It is time, once again, to stick my neck out there. A very good friend posted something on Facebook today, and apparently the world will end on May 21. The good news about that is, I won't have to go to work on May 22. Seriously- this pastor has taken a scripture from the book of Genesis along with a scripture from 2 Peter in which he talks about Noah, and makes the conclusion that includes doing some math to reason 5/21/11 as Judgment day. Intelligent, to a point. However, there is one thing wrong with that.
Some parts of the Bible are intended to illustrate a point without being literal.
This was the verse in 2 Peter: "Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day (6-8)."
To take that literally, you would have to say that God has a calendar, and that after 1,000 years passes, He says "OK- Wednesday." That is not how God works. What it is supposed to mean is this: time does not matter to God. He exists outside of time.God is Spirit (see John 4). His world has no time.
Another thing this preacher said is this: The Church Age ended on May 21, 1988. To quote the site:
"On May 21st, 1988, God finished using the churches and congregations of the world. The Spirit of God left all churches and Satan, the man of sin, entered into the churches to rule at that point in time."
(Quoted from http://www.ebiblefellowship.com/may21/)
Problem: if the Spirit of God left the churches, how are/were people still getting saved? Why are people still coming to Christ if the Spirit of God is not still convicting of sin? Why would Satan allow people to come to Christ if he is in charge of the churches now? Lastly, what is your church? If there is not Spirit of God in the church, what are you teaching? Why are you warning people?
Oy. Here is Matthew 24:36 (NKJV): “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only."
Think about how many times people have declared the end of the world. Someone in Garland, TX tried it in 1988. Jehovah's Witnesses have made a religion out of it. REM even tried it once.
So when is the end of the world? I don't know. Only God knows. All I can tell you is that it is coming, and each one of us needs to be prepared. You may have only a month, you may have several years. It may not be in your lifetime. But it is coming.
I let this blog get away from me, but I needed to rant.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
Epic (Temporary) Fail
I cannot believe I let a somewhat important anniversary date in my life go without much hoopla or reflection. I mean, after all, that's what I do. I internalize, I contemplate, and I reflect. Yeah, April 12 was my birthday. April 13, one year ago, I lost my job of 10 years, and it was quite hard on me. I spent the next nine months playing Mr. Mom, taking care of being a full-time college student at the same time, and dealing with a general feeling of inadequacy.
There were times in that period that I felt like a complete failure.
It was a time that I realized God was doing some major stripping away of things in my life. I had done Christian retail for 13 years, the last ten at the same location. I knew that line of work and could do it better than anyone else. It is a dream of mine to own my own store one day. Yet I became an outsider to that industry. And I have to be completely honest, visiting some Christian retail stores now still leaves a sour taste in my mouth.
I had started back to college in 2008. I had been taking classes at night and online, and was then able to devote myself full-time after losing my job. Yet as I was about to begin my final semester, something happened to my funding that forbade me from returning to school. In the meantime I was applying to jobs left and right and from April through November I interviewed, maybe three times.
It was after that stripping away that I received my next interview and my current job. I talked about it in December on this blog. I can look back on the loss of my job now and see that God was leading me to a better situation, a job in a company that supports its employees and wants to see them succeed. It does have its hardships and its struggles, but I am grateful for the chance to succeed.
It may not seem like much of a success story, but it is a step in the right direction. Need more inspiration? Consider this:
William Hershey failed in business before his last endeavor into the candy business.
Hiram U. Grant didn't even get his name registered right upon his registration to West Point. Of course, if my name was Hiram, I'd be OK with that. They registered him as Ulysses S. Grant, and it stuck. He left the Army in the 1850's, struggled with alcohol, and ended up as a clerk in his father's store before war broke out in 1861.
Kurt Warner struggled as a backup quarterback and got a job in a supermarket before he became a successful quarterback.
It truly seemed like Jesus' earthly mission had failed to the crowds that had Him crucified. Ultimately that turned out to be the greatest success story ever.
Your circumstance may be hard. But I tell you, hold on. It is leading to something greater down the road.
There were times in that period that I felt like a complete failure.
It was a time that I realized God was doing some major stripping away of things in my life. I had done Christian retail for 13 years, the last ten at the same location. I knew that line of work and could do it better than anyone else. It is a dream of mine to own my own store one day. Yet I became an outsider to that industry. And I have to be completely honest, visiting some Christian retail stores now still leaves a sour taste in my mouth.
I had started back to college in 2008. I had been taking classes at night and online, and was then able to devote myself full-time after losing my job. Yet as I was about to begin my final semester, something happened to my funding that forbade me from returning to school. In the meantime I was applying to jobs left and right and from April through November I interviewed, maybe three times.
It was after that stripping away that I received my next interview and my current job. I talked about it in December on this blog. I can look back on the loss of my job now and see that God was leading me to a better situation, a job in a company that supports its employees and wants to see them succeed. It does have its hardships and its struggles, but I am grateful for the chance to succeed.
It may not seem like much of a success story, but it is a step in the right direction. Need more inspiration? Consider this:
William Hershey failed in business before his last endeavor into the candy business.
Hiram U. Grant didn't even get his name registered right upon his registration to West Point. Of course, if my name was Hiram, I'd be OK with that. They registered him as Ulysses S. Grant, and it stuck. He left the Army in the 1850's, struggled with alcohol, and ended up as a clerk in his father's store before war broke out in 1861.
Kurt Warner struggled as a backup quarterback and got a job in a supermarket before he became a successful quarterback.
It truly seemed like Jesus' earthly mission had failed to the crowds that had Him crucified. Ultimately that turned out to be the greatest success story ever.
Your circumstance may be hard. But I tell you, hold on. It is leading to something greater down the road.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
What I Don't Want My Life to Be
I posted earlier this year that I have been making a concentrated effort to read through the Bible this year. I have started in different places, and since purchasing a Bible with a daily reading plan, I have been reading a certain regimen per day as well as the reading I had previously started. What I have learned about reading the Bible is this:
There are certain verses that absolutely shake me to the core.
On this day, my 34th birthday, I have decided to take the latest verse with such an effect and make a short post about it.
"In the course of time, at the end of two years, his bowels came out because of the disease, and he died in great agony. His people made no fire in his honor, like the fires made for his fathers. He was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. And he departed with no one’s regret. They buried him in the city of David, but not in the tombs of the kings." (2 Chronicles 21:19-20, ESV)
This is the legacy of King Jehoram of Judah, son of Jehoshaphat, grandson of Asa. He killed his brothers, forgot God, and took Judah down a path that would begin its downfall. Most notably are those words in Verse 20: "And he departed with no one's regret."
What will be said about you when it is your time? I'm not saying expect a royal funeral, because you are not royalty. My aim in this blog is to ask you to check yourself. Would anyone miss you if you were not there? Or is your life having no impact on those around you? Even a silent life can have a positive impact; your actions and your life speak infinitely more than what your words can say.
Take a look at the life your living, and what you are allowing others to see you live out. A life without regret is a lot better than a life no one regrets losing.
There are certain verses that absolutely shake me to the core.
On this day, my 34th birthday, I have decided to take the latest verse with such an effect and make a short post about it.
"In the course of time, at the end of two years, his bowels came out because of the disease, and he died in great agony. His people made no fire in his honor, like the fires made for his fathers. He was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. And he departed with no one’s regret. They buried him in the city of David, but not in the tombs of the kings." (2 Chronicles 21:19-20, ESV)
This is the legacy of King Jehoram of Judah, son of Jehoshaphat, grandson of Asa. He killed his brothers, forgot God, and took Judah down a path that would begin its downfall. Most notably are those words in Verse 20: "And he departed with no one's regret."
What will be said about you when it is your time? I'm not saying expect a royal funeral, because you are not royalty. My aim in this blog is to ask you to check yourself. Would anyone miss you if you were not there? Or is your life having no impact on those around you? Even a silent life can have a positive impact; your actions and your life speak infinitely more than what your words can say.
Take a look at the life your living, and what you are allowing others to see you live out. A life without regret is a lot better than a life no one regrets losing.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
We are NOT all leaders
When you graduated high school, your valedictorian and the guest speaker prepared you to be the future leaders of the world. The same thing happened in college, if you made it to your graduation.
Your bosses expect leadership and initiative from you, looking for people with initiative and drive that have that leadership "gene" to promote into positions of authority.
There are reasons that John Maxwell and Ken Blanchard have jobs. The world needs leaders. People need to succeed, and should strive to be the best they can be.
But I have news that should stun you:
WE ARE NOT ALL MEANT TO BE LEADERS.
Think first about it in the logical sense: If everyone leads, who will follow? If a leader has no one to lead, he or she is an island unto themselves.
Some are meant to follow. Some are meant to serve or to be a servant. Someone has to clean up for the leaders. For every CEO, there are 10 maintenance men. For every supervisor, there has to be the supervised. The foreman needs a construction crew.
I am not saying don't shoot for the stars. By all means, shoot. The thing I am saying is this, in old-school Dwayne Johnson (aka The Rock) fashion: Know Your Role.
You may have to be in a position for a few months. embrace your position and work as hard as you can. You may be offered a position as a sanitation worker, and not anything else. Take it, because someone has to do it. You may not like what the preacher has to say in your church. That does not mean God is calling you to start a church just down the street less than a mile from the old church and half a mile from the other church. Maybe you should just examine the Word, yourself, and what the pastor is saying.
Take a moment and examine your position. You may have been in the same position for 7, 8, maybe 10 years. You may feel like you were made for something more. However, you haven't gone anywhere. The thing is, God has put you there. He asks you to be content (Phil. 4:11). If you are in a position of leadership, He asks you to serve as He did (John 13).
Yes, expect the best from yourself, and try to make the best of where you are. But remember, you are there because someone needs to be.
Your bosses expect leadership and initiative from you, looking for people with initiative and drive that have that leadership "gene" to promote into positions of authority.
There are reasons that John Maxwell and Ken Blanchard have jobs. The world needs leaders. People need to succeed, and should strive to be the best they can be.
But I have news that should stun you:
WE ARE NOT ALL MEANT TO BE LEADERS.
Think first about it in the logical sense: If everyone leads, who will follow? If a leader has no one to lead, he or she is an island unto themselves.
Some are meant to follow. Some are meant to serve or to be a servant. Someone has to clean up for the leaders. For every CEO, there are 10 maintenance men. For every supervisor, there has to be the supervised. The foreman needs a construction crew.
I am not saying don't shoot for the stars. By all means, shoot. The thing I am saying is this, in old-school Dwayne Johnson (aka The Rock) fashion: Know Your Role.
You may have to be in a position for a few months. embrace your position and work as hard as you can. You may be offered a position as a sanitation worker, and not anything else. Take it, because someone has to do it. You may not like what the preacher has to say in your church. That does not mean God is calling you to start a church just down the street less than a mile from the old church and half a mile from the other church. Maybe you should just examine the Word, yourself, and what the pastor is saying.
Take a moment and examine your position. You may have been in the same position for 7, 8, maybe 10 years. You may feel like you were made for something more. However, you haven't gone anywhere. The thing is, God has put you there. He asks you to be content (Phil. 4:11). If you are in a position of leadership, He asks you to serve as He did (John 13).
Yes, expect the best from yourself, and try to make the best of where you are. But remember, you are there because someone needs to be.
Monday, March 21, 2011
What I realized tonight was...
...I'm getting older.
It hasn't been just tonight. It has been over the past few weeks. I was driving home from work and was thinking to myself about how many time I have driven down that road in my life. I then thought about the old road that went from Wilkesboro to Lenoir. It was less wide, had more curves, but it was a lot more fun to drive.
Then I thought- this car will go over 40,000 miles this week, That is ridiculous. Wait a minute- shouldn't I be driving a Chevrolet Cavalier? What about my Ford Ranger? There was the other thought- that place I was working. Isn't that the mall? Didn't I visit that arcade so many times, that Belk, so many times? How in the world did this become a large office building? What about when I got home- how in the world do I have kids? My baby boy is an unbelievably talkative 5-year-old that only talks about car brands and car makes. That can't be possible, can it? My wife put pigtails in my baby girl's hair. I looked at her and realized- - she's not a baby! She's a girl!
I pass by Hibriten High, and I'm thinking about classmates, band, the football team, realizing am I not supposed to be going there? No- my nephews go there, and one just turned 18! Wait- why am I turning down Hibriten drive? I live this way? I'm not going home to my parents? No, I live this way now. Wait - there's Willard! He always used to walk by my house on the way to town! At least that's familiar! What is he wearing? Oh, goodness, no!
(DISCLOSURE: Willard is a man that walks around Lenoir wherever he needs to go, in an array of disguises and costumes. tonight he was wearing a 2-piece ladies' swimsuit, a bra, and some boots.)
At least some things never change.
The fact of the matter is, life just passes by so quickly. The Bible describes it as a "vapour." James 4:14 says "How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone (NLT)."
This is where I am now. I am an adult. I'll be 34 in a few weeks. Next year I can run for president. No, I am not interested. I am an adult. Now I am living my life in the morning fog, If I have any advice, it would be this- get yourself a good breakfast, and enjoy. Take in the pictures, and hold on to them.
It hasn't been just tonight. It has been over the past few weeks. I was driving home from work and was thinking to myself about how many time I have driven down that road in my life. I then thought about the old road that went from Wilkesboro to Lenoir. It was less wide, had more curves, but it was a lot more fun to drive.
Then I thought- this car will go over 40,000 miles this week, That is ridiculous. Wait a minute- shouldn't I be driving a Chevrolet Cavalier? What about my Ford Ranger? There was the other thought- that place I was working. Isn't that the mall? Didn't I visit that arcade so many times, that Belk, so many times? How in the world did this become a large office building? What about when I got home- how in the world do I have kids? My baby boy is an unbelievably talkative 5-year-old that only talks about car brands and car makes. That can't be possible, can it? My wife put pigtails in my baby girl's hair. I looked at her and realized- - she's not a baby! She's a girl!
I pass by Hibriten High, and I'm thinking about classmates, band, the football team, realizing am I not supposed to be going there? No- my nephews go there, and one just turned 18! Wait- why am I turning down Hibriten drive? I live this way? I'm not going home to my parents? No, I live this way now. Wait - there's Willard! He always used to walk by my house on the way to town! At least that's familiar! What is he wearing? Oh, goodness, no!
(DISCLOSURE: Willard is a man that walks around Lenoir wherever he needs to go, in an array of disguises and costumes. tonight he was wearing a 2-piece ladies' swimsuit, a bra, and some boots.)
At least some things never change.
The fact of the matter is, life just passes by so quickly. The Bible describes it as a "vapour." James 4:14 says "How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone (NLT)."
This is where I am now. I am an adult. I'll be 34 in a few weeks. Next year I can run for president. No, I am not interested. I am an adult. Now I am living my life in the morning fog, If I have any advice, it would be this- get yourself a good breakfast, and enjoy. Take in the pictures, and hold on to them.
Friday, March 11, 2011
The definition of entitlement
Merriam-Webster defines entitlement as "belief that one is deserving of or entitled to certain privileges." That describes the mindset, sadly of most of us. This also holds the misery of most all of us.
What do I mean?
Take a look at Wisconsin. Unions and Democrats are rioting because they think the state is attempting to take away any privileges they have. "Public" entities are protesting the moves of Congress and state legislatures all over simply because they think any cuts will put an end to their current conditions or situation. Many have decried out of control government spending, yet when someone tries to get it under control, they decry any cut that will affect them, their family, or anything they hold an interest in.
People call customer service lines because they feel the slightest inconvenience. People complain if they were ignored by a person working in a store. People complain because the people in a store were too nice to them. No, I am not making that up. People complain because they have to write a check instead of having it ran through a machine for them.
We have a consumption-driven economy in this nation, and an entitlement society. We have been made to believe that we are entitled to things simply because they exist. It reminds me of a poem by Stephen Crane:
A man said to the universe:
"Sir I exist!"
"However," replied the universe,
"The fact has not created in me
A sense of obligation."
"Sir I exist!"
"However," replied the universe,
"The fact has not created in me
A sense of obligation."
So many of us now ignore this and believe that we are entitled to have whatever we want when we want it, and if something goes wrong, it is our right to have somebody's head on a platter until we are satisfied.
What am I getting at? Simply this. Take a look at the first part of Lamentations 3:22 : "It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed." THIS is what we are entitled to.
Consumption. Death. Hell fire. Separation from God.
When I look at this, I realize that the fact that I am alive is a blessing. When I look at the rest of the verse and the next, I rejoice:
"because his compassions fail not. 23They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness."
I am entitled to death, but I have received mercy from a faithful God. What I receive on top of that is a gift from God that I am thankful for every day. Looking at my life from this scope makes for a perspective I wish more people shared.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Shining the Wide Scope spotlight: Love Week 2011
Consider this a special edition of the Wide Scope. Love Week 2011 is the 2nd annual week of simply love poured out on the city of Charlotte. Last year, Elevation Church committed to volunteer 10,000 hours of service to the city of Charlotte. Well, they blew that number out of the water. This year, the church teamed with 25 others in the city of Charlotte to volunteer 25,000 hours from Feb. 26-March 6. It looks like that will be blown away as well. Part of what Love Week is about is shining the light on some of the outreach partners that the church has, and encouraging those that may not know about it of realize that they can help in the work to stand and take notice. Here are some of the partners and the ways you can help:
Samaritan's Purse: Water problems affect half of humanity. 1.1 billion people in developing countries don't have access to water, and 2.5 billion lack basic sanitation. Visit samaritanspurse.org to find out how you can make an impact. Not only that, but they spread the Gospel to over 8 million children in over 130 countries each year.
A21: The second largest organized crime in the world today is trafficking. 1.39 million victims of commercial sexual servitude worldwide are part of a $12 billion industry. A21 is working to get this practice abolished. To see how you can help, visit thea21campaign.org .
Compassion International: 130 million children in developing countries have lost one or both parents. More than 75% of the deaths of children under the age of 5 are preventable. To see how you can help sponsor one of more than 1 million children in 26 countries, visit compassion.com .
A Child's Place: As of June 2010, 4,453 children in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools were identified as homeless. It's estimated 1,600 more have not been identified. They face a graduation rate of 25%. These children go hungry twice as much as others, and are sick 4 times more often. Visit achildsplace.org to see how you can help.
Crisis Assistance Ministries: Over 220,000 families with children under 18 live under the poverty level. Over 46,000 single mothers in Charlotte live under that level. Last year over 70,000 people received financial assistance thanks to donors and volunteers at Crisis Assistance. Visit the group in Charlotte, or look for one in your area to see how you can help them.
WISH Program: Wish is a program designed to rapidly re-house homeless families in safe and decent apartments. They empower people with resources they need to become self-sufficient. Visit wishprogram.org to see how you can get involved.
BlessBack Worldwide: BlessBack stepped into action in Haiti to assist some of the millions of families that were affected by the earthquake and recent cholera outbreak in Haiti. They exist to provide medical and spiritual blessings to hurting people around the world. To see how to join them, visit blessbackworldwide.org .
The good thing about this is that you don't have to live in Charlotte or even go to church in Charlotte to help these groups out. You can help them right there at your computer screen. If you want to know more about Love Week, visit loveweekcharlotte.com . If Charlotte is not where God has you, maybe this will inspire you to start spreading the love of Christ where you are. Whatever the case, take the time, and help take care of "the least of these."
Samaritan's Purse: Water problems affect half of humanity. 1.1 billion people in developing countries don't have access to water, and 2.5 billion lack basic sanitation. Visit samaritanspurse.org to find out how you can make an impact. Not only that, but they spread the Gospel to over 8 million children in over 130 countries each year.
A21: The second largest organized crime in the world today is trafficking. 1.39 million victims of commercial sexual servitude worldwide are part of a $12 billion industry. A21 is working to get this practice abolished. To see how you can help, visit thea21campaign.org .
Compassion International: 130 million children in developing countries have lost one or both parents. More than 75% of the deaths of children under the age of 5 are preventable. To see how you can help sponsor one of more than 1 million children in 26 countries, visit compassion.com .
A Child's Place: As of June 2010, 4,453 children in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools were identified as homeless. It's estimated 1,600 more have not been identified. They face a graduation rate of 25%. These children go hungry twice as much as others, and are sick 4 times more often. Visit achildsplace.org to see how you can help.
Crisis Assistance Ministries: Over 220,000 families with children under 18 live under the poverty level. Over 46,000 single mothers in Charlotte live under that level. Last year over 70,000 people received financial assistance thanks to donors and volunteers at Crisis Assistance. Visit the group in Charlotte, or look for one in your area to see how you can help them.
WISH Program: Wish is a program designed to rapidly re-house homeless families in safe and decent apartments. They empower people with resources they need to become self-sufficient. Visit wishprogram.org to see how you can get involved.
BlessBack Worldwide: BlessBack stepped into action in Haiti to assist some of the millions of families that were affected by the earthquake and recent cholera outbreak in Haiti. They exist to provide medical and spiritual blessings to hurting people around the world. To see how to join them, visit blessbackworldwide.org .
The good thing about this is that you don't have to live in Charlotte or even go to church in Charlotte to help these groups out. You can help them right there at your computer screen. If you want to know more about Love Week, visit loveweekcharlotte.com . If Charlotte is not where God has you, maybe this will inspire you to start spreading the love of Christ where you are. Whatever the case, take the time, and help take care of "the least of these."
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