The Story

Rumors Of God

In the opening chapter of Rumors Of God the authors quote from the C.S Lewis Classic Mere Christianity. "The world is a great sculptor's shop. We are the statues and there is a rumor going round the shop that some of us are some day going to come to life." In this excellent book John Tyson and Darren Whitehead remind us that the rumors about God are true. The faith and life God speaks of is for real. Through biblical exploration and their own authentic experiences the authors reveal a God worthy of our worship and our lives.

If you are longing for a deeper authentic relationship with God and the people around you this book is for you. If you have heard of God's fame and want more read and you will be challenged and encouraged.


I received this book through Thomas Nelson BookSneeze...I received this book for free in exchange for my review of it.

Lesson's from the Sneetches

Now, the Star-Bell Sneetches had bellies with stars.
The Plain-Belly Sneetches had none upon thars.
Those stars weren’t so big. They were really so small.
You might think such a thing wouldn’t matter at all.

But, because they had stars, all the Star-Belly Sneetches
Would brag, “We’re the best kind of Sneetch on the beaches.”
With their snoots in the air, they would sniff and they’d snort
“We’ll have nothing to do with the Plain-Belly sort!”
And, whenever they met some, when they were out walking,
They’d hike right on past them without even talking.

If you have ever read the Sneetches by Dr Seuss you'll find that the Sneetches are not so different than people. One group of Sneetches looked down upon the other. That was until one day when the crafty Sylvester McMonkey McBean offered a solution to their problem. For a small fee he offered to put stars on the bellies of Sneetches without. When the original star bellied Sneetches saw this they were upset. They were the superior Sneetches, but now no one would know. McBean, being the kind soul that he was had another machine that could take stars off for another small fee. Sneetches shuffled in and out machines until they ran out of money and no one knew who was who.

In James 2:1-4 we are told, "My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, 'You sit here in a good place,' and you say to the poor man, 'You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,' have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?"

James' audience had the same problem as the Sneetches. They made superficial distinctions among themselves. McBean offered an external solution to an internal problem of the heart. People, governments, and organizations do the same thing today. The Sneetches were fortunate to learn a hard lesson when they came to the end of their resources. The story tells us, That the Sneetches got really quite smart on that day. The day they decided that Sneetches are Sneetches. And no kind of Sneetch is the best on the beaches.

How did the Sneetches get to the place where some were thought of as better than others? It certainly wasn't because stars were better than none. The thoughts of superiority were still there when the stars were gone. This probably started years and years ago. For centuries the stories have been passed down the reminded Sneetches who and what was best.

We have our stories too. They shape what we believe about each other, God, and ourselves. God has a better story. It is a story that tells of our common beginning and problem of all humanity. The story introduces a common Savior and a shared family identity and destination for those that follow this Savior. In this story we have been told there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.(Galatians 3:28) What story are you living from?

Fullness of Joy

There are things that all of us long for. We were created to experience real and lasting pleasure and joy. Many times we seek this in destructive ways. I understand and have experienced the pain from those decisions. I suppose my real struggle is when I don't understand the difficulties that come into my life and those around me. Loved ones die too soon. The good things in our lives seem to give less than what we thought they would. People we love and respect fail us. Is there something more? Is there hope?

I have been contemplating this verse all week. Psalms 16:11 "You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever." The Psalmist, David tells us that in God's presence is fullness of joy and in His right hand there are pleasures forever. It is important to note that David isn't some guy that is out of touch with the difficulties of life. He is not some guy whose life is perfect and writes about some mystical joy we will never experience because we live in a real world of pain, disappointment, and suffering. No, David is for real. He knows death, suffering and loss. He knows his own depravity as well as the brokenness of those around him. He knows hunger, homelessness, and humiliation. But, David also knows the secret to real joy. Real joy is found in the presence of the living God.

To be honest, I can't quite wrap my mind around what pleasures forever would be like. I do know that if this is a promise from a holy and loving God, it has to be incredible. Can you imagine pure, holy, and unending pleasure? What an awesome loving God we serve. I can not think of a better deal anywhere. Today, in spite of my questions and struggles I chose to enter His Joy. I will seek to come into the presences of our loving God.

Praying Mantis

I left my house yesterday with a lot on my mind. While driving to work I thought of the world economy and the ongoing turbulent political situation in our country. As I got out of the car I started thinking about the things I needed to accomplish. The list is unending. What was I going to do first? As I reached for the door I noticed a praying mantis right at my eye level. I thought "this is funny." A praying mantis came to church to pray. In that moment, I could hear the voice of a good friend. If Bill were here he would say something like, "What do think God want us to do this morning?" Thanks Lord for sending a praying mantis and a good friend.

The Bible tells us in Jeremiah 29:11-12 "For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.'" The Lord has good plans. He wants us to call upon Him. He wants us to talk to Him about our worries, concerns, and agenda. He wants to hear from us and us to hear from Him.

What our your concerns today? Are you calling upon the Lord?

What Would I Do to Have the Kind of Faith That it Takes?

There is a popular Contemporary Christian song that depicts a scene in Peter’s life. It is the moment when Peter saw Jesus walking on water and he said Lord if it is you command me to come out to you and Peter gets out of the boat and begins to walk towards Jesus. The opening lines of the song the voice of truth say.
Oh, what I would do to have the kind of faith it takes to climb out of this boat I'm in onto the crashing waves. To step out of my comfort zone Into the realm of the unknown where Jesus is, And he's holding out his hand.

The song is pretty popular so I am guessing that a lot of people really want to have a faith that is deeper than what they are already experiencing. It seems as if there is something within the human heart that longs for something more than the mundane. We were created for something great and to be a part of a greater story than our own individual stories can provided. The song writer says, “oh, what would I do to have the kind of faith that it takes”? That brings up two questions in my mind. What does it take? And. What would we do? Seriously think about that. What does it take and what would you do to have the kind of faith it takes to step out to where God wants you?

What did it take for Peter to have the kind of faith and the courage that many of us say we long for. Before we do that, let me suggest that Acts chapter 4 is a much greater moment of courage and more like the lasting faith we seek.

Let me summarize the story. Peter and John, in the name of Jesus, healed a man who has been unable to walk since birth. They then preach about Jesus who has been resurrected and now offers salvation to all who believe in Him. Their reward for this is they are thrown in jail and have to stand before the Sanhedrin.

When we compare the two events we see a dramatic change in Peter. In the story about Peter getting out of the boat we find Peter as we have come to know him. It is not surprising that he got out of the boat. Peter has these moments of faith and courage that do not last very long. One minute he decides to step out in faith next minute he is pleading for help. It is the same Peter that impulsively cuts off a man's ear when Jesus is arrested and moments later denies he even knows Jesus to a slave girl.

Something is much different with Peter as we find him in Acts chapter 4. Here he is calm and poised. There is such a change that his accusers are baffled. William Barclay, writes the following concerning what Peter had to say in Acts: ". . . when we read the speech of Peter, we must remember to whom it was spoken, and when we do remember that it becomes one of the world's great demonstrations of courage. It was spoken to an audience of the wealthiest, the most intellectual and the most powerful in the land, and yet Peter, the Galilean fisherman, stands before them rather as their judge than as their victim. But further, this was the very court which had condemned Jesus to death. Peter knew it, and he knew that at this moment he was taking his life in his hands."

The faith that Peter showed before the Sanhedrin characterizes the rest of his life. So what happened and what does it take? There are at least 3 things that emerge from Acts chapter 4. Verse 2 tells us "they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead." The greatest change in Peter's thinking is that he has investigated the resurrection of Jesus Christ and now has an unshakable faith in the resurrection. I should add that this faith did not come easy. He, along with the other disciples, thought that Christ resurrection from the dead was nonsense until they saw Christ themselves (Luke 24:11). The threats and fear of death mean little to a man that has seen his Lord resurrected.

Now as great as it to believe that Jesus rose from the grave, that in and of itself is not enough to explain both the consistency and the power demonstrated in the early church. There is something more. Verse 8 tells us, "Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them."
Noticed Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy is the 3rd person in the Trinity who comes into our lives when we place our faith in Christ. When the Bible says Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit we should think of the Spirit controlling or empowering Peter. Not only do we need a faith that is grounded in the belief that Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead. We need lives that are Empowered by the Holy Spirit.

There is one other essential element that helps us understand the change in Peter. Acts 4:23-24 "On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. "Sovereign Lord," they said, "you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them.
They didn't march or protest. They didn't start a political action group. They didn't fret and complain. They joined together as God’s people and prayed.
Their faith was sustained through fellowship and prayer. This combination of seeking God and fellowshipping together should not be overlooked. If we look at Peter before Acts we find him saying things like: "Even though all may fall away because of You, I will never fall away." (Matthew 26:33); "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." (Matthew 14:28) Notice the contrast in his words in Acts "Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard." (Acts 4:20) "But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men." (Acts 5:29) This is no longer the impulsive, "I can make on my own" Peter. This is a man that has a faith grounded in the belief that Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead, Empowered by the Holy Spirit, and Sustained through fellowship and prayer.


What does it take to have the kind of faith it takes to step out to where God wants you?
We need a faith that is grounded in the belief that Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead, Empowered by the Holy Spirit, and Sustained through fellowship and prayer.

Book Review: Every Man's Battle

"We aren't victims of some vast conspiracy to ensnare us sexually; we've simply chosen to mix in our own standards of sexual conduct with God's standard. Since we found God's standard too difficult, we created a mixture -- something new,something comfortable, something mediocre." The authors' quote from page 42 summarizes the heart of the problem. I was reminded of how easy it is for us in any area of our lives to settle for something less than God's standards -- something mediocre. God has something better for you and I.

Stoecker and Yorkey remind us in straight forward terms that not only does God expect us to live, think, and act differently than the world around us. They remind us that as Christians we have the ability to experience victory over the sins that destroy our lives and the lives of those around us. Sexual purity is possible for the man who gives his heart to God. This much needed book is a must read for the Christian man that truly wishes to follow God in obedience.


I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.