Save the people..

Save the people…

Michael Vick is a terrible person. Vick, the starting quarterback from the Atlanta falcons, pleaded guilty to financing a dog fighting operation in federal court and is currently facing a 23 month sentence in federal prison. He was the bankroll for the dog’s being trained to fight as well as “eliminating” the dog’s who did not perform in the ring. The media circus surrounding Vick was of a movie. His family grief stricken and his good name which was VERY HIGHLY profitable, is now mud. We have all the animal activist groups just beating down the door with the words “justice!!”. We have a soft spot for animals, our loyal friends. They never complain. They are always there for us. Good companions and loyal. In no way am I giving the ok to what this man did. It is horrible and despicable. People who are involved with this type of thing sicken me. I remember the ‘save the Wales’ movement a few years back. Save the sea turtles. Save the Amazon rainforest. Save the planet. These are all worthwhile causes. Dog fighting is a cruel and vicious sport and should be stopped every where. While we are at it, we need to remember to save the people. We seem to miss that part. We say Vick is
beyond redemption. He is a lost cause. “there is no room for the murders and perverts and liars and dog fighting fans!!” that’s what we want to scream. Those people are not worthy of grace or forgiveness. They are out of chances. We were all out of chances. Way gone. But then…hope showed up. Jesus came to show us a better way. He was the better way. While we are forgiven for our sins…we got to face the consequences. Save the people. Believe that God can change people. We face the broken messed up people every day when we look at the mirror. While you may never face jail time or even cheat on your taxes, you require grace. Look beyond justice to mercy. It has already begun for a lot of us…


Eric

the ugly side...

With the upcoming release of the new Batman movie ‘The Dark Knight”, I am reminded of Heath Ledger. The 28 yr old actor was found dead in his apartment after an apparent overdose on several sleeping pills and anti-depressant drugs. Ledger was a rising star in Hollywood and was cast as the Joker in the new film. He also starred in “The Patriot” with Mel Gibson and “a Knights Tale”. He also starred in the controversial movie”Brokeback Mountain” which was acclaimed as a love story between two men and earned Ledger an Academy Award nomination.. At the time of Ledger’s death, Westboro Baptist Church located in Kansas made a statement that they would “picket this perverts funeral, in religious protest and warning. Heath Ledger thought it was great fun defying God almighty and his plain word. God hates the sordid, tacky bucket of slime seasoned with vomit known as 'Brokeback Mountain' - and He hates all persons having anything whatsoever to do with it. Heath Ledger is now in hell and has begun serving his eternal sentence there - besides which, nothing else about Heath Ledger is relevant or consequential." I cannot quote the entire press release due to the content. Westboro Baptist church members have also picketed numerous funerals of solders killed in Iraq and Afghanistan saying”Our attitude toward what's happening with the war is [that] the Lord is punishing this evil nation for abandoning all moral imperatives that are worth a dime." Westboro members also protested the memorial of 2006 Sago Mine disaster victims claiming that the mining accident was God's revenge against America for its tolerance of homosexuality. Footage of the protest, including several members dancing, was later shown on Fox News. You have probably seen these people on TV condemning everyone from Billy Graham to the Kansas Chiefs football team. Where am I going with this? In no way am I advocating homosexuality as a lifestyle. I think it goes completely against God and what the Bible teaches. I didn’t know Heath Ledger or anything about him aside from the fact he was a great actor in “The Patriot”. All I know about him is that he is dead and it is tragic. His family is devastated and saddened. We are here as the body of Christ to love and lift up those who are hurting. We don’t embrace the sin filled life of people but we share the hope we have in Christ so perhaps they will find that hope and be changed for God’s glory and honor. Where does this lead us? We have to be people who love the truth and stand for it like Christ did. We have to let people know we have a reason for hope. We don’t accept lifestyles or choices but we do as Jesus did….. love and encourage them. God does the changing in peoples lives. So pray for theses families touched by tragedy. Pray for people who have no hope. We have to believe in God for people to change. Be blessed my friends.

Eric

testing human kindness....

“it’s the end of the world as we know it….and I feel fine.”

You may or may not recognize that song title by the group REM But the song seems to be talking about our world today. As I sit here in the office at the church looking at the news, it seems like there is just plain bad stuff everywhere. War rages in the middle east. Gas prices spike again….. shootings and murders and hatred and…..it never seems to end does it? It seems like everything is coming apart. We also have broken relationships and hurting people and……..we seem fine. On the outside it all looks good right? Most people smile and say they are ok and we let it go at that. After all we are busy and we know these people right? There is nothing wrong and we go about our business. When I was working at First Baptist Church of Lubbock with the student ministry we would go to conferences and when I would mention our church, guys would always ask how are you doing in Lubbock?…which really meant how many students we had coming. My standard reply was 500. How did we get that many they asked? Well I would tell them we gave away new cars like the price is right. Funny thing is some guys almost believed it. They were not interested in me but more so how big our group was. We have to get past the surface to make a difference. Most of the time the surface is all we want to look at. We do not really want to know peoples worries and fears and pain. Is the world coming to an end? I have no idea. But I know we need to stop feeling fine. Why don’t we REALLY make a difference? Driving to my mom’s house last week I saw a hitchhiker at a truck stop. He was wearing a sign that said “testing human kindness”. What a great idea. Why don’t we show some kindness today…..just because God calls us to? Give out free water…or make a person some cookies. Mow a yard or wash a car. Get to know the people who live a cross the street and have a block party. Stop feeling fine and do something!



Eric