Chris Cree

Whatever I find interesting

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Signs of the Times

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Last night it rained here in Savannah. I know because work to me out to a coal ship at midnight over at the power plant and I got a little moist.

It was a different kind of moist from what we’ve been dealing with lately with all the summer heat. But I didn’t mind so much because we need the rain.

I expected that it might be raining when I headed out. The thunder that was crashing all around when I laid down for a little sleep earlier in the evening gave me a heads up.

Being in the maritime industry I learned to pay attention to the weather early on in my career. The weather can affect most aspects of the industry because we spend so much time out in it. That’s doubly true if you are out on a ship.

In some respects you are at the mercy of the elements when you are out on the open ocean. Of course a good captain can read the signs, steer clear of the worst of the storms, and keep his ship, crew, and cargo safe.

Early on I learned a little saying that got me started in weather prognostication

Red sky in morning – sailor take warning.
Red sky at night – sailor’s delight.

SunsetNow I don’t really know what goes on in the sky to give it that reddish hue and why seeing red in the morning is a sign of dangerous weather while that same red in the evening is a comforting thing because smooth sailing is ahead. It doesn’t really matter to me because I do know the saying has proven true over the years.

But did you know that saying is found in the Bible?

Jesus said it as he was jacking up some religious folks who were asking him some stupid questions. Here’s what he said to them:

He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus then left them and went away.

An interesting tidbit, don’t you think?

Jesus says that it is good to be able to interpret the sky to get a bead on the weather. But there is a skill that is even more useful – being able to interpret the signs of the times.

What are they?

Just look around. Start with some headlines. The world’s a mess.

And what’s that thing about the “sign of Johah”?

We all remember the story of Jonah and the wale. But do you know why he was in the belly of the wale in the first place?

God told him to do something he didn’t want to do. So Jonah ran as far in the opposite direction as could trying to out run God. A little foolish really. But how often do we do the same thing?

Anyway God got his attention and from the middle of that nasty unpleasantness, there in the slimy dark, Jonah agreed to do what God told him to do in the fist place.

As an aside this is where one of my favorite versus is in the whole Bible, “Then the LORD spoke to Jonah a second time:” He’s a God of second chances. And I need them often. And third chances. And fourth…

Anyway what was that sign that Jesus was talking about?

It was simply this: Jonah went to the city where God said to go and spoke these words God told him to say, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned.”

That’s it. Just 8 simple words. The end is near. A sign of danger if there ever was one. And Jesus said the sign still applies.

It doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom however. If we are wise, then like the captain of a ship we can take some action to steer a course that will take us safely through the danger ahead.

But first we have to be able to interpret the signs of the times.

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Get Rid of Alcoholism Once and For All

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I rarely remember my dreams.

Gorgeous on the other hand is constantly telling me about all the crazy stuff that she remembers dreaming. Now we’re not the type of folks who put too much stock in our dreams. But since I hardly ever remember mine, when I do, I notice.

And I had a dream last night.

Now I won’t go into all the silly details, but in my dream I was working in a cell phone store and Mel Gibson came in looking to replace his phone that had been damaged. For me, very weird.

Then this morning I woke up and found that a lady had sent me a message. She had read my post the other day on Mel Gibson’s indiscretion and asked how she could help a friend of hers who struggles with alcoholism. I’m not sure I have any answers for her.

But I do have a story.

My story is fairly personal and I probably wouldn’t consider sharing it this publicly. But I don’t believe much in coincidences so here it is.

I mentioned in the Gibson post that I’ve always been able to do whatever I put my mind to. And it’s true. If I decided to do something, it was as good as done (the fact that I rarely actually exercised that determined decision making notwithstanding.) The first time I actually decidedly put my mind to something that didn’t “just happen” for me was getting a grip on my drinking.

As a Naval Flight Officer I was living the Top Gun life. I would tell people that I was like Goose. But I lived.

And alcohol was a big part of that life. But eventually I realized that somehow it had taken control of my life.

I tried doing everything I knew to get a grip on my problem. Since I’d always been able to do what I put my mind to, my approach basically boiled down to buckling down and trying harder. And nothing worked.

Now I’d grown up going to church. For me it was pretty much a social thing. But over the years I’d run across some pretty hypocritical religious people who’d turned me completely off to the whole church scene.

You know the type. They are quick to tell you “what you need to do” and maybe whip out a verse from the Bible to prove their point. All the while their own lives are really messed up. I so hate that phrase, “What you need to do.” I wasn’t interested in religious answers to my problem.

But I did have a friend who was different. Kent was a follower of Jesus. He sure wasn’t perfect, but he was honest about his own struggles. He was never pushy about his beliefs. He didn’t tell the rest of us what we needed to do.

At the same time he never backed away from a discussion about what he believed if someone else brought it up. He wouldn’t get defensive. But he always seemed to stand firm while being willing to let others express their beliefs. He had the ability to respectfully disagree with folks. In the testosterone driven type-A environment we were in that was an unusual trait.

I watched Kent for two years. I figured that hypocrisy had to be in there somewhere.

It wasn’t. He was the real deal.

One day he invited me to a retreat his church was having. Now I’d turned down several invitations to go to church with him. I wasn’t interested in religion. But this time I figured it might do me good to hang out with these folks. All I was thinking was that they didn’t drink so at least I would be dry for a weekend for once.

When I got there it was freaky. It was like my buddy had told the various speakers everything about me. The things they were saying were so totally addressing me directly that it blew me away.

Now I knew Kent well enough that I knew there was no way he’d pass along the stuff I’d shared with him. Besides, some of the stuff I hadn’t even shared with him so I knew there was no way the speakers could know it. But there they were addressing those very things just the same.

Long story short that weekend I accepted the sacrifice Jesus made for my own screw ups and asked him to help me with my problems rather than try to overcome them on my own.

The craving for alcohol seemed to go away.

Two weeks later I moved out of state for a job change. My new friends told me that I should find a good church to get involved with because we weren’t meant to follow Jesus on our own.

Well I figured I’d be OK. I had my new Bible, several books on Christian Living, and tons of new music to listen to. I’d be fine on my own. Right.

Did I mention I moved into an apartment right across the street from a liquor store? Dumb.

It wasn’t long before I started drinking again.

Eventually one night I got myself into some trouble. That night I prayed. I knew I’d screwed up (again). I told Jesus that I had gotten myself into that mess, not him. And I was willing to stay there as long as I needed to learn what ever he wanted me to learn. When he was ready he could come and get me.

And he did. The thing I learned was that just accepting Jesus’ payment for my screw ups wasn’t enough. I needed to follow him and his teachings as well.

I knew the first thing I needed to do was find a church to get involved with. My stubborn refusal to do what I knew I was being told to do had gotten me into my mess. Without knowing where to look I found a good church within a week.

I got to know a group of guys who were totally whacked. They truly were a lot of fun. Not at all your stereotypical stuffy church goers.

Since that night I have not once had even the slightest craving for alcohol. And that was over 10 years ago now. My life isn’t perfect by any means. I still screw up (on a pretty regular basis even.) But I promise I enjoy life far more than I ever did before. Not ever drinking again now seems like such a small thing when compared to all the good things I have instead. I can’t imagine ever wanting to go back to what I had before.

You want to get rid of alcoholism once and for all? Then my advice to you is find Jesus.

Be honest. Start where you are. The Bible says

But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.

And if you need to, send me a message from my contact page. I’ll do my best to point you to some resources that can help.

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Mel Gibson Screws Up Big Time

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Mel Gibson had a bad day Friday. He was arrested for DUI after getting pulled over for speeding in California. That’s enough to mess up pretty much anyone’s day.

Unfortunately for Mel things got even worse.

Apparently he went on a bit of a tirade yelling and screaming some rather nasty stuff. And as a result people are already beginning to say some pretty nasty things about Mel in response.

Now I am not going to defend any of the things he said in his outbursts because I completely disagree with them. But at the same time I am not going to join the lynching party that is forming up to run him out of town on a rail and string him up either.

I’ve had my own battles with alcohol and I appreciate some of what he’s going through.

Mel GibsonMost folks screw up like Mel did and they end up hurting their families (Mel’s been married for over 25 years to the same woman and has 7 kids, something unusual in Hollywood, eh?) and the other people around them. It is embarrassing at the very least and hard to face people afterwards. And even while it is going on a part of your brain is telling you that what is happening is “very bad” because it knows there are going to be lawyers, and courts and all sorts of complications coming down the pike as a result. But in the case of a celebrity of Mel’s visibility the effect is magnified unimaginably because the whole world is now completely aware of his complete lapse in judgment.

People are asking how could he be so outrageous toward others?

Well when you struggle with something like alcohol addiction it truly is a war. There are battles going on and you feel totally horrible when you loose a fight. For someone who is as driven to excel as Mel must be to be as successful in his career as he’s been it must be infuriating to lose a battle.

I imagine he was incredibly angry at himself knowing that he’d lost a battle, mostly by doing something that he knew he shouldn’t but did anyway. And since his judgment was impaired by the alcohol that anger came out aimed at what ever target presented itself in his mind. It is ironic that someone who is as skilled at manipulating his emotions as an actor of Mel’s stature stumbles at the very point of controlling his emotions.

Again, I am not offering excuses for his behavior. I am only giving you some perspective from someone who’s had a similar struggle.

I was one of those people that could do whatever I decided to put my mind to. Drinking was the first thing I ever encountered that I couldn’t overcome or control simply by willpower and intention. Actually it completely defeated me. I really was a drunk at one point in my life.

And believe me I tried to beat it. I went to AA and I took some other drastic steps that folks said would help.

HomelessBut they didn’t. I was effectively enslaved to the overpowering pull of drinking. AA does a lot of good for a lot of folks. I’m not knocking it. But it didn’t work for me. One of the things they teach is that you can’t overcome your addiction without the help of a “higher power.”

That part made sense because I knew I couldn’t beat it on my own. The thing that didn’t make sense to me was that they said anything could be your higher power, a chair, a white board, or a potted plant. Well that just seemed silly. I couldn’t see how some petunia was going to help me with my drinking problem.

Eventually I met a guy who introduced me to Jesus. As I learned more about Jesus I began to realize that He was a higher power that really could overcome my problem. I read statements Jesus made like this

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
for he has appointed me to preach Good News to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim
that captives will be released,
that the blind will see,
that the downtrodden will be freed from their oppressors,
and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.”

I knew I was a total captive to alcohol and I needed to be released. And Jesus did free me from my enslavement to alcohol. For me the craving has been completely removed. There is no longer any struggle there. And I promise it was through no effort of my own.

And there is one other area I disagree with AA. They say “once a drunk, always a drunk.” I understand where they are coming from and it makes sense. But there is one exception that I can find. And that is folks who have become followers of Jesus. They truly can become former drunks like me. The Bible says

Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

The passage talks about our sins, including my drunkenness, in the past tense. “And that is what some of you were.” I was a drunk. Now I am free of alcohol.

Does that mean I could never go back to that place I was before? I suspect I could. I recognize that I still have that potential inside me. Just because I’ve won that battle doesn’t mean that the enemy of my soul has given up and isn’t still trying to destroy me. We all have the ability to screw up big time if ever let our guard down.

And that’s why I’m going to cut Mel Gibson some slack.

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Traffic

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Well I’ve been getting a taste of the Chicago traffic over the last couple of days. Yep. It’s about like I remember big city traffic. Lots of cars. Not much movement.

Man, I forgot how much I didn’t miss it!

Yesterday afternoon I had to go back out to that place that was so hard for me to find the other day. This time I drove straight to it. I took care of my business and then headed back to the hotel room. I’ve been here long enough that I’m referring to the room in my mind as “home”.

I thought that as long as I had nothing pressing I’d try a different route “home” this time. I’m not sure if I made a poor choice in my routing or if I was just a victim of unfortunate timing. I finished up with the barge I had to survey just before five o’clock…

Anyway it took me significantly longer to get back than it did to get out there. The bumper to bumper stop and go traffic along most of the route didn’t help!

Then today I had to drive down to Gary, Indiana. When I told Gorgeous about my trip she did the same thing I did. She started singing the song Gary Indiana from The Music Man.

Traffic I will have some business at the US Steel mill down there early next week and I was trying to arrange a security pass. I found out they take security pretty stinking seriously, which apparently means that they make it as difficult as possible for anyone to get on their facility so that any bad people will get so frustrated by the bureaucracy they have to get through that they give up and go somewhere else to wreak their havoc.

The mill is 100 years old. I found a historical photo album of the mill. And I’m here to tell you that many of the buildings on the place are the same as in these nearly century old photos (including the cranes which are still in use). I knew the place looked old, but holy smokes! I didn’t realize I was looking at the original equipment.

Anyway the traffic heading back to my hotel was backed up and the trip once again took far longer than it would had I been the only one on the road.

The whole traffic thing got me thinking about something Jesus said.

“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose the easy way. But the gateway to life is small, and the road is narrow, and only a few ever find it.”

Wodded Path Jesus’ analogy of two thousand years ago still holds up in this modern automobile age. The back roads around here are typically passable and the traffic still flows. But the Interstates tend to get all jammed up with the crowds who flock to them. Now the Interstates are easier to find, easier to stay on, and don’t have any traffic lights. But the side streets will get you there at a steadier pace. And if your way is blocked (by say a stuck draw bridge, a fire truck, or construction – all of which have happened to me so far) you can go a few blocks around the trouble and still keep moving.

Of course the analogy breaks down somewhat because in our modern case both roads lead to the same place in the end. Jesus said that the easy way takes you somewhere else entirely.

By the way, I especially like the way this passage is brought to us in the Message.

“Don’t look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don’t fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life—to God!—is vigorous and requires total attention.”

Kinda gives you something to think about the next time you are stuck in traffic, doesn’t it?

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A Little Solitude is a Good Thing

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There are times when we need a little solitude. And last night was one of them.

I was pretty tired but hadn’t eaten very much all day long so I needed to get some dinner. Folks up here told me that I could get some good Chicago style pizza at Beggars Pizza so I went on a hunt to find the one near my hotel.

1920 Crowded StreetWhen I walked in the place it was really loud and the entry way was filled with a mob of people under 4 feet tall. I quickly weighed out my desire for good pizza against wanting to find a quiet place to enjoy reading some more in my book over dinner and I chose not to wade through all the kiddies to find a table.

But just looking at their web site this morning has my mouth watering. I might just go back.

Anyway I ended up a Chili’s, which probably wouldn’t have been my first choice for a quiet place, but I wanted to go someplace that I hadn’t been to here yet and I figured I was a bit earlier than their busiest hour.

I was right. In fact the hostess set me in a section with no people initially and then apparently forgot to tell the waitress that I was there. I had plenty of time to read. When my food got there it was wonderful. But I spent a little more than I was used to paying for dinner. They kind of made Bob Evans look pretty good!

Why did I want some time to myself when I’m stuck here in my hotel room by myself? Sometimes I just need to get away for a spell and think. There is a Psalm that saysSolitary Tree at Sunset

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Gorgeous and I are working through some things and we see some people who are getting ahead by using methods that seem a little off kilter with our ethics. It has been going on for some time and it is hard to watch.

Couple that with some other things that I have going on and I needed some time to get my head straight again.

The Bible portrays Jesus as consistently spending time in solitude to balance out the time he spent amongst the throngs of needy people pulling at him. I figure if it is good for Jesus, then it might be a good idea for me too.

Enjoy!

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Ready to Travel

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Technology is a wonderful thing. Here I am sitting in O’Hare airport waiting for a shuttle to my hotel and yet I can still do many of the things I do from my home or office. Pretty amazing.

It is interesting to me how many folks really aren’t prepared to travel when they go on a trip. For example how about the whole experience when it is time to get off the plane?

It is amazing to me that some folks seem to be so disoriented by the flying experience that they can’t seem to gather up their belongings. Why do some folks wait until it is time to deplane to reorganize their stuff?

A window viewYou wouldn’t think they could be surprised by the plane’s arrival at the destination. I mean there was that big bump and all that noise when the plane landed. And yet I get the feeling that some folks are genuinely surprised. “Oh, hey! We’re here.”

Meanwhile the back half of the plane is all hunched over waiting to move toward the exit.

Me, I tend to just wait in my seat until it clears up a bit. I figure I’ll get there eventually. Hopefully in time to make my connection. I usually just stuff my carryon under the seat in front of me because I like having my stuff accessible so it is easy to grab my things and go.

Jesus told his followers they should be ready to travel too. He said that he was going to come back one day and folks would be surprised by his arrival.

“Be dressed for service and well prepared, as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks. There will be special favor for those who are ready and waiting for his return. I tell you, he himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and eat! He may come in the middle of the night or just before dawn. But whenever he comes, there will be special favor for his servants who are ready!

“Know this: A homeowner who knew exactly when a burglar was coming would not permit the house to be broken into. You must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.”

Traveling takes some effort. There is preparation involved. We should all be ready to go when the time comes.

Enjoy!

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How to Get Rid of Stress

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I’m a little stressed.

I’m getting on a plane in a touch over 24 hours and I have about three days worth of things to do before I can go. I’ve been scrambling furiously to catch up, but I didn’t budget my time all that well. Now I am paying the price for my mistake by shorting sleep and taking on way too much stress. I’m trying to make up the difference with massive coffee consumption.

Paul wrote some good advice to people like me in a letter we have in the Bible that he wrote to some friends. I like the way The Message puts it

Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

Coffee CupI have to ask myself if I really believe that. Do I really believe that God will take care of my business if I allow myself to stop worrying and ask for His help?

I mean my religious, Christian side would give that advice to anyone else I found in my spot, right? So if I know how to get rid of worry, why do I still keep it all?

Because if I truly believed what Paul had to say I wouldn’t feel this overpowering need to be in control of everything all the time and then get stressed out when things didn’t go the way I wanted them to.

Maybe it would help to listen to some of what Jesus said when he gave his famous Sermon on the Mount.

“So I tell you, don’t worry about everyday life–whether you have enough food, drink, and clothes. Doesn’t life consist of more than food and clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t need to plant or harvest or put food in barns because your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than they are. Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not.

“And why worry about your clothes? Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, won’t he more surely care for you? You have so little faith!

“So don’t worry about having enough food or drink or clothing. Why be like the pagans who are so deeply concerned about these things? Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern.

“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

Messy DeskYou know, my faith may be pretty stinking puny, and I probably stress because I am not really willing to let go of my control and trust what God says. But I do feel better for having read those words this morning.

For now, it’s time to go to work.

Here’s to hoping your day just got a little less stressful too.

Enjoy!

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A Jesus Follower Encounters a Pro-Abortion Feminist

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I had an interesting conversation with a feminist abortion advocate last night.

The thing that impressed me about her pro-abortion post that I landed on was that she expressed her views and opinions without all the rage and emotion that I’ve grown to expect when folks talk about the subject. I wasn’t going to leave a comment because I figured she didn’t really want to hear an opposing view and I wasn’t interested in a debate on the subject. But for some reason I decided to comment anyway and I tried to gently point out one aspect of her position that she might give more consideration.

She came back with a reasoned response that made it clear that she did give my idea genuine thought after she expressed a little surprise that someone of my persuasion didn’t simply just attempt tear her to shreds.

Normally when I have a noteworthy blog encounter I put up a link to the other person’s blog, even when we disagree. However in this case I don’t think she’d much appreciate me sending over a bunch of my pro-life friends. So you’ll have to forgive me for not posting a link to our conversation.

What’s my point?

Heated ArgumentMy point is that even in a supremely emotionally charged issue such as abortion it is possible for folks with radically differing views to have a dialogue without attacking each other personally and the conversation devolving into rage.

Too often we seem to insist on proving that we are right and that those with differing views are wrong. We don’t respect other people enough to simply present information and give them the dignity to come to their own conclusions.

Where did we get that approach from?

I don’t see Jesus attacking people personally like we tend to. Sure there were some groups that he didn’t have very flattering things to say about. But even when they came at him trying to lay word traps for him he never directly attacked the person who attempted the trap. Instead he confronted some of their ideas and beliefs.

That’s a huge difference.

We would do much better if we listened to the words of Proverbs and put them into practice.

  • A gentle answer turns away wrath, but harsh words stir up anger.
  • The wise person makes learning a joy; fools spout only foolishness.
  • The LORD is watching everywhere, keeping his eye on both the evil and the good.
  • Gentle words bring life and health; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.

Too often instead, in our need to be right, we end up screaming in someone’s face like the picture above. It’s not working for us. Maybe then we should change our approach.

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Too Much is Never Enough

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Have you ever noticed that as we go through life we get increasingly harder to impress?

Fireworks is one area where I struggle with that. I was on a ship in New York harbor for the 4th of July in 1986 when the Statue of Liberty was rededicated after her two year renovation. I saw the laser beam shoot across from Governor’s Island to the statue to kick off the fireworks display when President Reagan gave the signal.

Fireworks Statue of LibertyThen I saw the entire New York City skyline (complete with the Twin Towers) disappear behind a wall of fireworks. Fantastic. Impressive. Breathtaking. I really can’t find the right words to describe how wonderful it was that night looking over the rail of the ship across the harbor, hearing an entire city cheer at the incredible explosions of color and light.

Compared to that night most fireworks displays are… nice.

Part of the trouble is that I am a child of the MTV generation: Too much is never enough.

Do you struggle with that kind of thing at all? Maybe the words of the prophet Haggai apply to you:

This is what the LORD Almighty says: Consider how things are going for you! You have planted much but harvested little. You have food to eat, but not enough to fill you up. You have wine to drink, but not enough to satisfy your thirst. You have clothing to wear, but not enough to keep you warm. Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes!

Left on our own we have an ever increasing appetite for more and more. It makes us ugly. And it never really satisfies.

J. Paul Getty, the billionaire businessman, reportedly answered the question how much is enough with these words: Just a little more.

Our own nature puts us on a gerbil wheel that we can’t get off.

Fortunately for us Jesus offered a way off the wheel.

But the water I give them takes away thirst altogether. It becomes a perpetual spring within them, giving them eternal life.

Imagine getting off the wheel and leaving the MTV generation behind! That idea is worth looking into, don’t you think?

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Christians Mixing with Pornographers

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How do you treat people who are different than you?

There was a time, before I started following Jesus, that I thought all Christians were unthinking whack-jobs filled with hatred. There’s a lot of evidence out there to support that viewpoint.

For example, when I was in Pensacola, a lot of us flight students would go hang out at an Irish pub on Friday nights. (Apparently it’s still there.) Like clockwork we could count on a small church crowd on the corner across the street. They’d be waving signs and yelling through a bullhorn about how all of us were going to hell simply because we were going into the pub. I remember they had a tendency to point out specific people through via their bullhorn hoping for some attention.

I wanted to go over and ask them if they realized no one was listening. And explain that all their shouting and sign waving was a huge turn off for me. I got the feeling that they were trying to convince me to come around to their way of seeing things but their approach was having the totally opposite effect. If I had to be like them to get to heaven then it didn’t sound like someplace I’d want to hang out anyway.

Eventually I was able to separate the person of Jesus from some of his more inept followers, but I get the feeling that a lot of people look at Christians the way I did, and many Christians give them good reason.

ProBlogger.netWhich brings me to the point of this post. One of the resources I read faithfully as I learn this blogging thing is ProBlogger.net. Darren Rowse posted a great interview today. The title is certainly eye catching. Baptist Minister Interviews Adult Webmaster about Blogging….

I knew Darren was a pastor. I found some of his other blogs a while back via his About Darren page, including LivingRoom, which is about the house church he leads.

What impressed me most about the interview is that it came out of a relationship with this guy that Darren already had. And it came about because the guy apparently first reached out to Darren. (Oh, and I learned a couple more good pointers too.)
More Christians should be like that, spending time and getting to know people who are different and don’t think like they do.

Jesus Loves PornstarsThe other thing I saw this week is that a Christian group has created a stir by reaching out to the porn industry. xxxchurch.com recently published a version of the Bible with a cover that says “Jesus Loves Porn Stars”. Apparently some Christians are upset because they feel that this is somehow disrespectful to scripture.

I don’t get it. I don’t have a degree in it or anything, but I have done some pretty serious theology study on my own. And I’m not aware of any theological school of thought that claims the Bible’s cover is divinely inspired. It is the contents that are important, not the packaging.

But then there are way too many Christians who are more concerned with appearances than with substance or reality. Jesus had some pretty harsh things to say about religious people in his day that were overly focused on appearances.

“How terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! You are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy–full of greed and self-indulgence! Blind Pharisees! First wash the inside of the cup, and then the outside will become clean, too.

“How terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs–beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity. You try to look like upright people outwardly, but inside your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.

Christians would do a whole lot better to listen to Jesus and treat people more like Darren and the folks at xxxchurch.com.

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