Thursday, April 20, 2006

Verizon Update

At last, it only took three hours to get the router working... As it happens, most of what was on the Verizon site was invalid as was most of what was online. I have a great router even though an hour with Linksys tech support couldn't fix it either. Verizon does this strange thing with MAC cloning that lets you bypass the modem without them having to actually alter anything and it only took me two nights to figure it out... But it's working!!

I have another surgical procedure tomorrow. They're stretching (actually, breaking) my esophagus first thing in the morning. Last time, I ended up in the ER for several hours, so let's pray this one goes a bit better.

Cody, we'll chat about U2 sometime (and I'm listening to a lot of Coldplay lately). But I can't rat out my friend! Feel free to send me the research, but I'm still going to be a fan--I just won't worship them (wink)!

Prayer rquest: Craig Hamlow wants me to come speak in Alaska the same week I'm going to the Catalyst conference in Atlanta (that I've been excited about all year). He's praying it will fall through! Personally, I'm torn.

13 comments:

Kel said...

Hahahaha, it's funny. I was listening to Cold Play as I pulled up your blog. I love Cold Play although I'm a little disappointed with their X&Y album. There are a few good songs, but I didn't think it was as good as the world made it out to be. U2 is right up there with Cold Play in my book though.

I'm behind, what's up with your esophagus? That sounds dangerous and not good. I'll be thinking about you.

And just personally, all content null and void besides location, I'd go Alaska ;)

Anonymous said...

Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams, they're actors. Boy are you behind the times. ;-) Hope the surgery went well.

AmberShea said...

Steve i can't wait to be in Dallas next week.... i really can't wait for this week to be over and all my crap be done with!!!!

Hey, I have a friend named Stayko and he spent 6 hours at the National Prayer Breakfast talking to Bono one on one about Bono's personal relationship with Christ. i just thought you might think that was cool. From what stayko ( a trusted sorce) Bono really get's it. see ya in a week!

texnartist said...

Steve,

My brother, this is such a relevent topic. Did you see where there were a churchs that had a U2 Eucharist services? I don't want to send you any information, I want to engage this professor and see what he believes in. I also know someone with a radio program and another person with a TV program and I want to know how strong this professors beliefs are because I would like to see if he is open to going onto the air to talk about the relevance of the U2 Eucharist service.

http://www.suntimes.com/output/lifestyles/cst-ftr-u2eucharist15.html

If this is a professor, that has strong beliefs about U2 and that they stand for truth, I am sure he wouldn't mind a letter. So I can assure you that you are not ratting anyone out? or are you? Is it a top secret agenda that he s secretly injecting into his classes? I don't think so. Anyway think about it. No loss if you decide not to say anything.

Hey on another note I send you a package today. Enjoy it. Let me know what you think of it.

I was looking at the Catalyst Conference and checking out the one of the labs I was looking at The Contemplative Leader. I have been looking into the roots of Contemplative Prayer what do you think about it?

texnartist said...

I was thinking through the night on your post. The wink and worship comment made me realize, I am not clearly communicating. Bro, I understand Liberty found in Christ. I also have a clear understanding of adiaphora.

But the point is not if you can, but at what cost will you.

Imagine this. Our Christian life is painted several times as a Marathon. Imagine now you are running along and as you go you are shedding heavy things so that it will make your run easier. Examine anyone out on a Hot Texas Summer Day running. The don't wear a heavy parka and ski boots. Now, imagine you are running past a person who has a fridge strapped to his back trying to run. Well as you can imagine he is not really running, he is more like crawling. You say hey man dump the fridge, you will run better, they say to you, hey nothing says I can't run with the fridge and I like it.

The bible says that your eyes are the lamp of your body and if your eyes are good then your body is full of light, but if your eyes are bad then your body will be full of darkness. So from that I think we can agree that I shouldn't use my eyes to lust and covet. I shouldn't view things like pornography or spend my time checking out the ladies, or spend my time coveting things that money can buy. But where does it stop, you have heard it said you shall not commit adultery but Jesus says if you look with lust you have already committed adultery in your heart. So God looks at our intentions, motives and thoughts.

So here is the Million dollar question. What are you doing in your mind when you are listening to music, that blasphemes the Lord, glorifies money, glorifies material things, glorifies revelry, glorifies fornication and glorifies this world? What little fantasies do you have going on? What secret desires are you going over? What memories are you reliving? God judges your thoughts and counts them as sin when they break the ten commandments. Sin will hinder your relationship with God and your walk. It would be like running the race with a fridge strapped to your back.

WHERE IS THE POWER PROMISED BY JESUS TO US WHEN HE SAID,
Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do.

WHERE IS THE POWER OF THE AMERICAN CHURCH?

Everyone living on grace, starving their bodies of the nourishment of the word of God, while polluting their bodies with modern entertainment.

No my brother, it is not that you can't, It is at what cost will you?

lisa said...

How are you man? Let us know as you as you can!

Steve said...

Cody, we can talk about this sometime in person if you want. The truth is, I used to agree with you in entirety. I think I could even dig out a paper I wrote once about what you were willing to release in order to run faster. I know I can find one that condemned Santa Claus.

That worked for a long time. One day I even found that my friends considered me like a conscience--for them. I was proud of it, but I shouldn't have been. The truth is, I am a fairly obsessive person and what I thought was spiritual was really just my own compulsive nature taking control of the externals (like music) and looking spiritual. And I was good at it. My favorite was to drive the speed limit--and to judge the other believers who would pass me with a fish on their car. I knew they were in sin because they were disrespecting the laws of our country and therefore distrespecting God. I was wrong. I was trapped in the worst kind of legalism--legalism that defends itself rationally and judges other people.

It was a student volunteer that began changing me. I respected his walk and knew his witness. Then I found that he kept beer in his fridge. I had trouble reconciling the two. One day I asked him, "what would Jesus do?" and he looked me square in the eye and said, "I'm not Jesus." It took me years to understand that.

A trip with YoungLife pushed me the rest of the way to freedom. As I judged some of their processes, I noticed something disturbing. They loved kids better than I did. I denied it at first, but it became more and more apparent. I was much more concerned with their behaviors that I was with who they were.

Somewhere during that year, God began to break me out of this. It was bitterly difficult at first and then remarkably freeing. At one point, I had needed the training wheels, but now I could ride the bike and it was time for them to go. I trained myself to stop looking at the speed limit. Then I let a cuss word slip now and then. It took awhile. I went too far at first in my new freedom, but I soon got the hang of it and now I use my freedom as I need it. I worry about the way it affects others when I need to, but that's it. Just like Paul. He ate all the meat he wanted when the weaker brothers weren't around.

When I became a Christian in 1987, I dropped all my music and went only to Christian. It has only been in the last two years that I have allowed some secular stuff back into my life and I thank my professor friend for part of that (among others). Back then I saw U2 as pied pipers. Now I just see them as a band--a band with many songs whose words I agree with and whose sincere efforts for change are commendable. With our students, now I only require our van music pass the Phillipians 4:8 test and a lot of music does. Even some love songs.

So, I ignore the Hell's Bells videos I used to treasure. I enjoy Halloween. I like some secular music and even an occasional R-rated movie. If I hadn't signed a promise for the seminary, I would probably smoke a pipe now and then or have a beer with my neighbor and my brother-in-law. I have standards that are clear to me and my conscience is clean before God.

So, that's my journey and it may not be completely rational, but I'm not going back to the kind of bondage that made me evaluate every product I bought and wonder what bad things my money might be going toward. My consistent evaluation of every piece of input made me crazy and it was the fridge on my back. It simply isn't possible to be consistent like that and I'm convinced it's not what He had in mind for us. My walk now is stronger than it was then and so is my faith--the proof may be in the pudding.

lisa said...

And what a transformation it was! But I am wondering who the student volunteer was. I have some ideas, hmmmmm....

But speaking from someone who was under your leadership during most of your transformation, it was freeing for everyone. We always knew your heart but when you let go of the legalism it allowed us to see even more of it.

How did the procedure thingy go?

Steve said...

A man named Richard!

The procedure went well--not as bad as last time, but it hurts for a few days.

texnartist said...

Steve,

I agree with you. If you think that I am or have been trying to act as your conscience then you have missed the point of it all.

Cody

Tonya said...

OH< don't get me started on the speed limit issue!! (haha) I remember having that conversation with youth staff :)

...Bradford? that would make sense...I know it wasn't Murph, cause he wouldn't have had a good comeback :)

Anonymous said...

"Hide the beer the pastors here he might find out that were human beings"

Anonymous said...

I totally agree with "anonymous." The abolitionist-based culture here in the states is so different from the definitely not European cultures that I've experienced both in Europe and here in NY.

I was broke. Someone is renting out my condo now so I don't have rent and a mortgage anymore. And at the time when I purchased the iPod I had two jobs. One of which I was serving and making good money (like you only can in big cities, I think) and I was working that job 7 nights a week. I'm not working there anymore though. I decided I work to live, not live to work. ;-) My new motto. I think it's pretty good. Now I'm looking for another job. a pain...really. :-)