Watch The Whole Thing

Catalyst 2009 Compassion Moment from Catalyst on Vimeo.

Quote: #26

“Oh to behold the glory of Christ. Herein would I live, here on would I dwell, in thought and affection, until all thing here below become as dead and deformed things, no longer in anyway calling out for my affectionate embrace.” – John Owen

I Just Read This...

I just read this and it really spoke to me: "...my life began changing when I stopped setting goals for where I wanted to be and started setting goals for who I wanted to be...There is no downside to making growth your goal." - John Maxwell

Stolen From Mark Batterson

Not a single word of this is mine...I ripped it off from Mark Batterson:

This thought keeps going through my mind today: I am Barabbas.

Imagine what that Friday must have been like for him. He was sitting in a jail cell awaiting his execution. He knew it was the last day of his life. It was the end. There was no hope. Then he hears the crowd chanting his name and the next thing he knows he's a free man. The charges are dropped. His life that was almost over starts over. And a sinless man named Jesus literally takes his place. He expected to die. He deserved to die. But his execution, in the sovereign plan of God, was scheduled on the same day Jesus was arrested.

If ever there was a picture of II Corinthians 5:21 this is it: "God made him who knew no sin to become sin for us."

I am Barabbas.

It Has Been More Than A Month

I haven't posted anything in over a month now, and I don't have anything to say right now. But I wanted to mention that I am currently looking at how to best use this forum in the area of leadership development within the Hilltop community.

In the meantime here is a short video that never gets old.

Blessings,
PB

John 8:10 & 11, (with Paraphrase)

"Jesus stood up and said to her, 'Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?' She said, 'No one, Lord.' And Jesus said, 'Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.'" John 8: 10 & 11

Paraphrase:

"You are absolutely guilty,

unconditionally forgiven,

now go,

live in that truth everyday,

for the rest of your life."

Blessings,
PB

Can I Handle The Truth?

Please link to this post by Anne Jackson.

Please watch the video.

Please watch it, in its entirety.

Please watch it, in one sitting.

If you do, you will see the horrors of poverty, the resilient love of a child, and the hope that results when people respond to God's call to be grace givers. It is very hard to watch. But let me ask it again...please link to, and please watch this video in it's entirety. Our temptation when faced with this kind of truth is to back away from, and ignore it.

Even though I have asked God to grow me in the area of active compassion; I still want to run away and turn a blind eye to the vast need that is present in this world: this world that I live in, this world that I call my Father's world. Sadly there are times when I can't handle the truth, about the condition of the world. In fact there are times when I would rather not be aware of the truth. The ugly truth about my willingness to ignore a hard truth, is that took me three attempts to watch this video. I am not okay with that. I am not okay with the skill that I have developed that enables me to so easily turn a blind eye to truths that make me uncomfortable. So, today I start praying a new prayer over my life. I pray that God will make of me someone who will face the truth. Because as long as I continue to allow myself to live blind to these kinds of truths, I will never be the kind of grace giver that my Father would have me be.

PB

Jr. High Basketball: "I Love This Game!"

Basketball season at Faith Christian School is just about over. And thought their record isn't what you might hope for, 1 & whatever. Still for me, it has been their best season ever, the best ever because this year Kyle (my kid) played on the team. It was wonderful to watch him giving his best every time he was on the court, and then cheering for his teammates when on the bench. I can't be prouder of how he played, or of how he conducted himself from the bench this year.

The only negative to the whole season has been the absence of relatives. Because unfortunately, all of Kyle's relatives live in New York, Georgia, Florida or Texas. All of which are too far away to attend a game in Maryland. I would have loved it if just once, Kyle would have heard the voice of a grandparent, an aunt or an uncle shouting his name with encouragement and pride from the sidelines as he made a rebound, or stole a pass; he would have loved it as well. Few things feel as good as having the people you most love, on your side, and championing your efforts.

It was that negative, that so clearly framed for me what turned out to be a wonderfully positive, and visible demonstration of an important truth. The church really is a family. If you have been in church for any amount of time you have heard this spoken of in one way or another. As a pastor, I have spoken of this myself on any number of occasions. But it came alive, I mean really alive for me at a Jr. High basketball game this season. It became alive for me when I heard voices in the crowd shouting for my son by name. Voices that did not belong to myself, or to my wife. These shouting voices combined Kyle's name with other words like, "nice job," "great," "get it," and "don't worry about it." At times it almost seemed as if Kyle had a fan club of his own.

Yes tt would have been great if one of Kyle's grandparents had the chance to attend a game this season. Sadly, that wasn't possible. Still, Kyle did have fans, fans other than the ones that drove him home. These fans happen to be are a part of the same church, but more importantly they really are a part of the same family. "I Love This Game," is a slogan of the NBA. But for me, it is true of Jr. High basketball at Faith Christian School; because it was there that the family of God rallied around and cheered for my son.

Blessings,
PB

Quote: #25

"I should spend way less time focusing on being “right” and way more time on being faithful."
- Perry Noble

If You Only Read Two Books This Year

If you only read two books this year let me suggest the following:


Good News About Injustice: A Witness Of Courage In A Hurting World,
by Gary A Haugen

Wish I had read this one, nine years ago.

Crazy Love: Overwhelmed By A Relentless God,
By Francis Chan

Filled with more thought provoking lines than any book I've read in years.

Blessings,
PB

Fan For A Day

It took $41 to secure the efforts of Carolina Panther fan, Beau Leonard, to be a Raven fan for the AFC Championship game this past Sunday. The $41 went to our Compassion CSP in Wolmera, Ethiopia. The cheers from Beau went to Flaco and the boys.

Maybe we should have let the Reuschlein's win the auction.

Blessings,
PB

A Picture and a Verse

1 Timothy 2:1-3 "First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior."

Blessings,
PB

Hilltop Reads...Day One Hundred Forty Two: A Very Brave Prayer.

"The Lord judges the peoples..."

With this being true, I am impressed that David had the guts to continue with these words:

"...judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is in me." Psalm 7:8

May God help us grow in integrity, so that we might be able to pray this prayer with confidence.

or

Maybe we should pray it right now, allowing God to expose our lack of integrity. In order that we might repent and be changed into men and women of extreme integrity.

Blessings,
PB

Sharing My Cookie

In the past I have been informed that, when I am fortunate enough to receive some cookies, it would be polite for me to share those cookies with others. It just so happens that I was fortunate enough to be given a cookie this past Sunday, and so in the interest of politeness here it is:


Blessings,
PB

Kudos To The Founders

It seems to me that every time we experience the peaceful transfer of power, we all win. Isn't it great that at least for today, we can all win...Yes We Can! Kudos to the founders.

Blessings,
PB

Quote: #24

"The church wants to protect Jesus' image rather than proclaim the real and living Christ. We want to protect him from the appearance of doing things that wouldn't fit into today's church culture."
- Rick McKinnley

Peculiar: Part 2

Honestly there are plenty of ways to be peculiar. All you have to do, is get one of those giant deli pickles and commit yourself to walking around with it for a week pretending that it is a cigar. Kermit the Frog once said/sang, "It's not easy being green," strangeness unfortunately is not like being green. Strangeness is natural. Just do what comes natural and someone, somewhere will think you are weird. Rightly so, all of us have some inbred peculiarities, ALL OF US (some more than others.) But not all of our peculiarities point to God. Indeed many don't, but then again, some do. Some are so incomprehensible that they elicit a confused look, a scratch of the head and a wondering thought that asks, "Why does that guy do that thing he does?" So, as promised here is my list of ways that I would like to be peculiar or difficult to understand:

WAYS THAT I DO WANT TO BE PECULIAR
or
(Please Lord help me grow up and be strange like this.)

1. I would like to have a genuine love for my neighbor. The one who doesn't mow his yard and has been know to leave a toilet; yes a real live porcelain commode; in it for weeks at a time. A love that would be willing to occasionally and joyfully mow his yard and clean up after him because Christ loves him and I do as well.
   
2. In the face of economic turmoil and financial disaster, I would like to be the kind of guy who steps it up in the area of generosity.
   
3. I want to reflexively forgive the people who would be happy if my life ended in public failure
4. I would like to have a compassion that will not allow me to turn a blind eye to the needs of those who are oppressed and taken advantage of in this world; especially those who are different from me in every way.
   
5. I would like to be honest even when that honesty results in people being disappointed with me.
   
6. I want to be able to trust that God is completely good, loving and caring even when nothing goes my way.
   
7. If for some reason I do grow more peculiar in these ways, I pray that I can be humble in the process. I have been prideful of lesser things.
   

The truth is that right now there is little about my life that would cause anyone, any confusion. The way that I live and react to most life situations is entirely understandable. So, if I find my life more frequently and more dramatically marked in the above ways; enough so that it causes even a few people to look and shake their heads in lack of understanding...well, I'm OK with that.

Blessings,
PB

Peculiar: Part 1

I would like to paraphrase something I read in "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan. Speaking of those who follow Christ Francis said; "Something is wrong when our lives make sense to the world." Which got me thinking about the King James rendition of 1 Peter 2:9; "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a PECULIAR people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." Which has me thinking of ways that I; as one who claims to follow Christ; can be peculiar or not make any sense to the world. It is not difficult to systematize the different ways in which I can be peculiar, because they easily fall into one of two categories. First, there are ways that I would rather not be peculiar and then there are the ways that would like to think that I am, or that I am becoming, peculiar.

WAYS THAT I DO NOT WANT TO BE PECULIAR
or
(Dear God in heaven I hope that these are not the things about my
life that people who don't follow you find incomprehensible.)

1. A dogged condemnation of all rated R movies...accept those that have the words: the, passion, of, the, and Christ in them.
2. A fear of all number sixes and a love for all number sevens.
3. The only jokes I tell end with the words Bill and or Hillary Clinton.
4. When excited I end my sentences with a gutteral "a" sound.
5. I don't play cards. But I do play UNO and ROOK.
6. I am not looking forward to 9/9/2009 or 10/10/2010 or 11/11/2011 or 12/12/2012, because something bad might happen on those days.
7. I am looking forward to 9/9/2009 and 10/10/2010 and 11/11/2011 and 12/12/2012 because something good might happen on one of those days.
8. I am working on a article entitled, "9 Reasons Why Jesus will Return in 2009," and a revision entitled, "10 Reasons Why Jesus will Return in 2010."
9. I have an underground pantry filled with food and guns so that I will be able to eat and defend my food against the hungry looting hordes that might attack me and my family when the United States is finally judged by God the way it deserves to be judged by God.
10. I am a pentecostal (and I am a pentecostal) who is saddened by the evangelistic potential that was wasted on Billy Graham because as far as I know, he hasn't been baptized with the Holy Ghost and doesn't speak in tongues.

These are just a few of the things that I hope don't mark me as being peculiar. Next time we will look at a list of ways that I HOPE my life is not easy for the world to comprehend.

Blessings,
PB

Quote: #23

"Our puny works do not entitle us to barter with God. Everything depends on God's good pleasure"
- Brennan Manning

Leaning In.

I am not sure when I fist heard God's reaction to our sin and need described as "leaning in." But I do know that it spoke to me then, and that it speaks to me still. I love it that God chose to lean into our lives rather than shrinking back from them or turning His back on them. I also know that I want to be like that. In the face of difficulty, I want to be the kind of guy who leans in to help rather than the kind of guy who shrinks back in fear or turns his back in disgust.

And when it comes to my personal life I want to be the kind of guy who leans in and does hard things so that good things result. So, this year...this New Year...I am thinking in terms of "leaning in" rather than in terms of resolution (I've never been much of a resolution guy anyway.) To me resolutions have always had a delusional-wishful-who-do-you-think-you're-kidding feel to them. While "leaning in," speaks of a settled posture that has a feeling of momentum to it. If you lean in far enough you end up with only two options: 1. Fall flat of your face, or 2. Move in the direction you're leaning, and no one wants to fall flat on their face.

This year I want to "lean in" more than I ever have before. Here are a few places that I am looking to lean in 2009:

• In towards God
• In towards my wife
• In towards my son
• In towards greater generosity
• In towards accountable ministry
• In towards forgiveness
• In towards improved health
  

My hope is that I will lean far enough in each of these directions to either fall on my face (I would rather fall on my face than do nothing) or to get moving. I have some specific thoughts about how I am going to lean in each of these directions.

1. I am going to plan. I have done a lot of thinking, planning, and a little journaling while not working on the blog.
   
2. I am going to publicize my intentions. That is why I have written these things down: for me to review, and for both of you who read this to hold me accountable if you want...but please be nice! (In fact I might blog about each of these individually sometime later...or I may not. I'm not going to place myself on the record as leaning that way yet.)
   
3. I am going to pray. After all, I'll never "lean in" the way I want to "lean in," without "leaning on" God the way I need to "lean on" God.

Let's all lean into the New Year.

Blessings,
PB