Everyone Plays a Part

An automobile is merely a platform, or chassis; rolling on two axles, connected to the wheels. Tires move by efforts of an engine, and the compartment is surrounded by parts. Thousands of parts; all bolted, screwed, or glued together at natural divisions like the hood, doors, and trunk.

More than a bucket of bolts, this progressive symphony of mechanical pieces fueled by abundant petroleum is as fragile and complex as the humans it transports. This appliance dominates the landscape of Houston and courses through its network of roads like blood through arteries.

Driving is a metaphor for living: mechanism makes movement, transportation offers independence, speed begets time, structure shows status, roads give connectivity, and gasoline is the fuel for the journey.

Auto bodies project status as a mobile dwelling just like our homes; the sheet metal and shiny chrome an extension of the clothes we wear. Cell phones give personal connectivity the way cars take us from one opportunity to the next. Ubiquitous gasoline pumps are like grocery stores for our vehicles. Automobility impacts the economy like few other engines.

Over 20 million vehicles cruise the roadways in Texas, and it is estimated that 20% aren’t registered with the state. One in every four is a pick ‘em up truck, a Texas institution considering the state’s agricultural job base.

 

The automobile made me think about machines, which don’t generally come equipped with extra parts (except maybe a spare tire, but I digress). Machines arrive with the essential pieces working perfectly. If the world can be compared to machinery, then there are no “spare parts.” You are a unique part of the world, not an auxiliary piece the world can get-by without. Each of us is made by God for an important purpose. Nobody should believe that they are essentially worthless or unimportant.

Sometimes a part must be replaced or released, allowing additional pieces to plug into their role; often, there are complicated circumstances that require special components or people. However, the world runs largely because the steady, consistent, central, measured, necessary, crucial pieces of a system function reliably, day after day, year in, year out. This interconnected world rolls-on because the sum of all the parts. Each one executes their mission every day; no matter how small the role, everyone plays a part.

©Mark H. Pillsbury

"Who's next?"

Ellis Wyatt, Andrew Stockton, Lawrence Hammond, Dan Conway, Roger Marsh... Who's next?

Keni Thomas From the Road: The LOONNGGG Walk

Keni Thomas From the Road: The LOONNGGG Walk: It had been a looooonnng flight. I was happy to finally make it to the hotel where I could get something to eat and go to bed. So i sat do...

I understand that over half the population of the USA will travel next week for the Thanksgiving holiday, but Sgt. Keni Thomas really pours out his heart about being a road warrior in this blog post. I love a good storyteller, and Keni Thomas can really tell a story. Whether in Washington, DC, Mogadishu, Somalia or Nashville, TN he travels down the long road. God bless you Keni!

You can follow Keni on Twitter @Keni_Thomas

You can follow me on Twitter @markpills

Timothy Anderson | Man Knocked to Ground at CTA Station After Giving Panhandler Money

Timothy Anderson | Man Knocked to Ground at CTA Station After Giving Panhandler Money:

'via Blog this'

Acts 3: 1-10

Translated into the modern version of the Message (©NavPress Publishing Group):

Scene: Just a regular day as if we were at a traffic light waiting for it to change:

Vv. 1-5 three o'clock one afternoon, Peter and John were on their way into the Temple for a prayer meeting. At the same time there was a man crippled from birth being carried up to the gate, for this was his regular place to beg (panhandler).

Every day he was set down at the Temple gate, the one named Beautiful, to beg from those going into the Temple. When he saw Peter and John about to enter the Temple, he asked for a handout. Peter, with John at his side, looked him straight in the eye and said, "Look here." He looked up, expecting to get something from them.”

Vv. 6-8 Peter said, "I don't have a nickel to my name, but what I do have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!" He grabbed him by the right hand and pulled him up. In an instant his feet and ankles became firm. He jumped to his feet and walked. Wow.

Vv. 8-10 The man went into the Temple with them, walking back and forth, dancing and praising God.

(Everybody there saw him walking around and praising God). They recognized him as the one who sat begging at the Temple's Gate called Beautiful, and rubbed their eyes, astonished, scarcely believing what they were seeing! This was a miracle, and it was done in the name of Jesus. This miracle occurred naturally as an expression of unmerited love in the name of Jesus, and Jesus received the glory.

Motivation—There is nothing wrong with asking for something from God, because his plan is sovereign; if God wants to bless you with a miracle, he fully has the power make it happen. We are weak vessels, and often the motivation for change is nothing more than “pain.” If we understand the mystical, meta-physical world of God around us, nothing is as it appears to be. Spiritual warfare exists all-around but we are unaware. We are the consistent, cynical, hardened beggar illustrated in Acts 3: 1-5. But we must look to God expectantly, as did the beggar.

Miracles are strictly a blessing from God, totally outside human power. The part we play is to ask in faith and believe in Jesus, allowing him to work through us. We must know as an article of faith that miracles are possible, and this requires that we rationally become a student of history.

Optimism—why should anyone be astonished by what God can do? Is he not powerful enough? Is there any order of difficulty for the God of the universe to ordain a miracle? Is it that we just don’t typically see miracles enough to be comfortable with them? Or is God just too stingy to give us any miracles? Faith is inextricably tied to optimism, because it is the assurance of things hoped for, and sometimes it includes asking in faith for miracles. If you have never experienced or refuse to believe in miracles, it is hard to escape the pessimism or cynicism which creeps in like smoke.

Attitude—Gandhi said that the force of spiritual truth is greater than any army, weapons of destruction, or political authority; and Butterfield wrote that prayer is a “subversive activity.” It involves “more or less an open act of defiance against any claim of ultimacy by the current regime. Concealed egotism is perhaps a greater cause of conflict, a greater source of political problems, than anything else on this globe.” He wrote. Prayer drags egotism out into the open, and begins to do something about it. Our holiness is both the opposite of and the antidote to the ego, according to Marianne Williamson. God rules, not the government. The attitude we have toward power structures and evildoers can be weak, compliant, and submissive; conversely, we can have the attitude that we will not be overcome and resistance is paramount. Prayer is a means by which this attitude of faith can work itself out in practice. Prayer is a force of spiritual truth.

Aptitude—Some organizations with which I have worked either for short or long times over the past 20 years. Living examples, as organizations, of assemblies blessed by God to be “miracle” groups whose growth and impact on the world are significant and unlikely in a short period of time (in no order):

Park Cities Presbyterian Church –large church in Dallas that set a goal to plant 100 churches and over a twenty year history surpassed their goals beyond their biggest plans. Also planted RUF college ministries, overseas missions, and a seminary. www.pcpc.org

Liberty Institute—legal defender for religious liberty fighting in courts all over the US, this small institute has been a part of dozens of landmark first amendment and religious liberty cases since 1997 when its director Kelly Shackelford started filing cases and drawing in volunteer lawyers for the cause of Christ, as Christians came under attack. Often outnumbered and outgunned, Kelly and his volunteers battle to protect freedoms and strengthen families all over the US. They win cases that no legal experts predict them to win!
www.freemarket.org

Houston Christian High School—in just 14 years it has become a preeminent college preparatory high school, a pacesetter in Christian education, and a growing destination for parents in Houston who want rigorous academics, leadership training, and a Christian environment. Growing from 200 students in 2000, to approximately 500 students today, HC was recently accredited by ISAS and invited to join the SPC for athletics. www.houstonchristian.org

HOPE International—HOPE was founded in 1997 with its President Peter Greer taking leadership in 2004 concentrating on its own distinctive poverty alleviation: microfinance provides small loans to poor people, it provides an intentional witness for Christ, a commitment to stewardship, helping alleviate poverty, and has shown a dedication to the hard places around the world. HOPE International believes that church-based programs are most effective when they simultaneously meet both spiritual and physical needs in a culturally appropriate manner. www.hopeinternational.org

©Mark H. Pillsbury

Praying for young people and Revival

Every year at HC, the faculty and staff pray that God would revive us again; that the teachers would be facilitators of joy among the students, so that they might rejoice in God, draw near to God, seek his kingdom, and his righteousness. 

With all this prayed over, there is then a peace that all the things of the coming school year would be added to them as it progresses. Everything will work out fine. In August every year the train leaves the station and picks up speed as it roars to the graduation ceremony in May. There are nice “rest” stops along the way but so much is accomplished that a fatigue builds up due to the “labor” of the school year. We started out this year well, breaking in the new principal, hosting numerous events, football and volleyball games, a capital campaign moving "Forward in Faith," new athletic conference announced [“SPC”], recruiting next year’s freshman, and many other tasks. It is a busy place, but a hopeful place!

Pray for Revival

I recently heard a Yale professor David H. Gelernter speak about the possibility of religious revivial starting with our young people:

"The next great American religious revival will start, my guess is, on (high school or) college campuses —and it will start fairly soon. The need is great, for they are the driest timber I have ever come across. In a spiritually dried-out land where “careers” alone are holy, the thirst is acute. Mostly they know little or nothing about religion; little or nothing about Americanism. Mostly no one ever speaks to them about truth and beauty, or nobility or honor or greatness. They are empty--spiritually bone dry--because no one has ever bothered to give them anything spiritual that is worth having. Platitudes about diversity and tolerance and multiculturalism are thin gruel for intellectually growing young people."

Gelernter thinks that "someone will start preaching." 

Maybe it is an ordained pastor from RUF? (www.ruf.org) or a high school chaplain like Drew Zeiler?

Audiences will be small at first, but young people want to hear this message:

‘Forget your career and think about your family.

Forget your rights and think about your duties.

Forget your bank account and think about your country.

Forget yourself and think about your God.’...

"(S)omeday soon some sympathetic disciple of the founding fathers will compose the indispensable companion to our Bill of Rights...a Bill of Duties that conveys the exact same truths in terms of responsibility, instead of entitlement." (Gelernter continues...)

"Let the right person speak to them, and they will turn back to the Bible with an excitement and exhilaration that will shake the country. In reading the Bible they will feel as if they are going home--which is just what they will be doing. Nothing would do America more good than a biblical homecoming."  (David Gelernter)

At Houston Christian ["HC"] students are exposed to a biblical world and life view. Many are "un-churched" or merely "seekers" of the ways of Jesus. But at least they get to hear from this important book, see how other Christians live out their daily walks with Him. In addition to great Bible teachers at HC, they have access to peer-to-peer discipleship groups after school, if they want to talk about their questions and walk with fellow students as they grow in spiritual maturity. It is my hope that God will send out leaders from HC who will help other college students (even the ones at Yale, prof. Gelernter) to see there is a higher calling in life than just materialism, consumption, power, money and lust. I hope that they feel responsible for the next generation of American exceptionalism, and that God will be important in their lives. If this happens then all these things will be added unto us.