The cross opens its arms to the four winds。。。

“Buddhism is centripetal　(moving toward the center), but Christianity is centrifugal (moving away from the center): it breaks out. For the circle is perfect and infinite in its nature; but it is fixed for ever in its size; it can never be larger or smaller. But the cross, though it has at its heart a collision and a contradiction, can extend its four arms for ever without altering its shape. Because it has a paradox in its centre it can grow without changing. The circle returns upon itself and is bound. The cross opens its arms to the four winds; it is a signpost for free travellers.” G. K. Chesterton

All men alike stand condemned....

"All men alike stand condemned, not by alien codes of ethics, but by their own, and all men therefore are conscious of guilt." C. S. Lewis

'All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.' Romans 3:23

Edwards on Thanksgiving

Read a portion of　America’s foremost theologian, Jonathan Edwards' (1703-1758 Thanksgiving message in 1739.

His text was Luke 8:2-3. “Also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; Joanna the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.”

"How suitable and becoming was the behavior of those women that when Christ had been their deliverer from such grievous calamities, they thus showed their dear love and gratitude to him, and fed and clothed him as long as he lived, and prepared for an embalming of him when he was dead. How suitable and amiable was the behavior of Mary Magdalene, that had been a notorious sinner and out of whom Christ cast seven devils, in following Christ ever after wherever he went, to provide meat and drink for him while he lived, from a dear love which she always had for him, and followed him to the cross, and followed him to the grave, and was the most of all in doing him honor at his death."

Edwards applies it to us this way. “We are not only to wait till the poor come to our houses a-begging, but we are to bring ‘em to our houses (Isa. 58:7). … We are not to wait till they come to our houses, but we are to go to theirs. This is said to be pure and undefiled religion (Jam. 1:27).” In serving the poor we serve Christ also.

From article: An Edwards-ian Thanksgiving

John Wooden quotes

Drink deeply from good books, especially the Bible.

Be quick, but don't hurry.

Adversity is the state in which man mostly easily becomes acquainted with himself, being especially free of admirers then.

You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.

You can't let praise or criticism get to you. It's a weakness to get caught up in either one.

Material possessions, winning scores, and great reputations are meaningless in the eyes of the Lord, because He knows what we really are and that is all that matters.

Winning takes talent, to repeat takes character.

What you are as a person is far more important that what you are as a basketball player.

Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.

There are many things that are essential to arriving at true peace of mind, and one of the most important is faith, which cannot be acquired without prayer.

The worst thing about new books is that they keep us from reading the old ones.

The main ingredient of stardom is the rest of the team.

Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.

It's what you learn after you know it all that counts.

It's not so important who starts the game but who finishes it.

If you're not making mistakes, then you're not doing anything. I'm positive that a doer makes mistakes.

Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be.

Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.

John Robert Wooden, a committed Christian, announced his retirement after the 1974-75 season (his 27th) as the UCLA Bruins' head coach with the winningest record in all of the sport's history. His 885-203 overall career win-loss record (.813) is unequaled. In 27 years as Bruin coach, his teams registered 620 wins, and only 147 losses. He won an unprecedented 10 NCAA championships, including seven consecutive (1966-73). Included in the string is one of the most amazing win streaks in all of sports, 38 straight NCAA tournament victories. There is the all-time NCAA consecutive winning-streak record of 88 games over four seasons, which included consecutive 30-0 seasons in 1971-72 and 1972-73. He also won 149 of 151 games in UCLA's Pauley Pavilion. He is the only coach to compile four undefeated seasons of 30-0 and his teams captured 19 conference championships. Coach Wooden is the first person to be inducted into the National Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and coach.

Speaking at Manno Christ Church...

I spoke at Manno Christ Church last Sunday from Matthew 11:28-30. "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

The last illustration I gave by Steven Childers may interest you. “A man was hiking. He saw a house on the other side of the field. Next to the house was a man ferociously pumping water from a well. The man continued to pump water even more ferociously. It was as if he knew no tiredness. He never slowed down. He just wouldn’t stop, but keep on pumping the water…. It was amazing what he saw, so he drew closer to the man. As he drew closer, he realized that the man was not really a man, but a piece of wood that looked like a man. The arm that looked like it was pumping water with great speed was connected to the handle of the pump by a piece of wire. The reason the water was flowing out was not because of the wooden manikin. The well was a deep fresh water well that even with out a pump the water would have overflowed. In reality it was the overflowing water that was moving the manikin." Childers added, "To all those who seek to be close to Christ, the Holy Spirit will be abundantly poured out. The only thing we must do is 'put our hand on the handle of the pump'"

To be open I am tired in many ways. I also need to do the same.

The Triune God

"The God we know is the Triune One- the Father, Son and Holy Spirit united together in perfect love. Because God is 'community'- fellowship shared among the Father, Son and Spirit- the creation of humankind in the divine image must be related to humans in fellowship with each other. God's own character can only be mirrored by humans who love after the manner of the perfect love, which lies at the heart of the Triune God." Stanley Grenz

The Blind Side...

The Blind Side is an excellent movie of vital Christianity. It is a true story of a white evangelical couple who pick up a young black man and sincerely love him. This year he is the potential NFL rookie of the year with the Baltimore Ravens. I love sports, but especially when it glorifies my Lord. Just watching the trailer brought me to tears, but Naho and I hope to see it when we are in the States next month.

"Sandra Bullock..., while getting to know the Tuohys during the filming process, found her own preconceived notions about Christians challenged. 'One of my biggest issues has always been people who use their faith and their religion as a banner but don't do the right things, yet still go, 'I'm a good Christian and I go to church and this is the way you should live your life,' said Bullock. 'And I'm like, you know, do not give me a lecture about how to live my life when you go to church every week but I know you are still sneaking around on your wife. And I told Leigh Anne in a live interview, one of my largest concerns getting involved with this project was that whole banner-waving thing because it scares me, and I've had experiences that haven't been great with people like that. I don't buy a lot of people who use that banner as their shield. But she was so open and honest and forthright with me I thought, wow, I've finally met someone who practices but doesn't preach.... I now have faith in those who say they represent a faith.... I finally met people who walk the walk.'"

Sandra, sorry, but it is important to who both 'walk the walk' AND 'talk the talk.' You have though underlined something that we evangelicals need to be aware of.

For the details check out this article on the movie by WORLD Magazine The Blinded Side and another article on the backround of the story again written in WORLD Magazine Family man. Check out the trailer: The Blind Side.

Elementry school 'marathon'

Last Thursday, the 12th, the kids ran in their school marathon. Here Joshua is running his last stretch. Joshua placed 11th in the 4th grade. His shoe came off. Shane placed 3rd. The next day he started 'training.' And Hosahna placed 1oth. I was proud of them all.

Totally different

'If there is social injustice, say there is social injustice. If we need order, say we need order... But do not align yourself as though you are in either of these camps: You are an ally of neither. The church of the Lord Jesus Christ is different from either- totally different.'　Francis Schaeffer

Worship is....

“Worship is the submission of all of our nature to God. It is the quickening of conscience by His holiness, nourishment of mind by His truth, purifying of imagination by His beauty, opening of the heart to His love, and submission of will to His purpose. And all this gathered up in adoration is the greatest of human expressions of which we are capable.” Archbishop William Temple

The Savior... waded through hell itself

‘Fairly often I meet people who say, "I have a personal relationship with a loving God, and yet I don't believe in Jesus Christ at all." Why, I ask? "My God is too loving to pour out infinite suffering on anyone for sin." But this shows a deep misunderstanding of both God and the cross. On the cross, God HIMSELF, incarnated as Jesus, took the punishment. He didn't visit it on a third party, however willing.

So the question becomes: what did it cost your kind of god to love us and embrace us? What did he endure in order to receive us? Where did this god agonize, cry out, and where were his nails and thorns? The only answer is: "I don't think that was necessary." But then ironically, in our effort to make God more loving, we have made him less loving. His love, in the end, needed to take no action. It was sentimentality, not love at all. The worship of a god like this will be at most impersonal, cognitive, and ethical. There will be no joyful self-abandonment, no humble boldness, no constant sense of wonder. We could not sing to him "love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all." Only through the cross could our separation from God be removed, and we will spend all eternity loving and praising God for what he has done (Rev 5:9-14.)

And if Jesus did not experience hell itself for us, then we ourselves are devalued. In Isaiah, we are told, "The results of his suffering he shall see, and shall be satisfied" (Isaiah 53:11). This is a stupendous thought. Jesus suffered infinitely more than any human soul in eternal hell, yet he looks at us and says, "It was worth it." What could make us feel more loved and valued than that? The Savior presented in the gospel waded through hell itself rather than lose us, and no other savior ever depicted has loved us at such a cost.’ Tim Keller

Let their table be made a snare

“’David saith, Let their table be made a snare’. I think the religious situation in this country [England] is mainly to be explained by ‘affluence’, the ‘table’. ‘Never had it so good’, you see, the table is full. Plenty of money in our pockets, plenty of drink, motor-cars… ‘let their table be made a snare’. And off they go in their cars on a Sunday to the seaside or the mountain-top or to play golf or to do this or that – ‘let the table be made…’ The table being made a snare. The very blessing of God is becoming a curse. Poverty is a terrible thing but, you know, affluence is a more dangerous thing in a spiritual sense.” D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones