tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-299883642011-10-21T14:50:45.051-05:00True greatness is not determined by how much you achieve, but rather how much you emptied yourself into the lives of others.Andy Zookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049643589421433872noreply@blogger.comBlogger321100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29988364.post-77507814491657586742009-06-05T21:38:00.002-05:002009-06-05T21:50:41.412-05:00

I observed a funeral today. I don't know why they are so intriguing to me. Perhaps it is that a funeral signals finality in ones life. For seventy some odd years (that is 25,550 days by the way) life faithfully spins on, then in a moment it's over. In life, unlike death, we always have opportunity to change. Whatever trial, challenge, or circumstance we find ourselves in, there is always a

Andy Zookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049643589421433872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29988364.post-83278099932293921752009-04-20T06:13:00.003-05:002009-04-20T06:19:30.746-05:00

“When groups of seemingly disparate people defect and band together in the way of Jesus, they form what we might call unterror cells. They secretly plot detonations of hope. They quietly conspire to set off explosions of spontaneous kindness. They plan gentle coup d'etats to replace regimes of domination and oppression with movements of empowerment and service. In a complete overthrow of

Andy Zookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049643589421433872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29988364.post-91314416914211148742008-07-28T08:29:00.001-05:002008-07-28T08:31:48.243-05:00

These were the words of David immediately after Nathan busted David for having an affair with a married woman and having her husband killed when that woman became pregnant with David's love child. Strange really. He did not say, “I have sinned against Bathsheba, whose life I have disrupted and whose unborn child I have endangered”. He did not say “I have sinned against Uriah the Hittite who

Andy Zookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049643589421433872noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29988364.post-68331772255631516242008-03-01T17:48:00.001-06:002008-03-01T17:50:38.014-06:00

The church cannot just become a place where we go once a week, wear our nice cloths, smile when we feel like crying, sing songs of life as though they were death dirges, listen to a professional theologian and then go home to repeat until dead. God had a better idea. The church is not a place where we go. If you are a partner in God's dream for Shalom, a world whole and complete. If the

Andy Zookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049643589421433872noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29988364.post-37699325830896010662008-02-20T07:18:00.000-06:002008-02-20T07:19:25.683-06:00

The things that are of true value are not those things of material value, but those thing, times, experiences, relationships that enriched our souls and the souls of others. Our true trophies are those things that will transition into eternity where rust cannot destroy and moths will not eat.In the end we will give an account. What did we do over our life with the resources we were given by God?

Andy Zookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049643589421433872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29988364.post-57364303586596196432007-11-13T07:27:00.001-06:002007-11-13T07:29:40.270-06:00

Let me say from the start that I believe there is a real heaven and a real hell. But, is it the best strategy to gain converts to Christianity by threatening them with the prospect of burning in hell for eternity? How would you feel if when you met your prospective spouse someone held a gun to your head and said “if you don’t take this person to be your spouse we are going to shoot you in the

Andy Zookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049643589421433872noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29988364.post-41322375924662286812007-09-10T06:59:00.000-05:002007-09-10T07:06:06.453-05:00

That’s right you heard me. Jesus did not come to earth as a baby to a poor Nazarene carpenter, start a three year ministry, get falsely accused, go through a kangaroo court, get beaten and brutally sacrificed on a cross and rose to life again three days later so that you would spend your whole life trying to get to heaven! Yes, I do believe in heaven and I do believe in hell. But I believe

Andy Zookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049643589421433872noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29988364.post-1016458308802320772007-07-07T18:14:00.000-05:002007-07-07T18:18:55.985-05:00

Jesus, right after being tempted in the wilderness, began His ministry. One of the first things He did was to go to His home town. Once there He went to the synagogue and read from the Torah from the book of Isaiah chapter 61.Isaiah 61 (NASB) The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORDhas anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bindup the brokenhearted, To

Andy Zookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049643589421433872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29988364.post-67779084460075729602007-04-17T07:26:00.001-05:002007-04-17T07:32:05.743-05:00

Sometimes our prayer life is like a young adult coming home to visit mom and dad. They waltz into the front door where they find dad on his easy chair and mom on hers. They enter the throne room and begin to speak. They tell of all the woe experienced since their last meeting. They sing an all too familiar refrain of “woe is me” and the chorus of “I deserve better”. They wrap it up with a reprise

Andy Zookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049643589421433872noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29988364.post-86046433846086954962007-03-18T16:32:00.000-05:002007-03-18T16:41:04.138-05:00

I don’t believe that God wrapped himself in flesh, was born a scandalous birth to a poor working class family, rescued from attempts on his life as a small child, healed the sick, feed the hungry, encouraged, taught, was falsely accused, beaten, crucified, buried and raised again … so we could join together every Sabbath to talk about it, and leave as un changed as we came … week after week …

Andy Zookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049643589421433872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29988364.post-42850178292839674772007-03-09T07:14:00.000-06:002007-03-09T07:16:03.119-06:00

Romans 2:28 A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 29 No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, butfrom God.The gospel that Jesus brought was one in which He sought to describe the Kingdom of God/Heaven. John the

Andy Zookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049643589421433872noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29988364.post-52855439898348369992007-03-06T20:16:00.001-06:002007-03-06T20:16:44.124-06:00

Baron Alfred Tennyson said 'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.’ (In Memoriam. xxvii. Stanza 4.) I guess my entire life I have thought of this verse when I consider the loss of someone I love. The disconnect that comes when someone dies or just breaks fellowship or the future dreams of romance or sharing our lives together as one are shattered (which is in itself

Andy Zookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049643589421433872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29988364.post-1169644801642223952007-01-24T07:18:00.000-06:002007-01-24T07:20:01.653-06:00

My soul longs for that which is good, righteous and holy. When my soul sees or experiences this, it leaps for joy. I feel warmth come over me like a young child laying in the tall grass gazing up at the clear blue sky on a spring day. It is warm and comfortable. My soul was created for goodness. My soul was created for communion with God and others. My soul longs for connection. My soul

Andy Zookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049643589421433872noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29988364.post-1165844425308240402006-12-11T07:39:00.000-06:002006-12-11T07:40:25.320-06:00

Thomas A. Kempis wrote long ago that “the Lord has many lovers of His crown, but few lovers of His cross.” I find this to be no less true in our day and age. I think that we have missed the point if we gaze upon the cross and ponder the crown. To fill our minds with heavenly thoughts while faced with the brutality and pain of the cross is a travesty. Jesus came to show us a way of life. He

Andy Zookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049643589421433872noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29988364.post-1163876741984098582006-11-18T13:04:00.000-06:002006-11-18T13:05:42.000-06:00

I believe that there is a heaven and a hell. But, I do not think of hell as others do nor do I think of heaven as others do either. There are those who go through their lives and seek out only that which brings themselves joy and happiness. Their sacrifices are only designed to better themselves or feather their own nests. They care for only that which betters their own circumstances and if

Andy Zookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049643589421433872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29988364.post-1163365865710174352006-11-12T15:10:00.000-06:002006-11-12T15:11:05.730-06:00

Today, our pastor taught on the glory of God. At one point, he said that “we must go to the cross”. He said that we must think about all that Jesus did on the cross on our behalf and in that we will see the Glory of God as the Son is lifted up. I do not disagree with any of that. But, I feel, that it stops short of the whole message of the cross. To see and experience the glory of God, we

Andy Zookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049643589421433872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29988364.post-1163079177272208682006-11-09T07:32:00.000-06:002006-11-09T07:32:57.293-06:00

Why is it that we are so afraid to share our faith with people? Or, why do we get so discouraged when we share our faith but the person rejects the message? Could it be that the message we have to share is really not the message Jesus shared with the people of his time. Could it be that deep down in our hearts we know the truth and that is why we shy away from sharing our faith. It is kind of

Andy Zookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049643589421433872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29988364.post-1161002228907347962006-10-16T07:35:00.000-05:002006-10-16T07:37:08.923-05:00

In Africa when a hunter wants rest and not worry about being eaten by lions, they build a hedge row around them of thorns. The Lions are unable to get through the hedge row without inflicting great personal damage. As a result, the hunter inside the hedge can rest in the security of knowing that they are safe from attack.The bible says that “above all else, guard your heart because it is the

Andy Zookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049643589421433872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29988364.post-1159961644906832782006-10-04T06:33:00.000-05:002006-10-04T06:34:04.920-05:00

In Rick Warren’s best selling book “The Purpose Driven Life” the first sentence in the book reads: “It’s not about you.”. And although I believe this to be true to an extent, I believe that at a profound level that indeed it is ALL about you. God created you for a purpose. Your ultimate purpose in life is to glorify God. I take this to mean that He wants to determine if you will choose to

Andy Zookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049643589421433872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29988364.post-1158058239102448402006-09-12T05:50:00.000-05:002006-09-18T15:14:37.806-05:00

What is joy? I know a lot of smart people who have considered this question who have come up with wonderful answers. But, for me, joy is the anticipation of goodness and blessing. Joy is not about the here and now, but about the promise of better things to come. If faith is the evidence of things not seen, then joy is the excitement and anticipation that goes with that faith. Joy arrives as a

Andy Zookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049643589421433872noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29988364.post-1157029635857326022006-08-31T08:06:00.000-05:002006-10-16T12:52:58.710-05:00

Everyday we labor. Our labor is building a kingdom. Everyday we journey. Our journey takes us toward a destination. Even in our idleness we are laboring and journeying. Even our lack of activity be it positive or negative is the act of laying one stone on another, or putting one foot in front of the other. In the heart of man, our feet are always moving and our hands are always busy. So, the

Andy Zookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049643589421433872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29988364.post-1156267064042629622006-08-22T12:15:00.000-05:002006-08-22T12:17:44.066-05:00

Deuteronomy 8Do Not Forget the LORD 1 Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land that the LORD promised on oath to your forefathers. 2 Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would

Andy Zookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049643589421433872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29988364.post-1155058015915102972006-08-08T12:25:00.000-05:002006-08-09T07:58:41.546-05:00

I am today challenged with the courage that God calls me to. Courage. What does it mean? I think that, today, courage means standing strong on the principles set forth from the beginning of time. These are the principles that are merged into the fabric of creation. These are the principals that are laid into the foundation of the world. Why? God wants to know who or what we will choose.

Andy Zookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049643589421433872noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29988364.post-1154437187063039912006-08-01T07:53:00.000-05:002006-08-01T07:59:47.080-05:00

Many people, men particularly, have at their core a profound sense that they will someday be “found out” to be a fraud. Why does this insecurity dwell in many people? Could it be that for so long we have taken credit for God’s blessing that, somewhere deep in our soul, we know that it was not us. Go with the feeling. A fraud has been committed indeed. You have forgotten the God who has

Andy Zookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049643589421433872noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29988364.post-1153832787125617252006-07-25T08:02:00.000-05:002006-07-25T08:06:27.133-05:00

Deuteronomy 6:10 When the LORD your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, 11 houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied, 12 be careful that you do not

Andy Zookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049643589421433872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29988364.post-1153141577369487022006-07-17T08:04:00.000-05:002006-07-17T08:06:17.380-05:00

Why do I compulsively try to control that which I have no hope of controlling? I have this belief that I can control things. However, there is little evidence to suggest that this is true. However, my mind is inclined to believe that it is logical to assume that one can control the outcome of situations by controlling as many details as possible. However, this notion is flawed from the

Andy Zookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049643589421433872noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29988364.post-1152564516643803582006-07-10T15:44:00.000-05:002006-07-10T15:48:36.646-05:00

Life is an interesting thing. On one hand, we who have it hold onto it like it is our last refuge. It is understandable. After all, this life is all we have known. We intellectually ascend to a life eternal, but the way we live out this life shows that we do not fully embrace eternity. After all, if this life is, as James says, but a vapor and Jesus has promised us a glorified body in

Andy Zookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049643589421433872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29988364.post-1152104987274952232006-07-05T08:05:00.000-05:002006-07-05T08:09:47.283-05:00

In order for anything to live, something must die. It is a law of nature. We all must eat to survive. We eat things, in most cases, that are or were at one time, alive. Their life was transferred to us to continue our life. In order for me to live, something somewhere must die. It is a picture of the process that God is taking us through. In order for me to live eternally, something must

Andy Zookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049643589421433872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29988364.post-1151499136373237892006-06-28T07:48:00.000-05:002006-06-28T07:52:16.386-05:00

It seems the longer I walk with God, the more convinced I am that God is asking me to die. Jesus tells me to lay down my life. He tells me to deny myself. He tells me to follow him. He went to the cross to die. But like Him, my death is not an end, but a gateway to eternal life. In order to enter in, one must die to self. Some feel this happens at the moment I accept the gift of Christ’s

Andy Zookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049643589421433872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29988364.post-1151413230229926022006-06-27T07:59:00.000-05:002006-06-27T08:00:30.243-05:00

As I read the stories in the bible I am frequently amazed at what awesome things God did for those who stepped up to be used. At the same time I am troubled by the fact that for my whole life I have heard these stories and now, when I can truly appreciate them, I find them less than inspiring. When I probe my heart to determine why this is, it becomes clear. I know how the story ends. Have

Andy Zookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049643589421433872noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29988364.post-1150981152167041852006-06-22T07:58:00.000-05:002006-06-22T07:59:12.180-05:00

The stage of humanity seems to be set. Here I am, dropped onto this stage with my life, my flesh and my choice. The drama unfolds as I embark on life’s journey which must be lived out sequentially, one second after another, until the story has completely unfolded. On this journey I will be tested. The purpose of the test is to see how I will cast my choice. Will I cast it toward God, or

Andy Zookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049643589421433872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29988364.post-1150895462427970802006-06-21T08:09:00.001-05:002008-02-20T07:26:27.957-06:00

Everywhere we look, we see it. The old song. The song that was sung since the fall of man. This song is love song of sorts. The song is about us and to us. We sing it…to ourselves and to each other. The song tells us how great we are and how powerful we are and how dashingly handsome we are. We look into the mirror and admire ourselves and sing the next refrain.In Revelation it says that we will

Andy Zookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049643589421433872noreply@blogger.com3