entrust the true riches to

Some friends of mine decided to change their lives by committing themselves to not letting themselves be ruled by money, but rather by themselves ruling over money and the result speaks for itself. Make no mistake: they have cut their debt in half not because they are fantastic, amazing people (although they are that), but because they have been faithful to a fantastic, amazing God. We always have this choice to follow the world and obey the flesh, or be set apart and obey the Spirit. And Lord knows, that choice is never easy.

The clip below shows America's best pastor discussing money extemporaneously during a Q&A session. His spontaneous remarks are better than most pastors' planned remarks.

an accounting for it in the day of

Signs that the end of days is near:
* The chimpocalypse is upon us. I'm sure Moe was smart enough to begin looking for signs of human weakness by watching CNN. It's only a matter of time until the Great Monkey Uprising ushers in the Tribulation.
* Obama is the antichrist. Or maybe he's not. Whatever. He supports infanticide, so that's enough.
* Science will destroy us all. Or just make physicists wet themselves with made up imaginary science. Enjoy tenure. Warning: it doesn't last as long as eternity in the lake.

This could be a weekly column, there are so many signs...

choose life in order that

CNN wants to convince the nation that it's okay for believers to vote for Obama. It wants to tell us that today's believers aren't automatic Republican votes because Jesus wasn't partisan. They want to tell us that abortion and gay marriage are things of the past and that modern believers want social justice and peace and environmentalism.

Let's be clear: today's believers don't know anything about anything.

Only one kind of democrat should be elected, and that's one who values life, end of story. Believers who place any other issue above the protection of life have it all wrong. They are placing their own agenda over the single most important moral issue of our time. Evangelical Outpost has it right -- that voters should be single issue candidates if the issue is a fundamental one. And infanticide is definitely important enough. The video below says all you need to know about this election.

and raise up children to

Been discussing the importance of youth ministry with a brother. I'm going to stand by my belief that the solution to raising Godly young men and women is not investing further in youth ministry workers (not to contract either, or lose that focus, don't get me wrong), but rather to expand men's and women's ministry. The Bible never commands the body to raise the young in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. The Bible reserves that command for parents, specifically fathers. The dearth of Godly young ones is because of the dearth of Godly fathers, make no mistake about that.

I don't want to brag, but I will. My son moved up from preschool to kindergarten, and in his moving up ceremony, all of the kids had to state what they wanted to be when they grew up. Many said "vet"; others stated "policeman" or "doctor". My son said, "When I grow up, I want to be a Godly man."

I'm sure people felt I rehearsed that answer with him. And I did. But not for that ceremony. I'd been teaching him that for over a year. And will repeat that every day until he's fulfilled that desire in his heart. I don't need an Awana volunteer, a Sunday school teacher, or a senior pastor to instill that virtue in my son's heart. And neither does the Lord expect that. If I'm not doing that on my own, then Houston, we have bigger problems.

see, he is ahead of you

"Vision 2008 - Going Deep"
* Worse than being blind? Having sight but no vision (H Keller)
- Prov29:18: we need God's constant leading
* Significant spiritual growth
- Small groups w/ Truth Project
- Sermon series on doctrine
- Partnership with TBC and Perspectives
* Making a spiritual difference w/ Tamajaq
* Making a difference in our community
- Community carnival
- Food bank expansion
* Healthy base of stewardship (inviting, belonging, serving, giving)
* Increasing involvement in prayer
* Prayerfully exploring an orphan ministry {Ps68:5-6a; Jam1:27}

and the beasts of the field

Feeling a little lazy today. The video today was found on Godtube, but not sure there is a real Christian meaning to it. It's one of those things you forward around because it tells you to at the end, and it is cute. But that's an Aerosmith song of all things. Yes, there's a comment in there about love and never forgetting those you love, and Christ is the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and all, but I'll leave that metaphor to you. I told you, I was feeling lazy.

is carried away, his heart

I'm a fan of Hillsong United. Been humming one of their tunes all day today. The clip below shows them performing that song. [Note: MWS does a good version of it as well.] My favorite part is when the chorus kicks in at about the 3:33 mark.

It's frustrating sometimes worshiping Sunday mornings amid the flock when more than 50% of them won't allow their hearts to be carried before the throne of God in utter abandonment, overwhelmed by His presence. Below you can see the band praising amid a sea of raised hands. For most of the performance, they seem like they almost want to stop the music and simply stand there, stand there, undone and overcome.

narrow that leads to life

I'm not yet ready to say that every believer needs to read Dietrich Bonhoeffer's "The Cost of Discipleship" -- but that's only because I just started the book. But I do believe every believer needs to at least read the beginning of the book, a meditation on "Costly Grace." Bonhoeffer wrote this sixty years ago, and yet it speaks to one of the most fundamental issues facing American churches today -- the prevalence of "cheap grace."

Bonhoeffer writes:

In [bad churches] the world finds a cheap covering for its sins; no contrition is required, still less any real desire to be delivered from sin . . . Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ.

Everyone who reads this chapter on the difference between costly grace and cheap grace, between the real meaning of grace and the fake meaning of grace peddled by so many modern churches, will realize that much more how evil, how completely and utterly evil the positive thinking message being sown by the antichrist Osteen really is. Of course Americans want to attend the church that doesn't require them to focus on their inner darkness. They want as much of that cheap grace as they can swallow.

Note to self: Bethel will be built on costly grace.

write in a book what you see

For a future something:

Different witnesses (& attitudes) at the cross:
* Pharisees & soldiers (unbelievers)
* The one Roman soldier (doubter turned believer)
* Mary, the mother of God & Mary Mag(sorrow)
* The two thieves (convert & mocker)
* The disciples

authority over all flesh, that

There are a lot of different viewpoints about the mix of politics and Christianity. You can argue whether or not God votes Republican; that argument is less than constructive.

Reading an amazing book, and came across an argument Bonhoeffer makes on whether or not Christians should be involved in politics at all. Bonhoeffer makes the argument that "it is not only my task to look after the victims of madmen who drive a motorcar in a crowded street, but to do all in my power to stop their driving at all."

It is not enough to counsel women on the value of life; it is a moral obligation to end infanticide. It is not enough to serve the poor; it is a moral obligation to end corporate greed and class warfare. It is not enough to run marriage seminars; it is a moral obligation to protect the sanctity of marriage.

Apathy is the devil's temptation. Separation of church and state is the devil's legal counsel. As Burke has stated, "all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."