Why I like Adam McArthur…

Well, there are many reasons.  I’m going to present to you the most compelling one here.

I watched this 83 times already.  You have to watch it all the way through.  By the time he’s finished, I’m ready to run through a wall.

David

8 comments February 27th, 2007

A little shout out to Brent…

In honor of Brent’s tireless campaign to expose the truth about global warming, I’m posting this little tidbit from theneweditor.com via Instapundit. So it comes to you third-hand. Does that make this less interesting? Here we go:

“The Tennessee Center for Policy Research, in a press release, notes the following: (emphasis added) (via Instapundit)

[Al] Gore’s mansion, located in the posh Belle Meade area of Nashville, consumes more electricity every month than the average American household uses in an entire year, according to the Nashville Electric Service (NES).

In his documentary, the former Vice President calls on Americans to conserve energy by reducing electricity consumption at home.

The average household in America consumes 10,656 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year, according to the Department of Energy. In 2006, Gore devoured nearly 221,000 kWh—more than 20 times the national average.

Last August alone, Gore burned through 22,619 kWh—guzzling more than twice the electricity in one month than an average American family uses in an entire year. As a result of his energy consumption, Gore’s average monthly electric bill topped $1,359.

Gore’s extravagant energy use does not stop at his electric bill. Natural gas bills for Gore’s mansion and guest house averaged $1,080 per month last year.”

Enjoy your Oscar, Al. Enjoy the profits from the documentary. Personally, I think you’re making a big difference in the fight to urge Americans to live a more simple, stripped down (dare I say “fasted”?) lifestyle. Your example is a beacon of hope to all of us who endeavor to make millions a year, fly around in a private jet spewing much jet-fuel into the air, and burn through the energy of 24 American families.

I, personally, am challenged. I am not doing my part - I’m SUV shopping on Thursday, cranking my thermostat to 99 and leaving the fridge wide open all the time. And I owe it all to Al.

David

6 comments February 27th, 2007

Remains of Jesus found in Jerusalem…

Here is some news that should bring you great relief: James Cameron (director of Titanic) has found the remains of Jesus and His family!  The family members include Jesus Himself, of course, along with Mary, Mary Magdalene, Joseph, and Jesus’ son, Judah.  There will be a press conference on Monday in which Jim completely shatters all of Paul the Apostle’s careful arguments laid out in 1 Cor. 15 regarding the necessity of the resurrection and its centrality to the Christian faith (and eternal hope).  So, thanks to Jim’s tireless labor to prove his assertions through flawless DNA testing, we, above all men, are now most pitiable.

I’m being tongue-in-cheek, of course.  Here’s the link to the Time magazine wordcast on this.  I think I would resurrect the word “blog” to characterize the reporting being done in this case, but that’s neither here nor there.  This is like finding the ancient remains of someone with a tombstone that reads “Bill” and assuming it’s your distant relative, Bill Smith.  Since, you know, “Bill” matches and all.  No one else in that time could have possibly had such obscure names like “Joseph”, “Mary”, and “Joshua”.  It’s like, one in a million!  I’m left wondering what other stunning puzzles related to life Jim Cameron will solve for me next.  I’m hoping “meaning of life” is the next one he trashes, leaving me no option but to convert to nihilism.

I’m going to let out an exhausted sigh, go to a meeting, and then hopefully talk about “pure in heart” tonight sometime.

David

17 comments February 24th, 2007

Oh, but things turn around fast at IHOP-KC…

It’s suddenly a good day again. Not that it wasn’t earlier, but I hate working hard for nuthin’. So I was, as I said, a little grumpitty. But no more! Two of my favorite people are wordcasting. They’re just getting rolling, so give them time, but I’m excited to read thoughts on stuff related to things involving objects and other sundry items of middling interest to those who follow such things.

Who they be? Why, Molly Mosack and Sarah Sun Kim, of course! Check them out!

Make sure you ask Molly about her title.

Side note: Daniel said more cute stuff, and 24 needs to do a bit more than be boring for 59 minutes while being shocking for one. There you go.

David

11 comments February 23rd, 2007

Richard Dawkins, “absolute disaster”…

I was halfway through my favorite post of my series on the beatitudes, on the “pure in heart” and the audacious promise of Jesus to those who pursue Him wholeheartedly, when I walked away from my computer to pray for awhile. Then, when I came back, my post was gone. I don’t want to think about it anymore. I’ve been annoyed all day.

So I’ll vent my frustrations on Richard Dawkins, author of The God Delusion and one of the aggressive atheists I spoke of a while back. If you were interested in some of my comments last month, you might be mildly interested in this exchange between Michael Ruse (a hardened Darwinist who, realizing that proving atheism itself is untenable, calls himself a “skeptic”) and Daniel Dennett, author of Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon.

I don’t want to provide the link, because of a spot of inappropriate language (and the young readers that frequent this wordcast), but here’s a bit of the conversation:

Fifth, I think that you and Richard are absolute disasters in the fight against intelligent design – we are losing this battle, not the least of which is the two new supreme court justices who are certainly going to vote to let it into classrooms – what we need is not knee-jerk atheism but serious grappling with the issues – neither of you are willing to study Christianity seriously and to engage with the ideas – it is just plain silly and grotesquely immoral to claim that Christianity is simply a force for evil, as Richard claims – more than this, we are in a fight, and we need to make allies in the fight, not simply alienate everyone of good will.”

Now that is just plain fascinating to me.

David

5 comments February 23rd, 2007

These are the excellent ones…

The beatitudes constitute a whole garden of heart attitudes that are awakened within the believer at the new birth. Even before we “feel” or consciously and naturally express those heart attitudes, the work must begin immediately to care for and nurture those tender, immature plants. Before we receive a revelation of eternity, we must begin to mourn. Before we fully understand the aspects of independence and pride that drive us to react to the people and situations that irritate and wound us, we must work to learn meekness. Before we yearn and long for holiness, we must still live holy before the Lord in full obedience. Obviously, we will fail miserably early and often in this pursuit.

Not only are the beatitudes a simultaneous reality that we must grow and cultivate, but they also constitute the natural progression of our hearts before God as we journey from immaturity to maturity. Cultivating each successfully through the grace and power of the Holy Spirit makes it much easier in many ways to lay hold of the next one in the progression. A true revelation of our spiritual poverty and great need naturally can lead us to mourn deeply for the absence of God in our lives and homes. We are humbled in the process; thus we stand before God broken, weak, and truly dependent as a result. If the “plants” of spiritual poverty and mourning are healthy realities in our hearts, it doesn’t take as much work to be meek before God and man.

Then, along the way, we grow in our desires for the things of heaven. Supernatural longings lay hold of our hearts and we grow in thirst for the establishment of righteousness. Not only are we continually mourning the lack, but we now have a corresponding thirst for the fullness of God. Desire for righteousness and the things of God do not necessarily translate immediately into success in living obediently and diligently on a daily basis, however. Even now, the sting of failures past chasten us and check our prideful, self-congratulatory tendencies, as if the Beatitudes could be reduced to a kind of spiritual “checklist” to be accomplished on the way to glory.

(more…)

5 comments February 21st, 2007

Change what I hunger and thirst for…

I am not what would be known as a “dispensationalist”. Among other things, one who believes in dispensational theology believes in what is known as the “pre-trib” rapture theory. Any who have heard me teach and preach know my stand on that viewpoint. There are many other ideas associated with the pre-trib rapture theory that I disagree with beyond what I feel is the most grievous error, that being the idea that saints will be removed from trouble before the worst of it comes to the earth. The main idea, that there are different “dispensations” or eras in which God deals with humans differently, is one that is filled with error. Most do not connect with the details of dispensationalism; they only know and cling to the popularized idea that has filled the church in the west.

Thus, the dispensational idea that this is the “Laodicean hour” of the church has much truth to it; the great irony is that the theory itself has greatly contributed to the present lukewarm condition of the church. There is, however, a deeper reality fueling the current “pop theology” or the embrace of preaching and teaching that “tickles the ears” and comforts the carnal mind. The greater problem facing the church is a severe lack of hunger and thirst for righteousness.

As an intercessor, I readily and easily connect to this passage in Matt. 5:6. As I have undertaken the journey of prayer over the years I have seen a dynamic thing happen within me that has given me hope. My desires have changed. The things I want and long for have changed. I feel within me the beginnings of a little flame that represent an ache within me to see the righteousness of God established in my life and in my city. It is a real and holy aggression that has seized my heart, a stirring deep within my inner man that has provoked me to press and cry out in the place of prayer. I spend my days praying Colossians 1:9-11 -

(more…)

4 comments February 20th, 2007

The magnet of meekness…

One of the most overlooked phrases in the Bible is the promise that the “meek shall inherit the earth.” It’s too incredible of an idea to ponder in regards to the actual implications of inheriting the actual earth. The paradigm of my spiritual family allows for us to “skip the pleasantries”, as it were, and go right for the meat of the definition of meekness. That’s what I so enjoy and value about the place I live and work on a daily basis - for the thousands that interact with IHOP-KC on a regular basis, “inheriting the earth” is a normal idea. Many have long passed from being awed by that thought and have put their head down to grind away and take seriously the mandate to be meek before God and man.

It is still important, however, that we understand what constitutes one of the most critical phrases in the entire Bible. This phrase, that God delights in meekness to the extent that He would give the planet to the man or woman who walks in it, then becomes our window into an otherworldly value system. It punctuates what our Father in heaven believes is the most critical thing to have on a “global leadership” resume. What qualifies a man to rule before the Sovereign King of the Universe? What establishes us as worthy to receive such an incredible gift from Him? Is it automatic that every believer will receive this gift?

(more…)

10 comments February 19th, 2007

Speaking of S-Bald…

I asked Corey Russell to shoot me a few paragraphs to update the curious (translation: pretty much all of us) on how Stephen Baldwin’s weekend went while he was here with us for the Signs n’ Wonders Conference. Here’s what Corey sent me:

Stephen and his wife Kennya came out last Thursday and stayed through Sunday to attend the Signs and Wonders Conference, connect with me and Dana and see what the Lord was up to out here at IHOP. They were truly blown away with the worship, the community, the teaching and personal prophetic ministry that they received. They received a lot of product from the bookstore that will keep them busy for the next several years.

Stephen is launching a ministry this year that uses skateboarding, motocross and other extreme sports to draw people and in the midst of these events, he preaches the gospel calling them to Christ. The Lord has connected him and I in a very real way and it seems that the Lord is going to use us together in the future. He and his wife are humble, hungry and desperate to see this generation changed for Jesus. I believe they will be making periodic stops through here getting refreshed and refueled for the things that the Lord has called them to.

Blessings

Corey

3 comments February 18th, 2007

Wow! I am off tonight, just not right…

…I think it was my decision to contribute to J-Mot’s “random facts” search - what I consider to be THE “American Idol” of random facts. In fact, I have no idea if “J-Mot” is even legal in 13 states or even the Motlong household, but that’s where I find myself tonight. Just punchy. In the same vein, I just held a private vote in which I have decided to personally attempt to popularize “S-Bald” as the new name for Stephen Baldwin. I’m sure it will catch on.

(more…)

22 comments February 17th, 2007

Next Posts Previous Posts


Follow davidsliker on Twitter

dates

February 2010
M T W T F S S
« Dec    
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728

things

wordcasts

sites

feeds