Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Christian Leadership

Who speaks for you?
Who speaks for Jesus?
Who is Leading Authentic Christianity?

Please watch the following You-Tube videos in full.


A. Bono - U2







B. Dr.Nina Gunter Nazarene General

If you choose "B", Please read the Gospels and return to quiz, Repeat as necessary.


I'd love to hear your thoughts - Steve

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Chastity and Self Control

Those of you who know me, understand that I should not come at this in a pedantic manor. In fact my lack of self-control hangs over my size 40" belt for all the world to see.

With my fundamentalist background, it is very hard for me to not see things in black and white. Is it sin or not. If it is not sin, it is permissible - lets do it.

There is another line of thought that is of some interest to me. If we cannot control these earthly vessels, which are certainly capable of being controlled, how is the Creator to entrust us with a heavenly body. Similarly if we cannot handle our current financial situation, how are we to be trusted with untold riches. (for more on this point see Matthew 25:14-28)

So if we are to abstain from alcohol, trans-fat, or a wild spending spree, maybe we should do it with the above paragraph in mind. Not because a Pizza, a Rum & coke, or a designer suit are sin.

As always - I'm interested in your thoughts.

Thursday, April 26, 2007

Friday, April 20, 2007

I WANT COMMENTS

I spent a lot of time thinking about the 4/13 post - I must have a friend or two that has a thought or opinion!!!!

Sunday, April 15, 2007

Protest Me?

Just a quick thought. My daughter went to an all weekend Concert and Teaching time that was targeted at teen age Christians. About 30K of them met up in Detroit. On the way in my Daughter saw picketers outside with signs the read "We don't want your Theocracy!!"

My first thought was "How can these people picket us, when there are Muslim extremists out there who really do want a theocracy. What is wrong with America these days?" Just about as soon as I thought it, I realized - that it was the easy thought - the lazy thought - the unintellectual thought - the unimportant question.

Here's the important question: What have we been doing as Christians that would give even the most critical the idea that we want to do anything but love one another and share the amazing truth of the Way of Christ to those that we do love?

Just a thought.

Friday, April 13, 2007

Particism, Patriotism, Pacifism, and GOD

I was raised in a basic right-wing middle class republican household. The kind of household where you might hear " How can anyone who calls himself a Christian vote for a person that................"

My father in law and I have been having an ongoing discussion about pacifism. He has been doing some research including spending time with a Mennonite pastor.

My final ;) thoughts, as of 12:40 on April 13th are these:

Satan doesn't care if you are a hawk or a dove as long as you confuse it with your religion. As long as you're spending time, energy, and money on rallies & volunteering, Satan doesn't care if its for the Young Republicans or Greenpeace.
He is just pleased that you have found a "cause" and one that is not showing The Way of Christ to the people with whom he plans to spend a rather unpleasant eternity.
As long as he can keep you wrapped up in being a conservative christian, a liberal christian, or even a vegetarian christian - the more time you will spend in discussion, rallies, and protests and the less time you will spend on Charity & Prayer,what Satan most despises.

I write in the above format as it seems a bit easier to sit and say what I think Satan believes. I have a little harder time pulling together the hootspa to say what God wants. But here it is.

I believe God wants us to have interests and passions while we are here on earth.He has placed passion and opinions within us. It is at the point that we confuse them with our relationship with God by using religion to justify this or that - that we move into dangerous ground that can compromise our relation to Christ.

Humbly submitted with some help from my favorite author C.S. Lewis

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

link

I promised this to my brothers but if you haven't seen them they are worthwhile. Videos are even better if you read the paragraph below each of them first.

http://www.thechurchyouknow.com/ - sorry not hyper - just cut and paste