DISQUS

I believe that we are becoming much more engaged since this was written. I work for a ministry, and it is one that I see you support here, that just reached a milestone we never conceived of. We now sponsor over 1 million children. At the rate of growth we have in 5 years it will be 2 million. It took 58 years to reach the first mile stone. You can see where I am headed here, people are taking notice of the global church and starting to do something about it.

Slowly and surely the followership mindset of discipleship is being questioned, reexamined, and people are thinking for themselves. It is taking time, but I believe it is none less then an awakening in the church to what God requires of us... to care for the poor and needy, the widow and the orphan.

I also believe that people are starting to remember that 200 million dollar budgets for buildings the size of stadiums does not bring God glory... it shames his name. What brings him glory is relationship with him, action as a result of that relationship and the willingess to give HIM the glory, not us.

We are purging our idols one by one, and as we do so we are becoming what Christ wants us to be... his bride, unblemished and clean.

So a first time visitor and there words should be "trusted, enjoyed, and proclaimed".

I think I smell a rat in that one, just like your brother did.

If I trusted all my first time visitors who came up and told me how "good" or "life altering" my sermon was, and the I go do a home visit mid week and ask if they remembered my sermon I would get blank stares... I do my ego a small favor and dont ask that question. Maybe I should start though.

Compassion India ROCKS! I have been there, I sponsor there, and I work for Compassion. I know, shameless plug.

God is on the move in India... lets join him in the movement!

I dont claim special knowledge here, but I did attend New Life. I have had a few meetings with him when he is meeting with elders, friends, etcetera from the church and he is repenting. I believe he is very restored, he just did not do it in the public eye.

I dont think he is rushing, I think he is out of options. Salary gone from new life, book deals are all dead, gotta pay the bills. There is no lack of people wanting to share his story. What does that say about us?

Ted Haggard is back on line. Visit him at http://www.tedhaggard.com/

He has a new ministry MMI Finance that does micro loans for single moms, widows etetera. I for one, wish him all the luck in the world. He has repented, now we need to do the same for how we treated him and give him some help in his new endeavors.

http://sadsteve.com/preview.py?id=3d59e9b9b605d...

More talent then I can say I will ever have.

Alcohol is permissable, in moderation. Having said that those of us who are in ministry positions MUST be cautious because of the over arching belief that Christians do not drink. If a new believer, or one coming into the knowledge of Christ sees me drinking and they stumble, I should put the millstone around my own neck and get it over with.

I grew up Baptist, very conservative Baptist, and drinking was just a no way no how situation. I now only drink occasionally, and in the privacy of my own home or with VERY trusted friends who know me and we are on the same playing field spiritually.

I also believe if you come from a home where alcholism is prevalent, such as my wife's family, that you should abstain. Genetics, as well as the culture of the family are strong indicators of how you will handle alcohol. Some just do not have the faculties, physically, mentally and spiritually, to stop when they should. Just never starting is not a bad idea.

No Facebook application requests. What about saving the rain forest? What about those cute little buttons that have funny sayings, what about finding out how you rank in BFF (Best Friend Friendlieness) among your friends? What are you a curmudgeon? (lol, I really hope you know I am kidding)

If you go into your settings on facebook you can disable all applications being sent to you. The person sending it will not know and think that they are being cool and all, but you will never see it. It is one of the better things I like about Facebook.

ohh boy... now I need some bears!!

Hmm, I am starting to think living in Juneau sounds pretty good. Colorado sure is lining up for its share of the pork.

Man, dont worry about the grey hair. Proverbs says it is a crown of Glory. When I was 18 you could see my balding already. I have not found a good bible verse about a bald head... maybe somewhere.

I am just a little behind you in the ol age... but 40... ugg!

I believe in evolution, as a belief, not as a religion. That is where I get worn down with evolutionists.

Separate the worldview of we are going to kill God and crush the Christians and puruse fully objective science in the whole thing and I have no problem. Same goes for Christians who say they will crush the evolutionists with the weight of the bible.

In the words of John Lennon "...cant we all just get along?" there are enough hills for Christians to charge and fight, this is not one of them.

Welcome to the Emergent side of life. That is basically what the emergent conversation is in a nut shell. Thinking through life and the stinky cheese that goes with it, thinking through how we have really manhandled the situation and how we can bring what we do back in line with our beliefs and with the biblical call to live life in accordance with it.

Carl Holmes's last blog post..Prayer and the power within it

You are speaking my language man! This is something I have been trying to engage with myself, and ingrain in others as well.

I post on it from time to time and will continue to do so until I have it figured out... for me that means at the day of my passing from this world!

You just should have re drawn, then it would have been me! :)

Thanks for the fun. I always look for excuses to write, this was a good one.

So much visuals in my head. Picturing Jesus with an eye patch on playing pirates with your son is priceless.

No it is not sacrelidge, God relates to us however he needs to so he can have the relationship. For your son, and my son and many others, it is as a pirate with an eye patch.

"avast you scirvy little ones, knowest ye how much I love thee?"

4 x 4's not of the automotive kind... cool. Much more soul satisfying I might add.

On a different note, the High Calling Banner has gone into hiding again. I see it missing on your blog and mine. Can you fix it?

So often we find God when we go where others dare not, where conventional wisdom says DO NOT GO THERE... and where we know we will find something surprising. Maybe it will be the pearl of wisdom that was cast before swine, maybe it is the shard of the broken vessel that you were missing and now you will not leak when God pours into you.

Only you know, and thanks for sharing.

Thanks for the meme, I am on a mini vacation and the wife is already staring at me and the laptop and giving me that look...you know the one. I will let you know when it is up.

Sorry, when I say you I was speaking of me. Sorry. I was not thinking to straight. (the flu)

I am engaged in the emergent church and that is what gets bantered around a lot.

Heather,

I agree with your last statement that relativism is not always wrong. Being associated with the Emergent Church undoubtedly gets you tangled up in the term relativism.

I also agree that without God's redemption we are in a cosmic morass of everything goes and nothing answers the questions we have.

Good Post Mark!

Let me be the first to say that Zimbio WORKS. I only heard of it from L.L. a few days ago. I signed up and my traffic is almost double. That is still not much, but a great boost for sure!

Not to thread jack Marcus, but I lost your e-mail.

Do you know why the High Calling Banner is messed up? Look at the one in the upper left corner of your blog, and the one on mine. It is the same code and they are not showing. I have confirmed this on multiple computers.

Any ideas?

Phil Vischer is on my "to meet in my lifetime" list. After reading his autobiography last year I gained great appreciation for the labor and love that goes into Veggie Tales.

Good to see you posting again.

umm...did removing that widgit preclude you from being able to post??

Look forward to hearing from you soon! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!