Kopp Disclosure
(John 3:19-21)
@#$%
I have thought,
said, and done some very stupid things in my life.
This was among
the worst.
"So,
Eugene," I asked, "what translation of the Bible do you use for
personal devotions?"
Parenthetically,
uh, he's the author/translator/paraphraser of The Message along with 40+ best-selling
books.
He answered,
"I use my Greek text."
"Oh," I
muttered.
My life changed again in October 2011.
A week in
Montana with Eugene and three covenant brothers.
It wasn't his
wife's observation of church life: "Some people are like farts in the
elevator. It takes just one. Everyone suffers. Nobody
escapes."
It wasn't even
the wisdom more than knowledge that he shared; though I will never forget
these nuggets: "Devotional reading of the Bible is more like sucking a
lozenge than gulping down a meal...As we do less, God does more...Simple is
profound...I never tried to get people to do anything when I was pastor.
You don't have to persuade Christians to follow Jesus...It's not what you are
doing; but who you are in doing it...Motivational speaking is often a sly way
of manipulating. You don't have to motivate Christians...Get out of the
way!"
It's when God let
me see the truth in Matthew 15 and 23.
It's when God
taught me that remnant and John 17 and...are not about running from the
fire...but running to it to save...salt, shine, and leavenate.
Undershepherding is not
monastic. It is going out into the world to salt, shine, leavanate,
and...save.
Undershepherding is not
just bandaging the wounded; but picking up the rod/staff/armor/weaponry to
protect/prevent people from being wounded.
Undershepherding is not
about finding comfort zones for ourselves; but moving out of our comfort zones
like Paul, Luther, Calvin, Bonhoeffer, King, and...who got it from...Jesus.
It's when God
started to transform my intellectual and spiritual passion for agape loving to include
emotional liking.
I did not want
it.
I did not ask for
it.
I did not...
He did.
It wasn't natural
for me.
It was
supernatural for Him.
It started back
in October 2011.
It is ruining my
relationships with...
It/He won't stop.
That's why this
is not for publication; unless, of course,...
@#$%
@#$%
Not
for Publication
@#$%
Before
I knew Jesus as Lord and Savior, I was a total jerk.
Jesus
became a part of my life when I started hanging out with Him.
Now
that Jesus is a part of my life, I am still a jerk but not totally.
If I
could leave you with one thing, Jesus is the answer to every question!
@#$%
Born
Again Again
October
12-14, 2011
Flathead
Lake
Lakeside,
Montana
@#$%
Please don’t tell anybody;
‘cause I’d lose “cred” with people who actually like me.
Don’t
bother: “Bob, you can count the people who really like you on…”
I
know.
I’m
running behind Joel about a trillion to one in sales.
Humiliating.
Anyway,
I’m falling in love and like with…everybody.
I
stopped getting stoned after New Year’s Eve of my freshman year in college.
I
wasn’t getting any work done and spending too much $ at Burger King.
Maybe
I’m mellowing.
Nah.
Maybe I’ve picked up Grandpa
Jacob’s cancer genes.
Don’t
think so.
Maybe
I’m not a Psalm 62 kinda guy.
Nope,
I am.
Maybe
I’ve been spending more time with Jesus and there’s no room in that
relationship for…
Could
be.
It’s/He’s
the only thing that makes sense to me.
All
I know about this are two things.
First,
I haven’t gotten a prescription for medical weed.
Second,
anger, hate, dislike, and the unlike are not listed by the apostle as
gifts of the Holy Spirit or proof/evidence of being tight with…
All
I know is I saw some really nasty things written about me and people I really
love last night…and felt only sadness…and then prayerfulness.
All
I know is I was the only guy moderator at the church meeting today with
chairwomen who were all to the left of me…and all that I could feel in my gut
was…love…like…and strange warmth.
I
didn’t even ride to the meeting on my pony.
O.K.,
my daddy often said, “Son, with a mind like yours, you don’t need acid. You hallucinate naturally.”
It
accelerated in October 2011 with Eugene and three covenant brothers.
It
keeps accelerating.
I
keep feeling better and better and better…falling more and more and more in
love and like with…
I’m
only scratching the surface of my relationship with God; but I think that’s
what He…
@#$%
@#$%
Blessings and Love!
@#$%
4 comments:
Thanx I need to save this and meditate on it. PS My Greek ain't that good
OK, Dr. Bob, loved the “now I’m still a jerk, just not totally.” And I know U try hard to respond with as few words as possible, but…
Were you in a Presbytery meeting with a bunch of liberal women…or somewhere else?
Who said the bad things about you and those U love? Those women?
What were the bad things? Lies, politically correct crap? Something else?
You intrigued me and piqued my curiosity!!!
Non-Dr. Bob
Bob,
Q&A:
1. I was in a meeting of presbytery's committee moderators (big shots). I was the only male chairguy in the room. All of the significant positions, including moderator and next in line except for the E/GP/SC, were female. It provided an opportunity to say, "I think this is an interesting role reversal. It does not bother me as much as it has bothered you."
2. No, it was a very sick - oppressed to... - person who has been extraordinarily and consistently and sacrificially blessed by the church with loads of affirmation and $ who bit the hand that...because we disciplined his unGodly behaviors. Interesting how often that happens from people who get the most and give the least. I have a KD coming out about that in the new year called "Scratching the Surface of Enemies - loving the unlovable." And, Oh Lord, that dude qualifies as a poster child.
3. But, yes, there were interruptions when I spoke; especially on theological/spiritual/ideological matters. Instead of listening to the full context, I was interrupted many times by, "I disagree...That's not true...I think..." While mostly nice, kinda respectful... Payback for years of being in the minority, I guess. Reminds me of the white glove putting on the black glove once the black glove was... Yep, the greatest temptations for a young girl/boy is sex, the greatest temptation for an older girl/boy is money, and the greatest temptation for a woman/man is power.
In short, we live in eschatologically Ephesians 6 times to the max.
Blessings and Love!
YES!!! The Gospel can be untidy, intrusive, interruptive, but always, always relevant! It's about those whom Jesus died for, especially those who don't get it/Him but need Him in the most desperate way.
Thank you for being Light, Salt, and Real!
Love you
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