One Pastor's Perspective

I had an interesting encounter on Facebook last night, and one that I hope is NOT a foreshadowing of days to come . . . One of my friends commented on the fact that Kid Rock singing and a group ballroom dancing didn’t quite seem to match. I agreed with him, coining one of Obama’s catchwords: CHANGE.

I seemed to start a cyberwar with that statement. I was accused, by another “Christian” of supporting torture tactics like the previous administration. I could’ve picked BOTH administrations apart over things I did not agree with, but that was not the point. Another guy got on there and actually did that, but that wasn’t what it was all about for me: The image of Kid Rock singing to ballroom dancing IS FUNNY!! And, does not really fit!! SO WHAT??

So this morning I am wondering: After all of the ways people have pounded George Bush and said the ugliest and untrue things about him, will we all now be pounded if we disagree with the current administration?? Make no mistake: President Obama is OUR PRESIDENT, and I believe we have a responsibility to pray for him and support him in every way we can. But, if we disagree with him, will we be dismantled in public??

All I did was laugh about Kid Rock . . . And I was.

Today’s funny from www.mikeysfunnies.com is very fitting, considering the inch of snow we got in Florence, SC, today that SHUT THE CITY DOWN. I love it!!!

It was snowing heavily and blowing to the point that visibility was almost zero when John (not the sharpest pencil in the batch) got off work. He made his way to his car and wondered how he was going to make it home. He sat in his car while it warmed up and thought about his situation.

He finally remembered his dad’s advice that if he got caught in a blizzard he should wait for a snow plow to come by and follow it. That way he would not get stuck in a snow drift. This made him feel much better and sure enough in a little while a snow plow went by and he started to follow it.

As he followed the snow plow, he was feeling very smug as they continued and he was not having any problem with the blizzard conditions. After an hour had passed, he was somewhat surprised when the snow plow stopped and the driver got out and came back to his car and signaled for him to roll down his window.

The snow plow driver wanted to know if he was all right as he had been following him for a long time. John said that he was fine and told him of his dad’s advice to follow a snow plow when caught in a blizzard.

The driver replied that it was okay with him and he could continue if he wanted, but he was done with the Wal-Mart parking lot and was going over to Sears next.

This week is already bringing much reflection on this topic . . . Does racism still exist?? Sadly, I say YES. I think most would agree that any racism is bad and breaks down our nation, and breaks down the Kingdom of God. And I believe it still raises its ugly head, but maybe not in the areas you might think.

My family and I lived in New Orleans from May, 1992, through May, 1995. Unlike many whites in the South, I experienced racism first hand. New Orleans Seminary is in New Orleans East, the Gentilly neighborhood to be specific. When I talk about New Orleans with a native New Orleanian and people asked where I lived, there is a great shock on their face when I say “Gentilly.” My experience in Gentilly took me into places where I was hated . . . Not because of who I was, but because of my skin color. I have been to stores like KMart, McDonalds, and other nationally known chains where no one wanted to help me, take my order, or take my money. I figured it out really quick: If they treated me that way at the cash register, they probably were adding “special sauce” to my food. I quickly learned NOT TO GO to those places. I was not welcomed. (Consequently, as I went back post-Katrina and took work crews from the church, I WAS welcomed.)

SO WHAT?? Many Americans have experienced this for many years. Some African-Americans have told me “SO WHAT? Their ancestors experienced far worse for years.” Well, two wrongs definitely don’t make something right. Remember? All racism is bad, right??

And don’t even get me started about the discrimination faced by CHRISTIANS today. That is another blog post with the same result: Discrimination DOES exist, and the only way to stop it is for EVERYONE to get on board.

I love writing my blog. I write in it at least four times a week, and it really is a reflection of what is going on in my mind and in my heart. And, then there are weeks like this and I have very little heart left with which to write . . .

Death is always difficult to deal with. Yes, there are things you learn as you deal with it more and more, like the best thing you can do is be there and listen; You really DON’T have to have all the answers. People respond to death in different ways, and many times their response IS a reflection of where their loved one stood with Jesus Christ. And, in all situations, if you trust the Holy Spirit, He really WILL help you and give you the words.

Then, there is a week like this week. The death of a 21-year-old. Many questions, and no answers. A tragedy that leaves a family far more than stunned . . . And leaves a pastor in the same state. That is where I am, even still today.

And, days like these it is hard to write. It is hard to have fun with the old blog. But I guess it really DOES help to write what I am writing now. All I know is that I LOVE Ebenezer. It is in moments like this that Ebenezer shines and the cream rises to the top. And, once again, that happened. To God be the glory for all of this, and I am thankful to be a part of this church!!!!

POLICE COMMENTS These 16 comments by police officers were taken off actual police car videos around the country. Thank goodness, in spite of the perils of the job, they still have a since of humor…
16. “You know, stop lights don’t come any redder than the one you just went through.”
15. “Relax, the handcuffs are tight because they’re new. They’ll stretch after you wear them a while.”
14. “If you take your hands off the car, I’ll make your birth certificate a worthless document.”
13. “If you run, you’ll only to to jail tired.”
12. “Can you run faster than 1200 feet per second? Because that’s the speed of the bullet that’ll be chasing you.”
11. “You don’t know how fast you were going? I guess that means I can write anything I want to on the ticket, huh?”
10. “Yes sir, you can talk to the Shift Supervisor, but I don’t think it will help. Oh, did I mention that I’m the Shift Supervisor?”
9. “Warning! You want a warning? Okay, I’m warning you not to do that again or I’ll give you another ticket.”
8. “The answer to this last question will determine whether you are a drunk or not. Was Mickey Mouse a cat or a dog?”
7. “Fair? You want me to be fair? Listen, fair is a place where you go to ride on rides, eat cotton candy and corn dogs and step in monkey doodoo.’
6. “Yea, we have a quota. Two more tickets and my wife gets a toaster oven.”
5. “In God we trust, all others we run through NCIC.’
4. “How big were those ‘two beers’ you said you had?”
3. “No sir, we don’t have quotas anymore. We use to, but we’re allowed to write as many tickets as we can.”
2. “I’m glad to hear that the Chief (of Police) is a personal friend of yours, so you know someone who can post your bail.”
1. “You didn’t think we give pretty women tickets? You’re right, we don’t. Sign here.”

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Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive!! Remember THAT old ditty! The moral of that story is DO NOT LIE. Any time we lie, we WILL get tangled up in it.

But there are other tangled webs we encounter in life:

Communication: If we do not communicate with those around us, especially those we love, those we depend on, and those we serve, WE WILL GET INTO A HEAP OF TROUBLE!! We cannot allow pride or prejudice to get in the way of our communication.

Addiction: Addiction drives far too many people to do things they would have never dreamed. It is a horrible existence that causes all kinds of complication in life. The greatest complication is the self-deception it causes . . . It kills families, communities, churches, and people!

Idol-worship: ANY TIME we put ANYTHING AHEAD of GOD in our lives, there will be great pain, complication, emptiness, and failure. PERIOD.

Self-focus: WHOA IS ME!! Anytime we are so focused on ourselves that we do not see the world around us, the same calamity from above awaits us. Our focus and priorities should be GOD FIRST, and He will set the list for the rest!

I could go on and on, but you get the idea. Any time we are focused on, or worshiping ANYTHING other than God, we can expect great trouble and our lives become a tangled mess!!

Just when you thought it was safe to LIKE an actor, they have to open their big mouths and prove themselves idiots. The lastest in this long moron parade is Anne Hathaway, an ardent supporter of Barack Obama, but not a fan of Rick Warren.

Apparently, she and her father will be attend the inauguration and they will protest Rick Warren’s presence. An AP interview reveals that her brother is gay, and therefore she is opposed to Warren’s presence. (Consequently, Warren clearly stated that he does not hate homosexuals, but is opposed to SIN)

Brings me to an interesting observation: Christians are accused of being closed-minded bigots, but HOLLYWOOD actually treats US that way!! If a Christian refused or protested the presence of ANYONE at that inauguration, we would be barbequed in the public eye. But every idiot in Hollywood can disrespect ANY Christian and it is perfectly acceptable.

In other words, we are one of the few groups in America that does NOT have the right to freedom of religion and speech. Hmmm . . . Not what our forefathers envisioned.

I am not the only one that thinks the NCAA should move to a playoff system. That being said, I don’t think anyone can deny Florida the national championship after last night. Two high-powered offenses led by high flying quarterbacks. And one rose to the top. Ironic that he was second runner up to the other for the Heisman.

I thought Tebow deserved the Heisman again this year. When it comes to all -around toughness and hard-hitting football, Tim Tebow is head and shoulders above the rest. And, last night he proved it. WITH JOHN 3:16 WRITTEN IN HIS EYEBLACK!!

He is the man! And he was NOT the only one on the field in a Florida uniform last night. They all played well and did it as a team.

Hats off to you, Gators!

There once was a rich man who was near death. He was very grieved because he had worked so hard for his money and he wanted to be able to take it with him to heaven. So he began to pray that he might be able to take some of his wealth with him.

An angel hears his plea and appears to him, “Sorry, but you can’t take your wealth with you.”

The man implores the angel to speak to God to see if He might bend the rules.

The man continues to pray that his wealth could follow him. The angel reappears and informs the man that God has decided to allow him to take one suitcase with him. Overjoyed, the man gathers his largest suitcase and fills it with pure gold bars and places it beside his bed.

Soon afterward the man dies and shows up at the Gates of Heaven to greet St. Peter. Seeing the suitcase Peter says, “Hold on, you can’t bring that in here!”But the man explains to him that he has permission and asks him to verify his story with the Lord. Sure enough,. Peter checks and comes back saying, “You’re right. You are allowed one carry-on bag, but I’m supposed to check its contents before letting it through.”

Peter opens the suitcase to inspect the worldly items that the man found too precious to leave behind and exclaims, “You brought pavement?!?!”

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I like to go early in the morning. Not as many folks there right now as there will be in an hour. Maybe I have to go before my brain figures out what I am doing. But, I go.

As a matter of fact, I need to leave right now to be able to get back and do all the things I have to do this morning. So if you wonder why I wrote so little this morning, blame the YMCA!!