Crazy Love.......Part 2.....EPIC FAIL!

First off,

Chapter 4 on "Lukewarm People" will make you want to punch every mirror you look into for the rest of your life. (example, page 73)

"LUKEWARM PEOPLE love God, but they do not love Him with all their heart, soul, and strength. They would be quick to assure you that they try to love God that much, but that sort of total devotion isn't really possible for the average person; it's only for pastors and missionaries and radical."

Chan then cites Matthew 22:37-38....Look it up, if ya ain't skeerd!

The whole chapter is packed full of depth and insight into the kind of Christianity that makes people become atheist.

But, just wait until you get to chapter 5. I like to call it the EPIC FAIL exercise.

What does God mean by love? He tell us-----
"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. it does not insist on it's own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends....faith hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.- 1 Corinthians 13:4-8."

Now go back and replace the word "love" with your name, (and all the "it's" with he/she).

Chan asks at this point, "Don't you feel like a liar?"

Then crawl into a hole in the middle of yourself and realize that you accomplish very little for Jesus....that is to say we accomplish very little WITHOUT Jesus.

This book continues to feed the fire in my spirit, and I know it will for you too. I have been giving this book away to people because of the truth found in it.

Until next time,

the Ogre

It Has Been a Crazy Year.....I Love it!!!!!!!

It's been a while.... so let's jump right in.

My wife and I were foster parents for about 4 months. It was the hardest, craziest, most stress full, head bashing, incredibly hard experience of our lives together. For reasons beyond our control we were forced to give up our journey with Joey. Even through the impatience and while we were at the frayed end of our rope, we cried multiple times trying to see through the situation and find God's hand moving. We really leaned on our church family at BASE. We never would have made it through all of this without each and every one of them. This year has been absolutely insane!

I promised a review of the book "crazy love" by Francis Chan, so here goes...

It all starts with endorsements from Joni Erackson Tada, and (every one's favorite groing pain ) Kirk Cameron. Followed by a foreward by Chris Tomlin! We have started off well, and it only gets better.

I really love how Chan writes. He moves quickly and the whole feel of the book so far is that he is talking right to me. Standing in my living room, hand moving, eyes searching, and voice aimed with purpose, right at me. Even in the preface- he lays it all on the reader:

"Come with me on this journey. I don't promise it will be painless. Change,
as we all know, is uncomfortable. it's up to you to respond to what you read.
but, you will have a choice: to adjust how you live daily or to stay the
same."

Chapter 1 is entitled "Stop Praying", which made me laugh. I had just spent the last 5 days reading John Calvin's chapter on prayer from the "Institutes of the Christian Religion". This, was definitely an idea with a different trajectory (or was it). This entire chapter was devoted to raising God to the highest levels in our eyes, hearts, and minds. All the while he was properly framing the place of humans (and more importantly me) in God's eyes, heart, and mind. This guy even quotes R.C. Sproul. He is funny and brings a childlike wonder to the awesomeness of our Creator that is both infectious and addicting. Saying things like:

"Isn't it a comfort to worship a God we cannot exaggerate?"

Just when you are riding high on the glory of the almighty he nails it.....theologically that is:

"Can you worship a God who isn't obligated to explain his actions to you?
Could it be your arrogance that makes you think God owes you an
explanation?.....But to put it bluntly, when you get your own universe, you can
make your own standards."

The beginning of this book feels like riding a water slide, only you are sliding UP instead of down. I really enjoyed how there was never a hint of "middle of the road". He lays it out there and is unashamed to do so. I had to resist the urge to read the entire book on the first night.

Chapter 2 is entitled "you might not finish this chapter".

Crazy Love is starting to read like the best gospel tract EVER!!!

Can you believe that Francis Chan actually has the audacity to imply that human beings don't live forever? No matter what the movies, video games, and TV shows tell us? He goes farther to even encourage us to consider that God is still the King of the Universe when life isn't exactly going the way we want it to. He says:

"When I am consumed by my problems- stressed out about my life, my family, and my job - I actually convey the belief that I think the circumstances are more
important than God's command to always rejoice. In other words, that I have the
"right" to disobey God because of the magnitude of my responsibilities......both
worry and stress reek of arrogance."

Chan then moves through some very personal and gut-wrenching accounts of people who died "too soon". The entire ride was well worth it and every page inspires your fingers to move to the next.

There is even a website (crazylovebook.com)which has video introductions to each chapter as well as other movies that echo the awe and love Chan wants to inspire in his readers.

As you can tell, I really love this book. This is the kind of book that you want to give to people. You want other people to have this same experience. I really hope I don't' find anything in the rest of it that will bring me down off of this cloud.

'til we meet again,

the Ogre

Very Exciting Reason to Walk on Water

Some people just are born that way. I know I am one of "those people". I feel that it gives me an Ogreish charm and overall likeability ; ).
Other people were either raised by wolves (really slow, dull wolves) or have experimented with too many mind altering substances over the years.....

This guy is one of those people!

That being said, I also update my Facebook using Twitter. All the updates for both go right to my email which is automatically sent to my Blackberry. But, if I were to dabble in a little "breaking and entering" I am pretty sure I could resist the urge to borrow your PC.

Who knows, I may even be a PC!

This may (actually the word is "does") not even qualify as anything theological, but it is a very exciting story. I laughed and I even thought of a Bible verse to go along with it.

Proverbs 23

29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow?Who has strife? Who has complaining? Who
has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes?
30 Those who tarry long over wine;those who go to try mixed
wine.
31 Do not look at
wine when it is red,when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly.
32 In the end it bites like a serpent and stings like an
adder.
33 Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart utter perverse things.
34 You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, like one who lies on the top of a mast.
35 “They struck me,” you will say, “but I was not hurt;they beat me, but I did not
feel it.When shall I awake?I must have another drink.”

So I Got No Pictures.. What are you Gonna Do? Beat Me Up?

I "Tweeted" over this past weekend about the Apostle Paul giving us specific instructions about how to act like men in the "universal" Church (ie the Bride of Christ). I wouldn't start a church based on this observation but it would seem to me that if there are men in the church (local) who would prefer to sit and watch rather than stand and lead, they may as well just get it over with. Jesus did say that if we are not with Him we are against Him.

Taking up perfectly good space in the sanctuary would seem to me akin to wasting air while we should be doing some sort of ministry. I would also suggest that these same men are not leading their families either. In Titus, we are shown what the men of the church are required to do before being given a leadership role / elder position at the church. Shouldn't all men be looking to be qualified here? Shouldn't we know of the men who are not qualified because we are praying for and coming alongside them and their families and acting like the men God called us to be. I

If you are a man who is not leading his family SPIRITUALLY then what are you doing? What is it that you think God has called you to that is more important? Do you ever make eye contact with your wife?

Ephesians 5:25
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up
for her.

The quote from Mark Driscoll (at the end of this) shows me that he gets it. He is striving to follow the TRUE God! Maybe if we all looked at Jesus like this we would stop being the silent one.......

1. at home with our wives




2. at home with our kids




3. at work




4. in the community




5. at church

Fellowship is not a night out at the Buffalo Wings joint (rest assured I will still be there every time), it is men together, reading, understanding, and DOING the Word of God. If you are already on your way, go find others like you and do some damage for His Kingdom!
Here's Mr Driscoll:
"There is a strong drift toward the hard theological left. Some emergent types [want] to recast Jesus as a limp-wrist hippie in a dress with a lot of product in His hair, who drank decaf and made pithy Zen statements about life while shopping for the perfect pair of shoes. In Revelation, Jesus is a prize fighter with a tattoo down His leg, a sword in His hand and the commitment to make someone bleed. That is a guy I can worship. I cannot worship the hippie, diaper, halo Christ because I cannot worship a guy I can beat up. I fear some are becoming more cultural than Christian, and without a big Jesus who has authority and hates sin as revealed in the Bible, we will have less and less Christians, and more and more confused, spiritually self-righteous blogger critics of Christianity."

—Mark Driscoll, Relevant Magazine^[15]

^{Sounds like this Jesus requires more from us than we can possibly give without His help.}

^{the Ogre}

Kanye Shared His Heart...Now it's MY Turn

Oh, how I would love to give a 22 page sermon on the Taylor Swift vs. Kanye West controversy. If you are like me and only heard about this through Facebook or at work- check out YouTube and see what all the fuss is about. All I know is that if I was her daddy, me and Mr. (and I use that term lightly) West would be having some face to face words.

Actually, what I want to talk about is in the news as well. The sad and painful passing of Patrick Swayze. What I would like to do is look at it from a theological point of view. As I am sure you have seen on Facebook, MySpace, on the news, in the magazines, and in the papers Patrick Swayze has lost his battle with pancreatic cancer. I have to say that from a personal point of view it was actually very difficult to see the drastic damage this awful disease did to that once healthy and athletic man.

I found out about the actor's passing on Facebook as I was greeted on the morning of with a long line of "RIP to the Dirty Dancer", or "that is so sad RIP". My heart does go out to his family and friends as I have experienced the death of someone very close to me and know the pain all too well.

But, the Christian in me couldn't help but think. Is he really "Resting in Peace"? Now, there are some of you who will think that even this question is insulting to his memory. Well, I think if we come to the table with the proper heart, we can ALWAYS use the Word of God to assess and learn from ANY situation. That is why God wrote it.

My initial response is always to wonder if the person who died was saved.

Acts 16:30 , Psalm 68:20 , Lamentations 3:26 , Mark 1:15

As Christians we cannot ever truly know that heart of a stranger like Patrick Swayze. We should never sit back and say something like, "Well, that guy's in hell." All we can do is set our affections on heaven and know that all will be revealed on that glorious day.

I have done some internet research on Mr. Swayze's religious affiliation. I did not find anything that shouted to me that He was a Jesus Freak. But, we ALWAYS hope that he REPENTED and TRUSTED JESUS CHRIST before he passed. The truth of the matter is that anyone who doesn't do this will experience this.

Now, I told you all of that so I could tell you all of this......

This is the Word of God, it doesn't matter if you believe it or not. All that matters is... is it true? God tells us that there are two places where people end up. Heaven or Hell. Which one will it be for you? Which one will it be for all the people that you love in your life?

Last point...People are afraid to share Jesus Christ with other people- strangers, friends, co-workers, and even family. My question to you is... Do you love them enough to lay down your fear and tell them the Good News? Do you love them enough to warn them of the eternity that awaits them without Jesus Christ? Do you love God enough to obey his commands to do all this? Do you love ANYONE enough to stop making small talk and start sharing the TRUTH with them? I get scared sometimes too, and I ask God for forgiveness and strength (and another opportunity). Please consider this in you heart. Please!

(if you have read this entire thing and not checked out any of the links, please go back and do it again, otherwise all you are getting is my words and not the ones that save, you know HIS WORDS).

Do I love you enough? Probably not, I have failed you too many times. I am both guilty and forgiven. It is both my shame and joy.

the Ogre

Read this on another blog this afternoon...

A convenient framework to evaluate art is a cross. The top is good form/good
content=true art. The two opposite poles of the arms are good form/ bad
content and bad form/good content, respectively. Propaganda, as well as so much
contemporary Christian music and art, fall into one of these two categories. And
at the base of the cross is bad form/ bad content=trash. don
jones

This got me thinking. Could we use these "standards" to actually help us make informed decisions about what we sing to the Lord on Sunday mornings. This blogger is obviously not a huge fan of contemporary Christian music (I cringe sometimes too). Obviously we should use the Bible as our source and judge for all the songs we sing (or listen too).

Should we only worship in church with songs that are biblically based? Should we only worship with songs that are scripture (hymns anyone?)? Where is the line? What are we comfortable with? Some churches will actually go so far as to change the words of secular songs and "Jesus them up a little bit". Remember Boom Boom Pow? Don't even get me started. There is even a church in the UK that has a U2-charist (keep reading it you will get it, just think back to your Catholic days). Is this wrong? Is it the sentiment that counts, or the words that we use? Is it a little bit of both?

I would prefer to sing scripture based songs. I never went to a traditional church so I don't really have a hymnal background. My dream would be to sing scripture with the very talented worship band we have at our church. It would be totally awesome to know what scripture each song is based on (from the artist's viewpoint). I also think that not every song needs to be a sappy love song to Jesus. Some of these songs could totally be changed (a word here or there) and re-released on secular radio. God has many attributes and they are all glorious.

Well, I heard you thinking, so here it goes- let's try it on "In Your Freedom I Will Live", by Hillsongs.

I search for you God of strength

(the Calvinist in me recoils, just kidding - Psalm 19:1-2...I guess we don't really have to look too hard.)

I bow to you in my brokenness

(Phillipians 2:9-11, I like it :])

And no other king could have so humbly come

(Revelations 19:11-16, yes that's right! That Jesus came and died for His children!)

To save my soul and heal my heart

(Listen to all of this and fight the tears dear reader, This is how we are healed)

I have nothing more

(Am I positive I have NOTHING but JESUS? it seems I have fallen short)

than all you offer me

(the best offer ever from an infinite, holy, sovereign, King)

there is nothing else thats of worth to me

(worth more than my ______! yep that too)

chorus:

and i love you Lord you rescued me
you are all that I want you're all I need

(how loud should we be singing this, should the worship leader hear us?)

bridge:

In your
freedom I will live, In your freedom I will live
I offer
devotion, I offer devotion

I really like this song! Next time, we will do one that doesn't pass with flying colors!

til then

the Ogre

How God made me Who God made me...

Here is one of the many reasons "I ams what I ams."

One if my deepest concerns, and why I get so fired up at "other parents" from time to time.

When you stand over your child's dead body
(Charles Spurgeon)

May you so live, that when you stand over your child's dead body, you may never hear a voice coming up from that clay, "Father, your negligence was my destruction!Mother, your prayerlessness was the instrument of my damnation!"

"Impress these words of Mine on your hearts and minds . . . Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." Deuteronomy 11:18-19

I just find my self thinking "Why would anyone not do everything they
possibly could DO to introduce their children (or anyone for that matter) to
THIS......

He makes all His subjects kings!
(William Dyer, "Christ's Famous Titles")

"He has made us kings and priests to our God!" Revelation 5:10

The Lord Jesus infinitely excels all earthly kings--in that He makes all His subjects kings! He has a crown of glory for every subject! Oh, what a glorious King is this!Oh, sirs, it is better to be a poor member of Christ--than the head of a nation! Oh, how infinitely happy are all Christ's subjects! They are all kings, all heirs, all favorites, all sons! Alas! where is there such a king to be found--who makes all his subjects kings? There are many kings who undo their subjects--but Christ makes His subjects kings! There are many kings who make their subjects beggars--but Christ makes His subjects kings! There are many kings who put their subjects to death--but Christ died that His subjects might live!
There are many kings who give their subjects titles--but Christ gives all His subjects heaven!Now, beloved, here is the excellence of our King--He makes all His subjects kings--and gives them all crowns of glory!

It boggles my mind. It pierces my heart. It makes my soul weep.

the Ogre