The Internet and this week's blog spotlight!

With the blog kicking back into high gear, one thing I would like to do is to spotlight one of the links you'll see on the left of this page under "Websites to Check out & Christian Blogs".

Before this week's highlight, I'd like to briefly address the internet in general terms. I've always viewed the internet as I would a huge metropolis, like Los Angeles (where I have lived), New York, or London. The benefit of living in a huge city is the vast amount of resources available that are not available in suburbs, small towns, or rural areas. For instance in Los Angeles, there are museums, sports teams, universities and colleges, vast libraries, parks and recreational activities, as well as a wealth of diversity amongst the people. I would consider all of these things to be positive elements of a large city. Unfortunately, the flip side of that coin is also evident and prevalent. Huge cities also produce and house some of the worst elements of human nature and society, more so than in small towns or rural areas - extreme poverty, corruption, and exploitation among others. This is the metaphor I use to describe how I view the "World Wide Web." Like a big city the internet is filled with numerous resources that can educate, edify, and enlighten, but there are also incredibly seedy, sinful and disgusting elements to the internet, akin to some dark and dangerous alley in a big city. It's up to us as Christians to stay in those parts of the internet that help encourage and uplift our spirits, and not fall easily into the areas of the web where sin easily entangles.

As a Christian though, there are numerous websites that can truly enhance, uplift, and encourage one in a spiritual walk. The internet has been a blessing to me in the sense that I can commune with fellow Christians in prayer, in discussion, and in fellowship. Although we might not be able to meet daily to gain encouragement, we can find areas online where we can receive a similar encouragement.

With that being said, I'm going to try to each week highlight a Christian website or blog that I think will spiritually uplift and benefit you and I'll post the direct link here for you to check it out.

This weeks spotlight is the blog of Mike Cope, the preacher at the Highland Church of Christ in Abilene, Texas. Mike also co-edits the Christian publication Wineskins. Although I've heard Mike Cope speak many times, particularly at the Pepperdine Lectureships, I do not know him personally - but, in what is one of the many interesting things about the world wide web, I do feel like I know him from reading and following his blog. Mike is a thoughtful Christian, who can be funny, random, thought provoking, and reflective. He can be predicting a baseball series in one post and expounding a verse into practical applications in the next. I was particularly impressed and touched by his recent post on Mark 5:1-20, which is one of my favorite passages in the gospels - the healing of the demon possessed man. It's a passage I've preached on and come back to time and time again, particularly when challenged with the idea of evangelism. Mike has a brilliant and challenging entry about this passage which can be directly accessed here: http://preachermike.com/2008/10/20/the-ex-demoniacs-testimony

His main website is linked under the left side of this webpage under the title "Websites to Check Out & Christian Blogs." The title of the link is "Mike Cope."