John and Prari's wedding

Ya got to check out the pics and video of my friend's JP and Prari getting hitched. You can click on the JP Converting Me link to the right or the title of this entry above.

These two are awesome. It is an honor to know them.

What have we become?

"What Have We Become" by DC Talk.

I love the words of chorus 2.

A preacher shuns his brother
Cause his bride's a different color
And this is not acceptable
His papa taught him so
It was love that he'd been preaching
But this was overreaching
The boundaries stretchin' further
Than his heart would choose to go

Like an angel with no wings
Like a kingdom with no king

(chorus 1)
What have we become? A self indulgent people
What have we become?Tell me where are the righteous ones?
What have we become?In a world degenerating
What have we become?

(chorus 2)
Speak your mind, look out for yourself
The answer to it all is a life of wealth
Grab all you can cause you live just once
You got the right to do whatever you want
Don't worry about others or where you came from
It ain't what you were, it's what you have become

Mom and Dad are fightin'
As Rosie lies there crying
For once again she's overheard regrets of their mistake
With Christmas bells a-ringing
Little Rosie'd leave them grieving
The gift she'd give her family Would be the pills she'd take

An inconvenient child
She wasn't worth their while

(repeat choruses 1 and 2)

What about love?
What about God?
What about holiness?
What about mercy, compassion and selflessness?

You know it's true
He is there for me and you
Doesn't matter what you do
(repeat chorus 1)

What have we become?
Have we come undone?
What have we become?
Have we come undone?
What have we become?
(repeat chorus 2)

Selfish...With selfish...Selfish people
When you gonna learn?
Everyone of us
Gathered 'round in trust
What have we become?

Pat Robertson and the Daily Buzz

Sitting here at Tire Kingdom half listening to the “Daily Buzz” a morning talk show while catching up on some emails. They start “reporting” on Pat Robertson’s latest comments about how God told him that he was going to send many storms against the US this year perhaps even a Tsunami. Now I am not a Robertson supporter actually Pat doesn't carry much credability with me (a fact that I highly doubt keeps him awake at night). But a couple of things struck me as repulsive. First, the simple idea that people think this show is actually news and therefore has some sort of truth tied to it. This is a show that is geared towards entertainment and ratings or said another way...money. Truth is optional when it comes to the bottom line and my guess is the producers of the show would agree but I am sure people watch this stuff then say, "I heard on the news today that blah blah blah."

Sorry that was a bit of an off topic rant, the real thing that struck me was how these folks just totally hamburgered Robertson and his statement. Like I said, Pat doesn't hold a lot of credability with me. Maybe he didn't really hear from God but that aside you can't dismiss his point about the prideful sin in this country and God's view of this sin. (something that is news worthy)
The way this story was reported was a case in point. These folks stood proud in their sin as they made jokes about Pat and the rampant sin going on. To make matters worse the story was sandwiched between the morning call in poll and the related upcoming story for the day about, "is it ok to have sex in someone elses home while you are staying there?" I guess they were going to interview some expert who did a study on the subject.

The whole thing was twisted: Laughing about sin, calling evil good and good evil, in pops a prophetic warning, a flash of truth, an opportunity for reality but a quick joke and more laughs restores the false comfort of darkness. Discredit the carrier it is easy to do. But does an uncredable carrier make a truth false? It didn't in the case of an ass talking to Balaam. Discrediting the carrier just allows people to continue on justified in their sin.

It almost made me hope that Pat is right and God does send His judgement on the country. I said almost though because it would be a HORRIBLE thing for all of us if God was to unleash judgement on the country…really it would. Maybe a warning shot over the bow would suffice…I don’t know just not His judgement. God have mercy!

I am reminded of Billy Graham’s famous quote, “If God does not judge America he will have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorah”.

Picture worth a thousand words

This picture preaches.

"The sinners to whom Jesus directed His messianic ministry were not those who skipped morning devotions or Sunday Church. His ministry was to those whom society considered real sinners. They had done nothing to merit salvation. Yet they opened themselves to the gift that was offered to them. Through table fellowship Jesus ritually acted out His insight into Abba's indiscriminate love." -Brennan Manning

Well Said

"Often I have been asked, 'Brennan, how is it possible that you became an alcoholic after you got saved?' It is possible because I got battered and bruised by loneliness and failure; because I got discouraged, uncertain; guilt-ridden, and took my eyes off Jesus. Because the Christ encounter did not transfigure me into an angel. Because justification by grace through faith means I have been set in right relationship with God, not made the equivalent of a patient etherized on a table." --Brennan Manning