Lets Celebrate Easter With Support for Justice
The bible is full of God's desire for people to deal justly with each other. In the Old Testament this theme is seen many times. Adam's son comes to God attention because of his desire to murder his brother. Noah is told he is to witness the flood because the rest of the people are evil. Egypt's defeat is seen as reward for injustices done to God's people. The Ten Commandments are about man's relationship with God and man's relationship with man. The kings of Israel are judged very honestly in terms of Justice. Prophets of the Old Testament cry out for justice over sacrifices.
This theme continues as John the Baptist calls for “works worthy of repentance.” He tells his new followers to do things to show their new relationship to God. Jesus calls for justice when he knows it is missing. He especially confronts the pharisees about practices that value religious practice over the real needs of people. Paul will tell his followers to live Christ like to win others to the faith. In first John, the apostle tells us that faith and lives of justice go to together. In Revelation God is seen ending history with Judgment on evil.
In our day the church would rather fight ourselves and look for anyone veering from some theological line in the sand, rather than publicly take a stand against evil and injustice in our society.
This is where radio, (I'm still on this.) comes in. Radio in its most basic forms tells victims of injustice that a world is concerned about their plight. I think the kid locked up in slavery or trafficking knows there is a better world out there somewhere. He knows it because a two dollar radio blares it while they suffer. On great news outlets we hear of a world consumed in sin and injustice. Human trafficking, the flesh trade and just out right worker abuses are well documented on the BBC and other fine outlets.
As a Christian I love to listen to the Word of God in music and preaching. The internet just allows me to hear more and more. As I write this, I am listening to Revival 100.8 in Central Scotland. We also need to listen to the news of our world. God has always been at work in History. The bible is all about God's actions in history. I like local news outlets and big outlets like BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk will take you to a world of news, television on demand and radio, lots of radio.
Today I am asking you to go to http://www.72daysforfreedom.com This site is about signing a letter to the United States President about fighting human trafficking. This effort is being spearheaded by the folks at Atlanta's Passion City Church. They became the display spot for the biggest anti trafficking art project. The display was built for students at Passion 2012 conferences to inspire them to give to this cause. God did huge stuff. The conference had a goal of students giving 1 million dollars to fight slavery. They gave 3.2 million to this cause. Because of their work some people will be set free or prevented from becoming slaves. 

Scott Talbert, As always your comments are welcome. Please write me at scotttalbert19963@gmail.com 

Some truths about Christian Calling

and A great station in Sacramento, California

Exodus 3:10 Come I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people the children of Israel out of Egypt. (ESV)

This is a great passage on calling. God calls us to work with Him in His plan to bring captive souls to freedom.

“Come, I will send you...” This is the essence of God's work and call to anyone who ministers in his name.

“Come” Go from where you are to where I want you to be. This may be dramatic, sin to salvation to ministry. This may be from inactive in His kingdom, to active. This may be from one place of service to another. This could be a physical move. In my life, I moved from Texas to Africa to serve God and know Him better. Last week it was up the highway so we could lead a Vacation Bible School in a poor rural community and in a rough side of town in a small city. The African thing went for two years and the Vacation Bible School was less than a week. Lately I have moved from being employed by a church to waiting for a church to look at my resume. God used that me to move me to a much more cross cultural situation that He is showing me His work with African nationals.

“I will send you” Not “You will decide what to do for God.” Not “This is what the kingdom needs.” We do not take a survey and tell God what we are going to do. “I will send you.” God is saying “I will position you to co-labor to carry out my plan. I God is sending you, how can you fail or be without power? I really do not remember God having a plan in the bible then short circuiting it, sabotaging it, or refusing to make it happen. Timing and our openness to that plan are other questions.

The last part of the verse deals with rescue. The children of Israel needed a rescue. They were crying out for rescue. Verse 9. “Lord we are perishing.” Listen to you heart. Can you hear a perishing people crying out for rescue. “Why is marriage so hard?” Why can I not stop drinking?” “Why are my children so badly deceived?” On a recent trip I preached in state prison, worked with a poor rural church and with poor minority children in a park?” The screaming for rescue was hard to drown out or not listen to.

Is God calling you to rescue the perishing. Are the voices too loud to ignore. Is His voice getting clearer amid the pleas for rescue?

On the radio front, my find of the column is Lead me to the Rock radio. They are web based station hoping to be an FM station in Sacramento, California. They seem to be part of the CCM picture in the town. They have a good page for getting a good stream. They work on Windows Media, Win Amp, I Tunes, and Real. (More on software later) I found them featured on Windows Media page. The Win Amp 128k stream sounded great on my old machine. The stations web site is www.leadmetotherock.com Their stream page is http://loudcity.com/stations/lead-me-to-the-rock-radio/files/show/lclaunch.htm They have news and on air personalities during the day and a good mix at night.

3^rd blog Entry: Conversion a true parable

I am not sure when I got my first radio. As a kid I was fascinated with the world of music and words. I could not afford to by every record I liked. Even as a 14 year old I had diverse taste. I grew up in a world of pop radio, hard rock and country music. I would later come to love a fairly new genre called Contemporary Christian music, and quickly Christian rock. On a radio I could find some of this. In those various stations I found community too. Country fans all listened to a certain station. Christians listened to certain stations. Hard rock fans listened to a great station. Some of those stations still exist, but they do not hold the power they did years ago. The only exception was the Christian station that started while I grew up. (KSBJ – Houston christian station, public supported, link on the right) Did I mention baseball and the last radio mystery nationally produced. I loved baseball on radio, still do. I would listen to CBS radio Mystery Theater. This was the last of a dying breed.( You can find it on the internet archives site, I may link to it later.) Major actors used just their voices to scare you to death.

Some where in the march of time I discovered shortwave radio. “You mean there is more than AM and FM radio. It comes from where.” In those days most every country had a radio outlet. Radio Moscow, the BBC, Radio Cuba, various religious broadcasters, and even just some AM stations that just wanted to be heard around the world. As I learned more then I could listen to Ham Radio operators talk endlessly about their subject. (Why I do not have a license today.) Then scanners came into my life. I could listen to the cops and even halves of phone calls. Digital communications would send even high dollar scanners into the dust bin. I think you know where I am going with this. Fear not, I do still own a tun of radio gear. I am a huge HD radio fan and will write about it later. Later I would go on to volunteer at a Christian radio station and collect a few radios, that I still own. Computers where not too much of contenders. Early on, streaming anything in dial up was not to satisfying. Except the BCC, they just figured it out early. My joy in radio was hearing various formats and information. News from Europe, with their spin. Music from Cuba. (Still awesome, even on shortwave.) As a christian I have all ways been excited about how radio can build faith with music teaching or talk. Radio's power to inform us as voters is just stunning. Yep radio is part new, part ridiculous and part snake oil sales. It all ways has been. Border radio from Mexico is proof of all that. Men sold Goat Gonad implants to solve all male problems. As I write this, I have an old SW receiver simply hooked up to commercial AM loop on top of my PC. It works. Where am I going with this.

Conversion, change. Change to get the same and better joy. Digital has been a lot for radio to adjust to, just ask the US TV folks. Remember I listen to radio to hear what is being said so it can entertain, teach or disciple me.

Oh yeah, this is a parable. Before we came to Christ we tried to get joy from everything, but a loving savior, who died to give us ultimate joy in the arms of God. We looked for joy in people, things, and philosophies. We needed conversion. If you do not know Jesus, you need conversion.

Back to my story. Recently I have discovered all that I was looking for in the radio world, I can easily get in the world of internet. Sound is not so hard, so the gear and the connection does not have to be great. My internet radio was just a little tuner, that cost about 80 dollars. (I”ll blog on internet radio's later.) On a wireless router I get more stations than I ever could on AM, FM, HD FM or SW. Most of those outlets broadcast on the net. Some great stuff is being preserved on the net. 40S and 50s music is being saved on the net, at no charge. Old formats that have long gone away are on the net. I know I have not hit it all. As an avid listener, this is a no brainer. Basic table top radios have been rolled out. Cars are coming. This stuff, for know is a blast. I needed to convert web based radio. I have and this blog is proof.

Conversion has that effect. I changed and now get a tun of more joy from listening to the web versus terrestrial(conventional) radio. Is this important as my salvation? NO WAY. Its a parable, remember. Sadly conversion is mainly preached as going from the disaster and judgment of sin to the happiness of God. That is true, totally true. My Parable is not about that, It may be more real for some folks in experience or need. My parable is going from “ok” to happiness. It like going from “good” to “great.” Many people's lives are not totally ruined by sin. I was converted young. I do not have a drugs and destroyed life story before Christ. But till I totally put my life in Jesus' hands I did not have real joy and meaning. When I finally gave Jesus my whole heart, life was better than it could ever be before I totally trusted God with my whole life. It just makes a lot of since to do something better when it has been shown to you. I wanted variety and quality, conventional radio has some big limits. Right know web based listening is just a better choice.

So is conversion to Christ. How is being spiritually lost doing for you? How is ruined relationships, gnawing doubts about eternity, and the eternal unease going for you. In Christ, all that and more is solved. Time to convert, time to change. Look to Jesus. If you don't know him? Please start a relationship with him. Email me and let me help you. (See link on right.) Some of you need a post conversion, conversion. You really are trusting Christ for eternity, but you are waiting for joy. Seek Christ presence in every area of your life. Seek Him in His Word, seek Him in Prayer, and seek Him in a God honoring Church.

Ok stop here, parable over. Just a few stray thoughts, I understand that Radio people love the joy of the pursuit. Strange signals from strange places. OK. I like this stuff too. But really I am looking to hear what I find and find it again. Don't miss this articles lesson. Conversion is what we all need. When I convert to Christ, I put away a sinful world and come to Christ. (Read, no going back) In the world of radio and communication I went primarily web based. I still own a lot of radio's for one guy. Radio's do fit some situations well. One day, when time allows I will put all this gear in a room and spend time listening to whatever is out there. Someday.

Please, I would love to hear from a reader, about faith or Radio, or both. Scott Talbert

 scotttalbert1963@gmail.com