We need to pray for the people of Chile who experienced an 8.8 earthquake today (Saturday) and the people of Argentina who experienced a 6.3 earthquake today. Remember Taylor Gellman, daughter of Larry & Barbara Gellman from our church who is down in Chile with her fiancee who is from there. We have not heard from her yet. Whenever these things happen, it is easy to start thinking about the end times and that is not inappropriate.

Mark 13:8 "For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will also be famines. These things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.

We are living in the end times, and these things will keep happening as we get closer. Check out this interesting article. "Big quake question: Is nature out of control?" Here's a quote from that article.

However, "relative to the 20-year period from the mid-1970s to the mid 1990s, the Earth has been more active over the past 15 or so years," said Stephen S. Gao, a geophysicist at Missouri University of Science and Technology. "We still do not know the reason for this yet. Could simply be the natural temporal variation of the stress field in the earth's lithosphere." (The lithosphere is the outer solid part of the Earth.)

We should understand that this is not a new sign, not a bigger sign, just an ongoing sign that we are in the end times and have been for quite a while. When the end will finally come, we don't know, but the Bible reminds us to be ready and to stay ready and not become complacent. As always, we should remember that this world is not our final home, we are only staying here a short while and we need to live our lives with our final home in mind.

As I spent time with my kids today having a good time playing with them and working on things with them, I was hit with a thought. I was watching my oldest son finishing up lunch and on the CD player was a song based on Proverbs 20:11. "Even a child is known by his actions, by whether his conduct is pure and right." As I looked at my son, I thought about who he is and who he is going to be. Although he is four going on five right now, he will not be a child for long. Already he is growing into the man he will become in the next 14 years. I thought about the fact that I am not raising a child, I am raising an adult. When I am done I don't want a child, I want a man. Each day, as I put time into my three kids, it needs to be with that goal and vision in mind. Everything I put in, or allow to be put in, to my kids is shaping the adult that they will be. I am raising adults. I know some parents who are raising kids. When the child turns 18 they will still be a kid. They will still be a kid at 25. These days there are too many in our society that are still kids regardless of their age. I am not interested in adding to that number. I am not raising children, I am raising adults. May I remember that each day as I build into my daughter's and my sons' lives.

So, Elton John said "I think Jesus was a compassionate, super-intelligent gay man who understood human problems." Interesting. His comment has elicited outrage by many Christians for stating that Jesus was gay. What I find interesting is part of the underlying assumption here. Since Jesus was compassionate, loving, forgiving, etc., he is obviously gay because those are gay qualities. Really now? For years and years now, our culture has been redefining manhood, and I am afraid that the homosexual movement has had help from those who are against homosexuality. We have allowed manhood to become more and more "macho" and allowed "softer" traits such as compassion, tenderness, emotions, sensitivity, etc. to be equated with feminine or "gay" tendencies. This trend really bugs me. To illustrate, let me point to the Lord of the Ring movies. I love the books and I really enjoyed the movies with one glaring exception. They weakened almost all the male characters. Some examples.

• Aragorn: In the book; purposefully pursuing his destiny as king. Strong. In the movie; fleeing his destiny, hesitant, needing to be convinced by his woman friend.
• Elrond: In the book; raised Aragorn to be King, supportive of daughter, working to help men succeed. In the movie; sullen, doubtful of Aragorn, contemptuous of men, pressures daughter to do what he wants.
• Faramir: In the book; more noble than brother, not tempted by ring, helps Frodo in quest. In the movie; living in shadow of brother, tries to take Frodo home to prove self, only finally wakes up to right thing to do.
• Gandalf: In the book; ready to face Moria, even knowing the danger. In the movie; afraid to go into Moria, tries to avoid it even though Aragorn recommends it.
• King Theoden: In the book; once awakened by Gandalf, leads his people to a confrontation with the enemy. In the movie; ignores Gandalf's advice and flees with his people only to have conflict find him anyway, then finally agrees to fight.

Each man is made less noble, less virtuous. It is the way our society is downplaying men. A man need not be "macho" to be a man. A strong man is strong enough to be sensitive, to be compassionate, to lead while being emotionally honest and open. It is weakness to have to suppress these things. Jesus was not gay or effeminate because he was compassionate and forgiving. He was strong! God is described as "the strong one like a mother nursing her child." Men, be strong, be protectors, be manly, not macho. Understand that vulnerability, compassion, forgiveness, sensitivity do not make you less of a man, they make you more of one. As Christians, lets us avoid playing into the stereotypes of manhood provided by the world. It is twisted and backwards. Let's be real men, like Jesus!

I've been enjoying watching the Olympics. Sarah and I have spent a couple of evenings cuddled on the couch watching the competition. Shaun White is amazing! Also enjoyed Lindsey Vonn do such a great job through pain. It was a good day for American athletes. So of course I think of Paul talking about the games in Corithians. He talked about how you have to use self control to try to win. You look at the work that these guys put into preparing for this game. And then it is over and they are on to the next thing. Although a gold medal is more durable than the wreaths they used to pass out in Paul's day, they are still a perishable reward. Paul encourages us to put that much work into living the Christian life. Do we practice, sacrifice, push ourselves to do well as Christians. We don't do this to earn Christ's love. We already have it. But we now want to please the one who loves us. Our reward will come. Today and tomorrow is the youth group retreat. It is going to be a busy end of the week.

How do you treat your enemies? Is there someone who has hurt you? Do you have someone that is against you, or you think they are? How do you treat them/talk about them/react to them? Are you mean? Dismissive? Silent treatment? Do you talk them down to others? Rehearse their errors or misdeeds to others? Do you make sure you "tell them off?" Are you a Christian?

"But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. "Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. "Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. "Treat others the same way you want them to treat you. "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. "If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. "If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. "But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. (Luke 6:27-36)

I know too many Christians who talk a lot about how much they love God and how much they are growing, but look at their treatment of enemies. How about you? How are you treating your enemies? Like Jesus?