What Are You Waiting For...

I don't want to be guilty of thinking that salvation is about the "afterlife"--it is now! Love these lyrics from Switchfoot's song "Afterlife." Eternity is now.

I've tasted fire I'm ready to come alive
I can't just shut it up and fake that I'm alright
I'm ready now
I'm not waiting for the afterlife

Let it burn, the way the sunlight burns my skin
The way I feel inside, the way the day begins
I'm ready now
I'm not waiting for the other side
I'm ready now, I'm ready now

Everyday
The world is made
A chance to change
But I feel the same

And I wonder
Why would I wait till I die to come alive?

I've ready now
I'm not waiting for the afterlife... 

I'm Back...

I must confess that I'm just not good at "blogging." I am an amateur. I am just too forgetful. I have thoughts and insights and "light bulbs" but I just do not feel compelled to write 'em down! Thus, I am not good at blogging. I keep thinking that "the light will come on" and I'll become a blogger. I guess I need to change the bulb... But I'm still trying to discipline myself to blog. So, I'm back...but don't hold your breath between posts.

Unconditional

I'm in the middle of a book that is kicking my butt! It is "Unconditional" by Brian Zahnd. Every chapter so far has been profound and imminently practical. Here's a quote:
Evil is only defeated when someone absorbs the blow and forgives, thus ending the cycle of evil. Absorbing the blow without retaliation by exercising the option to forgive is not weakness or acquiescence with injustice; it is taking up your cross and following Jesus. It is following Jesus to Calvary, and there ending evil through the triumph of forgiveness. Forgiveness is not weakness; it is the power of God--the power of God to overcome evil by depriving evil of a host for retaliation.
 

GDOP

This coming Sunday is the Global Day of Prayer. This has been going on for 10+ years and it started in South Africa. It has spread across the world and now there are groups getting together to pray in almost every nation. There will be millions of folks gathering to pray on June 12th, Pentecost Sunday. It is about praying globally as we gather locally. In my home of Arlington, Texas we will gather in UTA Stadium from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. to worship and pray together. It will be a time of repentance, confession, celebration, and joy as we join as one body locally joining the body of Christ globally. God responds to the prayers of His people. PRAY!

Rockin' Prophet

God is in the slums, in the cardboard boxes where the poor play house. God is in the silence of a mother who has infected her child with a virus that will end both their lives. God is in the cries heard under the rubble of war. God is in the debris of wasted opportunity and lives, and God is with us if we are with them.   - Bono
[Thanks to Larry James' for posting this on his Urban Daily Blog.]

Preaching

"I set myself on fire and people come to watch me burn."  - John Wesley

Disney World

I spent last week in Orlando visiting Universal Studios and the 4 Disney parks. It was a great time spent with my 85-year-young Dad, my sister and her husband, and her son and his wife. Fun was had by all! It is amazing how you can just "get lost" in these alternative worlds where the only agenda is having a good time. It was unreal. But as I settle back into "normal life" I am reminded of the fact that compared to about 3/4 of the world, I live in Disney World every day! I pray that I can get past my disneyesque expectations for this world by striving to engage with those who are not as fortunate. Give me a heart that is broken by those things that break Your heart, dear God. Help me to see Jesus as he is manifested in the needs of those who I encounter. Help me to incarnate Jesus' love for those who are "least."

Stryper

I am aging myself! So, Stryper has a new CD [I have several albums by them!] that is called "The Covering." It has 12 covers and one original that closes the CD. Now, I realize that I'm not supposed to like Stryper, but I do. I also realize I'm not supposed to turn up my car stereo so loud that my rooftop starts to billow, but I do. And this is a great CD to do that with! I'm normally not a big "cover boy" but this rocks! They cover songs by AC/DC, Dio, UFO, Kansas, Deep Purple, KISS, Ozzie, Judas Priest, Van Halen, Led Zepplin and a couple others that I can't place right now. It is fun! Michael Sweet still has a great voice and his fellow Strypes can play! I love the middle of the CD--"Lights Out" followed by "Carry on Wayward Son" followed by "Highway Star" followed by "Shout It Out Loud." And the one new Stryper song, "God," is a great closer [lyrically it is Stryper so don't expect deep] with some sweet licks. It's all loud--not a ballad in the bunch. Not bad for a bunch of guys that are older than me! "It's only rock-n-roll, but I like it!"

Debt

Apparently, our national debt is so large that we cannot be saved...except by Jesus--nothing has changed!

Blessed

We were blessed by the minister
Who practiced what he preached
We were blessed by the poor man
Who said heaven is within reach
We were blessed by the girl selling roses
Showed us how to live
We were blessed by the neglected child
Who knew how to forgive
We were blessed by the battered woman
Who didn't seek revenge
We were blessed by the warrior
Who didn't need to win
We were blessed by the blind man
Who could see for miles and miles
We were blessed by the fighter
Who didn't fight for the prize

We were blessed by the mother
Who gave up the child
We were blessed by the soldier
Who gave up his life
We were blessed by the teacher
Who didn't have a degree
We were blessed by the prisoner
Who knew how to be free
We were blessed
Yeah, we were blessed

We were blessed by the mystic
Who turned water into wine
We were blessed by the watchmaker
Who gave up his time
We were blessed by the wounded man
Who felt no pain
By the wayfaring stranger
Who knew our names
We were blessed by the homeless man
Who showed us the way home
We were blessed by the hungry man
Who filled us with love
By the innocent little baby
Who taught us the truth
We were blessed by the forlorn
Forsaken and abused

We were blessed
Yeah, we were blessed

Lucinda Williams

If you don't know who Lucinda Williams is, you should. Her latest CD is "Blessed." Listen and you will be...if you like great guitar licks, some real and honest lyrics, and some vocals that are uniquely Lucinda.

The Holy Thief

Word 8 of the Ten is "You shall not steal." I am thankful that Jesus stole. He stole my sins at the cross. He stole Satan's dream of power by walking out of His tomb. He stole the ease of legalism by "filling full" the commandments ["You have heard it said...but I say....]. He stole fear by letting me know how the story will end. He stole my heart...he stole my heart...he stole my heart!

The Ten Words

I am preaching through the Ten Commandments or the Ten Words. As I decided to do this series I thought I knew 'em and kept 'em pretty good. Let's see, I only have one God, check; no idols, hmm...; don't misuse God's name, not too often...; remember the Sabbath, man this is tougher than I thought...; honor your father and mother, check; don't murder, by OT standards I'm gold...; don't commit adultery, Jesus really messed me up on this one...; don't steal, excuse me I need to download something real quick...; don't lie, I keep all the commandments...; don't covet, but I really need some new clubs, mine don't hit it straight! I have come to realize that I am the "rich young man" of Matthew 19. All these I have kept--as long as "kept" is a relative term like idols, murder, adultery, steal, lie, covet... These Ten Words are pretty humbling! Thank God for grace, mercy and the gospel.

Worship

"Worship is nothing less than offering our whole world back to God. As such, it must involve and include all the elements of life and spirituality, not just religious practices--as if politics, economics, sexuality, and such are somehow excluded from God's insistence of wholeness before him." [From Untamed by Alan and Debra Hirsch]

Charlie Screen

I have a great idea! I think this is the big one that's going to make me a winner! It is a new device that you install on your computer, TV and smart-phone to screen out all things Charlie Sheen. This might be as big a seller as the "no cussing" do-hickey for TVs! I'm so excited! Now if I can just convince the "goddess" I live with to buy in...

Terry's Recommended Tunes

As I write this I'm listening to a great CD by Amos Lee, called "Mission Bell." It's his latest and it's a good one. Another great set of tunes that recently came out is "The King is Dead" by the Decemberists. The songs are much more "accessible" than earlier CDs and it's just a great listen from start to finish. While I'm on a roll let me mention Mavis Staples latest called "You Are Not Alone." Jeff Tweedy of Wilco produced, wrote a couple of songs including the title track, and his imprint is all over it. But the voice is all Mavis and she can sing anything and it sounds heavenly. By the way, yeah for Arcade Fire's "The Suburbs" winning album of the year during last night's "Lady Antebellum" awards' show.

No Fool

Life is terminal. No one gets out of it alive. We are all living to die.

I have always loved Jim Elliot's famous words: "He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose."

Thank you Jesus for making me a "no fool"! I'm all Yours...

Kingdom Come...

"City transformation won't include all churches (some just prefer to play by themselves or don't play well with others), but it should not exclude any churches." [From To Transform a City]

Churches need to learn how to pray, play, and partner together. No church [little "c"] will ever be able to transform a city or town or village. But the Church [big "C"] whose head is Jesus Christ can transform any city or town or village if it loves one another [Jn 15:17] and loves all others. The Kingdom can and will come if the Church will cooperate.

Helping the Helpless

When it comes to doing "handy man" stuff I'm a pretty good pastor. Becki knows this and so in her fear she is quick to suggest we get help to do anything that takes skill or know-how. I can do yard work, I can vacuum, I can fold laundry, I can help do many things... But I'm not what anyone would call "handy."

This week we [read my friend Kevin] were going to replace our old stove-top with a new one that Becki got at 1/2 price! The hole in our granite island top was 1/2 inch too narrow! Kevin is a handy-man, but he is not a granite cutting handy-man. So, to the rescue comes another friend, Steve, who just happens to do all sorts of masonry work and who was more than willing to take care of my 1/2" problem.

And so, we now have a new stove top thanks to friends who believe in helping the helpless. I am truly thankful for friends who are willing to step into my life and in Jesus-like grace help this helpless man who would be lost without their love expressed in action. Kevin and Steve, thanks for making me think about grace and love and Jesus and helping the helpless...

Missing You...

I miss Winnie Ruth "TuTu" Cagle! In June my mother went home to be with Jesus. She is having the time of her eternity and I'm so thankful she's home...but I sure do miss her. I know that my dad misses her exponentially more than I do. They had just celebrated their 65th anniversary when she died. I guess 65 years was her limit! She had an unbelievably good run of 84 years and I praise God for such a gracious and loving mom who not only introduced me to Jesus but taught me how to pursue him. "Mom, as I preach each week, I want you to know that I use your 'travel Bible' to hold my notes. I'm so thankful you have finished your traveling and have made it home. I'm looking forward to joining you in a 'blink.' Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you...And thank You."

Made to Meet Your Maker

I love these lyrics by Mumford & Sons:

In these bodies we will live, in these bodies we will die
Where you invest your love, you invest your life

Awake my soul, awake my soul
For you were made to meet your maker.
["Awake My Soul"]

We are all made to meet our maker. This fact leads to a pretty important question: Am I ready to meet my maker? 
 The answer will be "YES!" if we invest our love/life in the biggies--Love God and Love People.

I can hardly wait! Come quickly, Lord Jesus... 

Back on the Horse

I have heard all my life that if you get "thrown from the horse" you need to just get right back up and get on the horse. I have been thrown from the "blog-horse" for the last couple of years or so, but I've decided to get back on the horse. Why? Good question...let's see...I, uh...I'm finally...I am more...I need to...I HAVE NO IDEA! But as I continue to invest myself in the most important things--loving God and loving people--I want to take time along the way to reflect on what I'm learning. I want to reflect on this life in the Kingdom as I join with others in the grand adventure of welcoming the Kingdom to come on this earth as it is in heaven. Come on in the Kingdom's fine and fun and forever!