Faith to Faith

I've been re-reading this great book called Seizing Your Divine Moment by Erwin McManus. This morning, I read a passage I've been pondering. Let me share it with you. Erwin suggests that as our faith grows the dynamics of our faith changes. What at one time required a certain measure of faith, now no longer does. Faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen. So as we see God move in "miraculous" ways for us in our life, we are forced to move further and further into the realm of the uncertain and unknown.
Ok, so, that's the thought, what does that look like in practice? What in my life has required a certain measure of faith to get through? Now that I know God can get me through that, what is next? It's like my daughter learning to ride her bike. She started out on training wheels and at first was very wobbly and unsure. As she became more confident that the training wheels would not let her fall, she would ride faster and faster confident in those training wheels. Then, the uncertain happened, mom ran over the training wheel on one side of the bike with the van; no more training wheels. Now, my daughter has to learn to ride her bike with the faith that her forward momentum will keep her up. She's 6, she doesn't understand physics and forward momentum (heck, i'm not sure I do either for that matter). Her reality now is that her bike, even without training wheels will keep her up. She moved from "faith to faith". She moved from uncertainty to certainty, to uncertainty and again back to certainty. Where will it take her next? Motorcycles??

Fundamentalism

Recently I read about an in depth prime time series that CNN is producing on religious fundamentalism. In it, Iranian born Christiane Amanpour looks into the fundamentalist views of Jews, Christians and Muslims. I was really intrigued by one thing she was quoted saying,
"I did come away with a sense that we — or those people who don't want to see religion in politics and culture — if we don't look into it and see what is going on, we're in danger of missing it and not be able to react to it properly," she said.
Interesting, she admits that she doesn't want to see religion in politics or culture. I thought journalists were supposed to be unbiased? I detect just a little bit of bias in her comment. Further, she admits that knowledge is important so that she and others can "react" properly. Just how is she going to "react"? Um, I believe the First Amendment still gives me the freedom to practice what I believe in this country.
One comment that really jumped out at me was her question to a member of a group called BattleCry. Apparently, this group encourages chastity among single women (how archaic is that??) and asks them to wear long skirts (how long, below the knee or ankle length. The fashion patrol will be all over this one. At least it's not pants!) . She asks the leader how this is different from the views of the Taliban. Is she for real? Excuse me, but Christians don't have their women stoned to death if they wear the wrong clothing for one. You've got to be kidding me.
Well Ms. Amanpour, your wish is granted. Look around and see what the lack of religion in our culture has created. Poverty, kids in broken homes, power hungry and morally starved politicians, a media and Hollywood elite living in the equivalence of a modern day Sodom and Gomorrah, rising drug use both prescription and illegal, addictions, moral relativism, rampant promiscuity, wars, shall I go on?
Today, we see very little if any "true religion" in politics and culture and we are sorely paying the consequences for it.
If you'd like to read the article for yourself, follow the link.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070819/ap_en_tv/ap_on_tv_christiane_amanpour

End of an Era

It's a sad day for cycling. The Discovery Channel Team has called it quits citing difficulty obtaining new sponsorship amidst all of the recent and ongoing doping scandals in cycling. Lance Armstrong brought cycling back to the United States after a long hiatus since Greg Lemond was on the scene in the 80's. In 1999, after a fight with what was deemed terminal cancer, Lance began his 7 Tour winning streak finally retiring in 2005. After a poor showing in 2006 under the Discovery Channel name, the team came back this year and placed first with Alberto Contador, the young Spanish rider who similary had undergone a serious health issue and has a metal plate in his head. The team also placed third with American Levi Leipheimer.
Lance cites it was time to step aside. The team was dominate winning 8 Tours in 10 years. Despite much controversy, the team has maintained a clean record with no rider ever testing positive for performance enhancing substances.
Thanks Lance for the inspiration you've given to millions of cyclists and cancer survivors around the world. Few have made an impact in sports as you have had.
"How about them apples!"

I'm not Talking About Religion

Ok, so my blog from the other day did come from an attitude of frustration. Please forgive me. Let me be more encouraging today. The major theme of everything I've been reading lately is obedience to God. If we just let go of our own "religion", our own "interpretations" and our own way, and truly allow God to work in us, wow!
People hate rules, let's face it, but the reality, life would be dangerous and chaotic without them. If we chose to run through red lights when we wanted, people would die. If we could act out our anger and do harm to others, the streets would never be safe. We have rules in place to protect us. It's such a simple concept really. But why is it when we come to God and his guidelines that we decide it's up to "intepretation" and "God didn't really mean when He said...." I'm sorry to say, that's wrong. That's called Moral Relativism and it's straight from the pit of....ok, sorry, I said I'd be encouraging.
The bottom line is this. James 1:22-25 says, "be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it...this one will be blessed."
Bottom line? Do you REALLY want to experience God's blessing in your life? Do you want to be blessed in your relationships, your job, your family? Then obey Him, it's that simple. Do you REALLY want to know what He asks of us? Read His Word, the Bible. Don't just read books ABOUT the Bible, read the Bible. That is where He reveals His truth and His ways. I guarantee, you will be blessed.

Global Warming Caused What????

Ok, so, I think I've heard it all now. The bridge collapse in Minneapolis is a result of global warming. So, let me get this straight, a bridge made up of tons of tons of concrete and steel is unable to withstand 90 degree heat? This was released by some "scientist" related to one of the Clinton's "think tanks". Um, you've been in the tank too long, it's time to come out for some fresh air. Of course, what absolutely floors me is that the whole global warming thing is led by a failed politician, Al Gore. I mean come on, 8 years ago we were laughing at him trying to do the Macarena on national TV and made jokes about how Frankenstein was more fun than him and now he's like a god to the Global Warming Movement. 8 years ago he was screaming about hanging chads. And the other person is the wife of and the director of Seinfeld. Wow, I mean, I don't even know their names that's how much of a "has been" they are.
Let's get this straight, 553 scientists from 27 countries got together and voted. The result was that 56% of them said that global warming was "likely" caused by humans. Likely? Likely. Recently, in Singapore, AL Gore said Scientists had reached an overwhelming consensus. Sorry Al, 56% does not constitute "an overhwhelming consensus" as you call it anymore than counting all of the hanging chads would have made you President.
Oh, by the way, do you know how Al Gore and his family got rich? Occidentally actually.... Occidental Oil..... http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=468 And now you know, the rest of the story...

You Know What REALLY Irks Me?

WARNING! THIS BLOG ENTRY MAY OFFEND SOMEONE! There, this is it, the only disclaimer you'll get. Don't respond to me all upset and mad. You CHOSE to read this. What I'm about to share is something that really, really hurts me and bothers the bejeezus out of me at the same time.
I claim to be a Christian. Now, let me define this. Christian, in the Biblical sense means "little Christ" in other words, if one claims to be a Christian it means you are trying to live out your life as Jesus did. You are not a Christian simply because you live in America anymore that visiting a hospital makes you a Doctor. A person becomes a Christian by making a decision to accept the fact that we simply are powerless to save ourselves and that He provided the ONLY way to come into a real and meaningful relationship with God, John 14:6, by the way. If you believe this then you are a Christian. "But Joey, that is so narrow minded and simple and you're so closed minded and, yada, yada". I told you, someone might be offended and I am sorry but that is the message of the New Testament, take it up with the Author, I'm just the messenger.
Anyways, what hurts and irks me is that there are those that will honestly claim to be Christians and yet, live so contrary to their faith. I don't know if it is out of ignorance of what the Bible says or if it's out of complete disregard and rebellion. If it's for the former, I hurt for that person and I want to help; if it's for the latter, I question whether you truly understand what the Bible says about things like disobedience and following God's ideal for your life and I want to help. Now I know we live in a society that goes against anything "religious" or "conforming" but the reality is, you either conform to one thing or another. You either choose to live by God's ideals or you live according to the world's ideals. You can say you are an individual and choose to live by your own standards but in reality, I can pick out 1,000 other people that live the same way so that doesn't really set you apart now, does it?
So, who do you want to listen to? The world which says it's ok to sleep around, just be "safe" and honest about it so you don't get some hideous disease or worse, an unwanted pregnancy ( I told you, this would offend); that it's ok to poison yourself with drugs and/or getting drunk (as long as you don't drive); that it's ok to share accommodations with your current significant other because it's convenient or you want to "try it out to see if it works" because you don't understand what REAL commitment is; That you can do anything you want as long as it "feels right" or because "the energetic vibrations of the universe reverberate in such a way that I feel peace with the universe in this very moment..."
Or, you can follow what Paul writes in Romans 12:1-2 (NLT):
"And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your lives to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice-the kind he will accept. When you think of what God has done for you, is this too much to ask? Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect God's will really is."

This Kid Named David

I've been studying lately about David; you know, the guy in the Bible who killed the giant, Goliath with a slingshot and 5 stones? Yes, that's the one and yes, I really DO believe in the story. In fact, it's a pretty amazing story when you take the time to really study it. One of the things that really sticks out for me is just who David was. You see, David was very much a nobody. He had a bunch of brothers that served in the army and he was the kid brother who took care of sheep and ran food up to the front lines for his brothers from time to time. In fact, his own dad, Jesse didn't even think much of him. What really blew my mind was that David kind of kept to himself until one day, this crusty old prophet named Samuel came along and commissioned David to be the next king of Israel. Now the process was not immediate, in fact it took David about 17 years to actually become King. Did you get that? David is commissioned the next king of Israel and it takes 17 years for him to realize it! WOW! Talk about patience. Let me ask you, how long are you willing to wait for your God given assignment? Are you even aware that you have one? Well, you do. In fact, the Bible says that all of the days of your life were planned out before you were born! Now, I'm not here to debate free will but suffice it to say, God has plans for me and you if we're willing to step out in faith and seize our divine moment. It's like Ethan in Mission Impossible, "your mission should you choose to accept it" . Similarly, if we choose to accept the "mission" it will take us into a life that is so full of adventure, risk and surprise! Imagine, life doesn't have to be mundane and boring but we must decide to step into our divine moment.