One Year Ago

I was injured and laying in a hospital bed waiting for surgery on my broken left ankle and foot. I can remember being scared because I had not had any surgery in quite some time and honestly I did not want to be put under a general anesthetic. Thankfully, I did not have to endure general anesthesia, but rather a spinal and some feel good medicine and I was off to sleep for a little bit while the surgeon repaired the damage done by my fall on the ice.

One year later and I am able to walk and run again. I do not play any basketball or volleyball. I am still able to play golf. I have not suffered any after effects from the injury, but I have two scars to remind me what happened. I also have some hardware inside my leg to remind me also.

I was homebound for about six weeks and then was able to return to work on March 14, 2005.

Now, one year later, my wife is now on bedrest until the birth of our son Joseph Edward (see Lange Family Blog) and the roles are reversed. She was waiting on me last year and now I am waiting on her.

We have grown a lot since that day a year ago. Hopefully we are closer to each other and to God as a result!

My $.02 on the End of the Spear controversy

A lot has been said regarding the new movie End of the Spear. Emails have been traded, blogs have devoted a lot of space to this controversy regarding the casting of Chad Allen in the movie considering his beliefs are diametrically opposed to what most Bible believing Christians stand for.

My question is to those that read everything that has transpired regarding this situation.

Since when have we (the Bible believing community) ever relied on Hollywood to ever get anything right regarding the Bible, Christianity, etc? Many Bible believing Christians are upset about this situation, but I think they have failed to realize that Hollywood is not about being accurate, finding people who mirror the character and belief system of those they are trying to portray in a film, etc. Hollywood is about one thing and that is making money and lots of it.

I do not want to turn this into a debate regarding whether or not Christians should watch movies. For me personally, I do not go to the movies and have not been to a movie theater since 1987. I do not have a card for any of the major video rental outfits. Most of the time I ignore most movies on TV because of the content.

The issue here is that we do have the right to be upset at this situation with the casting of Chad Allen and the movie in general, but really, are we surprised that Hollywood did such a thing?

I am not because their value and what little morals that Hollywood has is reflected in the work that they produce and most of it is not fit for Christian Consumption. The Bible still says, "I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes" (KJV)

More updates

Our updates are available at

Lange Family Blog

TTTS?

We received a report yesterday that our twins (both boys) are afflicted with TTTS(Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome). We are scheduled to go to Ohio next week for a laser procedure to take care of this.

We are both anxious and exhausted, yesterday was an emotional day for us. We are thankful for a good pastor and church who are supporting us along with our families.

We know that this is in the sovereignty of God and this is His will -- even as difficult as it is...

Update: We are in Cincinnati and are meeting with the Dr this afternoon (1/10) in about 2 hours.
See our other blog for more details: Lange Family.

Following people blindly

On another forum, someone raised the question, "Why do people follow other people blindly?"

Here is my response:

People will follow people not necessarily blindly, as someone put it, but they follow a movement or an individual because either they have checked their brain at the door, or they do not know any better.

I look back at my own life and remember when I thought that Hyles was a good man and someone to emulate, but when I read his books (Teaching on Preaching,etc.) I knew that something was not right.

I look back now on some of the other things that I have experienced and I realize that God used these events in my life to bring me to the place of where I am now. Not that I have arrived and that I have a whole lot more growing to do, but at least now I am thankful that I have learned that people who are not KJVO are not my enemies, there is liberty in Christ, etc.

I think about people who are wholly drawn into the Hyles, Schaap, Neal, etc. and I feel sorry for them because they are in bondage. They let a man or an institution do their thinking for them. When they decide to read the Scriptures and eventually find out that their "idolatry" is wrong, then they will start to see other inconsistencies in the theology and practice of these men. I like the phrase that Tim Lee coined, "Welcome to the Fraternity of the Free". When men "check their brains at the door" and refuse to use the brains that God gave them to think for themselves within the realm of the Word of God and not the Word of Jack or anyone else. It is at that time we will see people set free and really experience the abundant life that Christ talks about in the Gospel of John.

See I Corinthians 1:10-17 for an example of polarization around men.