I have a Neck Ache!

I haven't posted in a while just because I haven't had any random thoughts inside my head that were ready to put down yet. Usually I won't post until I have the topic at least somewhat resolved in my own mind, or at least a general direction of where to go with it.

Today, I was reading my Bible. Acts 7 to be exact. This is Stephen's speach to the Sanhedrin and his stoning. One thing that stood out to me was Stephen saying to his audience, "You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit! 52Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him— 53you who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it."

What does he mean "Stiff-necked?" I know he isn't talking to me! Who does he think that he is stepping on my toes like that? My neck is rather stiff right now but I think he is more in the spiritual realm. So what does a "stiff-necked" person look like?

Have you ever heard anyone say, "that isn't the way we've always done it."? I sure have. I am a Baptist after all. Amoung other things I think that he is refering to someone who is so set in their ways, so used to a certain way of doing things that they can not even turn their heads to look at a new way. STUBBORN. So stubborn that they "always resist the Holy Spirit."

One thing that I am convinced that the church, ME included, is lacking today is Flexibility. We lay out our plans, make sure that everything is the way that we want it, chisel it in stone, have it notorized, get it voted on, and do all we can to make sure it happens. BUT, then the Holy Spirit comes and says, "Hay, I would like for you to go a different way. How about doing this..." So what do we do? Our necks get tight, stiff, and hard to turn. "But God, we have a plan already. You even gave us this plan. We need to be good stewards and follow that plan thru to the end."

We resist the Holy Spirit.

I wonder, how many times I/we have missed out on something "God-Sized" because I/we were stiff-necked and resisted the Holy Spirit? I hate to think about what God will show me when I stand before him to account for my life, all the times that I wasn't flexible, when I resisted the Holy Spirit, did my own thing all because I was being inconvenienced.

I was rather convicted today about this. I wonder what your thoughts on this matter are? I have decided to be more in tune with my neck, realizing that when it starts to get stiff, or tight I might need to do some stretches or take a muscle relaxer, maybe even get a massage to loosen those neck muscles flexible again.

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So today I was thinking about what I usually do and why my day was dragging on and on and on. I came to the conclusion that I miss my email buddy! He is out and about and leaving me on my own to send emails to myself. Its just not the same! So anyone who reads this (both of you) please send me some emails at work to help me pass my day! I'm addicted to my email!

"Hi, my name is Andy. I'm addicted to my email. I've been emailing for 15 years."

"Hi Andy." from the group.

"I'm going thru withdrawl from my email because my email buddy is on a cruise. I feel lost, bored, and my day goes very slowly without my email buddy. I want to stop but I just can't, I need to have conversaion outside my office with someone. I've tried to stop, but I can't. I want to stop but I can't"

"it's ok Andy. We understand." from group.

This is just a taste of my life if someone doesn't send me some e-mail! I need some email! Help my day go faster by sending me some email!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WAIT! Don't send me those forwards about how women should protect themselves by avoiding their daily lives, or Sara Beth Timmons who has cancer and Bill Gates is going to donate billions of dollars to her treatment if we send an email 40000 people in the next 14 minutes. Or the ones that say you have to send it to x number of people and God will bless you, I HATE THOSE.

Please send me some intelligent conversation, a news story, a theological or philosophical topic, or something that I have to put my brain into drive for! PLEASE!

I love Food, hot, spicy, greasy, unhealthy, nasty, tasty food!

Here is a GREAT Topic for you! Since my little bro is in the hospital and is having to change his diet, its got me thinking. Many years ago...Wait that isn't a good opening line. I can do better.

Long, long ago, in a galaxy far far away... (now that's more like it!)

I had some digestive problems and had to have some surgery. The Drs told me that I would have to change my diet. Basically what they told me is that I couldn't eat anything that I liked and had to eat lots of rabbit food. No more spicy food, no more greasy food, no more unhealthy food etc.

This is the same speech that my brother got this week. The difference between he and I is that he has decided to follow the diet. (I know that the consequences if he doesn't follow the diet are harsher than if I don't but lets just say we are even for the sake of my blog.) I told the Docs while I was still in the hospital that I would not follow their diet and would eat what I wanted. My brother said, Ok if that will help me, I'll do it.

Here is where I started the wheels turning. What if this was a spiritual matter? Would I say, sorry but I'll follow my own "diet" and do what I want, or would I say ok I'll cut out the unhealthy parts in order to live better and longer? I am notorious for saying, I'll eat what I want and deal with the consequences! I mean what if that was my attitude toward sin? I'm sorry God but I'll do what I want and deal with it later!

I would never dream of saying that! Well at least not out loud or intentionally anyways. But I do it none the less. That is another topic for later, maybe. What I really think I really want to deal with is expectations.

1. Why do we expect other people to act like us even though we don't think the same way about it or believe the same things?
2. When can we expect someone to act like us?

I have a problem with people that expect me or others to act like them when we don't have the same position as them. Case in point... When a Church raised person expects a person that has never set foot into a church to know all of the "rules" of the church and how they are supposed to act. We wouldn't dream of asking a German person to act like a Chinese person, or a Chinese person to act like an Eskimo so why do we do that in our churches?

I gave up a long time ago on thinking that the world should act like those of us in the church. In fact I get Righteously Indignant when people start doing this. Where do we get off thinking this way? Weren't we just like them at one point in time?

Lets track the progression. Step 1. We are lost, confused, sinful, and wondering. Step 2. We have to realize that there is something wrong. Step 3. We look for change. Step 4. We either find it or keep searching. If we find the life change that Christ offers things really change, but it doesn't change all at once. Somehow we got this idea that once they are believers then all things are homogenized and we all become alike. HA! AS IF.

Isn't that a pharasitical way of thinking? I mean I've realized that my diet isn't what it should be but I still don't want to change it. I'm not willing to give up the food that I love just to make a few less bathroom trips. I want to enjoy life and for me that includes food. Maybe one day I will come to the point where I want to make a change and will seek that out. BUT for now I am perfectly content in the way my life is and I don't want to change. Isn't it the same with Sin? I have to understand that what I do isn't healthy and then desire change?

How about we stop getting offended, upset, or angry when people that don't believe like us don't act like us? Shouldn't we expect it, even anticipate it? Can we just be ready, accept them where they are, and be happy for them and ready to show them the way when they are desiring change? Isn't that the better way?

PS. I need to learn to express my thoughts in fewer words! HA HA.

How Real IS Your Bible?

Mine is Very real. Do you ever wonder at why most people don't really enjoy reading the Bible? I think that it has something to do with the way that we have been taught to read it, like a text book. And really who reads a text book for anything even remotely close to fun or leisure reading? Certainly not me! What amazes me is how I can read a fiction book like say, Harry Potter (which ever one) and the imagery pops into my mind and I can see the events actually happening, even though they are ficticious.

When I read the Bible however, I usually don't get any images at all. Unless you count the days of the "Flannel Graph Jesus" and that isn't really like it is actually happening. (whatever happened to flannel graphs anyways?) I can see Harry Potter in my mind playing out like a movie, but in my head it is MUCH better than the actual movies that they have made. Why can't this happen when I read the Bible? Afterall The Bible IS REAL, actually happened, and would make great movies. Just look at movies like The Ten Commandments!

So here is an experiment using one of my favorite passages of scripture...

1. Pick your favorite Male actor. For mine I choose Sir. Sean Connery. Think of The Hunt for Red October.
2. Pick your Second favorite Male actor. For mine I choose Tom Cruise. I know I know, but keep in mind his performance in Jerry Maguire and this will make more sense in a minute.
3. Read Isaiah 6 as you normally would, boring, monotone, and text booky.
4. Re-Read Isaiah 6. This time insert Sean Connery in the role of God and Tom Cruise in the role of Isaiah.

Now to make this work you have to use your imagination. So put on your thinking/imagining hat, pop some popcorn, grab a soda, and let the fun begin. Also if you are going to get anything out of this at all you have to do the voices in your head, accent and all. You have to let the characters be the characters. God is classy, poised, direct, regal, and honorable, the characteristics of the captain in Red October, and Isaiah is on edge, flamboyant, high energy, holding on by a thread, just like Jerry Maguire. Let the scene roll like a movie. Big Hollywood sets, Lucas Film special effects, A list acting, Headline movie, box office smash, record setting type stuff.

What happens to the Bible when we read it like this? Does it become more real? Can you actually see these things happening? Do you get excited about the possibility of 6 winged creatures flying about? Do you feel the anticipation of a good story line? Can you hardly wait to see what happens next?

Try doing the same thing with those great Old Testament stories. Maybe just maybe we will start to see the Bible coming alive and being real.

REVIVAL????????

This one has been on the back burner for a while now, so its good and ready!

What do you think of when you hear the word REVIVAL?

More than likely one of a few things goes thru your head. If you are a church kid like me, you think "is it Wednesday thru Sunday, or Sunday thru Wednesday? Who is the preacher, and who is leading music?" If you aren't a church kid, maybe something like a scene from ER where they are trying to revive a patient, or the commercial "Revive with VIVARIN." Which is closer to the true meaning of the word? Obviously the scene from ER.

This is why I have come to HATE, HATE, the word Revival! What we have come to know as a revival in our churches today is nothing like revival at all. We either think that it is all about winning lost people to Jesus, or having a few days worth of services with a guest preacher. Maybe we even through in a pot luck or two. I am a Baptist after all! What we know as a revival is nothing like what it was originally intended to be. We have distorted it. It has even become a routine. We have one in the Spring, and then another in the fall. If we are lucky we will even have a "One Day Revival with Dr. Stan Starbucks!" (Don't get me started on the ramifications of a "ONE DAY" revival.)

Now take into consideration that I am not talking about a true revival. I am only talking about what it has become in most churches today. What the real problem is, is that we should not even need a revival. I don't think that Jesus ever had it in mind that we should let ourselves get to the point where we need that anyways. I know, I know, human/sin nature, backsliding and all that, but what are we really supposed to do? Keep in step with the spirit. (Gal 5:25) This does not really give us opportunity to need revival. If we are always in step with the spirit we will always be full of Life.

So let me propose a change in terminology. But before I tell you what I propose we switch to let me build my case a bit better. When Nicodemus came to Jesus what was he in search of? Could he have been in search of what Jesus was offering? But what was Jesus offering to the people then? Eternal Life. What did Nicodemus need to know about Eternal Life? HOW? HOW? HOW does one procure Eternal Life? Jesus' answer, "you must be born again." In the New Andy Version, "You need to get borned one more time."

I think Nick (can I call him that?) was pretty perplexed by this statement as is evidenced by his response. I can go back in THERE and be pushed out again can I? John 3:4 New Andy Version. Jesus told him that he must be born again not Physically (Whew, thank goodness for that!) but born again in his spirit. He had to become another person. A new person, leave the old Nick behind and let Jesus change him into the man He wanted him to be. Simple enough right? Basically Nick needed a Re-Birth, a change from old and crusty to new and fresh. From what was going to die, to what will live forever. A Re-Birth. An inward change (Spirit) manifested in an outwardly visible manner (physical).

What is interesting is that the evidence we have in the Bible is that once a person is really Re-born they never want to go back to the way they were, leaving no room for "Revival" to take place. Sometimes we will need a good swift kick in the pants to get us back on track, but not a full fledged, crock pot toting, pulpit pounding, sweating, spitting, hell fire & brimstone, takin' up a love offering, All to Jesus I Surrender singin' meeting. Just look at Peter, he got taken out back for a whoopin a time or two, but Jesus never sent him to the local First Self-Righteous Church for 4 nights of FUN (see above) to make it happen. Sometimes all it took was the look from his Saviour and he got back in line.

So here is my official proposal...

1. We at the very least stop using the word "REVIVAL"
2. We start spending our time seeking true, authentic, heart changing Re-Birth. Or as I like to call it a Renaissance. The very definition of that word is Re-birth!
3. We start changing our perspective about what is really important. From having "revivals" to wake up our church members to Finding people that need Re-birth and showing them what its all about. Discipeling them and preempting the need for "revival."
4. Start building around those that have become stagnate in their relationship. Surround them with those who have been Re-born until they wake up and realize what Eternal Life is really all about.

There you have it folks (I should probably say Folk as I really only have one reader. Thanks JJT!) my simple plan for changing the Church as we know it today. It really isn't my plan, nor is it new, but I like it and it has become a very personal thing for me. So until next time I'll leave you singing a song...

We praise Thee, O God!
For the Son of Thy love,
For Jesus Who died,
And is now gone above.

Refrain

Hallelujah! Thine the glory.
Hallelujah! Amen.
Hallelujah! Thine the glory.
Revive us again.

We praise Thee, O God!
For Thy Spirit of light,
Who hath shown us our Savior,
And scattered our night.

Refrain

All glory and praise
To the Lamb that was slain,
Who hath borne all our sins,
And hath cleansed every stain.

Refrain

All glory and praise
To the God of all grace,
Who hast brought us, and sought us,
And guided our ways.

Refrain

Revive us again;
Fill each heart with Thy love;
May each soul be rekindled
With fire from above.

Refrain

Alas, Poor Blackberry, I knew thee well...

Sometime over the weekend my Beloved Blackberry Curve died! I knew this not until Today, Sept. 2, 2008. It could not even register a signal let alone make a call. I spent about 3 hours on he phone today with Alltel trying to remedy this situation, but to no avail. No amount of downloads, troubleshooting, or upgrades will fix a hardware problem. The only remedy is for Alltel to send me a new phone, which I should have tomorrow.

Oh the tragedy, of an early and unexpected death! And at such a young age! I've only had it 2 months! (SOB<>

To quote the Great Dr. Evil, "Mini Me, if I ever lost you I don't know what I would do. [pauses] I'd probably move on, get another clone but there would be a 15 minute period there where I would just be inconsolable. "

I think that these words speak volumes about how I feel about my Blackberry Curve. There would be like a 24 hour mourning period until the replacement shows up where I would just be inconsolable.

What is funny is how addicted to this device I have become in only a few short weeks! I mean I love tech stuff as much as the next guy, but this is ridiculous! I mean I was literally worried when I found out that I was going to be without my phone for a day or even, GASP, TWO DAYS!

There isn't really any specific "spiritual" point to this blog, I just wanted to Mourn the loss of a close friend, business partner, entertainer, and accountability partner! I guess if you must have a spiritual correlation you might say that it is a shocking depiction of how we replace God with things and become dependant on them rather than him. I suppose that you could use the scripture "Trust in the Lord with all your heart..." to back that up, however I just wanted to mourn/grieve this tragic loss!

BY WAY OF UPDATE: I SPENT THE WHOLE WEEK W/O A PHONE. I GOT A "LOANER" ON FRIDAY THAT IS GOING TO GET ME BY TILL MONDAY WHEN MY NEW ONE COMES IN THE MAIL. HOWEVER, I WILL BE IN OKLAHOMA ON MONDAY SO I WON'T ACTUALLY GET MY PHONE TILL THURSDAY. THE "LOANER" IS A LOANER IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD, SO... I HAVE A BACKUP PHONE WITH ME THAT I CAN SWITCH MY NUMBER TO IF NEED BE!

RIP, RIM BBC

7/08-9/08

Beloved Friend, Business Partner, Entertainer, and Accountability Partner.

You will be missed (At least for a day)

Up up Up on a pedestal!

So no matter how hard you try not to we always seem to put someone up on a pedestal. No matter how many times we swear that we won't do it again, we always seem to do it one more time! "I'll never do that again!" LOL. That reminds me of a song... Never say never, say never, again... (10,000 points to the person who comes up with the name of the movie it came from and the characters that sang it.) Sorry for chasing a rabbit there.

I never even mean to do it, but somehow I alwasy find out that I have. And how do I find out I've done it? I'm glad you asked! Something happens that makes me have to take them down, or push them off, or they have fallen off all by themselves. That is how I know that they have been elevated to a place that they were never meant to be. It is a slow gradual process isn't it? Kind of like the frog in the pot of water. Heat it up slowly and he won't jump out, he just gets used to it, and doesn't know any better then he winds up on someone's plate.

That's me, I'm the frog. I take one person down (Kind of like Joust on American Gladiators), Swear that no one will ever get put back up ther, then next thing I know the ref. is saying "Gladiator are you ready? Challenger are you ready?" Then we Joust! After the match is over I look around and realize what I have done again.

What is my point? Well, here it is...

John 12:32And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.

Who should we be lifting up? Who should we be putting on the pecestal? None other than Jesus Christ himself. What did Jesus promise to do if we lift him up instead of a mere mortal man? He would draw all men to himself. On the other hand what happens when we lift up people? Boom Crash, they fall, topple, tumble down, Plunge down, slide, trip, egress, decend etc. etc. etc.

Why do we do it? I don't know, but we do it don't we. Clearly we are not supposed to lift anyone up but Christ, but we all do it. I would much rather lift up Christ so that he can draw all men to himself but somehow a person creeps up there. Even if we don't do it for other people to see we do it for ourselves. I wonder what causes us to do this?

It's funny ((not funny Ha Ha)another movie reference worth 10,000 points) but interesting that there is always disappointment when we hear about the fall of those we have placed in a position that they are never meant to be in. Afterall they are NOT perfect, and the only one that is, is the one we have a hard time lifting up. Funny. Aren't we curious creatures?

Does anyone have any experience with this? What are your thoughts?

BTW I hope you like the picture of The David!!