Christmas 2006

As Pastor Felo said.....Are you still AMAZED?

Part 2 -- "Without A Hitch"

The men. It went as smooth as the first show. Many locals showed up for the event. Again, the Lord shined His mercy and grace upon us....the show went off without a hitch. Even a newcomer, a baby camel, behaved itself. I was able to spend time and entertain some of my local friends.

Empowerment. As the day came to a close the whole expat community was filled with joy. No doubt, it was the result of the Spirit shining upon us all day! Never has an event created such a buzz..around local circles and expat circles.

May God's glory increase....

Part 1 -- "Flawless"

At around 10am local time the first of two installments of the Christmas play went off. This one was for the women. Over 220 local women crowded into the program. The show went off perfectly. All the prayers for animal cooperation, electrical cooperation, and the expat acting were answered by God.

Keep in mind that 2 years ago in this place, the name of Jesus could hardly be muttered. Now, God has led us to do a play on the birth of Jesus. "Outreach" was made evident as an expat man led a prayer to close the show and talked about "sacrifice"...you put the pieces together....it was a supernatural experience.

Praise God for this. Part one is over. Tonight, at 5pm local time, is part two...for the men.

May the name of the Lord reign in this place!

Living Nativity

At the end of this week, the Community here will be putting on a Christmas play. In it, the story of the birth of Jesus will be portrayed. I will be a shepard...I will even have live sheep to try to scurry around and control. We have released flyers, told all of our friends and acquaintances. We are preparing for around 600 people or so.....

This has potential to be huge! Although not dubbed an outreach event, as the Spirit leads there will be lots of sharing and dialogue.

Please pray for protection, guidance, humility, and grace.

May His name be glorified in this place!

Shake, Rattle, and....(What the heck was that!?!?!)

455 am. I was having a cool dream too. I thought it was part of my dream, but when I awoke I realized I was living it, not dreaming it. It was an earthquake. My house was shaking like something fierce. I initially thought it was one of two things: a missile or bomb that hit really close, like in my neighborhood (which isn't much of a stretch), or a bulldozer going through my yard. It ended up being neither, just an earthquake. I have never experienced an earthquake before so this was a first. Needless to say, I didn't fall back asleep on this night.

The rest of the early morning I spent praying for the people who may have been affected by the jolt, since most people have mud houses out here and roofs collapsing are a possibility, and I also spent time praising God. When you experience a partial or a full blown natural disaster you get perspective on the mightiness of God real quick. So, I really spent time praising God for His glory, power, and might.

This is bad theology, at least I think it is...but, nevertheless, as I sat in my bed experiencing my first ever earthquake a thought came across my mind....

Is God trying to get our attention; is He trying to say something?

90%

Back in the U.S. I never got sick. My mother always said to me, “You are the healthiest person I know Grant!!” Yes, by the grace of God I had great health. He’s blessed me so much in this regard. I mean I hadn’t puked for at least 10 years, literally! However, ever since I arrived here I have been almost perpetually sick. If it isn’t one thing, it’s another here. The last bout was with food poisoning. It was nasty. I was up all night, my body was in chaos. I ached all over, you know, when you hurt so much that you can’t sit still…It was terrible.

I attribute this directly to the Enemy and to spiritual warfare. For instance, as most of you know, I tore the ligaments in my ankle, playing in my last basketball game, in the last 10 minutes of the game, a month before I was to head overseas. When I crashed to the ground, immediately I thought……Satan…...and I sat bedazzled, in a heap on the court. I was on crutches wondering if I was going to make my departure date. I have now battled fevers, giardia, colds, chest complications (from the terrible air here), diarrhea, extreme fatigue, aches, pains, and now poisoning….
.
Spiritual warfare. I know this is what is happening. Like an author once said, "We don't understand 90% of what is going on around us." The Enemy attacks like this here. Health issues are very common in the expat community. Satan is doing everything he can to discourage, divide, and dismiss. Luckily, God has been close…and so have loved ones…He always keeps fresh on my mind that life is a gift…always.

Vision Adjusted

Dreams and visions. I've only recently in my life have had the pleasure of having the Lord speak to me using these avenues. It is definitely how I received my revelation concerning the ladies' gym that I hope to be opening in the near future here. But, this time God used two very close friends over here to speak to me...thru THEIR dreams and visions. Both told me about their individual circumstances within a couple days of each other.

One, my best friend here, said she envisioned a learning center along with the gym for ladies here. She is a teacher and desires to teach locals English and Truth. I pictured it in my head...Hmm...It could work.

Next, a lady here came up to me and said she envisioned a center for women that would include an education center, a gym, stores, etc. Ok. Now this is two people...something is going on here.

As most of you know, I have now started moving fully forward in my business plan. I needed clarity from the Lord about what He was saying to me, and to others. I prayed. I asked Him to invade my space. To give me clarity..after all, I needed to get moving on this. As His custom lately with me, He didn't wait long. That very night I had a dream, but I didn't recall much of it when I awoke, just that I received revelation. You know that feeling, right? When you wake up and say: I need to remember what I was just dreaming. I arose and spent the next 30 minutes praying to remember my dream. He answered, again, right away. He gave me one snapshot of the dream, one image.

A gym. But not an ordinary gym. It was a center! It was big! It had lots going on in it..not just fitness exercises. There were definitely other projects happening for women there. Thank you Lord.

Clarity. A change in vision now........
A center, more than just a gym, for the women of this country. I will keep you posted.

Realization

Living here sheds a whole new light on the generational blessing / generational curse concept....

Tuned In

A friend of mine, Enriqueta, posted this reply to one of my posts recently. It couldn't be more true..I had to pass it on to you all and comment on her comment.

"There is something to the way you are living that gets you tuned in."

Yes, there is. It is hard to explain, and certainly isn't quantifiable. But it is this nagging feeling, maybe a nagging circumstance, possibly a nagging Presence.

"Getting tuned in". Yes, that's it. I'm getting very tuned in. Some of the tuning is external, but most has been internal. The Lord has radically, yet caringly, be in the business of "tuning me in" ever since I have arrived here. I have learned so many things about Him, about myself, about life, that frankly wasn't gonna happen at home..it's true.

I would love to go into full detail..but, you see some of this already in other posts, and I would have a hard time conveying exactly what is happening. I pray that He would continue to develop me into the man He desires me to be.

Becoming Fully Alive

The book "Waking the Dead" blew my mind. My friend, John, recommended it to me and it definitely changed my life. To be honest, I was kinda skeptical...I read "Wild at Heart" and to be brutally honest, hated it. I feel his ideas of gender roles were off (but, anyway)..."Waking the Dead" made me realize, along with many other things, the importance of the heart.

I loved the book and my life has slowly been changing ever since then...well, it was changing propositionally at least, until recently. I understood what the author was conveying intellectually, but I was still having a hard time using the knowledge practically...until now. God interfered. He stepped in. He said, "You still don't get it, but now I'm gonna show you..."

I feel like a rose emerging in the spring after a long, cold winter...except my winter lasted approximately 28 years. He has introduced me to a new way of living, or better yet, loving, that I sadly had never experienced before....a Christ-like love, a "put others before yourself" type love, a love that honors and cherishes, a love that seeks not its own, a love that encompasses the Incarnation.

My heart is becoming fully alive. Thank you so much Lord, I know its all you.....

Meno

Reading through the Gospel of John and his epistles', you can't help but notice his infatuation with the word "abide". Check that. One can't help but notice Jesus' usage of the word "abide" and John's recording of it.

Abiding. Not a word used in every day common circles in interaction in today's world, but used by Jesus continually in John, especially chapters 14-16. This word abide, in the original language, Greek (Gk. meno), has a very strong meaning. To abide can mean "to not depart", "to endure", "to await for", or may favorite..."to remain as one, not to become another or different." I like this definition because Jesus, when he talks of abiding, is really trying to drive home a point. He uses the word countless times in these three chapters in John.

Again, abiding. What does this mean to you as a Believer? I think context here is huge. Jesus uses this word to describe His relationship with Father and how our relationship should be with Him. He definitely makes it clear that abiding is something we need to be accountable for..He does His part, I promise you that. Jesus completely abides in the Father. He uses the word abide in a way that it has already happened or is perpetually taking place (i.e. The Trinity). Therefore, he urges His followers to do the same with Him. He wants the same relationship with His followers as He has with Father...he loves us that much, He wants to show us what that looks like. "To become as one" as the Greek says..Jesus wants to become as one with us.

Why is this concept so important? Why is it crucial to our Walk? I think it is because the word abide seems to indicate that when one is practicing it separation isn't possible..it is set! We need that! And finally, as Jesus finishes using this type of rhetoric He moves right into a discourse of the coming rejection and persecution. He knows He will need the Father when His time for suffering comes, and He knows we will need Him when our time comes. It is no coincidence that Jesus talks about abiding and then jumps right into hardships that will come...We must and have to...abide!

Escape-ism

The NFL started this week. I love football and miss it already since I've been "here". I even have my brother taping some games to me and sending them over even though they will be really outdated by the time they arrive. So, today since I couldn't watch the games, I scoped out all the box scores and tried to get a feel for how they went. I love it and miss it.

When people ask me why I enjoy sports so much, I usually respond that it's an escape for me. "It gets me away from reality for a while, gives me space." I began to realize that I say this phrase a lot though. I say it concerning many things. Sports. Weightlifting. Fantasy Sports (and lots of 'em!). Hours at Starbucks and/or Barnes & Noble. Carrie Underwood. Sitting in my room meditating instead of going out. Reading. Listening to my MP3 player. Internet use.

Escape-ism. I have begun to realize that this is an issue for me. I used to think that I needed this time, but the fact is, I am almost escaping my whole day away sometimes. What am I running from? I have no idea. Why am I sharing this? Another good question. But whatever I'm running from, I'm tired of running from it. I share this as a confession and a way of not trying to escape....again......

The 5th Commandment

"What is that doing here?"....is what I originally recall my brain saying as I read in Exodus 20. It didn't make sense to me. Seminary taught me to read the Bible and look for patterns and/or themes in various texts and lists. So, to me, the 5th commandment is out of place. Let me show you what I mean.

The first four commandments are obvious (a future post on the 4th commandment to come shortly). They deal with relations between God and His people. Not to have other gods before Him, to not serve idols, to not take the Lord's name in vain, and to honor the Sabbath. Then number five comes along. Ok, a transition, moving from relations with God to man, to relations between mankind with each other...That's ok, except that the transition seems out of place to me.

First of all, the rest of the commandments are all imperatives said in a negative fashion. "Do not do" this and that...the 5th commandment isn't. In fact, the 5th commandment is also the only commandment that comes with a blessing. Amazing! So, what is this command:

Honor your father and your mother.

Obviously since this is a commandment it is important, but the verbage and placement of this commandment seems to stress its importance. It is the first commandment regarding our relationhips with one another, and that is important. In fact, Proverbs highlights this relationship as well saying that "a wise son makes his father glad, but a foolish son is the grief of his mother" (Prov. 10:1)..also see Prov. 4:1, 15:20, 17:6, 17:21, 17:25, 20:20, 23:24, and 29:3.

The practical application. In my opinion, this commandment is a lost treasure. In America honoring father and mother is not vital, but it is to God. I remember many times in which I failed honoring my mother and her life and her work.

The 5th commandment: May God write on our hearts the importance of this command.

I Must Confess

The thought of sitting in a booth as I spill all of my weekly sins makes me feel like vomiting. I mean, c'mon, isn't that a little legalistic in some sense. Well, that is what I used to think up until recently. Not that I would ever sit in a booth and spill my guts to a priest, but I have come to find that confession is a practice all Believers need to make a point of doing.

Confession. A practice I have managed to sidestep, either advertently or inadvertently, for much of my life. I would ask for forgiveness from the Lord and others I have wronged, but rarely would I ever "confess" of anything, and there is a difference between asking forgiveness and confessing....as I have come to find.

The Lord put it on my heart to start confessing instead of just dealing with forgiveness. The process has been priceless. The Word is so clear about the need for this and for so long I have wondered why I have felt like I am carrying weights around with me (even when I'm not in the gym!). I aired some stuff this week. To God....To friends....and it has been truly refreshing. I even had a confessional with a couple of people I barely even know at Fellowship.

Sometimes I wonder why God doesn't just give us it all at once, but I'm not Him, and I probably couldn't handle every aspect of His will at once. It took Seminary for me to realize the importance of the Old Testament, it took the book Red Moon Rising for me to realize the epic importance of prayer, Urbana '03 to realize the importance of the Great Commission, and the summer of '06 to realize the importance of confession...which is in fact, itself, a confession.

Too Much Information

I am an introvert (contrary to what some of you might think!). Therefore, I don't offer much deep, personal stuff to many people. It's not my problem! (as my language teacher says...I told him to learn a new English word....Fault.."its not your fault".) And its not my fault either, God made me this way. However, I thought I would give it a shot...a safe shot, yes, but a shot nonetheless.

My August 21st journal entry:
Dreams. For the past three nights in a row I have had dreams I wish I hadn't. The first, terrorists got a hold of about 50 people, including me, and took us hostage. I woke up as they were clearing the city out that I lived in. Bad dream. The second, the plane that I was on crashed into he middle of some European grassland. No one died, but as I sat in the back of the plane my whole life flashed before my eyes. Another bad one. The third, I had a dream about an ex-girlfriend of mine. In it, she asked for us to get back together. I hesitated, well, up until she said and did this..."Can anyone touch you like this?" and she put her arms around me and hugged me. The feeling is one I'll never forget even though I was asleep. It zapped me, reached to the core of me. It gave me a feeling I have never had before..it felt like, love. Thus, I responded, "No, I haven't been touched like that before."

The subconscious. Hard to explain why I would dream such things. Well, until I really gave it some thought. Maybe its not so hard to understand. Is it fear? Could I possibly fear all of these things? Or, could it be held down concscious thought?....things I push deep into me. Could I just be denying these aspects of my life, not dealing with them? Both ideas/conclusions could make sense. I don't like flying, have a healthy (and I stress, healthy) fear of terrorists, and one or maybe 80, of my friends say I am afraid of love. Things I am afraid of in my subconscious. Or, I don't like flying and I will be doing a lot for the rest of my life, am living in the age of terrorism, and also desiring to find that someone. All real life stuff, in your face stuff...not subconscious, but conscious thought. Whatever it is, I have a hard time believing it is just dreams of chance. I'll seek Him....

There you go. An aspect of me that is usually hidden. Maybe next time I'll wait until you ask.....

Women and Gyms

Women and Gyms. Broadly, that was my call. I didn't ask for it, much like I didn't request to be living where I currently dwell. But, HE gave it to me. It started 3 years ago in Seminary. Daydreaming in my class (oops, did I say during class, I meant inbetween classes..yeah, that's it) of how I can take a Western concept to the world. He kept pestering me. He kept giving me passion and drive to do it...to bring the Message to these groups: women and gyms. A subculture. A "subculture" you ask? Yes, here, a subculture.

Fastforward to now. Still women and gyms. Lord, you know where I am, right?!?! Confirmation. Obedience. Focus. Two days ago I met with a woman. This isn't supposed to happen, just ask all the "experts". She poured out her heart to me. All of it. Deep stuff. She gave me the garbage. She was worn out, totally wiped. I paused.....

"You need to know something, and never forget this....God loves you more than you could ever imagine."

We sat in silence.

He gave it to me. He did this.

A Manifestation of the Spirit

Going over Acts again. Thought it might be an appropriate time, ya know, the start of the Church and all. I love getting little gems, nuggets of Truth that hit me like a splash of cold water on the face. I got that feeling in Acts 4.

To set context, Peter and John had just been arrested for preaching "resurrection from the dead." They had to face the Sanhedrin and explain what the heck they were doing. Verse 8 gets the ball rolling. "Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit.....". I love it. Right away Luke shares with us that this whole episode would be led and governed by the Spirit. Well, Peter goes on to tell everyone present how wondrous deeds have been done in Christ's name and then jumps right to the Gospel message. How's that for a defense? The onlookers were astonished. Verse 13 goes on to say that they "saw the BOLDNESS of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, and marveled." Peter and John were released as the Sanhedrin couldn't find fault.

I couldn't help but notice this key point: The Holy Spirit and Boldness are interrelated. Boldness, I believe, is a manifestation of the Spirit.

Peter and John went on to share what had happened with their companions. Everyone was excited, so excited that they professed that no man could withstand the anointing. They thus prayed, "Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to your servants that with all BOLDNESS they may speak Your word." (verse 29). As soon as they were done praying these things, the place they were standing was shaken and "they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with BOLDNESS." (verse 31).

Once again, the intimate connection of the Holy Spirit with Boldness. I can't help but think that a key ingredient to establishing faith communities is boldness, much like the initial faith community in Acts 4.

My New Transportation

Riding a bike on a rock riddled, dirt road - sore butt

Weaving in and out of chaotic, lawless traffic - scrapes and bruises

Trading in the Dodge Durango for a Chinese bicycle - PRICELESS!

Hello Big World

Upon reflection, this ranks fairly high. In fact, I would say it ranks as the 2nd biggest day in my life thus far. It came like a sudden flash. I have been preparing for this day for the last 3 years of my life. Now its here. July 28th, 2007. All I can think of as I sit in a state of numbness: Lord, be with me. He promised He would in His Word, and I cling to that promise.....

Against Nineveh

Nahum: another prophet of the good ole days that is often overlooked, like my boy Amos. As I mentioned in a former post, I love getting into the books of the prophet's because....they bring it, and for the most part they call out idolatry and social justice. It's awesome indeed.

With the canonical book of Nahum I got a different lesson (again, not that this lesson isn't in every other book, but it really hit me during the reading of this book). The focus: the character of God. So, Nahum 1:1 starts out with this, "The burden against Nineveh." Wow. Ok. That's direct. Most of you know about Nineveh, for those who don't, a quick mention that it was a city of the great Assyrian Empire that gave Israel, well, hell. God is unhappy with Nineveh, but not because it went up against Israel, but because of the lack of repentance (also see the book of Jonah) of its people.

Ok. Ok. I'll get to the point. Verse 2 of this initial chapter starts right in with the vengeance of God. Words like "furious", "jealous", "wrath", and "adversaries" are all used to describe God and His disposition towards Nineveh. But then, just like the God we all know, He comes up with this gem: "The Lord is slow to anger" (1:3). Amazing isn't it. Furthermore, the text then goes on to describe how the Lord has His way and that he "rebukes the sea" and how the "hills melt" before him and that the "rivers all dry up". He also says "Who can stand before His indignation?" (1:6) and that His fury is "poured out like fire". Then, another gem: The Lord is good (1:7).

So, admist all of this tough, righteous speech, the Lord still loves! Nineveh was obviously hurting the Lord and since He is righteous He had every reason to deliver them to their crap (like He could with us), yet He was still slow to anger. And even more, the lesson learned is that the Lord is very righteous indeed and very good. Thank you Father.

That You May Live

Amos was a sweet prophet. I guess it wouldn't be hard for one to figure out why I liked him so much. He focused primarily on Israel's lack of social justice as opposed to other prophets during his time that focused on idolatry (not that condemning idolatry isn't great as well). Also, he makes it very clear that God used him to be a prophet and that he wasn't raised to be one, he was a sheepbreeder. I love this guy!

I underlined many lines concerning social justice. They are all over the place in this book. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone in order to refresh themselves with God's concern for the unconcerned. To show this there is a certain part of Amos that struck me. To me this passage wasn't so "in your face" rhetoric, but definitive nonetheless.....and I'm praying that I am not using eisegesis in this....The Lord is calling Israel to repentance in Amos 5. He starts His plea by saying, "Seek Me and live" (Amos 5:4). He then restates Himself, "Seek the Lord and live" (Amos 5:6). He then gives an awesome account about how He is God over all of creation. He then again rebukes Israel for their disregard for the needy and oppressed. Finally, as He calls to repentance again, He says, "Seek good and not evil, That you may live; So that the Lord God of hosts will be with you" (Amos 5:14).

I find it interesting that the Lord says this in the context of social injustice.
Amazing! I would invite everyone to ponder and meditate on this.

Boiling Point

As Believers we need to be praying about this. I have been able to spend a little bit of time following this situation. Here are some personal observations:

1. This conflict goes deeper than just a few abducted soldiers. Really, this conflict seems to be more about the land, which goes far back in time, rather than recent uprisings.
2. Hezbollah, the radical Islamic group, very clearly started this mess, but Israel has retaliated in an exponentially greater way (again, this stems from observation #1).
3. The Bush Adminstration is eerily silent right now.
4. Iran is suddenly out of the news....hmmm, wonder what that means?!?! Could they be involved in this?
5. Lebanon has numerous members of Hezbollah in government and won't stand up to them as a country.
6. War is already upon the Middle East.

This is major stuff ya'll. We need to pray; hard! Pray for peace...don't just pray for Israel..pray for everyone.

God help us.

I Pledge Allegiance.......To God

I am surrounded by people who feel that I do not properly pay homage to the country I live in and the 'freedom' I experience from living here. I can understand their sentiments, they are just very patriotic and are like many Believers who say that the United States is the best country in the world.

I am very thankful that I was born here in the US, but perhaps more importantly, I am very thankful that I was born period. This is only by the grace of God. Thus, I have a different worldview of this life. I focus mostly on my identity through Christ, not my country of origin.

I feel the Word is very clear about this temporal life; and our journey through it.

1. Believers are sojourners, or vagabonds in this temporal world.
2. Believers allegiance should be to God only, anything less is idolatry (see the Prophets).
3. True freedom is experienced internally, not externally.
4. God loves ALL people and views us all as equals.

So, although this country offers great benefits (at least perceived benefits): freedom, rights, security, stability, substance, etc.., it can never offer more than the Lord. Also, country lines are man made lines and although the United States offers much, it leaves much to be desired as well. Americans can be so easily blinded by Satan into a false sense of identity. The 'benefits' of this land can also be curses in disguise. So forgive me for not being patriotic, I am pledging my allegiance to God and Him alone who loves and desires people of all tribes, tongues, and nations to know Him.

Snap, Crackle, Pop!

It was my last basketball game in the United States. Leading a fast break, I planted and immediately as I elevated off my left foot I knew I was in trouble. Multiple snaps and a bad fall to the ground my basketball life in the USA was over as I knew it. The fact that I won't play basketball here anymore is of little relevance to me. However, seeing as I am trying to leave overseas within the next month and Arizona within the next two weeks, the timing is horrible. So, to the Evil One, you may be able to take my ankle but you cannot take my Spirit! I would ask that all of you who read this to pray for me. Pray for a speedy recovery and that I do not have to delay leaving overseas. Thank you very much!

The Postmodern Culture (now!)

Life in the Western world is changing as we speak. It is hard for any of us to understand this because none of us have experienced a shift in culture in our lifetimes. "Every few hundred years in Western history there occurs a sharp transformation. Within a few short decades, society rearranges itself--its world view; its basic values; its social and political structure; its arts; its key institutions. Fifty years later, there is a new world. And the people born then cannot even imagine the world in which their grandparents lived and into which their parents are born. We are currently living through such a transition." -Peter Drucker, Post-Capitalist Society.

Yes, we are in this transition. It is important for the church and Believers to understand this change or the ramifications will be huge. Postmodern culture is vastly different than modernism.


"If it makes you happy, it can't be that bad." --Sheryl Crow

"I go to synagogue, I study Hinduism...all paths lead to God." --Madonna

Whereas the modern culture stresses epistemology through science-based reason, postmodern culture understands truth and knowledge through experience. This is key in understanding postmodern culture. There is a self-determined pluralistic view of culture and religion. Why is this happening? I feel it is fairly simple to understand. There is also a shift happening from Westernization to Globalization. This is because of a communication revolution as we notice a shift from a print culture to an electronic-based, worldwide culture. There is no longer any reason why an American shouldn't know what is happening in Uganda, or Turkey. We now have access to other stories, other viewpoints, other cultures. Thus, a more pluralistic mindset is emerging because Americans are finally seeing that the rest of the world is a much different place than America, not worse or better, just different. A growing awareness that other cultures, non-European, non-Western cultures, must be met by means other than conquest or domination. Postmoderns are embracing this and it changes how they "do life".

So, the shift is on. Pluralism (relativism) is huge for postmoderns in all aspects of life. "What is good for you is good for you" is a prevailing thought for this culture. There are beautiful things about this, and some potential disasters regarding this as well. The church will have to be able to address these issues properly. Experience is big. Postmoderns don't want their brains to dictate their lives. They believe the whole core of the senses and life as it unfolds to be truth. Propositional truths are becoming obsolete. Therefore, as I concluded at the end of my modern post, I will suggest to you that as moderns tend to be governed by their brains, I believe postmoderns are governed by their senses...or dare I say, heart. More to come.

Hail Argentina!

Yes, I have been paying attention (maybe even more than the normal person) to the World Cup. And I can't help but give my allegiance to Argentina. Why might you ask? Well, as most of you know, I have spent more time on Argentine soil than any other in my life besides the USA. I love the culture, the people, and their soccer. So, alas! Hail Argentina!

Mortals! Hear the sacred cry:

"Freedom, freedom, freedom!"

Hear the noise of broken chains,

see the Noble equality enthroned.

The United Provinces of the South have

now opened their very honorable throne.

And the free people of the world reply:

"To the great Argentine people, Cheers!"

"To the great Argentine people, Cheers!"

And the free people of the world reply:

"To the great Argentine people, Cheers!"

Quotes That Convict Me

"To want to admire, instead of follow Christ, is not an invention of bad people; no it is more an invention of those who spinelessly want to keep themselves detached at a safe distance from Jesus". --Soren Kierkegaard

"All around you people will be tiptoeing through life, just to arrive at death safely. But dear children, do not tiptoe. Run, hop, skip, or dance, just don't tiptoe".

The Modern Culture (1500-2000)

To know where we are heading, we must see first where we came from. Modernism, as first realized probably during the Enlightenment, can be summed up like this:

"I think, therefore I am." --Rene Descartes

"Knowledge is power." --Francis Bacon

This is the modern understanding, epistemology as we know it. Today I will talk about the cultural change, in the secular sense, if you will, and eventually I will undertake the ramifications of this on church culture.

Modernists tend to view knowledge (epistemology) as a man-centered trust in reason to discover truth. Thus, power and faith come in the form of reasoning, science, and logic. This is also used to understand God. Communication was spurned on by the invention of the printing press and thus learning was manifested through reading. Modernists are usually governed by a rational, logical system of learning. Truth is absolute and could be attained, or known. Knowledge was mostly "local", as global communication was not available. Thus, what was happening in the Western world was heavily important to modernists, it was reality.

We can all see modernity around us everywhere. One needs to look no further than the mega-church to see it. But as we move out of the modern world and into the postmodern, we must know what the big change is all about, so we can respond appropriately.

Overall, if there is one idea that I am trying to convey about modernity it would be this: the brain. Modernists tend to view reality through the head. This is key, and will be crucial to further posts.

The Postmodern Undercurrent

Labels. I personally love them. Some I equate to myself include:

Orthodox Postmodern Evangelical
Orthodox Progressive Christian
Emergent

etc. etc. Two of these I came up with off the top of my head, one is very broad. Most postmoderns do not like being put in a box, I however, do!

Since I have not been working recently, I have had ample time to read and learn over the last couple of months. I have learned a lot, and my faith has been stretched. I am going to address an issue that needs to be addressed, because it hits home and if we do not address it we will "miss the boat" as Believers. It is a complex issue and it is an issue that needs lots of time and space so I will not tackle every part of it here, today. Rather, I will string out numerous posts on the issue and look forward to having some feedback from it.

The issue? Postmodernism, or emergent, or progressive thought/culture/Christianity. For those of you who are not privy to the shifting landscape within Christianity in America, I would say:

1. Where have you been?
2. Let's talk.

There is an undercurrent, a huge undercurrent in Evangelical Christianity as we know it today. Even greater perhaps and certainly correlated is the undercurrent in society in general. A new way of thinking is emerging (pun intended), and the old way is becoming obsolete. Postmodern thought is sweeping over America erasing modern thinking as we know it. The ramifications of this are huge; positively and negatively. This current is invading "sacred" ranks as well "secular" ranks. It is here to stay as well.

There are numerous things I find appealing to this change (which I will address soon), but there are also some blatant pitfalls that need to be discussed.

Let's talk.

Foundation

The foundation of Faith cannot be cracked,
only abandoned.
Roots sink deeper than reason can fathom,
The silence shattering chaos of personal experience can leave mind frame tattered,
Typhoon wind of mass influence can make one wonder if the spiritual is what's really matterin'.
Persevere,
The House is only settling.
Your Spirit is still forming under God's hand,
Whittling away until the day when you become one
with the Foundation
and nothing can pull you apart or away.....

Ahhh, Yeah.....

Everyone.
Please meet Carrie.
Carrie,
meet everyone.

P.S.
I love you; Namaste!
(And yes, we are on a first name basis now...the future is looking bright... details to come!)

Tomorrow's Church

I thought of it as a type of a summit. Well, except that we all consider ourselves less than extraordinary. Summits consist of "important" people deciding on "important" issues. That's not us...well, not as a collective whole. Some here are church pastors; Some are music leaders (haha Gibson); Some are engaged in "frontline" holistic ministry; All are lovers of humanity. It was nice to refresh and reconnect with these men of God (especially in San Diego....pity us!). These are some faces of men whom will usher in the church in this 21st century. We all came from different parents, theological presuppositions, denominations, and lifestyles. We all have different visions, different theories on how to reach the new generation, and different calls in life. Yet, there were some tight threads that bind us all together. A love for the Lord, a love for His inerrant (yes, that's right postmoderns...I said inerrant) Word, a love for ALL people, and a love for the church......oh, and a general distaste for our President....wow, had to throw in that didn't I !?!? Praise God for friends.

I Was Predestined To Write This

I kinda gave up on theology after Seminary. That's not to say that I do not like studying God, but dwelling on dispensational/covenant, post/a/pre millenial, post/pre trib. rapture wore me out. I do think it is important to study and search Scriptures regarding any type of theology but not at the expense of your own personal walk, and that is what started happening to me. Instead, I have enjoyed the last year or so of strictly focusing on personal application of the Word (how it is speaking to me; in today's world, not necessarily looking through the lens of the author and/or audience) and resting in simplistic ideas of the Bible, such as His love, grace, etc. It has been so rewarding and fruitful for me.

But now I am back in the theology fold....well, a little bit. God has placed some awesome people in my life and some unique circumstances that has required me to dig deep into God's essence again. Recently, God has put numerous people in my life asking me my opinion on predestination/free will. Some of these people are new to this idea so my words have had to be delicate. Yet, as most of you know I am very opinionated...having said that though, I am not very dogmatic in a lot of my opinions. For instance, regarding eschatology, I am not set on my beliefs. I am open to new ideas and God's leading. So, back to predestination/free will. I will state in this entry my viewpoint on it, however, because of space issues I will not be able to go very in-depth with it. If someone wants to ask me something, just email me. But I would also recommend inquiring of people like John Lynch, John DelHousaye, Brett Berger, Josh Johnson, etc. etc. for different viewpoints and/or better knowledge altogether.

Here it is:

"God's predetermination is in accord with His foreknowledge. 1 Peter 1:2 declares that we are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God. That is to say, there is no chronological or logical priority of election and foreknowledge. As a simple being, God's attributes are one with His indivisible essence. Hence, both foreknowledge and predetermination are one in God. Thus, whatever God knows He determines, and whatever He determines He knows. (God knowingly determining and determingly knowing from all eternity everything that happens, including all free acts.) 1 Peter 1:2 teaches not the logical order of election in relation to foreknowledge, but the fact that they are coextensive. In other words, all aspects of the eternal purpose of God are equally timeless. For if God is an eternal being, then His thoughts must be coordinate and unified."

Or, simply put... haha

"Whatever He forechooses cannot be based on what He foreknows. Nor can what He foreknows be based upon what He forechooses. Both must be simultaneous and coordinate acts of God. Thus God knowingly determined, and determingly knew from all eternity everything that would come to pass, including all free acts. Hence, there are truly free actions and God determined they would be such. God then, is totally sovereign in the sense of actually determining what occurs and yet humans are completely free and responsible for what they choose."

This is called Thomism. It makes sense to me. It reconciles Scriptures that talk about God's election of those who follow Him and Scripture that tells us He wishes all would come to know Him and His love for the whole world. This idea is hard to fathom, mostly because our finite minds cannot wrap around an infinite God, but if it could we would be God. I like the mystery.

To Go Or Not To Go: The DaVinci Dilemma

Should a Believer go to "The DaVinci Code"? I have been asked this question by a lot of people lately. Not that I am any authority to answer this question, but I will give you my opinion anyway.

No. I do not feel a Believer should attend this movie. Many will say that we should go see it so we know what it is about and thus be prepared to answer questions coming our way. Though I can see the validity of this position, I do not feel it is the correct one. Most people know what the movie is about. And if you don't, here is the main premise of the film. Jesus "knew" (the biblical term for, ah, knowing someone...ummm...intimately....ah, yeah...ok...they had sex) Mary Magdalene and she had His son. Thus, in DaVinci's painting of the "Last Supper" the "effeminate" persona depicted is not the beloved disciple John, but rather Mary herself. Basically its heresy. The book (and thus probably the movie) goes into the Vatican's cover-up of a secret only known to an elite group. The rest of the book is the adventure to uncover this secret.

Ok...So, basically its about the Savior of the world having a woman and a son. That is exactly the reason why we should not see this movie. We all should be able to formulate a defense for this heresy without seeing the movie itself. If one feels they need to know more they can go on the world wide web and find just about anything concerning the movie. The fact is that probably no one is going to ask you any questions about the Vatican, or the Knights Templar, or Priory of Sion, but rather if Jesus did in fact do these things.

When someone uses the Lord's name in vain on TV, or a show uses Jesus' name to describe some one as a "holy roller", or when something I see is just blatantly against God's essence on TV, I try not to watch it. I feel the same way about this. A Believer should not spend $10 to watch a movie that portrays Jesus' life this way, we should turn away, just like we would turn the TV channel if God was being badgered.

I would love to hear feedback on this.

Adoniram Judson

"Suffering and success go together. If you are succeeding without suffering, it is because others before you have suffered. If you are suffering without succeeding, it is so that others after you may succeed."

Some people don't know who this man is. Adoniram Judson was a man perfectly comfortable is his faithlessness. Well, until a life-changing night at an inn that he haphazardly fell upon during his travels. There was one room left, but the innkeeper forewarned the tired Judson of the implications of taking that room. Next door a man lie, in excruciating pain, dying, and a good night's sleep would be out of the question. Judson took the room anyway. In bed that night Judson listened to the "gasps of breath and grimacing cries" of his neighbor. The night "woke" Judson up. The next morning he found out his neighbor passed. He asked the innkeeper what his name was. Jacob Eames was his name. He would learn that this was the same Jacob Eames that was one of the most brash atheists in his class at Brown University. Judson went reeling for answers.

Within a year, his life was the Lord's. He heard a sermon named "The Star in the East", a message about the gospel's impact in India. Through this sermon and long meditation in Scripture, Judson realized he was being called to the Far East. Keep in mind, this was a time when there were no boards to send out people, no contacts to reach home, no game plans, and yet Judson was willing to take the challenge. A challenge is exactly what it would become.

Three of his children would die from disease. When war broke out between the British and the Burmese, Judson would be tagged as a British spy and for this he would pay a hefty price. He would be chained by the ankles to a bamboo pole that was lifted above his head at night, driven barefoot for miles through fiery sands that caused blistering of the skin, starved to emaciation, and tortured daily.

Somehow, God gave him strength--even during his 18 months of cruel confinement--to continue and finally complete his translation of the entire Bible in the Burmese language. And though his wife would died much too young from tropical illness, he dealt with his grief by returning to his work--leading more than 7,000 to Christ, establishing churches, and blazing the trail as the first American missionary on foreign soil.

That was Adoniram Judson. What's your story?

Tami and Christa

I have been a Christian since junior high. I have grown up around believers and a great church. I have went to Seminary. I have promised my life to God's work. Yet, the Lord has reasoned to place in my life two amazing individuals that have taught me more about faith and about Him then anything else in the last couple critical months of my life.

Tami and Christa. Both somewhat "new" believers. But both with a faith and fire that I can only imagine makes Satan shudder at the thought. I can just picture him now....it makes me smile. You see, these women have known Jesus for much shorter of a time than I have, however they have both made me realize the majesty of our Lord. They remind me of my initial transformation, when God, after I had nothing of worth left, thought enough of me to bring me back to Him (thanks Christa for reminding me of this). The ruler of the universe who undoubtedly had a million better things to be doing at the time, like hearing prayer from His faithful, bothered with this degenerate, pathological sinner and worker of iniquity.

You see, its easy to begin to think you have it all together. You know your calling, you are educated, you love God. And within that paradigm you lose sight of the One that is doing all the work, the One who saved you and counted you worthy when you could do nothing but run back to your own vomit and eat. Thank you Tami and Christa for enlightening my life, for showing me once more what life is all about, for making real the unparalleled Word of God, which tells us, "We must be like children....."

Invisible Children

I'm in. Are you? If you want to go, holla at me. This event and the awareness it brings will be worth sleeping on the ground. As Jim Wallis said,"Faith is always personal, but never PRIVATE." We must act.

www.invisiblechildren.com

My Heart Is Full

This week my home church, Scottsdale Bible, hosted a festival for all of its "workers" and it was fantastic. Luis Palau, a famous Argentine evangelist (and prophet if you ask me), was at the church and just simply "brought it". It was such an honoring event and awareness was manifest throughout the congregation. To quote one of my fellow workers, "My heart is full." Very few times in my life I have experienced a feeling like this, but this was one of those times. Thank you Lord.

God Bless USAnd others too...I guess...

Yes folks, its out there......Sad but true.

Calling

How I know my calling:

Whenever I look at a globe anymore,

I cannot help but cry.

"Rejoice." --Jesus

I thought about countless things I could write today, but thanks to my friend Lynch, this would be best: Thank you Lord Jesus.

"Truly this was the Son of God." Matt. 27:54

A Night At Kingdom Hall

I told people I knew that I was going. I got blank stares. I got the "why" questions. I even had people respond like I was going to a strip club or something. It is amazing to see and hear the different reactions my news received.

His name is Richard. It was the usual "fight or flight" mechanism that swept over me. I had five seconds before he and his buddy would knock on my door. I could answer or I could let then just walk away and add to their 98% rejection rate as I would later find out is their percentage of rejection. I answered. A relationship was formed. He first went into his evangelism like I was someone who never had heard of the Bible. It was great, until he saw my Bible laying on my couch. I offered him a seat to his surprise, along with a drink. He was shocked. Frankly, it is what Jesus would have done I feel, so I let the Spirit guide me this day. It was great. We talked for over an hour, mostly about the doctrine of the Trinity. He left and promised to return after I ensured him that I would like to dialogue more about this.

Richard was back next week. This time we talked about holidays and the such, since Jehovah's Witness do not celebrate Christmas, birthdays, etc...It was another time of great interaction. He asked me if I would go to the celebration of the Lord's Supper with him and his family Wednesday. I promised him I would be there, much to his delight.

Wednesday night was an eye-opening time. I got to hear the message they proclaim. I got to watch interaction of everyone. But most of all, my relationship with Richard progressed even further. You see, people do not understand why I would go this. Its simple. For the same reason I would want my non-Christian friends to say "yes" to me when I invite them to church. I don't want to be a hypocrite. I want to meet people where they are at. I want to be in their world...Paul seemed ok with this approach. How else are we going to reach them?

Holy Ground

The Memorial Union. Better known as the MU to students at ASU, it is the location that thousands make their way through on campus each day. On this Palm Sunday at 6am it is vacant. In fact, there are only a few people I see on the campus grounds all morning...well...except for those praying for ASU. As I walked into Danforth Chapel on site I am somewhat surprised to see 5 people engaged in Spirit-filled worship and prayer. I mean, it is 6am on a Sunday morning at ASU and these students care and love their campus so much that they sacrifice sleep and many other things to lift up their campus to God.

For a week straight not one minute of one hour was missed. Continual prayer and worship never ceased. I met wonderful people. Prophets....Saints....Sinners.... People like Chris who was one of the visionaries for this movement coming to Tempe. Amber Z. and Cindi whose contagious smiles and spirits were uplifting. Shawn, an amazing man who held down many of the 1am or 3am shifts. Remarkable.

As I sat at home last night I couldn't shake the obvious yearning to go back to ASU and continue doing this. This movement has radically changed my life and my soul. God met me at ASU...a place that I don't even go to school anymore....a place that up to this week I never thought I would step foot on again. My prayer is that '24-7 prayer' catches fire all around this world. Thank you Father God.

www.24-7prayer.com , www.loveASU.com

124 Hours Down, 44 To Go

The 24-7 prayer movement at Arizona State University has been amazing. I have been able to spend many hours down at the school this past week and have witnessed the ramifications of bringing this type of Spirit to a campus ranked #3 on Playboy's party schools list.

Most of my time there has been spent alone as I hold down a prayer bloc or two. Sometimes it is hard to focus. After all, thousands of students are pouring by the prayer area throughout the day. Sororities and Fraternity's gear up for "A" week and situate themselves within shouting distance of our area. Music blares as a rocker screams out mild profanity to the delight of onlookers. Nevertheless, God is there. Right there, in the midst of all this chaos. He meets me there as I lift up prayer for ASU and whatever else is on my heart.

50,000+ students, faculty, employees, etc. have been lifted up to God for about 124 hours straight now. Some crazy stuff has happened in this time. We will continue through Palm Sunday. I cannot wait to share more with you, so keep a close ear.

www.loveASU.com

Exclusive Photo: Whale That Ate Jonah Found!

Well, not really...but, two fish on one line isn't bad for a guy from the suburbs of Scottsdale. Deep sea fishing was a blast, I highly recommend it.

www.loveASU.com

Back in 1999 a group of Jesus followers knew something drastic needed to happen to help Christendom. Thus, the 24-7 prayer movement began. Founded in Europe, this movement dedicated continual prayer throughout day and night for a consecutive month hoping to spurn on revival. The movement was so successful that it lasted for more than a month, more than a year, and continues even today.

On Sunday, April 2nd, the movement awakens in Arizona. For 24 hours during the week of April 2-9, Jesus followers will be lifting up Arizona to the Lord. The focus will be on the campus of Arizona State University. Having gone to that school for my undergrad work, I know it needs the prayer. Even though ASU is the focus, prayer will be lifted up for Phoenix in general also.

History has shown us that God wants prayer and responds to prayer. Will you join us? Anyone interested in mobilizing for this event please contact me via email or by "commenting" on this blog. I plan on going down every day and we can hash out times that everyone can go. Prayer blocs last for an hour. Having read the book about this prayer movement, Red Moon Rising, I can promise you God will meet us there and none of us will ever be the same........

For more info visit..... www.loveASU.com, www.24-7prayer.com

Falling In Love

Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus? This question is posed countless times as Evangelicals try to find out the status of one's soul. This is something I have always struggled with. As I learned in seminary, the idea of having a personal relationship with Christ (or inviting Him into your heart) is a foreign concept biblically. Now before you brand me as a heretic, hear me out.

Repentance and belief. This is the biblical way to eternal salvation. So, for years I would sleepwalk through my faith journey knowing that I BELIEVED in Jesus and what He had done for me and also recognized I was a sinner in need of REPENTANCE. But I never fully grasped what it meant to know Jesus intimately. You see, even though my belief and repentance was enough to secure me to heaven as a final destination, it never filled me up with this idea of being in love with God, only duty and obligation. And as we all can attest, that type of faith only lasts for so long.

I fought this for a long time. I figured that since the Bible specifically does not call us into a personal relationship with Christ (in those terms) then I really did not need to pursue it, even though countless people around me were experiencing it. I also had people tell me it was because I was raised without a father and thus lost the intimate way of dealing with the Lord. It was a true mess I tell ya. All I know is that my faith lacked something.....And I knew what it was: I was not in love with God, I loved Him, but I was not in love with Him.

Then it hit me like a ton of bricks. This will sound so simple, but for me it had escaped me for so long. My life radically changed when I found this simple truth. To have a personal relationship with Christ is to try to pattern your life after His teachings. Hello! It is so easy, but I had lacked the devotion to try my hardest to live like Jesus. Now I try hard to do this. I fail a lot and I succeed also, but I can finally say that this revelation of trying to pattern my life after Jesus has led me to fall in love with Him. Its a great feeling.

Have you met my mother.......Hannah?

First off, as most of you know, my mother's name is not Hannah. It is JoAnn, but after reading through 1 Samuel I couldn't help but notice the similarities and I had to give my mommy props. 1 Samuel opens with an account of a woman named Hannah who was barren and unable to have kids, as was thought by my mother who adopted me in 1978 (she later was able to have kids...thank God..because now I have the best brother and sister in the world).

So, Hannah pleaded with the Lord for a child and the Lord "remembered her" (1 sam. 1:19) and blessed her with a son, Samuel. Hannah was overcome with joy and thankfulness. Being an obvious woman of God, she recognized that the child was not her's but rather the Lord's and uttered this remarkable bit. "For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition which I asked of Him. Therefore I also have lent him to the Lord; as long has he lives he shall be lent to the Lord." (1 Sam. 1:27-28)

I couldn't help but think of my mother upon reading this. I am going away to a place that is considered dangerous and "impossible" to many. This no doubt scares my mother (and for that matter all of my family) but she understands what also Hannah did. She has given me over to the Lord, knowing that this is my calling in life. That takes great faith.

I know there are a lot of "Hannah's" out there. My brother Collin's mother is another Hannah. Whether it be mother's who watch their sons or daughters go off to military service, missions, or anything like that...it is a powerful thing. I am glad that 1 Samuel starts off with this account. It makes the story much more real and practical. Thank you to all the Hannah's out there.

Did You Know......

20% of the population in the developed nations, consume 86% of the world’s goods.

Joshua was "tight"...God's "tighter".

Ok. So. I just got done reading through the book of Joshua again. The first and most important thing I realized: Joshua was a pimp, but God's a bigger one. So, check this out. Joshua breezes through the Canaanites no problem, right. The South. The North. Whatever, he got 'em. In fact Joshua 12 lists the kings conquered earlier by Moses which were 2, and as if to say, that was nice but look at this, it then goes on to discuss the 31 ! kings Joshua conquered. So, picture it. Joshua is in total control. You have to admit the Israelites were probably like...this guy is good man!, did you see him kick the king of Geder's butt! They were in awe with him, Im sure of it.

Then Joshua is close to dying. He knows the end is near. What would you be doing if you were a great king? I would probably be eating fruit and "sitting like royalty" as someone used to say I like to do. I would be figuring out my net worth, you know stuff like that. But Joshua, he exhorts Israel big time (Josh. 23). He tells them to hold fast to the Book of Law and not turn towards foreign idols. He just lays into his countrymen. He even tells them that WHEN (not if) you transgress the Lord your God He will inflict harmful things on you and goes on and on about it. How is that for straight talk?!?! Finally, the book wraps up with this: "Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua". Quite a nice run for ole Joshua.

But here is the thing. No doubt Joshua was a good man, but what I love about the book of Joshua is that it is clear who is The Man in all of this. God. Yes, Joshua was used by Him to conquer and receive the promise, but God is the one who makes the sun stand still (Josh. 10), and "routed all before Israel" (Josh. 10:10), and was the deliverer. It was God's promise that was fulfilled upon the receiving of the land (Josh. 21). God was responsible for all of this and the author of Joshua makes that abundantly clear. So to that, thank you Lord.

Did You Know.....

One of my favorite shows of all-time, SportsCenter, used to give its faithful watchers a daily dose of "Did You Know". This information would likely be obscure facts about something in the sports world that even the most educated sports buff would not know. Well, now I am taking up the pastime forgotten by ESPN, except mine will not be daily, it will be weekly, and I will not fill your heads with useless sports trivia but, instead, social issues.

"Did You Know"....According to UNICEF, 30,000 children die each day due to poverty. "And they die quietly in some of the poorest villages on earth, far removed from the scrutiny and the conscience of the world. Being meek and weak in life makes these dying multitudes even more invisible in death."
That is about 210,000 children each week, or just under 11 million children under five years of age, each year.

Time for action Christendom.

Celibacy.....(what's that?!?!)

So, I thought I would tackle a light, non-controversial issue first....Haha. I really do not have any type of agenda in addressing celibacy initially. I am a Christian that is socially concerned; concerned with the way Christendom is living out the teachings of Jesus. This is just one aspect of many facets of our world that needs attention.

God is love, and being a part if being created in God's image means knowing love. We are designed to love, and will be unhappy and unsatisfied until we know deep love within our hearts. This type of love is found in a spiritual union with God first and foremost. Unless we first experience the luxurious love of God, human love will only be frailed and flawed.

Is it wrong to marry? Of course not. It can be a very God-centered endeavor and I know of many couples who have flourished in this union. The problem I have with marriage is the Western mindset that marriage is the "end all" for many Christians. Celibacy is not even talked about in the church or in other religious institutions. That is a problem. Thus, many never know the beautiful life of celibacy. Celibacy can give one a spiritual focus, a carefree abandon, and a physical mobility that provide the opportunity to focus solely on God and His work. Monks followed this calling because most of them thought marriage would distract them from worshipping God.

So, I know you are all wondering.......No, I have not claimed the life of celibacy. But it is an issue I have wrestled with God about and I do honestly feel that every single person should tackle this issue and most singles I know will or do not do it. There should be more interaction on this topic. What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus? The Word tells us that our goal is to become more like Jesus. Well, Jesus was single. Why are Evangelicals passing over this fact so easily; implying that it is not relevant to our lives.

Marriage is a beautiful thing. An experience most of us will have and is an institution honored by God. The problem with it is that our wives or our husbands can replace God in our hierarchy of love, affection and devotion. I see this happening all around. This is the dangerous place to be.......Ok, I'm ready for the windfall...Haha.

Matthew 19:12.....and there are those who have made themselves eunuchs (celibate) for the kingdom of heaven's sake. The one who can accept this should accept this. --Jesus

An Ordinary Radical

Ordinary.....In the sense that I do not think I am better than anyone else.

Radical.....In the sense that I want to realize what it means to truly love, to truly FOLLOW Jesus, not just believe He existed.

So, I am an Ordinary Radical. A person who chooses to live in a radical way. I clarify that I am NOT some kinda Saint who has a monopoly on radicalness (is this even a word), because that is just vain, but I am also NOT a person who is satisfied with the way things are.

I look forward to sharing life together......