THE OLD CROSS AND THE NEW CROSS

The old cross slew men; the new cross entertains them. The old cross condemned; the new cross amuses. The old cross destroyed confidence in the flesh; the new cross encourages it. The old cross brought tears and blood; the new cross brings laughter. The flesh, smiling and confident, preaches and sings about the cross; before that cross it bows and toward that cross it points with carefully staged histrionics - but upon that cross it will never die, and the reproach of that cross it stubbornly refuses to bear.

 I well know how many smooth arguments ca be marshaled in support of the new cross. does not the new cross win converts and make many followers and so carry the advantage of numerical success? Should we not adjust ourselves to the changing times? Have we not heard the slogan "New days, new ways"? And who but someone very old and very conservative would insist upon death as the appointed way of life? And who today is interested in a gloomy mysticism that would sentence its flesh to a cross and recommend self-effacing humility as a virtue actually to be practiced by modern Christians? These are the arguments, along with many more flippant still, which are brought forward to give an appearance of wisdom to the hollow and meaningless cross of popular Christianity.
 A.W. Tozer, God's Pursuit of Man

TIME

Do you know what sad is? Sad is when you have a blog, twitter and facebook and no one reads your blog, follows you on twitter or facebook. And no I am not talking about myself, I'm just saying that would be sad. That would be like the kid no one would play with, not even his imaginary friend. I know that people read my blog and people follow me on twitter and I don't even have a facebook account, although I have been thinking about getting one, I'm told that it is a good way to keep up with people in your church. But that would require even more time, and you know what time is, time is the one thing that you can't recycle. Why is it that the things that are supposed to save you time cost you more time? Like cell phones, they are supposed to be a convenience, a device that saves you time, something to make life better, but it seems like people always have one stuck in their ear, talking to everybody about everything. Computers are suppose to be a time saving device but people sit on their computers for hours a day, at work, at home, laptops in the car, in the park or anywhere else you go. Spending time on facebook, twitter, blogs, watching movies, skyping and sometimes working. And after all of this, no one sits and talks face to face with family and friends. Are we losing the art of communication? In the movie Wall-E (see another movie) humans never talked to each other, they were all glued to their computers. How far are we from that? I have started helping out hospice as a chaplain and one of the most important things that we do is listen. Way too many of us have lost the art of listening, if we do talk to people we want to be the one talking, but good communication skills require listening. I think that too many of us are too busy to listen, listen to the birds sing, listen to God, listen to each other, listen to our kids or grandkids, or even listen to our own bodies. I love to listen to my grandkids, Zoe talks a lot, most of hers is in Greek, Eisley is talking more and more and getting more plain, Mia talks and has great things to say. All of them love to sing, Mia is never off pitch, Eisley sings very pretty and at the nursing home service the other night Zoe was singing Amazing Grace, the words were Greek but she had the tune and timing down pat.
 We need to take time to talk face to face, look people in the eye, look your kids and grandkids in the eye, you might like what you see, love. Or you might see pain and the need to help. Take time to look and listen.
 Anyway, I'll talk to you later, on my blog, or by twitter, and if I see you; face to face.
 Have a Blessed Day! Remember, God loves you so much that He sent His one and only Son to die for you, and His Son, Jesus, loved you enough to do it willingly, Jesus loves you. Bye for now.