At the end of Genesis Jacob is told by his son Joseph that the Egyptians hated shepherds. The rugged Mike Row Dirty Jobs element of being a Shepherd caused them to be ostracized by the sophisticated Egyptian society. He suggested that the Egyptians would let Jacob and his family have a specific piece of land based on the fact that it was out of sight out of mind. If there were railroad tracks this place would have been on the wrong side of them. Jacob was heading to a land where they would be marginalized, oppressed and enslaved.
400 Years later Moses is on the scene. He has been raised in the house of Pharaoh where he was educated in the most advanced and complex culture that existed at that time. He was rich, he was a military hero, he was royalty. He spent the first 40 years of his life learning from the finest education that Egypt had to offer. He spent the first 40 years of his life becoming somebody.
Imagine his surprise when find out that he would be spending the next 40 years of his life as a Shepherd; the very folks His culture would have showed him to look down upon. He went from living as the son of the President to being on Egypt’s “most wanted” list. He would spend the next 40 years of his life learning from sheep and goats. He would spend the next 40 years of his life becoming nobody.
In chapter 1 of Exodus we saw God speaking to the midwives. Midwives were in that situation because they themselves were barren. They were in good company along with their relatives Sarah and Rachel and many other heroines of the Bible. Without the benefit of foresight, I’m sure to them it just plain sucked.
Not being able to bear children in their culture was looked down upon. They were marginalized as folks who were cursed. It would have been a lonely life knowing that people thought you were less than them, that some secret or public sin had brought this disgrace upon you. They would have wanted children so badly but instead spent their days assisting women live out the dreams they had for themselves. Every child born in their arms to only be handed off to the mother was one more reminder of what they thought they would never have.
It’s interesting to note that the midwives are mentioned by name in Exodus and the Pharaoh (the most powerful man on earth at the time) has no mention of his name. God’s economy truly is different than ours.
I don’t know about you but I spent my childhood in those shoes. I was not even close to being the popular kid in school. My family didn’t have money and certainly didn’t have any social standing in the community. I got beat up, spit on, picked on and enthusiastically picked last in gym class. (Actually, I got picked second to last. Lori Person got chosen last. She had germs)
God has a soft spot for the oppressed, the marginalized the down trodden for the fat kid in gym class. Jesus entered the world in those clothes Himself. If you feel that way or have felt that way you’re in such a good spot. God loves to qualify the unqualified and the unlovely. If you feel misunderstood, overlooked, under appreciated or beaten down tonight would be a great time to join us at Conduit. God has a Word for you from Exodus 2.
We had another $720 come in for Conduit this week from our friends at Rock House Church in Catoosa, OK. I spoke there yesterday morning and they surprised me with an offering to assist us with the cause. With the $4,000 that came in the past couple of weeks are absolutely making a difference to our brothers and sisters in Haiti.
If you haven’t had a chance to donate recently please pray about it. Remember that only $15 feeds a child for a month. You can go to www.conduitmission.org and click on the donate now button. We’re focusing all of our energies right now on feeding the children in Haiti and on our friends at Place of Hope in Columbia, TN. Over $40,000 has flown through the Conduit so far. The river of resources and hope is flowing.
See you tonight at 7:30pm at Journey in Building 8 at the Factory.
Blessings,
Darren
www.darrentyler.podomatic.com
Monday, October 27, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Exodus 1- They Kingdom Come
Hi everyone, I posted an episode to my podcast, Conduit Bible Study- Darren Tyler.
Click this link to check it out:
Exodus 1
- Darren
Click this link to check it out:
Exodus 1
- Darren
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Conduit- The Weapons of Our Warfare
Someone took the time and trouble to count up the verses that deal with the foreigners, the marginalized, the widow, orphans and found that there were 2,000 passages in the Bible that promised them relief. To be fair; this hasn’t been independently verified by myself as I have neither the attention span nor time to attempt such a feat. That being said, this theme is literally spun all through the Bible.
This morning my pastor was reading a story in Luke that I had heard dozens of times and there it was again. Remember the story of Zacheus the wee little man? As Jesus was taking heat for inviting Himself over for dinner, Zacheus proclaimed that he was selling half of everything he owned and giving it to whom? The poor.
A little bit Later in Luke 16 is where we get the big ticket Bible quotes like “you can’t serve two masters” or “where much is given much is required”. Both of those are statements directed to us about how we deal with our money here on earth. Jesus makes this provocative statement in that passage about using our worldly wealth “that we might gain friends for yourselves so that when it is gone you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings”. (Luke 16:9 ) And what do you suppose we could be doing with our time and money here that would find people welcoming us to eternal dwellings? I suggest in the larger context it’s about serving the poor.
It sounds great and is more or less applicable to apply a passage like “where much is given much is required” to talk about being faithful in order to get a job promotion. However, that is not the context of what Jesus was saying and as any good arm chair theologian knows, context is everything. Jesus said where much is given, much is required and He was talking about money.
I’ve thought about that a lot this week as our Nation has been going through the political process and I wondered what Jesus would say. (Did He wear a bracelet that said WWID?) How would He respond to the moral decay? What would He say about our Government and the state that it’s in? What would He be blogging about Joe the Plumber if He were here today?
The answer is probably not. In all 4 gospels there is no mention of Jesus crying out against the liberal theater actors who were tearing down the moral fiber of their society. He made no mention of rising up against the oppressive Roman Government. He didn’t cry out against Caesar, Pilate or Herod responding to their policies that harmed the people and kept them in bondage.
It’s almost as if Jesus felt that the best defense was a great offense.
His opening salvo as Messiah (also in Luke) Jesus announced Himself as coming to preach the gospel to the poor, set at liberty the captives and bring sight to the blind. His advancement on the Kingdom of darkness weren’t verbal arguments against the Roman government (a good lesson for me) or the liberal media or the sinful Greek theatrical actors. To borrow a line from Donald Miller, that would be shooting at the hostages.
His attacks were at the actual enemy that held those very people hostage. By relieving and healing the spiritual, physical and emotional needs of the time, he was launching a ground war. The weapons of His warfare were not carnal, but were in fact mighty. He was attacking the system of poverty, oppression and spiritual blindness by setting people free from them. He attacked the system, but not the purveyors of it.
Hunger, poverty, and oppression are systemic tools of the enemy. Satan isn’t out there putting the screws to each and every single starving child. Satan is not omnipotent, and quite honestly probably doesn’t even know my name. He is just a fallen angel.
There is no record of Him getting extra power or for that matter having extra powers than any other angel. In fact there is no record of His appearance changing. Quite possibly He looks no different than he did as an angel. Not being omnipotent or omniscient he can work most effectively through systems that we ourselves buy into as a world, as a culture as a society. He is NOT Jesus equal. At the end of Revelation it is recorded that only one angel will be needed to chain him up.
And so it is that we have launched a ground war through Conduit. We are assaulting the kingdom of darkness. The systems of this world would have it that our children in Haiti starve and we are attacking that with our friends at Restoration Ministries in Jacmel, Haiti. . The systems of society would have it that addicts and homeless should be out of sight and out of mind and we have mounted an attack against that through Place of Hope right here in Columbia, TN.
We are not shooting at the hostages, but rather saving them. Conduit is a part of the supply chain as well as a source for ground troops in this. Every dime that you have given, every minute you have served, every second you have prayed is part of the greater battle. And slowly but surely, the Kingdom of God is advancing. Not through our slick marketing campaigns and nice worship centers but through our actions.
Many of you have given so freely and for that I am grateful. I write this with urgency because there is still so much need; specifically in Haiti. I still do not take a dime of the money you have given. I give to it myself. I write this not as someone better than you, but as someone just like you. We stand on level ground before the cross and I would ask that those of you who have not joined this battle to prayerfully consider doing so.
$15 will feed a child in Haiti for a month. Would you consider doing that? You can go to www.conduitmission.org and click on the “donate now” button. I don’t have any fancy love gift and can’t offer to put your name on a brick I can’t reward you at all and that’s great news for you because God can and God will. He’s much smarter and richer than me and He’s got your back. (That whole passage about God providing seed for the sower? Also talking about giving to the poor. Read 2 Cor. 8 and 9 in their entirety)
As for tomorrow: There is such an amazing picture of this in the story of Israel and the Exodus. It is a story of deliverance and of salvation for a people from a system of toil, hardship and captivity. If you get a chance, read the first couple of chapters of Exodus. We’re going back to our fundamentals at Conduit; searching deep within the scriptures, finding Jesus there, and responding to Him.
See you at 7:30pm in Building 8 at the Factory, home of The Journey.
Blessings,
Darren
www.darrentyler.podomatic.com
This morning my pastor was reading a story in Luke that I had heard dozens of times and there it was again. Remember the story of Zacheus the wee little man? As Jesus was taking heat for inviting Himself over for dinner, Zacheus proclaimed that he was selling half of everything he owned and giving it to whom? The poor.
A little bit Later in Luke 16 is where we get the big ticket Bible quotes like “you can’t serve two masters” or “where much is given much is required”. Both of those are statements directed to us about how we deal with our money here on earth. Jesus makes this provocative statement in that passage about using our worldly wealth “that we might gain friends for yourselves so that when it is gone you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings”. (Luke 16:9 ) And what do you suppose we could be doing with our time and money here that would find people welcoming us to eternal dwellings? I suggest in the larger context it’s about serving the poor.
It sounds great and is more or less applicable to apply a passage like “where much is given much is required” to talk about being faithful in order to get a job promotion. However, that is not the context of what Jesus was saying and as any good arm chair theologian knows, context is everything. Jesus said where much is given, much is required and He was talking about money.
I’ve thought about that a lot this week as our Nation has been going through the political process and I wondered what Jesus would say. (Did He wear a bracelet that said WWID?) How would He respond to the moral decay? What would He say about our Government and the state that it’s in? What would He be blogging about Joe the Plumber if He were here today?
The answer is probably not. In all 4 gospels there is no mention of Jesus crying out against the liberal theater actors who were tearing down the moral fiber of their society. He made no mention of rising up against the oppressive Roman Government. He didn’t cry out against Caesar, Pilate or Herod responding to their policies that harmed the people and kept them in bondage.
It’s almost as if Jesus felt that the best defense was a great offense.
His opening salvo as Messiah (also in Luke) Jesus announced Himself as coming to preach the gospel to the poor, set at liberty the captives and bring sight to the blind. His advancement on the Kingdom of darkness weren’t verbal arguments against the Roman government (a good lesson for me) or the liberal media or the sinful Greek theatrical actors. To borrow a line from Donald Miller, that would be shooting at the hostages.
His attacks were at the actual enemy that held those very people hostage. By relieving and healing the spiritual, physical and emotional needs of the time, he was launching a ground war. The weapons of His warfare were not carnal, but were in fact mighty. He was attacking the system of poverty, oppression and spiritual blindness by setting people free from them. He attacked the system, but not the purveyors of it.
Hunger, poverty, and oppression are systemic tools of the enemy. Satan isn’t out there putting the screws to each and every single starving child. Satan is not omnipotent, and quite honestly probably doesn’t even know my name. He is just a fallen angel.
There is no record of Him getting extra power or for that matter having extra powers than any other angel. In fact there is no record of His appearance changing. Quite possibly He looks no different than he did as an angel. Not being omnipotent or omniscient he can work most effectively through systems that we ourselves buy into as a world, as a culture as a society. He is NOT Jesus equal. At the end of Revelation it is recorded that only one angel will be needed to chain him up.
And so it is that we have launched a ground war through Conduit. We are assaulting the kingdom of darkness. The systems of this world would have it that our children in Haiti starve and we are attacking that with our friends at Restoration Ministries in Jacmel, Haiti. . The systems of society would have it that addicts and homeless should be out of sight and out of mind and we have mounted an attack against that through Place of Hope right here in Columbia, TN.
We are not shooting at the hostages, but rather saving them. Conduit is a part of the supply chain as well as a source for ground troops in this. Every dime that you have given, every minute you have served, every second you have prayed is part of the greater battle. And slowly but surely, the Kingdom of God is advancing. Not through our slick marketing campaigns and nice worship centers but through our actions.
Many of you have given so freely and for that I am grateful. I write this with urgency because there is still so much need; specifically in Haiti. I still do not take a dime of the money you have given. I give to it myself. I write this not as someone better than you, but as someone just like you. We stand on level ground before the cross and I would ask that those of you who have not joined this battle to prayerfully consider doing so.
$15 will feed a child in Haiti for a month. Would you consider doing that? You can go to www.conduitmission.org and click on the “donate now” button. I don’t have any fancy love gift and can’t offer to put your name on a brick I can’t reward you at all and that’s great news for you because God can and God will. He’s much smarter and richer than me and He’s got your back. (That whole passage about God providing seed for the sower? Also talking about giving to the poor. Read 2 Cor. 8 and 9 in their entirety)
As for tomorrow: There is such an amazing picture of this in the story of Israel and the Exodus. It is a story of deliverance and of salvation for a people from a system of toil, hardship and captivity. If you get a chance, read the first couple of chapters of Exodus. We’re going back to our fundamentals at Conduit; searching deep within the scriptures, finding Jesus there, and responding to Him.
See you at 7:30pm in Building 8 at the Factory, home of The Journey.
Blessings,
Darren
www.darrentyler.podomatic.com
Friday, October 17, 2008
While we're worrying about America..
It could be worse. A lot worse. While our Presidential candidates are blowing $30M a week for the next 3 weeks on television commercials alone, our brothers and sisters in Haiti are digging through trash dumps and eating dirt cookies.
What can you do? $15 will feed one child for an entire month. Basically 3 meals at McDonalds feeds one for a month. Have you got $15?
You can go to www.conduitmission.org
Click on donate now and donate there via credit card.
You can mail payable to Conduit to..
Conduit
C/O Platform
256 Seaboard Lane
C-103
Franklin, TN 37067
Send it today and by this time next month the food will be reaching the children of Jacmel Haiti.
What can you do? $15 will feed one child for an entire month. Basically 3 meals at McDonalds feeds one for a month. Have you got $15?
You can go to www.conduitmission.org
Click on donate now and donate there via credit card.
You can mail payable to Conduit to..
Conduit
C/O Platform
256 Seaboard Lane
C-103
Franklin, TN 37067
Send it today and by this time next month the food will be reaching the children of Jacmel Haiti.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
And Open Lettter To Joe The Plumber
Dear Joe The Plumber,
Joe the Plumber; my name is Darren the Manager. I’m pleased to meet you. I would like to formally invite you to be part of what Obama dismissively refers to as the top 2% of small business owners.
I want to tell you what you have to look forward to as being in this elite class of small business owners who “make” over $250,000 a year.
You see, I started my little nickel and dime operation out of my upstairs bonus room in my house in LaVergne, TN because I couldn’t afford to rent a real office. I lived off what little savings I had and through some good fortune eventually had a business partner join up who was also willing to live sacrificially. Together we risked our families well being and financial stability to build something out of nothing.
Currently Platform Management “makes” over $250,000 a year. (not much more, but more) I know Obama thinks that I do nothing but roll around naked in that kind of money, but there are a couple of things that prevent that bed from being quite so cushy.
You see, we want to give our clients good service and so we hire bright, talented, hard working people to provide this service. These are good kids who work every bit as hard as I do and whom might some day also join You and Me in this elite small business owner World. In the meantime I’m glad to say the combined payroll for our employees is somewhere around $135,000. I wish we could do more for them. We would love to, but that’s not the last of our expenses.
Because we live in America we get to participate in that great ponzi scheme called Social Security. We pay 6% of the total salaries into a fund that will in all probability not exist when these young, bright, talented, hard working men and women reach retirement. Platform pays over $8000 in totality to the good folks in DC who have “borrowed against” (read: spent the money on other projects besides Social Security) and have now left that program in a shambles.
I grew up with no health insurance. My mom died with no health insurance. As a small business owner it has been important to me personally that we provide this as a benefit to our staff. Last year we spent almost $40,000 on that. It goes up EVERY year. It has for the past 8 years straight.
As much fun as it is to work at home, my house simply isn’t big enough to have 7 people working there. We took the “profits” from one year of business and risked it by purchasing an office condo here in Franklin. We spend about $30,000 per year on that office. And as an added bonus we get to pay property taxes to Williamson County in the thousands.
To perform our duties we need to have things like phones, computers, desks, and toilets. We spend another $30-40,000 a year in things like cell phone service, office phones, internet, office supplies and toilet paper.
Joe, it’s not all bad. I don’t mean to make myself sound like a hero or to suggest that it's completely nuts to start your own company. There are definitely rewards to this even if it’s not monetary.
Being self-employed has allowed me the freedom to participate in Humanitarian causes here and around the world. If I had a “normal” job I certainly couldn’t be jet setting around to places like Uganda and Haiti. This freedom has allowed me to be a part of founding and leading Conduit. As of yesterday Conduit has given taken in $40,000 to feed, clothe and serve the poor and the vulnerable.
It’s much easier to take off a day with the kids or to rush to a loved ones side when they’re sick without worrying about the employee leave policy.
My business partner and myself are not poor but we are nowhere near rich. We live solidly on the lower end of what is called Middle Class. We live in normal neighborhoods, in normal houses with normal lawns. We pay ourselves below six figures.
We already pay 36% in taxes on our small business. As a reward for the risks we took, and for creating something out of nothing Obama has suggested that we should pay our “fair” share and hit us with an extra 3%. He suggested that this would be “spreading the wealth around”.
Creating jobs, creating opportunities, paying for health care, giving to the poor feels like we’re already doing that at Platform. Obama thinks it’s not enough. He’d like us to be paying 39%. That is money that could easily be going to pay for another employee or, dare I say it, giving our own employees more money. Instead I get to send it to DC and trust that the government can do a better job than we can.
I apologize for my skepticism towards that thought process, but I feel like the government has given me plenty of reason not to trust their fiscal abilities. They’ve given me trillions of reasons.
Joe The Plumber, I don’t know you and I certainly hope that if my toilet plugs I could get a hold of you, but I want to let you know that you’ve got a lot to look forward to as a small business owner. I encourage you to move forward with buying this business that you’re thinking about. (heck you just got the best marketing campaign in the history of small business)
When Obama wins, it’ll absolutely get under your skin each time you write your tax check with that extra 3% fair tax. You won’t be alone though.
That top 2% of small businesses include many amazing people doing amazing things for this country and the world. Every band I represent falls in that category. (it makes me wonder how many musicians in semi successful bands actually realize that they are part of this elite taxable group as they travel around in their beat up vans living in their run down band houses)
And remember; it’s only fair.
Best Regards,
Darren Tyler
Joe the Plumber; my name is Darren the Manager. I’m pleased to meet you. I would like to formally invite you to be part of what Obama dismissively refers to as the top 2% of small business owners.
I want to tell you what you have to look forward to as being in this elite class of small business owners who “make” over $250,000 a year.
You see, I started my little nickel and dime operation out of my upstairs bonus room in my house in LaVergne, TN because I couldn’t afford to rent a real office. I lived off what little savings I had and through some good fortune eventually had a business partner join up who was also willing to live sacrificially. Together we risked our families well being and financial stability to build something out of nothing.
Currently Platform Management “makes” over $250,000 a year. (not much more, but more) I know Obama thinks that I do nothing but roll around naked in that kind of money, but there are a couple of things that prevent that bed from being quite so cushy.
You see, we want to give our clients good service and so we hire bright, talented, hard working people to provide this service. These are good kids who work every bit as hard as I do and whom might some day also join You and Me in this elite small business owner World. In the meantime I’m glad to say the combined payroll for our employees is somewhere around $135,000. I wish we could do more for them. We would love to, but that’s not the last of our expenses.
Because we live in America we get to participate in that great ponzi scheme called Social Security. We pay 6% of the total salaries into a fund that will in all probability not exist when these young, bright, talented, hard working men and women reach retirement. Platform pays over $8000 in totality to the good folks in DC who have “borrowed against” (read: spent the money on other projects besides Social Security) and have now left that program in a shambles.
I grew up with no health insurance. My mom died with no health insurance. As a small business owner it has been important to me personally that we provide this as a benefit to our staff. Last year we spent almost $40,000 on that. It goes up EVERY year. It has for the past 8 years straight.
As much fun as it is to work at home, my house simply isn’t big enough to have 7 people working there. We took the “profits” from one year of business and risked it by purchasing an office condo here in Franklin. We spend about $30,000 per year on that office. And as an added bonus we get to pay property taxes to Williamson County in the thousands.
To perform our duties we need to have things like phones, computers, desks, and toilets. We spend another $30-40,000 a year in things like cell phone service, office phones, internet, office supplies and toilet paper.
Joe, it’s not all bad. I don’t mean to make myself sound like a hero or to suggest that it's completely nuts to start your own company. There are definitely rewards to this even if it’s not monetary.
Being self-employed has allowed me the freedom to participate in Humanitarian causes here and around the world. If I had a “normal” job I certainly couldn’t be jet setting around to places like Uganda and Haiti. This freedom has allowed me to be a part of founding and leading Conduit. As of yesterday Conduit has given taken in $40,000 to feed, clothe and serve the poor and the vulnerable.
It’s much easier to take off a day with the kids or to rush to a loved ones side when they’re sick without worrying about the employee leave policy.
My business partner and myself are not poor but we are nowhere near rich. We live solidly on the lower end of what is called Middle Class. We live in normal neighborhoods, in normal houses with normal lawns. We pay ourselves below six figures.
We already pay 36% in taxes on our small business. As a reward for the risks we took, and for creating something out of nothing Obama has suggested that we should pay our “fair” share and hit us with an extra 3%. He suggested that this would be “spreading the wealth around”.
Creating jobs, creating opportunities, paying for health care, giving to the poor feels like we’re already doing that at Platform. Obama thinks it’s not enough. He’d like us to be paying 39%. That is money that could easily be going to pay for another employee or, dare I say it, giving our own employees more money. Instead I get to send it to DC and trust that the government can do a better job than we can.
I apologize for my skepticism towards that thought process, but I feel like the government has given me plenty of reason not to trust their fiscal abilities. They’ve given me trillions of reasons.
Joe The Plumber, I don’t know you and I certainly hope that if my toilet plugs I could get a hold of you, but I want to let you know that you’ve got a lot to look forward to as a small business owner. I encourage you to move forward with buying this business that you’re thinking about. (heck you just got the best marketing campaign in the history of small business)
When Obama wins, it’ll absolutely get under your skin each time you write your tax check with that extra 3% fair tax. You won’t be alone though.
That top 2% of small businesses include many amazing people doing amazing things for this country and the world. Every band I represent falls in that category. (it makes me wonder how many musicians in semi successful bands actually realize that they are part of this elite taxable group as they travel around in their beat up vans living in their run down band houses)
And remember; it’s only fair.
Best Regards,
Darren Tyler
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Conduit- Global Meltdown- Are You Scared Yet?
I really enjoyed it this week when Jimmy Carter (with no sense of irony) spent some time ripping on Bush for the economy that we’re in. Maybe you’re not old enough to remember the gas lines and economy that Carter presided over in the 70’s.
To be clear, it would be a great time for W to give us one of those “we have nothing to fear but fear itself” speeches instead of the sort of monotone “we’re pretty much screwed” speeches from a couple weeks ago. I know that Obama has been giving a lot of those sort of “we have better days ahead if I’m president” speeches, but the trouble is I don’t believe him. Not that we don’t’ have better days ahead, but that he personally can make it happen.
Perhaps I’m just hitting the sweet spot of age and cynicism as it relates to politicians but I remember when many of my friends and family voted for Clinton in the 90’s based upon his sweeping promises of reforming healthcare should he get elected. I think all of these guys really want to make the stuff happen that they are promising, but then there is the crazy little thing called reality.
I want to buy a house for my wife in Laurel Brooke but; well you get my point. It’s just with politicians they get to make these promises and it’s up to you and I to break out the common sensometer and think through whether or not we really can afford to have the government buy our mortgages or if they really can afford to pay for health care for EVERY American without raising taxes on you and I.
The World is experiencing what can only be described with understated broadness as “uncharted territory”. The governments of multiple countries around the world ranging from Egypt to England to America are working in concert to try and quell the fears of the markets. So far infusions of cash well into the trillions combined with interest rate cuts and government backed loans of banks have helped exactly zero.
We’ve gone so far in America as to the government considering ownership stakes in banks. Let that sit in for a minute. The Government can’t even get voter registration done accurately and we want them to own our banks? Imagine getting an overdraft fee removed becoming on the same level as getting a drivers license.
There is much talk of centralization. The risks involved in that is just like buying a trillion dollar TV / VCR combo. If the TV breaks you could still have a perfectly good VCR with no way to use it. Centralizing too much puts us in a position where if one bank fails they all fail. We could have one aspect of the market in fine shape but because it’s bootstrapped to an ailing sector it’s no matter. You can be doing good on the deck of the titanic and it doesn’t much matter.
I heard a guy say yesterday that this is a problem that money can solve it’s just a matter of how much money it will take. The earth changing question is “what if it’s more than we can afford”.
So far the combined efforts of the brightest and the best have resulted in every market around the world down double digit percentage points and as the G7 leaders met yesterday they somberly admitted that the world’s financial markets are on the verge of a complete freeze.
Reading all this information it’s impossible not to notice words like panic, fear, greed and begin to cross reference it with the Bible. A Wall Street investor in an AP article was quoted as saying “the market is driven by greed and fear”; clearly the exact opposite of what we are to base our own lives on. Should we really be surprised that our global crisis exists when you factor in the fuel of greed and fear? A truer house of cards has not existed.
It is not hyperbole when I say these guys are suggesting that this is cataclysmic or catastrophic. (both words used by Government officials) This is real live stuff that sort of makes the war on terror take a back seat when you weigh the potential harm that can come to the United States and the World.
So what does this mean for you and I personally? More to the point, what does it mean on a Biblical front for you and for I? What is going to happen if McCain wins, or dare I say it; what if Obama wins? What if the credit markets do freeze up? Does the fact that the Governments of the major developed nations are working in concert with each other lend itself to some sort of one world Government? What does the Bible say when it looks to the end of days and financial meltdown?
The one question that we all need to know the answer to is: “is it going to be OK?” Maybe you're like many of the folks calling into radio stations, tv shows and newspapers and you're just wanting to know if there is hope.
I have some thoughts that I’d like to share about that tomorrow night. I hope you can make it.
Monday night at 7:30pm, Journey Church in Building 8 at The Factory.
To be clear, it would be a great time for W to give us one of those “we have nothing to fear but fear itself” speeches instead of the sort of monotone “we’re pretty much screwed” speeches from a couple weeks ago. I know that Obama has been giving a lot of those sort of “we have better days ahead if I’m president” speeches, but the trouble is I don’t believe him. Not that we don’t’ have better days ahead, but that he personally can make it happen.
Perhaps I’m just hitting the sweet spot of age and cynicism as it relates to politicians but I remember when many of my friends and family voted for Clinton in the 90’s based upon his sweeping promises of reforming healthcare should he get elected. I think all of these guys really want to make the stuff happen that they are promising, but then there is the crazy little thing called reality.
I want to buy a house for my wife in Laurel Brooke but; well you get my point. It’s just with politicians they get to make these promises and it’s up to you and I to break out the common sensometer and think through whether or not we really can afford to have the government buy our mortgages or if they really can afford to pay for health care for EVERY American without raising taxes on you and I.
The World is experiencing what can only be described with understated broadness as “uncharted territory”. The governments of multiple countries around the world ranging from Egypt to England to America are working in concert to try and quell the fears of the markets. So far infusions of cash well into the trillions combined with interest rate cuts and government backed loans of banks have helped exactly zero.
We’ve gone so far in America as to the government considering ownership stakes in banks. Let that sit in for a minute. The Government can’t even get voter registration done accurately and we want them to own our banks? Imagine getting an overdraft fee removed becoming on the same level as getting a drivers license.
There is much talk of centralization. The risks involved in that is just like buying a trillion dollar TV / VCR combo. If the TV breaks you could still have a perfectly good VCR with no way to use it. Centralizing too much puts us in a position where if one bank fails they all fail. We could have one aspect of the market in fine shape but because it’s bootstrapped to an ailing sector it’s no matter. You can be doing good on the deck of the titanic and it doesn’t much matter.
I heard a guy say yesterday that this is a problem that money can solve it’s just a matter of how much money it will take. The earth changing question is “what if it’s more than we can afford”.
So far the combined efforts of the brightest and the best have resulted in every market around the world down double digit percentage points and as the G7 leaders met yesterday they somberly admitted that the world’s financial markets are on the verge of a complete freeze.
Reading all this information it’s impossible not to notice words like panic, fear, greed and begin to cross reference it with the Bible. A Wall Street investor in an AP article was quoted as saying “the market is driven by greed and fear”; clearly the exact opposite of what we are to base our own lives on. Should we really be surprised that our global crisis exists when you factor in the fuel of greed and fear? A truer house of cards has not existed.
It is not hyperbole when I say these guys are suggesting that this is cataclysmic or catastrophic. (both words used by Government officials) This is real live stuff that sort of makes the war on terror take a back seat when you weigh the potential harm that can come to the United States and the World.
So what does this mean for you and I personally? More to the point, what does it mean on a Biblical front for you and for I? What is going to happen if McCain wins, or dare I say it; what if Obama wins? What if the credit markets do freeze up? Does the fact that the Governments of the major developed nations are working in concert with each other lend itself to some sort of one world Government? What does the Bible say when it looks to the end of days and financial meltdown?
The one question that we all need to know the answer to is: “is it going to be OK?” Maybe you're like many of the folks calling into radio stations, tv shows and newspapers and you're just wanting to know if there is hope.
I have some thoughts that I’d like to share about that tomorrow night. I hope you can make it.
Monday night at 7:30pm, Journey Church in Building 8 at The Factory.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Monday, October 6, 2008
Just Set It.. And Forget It!
Have you ever done it? The TV was on, the dude who was in fantastic shape was hawking some sort of apparatus that would absolutely give you rock hard abs or that body you’ve always wanted. Generally speaking there is some sort of sales pitch that all you gotta do is 20 min a day 3 days a week and you’ll have those abs you’ve always dreamed of?
They usually have some sort of before picture of some guy that looks pretty much like me; frumpy, misshapen, and well fed. Somehow; magically; with(apparently) 3 days a week at 20 minutes a day the after picture of a dude who is tan, shaven, bleached tips, and rock solid usually wearing a Speedo.
I first fell for this with an infomercial from this little sawed off 0% body fat, steroid monger with a mullet: Tony Little. The embarrassing thing was that he got me twice. I say it’s embarrassing because this guy is absolutely certifiably Richard Simpson crazy. He’s wound super tight, and pretty much everything he says has that sort of feeling as if it is coming from a car dealership commercial pitch man. It’s full of energy, life and ultimately crap. But he says it with so much confidence that this polished turd looks very compelling, even desirable.
The first time around was that little ab crunching machine that had a sort of over the head arm holder that you laid back into with your head on the scientifically designed for neck support padded head rest could roll into gut busting crunches with perfect ease and lumbar support. I don’t remember exactly how much I paid for it, but I assure you it was far too much.
A few years later was (and I can’t believe I’m admitting this) he snagged me with the Gazelle. This piece of flimsily constructed made in Taiwan machinery was designed by a team of engineers who as best I could tell wanted to see exactly how silly they could make you look and have you still buy in. It combined all sorts of unnatural movements that when combined kind of put you in the same position as Leonardo’s Vertruvian man had he been drawn in a running position.
What they don’t tell you, and this is really too bad because it’s true, is that these exercise things really are at their best when being used to dry wet clothes on. Simply put I had purchased an over priced indoor clothes line.
Oh don’t get me wrong, I gave each of these the ol’ college try for a few days. And it wasn’t long before I realized that 3 days a week at 20 minutes a day was in fact NOT all I had to do. It wasn’t even close. Worse, I realized that I had spent money on these stupid machines that I only had to apply myself and could accomplish the exact thing without any machine at all. Has anyone ever heard of jogging?
I think ultimately I was looking for what everyone is looking for; a short cut. A little pill that I could take a surgery I could get or something that could make the quest easier. The trouble is that it was hard. And after running the little half marathon I realized that as hard as I thought it would be, it was even harder. And I also realized that I had never felt better about myself, more accomplished, more fulfilled.
“All you gotta do.” That was what they said over and over again. “It’s so easy, all it takes is”. It kind of sounded familiar to me,and as I think about it, those are some of the very words that I had heard in the altar call when I first got saved. In fact it was also the same phrase I myself had used when doing youth ministry trying to get kids toget saved. “All you gotta do” is this simple prayer and you’re saved.
I meant well when I said it. I was doing my best to close the deal so the teenagers under my watch wouldn’t die and go to hell. In fact, I used that “if you die tonight line”. It’s a gigantic weight to feel the pressure to close that deal. So heavy that the tendency is too soft sell the idea. All you gotta do is “set it and forget it”. Just say this prayer. Simplify it. I see those hands going up. I see that hand. And bingo, I can rest easy. They were looking for a key to fulfillment and I had the perfect short cut. No commitment, no follow through, just this simple prayer.
When a rich young man came to Jesus and asked Him what He must do to obtain eternal life, Jesus didn’t soft sell him at all. He didn’t try to close the deal. And in fact, His “presentation of the gospel” was not very successful. The guy walked away.
Jesus seemed to not be selling a ticket out of hell, instead he was inviting them into eternal life. He was inviting them to be on His team; to be a part of His kingdom. He didn't soft sell it. He never once asked the crowd to bow their heads and close their eyes.
So what meanest these things? Well what did you sign up for? Maybe there's a reason that over 80% of our teens will fall away from the Lord when they graduate High School. Maybe they signed up for the wrong thing. Perhaps we didn't understand exactly what we were doing when we agreed to follow Christ. What exactly does it mean to be "saved". This is the entire idea behind Conduit. We are not just buying "fire insurance" as I heard it put yesterday. It's so much more, so much better, so much more; well, Eternal.
Let's talk about this tonight. 7:30pm at Journey Church in Building 8 at The Factory.
Blessings,
Darren
www.darrentyler.com
www.darrentyler.podomatic.com
They usually have some sort of before picture of some guy that looks pretty much like me; frumpy, misshapen, and well fed. Somehow; magically; with(apparently) 3 days a week at 20 minutes a day the after picture of a dude who is tan, shaven, bleached tips, and rock solid usually wearing a Speedo.
I first fell for this with an infomercial from this little sawed off 0% body fat, steroid monger with a mullet: Tony Little. The embarrassing thing was that he got me twice. I say it’s embarrassing because this guy is absolutely certifiably Richard Simpson crazy. He’s wound super tight, and pretty much everything he says has that sort of feeling as if it is coming from a car dealership commercial pitch man. It’s full of energy, life and ultimately crap. But he says it with so much confidence that this polished turd looks very compelling, even desirable.
The first time around was that little ab crunching machine that had a sort of over the head arm holder that you laid back into with your head on the scientifically designed for neck support padded head rest could roll into gut busting crunches with perfect ease and lumbar support. I don’t remember exactly how much I paid for it, but I assure you it was far too much.
A few years later was (and I can’t believe I’m admitting this) he snagged me with the Gazelle. This piece of flimsily constructed made in Taiwan machinery was designed by a team of engineers who as best I could tell wanted to see exactly how silly they could make you look and have you still buy in. It combined all sorts of unnatural movements that when combined kind of put you in the same position as Leonardo’s Vertruvian man had he been drawn in a running position.
What they don’t tell you, and this is really too bad because it’s true, is that these exercise things really are at their best when being used to dry wet clothes on. Simply put I had purchased an over priced indoor clothes line.
Oh don’t get me wrong, I gave each of these the ol’ college try for a few days. And it wasn’t long before I realized that 3 days a week at 20 minutes a day was in fact NOT all I had to do. It wasn’t even close. Worse, I realized that I had spent money on these stupid machines that I only had to apply myself and could accomplish the exact thing without any machine at all. Has anyone ever heard of jogging?
I think ultimately I was looking for what everyone is looking for; a short cut. A little pill that I could take a surgery I could get or something that could make the quest easier. The trouble is that it was hard. And after running the little half marathon I realized that as hard as I thought it would be, it was even harder. And I also realized that I had never felt better about myself, more accomplished, more fulfilled.
“All you gotta do.” That was what they said over and over again. “It’s so easy, all it takes is”. It kind of sounded familiar to me,and as I think about it, those are some of the very words that I had heard in the altar call when I first got saved. In fact it was also the same phrase I myself had used when doing youth ministry trying to get kids toget saved. “All you gotta do” is this simple prayer and you’re saved.
I meant well when I said it. I was doing my best to close the deal so the teenagers under my watch wouldn’t die and go to hell. In fact, I used that “if you die tonight line”. It’s a gigantic weight to feel the pressure to close that deal. So heavy that the tendency is too soft sell the idea. All you gotta do is “set it and forget it”. Just say this prayer. Simplify it. I see those hands going up. I see that hand. And bingo, I can rest easy. They were looking for a key to fulfillment and I had the perfect short cut. No commitment, no follow through, just this simple prayer.
When a rich young man came to Jesus and asked Him what He must do to obtain eternal life, Jesus didn’t soft sell him at all. He didn’t try to close the deal. And in fact, His “presentation of the gospel” was not very successful. The guy walked away.
Jesus seemed to not be selling a ticket out of hell, instead he was inviting them into eternal life. He was inviting them to be on His team; to be a part of His kingdom. He didn't soft sell it. He never once asked the crowd to bow their heads and close their eyes.
So what meanest these things? Well what did you sign up for? Maybe there's a reason that over 80% of our teens will fall away from the Lord when they graduate High School. Maybe they signed up for the wrong thing. Perhaps we didn't understand exactly what we were doing when we agreed to follow Christ. What exactly does it mean to be "saved". This is the entire idea behind Conduit. We are not just buying "fire insurance" as I heard it put yesterday. It's so much more, so much better, so much more; well, Eternal.
Let's talk about this tonight. 7:30pm at Journey Church in Building 8 at The Factory.
Blessings,
Darren
www.darrentyler.com
www.darrentyler.podomatic.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
