Of Monumental Import.......

I finally decided to make the split....I have now created another blog called "Tuesday Afternoon" where I can write my rants and commentary about secular (that means non-Christian to all you non-Christians) subjects.

I decided go this route after careful consultation with myself, deciding that it was time to separate  the "sacred" from the "profane". Not to worry, I don't really indulge in the kind of profanity that the rest of the world does....it's just an expression from the Bible that explains how we should be living our lives....not mixing holy with everyday.

You can get to my new, improved totally political and un-holy blog at:

Tuesday Afternoon  ........how simple is that?

Thanksgiving at any Time

Yesterday I had a first-class and first-hand example of God's love working through the body of this thing called "the church".

Last Wednesday my car broke down suddenly and irreparably due to a malfunctioning starter. Of course, this meant I wasn't going anywhere. It also wasn't going to get fixed because I have zero money. On Thursday night I got a ride to and from band practice with the worship leader, Mark. As we talked I told him about my car trouble and how I was flat broke and unable to have it fixed. He said something cryptic about seeing what he could do and we said goodnight. I really didn't think any more about it.

So, yesterday, Saturday, I got a call from our pastor, Greg, who offered to pick up the starter and come over to install it for me. This totally took me aback to say the least. So he said he'd be over about 1300 (1 o'clock, PM). Well, he showed up with the part and we proceeded to tackle the removal and installation of a Ford Taurus starter with a 3.0 litre engine with A/C.

We had quite a few laughs, got very greasy-dirty (oh! Shades of the old days!), and actually had a nice time of fellowship in my driveway. God really blessed us too because right in the middle of two days of heavy, almost non-stop rain, He was kind enough to let us have 3 hours without a drop. Talk about blessings....the rain stopped, the installation went along pretty darn smoothly (except for a few panicked moments when we were scouting out metric wrenches) and the car now works. I don't think anyone skinned a knuckle either....a doggone miracle!

I don't know about  anyone else....but to me that's cause for some serious Hallelujahs and gratitude for seeing the church doing what the church is supposed to do....love and care for each other. This was an example of just such love in action....also known as compassion. And to make it even more praiseworthy, when I asked pastor Greg (totally out of curiousity) what the new part cost, he wouldn't tell me. Said it didn't matter. You know, he's right, because somewhere down the road I'll pass this blessing along to someone else, amen.

Love is the most valuable commodity each human being possesses, but until it is expressed in acts of service, that compassion thing, it doesn't really mean a whole heck of a lot

I urge you to go read 1 Corinthians 13 if you have any questions about love. It is probably the best description of the subject ever written, for love is so ethereal it almost defies definition, and goodness knows that writers have been trying for millenia to nail it down, but I believe the Apostle Paul came darn close. Thank you Father for this beautiful little church of your people doing your will, Amen.

Yeah, sure, okay......

What's fairly amazing is that I actually opened my mouth in the church service today and talked about some things I am grateful for. This was a big step for me because I rarely open up to anyone about myself. I've gotten so over the years that, rather than stick my head out and risk someone cutting it off, I just don't bother letting anyone know anything. To put it in X Files terminology, I "trust no-one". This has served me well for many years. Trouble is, it has left me with very few true friends....but they are the kind you can count on one hand and that is a blessing.

But today I was almost gushy in my expression of being thankful for some of the items on the following list, which I have expanded since this morning:

• my "adoptive parents" Bob & Lillie, the parents of my best friend, Bob Jr., who have graciously included me in their family for Thanksgiving & Christmas.
• my new church family who accept and love me as is and never indicate that they care about interrogating me about who I am or what kind of past I come from.
• that after 28-30 years I finally got to make some long overdue and heartfelt ninth-step apologies to some folks who really needed to hear them. not only did they accept the apologies, they even forgave me for all the garbage I injected into their lives all those years ago.
• 26 years of sobriety one day at a time (sometimes one hour or minute at a time!)
• strong and, so far, lasting recovery from stage 4 cancer (a miracle in itself) and how it forced me to end a 46 year dependence on cigarettes
• a roof over my head, for now.
• air to breathe, pure or not,  for this purpose, it's still free.
• food (sometimes too much and too good!) to eat.
• Clean water, and good tasting thanks to Brita water filters.
• a car that's reliable, mostly.
• the love of God.
• the devotion of two little, manic fur balls who are my loyal friends and keep me warm at night.
• finally, a whole lot of blessings that I couldn't possibly be aware of but which I know have been poured out on me all my life.

Someone once said that if we stopped to count our blessings when we "say grace" at dinner, we probably would never get around to eating. Whoever this person was is absolutely right....God never stops blessing us, sometimes even when we don't ask for it and certainly not because we deserve it, it's just His good pleasure to do it when we earnestly try to live according to His purposes. Let's make this Thanksgiving day one of praise for the one who gives us all the reasons to be thankful.

We're back

I don't know why, but the Christian store Living Word has re-opened in Sarasota in the same location. I reported recently that it had been a victim of our current economy and folded.

Now....if the owners are at all astute, they will use the evidence gleaned by their computerized invrntory system to learn what sells and what doesn't, then they can concentrate on those core compentecies and eliminate the fluff stuff that really doesn't do too well. Heck, if they're really smart, they could cut the storefront and space in half (they currently occupy two storefronts).

Such steps might make for a better chance at survival. I do wish them well, this burg needs at least one Christian store, even if they're not the best in show.

Service? Ministry? There's a dif?

I recently had to remind myself of the difference between service and ministry and why it matters to distinguish between the two actions.

To put it simply service is what one does, sometimes with other people, for others in the church. Ministry is what one does (hopefully) for others out there in the world of lost souls.

I started thinking about this because I hear so many examples of simple service being referred to as ministry. For example: at the church I used to attend there was a need for the church to run oversize golf carts between buildings to shuttle congregants around. This was referred to as the "golf cart ministry". Ministry? I think not. This is a simple act of service, which carries with it a great commitment, but it is not ministering to the souls of those who need to hear the gospel message.

Of course, the distinction is more traditional than actual because the word minister and all its associated forms is derived from the Latin for service, which would seem to contradict the definitions in our current discussion. The best explanation that I can offer is that we associate ministry with the work of clergy and that work is almost always involved in ministering to lost souls as well as ministering to the spiritual needs of the congregation. Service, on the other hand is seen as acts of humility, things that we do for and within the church family, usually with little or no recognition or compensation, monetary or otherwise. To put it another, slightly more crass but understandable way, ministry is usually deemed to be works performed by professionals, service is rendered by amateurs.

Either way, they are both important works.

I just think that we would do well to keep these distinctions in mind and try to exercise wisdom when we label our various efforts for the church as well as the world at large.

A Free Gift....Free Because it's a Gift....got it?

I was thinking about God's grace and how everyone always describes it as a "free gift". Well, that stopped me right there and made me smile a little. I smiled because this phrase is redundant, that is, both words are saying the same thing: anything that is a gift is automatically free, and vice-versa, if it's free it's a gift!

When it comes to God's grace, it is something He gives us freely and there's not a blasted thing that we can do to earn it, it simply is a gift. It doesn't depend on our obedience, on how long or 'hard' we pray, on whether or not we do 'good deeds', go to church every single Sunday; none of that matters.

No....His grace depends on one thing and one thing alone....His good pleasure to give it to us. We can't earn our way into heaven. If we are righteous at all, it is because we accepted God's free gift (there's that redundant phrase again!) of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ and immediately became His children, and immediately came under His grace for now and throughout eternity. You think about that.

E Pluribus....None

November 7 was the 11th anniversary of my emigration to Sarasota. When I moved here there were three Christian "book" stores in town (that I knew of), now we have none.

First to go was the very nice little store, Hearth and Home. They succumbed not long after the the big, glitzy, mega-Christian store, Living Word, opened. With even more Christian-oriented trinkets and tchotchkes to offer as well as a good location that the typical lazy American would find more convenient, Living Word was destined to be the clear, ultimate winner.

The other contender, Family Christian, was a friendly, small but well-stocked store in a fairly convenient location. They held out for quite a few years after the mega-store opened, probably serving more the folks of the South-county, but they too fell from grace and closed a few years ago.

This left the Living Word victorious. Did I mention that his "bookstore" had, in addition to full,-blown bust-out retail prices a coffee shop and lounge a la Starbuck's? These days it seems that a bookstore is defined more by the "ambiance" of its coffee bar than by the quantity and quality of its merchandise. But as fate would have it, about 2 months or so ago, this mega-store ceased operation too, a victim of the ongoing economic depression currently playing in this country and most of the world....except the OPEC countries.

This got me to thinking about a few things:

1) The big, glitzy store did what most most super-stores usually do, drive out the little guys, even if the little guys are basically better businesses and have been there longer offering good service in their community. Sad but true. One almost wants to snicker and say "Well, those Mega types finally got theirs!" Really bummer kharma, man.

2) Christians are just as guilty of being too lazy to get in the car and drive a few extra miles as their secular counterparts, choosing instead to take the path of least resistance and go to the most convenient place, even if it's not of the same caliber of enterprise as another store. I mean "caliber of enterprise" to refer to less tangible qualities such as: customer service, "ambiance", friendliness of personnel, etc. The mega-store certainly had, in my experience, none of those qualities.

3) We Christians also are often guilty of idolizing the big, the important and the glamorous just as our secular brethren are. Face it, how many superstars of the Christian world are not white haired men with the title of "Doctor"? Answer: virtually none except for folks in the performing arts where youth is obligatory and the young and the beautiful are highly exalted just as in the secular world. We accord the same celebrity to our "Super-Christians" as the secular world does to their CEOs, stockbrokers, music and movie stars. Of course it's wrong, but human nature is a creature of habit.

We probably never will stop exalting the large, the glamorous or the conventionally important, whether it be in our secular or Christian arenas. We should look for occasions when we could and should exalt the mundane, the unsung heroes, preferably while they're still alive, not centuries later when it suddenly is acknowledged that that their contributions were truly significant.

The "ordinary" Christians, the real workers, deserve our recognition and praise just as the fallen "mom and pop" Christian bookstores would have appreciated our continuing patronage.

Come, let us reason together....

I'm happy to announce that, awhile back, I actually got a comment from a theologian who was kind enough to say that he agreed with me by 99%, on my views about tithing. I would like to recommend you to his site where he lists many, many reasons and makes highly cogent arguments why tithing is not only unscriptural but is just plain wrong, and why it should never  be preached or taught in Christian circles. You can get to his site by clicking on "Russell Earl Kelly, PhD's blog " on the 'interesting Links' section of this blog page. It will prove to be highly edifying. I hope that between the two of us, we can put a severe dent in this highly unscriptural practice and return even further to the first-century roots of our faith the way it was meant to be.

Official

Well, it finally happened....I made my musical debut at Grace Covenant Church yesterday, 10/25. It went well....only a few sour notes and no major goofs on my part....that's progress!

The main thing is that it was a good worship time and I am gratified that I finally found a place to be of service to the Lord. The way things are I don't really have a whole lot to give in the collection box, so this is another way to give to God by using one of the talents He gave me.

One down and ??? to go....thank you Father.

Member!

I am now officially a member of "Grace Covenant Church" of Sarasota FL.

On October 12, 2009, I must have answered all the questions okay, 'cause when we were done the Pastor/elder said, "welcome to Grace Covenant". I was a little disappointed, I mean, after all didn't I have to kneel and kiss his ring I inquired? 'No' was the answer. Well, how about walking down the aisle in between a long row of guys in spooky black robes with hoods, holding candles? Again, he said 'no'. "Wow" I thought "that was too easy" (I told him that). No rituals, no necessity to have witnesss vouch for me, just me and the elders and God.

See? That's the difference between real Christianity and Religion (Yes, I use a capital "R"). It is said that Religion is about ritual, while Christianity is about relationship. I joined this church group on the basis of my relationship to Jesus Christ, nothing more or less. No rituals or special rites required, just an expression of my acceptance of this church group and its practices and beliefs, and an affirmation of my relationship with Jesus.

Flashback to 1967 and trying to get married in "the church" (which shall remain nameless). Among other ridiculous requirements, we had to answer a questionnaire that must have had 150 questions on it. Then when we got done, I had to produce two witnesses to verify the answers and apply for "special dispensation" from the head honcho in Newark (this happened in NJ) because we didn't agree with one of their major policies. You see, my bride to be and I had sworn to God to answer these questions truthfully before the interrogation began. So now this denomination had the gall to ask me for witnesses? It was obvious that our word in front of God was not good enough.

We left and never went back as members of that denomination. We later learned that the priest who interviewed us had been transferred to a desk job, away from duties dealing with people because it wasn't just us he managed to alienate.

So, yeah....give me Jesus and His simplicity any day "for my yoke is easy and my burden is light". (Mt. 11:30 ESV) No legalities involved.

Is this a Hint?

I truly wonder if the Good Lord is trying to tell me something. I mean, starting in early 2004 I got involved in a band with the "The two Mikes", namely Sinn and P____, playing guitar and drums, respectively. It was fun to joke about "playing with Sinn".

But now, it's 2009, that band is history, and I just signed-on to play electric bass (no, it's not a 'bass guitar') for the praise band at my church. Now I find out that one of my band-mates has the last name of "Pagan". Hmmm........ maybe there's a trend here?

All Christians please note: the foregoing is a gag, do not take it seriously, thank you, over and out, 10-4.

"You Wanna Biggie-size That?"

For some years, a major trend that has overtaken many Christians churches is the drive for "church growth". There are and have been numerous materials on the subject which present an array of "how-to" methods to 'grow' your church. The thought seems to be that a growing church is a church God is blessing. This could be true... or not.

First, the church is the body of Christ made of all believers, not a building or any other institution of any form. Common usage has caused the word 'church' to mean the place of assembly more than the church body itself. That's okay, the word serves that purpose well and really does no harm. But-- we still need to remember what the church actually is.....the body and ultimately the bride of Christ.

Therefore to press for church growth one might think that church leadership would have as its main focus that of bringing in scores of newly saved people. That is the main goal of Christianity: to bring lost souls back to God by faith in Christ. What also appears to be happening is churches are pushing to expand their physical facilities more and more. This has lead to a creature called the "Mega-Church".

The new breed of church is an impressive thing indeed. These "campuses" may have seating for thousands, entertainment centers, gymnasiums, restaurants, coffee bars and many more features one might associate with a corporate headquarters of a major firm. Is there anything wrong with this? Well, yes and no.

(At this point you may want to see my previous posting about "Welcome to the [Christian] Ghetto).

If a church has as its main focus that of saving of souls and ministry to the community, then they are 'on mission' as a church. If the focus shifts, however subtly, to growing the church as an end in itself, then something has gone very much awry. I say subtly because the church may think it is still doing as it should but ends up becoming a salt-cellar rather than the salt-shaker. With a salt-cellar one usually stores salt, in a shaker one distributes the contents to where it will produce the best effect. Salt in a cellar will keep well for a long time but even if it's still good, it isn't of any use until it's released to go out and do what it was intended to. So with the Christian. You can't do what Christ commanded if you never leave the 'womb' of the church grounds and your immediate church family.

I personally admire and respect the storefront church group of a few-score devoted souls that lives and works in the community it serves and ministers to people and their needs, both the physical and spiritual, usually with very few resources and even fewer funds, and relies on God to provide everything. Contrast this with the mega-church on "the right side of the tracks" which basically takes care of its own and does most of its evangelizing (if any) and "service" by supporting foreign missions missionaries.

I was informed recently that several individuals at my former church had started up ministries that actually do something for people outside the church. The one that blew me away was the group of men who load their cars with food and gas grilles on Thursday nights. They drive to a downtown park and proceed to cook dinner for the homeless folks. This helps open the door for evangelizing opportunities. Wow!

What's sad is that this has nothing to do with their church. They took the initiative, are doing it on their own and financing it themselves. These are the people God wants-- The ones that will do what Jesus did and walk the dirty streets to go where lost and hurting people are and minister to their needs, all their needs.

If a handful of motivated, Godly men can do it, why not the church itself? I used to be a member at their church and one of the main reasons I left was the $15,000,000 building program to expand the present facility into a mini-megalopolis over 43 acres. I don't think I need to tell you that there are people and worthy Christian ministries that could really use that kind of money for any number of necessities, far more than mini-van suburbanites need a bigger church playground. That kind of waste is not only un-Christian, it is downright obscene.

Let's get back to the main mission that we were called to....while there's still time.

Welcome to the ghetto

I think what is most damning is the failure of the church, as Christ's body, to actually DO something constructive. There is a trend for Christians to become insulated from the world rather than heed the biblical injunction to "be in the world but not of it". This condition has come to be known as living in a Christian "ghetto". If one is not in the world, one cannot very well be the "salt and light of the world" that the Bible says they must be.

Here's a case study: Jack and Sally are married and live in a community that has a high percentage of Christian church attendees. Sally is a homemaker and home-schools the children. The children are doing well, even scoring well above their peers in standardized testing. Jack is a senior representative with a major Christian book publisher, working from home and occasionally at the office. He has to travel but not frequently— he can spend more time with his family than he could in most jobs. They are very active in their church. Their typical weekly schedule looks like this:

Sunday: At the time of the 8:30 AM service, Sally teaches a Sunday-school class for 11 year olds; Jack serves as an usher at the service. The kids have their own teen Sunday-school class. 10:00 AM; Jack and Sally meet and attend the second service. The kids go to the youth center where there is a service for younger folks. Afternoon: Sunday dinner with another church family (often). 6:00 PM- back to church for the evening service.

Monday: Special events as scheduled. Jack attends a weekly meeting of church members serving on the building program committee (no modern Christian church is complete without "the building program"). Sally does phone work for the women's adult Sunday-school classes.

Tuesday: At 7:00 PM volunteers meet at the church and get assignments for visitation-- calling at the homes of people who filled-in requests the previous Sunday and turned them in at the services. This lasts until 9:00 PM or later depending upon how long each visit takes.

Wednesday: Family dinner at the church at 6:00 PM followed by a prayer meeting with " praise & worship" music. This lasts until 8:30 PM.

Thursday: Everyone gets a night off. For the Smiths, this is family night and they usually watch a movie rented from the local Christian store or play a Christian-themed board game.

Friday: Special events as scheduled: Missions dinner, music department dinner, special prayer meetings, etc.

Saturday: Workday for volunteers to help with the food drive, paint scenery for the Christmas pageant, etc.

Here's the problem: All these events are wonderful but the majority occur at the church, usually for and by the church people. Jack and Sally spend their time with Christian friends, have only Christian activities and Jack even has a Christian employer. In short, they have been ghetto-ized. When do they get out on the street where Jesus did His work? How do they meet the world at its own level? If these folks remain in this self-imposed prison they cannot fulfill step one of Jesus' "Great Commission" which states: "GO into the whole world........"

I have seen many cases where the church's so-called 'outreach' consists of making the world come to the church building (or "campus", if I may use the newest trendy moniker) to participate in church activities. That's not what Jesus meant when He said, "go". The battle must be fought on the street, not inside the sanctuary. How can you rescue hostages who are still slaves to sin unless you go to where they are, do what you must to defeat the enemy, and gain the captives' release?

Jack and Sally and their brothers and sisters in Christ mean well and may well be devout Christians. Too bad the enemy has them trapped inside the church ghetto where they will do him very little harm.

The Tithing Myth-- Part I

One Sunday in the adult Bible-study class I used to teach, during a lesson discussion about giving, one of the class members, a woman of some years and a church-goer for most of her life said, "we're commanded to tithe". For those who aren't familiar with tithing, in its simplest form it's the practice of giving 10% of your gross income to your church. God set this up as a requirement of the laws He gave to Moses. These laws are usually called the "Law of Moses" or just, "The Law".

Tithing was and is an Old Testament (OT) law and is never mentioned as doctrine in the New Testament (NT). In every instance where giving is mentioned in the NT it is always presented as an attitude of the heart and that heart's relationship to God.

"But wait a minute" you say, " What about Malachi 3:9"? Sorry-- God talking to OT people attempting to live under OT Law.

"Well, how about when Jesus said to the Pharisees that they were right for tithing to the last grain of their herbs even though He said they were wrong about ignoring the more important matters of The Law" (Luke 11:42).

Again, Jesus was talking to OT people still living under The Law of the OT times. Yes, He commended them for doing what was right, but under circumstances in effect at that time, i.e., The Law, which was rendered useless after Jesus. Mind you, It wasn't rendered void, but now God had come to man and offered the true path to salvation that The Law could never provide. Jesus is the complete fulfillment of the law, that's why Jesus said "Think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets: I came not to destroy, but to fulfill." (Matthew 5:17 NASB)

"Okay then, what about when Jesus commended the widow for throwing her last two cents in the offering box at the temple?" (Mark 12:41-44)? Jesus made a point of calling on His disciples to take note of her action, then commended her to them for the attitude of her heart-- she loved God so much that she was willing to give Him everything and trust Him for her needs (we also need to take note of that).

Jesus answered a question about the most important commandment by saying " Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself' " (Matt 22:37-39 NIV). He then uttered one of the most important statements He could have made to a Jew in those days-- "All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments "(Matt 22:40 NIV) meaning that those two summed-up the sacred writings of the Hebrews, which comprise what we call "The Old Testament" (or: Old Covenant).

In Acts 15, Luke wrote about an occasion when Gentile believers of Antioch were being told they still needed to follow The Law even though they had become Christians. This resulted in a meeting of the Apostles which came to be known as the "Council of Jerusalem". The Apostles sent word back to Antioch saying the believers would not need to be concerned with The Law except for four things:

1. Do not eat meat that was polluted by (offered to) idols.
2. Refrain from fornication (sexual immorality).
3. Do not eat the meat of strangled animals (such meat is potentially poisonous).
4. Do not ingest blood (life is in the blood and God forbids us to eat or drink it).

Tithing or any other type of enforced giving is not mentioned as a requirement in the NT. In Christ, all believers are the same, neither Jew nor Gentile. It then follows that only these four items retained from the old laws, considered church doctrine by the original Apostles, apply to the whole church even to this day.

In Part II we'll look at NT attitudes about giving.

The Tithing Myth-- Part II

Am I saying, "Thou shalt not tithe?" By no means. But understand this-it is not required and no-one should teach, require or enforce such a practice or belief. The Biblical teaching on giving is, as usual, very simple and very much a matter of the heart's attitude:
1. Give willingly. "God loves a cheerful giver" is a basic truth (2 Cor 9:7, also 8:12-and see item 3 below): this shows that you have the right attitude about God, His blessings to you, and about your fellow humans.
2. Give regularly. Plan to make giving a habit and part of your budget.
3. Give proportionately. "For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have" (2 Cor 8:12 NIV, italics mine).
Someone who makes barely enough to live on and gives $5 a week, with a joyful spirit, is giving far more than someone who makes $1,200 a week and gives $100 just for the sake of "throwing something in the plate". If you have a hard choice between feeding your children or putting that money in the donation plate, by all means, feed your kids. BUT-- do some serious thinking and praying about adjusting your life-style, if possible, so you're not wasting money on worldly things. In other words-- make the wisest use of all God has provided (a principle called 'stewardship'), Then you can share and still have enough to live within your means.
4. Give generously. Jesus said (and He wasn't talking just about money)-- "For With the measure you use, it will be measured to you."(Luke 6:38 NIV). In Proverbs, 11:24 we read: "One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty" (NIV). An often-cited example is the Dead Sea. It's dead because the river Jordan flows in at one end but nothing flows out. Put another way-- you need to be a channel for blessing to flow through. As God blesses you, so bless others. It all belongs to Him anyway and you should want to share His blessings with others. This can apply to any blessings, not just money.
5. Don't "give to get". Regardless of what some TV and other preachers say, God does not bless you just because you pump money into some cause or organization. Your attitude should be to give with a joyous heart motivated by genuine compassion and/or generosity and leave the rest to God (remember the widow's 2 cents?). If you seek to live for Him in all ways, everything else falls into place (Matt 6:33).

As Solomon would say: "Here is the conclusion of the matter" (Eccl 12:13b NIV):
* If you know that God is urging you to tithe, then follow Him and do it; then go the extra mile and add a gift on top of that if at all possible. Tithing is great, it's just the notion that it's required of Christians living under grace that is error.
* Get your priorities in order! You want to put $20 a week (or whatever) in the offering but don't know how you can afford it. Can you take your lunch to work instead of buying it? You can make sandwiches for a few days for the cost of one sandwich at the delicatessen. Do you need all those magazines, newspapers or junky snacks? Or one of the worst wastes-- can you cut out some services on your cable or satellite TV and go with something more basic? (How about eliminating TV altogether-your soul, mind, family and wallet will all be healthier and happier for it). Bottom line-if you want to honor God by giving, you will find the means and He will bless your efforts to do so.

If you find yourself in a church home where tithing is preached as a requirement, or they make you sign pledge cards or otherwise enforce giving--find a new church; they are violating scripture and may be teaching other doctrinal errors as well.

My personal opinion, however cynical it may appear, is that the ones who perpetuate the tithing myth are the ones who stand to gain the most from it. I have been clearly led by the Holy Spirit to give specific amounts at specific times and I did. Was I blessed? You bet your eternal soul I was! The question is one of attitude, (and in many cases, obedience) as usual. I like to give-- donations of money, time, goods, etc. I've still received more blessing than what I've given. You can never outgive God.

Oh, by the way.....

The address of this blog contains the Hebrew word henani. Just so you know, that translates as "Here am I" and was probably the word that Isaiah used when God asked that famous question, "Whom shall I send"? Isaiah replied, "Here am I, send me" (Isaiah 6:8). I would like to hope that I could respond so avidly if The Lord called.

Prayer is always an option

I just got off the phone a while ago with a guy I used to be in a band with. His name is Mike and he is an incredible blues guitarist and one of the sweetest, most truly loving people I have ever known even though he may look big and mean! Recently he was diagnosed with lymphoma of the bone, a very bad and aggressive cancer. He has gone for two courses of chemotherapy now, each lasting a week which necessitates him staying in the hospital for almost two weeks at a time. He'll be going back for round three soon. Depite the rigors of his treatment he is in very high spirits.

What got me is how good he sounded; positive, full of faith and praising The Lord for his current state of good health. He's not in remission yet, but I'm sure he's getting there. His name is Mike and you can check out his progress and status by clicking "A Link for Mike- Mike's Space" link in my list of "Interesting Links".
No matter what your relationship with the one God of the universe, feel free to jump in and pray for my brother Mike and for his wife, Sandi, who is doing an incredible job of caring for him. If nothing else, it will do you some good.

Hello thinkers!

Welcome to the very first post of my new blog. I'm doing this so I can have a forum to publish what I think is wrong about everything and everybody. While that may sound frivolous, I hasten to mention that it's exactly what everyone else is doing except I'm hoping that my mundane musings will actually do some good, or if nothing else, promote rational thought and nonacceptance of the status quo, which really shouldn't be subject to as much change as the Supreme Court or other activist judges would like us to think.

In future posts I'll be adding new material about English language "misunderstandings" and other atrocities against the mother tongue, as well as resurrecting some of my old favorites from previous blogs .

The subjects will often be about Christian and other religious topics but I hope to get into a few Op Ed or just Op pieces on other subjects as well. So come on back and see what's new from time to time. At the very least, it may give you something to think about. You may get a chuckle, or you may get angry. If so, Good. Mission accomplished.