In the Zone

Have you ever been somewhere, recognized the landmarks, but still have no idea where you're going? Well, that's me every time I go back "home" to Northern Kentucky to visit.  I lived in the Northern Kentucky area (which is really just a large suburb of Cincinnati) for most of my life.  But eight years ago, I packed up and moved away to pursue ministry opportunities in other parts of Kentucky and Illinois. Now, when I go back, I routinely have to ask for directions when traveling.  People give me a hard time, since I had lived there so long.  They don't understand how I can forget.  The reality is places change and so do people.  The longer I live elsewhere, the less I remember about the area.  I can literally drive in parts of Northern Kentucky, recognize the landmarks--the stores, restaurants and parks of my youth--and not really know where I'm at or how to get where I'm going.  I recognize that its familiar, but I don't know fully recogn...

When I was in college, there was a street preacher who used to come to the free speech area of campus.  Everyday he would come and scream at the college students that they were going to Hell and needed saving. Now, by and large, the gist of his message was correct.  A large percentage of those students did not have a relationship with Jesus Christ, and therefore were on a path leading to Hell.  The problem I had with him was two-fold.  One: He was extremely legalistic and told people that listening to certain forms of music doomed them to Hell.  I just can't get on board with that one.  Two: His approach kind of rubbed me the wrong way.  Screaming at kids to abandon music and movies in order to obtain eternal life is not biblical and unaffective. You see, he screamed and hollered and made a lot of noise.  People came out to see him.  They went to hear his words.  His words were off, but they came to see him.  Many came to argu...

People are always looking for a sign. As Christians, sometimes I think we are preconditioned to seek out signs for God's direction.  We interpret a scenario or a situation to be a sign from God.  We ask God to show us a sign. We even lay out our signs to God, asking him to make something happen if he wants us to go in a certain direction. We use all sorts of euphemisms about it too.  We're laying out our fleece or seeking our shadow to turn back.  We're quick to point to the signs God gave Gideon and Hezekiah and Abraham.  Yet, we don't often remember that Jesus told the people he would give no sign except for the sign of Jonah or the sign God gave Zechariah, John the Baptist's father. Zechariah, a priest, was serving in the temple when an angel spoke to him.  God had not spoken in 400 years, and he chose Zechariah to receive a personal message while he was serving in the temple near the Holy of Holies.  Instead of believing the account, he ask...