Owner: TPylus.com - Theology and Life URL:http://www.tpylus.com Join Date: Sat, 09 Sep 2006 02:03:33 -0500 Rating:1 Site Description: T. Pylus got his writing start on MySpace just under two years ago, sending out short theological reflections to a small group of friends. Within a matter of a month however, T. Pylus and his “Jesus Lovin’ Church of MySpace” had become the largest religio Site statistics:Click here
Beware of this "Scam" against Christians… 2006-10-09 17:17:05 Hey everyone-
I’ve been getting these scam emails for years, but only recently have they taken on wording that really poses a risk to unsuspecting Christians
. Now, I am getting hit up on MySpace and other Christian networking sites.
If you are unfamiliar with them, they are called “Nigerian 419″ scams.
The situation changes, but the essential details always stay the same. Someone in a foreign country needs your help. Some how, they have come across millions of dollars that they cannot get access to it in their country or for their ministry.
All they need is a US bank account to transfer 20 - 30 million dollars into, and then back out of. If you are willing to let them use yours, they will let you keep a big chunk of the money (a million to ten million).
They talk about Jesus, God’s desire for the money, satan keeping it from being used, etc.Â
The scam is, that the money can’t be transferred without some minor fees being paid. Then there are some Read more:Beware
, against
Stuck between a sense of call and bitterness, I choose "trust". 2006-10-04 17:31:32 My wife and I have been doing ministry for a decade, much of it in the same place. It has been filled with high’s and low’s and a lot of in-between’s. Mostly though, it has just been filled. A life jam-packed with all things ministry.
Over the last year, there has been a real sense of exhaustion. There has been a real awareness as well, at my own failure to take Sabbath from ministry duties.
Recently, a opportunity came up to make a change in roles and locations, and we initially didn’t think we would be interested. But, the more we talked about it as a family the more intrigued we became. It was a slower pace, a better financial situation, a beautiful place, and felt like a Sabbath mingled with a vocation.
The more intrigued we became, the more the signs pointed to “Yes”. So much so, that we felt like God was not just leading us there, but pulling us.
We got to the last stage of the selection process, and were passed over.
We, especial Read more:Stuck
, choose
, trust
Winners of the September 2006 Poetry Contest! 2006-10-02 17:11:59 Hey everyone!
Thank you for taking the time to submit your works and for voting on everyone else’s!
We had an amazing turnout, with over 30 poems, from over 25 different authors.
Before I announce the winners, I want to applaud all of you for expressing your journey with God in an artisitic fashion. Though a few poems struck a nerve with readers this month, it doesn’t mean any contribution was any less amazing. They are all windows into what a very real God is doing in the lives of people. In that light, they are equally beautiful!
The winners, as mentioned before, will receive a wonderful prize package valued at $25. I don’t want to see any of the prizes on Ebay!
With no further ado, here they are!
1st Place - Writings in the Dark by Amanda Hurtado
2nd Place - Sunrise and Together, Forever Free by Donnie Rickmyre
3rd Place - Beloved by April
Â
Here are the winning poems in their entirety! If you haven’t yet, please go read all the other poems we had Read more:Winners
, September
, Poetry
, Contest
You're such a "tool"… 2006-10-01 18:09:12 “Dude, that guy is such a ‘tool’!”Â
In high school, that was one of my favorite put-downs to dish out, and one of the ones I most feared having lavished on me.
The word was definitely not used in the same sense as we use it in Christian circles (i.e., a tool to be used by God). Rather, it was something below an idiot. It was reserved for those guys that were both dense and cheesy.Â
Worst of all, “tools” were usually clueless to the fact that they made the rest of our days slightly more bothersome with their presence.Â
The word for me evokes images of the guy in that song “Pretty Fly for A White Guy”, or Matt Dillon’s character in ”Something About Mary”.Â
What a judgemental prick I was (and still am)!
Â
It’s funny now though, as an intellectual Christian, how IÂ find the tables turned…
I’ve been spending a lot of time hanging around some atheist and agnostic bulletin boards, just trying to ass
On-line Bonhoeffer book discussion group starting! 2006-09-29 02:42:16
Okay… the Bonhoeffer “Life Together” book study is off and running… visit www.tpylus.com, get registered (it's free), and get to talkin’!
Click on the “Bonhoeffer” link once you are on the site.Â
  Â
It’s not too late to join… run out and get the book, and join us! It’s free! .  Â
The first week’s discussion, ending on Sunday, Oct 8th, will be about the intro and chapter one. Â
See you guys there!Â
Â
-T. PylusÂ
Â
 Â
Â
Â
Â
Vote on Christian Poetry at TPylus.com !! 2006-09-28 03:29:57 Hey Everyone!
There is only one week left in the ChristianPoetry
Contest on http://www.tpylus.com/.
We’ve received a ton of great submissions, and need your help voting for the winners!
Go to http://www.tpylus.com/?page_id=41Â and start reading and voting!
If you haven’t registered yet, you’ll need to… it helps us cut down on spam and fraudulent votes.
Enjoy!
-T. PylusÂ
MyChurch - The book of Acts 2.0? 2006-09-19 17:27:04 One of the regular readers of the TPylus blog recently invited me to check out a new website called MyChurch.org.
Folks, this thing is AWESOME!Â
At its core, MyChurch is a social networking site for churches and their members. It has all the functionality of sites like MySpace, that many of us are already using to connect with other believers and promote ministries we are part of.
Here is how it works:
Both you and your church create profiles. You and the rest of the flock can then all link to each other’s profiles. You can post pictures, contribute to a community blog for your church, share calendars and so on. It’s great.Â
Even better than MySpace though, it appears to be well supervised and generally ad free. I know for a lot of us, it has always been bittersweet sending out bulletins of upcoming events that are bordered with rather naughty dating service ads.
(Parental side note:Â What a great alternative to MySpace for your kids and the kids of your c
Christians With Ink: The Story of My Tattoos 2006-09-19 00:41:37 “My name is T. Pylus, I love Jesus most days, and I have tattoos”.
Seriously, I often feel like I am standing up front at an AA meeting when other Christians
, especially other ministers, realize that I have tattoos.Â
Within certain Christian circles, the stigma attached to getting inked is so strong, that you can’t help but feel as if we have reverted to the middle ages. I wouldn’t be suprised if some Christians would like to dunk some of us with tat’s in water to see if we might be witches.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion for sure. And as with a lot of things that pertain to the freedom we have in Christ, there are opposing answers that are equally right.  No doubt, this is one of those issues. Surely people will not be kept out of heaven, or let in for that fact, because of their tattoo’s, but because of the content of their hearts.
It is just one of those issues on which there will probably never be a consensus.  One of those is Read more:Tattoos
Just do it… 2006-09-17 04:19:25 “His creation of you, combined with His love for you, and demonstrated by His work in you, makes you of significant value.” - Josh McDowell
Â
I couldn’t help but think, as I read this statement, how simultaneously true and sad it was. True, just because it is. Because many of us have felt His warm smile over us that confirms this.
Sad though, because we as believers have such an uncanny ability to torpedo this truth in the lives of other people, believers and un-believers alike.
It seems that at the core of our existence is the desire to matter, to be significant, to something or someone. Even if it is just to the “greater good” as the atheists say.
No doubt, that’s what the Gospel of Jesus Christ truly is. Not that He died for our sins, though that is great news. But even more so, that we are loved. That we are significant and valuable enough to be chased, rescued, and sacrificed for.
And that’s the sad part. It is almost as i
A few funny thoughts and quotes on prayer… 2006-09-15 20:09:51 An ocean liner was sinking and the captain said to the passengers, “Does anyone here believe in the power of prayer?”
A man spoke up and said that he did.
“Good” the captain said. “We’re one life vest short… we’ll put on the life vests, you start praying!”
Â
————
“The fewer the words, the better the prayer”. - Martin Luther
Â
————
The local pastor was invited over for dinner at a family’s house, where he was asked to bless the meal. Afterwards, the 9 year old son who squirms through church each week, said, ”You don’t pray so long when you’re hungry, do ya’?”
Â
————
A child was once overheard praying, “God, I am not going to ask for anything for myself today. Just please give my brother a new bike that we can both share.”
Â
————-
AÂ rather smart kid, overhearing the Read more:thoughts
Went and saw MercyMe last night at the Anaheim Pond… 2006-10-29 20:49:44 Wow! They were unbelievable!
I guess I had no idea who these guys were! I normally associate MercyMe with “I Can Only Imagine”, which I guess in hindsight is the only song of their’s I knew.
These guys rocked in a way that cut through to my core! As I was listening to them, it reminded me of so many missions trips, God moments, and answered longings for His presence.
The front-man was solid. His vocals were unbelievable, and his monologues between the songs were full of funny, accurate truth that clearly inspired much of the audience. Best of all, you could tell he is “over” being a rock star. Just an average guy slugging away at the ministry God has given him.
The drummer and bass player stood out as well, adding a quiet, driving edge to the music.
To add to it all, they did some great thought-provoking stuff visually with a large projection screen behind the stage.
The funniest part was, that I turned to my wife and commented about how much t Read more:Anaheim
The Grand Audience and Our Sins (The Ted Haggard Scandal)… 2006-11-03 19:26:27 In case you haven’t seen the headlines, a guy named Ted Haggard
is being strung up by the media. Turns out that this guy, who heads one of the largest Christian organizations around, may have been struggling with homosexuality and drug usage.
The details of his trysts are fairly sordid (possibly paying a male prostitute and using meth to heighten the experience). But, it is the details of his ministry, not his failings, that raise my eyebrows.
Ted has been one of the leading campaigners against gay marriage and homosexual relationships in recent years. He has used his pulpit at his church to re-iterate something that 99.9% of homosexuals and Christians alike ALREADY KNOW… the Bible labels homosexuality a sin.
As a Christian and a pastor, I truly don’t fault Ted for his struggles with the flesh.  I’m not attracted to men, although, if asked, I’d have to admit Johnny Depp is fairly hot.Â
I am however, a big fan of women and smut. I fight act Read more:Grand
, Audience
, Scandal
"A Little Corner of Heaven" by T. Pylus 2006-11-13 21:14:24 “A Little Corner of Heaven
” by T. PylusÂ
Â
Long gone are the days of my wild imaginings,
Of daydreams of your applause for me in front of the multitude.
Of illusions of not just “Well done”, but “Way to go”.
Â
Long gone are my ambitions of subtle ego,
Of a life lived better than most,
Of only minor mistakes that are eclipsed by my triumphs.
Â
Long gone are they.
Â
Now, I’m just fighting for a little corner of Heaven.
A place where I can lean my back against the wall and close my eyes.
A place where I can sit and rest from a life that has made me weary.
Â
Now, I’m just fighting for a little corner of Heaven.
Not the stage or the spotlight,
Not the crown or the right hand.
Â
Now, I’m just fighting for a little corner of Heaven.
Where I can just sit and be in Your presence.
Where I can just celebrate that You carried me through.Â
Â
Lord, carry me through.
Â
It’s just a little corner of Heaven I’m fighting for
OakTreeIdea.Com - One of the best Christian and Ministry sites out there! 2006-11-14 03:40:14 Hey everyone-
One of the things that I love about MySpace is that it has given a lot of people a chance to put the spotlight on the ministries that they invest their hearts and time in.
The problem is, MySpace has millions upon millions of users, and it has become increasingly hard to separate the wheat from the chaff, when it comes to making Christian
connections. That’s where OakTreeIdea fits in.
OakTreeIdea, originally started to share prayer needs across borders and ministries, has blossomed into a place where people from all walks of ministry and life come to share.Â
On OakTreeIdea, you can find people sharing everything from simple fellowship, to creative and artistic expressions of their faith, to their visions for budding and established ministries.
In addition to the standard blog and social networking components that many sites have, there are some features that truly make OakTreeIdea a standout.
Impact Groups - This is a place where ministries, from the largest in Read more:Ministry
Terrific Terror At An Arkansas Razorbacks Game 2006-12-25 00:15:35 Holy cow, if I have ever been buried with life and meaning to write it may be the last few months. Hope you all missed me…
Over the Thanksgiving holiday this year, our family made a pilgimage back to my wife’s homeland (Arkansas
).
Part of me agreeing to make the quick 30 hour jaunt with the wife and bickering kids (I felt closer to Chevy Chase than I ever have), was the agreement that we would try and go to an Arkansas Razorback’s game.
Growing up in Orange County in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s was brutal when it came to sports teams. We had the ridiculously sucky Angels, the mediocre Rams, and the now defunct California Surf soccer team. We could root for the LA teams, but you still felt like you were rooting for someone else’s team.
I had heard magnificient things about Razorback games. Everything from “Gone with the Wind” to “Deliverance”, all dressed in red and crammed into a stadium screaming “Woo-PigR Read more:Terror
God's MySpace Picture 2006-12-27 00:05:24 MySpace pictures crack me up. My guess is, for every picture that someone puts on their MySpace, there are 10 that they decided against.
It is a unique, weird opportunity. You can show yourself exactly as you want to be seen. You can take picture after picture until you get one of your face, smile, boobs, or hamster that you are perfectly happy with.
I would submit for your consideration, that no one probably looks as good in real life as they do in their pic.
The girls try on (or strip off) every outfit they have, tweak their neck a certain way so their double chin disappears, and PhotoShop every zit.
The guys probably do about a million push-ups, to the point where they barely can hold the camera, before they stand in front of the mirror with the new digital camera grandma got them.
Pretty funny when you think about it… All these people trying to craft an image of themselves that really doesn’t represent them at all. I guess that is a whole different blog…
It st Read more:MySpace
, Picture
Caedmon's Call Interview with T. Pylus - Need your questions!! 2007-01-13 04:50:37 Hey everyone-
I will be doing a telephone interview with Caedmon’s Call (my all-time favorite band)Â for www.tpylus.com.
If there are any questions
you’d like to see me ask in the interview, please email them to me at t@tpylus.com.
Thanks!
-T. Pylus
Interview with Danielle Young of the band Caedmon's Call 2007-01-21 08:17:32 Â
Â
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the band Caedmon’s Call, I’ve just got one thing to say… “WHAT CAVE HAVE YOU BEEN LIVING IN?!”
Seriously, though. There may be no Christian band that has had the breadth and depth of impact upon the X-Gen crowd as Caedmon’s.Â
Over the last fifteen or so years, they have put out a library full of music that has become the soundtrack for many of our walks with Jesus.
For me personally, no other group of musicians has had as much impact as Caedmon’s.  It is beyond count, the number of commutes that I made, pondering their lyrics or being up-lifted by their music.
Caedmon’s Call taught me more about grace than I ever learned in a church. Caedmon’s helped me grow comfortable with my own human frailty. Caedmon’s gave me hope on a lot of days where I probably had it in me to ram the car into the center divider.
So, when the opportunity came up to interview Danielle
Young, o
A Letter to "Larry the Cable Guy" from Jesus… 2007-01-22 19:11:15 Dear Larry
,
I caught your act on Comedy Central last night, so I thought I’d drop you a line. Hopefully, you’ll be more open to my criticism than the guys from South Park.
Larry, one of the things I feel like people really mis-understand about Me and Dad, is that we enjoy a good belly laugh. You’ll be surprised how much of it there is in Heaven.
But Larry, there are some people that are very close to Our hearts that you are making the butt of your jokes. And because they are so close to Our hearts, it’s as if you are making fun of Us.
Did you forget the part in the Good Book about, “when you do these things to the least of Mine, you have done it to Me”?
Last night Larry, I heard you making fun of My precious little ones that are struggling to survive in Africa. I heard you make parody of their names (Boobly-Boobly), their language (pops and clicks), and their culture (”Mom’s boobs are going to be on the cover of National Geographic” Read more:Letter
, Cable
, Jesus
There's Something "Fishy" at 95.9 FM (The Fish) 2007-02-06 07:03:48 It was at least two or three years ago, maybe a little longer, when I heard an ad on our local Christian radio station that caught me off guard.
It was one of the DJ’s from “The Fish”, pumping some type of magical weight loss elixir like Body Solutions or Corti-Slim. She talked about how just a spoonful-a-day had caused her to lose some amount of weight, and now her life was all better.
It struck me funny, because I guess I would expect more from a semi-prominent Christian than a pitch of a better life through better looks. I’m not opposed to health or weight loss, but it was just cheeseball and had very little to do with Christian contentment. In truth, it sounded a lot more like the lies that satan feeds so many of us every day.
You of course can imagine the good laugh I had about six months later, when the Food and Drug Administration announced that that product had absolutely no weight loss qualities. In other words, it was bogus.
While I was saddened that a Read more:Fishy
30 Pieces of Silver for Ann Coulter 2007-03-11 07:17:48 I’m not sure how many of you have seen the recent remarks from political talking head Ann Coulter
, that have been playing all over the news channels. I know a lot of our T. Pylus readers spend most of their time on either the Bass Channel or QVC…
For those of you who haven’t seen it, Ann Coulter
, a die-hard Republican referred to Presidential candidate John Edwards, as a “faggot”. By the way, John Edwards is a married father of three who has openly stated his belief in Jesus.
I’m not sure what was more heart-breaking… the fact that Ann Coulter made these comments, or that a room full of people applauded and laughed. By the way, this is the same woman, who referred to Muslims as “ragheads” a year or two ago.
Actually, when I think about it, the reason I felt like I needed to sit down and write something about this, is that Ann Coulter openly proclaims herself as a Christian. From that I can only surmise one of two things. Eithe Read more:Silver
Presidential candidate John Edwards interview on BeliefNet 2007-03-11 22:39:37 As a follow-up read to my rant (which I feel more convicted is right on the head as bigoted, hateful Christians send me hate mail), you should read this interview
with Edwards
.
I’m not saying I’m a die-hard Edwards guy, or even if I will vote for him, but on a faith level, he sure seems to get it more than Ann Coulter. Ultimately, a lot of people do a good job faking it, but at least he is starting off on the right foot!
For what it’s worth, I think anybody not walking with Jesus, would be a lot more open to hearing about Jesus from John Edwards
than Ann Coulter.
http://www.beliefnet.com/story/213/story_21312_1.html#extndVer
Read more:Presidential
The audio from our interview with Danielle Young of Caedmon’s Call 2007-03-26 21:53:56 Sorry for the delay in getting this up on the site!
The interview
is about 30 minutes long and covers a lot more than we highlighted in our written version.
Right now the file is only in WAV format, we will be adding MP3 and podcast shortly.
It should play without a problem on your PC and with a little crackling on your MAC. Keep in mind that it was a phone interview!
You can check out the band’s site at www.CaedmonsCall.com.
To listen to the interview on your computer, click here.
To download it for personal use, right click here and select “Save Target As…”
If you have any suggestions for who we should interview next, please email us!
This interview is copyright T. Pylus and www.tpylus.com and cannot be re-used without our express permission. Please email us at t@tpylus.com to request use.
Read more:Danielle
A night on the town, T. Pylus style (Monday, April 2nd) 2007-04-01 07:58:18 Hey everyone-
I’m not sure what you’ve got going on this Monday
night, but as for me and my house, we are cruising to Molly Malone’s to dance and hang with “The J Band”. They play from 9 - 10 pm.
Yes, I know it’s a bar.
If you have never heard the J Band, hear’s the skinny. It’s John 10:10 music, aka “Bohemian Christianity” at it’s best. The lead singer is a believer, and it is infused into his lyrics, but also his journey overall. If you don’t listen closely, you’d just think you were on the beach in the Bahamas or something.
Jordan sings and strums, and usually has a some bongo and a DJ with a turntable behind them. My wife and I dance until it hurts.
Seriously, I’m doing you a favor… Check them out. It is my favorite thing to turn on when I realize that I’ve been taking life and myself to seriously.
If you are wondering which one I am, I’ll be on the dance floor, living my li Read more:April
The IRS Wants To Know What Your Soul Is Worth… 2007-04-14 21:51:31 No doubt, most of us live for the weekends. Unless of course, you are talking about the weekend in April right before your federal income taxes are due.
As I write this, I’m sure that all across the country there are people staring at forms they don’t understand, computer programs that don’t work as promised, and spouses who are peeved that their significant other waited until the last minute. And I’m sure there are people who are staring at “their bottom line”; what they owe or what they aren’t getting back; and feel like they are about to puke.
It is a weekend where Christians, perhaps more than any other time in the year, have their integrity tested. Where all our rationalizations, excuses, and sin nature bubble to the surface.
Every year, I volunteer my time helping younger Christians fill out their tax returns. Every year, I hear things like “If I don’t put it on there, will I get in trouble?”, or “I don’t Read more:Worth
, hellip
Reality Check: My Experieces with the “Unlock Reality” Movement 2007-05-21 15:23:45 A couple of months ago, some folks showed up in my MySpace group (The Jesus Lovin’ Church) and began speaking of the effects of a mysterious book that they had &ldquo
;discovered&rdquo
;.
They claimed the book contained life-changing spiritual truths, many of which had been hidden by the church and other power structures. They claimed that the book revealed to them the true nature of Jesus, which “church agents” like me have attempted to suppress.
When these fans of Unlock Reality (”UR” as they call it) were asked to explain the book or give a summary of it, they refused and / or were incapable. Anyone wanting to know more was pointed towards a link where you could buy this life-changing book as an E-book.
Now normally, I am not one to go out and pick a bone with other religious views. The way I figure it, there are far more pressing matters than wrestling with another deeply religious person’s entrenched ideology. Things like compassion, mercy, an Read more:Check
, Reality Check
Prepare to cry… 2007-05-24 11:02:22 I always post these things thinking you all have seen them a million times, but it always turns out that there is a ton of you who haven’t.
This is one of the more amazing videos I’ve ever seen, and it reduces me to a sobbing mess every time.
I am flooded with two thoughts as I watch it&hellip
; how I would do anything for my own boys, and how that is just a shadow of how much our “Father” has battled for us.
It is about a dad (Rick Hoyt) whose son (Dick) was paralyzed from birth and speaks using a computer (the kid, now an adult, is amazingly smart). The son tells the dad that he wishes he could run in an upcoming charity race. So the dad, who was way out of shape, ends pushing his son in a running chair.
Fast forward, the dad (who is 50+) LEARNS HOW TO SWIM, starts riding a bike again after 30-40 years, and starts entering tri-athlons WITH HIS BOY.
He pushes him in a special chair as he runs, has a special bike where his son rides on the front, and PULLS HIS S
“Sea Glass” by T. Pylus 2007-05-28 13:08:14 &ldquo
;Sea Glass
&rdquo
;
Long ago, this vessel was whole.
My glass heart, my fragile soul.
Searching to fill every yearn,
Emptied again, as life would overturn.
Oblivious to the fissures that had formed,
Ignoring all the times Your love had warned.
Until one day, this glass heart shattered.
This fragile soul, abused and battered.
Buried alive in life’s sands,
Lying in wait, to cut innocent hands.
Who had I become? Was this really me?
A thorn in my own side, buried by the sea?
I begged to just be buried deep,
Lest I cause others to weep.
But each new wave uncovered my soul,
Leaving me naked upon that shoal.
Only now can I see,
You bathed me in love, each wave a mercy.
My jagged soul slowly worn smooth,
Broken with grace and polished by truth.
Now You hold me in Your hand,
Finally a treasure, as You planned.
Copyright T. Pylus and the Jesus Lovin’ Church. This may be re-used and re-printed on the following conditions. 1) We are notified first at t@tpylus.com. 2) It is re-used f
Is it any wonder why the world hates Christians? 2007-08-12 14:16:40 Seriously, when you see stuff like this, it really makes you wonder
what these guys learned in Sunday school…
The full link is below, but here is the gist of the story.
A Texas pastor and his esteemed colleague, who run a Christian rehab camp called, “Love Demonstrated”, tied a 15 year-old girl behind a van and dragged her, when she refused to run any farther.
“Love Demonstrated”? Are you serious?
I can’t remember if it is in John or Luke, but in one of those, where Jesus was leading the disciples on a grueling “discipline march”, He showed that the proper way to rebuke a wayward child, was by beating the bottom of their feet with bamboo.
Click here for the story. Read more:Christians
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