This morning I watched video clip on the Today Show that hit me right where it counts- the heart. The clip shows Navy officer Bill Hawes returning home from a seven-month tour in Iraq and he surprises his six-year-old son in his school classroom. His son jumps up, crying, and runs into his father’s arms (WATCH VIDEO)

When you watched the video, look at the boy’s eyes as he runs to his dad. That’s love!

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I just read very poignant post by a dude named Timmy Gibson.  He writes on the blog, Relevant Christian, and makes some great points in this post.  Give it a read.

Why Christians Suck!

I am a born and raised Christian, though I am not really that proud to admit that many times these days. Not because of my personal faith and trust in Jesus Christ, or the Bible or God… but because there are too many wacky Christians out there who give us “some-what” normal Christians a bad name.

I live in Kansas City, and there is an area downtown called the Plaza (a cool place for a romantic horse carriage rides, great shops and a ton of great fountains) and when you go there on a Friday or Saturday night you will encounter the guy I affectionately call, “the plaza preacher”. This guy is a piece of work to say the least. He is a megaphone preacher guy. He condemns everyone to a hot hell and has the huge sign to promote that beautiful message of hope and love for those who are lost.

This is one of many reasons I am finding it difficult to “like” Christians. Yes, I of course in reality love Christians, shoot I am one! This is just my way to VENT my frustration over the Pharisee type Christian who violates the John 8 scripture where Jesus has a women caught in adultery thrown at His feet to judge. And if you know the story, Jesus of course DOES NOT judge her to a hot hell. But He does address those Pharisees who brought her to Him to judge by saying, “ye without sin cast the first stone.” Thank God that didn’t happen today, because I truly believe some Christians would be throwing stones. And that my friends is what bites my tail! Christians who think they stand in the position as Jesus… perfect and able to cast stones.

The interesting thing about Jesus was that HE was perfect and had the right to cast a stone, yet He did not! And He is the ONLY one who could have done so, and been justified.

I also hear people say to me that we’re trying too hard to reach the lost! ( I am laughing here)… hello, ahhhh yes we are! And that is a problem why?

Jesus was mocked as a wine bibber… so we are in good company! The key in my opinion is to be IN the world and not OF it. I can be right in the middle of a whore house, but do not have to pay for their services. But some Christians do not look at it that way… and the reality is…. That is fine… for them. But not for me! I can not ONLY live my life in the little Christian culture only hanging out with nice Republican voting, Christian music listening, non-tattoed, suit-wearing people. I am sorry, I just can’t live my life like that, then die and face Jesus and have Him look me in the face and ask… “who’d you show my love too?” Oh no! I would feel like that dude who buried his talent and when the master came to collect he dug it up and gave it back… and the master said, “you wicked servant!”

I believe you can be in the culture and not of it so to speak. I do not have to smoke pot to reach a pot smoker! I do not have to be an adulterer to reach an adulterer. But to reach anyone WE must LOVE as Jesus loved!
If you are reading this and you are not a Jesus follower… can I just say I am so sorry for the way we Christians have portrayed Christianity! I hope to change that so that people can get a true taste of the Gospel that Jesus preached… a gospel of love and hope!

On the other hand if you are a Christ follower please be like Jesus… please love all people, even when you feel they are “violating” the Bible. Love is what leads people to faith… “faith works by love” the bible says!

Live for Jesus!

Timmy Gibson

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I’m VERY bummed that Chris Sligh was voted off. I know he chose a bad song this week but this eliminates one of the few memorable contestants on American Idol.

Something tells me we haven’t heard the last of Sligh.  Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna go get “Sanjaya’d.”

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• My boy Chris Sligh was off tonight. Not a good song choice. Chris needs to go back to rocking.
• What was up with Sanjaya’s rooster hair-do. I’m all for faux-hawk’s but… man.  When is he going to sing a Michael Jackson song?
• Gina Glockson was great…this week. When is she going to sing “Black Velvet?”
• Haley Scarnato was boring.
• As usual, Lakisha Jones was terrific. Great voice. I think she’s great.
• Phil Stacey was awesome tonight. The best actually. He still won’t beat out Sligh though.
• Melinda Doolittle showed off her disco diva self tonight.
• I like that Blake Lewis stays off of the beaten path and shows originality (with or without beat boxing). Too many Idol contestants fit generic molds. Blake breaks it.
• You could tell Jordan Sparks wasn’t really “feeling it” with the “Hey, Baby” song. Plus, her earrings were like hoola-hoops.
• Chris Richardson could easily be Justin Timberlake’s voice double. The problem tonight was the same as Jordan- it’s tough to sell the audience on the song when you have no passion singing it.
• My wife was disappointed that all the contestants weren’t singing No Doubt or Gwen Stefani songs.
• I predict Haley Scarnato is voted off this week. I’m usually wrong so take it for its worth.

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For all of my MMA friends out there. I just ran across this story regarding UFC’s purchase of Pride Fighting.  I’m still wondering if this is a good thing. Competition improves quality.  Hopefully Ultimate Fighting Championship can keep their momentum going and not slack off with.

Ultimate Fighting Championship: http://www.ufc.com

Pride Fighting Championships: http://www.pridefc.com

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Tonight’s episode of 24 was off the hook!

The story is getting to the point where crap is starting to hit the fan and it holds the audience in its clutches.

I especially enjoyed the scenes where we see the usually hardened Jack Bauer show his compassionate side with a mentally-challenged guy.  I really felt it was tastefully done while remaining in the context of the story and true to the character of Jack Bauer.  I written before about how Jack Bauer is a Christ-like character and the compassion shown by him in this episode is yet another aspect of that.

Also, you’ve got to love how it always seems the greatest threats are the old, good-ol’-boy politicians who are always looking to take control of the government and respond as if we were still in the 1950’s.  It was great to see President Palmer get back on the saddle even if the good-ol’-boy network led by his VP attempts to push him off.

Overall, a great blend of stories in 24 tonight.  I can’t wait until next week.

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In an effort to make friends I thought I would share some notes I had written recently during a study of 1 Corinthians which include thoughts on prophecy, speaking in tongues, and orderly church gatherings.

1 Corinthians 14 (Read the passage for yourself)

• v. 1- In this context, the gift of prophecy refers to preaching and instructing religious doctrines; interpret or explain Scripture, speak under inspiration- in addition to foretelling.
• v. 2- So a tongue is not really for other people but it’s to God which is why it shouldn’t be used in gatherings.
• vs. 4-5- Prophecies encourage, strengthen, and comfort and this benefits the church.
• v. 5- Tongues (languages) can be good for the church if someone could interpret. Otherwise, it’s for God.
• v. 9- Tongues should speak intelligible words or else it’s for no one’s benefit and should not be used around others unless other’s can understand what’s being said (interpretation).
• v. 12- I think of all the people I’ve come across in church and many have said they wanted to be able to speak in tongues and often thought something was wrong with them if they didn’t. But verse 12 tells us that if we are eager to have spiritual gifts, it’s best to want those that build up the church.
• v. 19- Paul hammers home this point about tongues in this verse when he says, “But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.”
• v. 22- Tongues (languages) are a sign for unbelievers. Prophecy is for believers.
• v. 23- If unbelievers don’t understand what’s going on and what you’re saying when speaking in tongues then they will think you’re crazy. Duh. So don’t do it unless they can understand the language you’re speaking. It has to be amazing to be a sign. If a group of Chinese unbelievers came to your church and you (without training) began to speak Chinese to them- that’s would be a sign and simply amazing and could only be explained as a God thing. The gift of tongues was necessary to spread Christianity across the world and the different cultures and languages inhabiting it.
• vs. 27-28- If, and notice Paul said IF, someone speaks in a tongue it should be done in an orderly way. One at a time and two or three at the most and someone must, notice Paul said MUST, interpret. If there is no interpreter, the speaker should remain quiet and keep it between them and God. Again, it has to benefit the church. A tongue is a language and the language needs an interpreter.
• v. 29- When a prophet speaks we need to “weigh carefully” what is said. So in sermons and lessons- weigh it and check it out for yourself. Don’t be blind.
• v. 33- A good thing to remember when in church or any other similar gathering- “For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.” He wants things done in an orderly way. A chaotic church gathering is not a biblical one.
• v. 35- I see this as a challenge to husbands. Be knowledgeable enough to have intelligent theological discussions with your wives. Be able to answer her questions. A lady should not marry someone dumber than her. Sorry honey =)
• v. 40- The bow on this chapter- “But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.”

It’s curious to me why some churches tend to ignore this chapter. It’s not uncommon to see misuse of speaking in tongues and prophecy in a gathering, but it doesn’t just stop there. Some churches actually have crazy, weird, unbiblical junk called “holy laughter”, being “drunk” in the Spirit, laying on the ground and physically losing control and shaking violently, barking like a dog, and handling snakes- all under the guise of manifistations of the Spirit and going “deeper.” I wish I were making this up but the sad fact is that it happens and it hardly compels unbelievers- it repels them. That’s flat out wrong and makes me angry and sick!

Is prophecy a bad thing? No, it’s awesome. Is speaking in tongues a bad thing? No, it’s a spiritual gift given to some and is good and of God as long as its not abused or used unbiblically. Here are some parameters for speaking in tongues if you have the gift:

1. First and foremost, it should bring glory to God and not us.

2. It is a sign for unbelievers meaning it should astonish them, not freak them out (see Acts 2). Again, it compels- not repels people who don’t know Jesus.

3. Tongues should be an actual language. If in church, then it should be a language that people understand, otherwise its to be kept between you and God.

4. If in a church service or similar gathering, interpretation must accompany it and it should be done in an orderly way.

1 Corinthians 13: 1-3 reminds us to keep this in perspective as well:

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

In the end, spiritual gifts are great, but it’s all about love. It’s all about loving God and loving others. That’s the point. Let us not forget.

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On John Moore’s blog, Brand Autopsy, he shares about Terra Bite Coffee Lounge in Kirkland, WA that operates on the honor system. A very interesting read:

Have you heard about Terra Bite Lounge in Kirkland, WA? It’s a coffee shop that sells coffee drinks, pastries, and sandwiches based entirely on the honor system. Yep, there are no prices for anything Terra Bite Lounge serves customers. The expectation is that customers will voluntarily pay whatever amount they feel comfortable paying.

The founder of Terra Bite Lounge, Ervin Peretz, knows his coffee shop must attract enough honorable customers to offset those customers who will abuse the voluntary pay system. Currently, Terra Bite Lounge serves about 80 customers a day with each paying, on average, $3.00.

Hmm … this social experiment sounds a little familiar.

In Freakonomics we learned about Paul “Bagel Man” Feldman who setup a bagel business built totally on the honor system. Feldman would deliver bagels to offices and leave a money drop box with the expectation that people would pay for the bagels they ate.

According to Freakonomics, the honor system worked for bagels. The payment rate for Feldman’s bagels hovered at nearly 90%.

Feldman kept copious notes on bagel sales data and some of his conclusions are fascinating. For example…

• When the weather is pleasant … people pay at a higher rate.
• When the weather is cold, rainy, windy … payment declines sharply.
• During the holiday weeks of Christmas and Thanksgiving … payment is lousy.
• But, during the holiday weeks of Labor Day and 4th of July … payment is strong.

Because Feldman’s bagel customers were office workers he was able to draw interesting conclusions about how workplace morale affects payment. The more sweeping conclusion was: The better workplace morale at a business, the greater the payment rates. And more interestingly, Feldman came to believe higher-paid executives cheated the bagel honesty system more than did workers lower on the corporate ladder.

It’ll be interesting to learn if Feldman’s bagel honesty findings jibe with Terra Bite’s coffee honesty findings. And given Feldman’s data that cold and rainy weather adversely affects volunteer payment, it’ll be super-interesting to know how this honesty system plays in the cold and wet Seattle-area.

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Just like you and I, the disciples were a work in progress. Let’s take a look at one example of this:

Mark 4:35-41 (NIV)

That day when evening came, he [Jesus] said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

I don’t know about you, but doesn’t it seem like Jesus may have set this moment up on purpose to teach the disciples (and us) something?

First of all, Jesus tells them he wants to go to the other side of the lake when the evening came and they left without preparation. Verse 36 says, “they took him along, just as he was, in the boat.” The next thing we know, Jesus decides to go to sleep. He must be a deep sleeper because huge waves are crashing over the boat and almost swallows up the boat. The disciples are going bonkers and decide to wake Jesus up.

Verse 38 tells us that Jesus was sleeping on a cushion. Did you catch that? On a cushion! In a wet, wooden boat, a cushion is like paradise- like heaven. In fact, this is the image we have of Jesus in heaven. We are riding the waves here on earth while Jesus is chilling in heaven. Doesn’t it seem like that sometimes? How quickly we forget all that Jesus went through here on earth.

The disciples begin to question whether if Jesus even cares that they drown or not. We’re no different. When we go through storms in our life- don’t we ask the same question? “Jesus, don’t you care that the world’s crashing in on me?” Notice that once the disciples asked Jesus- talked to him- expressed their despair- he shhhshed the wind and stilled the water- completely. Like Cheri Oteri in SNL, he said, “Simmer down now!” He proved that he has the power to stop the storm- but he did not choose to prevent the storm. He still allowed it to come. Hmmm.

Then Jesus asked the disciples two questions, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

You see, when you have Jesus in your boat- you don’t have to fear the storms. The storms are a slave to Jesus. He’s the master. They will still come but they’re often for our own good. The storms can be used to stretch and grow us and learn to reply on the might of Jesus. We have to believe in his power and his authority. He is God and we are not. When waves are crashing- we have little control. We do the best we can in our little boats, but really- when the storms come- we are helpless- vulnerable. It’s at that moment we usually cry out to Jesus. We are desperate for him and right where we ought to be. His strength is made perfect in our weakness.

In verse 41, the disciples were terrified- but not of the storms or the waves- they were stilled. The disciples were terrified of Jesus. The word terrified that is used here is the Greek word, phobeo. It means to be alarmed; by analogy to be in awe of or to revere. The disciples saw that Jesus had control over something they didn’t- he controlled the weather- the elements. Jesus flexed his muscles and they caught a glimpse of the power of God.

Our challenge is to respond to his two questions like this. “We will not fear anything but you and we whole-heartedly have faith in you.” He knows we’re a work in progress. Perhaps we should ask Jesus to flex his muscles and show his power for us- in our lives. He did for the disciples- why wouldn’t he do the same for us? After all, he’s a big, tough, warrior Jesus who will fight for us because he loves us.

Will we love him back?

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