Posts (page 2)

Recently I have been hit by a birage of requests from one of my sites, plaxo.com. It is a very cool contact backup software. But they moved into social networking and so now I keep getting friend requests. The request can come in 3 categories: Business contact (cold, very cold), Friend (yippee), and Family (is a close friend really family?). The conundrum comes a couple of different ways. I keep getting requests for people claiming to be my friend that I don't even know. Worse off there friend request doesn't come with a picture so I don't know if I should know them by name and just don't. One today even referred to me as Matt, which is odd because it isn't my name but I do have a cousin named Matt. And if we are really friends shouldn't you know me by my name? And just because you are a friend of a friend does that make you close enough to be my friend. And if you are a pastor that I know do I have to claim you as more than a "business contact" because that is too cold so I must claim you as a friend even though we almost never hangout or talk with each other, other than about church and ministry related activities? Wouldn't that make us business contacts even though we may like each other and respect it each other, I don't think we are firends.

Is not being a friend somehow ungodly, not Christ-like?

"A man with many friends may be harmed, but there is a friend who stays closer than a brother." (Proverbs 18:24, HCSB)

I realize it is just social networking and all the proper manners haven't been totally accepted yet. It just got me to thinking about my real friends. Today I had good friends disagree with me and I am so glad they did. We didn't start agreeing with each other after we were done either. Yet out friendship stays in take. I am glad to have friends of integrity and friends who genuinely want to serve the Lord with their whole hearts. And no check box makes them real friends, it may be in the way that I am not harmed that proves it.

Thank you Lord for my friends. 

I have been working to update our church website at www.newdaystockton.com . As soon as it is done I will be back on posting, maybe sooner

Work Day at Church yesterday. New Friends from Twin Oaks Church of Citrus Heights came to help us. We did some cleaning, organized the lumber in our shed, fixed broken sprinklers, and cut out many of our displays for our Christmas Light Show.

"Citizens ... enjoy freedom of religious belief. No state organ, public organization, or individual may compel citizens to believe in, or not to believe in, any religion; nor may they discriminate against citizens who believe in, or do not believe in, any religion. The state protects normal religious activities. No one may make use of religion to engage in activities that disrupt public order, impair the health of citizens or interfere with the educational system of the state. Religious bodies and religious affairs are not subject to any foreign domination."

I read this law this week and after a conversation I had with two very nice people I wondered if this is where our country is headed. On first glance of the law I can see where many Americans would like it. "No one can discriminate" that's cool. No one can use the fact that I am a follower of Jesus or that someone is a Muslim to refuse us work or home. I like that.

The first point may the most beneficial in some people's minds. No one can compel me, no more street corners filled with people yelling about religion, no one being allowed to come to my door and handing me magazines, no one on TV making a spectacle of faith, no more flowers at the airport (like anyone does that anymore anyway), no more dudes on bicycles!

Can't impair the health of citizens! That sounds good too, no more Christian Scientists (not actually Christians) having their kids die because they won't get medical care or Jehovah's Witnesses driving doctors crazy because they won't get blood transfusions. And absolutely no argument about prayer in schools because it clearly states, "interfere with the educational system of the state."

This one is so specific and appears to solve all the arguments of our culture. Our law on religion is this: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. The vagueness of this amendment has allowed our government to go through tough battles on what does not making a law about the establishment of religion mean? Does that allow schools to pray if the community says it is okay? Does that allow people to kill themselves to put themselves on a comet?

I've heard twice in recent weeks once from someone just being obnoxious and another from someone being caring and nice, that kids should not have faith "forced on them." The obnoxious one said brainwashed. The argument of the obnoxious one is that the kids should be given the freedom to come to belief on their own rather than have someone pick their belief for them. The first constitutional law I have in this blog would seem to agree with that statement. 

The theory is that a child, when they have reached a a certain age, can pick a belief system that makes the most sense to them. Kind of like how we don't arrange marriages therefore we should not arrange belief.

I find this argument ridiculous because I have children and I work with children across the age spectrum. I also work with people at all stages of life and their belief systems. Whether someone has a formalized belief system that is outside of themselves or not they will attribute certain aspects of the world to a matter of faith. Some will say it is God, gods, goddess, forces, nature, unexplained phenomena, and more. People left to their own devices do not turn out to be atheists but wandering theists searching. They pick a faith system and unless it has been taught to them how to study the subject and how serious it is, they may be tempted to pick anything and everything hoping something does the trick.

The Bible in Romans 1 points to the error of this line of thinking. 

"From the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what He has made. As a result, people are without excuse. For though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became nonsense, and their senseless minds were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools" (Romans 1:20-22, HCSB)

 Because of our own natural human arrogance God has commanded those who follow him teach to their children the seriousness of their own belief through living out their genuine faith in their home.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." (Deuteronomy 6:5-7, HCSB)

Are their parents and others who use religion to abuse? Absolutely! But that doesn't deny the tenants of any faith.

What are the practical implications of what I am saying? Children need training in faith and not just the "these are belief systems aren't they all nice" that students get in school. That is tolerance not a belief system. Tolerance is good but just because your belief is tolerated doesn't make it right. Parents should teach their kids their faith as if it is the correct one and later this learning of faith will actually be a gateway for truth to enter in. In other words lets just say that Buddhism is correct. Than a kid who grew up with an intense learning in Jesus and Christianity will value spirituality and could see the light of the new truth in Buddhism and have a basis for how to believe in it. Where as a kid who has all the belief systems laid out before them will not a have foundation of belief at all and may never get the full life benefits of what they believe.

Of course I do not believe that Buddhism is correct but I have met many a converted Buddhist who comes to belief in Christ with a rich appreciation for His power and a strong belief in prayer.

The first constitution mentioned? "Citizens of the People's Republic of China enjoy freedom of religious belief ..." BULL. They enjoy the freedom to express their religion in the way that benefits the state. Under this constitution churches must be state approved meaning they can be monitored, parents could be arrested for training their children in their faith "individuals may not compel citizens", people gathering for home bible studies and church services are regularly arrested with leaders being put into prision for years.

Frankly, I'll tolerate pushy Mormons anyday to allow both of us to express our heartfelt faith.

I can't sleep. It's 3 am and I have woken up like it is day time but I am also still tired. Now based on the Biblical story of Samuel I have been trained, first by my mother, then by others that when I wake up in the middle of the night like this I am to pray. I do this and have been doing this for a little while. There are other times when my body has just woken up for some reason that I can't yet figure out but I will never forget that on September 11 I woke up very, very early for me. So I've checked the news and prayed, nothing big.

I am still very excited about this past weekend. The californiachristmaslights.com bbq was a big hit. We had people come from as far away as Moro Bay. Lori did such a good job demonstrating Light-O-Rama II, the software we use for the churches animated christmas display. As you can see in my pictures we had tons of phone with Mike Eaker, a new friend from Folsom, bringing down his Christmas display items. He is such a generous man.

Sunday was very good. Had a good line in the sermon about serving God, It's like take your kdi to work day, and we are going with our heavenly Dad. He does need us, just like no parent needs to take their kid to work with them, but He does us getting to know Him better.

Finally getting tired again,

good night.

MONTEREY! Oh it's good to get away. Lori and I just walked and walked and walked. Andrew came with us, his first ever road trip. He did okay today. He definilty likes Mom more than me but who can blame him. We spent most of the day in Steinbeck territory, right on Cannery Row. As Lori and I were walking through the shops and art gallerys I couldn't help but keep remarking that really this is just like us walking through the industrial park at the Airport if it had been turned it into galleries. These were just factories, fishing mills that were so productive with a poor eye to management that they fished themselves out of existence. If they did a better job they would still be factories today, instead they're the home to tourists, resteraunts, artisy types and of course, the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

I kind of wonder why Stockton doesn't turn its old canneries into museums. Oh yeah, because there is no view. The view was awesome today, lots of sunshine and a crystal blue Monterey Bay. There were tons of seals and birds, no otters, maybe tomorrow. Sadly, we could see fires in Santa Cruz all day long.

I got the closest I ever have to a sea lion today. I could have touched him if I leaned low enough and it wasn't illegal to mess with them. He was so still a lady thought for a sec. that he was dead but he wasn't. However I did see my first ever dead seal. Thankfully I saw it before Lori and just turned her away. He had obviously been carried up to the shore by the waves and deposited on the rocks.

It was necessary to get away but hard because it is an exciting day back home. The men's ministry kicks off and the evangelism heads out to wash some cars. Be praying for you guys.

Today I made 3 posters, that was how I spent most of my day today.

The first one took awhile as I tried to think what would suprise and motivate the relatively fun Christmas Light "Clark Griswald" type of decorator to want to come to a BBQ with other Griswold types.

Then I had to create a flyer for our local community college where the advertising is free and we can let students know about our church. The first one is what will be going up soon.

 

The second one is what I think of as funny. Its in a line with advertising like Sprite. Which ran the ads "obey your thirst" make fun of commercials acting like soda made you jump higher or stuff like that, saying soda is really something to sooth your thirst. We probably won't use it until later on in the fall.

 

Leaving tomorrow for Monterey and a weekend getaway with Lori and Andrew.

My friend Scott sent me this link today. It's quite good:

http://getanchored.blogspot.com/2008/06/buttprints-in-sand.html

 

Happy Father's Day to me and to all fathers out there.

I was watching 60 minutes tonight with my Dad, something I haven't done in many years. The first two stories seemed to show 60 minutes as the news show which shares with all of us what professors in our colleges are studying. The first story was on Sleep, professor after professor shared about the importance of sleep. Nothing I didn't know, sleep is valuable to preventing obesity, depression, improving judgement and memory.

The next study they aired was fascinating. It seems that citizens of Denmark are the happiest people in the world. There not the healthiest or richest but they are the happiest. Their tax rate for middle income earners is about 50%. Why are they happy? They are very content and have low expectations. As they say if the saw that they were the 20th happiest people, they would think that was pretty good.

Contenment is a hard issue for me. It is a current running dialogue with me that new items won't make me happy. Usually they add more issues to my life, either I have to figure out how to pay for them or I have to care for them or spend time with them. But then I also am the youngest child in my family, which I blame for this intense desire to get more and feel entitled to more. So I have two battles going on, I want a good gift feeling like this gift should be very cool, but then also knowing that no possesion will really add much happiness.

Last year I did www.Kiva.org for father's day. Charlotte helped me pick someone's loan to fund. That was cool and it is a gift that I can use again this year, because the guy is almost done paying it off. It is said that the only antidote to materalism and greed is generosity.

I think the Danes have a portion of life right, I nered to be happy with what I got, it goes along with Christ very well:

"But godliness with contentment is a great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out. " (1 Timothy 6:6-7, HCSB)