Dear Dave,

I have one follower of my blog and that follower is a man by the name of Dave deBlecourt. Yet whenever I go to check his blog, he has NO entries. Everyday, this man peers into my mind without even letting me take a glimpse of his.

Why Dave? What are you hiding in there? What don't you want me or the rest of the world to see? Lies? Envy? A love of the music of Mr. Michael Bolton? Or could it be your suprisingly high skill at Salsa dancing? Maybe you're still telling "mom" jokes up there.

You're hiding something and I demand you show it to the world in the only way that is suiting. By posting all sorts of personal information for the whole world to see on some public journal! This is a give and take relationship Dave. So stop spying on me and start sharing!

Note to anyone else: If you see this man, you demand that he starts posting blogs daily! If he fails to comply, then tell him that such consequences will result in written warnings by me. If he then fails to comply...well then I got nothing because that's the only thing I know to do in these situations.

Santa Bin Laden is Coming to Town

I want to apologize for this post in advance. It's extremely quiet at work and I find myself very very sleepy today.

Alright, so I started getting into the whole reading thing recently. I usually read nonfiction but I've developed this interest in Christian fiction after reading The Shack. I just finished this book called Dead Heat by Joel Rosenberg, which was very good, but I didn't realize it when I started that it was the last in a series. So as soon as I finished I walked over to the mall and bought the first book, The Last Jihad. The series is basically an end times political thriller, but unlike Left Behind, which starts at the rapture, this series ends at the rapture and tells of the events leading up to the rapture. Very good, but scary as crap.

Anywho, I noticed that many references are made to NORAD, which is mentioned in many movies as well when the President of the US is involved. NORAD is kind of like a military hub for when it comes to commanding military action on other countries. Well, I decided to Wikipedia NORAD and as I was reading the article, I read about how every Christmas since the 1950's, NORAD will "track" Santa Claus for fun and keep updates for kids on where he's at in the world. Recently they've enabled the online use of satellite imagery to keep track of that jolly fat man. I started thinking, the possibilities would be endless for some great, yet mean practical jokes. Think about it, can you imagine informing kids about the recent reports from NORAD that has the most advanced tracking technology in the world?

Can you imagine, kids waking up on Christmas rushing down the stairs to find an empty tree. Imagine the excuses?

"Well Suzie we watched the satellite feed of Santa but once he got to our house, he just made some obscene gesture and kept going. I guess you shouldn't have been such a little snot this year."

"Well kids it looks as if even Santa is getting in the political spirit this year. Unfortunately for you Santa is a Democrat and since we live in a red state, he decided to pass us up. Bet you wished we lived in California now, don't ya?"

"I'm sorry Billy, I know you were expecting that X-Box this year and I'm sure Santa got it for you. But due to Santa spending a little too much time delivering presents in terrorist training camps, NORAD got nervous and had him shot down. Not only that, but the president ordered a full-scale nuclear strike on the North Pole so it looks like you'll be getting socks from now on."

I'm just sayin'..........

Saved?

Have you ever noticed how much we (Christians) just have a bad habit of butchering the things that define us by simply just making them an aspect of our culture? This is something I've thought about for sometime. I even have a goal to write a book about it entitled Cultural Jesus or Cultural Christianity (I just can't seem to decide) so look for that on bookshelves like sometime within the next few decades. But one thing I've always noticed (no joke, I did a sermon on it three years ago) is how we take for granted this word: Saved.

Saved is funny word for Christians. We say it all the time with such phrases as "Well, I'm saved so I don't do that," or "Bob went to church and got saved." That's all great but I have one question: saved from what? Saved is a past tense of the verb, save, so therefore something was about to harm you that you needed to be saved from it. But what? Did you save money? Was a bear about to attack you and Jesus ran out of nowhere to stop him?

The dictionary defines save as:

1. To rescue from danger or possible harm, injury, or loss
2. To keep safe, intact, or unhurt; safeguard; preserve

Christian culture defines save as:
1. To have been to the altar and prayed a prayer
2. To go to church
3. To not drink, smoke, cuss, or anything of the sort
4. To listen to bands like Third Day, Caedmon's Call, or this guy below
5. To watch TBN, Daystar, and INSP and to contribute regularly to keep each station on the air

Now I'm not saying that any of these things in the culture definition is bad or necessarily wrong when it comes to your life (so don't worry, you can keep all your Carman albums) but when we make this our definition of the word "saved" we lose appreciation of that word and it's significance to our lives. We start to take for granted this word and that seems to be the root cause of lukewarmness in daily living, in action, and intimate worship and prayer. The Greek word for saved (used in the New Testament) has the same meaning as the word for saved in Hebrew when Israel would be saved from harm by God. So saved means more than becoming part of the Christian culture phenomenon. In fact, it doesn't mean that at all!

Being saved, means exactly the same as it sounds. When you are saved by Jesus, He saves you from something but from what? Well there's more than one.

Hell
This kind of an obvious one. Not exactly that big of a deal. I mean, it's just a place of eternal torment and separation from God so it's not exactly something to get too worked up about. It's just a place and punishment you deserve to be at because of your poor choices and bad judgment and it's only by the grace and mercy of God that you have an opportunity to avoid it. So I wouldn't make that big of a deal out of it.

Death
Not only do you not have to go to hell, but you don't necessarily have to die either. Now I know this sounds for an intro for a bad late-night infomercial but it's true. Because of the fact that Jesus, through the cross saved you from death, means that you can live for eternity as oppose to dieing a horrible death in that place that we shouldn't make a big deal out of. This also means that you can't be killed. If your soul has eternal life dwelling within itself, despite what the flesh may experience or go through, it can't be taken down, regardless of whatever the powers of hell or man may throw at you. But again, no big deal right?

Yourself
I bought a new album off of iTunes and it caused me to buy the book of the same name. It's Save Me From Myself by Brian "Head" Welch (the former guitarist of Korn that got saved). By Head's own account, he was trapped in a world of drugs, depression, and many demons many of us hope we never have. Through his acceptance of Christ and seeking Him, Jesus saved him from his demons and the poor choices he made of the past, hence Save Me From Myself. Through our lives, we have made some really stupid decisions. Some just leave us feeling stupid, some leave us with deep wounds. Some leave us with deep regrets and some leave us with consequences that we can't escape. Bad choices and decisions cannot be changed, but they can be redeemed. I can take back the first 18 years of my life where I fought and welcomed at the same time every loud voice I heard in my head, but Christ redeemed and it saved me from the path that I was on. Maybe you've been saved your whole life and you never really had to have moments of great regret and that's great, but don't forget, Jesus saved you from having to experience that. Through, Christ, you are a new person. A free person. The old man dies and this is so much more than kicking old habits. This is becoming a new person that is clean, that does not have to have the past holding a knife to their throat. Lack of judgment and poor life choices find redemption through Him. This is another thing, that God saves you from, and quite frankly, this one in particular, I'm especially thankful for.

So why is it important to grasp the true meaning of this word? Number one, to grasp what exactly it is that Jesus did for you. To understand what exactly you are saved from. To know what it really is to have an unconditional second chance at life that nobody can take away from you. Number two, when you don't take hold of this definition, you take for granted Christ and that shows in your life. Peter wrote:

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith, goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
2 Peter 1: 5-9

Peter knew that those that forgot about what Christ did. That took him for granted and saw him more as a cultural icon as oppose to one's personal savior (meaning someone that saves) that they would become "ineffective and unproductive" and not possess the qualities that God wants to instill in us that separates us from everyone else. The qualities that bring peace and that influences others lives.

Saved is more than just a stamp of approval into the Christian culture club. It is something to be thankful for. It is something to tell others about. It is something that we should show in our daily walk and in our own praise of our Heavenly Father. It is something we should also desire to see in others. Saved? More than just a word.

When Fridays Meant Something

Many questions have plagued mankind for centuries about life. For the most part, I think everyone has tried to make somewhat of an attempt to answer these questions but one question I believe will never be answered and it's one question that keeps me awake at night. Why the heck is this show a hit?!

I mean, honestly! Have you ever sat down and tried to sit through this?! It's incredibly stupid! Yet, most of my generation makes sure to watch this as if they will implode if they miss one episode. Are we really that culturally lacking, where The Hills is our best option at entertainment. The only good thing about the Hills is its usually featured on The Soup to be made fun of. Remember the days of old when we meant something. The days of Full House, Home Improvement and TGIF?! Oh TGIF, where are you and when will you return to save us from ourselves? The days of quality entertainment like Family Matters, Boy Meets World, Step by Step, Dinosaurs, and some other show that usually was cancelled and replaced with another show to be cancelled and replaced. The days where we enthrolled ourselves in the lives of Steve Urkel, Corey Matthews, and a bunch of other obscure characters that I can't think of anymore.

If you're reading this. It's time to start the revolution and bring back the days of old, where primetime television meant something and our culture had some depth to it!

PS: During this blog I tried to find a graphic for TGIF and found nothing! I think the good people at MTV are trying to silence them for their precious Hills!

Just One Big Fractal

So I've been reading "The Shack." Enough said. If you've read this book, more than likely you know of it's incredible ability to make you completely reevaluate your life, your motives, and your thought process. Quite a bit more than what I asked for when purchasing a fiction novel. I find myself reading each chapter, setting the book down and basically repenting. The author even throws in some unbiblical theology, and when I mean "unbiblical," I mean the stuff that's not in the bible, but at the same time, "not not" in the Bible, such as why there's a trinity as oppose to just one being in itself, etc., which is extremely thought-provoking and interesting but at the same time take it for what it is as a possibility. There are some parts you may want to take with a grain of salt but nothing I would consider to be heresy or anything like that. I've never had a book that quite messed me up like this one has and I realize how big of a mess I am and how much I need God and how screwed up my perceptions of a "relationship" with Him have been.

I feel often like I'm in a period of my life where I am in need. I'm in need to go to the next step and I'll be honest, I often feel like I know what's best for me more than God. So instead of having this intimate relationship with God and move and flow with Him, I instead use God as means to obtain what I want. I'll "confess" repeatedly and worry and complain about not having this and that, to where my biggest concern has been the achievement more so than the God. I have been more concerned about obtaining and using God as a means of getting that, then stopping and sitting at the feet of Jesus. Through my "confessions" and "standing and believing" that this will happen, I have gone from blessed servant to failed manipulator. Instead of just trusting and focusing more on the relationship with God that He so desperately wants with me, the relationship that Jesus said to seek first and trust that I will be taken care of, I've sought my own independence while prostituting God to do my "bidding."

Does this change certain circumstances in my life. No. Do I still have certain particular needs to get to the next step. Yes. But God is not a genie where I go and do my thing and when I need or want something I have Him "obey his master," when in reality, I'm not even flowing with God or moving with Him. The purpose of the cross was not for us to obtain financial blessings. It was not even so we can have our needs met. The purpose of the cross was for us to have the opportunity to have the relationship with God that intended for us to have since the dawn of man. When God walked with Adam and talked with Adam. Adam did not worry about getting enough food or shelter because he was too much enthrolled with the relationship he had and he knew that this relationship was with the great provider and by moving and flowing with Him, he could not go wrong. Jesus said to seek first the kingdom of God and all the things that pagans worry about. All of the food, the finances, etc. would come with Him. God will provide and God will guide but in a relationship, not in independence. In independence, man has found the world in the shape it is in today. Sadly, we as Christians can do the same thing but just put the "God" label on it to justify what it is we're doing. We'll "confess" and "believe" outside of the relationship and we'll give a certain amount in hopes that God will return the favor by giving us a yacht. That is not relationship, that is manipulation. We take God off of the throne and put ourselves on it, while making God the servant boy.

This imperfect mess of a man is going to work on his mess.

Man, do I suck.

Never in my life, have I wanted to walk on water so bad.

The Life a of a Single "Twenty-Something"

I am 23 years old...and I am single. It's not a bad life. I had a girlfriend...once. We dated somewhere between a year and a half and two years, so going back into singledom when we mutually decided (as if that ever really happens) to call it quits was kind of a shock to me. I forgot what it was like to basically do what I want when I want without having to answer to anyone in case it may have not have been 100% (or even 50%) okay. So having lived both ends of the spectrum from being in a committed relationship to not even having so much as a prospect on my next "soul-mate," I have found that being the single twenty-something has its pros and its cons.

PROS

1. I do what I want
After nearly two years of having to consult someone on decisions ranging on where my life is going to what movie am I going to see, it was a nice change to not have to do that anymore. I can simply do as I please, regardless of what kind of decision it is.
2. Fiscally beneficial
The whole "I do what want" principle includes my money (what little I have). When I go out to eat, I'm only responsible to pay for myself. Come Holidays and what not, that's one good chunk of change I don't have to spend. I also don't have to worry about being the main financial contributor to special anniversaries and romantic holidays, or when I hear "Let's just buy that." The word "Let's" usually implies "we", when in reality, it means "me." It also sucks when you break up and of course the movies that "we" bought all stayed with her, and boy do I miss The Prestige.
3. My jokes stay fresh
I guess when you don't see me as often as if you were dating me, I remain funny. But if you hang around me long enough, I guess the joking gets old.

CONS

1. Everyone else is doing it
I am not a jealous person, but I'll be honest, when many of your friends are getting married or are with someone they plan on marrying, you can't help but wish you weren't single. It's not a "I'm lonely" thing, it's more of "I don't want to have to go through the hassle of dating" thing. You can tell I'm a hopeless romantic. I mean, I do plan on getting married someday to that special someone, but it's quite easy to get impatient when others seem to make it look so easy.
2. Everyone else also has a perfect match for you
Once someone gets into a relationship or married they no longer have to worry about finding someone for them. So the logical next step is to not worry about it anymore and enjoy the fact that you found someone, but this is not true when it comes to friends. Friends now make it their obligation to set you up with someone, especially if these friends have estrogen or are a particular married couple whose names rhyme with Smosh and Fanna Desham. They always have that "perfect" match for you and to miss out on this opportunity would be the worst mistake ever (and your friends know because they've known this person for a whole week!) Night and day, they will hound you about this dream girl. They will let you know that you have so much in common, such as, you both are single and.........neither of you are dating anyone, and that's the only depth any relationship really needs. Eventually, they may get the hint, but they'll just think of someone else and here we are again. After my ex and I's "mutual" break-up, it didn't really take me too long to get over my past relationship. It was actually surprisingly fast, but I thought it would be best to not let anyone else know that and let them believe "I'm still getting over her." That worked for a while, then I ran with the whole "I don't plan on living here much longer and don't want a long-distance relationship." Apparently, that doesn't work as well, but I'm still trying to milk it for the time-being. So whatever reason you have for not proposing to their absolutely flawless catch for you, you better get some resistance because letting down, is not an option for them.
3. You can't stay single forever
Let's face it, despite every pro of being single, no one really wants to be single forever and I don't think anyone wants to wait until their 40s to finally tie the knot (especially if you practice abstinence, I'm just sayin'). So of course you have those moments of panic where you think "Maybe I'm too picky," "Maybe I'm not trying hard enough," or "Maybe it's because my hair line is receding at 23." I just never want to get to a point to where I start considering Singles Ministries. Don't get me wrong, they seem to work well for some but I've informed some close friends that if I ever start considering this last resort, just kill me. I'm too far gone, just take me out. I will resist, but you must put an end to my misery. Why am I against this? Because anytime I hear the words "Singles Ministry," I get this image in my head:
Terrifying, I know. I just feel that if I ever get this desperate to commit myself to a ministry that thrives on such themes as "Salsa Saturday," "Cowboy Night," and "Luau of Love," then it's time for me to go be with Jesus. I can't help but find it funny that most supporters of forcing, I mean helping people get into Singles Ministries, NEVER went to a Singles Ministry to find their mate.

So is that special someone out there to rescue me from chaos of singledom, I'm sure, but until that time, I'm going to enjoy the pros and try to tolerate the cons of being a single twenty-something.

Thanks MTV

This guy makes me rethink my pro-life stance

Sadly, I did not tune into the MTV VMA's but I did get to see a clip of this guy's opening monologue. First off, who the heck is this guy? He must be famous to some extent. I mean, I haven't watched the VMAs in like 5 years, but I do remember them having people host it that I at least recognized. Well, MTV seemed to find him important enough to put on national television and give him the OK on his opening material.

Before I had any convictions on what I watched, I used to look forward to the VMAs, especially the funny opening monologue (except for the Wayans Brothers, I remember them being quite lame), but I don't even think I would find this funny back then. What I learned from him and the good folks at MTV is this:
Things that are OK:
Taking sexually inappropriate cheap shots at the children of public figures
Making fun of young people that decide to save themselves for marriage
Making very inappropriate sexual jokes about those young people
Boots with heels (because what man does not want those?)

Things that are not OK
Purity
Abstinence education
Standards
Class
A decent hair-cut

Thanks MTV for setting such a high bar for our society and providing the youth of our nation with such great role models with an even better message!