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138 Years Ago Today Frances Havergal Wrote “Take My Life”

February 4, 2012 in History, Music with 1 Comment

February 4, 1874 - Frances Havergal was unable to sleep on the final evening of a five day visit to a home with ten other people. Her temporary insomnia was due to the joy in what God had been doing in that home during her visit. She described the 10 occupants as fitting into one of two categories of people.

First, some were unconverted. It is interesting to note that she commented that these unconverted folks had long been the subject of intercessory prayers. The other group of people were Christians who were living without any joy.

At the onset of her visit, Havergal indicated that God gave her a prayer, Lord, give me all in this house. God answered that prayer. In the space of those five days, the house became a house of rejoicing.

9 Sacred Neighbors Who Need Our Love

January 22, 2012 in Culture with 0 Comments

Today is the 30th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision by the Supreme Court. This decision and the support that many give this decision indicates that we need a fresh understanding that each and every human being has been created in the image of God. This means that life is sacred from the womb to the tomb.

This sacred approach is a demonstration of the second part of the Great Commandment given to us by Jesus – to love our neighbor. Below is a list of some of our neighbors. I am indebted to one of the elders in our church, Brace Case. Brace preached this morning along these lines and stirred my thought process. I have created this list keeping in mind that some have justified the demeaning of these neighbors.

Judge Pressler Needs to Get Out More Often

January 18, 2012 in Politics, SBC with 0 Comments

Associated Baptist Press – Pressler denies Santorum endorsement was rigged.

I know the ABP article is about Christians and politics, but my comments here do not concern the political sphere. Those more politically minded might have something to say either pro or con related to the meeting of religious conservatives in Texas. It took until the end of the article for me to do a double take at what I was reading.

Here I am, a person who spent 25 years in elective office — always elected as a Democrat — and for the first time in my life I don’t know one single person that supports the Democratic Party and Obama,” Pressler said.

“I personally believe that this group is destroying the nation economically and morally, and if it is allowed to continue we have a very bleak future as a country.” Pressler said of the current administration. “I travel a great deal and I see what’s going on in the world, and I shudder to think what is coming to America if we don’t stop this right now.

Former Mayor Abuses the Bible to Oppose Church

January 16, 2012 in Politics with 0 Comments

Ex-Boynton Beach mayor opposes megachurch moving to mall.

Behind our house is the Boynton Beach Mall. The sign for Sears illuminates our back yard with only a canal separating the mall and our yard. Recently Dillards closed one of the anchor stores and it sat empty through the holiday shopping season.

Christ Fellowship is a multi-site church in our county. That church has offered to rent the space for a satellite gathering. This idea does not sit well with the former mayor of Boynton Beach Jerry Taylor.

This is the commercial that ran during the NFL playoff game between the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots. It was put out by Focus on the Family.

John 3:16 Commercial

January 15, 2012 in Culture with 0 Comments

Two Lawyers Debate The Lord’s Prayer (Not Very Well)

January 13, 2012 in Politics with 0 Comments

In Wilmington, Delaware a court case is taking place in which four citizens of Sussex County are asking the that the county council refrain from the 41 year practice of council members beginning sessions by citing The Lord’s Prayer.

In this article I am not debating the merits of either side of the case. Instead I am focusing on the comments of the attorneys from both sides as they relate to this biblical prayer.

It is apparent that neither of the attorneys involved is learned in biblical studies. While it may be too much to hope that lawyers have a theological grounding, one would think that they would study the text they are debating. Sadly, their comments do not give any indication that they did so.

The Lost Art of Letter Writing

December 5, 2011 in Culture with 2 Comments

In a generation in which we have become accustomed to communicating with 140 characters or less, the art of writing personal letters has become almost extinct. This is a sad and unnecessary consequence of modern technology.

I was reminded of this today while watching an ESPN feature on Austin Box. Box was a linebacker for the Oklahoma Sooners from Enid, OK. He unexpectedly died this year. His family, teammates and fans have sorely missed him. In the ESPN story, mention of made of a tradition between Box and his father. Before each football game during his school days in Enid and in Norman, the elder Box would pen a letter to his son. He would write about football and more importantly about life. These letters obviously mattered to Austin since he kept all of them. During this football season, Mr. Box has chosen to read again the letters in lieu of being able to write new ones. His own letters have provided strength to this father.

A Prayer List for the President

November 4, 2011 in Politics, Prayer with 0 Comments

Some time ago some of my more conservative friends posted social media updates about praying for President Obama. These posts saddened me for several reasons. The first disappointment came when I saw post after post that began with a line like this, “I was driving behind a car with this bumper sticker.” Now unless this bumper sticker suddenly appeared overnight on cars around the country (which I doubt), the posting began with a lie. That’s not a great place to begin when what follows is something highly critical of somebody else.

Everybody’s Fine…Prompted to Pray

September 23, 2011 in Movies, Prayer with 3 Comments

I like it when I get a special opportunity to apply something I have written. This was the case yesterday. I began the day writing an article, Prompted by the Holy Spirit to Pray. In the evening I experienced a strong prompting to pray for my children. I was able to cry out to God on their behalf. I offered thanks for my kids and prayed for their holiness and happiness. The prompting came through an unusual source (at least for me) – a movie.

Suzie and I sat down last night to watch the movie, Everybody’s Fine. The movie starred one of my favorite actors, Robert DeNiro. The story is that of a widower who is anticipating a visit from his adult children. One by one they cancel and he embarks on a cross country trip to surprise each of them. He discovers that they all live lives differently than what he had in his mind. It is a stirring movie for most people. For me, it was more than that. It was a spiritual experience that ended with me praying fervently for my adult children.

Soul Surfer

July 29, 2011 in Movies with 0 Comments

P2P welcomes our newest sponsor. It is the movie, Soul Surfer. This movie is being released on DVD and Blue Ray on August 2, 2011. Here is the blurb about the movie:

SOUL SURFER is the inspiring true story of teen surfer Bethany Hamilton, who lost her arm in a shark attack and courageously overcame all odds to become a champion again, through her sheer determination and unwavering faith. The film features an all-star cast, including
AnnaSophia Robb and Helen Hunt, with Carrie Underwood in her film debut, and Dennis Quaid. In the wake of this life-changing event that took her arm and nearly her life, Bethany’s feisty determination and steadfast beliefs spur her toward an adventurous comeback that gives her the grit to turn her loss into a gift for others.

Who doesn’t love Oklahoma native, Carrie Underwood. Be sure to click on the link on the right side of the page (if you are reading this via RSS or email, you may need to click through to P2P website). Once you click over, you will be able to watch the movie trailer. After watching it myself, I know that my wife will need a few Kleenex tissues to get through the entire movie.