Saw this on FB today and I think there's a lot of truth to it...

GREAT QUOTE from Bruce G: "Christianity (as practiced in the the US) should be judged harshly because it sets itself up as the moral and ethical standard and judges EVERYONE (Christian or not) Remember with what judgment you judge you will be judged. The Church has become a self-righteous social club that only allows members who toe the line.

Friend

When you do not fellowship with another and you blog using the name friend, you are wrong. Legalism is not the answer, but listening to Papa and not rules brings freedom. You are loved regardless of your rejection.

Peace!

Interesting stuff from the SBC

I guess I'm not the only one that doesn't care for Mark Driscoll ;-)

Those delegates also heard eight motions that directly or indirectly related to Mark Driscoll, the controversial pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, even though he has no affiliation with the denomination. Although five of the eight motions were ruled out of order (among those dismissed was a proposal to have all SBC organizations "refrain from inviting speakers who are known to be unregenerate and curse, speak vulgarly and support alcohol"), the three remaining included a request for SBC entities to monitor and potentially cease any financial involvement with Driscoll or his Acts 29 Network for church planting.

In an offsite panel discussion that merged younger, Calvinist-leaning pastors with a loose network of Baptist leaders, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President Albert Mohler told pastors and students, “Don’t look for too much out of the Southern Baptist Convention. Don’t find your identity here.” After admonishing those present to find their identity in Christ, Mohler said that despite the good done by the SBC in the past, growing up in SBC churches, attending SBC schools and seminaries and moving on to lead SBC churches and entities “produced a tribal identity rather than a gospel-centered identity.”

[Baptist Press, 6/23-25/09; Baptist Standard, 6/24/09]

Charity is commendable; everyone should be charitable. But justice aims to create a social order in which, if individuals choose not to be charitable, people still don’t go hungry, unschooled, or sick without care.

- Bill Moyers, television journalist and social commentator

A gut feeling...but was it right?

I need to share something that happened to me yesterday on my way home from work. So here it goes.......

I cut through an office complex to get out to Washington Street and hop on the 202 for the ride home. I was waiting at the stoplight and the Light Rail was going through the intersection in both directions. While I was at the light, a hispanic gentleman was sort of jogging towards the intersection while I was at the red light waiting for it to turn green. He was acting very nervous and looking around a lot and his demeanor was just very strange. He was sweating profusely, but it was 105 degrees at the time.

He was approaching my car from the passenger side as I was witing to turn left. Obviously, since it was 105 degrees outside, I had the windows rolled up and the AC on full blast. Well he got to the passenger side and tapped on the window while he was trying to open the car door which was locked. I waved him over to the drivers side and rolled the window down a little bit. I was sort of nervous now due to his erratic actions. How many people try to open up your car door while you're in it?

He came over to my window and starts asking me if I can give him a ride to the Light Rail stop because his girlfriend was on it and he didn't want to lose her. Again, I need to mention the fact that he was acting very strange and by now I was starting to get nervous. I kept watching his hands to make sure he wasn't reaching for anything. I told him that the Light Rail stop was right over there less than a block away and he could get on it there. But he kept insisting that I give him a ride. The light turned green and I told him I was sorry but "no" and I took off. He tried to stop the car behind me too but they didn't even stop.

Those who know me know that I would help anyone in need. But there was something in my gut during this situation that told me something was not right. Sure, I may be wrong and the guy was telling the truth. But my gut was telling me that this guy was attempting a carjacking.

I guess I will never know. I am just wondering what others would have done.

Peace!

A prayer for Peace

I still harbor some bad feelings about a church I left and Keith Giles had posted this prayer yesterday on his blog. I echo his prayer because it applies to me too. It is sad when you try to visit with another "Christian" but they will not meet with you because they, for whatever reason, think that it is the "right" thing to do...

For those of you who have been shunned by those who once embraced you because you no longer attend the Sunday Morning Service, I pray that the Father would wrap His arms around you and hold you close.

For those of you who have been ignored in the grocery store by a brother or sister in Christ because you no longer believe in the man-made hierarchy of Corporate Church, I pray that God would grant you grace.

For those of you who have lost friends, the respect of family members, and have been invited not to come back to churches that once celebrated your arrival, I pray that Jesus would heal the pain in your heart.

I pray that God would comfort you and remind you that you are not alone. You are not forgotten. Your pain does not go unnoticed.

I pray that you would not return evil for evil, but that you would, in obedience to Christ, pray for those who persecute you. I pray that you would have the grace to forgive those who have treated you so horribly and that you would forgive them and set them free and ask God to remove all condemnation from their hearts.

I pray this for you, my friends, because this is what I need for myself today.

Matthew 11:28-30 (The Message)

28-30"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."

Peace!

Conflict

A quote from a blog post I just read that really made me think hard...

I don't think God is vengeful or does anything out of spite (frankly, He's got a lot of better things to do than poot around with our emotions), but I do believe that He allows "conflict" to help strengthen us and focus our goals and desires and intentions and ambitions on Him.

Tough times

I'm going through a very difficult time right now. So the blogging will cease for a bit. Sometimes you have to go through darkness to see the dawn. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and know that I'm going to be okay.

I have my faith in Papa, and I have some great friends.

Peace!