| Quick update |
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| 10:27am 29/12/2008 |
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I needed to do a quick update! In the last several weeks and months, a little bit has happened. First, I am currently the store manager for a college textbook store. It is a crazy story on how that came to be, especially if you consider that I was practically homeless at the beginning of 2008. On November 25, I asked Caitlin Ellen (future Klem) to marry me. Naturally, she said yes! In this coming year, I am hoping two things (three counting the wedding) will take place: 1) A thriving (i.e. spiritually strong, not necessarily numerically) young adult group will be growing at church (mostly "my job" ... meaning God will do what He will, and it currently looks like I am the point man).
2) I will be enrolled in school, again, only this time in Arizona instead of Illinois! Let us hope and pray for that, eh? For the record, we are planning on getting married June 13 in central Illinois. More details could follow! Okay, now, I am at work. Time to go! God bless! daniel |
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Read 4 - Post |
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| liveprayer.com devotional for 12/28/08 |
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| 10:18am 29/12/2008 |
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How many pastors NEVER give those they preach to an invitation to accept
Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior? Today, I must address what to me is
the biggest problem in the church today, since it goes to the root of the
church's greatest responsibility and that is to bring the lost to faith in
Jesus Christ. I realize the church is to spiritually feed its members, to
equip the saints for service, to be a place where Believers can find
fellowship with other Believers, and where most followers of Christ serve
Him. However, without question the most important job of the church is to
reach out to the lost and hurting and to help lead people to the saving
knowledge of Jesus Christ, the forgiveness of their sins, and God's free
gift of everlasting life through faith in His Son!
This is a message that percolated for several years now, and finally reached
the boiling point in January of 2006 during the various services held in
memory of President Gerald Ford. While those memorial services for President
Ford led me to finally bring this word to you, its genesis was in the daily
contact I have with thousands and thousands of people all over this nation
and around the world, the first hand knowledge I have of tens of thousands
of churches, and the spiritual malpractice well over 50% of pastors commit
each and every Sunday.
Having started my public ministry in the great city of Chicago in 1992, I
studied in great detail the life and ministry of D.L. Moody. One of my great
honors early in my ministry was to preach on several occasions to the
students at the Moody Bible Institute and preach a mid-week service at the
great Moody Memorial Church. One of the events that greatly impacted the
life and ministry of Moody was the night of the Chicago fire. It was Sunday
night, October 8, 1871, and as Moody finished his sermon, he told the crowd
who had gathered to hear him preach to evaluate their relationship with
Christ and return next week to make their decisions for Him. That crowd
never gathered since during the night the building they were meeting in was
consumed by the fire and it would be months before they would find a new
place to hold their services.
Moody would never again make the grievous mistake of sending home those who
came to hear him preach without giving them an invitation to know Jesus as
their Lord and Savior. The Bible proclaims that TODAY is the day of
salvation. The Bible teaches that tomorrow is promised to NONE of us. Moody
was haunted by the question, how many people who would have been moved by
the Holy Sprit to walk the aisle and give their life to Christ on that
infamous October night, never did so and died in their sins, lost for all
eternity?
Dwight L. Moody would not even recognize the vast majority of "pastors"
today. Men, and now women, who preach a watered down message, using secular
books for their references rather than the Bible. "Pastors" who stand in the
pulpits of America and refuse to even deal with sin since it might offend
people. The ones who make a mockery of Christ by condoning, accepting, and
even glorifying gross sins like homosexuality and the slaughter of innocent
babies. And what I am certain would break Moody's heart, "pastors" who
preach Sunday after Sunday and NEVER give an invitation for those they are
preaching to, to accept Jesus as their Savior by faith.
During the first 3 yrs of my public ministry, I preached in over 500
churches all over the nation. All types of denominations, racial and ethnic
make-ups, churches with thousands and churches with less than 20. It was
during those years I had my first insight into how many churches rarely, if
ever gave those who gathered on Sunday an opportunity to accept Jesus as
their Savior by faith. Over these past 9+ years of Liveprayer, in dealing
with literally tens of thousands of people first hand, thousands upon
thousands of churches all over this country and around the world, I would
not hesitate to estimate that in well over 50% of churches, those who gather
are NEVER given the invitation to ask Jesus into their heart and life by
faith and become born again...NEVER!
I remember watching much of the memorial services held at various churches
for President Reagan back in June of 2004, and then in January '06, watching
all of the various memorial series held for President Ford. I heard one
"pastor" after another speaking, waiting for just one, just one, to at least
have the guts to tell those listening what Jesus said, "I am the way and the
truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." There was
one who actually did cite that passage, but had the audacity to leave off,
"No one comes to the Father except through me," I am sure afraid of
offending someone in the audience. How offended will those people be when
they die without Jesus and are spending eternity in hell because some
gutless "pastor" refused to tell them the Truth?
I gave up hope long ago on seeing even one of these "pastors" with the world
watching on these special occasions, actually doing what God has called them
to do and sharing the Gospel. Simply telling the people that if you die
without Jesus you will be lost for all eternity. My goodness, you have the
"pastor" of the largest church in the nation who goes on television often
and actually brags that he doesn't talk about sin and refuses to answer the
most basic question of the Christian faith which is that faith in Jesus is
the ONLY way men can be saved and those who choose to reject Him will be in
hell. These men dishonor Christ and the Bible clearly says those who have
taken on the mantle of leadership will be held to a much higher standard.
God will hold them accountable one day.
This problem in the pastorate has all unfolded over the past 40 years. Most
of the mainline denominations began to require their pastors to have a
seminary education, but they did not state which seminaries. As the nation
began to rebel against all authority in the mid '60s, that included
rebelling against God and the Truth of His Word. Liberal seminaries popped
up that denied the inspiration and inerrancy of Scripture. Men no longer
needed to be "called" by God, but simply complete the required education. I
am convinced there is a percentage, larger than you might think, of
"pastors" in this nation who are not even saved!
Once you reject the authority of the Bible, it opened the door to women
"pastors," "pastors" who condone sins like homosexually and abortion,
"pastors" who quoted secular books as well as books used by the false
religions of the world more than the Bible, "pastors" who refuse to deal
with sin, and "pastors" who have never given an altar call or led a lost
soul to faith in Christ in their life!
You also have "pastors" like Joel Osteen who have never even been to Bible
college! It is no wonder he has no grasp of theology. He majored in
broadcasting in college and ran his father's television ministry until
taking over as "pastor" after his father's death. Being a pastor is not like
running the family business. You can't simply wake up one day and decide to
be a pastor, though sadly many do. Let me ask you a question. Would you want
someone operating on your heart who has never been to medical school, but
simply woke up one day and decided they wanted to be a heart surgeon? OF
COURSE NOT! Yet people put their eternal souls in the hands of "pastors"
every day who have never even taken a Bible college class!
Listen, I am not saying you have to have the alphabet following your name to
be qualified to pastor a church. However, if you have truly been called, God
will guide you to the formal theological training you need to at least
properly preach and teach His Word. There is so much more that goes into it,
but you have to have at least a basic theological education from a
legitimate Bible school that holds the Bible to be God's inspired inerrant
Word, representing Absolute Truth, and our final authority in all matters.
Anyone who answers the call of God to preach His Word has the fundamental
responsibility of preaching the Gospel and leading the lost to faith in
Jesus Christ. A pastor who ends a service without giving an invitation to
accept Christ to those he is preaching to is committing spiritual
malpractice, and as one of God's watchmen, God WILL hold them accountable
for those who die and spend eternity in hell because they refused to tell
them how to be saved!
I love you and care about you so much. I am going to make a very bold
statement right now. If you are going to a church where you rarely, or even
worse, never, hear your pastor give people the invitation to ask Christ into
their hearts and lives, you need to confront your pastor why not. There is
NO reason not to. It is his job. In fact, it is probably the most basic and
fundamental part of his job. If he did nothing else but that, he would be
fulfilling God's calling on his life. You need to hear his explanation for
why he refuses to obey God, and then you need do pray if that is really the
church God wants you and your family to be part of.
Also, the next time you are in church, look around you. Look at the people
around you and ask yourself how many of those people are NOT Believers, who
have never given their heart and life to Christ by faith. Ask yourself how
many of those people will die and spend eternity in hell for their rejection
of Christ. Pray for them to hear the Gospel clearly presented. Pray for them
to allow the Holy Sprit to open their heart to God's love for them. Pray for
them to surrender their life to Christ by faith and be saved
Lastly, if your pastor is one of these pastors who never gives an invitation
at the end of his service, forward this Devotional to him, or her, and pray
they come under conviction. I already know I am going to take TONS of heat
for this message. That is OK. I have to be obedient to God. I am almost
certain you have NEVER heard a message like this before and never will
again. People are too afraid to say what needs to be said. I can't stay
silent because the eternal souls of men are at stake.
Those God has called and given the honor to preach, can be used by Him to
bring many lost souls to faith in Jesus Christ. That won't happen by
accident, it won't happen by putting on a great performance, it won't happen
by tricking them, and it won't happen because you made them feel good. The
only way a person will get saved is if you love them enough to share with
them the simplicity of the Gospel They need to admit they are a sinner and
need a Savior and that Christ's loves them unconditionally and wants to have
an eternal relationship with them.
It is the job of ALL Believers in Christ to share the Gospel with the lost.
However, there is NO EXCUSE for any pastor to hold any type of service and
not give those who attend the opportunity to ask Christ into their heart and
life by faith and be saved!
In His love and service,
Your friend and brother in Christ,
Bill Keller
If I can help you in any way you can contact me through my personal email at:
bkeller@liveprayer.com
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| 88 weeks is a bit long to go without posting, eh? |
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| 12:18pm 31/10/2007 |
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Yeah. i took way too long getting back to this thing! i have spent the last several months in Arizona, and i am now getting ready to head on to Texas for a few weeks. All for God. i also never updated this thing three months and one day ago, like i should have. July 30 was the day that my first book of poetry was published by PublishAmerica.com! simple words for God from a simple man of God by daniel m klem. Available at all major online book stores (as far as i know it is not yet in actual store buildings, but who cares?!) Oh. Last time i updated, i was relatively newly engaged, too. that ended, and it is a long story. But God is doing amazing things for both of us, and we are still friends! Praise His Name, right? i think so. That is it for now! daniel |
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Read 2 - Post |
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| Yerp ... |
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| 06:35pm 20/02/2006 |
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I realized very recently that a) I have not updated in over two months, and b) most people who read this do not know my news.
On Christmas Eve (that being the twenty-fourth (24) of December) of last year (that being 2005), I proposed to my then girlfriend of two years, four months, four days, eleven hours and fifty-five minutes. Now, Crystal (that being the one I asked to marry me) is my fiance of one month, three-and-a-half weeks-ish (for those of you that may have gotten irked at the exactness of my counts).
Also, just a week and a half before having worked at Dollar Tree for three years, I quit and now work for The Digital Store selling Dish Network (even though my family uses and loves DirecTV) and Verizon Wireless (even though we all use Cingular).
That is about all for now.
LOVE!
God bless,
Dan |
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| LBPC "God's Daily Promise" |
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| 01:32pm 22/12/2005 |
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Tuesday, December 6
This week's promise: God has great rewards for those who remain faithul
What will your life accomplish?
You have decided the length of our lives. You know how many months we will live and we are not given a minute longer.
Job 14:5 NLT
Miracle Baby
John and Betty Stam met at Moody Bible Institute while both were studying to become missionaries to China. After going there separately under the China Inland Mission (CIM), they were unexpectedly reunited and a year later were married. In September 1934, their daughter, Helen, was born. Their lives were suddenly changed on December 6, 1934, when communist soldiers arrested the Stams.
The Stams were forced to make a difficult march to the town of Miao-shou. They were horrified to hear the soldiers discuss plans to murder their baby to make the trip easier. An old farmer stepped forward to object. Little Helen was spared when the man agreed to take her place—and was shot on the spot.
Arriving in Miao-shou, Helen was taken from them. Marched to a place of execution, a local Christian doctor begged for their lives. He was condemned to die and John begged for mercy for the doctor. John, Betty, and the doctor were all beheaded.
Helen was found by a Chinese evangelist named Lo who, at great risk, was able to bring her to her grandparents in Tsinan. The news of the "Miracle Baby" and her parents' martyrdom spread around the world. Hundreds pledged their lives to missionary service. A fellow missionary wrote "A life which had the longest span of years might not have been able to do one-hundredth of the work for Christ which they have done in a day."
adapted from the The One Year® Book of Christian History by E. Michael and Sharon Rusten (Tyndale) pp 682-83
Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House |
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| Let the fool choke on them |
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| 05:13pm 16/09/2005 |
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This story is about an Episcopal clergyman who took a seat in a dining car on a train traveling along the Hudson River. It happened that opposite him was an atheist. Seeing the clerical collar of his companion, he set out to argue with him and begun thus: "I see, sir, that your are a clergyman." "Yes," was the reply. "I am a minister of the Gospel." There was a pause, after which the atheist said: "I suppose, then, that you believe the Bible."
Now the clergyman was a man of sound, scriptural faith, so that he replied: "I do believe the Bible to be the Word of God." Immediately there came a query: "But don't you find things in the Bible that you can't understand?" The minister answered humbly: "Yes, there are places in the Scripture too hard for me to understand." The athiest retorted with an air of triumph, thinking he had his companion cornered: "Well, what do you do then?"
Quietly the minister went on eating his luncheon, which happened to be Hudson RIiver shad, a delicious fish, but noted for the over-development of its bony structure. Then he looked up and said: "I do, sir, just as I do when eating this shad. When I come to the bones, I put them to the side of the plate and go on enjoying my lunch, leaving the bones for some fool to choke on." |
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| Reform? |
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| 01:03am 21/01/2005 |
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I watched "The O'Reilly Factor" tonight, and it finally persuaded me.
A couple of months ago I was joking around with friends what I would do if I were president and trying to make some of the changes that Bush is suggesting. Many people (all who heard my joking around ideas) said that they are good/great ideas (I suppose. It does seem moreso when I think about it more). The joke was that I was using "God numbers" (10%, 777, 12) and variances of them.
Taxes:
Sales taxes: 10%, nationwide, 1% food tax (as is)
Income taxes: 10% Federal; 5% State. Already cheaper than it already is, but is universal (for everyone regardless of age, sex, beliefs, financial status. Naturally, tax exempt still means tax exempt, so yay to non-profit thingies).
Social Security:
Personally, I agree with Bush: set up "savings accounts" for people to use when they retire.
On that note, the retirement age is the current average life expectancy (currently at 77 years).
Medical:
10% of your weekly salary for minor visits; 10% of your yearly salary for serious "stuff"
If hourly (thus, yearly salary indeterminable), 10% of two months pay.
Payment plans always offered. Full payment always accepted.
Wages/Salaries:
Minimum wage will be whatever it takes for one person to live in an apartment and get food for the week (I was thinking $7.77, assuming they could work at least 30 hours a week, or $12, assuming they work no more than 20 hours a week)
Those who benefit society would get the better pay (teachers, medical practitioners (from nurses and aids to doctors/surgens), etcetera): $70,000
Those who serve society next (Janitorial/Custodial workers, waste disposal workers, police/fire fighters, etcetera): $60,000
News providers (any form of media): $50,000-$60,000 (but no more than $60,000)
Those in entertainment cannot exceed $60,000 (I mean, honestly, people! They should be doing because they enjoy it! That is why sports started! Actors usually started in school, which means without pay, thus they must have liked it!)
Schools baords are still allowed to set prices through high school, but within reason and cannot exceed $1,000 per academic year.
Colleges and Universities may not exceed $7,000 per academic year
I would put more, but I finally feel tired. (This stuff kind of bores me when I should be in bed, but can sometimes excite me ... politics and economics are weird, eh?)
Goodnight/morning.
God bless!
Me.Dan |
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Read 2 - Post |
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| 07:43pm 26/12/2004 |
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I got this from someone in the Left Behind Prophecy Club forum:
‘Twas The Night Jesus Returned
'Twas the night Jesus came and all through the house,
not a person was praying, not one in the house..
The Bible was left on the shelf without care,
for no one thought Jesus would come there..
The children were dressing to crawl into bed,
not once ever kneeling or bowing their head..
And Mom in the rocking chair with babe on her lap,
was watching the Late Show as I took a nap..
When out of the east there rose such a clatter,
I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter..
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
tore open the shutters and lifted the sash..
When what to my wondering eyes should appear,
but Angels proclaiming that Jesus was here..
The light of His face made me cover my head...
was Jesus returning just like He'd said..
And though I possessed worldly wisdom and wealth,
I cried when I saw Him in spite of myself..
In the Book of Life which he held in his hand,
was written the name of every saved man..
He spoke not a word as he searched for my name,
when He said "it's not here" My head hung in shame..
The people whose names had been written with love,
He gathered to take to his Father above..
With those who were ready He rose without sound,
while all of the others were left standing around...
I fell to my knees but it was too late,
I'd waited too long and thus sealed my fate.
I stood and I cried as they rose out of sight,
Oh, if only I'd known that this was the night....
In the words of this poem the meaning is clear
the coming of Jesus is now drawing near...
There's only one life and when comes the last call,
We'll find out that the Bible was true after all...
B Basic
I Instructions
B Before
L Leaving
E Earth |
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| Walk in the fire ... |
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| 01:35pm 19/12/2004 |
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As my brother likes to say, "Garth Brooks is the man!"
I love his song "Standing Outside the Fire"
We call them cool
Those hearts that have no scars to show
The ones that never do let go
And risk the tables being turned
We call them fools
Who have to dance within the flame
Who chance the sorrow and the shame
That always comes with getting burned
But you've got to be tough when consumed by desire
'Cause it's not enough just to stand outside the fire
We call them strong
Those who can face this world alone
Who seem to get by on their own
Those who will never take the fall
We call them weak
Who are unable to resist
The slightest chance love might exist
And for that forsake it all
They're so hell-bent on giving ,walking a wire
Convinced it's not living if you stand outside the fire
Standing outside the fire
Standing outside the fire
Life is not tried, it is merely survived
If you're standing outside the fire
There's this love that is burning
Deep in my soul
Constantly yearning to get out of control
Wanting to fly higher and higher
I can't abide
Standing outside the fire
Standing outside the fire
Standing outside the fire
Life is not tried, it is merely survived
If you're standing outside the fire
Standing outside the fire
Standing outside the fire
Life is not tried, it is merely survived
If you're standing outside the fire
I take that song and use it as a reminder that if we are not living with God's holy fire, we are merely surviving, pretending to live a life of worth. |
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| 09:10pm 03/12/2004 |
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What constitutes a hero?
For the past ... while I have been struggling with properly defining a hero. I know a hero when I see/read about one. There are many things that many people agree makes a hero.
This next part may sound like I am boasting, but I am only getting something out.
A while back someone called me a "modern hero of faith." It made me glad for a while. Then I started thinking about how that should not apply to me, because I make mistakes like everyone ... a lot of mistakes. I, too, have trouble trusting God to do things. Like Paul, the things I do not want to do I do and the things I want to do I do not do.
It hit me a moment ago ...
I have "figured something out" what a lot of people -- most people -- have a lot of trouble with. I try to apply God's Word (remember, folks, that His Word is not limited to the Bible) to all parts of my life. Beyond that, when I fail, I look back at what I did and did not do, try and learn from it, and then I move on (asking God to forgive me and guide me ... though, generally, I do not ask Him to forgive me because He did that years ago. He understands I will stumble at times, me being human and all.)
I see simplicity where many see complexity. God has mapped it out so clearly for us that any should be able to easily follow it. I hate sin! It puts blinders on us! Sure, God has it clearly laid out, but we are still focused on the sin in our lives. We need to stop! Why do we have such a hard time remembering that OUR GOD IS BIGGER THAN OUR SIN?
Why?
The sin is constantly in front of us, taunting us. The majority of the time, it is tangible, in our minds and on our hearts ... even when we do not wish it to be. We scream out to God. We demand that He help us, deliver us from all that is happening.
Simultaneously, God is sitting in front of us, around us, in us, and with us. He is gently whispering for us, trying to calm us. We are so busy screaming that we miss His Voice. We are throwing such a tantrum that we do not see Him moving and trying to hold us close.
Instead of throwing a "hissy fit" every time we "mess up," we should stop and look around. Be silent and listen for His calming call.
Last Saturday, my girlfriend and I separated to give us time apart (as a couple). I wanted to cry my eyeballs out, scream at and throw things, lash out at those around me, and be utterly miserable.
After leaving her house that night, I was driving in my truck down the road. Tears were rolling down my face; I occasionally let a sob escape. I had the radio off. I had decided when I climbed into my truck that I was just going to listen for God. He seemed to be saying nothing, and this made me want to react all the more. Instead, I told myself to stick to my original plan and just listen.
Halfway back to town it happened.
Songs popped into my head. I started singing them
"We stand and lift up our hands for the joy of the Lord is our strength. We bow down and worship Him now. How great, how awesome is He! Together we sing. Everyone sing. Holy is the Lord God Almighty. The earth is filled with His Glory."
"Turn your ear to heaven and hear the noise inside. The sound of angels' awe. The sound of angels' songs. And all this for a King. We could join and sing, all to Christ the King. How constant, how divine. This song of ours will rise. How constant, how divine. This love of ours will rise ... O praise Him! O praise Him! He is Holy! He is Holy!"
That peace that comes from abiding in God filled me. I was still crying, yes, but now it was better. I had God helping me.
IT IS THAT SIMPLE! Just praise God when things are not going the way you want!
Also, I realized the prayer I have been praying for the past year or so: "God, make my life impossible so that I have no choice but to fully and truly trust in You." My life has been getting interesting, to say the least. Now, Dave (good buddy) and I are getting a Bible study started (see contraBible in xanga or contrabible1 in live journal. We have an e-mail address, too, at contraBible1@hotmail.com ... soon a website), my ability to help people understand God, their faith, the world around them, and problems has increased, and my finances (finally!) are under control. All because I have had no choice but to trust God.
There are many more things, but I just realized (a night full of revelations!) that this post has gotten exuberantly long.
The point is, even though I would still not call myself a "hero of faith" I do acknowledge that God is using me to show people how it can work. This scares the living crap out of me! But I am going to use this information to remind me that people are watching me, and I hope this reminds my brothers and sisters in Christ that they are being watched, too. The world needs us to be Christ, and it is hard. We must persevere. Our Lord deserves nothing less. I must do all I can to encourage my brothers and sisters and "be a light unto the world."
JOIN ME! HELP ME! PRAY FOR EACH OTHER! REACH OUT FOR GOD WITH EVERYTHING!
Oh, how I wish I could properly convey this!
I love you all in Yahweh's matchless love!
God bless!
Me.Dan
Q.R. If you are unable to attend the CONTRA Bible study (yet to have a time and location), the weekly studies will be posted on xanga and live journal. If you want it, maybe even e-mail versions will be sent out. Also, if you have questions about the Bible or Christianity or know of "contradictions" in the Bible, e-mail them to us! |
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| 04:08pm 30/11/2004 |
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I read this in the New York Times today:
OP-ED COLUMNIST
Who Is John Stott?
By DAVID BROOKS
Published: November 30, 2004
Tim Russert is a great journalist, but he made a mistake last weekend. He included Jerry Falwell and Al Sharpton in a discussion on religion and public life.
Inviting these two bozos onto "Meet the Press" to discuss that issue is like inviting Britney Spears and Larry Flynt to discuss D. H. Lawrence. Naturally, they got into a demeaning food fight that would have lowered the intellectual discourse of your average nursery school.
This is why so many people are so misinformed about evangelical Christians. There is a world of difference between real-life people of faith and the made-for-TV, Elmer Gantry-style blowhards who are selected to represent them. Falwell and Pat Robertson are held up as spokesmen for evangelicals, which is ridiculous. Meanwhile people like John Stott, who are actually important, get ignored.
It could be that you have never heard of John Stott. I don't blame you. As far as I can tell, Stott has never appeared on an important American news program. A computer search suggests that Stott's name hasn't appeared in this newspaper since April 10, 1956, and it's never appeared in many other important publications.
Yet, as Michael Cromartie of the Ethics and Public Policy Center notes, if evangelicals could elect a pope, Stott is the person they would likely choose. He was the framer of the Lausanne Covenant, a crucial organizing document for modern evangelicalism. He is the author of more than 40 books, which have been translated into over 72 languages and have sold in the millions. Now rector emeritus at All Souls, Langham Place, in London, he has traveled the world preaching and teaching.
When you read Stott, you encounter first a tone of voice. Tom Wolfe once noticed that at a certain moment all airline pilots came to speak like Chuck Yeager. The parallel is inexact, but over the years I've heard hundreds of evangelicals who sound like Stott.
It is a voice that is friendly, courteous and natural. It is humble and self-critical, but also confident, joyful and optimistic. Stott's mission is to pierce through all the encrustations and share direct contact with Jesus. Stott says that the central message of the gospel is not the teachings of Jesus, but Jesus himself, the human/divine figure. He is always bringing people back to the concrete reality of Jesus' life and sacrifice.
There's been a lot of twaddle written recently about the supposed opposition between faith and reason. To read Stott is to see someone practicing "thoughtful allegiance" to scripture. For him, Christianity means probing the mysteries of Christ. He is always exploring paradoxes. Jesus teaches humility, so why does he talk about himself so much? What does it mean to gain power through weakness, or freedom through obedience? In many cases the truth is not found in the middle of apparent opposites, but on both extremes simultaneously.
Stott is so embracing it's always a bit of a shock - especially if you're a Jew like me - when you come across something on which he will not compromise. It's like being in "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood," except he has a backbone of steel. He does not accept homosexuality as a legitimate lifestyle, and of course he believes in evangelizing among nonbelievers. He is pro-life and pro-death penalty, even though he is not a political conservative on most issues.
Most important, he does not believe truth is plural. He does not believe in relativizing good and evil or that all faiths are independently valid, or that truth is something humans are working toward. Instead, Truth has been revealed. As he writes:
"It is not because we are ultra-conservative, or obscurantist, or reactionary or the other horrid things which we are sometimes said to be. It is rather because we love Jesus Christ, and because we are determined, God helping us, to bear witness to his unique glory and absolute sufficiency. In Christ and in the biblical witness to Christ God's revelation is complete; to add any words of our own to his finished work is derogatory to Christ."
Politicians, especially Democrats, are now trying harder to appeal to people of faith. But people of faith are not just another interest group, like gun owners. You have to begin by understanding the faith. And you can't understand this rising global movement if you don't meet its authentic representatives.
Not Falwell, but Stott. |
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| 06:30pm 29/11/2004 |
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I think I volunteered to go to Morocco (closed to Christians ... the whole imprisoning/killing thing) to help rebuild towns and villages after last February's earthquake there. I do not really remember walking up to volunteer, but I ended up looking Chris (the pastor) in the belly after a moment I do not recall now (he was on the stage).
Basically, I need a lot of prayer on this ... and, if you are willing, some fundage to help get me there.
This is fascinating stuff, and I can only rely on God for everything ... which is how it should be, eh?
Okay. I go from this thing, now.
God bless,
Me.Dan |
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| 11:37am 28/11/2004 |
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I guess you could say that "Dan is back on the market" as it were ...
Should it feel weird to be single again? Sad that it is over? Yes, I am. But does it feel weird? Not really. |
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| 09:33am 08/11/2004 |
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This caught my attention, first, because he was raised in the Nazarene church, but he makes very good points ...
NYTimes.com > Opinion
OP-ED CONTRIBUTOR
When the Personal Shouldn't Be Political
By GARY HART
Published: November 8, 2004
Kittredge, Colo. — If America has entered one of its periodic eras of religious revival and if that revival is having the profound impact on politics that is now presumed, to participate in a discussion of "faith" one must qualify oneself.
I was raised in the Church of the Nazarene, an evangelical denomination founded a century ago as an offshoot of American Methodism, which, the church founders believed, had become too liberal. I graduated from Bethany Nazarene College, where I met and married my wife, who was also brought up in the church. I then graduated from the Yale Divinity School as preparation for a life of teaching religion and philosophy.
The Nazarene Church abhorred drinking, smoking, dancing, movies and female adornment, believed in salvation through being "born again" and in sanctification as a second act of grace, and resisted most popular culture as the devil's work. In doctrine and practice, it was much more evangelical than fundamentalist.
A neglected thread of church doctrine was the social gospel of John and Charles Wesley, the great reformers of late 18th-century Methodism. The Wesley brothers preached salvation through grace but also preached the duty of Christians, based solidly on Jesus' teachings, to minister to those less fortunate. My political philosophy springs directly from Jesus' teachings and is the reason I became active in the Democratic Party. Finally, in the qualification-to-speak category, I will seek to pre-empt the ad hominem disqualifiers. I am a sinner. I only ask for the same degree of forgiveness from my many critics that they were willing to grant George W. Bush for his transgressions.
As a candidate for public office, I chose not to place my beliefs in the center of my appeal for support because I am also a Jeffersonian; that is to say, I believe that one's religious beliefs - though they will and should affect one's outlook on public policy and life - are personal and that America is a secular, not a theocratic, republic. Because of this, it should concern us that declarations of "faith" are quickly becoming a condition for seeking public office.
Declarations of "faith" are abstractions that permit both voters and candidates to fill in the blanks with their own religious beliefs. There are two dangers here. One is the merging of church and state. The other is rank hypocrisy. Having claimed moral authority to achieve political victory, religious conservatives should be very careful, in their administration of the public trust, to live up to the standards they have claimed for themselves. They should also be called upon to address the teachings of Jesus and the prophets concerning care for the poor, the barriers that wealth presents to entering heaven, the blessings on the peacemakers, and the belief that no person should be left behind.
If we are to insert "faith" into the public dialogue more directly and assertively, let's not be selective. Let's go all the way. Let's not just define "faith" in terms of the law and judgment; let's define it also in terms of love, caring, forgiveness. Compassionate conservatives can believe social ills should be addressed by charity and the private sector; liberals can believe that the government has a role to play in correcting social injustice. But both can agree that human need, poverty, homelessness, illiteracy and sickness must be addressed. Liberals are not against religion. They are against hypocrisy, exclusion and judgmentalism. They resist the notion that one side or the other possesses "the truth" to the exclusion of others. There is a great difference between Cotton Mather and John Wesley.
There is also the disturbing tendency to insert theocratic principles into the vision of America's role in the world. There is evil in the world. Nowhere in our Constitution or founding documents is there support for the proposition that the United States was given a special dispensation to eliminate it. Surely Saddam Hussein was an evil dictator. But there are quite a few of those still around and no one is advocating eliminating them. Neither Washington, Adams, Madison nor Jefferson saw America as the world's avenging angel. Any notion of going abroad seeking demons to destroy concerned them above all else. Mr. Bush's venture into crusaderism frightened not only Muslims, it also frightened a very large number of Americans with a sense of their own history.
The religions of Abraham all teach a sense of personal and collective humility. It was a note briefly struck very early by Mr. Bush and largely abandoned thereafter. It would be well for those in the second Bush term to ponder that attribute. Whether Bush supporters care or not, people around the world now see America as arrogant, self-righteous and superior. These are not qualities of any traditional faith I am aware of.
If faith now drives our politics, at the very least let's make it a faith of inclusion, genuine compassion, humility, justice and accountability. In the words of the prophet Micah: "He hath shown thee, O man, what is good. What doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" And, instead of "O man," let's insert "O America."
Gary Hart, the former Democratic senator from Colorado, is the author, most recently, of"The Fourth Power: A Grand Strategy for the United States in the 21st Century." |
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| 11:37pm 03/11/2004 |
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This is what I have been telling people a lot for a while now:
http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=BarnaUpdateNarrow&BarnaUpdateID=173
Also, this just makes my decision to follow what God has called me to feel justified. He called me to lead youth and young adults through Biblical and moral teachings. This subject that is mentioned in this particular Barna report is exactly what I have been feeling is a growing problem (and, sadly, I have many friends and acquaintences who say I have been overreacting to underinformation. I do not see how getting information from God can be underinformation).
Quick note: Life is busy and eventful, but I mostly love it. Especially since I was in a bar Tuesday night meeting with my speech group (one member being the bartender, hence meeting at the bar) and I ended up witnessing to two people!
Okay. I need rest and some food ... not necessarily in that order, but I am tired enough that it could happen.
God bless!
Me.Dan |
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| A CALL TO PRAYER: |
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| 10:43pm 18/10/2004 |
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Please, friends and brothers and sisters, I ask for prayer.
The beautiful Holly has a cousin, Kim, that is quite ill. On top of this, Holly is quite a stressed nursing major.
This leads to praying for all students.
The wonderful Crystal is also incredibly stressed out. It is pretty much the "too-much-on-the-plate" thing. On top of that, her back is in pretty bad shape. She may be getting to a chiropractor soon.
I need a new job (no Sundays). I need wisdom and endurance ... in everything, really ...
Government and the elections. I mean ... come on! How stressful has this election been for those that do not care, let alone those involved! Plus, having Godly people in our government is a good thing.
More rest for "little" Danny. He (I) is rather tired ... ... but fulfilled ...
Blessings for God's children.
God bless,
Me.Dan |
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| Two new poems ... |
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| 09:35pm 07/10/2004 |
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Do Not, Little Child
Do not fret, little child,
The Father waits for your call.
Do not worry, little child,
The Father understands it all.
Do not give up, little child,
The Father is always there.
Do not give in, little child,
The Father always cares.
Do not feel alone, little child,
The Father draws near you.
Do not turn away, little child,
The Father needs you, too.
He called me, but I was not willing.
He called me, but I went my own way.
He called me, but I did my own thing.
He called me, but I wanted to go play.
He called me, but I was not listening.
He called me, but I felt it was too much to pay.
He called me, but I said “It’s not my calling.”
He called me, but I ran away.
I called Him, and He was willing.
I called Him, and He showed me the way.
I called Him, and He made me everything.
I called Him, and He did not play.
I called Him, and He was listening.
I called Him, and He showed me how He paid.
I called Him, and He said “Keep on calling!”
I called Him, and He said “I am here to stay.”
Okay. God bless,
Me.Dan |
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| 09:39am 24/09/2004 |
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First of all, I will update personal matters: School is going pretty well. Finances back on track (had some troubles for a moment). Girlfriend is still my favorite love (after God). Work is interesting as always.
Work was saved for last because it transitions into the next item.
Donna, one of the cashiers at Dollar Tree, will be taking Sarah, our manager, to church this weekend. We have both been "working on" her and praying for her. Also, Brian, whom had once worked for my mom and now for me at Dollar Tree, will be going with me this Sunday to Fuel at Eastview. It has been an amazing week in this area. He promised me last week that unless he was dead he would go. Over this week several people have come into the store and given him "Christian witness" materials. Through all of this he has become incredibly interested in what the Bible has to say, but he only has a King James Version and does not understand it. I talked with Pastor Mike and got him a "new" NIV Bible and a new copy of the book "The Purpose Driven Life" for him to keep. Praise God. Amen?
Finally, I will mention something that occured to me. I was reading science news through msn.com news (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6073284/) and found that they may have found proof of water on Mars by looking at a river in Spain. This highly acidic river has an orangish tint and is highly acidic. It also has many of the chemical features that have been found by the NASA rover Opportunity on Mars. The thing that made makes a body of water acidic is iron and sulfur contaminating it. When I read this I had my thought. Some people have theorized that the Garden of Eden was on another planet and that is why we cannot find it on Earth. If God loved to use fire and brimstone (brimstone being burning sulfur) to destroy things, maybe the Garden was on Mars, and just to make sure we could not get back to it and get paradise without earning it, God used His favorite, Old Testament-style of destruction to wipe it away.
That was my deep, possibly idiotic thought for today (at least for now).
God bless,
Me.Dan
Q.R. It could really be, though. God can do anything.
Q.Q.R. I love you all! |
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| 10:29am 15/09/2004 |
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I rather agreed with this, so I am posting it (I forgot to do so a couple of weeks ago):
Senator Elizabeth Dole at the 2004 Republican National Convention
Thank you ladies and gentlemen for your warm welcome. And folks, this time I promise to stay behind the podium! For giving me the privilege and honor of representing them in the United State Senate, let me say thank you to the folks of the great state of North Carolina. For giving America courageous leadership in times of trial, decisive leadership in times of crisis, we thank you, Mr. President. You have restored honor and dignity to the White House.
The Presidency tests all who have been there. It has tested you, sir. Your road has not been easy; your burden has not been light; yet you have displayed the peace that surpasses all understanding. We salute you.
We live in a time of stark contrasts. Four years ago America was about to tumble into recession. Today our economy is recovering. Four years ago, 911 was just an emergency phone number. Today, it is a call to arms. For Republicans, through these changes and challenges, who we are and what we believe has never wavered.
The party of Abraham Lincoln has not wandered in a desert of disbelief or uncertainty. Led now by President Bush, this Grand Old Party is still guided by a moral compass, its roots deep in the firm soil of timeless truths. We still believe that character is king. We saw that lived out in the life of Ronald Wilson Reagan.
Ronald Reagan, who called an empire evil and won the Cold War.
We still believe that liberty is the birthright of every soul. That's why in Afghanistan women were freed from virtual slavery and given access to books and education and a future. That's why in Afghanistan and Iraq the dark clouds of oppression have parted for 50 million people. And until they can clearly see the blue skies of freedom, we are standing by them!
Yet we know our true strength is not in our weapons. We are a great nation because we are a good people. And we are a good people because of what we believe.
We believe in the dignity of every life, the possibility of every mind, the divinity of every soul. This is our true north we believe in life. The new life of a man and woman joined together under God.
Marriage is important not because it is a convenient invention or the latest reality show marriage is important because it is the cornerstone of civilization, and the foundation of the family. Marriage between a man and a woman isn't something Republicans invented, but it is something Republicans will defend.
We value the sacred life of every man, woman, and child. We believe in a culture that respects all human life including the most vulnerable in our society, the frail elderly, the infirm, and those not yet born. Protecting life isn't something Republicans invented, but it is something Republicans will defend. We believe in the treasured life of faith.
Two thousand years ago a man said, " I have come to give life and to give it in full." In America I have the freedom to call that man Lord, and I do. In the United States of America we are free to worship without discrimination, without intervention and even without activist judges trying to strip the name of God from the Pledge of Allegiance;
from the money in our pockets; and from the walls of our courthouses. The Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, not freedom from religion. The right to worship God isn't something Republicans invented, but it is something Republicans will defend.
We believe in the compassionate life of service. Our enemies in this war on terror say that America is selfish, self-centered, self-obsessed. They do not know America. As the President said, "If you want to help in the war on terror, love your neighbor. Love your neighbor." Americans will cross town or cross the globe to help people they've never met and will never see again. So yes, if neighbors are hungry, we feed them; if a storm named Charley or Francis strikes, we help them. Serving others isn't something Americans invented, but it is a calling we'll always accept.
These are just some of the principles that guide our party. Some may call them values. Others may call them virtues. I like to think of them simply as the truths my parents and grandparents taught me. Despite what you might hear on the news, they are the shared truths of the American people. They are true from sea to shining sea from my hometown of Salisbury, North Carolina to the South Side of Chicago, from Little Havana to Bob Dole's Russell, Kansas, from Madison Square Garden to the Space Needle, from Crawford, Texas to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
The last century was known as the "American Century." In a single lifetime, I have seen Americans split the atom, abolish Jim Crow, eliminate the scourge of polio, win the Cold War, plant our flag on the surface of the moon, map the human genetic code and belatedly recognize the talents of women, minorities, the disabled and others once relegated to the shadows. We are now in the earliest years of a new century writing another chapter in American history.
And if we reaffirm these timeless and unchangeable truths, if we choose life and liberty, compassion and service, character and faith, we will honor those who came before us, and inspire the children of tomorrow. It will be said of us that we lived in a time of great challenge, and great hopes. And let it also be said that we loved our country and served her well and chose leaders wisely. That is what brings us to this convention, ladies and gentlemen.
I am honored to stand with you in support of a great American: our nominee our President . George W. Bush! |
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