Upon the Announcement of Osama bin Laden’s Death

As the news reports came in last night of the death of America’s Public Enemy Number One, the only sense I felt was sadness. It was a curious feeling.

I have all my adult life been a supporter of “just” was and capital punishment for the hardcore criminal who had committed heinous acts. Of course I’m a supporter; I’m a conservative, Christian Republican!

Last night and this morning as I was on my bus route before my first stop, I felt that foundation shake. It wasn’t an uncomfortable, fearful shake, but it was a shake nonetheless. Wait, let’s back up a bit.

Val and I have been taking an on-line course through In Christ’s Image Training. In that reading and listening, both in Scripture and the writings of Pastor Francis Frangipane, it is very clear that God’s sole purpose for the Believer is to be conformed or transformed into the very image of Jesus Himself. In fact, the appellation Christian means “little Christ.”

Lots of scripture, principally,

Romans 8:28-29 (New Living Translation)

²⁸ And we know that God causes everything to work together^[a] for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. ²⁹ For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son [conformed to the image of His Son, NKJV], so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

So, if God’s purpose is to make me look like Jesus, then WWJD – what would Jesus do?

Second installment comes tomorrow

Snow-Day Thoughts

It’s April 16^th and I’m looking out over this beautiful Minnesota landscape of… SNOW! April! Sixteenth! SNOW!

OK, that’s out of my system.

We’re house-sitting in this idyllic setting and I’m reading a yet-to-be-published manuscript about end times. You say, “like there needs to be ANOTHER book about end times???” There are shelves and shelves at your local book store about end times and the Rapture (a word not found in Scripture, BTW) and wrath and judgment and seals and, and, and…

Then there’s the current flaming debate about Rob Bell and Love Wins and John Piper and Al Mohler, among others. If you’re not up to date on all this, maybe you should pay attention, at least those of us who claim Christ as our Savior and Lord.

No, I’m not going to bring you up to date about this internet “war.” That would defeat what I’m about to say.

For too long I have taken what someone ELSE has to say about what GOD has to say. That’s coming to a screeching halt. It’s high time I looked at what God has to say through His Word.

This whole controversy surrounding Pastor Bell is a question whether a loving God (see 1 John 4:4) would, or even could¸ send anyone into eternal punishment. My son asked me the same question. If God would send Mahatma Gandhi to hell, as good as he was on this earth, why would I ever want to submit to Him? I’m not sure that’s the right question, but it is the one being asked.

I’m not suggesting you read Rob’s book, although I am. I AM suggesting you start asking some probing questions of God Himself.

I mean, if God is Who He claims to be in the Bible, use His own words to ask Him.

James 1:5 (New Living Translation)

 ⁵ If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.

I would rather trust the God who made a rose and Andromeda than I would trust my own thinking. (See Proverbs 3:5-6) If He’s serious about me following and trusting Him, it’s OK for me to ask Him where He’s going with all this.

If I’m serious about living the very best life that is possible, I’ve gotta tell you, I need all the help I can get. And I’m going to start with the Andromeda-Maker!

What about you? 

Introduction

OK! We're here and let's get started.

First, let me tell you what REALLY prompted this effort. I believe I have a couple of articles (and maybe a novel) in my brain that might be useful for some others, particularly those who have struggles similar to ones I have experienced. And for those articles (and a novel) to make it into print, I have to develop the skills of a writer - something I lack.

You see, a speaker can ramble, and, like that blind pig, find an acorn or two in his rambling. But he can entertain his audience yet never get his point across. Magazines and newspapers have editors and they don't usually pay "blind pigs" to "ramble." Hence, the need to acquire some skills.

And, yes, I know that you don't want to waste even more time on the computer than you already do, just reading what this bald tuba player has to say.

With that intro, you're invited to drop in every little bit and see if any of this interests you. Hope you'll laugh a bit, cry a bit, and maybe even make a comment or two or twelve if you find anything interesting, entertaining, agreeable, or even angering.

Feel free to agree, challenge, add to, ...whatever floats your boat.

And if you invite someone to visit this little patch of the internet-world, encourage them to read this introduction first. I wouldn't want them to think this a professional blog by any means. Forewarned IS forearmed, as they say.