For some reason the line from Acts 4 ‘they recognized that they had been with Jesus’ has been on my mind a lot. In the context of Acts it was Peter and John’s boldness that provoked this statement. They were ordinary people, fisherman, yet their wisdom was bold and it was apparent that there was something different in these men. 

I’ve been thinking…How is it that we, in our time, display that we ‘have been with Jesus’? Being nice, going to church, talking about Jesus…these things are all good and a good start (if birthed from within). But I’m going to go out on a limb and say that exterior actions are not as convincing as we may think. Because our relationship with Jesus ultimately begins within, within our minds, souls, and hearts, then it is from that place that He lives through us. It is from the good stored up from within us that good things come out. We could say, “It is from the Jesus stored up from within us that Jesus comes out.” 

I’m wondering if there are times that we work too hard at trying to act like Jesus (or how we would think he would act) and not enough time just allowing His teachings and life to really absorb us at such a deep place that we just end up being like Him. I want this for myself so badly…I want to give up contrived efforts…and I simply want Jesus to be in my words, speech, actions, and thoughts without me having to think about it. I want Jesus to be unrestrained in me…

The ‘ouch’ question of the hour is….do I pursue friendship with Jesus to know Him well enough? You know how old married couples somehow start to look alike? Or dress alike? Laugh alike? Like the same food? Speak alike? It’s because they have spent their lives together! Jen and I have been married for seven and a half years now and there are times where we end up wearing the same colors, shoes, and styles on the same day even when get dressed separately! This didn’t happen on day one of the honeymoon…it’s kind of happened over time and we’ve just now realized it. If we started wearing matching outfits on purpose from day one that is just a little cheesy and would look like we’re trying too hard! (which another point could be drawn from!)

I’m not saying that I want to be an old married couple with Jesus…but I am saying that as I spend more and more time with Him I want to start looking more and more like Him without even knowing it…Here’s the scary thing: Jesus was persecuted, followed, beaten, admired, hated, healing, betrayed, loved, and was servant to all…this mixed bag is what following Jesus gets us in this life. Looking like Jesus can be dangerous stuff…but this is the journey of faith that we choose when we choose to follow Him…

Today on Greg Boyd’s blog he had a great write up about his feelings of Barack Obama being elected president. Here is the link if you want to read it on his site…

All Politics Aside — Today is a Good Day! » Blog » Greg Boyd (Christus Victor Ministries).

His words were good enough for us (Jen and I) to both copy them onto ours…I hope you don’t mind Greg! (like he reads my blog!)

Today is a good day.

I don’t care if you’re a Democrat, Republican, Socialist, Libertarian, Communist, Anarchist or even a Christarchist who feels called to abstain from the whole political process. I couldn’t care less. The fact that Americans have elected a black man to be their president makes today a very good day!

When you reflect on the centuries of bondage and abuse blacks endured as slaves who were bought and sold like cattle and often treated worse…

when you remember that blacks were once regarded for legal purposes as just over half-human…

when you consider the extraordinary illegal and immoral ways white politicians changed all the rules to keep blacks out of power following the civil war…

when you recall the dehumanizing injustice of the Jim Crow south, the horrors of the KKK, the heroic struggles for civil rights, the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. as well as the on-going systemic racism that continues to marginalize and oppress blacks…

you can’t help but celebrate the day Americans elected a black man to lead them.

All politics aside,

today is a very good day!

Greg Boyd 

Teens who watch Sex in the City more likely to get pregnant - Times Online .

No, I don’t know who won the election already because I live further east…I wrote this title in past tense because it is simply a future reality. 

It seems on Facebook that everyone is using their status to communicate something about their opinions on the election, but that’s just not enough room for me! And the thing is…what I’m writing about isn’t entirely about the candidates, it’s also about the voters. 

The truth of the matter is that either candidate is going to let us down in some way. None of their short-comings are going to be a surprise to God. In fact, it is God who allows them the authority they have. Early Christians had to wrestle over this while they were persecuted under a Roman authority that was far more irreligious than anything we’re seeing today. 

The conclusion that I come to is that God must think very little of earthy power! I think that God chooses a different form of influence in the world other than the power constructs that men erect to feel influential or in control. 

As Christians, I think we’re left with a choice: Do we put our faith, hope, and trust in the offices and kingdoms created by man? Or do we put our faith, hope, and trust in the Kingdom of God and its ways? 

Lets just say we choose the first one…

There are two possible outcomes: One is that our person wins and we feel like all is going to be right. We trust that this person will govern in a way that gives us the life we want. How does having this person in office point you to trust God and His Kingdom? Does it mask our yearning for God’s new Kingdom? I don’t believe that God’s top priorities are controlling the kingdoms of this earth. I believe that His top priorities are inviting people to live into His kingdom and it’s ways. So if we get everything that we think we want from an elected official in a kingdom of this earth, do we still pursue God’s Kingdom with the abandon that He calls us to? 

The second outcome is that the other person wins! The other group is rejoicing that they won…the other candidate is enacting policies that we don’t want. They are governing in a way that we think is wrong. And it frustrates us because we need the government and it’s policies to give us the life you want. The joys in our life depend on how man’s elected offices handle earthly matters. Maybe I’m just missing something…but how do man’s earthly policies and government control anything related with the God’s Kingdom, the one we as follower of Jesus have chosen allegiance to? If we believe the policies of man have power or influence over the Kingdom of God, then either we don’t understand God’s kingdom or we think way too highly of earthly government! 

If we are placing our faith in earthly government over the Kingdom followers of Jesus are called to, win or lose we have some issues to deal with. 

So, let’s say we choose the second option from above…

For me, choosing to put my faith in God’s kingdom allows me to be fruitful and joyful in any situation. Ultimately, my fate, the quality of my life, and my hope rest in what I find in the Kingdom of God…not in what I don’t find in the kingdoms of earth. 

As another imperfect person is elected into office, I am choosing not to trust in either of them to give me the life that I want. I choose to only trust in Jesus…I choose to trust that the Kingdom He initiated is where I’ll find the solutions my hearts deepest longings. I choose to believe that God’s Kingdom, truly lived out by those of us who acclaim to it, has more potential to impact this world that any kingdom that man could create. 

I will sleep well regardless of who becomes the next President of the United States.

Today I drove down to Paris with my friend Klaus. He was coming down for a few days and offered to let me tag along…and who can pass up a trip to Paris?

The last time I was here was in February, but while we were  here then we didn’t even make it up to our the neighborhood we called home. Tonight I am staying at my friend Björn’s place and he lives really close to where we did. So, I walked up to my old neighborhood for the first time in 15 months. 

To be honest, I felt like I was walking home. It was cold so I stopped to get a café at our old hang out Place Verte. The irony is that I wanted to watch people so bad that I sat outside! As I sat there, I could remember the times that Jen and I sat there when she was pregnant, the times that we sat there when Maisie was  just days old, the times that we sat there with friends, and the time that we saw a near knife fight! 

But the hardest part on my walk was going to our old apartment…This is the last place that we called home. From the street, I could see in the windows. I could see the shades that I hung up on the doors…aparently the people who live there now like them too. I could see the mirror that I stood in front of when I sang Maisie to sleep as a newborn. I could imagine exactly how the place looked while we were there. It was if I was standing outside of my own home…except it hasn’t been our home in while. 

I had a hard time walking away from looking inside my window. Seeing that place reminded me of the memories that I have of our lives there. The laughter, the tears, the first days of Maisie’s life, the parties, the life we had in that place, and the ways in which Jen and I came together in difficult times. There were people hanging out in the living room and I could easily imagine the times that we hung out with our friends in that same space. We had a lot of conversations there that shaped who I am now. Both challenging and encouraging. 

I didn’t want to walk away from remembering these times…they were so rich with life…but I think I was starting to look creepy standing outside and staring into this building! 

As I walked away I prayed that God would help my mind go back here and cherish all the life we had there. And I heard God say, “If you think that was good, wait until you see what’s next.”

I came across this blog a while ago and found it really funny…worth linking to at least: Stuff White People Like.

I’ve not read all the content, so can’t make any sweeping guarantees. My favorite articles so far has been: #111 - Pea Coats, and #110 Frisbee Sports…and #1 - Coffee istn’ too bad either…

*Paul, I think you would appreciate #107 - Self Aware Hip Hop References

Here is a trailer for the Call + Response Film…

I love that quote, “Justice is what love looks like in public!” I need to put that idea up to 1 John and let God go to work on my heart.

Jen and I have some dear friends who do work in Cambodia named Don and Bridget. They’ve helped begin a ministry called AIM for Asia that is actively doing something about this issue on the front lines. Check out what they do and be a part of the solution…

It’s been a while since I’ve talked about things that I love in hopes that you will love them too…so here we go

Books:

Anatomy of Peace

by The Arbinger Institute

When I read Leadership and Self Deception a couple of years ago, it changed my life. Seriously. I didn’t have those expectations when starting to read this book because I wanted it to stand alone. I can’t say this book had the profound insight into my life for the here and now as the other book, but this book helped give me a vocabulary and insight into my personal justification which results in distorting the relationships and world around me. Once again, The Arbinger Institute cleverly delivers bombshell messages that could change your life if you can find yourself in the story. I would give both this book and Leadership and Self-Deception 5 stars and recommend them to anyone who wants their relationship to grow. 

The Call of the Wild

by Jack London

Yes, for real. I found this book in a Dutch thrift store and remembered reading it as a kid in school. So, I decided to make this book my ‘mindless’ read. This is a classic book, amazing writing, and a cool story about a genius dog that can pull 1000 pounds in the snow and kill a moose by itself. I really found myself relating to Buck in his extra-ordinaryness…ok, maybe not. 

The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse

by David Johnson and Jeff VanVonderen

My friend Laina loaned me this book and I’m only in the first part. It’s honestly a lot to think about. Because the truth is…it happens and people are harmed by people whom they give spiritual authority to. If you are a leader of people in a spiritual position it would be good to read this to heighten your senses to the subtle ways that we can unintentionally hurt those whom look to us as leaders. I hope that as I process this, I’ll be given insight into how I need to repent!

Lastly…

Organizing Genius

by Warren Bennis

I just picked this off of my friend Al’s bookshelf and it seems appropriate for the season that Jen and I are in. We are starting to look at recruiting for the future and this book is all about how to collaborate with other people and ‘manage’ talented people…which is an aspiration of mine. So we’ll see how it goes!

From the eyes to the ears…Music I’m listening to…

Brandon Grissom - Brighter Ep

Brandon is an acquaintance whom I met in Paris years ago when he was passing through. He’s a worship leader for a ministry called Axis in Chicago. This album seems to be written with corporate worship in mind…as he is a worship leader. I have to say…this album is a refreshing departure from standard worship tunes but is still catchy enough to be able to sing along with. If you are looking for worship songs that are musically good and have good lyrics…then check this out. It’s a welcomed breath of fresh air in the oft-boring and cheeseball worship music that is marketed well enough to make it ‘bigtime’…gosh I’m jaded. Another good album in this vein is Travis Taylor’s You Have Loved. 

Copeland - You Are My Sunshine

I just bought this today (and Brandon’s album) thanks to my friend Rachel hooking me up with an iTunes gift card! I am half way through it and I love these guys…it’s kind of head bobbing pop-rock with good instrumentation and percussion…check ‘em out! 

Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago

Jen discovered these guys back in March and it is easily my favorite album of 2008. The cat is out of the bag about these guys and they are kind of blowing up in the Indie scene. I got to see their show in Amsterdam and they blew away very high expectations. I think that a lot of Indie bands try to hard to be ‘artsy’ and come across as pretentious and contrived. Bon Iver is a band of people that seem the exact opposite. They genuinely seem to be surprised at their success and seem to just love playing…and they should because they are brilliant…

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Howl

Thanks to my buddy Tim who is putting together a pretty amazing list of albums on his blog, I found out about these guys…and they’re just good. 

Jon Foreman - Season EP’s 

That’s not the real title of Switchfoot frontman’s albums…but it works for me. Jon Foreman has put out four EP’s entitles Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring…each one with a bit different vibe to it. I’ve really be into them. 

Ok…that’s enough for now…I hope that you will enjoy any and all of these things I’m enjoying…

Remember the days when the simplicity of the Gospel was protected, taught, and fought for? Remember the days when leaders would rather stand alone with the Gospel, than stand in a crowed with a shade of it?

I read Galatians this morning and let’s just say…Paul really brings the pain here. Not in a, “You should do this, this, this, and that” kind of way. More in a, “Are you stupid? Why in the name of Jesus are doing this, this, this, and that as if it’s going to change anything?!?” I’m sure it was just a slip of the pen when he said that they were not intelligible, unwise, and foolish…no good pastor would ever say such things…

But here is my favorite rebuke of Paul’s…which would easily be included in a list of top 10 things teachers should say that they don’t/can’t/won’t anymore:

Galatians 1:8-9

Whoever tells you a good news that is different from the Good New we gave you should be accursed, even if he is one of us or an angel from heaven. I’m now telling you again what we’ve told you in the past: I’m now telling you again what I told you in the past: If anyone tells you good news that is different from the Good News you recieved, that person should be accursed.

Not just once, but twice, does Paul make it clear that people who distort the freedom we have Christ (as he explains in the rest of this letter) should be accursed. Some translations say: condemned…one even says ‘condemned to hell’ (I think it’s for a little extra somethin’ even though it’s not in the greek…I had to look, thanks studylight.org!)

I think that if we get past the shock of Paul being so strong here, we can see something else. At this time in the Church, the purity of the Gospel was at stake. The Church’s message in it’s infancy could not be distorted and required protecting. If a corruption were to have occurred at this stage, then every offspring that this message produces would carry the same…wound. So, the message Gospel had to be purified of the untruths put on it.

Are any of view finding yourself asking the question, “uh, why did we ever stop protecting the clarity of the message of Jesus? Shouldn’t this be something that we still do?” I think this is a worthy question. And I think that Paul addresses it Galatians when he says, (1:10)

Am I saying this now to win the approval of people or God? Am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be Christ’s servant.

This says all that I could.

Amongst all the things that Paul says are not important to a true Gospel, he says three things that we should chew on ’till our jaw hurts…I’ll leave you with these:

“As far as our relationship to Christ Jesus is concerned, it doesn’t matter [what laws we do or don't follow]. What matters is faith working itself out in love.” (5:6)

“[Use your freedom to] serve each other through love.” (5:13)

“Certainly, it doesn’t matter whether a person is [following a specific law] or not. Rather, what matters is being a new creation.” (6:15)