The news unfolded this afternoon. Michael Jackson is dead.
Michael Jackson is dead. The reports brought Twitter to it’s knees. The news channels are now on the 24/7 with it all.
Here are some quotes I heard.
An American Icon.
Another Elvis.
Innovative.
One of the biggest stars of all time.
A Legend.
Passionate.
A Wonder.
A great loss for America.
On Fox, Sheppard Smith said, “I sense that the next few days will become a true ‘American Event’”.
It is true, Michael Jackson was talented, creative, and eccentric. He was my age, so I grew up and listened to all the reports. From the publicity stunts to the tragedies of choices he made, I know he didn’t want to face death. In the 80’s he even spent time in a hyperbolic chamber in order to ensure amazing longevity.
What if you were to be surprised by your death? What if your family discovered that you were gone from this life?
Legacy, sure we all think about this. Regrets, they are ongoing in life. Do-overs? Yes, we want those, too. But the most important thing to answer is this? ARE YOU READY TO MEET YOUR MAKER? Do you know and love the God who made you to know and to love. He loves you so much. In fact the Bible tells of the peace you find when you do discover this truth. Peace in storms, decisions, relationships, difficulties, sickness, etc., etc.
Hebrews 9:27-28 And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ died once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.
It was on. And just like 200,000 reported seekers, I landed my new username ( user name ) on Facebook. It was fun to see all the related Twitter posts of people doing the same race to secure their unique identities.
I like this: The Bible has a record of it’s own type of user names. Christ Followers are written down and it’s told about in Revelations 21:23-27 (ESV)
23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, 25 and its gates will never be shut by day—and u there will be no night there. 26 They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27 But v nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
I have a couple of uStream.tv accounts that offer free live video streaming. Since they began their services I have been interested in gathering together people and interacting with a live Internet audience.
What would you be most interested in tuning in? Interviews, concerts, Bible studies, New Media training? Something else? Would you tune in on a regular basis to something like this?
Would you like to learn how to do this yourself?Perhaps you would stream your church service or a Bible study. There are lots of possibilities. You just need a web cam, computer, and high-speed internet. Start there, then improve over time. It could be fun and rewarding, right?
Community and creativity flows when you go to a conference that teaches and informs. This one that I am at today, Wordcamp 2009. It marks the 6th anniversary for WordPress, that platform in which this blog is written in.
People applaud, cheer, and are eager to learn.
And I’m sure they will take something home.
And I’m sure they will talk about it to their friends.
And I’m sure they will put some of what they hear about into practice.
A prayer: “God, please put this same passion into my heart about your Son!”
1 Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb. 2 Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. 3 His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. 4 The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint. 5 Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. 7 And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember what I have told you.” 8 The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to give the disciples the angel’s message. 9 And as they went, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they ran to him, grasped his feet, and worshiped him. Matthew 28:1-9 (NLT)
Here’s a great summary of a book I’m reading. You may want to check it out, too!
When did the Christian life become so complicated?
Your greatest desire is to please God, but with each passing week, your spiritual to-do list grows longer. As you strive to fulfill a never-ending inventory of requirements for being a godly parent, spouse, voter, employee, and more, you feel increasingly disconnected from the God you’re trying to serve.
It’s time to cut through the clutter and get to the heart of what it means to please God. In this liberating look at the core principles of faith, Dr. Robert Jeffress reveals the truth about what God really wants from you–and what He wants to do for you.
Through solid biblical teaching and practical insights, Dr. Jeffress points you toward a revitalized faith centered on becoming more like Jesus in action, attitude, and affection. You’ll learn how to partner with God in the process of spiritual transformation as you choose to follow Christ in forgiveness, obedience, trust, contentment, service, and prayer.
Through a renewed focus on experiencing the kingdom of God right now, you’ll find your to-do list shrinking and your spiritual life deepening. It all comes with embracing Clutter-Free Christianity.
Includes a Bible study guide for personal growth and group discussion.
Dr. Robert Jeffress is the senior pastor of First Baptist Dallas, one of the most historic churches in the Southern Baptist Convention. The author of sixteen books, he is a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary and Southwest Baptist Theological Seminary. In addition, live broadcasts of Dr. Jeffress’ weekly messages reach millions of listeners and viewers each week, while his daily sermon series airs on 1,100 television stations and cable systems nationwide. Dr. Jeffress and his wife, Amy, are the parents of two adult daughters.
I know there is some bad weather out there. Even today I hear of record floods and often hear about difficult conditions such as tornados, etc.
But this week? It has been fantastic — weather wise — in Northern California. In fact, today it’s like mid 70’s. Think I’ll go for that spring time motorcycle drive! w00t!!
So sad to see the combined funeral service of 4 Oakland Police Officers who were killed less than 7 days ago.
By “4 Oakland Police Officers” I mean, Mark Dunakin, John Hege, Ervin Romans and Daniel Sakai. You see they have names, family, dreams, and stories. Stories of a desire to stand against crime and for the law … and for justice.
When tragedy strikes, people may or may not come by the side of the hurting. We are all challenged by such events to remember that life is but a breath, and we should live it for the good of others. That standard of good I have learned comes from values that matter, too. These values are constantly confronted by opposition. Opposition to what God has intended for us all.
Through the good times, hard times, and even the terrible times, I am centered in my life by the example of one much better at this than I will ever be. That is my Lord and Savior, Jesus.
To the families, friends, and to the City of Oakland and beyond … My prayer is that you too will know this peace from Christ. Our prayers are with you!
John 16:33 (the words of Jesus) I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
On January 28, 2008 my wife, Ginger, and I celebrated 25 years of marriage. We often talk of our “escape” on the evening before our wedding. We had a lot of college-aged friends and were used to pulling pranks on each one that were about to “get hitched.” The only thing was … we were next!
So we sneaked away from our Rehearsal Dinner party and headed to our favorite place, the beach. It was already dark and we took what would become my inheritance from Ginger — a Baja VW Bug — and drove through the sand along the surf line. It was a nice break with laughter — silence — contemplation about the future — and hanging out with my best friend.
We returned a few hours later to the real world. it’s amazing how THAT story is so engrained into our marriage. “This night 11, 14, 18, 22, 23, now 25 years ago …” we always begin. And we reflect upon the time that marks a milestone of beginning in our amazing journey.
As reported from Silicone Valley Insider: Janis Krums from Sarasota, Florida posts the first photo of U.S. Airways flight 1549 on Twitter from his iPhone. Thirty-four minutes after Janis posted his photo, MSNBC interviewed him live on TV as a witness (see video below). News coverage at Google. Live video at Fox News. TV reports suggest that everyone survived the crash.
At 10:30 AM on Sunday, January 18, 2009 we begin our Series of Adventure called, “Wild Goose Chase”. What’s stopping YOU from the destiny of God in your life?
I was so proud of my wife, Ginger on Saturday night. She introduced her new CD – Her “Mr. Holland’s Opus”. It was a dream of 25 years fulfilled.
Many friends showed up, including 2 from Texas – one who we haven’t seen in 14 years and another 17 years. What a fantastic time of celebration, along with an opportunity to speak hope and share life-stories written in her unique song writing style.
I am working on making the video available that we streamed live. If we can fix a technical bug we’ll let you know.
Mark Batterson who wrote “Wild Goose Chase” sent this message to me about the upcoming series that will begin January 18, 2009. More details at Central Assembly’s website.
The news unfolded this afternoon. Michael Jackson is dead.
Posted by revtim 
Posted by revtim 
I have a couple of uStream.tv accounts that offer free live video streaming. Since they began their services I have been interested in gathering together people and interacting with a live Internet audience.
Posted by revtim 
Community and creativity flows when you go to a conference that teaches and informs. This one that I am at today, Wordcamp 2009. It marks the 6th anniversary for WordPress, that platform in which this blog is written in.
On January 28, 2008 my wife, Ginger, and I celebrated 25 years of marriage. We often talk of our “escape” on the evening before our wedding. We had a lot of college-aged friends and were used to pulling pranks on each one that were about to “get hitched.” The only thing was … we were next!
