no greater love

I'm going to halt the India testimonies. I'm working on a special issue of the zine that will tell it all, so you'll have to wait for that. Or buy me coffee and I'll spill (not the coffee ... haha).

In the meantime, the Lord answered a question I had a few months ago (while I was in India, but that's just a coincidence). I had been a little upset with Him for introducing sin. Adam introduced sin, ya ya - but if God hadn't said, "Don't" it wouldn't have been sin. You can re-read the whole post if you're not sure what I'm talking about.

I'd prayed fervently about it for probably a week, and while I felt like He spoke to me, it was such a heavy burden that I didn't want to speak too soon. The gentle answer that I felt in my spirit at the time was, "How else would you have ever known My love for you?" I thought about all the times I had ever been moved, humbled, or appalled at His love. Death can express love that words cannot.

The verse that came to me at the time was John 15:13, "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends." But, like I said, it's a serious matter so I hesitated to weigh in.

During our missionary quiet time last week I was reading Romans and I came to chapter 11, verse 32, "For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all."

Then I started to try to look at it from His side. How much must it hurt Him, after He's given everything, every time one of His children turns away forever? He knew before creation that many would, so why expose Himself to such pain? For the love of a few. Your love is worth it. Meditate on that for a minute.

I call her Anna

We sat in pairs. Two sets of dirty, khaki capris surrounded by sparkling saris and gorgeous, dark skin. That these women revered us at all was embarassing.

"Lex!" Vyola shouted under her breath and waved me across the room. I pointed at Christine to say I needed to stick with her, but Vyola beckoned me again. I obediently scooted across the marble floor. "This lady would like you to pray for her. She pointed at you." That's strange.

I more than glanced at the woman for the first time and smiled. Her old, brown frames clung to one last piece of glass, but she didn't seem to notice. Her hair shined white like it must have once shined jet black, and whispered from beneath her sari of wisdom. Her skin, weathered from decades of work, smoothed to stretch over fragile bones each time she opened her mouth to speak or smile. The later she couldn't seem to do with her eyes open. I wanted to hug her, but only so she would hug me back. Her gentle spirit astounded me as I briefly considered the hardships her life must have seen.

We diagnosed her ailment and I began as I always did, "Ask her what she knows about Jesus." You can't ask simple Yes or No questions because they know what you want to hear. "Are you Christian?" Of course. "Do you believe in Jesus?" Absolutely, whatever makes you happy. Not this lady.

She squeaked for a while in Telegu and Vyola tried not to laugh. "That was a lot," Captain Obvious contributed.

"She just explained to you the gospel," Vyola chuckled. "She comes to the church every day. She teaches. She just spent five years here, praying."

"Five years here? In this building?"

"Ya."

"I think she should pray for me." Vyola chuckled, but said nothing. The look on her face informed me that I couldn't possibly ask that of her, so we prayed. The wrinkled intercessor was healed and I asked if I could take her picture before she left. "Tell her I was honored to pray for her." Vyola translated and Anna smiled and left.

the next morning

Namaste! Thanks for all the comments, guys, I feel so loved. I will hereby post some pictures. I'm not sure which ones are on the India site, so if there are duplicates ... you can feel cool because you know. These are a few of my favs:

This was on the wall of a church under construction in the second village.

Me and some of the Indian pastors. It was the first day we got fruit. I was excited.

Beautiful faces

Kids doing a traditional stick dance at the church.

This woman is an intercessor. I'll tell you all about her in an ensuing post.

The girls.

Sarah being rehydrated. That's a whole story for later.

Missionaries.


In the second to last village Justein and I met an old woman. The thinnest of all the thin, old Indian women and adorable. She can't hear or see well, and when she started talking to herself one of the other women pointed out to our translator that the woman is a little out of her mind. We prayed for her, but nothing much happened. I wanted to talk with her more (or try), so we asked her to sit in a chair for a minute. She sat for about a minute, and left.

We took a break for lunch and told the rest of the women to come back for prayer around four. A couple hours later we were on the floor, surrounded by saris again, and this old woman came back. I was elated. She sat down and after a couple minutes started to cry. I asked Vyola why she was crying and she said the woman couldn't understand why we wouldn't pray with her. She'd forgotten about this morning already. We prayed again - for clarity, for her eyes, for her ears. Nothing. Initially I was frustrated because she was the only old woman in the village who had not been healed. After she disappeared again, frustration turned to worry.

The woman is old and frail and losing it. It's not pessimistic to say she's not going to last much longer, but how to you communicate the gospel to someone who, by the time you get to the third day, has forgotten the part about her creation? I struggled with her for a while, and eventualy gave her to the Lord with a desperate, "Holy Spirit, You have to do something."

We did the evening service that night and it was my turn to give the gospel after the main drama (which very effectively sets up the gospel). I got through the message, close your eyes, raise your hands, stand up, and I started to communicate the gravity of the commitment the respondants were about to make when I saw her. She was at the front corner of the crowd, standing probably three feet from the speaker. I threatened them about giving up other gods, skipping Hindu festivals, and the disapproval of some of their families/neighbors, all the while praying in my spirit that this little woman would not sit down. I gave a final call and she didn't flinch. Hands raised, she turned her life over to Christ, and I have never come closer to the joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than I did that night.

goodbye again

I'm saying goodbye again. I've only been back for a month, but c'est la vie. Off to India tomorrow morning. I'll be back in a couple weeks with pictures and testimony. Keep us in your prayers. You can check out the India for Jesus website for updates from the front lines!

props

You're just not going to get anything profound out of me until I get back. I'm too busy. I do have to give props to my hubby for this, though:

We were driving home from Hampshire on Monday evening. It's a bit of a drive. It was dark, because we'd stayed far too late, and the full moon was spilling all over the passenger side of Timothy's car. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him looking at me. I turned to meet his stare and remind him to watch the road, but he cut me off, "You make the moonlight beautiful."

Sorry ladies, I got the best one.

bye, Jen

The youth leaders said official goodbyes to Jen last night. She's not leaving for a couple more weeks, but those of us going to India won't see her again. Someone leaving (until eternity or just October), usually inspires people to expand their visions of the relationship. I discovered two things on the way home last night:

1. Jen and I took far too long to become friends in the first place.
2. Jen is leaps and bounds from where she was when we met her just a few months ago.

'Cause I remember when Jen first came to Switch, shy and at least a little uncomfortable in herself. Not at all the confident, bold young woman of God who will soon be heading back to start revival on a college campus in Michigan. It's amazing what the Holy Spirit can do with a willing heart in such a short time.

There are pictures of that too that I occationally day dream about getting posted before I leave, but it's not a realistic day dream. My schedule for the next three days is thus:

Today after work: Clean the apartment and dinner with a friend (because who knows where in the world this girl will be in two weeks) ... at the India Curry House.

Wednesday after work: Purchase everything that I personally need for this trip, and that our team as a whole still needs. Conduct two more hours of missionary training. Finish cleaning the apartment.

Thursday after work: Finish everything that's not done yet, which hopefully does not include cleaning the apartment. Laundry and pack.

Tada! Pray for me.

don't accept Jesus

We had missions training all weekend, and I am tired. I think if I ever co-lead a missions trip again, I'm taking the week before the trip off too.

Yesterday we did a lot of role playing to get our missionaries more accustomed to engaging someone of a totally different culture in a conversation. And then moving that conversation toward Jesus. They were in pairs or small groups, practicing the gospel on each other, and I stopped two of them to explain something that's been on my heart for a few months now.

Don't tell someone they need to accept Jesus.

Webster defines "accept" as (1) to receive, (2) to give approval to, (3) to endure without protest or reaction, (4) to make a favorable response to, etc.

That's weak sauce. That makes me think all I have to do is give Jesus a hug and everything will be okay. Or that I just have to nod at the idea that Jesus is who He is, and He'll bless me. I just have to endure Him without protest. God's heart is overcome with one look of our eye, and we, in turn, endure Him?

Jesus tells his disciples to take up a cross. To repent. Be renewed. Die daily. Give everything. To be reborn.

There's a degree of "accepting" in there, but I wonder what kind of "Christians" we're creating (all over the world) when we're satisfied that someone has prayed a prayer and comes to church three Sundays a month. Are we "mak(ing) disciples," or backsliders?

time

Tim talked last night about time. He mentioned that old adage in passing, that "time is money." A thought crossed my mind, and I won't dare guess where it came from. It was this: If time is money, do I need to tithe on it? 2.4 hours per day? That's 2 hours and 24 minutes, which is basically two-and-a-half hours. Just a thought.

hymns

I remember going to church as a very bored child, and flipping through the hymnals during service to try to find something good. I remember not being very satisfied very often.

I was thinking yesterday about how strange it is when the Holy Spirit breathes on a song. There are some songs that are well composed, and can evoke some sort of emotional response. Then there are songs, every once in a while, that spark revival in your spirit. You don't even have to be trying for those songs.

There are several in a modern worship repetoire, but what I've been musing over lately is hymns that the Holy Spirit chooses to nod at. A new song is a little more understandable because, fine, God's doing a new thing. New thing, new song. But hymns are old and this is still happeneing.

Musically, most hymns are very similar. They use chords that many worship leaders today find uncomfortable, but they all use the same uncomfortable chords. They use the same strange progressions, and they sing on the beat almost all the time. Most hymns convey the same basic ideas in their lyrics; they're usually more generic in content than a lot of modern worship songs. Isolate almost any hymn and it looks like a masterpiece, but line it up with its peers and it conforms.

So how is it that a certain few remain the collective favorites decades to centuries later? How Deep the Father's Love for Us, It Is Well With My Soul, and Joyful Joyful We Adore Thee are a few. How have thousands fallen by the wayside, but a few will still reach to the depths of us?

It's not the music. It's probably not the lyrics. I know it's not nostalgia, because I never really knew a hymn until I met Jesus a few years ago. They're not offering any fresh, new sound or revelation. I don't have any answers.

I do have some fresh inspiration, though. I'm thinking it will be fun (when I get back from India) to fill out a basic structure of some of these hymns with my own arrangements. I'm starting with It Is Well With My Soul, because I stumbled across the following video again recently. Like I said, though, I'm kind of new to this, so there are probably some classics I don't know about. What are some favorite hymns?

spoken word of life

A 17-year-old college freshman me walked 30 minutes through Missouri's only monsoon to the first real open mic night of my life. (Because I'd already walked 30 minutes, so pressing on or going home was going to leave me similarly wet.) A girl I didn't know, but who spoke the same body language as a good friend of mine back home, bought me a cup of coffee and I sat down at a table of three more people I didn't know just in time for a crash course in spoken word.

What I heard in that tiny little café in a midwestern town that no one can name, startled me. It was the power of music in the potency of words. I love music, and I've always loved music, because it expresses the inexpressible. What it does not do is express the expressable.

Sometimes - many times - that which can be best communicated through word is exactly what a soul needs to hear or a heart needs to utter. Sometimes it is those things that are looked over or looked down on because a lecture is not artistic. A discussion or debate does not touch our emotions, but there are things that the artist needs to understand that emotion cannot.

At a basic level, spoken word is performance poetry. Some people read poetry into a microphone. Some people read poetry emotionally into a microphone. The good ones, I soon discovered, wrote poetry that would only be wholly understood when breathed into a microphone. It is music that is spoken.

I started to get into it, writing a little and listening a lot. Shortely thereafter I met Jesus. He can be rather disarming. Everything I was working on suddenly became wrong, and the opportunities to participate suddenly disappeared.

Inspiration has been resurrected. I recently discovered Bradley Hathaway and Amena Brown.

mini revelation

I've been having these brief moments of clarity for the past couple of weeks that I just don't know how to describe. (This is going to make for a great blog entry, hmm?)

I don't know what actually counts as a "revelation," but I don't think that's what this is. I think of a revelation as understanding something you didn't previously understand. Or understanding something to a level you couldn't previously comprehend. I don't think that's what's happening. I think "clarity" is really the best word. It's as if, for the span of a deep breath, the veil is removed and my spirit completely understands something about God that my mind has known for years.

The first one happened toward the end of The Call in Nashville. We were in the middle of a worship set. I was standing - eyes closed and arms raised - when I was suddenly, very aware of God's grace. It's something that I knew, and you know, and when I try to explain in a minute - unless the Holy Spirit assists - you'll nod at, completely unmoved. I'm still going to try. Pray for ears to hear before you read this, or something.

I stood, singing a song I didn't know, but whose chorus was simple enough to remember after the first couple presentations. One line was a very basic lyric about redemption - so unremarkable that I don't remember a word of it now - and as it was sung for the third or thirteenth time the Lord moved it through my spirit and broke something inside of me.

He breathes life into me, not once, but every time I inhale. From the beginning of the beginning He loved me with a heart I will never see the depths of, and for so long I maliciously and intentionally spit in His face. At that moment, though, as I sang that song, He loved me perfectly and for no other reason than He wanted to. His sacrifice was so great, and his mercy is so consuming that it should cost everything. It should cost hell. I realize on the one hand it does cost everything, but not like it should. There is nothing I can do, and only because He wanted it that way.

Because He could have put a cost on it. Purgatory could have been real; indulgences could have been real; He could have assigned a terrible cost and He would have been just in doing so. He didn't want to, though, and in looking over myself I couldn't understand why.

Of course I still don't understand why, but I think He replaces the veil because a person couldn't live day to day with that kind of burden.

But you know all that, and this - like I said - is a bad blog entry because you can't blog about what words can't express. It's been happening every few days since Nashville, though, and I like it.

irony

It's fun the way the Holy Spirit will set you up to preach whatever it is you most need to hear in a given season.

Like when Martin Luther found it impossible to love an angry, unpredicable, malicious god his instructor sent him to Witburg to teach a course on the Bible. In studying scripture to prepare for his assignment, Martin met Jesus and the rest is awesome.

For me, when I've nearly given up on finances or the prospect owning a real home anytime soon, He sends me to teach on faith and Jehovah Jira. In writing lengthy emails, I meet my priorities.

bicycle

The Inghams let me come over last night and play bike shop in their garage. I wish I had before and after pictures to post, because the rims on that blue Schwinn look brand stinkin' new.

We got home rather late and my cutie husband made a comment about his cool wife that fixes bikes. He asked why I like it so much and I didn't know what to say. "Relaxing?" He suggested. I shrugged, not really. I get really frustrated many times when a brake set refuses to hold tension for no good reason.

I left work twenty minutes ago - foresaking lunch in the office for my sanity - to get tea and an internet connection, and realized why I like bicycles. Ready? They're simple.

Even when something goes wrong for no reason I can completely tear the thing apart and put it back together to make it work. Most of the time, though, even considering a dozen different styles that have changed over time, they're pretty basic.

I need simple once in a while.

below the radar

Religious Bonds Divide Some Parents, Kids - USA Today

This is interesting.

Though Gallup polls dating to the '50s say young adults are less likely to attend services or say religion is very important in their lives, clergy of all stripes say they are seeing a small wave of young adults who are more pious than their parents. And they're getting an earful from boomer moms and dads who range from shocked to delighted.

It's not just Christianity, which is even more intriguing to me. There's an increasing passion in young people to live out an uncompromised faith.

Luke 12:49-53//I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled ... Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division. ... Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother ...

Of course, said division has been on the earth since Jesus died and rose and ascended ... or even since Abram left his family for an unknown land. It's interesting to me that it seems to be picking up again. In a society that has become less and less "pious" with every passing generation, this new pattern is beginning to emerge.

One Rabbi notices that these "devout young people are 'floating below the radar.'" Probably not for long.

A sign of the times? I leave it to you.

five wise

Mike Ingham delivered a great sermon/message/teaching (whatever you want to call it) last night on the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25. It was wonderfully insightful, and if you weren't there you should pray fervently that it was recorded and rush to buy it on Sunday.

I do have one question kind of nagging at me, though.

Mike Ingham pointed out (with a fair degree of fervor) that "the wedding" mentioned in verse 10 is not the kingdom of heaven, is not salvation. All ten, after all, are described as "virgins," which symbolizes purity, which can only be had through the blood of a Savior. So all ten were believers. All ten had lamps that burned. Oil is symbolic of the Holy Spirit, so all ten were Spirit-filled believers. This should indicate that all ten will eventually enter the kingdom of heaven.

Then what is the "wedding?"

Because I thought the wedding that scripture refers to was Jesus coming back for His Church - His bride. Revelation 19 talks about the bride making herself ready for this wedding; is that not talking about Jesus calling the faithful unto Himself?

In Matthew 25 the foolish virgins cry out, "Lord, Lord" but He answers that He does not know them. In Matthew 7, Jesus declares that not everyone who says, "'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven" because He "never knew you." Even the parable of the ten virgins begins, "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins ..."

We know that salvation can be forfeit. During that waiting period in verse five when they slumbered and slept, could it not be that some who once claimed purity by the blood of the Lamb grew weary, bored, and dispassionate? If the "testing of your faith produces patience (James 1:3)," could the foolish virgins be those whose seed fell "on stony ground," as in Mark 4? I know people even now who once believed, and who once spoke in tongues, but have fallen far from Grace.

Certainly, all ten of the virgins slept, but that period could, as Mike Ingham suggested, be a dry, level period of church history. When there is no revival, no mighty work going on in the Church (or at least in your local church) and the congregation as a whole "slumbers," will you have enough of the Holy Spirit to come out of it, or will your oil burn up?

Isaiah tells us to "seek the Lord while He may be found." Will there be a time immediately preceeding Jesus' return wherein He will be hard to find? When trial and tribulation and the apparent tardiness of the Lord will cause the bridal party to relax a bit on the duty of watching (which will call out the real watchmen, because someone cried out when He came)? How many will have the strength of spirit, the overflow of God's presence, the Word sown in their hearts, to maintain their fires through that period? (Jesus seems to think about half - five out of ten.)

I'm open to the idea that the wedding in Matthew 25 is not the kingdom of God, but what is it, then?

beyond the shadow of a doubt

This is probably one of those things that everyone knows, but me.

Romans 2:1//Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.

I would always stumble over that last part, right myself quickly like nothing happened, and hurry away before someone saw. If someone is in sin and I determine, based on the fruit of his life, that things are not right ... am I, then, guilty of his sin(s)?

I tripped over this again during the very long drive to Nashville, but turned around to kick it this time. "Therefore" is a continuation of what went before:

Romans 1:32//who, knowing the righteous judgement of God, that those who practice such things [sexual immorality, wickedness, etc. as listed in verses 29 through 31] are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.

To judge is not synonymous with condemn, as it is often used in Christian circles. We get upset when someone "judges" us to be bad in some way, but never when they compliment our hair. You can judge something to be good as well as bad. Webster defines judge as "to form an opinion about through careful weighing of evidence and testing of premises." Good or bad. Right or wrong.

Considering Romans 2:1 as a therefore from 1:32, the danger is in approving behavior, speach, lifestyle, etc. that flies in the face of God's righteous judgement. Then we "practice the same things." If you approve of it, God says, you might as well be doing it.

Two obvious complications with this:

The first is loving people. Disapprove of that which is contrary to God, but love the people doing it. Jesus ate with the worst sinners; the pharisees pointed fingers.

The second exposes the heart. We can disapprove of abortion by voting only for pro-life candidates, but what about the more subtle issues that we don't talk about? What about the things we know we shouldn't say or do, but in our hearts we really don't think are all that bad? Can we disapprove according to the letter of the law, but not in spirit? The fear of the Lord is both the hatred of evil (Pr 8:13) and the beginning of wisdom (Pr 9:10).

I'm not saved

And Pope Benedict XVI said ... ("Amen!")

Pope approved a document released today that says, "Orthodox churches were defective and that other Christian denominations were not true churches," according to an AP article. "...Because they do not have apostolic succession - the ability to trace their bishops back to Christ's original apostles," and "did not have the 'means of salvation.'"

That's right, if you're not attending a Roman Catholic Church, you will be turned away from heaven because your pastor does not have the means of salvation to pass on to you.

What's really ironic is that yesterday, the Barna Research Group released the results of a study of American Catholics. 4000 adults were surveyed to compare 97 facets of life between Catholics and non-Catholics. The study found, among other things, that Catholics ...

... are half as likely to identify their faith as their priority in life.

... donate 17% less money to their local church.

... are 38% less likely to read a Bible.

... are 20% less likely to share their faith.

... are more likely to say that Satan is not real.

... are more likely to argue that Jesus sinned while on earth.

... are more likely to contend that salvation is earned.

That last one gets me, especially compared to the others. Where's Martin Luther when you need him?

in the meantime ...

A lot has happened over the past 40 days.

Everyone that wasn't blogging 40 days ago is blogging now. Mike and Loretta Ingham both entered the blogosphere, as well as Jillian. Marianne started blogging and then quit because China blocks Blogger; she started a Google Page instead. Bianca started one as well, which does not - for the record - make up for her moving to South Carolina.

I discovered an amazing pro-life ministry called Abort 73. I've never seen a website with so much information about abortion. As soon as I can put $14 together, I'll be investing in a t-shirt for sure.

Stop Consuming is a group trying to raise awareness within western Christendom of the gross excess our society continues to gorge itself on. This is one of the many social issues that the Church has shamefully handed over to liberal politics, so I appreciate their trying to take it back.

Relevant Magazine has spun off a women's magazine called Radiant that's pretty stinkin' savvy. It's a Christian women's magazine that actually has some style. There are all kinds of web-only bonuses, like an interview with Joyce Meyers.

Mars Hill Church is not new, but they're new to me. Pastor Mark Driscoll preaches the Bible, straight and unapologetically, to young people in post-grunge Seattle. This church was started in the mid-1990's, has grown by 60% each year since then, and has never spent a dime on advertising. They're known in Seattle as "the punk rock church." There's video on the website; I like it a lot.

The Esther Project #4 is out ... because I had time to write. If you haven't gotten one yet, post a comment in the vein of, "Girl, why ain't I got no EP?" I'll correct your grammar and send one along.

I watched The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc, which was very stressful. I'm kind of a dork, though, in that I really want to read a good biography now so I know better what was real and what was cinematic. If anyone can make a recommendation (because there are several to chose from), I would appreciate it.

Don and Lauree Reed have a cute baby, and I have bragging rights because I got to hold him first. Nah nah na na nah. Taylor:

There are better things to write on. Revelation and powerful happenings, but right now my body is very sore and my head is a little cloudy. Check back with me tomorrow afternoon for better content.

The Call

Joel 2:12-17:
"Now, therefore," says the LORD, "Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning." So rend your heart, and not yur garments; return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; and He relents from doing harm. Who knows if He will turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind Him - a grain offering and a drink offering for the LORD your God?

Blow the trumpet in Zion, consecrate a fast, call a sacred assembly; gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children and nursing babes; let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, and the bride from her dressing room. Let the priests, who minister to the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar; let them say, "Spare Your people, O LORD, and do not give Your heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them."

For 14 hours we repented and forgave, petitioned and promised, mourned and danced. For 14 hours we pressed into the heart of God. Relationships were mended with communities of Native, African, and Latino Americans. Bonds were reforged between parents and children. We heard from Senator Brownback (in person) and George W. Bush (wrote a letter), Mike Bickle, Ron Luce, and Lou Engle. Mostly we prayed - in small circles, from our knees on the concrete step at our feet, or as a corporate body of people passionate to see their nation turn back to God.

Mostly we called upon the living God to beseech His mercies. We stood in turn as representatives of our regions and ethnic backgrounds to repent of the sins of our people and call upon the mercies of our Messiah. It was the first time in a public setting that I've been so aware of His presence and so aware of His omnipotence that I felt ashamed for my head being uncovered.

We stood, sat, knelt, laid, sang, danced, wept, and worshipped for hours in 90+ degree heat, unrelenting sun, and Tennessee-summer humidity. Many had to be carried out of the fray, and some hospitalized as organizers begged the people to drink more water.

Then, after the sun had mercifully set behind the walls of the stadium, and the cool of the night began to settle over us, we sang Be Praised to the One who is worthy and 300 men armed with shofars assembled at the back of the main isle. To the beat of a half dozen drums and under dim stadium lights they made their way to the stage, trumpets raised like swords over their heads. The man on stage talked of the walls of Jericho and one shofar sounded six short blasts. On the seventh, 300 shofars trumpeted and nearly one hundred thousand of God's people erupted in a shout of victory that made that Bible story completely plausible. If the walls of that stadium had been holding us back from our destinies in Christ, they surely would have come down.

I'd been standing on my seat and half a minute into the celebration, lifted my hands to heaven and felt the pleasure of a beautiful Savior like a wave through my spirit. And I wept again.

We're forgiven. We're free. Because our God hears our cries. He doesn't have to, and we're not worthy that He should, but He does because of a love I know with all certainty I will never understand. The spirit of our nation has stopped dead in her tracks and turned around. I guarantee it.

goodbye

I'm closing down the blog for the next 40 days. Believe me, this hurts me more than it hurts you. We're going down to Nashville on July 7 (see video below - it's different from the ones I've posted before), and TheCall is ... um ... calling for a 40 day food and media fast to "consecrate ourselves to go before the Lord." Being as the blog is media that is not necessary for work, I'm putting it on hold.

There are other wonderful bloggers listed to the right, and a myriad of good websites to browse if you're looking for good web content. Or you may try a media fast of your own.

Special appologies go out to Bianca. I'll see you all again on July 8th.

Tarquin

This is Tarquin (not sure if I'm spelling that right). He belongs to a cool couple - friends of some friends we see maybe once a year. He likes to scream - for no apparent reason.

get behind me

Matthew 16:23 and Mark 8:33 recount the "rebuke fest," as Pastor Brian Zahnd likes to call it. Jesus prophecies of his crucifixtion, Peter gets upset, Peter rebukes Jesus, Jesus rebukes Peter.

I noticed the other day that in both passages, Jesus uses the language, "Get behind me, Satan!" in rebuking Peter. ("Satan" literally translates "Adversary.")

Jesus used identical, harsh language when He was tempted of the devil in the wilderness. The third temptation was when Satan offered Jesus the kingdoms of the world if He would worship Satan. Jesus replies, "Get behind me, Satan ..."


So I couldn't help but wonder if He quoted His rebuke because the offence that inspired it was the same. In Luke 4:8 He casts Satan out of His presence in response to a call for idolitry. Around the time of Rebuke Fest 0001 He responds to ... what? Peter's plea that Jesus rethink His plan and deny what He was sent to do. And mere moments after Peter receives revelation from God that this Jesus is the Christ. A god that suffers and dies (and that has called Peter to follow) was not the kind Peter was looking for. Peter first confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, and then insists that He become the kind of Christ Peter is most comfortable with. Jesus rebukes idolitry.

I can't help but think about the great falling away that is coming. When America starts to feel the "terrible" part of the Day of the Lord, and hearts grow cold and offended. How much of the western Church will be left standing when the Jesus we hang on our walls is not the Jesus that splits the sky?

Will I be standing? I think I will ... but everybody does. Will I have so taught my heart to love and trust Him that I will be able to stand in that day without offence and without doubt? What about when all my eschatology falls through the floor and He does something I wasn't prepared for? Hmm.

question

I think I have a pretty good grasp on some of the hard topics regarding God. I understand why we have a free will, even though so many of us choose wrongly. I see the necessity of certain paradoxes, such as "the great and terrible day of the Lord." I'm okay with God's decision to allow suffering to strengthen love. I'm even comfortable with the fact that there are just mysteries to God that we probably will not understand in this life.

As I was listening to a body-builder explain the fall of mankind last night, though, a question arose in my heart that's been plauging me for some 12 hours: Why put the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden in the first place?

Before you start explaining theology to your computer screen allow me to reassure you that I understand the following:

1. Hell was never intended for people.

2. God does not send people to hell; people send themselves to hell.

3. We have free will.

4. God is just and good.

My question, though, is, from the very begining of the whole thing, why put the tree there at all if He didn't want them to eat from it? With the ability to see the end from the beginning, God must have known that Satan would convince them, that sin would enter the world, and that thousands would never escape it. He must have known from the very beginning that some would reject Him, and later reject Christ, and suffer an eternity of torment for it.

Assuming the tree was somehow necessary, why create man at all? Again, knowing that some would suffer so much for so long. Why create someone hoping for the best, but ultimately knowing his eternity would be unspeakably horrible? Wouldn't it be a greater expression of love to deny Himself of His desire for man because He knows that some will condemn themselves? Because I'm sure if you could ask anyone in hell, they'd rather to never have been alive.

Read through the four assertions above again. I know these things. All I'm asking is, "Why?" On day four of creation, looking down the horizon of time into eternity, why didn't He see those suffering for all time and scrap the whole plan?

I'm not backsliding, here. Not doubting. Not foresaking my salvation - because whether or not I understand or agree with it all, I know it's true. And I'm sure there's an answer that someday I will understand. I'd like it to be today, though.

100 japanese men

What would happen if you got 100 guys to just run at some unsuspecting stranger?


For more funny, Asian video, check out Dave.

evan almighty

I hadn't heard of this. Has anyone else heard of this? Why didn't you tell me?



I wonder how it ends. Does the whole world really flood? Does he wake up?

I wonder - while I'm wondering - what the motivation for making this was? Whose idea was this? And why? The timing certainly is interesting. "As in the days of Noah" keeps emerging in strange ways. It's almost like Holy Spirit's letting the anticipation get a little sarcastic. If He delighted to manifest real quick I'd share a chuckle and a high-five with Him for sure.

hindsight is 20/20

This is hilarious. Check the date at the top of the page and read through some of the comments. Thanks to Church Marketing Sucks for the info.

Reminds me of the record producer who wouldn't sign the Beatles because he thought guitar bands were on the way out. Or the multi-millionare computer geek who said the Web would never be very useful.

this just in ...

Rev. Jerry Falwell was pronounced "dead" two hours ago after being found unresponsive in his office. Heart failure. He was 73. Fox News.

spiritual authority

If you don't know Lou Engle or TheCall or what's going down in Nashville this July, get yourself caught up real quick:



It's going to be a good time. Last week I got an email from Lou (we're buddy's - you know how effective I am with email) about a recent advance. It seem the state of Tennessee's been talking about Lou. They issued a resolution dated April 9 about him and TheCall. I won't post the whole thing, but it ends:

WHEREAS, the program for TheCall places a strong emphasis on prayer, worship, and repentance, with brief speaking segments that relate to the main topics being addressed; and

WHEREAS, as a pastor in this region and founder of such a notable and worthwhile gathering, Lou Engle epiomizes the spirit and commitment that are characteristic of a true Tennessean; and

WHEREAS, this General Assembly finds it appropriate to pause in its deliberations to acknowledge and applaud Lou Engle for his efforts on behalf of believers in the State of Tennessee and our nation; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING, that we hereby honor and commend Lou Engle for his initiaive, unfailing faith, and meritorious service to the State of Tennessee through his work with TheCall, and extend to him our best wishes for every future success.

Tennessee is begging for revival this July. Begging.

omit faith and good works

I'm sitting in Panera ... with my unsweetened iced tea because Timothy and I have foresaken sweets for a week ... and can't help but hear the conversation two guys behind me are having.

It was interesting at first, as one described the culture of "his village" to the other. He talked about medicine, then death, then ... you guessed it, "the Afterlife." They bury people within hours of death because they're in a hurry to get onto the next thing. The white guy muses he probably wouldn't want to delay heaven, "... unless you were out clubbin' all the time and you ... uh ..."

"Well we believe that everyone's got good deeds and bad deeds and if your good deeds out-weigh your bad deeds then you go to heaven. If your bad deeds out-weigh your good deeds, then you're punished for your bad deeds but eventually go to heaven anyway."

That's a new spin on the whole "good deeds" philosophy. Even if you do more bad than good, you still ... after doing time in hell ... get to spend the rest of forever in heaven. Now, not only do you not have to know Christ, you can be a total jerk all your life and not dim the light at the end of the tunnel.

They changed the conversation when I tossed a thoughtful glance over my shoulder. Final word? "Well that makes me feel better ... *beat boxes a club sound-track* Haha."

mutilating teenagers

Teenagers had 244,124 cosmetic plastic surgery procedures in 2006! I posted about it at Battle Cry, so rather than reinvent the wheel - as they say - go here.

history of modern music

The ninja inspired a lot of conversation about "scene kids" (no, not "seen" kids), so allow me to catch up some people. I'm not going to start at the very beginning with the whole, gospel led to blues and then rock 'n roll ... If you don't know that stuff I can't help you.

We'll start with punk. They're angry; their music is angry. Damn the man. You can go a lot of places from punk.

Door #1 is hippy-punk. These are the dirty, do-it-yourself-ers that look a lot like modern hippies. Key differences: they're still pretty angry, and more socially active ... which I suppose makes them more hippy than most 21st century hippies. Their music is better, and they've held onto some key fashion points that keep them more punk than hippie. They like to host rock shows in basements, and most of them are vegan. These are what I call "real" punks. They're my favorites.

Door #2 is goth. This is usually considered something close to backsliding. Goth kids are angry, but they don't care. They wear black almost exclusively, and a lot of jewelry. These are often people who tried to be punk, but realized it was too much work and they're rather master the art of eyeliner than fight about whether or not it should be tested on animals. Their music is angry and bad. Probably, again, because their musicians were bad punk rock bands.





Door #3 is emo. Yes, that's short for emotional. Emo kids look like they have little sisters who are punk, and they're sad because she's the only one with clean laundry so they have to share. Something like that. They're a little more colorful than goth kids and when you ask what's wrong they usually hang their heads and sigh - whereas goth kids get mad and insist nothing is wrong, this is just the way they are. They started the long hair in the face thing, and they like to take pictures of themselves from above them.



From emo, we got "scene kids." A "scene," first of all is an unofficial collection of local bands and the people who like to see them play every weekend. Very, very easy to mistake for emo, but for goodness' sake don't call them emo, because they really don't like that. It's like tapping on the glass at the aquarium, though, in that people always tell you not to but something about it is so darn tempting. My theory is that scene kids (also sometimes refered to as "scenesters") were emo kids who decided emo was stupid and they didn't want to have to be sad anymore. I think this is why they don't like to be called emo. This is reflected in more colorful tight clothing, hair dye, and eye makeup - thought they haven't gotten over having hair in their faces or taking pictures of the tops of their heads.

Hope that helps!

stream of consciousness

I think "stream of consciousness" is a nice way of saying, "you have no skill for writing." Which is fine, because I'm tired right now and confident I have little skill for much of anything.

There's this boredom that's beginning to weigh on my heart. I can feel it - like a lump of lead in my chest cavity anchoring me to the same boring state day after day. One can only float dockside for so long before something has to give. Has to. Just because all the world would be unbearably unjust if something didn't. You say the world may, in fact, be unbearably unjust. It can't. Something has to, and it's probably me.

Timothy posted about an interesting conversation he had yesterday.

And Bound4Life is redoing their website. Not much is up, but you can get spiffy wallpaper for that thing you're staring at right now.

Something has to. I've heard romantics talk about that restlessness that comes just before a breakthrough. That'd be nice, but I don't know if I'd call it a guarantee. It's probably me.

There must be more than this, O breath of God come breathe within.

Dwayne Roberts ... I mean Randy Bohlender has re-entered the blogosphere.

I'm losing serious blogger-points for this.

And this is cool:

That's 65,000 very small cigarettes. Because 65,000 American teenagers under the age of 18 get addicted to cigarettes every month. Chris Jordan is his name. There's zooms on his website, and more statistics in art form.

Maybe I need a vacation. Maybe I need more prayer time. Maybe I need to slip under the radar somehow. Maybe I need to stop running to Ask A Ninja and clever art exhibits when my spirit begins to cry out.

85 days until India.

Oh, and no one answered my question about the disciples praying for Peter with all their unbelief, so I'm sticking with Rhoda. Childlike faith in a room full of doubting upcoming-apostles can free a man from prison. Maybe I need Rhoda.

embarassing

I don't want to sound pessimistic here, but ... *sigh*

Why are Kirk Cameron, a preacher, and two self-proclaimed atheists coming together in a church this weekend? Because Cameron and preacher Ray Comfort claim that they "can prove the existence of God.

It's going to be on ABC News tomorrow at 2 pm and on Nightline at 11:30 pm.

Cameron you know - Ray Comfort you may know. They market an evangelism strategy called The Way of the Master. Our church hosted a series of Sunday morning classes based on their material, but I only went to one. The strategy appeals to people's morals and a fear of hell. My problem with this strategy is two-fold.

1. Jesus (the "Master" implied herein) didn't usually talk to nonbelievers about hell. He talked to the disciples and the Pharisees about hell, but He usually fed nonbelievers, taught them how to live, and preached eternal life. I haven't studied this out and looked at every instance, so correct me if I'm wrong.

2. I was vehemently opposed to Christ for almost a decade and hell was the last thing I was worried about. Christians would approach me and I'd argue with them, point out what I thought were flaws in their theory and intimidate them out of a coherent answer. They'd default to "what if" and threats of hell and I'd laugh. People that don't believe in hell, usually aren't afraid of hell.

The atheists are the ones behind the Blasphemy Challenge ... which is also based on a poor understanding of scripture.

You see why my stomach kind of turns at the idea of this? It's like those Science of the Bible shows on National Geographic (or whichever channel they're on): it's interesting to hear what other people think about scripture, but it irritates me at the same time. I don't want to doubt Kirk and Ray ... I should probably just pray that the Holy Spirit would shut them up and speak Truth through them. Because Ray's strategy, according to ABC, is the following:

Perhaps you think that anyone who says that he can prove the existence of God is a dreamer. Maybe, like most people, you believe that the issue is a matter of "faith." Then we must be dreamers, because we can prove that God exists, scientifically, absolutely, without mentioning faith or even the Bible.

God help us.

Batman

Okay, so Batman came up again recently and as I started to get defensive, my husband Timothy suggested a blog entry ... perhaps because he didn't want to hear me get defensive.

I am tired of people trying to tell me that Batman's not a real superhero. The debate comes up time and time again, so I'm just going to settle the issue once and for all here.

1. Batman is a hero. Webster defines "hero" as "an illustrious warrior," "a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities," or "one that shows great courage." Batman is, similarly, super - especially at being a hero. "Super" is defined as "of high grade or quality," or "exhibiting the characteristics of its type to an extreme or excessive degree." No one can argue that Batman is neither of those things. Thus, he is a super-hero.

2. As shown above, no - one does not need super powers to be a super hero. One only needs super powers to be a freak.

Exhibit A: Spiderman. Bitten by an infected spider and unwilling took on spider-like characteristics: Freak.

Exhibit B: X-Men. Mutated chromosomes. I like X-Men, but you have to admit you're really splitting hairs about the more appropriate term: "super" or "freak." They're superheros because they're heros of a high grade or quality, not because, say, their skeletons are made of an indestructible metal. They're superfreaks because their skeletons are made of an indestructible metal.

You can't even really make the argument that said freaks are super-human, given Webster's positively infalible definition. Review: "exhibiting the characteristics of its type to an extreme or excessive degree." There's nothing human about being able to control the weather, scale buildings, or suck the life energy out of someone.

Then someone always brings up Superman. Superman, let's not forget, is an alien. That's all. We don't refer to any other alien sightings as "superhero sightings," so why this guy? Because he has a weak spot in his heart for the human race? If I deposited you on a planet of intelligent, self-aware slugs they'd worship you too, but that doesn't make you a superhero. Again: superhero because of actions, not because of physical abnormalities.

All that said, Batman's just as much a superhero as the rest of them. If not more, in certain circumstances, because we all remember the issue when Spiderman tried to quit vigilantism. Sissy.

And when it comes down to it, if you were in a dark alley at night in Gotham City, you'd be wishing you had a bat signal.

national day of what?

I was just reminded that today is the National Day of Prayer. Happy National Day of Prayer. In honor of the holiday, I'd like to cut and paste President Lincoln's proclaimation regarding the National Day of Prayer, Fasting and Humiliation. Of course, that's not what we call it anymore because fasting and humiliation are unreasonable requests to make of most Americans.

It took the rest of the nation some time to catch up. Lincoln gave this speach in 1862. The National Day of Prayer wasn't written on the White House calander until 1952 (Truman).

Anyway, here's most of Lincoln's address. I should probably make this shorter, because bloggers extrodinare will tell you that long posts are a turn-off, but it's so good I just can't:

And whereas it is the duty of nations as well as of men, to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions, in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon; and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord.

And, insomuch as we know that, by His divine law, nations like individuals are subjected to punishments and chastisements in this world, may we not justly fear that the awful calamity of civil war, which now desolates the land, may be but a punishment, inflicted upon us, for our presumptuous sins, to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole People?

We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven. We have been
preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us!

It behooves us then, to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.

... And I do hereby request all the People to abstain, on that day, from their ordinary secular pursuits, and to unite, at their several places of public worship and their respective homes, in keeping the day holy to the Lord, and devoted to the humble discharge of the religious duties proper to that solemn occasion.

All this being done, in sincerity and truth, let us then rest humbly in the hope authorized by the Divine teachings, that the united cry of the Nation will be heard on high, and answered with blessings, no less than the pardon of our national sins, and the restoration of our now divided and suffering Country, to its former happy condition of unity and peace.

Amen.

steve got my email

That's right: I send Steve Jobs an email and he pays attention. Maybe not, but I got in on that issue at the right time. The same day I sent my email about a Greener Apple, the company posts an official reply.

Of course it's not everything, but it's a good start ... oh and it stinks of bitterness, but as long as they get the job done I guess they don't have to like it.

It is generally not Apple’s policy to trumpet our plans for the future; we tend to talk about the things we have just accomplished. Unfortunately this policy has left our customers, shareholders, employees and the industry in the dark about Apple’s desires and plans to become greener.

Ya. Welcome to the digital world, guys, where company secrets = company silence = company's disinterest in her market. Consumers don't like to be ignored or treated like children on a need-to-know basis. I realize I probaly sound bitter now, but that's just weak, "Oh we're working on it, we just didn't want to tell you until we're all done." Please.

BUT they're changing their policies. The plan is to completely phase out PVC by 2008, which is way ahead of other companies that plan to phase it out by 2009 (and way, way ahead of HP, who plans to release a plan for eliminating PVCs by the end of this year). Their recycling policy is improving ... if you're living in the U.S. Accoridng to Greenpeace's study, Apple is not making similar recycling promises to the rest of the world.

So there you go. Mac lovers everywhere breathe a sigh of relief. Oh, and if anyone else has any social or environmental causes on your heart - let me know and I'll send someone important an email.

a greener apple

I know we have a lot of mac lovers here, so I wanted to share.

Apparently, our beloved Apple is a little behind the times regarding environmental concerns their products are causing.

For example, the toxic Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) is something that other tech companies have set dates for removing from their products. Apple hasn't, and major new product lines still contain PVC. It's not just bad for the earth, it's bad for the kids in Asia who live near Apple's dump sites, and who frequently dismantle the remains for parts. These kids are thus exposed to PVC, which wreaks havoc on one's life expectancy.

Apple's take-back policy is also lagging. Dell and HP both have extensive take-back policies that appropriately dispose of their old, unwanted equipment. Apple has some in countries that require the policy, but their policy in the U.S. is falling far short. A take-back policy is not only good for the environment, but it would inspire the production of more efficient products. Because Apple wants your outdated laptop about as much as you do. If they knew they'd have to take back the obsolete models, maybe the next iPod upgrade would be a component that could be swapped into your existing one - instead of buying a whole new iPod.

There's all kinds of information, ideas and involvement opportunities at Green My Apple. I sent an email to Steve this morning. Check it out. Send an email. 'Cause we love our macs (or we're severely branded and just don't care), but environmentally friendly macs would be better, no?

as in the days of Noah ...

That, friends, is a replica of Noah's ark that is currently anchored in Holland. Johan Huibers built the thing as a testament to his faith and his conviction that we are living in the last days. He hopes it will inspire a renewed interest in Christianity in the Netherlands.

The boat is two-thirds the length of a football field, and as tall as a three-story house. There are life-size models of animals inside, as well as a 50-seat theater where kids can watch the story of Noah and we're anticipating a petting zoo on the open upper-deck.

Johan did most of the work himself, though using modern tools. It's big and impressive, but Noah's ark was five times the size of Johan's.

There's a CNN article here, and a short video tour. Spiffy.

question on prayer

The past couple of Wednesday nights have touched on the bit in Acts 12 that recounts Peter's being freed from prison by an angel. Pastor talked about it in regard to angels; Dennis talked about it in regard to prayer. I have this nagging question about it, though, that maybe someone can answer.

Why was Peter freed from prison?

The immediate answer is, "Because the other disciples were praying for him." The monkey wrench for me is that they didn't seem to believe that their prayers were going to be answered. Even when Peter knocked on the door of the house where they were gathered they didn't believe it was him.

Dennis talked last Wenesday about how unbelief is probably the biggest hinderance to the manifestation of our prayers. When he brought up Acts 12 I thought my question would finally be answered, but it was only emphasized. If unbelief hinders the power of prayer - and we know it does because the disciples couldn't heal the boy in Matthew 17 - why was the disciples' prayer for Peter's release effective?

Heretofore, my only answer was that God just had a plan that did not involve Peter's being in prison, and despite prayers of unbelief He wanted Peter out of prison and He's sovereign. That just doesn't do it for me, though, because why wouldn't He then send angels to all of His people who are or have been in prison for their faith? Because He shows no favoritism.

In typing this it occured to me that maybe one person in the place believed the prayer would be answered - maybe it was Rhoda - and that was all it took. I like that.

If anyone has a little revelation on this, or an idea, or an argument ... I'd like to get to the bottom of it.