Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Not for Publication


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    That's why this is not for publication; unless, of course,...


@#$%


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Not for Publication



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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…


@#$%


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Blessings and Love!

@#$%


4 comments:

DG said...

Thanx I need to save this and meditate on it. PS My Greek ain't that good

Bob said...

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

Dr. Robert R. Kopp said...

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!

Ella Jane said...

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