BJ Not BK

Saw this article today floating around and thought I would share it with you, my friendly, faithful, and good looking readers. The Evangelical Manifesto [ link ] Are labels useful? Do they help? Was this manifesto necessary?

Breaking news just out of Rome this morning... Vatican Adds Seven New Deadly Sins Including Abortion, Contraception and Drug-Dealing [ link ] Just 14 deadly sins? And here I was foolishly thinking that scripture states all sin is deadly and that the penalty for all sin is death. Boy am I glad this has been cleared up!

"In the world but not of the world", sort of like Hamlet's contemplation, "to be or not to be" and one area that most Christians find hard to deal with, agree on, or understand let alone implement. Each of us are called, each of us are on mission to go, to make disciples, in our neighborhoods, cities, country, and around the world yet how are we to do this in a postmodern world where spirituality is at an all time high but a belief in TRUTH doesn't exist? This weekend Joe, Wesley, and :0)} were all talking about the church and how to reach out and the comment was made, "You know there was a time when the church influenced the culture and now the culture is influencing the church." I sat and thought on this for a while and have a couple of thoughts to add to this. 1. I don't think that is entirely true as I honestly believe that for centuries the church was the culture. Everything, in general, flowed from the church, music, art, science, philosophy...

When I was out in Washington the theme over and over and over again was preaching the Gospel within the context in which we live. Keep the scriptures true and unchanged but don't be afraid to engage the culture and use methods within the culture to reach those who haven't heard of Jesus. I had the privilege of being introduced to Reach Life ministries, www.reachlife.org , a group of young men who have decided to follow Jesus and to take Jesus into the Global hip hop community. Several of the guys from Reach Life gave their testimonies and shared with the group how they were setting up Bible studies in barbershops in cities and how their goal is to make culturally relevant material and resources to reach the hip hop community. Then the show began as several of the artists led worship. Here is one of the songs by Lecrae - Send Me....listen to the words I know for many this is not your style of music and some of you may even be offended because their is no pipe organ in the background...

I am continually amazed at cell phone talkers and their inability to recognize that 1. they are in a public place carrying on a private conversation 2. the technology has advanced somewhat in recent years so it is not necessary to yell into the phone and 3. no one and I mean no one cares to listen in on your conversation. I must fully disclose that I own a cell phone, I use my phone, and I often use my phone while driving, while shopping, while in public places but I try very hard to follow some simple rules. 1. I never, never talk about body functions, recent trips to the doctor, or foul odors in any way, shape, form, or fashion. I was in a shop the other day and right beside me a lady began going into great detail how taking a certain vitamin impacted her body in ways I wont dare share here. I was in shock as she clearly saw me there beside her and had no disdain for my personal space or my stomach. I left the area immediately and haven't been able to eat or sleep for several days...

Freedom scares most people. Most cannot bare the idea that every box has not been checked, that every question has not been answered and so they develop rules, laws, traditions, methods systems to explain that which they cannot explain. This really is human nature, sort of a coping mechanism to make us "feel" good but in reality it is a false confidence. Jesus dealt with this His entire ministry. In Luke chapter 15 the religious folks complained that Jesus ate with sinners. In earlier chapters they complain that Jesus was a drunkard because He drank with sinners and throughout the gospels we see Jesus healing people on the Sabbath which angered the religious folk to the point of murder. Why? I believe it was because they valued their methods over the principals. I believe they loved their theology, their systems, their structure and their traditions much more than they professed to love God and you and I can be guilty of this if we are not careful. You see there are principals...

We had not planned on trick or treating last night, in fact, I have struggled every year as to how to participate/celebrate/act/re-act to the Halloween holiday. Yet something sweet happened last night. Right after supper our little angel came up to me and mom and said, "I want to trick or treat." We had not planned on this, we had not purchased a costume, we didn't buy candy, we weren't prepared to recognize let alone celebrate this event. To be quite honest I was proud of myself for shunning the evils of the world, to withdraw inside my study, lights off, no candy, no pumpkins, no nothing. See you tomorrow. I am suppose to be in the world but not of the world right? Am I right? Can I get an Amen? What does that exactly mean? In the world but not of the world? Does it mean that I am suppose to live in my neighborhood, lock myself behind my four walls, go to church with other believers, and then throw out verses to unbelievers and backsliders like a grenade being thrown...

The new mother is desperate for sleep. The addicts is desperate for a fix. The sick are desperate for a cure. The dying man is desperate for life. Teddy Kennedy is desperate for a drink. Desperation occurs when all plans have failed, all thought, strategy, designs have gotten you nowhere, nada, nothing. Desperation comes when you have exhausted your intellect, time, talents, and resources and nothing has worked. Now you are willing to try anything, willing to let go of any scheme your mind has hatched, ready to try something new, something completely outside of yourself, outside of your comfort zone. Our curse isn’t that we have hardships to endure but that we have comfort we have conformed to. Our wealth, health, peace and prosperity have given us false hope as we believe we can achieve anything, do anything with enough sweat equity and brain power. If it hasn’t happened it is only because we haven’t learned enough, worked hard enough, or raised enough money to overcome it….or so the...

You have arrived or dare I say, your 65 inch LCD, HD TV has arrived. You have your pork rinds and plenty of Diet Coke on stock and the first 6 seasons of the Dukes of Hazard on DVD. You are fat, dumb, and very very happy. No matter what else is going on around you in the world you have found solace in your high tech sanctuary. There is nothing that could move you except a fire, a tornado, or a call to nature. There is nothing that could call you to change or to make changes....ahhh the good life. It is a rare occasion when someone who is truly happy with their current lot in life looks to make a change. I am in sales and I have yet to hear the following: "You know, this is exactly what I want and it has all the features and benefits I need. There's just this one thing though..." Awkward pause "It doesn't cost enough. Is there any way I can get this but just a little more expensive?" Our tendencies are to pursue pleasure and to preserve security, peace, to maintain...

Yesterday I decided to look for two new Bibles, one for myself and an illustrated one for my daughter. We have been doing evening devotions with L for a while out of a book M bought some time ago but also thought it would be a great idea to get a Bible we could all read together, besides....I am sure I will learn something in the process. Shopping for Bibles is exciting. Have you been Bible shopping lately? The Christian stores are huge now, the selections greater than ever, the colors, the bindings, the choices......and I thought purchasing a digital camera was difficult? The Bible section was to the left of the door and took up the entire length of one wall, a virtual floor to ceiling wave of God's word in KJV, NKJV, NIV, ESV, ASV, NLT, AMPLIFIED!!!, and on and on. And the colors? Red, Burgundy, Navy, Green, Black, two tone, silver in your choice of bindings....calf-skin, leather, leatherette. I haven't even touched on the different types of Bibles, life application, study, reference...