Typical Afterschool...

Here is a typical afterschool afternoon for Aaron. He gets home and has a ton of kids in his life. Kids from not all, but a few walks of life. There are only a few walks of life around here... please pray for the boys and girls who are turning into men and women around us. There are major needs for prayer.

What Kids Find

Here's what kids find when they're walking with their Grandma.

Another Wonderful Sunday

Sunday Nights are becoming... they are becoming an important teaching/preaching night. They are becoming a time of praise songs and worship in songs. They remain interactive, and led by the Spirit. There are a lot of visitors coming in. I don't know how many right off the bat, but there are a lot of us... it's been wonderful to have Joe, Kyle, Beedle, Susan, Arsene--just last night. The week before, we shared table with Erwin, Suzeanne (spelling?), Lucy (from Kenya), and Jeannie (sp?). Joe is also a missionary to Kenya, on furlough. JP and Prari are praying about their return to Kenya, as well. Kenya, Kenya, Kenya, Ivory Coast... Africa... again and again.

Kyle and Beedle are students from Chris Deering's alma mater, Kentucky Christian University. They are on their way to England for a couple months of youth ministry. They stayed over last night. We'll all powwow this morning...

We are so pleased by the grace of God among us. It is so pleasant to share in the Spirit and the Scripture together. There is nothing better... not on this side, anyway...

Love one another.

Sinus Cold

I've had a sinus cold of some sort for three days. Seems like everyone's sick, lately with a cold of some sort. Prari, Lauren, Judy, all kinds of folk... Last night, during meeting, it was the funniest thing. My whole sinus deal built up in some sort of headache, but not in my head. It was in my upper teeth! And my ears! Isn't the human body fascinating?

So, i'm like rubbing my face and it makes it feel better. But I ended up retiring relatively early, taking some nyquil, and sleeping until 330am. That's when Seth woke up and wanted to color in his "SPD" (power rangers) coloring book, using a flashlight. He did so, and then came in to sleep on our couch.

Arsene, from the Ivory Coast, our dear friend through the Wallis family, spent the night on our downstairs couch, in the meeting room. Beedle and Kyle, from Kentucky Christian University, spent the night at the Guys' house. We were also delighted to have Chris and Sheena's friend Susan with us last night!

It's a great feeling to be an overseer of this group. Folks are devouring the Scriptures and really working it out in thier lives, here. There's a wonderful willingness-a desire to please the Lord. I look forward to tonight's Family business dinner and meeting...

Ten Shekels and a Shirt

I listened to the full length of the sermon snippet I had recommended the other day, last night. It was Paris Reidhead's teaching, "Ten Shekels and a Shirt". Please, Please go to it and have a listen.

We have been misled, many of us. There's a teaching, a doctrine, an emphasis, a culture, an ethos, a vibe, in the churches of today that is nothing but the Matthew 16 humanism of the apostle Peter's ignorance. It is a well-intentioned, but misled and misleading slant toward the human benefits of the cross of christ, that sends many down a slippery slope of disillusionment and confusion. Because of this, many never mature into the fullness of Christ. They don't get to know that joy that comes with total abandonment to love, in obedience to Christ. They continue to act and live out of their selfish, wandering heart, and don't function out of the Fear of the Lord, and the Love He commanded.

Listen to this teaching. It is a man's teaching from the Scriptures, so realize that it's certainly not the whole story, or the only way to look at everythign, but it is an important and clear reminder to us of the nature of God's love for us. It is a clarification of what the proper motive for serving Christ is. We honor Christ with obedience, in repentance from this world, because He has loved us unreasonably. He needs no apology for saving us. He needs no PR for His holiness. We are to reverence His love for the lost, not based on our human agendas of "world improvement", but on His agenda of "foolish" love.

Our Father has a great love for sinners. amazing grace...

thank you, brother jesse, for the link to the full message.

Red Panda Calls

Seth and Judy and I got to go to the zoo for an hour or so, yesterday. Click below to hear Seth using his "Red Panda Call". He went around making up "calls" for the animals. We egged him on. it was a scream.

God Wants Much More Than an "A-Game"

Some rough thoughts for your comments:

It is a fairly popular comment nowadays--even listed in the "Hills We Die On" list from Xchurch--proudly stated, that we bring God our "A-Game".

Some of you may just laugh when you hear this. You may find it hard to believe that Christian Leadership would present such a slogan as discipleship material.
some of you may be offended that I highlight this in a critical frame. How could we ever do anything less than our best for God?
some of you may think I'm just mean. Some of you may think...Some of you may think... some of you may think...

Well, I don't live and serve and work for any "some of" anyone. I, and all of us, are called to live and love and work and play and pray, fast, feast, sleep, and love--unto the Lord. We are called to be holy, as He is holy. We are commanded, not called, actually. "Calling" is in there, yes. We are called to a heavenward life. We are called to live worthy. We are called to glorify God in our bodies, since we were bought with a price... But that's not exactly the business of this post--whom I serve...

What is the business of this post, is that Psalm 51 describes the sacrifice that God desires as "a broken spirit". It says that a "broken and contrite (really, really sorry) heart" will not be despised by God. this theme is echoed throughout Scripture. It finds a clear articulation in 2 Cor. 4-5, and 2 Cor. 12, we have the whole "strength in weakness"/"boasting in our weakness"/"earthen vessel" thing going on. In 1 Cor. 2-3 we've got the whole "God has chosen the weak...foolish things of the world to ...shame the strong...wise..."

So what's with this confusing "A-Game" thing? How about admitting that our best "A-Game" is filth (Is.64:6) in the presence of God, and that our service to Him in this world is a gift (Eph. 2:8-10). How about just plain admitting ourselves before God, becoming a community of radical HONESTY, in confession and mourning before Him, humbling ourselves under His mighty hand, that He may exalt us in the proper time... (try the whole book of James).

I mean, I get the "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind soul, and strength" thing. That's best done in amazement that we actually belong to Him... That He LOVES us so, despite our straying! That he has redeemed us at the price of His own pain... What a mighty salvation!

But the Message of Jesus is not best framed in our "excellence". It is best framed in honest admission and humble pursuit of greater grace... This is a life that says "No" to unrighteousness (titus).

Do you read the Bible a lot? If not, why not? Maybe that's why thousands of people are flocking to such a shallow and pale version of the Spiritual Life that the Scriptures present.

Remember the prophet Amos? How he excoriates the "excellent" worship of the People?
How about Isaiah?
You don't need to take my word for it. Before you've read 5 chapters in either book, there's an incisive revelation of God's opinion of our "A-Game". I dare you. Read it.

God: End or Means

END: Something toward which one strives; a goal. See Synonyms at intention: ambition, aspiration, course, desideratum, design, desire, direction, end, intent, intention, mark, object, objective, plan, purpose, scheme, target, wish

MEANS: means (used with a sing. or pl. verb) A method, a course of action, or an instrument by which an act can be accomplished or an end achieved.
means (used with a pl. verb)
Money, property, or other wealth: You ought to live within your means.
Great wealth: a woman of means.
(from dictionary.com)



go on fireonthealtar.com and listen to "revival hymn"... "revival hymn"...

listen to the part where the guy starts talking about humanism... go to MINUTE 13:50 of the track. that's the part.

minute 13:50.
listen to this. Is the preaching of the Church you go to presenting God as an end or as a means? How important is that to you? How does this issue impact the Church in the world/the impact of the Church on the world. More importantly, since God isn't our means to impact the world, and impacting the world isn't really our primary goal...

How does this issue impact the PLEASURE OR DISPLEASURE OF OUR HEAVENLY FATHER with our service to Him while we are on the earth? When the Son of Man returns, will he find faith?

are we amazed at grace, or are we ticked that our latte is too cold?

God wants much more than our "A Game"!

Total Depravity Blues

Seems like truth gets lost on the total depravity doctrine...

We are totally depraved, totally beloved, and possessors of an EXtrinsic worth, as well as an INtrinsic worth.

That is, we are wonderfully made in the Image of God: INtrinsic
(built-in) worth.
We are also Beloved--O so dearly Beloved, beyond all reason or worth
that we have in ourselves: EXtrinsic worth.

Our INtrinsic worth is totally eclipsed, surpassed by our debt of sin and fundamental depravity, inherited from Adam's line.

Our worth-deficit is super-justified by Christ, who is the embodiment of Love Himself, on the cross. we now stand in peace with God through Christ. We are grafted in, beloved and secure, provided we stand firm in this hope, not giving way to despair, discouragement, or deception.

The key issue seems to me not to be making sure that everyone feels badly about themselves, but that the TRUTH about us be known... God is glorified in the Truth... not in self-abasement and false humility. Not in self-centered successism, either.

This was an excerpt from an email conversation that I wrote to brother Mike Rea, my man in FL...

Seeds of Thought for you, beloved reader.

Shark Bites

This past sunday I heard that we were surely not going to have to face our worst fears: no bird flu, our kids won't die... That our worst fears are as irrational as being bitten by a shark (there was someone there who had been). That its just not right to live in irrational fear. We were challenged to cast off our worst fears, since the likelihood of them being realized is so small. It was an effort to enter into a state of "fearlessness". The fear of God, without reference to hell (hell was distinctly not the topic, "we'll do a series on hell some other time...MAYBE"), was offered as the key to fearless living... It was confusing. People's "takeaway" was definitely not the teaching of Scripture.


Yet Israel saw her worst fears realized again and again, as she abandoned faithfulness and followed folly. Look at the judges! Look at the days of Elijah and Elisha! Look at the kings and prophets! Look at the exiles and dispersion! Look at the million+ dead in the wilderness who refused to believe that He was truly God, and craved the comforts of Egyptian slavery more than the Words of the Consuming Fire... 1 Cor. 10 warns us that these things happened to warn us not to be like them! Not to commit immoral acts; not to whore after the gods of this world; not to grumble against God...


Instead of pushing our worst fears off, it would be better for us to count this world's worst as nothing compared to the glory that is prepared for us in the Kingdom of our Lord! ...compared to the fiery second death that will overtake the faithless disobedient. We would do well to deal with out fears by what might be called "Replacement Therapy". That is, to take on a deeper, more abiding, disturbing fear that will displace the petty and transient, comfort-based fears of this temporal world. The Scriptures describe the punishment of the ungodly as more horrific than any shark bite, car accident, or accounting scandal. That is what Christ has rescued us from. That is why we serve Him reverently, with awe. That is why we grieve over our lost relatives and friends.

McPerry's Demolished Today

Today they Razed McPerry's. i wasn't sure what to think. I spent a lot of time asking people why it was necessary to destroy this business--revoking their liquor license and driving them out of the 'hood. There were conflicting reports. One gentleman of high standing assured me that they had ties to terrorism. Two people said that they were convicted of selling stolen goods--a claim that wasn't true. they were exonerated by a grand jury. Another said that they harbored the drug dealers when the cops chased them.

I don't know. but i have another question: how will the Church of Jesus deal with the fact that this didn't work? The City is doing its best, but the "Problem" has just moved 2 blocks closer to the Chase House, back on APJones street. It is up to the Church to do this. Not the City. We are the City of God. We are a city within a city... We are His City. How will we live this out?

Queen City Mission Bloggers!

there's a new troublemaker on the block. a brother named Michael Foster. He's started a forum for discussion of Church issues in Cincinnati. He and his wife, Emily are expecting their first kiddo in Nov. They live like 3 minutes from us.

face peeling bible study last night

how was the women's study last night? At the men's we experienced what Paul was talking about when he told Timothy that in the last days people wouldn't "endure" sound teaching. We had to ENDURE the weight of the message from Jeremiah. In Hebrew, the words translated "Thus Saith the LORD" are actually "ne'Um yhwh"-- the burden of yahweh.

the burden.

we were saddled last night with the message of grace. it took endurance as were were being humbled. yet there is our hope--that as the Word humbles us, we await being lifted up. God opposes the proud. Let us then be humbled...

Thanks to all who made last night the togetherness it was. Thanks to Jesus who makes us possible...

When I share a prophetic word to the Body of Christ, or a challenging message or blog post, pointing out sin in the camp of God's Church, I am often confronted by a list of good things about whatever group/person/church/institution got pinched in the truth this time.

These lists often include:
-helping the poor
-supporting missionaries
-supporting ME (i live as a beggar, but I'm not going to hold back, no matter how big the check was)
-"changed lives" (a term that bears investigating)
-sending missionaries
-people who hate god, now attending services
-large attendances
-being nice people
-giving large charitable donations
-producing "tithers" (people who give away 10 % of their income...)

Solid. I agree. There are many good, neutral, wonderful, and helpful things going on. But was that the point? This is about Jesus, who goes by the name Way, Truth, and Life. It's all about Him!

Now, let's consider Jesus. His days weren't far off from ours. He also showed up at the big church (Temple) as well as smaller meetings (synagogues). He also taught there. He was popular from time to time (this is where it breaks down with me)... Think of his hearers, as he confronted the religious fraud that was being committed by the People of Israel against God. Yet they did many good deeds as part of their religious life, didn't they? Hear the trumpets? Time for alms!

Let's consider Jeremiah, too. Temple? Check. Synagogues? No. He had to stand at the gateways to share his prophecies over the flow of the crowd of the city... There weren't synagogues until after the Exile and Dispersion... How do you think people felt when Jeremiah said that their religion was worth less than nothing? when He spoke against the Temple, the priests, the false prophets, the bent teachers of the law?

Need more examples? Think about Amos--a fig-nipper from Tekoa. That country bumpkin had nerve. You'd hate to read that guy's blog! You'd want to click the "Persecute" button in his margin. Sticks and stones... Literally! Have you read that book? It will DESTROY our esteem for the outward religiosity that masques so much of the flesh-life today.

These and more, all spoke against the Temple and it's fraud.

YET!!!
Didn't the temple system cover impressive almsgiving?
Weren't there mighty good works out of that temple?
Weren't there "changed lives"?
Wasn't God's presence there?
Wasn't the Temple a physical sign to the nations of the Lord?
Weren't the poor fed there?

...yet it is out of that temple system that arose the persecution of the prophets and the cross of our Lord Jesus.

it was against that temple that our Lord prophesied. It was that temple that bore the rage of His zeal. (Jn.2)

Weren't widows fed, the poor clothed, and good deeds done out of that temple? Were there not plenty of righteous men and women who congregated there? (simeon and anna) Didn't our Lord frequent the temple to teach? Didn't the early church gather there?

so how come so many prophets came and exposed what was under the surface? How come they couldn't just be happy and not criticize?
God is jealous, that's why.

In writing posts like the Gilt Cage, i don't mean to set myself apart from my brothers and sisters. there's just this WALL there... it's between us, as a people, and God. it's monolithic disobedience. it's rampant materialism. it's softsoaping the call of the gospel to disciple and follower alike. it's US! and although I may not be Man On Watch there, we're in this thing together for the long haul.

In Jeremiah, the prophet gets dragged through everything with the people. Why? Because prophet and people are one. We are the people, and any prophet that separates himself from the fate of the nation that he is calling to obedience, well, he's gonna go off his rocker, and he's missing the point. Jeremiah is the saddest of them all. He is totally vindicated, but ends up writing Lamentations and disappearing into the horizon of history. (isaiah got sawn in half)

There were a thousand beautiful buildings in Jeremiah's Judah--programs for benefactors to elevate themselves, aplenty. Was it ALL that way? Were there no sincere people? Just fewer and fewer. And the religion business got braver and braver. Alms were given. The message was twisted by self=interest. The show went on.

prophets arose from time to time. They all got killed, after they were done being spoken against. Their tombs were decorated, though.

But the prophets were clear: it wasn't about themselves. and it wasn't about the "good" that was being done in the name of the Lord. It was about the Lord. It was about the burden.
it's about the man, Christ Jesus. It's about what He said, did, and does. It's about His radical command to love. It's about Grace that teaches us to say "NO" to ungodliness. It's about not even a hint of sexual immorality. It's about giving to get, losing to gain, being last and getting first place, being weak to get strong...dying to live, suffering to triumph... being clay and glorious...
It's about being rescued. It's about heaven and earth. It's about losing it all, or being radically willing to. It's about living for the Above, below...

i struggle. i need help. it's so hard to live stretching between what Jesus said so clearly and intensely, and...

...and US!!!!!

I know I hamburger love all over again as I try to thrash out a call to the body to take it all more seriously. I know i am wrong. yet i also know that this post was true. that there is a truth in it that transcends the "wrongness of me"--the scandal of the unclean vessel--the grubbykupp....

I am the Body. We are the body. and we have some serious work to do on the Gospel, and how we live it out. it's about Jesus. and we're too much about ourselves--what we want, what we have, what we can do... things that are passing away...

i hope we awaken to LOVE. God knows I yearn to, and I can't get there without YOU. I'm not a me, in Christ. I'm more than a "me". I'm part of an "us".

I pray we awaken to the call of LOVE...

5 minute post

i only have 5 minutes to post this... i want to take this opp to say how wonderful it is to experience the love that surrounded and supported me and Judy and the boys while Judy was in Germany. this is a great community to live in... we were prayed for, served through house cleaning, and kid-watching... i was able to study and write and practise music, and counsel and talk theology, and really work the job of ministry among us b/c of the help of you saints... incredible week...

Like Birds in a Gilt Cage (gilt means gold covered)

I'm at XChurch today. I walk in, feeling sick at heart that I'm here in this place--in so many ways a monument to American Material Religion... This is us. We are the church. I am one with this people. We are in this together... there is no "us" and "them". We are wrong. We must repent. I don't remove myself from you if i repent... I join the heart of Jesus' love for you...

Here I feel the call of the Father Hen, to his chicks to come home... Word of God is often softened here, deprived of its nutrition. The Body is sick and weak, and many have fallen asleep because of the way the Word is handled here.. Here, if John Wesley, Jonathan Edwards, or the Apostle John or Paul, especially jesus, came to preach, the people would be almost completely unaccustomed to their terms... intensity of conviction--the preaching of repentance, renunciation, poverty, suffering without reference to how it "benefits me", is not allowed by this ethos...

Such Grief. Such Love. Such danger...

And as Seth and I walk through the doors, Luke 12: is up on the board... Jesus is talking about fear. Jesus is talking about Hell. Reading the words of Jesus that tell us to fear the One who kills and damns. and i hear the pastor (a better man than I am--i wish we could share a table) backpedaling, the apologizing, the rationalizing has set in... the ethos is in place... and before long I'm out of earshot... I'm at the child care kiosk. I ask the lady behind the desk, "Did you hear the message? What was your takeaway? was he talking about hell, there?.."
he had heard the sermon before, so she answered that he wasn't talking about hell, and that her thoughts were about her own, deeper fears (pet sin), not the fear of God, Himself. This most definitely wasn't about being afraid of Hell...

I get to the coffee guy, W. He is a friendly and open man. He tells me his takeaway isn't about hell, or punishment at all, but that God doesn't operate on fear... Wes and I talked a bit longer and I tried to throw him a bone about Kingdom, Kingship, fealty, and Lordly love for the faithful...

I shared with W about the Wrath of God, from John 3. I talked about how Jesus wept over Jerusalem--how he longed for them to gather as chicks under the wings of a hen... How the wrath of God (Romans, Ephesians) hangs over mankind like a huge stone cave roof--one that is going to fall.

I told him that we're like a people afraid of the sky. Jesus is standing outside, calling us into the light, into truth, into exposure... We fear that, and our fathers died in this cave, so we're not coming out... except for a few who "get it"--who "got it" because it was given to them... I talk about the cost and rewards of discipleship--friendship with the most humble king ever...

Now I sit here, having left Wes. I am drinking my coffee... Their Qoheleth is telling them to "push that off" Pushoff that fear... i just can't believe the sight of 2 thousand people a pop, three services long, with volunteers having heard it last night--all learning to NOT fear the Father...Not to fear That Day... not to tremble at His word (Is. 66)
The teaching is to Fear God inorder to improve your life, to live in freedom. To have a happy, healthy life... To have self-realization. The gospel is couched in self-gratification, not the Glory of God.

Yet there is a humility here, and a hunger. a Hope that Jesus is on the move here... a potential that is punching out in lives... Praise the Father who is faithful to us, though we are unfaithful to him... We are Laodicea of Rev. 3. He loves us, and is calling us to Him, for his glory, at the cost of this world, and our very lives. Let us go then.

This isn't just this church. Jesus loves this people. Jesus died for them and he won't be deprived of them, either--of us... We are America's Church. This is what happens when we get rich.. When we think we're okay, now. When we are unrestrained in our ambitions... when we grow fat and hungry...

I'm working really hard, daily to show love and truth to the Church.

I'm not bitterat least not in a way that Jesus wasn't, that the Father isn't, that any of the Bible Guys were... Before you consign me to the ranks of disgruntled guys that just don't play well with others, soak your head in the Scriptures... Read about Elijah... aaaah, that's my problem? That I actually believe in all that? Mercy!
Read of Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Isaiah--their bitterness, and God's bitterness...

I'm broken. Christ is broken. Hear it!
We are Laodicea!

We need the desperation of penitence! We need the awareness...no, the amazement of Grace! We need it despite preachers who teach out the utter sinfulness of US and the utter holiness of God. don't live in mediocrity and loneliness for Him, and Mature in righteousness, wisdom and service. Let the Fear of God take root, cause mourning and poverty of spirit...

Judy Still in Germany

I really miss you babe...

Lucy Gacheru!! This Sunday

Lucy will be with us this Sunday. Please prepare a special offering, everyone. She will share about the orphanage in North Kinangop, Kenya. Please pray for John and Prari, as they continue to seek God about their service to him among the brothers and sisters in Kenya...

As you know, we have sponsored David for a year or so... Let's raise enough support to add a kid this year--$300. that's all it takes... or 2 kids... It's good to be ambitious to do good... Mark your gifts specifically and put them in the basket in the hallway... (basket made in mbita)

click title for link

Scripture for this upcoming Sunday

Here's a scripture for our upcoming Meeting Night... get ready! btw...i got to prayer real late this morning. was anyone else there, besides You, Lord?

Theology on Tap

Last Night, I had the opportunity to attend THEOLOGY ON TAP, a local Roman Catholic engagement at a sports bar just across the river... It was packed, relaxed, jovial, convivial... Pipes blazed, beards were stroked 'neath furrowed brow, Guiness disappeared... John Lyendecker--Youth Minister at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Anderson--was my guide there... At TOT I saw a whole host of folks: Priests, non-priests, Dominican Friars (they wear white robes and have COOL strings of beads) and a lot of just plain curious and friendly folks... The Topic: THE DAVINCI CODE!!!!!!! dun-dun-dun!!! Honestly, I wasn't that excited about the topic, but the brother who handled it did a good job, exposing the real scandal: that Christian Americans don't read anymore! That we don't study church history, aren't taught it, don't know how important it is... In fact, I did a little thinking about it and realized that the last time I studied chruch history was in college. Not a single church course on it, ever offered, even before that.....
I hope we all get real into early church history together... last tuesday night was great for that. i hope all you guys come back!

Theology Hangover

Last night was prayer night. Nobody showed. Frankly, it was great. The Lord ministered to me in that injection of unexpected time--time to think--time to sit with Zach and talk big theology--time to listen to a sermon from another guy--time to read scripture--time to get my kids to bed early and retire by 11.

Zach C. and I explored Arminianism versus Calvinism, last night--Free Will versus Determinism... we fall more on the Arminian side... Led to a reading of Wesley's history and some of one of his sermons that I've been reading... We talked about Semi-Pelagianism, and Augustinianism, and a bunch of other stuff... I have a theology hangover.

We didn't smoke pipes, though. and there was no beer. I'm glad for that. Smoking a pipe is something I have enjoyed a lot, but for months, I've had limited interest. I never smoked one much, but I'm just not interested. I ought to give it another shot, since Judy's out of town and won't have to bear the stink, but maybe not. aaaaah, freedom. thanks be that I don't have an addiction to nicotine. that alone gives me pause about the pipe... not alone, i also don't like to do it because it makes judy sad. She rightly abhors nicotine use of any kind. I'm more moderate in considering the pipe, but she's right as rain. i love judy. she's wise and gentle. she always lets me live out my heart, but always lets me know her mind. she is the absolute best example of a godly wife that I know. No kidding. There's nothing she does that's not soaked in love for me and the boys... and the church of Christ.

The last time I smoked pipes, besides a couple times in Ireland, was when our dear friend Chris Challis was with us. We sat around the big table with him and smoked pipes, had a guiness, and talked about Jesus' love for us... we had checked and checked with Chris about the guiness (asked him his history with alcohol and drugs and whether or not he might be hurt by its use at mealtimes), and he didn't even want one, and assured us that he was not affected by foodlike use of alcoholic beverages. Turns out he was right. It wasn't until his best friend and fellow cracky died of a methadone overdose, that he gave in to a serious cocaine addiction that lay dormant in him for years (at least that's the take on it i get from his close friend)... So that was the last time i really ENJOYED the pipe.

That's when we learned that pipe smoke doesn't stick. the house is not stunk up by it like by ciggs. the smoke is large particle, low fume, low temp smoke, from a pipe. No paper. No burn enhancing chems... all natural-indian-style tobacco smoke... I think I'll burn a bowl tomorrow at Chris' funeral... I think I really miss him and haven't let that up, yet.

So table theology has been really good. bringing us to our knees in humility before God, asking Him to grant out of His mercy and grace, that we may be faithful and true to Him-the only one who is ever either of those things... We realize that our standing in mercy and grace is through our strong confidence of faith in the finished work of christ on the cross. We knoow that it is the gift of God that our hearts ever awoke to him, as well. We are amazed at grace, as we discover to greater and greater measure how incredibly sinful we have been. We rejoice in His love, as the Spirit continues to reveal to us the things freely given to us in Christ.

In our community, beer and wine are sometimes consumed. It is always as FOOD, with food. There is no maximum, but everyone never drinks more than two beers, and we don't keep drinking after the food is gone, unless it's a "cold one" as a snack in itself... We really watch to make sure that we don't stumble anyone, and we hope we haven't/never do. drunkenness is seen as very sinful in Scripture. But an even greater sin is emboldening someone to sin against their conscience. That's a tricky one.
Romans 14
1 Cor 8
talk extensively about that...

In Rom. 14 it says not to let anyone speak ill of what is good... "do not let your good be slandered". We don't ever want to descend into criticism of each other over stuff like a couple beers or a glass of wine. We must not. Paul recommends wine to Timothy. Drunkenness is spoken clearly against.

but we pray our freedom never hurt you, or anyone of us. Let's glorify God in our bodies! gtg. Tim's bus didn't come and I need to go take him in... Seth and I'll get mcD's for breakfast maybe...

Quick Word about Scripture Listing

Hey all,
you know how I keep saying that I'd love to see you copying down the Scriptures that cross the plate in our Bible Studies? To take them with you and incorporate them into your weeklong study, as part of Common life? Well, i mean it, every time. BUT...But i'm also really very very proud of how so many of us know them by heart already. How so many of us are reading and living TONS of scriptures! I am so privileged to serve the Lord in such a flock! I am getting amazed by you guys everyday... i sat down with one of you (three of you actually) and (no, five of you) and checked in on how Sunday night got processed. The depth of your personal study and the intensity of your concern for the Word in your lives is inspiring. Gogogogogogo! Press in. Press On...

It is a joy that my role in Body life is to Affirm, and confirm what God is already at in you. It is a pure joy to be a teacher here. Please continue to pray for me that I be led of the Spirit and faithful to Christ, never giving in to the pull of man's approval, as I teach and preach among us...

Pray that I live the Word, too... that He live it through me, as is the only way... and that i plough straight furrows in the field of the Lord...

My superhero test...

Your results:
You are Spider-Man

Spider-Man 55%
Robin 52%
Green Lantern 50%
Batman 50%
Hulk 45%
The Flash 40%
Iron Man 35%
Superman 20%
You are intelligent, witty, a bit geeky and have great power and responsibility.


I have to be honest... the first time i took the test I put flying as a priority, but i was so bummed when i turned out to be superman--i think he's so fake--that i took flying off... that first time through, all the others fell at fifties: Spidey, Robin, Green Lantern (I'd want to be Kato--played by Bruce Lee--)

i came out happy with the Spidey Spread. Spidey-----to the Hulk... I'm going to delete all the females from the list. I'm totally ashamed that Wonder Woman came in at 45%... that's my style... clean up those results... make it pretty... keep it "real"...

Tuesday Night Bible Study

During Tuesday Night Bible Study, I got the feeling that if we went on a little more in the Scriptures, that we'd break into a prayer meeting, and a revival would start. We were really getting an intense, "firelike", experience over the Word, who is Jesus, together... We were honored to enjoy the company of Jeremy, Michael, and Emily (and their very teeny, little one--PTL), and local house church phenom, John Daley... The Ladies' study went on, even though Judy wasn't here, too! I look forward to hearing about how that went...
We are using the text of Jeremiah as the diving board into other stuff, and ended up in a discussion of the Wisdom of God versus the Wisdom of the World.
1 Cor. 1-2 were talking points, where we started a discussion comparing the wisdom of God with the wisdom of the world.
"how do you recognize wisdom", one asked. We looked at James chapter 3:12 and following... by its fruit... by it's attitude... by peace and righteousness... by submissiveness... by purity...
there was a lot of intense, passionate sharing at the table, around the Gospel,and how we are charged to renew the Church's obedience to it, calling all men to repent and believe, and go to preach... (and by men, I man ladies, too).
On top of it all, the house was a total wreck, and we just dived in anyway, but during the study, Emily and Sheena totally cleaned the kitchen, which freed us up to fix a snack (which we cleaned up after), and enjoy an hour's pleasant conversation...
It was great to get to know Michael and Emily, from Craig Spinx's group over there with Sunell. Hi Craig! I met you once and dumped my heart on your floor... i'm not sure i'm better now, but i still belong to Jesus... Hi Sunell! We all love you over here...
When the economy tanks because we spent too much on our war and our suv's, you can all come live at my house...