creme (photo) has been preparing the way for the emergence of Maitreya, the World Teacher.
On December 12, 2008, Share International distributed a news release announcing that in the very near future a large, bright star will appear in the sky visible throughout the world, night and day. Around a week later, Maitreya will give his first interview on a major U.S. television program.
Since early January 2009, sightings of the star have been reported from Norway, South Africa, the United States, Dubai and Qatar. More and more sightings are now expected. Reports have already appeared in Norwegian newspapers.
A new article by Benjamin Creme's Master, who is based in the Himalayas, reveals how close we are to witnessing this sign and the historic events which will follow. Maitreya's first interview will lead to further and more frequent interviews in the USA, Japan and other countries."
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I've been reading and hearing about Benjamin Creme and Maitreya for years, but apparently the "time has come" for Maitreya to make his first public appearance. One article I read in the Wall Street Journal describes him this way, "Awaited by all faiths under different names, Maitreya is the Christ to Christians, the Imam Mahdi to Muslims, Krishna to Hindus, the Messiah to Jews, and Maitreya Buddha to Buddhists. He is the World Teacher for all, religious or not, an educator in the broadest sense."
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It's interesting to me that this comes to light at this time. At a time of world economic crisis suddenly a "messiah" arrives to fix everything. By the way, in case you wonder, I am not fooled in the least by any supposed messiah's arrival. Matthew 24 clearly tells us to watch out for these false christs. They are fakes, liars, deceivers....all of them. When Jesus Christ returns he won't be hiding in London somewhere waiting to be interviewed on television. He will come in the clouds and every eye will see him. There will be no confusion...you will know who he is. This impostor, Maitreya, is another in a long line of false christs coming to save the day. When and if he shows up don't worry, don't be fooled, don't be surprised...just know it's a sign of these last days and the soon return of the real king of glory- Jesus Christ. Come Lord Jesus, Come!

Monday's cartoon

Life happens quickly....finish well!

Create your own caption

I find some really interesting photos in my searches, but don't always know what to title them. Here's one for your consideration. What's the title for this photo?

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Quote of the day

Some of the quotes I have read are profound, life changing and insightful. Some are just funny, silly and just not well thought out. Here is a quote that will linger for years. I invite your responses to this quote of the day-

"There is one law that binds all great religions together. It is, of course, the Golden Rule - the call to love one another, to understand one another, to treat with dignity and respect those with whom we share a brief moment on this Earth." -President Barack Obama

I have a number of thoughts about this statement by our president, but let me invite your comments to begin the discussion. What do you think?

World music

I love music. I know most people do. We each have our own taste in music- country, pop, rock, urban, classical...the choices are numerous. One of the styles of music I really enjoy is a category of music called "WORLD" music. In this category are all styles of music from around the world. I think one of the things I enjoy is the great variety available from French African jazz to Chinese classical. Here is a new artist I found that I am really enjoying. Here's the category for her album- Hebrew pop. Strange, isn't it? This is what you would hear on the radio in Israel. It's great music even if I don't understand a single word. Her name is Emily Karpel and the album is called "Freckles." If you get a chance to listen to her let me know what you think. I have her singing to me in Hebrew as I type this. It's great.

Stating the obvious

The press is often caught stating the obvious. Many of the headlines in print communicate more than was intended and this is one of them. I was humored by the statement, "Supreme Court says some OK, some not." That is a most honest statement of the real heart of each one of us. We want the final "OK" regarding which rules we will obey and which ones we will ignore. We want to be god. It all depends on what we really want to do. For each of us there is the rebellion against anyone telling us what we can or cannot do, and yet God is clear about what holiness looks like. As one comedian said years ago, "these are not the 10 suggestions." They are meant to communicate to us God's holiness and his "requirements" for heaven. The truth is that these 10 commandments are impossible for us to keep, they were meant to be impossible....all of us have broken at least one of them...and so we each of us wants to dismiss the one or more we can't keep still hoping that God will give us access to heaven because "we were better than most." Our hope is that God will somehow grade on the curve and we will get in. The truth of the 10 commandments is that if you really read them and then look at your life you realize you simply cannot keep them. God's goal is that you will run to him for his mercy and grace. That's the message of the cross. Jesus came to provide for us, simply by faith in him, something that we could not attain in the law. There is no "good enough," there is only this from Peter's words in Acts, speaking about Jesus, Act 4:12 "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved."

Just thinking.....

Just a few random thoughts for this busy day.....

-It's been almost a year since I fell and crushed my heel. It's been almost a year of chronic pain and difficulty walking. This week has been the first week in which I am not thinking about my foot, not having much pain. There is a better day ahead, and it feels great to not be in pain all the time.

-Next week, the 15th, my sweet wife, Joye, and I will have been married for 35 years! I am so blessed. I cannot believe I'm old enough to be married for 35 years. I'm very blessed and excited to have had these years with Joye.

-I'm studying through the book of Revelation as I prepare to teach it each week. It is really building my faith to work through this book again. Interesting how much I have missed in the past.

-I'm hoping to take Joye away for a few days next week to celebrate putting up with me for 35 years, but I'm a horrible planner....I haven't planned anything yet. Your ideas and prayers for me on this would be most gratefully accepted.

-We have recently started a Divorce Care ministry at our church. It's been in the works for months to get ready and we have launched it in the last few weeks. It's great to offer this to our community. The good news is that there are 32 people in the class. The bad news is that there are 32 people who are dealing with broken lives and marriages.

-We had great fun last night. We had two different people come over to the house to roast some coffee with us. I was able to send each one home with a warm bag of freshly roasted "gold." It was a lot of fun. I also sent my friend, Gary, off with my old roaster. He seemed thrilled to have been initiated into the "club." It's a really fun hobby....and you get to enjoy the results of your work.

-I've been praying for the sweet daughter of one of our missionaries and this morning I got a note from them that their little girl is "ok." All the tests came back with good reports. I'm thrilled for them and I'm glad for answered prayer.

-We are getting ready to go to Africa in June. I have about 5,000 things to do before I can even think about this trip, but I'm really excited to be able to be part of this ministry. We added the last couple to the team this morning. It will be a great group. May I ask for your prayers as we get ready for this week with pastors and their wives in Kenya?

-My own personal time in the word, although consistent, has been really dry lately. Today the word began to come alive for me again....I'm so excited about this. It's one of the seasons of our walks with God, dry times and wonderful times. I'm glad this dry time has passed....I was getting tired.

Hazards

Hazards are part of life. There is always something that threatens to cause us disaster, but not every hazard is what it seems....
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What appears to be a hazard that will wreck your day may not be at all what you think it is. It may simply be placed there to slow you down, to draw your focus to what is ahead. Not every hazard promises disaster, not every problem will bring reality. What do you do when hazards loom? How do you deal with them? Do they cause you to focus your attention on the hazard? Does it cause you to slow your life? How do you deal with hazards? After many years I'm finding that most of the things I think will be hazards to my life and journey turn out to simply be illusions. In fact, most of the hazards that we worry about in life are simply opportunities to trust God. How do you deal with the hazards in your life?

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The king and his kingdom

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Rev 4:1-2- After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things." Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne.

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I'm getting ready to teach tonight from this passage in Revelation and the verses that follow it. It gives us an amazing look into the kingdom of God. There is a king and he is building his kingdom. It was very interesting to me that in the Perspectives class on missions last night Bruce Miller, the speaker, talked about the kingdom of God and his plans to build his kingdom, but the fact that his kingdom really has two parts- a place and a people. At this time in history God is building his kingdom and filling it with people. This passage in Revelation begins to tell us about the place where his kingdom will touch earth. In a world that seems to be out of control it's a great comfort to me to have a king who is ruler over heaven and earth. Here are a few verses I go to often for comfort when chaos rules-

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Psalm 29:10 The LORD sat as King at the flood; Yes, the LORD sits as King forever.

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Psalm 103:19 The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, And His sovereignty rules over all.

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My only problem with all of this king language, honestly, is the fact that I have been raised in a country where I am king. Each of us has been taught and raised to believe that I am the center of the universe, I make the choices about my life...what I want to be, where I want to live, where I want to travel....I'm the king!

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And yet, honestly, I know better. I know there is THE king who invites me to bow my knee to him. It's the surrender to his kingship and kingdom in my life that must be done daily, but one day I will see him seated on the throne and then will know the king of heaven and earth as I was meant to know him. Then my battle to be king will be over, and I welcome the day when he will be the only king fighting for rule in my heart and life.

A new way to say "THANK YOU"

A couple of the guys in our church have been working for a number of months on a new web idea, and it launches today. It's called Merit Builder. It's a great idea! They have come up with a great new way to say thank you to someone who has done something good in your life and it gives that person a place to accumulate all the "THANK YOU" words in one place. I think this will become the next cool place to be. When you look for a job in the future you will give the prospective employer your resume and your Merit builder page so they can see what others have said about you. I'm excited about this project, and invite you to take a look. My friend, Vince, who has built this new idea is excited to see what God will do with this new site. I hope it's wildly successful.

The Interview from MeritBuilder Team on Vimeo.

The end is near

Al Gore has become the new man on the corner with the "END OF THE WORLD" sign. It's quite interesting that a former politician with no biblical or scientific knowledge about any of this is now the prophet of doom getting an audience in Washington and in the media. Personally, I'm a little humored by it all. It's clear from the word of God that he has a plan for this world and the goal is that men from every nation would come to faith. God's plan is to save man, not the planet....Al and company are crusading for the wrong thing. Their cry is "SAVE THE PLANET!" as if we had that in our power or ability to accomplish. But God's cry is "SAVE YOURSELF! Trust Christ as your savior." The planet is temporary, man is eternal. Let's focus on the right things....let's save the eternal things and take good care of the temporary things. Don't let the new prophet of gloom get you focused on the wrong things. Like our friend, Al, I too believe the end is near, but my goal until that day is the salvation of men and women around me. People are what matters....love them, pray for them, tell them about eternity and save the important things....people.