Many of you know that I am a participating member of Willow Creek Community Church. Yesterday I received an email from Bill Hybels pertaining to the Easter Service. The email included a link to a short video clip from Bill.
While I was viewing the clip, I started to "explorer" a bit. Willow has a fairly extensive library of multimedia content on their website. I came across this piece from the Willow Creek Leadership Summit call A Thousand Questions. Enjoy!
Friday, April 10, 2009
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
The End of Christian America
I saw this article on my MSN home page this morning. I'm not exactly sure how I feel about it, but I must say that I am not surprised by the findings.
The End of Christian America
I am listening to the audio book, "The Divine Conspiracy" by Dallas Willard. I'm guessing that Mr. Willard would not be terribly surprised either.
Part of me actually takes comfort in the report. After all, what we are talking about is the "self-identified Christians." It is one thing to call yourself a "Christian" and quite another to live the life that Christ has called us to live.
To put it another way, if you gave everyone a list and asked them to pick from the list, some number has always picked "Christian." That simply means they liked that choice better than the others OR they thought that was the "right" answer to the question. It doesn't really mean anything.
If you take that point of view, it might mean that those who remain, are closer to living the Christian life, removing the "posers" for the lack of a better term. Is that all bad? Perhaps not... I see this as a cycle. Maybe if those that remain live a life that reflects the "LIGHT" that is within them, it will attract new believers and we will eventually see the numbers turn.
I hardly think that we witnessing "The End of Christian America." What do you think?
The End of Christian America
I am listening to the audio book, "The Divine Conspiracy" by Dallas Willard. I'm guessing that Mr. Willard would not be terribly surprised either.
Part of me actually takes comfort in the report. After all, what we are talking about is the "self-identified Christians." It is one thing to call yourself a "Christian" and quite another to live the life that Christ has called us to live.
To put it another way, if you gave everyone a list and asked them to pick from the list, some number has always picked "Christian." That simply means they liked that choice better than the others OR they thought that was the "right" answer to the question. It doesn't really mean anything.
If you take that point of view, it might mean that those who remain, are closer to living the Christian life, removing the "posers" for the lack of a better term. Is that all bad? Perhaps not... I see this as a cycle. Maybe if those that remain live a life that reflects the "LIGHT" that is within them, it will attract new believers and we will eventually see the numbers turn.
I hardly think that we witnessing "The End of Christian America." What do you think?
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
TwoTrillionTons....
A friend of mine sent me this and I immediately recognized the tune. If you are younger than 35, you probably won't. I don't necessarily agree completely with the singer, but I certainly share his general views and opinions. How about you?
Friday, April 3, 2009
Paid In Full!
Greetings my friends. I have been away too long. It has been over a month since I last posted and for that I ask your forgiveness. I could offer a long list of "reasons," but I won't. Instead I will simply say that as I type these words, I feel a deep sense or relief.
The story below is not mine, yet it is. I did not write it. Once again, I am borrowing it from the morning devotional of my good friend Arlin. He did not write it either. Fact of the matter is, I don't know who wrote. But, it is about me. It might be about you too. Read it and find out...
After living what I felt was a 'decent' life, my time on earth came to the end. The first thing I remember is sitting on a bench in the waiting room of what I thought to be a court house. The doors opened and I was instructed to come in and have a seat by the defense table. As I looked around I saw the 'prosecutor.'
He was a villainous looking gent who snarled as he stared at me. He definitely was the most evil person I have ever seen. I sat down and looked to my left and there sat My Attorney, kind and gentle looking man whose appearance seemed so familiar to me, I felt I knew Him. The corner door flew open and there appeared the Judge in full flowing robes. He commanded an awesome presence as He moved across the room I couldn't take my eyes off of Him. As He took His seat behind the bench, He said, 'Let us begin.'
The prosecutor rose and said, 'My name is Satan and I am here to show you why this woman belongs in hell.' He proceeded to tell of lies that I told, things that I stole, and In the past when I cheated others Satan told of other horrible Perversions that were once in my life and the more he spoke, the further down in my seat I sank..
I was so embarrassed that I couldn't look at anyone, even my own Attorney, as the Devil told of sins that even I had completely forgotten about. As upset as I was at Satan for telling all these things about me, I was equally upset at My Attorney who sat there silently not Offering any form of defense at all. I know I had been guilty of those things, but I had done some good in my life - couldn't that at least equal out part of the harm I'd done? Satan finished with a fury and said, 'This woman belongs in hell, she is guilty of all that I have charged and there is not a person who can prove otherwise.'
When it was His turn, My Attorney first asked if He might approach the bench. The Judge allowed this over the strong objection of Satan, and beckoned Him to come forward. As He got up and started walking, I was able to see Him in His full splendor and majesty. I realized why He seemed so familiar; this was Jesus representing me, my Lord and my Savior. He stopped at the bench and softly said to the Judge, 'Hi, Dad,' and then He turned to address the court.
'Satan was correct in saying that this woman had sinned, I won't deny any of these allegations. And, yes, the wage of sin is death, and this woman deserves to be punished.' Jesus took a deep breath and turned to His Father with outstretched arms and proclaimed, 'However, I died on the cross so that this person might have eternal life and she has accepted Me as her Savior, so she is Mine.'
My Lord continued with, 'Her name is written in the Book of Life, and no one can snatch her from Me. Satan still does not understand yet. This woman is not to be given justice, but rather mercy.'
As Jesus sat down, He quietly paused, looked at His Father and said, 'There is nothing else that needs to be done.' 'I've done it all.'
The Judge lifted His mighty hand and slammed the gavel down. The following words bellowed from His lips..'This woman is free.' The penalty for her has already been paid in full. 'Case dismissed.'
As my Lord led me away, I could hear Satan ranting and raving, 'I won't give up, I will win the next one.' I asked Jesus as He gave me my instructions where to go next, 'Have you ever lost a case?'
Christ lovingly smiled and said, 'Everyone that has come to Me and asked Me to represent them has receive d the same verdict as you, Paid In Full!
The story below is not mine, yet it is. I did not write it. Once again, I am borrowing it from the morning devotional of my good friend Arlin. He did not write it either. Fact of the matter is, I don't know who wrote. But, it is about me. It might be about you too. Read it and find out...
After living what I felt was a 'decent' life, my time on earth came to the end. The first thing I remember is sitting on a bench in the waiting room of what I thought to be a court house. The doors opened and I was instructed to come in and have a seat by the defense table. As I looked around I saw the 'prosecutor.'
He was a villainous looking gent who snarled as he stared at me. He definitely was the most evil person I have ever seen. I sat down and looked to my left and there sat My Attorney, kind and gentle looking man whose appearance seemed so familiar to me, I felt I knew Him. The corner door flew open and there appeared the Judge in full flowing robes. He commanded an awesome presence as He moved across the room I couldn't take my eyes off of Him. As He took His seat behind the bench, He said, 'Let us begin.'
The prosecutor rose and said, 'My name is Satan and I am here to show you why this woman belongs in hell.' He proceeded to tell of lies that I told, things that I stole, and In the past when I cheated others Satan told of other horrible Perversions that were once in my life and the more he spoke, the further down in my seat I sank..
I was so embarrassed that I couldn't look at anyone, even my own Attorney, as the Devil told of sins that even I had completely forgotten about. As upset as I was at Satan for telling all these things about me, I was equally upset at My Attorney who sat there silently not Offering any form of defense at all. I know I had been guilty of those things, but I had done some good in my life - couldn't that at least equal out part of the harm I'd done? Satan finished with a fury and said, 'This woman belongs in hell, she is guilty of all that I have charged and there is not a person who can prove otherwise.'
When it was His turn, My Attorney first asked if He might approach the bench. The Judge allowed this over the strong objection of Satan, and beckoned Him to come forward. As He got up and started walking, I was able to see Him in His full splendor and majesty. I realized why He seemed so familiar; this was Jesus representing me, my Lord and my Savior. He stopped at the bench and softly said to the Judge, 'Hi, Dad,' and then He turned to address the court.
'Satan was correct in saying that this woman had sinned, I won't deny any of these allegations. And, yes, the wage of sin is death, and this woman deserves to be punished.' Jesus took a deep breath and turned to His Father with outstretched arms and proclaimed, 'However, I died on the cross so that this person might have eternal life and she has accepted Me as her Savior, so she is Mine.'
My Lord continued with, 'Her name is written in the Book of Life, and no one can snatch her from Me. Satan still does not understand yet. This woman is not to be given justice, but rather mercy.'
As Jesus sat down, He quietly paused, looked at His Father and said, 'There is nothing else that needs to be done.' 'I've done it all.'
The Judge lifted His mighty hand and slammed the gavel down. The following words bellowed from His lips..'This woman is free.' The penalty for her has already been paid in full. 'Case dismissed.'
As my Lord led me away, I could hear Satan ranting and raving, 'I won't give up, I will win the next one.' I asked Jesus as He gave me my instructions where to go next, 'Have you ever lost a case?'
Christ lovingly smiled and said, 'Everyone that has come to Me and asked Me to represent them has receive d the same verdict as you, Paid In Full!
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Prayer of Jabez Update
I have posted several times about my personal Prayer of Jabez. With all of the negative new around us, I want to continue to offer a bit of encouragement.
Before I start, I want to include a quote from this morning's devotional by my good friend Arlin Sorensen. Arlin is in Genesis 26 and he says this about God's blessing on Isaac, because of his father Abraham, "Isaac does very well – he and his family really flourish and accumulate wealth – so much they are asked to move on and when they do God just blesses them all over again. There is much power in living God’s way – not only for us at the time, but as we pass that on to the generations that follow. Legacy is so important – are you leaving what you want for those who will follow in your footsteps?"
I won't rehash the news, because it is just plain depressing. I won't even refute it, because I believe that the basic facts are accurate. I will say that there is HOPE.
Here is the update on my story and the credit all goes to God. I claim NO credit for what I am about to describe. I am purely the beneficiary of the Grace and Glory of our our God, simply because I asked for it. Many will scoff. Some will laugh. But for those who put their Faith in God, they will simply say, Amen!
A little over a year ago, I began praying a somewhat personalized version of the Prayer of Jabez. Not a great departure from scripture, just not verbatim from my trusty NIV. When I began I was working PT in two jobs. I was working as a W2 contract consultant for Motorola, down from the Full-time position I was hired to fill 5 years earlier. I was also dedicating more time and effort the the business I started nearly 12 years ago. I was putting in a fair amount of time at both, but not really raking in the cash.
I had reached a point where I could no longer do both. It was akin to the "two masters" parable, in a secular sort of way. I was beginning to resent the demands that both jobs were placing on my life. I chose, after a considerable amount of prayer and guidance to dedicate my effort on growing Quality Systems Solutions, Inc. to the point where it would fully support my family and provide enough organic growth to survive in the future.
That is where the PoJ came in. I must emphasize that the focus of the prayer was not on enlarging my checkbook. It was on enlarging my territory, expressly for the purpose of serving God's Kingdom. I am not an MBA, but I understand enough about God's economy to know how God can use a business and/or a business owner to accomplish His will, especially here in the U.S. My business is "relational" as opposed to "transactional." When we engage with a client, it is typically for a very long time. That engagement extends to nearly everyone in the client's company. That my friends it a LOT of "territory." When I asked God to "expand my territory," I knew exactly what the implications were.
We all know that God works in mysterious ways. He has in this situation as well. Some were obvious and apparent. I would include the establishment of my relationship to Arlin as one of those. Through Arlin I have met a multitude of Brothers and Sister, who are supporting me along the way. Some of the less obvious would be a deeper level of engagement with some of our vendors. Out of hundreds of thousands or partners, we were chosen to participate in the Microsoft Windows Server 2008 TAP program and through that, we were afforded tremendous marketing and exposure opportunities. The list goes on...
I am at a point where "good" things are happening so fast, it almost scare me! I will leave you with this, and as I said, not to "blow my own horn," but as a testament to the GOODNESS of God! Year to date, over last year we are up 30.7% in Gross Revenue. Amen! Gross Profit is up 91.8% Hallelujah, Amen! We are adding new clients on the rate of 1/month, which is HUGH for a small shop like ours!!!
God is Good! God is Faithful! When people ask me about my business, that is exactly what I tell them. ALL of them. I don't care if they believe in God, or not. I don't even ask them. I just tell them the TRUTH!
Before I start, I want to include a quote from this morning's devotional by my good friend Arlin Sorensen. Arlin is in Genesis 26 and he says this about God's blessing on Isaac, because of his father Abraham, "Isaac does very well – he and his family really flourish and accumulate wealth – so much they are asked to move on and when they do God just blesses them all over again. There is much power in living God’s way – not only for us at the time, but as we pass that on to the generations that follow. Legacy is so important – are you leaving what you want for those who will follow in your footsteps?"
I won't rehash the news, because it is just plain depressing. I won't even refute it, because I believe that the basic facts are accurate. I will say that there is HOPE.
Here is the update on my story and the credit all goes to God. I claim NO credit for what I am about to describe. I am purely the beneficiary of the Grace and Glory of our our God, simply because I asked for it. Many will scoff. Some will laugh. But for those who put their Faith in God, they will simply say, Amen!
A little over a year ago, I began praying a somewhat personalized version of the Prayer of Jabez. Not a great departure from scripture, just not verbatim from my trusty NIV. When I began I was working PT in two jobs. I was working as a W2 contract consultant for Motorola, down from the Full-time position I was hired to fill 5 years earlier. I was also dedicating more time and effort the the business I started nearly 12 years ago. I was putting in a fair amount of time at both, but not really raking in the cash.
I had reached a point where I could no longer do both. It was akin to the "two masters" parable, in a secular sort of way. I was beginning to resent the demands that both jobs were placing on my life. I chose, after a considerable amount of prayer and guidance to dedicate my effort on growing Quality Systems Solutions, Inc. to the point where it would fully support my family and provide enough organic growth to survive in the future.
That is where the PoJ came in. I must emphasize that the focus of the prayer was not on enlarging my checkbook. It was on enlarging my territory, expressly for the purpose of serving God's Kingdom. I am not an MBA, but I understand enough about God's economy to know how God can use a business and/or a business owner to accomplish His will, especially here in the U.S. My business is "relational" as opposed to "transactional." When we engage with a client, it is typically for a very long time. That engagement extends to nearly everyone in the client's company. That my friends it a LOT of "territory." When I asked God to "expand my territory," I knew exactly what the implications were.
We all know that God works in mysterious ways. He has in this situation as well. Some were obvious and apparent. I would include the establishment of my relationship to Arlin as one of those. Through Arlin I have met a multitude of Brothers and Sister, who are supporting me along the way. Some of the less obvious would be a deeper level of engagement with some of our vendors. Out of hundreds of thousands or partners, we were chosen to participate in the Microsoft Windows Server 2008 TAP program and through that, we were afforded tremendous marketing and exposure opportunities. The list goes on...
I am at a point where "good" things are happening so fast, it almost scare me! I will leave you with this, and as I said, not to "blow my own horn," but as a testament to the GOODNESS of God! Year to date, over last year we are up 30.7% in Gross Revenue. Amen! Gross Profit is up 91.8% Hallelujah, Amen! We are adding new clients on the rate of 1/month, which is HUGH for a small shop like ours!!!
God is Good! God is Faithful! When people ask me about my business, that is exactly what I tell them. ALL of them. I don't care if they believe in God, or not. I don't even ask them. I just tell them the TRUTH!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
