HT to Adam McIntyre

Last Sunday Pastor Ron gave what could only be called a Smack Down on the ‘redistribution of wealth’ philosophy at ENT. I don’t doubt at all that there were probably a few toes that were crushed.

Well, my buddy Clayton Bell will be preaching this Sunday and he apparently might be a little at odds with Pastor Ron. I’m looking forward to what he has to say on Sunday.

If you’re a Tallaheezian, you should definitely come check it out.

People in China are being imprisoned, tortured and even killed because they are attempting to assemble together for worship and teaching. They have to sneak around and meet in unthinkable places. They don’t do this out of preference…but out of necessity. They are NOT a bunch of burned out bloggers and narcissists who are trying to make the world all about them!

However, self serving, self centered Americans take their “model” and blow it completely out of context. We live in a country that allows us the freedom to assemble together…but because MANY (not all) in the so called “house church” movement are nothing more that arrogant, judgmental, spoiled church kids who want nothing more than a holy huddle where wounds can be licked, “deep” teaching can be learned and the Great Commission of Jesus Christ Himself can be completely ignored!!!

To compare our situation here in America to the one in China is one of the most ignorant comparisons a person could make. And if you are doing that…please beg God to forgive you of your stupidity and remember that Jesus called us to reach the world…not to merely assemble and discuss theological fads!

WOW–that felt great! I think I’m all better now!!!

Perry Noble dot com » Blog Archive » A Church Growth Rant!!! .

Dang! Straightforward, honest and to the point. The stuff I like to read and hear. Don’t try to make me feel good, cut me down with the truth.

Thanks to Clayton for the head’s up on his hot link post.

Sometimes as Christians, especially in America, we worship our destinies. Now before you say, “No way, I don’t do that.” Let me challenge you. It is my belief, and I’ve said it many times that I think Jeremiah 29:11 is one of the worst exegeted scriptures in America. Its misquoted and applied wrong more than many others in my opinion.

We all know the verse, “For I know the plans I have for you.” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” (NIV) Doesn’t that sound nice and just give you goose pimples, as the weird Brits would say.

Well hear lies the problem, that scripture was not directed to you as an individual but rather to the nation of Israel. Now I still believe that we can take from that scripture that God actually does have plans for me and they are good. My problem with it is the way its always preached. In America I think there is an overemphasis on MY PERSONAL DESTINY. Is there any place in the Bible that its ever about us. Heck no.

I think we get to wrapped up in our own destiny sometimes and we just ask what am I going to do, what am I going to do, and we sound like whiny babies, when its very clear that the “prize,” the goal, is knowing Christ.

The other thing I think we can take from this scripture is that our destiny is most times found in relation to the people God has placed in our lives, not in a relational vacuum.

There is such a spirit of individualism in America, it definitely seeps into our Christianity as well.

Tags: american christianity, faith, interpreting the Bible

Powered by Qumana

I just can’t believe what I’m seeing here. During an organized event, a police officer just knocks the crap out of a cyclist as the officer walks in the cyclists way, even though the cyclist tries to get out of the way.

Read the rest of the info over at The Smoking Gun.

How does it work?

“…artists can freely distribute their music online, via NoiseTrade’s remarkable and embeddable widget, offering fans the choice to tell 3 friends or to pay any amount in exchange for an immediate download.”

Seems fair enough. An artist gets extra promotion and the opportunity to expand their base while the music fan gets a copy of the music they wanted for free. If you don’t feel like sharing music with friends, pay a little something to get the tracks (the minimum is $1) to download. Seems like everyone could possibly win in this scenario.

For an artist, an email address and zip code is quite a valuable bit of information. With this information, they can more easily provide information about when they’ll be out on tour in your area so that you can come to the show and purchase tickets and merchandise directly from them, in addition to other promotional information they could provide regarding album releases or other special events. However if fans choose to pay, 90% of the funds go directly to the artist.

Below is one of the widgets you can embed on your blog or social networking sites. I shared the email address of 3 friends and was able to download Sixpence None the Richer’s newest EP for free. That’s right, Sixpence is apparently making a comeback. I’m a fan.

Check out the EP sample below and if you’re interested, click to purchase or share some email addresses.

For more information, check out noisetrade.com

Arstechnica has a report up about how an organization called Saved Christian Radio is, in my opinion, spreading FUD (Fear, Uncertaintly and Doubt) about a proposal brought up by the FCC.

Here’s what the FCC is suggesting:

The Federal Communications Commission (the “Commission”) today took measures to help ensure that broadcast stations offer programming responsive to the needs and interests of the communities that they are licensed to serve.

The FCC is basically asking that radio stations better serve their communities by offering programming that is relevant to the community of a station. The part that has the SCR organization with their panties in a wad is where they make a suggestion about having a local board or organization give advice to broadcasters on how to better serve their local community. Why are they afraid of this. In their own words:

That means that Christian broadcast stations could be forced to take programming advice from people whose values are at odds with the Gospel! A well organized group of atheists, abortionists or secular humanists could demand representation – and have standing to cause trouble at the FCC if they were turned away.

I think that’s laughable.

Some other lines i found humorous:

But unlike public access channels, which were created as a kind of open public forum, Christian Radio is a combination of pulpit and mission.

- I think Ross properly Smacked Down the pulpit/mission validity of Christian entertainment radio.

This one is the kicker, and I think the heart of the matter and their concerns. Like most things, I guess it all about the benjamins.

Finally, the FCC is also proposing to drive up the costs of providing Christian Broadcasting services by eliminating labour-saving technological enhancements that make it possible to operate radio stations, at least part of the time, without an employee on the premises.

Although such un-staffed operations have been the norm for years, the FCC is considering a rule to require staffing whenever a radio station is on the air – even if all the programming at that time is delivered by satellite. God’s love may be free to all, but getting the word out will become even more expensive – perhaps too expensive for some radio stations.

The writer of the Arstechnica article says it best:

Perhaps the group also dislikes these suggestions because they inconvenience a Christian broadcasting movement that has become overly dependent on remote, satellite delivered programming down linked to studios where, much of the time, not a single human being works.

So how is this FCC suggetion going to save Christian radio?

Well, as a local community, we could possibly make suggestions for the type of programming we would like to hear on a Christian radio station. We could suggest an update to that tired old playlist. We could suggest some local programming and maybe allow some local Christian artists the opportunity to air their songs on the radio and help foster a local music community using the airwaves to unite a community. Those are just some basic ideas (although the local Christian artist airplay might be a bit scary), but I think it’s a step in the right direction. The ideas is that radio stations are less local owned and now no matter where you go, you hear the same 20 songs on the radio numerous times per day. These changes will allow the community to have more input in the programming they are interested in and that makes sense to them.

I think this might just be a great idea that will save Christian radio.

I’ll end with a bit from the report:

The Report notes that, as temporary trustees of the public’s airwaves, broadcasters are obligated to operate their stations to serve the public interest, including their airing of programming responsive to the needs and issues of their station communities of license. The actions and proposals contained in the Report are intended to ensure that the nations’ broadcasters will meet this responsibility.

Further Reading:

• The Arstechnica Article
• Save Christian Radio
• The FCC proposal (PDF)

Via Feminist Philosophers
Gay Scientists isolate the Christian gene.

I tend to be a worrier. I also have been really frustrated at work. It would be a lie to say that I love what I do… It would not be a lie to say I hate it.

You know, I feel trapped and frustrated. I want to be able to do something more creative. I’m tired of answering emails and phone calls and dealing with (and my attitude might be getting in the way here) stupidity and foolishness.

This is not where I want to be and not what I want to do.

All that to say that I love this song. They lyrics (which I will post below) should be familiar to those who read the Bible. This song is encouraging to me and reminds me that my worth is found in GOD. That he knows the desires he has placed in my heart, and he is a faithful GOD and desires to fulfill them. Not only that, but my joy comes from Him. I forget that sometimes.

Lyrics for Your Love is Strong

by Jon Foreman

Heavenly Father, You always amaze me.
Let Your kingdom come in my world, and in my life.
Give me the food I need, to live through the day,
and forgive me as I forgive the people that wronged me.

Lead me far from temptation,
deliver me from the evil one.

I look out the window,
the birds are composing.
Not a note is out of tune or out of place.

I walk to the meadows and stare at the flowers,
better dressed than any girl on her wedding day.

So why should I worry,
why do I freak out,
GOD knows what I need,
You know what I need.

Your love is, Your love is, Your love is Strong.
Your love is, Your love is, Your love is Strong.
Your love is, Your love is, Your love is Strong.

The kingdom of the heavens is now advancing,
invade my heart, invade this broken town.
The kingdom of the heavens is buried treasure,
would you sell yourself to buy the one you’ve found?

Two things You told me,
that You are strong, and You love me,
yes, You love me.

Our GOD in heaven hallowed be Thy name above all names,
Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven,
Give us today our daily bread, forgive us weary sinners,
keep us far from all vices and deliver us from this prison.

© Jon Foreman

If you like this song, you can get it on .

A “God thing”, I’m relearning is not necessarily a thing of less resistance than the thing you already know today. God’s way is not necessarily the way I feel most confident in or the most qualified to take. It’s not necessarily the quickest, smoothest, clearest, most reassuring thing.

Felt like sharing some thoughts Shaun had.

A survey is being done to see who has interest in getting a shirt… you know you want this shirt. Head on over here and let them know in the comments that you’re interested in getting a shirt.

If there’s enough interest, we’ll get some shirts printed to order.

You down with love?

I’m sick of all the emotional hurt we deal with. I wish we could just be in heaven, so that we could all be friends….so that we could all get along and have the ability to love each other….despite past hurts.
I then realize what it means to be a follower of The Way. To try and live for something greater than yourself.
Jesus said we are to bring heaven to earth: “as on earth, as it is in heaven”.
…To many of us…that should hit us right in the chest….that was Kadar and I’s response.
so elementary…so simple.

I felt like sharing because I understand. Finish reading the rest here.

Thanks Daley.

I was catching up on video blog posts in the ol’ RSS reader, and came across this. Thought it too good not to share.

Via Worship City, Motionhouse, Jerad Collier, and Fee

It felt fitting that this should go with it as well.

via The Plow

A Christian Democrat?: “Before I go any further, this is not a political blog, and I am not out start a war of words here, but this being an election year, I thought I would wax for a bit regarding this gentleman’s comment.

Before I reconcile my choice to be both a follower of Christ and a Democrat, I must say that I am not a big believer in ‘political parties.’ Parties exist so that people with like ideals can band together. I don’t put any faith in my party, however, in our current system, you are given two options. (Independent is not really a choice…it’s kind of a copout. I actually was registered independent during the Perot campaign. Remember Perot? Are you thinking of Dana Carvey as Perot? me too….I digress)

Two options. Here is how I see my options. Conservativism sits inside the Republican camp which, at it’s most basic ideal is about being left alone. Leave me alone and don’t tax me. It says that we can all do much better on our own. In America, it is now entwined with our capitalism. To me, Conservatism is individualism…looking out for numero uno.

Option two, is Liberalism, which lives in the Democrat camp. The ideal of liberalism is that we look out for each other. We are all equal, so therefore, we should all have the same opportunities. In America, that boils down to more taxes, more government, and more programs that are intended to aid those who couldn’t just do it for themselves.

While I am very aware of the fact that there are some very sticky moral issues that divide these ideals, I believe that my mindset is that of a liberal. Sorry, there it is. The more I listen to conservative pundits on talkradio and the like, the more I see that that they’re first question when they approach an issue is, ‘how will this affect me?’ While in my selfishness, I don’t deny that there are those tendencies, I push through them because of my faith in Christ. My faith in God’s Kingdom. I believe that Jesus was very clear that this life should not be about you, but about your neighbor. The purpose of life here is not to store up treasures on earth but in heaven…therefore, I don’t believe that the American Dream, is God’s dream.”

(Via The Epic Beat.)

“The Editors of the NIV Pee Sitting Down”:”

It is with much adoration to Dustin Bryson that I give you this video.

Thank you Dustin for this jewel.

Can someone please tell me where this guy is from so I can go remove the urinals from his church building?
Los

(Via Ragamuffin Soul.)

Mathew 19:16

Teh Reech Kitteh

16 Now a d00d cames up to Jebus an ask, “Teacher, I does wat gud stuf so I can has eeturmal lyfs?”*

17 “Whai ju aks me abot whut goodz?” Jebus saied. “Der onlee Wun iz goodz. U wants 2 has lyfs, U obyz teh comandamanamenz.”

18 “Whut comandamanamenz?” aks teh reech kitteh. Jebus saied, ” ‘No kilin doodz, no sexin owtsayd marege, no taksin cheezburgr from peepuls, no can tells lai,19 respeckz ur momz and daz,’ an ‘luvz ur naibors but not wif sexin.’”

20 “Did dat aredy, srsly. I can has eeturmal lyfs nao?”

21 Jebus den sais, “If u wan bee purfex, go, sel ur stufs an gevs ur cheezburgrs 2 teh pors, n den u can has invisible cheezburgr. Den cum, fowul meez.”

22 Den reech mans went awai sadz, becuz he hadz many monys.

23 Den Jeezus sai to hiz desiplz, “Im teh srs, it teh sux 4 a rich kittn to go 2 teh Ceiling.24 Aiz tel yu geiz agin, it srsly moar easier 4 graet daen to fit in teh tiny cat cariur dan for fancey feast kitteh two go to teh Howse uf teh Ceiling Cat.”\

25 Disipulz hearz, dey leik NO WAI!!1 HU B SAEVD DEN??

26 Jeezus lukee dem, sai, “Wif manz dis iz FAIL, but wif Ceiling Cat evrytingz lolcodable.”

27 Petrz leik, “Weez lef ar stufs 2 folow u! Can has cheezburgr or cookie or wut?”

28 Jeezus dun sai 2 demz, “Ai tell u trewfs, @ teh restart, wen Sun of Kittehs sits on his kewl cat condo, u wil urselfs sit on twelv cat condoz, judgin teh twelv breedz uv Israel.29 An evrybudiez lef howsiz or brovrz or sisez or studz or queenz or kittnz or catbowlz 4 maek me cheezburgr will has awsum intrist raet on IOUz an wil has zombi-ness.30 But meny hu r kewl wil has teh suck, an meny hu iz teh suck wil has moar cheezburgrs.

Pretty good, huh? For more, visit, lol cat bible.

Here’s a quick excerpt, check out the rest at the link below.

When I see the religous right and religious left lining up with the political right and political left, it makes me wonder where our faith really is–in the transforming power of Christ, or in 21st century American politics? In the years since I first voted for a president (Jimmy Carter, 1976) I have never seen the church well-served by political investment. I have seen the church lose all credibility with the greater society, because unfortunately, the media has no problem finding strident, ill-tempered, dogmatic, fat, white men who speak as though they represent all who claim to follow Christ.

noodlestatic: Why I Feel so Ambivalent about Politics

via: Mark Lee

“Despite the action that has been taken by the student senate at FSU to take away all of our funding, we at Every Nation Campus Ministries are here to serve the university and help meet the spiritual needs of the university community. Although certain university employees have suggested we file a lawsuit against the university; we have no intentions of taking any legal action whatsoever. I have already begun dialogue between our ministry and members of the university community to clear up any miscommunication that may exist.”

For more information please check out the above link and show your support. Thanks.

For more information, check out:
ENCM on Trial Part 1
ENCM on Trial Part 2

Judy’s God

: “

Twenty-five of us surrounded Judy’s hospital bed last night.’ I stayed back by the door while Becky, who actually knows Judy, slipped through the crowd to hold her hand and talk a little.

It must be strange, I thought, to stare up at a ceiling pondering your life and approaching death with no soundtrack but the sniffles of family and friends around you.’ Maybe that’s why Judy sang.

She began Kumbaya but the drugs or fatigue wiped the simple lyrics from her memory and she stopped suddenly, unsure of where the tune went next.’ She asked our pastor to sing it and he looked to his wife who looked back toward the door at me.’ ‘Shaun, we need you here.’ And so I sang.

When the song ended Judy opened her eyes for the first time since we entered the room, lifted her head and looked at me. ‘Who are you?’ she asked.

‘I’m Becky’s husband, just the driver tonight and a big fan of yours, Judy.’

‘You sound like an angel,’ she said.

Heavy medication is known to blur not only one’s memory but also one’s taste.

She asked me to sing some more and I did and the room sang along, watching with tremendous reverence and awe as this tiny Mexican ravaged by cancer closed her eyes, opened her palms and sang with all her might in a beleaguered whisper.

When the singing stopped I told Judy that in the Old Testament, when the Jews would war against their evil enemies, they would march out with the musicians at the front.’ I told her this was because they either didn’t care for their music or them very much or because they believed there was something very powerful about songs sung to God.’ I told her how thankful I was to be with her, able to help fight back the darkness with her for just a little while, how we all were so privileged to be in the fight with her.’ ‘Let’s sing some more,’ she said. ‘Do you know any Eminem?’

We all laughed and then we sang for another hour, prayed, observed communion with Ritz crackers and some juice.

Then Becky and I told her good-bye and slipped out as the music started up again.

I wish every atheist and agnostic, every cynic and critic hurling stones at Christ and Christianity, every die hard the-sky-is-falling crier, every wounded and weak and bitter and hopeless person on the planet, everyone like me, could have joined us last night.’ Death was perched there like a vulture waiting to swoop in and snatch a life.’ The Liar was there too waiting for silence enough, for space enough, to whisper defeat and despair into a dying woman.’ But hope was there too.’ Palpable.’ It blanketed us all, gave us reason to sing, reason to laugh together.’ And it gave Judy reason to pray.

‘God,’ she said.’ ‘You are everything.’ Without you we are nothing.’ Thank you God for this day.’ Thank you for loving me.’ You are so beautiful. You are so great and so good to me.’ I’m coming home, God.’ I’m coming home to be with you.’ I love you.’

I’m heading out the door this morning to catch the first of many flights to a place where children are clinging to the same great and good God who clings to Judy this morning.’ It is the poor, the sick, the desperate who teach us the most about faith, hope and love and I’m ready to learn again.’ And, after the sing-a-long with Judy, I’m more ready than ever to tell stories of hope in the midst of suffering here on this blog all week.’ Come back every day to celebrate Judy’s God, the God who is everything to those who have nothing.

“

(Via Shlog.)