Perhaps the darkest dimension to the accumulation of wealth is the exploitation of cheap labor to procure the luxuries we’ve grown used to.  If you had a cup of coffee this morning, as I did, you participated:  “In Africa a healthy young adult male cannot possibly make more than $1.50 a day picking coffee.  It is no wonder that women and children are compelled to share in the picking.”  If we paid the East African pickers the minimum American wage, we could not afford to drink the coffee.

(Taken from The Signature of Jesus by: Brennan Manning)

I would love to elaborate on this quote, but what else is there to say?  The reality is that we aren’t following Jesus.  We are following our own interpretations of scripture.  Ghandi once said, “Everybody in the world understands what Jesus was teaching, except for Christians.”  Ouch!  I think he may be on to something.  We use the Bible as a buffet and we pick and choose what we like and we cling to it.  The the other parts we don’t like, we ignore.  How sinful!  I am wrestling with what it means to follow Jesus.  I am looking at the sermon on the mount and wondering what it means to be a peacemaker.  Does it mean that we take soldiers overseas and kill the people that we don’t like?  Does it mean that we can justify the idea of just-war?  Isn’t that an oxymoron?  What does it mean to hunger and thirst for righteousness? 

I want to see God and I want to be a Christ follower.  I strive to follow Jesus and the red letters, His love letter, to us!

Today, I as I was driving down a country road, I came to a spot where I saw a “high water” sign.  I didn’t really think much of it because a lot of times they just leave those out all the time to remind you of the possibility when it rains.  So I continued carefully down that road.  All of the sudden I heard a cracking sound underneath my car and my car suddenly shut off.  I assumed that I had hit some snow and for some reason it stalled my car.  I called a lady from church that lived just about half a mile north on that road and asked if she could come and help me out.  As I was talking with her and explaining where I was located, I noticed that water was rushing into my car through the doors.  I saw that I couldn’t open the door, so I rolled down the window as the car was sinking into the icy water.  At this point my car was nearly flooded.  At this same time I noticed a man on the other side that had pulled up in his truck to see how he could help.  I saw him pull away and I assumed that he was going to get a rope or something to help me out with.  I did what I thought was best, and I climbed out the window and onto the hood of my car.  By now the car is completely submerged, and it is up to my ankles as I am standing on the car.  The lady pulls up her vehicle as close as she can get which is about fifty yards away from where I am.  The only thing between us is about fifty yards of icy water.  I asked her what I should do thinking that maybe she would have a good idea.  The only option that I had was to swim across the water.  Now keep in mind that we are in Indiana and currently the temperature is twelve degrees.  I chucked my cell phone over the icy water to the other side where she was because I knew that if I were to swim with my phone it would become water-logged and would stop working.  I jumped into the water and began to swim as fast as possible to the other side.  The the thing that made this tough was that every time I thought that I was at the end and I could pull myself out, the ice would break.  Eventually, after nearly fifty yards I was able to pull myself up and get into her vehicle.  It was simply a miracle.  I don’t know how I had the strength to get out of the water.  I know that God gave me the strength.  I got into the vehicle and she drove me a half mile to her house and I got into a hot shower.  I had lost all feeling in my fingers and toes and it took a while to get my feeling back. 

As I type this about seven hours later, know that everything is alright!  We serve a God who is able to save.  I am so thankful to be alive.  I was so scared that I would lose my wife and my unborn daughter and I think that is how I was able to make it out okay!

How many times have we discounted the Bible by claiming that we could never really understand what it means?  How many times have we thrown our hands up in the air with a gasp and settled for the fact that it was just too hard to comprehend.  Do we have a hidden agenda to not be held accountable for the things that Jesus asks of us? 

Jesus tells the rich young ruler to sell all of his possessions.  Jesus isn’t tell us to do that though.  Or is He?  We can’t do that is America.  It just isn’t practical.

Jesus tells Nicodemus to be born again.  We don’t have to worry about that one.  We can’t actually go back into our mom and come back out new.  That must just be poetic or something.

Jesus tells us to love our neighbors.  I am off the hook though because my neighbors are gay.  I am just going to leave them alone.

Jesus says that what we do to the “least”, we do to Him.  I am good on that one because I give to the Church and our Church supports missions.  Sure when I see a homeless guy I walk buy and don’t give him a penny or my coat.  After all, he is probably just going to buy beer.

Get out of the pews and follow the words of Christ.  I am striving to do that as well.  Let’s follow the example of Christ, not the example of the American Church!

J.R. Mahon (Starving Jesus)

If you want to be challenged, then read the book Starving Jesus, by Craig Gross and J.R. Mahon.  It is great and you will be challenged!  This is a great thought that I wanted to share with all of you.  We as Americans tend to sit on pews and “starve Jesus” by thinking that sitting on the pews is going to help his Kingdom.  That is not the way it will work.  Jesus calls us to actively participate in His work on this earth.  That is what we are here for.  We must give, fast, and pray. 

We must give of our time, give of our money, and give of our talents.

We must fast.  Not just from TV or snacks.  We must fast from things that take us away from Jesus and cause us to not rely on Him.  If food is your master conquer it by fasting.  If video games is your master than conquer it by fasting from it. 

We must pray.  Not just before meals and when things are bad.  We are asked to pray continually and to give thanks in all circumstances.  This is the will of God for our lives.

May God impress on your heart to give.  May you be encouraged to fast and give God all of you.  May you pray at all times, even when things are going well.  God bless you friends!

About 10 weeks ago the doctor noticed a cyst on Lilly’s brain.  The doctor expressed that it is quite possibly nothing more than a bursting blood vessel in which case it would just go away.  Tomorrow we will see an ultrasound to see if it did indeed go away of if we have something much more serious on our hands. 

My wife and I are just worried and we know that God is in control.  It is just hard to think of anything happening to our little girl.  I will let you know how it turns out, but please don’t stop praying for her!  God bless you all and thanks in advance for your prayers!

It might not be
The prettiest thing that you’ll ever see
But it’s a new day, oh baby, it’s a new day
And it might not look like
A beautiful sunrise
But it’s a new day, oh baby, it’s a new day

-NEW DAY (Robbie Seay Band)

Happy New Year!  It is indeed a new year.  This is the time of year when we reflect and make some goals and resolutions.  I don’t know about you but I want to see Christ in a fresh way this year!  I hope that you will as well. 

We will never forget the tough times nor will we forget the good times.  We can however rejoice in the fact that it is indeed a new day and Jesus wants to show up in a real way in our life. 

What was your best memory of 2007?  Share it with me by leaving a comment…

May the love of Christ be real to you in 2008 and may your lost friends find the cross!

God is a consuming fire.  He engulfs us in the same way that a fire can consume a field.  He engulfs us in the same way that a fire can surround a house.  He consumes us with Love.  The same love that was used to create the worlds that we see, is the same love that can consume and reign in our lives.  He pursues us as does a painter pursue a canvas.  He draws every detail of our life.  He trains us as a man trains a dog.  He loves us as a father loves a son.  There is no other explanation but rather the assumption that God is good and He is sovereign.  We are so valuable. 

As we celebrate advent (the coming or our Savior), may we have joy.  The bible tells us to not fear because God is bringing us great joy.  We must not fear allowing Jesus to come into our life.  He is our great gift of joy from our Creator. 

This season may you not worship a little baby, but rather a great bundle of joy that came into the world that we may know hope.  Jesus is truely the reason for the season.  May God bless you and your family.  Be it a good season, or a tough season JOY has come into your life that you may know hope.  Hope has a name and His name is JESUS!  God bless you this Christmas!

The Dolphins beat the Ravens in overtime 22-16.  The owner is thinking about selling the Dolphins franchise.  All I know is they should sell Coach Cam as well.  Even if they only get five dollars.  Well… that is what I am thinking and excited about.  VICTORY!!!

… I think I was afraid what people would think or say.  Now I am 110% excited about being bold in my faith.  I am a Jesus Freak.  I am no longer embarrassed to pray @ school @ lunch or to tell someone God loves you.  God is awesome and I don’t care if I am labled Jesus Freak.  I think that is cool.  There is no disguising the truth!  My best friend was born in a manger.  (Jesus)  Thank you!  I (heart) you. 

Just something my wife and I found that she had written when she was in high school.  She is so cool, and she is so in love with Jesus.  We are so excited to raise our daughter Lillian to have great faith in our great Savior!