Devotional

I did a devotional before a meeting today. First time in my life I have done something like that. I had an idea buzzing around my head for weeks and it was a perfect time to get it out. So here is what I said...starting with the Bible:

Luke 18:35-43

[35] As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. [36] When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. [37] They told him, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by."

[38] He called out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

[39] Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"

[40] Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, [41] "What do you want me to do for you?"

"Lord, I want to see," he replied.

1 Corinthians 3:19

The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God

I read the book the furious longing of God recently and it impacted me greatly. The author, Brendan Manning, harped on the fact that we are children. We say that we are children of God frequently and don't really think about what that means. We think that we are so wise, that we are smart, but we are more like a toddler, who gravely tells his father that honey comes from milking bees, that is how our wisdom sounds to God.

We are foolish, and God our Father adores us. We have such sinful pride and we are commanded to call God, Abba, Father. Brendan points out that this is akin to how children these days call their father's "Daddy". That is the intimate, close relationship we have with God.

The story of the blind man is fantastic for so many reasons. The one I'm going to focus on is the way it shows us how to pray. First of all, he is persistent. Elsewhere in the Gospels Jesus talks about praying repeatedly and persistently for something. The blind man is told to be quiet by those who were friends of Jesus, but he called out even more loudly.

Secondly, and most importantly, we don't have to trick God into answering our prayers. We don't have to explain how doing what we want will be good for God. What is the prayer here? Simple, "Lord, I want to see."

Too often we fall into the trap of thinking that if we use bigger and more words when we pray, God will hear us more. We think that our "wise" "churchy" words will sway God somehow, but we forget, we are toddlers to God. We are His beloved children. We can pray, persistently and simply, and know that God will answer our prayer in the way that will sanctify us the most. We don't have to think through all the ramifications of what we are praying for. We can rest in the sure knowledge that God knows, far better than we do, what is good for us, and He will always, without fail, do what is best for us.

It is important to remember that God loves us because He chose to love us. He does not love us because of something we did, and He does not love us in spite of anything we will do.

To get personal here: There were times that I wondered if I should stop praying for healing for Carrie. Maybe God has answered and said no. Maybe I should stop praying for children, for a "normal" life. Maybe I should just accept what is, and try to make the best out of it.

Now I pray for what I want. I pray for small things, I pray for large things. I pray for things that maybe I shouldn't "bother" God with, I pray for things some people would get mad at me for praying for. I pray with the knowledge that I am foolish and that God knows this, and adores me. I pray knowing that if there is anything that I am asking for that I shouldn't be asking for, God is big enough to sort it out.

I have been reenergized by this book and by the wondrous reminder that our God, who loves His foolish children with a furious love, personally asks each of us, "What do you want me to do for you?"

Submarines! from TMQ

Submarines Gone Wild! Last year TMQ did an item on the disturbing tendency of nuclear submarines -- packed with super-advanced sensors -- to fail to detect large ships directly in their paths. Last week, the British nuclear submarine Astute failed to detect Scotland, beaching itself when neither the sub's crew nor its super-advanced electronics noticed the boat was headed directly toward a 640-square-mile island. But the nuclear weapons won't go off by accident. Trust us.

Workaround!!

This is a workaround so Carrie can more easily view the New Life messages. Feel free to watch them too!

Sermon 1

"The Reality Choice" - September 12, 2010 from NewLife Christian Church on Vimeo.

Sermon 2

"The Hope Choice" September 19, 2010 from NewLife Christian Church on Vimeo.

the furious longing of God

Brennan Manning, the author, was working in a leper colony outside of New Orleans when he met Yolanda. A beautiful woman who has had her beauty taken away by leprosy. Her ex-husband had forbidden her children to visit her. Brennan Manning is told that she is dying and visits her one last time.

Below is an excerpt from the book the furious longing of God:

I anointed Yolanda and prayed with her. As I turned around to put the top back on the bottle of oil, the room was filled with a brilliant light. It had been raining when I came in; I didn't even look up, but said, "Thanks, Abba, for the sunshine. I bet that'll cheer her up."

As I turned back to look at Yolanda - and if I live to be three hundred years old I'll never be able to find the words to describe what I saw - her face was like a sunburst over the mountains, like one thousand sunbeams streaming out of her face literally so brilliant I had to shield my eyes.

I said, "Yolanda, you appear to be very happy."

With her slight Mexican-American accent she said, "Oh Father, I am so happy."

I then asked her, "Will you tell me why you're so happy?"

She said, "Yes, the Abba of Jesus just told me He would take me home today."

I vividly remember the hot tears that began rolling down my cheeks. After a lengthy pause, I asked just what the Abba of Jesus said.

Yolanda said:

Come now My love. My lovely one, come.

For you, the winter has passed, the snows are over and gone,

the flowers appear in the land,

the season of joyful songs has come.

The cooing of the turtledove

is heard in our land.

Come now, My love. My Yolanda, come.

Let Me see your face. And let Me hear your voice,

for your voice is sweet and your face is beautiful.

Come now, My love, My lovely one, come.

Six hours later her little leprous body was swept up into the furious love of her Abba. Later that same day, I learned from the staff that Yolanda was illiterate. She had never read the Bible, or any book for that matter, in her entire life. I surely had never repeated those words to her in any of my visits. I was, as they say, a man undone.

Click here to order the book.

Myers-Briggs Report

Took a Myers-Briggs test the other day. Below are my results, I found it to be spot on. I highlighted a few areas of special interest, those areas that make me happy or sad, those things that make me tick. Anyway, here you go, let me know if you think this is me.

Your Type Description: ESFJ

• Warmhearted, conscientious, and cooperative

• Want harmony in their environment, work with determination to establish it

• Like to work with others to complete tasks accurately and on time

• Loyal, follow through even in small matters

• Notice what others need in their day-by-day lives and try to provide it

• Want to be appreciated for who they are and for what they contribute

People with ESFJ preferences like to organize people and situations and then work with others to complete tasks accurately and on time. They are conscientious and loyal, following through even in small matters, and they want others to be the same. They value security and stability. Sociable and outgoing,

ESFJs are great at celebrations and traditions. They bring a very personal caring to the workplace and home.

ESFJs want to be appreciated for themselves and for what they give to others.

ESFJs use their Feeling primarily externally and radiate warmth and energy. They are encouraged by approval and hurt by indifference and unkindness. Conflict-filled or tense situations make them uncomfortable, and they work to ensure these don’t occur. ESFJs are likely to be warm, sympathetic, helpful, personable, cooperative, and tactful.

ESFJs focus on the present and base decisions on experiences and facts. Though they enjoy variety, they adapt well to routine and don’t like work that demands mastery of abstract ideas and impersonal analysis.

They enjoy their possessions and take good care of them. ESFJs are likely to be practical, realistic, down-to-earth, decisive, thorough, and consistent. They are sensitive to the needs of others and good at providing practical caring. Much of their pleasure and satisfaction comes from the comfort and pleasure of people around them.

ESFJs are energized by interaction with others and genuinely interested in others’ lives and concerns.

They feel most comfortable in structured situations and enjoy creating order, structure, and schedules.

They prefer to do things the traditional and accepted way. For the sake of harmony, ESFJs will

agree with others when they can. However, they also have strong values that they express clearly and confidently when they think it is appropriate.

ESFJs value family and social ties. They enjoy belonging and are good at celebrations and traditions. Others usually see ESFJs as sociable, outgoing, enthusiastic, energetic, organized, and orderly, and as persons committed to preserving traditions.

The Crazy Christian and the Left-Wing Looney - A Story of Friendship

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck

Lewis and Clark

Ben and Jerry

F. Scott Fitzgerald and Earnest Hemingway

Brutus and Sparrow

Jonathan and Jeff.

Friendship is weird.

Way back in 1993 when some pimply faced new kid in school with slicked back hair and a chubby, shy kid with a terrible hair cut first met, no one had any idea that they would still be friends over seventeen years later.

In fact, no one had any thought that they would be such good, close friends that people would think of them like a married couple.

We lived at each other’s houses and knew each other’s parents so well that we got the birds and bees talk from two sources.

People would come up to me and say, “Hey man, Sparrow owes me five bucks. We both know he is never going to pay me back, but he will pay YOU back, so why don’t you give me the money and you can get it from him.”

For a friendship to last this long you have to be willing to talk about issues, since when you are as close as we were and spent as much time together as we did, you are bound to get into arguments. Dumb ones mostly. Like how it was impossible that I couldn’t like a song that Jeff loved so much. We argued about that for almost two hours I think. Worst part was that it was a Goo Goo Dolls song.

There was one time we got in a fight about something moronic and didn’t see each other for two weeks. Kevin had to drive out to North East to pick Jeff up so we could “hug it out”. By the time the two weeks had passed we had no recollection about what the argument was anyway. Might have been Matchbox 20.

We are on such opposite sides of so many issues, religion, politics, alcohol (he doesn’t like beer), and other vital issues. However we manage to put that all aside, even the fact that he know that I really want him to think like I do on religion. I am amazed by how many friendships are destroyed by politics or religion….or alcohol. In regards to politics, we are all being screwed by our politicians so why fight about it? And religion? What good does it do me or him if I chase away a friend by harping on it? He knows my thoughts and feelings on the matter, one day he will realize I’m right. :)

So in closing, Jeff, I love you, although not in a move to Massachusetts kind of way, I can’t think of anyone else I would rather be practically strip-searched and kicked out of Canada with.

Pics of the house