randalevan's blog

Christians and Business

I read a great article on Christians in business this morning.  The entire article can be found at http://www.redeemer.com/news_and_events/articles/ceos_views.html.

"Last summer, Steve Reinemund, got a surprise phone call from the CEO of Coca Cola thanking him for an enormous favor.  But Reinemund, at the time the CEO of Pepsi Co., had no idea what that favor had been.

It turns out an unsuspecting Pepsi Co, administrative assistance received a package in the mail containing confidential Coca Cola documents.  In keeping with Pepsi's commitment to high ethical standards, the employee notified the appropriate company manager and the entire contents were immediately returned to Coke's headquarters in Atlanta.  Only two Pepsi employees were directly involved, and they both knew what they had to do right away.  No executives at Pepsi so much as glanced at the secrets contained within that envelope..."

Photos from Mom's 70th Birthday

We celebrated my Mom's 70th birthday last night at Spalti in Palo Alto last night.  I just made a new album with a handful of photos.  Check it out in my photo albums, the one entitled "Mom's 70th Birthday".

What do Zacchaeus and James Taylor have in common?

This past Sunday, January 18th, I taught on the text found in the Gospel of John, chapter 5, verses 16 thru 30.  (You can listen to it by going to www.vcfp.org, click-on "sermons", go to the teaching entitled, "My Will or Thy Will", and select "download".)  My primary example was a man by the name of Zacchaeus.  (*His story is found in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 19.)  Well, I like this guy, Zacchaeus.  I like him because he has heard about Jesus and wants to hear more.  Something about his life wasn't very life-giving, and he had heard about the kinds of changes that Jesus was doing in other people's lives.  I think he wanted to see if Jesus would change his life...give him real life.  Well, that is precisely what happens.  Jesus sees Zacchaeus in a tree... (*You just have to read the story!  Suffice it to say that he was a very short man, and because of the crowds that were gathering around Jesus, he needed some "lift".  I chose to use an image of the encounter from Africa.  Kinda nice to see a black Jesus and black Zach...)  The two of them share a meal together and Zacchaeus' life begins to change.  Instead of loving only money, he begins to love Jesus...and this love for Jesus opens his heart to love the poor and to return the money that he had stolen from the wealthy.

It's gotta be my way

This Sunday I am going to be teaching from the Gospel of John chapter 5, verses 16 through 30.  In this section of Scripture, Jesus talks a lot about the dead coming to life, the gift of eternal life, and, about judgment and condemnation.  All of us like the idea of life and gifts from God, but who among us enjoys being judged or condemned?  I know I don't. 

A life well-lived

On Tuesday I had the privilege of being able to attend a memorial service for a "friend of a friend" who unexpectedly died one year ago on January 6th 2008.  The guy's name was Marc Brierley and he died before his time...but did he ever leave a legacy.

As I looked around the packed room, I saw the faces of people who loved Marc with all their hearts.  He had been their friend.  He listened to them.  He had shown them how valuable there were.  And he made them laugh.  Marc's life was short, but he certainly knew how to live...because he knew how to love.
(*How could you not love a guy who loved dogs...even though he was afraid of little doggies, due to a childhood trauma...a very funny story indeed!)

Christmas is over...or is it?

Today was the last day of my Advent devotional book.  The last chapter is always the day after Epiphany (*yes, I am a pastor, and no, I don't know what the word means...and no, I haven't taken the time to look it up in a dictionary!)  The final entry was by German theologian Jurgen Moltmann...and I would like to quote him.  He begins by referring to the people who were walking in darkness, prophesied by Isaiah (see chapter 9) that had seen a great light with the coming of Jesus Christ (see Matthew 4 where the Isaiah prophecy is fufilled)...and then continues by talking about the people who walk in darkness today...and what those of us who have been brought into the light can do about it.