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First thing first. If you’ve not heard yet, I had a slight problem around here that forced me to postpone the trip I had planned to the East Coast over the next ten days.  I woke up early Wednesday morning with excruciating stomach pains, and thought I’d had food poisoning from dinner out the night before for my birthday. The pain only worsened, however and by 5:30 am Sara and I were headed to the emergency room.  It took two days to diagnose the problem as a gallbladder attack and that it needed to be removed. This morning at 7:30 we did the deed, only four months after my heart surgery. How crazy is that????? Well,it had to be done. All went well and I just got home a few minutes ago, very grateful for God’s provision and his love expressed through many of you during this ordeal. Now, I got two weeks of recovery.

However, I was already scheduled to appear on Moody Radio’s “Up For Debate” show with July Roys tomorrow (Saturday) at 11:00 am Central Daylight Time and according to everyone I’ll be fine to do the show by phone from home. Of course that will depend on how much meds I’m on then.

They are having a panel discussion about “The Shack” and whether or not people should take the theology to heart. The host seems to have enjoyed the movie, though she thought it flawed. You can read her blog about it here.  One other guest loved the movie and the other two did not.  Should be fun.  You can listen in live here at 12:00 n Eastern Time, 9:00 Pacific Time. Those in other time zones can figure it out from there.

I was on this show a couple of years ago about my new Book “Finding Church” on “Is Attendance Is Mandatory?”

For those of you reading this after the fact, you can listen to it here.

I know nothing of this author or his book, but I woke up to this in my inbox this morning.

This is what I wish the Bible-thumpers would understand, and I wish I’d known it before I got into my 50s. If we could understand what he says here we will find ourselves in conversations that matter with people. If we don’t, we’ll forever wonder why people run from us…

Parker J. Palmer in The Courage to Teach:

If we want to support each other’s inner lives, we must remember a simple truth: the human soul does not want to be fixed, it wants simply to be seen and heard. If we want to see and hear a person’s soul, there is another truth we must remember: the soul is like a wild animal – tough, resilient, and yet shy. When we go crashing through the woods shouting for it to come out so we can help it, the soul will stay in hiding. But if we are willing to sit quietly and wait for a while, the soul may show itself.

Brad Cummings and I will be hosting a special opening-weekend private showing of The Shack in Thousand Oaks, California on March 4, 4:00 p.m at the Muvico Theater in Thousand Oaks, California.  After the movie we will have a brief question and answer session for those who’d like to stay on. Brad and I were co-authors of the original book and Brad was a producer on the movie and was heavily involved in bringing this book to screen.

And, because so many people are coming from out of town, we’re also going to host an After-Party from 7:00 – 9:30 to expand that conversation. Space is limited.  Even if you expressed your desire for to attend via email or by Facebook, you will need to go and order tickets here to have a spot.

For those coming from out of the area and are staying over night we are also considering having an open house at our home on Sunday morning into the afternoon.  We will give out more details about that when people arrive here.

Here are the details:

The God Journey Shack Showing

With Wayne Jacobsen and Brad Cummings – There will be a brief time after the film for question and answer and insights with the co-authors and producer of the film

4:00 pm, Saturday March 4
Music – Thousand Oaks
The Oaks Mall – 166 W. Hillcrest Dr
Thousand Oaks, CA 91360

After- Party

It’s been a long time coming.  I’ve been watching over Brad’s shoulder for some time as this entire movie project has unfolded. It has been a long and arduous task and it is so rewarding to see the first fruits of that work come in the form of pictures (above) and today, finally, the first official trailer for The Shack movie was released.

View the trailer here!

You can see other pictures and keep up with all the action at the official website or Facebook Page.

The movie releases worldwide on March 3. For those in the Southern California area, we are planning on having a special showing in Thousand Oaks, California for anyone who would like to see the movie with Brad and I. We’re going to rent the theater and have opportunity for some conversation after the movie for those who want. It will either be on February 25 if we can get permission for an advance showing, or on March 4. We’re planning on a Saturday afternoon showing around 4:00 though we still have to arrange details. When we’ll do we will provide a way for you to sign up if interested so we know how large a theater to rent. We’ll keep you posted.

For now, enjoy the preview!

I hoped this week to be leaving for the upper Midwest. Instead I’m headed for heart surgery this week barring some kind of incredible healing.  Time, however, is running out for that. Unfortunately my heart is broken.  I’ve was born with a defective valve in my heart and it has taken me about as far in this life as it could. Doctors are telling me that now is the time to replace it. Tomorrow morning I will have an angiogram at 8:00 am and then surgery decisions will be made from there. I could have open-heart surgery as early as Thursday.

I’ll admit that this doesn’t thrill me. I have an aversion to pain and all things medical. I’ve made it through 63 years of life without so much as an overnight stay in a hospital, broken bone, or even stitches. I’ve been very fortunate medically and have always been grateful for my good health. Now, however,r we are entering a different season for Sara and me. So for the next few weeks (months?) I’m going to take the time to deal with this and walk my family through it. I’m not going to be doing a lot of medical updates or details. We’ll let you know what we can when we can, mostly through my Author Page on Facebook. If you want those updates “like” that page and use the menu under “liked” to check “See First”.  That way you won’t miss those updates.

I know many of you will be praying for us and it is deeply appreciated. We don’t lack for friends and family that care deeply. I will get more of that than I deserve, but I do want to share it. So if you want to pray me through this would you do me a favor? Find someone around you who may not have as many connections as we do, but also has a deep need in prayer, and pray for them every time you pray for me.  That would be awesome!

And please give us some space here.  I won’t be answering emails and I pray they don’t build up to something unmanageable. Of course visits, calls and well-wishes from close friends will be welcome as I begin to mend!  I’m sure I’ll get pretty bored staring at the ceiling all day.  But I’m not going to be doing much writing or updating websites. We have a couple more podcasts to air, one of them recorded just before my surgery.

We talk about this on the last podcast, but I also want to share it here. A few days go, Dave Coleman, a good friend and co-author of The Jake Book wrote me a note about my impending surgery. It brought such encouragement to my heart at so many levels.  I’m not sure I’m going to “Relish it!”, but I am going to relish God in this experience and see how he makes himself known to me.

I know it will probably sound strange, but these times are a real opportunity to meet Father in ways not possible in everyday living.  It will teach you among other things, the meaning of “vulnerability” and to understand how we serve a God who made himself vulnerable on our behalf so that He can identify with our need as we understand his heart as well.

At times like this, we tend to feel that He is throwing us under the bus, but in reality, it is an opportunity to take part in the growth process in which He continues to make “all things new.”  He doesn’t always protect us from these kinds of situations, but inhabits them to draw us closer to Him.  In religion we think we are being punished, but we know differently. By allowing us to embrace even the brokenness of the human experience we can know him better and others can see and understand the power of a restored relationship that was lost in the garden.

On the fourth night after my surgery, I knew I was going to die due to a medical mistake which caused severe convulsions, and I was afraid my 20 inch incision would open…. desperation thinking took over and I said, “It is up to You.”  I don’t remember if I actually heard the words, but somewhere in my mind, I heard “thank you,” and slept quietly through the night.  Relish this experience.  Do what you can by insisting on the best surgeon, hospital, staff, etc.  You plant, and He will give the increase.  Peace and encouragement, comfort and joy to you and family…

Psalm 62

Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken…. Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge… One thing God has spoken, two things I have heard: “Power belongs to you, God, and with you, Lord, is unfailing love”.

Psalm 91:1-2

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

Gotta love that!

I’m sitting here at my desk catching up on some work after everyone has left the office and listening to the Jesus Lens again.  There’s still so much in this series that I’m trying to absorb.  Its just such a different perspective from my past experience!

Anyhow,  I have a question (as usual).  In the first dialog session a comment is made about reading scripture and the fear of just choosing to read it the way that makes yourself feel good.  I thought about this a while and I have to wonder.

I understand the woman’s concern about just interpreting scripture in a way that makes us feel good and “creating God in our image” as you put it.  However, when I look at how the majority of believers (especially here in the south) look at God and scripture isn’t it really the other way around? Don’t we actually interpret scripture in the worst possible way instead?  There seems to be this idea in the evangelical arena that the most fearful and nightmarish interpretation of scripture is the “safe” one and therefore the “best” one.  It seems to me that our sinful religious tendencies pull us toward whatever interpretation of scripture will affirm us in our fear and shame and it also seems to me that that is contrary to everything Father is trying to walk us out of.    Isn’t using an ultra conservative interpretation of scripture to twist Father’s presentation of himself in the Son into a religious caricature at least as egregious an error as a liberal interpretation that makes God out to be “too nice”?

Maybe the reality is that Father’s grace is so generous and free and his nature so kind and gentle that both ideas offend our religious sensibilities and we run “back to Egypt” so to speak in our interpretation of scripture. From a fleshly perspective we seem to  prefer the terrifying law giver view of God because that gives us a perceived measure of control (do good get good, do bad get bad) whereas grace and mercy properly understood leave us in the wonderful but terrifying position of being completely out of control.  I think the danger of interpreting scripture in a way that makes us comfortable is certainly there but doesn’t it pale in comparison to the danger of interpreting scripture in a way that makes our being with Father uncomfortable?  

All I can say is Yes! Yes! Yes!

As Father wins us into his love and we see him as he really is, you’ll read all of Scripture differently, as if it came from a Father who loves you not a god who desires to condemn and destroy you.

If you haven’t watched or listened to The Jesus Lens, it’s a free resource from Lifestream if you want to stream it, or you can purchase the DVD here.  Here’s what others have said about this series:

THE JESUS LENS material is excellent. Fresh, relevant and anointed.
– David, retired teacher in Ashford, Ireland

I love everything about it, especially what it says about the Bible being a love letter. This has breathed new life into my Bible reading!
– Julie, mother of three in California

These sessions opened up a fresh way of looking at the Scriptures as God’s unfolding love story through the lens of His son, Jesus.
– Barry, retired military in Virginia

I feel like I’ve been handed a missing piece of my heart. (The Bible has often been just another source of shame. Now I can see how God is restoring it to its proper and useful place in my life.)
– Susan, former slave of shame

THE JESUS LENS is an incredible look at the Scriptures. Having read the Bible all of my life, this teaching has endeared me in a whole new way to the amazing story of my loving.
– Dawn, a member of the studio audience

A year ago we offered to see if we could find a million dollars over five years to help the people of Pokot build some infrastructure and seed some businesses that will help them build an economy out of the drought-riddled villages.  We received half of that almost immediately from a single source, and we rejoice that the money continues to come in and the progress that has been made in the villages. Next week our coaches there will receive additional training through Global Hope Network International in Kenya to fine-tune our approach to helping these incredible people. Through it all the Gospel continues to spread in that region as well. Above are pictured some Pokot warriors who came out of the bush to find out what was going on. They listened with great interest as they told their story of their rescue and shared the Gospel with them as well.

Last month Sara and I watched Poverty, Inc. on the recommendation of a friend. (Brad and I also discuss this movie on the current podcast. It’s an eye-opting movie that everyone ought to see about the poverty industry and how worldwide it is structured to benefit the first world far more than the people who actually need help. It shows how our governments and agri-business use compassionate motives to unload our products overseas while destroying the local economy of those we claim to help. It is well worth your time to see it if you care about charity and poverty in the third world.  I am grateful that God provided just the right people over the last two years to help us understand that just giving aid will not benefit people in the long-run, but instead we must work with them to help them find creative, low-tech solutions to their needs and involve them and their creativity in solving the problems they face. We are still learning, but excited at the opportunity we have to affect this corner of the world.

The story that has unfolded here has been amazing, both in the generosity of people to give and to pray for the people in Pokot and our contacts in Kenya. None of this would have happened without you.

Recently we received this report and pictures from them reporting the slow but steady progress of helping a people find their own solutions:

Thank you very much for your support. It has really help us to purchase materials and construct 15 toilets , so far we have cmpleted about 65 toilets. Our coaching team are continuing coaching people the importance of having toilets and they are doing good job, since many hold are working hard to have one. The toilets has really help to curb down the diseases that are caused by lack of hygiene. That is great.  The villagers have embrace this vision and every household are trying to do their best to do their part.

New latrine contracted by the villagers.

On soft loans, they are doing well as new businesses are starting up. This one is very successful as she is now she is able to get food and pay for medication for her children. Our team always goes around to see how they are going and support their work.

Loans have helped these two ladies set up their own store.

Also our volunteering team of nures and doctors , sensitizing the villagers the importance of using safe clean water for drinking and the importance of disposing the waste product to the pit. This also has curb down disease which are caused by micro-organism from dirty environment.

Nurse prescribing the medicine for the villagers.  The number of sick people is reducing, not like the first time. Thank you for the great suppor

So this month the committee together with the villagers and volunteers who went round for treatment has also confirmed that this month they need also to go round for medication and also to construct other latrines which is about 16 in number.

Next month we are expecting our brothers from Isiolo to visit us for one week and add coaching on our team of 9 people including Michael and me.

Yours,

Thomas and Michael

We are excited about the progress our coaches there have made over the last year. These are all indigenous Kenyans, helping other Kenyans build a culture in a forgotten corner of an impoverished land.  To date there is little government assistance or other NGO presence in this area. They are not only helping in practical ways, but sharing about the love of Jesus for them as well.

If you want the backstory on our work in this part of Kenya, you can read this blog that gives a short view of God’s work in linking us up with their need, and people there who are ready to help meet it. If you have extra to pass along for the people of West Pokot you can direct it through Lifestream as contributions are tax-deductible in the US.  As always, every dollar you send goes to the need in Kenya.  We do not (nor do they) take out any administrative or money transfer fees.  If you would like to be part of this to support these brothers and sisters and see the gospel grow in this part of Africa, please see our Sharing With the World page at Lifestream. You can either donate with a credit card there, or you can mail a check to Lifestream Ministries • 1560 Newbury Rd Ste 1  •  Newbury Park, CA 91320. Or if you prefer, we can take your donation over the phone at (805) 498-7774.

My next two trips will take me to the east coast of the US in mid-May and then to Alberta, Canada in early June.  Each of these invitations ha piqued my interest and provide times for others to come and join in if you’d like.  For those who would like to join me in Maryland, Virginia, or Alberta, the links below will take you to the dates and contact details. I not only enjoy the opportunity to help people explore their journey in Christ a bit more, but I love to see these people meet others in the area who are also asking some of the same questions they are.

May 13-22:  Check here for Maryland and Virginia dates near Fredrick, Richmond, and Charlottesville.

June 3-13:  Check here for Calgary, Red Deer, Innisfail, and Edmonton.

And looking really far out, I’ll be taking another tour to Israel in early February 2017.  You can get details here if you’d like to join us.

You can also get all the details on our Travel Page.  And if you’d like to be notified by email when I’m planning a trip to your area you can sign up on our email list and include your address.

Earlier in the week I recommended two books about the tragic loss of a child and how God works triumph out of great tragedy. Today I want to recommend four other books for other books that deserve some consideration for your summer reading list:

Judge Z – Irretrievably Broken by Tim Philpot
(Paperback, 260 pages, self-published)

Who would have imagined that one of the best marriage books would be a humorous and poignant novel about a judge in family court wondering what marriage means in the 21st century?  As it turns out there may not be a better backdrop for this tale than the issues and struggles of those dealing with failed families.  Tim Philpot does a masterful job of combining a fascinating story with some deep thinking about what marriage means under today’s law and in God’s eyes.  He dares to ask what”irretrievably broken” means and whether we take divorce taken too casually when people fight over child custody rather than fight to save their marriage?

There is lots of food for thought here, as well as a delightful peek into the twists and turns of family court from the judge’s perspective. Seeing the devastation of broken marriages in his courtroom every day, Judge Z begins to wonder if there isn’t a better way to help families stay intact and get them on a more healthy footing. Wouldn’t it be in the best interest of society to see if a failed marriage can be rebuilt before we terminate it and ask the kids to pay the price? I enjoyed every page of this book, even when it lapsed into preachers and lawyers discussing various facets of marriage.  You can’t come away from this book not valuing marriage more highly and wanting to find ways to love your spouse more deeply.

And Tim should know.  He’s not only a good friend of mine, but a family court judge himself in Lexington, Ky. I’ve sat in his courtroom watching him sort out what is best for broken marriages, at-risk kids and I’ve been with him in local restaurants as he takes extra time to invest in the broken lives of some of the people who frequent his courtroom.

The Poet’s Treasure by Stephanie Bennett
(Paperback, 258 pages, Wild Flower Press)

This the final installment in Stephanie Bennett’s Within the Walls Triology. I’ve blogged about the previous two installments as Emilya struggles to find true community in a future technological world.  As a tech genius and the key developer of virtual vacations she is part of a mass government conspiracy to keep people content in a virtual world and rob them of the wonder and risk of community. Having tasted of real community in the second novel, Emilya tries to re-engage the virtual one and finds it incredibly complicated and even dangerous for her and her family. The lessons in this book about technology and the power of the state and how they can undermine the community most people desire are fascinating and thought-provoking.

I’ve been intrigued by this tale from the beginning and watched it unfold through Stephanie’s hand. Stephanie and her husband, Earl are good friends of mine and I not only admire her writing, but appreciate their spiritual journeys as well. They walk with honesty, passion and integrity. If you haven’t read the first two installments, you will want to catch up with the story there before reading this one.  You can read my review of the first book in the series here, and the second one here.  You can also find out more about Stephanie on her publisher’s author’s page.

Here’s what I wrote for the jacket of her book:

The Poet’s Treasure is a compelling read about the inner turmoil we all face between the community our hearts crave and the technology that too often undermines it, especially when it seeks to control us rather than serve us. Stephanie Bennett offers up a satisfying end to her Within the Walls trilogy, an incisive story sorts through the most difficult issues of our age.”

The Atonement of God  by JD Myers
(Paperback, 204 pages, Redeeming Press)

What really happened on the cross? Much of Christianity has postured God as an angry, bloodthirsty deity needing to satisfy his justice by crushing the most innocent human who had ever lived.  But what if it wasn’t that? What if Father and Son were working together to destroy sin in the human race, so that we could make peace with God and each other in this broken world?

Understanding the cross as a cure for sin, rather than a punishment of it lies at the core of everything I believe and have experienced about God’s love.  I cover it in He Loves Me and in greater detail in Transitions, free recordings available here.  For those who want to take a deeper and more theological look at a nonviolent view of the atonement, J. D. Myers has written an interesting book to unpack various views of atonement and discuss what a curative view of the cross might look like.

While I wouldn’t support all of the theological interpretations outlined this book, I am in broad agreement with its overarching theme and appreciate the scholarship J.D., has brought to the subject at hand. This is a book worthy of your time, your thought, and your prayers as you seek to understand he atonement in a way that puts God’s love front and center and invites us into a reconciled relationship with him.

Excerpt:

Yes there were disastrous consequences of sin, but those consequences were not a punishment, nor did they come form the supposed anger of God, for God was not angry. This is why nearly every time the angel of the Lord appears to humans in Scripture, the first words out of his mouth are, “Do not be afraid.”  Because of sin, we believe God is angry at us for our sin, but Scripture consistently reveals that God is not angry. The great lie of sin is that God is angry at us because of our sin and that when we sin, we cannot be with God, but must hide from Him.”

Visit Jeremy’s website, RedeemingGod.com

Panic to Peace:  Living Free from the Grip of Fear by Dr. Neil McLamb
(Paperback, 158 pages, self-published)

Only those who struggle with fear and anxiety know the anguish.  McLamb draws form his own battle wth fear and anxiety beginning with his first episode in an eighth grade speaking event to the ensuing panic attacks, which began taking over his life.  Only when he began to view himself through the eyes of his Heavenly Father, did he find a path to recovery.

By telling his story, he hopes to encourage others to find their freedom from the grip of fear and anxiety. Instead of blaming God or feeling guilt he helps people find freedom by knowing how deeply loved they are by God and finding their joy in his unfolding purpose in their lives even in the midst of whatever challenges they face.

I love books that ring with authenticity. This one does.  Here’s my recommendation from the back cover of his book:

Even in the face of your darkest fears, love is greater still. That’s Neil McLamb’s story as he shares in brutally honest terms his long slide into paralyzing fear and how he is finding his way out in the affectionate embrace of a Father who loves us all. Panic to Peace will be of great encouragement and help to those who also battle the lies that drive fear and grasp for the truths that can lead them to freedom.

Visit Neil’s website here.

On Friday morning I was a guest on Vince Coakley’s radio show out of Greenville, SC.  It’s a political talk show mostly, but they often have a faith focus on Friday.  If you didn’t get a chance to hear the show, they posted a podcast of it here.  We talk about thinking outside the box in a growing relationship and how that often contrasts with our religious sensibilities.

Long time visitors to this site won’t find much new there, but if you’re new to Lifestream, you’ll find a good summary there of the passion I take into the world.  Since Greenville is in the heart of legalistic Christianity, not everyone was happy, to say the least!