Sadness to Madness

Speechless.....

My prayers go out to the families, students, professors, police, and friends impacted by the murders this week by Cho Seung-Hui, a student of Virginia Tech. I know the media has mentioned a significant amount of the time that Cho was a South Korean, but he has resided here since he was 8. He attended elementary, junior high, senior high, and now college all here in the U.S. He was, by all standards, a resident like many of his peers. His disability to cope with his many issues resulted in psychopathic explosion unparalleled in American history. I must take odds with those who would attempt to use this tragedy and moment to soapbox and preach their issue "du jour." Do not exploit this criminal and evil situation nor the people involved to advance your cause. Thats exactly what Cho did. He "used" people and a horrible event to advance his cause. This was demonstrated by his mailing of a package of videos and writings to NBC News. Although much of it presented irreverent ramblings, they meant something to him. Mentioned in them were hedonism and Christianity. Why together? Maybe he found that they were frequently intertwined. For this we should take a strong look at what we Christians have demonstrated to those walking lonely, hurt and isolated all around us. Who reached out to Cho? Who failed to love him? Who physically or mentally hurt him? Who simply wasn't a friend to him? We need to make sure we personally do not aid or inspire other Cho's that may be out there. I hope that this is the last time we ever witness such blatent evil taken out on innocents, but I do not believe that will be the case. The world is full of people who are capable of these acts. Let's make sure we reach them first with the love and healing power of Christ. The alternative is that they reach us and our loved ones with the hate and destructive desires of the devil. Let's care for their sadness before it results in madness.

Wasted

The Courage and Decision to not Waste Your Life do not come easily or without cost. Have you yet taken inventory of your life and weighed the cost of both doing so and not? Have you figured out what you stand to lose by standing for Christ? I tell you that you stand to lose everything. Everything you currently hold dear. Everything you find your dependency in. Your job or career; your source of food and shelter; the things you hold value in and your dreams as well. All may be lost. Or, shall I say replaced. Or, re-priced. When you make the decision to not waste your life, you make the decision to remove anything that weighs you down. You will discount or consider of less value or even worthless that which hinders what God would have you do. Like Paul reminds us, even our flesh must be made subject. I am not condoning with the practice of many historical sects to brandish, burn or cut themselves to prove worthy or to visibly demonstrate the “submission” of their flesh to things considered godly. No. I also do not think glory is brought to God by re-enacting the crucifixion yearly by dozens of young men in the Philippines to have themselves thrust upward where all can now consider what your cost was 2000 years ago. So what is required? Death. Death to yourself; Death to self-centered desires; Death to having your own way; Death to ego; Death to always having to be right; Death to wasting your life, time, mind, and strength on things that do not matter or benefit anyone. Counting everything except for what God wants you to do at that moment as lost. Nothing else, including you, matters. Embrace this and you will find purpose; see Gods’ value placed in you; Gods’ power and peace; and the reward of losing everything you could never keep in return for that which you can never lose.

See: http://www.desiringgod.org/DWYL/

Sinn Fein, Ourselves Alone

More correctly translated “Ourselves” the democratic terrorists may be leaning towards true bipartisanship as negotiations with the DUP move them towards a true power-sharing government. Great news! Will the new unity government be referred to as DUPe OURSELVES?

Time magazine (April 2, 2007) has a though-provoking discussion on “Why We Should Teach the Bible in Public Schools.” Read it. I have to strongly agree as not only are we the most ignorant when it comes to math, reading and writing but also to religion and how it impacts everything from politics to current events. We have also become oblivious to our loss of personal freedoms as the ACLU has taken charge of the courts and stripped them away piece by piece under the false premise of protecting the feelings of a random few. Separation of Church and State was never intended to mean freedom from religion or its’ constructive influences or ideas.

So far in 2007, 413,660 people have been arrested for drug law violations. Only 2,833 have ultimately been incarcerated.

World Challenge has posted some great stats which I think serve as a blunt reminder that our priorities are so misplaced that it must make God puke.

6,571,497,332 people now live on Earth
1,200,000,000 people live on 23 cents a day
2,000,000,000 people have no electricity
80% of all people live in substandard housing
1,000,000,000 people are without drinking water
Every 16 seconds someone dies of hunger
57,000,000 people died in 2006
10,500,000 of these were children less than 5 years old
14,000,000 children were orphaned because of HIV/AIDS
2,000,000 children have died in the last decade because of armed conflict
$ 8,000,000,000 were spent on cosmetics in the United States in 2005
$ 11,000,000,000 for ice cream in Europe
$ 17,000,000,000 in the U.S. and Europe on pet food
$105,000,000,000 for alcohol in Europe

What have you spent your time and energy on?

The central problem with mankind today is the concept of self. When we are more concerned with our hair that a child dying from a lack of water; when we want to drive a new and sexy car rather than consider the fact that our gas consumption fuels Islamic militants who in return for our generosity will blow themselves and thousands of innocents up while they pick up food in the market; when we strive ridiculously for that 5 bedroom, 2.5 bath and 3 car garage house while not even genuinely concerned that only 20% of the worlds entire population has decent housing; while the U.S. has to waste roughly $20,000,000,000 on the drug war a year and contributes only about $12,200,000,000 towards pharmaceutical research, Americans will spend approximately $90,000,000,000 on illegal drugs this year; western society dedicates more time listening to news about Britney’s haircut than reaching out to a neighbor in need; when we can engorge ourselves at the local buffet and eat more in 1 night than millions will eat in 2 weeks (remember that every 16 seconds someone dies from hunger); when we are more concerned with what one is wearing than the value of the person themselves; when we choose to sleep late rather than come into God’s presence; when the desires of our flesh outweigh the consequences of our actions, but we don’t care; when more teens will attend spring break in some tropical area than will work on a short-term mission or for a group like Habitat-for-Humanity; when American families throw away more food each year than most families around the world have to eat in a year; when 1 in 4 women in college will report being raped, 1 in 3 face sexual coercion which matches the 1 in 3 women around the world who will be raped in their lifetime; When pornography becomes the largest industry on the web, larger than all others combined; we are all about self.

Did you know that more Christians are presently martyred each year than all years running up until now? One in ten lives in fear of persecution. Barnabus Fund helps support those living in constant fear of jail, beatings or worse. Find out what is happening to our brothers and sisters around the world today.

By the way, are you outraged at the thousands of rapes and millions that have died in the Sudanese war? Millions upon millions of refugees displaced? Is it political? Is it religious? It’s a travesty that the world has allowed these brutal, oil funded regimes to not only take control of the governments but then exact a reign of terror on innocent men, women and children. Many for the sake of their ethnicity; many for their non-Islamic beliefs. Are you unaware of the history? Here the BBC has covered it extensively for years trying to raise awareness. And, if you are a Christian, pray. And then stand! It is expected of us.

O.K. I can understand the grief of losing a favorite pet. We unfortunately had to put our black lab “Babs” down last year. She was 14 and suffering from a number of painful ailments. But committing suicide because your dog died? As Hindu’s, I wonder which is hoping to come back as the dog?

Our pastor’s wife’s mom passed away this past week. I ask that you keep their family in prayer. There is joy, however, in knowing that she found her strength in Christ. It was just a difficult time for it to occur as we were prepping for our annual community egg hunt. For a tiny, new church of roughly 35, we were surprised by the approximately 400-450 kids who came out for the event.

I am filled with peace. No, not because everything in life is going well. It’s not. Not because I am enjoying my job; I am not. I am because I am still on my faith walk. I am encouraged by my wife; and challenged by my kids daily. I do not put my faith in people, but in God. People will disappoint. Even Christians. Especially Christians. I say that because we tend to expect more from brothers and sisters than others. And they will falter. I will too so don’t expect too much from me either. But I am trying and, you can tell me when I have screwed up. I am simply trying to keep the important things in front of me and God’s people. The other stuff: gossip, judgementalism, pettiness, waste, anger, hatred, and self-centeredness can go to… Iran?

Speaking of Iran, what do you think about their gift to the Brits? I say return it. They gave back 7 naval seamen. I say send them back with interest. Send 7 seamen with 7 Aegis Destroyers backed by 70,000 men, backed by 7 supportive nations each with 7 Nuclear Warheads ready to generate 7 glass Petri Dishes in the middle of the desert.

Finally, and most importantly, it is Easter time. I personally want to take this moment to thank God for His willingness to endure the worst of human cruelty to provide redemption for those who cause it. I am as guilty of any, maybe more-so, for making the path He had to walk and endure the only viable means of reaching and saving me.

My daughter and I were involved in a great performance entitled “Y” at the New England Dream Center for the last couple of days. Hundreds returned to Christ or made first time professions of faith in the redemptive solution provided for by Jesus. But not all will accept. Some will never. Some preach a different message. I observed a man leaving before the final message. Dragging 2 children of his by the hands and 1 more following closely behind, he naively and loudly stated “say good-by to the cross kids.” This, as he dragged them from the church and out into the cold, violent, crime-ridden streets of Worcester. What hope did he offer them? None. Many will leave a legacy of non-hope for their children. Many provide only a bitter pill sugar-coated as reality. To these I say “Please, if nothing but for the sake of your family, consider Christ verse the answer you have been giving for life’s’ woes. Consider Christ this Easter. Why? Because He first considered you.