Doug Van Pelt

Seahawks will win if...

...Shaun Alexander has 130 or more yards and 2 touchdowns; and their rookie linebacker (Lofa Tatupu), gets at least one turnover.

Paul says some great things that I love to read about in Ephesians 4 -- about unity in the body of Christ. It is so simple, so normal and easy, yet so rare that we have unity in this body of ours. When every part does its job, he says, "then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming."

Later on he gives practical instruction, like, "He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something usefull with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need." Not only does he encourage productivity, but also making it normal and expected to share with those in need. He also says matter-of-factly that we should be working and earning a living. This would probably mean that we wouldn't quit our jobs and scurry around expecting the world to end overnight. I used to ask myself this pointed question: "What would I do and act like if I knew the "rapture" was going to happen tomorrow or the next day?" The answer was usually, "Quit my job and spend all the time I had preaching the Gospel." Then I thought of how "productive for the kingdom" that might be and asked myself, "Then why don't I act like that everyday?" It always had a bite of conviction to it, but it does not seem the practical way that Paul here (or Scripture as a whole) instructs us how to live. While things surely would be different if we had an accurate timetable for the future, we still have "life" to live, jobs to work, bills to pay, people to share with. This balanced life is one that Jesus is Lord over (being preeminent in all things) can be helpful and even routine. Crazy, lunatic stuff might be an option, but very very rarely.

Seeing God at work in our lives is not something where we need to construct a bizarre, radical context for. We can see Him alive and active in our very "normal" everyday lives.

Steelers Will Win If...

Polamalu gets two turnovers (a pick and a fumble?)...

There have been times when I have had special access to a show or an artist. I hate walking past a long line of people waiting to get into a show, having the door held open for me at a "special entrance." It feels weird. I guess I feel guilty. Those often imaginary stares stab my back, hehe. At other times I've had the privilege of being backstage or in a waiting area with an artist that's popular. It's like being in an "inner circle" or something. One thing I've always done in situations like that is just acted like I'd been there before. The wide-eyed and bunny-eared look is not preferable here.

In Ephesians 2, it talks about an "inner circle" that is exclusive and coveted. It's the "inner circle" with God. It's not so exclusive (all it takes is believing in His Son and you're "in"), and it's not so small (there are millions if not billions there).

"But because of His great love for us, God, Who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions -- it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus."

We are "seated" with God. It is like a positional thing, where we are represented by Someone on our behalf; and it is mystical, too. We can probably take this to be a mysterious but literal thing. It doesn't say "we will be seated there, when the great kingdom comes to earth." It says we were "seated."

Nobody likes a spoiled rich kid, fat on entitlement; but we are the recipients of a great and overwhelming inheritance. We have been given special entrance into royalty. We have been "ushered in" to a very special, honored and privileged place. We should show some class and act like we've been there awhile, but we can also dance around with child-like joy. This is a place where exuberance is welcomed; it's just not a place to lord it over others and get puffed up. We didn't earn a spot there, it was given to us.

We can and should be bold, however.

"In Him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence."

We have access to the Ruler of the Universe. Paul ends chapter 3 with a great prayer:

"For this reason I kneel before the Father, from Whom His whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Chirst, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge -- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to Him Who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."

PS Scroll down two blog entries to see new mag covers...

A Special Shout Out...

I am so thankful for some of the people that God has brought into my life. Two people in particular I'd like to mention -- Robin Woods (now Robin Ligdon) and Carey Womack. Both were part of the circle of friends that included Paul Q-Pek and Lou Dignazio. We'd meet together at the KIXL radio station and wait for Paul to get off his shift (I think it was midnight), then we'd pray and head down to Liberty Lunch, a raging punk club in the early 80s, where we'd go to witness if necessary (!). We'd mostly just be there for people, pray silently for them, and strike up spiritual conversations when possible. People quickly knew us as Christians and some respected us for being there and not being pushy (but not backing down from the Truth).

The reason I'm thankful for knowing Robin and Carey at this stage in my Christian walk was that they listened to bands like The Alarm and Bruce Cockburn and Jeff Johnson and John Michael Talbot. They stretched me musically. They read authors like Francis Schaeffer, George McDonald, and (gulp) Watchman Nee. They were thinkers. They cared about social justice. They cared about the poor and missions. And they loved real punk sweat rock 'n' roll like The Alarm. I thank God that I rubbed shoulders with believers of such depth at this impressionable age of my early Christian walk. Being around them inspired me to have some depth, to sink some roots deeper than the "Praise the Lord, brother" superficiality that was easy to fake.

Wow, what a gift friendship can be.

And to think listening to The Alarm Standards this morning could spark such gratitude.

'Thank You, Lord, for your beautiful servants Carey and Robin. I pray that You would bless them from head to toe this day. Protect them and lavish Your rich love on them. And Lord, please heal Mike Peters of The Alarm. In Jesus' Name, amen.'

Who's Your Daddy?

Ephesians is a really fun book to read. I think a lot of believers read this book frequently. It is so rich in explaining the depth of God's love and grace,

detailing what wonderful things God has done on our behalf. Like just about all of his letters, Paul starts off this message to the church in Ephesus with:

"Paul, an apostle of CHrist Jesus by the will of God. To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."

Then he jumps right in:

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ."

This is a (very positive) generalization that he quickly starts detailing:

"For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will -- to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves. In
Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. And He made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment -- to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ."

It can be mind-blowing to think that God saw us before we existed in time and had a plan (not "plan B") to redeem us. It's such a good use of words to write that God "lavished" grace on us. He wasn't a miser when He doled out His grace, measuring each drop. He poured it out in abundance.

Can you imagine having an uncle or grandad like Paul? Someone who told you:

"Ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe."

Maybe you do have a relative that says or writes things like that to you.

Well, today should be the final day of deadline. I'm almost finished printing proofs of every page. I'll overnight these to the printer. Then I'll go over any corrections I've got from the proofreaders, and then I'll convert each page into a PDF file that I'll ftp to the printer's server and the job will begin.

I'm not sure what I'll do with myself to have this deadline over.

Don't Give Up

In Galatians 6 Paul addresses sin and pride, among other things. He makes it a point that we pay special attention to ourselves if "someone is caught in a sin." He says: "You who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you als may be tempted."

There is some sort of spiritual principle, it seems, that if we get bent out of shape and judgmental about a certain person or certain sin, then it's as if a microscopic lens is focused on us from below and we find ourselves facing the same temptation. That's weird, and it's real ugly when it happens.

Paul goes on to say something beautiful: "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." It's interesting that he uses the phrase "law." I wonder if it's the same Greek word for "law" that's used elsewhere in this letter. Anyway, it's cool that one of the central parts of following Christ is love -- carry another's burdens love. That is important, and very beautiful. That's the kind of love I want to be about. And that's the kind of love I appreciate receiving. That is so cool.

"If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to someobdy else, for each one should carry his own load."

This is one of the only places in the Word (that I can think of) where we are told we can be proud of ourselves. It is within the context of testing ourselves and measuring growth, which surely brings joy when we see growth. But we should not take this pride (this "I'm proud of what my son did" type of pride) and then compare ourselves to someone else. This is the wicked kind of pride. I think this context is also about a healthy, growing disciple. It is the healthy that can and should carry their own load. It is only the sick or the hurt that cannot carry their own load. It is straight talk to healthy believers. If we are healthy and growing, we don't need to be coddled or pampered. We can take "the tough stuff."

"Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers."

I think of people who are angry at the church. They deride it and want no part of it. They've been hurt, they've seen idiotic behavior, they've seen uncorrected sin, they basically have experienced something that's set them against the church. This person I think needs to change. If they are around abusive believers, perhaps they need to relocate for a time. During that relocation time, they shouldn't just sit and fester on open wounds or pity themselves. I think (and this is just my opinion) they need to find another part of the body of Christ, another body of believers, and serve that body -- just as if they were serving Jesus. This will give them the experience of a "love flow," as true love will pour out of them into the body they are serving. Over time this may heal their relationship with the body of Christ. There are healthy parts of the body. This is the truth. There are beautiful parts of the body of Christ, functioning in a love that will bring tears to the eyes. I hate to see people taint their view of the church because of some bad experiences.

I like what Ed Roland of COllective Soul said in a recent interview: "Not all cops are bad cops." Some people have the worst attitude about the police. It is probably based on some bad experience, maybe with a "bad cop." But there are plenty of public servants who deserve respect and are doing a wonderful, thankless job.

"Those who want to make a good impression outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. Not even those who are circumcised obey the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your flesh."

These people were apparently trying to pretend to be Jews and not Christians so they wouldn't be persecuted. They were more afraid of "what might happen" than they were willing to be obedient to Christ. And their motive was some conceited notion of being able to brag about "converting another one" to their cause.

I remember one time "converting someone" with an ulterior motive. I was over at this girl's apartment that I liked. And she was a "Twila Paris type," I don't know why I liked her. But anyway, this kid comes over (must've been about 18) and he's selling magazine subscriptions, he tells us, so that he can "win a prize." I told him, "I know of a prize you can win that will last forever..." And then I went on to "lead Him to Christ" (of course, the conversion part was a miracle of God and not my "work") right there in the apartment. I didn't say anything to myself, like, 'Huh, this will impress her,' but inside I knew something was askew like that. Somehow, even though I knew better, part of me was doing this good thing to score points with this girl. Her roommates were running around when the kid left, amazed that they'd seen someone led to Christ in their midst. Yeah, that was a cool thing. I hope he's still walking with the Lord (No, I don't believe any follow-up was had), but somehow I had an evil attitude about it all. Isn't that lame? That's not something to be proud of, nor "earn spiritual brownie points with." It's amazing that things are accomplished for the kingdom that way at all, but the healthy can learn from mistakes and repent.

Anti-Conformity

Well, I am happy to say that I'm pretty normal! I haven't got the "pull an all-nighter" stamina back yet, but I'm able to eat normal things and not have my stomach cramp up in pain. I'm so happy and grateful, because being sick stinks, and being sick during deadline is horrible! I'm jumping back in with both feet -- this morning having orange juice and coffee. We'll see how the ole stomach does with a belly full of acidic liquid.

Back to the text.
Paul covers a ton of ground in Galatians 5. First he warns about adding on to the grace of Jesus by asking others to observe the law. He makes a case that, if you do go this route, then Christ is of no value to you. Paul saw through the argument and the insinuations. He knew that these people were not just trying to get people to live a more holy life. He knew that their philosophy was in opposition to the freedom and full pardon from the penalty of the Law. Following the Law was relying on one's self and following Jesus was relying on Him and His fulfillment of the Law. Later on Paul lays into these people and says something so rude and extreme that it's funny:

"I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!"

Wow. Tell us how you really feel, Paul! Next he goes back to the underlying principle -- that the Holy Spirit living in us changes us and empowers us to live the way God wants us to live. Yielding to Him, not observing the Law, is the way to walk in righteousness. The end of the chapter yields the results of this kind of life. The list is famous and good to meditate on:

"...the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."

Fruit is the natural by-product of a healthy plant. It goes to say that if we walk with God and commune with Him, "abiding in the vine," then our life will change and we will yield those kinds of attitudes, traits, and character. He concludes with an admonition:

"Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other."

Isn't it interesting how destructive pride and conceit can have? It's good to remember this, for sure.

Paul Was Ticked

All too often I think I credit Paul and his actions to the divine orchestration of God. While there was certainly some divine intervention and direction at times, I also believe Paul was an example of a vulnerable free will agent. God was with Paul, but Paul had to face beatings and shipwrecks head on. The nasty details of his stories were experienced first-hand. I don't imagine that the pain and discomfort was pleasant. It's cool that Paul found a way to rejoice in the midst of his calamity and time and again God showed His faithfulness. However, all the human drama that he went through was real human drama. You can't just write about this stuff, you have to experience it -- good times and bad times.

This aspect comes through pretty loud when I read Galatians 2. Paul is talking about some meetings with other leaders about the Law. It was an important meeting. I'm sure there was stress and tension involved. Paul says, though, "We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the Gospel might remain in you." He was fighting for the freedom and grace of the believers in Galatia, so that they may not be deceived into adding to their saving grace, observance of the Law. He was also fighting for you and I. His fight was important. He had to win. It was intense. But just like a sport or a game, you don't really know who's going to win until the game or match is played. There is uncertainty about the future. We don't know what will happen.

I can imagine a pastor or leader having a similar meeting today. There may be a problem or issue that needs to be dealt with. Meeting about it might be a huge conflict. It might get messy. The agents involved don't really know what the outcome will be. They'll have a hope and they'll fight with determination, but they'll just have to see. That is the sort of scenerio I can see (and almost hear and sense) happening with Paul. Yes, Paul turned out to be quite a hero, but he was flawed. He was human. He was like us. You or I can truly be used of God in as much a mighty way. Why would I say this with confidence? Because the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead resides in us who believe. This Holy Spirit can empower us to do incredible things. Sometimes they might be hard things, like when Paul opposed Peter "to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong." Peter was a founding member of the church! This was no small battle, but Paul sensed it was the right thing to do and he fought.

It's Been A Rough Week

Last weekend we moved my computer, etc from the old location into my home, so that the final week of deadline can be done here while the new location is being set back up for officing. It made for a challenge by itself (with moving details still a daily duty), but getting sick threw another wrench into the system. I should've finished on Friday and sent all the magazine files to the printer. But I wasn't able to get that far, with the columns, back page, album reviews, the "pick of the litter," "play," and "intermission" section, and a few feature articles not laid out. Several ad files aren't here yet, either. I've had to delay the deadline, which is something that can have long-term effects on the next issue, delaying a mail-out and causing reader dissatisfaction, as well as trouble with the printer. It's a good thing that this time of year isn't booked solid on the press like the pre-Christmas season is, though, as a delay of several days should not translate into a longer delay at the printer. This problem should work out. My virus-infected stomach still feels rotten, but the power of its pain is getting milder.

A new week begins today, and with it a new book to read -- Galatians. While Paul starts off the letter with pleasantries -- "Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father to Whom be glory for ever and ever" -- He quickly gets to the point of something that is making him angry (in a reasonable, nurturing, fatherly kind of way).

"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the One Who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel -- which is really no gospel at all."

He makes some strong statements about "other messages" that people had been preaching to them. In doing this, he shows that he's not trying to flatter them or win their approval, but simply trying to please God, which is going to make him unpopular at times, because some of the things he will say will confront their lazy lifestyles or simply be something they don't want to hear. People don't want to change or be told that they're wrong. It's natural to think we are doing things right (the exception would be those times when we know we are willfully doing something wrong and don't care or are trying not to think about it or care), and therefore it will "rub us the wrong way" if and when we are confronted about it. The problem is that we are all pilgrims on a journey. We all "see through a glass darkly." We are all sinners. None of us have arrived at perfection. None of us have all of our doctrine 100% correct. But it is foolish to believe that we would knowingly adopt a false doctrine. No, the areas that we are not correct about are simply areas that we are deceived. It is for this reason that we should strive to remain teachable. Willing to acknowledge that we don't have all the answers and could be wrong. Now, as an adult or growing person, we get stronger and we build a foundation to stand upon. If we're careful we can build a foundation that's stable. The corrections that we get along the way would then hopefully be minor things (not foundation-shaking major things). Even the "small things," though, can be painful to change. It's not fun to be proven wrong. But humility is something we should "clothe ourselves" in. We should be gentle and teachable. That way strong words can have their necessary effect.

Paul commends people to think. He didn't even use his position to try to make people take everything he said at face value. He applauded the Bereans and others for "checking out" what he said and comparing it to the Scriptures. This is what we can do anytime we are confronted about something. The process should normally be something we can do on our own time in the privacy of "being alone with God," and not standing on a podium with people looking on for your response and immediate public repentance. The context for teaching and growing should, in my opinion, be gentle as well (even if the instruction is "strong" and unwavering), something we can process individually.

Well, here's hoping that this week brings about closure to this next issue.

Bug

I guess I caught another bug (just like the one I caught while on Christmas vacation). I've been laid out for two days now. I am so thankful to God that I don't get sick very often. I cannot remember, in fact, when I was last sick during a deadline. It's very inconvenient now, but I trust I'll be better soon.

Things are out of my control with the deadline, which is not comfortable. But I know that my life and times are in His hands, and I trust Him. This allows me to surrender and not stress out about it.

"Be anxious for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." (Philippians 4:6)

I trust Him on this side of the problem, trusting that soon I'll be on the "other" side of the problem and that it'll be over.

FAILURE and SUCCESS

Failure is something that we all have in common, and I failed
last night. I set it as my goal to pull a real "late-nighter"
for the magazine deadline. At around 7 or 8 pm I drank a new
Mountain Dew MDX drink. I wanted to see how it worked in
comparison to other energy drinks (like Monster, Rock Star,
and Red Bull). No jolts of energy hit me and around 10:30 pm
(much earlier than I would like), my body's energy started
taking a dive. It was mostly in my head. The "I'm ready to
tackle this" kind of energy that makes us feel robust and
alive is mostly centered around the brain, I think. I
couldn't bear to muster up the energy to be creative, write,
or even lay out some graphic design. I had just finished the
"bullets" for the "Hard News" section, as well as designing
the CD Sampler cover and disc, so it felt like a good
stopping point. I could always get more done tomorrow (which
is today).

However, when I laid down and tried to force myself to sleep,
my mind appreciated the break, but my body just wouldn't
comply. For hours I wrestled with not being the right
temperature or the most comfortable position. It was futile.
At 2:30 or so I got up to turn the thermostat down. Then I
drank some water. I could tell that the taurine and caffiene
and other ingredients in the MDX drink were taking their
toll. I sat in silence on the couch for awhile. I tried to
eat a little and drink more water to try and flush this stuff
out of my system. I was able to go back to bed around 4:30
am, but I couldn't get away from the feeling that I "wasted"
a late night. I just didn't treat my body right, and now I'm
paying the price (being very tired today).

While I failed, at least I know that the new Mountain Dew MDX
drink is a success! It'll keep you awake!

Psalm 34 says, "I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise will continually be in my mouth." While I think that this is a direct reference to speaking words of praise on our lips, I think it also involves our mind, our will, and our thoughts. A serious person will have fun and recreation, but they can also realize that every aspect of their life can be an act of worship. Taking care of our bodies, a simple discipline, is one such area that can be dedicated to Him. I want to apply this sort of thinking to my body. It will no doubt make me healthier and I think that's a worthy pursuit.

I Don't Wanna Be Grumpy

I didn't shower yesterday. It was my first workday inside my house since 1999 (when we first moved into an outside office), and I was still wearing the "Don't Mess With Texas" t-shirt that I wore the previous day to the Texas Longhorns' National Championship celebration at Darrel K. Royal Memorial Stadium (yeah, Horns!). I didn't look too good. My hair was pointing in several directions and my scent was certainly not the most pleasant. I knew this, because the night before when I was walking with my daughters into the stadium to celebrate the perfect season by the Longhorns I was leaning over my 9-year old daughter's head in a sign of affection. She looked up and informed me that my underarms smelled bad -- and this was after freshening up and donning plenty of deodorant! But I knew I wouldn't be out and about too much, so I let that slide.

Later on during the day I felt like I had a unique application of God's Word, like it was a "Word for me." I don't claim revelation knowledge or a "rhema" Word, but it fits for me. In the sermon on the mount Jesus instructed us, "When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting... But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious tomen that you are fasting, but only to your Father Who is unseen..."

I feel like the perfect application for me is: "When you're on deadline, don't be grumpy. Don't make it obvious to others that you are working hard, late, and fast. Be cheerful." I'm especially aware of how grumpy I am to my own family members. I don't want to be that way. I want to be smiling, quick to laugh, and willing to listen to a random story or off-the-subject anecdote that someone wants to share with me. This is almost a daunting task, but I know it's possible. That's my prayer for me for the rest of this deadline and those deadlines to come.

Thorn

Have you ever wondered what the "thorn" in Paul's flesh was? Maybe it was a real thorn? But he pleaded with God three times to take it away from him. It was most assuredly only a metaphor for some plague or weakness he had. Paul called it a "messenger of Satan," that tormented him. But God's answer was, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness." This letter is a great gift to us, because we can certainly apply that same response and care in our lives. God's grace is sufficient for us -- no matter what we go through.

Paul wraps up his letter (of which scholars say was his third to the church in Corinth, his first one being lost, otherwise we'd have 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Corinthians) by announcing that he's going to come visit again. He says he fears he may find quarreling, gossip, arrogance, and disorder. He makes a reference to coming and being "grieved over many who have sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual sin and debauchery in which they have indulged." There's another reference elsewhere (1 Corinthians 6:11) where Paul lists off some of the debauchery (male prostitution, homosexual offenders, adulterers, drunkards, thieves, etc), but states that "such were some of you. The key to his points are that repentance took place. Sinners turned from their wicked ways. They submitted to God in repentance and changed. Paul was afraid not that there would be yucky sin, but that the sin would not be repented from. It's actually quite easy to repent. When we do this, God can change us. Apparently He is looking for willing hearts. Those are the ones He can work with, and He can truly give power to these people. Amazing change can take place when this happens.

Cover outside the lines

i figured i'd do something a little different with this magazine cover.
i used a larger than normal font, and placed it so that it's trimmed or cut off.
whattya think?

How To Dismantle Walmart

Walmart is a funny place. I love it, though. As a consumer, how can you not appreciate quantity discounts? I was there late last night, jamming to U2's latest album, picking up boxes ... for today is moving/packing day at HM. We have a temporary storage POD in the driveway, which we'll load up and lock up. It then gets transported to our new location, where we can unload it later.

Reading in 2 Corinthians 9 one can't help but be reminded that God loves a cheerful giver. Paul has arranged for the church in Corinth, who volunteered to give generously to another church, to gather their collection early, so it will be ready when a group comes to deliver it. That way it's not a last minute thing where people feel under compulsion to give.

"Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.* Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."

Giving to the poor and needy not only is an obedience thing, but it is also a great testimony to those who do not believe. It is love in action, and can't be denied. I pray that I can develop into more of a generous person. I know that it's flat out rewarding to be that way, but my natural tendancy is to hold on instead of give away. I can remember an example of giving a gift to a friend. It was a little extravagant, but when I saw this thing we knew she would love it. Seeing the look of joy on her face when she received it was an awesome experience that, frankly, is something I'll probably never forget. I want to be able to do that more often. Just remembering that helps motivate me to be more generous.

There has undoubtedly been much abuse about money in the church, but that misuse does not take away from cool truth principles, like "You can't out-give God." It's fun and adventurous to take God at His Word and live like you really believe these principles* about giving.

Bamboozle

Whew! Deadline is crazy. Moving an office is crazy. Wow.

I love God's Word. I don't really take breaks during my work days (I really need to make that part of my routine), and reading God's Word is a refreshing break from the crazy schedule I keep. 2 Corinthians 6 packs a punch. Paul starts off this chapter (and, of course, his original letter was not broken up into chapters and verses) by saying:

"As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. For He says, 'In the time of My favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.' I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation."

What does that mean?

The chapter also gets into the "do not be yoked with unbelievers" topic. That can be a big one for dating couples. Being married to a non-believer would be a horrible and painful thing. It's cool that the Word directs believers who convert after they were married to stay in their marriage. This passage is a real warning to unmarried folks, cuz the differing worldviews would constantly battle. Nevertheless, it would be tough to break up with someone over this. That's a harsh reality bite.

Now I'll get back to managing the CD sampler and the next issue.

Bam!

I was going to write "Bonk!" in the heading, but it was more like a "WHAM!" or a "BAM!" A garage door came down on my head last night. That aluminum ridge frame part of the door is solid. It's a good thing I have a thick skull!
:?)

Something got caught in the track for the garage door, which pretty much buckled and bent the whole "system" when the opener was closing the door last night. We got the car out of the garage and wanted to get the door closed so that we'd be secure while waiting for repair. This minor incident has helped me dedicate my life to the Lordship of Christ. I look at a mishap like this and can get despairing. I'm trying to work late on deadline, we're trying to organize an office move, and then this happens. A repair like this can hit the pocketbook pretty hard, and part of me is like, 'Great! I really felt like spending x-amount of money on something I didn't need an hour ago.' But I've gotta move on. I can't let myself get consumed with 'what if's' and whatnot. But I really wanted to make my attitude be in the right place. I don't want to be a slave to money. Money can consume us so easily.

Making Jesus Lord is both a step of faith and a practical thing. Telling Him in prayer that He is in control, and surrendering your will and circumstances (and magazine) to Him is a conscious thing we can do, even though they are words spoken to someone invisible to our earthly eyes. This is the faith part. When you talk to God, you want to be real. You want to mean your words. You don't want to look back later and regret a weak or false promise. The living it out part of His lordship can be quite practical. It's just living by the word or doing what you said you were going to do. This can work itself out in many number of ways.

It's interesting to read 2 Corinthians 5 today. Verse 5 refers to the Holy Spirit (the third Person of the Trinity) as a "deposit" that was "given us...guaranteeing what is to come."

It's interesting that God keeps giving Himself for us. His Son, Jesus, was given to us as a ransom, a payment for sin. His Spirit was given as a deposit or guarantee that our salvation would come, that the work would be finished.

"So we make it our goal to please Him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due Him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men... For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that One died for all, and therefore all died. And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him Who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, Who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made Him Who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God."

Have you seen this?

I stopped by Hutto Donuts on the way to work this morning, cuz my figure needs some filling out, and I noticed a new looking coin I hadn't seen before. The 2005 nickel has a cool new design. That's rad. I kind of wish I collected coins. I'd like to have all the new quarters, and these new nickels are cool. I like the retro/ return to the buffalo side of the coin. That clipped and bleeding head of Jefferson is a rad design, too.

2 Corinthians 4 has an interesting verse:

"The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, Who is the image of God."

That's a fascinating statement that seems to fly in the face of "free will." It offers an answer to that question of, "Why won't they get saved? Can't they see the Truth?" Nevertheless, Paul keeps on preaching.

"For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, Who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us..."

I wonder if Paul had "fans" in his day, who marveled at his poetry (calling our salvation "treasures in jars of clay"). He continually said some very rich things that give you room to think. Of course, it was God's Holy Spirit that gave Paul the words to write, but I can imagine some people becoming "Paul fans," who eagerly anticipated his next "release" (letter) and marveled at it.

"...All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God."

This is very encouraging news (that "the grace is reaching more and more"), which continues to this day.

Street Angel

I always loved this line from an old Streetangel song:

"For years and years our father's taught,
'That death was a friend of God,'
but death is God's enemy
the last to be downtrod."

In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul is addressing some concerns about death and the resurrection of the dead. It is here that he states that,

"If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that He raised Christ from the dead. But He did not raise Him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men."

We are fools and idiots if the resurrection is not true. And our faith would be futile, for we'd still be in our sins. This makes me think that sin and "being in our sin" is a central key to the Gospel. (like the "bad news" that's shared before the "Good News") There have been times when I've shared or preached the Gospel and felt the need to convince people that they had a problem (sin). This might be true in our culture, but it's also probably true that we don't need to point out to anyone that they're a sinner. Our hearts condemn us to that fact. There are surely people that will be misled and think that they are perfect or that will argue any point, but stating the obvious -- that we are "in sin" -- is probably done best in passing without going into great detail as to why, or proving that point.

If the resurrection of Christ were not true, all those apostles would then be false witnesses, for they saw Him raised from the dead and they told everyone about it. I think one of the reasons Paul said they'd be "most pitied among men" is that they suffered so much hardship in the Name and cause of Christ. If the hope of the resurrection were not there, all that hardship would be futile. But it is because the hope of the resurrection is real that we endure hardship.

One of the wonderful byproducts of suffering is how we can later comfort someone else that's going through the same suffering.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, Who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God."

I tell ya, no one can comfort a mother who's lost a baby more than another mother who's been through the same thing. No one can comfort someone with a broken heart like someone who's had a broken heart. People listen to pain. It's a common thing for each of us. Even just knowing that is a comforting thing.

Love is the best

I've never really known Paul to speak in parables. Have you? So when he's talking about love there's an element of literal-ness that makes me wonder.

"And now I will show you the most excellent way. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing."

I guess he's being poetic, but this reference to moving mountains is only talked about elsewhere in the Bible by Jesus, Who says, "if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move." (Matthew 17:21) And: "...also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.'"

Some people will harp on that verse and try to tell us that faith is a force we can use to have our way (which is kind of out of balance with the overriding "His will be done" perspective), and still others will want to ignore this verse so they can avoid any of the errors or excesses of the "faith movement." It's right here, though. And Paul brings this up. I wonder if there's been any mountain moving in history. The closest thing I've heard is when Paul Crouch (yeah, the grey haired guy in a suit on tv) bought his first FCC license and frequency/station or something in Santa Ana, but there was a mountain that would block the signal. Somehow, though, it's as if the mountain isn't there and his TBN station broadcasts on channel 40 all throughout Southern California. Maybe that's a miracle, maybe it's not. I bet is someone physically moved a mountain, though, it'd be recorded in history (and tossing one into the sea would certainly cause tidal waves on another coast, wouldn't it?).

But the most important thing here (and the subject of chapter 13 of 1 Corinthians) is love.

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."

Wow. That is a good definition of love. It's almost like the Law in a way. I can look at that list and see where I come up short. Even in my marriage, how many times have I been rude? Self-seeking? Easily angered? Kept a list of wrongs? That list might tally up to a number too high. I wonder which number is higher: How many times I've NOT been self-seeking versus how many times I've been self-seeking.

Bull's Eye!

Allow me a moment here...

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWW!!!!
Man, oh man, it feels so good to watch your college team win it all -- and in such an exciting fashion! Whew! Texas beat USC 41-38 at the Rose Bowl last night. Wow. I live pretty close to downtown Austin (comparitively speaking), and I contemplated driving the 30 minutes from my driveway to the UT campus area last night after midnight. I'm sure the reveling went on for hours. The giant UT tower will be lit up in all orange, along with the lights in the building arranged so that they spell out a giant "1" on all four sides. I plan on taking my family out to eat tonight for a double celebration and show my kids the tower lit up that way.

I could not have asked for a better game. I remember praying late in the fourth quarter "Thank You, Lord, for the joy that this game has brought." Even if Texas had lost (and it came down to a 4th and 5 with less than a minute to go), it was a delight to watch. I was surprised (and slightly dismayed) at what some of the commentators said about Reggie Bush after the game, however. As much as I'm glad Texas won, I don't agree that "Reggie Bush wasn't much of a factor." I think he played like Superman out there. The commentators weren't downplaying his role when he flew through the air for more than five horizontal yards into the pylon in the corner of the endzone on that great touchdown he scored. No sir, he was having a standout game up to that point. It's sad that any one player gets slighted like that; but hey, he's got a Heisman trophy. Reggie Bush, LenDale White or Matt Leinart could easily have been game MVPs, as they all played great.

The game opened up with two Hollywood actors introducing the match-up: Matthew McConaughey (promoting the Longhorns) and Will Farrell (promoting the Trojans). It was so funny to hear Farrell's comments. At one point he was holding a Heisman up to his ear, "I'm sorry, I can't hear you. I have a Heisman in my ear." Then McConaughey made another case for the Longhorns and it flipped to Farrell again, this time sporting a Heisman in both ears. Just hilarious. I was impressed with the things Vince Young said after the game. It was a great thing to witness USC players helping UT players up off the field in the middle of the game, and vice-versa. There's a sportsmanship on display that's contagious. It's funny, because there's also a lot of "trash talking" going on, too. These kind of actions, though, prove that sport is alive and well (and not lost in anger, rivalry, and showmanship). It was cool to hear that both Leinart and Bush went into the Horns' dressing room to shake hands and congratulate the team. It was also cool that Trojan coach Pete Carroll waited on the field for Mack Brown to celebrate a little and soak in his victory and hug those around him before they shook hands at midfield. That was classy all the way around. Leinart did say some things in an on-field postgame interview that were kind of less than sportsman, like, "I still think we're the better team," but hey, that was right after losing the national championship. Emotions just might get in the way at a time like that (duh). What a game.

As a family, we'll also celebrate closing on the land that we'll be moving the office to. That's right, HM Magazine is moving its digs from Pflugerville to the much easier-to-spell Thrall, Texas. Whew!

Does God care who won the game last night? How about any game? I don't think God preditermines or "cares" who wins a game. I bet He enjoys watching the human competition take place, though. That's a lot of fun. Most people know that. I doubt very few people actually pray what they're wishing: "Lord, help me win this game." Paul understood competition. In 1 Corinthians 9, he mentions: "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize." It takes hard work and training to win the big competitions. It's a good thing, but it's not easy.

The Longhorns - Take Dead Aim

Tonight's the night: the NCAA national championship game. I can't tell you when I've been as excited about this game. I don't think I have. My alma mater the University of Texas, is playing USC for the title. I practically get goose bumps thinking about it when I see the television hype, etc.

Last night I stayed up to see the triple overtime victory of Penn State over Florida State. I made sure I programmed the recorder to get the Jimmy Kimmel show, cuz it was scheduled to have some New Year's Eve performance by P.O.D. They were playing "Goodbye for Now," "Boom" and "Alive," which was "broadcast" onto the giant tv screens in Times Square on 12/31. I can't wait to see it. I've been listening to their new album a lot and I really, really like it.

I'm back at the office trying to catch up on emails. Looks like there's 2,269 emails coming in to my old (doug at) account, and only 630 into my active (dvanpelt) account. Fortunately, I had a high-speed internet connection over the holidays and was able to "keep up" with email correspondance, yet I have the "keep a copy of the message on the server" box checked in my notebook's Outlook settings, so all the emails that I read over vacation are going into my desktop at work's inbox. It'll be a couple hours of "filing" (and deleting) them away now.

I was unfortunate enough to come down with a bug or food poisoning on the second to last day of my vacation, so instead of relishing the last moments together with my family, I was downstairs in bed. I hate being sick, but I find myself praising God a lot in those situations. Subconsiously I might be wishing that my praise would move God into healing me instantly, but I don't really sense that as my motivation. I've simply trained my tongue and mind to praise God in the midst of adversity. I'd much rather have this habit that profanity rising up out of my mouth, though, that's for sure. My very small and tiny suffering is nothing when compared to that of the slaves in Egypt or early American history, but many of those folks found a way to turn their hearts toward the Lord in the midst of grueling and seemingly never-ending suffering. I'm amazed by their faith. That's where much (if not all) of the "soul" comes from in many Blues, Americana, R&B, and Roots Rock comes from -- that spirit inspiring flesh creativity that spills of hope in the midst of pain.

What a great legacy we have. I imagine all the people in heaven we will run into that set such heroic and godly examples while on earth. It'll be rich to sit at their feet and hear their stories. I am glad for the myriad of such opportunities we have right here in today's day and age to hear such stories. One trip to a nursing home to visit gray-haired folks ("strangers" we don't even know) can be a start...