Entries in General Bucket (64)

Missional Charismatics

Acts 1:8 says you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you shall be my witness in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth.  There are two essential moving parts here:  the charismatic dynamic and the missional dynamic.  Which one serves the other, or which one is subservient to the other is important in that it helps us strike the proper biblical balance God wants us to have.

#1 - We're not just called to be "charismatics" for "charismatics" sake.  That leads to flakiness.

#2 - We're not called be missional just for missional sake.  That can turn humanistic.

#3 - We are called to be missional charismatics, i.e. the baptism, power, and gifts of the Spirit are given for a purpose: to be missional, to express and expands God's kingdom on earth.

Posted on Oct 23, 2008 at 11:05PM by Registered CommenterRichKao in | CommentsPost a Comment | EmailEmail | PrintPrint

US Elections: Be a Color-blind, Kingdom-First Voter

Draw the Line!

White Christians can’t say this—and black preachers won’t touch the issue. But it’s time black Christians faced the reality about Barack Obama’s dangerous moral values.
 

by Kimberly Daniels

As a child in the 1960s I rode in the back of the bus. I was at the front of the riot lines in the 1970s, when I hit white boys on the head with bricks and dragged white girls down sidewalks near my school. I also experienced serious racism when I was an athlete in college.

I have been called the "N" word many times. I was taught to hate white people, and some of my relatives still call white people names such as "honky" and "cracker." But after I found Jesus, I was delivered from racism. I am free indeed!

The residue of my abuse has dried up at the root, and I am no longer a victim of what I call "ricochet racism." This occurs when the abused becomes the abuser.

Ricochet racism is a hellacious boomerang that grips the victim with pride and makes him think he has a right to hate. When I was saved, God taught me that I did not have a right to hate white people. Jesus nailed all my excuses to the cross, and I moved on.

Now that I am a born-again Christian, I do not consider my race to be my primary identity. I am a Christian first—before I am an African-American, a Democrat or a Republican. That's why I am troubled that so many African-American Christians are voting for Barack Obama simply because he is black.

If someone won't vote for a person because of race, we call this racism. But it is also racism when someone votes for a person because of his race! (RK: well said, and regularly unnoticed.)

Believe me, I would love to see a black brother in the White House—but not someone like Obama, who has embraced humanistic doctrines. Many white preachers are afraid to say this, and many black preachers won't touch it with a 10-foot pole.  (RK: it'd be cool to have a black brother in the White House, or Asian or any other non-Caucasian, but not just because of the color of their skin; that's not the way to pick leaders!)

I love Obama and pray for him and his family. But as Elijah troubled Ahab in Israel, I will challenge his views because they are dangerous to our religious liberties. It's time to draw the line.

Black Christians today need to put their faith first when they step into the voting booth. Does Obama represent godly values?

We know, for example, that he is an inclusionist. For 20 years he attended a church in Chicago that preaches that (1) Jesus is not the only way to God; (2) there is no hell; and (3) God will allow homosexuals to go to heaven even if they remain in their sinful state. Obama also has defended the killing of unborn babies, even in the third trimester.

He claims to be a Christian, but in his book The Audacity of Hope he calls the first chapter of Romans an "obscure" passage of Scripture. God's admonition about the sin of homosexuality is hardly obscure. It is very clear!

I know what I am saying is not popular, and some people will denounce me for it. But I believe it is time to draw a line.

Believers can no longer make excuses by pulling their race cards, leaning on their lukewarm denominational rules or hiding under the covering of a political party. If we want America to recover, we must repent. We must choose the right side.

We must stand strong for what we believe and hold our ground. We must declare, as Joshua did, "Whoever is on God's side ... stand with me!"
 
Kimberly Daniels is the founder of Spoken Word Ministries in Jacksonville, Fla., and author of several books including her new release, Inside Out. Visit her at kimberlydaniels.com

(RK: I love KD's fire and conviction.  It's clear-minded because she's looking through the lens of the gospel and not the lens of race or party.)
Posted on Oct 23, 2008 at 10:39PM by Registered CommenterRichKao in , | CommentsPost a Comment | EmailEmail | PrintPrint

Denver Archbishop: Obama 'Most Committed' to Abortion; Gen. Powell's illogical decision to endorse Obama

Retired General Colin Powell,  former Joints Chief of Staff and US Secretary of State, universally respected by Democrats, Republicans and Americans publicly endorsed Barack Obama for president today.

Colin Powell calls Mr. Obama a "transformational figure."  Why? Based on what?  Speeches?  Mr. Obama is certainly adept at igniting people's aspirations, including it now seems Mr. Powell himself.  But from my vantage point, such people are falling under Mr. Obama's spell and missing the point as they get misty-eyed.  Mr. Obama is as left as they come.  That's his record.  He has the most liberal voting record in the Senate.  That makes him as partisan a senator as you can get.  He has no track record of bringing people together in Washington.  None.  And he's preaching about unity and reaching across the aisle?  If he wants to show how he can bring people together and reach across the aisle, then please test them in the real world first and establish a senatorial or governor's record that proves it.   Then come back in 8 or 12 years with something to show for.  But don't tell me you want to practice in the Oval Office.  As President Clinton said, we can't afford to roll the dice with Mr. Obama.   On what basis can someone make an argument for Barack being transformational?  Based on his community work?  There are thousands of fantastic community workers...does that qualify them to be president? Even the best of them seem to be getting it wrong. 

On a related note, Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput represents my view -- including how he frames Obama's position as the candidate "most committed" to abortion -- as to one of the big reasons why I think Barack is the wrong man for the presidency.   If I can save millions of lives by not voting for Barack, it's not even a debate how I would vote.   I can save more lives by not voting for Barack than voting for him so he pull US troops out of Iraq.
Posted on Oct 19, 2008 at 02:26PM by Registered CommenterRichKao in | Comments2 Comments | EmailEmail | PrintPrint

5 Cent iPhone / iPod Touch Stand!

Check this out.  You may drop a few hundred bucks on a iPhone or iPod touch, but hey, why not save a nickel and make yourself a nifty stand from a paper clip!  Yup, compliments of my Asian brutha (not related except by ethnicity).  BTW, if you send me the $20 you saved on a fancy-schmancy iphone stand, I'll send you a free subscription to my blog! 

Posted on Sep 30, 2008 at 04:41PM by Registered CommenterRichKao in | CommentsPost a Comment | EmailEmail | PrintPrint

I Like This (Ninja) Cat



I've never been a fan of cats.  My theology has always been cats are a picture of walking in the flesh (finicky) and dogs are picture of walking in the spirit (loyalty).  But I have to admit, this feline, known as the Ninja Cat, won my admiration (as well as nearly 750,000 people that have seen this clip).   It's cute, entertaining and delightful - not to mention this cat is would make a Ninja proud!
Posted on Sep 27, 2008 at 05:36PM by Registered CommenterRichKao in | Comments3 Comments | EmailEmail | PrintPrint