You should be here.
More stories to share later – this video is from our opening night. A couple of more groups are showing up tomorrow.
It’s another record breaking year for the CMU Workshop. 
July 8, 2009
Who does Jesus WANT to save?
A few Scriptures I’m meditating on:
John 12:31-32
31 Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out.
32 But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.”
Acts 17:31
31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.”
Romans 5:18
18 Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.
Romans 11:32
32 For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.
1 Corinthians 12:6
6 There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.
1 Timothy 2:1-6
1 I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone–
2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.
3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior,
4 who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
6 who gave himself as a ransom for all men– the testimony given in its proper time.
1 Timothy 4:8-10
8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.
9 This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance
10 (and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe.
Titus 2:11-14
11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.
12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,
13 while we wait for the blessed hope– the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,
14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
2 Peter 3:9b
9b … He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
Who did Paul want to see saved? He says so in his purpose statement:
Colossians 1:28-29
28 We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.
29 To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.
And from the OT:
Ezekiel 18:23
23 Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign LORD. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?
A simple but profound truth: God wants to save every single person that has ever existed, and every single one that ever will.
God loves mankind, and wishes for “all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”
If this is true, how should it affect our lives? Our churches? Our priorities?
While it is true that God wishes for all men to be saved, does that mean all men will BE saved? How could a loving God send anyone to hell?
Thoughts?
July 6, 2009
On my way to the CMU Workshop
Looking forward to the plane ride to Arkansas tomorrow. Airiel and I will be attending the 2009 CMU Workshop at Harding University, 
are excited to see all our old friends and ministry partners, and are also excited to meet some new ones.
Several campus ministries have been planted around the country within the past couple of years as a result of CMU’s ongoing work, and several more are on deck - one being in San Francisco.
I’m doing some last minute lesson prep today before leaving in the morning.
This is going to be an exciting week!
Me speaking at the 2008 CMU workshop
If you’d like to check out lessons from past CMU Workshops, all are posted for free download on the CMU Audio Page. There’s some really great, free stuff there.
July 3, 2009
June Update
June was a great month for the Lake Merced Church of Christ.
The Bible studies we’ve been having with people have born fruit – three put on Christ in baptism within the past couple of weeks and we’re very excited about that.
It’s been a joy to continue studying with these new Christians in our home since they’ve made their commitment to follow Jesus. The zeal of those freshly saved is an encouragement to me, as is their sponge-like thirst for knowledge of the Word. We’re praying for God to send us more people like them, and believe He’ll answer that prayer positively as we continue the work of ministry here in San Francisco.
In addition to new Christians and new members, the congregation approved moving Sunday’s services into the fellowship hall after renovation is complete. We’re ordering new chairs, painting the walls, laying carpet, building a small stage and sound booth, and installing a mounted projector, screen, and sound system. We’re hoping to begin utilizing our new space within the next couple of months, and we’re very excited about that too.
I realize this is a fairly short update – I don’t have a whole lot more to say that wasn’t covered in the May update, so I’ll leave you with this: The Lake Merced Church is growing, Bible studies are taking place with outsiders, people are giving their lives to Jesus, and positive changes are being made to insure our ministry here continues to be effective. That sums it up!
July 3, 2009
Regina Spektor’s Laughing With
Thanks to Mike Cope of the heads up on this one.
“Laughing With” by Regina Spektor lyrics:
No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one’s laughing at God
When they’re starving or freezing or so very poor
No one laughs at God
When the doctor calls after some routine tests
No one’s laughing at God
When it’s gotten real late
And their kid’s not back from the party yet
No one laughs at God
When their airplane start to uncontrollably shake
No one’s laughing at God
When they see the one they love, hand in hand with someone else
And they hope that they’re mistaken
No one laughs at God
When the cops knock on their door
And they say we got some bad news, sir
No one’s laughing at God
When there’s a famine or fire or flood
*Chorus*
But God can be funny
At a cocktail party when listening to a good God-themed joke, or
Or when the crazies say He hates us
And they get so red in the head you think they’re ‘bout to choke
God can be funny,
When told he’ll give you money if you just pray the right way
And when presented like a genie who does magic like Houdini
Or grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket and Santa Claus
God can be so hilarious
Ha ha
Ha ha
No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one’s laughing at God
When they’ve lost all they’ve got
And they don’t know what for
No one laughs at God on the day they realize
That the last sight they’ll ever see is a pair of hateful eyes
No one’s laughing at God when they’re saying their goodbyes
But God can be funny
At a cocktail party when listening to a good God-themed joke, or
Or when the crazies say He hates us
And they get so red in the head you think they’re ‘bout to choke
God can be funny,
When told he’ll give you money if you just pray the right way
And when presented like a genie who does magic like Houdini
Or grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket and Santa Claus
God can be so hilarious
No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one laughing at God in hospital
No one’s laughing at God in a war
No one’s laughing at God when they’re starving or freezing or so very
poor
No one’s laughing at God
No one’s laughing at God
No one’s laughing at God
We’re all laughing with God
—-
I can’t say that the sound of the song itself is anything I’d make a terribly big deal about (she kind of reminds me of Louise Goffin which isn’t necessarily a good thing), but the lyrics – I like the lyrics.
Did you notice the subtle change at the end? What do you think she’s trying to say?
July 2, 2009
Tragic Accident Involving Bolivia Mission Team & Youth – Prayers Needed
I thought I was having a bad day on Tuesday.
I had a fever of 102 Monday night and woke up Tuesday morning feeling like Chuck Liddell had punched me in the temple.
“No, not right now! I can’t afford to be sick right now,” I thought to myself. “The CMU workshop is coming up early next week in Arkansas! I have to teach a class there and have several speaking appointments at other area churches, and I need this week to prepare! I’ve got to get some antibiotics so I can be well for all this stuff.”
I called the doctor’s office and scheduled an appointment for later that day.
A couple of hours later Airiel decided to take the kids and run a couple of quick errands. I heard the front door shut as she left, only to hear it open again five minutes later. I knew the errands would be quick, but not that quick.
“Maybe she forgot something,” I thought as I laid in bed upstairs.
But another few minutes went by and I didn’t hear her leave again. Curious, I got up to ask her what was going on only to learn that our Durango had a flat tire.
Well, I just had to get to my doctor’s appointment later in the day! The Fletchers hadn’t made it back in from being out of town, everyone else we knew was working, and I had no other ride. The Durango had to work.
After groaning a little bit, I set out to change a tire on our big ole’ SUV with a 102 fever.
That would have been bad enough even if everything had gone smoothly (if you’ve never changed a tire on an SUV, you’re missing one of the great joys in life … NOT), but things didn’t go smoothly.
The jack that came with our vehicle proved to be too short to actually change the tire!
Let me explain. I could get the flat tire off, but putting the inflated spare on proved to be impossible. No sir. Not even close.
In order to get the inflated tire on, I needed to raise the Durango several more inches, but I’d gone as far as the threads on the jack would let me. Stupid …
I actually had to deflate the spare tire just to put it on, and do you think I had a tire pump laying around the house? Nope – I had to wait on someone to be home who could give Airiel a ride to the store to get one.
I came inside the house after the tire fiasco (about a two hour ordeal) feeling very drained and very irritated at the geniuses at GM who forgot to check the specs on the jack included with the Durango. I knew we wouldn’t be able to get a pump in time for me to make my doctor’s appointment, and that meant one more day with the crud and one less day of being productive.
Feeling quite sorry for myself, I settled into my chair upstairs to quickly check my email before laying down to take a long rest.
“Man, what a BAD day,” I thought. “Could this day have even gotten any worse?”
Then this popped up on my screen.
An email from my friend Jana Wright in Texas – an active member of the Austin Avenue Church of Christ:
I just received a phone call regarding our mission team in Bolivia.
The youth group was traveling together and the van went off of a cliff.
The Sandoval’s son and his wife were with the youth group. She is all
right, but their son was injured in multiple areas.There may be some fatalities.
Please, pray for these Christians, their families and the church in Bolivia.
This is all I know at this time.
Please, share this prayer request with others.
Then this one later:
Dear friends and family,
Just wanted to give everyone a quick update on the situation in Cochabamba
concerning the bus accident involving the youth group from the Iglesia de
Cristo. First I would like to say thank you for all the prayers that you
have lifted on behalf of our brothers and sisters in Christ in Cochabamba.I ask that you continue praying for Rebecca. Rebecca is scheduled for
surgery tomorrow morning and my understanding is that the surgery will be
on her leg/legs. She is listed as “delicada” or delicate in status.
Please pray for her father, Pedro, her mother, Beatrice, and her sister,
Veronica as they support her through her surgery and recovery.Please continue praying for Miguel. Miguel is a brother in Christ who went
as one of our adults on the trip. We don’t have many details on how he is,
but know that the majority of his injuries are related to head injuries.
Our understanding is that he’s not very responsive right now, but that the
last update received by the family was hopeful.Please continue praying for Josh Marcum who is in the same clinic as
Rebecca with fracture wounds.Please continue praying for JD Sandoval. JD is the son of Butch and Trish
Sandoval and had just arrived at the clinic when we last spoke with Julie
Marcum. He will be having x-rays to rule out further injuries, but as of
now looks like the worst of his injuries may be hand fractures. His wife
Rachel appears to be fine with no serious injuries. Also, please pray for
Butch and Trish as they are traveling back into Cochabamba to be with JD
(as they had headed out to the accident scene upon hearing the news).It breaks our hearts to tell you that three of our young girls on the trip
died. At this time please pray fervently over their families who are
struggling to face the reality of having lost their loved ones.Please continue to pray for the others that were on the trip. As far as we
know all others are at home and recovering with minor injuries. The worst
of their recovery will be in their spirits as they deal with the deaths of
their friends.Thank you again for supporting your Bolivian brothers and sisters in prayer
and know that we will do all we can to keep you updated as we hear new
information. God bless you all.Gary and Laura Bull
Hearing this news put my “bad day” in perspective for me … suddenly I wasn’t feeling so sorry for myself anymore.
The Bolivia Mission Team is one of several teams around the world sponsored and overseen by the Austin Avenue Church of Christ in Brownwood, TX (they also sponsor and oversee mine and the Fletcher family’s work here in San Francisco). In addition to the Austin Avenue connection, I’ve known Gary Bull for a long time due to his work as operations manager at River City Ministry six or seven years ago (I’ve written about RCM often).
What’s happened in Bolivia is a terrible tragedy. Prayers are needed, as is financial support for the medical care of those injured. Many come from poor families and cannot afford hospital care on their own – help is needed.
The Bulls recently set up a blog to keep interested parties up to date on the progress of those injured, as well as up to date on prayer and financial needs.
Please add this blog link to your favorites list and check it often: http://cochabambayouthgroup.blogspot.com/
If you’d like to know immediately how you can help, please see the first post from Gary, or this story in The Christian Chronicle for pertinant info.
May we all keep our “bad” days in perspective, and may we stop feeling sorry for ourselves at the slightest hint of discomfort and instead focus on those who are truly in need.
June 27, 2009
Don’t Take Your Kids To See Transformers 2 – Don’t Take Yourself Either
I went to see Transformers 2 last night with a group of friends from Lake Merced. Going into this movie, I was convinced it would be one of my favorites from 2009. I’m a big fan, and the only real question I had was if TF2 would rival 2008’s Iron Man in it’s goodness or not.
Man, was I in for a surprise.
Not only did TF2 fail to live up to Iron Man, it barely beat out 2003’s big budget flop Hulk.
Yes, the action scenes were cool. Yes, the special effects were cool. Yes, I still love Optimus Prime, but those things added together didn’t make this a good movie – there were too many other things dragging it down.
First of all, the acting was horrible. Cheesy characters spouting cheesy lines make for a cheesy movie.
Secondly, TF2 boasts the most amaturish, sophomoric writing I’ve seen in a big budget film in a long time. I left the theater commenting that I felt like the script must have been written by a couple of frat boys.
Thirdly, I wouldn’t think of taking my kids to see this movie. The cussing starts within the first three minutes, and it doesn’t stop until the end credits. If you’d like little Tommy and Suzy to repeat what’s said in this movie to their classmates at school or to their grandmother, then be my guest – take your kids to see TF2. If you don’t want your kids cussing like their heroes (whose action figures they bought in the children’s section at Wal-Mart), then don’t. I’ve spoken with parents who unwittingly took their kids to see this movie only to leave the theater pretty steamed.
Lastly, sophmoric humor always includes stupid sex jokes. Another reason not to take children to see TF2 - it’s filled with sexual situations and innuendo. It even features a female humanoid robot that seduces the main character into cheating on his girlfriend by having sex with her (only to try to kill him with her robotic tongue after the girlfriend walks in).
Overall, even if the cussing and sexual stuff hadn’t been in this movie ruining it for little kids, it’d still have been a terrible movie. The script was that bad.
Trust me. You don’t want to waste your money on this.
I’ll be thinking twice before spending mine on #3.
June 24, 2009
Anthony Wood’s MissionMessage – 6/15/09
More good stuff from my buddy Anthony Wood – RCM’s evangelist. This is an amazing, true story from the streets of North Little Rock.
The folks at RCM saved a homeless guy from comitting suicide, and then he turned around and saved a woman from being raped. Check it out:
Lord, what’s it like to save a life? You’ve done it so many times. What’s it like to see death coming for someone and then, You rescue them, save her life, without them really knowing what has happened until it’s over? What’s like to know, that without a shadow of doubt, someone has entered the shadow of the valley of death, with no exit in sight, and be lifted up and out of the pit? You do this quite often. Thanks for letting me watch.
Some people call him Joe, but his name really is John. He’s a good man with a devastating problem, and fatal. He’s been an alcoholic for quite some time, but that’s all changing now. Because, of You.
A couple of weeks ago John called me over as I walked across RCM’s parking lot. He said, “I only want to ask one thing of you Bro. Anthony.” I said, “Sure, if I can.” With a cold stare he spoke, “I only want you to pray for my soul because what I’m about to do I know is against God. Today is the day.” I asked, “Ok, what is it?” He stared, “I’m not telling you.” I smiled, “Then, I’m not praying for you.” Lord, I rarely do that, I mean, not honor that type of request, but it was my first mind and I credit Your Spirit with that answer. I stared back, and he was the first to blink, “Ok, I’ll tell you.” I took him to my office.
“Today’s the day,” John said with resolution. “For what?” I asked. “It’s over, today I’m gonna end it all. I’m tired of the pain, the chemo, I’ve had for the cancer I got from working on a job that had asbestos. And now, they want to do surgery, I don’t want them to cut on me. I gave away my last money to help some homeless people get a room. I’m gonna go to the river, it’s pretty swift, yeah, that should do it. I need you to pray for me Bro. Anthony, to ask God to have mercy on me, because today I’m gonna kill myself, will you let me use your phone to call my sister in Milwaukie so I can tell her goodbye?”
Amanda, our lead social worker said he would kill himself without some major intervention, Lord. He had all the classic signs of a person going to commit suicide. He had a plan, renounced his religion knowing God would not be pleased with his choice to die, gave away all his money, called is sister to say “goodbye,” but really through the defensiveness, he was crying out from the deepest part of his soul, “Help!”
He finally broke and agreed to go to the ER, thanked and hugged us when they took him back. It wasn’t long that he called threatening a lawsuit and asking why we did this to him, meaning lockdown. Well, of course, we didn’t make that decision. He did when the doctors reasoned that he was a danger to himself and others. They locked him down, the best thing that could’ve happened to him.
Four days later, John was out of the hospital, in an outpatient program and making his meetings, sober, and on his way to a halfway house to have the accountability he needs in his life. He came to me saying, “You guys literally saved my life. Thank you.”
A Saturday night a couple of weeks ago, while John was trying to sleep, he heard a ruckus next door to his apartment and a woman screaming. He got in the door to find three men hovering over a woman, naked on the floor, high from the drugs planted in her drink, and a table on top of her they has just thrown to hold her down.
John, Lord, stepped I, like You did for him, and told the guys he wasn’t going for it. He picked her up, as their mouths hung open, left, clothed her, and put her on the bus with a bit of money to continue her escape.
The next day, Sunday, John came to Clint to say, “I’m ready. I’ve put this off for too long but now I’m ready. I want God to have all of my life.” So Lord, You rescued John yet again, but this time for eternity. The new John, surrendered, come up out the water leaving the old corpse of sin in the grave.
Lord, You are a rescuing God, and I guess that’s because that’s just the way You are, and how You want us to be. We at RCM, because You lead us, rescued John, and in turn John rescued that lady, and in turn You rescued John from Satan and sin.
And by the way, Lord, thanks also for rescuing Bill last Sunday afternoon, whom You saved when he took the pile of pills to kill himself. You sent the police to find him behind an abandoned building that few people frequent. He woke up in the hospital alive. He still struggles, but he believes more in You now. You, Lord, the Great Rescuer. Thanks for letting me just be a servant boy in Your kingdom work of rescuing people You love.
“Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He sent forth his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave. Let them give thanks for his unfailing love, and his wonderful deeds for men (Psalms 107:19-21, NIV).”
Blessings,
Anthony Wood, Evangelist
River City Ministry
North Little Rock AR
Love it!
To subscribe to Anthony’s updates from RCM, send an note to awoodxulon@yahoo.com requesting to be added to the MissionMessage email list.
June 23, 2009
Governmental Oppression in the Digital Age Doesn’t Fly on the World Stage
If you haven’t seen this, check it out: http://www.youtube.com/citizentube
YouTube has created a special section of their site specifically for Iranian citizens to upload videos of governmental oppression (in case you’ve been living under a rock, here’s a link to stories regarding what’s going in in Iran right now).
Here’s a sample vid from YouTube’s special “citizentube” channel:
*Warning* – quick disclaimer: if you choose to peruse the channel, some of the videos you’ll encounter are extremely graphic. People are being killed in Iran, and the bullets are very real.
My thoughts: what’s going on in Iran right now is horrible. I hope things are resolved without too much more bloodshed, but I’m not too optimistic that they will be.
What’s very interesting to me is the role technology is playing in this situation.
Here we see the internet, a technology invented in the United States (NOT by Al Gore), intentionally created to be decentralized, unregulated, and easily accessed, fueling a revolution in Iran.
World leaders and citizens alike are watching the same videos on YouTube, and no one is left unaffected by the images they’re seeing. Everyone has an opinion - some more vocal than the others, but EVERYONE is seeing these images – some that will stick with us for a very long time. They’re shocking and sad …
Many moral people have argued for governmental regulation of the internet because of things like the prevalence of porn and other malicious content (like, instructions on how to build a bomb – don’t get any ideas, kids), but here we see the decentralized, unregulated nature of the web being used for something good.
Does the good outweigh the bad? Time will tell I suppose, but I, for one, am not going to complain too much in the meantime. I see too much good happening.
I’m impressed with YouTube – thumbs up!
-Wes
P.S. – Totally unrelated, but make a note to yourself: don’t sell weed, but if you do for some stupid reason, DON’T SELL IT ON CRAIGSLIST!
Yeah, governmental oppression in the digital age doesn’t fly on the world stage, and neither does selling pot on Craigslist.
That guy MUST have been smokin’ more than he was sellin’!
