Bloodmoney movie

While Naomi and I were in Chicago last week we were approached by volunteers from Planned Parenthood on 2 separate occasions. Each time we were approached were asked if, "we could spare some time in support of Planned Parenthood" at which Naomi and I responded in unison, "NO WAY!" We walked away after the first time discussing how us spending one second of support for planned parenthood was the biggest joke of all time. Support the killing of unborn defenseless children all in the name of convenience, selfishness and financial gain. You've got to be kidding. NO way! Not a chance. By the second time I could feel my blood boiling, BOILING! I was thankful there wasn't a third.

3 summers ago I had the opportunity to visit Auschwitz in Poland. I have spent a great deal of time studying history, specifically Jewish history as well as the history of World War 2. After all that I knew going into Auschwitz I was still stunned. It was MASSIVE. I could not believe how large it was. It was well organized. It looked efficient. UGH. I don't know if I'll ever recover from it. 60 years ago the Germans argued that the Jews were less than human. Therefore they were justified in killing over 6 million Jews. 30 years later the United States justified killing children because they did not consider them to be human. The death toll around the world due to abortion makes World War 2 look like a footnote is the history of murder.

I did not have one second to spare in support of Planned Parenthood last week. I do, however, have many opportunities in direct opposition of Planned Parenthood to direct people toward the truth about abortion. I recently came across a movie that has yet to be released called, "Bloodmoney". I am intrigued to see what this movie reveals about the truth and I'm hopeful if helps turn the tide against abortion in our country.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYaTywSDmls

Pride can be a national sin as well.

A quote from Abraham Lincoln from a speech given in 1863.

We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us!

The consequences of pride can be felt on an individual level as well as on a national level.

A Neglected Theology

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGMG_PVaJoI

The theology of suffering still eludes many within the Body of Christ.  This neglect seems to be localized within the United States but has spread to many other countries with the rise of the "prosperity gospel".  It is natural for men to pursue their own self interests.  However, there seems to be less and less distinction from the natural ways of the world and what should be the salt and light of the Church.  The desires, goals, values of the church should be radically different from the world that surrounds it.  

I know I am often prone to comfort and indifference.  I can sense the hypocrisy as I type on the laptop and the T.V. plays for noise in the background.  I go out of my way to avoid pain or conflict.  I find myself often claiming my rights to what I feel I deserve.  I've felt the pressure of churches who are typically more interested in numerical growth than real authentic spiritual growth that challenges people to Go and Make Disciples.  These attitudes and values have infiltrated the church like a virus.  I thank God that Friendship is often making choices to do the right/righteous thing which is often not the popular thing.

The reason I posted this link was to remind myself and anyone else who cares to watch it of the importance of "brokenness" or what the speaker calls anguish.  If we pursue comfort, our own rights, and embrace a consumerism what will our churches look like in the end.  This is a theme I have been trying to drill into our students over the past 24 months.  Brokenness over our sin and brokenness over those who are lost and desperate without a Savior.  This is the beginning of calling.  This is the beginning of selfless service.  This is the foundation for the grace and forgiveness that needs to be extended.  This is what motivates young people to deny self and pray desperate prayers for their friends.  We don't need better music, better dramas, or better multimedia we desperately need the desperate prayers of broken students.   

The Christy Nockels song Hosanna says, "break our hearts for what breaks Yours"  I couldn't agree more.  I believe this to be the most dangerous prayer a young Christian can pray.

Pray that we as a church accurately teach and model this theology in our church.

Dawkins Delusion

I thought this was spot on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QERyh9YYEis&feature=PlayList&p=EA2D863160AFCFDE&index=13

No Choice?!

I am discovering that in spite of me reorganizing my life to line up with my final 30 days there are a number of things that are out of my control.  Certainly the way people treat me or respond to me is out of my control.  I also realized that there are a number of my choices that are not really a choice at all.  There are things that I have to do during my final 30 days.  If I do not do these things I will limit my choices and goals in other areas of my life.  I have to eat, sleep, go to the bathroom, drive the speed limit, brush my teeth and a number of other things.  You could argue that some of these things I don't have to do but as I said before, if I do not do these things they will limit my freedom in other areas of life.  I spent some time today reflecting on God's boundaries for my life.  When God says to do one thing in His Word or to avoid another He is actually providing me a path that leads to the MOST FREEDOM in my life.  

God's Word says If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.  John 8:31b-32 (NIV)

We are often resistant to the "requirements" that life, someone else and often God puts in our life.  The truth is that if we realize that these things ADD to even our final days will discover the LIFE that God has for us EACH DAY.

Distractions

Well it didn't take long to become completely distracted on my final 30 day mission. If only I could be a little more like my wife. Naomi has the ability to be completely focused on one and only thing. Everything else sacrifices and is put off to fuel that single minded mentality. I would ascribe it on a positive note much like a pregnant woman. The baby inside will demand everything it needs and can often have harmful effects on the mother as a result. God protects that child in the woman by demanding that the body prioritizes all its resources to help it grow healthy. This can also be seen in the evils of some diseases and viruses. They actually demand resources and a prioritization to help them grow and destroy their host. I can see so many examples of how focus and clarity bring an energy and passion to accomplish what needs to be done. So why can't I focus my mind for 16 hours in a day? I got so distracted yesterday. They were little things that took over the whole. I looked back on yesterday and I had to say to myself,

"That was one of my last days!? What do I have to show for it?"

The Bible give us a clear challenge with focusing our thoughts and thereby focusing our lives.

2 Cor 10:55 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.(NIV)

Take captive? We go after our thoughts and make them obey. Wow. How is this possible? My mind so often wonders. I understand books have been written on the subject. This 30 days really brings some things into focus. It brings what is important to focus and what is not. It determines the absolutely essesiantal that can't be put aside and the disease of distractions that have to be cut out and destroyed. It only took a few days to become almost completely distracted - to forget - to waste time - to become weary and tell myself to take a break. It reminds us that time is running out and I just lost 1 more day that I can't get back.

Disappointed

Yesterday was not what I had hoped for or imagined it could be. The beginning of my last 30 days on earth started with the painful sound of the alarm clock. I was determined to start the day with my Bible along with the several other books I am currently reading. I wanted to exercise to feel that sense of energy that comes from accomplishment. If this is my last 30 days why am I struggling to go after all these final goals for my life. Then it hit me. There are 2 problems with this 30 day journey that I'm going to have to overcome quickly if I am going to get anything out of it. Problem number 1: No one cares. If this was my last 30 days I would imagine SOMEONE would care. I might be getting phone calls, emails, visits from friends, cards in the mail all trying to communicate tearful goodbyes. Nope - didn't happen. Why is this an important to overcome either in reality or in the 30 day experiment? Well if it was really my last 30 days and I did receive all those tearful goodbyes I might be distracted into thinking my life focus is "me". I might spend several hours, or a day or possibly a week depending on how self indulgent I am, focusing on what my life had accomplished and become satisfied with all I had done. In the 30 day experiment I feel a sense of sorrow that seemingly no one cares. This however I have discovered refocuses me that my final 30 days should not be wasted on the "self centered" pride in all the things "I've done" but rather it should be a "selfless" mindset of all I have yet to do for others. Problem number 2: I've already clued you in on the 2Nd problem with the 30 day experiment that I realized yesterday morning and ever increasingly throughout the day. The second problem is that "it is not real". If it were REALLY my last 30 days I would do many things DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT. I definitely would not have gone to my Monday morning meeting (no offense to my coworkers). I certainly would not have gone to volleyball. I know for certain I would have pulled my boys out of school for the next 30 days and made it my primary mission to love, teach, and disciple them. I could think of nothing else more important in my final 30 days that giving everything I had left to my family and modeling Christ for them. These 2 epiphanies however have changed today (day 2 - 29 days left) for me. They have focused my values, tasks and emotions into great clarity. I know what I should adjust and make changes to accommodate these priorities. I am a little disappointed that you didn't call or write but I am thankful that you didn't at the same time. It has allowed me to not become distracted and self centered. I am also thankful for the things in my day yesterday that choked out what I really wanted to do. It was that tension that really helped my discover what I really wanted in my last 30 days.