On Caffeine, a Velvet Elvis and a Ford tranny...

Caffeine levels are up today - therefore, I will post.

A lot has happened since the last time we shared a mug o' joe together. I have seen an uncle leave this life for the next. We experienced the loss of a transmission in our 2000 Ford Windstar. My first invoice for dental improvements arrived...at the tune of $2401. I have begun, and finished perhaps 3 or 4 books. There is a light at the end of the Greek Exegesis tunnel - and it is not a train afterall.

I've just finished reading the Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith by Rob Bell (pastor of the famed Mars Hill Bible Church located in Michigan). I must admit that I like Rob Bell's style - its fresh and personable. However, some of the things I read in his book really concerned me. I appreciate his passion for Christ-followers to be genuine and loving and unconformed to a religion. It is this passion that misdirects him into rejecting some basic tenets of following Christ; things like: the Way of salvation, the absolute authority of scripture and others. There are good things in his book as well - don't get me wrong. I greatly appreciate his 'out of the box' look at the way the 'church' is 'doing church'. We do have it wrong in some areas - and we do need to change those areas. Its just that we can't ignore the timeless truths as presented in the Bible. In the Velvet Elvis, Rob Bell has left the building of conservative Christ-following.

I spoke earlier of transmission trouble with our primary family vehicle. It just 'all of a sudden' died on the way home from church one night. It required placing a rebuilt tranny in the van - at the cost of about $1935. I just didn't have the extra lying around. This came immediately on the heels of the $2401 in dental work. (which wasn't lying around either). My wife and I have learned from long ago that God fulfills His Word as read in Matthew 6&7. We have continually seen Him provide for our necessities...and beyond. And, true to His timing, He provided miraculously again. Our church, hearing of our need, collected over $3000! God is so good. His grace has extended through His followers once again. Thank you CBC.

With the completion of the last four verses in 1 John 5, I will have translated my first book of the Bible from Greek to English. I consider this a great accomplishment - and have new found respect for any scribe of yesteryear. Thank God for my Bible software (Bibleworks 7.0) - which saves me great amounts of time in the process. And just to put your hearts at ease, I do the work first by myself - and then double check it with the software. There is no easy route to doing things correctly. I have enjoyed this semester - and it is hard to imagine not going to class on Tuesdays and Thursdays after I finish on the 14th of December. Perhaps I will continue in my translating with other books...I don't know.

Well, God bless you for reading my scattered thoughts. Post a comment and let me know what you think of what I've said. I'll be starting another pot o' joe soon, so pull up a chair, bring your favorite mug and let's examine the daily jolt.

Has it really been almost a month since my last post? Incredible. I have been very busy it seems and my blog doesn't get the priority that perhaps it should. And then again, I don't know if anyone even reads it - so - it all balances out in the end.

I have finished the book I was reading by Steve Gallagher (Intoxicated with Babylon) - this is a must read! It is so convicting - it deals with worldliness, and let me say that I have much to work on.

I am currently reading three new books:

• Confessions of a Pastor: Adventures in Dropping the Pose and Getting Real with God - (by Craig Groeschel)
• Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven, but Nobody Wants to Die: or the Eschatology of Bluegrass - (by David Crowder)
• Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church: Understanding a Movement and its Implications - (by D.A. Carson)

On order is Rob Bell's Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith. So, what are you reading? Care to share?

Tomorrow (Sunday, 11/19/2006) I am preaching at our church. I am speaking on Psalm 145 and the title of my message is taken from vs. 21 "My Mouth Shall Speak the Praise of the Lord". 5 main points of what we should praise God for come out of this passage (there are doubtless more that you could come up with):

1. Praise God for His Greatness
2. Praise God for His Goodness
3. Praise God for His Governing
4. Praise God for His Giving
5. Praise God for His Grace

Pretty cool aliteration, eh? Come & listen, won't you? May God challenge your heart as He did mine in reference to Gratitude.

Another miscellaneous item, and then I must go. I upgraded my phone with verizon a couple of days ago. I am now the proud owner of the Motorolla Q. Let me say that it is taking some getting used to. I am still not completely comfortable with the Bluetooth, etc - and will probably be talking again with Verizon about it. But it does combine my phone and PDA all in one - which is going to be really helpful.

There really isnt much happening - outside of today is the opening day of deer season... and I am sitting in my living room! That's okay - I should be able to get out sometime. Well, its time to refill the mug of java... Gevalia's costa rica coffee today! Here's to the daily jolt we all should experience!!

God bless,