It’s hard to love sinners when you are trying so hard not to be one.
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God on the go
God doesn’t desire more of our time sometimes; He desires more of our attention all the time.
These are the days, my friend
Group of friends laughing and doing a selfie
Those were the days my friend
We thought they’d never end
We’d sing and dance forever and a day
We’d live the life we choose
We’d fight and never lose
Those were the days, oh yes those were the days
– words by Gene Raskin
Nostalgia is a powerful human emotion, but looking back isn’t everything.
There is a popular notion that accompanies nostalgia that it was better back then — that something has been lost in the years that have transpired between then and now. That sentiment is certainly expressed in this song, though not actually stated; it’s implied. The song looks back longingly on “those days” as if these days now don’t hold a candle to that time and period. The mere statement, “Those were the days,” implies that “these days” most certainly are not days that count for much. And they never will. Forget trying to ever compete with your memories.
The cure for ‘boomeritusness’
“I know there are older people who might like me, and me them, but generally speaking, it appears older people naturally go up in age and inward in focus. I do not think there is an intent in them to go downward in age and outward in focus.”
Change the subject
It hasn’t been since the 1960s that there was so much political and social unrest in America, prompting some to speculate that other parallels might exist between then and now. For instance, it was out of the turbulent ‘60s that the Jesus movement was born, which makes you wonder if we might be on the brink of another spiritual revolution among millennials and Gen Z youth. There was a huge disillusionment with politics and institutions 50 years ago, and a great distrust in those who were in power, not just in the government, but in the church as well. That certainly is true today. That’s why so many young people were taking a fresh look at Jesus.
Running on empty
Does anyone have the vision that it’s someone else’s turn? Does anyone ever feel like the dial on their motivation is approaching empty? Is the Holy Spirit active in your life as He fulfills what the Lord has called you to do, or do you feel like you’re running on empty? Are you done with your assignment as a representative of the kingdom of God, or have you got miles to go?
Christian 1,2,3
My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. John 17:15-18
I was reminded recently of a poem I wrote years ago that has a way of remaining relevant year after year. It’s all about how the culture influences our faith, and it remains relevant because culture — especially pop culture — is such a powerful force in society. Would that our faith was the thing that is influencing culture, but all too often it is the other way around.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Birthdays should be sacred. I come from a family that didn’t make a big deal about birthdays. That’s too bad. Marti makes a big deal, and as I reflect on that, she’s right. Birthday celebrations are tied to God’s creation. He made each one of us. He formed us in His mind. He determined the exact day we would be born. He put us in the family we were born or adopted into, and He has a reason for everything that happens to us.
What a difference one person can make
One word of truth outweighs the world. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Today we interviewed Os Guinness for our BlogTalkRadio show primarily to discuss his 2022 book, Zero Hour America: History’s Ultimatum Over Freedom and the Answer We Must Give. In this book Os lays out his argument that we are a civilization in crisis. The loss of any mutual understanding of truth, extreme polarization of politics, demonization of the other side, no respect for anyone who disagrees, a total breakdown of trust, and no respect for the institutions of government — they have all been “weaponized” by one side against the other.
Blowin’ in the wind
The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit. John 3:8
No one was in charge of the Jesus Movement. No committee. No pastor. No central organization.
To be sure, there were authoritarian types who stepped up in certain areas of the world, even some cults were born, but the overall movement was widespread and under no one’s leadership but the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is unpredictable, like the wind.
John Fischer The Catch 