Rick Nier...Woo!

The introduction to this book intrigued me. When I hear that simply writing a book gets you fired, I want to know more. Wisdom Hunter by Randall Arthur is a novel from 1991, so don't expect high-tech conspiracy or stolen identities, but that doesn't keep this from being a page turner. Jason Faircloth is a pastor and a dad. It appears he's failing at both. Oh, perhaps not on the outside, but whoever said the outside appearance was important? While the plot seems a bit obvious from the start, it takes off quickly, taking unexpected turns throughout the story. The best part, making this a must read for any fathers doubling as pastors, come in the journal that Jason Faircloth records throughout teh second half of the book. This stuff will preach. I would also consider making this required reading for all church leadership, so that everyone starts, and ends, on the same page. To purchase this book, visit http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781601422996&re

With Halloween coming this week, there have been way too many horror films to be seen. Call me old, but I left scary movies behind about 10 years ago. My real problem with these films is that the stupid characters always run the wrong way. Always. I suppose if they were smart, then we wouldn't have such horror in these films. But then perhaps it would be a decent movie. I shared recently that people often misuse God by running to Him only when they are in trouble. But it got me thinking that there are good reasons to run to God. First, back in Numbers 35:6-29, we see God giving the Israelites Cities of Refuge. These were designated cities that someone could run to if they accidentally killed someone. God defines accidentally , and places some guidelines around it. The innocent could run in this direction to avoid being killed for the sake of revenge. Reading this made me realize that the Church has been a sanctuary like this down through the centuries, sometimes misused, but ofte

Ok, so here's what you need to do; dig a large hole, put everything you think you need in the large hole. Then find a large rock and put it over the hole, with yourself in there, ready to live out the rest of your days. That was my first thought upon reading Shadow Government by Grant R. Jeffrey. If you're skeptical of conspiracy theories, like I am, but you believe that they do exist, like I do, then this will be an enjoyable read. Grant unloads everything in the first couple of chapters, clearly letting you know where he stands. I do like his purpose stated just nine pages in. The message of prophecy is not one of doom and gloom, as some critics have suggested. Rather, Jesus commanded His followers to respond with joyful anticipation when they begin to see the fulfillment of these prophecies. The author is clearly unwilling to allow his readers be surprised by any fulfillment. From the people gaining power behind the scenes to the newest weapons of mass destruction, this boo

I don't want to give a whole history lesson here, but God's people in the Old Testament were somewhat messed up. You might think it would have been different between the transitioning of two of their greatest kings, David and Solomon. But this family, and the surrounding characters, was almost like watching Jerry Springer's All-Stars. For instance, at the same time David was anointing Solomon to become king (in 1 Kings 1), another of David's sons, Adonijah, was throwing himself a party to be king. When Adonijah heard that Solomon was anointed in his place, he instantly feared for his life. So he went and grabbed the horns of the Altar of God. After talking with Solomon, Adonijah goes homes with his head attached. At least until 1 Kings 2. Here Solomon finds just cause to have Adonijah killed, along with some other less-than-faithful officials. This is when Joab, an army commander who was less-than-faithful himself, heard that there was some house cleaning going on. So h

Final words say a lot about us. Though everything we say should have meaning and not be wasted, I think we often consider our last words and we want them to make an impact. So, if I have the opportunity, here will be my last words to my son. "Keep your eyes on God. I have tried to model this for you. Remember that it's not about you or me and that what we do, we do for God. Always do the right thing for the right reason. Stay focused on God and you will never walk alone... And if you've seen anyone mocking me or doing me wrong, make sure to make them pay after I'm dead." The last part may seem to be a tad absurd, but I'll just be following the example left to us by King David. In my life, I've been known to make jokes at inappropriate moments. So I really admire David here. You can read it in 1 Kings 2:1-9. You have to respect a guy who takes one last moment to stick it to his enemies. Not that we would officially advocate what David does here, we often li

Let's face it, we all have those people in our lives that drive us nuts. Oh, we may try to be nice on the outside, but on the inside we are banging our head against a wall. And most of the time we figure everything is fine, as long as we don't say anything. But then someone comes along who starts talking about how freeing forgiveness can be. Here's a good example as we pick up Jesus mid-teaching; "Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.' For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." (Matthew 6:12-15). And though we agree with all of these spiritually, physically it makes us want to gag. My son has the weakest gag reflex of anyone I have ever seen. He'll shove 5 bites into his mouth and then I will see this look and I will just hand him a napk

Despite the fact that it is far fetched and not connected with reality, a movie I really liked is Face Off . Made in 1997, starring John Travolta and Nicholas Cage, it involves the fairy-tale procedure of an agent switching faces with a criminal in order to solve a case. Of course, mayhem ensues, but a great line occurs when John Travolta, playing the agent, says, "I will become him." There's an agent willing to go to great lengths to solve a case, even though it could cost him everything. Sounds a bit like God, doesn't it? He spends a few thousand years trying to explain to the Israelites that this whole world is about Him. He makes covenants with them, blesses them, and generally loves them. But, like blockheads, they don't get it. So God does the unthinkable and becomes one of us. Forget all the details of a virgin birth and other miracles that Jesus would perform, this is God entering His own world and becoming like His creation. He spends 3 years trying to ex

The challenge was set before me and, like any man, I could not face failure. Bragging rights for weeks would ride on this one performance. The challenge? Get all 3 of my children dressed and fed and off to school on time, without any help from mom. The alarm clock was like a starting pistol and I was off. To be honest, I am not sure the children were on my side in this. The girls kept asking questions like; does this match? and where is my jewelry at? Then my youngest daughter threw a big curve ball when she asked for piggy tails in her hair. We were moving along at a good pace. Breakfast was eaten, teeth were brushed, clothes were put on, and even a cartoon was watched. You would think this kind of victory would instill confidence within the children towards me. But then my kids saw a piece of plastic, broken off from something in our house. While no one seemed to care where it came from, my youngest daughter, again (I'm sure) working against me, asked, "Is it dangerous? Mayb

Craig Borlase has written a book that at first caught my attention because of teh upside-down cover. I know; I'm a simpleton. He writes about how we are naturally drawn to ourselves but need to practice gravitating towards God. We have this way of focusing too much on ourselves. This is a point I repeatedly have to remind myself of and one of which I am constantly talking to others about. So I knew I would like Craig's point of view. He writes, "We make our world too small, our horizons too limited, our sun too pale." Beautiful. He goes on to describe how our lives are too small, too safe, and too vain. Me, me, me, me. It's the song we sing about ourselves, as loudly as we can to as many as we possibly can. Craig weaves Biblical narratives, applying them to our sophisticated, modern lives. The plus is that he then spends part two of his book making some pratical applications. The applications are about what we wear, how we use stuff, and how it affects our planet.

Prayer time around my house is not always what you might expect to happen in a pastor's home. Prayers range from thanking God for the food we eat to thanking God the little ones are in bed. But it gets really interesting when our 3-year old prays. This was last night's exercise in calling upon the Holy One; "Thank you God for my friend Lauren that she have a brother Landon. Thank you for Ty-Ty not biting me. Thank you (pause to look around the room)for my barbies and my books, thank you 4,6,7, Chicken Little, Amen." I simply pray silently and patiently as my penitent daughter talks to Jesus. Her older brother is slightly better, even though I at first did not see why. Whenever he would pray, he would begin every sentence with Thank You. It did not matter if he was praising or requesting. 'Thank you for this day.' 'Thank you for this food.' 'Thank you for the Christmas gifts I'll get in 3 months.' Because prayer is such a holy thing, I have