This is an open letter to the friends of this outreach.
There’s so much on my mind lately that getting it down in a comprehensive form is more than challenging, but it should be therapeutic.
Readers of my monthly newsletter (also available at actofgraceradio.net) know that I’ve been afforded a “side-job” opportunity with the non-profit arm of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). And all I can say about it is this is one of the craziest cool experiences of my life. But there’s no way around the fact that this will invariably be a distraction from “the coolest job of all,” telling the world about Jesus Christ via the World Wide Web.
I was introduced to a “personal relationship” with Jesus back when I was a freshman in college. Ever since that moment my perspective on life has never been the same. I’ve heard people describe a similar experience as “getting new glasses” to explain how differently the world appears to them after coming to know Christ. I like that description.
The pages of the Bible, particularly Acts 9, describe in detail what a transforming effect meeting Jesus had on Saul of Tarsus, the man who would come to be known as the Apostle Paul. Beyond the accounts in Acts Paul repeatedly references this moment in other writings that comprise the majority of the New Testament. And it’s in these writings that I’ve garnered some insights that might bring some clarity to my present situation.
Most outstanding is a statement Paul makes in his first letter to the church at Corinth wherein he states, “In fact, I would rather die than lose my right to boast about preaching without charge. Yet preaching the Good News is not something I can boast about. I am compelled by God to do it. How terrible for me if I didn’t preach the Good News!
If I were doing this on my own initiative, I would deserve payment. But I have no choice, for God has given me this sacred trust. What then is my pay? It is the opportunity to preach the Good News without charging anyone. That’s why I never demand my rights when I preach the Good News.” (1 Cor. 9:15b-18).
Of course, even in Paul’s lifetime, the financial obligations one incurs on this planet required some form of monetary remuneration be sought after from time to time. In the case of this Apostle he would need to return to the trade of “tent-making” on various occasions. So, an old “show-biz” guy like me, in times of need, seeks out a suitable way to make ends meet. Fortunately this came about through the new gig at the Space Center – Houston.
Now in Paul’s case he also had some harsh admonitions directed toward the Corinthian readers in particular. Apart from what he writes in 1 Corinthians 9 there is another “literary lambasting” he gives them in the 9th chapter of 2 Corinthians as well. But it isn’t an issue that Paul seems prone to harp upon. Yes, a minister of the gospel does require some money to continue doing what he’s “compelled” to do, but it’s only the Corinthians who got scolded.
Take for instance in Paul’s letter to the church at Galatia his tone toward these believers is quite different in clarifying the purpose. Right from the onset of chapter 1 he writes, “This letter is from Paul, an apostle. I was not appointed by any group or by human authority. My call is from Jesus Christ himself and from God the Father, who raised Jesus from the dead.” By verse six of this first chapter Paul is heating up in his prose with, “I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who in his love and mercy called you to share the eternal life he gives through Christ. You are already following a different way that pretends to be the Good News but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who twist and change the truth concerning Christ.
Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including myself, who preaches any other message than the one we told you about. Even if an angel comes from heaven and preaches any other message, let him be forever cursed. I will say it again: If anyone preaches any other gospel than the one you welcomed, let God’s curse fall upon that person.
Obviously, I’m not trying to be a people pleaser! No, I am trying to please God. If I were still trying to please people, I would not be Christ’s servant.”
My point, in drawing upon these writings of Paul, is that your run-of-the-mill ministers of Christ’s gospel always seem to come upon those times when they’re running a little short of cash to accomplish what they’re committed to doing. And apparently these “lean times” are no reflection on the effectiveness or the importance of their tasks. It just is what it is. The unspecified writer of the book of Hebrews cites a quotation from the 31st chapter of the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy when he penned this admonition, “Stay away from the love of money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never forsake you.”
God forgive me that I should ever complain about my life. I have had many wonderful and thrilling privileges afforded me, not the least of which is having this worldwide outreach plus now I’m making some extra money working for NASA. Certainly there have been trials and struggles and what I might, in my own pity-party, consider more than a fair share of heartache along the way…but that is life as God has defined it and none of us should be resentful or surprised by any of it. “All your life you will sweat to produce food, until your dying day. Then you will return to the ground from which you came. For you were made from dust, and to the dust you will return.” (Genesis 3:19).
One really neat aspect of my short time working at NASA is seeing first hand how the marvels of God’s creation are manifest everywhere we’ve looked from our manned missions into outer space to the photos returned to us by the Hubble telescope. It’s so incredibly awesome that, like King David, I want to bellow out the words of Psalm 8. (Look it up, it’s really short.)
The marvels of creation simply demonstrate the absurdity of any kind of “Big Bang Theory.” And emphasize the word THEORY here. Every single explanation for the existence of the universe, from a cosmic explosion to evolution’s primordial soup, are all exercises in human folly seeking to deny any and all subservience to God.
I’ll close with one final comment, again from the pen of the Apostle Paul, “God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who prevent the truth from being known. For the truth about God is known to them instinctively. God has put this knowledge in their hearts. From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and the sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God.” (Romans 1:18-20).
Ever yours regardlessly,
mike
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
"Houston we have a problem!"
Maybe you've heard or seen some of the rearranging aftereffects of Hurricane IKE on our hometown. And thank you for asking, we're all okay...although Penelope (the cat) is getting a little stir crazy...or is that me? Hmm.
You many not know this but my wife Gena and I are not particularly brave people, nor do we have grandchildren that'll need to be bored to tears with tales of the "big one" of double ought 8...so, to be honest, we didn't even stick around to find out how bad IKE would be. We high tailed it out of town on Friday morning, wailing and whimpering all the way, and headed to South Padre Island where Gena's parents live. (Remember they'd come to visit us in the aftermath of "Dolly" - and, well, paybacks and all that.) We're now just kicking back living the life of Riley with air conditioning, refrigeration, terra firma and all those other luxury items that seem to be so sorely missed in vast areas of Houston and Galveston currently.
Eyewitness reports from H-town indicate that our townhouse withstood the brunt of IKE's attack quite well, but there is no electricity currently available in our neighborhood - which includes Gena's place of employment. Ergo we're hanging ten on the island, working on our tans, sipping exotic cocktails (and we're building up quite the collection of cute little umbrellas and bendy straws that were provided at no extra charge). In addition we're utilizing the old WWW to communicate with the ravaged masses up north.
I had an interview and audition scheduled this week at NASA (to be a Mission Briefing Officer - that's apparently the Houston equivalent of a circus ringmaster) but this seems to have been temporarily put on a back burner as the Johnson Space Center is of the opinion they have some more pressing matters to contend with at the moment. There are still astronauts in space that, incidentally, had a bird's eye view of IKE the whole time.
Anyway, I'm naturally providing too much information. Suffice it to say we ain't going back until they've rebuilt the town to our satisfaction or until Gena's boss starts threatening our livlihood, or NASA calls and says they need me yesterday...you know that whole service to God, country and jazz like that.
Ever yours regardlessly,
mike and gena
You many not know this but my wife Gena and I are not particularly brave people, nor do we have grandchildren that'll need to be bored to tears with tales of the "big one" of double ought 8...so, to be honest, we didn't even stick around to find out how bad IKE would be. We high tailed it out of town on Friday morning, wailing and whimpering all the way, and headed to South Padre Island where Gena's parents live. (Remember they'd come to visit us in the aftermath of "Dolly" - and, well, paybacks and all that.) We're now just kicking back living the life of Riley with air conditioning, refrigeration, terra firma and all those other luxury items that seem to be so sorely missed in vast areas of Houston and Galveston currently.
Eyewitness reports from H-town indicate that our townhouse withstood the brunt of IKE's attack quite well, but there is no electricity currently available in our neighborhood - which includes Gena's place of employment. Ergo we're hanging ten on the island, working on our tans, sipping exotic cocktails (and we're building up quite the collection of cute little umbrellas and bendy straws that were provided at no extra charge). In addition we're utilizing the old WWW to communicate with the ravaged masses up north.
I had an interview and audition scheduled this week at NASA (to be a Mission Briefing Officer - that's apparently the Houston equivalent of a circus ringmaster) but this seems to have been temporarily put on a back burner as the Johnson Space Center is of the opinion they have some more pressing matters to contend with at the moment. There are still astronauts in space that, incidentally, had a bird's eye view of IKE the whole time.
Anyway, I'm naturally providing too much information. Suffice it to say we ain't going back until they've rebuilt the town to our satisfaction or until Gena's boss starts threatening our livlihood, or NASA calls and says they need me yesterday...you know that whole service to God, country and jazz like that.
Ever yours regardlessly,
mike and gena
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Going for the Gold!
Have you found yourself caught up in the Olympic frenzy? Me too. Typically I’m not all that fond of the summer version – too much blasted exertion of energy for my taste - I prefer sliding on snow. But to date in this year’s presentation there sure has been a whole heaping bunch of excitement coming to us over a 19 day time span at a world record setting pace.
I can only imagine the amount of salivation that swimming coaches, gymnastics instructors and Tae-Kwon-do senseis must have dripping from their chins as they contemplate all those new “paying customers” their classes will be packed with in the coming weeks and months. Unfortunately for the track and field aficionados, I'm afraid your season is too far off for the limited attention span of most youngsters. But after seeing all the glory bestowed upon a select handful of new heroes on Beijing’s big stage, who right now isn’t thinking they wouldn’t want to be the next Michael Phelps or Dara Torres, Nastia Luiken, Shawn Johnson, or a serious butt-kicker like one of the Lopez clan? (Obviously, I must be a U.S.Aian.)
The truth of the matter is though, there are more than 10,000 athletes participating in 38 different competition categories and…lets see, how many of those people ever actually win a medal? And what about all those qualifying heats? Wouldn’t that just be disappointment bordering on the indescribable to spend all that time, effort and energy training in an event and not even get to compete for one of the prizes? Incidentally a significant number of the more than 200 nations that have sent teams to Beijing this year, or any other Olympic venue, has ever won a single medal for their countries. But those statistics aren’t the scintillating ones are they? Nevertheless, we certainly do love our sports don’t we?
Of course competition is at the core of most everything that comprises life in these United States and I don’t think I need to spell out how early in a person’s life each of us begins to learn the significance of being a winner. I’m sure you’ve heard the adage that “second place is just the first loser.” In the runner up category though, where most of us actually find ourselves, we’re regularly placated into believing that even if you can’t be the “star,” then when the team does well we’re all winners, right? Or, even if you didn’t get picked to play on the winning team, maybe you’ve found reciting the mantra “it’s an honor just to be able to play the game” has been good enough.
This might have a lot to do with why you see so much compartmentalizing in the lives of many people. You do know what that is, don’t you? It’s one of those coping mechanisms we all employ in an effort to keep things in some semblance of order. (I guess it helps us feel like, regardless of the reality, that we still have a chance at winning.) We regularly go about opening and closing little parts of our brains over the course of a given day just because what we may truly believe seems to be in temporary conflict with what we’re presently being faced with. As such what we’ve really been doing most of our life is not competing but developing various little compartments of compromise. And I wonder just how much compromise has to take place before what we actually believe in is compromise for the sake of compromise (i.e. diplomacy)? By the way, how are you really doing in the whole politically correct arena?
In lieu of this there are really a couple of "hard-to-compromise" quotes from Jesus that every professing Christian has to contend with. This first one is actually written down in three of the gospel accounts, but for my purposes I’ve chosen the New Living Translation version of Matthew’s gospel where in chapter 16 it reads,
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. 25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. 26 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? 27 For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds.
This other challenging quote of Jesus happens only to be found in Matthew’s gospel (I think this is still pretty significant in as much as Matthew was one of Christ’s apostles.) This one in chapter 7 goes,
21 “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. 22 On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ 23 But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’
So, just how does the temporal importance of any Olympic athlete, corporate CEO, Rhodes Scholar or political candidate factor in to an equation like this? Maybe you don’t believe that Jesus Christ has earned the right to be the M.I.P. (Most Important Person), your biggest hero, and the focus of all of your attention. If so, then I’d honestly like to know who would you really want to be like?
However if you are cognizant that Jesus deserves to be at the center of your life each and every moment of every day then take a quick glance at a particularly “Olympic-esqe” reference found in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27. And while you have that Bible in your hands, for a little dessert, flip over to Paul’s letter to the Philippians. Begin in chapter 3 at verse 12 and just keep reading until you've had your fill. And for more information on these and other like topics, click on either version you prefer of "@ the Rock Shop" or I’d certainly invite you to visit a Bible teaching church near you. (It'll probably seem really weird to go to one of these the first time or two - but I'll double your money back if the roof actually does fall in on top of you.) And just so they'll all feel as uncomfortable as you do - be sure to wear a nice Hawaiian shirt, cut-off shorts, and no socks. Tell 'em I sent you!
Ever yours regardlessly,
mike
I can only imagine the amount of salivation that swimming coaches, gymnastics instructors and Tae-Kwon-do senseis must have dripping from their chins as they contemplate all those new “paying customers” their classes will be packed with in the coming weeks and months. Unfortunately for the track and field aficionados, I'm afraid your season is too far off for the limited attention span of most youngsters. But after seeing all the glory bestowed upon a select handful of new heroes on Beijing’s big stage, who right now isn’t thinking they wouldn’t want to be the next Michael Phelps or Dara Torres, Nastia Luiken, Shawn Johnson, or a serious butt-kicker like one of the Lopez clan? (Obviously, I must be a U.S.Aian.)
The truth of the matter is though, there are more than 10,000 athletes participating in 38 different competition categories and…lets see, how many of those people ever actually win a medal? And what about all those qualifying heats? Wouldn’t that just be disappointment bordering on the indescribable to spend all that time, effort and energy training in an event and not even get to compete for one of the prizes? Incidentally a significant number of the more than 200 nations that have sent teams to Beijing this year, or any other Olympic venue, has ever won a single medal for their countries. But those statistics aren’t the scintillating ones are they? Nevertheless, we certainly do love our sports don’t we?
Of course competition is at the core of most everything that comprises life in these United States and I don’t think I need to spell out how early in a person’s life each of us begins to learn the significance of being a winner. I’m sure you’ve heard the adage that “second place is just the first loser.” In the runner up category though, where most of us actually find ourselves, we’re regularly placated into believing that even if you can’t be the “star,” then when the team does well we’re all winners, right? Or, even if you didn’t get picked to play on the winning team, maybe you’ve found reciting the mantra “it’s an honor just to be able to play the game” has been good enough.
This might have a lot to do with why you see so much compartmentalizing in the lives of many people. You do know what that is, don’t you? It’s one of those coping mechanisms we all employ in an effort to keep things in some semblance of order. (I guess it helps us feel like, regardless of the reality, that we still have a chance at winning.) We regularly go about opening and closing little parts of our brains over the course of a given day just because what we may truly believe seems to be in temporary conflict with what we’re presently being faced with. As such what we’ve really been doing most of our life is not competing but developing various little compartments of compromise. And I wonder just how much compromise has to take place before what we actually believe in is compromise for the sake of compromise (i.e. diplomacy)? By the way, how are you really doing in the whole politically correct arena?
In lieu of this there are really a couple of "hard-to-compromise" quotes from Jesus that every professing Christian has to contend with. This first one is actually written down in three of the gospel accounts, but for my purposes I’ve chosen the New Living Translation version of Matthew’s gospel where in chapter 16 it reads,
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. 25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. 26 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? 27 For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds.
This other challenging quote of Jesus happens only to be found in Matthew’s gospel (I think this is still pretty significant in as much as Matthew was one of Christ’s apostles.) This one in chapter 7 goes,
21 “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. 22 On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ 23 But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’
So, just how does the temporal importance of any Olympic athlete, corporate CEO, Rhodes Scholar or political candidate factor in to an equation like this? Maybe you don’t believe that Jesus Christ has earned the right to be the M.I.P. (Most Important Person), your biggest hero, and the focus of all of your attention. If so, then I’d honestly like to know who would you really want to be like?
However if you are cognizant that Jesus deserves to be at the center of your life each and every moment of every day then take a quick glance at a particularly “Olympic-esqe” reference found in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27. And while you have that Bible in your hands, for a little dessert, flip over to Paul’s letter to the Philippians. Begin in chapter 3 at verse 12 and just keep reading until you've had your fill. And for more information on these and other like topics, click on either version you prefer of "@ the Rock Shop" or I’d certainly invite you to visit a Bible teaching church near you. (It'll probably seem really weird to go to one of these the first time or two - but I'll double your money back if the roof actually does fall in on top of you.) And just so they'll all feel as uncomfortable as you do - be sure to wear a nice Hawaiian shirt, cut-off shorts, and no socks. Tell 'em I sent you!
Ever yours regardlessly,
mike
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Hello Dolly - Ain't it hard to be humble?
It has again come to my attention, from many of those who are inclined to view this blog, that providing another fresh entry is long overdue. What do you want from me? Didn’t I last write something right after Father’s Day?
I would remind those who visit here often enough to notice that I don’t change this text readily enough, that I do provide a downloadable “radio-style” audio program at this site as well – and that gets changed as regularly as a baby’s diaper. (Okay, not that regular…but certainly a lot more often than this does. Given that I’m apparently getting more hits here than there, I’d recommend you give that a listen during the intervening timeframe.)
Obviously the request for more writing than talking is flattering, and it indeed has been awhile since I’ve sought to coalesce a few of my more scattered thoughts into a collection of sentences but, all excuses aside, I’ve been a little preoccupied, alright?
Anyway, my in-laws are in town again from South Padre Island, Texas. Now don’t misinterpret my meaning, I certainly enjoy their company, but this visit was precipitated by an excessive amount of water, wind and varying degrees of what-not that was whipped about by a poorly predicted presence named Hurricane Dolly.
I’ve been around broadcasting long enough to remember the first radio station I worked at that installed one of the prototype models of a “Doppler” weather satellite. Back there in Lincoln, Nebraska we used the device to track tornados…and around Southeast Texas the vastly improved units are utilized in tracking hurricanes…along with providing our daily forecasts. But a really neat thing is you can look at satellite images of weather all over the internet now! And even though you can observe what’s occurring in real time…who among us can really say what will actually happen or the devastation that might ensue?
It turns out Dolly was something of an unprecedented hurricane in that it didn’t develop the way these things usually do and then it never bothered to stay on the path that the forecasters expected it would. Ergo, South Padre – more than Brownsville or northern Mexico – took a smack upside the head, a punch to the kidneys, and the ribs suffered a hook from the blind side that left it whacked, walloped and wind-blown.
Despite windows being blown out and lost roof shingles letting in more rain than your standard ceiling could be expected to withstand, among the more sustained damage to the region occurred by knowledge that the electricity couldn't be restored to the island until late in the week. Mind you, this is a place that I would consider uninhabitable were it not for the intervention of electrically operated air-conditioning. Just for grins and giggles sometime try shutting off everything you have that runs on electricity for, I don't know, maybe four or five hours. Then think what it would be like to be without any of these items for over a week. Suddenly you grasp why we have in-laws visiting. And we’re happy to be here for them, or they here with us…if you catch that drift.
So what actually inspired this new entry? For one, it occurs to me that humans are no better at predicting the weather than we were twenty-five years ago. Add to that the severest storms do give one the impression that along with becoming more frequent they are also showing increased violence. And given that in the last twenty-five years if hurricane and tornado predicting has not improved -- where in the recesses of a warped imagination do weather people get the absurd notion that they're qualified to predict elements reminiscent of a catastrophic global warming disaster three to seven decades from now? Just correctly inform me what the daytime highs and overnight lows are going to be for five straight days…then I might be a bit more inclined to listen. Eh, probably not.
Of course none of these weather practitioners, in their arrogance, probably even know that there are some really good weather predictions straight out of the Bible. A source many consider highly reliable. I don’t know if you're familiar with the forecasts Jesus made in Matthew 24? Or the multiple references to weather severity the Apostle John pens in Revelation, but clearly it seems only God the Creator has any real clue about what the weather will, or is, going to do.
This again provides evidence that arrogance remains one of the greatest follies of mankind. On the other hand, I don't think you can really even aspire to being humble – lest you’re already exceedingly arrogant. What person could say, I’m humble? Obviously doesn't a claim like that indicate this to be something their proud of and, correct me if I'm wrong, isn't that pride rooted in arrogance? Still in the prophecy of Isaiah you can read words like this in chapter 57, “The high and lofty one who inhabits eternity, the Holy One, says this ‘I live in that high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I refresh the humble and give new courage to those with repentant hearts. For I will not fight against you forever; I will not always show my anger. If I did, all people would pass away – all the souls I have made.’”
Now to get the context of this passage I’d encourage you to, at the very least, read all of Isaiah chapter 57, but there are some interesting points that God is making here. In verses 1-13 much is said regarding pride and lust (and we’re all pretty familiar with what those are). Then as we read on into verses 14-21 we get a clear picture of how God relates to those who are humble, repentant, and “contrite” these are the ones residing in heaven with Him.
Christianity proclaims that the high and holy God literally came down to our human level, in the person of Jesus Christ, to provide each of us the means for being reconciled, or restored to friendship, with God Almighty (Romans 5:8-11). This was absolutely necessary because there would be no other way for us to find a means whereby we could elevate ourselves to God’s level and standard. For more information regarding this concept spend a moment looking at; 2 Chronicles 2:6, Psalm 51:1-7 (Old Testament) and Philippians chapter 2 in the New Testament.
Basically as Hurricane Dolly reminded my immediate family – any one of us is essentially seconds away from having our lives ripped apart and shattered by a “natural” disaster, news of a terminal illness, or even something less dramatic but every bit as catastrophic. Hence I’ve offered these suggestions as to what I believe is at the heart of “bad things” happening to “good people.” Certainly I’d be interested in reading your take on the topic.
Ever yours regardlessly,
mike
I would remind those who visit here often enough to notice that I don’t change this text readily enough, that I do provide a downloadable “radio-style” audio program at this site as well – and that gets changed as regularly as a baby’s diaper. (Okay, not that regular…but certainly a lot more often than this does. Given that I’m apparently getting more hits here than there, I’d recommend you give that a listen during the intervening timeframe.)
Obviously the request for more writing than talking is flattering, and it indeed has been awhile since I’ve sought to coalesce a few of my more scattered thoughts into a collection of sentences but, all excuses aside, I’ve been a little preoccupied, alright?
Anyway, my in-laws are in town again from South Padre Island, Texas. Now don’t misinterpret my meaning, I certainly enjoy their company, but this visit was precipitated by an excessive amount of water, wind and varying degrees of what-not that was whipped about by a poorly predicted presence named Hurricane Dolly.
I’ve been around broadcasting long enough to remember the first radio station I worked at that installed one of the prototype models of a “Doppler” weather satellite. Back there in Lincoln, Nebraska we used the device to track tornados…and around Southeast Texas the vastly improved units are utilized in tracking hurricanes…along with providing our daily forecasts. But a really neat thing is you can look at satellite images of weather all over the internet now! And even though you can observe what’s occurring in real time…who among us can really say what will actually happen or the devastation that might ensue?
It turns out Dolly was something of an unprecedented hurricane in that it didn’t develop the way these things usually do and then it never bothered to stay on the path that the forecasters expected it would. Ergo, South Padre – more than Brownsville or northern Mexico – took a smack upside the head, a punch to the kidneys, and the ribs suffered a hook from the blind side that left it whacked, walloped and wind-blown.
Despite windows being blown out and lost roof shingles letting in more rain than your standard ceiling could be expected to withstand, among the more sustained damage to the region occurred by knowledge that the electricity couldn't be restored to the island until late in the week. Mind you, this is a place that I would consider uninhabitable were it not for the intervention of electrically operated air-conditioning. Just for grins and giggles sometime try shutting off everything you have that runs on electricity for, I don't know, maybe four or five hours. Then think what it would be like to be without any of these items for over a week. Suddenly you grasp why we have in-laws visiting. And we’re happy to be here for them, or they here with us…if you catch that drift.
So what actually inspired this new entry? For one, it occurs to me that humans are no better at predicting the weather than we were twenty-five years ago. Add to that the severest storms do give one the impression that along with becoming more frequent they are also showing increased violence. And given that in the last twenty-five years if hurricane and tornado predicting has not improved -- where in the recesses of a warped imagination do weather people get the absurd notion that they're qualified to predict elements reminiscent of a catastrophic global warming disaster three to seven decades from now? Just correctly inform me what the daytime highs and overnight lows are going to be for five straight days…then I might be a bit more inclined to listen. Eh, probably not.
Of course none of these weather practitioners, in their arrogance, probably even know that there are some really good weather predictions straight out of the Bible. A source many consider highly reliable. I don’t know if you're familiar with the forecasts Jesus made in Matthew 24? Or the multiple references to weather severity the Apostle John pens in Revelation, but clearly it seems only God the Creator has any real clue about what the weather will, or is, going to do.
This again provides evidence that arrogance remains one of the greatest follies of mankind. On the other hand, I don't think you can really even aspire to being humble – lest you’re already exceedingly arrogant. What person could say, I’m humble? Obviously doesn't a claim like that indicate this to be something their proud of and, correct me if I'm wrong, isn't that pride rooted in arrogance? Still in the prophecy of Isaiah you can read words like this in chapter 57, “The high and lofty one who inhabits eternity, the Holy One, says this ‘I live in that high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I refresh the humble and give new courage to those with repentant hearts. For I will not fight against you forever; I will not always show my anger. If I did, all people would pass away – all the souls I have made.’”
Now to get the context of this passage I’d encourage you to, at the very least, read all of Isaiah chapter 57, but there are some interesting points that God is making here. In verses 1-13 much is said regarding pride and lust (and we’re all pretty familiar with what those are). Then as we read on into verses 14-21 we get a clear picture of how God relates to those who are humble, repentant, and “contrite” these are the ones residing in heaven with Him.
Christianity proclaims that the high and holy God literally came down to our human level, in the person of Jesus Christ, to provide each of us the means for being reconciled, or restored to friendship, with God Almighty (Romans 5:8-11). This was absolutely necessary because there would be no other way for us to find a means whereby we could elevate ourselves to God’s level and standard. For more information regarding this concept spend a moment looking at; 2 Chronicles 2:6, Psalm 51:1-7 (Old Testament) and Philippians chapter 2 in the New Testament.
Basically as Hurricane Dolly reminded my immediate family – any one of us is essentially seconds away from having our lives ripped apart and shattered by a “natural” disaster, news of a terminal illness, or even something less dramatic but every bit as catastrophic. Hence I’ve offered these suggestions as to what I believe is at the heart of “bad things” happening to “good people.” Certainly I’d be interested in reading your take on the topic.
Ever yours regardlessly,
mike
Monday, June 16, 2008
A Post-Partum Father's Day Feeling
Father’s Day came and went again this year…and my emotions on this day are always ambivalent. On my tenth birthday (over forty years ago now) my own father suffered a cerebral hemorrhage which along with some paralysis and partial brain damage left him anything but the kind of man I, at that age, was proud to call daddy. I really never got to know my father in those first ten years of my life. I remember I was confused, and ashamedly embarrassed by a condition he certainly hadn’t any control over. Still, these are the feelings I experienced and although I had been exemplifying aspects of being an extrovert at the time, I retreated and became introverted and painfully shy.
Basically all I remember about those earliest of years is dad seemed to always be working. For my male mentoring my grandfathers and uncles tried to pick up the slack and often told me stories about what a hard driving, competitive type of man my dad had been...you know, before. It was impressed upon me that my dad had been chasing the American dream for his family and climbing the corporate ladder…and I’d like to say I missed not knowing him…but I don’t even know if that’s true or not. I’m pretty sure he must once have had a great sense of humor and I always did love hearing any story he ever told me.
He died not long after I graduated from college and although there was an ongoing relationship during those intervening ten to twelve years…I have always felt that something significant in my life was missed by not having (forgive me) a “real father.”
Of course, at the age of seventeen, I entered in to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, but I’ll admit that I’d developed a pretty intense shell around my heart by that time…and having God as a father-figure was intriguing, exciting and wholly fulfilling until my introverted extroverted rebelliousness (it’s really hard to explain) ran head-long into your Christian church-going types. Quickly I remember wondering “Where’s the love, man?” “Do we even know the same God?” And over the years I’ve continually had to ask why does the “organized church” keep harping to people that they have to do this or that certain thing, in a particular way, which I never have found out where these notions originated?
So, I never really had an opportunity to get to know my earthly father. And for thirty-five plus years I’ve been wanting to know more and more about my heavenly father. I've also learned a good deal of tedious and unflattering things about myself along the way as well. I’ll want to venture in to this some next time but let me leave you with thoughts contained in chapter 14 of Mark’s gospel account right before Jesus gets executed,
“They went to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and Jesus said, ‘Sit here while I go and pray.’ He took Peter, James, and John with him, and he became deeply troubled and distressed. He told them, ‘My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.’
He went on a little farther and fell to the ground. He prayed that, if it were possible, the awful hour awaiting him might pass him by. ‘Abba, Father,’ he cried out, ‘everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.’”
and then this if from 1 John 3,
“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called the children of God!”
Have a great week. Ever yours regardlessly,
mike
Basically all I remember about those earliest of years is dad seemed to always be working. For my male mentoring my grandfathers and uncles tried to pick up the slack and often told me stories about what a hard driving, competitive type of man my dad had been...you know, before. It was impressed upon me that my dad had been chasing the American dream for his family and climbing the corporate ladder…and I’d like to say I missed not knowing him…but I don’t even know if that’s true or not. I’m pretty sure he must once have had a great sense of humor and I always did love hearing any story he ever told me.
He died not long after I graduated from college and although there was an ongoing relationship during those intervening ten to twelve years…I have always felt that something significant in my life was missed by not having (forgive me) a “real father.”
Of course, at the age of seventeen, I entered in to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, but I’ll admit that I’d developed a pretty intense shell around my heart by that time…and having God as a father-figure was intriguing, exciting and wholly fulfilling until my introverted extroverted rebelliousness (it’s really hard to explain) ran head-long into your Christian church-going types. Quickly I remember wondering “Where’s the love, man?” “Do we even know the same God?” And over the years I’ve continually had to ask why does the “organized church” keep harping to people that they have to do this or that certain thing, in a particular way, which I never have found out where these notions originated?
So, I never really had an opportunity to get to know my earthly father. And for thirty-five plus years I’ve been wanting to know more and more about my heavenly father. I've also learned a good deal of tedious and unflattering things about myself along the way as well. I’ll want to venture in to this some next time but let me leave you with thoughts contained in chapter 14 of Mark’s gospel account right before Jesus gets executed,
“They went to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and Jesus said, ‘Sit here while I go and pray.’ He took Peter, James, and John with him, and he became deeply troubled and distressed. He told them, ‘My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.’
He went on a little farther and fell to the ground. He prayed that, if it were possible, the awful hour awaiting him might pass him by. ‘Abba, Father,’ he cried out, ‘everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.’”
and then this if from 1 John 3,
“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called the children of God!”
Have a great week. Ever yours regardlessly,
mike
Monday, June 9, 2008
An Exercise in Christianity
I’ll start by admitting the extent of my personal exercise has been fairly limited to an extensive amount of walking up and down the stairs at my apartment each day. My computer-based recording facility and office is upstairs and the coffee pot - with seemingly some one thing or another invariably turning out to be down. (There’s a middle landing on the staircase that I’ve come to refer to as the “stupid step.” Its place where I remember that thing that I should have brought with me and have to turn around go back and get it. Have you seen one of these?) Oh yeah, my point…well apart from my actual exercising regime rarely involving much more than this it has been known to comprise a good deal of jumping to conclusions and flip-flopping on issues.
So, these words from the Apostle Paul to Timothy, in 1 Timothy 4:8, came to mind recently, “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” Naturally, this got me to thinking about how my personal exercising habits haven’t changed much…beyond planning for less of each. Even though I continue in my ritualistic stair mastering, conclusion jumping and issue flopping, it’s all in the course of a day’s activity for an executive producer of a listener supported internet radio show.
Upon further contemplating what Paul is telling Timothy, though, I’ve lazily arrived at the conclusion that all this flip-flopping and mind-changing is fully in keeping with what the Christian faith comprises. Another influential passage was also written by Paul in 2 Corinthians chapter 5 beginning at verse 13,
“If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.
So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him.”
It’s probably this propensity of jumping too quickly to conclusions that results in the ultimate flip-flopping later on. You see, I’ve been through those “mind-altering” phases of skepticism towards God, Christ, and the Bible to becoming fully confident in their overall honesty and truth. I now choose to believe that what I read in the Bible is in no way intended to lead me astray but rather set me on a right path. What I used to merely value as wise and insightful teachings are now, for me, a “lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path,” i.e. the very words of God.
Additionally, I’ve flip-flopped on a good many other things as well. I used to think that the noble attitude was to allow for free-choice in the issue of abortion. Now I have become an adamant pro-lifer. After long pursuing writing, acting, directing and broadcasting as a career I’ve become convicted that many of the activities I was obligated or required to do in the course of “career-building” and/or "money-making" was compromising my professed allegiance to Christ. I along the way even switched from thinking I was a Democrat to realizing I was more inclined toward the Republican Party platform, even though, I won’t deny a biblically-influenced approach to any political decision making.
Apart from explaining what’s happened…the key is that something continues happening to change my ways of thinking. Once again, Paul begins his 12th chapter of the letter to the Romans by writing, “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”
I’m presently coming to a place in my life where it’s occurring to me that mere flipping on conclusion jumping still isn’t fulfilling my Christian-esque obligations. See, if I’m adamant that people shouldn’t kill unwanted babies…then I better, in kind, become pro-adoption. Certainly in following Christ’s examples I must be willing to take on someone else’s burdens and James wrote, “Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.” Essentially, I get the impression that we are to care for those who are not able to care for themselves.
So when I catch myself bad-mouthing today’s media or our political leaders it isn’t enough to draw the conclusion that I won’t participate or support the evil they propagate. Sure, it’s one thing not to frequent movies, or even stop watching television, but are we looking for ways to support, encourage, and participate with those who are honestly seeking to provide alternative program options for those who don’t hold these views…like a hmmm, I don’t know, an ActofGraceRadio.net, maybe? Equally, we are not making anything better if we just stop voting for politicians because it only seems to encourage they’re bad behavior. No, I really think we have to continue being diligent and prudent in not just making the best choices available on the ballot but helping to enable those who have the gifts, talents, passion, and purposefulness to bring about Christ-likened changes to the political arena.
Far more than Paul’s mention to Timothy that physical training’s value is limited, he refocuses the reader’s thoughts on the true issue at hand. This is that “godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”
I know there are still plenty of conclusions that I’ve jumped to over the course of my life that may still need reevaluation and perhaps an opinion flip-flop or three. But, I’ve got to have the courage to openly look at them, the fortitude to change what’s wrong, and the integrity and conviction to implement the appropriate actions. I invite you to comment right now, or maybe come back for another visit sometime and see how I’m doing.
Ever yours regardlessly,
mike
So, these words from the Apostle Paul to Timothy, in 1 Timothy 4:8, came to mind recently, “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” Naturally, this got me to thinking about how my personal exercising habits haven’t changed much…beyond planning for less of each. Even though I continue in my ritualistic stair mastering, conclusion jumping and issue flopping, it’s all in the course of a day’s activity for an executive producer of a listener supported internet radio show.
Upon further contemplating what Paul is telling Timothy, though, I’ve lazily arrived at the conclusion that all this flip-flopping and mind-changing is fully in keeping with what the Christian faith comprises. Another influential passage was also written by Paul in 2 Corinthians chapter 5 beginning at verse 13,
“If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.
So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him.”
It’s probably this propensity of jumping too quickly to conclusions that results in the ultimate flip-flopping later on. You see, I’ve been through those “mind-altering” phases of skepticism towards God, Christ, and the Bible to becoming fully confident in their overall honesty and truth. I now choose to believe that what I read in the Bible is in no way intended to lead me astray but rather set me on a right path. What I used to merely value as wise and insightful teachings are now, for me, a “lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path,” i.e. the very words of God.
Additionally, I’ve flip-flopped on a good many other things as well. I used to think that the noble attitude was to allow for free-choice in the issue of abortion. Now I have become an adamant pro-lifer. After long pursuing writing, acting, directing and broadcasting as a career I’ve become convicted that many of the activities I was obligated or required to do in the course of “career-building” and/or "money-making" was compromising my professed allegiance to Christ. I along the way even switched from thinking I was a Democrat to realizing I was more inclined toward the Republican Party platform, even though, I won’t deny a biblically-influenced approach to any political decision making.
Apart from explaining what’s happened…the key is that something continues happening to change my ways of thinking. Once again, Paul begins his 12th chapter of the letter to the Romans by writing, “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”
I’m presently coming to a place in my life where it’s occurring to me that mere flipping on conclusion jumping still isn’t fulfilling my Christian-esque obligations. See, if I’m adamant that people shouldn’t kill unwanted babies…then I better, in kind, become pro-adoption. Certainly in following Christ’s examples I must be willing to take on someone else’s burdens and James wrote, “Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.” Essentially, I get the impression that we are to care for those who are not able to care for themselves.
So when I catch myself bad-mouthing today’s media or our political leaders it isn’t enough to draw the conclusion that I won’t participate or support the evil they propagate. Sure, it’s one thing not to frequent movies, or even stop watching television, but are we looking for ways to support, encourage, and participate with those who are honestly seeking to provide alternative program options for those who don’t hold these views…like a hmmm, I don’t know, an ActofGraceRadio.net, maybe? Equally, we are not making anything better if we just stop voting for politicians because it only seems to encourage they’re bad behavior. No, I really think we have to continue being diligent and prudent in not just making the best choices available on the ballot but helping to enable those who have the gifts, talents, passion, and purposefulness to bring about Christ-likened changes to the political arena.
Far more than Paul’s mention to Timothy that physical training’s value is limited, he refocuses the reader’s thoughts on the true issue at hand. This is that “godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”
I know there are still plenty of conclusions that I’ve jumped to over the course of my life that may still need reevaluation and perhaps an opinion flip-flop or three. But, I’ve got to have the courage to openly look at them, the fortitude to change what’s wrong, and the integrity and conviction to implement the appropriate actions. I invite you to comment right now, or maybe come back for another visit sometime and see how I’m doing.
Ever yours regardlessly,
mike
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Choosing what we believe
This week’s “@ the Rock Shop” on ActofGraceRadio.net addresses the subject of choices. And was spawned by thoughts regarding whether we really do have a choice in what we believe.
A circumstance occurred in my extended family this week wherein one person (that I did not know) died and at this writing another is in the last stages of cancer contributing to the shuffling off of their mortal coil. Naturally as a Christian I am concerned whether or not these people have, or had, ever put their faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior; I do not know the answer, but God does. Having been born and raised in the United States I have no doubt that on no less than one occasion they were given the opportunity of responding to the saving grace available by faith in Jesus Christ. (Talking about that is something we do a lot around here.)
Apart from the eternal, I know these two situations have raised a lot of questions in the minds of the loved ones who are being left behind. I have every assurance that God’s will is being done. But some in the throes of the circumstances are wondering what that really means. Who can blame them?
One of the most devastating situations, from my perspective, was the manner in which our not-so-believing family members were confronted by the much-professing believers, particularly in the area of being baptized before you die or you won’t get into heaven. All I’m feeling compelled to ask in this writing is, where do they get that notion that you have to be baptized before God would allow you into heaven? I don’t find any teachings of this from Jesus in the Bible, and I don’t think that the action of being baptized changes the heart. If a person doesn’t believe in God, has never felt a need to submit to the authority of God in their lives…well, they’ve essentially decided they don’t want to be around the folks that will comprise heaven anyway. I’m pretty sure that everybody who is, or will be, in heaven will be there by choice.
There do seem to be maybe two stipulations that assure a person has properly made their reservations for heaven: they have placed their faith in Jesus Christ as the only acceptable sacrifice, which happens to have been provided by God in the first place; and in a verbal profession of faith. This is Romans 10: 9 and 10, by the way. Now, there’s evidence that this is an honest, sincere, heart-felt belief because there are many New Testament instances that after such a faith-profession the new believer is baptized. They do stop doing many of the “bad” things they had done in the past – repenting – and in many cases seek to make restitution to those they have wronged. The new believer, upon their profession of faith, also finds that they have an increasing desire to know and learn more about God and, in addition, begin looking for ways to be a help to others. This is how true faith is exemplified. It honestly has nothing to do with anything we have, can, or will do. Baptism is a key element, but people die believing in God and never get baptized. Communion is a wonderful experience for a believer to participate in, as well, but merely taking communion isn’t particularly significant. How much we pray or don't pray isn't a measuring stick. God says to the prophet Malachi in chapter 3 of the Old Testament book that bears his name, “I am the LORD, and I do not change.” Later in the same chapter God spells out to every reader what He’s about. These are the words of God quoted from Malachi beginning at verse 13, “You have said terrible things about me,” says the LORD.
“But you say, ‘What do you mean? How have we spoken against you?’
“You have said, ‘What’s the use of serving God? What have we gained by obeying his commands or by trying to show the LORD Almighty that we are sorry for our sins? From now on we will say, “Blessed are the arrogant.” For those who do evil get rich, and those who dare God to punish them go free of harm.”
Then those who feared the LORD spoke with each other, and the LORD listened to what they said. In his presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared him and loved to think about him. “They will be my people,” says the LORD Almighty. “On the day when I act, they will be my own special treasure. I will spare them as a father spares an obedient and dutiful child. Then you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.”
There are only a few verses left before God brings the Old Testament to conclusion. The next words that are written in the Bible begin the New Testament as regards the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. (Just for grins and giggles check out Revelation 20:11-15.) Any of us really have only one important decision to make. Will we believe in and serve God because we have been adopted as His child and have the privilege to spend eternity with Him or reject the offer?
You see nobody get’s taken into heaven kicking and screaming against their will. And nobody is being forced to believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior, or be baptized in His name, or have communion with Him in the fellowship of other believers, or recite any number of prayer litany's. None of that will be required of anybody who chooses not to want to. Heaven is only for the believers in God. (Remember the two thieves crucifed with Jesus?) Nobody else would even want to go there, because heaven ain’t going to be about them. It's not about your rewards, or your mansion, or even how many virgins you’ll be getting…heaven is, always has been, and always will be about God. And only those who want to be there, with Him, will be.
So, if you still think you want to go to heaven, it might behoove you to find out what is required. Then make the choice, because you may not even want to go to heaven at all. And God has made other arrangements for that decision.
Ever yours regardlessly,
mike
A circumstance occurred in my extended family this week wherein one person (that I did not know) died and at this writing another is in the last stages of cancer contributing to the shuffling off of their mortal coil. Naturally as a Christian I am concerned whether or not these people have, or had, ever put their faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior; I do not know the answer, but God does. Having been born and raised in the United States I have no doubt that on no less than one occasion they were given the opportunity of responding to the saving grace available by faith in Jesus Christ. (Talking about that is something we do a lot around here.)
Apart from the eternal, I know these two situations have raised a lot of questions in the minds of the loved ones who are being left behind. I have every assurance that God’s will is being done. But some in the throes of the circumstances are wondering what that really means. Who can blame them?
One of the most devastating situations, from my perspective, was the manner in which our not-so-believing family members were confronted by the much-professing believers, particularly in the area of being baptized before you die or you won’t get into heaven. All I’m feeling compelled to ask in this writing is, where do they get that notion that you have to be baptized before God would allow you into heaven? I don’t find any teachings of this from Jesus in the Bible, and I don’t think that the action of being baptized changes the heart. If a person doesn’t believe in God, has never felt a need to submit to the authority of God in their lives…well, they’ve essentially decided they don’t want to be around the folks that will comprise heaven anyway. I’m pretty sure that everybody who is, or will be, in heaven will be there by choice.
There do seem to be maybe two stipulations that assure a person has properly made their reservations for heaven: they have placed their faith in Jesus Christ as the only acceptable sacrifice, which happens to have been provided by God in the first place; and in a verbal profession of faith. This is Romans 10: 9 and 10, by the way. Now, there’s evidence that this is an honest, sincere, heart-felt belief because there are many New Testament instances that after such a faith-profession the new believer is baptized. They do stop doing many of the “bad” things they had done in the past – repenting – and in many cases seek to make restitution to those they have wronged. The new believer, upon their profession of faith, also finds that they have an increasing desire to know and learn more about God and, in addition, begin looking for ways to be a help to others. This is how true faith is exemplified. It honestly has nothing to do with anything we have, can, or will do. Baptism is a key element, but people die believing in God and never get baptized. Communion is a wonderful experience for a believer to participate in, as well, but merely taking communion isn’t particularly significant. How much we pray or don't pray isn't a measuring stick. God says to the prophet Malachi in chapter 3 of the Old Testament book that bears his name, “I am the LORD, and I do not change.” Later in the same chapter God spells out to every reader what He’s about. These are the words of God quoted from Malachi beginning at verse 13, “You have said terrible things about me,” says the LORD.
“But you say, ‘What do you mean? How have we spoken against you?’
“You have said, ‘What’s the use of serving God? What have we gained by obeying his commands or by trying to show the LORD Almighty that we are sorry for our sins? From now on we will say, “Blessed are the arrogant.” For those who do evil get rich, and those who dare God to punish them go free of harm.”
Then those who feared the LORD spoke with each other, and the LORD listened to what they said. In his presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared him and loved to think about him. “They will be my people,” says the LORD Almighty. “On the day when I act, they will be my own special treasure. I will spare them as a father spares an obedient and dutiful child. Then you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.”
There are only a few verses left before God brings the Old Testament to conclusion. The next words that are written in the Bible begin the New Testament as regards the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. (Just for grins and giggles check out Revelation 20:11-15.) Any of us really have only one important decision to make. Will we believe in and serve God because we have been adopted as His child and have the privilege to spend eternity with Him or reject the offer?
You see nobody get’s taken into heaven kicking and screaming against their will. And nobody is being forced to believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior, or be baptized in His name, or have communion with Him in the fellowship of other believers, or recite any number of prayer litany's. None of that will be required of anybody who chooses not to want to. Heaven is only for the believers in God. (Remember the two thieves crucifed with Jesus?) Nobody else would even want to go there, because heaven ain’t going to be about them. It's not about your rewards, or your mansion, or even how many virgins you’ll be getting…heaven is, always has been, and always will be about God. And only those who want to be there, with Him, will be.
So, if you still think you want to go to heaven, it might behoove you to find out what is required. Then make the choice, because you may not even want to go to heaven at all. And God has made other arrangements for that decision.
Ever yours regardlessly,
mike
Monday, April 7, 2008
What ever happened to R&R?
Hey y'all (That there’s Texas talk fer hi, me thinks)
This ought to be one of the greatest days for a long-time sports nut like me. It’s the home opener for my newly adopted baseball team the Houston Astros. My baseball team for life, the Kansas City Royals, are out in front in their division here at the onset of the season. (And, if you don’t follow baseball then you won’t grasp the marvel of that feat.) And tonight, the University of Kansas Jayhawks, another of the sports teams I’ve long-suffered with, will be battling for the men’s NCAA Division I basketball championship. And instead of enjoying the excitement of all these events coming into alignment in one fell swoop, I’m going nuts because I don’t think I should be thinking about any of this stuff when the world is going to hell in a hand basket, I’ve got rent, and utility bills, a car in need of tires, and another tank of gas before the end of the week. On top of that I can’t seem, for the life of me, to find a supplemental job that isn’t going to cost more to have than I’ll be getting paid. On the ministry front, at times I feel like John the Baptist, crying in the wilderness…or maybe more like the tree falling in the forest that nobody hears...boo-hoodie-hoo. Yeah, so baseball and basketball seem to have lost some of their recreational diversion. And, drat, I think it’s a crying shame… because tonight I would rather watch basketball, and listen to baseball on the radio, than fretting over, or inadequately praying about, the desperate situation of Christian brothers and sisters fighting for their lives in China, India, North Korea, and Africa. Just what is wrong with me!?!?!
I vaguely remember, in those days before I signed on with Artists in Christian Testimony and subsequently became an agent of gospel outreach over the internet, (having now completed a full three years in such service) that I rarely was challenged in the areas of resting and relaxing. But, things sure seem a whole lot more complex at present...Since I’ve become labeled as a missionary I really can't seem to relax much at all anymore.
Amid my anxiety, I recall this quote of Jesus, (red-lettered in my NLT Bible) “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11: 28-30. Yet, forgive me Jesus, but I’m actually feeling much more weary and most of my present burdens surely aren’t feeling any lighter either. I'm feeling crushed by the yoke. (And this, by the way, is no joke.)
It seems Jesus is implying, to His largely agriculturally adroit audience that just like one of those yokes, that heavy wooden harness that was placed on beasts of burden so they can pull farm implements, is indicative of our dragging about heavy burdens…He’s got a better yoke. That’s all fine and well, I truly believe this is true and encourage others to listen to what Jesus is offering here. But I note further that there are many clear instructions in the Bible regarding the obligations for any who aspire to being a religious teacher…like a missionary.
A few of the heaviest verses might be Ephesians 4:11-13, “He is the one who gave these gifts to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do His work and to build up the church, the body of Christ, until we come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature of Christ.” Add to that then, Titus 2:8, “Let your teaching be so correct that it can’t be criticized. Then those who want to argue will be ashamed because they won’t have anything bad to say about us.” And finally, there’s always James 3:1, “Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged by God with greater strictness.” If you don’t mind my saying, this doesn’t appear to be to be a particularly light burden to bear…and I can get pretty freaked out about the level of responsibility I’ve been entrusted with. Still, you go Astros, Royals, and especially you Jayhawks - beat Memphis!
This ought to be one of the greatest days for a long-time sports nut like me. It’s the home opener for my newly adopted baseball team the Houston Astros. My baseball team for life, the Kansas City Royals, are out in front in their division here at the onset of the season. (And, if you don’t follow baseball then you won’t grasp the marvel of that feat.) And tonight, the University of Kansas Jayhawks, another of the sports teams I’ve long-suffered with, will be battling for the men’s NCAA Division I basketball championship. And instead of enjoying the excitement of all these events coming into alignment in one fell swoop, I’m going nuts because I don’t think I should be thinking about any of this stuff when the world is going to hell in a hand basket, I’ve got rent, and utility bills, a car in need of tires, and another tank of gas before the end of the week. On top of that I can’t seem, for the life of me, to find a supplemental job that isn’t going to cost more to have than I’ll be getting paid. On the ministry front, at times I feel like John the Baptist, crying in the wilderness…or maybe more like the tree falling in the forest that nobody hears...boo-hoodie-hoo. Yeah, so baseball and basketball seem to have lost some of their recreational diversion. And, drat, I think it’s a crying shame… because tonight I would rather watch basketball, and listen to baseball on the radio, than fretting over, or inadequately praying about, the desperate situation of Christian brothers and sisters fighting for their lives in China, India, North Korea, and Africa. Just what is wrong with me!?!?!
I vaguely remember, in those days before I signed on with Artists in Christian Testimony and subsequently became an agent of gospel outreach over the internet, (having now completed a full three years in such service) that I rarely was challenged in the areas of resting and relaxing. But, things sure seem a whole lot more complex at present...Since I’ve become labeled as a missionary I really can't seem to relax much at all anymore.
Amid my anxiety, I recall this quote of Jesus, (red-lettered in my NLT Bible) “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11: 28-30. Yet, forgive me Jesus, but I’m actually feeling much more weary and most of my present burdens surely aren’t feeling any lighter either. I'm feeling crushed by the yoke. (And this, by the way, is no joke.)
It seems Jesus is implying, to His largely agriculturally adroit audience that just like one of those yokes, that heavy wooden harness that was placed on beasts of burden so they can pull farm implements, is indicative of our dragging about heavy burdens…He’s got a better yoke. That’s all fine and well, I truly believe this is true and encourage others to listen to what Jesus is offering here. But I note further that there are many clear instructions in the Bible regarding the obligations for any who aspire to being a religious teacher…like a missionary.
A few of the heaviest verses might be Ephesians 4:11-13, “He is the one who gave these gifts to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do His work and to build up the church, the body of Christ, until we come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature of Christ.” Add to that then, Titus 2:8, “Let your teaching be so correct that it can’t be criticized. Then those who want to argue will be ashamed because they won’t have anything bad to say about us.” And finally, there’s always James 3:1, “Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged by God with greater strictness.” If you don’t mind my saying, this doesn’t appear to be to be a particularly light burden to bear…and I can get pretty freaked out about the level of responsibility I’ve been entrusted with. Still, you go Astros, Royals, and especially you Jayhawks - beat Memphis!
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Bored-room meeting of CEO’s
For many weeks churches across the world have prepared for Easter morning - one of their highest attended days because it’ll be the first of the bi-annual gatherings of the community CEO’s in their sanctuary (or bored-room). You might know this already, but the CEO’s are those that attend church Christmas and Easter Only.
I’ve known this derisive term to be bandied about a lot in church circles, especially in anticipation of the increase in padded posteriors sitting in pews during either of these two “big events” in Christendom’s historical calendar…the baby that was born and the dead man who came back to life.
Now, my curiosity runs more toward why do “church” people get so much more excited about the people who’ll be coming on Christmas or Easter than they do on any other Sunday of the year?
Granted it's just human nature to be impressed by bigger audiences, at least that’s true for a performer like myself. But it seems that on many an occasion, as recorded in the gospel accounts of the New Testament, Jesus was less inclined to be impressed by the big crowds in general and far more interested in particular individuals. That becomes readily apparent in a cursory reading of any of the gospel accounts – four of which are contained in one of those run-of-the-mill Bibles that are easy to get your hands on – if you’re interested in actually reading about what transpired in the life and times of Jesus Christ.
Within a one-week time span of a public ministry that only lasted three years, Jesus of Nazareth would enter Jerusalem hailed by the crowd of on-lookers as their long-awaited king. The next day Jesus would begin a process of upsetting most of those people when he disrupted their moneymaking activities in the Temple, the church building of His day; and within another 72 hours one of his best friends would betray him to the authorities. This results in Him being arrested. And in one of the swiftest examples of “due process” in history, He is falsely accused, convicted in a mockery of justice and executed when the very same crowd that had hailed his arrival preferred having a criminal released from custody than Jesus. Essentially this served as the Roman and Jewish equivalent of a lynching. And it seems that crowds have a propensity toward fickleness.
As Jesus entered Jerusalem, that week prior to His execution, the religious leaders begged him to have his followers keep down all the racket about him being a king and all. To this, Jesus’ reaction is recorded in an account found in Luke’s gospel chapter 19 starting at verse 37.
Having lots of eyes or ears in attendance is surely a measure of opportunity, but what is the measure of success? Each week as “@ the Rock Shop” is uploaded to the Internet via ActofGraceRadio.net there’s a resemblance to shoving a bunch of bird seed into a cannon and firing it into the air…oh yes, opportunity indeed, but how would one measure it’s effectiveness? Which brings to mind a whole other parable that Jesus taught, but not necessarily my point.
I don’t know why so many more people go to church only on Christmas and Easter. Why is being a CEO sufficient? I don’t know if the messages or the music they hear on these two occasions are sufficient to tie them over until their next visit…but something’s definitely not all that appealing when they darken the doors of these bored-rooms. A church is the one place in town that’s intended purpose is to be a refuge from the slings and arrows the world at large is prone to pelt at an individual. Isn’t a church supposed to be a house of worship and prayer? Isn’t a church supposed to be a good deal more reflective of the Savior they proclaim?
As those CEO’s leave their church services this weekend, having performed what I can only imagine they must think is their “Christian duty” what will they really take away from the experience? I think this is the question that any church leadership would be better inclined toward finding an answer to than just looking at the numbers and counting what came in the collection plate. If “church” isn’t any more impacting on a world in desperate need of knowing the love of Jesus Christ than two days out of a year then how do we rationalize keeping these things open the other three hundred sixty-three (or three hundred sixty-four this year)?
Ever yours regardlessly,
mike
I’ve known this derisive term to be bandied about a lot in church circles, especially in anticipation of the increase in padded posteriors sitting in pews during either of these two “big events” in Christendom’s historical calendar…the baby that was born and the dead man who came back to life.
Now, my curiosity runs more toward why do “church” people get so much more excited about the people who’ll be coming on Christmas or Easter than they do on any other Sunday of the year?
Granted it's just human nature to be impressed by bigger audiences, at least that’s true for a performer like myself. But it seems that on many an occasion, as recorded in the gospel accounts of the New Testament, Jesus was less inclined to be impressed by the big crowds in general and far more interested in particular individuals. That becomes readily apparent in a cursory reading of any of the gospel accounts – four of which are contained in one of those run-of-the-mill Bibles that are easy to get your hands on – if you’re interested in actually reading about what transpired in the life and times of Jesus Christ.
Within a one-week time span of a public ministry that only lasted three years, Jesus of Nazareth would enter Jerusalem hailed by the crowd of on-lookers as their long-awaited king. The next day Jesus would begin a process of upsetting most of those people when he disrupted their moneymaking activities in the Temple, the church building of His day; and within another 72 hours one of his best friends would betray him to the authorities. This results in Him being arrested. And in one of the swiftest examples of “due process” in history, He is falsely accused, convicted in a mockery of justice and executed when the very same crowd that had hailed his arrival preferred having a criminal released from custody than Jesus. Essentially this served as the Roman and Jewish equivalent of a lynching. And it seems that crowds have a propensity toward fickleness.
As Jesus entered Jerusalem, that week prior to His execution, the religious leaders begged him to have his followers keep down all the racket about him being a king and all. To this, Jesus’ reaction is recorded in an account found in Luke’s gospel chapter 19 starting at verse 37.
Having lots of eyes or ears in attendance is surely a measure of opportunity, but what is the measure of success? Each week as “@ the Rock Shop” is uploaded to the Internet via ActofGraceRadio.net there’s a resemblance to shoving a bunch of bird seed into a cannon and firing it into the air…oh yes, opportunity indeed, but how would one measure it’s effectiveness? Which brings to mind a whole other parable that Jesus taught, but not necessarily my point.
I don’t know why so many more people go to church only on Christmas and Easter. Why is being a CEO sufficient? I don’t know if the messages or the music they hear on these two occasions are sufficient to tie them over until their next visit…but something’s definitely not all that appealing when they darken the doors of these bored-rooms. A church is the one place in town that’s intended purpose is to be a refuge from the slings and arrows the world at large is prone to pelt at an individual. Isn’t a church supposed to be a house of worship and prayer? Isn’t a church supposed to be a good deal more reflective of the Savior they proclaim?
As those CEO’s leave their church services this weekend, having performed what I can only imagine they must think is their “Christian duty” what will they really take away from the experience? I think this is the question that any church leadership would be better inclined toward finding an answer to than just looking at the numbers and counting what came in the collection plate. If “church” isn’t any more impacting on a world in desperate need of knowing the love of Jesus Christ than two days out of a year then how do we rationalize keeping these things open the other three hundred sixty-three (or three hundred sixty-four this year)?
Ever yours regardlessly,
mike
Friday, March 14, 2008
Toots - eek!
I’ve read there was actually a point to having a horn on automobiles a couple of centuries ago. But like many ideas from that far back, this is one that seems to have outlived its usefulness. Nevertheless the modern lack of etiquette (i.e. common courtesy) demonstrated in the standard use of these electronic klaxon devices is, to my thinking, representative of - or a significant contributing factor to - many of society’s ills. (After all, what level comes next in life's game when honking a horn is your idea of stress relief - ARMED ROAD RAGE?)
I don’t even remember the last time I actually honked a car horn, but it definitely wasn't intended and hasn’t been perpetrated on my present vehicle…or the one before that, either. I’m not even sure I know where they mount horn buttons on cars any more. Are they still in the center of a steering wheel?
Living in a major metropolitan area means I hear auto horns way, way, way too much. My opinion is that only the most insipid of imbeciles would even resort to touching one of these, especially in this environment, in the first place. (I'm convinced this is how cooties get spread, and even if it isn't, I couldn’t care less what another yokel's impression is of my derelict driving techniques.) Plus, I also want to know what buffoon thought using horns as alarm devices to scare off anybody was an idea whose time had come? As such, I long, long, long ago began paying little to no attention to honking horns at all. I hardly think I'm alone in this opinion, so what good are they anyway? And have you noticed any correlation among pick-up truck driver’s having a particularly noteworthy abusive tactile love affair with these horrendous devices?
Furthermore, I’ve also lived in rural regions where when you heard a car’s horn it meant somebody you knew was waving at you through a windshield. When I lived in a mountainous region of South America the rule of thumb was if your brakes and your horn both went out on your car at the same time you’d have to get your horn fixed first…mainly because nobody there used headlights at night – it was a weird culture. But, in that same part of the world, it was also humanly impossible to make any move forward after a stop light changed without everyone behind you laying into their horns. I'm not at all sure there a point to any of that either...but it always happened.
Oh please, now I’m no proponent for any stricter legislation regarding using a car’s horn. After all people where I live don’t even observe speed limits. (This may very well have a direct correlation in an increase of horn honking enthusiasts, but I can't say that for certain.) No, I’d just as soon horns became an incredibly expensive add-on option in the purchase of a vehicle - if you could even get one at all. Maybe people would think twice then as to whether they really needed to have one at all, but some people just have more money than they know what to do with. But, by all means, horns must cease being included as standard equipment. And finally, why should any of these new fangled, environmentally and fuel friendly contraptions promised for the future come equipped with one of those noise polluting pieces of paraphernalia?
Got thoughts?
Ever yours regardlessly,
mike
I don’t even remember the last time I actually honked a car horn, but it definitely wasn't intended and hasn’t been perpetrated on my present vehicle…or the one before that, either. I’m not even sure I know where they mount horn buttons on cars any more. Are they still in the center of a steering wheel?
Living in a major metropolitan area means I hear auto horns way, way, way too much. My opinion is that only the most insipid of imbeciles would even resort to touching one of these, especially in this environment, in the first place. (I'm convinced this is how cooties get spread, and even if it isn't, I couldn’t care less what another yokel's impression is of my derelict driving techniques.) Plus, I also want to know what buffoon thought using horns as alarm devices to scare off anybody was an idea whose time had come? As such, I long, long, long ago began paying little to no attention to honking horns at all. I hardly think I'm alone in this opinion, so what good are they anyway? And have you noticed any correlation among pick-up truck driver’s having a particularly noteworthy abusive tactile love affair with these horrendous devices?
Furthermore, I’ve also lived in rural regions where when you heard a car’s horn it meant somebody you knew was waving at you through a windshield. When I lived in a mountainous region of South America the rule of thumb was if your brakes and your horn both went out on your car at the same time you’d have to get your horn fixed first…mainly because nobody there used headlights at night – it was a weird culture. But, in that same part of the world, it was also humanly impossible to make any move forward after a stop light changed without everyone behind you laying into their horns. I'm not at all sure there a point to any of that either...but it always happened.
Oh please, now I’m no proponent for any stricter legislation regarding using a car’s horn. After all people where I live don’t even observe speed limits. (This may very well have a direct correlation in an increase of horn honking enthusiasts, but I can't say that for certain.) No, I’d just as soon horns became an incredibly expensive add-on option in the purchase of a vehicle - if you could even get one at all. Maybe people would think twice then as to whether they really needed to have one at all, but some people just have more money than they know what to do with. But, by all means, horns must cease being included as standard equipment. And finally, why should any of these new fangled, environmentally and fuel friendly contraptions promised for the future come equipped with one of those noise polluting pieces of paraphernalia?
Got thoughts?
Ever yours regardlessly,
mike
Friday, March 7, 2008
Am I ever going to change this?
Last night my wife suggested it might be time to write something new for this blog…"Why" I asked, "is leaving the same thing up there for three weeks too long an interval?" "If they’re as wordy as the last few," she retorted, "then no. It may take that long to read one." But she then, in her special way, showed me evidence that there are actually people like you coming here to take a gander at this collective claptrap (i.e. pretentious nonsense). Wwweeeelllll, you can’t imagine my shock, surprise and amazement at that.
As such, you’re probably not going to buy my excuse that I’ve been in mourning at the passing of William F. Buckley Jr. - and have thereby been incapable of amassing any coherent thoughts of late - I won’t try and pawn that one off on you. If you even know who William F. Buckley Jr. was, then you’d be too smart to fall for that anyway.
I think I’m guilty of not realizing what an undertaking regularly contributing to this baby is about. If you don’t feed it it’ll die. But then again, if you do feed it invariably the diapers are going to have to be changed. Better understanding this now, I’ve renewed my intent toward putting a fresh set of nappies on this little bugger regularly. It’s not like I ever run out of thoughts or things to write about…it’s actually more related to a wrestling with an encyclopedic set of self-esteem issues wherein I get to thinking that nobody really gives a rodent's rump about my opinion and apparently that isn’t exactly true.
Plus I really don’t enjoy having my time wasted by anybody or anything. I think that’s called impatience…and isn’t its antithesis deemed the more virtuous? Regardless, my point is I don’t want you to feel your time has been wasted when you come here to peruse my ponderings. Therefore, I’ll try to keep them shorter and more succinct…or only provide snippets of longer meanderings that will hopefully entice you…as the old show business adage suggests, “always leave them wanting more.”
Nevertheless, here are a few of the topics I’m inclined to run on about a bit in the coming days and weeks:
1) I think the addition of a horn to an automobile, and the free license afforded anyone to activate one, is clearly indicative of the majority of society’s ills.
2) It disconcerts me that Hillary Clinton, Barrack Obama and John McCain have turned out to be the candidates for president that the United States is deserving of in 2008. b) What’s up with the power-sharing deal in Kenya, c) Dmitri Medvedev in Russia and d) who is it I call now to get anything done in Pakistan?
3) To me the scariest verses in the Bible are Matthew 7:21-23. (And reading it in a red-letter version is particulary frightening.) But there are quite a few others that come close to being almost as scary.
4) I’m of the opinion that Easter is a far more significant holiday than Christmas. So aren't we justified in getting more paid days off from work? Except I will admit a far better job has been done regarding all the trappings for the December observance.
5) If homosexuals don’t reproduce then where does the genetic inclination toward it come from?
Oh yes indeedy, I expect there will be an assortment of many other items that are spawned from these which means you’re going to have to just keep coming back…and in so doing you shall ever hence have my undying gratitude.
So, until the next time, I remain ever yours regardlessly,
mike
As such, you’re probably not going to buy my excuse that I’ve been in mourning at the passing of William F. Buckley Jr. - and have thereby been incapable of amassing any coherent thoughts of late - I won’t try and pawn that one off on you. If you even know who William F. Buckley Jr. was, then you’d be too smart to fall for that anyway.
I think I’m guilty of not realizing what an undertaking regularly contributing to this baby is about. If you don’t feed it it’ll die. But then again, if you do feed it invariably the diapers are going to have to be changed. Better understanding this now, I’ve renewed my intent toward putting a fresh set of nappies on this little bugger regularly. It’s not like I ever run out of thoughts or things to write about…it’s actually more related to a wrestling with an encyclopedic set of self-esteem issues wherein I get to thinking that nobody really gives a rodent's rump about my opinion and apparently that isn’t exactly true.
Plus I really don’t enjoy having my time wasted by anybody or anything. I think that’s called impatience…and isn’t its antithesis deemed the more virtuous? Regardless, my point is I don’t want you to feel your time has been wasted when you come here to peruse my ponderings. Therefore, I’ll try to keep them shorter and more succinct…or only provide snippets of longer meanderings that will hopefully entice you…as the old show business adage suggests, “always leave them wanting more.”
Nevertheless, here are a few of the topics I’m inclined to run on about a bit in the coming days and weeks:
1) I think the addition of a horn to an automobile, and the free license afforded anyone to activate one, is clearly indicative of the majority of society’s ills.
2) It disconcerts me that Hillary Clinton, Barrack Obama and John McCain have turned out to be the candidates for president that the United States is deserving of in 2008. b) What’s up with the power-sharing deal in Kenya, c) Dmitri Medvedev in Russia and d) who is it I call now to get anything done in Pakistan?
3) To me the scariest verses in the Bible are Matthew 7:21-23. (And reading it in a red-letter version is particulary frightening.) But there are quite a few others that come close to being almost as scary.
4) I’m of the opinion that Easter is a far more significant holiday than Christmas. So aren't we justified in getting more paid days off from work? Except I will admit a far better job has been done regarding all the trappings for the December observance.
5) If homosexuals don’t reproduce then where does the genetic inclination toward it come from?
Oh yes indeedy, I expect there will be an assortment of many other items that are spawned from these which means you’re going to have to just keep coming back…and in so doing you shall ever hence have my undying gratitude.
So, until the next time, I remain ever yours regardlessly,
mike
Friday, February 15, 2008
Motivations - Oh what a jerk I am
Let me set the stage, as it were, by telling you I've written a script about my perception of what the Apostle Peter's testimony would have been at the end of his life. It's based primarily on numerous Bible accounts, but still must be characterized as ficitional. I entitled it "Simon Peter: I Witness" and have performed the piece as a one-man characterization around the United States for about four years now. (And available to come to your hometown if you'd only ask!)
Anyway, in the script I recall a section I wrote right after Peter recounts his first meeting with Jesus. It reads, "Let me confess to you a little about the man Jesus met that day. I was somewhat of a jagged, erratic, rebellious sort, often overeager and fairly undependable. Some have kindly said I have a naturally dominant personality. But I was what I was - a jerk."
Of course, I'd become quite fond of Simon Peter long before I had ever started writing about him. He's probably my favorite of the apostles. Add in the extensive research and efforts to dramatize him and this has only served to make me love him more. Yet, am I the only person seeing a lot of myself in Simon bar Jonah?
Over the course of time as we're first introduced to Simon in the gospel accounts of the Bible until we say goodbye to him at the end of his second letter to the church, its remarkable to look at the transformation that seemingly took place in this man. And he gives all the credit to having come to know Jesus Christ...better. Read sometime how he opens 1 Peter and you'll see he says it far better than I ever could. Then again you might want to consider what he writes at the beginning of 2 Peter, as well.
Regardless, today my intent is to confess a really bad jerk moment I had this week. I came down unduly hard on another person because of something they inferred, from whence I presummed their statement indicated they probably believed something about a certain section of the Bible that to my thinking suggested an underlying misconception of God overall. To quote my lightning response I said, "You need to get your theology straight!!!!" (I might even have shaken a finger at them in so saying.) The statement was made in a group setting only magnifying the insensitivity, unlovingness and a total out-of-line trait that benefited no one and only served to hurt the feelings of the person I should, at the very least, have had a good deal more decorum with. Like for starters finding out if what I thought I heard was really indicative of what they even meant to say. I've been told I have one of those radio voices, that when combined with an in-your-face personality, I at times am perceived as being a "spiritual bully." And well, if the shoe fits...?
Naturally, I'm inclined to rationalize my behavior, suggesting this is only a reflection of my huge passion for the truth about Jesus Christ and that any besmirch of Him means you've insulted me. Afterall, Christians are called ambassdors for Christ so don't be messin' wif my homey, dawg.
But honestly, I can't rationalize this jerkiness at all. Regardless of my passions Jesus has said, "Take My yoke (ah yes, that restricting harness used on undomesticated beasts of burden) upon you. Let "Me" (italics mine obviously) teach you, because I am humble (I'm sure that means the total opposite of arrogant) and gentle, (really Jesus-like gentle no doubt) and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light." Matthew 11:29 and 30.
Alas, if this were to be the last time I ever did something so thoughtless, but I doubt I'll ever stop totally freaking out when I think a person has said something that sounds really stupid. (I consider it part of my charm, after all.) But, the Apostle James provided wise counsel with his instruction, "Whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God above, who created all heaven's lights...In His goodness He chose to make us His own children by giving us His true word. And we, out of all creation, became His chosen possession. Therefore my dear brothers and sisters, be quick to listen, SLOW TO SPEAK, (oops must have hit CAPS LOCK there) and slow to get angry. Your anger can never make things right in God's sight.
So, get rid of all filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the message God has planted in your hearts, for it is strong enough to save your souls.
And remember, it is a message to obey, not just to listen to. If you don't obey, you are only fooling yourself. For if you just listen and don't obey, it is like looking at your face in a mirror but doing nothing to improve your appearance." James 1: 17-23.
That sure sounds an awful lot like 1 Peter 2:1, "So get rid of all malicious behavior and deceit. Don't just pretend to be good! Be done with hypocrisy and jealousy and backstabbing." Hmm. I think I'm going to have to get a card for that person I was such a jerk to this week and ask them to forgive me. Because regardless of whatever basis of belief is motivating what they believe, I know what is supposed to be motivating me...and Jesus sure doesn't need me to "throw down" in order to show I'm standing up for Him, does He? I think maybe if I was simply a better reflection of what He's already taught me then that yoke wouldn't feel so much like the noose it does right now.
Ever yours regardlessly,
mike
Anyway, in the script I recall a section I wrote right after Peter recounts his first meeting with Jesus. It reads, "Let me confess to you a little about the man Jesus met that day. I was somewhat of a jagged, erratic, rebellious sort, often overeager and fairly undependable. Some have kindly said I have a naturally dominant personality. But I was what I was - a jerk."
Of course, I'd become quite fond of Simon Peter long before I had ever started writing about him. He's probably my favorite of the apostles. Add in the extensive research and efforts to dramatize him and this has only served to make me love him more. Yet, am I the only person seeing a lot of myself in Simon bar Jonah?
Over the course of time as we're first introduced to Simon in the gospel accounts of the Bible until we say goodbye to him at the end of his second letter to the church, its remarkable to look at the transformation that seemingly took place in this man. And he gives all the credit to having come to know Jesus Christ...better. Read sometime how he opens 1 Peter and you'll see he says it far better than I ever could. Then again you might want to consider what he writes at the beginning of 2 Peter, as well.
Regardless, today my intent is to confess a really bad jerk moment I had this week. I came down unduly hard on another person because of something they inferred, from whence I presummed their statement indicated they probably believed something about a certain section of the Bible that to my thinking suggested an underlying misconception of God overall. To quote my lightning response I said, "You need to get your theology straight!!!!" (I might even have shaken a finger at them in so saying.) The statement was made in a group setting only magnifying the insensitivity, unlovingness and a total out-of-line trait that benefited no one and only served to hurt the feelings of the person I should, at the very least, have had a good deal more decorum with. Like for starters finding out if what I thought I heard was really indicative of what they even meant to say. I've been told I have one of those radio voices, that when combined with an in-your-face personality, I at times am perceived as being a "spiritual bully." And well, if the shoe fits...?
Naturally, I'm inclined to rationalize my behavior, suggesting this is only a reflection of my huge passion for the truth about Jesus Christ and that any besmirch of Him means you've insulted me. Afterall, Christians are called ambassdors for Christ so don't be messin' wif my homey, dawg.
But honestly, I can't rationalize this jerkiness at all. Regardless of my passions Jesus has said, "Take My yoke (ah yes, that restricting harness used on undomesticated beasts of burden) upon you. Let "Me" (italics mine obviously) teach you, because I am humble (I'm sure that means the total opposite of arrogant) and gentle, (really Jesus-like gentle no doubt) and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light." Matthew 11:29 and 30.
Alas, if this were to be the last time I ever did something so thoughtless, but I doubt I'll ever stop totally freaking out when I think a person has said something that sounds really stupid. (I consider it part of my charm, after all.) But, the Apostle James provided wise counsel with his instruction, "Whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God above, who created all heaven's lights...In His goodness He chose to make us His own children by giving us His true word. And we, out of all creation, became His chosen possession. Therefore my dear brothers and sisters, be quick to listen, SLOW TO SPEAK, (oops must have hit CAPS LOCK there) and slow to get angry. Your anger can never make things right in God's sight.
So, get rid of all filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the message God has planted in your hearts, for it is strong enough to save your souls.
And remember, it is a message to obey, not just to listen to. If you don't obey, you are only fooling yourself. For if you just listen and don't obey, it is like looking at your face in a mirror but doing nothing to improve your appearance." James 1: 17-23.
That sure sounds an awful lot like 1 Peter 2:1, "So get rid of all malicious behavior and deceit. Don't just pretend to be good! Be done with hypocrisy and jealousy and backstabbing." Hmm. I think I'm going to have to get a card for that person I was such a jerk to this week and ask them to forgive me. Because regardless of whatever basis of belief is motivating what they believe, I know what is supposed to be motivating me...and Jesus sure doesn't need me to "throw down" in order to show I'm standing up for Him, does He? I think maybe if I was simply a better reflection of what He's already taught me then that yoke wouldn't feel so much like the noose it does right now.
Ever yours regardlessly,
mike
Friday, February 8, 2008
Words - a wonderful way to communicate
Friday's seem to be the only day I have for getting around to blogging...and typically I've stored up a lot of thoughts in the mean time. I've heard it would be best to do this in 100 words or less…but motto is, “why use up a hundred when 10’s of thousands are available?”
Essentially, I’ve long been about looking to find ways to expand the outreach of ActofGraceRadio.net. As you might be an ideal candidate to run for one of the current open posts I thought I'd tell you more about ActofGraceRadio.net. As I mentioned in previous communiqué the intent wasn’t to find an outlet for my own “radio-style” program. (I’ve so long been there and done that I’ve thrown away more t-shirts than any one person could ever need.) I honestly think the internet has tremendous potential for every type of outreach ministry. (And as it so happens I’ve been trained in radio with a healthy smattering of theatrical pursuits as well.) And with over a billion internet users already…expected to double with the advent of some new technologies on the horizon, well I mean where are you going to find that many eyes and ears all in one location? By the way, if you like statistics I’ve included a whole section of those below.
Granted, being a ministry on the internet is probably a 21st century equivalent to John the Baptist’s wilderness proclamations…but I know people have and are finding AGR from all over the world (except in Antarctica) and I’m presently not within the “need-to-know” loop on how the Holy Spirit uses what’s being presented. But I do get impatient about “@ the Rock Shop” being all I have to offer right now even though I’ve long been looking for some additions to this Internet-only outreach. (Admittedly I might be too picky, or I’ve just not been in contact with the right people yet, or God’s timing is on a different schedule than mine…hmm, I’ll take C, and that’s my final answer.) Later on I’ll get in to some of the why’s and where for’s concerning this type of outreach but, suffice it to say, I really think there are a good many other talented Christians who might see God using them through what’s begun thus far via ActofGraceRadio.net. (Yuk! That sure sounds like one of those rah-rah sentences that typically put me off, and there I’ve just gone and written one – Sorry, I try to keep the effervescing better in check.)
Ultimately at the end of the day all any writer is left with is a whole bunch of material – just setting on a shelf (maybe in a hard-drive) collecting dust – my thing is why not record this stuff and let’s get it up on the world wide web! Okay, so I realize that my vision isn’t the same as another person’s vision, but what’s so cool about the format (that doesn’t exist yet) with AGR is the parameters are pretty freeing…about the only restrictions I ever put on my show is that I want it to fit within a standard broadcasting time frame of 59:30. But even my wife tells me that I’m the only one who cares about that as I’m wrestling each week with cutting two seconds here or adding twelve and a third over there. (She doesn’t understand that that’s what really excites me about audio production.) Anyway, I think that’s a long drawn out way of saying, if you – creative as you are – see yourself putting some type of program together, or already have some stuff that just needs to be recorded, well then I think I’ve got an outlet where it can be presented. But you'll need to let me know.
FROM HERE ON OUT ALL THIS IS OPTIONAL READING –
(It’s just a bunch of highly philosophical hoo-haw that was the inspiration for ActofGraceRadio.net.)
I see two huge problems that keep getting made in ministry overall and in particular with internet evangelism…everybody seemingly keeps copying what everybody else has already started. As such there sure isn’t a whole lot of helping going on. It’s an admitted pet peeve, but why as creative people, can’t we do something that isn’t a retooling of all the pretty good wheels that are already available ad nauseam? And, I think there’s also a tendency among Christian outreach endeavors on the web not to grasp the world-wide audience magnitude.
READ ON ONLY IF YOU’RE MASOCHISTIC:
I’m seeing the same thing occurring on most Christian websites. 99% have been written with only a Christian reader in mind. Of course, some non-Christians will invariably visit them too. And if they already have an interest, maybe they will stay to read. But this is like hoping that non-Christians will walk in off the street into a church service. Some do. But most don’t. (Website visitors usually leave in 5 seconds, if they can’t relate to a page.) As such you wind up only touching the people who may have a Christian background or interest. Maybe we reach the 'once-churched', but the 'never-churched' are staying that way.
The sad thing is that because some evangelism does happen successfully this way, Christians think we are touching everyone in the society. Beyond that some churches give evangelism and world mission a very low priority in their programs. The Wesley quote, "You have nothing to do but to save souls," fits nicely here.
Because the standard operating procedure for the Internet being a 'free' resource, and because those involved in online evangelism produce no tangible 'product', the wider church is kind of slow in realizing that online evangelism ministries need support and encouragement. There are surprisingly few Christian organizations primarily involved in any sort of online evangelism.
The Web is a different animal
Print, video, radio and TV are mainly 'push' mediums. They communicate by sending out a consecutive ('linear') prepared message.
The Web however is a 'pull' medium pulling in visitors - albeit only on the basis of a defined interest. People usually go only to pages on subjects they are searching for. And of course, the incredible advantage of the Web is that it is global: anyone, on any continent in the world, can find a page in seconds.
The other unique property of the Internet is interactivity. Not only are users in control of which pages to visit, they can also send feedback to a webmaster. They can easily ask questions, receive help and advice. This option to build 'community' around a website is very important. It helps people feel wanted and that their opinions are valued. It gives them a place where they can ask questions in a safe way, when perhaps they would not do that face-to-face.
For evangelistic websites, this interaction is very important. Very few people become Christians just by reading something. Conversion is usually a long process, and involves friendly interaction with people who are already Christians. Think back to how you became a Christian. For most people, seeing the life of Jesus in someone else, usually through experiencing friendship, is the most powerful witness.
(Here’s where I’d save some words and not continue in my rant…sometimes pictures help. What is it they say about those things?) 
Essentially, I’ve long been about looking to find ways to expand the outreach of ActofGraceRadio.net. As you might be an ideal candidate to run for one of the current open posts I thought I'd tell you more about ActofGraceRadio.net. As I mentioned in previous communiqué the intent wasn’t to find an outlet for my own “radio-style” program. (I’ve so long been there and done that I’ve thrown away more t-shirts than any one person could ever need.) I honestly think the internet has tremendous potential for every type of outreach ministry. (And as it so happens I’ve been trained in radio with a healthy smattering of theatrical pursuits as well.) And with over a billion internet users already…expected to double with the advent of some new technologies on the horizon, well I mean where are you going to find that many eyes and ears all in one location? By the way, if you like statistics I’ve included a whole section of those below.
Granted, being a ministry on the internet is probably a 21st century equivalent to John the Baptist’s wilderness proclamations…but I know people have and are finding AGR from all over the world (except in Antarctica) and I’m presently not within the “need-to-know” loop on how the Holy Spirit uses what’s being presented. But I do get impatient about “@ the Rock Shop” being all I have to offer right now even though I’ve long been looking for some additions to this Internet-only outreach. (Admittedly I might be too picky, or I’ve just not been in contact with the right people yet, or God’s timing is on a different schedule than mine…hmm, I’ll take C, and that’s my final answer.) Later on I’ll get in to some of the why’s and where for’s concerning this type of outreach but, suffice it to say, I really think there are a good many other talented Christians who might see God using them through what’s begun thus far via ActofGraceRadio.net. (Yuk! That sure sounds like one of those rah-rah sentences that typically put me off, and there I’ve just gone and written one – Sorry, I try to keep the effervescing better in check.)
Ultimately at the end of the day all any writer is left with is a whole bunch of material – just setting on a shelf (maybe in a hard-drive) collecting dust – my thing is why not record this stuff and let’s get it up on the world wide web! Okay, so I realize that my vision isn’t the same as another person’s vision, but what’s so cool about the format (that doesn’t exist yet) with AGR is the parameters are pretty freeing…about the only restrictions I ever put on my show is that I want it to fit within a standard broadcasting time frame of 59:30. But even my wife tells me that I’m the only one who cares about that as I’m wrestling each week with cutting two seconds here or adding twelve and a third over there. (She doesn’t understand that that’s what really excites me about audio production.) Anyway, I think that’s a long drawn out way of saying, if you – creative as you are – see yourself putting some type of program together, or already have some stuff that just needs to be recorded, well then I think I’ve got an outlet where it can be presented. But you'll need to let me know.
FROM HERE ON OUT ALL THIS IS OPTIONAL READING –
(It’s just a bunch of highly philosophical hoo-haw that was the inspiration for ActofGraceRadio.net.)
I see two huge problems that keep getting made in ministry overall and in particular with internet evangelism…everybody seemingly keeps copying what everybody else has already started. As such there sure isn’t a whole lot of helping going on. It’s an admitted pet peeve, but why as creative people, can’t we do something that isn’t a retooling of all the pretty good wheels that are already available ad nauseam? And, I think there’s also a tendency among Christian outreach endeavors on the web not to grasp the world-wide audience magnitude.
READ ON ONLY IF YOU’RE MASOCHISTIC:
The same old story about the Great Old Story
Let’s call it a "99% problem"
In practically any Christian bookstore you’ll see 99% of the materials targeting Christians, using Christian language, thought-forms and assumptions. Christian radio essentially is playing all the same music, many of the same programs, and their spending money on internet bandwidth along with everyone else. Why? Are they really offering something that special? In the same vein I don’t hold out much hope that Christian television will ever become a viable alternative to anything. Plus tv and movies just costs so stinking much money to produce and requires so many people to do the most elementary projects…that I have some stewardship issues about. Anyway, I am pretty sure though, that Christians believe that "because it’s Christian, it is evangelistic". Sadly however, I don’t think this the real message that’s coming through.
I’m seeing the same thing occurring on most Christian websites. 99% have been written with only a Christian reader in mind. Of course, some non-Christians will invariably visit them too. And if they already have an interest, maybe they will stay to read. But this is like hoping that non-Christians will walk in off the street into a church service. Some do. But most don’t. (Website visitors usually leave in 5 seconds, if they can’t relate to a page.) As such you wind up only touching the people who may have a Christian background or interest. Maybe we reach the 'once-churched', but the 'never-churched' are staying that way.
The sad thing is that because some evangelism does happen successfully this way, Christians think we are touching everyone in the society. Beyond that some churches give evangelism and world mission a very low priority in their programs. The Wesley quote, "You have nothing to do but to save souls," fits nicely here.
Because the standard operating procedure for the Internet being a 'free' resource, and because those involved in online evangelism produce no tangible 'product', the wider church is kind of slow in realizing that online evangelism ministries need support and encouragement. There are surprisingly few Christian organizations primarily involved in any sort of online evangelism.
The Web is a different animal
Print, video, radio and TV are mainly 'push' mediums. They communicate by sending out a consecutive ('linear') prepared message.
The Web however is a 'pull' medium pulling in visitors - albeit only on the basis of a defined interest. People usually go only to pages on subjects they are searching for. And of course, the incredible advantage of the Web is that it is global: anyone, on any continent in the world, can find a page in seconds.
The other unique property of the Internet is interactivity. Not only are users in control of which pages to visit, they can also send feedback to a webmaster. They can easily ask questions, receive help and advice. This option to build 'community' around a website is very important. It helps people feel wanted and that their opinions are valued. It gives them a place where they can ask questions in a safe way, when perhaps they would not do that face-to-face.
For evangelistic websites, this interaction is very important. Very few people become Christians just by reading something. Conversion is usually a long process, and involves friendly interaction with people who are already Christians. Think back to how you became a Christian. For most people, seeing the life of Jesus in someone else, usually through experiencing friendship, is the most powerful witness.
All mediums are not the same. TV is not just radio with pictures. Print is not just speech written down. So too the Web should not be seen as just another way of delivering tracts or sermons. It is a revolutionary, interactive, medium where the user is in control.
(Here’s where I’d save some words and not continue in my rant…sometimes pictures help. What is it they say about those things?)
Done looking? I found the information presented by that graph staggering: (Why are so many efforts targeting the top 10%?)
The Engle evangelism scale seeks to place people’s openness and receptivity to the truth in Christ on a scale as follows:
-10 Awareness of the supernatural
The Engle evangelism scale seeks to place people’s openness and receptivity to the truth in Christ on a scale as follows:
-10 Awareness of the supernatural
-9 No effective knowledge of Christianity AGR works within this target range
-8 Initial Awareness of Christianity
-7 Interest in Christianity engaging people in an intelligent,
-6 Awareness of basic facts of the Gospel entertaining discussion about the
-5 Grasp of implications of the Gospel validity of a Christian worldview, but
-4 Positive attitude to the Gospel
-3 Awareness of personal need don’t just take our word for it - examine
-2 Challenge and decision to act
-1 Repentance and faith the evidence, facts, and that Bible for themselves.
0 A Disciple is Born!
+1 Evaluation of decision
+2 Initiation into the church
-8 Initial Awareness of Christianity
-7 Interest in Christianity engaging people in an intelligent,
-6 Awareness of basic facts of the Gospel entertaining discussion about the
-5 Grasp of implications of the Gospel validity of a Christian worldview, but
-4 Positive attitude to the Gospel
-3 Awareness of personal need don’t just take our word for it - examine
-2 Challenge and decision to act
-1 Repentance and faith the evidence, facts, and that Bible for themselves.
0 A Disciple is Born!
+1 Evaluation of decision
+2 Initiation into the church
+3 Become part of the process of making other disciples
+4 Growth in understanding of the faith
+5 Growth in Christian character
+6 Discovery and use of gifts
+7 Christian life-style
+8 Stewardship of resources
+9 Prayer
+10 Openness to others/Effective sharing of faith and life
Obviously AGR’s goal is to see people grow to a +10! But I see my primary service in “pulling” -10's to the +2's in to a discussion that would prayerfully lead them to a point of repentance and faith resulting in salvation.
AGR’s seed planting and watering is intended to move people up the negative part of the scale and provide them the opportunity to trust in and receive Christ as their Savior. I also realize, in mission work, I’m invading their turf and remain ever cognizant that the listener on the other end may not have an interest in spiritual things whatsoever…but will they come back and listen in again?
Now about those stats:
Over half of the world is illiterate. An obvious challenge to the internet overall – but if a person were only functionally illiterate well, maybe radio programming would have a chance…and how does Romans 10:17 go?
36% of the world already uses English as their primary or top secondary language. 44% of Internet users are English speaking and the majority (over 60%) are male, which must mean 40% are female.
Talk-radio is the second most popular format worldwide. It’s only surpassed by country and western. (And I just ain’t going there!)
North America comprises only 5% of internet users. Asia, at close to 60%, is far and away the biggest user and Europeans use the internet more than twice what we in the Americas do. The biggest growth in Internet usage this decade has occurred in the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America respectively…but remember the U.S. already had a lot of internet prior to 2000.
Okay, enough already! This is only a snippet of my passions about the potential the internet affords and might explain how I got into doing what I’m doing. You’re hereby invited to participate, but think and pray about how God might want you to be involved in an outreach like this…Seriously, I’m open to practically any and all ideas that fit within that target range above and brings glory God in the process. If you think you’d like to take another adventure in email reading…then reply accordingly.
Ever yours regardlessly,
Mike Roberts
+4 Growth in understanding of the faith
+5 Growth in Christian character
+6 Discovery and use of gifts
+7 Christian life-style
+8 Stewardship of resources
+9 Prayer
+10 Openness to others/Effective sharing of faith and life
Obviously AGR’s goal is to see people grow to a +10! But I see my primary service in “pulling” -10's to the +2's in to a discussion that would prayerfully lead them to a point of repentance and faith resulting in salvation.
AGR’s seed planting and watering is intended to move people up the negative part of the scale and provide them the opportunity to trust in and receive Christ as their Savior. I also realize, in mission work, I’m invading their turf and remain ever cognizant that the listener on the other end may not have an interest in spiritual things whatsoever…but will they come back and listen in again?
Now about those stats:
Over half of the world is illiterate. An obvious challenge to the internet overall – but if a person were only functionally illiterate well, maybe radio programming would have a chance…and how does Romans 10:17 go?
36% of the world already uses English as their primary or top secondary language. 44% of Internet users are English speaking and the majority (over 60%) are male, which must mean 40% are female.
Talk-radio is the second most popular format worldwide. It’s only surpassed by country and western. (And I just ain’t going there!)
North America comprises only 5% of internet users. Asia, at close to 60%, is far and away the biggest user and Europeans use the internet more than twice what we in the Americas do. The biggest growth in Internet usage this decade has occurred in the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America respectively…but remember the U.S. already had a lot of internet prior to 2000.
Okay, enough already! This is only a snippet of my passions about the potential the internet affords and might explain how I got into doing what I’m doing. You’re hereby invited to participate, but think and pray about how God might want you to be involved in an outreach like this…Seriously, I’m open to practically any and all ideas that fit within that target range above and brings glory God in the process. If you think you’d like to take another adventure in email reading…then reply accordingly.
Ever yours regardlessly,
Mike Roberts
Friday, February 1, 2008
An AGR history lesson
Below is a portion of my clever response to an email request for some background information that I hope you'll enjoy.
I don’t know how much you care to know about me, the ministry I’m involved in……..but it is what it is and may very well be yet another indication of the amazing ways that God is at work in EVERYTHING!!!!
For very near three years I've been affiliated with the mission organization Artists in Christian Testimony. Our association began not long after I started performing a one-man characterization of the Apostle Peter I’d written [Simon Peter: I Witness] and was traveling around to various venues in numerous states living the life many actors only dream of. Of course Hal Holbrook had paved the way to a degree with “Mark Twain Tonight”, but I digress. Anyway, ACT became my 501(c) (3) umbrella and continues in that capacity to this day.
All was as it should be, I thought, until (wow, it’s been two years now) I overheard a conversation between a video producer and a computer geek at our church talking about the impact Internet Radio could have. I’m sure they were thinking about utilizing the medium for a Grace Community Church outreach and I only interrupted their chat to see if I could get a laugh out of them from a couple of one-liners I’d been practicing. (I did get a chortle out of both of them, by the way.)
Okay, move ahead a couple of days and I’m at the radio job I held, taking a break, and it seemed as though God was trying to impress upon me that I should get about doing Internet Radio. (Think something not unlike a full frontal head-smack with a six by six). As I am, more often than not, prone to do, I scoffed. It had to be too expensive, I didn’t have the time what with all my traveling, oh and just what did I know about the Internet to begin with?…yada, yada, yada. But, I did think “what the hey”, what could it hurt to look up some information about Internet Radio on hmmm, maybe the Internet? Here endeth the history lesson.
With the shorter version of this long story not an option any more…I went to ACT, my pastor, our church elders, the two guys who first introduced the idea to me, and the old lady next door and told them what I was thinking about. With many a well intended pat on the head and an oatmeal raisin cookie from the nice neighbor lady, it was clear that nobody was getting the same world-wide impact visions I was and ULTIMATELY this is where ActofGraceRadio.net came into being.
I started playing around with some ideas…intended only as a means for showcasing what I was thinking could be done on an Internet Radio venue that would be far from a replication of a lot of what was already being presented [because why do what’s already being done] in the realm of Christian broadcasting and came up with a show I called “@ the Rock Shop”. It was going to have a little drama (i.e. the Actors of Grace Radio), a little news, a little bit of Bible teaching from guys you may never have heard of before. And “@ the Rock Shop” was intended to give a virtual cyber-café feeling that would come across as an overall entertaining and engaging discussion forum about the Christian worldview directed toward those who are not Christians, and maybe don't even like Christians. Wherein I, serving in the capacity of show host, “the old-man at the microphone, sitting here with my Jug of Joe, sharing with you some of the voices inside my head” didn’t shy away from attempts at being funny in the process of sharing God’s Good News to an unsaved audience. Now a good many critics do not agree that the show is anywhere close to being all that humorous…I think stupid pretty well sums up most of what they’ve had to say about it. Nevertheless I remain convinced that this is what that first God meeting was about and now exemplifies some of what Peter may have inferred when he called us "an peculiar people.” So anyhoo, that serves as summarization of what – as of late last night – became an archive of 75 weeks of programs that have, to date, invaded cyberspace at ActofGraceRadio.net.
However, all the radio stuff seems to have actually become a “Catch 22.” Merely doing my own radio show on the Internet was never the AGR intention from the outset. I was convinced that there are other “creative” types somewhere who would want to play within this open format playground – and although I’ve been successful in showcasing endless playwrights from around the world and a musical artist here and there – as yet, I haven’t come across any of those "artsy-fartsy" types committed to the prospect of producing “radio-style” materials on a regular basis replete with all the deadlines and other doo-dads that come along in that process. But honestly, could the original European missionary to India, William Carey, have been considered an overnight success?
mr
Now, I include this little ditty hoping that if you've read this far you might be inclined to take a listen to an episode of "@ the Rock Shop" right here at www.ActofGraceRadio.net. (It comes in two convenient formats "on demand" streaming or MP3). And if you like it maybe you'll come back again and if you keep coming back maybe you'll really get to know a lot about Jesus and then come up with something of your own to do on the internet and then...oh wait, maybe we'll take a step at a time. Because what if you didn't even read this far?
I don’t know how much you care to know about me, the ministry I’m involved in……..but it is what it is and may very well be yet another indication of the amazing ways that God is at work in EVERYTHING!!!!
For very near three years I've been affiliated with the mission organization Artists in Christian Testimony. Our association began not long after I started performing a one-man characterization of the Apostle Peter I’d written [Simon Peter: I Witness] and was traveling around to various venues in numerous states living the life many actors only dream of. Of course Hal Holbrook had paved the way to a degree with “Mark Twain Tonight”, but I digress. Anyway, ACT became my 501(c) (3) umbrella and continues in that capacity to this day.
All was as it should be, I thought, until (wow, it’s been two years now) I overheard a conversation between a video producer and a computer geek at our church talking about the impact Internet Radio could have. I’m sure they were thinking about utilizing the medium for a Grace Community Church outreach and I only interrupted their chat to see if I could get a laugh out of them from a couple of one-liners I’d been practicing. (I did get a chortle out of both of them, by the way.)
Okay, move ahead a couple of days and I’m at the radio job I held, taking a break, and it seemed as though God was trying to impress upon me that I should get about doing Internet Radio. (Think something not unlike a full frontal head-smack with a six by six). As I am, more often than not, prone to do, I scoffed. It had to be too expensive, I didn’t have the time what with all my traveling, oh and just what did I know about the Internet to begin with?…yada, yada, yada. But, I did think “what the hey”, what could it hurt to look up some information about Internet Radio on hmmm, maybe the Internet? Here endeth the history lesson.
With the shorter version of this long story not an option any more…I went to ACT, my pastor, our church elders, the two guys who first introduced the idea to me, and the old lady next door and told them what I was thinking about. With many a well intended pat on the head and an oatmeal raisin cookie from the nice neighbor lady, it was clear that nobody was getting the same world-wide impact visions I was and ULTIMATELY this is where ActofGraceRadio.net came into being.
I started playing around with some ideas…intended only as a means for showcasing what I was thinking could be done on an Internet Radio venue that would be far from a replication of a lot of what was already being presented [because why do what’s already being done] in the realm of Christian broadcasting and came up with a show I called “@ the Rock Shop”. It was going to have a little drama (i.e. the Actors of Grace Radio), a little news, a little bit of Bible teaching from guys you may never have heard of before. And “@ the Rock Shop” was intended to give a virtual cyber-café feeling that would come across as an overall entertaining and engaging discussion forum about the Christian worldview directed toward those who are not Christians, and maybe don't even like Christians. Wherein I, serving in the capacity of show host, “the old-man at the microphone, sitting here with my Jug of Joe, sharing with you some of the voices inside my head” didn’t shy away from attempts at being funny in the process of sharing God’s Good News to an unsaved audience. Now a good many critics do not agree that the show is anywhere close to being all that humorous…I think stupid pretty well sums up most of what they’ve had to say about it. Nevertheless I remain convinced that this is what that first God meeting was about and now exemplifies some of what Peter may have inferred when he called us "an peculiar people.” So anyhoo, that serves as summarization of what – as of late last night – became an archive of 75 weeks of programs that have, to date, invaded cyberspace at ActofGraceRadio.net.
However, all the radio stuff seems to have actually become a “Catch 22.” Merely doing my own radio show on the Internet was never the AGR intention from the outset. I was convinced that there are other “creative” types somewhere who would want to play within this open format playground – and although I’ve been successful in showcasing endless playwrights from around the world and a musical artist here and there – as yet, I haven’t come across any of those "artsy-fartsy" types committed to the prospect of producing “radio-style” materials on a regular basis replete with all the deadlines and other doo-dads that come along in that process. But honestly, could the original European missionary to India, William Carey, have been considered an overnight success?
mr
Now, I include this little ditty hoping that if you've read this far you might be inclined to take a listen to an episode of "@ the Rock Shop" right here at www.ActofGraceRadio.net. (It comes in two convenient formats "on demand" streaming or MP3). And if you like it maybe you'll come back again and if you keep coming back maybe you'll really get to know a lot about Jesus and then come up with something of your own to do on the internet and then...oh wait, maybe we'll take a step at a time. Because what if you didn't even read this far?
Saturday, January 26, 2008
I'm a card player - did you know?
Around our house my wife Gena and I have been known to play cards when we're unable to afford to do anything else...which happens a lot when you're blessed with poverty like we are.
One of our favorite games is Canasta - it's kind of an old game that isn't as popular as it once was. My parents taught me how to play when I was a kid and I taught Gena and naturally we always employ the Roberts Rules of Order in any household game.
I tell you all of this because we just finished the "rubber game" of our first tournament since we started playing with my new Houston Texans playing cards I got for Christmas...and I didn't just win...no I mercilessly clobbered her with possibly the greatest one hand I've ever had in the forty some odd years I've been playing Canasta.
I already had over 4,000 points as the hands were dealt. According to my planned strategy, this was to be the last hand of the game, but I was going to have to meld 120. Gena went down first - drat! (She was still melding 50 as she had yet to break a thousand in her point total thus far in the game.)
After being forced to freeze the deck in order to discard quite early...I didn't have enough points in my hand to meld 120 anymore. [But a guys got to do what a guys got to do right?] We thrust and parried back and forth all the way down to the very last card that could possibly be drawn when she FINALLY discarded the one card that gave me that huge discard pile. Naturally it took every card I had in my hand to make the meld. Then speaking of naturally I was able to make 5 natural canasta's - 4 others with wild cards, finished laying down the rest of the cards and went out.
Yes, down and out! 4000 points base and 980 points count for a grand point total in the game of 9115 points in a 5000 point victory limit. It was the coolest hand I remember ever playing. Sadly, it was against my wife though and she thinks it would have been a lot more fun to go to a movie tonight...but them's the breaks, babycakes. Movies cost money and card playing is cheap fun - especially when I'm the winner!
I think the reason I'm so excited to tell you this is because usually our games turn out just the opposite. She doesn't seem to remember how ordinarily she's the one with the outrageous good fortune to beat my brains out over and over and over and over and...well, you get the idea.
Anyway, this gloating I know doesn't become me and Gena finds this an unflattering flaw in my character - but hey, I just started this blog - and I wanted to tell someone. Thanks for being here for me. Mike
One of our favorite games is Canasta - it's kind of an old game that isn't as popular as it once was. My parents taught me how to play when I was a kid and I taught Gena and naturally we always employ the Roberts Rules of Order in any household game.
I tell you all of this because we just finished the "rubber game" of our first tournament since we started playing with my new Houston Texans playing cards I got for Christmas...and I didn't just win...no I mercilessly clobbered her with possibly the greatest one hand I've ever had in the forty some odd years I've been playing Canasta.
I already had over 4,000 points as the hands were dealt. According to my planned strategy, this was to be the last hand of the game, but I was going to have to meld 120. Gena went down first - drat! (She was still melding 50 as she had yet to break a thousand in her point total thus far in the game.)
After being forced to freeze the deck in order to discard quite early...I didn't have enough points in my hand to meld 120 anymore. [But a guys got to do what a guys got to do right?] We thrust and parried back and forth all the way down to the very last card that could possibly be drawn when she FINALLY discarded the one card that gave me that huge discard pile. Naturally it took every card I had in my hand to make the meld. Then speaking of naturally I was able to make 5 natural canasta's - 4 others with wild cards, finished laying down the rest of the cards and went out.
Yes, down and out! 4000 points base and 980 points count for a grand point total in the game of 9115 points in a 5000 point victory limit. It was the coolest hand I remember ever playing. Sadly, it was against my wife though and she thinks it would have been a lot more fun to go to a movie tonight...but them's the breaks, babycakes. Movies cost money and card playing is cheap fun - especially when I'm the winner!
I think the reason I'm so excited to tell you this is because usually our games turn out just the opposite. She doesn't seem to remember how ordinarily she's the one with the outrageous good fortune to beat my brains out over and over and over and over and...well, you get the idea.
Anyway, this gloating I know doesn't become me and Gena finds this an unflattering flaw in my character - but hey, I just started this blog - and I wanted to tell someone. Thanks for being here for me. Mike
Friday, January 25, 2008
Welcome to the blog - dawg!
Yes, this is indeed that blog you may have heard so much about. You've found it!
To me, this is one of those pictures that's worth a thousand words and I'd love to read a few of them that reflect your reaction.
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