KINGDOM INTERSECTION

  With Kobe Bryant surpassing Michael Jordan tonight for third on the all-time scoring list (32,293), it gives Lakers fans, like myself, a break, if only for a moment, to celebrate the Purple and Gold . We haven't had much to celebrate lately..., but I digress. I believe it is safe to say that Kobe is the most comparable we've seen on the court to the G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time) Michael Jordan. Grant Hill, Vince Carter, Tracey McGrady, Michael Finley, even Harold Miner, have all sparked conversation, and teased us with the possibility of filling the void MJ left. There were flashes, some MJ-esque performances and moments. Yet, whether due to nagging injuries; possessing good, just not great talent; or displaying what was perceived as lack of intestinal fortitude, these players fell short of being Jordan's heir (air) apparent. Kobe however, best harnessed the elite talent in addition with the killer instinct and what Skip Bayless of ESPN calls the "clutch gene&

Saying that the discussion on homosexuality is a live issue is an understatement. With the definition of sexuality (and marriage) targeted by a relentless barrage of advocacy for the gay lifestyle, the virtual landscape of human civilization and society is sought to be rewritten. The questions of: what is a marriage, what is a family, what constitutes normal and healthy sexual activity, are no longer axiomatic - and any worldview (championed by the Judeo/Christianity) that supports those once undoubted empirically adequate understandings concerning sex (sexual identity), marriage and family, quintessential to human flourishing, are at best disregarded as archaic. Last year I launched what I called a "pre-emptive strike" on the raging discussion on homosexuality (see here ). Up until that point, at least in my estimation, the topic had not ventured into the marketplace of discussion in the Cayman Islands, with any meaningfulness or sense of urgency, even among those in th

Survey questions; a time limit; a host with comedic ability; and $20,000.00 on the line – I call that a recipe for laughter! Pork-what? My, my, my!

(I'll be using SDA, Adventist, Seventh-day Adventist throughout this post - I hope this is acceptable) There's a large number of Seventh-day Adventist in the Cayman Islands. And if you've ever had a  conversation concerning Christianity or the bible, specifically landing on or simply hinting at the topics of day of "worship" (Saturday vs. Sunday) and/or The Law(Ten Commandments) with a Seventh Day Adventist, you know to expect a gripping verbal battle, that too often ends unfruitfully. Disclaimer: this may or may not be the practice with all SDA's in other jurisdictions. But it seems to be a common dogma of Adventist on these Islands, to seek to engage in a sort of argumentative apologetic. Granted, discussions are rarely done well from either side. So I thought I would pose five questions to my Adventist friends, as a way, I hope, will stimulate better conversations and by God's grace, fortify a more faithful exegisis of the scriptures as the point of r

This is my first "blog round-up" - where I provide the links (with a short summary) to other "blogites" and their recent and some not so recent posts. These are posts that I've enjoyed and was blessed by, and thought they might have the same effect on your soul. This sort of blog sharing is not my concept, and I think that's why it's such a good one.  So here goes: I wrote what I thought, and what turned out to be a pre-emptive strike on the subject of Homosexuality and Same-Sex Marriage in the Cayman Islands last May (see here ). Kevin DeYoung was one of the sources used which help me think through many of the current topics surrounding homosexuality and same sex marriage. In this thoughtful and provoking blog DeYoung has five questions for that brother or sister who believes that the bible supports same-sex marriage. http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2014/06/17/five-questions-for-christians-who-support-gay-marriage/ Men, step onto

  Tree to Tree by Da T.R.UTH   I love the intensity and imagery of this song. Whats more, I love the duality - the concept that mankind's history is bookended by two trees.          On That Cross by FLAME   FLAME is one of my favorite Christian Hip-Hip artist. I love how intentional he is about creating his songs from Scripture. In this track, FLAME is expressing his awe in what Christ did on the cross for us.         Resurrection by Da T.R.U.T.H.   The Resurrection story told in rap-acapella style. This is one of my favorite tracks of all time; and one of the first Christian rap songs I memorized.           Jesus Is Alive by Shai Linne   "........however, Jesus is Alive!" One of the only rap songs I ever heard iincluded in a sermon as a sing-a-long.         My Funeral's Soundtrack by Stephen the Levite   I just love Stephen the Levite. And this track is just a reminder of what Christs'

The Decision was n ot Black & White (when I refer to race - I mean "race as ethnicity", unless otherwise stated) In July, it will be five years since I married my "good thing", God's favor to me, my wife Ronnie. Six years or so ago, around the time I was waiting for God to split the sky and in a loud voice (a mix between James Earl Jones and Morgan Freeman) tell me to "marry Ronnie," I was surprised, as God's answer came through my mentor and Pastor at the time, in a similar baritone voice no less. The answer was that, you choose who you marry. Really? Is that how it works? As I reminisce further, a specific thought comes to mind, and it is the reason for, and mainstay of this blog post. In my decision to marry, I realize that in weighing the pros and cons, scrutinizing godly attributes, and determining negotiables and non-negotiables, my wife's hue was, delightfully, given little to no attention. I say delightfully out of a

Unfortunately, if you are a Denver Broncos supporter the game was a laughfer as well. But as usual the commercials were good, some hits and misses but overall the Marketing/Public Relations teams for some of our most popular consumer items, did not disappoint. Here are some of my favorites.    Kia K900    Cheerios   Doritos   T-Mobile   Toyota   M&M's    

  "The conscious water saw its Master and blushed."   Alexander Pope   A friend recently asked me about miracles. He asked if as a Christian, “do I find myself trying to logically dissect and/or comprehend miracles? “Well of course my answer was, “no…. I understand everything God does, and every facet of the supernatural workings of miracles…….” OK, enough frivolity :-). The truth is, while on this side of glorification, finding oneself intelligibly questioning the metaphysical realities of the Christian faith is commonplace, what’s more, it is even healthy. Why? It signals the active engaging of the head with the heart. This is not to say that those who find miracles less intellectually provoking and accept without question, are without thought; or equally that those with more questions are diminished or diminishing in wonder concerning God and the miraculous. Quite simply, it speaks to our individual uniqueness as Christians: some of us are questioners; some of us

A pastor I admired very much once said to me that he "felt naked if not in a suit" whilst behind the pulpit. He continued his soliloquy by adding "a suit to a pastor is the equivalent to the white coat of a doctor; it’s our uniform", he concluded. “Quite poetic” I thought, a bit much, but I could understand his position. I guess when you’re in the business of preaching the life giving gospel of Christ, a comparison to a physician is apropos. With that said, I have a confession to make; "I have a love of fashion." For many of you close to me this is no confession at all. I’m considered, by a very small number of you, to be quite fashionable, which I credit to, if nothing else, my mother (I have to say that) and my avid perusal of GQ Magazine. In addition to my GQ subscription I also watch things on fashion, not everything, for as you can imagine, there are more things that are of the “not beneficial” fold. But I did very much enjoy this documentary on the

  For all our days pass away under your wrath; we bring our years to an end like a sigh. 10 The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away. 11 Who considers the power of your anger, and your wrath according to the fear of you? 12 So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. 13 Return, O Lord ! How long? Have pity on your servants! 14 Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. 15 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, and for as many years as we have seen evil. (Psalms 90:9-15)   Another year has come and gone, and we are all one year older; just thought I'd remind you. And now that the nostalgia from all the celebration, champagne, kisses, and well wishes to mark the end of another 12 months has dissipated; if you’re

"Philosophically, you can believe anything, so long as you do not claim it to be true. Morally, you can practice anything, so long as you do not claim that it is a "better" way. Religiously, you can hold to anything, so long as you do not bring Jesus Christ into it. If a spiritual idea is eastern, it is granted critical immunity; if western, it is criticized. Thus, a journalist can walk into a church and mock its carryings on, but he or she dare not do the same if the ceremony is from the eastern fold. Such is the mood at the end of the twentieth century. A mood can be a dangerous state of mind, because it can crush reason under the weight of feeling. But that is precisely what I believe postmodernism best represents-a mood." ( Ravi Zacharias: Jesus Among Other Gods) If you're Christian, living, working, raising children in this world, you should be all too familiar with this mode of thinking and the debilitating effect it has on one trying to live an open