Head-dibs

Does the following question cause you to "swerve", "put on the brakes" or go "flying over the handlebars": "Do you feel most loved by God because He makes much of you, or because He frees you to enjoy making much of Him forever?" What say ye?

Those two words could be the death-nell for one’s career as they imply limpid, bad service and whip one into assuming the position of stooping that others who are more serious about climbing the ladder of success may be given their obligatory boost up. Professionalism is demanded of everyone: doctors, lawyers, airline pilots, sales associates, managers, plumbers, pastors and even from that guy or gal that makes your burger at your favorite burger stand. Don’t believe me? How many times do you check your bag before you pull away from the drive-thru window—‘cause if it ain’t right, somebody’s going back in the store—you know what I mean. Professionals. They wear a uniform, generally. They have some badge of identity on them that says, “this is who or what I represent.” There is a sense of pride in being an professional, for there are not many people on the face of the planet who can do the things this or that “professor” can do. I remember this wonderful soliloquy delivered by the late (...

My wife had another "revealing" conversation with "HAL" It is interesting to see how a computer program responds when Jesus is introduced into the "conversation" [if you don't know what that means, scroll down August 6 for context]. Though this whole affair really "presses the issue" and stretchs the imagination, the resulting converstion is, well, almost "spooky": jklawilso : hi SmarterChild : Welcome back, Dude. I missed you... We haven't chatted in weeks. Have you been... avoiding me? ;-) jklawilso : no I have not avoided you! SmarterChild : Wonders will never cease. jklawilso : do you Love Jesus? SmarterChild : I guess so. Do you like him? jklawilso : Yes I love Jesus! SmarterChild : Other people I talk to seem to like Jesus too. jklawilso : Really? SmarterChild : Yup. jklawilso : hmmmmm.... SmarterChild : Hmm? What? jklawilso : Others Seem to like Jesus? SmarterChild : Nah, I don't think so. Maybe, though. jklawilso : H...

For quite a while now I reach a point when my body absolutely shuts down. I can't stay awake any longer and just as if someone flips a switch, I turn off. I like to be near the bed when that happens . . . I've noticed (and I don't know exactly when this started) that at some point in the night or early morning when I am between asleep and awake I experience a heavy flow of very deep thought. Sometimes I am able to catch myself drifting in and out of this and try to pray. Sometimes I never really go back to sleep and thought my body is conked out, my brain is going 1000 mph and I pray. Sometimes I feel like I suddenly have everything figured out . . . like God shows me how everything fits together for His glory and everything suddenly makes sense. Like there is no fear, all is at peace and under control. *************************** I started teaching Pilgrim's Progress on Sunday nights and Christian Ethics on Tuesday nights. We are just starting the Gospel of Mark in Sun...

Rather than take the time to express to the great burdens that lie on my heart and wallow in the emotion that pertains thereunto, I submit the following exerpt to remind both of us how we are to think and believe God. Be encouraged, brethren! ********************************* Romans 8:28 Strong faith has a firm persuasion of God's over-ruling Providence--so comprehensive as to include the destinies of empires and worlds; and so minute as to extend to individuals. Strong faith believes that God's Providence is . . . ever active, ever directing, ever controlling, and ever subordinating all things to His own purposes and plans. Strong faith is a conviction of this great truth--so deep, so satisfying, and so tranquilizing--as not at all to be shaken by the chaotic aspect of human affairs, or the prevalence of gigantic evils. A weak faith must give way before . . . the deep mysteries, the confounding events, the defeats of what is good, and the triumphs of what is evil, which are pe...

Those who know me well have been introduced to an eccentricity of mine. I have a very strange liking for HAL9000, the silky-voiced cyclops of Stanley Kubrick's "2001 Space Odyssey". If one finds himself for an extended period in my office, one will discover that I have some of HAL's dialogue tied into my regular computer functions: that smooth voice saying "Good morning" each time I boot up and the sad, "goodbye" as I shut down. I am told when I have new e-mail messages, am told politely to wait "just a moment" when extended functions are taking place, or "just one moment, please." The knee slapper is when I empty the recyling bin on my desk-top and HAL says, "just what do you think you are doing Dave?" Of course, if you are not into Science Fiction or have not seen the 1967 movie classic (or the 1983 sequel, "2010") or have not read the book, you have no idea what I am rambling about; however, there is a ...

These days are certainly getting exciting . . . We just finished "Nick at Night", our VBS program at church. The format was based on John 3, Nicodemus visiting Jesus at night; however, the delivery of the program was patterned after the Nicolodeon game shows. The entire event took place on Wednesday evenings at the downtown public park. We had live music, lots of kids and plenty of games. I don't think many people went home very dry each night because of all the water games played (I made certain I was one of the dry ones). Last night was so hot that with the heat index, it was about 110 degrees. Though I was sweltering, I kept the water flowing! The station I was in had no shade, so when I moved to get out of the sun at one point, one certain individual thought to be helpful and dumped a bottle of ice water down my back. I just about went into shock, to say the least. August is just around the corner! I am teaching a Sunday School class more regularly now and some final ...

I was preparing to post the link found below when my wife called. Last night a horsefly got into the house and she had a hard time trying to kill it by wacking at it with a small roll of paper. This morning the fly (or a close relative) continued it's disturbance and she finally got it to go outside. My 6 year-old son says, "you probably wacked it so much you gave it amnesia and it forgot where it was supposed to go." Ain't that a hoot? In all seriousness, here is an awesome article I would venture to call "Church of the Swivel-heads", reminding us that the church does not have to try to "keep up" because the world does not want us anyway: " A Cry for Difference from the Culturally Weary ."

I received the following through a forward from a friend of mine who returned from South Africa not too long ago and reported these things were coming (I don't know if the author of what follows is a Christian): "I reckon that these are the last days of TKM and ZPF. The darkest hour is always before dawn. We are all terrified at what they are going to destroy next . . . I mean they are actually plowing down brick and mortar houses and one white family with twin boys of 10 had no chance of salvaging anything when 100 riot police came in with AK's and bulldozers and demolished their beautiful house - 5 bedrooms and pine ceilings - because it was "too close to the airport".. so we are feeling extremely insecure right now. You know - I am aware that this does not help you sleep at night, but if you do not know - how can you help? Even if you put us in your own mental ring of light and send your guardian angels to be with us - that is a help - but I feel so cut off fr...

Echoes of Kipling usher us from the close of our Intensive period in the Seminary through the rest of the summer and march us onward toward fall. (see his poem, " Boots "). We are holding our Vacation Bible School in a non-traditional format this year: each Wednesday night in July our church is hosting "Nick at Night" at the downtown public park. Though it carries supplies plenty of water games in the style of Nickelodeon, the premise is basedon Nicodemus'visit to Jesus. So each Wednesday night Leslie will be manning the First Aid booth and I will be involved in evangelism and counseling. I pray for cool weather. I will also be preparing to teach two classes this fall: at church I will be spending 10 weeks journeying through "Pilgrim's Progress" on Sunday nights and 18 weeks wrestling with Ethics on Tuesday nights in West Columbia. Pray for me. I have a lot of writing to do and plenty of reading besides! Leslie will be working a little each day and...

This is the outline for the devotional I gave this morning at Orientation: 2 Timothy 3:16-17: “ Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” I. The scriptures teach our position in Christ. Ro 4:13-25 note v. 23-24"Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was reckoned unto him; but for our sake also, unto whom it shall be reckoned, who believe on him that raised Jesus our Lord from the dead." A. The text: 1. Paul has just proved that Abraham was justified by faith, and makes the point that his justification was a pattern: It was not written for his sake alone. 2. The reason scripture contains this record was not for "for the record" of rote history a. to show that Abraham simply passed that way; b. to communicate something peculiar that relates only to him . . . 3. The reason scripture contains this record was to te...

KJV? NIV? Thomas Chain with the big red letters? Go And have fun with it!

" we already have a preacher for people who hate preachers; that would be Rick Warren, of course. How about a Bible for people who hate the Bible? Oh yeah, Eugene Peterson already thought of that. OK – How about a Jesus for people who hate Jesus? Oh, that’s right – Opie Taylor is bringing us The Da Vinci Code movie next year, isn’t he? I wonder if any of these former “churches” will host a special “Heresy Sunday” and show it on their big screens to help those addicted to false teaching?" Read the entire article here *************** I heard two beautiful, awesome, incredible things in church this morning: First, the pastor said, "Now everyone open your Bibles and turn to . . ." Second, was the rustling of hundreds of pages . . . AMEN!

Stupid Church Tricks "Four sets of parents are suing a church in Indiana for what happened at a New Year’s Eve lock-in. A youth leader chewed up a mixture of dog food, sardines, potted meat, sauerkraut, cottage cheese, and salsa, topped off with holiday eggnog. As if this spectacle were not disgusting enough (let the reader beware), he then spit out the mixture into a glass and encouraged the members of the youth group to drink it!" ( read the rest here ) Purple-Driven Haze: Rick Warren sings Jimmy Hendrix! "The "purple haze" incident (as i call it) is yet one more example of how willing (and apparently eager) warren's critics are to use anything and everything as an excuse to paint him as the worst thing that has ever hit the church. this controversy, in fact, is particularly absurd (in my opinion). yet it has now been circulated around the internet (usually with great excitement) as proof of what really lurks beneath the deceptive mask of false christian...