“The miracles of nature do not seem miracles because they are so common. If no one had ever seen a flower, even a dandelion would be the most startling event in the world.” - Unknown Author
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” - Albert Einstein
“Miracles are not contrary to nature, but only contrary to what we know about nature.” - St. Augustine
We're back...Washington was awesome (may have to go back next week)...got to meet some very interesting people...visited the home of an amazing pastor who is the adoptive father of Lebo M, co-creator of the music of The Lion King...even had a private meeting with Samah Alrayyes Norquist, Palestinian wife of Grover Norquist...
...looks like the Global Peace Festival is going to be really cool...still don't have exact details to give those of you who have asked about the schedule, but for sure Yolanda Adams, L'il Mama and Wyclef Jean...and Velocity, or, at least, Judah...and a 1,000 voice choir are performing...and, I think, India Irie...Josh Groban was scheduled, but had a conflict...he is still doing some of the promotion for it...but that's all I know right now...
...thanks for helping with the 2,000 acts of kndness to which we have committed...
...today is Nelson Mandela's 90th Birthday...
...loved everything you all wrote yesterday...
...may be be back later (waiting for the kids to get here)...
Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul...and with all your mind". (Matthew 22:37 - TNIV)
Hey bloggers,
It's around 12:45 am...just got checked into our room in D.C...looking out our window I see the Capitol dome against the night skyline, the Washington Monument, and a large dark area that I know is Arlington Cemetery. The hotel is just a couple of streets over from the Pentagon...very cool location...
Every time I come to Washington, I find that I am just as blown away by it as I ever was. As much as I consider myself a citizen of the world, and a globalist, when I come to the nation's capital, I realize how patriotic I actually am, and I get in touch with my love for this country in a very real way. I really do love it...even with all of its faults...
We were in Paris on the 4th of July, and I greatly missed seeing a fireworks show that night...I love fireworks...and I love celebrating what is still great about America...
Anyway, I used the Scripture above because of the phrase "...with all your mind". Jesus said to love the Lord with your mind, as well as with your heart and soul.
I was thinking about this passage while I was reading some of your comments from yesterday, because everything that was posted here reflected the expressions of people who love the Lord their God WITH THEIR MINDS! You ALL have such great minds (speaking of which, I was glad to hear from Abraham in Cairo, Egypt yesterday...very interesting stuff)... You're all so articulate and insightful...it really makes spending time with you every day here a pleasure...in a word, you amaze me...
Many of us came from a religious background that discouraged thought...we were taught that thinking was nonspiritual, and would ultimately lead to humanism and secularism. But I find, instead, that in this vibrant, Christ-community, God is exalted, His presence, power and greatness are celebrated, and that love rules among thinking people.
Seriously, I have genuine affection and respect for all the contributors here. It's obvious that you put a great deal of time and effort into your posts...clearly, a lot of thought goes into what you say...and I appreciate it. You all inspire me and challenge me...your iron sharpens my iron...
We'll be in meetings all day today (I've got to get up in just a few hours), but feel free to blog. I love when there is a lot of dialogue here, and I can moderate it, even when I'm engaged in doing other things.
We're staying in a beautiful suite, and Debye's already asleep in the next room...but I'm going to sit here a little while and look out over the amazing city of Washington D.C., and just take it all in.
When we get back to Covington on Friday morning, Daisson and Christina and my beautiful granddaughter, Sofia, will be at the house waiting for us, and we're going to spend the day with them. How great is that?! They'll be at church Sunday.
Have a wonderful day today, think great thoughts, and love the Lord your God with all your MIND!
What's on that great mind of yours right now?
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. (Jeremiah 29:11 - The Message)
I'll be back later today to finish this, but in the meantime, I found this video that includes some clips from Ben-Hur (see yesterday's article). Again, you'll need to scroll down to the music player and pause it so that you can hear the song (which is one of my favorites)...
_____________...Later
OK, I’m back…finding time to write anything today has been challenging, to say the least…we just found out that we have to go to Washington day after tomorrow, and are having to rearrange some things in the already busy schedule…and I just found out that Betty Orsini’s mom just passed away, so I’ve got to go see about that.
The bottom line is, I may not get to finishing this article today. But please feel free to continue the discussion without me. I love what you've already written (8 comments). It’s no problem putting your stuff through, even when I'm busy with something else...and sometimes I enjoy just seeing where the conversation takes you on your own…Be back as soon as I can…
_____________...Even later
OK, now I’m really back…
First of all, I owe everyone connected with this blog a huge apology! I really didn’t think about it at the time, but I realize now that I did something very hypocritical here last week…something very wrong and counter-productive…and for that I sincerely ask for your forgiveness.
I’m referring to the fact that, in answer to someone’s question a few days ago, I re-posted a letter that had been on here before, but that I had removed some time back for several reasons. Many of you will remember that when I first started the blog, it was primarily about answering my critics, defending my doctrine, and protecting my reputation concerning things that had been written about me on-line. But after a few weeks of being bombarded with pointless arguments from the religious cyber-community, I decided to change the direction of the blog, and to move away from the defensive posture that I had been taking here. So I deleted all of the original stuff (for a long time you could still find it all on-line, but it seems to be all gone now), and re-created the edifying, Christ-exalting site that we now all enjoy. The one thing that I kept was the article about my son, Jared, simply because it saves me time in not having to answer people about the things they read about him and his band on-line.
The reason I say that I did something hypocritical is that today I was scrolling back through all of the articles that are listed under the Blog Topic “reconciliation”, and it occurred to me (especially when I read the articles from May 9 – “Forgive the World”, and March 12 – “How Great is our God!”), that I had said I wouldn’t answer my critics or defend myself any more. It’s not that I can’t answer them, it’s just that doing so doesn’t do anything to build the Kingdom of God or to help people. Jesus generally avoided answering the questions (which were traps) of the Pharisees for the same reason.
You know how I said the other night in a sermon that the hardest thing you’ll ever do is to walk in your own revelation? Well, I’m confessing my fault in that area here, because I have already said (more than once, in fact) that it didn’t matter to me what people thought of me, and yet I still took a defensive stance concerning an accusation that had been hurled at me.
The worst part of it is that when I posted the article, it opened up a very negative atmosphere here, and suddenly there was a mean-spirited tone coming from the bloggers that is out of character for them, and totally out of keeping with the purpose of this blog. Don’t get me wrong…I’m not accusing those of you who wrote the negative stuff. I take full responsibility for everything that was here (that has now been deleted) because all of you were simply taking your cues from me, and I willingly posted all of your comments. In all honesty, I must confess that I cringed at some of the stuff that many of us said here (I am the chiefest of sinners in that respect), but my flesh enjoyed it, even though it grieved my spirit. I love the fact that you all want to protect me, but I’m a big boy…I shouldn’t even need that kind of affirmation at this point…and I am your shepherd. I should have never taken you there.
You may say that we were all justified in our reactions, because some really negative things were said about me by someone who doesn’t know me…but that’s not the point. I have already said that I would turn the other cheek, regardless, and yet I didn’t do it. Hopefully, I have at last learned my lesson in this respect.
As to the subject of answering doctrinal questions here, I can only say that I have already answered those questions presented to me over and over again, and at this point I consider that I owe no man anything but to love him. Besides, you can have all of your doctrinal ducks in row, and still be completely wrong in your motives. The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. And no matter how many questions you answer, one man’s revelation is another man’s heresy. One man’s spiritual evolution is another man’s apostasy. One man’s ascent into greater truth is another man’s descent into error. One man’s orthodoxy is another man’s legalism. One man’s Scriptural interpretation is another man’s false doctrine. One man’s liberty in Christ is another man’s deception. My only answer to anyone concerning my preaching is this:
And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. (1 Corinthians 2:1, 2 – KJV)
Anyway, it doesn’t matter what anyone says about me, or accuses me of…it doesn’t justify sarcasm and insults on my part. We wrestle not with flesh and blood.
I am confessing my fault that I may be healed. The sound of His voice has taken the sword from my hand.
Please forgive me, and agree with me that this battle in my life is won once and for all…
(Please pause the music player before viewing this...)
Hey bloggers...I'll be back later today with some good stuff...awesome service yesterday...did a little clean-up here and there on the blog...please be cool if something you posted got deleted...it's all good...in the meantime, consider this...
Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.(Philippians 4:8 - The Message)
For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them]. (Philippians 4:8 - Amplified)
Check back later... ___________________
OK, I'm back...there are currently 17 comments posted (some interesting stuff you should check out...)
It has been a favorite summer tradition of mine for many years to attend at least one of the presentations from Coca Cola’s annual film series at Atlanta’s Fox Theatre. Originally, the series was comprised exclusively of film classics (over the years we’ve seen The Sound of Music there, The Wizard of Oz, Casablanca, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, to name a few). If you go to the theatre a little early, before the show they have live music performed on the giant Möller theater organ (called “Mighty Mo”), a sing-along, and they show vintage cartoons and old newsreels. The whole experience is a nostalgia lover’s dream.
In recent years, I have become less and less enchanted with the series because it seems to me that they continue to show more and more first-run flicks that are still on at the local multiplex, and less of the old greats that I want to see on the Fox’s giant screen. But 18 summers ago, when they were still only showing the oldies, Debye and I attended a night of the series to see the 1959 epic, Ben-Hur, and that night turned out to be very significant for us.
At the time, she was nearing the very end of her fist pregnancy (our first child together). We had had two sonograms, both of which read that we were going to have a baby girl, and we were fine with that. I just wanted a baby that looked like Debye, and would grow up to be musical, but the doctors were so adamant that we were having a girl that we had only picked out a girl’s name (Victoria Elizabeth). We had also had a very pink baby shower in which we received nothing but girl gifts.
But on that hot August night in 1990, as we sat at the front of the Fox watching the winner of the most Academy Awards in history (until Titanic tied with it), I began to feel something unusual every time one of the characters in the movie called the name – “Judah Ben-Hur”. After the first half of the movie (it’s a long one), I turned to Debye and said, “I know they are convinced that we’re having a girl, but I just want to say that if we do happen to have a boy, that I am totally naming him “Judah”…“Judah Benjamin”! And when I said it we both, for lack of better term, felt an anointing on it, and I immediately saw a picture in my spirit of a tall, young man with long, blond hair.
Fast forward to 2008…last night they showed Ben Hur at the Fox for the first time in all these years, and we took Judah to see it (along with Jonah, and Aaron Conyers and Cody Daniel, and my parents), and we had a wonderful time. I had not seen it since before Judah was born, and there’s nothing like seeing the chariot race on a 70mm screen. You have to judge it in its proper context…it has some of the trappings of the typical, over-the-top, melodramatic Bible epics of the 50’s, along with some laughable special effects…but, all in all, it was actually much better than I had remembered.
For one thing, it was cool to take Judah to see it and sit close to where we sat the night we first imagined him (and he totally got it, by the way). But also, the story is so much about the mercy of Jesus Christ, and the salvation He provided for ALL people, that I really saw and heard it with new eyes and ears last night. Everything that they said about Jesus in the script sounded like the Jesus that I preach and believe in. It was very moving and timely for me.
The famous last line of the movie is Judah Ben-Hur telling his family of how his encounter with Christ delivered him from his hatred and need for vengeance…“And I felt His voice take the sword out my hand”…
“The miracles of nature do not seem miracles because they are so common. If no one had ever seen a flower, even a dandelion would be the most startling event in the world.” 
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” - Albert Einstein 
“Miracles are not contrary to nature, but only contrary to what we know about nature.”
It has been a favorite summer tradition of mine for many years to attend at least one of the presentations from Coca Cola’s annual film series at Atlanta’s Fox Theatre. Originally, the series was comprised exclusively of film classics (over the years we’ve seen The Sound of Music there, The Wizard of Oz, Casablanca, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, to name a few). If you go to the theatre a little early, before the show they have live music performed on the giant Möller theater organ (called “Mighty Mo”), a sing-along, and they show vintage cartoons and old newsreels. The whole experience is a nostalgia lover’s dream.
But on that hot August night in 1990, as we sat at the front of the Fox watching the winner of the most Academy Awards in history (until Titanic tied with it), I began to feel something unusual every time one of the characters in the movie called the name – “Judah Ben-Hur”. After the first half of the movie (it’s a long one), I turned to Debye and said, “I know they are convinced that we’re having a girl, but I just want to say that if we do happen to have a boy, that I am totally naming him “Judah”…“Judah Benjamin”! And when I said it we both, for lack of better term, felt an anointing on it, and I immediately saw a picture in my spirit of a tall, young man with long, blond hair.
Fast forward to 2008…last night they showed Ben Hur at the Fox for the first time in all these years, and we took Judah to see it (along with Jonah, and Aaron Conyers and Cody Daniel, and my parents), and we had a wonderful time. I had not seen it since before Judah was born, and there’s nothing like seeing the chariot race on a 70mm screen. You have to judge it in its proper context…it has some of the trappings of the typical, over-the-top, melodramatic Bible epics of the 50’s, along with some laughable special effects…but, all in all, it was actually much better than I had remembered.
