Expeditions

Absolutely Brilliant: Coasting Along?

This is likely one of the last 'AB blogs'. It has been fun over the past 4 years and I hope that some of you have gotten something useful out of the many postings. If nothing else, I hope to serve as a warning to your children (as what to not grow into), but I digress....

I recently took a trip to a country that was largely canabalistic 100 years ago, but today is largely Christian. Now I have to wonder when the first missionaries were discussing communion, were they a bit nervous?  Were the locals a bit confused?  When you talk about ‘drinking my blood’ and ‘eating my body’ to a group of cannibals, it might not have the desired outcome!  In fact, the locals might show an enthusiasm that was completely unexpected when the missionary woke up that morning. 

Christ has been completely amazing for me, my family, and many of the people I know.  Does that mean that everyone is coasting along and all 'hunky dorey'?  Nope, not even close.  People tend to want to do their own thing even though it might be contrary to what God wants.  Concerning the people of the country that I recently visited, are they all saved?  Of course not, people tend to do what they want, no matter how good they might have it. 

In all things, give thanks, and if you’re not going to eat that leg, pass it over!         (just kidding)     ....Absolutely Brilliant!

Absolutely Brilliant: Trading Sorrow & Shame

This past Sunday we did one of my (current) favorite songs for music worship.  The song is called “I'm Trading My Sorrows” and it is fun with a cool groove and some bounce. One problem I have with some songs is that sometimes the doctrine they are teaching us is “off” when they are taken out of context.  Often a scripture or Christian phrase can be misrepresented with a nice piano, cool guitar & bass, awesome drums, the string chicas, but alas...I digress...

Two words that I find extremely interesting are sorrow and shame, because both words have negative connotations.  Let’s take sorrow for example. When we think of that word, we think of something tragic happening, maybe something that drags on and brings us down.  It may be that there are two types of sorrow, one good and one bad and we usually forget about the good sorrow. Consider the verse “For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death” (2 Corinthians 7:10 NASB). The right kind of sorrow is actually the way to God.

Shame.  How many times have we said “Shame on you” as if it were a curse?  To have shame is considered a bad thing.  Honestly, I'm a lot more worried and concerned about the people I see who have no shame!  Shame should be something we have when we know we haven't done a good job, or when we've displeased God.  As long as we have sorrow and shame, and react in a Godly way, we're golden!

I think we, as people in general, consider uncomfortable things “bad” even when God considers them good!

I'll trade you two sorrows and one shame for a steely and your cat-eye shooter.....Absolutely Brilliant!

Absolutely Brilliant: Overnighters

When I was but a wee lad in grade school, we used to spend the night with a buddy on occasion.  Usually that meant a considerable bus ride to their house, followed by homework, but the fun you had later was always worth it. If it was a school night, you couldn't stay up too late, but a Friday night!  And the rare time when you planned your overnighter in the winter and the next day was a snow day!!  Heaven-On -Earth.  Now imagine that you are that wee boy, bus ride over, homework done, and your friend's mom says "Well AB, its time for you to go home"!  "What?  Noooooooooooo".  But of course I digress....

I've been in many a church where at some point early in the service someone prays for the Holy Spirit to come among us and be present or for Jesus himself to 'show up' in this house.  Now I hate to make the comparison of God himself to a wee lad, but the night before, did someone's mom send Him home? 

What part of "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;” (John 14:16 NASB) is hard to understand?  How about "...but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.” (John 14:17 NASB)?  It seems pretty clear that once we invite God over for a visit that, unless mom sends him home, he spends the night, and the next night, and the next!  That is a good thing.

Snow days and God spending the night……………….. Absolutely Brilliant!

Absolutely Brilliant: Eat Your Veggies

When I was growing up, my family was involved with 4H.  You know the motto...my heart, my head, my hands, and my...my...Oh my!  Well anyway, when I was young my brothers and sisters were involved and there were 20 kids in the local group. By the time I was in high school (I was the youngest); there were only about 4 kids in the entire community!  I was president of the chapter, but that was because the other three kids were only in Jr high school and they were extremely shy.  So in effect, I was the king of nothing, but I digress....

There are times in our lives when we are put into positions that are, to be kind, less than flattering.  To be not so kind, these situations stink!  We can end up putting in a lot of work for what looks like very little outcome.  I could go on to tell you about Billy Graham's Sunday school teacher and where he would have ended up if she hadn't have been obedient to God, but most of the time...that stuff just doesn't happen. 

I asked my dad if I could quit 4H and he told me one thing, "Broccoli!"  Huh? 

"Broccoli" he said. "Sometimes you don't like what is put before you, but if you eat it, it will be good for you"!  So many of us are given odd jobs by God that can seem kind of meaningless at times, but most of the time it’s not to change the world, it’s to change us.

Eat your vegatables so you can grow up big and strong and....Absolutely Brilliant!

Absolutely Brilliant: Crazy Logic

I recently received the news that Alaska Airlines will discontinue the prayer cards that they have provided for a number of years. While Alaska Airlines has that right, I believe that the reason provided is bogus!  If something hurts your business to provide it, then say so and discontinue the service.  To say that a service is offensive to certain religions and discontinuing that service on that basis is like saying that the squeaky wheel religions get all the grease, but I digress....

I personally found it comforting that during potentially scary times (flying), there were prayer cards available.  I now find it disturbing that those who oppose prayer cards and have urged Alaska to remove them are the very ones who make flying scary!  I mean come on man, where does this crazy type of logic end?  I imagine that to some in prison those darn bars and guards are offensive.  It only seems reasonable that we should remove them....

"Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man" (Luke 6:22 NASB).  Does this encourage me?  No, not really, but at least I know that sometimes I’m doing the right thing.

I say to Alaska that you can do what you like, but I find this choice weak.  Go back to what once was.....Absolutely Brilliant!

Absoutely Brilliant: No Pain, No Gain

There are some things in this world that just don't make sense to me.  Besides the college football BCS ranking system, programming a universal remote, and my wife, there is the whole concept of faith.  It seems so simple, yet the more I learn - the more deep it appears to be.  Like so many things of God, for example the cosmos, at first they seem simple, but the longer - further - deeper you look, the more you see, but I digress....

Have you ever said or heard someone say "If only God would do this one small thing, I would know what to do or I would believe or I would...(insert condition for God here)".  It is a sad thing, but when we ask for God to send us a sign so we can believe, it is contrary to basic doctrine.  'For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees?' (Romans 8:24 NASB). 

Basically it is only faith if you believe what you can't see.  If you see it, it's like you're cheatin! 

I hate to state the obvious, but faith is difficult to (fully) understand.  It is very much like a bicept muscle.  God gives you a little, and then by it testing it and exercising it, it grows.  Exercise hurts a bit, so be prepared, no pain - no gain!

A fully programmed universal remote......Absolutely Brilliant!

Absolutely Brilliant: Not Puppies and Kittens

I heard a wonderful sermon awhile back that made me re-consider my thoughts on just what God is capable of.  This post is almost sure to make you think hard, hopefully to the point of an epiphany.  If it does, then that is great news and you can explain to me what epiphany means.

God does not cause evil.  I’m pretty sure we can all agree on that.  Well, maybe not all of us, but most Christians would say that God does not cause evil. 

Now we see things almost every day that we call evil and we know that God does not cause them.  First of all, we know these events are evil because we are experts on what evil is, and second we know that God is not involved with them because…we are experts on what evil is.  If someone dies, no way it is God because someone dying is evil.  If a house is destroyed by a hurricane, it can’t be God because a hurricane is evil and everyone knows…God does not cause evil.  If I lose my job, the survey says that is evil, God is not evil, so the bottom line is not God.

I have looked and looked through the Bible and I see events that ‘appear’ to not be puppies and kittens, yet at the same time they look like they come from God.  Is God evil?  If God is truly not evil, then it must be our perception of events that is wacked!

Here is my entire point.  In Hebrews 5:7, Christ prayed to God to not die and the verse says that God heard the prayer.  To let anyone die is evil, right?  Especially if you heard their prayer to not die!  Of course not, we can look back and with our 20/20 Christian hindsight, we know that this death was necessary.  OK then, what about the guy that died and that caused his family to be saved?

Anyway, the sermon I heard made me think and I believe that it was……..Absolutely Brilliant!

Absolutely Brilliant: Flexibility

This time of year is so depressing; you know having failed all my New Year’s resolutions and all.  Sure it is only the first week of the year, but I have been a bit distracted and haven’t been able to really concentrate on my….never mind! 

I have decided that making unrealistic goals is no longer the way to go.  Set that bar down where I can see it and step over it without spilling a drop of my leftover eggnog or dropping any of my Christmas cookies is what I always say …. but I digress.

There is the passage from James that talks about making your own plans, but not really knowing or listening to what God has planned.  Let me tell you what I think it all means and you can take it or leave it.  It is all about knowing God, making plans, and being flexible, which was (by the way) another one of my goals.  I had to give that one up when I was stretching across the sofa to grab more cheese and crackers and pulled a muscle! 

I hate to just sit in a spot until God makes me move, but there has to be some sort of ‘middle ground’ where I am moving, but I’m not so focused on doing just one thing that I can’t change direction when God nudges me.

I don’t know about you, but writing this feels like I’ve put in about a year’s worth of……..
                                                                                                                                                        Absolutely Brilliant!

Absolutely Brilliant: Ho Ho Ho!

Ho, Ho, hope your Christmas this year is not too hectic and out of control!  I’m sure if you are like me you struggle every year with the commercialism of Christmas and the joy of giving with the ‘pure’ meaning of Christmas and including the birth of a savior.  It is just that sometimes; a struggle. 

If you get caught up in the gift giving side of Christmas, you probably miss the point.  If you put on the sour-serious face and only portray that during the time of Christmas, then others around you probably miss the point, but I digress from the usual fun-poking and joke-making that I should be having….

If you are a Christian, you are in a lose-lose situation as far as the world views you.  You are either a participant in the debauchery (word for the day), or you are a wet-blanket in the fun of the season.  I say make it a win-win time and lift up the Christ child during the Holiday time (and yes I can say Holiday and not be struck dead by God) along with giving gifts to people because it is part of our Christian nature to give.  The world will see what it wants to see, but let’s give them our best side.  For some of us, that may mean wearing a bag on our head, but I digress further….

I will leave you with a question.  If elves are portrayed as woodland fold, why in the heck do they live at the North Pole, 1,000 miles from the nearest tree?

Tis the season to be….                           Absolutely Brilliant!

Absolutely Brilliant: A Word to the Wise

Are any of you the type of person that goes through life concerned about what words come out of your mouth?  I mean, are you so paralyzed with the fear of saying something ‘completely stupid’ that you will pass on the chance to say something at all because it may be utterly and completely stupid?  Well, thank goodness not everyone is like you!  I know I’m not, but I digress…

Consider this; if people didn’t spout off before they thought, then we wouldn’t have some of the best statements of all time.  Don’t believe me?  Then how about “If that guy wins the election, I’m going to move to France”!  Still unconvinced?  Not stupid enough?  How about the expression “A word to the wise”?  Here is a newsflash:  the wise already get it, now what about talking to that stupid guy over there!

God has said a lot of things over the years that at first seemed stupid, but the more you think about them the more they make sense!  His quotes sometimes don’t ring true with how we perceive the world, but in the end his way is the better way.  But don’t be stupid, when the TV evangelist comes on and really really says something stupid but claims it’s from God… well let’s just consider this a word to the wise!

Remember, the wise old owl was considered to be so because of his questions, not his statements...(that was stupid)…                                  

                                                                                    Absolutely Brilliant!