No need to comment

This is the kind of thing that the web is full of. I've spent days lately surfing and trying to understand the world that we live in. But without success. Man's heart truly is evil beyond measure.

Click here
and here

I didn't intend to comment - but I have to. While we live lives of affluence and trivia, these kids are abused by the thousands. It's our responsibility as Christians to do something about this. It's not a choice. God didn't put us here to have a picnic. We're to be salt and light to a rotten , corrupt world. Pray that God will break your heart for the world around you.

Looking for a Daddy

I sit here with tears in my eyes, in fact streaming down my face, as I think of things around me.

This adoption thing just won't let me go. I still haven't persuaded Steve Curtis Chapman to change his mind and play Belfast on August 2nd. But I'm trying. So I was reading a bit more background material on him to try to find the key to persuading him.

Anyway, I ended up at his adoption site again. And then I clicked on to a page listing little kids waiting for adoption. Little ready made families for someone, normal little boys who love computer games and normal things. But they have no families.

My mind couldn't help but go to my own two little boys. Daniel's 9 (I think!) and Ryan's 6. Today we wrestled, played the computer and hugged a lot. And we went out for dinner. We had fun. And we laughed. What a cruel world that deprives little children of the joy of parental affection. I can't help but imagine my two boys sitting in a home somewhere waiting.......and hoping.....to be loved. It breaks my heart to even think about it.

Give thanks to God tonight that you have a home. That you have parents who love you. And shed a tear for these little kids who have to keep on waiting and hoping.

The web-site is here.

God's calling?

Bear with me on this one.... About three weeks ago I agreed to host a gig with Steve Curtis Chapman. Looks now like the gig has fallen through but that neither here nor there.

As sometimes happens, you know the artist and you know a bit about them, but as soon as you sign a concert you go and dig a bit. Find out what makes them tick, who they really are. It soon became obvious that Steve is driven by the issue of adoption. He has adopted three beautiful little chinese girls (see above)

That really got me thinking about adoption and the chance we have to TOTALLY turn around a life in Jesus' name. I was running this over in my mind for a few days but forgot the issue a little when I went to Glasgow with Third Day. After the gig I'm sitting in the Hilton talking to Brad the guitarist and we're discussing flying. He tells me he's just been to Australia, how long it took and so on, Then he tells me that he's taking his whole family to China next month. "Holiday?" I ask. No, going to collect a little girl we've just adopted, he tells me. I could barely hide my excitement for him. And he could barely contain his. So it was back on my "thought" agenda again.

Yesterday I agreed to host Tony Campolo next May in Belfast, with an American artist called Geoff Moore. Went to Geoff's website - guess what? TWO chinese orphan daughters! I think God's telling me something. Here are Geoff's girls....



Geoff points out that adoption is a perfect picture of God's relationship with us. He chose us, he gave us the rights of His children. He adopted us. Should we be prepared to do any less?

Generosity

Rob Bell who released the Nooma videos is coming to Belfast in a few weeks. If you look through YouTube you'll find many "rip-offs" of Nooma. Most are crap, but some have real content.

The following is one. Hope it makes you think.

Gotta start somewhere

Been blogging occasionally on bebo, but think it's time to move it to here.

Just finished a couple of dates promoting Third Day in Belfast and Glasgow and joined them on their London show as well. Used Brian Houston as support on both gigs and he was a HUGE success. Well, with most people.

Brian's an edgy character and it's strange how church people don't know where to put people like Brian. They don't have a ready made box for him.

He told me last night that when I was first introduced to him about three years ago, he heard mostly negatives about me. I heard the same about him. And we both heard the negatives from other Christians in the music business. Funny how the first things we hear about people are usually the bad things.

Why don't we try for a week just to talk people up instead of down. To emphasise peoples gifts rather than their shortcomings. That would be good.