Straight Out of the Movies...

This story of rescue and undercover convert stuff, is crazy cool. Do I smell the making of a movie?? I think so...

Here is an excerpt from CNN:

The Colombian government's bloodless rescue of the hostages Wednesday was the product of a perfectly executed ruse that depended on old-school spy games rather than high-tech gadgetry.

Agents spent months worming their way into the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, an insurgent force that has waged war on the Colombian state for 40 years, Gen. Freddy Padilla de Leon told CNN.

The agents gained the rebels' trust and rose to the top of FARC's leadership council as well as a team assigned to guard the hostages.

When the time was ripe, the moles used the authority they'd gained within the group to order the 15 hostages moved from three separate locations to one central area, and the game was on.

Read the rest of this awesome story here

2 1/2 Week Till This...

Not About The Bling

“God, it turns out, deliberately chose the foolish things of the world, the cross and the Corinthian believers, so that he could remove forever, from every creature, any possible grounds on their part of standing in the divine presence with something in their hands. The ground is level at the foot of the cross; not a single thing that any of us possesses will advantage him/her before the living God-not brilliance, “clout”, achievement, money, or prestige. By choosing the lowly Corinthians God declared that He has forever ruled out every imaginable human system of gaining favor. It is all- “trust him completely” (v. 31)-or nothing.” Gordon Fee, Commentary on 1 Corinthians

God Chooses the Nobodies

“God delights to prick all the pretensions of this rebellious world. Where proud men and women parade their mighty intellects, God chooses the simple; where wealthy people assess each other on the basis of respective holdings, God chooses the poor; where self-centered leaders lust for power, God chooses the nobodies. All “the things that are”- that is, the things that appear to have substance and are highly promoted in this fallen world-are “nullified”. They are written off as having no eternal significance, since God does not attach his salvation to any of them. In fact, he goes out of his way to overturn their presumption: God chooses the nobodies.” D.A. Carson, The Cross and Christian Ministry

Send Me

Mars Hill’s Red Letter and Reach Records artists Lecrae and Tadashi perform the song ‘Send Me’ live at Mars Hill Church’s Ballard campus on June 22, 2008.

'Send Me' - Live at MHC | Ballard from Mars Hill Church on Vimeo.

Props: Mars Hill College

Guarding Your Time

Yesterday I had a coffee time with Dave Bruskas , pastor at City on a Hill Church here in Albuquerque, we were discussing managing our time with church ministry and family ministry. He pointed me to what Dr. John Piper does and implements in his church for the staff at Bethlelhem Church in Minnesota.

John Piper's model is great way to guard time and to help ensure that his family as his first ministry does not play second fiddle to his church ministry. This model really helped me and I hope to implement it starting today. Working at a church I have noticed 2 ditches we can fall in, 1. is the ditch of overwork, where we do not trust God and our pride takes over in thinking we have to do absolutely everything; and 2. where there is laziness and sloth in how we approach our job, where we treat ministry as a 40 hour work week and anymore is considered overtime and not acceptable. I think I fall into the sin of the first one. I hope his fence of time guarding proves to be helpful and good for my family. You can download this installment of "Ask Pastor John" here.

Here is his summary of the model he uses:

"One of the things we do at Bethlehem to try to protect our families and to nurture our wives and make them feel cared for is divide the week up into twenty-one blocks of time (modules). We get that by identifying three modules a day—morning to lunch, lunch to supper, and supper to bedtime—for the seven days of the week.

Then we tell our staff to take seven of those modules off. And three of them have to be in a row, equaling at least one full day off. So you have a day off and then four more modules to work with. It could be four evenings. And if you have to be out in the evenings, then you don't come in in the mornings."

J.R. Giddens and the Sovereignty of God

I would like to think that I had a part in helping J.R. see the sovereignty of God in all things which he talks about here in today's Boston Herald. I didn't, God I believe opened J.R.'s eyes and heart this past year and amazed this young man with His Amazing Grace.

Here is the Calvinistic Quote by Mr. Giddens:

"J.R. Giddens, an explosive, 6-foot-5 scorer from New Mexico, worked out for the Celtics twice Wednesday and impressed the staff enough to get picked last night in New York.

Giddens, whose involvement in a bar fight led to his transfer from Kansas to New Mexico in 2005, believes that experience is partly responsible in preparing him for his new role with the NBA champions.

“I feel like I’ve overcome all those things,” he said. “It helped to build the character that I have now. God does everything for a reason, and I believe he laid out this path for me now. I was a young guy, immature. I made a bad decision."

Ok I may be reading more into this quote, but J.R. was the only player in the draft that mentioned God last night and I thought that was cool.

Click Here for the Boston Hearld's Article on J.R.

J.R. Heading to Boston

J.R. Giddens has been selected in the 1st round by the NBA Champion Boston Celtics. J.R. was the last selection in the 1st round which means for him a guaranteed 3 year contract and some great mentors in Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce, yeah he will learn a lot!

Amazing Grace

"God saves us by His grace and transforms us more and more into the likeness of His Son by His Grace. In all our trials and afflictions, He sustains and strengthens us by His grace. He calls us by
grace to perform our own unique function withing the Body of Christ. Then, again by grace, He gives to each of us the spiritual gifts necessary to fulfill our calling. As we serve Him, He makes that service acceptable to Himself by grace, and then rewards us a hundredfold by grace."
-Jerry Bridges, Transforming Grace, pg. 169-170.

George Carlin Dies...

The comedian George Carlin died yesterday, Carlin who often times was too profane for me was a witty and very smart comedian. Like all comedians Carlin often pointed out our societies pride, envy, ignorance, and greed in comedical and pointed ways. For me one of his best bits was on "Stuff" and how really our homes are just places we keep our stuff and we need bigger homes because we accumulate more stuff, if that is not the best way to describe the "American Dream" I do not know what is.

Here is a quote from CNN.COM:

Carlin, who had a history of heart trouble, died of heart failure Sunday in Los Angeles, according to publicist Jeff Abraham. Carlin went into St. John's Health Center on Sunday afternoon, complaining of chest pain, and died at 5:55 p.m. PT.

Carlin performed as recently as last weekend at the Orleans Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, and maintained a busy performing schedule, which included regular TV specials for HBO.

"He was a genius and I will miss him dearly," Jack Burns, who was the other half of a comedy duo with Carlin in the early 1960s, told The Associated Press.

No, Not Six Flags or Disneyland...

It is Bible Park vs. Bible Park!
Kim Riddlebarger over on his blog writes this funny and sad news of what we in America are turning "The Word of the Cross" into, no wonder it is not folly to the world but now just amusement...

Now this is ironic. The owners of the Holy Land Experience in Orlando, FL (TBN) want to build another such themed park in Nashville, TN. Not to be outdone, a group of developers wants to build "Bible Park USA" in the same city. Since the Holy Land Experience offers a daily reenactment of the crucifixion, imagine the job boom in Nashville when two Bible theme parks start hiring thin, long-haired young men who look like Jesus and/or disciples. Can't you just picture the long line of big, swarthy types, auditioning to play Roman soldiers. This is gonna make it tough for the evangelicals in Nashville. Where to take the youth group? Which park does a better job reenacting Jesus' passion?

Click here for the story on these 2 parks

Props: Riddleblog

Tiger Woods Out for Season

Tiger Woods played what was an ESPN Classic type match in this past week's U.S. Open where he went to a extra round to win the cup. This amazing weekend has now become even more amazing in light of the fact that Tiger was playing with a really missed up leg:

IMG released a statement saying the world No. 1 played at Torrey Pines with a torn anterior cruciate ligament and a double stress fracture of the left tibia.

Woods may be the ONLY player right now to be mentioned in the same sentence as Michael Jordan as far as ability and rule over one sport. Here is what Tiger said about taking time off:

"Now, it is clear that the right thing to do is listen to my doctors, follow through with this surgery and focus my attention on rehabilitating my knee," Woods said.

Now knowing what Tiger was going through and still to win the championship in an extra round of golf, rates up there with Jordan's game 5 feat in the '97 Finals vs the Jazz where he played a great game leading the Bulls to victory while being terribly sick and weak from the flu.(Video Below)


With Tiger out for the season, this may mean that golf will not be as watched or followed until he returns.

Click Here for Golf.com's Article on Tiger

Firefox 3 is legit

I just downloaded and installed the new Firefox 3 and it is sweet. It looks great and is fast and as always you can trust the quality that comes with Firefox!

Stop playing "Explorer" in the "Safari" and download Firefox today!

Click here to get Firefox 3

John Piper on How Not To Waste Your Cancer

Is it possible to waste your cancer, yes if we do not use all things good and bad for God's glory. After John Piper received word that he had prostrate cancer he wrote this, so he is not someone that is just saying this, but is saying it from the heart. I gave a list of the 10 ways he posted on how not to waste one's cancer, the article has further commentary on each point from both Dr. Piper and David Powlison a biblical counselor.

This subject is close to my heart and is not posted as only a theological, cerebral argument, but really in times when cancer comes Christ is all we have that is sure, that is eternal and that gives everlasting joy.

Click HERE for the whole article, it is well worth the read, and worth printing.

I write this on the eve of prostate surgery. I believe in God’s power to heal—by miracle and by medicine. I believe it is right and good to pray for both kinds of healing. Cancer is not wasted when it is healed by God. He gets the glory and that is why cancer exists. So not to pray for healing may waste your cancer. But healing is not God’s plan for everyone. And there are many other ways to waste your cancer. I am praying for myself and for you that we will not waste this pain.

1.You will waste your cancer if you do not believe it is designed for you by God.

2. You will waste your cancer if you believe it is a curse and not a gift.

3. You will waste your cancer if you seek comfort from your odds rather than from God.

4. You will waste your cancer if you refuse to think about death.

5. You will waste your cancer if you think that “beating” cancer means staying alive rather than cherishing Christ.

6. You will waste your cancer if you spend too much time reading about cancer and not enough time reading about God.

7. You will waste your cancer if you let it drive you into solitude instead of deepen your relationships with manifest affection.

8. You will waste your cancer if you grieve as those who have no hope.

9. You will waste your cancer if you treat sin as casually as before.

10. You will waste your cancer if you fail to use it as a means of witness to the truth and glory of Christ.

Taken from Desiring God

Global Warming? What Global Warming??

The founder of The Weather Channel, John Coleman has an interesting take on the "Global Warming" frenzy that we are all a part of. In summary he tells us Chicken Littles that the sky is not falling and that Al Gore is the anti-Christ, ok maybe he does not take it that far but check it out, it is a thought provoking read. Here is a good quote:

"You may want to give credit where credit is due to Al Gore and his global warming campaign the next time you fill your car with gasoline, because there is a direct connection between Global Warming and four dollar a gallon gas. It is shocking, but true, to learn that the entire Global Warming frenzy is based on the environmentalist’s attack on fossil fuels, particularly gasoline. All this big time science, international meetings, thick research papers, dire threats for the future; all of it, comes down to their claim that the carbon dioxide in the exhaust from your car and in the smoke stacks from our power plants is destroying the climate of planet Earth. What an amazing fraud; what a scam."

Click Here for the whole article

Props: Challies

Ed Young and The Pastors of the Caribbean

This video can be related to Mark Driscoll's video a couple posts down about consumers. Ed Young is a pastor of a Mega-Church in the Dallas Area called Fellowship Church. This video has sparked lots of conversatons, check out Christianity Today who has gotten wind of it.




Thoughts???

Props: ThinkChristian

Flooding in Iowa and the Sovereignty of God

Our worship leader Zach's former church in Iowa has been hit very hard due to the flooding. Scott Sterner the current worship minister there shares this hard and beautiful testimony of pain in loss, but trust in a Sovereign God during this time:

The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Today at 3:30 pm, in the midst of continued fervent efforts, city officials informed us that last nights heavy rains will result in the Iowa River cresting on Tuesday at 35 feet. This will put river water close to roof level. Hearing the news was difficult. All hopes on saving our facility were lost and emergency evacuation began immediately.

It is difficult to loose a facility that was laced with so many meaningful memories over the last 9 years, but in many ways the loss generates a deeper appreciation for those things that matter most, namely our faith in the sovereign hand of God and our appreciation for the body of Christ. Fond memories of working side by side with my brothers and sisters in Christ over these last three days have been very rich. New friendships have been formed and a greater appreciation for the value of community has been cultivated.

Click Here for Scott's blog "Deo Gloria"

Keep Parkview Church in Iowa in your prayers, God is good and wise even when we do not understand the whys we must trust Him!

Mark Driscoll Takes The Paddle Out On Consumers

Church consumers is such a big issue in America, we are filled with people who are afraid to commit and become members. I minister to college students who are probably the biggest offenders of this commitment phobia so often sadly it is students who were raised in the church that are the most flaky. I have spoken with students who seem so stoked to be committed one week just to run off to the "next" thing the following week. It may have a lot to do with our "Have It Your Way Right of Way" mindset we have been raised in, and also that we all are selfish sinners that want to be served rather than serve. We do not want to be challenged with doctrine and forbid it if we actually are to submit to elders and be willing to be under church discipline!

I firmly echo and agree what pastor Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church in Seattle says here:

The Cross

The Cross

In evil long I took delight,
Unawed by shame or fear,
Till a new object struck my sight,
And stopped my wild career.

I saw One hanging on a tree,
In agonies and blood;
He fixed His languid eyes on me,
As near His cross I stood.

Sure never till my latest breath,
Shall I forget that look!
It seemed to charge me with His death,
Though not a word He spoke.

A second look He gave, which said,
"I freely all forgive;
This blood is for thy ransom paid;
I die that thou mayest live."

Thus while His death my sin displays
In all its blackest hue,
Such is the mystery of grace,
It seals my pardon too!

—John Newton

Props: Spurgeon Gems

What a Way to Watch "End of the Spear"

Lauren and I stole sometime last night to sit down and watch a movie from our Netflix queue called "End of the Spear". This movie is about the Waodani tribe that Jim Elliott and Nate Spain are known for reaching in Central America and the interactions that follow their death. The movie follows Mincayani, who seems to be the leader of this tribe.

I say "seems" because a lot of this movie is done in native tounge, and unless you have subtitles you have no idea what is being said. Our DVD came to us without the subtitles being turned on and Lauren and I not knowing you had to turn them on to understand half of what was being said watched the movie without these subtitles. It made for at times a very confusing movie, but knowing the background to the story it was so moving. We were able to feel the true emotion of the tribe and missionaries that could have been lost if we were just focused in on reading the words on the screen. If you do not know the background story, do not watch it like we mistakingly did otherwise the purpose and drive of the gospel will be lost.

This movie has excited my heart for sharing the gospel in Albuquerque as well as in other countries. All I could think about was John Piper and his push for Sacrificial living for the Gospel, the missionaries in this movie and real life displayed this. Not just the men who were speared to death but the wives who could have gone back to the United States and the comfort of Sunday Church, potlucks and suburbs, they stayed, they ministered, because (speculation) the gospel and Jesus Christ was that much of treasure they had to share it with this tribe. I am hoping within the next year to be flying to a couple of different countries to see how "The Well" Desert Springs Church's College ministry can serve and send out students for short term and long term trips. One of these countries is not friendly to the gospel and is filled with Muslims, this movie excited my heart to be challenged to forsake safety and life it God seems fit for the sake of making Christ look beautiful and the treasure He is.

What I could do though is wait till these trips and waste the 95% of my time here in Albuquerque being comfortable. Albuquerque is my mission field right NOW and I pray by God's Grace alone not to waste this time and to be bold and risky with the sharing of this news that is the only hope for tribes in Ecuador and Muslims in Africa and Suburbanites in Albuquerque.

I really recommend you add "End of the Spear" to your Netflix queue or buy it here

Bye, Bye Strahan

Michael Strahan who many argue may have been the best defensive player ever for the NY Giants (maybe just after L.T) has decided to retire. The timing was a good one, as this past season was one for the ages, being the Cinderella team that shocked the world. It will be weird not to see Strahan out there come September but it was fun while it lasted!!

Click here for more of Strahan's retirement

Review of Introducing PostModernism

To say that “Introducing Postmodernism” by Richard Appignanesi and Chris Garratt was one of the most unique and stylistically interesting books I have ever read would be a huge understatement. This book is in many ways a history book on a subject that almost refuses to have a history, Postmodernism. The book is put together like a giant comic book of some sorts with cartoons illustrating the points and definitions. It was broken up in 3 sections dealing with the rise of postmodern art, theory and history. It became quite apparent that there was much overlap of these three subjects that linked the whole ideology of postmodernism.
I have never been more surprised with how challenging a book was then by this piece. At first glance I thought I would breeze through it and be done with it relatively quickly and easily, I was wrong. This book challenged the way I think through subjects that I have not studied before. I found myself reading and re-reading sections, I actually had to read through the whole 1st section about Postmodern Art 2 times and still do not really feel I grasp what was said. I often found myself frustrated with the book as I would want a black and white definition that many times was not offered, which after finishing the book may be the whole point. As I did start to get through this book I started to see that the way the book was structured was becoming more assessable to me and in many ways it started to open up to me. This book has provided many lights into the culture where I currently am engaged in ministry.
I currently oversee my church’s college ministry and spend a few of my days each week on the campus of the University of New Mexico a school with an enrollment of 35,000. Much of my time on campus at UNM is spent in prayer for the people of the campus and also in studying the atmosphere and attitudes of the people there. This book in a lot of ways was a textbook to the lab I have when I step foot on the campus. I see people walking around refusing to think in absolute terms and molding their beliefs around barely recognizable structures of religion and social systems. This book has in a lot of ways given what I saw before some history and understanding into how we got here. Although I believe it is in the last few chapters that the current flow of our culture is most apparent.
I agree with the idea the authors bring up, that Postmodernism is not a new thing, but just an extension of Modernism. I see this in how quickly much of culture is moving from a Post modernistic mindset back to a Romantic one. Romanticism was what the book said would be the only thing that would kill off Postmodernism and I think we are seeing it. The rise of books such as “The Secret” and “The New Earth” that Oprah seems so passionate about show a move towards a Gnostic, transcendental, spiritual realm that is a characteristic of romanticism.
As a believer, I see us in a world that is constantly searching for something to satisfy its’ soul. There is no stability or constant that anyone can hold onto and “new” things rise up that are really not new at all. For us we must understand these “new” trends and ideologies in order to point people to where these things fail and are really broken cisterns. Only by studying do we see its’ cracks and flaws that enable us to show the only news that is constant, that does not change, that offers hope our world is so desperate to find, The Gospel.

You can purchase "Introducing Postmodernism" Here

NBA Finals Kickin It Ole School

In honor of Z's pic of the short shorts from the 80's I have added this cool new promo for the NBA Finals. Although Jordan is not here, having Magic and Bird is pretty stinkin sweet!

Mark Driscoll On Religion, Oprah and the New Spirituality..

Mark Driscoll, pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle shows how Religion and Oprah are big piles of !!!! in the sight of God.

Will My Generation Have This Kind Of Perseverance?

I live in a generation of IPods, ITunes, Instant Messages, and super fast...well everything. I have found that I have become more and more impatient with everything that is not instant and have also found that I am not alone in these frustrations. John Piper shares a story of remarkable and almost today sadly unthinkable patience and perseverance, oh may I repent of my "instant, here and now" mentality!

In his book, Passion, Karl Olsson tells a story of incredible patience among the early French Protestants called Huguenots.

In the late Seventeenth Century in… southern France, a girl named Marie Durant was brought before the authorities, charged with the Huguenot heresy. She was fourteen years old, bright, attractive, marriageable. She was asked to abjure the Huguenot faith. She was not asked to commit an immoral act, to become a criminal, or even to change the day-to-day quality of her behavior. She was only asked to say, “J’abjure.” No more, no less. She did not comply. Together with thirty other Huguenot women she was put into a tower by the sea…. For thirty-eight years she continued…. And instead of the hated word J’abjure she, together with her fellow martyrs, scratched on the wall of the prison tower the single word Resistez, resist!

The word is still seen and gaped at by tourists on the stone wall at Aigues-Mortes…. We do not understand the terrifying simplicity of a religious commitment which asks nothing of time and gets nothing from time. We can understand a religion which enhances time…. but we cannot understand a faith which is not nourished by the temporal hope that tomorrow things will be better. To sit in a prison room with thirty others and to see the day change into night and summer into autumn, to feel the slow systemic changes within one’s flesh: the drying and wrinkling of the skin, the loss of muscle tone, the stiffening of the joints, the slow stupefaction of the senses—to feel all this and still to persevere seems almost idiotic to a generation which has no capacity to wait and to endure. (116-117)

Props: Desiring God

Back From Mexico

This past week I was in Mexico with The Well and Paradox DSC's college and mid/high/parent ministries on a mission/conference/camp week. I was great/fantastic/exhausting. Here are a couple of pics I got from one of our students (Thanks Torres!)

More on this trip to come...

Sunrise In the 505

Pics taken with Camera Phone...

Carolyn Mahaney on Training Up Young Children

So back to what I was saying. We went to see “The Miracle Worker.” Most likely, you are familiar with the plot. It’s the story of Annie Sullivan’s struggle to teach the blind and deaf Helen Keller how to communicate. Initially Annie found it extremely difficult to teach Helen due to her wild and violent behavior. But then Annie had a revelatory moment. All of a sudden she realized: "Obedience is the gateway for knowledge to enter the mind." She understood that she needed to first teach Helen to obey before she could teach her knowledge.

At this point in the play I couldn’t help but think of my daughters, Nicole and Kristin. That’s what they are doing. They are attempting to train and discipline four little boys to obey so they can impart knowledge. And not just any knowledge, but the most important knowledge of all—the message of the gospel.

So to all moms with little children I desire to encourage you today. I want to cheer you on in your efforts to discipline and train your children to obey. It’s hard, exhausting work, I know. Just watching my daughters makes me tired. But it’s worth it. Because an obedient child is a receptive child. And with a receptive child you can teach them the good news, the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. Now that’s a goal worth striving for, don’t you agree?

"Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it." Prov. 22.6

Click Here for the rest of Carolyn's Article

Our teaching Elder Ryan Kelly has been going through the book of Proverbs for the past several weeks, and he now is focusing on almost a mini-series of Parenting and what Proverbs says about this important issue. 

Download Ryan's first sermon of this mini-series titled "Wisdom and Parenting with Toughness" here.

The Z is on Point With This Recommendation

Zach recommended the new Death Cab for Cutie Album, I bought the album and I gotta say Z was on the money on this one. It is a great album especially for me who likes to have music playing while I read. This album is very well put together and while a tad different than their previous album it will not disappoint!. 

Here is the Z's review:

I just got the new Death Cab For Cutie record today and it is GREAT. These guys might be a bit more indie than some of you are used to, but once you get into their style I think it will really grow on you. These guys are have a definite "voice" that is unique and refreshing. They orchestrate great parts and the songs are quirky but very catchy

If you want to purchase this album go through Zach's blog and get it from Amazon, click here.

Memorial Day: Fun with Weezer

Enjoy your day off, and take time to Praise God for the men and women that protect our country.


Props: S-Mac

Pacino and De Niro

I think this will be a boys night out movie...sweet!!!!

Crucifixion and Ice Cream

Orlando, Florida is filled with fun and amusements, whether you go to Disney, Universal or Sea World fun is to be had. There is a new theme park though that is based on Christian themes, this theme park is called the "Holy Land Experience" and it is quite sad. It is owned by TBN which should make alarms go off and instead of Splash Mountain or getting pictures with Mickey you can see a white man in a robe with long hair, Jesus, and you can even watch him get crucified while sipping on a limeade.  

Here is a clip from Newsweek:

Amid cell phones ringing, video cams rolling and ice cream melting under the Florida sun, a blood-spattered Jesus stumbles through the crowd on his way to Golgotha, where nasty Roman soldiers strip him, nail him to the cross and crucify him—while perspiring tourists look on in Bermuda shorts. After the resurrection sequence, visitors applaud and line up for a photo op, not with Mickey or Minnie, but a disciple or bloody-handed yet friendly centurion. Welcome to Orlando's most unusual theme park, the Holy Land Experience.

Built in 2001 at a cost of $16 million, the Holy Land Experience recreates the ancient city of Jerusalem to "take you 2,000 years back in time to the world of the Bible" where "it brings to life ancient Israel." Dominating the theme park is a towering replica of Herod's Temple, much like Cinderella's Castle just down Interstate 4. Also on display are recreations of the Qumran caves (site of the Dead Sea Scrolls), the Garden Tomb of Jesus, the Wilderness Tabernacle with an Ark of the Covenant light and sound show and a Byzantine Scriptorium where tourists learn about the history of Bible production. A gift shop sells Star of David necklaces with Christian crosses embedded in them and olive wood from the real Holy Land.

Read the rest Here

Click here for a video of this park

A Distracted Mind

Al Mohler has a recent blog discussing the fact that many in my generation and younger, older as well to some extent have short attention spans and are constantly switching from this to th...

In an attempt to not let our children grow up in front of the television or computer screen what we have done in our home is just turn the TV off when our 2 year old is awake. There are exceptions and this is not a legalistic rule, but it is one that I hope enables family talks, and family time to be just that time with the family not time next to relatives staring at flickering images. I think I am the one that is having the hardest time with this new rule, because I am so used to coming home and sitting on the coach and staring at the TV. 

I still have so far to go, I need to cut down the time I spend, checking my email, and google reader, but I hope that cutting these down will be replaced by books, and time with the fam!!

Listen to what Dr. Mohler says and take the challenge, especially you fellas;

Join the revolution and refuse the seductions of the mind-numbing allure of all things digital -- at least long enough to think a great thought, hear a great lecture, enjoy a quality conversation (with a real, live face-to-face human being), listen to a great sermon, visit a museum, read a good book, or take in a beautiful sunset.

People who cannot maintain mental attention cannot know the intimacy of prayer, and God does not maintain a Facebook page. Our ability to focus attention is not just about the mind, for it is also a reflection of the soul. Our Christian discipleship demands that we give attention to our attention.

Read the whole blog post here

John Piper on a Biblical Manhood and Leadership

This is one of my all-time favorite Piper quotes, one that I read as a single fella and have come to appreciate more and more as I am married and have 2 little ones. The call to being a Biblical man is not one that we can do on our own, it is one we work hard daily after and lay our heads down at night with the full realization that it was not I, but the grace of God in me working the whole time. Fellas, are we fighting for this, are we willing to put down the remote, turn off the flat-screen and fight for this?? That is why this quote is one I must think on daily;

"The call to leadership is a call to humble oneself and take the responsibility to be a servant-leader in ways that are appropriate to every different relationship with women.

It is a call to risk getting egg on our faces; to pray as we have never prayed before; to be constantly in the Word; to be more given to planning, more intentional, more thoughtful, less carried along by the mood of the moment; to be disciplined and ordered in our lives; to be tenderhearted and sensitive; to take the initiative to make sure there is a time and a place to talk to her about what needs to be talked about; and to be ready to lay down our lives the way Christ did if that is necessary." (What's the Difference? Manhood and Womanhood Defined According to the Bible, pg. 38)

Click Here for More Resources for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood

Barack Obama on Abortion

If you ever had any questions about Barack's stance on abortion watch the first 10 minutes or so of this video taken from a speech given at Planned Parenthood. This speech was delievered this past July so this is a current view of a man running for the Presidency.

There was a real ironic/sad line he gave around the 7 min mark or so, he said that this is about the "powerless being defended by those in power" I say AMEN to that. Although what he meant was the powerless=pregnant women, whereas I believe it is powerless=unborn babies that cannot "choose" to live or die, but are totally dependent on the mother to live. 

Click Here to See the Real Affects of Abortion

Props: JT

What Can I Say...

My boy is a thug...

Ok maybe not...

What is with the hat?!?!?!

Muto=Amaziing

I have no idea how long this took, or if this is art or vandalism, I think the former. Just watch this video and then pick your jaw up from the floor!

Click Here for Blu Blu the creator of "Muto"


MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

Props: Power of Change

Double KO

This kinda reminds me of the end of Rocky 2 when both are down only this is real, and there is no inspirational music to follow...

Props: MMA Mania

It's 2008 Do You Know Where Your Neighbor Is?

Dude seriously, 35 years this lady has been dead and NO one noticed, that is crazy and sad. I was not even born yet when this lady passed away.

From CNN.com

ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) -- Governments have changed. War erupted and ended. Neighbors had children, and then grandchildren. But Hedviga Golik never left her tiny apartment in Croatia's capital -- until her mummified body was carried out this week, 35 years after she died.

Police said Friday that no one ever reported Golik missing and no one has come to claim her body.

Residents of her loft building in downtown Zagreb had broken into Golik's flat after deciding that the apartment should belong to them, and not to her. Startled by the remains in bed, they called police.

Forensics experts said Golik likely died in 1973, about the time a neighbor last saw her. Expert Davor Strinovic said she seemed to have died of natural causes, but "it's almost impossible to say for certain" after so much time.

Some of Golik's neighbors claimed she had talked about going abroad.

Experts said her windows had been open, likely diminishing the smell. It remained unclear who -- if anyone -- was paying her bills and who exactly owned the apartment. In the 1970s, when Golik died, apartments were state-owned.

Neighbors now argue the apartment should be divided among the remaining tenants.

The discovery of Golik's body on Tuesday prompted media debates on how it is possible for a woman to die so long ago without anyone noticing. One local journalist said it showed people were becoming more alienated.

"My dear neighbors! Please keep on being curious and a bit tiresome, as you have been so far," Merita Arslani wrote in the Jutarnji list daily.

The Irony of Self Esteem

Michael Horton the host of The White Horse Inn radio program comments in his book "Putting Amazing Back into Grace" on the affects of our culture that has raised me to tell me that I am a special, unique snowflake that and that all I need to do in this life is love myself more and more. Don't believe me, watch one episode of Oprah the most self obsessed show there may be out there, right up there with Dr. Phil.

"Never before, perhaps, has God been so totally forgotten and lowered in our estimation. Self-esteem, self-image, self-confidence, self-this and self-that have replaced talk of God's attributes. Ironically, this has created the opposite of its intention. The more time we spend contemplating our own greatness in the mirror, the more clearly we are bound to see the warts. Without the knowledge of God in whose image we have been created, and the grace which has made us children of God, narcissism (self-love) quickly evolves into depression (self-hate)." (pg. 14-15)

C.J. Mahaney: The Cup

Watch, and RE-watch and then share it and watch with others....

One Meeting, Two Views

A while back John Piper and Tony Jones met over lunch, Piper a reformed baptist preacher and Jones an emergent leader both have their own take on the meeting. Al Hsu gives the two points:


"This is from The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World (ed. John Piper and Justin Taylor):

Justin Taylor: John, you met recently with Tony Jones, who’s the national coordinator for Emergent, and Doug Pagitt, who is also involved in the leadership of Emergent. Is there anything you can tell us about that meeting or anything that would be helpful to share about your time together with them? And how did it come about?

John Piper: Tony and Doug took the initiative to e-mail me and asked if we’d be interested in meeting with them—I think because they read the blurb on this conference and were ticked off by it!

It was a very profitable time for me. I like these guys, by the way. I like them because I think they’re both hotheads, and I think I am too. That was a personal impression. However, my root sense is that ultimately, for Tony and Doug, committed relationships trump truth. They probably would not like the word “trump” but would rather say that committed relationships are an authentic expression of the gospel, and that to ask, “What is the gospel underneath, supporting the relationships?” is a category mistake. And so I just kind of kept going back on my heels, saying I just don’t understand the way these guys think. There are profound epistemological differences—ways of processing reality—that make the conversation almost impossible, as if we were just kind of going by each other. What is the function of knowledge in transformation? What are the goals of transformation? We seem to differ so much in our worldviews and our ways of knowing that I’m not sure how profitable the conversation was or if we could ever get anywhere.

Therefore I can’t make definitive statements about what they believe about almost anything, except for a few strong statements about certain social agendas in which they would clearly come out of their chair on the hatred of human trafficking or something like that. But as far as their beliefs on certain doctrinal issues, I can’t tell, because as I pushed on them, I could tell that their attitude was: “That’s not what we do. That’s not what we do here. We don’t try to get agreement on the nature of the atonement. That is alienating to friendships to try to do that, so we don’t do that.” And because of that, I say, “Well, I don’t even know where to start with you then.” This shows how different we are, because Galatians 1:8 says, “If we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.” And that’s not friendship. Paul insists on establishing the gospel, whether there is a good relationship or not. I came away from our meeting frustrated and wishing it were different but not knowing how to make it different. (The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World, pp. 154-55)

And the following is Tony Jones’s take on the same meeting as chronicled in The New Christians:

Tony Jones: When the pastor accepted my invitation to lunch, I was happy, if a bit anxious. This man is the pastor of a large Baptist church, the president of a ministry, and the author of several best-selling books. He sits atop a pyramid of conservative Reformed Christians that has been particularly critical of emergents. I sent him an e-mail after seeing the promotional material for his pastors’ conference, the language of which made it clear that the emergent church movement was one of his targets for criticism. My e-mail was an olive branch: an invitation to lunch and an assurance that we both share a commitment to proclaiming Christ.

The pastor is a gentle-looking man, but his theology is anything but gentle. He believes that God’s anger burns with holy fire against human sin. Words like wrath, hate, and blood peppered his sentences as we dined at the Olive Garden (his choice). Slight of stature, he has a piercing gaze. He brought three of his compatriots, and I brought Doug Pagitt, the pastor of Solomon’s Porch and my best friend. He carried a Bible and a notebook; Doug and I each brought books that we’d written to give as gifts.

The pastor began by admitting that he’d never heard of me before, and that he really didn’t have anything against emergent Christians per se. His beef is with Brian McLaren and Steve Chalke, both emergent authors who have questioned the version of the doctrine of the atonement that he holds dear. Early in the lunch, Doug said that he’s long respected the ministry of the pastor’s church and since we’re in the same town, perhaps we could minister in partnership with one another. “Regardless of our theological differences,” Doug said, “maybe we can find ways to work together.” But as the lunch progressed, it became clear that the pastor felt that the beginning of any partnership was necessarily agreement on a particular doctrine, the atonement, a doctrine that he equates with an understanding of the gospel. To put it conversely, if you don’t understand the atonement as he does, you do not understand the gospel. To put it even more bluntly, he said that if you reject his understanding of the gospel, you are rejecting the gospel in toto, and so, by logical extension, you are not a Christian. (To be fair, he didn’t pass the same sentence on people who have never had the gospel explained to them in this way before, only on those who hear it and outright reject it.)

I mentioned the billions and billions of people who have lived and died as faithful, albeit not Reformed, Christ followers over the past two millennia, to no avail. Doug mentioned that there are lots of things that our two churches might work together on, like fighting sex trafficking, that have nothing to do with how one sees the atonement, but the pastor didn’t budge. I mentioned that it might be arrogant and a bit deceptive to preach that one of them is the sole and exclusive means of understanding the single greatest event in the history of the cosmos: the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. “What do you tell your congregation about how Christians understood the atonement for the thousand years prior to Anselm?”

The pastor paused, looked at me, and said, “You should never preach.” He went on to state that in this confusing, relativized, and postmodern world, people need “fixed points of doctrine” around which they can orient their lives. In other words, a correct understanding of a particular doctrine is the beginning of all Christian ministry. If you don’t have that, he was saying, you don’t have anything.

Then I tried another tack in explaining emergent Christians. “For you,” I said, “it’s the fixed point of doctrine that is the litmus test of all ministry. But for us, it’s the Apostle Paul’s call to be ambassadors of reconciliation in the world. Everything we do in the emergent church is surrounded by an envelope of friendship, friendship that is based on lives of reconciliation. And it’s within that envelope that we have all sort of discussions and debates about the atonement and sex trafficking and baptism and AIDS in Africa.

“In fact,” I continued, “I’m not sure it’s even possible to be an orthodox Christian if you’re not living a life of reconciliation.” (The New Christians, pp. 76-78)"

Props: The Suburban Christians

Phil Wickham Can Flat Out Play

The boy got some skills!

When did this happen???

When did we go from this....

To This?!?!?!?!

Yes this makes me feel old, as do the not so black hairs starting to show up on the top of my head... But it is one fun ride with my fam!!!!!

Ummm.....What The?????

Props: CCS

So This Can Go Along with My Message Last Night

on predestination and the sovereignty of God....





















Props: Crummy Church Signs

John Piper Reacts To the Cyclone in Myanmar

(Author: John Piper)

As the carnage from Cyclone Nargis moves toward 50,000 dead and beyond, there is a way to pray and act:

1. Be softened to the pain nearby.

The Good Samaritan knew nothing of the calamities in first century Burma, but was commended by the Lord for mercies at hand (Luke 10:25-37).

2. Pray for the followers of Christ in Myanmar:

• That they would be still and know that God is God (Psalm 46:10; 100:3).
• That they would be awakened from the illusion that this life is long or sure or the main point of eternal existence (James 4:14).
• That they would be given a new vision of the supreme value of Christ who promises his followers that famine, nakedness, and death will not separate them from his love (Romans 8:35).
• That God would meet their needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus, so that they might have to give to those in need (Philippians 4:19; Ephesians 4:28).

3. Pray for the millions of unbelievers near the calamity and far from it:

• That they would see the helplessness of man before the power that rules the world and fly to Christ who alone delivers from the final cyclone of God's wrath (1 Thessalonians 1:10).
• That they would not respond like the people in Revelation (9:20; 16:9, 11) who did not repent at the devastation but cursed God.
• That they would hear the best news in all the world—not the news of health, wealth, and prosperity in this world, but the news that Christ became a curse for us (Galatians 3:13) so that in him they can be more than conquerors in every calamity of life (Romans 8:37).

4. Pray for those of us who live in the seeming security and prosperity of America:

• That we would see what is about to break over us in due time—either collectively as God removes the hand of his providential restraint, or individually as one by one we are whisked to the hospital, then wheeled to the nursing home, and then carried to the funeral home (Hebrews 9:27).
• That millions would be made to see this and repent from the adultery of treasuring anything more than Christ (James 4:4).

5. Give money to replenish the coffers of compassion "since you also are in the body" (Hebrews 13:3).

6. Muster a team from your church, and when the doors are open, be ready to go.

This kind of going always has the promise of a special, "I will be with you to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20).

Props: Desiring God

22,000 Dead in Myanmar....

and this is the Picture on the front cover of CNN.COM. In fact you have to scroll down and find sub-line regarding this disaster, look for it right next to the link to Britney's day in court... I wonder what it would be if this happened in oh say, San Diego??

Jesus Said Love....Strippers

Props: The Chandlers

Al Mohler on Raising Up Church Leaders

Al Mohler made an interesting remark about church reform late last night in Mark Dever's study: a young man entering a church should not expect to reform it so much by persuading the old guard, but by raising up and discipling a new generation of younger men and waiting for them to grow into positions of leadership.

Props: Church Matters

T4G Review Part 4

Out of all the speakers of the conference the one I was LEAST excited about was John MacArthur. I have not been a huge fan of Dr. MacArthur's, and have at times been quite critical of who he is. Do not get me wrong I think that most of his theology is solid and that he is someone I would recommend for good reformed doctrine, eschatology aside. The issue I have had with him, is the way he comes off, arrogant, rude, condescending and prideful. It is not just him that comes off this way, there are many I have viewed of his "fans" that are the same way, and graduates of his school often seem to lean on the fundamentalist side of life. In recent history many of the MacArthur army has taken aim at Mark Driscoll for his attire he has when preaching and some of the things he says. They seemed to disregard the impact Mark has had in one of the least churched cities in the U.S. and instead focus on the things the perceive as imperfections. In other words they take non-foundational issues such as dress and even evangelism styles as foundational. They also seemed to be like pitbulls ready for a fight/debate, and that gets old fast. So a lot of my beef was with the whole aura around this dude. So needless to say I was not amped for Johnny Mac's talk. God is gracious!

Dr. MacArthur spoke on the Inability of us sinners to regenerate ourselves. In other words we are totally depraved, unable to save ourselves. I was a very great talk, not because it was super theological, but because when you realize how much of a desperate state you were in and that God would save you totally it humbles you. MacArthur's talk was very straight from the Word and was very well done. Often we take for granted the "dead in trespasses" verse from Ephesians 2, and I confess do not dwell on that as much as I need. I was DEAD spiritually, not hurting, not sick, but DEAD, and dead people cannot make their heart start beating. Often we want to argue that "I chose" Christ, and that is true up to the point we realize "I chose" only after He made me alive, He gave me a new life, a new heart, new eyes to see, then yes "I chose".

This session probably impacted me the most in not so much the content although that was fantastic, but the humility. I was humbled by my own arrogant, prideful view of Dr. MacArthur and his "fans". The reality is, T4G was not an Acts 29 conference, and it did not look like one. It was more of a Southern Baptist looking conf. where many polos and dockers were in effect. The general crowd of t4G was not the kind of people I am comfortable around, or at least that was my opinion. Dr. MacArthur's session helped change that. I was humbled, and shown that these men in dockers and white tennis shoes are my brothers just as much as my friends that wear jeans and t-shirts. These men are sinners unable to save themselves, but by God's grace have been saved and made new in Christ, just like me. I am no better than these men, in fact I know my heart and fear I am far worse than any of them in that conference. I may not agree with them on certain issues, and we may not end up best buddies that will plant churches together, and that is OK! We are linked though in a way that surpasses all differences of opinion, that is we are linked by Christ and His blood!

God humbled me in many ways, and this session was a catalyst for much of that humiliation I had and I praise God for it!!

"Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves." Phil. 2:3

Click here for "The Sinner Neither Able Nor Willing: The Doctrine of Absolute Inability"

Happy Birthday Mom!!!

A year ago this past weekend my mother received the news that her breast cancer that had been in remission for the past 7 years had come back. The cancer had not just come back, but it had come back with force as more spots were found in various areas of her body from her lung to liver. When this news was delivered in many ways we as a family were swept back to 1999 and the first battle with this disease. In ’99 when my mother was first diagnosed with Breast Cancer our family fell apart, I won’t go into details but it was bad. We had no hope and the thought of losing my mom was too much for me and my father to handle.
My mother has always been the stability in our family when my dad was having hard times she was the force, a gentle force, but still a mighty force that kept my head up and loved and supported my father. My mother has always been a force for stability and strength, even though she is a quiet, humble and gentle soul (Lobo Basketball games being the exception of this demeanor). She was an elementary school teacher for the better part of 4 decades, and in fact was my wife’s 4th grade teacher. She has been such a key influence in many lives and shaping many in this community. As I already stated for my father and I she is and was a source of stability and love and encouragement. My daughter loves her nana with a jealous love as I know my son will too one day. The thought of losing her in ’99 was too much for us to handle and it truly was a hard time for our family.
A lot has changed since then. In ’07 when we received news of cancer and its’ return the response was different. There was concern, tears and sadness, but there was calmness, trust and hope. What had changed? Jesus Christ had invaded our household and became our foundation and hope. A true knowledge of who Jesus is and what He had done changed our outlook on everything. Never has that been so apparent than at lunch at TGI Friday’s when my parents told me the news of my mom’s relapse with cancer. At lunch my parents shared the news, but also shared the hope. The hope that while cancer hurts it cannot destroy, that if my mom was to die, it would just mean she would no longer see through a foggy window, she would be with Jesus! My dad stood firm, not on his own strength, but on Christ the Solid Rock, trusting in a Sovereign, Wise King! At that moment Jesus was at that table sitting with us and speaking through my parents, Praise God!
Today is my mom’s birthday, and we do realize it is something to celebrate that she is still here, that the cancer while not gone is being controlled. My mom has been a part of a women’s Bible Study at our church and has dove deep into God’s Word and trust in Him. Where will we be in 1 year, who knows, but no matter what changes come, we can trust that Jesus our Rock and Foundation, our Joy and our Hope, our Strength and Security is the same yesterday, today and forever.

Happy Birthday Mom!!! We Love You!!!!!!

Lager and Ale, What's The Difference

My boy Greg Q. has started a new blog I recommend called The Beerean, it is a blog by a Christian who enjoys a brew here or there, calm down Southern Baptists. Recently he even commented on how there are not many if any blogs from Christians that like beer. My blog is not one devoted to beer, but I do want to say I do enjoy a brew with dinner and found this video that helps me better understand the question, Lager and Ale what's the difference?



Click Here to Check out The Beerean

Free Will and Loving God??

Greg Koukl from Stand to Reason responds to the issue of if we do not have "free will" than we cannot truly love God...


Thoughts??