Last week I took Caleb to see Ghost Rider. This is a new movie staring Nicholas Cage. The short version is that the Devil tricks Johnny Blaze, (Cage) into trading his soul for his father’s health. (Side Bar – You can never trust the devil in any deal. He is a liar and he can be no other.) Without giving away the plot, when Johnny has the opportunity to undo the deal he turns it down.  He tells the devil “I’m going to keep this curse and use it as weapon against you.” I learned some years back that very often the only way to fight a sin that we love is to go to war against it in everyway that we can. The only weapon close to the strength of love is a holy hatred of evil.  

I used to ask teens if they could name evil . . . I used to ask them if there was any evil thing that they hated with holiness. I know some folks are squeamish about using the word hate, but it’s not a profane word. There are things we need to hate. Certainly, we should hate the things that God hates. The Telemicus Files are primarily for commenting on noble people who do noble things. With our Lord as the model of genuine nobility, his life calls us to be more than average, deeper than shallow, stronger than weakness and holier than sin. When those who should have a holy hatred for evil, who should stand against it, instead embrace what is evil, we have the breakdown of righteousness and order. 

Ministers caught with prostitutes, Prosecutors involved in crimes, mothers who gave life take it instead, teens just beginning their lives resort to ending them – these break our hearts and wound us as a people. I think we need to stand up against what is evil. Paul said, “…Hate what is evil; cling to what is good (Romans 12:9).   The Ghost Rider shows us something of nobility. I think we should use the curse of sin against our enemy.  telemicus out

When I was a teenager, like most teens, I spent a lot of time in my room – laying across the bed listening to the radio. And like every generation, we lived through the music that we heard.  We listened to the Beatles and wanted to hold her hand. We felt groovy before we really knew what it was. We were philosophical about life asking, “Does anyone really know what time it is?” We loved Dylan even though he couldn’t sing - because he had the courage to say things we only thought. We lived the romance of, “If a man could be two places at one time I’d be with you.” And the anger of saying, “I’m already gone!” 

In the 90s I was doing full time youth ministry. At a “lock-in” I heard a new band with a unique sound called Counting Crows. The tape was being piped through the sanctuary sound system and in the middle of the song, Mister Jones, I heard him say… “Man I wish I was beautiful.” It stuck with me because I’ve felt that way. Not that I have issues about what I look like, it is what it is. But the desire to be desirable is another thing. We all want to be attractive in certain ways. I want to be a good writer. You may desire to be a good public speaker or a capable artist. We would all like to be competent enough to be sought after for what we do.  

Paul says, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” (Romans 10:15) I guess what I want to say is this. If the message of your life is good news, then you are beautiful in that regard. We can’t all be rock stars – in the Kingdom sense. But we can be those who bring good news. We can encourage those with broken hearts. You can lift the spirit of someone struggling with the load life has given. We can relieve the pressures of life if only for a moment.   You know those that you love because they are just good, godly people – they are beautiful. If you wish you were beautiful, become a person who is others focused. Those who truly love others are the ones who are truly happy. As the song says, “But when everybody loves me, I’m going to be just about as happy as can be. Mr. Jones and me, we’re gonna be big stars…” telemicus out

Over recent weeks, we’ve been watching that social train wreck that is - American Idol. I’m not a fan of Simon Cowell. I think he is rude, insensitive, usually honest to a fault and sometimes brutally harsh. He even told one contestant that he was “funny looking.” But I do appreciate his candor. It seems the more clueless a person is, the more harsh is his critique.  It’s surprising that so many people want to be “the next American Idol.” It’s amazing that so many think they can sing when the clearly can’t. It’s more amazing that some of them get so angry when they are told the truth. It’s truly astounding that so many of their so-called friends encourage them to go before the entire nation and demonstrate their lack of talent. But beyond all that, it’s shocking that so many are so strongly deluded about their talent. Thus the need for a Simon Cowell. 

Maybe there are times when we simply don’t get it unless someone blasts through our delusions and preoccupations with sufficient force to get our attention. Jesus on several occasions was quite harsh with his closest friends. You’ll recall his response to Peter, “Get behind me Satan!” Very harsh. He made the comment, “Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!” Pretty harsh. When James and John offered to call down fire on some Samaritans, Jesus rebuked them and said, “You don’t know what spirit you’re of.” This was kind of harsh too.  

This harshness is not meanness. It is not carelessness. If you walk with Christ long enough, he will hurt you, not because he takes joy in our pain, but because we grow through struggle.  We mature through hard lessons, painful experiences and even evil people. Rich Mullins said regarding Joseph and the struggles that he faced, “God did not give Joseph any special information about how to get from being the son of a nomad in

Don’t resent the harshness that comes your way. If it’s truly rubbish, throw it out with no second thought. However, you should look to see if it is valid; listen to what is instructive and if it’s convicting – repent. Harshness will hurt your feelings. But don’t miss the value of a harsh but godly rebuke – even if it comes from a Simon. telemicus out

Every so often one of my girls will come to me and say something like, “Dad, you’re so wonderful and since you love me sooooo much…..” You know how that works. They don’t come expressing their need, (or want) they come appealing to my love for them. As long as you know you’re being played I guess that’s ok. They know that love carries more weight than the need, (or want). 

Bartimaeus, the blind man, was at that place in his life. Well perhaps he wasn’t… but he was at the place of need coupled with opportunity. As he sat by the road, begging – the Lord passed that way. The text says, “When he heard that it was Jesus of