Arms Wide Open

A few years ago I found myself on a trip and without a book to read. I picked up “Jerusalem Countdown” by John Hagee in the airport bookstore and began to read. This book was written in 2006 and I read it not long after it was released. This isn’t a book review. If I remember right, I already did one. If you want to know, it was a great book. Scary stuff, but a great book.

For some odd reason last night as I was drifting off to sleep, I remembered a quote from the book. I remembered thinking that when I read it, I thought it was probably pretty prophetic and true. Little did I know how accurate this really would be. Buckle up folks, this is some scary stuff.

From the Jerusalem Countdown, Page 108-109.

It’s obvious to the nations of the world what Russia and the Arabs are doing, and yet the Western world is doing absolutely nothing to stop them. Why won’t America respond? Let me venture to say that after America’s extended war in Iraq, the next administration will probably be Democratic and will withdraw from Iraq, vowing to stay out of the Middle East in the future.

America as a whole wants short, high-tech military campaigns with shock and awe that end in Washington DC with massive parades down Pennsylvania Avenue on national television, such as we had in Desert Storm. Long, drawn-out wars of attrition, as in Vietnam, will be part of our past – not our future. When America sees Russia and the Arabs going into Israel, it will be simply a war above and beyond its national will to respond. Russia and the Arab nations will form one of the most impressive military forces ever put together. As Ezekiel says, “It will cover the land”.

Like I said, last night, for some odd reason that just came to my mind. So much so that I went looking for the book and that quote this morning to make sure I remembered it correctly. As I said, this was written and I read it nearly 3 years ago. Then I logged on to the internet this morning and was greeted with this…

Obama to world: Don’t expect America to fix it all.

If there is one film that I want to see more than any other this fall, it is this one. I am drawn into this trailer and have watched it several times. If the film is anything like the few short moments of this clip, I can only imagine the impact. I read a tweet review from someone that got a screening over the weekend and said it was incredibly powerful. I cannot think of a more timely and appropriate message. From the films website:

If you were to meet ten average Americans on the street, nine of them would say they believe in God. So why is the Gospel of Love dividing America?

Dan Merchant put on his bumper-sticker-clad jumpsuit and decided to find out why the Gospel of Love is dividing America. After talking with scores of men and women on streets all across the nation, and also interviewing many well-known active participants in today’s “Culture Wars,” Dan realized that the public discussion of faith doesn’t have to be contentious.

Lord, Save Us From Your Followers is a fast-paced, highly engaging documentary that explores the collision of faith and culture in America. After seeing Lord, Save Us From Your Followers, you’ll never talk about faith the same way again!

Nearly one year ago our world was turned upside down. If you’ve been following along that long, you will remember that if we could hit reverse on the DVR, there would be a “For Sale” sign in our front yard. There were boxes in our living room and plans were being made to relocate to Charlotte, North Carolina. Fast forward the DVR about one month and you find that the entire process went full circle. No boxes were ever packed. No trucks ever loaded. The “For Sale” sign was gone and one song became an anchor for me as to why we were still in Columbus, Ohio. That song was “God of This City“. There was something in the lyric – “Greater things have yet to come and greater things are still to be done in THIS City” that struck me. Greater things were still to be done.

Hit the button one more time and fast forward to today. What has the past year taught us? What has this lesson brought us? I wish I could give you a great story with a big red bow on it but I can’t. While our human nature longs, dare I say demands that God reveal his master plan and consult with us throughout the process, he doesn’t. It’s never how we draw it up. It is a journey though and there are lessons all along the roads we travel. Today, I type this with a renewed sense of purpose and a heart for the city of Columbus, Ohio. If there was ever a time for the body of Christ to unite and rally around the city they live in, that time is now.

Town hall meetings, hurting people, broken families, frustrated with the future and wishing we could wipe away the past. The list of reasons to be a city on our knees is endless. That is why this song has been speaking to me all week. When it comes to TobyMac, for me, a little bit goes a long way. However the first song from his new CD (coming out in February) is the perfect reminder that we can be a city on our knees. As the lyric so perfectly says:

If you gotta start somewhere why not here?

If you gotta start sometime why not now?

I received an email this evening from a subscriber to my blog that has an opportunity for each of us to consider. It is my honor to share something this important through my site. Below is an excerpt of the email I received…

“I am subscriber of your blog…..I have enjoyed reading and listening your blog for sometime now…. Can you help me with something?

I am in charge of the re-release of our film Expelled…The goal is to gain 1,000 new theaters to release the film….over the summer…We are booking new theaters now…

The caveat is that we need at least one group of 250-300 to support the film with a verbal commitment and then tell me personally what theater is preferred and I will see to it that theater get the film at once…

It would mean so much if you could place something for our film telling your readers to contact me personally if they would like to see our film in their city….The film will not just show up unless someone books it with me…We only have 1000 prints and they are gone then we will not have any more to send…Please let me know if you would help me get the word out about out film…”

Please contact Tripp Thornton of Motive Entertainment at – Trippht@bellsouth.net

For more about “Expelled” check out the preview (HERE)

Let’s do what we can to get “Expelled” back in our towns this summer! Thanks in advance for helping Tripp with this important message.

There has been much talk about the movie “The Bucket List” (which I have not seen yet). I don’t really have a Bucket List, but if I did, I think the number one item would be this:

To break up a parade by jumping on a float and singing “Twist and Shout” ala Ferris Bueller. If nothing else, I would at least like to be a part of the dance crew on the steps. The only condition is that it would need to include TBDBITL.

I didn’t post anything on Heath Ledgers tragic death last week. I, like everyone else, was stunned at the news. To see a young life end so quickly and unexpectedly is hard to comprehend. Yet what I find so tragic is the reports after his death. It seemed like every web site, magazine and news paper were digging deeper and deeper into his life. Reports of drug use, insomnia, partying and depression were just a few that I read. Why do we do that? Why must we know that?

One of my favorite books is “Everybody’s Normal Until You Get to Know Them” by John Ortberg. I love his premise that we all come with an “as is” tag. It’s true. None of us are perfect. Hard as we may try to show that we are, we’re not. I don’t know about you, but trying to keep up the perfection is more tiring than simply admitting that I’m not perfect. What if, like “Cheers” we could go somewhere where everyone knows your name…and loves you anyway? What if there was a place where the masks weren’t required. If we could be who we are, see who others are? To know and be known. I wonder if it’s not our deepest desire.

I don’t know if that place exists. As long as we are human, we are prone to make assumptions, choose stereotypes and think we understand someone by getting a 30 second glimpse into their world. As long as we’re human, we all have one thing in common. We’re broken. While it may not show on the outside, on the inside we’re broken. We’re broken about something, for something, because of something or from something.

Lord, give us patience. Give us understanding. Forgive us for “not knowing what we do”. Your grace sees beyond our brokenness. Give us your eyes. Help us to extend your grace.

“No One Else Knows” by Building 429

[audio http://leftfield8.com/audio/b429no.mp3]