Random Thoughts

Well, we made it through the second snowstorm in just over a week here in the Denver metropolitan area.  Thankfully, the second wave wasn’t quite as bad as originally predicted.  We were hit locally with about eight inches or so with some 12-18 inch drifts.  Further north and west, the snowfall amounts were a bit more significant.  14-18 inches in Boulder and nearly two feet in the foothills.  Regardless, it slowed things down again Friday and I spent another day outside shoveling.  I don’t think I could get a better workout anywhere than my front driveway the past few weeks.

On to other things….

Saddam Hussein is dead.  Reaction from around the globe is mixed and of course, France and Germany, loyal friends of the U.S. as they are, are stating they were against the whole thing.  I wonder if France felt that way when we were losing many men during World War II when Hitler was readying to conquer Paris and these same French were preparing to read “Mein Kampf” as the book of the month club selection?  Time has a way or erasing old memories.

Bombs went off in Spain again today.  I thought when they pulled their troops out of Iraq all of that was supposed to stop?  I wonder what their liberal government will do to correct this?  They can’t fight back since that’s what they were opposed to so perhaps sending some milk and cookies to the Basque ETA group will smooth things over. 

Has Hamas released those Israeli soldiers it illegally took before the Israelis started bombing Lebanon and the Bush administration got blamed for that too?  I thought Kofi Annan had brokered a peace settlement for BOTH sides and not just one?  Oh yeah, he’s out of office counting his oil for food money from Saddam.  Funny how these things go full circle.

Enough political talk.  It makes my head spin to see the double standard applied to American interests in the International arena.  If you don’t think any of this affects Christians and the Christian movement then you’re not eating your corn flakes my friend!

On to Christian news…

It appears the pastor at the large Southern Baptist church Adrian Rogers used to pastor in Memphis, Tennessee is under siege for concealing information about sexual affairs that are decades old and just now coming to light.  I’ve read the stories and I wonder why a seminary president is sticking his nose into the matter to make things worse.  Chapter and verse please?  And no, don’t give me any of those wise old sage texts from the scripture as your reasoning.  Leave it up to the leadership of the church to handle things.  I wonder if the late Rev. Rogers knew about any of this?  What would the reaction have been then?

As I read blogs mainly by church planters (since that’s what I am) and other solid Christian sites, I see many new books being published by the same folks.  Sadly, many are not dealing with the issue of salvation and repentance and what means we should be using to bring the issue to light.  Most are just “Seize the Day” feel goods that I’ve already read by other authors several years ago.  The language is a bit more ‘hip’ and the stories more modern but I’ve already read this stuff.  Do yourself a favor.  Skip the new stuff for a bit and pick up a copy of “An Alarm to the Unconverted” by Joseph Alleine.  The book was written in the 17th century as a treatise to the unsaved sinner and has been edited slightly to update the english language without losing any of the “spice” of the original.  Alleine died young but his fervor for genuine life change and true salvation as opposed to “relationships” and “consideration” as a measure of success is something that should challenge all of us.  Sometimes we get so caught up in “connecting” and “relevance” that we forget the ultimate end to those endeavors; rallying rather around the preliminaries instead of the payoff, which is transformed lives.   This point was again brought home to me as I led a 93 year old woman to Christ on Tuesday, December 19th and then heard of her passing less than 24 hours later.  To hear the elderly woman barely breathing (she had removed her oxygen to pray with me) and to hear her have only the energy to say “I love you Jesus” over and over again as I led her in prayer brought tears to my eyes as the reality of eternal life hit me smack in the forehead.  I had the honor of doing this woman’s funeral Thursday morning and celebrated with the family for her home-going!

Well, I could type more…but my brain aches.  Have blessed worship this weekend and remember, It’s all about Jesus!