HOSANNA

When Jesus rides into Jerusalem on "Palm Sunday", the crowds shouted "Hosanna!"

In Hebrew, hosanna means "Save, I pray!" or "Save now!" and it shares a root with the name of Jesus, "The Lord saves". 

For centuries the Jewish people had anticipated the coming of God's Messiah, who would bring salvation. 

They recognized Jesus as the one bringing salvation. 

They recognized their need for salvation.

The only thing they didn't get was what they needed to be saved from. 

How about us? Do we have a mental and spiritual grip on exactly what we need to be saved from?

Really?

ENTROPY

Last week our washing machine finally gave out. It served us well - even if noisily - for 16 years. 

Given enough time, things fall apart. 

Meanwhile, I am rapidly approaching my 55th birthday. My eyes are weak and my left ear gives me muffled reception and I am overdue for a colonoscopy. (Scared what THAT might discover.) 

Entropy is a fact of the universe. Growing old is a daily battle of coming to grips with the unhurried power of entropy firsthand. 

The only way to slow entropy is to add energy to a system. With effort, it can be slowed ... but not ultimately stopped. And certainly not reversed.

Except for one place.

Your spirit!

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day."       - 2 Corinthians 4:16

This is good news. 

COMING HUNGRY

I Corinthians 11:20-22a   "When you come together, it is not the Lord's Supper you eat, for as you eat, each of you goes ahead without waiting for anybody else. One remains hungry, another gets drunk. Don't you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing?"

When I came across this passage recently, I couldn't help but think of every Haitian pitch-in I ever witnessed.

Now and then our school would host some sort of celebration - a harvest or spring festival, a Christmas program, or a graduation ceremony - culminating in a shared meal via a buffet line. 

It tended to be a rather uncomfortable situation. That's because - like the Corinthians  - people came hungry. 

The first people through the line walked away with plates literally overflowing with food. The last were often left with little more than scraps. I remember seeing a woman once leave the buffet with a full plate and an entire can of Pringles. Many took an extra paper plate, intending to use it to cover their leftovers for the dusty trip home. 

Worst of all? One time an entire cheesecake went missing before the meal even began. (Melissa wanted the death penalty for the offender, but the culprit was never caught.)

Even though it was discouraging to see this behavior, I understood it. These were families living with - and dependent on - a perpetual survival mindset.

Still, we all professed to be Christians, part of one Body. 

No matter how understandable the behavior might be, "Every man for himself" does great damage to the unity which believers should experience around the table. It is, as Paul described it, "despising the church of God". 

BEING MATURE

I was annoyed to find frost on the windshield this late-March morning when I needed to drive Sarah to school. I hit the windshield wipers and most of the frost was swept away, but a thick fog coated the glass on the inside. 

I cranked the defrost up to high and started to back out of the driveway. I decided that if I bobbed my head continuously, I could see well enough to not crash into any cars parked along the street. 

And then I looked at my passenger ... and remembered she had just received her learner's permit a couple of days ago.

What a terrible example I was being! I pulled over to the side of the street and waited for the fog to clear completely from the glass.

******

Lately, I have been reading in 1 Corinthians. When it comes to Chapter 10, I have often felt like Paul's reasoning about the mature believer's need to temper his own freedom for the benefit of the younger believer was maybe just a step too far. "Do not cause anyone to stumble." Why should I ever alter my behavior for the sake of some less mature believer? Isn't it really their problem? They just need to grow up.

I could have driven safely this morning with the windshield partially obscured - I know my limits. The street is very familiar and I was aware of my proximity to parked cars along the curb. Plus, I knew that the defrost would take care of the remaining fog by the time I reached the main road.

But all those thoughts were founded on 40 years of driving experience. If I had been alone in the car, then fine. But with my 16 year old daughter in the passenger seat watching all my actions, the last thing I want is for her to think she could do the same. 

I needed to set aside "my rights" and be a good example.

I wouldn't want my behavior to result in something for my daughter in the future which could be far worse than a "stumble". 

WHAT'S MISSING

Of the 10 commandments, only 2 are positive: "Remember the Sabbath" and "Honor your father and mother." All others are negative: "Do not kill", "Do not covet", "Do not make idols", et cetera.

The focus is on so-called sins of commission - doing things we ought not do. 

Less attention is given to sins of omission - not doing the things we ought to do. 

When Jesus comes on the scene, he gives 2 commandments saying these sum up ALL the other laws. 

Surprisingly, they are both positive: "Love God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind" and "Love others as you love yourself". 

Whenever we talk about sin, our minds seem to go automatically to sins of commission: drinking too much, gambling, smoking, cheating on our taxes, lying, and so on. 

But I find that as I grow in maturity as a Christian, sins of commission are becoming easier to avoid. (Thank you, Holy Spirit!) 

It is the sins of omission where I continue to need to be challenged.

By their nature, repenting of sins of omission is more of a challenge - it's so easy to miss what isn't there. 

DOUBLING MY CHANCES

I had a professor at Asbury Seminary back in the late 90s who said, "As soon as you step into a pulpit, you double your chances of going to hell."

It was a statement about the risks inherent in carrying the responsibility of interpreting God's word for others. Woe to anyone in authority who misrepresents God or His word - whether intentionally or not.  

Writing a sermon each week is going to be an interesting new challenge. It is an underappreciated skill.

And an odd experience ...

• I have no idea if what I am preaching is on target or effective. And I am not sure what it would take to convince me either that I was really good at it or really terrible. 😏
• I want to be really good at it - due to a mix of legitimate reasons ... and ego. (Just being honest.)
• Throughout the process - from studying through delivery - I swing wildly between complete lack of confidence and extreme over confidence. I try to remind myself that neither is warranted. 
• It is terrifying and causes me to lose sleep.

All that is to say: so far ... I am loving it. 

THREE YEARS

Today was a sad anniversary. Three years ago today my family left our home in Haiti unaware that we would not be returning. Ginger was lounging on the rock wall outside the kitchen when we loaded up the trucks with our luggage and headed to the airport.

A whole group of missionaries were leaving that day. The first official cases of Covid had been diagnosed in Haiti a few days earlier and all movement to and from the country had ended abruptly that night. When Missionary Flights International was able to convince the Haitian government to allow a plane to land and load up with American passengers, we knew we had to take the opportunity.

We were thankful for the flight, but it was a terrible day. 

Covid took us out of Haiti, but we were held out by extenuating circumstances. Quite hurtful circumstances. The next three months were the lowest of our lives. Nothing even compares. 

Although I have made progress, three years later I am still working on forgiving our mission agency for the role they played in the fiasco. 

REJECT, LOATHE, OR LEARN

My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD,

and do not loathe His rebuke;

for the LORD disciplines the one He loves,

as does a father the son in whom he delights.  Proverbs 3:11-12

In taking a closer look at this particular proverb, I notice the first two lines are a contrast.

First we are warned: Do not reject God's discipline. This word "reject" has the meaning "to spurn, despise, or make disappear". When the book of Hebrews quotes this proverb, the word gets translated as "make light of" in the NIV. The image is of a little boy who gets spanked and then smirks, "That didn't hurt."

On the other hand, we are warned also not to react with loathing when we are disciplined. This word in Hebrew has a sense of sickening dread. In Hebrews 12:5 it becomes "lose heart" in the NIV. What we have here is the child who is crushed by the spanking and slinks away sobbing, "Mommy doesn't love me anymore."

The right response is somewhere in between: We take the discipline, learn from it, and recognize that it is a loving Father who disciplines His children.

Sometimes when our heavenly Father disciplines us, in comes in the shape of the consequences of our sinful behavior. We get caught cheating on the test and we get an F. We get caught cheating on our spouse and divorce lays waste to our marriage.

But I think most of the time, if we're honest, we get away with sinful behavior, with no immediate earthly consequences. In these cases, the Lord's rebuke comes in the shape of a guilty conscience, a recognition that we really shouldn't have said or done that thing. 

When that spiritual spanking comes, are you more likely to take it lightly and dismiss it? 

Or feel crushed under the weight of it and lose hope of God's love? 

Or are you able to recognize it as loving discipline that guides you toward the words and actions your Father expects of His child?

ORDINARY DAYS

Today was an ordinary day around the Gross household except for three things:

• Melissa had to get an MRI on her left elbow so the doctors can determine the cause of recent intense pain and devise a treatment plan.
• Our washing machine gave out and we discovered how expensive appliances are these days. 
• Our youngest got her driver's permit.

Meanwhile, a friend of ours had the most unordinary day imaginable.

She and her husband held close their 20-something son as he passed from this world, losing a prolonged and painful battle with a rare cancer.

I cannot even process what that must be like.

And, yes, before Sarah went to bed at the close of this ordinary day, I did hug her a little longer than usual.

WHY JOHNNY CAN'T PREACH

I got all enthusiastic and read one of the 14 books assigned for this semester - the shortest one. I had seen the title before, but had never read it: Why Johnny Can't Preach.

Dr. David Gordon wrote the book in 2004 while battling cancer. Facing his own mortality and hoping to spark a necessary conversation, he wrote to get something off his chest: his criticism of the generally poor quality of preaching in the American church. 

I find his critique of American preaching to be tough but fair. 

Gordon outlines 3 questions the hearer should be able to answer after a sermon:

1. "What was the point or thrust of the sermon?"
2. "Was this point adequately established in the text that was read?"
3. "Were the applications legitimate applications of the point, from which we can have further fruitful conversations about other possible applications?"

He protests that for many sermons he has endured, even the first question is unanswerable. Furthermore, even if there is a coherent point, the preacher has trotted out the Scripture passage to support the point he wants to make rather than having drawn his point from the text.  

(That practice drives me crazy.)

Gordon diagnoses the cause of the problem as being preachers lacking deep reading and writing skills. Today's preachers are shaped more by TV and social media than by the great poets and authors who had significant truths to communicate. And did so in complex and beautiful ways.

But Shakespeare can't compete with Tik Tok dance videos. 

It feels like an accurate diagnosis to me, but it leaves me a bit depressed -  because it means there is no quick or easy solution. 

HALFWAY

I am officially at the halfway point with my doctorate program. Three semesters down and one more to go before one year of labor on the dissertation. 

I have to admit that the semester I just finished was perhaps my least favorite. It wasn't that the teaching was subpar - my professors were both incredible. The topics were both interesting to me. The only problem was that one class - on world religions - was not particularly relevant to me and the other - on postmodernism, Critical Theory, and woke ideology - was depressing as all get out.

Starting in April, I have my two final classes: a preaching class and a hermeneutics class (a $5 word for study of Scripture). 

With my recent launch into the world of weekly preaching, these topics could not be any more relevant to my life, both now and into the foreseeable future. 

I am pumped. Amazon has delivered 7 of the 10 books I need over the last three days and I am wishing I had hours on end to devote to consuming them.

I entered this doctorate program because I felt God's leading, and He provided the How, so I didn't demand an explanation of  the Why. With each passing semester, I get closer to finding out what all this has been about. 

And I have a growing conviction that in the end, God's revealing of His Why is going to knock my socks off!

THE BELT

The after school hours of my childhood were spent at my parents' business. Long before Walmart and Target, they owned what used to be called a "5 & 10 department store". 

The building was a former movie theater and the balcony had been converted into an office. This space also served as a holding pen for me and my 3 brothers, at least until we were old enough to man a cash register. 

The railing of the balcony had been replaced with a half wall, which some of us could see over if we stood on our tiptoes. There were a couple of couches and a small black and white TV which fostered my love for the Three Stooges.  

We were unsupervised upstairs until my parents were free at 5 pm. The only rule was that we were not to be seen or heard by the customers on the floor below. 

Now and then - perhaps inspired by the Stooges - my brothers and I would get a little rambunctious. Elbowing would turn into wrestling and wrestling would morph into chasing, first across the floor and then across the furniture. Inevitably an argument would break out and we would forget ourselves ... and the rule.

Invariably, as the noise reached a crescendo, one brother would take notice and, horrified, call for an immediate timeout.  

We would dash to the half hall next to the open stairwell and look down below in dread.

Too late! Here comes Dad, his feet heavy on the steps, his belt gliding free of the loops around his waist as a sword pulled from its sheath. 

The belt was off! We knew in that moment we had completely overstepped the bounds and we were ashamed. And fearful.

"My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD, and do not loathe His rebuke; for the LORD disciplines the one He loves, as does a father the son in whom he delights."

This proverb (3:11-12) is quoted by the author of Hebrews as he discussed believers' occasional need for discipline when we slip into sin and wrongdoing. He reminds us that it is the loving father who disciplines his children. 

In Hebrews 12:10-11, he concludes: "Our fathers disciplined us for a short time as they thought best, but God disciplines us for our good, so that we may share in His holiness. No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields a harvest of righteousness and peace to those who have been trained by it."

Proper discipline is meant to open the eyes. To produce a change of heart and a change in behavior. 

It's funny - I remember the horror of seeing my Dad take off his belt, but I don't remember him ever actually using it on us. 

He didn't take the discipline any further than he needed to in order to get the peace and righteousness he was after.

FOOL

In Matthew 5:21-22, Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell."

It's not just "fool" and "raca", either. I believe the following are also prohibited by Jesus:

Moron, imbecile, cretin, dolt, numbskull, doofus, bozo, ignoramus, dodo, Half-wit, nit-wit, dimwit, idiot, buffoon, nimrod, dummy, dullard, simpleton, nutcase, knucklehead, dunderhead, bonehead, chucklehead, lunkhead, airhead, meathead, blockhead, dumbbell, birdbrain, lamebrain, pea brain, dumbo, dunce, goober, rube, chump, maroon, clown, mouth breather, and mental midget. 

If this were not a family-friendly blog, I could generate another 100 words to add to that list.

Why does English have so many ways to call someone stupid?

Regardless, we aren't supposed to be using any of them. 

Anger towards a brother or sister cannot cohabitate with love for God. 

THE BOTTOM LINE

Here's a bad take on the importance of youth ministry within the church.

I once worked as a youth pastor under a senior minister who told me - to my face and on more than one occasion:

"I don't even know why we employ a youth pastor. After all, you work with ... what? Ten or maybe twenty percent of the congregation? And they are ten percent who DON'T PAY TITHES."

At least I knew exactly where I and the teens of the church stood with him!

This man had no filter on his mouth, obviously. 

I can't imagine another pastor on the planet saying what he said, but how many pastors think it? 

And, more generally, how often do we make ministry decisions based on the bottom line?

AI EASTER ART

I wanted an AI art program to give me some original Easter images I could use on Facebook without worrying about copyright issues.

In the process, I discovered something. 

Attempting to coax AI into creating a non-bizarre image is exhausting.

After a while, I got a bit punchy and asked the AI to show me Jesus riding a giant bunny for Easter. All of the following images are based on that same prompt: 

I can't decide if AI needs a whole lot of further fine-tuning ... or psychoanalysis.

YOU FOOL

"But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell."

Such is the warning from Jesus in Matthew 5:22, early in His Sermon on the Mount. 

Before now, I had never noticed something interesting about Jesus' condemnation of those who would call their fellow man a "fool".

Take a look at Jesus' rebuke of the Pharisees in Matthew 23:17.

That's where Jesus rants at the Pharisees, "You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes it sacred?" This is the exact word from 5:22.

Either Jesus is a hypocrite --- or it is clear that it is not the word choice which is the issue, it is the heart behind it.

Some people really are fools, but only the God who sees into the heart is qualified to make that call. 

AXIOMS

"Thinking out loud" tonight after finishing a long paper for one of my classes:

I heard a Christian podcaster talking about "axioms" the other day - how they are necessary, but should be limited. He was using the term in its technical sense: "a statement or proposition which is regarded as being established, accepted, or self-evidently true."

We all have axioms because so much of the "truth" we build our lives upon is, by nature, unproveable. 

So the believer has this among his axioms: "There is a God". 

I love apologetics and logical arguments and philosophical "proofs" for the existence of God. They have their place and serve a purpose. Still ... at the end of the day, we must admit there is no proof that God exists - at least not proof that is universally evident and accepted.

But here's the thing: The atheist is in the same boat. Among his axioms is this: "There is no God". 

That axiom is likewise unprovable. He must "take it on faith". 

And that's what an axiom is.

So this podcaster said his theology rested on just 3 axioms: 

1) God exists

2) God is good

3) Scripture comes from God

This seems pretty solid to me. Each axiom is necessary. And each is ultimately unproveable. 

They function as "givens". And that's what an axiom is. 

All other propositional truth claims can be built with these 3 axioms as the base.

So, for example: "If God is good and Scripture comes from Him, then Scripture is true." 

TIMING

This morning I was surprised to see a thin covering of snow on the ground.

Surprised. Not happy.

It was not magical. It was annoying. 

It crossed my mind that a few months ago - anytime around December 25th, for example - this same snow would have been welcomed by all. We would have only been disappointed by how little there was. 

But not on March 14th. 

Sometimes the only thing keeping us from judging a curse as a blessing is time.  

QUICK VS. DEEP

"When you need to learn quickly, learn from others.

When you need to learn deeply, learn from experience." - James Clear

This is true, right?

Unless you are coming to Jesus for the first time as an 80 year old, there is no need to learn Christian faith quickly. 

Learn it from firsthand experience.

CHANGE IS COMING

Part of the challenge of preaching for me is to know where to draw the line in order to keep the sermon within given time limits - one idea in Scripture is tied to a dozen other important ideas. And I want to develop each one.

As of today, it looks like I will have opportunity to spread that development out over time: a local church has asked me to become their pastor. 

It is a part-time position with an emphasis on preaching.

I start next Sunday. 😲

Life is about to change...

BIBLEHUB

Are you familiar with Biblehub.com?

This collection of Bible commentaries, word studies, and translations would cost thousands of dollars if purchased in print – but this entire library of Bible resources is available online and free to all.

Biblehub.com is my “go to” during daily devotions and Bible study time.

Consider the following scenarios:

• You are using the NIV but curious to see how other versions translate the same verse? -> Easy to do.

  
  

• You are reading a passage and wondering what other passages say on the same topic? -> It’s right there.

  
  

• You are fascinated by the original Greek and Hebrew and looking for the nuances of a particular word or how that same word is used elsewhere in Scripture? -> At your finger tips.

If you find Biblehub useful, there’s a free app available for your phone as well.

When you have a few minutes, go to biblehub.com and explore a bit! At the very top of the page you will find a search bar (where you can search the Bible by keyword) and a navigation bar (which can take you directly to a particular book and verse).

CHANGE

One of the saddest things I have ever heard come out of the mouth of a pastor was this sentence: "People don't change." 

Is it just me? Isn't a part of a pastor's job to encourage change and growth? And even suffer, if necessary, to see it happen?

The Apostle Paul refers to the Galatians as "My children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you". (Gal 4:19)

I know Paul couldn't have experienced a 100% success rate in his "labors", but surely it wasn't 0 either.

Maybe change happens, but so slowly it is difficult to track.

(Not that it couldn't and shouldn't happen quickly.)

THORN

One of my professors posted this poem on Facebook today and I love the final stanza. I find this to be true: it is in the suffering of life that we come to know God most intimately.

THE THORN by Martha Snell Nicholson

I stood a mendicant of God

before His royal throne

And begged him for one priceless gift,

which I could call my own.

I took the gift from out His hand,

but as I would depart

I cried, “But Lord this is a thorn

and it has pierced my heart.

This is a strange, a hurtful gift,

which Thou hast given me.”

He said, “My child, I give good gifts

and gave My best to thee.”

I took it home and though at first

the cruel thorn hurt sore,

As long years passed I learned at last

to love it more and more.

I learned He never gives a thorn

without this added grace,

He takes the thorn to pin aside

the veil which hides His face.

OFF WHITE

Last night I went looking online at various paint palettes to determine what color I actually am, because I am definitely not white. 

I found that - as much as I would like to be - I am not bronze.

Nor am I Indian Yellow.

Not copper, either. But we're getting closer.

Ochre is a bit too orangy. Tone that orange down.

Now we're talking:

America can keep on talking about white people and black people, but from here on out, I identify as Persian Orange. 

DAMNED IF YOU DO

My next paper is due a week from tomorrow. It's all about the various critical theories (Critical Race Theory, Fat Theory, Queer Theory, etc.), their roots, and how the Church can address the social injustices that they seek to address.

I am kind of stuck because I am very pessimistic about the church's ability to make any postmodern social justice warrior happy. 

Believe me, I know - I have gotten entangled with one before. When the starting point is that I am automatically racist because I am white*, there is absolutely nothing I can do to satisfy that person. 

When I moved to Haiti to serve as a teacher, apparently, it was out of a sense of superiority and a chance to feed my ego as a "white savior". 

And this was the perspective of a professing Christian! 

What a load of ... cynical "mind reading". 

But there was no convincing her she was wrong. And this is the way with the postmodern social justice warriors. 

It is the epitome of the "damned if you do and damned if you don't" situation. If I ignore the problems of Haiti, they will say I am racist. If I move my family to Haiti to help, it's because I am racist.

How do you even engage someone who believes that sort of garbage?

*I am actually beige. 

CLEANING HOUSE

Today I helped a friend clean out the house where she had raised her family. She's in her 80s now, the kids have their own families, and her husband passed away several years ago.

After his death, my friend had moved into a small condo. The family home remained in her name, mostly empty of furniture but not quite ready to be sold. 

The kids and grandkids recently decided that it's time to finish the job - and that meant sorting through remaining papers and knick-knacks and dishes. 

Her husband had gone to seminary later in life and was a voracious reader - so this sweet lady wanted me to look through his library and take any of the books which I might find useful. 

I took at least a hundred for myself and had to pass over hundreds more. There was no time or energy to find those unclaimed books a new home. 

So they went into a dumpster. Over a thousand books. Billions of words. Countless ideas. 

It was hard to witness.  

BY ALL POSSIBLE MEANS

In 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, the Apostle Paul describes his approach to evangelism. In doing so, he demonstrates his awareness of psychology: 

To the Jews I became like a Jew – to win the Jews

To those under the law I became like one under the law – so as to win those under the law

(Though I myself am not under the law.)

To those not having the law I became like one not having the law – so as to win those not having the law

(Though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law)

To the weak I became weak – to win the weak

Paul seems to know inherently the tendency of humans to be more receptive to those who are like them in some way - big or small.

In his famous book, Influence, Robert Cialdini describes "liking" as being one of the central factors of persuasion. In short: if we like someone, his or her opinion means more to us. And we tend to like those who are like us in some significant way. 

Cialdini tells of a social experiment in the 1970s. It was the hippie era, and the researchers hit a college campus to track the responses of random students asked for a dime to make a phone call.

The researcher would dress as a "square" or as a hippie before making the ask. If the researcher's outfit matched the student's, the dime was given more than two-thirds of the time. If the researcher was dressed opposite of the student, the dime was given less than half the time. 

When it comes to something as important as sharing the gospel, every little advantage matters. 

Paul explains his motivation for identifying with his various audiences as much as possible in this way: "I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some." (1 Cor 9:22)

What would this look like in our own lives today?

RUNNING THE RACE

When I turned 40, I was too poor to pay for a proper mid-life crisis, so no red convertibles for me. 

Instead, to prove "I still had it" - whatever "it" was - I signed myself up for the Indianapolis 500 Mini Marathon. I had never run 13 miles before at one go, so it was a proper challenge for me.

At the time, I could handle 3 miles without too much trouble. So I worked my way up to 6 and then 9. I think I ran and walked 12 miles on a Saturday or two before the race in early May.

On the big day, the starting line was a sea of athletes - almost 40,000 of us. I planned to run with my sister-in-law, but I lost her as soon as the starting pistol sent us all surging forward.

I found my pace in the first couple of miles and really enjoyed the atmosphere - cheering crowds clustered in places along the route and other folks provided music or water at regular intervals.  

By the halfway point I was slowing down. On this particular course, the runners actually get to pound the pavement of the Indy 500 track at about mile 6. The jumbotrons were lit up and were displaying reporters interviewing the winner of the race! 

For 13 miles, he had run more than twice as fast as I was running. That sort of took the wind out of my sails. 

I was hurting pretty bad by the finish line, but I made it. I don't remember my time exactly, but I think it was in the two hours and 40 minutes range - a personal record! (Easy to get a PR since I had never run a mini-marathon before. 😉)

My favorite part of the entire episode, though, was when I got back home and Caleb, Hannah, and Samuel crowded around me in the living room asking, "Did you win the race, daddy?!"

No, I didn't come in first, but I did beat 17,000 other runners!

MISDIRECTION

The most prominent missionary in Haiti has spent the last two weeks denouncing the Asbury revival as a work of Satan. 

You may wonder how she knows with certainty that what happened in a small town in Kentucky was not a movement of God - well, she's glad you asked: "I prayed for a day & a half begging God for discernment, understanding & a word. He spoke to me Asbury is a counterfeit." 

She's no fan of the new Jesus Revolution film, either. From today's post: "Reportedly Collegiate Day of Prayer organizers coordinated w Jesus Revolution producers to release the film on the heels of Asbury's 'spontaneous revival'."

Everyone knows the Collegiate Day of Prayer organizers are tools in the hands of Satan! 😈

At least she is not claiming that God Himself is her source for this 'news'. I am no expert on such things, but it seems logical to me that film release dates are set months in advance. Is she saying the release date was moved up to take advantage of the revival or that the revival was a publicity stunt to promote the movie?

She continues: "The film's astounding profits bring to mind Jesus's words as He overturns money changers tables in the Temple, Mt21:13 13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves." 

I am confused. Is she saying movie theaters are now God's house? Christian movies should be free? I think if Jesus was to clean house in a movie theater, He would begin with the concession counter and their $8 popcorn! 

(For the record, by "astounding profits", she means $15 million. Hardly "astounding" by Hollywood standards.)  

As a side note, and not a bit surprising to me, as far as this missionary is concerned, "Reformed Theology" (AKA Calvinism) is orthodox and Scriptural. 

She and her husband exert great spiritual influence over Haiti through TV programming and local preaching. I don't know much about her husband, but I am hoping his theology, discernment, humility, and maturity are much greater than hers. 

The last thing Haiti needs is spiritual misdirection. 

THE NEWS

I wrote yesterday that I had some news to share ... but it isn't completely settled yet, so I will share the half that IS settled.

I am currently interviewing with a small local congregation about the possibility of taking on the role as their pastor.

It is a part-time position and I will continue working with Mission Resource regardless of the outcome of the interview process. 

Ever since we returned from Haiti, I have had a growing interest in preaching and pastoring. Now we will see if this is God's direction for me. 

I will share more details whichever way it gets settled in the next couple of weeks. For now I am just asking for prayer - for discernment and wisdom, for both myself and the congregation. 

(P.S. - I checked and - to my relief - they are not Calvinists. 😏) 

A LONG DAY

I have some news to share - soon - but I just finished a 4,000 word paper for my class on World Religions and my brain is fried. 

It was a tough day. I didn't really WANT to write this paper. 

So to make the day extra challenging, my brain and bladder decided I needed to get out of bed this morning at 2:45 am. I was in the kitchen, cleaning the Keurig, at 4 am. The rest of the morning is a blur.

I managed to get back into bed around 10 am for about an hour, but I still dragged all day.

I will sleep well tonight.