Facing your fears...

Just give me a little slice of that Jesus stuff, eh?

“I would like to buy about three dollars worth of gospel, please. Not too much—just enough to make me happy, but not so much that I get addicted. I don’t want so much gospel that I learn to really hate covetousness and lust. I certainly don’t want so much that I start to love my enemies, cherish self-denial, and contemplate missionary service in some alien culture. I want ecstasy, not repentance; I want transcendence, not transformation. I would like to be cherished by some nice, forgiving, broad-minded people, but I myself don’t want to love those from different races—especially if they smell. I would like enough gospel to make my family secure and my children well behaved, but not so much that I find my ambitions redirected or my giving too greatly enlarged. I would like about three dollars worth of gospel please.” (D.A. Carson, Basics for Believers, an exposition of Philippians), pp.12-13

One of my heroes died a few minutes ago...

As a new follower of Jesus in the mid 1980's, I was desparately looking for spiritual mentors and heros to replace the ones that were after their own glory, or worshipping sports or rock starts. Billy and Ruth Graham have been, and still are, two of my absolute heroes in the faith. Ruth passed from this life into the arms of Jesus Christ at 5pm Eastern time. I never met her, but have been influenced by her life and faith in Jesus. For a good synopsis of her life and calling, go to this news report from the Charlotte Observer. God is faithful till the end!!

Shameless Plug

I am open to anyone who would love to let me ride their motorcyle. Nice day like today makes me long for the road, but my wonderful bride will not allow me to own one. Anyone got two and would like to have a riding buddy for a day?

This finally does it!!

For those of you who were unsure about the FACT that Macs are absolutely the superior maching, check this out:

http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1622338_1363003,00.html

Yup, that's right. Al Gore uses a MAC. So, all you PC users, take that!

Trike

Food for thought...

Comments?

Attention all church planters (or wanna be CPs!)...

I would like to invite any of you who would like to explore church planting to an event held here in Minneapolis July 23-27th. It is being put on by some of my new friends at GCA (Global Church Advancement) and is headed up by Steve Childress of Reformed seminary. I have been very impressed with their biblical, theological and missional church planting strategies and invite you to check them out here. You may even notice that I will be leading two seminars on Leadership Development - check out the picture. I am actually impressed that they put that one online! Pretty cool.

If you have questions about going for the week, please email me, and we'll make it happen!

Trike

Psalm 49 and what is important...

Like others at Hope, I am reading the Bible in a year through the Discipleship Journal reading program. I am behind, but what is new! I enjoy God's word, and yet, the busyness and pace of life stops me from getting all that I desire in his word. I always have the attitude that I will read more and longer if I do this Bible-in-a-year program, than if I don't. Tim in God's word is what the goal is, not to 'get through something.' It is transformative, and I am loving what I am reading.

A few days ago, I was meditating on Psalm 49:

1 Hear this, all you peoples; listen, all who live in this world, 2 both low and high, rich and poor alike: 3 My mouth will speak words of wisdom; the utterance from my heart will give understanding. 4 I will turn my ear to a proverb; with the harp I will expound my riddle: 5 Why should I fear when evil days come, when wicked deceivers surround me-- 6 those who trust in their wealth and boast of their great riches? 7 No man can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for him-- 8 the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough-- 9 that he should live on for ever and not see decay. 10 For all can see that wise men die; the foolish and the senseless alike perish and leave their wealth to others. 11 Their tombs will remain their houses for ever, their dwellings for endless generations, though they had named lands after themselves. 12 But man, despite his riches, does not endure; he is like the beasts that perish. 13 This is the fate of those who trust in themselves, and of their followers, who approve their sayings. Selah 14 Like sheep they are destined for the grave, and death will feed on them. The upright will rule over them in the morning; their forms will decay in the grave, far from their princely mansions. 15 But God will redeem my life from the grave; he will surely take me to himself. Selah 16 Do not be overawed when a man grows rich, when the splendour of his house increases; 17 for he will take nothing with him when he dies, his splendour will not descend with him. 18 Though while he lived he counted himself blessed--and men praise you when you prosper-- 19 he will join the generation of his fathers, who will never see the light of life. 20 A man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish. (Psalms 49:1-20, NIV).

The part that really stuck out to me was verses 5-12 ---> though I may live a life worthy of naming lands after me (or buildings like Amundson Hall at the U of M where my chemistry dept was housed at the U of M), the reality is that all of us are dust. We will all die. What is a life well lived? What is a legacy for the future that actually makes a difference? Only what is given to God, fully, without holding back. Every one of us fears insignificance...yet, the reality is we get that significance only when we find ourselves getting value in God and his glory alone. When I spread God's fame, when I allow him to be all, when I no longer look to get buildings named after me but seek to pursue sharing the glory of Christ with others, then (and only then) will I be satisfied and then (and only then) will I have a significant life. Lord Jesus, please make me into a man who loves you with a radical, courageous love and not look to make a name for myself. Amen.

Is this Hope Community or what? (part last one)

Is this Hope Community or what? (part tree)

Is this Hope Community or what? (part deaux)

Is this Hope Community or what? (part one)

I wish I was an artist!

This is really cool!

Dang, pretty good for a kid who went to public school!

Give it a try at Classic IQ test and see if you can only get 2 wrong!

“THE JOY OF KNOWING HOW SINFUL YOU REALLY ARE!”

One of the things I love to do is find people who say the exact same theological things that I say and cherish, but say it so much better. Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892) is one of my heroes of the faith. He was an English preacher, and was powerfully used of God to draw thousands and thousands of people to faith in Jesus Christ. He was a brilliant man, not formally trained, and was a bit “rough around the edges” on a variety of fronts. I like him!

One of my favorite things to say at Hope is, “The most graceful thing I can tell you is how sinful you really are - that way you will so know your NEED for a Savior!” Listen to how my friend, Charles Spurgeon also said this:

If I be self-righteous, I need no Christ to save me in my own opinion. How, then, can I come with such a confession as this, “Nothing in my hands I bring,” when I have got my hands full. How can I say, “Wash me,” when I believe myself white? How can I say “Heal me,” when I think that I never was sick? How can I cry, “Give me freedom, give me liberty,” when I believe I never was a slave, and “never in bondage to any man?” It is only the man who knows his slavery by reason of the bondage of sin, and the man who knows himself to be sick even unto death by reason of the sense of guilt: it is only the man who feels he cannot save himself, who can with faith rely upon the Saviour. Nor can the self-righteous man renounce himself, and lay hold of Christ; because in the renunciation of himself he would at once become the very character whom Christ says he will receive. He would then put himself in the place of the sinner, when he cast away his own righteousness. Why, sirs, coming to Christ implies the taking off the polluted robe of our own righteousness, and putting on Christ’s. How can I do that, if I wittingly wrap my own garment about me? and if in order to come to Christ I must forsake my own refuge and all my own hope, how can I do it, if I believe my hope to be good, and my refuge to be secure; and if I suppose that already I am clothed sufficiently to enter into the marriage supper of the Lamb? Nay, beloved, it is the sinner, and the sinner only, who can come to Christ; the self-righteous man cannot do it; it is quite out of his way—he would not do it if he could. His very self-righteousness fetters his foot, so that he cannot come; palsies his arm, so that he cannot take hold of Christ; and blinds his eye, so that be cannot see the Saviour."

Hey, it's the 25th Anniversary of being Minnesota State Curling Junior Champions!

I was just reminiscing here tonight, and realized that I am coming up on a major milestone. No lie, 25 years ago this next January I, along with 3 other good high school friends, won the coveted State Junior Curling Championship of Minnesota! Here's proof (look at 1982). What, never heard of the 2nd fastest game on ice ever? I'll pray for you.

What a great thought...

I'm taking a class in The History of Christian Preaching, so if you are a reader of this blog, you will find I will be dropping a few of my new friends quotes here and there. I came across this one, and I think it is profound, especially as we worry about all the things we are trying to do for God in our lifetime. If you trust in the absolute sovereignty of God, then Thomas Fuller's 17th Century quote gives you complete comfort:

"God’s children are immortal while their Father has anything for them to do on earth.”

Dude, for a heart like this!

“I need more grief, I plainly need more of it. I am far from that which I ought to have. I can sin much! I cannot repent much. My dryness! My dryness! Woe unto me! Would that I had such grief, or even more! But of myself I cannot obtain it. I am parched, I am parched like a potsherd [pottery fragment]. Woe is me! Thou, O Lord, O Lord, a fountain of tears. Give me a molten heart.”

~Lancelot Andrewes, from his devotional, Private Devotions.

Simply put, let's VOTE out cats

Why do we have cats? I have no idea what it is about them, but they simply HATE me! Every cat I have ever known has hated me with a passion. They hiss at me. Try to bite me. Purposefully look at me in a most disrespectful "I hate you, scumball" glance. Won't come and play, but just mock me with those "YOU go and get the ball, stupid" look when I throw it for them.

One of my very first memories in life is having my arms completly scratched up by a mad cat who didn't like me playing with it. To this day, I still have no idea what is wrong with the game "Pull the Cat's Tail Really, Really Hard." Why can't we all pass a UN resolution to just simply rid the entire planet of the things... I mean, if we live in such a civil society that we can vote out Pluto as a planet, create a coffeemaker that grinds AND brews our coffee, couldn't we figure out a way to have a catless society?

The best post EVER on the internet is from my friend Rebekah. Someone has to go to the powers that be and make this happen. We need an international relief effort to rid ourselves of this cancer.

I have the same problem in our neighborhood that Rebekah has. Cats everywhere. Breeding to make more cats. Thinking they own the place, especially all of my potted plants as their personal Port-a-Potty. Fighting with one another in the streets at 200dbs this past summer on a bi-weekly basis...(I'm serious, it's LOUD at 2am! I thought someone was being mugged in front of my house).

For all of those who love cats, let me just say this: your cat is fine - it's the rest of the entire world that I would like to root them out of. Yours are neat, playful and fun. The rest are pure evil.

I sure wish someone would have told me this when I had youngens!