Prophet for the Times

After reading last week the post about Judas as prophet for the times.. my quiet time today was in Micah 2:

11 If a liar and deceiver comes and says, 'I will prophesy for you plenty of wine and beer,' he would be just the prophet for this people!

10 years ago HE was the prophet I was looking for. Everything in our society - the one controlled by The Liar/Deceiver - points us in that direction.

One lesson I am trying to teach my children is that running a hard race may seem less enjoyable than watching it on a couch, but there is no comparison between the joy felt at the end: having done it versus having watched it done.

The wine and beer of our society, whether it is alcohol-based or some other intoxicant (my preference is chocolate) turns us into watchers not doers. It's not the wine and beer that are bad, but the results they bring on.

Choose this day to do it. Not watch it. Now the only question that remains: How do you define 'it'?! I prefer my definition to given in 'daily bread' doses, anchored by the Book of all books, and on this other Micah 2 character:

12 I will surely gather all of you, O Jacob; I will surely bring together the remnant of Israel. I will bring them together like sheep in a pen, like a flock in its pasture; the place will throng with people. 13 One who breaks open the way will go up before them; they will break through the gate and go out. Their king will pass through before them, the LORD at their head.

Another Unlikely Follower...

"Just think about the situation Christ's disciples were in after He left them. Here was a group of peasants, powerless, up against the most powerful empire in the world. Possible prison time was the very least of their worries. They knew that torture and execution could be in their future if they refused to stop preaching the name of Jesus Christ. But they couldn't stop. To a man, they kept talking about Christ's life, death, and resurrection to anyone who would listen. None of them would deny or retract their story. Eventually, just as the authorities had threatened, most of them were executed for it. But still, all of them maintained to the very end that Jesus had risen from the dead—that they had seen Him, touched Him, talked with Him. What would inspire men to suffer and die for a belief? Only one thing—the absolute certainty that their belief was true... Which leads me inescapably to one conclusion: Jesus' resurrection was not a lie. These apostles would have turned state's evidence in a heartbeat, copped a plea, unless they had seen the risen Christ in the flesh... Their
courage, their steadfastness, proves that their story is the truth. And that makes it a truth worth living—and dying—for."

—Chuck Colson

A plan to set us free!

All right here’s the other one I found.

On the lighter side.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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As I was thinking how to free myself from myself to better serve the Lord. I thought maybe I could let myself go if I had someone to interpret (an interpreter) my excitement, my love of Jesus and His glorious love for me into standard, appropriate, proper reverent church speak. I too could be so transparent and open to share the Word in a meaningful way and not suffer from or worry about the giggles or "looks”.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hallalooja--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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ME as a Pastor Mike type.------------------------- Interpreter as a Me type or is it you?-------------------
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Friends!!! --------------------------------------------- those in attendance

I wish to tell you God’s story about me! --in the bulletin you will find an anonymous letter concerning a witness account
I love God! I love Jesus! I believe in the---I attend church regularly
Holy Spirit!

He uses me to do His work------------------------I volunteer if someone asks me

to bring His love to others!-----------------------I enjoy being in the choir

I love you!!!------------------------------------------I am popular here

And I have to share this glorious passion---I hand out pamphlets discreetly
for Christ.

To build you up and encourage you------------I lead a couple of classes
in His name.

It has to come out!!---------------------------------If you’ve got a minute will you read this? I don’t think it will offend anyone,
or make him or her feel nervous or uncomfortable.
I hope not.
Oh p-lease give it back, I’d like to check it again.----

I really think the diversion of an interpreter could set us free!
You get the idea. Please edit, add to, comment or suggest. I might send the results on to the drama team for consideration. Just have your attorney check and ok it first.
try again YBIC

Ok I think I got it

I stumbled upon this document when attempting to clean up an overburdened hard drive. It had been submitted to the original AMBS Blog (which was promptly cyberspaced, or black holed by a certain unnamed matador) during the week following our visit from Pastor Mike of Belarus. I was going to delete it because I didn’t think it timely anymore, but I read it first. I realized again, I don’t want to lose that fire, that first love I used to have and was stoked to the sky by that man. I’m going to print it out, keep it and read it once in awhile to stir up the feelings he gave me and remember to stay hot! God bless him.Maybe you could print it out to stoke a fire too.Gentleman, the Spaniard asked me to share. He thinks the blog is dead! It’s walking across the street without shoes! It’s Lucy in the sky with diamonds. (It’s an age thing.) I think not. It just needs to meet Pastor Mike! On Monday I sent an email to our brother about how I woke up thinking about Pastor Mike and even though for only seeing him two days I was sad because I wouldn’t see him today! I couldn’t even begin to express how moved I was by this man chosen by God. I wanted to thank him for his part in bringing Pastor Mike here (I’m sure you will too) and that now I truly knew what he was talking about when he spoke of him. I also wrote I didn’t think I would ever be the same because of meeting him. I still believe that! I didn’t know a word this man said (but for ameen and hallelooja) yet knew everything he meant. The handicap of a translator did not slow him down or ease the urgency of his message. When I say not the same I mean that Pastor Mike’s enthusiasm for sharing the love of Jesus was indescribable! Shocking! Humbling! Spine tingling! Raised the hair on the back of your neck exciting. Convicting! Comforting! And personally, shaming. He said, “What is in me has to come out”. As you well witnessed, it does and he lets it out with such transparency, so totally filled to overflowing and he didn’t care who was there or what he looked like, sounded like or what others might think or perceive him to be. Actually I’m sure he did care who was there as I’m also sure he wished it had been everyone. The whole world!It had to come out. I feel like that. But I let my feelings of inadequacy or unworthiness wall it in or get in the way too many times. I wouldn’t want people to think I’m stupid or silly. I’d be hanging out there, set up for rejection or marked as different. (you know, “one of them” that everyone’s so afraid of). This man sets himself aside completely to help God’s children. He’s suffered persecution for His and for his love. (sound familiar?) Meanwhile I worry about the observations and opinions of earthly people. My feelings. What a pity. How can I live this way? Why aren’t we all telling the news this way? We know God’s love, cry for it and cry because of it. I don’t understand how some people can have no outlet, no way to fully enjoy this love by expressing it. It must be shared Pastor Mike tells us. It has to come out! Like it’s a matter of life or death to him! Or to us. Isn’t it?I think if I didn’t at least have as an outlet the words and music of Godly people to sing (and hide behind in the safety of a church building?) I might explode too. But I’ve been feeling it’s not enough since Pastor Mike. Maybe I should stop for a while and listen and see where He leads. I mean really listen. Don’t get me wrong, I’m continually blessed by singing, but it’s just what I do to give thanks to Him for his presence in my life and for His glory. You try yelling as loud as you can “Jesus Loves Me” or “Go Tell it on the Mountain” repeatedly and see if His joy doesn’t come to you and maybe even splashes on someone else. It sets you free! I mean it. Try it. It really works.This is what Pastor Mike does, but he carries it out in the open amongst everyone and anyone. For all to see and feel. And he grieves for those who are blind and for those who can’t hear. It’s like a giant fountain on a windy day with this guy. Everyone within earshot gets wet. It’s what I need to do. God maybe won’t ever ask me to be a Pastor Mike, but I could sing on a street corner every once in awhile. Until He calls.You know, “Let It Out".YBIC

95%

One aspect of 9/11 lost on most of the population is the ongoing efforts (yes, 4.5 years later) to identify all the remains found at Ground Zero. On Monday we buried what is believed to be Maria's upper torso, bringing, according to funeral home estimates, the total of her buried to about 95%, and what most believe will be the final tally.

I don't often let myself think about that day, it is too painful, but here are some out loud thoughts:
- It appears that my sister's body was in two major pieces, or one piece and many other pieces.
- I believed that day, and continue to believe, that she did not survive the incredible smoke, as she was on the next to top floor. That means that she had already died when the towers crashed, which caused the official 'blunt force trauma' listed on her death certificate.
- I continue to focus on the 41 years we had together rather than the 4 apart. She is missed by everyone in this family.
- I am reminded constantly of how fleeting this life is, and to cherish each moment with the loved ones around us.
- You often hear from 'the 9/11 victim's families', but I can tell you that they rarely solicit my family's feedback on those conversations. There are organized families fighting for different causes and I applaud many of them, and some I do not.
- My preference is that Ground Zero remain a big hole in the ground. There is no greater memorial than that, building anything on that ground just doesn't seem right. I know, you didn't ask...

The Badspel of Judas Revisited 2

Another perspective on Judas (hat tip Instapundit)
http://americandigest.org/mt-archives/006301.php

walk into the pain

Before we suffer, suffering is our worst nightmare.

Becoming a parent, I lived in fear of what I'd do if I were to have a special needs kid.
I feared being betrayed.
As a wealthy man, I looked at those who struggled for food and shuddered, and immediately thought of all the reasons that they were the way they were, and why I would never be that way.
As an attractive man, I looked at those who were not so attractive and deep inside, knew that I'd dodged the bullet on that one... only to be reminded occasionally, with an unsettling feeling, as I walked through the burn unit and looked at those whose faces had macabre holes where a nose used to be, and scar tissue rather than features... that in an instant I could be one of them, not one of us.

And then God gave me Kaitlin. I learned to accept that she was not going to be "normal"... and I grieved the loss... and then I embraced the gift that she is... if you were to ask me today if I'd like God to erase her "differentness", I just couldn't do it. She is the beautiful girl God created, who has conversations in the back seat while I'm driving... "Jesus, you goofball, you made FLOWERS! What's Your favorite color?"

And God gave me eyes to see the betrayal of those I trusted most. And He showed my that HE had not betrayed me.

And God took everything I owned... my house, my NEXT house, my cars, my Harley, my job, my career, my ability to hold it all together... then my family. And HE reformed it all, and gave SOME of it back. And then He gave me new gifts... gifts only received through suffering. He made it possible, after the cars were repo'd, for me to swap IT work for a car rental place for the use of a rental car. So there I was, driving a Ford Taurus with 12 miles on the odometer, YELLING at God... "God, I DON"T EVEN HAVE A CAR!"... ... .... .... "Uhhh, except for the one I'm DRIVING!"... God showed me ownership is not important, and that I shouldn't pray for a car, but that I should pray for transportation. Let Him provide what he will. The rent car, besides being hot off the assembly line, came with insurance... I didn't even need insurance... and I had the gall to be unsatisfied! God taught me EXACTLY what it's like to stand in line at the food bank... and not be able to explain WHY things are the way they are, yet need the help none the less.

And then God took my teeth... and I started to look like more like a homeless guy than an executive. And I learned the unspoken cruelty our society has for those who are not physically beautiful. And I learned to actively love, particularly those who are less lovable by our society's standards.

And EVERYTHING in my life that is worth ANYTHING, came as a direct result of suffering.

And I learned to live to survive the next five minutes. I learned to find contentment in THIS moment. I learned to embrace the process without regard for the result.

And I am almost fearless... because true Love casts out all fear... yet He doesn't specify HOW He casts it out. His methods vary, and not all of them are painless.

I know. I didn't enjoy it, yet I do recommend it.

Walk into the pain.

-vern-

"Integrity"

Christian men are called to be men of integrity, although that term often slips by me sometimes. The simplest definition that I cling to is this:

"Do what you say, say what you do."

That goes beyond the 'lying' aspect. It is a given that we should not lie. It also means that we keep commitments, that what people see on the outside is also what is on the inside. That our word is our bond, our honor.

Perhaps the biggest commitment a man can make is to his spouse. The vows of marriage have been cheapened by society's acceptance of a spouse running when times get tough.

Everyone knows the 'that which does not kill you makes you stronger' quote. That applies to marriage as well. The couple that sticks through the tough times, and makes an honest attempt at coming out together, becomes stronger. That is as true the first year of marriage as it is the 35th year.

The advantage that Christians have in that area is that Christians know 2 things:
- They are called by Christ to love. There is no one more 'neighborly' than our spouse. And Christ demonstrated repeatedly what He meant by love, and it never looked like the love of Hugh Hefner. It was service, healing, lifting up the subjects of His love.
- They can rely on the strength of Christ. When you give up chasing your own desires and let Christ drive the car, you benefit from divine strength. You may feel like you are in such a bad place there is no way to love another, even or especially your spouse. With Christ you have strength to love no matter where you are at.

A Christian loves their spouse during and out of the bad times. They muster the strength to do that by relying on Christ. They do not rely on their spouse to lift them up, because there is no guarantee that will happen. Often both in the relationship are worn down, and the relationship needs to be bootstrapped like a computer, with Christ providing the BIOS. One of the partners needs to insert that Christ BIOS diskette and press CTRL-ALT-DEL.

If you are in the middle of a mediocre to bad relationship or marriage, my prescription is to try another relationship, one that will NOT make you give up the first: a true relationship with Jesus. If you're reading this you probably already have an acquitance-level relationship with Him ("I say Hi to Him when I see Him or on Sunday"). It's time to ratchet it up, time to upgrade your BIOS.

When you accept Him as Savior and Lord, your life will change like you never imagined. Your assignment today: Read The Great Divorce, paying close attention to the man with the lizard. There are amazing things waiting for you, if only you'll take that step.

Be a man of integrity, make promises and vows. And keep them.

chicken little

Just watched chicken little.

For fathers who are afraid they've missed the hearts of their children, and for children of all ages whose fathers missed THEIR hearts... this film depicts the process. It shows dad missing the point, wounding his son, both by action and by omission.

And then the redeption... the healing of wounds and the reconcilliation of hearts. If it actually mentioned the healing of Christ, I might call it the best father/son movie of all time.

Sadly, many of us will never find reconcilliation with Dad, and from a humanistic perspective this might be depressing.

But Jesus says He came to bind up the broken hearted and free the captives... even those held captive by poor parenting and abuse.

So when you watch chicken little, remember that some of us will have to be re-fathered by Jesus, and that being mentored and fathered by Jesus isn't second best.

And remember that many in our world are starving for the emotional fulfillment of a bear hug... and that to many, we will be the first glimpse of Jesus. Yeah, that's the ticket.. a Jesus sized bear hug. I'll try not to tickle your face with my wiskers in the process.

-vern-

More on Judas...

http://www.crosswalk.com/news/religiontoday/1388856.html

Brokeback Revisited

I have several close friends who are gay or have wrestled with being gay.

As a result, I have spent time looking into what issues our Lord has with this. He is relatively silent on this issue, though he clearly says that a man joins with a woman to become one. Paul is more vocal, calling it an abhoration. Then there is Sodom and Gomorrah in the Old Testament. There are many websites that will give you differing opinions on the issue.

For me it comes down to this:

- Each of us is a sinner, and has desires of this world that are not of His world.

- We are called to love others, who are also sinners.

- Jesus is the judge, and our primary mission includes loving God, loving others, and sharing the Gospel of Jesus

- Our scriptures do not cast a good light on homosexuality. This can easily become a wedge that the Enemy uses

- As a Christian sinner, I pray for the Lord to remove the wedges between Him and me. Like the Alcoholics Anonymous saying: "One is too many, a million is not enough". There are times I must simply RUN AWAY (in my best Monty Python british accent) from the temptations.

The enemy wants us focused on the controversy, rather than doing God's work. I think that is Vern's point. We need to do God's work, which is loving others, regardless of the sin.

The enemy also wants to marginalize sin. Make it seem normal, like everyone is doing it, and that it is ok. Regardless of the sin - we are all sinners - it is NOT ok, as it separates us from our Lord. Brokeback may not be an agenda piece on its own, but the celebration of this movie - from what I've heard average plot/acting with great scenery - is the enemy's agenda.

If Brokeback and homosexuality caused people to flock in droves to the Lord, I'd say great. But I believe that our scriptures - not us as Christians or the 'culture war' - keep homosexuals away.

brokeback and Jesus' love

Brokeback Mountain just came out on video, and I picked up a copy at Walmart.

God has been teaching me how to love, and teaching me that loving others requires coming alongside them.... and coming alongside requires me to understand. To pretend that I understand what the world looks like to a gay man is delusional... and to pretend while trying to walk beside someone is insulting, or worse, patronizing.

So I picked up Brokeback because I wanted a better frame of reference... a jumping off point in conversation, and common point of reference... but I expected to be viewing an "agenda" piece that shows an attractive part of the story, but fails to portray a comprehensive view. MANY movies I watch have this in common... showing singles out partying and the thrill of the chase, but not the next morning, talking to Ralph on the Big White Telephone, and waking up next to a stranger the next morning without the benefit of the Beer Goggles.

IMHO, Brokeback is no agenda piece.

There are scenes of homosexual sex, and male to male kissing, and with this in mind, I can fully understand why some would choose not to see this movie. Personally, I am LESS inclined to engage in homosexual sex after viewing it than before, but for me this has never been a struggle. For those who struggle mightily with this, it might well be good advice not to view it.

But for those who have an opinion about homosexuality, but have never really ever met anyone who struggles with it, (you have, they just don't trust you to tell you)... this movie shows the gamut. It is valuable in understanding others, and how the world looks to them.

No single movie is going to take a homophobic Christian from homophobia to effective, but this would be a REALLY good starting point for some.

There is a really good overview of the family of origin of some who act out homosexually... and it portrays the difference between sexual addiction and predatory sex versus passive sex that is an attempt to fill the void of intimacy. The story of Ennis, and a view of his parents provides an accurate picture of the result of growing up in a home where intimacy is almost as foreign as communication. Ennis is a starving man.

And Jack, bounced between foster homes as a kid after the death of his parents, seems to be acting out the predatory practices rampant in the side rails they park kids who don't belong anywhere.

It tells the story of living one's life in fear, and self loathing, and pain... with no hope or thought of redemption. More than a lifetime's worth of pain... with ripples that emanate in all directions... back to parents, across to spouses and lovers, and down through children.

God calls us to love others... and right now the US is engaged in culture war over homosexuality. War is never pretty, but culture war always has as it's victims those who were hurting before the war... the GENERALS never get shot. If Generals got shot in wars, there'd be less wars.

The antidote to culture war is love. We have a culture war of homosexuality in the US largely due to the failure of the Church to love. We have remained silent while young gay men have been beaten and tied naked to fence posts to freeze. We have attempted to love from a distance, which never works. We have refused to engage and learn, for various reasons, none of them valid. We don't love well because we're too ignorant to love well. And when a movie comes along that MIGHT help combat the veil of ignorance; we protest it without ever watching it. This is not love, it is fear. True love casts out all fear.

I believe that many Christians, having watched Brokeback, would have a refined sense of gay issues, and potentially have the perception necessary to recognize those at risk, those young men and women who, due to the circumstances of their lives are likely to turn to a less wild lover. Who turn to each other because there is no one else.

I recommend that all mature Christians check this movie out. There's no danger that you'll turn gay over having watched it... but there IS a high likelihood that you'll see others whom Jesus loves in pain that tears at the fabric of their lives. And it's my hope that it awaken a compassion, that it open the door to conversation, and that it convinces us as Christians to lay down our guns in a cultural war in favor of the love of Jesus.

-vern-

...Rather Than God's Work

Too often we are provoked by articles, most recently Mr. Judas biography caused some excitement. This in my quiet time today, 1 Tim 3-5:

...not to teach false doctrines any longer nor to devote themselves to myths and endless geneaologies. These promote controversies rather than God's work-which is by faith. The goal of this command is love...

The enemy would do anything to keep us from executing this command, from doing God's work. This is the true battle we are in, and later Paul challenges Tim to, 1 Tim 18: "...fight the good fight".

I am going to stay focused on doing God's work.

The Gospel According to WHOM?????

Just introduced THIS amazing, and I'm certain, controversial find.

More cool Bible Facts from Red...

A couple of you really enjoyed the Bible facts presented by RedLefty at Megaloi (Great Things). He's just come out with Part Two for your consideration.