I must admit, I have always liked you even though I think many would consider us far different. I am a guy who grew up in a black neighborhood, the projects if you will, and have grown up around blacks my whole life. I was even the pastor of a predominantly black church for a while. Now please don’t make the wrong assumptions here, I promise I am not the typical conservative Christian you see and hear on television, remember the first part of my introduction, I have always liked you, even though I haven’t always agreed with you. I think on the notion of Christianity it is sad how some make so many judgments. For example, I am sure you know of people like Barack Obama who also says he is a Born Again Christian and follower of Jesus Christ. I guess my point here is I don’t want to be discredited before you would hear what all I have to say.
I will try to be brief as I know your time, or the time of those reading this is valuable.
Growing up in the South and growing up in a black community I have always felt that our world should be in part about showing people the power and potential of love. Now don’t get me wrong I didn’t always believe this, but I honestly don’t think I have ever had a prejudiced bone in my body. I am 1/6th Cherokee or thereabouts and growing up in the community I did I always valued the importance of the individual, not the color of their skin. Again, God had to do some work in my life, while I was a decent kid in regards to getting along with people of different races; I wasn’t a decent kid in other areas. My life has changed though and I am pleased with that.
As I grew older I also became a person of faith who wanted to specifically show the world of the ability to love no matter what color and so forth, as a result my family adopted a mulatto child. Nathan was a little less than a month old when we got him. His birth mother had been raped and was a young teenager living at home. None of that really matters so much other than to say we made the commitment to raise Nathan to learn to love and learn about as much of his African American heritage as humanly possible. As a result he has done and seen many wonderful things. He is fully aware of my favorite poet, Langston Hughes, he has seen Danny Glover and met him while he plays the part of Langston, he has also seen and met Felix Justice one of the great actors who has performed many times as Dr. Martin Luther King JR and unlike many African American youth, he is fully aware of racial tensions and their history including the Tulsa Race Riots. Bottom line, Nathan is fully aware of his racial make up, proud of it, and we have made the point to do many things to allow him to be as black as he is white, remember we haven’t forgotten that he is after all mulatto.
One of the things we did with Nathan as a youth was to take him to see the wonderful play Master Harold and the Boys. I am sure you are aware of this play. At the time, Nathan must have been around 7 or 8 years old, he is 18 now so it was some time ago but the events of that night will never leave me.
Of course you are familiar with the play Master Harold and the Boys, it is actually one of the better plays to ever explore the relations between a white South African and his black servants. Within that play we see a relationship where we see what we perceive to be a good Master, but as the play progresses we see the relationship is not as good as we think. We see an attitude where things are not always as they seem and we see under rooted components of racism and their effects. All through out the play we hear the term “nigger.” Now let me be clear from this point on the usage of the word ‘nigger’, I hate that term, in my humble honest opinion it is the worst term in the English language. I hate it because I remember what it means; I remember how it was and still is used in many circles. I realize that for many this word don’t carry on the same meaning, I don’t understand that, as I do recall and am old enough to again, remember how the word was used and still is used in many circles.
Now back to the story of taking Nathan to see the play Master Harold and the Boys. After the conclusion of the play I will never forget an exchange between Nathan and me in the lobby of the theater. While there I asked Nathan what he thought of the play. I asked this while numerous people were standing around us. He said he liked it, but had a question. He asked, “What does that word mean that they kept using?” I knew which word he was talking about, but insisted that he tell me the word, “Tell me the word Nathan.”
“I don’t want to use it Papa, I don’t know if it is a good word or not.” He replied with sincerity.
“It’s okay son, go ahead and tell me the word you are talking about, what is it?” I asked while bending over and showing compassion and a desire to help him on this one.
“Nigger” Was the only word he spoke.
I responded with the historical aspect of the word, and with the meaning of the word as it was used in the play. I will never forget his response, and I think all of the people standing around in the theater lobby will not forget his reaction either. Nathan simply started crying and asking for an apology, I will never forget what his words were.
“I should have never said that word papa, I am so sorry, I should have never said that word.” He said this as tears started rolling down his cheeks and he started to sob. Nathan was then, and still is now, a carrying and loving child. As he has grown up and started listening to certain kinds of music, developing certain friends, they have perverted and misused the word, we have often times though, reminded him of those thoughts and feelings when he first used that word.
In my faith tradition, I believe in following the teachings of Jesus Christ, while many so called Christians have perverted his teachings and his beliefs, the person of Jesus is ultimately someone most people, from within most faiths respect. I guess here I am reminded of his words that unless we become like a little child we can’t see heaven. I also recall Jesus many teachings to love all people.
Whoopi, may I ask you and others this question, when using the word “nigger,” “nigga” or any version of it how does it show love. I recently saw the discussion with Elizabeth Hasselbeck on the television program The View. I have to say, I think Elizabeth was right on this one and that you and Sherri Shepherd made no sense in your argument, at least to me you didn’t. Again Whoopi, I have always liked and appreciated you, still do, but I have to ask you this, was that little boy in the lobby, who had seen the history in part of this word wrong when he said he should have never spoken that word?
We live in a world that as long as double standards are given, we will always have some level of confusion and conflict. Truth is, a double standard on the usage of this word is just not right. I know you will disagree, I am okay with that, but know this, there are children that sometimes have more wisdom than adults, I think at least in the case of my own son, in his own usage of this word, he showed a lot of wisdom, and I think he was right.
Thank you for your time, but after seeing and hearing all of the hoopla recently I had to write this. Hopefully it will at least get others to think about the usage of this word, or any other word that tears people apart and has a history in racism and hatred.
To see the video, double click on the video below, if the video don't appear, click on the following link, I have tried to include the entire discussion.
Now for those that do not know, make sure you check out the numerous articles and blogs by checking out the archives. If visiting The Virtual Pew or MySpace they are archived on the left hand side of the page. Scroll down to where you see newer or older listed under archives and then click there. There are hundreds of postings so make sure to check out the archives. You can also contact me for a free e-book pre edit version of The Keystone Kid at mike@thevirtualpew.com
You can visit http://www.thevirtualpew.com/ and on the front page down on the left side you sill see our store. Your purchase provides needed funds to The Virtual Pew. If you do not see something to purchase you can click on the search engine, (do not put anything in the search box at this time). You will be taken to Amazon where you can search for anything you desire. Hopefully you will consider a gift to The Virtual Pew.Now I get asked this quite often, Can we repost your blogs or articles? The short answer to that is, what an honor that you would ask, and by all means, spread the word.
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The following is a continuation of the sermon series from Mosaic Church. This is an adaptation in narrative form, with some modifications and changes from the sermon series I am teaching on. It is the first of a 3 part series that has as a focus, joy. Hopefully you get something out of it and it should be noted, while much of the thought is my own, I have had many from various ministry sources, as well as friends and even some from MySpace that have contributed to my thought. Enjoy and if there are questions or comments, don’t hesitate commenting on the particular web site you are seeing this, or to email me at mike@thevirtualpew.com
I guess the first thing I would ask is; how strong are you? Not just in a physical way, but a spiritual way. What I would like to do is challenge you to start a new Spiritual exercise program. In doing so there are several passages from The Bible that I will encourage you to bookmark and take a look at as time permits, those passages include; Ecclesiastes 2: 1-11, Psalm 118:24, Philippians 4:4, 1 Thessalonians 5: 12-18, Nehemiah 8:10, Luke 15:7
Now before we get started, here is what I want you to do, of course in your own private setting, but be honest with yourself and do it. Go to your bathroom or bedroom which ever room you have a large mirror, take off your clothes, and look at yourself. Now let me ask you the question, are you in good physical shape?
I have to admit, I am far from being in the best of physical shape, and have to say, I am far from the shape I used to be in. One of the reasons is I don’t exercise like I should. I see my son; see the hard work he puts in for his wrestling and activities, and kind of marvel at the physical shape he is in. That said, I also realize that it takes work to get in pristine condition. Exercise, dedication, and commitment among other things are involved. While it takes these things to get into great physical shape, we must also recognize, it takes these kinds of effort to get into great spiritual shape.
One of the things that is lacking among many who call themselves Christians, or who are followers of Jesus, is that we aren’t in the best spiritual shape. In fact, often times, people seem depressed and not very happy. One of the things that is lacking, that we all need, that is important to share the value of our faith, if Christian, is the aspect of joy. I know of very few people who don’t want to be more joyful. Those that I do know aren’t very fun to be around; most of us know some of those people. Would you like to have more joy? Would you like to be happier in all things, not just a few? If the answer to those questions is yes, then are you willing to start a new exercise program? One of the first things I would want you to understand. Joy is not necessarily happiness. In fact, I recently read a statement I strongly agree with, it read; “Happiness depends on happenings, Joy depends on Jesus."
I think the above statement is very true, or at the very least has been true from my own experiences and spiritual journey. It is important to realize, there is a tremendous difference between happiness and joy. One does not require the other, although one can benefit the other.
Mosaic is a church that has as a part of it’s affiliation an association with the Church of God in Anderson. A part of their statement of faith states from their web site:
In a miraculous way, that commitment to Christ is rewarded in the believer with a deep feeling of peace that C. S. Lewis has described as "surprised by joy!" The joy of the Lord is not one of temporary hilarity; rather it is the peaceful inner assurance that God is with me and I am with God—because of Christ. The experience of God working in our lives to forgive and redeem us begins as you and I confess our sins and accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. The experience is described well by Bill and Gloria Gaither: He touched me, O He touched me, And O the joy that floods my soul; Something happened, and now I know, He touched me and made me whole.
As I read this statement for the first time, I begin to wonder, Joy - What is it? As I processed that thought I came to the following conclusions.
First let’s understand what joy is not. It is not a superficial happiness. In other words, joy and happiness are not synonymous with each other. We can all experience aspects of happiness and joy, but joy is not contingent on one being happy.
Next, understand, joy is not to be faked. Many put on a happy face, a happy face even when they aren’t happy. We see it all of the time, an example is we when often see a pat answer and smile when someone asks how another is doing. The seemingly consistent answer, even when we know it is not true, is “I’m doing fine, how are you?”
Joy is not a fleeting expression that comes and goes. It isn’t turned on or off by the whimsical experiences we face from day to day. While there may be moments where it is hard to be joyful, joy is an attitude that is more constant than not, a part of our nature more than not.
In the above process, one must realize, joy is not feeling that is dependent on pleasure and decadence. As mentioned in the earlier statement, at least as I have experienced it, my joy comes from Jesus, not happenings. There is again, a huge difference. My joy is not contingent on the things that are happening around me.
Joy is not the absence of suffering; it is the presence of God. This is a serious mistake many who follow Jesus make, it is also a serious mistake many make when looking at and contemplating the spiritual aspects of Christianity. When considering that joy comes from a place much deeper than the things we posses, or the dreams so many of us aspire for, we can take into consideration the words from Ecclesiastes 2: 1-11 which helps illustrate from a Biblical perspective what joy is not.
Ecclesiastes 2: 1-11 (1) I said to myself, "Have fun and enjoy yourself!" But this didn't make sense. (2) Laughing and having fun is crazy. What good does it do? (3) I wanted to find out what was best for us during the short time we have on this earth. So I decided to make myself happy with wine and find out what it means to be foolish, without really being foolish myself.
(4) I did some great things. I built houses and planted vineyards. (5) I had flower gardens and orchards full of fruit trees. (6) And I had pools where I could get water for the trees. (7) I owned slaves, and their sons and daughters became my slaves. I had more sheep and goats than anyone who had ever lived in Jerusalem. (8) Foreign rulers brought me silver, gold, and precious treasures. Men and women sang for me, and I had many wives who gave me great pleasure. (9) I was the most famous person who had ever lived in Jerusalem, and I was very wise. (10) I got whatever I wanted and did whatever made me happy. But most of all, I enjoyed my work. (11) Then I thought about everything I had done, including the hard work, and it was simply chasing the wind. Nothing on earth is worth the trouble.
In the above passage from Ecclesiastes we can see, that according to the author, he had virtually everything, yet that didn’t satisfy. How different is the above passage from those we know and see in our society today, especially in the West. It seems as if we have daily examples of how wealthy people, people with all of the trappings of, “nice things” don’t find happiness in those things. The author in fact, indicates that the things really aren’t worth the trouble. Nothing can replace the joy that comes from Christ.
Author Walter Wangerin Jr. wrote: "The difference between shallow happiness and a deep, sustaining joy is sorrow. Happiness lives where sorrow is not. When sorrow arrives, happiness dies. It can't stand pain. Joy, on the other hand, rises from sorrow and therefore can withstand all grief. Joy, by the grace of God, is the transfiguration of suffering into endurance, and of endurance into character, and of character into hope, and the hope that has become our joy does not (as happiness must for those who depend upon it) disappoint us."
Joy is an attitude of the heart and for those of us who are followers of Jesus we will find it as a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Joy is not merely happiness but much more.
Joy, for those who follow after Jesus, and who have committed themselves to his leadership and teachings is a lasting truth written on our hearts, hearts which are grounded in gratitude, thanksgiving, and hope. Joy is the deepest form of happiness, because it is a celebration, an eternal song. It is evidence of the hope we have that is beyond this world.
CS Lewis wrote: “All joy emphasizes our pilgrim status, always reminds, beckons, and awakens desire.”
This can help us start to move to the point where we better understand what joy is. It is in large, our longing, our desire for eternity. We have to be mindful of the things God ultimately has for us. There is no shame in contemplating, thinking about Heaven. While I may have financial issues now, I won’t in Heaven. While I may have relational problems now, I won’t in Heaven. While I may be tired, broken down and sorrowful now, I won’t in Heaven. While I may have difficulties paying the bills, high gas prices, or mortgage payment now, I won’t in Heaven. Heaven is the ultimate thing that God has for us who choose to follow him and accept his son Jesus Christ. While I realize that things on planet earth may stink for the moment, Heaven awaits me.
Joy is a deep thanksgiving and happiness for all God has for me, but it is also a commandment. In other words, God wants us to experience joy. The joy we experience helps us bare and deal with all of the difficulties we face now. It also helps to display the ultimate goodness of God to a people who are searching for an escape to all of the difficulties and curve balls life throws us.
We must all understand, whether followers of Jesus or not, joy is also God's will for each of us. God does not want people to live in tough times. He wants us to know that he loves us so much that he wants us to focus on what we will have, the ultimate gifts he will provide.
Joy is also a fruit of the spirit. In other words, when we give our lives to Christ, His Holy Spirit comes into our life and we experience joy. Joy is one of the proofs that God is real, and one of the proofs that Jesus still lives. Despite the tough and difficult times, the Holy Spirit gives us the ability to find and recognize joy.
Joy must always be grounded in truth, gratitude/thanksgiving & hope. When we do this, we make the expression of praise towards God and others complete.
I love the following expression, it states: “Joy is peace dancing, and peace is joy at rest.” When we experience joy in our lives, it is as if we have found peace and as if our spirits dance. A celebration of happiness that we can all experience with the joy that comes from God.
Some things never change, it seems as if we focus and strive after the things we think will give us pleasure and joy. We chase pleasure, and pursue happiness, but as Christians we have a deeper, more beautiful calling, we are called to JOY!
There are several passages that help illustrate the journey and attitude toward joy we are taught in the Bible. Some of those follow.
Psalm 118:24 This day belongs to the LORD! Let's celebrate and be glad today. Philippians 4:4 Always be glad because of the Lord! I will say it again: Be glad.
Now while we strive for joy; the deepest happiness of all is also found in suffering. In other words, it is sometimes from our suffering that we really come to a complete understanding and appreciation of the joy God provides.
Paul wrote many letters while in prison. Philippians uses the words rejoice and joy more than any other. These words were written while Paul waiting to be executed and in chains! Paul uses the words rejoice over and over again, empathetically expressing his joy despite the conditions he was in, and the future that seemingly awaited him. We can use Paul as an example to encourage us that rejoicing, even in tough times, is a way to exercise our joy experience. As we exercise our experiences, then we have more joy, it is more evident, and when looking into the mirror, we will realize that God is with us, building us and molding us into the people he wants us to be, and ultimately the person that will experience more joy than ever before.
I could ask you, was Paul delusional? No I think he just understood God's will for us. He knew from his own personal experiences what God could ultimately do if we allowed him. In fact, if looking carefully at Paul’s words we can easily see, we are commanded to joy.
Our cultural understanding of repetition in language is different than that of the world which Paul initially wrote his letters. The repetitions of the word rejoice is like adding three exclamation marks to the end of the sentence. Paul means to quite seriously REJOICE! And to rejoice is to take joy in whatever experiences we are facing.
Some may ask what are some additional ways to exercise joy? We can see some of those from looking at the Bible and various life situations.
1 Thessalonians 5: 12-18 (12) My friends, we ask you to be thoughtful of your leaders who work hard and tell you how to live for the Lord. (13) Show them great respect and love because of their work. Try to get along with each other. (14) My friends, we beg you to warn anyone who isn't living right. Encourage anyone who feels left out, help all who are weak, and be patient with everyone. (15) Don't be hateful to people, just because they are hateful to you. Rather, be good to each other and to everyone else. (16) Always be joyful (17) and never stop praying. (18) Whatever happens, keep thanking God because of Jesus Christ. This is what God wants you to do.
When we become Christians we spend hours searching for God's will in our lives. One of the few times the phrase' for this is God's will for you' is used is in reference to joy! It is GOD'S will for us to have joy. Did you hear that? This is one of those few times where God’s will for our life is clear!
There are several key points to being able to do this that we can get from this passage, some of those points includes: We need to be thoughtful to our leaders. Note here, from this passage we should also show our leaders respect and love. Then there is the need for all of us to try to get along with each other, but when need be, to confront each other when we do wrong, in love. In that we should encourage each other, especially those who feel left out. We should help the weak, be patient, and make the effort to not be hateful to anyone, even those who are hateful to us. The lessons don’t stop there though, we read, we should be good to each other, always be joyful, never stop praying, and no matter what, no matter how bad or how good life seems to be, thank God!
Nehemiah 8:10 Nehemiah told the people, “Enjoy your good food and wine and share some with those who didn't have anything to bring. Don't be sad! This is a special day for the LORD, and he will make you happy and strong."
Here in the above passage we see additional ways to practice joy. I love the first example, it is one a lot of people enjoy and appreciate, we should eat together, share with one another, celebrate together, and last but not least from this passage, share and give to those less fortunate. On this passage I must state, it is hard to find joy in today’s world, especially with the rising costs of gas and the overall implications of that in rising costs across the board. I firmly believe, if followers of Jesus were to put the above practices into practice, not just with each other, but with a struggling world, searching for spiritual truths, our message about the love of Jesus would be a lot more receptive to people. What a wonderful world it would be if those who don’t know God, don’t believe in the salvation offered by Jesus would see us as a people who cared for, loved, and served even those who don’t hold to the same beliefs. Instead, many see those who say they follow Jesus as a bunch of judgmental, hypocritical jerks who could really care less for those who have difficulty. While we get passionate about speaking up against homosexuals, whatever political party we disagree with, or those lazy poor people, the truth is, we forget about the mission and message of Jesus. How sad is that, no wonder we don’t show that we are a people of joy, we are too busy being a people of judgment.
Luke 15:7 Jesus said, "In the same way there is more happiness in heaven because of one sinner who turns to God than over ninety-nine good people who don't need to."
From the above passage we can see another joy exercise. We need to share Jesus with those who don’t know him. We need to cause Heaven to throw parties. We can find true joy when we implement the message and mission of Jesus into our own lives. I love the concept presented by Mother Teresa here. She stated: “Joy is a net of love by which you catch souls.” How involved are we who call ourselves followers of Jesus, or Christians at casting nets of love in order that we can help introduce the souls of all people to the love and hope provided by Jesus.
There is an old Sunday school song that says: Joy is a flag flown high from the castle of my heart, for the king is in residence there. Let it fly in the sky let the whole world know, that the king is in residence there. A question I have, is, how many of us are letting that joy flag fly high from our heart? If we aren’t doing it, if we aren’t practicing the things God has told us to from the Bible, is it any wonder that we may not be experiencing joy?
The following is a letter written by Mehdi Dibaj who was an Iranian man who was first imprisoned, then released and later murdered for his faith in Jesus Christ. He exemplifies the joy each of us can find if we exercise our faith in Jesus, put into practice, and then move on from there. In a letter to his son, he wrote:
These days there are celebrations everywhere. People outside celebrate the day of Revolution and you, my son, are celebrating your birthday today (17 years old).
Inside my prison cell I am celebrating my forty-third year of becoming a Christian and today I am celebrating the entering of the eighth year of the test of my faith in Jesus Christ our Lord.
There is a celebration and joy within my heart. I thank my loving God ever so much that He accounted me worthy to be here in prison for more than seven years now because of my love and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my Christian brothers and sisters who have supported me with their prayers and love, so that the victory should belong to the Lord.
Victory is yours, risen Jesus, Son of the Creator, our Redeemer.
Are you willing to exercise in the things you need to in order to be the joyful person God wants you to be? Or are you going to keep on being miserable? In closing I am going to use a poem by W. Roger Lee. He contributes on a regular basis to our web site, http://www.thevirtualpew.com/ I appreciate these words from one of those contributions. Look To Christ for Joy
Don’t wait until tomorrow to be happy, As if happiness were a land far away, For it can be found in this moment, If your heart is grateful for today.
For happiness is not a place or thing, Rather it’s a content state of mind, And for all who look to Christ for joy, His happiness they are sure to find.
Now for those that do not know, make sure you check out the numerous articles and blogs by checking out the archives. If visiting The Virtual Pew or MySpace they are archived on the left hand side of the page. Scroll down to where you see newer or older listed under archives and then click there. There are hundreds of postings so make sure to check out the archives. You can also contact me for a free e-book pre edit version of The Keystone Kid at mike@thevirtualpew.com
You can visit http://www.thevirtualpew.com/ and on the front page down on the left side you sill see our store. Your purchase provides needed funds to The Virtual Pew. If you do not see something to purchase you can click on the search engine, (do not put anything in the search box at this time). You will be taken to Amazon where you can search for anything you desire. Hopefully you will consider a gift to The Virtual Pew.
Now I get asked this quite often, Can we repost your blogs or articles? The short answer to that is, what an honor that you would ask, and by all means, spread the word.
Here is our contact information
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Click on the following links to learn more about The Virtual Pew
Today is a kind of strange day, it is my birthday. I think I have probably written on this in the past, but felt the need to express my thoughts. It is a subject I really don’t like to dwell on too much.
June 9 was my 49th birthday. That sounds kind of strange because I don’t feel like I am a year away from being 50. I still feel young, but realize that physically, I am not who I used to be. There are other reasons the day is strange though.
As a kid, I never really enjoyed birthdays. There is a photo of me during one of my years in a foster home with my sister where I have a birthday cake with some of the candles blown out by my sister. I don’t remember the time that photo was taken, I don’t remember much about birthdays at all.
One of the issues was growing up the way I did. With the abuse there just weren’t many happy memories from my childhood or experiences. Another thing, now that I am older is I also realize that my birthday is close to Fathers day. With a birthday, and fathers day close to each other, I fill up with confusing and sometimes disturbing images.
I have never sent a Father’s Day card because I never knew my father, never had a father. Between that, and the difficult childhood I don’t comprehend things the way some do that have had great childhoods.
Here is what I know, I don’t appreciate people trying to over spiritualize my experiences. I don’t think anyone who has a difficult time as a child, or has never had a father really appreciates the over spiritualization of tough times. That don’t mean I think those people are being mean or anything like that, I just don’t think they fully understand what they are saying, or the feelings some go through. Imagine, never knowing a father, never having a pleasant childhood. It is sad that people would rob a child of things like this, but truth is, sometimes life is tough, and people experience and put others through difficult times sometimes at their own fault, at others when they don’t mean to.
As I have gotten older, I have realized, my mother had a tough time of her own. While I don’t, nor will I ever have a “typical” relationship with my mother, (for many good reasons) I have had to learn to understand that she is someone God loves. I desire her to come to know Jesus in a full, meaningful way. Why? Because my own background and experiences with my mother don’t change the fact that Christ loves her. I have realized her own difficulties, and demons she has had to deal with. We have spoken about some of those, and need to speak more about others.
There is something else I realize though, I realize God is good, and so are many of those who I have come into contact with, Christian or not. Today has been an example of that.
Today was a tough day but it wasn’t all bad. I come into work and see that some of the boys and staff have decorated the place in honor of my birthday. I appreciate it, because the boys also realize why certain things like birthdays, and father’s day can be tough as they are going through some of the same things I did as a kid. There were other things today. I was reminded by both Christian and non Christian friends that they appreciate and love me. For one who had difficulty experiencing love, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that.
There have been those at MySpace, The Wrestling Talk Forums, Work and other places that have shown me love. From Christians to Atheists, and from the rich, to the poor I have heard from many. I got a few phone calls from friends and emails from others. I also got a phone call from my sister who I haven’t spoken to in several months.
As I took the call from my sister, she sang to me, she sang and she cried as she shared her love. I was reminded, my sister and I experienced things that most can only imagine, and even then, and thankfully, most cannot come close to imagining the difficulty we went through. I love my sister, although we don’t get to spend time together, and we have a different kind of relationship. I left home early on during the difficult times; she stayed in the home several years longer. I got to go to college, and she joined the Army, although she was and is much smarter than I. I could go on and on, I struggled for years as to why God blessed me, and my sister had such a difficult life. She was largely responsible for getting me into a church; she got me to start thinking about God. It seems as if my life has been blessed and she has had such a hard life, yet, she still gives, she still loves. If I could I would move my sister to Kansas, give her so much and see to it that she was so blessed, she deserves it. To know that of all people, my sister loves me, and experienced much of the same type of difficulty as I is special. I have also realized though, there are so many others that have felt and experienced the same types of tough times.
I had to put a few words down. I will likely end up doing two articles today because I have some things to catch up on. I wasn’t planning on writing this, but felt I needed to. I don’t know what I am really trying to say other than thank you to those who have loved, prayed for and been there for me as I get older. Birthdays are easier because of you. I wish I could do more for others. I wish all children could know a loving father, or a loving mother. I wish families could grow closer instead of apart. I wish I could spend time with my family who live in other states. I wish I could give each of you, who have been a part of my life, a hug and a big thank you. I can’t do all of those things, but I can tell you I care, and I am grateful. I can tell you I will pray for you and do what I can. Words may not seem like much and I am careful of the words I try to use. That said, Thank you, thank you so much, you continue to remind me that God is real as I honestly don’t believe that I deserve the love and gratitude that people show. I hope to be a reflection of the love God has for us all. May we all come to know love, not in a superficial way, but in a way that involves the perfect love from God.
Here is a video that kind of sums up my feelings, I know a lot of people don't like Sinead O Conner, but I think something is going on with her. Double click on the video below, if the video don't appear, just click on the link.
Now for those that do not know, make sure you check out the numerous articles and blogs by checking out the archives. If visiting The Virtual Pew or MySpace they are archived on the left hand side of the page. Scroll down to where you see newer or older listed under archives and then click there. There are hundreds of postings so make sure to check out the archives. You can also contact me for a free e-book pre edit version of The Keystone Kid at mike@thevirtualpew.com
You can visit http://www.thevirtualpew.com/ and on the front page down on the left side you sill see our store. Your purchase provides needed funds to The Virtual Pew. If you do not see something to purchase you can click on the search engine, (do not put anything in the search box at this time). You will be taken to Amazon where you can search for anything you desire. Hopefully you will consider a gift to The Virtual Pew.
Now I get asked this quite often, Can we repost your blogs or articles? The short answer to that is, what an honor that you would ask, and by all means, spread the word.
Here is our contact information
The Virtual Pew P.O. Box 17731 Wichita, KS 67217
Click on the following links to learn more about The Virtual Pew
Now for those that do not know, make sure you check out the numerous articles and blogs by checking out the archives. If visiting The Virtual Pew or MySpace they are archived on the left hand side of the page. Scroll down to where you see newer or older listed under archives and then click there. There are hundreds of postings so make sure to check out the archives. You can also contact me for a free e-book pre edit version of The Keystone Kid at mike@thevirtualpew.com
You can visit http://www.thevirtualpew.com/ and on the front page down on the left side you sill see our store. Your purchase provides needed funds to The Virtual Pew. If you do not see something to purchase you can click on the search engine, (do not put anything in the search box at this time). You will be taken to Amazon where you can search for anything you desire. Hopefully you will consider a gift to The Virtual Pew.
Now I get asked this quite often, Can we repost your blogs or articles? The short answer to that is, what an honor that you would ask, and by all means, spread the word.
Here is our contact information
The Virtual Pew P.O. Box 17731 Wichita, KS 67217
Click on the following links to learn more about The Virtual Pew
Today I think I am going to go off the beaten path and do something a little different, a little off schedule, and a little pointed and short, (at least for me). I am going to comment and provide some thoughts that came from a recent Daily Bible Reading provided on The Virtual Pew’s web site forums. For those that don’t know, The Virtual Pew does a daily post where you can read passages from the Bible in the Contemporary English Version. If reading those passages on a daily basis, you will be able to read the Bible in a year. It normally has between 3 and 5 chapters, and takes about 30 minutes at the most. I like the translation as it is easy to read and easy to understand.
One of the passages I recently read was from the Old Testament book of 1 Samuel. It starts out with the story of the little shepherd boy David, who later became the greatest king in Israel’s history. King David was chosen by God to be the king of Israel. While God didn’t want Israel to have a king, he allowed them to have one he selected.
Saul was a king God started having trouble with. Saul started focusing on things other than what God wanted, and begin to disobey God. As a result of God’s frustration, God told his prophet Samuel that he had had enough of Saul. God was going to pick a new king for Israel.
In the process, Samuel was afraid that Saul would kill him for picking or having a part in picking a new king. God made it clear though as to what his expectations were.
As the story goes Samuel ended up going to Bethlehem to meet with various leaders. They were concerned as to the reason Samuel was there, but Samuel reaffirmed them that his visit was friendly.
In this group of leaders was a man named Jesse who had several sons, one named Eliab. He was tall, handsome, muscular the whole bit. Samuel assumed this was the man God was going to choose to be king. Then God said something unique, something we can all learn from. God said, "Samuel, don't think Eliab is the one just because he's tall and handsome. He isn't the one I've chosen. People judge others by what they look like, but I judge people by what is in their hearts."
Let me ask the question, how many times do we judge people by the way they look? Unfortunately, I think the answer to that for most people is most of the time. We may see someone with tattoos, long hair, any number of body piercings among other things, and assume, we know what they are like. I’ll never forget after getting my first tattoo some years ago now, I had a Christian friend tell me that they had tried to teach their children to stay away from people with tattoos. That never felt right, but it is the perception many people still have.
I think an important lesson here is that if God judges the heart, if it don’t matter so much to God what someone looks like on the outside, why does it matter to the rest of us? Why do we take the positions we do on various issues, whether it be someone’s weight, length of hair, body piercings, or any other number of issues we tend to judge on? Why don’t we make the effort to get to know someone’s heart? I don’t know to be honest, I guess some people think they know more or know better than God. Hopefully most of us don’t fall into that category; hopefully we get to know people, know where they are coming from, and then, maybe, just maybe, get to know their hearts before we cast judgment.
Now in the context of how the passage reads, I am including it here, read, enjoy, cast rebuttal, but do so with Scripture within the context of how that scripture is used. Otherwise, may we all find ways to get to know people, and realize the heart is the true measure of someone, not just how they look. Lord knows we have enough preachers in their nice suits doing nothing. Give me one any day who loves the way Jesus told us to, and one who is willing to get dirty as they share that love with others. Heck, forget just preachers, give me followers of Jesus who are willing to practice that concept.
Now that passage from 1 Samuel 16.
1 Samuel 16 (1) One day he said, "Samuel, I've rejected Saul, and I refuse to let him be king any longer. Stop feeling sad about him. Put some olive oil in a small container and go visit a man named Jesse, who lives in Bethlehem. I've chosen one of his sons to be my king."
(2) Samuel answered, "If I do that, Saul will find out and have me killed."
"Take a calf with you," the LORD replied. "Tell everyone that you've come to offer it as a sacrifice to me, (3) then invite Jesse to the sacrifice. When I show you which one of his sons I have chosen, pour the olive oil on his head."
(4) Samuel did what the LORD told him and went to Bethlehem. The town leaders went to meet him, but they were terribly afraid and asked, "Is this a friendly visit?"
(5) "Yes, it is!" Samuel answered. "I've come to offer a sacrifice to the LORD. Get yourselves ready to take part in the sacrifice and come with me." Samuel also invited Jesse and his sons to come to the sacrifice, and he got them ready to take part.
(6) When Jesse and his sons arrived, Samuel noticed Jesse's oldest son, Eliab. "He has to be the one the LORD has chosen," Samuel said to himself.
(7) But the LORD told him, "Samuel, don't think Eliab is the one just because he's tall and handsome. He isn't the one I've chosen. People judge others by what they look like, but I judge people by what is in their hearts."
To see a different retelling of the story of David and Goliath, just double click on the video below. If the video don't appear, just click on the link.
Now for those that do not know, make sure you check out the numerous articles and blogs by checking out the archives. If visiting The Virtual Pew or MySpace they are archived on the left hand side of the page. Scroll down to where you see newer or older listed under archives and then click there. There are hundreds of postings so make sure to check out the archives. You can also contact me for a free e-book pre edit version of The Keystone Kid at mike@thevirtualpew.com
You can visit http://www.thevirtualpew.com/ and on the front page down on the left side you sill see our store. Your purchase provides needed funds to The Virtual Pew. If you do not see something to purchase you can click on the search engine, (do not put anything in the search box at this time). You will be taken to Amazon where you can search for anything you desire. Hopefully you will consider a gift to The Virtual Pew.
Now I get asked this quite often, Can we repost your blogs or articles? The short answer to that is, what an honor that you would ask, and by all means, spread the word.
Here is our contact information
The Virtual Pew P.O. Box 17731 Wichita, KS 67217
Click on the following links to learn more about The Virtual Pew
The following is from a message presented at Mosaic Church on Sunday May 4, 2008. Additional messages will appear at various links including The Virtual Pew Sermon links available either from this article or from visiting http://www.thevirtualpew.com/ web site. Please feel free to pass along the links to these messages or to post on various message boards. Hoopefully they can be of benefit to those needing them, and as always, thanks so much for visiting The Virtual Pew.
Watch and enjoy this short video. If you can’t get the video to work just click on the following link:
Washing feet can be a fun thing as illustrated in the video above, but are you willing to clean out the toe jam from someone else?
In my last message you heard about the story of Anthony, my story. Today I want you to know what you should expect of me as a pastor, or any pastor for that matter. I know it will be different than what some are used to but I believe the concept is appropriate.
First, understand this; many have a misperception of what a pastor is. A pastor can also be compared to a teacher, a helper or even a coach. I personally like the concept of the pastor as a coach. In the Greek, the language used to write most of the New Testament, the word for Pastor, Elder, and Leaders is essentially the same word. This word does not generally apply to the majority of people in the congregation, often the word most associated with them is Disciples, or Ministers. This said though, I want to keep the focus on the pastor, elders, and other leaders in the church. For all practical purposes, consider them essentially the same as a coach. On this point I also want to mention, that when leading, we should learn from the ultimate leader, Jesus Christ.
Philippians 2:5 states; Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.
When looking at the mind of Jesus, or the person of Jesus, we must consider who Jesus was. All through out the New Testament we see that Jesus is given different names, and has different associations. Many of those include; Advocate, Almighty, Alpha and Omega, Author of Life, Author and Perfecter of our Faith, Author of Salvation, Beginning and End, Blessed and only Ruler, Chief Cornerstone, Chief Shepherd, Christ, Creator, Deliverer, Faithful Witness, First and Last, Good Shepherd, Great Shepherd, Head of the Church, Lord of All, Savior, Son of God, plus over 100 other titles all giving respect to the person and role of Jesus.
One of the concepts of Jesus we hear often about is the roles associated with being a shepherd. In this understanding we must realize that Jesus is the Chief Shepherd, and the elders, leaders and pastors within a church are the Under Shepherd. The role model to follow is in fact, Jesus.
Let’s look at the following passage from the Bible, it is one some call the last supper. While there are different variations of this passage in different books of the Bible, we want to look at one that shows the person of Jesus like few others.
John 13: 1-17 (1) It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.
(2)The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. (3) Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; (4) so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. (5) After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. (6) He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?"
(7) Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand."
(8) "No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."
(9) "Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!"
(10) Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you." (11) For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.
(12) When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. (13) "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. (14) Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. (15) I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. (16) I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. (17) Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
In vs. 1 Jesus is going to show his followers the “Full Extent of His Love.” This was a lasting impression Jesus wanted to leave for all of his followers.
We need to realize that in vs. 2, that through this experience Judas Iscariot, the one who would ultimately betray Jesus was present. From this perspective we should understand, Christ does not put conditions on those he serves.
In vs. 3-5, Jesus takes on a role normally reserved for slaves. It is as if he becomes a slave and serves those at the table, even Judas.
In vs. 6 – 10, we see one of my favorite passages in all of Scripture, we see the exchange with Peter were he says, “not just feet, but all of me.” As we look at this passage, as we think of Peter, are we willing to offer our all? Are we willing to serve all of the needs of those we come into contact with?
Many have felt abandoned by the church because the church has forgotten about serving all of those needing served. The Virtual Pew, and Mosaic are churches built on a concept of being for all people, even those who have given up on church. Are we willing to serve all? Including the dirtiest of the dirty?
In vs. 12 – 16, Jesus gives clarity; he lets his disciples know he is their “teacher” and their “Lord.” Jesus has expectations, but he is willing to set the standard, he has done what he is telling his leaders to do. Those of us, who are leaders must be willing to do what Jesus commanded his disciples to do, serve, and become slaves to those we lead. Anything else is putting us above Jesus.
In vs. 17 we see that when leaders are willing to serve the congregation, and the congregation is willing to serve their communities, the church and individuals will be blessed. Jesus illustrates this point again, in: Mark 10: 44, 45
(44) And if you want to be first, you must be everyone's slave. (45) The Son of Man did not come to be a slave master, but a slave who will give his life to rescue many people.
A Question I have is, is the Leadership, congregation, willing to wash the feet of those we come into contact with by serving them, even those who would betray us and do us wrong?
In closing look at the following video, check out how one man made a decision to serve someone else, then notice the impact his willingness to serve has had on others. Just double click on the video, if the video don’t work, click on the following link.
In closing today, tell someone of your willingness to serve. Consider being a servant, and then pray while listening to the words from the following video. Again, if the video don’t work, just click on the link provided.
Now for those that do not know, make sure you check out the numerous articles and blogs by checking out the archives. If visiting The Virtual Pew or MySpace they are archived on the left hand side of the page. Scroll down to where you see newer or older listed under archives and then click there. There are hundreds of postings so make sure to check out the archives. You can also contact me for a free e-book pre edit version of The Keystone Kid at mike@thevirtualpew.com
You can visit http://www.thevirtualpew.com/ and on the front page down on the left side you sill see our store. Your purchase provides needed funds to The Virtual Pew. If you do not see something to purchase you can click on the search engine, (do not put anything in the search box at this time). You will be taken to Amazon where you can search for anything you desire. Hopefully you will consider a gift to The Virtual Pew.
Now I get asked this quite often, Can we repost your blogs or articles? The short answer to that is, what an honor that you would ask, and by all means, spread the word.
Here is our contact information
The Virtual Pew
P.O. Box 17731
Wichita, KS 67217
Click on the following links to learn more about The Virtual Pew
One of the reminders of my life is I have to look for the silver linings in the clouds to keep from experiencing the storms of life. In Kansas, we have many storms so we get used to the weather changing every few moments.
Recently my wife went outside to take off to school. I was catching a few zzzzz’s which is nice if you notice the hours I have been up lately. Well she comes back into the house, waking me up with a little hysteria to her voice. “Mike someone has robbed and vandalized the car.” It was something like that she said; she was waking me up so my memory may not be exact.
I go outside, check it out and the little Dodge Neon we had purchased from my daughter and son in law, was totaled. Someone was ready to distribute some vengeance. I wish they had read the passage, “Vengeance is mine says the Lord.” For some reason, I don’t think God would have busted out the windows, ripped off the mirrors, stolen the stereo, and ripped off the windshield wipers. It looked to me that someone was trying to execute some vengeance on my family for only God knows what.
We had been talking about trading the car, and trading in the van. The neon now had no trade in value; it does have salvage value of about $200 since we didn’t comprehensive insurance on it. We are still looking at getting a little truck or van because we traded our van.
Our van was a 2000 Pontiac Montana. It had served its purpose, from taking people to wrestling tournaments across the Midwest, to hauling lawnmowers or whatever else we needed to haul. In its prime, it got pretty good mileage, but in its later years, some 150,000 miles later it was starting to struggle. We decided to get something with a little better mileage.
My wife and daughter had driven a Yaris rental car in Tennessee when they went back for my wife’s brother’s funeral. They loved it, couldn’t quit talking about it. Was roomy, got great mileage and on and on. After some research we decided to look at several cars, some hybrids, the Yaris, a Honda Civic, a Ford Focus and from there, we thought we could find something.
After some searching we ended up at Eddy’s Toyota here in Wichita. I’m not much of a fan of car salesman, but have to tell you, everyone at this establishment was great. Low pressure, friendly, honest, and I could even add a few other nice words to tell you about them. In all honesty, I liked these guys and they presented themselves differently than most any other car salesman I have ever come across. I would highly recommend them, just tell them Mike Furches sent you if you go there, maybe they will send me some extra cookies or something. Ask for Jarrod or Mark, either guy will help you out.
We looked at the roller skate Yaris, the one called the three door hatchback. I would have seriously considered this car except I didn’t like the extra effort to get into the back seat. If it was just me or my wife, or we were looking for another new car, this would be the one I would buy. We opted to check the 4 door sedan. This Yaris has a different body style but the other things were basically the same. Surprisingly good gas mileage, and a lot more room than one would imagine, complete with a good sized trunk for any traveling we may do.
We were looking for something affordable, got great gas mileage, low payments, all of that poor man buying a car stuff. We didn’t want electric windows, wanted a manual transmission, and a few other basics, including air conditioning, and a good stereo system. It had all of those things.
Long story made short, we found out we had better credit than we thought, and we could get the car for a price we wanted, (note do a little research, some people are buying this car off the lot and selling it for more once they buy it.) The payment was a few dollars more than we were paying on our van, but for a new car, with 7 miles on it and the mileage we would be getting; we thought a reasonable thing to do.
In the trade process, we found out our vans transmission was going out, (note one silver lining.) We realized the payment was only a few dollars more, (another glass of lemonade.) Then we realized we were getting better gas mileage. Now listen to this big ol’ bouquet of flowers, a cold glass of lemonade and a silver lining to boot. The van had something like a 17 gallon gas tank. We would get about 300 miles to a tank. The Yaris has an 11 gallon tank, we have so far been getting about 450 miles to a tank. Do the math, with gas around $4 a gallon, a huge savings as we end up getting better gas mileage than is advertised on the Manufactures Recommended Mileage sticker on the car.
We still need a used, affordable, small truck or van, and are looking to replace the car that was totaled. We are waiting on a little more money but God will come through. We also need a riding lawn mower for our 1 ½ acre lawn, but God will come through. We have seen the silver linings, smelled the roses, and had a few glasses of cold lemonade.
I continue to learn that God is faithful. It is that reason I put down these words today, not to brag, tell you about my problems, or anything like that, but to tell you that God is faithful in the big things when we are faithful in the little things. God does still own all of the money in the banks; he still controls the weather, causes the flowers to smell pretty, and can make something sour like lemons taste pretty good. I am saying this so you know, if God can take care of me, he can take care of you. He loves his children, but gives us the choice to let him be our father or not. He is like most any other dad; he likes to be appreciated, likes to every now and then be asked for things, and loves to give gifts. He also likes a generous heart and a thank you on occasion. He just wants us to love him. As for me, all of those little things are worth it; my dad does things for me all of the time. The last few weeks have once again taught me that.
Now you can take a test drive, well sort of take a test drive. Double click on the video below, if the video don't work, just click on the link: While this is not my car, it does a good job of showing you the car.
Now for those that do not know, make sure you check out the numerous articles and blogs by checking out the archives. If visiting The Virtual Pew or MySpace they are archived on the left hand side of the page. Scroll down to where you see newer or older listed under archives and then click there. There are hundreds of postings so make sure to check out the archives. You can also contact me for a free e-book pre edit version of The Keystone Kid at mike@thevirtualpew.com
You can visit http://www.thevirtualpew.com/ and on the front page down on the left side you sill see our store. Your purchase provides needed funds to The Virtual Pew. If you do not see something to purchase you can click on the search engine, (do not put anything in the search box at this time). You will be taken to Amazon where you can search for anything you desire. Hopefully you will consider a gift to The Virtual Pew.
Now I get asked this quite often, Can we repost your blogs or articles? The short answer to that is, what an honor that you would ask, and by all means, spread the word.
Here is our contact information
The Virtual Pew P.O. Box 17731 Wichita, KS 67217
Click on the following links to learn more about The Virtual Pew
Dear Whoopi,
