CRN.Info and Analysis

Come join us for some fantasy football. Don’t let a lack of experience stop you if you’re interested.

At the end of the NFL season last year a few people asked if we could put together a fantasy football league for this year. So we’ve done it. One thing though, you’ll see the name of the league is Neutral Ground so keep the smack talk fantasy football related, even if someone writes something that really irritates you.

Go to:
Yahoo’s fantasy football page and sign in with your yahoo ID (sign up for one if you need to).
League id: ID# is 398786
Password: jesus

Also, if all the slots fill up and you want to play leave a comment here to that effect and if there’s enough for another league I’ll open up a second one.

What would you think of a person who makes it their life hobby to “research” and observe other people’s families and post their opinion of these families online? The peak into the window of the neighbors down the street and jot down notes about what they see. The dig through the trash to find out where money is being spent. They make judgment calls on certain family practices and traditions. Now, you might wonder why they would be so obsessed with a community that they aren’t even a part of. Sounds crazy, huh?

We have been over and over and over this here at CRN.info, but I cease to be amazed at the ODMs relentless infatuation with other people’s communities. For me, the concern and anger hit an all time high while listening to this slice cast. I mean, here is a group of people who have made it their life ministry to critique and harp on everyone else’s church. And, when a church like the one in question is dealing with personal, in-house business, they stick up their noses and say “I told you so!” It’s absolutely asinine to me.

I love the Olympics. I have been watching as much as possible (and TiVo’ing th rest). One thing that I love to see is the sportsmanship between the athletes from different countries. They get along so well — no one is giving dirty looks, throwing elbows or firing off some crude language. Then the connection hit me… When you are so busy doing what God has called you to do, there is no room for criticizing others. You’re so focused on the task that you have to accomplish that there isn’t room to stop, look at the guy next to you and make snide comments.

Look, I may be way overstepping my bounds (and I love this community here, because they will put me back in my place), but I don’t feel like many of the ODMs have a strong sense of biblical mission. I just cannot imagine that God would call people to major on the mission of critiquing other churches (which should never be confused with “contending for the faith” or “defending the faith” — they are very different things). I wonder what would happen if ODMs focused on the biblical mission that God had for them, and gave their life to that. They actually might become the change that they want to see in their own cities and communities. The fact of the matter is, they are doing no good critiquing communities and churches that are a plane ride away.

…just some thoughts for the day. I’m gonna go hit the beach for the night. Peace

Friends,

Some recent comments on one of the threads got me to thinking about…oh…life…faith…what Christ thinks of us…and why His opinion matters far more than, perhaps to the exclusion of, anyone else. This morning I heard this song again for the first time and the lyrics really spoke to me. Enjoy.

Soli Deo Gloria!

At the end of the NFL season last year a few people asked if we could put together a fantasy football league for this year. So we’ve done it. One thing though, you’ll see the name of the league is Neutral Ground so keep the smack talk fantasy football related, even if someone writes something that really irritates you.

Go to:
Yahoo’s fantasy football page and sign in with your yahoo ID (sign up for one if you need to).
League id: ID# is 398786
Password: jesus

Also, if all the slots fill up and you want to play leave a comment here to that effect and if there’s enough for another league I’ll open up a second one.

Recently I’ve been involved with Ken Silva in a matter that I wanted to address privately. Ken decided to go public with that situation, which is his prerogative and right. I want to respect that. Here is the situation as I understand it:

1. I contacted Ken to discuss the issue of him presenting me as a Christian Agnostic. I have evidence that is provable where Ken’s claim’s have provable damages to me. I did mention lawyers in attempt to show Ken that I have a case of provable libel
2. Ken rebuffed my attempts to talk to him.
3. I called and emailed Chris Rosebrough of Extreme Theology to see if he would feel comfortable moderating a Three Way Call between Ken and I. As of the writing of this post I have not heard from Ken or Chris.
4. Ingrid and Ken posted about how I was attempting to distract Ken from the work God has called him to be a part of.
5. I called Ingrid and expressed my frustration with her and especially with Ken because I was attempting to handle this situation Biblically and being frustrated at every turn. Ingrid did not seem comfortable moderating a three way conversation between Ken and I.
6. I asked Ken again for contact information to his board and to his local association. My thinking was that I might have to initiate some form of church discipline
7. Ken ignored me
8. Someone from Ken’s board contacted me. We talked and I presented the situation as I understand it.
9. He offered to contact Ken and see if Ken would talk in a three way with us.
10. Ken refused.
11. All of the activity that has happened on the “Team Politics” post has transpired.
12. I contacted Ken’s former DOM and discovered that Ken’s church is no longer considered part of that association.

Now, I will issue the same challenge to Ken again. What of this do you refute or say is inaccurate?

Really though, what matters is what I have learned from this? Here it is.

1. I believe I have followed all mandates in the Bible in contacting Ken and attempting to handle this issue as best I can. I believe the Bible now calls me to treat him as an outsider. Interestingly enough there is no mandate in the Bible about not taking an outsider to court. (I’m not doing that but…)
2. I have learned that Ken’s reputation in his town is not good.
3. I have been sinned against and despite all of Ken’s proclamations about caring about Scripture and the perspicuity of it, he has refused to engage in this matter in a Biblical manner.
4. Ken has been mean and nasty and does not represent the Christ of the Scriptures at all.
5. In my opinion, Ken does not hold himself accountable to his board in any manner. Why else would he refuse to give me contact information?
6. None of 1-5 matter all that much.
7. I am leaving CRN.info. The bottom line is that I believe Ken and his friends to be the bottom feeders. I know that’s not all that charitable which is why I’m leaving. I don’t have time to engage a man who hides. I don’t have time engage drive by commenters. I enjoy commenting here and may continue to do so, but at the end of the day I do not believe Ken, Mike R, and John Chisam and the rest are worth my time. They are divisive, angry people who do not show the light they claim to have. If they’re writing is reflective of they believe to be Chistianity, we have fundamentally different views of Scripture
8. I am too busy to worry about modern day Pharisees.

So, let the vulture attacks begin about what I said wrong here.

So long, farewell, I’ll see you (some of you) in the sky….

Houston, we have a problem. But I’ll attack you if you try to fix it.

I know we already have a great post on this from Jerry. However, after reading the comments at TRUTH MATTERS, I was sick from the self-righteousness and judgment that was overflowing there. I wonder what all of the people who have not met Jesus yet think about an organization that is dedicated to tearing apart churches that do things different than they do. This MUST have been what Jesus envisioned when he talked about the church… wars over something as stupid as a costume. Jesus must be so proud of the public poll that asks reader’s opinion of the pastor’s intro. Really!?! Do we really need ministries that go around taking polls on other church’s sermon intros?

I just listened to a really great talk from Image Dei on loving the church and loving each other — and all of our differences. Check it out here.

Friends,

It appears that Mrs Schlueter is on vacation (again!). I have only a short thought on her post announcing that she is on vacation: I agree with what she said!!!

Much has happened/is happening, and we just need to remember that truth divides. We aren’t going to be loved for speaking biblical truth. In fact, Christ told us we would be hated. So when people mock at you, sneer and throw your past in your face, ridicule and stir up discord, realize that it’s all been done to God’s people before. We’re just the latest in the long train of believers down through history to face this stuff. As we serve the Lord, God is doing things in our own hearts and lives, as well. That should give us hope that He who began a good work in us will be faithful to complete it. Have a wonderful rest of the week.

The only real problem is that I don’t think any of us ever expected that such mocking, sneering, ridiculing, discord, and hatred would come from inside the church now did we? But, to answer your question, yes, Mrs Schlueter, we are the latest in the long train of believers down through history to face this stuff.

Soli Deo Gloria!

PS–I pray for Mr & Mrs Schlueter’s safety and that they have a great vacation!

Mike Ratliff to Joe Martino, “You have an unregenerate heart.” Click here to read more.

We just had a big earthquake in Chino Hills, my home town.

All is well.