that i may know Him

Snigglets

2011-05-03T23:44:00.001-07:00

we had a book about these while i was growing up. just recently i remembered them and found them online (courtesy of: http://www.ziplink.net/users/wood/funny/snigglets.html). Here they are for your enjoyment:

20 Words That Should Exist (by Rich Hall)

1. ACCORDIONATED (ah kor' de on ay tid)
adj. Being able to drive and refold a road map at the same time.

2. AQUADEXTROUS (ak wa deks' trus)
adj. Possessing the ability to turn the bathtub faucet on and off with your toes.

3. AQUALIBRIUM (ak wa lib' re um)
n. The point where the stream of drinking fountain water is at its perfect height, thus relieving the drinker from (a) having to suck the nozzle, or (b) squirting himself in the eye (or ear).

4. BURGACIDE (burg' uh side)
n. When a hamburger can't take any more torture and hurls itself through the grill into the coals.

5. BUZZACKS (buz' aks)
n. People in phone marts who walk around picking up display phones and listening for dial tones even when they know the phones are not connected.

6. CARPERPETUATION (kar' pur pet u a shun)
n. The act, when vacuuming, of running over a string or a piece of lint at least a dozen times, reaching over and picking it up, examining it, then putting it back down to give the vacuum one more chance.

7. DIMP (dimp)
n. A person who insults you in a cheap department store by asking, "Do you work here?"

8. DISCONFECT (dis kon fekt')
v. To sterilize the piece of candy you dropped on the floor by blowing on it, somehow assuming this will `remove' all the germs.

9. ECNALUBMA (ek na lub' ma)
n. A rescue vehicle which can only be seen in the rearview mirror.

10. EIFFELITES (eye' ful eyetz)
n. Gangly people sitting in front of you at the movies who, no matter what direction you lean in, follow suit.

11. ELBONICS (el bon' iks)
n. The actions of two people maneuvering for one armrest in a movie theater. (or on an airplane!)

12. ELECELLERATION (el a cel er ay' shun)
n. The mistaken notion that the more you press an elevator button the faster it will arrive.

13. FRUST (frust)
n. The small line of debris that refuses to be swept onto the dust pan and keeps backing a person across the room until he finally decides to give up and sweep it under the rug.

14. LACTOMANGULATION (lak' to man gyu lay' shun)
n. Manhandling the "open here" spout on a milk container so badly that one has to resort to the `illegal' side.

15. NEONPHANCY (ne on' fan see)
n. A fluorescent light bulb struggling to come to life.

16. PEPPIER (pehp ee ay')
n. The waiter at a fancy restaurant whose sole purpose seems to be walking around asking diners if they want ground pepper.

17. PETROPHOBIC (pet ro fob' ik)
adj. One who is embarrassed to undress in front of a household pet.

18. PHONESIA (fo nee' zhuh) n.
The affliction of dialing a phone number and forgetting whom you were calling just as they answer.

19. PUPKUS (pup' kus)
n. The moist residue left on a window after a dog presses its nose to it.

20. TELECRASTINATION (tel e kras tin ay' shun)
n. The act of always letting the phone ring at least twice before you pick it up, even when you're only six inches away.

cool quote

2010-12-02T22:26:00.000-08:00

I was reminded of this quote today as I was flipping through the pages of old books today. This is from C. S. Lewis' flagship book, Mere Christianity:

I have heard some people complain that if Jesus was God as well as man, then His sufferings and death lose all value in their eyes, 'because it must have been so easy for Him'. Others may (very rightly) rebuke the ingratitude and ungraciousness of this objection; what staggers me is the misunderstanding it betrays. In one sense, of course, those who make it are right. They have even understated their own case. The perfect submission, the perfect suffering, the perfect death were not only easier to Jesus because He was God. But surely that is a very odd reason for not accepting them? The teacher is able to form the letters for the child because the teacher is grown-up and knows how to write. That, of course, makes it easier for the teacher; and only because it is easier for him can he help the child. If it rejected him because 'it's easy for grown-ups' and waited to learn writing from another child who could not write itself (and so had no 'unfair' advantage), it would not get on very quickly. If I am drowning in a rapid river, and a man who still has one foot on the bank may give me a hand which saves my life. Ought I to shout back (between my gasps) 'No, it's not fair! You have an unfair advantage! You're keeping one foot on the bank'? That advantage--call it 'unfair' if you like--is the only reason why he can be of any use to me. To what will you look for help if you will not look to that which is stronger than yourself?

Such is my own way of looking at what Christians call the Atonement. But remember this is only one more picture. Do not mistake it for the thing itself..."

Christ can rescue us from this river in which we are drowning because He is God and therefore has the power to save us. But Christ can also save us because He is man and, therefore, was able to take our place.

was Christ fully God?

2010-11-10T23:19:00.000-08:00

I've been asked this question a few times recently, so I figured I'd post a blog about it...and, because I'm short on time I'm just going to copy and paste a question/answer between myself and a student who asked it:

From: [undisclosed Korean student who looks like Russell from "Up"][ok, so, those of you who know him, it was Tae! :) ]
----
matthew 24:36
No one knows about that day or the hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father

Christ is God, God is all knowing......im confused @_@

---my response---
good question, bro. i'll admit, i don't fully understand it either. i don't fully understand Jesus. He was 100% man -- He was born like any other person, He was a baby dependent on His mother's milk, He grew up and "kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men," (Luke 2:52) He got hungry and thirsty, He got tired (John 4:6), he slept (Mark 4:38), etc. etc. He was 100% human.

But at the same time he was 100% God. He was worshiped (Matt. 14:33), He could forgive sins (Mark 2:5), He could control nature with His words (Mark 4:39), etc. etc.

So does Matthew 24:36 prove that Jesus was not omniscient (knowing everything)? There's actually other times where Jesus seems to not know something. When the woman was pushing through the crowd to touch the hem of His garment he asked "who touched me?" and then continued looking through the crowd. (Mark 5:32) It seems that Jesus was TRULY asking "who touched me?" because He didn't know. hmmmm....

Well, let's talk about something else for a bit to try to make some sense of this...

Isn't God majestic? Yes. Completely. When we see the throne room we see Him bright and majestic, shining and glorified. In Isaiah 6 when Isaiah sees God on the throne he realizes how awesome God is and how unholy he is. (Interesting note: from John 12 we can actually see that this "LORD" who is sitting on the throne in Isaiah 6 is Christ Himself! ...we can know this because John 12 quotes Isaiah 6 and refers to the one seated on the throne as Christ. notice how John 12:41 says "Isaiah said these things because he saw His glory and spoke of Him"...well who is the "Him" in context in John 12? it's Christ! So, Christ is gloriously majestic.) We also see similar things in Revelation chapters 1 and 4 -- Jesus is majestic in these chapters as well.

But when people saw Jesus on earth they weren't overwhelmed with His majesty. Sure, they were shocked by His miracles and His words, but these are words and actions...things He did, not simply who He appeared to be. A lot of the reactions of the Pharisees etc. proved that when they looked at Him all they thought they were looking at was a regular human being (Luke 4:22 they just thought He was Joseph's son...Joseph was someone these people knew. Someone some of them had grown up with. A regular man. ...notice Jesus was speaking to people in Nazareth, His hometown where He had grown up; also, Matthew 12:23 the people say "This man cannot be the Son of David, can He?" ...they didn't think He could be the Messiah (Son of David was a common term for the Messiah)...His appearance wasn't anything to marvel at (see Isaiah 53:2))

So...but Jesus was fully God, right? And God is majestic, right? Why then was Jesus of Nazareth not fully majestic??

Well...to quote Shai Linne, "He put independent use of His attributes on the shelf". ....Christ did not lose or get rid of or take off any of His "Godness" when He became a man--what He did was humble Himself. (check out Philippians 2:1-11). He was still fully, 100% God very God. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. But, He put His independent use of His attributes on the shelf. He relied entirely upon the Holy Spirit's use of the attributes of God through His life.

Isaiah 6 shows Christ's majesty before His time on earth. Then, we don't really see His majesty while He was here on earth (except for a time in the Transfiguration Matt. 17; Mark 9; Luke 9). But, later on, we do see Christ's majesty after He ascended back to Heaven (see Revelation 1 and 4).

We can expect His omniscience to follow the same pattern. Just as we didn't see Jesus' majesty while He was here on earth except when God ordains it to be seen (like at the Transfiguration), so we only see Him being omniscient when God ordains it.

Here's a decent article on it.

keep the questions coming. keep growing. keep focused on Christ.

me and walker prayed for you and your family the other day, bro. ...press on.

elias
----
OK - after reading my attempt to explain this...if you want to hear an EXCELLENT exposition on the incarnation of Christ (God the Son becoming a man) then listen to this.
(Right-click and choose "save target as" to download it.)
This is a sermon preached by Bruce Ware at Community Bible Church's "Exalting Christ Conference".
You can listen to all the sermons here.

i'm still here...

2010-11-09T12:14:00.001-08:00

no, i haven't fallen off the face of the planet. sistre, please don't revoke my bloghood :) I am still writing, just not on my blog. If you'd like to read any of my papers they can all be found here.

from my Soteriology paper

2010-07-10T23:47:00.000-07:00

i was reading through some of my papers i've written for seminary and decided to post this part of a paper that i wrote on "regeneration"...

Why do we need regeneration? Is it a necessary part of salvation? Can a man repent of his sins and trust in Christ for salvation without that specific work of God which we call regeneration? It is to these questions that we will now turn our attention.

First, we must understand the state of the human heart. Scripture is not unclear about the deadness of a sinnerʼs heart and its complete inability to obtain spiritual life by its own strength.

In John chapter three we see a Pharisee, Nicodemus, come to speak with Jesus. We first read Nicodemusʼ words, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him” (John 3:2b). Jesusʼ response is interesting because He does not respond directly to Nicodemusʼ statement. Instead Jesus seems to cut right to the core issue: Nicodemusʼ need for regeneration, which He speaks of as being “born again”. Jesus says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). The phrase “born again” which Jesus uses, literally means “born from above.”

But Nicodemus, by his response, shows that he does not understand that Jesus is speaking not of physical birth leading to physical life, but of spiritual birth leading to spiritual life. Jesus goes on in order to make His point clearer:
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ʻYou must be born again.ʼ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:5-8).

Jesus here communicates the truth that one must experience the new birth which is brought about by the Spirit. Without this working of the Spirit no one can enter the kingdom of God. So, we can see from this passage that a work of the Spirit, namely regeneration, is necessary in order for one to enter the kingdom of God (i.e. truly be saved).

We see this truth again in Ephesians chapter two. Here Paul plainly tells his audience the state of their hearts prior to salvation:
“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind” (Eph. 2:1-3).

Paul is speaking to the church at Ephesus, a group of saints (see Eph. 1:1), and he tells them that they, before they were saved, were spiritually “dead” because of their sins. He tells them that they “were by nature children of wrath.” We should notice that he leaves no one out: “among whom we all once lived.” Paul is saying that there is no one who is spiritually alive in and of themselves. Not only were the saints spiritually dead, they were deserving of wrath--Godʼs eternal punishment for sin. Therefore, we see that man needs regeneration. Man needs God Himself to perform a work in his spiritually dead heart. Manʼs dead heart must be given new life through the new birth. If God does not work regeneration, man has no hope of eternal life.

-----
so i ask you, have you trusted in God's work of salvation? or are you trusting in your own righteousness? by nature you are a child of wrath which means that you deserve God's wrath as punishment on your sin. this is not something you want to face. turn to God. turn to Christ and His saving work. trust Him for salvation. there is salvation in none other.

question

2010-06-24T22:59:00.000-07:00

the other day i received a message on facebook from someone who is a friend of a friend on there. i was glad to see someone genuinely interested in understanding the Christian faith. this person must have seen my religious views because their question was directly related to it. i figured i'd share the question and my response while keeping the person anonymous--

Question:
What do you mean by Christ is your strength? And why do you think you should have died the death that Jesus died? I am a curious person trying to better understand the Christian philosophy/thinking. Your response is truly appreciated. Thank you

--
Answer:
Hello,

I’m sorry it took me a while to respond to you. You ask two good questions, and I am glad to answer them. Actually, the answers to both of them are related.

(In my response I reference the Bible a lot. If you do not have a copy you can read the verses by going to this website: http://www.biblegateway.com/ and typing in the references I give.)

Most importantly is the idea of “Substitutionary Atonement.” This is the idea I’m trying to communicate when I say that Christ died the death I should have died. Substitutionary Atonement is essential to the Christian faith.

The idea of Substitution is a familiar one in American culture--we have substitute teachers who take the place of our normal teacher. We have substitute sugars and even substitute for salt. These all take the place of something else. Jesus Christ was our substitute in death. But, unlike teachers, sugar, and salt substitutes, Jesus was a better substitute--He was the perfect substitute.

A verse that communicates this idea of substitutionary atonement is 1 Peter 2:24 in the Bible which says, “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.”

But why did Jesus have to die? Why did He have to be our substitute in death? This verse has told us that He died so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. We are healed by His wounds--by the event where He got His wounds--the cross. It says that He died so that we might do two things: die and live. Die to sin, and live to righteousness. This dying and living are spiritual death and life. Throughout the Bible, when it talks about spiritual life and spiritual death it speaks of them in the sense of “what is controlling you”. When sin and unrighteousness are controlling you, you are said to be “dead.” But when you are said to be “alive”, you have been given life through Jesus‘ work. Another way to put this is that a person who is spiritually dead is separated from God spiritually. But a person who has spiritual life is united with God spiritually (and, in the end, physically in Heaven as well.) From the Bible we can see this: Spiritually, all people are dead (Psalm 51:5; Romans 5:12) unless they have received life from Jesus Christ (John 11:25-26).

Ephesians 2:1-5 says this:
And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).

This idea of being separated from God is because of mankind’s nature. The Bible tells us that God created the Heavens and the Earth (everything that exists). We believe in a triune God--the Trinity: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. These are not three Gods, but three different persons, all equal and all so unified that they are actually one.

Colossians 1:13-23 is a good passage that explains the idea of sin separating us from the God who created us, and Jesus reconciling that separation. You can read the passage here: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=colossians+1%3A13-23&version=NASB

Notice at the end of verse 16 (speaking of Jesus) it says “all things have been created through Him and for Him.” See, we were created for Jesus. But we have all sinned--we have rebelled against our creator, we have all turned to our own ways and not lived for Him. The first part of Isaiah 53:6 says, “All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way…” Here the Bible tells us that we all have not followed God’s way, instead we follow our own ways. Because of this God, who created us for Himself, has the right to (actually, He must) punish us. The Bible teaches that God is a just God and a good God. If He were to let rebellion go without punishing it, this means He is not perfectly good and perfectly just. He would not be a good judge. (Exodus 34:7 says that God will, by no means, leave the guilty unpunished). Well, all of mankind is guilty because all have sinned and turned to their own ways instead of His ways (Isaiah 53:6 and Romans 3:23).

But the second half of Isaiah 53:6 says this: “but the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him [Jesus].”

This is what I mean by Jesus died the death I should have died. I am a sinner. I have turned to my own ways and therefore I am guilty. God will not let the guilty go unpunished. Not only am I guilty before a smaller power (like the government). I am guilty before the God who created me and the rest of the universe (Col. 1:16). Because I am guilty before the infinite God, I deserve to be punished by Him--I deserve death. BUT, as it says in Ephesians 2:4-5, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).”

I hope that makes sense. All of us deserve punishment by God because we have sinned against Him (we deserve death). But, God is so rich in His mercy and His love, that He bore our sins Himself in His body on the cross (that’s 1 Peter 2:24 again). So that when we believe in Him...when we trust in Him and what He did...then He doesn’t count our sins against us, but, as Isaiah 53:6 says, He caused our iniquity (our sin) to fall on Jesus.

So...you also asked what I mean by saying that Jesus is my strength. If you go to Romans 8, this is a good passage to use to explain what I mean. (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+8&version=NASB )

In verse 18 it says that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. Verse 28 says that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. In other words, no matter what we go through, it will all be worth it in the end, because God is the one working it all for His purposes. Verse 37 says that in all these things (all the things that were listed in verses 35 and 36...any trouble that life can bring us)...in all those things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. Who is it that loved us? Verse 32 has told us. It is God. Verse 32 says that God Himself, who did not even spare His own Son…(that’s how much He loved us)...He will also freely give us all things--He will help us through any situation.

This is what I mean when I say that Christ is my strength. It brings such great encouragement no matter what happens in life when I know that the God of the universe loves me so much that, in order to redeem me and save me so that I might have a relationship with Him, in order to do that He spared no expense--He did not even spare His one and only Son. A God who will do that, will He not also freely give us all things?

I hope this was helpful for you.

If you have any further questions, feel free to ask.

Elias

Submission is Christ

2010-05-01T21:29:00.000-07:00

God has blessed me by allowing me to go to Seminary and to learn a lot of things about Him. i have been convicted recently to write more about what i am learning...here is one of the really cool things i recently read.

These are some quotes from Bruce Ware's book "Father, Son & The Holy Spirit"... "There is an ordering in the Godhead, a "built-in" structure of authority and submission that marks a significant respect in which the Persons of the Godhead are distinguished from one another. Surely, they are not distinct in essence, for each shares fully the identically same divine nature. Their distinction, rather, is constituted, in part by taxis (which Ware describes as) "the ordering of Father, Son and Holy Spirit within the Godhead" ...Intrinsic to God's own nature is a fundamental taxis, and He has so designed creation to reflect His own being, His own internal and eternal relationships, in part, through created and designed relationships of taxis."

Ware had just recently quoted 1 Corinthians 11:3 which says, "But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God." Then he said, "Without question, the Son stands under the authority, or, if you will, the headship of the Father."

See...I see a gaping lack of authority in our culture. I see people who should take authority--they shun it. I see people who should submit to authority--they shake it off and rebel. "This is not the way you learned Christ!" No, intrinsic to the Godhead is structure: authority and submission. Not only are men supposed to submit to God, God Himself--God the Son, submits...willingly submits...to God the Father. And Paul, in 1 Corinthians 11, uses this illustration of the Son submitting to the Father as an example of how we as humans should submit to each other. God has built-in to humanity and human relationships a structure of authority. This is not something "man" as put on "woman" or "masters" have put on "slaves". No, this is something the Son has willingly submitted to...He willingly submitted to the Father. And He asks that we follow His example.

Ware goes on to explain this very excellently, and I won't make this a longer blog post by quoting more and more of him, but it was incredible and eye-opening to see that God the Son willingly (and not just while He was on earth, but even from eternity past and into eternity future, as Ware proves from Scripture) submits to the Father. And this is not just a fact that we learn about Him. This characteristic is what makes Him the Son. For, how else is God the Son different than God the Father besides in His submission? He is not different in His power, His knowledge, His wisdom or in any of His attributes. The only distinction between the Son and the Father is His submission. This is what makes the Son the Son. The authority of the Father is what makes the Father the Father. These characteristics are essential. And for us to shun authority, or to rebel against it, is to rebel against who God is. It is to rebel against the image of God in us. He has imparted to us authority and submission. We would do well to accept these positions gladly, as a way to reflect Him.

Christ is the Center

2010-02-16T22:08:00.000-08:00

The importance of preaching the Christ-Centeredness of Scripture:

True Christian preaching must center on the cross of Jesus Christ. The cross is the central doctrine of the Holy Scriptures. All other revealed truths either find their fulfillment in the cross or are necessarily founded upon it. Therefore, no doctrine of Scripture may faithfully be set before men unless it is displayed in its relationship to the cross. The one who is called to preach, therefore, must preach Christ becuase there is no other message from God. ~Thomas F. Jones

everything has its price. or...does it?

2009-12-07T01:41:00.000-08:00

men can pretty much be bought out of anything. it seems that everything has its price.

my dad tells a story of a man who was driving through the Monterey, CA area. at a ranch he came across a huge wooden water trough with beautiful carvings on the sides. he asked the owner of the ranch how much he would sell the trough for. anything, name the price. he wanted it. no price was too high. "it's not for sale." the owner didn't care about money, the trough was not for sale. the man tried and tried and even offered millions, but he could not convince the owner to sell it. "it belongs on this ranch, i will not sell it and allow it to leave this ranch." but the man was determined. so, what did he do? he bought the entire ranch. trough and all.

the trough did have a price. the man just needed to go high enough.

but this is not true for all things--to the Christian, Christ has no price.

this fact has been proven over and over again throughout history as men have tried and failed to get Christians to renounce their faith. they've been offered money, bribes. they've been threatened with beatings, torture, killing of their loved ones, even their own horrific deaths. but here is one thing that truly cannot be bought out, no matter what the price: Christ cannot be bought, traded, or exchanged.

"I beseech you...after this day, convene all your lovers before your soul; and give them their leave, and strike hands with Christ, that thereafter there may be no happiness to you but Christ; no hunting for anything but Christ; no bed at night (when death cometh) but Christ; Christ, Christ, who but Christ? I know this much of Christ, he is not so ill to be found, not lordly of his love; woe had been my part of it for evermore, if Christ had made a dainty of himself to me; but God be thanked, I gave nothing for Christ; and now I protest, before men and angels, Christ cannot be exchanged; Christ cannot be sold, Christ cannot be weighed." ~Samuel Rutherford

Ulysses vs. Jason

2009-11-18T00:48:00.000-08:00

as some of you know, one of my most favorite books is called "One Thing" by Sam Storms. And this is a part of the book I go back to time and time again. I hope it is encouraging to you...A little context: Sam's main idea of the book is that if/when we see God for Who He is (a beautiful, amazing, all powerful God) then we will be captured and captivated by Him, His grace and His beauty, so that sin will be an easy opponent...it will not really even be tempting to us because it is not attractive to us in light of the beauty of Christ. So now, for the quote:

When temptation comes knocking, what good is grandiose talk of beauty and splendor and the God of quarks and quasars?

The answer is found in a story that could change your life. It's about one mysterious island, two heroic men, and a host of 'women' whose beauty was quite literally skin-deep. But mostly its about radically different perspectives on the nature of Christianity and living to the glory of God.

...I've told this story many times...Don't be put off that it comes from Greek mythology. The point it makes is thoroughly biblical.

The first of our two characters is well known to most. Some call him Odysseus, others Ulysses. When I hear his name I close my eyes and envision the craggy features and dimpled chin of Kirk Douglass, the actor who portrayed him in the film version of our story...Ulysses was a devoted husband to his wife, Penelope, adored his son, and agonized at leaving his home of Ithaca. But he was also a Greek, and duty called.

Paris, the prince of Troy, had stolen away helen, the woman 'whose face launched a thousand ships'. She was the wife of Menalaus, the king of Greece. He, together with his brother Agamemnon, Ulysses, and a a mighty Greek army undertook the daunting task of recapturing her and restoring dignity to their beloved land.

To make a long story short, hidden in the belly of a huge Trojan horse, Ulysses and his men gained access to the city, slaughtered its inhabitants, and rescued the captive Helen. But the return voyage to Ithaca, which lasted nearly a decade, would prove to be far more challenging.

...My fascination...has always been with the infamous Sirens. Countless were the unwitting sailors who, on passing by their island, succumbed to the outward beauty of the sirens and their seductively irresistible songs. Once lured close to shore, their oats crashed on the hidden rocks lurking beneath the surface of the sea. These demonic cannibals whose alluring disguise and mesmerizing melodies had drawn them close wasted little time in savagely consuming their flesh.

Ulysses had been repeatedly warned about the Sirens and their lethal hypocrisy. Upon reaching their island, he ordered his crew to put wax in their ears lest they be lured to their ultimate demise. He commanded them to look neither to the left nor right but to row for their lives. Ulysses had other plans for himself. he instructed his men to strap him to the mast of the ship, leaving his ears unplugged. 'I want to hear their song. Not matter what I say or do, don't untie me until we are safely at a distance from the island.'

The songs of the Sirens were more than Ulysses' otherwise strong will could resist. He was utterly seduced byt heir sound and mesmerized by the promise of immediate gratification. One Siren even took on the form of Penelope, Ulysses' wife, seeking to lure him closer on the delusion that he had finally arrived home. Were it not for the ropes that held him tightly to the mast, Ulysses would have succumbed to their invitation. Although his hands were restrained, his heart was captivated by their beauty. Although his souls said 'Yes', the ropes prevented his indulgence. His 'no' was not the fruit of a spontaneous revulsion but the product of an external shackle.

Ulysses' encounter with the Sirens, together with his strategy for resisting their appeal, is all to similar to the way many Christians try to live as followers of Jesus Christ. Like him, their hearts pant for the passing pleasures of sin. Their wills are no match for the magnetic power of sensual indulgence. Although they understand what it at stake, they struggle through life saying 'no' to sin, not because their souls are ill-disposed to evil, but because their hands have been shackled by the laws and rules imposed by an oppressive religious atmosphere. It is the extra-biblical taboo that comes thundering form a legalistic pulpit or a long-standing denominational prohibition that accounts for their external complicity. Their obedience is not the glad product
of a transformed nature, but a reluctant conformity born of fear and shame.

I have no desire to live that way. Neither do you, I suspect. So, how do you account for your 'obedience'? Is it the expression of your deepest heart-felt joy? Is it the product of a passion that spontaneously and urgently springs from the depths of your being? Or are you firmly bound to the mast of religious expectations, all the while yearning for the opposite of what you actually do? What is the most effective scheme for confronting the sinful sounds of Sirens?

A Sweeter Song
Jason, like Ulysses, was himself a character of ancient mythology, perhaps best known for his pursuit of the famous Golden Fleece. Again, like Ulysses, he faced the temptation posed by the sonorous tones of the Sirens. But his solution was of a different sort. Jason brought with him on the treacherous journey a man named Orpheus, the son of Oeager. Orpheus was a musician of incomparable talent, especially on the lyre and flute. When his music filled the air it had an enchanting effect on all who heard. There was not a lovelier or more melodious sound in all the ancient world.

When it came time, Jason declined to plug the ears of his crew. Neither did he strap himself to the mast to restrain his otherwise lustful yearning for whatever pleasures the Sirens might offer. But this was not the reckless decision of an arrogant heart. Jason had no illusions about the strength of his will or his capacity to be deceived. He was no less determined than Ulysses to resist the temptations of the sirens. But he chose a different strategy.

He ordered Orpheus to play his most beautiful and alluring songs. The sirens didn't stand a chance! Notwithstanding their collective allure, Jason and his men paid no heed to the Sirens. They were not in the least inclined to succumb. Why? Was it that the Sirens had ceased to sing? Was it that they had lost their capacity to entice the human heart? Not at all. Jason and his men said 'no' because they were captivated by a transcendent sound. The music of Orpheus was of an altogether different and exalted nature. Jason and his men said 'no' to the sounds of the sirens because they had heard something far more sublime. They had tasted something far sweeter. They had encountered something far more noble.

For many people Christianity is a tedious and ultimately unsatisfying aversion to temptations they would much prefer to indulge. Nothing depresses me more than to think of expending my one life on earth merely suppressing my deepest desires, always acting contrary to what my soul continues to crave. But there is little hope of it being otherwise, so long as I seek satisfaction in something other than God.

Here is my point, both in this story and in the book as a whole. I don't want simply to live the Christian life. I want to love living the Christian life. Ulysses may have survived the sounds of the Sirens. But only Jason triumphed over them. Yes, both men 'obeyed' (in a manner of speaking). Neither succumbed. Neither indulged his desires. Both men escaped the danger at hand. But only one was changed.

Who Made Man's Mouth?

2009-10-18T23:52:00.000-07:00

Who But Christ?

2009-08-25T13:08:00.000-07:00

I love thumbing through the book "The Loveliness of Christ" which is a collection of extracts from letters written by Samuel Rutherford. There are so many powerful quotes in this book. Here is one which has become one of my favorites:

I beseech you in the Lord Jesus, beware, beware of unsound work, in the matter of your salvation: ye may not, ye cannot, ye do not want Christ. Then after this day, convene all your lovers before your soul; and give them their leave, and strike hands with Christ, that thereafter there may be no happiness to you but Christ; no hunting for anything but Christ; no bed at night (when death cometh) but Christ; Christ, Christ, who but Christ? I know this much of Christ, He is not so ill to be found, not lordly of His love; woe had been my part of it for evermore, if Christ had made a dainty of Himself to me; but God be thanked, I gave nothing for Christ; and now I protest, before men and angels, Christ cannot be exchanged; Christ cannot be sold, Christ cannot be weighed.

...and now I protest, before men and angels, Christ cannot be exchanged; Christ cannot be sold, Christ cannot be weighed.

Can I say the same? Truly, I gave nothing for Christ. I had (and still have) nothing to give! It is only because salvation is a free gift that I now have it. But, now that I do have it, can I honestly say, and protest before men and angels, that I will not exchange Christ for anything? That I will not sell Christ for any price? That no thing, no matter how great, how alluring, or attractive, can outweigh Christ and His beauty? I know that these things are true, but does my life and the way I live moment by moment prove that my heart believes these truths?

Packer on Knowing God

2009-08-19T23:46:00.000-07:00

this is an excerpt from J. I. Packer's book Knowing God...

I walked in the sunshine with a scholar who had effectively forfeited his prospects of academic advancement by clashing with church dignitaries over the gospel of grace. 'But it doesn't matter,' he said..., 'for I have known God and they haven't.' This remark was a mere parenthesis, a passing comment on something I had said, but it has stuck with me, and set me thinking.

Not many of us, I think, would ever naturally say that we have known God. The words imply a definiteness and matter-of-fact-ness of experience to which most of us, if we are honest, have to admit that we are still strangers. We claim, perhaps, to have a testimony, ...we say that we know God--this, after all, is what evangelicals are expected to say; but would it occur to us to say, without hesitation, and with reference to particular events in our personal history, that we have known God?...

I think, [rather, that] many of us [would never] naturally say (in the light of the knowledge of God which we have come to enjoy) that past dissappointments and present heartbreaks...don't matter. For the plain fact is that...they do matter. ...Constantly we find ourselves slipping into bitterness and apathy and gloom as we reflect on them, which we frequently do. The attitude we show to the world is a sort of dried-up stoicism, miles removed from the 'joy unspeakable and full of glory' which Peter took for granted that his readers were displaying (1 Peter 1:8).

...But...those who really know God...never brood on might-have-beens; they never think of the things they have missed, only of what they have gained. 'What things were gain to me, these have I counted loss for Christ,' wrote Paul. 'Yea verily, and I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as dung, that I may gain Christ, and be found in Him...that I may know Him...' (Phil. 3:7-10) When Paul says he counts the things he lost 'dung', he means not merely that he does not think of them as having any value, but also that he does not live with them constantly in his mind: what normal person spends his time nostalgically dreaming of manure? Yet this, in effect, is what many of us do. It shows how little we have in the way of true knowledge of God.

We need frankly to face ourselves at this point. ...We can [perhaps] state the gospel clearly...If anyone asks us how men may know God, we can at once produce the right formula...Yet the joy, goodness, and unfetteredness of spirit which are the marks of those who have known God are rare among us--rarer, perhaps, than they are in some other Christian circles, where, by comparison, evangelical truth is less clearly and fully known. Here, too, it would seem that the last may prove to be first, and the first last. A little knowledge of God is worth more than a great deal of knowledge about Him.

As Christians, do we know God? Do we seek to know Christ? Can we say, unhesitatingly, that we have known Him? And do the attitudes, actions and emotions that characterize our lives PROVE that we do truly know Christ?

Cotton Candy

2009-07-28T18:55:00.000-07:00

The following story was inspired by a sermon illustration I heard several years ago...

The sun was beaming through the puffy white clouds as the Mills family pulled their blue Grand Caravan into the parking lot at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. This was a day they had been looking forward to for the past month. As they waited in line for their tickets the kids were discussing which ride they would go on first. Emily wanted to go on the Log Ride. Her father, John, suggested they wait until the warmer part of the day so they would be able to dry off without getting too cold in the process. Their mom, Karen, suggested they could hit the Log Ride just before lunch so they could dry off as they ate. The two younger ones, Cathryn and Andrew, wanted to go on Tsunami first. They loved spinning in their cars and Andrew especially enjoyed it when the ride went backwards at the end. So, Tsunami it was.

Throughout the day the kids got to go on any ride they wanted, play any of the carnival-type games, and they even got $5 for tokens at the Arcade. For lunch they could choose to eat whatever they wanted at any of the different restaurants or food carts. This was a day for family fun and enjoyment. The kids laughed and played all day. They had the time of their lives.

As the sun was slipping down into the Pacific Ocean, the family began their walk back to the car, hand in hand, recalling the exciting moments of the day.
"Remember when we went down the last hill on the Log Ride and Dad ducked right as the water splashed up and it hit me right in the face?!" said Cathryn, "that was fun!"
"My favorite part was when the guy on the bumper cars let me stay on three times in a row!" Andrew recalled with a smile on his face. "Hey, look Dad, cotton candy! Can I pleeease have some?"
John thought about it for a second--they were on their way to the car, Andrew probably wouldn't finish the cotton candy by the time they drove away, and even if he did his hands would be sticky and most likely get the candy's stickiness all over the seat, belt buckle and anything else Andrew touched.
"No, son, no cotton candy tonight."
They continued on and made it to their van as the parking lot lights were flickering on.
"Well, kids, did you enjoy your day?"
"Yeah, dad, thanks for taking us!" Emily said.
Cathryn was quick to follow, "Thanks, Dad! It was great!"
"How about you, Andrew, did you have a good time?"
"Well....no," came the response.
"No? Well, why not? Didn't we go on Tsunami first like you wanted? It looked like you enjoyed your corn dog and funnel cake you had for lunch. And you beat me four times on that car racing game! Why didn't you have a good time?"
"'Cause I didn't get any cotton candy," Andrew said, pouting.

"Son, I did not withhold anything from you all day long. I let you do anything you asked during all of the eight hours we were here today. You did politely ask for the cotton candy, but son, cotton candy is very sticky and we need to take good care of our car. Having sticky cotton candy hands inside the car would not be a good thing."

"But Dad! I could have cleaned them off!"

"Son, that is not the point. The point is that I wanted you to have a fun day. That is why we came here as a family. Your mother and I planned this day especially for the three of you because we know how much you like to come here. But if you choose to focus on the one thing you did not get, and you ignore all the many pleasures you enjoyed throughout the day, then of course you will not have a good time. Son, in life so often we experience many many blessings that are gifts from God, but if we ignore His blessings and instead spend our time complaining about the problems that we encounter and the things we do not get, we will miss out on rejoicing for all the good God has given to us in our lives. In the same way, Andrew, you have decided that your day was not a good day simply because you did not get cotton candy in the last few minutes of an otherwise exciting day. Son, when you have all these things, why do you complain about not having cotton candy?"

Summer Camp Romance

2009-07-25T22:31:00.000-07:00

It is one of my hopes to put up lyrics to songs by the band Everybodyduck so that they can be online and people can search for them and enjoy them. Everybodyduck is a band that used to play at Hume Lake Christian Camps and also did some touring. They are one of my favorite bands because their songs are fun but also very convicting and Christ-focused.

I just came back from my very first Summer Camp with Community Bible Church of Vallejo, CA. On the way up I drove and had a car full myself plus 4 female students. On the way home the bus was larger so I drove home by myself...and enjoyed listening to Everybodyduck's CD "8 Secons on a Holy Cow" :) One of the songs on there is "Summer Camp Romance." It's a funny song, but really it's an analogy based off of what, I'm sure, the members of Everybodyduck witnessed often at Hume Lake. Pay attention to the comparison made in the last verse. Here are the lyrics:

(guy singing)
Stumbled off the bus dazed by the smell of suntan lotion
[can't make out the lyrics] like some angelic sort of dance
our eyes locked through the haze of bugs transfixed with such emotion
[can't make out the lyrics] but I was in your trance.

(girl singing)
saved you a seat at dinner we held hands under the table
and I sacrificed for love by eating just with my left hand
though I could listen to you speak for hours I found I was not able
yeah, you sounded sweet but smelled so bad I still don't understand

chorus:(both)
I don't want to hear you have a boy(girl)friend back at home
please don't tell me you want to be friends
you're the only (boy/girl) that I could love this week
so come on baby please give love a chance
it's clear to me this year you'll be my summer camp romance

(guy singing)
well your friends said that my friends said you said I said I had kissed you
well I didn't and I haven't but I wish 'cause you're a fox
so I passed your friends a note I wrote I hope that it gets to you.
I wrote, "If you want to go steady, sugar, please just check that box."

(girl)
I successfully convinced you that night I was claustrophobic
hand in hand we snuck off in the dark to talk and get some air.
someone said, "kids these woods are no place to bloom a romance."
we deny the implication and claim we were deep in prayer.

(chorus)

(guy) bags all packed we come too soon to our final farewell
(girl) we're both tempted to lie and say we'll write
(guy) instead I say, "I hate you"
(girl) so then I say that you smell
(both) There's nothing more memorable than that last day break-up fight.

(guy)
As the buses slowly pull away I start to think about things
and I come upon a realization I find rather odd
It's a peculiar kind of love each year that somehow summer can bring
It's the kind of love repeatedly I offer up to God.

(girl)
God, there's things I want so I sweet talk to see if I can get them.
And I make a bunch of promises I've no intent to keep.
In a couple days I break it off and just try to ignore Him.
There's never a chance of drowning 'cause I don't wade in too deep.

(both)
I don't want to say "I'm going to love You all my life."
"Let's be satisfied just being friends."
"I'll be dedicated, but not for more than a week."
"Since You don't change there's nothing left to chance."
"I'll use You and then lose You like a summercamp romance."

what should a preacher be?

2009-06-04T23:30:00.000-07:00

this is a quote about the baptist's view in the early 1800s of
what a preacher should be...

"It is of primary importance that the preacher should be clothed with the garment of salvation; that he should be filled with a sense of the immense worth of the truth, the guilt, depravity and danger man is in; the unsearchable love of Christ in the bloody purchase, and His ability and willingness to save redeemed penitents. Without this robe, he will preach a distant Jesus, by an unfelt gospel, and with an unhallowed tongue."
Revival and Revivalism - Ian Murray, p. 303

worth

2009-05-23T00:02:00.000-07:00

please etch Your worth
upon my heart
and keep me
ever closer to You.
~slingshot57

above all gods

2009-04-18T02:34:00.000-07:00

Declare His glory among the nations...He is to be feared above all gods. ~Psalm 96:3-4

"The more diverse the people groups who forsake their gods to follow the true God, the more visible is God's superiority over all His competitors." ~John Piper "Let the Nations be Glad"

spurgeon on lordship salvation

2009-03-22T23:29:00.000-07:00

look out...

Is Christ first and last and middle with you, top and bottom, foundation and pinnacle, all in all? He knows not Christ who does not know that Christ is all. Christ and company will never do. Christ is the sole Saviour, the sole trust, the one prophet, priest, and king to all who accept Him. Is He everything to you? Ah, there are some who think they love Christ; they think they trust Christ; but if He were to come to their house He would have a seat at the far right end of the table if they treated Him as they treat Him now. They would give Him part of the Sabbath-day: they were loafing about all the morning, they were only able to get here this evening, and even now they have not come to worship, but only out of curiosity. A chapter in the Bible, how long is it, young man, since you read one? Private prayer - ah, I must not go into that; it is such a sorry story that you would have to tell. If anybody said to you, 'You are not a Christian', you would be offended. Well, I will say it, and you may be offended if you like, but remember you should be offended with yourself rather than with me. If you offend my Lord I am not at all afraid of your being offended with His servant, and therefore I tell you, if Christ be anything short of Lord and king in your soul, Christ and you are wide apart. He must be in the front rank, Lord High Admiral upon the sea, and Commander-in-Chief on the land. He is not going to be a petty officer, to come in at your odd times to be a lackey to you. You must take Him to be Head, Lord, and Master. Is it so with you? If not, you differ from those in Heaven, for He is all in all to them.

Charles Spurgeon,
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Vol. XXI, p. 179

election

2009-02-06T14:39:00.001-08:00

check out this cool quote on election:

Jesus told the Pharisees, "But you do not believe because you are not my sheep" (John 10:26). Notice carefully Jesus' words. He did not say, "You aren't my sheep because you don't believe!" He said, "You don't believe because you are not my sheep." In other words, believers were already Jesus' sheep prior to salvation. Belonging to the sheep isn't dependent on believing; rather, believing in Jesus is dependent on whether you were already His sheep."
~Steve Fernandez "Election: God's Unchanging Love for His People"

Steve has amazing ways of seeing something so clearly from Scripture and then communicating it in an understandable way.

bookshelves and prayer

2009-01-01T22:33:00.000-08:00

today, again, God reminded me that He answers prayer.

my calendar on my iPod touch reminded me after work "get bookshelf".

for Christmas I had asked my parents for a bookshelf. I have two small bookshelves which were quite full before i started seminary, and now I'm purchasing about 15 books per quarter...needless to say, my shelves have quickly overflowed (even with just the first quarter's worth of books!).

when i went home for Christmas a quick glance under the tree told me there was no bookshelf under there. either that or it was there, but it would only hold 6 books--there were no large boxes of any shape under the tree. but i was glad when i opened a "coupon" that read "This coupon good for one sfine bookshelf. Merry Christmas!" (for those of you who might not speak "Fairfield", "sfine" can mean a wide variety of things from "fine" to "great" to "we want to get you a bookshelf, but we think it'd be great if you picked it out 'cause then you could get the one you like and then we'll just pay you back for it." ...it's a powerful word.)

so...today after work i set out with this coupon in hand, intending to redeem it. i wasn't sure where the best place to find a bookshelf would be, so i kept my eyes peeled on my way home. there was a mall-type place right off the freeway, so i decided to take that exit. though no store seemed to be a good store for bookshelves, i headed into Macy's. an employee was standing near the door as i walked in. i asked if they had any bookshelves. "No, we don't carry those." I was about to walk out. Then I asked "Do you know what store would sell them?" He mentioned a few places including a special Macy's Furniture in Novato. I decided to check it out. Being my typical self I didn't ask for directions, and having never been to Novato I had an adventuresome time finding the Macy's there. but i like driving adventures.

i walked in and was overwhelmed by the amount of furniture. the place almost seemed void of people (not surprising with the combo of the recession and being new year's day), but i was able to find a salesperson. he showed me a few bookshelves and one stood out to me. i really liked it. but the price...seemed a little too much for the "sfine" range. but i decided to call my dad just in case. we talked about it for a bit, got some more info from the salesman (Michael) and I walked out to my car. After talking a bit more my dad encouraged me to head back inside and order it. I couldn't believe it. This was a NICE piece of furniture! I wasn't pushing my dad to buy this for me, and honestly, i didn't think I would end up with this bookshelf--it was way too nice! I talked with Michael again and had it ordered. It is scheduled to be delivered on the 16th.

I walked back out to my car stunned. I called home again and talked to my dad (who put me on speakerphone so my mom could be in on the conversation as well). I expressed to them my thankfulness as much as I could. this was an incredibly generous gift.

and i realized something. and i told them. i was reminded of Matthew 7 --

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
"For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
"Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone?
"Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he?
"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!"

I had received from my earthly father because I had asked. My earthly father does know how to give good gifts, he knows how to bless me. and he does this generously and lovingly. he loves to bless me. and i felt blessed.

much more, then, my Heavenly Father, knows how to give good gifts to me. and He does and will do so.

what an amazing lesson.

even greater, though...but i didn't realize this until i was almost home (maybe 30 mins later). months ago, when i realized i was going to need a new bookshelf, i started praying for one. a bookshelf is not something that adds to my spirituality to any extent--i knew it was not a prayer request for something that i absolutely needed. just something i wanted. i had thought about how God might answer it: have someone give me their used bookshelf, provide a bit of money so i could go to target and get a particleboard bookshelf, receive a wal-mart quality bookshelf for Christmas. all of which i would have been very grateful for.

but, driving home i realized: God had answered even this request. this unnecessary request. my Father answered it exceedingly, abundantly, beyond all that i had asked or thought.

He does answer prayer. praise Him!

closer

2008-12-23T01:00:00.000-08:00

I am convinced that each and every experience God allows us to encounter, He has designed to cause us to realize, more and more, our need for Him.

Jireh

2008-12-22T02:19:00.000-08:00

For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
the LORD bestows favor and honor.
No good thing does He withhold
from those who walk uprightly.
Psalm 84:11
The Lord has lead me to this verse recently.

So often I seek "good things" in my own power. I seek what I believe is best for me...what is "good" for me. But this verse tells me my focus should be elsewhere. God will not hold back any good thing from me, but only if I fit into "those who walk uprightly." My focus, then, needs to be on my walk, on making it "upright." As Matthew writes, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." (Matt. 6:33) My focus needs to be on Christ's kingdom. My focus needs to be on His ways, so that my walk will be upright.

But...what's so amazing about this, is that God is the one who works in me both to will and to work according to His good pleasure (Phil. 2:13). God, who began the good work of salvation in me, is going to be the one who also sees it through to completion (Phil. 1:6). My righteousness...my upright walk...comes from Christ (2 Cor. 5:21). In other words, thought I can't be lazy about seeking Him first and concentrating on my upright walk, God already sees me as righteous and upright because of Christ's work on the cross (Eph. 2:13; James 2:23). So...right now He will deny me no good thing.

One recent example of this caused me to wonder "why me?" Why does God shower me with blessings? I know my heart, I know I do not deserve them. God also knows my heart, yet He blesses me.

We recently had a college & career Christmas party and one of the leaders was reminding us of the Winter Retreat coming up next month. Standing next to me was my friend, Josh. He said, "Are you going to that?" I said, "Yeah, if I can find the money." He asked, "You don't have enough money?" I laughed a sort of hopeless laugh and said, "I'm going to seminary and working only half-time. No, I don't have enough money." "Oh," he said, "well, I'll pay for you." And he pulled out a $100 bill from his wallet and gave it to me. I was shocked! I said, "Wow! Are you sure??" "Yeah!"

So this morning I went up to the booth at church and paid the trip in full! I was still amazed as I pulled the money out of my wallet and told the guy there, "God provided this money!"

Praise Him, Jehovah Jireh, who truly does not withhold any good thing from those who walk uprightly...from those who are His own. Praise Him!

j-wards strikes again

2008-11-08T23:09:00.000-08:00

If some Christians who have been complaining of their ministers had said and acted less before men and had applied themselves with all their might to cry to God for their ministers--had, as it were, risen and stormed heaven with their humble, fervent, and incessant prayers for them--they would have been much more in the way of success.

~Jonathan Edwards

a thought on reformation day

2008-10-31T15:39:00.000-07:00

I am privileged to be assigned Spurgeon's "Lectures to My Students" to read. I love to read, but I don't know if I would have read this otherwise. But I'm loving it! It's written powerfully and it's actually pretty easy to read. And he was humorous too, so that helps!

But, seeing as how it's Reformation Day, I'll share what Spurgeon said about Luther (and some related thoughts):

Luther was the man for decision. nobody doubted that he believed what he spoke. he spoke with thunder, for there was lightning in his faith. The man preached all over, for his entire nature believed. You felt, 'Well, he may be mad, or he may be altogether mistaken, but he assuredly believes what he says. he is the incarnation of faith; his heart is running over at his lips.'
We have a fixed faith to preach, my brethren, and we are sent forth with a definite message from God. We are not let to fabricate the message as we go along. We are not sent forth by our Master with a general commission arranged on this fashion: "As you shall think in your heart and invent in your head, so preach. keep abreast of the times. Whatever the people want to hear, tell them that, and they shall be saved." Verily, we read not so. There is something definite in the Bible. it is not quite a lump of wax to be shaped at our will....There is something told me in the Bible...revealed to me as infallible fact, which must be believed, the opposite of which is deadly error, and comes from the father of lies."

Scripture is true. We must preach it as Truth. We must teach it as Luther did. Let no one doubt our belief in it.

illumination

2008-10-21T20:59:00.000-07:00

so, i'm studying for a mid-term, but i read this in my notes and had to share it.

when you think of the word "illumination" (think outside of any spiritual context for a minute) what do you think of? the light bulb going on (literally or figuratively!), plugging in the lights to a CHRISTmas tree, turning on a flashlight on a dark night to "illuminate" your path. really, that's what Spiritual illumination is too...it's having the eyes of your heart enlightened so that you might see the light of the glory of God in the face of Christ (Eph. 1:18-20; 2 Cor 4:6).

here's the quote I wanted to share:

...We are there abundantly taught, that the saints differ from the ungodly in this: that they have the knowledge of God, and the sight of God, and of Jesus Christ...this plainly shows, that there is a discovery of the divine superlative glory and excellency of...Christ, peculiar to the saints; and also, that it is as immediately from God, as the light from the sun...For it is compared to God's creating the light by His powerful word in the beginning of creation [cf. 2 Cor 4:6]...The change made by this spiritual opening of the eyes in conversion would be much greater, and more remarkable every way than if a man born blind should have the sense of seeing imparted to him at once, in the midst of the clear light of the sun discovering a world of visible objects. For though sight be more noble than any of the other external senses, yet this spiritual sense is infinitely more noble and the object infinitely more important.
~Jonathan Edwards

wow. pretty cool, huh?

Christ, all-sufficient.

2008-10-17T13:49:00.000-07:00

I'm reading a book for my Bibliology class called "The All-Sufficient Savior". It's written by Steve Fernandez, the president of the Seminary (and the pastor of Community Bible Church). It's really good so far, and I've only read the first chapter! But I read this and wanted to post it:

Here are the issues: Does the Lord Jesus Christ need the insights of fallen men to help His people? Does the Scripture anywhere indicate that the church must look to natural revelation or any other source to supplement Christ? In other words, does Christ need more than His Word, His Spirit, His Body, and His all-sufficient Person to help emotionally devastated people? We contend that He does not! We also contend that any other position diminishes His glory. It makes Him less than He is. It diminishes His glorious, all-sufficiency as Savior and Deliverer...[this] is a central issue because it concerns the well-being of the church. A church not focused on Christ, however well-intended, will be powerless and infirm. Is the Evangelical church any stronger, or has it had more impact on the world after a generation of being enamored with psychology? The answer is self-evident. The church, if it is to see a reformation and revival, if it is to see a movement of the Spirit, must be marked by a Christ-centered, Christ-dependent ministry."

Sola Christus!

revealed

2008-10-14T23:05:00.000-07:00

"What of God it is needful and beneficial for us to know, He has revealed in Christ, and whatsoever is not there, we may rest assured it is unfit and unnecessary for us to know. Truly the revelation is by no means scant, for there is vastly more revealed in the person of Christ than we shall be likely to learn in this mortal life, and even eternity will not be too long for the discovery of all the glory of God which shines forth in the person of the word made flesh, Those who would supplement Christianity had better first add to the brilliance of the sun or the fullness of the sea. As for us, we are more than satisfied with the revelation of God in the person of our Lord Jesus, and we are persuaded of the truth of His words 'he that hath seen Me hath seen the Father.'"

~C. H. Spurgeon

content

2008-10-11T00:34:00.001-07:00

"Lord, teach us whatsoever state we are in, therewith to be content."

~A Method for Prayer Matthew Henry

Mr. Joseph Alleine

2008-09-20T17:52:00.000-07:00

i've never heard of this guy before. but i'm reading "lectures to my students" by C. H. Spurgeon for my "Leadership" class. Spurgeon quotes Alleine's wife as saying of him, "At the time of his health, he did rise constantly at or before four of the clock, and would be much troubled if he heard smiths or other craftsmen at their trades before he was at communion with God; saying to me often, 'How this noise shames me. Does not my Master deserve more than theirs?' From four til eight he spent in prayer, holy contemplation, and singing psalms, in which he much delighted and did daily practise alone, as well as in the family. Sometimes he would suspend the routine of parochial engagements and devote whole days to these secret exercises, in order to which, he would contrive to be alone in some void house, or else in some sequestered spot in the open valley. Here there would be much prayer and meditation on God and Heaven."

quotes from "God Has Spoken" by J. I. Packer

2008-09-17T22:36:00.000-07:00

I'm reading this book for my class "Bibliology" and it is arguing that the Bible truly is God's Word and, as such, it is clear, understandable, and sufficient.

Packer's words are (sad but) so true for our generation:

"...the Word of God is in a real sense lost. Why is this? For it is not as if the Bible were no longer read and studied in the churches. It is read and studied a great deal; but the trouble is that we no longer know what to make of it. Mesmerized by the problems of rationalistic criticism [and, may i add, post-modernism], we can no longer hear the Bible as the Word of God. Liberal theology, in its pride, has long insisted that we are wiser than our fathers about the Bible [can you say 'Rob Bell', 'Erwin McManus'?], and must not read it as they did, but must base our approach to it on the 'assured results' of criticism, making due allowance for the human imperfections and errors of its authors. This insistence has a threefold effect. It produces a new papalism--the infallibility of the scholars, from whom we learn what the 'assured results' are. It raises a doubt about every single biblical passage, as to whether it truly embodies revelation or not. And it destroys the reverent, receptive, self-distrusting attitude of approach to the Bible, without which it cannot be known to be 'God's Word written'." (page 25-26)

"...it appears that modern theology, for all its claim to stress the personal quality of God's revelation to us and our knowledge of Him, actually takes a sub-personal view of both. To maintain that we may know God without God actually speaking to us in words [which is what many are saying today when they propose that God's word cannot be taken at face value] is really to deny that God is personal..." (page 53)

questions

2008-09-15T13:28:00.000-07:00

I ordered a number of my books for this quarter from Amazon. As I get them I am beginning to familiarize myself with them so I can be better prepared for when classes start. One book I just got earlier today is "Our Sufficiency in Christ" by John MacArthur. In the Preface of his book he quotes a letter from C. S. Lewis' "Screwtape Letters." Here's a quote I found quite relevant to today's culture:
[Note: "the Enemy" in this quote is God since the one writing this letter is a demon, Screwtape.]

The Enemy loves platitudes. Of a proposed course of action He wants men, so far as I can see, to ask very simple questions; is it righteous? is it prudent? is it possible? Now if we can keep men asking "Is it in accordance with the general movement of our time? Is it progressive or reactionary? Is this the way that History is going?" they will neglect the relevant questions...As a result, while their minds are buzzing in this vacuum, we have the better chance to slip in and bend them to the action we have decided on."

How much this reflects the current attitude of what calls itself "the church"! How sad, yet how true.

may this not be true of us!

nobama

2008-09-12T01:29:00.000-07:00

How can Americans cast their vote for a man to become the *leader* of their country when that man does not even salute the country's flag?

I will not vote for this man.

give me Jesus

2008-09-04T02:25:00.000-07:00

Craig Shigyo and I did this song as special music at my Farewell Service which was also his Commissioning Service.

If you'd like to download it click here.

i think

2008-08-26T23:02:00.000-07:00

that people (including me) see me as better than i am and God as worse than He is.
i need to work on that.

Paul Washer on prayer meetings

2008-07-25T09:43:00.000-07:00

just heard this today. he has some interesting points though i can't say i agree 100%. its a 6 minute clip.

the gospel cont'd

2008-07-22T16:15:00.000-07:00

reading further in "In My Place Condemned He Stood" I read this (and thought it went really well with what i posted a few days ago):

One of the miserable ironies of our time is that whereas liberal and radical theologians believe themselves to be restating the gospel for today, they have for the most part rejected the categories of wrath, guilt, condemnation, and the enmity of God, and so have made it impossible for themselves ever to present the gospel at all, for they cannot now state the basic problem that the gospel of peace solves."

Sad but true.

prayer works

2008-07-21T23:59:00.000-07:00

...in amazing ways.

This morning I and two high school guys (Jordan and Kyle) went over to Pastor Ray's house and washed his cars. A month or so ago Pastor Ray had quintuple-bypass surgery and has had a couple complications since (pacemaker put in and then a stent put in...so 3 operations total). As a church body we are trying to take as many burdens off of he and his wife, Sharon, as possible since, with his operations, they already have a lot to worry about. So the Elders asked me to organize the washing of their cars every couple week for the next several months. Today was the second time we've done it.

After we washed the cars, Pastor Ray invited us in to visit for a bit. Visits have been generally discouraged because if too many people visit him it will tire him out and not allow him to rest up and heal, but since he invited us in we accepted. It was good to hear how God has been at work. After the doctor put the stent in, he looked at Pastor Ray and said, "God has been at work." The stent needed to be put in because one of the bypasses from the first surgery had become kinked. The kink was more than a simple kink and even the nurse said she had never seen anything like that operation. Pastor Ray had told the doctor, "You have been bathed in prayer for this operation." It showed.

What hit me though was Sharon's side of the story. I have been praying often for them and one of the things I've been praying is for peace for Sharon through all of this. Sharon told us that during his surgery she was anxious and her mind was wandering into what horrible things might happen, but then, she told us, that she felt God saying, "I will keep you in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Me. Trust in Me." That's from Isaiah 26:3. I was amazed when I heard her say that, because that is one of the specific verses I have been praying for her!

In my head I know that prayer works. But when I actually see it work...I am amazed at our God who hears our prayers and answers them. Praise Him!

the gospel

2008-07-13T23:17:00.000-07:00

We have all heard the gospel presented as God's triumphant answer to human problems--problems of our relation with ourselves and our fellow humans and our environment. Well, there is no doubt that the gospel does bring us solutions to these problems, but it does so by first solving a deeper problem--the deepest of all human problems, the problem of man's relation with his Maker. And unless we make it plain that the solution of these former problems depends on the settling of this later one, we are misrepresenting the message and becoming false witnesses of God--for a half-truth presented as if it were the whole truth becomes something of a falsehood by that very fact. No reader of of the New Testament can miss the fact that it knows all about our human problems--fear, moral cowardice, illness of body and mind, loneliness, insecurity, hopelessness, despair, cruelty, abuse of power, and the rest--but equally no reader of the new Testament can miss the fact that it resolves all these problems, one way or another, into the fundamental problem of sin against God.

~J.I. Packer
In My Place Condemned He Stood
p. 41

I think so many of us are guilty of this: trying to make the gospel more palatable but ending up preaching something that is not the gospel. I know I am guilty of trying to make the gospel more palatable and missing the main point in the process. The heart of the gospel is that we are sinners who deserve the wrath of God, but God put forth Jesus to receive His wrath so that, when He shows eternal grace to those who have put their trust in Him, He is just...the penalty we deserve has been paid. Anything that does not have at its center the reality of our sin, the penalty it deserves and the provision made by Christ is not the gospel.

H208 slideshow

2008-06-30T22:05:00.000-07:00

cool.

2008-06-11T17:30:00.000-07:00

yes and no

2008-06-09T23:05:00.000-07:00

it's funny how God works.

it's so true. God works in ways we don't understand. for a while now i've had two dreams. the earliest of the two started in 2005 when i started this job of "student minister". since then i've wanted to go to seminary in order to improve my capacity and ability to minister. the second dream began last summer as my roommate, craig, and i were sitting in our living room talking about missions--we thought it would be great to organize a missions trip that was open to the entire church body. both of those dreams have been growing since they were born. today God answered them both.

i got home from the gym this morning and checked my mail. i was really hoping to get my IRS economic stimulus check...no dice. i only got one letter and it wasn't from the IRS. at first i wasn't too moved by the letter. i looked at who it was from "The Cornerstone Seminary." huh. (does your mind ever do those double-takes?) wait a minute!? the Cornerstone Seminary?!? This is the letter I'd been praying about and hoping would come! Would they say I could go? Would I get accepted? Or is this a letter saying, "sorry, you didn't make the cut." I felt the envelope, there was definitely more than one page in there...it only takes one page to say "nope." but if there's more than one page...it was probably a "yes" and the other pages were to let me know what to do from here! I was too excited to open it right away. I took it inside and prayed that my attitude would be right no matter what. "God, where You lead I will follow" was my prayer. I opened it up..."Dear Matthew, I am delighted to tell you that you have been accepted into the Master of Divinity program at The Cornerstone Seminary. We are privileged to have you in our student body and egley elgheyroue alehg..." the rest of the words were a blur through my tears and excitement. I read that first sentence about three times and then cried, shouted for joy and laughed all at the same time. I was so excited!

After celebrating a bit more, finishing the rest of the letter and letting people know, I went about the rest of my day.

Then Craig gave me a call and said he needed to talk about Belarus. He came back to the apartment where I was also. Craig is the one who is heading up the trip...the one we had brainstormed about together last summer. He said that my funds weren't coming in and basically I needed to make a decision today: am I going to Belarus or not? Wow. Let me look at my list of "to do's" today...nope, that wasn't on it. The quick version of my decision process: I prayed, asked God to give me peace no matter what. Earlier I had prayed "God, where You lead I will follow" regarding Seminary. I prayed the same about Belarus. I called many people trying to see if God would provide financially and keep the doors open for me to go. He didn't. He closed the doors. He said "yes" to Seminary..."no" to Belarus.

It's funny how God works.

on prayer

2008-06-04T23:07:00.000-07:00

i'm saddened by our prayers. by our prayer requests. we pray so often for safety. for healing. for a "good day". for things to go "well". that we would have "fun". we pray that our days would be easy, our work would go by quickly, our weekends would be long, and that we'd have a good night's rest. we pray for our dogs, our cars, our food, our stubbed toe.

is that what prayer is? a direct line to God so that He can make our life enjoyable and worry- and pain-free? listening to the prayers of so many people and reading the prayer requests that circulate on our email prayer chain have caused me to think this is how we view prayer.

should we be seeking safety? is that our goal? should we be seeking for *our* days to be "good"? is that our goal? what is the goal of prayer? should it not fall in line with the ultimate goal of man? the chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever. prayer should fit in with this. but when we simply pray for our safety, comfort and enjoyment, we are seeking our own glory, our own interests and not those of Christ Jesus.

I was speaking with a student today. We had prayed and one of his requests was that work would go by quickly. I talked to him about this, and attempted to let him see that his request wasn't focused on the glory of God, which is what our entire lives should be focused around. Praying for patience no matter what the situations in work would be a better prayer. God receives the glory when we are patient because this is a fruit of the Spirit--a proof that the Spirit is in us, controlling our lives and producing His fruit in us. When we have patience it points to Him and brings Him glory. On our own we would not be patient, when we are, praise Him! He is working!

At another time today I was talking with Pastor Bob on the phone and he was telling me a bit about what his studies for the sermon this week had brought him to. He said he had studied so many different prayers in Scripture and they are so God-focused. He mentioned the Lord's Prayer:

'Our Father who is in heaven,
      Hallowed be Your name.
'Your kingdom come
      Your will be done,
      On earth as it is in heaven.
'Give us this day our daily bread.
'And forgive us our debts, as we also
      have forgiven our debtors.
'And do not lead us into temptation, 
      but deliver us from evil. 
[For Yours is the kingdom and the power
      and the glory forever. Amen.]'

Look how God-centered that is! "Our Father who is in Heaven" [side note: i always try to capitalize the word "Heaven". is it not a proper noun? a place? the place of all places i would say! why don't people capitalize it??] this phrase acknowledges who God is: He is our Father--He created us, He has authority over us. He is "in Heaven", He rules, reigns, is glorious and sovereign. "Hallowed by Your name" points to His holiness and how we should revere Him. "Your kingdom come"--God will be greatly glorified when His kingdom is set up on Earth! We need to seek His glory. "You will be done, on Earth [there they go again not capitalizing proper nouns...this one isn't so bad as "Heaven".] as it is in Heaven." Whose will should we pray for? Our own? Our own desires and wants? No, His--our Father's. "Give us this day our daily bread." I love this part. This is a command--"give". Jesus tells us we can command God to do things. That's intense. I think a key to understanding this is found in Proverbs 30:7-9

Two things I ask of you, O LORD;
       do not refuse me before I die:
Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
       give me neither poverty nor riches,
       but give me only my daily bread.
Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you
       and say, 'Who is the LORD?'
       Or I may become poor and steal,
       and so dishonor the name of my God.

This request/command is for the glory of God. We can ask for our daily bread. Not too much, so that we don't become self-reliant. And not too little so that we are not tempted to steal and thus sin and thus dishonor God. It's okay to tell God things when what we are saying is in line with Scripture. In that case it's simply restating the truth He has already communicated to us through His Word.
"And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." This takes into account our need for forgiveness, and we need to ask God for forgiveness because He is the only one who can give it (that's the gospel in short, definitely glorifying to God). And we also need to make sure we are living the gospel, not simply praying a prayer of forgiveness and not experiencing it. Elsewhere Jesus communicates that when we experience true forgiveness, we will live changed lives and forgive others (cf. Matt. 18:21-35; Mark 11:25).

"And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil." As we succumb to evil, we sin and do not please God. Sinning is the opposite of glorifying God.

Lord, God, may our prayers be pleasing to You. May we seek Your glory first and foremost, not our own happiness, safety or pleasure. Thank You for Your promises in Your Word that as we seek You first, we will find true joy, peace and pleasure.

a surprising contrast

2008-05-17T00:17:00.000-07:00

I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. Philippians 2:19-21

These verses surprise me. I'm often aggravated by the social gospel movement, where people believe that the end goal of the gospel is to make life better for people. Sorry, that's not the point. The goal is Christ and His glory. These verses show that the way to be concerned for some else's welfare is to seek Christ's interest. check it out:

v20 says that Paul is going to send Timothy to the Philippians because there's no one else like him. what's so different about Timothy? Paul says that Timothy is selfless: he is concerned for others' welfare. But look at the unexpected (to me at least) contrast in the next verse...

v21 says that...expounding on the point Paul made in v20 that Timothy is concerned for the Philippians' welfare...it says that all the other people seek after their own interests, they are selfish. then comes the contrast: Timothy, instead of seeking after his own interests, seeks those of the Philippians...at least that's what I'd expect it to say. wouldn't you?

"I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. For they all seek their own interests, not your interests." that's what i'd expect it to say. Paul is talking about 2 different parties: Timothy and the Philippians. And he says how great Timothy is because he'll be genuinely concerned for the other party--the Philippians. But then Paul throws in a third party unexpectedly: Jesus Christ.

this is how to be truly concerned for someones welfare: we seek, pursue, strive after Christ Jesus' interests.

Do you love someone? Pursue Christ's interests. Do you care for someone? Seek Christ's interests. Do you value someone? Prove it by striving after Christ's interests.

jumper

2008-05-07T21:48:00.000-07:00

i am: jumping on the bandwagon
i think: sometimes too much
i know: that i know that i know
i want: to know Christ
i have: a belly button (2 points to the person who knows what movie that's from)
i wish: i had a watermelon (again...2 points if you know it)
i hate: i should hate evil if i love the LORD (Ps. 97:10)
i miss: the good 'ol days
i fear: not being right
i feel: cold in my toes
i hear: my computer's fan
i smell: the microwave quiche i just ate
i crave: can't think of anything
i search: using goodshearch (i'm also a thief)
i wonder: when my $600 from the government will come
i regret: mistakes
i love: sleeping in
i ache: a day after the gym
i care: "I care" (sister, you know that one....right?)
i always: breathe (huh...except for when i hold my breath...so i guess i got that one wrong)
i am not: always right
i believe: in the Lord Jesus Christ!
i dance: wildly when no one is watching
i sing: true statement
i cry: for many different things
i don't always: breathe (ha! i got that one right!)
i fight: very rarely
i write: in my moleskine
i never: say never...oh, my sister already put that one. well, that's the song i sing "never say never whatever you do!"
i need: more time to read!!!
i am happy about: having the day off tomorrow!

strength in submission

2008-05-02T22:07:00.000-07:00

The centurion said, "For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes, and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." Luke 7:8

So often we try to make decisions based on our own authority. Sometimes I make decisions and I feel bad about standing firm on an issue. Sometimes I waver and am inconsistent with rules and guidelines I set down.

This Roman Centurion understood how things were supposed to work. He said he was "a man set under authority." Whose authority? Ultimately this man was under the authority of Caesar. And he understood what that meant, and so did the men who were set in authority under him: "As long as he was in submission to his leaders, every command he uttered carried the authority of the Roman Emperor." (The Making of a Disciple, Keith Phillips) When he gave a command, it carried the weight of his authority. His soldiers had to obey him because of the chain of command just as much as they would have to obey the Emperor himself.

The Centurion had heard about who Jesus was (Luke 7:3), to an extent he must have understood that Jesus submitted to the authority of the Father. And, thus, he trusted that Jesus' command carried behind it the power and authority of the Father Himself. And so the Centurion had faith, he trusted that Jesus' command was enough to heal his servant. And Jesus marveled at this man's faith (v9). (I find it interesting that throughout the gospel accounts we see the people marveling and being amazed over and over again at Jesus' statements and His miracles, but here we see Jesus Himself marvel at a man. The only other place I've found Jesus marveling at people [from Nazareth of all places!] was for their unbelief [Mark 6:6].)

But I believe we can learn another lesson from this. I love that quote: "As long as [the centurion] was in submission to his leaders, every command he uttered carried the authority of the Roman Emperor." He goes on to write "...The centurion's authority was great because of whom he represented."

Just as this centurion followed the submission structure of the Roman army, and because of that had great authority when he spoke, we too can have confidence and authority when we speak if we follow God's submission structure. To me that is very comforting. As leader of Student Ministries I have to make a lot of decisions and enforce a lot of rules. Sometimes I have to tell people older than I am things they don't want to hear. That's not easy. But if I am following the leadership of those God has put in authority over me (my senior pastor and the elders), then I can be confident in the decisions I make and the rules I enforce. And if anyone has a complaint against me I can ultimately refer them to the senior pastor or the elders. That's comforting! But if come out from under their authority, if I disregard it, then I am in a dangerous place, I'm all by myself and I don't have a leg to stand on.

I'd rather submit to the authority structure that God has set up.

Whom do you represent?

cultivate

2008-04-19T16:07:00.000-07:00

Jeff Venard told me about the word "cultivate" today after the men's breakfast. the topic at the men's breakfast was "a man and his wife" which, i don't have one, but i hope to some day. Jeff wasn't the speaker, but we were talking afterward and he said that the word "cultivate" which is used of men and how they are supposed to take care of their relationships with their wives is the same word used of what you do with your garden. you take care of it, water it, prepare the soil, prune it, plant it, enjoy its shade and rejoice in its produce.

...just a thought.

samuel rutherford

2008-04-14T21:09:00.000-07:00

got a book at the Shepherd's Conference by Samuel Rutherford called "The Loveliness of Christ" It's basically just a collection of quotes from him that i guess people collected from letters he had written. this one stuck out to me a few weeks ago and i've been reading it almost every day since:

O wretched idol, myself! when shall I see thee wholly decourted, and Christ wholly put in thy room? O, if Christ, Christ, had the full place and room of myself, that all my aims, purposes, thoughts, and desires, would coast and land upon Christ, and not upon myself! And yet, howbeit we cannot attain to this denial of me and mine that we can say I am not myself, myself is not myself, mine own is no longer mine own; yet our aiming at this in all we do shall be accepted; for, alas, I think I shall die but minting and aiming to be a Christian.

5 martyrs

2008-04-14T00:13:00.000-07:00

just about done reading "Through Gates of Spendor" by Elisabeth Elliot. I highly recommend it, it's a quick read and a great book. i only have the two epilogues left to go...which look really good, i started reading the second one but figured i should stop since it's getting late. but i wanted to share these quotes with you...

"Wherever you are, be all there. Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God." ~Jim Elliot

"Obedience is not a momentary option; it is a diecast decision made beforehand." ~Nate Saint

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." ~Jim Elliot

"When it comes time to die, make sure that all you have to do is die." ~Jim Elliot

"That is the most beautiful little cemetery in the world."
~Marj Saint after being flown over the martyrs' common grave

"We look forward to the day when these savages will join us in Christian praise." ~Elisabeth Elliot

The book finishes with this excerpt from Jim Elliot's journal:

I walked out to the hill just now. It is exalting, delicious, to stand embraced by the shadows of a friendly tree with the wind tugging at your coattail and the heavens hailing your heart, to gaze and glory and give oneself again to God--what more could a man ask? Oh, the fullness, pleasure, sheer excitement of knowing God on earth! I care not if I never raise my voice again for Him, if only I may love Him, please Him. Mayhap in mercy He shall give me a host of children that I may lead them through the vast star fields to explore His delicacies whose finger ends set them to burning. But if not, if only I may see Him, touch His garments, and smile into His eyes--ah then, not stars nor children shall matter, only Himself.
O Jesus, Master and Center and End of all, how long before that Glory is thine which has so long waited Thee? Now there is no thought of Thee among men; then there shall be though for nothing else. Now other men are praised; then none shall care for any other's merits. Hasten, hasten, Glory of Heaven, take Thy crown, subdue Thy Kingdom, enthrall Thy creatures."

tetelestai

2008-04-09T20:54:00.000-07:00

"everybodyduck" is my favorite band, and this is one of my favorite "everybodyduck" songs ever. i really thought i had already posted it on my blog, but i searched for it earlier today and couldn't find it. so i'm posting it now. the lyrics convey very well how much God loves us...

Have you ever felt like no one really loved you
Well, Lord, these days that's just exactly how I feel
I'm just so plain next to these shining stars around me
And in my loneliness before You now I kneel

I see Your failure every morning in the mirror
confirming unkind words that I try to ignore
and I know all the sins inside that no one else sees
I feel so worthless, Lord, can't see what I'm here for

chorus:
When there's no love, I have You, Lord
before the earth was formed Your plan for me You knew
and in this day when something's worth is based on
what someone would pay
it's nice to know I'm worth one Jesus to you
it's nice to know I'm worth one Jesus to you

I can't quite understand how one like You could love me
with every sin I know I'm not a pretty sight
yet I can't count the times You wrapped Your arms around me
despite the blackness of my heart You held me tight

You knew all along that I could never buy my freedom
the price for all my sin was more than I could bear
You sent Your only Son as payment for my burden
a perfect sacrifice for all mankind to share

chorus

So when I feel this life of mine has no real value
and there's no one who'd care if I should live or die
I remember just how much You gave to have me
You paid so much for something no one else would buy.

everybodyduck
tetelestai

jwards got it right

2008-03-25T00:17:00.000-07:00

a while ago i posted this. It's a quote from Jonathan Edwards (affectionately known as "jwards"). He understood the idea of being a slave to Christ.

bond-servants?

2008-03-24T22:47:00.000-07:00

20 years ago a controversial book was written by John MacArthur called "The Gospel According to Jesus". In this book MacArthur argued his case for "lordship salvation". This year (next month, actually) Zondervan is coming out with a 20 year anniversary edition, MacArthur approved but wanted to update the book with a new first chapter.

Earlier this month I attended the Shepherd's Conference which is put on by Grace Community Church of Sun Valley, which is where MacArthur is the senior pastor (not the pastor of the retired folks, but the head/lead pastor). MacArthur spoke three times over the course of the conference (plus a Q&A session!). His third sermon, he told us, will be the material that will go in to that new first chapter of the book that will come out next month. His message hit me (figuratively) and has caused me to think about the implications of what he said (ever had a sermon that made you think differently for the rest of your life? that's how i hope this sermon will impact me). I'd like to attempt to condense the main point and power of his sermon in a blog...here goes nothing:

What has been the defining cry for Christians down through the ages? "Jesus is Lord!" We say it often. We sing numerous variations of it in songs. We make it into bumper stickers! And it is very true, Jesus, in fact, is Lord...of believers. He is even Lord ultimately of Heaven and Earth. But He is only Lord of the lives of true believers. Those who are not true believers have a different Lord: sin. Scripture tells us this plainly many times...John 8:34 "Jesus answered them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.'", Romans 6:16, "Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?" Romans 6:17 and 20 both say "...you were slaves of sin...". We all, to begin with, are SLAVES to sin. (cf. Rom. 6:22; Gal. 4:9; Titus 3:3; 2 Peter 2:19)

The word used in these passages to talk of slavery to sin is "doulos" which means, simply, SLAVE. A slave is owned 100% by his master. A slave has no rights, no personal freedom, no 'say-so' in decision making. A slave must obey its master. When he disobeys, he is punished by his master. And rightfully so--again, he has no rights of his own. This makes complete sense when we think about sin and being slaves to it, does it not? Sin is master over those who do not have the freedom Christ brings. Sin is a harsh master, for it pays death (Rom. 6:23). It is a cruel master, for it leads only to destruction (Phil 3:18-19).

But, Christian, may I ask you...if Jesus is your Lord...what does that make YOU?? The word "Lord" in the original Greek language of Scripture is "kurios", which means "lord" or "master". Thayer's Lexicon makes it quite clear what this means. Check it out on Blue Letter Bible (here). It says, "he to whom a person or thing *belongs*, about which he has power of deciding".

Whoa. You know what that makes us, Christians? It makes us SLAVES of Jesus. Slaves. Sadly, when translators bring the Greek text over into English, quite consistently when Scripture uses the word "doulos" (slave) in connection to our relationship with Jesus (our Lord, "kurios") they, seemingly out of fear, do not translate it well. It seems they are not afraid to translate "doulos" as "slave" when it talks of being "doulos" to sin. Yet when Scripture talks about being "doulos" of Christ they make up a word: "bond-servants". They lighten the word. Look it up in the Greek, it's easy to do at blueletterbible.com. Just look up a verse and then click the little "c" icon next to the verse. The original language doesn't call us servants of Christ. Servants have a choice. Servants are given orders that are more like suggestions. Servants can quit and choose to serve someone else. Servants can have two jobs and serve two bosses.

MacArthur explained a slave as a person with no rights, no standing in society, a person who couldn't own property, had no autonomy, no freedom. Slaves are subject totally and completely to an alien will (a will not their own). And this, Christians, is what we are: slaves. We have no rights of our own, have have no standing in this world, we own nothing, we have no autonomy, we have no freedom of our own. True believers are subject totally and completely to an alien will: God's will.

Look at Matthew 6:24, "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other You cannot serve God and wealth." The word "serve" (twice in this verse) is based off of the word "doulos". Basically, this verse is NOT saying that you cannot serve two masters. We all know that statement to be false. How many of us have two jobs? Do we not serve both of our bosses? What about a waiter? Do they not serve many people a day? What about a job situation where you are under two different managers? We serve more than one master all the time! What this verse is saying is that you cannot be a slave to more than one person. A slave is someone who is owned 100% by his Lord, his master.

The point MacArthur is making (and I believe it is quite a valid point, because, really, he isn't making the point, he is simply pointing out what Scripture says) is clearly stated in Luke 6:46, "Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?" Jesus is saying that it's incongruous (a word MacArthur used) if you call Him "Lord" but don't obey Him. In other words, He's not really your Lord if you don't obey Him. If He was your master, if you were His slave, then you would be subject completely to His will. And you would obey Him. We prove that we are His when we bear fruit. If we don't bear fruit, we aren't His. This is Lordship salvation.

If Jesus is your Lord, that makes you His slave.

resist

2008-03-01T11:19:00.000-08:00

as most of you know, i successfully lacerated my spleen while snowboarding a week and a half ago. i haven't been able to do much, not even read or journal 'cause the pain meds i was on made me a bit loopy and when i tried to write i would see double.

thankfully the pain has gone down and i haven't had to take as many pills (it's also a good thing that i haven't had to use so many 'cause i only have one left!), and now my brain is functioning more normally and my eyes can see straight!

so, i was able to get some reading done yesterday. i'm still reading "pleasures evermore" which i've been on for about the past year and a half (haven't had much time for personal reading)...but i only have like 60 pages left! w00t! here're some notable quotes i read yesterday:

"If [God] didn't love you, if His heart wasn't for you, why would He care what you do?" (p.228)

"What are all these rationalizations [of why it's okay to sin] based on? One lie. The most pernicious, heinous, satanic lie of all. They are based on the lie that God really isn't good after all; that God is neither able nor willing to do for our souls or bodies what they so desperately need done; that therefore God can't be trusted with our fears and doubts and hopes and hurts. Because God doesn't care and can't be trusted, we'll find satisfaction somewhere else. And so often, we do." (p.233)

"The reason we resist God's laws and pursue our own sinful strategies is because we believe that we can do better at securing our happiness than God can." (p.237)

get

2008-02-11T23:56:00.000-08:00

I believe we have a common misunderstanding of worship today. A number of years ago I played percussion in a worship band. As a band, we wanted to lead the congregation in singing Chris Tomlin's song "Enough". The man who oversaw our group (an elder in the church, I believe, and a man whom I highly respect and admire) did not approve of the song, however, because he felt it focused not on God, but on us. Here are the lyrics:

All of You is more than enough for all of me
For every thirst and every need
You satisfy me with Your love
And all I have in You is more than enough

You are my supply
My breath of life
And still more awesome than I know
You are my reward
worth living for
And still more awesome than I know

All of You is more than enough for all of me
For every thirst and every need
You satisfy me with Your love
And all I have in You is more than enough

You're my sacrifice
Of greatest price
And still more awesome than I know
You're the coming King
You are everything
And still more awesome than I know

More than all I want
More than all I need
You are more than enough for me
More than all I know
More than all I can say
You are more than enough for me
Enough
Chris Tomlin

I disagreed at the time but I couldn't quite explain why. Today I read an email from a friend who recently had an encounter with someone who had the same sort of response to the song "Enough". This person was convinced that this song was not a Christian song because it never says "Jesus" or "God". Where is the focus?

Let me now explain the title of this blog and say something that may seem to be somewhat ludicrous. Get. Worship should be a time where we come to get from God. Yes, get from God. I believe that God receives glory when we *get* from Him. I believe that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.

I've been reading a book for quite a while now (slowly but hopefully surely) called "Pleasures Evermore" (the title is taken from Psalm 16:11). And the part I am reading now has helped me to understand why I disagreed when I was told that the song "Enough" focuses too much on us and not enough on God.

The book exposes the common misconception we have of worship: that we come to *give* God something. How deceived can we be? Do we seriously think *we* can *give* anything to God? He owns everything! Do we think we can give Him glory? What? Does He lack any glory?! No! He is infinitely glorious!

Sam Storms (the author of the book) tells us that we need to come to God empty and hungry! Psalm 107:9 says, "For He has satisfied the thirsty soul, And the hungry soul He has filled with what is good." How can we be satisfied if we are not thirsty? How can we be filled with what is good when we are not hungry? If we come to worship to give, it would seem that we plan to leave worship with less. Would it not?

But, if, on the other hand, we come to worship empty, needy, thirsty, hungry, and we come to God, crying out to Him that He is MORE than enough for ALL of our thirsts and ALL of our needs, will not the Giver of all good gifts (Matt. 17:11, James 1:17) fill, satisfy and meet all our needs? And when people see that it is He who is the giver, the one who blesses, the one who gives strength to the weak, the lover of our souls, the one who satisfies even the deepest longings of our soul...when people see that THIS is who our God is, then they will see how good He truly is and HE will be the one, who ultimately, gets all the glory and all the praise.

Point people to Christ. Show them that He is the one who satisfies. Worship to get.

get in the plate

2008-01-20T23:07:00.000-08:00

Pastor Bob (senior pastor at 'my' church) has been preaching a series on Stewardship. Today he preached out of 2 Cor. 9. I was reminded of this song and shared it with the high school students in SES (Sunday Evening Study) this evening. Its a fun song, but also serious...chew on it (and 2 Cor. 9 is a good chapter to read too).

As the music starts to play
we mechanically obey
and scrape our scraps off in the plate so God can eat.

10% so very small
most don’t feel it though at all
just a fulfillment of a holy quota we guess we should keep

we believe what God desires is our money
the whole gift of giving we’ve completely missed
and while my solution may at first seem funny
if you truly want to give God what He wants I must insist

get in the plate
blow the ushers mind
when the offering plate is passed just climb in one foot at a time
get in the plate
try something new
Jesus won’t accept your offering until you’ve offered you

we’ll need forklifts in the aisles
just to move the bodies piled
in the offering plate so high it’ll scrape the roof
no one ever will complain
singing [something i can't understand] ....

but this dream world is in [can't understand these lyrics]
do you tithe to ease the guilt you feel inside?
death to self is what the gospel is demanding
so put your patronizing gifts away get in the plate and ride

get in the plate
blow the ushers mind
when the offering plate is passed just climb in one foot at a time
get in the plate
try something new
Jesus won’t accept your offering until you’ve offered you

we believe what God desires is our money
the whole gift of giving we’ve completely missed
and while my solution may at first seem funny
if you truly want to give God what He wants I must insist

get in the plate
blow the ushers mind
when the offering plate is passed just climb in one foot at a time
get in the plate
try something new
Jesus won’t accept your offering until you’ve offered you
“Get in the Plate”
Everybodyduck

lovingkindness

2008-01-10T21:38:00.000-08:00

"For His lovingkindness is everlasting."
Psalm 136:1b,2b,3b,4b,5b,6b,7b,8b,9b,10b,11b,12b,13b,
14b,15b,16b,17b,18b,19b,20b,21b,22b,23b,24b,25b,26b

Yes, it says it that many times in one Psalm.

Recently I read a book called "More Than Meets The Eye" by Richard Swenson. It talks about God's Creation and how awesome it is and continually points out that God did that, and God is even MORE AWESOME than His creation. His creation is simply a display of His glory, not His glory itself.

The book focuses on many parts of creation, but it spent a lot of time on the cosmos: energy, force, matter, newtonian physics, einstein's theories of relativity (which are probably true), string theory, stars, time, space, light and other stuff. i loved reading it and learning more about God's creation. it even inspired me to do some more research on what happens when you go the speed of light and time travel etc. pretty incredible stuff.

but, i've been reading through the psalms, and a couple days ago i got to psalm 136. when i read verse 5 it hit me. v3a says, "Give thanks to the Lord of lords..." v5 is a continuation of this thanksgiving and says, "to Him who by understanding made the heavens...".

i just read a book that helped me understand the heavens better. "better". maybe i understand them 0.0384%. in that book i read about newton and kepler and einstein trying to understand the heavens. as einstein himself was figuring out more about quantum physics he was appalled that things would work the way they do. so much so that he said he would "rather be a cobbler, or even an employee in a gambling house, than a physicist." (p136) even the genius einstein couldn't understand how things work.

but God. God, in His INFINITE understanding...not only understands the universe--He created it by His understanding!

He created and understands black holes, superstrings, why gravity exists, how time correlates with space, how to make stars (all the different kinds of them), why venus spins the opposite way of the other planets, antimatter, the weak nuclear force, the strong nuclear force, quantum physics...

He understands it all. but even though Creation declares His glory (ps 19), it does not declare it fully. His glory is infinite. His understanding is infinite. Creation is only a partial, a fractional, display of how much understanding God has. surely His understanding was not exhausted by Creation!

His understanding is impressive! It is worth being in awe of! His Creation is incredible! It is worth being in awe of!

BUT, that's NOT the point of this Psalm!!! Basic reading skills tell us that. The phrase "For His lovingkindness is everlasting" is repeated twenty-six times in this psalm! God's lovingkindness is the focus of this psalm! God's lovingkindness is EVERLASTING! Creation as we know it will be changed and destroyed. It is not everlasting. God's lovingkindness is.

if God's Creation is worthy of awe...His lovingkindness is infinitely more so.

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good,
for His steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods,
for His steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for His steadfast love endures forever;

to Him who alone does great wonders,
for His steadfast love endures forever;
to Him who by understanding made the heavens,
for His steadfast love endures forever;
to Him who spread out the earth above the waters,
for His steadfast love endures forever;
to Him who made the great lights,
for His steadfast love endures forever;
the sun to rule over the day,
for His steadfast love endures forever;
the moon and stars to rule over the night,
for His steadfast love endures forever;
Psalm 136:1-9 (ESV)

desire

2008-01-06T14:13:00.000-08:00

for the last couple years or so i've considered myself a "Christian Hedonist". some people who are older than me find that term offensive or crude. i don't really blame them. in the past the term "hedonist" was used a lot and understood to relate to people who sought sexual pleasure at any cost. the true definition of the term is simply "a person whose life is devoted to the pursuit of pleasure and self-gratification" (dictionary.com). so, it's not strictly related to sexual pleasure, instead it's the general pursuit of pleasure.

the duo of Sam Storms ("one thing" and "pleasures evermore") and John Piper (mostly his sermon "Quest: Joy; Found: Christ") convinced me of the truth of Christian Hedonism. Basically it's based on the observation that all people pursue pleasure. all people. no matter who you are. ultimately, the thing you are pursuing is pleasure. that's how we are wired. you can try to deny it, but the reason you'd try to deny that you seek pleasure is so that you can be humble, perhaps because God called you to be humble. and why do we humble ourselves? because we are following Him. and why do we follow Him? so that we can enter His presence for eternity. and Psalm 16:11 tells us that in His presence is fullness of joy, at His right hand are pleasures evermore (see also James 4:10).

even in Matthew 16 where Christ tells us to deny ourselves...denying yourself is NOT the ultimate goal. look at the passage again. the ultimate goal is to find your life, to preserve your life, to have eternal life. which, again, ends in pleasures evermore.

I also see it ALL over the Scriptures. Most notably Psalm 119. I love Psalm 119. William Wilberforce had this Psalm memorized (all 176 verses) and would recite it as he walked to and from work. I want the same attitude this psalmist had.

Recently I was introduced to Jimmy Needham. An amazing musician with a HEART (desire) for Christ. His songs are amazing and chock-full of allusions to Scripture. Check out the first verse to his song "For Freedom" (itself an allusion to Gal. 5:1)

oh to be
delighted by You
and to see
the colors of
Your Train
and to be
freed by You
it would be
it would be
it would be
my claim to fame
so rejoice my friend
because my friend
you've got a Friend indeed
yeaaaha....
it is for freedom He set us free.
Jimmy Needham
"For Freedom"

"oh to be, delighted by You" is my desire. my hope. my aim. as i grow, i am more and more convinced that the more i fall in love with Christ, the more i am delighted by Him, the more i find my pleasure in Him...then i will realize how pale and even putrid sin is. often times sin looks good to us. but, as Sam Storms says in his book "Pleasures Evermore", "Sin becomes ugly and is subject to defeat only when viewed in light of Christ's beauty."

my desire is to fall in love with Christ. to find my pleasure in Him.

look how beautiful our God is...

"the colors of Your train" is an allusion to Isaiah 6 where we see "the train of His robe filling the temple", a magnificent picture of our God. the colors would be a picture of the beauty and multifaceted-ness (that's a word, right?) of God's glory. A train is a picture of royalty. The bigger a king's train, the more majestic and royal he is. Our God's train FILLS the temple. not just any temple. this is the temple in Heaven, the temple of the one, true, Creator God! His train is HUGE, a picture of His superior royalty and grandeur.

He is worthy. i pray that i would be delighted by Him, that i would open my eyes to see Him. and when i see Him as He truly is...how can i not respond by pursuing Him with everything i have?

wonder

2007-12-08T23:48:00.000-08:00

"Wonder rather than doubt is the root of all knowledge." ~Abraham Joshua Heschel

saw this just now and thought it was interesting and worth some thought. but "late" is approaching and i need to get to bed before it comes.

mystery

2007-12-04T23:37:00.000-08:00

i am amazed and stunned at the mystery of how God weaves and works and places and prods all of us in His perfect way and timing to create a world filled with sinners and saints whom He uses to bring glory to Himself...God loves turning rebels into worshipers...God loves turning sinners into saints...and He gets the glory in it all...

here in the quiet speak to me now
my ears are open to
Your gentle sweet whispering
break down the door, come inside
shine down Your bright light
i need a lamp for my feet, yeah i need a lamp for my feet

refrain
i want to hear the thunder of who You are
to be captured inside the wonder of who You are
i want to live i want to breathe
to search out Your heart and all of Your mysteries

You were the first and You’ll be the end
time cannot hold You down
so, why save a wretch like me?
no eye has seen, no ear has heard
no heart could fully know
all of Your mystery

Your glory burns in the stars
shine down your light let it burn in my heart
bring me to glory, bring me to You
Lord it’s your heart that i will hold onto

Your glory burns in the stars
shine down Your light let me know who You are
Jesus, Your glory burns in the stars
shine down Your light, let me see You, let me see You
mystery
phil wickham

Paul cries out in Philippians "I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him!"

and the Psalmist in Psalm 27 sings, "One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the LORD
And to meditate in His temple."

O, that i, too, might KNOW Him. not simply facts and head knowledge. But a true relationship with Him. An intimate knowledge of Him. Based in truth and pervading and invading every area of my life and being. I have seen His mystery and I want to dive deeper into it. O, that my passion might be single: Christ and all He is. that i might be focused on seeking His presence, His throne, His temple. Meditating on who He is and who I was and who I am because of Him and all He has done for ......me? yes...He loves me that much! why should i not seek Him? why do i not more passionately seek and pursue Him?

another stamp in the passport

2007-12-01T21:46:00.000-08:00

and another adventure.

not quite a week ago i returned from another incredible adventure. 2nd trip to haiti and 14th entry stamp in my passport. funny how i only have 2 re-entry stamps into the states though. not sure how that works. i know i've come back here more than that! this country is definitely "home" for me, but every time i travel to another country my heart grows for the rest of the world and shrinks for the closed-minded, pompus attitude I often see here in "America". (not sure why we use that word to refer to this country specifically, since Canada and Mexico are both in *North* America, a bunch of countries are in *Central* America and even more are in *South* America...aren't we all technically "America"?)

Once, when I was returning from Indonesia, I had a long layover in Jakarta and spent the night in a hotel. Turned the TV on and the only thing in english was music videos so the channel surfing stopped there for a while. I heard (watched?) the song "California" by Phantom Planet. I was repulsed. I mean, I like California and all. You can't find too many other places where you can have all four seasons (yes, anyone not from cali might not realize this, but we have sandy desserts, forested mountains, rolling hills and various terrains of sea coasts...you can find hot summers, snowy winters, green springtimes and colorful autumns...okay not as snowy or as colorful or as green as other states...but we have 'em!). Where else can you live and be able to drive an hour one way and be in the snowy mountains to snowboard or drive one hour the opposite direction and be at the ocean and go swimming (so cal!) ? ...but the lyrics of the song were praising california like it was the best place in the world and everyone should want to go there. huh. at that point in time i wasn't really looking forward to going back to cali. Indonesia is a beautiful place. the people and cultures are intriguing, the food is amazing. the people in mexico are wonderful. the country of Jordan has great food and awesome spots to visit. Israel...can't say enough about it. Iraq was quite scary :) but i miss the people i met there. Amsterdam is incredibly organized. Haiti...the people are wonderful and the land itself is a beautiful place (head to the coasts or fly over the mountains...beautifully tropical).

I had a professor in Israel who said that when he was growing up he used to want to be the president of The USA just so that he could pass a law that said everyone had to spend at least a year outside of the states. boy, that would change our view on the world!

well...i think i've written enough for one blog. here are some pictures from my latest adventure to Haiti...

my dad took this one. i love it. i think it captures SO MUCH of Haiti all in one shot:

from the inside out

2007-12-01T21:39:00.000-08:00

have you heard this song??

a thousand times i've failed
still Your mercy remains and should i stumble again
still i'm caught in Your grace
everlasting
Your light will shine when all else fades
never ending
Your glory goes beyond all fame

Your will above all else
my purpose remains
the art of losing myself
in bringing You praise
everlasting
Your light will shine when all else fades
never ending
Your glory goes beyond all fame

in my heart and my soul
Lord i give You control
consume me from the inside out
Lord let justice and praise
become my embrace
to love You from the inside out

everlasting
Your light will shine when all else fades
never ending
Your glory goes beyond all fame
and the cry of my heart
is to bring You praise
from the inside out
Lord my soul cries out
From The Inside Out
by Hillsong United
album: United We Stand (2006)

don rockholt

2007-11-13T10:20:00.000-08:00

i didn't know him well. i spoke with him and his wife only a handful of times at church. but i respect him much. and i learned much from him. Don had been struggling with cancer for the past several years. For a little while we thought he had beaten it, but Don passed away on the evening of November 3rd.

he affected me because i saw the struggle and the pain he was going through. yet he would still do special music every once in a while (don has an amazing voice and loves to sing), and as he sang i saw a joy in him in the midst of trouble. Pastor Ray met weekly with Don; they were prayer partners. Pastor Ray would share certain things with me that Don had done or said. As Don headed downhill health-wise Pastor Ray would ask him how he was doing. Don would always respond "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm still on Plan A." Plan A was living each day for God...and why would that change?

Don lived on Plan A each day when he could almost reach out and touch the end of his days. He lived on Plan A in the midst of trials and struggles.

In my life...am I living on Plan A every day? I cannot see the end of my days. I am in good health. When struggles come my way am I still living on Plan A no matter what?

I hope so.

At Don's funeral his nephews sang the following song. It was originally written as a poem (and then became a hymn) by Fanny Crosby. But I've only heard the Rich Mullins version...and they sang it a lot like he did. It's a powerful song:

All The Way My Savior Leads Me
All the way my Savior leads me-
What have I to ask beside?
Can I doubt His tender mercy,
Who through life has been my guide?
Heavenly peace, divinest comfort,
Here by faith in Him to dwell!
For I know, whate'er befall me,
Jesus doeth all things well;
For I know, whate'er befall me,
Jesus doeth all things well.

All the way my Savior leads me-
Cheers each winding path I tread,
Gives me grace for every trial,
Feeds me with the living bread.
Though my weary steps may falter
And my soul a-thirst may be,
Gushing from the Rock before me,
Lo! a spring of joy I see;
Gushing from the Rock before me,
Lo! a spring of joy I see.

All the way my Savior leads me-
O the fullness of His love!
Perfect rest to me is promised
In my Father's house above.
When my spirit, clothed immortal,
Wings its flight to realms of day,
This my song through endless ages:
Jesus led me all the day;
This my song through endless ages:
Jesus led me all the way.

if i stand

2007-11-12T22:34:00.000-08:00

here's some lyrics to a great song by Rich Mullins. i love the chorus:

If I Stand
There's more that rises in the morning
Than the sun
And more that shines in the night
Than just the moon
It's more than just this fire here
That keeps me warm
In a shelter that is larger
Than this room

And there's a loyalty that's deeper
Than mere sentiments
And a music higher than the songs
That I can sing
The stuff of Earth competes
For the allegiance
I owe only to the Giver
Of all good things

CHORUS:
So if I stand let me stand on the promise
That You will pull me through
And if I can't, let me fall on the grace
That first brought me to You
And if I sing let me sing for the joy
That has born in me these songs
And if I weep let it be as a man
Who is longing for his home

There's more that dances on the prairies
Than the wind
More that pulses in the ocean
Than the tide
There's a love that is fiercer
Than the love between friends
More gentle than a mother's
When her baby's at her side

And there's a loyalty that's deeper
Than mere sentiments
And a music higher than the songs
That I can sing
The stuff of Earth competes
For the allegence
I owe only to the Giver
Of all good things

CHORUS(2x)

And if I weep let it be as a man
Who is longing for his home

thankful

2007-10-05T13:18:00.001-07:00

a quote Pastor Ray said at our staff meeting yesterday:

How can God bless you with something better if you don't thank Him for what He has given you in the present?

on the problem of evil

2007-09-24T13:20:00.001-07:00

here's a spill of thoughts from my head:

evil...what is evil? it's something bad. something that destroys good. what is good? without God can evil and good exist? can we differentiate between the two w/o Him? without one can we understand and recognize the other? if we didn't have evil would we know good?

in the Garden of Eden Adam and Eve ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. there weren't two trees. one a tree of the knowledge of good and another the tree of the knowledge of evil. it seems like you cannot know one without the other. so what about in eternity past? when only God existed. before the creation of the world, before even the creation of angels. was there good and evil? i think the right answer would be "no" because there was only God and God is in no way evil. Evil is the absence of good. maybe God can know good apart from evil because He is all-knowing? if evil is truly the absence of good (as darkness is the absence of light and cold is the absence of heat...neither dark nor cold are actually self-existent, they are merely the absence of something)...but if evil truly is the absence (or willful ignorance) of good, and since God is good, then before anything else existed there was no evil. because there was only God. and if evil is something that destroys good, then when only God existed nothing could work against the good that was in Him.

...that was eternity past, what about now? ...I believe in total depravity (the idea that the only good any man can do is because of God's common grace or because of God's specific grace and working through our lives)...i believe in total depravity so I believe that all good we see and do is from God. but evil can exist because we have free will to quench the Spirit (I Thess. 5:19) or grieve the Spirit (Eph 4:30).

I was brought to an understanding of good and evil through the logic of Ravi Zacharias (look him up if you don't know who that is...he's a great apologist). Ravi has many people ask him about the problem of evil, "why can a good God allow evil?" Ravi responds by saying that if you believe in evil then you must believe in good. if you believe in good you must believe in ultimate good and in a moral law. In believeing in a moral law you must believe in a moral law giver and you then have just proved what you were arguing against. you have shown that there is a moral law giver (i.e. God) when you were arguing against Him by asking why He could allow evil.

i agree with that logic. and it's helpful to prove that there is a God, the moral law giver. but i still don't see how it answers the question of "why evil?" it answers the question "since there is evil, can there be a good God?" the answer is "yes". but it doesn't explain the "why" of it all.

so...why? why is there evil? there is evil because we have free will. there is evil because we can quench the Spirit, we can grieve the Spirit. and we did. Adam and Eve grieved the Spirit by choosing to decide for themselves how life should be lived. The same thing we do today. we choose to tell God that His ways are inferior to our ways: "God, You did say not to eat from the tree because the day we eat from it, dying we shall die. But I'm going to eat from it anyway because I feel the value of eating it outweighs the value of believing You." Adam wanted to become like God. The serpent said "...you shall be like God..." if you eat it. And our sin (in Adam) resulted in God's punishment and curse coming upon the earth.

But why? Why did God punish Adam (and us) and bring a curse upon the earth? What if He didn't curse the earth? What if He didn't punish Adam? Well then He would not be just. He would not be Holy. If God did not punish sin He would not be good. He would be encouraging evil by not punishing it. If He let us get away with evil then He would be passively encouraging evil. A good God must punish evil in order to be good. So, God, by nature and because of His inexorable character, HAD to punish Adam (and us) and bring a curse upon the earth. The curse is the punishment. it is also a reminder that we are sinners.

what the curse also does is cause us to consider "this is not the way things should be." and we are right. this is not the creation God called "very good". This is the creation God wanted to destroy over and over again, but He has not because He is patient (2 Pet 3:9). it causes us to ask "why are things this way?". and hopefully we will come to the right conclusion: things are this way because we are sinners and God is holy: we decided to sin and God inflicted a curse upon the earth because He must punish sin. And hopefully we will not stop there. the truth of a previous perfect world (before the Fall) and the truth of a currently cursed world into which a Reedemer came, give us hope of a future perfect and completely redeemed world--the new Heavens and new Earth! (why do we so often confine redemption to only our souls? God desired to have a perfect world for His people. That is what He created in the first place. Why should we think that He will let our sin and Satan take that away from Him? Heaven will be a redeemed physical earth where we will live in redeemed physical bodies. For more info on this read Randy Alcorn's book "Heaven"...it's a great read!)

God is good. evil exists because we quench and grieve the Spirit because we have free will to do so. if we didn't have free will God would have simply created us to follow Him and have no choice...but then we wouldn't really love Him. true love must be a choice otherwise how does it show value if you could not choose to love something else instead? love proves what you value. if there is no choice, there is no love. Adam grieved the Spirit because he was not all-knowing. He was decieved. He believed a lie: "...did God really say...?" He had a choice of what to value and he chose himself rather than God (i say that he chose himself because really he wanted to be like God...he wanted to lift himself up instead of lift God up). We grieve the Spirit in the same way by believing lies, by thinking our ways are better than God's. And God must punish our sins and all of mankind's sins to prove His justice.

huh. no wonder entire books are written on that subject.

grief

2007-09-19T14:19:00.001-07:00

last night at Phase2 (high school youth group) a student, Miranda, walked in while Leilani and I were setting up for worship in song. A friend of hers had gotten in a car accident and passed away. 4 or so other guys were in the car. We prayed for her then and there.

after Phase2 we were hanging out in the parking lot and a student was on and off the phone getting updates about the accident. students and leaders gathered around to mourn and comfort and pray.

this morning when i woke up there was a voice message on my phone from a counselor at the high school (who also goes to our church) asking me to come down to the high school to join them in the library where students and counselors were gathered to mourn Ibrahim Kabbani, the high schooler who died in the car accident last night. another teenager is in a coma, the driver of the vehicle might lose his left hand and I heard that another guy broke his legs.

the library was filled with all kinds of students. from freshmen to seniors. from all different cliques. mourning Ibrahim. either they knew him personally or had a friend who knew him. students were crying, hugging each other, comforting each other, passing out flyers with Ibrahim's picture on it. Sharing stories of what they remembered about him. even running to get some kleenex for their friend. one guy was playing his guitar. in the picture on the flyer ibrahim was playing bass. i wonder if they played together. a good majority of the youth pastors from the area were there. we said 'hi' to each other and were glad that we were there to help comfort these students together. but mostly we spent time comforting and listening to the students. finding out how they knew him. listening to memories. or just sitting in silence with them. some were crying. some couldn't cry but didn't know why. one student told me he couldn't cry, i told him that was normal. and he very well might cry in a few days.

grief.

i saw students i hadn't seen in a long time. they were glad to see me. i was glad to see them. and talk to them and pray with them and tell them i was just across the street if they wanted to come talk or hang out.

after most of the students i knew went back to class and i had talked to the rest...i walked away. sobered. pensive. wondering what i could do for them. to help them find comfort and peace in this truly difficult time.

it's almost surreal. yet death is as real as it gets. death may be more real than life here on earth.

please pray for these students as they mourn. please pray they will turn to Christ, our comfort, in these times. pray that they are sobered to the truth of how fragile life is. how life here is not the end. how there is more to this life than partying and having fun. how there is more than what we see. there is something beyond. pray that they would see it and come to Christ through this.

more thoughts are tumbling around in my head. maybe i'll let them tumble onto my blog later...

God answers prayer?

2007-08-30T22:18:00.001-07:00

when God answers prayer i am amazed and excited. yet at the same time i am ashamed. i am ashamed at my amazement. yes, God should amaze and excite us. maybe it is more that i am somewhat startled when He answers prayer. yes, it is because i do not have faith that He will answer. then i see that He does and am startled that He did answer and ashamed i did not believe.

today i received a text message from a prayer warrior in my church, "well, did the credit card show up?"

rewind to yesterday when my dad explained a situation to me: my sister, angela (who works at an orphanage in haiti, and thus doesn't live in the same country as her bank in the US), has a check card which expires soon, so the bank sent my parents the new one. my parents sent it to shannon (a lady who lives in so cal and works with the orphange) so that shannon could somehow get it to haiti to my sister. as my dad was explaining this to me yesterday he said, "we sent the card a week ago, and shannon hasn't received it yet." i got this knot in my stomach--i feared someone had gotten hold of her card and she would 1- not be able to use it to buy food etc, and 2- have the possibility of dealing with bad credit, identity theft, all that stuff that could possibly come from someone stealing your check card or credit card. my dad continued, "i'm just going to pray that it gets there tomorrow."

so later on that night i followed my dad's example...i prayed hard to God that my sister's card would be in shannon's mailbox tomorrow.

but i feared my prayers weren't strong enough, so i shot off a text message to someone who i know is a prayer warrior in our church, "you're a prayer warrior. please pray that my sister's credit card will be in shannon's mailbox tomorrow. thanks! :)" this person had no idea who shannon was or anything about the credit card situation. but today at 2:30 in the afternoon i got the text message: "well, did the credit card show up?"

ah! i had forgotten to check! i went over to my mac, pulled up my parent's webmail (my parents left for Ukraine this morning on a mission trip), and saw an email from shannon in the inbox "Re: Visa"! i opened it and read this:

Okay - who has been praying????

Your credit card arrived today!...

WOW. God answers prayer. God answers prayer? i knew it. i can read it in Scripture. i've heard stories of answered prayers. God has even answered my prayers before. but, somehow, i still don't get it. God...answers...prayers.

what i found cool was that, when we prayed He would cause the credit card to arrive today...that's the very day it DID arrive. not a few days later ("oh, whew, it showed up. thank You, God."), not that we were mistaken and it had already showed up ("oh, thank You, God! it was here all the time!")...both of which would have been, in a sense, an answer to prayer because our desire was simply that it would not be lost and in someone else's hands, and that we would be able to get it to my sister. no...God answered our SPECIFIC prayer. on the DAY we asked it to be there.

God indeed does answer prayer.

Praise Him!

when i can't see

2007-08-23T16:25:00.000-07:00

i didn't write this, but i wanted to post it anyway. it was in the March 2007 TMI Newsletter...

This poem was written by Dan Bender during the middle of the night after he learned of the Vision which Tecate Mission International (website) will be pursuing in the next five years.

The road I've traveled has passed through heartache and sorrow--
But I'll surrender these and more to Your grace,
And I'll steadily forge ahead even when I can't see.

My journey today may be easy or burdensome--
But I'll sacrifice my creature comforts and personal gain,
And I'll walk at a steady pace even when I can't see.

This path to the future grows increasingly brighter--
Notwithstanding numerous setbacks and delays,
So I'll chase the vision that's been written on my heart
even when I can't see.

Tomorrow is unknown, but with the faith that's been given--
I'll march ahead to fulfill Your plan and purpose,
For my Father knows what's best...
even when I can't see.

"just as I have loved you"

2007-08-18T19:01:00.000-07:00

getting ready for sunday school tomorrow. we're going to talk about Christ washing the disciples feet, and the fact that as He was washing He already knew that they would all flee, Peter would deny Him and Judas would betray Him. Yet...He washed their feet anyway. He truly loved them "to the highest degree." (John 13:1)

I love Everybodyduck's lyrics. Here's one of their songs:

Hindsight
I remember when You kneeled to wash our feet that night
though I resisted, You explained it had to be
as an example of how we should serve each other
but as You gently cleansed my feet what did You see?

it seems like yesterday we all sat there together
and each word You said stirred fire in my soul
vowing i'd be Your most faithful man, come sun or stormy weather
but as You smiled at me then You must have known

chorus:
as You gently poured the water
You heard me say i never knew You
as You wiped away the dust
You saw me hide beneath the lie
as You anointed me with oil
you must have know i wouldn't stay
You washed my feet, so i could walk away

looking back i can't imagine how You did it
i could not have show such love if i had known
that this man whose feet i washed
would soon deny that he had known me
still You humbly served Your servant,
now that love cuts to the bone

because i promised that i never would deny You
i said that i would rather die than curse Your name
and all along You loved me though You knew
they were shallow empty words
and now each time my feet are washed,
it just reminds me of my shame

(chorus)

how could You love me?
why did You love me?

now for the first time
i can finally see things clearly
You gave love and asked for nothing in return
so now I pledge my life to loving others
just like You loved me
oh how the memories of that night
You washed my feet have set me free

(chorus)
--

Jesus had told Peter that he wouldn't understand what He was doing until later (John 13:7). And in John 13:34-35 Jesus said "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

Wow. That's tough. To love "just as [Christ] loved [us]"?! ...Jesus showed love to all the disciples even though He knew they would all scatter (Matthew 26:31). Jesus showed love to Peter when He knew Peter would deny Him (Matt. 26:33-35). He showed love to Judas even when He knew he would betray Him for the price of a slave! (cf. Matt 26:14-16 and Exodus 21:32)

It's hard to love that way. But that's what Christ has called us to. (But, take heart! He also gives us the strength we need: Phil. 2:12-13 and Eph. 3:20-21.)

ex nihilo

2007-08-14T23:05:00.000-07:00

(that means "out of nothing" in Latin)

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

And the earth was formless and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep: and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.
~Genesis 1:1-5

I'm reading a book right now called "More Than Meets the Eye" by Richard A. Swenson. It looks at God's creation from a scientific/medical standpoint. In the intro the author writes, "As you read, it is my hope that you will be fascinated by the science, and captivated by the Designer who stands behind it all."

Later, speaking of that Designer, he says, "He spoke the universe into existence. Nothingness obeys His voice."

That caught my attention.

"Nothingness obeys His voice." Because, what was there before God created it? Nothing. Nothingness.

I have been awed along with the disciples when they asked, "Who is this that even the wind and waves obey His voice?" And that is, truly, awesome. But...even nothingness obeys His voice. We can build and design and construct with the material things that God provides us. These things obey our desires, thoughts and words to an extent. But nothingness...we can't even comprehend what nothingness is. I try to picture nothingness and I picture blackness. Blackness isn't nothingness...it's blackness.

We can't comprehend it...and as far as I know "nothingness" technically doesn't exist. Yet it obeys His voice. That's what was there before creation: nothingness. And He spoke to the nothingness and it obeyed His voice and became somethingness. Then it was formless and void...and He spoke again and created light and darkness, waters, heavens, land and seas, plants and trees, stars moon and sun, living creatures that fly swim and run, and last He made man.

Nothingness...obeys His voice.

I'm captivated by the Designer who stands behind that!

Hug a Mac

2007-08-02T11:55:00.000-07:00

Have you hugged your Mac today? I did.

I got a call a couple days ago from a guy in our church. He asked me if I could come over and help him with his wife's computer 'cause it was acting up. She has been wanting to sell things on Ebay, but the duo of Internet Explorer and Zone Alarm were causing problems (surprisedly).

I went over there this morning and worked on it. Uninstalled Zone Alarm (horrible program in my opinion, especially for the common user who get confused by every alert that comes up and just clicks whatever button they feel might be best 'cause they have no idea what program is alerting them or what it's really saying)...installed AVG (much better anti-virus program, but still unnecessary: just get a mac). Removed every visible trace of Internet Exploder (err..explorer), downloaded Firefox (the browser of browsers no matter what OS) and set that up as her default browser. Uninstalled "MyWebSearch" and a bunch of other useless programs that change settings and slow down the computer. Showed her how to use Firefox and a bit about AVG. She said "Thank you" and as I was leaving she commented "This stuff is supposed to be easy!" I said, "Yeah, that's how they advertise it." I could have told her that it is easy...you just need to get a mac. But I didn't want to 'cause they just recently spent a bunch of money on new Dells.

Then i went home and hugged my mac. literally.

savor

2007-07-18T13:53:00.000-07:00

here's a quote I came up with while reading through "Pleasures Evermore" by Sam Storms (great book, i recommend it):

Savoring the sweetness of the Savior turns sin sour in our souls.

It's only through realizing who Christ is and what He has done for us and How much He loves us etc. etc. etc. that we will truly become dead to sin and have no desire for it.

useful study tool

2007-07-18T13:27:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to blog about this for a while...and now I have a bit of time:

A month or so ago I wrote this down so I'd remember it: No study tool is as useful as a ready and focused heart.

I'm pretty diligent about taking time before I fall asleep each night to pray and read God's Word. But diligence doesn't equal excitement or deep desire. My desire fluctuates.

Recently I've been trying to use more study tools to help me understand what I read. I have MacArthur's study Bible notes that I use to deepen my understanding of a passage. And I also have a book that gives a summary overview of each chapter of the Bible. It helps me get the gist of a passage.

But I've realized that even when I have those tools, and maybe even others, if my heart is not in the right place...the words I read enter my heart and mind without value. There is little to no influence in my life, heart and mind if I don't have a ready and focused heart.

That's the most useful study tool: when my heart is excited to feast on the spiritual food that God's Word supplies.

No study tool is as useful as a ready and focused heart.

God uses hurt knees

2007-07-18T13:16:00.000-07:00

This week is VBS (Vacation Bible School)...well, no, not VBS -- Soccer Camp! AWANA created a different kind of VBS that they don't call VBS 'cause VBS should be a time where non-church kids come to learn about Christ. and VBS is a foreign word to non-church people. So we're doing a Soccer Camp for 5-10 yr olds. It's great! We start with an hour and 15 mins of stretches and different soccer skill stations. Then we have about an hour for snacks and then a Bible lesson and we end with 30 mins for actual scrimmages.

Today during the scrimmages I was walking around to the different games to make sure everything was running smoothly. At the 9-10 yr old field I saw a boy, Eric, walking with a limp. I took him over to the first aid station and had "Nurse Martha" (my mom :) ) take a look at his knee. A while later he came back to the field and I sat down next to him and made sure he was doing ok. All the campers get a gospel bracelet that has Yello, Black, Red, White and Green on them. As we were sitting there Eric said "What do all these colors mean?" Haha! If that's not invitation to share the gospel, I don't know what is! So I shared with him and he prayed to trust Christ as His savior!

Afterward I told my mom and the VBS...err, I mean Soccer Camp leader, Mary Alice, "Praise God for hurt knees!" God used that to create an opportunity to share the gospel.

Please do be praying that Eric's knee will feel better, but most importantly pray that he grows in his walk with Christ.

Sovereignty

2007-06-21T23:52:00.000-07:00

Sovereignty

unexpected changes
plans gone awry
why do these things happen?
who changes things?

plans run their perfect course
providence knows best
unexpected changes
Heaven's favorite test

--
I wrote that poem several years ago.
But I wanted to share it with you.

I wrote it on October 2nd, 2001. I was on a plane, heading home from Israel: the Land of the Bible. I had arrived there on September 2nd, 2001 planning, expecting and hoping to spend an entire semester there--traveling, studying, learning, touring, exploring, growing...enjoying the Land of the Bible...the Land of Israel. But 9 days after we arrived was September 11th, 2001--a tragedy of grand proportions. And soon afterward we were told that we would have to leave: something unexpected, something I did not plan, something I did not want. Plans seemed to have gone awry.

But God had it all planned out. In His book had been written every one of my days, even before they happened (Psalm 139:16). This was no surprise to Him. This was plans running their perfect course. As I was writing this poem I was trying to see it that way. I knew it was His perfect plan. Yet I still wanted to be in the Land of the Bible. What a wonderful place it is! To be able to travel to a specific geographic site, open up your Bible and read about what happened there. You can read about hills or valleys or rivers that were climbed or drank out of, or where battles took place, and you look up, and there it is! God's Word is true! How awesome it was to see these places with my own eyes! I loved it. I still remember it and wish I could go again.

Yet, God allowed me one month there. That was His plan. It wasn't mine. But I must learn that He is sovereign and I am not. And that's a good thing!

i converted!

2007-05-22T23:50:00.000-07:00

to Apple. and I'm glad i did.

so here's a blog. it's not too deep in Theological thought, but it's a blog nonetheless.

So I actually started learning to type on an Apple in 4th grade and then started using Apples from 5-8th grade. I then got to high school and used a PC from then until now.

Why'd I convert? Mainly because of my best friend, Noah. he converted a few years ago and has the older PowerBook 17" (i believe, right noah?). I visited him a while back with my PC laptop and we were both sitting there with our computers. We both had the same size screens but I noticed that he had to plug his in a lot less than I did. I also noticed how well the hardware of his computer worked together with the OS and the software (duh, they're both made by the same company...they're built from the ground up to work together). He would close his computer to put it to sleep and then open it right up again and it would be on! Mine...I put it to sleep and then opened it...and pressed a button....and waited...and it started breathing and came on after a bit.

So, #1 -- PC hardware is not of as high quality as Apple.

Another thing I noticed right away is that stuff just works when you plug it in. Now, I had heard this from Apple owners before, but I didn't get it. I mean, stuff worked with my PC when I plugged it in. I would get a new mouse, plug it in to the USB port...my PC would make that "duh-dump!" beep noise to let me know that it knew something was going on. Then it would say "New Hardware Found" ....tap a few fingers..."Pointing Device"....tap a few fingers...."USB Mouse"....tap a few fingers...."Your new hardware is installed and ready to use." See? I plugged it in to my PC and it worked. I didn't know what those Apple people were bragging about. Until I experienced it for myself. So...I bought this new Apple (side note: I ordered it over the phone on April 30th (a Sunday) and it arrived on Wednesday (or maybe it was Tuesday)!) So, as I was saying, I bought this new Apple, brought it home and turned it on. It was doing the whole "welcome, this is your new computer thing" and I thought "gee, I wish I could use this mouse and not my trackpad...I wonder if what people say about Apples is really true...will it just work if I plug it in?" So...I plug in my Logitech laser mouse...move my mouse and it moves on the screen! Not more than 3 seconds later. I'm telling you, you just plug stuff in and it works!

so, #2 -- Apple's new hardware integration works better than PC's

Then I start looking around when I get it turned on and I don't have to uninstall any dumb AOL programs or "Free Internet for 90 days" ad programs, or 30 day Micro$oft Office trials, etc etc etc. Those Apple commercials...they're right.

that's #3 -- Apple's initially installed files are far superior to the junk and worthless programs you need to uninstall when you first get a PC.

I could go on and on, but I'll just list some cool stuff I've experienced:

#4: Went to System Preferences > Print&Fax > New Printer and the Printer Browser actually FOUND the IP printer we have on our church network! I've NEVER been able to do that with a PC (shared printers, yes, but not IP (networked) printers).

#5: My battery is currently at 48% and I have 1hr 45mins left on it. And I have iChat open, iTunes playing music, and Firefox open.

#6: Drag and Drop. I thought PC was drag and drop. Earlier today I was chatting with Noah on iChat and he sent me a file...I just clicked on the file's icon in iChat and dragged it into the folder where I wanted it and it downloaded it to that folder. I can drag any file onto the "Mail" icon in my dock and it'll open up "Mail", open up a new message and attach that file to the message. You can basically drag and drop native Apple programs from wherever to wherever. It works.

#7: iTunes doesn't stutter. So often I would be listening to music on my PC and then open another program or save a file or do something that would use up a bit of processor power and memory and my music would stutter and stop for a bit while my PC was thinking. Hasn't happened with my Apple. It runs very smoothly.

#8: Viruses - what are those, again? Mac OSX is built on Unix and therefore it's susceptibility to viruses is almost nil.

#9: Graphics and Video: You don't notice it so much when you're used to a PC, but when you watch an animation or video on an Apple vs. a PC, you notice a difference. When I first booted up my new Mac it played the "welcome to your new computer" run through, video presentation thing. I was amazed at how smooth the animations were. On a PC they look nice, but look closely, it's a little jittery. Get a Mac.

Sure, there's a few things that I don't like. Like when you navigate through folders you can't open the folder by hitting "enter". "Enter" allows you to rename the file. You use "command + O" to open a folder (or any file). That'll take a bit of getting used to. Although that's not really something 'bad' it's just a different keystroke that I'll have to get used to. It's worth it.

#10: I can't help it. I wasn't going to include this one, but you have to: Beauty. Face it. A Mac is just good-lookin'. Sure, looks don't make a good computer...but they sure help :)

Well, that's about it for now. Like I said, not too deep in thought. Maybe a little long-winded though. Getting used to my MacBook (oh, which Mac did I get, you may be wondering. I got the Black MacBook. It's 1GB memory, 2GHz Intel Core Duo, 120GB Hard Drive, 13", glossy screen.) ...anyway, Getting used to my MacBook and getting all my files from my old computer and putting all my songs on here etc contributed to not posting for a while. Plus my already busy schedule. I'm almost all "moved in" to this computer now. Hopefully I'll be able to post more regularly now.

do not i love Thee?

2007-04-14T16:13:00.000-07:00

i was reminded today of this song. i was thinking about God and how He needs to be the object of my affections. how He needs to be the love of my life. how if i don't first love Him then nothing else is worth my attention or interest. i was preparing for a study tomorrow with the high school guys, and one of the questions was, "What will it take in your life to make your devotional time with God the number one priority of each day? Do you need to cut back or eliminate some competing activity?" What in my life is competing with God for my attention? for my affections? for my love? for my passions? whatever i find that does this, i need to pluck out or cut off ( Matthew 5:29-30).

Do not I love Thee, O my Lord?
Behold my heart and see
And turn each cursed idol out
That dares to rival Thee

Do not I love Thee from my soul?
Then let me nothing love
Dead be my heart to every joy
When Jesus cannot move

Within the darkness of this heart
Other gods would vie for my affections
But Thou art exalted far above all gods
Let nothing keep me from Thy love

Thou know'st I love Thee, dearest Lord
But, oh, I long to soar
Far from the sphere of mortal joys
And learn to love Thee more

This song was adapted by a hymn written by Philip Doddridge, published posthumously in Hymns Founded on Various Texts in the Holy Scriptures, by Job Orton (J. Eddowes and J. Cotton, 1755) The original hymn and lyrics can bee seen here. (fair warning: watch out! there's a bad midi file that will play on that page. I'm not familiar with that melody, the way the above words are sung, as I remember, is a lot better than the tune heard on that page, but the words there are good!)

affluent

2007-03-29T19:16:00.000-07:00

don't know exactly when i wrote this one. the file date says "date modified 6/8/2001"...

affluent, I wish I was
with words to express my heart
the feelings I feel
the thoughts I think

so much time passed
just a few days gone by
so many events
so many happenings
merely a memory ago

new friends, found a year ago
seem so old, as if friends for life.
new possessions, acquired recently
so soon become a part of me.

what have I learned?
what is it worth?
so much new knowledge augments my mind
but do I apply it after such a long time?

odds and ends of cryptic events
now seen in a fuller light.
pieces of my puzzle,
God prudently assembles.

it's all a blur,
nothing seems clear.
but life-changing memories have shown,
God makes all things beautiful, in His time.

I remember that I wrote it after one year in college. Ah, yes, I'm remembering it now. It was after my sophomore year. I can picture my dorm room. Almost completely emptied out. I lived in an apartment-like dorm with 4 other guys, most of whom had already left after the school year. I was very nostalgic...sitting in the room thinking about the past year...i could recall so easily the day i moved in and the first few weeks getting to know everyone. yet at the same time i could recall so many many memories from throughout the year that made it seem like such a long time. isn't it funny how time can seem so long, yet so short?

at the end of it all you can look back and see how God worked through it all, worked every part to fit together, to prudently fit them together, and to be true to His promise that He will work all things together to those that love Him and are called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28).

old poem

2007-03-29T01:59:00.001-07:00

i was reading through old journals...its good to see how God directs your life. I love looking back in my journals to see and remember what God has taught me. as i was reading through i found this poem...sometimes i can write...but not whenever i want to. when i attempt poetry i come up with stuff like this:

[7/27/03 3:39pm]
The way the World was meant to be
Is not the World that I can see

Well, that was a good first two lines but I can't think of how to continue it.

I stumble and I fall
Sometimes it's hard to see
That You're there through it all
That's not the way its supposed to be.

I feel so helpless even though
I think I'm striving toward the goal
It seems I never make progress
Is this the way its supposed to be?

So many problems I confess
Am I really doing my best?
I wish I was perfect
Sometimes I can't wait
But this is where You put me
This is where I need to be
This is where I'm supposed to be

When will I be free
From this sin entangling me?
The way has already been made
Jesus Christ, for your sins, has paid
Just make sure that your life
has at His feet been laid
This is the way life is supposed to be.

May Your forgiveness I ever remember
May it be in my heart a burning ember.
May it continually burn white hot
Controlling and keeping my every thought
This is the way life is supposed to be.

Jesus Christ hung from a tree
He rose again to set me free
Now He lives in eternity
Building there a place for me
In His presence I will be
Giving Him all the glory
This is the way life is supposed to be!

no right

2007-03-15T23:34:00.000-07:00

...this is "Part the Second"...well this is it in its infant stages. the idea I want to share has to do with the following quote, Romans 12 and a sermon and some events that happened while I was down south at the Shepherd's Conference. this quote has taken me a long time to chew on and really grasp (and really even want to do such things myself), so i'll give this part to you so you can chew on this quote and then I'll update this post in the (hopefully near) future.

[warning: this convicted me, it might convict you as well.]

"I have this day solemnly renewed my baptismal covenant and self-dedication, which I renewed when I was received into the communion of the church. I have been before God; and have given myself, all that I am and have to God, so that I am not in any respect my own: I can challenge no right in myself, I can challenge no right in this understanding, this will, these affections that are in me; neither have I any right to this body, or any of its members: no right to this tongue, these hands, nor feet: no right to these senses, these eyes, these ears, this smell or taste. I have given myself clear away, and have not retained any thing as my own. I have been to God this morning, and told Him that I gave myself wholly to Him. I have given every power to Him; so that for the future I will challenge no right in myself, in any respect."

~Jonathan Edwards

month and a half review

2007-03-15T23:26:00.000-07:00

as i think of all that i want to say i think this will be a long blog...so i think i'm going to do it in two parts.

Part the First:

I just realized how long it has been since I wrote a real blog. Sure I posted a link to a photo album (that wasn't really my photo album) a little over a week ago, but the last time I really blogged was almost two months ago! Since I started this blog there have been only 3 months in which I have not posted anything: July '06 (the month of H206...a big event to plan), September '06 (the month I had my hernia surgery), and last month (the month of Jr High Winter camp...at which some amazing events happened, and the month of High School Winter camp: Frozen Revolution '07).

I really enjoy blogging...almost as much as I enjoy journaling.

So...to catch you up in true male style:

Jr. High Camp last month was really good and a lot of spiritual and social growth happened in the students and I hope the things that happened there continue to shape their lives.

High School Camp: Frozen Revolution, was a great time. The theme this year was "Breaking Barriers" basically between us and God and between us and others. I think a lot of barriers were broken down.

On to March...and I'll cover this trip with a little more detail. I went to the Shepherd's Conference March 7-11...here's a cool picture of the sanctuary filled with pastors thirsty to be encouraged to "preach the Word" (2 Tim. 4:2).

There were also two satellite services at two other locations on campus for overflow! I want to say there were like 4000 men there but I can't substantiate that with evidence so don't quote me. There were a lot. And getting a bunch of pastors together in that huge sanctuary and singing songs rich with theological truths about how great our God is...these guys really understand how great our God is because they preach Him week in and week out and they "study to show [themselves] approved to God" (2 Tim 3:15)...wow! It was amazing!

I was able to stay with a friend from college and his wife (Mike and Julie). It was great to be able to spend some time with them. I also saw many many friends from college and Placerita Baptist Church (the church I was a member of when I went to The Master's College) and from other churches of which I have been a part: Tim Costine, Kent Richardson, Pastor Dick Conners ...and so many others. It was a great time of encouragement, and rest and an awesome opportunity to sit under amazing teaching and get fed with spiritual meat (which is still digesting...see my next blog...coming soon).

THEN, I got to go down to Whittier and see my BEST friends Noah and Christine and their cute little son, Ezekiel. Spending time with them was amazing as always. Good times of being weird with noah, discussing spiritual things, looking at and talking about gadgets and ideas we have for the future and talking about when he gets to come up here next week 'cause his awesome wife got him a ticket to come up here to have some days to relax. We're going camping in Yosemite!

THEN I drove down to San Diego and met up with my good friend Rick Cucjen and his family. They are a missionary family living just this side of the Mexico border and working for Tecate Mission International. Rick was in charge of the interns there when I was an intern for 3 months back in Fall/Winter 2003. I got to know them well during my time there. So, I was able to spend some time hanging out with them and catching up. Then Rick and I drove to the San Diego airport, I got on a plane and Rick drove away with my truck. Well...now it's his. I got a new Honda CR-V and was able to give him my "old" truck. I figured it'd be good for my truck to be down there because my truck had been down to Mexico when I was there in 2003 and it liked it. I think it's happy to be back. Here's some pics...Rick and I and Rick's kids and I (Josh, Ben, Catherine, Natalie and Emily).

...its getting late. Part the Second to come at a later date

Frozen Revolution '07 Pics

2007-03-05T15:39:00.001-08:00

Frozen Revolution '07 was an awesome trip. Click the picture below to see the photo album....

Photobucket Album

pointing in the right direction

2007-01-22T21:46:00.000-08:00

one thing i've thought about and i want to dig into this year is the idea of glorifying God. i've thought about it before and had revelations on what it means and how it looks and how we can do it in all and any area of our lives. but i want to dig deeper and better understand the motivations behind it and how to allow a desire to glorify God to permeate every area of my life...

a few years ago i read the amazing book "The Knowledge of the Holy" by A.W. Tozer. If you haven't read it yet, read it. It'll take you a while because it is extremely pithy, but it'll definitely be worth the read.

here's a quote from it that i had written in a journal entry a few years ago...

“I can no more do justice to that awesome and wonder-filled theme (God’s love) than a child can grasp a star. Still, by reaching toward the star the child may call attention to it and even indicate the direction one must look to see it. So, as I stretch my heart toward the high, shining love of God, someone who has not before known about it may be encouraged to look up and have hope.”
~A. W. Tozer

how am i pointing people toward God? sure, i can never do justice to truly explain Him. but, like a child pointing at a star, i can direct people toward Him. how am i doing that? how am i glorifying God?

a lesson from 3500 years ago

2007-01-22T00:01:00.000-08:00

I had a professor in Israel who loved studying the biographies and stories of godly men. He lead a weekly guys' morning Bible study and took us through studies on godly men of Scripture. One of those studies focused on Joseph. I'm working on reading through the Bible again this year and tonight I read about Joseph being sold to Potiphar, being unjustly accused by Potiphar's wife, and his following time in prison.

I've thought about and been taught about Joseph's moral integrity during the time while he was being tempted by Potiphar's wife. And I've thought about and been taught about how God blessed him in Potiphar's house and in the prison because of his faithfulness to the Lord. But just tonight as I was reading it struck me...Scripture has a way of doing that. Hebrews 4:12 tells us that Scripture is indeed "living and active...it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." Scripture is able to speak straight to our hearts. Its amazing how God uses it to speak to us no matter how familiar we may be with the passage.

It struck me...how much I see other people's lives...and I want their life. Because their life seems to be perfectly in line and together. They seem to have it easy. A good job, or maybe they're retired, and they don't have hard work to do. They have all they need and they don't struggle in fulfilling their job or they don't need to worry about finances, they have a nice car and a house. They don't have the worries that I have. Their life is so much easier than mine. If I only had their life, THEN I would be able to serve God better. THEN I could spend more time with Him. THEN I would really live for Him because I wouldn't be distracted by all these things. I wouldn't have a hard life and I would be able to focus on Him and have a better attitude about life in general.

But it struck me...look at Joseph's life! His brothers hated him and wanted to kill him! Instead they SOLD him into the slave trade and convinced his father he was dead. He was sold to Potiphar and had to live in a foreign country and didn't know if he would EVER make it home again, or see his father again. Then he gets somewhat comfortable as he is promoted to basically rule Potiphar's house (but still he's a slave in a foreign country and doesn't know if he'll see his family again). When he gets to that point his owner's wife falsely accuses him of adultery and he is thrown into prison! Prison wasn't nice back then! So what does he do? Complain that his life is horrible? Complain and ask God why He put him there? Compare his life to Potiphar's life and complain and be frustrated? No way. Joseph is faithful. Joseph continues to work hard and to do his work for the LORD. Look at Genesis 39:23, "The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph's charge, because the LORD was with him. And whatever he did, the LORD made it succeed." When does God give success? When we acknowledge Him in all our ways He makes our paths straight (Prov. 3:6). When we delight ourselves in Him, He gives us the desires of our hearts (Ps. 37:4). Joseph was doing things with the right attitude. He was living for God and serving Him. He was acknowledging God in all things, and delighting himself in God.

I noticed in Gen. 40:8 that Joseph's focus was on God and not on himself. The baker and the cupbearer have dreams and are troubled because they do not have an interpreter to tell them the meanings of their dreams. Joseph responds but he doesn't say, "Well, tell them to me and maybe I can interpret them." No, his focus is not on himself and what he can do. Rather, it is on God. His faith is in God's omniscience (God knows everything!) and His ability to reveal the interpretation to Joseph. Joseph must have had a close relationship with God even through this time. His response is, "Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me."

In the margin of my Bible I wrote, "your life is easier than joseph's was...look how he handled it."

peace

2007-01-11T00:35:00.000-08:00

I know how to have peace. You follow God's Word. Sounds somewhat elementary...but the Holy Spirit cleared away the fog for me the other day. I have Philippians 4:4-7 memorized, but that doesn't mean I understand it.

The other day I was getting ready for work and I was not at peace, so I started quoting those verses to myself over and over again...

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

It helped to quote it over and over again, but it didn't give me complete peace. I started to mull it over in my head and meditate on what these verses meant...and I began to realize just how essential were EACH one of the things mentioned in order to obtain the final result: "the peace of God, which suprasses all comprehension [guarding] your hearts and minds"...

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!"...in order to obtain perfect peace you must be rejoicing in the Lord. Rejoicing because of the issue that is causing you to be anxious? No, rejoicing IN it. Rejoice during it. Rejoice at all times. why? well...what's going to cause us to rejoice? when we know who God is and what He has done. I'm a wretched and filthy sinner, "But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved [me], even when [I was] dead in [my] transgressions, made [me] alive together with Christ..." (Eph 2:4-5)! God created the heavens and the earth and "[His] eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in [His] book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them." (Psalm 139:16) When I understand these truths, how can I not rejoice in who God is and what He has done? And, when I understand truths like these I realize who I am in Christ and that begins to bring me peace...but there are still more pieces...

"Let your gentle spirit be made known to all..." We need to have a gentle spirit, as opposed to an irritable or easily angered spirit. How can we have peace when we are irritable? Relax, God is in control, not you.

"The Lord is near"! What a comforting truth! Our God is not far off! He is very near. He hears us when we call! (Jer. 23:23-24)

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication..." A while ago I was studying this passage and I didn't know what 'supplication' was, so I looked it up. Basically it conveys the idea that we need to come to the Lord as a dry, parched ground desires the rain. We need to come to Him destitute. ...if we come to Him with the attitude of "God, I need some help here. Can you give me a hand? I've kinda got this figured out I just need a little help." Then we aren't coming to Him with the right attitude and we aren't going to obtain that peace. Because the truth is that we are worthless on our own and until we give it ALL to Him, we won't be able to obtain peace.

"let your requests be made known to God" ACT! we need to act! we can't just sit around and hope we will obtain peace. we need to do something about it. bring it to God. ...how can we have peace if we don't bring our needs to God and lay them at His feet? if we just keep our struggles to ourselves...we are never going to be able to solve them on our own.

"And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds..." this is what we desire. The peace of God. But don't forget the last part.

"...in Christ Jesus." don't miss this part, don't just let your eyes pass over those words. without the truth these three words communicate, none of the rest of this passage would be worth anything. without Christ Jesus and what He did, we would have no basis for rejoicing (see 1 Cor. 15:12-19). without Christ and what He did for us we would be eternally separated from God (Rom. 3:21-26). without Christ and what He did we would not be able to "let [our] requests be made known to God" (Heb. 4:14-16). we must place our faith and trust in Christ Jesus and what He did on the cross. without that, we will never be able to have the peace of God which surpasses all understanding guarding our hearts and our minds.

but with it, peace is near.

see also this entry

trust...growth needed

2007-01-03T00:34:00.001-08:00

How many times will it take
until I know and am confident
that Jehovah Jireh isn't simply words
but a name, an explanation of character
of essence, of an attribute

He provides. without fail.
He comforts those who are His.
But I do not trust
I am slow to rest
in the Truth.

if my sister was reporting from Iraq...

2006-12-21T17:20:00.000-08:00

...we would win the war on terror.

Here's an opinion post. I connected a few dots, and came to the conclusion that--were my sister a reporter in Iraq, we would be winning the war on terror. Or at least the morale of the US citizens back home would be greatly increased.

A couple of years ago I had the opportunity to go to Iraq and help out with the reconstruction going on over there. I had many Iraqi co-workers and came in contact with other Iraqi locals. Every single local person I met was glad that the Americans (and British et. al.) were there doing what they are doing. I worked for a company called GRC and one of our employees, whenever Saddam's name was mentioned, would get so mad at him and would tell horrible stories of when Saddam was in power and he would be so glad that we took Saddam and his regime out. One time I was working on an install (GRC installed VSAT [satellite] dishes for NGOs etc) for a company called DAI. They had a guard for their compound. He was sitting in a place that I passed many times as I went back and forth carrying equipment from our van to the roof. He was an Iraqi and couldn't speak much english at all. But when I first met him he shook my hand very affectionately and said the only english words he knew "Hello, hello meester, hello." And each time I walked by him he stood up and bowed to me, smiled and said, "Hello, hello meester, hello." I could tell he was very glad we (the Americans) were there.

A big problem, in my opinion, with the war on terror and the issues going on in Iraq is the focus of the media, the focus of the reporters. They focus on the negative things going on, they focus on the amount of citizens killed, soldiers wounded or dead, the plans that aren't working. And because of this, the morale of the American people declines and they want to pull out of Iraq. And they express such sentiments to the President and congressmen etc. The focus is not on the people of Iraq who are glad that we are there--and there are many Iraqis who are thankful for what we have done (at least there were back in 2004 when I was there). The focus is not on the improved development and improved economy where it should be.

Well...that was one thought I had. That thought really materialized in my mind because I recently visited my sister in Haiti and the orphanage she manages. I got there and saw all the cute, playful kids about whom my sister had told me. I also saw them pout and cry. My sister had told me about that before...like all kids, they cry and get in fights etc., but she had only told me once. The rest of the time she focuses on all the cute things and fun things they do. And that's the important stuff, the positive stuff. Why would you want to focus on the bad stuff? Of course you acknowledge and understand that it happens, to not do so would be ignorant. But to focus on it and complain about it would be negative and pessimistic. That's how the reporters in Iraq are: pessimistic. But my sister is altogether better and amazing. She's not ignorant and she doesn't paint a bleak one-sided picture of what's going on over there. Of course she realizes the kids pout and cry, but that's not what she's interested in, that's not what she focuses on or wants to magnify.

My sister disciplines those kids and doesn't ignore or let them get away with the bad things they do. She doesn't spoil them and give them anything they cry for. She deals with what needs to be dealt with. But she focuses on the good and promotes that.

Let's focus on what is good and amplify it. But at the same time not ignore the bad things that are going on. They need to be dealt with.

Life is a balancing act.

i made it

2006-12-14T19:28:00.000-08:00

i'm putting this picture up first and laying claim to it. this kid is cute.

had a great trip, though didn't get as much sleep on the planes as I wanted to. so i'm really tired today. but i hope to get a good night's sleep tonight. i'm excited to get an idea of what life is like for my sister. i got a glimpse when i took a "shower" earlier today with her camp shower that she hangs on the shower head 'cause they don't have running water. the water was warm 'cause she leaves the bag out on the roof/patio during the day. that was interesting 'cause the level at which the water would come out of the bag was above my armpits :) which means i had to do a lot of acrobatics...it was an adventure!

then we went to st. joseph's and ate dinner and watched 'dance theater' which was incredible. now we're back here and the electricity came on! so i was able to post this. now i'm going to post this, spend some time with my sister and go to bed.

gnight.

haiti, m'ap vini!

2006-12-11T22:45:00.000-08:00

that means "Haiti, I'm coming" (at least I think i got that right).

I'm going to Haiti in 2 days to visit my sister! I'm so excited! I get to see the place she calls "home", Three Angel's Orphanage. If you haven't looked at her blog you need to: http://angelainhaiti.blogspot.com/ and the blog for the orphanage is great too! http://threeangelshaiti.blogspot.com/ And, of course the website for the orphanage itself: http://www.threeangelshaiti.org/ (Note: if you have ever considered adoption, or even if you never have, your heart will be strongly tugged by the pictures, stories, and videos that can be seen on the aforementioned webpages. A very high percentage of people who have viewed these webpages have strongly desired to adopt one or all of them!)

My sister's favorite verse is James 1:27 which says, "Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world." This is what my sister is doing! She is "visiting" and caring for and providing for orphans, "the least of these" (and also the cutest of these).

Please pray for my trip, I hope to post pictures upon my return.

trough or spring?

2006-12-07T00:06:00.000-08:00

I read this amazing quote today:

God has no needs that I could ever be required to satisfy. God has no deficiencies that I might be required to supply. He is complete in Himself. He is overflowing with happiness in the fellowship of the Trinity. The upshot of this is that God is a mountain spring, not a watering trough. A mountain spring is self-replenishing. It constantly overflows and supplies others. But a watering trough needs to be filled with a pump or bucket brigade. So if you want to glorify the worth of a watering trough you work hard to keep it full and useful. But if you want to glorify the worth of a spring you do it by getting down on your hands and knees and drinking to your heart's satisfaction, until you have the refreshment and strength to go back down into the valley and tell people what you've found. You do not glorify a mountain spring by dutifully hauling water up the path from the river below and dumping it in the spring. What we have seen is that God is like a mountain spring, not a watering trough. And since that is the way God is, we are not surprised to learn from Scripture...that the way to please God is to come to Him to get and not to give, to drink and not to water. He is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied [by] Him.

hi dadMy hope as a desperate sinner, who lives in a Death Valley desert of unrighteousness, hangs on this biblical truth: that God is the kind of God who will be pleased with the one thing I have to offer--my thirst.

[John Piper, The Pleasures of God, pp. 215-216]
emphasis mine

101

2006-11-30T23:10:00.000-08:00

I wish I had (maybe I should say "made") more time to read. I love to read and gain insights and shape my worldview, beliefs, understanding and gain knowledge that will hopefully form into wisdom.

At the church I am part of we have men's Bible study on Friday mornings. We are currently going through the Workbook to "Twelve Ordinary Men" by John MacArthur. It's a great workbook. It's kinda funny though 'cause I could get along fine if I didn't bring my workbook because Pastor Bob leads it (even though the men in the study take turns "leading" each page in the workbook...Pastor Bob is just so excited about and knowledgeable of the Scriptures that he ends up leading) and we make it through about three discussion questions each time. I find that we're not really talking about the book, we just use the questions in the workbook as springboards into discussion lead by Pastor Bob.

So even though PB gets upset at us when we don't have anything written down for the answers to the questions, I've decided to take the time to actually read the book "Twelve Ordinary Men" (what a concept!) instead of answer the questions in the workbook. I find it profitable since we discuss the workbook anyway, and I, otherwise, wouldn't make the time to read the book.

It's a great book! I'm only in chapter one 'cause I only got this bright idea three weeks ago and I only read it on Thursday nights (and chapter one is 21 pages long...the intro was 8 pages itself)...anyway, enough excuses for my slow reading...let's get to what I really started to write this entry about--

In the first chapter of this book MacArthur is arguing for the "ordinariness" of the 12 apostles. It's so true, yet historically the church has raised these men up on pedestals and memorialized them in marble sculptures. While reading his arguments I realized that by treating the apostles as uncommon, amazing men who are far superior to us, we excuse ourselves from having to live up to what they did.

MacArthur quotes 1 Corinthians 1:20-21 which says, "Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe." And he points out that the apostles were not from among the religious elite of the time. There were no scribes, no pharisees, no sadducees, no rabbis, no one of the sort. These were ordinary men so that when they did extraordinary things they would not get the credit. Christ, the power behind them, would get the credit.

This is in contradiction to the way the world works (if anyone from Phase 2 is reading this..."Do Not Conform!" or if you remember H206 "Stand Defiant!"). The people of the world desire the fame and glory for themselves. After explaining this MacArthur goes on to say:

"With the notable exception of Judas Iscariot, these men were not like that. They certainly struggled with pride and arrogance like every fallen human being. But the driving passion of their lives became the glory of Christ. And it was that passion, subjected to the influence of the Holy Spirit--not any innate skill or human talent--that explains why they left such an indelible impact on the world." [emphasis mine]

Do I desire to make an indelible impact on the world? Do you desire to make an indelible impact on the world? What, then, should be our passion? Our passion should be the glory of Christ.

Oh God, give me this passion: to glorify Christ, all that He has done, all that He is. May He be the one I desire to magnify, not myself. Help me not to conform to the pattern of this world. Help me to stand defiant against the trends of modern culture which encourages me to focus on myself. Help me instead to focus on Christ in all I do.

...its a high calling...but the ordinary apostles did it. So...so can I.

100

2006-11-30T00:37:00.000-08:00

it said "99 posts"

so i figured i'd write one more to make it an even 100.

functional atheist

2006-11-20T00:00:00.000-08:00

I enjoy the blogging world. There's a lot of insight, encouragement and knowledge to be gained.

I was just looking through my ever-growing bookmarks of blogs and I saw a title on Joshua Harris' blog that caught my attention: Do Not Be Wise In Your Own Eyes. It caught my attention because in Phase 2 (the High School ministry at OEFC) I have been preaching through Romans. We are now in Romans 12 and I just preached on Romans 12:3 which says, "For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith." I also went to verse 16: "Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation." (NASB) . We talked about pride and not being wise in our own eyes, so I wanted to see what Josh had to say on this subject.

As I was reading through his post a term he used caught my attention. He said, "When my view of Him is clouded, when I’m a functional atheist, I will trust and applaud my own wisdom."

I don't think I've ever heard that term before but it makes complete sense. Am I a functional atheist? Are you a functional atheist?

A "functional" atheist wouldn't be a true atheist. A true atheist would deny the existence of any supernatural power whenever you asked him. But a "functional" atheist would acknowledge the existence of God and possibly even realize the need to submit to His will, but, by his lifestyle he would functionally be an atheist: you wouldn't be able to tell by his actions and attitudes that he believed in God and admitted the need to follow Him.

Are you a functional atheist? Do you believe in God and even confess that you should follow Him, but do not live this out in your daily life? Does your verbal assent have a noticeable effect on your moment by moment decisions, actions and attitudes?

a principle

2006-11-09T14:14:00.000-08:00

I am going through Level Two EE at our church and we are reading "The Master Plan of Evangelism" by Robert E. Coleman. It's an amazing book on evangelism.

I was just reading it and wanted to share this quote with you. Its about not only preaching and teaching but living a life of teaching other people by the way we live each and every moment of our lives:

There can be no shirking or evading of our personal responsibility to show the way to those we are training, and this revelation must include the practical outworking in the life of the deeper realities of the Spirit. This is the Master's method, and nothing else will ever suffice to train others to do His work.
It makes us vulnerable, of course. We are not perfect like our Lord, and those persons to whom we open our lives will come to see our many shortcomings. But let them also see a readiness to confess our sins when we understand the error of our way. Let them hear us apologize to those we have wronged. Our weaknesses need not impair the discipleship when shining through them is a transparent sincerity to follow Christ.

I often feel insufficient for the ministry when I mess up and make mistakes. But the people I lead also make mistakes. And if they do not see me make mistakes, they will think there is something wrong with them because they are not "as good" as I am (rather, as I appear to be). Instead they need to see my sins and also see how I handle them--by confessing my sins and expressing a sincere desire to truly follow Christ.

superpowers

2006-11-02T15:43:00.000-08:00

ah...back in the day I was a true FIF fan!

If you don't/didn't know who FIF is (actually, was), you missed out.
They had MANY dedicated fans and always put on an amazing, fun show.

I was proud to claim that I made it to two of their concerts in less than 24hrs one time!

I was feeling nostalgic the other day and put on their live album "Proof that the youth are revolting". It was great. I sang along, danced and laughed at their crazy songs. But I also wanted to share these lyrics with you. They're from FIF's song called "Superpowers":

don't want to rock the mic
don't want to meet the pope
i just want to share with you
how we got this peace and hope

yeah, there's a lot more to the song than that, but i love the sentiment there. ya know, popular bands may get to meet the pope someday (if I remember correctly the Supertones got to play for some event the pope was at...now, I loved the supertones too, so i'm not saying they're no good for meeting the pope...it's just an example.). but really, who cares about meeting the pope? sure, he's popular all over the world, but he's human (uh...not to mention he's the leader of a cult that blinds so many people to the true gospel of GRACE...see this website). and who cares about rocking the mic...FIF was saying that what they really want to do is communicate to us how they got the peace and hope they have in their lives. the peace and hope that only comes from personally knowing Jesus Christ as Savior of your life!

that's what it's all about.

actions or words

2006-10-06T22:28:00.000-07:00

actions may speak louder than words
but unexplained actions are often
too vague to communicate meaning
both are needed to express ones heart

the gospel of Christ may be lived by your life
but without words to explain
those who see will come no further than wonder
of what is being said

use actions. love, forgive, rebuke, direct
but if your actions are only
"to show God's love"
and your words do not clarify

i fear your actions will be lost
in wonder and thought and need
of people who do not understand
of people who look but will never see

because though you may've planted a seed
the seed was not given the water it needs
the water of the Word of God
which is the only power of salvation

The Mighty Magnet

2006-10-04T14:43:00.000-07:00

Our Associate Pastor shared this quote with me today (he heads up evangelism training at our church):

And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.~John 12:32

Come, ye workers, be encouraged. You fear that you cannot draw a congregation. Try the preaching of a crucified, risen, and ascended Savior; for this is the greatest "draw" that was ever yet manifested among men. What drew you to Christ but Christ? What draws you to Him now but His own blessed self? If you have been drawn to religion by anything else, you will soon be drawn away from it; but Jesus has held you and will hold you even to the end. Why, then, doubt His power to draw other? Go with the name of Jesus to those who have hitherto been stubborn and see if it does not draw them.~C. H. Spurgeon

a recent conversation

2006-08-16T22:42:00.000-07:00

a: your girlfriend is cool...what do you like about her?

b: a lot of things...that she is a christian and reads the bible for one and she's nice and sweet and cute and fun to be around and hang out with.

a: would you say she encourages you to read the bible and live as a christian?

b: yup definitely

a: here's a question...i want to get an idea of what people think about this: what would you say is the reason for living how God wants us to live? (and you can't say "so we go to heaven" or "so we don't go to hell")

b: Well i'm not sure...so we don't feel empty because without the bible and god and everything what's the point of life? and i guess its better for the world and people around you if we all did good and didn't do bad then it would be amazing...i'm not sure what the answer to that question is.

a: I think that's a pretty good answer. you basically said that without God there is no purpose to live. so what you're saying is that God gives purpose to live. what do you think that purpose is?

b: i'm not sure of that either to believe in God and follow Him to live your life serving others and do only good...???

a: let me ask it this way: do you believe God created you?

b: yes

a: and do you believe that he created you for a reason or for no reason?

b: for a reason i guess

a: So as God created you (and all of us) He had a purpose in mind. He had a reason for making us, an end goal. Jus as an artist begins to create a painting for a reason. why do artists create?

b: so they can observe and admire their work...???

a: YES! exactly. so they can get pleasure from their work. that's why i believe God created us: so He could observe and admire His work. He created us for His pleasure.

b: ok, so then, what's our purpose?

a: To please Him. to be a painting that He is satisfied with. AND think of this: what does an artist do with a painting he is pleased with?

b: shares it with others

a: Sure, he shares it with others. think of it like this: if God is the artist and we are the painting and we turn out like God wants us to (He wants to be pleased by us, He wants us to be beautiful paintings) then He is going to be pleased by us and put us on display in the art gallery. and if paintings could feel, i'm sure they'd be happier on the wall in the art gallery than in a back room waiting to be thrown away because the artist was not pleased by the painting. ...what i'm trying to say is that when we please God then He is pleased with us and put us in a place where we are also pleased. so everyone (both God and us) is pleased when we live how He wants us to live! (did all that make sense? :) )

b: yup, makes perfect sense...that's cool

a: I just kinda put those thoughts together right now. I've been reading a couple of books that talk about that but I've never really put it all together like that. thanks for letting me reason with you and think that all out :)

b: sure, thanks for doing it

There is a Fountain

2006-06-12T11:26:00.000-07:00

for some reason this old hymn came to me today.
what amazing words...

There Is a Fountain
by William Cowper

1
There is a fountain filled with blood
drawn from Emmanuel's veins;
and sinners plunged beneath that flood
lose all their guilty stains.
Lose all their guilty stains,
lose all their guilty stains;
and sinners plunged beneath that flood
lose all their guilty stains.

2
The dying thief rejoiced to see
that fountain in his day;
and there may I, though vile as he,
wash all my sins away.
Wash all my sins away,
wash all my sins away;
and there may I, though vile as he,
wash all my sins away.

3
Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood
shall never lose its pow'r
till all the ransomed church of God
be saved, to sin no more.
Be saved, to sin no more,
be saved, to sin no more;
till all the ransomed church of God
be saved, to sin no more.

4
E'er since, by faith, I saw the stream
Thy flowing wounds supply,
redeeming love has been my theme,
and shall be till I die.
And shall be till I die,
and shall be till I die;
redeeming love has been my theme,
and shall be till I die.

5
Lord, I believe Thou hast prepared,
Unworthy though I be,
For me a blood-bought, free reward
A golden harp for me!
A golden harp for me!
A golden harp for me!
For me a blood-bought, free reward
A golden harp for me!

6
’Tis strung, and tuned, for endless years,
And formed by pow’r divine;
To sound, in God the Father’s ears,
No other name but Thine.
No other name but Thine.
No other name but Thine.
To sound, in God the Father’s ears,
No other name but Thine.

7
There in a nobler, sweeter song,
I'll sing thy power to save,
when this poor lisping, stamm'ring tongue
Is ransomed from the grave,
Is ransomed from the grave,
Is ransomed from the grave,
when this poor lisping, stamm'ring tongue
Is ransomed from the grave.

hope

2006-05-08T01:35:00.000-07:00

deepest oceans of despair
this vast and somber
charcoal night of space
have you given up yet?

your hope lingers
in the crevices and corners of your soul
i know you
you haven't given up yet

you are brave in this darkness, saint saturn
sometimes the bravest thing of all
is to hope

...sometimes the bravest thing of all
is to hope

~Brave Saint Saturn - "Atropos"