Tag Archives: Michael Spencer

More Alike Than Different

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apostles_creedIf your neighborhood is anything like mine, there is a church on every corner. The population of the county I live in is a little less than 56,000 and I would not be surprised if there were 150 churches. Without getting into church splits and all the baggage that entails, let’s ask this question instead: Are there really that many theological and doctrinal issues that divide us? While there are some real distinctives, such as between Protestants and Catholics, the truth is most Christians are more alike than we are different. To define the differences between Baptists, Methodists and Presbyterians we really have to get kind of nit-picky. The basic tenants of the Christian faith – in other words the things that really matter – are shared by all Christians everywhere.

Please read this post from the original Internet Monk. The discussions and debates can be a distraction to those of us inside the church and a stumbling block to those on the outside, but at the end of the day we are more alike than we are different.

What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.”  Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 1 Corinthians 1:12-13

Men’s Morning with God

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I met Michael Spencer in 2003 when my wife and I visited the ministry he was a part of.  After joining that ministry, I was introduced to an early morning small group, Men’s Morning with God.  The poster said “bring your Bible and coffee.”  I’m a big fan of both of those things.  We met twice a week at 7 a.m. studying the scripture and praying before work.  I have been involved with other small groups before and since, but I stayed with that particular group for the duration of our ministry in Kentucky.

I thought that particular situation was unique.  There were about 150 people all living within a few miles of each other, ministering together, and all beginning the work day at basically the same time.  Still, our men’s group was never more than 10 or 12 (and sometimes just Michael and I).  I have been blessed to find an early morning men’s group once again.  This morning there were 5 of us.  From different churches, different vocations and with different schedules, this is a group of men that meet at 6 a.m. to read, discuss and pray.  One of those men was a friend of my dad, and one of my teachers back in the day.  Another member of the group went to high school with my brother.  You gotta love small towns.

And I love finding a group of men willing to be up and dressed before they have to be, in order to pray with and for each other.

The Read and Share File

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April 5th marks the second anniversary of the passing of Michael Spencer.  The house that Michael built, Internet Monk, paid homage to his legacy.  My tribute to Michael is here; I was privileged to know him in real life before ever learning about Internet Monk.  I didn’t even know what blogging was. 

I received an email about Christian Youth Initiative Worldwide.  I’m still in the process of finding out more myself, but they seem to be on the up and up.  There is a blog, but also Grok Radio – whatever that is.  It’s worth a look.

Remember What Would Jesus Do?  Michael Kelly asks the question “What would you do it you knew you were going to die on Friday?”  Then he lists several things Jesus did.  Interesting thought.

I may not have linked him before, but Mike Ratliff writes some good stuff at Possessing the Treasure.  The Son of Man is the Good Shepherd is a great example.  Go back and read all of Mike’s posts for this week.

Remember Ed Young, of Sexperiment fame?  Out of Ur shares with us his latest stunt: baptizing with sharks.

From Desiring God Ministries, Race and the Christian is available for download.  Originally live-streamed, you can watched John Piper, Tim Keller and Anthony Bradley or download the video.  There is also a Q&A session at the same link.

Aida Spencer (Christian Post blogs) shares a personal story of discovery in What Does Easter Mean?    *please note: Aida and William Spencer are both ordained Presbyterian ministers.  I’m not asking you to join her church, just read the blog post.

Finally tonight, please pray for Chuck Colson. He is recovering from brain surgery but still in critical condition.  Known for founding Prison Fellowship (and for his role in Watergate) the 80-year-old Colson was speaking last Friday when he fell ill, and had surgery on Saturday morning.

The Answer is Jesus

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“If God is the question, Jesus is the answer.”

That’s why I love Michael Spencer.  I still read Christian blogs, including Internet Monk.  I author a Christian blog, but haven’t found anything that gets my gears turning the way Spencer did.  Read this classic iMonk post to see what I’m talking about.

Michael Spencer was blogging before I knew what a blog was. He started internetmonk.com 12 years ago, really getting in on the ground floor of the Christian blogosphere. Chaplain Mike and others keep the dream alive at iMonk after Michael passed away in April of 2010.  I was a disciple of  Michael in real life for seven years, and he had a profound impact on the way I think about ministry.  The post linked above cuts right to the heart Christianity.

To Ourselves and our Posterity

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I’m going out on a limb here.  Maybe it’s getting late and this will just be the Diet Pepsi talking, but I would like to share a thought.

I recently met a blogger named Joe Derbes, author of Everyone’s Entitled to Joe’s Opinion.  I don’t know how much of an influence Michael Spencer was to him, but his blogroll credits Michael with being his new favorite Christian author.  I have certainly said before that I blog because of Michael Spencer.  I know that one student of Mr. Spencer says the same thing.  How many others are there?  The Internet was teeming with tributes to Michael in the days following his passing.  How many people out there blog, or perhaps blog with a different message or purpose, as a direct result of the original Internet Monk?

I can’t write a new post without considering how Michael would evaluate that installment.  I miss the constructive criticism; he made me a better writer.  He helped shaped my current view of systematic theology.  And tonight I can’t help but think of this: that’s kind of like Jesus.  Jesus taught multitudes of people, and 12 in particular were privy to special teachings, prayers and examples.  Jesus taught them, told them to follow in his footsteps, and then left them.  Two of the disciples wrote Gospels (and perhaps Mark was dictated by Peter).  Peter lead the others in starting the Christian church at Jerusalem.  Paul did just about the same thing.  He planted churches across Asia minor and southern Europe, training leaders and then moving on.  His letters to Timothy still guide church leaders today.

That’s the Christian model.  A teacher, a pastor, a blogger – in this case – not only does his job but teaches others to do the job as well.  Even as Paul was ministering he was training others to be ministers.  Even during his earthly ministry Jesus sent the Apostles out to preach and work miracles.  When the human life is spent the work continues.  The church grows.  The gospel goes forth.  We need to think now about the future generation of leaders that will be following our lead.  Heaven and earth will pass away but the Word of the Lord endures forever.

Memorial Service for Michael Spencer

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UPDATE:  Check out internetmonk.com for transcript/ audio of the memorial service.

Services were held this afternoon for the Internet Monk Michael Spencer.  The Internet has abounded this week with articles of tribute and expressions of sympathy for the family.  David Head and Bill Haynes both did excellent jobs.  David has a remarkable understanding of how Spencer’s ministry reaches a worldwide audience through his blog, and Bill did exactly what Michael asked him to; he preached the Gospel. Continue reading →

Bittersweet

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My dad often says that his crayon box has only 8 colors.  He was once told the color sample he was holding was pumpkin, not orange.  (He came home from work and asked me what color pumpkins were, just to make his point.)  Children do flavors one at a time.  It starts with baby food – peas, carrots, apple sauce – then extends into not letting their foods touch each other on the plate.  Children also have simple emotions; they like to feel one thing at a time and be able to identify it.  At some point during adolescence, we become aware of mixed emotions.  Sometimes things to be celebrated also make us sad.  We cry at weddings, the birth of a child, and graduation.  We also grieve after the death of a loved one, yet rejoice at the same time during the passing of a Christian. Continue reading →

Classic Internet Monk Podcasts

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In the post Because of Michael Spencer, I mentioned listening to some early InternetMonk Radio podcasts.  A couple of fans expressed interest in those early episodes.  I was mistaken about having the first 50, but do have podcasts numbering 48 – 81.  Internetmonk.com only lists episodes back to #100.  With a little technical assistance from one Cameron Nutter, I have added a page of vintage iMonk podcasts to The Master’s Table.  Classic iMonk Radio is brought to you by special arrangement with Michael Spencer.

*Cameron Nutter is a brand new blogger, with his own post on Michael Spencer he would like you to read.  He has a unique perspective of Mr. Spencer as his English and Bible teacher.  He is brand new on WordPress, and a few visits/comments would do him some good.  If you enjoy the podcasts, thank Cameron; he extracted the mp4 files from my iPod and uploaded them back onto the Internet.

Because of Michael Spencer

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A week or two ago, this blog passed 100,000 page views.  It’s because of Michael Spencer that I blog at all.  I used to read InternetMonk and occasionally make a comment, and I was fine with that until his pod cast started.  When I got my first iPod, I downloaded the first 20 episodes of iMonk Radio, and ate those things like candy until I finished them.  I had so many thoughts, ideas and responses running around my head that I went to WordPress and started pushing buttons.  March will be two years. Continue reading →

Pray for InternetMonk

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Please continue to pray for Michael Spencer.

To be honest, I don’t know who I’m writing this to.  IMonk has a much larger audience than my own, and anyone reading my blog probably already reads him.  Nevertheless, he really is sick and asking others to pray makes me feel better and hopefully he appreciates it as well.

In his latest podcast, he says that during times of illness, he tends to be more humble.  Those of us that work with him in ministry got a Facebook update to the effect of “you guys carry on.”  This is the least “control freak” I’ve ever seen him.  If you listen to the podcast, he sounds a little off, and doesn’t know when he will broadcast another one.  He has not been preaching or teaching for the past week, and will not be for a while.

Remember him in prayer, that’s all I’m saying.  And maybe send a Joel Osteen e-greeting reminding him to keep thinking positive thoughts – that ought’a do the trick.