Stumbling About for Truth

I have responded a few times to a couple of Bruce Tomaso's posts over at the Dallas Morning News' blog. Each time he has chastised me for not allowing for others' beliefs - not being "tolerant" of those who don't agree with me. Those who don't believe like I do. I haven't responded to him yet and probably won't. He seems to be a pretty cynical creature from reading his snide remarks when he posts something or replies to those he doesn't agree with. Considering that I am a pretty stubborn cynic myself who isn't likely to have his mind changed by someone whom I already disagree with, it's not worth my time and effort to debate him about his intolerance towards me (and those he disagrees with). Still, I find it personally necessary to remind him of one verse in the book of John: John 14:6 This statement does not support diversity of beliefs nor does it depend upon anyone agreeing or disagreeing with it. As a business associate of mine like

I was reading a blog the other night discussing why there are so many myths about mega-churches. The responses seem to be saying it's jealousy amongst the small church crowd. I thought the whole discussion was an exercise in futility no matter the real answer. The problem with church isn't about size. It's about relevance to our "post-post-modern-I-don't-give-a-!@#%-about-church" world. How is it that we seemingly have a church on every corner in this country, but a recent study, according to a friend of mine, shows that within the next X number of years (I don't remember the amount) less than 20% of us will be in church? The reason? I have found that some in the church try to blame the lost for not wanting to come to church - or when that doesn't work, they claim the old "church people are just sinners saved by grace so don't blame us" argument. Whatever makes you feel good I suppose. But I am more interested in reality. The real answer

I recently saw the following headline for a story on Mother Teresa and her doubts about God's existance: Did Mother Teresa Believe in God? Essentially, Mother Teresa didn't feel God's presence the last 50 or so years of her life and came close to questioning His very existance. The story is essentially a PR piece for a new book about Mother Teresa. The headline to this story is a commentary on the unbelieving society we all inhabit. The headline supposes that those of us who believe do so without question or struggle. How silly that assumption is - especially coming from a jaded and cynical world - a world that struggles to make sense of every bit of information it comes by. This story (and others on this subject) also seems to "dance on her grave" at finding out that she may have had doubts. Nothing like finding out that those we have mounted on a high moral pedestal are really just human after all and that they are fallen like the rest of us. We celebrate the fa

As I continue to read through the book of Ephesians at least once in its entirety each day, I am continuously looking for something new God may be speaking to me about. As I read through the book again tonight, I noticed a couple of things running like a winding stream through Paul's letter: community and unity. Paul, even though he was in chains for the Gospel in a different location than the Philippians, considered himself to be a part of their community with them. he also wrote to them, exhorting and encouraging them to stand in unity. Consider the following verses: ...your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now... (1:4) ...all of you share in God's grace with me... (7) for I know that through your prayers ... what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. (1:19) ...it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so

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Just returned from church and from an awesome testimony from a young man who spent the summer in New Orleans in the inner-city working with children. The center he worked in, which is supported by the North American Mission Board, is right smack dab in the middle of a very dangerous neighborhood with all sorts of crime, immorality, etc. going on. It was, in essence, a summer-long VBS with a reading and math element injected into it. He taught the kids reading, math and recreation. His purpose there was to show the kids and their families that there is hope in Jesus Christ, even in the midst of the rubble that is New Orleans. Out of everything he said during his time of sharing, one thing stuck out to me: He said the center was known as a safe place in the midst of this broken down neighborhood for kids to go to. That got me to thinking about the church - Christ's body. Is it a safe place to go to for people who are broken down? Or is it a place of condemnation, judgement and legali

How much money is too much? Can you make too much? Can you have too much? Should someone be able to criticize you for accepting more than they perceive your position is worth? How about when it comes to employees of non-profit organizations? How about employees of Christian non-profit organizations? Do the rules change in those instances? Let's look at this with a little clarity and in keeping with my previous post, let's look at this issue with honesty. And after some basic, layman-level pointers on how our free-market economy works, lets also discuss the fact that God isn't interested in economics or in the amount of money we have or make. He is more interested in what it does to us and what we do with it. We live in a country where the free market reigns. Only the strong/relevant/useful survive when it comes to doing business in our economy. The rest fall by the wayside. If someone puts a product out on the shelf or offers a service you think is priced too high, what do

I have been battling lately with a severe case of insomnia. After reading awhile in bed and still not feeling sleepy, I decided to check out some blogs and ran across a freshly minted one about transparency and preachers at Wade Burleson's blog. His post got me thinking again about this issue. Here are my thoughts: Honesty and transparency destroy the dark. They shatter the illusion we've constructed about who we really are and what our true motives are. The light of the truth invades our otherwise secret world, making it almost impossible to continue in our sin. With the choice to be honest and transparent, we are forced to live our lives out in the open - for everyone to see. Most of us would feel stark naked, terrified, ashamed and embarrassed if we chose to do this. But I think it a necessary choice nonetheless. It is a good and healthy habit to live transparent lives before others - to share what's going on in our lives - to confess our sin. It protects us. It protects

As I have said in this blog before, I am reading through Philippians once each day in its entirety. I want to focus on this passage for this post: Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. -Philippians 1:27 I looked this verse up in the NET Bible's notes (www.bible.org) and found this about the above verse: Translation note: Grk “live as citizens.” The verb πολιτεύεσθε (politeuesqe) connotes the life of a freeman in a free Roman colony. Study Note: Conduct yourselves (Grk “live your lives as citizens”). The Philippians lived in a free Roman city, and thus understood from their own experience what it meant to live as citizens. Paul is here picking up on that motif and elevating it to the citizenship of heaven. Cf. 3:20 (our citizenship is in heaven). The idea here is that we are citizens of heaven now. Right after the above passage, Paul says that if they conduct themselves as citizens of heaven (or worth of the gospel) in his absence, he will

7But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. 12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win

The organization that I work for was attacked yesterday and today. It was attacked by a guy who apparently cares way too much about what the state denomination is up to or not. Our organization has ties to the denomination this guy is frustrated with - from what I can see - he's frustrated pretty much constantly with it. I really can't say I blame him there since I think denoms are pretty much pointless. But a little more on that later... Problem is, while we have ties to it, we are not an institution of the denomination, we simply have a history of cooperation with it and our leader has led the demonination in question for a year in the past. So I guess he was trying to attack the denom through us. In any case, we responded to his attack with the truth and with grace. I personally think we should have trounced him in some way or another. But that's just me in all my fleshly glory. I tend to be a bull in a china shop when it comes to this kind of thing. I like to think of i

I went tonight to a meeting of about 8 guys who are intent on reading through Philippians everyday for the next X number of weeks. The X is because there is no time limit. They also seem to be pretty intent on being completely transparent about their lives and where they are at - what they are struggling with. It was refreshing to hear the stories of their lives - the down and dirty stories that you won't hear in your average "we must act like we're perfect sunday school class" or in a church service where everybody is "fine". "How ya doing this morning?" That's my cue to say, "Fine, and you?" And that's the other person's cue to say, "Fine." And then we both go on to the next person to repeat the same question and answer session again. None of that in this group. No B.S. allowed. Being a cynic and all, I am skeptical. But I am going to continue to go and continue to read through Philippians, and ask God to show my s

My wife and I celebrated our 11th anniversary tonight by going to see a movie and then to eat dinner. On the way from the theater to the restaurant, we drove by our old church building. When our former church merged with another church, we sold the building we were in at the time to Parkside Baptist Church, a fundamentalist Baptist church. I read their marquee sign by the road with amusement. It said: Old Fashioned Services King James Bible Hymn in Every Pew My wife and I both looked at each other and said the same thing:"Thanks for the Warning!" I fully expect to see "Turn or burn" on their marquee next week. Oh wait! My mistake! It will more likely say, "Turneth or Thou Shalt Burneth" I am thinking, at least in my opinion, that it would have better to raze the buildings and sell the land to some secular company to develop than having sold it to these folks. Legalists do more damage to Christ's cause than anyone or anything else with the possible exce

I thought about this short story earlier this evening. It's the most beautiful picture of the sacrifice Christ made for us. The story is called "Ragman" and is by Walter Wangerin, Jr. I saw a strange sight. I stumbled upon a story most strange, like nothing my life, my street sense, my sly tongue had ever prepared me for. Hush, child. Hush, now, and I will tell it to you. Even before the dawn one Friday morning I noticed a young man, handsome and strong, walking the alleys of our City. He was pulling an old cart filled with clothes both bright and new, and he was calling in a clear, tenor voice: "Rags!" Ah, the air was foul and the first light filthy to be crossed by such sweet music. "Rags! New rags for old! I take your tired rags! Rags!" "Now, this is a wonder," I thought to myself, for the man stood six-feet-four, and his arms were like tree limbs, hard and muscular, and his eyes flashed intelligence. Could he find no better job than this,

A thought occurred to me: what if I am a blind guide? I don't mean, what if I am requiring people to measure up to my standards before I allow them to come to God. God forbid that I am dragging around that pointless cross again - I have not only dealt with those who think I should do things their way, but have also myself, tried to require others to tow my own lines of interpretations on what to believe on various issues, both moral and practical. There really is only one non-negotiable when it comes to God: the only way to Him is through His Son, Jesus Christ, who paid for our sins on the cross. I gladly tow that line. All else, while not being irrelevant, does not even come close to this eternal truth. What I am talking about is when I try to live my life for Christ and when I help others, am I trying to do it on my own? Or am I relying on God to lead me - even if it means the decision I would like to make immediately isn't what He wants? How do I know what He wants? Hurry Up

As I have pointed out in the past, I am reading through the book of Matthew. The other night I was reading through chapter 23 - the culmination of the the Pharisees, Sadduccees—the teachers of the law trying to trap Jesus in whatever way they could. Jesus finally fed up with all that they were trying to trap Him in - well, he let them have it - he ripped into them to their faces and in front of the very people they were afraid would rise up against them because of the Savior's teachings. I have read through this passage before - but I have never read it like I am this time. I am, for some reason, realizing the depth of Jesus' righteous anger, disgust for these "authorities" and His passion for those they were leading to hell. I will let Jesus' words speak (to you, without any commentary from me) for themselves... Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses. So pra

... be back tomorrow night. -Alan

I was on the way home from work today and heard another report about the terrible fire in South Carolina. The fire killed 9 fire fighters when a firestorm erupted and the roof suddenly collapsed in a big, warehouse-type building. A bystander was being interviewed and told of being within earshot of one of the fire fighters on the street and his radio. He was communicating with his comrades inside the building after the roof collapsed. The bystander said that he heard one of the men trapped inside the building say, "It looks like I am not going to get out of this thing. Tell my wife and kids I love them." Then, apparently, there was radio silence. The bystander couldn't listen anymore and he walked away - overcome by the emotion of it I guess. The fire fighter's request reminded me of a couple of things: 1. God has ordained our days and He gives us only one shot at this life. 2. Money and "stuff" ain't important. 1. God has numbered our days. I don't

I was thinking tonight about my blog and of course trying to think about what I was going to write. I thought, "Who cares? I am only one voice out of many - a voice in the online wilderness." Maybe my family members and a few friends will read this. But that ain't many people. So why bother? Then of course, being a good Christian and remembering my reading from Matthew, I remembered John the Baptist, a lone voice in the desert - a wilderness of sorts. Now, he is not to be confused with the fighting, bickering, sometimes-they-try-to-get-along-but-it-just-never-seems-to-work-out, Baptists of today. I have heard that it is more correct to say "John the Baptizer" anyways. But that's besides my point. John lived out in the desert, an outcast, a weirdo who dressed funny and ate bugs dipped in honey. He was a prophet who called - more like shouted - "Repent! The Kingdom of Heaven is Near!" Picture a guy standing on the corner in downtown Dallas screaming

I am a part of a group that meets every other Saturday morning for prayer and for breakfast. One of the requirements of belonging to the group is that we commit to reading our Bibles, journaling our thoughts and then sharing with our group what we have learned. Here lately, I haven't been either able or willing to get up at 5:30am to go pray and meet. I am sure Jesus would treat me the same way he treated the disciples who just couldn't stay awake while he was praying in the Garden of Gethsemene! At any rate, I have been faithful to keep up with my reading even if I haven't been attending the meetings and we have been reading through the book of Matthew. As I read through Chapter 10 where Jesus is sending his disciples out to preach to the people - the Jews in particular that the "Kingdom of Heaven is near", it occurred to me that he had some very interesting instructions for them. What follows is a few lists to consider along with a conclusion at the end. I will