protest this!

When it comes down to the real world, I don't mince words usually. I try to just say it. Often I am accused of being crude..... maybe I am, yet as I have said many times the Bible is not a children's book. If it were published today and judged by "Christian" standards many would be out in protest against it as it talks of incest, bestiality, adultery, homosexuality, with graphic passages I would never read to a child. (Two Sister's and their lovers in Ezekiel)

Today, many are abuse and confused.... girls grow up thinking to be with women sexually is an alternative. Gays want to be approved by saying they are born that way.

The sad truth is we are ALL messed up. We are all sinners in need of a saviour.
I just heard, of a Baptist church who handed out water at a gay pride parade! I say Hallelujah! At first the gay community thought they had an agenda, which they did.... to love the sinner!

In contrast, we have the AFA which sent out a "protest the gay games" email..... later I received anemail with ..... Explicit pictures of the perversion at the last years games....
I went to the site to see if I could find those pictures..... I did not. I dug deeper and found some pictures close to that through a link that talked about the Sydney Mardi Gras..... there I found some similar pictures, yet honestly, one could never tell if the person was gay, straight, lesbian, cross dresser or whatever. I saw a real lack of honesty and integrity with the AFA on this "protest".

How do we reach those caught in sin.... oh yeah protest them!!!!!! NOT! No wonder the gays, NOW, and other groups target Promise Keepers and such in retaliatory protests!

When will we get the clue! I think if Paul was living today he would be called an apostate because he never took a stand against slavery. In fact he encouraged the slave to be the best slave for Christ and the slave owner to treat his slaves as brothers in Christ.... never once saying slavery was BAD!

We need to rethink and reorganize how we are to approach the world for Christ.... maybe we should be quicker with a glass of water for the sinner, than holding up a sign and screaming, You're going to hell!"
Blessings,
iggy

New Blog and New website

OK, as if I did not have enough to maintain on the web, I added a new website to iggyROCKS!
though I was happy with the old site, they seemed to not care about fixing some issues on the edit page of the website. So here we have a new one. I think though this will be a better fit as
it will have opportunity to chat, ask questions on the forum, and even more.

I also will be doing some reviews on the different groups I play on iggyROCKS! you can click on the link to see/hear what iggyROCKS! is about.

blessings,
iggy

Jesus Goes to Church pt 3

Jesus Goes to Church Part 3

She stepped from the darkness of the Church focused on the man on the path…It seemed right to follow Him. Could it be?

“Jesus?” she yelled.

Jesus kept walking, so she stepped up her pace a bit… and called out,” Jesus?”

He turned to her and His face shined like the sun…”Yes, I Am”.

She could not believe this was happening, “Why aren’t you in Church?” she asked.
He smiled and said, “They don’t need Me, they have their religion.”

She looked at Him with shock and confusion, but before she could ask the next question, He answered it.

“I called you out. You are my called out one…”

She seemed to tremble for no reason. He then took her hand and said, “Come it is time, I have a great surprise for you.”

A mixture of delight and holy fear seemed to over take her… she followed as He commanded.

They came upon a field with a great banquet table set as if for royalty… she asked, “What is this all for.”
Jesus just said, “You”.
She was shocked, and it seemed as if angels gather around them, and changed her jeans and t-shirt into a beautiful white dress. She began laughing as she realized it was a wedding dress!
They brought her out and she stood before Jesus. “You are a perfect beauty!” He seemed to shout.

“Who am I marrying?” she asked a bit shyly.

Jesus said without blinking, “You are my called out one, My bride.”

They stood in the field and the world seemed to change, goodness seem to be everywhere and as if it came from in her and on her and all around her…. She then realized the source of this goodness was….. Jesus Himself.

A tear began to form on her eye as she never felt so loved. Jesus reached over and wiped the tear away, “You will cry no more, for you will reign with me in my Kingdom for eternity.”

Come let us go a see my Father…. He is much pleased with you.

Revelation 19: 5. Then a voice came from the throne, saying: "Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, both small and great!"
6. Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: "Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
7. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.
8. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear." (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.)
9. Then the angel said to me, "Write: `Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!'" And he added, "These are the true words of God."

Living Will 

Is Reposting like Regifting... or What if you find Hilter in Heaven

Sometimes like a left over dinner my posts are better in the comments than when I try to write something of substance........

I have thought of that. "what if Hitler made it to heaven?" or whoever you think is the most evil...Then one must accept that God's grace is all encompassing it would include these men if they turned to Jesus at the last moment.

Yet, I have an issue with this question...
It has an assumption that these men turned to Jesus before they died.... In that I believe they are saved.

Yet, if the question is that these men by their own merits that is an issue altogether as we enter Heaven on Jesus' merits. Now, God changing His mind....
If He let all the ones that were against Him, I would say, in a way He has...

By us accepting His Son.

In the apocalypse of Peter.... Peter is taking a tour through Hell with Jesus... at one point, Jesus points out all the people in hell and how they are being punished... Kind of a Dante's Inferno thing going on...Jesus turns to Peter and as if winking and says, This is only for a time as these are being purified for Heaven.

Now, I don't buy that, but if God did change His mind I still think there will be some Hell to pay.

To imagine a Hilter or some other person given over to evil, being able to accept the forgiveness is another leap for me. As their very character is bent on the destruction and doing the evil to others... To be their own god.

I view heaven as Pure Goodness... Only to be entered through and in Jesus.... If one is to enter on their own merit they will find themselves wanting.

God has invited all the Hitlers of history into heaven... I guess I doubt the ability for these Hitlers to cross over to Heaven even if forgiven and given yet one last time.

Hope that makes sense.

blessings,
iggy

A bad hair cut in the post modern age

I found post modernism hard to define from the outside. Most moderns miss the subtle
shift of thought we like to call the paradigm shift.
I was/am still painfully aware of my modern tendencies and at first felt awkward even trying to change my way of thinking. I think the most common mistake a modern makes is labeling PM as
a movement, like the great “revivals” of old yet with a more hideous dark side they fear.

I ran across a painful example of how blind and off the mark the modern church was as I was getting a hair cut one day. A young lady around 19 or 20 was cutting my hair and I asked her if she had a belief in God. She said she never really had thought of it… I then asked her if she ever went to church…. She said, “it is not relevant in my life right now”. WOW! What a statement!
I continued to talk with her… at first she seemed a bit cautious as if she thought I had another motive. I did… but not to get her to church, but to find out, if there was a church that she would attend how would it have to be, to be relevant. She began warming up… and as I got to the crucial info, the older lady cutting hair nest door piped in, “I’m with the so and so church, and I have been after this little girl to go to my church for a long time”.
The reason she did not attend a church became obvious as this other lady talked and talked about her church…. And how “relevant” it was.
The conversation with the young woman was over, she clammed up tight and finished cutting my hair.

Moderns seem to miss that the age of modernism has ended and we are changing. Post modernism is in the middle of discovering it self and we must as the Body of Christ seek to
find ways to bring Christ to these people of this age. Moderns forget that they too have had and have a hideous side to them…. We PM people can smell it a mile away. Like the story of the the "Gospel" being brought to the American Indians and the destruction of their culture. One thing we PM'ers know is what is foney, we are beyond Mr. Pompeil.

I am Emerging…. Not as a movement or phase I am going through, but as a change of the core of my being as I grow to understand the need of this people for the purity of the Gospel and not the games of modernism. Do they all think alike, no but the core is as this article states, they are being brought up taught humanist secularism and relativism, which sadly is a result of modernism.
No God, no truth, no relation, no wonder and awe.

Blessings,
iggy

did you hear a collective "oooooppppssss, we may have made a mistake"?

I just read this article concerning the fire fighter in a coma for 10 years... He woke up. His vegetative state was pretty much an echo of Terri Shindler (Schiavo). Supposedly the same brain damage as Terri. This family was able to keep up with their regular therapy and low and behold!

His first words were "I want to talk to my wife."

Now imagine if Terri had this happen to her... "Where is my husband?"
"Oh, huh, he is shacked up with some other woman and has had two kids with her... And basically he wished you to be dead."

Praise God for this loving wife who stood by her man... Heros. Both of them.
Let's pray for his full recovery.

Blessings,
iggy

Jesus Goes to Church pt 2

She woke up from a vivid dream.... it was so real.
Her heart was filled with joy.
"I can't miss Church today, even if it is not true!"

She jumped from bed and quickly began getting ready. She sang a hymn as she glided through her kitchen and grabbed some pop tarts for a quick breakfast.
The sun was shining bright as she made her way to her car. She looked at her watch and realized she was late. She would miss worship but be able to get there as they began to share about God. She could not wait! “Should I share about my dream?” She laughed out loud….

She pulled up to the parking lot and saw a bizarre sight. Someone had tied a donkey to the rails of the stairs!

She laughed again, thinking, “Maybe Jesus did come to church today!” Her heart jumped for joy!

She parked her car and could her quite a commotion inside.

“Who did he think he was anyway?”

“Maybe we should be more restrictive who we let in our church.”

“Can you believe how disruptive he was…. With our worship!”

She pushed the door open and quietly made her way in. She asked a little old lady whom this person was who came and caused such a stir.

“Some Jewish Hippie, probably and illegal liberal who is against the war and God and this country!”

The girl had to turn away from the spit from the old ladies mouth.

The girl asked where he had gone. The old lady said “Out the door!”

The Pastor saw her and beckoned her to come in… she was the newest person in his congregation. He was trying to get his numbers up.

The girl looked at him then back at the door…. She stepped towards the door.

“Where are you going?” Screamed the Pastor.

“I am leaving the Church!” she shouted as she pushed the doors open.
She saw a man walking down the rode, about one hundred feet away.

She stepped outside, and as the sun hit her face…

Joy filled her heart…

And she followed Jesus from that day on.

More thoughts on Growth (re edited)

open arms
More thoughts on Growth

John 3:13. No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven--the Son of Man. 14. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15. That everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. 16. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.

How often we quote out of memory John 3: 16.... It is a great verse.... Yet, do we really catch what is being said here? Starting at verse 13: 13. No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven--the Son of Man. Do you realize NO ONE has ever been into Heaven.... Except Jesus.... That is why in Hebrews Chapter 4 it says:

14. Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin. 16. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Since Jesus has entered Heaven, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.
When we profess our faith, God can begin His work.
I see it that when we are face to face with our sin, or our true self, the fact we need God, we must make a choice. consciously or not, to trust in Jesus or our own works. Vs. John 3: 13, reminds us that even though God gave the Law, the perfect way to please God,no one entered Heaven.

As one begins to grow as I stated in another blog posting, the most important thing is growth this ensures our salvation. When we grow we enter first in to the conversion area. We are moving from unbelief to belief. I believe that we are not fully saved unless we move from this step. I think many are seen as professing Christians, even attend church for years, yet, never fully believe.

1 John 2:19. They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.

They walked and talked and seemed to be saved. One of us, but never were.
They never were fully converted. Many denominations teach an instant salvation. I believe that can happen, but I see many who are taught that who do not ever grow. And though I will not judge a person.. I believe many are deceived to think they "said a prayer", "raised their hand", "went forward", even "received the gift of tongues" even "got baptized" (spiritually or by water)yet, never grow beyond that, may fall under the judgment of being goats and not lambs. (Matthew 25:32)

A side note here, I am not against any of these things, in fact I have received the gift of tongues. I confess I do not use it probably as often as I should.

The point of conversion can be in an instant or years... I believe this is were one begins to recognize one's free will needs to be given to God, in exchange for His will. One then lives the life of Christ, or abides in Christ and is now dead to self or one's free will. I fully recognize this is contrary to much teaching out there...
but I see it clearly in scripture. We die to self, or are dead to self, and our new life is Christ's eternal life lived through us. We are dead, buried, then resurrected spiritually to new life, later this will be a physical resurrection at the return of Christ Jesus. The struggle is not accepting this and being double minded. Once we accept this we are sealed and can have eternal security.

I will cover vs. 14 in another post. Suffice it to say, the poisonous snakes that were sent to kill (representing sin) once lifted up and looked at, became the Hebrew's salvation (they were healed). This deserves a whole teaching in and of itself. The Hebrews were healed and saved from death by those who believed God and let the snake bite them, then looked toward the snake on a pole to save them so the same as the two Adams, Adam, and Jesus. One fell and One redeemed. That is why the conversion step is so important. If one sits on the fence and does not fully commit and believe, one may be facing eternity on their own. Yet, to believe is to receive eternal life!

Vs.16. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Imagine the love for us we are so unworthy, yet, because of God's love He deems us worthy, for believing in His Son! By believing we will not perish, but have eternal life. Jesus, gave us the Heavens! He opened the door for He is the door. We can go boldly into the Throne Room of God!

Another side note: I am not saying we have to have all our ducks in a row. Jesus meets us where we are. He responds to our faith. I think one can be saved, yet not believe in the trinity, virgin birth, or if Jonah was literally a person or a metaphor. God judges the heart, not our knowledge. God is patient, He will teach us by His Spirit what is Truth, if one is a seeker of Truth. Ask, Seek, Knock, and the Door will be open up to you Jesus is that Door!

Vs.17. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

I am not in the habit of watching this program, I am not even really sure what it is called. I think is is called "Blind Date". One day I saw the previews and there was a Christian who was on it. I had to watch. Usually this show is full of provocative situations, I do not recommend this show at all. This Christian named Mark, went on a date and throughout the date, preached and witnessed to the woman. All well, yet, as he did his words were so judgmental. He told her, a divorced, working mother of two boys; that she was failure in her life and she was going to hell.

Though I agreed with his one statement towards the end of the show I disagreed with his attitude and approach. He said, Without Jesus, everyone is going to hell. Of course this woman was not happy with him, the saddest things was after he said all this to her, he stood up and kissed her forhead and walked out! He literally cast stones, with his words, then, kissed her off. I was not sure if I should laugh or cry!

Jesus did not come into the world to condemn it but , to save it, yet so many Christians are so quick to cast stones with our words. I have even heard of a local church in Billings who asked an unwed mother to leave, because she had sinned! This is no joke.

Jesus will come back and He will Judge so make sure you are growing!

Vs.18. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.

Again, believe. For all of us without Christ stand already condemned.

Believing is not static it is an ongoing thing. We grow in our belief.
So, in closing..the challenge for all of us that profess belief is


GROW!

2 Cor 10:13. We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the field God has assigned to us, a field that reaches even to you. 14. We are not going too far in our boasting, as would be the case if we had not come to you, for we did get as far as you with the gospel of Christ. 15. Neither do we go beyond our limits by boasting of work done by others. Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our area of activity among you will greatly expand, 16. so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. For we do not want to boast about work already done in another man's territory. 17. But, "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord." 18. For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

Blessings,
iggy

The view of our driveway.... it has been melting all day!

The view of our driveway.... it has been melting all day!

TES and Fischer made it back about midnight last night.
I had to wait for a plow to clear in front of the airport to park.
Funny how just the day before we had 80 degree weather!
The picture does was about 11 am this morning.... so a lot melted.

Blessings,
iggy

April showers bring spring flowers...what does spring snow bring?

Can you believe this?
It has been raining pretty hard for the last few hours.... we found a leak in one of the windows.... the one were the computer is.
Now......
it is snowing!

Big snowflakes.

What a welcome home for TES and Fischer.... from California to snowy Montana!

blessed,
iggy

Jesus Goes to Church pt.1

Jesus Went To Church

One day Jesus decided to go to Church. He was excited at what He would share and to hear the stories of His Father and how His Spirit had given new life.

Jesus was humble.

He looked in the mirror. No He was not a Brad Pit, yet He had that certain “something”
That God’s Only Begotten would have.
He oiled His hair so it would look nice and went to fetch His donkey.
The day was beautiful…. He thanked the Father for such a day. As He rode up to the church, people began to stare. “Who is that?” some said, “Where is He going to put that filthy beast?!!!” others said.

Though Jesus heard them he thought they must be having a bad day…. It is good they came to His Fathers house.

Jesus looked for a good seat…. He did not want to miss a thing. He sat close to the front. As He was looking around a little old lady poked Him with her cane and loudly said, “ You’re in my seat!!!!!. Move!”

Jesus smiled and graciously found another seat.

The people seemed all a buzz about Jesus coming to church. Jesus had much to tell them… He was so excited.

The preacher stepped up to the pulpit…and asked if any one had something to share or if they felt God wanted them to share with the church…. He was a progressive preacher…. Even a bit too modern for some in the church.

Jesus rose and stepped up to the microphone.

With eternal fire in His eyes He started to speak…..
But before He could, someone yelled “Why is he wearing a dress?”
Someone else shouted,” It’s not a dress, it’s a robe!.” Everyone laughed.
Jesus started again, “Blessed is…” only to be cut short by
“Is he a Mexican?”
Again someone much more learned shouted, “No, he looks like a Jew!”

The whole church shouted….”A JEW?!!!”

Jesus smiled and began again, "Blessed, is the"….

“He needs to get out of that robe and wash his hair! He smells of donkey and HIS SKIN IS TOO DARK! He needs to go to his own kind’s church!”

The preacher said, “Son, you better go. We don’t need any trouble here in church.”

Jesus looked at him and the smile left his face. He opened His mouth again, but the Preacher said, "Besides, you don’t seem to have much to say any way, so leave.”

Jesus walked to the door of the church….

Outside the sunshine hit His face…

And

Jesus wept.

I miss....

I miss my family...
I miss my Bride!
Soon we will be reunited!

blessed,
iggy

Building an Idol in Our Image or Building the Perfect Christian

When I was younger, around 20 something, I was sitting through a sermon, which the teacher was preaching about progressive perfection of the saint.(Interpretation ~ as one grows closer to Jesus, one becomes more Christ like and sins less and progressively becomes more and more perfect until they sin no more). No really, this is taught in some churches... I believe John Wesley came up with this. Again, as the preacher taught I became distracted... I kept see something...now I don't know if it was a vision. But, it disturbed me greatly. What I saw was a statue... it was a man, holding a Bible glimmering like gold. He was beautiful, yet I was filled with dread. Then the thought came to me. "Have we forgotten Jesus? Have we created this Idol to the Perfect Christian?" I about jumped out of my seat.... not too uncommon in a Pentecostal church. The vision or what ever has haunted me ever since. How far have we gotten from Jesus? It is like in some churches they think, "Hey, we found Jesus, now let's get on with the real spiritual things."

How sad.

Now we have Mega Church meetings and programs that teach us how to be better Christians....Every time I think of this I think of the Scripture John 14:16 when Jesus tells the disciples of the comforter. We learn that this gift of the Person of the Holy Spirit will teach us and lead us. (John 14:25 - 26) We deceive ourselves if we think outside of Christ Jesus alone we have anything. We build Idols in our life all the time. This is really a God given drive... to drive us to Him. It is just being misapplied to something other than God. What is in the garden of our heart is what is important... by far I am not perfect.... not until Christ returns. We are to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus.
(2 Peter 3:18)

To learn Who He is....

Now, don't get me wrong I am all for Christians learning how to be better Christians. But let us not fool ourselves. I have seen so many teachers that act like they have received the "secret" from God that will fix, grow, heal, and on and on. Your Church, Youth Group, small group will be bigger and better.
We are not saved by programs. It is as if we missed the point when Jesus said, The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. (Mark 2: 27)

Let's not get caught up in the latest thing.... even Postmodern/Emerging can be an obstacle and not a door to Christ.

I am Postmodern because I live in this age... I did not choose that... nor does anyone. I am Emerging because I realized that, and see there is much work in catching up to the age we live in so we can reach the those who yet to have found Christ Jesus.

Blessed,
iggy

Jesus the Action Figure

Jesus action figure

I can see it now... Jesus has accessories.

Jesus Crucified for you accessories:
1 A Cross pre drilled holes (hammer and nails included)
2 Set of pre-nail-hole hands, for that better cross grip...feet also are available.
3 Hole in side with piercing spear (See Jesus Heart spill blood and water).
4 Crown of thorns with REAL fake blood of Christ.
5 Cat of nine for Roman guard figure....
6 removable flesh on chest and back.
7 anointing oil to prepare Jesus for burial
8. The tomb... (Like Barbie’s dream house but with less material things in it). Stone door ROLLS away!
9 Roman guards that transform into Angels!
10 the ascension... Rocket attachments where you can be GOD. You light the rocket and Jesus rises up to heaven...(Not recommended for children under the age of accountability)

Blessed,
iggy

Christianity is of the Devil!!!!

Christianity is of the Devil!!!!!


I am currently talking to an 84 year old man who believes this…. Yet he is a believer in Christ. I was at first taken aback when he said, “Christianity is of the Devil. You can’t be a 'Christian' and follow Christ".
First I want to say is that I don’t agree….

Yet I had to pause for a thought…..

This is what he is saying….even if he does not fully understand this.

Many claim to be Christian…. I would say most people in America, though fewer and fewer would, if asked, say, “I am a Christian.” Then they would say, “I am basically good, I mean I haven’t killed anyone or anything.”

I often think to myself, “If God’s standard is that we don’t kill someone, then you are doing great, but what kind of standard is that?” I mean…. I am “good” if I don’t kill.
Jesus said, “If you have anger in your heart against another person, you have committed murder in your heart.” !!!!!!!! (Rom 3:23, Matthew 5)

I have killed many on the freeway!

Yet, we do these things every day… kill, adultery, and on and on.

My 84-year-old friend was raised in a Christian home…. He went to church; he sang hymns he was baptized. Yet, he was taught to HATE “that Holy Roller Church” and it’s people.

(1 John 2:11)

WHY?

Because they did not believe exactly as his parents and their church did.
(Mark 7)

He is a storyteller…. I don’t have space to share the stories. I will have to just say he is re-living his life and is writing a book about how God was reaching out to him and how he hardened his heart…. And surrendered to Satan.

He never missed church!
(Matthew 5:20)

I understand what he is really saying…. We can deceive ourselves and do all the time.
We need Jesus, not religion, not just doctrine, but JESUS.
Don’t get me wrong, we need to study doctrine and make sure we are on the right path.
Yet, if our doctrine is keeping people out or the Kingdom, then maybe we need to recheck our doctrine…. We may be making them twice as fit for HELL as our self. (Matthew 23: 25)



Jesus never came to start a Religion!
He came to bring us the Kingdom of God!
(Matthew 5:20)

I agree…. I am sure He never intended His Body, the Church, to be a religion…. I believe if He is the Head…. And We are His Body…. WE were meant to be a living organism that would reach out to the world, as the Father did…. When He sent His SON.
(Romans 12)


Christianity as a Religion is as good and EVIL as any Religion…. So we must make sure that we practice True Religion…. To care for widows and orphans and Fatherless children. (James 1)

Literally and metaphorically….
For without Jesus, we are ALL FATHERLESS CHILDREN!

Don’t let your religion get in the way of your faith in Christ… practice your faith and work out your great and wonderful salvation!

Blessings,

iggy

This Kid is Amazing

This kid is amazing…
He attacks life with total abandon…
He wonders at the smallest things…
All things are new to him…

Wouldn’t it be great to have that again?

2 Corinthians 5: 17. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

Blessings,
iggy





What Blue Eyes

Baby Girl (Ciana) 

Fischer 

HOLY POOP!

There are some great thoughts on JP's Blog today. I tend to write some of my better stuff on other people's blogs. Today I decided to respond here.
I got baby fever. I have a one year old boy, Fischer and another little girl on the way. So.... as a father I had this thought....
When Jesus was a baby someone had to change His diapers....Right? He was a baby...So there was poop. I am not meaning to be blasphemous... God became a man. God, the creator of all things.... became a man. Just like one of us! Believe me I have met some "spiritual" people... Some good and some bad. But, this is the equalizer of all mankind... A trip to the toitee.
Jesus, was the example for us. He not only ministered to the lepers... but touched them. He then made them clean by His touch, so he remained clean Himself. Now, we are His Body... We are His hands and feet. We are to go and touch those that no one wants... The ones just like you and me.
Getting back to poop. Have you ever thought of the ministry of diaper changing... Not just at your church, but the actual job itself.To have a child so helpless that someone needs to care enough to clean up the filth the baby had created. I see God doing that to me everyday... Often without my even knowing it. That is His Grace. He reaches out to us and cleanse us from the poop we create in our life. I know I get tired of diaper duty. It seems to never end, but I will do it because I love my child. We are the children of God... How much more does He love us?

If you think this post stunk I apologize...
blessed,
iggy

What is on your clip board?

OK, I admit I rarely have an original thought. I actually am stealing this idea from Rick S.

What is on your clip board? You know when you cut and paste.... Go to comments and leave your last saved clip board.

Blessings,
iggy

Jack Chick expands his empire

When I was young I was drawn to Jack Chick... His art was pretty good as far as the comics offered by Christians of the day...
I later found him quite offensive as he was sure the Pope was the anti Christ and Catholics where heading to hell. His portrayal of the gay community seemed also a "little" overboard.
But this floored me...
You have to read the article to see what I mean!

Tired of Post-Modernism...Lets Move On To Post-Post-Modernism

I was doing the random blog and the first on I came upon was one called Big Easy his opening sentence floored me...

"Cultural theorists may think we're in the age of "post-post-modernism," but our theologians are still simply contending with the impacts of Descartes, Copernicus, Darwin, and Freud. The most profound impact of modernity is that we can no longer base the authority of our religious testaments on history; our myths and our Gods are refuted by scientific reality. We lose our absolutes, and the sense of certainty they afforded us.

Considering the ramification of not doing anything as we enter and begin the journey of this post modern age...We miss out on reaching a culture who has lost faith in trivial things that do not matter.
This is exciting as we must understand that this means trivial and superficial is not the "cool" but is "on the out".
As one puts his finger on the pulse of culture around us... We see people seeking something... "The Real".
As a post modern Christian I see this as a real opportunity to introduce the ones who do not Know Jesus... The Real Jesus.
Modernity has gone it's full road... The world has out grown moderns view of God and religion. But, no one can outgrow the Living God and His Son our Messiah.
If we believe that Jesus is Real... Then we have no fear in sharing this with others. Especially those who seek the Real.
It is as if those of postmodern age...Or as this thinker stated, the "post-post-modern age", have become like children again in their attempt to see things in a new light...New experience as to see things as Real.
We must move forward...Not just think "attack Darwin and evolution" or other modern Demigods...who have failed on their own to answer life's Real questions.
Jesus tells us "Do not fear for I am with you always".
Do we believe this?

iggy

He Is Risen!

He Is Risen

1 Corinthians 15:12. But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13. If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. 20. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. 24. Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. (NIV)

And all I can say is Amen!


Happy resurrection Day!
Here is a Max Lucado presentation... in the words of late comedian Chris Farley..."It is awesome".
Blessed,
iggy

Things that bother me about Terri's case

This case is so disturbing on many different levels...
1. I do not want the gov't to get involved in a tough enough decision as letting a loved one die.
2. Courts should not have the right to give the death sentence to an innocent.
3. Even if a hint of the possibility of an allegation of abuse and contributing to Terri's condition was caused by her husband the court should step in to investigate "that". Mean while leaving in the tube. This would show more respect for Terri if these allegations are remotely true.
4. Removing a feeding tube is not the same as removing a breathing machine or removing dialysis or any other "life support.
5. When my stepfather in-law was dying of cancer (starvation because he could no longer take any matter in) we were allowed to give comfort and put a wet sponge to his lips and tongue to relieve some of the pain...The morphine did the rest. Terri's is being denied this comfort as she "humanely starves to death".
6. Get a living will at the very least...A medical power of attorney is better...(I think that is what it is called).
7. If there is no real statement from the person (Terri) then who ever is willing to take care of the person should be able to...As in the family.
8. Who is to judge when a life has "quality of living" many handicapped people have more severe issues that Terri yet are allowed to live...For now.
9. I have seen animals treated and put to death more humanely than what we are witnessing here with Terri.
10. I see this as a huge change of values in America... I see this as leading toward something very sinister... I recently published a post on my other blog Baby Shelton update about fetal testing to find out if our baby might have down syndrome...We decided to not have the tests as we would love her anyway. It is sad to think some parents choose other wise and that we even have a choose. (I know this testing can scan for many other problems... But even those do not mean we have a right or privilege to take a life... Even if yet unborn. If we allow this case to set precedent that we can kill someone if they are deemed not as fit as the rest of us...Well, I can see the rise of Nazism in America.... ( our daughter seems to be healthy).
11. With at least 2 sworn affidavits saying Mike (Terri's husband... Using that term perversely) saying he has called her a "bitch" and "when is she going to die?" even possible injecting her with insulin to cause her to go into shock...
12. Even though I see it should never had to involve Congress... But it did and they said to have a "new trial" why did a Fed Judge refuse to do this... I see this as contempt of congress.
13. We must realize that Judges are to view "the Law" which as someone said in this case..."Those who think law is the answer to our problems need to face the reality that law is a crude and blunt instrument." I agree. As with the "Law of Moses" that we as Christians are no longer under as we are under Christ and the Higher Law of Love, there is no mercy under the Law.
14. Terri Schiavo wasn't dying until she was denied food and water by court order. If a parent or pet owner locked their child or pet in a room without food and water, is that letting her die? Do you think a court would accept that as a defense?
15. If Terri has been in a persistent vegetative state since 1990. Why is she been known to respond to her parents and sit up and even swallow jello? When has her brain activity ceased?
16. If we depend on the legal system to create law... We the people will lose our freedoms. We need to diligently guard ourselves... So get that living will!
17. IF YOU DENY ANY ONE FOOD OR WATER THEY WILL DIE... So why can't the family at least give her water? This is murder! Not letting her die...With dignity!
18. We being a so called "Christian" nation...(I don't agree with that we are a Christian Nation) should never even be having this discussion...
19. Mike (Terri's husband...Again using that term loosely) gave up his "right as husband when he shacked up with his new "common law" wife and had two kids with her... I am not judging him for moving on... Just "hanging on" without considering Terri's families position.
iggy

Another Quiz ....I find my self Quaking...

OK,
My new friend "the token Catholic" Hugo, had this quiz link.... I did it and this was my results.
I do not think that the quiz truly represented my beliefs though.. As Question 12 I did not agree with any of the choices.
It is fun though.
Here is the thing I agree with #2. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (92%) and am intrigued by #1 Orthodox Quaker (100%) ... Would I be disqualified if i support the war on terrorism and would fight for my country? In many ways I am a pacifist, yet, I do not think I am pure enough to be a quaker.
but #3?
I do not hold that Saturday is "the" day of worship
nor do I agree with much of their doctrine. Maybe I am influenced by these Seventh day Bible books they sold my mom and I read when I was young.
#4. Eastern Orthodox (83%) I agree as It is a more mystical approach in belief... But still too legalistic for me.
#5. Roman Catholic (83%) I am called by my "anti-Catholic" friends...(using the term loosely) that I am a "Catholic lover".
#6. I do seem to have a bit of a "liberal" bent at times (cuz I love Catholics?)hahaha.
#7. Orthodox Judaism (56%) Maybe Messianic Jew... But I doubt that is orthodox.
#8. Liberal Quakers (55%) Again with the Quakers? I may need to look into this more.
#9 - 27 HUH? I was accused of being a Unitarian...But they had no clue what they were talking about.

Here are the results.

1. Orthodox Quaker (100%)
2. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (92%)
3. Seventh Day Adventist (86%)
4. Eastern Orthodox (83%)
5. Roman Catholic (83%)
6. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (70%)
7. Orthodox Judaism (56%)
8. Liberal Quakers (55%)
9. Islam (54%)
10. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (52%)
11. Unitarian Universalism (51%)
12. Hinduism (49%)
13. Bahá'í Faith (44%)
14. Mahayana Buddhism (43%)
15. Theravada Buddhism (42%)
16. Jainism (41%)
17. Sikhism (41%)
18. Jehovah's Witness (37%)
19. Reform Judaism (37%)
20. Neo-Pagan (35%)
21. New Age (34%)
22. Secular Humanism (27%)
23. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (24%)
24. Taoism (23%)
25. Nontheist (21%)
26. Scientology (20%)
27. New Thought (17%)

This is the top ten the second time I took it... it made a little more sense.
But still that Quaker thing?

1.
Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (100%)
2.
Orthodox Quaker (93%)
3.
Eastern Orthodox (87%)
4.
Roman Catholic (87%)
5.
Seventh Day Adventist (82%)
6.
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (68%)
7.
Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (66%)
8.
Islam (64%)
9.
Orthodox Judaism (64%)
10.
Bahá'í Faith (51%)



Try it... maybe you will be surprised also! Or confused...
Blessed
iggy

Jesus, the King and Sacrifice...or the bull of the lord

Sacrifice... that is what Easter or as I would rather call resurrection Day is about.
I have always heard of how Jesus was the Lamb of God... even the teaching of the "scapegoat"...either being a reference to Jesus or Azuzal being the devil...cast out to the desert with laying of hands tranfering the sins of the people onto the Scapegoat.
But, I have never heard anyone explain why the sacrifice of the bull or ox was so important...if you read it is refered in the sacrificial system as the big sacrifice...a sign of prosperity and wealth...
But, I began thinking and searching around and found one link that refered to this sacrifice. It brought out something that caught my eye... God being like and Ox as God's Word uses an ox to represent strong, patient, enduring and uncomplaining service. An ox was known for strength... often able to go on in it's work for hours of intense hard labor...and if not watched could literally work itself to death. Jesus was like the Ox...He went on to do His Father's work... until death.
We are to trust the finished work of Jesus on the cross...we can't add to it or make it any more perfect than it is and was...
In this sense Jesus was the Bull of the Lord...the great sacrifice...the highest of all sacrifices. Have a blessed Resurrection Day.
Blessed,
iggy

Values in relation to community

Disclaimer:
This is part of another comment section on JP's Blog.... I guess I am feeling lazy today and this is the most inspired thinking I can muster.

We have great freedom in Christ... but not all things are beneficial. The main point is do we accept those who do not fit our idea of the "Christian" or do we cram them into “our” image of Christ.
I believe when one is in Christ, one has the Holy Spirit to guide them... but also God wants us to have fellowship with one another.
In Emerging thought we call this community. Each community must find its "values". In some community it may be important that we learn to approach "middle class peoples" in some the homeless. One friend calls his "People" his "tribe”. Issues of the early churches varied with every church... not all had the same problems...Galatians battled legalism while Corinth well battle a too permissive Grace. (A man amongst you brags about sleeping with his father’s wife?!...Slight paraphrase).
I was in a service last Sunday where the pastor was trying to explain that we live by principles... not rules... I tapped my wife on the shoulder and she turned and said what I was thinking... "Don’t we live by the life of Christ?"
From the outsider looking in principles and rules are the same thing... there is no difference.
We as a church must learn to understand our culture and reach out to it... embrace the "seekers" and bring them into community.
Kristin brought up music. Great example.
If one is reaching out to the death metal culture... then we need to understand it. The difference is that though I can't relate to that "style", others might, and reach those yet to find Christ. I know many who do not enjoy Miles Davis as I do. My wife always asks... "Can we listen to something else?" I always say, "He's a jazz giant". In other words she would not relate to that part of the "Jazz" community.
The idea is to accept the people and bring them into community that leads to developing values of that community that in turn can reach out and reach more people of the culture around us.
To many churches have isolated themselves from culture and wonder why no one enters their doors. One church in Billings thinks that their church growth program is to keep the church from growing.... literally! I think without realizing it many churches do this or send the signal to their community this message.
I find it interesting that Jesus was condemned for sitting with people the religious people would not accept. Jesus said it was the sick that need the Doctor…not the well. The issue is that we are all sick.
In some ways we have gotten too attached to the idea of how we “do church” here in America. I was told I did not have a church because I had too few members… and meet at a coffee shop. Yet, I recall sitting in a church that had about 6 people sitting in the pews and thinking that these people had nothing to do with each other outside of church and seemed to be content with their “religious duty” of attending church.
The idea of community is the development of the people in the fellowship. In other words growth. Will mistakes be made on the way? You betcha! (as we say in Montana).
That is all a part of growth.
Blessed,
iggy

Blogger Friends and Heavy Discussions

Blogging has been one of those milestone events in my life...boy that sounds sad in a way.What I mean is it has opened up the world in a new way. I have made friends, maybe a few enemies (not that I know any) and have had some of the most interesting discussions I have had in years.
The most current ones:
Homosexuality: with the token Catholic...Hugo
Baptism: with JP a member of the Church of Christ
Postmodernism: more discussion with JP
Discussion with Kristen...(man she is one sharp cookie) Should women wear a head covering read her blog Heads and Hair
These are all good reads...no, not just because I am in the conversation...
Here is the most touching one...from my neice in California. A poem to the newest edition of Sheltons to be born in July we call Baby Girl, (until we have a name): Chrissy
Blessed,
iggy

It's a Girl!

A little girl... or as the ultrasound tech said...we have a "hamburger" and not a "turtle"...(just think a little bit about it).
We are excited... we admit we were thinking "boy" yet we never thought "not a girl" if you know what I mean.
Now, we are in a serious search for a girls name. May is a family name as my grandmother and mother had it as a middle name. I guess that is a given.
Seda
Calica
Rainy
Carly

I will be adding some more as we go.
Blessings,
iggy
(you can read more about this adventure on BabySheltonupdate (the sequel)

Head leaves KORN for Christ!

Head Leaves Korn For Christ!
Wow!
Sometimes news hits you with ton of bricks...
Now I was not a big Korn fan...but I must say besides soundgarden the downtuned sound was taken to an all new level with Korn. I remember listening to them for the first time...though I can't remember the song's name the topic was the singers molestation as a child...you could hear real pain as he screamed as in a primal scream therapy...I remember they did not play that song live as it had such an effect on him.
Now Brian "Head" Welch one of the guitarists has professed Christ and was baptized in the Jordan river... he also has quit the group.
Now, will this be the Bob Dylan of this generation? Will the Church burn him out like they did Dylan? I pray not. All in all though...God is good!
blessings,
iggy
Story here

A minister's lament

A MINISTER'S LAMENT
I used to call in people's homes, to talk with them and pray but now I've no time left to call; I have to be away Attending meetings here and there, as loyal preachers must;How else can one keep up to date, when programs are discussed?
The phone bell rang the other day. A tearful voice said, "Please, could you find time to see my dad? He's sick and ill at ease."I could not call that afternoon. I had a conference on,where specialists in pastoral work discussed things pro and con.
The next day proved too late to call. The poor old man was dead. His folks were peeved and sent for Reverend Doctor Brown instead;(Though why they'd turn to him in need I cannot comprehend;No conference on pastoral work he ever did attend.)
My youth work here has all but died, though Doctor Brown's is fair;For while I run to institutes, my young folks worship there.You'd think my church would boom and grow; but strange to say 'tis not;For while I go to conferences, my church work goes to pot.
They stress evangelistic work, which every church should do;They plan a lot of institutes to take our deacons to. These "New Life" conferences tell us how lost souls from sin to pry; They only trouble is that now we've no time left to try.
Perhaps we've made a big mistake, as some profess to see. Perhaps most church work has become a vast bureaucracy. Perhaps our time would best be spent among the needy mob. Perhaps God's kingdom profits most by staying on the job.
Author unknown


Be blessed,
iggy

Faith like a river

If faith is like the dead sea; it is dead because all things flow to it yet is refuses to give of itself so others may live. I want a river of living water as my faith, flowing, causing turbulence when needed, peacefully flowing at times...I want to live..... abundantly.

Blessings,

iggy

The never ending argument

Many of my friends argue over "OSAS" once saved always saved, or losing ones salvation... I think this is wrong thinking. Here is my perspective is shared with them. These are mostly modern thinking pastors.

Gentlemen,
I believe the issue is not a one time confession, but spiritual growth... I see it as "no growth - no seed was truly planted"... Anyone can say I believe... demons believe, but they do not receive new life. They do not have their old nature crucified with Christ.
Action and growth...
To me one can still be very foul in the human sense yet receive Christ and struggle with sin that is still with in... but to just say..."I believe in Jesus and He forgave me", then go and not grow...something is wrong somewhere.
Faith without action...or growth (works) is dead. I think we have too many who are "osas" who are sitters in the pews on Sunday and forget God all week but "feel" secure about it.. This is also the problem of those who believe they can lose their salvation. Funny it is never "I can", but "you can", very judgmental. I have seen many that live as they want all week and just go get saved again every Sunday.... again something is wrong...they refuse to grow.
If we stop worrying about salvation... and think of it as not a destination or line in the sand we can concentrate on growth. If one grows, the natural thing is salvation.
I see salvation as a journey without end. To me salvation is growth...
A simple view is this.
A stream of conversion that moves and pours into a river of redemption and grows as it pours into the ocean of salvation that is Gods Love that has no end. As we grow and enter into Gods love we have the journey continue for there is no way one can find the ending of Gods love.

Blessed,
iggy

For the Good of the World

For the Good of the World

As I have finished reading Brian D. McLaren’s book, The Church on the other side,
I was struck by Chapter 2.
I know I have been blinded too often of the effect we have, not just at our immediate
World around us, but even more as we have this blindness multiplied 1000’s of times over…meaning all Christians going blindly about missing what effect they have on others around them.
To me it is no wonder the Church - who should be an earthly reflection of Christ – is viewed as the enemy or even something evil to the world. We are a bit like the time of the Roman Church as it viewed itself a political Nation, flexing it's muscle, except now we are an “economic power”. Yet, with all this so called “economic power” we still miss the greater power, or lack it…in reaching the world with the message of the Kingdom of God.
When our individual actions show no love on the peripherals (me included) we have individuals whose lives are not touched but in fact tossed out – because of our sin (Blind Modernism). Yet, to see that individual actions impact collectively on a national and global level we must first see the devistations of not just individuals, but also of nations.
Personally, I have yet to discover the ramifications of all this. But it does bring to my mind a thought...
Have we in our focus on individual worship and freedoms lost sight of the “Universal Church”, even worse lost sight of the Kingdom of God?
So many Churches are programmed to say they are “the” Church”.
As one friend of mine pointed out as an example, the word “Baptist”. The definition of Baptist has for the most part lost it’s meaning to most people thus lost it’s impact.
You have Free Will Baptists, Calvinist Baptists, Liberal, Fundamentalist and on and on. Yet, many hang on to the title "Baptist" as if it were their savior. Just as “Bible believing” used to say “Bible centered teaching” now seems to say “ How we read and interpret the Bible is right here” implying “and no where else”.
As we cling to the many outdated and outmoded or “programmed” thinking often the world gets more confused and thus blurs what being a Church or worse being a Christian really means.
We must be willing to lose some of the “old baggage” of the old world church so we can move onto and into the new paradigm.
We need to decide what is more important, our little kingdoms or the Kingdom of God. What is more important to “get them to church”? or to receive more of God’s Children into the Kingdom.
It has become my prayer we lose the baggage we have created. The “us against them” mentality and focus on what makes and defines us as “Christians” Then those who once we would never fellowship would be brothers and Christ would be center of His Kingdom as we let our kingdoms fall.
Blessings,
iggy

RUDE

Donuts
TES, my dear wife has at times craved things during her pregnancy… the other day… donuts. I dutifully went to Albertson’s… a block away and found the donut section.
You would think after 21 years together I would remember her favorite donuts… I did sort of but made a call just in case.
Mind you I am standing in front of the case of donuts…
“What kind do you like again?”
"Chocolate cake or those cinnamon twist… but a maple bar will do if they don’t have any of those…”
As we talked I notice a woman who was looking at the donuts… I politely moved back so she could get what she wanted…
“There are 2 chocolate cake ones left… I will get one as soon as the lady in front of me moves…” as I was saying this the lady… who had to have heard me talking to TES picked up not one but both of the chocolate cake donuts… and a cinnamon twist…(there where quite a few of those).
She then without acknowledgement turned and walked passed me…

All I could do was laugh with TES still on the phone.

Rude…

Then the other day I was at Wally World returning something… standing in one of those take a number lines… I saw a little old lady push her cart right up to the counter… not taking a number…. Boy that steams me. I saw it was my turn and walked right in front of the little old lady… she was not getting the best of me…and returned my things… she glared at me like I spit in her face… I smiled and walked off…

Rude.

Like 23: 33. When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals--one on his right, the other on his left.
34. Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
35. The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One." (NIV)

Rude.

Blessings,
iggy

Tsunami Relief Organizations

Over 170,000 dead... some where christian... most were not... many who need help are not... now is your time to show God's love.... click on the title and see where you can help.

or click here Tsunami Devastates Asia - Help Now!
or click here

Life with iggy

You may or not have noticed that it has been pretty quiet on the iggy scene. Well not on this end of it! Life gives us much on the daily basis, good, bad, ugly, beautiful, and sometimes so far out of our hands we can either pull back into our shells and hope it blows over, or lay out naked and exposed and cry out to God. This year has had many ups and downs, which at times only God knows what it all adds up to.
TES and Fischer are doing well - but colds and flu and all do take their toll. We moved from Laurel to Billings. Our house hold still has my mother, TES, (wife) Fischer (son) 2 dogs and 2 cats!
The new house seemed so much bigger! Then we moved in and it seemed to shrink!
I have been working at a local Kia dealership which has consumed much of my time since last June.
November hit with a vengeance. We where moving and I was asked to do some promotional stuff as "Mr. Incredible" by our marketing company. It was fun signing autographs for kids (over 350) I even appeared with the Power Team.
Then it really hit. My "numbers" were not good enough so I was fired, then rehired as a delivery driver where I deliver cars to those who buy them out of town. I have gotten to be able to see more of this great nation. I travel Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota (can you find Pine Ridge on the map?) and Wyoming.
the pay is better, but I am often away from home 2 -3 days a week. As far as ministry we have had to stop and regroup as time is harder to come by. We will begin again in Jan - new year and new beginning.
My personal pursuits have been reading more on postmodernism and how we as a Church as a whole ( the Body of Christ for those who don't see it the same way) must change and grow to meet the challenges of the new era ahead of us.
Let's just say it all relates to new wine in old wine skins.
I do appreciate prayer in these areas:
1. finances
2. clarity and focus on ministry
3. health
4. renewed commitment to integrity

and #5 TES is pregnant! So pray for a healthy pregnancy.

All this to say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
blessings,
iggy

How would iggy change a light bulb

This is how iggy would change a light bulb.

iggy would pull up a chair and ponder the darkness...he would then question if there is only one way to change a light bulb...he would ask which is more important the changer of the changed...and also ponder if one really can change a light bulb if it does not want to be changed...he would then wonder if he should change it....if he is his own ability can not change himself, how could he change anything else? ..but with God all things are possible and if God wills to change the bulb, iggy decides it would be cool to be part of letting the bulb see the light. But, again, is it better for the light bulb to really want to change and seek to be changed on it's own, will it then with the struggle really understand it's own changing? iggy will go to discussion groups and argue and fight for the different views he has pondered and fight for the views that are valid Christian views about changing bulbs...he would bristle over some very conservative views he see's ridged and question why they thought only their view was valid. iggy would then get discouraged and go back to the burned out bulb...complain a bit that God has given him a certain calling of changing the bulbs....he makes phone calls and organizes a gorilla soup kitchen for latter in the summer. iggy then gets a chair stands on it and reaches out hoping the bulb will just be not twisted in all the way and will come on. iggy pulls out the old bulb....then exchanges it for a new bulb...iggy marvels over how the light shines. iggy thinks the light is good.....and basks in it's glow. iggy cries as he thinks of other bulbs that need changed and that no one will do it....then iggy goes into another room and sees another burned out bulb....he begins the process all over....but now wonders is it the process of changing the bulb...or the changing of the bulb and which is more important.... he thinks on this as he looks at the darkness around him....wishing for the light in the other room, yet iggy looks forward to the new light God has shown.

Now it is your turn!
Blessed,
iggy

How many.....

This is an take out from Wordofmouthdiscussions on associate.com which I moderate. This was of course all in fun.

Ok.
We have been taking some of ourselves a little to serious lately..great discussions, yet I feel it is time for levity.
So how do you change a light bulb?
How many Christians does it take to change a light bulb?
Charismatic: Only one. Hands already in the air.
Pentecostal: Ten. One to change the bulb, and nine to
pray against the spirit of darkness.
Presbyterian: None. Lights will go on and off at
predestined times.
Catholic: None. Candles only.
Baptist: At least 15. One to change the light bulb,
and three committees to approve the change and decide who
brings the potato salad.
Episcopalian: Three. One to call the electrician, one
to mix the drinks, and one to talk about how much better
the old bulb was.
Methodist: Undetermined. Whether your light is
bright, dull, or completely burned out, you are loved.
You can be a light bulb, turnip bulb, or tulip bulb.
Church-wide lighting service is planned for Sunday. Bring
the bulb of your choice and a covered dish.
Nazarene: Six. One woman to replace the bulb while
five men review church guide on lighting policy.
Lutheran: None. Lutherans don’t believe in change.
Church of Christ: They do not use light bulbs because
there is no evidence of their use in the New Testament.
Amish: What’s a light bulb?
(These two though not Christian are funny)
Mormon: Five. One man to change the bulb and four
wives to tell him how to do it.
Unitarian: We choose not to make a statement either
in favor of , or against the need for a light bulb.
However, if in your own journey you have found that light
bulbs work for you, that is fine. You are invited to
write a poem or compose a modern dance about your bulb
for next Sunday’s service, during which we will explore a
number of light bulb traditions, including incandescent,
fluorescent, three-way, long-life, and tinted, all of
which are equally valid paths to luminescence.
Now the real question is how does a postmodern change a light bulb?
Blessings,
Iggy
The Following are the answers to the last question and an addition to the Baptist statements.
Postmodern contemplating changing the Lightbulb......
Has it been revealed that it needs to be changed?
How do you know its actually out?
Who has received the truth that its burned out...?
It is subjective and if I dont change it ...am I being rebellious?
If I change it and its not out....I am being anti-bulbical?
In the postmodern emerging church movement enviroment ie. ginkworld we no longer utilize lightbulbs.....they are traditional and very cultural.... we no longer need them....as we .......
are shedding our OWN light on all who will take the TIME to listen to us OOZE.....
hehheh ehehehe
this is good stuff

Pastor HughesEast Mesa Baptist Church


Now the real question is how does a postmodern change a light bulb?<<<>
Since we are picking on everyone let me add this:
How many IFB Pastors does it take to change a light bulb?
None! What? Change? Never!
God BlessDr. David

Shalom Alechem...Barukh Hashem Y’shua! (Peace and Blessings in Jesus’ name!)

Answered by a IFB Pastor:
Been the same for nearly 2000 years! Why change?
David W

Answered by a Postmodernist:
How many Christians does it take to change a light bulb? how do postmonderns change a lightbulb? with great joy and in community - we love, accpet and embrace change :) pax jok

A Calvinist Pastor wrote to this:
But then you debate on whether you know enough aboutthe originalculture of the lightbulb to understand it :)

Which brought out this rebuttal:
well, only if there was a modern in the group :) wewould accept the fact that the buld was culturalybased - and we might seek to find a new way ofbringing light to the room :)paxjok

A Baptist added:
Baptist: At least 15. One to change the light bulb,
and three committees to approve the change and decide who
brings the potato salad.
This will never get done, there’s no Fried Chicken for that Potato Salad!!



To which I added these thoughts:
They gather together and go to their sacred space to meditate on the sermon illustration of the burned out light bulb.
or
They enthusiastically gather to change the light bulb but are suspicious weather the light bulb needs to be change for it is man made and modern yet believe God is the true source of all Light.
or
The light bulb has a right to it’s own view and we should respect it. For if God deems it that the light bulb changes He will change it.
or
Soren Kerkagaard, as the suffering philosopher was challenged as he contemplated the shallowness of the condition to the religious establishment and being a tortured soul pondered if salvation was truly obtainable without understand suffering. So to burn your hand on a lighted bulb a was type of suffering to which one could attain a knowledge of the sufferings of Christ. Yet, to let the light burn would not be as spiritual as to suffer the darkness, as Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane. To suffer the darkness we participate in the meaning of the suffering Christ whom which we wish to understand.
Blessings,
iggy

Some people on these Postmodern forums are so freakin' smart

Some people on these Postmodern forums are so freakin' smart I have to get smarter to even understand what you are saying...hahahahahahaI see it this way. I have friends who see me as a liberal.... I don't see myself that way at all, yet they think even to dialog with a liberal makes you one. I am very conservative politically...maybe mostly out of laziness...or frustration over the political scene as a whole. Yet, as I am on more pomo discussion groups I am as conservative as they come to some here as my friend jok once said..."you are a modern"...and "you don't' get it".maybe I don't... in essence that is the core of my frustration with moderns and even some who claim pomo as their hill of glory.I see so many "Christians" just settle for what ever view is taught them, often without being told there are other views out there as valid. I have seen when these other views are taught they are vilified and taught as if they are apostasy....and that is just "pre, mid, post, tribulations positions", I was told I was not saved because I was "LOOKING" into the mid trib position. I see, to not allow one to question, limits the ability to test our faith and to grow in it...To me sin is sin...but often the focus is on the sin and we miss that the sinner is loved and redeemable though Jesus. I have found new freedom in my walk to not "be". For one, as I talk to someone like the Muslim I talked to yesterday, when I do reach a friendship level, I will tell him I think all religion is the scourge of the earth an to be "religious" out side of taking care of the widows and orphans, is an act of self delusion...unless one has a relational aspect to not ones religion but to ones faith...iow to not delude our self with self piety by doing our religions but acting out ones faith in real tangible ways that witness to the Grace and Mercy of our living God.It is like the dead sea...it is dead because all things flow to it yet is refuses to give of itself so others may live...I want a river of living water as my faith...flowing, causing turbulence when needed, peacefully flowing at times and raging torrents that can catch one up in it... I choose to live.
Blessed,
iggy

Reasons that there may be something wrong with your Church

Reasons that there may be something wrong with your Church

It is not growing.
The people are not growing.
You have not seen a young person for years.
All you see is young people.
Your children do not want to go.
Your wife does not want to go.
You do not want to go.
You have no visitors.
You have visitors but they never return.
Your members bring visitors… but only from out of town.
Even the visitors from out of town do not return
You have alter calls and no one comes forward.
You have alter calls and the same people from last week come forward.
You think you have no sinners in your Church.
All people hear is you voice when they are around you.
Your sermons do not seem to move people.
You do not see that you are changing lives.
You have to ask for volunteers every week.
You have to beg for volunteers every week.
You make the congregation feel guilty for not volunteering.
You make the volunteers feel guilty if they miss a Sunday.
You make the volunteers feel guilty for wanting to quit.
You make the volunteers feel guilty for quitting.
You feel burned out.
Your prayer meeting is not well attended.
People do not seem moved by your teaching.
Your giving is not much.
The congregation’s giving is not much.
You do not call on missing members.
You call missing member every time they are gone.

There is too much “you” in you service and not enough Jesus.

Blessings,
iggy

Letter to a friend

Charlie,
Jesus said , "the sick need a doctor not the well." As my uncle has passed away yesterday and I am faced with loss... not just mine, the loss of his children, grandchildren, aunts, uncles and nephews, and of course his two sisters, one who is my mother. We are effected greatly. In the past I mentioned about suffering. Many ask if God is a loving God why does He allow it... I say so we will do something with His Love. We need to look beyond the sadness and death and sickness. We need to look to God who has all things in His hands. We need to learn to trust Him everyday and in everyway... especially when we feel He is gone or not in control. This is when we grow the most. Jesus said, "blessed are those who see and believe, but even more blessed are those who have not seen yet still believe." When we do this we shame the fallen Angels. We show them that even though we never see God, we choose to love Him... We condemn them more because they saw His glorious Face and choose to despise Him.
We are a center of a great story... think of Job. It is not about us.. it is about the Great and living God we serve. It is about the great story of a fallen creature, who chooses to love God for Who He is.
We must persevere... because it is the gift of Life that drives us. We must gain strength in our weakness, for it is in God's Living in us we have strength.
The time you have now, Charlie, is the weariness of Christ on the Cross. The pain you have in your heart is the pain Jesus had in the Garden and on the Cross. But, by His stripes we are healed. He is the Great Physician. We are to be broken again and again to be found later in His image... a reflection of His glory. Death has lost, we see it over and over and think of it as winning, but it has lost. It is scared. Though it seems to have a minor victory, Death is scared that one day He will be judged.
Rejoice Charlie, even if it is not in your heart. Not that phony rejoicing but with wails of tears... which in heaven will be wiped away by our Saviors hands! rejoice not in the present now, but in the Eternal Now! Lift up praises not to the seen but to the unseen!
You have blessed, you will be blessed, as you are blessing to me everyday,
iggy

I am tired.

I am tired.
I have called many ministries and tried to get support for Word of Mouth Ministries for about a year now…meeting people who get excited then never show up again.
I don’t care about getting money other than it would help with some of the pressure of supporting a family and being able to spend time to reach out to the community.
I now have been working at selling cars. At first it seemed to be that I would make an income that would let us pay some bills and get this “Church plant” off the ground. I guessed wrong, as I put in over 60 hours a week and have yet to make enough to cover a part time job. I don’t mean to complain, it just as I seek to build a community the ones I find are not ready for community or to grasp at the opportunity to get back into the “church thing”…. I understand, as my mission is to leave the 99 and seek the 1. I know this is the opposite of the “church” at large who seem to be overly concerned with just the 99 that they expect the 1 to just come to them... but they won't.
I would really appreciate prayer as I am about ready to give up this vision.
I have tried to get support from “emerging church planters” and have either never received any word back, or was told I was not Calvinist enough…. which to me was really strange as I know some of the major players of pomo/emerg who would never think Calvinism as “good theology”.
I guess I can only just share my heart here in hopes someone somewhere will see this spark that God has ignited. Not just in me but also in many who seek something real and are not willing to just play church anymore.
Really, this is not a money thing…. It is a heart thing.
Blessed,
iggy

Paul spoke of a great mystery.

The Bible teaches us to die to self....
We are the Church...
Is it then logical for God to want the Church to die to self?
God said it was not good for man to be alone... It was the first time God said, "It is not good".
We the Church are the Bride of Christ...He still does not want us to be alone.
Paul desire when we present ourself to the Groom we would be pure...
Is it not reasonable that we are to give ourselves in purity and sweet surrender to the Groom?

We are the Church, the Bride of Christ, made pure and holy by Him as when we honor the union of man and wife. Consecrated and set apart for and to each other... to die to others and for each other...
If we are the Church, then will we not die to self and give ourself as a living sacrifice... of pure love as a Bride without shame gives herself to her Lover the Groom.
Paul spoke of a great mystery....

Blessed,
iggy

the mad man screams out to chaos

Beyond our perception that one sees as chaos is God, to find God is like the calm of a great storm. to leave the center is to be destroyed, to live in the center is to live in peace as the storm rages. the turtles hide don't they, they see the storm and crawl into shells, can't see so no harm. Don't move and no hurt. But, I am damaged goods... the sick one in need of the doctor, my bones need broken to be fit right, my spirit to be broken to be healed and reconditioned for the weight of Truth and Grace. I squirm and wiggle and pray that no one steps on me. Maybe to be used to catch fish...a worm for the Greatest of Fisher of Men. I am laid low to be lifted up... as my savior was before me. To be beaten and to be stripped for all to see... No martyr complex, but a silent prayer to the One to calm my fear, to not run as Judas but to be restored as Peter. Both committing sin against God but differing in their self view of their sin... One who felt unredeemable and one who thought he never would need to be redeemed lifted up and restored to be Jesus' Rocky.So, do I leave the fighting of the former life... abandon the ones... or do I cause enough pain and torture them with their theology until they give up on me... in hopes as Jesus may have hoped that maybe, at the last supper, Judas may turn and say to Him, "what must I do to be saved?"

When is it the time of Salvation?... for God is Salvation.. so as God is, Salvation is....Now.

blessed,
iggy

Point of View

I was recently told I am coming across very judgmental. I try to explain it is not that modern churches are right and wrong as such, but a different focus and values...(sound familiar jok? Check out ginkworld.com) She did not see it this way. I then asked her to remember what happened when we found grace and how legalism was everywhere. It was hard to find fellowship. As we grew in grace we then grew to be able to extend it.
I do feel at times like I am standing in a doorway and at first just looked in. Now I feel I have crossed the thresh hold and am looking back and seeing things very differently. I went on to explain that soon I won't be so judgmental as I focus on Christ and the new values He is instilling in me. I still may be more modern in thought than some, but understanding does not always happen all at once. Then that is part of doing my Blog is therapy. To blow off steam and to share in what Jesus is teaching me.

Blessed,
iggy

Living an Abundant Life

Living an abundant life
Often I am shocked by some who focus on the "do's and don'ts" and miss the "who" when it comes to our faith. We all claim a faith in Christ yet then put laws and restrictions on ourselves or worse others. It is clear of the freedom and rich blessings we have in Christ...it is clear by scripture we also "will not sin" as in it is all covered as we abide or as I say live in Christ. I see this concept like this;
I live in Montana, but abide in Billings. I live here in Billings. Yet this is were most people stop. I think the next step is "my very life depends on receiving the sustenance from this town.... for example I work, become involved in politics, have my friends, raise my children...
In other words my whole life depends on my relationship with this town and it revolves around this town.
This is how I see Christians should live, and I think is true. That to really live is to have Christ be the air we breathe and the food we eat, as this is also represented in communion service.
Many stop at Savior, some go to Lord and Savior, yet with out understanding what it means to have a lord. To have a lord is to have no life outside of his. You completely serve the lord. He owns you and can do whatever his will is with you, and you without hesitation obey. We don't like this concept in America, mostly because we are "rugged individuals" but in Christ there is no "rugged individualism" only Christ.
Now, lately I have been writing about something even greater than Jesus being Lord and Savior…but entering into Christ Jesus in a relational aspect. What I mean is this…. He is my life. He is my Lord… yes… but to quote Song of Solomon, chapter 7: 10. I belong to my lover, and his desire is for me.
I see Jesus is a Lover of lovers… for He is God….and God is Love.
When I teach about Sabbath I teach the person it represents, Who is Jesus. I teach how it relates to Christ and how this in turn shapes our relationship with Him. I feel badly for so many who stay in the desert and see this only as a day...but as a friend pointed out...if it is a day to you, serve God as you have faith. I do not condemn anyone with this view but do weep for them as they do miss a deeper richness that is Christ and Christ alone.

Blessed,
iggy