You are currently browsing the monthly archive for January, 2008.
For the fans of J.R.R. Tolkein’s “The Lord of the Rings,” which I consider myself among, it looks like a director may have been chosen for the film adaption of Tolkein’s “The Hobbit.” From AFP:
LOS ANGELES (AFP) — Mexican director Guillermo Del Toro is in talks to direct two films based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy novel “The Hobbit,” entertainment press reported Monday.
Del Toro, best known for his Oscar-winning 2006 drama “Pan’s Labyrinth,” was on a shortlist of film-makers deemed capable of adapting Tolkien’s story for the big screen, the Hollywood Reporter said without indicating its sources.
The film of “The Hobbit” will be one of the most eagerly anticipated films in years following New Zealand director Peter Jackson’s three phenomenonally successful “Lord of the Rings” movies.
Jackson is to act as executive producer on the two “Hobbit” films, which will be shot back-to-back in 2009 before release in 2010 and 2011, according to studio backers New Line and MGM.
I have not seen any of the movies Del Toro has directed, but I wasn’t familiar with Jackson’s work either before. I am eagerly anticipating what these movies will look like.
You know the old saying that when you don’t know what else to talk about, talk about the weather? Well, it’s not that there’s anything else to talk about or that I don’t want to talk about anything else, it’s just that I woke up this morning after listening to the wind howl most of the night and it’s freezing cold outside!
What makes it harder is that yesterday it was nearly 50 in Grand Island; ice was melting everywhere, if you were out without a coat you might not care. So this feels even colder. This picture with this post comes from January 2004 (I love the look of Andrew as he helps shovel snow.), but that’s the feeling you have today. The snow isn’t deep enough to shovel, but it’s blowing really hard and drifting. I filled the car with gas this morning and it was a miserable experience standing there with the wind cutting my face the whole time. I grew up in Minnesota and so I mock people here in Nebraska when the complain about weather. But this is uncomfortable.
So, it’s a good day to get things done inside and thank God for providing shelter.
Just a quick post here as I think about my precious friend who is battling leukemia and whose mom keeps us all updated on her progress. She is a beautiful, brave little girl who inspires us all to trust God more fully than we do.
I am reminded of the passage in I Corinthians 1:26-31 where Paul reminds us that God chose the foolish, the weak, the low and despised so that he would be exalted and not us. Lord, you are a great God and we are weak, needy people — all of us. Strengthen our faith.
I am one of many, I suppose, who have received a forwarded e-mail saying that Barack Obama is a Muslim who was sworn into office on the Koran and talked in hysterical tones about what he will do if he becomes president. And then, I have received a followup e-mail from someone else on that list who has pointed out that Obama points to ‘affirming his Christian faith’ at the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago and that he has been attending the same church for 20 years. He talks about his faith in this interview with Christianity Today.
I wouldn’t say the man is a wild-eyed Muslim trying to take over the United States in the name of Allah. Rather, he is a Christian like many others in that he believes in a gospel that, in his words, is about “prioritizing the least of these over the powerful.” In other words, he is about a social gospel that makes Jesus the great equalizer and defender of the poor. There’s nothing wrong with that, except that his gospel stops when it comes to defending the most vulnerable — the unborn. While he carefully crafts his words in the CT interview, there is no doubt about his position concerning the rights of those who are unborn.
Obama is absolutely right that we should encourage adoption and really care for the women who are going through pregnancy. Obviously, there is a need to strengthen families and we all need to look for ways to build up families in our communities. Yet his talk about unwanted pregnancies belies his real beliefs concerning the issue and puts him at odds with what he says he’s all about — looking out for all people.
The celebration of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the anniversary of the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision coincide during this month. If we think about the struggles for civil rights for blacks and the struggles for life for these tiny people, we see that there is a great evil that is being perpetuated daily in our country.
Consider this from John Piper:
My aim is that just as once even though the Supreme Court in the Dred Scott case of 1857 held that Black slaves were property without rights as free persons, yet today we view that as unthinkable; so also even though the Supreme Court in the Roe v. Wade case of 1973 did not give the unborn the rights of free persons, nevertheless the day may come when that too is viewed as unthinkable. Racism might—and often did—result in the killing of innocent humans; in our history, it often did. But abortion always results in the killing of innocent humans. Between 1882 and 1968, 3,446 Black people were lynched in America. Today more Black babies are killed by white abortionists every three days than all who were lynched in those years (Life Education and Resource Network).
This is a tragedy of huge proportions. I would suggest looking at the link below to challenge your thinking as a Christian.
The question we often hear, when people start talking about religion and start making distinction about their faith, is “Don’t we all believe in the same God?” After all, aren’t Christians and Muslims, in particular, just trying to live a good life and pleasing the same God?
To that end, a group of Muslims created a document called A Common Word Between Us and You as “an invitation to join hands with Christians on such a basis, for the sake of God and world-peace.” While the document has been signed by 300 Christian leaders, there are those who foster concerns.
Let’s all love. But don’t deny Christ.
I came across a post from Dan Phillips over at Pyromaniacs detailing his receiving this card at home and which church sent it. I think we can all relate to the situation, so I think his way of dealing with it is challenging, convicting and thought-provoking for all of us who call ourselves Christians.
Read all these posts, they’re right on.
http://teampyro.blogspot.com/2008/01/preaching-good-news-part-one.html
http://teampyro.blogspot.com/2008/01/preaching-good-news-part-two.html
http://teampyro.blogspot.com/2008/01/preaching-good-news-part-three.html
Tags: Evangelism, The Gospel
We’ve all been there, but maybe not when we’re sitting in front of everyone else in church and we happen to be the former president of the United States.
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. — I Thessalonians 5:16-18.
We are told to “pray without ceasing” in the Bible. John MacArthur, in Pulpit Magazine, explores this question:
Unceasing, incessant prayer is essential to the vitality of your relationship to the Lord and your ability to function in the world. But exactly what does it mean to pray without ceasing?
The first time someone hears about the concept of praying without ceasing it may conjure up the image of Christians walking around with their hands folded, heads bowed, and eyes closed, bumping into things. While certain postures and specific times set aside for prayer have an important bearing on our communication with God, to “pray at all times” obviously does not mean we are to pray in formal or noticeable ways every waking moment. And it does not mean you’re supposed to devote yourself to reciting ritualistic patterns and forms of prayer.
To “pray without ceasing” refers to recurring prayer, not nonstop talking. Prayer is to be a way of life — you’re to be continually in an attitude of prayer. It is living in continual God-consciousness, where everything you see and experience becomes a kind of prayer, lived in deep awareness of and surrender to Him. It should be instant and intimate communication — not unlike that which we enjoy with our best friend.
Today is Martin Luther King Day. We should all think about what this day means because, in the words of John Piper: None of us is without need for help in the purification of our hearts in the way we feel and think about other ethnic groups.
Here is some background and the text of the speech.
Surprisingly, I couldn’t find anything about this on the Focus on the Family Web site. I would say this gives Nebraska a decided edge over Colorado. 
