I am reading the book 📚’Wild at Heart’ about what it means to be a man - I wonder if God wants us to be really nice guys? “Really Nice Guys”

The Trouble With Poetry - the poetry of Billy Collins

Individualism: “Everyone did what was right in their own eyes.”

🤔Where have I heard that before?

Facebook Prayers - Have you seen this feature on Facebook Groups? What do you think of it?

I heard an interesting quote today: “If God is male, then the male is God”. ~Mary Daly 🤔

📷Lake at Dusk: f/14; 1/15sec; ISO-3200

📷Lake Reflection: f/13; 1/80sec; ISO-200

The Way of Jesus is not just narrow, but also as a low ceiling that pushes you into a posture of humility. There is no pride in the Way.

Some true analysis from Scot McKnight concerning American Christianity. The Unmasking of Evangelicalism

Some say Catholics are not Christian. Yet the Pope is more Christ-like than most Protestant pastors I’ve encountered: preaching and brining the gospel to the poor.

“We have a lot to say about this topic, and it’s difficult to explain, because you have been lazy and you haven’t been listening.” Heb. 5:11

I feel ya bro, I feel ya.

God: “Doom to those who pronounce wicked decrees, and keep writing harmful laws to deprive the needy of their rights and to rob the poor among my people of justice.”

Christians: “But they are illegal…”

All this talk about UFOs: maybe they are not aliens but rather an advanced civilization that we have yet to discover here on earth. They’ve kept themselves hidden for centuries, and now it is getting harder to avoid as we advance.

One of the most zen like sayings of Jesus: “If you were blind, you wouldn’t have any sin, but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.”

I’d write a poem about Pentecost Sunday, but alas, there is no one to interpret.

“Your beer is diluted with water… Doom! I will vent my anger…” Isa. 2:21,24

Careful, God doesn’t like light beer.

The Gospel: foolishness to Christians, stumbling block to evangelicals - but it is the power of God to salvation to all who have faith in God.

People need to stop bombing people.

“Why are pastors experts on the truth and dropouts on the way?” ~ Eugene Peterson

📝Light: A Poem

Light particles like stars in the grass
Between the stripes of trees
As the morning rays brightens
My lashes
Like fly's wings
My breath fogs the window

#poetry

Thought of the day: If the average person becomes a billionaire they would then just sit back, relax, and enjoy the money the rest of their lives. But this is why they are not billionaires.

Jesus establishes God’s kingdom which comes to make all things right. Jesus himself gives his disciples this same kingdom. We have the same mission as he; to seek out the lost. This is the mission the Pharisees should have been doing. They kept out the lost due to their own traditions and harsh judgments. Church folk have been doing the same. They keep people outside of their “holy-huddles” in order to keep their traditions, their purity, and their sacred places clean. However, we have been given the “shepherd-ship” of the kingdom; to feed the sheep, to tend and care for the sick and wounded, to seek out those who are lost and reconcile them back to God.

An expert from chapter 2 of my book, “The Lost Son: To Seek and Save the Lost“ Available in Kindle and paperback: The Lost Son: To Seek and Save the Lost

No one’s here
But You and me
You’re in the silence

I’m deaf to the silence
The hum of the world
Rings in my ears

Hides the silence
The mind is distracted
The silence just beyond

You are there waiting
In silence calling
Drawing me ever near

Inch by inch
Millimeter by little millimeter
Till I reach silence

I and You
You and I
You

#poetry

Reading with Scot McKnight a biography of Eugene Peterson called 📚 A Burning In My Bones.

📷Canon EOS Rebel T7; F/8; 1/8 sec; ISO400 #photography

The world can be a dark place. But on darker days it is the light of Jesus that shines brightest.

Story is found in Luke 19:1-10

“But Jesus associated with sinners because he wanted to bring the lost into God’s kingdom. Later Jesus has an encounter with a tax collector and sinner named Zacchaeus. Coming into Zacchaeus’ hometown Jericho Jesus invites himself over for dinner at Zacchaeus’ house. Zacchaeus was so moved by the encounter that he resolved to change his dishonest ways. He says to Jesus enthusiastically, “Okay, Lord! I will give half my property to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give him back four times as much.” Jesus rejoiced and said, “Salvation has come to this man’s house today… for even this man is a son of Abraham. The Son of Man has come to search for those who are lost and to save them.” The tax collectors and sinners had no access to God through the synagogue due to the leadership. They had no access to the temple because of their being outcasts. Jesus had to go to them, to seek after them in order to save them. They came in droves just to listen to him proclaim the coming kingdom of God; good news to the poor and the outcast.”

An expert from chapter 2 of my book📚, “The Lost Son: To Seek and Save the Lost“ Available in Kindle and paperback: The Lost Son: To Seek and Save the Lost

Christian, put down your reading plans and focus on the gospels. Read them exclusively for a year. Read them and re-read them until they are all you think about concerning Jesus and his kingdom.

Fun walk with the honey and the dog.

Finally breaking into nature.

📷Canon EOS Rebel T7 F/5.6; ¼ sec; ISO-400

It is curious: in my experience pastors pound the pulpit for Matthew 25:46 without consideration of the implications of Matthew 25:31-45 and their faith/works paradigm.

I think I need a break into nature with a camera and note book.

📝Two Ways: A Poem

Oh Heavens sing
Oh Earth sway
Two paths before us lay

Blessing of Life
Curse of Death
Choose Life and walk the Way

Abide, trust, love
Lord of Lights
Live ever the New Day

#poetry

The story is found in John 8:1-11

Jesus did not condemn the woman. The word condemn here is the same Greek word (krinō) as the word in Matthew 7:1: “Judge (krinō) not, that you be not judged (krinō).” It is the same Greek word as Romans 14:13: “Therefore let us not pass judgment (krinō) on one another any longer, but rather decide (krinō) never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.”

The process of condemning/judging for the Pharisees, and for church folk today, is to determine who is in and who is out. Who is part of the people of God and who is not. Who deserves reconciliation with God and who does not. In other words, we use a distorted gospel to “tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders…” but are not willing to do the same for ourselves.

📚An expert from chapter 1 of my book, “The Lost Son: To Seek and Save the Lost“ Available in Kindle and paperback: The Lost Son: To Seek and Save the Lost

📷Canon EOS Rebel T7 F/8 1/6 sec. ISO-200 55mm

Because he lives I can face today. Tomorrow has enough problems of it’s own.

“By his resurrection he broke the bonds of death, trampling Hell and Satan under his feet.”

“He descended into hell.”

📚reading The Crucifixion by Fleming Rutledge my second time through. Highly recommended. $5.99 on Kindle! Worth more.

Wednesday Thoughts: has the Church catered to affluent demographics to sustain the full-time positions of the pastor to the neglect of the demographics Jesus catered to?

This is meme going around is not clever or smart. A person I know had avoided Covid all year, only to get it last week, and is now suffering and missing work. I wonder if he wished he had gotten the shot?

I want the shot because I don’t want to suffer. I want the shot because I’m hungry and don’t want to miss work.

I’m willing to get the sniffles for a day rather than be weak, lose my sense of taste and smell, and be out of it for days.

Just my 2¢ on the matter.

“We can go on-and-on painting a horrid picture of many church folk today. I think we get the picture though. The point here is when we read these stories and interactions between Jesus and the Pharisees we can easily look over the fact that many of us act like the Pharisees. We see the Pharisees as they are portrayed and pray to ourselves, “I thank God I am not like these Pharisees.” In reality we need to pray, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner!” Because we, the Church, act like Pharisees and not like Jesus.”

An expert from chapter 1 of my book, “The Lost Son: To Seek and Save the Lost“

Available in Kindle and paperback: The Lost Son: To Seek and Save the Lost

Sad. This shows a lack of leadership in communicating the core mission of the Church.

Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

I wish I'd grow thick fur
In the months of cold weather
But not like Uncle Herb
Who's back hair is like a sweater

Having fur in the summer
It would be no fun
Uncle herb says it’s a bummer
Having hot hair in the sun,

Here is truth.

Is there an way, or an app, to schedule posts to your micro.blog?

One way the Jews followed the sabbath day commandment was they refrained from walking long distances. Perhaps if Christians had a similar practice by not driving on Sunday. Then church would be a local community affair.

“‘Christian’, properly understood, means being governed by the message of Jesus Christ, the liberating discovery of God’s gracious move towards humanity.” ~ Karl Barth

Yet so much of preaching today is about how separated we are from God. But he is not far from us! In fact he has moved toward us in Christ.

Weird thoughts: the reason we don’t have time travel is because people from the future keep coming back in time to kill the inventor.

I’m back to micro.blog!

Had the privlage of being published in the Church Planter Magazine! I wrote about my struggles with prayer.

Hearing about a pastor in Cali who took his life saddens me. It speaks to me that pastors and ministry leaders need each other, need to intentionally reach out to each other, and pray for one another continuously.

There’s a difference between, “I struggle with sin but Jesus forgives,” and “What I’m doing is not sin, Jesus understands.”

📚Addiction Nation by Tim King is really opening my eyes to the opioid epidemic on how it is really a cultural issue reaching far back into our nation’s history. Highly recommended for every pastor, leader, or friend who wants to know more about this issue.

If you haven’t took of the blood and body of Christ have you really communed with the Body of Christ?

📷Canon - EOS Rebel T7 1/50 F5.6 ISO 200

Who’s micro.blog should I be following? I’ll follow photographers, bibliophiles, poets, writers…

Jury duty: long, laborious, and enlightening. The work that goes into ensuring a non-bias jury gives comfort to some degree.

We used guns to harm and kill We destroyed the guns We used knives to stab and wound We banned the knives We used stones to throw and maim We crushed the stones We used sticks to jab and poke We burned all the trees We beat each with fists and foots We hacked off our limbs We reviled with our speech and writ We cut out all our tongues We stared at each other with malice and hate We gouged out our eyes We are blind, wounded, and still full of fear and hate.

A quick pic I took with my iPhone 7; Sea World. 📷iPhone

If you’re the praying type say one for me now. At a meeting that could change my ministry in a big way.

One of my favorite shots from when I first started dabeling in photography. 📷Canon PowerShot SX150 IS f/5.6 1/400 Sec ISO-100

There’s a thread on Twitter of people debating Christian fundamentalism, here’s my 2¢ - fundamentalism is not Christian. Once you’ve got it all figured out you’ve left the faith and are following a religion of your own making.

“For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.” Whatever the Son does, with his help; that I will do likewise. (Jn5:19)

First Post on Micro.blog