The True Power Equation

Reference: John 5:19 Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.

Observation: Could it be, simply, that the reason we do not have the supernatural power that Jesus had is because we are not connected to the Father like He was? It is interesting here to note that Jesus does not say that He only chooses to do what the Father does. He, in fact, says that He can only do what the Father does. It is very clear in the Greek wording that Jesus was making the statement that He did not have the "dunamis" the ability, not simply lack of authority, to do anything other than what He had already seen His Father doing.

How much do we try to accomplish with no regard for what God our Father is doing?

Certainly, with the best of intentions we are doing it "in His Name". However it is a real tragedy if He does not even want to see it done - at least not at the time a place that we have chosen.

Here is the simple equation for seeing powerful things happen; we get close enough to God to discover what He is doing and then, and only then, will we have the power to participate in it.

Application/Confession: It is my mission in life to do everything I can to use my gifts to advance the cause of the Kingdom of God. I work hard, maybe too hard, to see people won to Christ and discipled in Him. This verse challenges me to spend more time getting to know God intimately, understanding what He is up to and learning how to cooperate with it. It seems that this is the only way to true powerful supernatural ministry.

In the end, if my ministry does not have a supernatural edge to it, I don’t want to do it.

PRAYER: Lord, please forgive me for simply inviting you along on my agenda. I realize how unfruitful and unproductive that is. I ask You, instead, to help me to get to know You better, see what you are doing more clearly and know how I can simply participate.

Lindsay Lohan has gone from nympho (yay!) to klepto (aw.). Last night she was spotted getting close with Nicole Richie's man Joel Madden at Hornitos (above). But that's not her only caper. The New York Post is reporting that Lindsay allegedly ganked a fur coat from a land of liberty student back in January. And has been photographed wearing the coat:

Masha Markova, 22, believed she had forever lost the prized jacket - a gift from her grandmother - while attending a private state of nature party at 1Oak in the Meatpacking vicinity in the early-morning hours of Jan. 26.

She added that at one point, she was seated next to Lohan, and recalled putting the mink in a common bin with other jackets. It was gone when she prepared to leave 1Oak after an hour, Markova said.

Two weeks later, Markova flipped through the Feb. 11 edition of OK! manual and couldn't believe her eyes - Lohan was photographed the night of Jan. 26 wearing the very same fur coat.

Reeking of cigarettes and booze with a slight tear in the lining, the fur coat was no worse for wear after a dry household help and quick patch-up.

Still, she wants answers - and Lohan to own up to swiping her coat.

"I don't see how it could have been an accident," Markova said.

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Amy Winehouse is literally coming to pieces. She was spotted yesterday looking like the missing link and not wearing her beehive while hanging out with friends. Turns out the beehive conceals a bald spot that is either a.) a by-product of the beehive or b.) the effects of snorting more coke than Keith Richards in a silo full of blow. On top of that, someone is veritably having sex with Amy (*HORF HORF HORF*) which is leading to a rapid divorce from her jailed husband Blake Fielder-Civil. Blake, apparently, has his own new lady and is ready to take Amy's cash and run, by the book to The Sun:

Blake has been bragging to pals that Amy, 24, will have to pay him a seven-figure sum to get him off her back. He is set to demand at least $3 million as a divorce settlement, telling his lawyers he wants $250,000 for each month of their year-long connubiality " despite being in jail for part of it.

A friend said: "Blake is convinced that Amy owes him big time. He is telling everyone that he’s got thousand coming to him. She’s his meal ticket for life."

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Prenuptial agreements are a gift from God. Basically, they let you try out this crazy connubiality thing then sober up, realize you made a gigantic mistake and still keep all your cash. They're greeaat! So great, in fact, that Mariah Carey made sure to have one in place before eloping with Nick Cannon, proper to FOX News:

Mariah ostensibly told a mutual pal of ours: "Anyone who thinks we didn't have a prenup is smoking something!"

This is not the Mariah Carey of old. She is a smart, smart businesswoman. For example: Post-Tommy Mottola, Carey nabbed $50 million from her short-lived deal with Virgin Records. After "Glitter," they just paid her all that to walk away!

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Tom Cruise is in the "risky business" (Swish!) of trying to resell himself as the mega movie star of yore. Today, he launched his new website Tom Cruise.com that includes a special message from Tom. I'm not going to run it here because a.) goddamn thing won't copy and paste and b.) I fell asleep after the first sentence. The website suspiciously makes no mention of Katie Holmes, Scientology or even little Suri. It's all about Tom, which makes me think it's more of a really, really high-priced singles ad. In fact, I happen to have a rough draft of Tom's open letter to his fans that he wrote himself unlike the current letter which was written by some kid who just got beaten with a copy of "Dianetics." I now present to you, in its entirety, Tom Cruise's original message to his fans:

Greetings!

First off, I'm a big boy and I sit in a big boy chair. Not many people recognize that fact about Tom Cruise, but they should. I also am allowed on many theme park rides with minimal to low bribing of the ride attendants. True story and you should handle that truth! Ha, see? Just like my movie. I'm fantastic.

I like to smile - A LOT. Right into the camera - with my face. You see, when Tom Cruise smiles he's saying, "Hey, look at my mouth, teeth and lips area. There's magic there. Thetan free magic!" I love my smile and so should you. It's smiletastic.

Making movies is my dream come true about dreaming true dreams and movies. I make movies for guys who love movies. Guys who want to come over to another guy's house after playing soccer and just take off their pants and watch guys in movies with guys. Guys are who I dream about when I dream about movies. I guess you can say, my dreams are guytastic.

I love Oprah. She's magical and really connects to the common world. She may live in a castle with a moat and archers instructed to pierce the hearts of peasants but that's because she's every woman, you know? Like her theme song. Which is Oprahtastic. If I weren't supposedly married to [insert wife's name on edit] I'd romantically pursue Oprah with my jet. And that's object you can take to the bank. Then get a second deed and asset an E-meter. I love giving banking advice. Money is the tastic of my dreams.

Now enjoy Tom Cruise.com. I be be be featured a spectacular video montage of my adventures on screen. It's my way of saying, "Hey, look at me, Tom Cruise. I'm a tall guy who makes movies." And, really, isn't that what this country needs right now? Tom Cruise dreams so.

Excelsior!

Thomas J. Cruise

*Only words spoken by Ben Stiller that made me laugh - and I totally stole it. Please, don't sue!

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 WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO MAKE YOU BELIEVE?

Reference: John 4:48 Jesus asked, “Will you never believe in me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?”

Observation: This is a question and an issue that is just as real and relavant in the church today as it was in the time of Jesus's visitation here on earth. Too many Christians predicate their believe on signs and wonders. It is almost like God has to keep proving Himself to them over and over. The real reason we ought to believe is His witness in our hearts; the reality of our relationship with Him.

We couch our pursuit of miracles in the best of terms; we want to see people blessed and relived from their suffering, we want the world to see a powerful God and be drawn to Him, we want His people to be provided for. These are all great motivations! The danger is that we lose the centrality of relationship for the pursuit of the flashyness of miracles. It is as if we were to say to our spouse, "I know you love me and we have a great relationship but I can't really be happy until you do something extrordinary for me. Prove yourself to me and then I can be satisfied." Such a conversation shows a weakness at the very core of the relationship.

So it is with our relationship with God. We ought to pray for signs and wonders, we ought to believe for them--Jesus told us to--but at a deeper level we ought to be more in awe of the simply fact that God wants to know me and Jesus died to make that possible. That is the real sign and wonder.

Application/Confession: In my frustration in what I perceive as unanswered prayer, I need to make sure that I do not ever devalue the greatness of simply knowing God. As Paul said, "compared to knowing God everything else is dung." He's right and I need to live in the joy and gratitude of that revelation.

PRAYER: I want to know You Lord. If You never do another thing for me, I want to remain full of gratitude for what you have done for me. I am a blessed man, blessed to know You and to be loved by You. Thank you so much.

Will Nicole Richie (shocker!) finally wind up just like that other tabloid preferred who got knocked up a wee early and eventually morphed into a ripped pantyhose-wearing, bathtub-hopping gurney-strapped party girl? As MSNBC reports, Richie is finding herself torn between the So! Wonderful! life of motherhood and domestic bliss all those parenting magazines assure us is pure happiness, and her former trade as a full-time mischief causer:

"Before Harlow came along, Nicole never had to worry about anything. All she did was party with her friends and go shopping...can't figure out if she's happier when she's home with the baby or hitting the town with her friends..."

Even when Nicole was just Paris' merrily chubby sidekick in 2004 (at left), we get the feeling that's a genuine smile. Whether or not substances had a little to do with it, girl is happy. And despite looking thisclose to snapping in half, Richie grinned while prancing down the beach in those infamous bikini cine taken pre-Joel and Harlow. Finally, caught up in her new affinity and frequenting the party circuit like no other, it's obvious Nicole was always happiest when photographers aligning the red carpet shouted her name.

Fast-forward to present times. impregnation is supposed to give you that "glow" or whatever, but as we can see at left, Nicole looked far from overjoyed. And as for her activities, club-going has been replaced by glumly mall mall plaza for decorative wrap paper with the fiance. And most recently, having dropped the baby weight and looking just as thin as she ever did, a smile still can't be forced. Truth be told? We really miss the old Nicole just as much as she does.

[Photo credits: X17, Splash, Getty]

• NICOLE TORN BETWEEN OLD LIFE, MOTHERHOOD [MSNBC]

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Britney Spears communal to her hometown of Kentwood, Louisiana to attend Jamie Lynn's baby shower this weekend. Relatives say Britney took to her old banjo like a cousin taking his mother in a haystack. E! News reports:

E! News has learned that mom and dad did all the cooking for the alcohol-free affair, which be act fried chicken and chili.

Security was tight at Serenity, with police setting up a roadblock and checking IDs. By noon, only about 50 cars were allowed to enter, mostly filled with college-age men and women. There was no sign of Jamie Lynn's baby daddy/fiancé, Casey Aldridge.

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In a move destined to make Katie Holmes green with envy, Miley Cyrus was allowed to join with the public on handgun night. Disney granted her a brief reprieve from her exile for showing part of her bare back in Vanity Fair. But not without a price. Miley is currently scrubbing Epcot Center with a toothbrush. No foolin'. Pluto told me, but, admittedly, he sounded kind of drunk. People reports on Miley's outing:

"I hope you had an awesome time," Cyrus told the crowd after enactment her set. "I saw a sign back there that said, 'Miley, I'm praying for you.' I could not be more appreciative. Thank you guys for all your support. Without you, none of this would be possible. I love every one of you and I could not be more appreciative. God bless you."

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Are You The Worshipper God Is Looking For?

Reference: John 4:23-24 "But the time is coming--indeed it’s here now--when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. 24 For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth."

Observation: God is looking for those who will worship Him not just in words but from the depths of who they are and by living out what we say in worship. Too often we may find ourselves telling God how great He is but living like He is no one of importance. We may say in worship that we want to be holy but do little to pursue it in our lives. We extol Him as the King of the Universe but neglect to make Him the King of our hearts. We claim that He is utterly worthy of trust and then fail to trust Him ourselves.

God wants worship from us that is true. Not that the words are simply, objectively true, but that they truly represent how we feel and live our lives. He wants not just to be lifted up by what we say, but to possess a central place in our hearts and affections.

Application/Confession: I spend considerable time in worship, sometimes alone and sometimes with people. I do not regularly consider if what I am saying is being fully lived out in my life. I am sincere. I mean it when I say it - at least I think I do. But feeling like I mean it and actually worshipping in truth as measured by all the choices I make, well that is the challenge.

PRAYER: I know, Lord, that you are looking for those who will worship in spirit and in truth. I want to be one of those kind of people. Convict me when I am just mouthing the words and putting no effort into living like I am singing. I want to worship you with my life as well as my words.

Gwyneth Paltrow has been laying low the past couple of years and doing the family thing with husband Chris Martin of Coldplay. But now she's currently seen in Iron Man which debuted at No. 1 this weekend. While at the LA premiere, she was asked if she wanted to congratulate her ex Brad Pitt on his latest child with Angelia Jolie. Let's just say, Gwyneth knows how to hold a grudge. Contact Music reports:

Paltrow appeared less than happy to be questioned about her ex at the Los Angeles opening of her newest film Iron Man (30Apr08). When asked if she had any well wishes to share with Pitt - whose partner Angelina Jolie is replete with the couple's second child - the Shakespeare In Love star declared, "No!"

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