Atheist Penn Jillette on Evangelism

Penn Jillette, of Penn & Teller, is a well known atheist. He shares an encounter that he had after one of their shows with a man who gave him a Bible. Interesting observations...

Everything's Amazing, Nobody's Happy

One of my friends sent me this video of comedian Louis Ck on the Connan O'brien show. There's some crude languge, but very funny observations about our society.

Lenten Article by Ruth Haley Barton

Beginning in April of this year, I will be participating in an experience called "The Transforming Community" in Chicago. The focus of the program is to help pastors and other ministry staff to learn to reorder our lives and ministry in a way that leads to health and wholeness. I am looking forward to this two-year program, and how God is going to continue his transforming work in me.

One of the co-founders of the "Transforming Center" is Ruth Haley Barton. She is the author of several books, most recently Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership.

Ruth recently published an article on Lent that I found very good. This is the link.

Bell on Forgiveness

Skye Jethani wrote a brief review of Rob Bell's message at the 'National Pastors Convention' on the need for forgiveness as pastors. It is worth a quick read and a long consideration. Here is the link.

Scot McKnight on the NeoReformed

If you are not a regular vistor to Scot McKnight's blog ~ Jesus Creed ~ you might want to check out a new thread that he started today on his response to the NeoReformed. Here is the link.

Finishing Strong

Every once in a while you come across an inspirational story. This is one of those occassions. Take the time to watch this video on Nick Vujicic.

Best Commentary Quote

Okay...I have spent hundreds of hours (conservative estimate) reading commentaries on the Bible. And yesterday I came across the best commentary quote so far. Here it is:

"This whole section really hinges on these two great 'buts'."

Moyter, J.A. The Message of James, The Bible Speaks Today. p. 64.

Love, Money and Change

As the winds of change were blowing across this nation, propelling our new president into office, something went unnoticed. Money. Not only did President Obama raise and spend a record amount of money in his election (all apparently legal), but now a 'love of money' is giving a knee wobbling blow to his new administration.

The new Secretary of the Treasury, Timothy Geitner, admitted to failing to pay his self-employment taxes while working for the Internaitonal Monetary Fund. In addition, claimed his children's summer camp expenses as his business expenses even after his accountant said that he couldn't. This was explained away as a "honest mistake." Really? The guy who is going to run the department that oversees the IRS doesn't know that he has to pay self-employment taxes as a person who is self-employed? Or that he can't claim little Jimmy's week at Camp Summer Fun as his work expenses? Really?

Yesterday, the latest blow was dealt to the Obama administration and our country as the nominee for the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Tom Dashle, withdrew himself from the nomination. This came after much scrambling to explain why he had not paided more than $120,000 dollars in taxes, with an additional $12,000 in fines. That is well over two years salary for my family. How is it that a multiple-term senator, once the majority leader of the senate, doesn't know to pay his taxes? And this was the guy who was supposed to fix our healthcare system? Really? This, of course, was also explained as a "honest mistake." Really?

I have not yet mentioned Nancy Killefer who was supposed to be our nations Chief Proformance Officer to make sure our government was productive with it spending. She had to withdraw because she didn't pay taxes for a couple of years on her nanny who apparently was an illegal alien. She is going to make sure our government is accountable? Really?

So what is going on? I'm not sure that anyone other than the nominees believes that any of these situations are simply "honest mistakes." It appears to me that what has happened is that these individuals, along with many other people in our country are in love. What? Yes, I said it. They are in love....with MONEY. They thought that they found a way to keep more of there money by not following the laws that they professed to uphold. And now, in the national spotlight, they have been caught in the middle of a love affair.

In 1 Timothy 6:10 the Apostle Paul wrote, "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs."

These otherwise decent people have been pierced through with many griefs because of the love affair that they have with money. And the reality is that many of us also have the same lover. Most of us keep our torrid affair a well kept secret, but every once in a while circumstances reveal our true passion.

So let the difficult and embarassing plight of these three individuals serve as a warning for you and I. Let's guard our hearts from falling in love with the seductress of money and possession, because once our hearts become attached we too are in for a hard fall.