Postmodern Renaissance Culture Revolutionary

Psalm 8   Unidentified means we don't know What does the Bible have to do with flying saucers, little green men, and aliens? Unidentified flying object is a technical term that has been parodied Are there U.F.O.'s in the Bible? Yes 2 Kings 2:11 – Elijah's final ride Ezekiel 1:15-21 – Ezekiel's wheels Exodus 13:21-22 – pillars There are also creatures that cannot be explained Ezekiel 1:5-10 – creatures of four faces Revelation 4:6-8 – four creatures around the throne Isaiah 6:1-6 – Seraphim Genesis 6:4 – Nephilim (Numbers 13:33; 1 Samuel 17:4) Job 40:15-18 – Behemoth Job 41:1ff – Leviathan Does this mean that UFO's and aliens are real?   Faith and God This sermon series has never tried to divide along real or not It has been the issue of responding to the subject For believers in UFO's it is real for them and they have to be dealt with as with any religious believer Some people see no inconsistency between believing in God and UFOs It isn't completely inconsi...

Deuteronomy 18:9-14   No way, no how Lately there is a revival of an artform that was very popular from the late 1800's to mid 1900's Spiritualists and mediums flourished in the Victorian period Many people believed in the spirit world and sought to make contact The rise of spiritualists and mediums eventually turned in the age of science Science began to "prove" many of these individuals as fakes and con-artists The increased interest in this artform now is due to the willingness of many to believe in the paranormal But this practice of communicating with the dead goes all the way back to pre-biblical times Shaman and magi would claim ability to communicate with spirit world That is where the OT picks up the story The Hebrew children/Israelites were surrounded by cultures that practiced this Egyptians had a very strong belief in the spirit world The Chaldeans were known for their spirit world beliefs The Hebrew children were exposed to this on a daily basis Deuterono...

Ezekiel 37:1-6   How does the Bible deal with ghosts OT – no use of the word "ghost" as rendered in Hebrew 1 Samuel 28:3,11-19 – Saul has Samuel conjured from the dead and has a conversation (eloihim) NT – 2 separate occasions "ghost" is mentioned Jesus walking on the water is considered a ghost (phantasm) (Mt14:26; Mk 6:49) Luke 24:37,39 – Jesus appears and refers to a pneuma not having flesh and blood What are ghosts? Most people define ghosts as the spirit or soul or essence of a person how most times is dead Mark 12:30 – love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, strength Matt 10:30 – the body that can be destroyed but not the soul Gen 35:18 – soul departs at death There is an understanding from OT and NT that soul is the breath of life Gen 2:7 – the breath given to man Life is not just physical being Thought and feeling are experienced separate of physical Spirit and soul are not "felt" but it is part of us When physical life ends we believe that ...

Angels and Demons the real story   OT use of angels Hebrew word/s used – malak (messenger) – used in a general sense of a messenger or envoy sent from a person of authority to others; used most frequently of beings sent from God with a message to humans Described as Ex 3:2 – in midst of blazing fire Nu 22:22 – with a drawn sword (1 Chr 21:27) Jdg 6:21 – with a staff; fire from the staff; disappeared Judg 13:18 – name is "wonderful" Ps 103:20-21 – mighty in strength; obedient; serve God's will Other notable uses Angel of the Lord/God – a being sent by God for a protective purpose   OT use of demons Hebrew word/s used – sair (hairy goat; goat demon; Lev 17:7) – used to refer to goat spirit that people sacrificed to shed (shade; Dt 32:17; Ps 106:37) - used to refer to the spirits behind the idols that people chose to sacrifice to other than to Yahweh Described as: with exception of hairy goat demon, no description Other notable uses Evil spirit – Jud 9:23; 1 Sam 16:14-23; ...

I'm still here. Pondering great mysteries. Wondering about my sons become young men. Trying to love my wife more fully. Preaching the Gospel and living it to the best of my ability. But I just haven't been filled with inspiration to put anything to 1's and 0's. So today, boys and girls, I thought I would vent a little frustration at my vacation. I'm going to Disney World. Yeah, I didn't think anyone would be surprised. We are planning on a December trip. Lisa and the boys have never seen the park in full Disney Christmas holiday finest (I got to see some of it solo a couple of years back). We were tempted and didn't resist. One of the nice things about going early in December is that there are smaller crowds. And smaller crowds mean a little slower pace to enjoy things. Except I now find out that the Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade is being filmed the same weekend we are going to be there. Have you ever seen the Parade on t.v.? Bunches of people linin...

I love comic books. I've been reading them as long as….well as long as I've been reading. I remember some of my earliest comic books were when I was in the second or third grade. And superhero comics are a big part of my collection. Yes, I collect comic books also. Spider-man has always been one of my heroes. And the Avengers were my favorite superhero team. But there is only one comic book series that I have collected almost every copy of and the accompanying toys (yes, I collect dolls….erm, action figures). When G.I. Joe hit the shelves in the early '80's, I grabbed the first copy. I still have it. Nope, it's not worth anything, so don't come looking for it. It is ripped and stained and frayed on the edges. It has no monetary value. But its condition should tell you where its value lies. I read and read that book over and over. This was not the story of G.I. Joe, the soldiers of World War 2. This was not the story of G.I. Joe, the toy soldier and adventurer ...

Yesterday morning I was out on the back porch, drinking my coffee and enjoying E. Stanley Jones. For those who are not familiar, E. Stanley Jones was a Methodist preacher and evangelist in the middle part of the 20 th Century. He was also what may be considered a prolific devotional writer. I am currently collecting and reading through his writings. Most of ESJ's writings were devotional books that were structured to be read completely through (and could be done in one sitting…if you were only reading in a shallow manner), read thematically (he broke the writings into themed sections and not chapters), or daily (each page gives a daily reference). As a frame of reference, think about the Upper Room devotional or Our Daily Bread. Only chewier. What I mean by chewier is that ESJ wrote some real serious thinking and introspective material. He was writing for life change, not just simple devotion. He wasn't trying to give people a brief "time with God" kind of moment. He...

In February and March I asked the Turpin congregation for questions. This is a practice I started where I get questions from the church and then preach on the subjects of their questions. I have been working on them from March until now. This week I will begin to answer those questions. The first series will be Tithes, Taxes, and Tips. We will examine the biblical subject of tithing and what that means for modern followers of Christ. The question that sparked this series was: Do you go with 10% of your gross income or do you give to Caesar and then tithe on that? Here are the other sermon series that I will be preaching based on the questions that I received. Do pets go to heaven? - what happens to our beloved companions Stereotypical or stereotyped Christians - how do we respond to being lumped together The Return of the King - what does the 2nd coming mean and when will it happen Mysteries of Genesis - creation, Cain's wife, Nephilim, Tower of Babel, Sodom and Gomorrah Faith in F...

So I'm back with absolutely nothing enlightening to say. Or do I??? Annual Conference is the most frustrating and most rewarding most-of-a-week I have every year. It is frustrating because of the amount of 0 interactivity that is involved. Come on. I'm a web geek and RPG computer gamer. I don't like the complete lack of interactivity. I know that the stories and progress reports are signature feature of the conference experience. But there is so much sitting and listening that I lose all sense of reality. But AC is also the most rewarding because we there is interactivity, it is usually lively conversation about pressing topics with good friends and colleagues. I've seen conferences where factionalism reigned supreme. I have seen people eye each other with skepticism and a lack of charity. But I try to avoid those circles of interaction. Instead I look for chances where people of differing opinion and world view can sit down and really express their opinions with respec...

There are some days when the past just haunts your every move. Today it is music. I've been wandering around the house with old favorite country CD's in the stereo, '80's metal hair bands on VH1 Classic, and now this. This is Ralph Macchio doing for guitar music what he did for karate and the martial arts in "The Karate Kid". This from "Crossroads", an excellent movie about a Julliard-trained guitar prodigy who wants nothing more than to be blues guitarist. This is the climactic guitar duel scene.

Lisa's Dad died at about 7:30 April 1st. His funeral will be Monday at 10:00 at 1st United Pentecostal Church in Ada, OK.

Lisa's dad, Marvin, is in serious condition. He had quadruple bypass surgery about 4 weeks ago in Oklahoma City. Since then, he has remained in ICU. His current condition seems to be multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. He is having problems across many of his bodies systems. His heart is not operating properly, he is on dialysis because his kidney's are not functioning, his lungs are not processing oxygen into his cells, and the doctors are claiming he also has leukemia. There is fear that his brain functions have been compromised as well. The doctors are not confident about any reversal. They wanted the family informed of how serious Marvin's condition truly is. Lisa's mom, Lois, also needs prayer. She does not handle a crisis well. Lisa is struggling emotionally and spiritually. She is currently at the hospital and we don't know when she will come back home. Our desire is that Marvin will be blessed with a miracle. He needs an intervention and we hope for God...

What would you get if Jesus was the Good Shepherd and meant it in a techno-junkie way:

As part of the preaching series on life, death, heaven, and the Resurrection the subject of the Rapture became quite the conversation starter. As part of that conversation, we had a talk-back debate one Wednesday night. Here is the audio of that conversation.

There are just some songs that need to be spoofed: It's not that I hate Carrie Underwood. I just like fishing more.

The world is probably now well aware of the passing of the Stimulus Bill. That bill will be heading to the President's desk with all expediency. Hmmmm. That word reminds me of something. What was it? Oh yes, I remember now. As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils that we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man -- a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience sake. These were words spoken by President Obama upon his inauguration. The words struck me as biting and cutting to the outgoing President at the time. They were words meant to point at the decisions of President Bush to restrict freedoms to preserve security. But now those words strike me as being hollow and devoid of meaning or substance. This stimulus bill has been pushed, at break neck speed, through th...

Here is something I am playing around with for a larger piece I am trying to write. Growing a Church’s DNA D.N.A. is the collection of proteins that combine to give each of us our unique and individual make up. It truly is the foundation material of our identity. People can be identified through D.N.A. People can also be connected to others through sharing of D.N.A. (from parent to child). D.N.A. is remarkable in giving us a basis for our identity and relating us to others. Each church has DNA also. There are some fundamental elements that help give us identity. There is also a basis in our DNA for how we relate to one another and the people around the church. DNA does not limit us in who we can be. It only offers us the foundation for growing into who we are. Each church needs to identify its DNA and compare it to the One who gave birth to the church, Jesus Christ. A United Methodist Church is to be a place of practical divinity. Practical divinity is a phrase drawn from John Wesle...

Just because I did it over on my Facebook page: 25 Random Things about me. 1.) Short, fat, bald, nerd - of those only 1 of them can I change. Others I might change I choose not to. 2.) I'm religiously opposed to green beans. 3.) I have rattlesnake-head shaped big toes. 4.) If I could live anywhere in the world it would be on the property of Walt Disney World. Preferably within walking distance of one of Epcot's gates. 5.) The two things I always wanted to be growing up were: a fireman-paramedic and a forensic pathologist. Mostly because I loved Emergency and Quincy growing up. 6.) One of my favorite jobs has been radio d.j. at a country music station. 7.) I'm not a musician. I'm just a guy who plays guitar (poorly) and sings (badly). 8.) I love photography. I'm trying to improve my ability with that. Some day I hope I can get good enough to show some of it. 9.) If C.S.I. is on, I will most likely flip over and watch it (see #5). 10.) My God-given purpose in life is ...

President Obama sure seems to be following through with his dedication to transparency in D.C. We are less than 1 month into his term and so far 4 of his picks for prominent positions as Cabinet members or advisers have had tax problems. This isn't about the fact of their failures. This is honestly about the transparency that we have seen. The sad truth is that if these 4 had not been moving into positions as visible as they are, there would have likely been nothing come of their infractions. They would not have been held to account for it. They would not have been penalized or punished in any way. But because of the public nature of the offices, they were held to account. But how much of that accountability was proactive to beat the Republicans to the punch? I say this because I'm in a generally cranky mood. Everyone seems to talk the talk of ethics and holding people account. But do we really want people to do this. Honestly, look at the culture we live in. School kids (...

Revelation chapter 5 Revelation chapter 6