Quote Of The Day

"Everything in the world may be endured except continued prosperity."

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Fore!

This afternoon I’m off to OKC to play in a golf scramble tomorrow at River Bend Golf Club in Chickasha, OK.  The Snowhill Scramble is, without a doubt, one of the best scramble touraments around.  There are quality prizes on every hole and a drawing at the end of the tourney that usually includes a set of clubs to one lucky winner.  There are always over 100 who enter and they almost always have to cap registration.  And the winners come out with some really ungodly score like 16 under or something.

Our team won’t do that well, but we’ll have fun!

What Hath Alice Cooper To Do With Jesus?

WorldNetDaily has an interesting article about rocker Alice Cooper’s claim to faith.  I have to admit that I didn’t know this about him.  Here’s a quote:

"I’m
the first one to rock as loud as I can, but when it comes to what I
believe, I’m the first one to defend it too," he said. "It has also
gotten me in trouble with the staunch Christians who believe that in
order to be a Christian you have to be on your knees 24 hours a day in
a closet somewhere. Hey, maybe some people can live like that, but I
don’t think that’s the way God expected us to live. When Christ came
back, He hung out with the whores, the drunks and miscreants because
they were people that needed Him. Christ never spent His time with the
Pharisees."

(HT: Milton Stanley)

The Radical Pastor Strikes Again

…and then mysteriously disappears into the Ukrainian horizon.  I once participated in a blog poll that asked what my top three or four blogs to read were.  I made the comment that I’d read John Frye’s blog Jesus The Radical Pastor twice before I’d read any other blog once.  In fact, I’ve linked to that blog so often that I even talked about not posting any more and simply linking to John’s blog.  I’ve got several posts saved in my Bloglines aggregator.

Thank goodness for that, because unfortunately for me (but fortunately for the Ukrainian church) John has discontinued blogging.  He must dedicate more time to raising support and seeking employment so he might continue his role as a missionary mentor to young church leaders in the Ukraine.  John is also a gifted author and his book Jesus The Pastor is one of the few books that I’ve read more than once.

Before John left the blogosphere he had finished three parts of a four part series he titled "Jesus Is Smarter Than Us."  I’m hoping to get his permission to publish those posts here.  In the words of Banya, "That’s gold, Jerry!  Gold!"  [If you’re not a Seinfeld fan you won’t get that last part.]

Sinister Birthday?

Sometimes I get a strange reaction to my birthdate.  I was born June 6th, 1965.  Some dispensational types write that out shorthand like this: 6/6/65.  Aaaaack!  That’s three sixes in a row!  But they usually congratulate me on having the "5" on the end (as if I had something to do with it).

Well, this year it will be 06/06/06.  Remove the "0"s and now you’ve got the bona fide antichrist thing going.
I realize I’m a couple of months early, but I think I’m starting to feel the beginnings of some horns growing from my head along with an insatiable desire for world domination.

Anyone wishing to apply for a newly established "false prophet" position can e-mail their resume to me.  But I must warn you that the hiring process may take a while.  We should be good to go in about three years and eight months.  Nevertheless, I would like to have someone hired by the end of ‘06.  World domination doesn’t happen overnight, you know.  There’s lots of planning to do!

In the mean time, pretend you are my consultant (you know, like, pretend that I’m actually paying you for your input and that I’d give a rip).  Who would you suggest as a good candidate for the job?

Quote Of The Day

"[Jesus] never asked anyone to become a Christian, never built a steepled building, never drew up a theological treatise, never took an offering, never wore religious garments, never incorporated for tax purposes.  He simply called people to follow him."

Don Everts, author of Jesus with Dirty Feet

Pearls Before Swine

(Courtesy Google Images)

In his book The Divine Conspiracy, Dallas Willard gives a great commentary on Jesus’ statement in Matthew 7:6 where we are told not to cast our pearls before swine lest they trample them under their feet and turn and try to eat us.  Willard writes that Jesus is referring to our attempts to take that which is good in and of itself (our pearls) and force it on others who need something else at the moment.  The picture is of a farmer throwing out pearls for food instead of slop.  A hungry pig doesn’t have any use for pearls and if he’s hungry enough he’s liable to turn and try to eat you because you, at least, are edible.

Willard notes the tendency we have of trying to push our good things onto others who are needing something else at the moment.  We think we are helping, but we’re really not.  In turn, those we are trying to help turn on us.

So often we take the approach, "I’ll do what you want so long as you do it my way."

I’ll be the first to admit that it is difficult to be kind and gracious to one with whom I’m in conflict.  I fail so often at this point myself.  But in that same sermon Jesus tells us that there is a way that leads to destruction and a way that leads to life.  Let’s pursue the way that leads to life.

A Week Late? Nah!

Easter is a special time to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus our Messiah.  That was last week.  But the early church began to meet on Sundays to continue to celebrate that resurrection, not just once a year, but each week.

With that in mind, check out Michael Bird’s post on the meaning of the resurrection here.  It’s mmmm, mmmm, good.

Quote Of The Day

"If I were playing third base and my mother were rounding third with the run that was going to beat us, I’d trip her.  Oh, I’d pick her up and brush her off and say, ‘Sorry, Mom,’ but nobody beats me."

Leo Durocher

Technorati tags:  Quotes

Old Testament Guy

Did this post disappear into the netherworld?  Perhaps I mistakenly deleted it.  Or maybe little gremlins have invaded my blog.  At any rate, here it is again.  If you don’t read the comic strip Pearls Before Swine, you should start.  It’s truly funny.  Here’s a recent favorite:

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