BJ Not BK

Finally a Movie I can support - Creamed Corn featuring me...bjnotbk

2009-10-09T14:49:00Z

I haven't anticipated a movie release like this since...well, since I don't know when.

Enjoy!

Why I love President Obama

2009-09-16T15:07:00Z

President Obama is sort of like ACDC...either you like them, jam out to them banging your head to every song or you hate them because every song they sing sounds the same. Same drum beat, same slashing guitar, same shrill vocals, same Angus Young wearing knickers kicking his way through middle age.

President Obama in many ways, if I may make the poor analogy, is like the ACDC of politics. Either you like him or you...well don't.

For me it isn't that cut and dry. I did not vote for Obama and I don't support any of his politics, don't appreciate his philosphical approach to anything, that I am aware of, and have no clue where he comes from theologicaly....well, I think I do but will leave that to a later post. One would think that with this statement I would make my camp in the either or landing in the I don't care for Obama side but you would be wrong. I love Obama and here are a few reasons why.

1. Obama communicates - One of my frustrations with the former administration was a lack of communication. The only time we really saw the Pres or VP was when someone was shot duck hunting. Don't get me wrong, I supported and voted for the last administration but was unbelievably frustrated by the lack of communication to the American people on the agenda. Ok so he may be telling us about socialized medicine, socialized this, but at least he is telling us. This is akin to a prize fighter telegraphing his punches. If you know he is trying to connect with the left for the knockout you avoid the left punch. "Best way to avoid punch Danielson is to no be there." Mr. Miagi - Karate Kid Part I

2. Obama has an agenda. I don't like his agenda point blank but I love it that he has one. I am not sure what angers me most...someone who wanders aimlessly or someone who has an agenda I don't agree with. I can, to a point, respect someone who at least knows where they want to go and is making plans to get there. What I can't respect is anyone who sits by waiting on something to happen.

3. Obama is black. I am white and I do not apologize. I am heterosexual and I do not apologize and contrary to what others are saying my viewpoint toward the president's policies has nothing to do with the color of his skin [link]. I believe that we are all created in God's image with inherent dignity, value, and worth and I love all people regardless of color.

4. Obama looks good. Look at the man and try not to walk away with a man crush. Thin, tan, tall, strong jaw line, very sharp suits. He may be taking the country in the wrong direction but boy does he look good! Wouldn't it be nice if the country is in fact going to hades in a hand basket that we would at least be going in a longerberger like this one? [link].

5. Obama believes what he is saying. Even if you think he is lying the president does so with great conviction. Again I don't agree with much, if anything, he has put forth but I like anyone who brings passion to the table along with their ideas. Maybe this is the inner salesman in me?

So there you have it, five reasons why I love Obama. What are some of the reasons you love Obama?

Don't Tell....Don't Ask

2009-09-15T14:41:00Z

You have heard of the military's policy of don't ask don't tell? Well today I formally institute my don't tell....don't ask policy here at bjnotbk. What's going on? Usually my beautiful, chiseled, muscular body, is running in tip-top shape like a well oiled machine but as of late I have been struck with some really sever pain...probably some right wing attack plotted by Bush, to take me out?

I am blessed with many wonderful friends and family as I am sure most of you are and because I only surround myself with smart, brilliant people my family and friends have a keen sense for the obvious noting that I appeared a little off my game this weekend. What began as harmless small talk...like, 'You ok?" led down a deep, dark disturbing path with me recounting endless, sleepless nights of cold sweats, nausea, muscle pain, Vietnam flashbacks, the shakes, as well as a myriad of other symptoms too gruesome to detail here at our family friendly site.

What followed was an onslaught of medical advice that would fit nicely into the new administrations health plan. Instead of being ensconced in sympathy I was surrounded by too many people who had watched one too many episodes of ER as they peppered me - rapidly firing medical questions my way. After signing the necessary HIPPA forms I began to listen and compile a list of some of the things I "needed to do" and will share with you.

1. Have you prayed about it?

2. Have you been recently bit by a tick?

3. Have you ever been to Haiti or an intravenous drug user?

4. Have you thought about a massage?

5. Have you taken aspirin or Ibuprofen?

6. Have you thought about flax seed oil caplets? I am not sure what flax seed is but everyone tells me it is something I should take.

7. Maybe you should hop on one leg while signing the Star Spangled Banner?

8. Have you tried clubbing two baby seals and drinking their blood?

9. Have you asked your Dr. about Cialisis?

10. Do you ever sit during the day?

11. When was the last time you ate bran flakes?

12. Have you seen a Dr.?

13. My aunt once took some dry yak scat and put it in her tea and drank it for 40 days...have you tried that?

14. Maybe you could fashion a tiara out of poison ivy, wear it on your head, and call yourself king itchy?

I could go on and on but that would only irritate my lumbago and yes I have already applied ice and heat.

From now on it is all smiles and don't tell.....so they won't ask.

But before my policy goes into effect...let me ask you....what is your best cure all and most absurd...feel free to leave it here.

No blog for old men

2009-09-11T14:15:00Z

Don't come here limping along like some old geezer who can't get out of bed. Don't show up at my dojo, kicking my dog and expecting to walk away unscathed. If you oppose we will call you out...what am I talking about? Not sure but thought I would open with something that might get your attention.

Here are a couple of things moving and shaking behind the scenes at bjnotbk.

1. What is our green initiative? Currently we have stopped using all paper products replacing sticky note, notebooks, toilet paper with baby seal skin. We no longer light our cigars with old $50.00 bills we now use the new $20.00s as the material is slightly different and gives off less toxins plus we are in a recession...what jerk would use a $50 to light their cigar anyway?

2. Where are we headed for the remainder of 2009? Good question - right now I am working on a new look for the site with a possible launch date sometime this weekend. I am also thinking through a list of potential posts.

3. Will the Obama health-care proposal effect the employees at bjnotbk? blank stare

4. Will we see the week in weird return? Maybe but if you do it may be under a different name.

5. Will you utilize proper spelling and punctuation in the upcoming months? blank stare

6. And now a rousing speech to get you fired up!

Enjoy!

My approach to healthcare reform - the Three "R's"

2009-09-10T13:22:00Z

The President gave an emotionally charged and impassioned speech last night asking both parties to put aside bickering and to push through his health-care reform proposal. I say emotions smotions...let's look at this rationally and approach this with a clear, straightforward, no nonsense common sense approach.

How? Glad you asked.

Here are the Three "R's" of my health-care reform plan. Reduce, Reuse or "re-purpose", and recycle.

Reduce, re-purpose, and recycle - if you have ever been to the Dr. you know that there is massive amounts of waste in the system. The first thing we have to do is reduce waste, reduce fraud, and reduce cost. I am proposing a three pronged approach to reducing these three key areas as follows:

1. To reduce Fraud - put in place a pre-examination examination Dr.s panel made up of qualified, that's relative right?, nurses and Dr.s who will see you before you see the Dr or your choice to determine if you really need to see a Dr. The cost will be a flat rate of $1000.00 per visit and will be put into place to weed out any undesirables who would attempt to scam the system with puny symptoms such as hacking, sneezing, or sucking chest wounds. Oh, I would also make sure that the standard wait time would average 6.2 days and that the lobby be equipped only with the most boring out of date magazines and painfully uncomfortable furniture available on the black market today.

2. To reduce Cost - begin by sourcing supplies from "low cost providers." Recently when our family welcomed our new baby I noticed that normal, everyday items such as aspirins and band-aids where very very expensive. Aspirins $12.00 each, Band-aids, $7.50 each, Neosporin, $75.00 per tube. I know this lady at the Sevier County Flea Market, Delores, she is there every Saturday and she always has an assortment of medical supplies. I once saw a bottle of aspirin for $2.00. An entire bottle of 200 ct aspirin for $2.00 that is less than .01 cents per aspirin! That's a 1,200% reduction in cost and this is just one example.

3. To reduce Waste - begin by re-purposing previously owned items. Take a page from the Cheryl Crowe playbook and begin using both sides of the bandage, recycle wheel chairs and prosthetic limbs.

4. Re-introduce tried and true medical processes and procedures. Whatever happened to a bottle of cheap tequila and a stick? The ever popular do it yourself home vasectomy kit?

My question is ask not what your health-care provider can do for me but what can I do for my health-care provider.

My simple, straight forward proposal was crafted in under 15 minutes, now mind you I understand it is under the power of my genius and a strong cup of coffee, but if I can craft such a wonderful solution surely Congress can do the same?

Just for your enjoyment a song to go along with my reform...

Chiropractor - first and lasting impressions

2009-09-09T14:24:00Z

So yesterday I made my first visit to the chiropractor - pronounced (crack-your-backer). The reason? Neck pain, back pain, knee pain, hand pain. I joked with the nurse that at least my earlobes weren't hurting at which she pointed out that they looked out of alignment and with one touch snapped them in 138 places. I never realized that just how out of whack I was.

The office looked nice, clean paint, cherry furniture, 'how could pseudo-medicine pay for all of this stuff?" I wondered?

I have to say that I was and am still somewhat skeptical of this dare I say "medicine"? I just don't have much experience with the art and practice of chiropracty, did I just make up a word? Webster's please note 09-09-09 as the first use of chiropracty. This and many of the things that the Dr. did yesterday really had me intrigued...like turning my muscles on that were off or not working?

After three hours of back, hip, and neck cracking, x-rays, traction, and ultrasound, I woke this morning much much sorer than I have been but looser which is a good sign...I think.

Anyway, I have another appointment tomorrow and will continue with the therapy for a while to see if this will help.

The Week in Weird 2.0 - 06.05.09

2009-06-05T11:33:00Z

Wolf shirt? Check! Wolf shirt? Read below for more details.

Coffee? - Check Photos? - Check Music? - Check Books? - Check Sarcasm? - Check Friday? - You bet!

This can only mean random acts of sarcasm - like helping little old ladies across the other side of the internet. Oh yeah and it is time for the Week in Weird.

1.0 Work - work is work and I am thankful to have a job as many are without. How is your work situation? Are you and your family making it? Has anyone started a garden? Are you cutting corners? What have you done to reduce? I stopped having my clothes dry cleaned, I cut my own hair, haven't been to a Starbucks in ages, who would when you can have delicious Green Mountain Coffee [link] for pennies on the dollar, and attempted to grow a garden with the key word being "attempted."

2.0 Friday is for photos and since yesterday was S's birthday..I want to say happy birthday big boy....daddy loves you!

3.0 Wolf Shirts anyone?

A friend of mine sent me the following link from Amazon to this sweet shirt [link]. Now the shirt is amazing but the reviews are hilarious! Here is just one brief example...

"Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9,774 of 9,857 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dual Function Design, November 10, 2008

By	B. Govern "Bee-Dot-Govern" (New Jersey, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This item has wolves on it which makes it intrinsically sweet and worth 5 stars by itself, but once I tried it on, that's when the magic happened. After checking to ensure that the shirt would properly cover my girth, I walked from my trailer to Wal-mart with the shirt on and was immediately approached by women. The women knew from the wolves on my shirt that I, like a wolf, am a mysterious loner who knows how to 'howl at the moon' from time to time (if you catch my drift!). The women that approached me wanted to know if I would be their boyfriend and/or give them money for something they called mehth. I told them no, because they didn't have enough teeth, and frankly a man with a wolf-shirt shouldn't settle for the first thing that comes to him.

I arrived at Wal-mart, mounted my courtesy-scooter (walking is such a drag!) sitting side saddle so that my wolves would show. While I was browsing tube socks, I could hear aroused asthmatic breathing behind me. I turned around to see a slightly sweaty dream in sweatpants and flip-flops standing there. She told me she liked the wolves on my shirt, I told her I wanted to howl at her moon. She offered me a swig from her mountain dew, and I drove my scooter, with her shuffling along side out the door and into the rest of our lives. Thank you wolf shirt.

Pros: Fits my girthy frame, has wolves on it, attracts women
Cons: Only 3 wolves (could probably use a few more on the 'guns'), cannot see wolves when sitting with arms crossed, wolves would have been better if they glowed in the dark."

Take some time and read through them when you get a chance.

4.0 What are you reading these days? I am loving Romans. How could anyone ever come to the conclusion that they can please God by their works after reading the Bible? Isaiah 64:6 says "But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags" the translation here literally means the bloody rags from a woman's....well dare I say it? God compares our foolish acts and attempts to reach Him through works, religion, and acts of righteousness as bloody rags. Paul calls his works a steaming pile of dung (Philippians 3:7-9). It always has and always will be about Grace...God's umerrited favor toward sinful man. God coming down to man who could not reach up to Him. Jesus.

5.0 What are you listening to? Podcasts, sermons, a little Jack Johnson, some of the Three Tenors Greatest Hits.

6.0 Why the large clock around my neck?

So I will always know what time it is sucka!

7.0 Now that I own 65% of GM or more I think I will waltz into my local dealer ship....what? Oh, it's been closed you say? Ok, I think I will drive 235 miles to the nearest dealership and demand that my employees wash my car and give me a loaner Escalade to drive....What's that? You mean there are actually no bennefits to my taxes going to GM? No disounts? No stocks? No dividens? No profits? Not even the chance to boss some of the sales guys around? Then why did we bail them out in the first place? Sheesh!

8.0 Weekend plans anyone? Tonight we are doing to celebrate little man's birthday and who knows what Saturday holds in store?

That's it, that's all, I am out.

Shalom to you and your home.

The Week in Weird 2.0 - 05.29.09

2009-05-29T14:02:00Z

Coffee? - Check Photos? - Check Music? - Check Books? - Check Sarcasm? - Check Friday? - You bet!

This can only mean random acts of sarcasm - like helping little old ladies across the other side of the internet. Oh yeah and it is time for the Week in Weird.

1.0 New baby boy. Well, our latest addition to w...world wide is here and we are now five weeks into having our newest family member on board. I think I can speak for the family when I say we will keep him.

2.0 Speaking of the new baby...how about a family photo?

Our good friend JonSpot took some amazing shots of little G you can view here [link] and here [link].

3.0 Caller ID*** (IDiot) When do you know you have crossed the line? When you are standing in the men's bathroom listening to another guy's phone conversation while he is ummm...well you know. I am all for multi-tasking, in fact I am building a boat in a bottle, painting by numbers, and churning my own butter as I write this post, but really, let's not talky talky so much while in the bathroom.

4.0 Sleep - who needs it?

5.0 What are you reading these days? I just started my mornings off with the book of Romans and am trying to finish Vintage Church.

6.0 Lebron James is a basketball stud..rumor has it though that he still wears his bjnotbk underoos.

7.0 What are you listening to? My iPod nanon finally gave out on me so I purchased one of the older iPod shuffles. I have some TNT, RHCP, U2, Moby loaded on it to get me through any early morning run. I am also listenign to a great sermon series on Doctrine by Mark Driscoll and would recomend it to anyone. You can listen here [link].

8.0 Weekend plans anyone? We have talked about venturing outside but the reality and the harshness of even attempting to take a 4,2, and a newborn out into the world scares us to death. Besides we are pasty white from being locked inside for the past 5 weeks or so. We may get out...and then again we may not.

That's it, that's all, I am out.

Shalom to you and your home.

Technology sucks

2009-05-26T19:14:00Z

Technology sucks...blogsites, websites, the internet, ebooks, elearning, iPods, MP3 players, PCs, laptops, pdas, .pdfs, walkman, 8 track player, cd player...it all sucks because it is all based on a couple of lies:

1. It will make your life easier

2. It will actually work

I am a amature technologist and enjoy technology but man it kills me everytime when it doesn't work. When I go for the run and can't get the player to play. When I try to watch a movie and can't get the machine to read the disc, make a shake and the blender is broken, toast some toast...well you get the point.

I am through with technology...from now on I am churning my own butter.

Just a little....

2009-04-27T13:50:00Z

I am just a little....

1. Tired of the current administration. I never dreamed that we would move from a free society to a group of people under watch for favoring states rights over the federal government. By the way...according to Janet's memo just about every person in our little community here qualifies as a domestic terrorist...

2. Tired of great catastrophes that lead to "opportunities" to take power and erode freedom

3. Thankful for our new family member! Our little boy was born on Thursday, happy and healthy.

4. Grateful for all of the prayers for our family and the way God has watched over us these past weeks and months.

5. Tired physically as our newest member has a healthy appetite and wants to eat about every 2-3 hours.

6. Amazed at how beautiful my wife is in her love toward us.

7. Thrilled at this newest chapter in the bjnotbk epic.

8. Glad to see everyone again after a long hiatus.

Hello...I'm Johnny Cash...not really

2009-03-30T13:30:00Z

Ok, so much drama so little time. For the past seven weeks or so our family has been in survival mode. M is in the last weeks of pregnancy and thanks to the Lord she and baby are well. We have been battling some serious pre-term labor as our little boy just seems to want to come before time.

Hope to share more with you in the coming weeks.

The Brick Testament...a serious addition for any scholar

2009-03-12T10:56:00Z

I came across the "Brick Testament this morning...you can view the entire Bible in this format and order a copy for yourself here [link]. These are great.

U2 still rocks

2009-03-03T20:25:00Z

There aren't many good rock bands today and even fewer who have lasted over the years producing great music.

I give you U2 and their new album - No Line On The Horizon.

This is a great work.

Check out their redesigned website - www.u2.com

Galatians Week 3 - I'm so lonesone I could cry.

2009-03-01T12:41:00Z

Galatians 1:9-24

"9As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!

10Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.

11I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. 12I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.

13For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. 14I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. 15But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased 16to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man, 17nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went immediately into Arabia and later returned to Damascus.

18Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Peter and stayed with him fifteen days. 19I saw none of the other apostles—only James, the Lord's brother. 20I assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie. 21Later I went to Syria and Cilicia. 22I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23They only heard the report: "The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy." 24And they praised God because of me."

False teachers (pop stars, politicians, liberal theologians, educators, sociologists, psychologists and the Oprahs of the day) have infiltrated the church and are causing trouble. Their teaching is throwing the church into confusion...into a terrible identity crisis so much so that they don't know what to believe and they have turned from what they did believe, Jesus saves, to something more comforting to their flesh - reliance on self. Not only have the Galatians turned away from Jesus but in the process they have thrown their beloved pastor, Paul under the bus.

I love music and can tolerate almost anything. As a kid I grew up listening to the "old country" music but I have to admit I am not a big fan of the "new country" music...You know, "I'd walk a mile through a field of wildflowers just to check you for ticks" music? In fact I hate the new country music and if you like it then repent...buy some Johnny Cash and go and listen no more.

Galatians 1:9-12 reads like a country song gone bad. Paul is accused of being a people pleaser and making up the gospel. Paul's is accused of receiving his information from various untrustworthy sources and what little he knows as being taught to him by men and his testimony is attacked and deeply questioned. The only thing I couldn't find in this text was a line about the Galatians kicking his dog. You add that and you've got yourself a smash hit. So now we begin to see some of the sarcasm and anger and passion come out as Paul begins to respond to each of these allegations.

Galatians 1:9-10

#1 - Paul the people pleaser?

Paul asks the question...."Does it look like what I am doing is trying to make others happy? Do you really think so? Don't you think there are better ways to make people happy than to preach Christ crucified? Jesus saves? Jesus is the only way to heaven? I just said (Galatians 1:8-9) if anyone preaches anything other than Jesus saves then let them be eternally cursed...let them go to hell. Does this sound really sound like I am trying to win friends and influence people? Wouldn't free bass boats and firetruck rides be a better approach? Wouldn't Paul be more successful if he focused on the positive and downplayed the negative...sort of like a Joel Osteen of the middle east?

Paul is not a life coach. Paul is a preacher of the gospel, a man's man, a dude and His life is marked with the marks of Jesus (Galatians 6:17).

Paul was (2 Corinthians 11:23-28)
Put in prison over and over
Flogged an uncounted number of times
Faced death over and over
Received 39 lashes from the Jews 5 times
Beaten with rods 3 times
Stoned one time
Shipwrecked 3 times
Spent a day and night in the sea
And was in continual danger from rivers, robbers, his own people, Gentiles
Was in danger in the city, in the country, at sea, from false brothers
Was weary and in pain often, without sleep
Often hungry and thirsty, cold and naked
And continually concerned about the health of all of the churches

Paul considered anything he gained personally a loss and everything else as trash if it wasn't Jesus (Philippians 3:8). "Don't question my motives!" Paul seems to shout back...."For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified" (2 Corinthians 2:2).

Shakespeare wrote in his play As You Like it..."All the world's a stage and all the men and women merely players..." and each of us play out our lives on this stage called life. Who do you perform for? Who is your target audience? What demographics are you trying to reach? Are we performing for family? Friends? The opinions of others? Or are we doing everything to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31)?

#2 Paul the author of unpopular fiction?

Did you just make that up? That was the accusation that was being leveled against Paul...that he just made the gospel up. That Jesus being born of a virgin, living a sinless life, dying in our place for our sins giving each of us forgiveness and eternal life was nothing more than make believe, a fable, fiction, folklore. There are many non-believers who have accused Christians of creating God in man's image. Those who travel along the evolutionary highway would argue that somewhere along the way we conceived of religion as a way to make it through the harsh realities of natural selection and survival of the fittest and that religion is a coping mechanism we evolved into to satisfy the electrical impulses and chemical emissions within our brains.

Paul's response is...."Are you kidding me? Do you really think if I were going to make up my own religion I would choose....God becoming man, living a perfect life, being executed as a common criminal, and then rising from the dead? Is that the religion you think I would make up?"

Throughout history there have been many people who have started their own religion and it usually looks something like this - man is god, sex plays a heavy part of the religion, food, wine, ritual all play an important part which to many many people is much more appealing to eat all you want, have sex with whoever you want, drink like a sailor and face no consequences. Some examples include the Egyptians, Romans, Greeks, and Sevier County.

So Paul defends the uniqueness and the reliability of the gospel. Paul goes on to say that he did not make this up, didn't come across this idea on the Internet, didn't Google it, didn't pull it from some online chat room, and he wasn't taught it by another man (Galatians 1:11-12). Paul's source? He received it directly from Jesus.

Paul was doing his own thing, had no desire for Jesus, was going his own way when Jesus came after him, chased him down, got into Paul's grill and revealed Himself as glorious, victorious ultimate fighting King Jesus (Acts 9:4). From that point on Saul the destroyer, the persecutor became Paul the preacher and church planter, man's man aka "the Dude."

#3 Paul's testimony questioned and attacked

Galatians 1:13-16 Paul gives us his testimony which is a great model for us. Paul begins by telling us what his life was like before Jesus...I hated Jesus, I tried everything in my power to destroy His church. Paul tells us..this is how Jesus saved me...he called me before I was born, had plans for me, and even though I had my own plans...Jesus rescued me. And Paul tells of how Jesus saving him and changing him has impacted the purpose for his life....he now preaches to the gentiles.

God has a plan for each of us. First to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4). Have you accepted that you are imperfect, a sinner, in need of help? In need of a savior? Do you believe that Jesus is God, that He died on the cross for your sins and have you confessed Him as Savior and Lord of your life? Secondly, for those who have received Jesus He has given each of us spiritual gifts of preaching, teaching, exhortation, hospitality and many more to do good works He has prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10). Do you know your gifts? Are you using them?

Galatians 1:17-21 Paul continues his testimony showing what limited exposure he has had with the apostles in that he did not visit with anyone from the church for three years after Jesus revealed Himself. After three years he was finally able to meet Peter and James for 15 days and left again to preach the gospel.

Galatians 1:22-24 Paul points to not only his own words but to the reaction of the church in light of the wonderful work Jesus has done in Paul's life. Most people could not have recognized Paul if they had saw him but they had hear of his former way of life and were deeply afraid of him, of being beaten by him and arrested by him and now the same people who were once afraid of him rejoice over his testimony and praise God over his changed life in Jesus.

Does your life...my life point other to Jesus? What does our testimony really testify to? How much we like cars...sports....how great a treasure Golden Coral is? Or does it show the world that Jesus is our greatest treasure and our highest hope?

St. Francis once said..."preach the gospel always and if necessary use words." 1 Peter 3:15 tells us to "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." And I wonder...when was the last time someone asked you? I know most of us are probably ready to give an answer but nobody's asking...why?

Could it be that our lives look no different than those without Jesus? That our lives testify that our great treasure is electronics and money, and our hobbies?

They say that if you play a country song backwards you get your dog lives, you truck gets unstuck from the mud, your wife still leaves but your best friend stays, and you are sober.

Paul was not a people pleaser...he worked to please God by preaching only Jesus. Who do you aim to please?

Paul did not make the gospel up. He did not pick it up from someone else and he was not taught it by another. Jesus revealed all things to Paul with the specific command to share the good news with the gentiles. Where do you get your theology from? Books? Other people? Or the Bible?

Paul has given us his testimony as proof that what he says is true and as a result of the dramatic heart and life change through Jesus others are encouraged and praise Jesus. What do people say about God when they look at your life?

Galatians Week 2 - True Gospel vs. False Gospels

2009-02-23T12:26:00Z

Galatians 1:3-9

"3Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

6I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! 9As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!"

If we take a step back, slow down for a bit, get our heads out of the Internet, out of the television, get our minds off of Monday and our stomachs off of lunch....if we can look beyond ourselves, our holy needs, our holy wants, and our holy desires and look and observe and take note of all that is around us it doesn't take long for us to come to the conclusion that the age in which we live is evil.

It doesn't take long for us to realize that something has gone terribly wrong, that things aren't suppose to be this way. Through observation of world events we quickly understand that this present age is full of heartbreak, sickness, tragedy, and death. Statistics tell us that this year alone at least 50 million people will die, about one hundred per minute, close to 6000 during our one hour class on Sunday. Most of those dying will not peacefully drift off into the eternal at a ripe old age...in fact most will die young, with terrible pain through some illness, by starvation, or at the hands of some calamity either caused by another man or some freak event of nature.

We are surrounded on every side by corruption and self-serving greed as is evident by all the news channels as story after story after story of fraud, lies, and deceit pour in from a parade of business men, bankers, financiers, investors, and corrupt politicians...all related to the economic crisis.

We live in an evil age of temptation where every year in America the pornographers make over 400 moves a month. It has been estimated that more money is spent yearly on pornography than all monies spent on the NBA, NFL, and MLB combined. The temptation is great and it effects men and women, alike dragging people into a secret world of addiction where the largest viewers are children under the age of thirteen.

It would be OK for most of us, and for most of us these things...the deaths in Iraq, the earthquakes, the ice storms in Kentucky, the child abduction, rapes, murders, lying, stealing, are OK as for most of us these things are "out there." They don't directly effect us.

Yet some of you don't have that luxury. You have seen the effects of this present evil age up close and it is very personal. You have seen loved ones sick with illness, dying with cancer. You have witnessed the devastation of your family through divorce, you have endured and undergone injustice after injustice after injustice as others have violated you and evil, injustice, and sin are all too real a reality for you not just some ethereal, philosophical, or moral talk coming from a pulpit Sunday mornings.

If you have looked around and if your conclusion is that something isn't right...something has gone horribly wrong....you are right.

In Genesis (Genesis 1:1-25) we read the account of God creating the universe. God spoke and creation came into being, time began. He created the heavens and the earth, the sky and seas, the days and the nights, all the plants and all the living creatures and as He looked upon all that He had created, all that He had spoke into existence He saw that it was good. In fact Genesis 1:1-25, God says six times that His creation is good and so it was. Then God created man (Genesis 1:26-34, Genesis 2:7)in a very personal way. All of creation up to this point had come into existence through the words of God but now, on the sixth day, at the height of creation, God takes His hands and forms man from the dust and breathes life into his nostrils and states that this is "very good" (Genesis 1:31).

There is no sickness, no disease, no death. There are no natural calamities, no sadness, no sin, no separation. So what happened to this paradise? What changed?

Sin entered into the world.

Adam and Eve chose to follow their ways instead of God's commands. They desired to be like God instead of worshiping God and through their rebellion they brought sin into the world, causing separation to come between the man and the woman and between them and God. As a result a curse was placed on everything. Now for the first time death, sickness, calamities, and chaos take effect.

I suppose for someone looking in it might appear that all was lost, that somehow God had miscalculated, that He had gambled on mankind and lost. Yet God did not lose, He did not gamble and He promises Adam and Eve that He will rescue them (and us) from this present evil age as we see the first hint of the good news of Jesus in Genesis 3:15.

Right now there is quite a bit of talk about bailouts. Bailouts for the auto industry, bailouts for the banking industry, the pharmaceutical industry, health care, and the housing industry. The logic goes something like this....that if we do not bail these industries out they will fail which will be devastating and utterly destroy our economy with powerful ramifications for you and I. And while these are real and very serious issues we are facing the truth is that the biggest calamity man has ever known, the greatest threat to our peace and prosperity, our dire emergency, our greatest area of need regarding a bailout was and is from our own sin. Without a bailout plan from God all of us are doomed eternally to die in our own sins. Yet unlike the world, God's economy is of the heart and His currency is the blood of Jesus which He has graciously and liberally poured out to purchase us and to rescue us from this present evil age.

Galatians 1:3-5

At this point some of you are saying to yourselves...."We got it....We know...We have heard this before...hundreds of times...can we move on already?"

If you and I do not get Galatians 1:3-5 nothing else I tell you will matter. If you and I can't grasp and take hold of the work of Jesus at Calvary and what it means for us, the victory it brings, the new life it gives, the freedom we have then we won't understand the rest of the letter. We won't get the Bible, church, money, family, relationship...nothing(Colossians 1:16).

It was God's will from day one that He would rescue us. It is through Jesus giving Himself freely, taking our place on the cross for our sins and taking our sins upon Himself that pays the penalty in full. This payment is a gracious gift of God. God does not have to and is not obligated to us in any way to do anything yet "while we were sinners Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). God loves us in spite of who we have been and who we are. God's gift of Jesus results in peace. Not that we are removed from this evil age but rescued from it! You and I no longer have to live under the slavery of this world, the world's way of lusting with our eyes, lusting with our flesh, and bragging about what we own (1 John 2:16).

We are no longer hostage to every new fad or philosophy on life. We don't have to spend our days drinking from the toilet water and eating the junk food of the world because we have tasted the bread of life and have drank from the living waters and that bread and that water is Jesus and it satisfies our souls! And through all of this God gets the glory forever and ever and there is not one second in eternity past nor in eternity future to come that anyone or anything other than God get the glory! Not you...not me...only God. Amen!

Galatians 1:6-7

Paul is "astonished" (ESV) and he "marvels" (NKJV) that so many in the churches have turned from this great news to some other great news, which is a lie as Jesus Saves is the only great news! So there are some, both men and angels (Galatians 1:7-8) who have infiltrated the church and are preaching another gospel message to cause trouble and to pervert the truth.

Here are some examples:

1. In order to be saved you must believe in Jesus.....so far so good right? And you must convert to Judaism, you must be circumcised, and you must observe all the laws, feasts, customs, and diet restrictions of the Old Testament law which is pleasing to God.

2. In order to be saved you must believe in Jesus...and wear a white shirt and tie and attend church in a white building with a steeple on top.

3. More subtle examples would include but aren't limited to anything that proclaims salvation apart from Jesus. Food from stress, Sex from loneliness, Success from a lack of self-worth, etc.

so how do we spot a false gospel message among the true gospel message (Galatians 1:9)?

It is as if Paul is asking...."Are we clear? ARE WE CLEAR!" or "Can you hear me? Can you hear me now?" (Galatians 1:9)

No matter how good the promises are or how good the message sounds or even who the message comes from it if differs from Jesus Saves it is a false gospel and those who preach it are not to be trusted and are cursed!

Why the urgency of the letter? Why all the passion? Anger? Sarcasm? Because this is a matter of life and death. This is the difference between freedom in the finished work of Jesus or a lifetime of slavery to religion. Heaven and hell and all of eternity hangs in the balance. If we don't get this right nothing else matters.

You and I can believe....

John 3:16
1 Peter 3:18
Acts 4:12
Romans 1:16

Or we can continue to chase after false gospel messages of education, government, fad diets, gadgets, and sham messiahs.

What good news have you been holding fast to? I go to church....I am a good person...I do good things?

Or...I am a sinner, saved by the amazing grace of God, purchased through Jesus who gave Himself to rescue me from this present evil age according to God's will to Him be the glory and only Him, forever and forever.

Amen.