17 May 06

My meeting with the insurance investigator never occurred. Some of you were praying for some interesting things. The investigator got lost and never made it. I was thinking something along the lines of 1 Samuel 7:10? I’m sure the investigator being from Florida had nothing to do with getting lost. Nevertheless the appointment is scheduled for today.

Still big news ahead for the blog, hopefully by Friday, keep tuned. Today let’s see how many split your side laughing song titles we can think of that incorporate the word blog.

For example:

This Is How We Overblog
Leaning On The Everlasting Blog
Nearer, My Blog, To Thee
Nothing But The Blog
Lord, We Blog Before Thee Now
What The Blog Has Done In Me
How Majestic Is Your Blog
Highest Blog
In Heavenly Blog Abiding

Just a few to get the blog rolling.

16 May 06

I’ve been called upon from time to time to render emergency medical aid in various situations. I won’t bore you or gross you out with the graphic details. Up until now I’ve been able to help someone and ride off into the sunset.

While on my recent trip to California I had the opportunity to render medical aid to a patron of a restaurant. The boys and I were exhausted (mentally and physically) from attending all those classes at the Pepperdine lectures so we made our way into town for an evening meal.

As we entered the restaurant a woman had just fallen and hurt herself. With my type of personality (the kind that would make me the first to be voted out of the tribe on survivor) I jumped right in, identified myself as medically trained and began to assess the situation. For reasons that will soon become obvious, that is all the detail I will give as to what I did in that particular situation.

Bonus points if you can guess what comes next before you read it – here’s a hint . . . it involves filing but does not relate to prison bars or finger nails. If you said lawsuit give yourself a spiritual hematoma! Don’t you just love LA? I believe the person I helped is suing the restaurant. An insurance company representative is meeting me personally this morning to tape my statement of my involvement.

I don’t think I’m personally being sued at this point. You just never know. Even so, it won’t stop me from helping the next person. I’m confident that I operated within the scope of my training.

I don’t regret giving medical assistance. My only regret is giving my name and phone number. You can bet the next time I’m in that same situation I will give the name “Greg England” and begin to rattle off his phone number.

15 May 06

Mother’s day has become a difficult Sunday to prepare a message.

The more stories you hear about messed up mothers and strained mother child relationships the harder it becomes.

Here’s a passage I reference for my mother’s day message:

Proverbs 30:17 (NCV) “If you make fun of your father and refuse to obey your mother, the birds of the valley will peck out your eyes, and the vultures will eat them.‚Äù

Talk about your application points! You don’t see this proverb hanging on too many refrigerators. It would make for a nice craft project next year in the children’s classes.

Come on kids let’s make a card for mom — now make sure to draw the eyes really big.

——–

And now a programming note: The blog will be taking on a new look, new format, new address soon. Stay tuned for more details.

12 May 06 The Long Beach I Never Knew

While traveling back to Virginia from California last week I happened to be perusing the in flight magazine.

Imagine my surprise when I came across this particular advertisement.

Are you kidding me? What mythical Shangri-la is this place that bears the same name of the stucco plastered, oil pump jack laden town I know as Long Beach?

Is there some camouflage switch that activates the plethora of times I have visited this city?

Cecil, Keith, John, and Chuck I ask you, is this a portrait of the city we’ve been visiting?

Fair citizens of Long Beach do you recognize your city as described?

According to this advertisement Long Beach is, and I quote:

The perfect destination for your California Vacation. Long Beach is where the action begins and the fun never ends.

I’m thinking our church should hire the Long Beach chamber of commerce (the Long Beach C of C) to do some marketing for us.

Greg, next time, this is the Long Beach I want to experience!

11 May 06

Sometimes we have to stand up for what is right, stand up for what God has said, even without a direct “word” from God.

During the reign of Israel’s most wicked king (Ahab), God’s most powerful prophet (Elijah) appears out of nowhere to call God’s people to repentance.

Ahab has the notable distinction of not only being a worse king than all those before him, a feat it seems every king before him tried to duplicate, but being the king who did the most to provoke God.

1 Kings 16:30 (NCV) More than any king before him, Ahab son of Omri did many things the LORD said were wrong.

1 Kings 16:33 (NCV) Ahab also made an idol for worshiping Asherah. He did more things to make the LORD, the God of Israel, angry than all the other kings before him.

Ahab marries a woman from Sidon named Jezebel whose dad was the high priest of Baal. Ahab makes the worship of Baal the official religion of Israel and watches passively as Jezebel kills the prophets and priests who serve the LORD God.

During a time of tremendous moral decay and decline. Elijah appears and makes this proclamation:

1 Kings 17:1 (NCV) Now Elijah the Tishbite was a prophet from the settlers in Gilead. “I serve the LORD, the God of Israel,” Elijah said to Ahab. “As surely as the LORD lives, no rain or dew will fall during the next few years unless I command it.”

What I find interesting is that the first official recorded communication between God and Elijah occurs in the following verse.

1 Kings 17:2-4 (NCV) Then the LORD spoke his word to Elijah: “Leave this place and go east and hide near Kerith Ravine east of the Jordan River. You may drink from the stream, and I have commanded ravens to bring you food there.”

So the question, which is fun to discuss but has no bearing on our eternity, is this: “Did God tell Elijah to go speak to Ahab or did Elijah get so feed up with the situation in Israel that he took it upon himself to speak for the Lord?”

Follow a train of thought with me.

Elijah is, in fact, fed up with the situation in Israel. The people have suffered much under the hand of the kings which they wanted but God said they would regret wanting. For the last fifty something years every king has been involved in some disrespectful activity towards God. Ahab arrives on the scene and makes the worship of Baal the official religion of the day.

Elijah has had enough. He knows what God said, way back when, about worshiping other Gods:

Deuteronomy 11:16-17 (NCV) Be careful, or you will be fooled and will turn away to serve and worship other gods. If you do, the LORD will become angry with you and will shut the heavens so it will not rain. Then the land will not grow crops, and you will soon die in the good land the LORD is giving you.

So he goes before this vile king and claims one of God’s promises – not one of the good promises mind you but a promise nonetheless.

Pleased that someone remembers his promise, pleased that someone in Israel will stand up for what is right, God speaks to Elijah and says ‚Äúthanks now it‚Äôs time for you to hide.‚Äù Shortly thereafter God makes good on Elijah‚Äôs word. It’s as if God was waiting, for a very long time, to see if anyone would stand up and speak for him.

Even James uses the experience of Elijah as an example of what can happen when a believing person prays.

James 5:17-19 (NCV) Elijah was a human being just like us. He prayed that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years! Then Elijah prayed again, and the rain came down from the sky, and the land produced crops again.

Again, I could be totally wrong. Just something interesting to think about.

Sometimes we have to stand up for what is right, stand up for what God has said, even without a direct “word” from God.

10 May 06

It’s the shortest verse in the entire Bible.

It’s the first verse most of us had no problem memorizing.

It’s a verse that brings both comfort and questions.

Figured it out by now?

John 11:35 (NCV) Jesus cried.

We talked about this in our small group last night in the context of sitting shiva. Shiva is from the Hebrew word sheva, which means seven, and is the first stage of mourning in the Jewish tradition.

After the burial, the immediate mourners return to a home called the “shiva house,” to begin a seven day period of intense mourning. This week is called “sitting shiva,” and is an emotionally and spiritually healing time where the mourners sit low, dwell together, and friends and loved ones come to comfort them with short visits referred to as “shiva calls.” A person sits shiva after having lost a parent, spouse, sibling, or child. All other loved ones are also mourned, but the observances of shiva do not apply.

Our teaching time last night focused on the aspect of God sitting shiva with us, being with us, during times of mourning and grief, despair and loss.

We reflected upon the response of Jesus as he was drawn into the grief of Mary and Martha over the death of their brother Lazarus.

Ever wondered why Jesus cried?

Did Jesus know he could raise Lazarus?

Did Jesus know he would raise Lazarus?

John 11:21-23 (NCV) Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you anything you ask.” Jesus said, “Your brother will rise and live again.”

Perhaps Jesus cried, not for Lazarus, but for the reality of death in God’s perfect world?

Follow the narrative and pay attention to the specific events which stir up the emotions of Jesus.

John 11:32-35 (NCV) But Mary went to the place where Jesus was. When she saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw Mary crying and the Jews who came with her also crying, he was upset and was deeply troubled. He asked, “Where did you bury him?” “Come and see, Lord,” they said. Jesus cried.

The people viewed the tears of Jesus as a sign of how much he loved Lazarus. I see, in this text, Jesus knowing all along he was going to raise Lazarus.

John 11:40 (NCV) Then Jesus said to her, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?”

What brought Jesus to tears certainly was the pain of Mary and Martha. What brought Jesus to tears was the pain of death in God’s world.

It’s okay to weep. It’s okay to cry your eyes out. Contrary to popular belief, big boys do cry.

When you face loss it’s okay not to have answers - it’s okay to have only questions, frustration, doubt even anger. I hope someone can sit shiva with you. Trust that God will sit shiva with you.

When it is your turn to comfort, don’t think you have to say anything. In fact, it would probably be better if you didn’t say anything.

Just be there, be quiet, be still.

09 May 06

I have a confession to make. It is well past time for me to bare my soul.

I graduated from ACU without fulfilling all the requirements. I fulfilled all the academic requirements but failed to attempt one aquatic requirement.

During my college days ACU had a required swim test. I do not remember the specifics of the swim test but seem to recall it involved treading water for a specific length of time and perhaps swimming a set distance. We were all told that a student had to complete the swim test in order to graduate.

I did not complete the swim test. I didn’t even show up to complete the swim test. I knew the answer to the question “how long can you tread water?” Not long enough!

I did, however, graduate and my diploma hangs on my wall. It’s not anything I gave much thought until I saw this article today. With today’s news, that and the whole statute of limitations or year of jubilee thing, I hereby release myself from this aquatic debt. It works like that does it not?

Has anyone else had the pleasure of experiencing such a swim test?

08 May 06

I have a friend who is my music collection hero. He lost count, I believe, somewhere over 5000 CD’s. Yes you read that number correctly. No disparaging comments because he frequents the blog and with his extensive knowledge of computers, which far exceeds mine, he could shut down your refrigerator through your portal.

My little collection, somewhere in the neighborhood of 450, grows a CD or two a month. My latest acquisitions include:

TREE 63 - Worship Volume One, I Stand For You
NEWSBOYS - He Reigns, The Worship Collection
SWITCHFOOT - Nothing Is Sound

Those of you who recognize these bands and are surprised at my hip factor, don’t be surprised. My brother-in-law Brice updates me every once in a while on the good stuff. He is my own personal music shopping assistant. Now if I could just figure out how to get him to pay for the CD’s he recommends.

Anyone else have any top picks we should be considering?

05 May 06

I’m flying home today. Since I was ready to return Monday I am more than ready. Direct flight from LAX to DCA isn’t fast enough but nothing supersonic was available.

03 May 06

I got to spend some time with my niece last night. She’s just finished her freshman year at Cascade. My niece a former freshman soon to be sophmore in college. Is it true? Is it even possible that I’m that old?

I ate lunch with the old crew from Fresno. All the friends of Beth’s parents. I’m looking down at the table thinking “these people are not as young as they used to be.” One of them looks at me and says “hey were did all that gray hair come from?”

It was a proud moment. I’ve always wanted to have enough hair to be gray. Time for a haircut!