Some Comments about the Movie, Avatar

Mark Driscoll, founder of Mars Hill Church in Seattle and a prolific Christian author, is not shy about speaking out about his faith. Here is a brief video clip on what he had to say recently about the movie Avatar, the highest grossing movie in history. Perhaps you have seen it ... and perhaps you have not (I have not). But whatever the case, I would encourage you to take a moment and listen to Driscoll's comments:




Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

A Painful Faith

Yesterday morning I was writing in my prayer journal (I had picked up the journal I am using at Barnes and Nobles about a month ago. I was pleasantly surprised to find it there, as I was shopping with a Christmas gift card). On the journal's cover is written the words of Proverbs 4:23, "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."  As soon as I saw those words on the journal's cover, I knew I had the journal I was looking for! That verse has meant so much to me over the years! In addition to this verse on the cover, inside on every-other-page another verse is printed. So the journal from start to finish contains God's Word! Yes!

As I finished up my journal entry yesterday and went to place the journal down, I noticed the following in fine print on the inside cover: "Printed in China." That struck me as quite the irony. Here is this overtly Christian journal, containing about 100 verses of Scripture, being printed in China, a country ruled by an atheistic communist government. A government that claims to allow religious freedom but in reality does not. A government that has persecuted Christians for decades (according to Voice of the Martyrs, more Christians are in prison or under detention in China than in any other country). Yet in my hands I was holding a prayer journal printed in China! Go figure!

Let me ask you to take a moment before you "sign off" and pray for the church in China (and the persecuted church around the world). Many of our brothers and sisters are paying a high price for their commitment to Christ. For more info, check out the web site of the Voice of the Martyrs at www.persecution.com).

Thanks for stopping by . . .  

pj

And the Winner Is . . .

When it comes to playing games, I don't view myself as being all that competitive. But if you were to ask my wife, she would beg to disagree. And you know, I think she's probably right. You see, I don't like to lose. It does not matter if we are talking Wii frisbee golf or a good old fashioned game of dominoes. I really do not like losing. Now I would guess that I am like most people in this. If we were to have a choice, most of us would much rather be on the winning side vs. the losing side -  no matter what the competition might happen to be.

That is why I am glad that God in His grace brought me into His family. That puts me on the "winning side." What I mean by this can be explained by a story I once heard. A church custodian was working one day near the pastor's office. The pastor was busy preparing a sermon on the Book of Revelation. The pastor, curious as to what the custodian thought about the Book of Revelation, asked him his opinion on the book. In response, the custodian replied, "I don't know a lot about Revelation ... but one thing I do know is that the central message of the book is that GOD IS GONNA WIN!"  

That custodian got it right! When you get the end of the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ (which is its full title) you see that God is victorious. Evil is done away with and God's ETERNAL kingdom is established. That, my friend is something that keeps me going! Especially when the evil in this world appears to have the upper hand. Even during the darkest most turbulent of days, we can push ahead with hope, knowing that at the end of the last day --- Jesus Christ is "gonna win!"

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

Being Intentional

Yesterday I spent some time on a monthly ritual that I do toward the end of every month. It's called "balancing the check book." At one time I used to hate going through this. Often when I would get to the end of the process, I would discover that I would be off anywhere from a few pennies to MANY dollars! Oh the time I would then spend trying to find my mistake (or mistakes!). Now - that has all changed as I do my checking on the computer. It is rare that my balance does not read zeroes when I am done. And even those few times when I am off, it is very easy to locate where I went wrong. I am SO grateful for my Quickbooks!

Believe it or not, I know of some people who never bother to balance their check book (and then are surprised when a check is returned for "insufficient funds"). Balancing one's check book is just one of those necessary tasks (if we want to keep our household finances in order). In a similar manner, there are some necessary tasks if we want to keep our spiritual lives in order. Time in the Word, prayer, worship (both private and corporate), serving, stewardship, witnessing, etc., etc., etc.  The Christian walk must be an INTENTIONAL walk. If we do not get INTENTIONAL about the spiritual practices that will strengthen our faith - our faith will begin to atrophy. We will become sorry imitations of the Christ we are called to imitate. So ... all this said, how INTENTIONAL are you concerning the spiritual practices that will strengthen your faith and deepen your intimacy with Jesus?

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

An "Oops" that Hurts!

Jorge Villanueva was under medical care for an ulcer on his right foot. When doctors realized that the infection was beginning to spread, they decided they would have to amputate the foot. However, after the surgery was over, they made the discovery that they had amputated the wrong foot. At that point, they had no choice but go back into surgery and amputate the right foot (which was the RIGHT foot). Now, 86 year old Jorge has been left footless - due to a horrible human error.

Mistakes. All of us make them. None of us go through even a day totally and absolutely "mistake free!" Sure, some mistakes (like the one above) are bigger than others and bring quite painful consequences. Others though, are much less significant. Sure these errors might irritate others (or bring frustration to ourselves) - but not much beyond that. All this to say: we need to learn to "grace" others when they happen to make mistakes (now if sin is involved, then other steps might be necessary - see Matthew 18:15-17 - but that's a topic for another posting). Far too many of us carry grudges or ill feelings toward others who have made mistakes at our expense. We need to let go. We need to move on. We need to learn to give others the "benefit of the doubt." As God has graced us, we need to strive to grace others (see Romans 15:7).

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

Rapture Insurance for Fluffy?

The other day my office manager sent me a link to a web site where a Christian can obtain "rapture insurance" for their pet(s). That's right! The web site, Eternal Earth-Bound Pets, USA: The next best thing to pet salvation in a post rapture world, offers to care for the pets of Christians who are raptured to heaven (it is staffed with certified atheists so Christians can rest assured they will be left behind to watch out for their pets). For a fee of $110 (good for ten years), you can go to sleep at night knowing that if Jesus returns while you are sleeping, then your little Fluffy or Spot will not be left alone to starve but given a loving home. (I know this sounds far fetched, but here's the web address for you to check it out: www.eternal-earthbound-pets.com.

Now when I read this, I did not know whether to laugh or cry. I do hold to the conviction that Jesus Christ will one day return to rapture (take up) His Church to heaven. I also believe that once that event occurs, then the period known at the Great Tribulation (GT) will begin on earth. This will be a time of great turmoil, as God pours out His wrath upon this world. Given the horrors of the GT, I believe we who profess allegiance to Jesus must be ramping up our efforts at carrying the light of Jesus with us where ever we go! Giving the gospel to unbelievers (vs. giving them money for so called "rapture insurance" for our pets) is what we need to be intentional about doing!

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

A Fast Start for the American Olympic Team

After three full days of the Winter Olympics, the United States Olympic team stands on top of the medal count. Will the U.S. remain on top when the Olympics are all said and done will have to be seen. But for now, we can enjoy the success of our athletes.

Now this success Olympic athletes enjoy does not come cheaply. These athletes have worked extremely hard to prepare for their respective events (I heard that one cross country skier actually logged thousands of miles on his skis preparing for the Olympic games). What motivates these men and women to make such sacrifice? It is their dream of Olympic gold! This is what drives them on, day after day, putting up with pain - so that one day they might gain a place on the medals podium!Yet, this moment in the spotlight does not last, does it?  The fame that comes with a gold medal is here today and gone tomorrow. We as followers of Christ are also in a race (see Hebrews 12:1-2). But the reward for winning our race is not momentary - it is eternal. The Apostle Paul puts it this way when he wrote the following to the church at Corinth (and I am convinced he was thinking of Olympic athletes among others):

"Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."      (1 Corinthians 9:25-27). 

Take a moment and reread Paul's words. Then ask yourself, "Am I willing to follow Paul's example?"

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

A Whale of a Meal!

Yesterday, my wife and I took in an IMAX movie at Harrisburg's Whitaker Center. The film, titled Dolphins and Whales was a fascinating 3-D look into the underwater world of some of the better known species of dolphins and whales. Among the whales featured was the Fin Whale. This whale is second only to the Blue Whale in size. Adult males can reach a length of 88 feet and a weight of 70 tons. You can imagine it takes a lot of food to fill that frame and sure enough, Fin Whales consume up to two tons of small fish each day.You talk about a meal! Wow!

Just like a Fin Whale, I enjoy eating. Granted I don't eat anything close to 2 tons of food in a day, but I am sure there are many days when I eat more than I need. So I must exercise self control in eating lest I gain too much weight. But it does require self control because I like the way most food tastes (brussel sprouts and asparagus are a couple of items on my "I do not like" list!). Think about it. Isn't it amazing that God created us with the capacity to taste and enjoy our food. He could have just as well made us with tongues that lacked taste buds. But I am afraid if he had done that, some of us might starve to death! But He did not. He gave us the capacity to really enjoy a good hearty meal (even now as I write this, my saliva glands are starting to work). What a God! He is indeed worthy of our thanks, our praise, our worship, our all!

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

Another sNOw storm on the way?

I couldn't (or perhaps better said, "wouldn't") believe my eyes this morning when I first glanced at the morning's paper. "Forecaster says 6-12 inches possible early in the week."  Yea! Just what most of us want - more of the white stuff! (I can't help but think even the snow lovers among us might just be getting a bit "snow weary" by now?). In regards to this upcoming storm, I recall one of WGAL's (the NBC affiliate here in Lancaster) weathermen looking ahead to this storm and saying, "Early next week this little clipper system will be passing to our south ... not much to worry about with that."  I am convinced that he probably thought that might be the case ... but I am also convinced that he knew he could not be sure. All he was doing was telling us sick-of-snow viewers what we wanted to hear!

As a pastor who has the opportunity to teach the Word of God to the people of God most Sundays, there exists the temptation when handling a "hard" passage of Scripture to try to soften it. To give the people what they want to hear rather than what they need to hear. The Bible makes reference to this temptation in 2 Timothy 4:3 where we read, "For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear."  I believe that time has come. In far too many churches the hard teachings of Scripture (such as the doctrines of hell, judgment, sexual purity, etc.) have been replaced with a "You can be a better YOU" gospel that is more about prosperity in this life rather than a reconciliation with a Holy God. God brings this reconciliation about via the substitutionary death of His Son. Christ died to satisfy God's wrath toward me and my sin, thus removing the grounds for my alienation from God and therefore allowing me to be reconciled to Him. This is the gospel of the New Testament. And a glorious, life-giving gospel it is! May we NEVER stop proclaiming it - no matter what people would rather hear!

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

A Monstrous Task!

Twice in the past week I have stood in the open doorway of my garage and looked down on my driveway, wondering how I would ever move the mountain of snow that covered it? (Especially given the fact that my snow blower has been acting more like a snow catcher of late!) Well the answer, I discovered was quite simple: one shovel full at a time. Sure it took a lot of "shovel fulls" - but I did manage to get the job done. In all, over four feet of snow removed! All I can say is - I'm glad the sun is shining brightly today!

Now how I went about removing this obscene amount of snow - is the same way we must tackle any mountain that we face in life: one step at a time. Sure, it would be easy to allow the magnitude of the task to overwhelm us. In the wake of these huge snow falls, I could have very well thrown up my hands in resignation and returned to the warmth of my home. But, no. I knew what had to be done and so I went about doing it. Focusing on one shovel full at a time!

So whatever mountain you might be facing in your life - don't try to tackle it all at once. That is a sure recipe for failure. You will be quickly overwhelmed and want to quit. Instead, put one foot in front of the other and take a step. Even if it is a "baby step" - at least it is a step in the right direction. And after enough steps ... you will find yourself on top of the mountain and going down the other side!

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

Enough!

My wife and I are really enjoying being grandparents. Our grandbaby just passed the 9 month mark. She is crawling, standing, waving, making animal noises and much more. Soon she will begin to talk. And when she does, I am sure she will very soon learn the word "more."  Little children, when they find something they like - whether it be some sort of food or having a favorite book read to them - they often like to have more. And they let you know it.

Now I know what I am about to say might offend some of you out there. But I am going to say it anyway because I believe the vast majority of you will be with me in this. I want NO MORE snow!  My arms and my back ache from all the shoveling I have had to do this past week (my snow blower is not working which is forcing me to do all my snow removal by hand). So ... if not another flake of snow were to fall this winter season -  I would be one happy and satisfied man! HOWEVER, that does not appear to be the case. I checked out the blog this morning of one of my favorite Accuweather.com meteorologists (who, by the way accurately called both of these past two monster snow storms). He is saying right now that it looks like we might get a 4-8 inch snow fall next Monday! Yeah!  More snow is on the way (doesn't 4-8 inches sound like no big deal - amazing what perspective can do as we view life!).

OK ... I have had enough of snow! But I have not had enough of God! I pray that I will never lose that hunger for Him. I would encourage you to pray each day as you start your day, "God help me to hunger for YOU today!"

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

The Blizzard of 2010

It's now official. The National Weather Service just issued a blizzard warning for Lancaster County (and other adjacent counties). Here is the criteria that a winter storm must meet to be labeled as a blizzard: "Winds of at least 35 mph (frequent gusts are generally considered to qualify), and visibility reduced by falling and/or blowing snow to less than 1/4 mile. The strict application is for the wind and visibility criteria to be met for at least three consecutive hours."

So there you have it. Stay home. Stay safe. And spend some quality time with your Master and your family. And don't forget ... the official start of spring is only 38 days away!

And as you look at the beauty of the snow, remember what God does for us through the gospel: "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow" (Isaiah 1:18). Our sins are forgiven and our souls are clean!  Praise Him!

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

An Honest Attempt at "Silence and Solitude"

Yesterday was the day I was supposed to leave for a three day, two night personal retreat. One in which I was going to do a lot of praying, some planning and make a grand attempt at practicing the twin spiritual disciplines or practices of "silence and solitude." However, due to the weather (and if you live anywhere near Lancaster you do not need me to elaborate on that!), I decided to stay close to home. Therefore, after spending yesterday morning on certain projects and errands, I set aside the afternoon to practice some silence and solitude. Here's how the afternoon went:

12:30 - retired to my basement study, turned on the heat and sat under a blanket on my comfortable Ikea chair. The only noise to invade the quiet around me was an occasional howl of wind rattling a nearby window
12:32 - I scanned four different books by three different authors on the topics of silence and solitude (S&S)
1:35 - I closed the final book and spend some time reflecting on what I read
1:50 - Focused on God's power and glory ... asked God to help me grow in my love for Him.
2:00 - Fell asleep
2:15 - Woke up - decided to find my copy of the book, The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions (one truism about the Puritans, they had the First Great Commandment down - they had a "high" view of God and their love for Him ran deep and wide!).
2:25 - Drove over to the church office to look for this book. Talked with two of my staffers for about 20 minutes. Did not find the book in my office.
3:00 - Returned home. Found the book here at the house.
3:05 - Returned to study ... wrote some in my journal and then spent time praying through both Psalm 63 and a selection from, The Valley of Vision (see below).
3:40 - Fell asleep again
3:50 - Awoke and then finished my time of S&S with prayer.
4:00 - Began writing this blog posting.

Now ... as a result of my afternoon, here is what I learned:

1. These related spiritual disciplines are VERY difficult for me. My personality type is one of DO, DO, DO and GO, GO, GO! Just sitting still before God cuts against my grain. For me to practice these on a regular basis will require effort (that's why they are often referred to as "disciplines!").
2. These spiritual disciplines are VERY necessary for me. If Jesus Christ took time to unplug from the noisy world around him and his busy agenda - who am I to neglect doing the same? I am afraid that my soul has borne the impact of the too little empahsis I have given to these spiritual practices. If I am to lead God's people, I realize that I must make these practices a higher priority in my life.

And here are some specific goals I have set for myself:

1. I will begin most days with an hour of S&S before God, starting no later than 5:45 AM.
2. I will set aside a minimum of one afternoon each month as time to unplug from the noise and busyness and get quite before God.
3. I will plan an annual personal retreat consisting of at least 2 nights and 3 days. Time to unplug and be renewed in God's presence.

So there you have it. Please pray that I will be able to obtain these goals. Below is a portion of the prayer from the book, The Valley of Vision, that I used to help focus my thoughts and still my heart. Enjoy!

Lord, let me learn by paradox

that the way down is the way up, 

that to be low is to be high, 

that the broken heart is the healed heart, 

that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit, 

that the repenting soul is the victorious soul, 

that to have nothing is to possess all, 

that to bear the cross is to wear the crown, 

that to give is to receive, 

that the valley is the place of vision.

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

"Super" Weekend ... Super Story!

This past weekend was super in more than one way. Of course, there was the Super Bowl which is the most watched sporting event in the United States and possibly the world (I had a friend call me from France at half time to discuss the first half - it was about 2 AM there and French television was broadcasting the game). In addition to the Super Bowl ... we had the Super Storm of 2010, part one (I added the part one because there is another storm headed our way for Tuesday-Wednesday that could dump more substantial snow on top of the two feet of snow we already have. I sure hope you snow lovers are happy!!).

During the first quarter of the SB, the much discussed Tim Tebow ad promoting life was aired. My first response was, "Is that it?" I must admit I thought the ad was a bit "lame." But this morning I went to Focus on the Family's web site (as the ad encouraged viewers to do) to see the rest of the Tebow story. I was not disappointed. In fact, I would encourage you when you have about 7 minutes, to go to Focus's web site (www.focusonthefamily.com) and view the interview of Tim Tebow's parents as they tell their story. It's worth your time!

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

Fidelity and Marriage

Mark Sanford, Governor of South Carolina was a rising star in the Republican party. Many believed him to be a viable candidate to run for president. But Sanford's star crashed and burned when it came to light last year that he was involved in a torrid love affair with a woman from Argentina. His affair was exposed after he was hard pressed to explain a five day absence (he had told his staff he went hiking on the Appalachian Trail when in reality he was visiting his lover in Argentina). After a tearful public confession (in which he seemed more remorseful about being caught than being unfaithful to his wife) his wife, Jenny  filed for divorce and has taken the couple's four sons and moved out of the governor's mansion.

Now I mention this because of what Jenny Sanford has just revealed in an interview with Barbara Walters (scheduled for ABC's 20/20 to be aired tonight). In the interview she tells Walters that when she and the Governor were married, he did not want to include a vow of fidelity in the ceremony. Hmm. No vow of fidelity?  What was she thinking when she agreed to that? This is what she told Walters about not having a vow of faithfulness in the ceremony, "It bothered me to some extent, but ... we were young and in love. I questioned it, but I got past it" (I am betting that now she wished she had done far more than just question it!).

Listen to me carefully. Fidelity is what marriage is built upon. Without it, one's marriage will struggle to survive (if it can - most will fail). If you are reading this and you are married, then let me ask you this: what are you doing to strengthen the fidelity of your marriage. Have you expressed your faithfulness to your spouse lately? What are you doing or not doing that might be eroding this essential foundation of marriage? If you are single, then let me encourage you that before you say "yes" to a marriage proposal (or make the proposal), that you be sure you are entering into this relationship FOR LIFE! A life in which you will be faithful to your spouse come thick or thin, for better or for worse. After all, marriage is to be a picture of the relationship between Jesus Christ (bridegroom) and the Church (His bride). And there is no question of Christ's fidelity! Let's imitate Him in our marriages! Without fidelity marriage is on a road you don't want to be on ... the road to divorce court.

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

Snow: Appearances Can Be Deceiving!

Those who are snow lovers among us are right now just loving our current weather pattern (which by the way is forecast to be with us for the foreseeable future). A cold High pressure system in Canada is pushing waves of arctic cold our way. At the same time an active southern branch of the jet stream is generating storms. And when those storms from the south collide with the arctic cold over us, bingo! - you get snow, and sometimes lots of it! Our snow of Tuesday night is just a foretaste of the snow that weather forecasters is saying is on the way! As I write this posting, Accuweather.com is looking at the probability of a substantial snow storm hitting us this coming Friday into Saturday ... with another possibly arriving in our neighborhood next Tuesday. Well, what can we say? It is February. And historically, February is the snowiest month for southeastern Pennsylvania! So for those of us who are growing weary of shoveling our driveways ... we can either pay someone to do it .. or just GRIN AND BEAR IT - remembering as we do that spring will eventually arrive! 

Now one thing you probably don't know about snow is this: Snow is actually clear or transparent. Snow appears white because the crystals act as prisms, breaking up the light of the sun into the entire spectrum of color. The human eye is unable to handle that kind of sensory overload. Therefore, we see the snow as white. Interesting, eh?  

So ... not everything is as it appears! And what is true of snow is often true of people. Yet, we are so quick to misjudge others - and this is usually in the area of why people do what they do (or why people say what they say). All of us could (and should) heed the advice of Jesus Himself when he said, 

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye" (Matthew 7:1-5). 

Jesus does not forbid us from making evaluations of others (so if they have a speck in their eye we can help them remove it) - but He does forbid us from critically condemning others, especially while our house is out of order! 

Thanks for stopping by . . . 

pj

A Groundhog Disagreement and Hope!

In case you missed the big news of yesterday, here it is: The groundhogs are at odds. That's right! The well known Groundhog Day weather forecasters (Punxsutawney Phil, Octoraro Orphie and Staten Island Chuck) were NOT unanimous on whether or not we will see an early spring. Phil saw his shadow while Orphie and Chuck did not. So ... according to the groundhogs, we have a 66% chance of seeing an early spring. With more cold and snow in our short term forecast, I sure hope Orphie and Chuck are right!

Of course, these long range meteorological forecasts by these well known groundhogs are actually quite groundless! I am sure given the fact that Groundhog Day falls on the second day of February each year, that odds are pretty good that we will see another 6 weeks of winter type weather. That's just the way of the climate in these parts (but having said that, I am still holding out that the Orphie and Chuck are right). You see, I can HOPE that Orphie and Chuck are right and that we will experience the warm breezes of spring early this year. But the hope I have of that happening is a hope-with-a-question-mark-following-it kind of hope. This is the kind of hope that we often embrace (like I hope the Phillies win another World Series this year, or I hope my car doesn't break down anytime soon). But there is a hope that is a hope-with-an-exclamation-mark-following-it kind of hope. And that is the hope we have in God. The word "hope" appears some 80 times in the New Testament. One of these occurrences shows us why our hope is a "hope!" kind of hope. In Hebrews 10:23 we read:

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful."

 Our hope is certain because the God in whom we hope is FAITHFUL! So what He has promised He will be faithful to bring to pass. So my prayer for you is the prayer offered by the Apostle Paul for the believers in Rome, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Romans 13:15).

Thanks for stopping by . . . 

pj

A Follow Up ... Tim Tebow and Tolerance

Last Thursday I posted some thoughts on the University of Florida senior quarterback, Tim Tebow. Arguably one of the best college quarterbacks to ever play the game. I made reference to an upcoming pro-life Super Bowl commercial that features Tim Tebow. It's not surprising to me that Tebow agreed to appear in the ad. He has never been one to shrink from speaking out and standing up for what he believes. What is surprising to me is what a pro-choice female staff writer of the Washington Post had to say about Tebow and his upcoming ad. It's worth your read! Just go to the following link for the article:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/01/AR2010020102067.html

I praise God that there are young men like Tim Tebow willing to raise up the flag of Jesus Christ! May his tribe increase!

Thanks for stopping by ...

pj