I met Jesus when I was a teenager.
Every day with Him is sweeter than the day before.
But I am sick and tired of the phoney baloney Jesus being preached by so many in our country.
I just watched a very well known television "preacher" hold a "share-a-thon" on TV.
This guy was extoling the benefits of giving to his "ministry."
He proclaimed how God would not fail to bless those who gave.
He then proceeded to have several "testimonies" from some who gave thousands and reaped tens of thousands.
The next story was of an old woman in Bangladesh, or some such poverty stricken country, who rode a rickety old bicycle to collect thrown away food left-overs to feed her family.
In their benevolence, his ministry, helped by your wonderful giving, bought her a new bicycle with which to travel about picking up her scraps of food.
Oh...and they sent her some rice, too.
My question is, "Why didn't they just encourage her to scrimp and save up $5.00 to send to his ministry?"
She would have become rich practically overnight...probably sleeping in the king's palace!
Maybe they could have sent her some real balogna, instead of the phoney baloney tripe they regularly preach.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Sunday, September 23, 2007
PREACH THE BIBLE?
In my survey of Southwest Florida's fastest growing, most "influential" churches, I have found some common threads.
As a church grows, there is a feeling of disconnect among its members if an effort has not been made to "cut it off at the pass," that is, to provide a connect among the members.
For most of the "successful" churches in our area this has meant an emphasis on relatively small ministry groups led by either "professional" or lay leaders.
Some have kept the framework of Sunday School as the basis of their small group ministry, others have used a variation of the Home Church idea.
Either way, it is the intimacy of the small group that has enabled the members to maintain the feeling of connectivity to one another.
Another common thread is the style of preaching.
Among the larger, growing churches in Southwest Florida, none is using a specifically or exclusively "seeker friendly" approach, although they all incorporate some aspects thereof.
The noticeable characteristic of their preaching is the preaching of the gospel..."gospel" meaning not just Biblical truth, but the Truth of Jesus Christ and His life, death, burial and resurrection for the remission of sin.
They do not emphasize "social ills," such as abortion, pre-marital sex, divorce, drug use, etc., although everyone of them is quick to point out their counter-productive consequences.
They do not specialize in "innovative" worship services, though every one uses a certain dose of same, such as drama, overhead projection, live instruments, etc.
The growing, "successful" churches have concluded that discipling cannot be done from the pulpit, because, by nature, discipling requires action and interaction on the part of individuals, not just listening.
What they seem to have "discovered" is, like Paul, the deep, deep yearning of people to have the spiritual darkness of their hearts filled with the hope of the Gospel of Christ.
Furthermore, they have found that those who have been saved never tire of hearing the "old, old story" over and over again.
The result is that 40 to 45 of 52 Sunday morning sermons preached each year in the simi-mega-churches in Southwest Florida are gospel messages that clearly lay out the plan of salvation and invite people to respond to it.
This is in keeping with what the Word of God instructs.
(Where some pastors got the idea that they have to prepare sermons on 52 different topics per year is beyond me. I would guess that it was taught to them in the sometimes arrogant, elitist and superficially intellectual environment of seminary or Bible college.)
Below are the Biblical references to "preach" or "preaching."
Look at them closely and then draw a conclusion about what the Bible says is to be preached.
Count how many of the references make direct reference to preaching THE GOSPEL.
Mt 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Mt 10:7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Mt 10:27 What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.
Mt 11:1 And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.
Mr 1:4 John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.
Mr 1:38 And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth.
Mr 3:14 And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,
Mr 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Lu 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
Lu 4:19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
Lu 4:43 And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent.
Lu 9:2 And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.
Lu 9:60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.
Ac 5:42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.
Ac 10:42 And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.
Ac 14:15 And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:
Ac 15:21 For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.
Ac 16:6 Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia,
Ac 16:10 And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.
Ac 17:3 Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.
Ro 1:15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.
Ro 10:8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
Ro 10:15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
Ro 15:20 Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man's foundation:
1Co 1:17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.
1Co 1:23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
1Co 9:14 Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.
1Co 9:16 For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!
1Co 9:18 What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.
1Co 15:11 Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.
2Co 2:12 Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, and a door was opened unto me of the Lord,
2Co 4:5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.
2Co 10:16 To preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man's line of things made ready to our hand.
Ga 1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
Ga 1:9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
Ga 1:16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:
Ga 2:2 And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain.
Ga 5:11 And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased.
Eph 3:8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
Php 1:15 Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will:
Php 1:16 The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds:
Col 1:28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
2Ti 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
Re 14:6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
As a church grows, there is a feeling of disconnect among its members if an effort has not been made to "cut it off at the pass," that is, to provide a connect among the members.
For most of the "successful" churches in our area this has meant an emphasis on relatively small ministry groups led by either "professional" or lay leaders.
Some have kept the framework of Sunday School as the basis of their small group ministry, others have used a variation of the Home Church idea.
Either way, it is the intimacy of the small group that has enabled the members to maintain the feeling of connectivity to one another.
Another common thread is the style of preaching.
Among the larger, growing churches in Southwest Florida, none is using a specifically or exclusively "seeker friendly" approach, although they all incorporate some aspects thereof.
The noticeable characteristic of their preaching is the preaching of the gospel..."gospel" meaning not just Biblical truth, but the Truth of Jesus Christ and His life, death, burial and resurrection for the remission of sin.
They do not emphasize "social ills," such as abortion, pre-marital sex, divorce, drug use, etc., although everyone of them is quick to point out their counter-productive consequences.
They do not specialize in "innovative" worship services, though every one uses a certain dose of same, such as drama, overhead projection, live instruments, etc.
The growing, "successful" churches have concluded that discipling cannot be done from the pulpit, because, by nature, discipling requires action and interaction on the part of individuals, not just listening.
What they seem to have "discovered" is, like Paul, the deep, deep yearning of people to have the spiritual darkness of their hearts filled with the hope of the Gospel of Christ.
Furthermore, they have found that those who have been saved never tire of hearing the "old, old story" over and over again.
The result is that 40 to 45 of 52 Sunday morning sermons preached each year in the simi-mega-churches in Southwest Florida are gospel messages that clearly lay out the plan of salvation and invite people to respond to it.
This is in keeping with what the Word of God instructs.
(Where some pastors got the idea that they have to prepare sermons on 52 different topics per year is beyond me. I would guess that it was taught to them in the sometimes arrogant, elitist and superficially intellectual environment of seminary or Bible college.)
Below are the Biblical references to "preach" or "preaching."
Look at them closely and then draw a conclusion about what the Bible says is to be preached.
Count how many of the references make direct reference to preaching THE GOSPEL.
Mt 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Mt 10:7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Mt 10:27 What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.
Mt 11:1 And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.
Mr 1:4 John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.
Mr 1:38 And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth.
Mr 3:14 And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,
Mr 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Lu 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
Lu 4:19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
Lu 4:43 And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent.
Lu 9:2 And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.
Lu 9:60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.
Ac 5:42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.
Ac 10:42 And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.
Ac 14:15 And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:
Ac 15:21 For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.
Ac 16:6 Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia,
Ac 16:10 And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.
Ac 17:3 Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.
Ro 1:15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.
Ro 10:8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
Ro 10:15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
Ro 15:20 Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man's foundation:
1Co 1:17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.
1Co 1:23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
1Co 9:14 Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.
1Co 9:16 For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!
1Co 9:18 What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.
1Co 15:11 Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.
2Co 2:12 Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, and a door was opened unto me of the Lord,
2Co 4:5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.
2Co 10:16 To preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man's line of things made ready to our hand.
Ga 1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
Ga 1:9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
Ga 1:16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:
Ga 2:2 And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain.
Ga 5:11 And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased.
Eph 3:8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
Php 1:15 Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will:
Php 1:16 The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds:
Col 1:28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
2Ti 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
Re 14:6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
MIX BUSINESS WITH PLEASURE?
Should a church or Christian ministry be a business?
Well, first of all, in the eyes of the state and federal governments, churches and Christian ministries are businesses.
Contrary to popular belief, churches pay taxes.
In most states, churches (and most 501C3 non-profit ministries) don't pay sales taxes, and they don't pay federal income taxes themselves (but they do withhold taxes from certain employee paychecks), but they do pay other taxes and assessments.
But my real question revolves around the often stated belief that churches or Christian ministries should adopt and observe "good business practices."
(For the purposes of this post, I shall hitherto forth use the term "ministry" to include churches and para church organizations operating in the name of Jesus for the purpose of filling a community or world-wide need.)
One could use Scripture to try to make that determination...you know: "count the costs," etc.
But then where does faith fit in?
The answer lies in what church members believe the ministry really is.
If the ministry is a group that sees itself as a sort of "holy club," with regular meetings about how to behave and do good things, then there is no particular reason not to act in a totally businesslike manner.
But if the ministry is a body of called out believers in a resurrected Lord with whom they have both a personal and a corporate relationship, then it dare not think of itself as a business.
Let me see whether I can create a clearer understanding of the nature of churches and Christian ministries, as compared with businesses.
A business is an entity whose purpose it is to exchange goods and services for some particular gain...monetary or otherwise.
It is a direct quid-pro-quo relationship.
I do this for you; you give me this in return.
For instance, a commercial radio station says to an advertiser, "You give me "X" amount of money and I'll produce a spot for you that will entice listeners to buy your goods and services, and that spot will air "Y" number of times per day.
A Christian radio station, on the other hand (one of those para church ministries) can, both by law and by ethical standards, only ask a business to support it and air what the FCC calls "business acknowledgements."
It is prohibited by law from issuing a "call to action" (asking the listener to do something...like "call such-and-such a number"), airing an "enticement to buy" (giving the listener some reason to purchase from that business as opposed to some other business), or using descriptive, qualitative phrases ("the best Quadrapones in Southwest Florida").
As a ministry, it should not want to do such things anyway.
A ministry is characterized by giving, not getting.
The role of the ministry, church or para church, is to give, and give, and give some more, and leave it up to God to provide.
Ministries are about reconciliation, encouraging one another in the body of Christ and building one another up in the body of Christ.
Ministries are about thinking of others as better than yourself.
That doesn't mean that ministries should not ask for or receive money...they should.
The money that comes to a ministry should be a response from those benefiting from the ministry and from those who believe in the ministry and want to see it continue.
Money (and other blessings) follows ministry.
If a ministry's constituency believes it receives a benefit from the ministry, or sees the value of the ministry as a benefit to someone believed to need the ministry, it will have the support it needs..
If a ministry is not being supported, guess what...it is not being perceived as an important ministry by its constituency.
The real answer is: A ministry (including a church) dare not think of itself as a business. As soon as it does, it risks alienating its base and going afoul of the law.
Furthermore, it risks substituting business practices for faith.
Here's the deal.
If a ministry wants to do something, and it is God's will that it be done, God will provide the way for it to get done in His power.
If a ministry wants to do something and it is NOT God's will, it will never receive the blessing from doing it that it would have if it had waited to discover God's will.
For instance, if a church wants to build a new facility but it is not God's will, the building, if it gets built at all, will never fully serve its intended purpose and may require "pulling teeth" to get it done.
If a church knows that God wants a new facility built and proceeds on faith that He will provide, stand back...there is no power on earth that can prevent it from being done.
That may not be good business, but it is excellent faith.
Faith pleases God.
Nothing else does.
Well, first of all, in the eyes of the state and federal governments, churches and Christian ministries are businesses.
Contrary to popular belief, churches pay taxes.
In most states, churches (and most 501C3 non-profit ministries) don't pay sales taxes, and they don't pay federal income taxes themselves (but they do withhold taxes from certain employee paychecks), but they do pay other taxes and assessments.
But my real question revolves around the often stated belief that churches or Christian ministries should adopt and observe "good business practices."
(For the purposes of this post, I shall hitherto forth use the term "ministry" to include churches and para church organizations operating in the name of Jesus for the purpose of filling a community or world-wide need.)
One could use Scripture to try to make that determination...you know: "count the costs," etc.
But then where does faith fit in?
The answer lies in what church members believe the ministry really is.
If the ministry is a group that sees itself as a sort of "holy club," with regular meetings about how to behave and do good things, then there is no particular reason not to act in a totally businesslike manner.
But if the ministry is a body of called out believers in a resurrected Lord with whom they have both a personal and a corporate relationship, then it dare not think of itself as a business.
Let me see whether I can create a clearer understanding of the nature of churches and Christian ministries, as compared with businesses.
A business is an entity whose purpose it is to exchange goods and services for some particular gain...monetary or otherwise.
It is a direct quid-pro-quo relationship.
I do this for you; you give me this in return.
For instance, a commercial radio station says to an advertiser, "You give me "X" amount of money and I'll produce a spot for you that will entice listeners to buy your goods and services, and that spot will air "Y" number of times per day.
A Christian radio station, on the other hand (one of those para church ministries) can, both by law and by ethical standards, only ask a business to support it and air what the FCC calls "business acknowledgements."
It is prohibited by law from issuing a "call to action" (asking the listener to do something...like "call such-and-such a number"), airing an "enticement to buy" (giving the listener some reason to purchase from that business as opposed to some other business), or using descriptive, qualitative phrases ("the best Quadrapones in Southwest Florida").
As a ministry, it should not want to do such things anyway.
A ministry is characterized by giving, not getting.
The role of the ministry, church or para church, is to give, and give, and give some more, and leave it up to God to provide.
Ministries are about reconciliation, encouraging one another in the body of Christ and building one another up in the body of Christ.
Ministries are about thinking of others as better than yourself.
That doesn't mean that ministries should not ask for or receive money...they should.
The money that comes to a ministry should be a response from those benefiting from the ministry and from those who believe in the ministry and want to see it continue.
Money (and other blessings) follows ministry.
If a ministry's constituency believes it receives a benefit from the ministry, or sees the value of the ministry as a benefit to someone believed to need the ministry, it will have the support it needs..
If a ministry is not being supported, guess what...it is not being perceived as an important ministry by its constituency.
The real answer is: A ministry (including a church) dare not think of itself as a business. As soon as it does, it risks alienating its base and going afoul of the law.
Furthermore, it risks substituting business practices for faith.
Here's the deal.
If a ministry wants to do something, and it is God's will that it be done, God will provide the way for it to get done in His power.
If a ministry wants to do something and it is NOT God's will, it will never receive the blessing from doing it that it would have if it had waited to discover God's will.
For instance, if a church wants to build a new facility but it is not God's will, the building, if it gets built at all, will never fully serve its intended purpose and may require "pulling teeth" to get it done.
If a church knows that God wants a new facility built and proceeds on faith that He will provide, stand back...there is no power on earth that can prevent it from being done.
That may not be good business, but it is excellent faith.
Faith pleases God.
Nothing else does.
Friday, September 07, 2007
NEW MEANING TO THE PHRASE
TO BRUSH UP ON YOUR TECHNIQUE.
My wife posted the following on her site:
Do you think my husband noticed!
I washed my husband's shirts. He had left GUM in the pockets.
If for some reason you wash
clothes with gum in the
pockets, like my husband did, spray
hairspray on the spot when the clothes are still wet.
Then use your husband's toothbrush
to brush off of the clothes.
Next re-wash the clothes.
Last! Put the toothbrush back were you got it!
Works great!!
To which I reply:
Yu-u-u-u-c-k!
I sure am glad I bought a new toothbrush today!
ADDENDUM:
I suddenly feel the need to clean our toilet. Wonder where I can find a brush.
My wife posted the following on her site:
Do you think my husband noticed!
I washed my husband's shirts. He had left GUM in the pockets.
If for some reason you wash
clothes with gum in the
pockets, like my husband did, spray
hairspray on the spot when the clothes are still wet.
Then use your husband's toothbrush
to brush off of the clothes.
Next re-wash the clothes.
Last! Put the toothbrush back were you got it!
Works great!!
To which I reply:
Yu-u-u-u-c-k!
I sure am glad I bought a new toothbrush today!
ADDENDUM:
I suddenly feel the need to clean our toilet. Wonder where I can find a brush.
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
DOES OPPORTUNITY KNOCK?
Note: The following post is not intended to be spiritual in nature. In the broadest sense it is, but it is really about what you can do if you want to.
I am not a good reader.
Not that I can't read.
In fact, I took speed reading courses.
I read best when I am reading really fast.
But I don't enjoy reading because I have to focus really hard to get it done.
It has gotten worse over the years.
I reverse letters, words and even sentences and have to strain to untangle them.
I think one could reasonably say that I am lysdexic.
But I have read.
I have read many things that were not particularly "good" reading, in the sense of holding my interest.
Among them: Plato and Aristotle (boring); Shakespeare (undecipherable); Frued (a real nut-case); Spencer (a bad behaviorist); Bunyan (John, not Paul); and other assorted works as assigned by professors who thought they knew what I needed to read.
Two things I enjoy reading over and over are The Bible and The Constitution of the United States of America.
I have read the Bible through completely five times and am now on my sixth trip through.
The Consitution is not as long (or as edifying) as The Bible, but it is full of things I think every person who pretends to be a citizen of this land should know.
Now that you think this post is about reading, dyslexia, The Bible or the Constitution, I will reveal its true purpose: Opportunity.
This country, with all of its short-comings, which are many, is still the land of opportunity like no other.
Any person can become whatever he or she wants to become, if he or she is willing to do what it takes to do it.
Some people wallow in their self-induced misery and never do what they want to do.
Their bad.
Not the system's bad...theirs.
"But some people can't get a job!" I hear you cry out.
Nonsense.
Absolute, utter, total, complete nonsense.
"But what about those who can't work because of some physical limitation?" you object.
Why don't you go tell that to American physicist, Nobel Prize winner Steven Hocking?
"Well, sure! If I had an IQ of 350 (or whatever his is), I could overcome my handicaps, too."
Balder-ever-lovin-blue-eyed dash!
If Steven Hocking had chosen to let his handicap dictate his life circumstance, he would be one of les miserables, too.
Any American, oriental, hispanic, black, caucasian or whatever, has the opportunity to be whatever he/she wants to be, if he or she is willing to do what it takes to be what he/she wants to be.
There are black hospital administrators in this county who were born into poverty.
There are hispanic holders of high office in this land.
There are oriental business magnates.
See, here's the thing...somewhere we are failing to teach our children that the greatest value this nation has to offer is not multi-culturalism, it is not a government established welfare program, it is simply this: Opportunity.
Here's how it works:
1. Get your mind off of yourself and start focusing on how you can help others.
Motivational speaker Zig Ziglar says, "You can get anything you want out of life if you will help enough other people get what they want out of life."
2. Get a basic education and learn to read.
Don't just graduate from high school...learn what was taught to you in grades K - 12. (Sadly, in Florida, where I live, 30% of graduating seniors can't read their own diplomas!)
If you can read, you can learn anything.
If you cannot read you are severely limited in what you can accomplish.
But you can learn to read.
3. Learn to communicate in the language common to the majority of people with whom you will have the opportunity to work...that's English. Rightly or wrongly, that's English.
You have the right to talk any way you want to, but the ability to forsake the cultural bounds of dialect will ensure that you can communicate with those you need to to accomplish what you want to accomplish.
4. If you seek a professional or vocational career, get higher education in that field.
Dreaming, "I'd like to be an astronaut," won't do you any good if you don't learn to fly, or do math, or science or whatever field holds your interest.
Is it easy in this country to be whatever you want to be?
Nope.
It's hard.
Real hard.
You have to discipline yourself to put your nose to the grind-stone and work gut-wrenchingly hard.
But the opportunity is there if you'll take it.
In a populationally mixed class of elementary students, when the teacher steps to the front of the class and teaches 2 + 2 = 4, there is not one single student of normal intelligence, regardless of race, ethnicity, economic level or whatever, who does not have the opportunity to learn that.
Some will learn quickly, some slowly.
Some will learn easily, some with great difficulty.
Every one will have the opportunity to learn.
And that, after all, is what this country is about: Opportunity.
The Constitution guarantees every citizen (emphasis: citizen) life, liberty, the right to own property and a plethora of other rights that will enable anyone to take advantage of the opportunities offered by this unique nation.
What our government, leaders, and our teachers need to be emphasizing is opportunism.
I am not a good reader.
Not that I can't read.
In fact, I took speed reading courses.
I read best when I am reading really fast.
But I don't enjoy reading because I have to focus really hard to get it done.
It has gotten worse over the years.
I reverse letters, words and even sentences and have to strain to untangle them.
I think one could reasonably say that I am lysdexic.
But I have read.
I have read many things that were not particularly "good" reading, in the sense of holding my interest.
Among them: Plato and Aristotle (boring); Shakespeare (undecipherable); Frued (a real nut-case); Spencer (a bad behaviorist); Bunyan (John, not Paul); and other assorted works as assigned by professors who thought they knew what I needed to read.
Two things I enjoy reading over and over are The Bible and The Constitution of the United States of America.
I have read the Bible through completely five times and am now on my sixth trip through.
The Consitution is not as long (or as edifying) as The Bible, but it is full of things I think every person who pretends to be a citizen of this land should know.
Now that you think this post is about reading, dyslexia, The Bible or the Constitution, I will reveal its true purpose: Opportunity.
This country, with all of its short-comings, which are many, is still the land of opportunity like no other.
Any person can become whatever he or she wants to become, if he or she is willing to do what it takes to do it.
Some people wallow in their self-induced misery and never do what they want to do.
Their bad.
Not the system's bad...theirs.
"But some people can't get a job!" I hear you cry out.
Nonsense.
Absolute, utter, total, complete nonsense.
"But what about those who can't work because of some physical limitation?" you object.
Why don't you go tell that to American physicist, Nobel Prize winner Steven Hocking?
"Well, sure! If I had an IQ of 350 (or whatever his is), I could overcome my handicaps, too."
Balder-ever-lovin-blue-eyed dash!
If Steven Hocking had chosen to let his handicap dictate his life circumstance, he would be one of les miserables, too.
Any American, oriental, hispanic, black, caucasian or whatever, has the opportunity to be whatever he/she wants to be, if he or she is willing to do what it takes to be what he/she wants to be.
There are black hospital administrators in this county who were born into poverty.
There are hispanic holders of high office in this land.
There are oriental business magnates.
See, here's the thing...somewhere we are failing to teach our children that the greatest value this nation has to offer is not multi-culturalism, it is not a government established welfare program, it is simply this: Opportunity.
Here's how it works:
1. Get your mind off of yourself and start focusing on how you can help others.
Motivational speaker Zig Ziglar says, "You can get anything you want out of life if you will help enough other people get what they want out of life."
2. Get a basic education and learn to read.
Don't just graduate from high school...learn what was taught to you in grades K - 12. (Sadly, in Florida, where I live, 30% of graduating seniors can't read their own diplomas!)
If you can read, you can learn anything.
If you cannot read you are severely limited in what you can accomplish.
But you can learn to read.
3. Learn to communicate in the language common to the majority of people with whom you will have the opportunity to work...that's English. Rightly or wrongly, that's English.
You have the right to talk any way you want to, but the ability to forsake the cultural bounds of dialect will ensure that you can communicate with those you need to to accomplish what you want to accomplish.
4. If you seek a professional or vocational career, get higher education in that field.
Dreaming, "I'd like to be an astronaut," won't do you any good if you don't learn to fly, or do math, or science or whatever field holds your interest.
Is it easy in this country to be whatever you want to be?
Nope.
It's hard.
Real hard.
You have to discipline yourself to put your nose to the grind-stone and work gut-wrenchingly hard.
But the opportunity is there if you'll take it.
In a populationally mixed class of elementary students, when the teacher steps to the front of the class and teaches 2 + 2 = 4, there is not one single student of normal intelligence, regardless of race, ethnicity, economic level or whatever, who does not have the opportunity to learn that.
Some will learn quickly, some slowly.
Some will learn easily, some with great difficulty.
Every one will have the opportunity to learn.
And that, after all, is what this country is about: Opportunity.
The Constitution guarantees every citizen (emphasis: citizen) life, liberty, the right to own property and a plethora of other rights that will enable anyone to take advantage of the opportunities offered by this unique nation.
What our government, leaders, and our teachers need to be emphasizing is opportunism.
Monday, September 03, 2007
HAPPY LABOR DAY?
What makes a happy Labor day, anyway?
Do you give Labor Day gifts?
Was there a great military battle we won, worthy of celebration?
Maybe it has some Religious or Christian significance.
No, no and no.
"Labor Day differs in every essential way from the other holidays of the year in any country," said Samuel Gompers, founder and longtime president of the American Federation of Labor. "
All other holidays are in a more or less degree connected with conflicts and battles of man's prowess over man, of strife and discord for greed and power, of glories achieved by one nation over another. Or else they are in observance of some religious event.
Labor Day...is devoted to no man, living or dead, to no sect, race, or nation."
Labor Day is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.
The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883.
On June 28th, 1894, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories.
Did you know, though, that by a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and is supposed to be dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement?
In the end, Labor Day is a secular holiday (which, since holiday is a contraction of Holy Day, may be an oxymoron), and is directly tied to neither patriotism nor faith.
That being said, one principle of Scripture is that we give our very best as slaves (read: employees) remembering that our work is unto the Lord, and not to men.
So, HAPPY LABOR DAY! And may all the picnics you attend be filling, may the speeches you endure be short, and if you are off today, be safe, get some rest and tomorrow...get to work!
Above all, remain in Christ.
That will make it a happy Labor Day, indeed.
Do you give Labor Day gifts?
Was there a great military battle we won, worthy of celebration?
Maybe it has some Religious or Christian significance.
No, no and no.
"Labor Day differs in every essential way from the other holidays of the year in any country," said Samuel Gompers, founder and longtime president of the American Federation of Labor. "
All other holidays are in a more or less degree connected with conflicts and battles of man's prowess over man, of strife and discord for greed and power, of glories achieved by one nation over another. Or else they are in observance of some religious event.
Labor Day...is devoted to no man, living or dead, to no sect, race, or nation."
Labor Day is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.
The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883.
On June 28th, 1894, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories.
Did you know, though, that by a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and is supposed to be dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement?
In the end, Labor Day is a secular holiday (which, since holiday is a contraction of Holy Day, may be an oxymoron), and is directly tied to neither patriotism nor faith.
That being said, one principle of Scripture is that we give our very best as slaves (read: employees) remembering that our work is unto the Lord, and not to men.
So, HAPPY LABOR DAY! And may all the picnics you attend be filling, may the speeches you endure be short, and if you are off today, be safe, get some rest and tomorrow...get to work!
Above all, remain in Christ.
That will make it a happy Labor Day, indeed.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
HOW PLEASING ARE YOU?
People who think they can please God by right behavior do not know big and how perfect God is.
Obedience to the Law is a good thing, but don’t be deceived into thinking that obedience to the Law will either save or help save you.
When Jesus said "…when you obey my commands…" He was not talking about obedience to the law of Moses or the Ten Commandments.
He was very clear: His commands are to love God with all of your heart, mind soul and strength and your neighbor as yourself.
Here is the message of the gospel, "…if you confess with your mouth Jesus is (as) Lord, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved."
This the only possible conclusion to draw if (and only if) you understand Scripture in its context of entirety.
Sure, you can put verses together to say what you think they should say, but doing so dooms you to miss the point of the Word.
Since the Bible is God’s revelation of His character, His love for His creation and His plan for its redemption, we must interpret it thusly.
Whatever you are reading in His Word, you must answer the following questions about it:
1. What does it further reveal about the character of God that is consistant with the rest of the Bible?
2. What does it further reveal about His love for His creation?
3. What does it further reveal about His plan for its redemption?
Whatever you are reading in some "further revelation testament" must also answer the same questions.
See, if it just reiterates what we already know about the character of God, then it is unnecessary and so could not possibly be the "further" Word of God.
If it attempts to reveal "more" about His love for His creation, it could not possibly be the "further" Word of God, because then what He has already revealed would have to be either wrong or incomplete…and God is neither of those.
If it attempts to reveal "more" about His plan for our redemption, it could not possibly be the "further" Word of God, because when Jesus cried with a loud voice, "It is finished," He was proclaiming once and for all that everything necessary for mankind’s redemption was complete.
With all of this in mind, why don’t you stop "trying" to please God by forcing your behavior to conform to some artificial inkling of what is right or wrong, and instead begin to love Him with all of your heart, mind soul and strength?
Exercise your faith in His finished work at Calvary.
If you do, don’t worry. You will please Him.
If you don’t, don’t worry, you can’t please Him, for without faith it is impossible to please God.
Obedience to the Law is a good thing, but don’t be deceived into thinking that obedience to the Law will either save or help save you.
When Jesus said "…when you obey my commands…" He was not talking about obedience to the law of Moses or the Ten Commandments.
He was very clear: His commands are to love God with all of your heart, mind soul and strength and your neighbor as yourself.
Here is the message of the gospel, "…if you confess with your mouth Jesus is (as) Lord, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved."
This the only possible conclusion to draw if (and only if) you understand Scripture in its context of entirety.
Sure, you can put verses together to say what you think they should say, but doing so dooms you to miss the point of the Word.
Since the Bible is God’s revelation of His character, His love for His creation and His plan for its redemption, we must interpret it thusly.
Whatever you are reading in His Word, you must answer the following questions about it:
1. What does it further reveal about the character of God that is consistant with the rest of the Bible?
2. What does it further reveal about His love for His creation?
3. What does it further reveal about His plan for its redemption?
Whatever you are reading in some "further revelation testament" must also answer the same questions.
See, if it just reiterates what we already know about the character of God, then it is unnecessary and so could not possibly be the "further" Word of God.
If it attempts to reveal "more" about His love for His creation, it could not possibly be the "further" Word of God, because then what He has already revealed would have to be either wrong or incomplete…and God is neither of those.
If it attempts to reveal "more" about His plan for our redemption, it could not possibly be the "further" Word of God, because when Jesus cried with a loud voice, "It is finished," He was proclaiming once and for all that everything necessary for mankind’s redemption was complete.
With all of this in mind, why don’t you stop "trying" to please God by forcing your behavior to conform to some artificial inkling of what is right or wrong, and instead begin to love Him with all of your heart, mind soul and strength?
Exercise your faith in His finished work at Calvary.
If you do, don’t worry. You will please Him.
If you don’t, don’t worry, you can’t please Him, for without faith it is impossible to please God.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
CREATION
The Bible proclaims: "In the beginning God created..."
Science proclaims: "In the beginning gaseous cloud and 'Big Bang'."
One is right.
One is wrong.
Let's start with "...gaseous cloud and 'Big Bang'."
Of what was the gaseous cloud supposedly made?
Trillions to the trillionth power of atoms forming molecules of gaseous material.
Each atom was (and is) made up of one or more proton(s), neutron(s) and electron(s).
Each of these is made up of such things as nucleons, quarks and other assorted atomia, some of which have not yet been discovered.
So...where are nucleons, quarks, protons, neutrons and electrons supposed to have come from?
Scientific answer: They were a part of the big gaseous cloud that just was.
That, dearly beloved, is a statement of extrodinary faith.
Once upon a time, the big gaseous cloud exploded.
Its atoms and molecules shot out into "space" in infinite randomness.
By chance, many were able, even as they accelerated outward from some nebulous center, to combine to form some sort of clusters, which, by "natural attraction" drew other atoms and molecules to them.
By chance, some of those clusters grew into large enough bodies to begin attracting greater numbers of atoms and molecules.
By chance, some of those atoms and molecules clustered in the right proportions to form pre-creative starites, planetitess, asteroidites, cometites, moonites and other cosmic entities, each of which was composed of various combinations of elements from the periodic table.
By chance, some of those pre-creative starites, planetites, etc., attracted just the right atoms and molecules to have just the right proportions of elements to form gasses and solids in the right percentages to become actual stars, etc.
By chance, some of those stars attracted some of those clumps of planetites to them at just the right distance to orbit around them.
By chance, some of those planetites became planets.
By chance, some of those planets held water, oxygen, nitrogen, and other rudimentary elements, to begin the process of "forming life."
By chance, the right proportions of elements combined to form elemental organelles (the structures which carry out specialized reactions within cells, which, of course, "died" because they did not have what they needed for sustanance, ie: the rest of the cell.
By chance, those same elements came together often enough to evenually create a eukaryotic cell with which to surround the organelles which kept forming (for some unexplained reason).
By chance, the eukaryotic cells developed the other things they needed to form sustainable "life," such as: mitochondria; rough endoplasmic reticula; nucleii; plasmic membrane, nucleolus; nuclear envelopes; chromatin; ribosomes; smoothe endoplasmic reticula; cillia; golgi apparatus; micro tubules; centrioles; peroxisomes; lysosomes; microfillaments; and other assorted biological requirements.
By chance, the eukaryotic cells also developed deoxyribonucleic acid, which contained the instructions for the cells to develop into whatever they were going to develop into and to continue manufacturing the right combinations and proportions of the other material to continue existing.
By chance, the deoxyribonucleic aced (DNA) was able to enter related nucleic acid (RNA), to instruct molecules to synthesize proteins or to construct ribosomes and spliceosomes.
By chance, these cells were able to divide, thus replicating themselves.
Sort of reads like a scientific version of Hebrews 11, doesn't it?
Picture a canon loaded with an unimaginably large and complex Erector Set (remember those?).
Shoot the pieces out.
How many of you believe the Erector Set would come together to form a replica of the Empire State Building?
Yet, scientists would have us believe that a process infinitely more intricate took place, the end result of which was you, me and our universe.
Right.
Now, it seems to be the nature of humans to contemplate our origins, whether by "natural processes" or by a Creator.
I wonder where that nature came from?
It seems to me that the most complex entity in the universe, besides the universe itself, the human brain, made up of the second most complex entity in the universe, the eukaryotic cell, speak loudly and clearly for a Creator.
Add to that the existence of the eukaroytic cell's little sister, the prokaryotic cell, and you have a life constituancy that defies imagination.
In the end, I think it makes infititely more sense to accept, "In the beginning God created..."
Science proclaims: "In the beginning gaseous cloud and 'Big Bang'."
One is right.
One is wrong.
Let's start with "...gaseous cloud and 'Big Bang'."
Of what was the gaseous cloud supposedly made?
Trillions to the trillionth power of atoms forming molecules of gaseous material.
Each atom was (and is) made up of one or more proton(s), neutron(s) and electron(s).
Each of these is made up of such things as nucleons, quarks and other assorted atomia, some of which have not yet been discovered.
So...where are nucleons, quarks, protons, neutrons and electrons supposed to have come from?
Scientific answer: They were a part of the big gaseous cloud that just was.
That, dearly beloved, is a statement of extrodinary faith.
Once upon a time, the big gaseous cloud exploded.
Its atoms and molecules shot out into "space" in infinite randomness.
By chance, many were able, even as they accelerated outward from some nebulous center, to combine to form some sort of clusters, which, by "natural attraction" drew other atoms and molecules to them.
By chance, some of those clusters grew into large enough bodies to begin attracting greater numbers of atoms and molecules.
By chance, some of those atoms and molecules clustered in the right proportions to form pre-creative starites, planetitess, asteroidites, cometites, moonites and other cosmic entities, each of which was composed of various combinations of elements from the periodic table.
By chance, some of those pre-creative starites, planetites, etc., attracted just the right atoms and molecules to have just the right proportions of elements to form gasses and solids in the right percentages to become actual stars, etc.
By chance, some of those stars attracted some of those clumps of planetites to them at just the right distance to orbit around them.
By chance, some of those planetites became planets.
By chance, some of those planets held water, oxygen, nitrogen, and other rudimentary elements, to begin the process of "forming life."
By chance, the right proportions of elements combined to form elemental organelles (the structures which carry out specialized reactions within cells, which, of course, "died" because they did not have what they needed for sustanance, ie: the rest of the cell.
By chance, those same elements came together often enough to evenually create a eukaryotic cell with which to surround the organelles which kept forming (for some unexplained reason).
By chance, the eukaryotic cells developed the other things they needed to form sustainable "life," such as: mitochondria; rough endoplasmic reticula; nucleii; plasmic membrane, nucleolus; nuclear envelopes; chromatin; ribosomes; smoothe endoplasmic reticula; cillia; golgi apparatus; micro tubules; centrioles; peroxisomes; lysosomes; microfillaments; and other assorted biological requirements.
By chance, the eukaryotic cells also developed deoxyribonucleic acid, which contained the instructions for the cells to develop into whatever they were going to develop into and to continue manufacturing the right combinations and proportions of the other material to continue existing.
By chance, the deoxyribonucleic aced (DNA) was able to enter related nucleic acid (RNA), to instruct molecules to synthesize proteins or to construct ribosomes and spliceosomes.
By chance, these cells were able to divide, thus replicating themselves.
Sort of reads like a scientific version of Hebrews 11, doesn't it?
Picture a canon loaded with an unimaginably large and complex Erector Set (remember those?).
Shoot the pieces out.
How many of you believe the Erector Set would come together to form a replica of the Empire State Building?
Yet, scientists would have us believe that a process infinitely more intricate took place, the end result of which was you, me and our universe.
Right.
Now, it seems to be the nature of humans to contemplate our origins, whether by "natural processes" or by a Creator.
I wonder where that nature came from?
It seems to me that the most complex entity in the universe, besides the universe itself, the human brain, made up of the second most complex entity in the universe, the eukaryotic cell, speak loudly and clearly for a Creator.
Add to that the existence of the eukaroytic cell's little sister, the prokaryotic cell, and you have a life constituancy that defies imagination.
In the end, I think it makes infititely more sense to accept, "In the beginning God created..."
Saturday, August 11, 2007
GOOD GOD!
My wife was chatting in a "Christian" chat-room with a person who purported to have asked God for a certain job which he did not get.
His attitude was that if God did not give him the job he prayed for, there was little reason to pray, 'cause God doesn't answer his prayers.
In the book of James we read, "You have not because you ask amiss." (James 4:3)
In other words, you ask with the wrong motive...to get your way.
News flash! It is not your way that counts.
The only way that counts for anything at all is THE WAY, who is Jesus.
It is a question of submission to His will.
"But if I submit to His will, I will not get what I want," I hear you object.
Wrong.
If you submit to His will, then you will want what He wants for you and will therefore get what you want, since it is what He wants.
"But...but...I want MY way."
OK. Have it your way.
You'll never be either satisfied or happy.
Have it God's way and you'll never be dissatisfied or unhappy.
Your choice.
He has written, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)
That is not a promise of riches in the worldly sense. It is a promise that God wants what's good for you, not what's bad for you.
If God is God (supreme...the Creator...omnipotent...omnicient...omnipresent...the boss of all that is), then I want what He knows is good for me, in place of what I think would be good for me.
I either trust Him or I don't.
There is no such thing as, "I trust God, but..."
If I put the Kingdom of God and His righteousness (who is Jesus) first, then He will provide for me the wherewithal to have what He knows I need. (see the verses before and after Matthew 7:33)
"But the job I wanted and did not get would have made me happy."
NO.
The job God wants for you will make you happy.
Want to be happy?
Submit.
"But submitting would mean giving up my wants, desires and way!"
Right!
You're beginning to catch on!
The Bible is packed jam full of examples of people who found their joy in giving up self desire and giving up to God.
Abraham, Moses, Joseph, Joshua, Daniel, Mary, Peter, Paul (not to be confused with Peter, Paul and Mary), John, et. al. are just some of the people who found enriched freedom in submission.
You can too.
Or not.
Choose.
His attitude was that if God did not give him the job he prayed for, there was little reason to pray, 'cause God doesn't answer his prayers.
In the book of James we read, "You have not because you ask amiss." (James 4:3)
In other words, you ask with the wrong motive...to get your way.
News flash! It is not your way that counts.
The only way that counts for anything at all is THE WAY, who is Jesus.
It is a question of submission to His will.
"But if I submit to His will, I will not get what I want," I hear you object.
Wrong.
If you submit to His will, then you will want what He wants for you and will therefore get what you want, since it is what He wants.
"But...but...I want MY way."
OK. Have it your way.
You'll never be either satisfied or happy.
Have it God's way and you'll never be dissatisfied or unhappy.
Your choice.
He has written, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)
That is not a promise of riches in the worldly sense. It is a promise that God wants what's good for you, not what's bad for you.
If God is God (supreme...the Creator...omnipotent...omnicient...omnipresent...the boss of all that is), then I want what He knows is good for me, in place of what I think would be good for me.
I either trust Him or I don't.
There is no such thing as, "I trust God, but..."
If I put the Kingdom of God and His righteousness (who is Jesus) first, then He will provide for me the wherewithal to have what He knows I need. (see the verses before and after Matthew 7:33)
"But the job I wanted and did not get would have made me happy."
NO.
The job God wants for you will make you happy.
Want to be happy?
Submit.
"But submitting would mean giving up my wants, desires and way!"
Right!
You're beginning to catch on!
The Bible is packed jam full of examples of people who found their joy in giving up self desire and giving up to God.
Abraham, Moses, Joseph, Joshua, Daniel, Mary, Peter, Paul (not to be confused with Peter, Paul and Mary), John, et. al. are just some of the people who found enriched freedom in submission.
You can too.
Or not.
Choose.
Friday, August 10, 2007
RIDICULOUS!
Tooling along the Six Mile Cypress Raceway, on my way home from the studios of the Christian radio station at which I work (heard online at www.kingdom.fm), I heard a discussion with an author who has written a "satire" about current politicians.
The characters in the book being discussed included George Bush, Barack Obama, Ted Kennedy, Hillary Clinton, First Husband wannabe, Bill Clinton and an assortment of other quasi leaders in the world.
The foibles and follies of each were pointed out in sweeping scenarios of ridiculousness.
Trouble is, it is not satire.
Two generations of Americans (and I suspect other world citizens) have lost sight of what constitutes satire.
This is largely due to the TV program, Saturday Night Live.
SNL referred to what it did as satire, so the TV public assumed that they knew what satire is.
They don't.
What they engaged in was (and is) ridicule.
Ridicule is not satire.
Ridicule is a valid form of humor (sometimes), but it is not satire.
Satire, in its classical historical sense, is misdirection.
It is using characters to expose the preposterousness of the government or other entity.
Gulliver's Travels, for instance, purported to be a children's adventure story.
And it is a very compelling children's adventure story.
It is also four mini-novels about the British government.
Not only that, there is a topic that runs through all the four novels.
It is that the human race often takes things for granted not considering that there could be some one or something getting hurt.
Do you know what each of the characters represent?
Who are the Lilliputians, the Brumbidangs, the Laputas and the Yahoo's (ever wonder where that characterization came from...as in: What a Yahoo!)?
Do you know who are represented in Lewis Carroll's Alice In Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass?
Who was the Walrus?
Who was the White Rabbit?
What about the Cheshire Cat?
What governmentally induced dangers were represented in the stories?
That's the point.
You (probably) don't know.
Neither did those at which the books were pointed.
Both Jonathan Swift and Lewis Carroll found a way to poke fun at both government and society through misdirection, without getting in trouble over it at a time when "free speech" was only a figment of most people's imaginations.
So, look. Ridicule is OK and has its place.
But please, please, please don't call it "satire."
If we must call "ridicule" "satire," then we will have to come up with another word for "satire."
I must go.
As the White Rabbit said:
"I'm late! I'm late...for a very important date!
"No time to say, 'Hello,' good by.
"I'm late! I'm late! I'm late!"
The characters in the book being discussed included George Bush, Barack Obama, Ted Kennedy, Hillary Clinton, First Husband wannabe, Bill Clinton and an assortment of other quasi leaders in the world.
The foibles and follies of each were pointed out in sweeping scenarios of ridiculousness.
Trouble is, it is not satire.
Two generations of Americans (and I suspect other world citizens) have lost sight of what constitutes satire.
This is largely due to the TV program, Saturday Night Live.
SNL referred to what it did as satire, so the TV public assumed that they knew what satire is.
They don't.
What they engaged in was (and is) ridicule.
Ridicule is not satire.
Ridicule is a valid form of humor (sometimes), but it is not satire.
Satire, in its classical historical sense, is misdirection.
It is using characters to expose the preposterousness of the government or other entity.
Gulliver's Travels, for instance, purported to be a children's adventure story.
And it is a very compelling children's adventure story.
It is also four mini-novels about the British government.
Not only that, there is a topic that runs through all the four novels.
It is that the human race often takes things for granted not considering that there could be some one or something getting hurt.
Do you know what each of the characters represent?
Who are the Lilliputians, the Brumbidangs, the Laputas and the Yahoo's (ever wonder where that characterization came from...as in: What a Yahoo!)?
Do you know who are represented in Lewis Carroll's Alice In Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass?
Who was the Walrus?
Who was the White Rabbit?
What about the Cheshire Cat?
What governmentally induced dangers were represented in the stories?
That's the point.
You (probably) don't know.
Neither did those at which the books were pointed.
Both Jonathan Swift and Lewis Carroll found a way to poke fun at both government and society through misdirection, without getting in trouble over it at a time when "free speech" was only a figment of most people's imaginations.
So, look. Ridicule is OK and has its place.
But please, please, please don't call it "satire."
If we must call "ridicule" "satire," then we will have to come up with another word for "satire."
I must go.
As the White Rabbit said:
"I'm late! I'm late...for a very important date!
"No time to say, 'Hello,' good by.
"I'm late! I'm late! I'm late!"
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
CONTROL FREAKS
Should a Christian dance?
Should a Christian smoke?
Should a Christian go to movies?
Should a Christian run around with strange women (or men...as the case may be)?
These are some of the heart-wrenching questions being asked when I was first introduced to Jesus.
We all thought that there was some kind of check-list that God kept to decide whether or not to strike us with lightning (or to just give us a good jolt from the wall socket).
But it was more than that.
Our parents, teachers, Sunday School leaders and pastors used these issues to help us "keep in line."
This still goes on today.
I could not count the number of times I have had well-meaning (I guess) Christians quote some scripture or other in an attempt to prove or disprove what I (or someone else) should or should not be doing.
Partly that's because I can't count all that high.
But mostly it's because most people think Christianity is about the old control game.
So, before I stray too far from topic, let me make this clear:
The Bible is not a guide book by which we can discover the behaviors that will please God.
Some of you are now reeling and stumbling backward with shock.
Get over it.
The Bible is God's revelation of His character, His love for His creation and His plan for its redemption.
Notice the underlined "His"es.
The Bible is not even about you.
It is about God and His intervention in history.
"What!!?" I hear you exclaiming, "I thought the Bible was God's guidebook...the "operator's manual" for human living.
Nope.
Before you go off half cocked, let me assure you that it contains the best guidance that has ever been conceived.
But it is not a guide-book.
Nor is it a history book.
Now it contains the best history that has ever been written.
But it is not a history book.
Neither is is a science book.
Whenever science and the Bible contradict one another, you can be certain that it is science, not the Bible, that is wrong.
The Bible is not a psychology book.
Yet its author, who created both the brain and the mind, knows more about the psychology of the human mind than all the psychologists who ever have lived, are living now or ever will live.
Follow the Bible's guidance...you'll never go wrong.
Learn from the Bible's history...you'll be enriched.
Accept the Bible's description of the material universe...you'll grow in faith.
Trust the Bible's understanding of human nature...you'll be humbled.
But know that you know that the Bible is about God.
It is about His love for His creation.
It is about His plan for its salvation through the death burrial and resurrection of His incarnate self, Jesus, the Christ.
When this is internalized in you, you will never have to worry about the legalistic following of this rule or that.
It will be enough to have entered into a personal relationship with Him.
When that happens, you will not want to steal, kill, hate, worry, fornicate, covet, lie, cheat, or engage in any other behavior that would detract from the moment-by-moment joy of walking hand-in-hand with Him and His great love.
When you are focused on Him, you will not be able to focus on anything or anyone else.
You will never feel the need to control someone else, and you will never fear that someone else might be able to control you.
You will find God's grace in every circumstance, good or bad, and will be able to have an eternal attitude of gratitude, praise and wonder.
The next time you study God's Word, remember who it's about.
Draw closer to Him.
Should a Christian smoke?
Should a Christian go to movies?
Should a Christian run around with strange women (or men...as the case may be)?
These are some of the heart-wrenching questions being asked when I was first introduced to Jesus.
We all thought that there was some kind of check-list that God kept to decide whether or not to strike us with lightning (or to just give us a good jolt from the wall socket).
But it was more than that.
Our parents, teachers, Sunday School leaders and pastors used these issues to help us "keep in line."
This still goes on today.
I could not count the number of times I have had well-meaning (I guess) Christians quote some scripture or other in an attempt to prove or disprove what I (or someone else) should or should not be doing.
Partly that's because I can't count all that high.
But mostly it's because most people think Christianity is about the old control game.
So, before I stray too far from topic, let me make this clear:
The Bible is not a guide book by which we can discover the behaviors that will please God.
Some of you are now reeling and stumbling backward with shock.
Get over it.
The Bible is God's revelation of His character, His love for His creation and His plan for its redemption.
Notice the underlined "His"es.
The Bible is not even about you.
It is about God and His intervention in history.
"What!!?" I hear you exclaiming, "I thought the Bible was God's guidebook...the "operator's manual" for human living.
Nope.
Before you go off half cocked, let me assure you that it contains the best guidance that has ever been conceived.
But it is not a guide-book.
Nor is it a history book.
Now it contains the best history that has ever been written.
But it is not a history book.
Neither is is a science book.
Whenever science and the Bible contradict one another, you can be certain that it is science, not the Bible, that is wrong.
The Bible is not a psychology book.
Yet its author, who created both the brain and the mind, knows more about the psychology of the human mind than all the psychologists who ever have lived, are living now or ever will live.
Follow the Bible's guidance...you'll never go wrong.
Learn from the Bible's history...you'll be enriched.
Accept the Bible's description of the material universe...you'll grow in faith.
Trust the Bible's understanding of human nature...you'll be humbled.
But know that you know that the Bible is about God.
It is about His love for His creation.
It is about His plan for its salvation through the death burrial and resurrection of His incarnate self, Jesus, the Christ.
When this is internalized in you, you will never have to worry about the legalistic following of this rule or that.
It will be enough to have entered into a personal relationship with Him.
When that happens, you will not want to steal, kill, hate, worry, fornicate, covet, lie, cheat, or engage in any other behavior that would detract from the moment-by-moment joy of walking hand-in-hand with Him and His great love.
When you are focused on Him, you will not be able to focus on anything or anyone else.
You will never feel the need to control someone else, and you will never fear that someone else might be able to control you.
You will find God's grace in every circumstance, good or bad, and will be able to have an eternal attitude of gratitude, praise and wonder.
The next time you study God's Word, remember who it's about.
Draw closer to Him.
Saturday, August 04, 2007
And now Let's Play THE BLAME GAME!!!
A bridge fell.
People were on it.
That is a tragedy.
We pray for the family members who lost loved ones.
It was not George Bush's fault.
As much as it pains me so say so, it was not Bill Clinton's fault.
Maintaining roads is up to states, counties and municipalities.
It will cause you some distress to know that the federal government is not your mommy.
It is not their job to take care of you.
It is not their job to provide you with health care.
It is not their job to feed you.
It is not their job to rescue you from the elements.
It is not their job to control your daily non-criminal behavior.
It is not their job to educate you.
(That's right. Schools used to be run by the church in this country. Then they were run by local governments. [Those were the schools that educated the people who put us on the moon...notice we haven't been back?]. In the early 70s they started becoming federal government schools)
It is the federal government's job:
1. to unite us
2. to see that justice prevails in the courts
3. to keep us peaceful
4. to defend us from those who would harm us
5. to promote our enthusiasm (called "the general welfare"... which has nothing to do with government hand-outs)
6. to protect the blessings of our freedom.
Life, liberty and personal property (not the pursuit of happiness...that's the Declaration of Independence) are guaranteed by The Constitution of the United States of America.
Your freedom to fuss at the government is guaranteed.
Your freedom to worship anytime, anywhere is guaranteed.
Your freedom write whatever you want is guaranteed (think blogs).
Your freedom to own a weapon is guaranteed.
Etc. (Check out The Constitution of the United States of America for more of your freedoms.)
Although The Constitution of the United States of America is a living, breathing document, it lives and breathes slowly...by the amendment process, not by the judicial process.
We can change it, but it has been made a very arduous procedure...on purpose.
So when tragedies happen, resist the urge to point the finger at the feds.
Do what you can to help.
Pray for the families affected.
Send money.
But don't blame the government.
When you blame the government for that which is not their responsibility, you embolden them to think that it IS their responsibility, and they then seek more control.
Trust me.
You don't want the federal government to have more control over your life.
They aren't very good at it.
If "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely," then you don't want to give Washington more power.
In fact, you should do what you can to help take back much of the power you have ceded to them in the past.
If you don't do it while it can be done peacefully, you will have to do it by force later.
If you don't, there will come a day when you will be ruled by despots who will take away every freedom you have.
They will think for you.
They will control you.
They will tell you what job you must have.
They will tell you what you must study to have that job.
They will tell you what to drive.
They will tell you what to eat.
They will tell you what to wear.
And if you disobey them, or if they just dislike you, they will torture you, cut off your fingers and toes or simply cut off you head.
Don't believe it?
Check out both current events and history.
Both prove it.
Is that what you want?
So who do you blame?
People were on it.
That is a tragedy.
We pray for the family members who lost loved ones.
It was not George Bush's fault.
As much as it pains me so say so, it was not Bill Clinton's fault.
Maintaining roads is up to states, counties and municipalities.
It will cause you some distress to know that the federal government is not your mommy.
It is not their job to take care of you.
It is not their job to provide you with health care.
It is not their job to feed you.
It is not their job to rescue you from the elements.
It is not their job to control your daily non-criminal behavior.
It is not their job to educate you.
(That's right. Schools used to be run by the church in this country. Then they were run by local governments. [Those were the schools that educated the people who put us on the moon...notice we haven't been back?]. In the early 70s they started becoming federal government schools)
It is the federal government's job:
1. to unite us
2. to see that justice prevails in the courts
3. to keep us peaceful
4. to defend us from those who would harm us
5. to promote our enthusiasm (called "the general welfare"... which has nothing to do with government hand-outs)
6. to protect the blessings of our freedom.
Life, liberty and personal property (not the pursuit of happiness...that's the Declaration of Independence) are guaranteed by The Constitution of the United States of America.
Your freedom to fuss at the government is guaranteed.
Your freedom to worship anytime, anywhere is guaranteed.
Your freedom write whatever you want is guaranteed (think blogs).
Your freedom to own a weapon is guaranteed.
Etc. (Check out The Constitution of the United States of America for more of your freedoms.)
Although The Constitution of the United States of America is a living, breathing document, it lives and breathes slowly...by the amendment process, not by the judicial process.
We can change it, but it has been made a very arduous procedure...on purpose.
So when tragedies happen, resist the urge to point the finger at the feds.
Do what you can to help.
Pray for the families affected.
Send money.
But don't blame the government.
When you blame the government for that which is not their responsibility, you embolden them to think that it IS their responsibility, and they then seek more control.
Trust me.
You don't want the federal government to have more control over your life.
They aren't very good at it.
If "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely," then you don't want to give Washington more power.
In fact, you should do what you can to help take back much of the power you have ceded to them in the past.
If you don't do it while it can be done peacefully, you will have to do it by force later.
If you don't, there will come a day when you will be ruled by despots who will take away every freedom you have.
They will think for you.
They will control you.
They will tell you what job you must have.
They will tell you what you must study to have that job.
They will tell you what to drive.
They will tell you what to eat.
They will tell you what to wear.
And if you disobey them, or if they just dislike you, they will torture you, cut off your fingers and toes or simply cut off you head.
Don't believe it?
Check out both current events and history.
Both prove it.
Is that what you want?
So who do you blame?
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
A NEW CHEMICAL ELEMENT
Someone sent this to me.
So, naturally, I thought I would pass it along to you.
I was right...I would.
Recent hurricanes and gasoline prices are proof of the existence of a new chemical element.
Research has led to the discovery of the heaviest element yet known to science.
The new element, Governmentium(Gv), has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons, and 198 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312.
These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons.
Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert; however, it can be detected, because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact.
A minute amount of Governmentium can cause a reaction that would normally take less than a second, to take from four days to four years to complete.
Governmentium has a normal half life of 2- 6 years. It does not decay, but instead undergoes reorganization in which a portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places.
In fact, Governmentium's mass will actually increase over time, since each reorganization will cause more morons to become neutrons, forming isodopes.
This characteristic of moron promotion leads some scientists to believe that Governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a critical concentration.
This hypothetical quantity is referred to as critical morass.
When catalyzed with money, Governmentium becomes Administratium(Ad), an element that radiates just as much energy as Governmentium, since it has half as many peons but twice as many morons.
So, naturally, I thought I would pass it along to you.
I was right...I would.
Recent hurricanes and gasoline prices are proof of the existence of a new chemical element.
Research has led to the discovery of the heaviest element yet known to science.
The new element, Governmentium(Gv), has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons, and 198 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312.
These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons.
Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert; however, it can be detected, because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact.
A minute amount of Governmentium can cause a reaction that would normally take less than a second, to take from four days to four years to complete.
Governmentium has a normal half life of 2- 6 years. It does not decay, but instead undergoes reorganization in which a portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places.
In fact, Governmentium's mass will actually increase over time, since each reorganization will cause more morons to become neutrons, forming isodopes.
This characteristic of moron promotion leads some scientists to believe that Governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a critical concentration.
This hypothetical quantity is referred to as critical morass.
When catalyzed with money, Governmentium becomes Administratium(Ad), an element that radiates just as much energy as Governmentium, since it has half as many peons but twice as many morons.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
ONE MORE RADIO POST
I am the Production Manager at Kingdom FM, 91.5 FM, Fort Myers Florida and have a weekday air shift from 9:00 AM until Noon.
Kingdom FM can be heard online at www.kingdom.fm.
There is a temptation in Christian radio to think that if we do something special on air for one person, one business or a small group of people we are ministering.
Such is not the case.
There is a reason why radio is called BROADcasting.
Christian radio is best designed to attempt with every element (spots, programs, music, and other ministry) to reach the largest number of people 24 HOURS PER DAY.
While it is true that, in general, drive times have the largest number of people listening at a given time, it is not necessarily the largest audience.
The largest audience is actually found in non-drive time, when considered as a whole.
Let's say you have 100,000 listeners.
From 7:00 AM until 9:00 AM (Morning Drive), let's say you have 20,000 listeners and from 4:00 PM until 6:00 PM (Afternoon Drive) you have 23,000 listeners.
These would be distributed over 4 hours of broadcasting, or about 10,750 listeners per hour.
The rest of your listeners are distributed (rather unevenly) among Midnight to 7:00 AM, Noon until 4:00 PM and 6:00 PM until Midnight. This, using the above figures, would total 57,000 listeners.
These would be distributed over the other 20 hours of broadcasting, or about 2,800 listeners per hour.
While the total number of listeners in any drive time hour is higher than any given non-drive time hour, by far the greatest number of total listeners is in non-drive time.
Add in the Saturday and Sunday hours, and the differences between drive time and non-drive time become even greater.
It would behoove a Christian radio station, then, to make every effort to minister to the non-drive time hours at least as well as it does to drive time.
Now radio listeners are dynamic, not static. That means that the audience is constantly changing.
A person gets in the car, listens to the radio until reaching the destination and then does not listen while shopping, working or whatever else might be taking place.
This is important to take into account when planning programs, spots, music and other ministry elements.
Additionally, it is a waste of valuable ministry time to engage in programming that does not target the largest possible number of people in any given day part.
Programming a particular church's baptismal service, for instance, makes little sense.
First of all, baptism is a visual event and not suited for radio.
Secondly, a particular church's baptismal service is of only minor interest to members of other churches or denominations.
So the wise Program Manager seeks to constantly air the type of programming that appeals to the greatest number of people at any given moment of broadcasting.
One final programming thought.
Radio, especially Christian radio, is very personal to the listener.
Listeners come to feel as though they know the announcers ministering at a given day part.
They also love to know the artists to whom they are listening and the songs they are hearing.
Each of the Bible study personalities has a style to which listeners become accustomed.
The personal nature of Christian radio should encourage a station to exercise an extra measure of integrity and dependability when planning programs.
Constant change irritates listeners.
The inability of listeners to know what they are listening to frustrates them.
Irritated and frustrated listeners are less likely to feel that they are being ministered to and are therefore less likely to support Christian radio.
Increase your ministry AND your contributions by being steady, stable and wise in your programming decisions.
Remember, it is all about ministering to the listener in the name of Jesus.
Kingdom FM can be heard online at www.kingdom.fm.
There is a temptation in Christian radio to think that if we do something special on air for one person, one business or a small group of people we are ministering.
Such is not the case.
There is a reason why radio is called BROADcasting.
Christian radio is best designed to attempt with every element (spots, programs, music, and other ministry) to reach the largest number of people 24 HOURS PER DAY.
While it is true that, in general, drive times have the largest number of people listening at a given time, it is not necessarily the largest audience.
The largest audience is actually found in non-drive time, when considered as a whole.
Let's say you have 100,000 listeners.
From 7:00 AM until 9:00 AM (Morning Drive), let's say you have 20,000 listeners and from 4:00 PM until 6:00 PM (Afternoon Drive) you have 23,000 listeners.
These would be distributed over 4 hours of broadcasting, or about 10,750 listeners per hour.
The rest of your listeners are distributed (rather unevenly) among Midnight to 7:00 AM, Noon until 4:00 PM and 6:00 PM until Midnight. This, using the above figures, would total 57,000 listeners.
These would be distributed over the other 20 hours of broadcasting, or about 2,800 listeners per hour.
While the total number of listeners in any drive time hour is higher than any given non-drive time hour, by far the greatest number of total listeners is in non-drive time.
Add in the Saturday and Sunday hours, and the differences between drive time and non-drive time become even greater.
It would behoove a Christian radio station, then, to make every effort to minister to the non-drive time hours at least as well as it does to drive time.
Now radio listeners are dynamic, not static. That means that the audience is constantly changing.
A person gets in the car, listens to the radio until reaching the destination and then does not listen while shopping, working or whatever else might be taking place.
This is important to take into account when planning programs, spots, music and other ministry elements.
Additionally, it is a waste of valuable ministry time to engage in programming that does not target the largest possible number of people in any given day part.
Programming a particular church's baptismal service, for instance, makes little sense.
First of all, baptism is a visual event and not suited for radio.
Secondly, a particular church's baptismal service is of only minor interest to members of other churches or denominations.
So the wise Program Manager seeks to constantly air the type of programming that appeals to the greatest number of people at any given moment of broadcasting.
One final programming thought.
Radio, especially Christian radio, is very personal to the listener.
Listeners come to feel as though they know the announcers ministering at a given day part.
They also love to know the artists to whom they are listening and the songs they are hearing.
Each of the Bible study personalities has a style to which listeners become accustomed.
The personal nature of Christian radio should encourage a station to exercise an extra measure of integrity and dependability when planning programs.
Constant change irritates listeners.
The inability of listeners to know what they are listening to frustrates them.
Irritated and frustrated listeners are less likely to feel that they are being ministered to and are therefore less likely to support Christian radio.
Increase your ministry AND your contributions by being steady, stable and wise in your programming decisions.
Remember, it is all about ministering to the listener in the name of Jesus.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
A HIGHER CALLING
As you know, I work at Kingdom fm, WJYO, 91.5 FM in Fort Myers, Florida and online at www.kingdom.fm.
It is an honor, a privilege and a responsibility to minister to a community in the name of Jesus through Christian radio.
To think that we have the pleasure of being ministers of His through this medium is awesome.
However, with that pleasure must come the realization that we are held to a very high standard.
It is a travesty that we sometimes forget that standard (or simply ignore it).
For instance, one prominent leader in a Christian radio ministry asked to have a CD made of some of the music being aired.
"A simple and harmless request," you may think.
Think again.
For starters, the music radio stations air is copyrighted for the protection of the artists who wrote, produced, played, sang and distributed the product.
To simply copy it without permission in order to avoid the bother and expense of purchasing it, is to keep those artists from making money on the product from which they make their living.
In short, it is stealing, and thus a violation of the Commandment, "Thou shalt not steal."
Another area in which Christian radio stations are held to a high standard is the area of consideration.
Consideration is being paid in exchange for the on-air promotion of a for-profit business or other entity.
Many Christian radio stations air "donor acknowledgements," for businesses who contribute to the ministry.
Some stations tend to think, "Donor acknowledgements are really just commercials by another name," and tend to wink at the FCC rules governing such acknowledgements.
NOT SO!!
The Federal Communications Commission, to which all broadcast stations must answer, has very strict guidelines regarding the differences between commercials and donor acknowledgements.
A donor acknowledgement is an announcement that identifies a for-profit business that supports the station with one or more contributions.
It cannot be made for consideration; that is: a noncommercial, religious 501C3 station may not "charge" a for-profit business for air time.
The concept that a noncommercial Christian station may charge, say, $10.00 per insertion for a donor acknowledgement is a clear violation of FCC rules.
What is supposed to happen is that a business decides to support the Christian radio station and the station decides to acknowledge that support...period.
The donor acknowledgement may not call on the listener to act on the announcement, may not announce an inducement for the listener to visit the business or to purchase anything from it, may not ask the listener to rent or lease from the business, may not announce information about the price of goods or services and may not announce any descriptive information about the businesses products or services.
For instance, "Goober Ford sells quality Ford products," would be descriptive of the products Goober Ford sells through the use of the word "quality."
"Goober Ford sells Ford products" is fine, because it is not descriptive, just factual.
"Monty's half-price sale lasts until Saturday," would be illegal, because it implies both a price and an inducement to buy.
Fines for violations can be stiff (see below) and may result in the revocation of the Christian radio station's license to broadcast.
The following is taken from the FCC web site relating to the operation of noncommercial radio stations, including educational, religious and 501C3 stations.
FCC GUIDELINES FOR NONCOMMERCIAL UNDERWRITER ANNOUNCEMENTS
Guidelines covering announcements for the sale of program-related services and materials by for-profit entities were not changed by our 1982 Order.
Thus, such announcements are permitted so long as the licensee (1) receives no consideration [consideration is defined as money’s received or charged in exchange for services or announcements offered] for the announcement; and (2) the materials are offered on the basis of public interest considerations and not the private economic interests of the offeror; or (3) the price of the materials offered is only nominal. Second Report and Order, 86 FCC 2d at 152. As noted above, the nominal price requirement does not apply to offerings sponsored by nonprofit entities.
Advertisements are defined by the Act as program material broadcast "in exchange for any remuneration" and intended to "promote any service, facility, or product" of for-profit entities.
Thus, and underwriter announcement that violates the noncommercial rules is considered an advertisement.
In the Matter of CHRISTIAN VOICE OF CENTRAL OHIO, INC. Licensee of Formerly Noncommercial Educational Station WCVZ(FM), South Zanesville, Ohio, The FCC enforced a $20,000.00 fine and recommended the revocation of their license.
Section 399B of the Act, as implemented by Section 73.503 of the Commission's Rules, prohibits public radio and television stations from broadcasting advertisements. Advertisements are defined by the Act as program material broadcast "in exchange for any remuneration" and intended to "promote any service, facility, or product" of for-profit entities. 47 U.S.C. _ 399B.
Although contributors of funds to a noncommercial station may receive on-air acknowledgements, the Commission has unequivocally stated that such acknowledgements may be made for identification purposes only and should not promote the contributor's products, services, or business.
Specifically, such announcements may not contain comparative or qualitative descriptions, price information, calls to action, or inducements to buy, sell, rent or lease. See Public Notice, "In the Matter of the Commission Policy Concerning the Noncommercial Nature of Educational Broadcasting Stations."
As representatives of our Lord, we have a spiritual and a secular responsibility to conduct our ministry in a way that is entirely above board and that would bring only honor and glory to Him.
Christian radio is held to a HIGHER CALLING.
It is an honor, a privilege and a responsibility to minister to a community in the name of Jesus through Christian radio.
To think that we have the pleasure of being ministers of His through this medium is awesome.
However, with that pleasure must come the realization that we are held to a very high standard.
It is a travesty that we sometimes forget that standard (or simply ignore it).
For instance, one prominent leader in a Christian radio ministry asked to have a CD made of some of the music being aired.
"A simple and harmless request," you may think.
Think again.
For starters, the music radio stations air is copyrighted for the protection of the artists who wrote, produced, played, sang and distributed the product.
To simply copy it without permission in order to avoid the bother and expense of purchasing it, is to keep those artists from making money on the product from which they make their living.
In short, it is stealing, and thus a violation of the Commandment, "Thou shalt not steal."
Another area in which Christian radio stations are held to a high standard is the area of consideration.
Consideration is being paid in exchange for the on-air promotion of a for-profit business or other entity.
Many Christian radio stations air "donor acknowledgements," for businesses who contribute to the ministry.
Some stations tend to think, "Donor acknowledgements are really just commercials by another name," and tend to wink at the FCC rules governing such acknowledgements.
NOT SO!!
The Federal Communications Commission, to which all broadcast stations must answer, has very strict guidelines regarding the differences between commercials and donor acknowledgements.
A donor acknowledgement is an announcement that identifies a for-profit business that supports the station with one or more contributions.
It cannot be made for consideration; that is: a noncommercial, religious 501C3 station may not "charge" a for-profit business for air time.
The concept that a noncommercial Christian station may charge, say, $10.00 per insertion for a donor acknowledgement is a clear violation of FCC rules.
What is supposed to happen is that a business decides to support the Christian radio station and the station decides to acknowledge that support...period.
The donor acknowledgement may not call on the listener to act on the announcement, may not announce an inducement for the listener to visit the business or to purchase anything from it, may not ask the listener to rent or lease from the business, may not announce information about the price of goods or services and may not announce any descriptive information about the businesses products or services.
For instance, "Goober Ford sells quality Ford products," would be descriptive of the products Goober Ford sells through the use of the word "quality."
"Goober Ford sells Ford products" is fine, because it is not descriptive, just factual.
"Monty's half-price sale lasts until Saturday," would be illegal, because it implies both a price and an inducement to buy.
Fines for violations can be stiff (see below) and may result in the revocation of the Christian radio station's license to broadcast.
The following is taken from the FCC web site relating to the operation of noncommercial radio stations, including educational, religious and 501C3 stations.
FCC GUIDELINES FOR NONCOMMERCIAL UNDERWRITER ANNOUNCEMENTS
Guidelines covering announcements for the sale of program-related services and materials by for-profit entities were not changed by our 1982 Order.
Thus, such announcements are permitted so long as the licensee (1) receives no consideration [consideration is defined as money’s received or charged in exchange for services or announcements offered] for the announcement; and (2) the materials are offered on the basis of public interest considerations and not the private economic interests of the offeror; or (3) the price of the materials offered is only nominal. Second Report and Order, 86 FCC 2d at 152. As noted above, the nominal price requirement does not apply to offerings sponsored by nonprofit entities.
Advertisements are defined by the Act as program material broadcast "in exchange for any remuneration" and intended to "promote any service, facility, or product" of for-profit entities.
Thus, and underwriter announcement that violates the noncommercial rules is considered an advertisement.
In the Matter of CHRISTIAN VOICE OF CENTRAL OHIO, INC. Licensee of Formerly Noncommercial Educational Station WCVZ(FM), South Zanesville, Ohio, The FCC enforced a $20,000.00 fine and recommended the revocation of their license.
Section 399B of the Act, as implemented by Section 73.503 of the Commission's Rules, prohibits public radio and television stations from broadcasting advertisements. Advertisements are defined by the Act as program material broadcast "in exchange for any remuneration" and intended to "promote any service, facility, or product" of for-profit entities. 47 U.S.C. _ 399B.
Although contributors of funds to a noncommercial station may receive on-air acknowledgements, the Commission has unequivocally stated that such acknowledgements may be made for identification purposes only and should not promote the contributor's products, services, or business.
Specifically, such announcements may not contain comparative or qualitative descriptions, price information, calls to action, or inducements to buy, sell, rent or lease. See Public Notice, "In the Matter of the Commission Policy Concerning the Noncommercial Nature of Educational Broadcasting Stations."
As representatives of our Lord, we have a spiritual and a secular responsibility to conduct our ministry in a way that is entirely above board and that would bring only honor and glory to Him.
Christian radio is held to a HIGHER CALLING.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
This One's Been Around But I Love It
Gumperson's Law
Gumperson's Law, as explained below, accounts for the fact that you can throw a burned match out the window of your car and start a forest fire, while you can use two boxes of matches and a whole edition of the Sunday paper without being able to start a fire under the dry logs in your fireplace.
The law, stated simply, is:
Readers familiar with these matters will perhaps recognize another version of the Law: The Outcome of a Given Desired Probability will be Inverse to the Degree of Desirability.
Dr. R.F. Gumperson, internationally famous physicist, began serious work in 1938 on a phenomenon long known to scientists, but up until then considered as a mere curiosity. This was the fact that the forecasting record of the Weather Bureau, despite its use of the most advanced equipment and highly trained personnel, was not as good as that of the Farmers' Almanac.
After four years of research, Dr. Gumperson enunciated his now famous law and was able to make a series of predictions later confirmed by other workers in the field. Some of the better known of these include the following:
(1) That after a raise in pay you will have less money at the end of the month than you had before.
(2) That the girl at the race track who bets according to the color of the jockey's shirt will pick more winners than the man who studied the past performance of every horse on the program.
(3) That children have more energy after a hard day of play than they do after a good night's sleep.
(4) That the person who buys the most raffle tickets has the least chance of winning the raffle.
(5) That a child can be exposed to mumps for weeks without catching them, but can catch them without exposure the day before the family vacation.
(6) That the dishwasher will break down the evening you give dinner for ten.
(7) That the parking spaces are always on the other side of the street.
Dr. Gumperson served as a consultant to the armed services during World War II and evolved the procedure whereby the more a recruit knew about a given subject, the better chance he had of receiving an assignment elsewhere.
There is no knowing to what further glittering heights Dr. Gumperson's genius could have led him had it not been for his untimely death in 1947.
Strolling along the highway one evening, he was obeying the pedestrian rules of walking to the left, wearing light clothing, and facing traffic.
He was struck down from behind by a Hillman-Minx, driven by an English visitor hugging the left side of the road.
Gumperson's Law, as explained below, accounts for the fact that you can throw a burned match out the window of your car and start a forest fire, while you can use two boxes of matches and a whole edition of the Sunday paper without being able to start a fire under the dry logs in your fireplace.
The law, stated simply, is:
"THE CONTRADICTORY OF A WELCOME PROBABILITY WILL ASSERT ITSELF WHENEVER SUCH AN EVENT IS LIKELY TO BE MOST FRUSTRATING."
Readers familiar with these matters will perhaps recognize another version of the Law: The Outcome of a Given Desired Probability will be Inverse to the Degree of Desirability.
Dr. R.F. Gumperson, internationally famous physicist, began serious work in 1938 on a phenomenon long known to scientists, but up until then considered as a mere curiosity. This was the fact that the forecasting record of the Weather Bureau, despite its use of the most advanced equipment and highly trained personnel, was not as good as that of the Farmers' Almanac.
After four years of research, Dr. Gumperson enunciated his now famous law and was able to make a series of predictions later confirmed by other workers in the field. Some of the better known of these include the following:
(1) That after a raise in pay you will have less money at the end of the month than you had before.
(2) That the girl at the race track who bets according to the color of the jockey's shirt will pick more winners than the man who studied the past performance of every horse on the program.
(3) That children have more energy after a hard day of play than they do after a good night's sleep.
(4) That the person who buys the most raffle tickets has the least chance of winning the raffle.
(5) That a child can be exposed to mumps for weeks without catching them, but can catch them without exposure the day before the family vacation.
(6) That the dishwasher will break down the evening you give dinner for ten.
(7) That the parking spaces are always on the other side of the street.
Dr. Gumperson served as a consultant to the armed services during World War II and evolved the procedure whereby the more a recruit knew about a given subject, the better chance he had of receiving an assignment elsewhere.
There is no knowing to what further glittering heights Dr. Gumperson's genius could have led him had it not been for his untimely death in 1947.
Strolling along the highway one evening, he was obeying the pedestrian rules of walking to the left, wearing light clothing, and facing traffic.
He was struck down from behind by a Hillman-Minx, driven by an English visitor hugging the left side of the road.
Monday, July 23, 2007
QOD
Here is the
Why in the world would someone imagine that God had led him/her to be the leader of a ministry but not call him/her to be a minister?
QUESTION OF THE DAY:
Why in the world would someone imagine that God had led him/her to be the leader of a ministry but not call him/her to be a minister?
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Ponderosa
Pro-Verbs 1:1-13
1. Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
2. He who laughs last, thinks slowest.
3. Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.
4. Those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't.
5. Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool.
6. The 50-50-90 rule: Anytime you have a 50-50 chance of getting something right, there's a 90% probability you'll get it wrong.
7. If you lined up all the cars in the world end to end, someone wouldbe stupid enough to try to pass them, five or six at a time, on a hill, in the fog.
8. If the shoe fits, get another one just like it.
9. The things that come to those who wait will be the things left over by those who got there first.
10. Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will sit in a boat all day getting a sunburn.
11. Flashlight: A case for holding dead batteries.
12. The shinbone is a device for finding furniture in a dark room.
13. A fine is a tax for doing wrong. A tax is a fine for doing well.
1. Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
2. He who laughs last, thinks slowest.
3. Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.
4. Those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't.
5. Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool.
6. The 50-50-90 rule: Anytime you have a 50-50 chance of getting something right, there's a 90% probability you'll get it wrong.
7. If you lined up all the cars in the world end to end, someone wouldbe stupid enough to try to pass them, five or six at a time, on a hill, in the fog.
8. If the shoe fits, get another one just like it.
9. The things that come to those who wait will be the things left over by those who got there first.
10. Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will sit in a boat all day getting a sunburn.
11. Flashlight: A case for holding dead batteries.
12. The shinbone is a device for finding furniture in a dark room.
13. A fine is a tax for doing wrong. A tax is a fine for doing well.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Parabola
Once there was a man who wanted more than anything else to own a water-works plant.
He had used water all his life.
He cooked with water, drank water, cleaned with water and made all sorts of good things like coffee, tea and milk.
OK, not milk...maybe powdered soft drinks.
In fact, his own body was made of water...more water than all the other elements combined.
He really, really loved water.
One day a water plant became available that served not one, but two municipalities. And at a price he could afford!
Or so he thought.
So, he bought it.
Problem.
Although he knew a lot about water and had used it all of his life, he knew nothing about the operations of a water plant.
He did not know the laws governing water plants.
He did not know how to run a water plant.
He did not know water-plant terminology.
He did not know who-all used the water from the plant.
He did not know what all the funny dials at the water plant meant.
He did not understand the levers.
He did not know what chemicals needed to be added to the water to make it appropriate for the users.
He did not know how much of which chemicals to use.
Not to worry!
There were people at the plant who had been operating water plants for many years.
He would show them how he wanted the plant to operate.
When he got to the plant the first day, he began making drastic changes to the methods and policies that were considered accepted practice by water plants all over the country.
"Water produced at this plant is too sedate for most of our customers."
"How do you know that?" asked one of the long-time professional water plant operators.
"I have been led by this gut instinct I have that I take to be leading from God, since He let me think of it." he answered.
"Well," said the employee, "I can't argue with God."
"Now let's get started!" cried the new water-plant owner, as he swayed back and forth where he stood.
"Add more chemicals!" he shouted, "We have to give the customers a little 'kick' for their water dollar.
"But sir!" started the employee...
"Who do you think you are?" shouted the new owner. "You need to know your place! I'm the boss here. You do what I say the first time I say it, when I say it!"
His face got redder and redder.
Now he was vibrating all over and there was sweat showing on his forehead.
"This is MY water plant! I bought it!
"And by-the-way. That time yesterday when the Internet went down and you didn't send the email I told you to...that's why we're losing customers!
"I asked you what happened and you immediately started to tell me what happened.
"And you didn't even apologize...why, you don't even know HOW to apologize! You should have STARTED with an apology. Never mind that I asked you what happened...you should have started WITH AN APOLOGY!!!!!!!
"You are a stinking, rotten person and I should fire your butt!
"Don't think you're important to this place! This place will continue functioning with or without you!"
He finally stopped screaming...maybe he ran out of words.
The employee felt the stress knot in his abdomen tighten...it was the same stress that had brought on his liver failure a few months earlier.
"Oh no," he thought, "I'm going to end up right back in the hospital again. I might even die this time...I certainly feel worse than last time."
"Oh, please, sir, I am so sorry I did not send your email while the Internet was down. It was all my fault. Oh, sorrow...oh pain."
"You have to know that our receivables are down from last year!" The new owner was getting red again. "It's all because you didn't send the email when the Internet was down! We can't have this kind of thing happening! Now get out of here!"
The employee went back to work, trying to apply his years of experience to keep from killing off the customers with all the "extra" chemicals and stuff, while still adding the chemicals that the new owner wanted to add.
Customers, meanwhile, did not like the water they were getting. More and more of them began buying bottled water. Fewer and fewer used water from the plant.
"What we need to do," said the owner to the employees, "is to hire someone to go sell water to the many businesses in the area. The businesses will surely want to buy water from us. They will make up for the many regular customers we are losing."
Other water plants in the country were flourishing, having decided that giving the customers what they really needed was the best way to increase the number of customers they had.
What the new owner did not realize, or was too proud or insecure to admit, was that he had in his presence the very people upon whose experience he could draw that would have turned things around for the water plant.
His own ego, though, never even allowed such an idea to occur to him.
And so, the water plant continued to lose customers and to lose customers.
Its flow to the community slowed and slowed until it became just one big drip.
And God looked down and said, "I gave him the desire of his heart and he did everything he could to destroy it with outlandish ideas and an unwillingness to learn from those whose experience had taught them so much.
"And to think, if he had just asked, they would have fallen all over themselves to help him, because they are very committed to water plants."
And while the owner thought God was very pleased, the truth is, God was very sad.
He had used water all his life.
He cooked with water, drank water, cleaned with water and made all sorts of good things like coffee, tea and milk.
OK, not milk...maybe powdered soft drinks.
In fact, his own body was made of water...more water than all the other elements combined.
He really, really loved water.
One day a water plant became available that served not one, but two municipalities. And at a price he could afford!
Or so he thought.
So, he bought it.
Problem.
Although he knew a lot about water and had used it all of his life, he knew nothing about the operations of a water plant.
He did not know the laws governing water plants.
He did not know how to run a water plant.
He did not know water-plant terminology.
He did not know who-all used the water from the plant.
He did not know what all the funny dials at the water plant meant.
He did not understand the levers.
He did not know what chemicals needed to be added to the water to make it appropriate for the users.
He did not know how much of which chemicals to use.
Not to worry!
There were people at the plant who had been operating water plants for many years.
He would show them how he wanted the plant to operate.
When he got to the plant the first day, he began making drastic changes to the methods and policies that were considered accepted practice by water plants all over the country.
"Water produced at this plant is too sedate for most of our customers."
"How do you know that?" asked one of the long-time professional water plant operators.
"I have been led by this gut instinct I have that I take to be leading from God, since He let me think of it." he answered.
"Well," said the employee, "I can't argue with God."
"Now let's get started!" cried the new water-plant owner, as he swayed back and forth where he stood.
"Add more chemicals!" he shouted, "We have to give the customers a little 'kick' for their water dollar.
"But sir!" started the employee...
"Who do you think you are?" shouted the new owner. "You need to know your place! I'm the boss here. You do what I say the first time I say it, when I say it!"
His face got redder and redder.
Now he was vibrating all over and there was sweat showing on his forehead.
"This is MY water plant! I bought it!
"And by-the-way. That time yesterday when the Internet went down and you didn't send the email I told you to...that's why we're losing customers!
"I asked you what happened and you immediately started to tell me what happened.
"And you didn't even apologize...why, you don't even know HOW to apologize! You should have STARTED with an apology. Never mind that I asked you what happened...you should have started WITH AN APOLOGY!!!!!!!
"You are a stinking, rotten person and I should fire your butt!
"Don't think you're important to this place! This place will continue functioning with or without you!"
He finally stopped screaming...maybe he ran out of words.
The employee felt the stress knot in his abdomen tighten...it was the same stress that had brought on his liver failure a few months earlier.
"Oh no," he thought, "I'm going to end up right back in the hospital again. I might even die this time...I certainly feel worse than last time."
"Oh, please, sir, I am so sorry I did not send your email while the Internet was down. It was all my fault. Oh, sorrow...oh pain."
"You have to know that our receivables are down from last year!" The new owner was getting red again. "It's all because you didn't send the email when the Internet was down! We can't have this kind of thing happening! Now get out of here!"
The employee went back to work, trying to apply his years of experience to keep from killing off the customers with all the "extra" chemicals and stuff, while still adding the chemicals that the new owner wanted to add.
Customers, meanwhile, did not like the water they were getting. More and more of them began buying bottled water. Fewer and fewer used water from the plant.
"What we need to do," said the owner to the employees, "is to hire someone to go sell water to the many businesses in the area. The businesses will surely want to buy water from us. They will make up for the many regular customers we are losing."
Other water plants in the country were flourishing, having decided that giving the customers what they really needed was the best way to increase the number of customers they had.
What the new owner did not realize, or was too proud or insecure to admit, was that he had in his presence the very people upon whose experience he could draw that would have turned things around for the water plant.
His own ego, though, never even allowed such an idea to occur to him.
And so, the water plant continued to lose customers and to lose customers.
Its flow to the community slowed and slowed until it became just one big drip.
And God looked down and said, "I gave him the desire of his heart and he did everything he could to destroy it with outlandish ideas and an unwillingness to learn from those whose experience had taught them so much.
"And to think, if he had just asked, they would have fallen all over themselves to help him, because they are very committed to water plants."
And while the owner thought God was very pleased, the truth is, God was very sad.
Monday, July 16, 2007
How to Teach Adult Sunday School Part 1
Since 1968, I have served as a Minister of Education, Minister of Youth and/or Minister of Music in churches in Georgia and Florida.
In my duties as Minister of Education, I have tried to disciple and train teachers of adults in Sunday School.
Here is a set of questions to which would like to require an answer from every Sunday School teacher of adults:
1. What is the textbook you should use in your Sunday School class?
a. The denominational literature
b. The Bible
c. "a" and "b" above
d. None of the above
2. What is the Bible?
a. The Bible is God's book that shows us how to behave in such a way as to please Him.
b. The Bible is God's revelation of His character, His love for His creation and His plan for its redemption.
c. The Bible is a history book about God's involvement in the world.
d. The Bible is a rule-book for life.
3. The Bible's purpose is to reveal to us:
a. How God created the world.
b. Everything you need to know about God.
c. How we should treat poor people.
d. All there is to know about interpersonal relationships.
4. The most important book of the Bible is:
a. The Gospel of John, because it contains the plan of salvation.
b. They are all equally important because they are each a part of the whole.
c. Job, because it teaches us to be patient with God.
d. Revelations because they give us so many mystical pictures of so many things.
5. The Jews became God's chosen people because:
a. They were a fine, outstanding group of God-fearing people.
b. God is God, and He gets to choose.
c. God knew that the Jews would never stray from obedience to Him.
d. Jesus had to be a Jew, or He couldn't be the Messiah.
6. The focus of the Bible, from Genesis to The Book of the Revelation, is:
a. Mankind
b. Jesus
c. History
d. Spirituality
7. Each verse of the Bible:
a. Stands alone in meaning and interpretation.
b. Points to Jesus.
c. Must be taken in immediate context.
d. Is a lot like a proverb.
8. The Bible is all about
a. Answering my questions about life.
b. Jesus
c. Me and my needs
d. Learning to do all things mystical, metaphysical and pseudo-spiritual
There are more questions I would pose, but I'll save them for another time.
By the way, the answer to every question is "b."
Some of the others may seem right, but they are not.
Do you teach Sunday School?
In my duties as Minister of Education, I have tried to disciple and train teachers of adults in Sunday School.
Here is a set of questions to which would like to require an answer from every Sunday School teacher of adults:
1. What is the textbook you should use in your Sunday School class?
a. The denominational literature
b. The Bible
c. "a" and "b" above
d. None of the above
2. What is the Bible?
a. The Bible is God's book that shows us how to behave in such a way as to please Him.
b. The Bible is God's revelation of His character, His love for His creation and His plan for its redemption.
c. The Bible is a history book about God's involvement in the world.
d. The Bible is a rule-book for life.
3. The Bible's purpose is to reveal to us:
a. How God created the world.
b. Everything you need to know about God.
c. How we should treat poor people.
d. All there is to know about interpersonal relationships.
4. The most important book of the Bible is:
a. The Gospel of John, because it contains the plan of salvation.
b. They are all equally important because they are each a part of the whole.
c. Job, because it teaches us to be patient with God.
d. Revelations because they give us so many mystical pictures of so many things.
5. The Jews became God's chosen people because:
a. They were a fine, outstanding group of God-fearing people.
b. God is God, and He gets to choose.
c. God knew that the Jews would never stray from obedience to Him.
d. Jesus had to be a Jew, or He couldn't be the Messiah.
6. The focus of the Bible, from Genesis to The Book of the Revelation, is:
a. Mankind
b. Jesus
c. History
d. Spirituality
7. Each verse of the Bible:
a. Stands alone in meaning and interpretation.
b. Points to Jesus.
c. Must be taken in immediate context.
d. Is a lot like a proverb.
8. The Bible is all about
a. Answering my questions about life.
b. Jesus
c. Me and my needs
d. Learning to do all things mystical, metaphysical and pseudo-spiritual
There are more questions I would pose, but I'll save them for another time.
By the way, the answer to every question is "b."
Some of the others may seem right, but they are not.
Do you teach Sunday School?
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