everything that's on my mind
(as if there's not already enough people doing this)Thursday, December 01, 2005
The barbarian way
Just finished reading The Barbarian Way : Unleash the Untamed Faith Within by Erwin McManus. Here's a section worth reading:
Duke-Indiana
Duke continues to dominate the ACC-Big 10 challenge with a 75-67 win last night over Indiana in Bloomington, which is always a difficult place to win and a good test for the Blue Devils. This is the seventh year of the challenge, and Duke is now 7-0, and the only team from either conference who is still undefeated in challenge play. The Big 10, however, did make the challenge closer this year, with the ACC winning 6-5. In years past, they've played 9 games and the ACC usually wins something like 7-2 or maybe 6-3. This year, with the ACC expanded to 12 teams, they played 11 games but the ACC still topped the Big 10 again. Three of the games were close and could've also gone in the ACC's favor, with Carolina and Ga Tech, both having lost a number of players since last year, losing two of those games.
Hopefully, the win in Bloomington won't come back to haunt them like their ACC-Big 10 win last year did. They beat Michigan State last year, and then lost to the Spartans in the Sweet 16. Up next are Va Tech and Penn at home, following by the Dec 10 game with current #2 Texas in the Meadowlands in NJ, where Duke has only lost once. That should be the best preseason game this year, and also one of the best games of the regular season this year. We'll see.
Saw this today... I guess it was just a matter of time.
I wonder how many of us have actually had this conversation with God? "Abba, Father, Dad, would You purposefully put me in danger?" I think a lot of us haven't asked God that question because we went ahead and answered it for Him. Of course He wouldn't do that. We're his children. We're family. He wouldn't purposefully endanger us, not even to accomplish a higher or nobler purpose. Or would He? Maybe you should stop and ask Him. His answer might surprise you.
There is a barbarian revolt taking place, and its command center is the kingdom of God. Everywhere the kingdom of God advances, there is a violent engagement against the dark kingdom. To be born of God is to be made a citizen of the kingdom of God, and the kingdom of God is at war. Do not confuse the kingdom of God with Paradise. Salvation is not reentry into a Paradise Lost; it is enlistment in the mission of God.
Jesus is telling us in no uncertain terms that there is a battle raging. This is perhaps the most important reason why we must choose the barbarian way and resist any temptation to become civilized. Domesticated Christians are far too willing to abdicate the battle for the soul of the world. Civility focuses our energy on all the wrong places. We spend our lives emphasizing our personal development and spiritual well-being. We build churches that become nothing more than hiding places for the faithful while pretending our actions are for the good of the world. Or we choose political and secular vehicles to try to advance our cultural values, strangely attempting to make unbelieving people act like civilized believers.
In contrast Jesus calls us to a different way. He tells us this is a battle of kingdoms. He insists that if we are His followers, we must not live in a world defined only by the material. We cannot limit our sights to what is flesh and blood. We should know better than that. To see from a kingdom perspective is to know that there is a conflict of invisible kingdoms and that people's lives are forever changed by what happens in the unseen. We are called to be warriors of light in dark places. We are mystical warriors who use weapons not of this world.
Duke-Indiana
Duke continues to dominate the ACC-Big 10 challenge with a 75-67 win last night over Indiana in Bloomington, which is always a difficult place to win and a good test for the Blue Devils. This is the seventh year of the challenge, and Duke is now 7-0, and the only team from either conference who is still undefeated in challenge play. The Big 10, however, did make the challenge closer this year, with the ACC winning 6-5. In years past, they've played 9 games and the ACC usually wins something like 7-2 or maybe 6-3. This year, with the ACC expanded to 12 teams, they played 11 games but the ACC still topped the Big 10 again. Three of the games were close and could've also gone in the ACC's favor, with Carolina and Ga Tech, both having lost a number of players since last year, losing two of those games.
Hopefully, the win in Bloomington won't come back to haunt them like their ACC-Big 10 win last year did. They beat Michigan State last year, and then lost to the Spartans in the Sweet 16. Up next are Va Tech and Penn at home, following by the Dec 10 game with current #2 Texas in the Meadowlands in NJ, where Duke has only lost once. That should be the best preseason game this year, and also one of the best games of the regular season this year. We'll see.
Saw this today... I guess it was just a matter of time.
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