Penn Jillette on Evangelism

I received this through one of the bogs I follow. I wanted to share it here. As Phil Johnson said in his blog, kinda speaks for itself.

Pyromaniacs

Be Satisfied in the Superior Pleasures of God

In a world that is constantly enticing me with its pleasures and delights, I struggle to maintain a singular focus on God. I struggle to eliminate the idols of my heart and the distractions that I am bombarded with everyday. It is everyday battle and an everyday decision to choose the focuses. It is constant struggle to find my complete and total satisfaction in God and in God alone. The world does have so many things to offer than please the flesh now. It is hard to wait for the ultimate fulfillment of the desires that God has planted within my being. Yet, to seek full and complete satisfaction in Him is the only pursuit worth living for and the only thing that truly satisfies my soul.

I attempt to fill my life with people, books, articles, music, movies, podcasts, blogs, and anything that will drive me and motivate me toward God. Everything else has been cut out of my life and I honestly do not find myself missing any of it. God is the fuller, more complete satisfaction that I crave! My life goal, my life purpose is to be complete satisfied in God. When I am completely satisfied in Him, I will do what delights Him and live in obedience to Him, through the power, grace, and faith which He provides and will return His Glory back to Him.

Yes, I a life in which God is the ultimate delight and satisfaction is the only life worth living.

Seeker Sensitive Movement

The Seeker Sensitive movement is not something that you hear much about these days but I believe it is very evident in some of our churches. It is the concept of structuring our church services around bringing in the unsaved and reaching those who are seeking God. I have struggled with this concept because I believe that doing so has the tendency to place a greater focus on programs and people pleasing than on the word of God. I have also struggled with this because I believe that the church is primarily for the children of God to come and worship God. If the unsaved walk into our buildings and participate in our worship and get saved as a result, AWESOME. However, to structure our church services around the unsaved has a few fundamental flaws. RC Sproul does an incredible job of articulating this in the following video.

The Glory of God in Hard Times

God has been giving me a real, deep burden and passion for His Glory. His Glory is quickly becoming the most important thing to me. I say becoming because it would be a lie to say it is the most important thing in my life right now. I struggle day by day to make His Glory my singular focus. I know that I allow other things to creep in and steal my focus from it. I allow my "To Do List" to come in the way. I allow my laziness to come in the way. I allow my weariness to come in the way. I allow my frustration and irritation to come in the way. Probably the most predominate problem for me is allowing life's challenges, difficulties, hard times, and trials to steal my attention away. When these challenges come into my life, I am quickly lose my resolve to promote His Glory in all circumstances. I lose my patience; I scream and yell; I walk away from my loved ones in anger and refuse to talk through the problem in a Godly fashion; I do not turn to God and in some cases blame God and accuse Him for my problems.

It is most difficult for me to promote God's glory in my difficult, frustrating circumstances.

However, as I was struggling through this the other day after another confrontation with my wife in which she pointed out my horrendous attitude, I was brought low and struck by God with the realization that HIS GLORY IS PROMOTED BEST WHEN WE RESPOND BIBLICALLY IN DIFFICULT TRIALS/CIRCUMSTANCES.

It is easy to promote God's glory in the good times. Even the unsaved people give God credit for the good things. And while this does promote God's Glory, His Glory is promoted all the more when we praise Him through the storm.

The perfect biblical example of this is Job. Even in the midst of the most horrendous trials, He remained faithful to God. He never cursed God. He never turned his back on God. And while He did question God, he never lost faith, he never turned away. God is seen as a great and glorious being as a result of Job's faithfulness and proclamation of God's Glory and Worthiness to be God.

I was struck hard with the reality that if I truly want to be zealous for God's Glory; if I truly want to promote His Glory, I am going to have to endure hard times, difficult circumstances. And in the midst of those hard times, those difficult circumstances, remain true to God and praise Him all the more!

I am very protective and zealous for God's Glory to be promoted, to be seen. For this reason, I must endure hard times and I must be found faithful.

Don't Waste Your Sexuality - Men Only

FOR MEN ONLY

Listen carefully to what Joshua Harris has to say, and don't waste a moment of this life on pleasures that pass!

Small Prayer Groups

How important is prayer in your life? Suppose I asked it another way. How important is it for your to talk with your spouse, your children, your boy/girlfriend, your loved ones on a daily basis? If you have not talked with them in a while, what begins to happen? How do you begin to feel?

I am constantly asking myself this question because I am constantly finding that my prayer life, my conversational life with God is not what it should be. I am convicted and challenged often that I need to be spending more time in prayer than in doing anything else. I am ashamed that I allow the single most important relationship in my life to suffer before giving up my other "priorities."

Why is this? Why do I allow my life to be so distracted by other things? I find this with my wife and children from time to time as well. I push them aside to do other things. My wife just asked me the other day, when I kept putting my oldest son off in order to do menial things around the house, "In light of eternity, what is more important; spending time with your son, or doing house work?" At the time, I was so frustrated and irritated at not getting done what I felt I should get done, that I did not want to hear it. Yet, the reality is, she was right. Spending time with my son was far more important at that moment than cleaning the junk off my stairs.

The same is true of spending time with God. Much, if not all of life, is less important that spending intimate, valuable time with God. I have to pray for forgiveness so often for allowing idols to crop up in my life that steal my attention away from God and keep me from spending time with Him. This is one of Satan's greatest tools...get us distracted by everything but God. The less time we spend with God, the more he wins the victory and the meal he dilutes and compromises the church.

Where are your priorities? Mine, are noticeably not on God as much as they should be.

Merry Christmas!

Behold the Lamb of God - Andrew Peterson

If you have time today, watch these videos. Be reminded of what Christ did for us today.

God Bless and may God be glorified in your celebration today!

Reflections at Christmas Reposted

I want so badly to focus on the real reason for Christmas this year. It has always been a family tradition to read the account of Christ's birth before we open gifts, but I feel that I have never stopped to take time and really think about what Christmas means. This poem was my attempt to do so. I want to keep these thoughts close to my heart this year. And while I am filled with joy at the Hope that Christmas brings to me, I am also filled with grief at the cost of my salvation and redemption. I never want to divorce those two things.

Please, please, give Christmas a new breath of life and devotion in your hearts this year!

Reflections at Christmas
December 2008
By Michael Stitzel

I wrote this one afternoon as I lay on the floor of my office. I realized that I had gotten so involved with reading Christian blogs, reading sermons, listening to podcasts, studying God’s word, and reflecting on truth that I had failed to “Be Still” and be with God. As I settled my mind and my heart before God, I began weeping over my sin and His Holiness. This poem was the expression of those thoughts and emotions.


I fall on my face and weep
Grief so deep, all I desire is sleep
I am all to aware how short I fall
Of breaking God’s Law, I am guilty of all

Your holiness, so perfect and pure
I could never attain, of this I am sure
Your justice demands compensation
Of which I have no hope of reconciliation.

Death and eternal punishment are on my statement
And I have nothing else to offer as payment
My fate seems sealed and sure
For my condition there seems to be no cure

My sin too great, my ability to small
The task is too enormous, I will surely fall
Grief and despair fill my bones, I cannot cope
I cry out, surely there must be some hope!

Then You reveal a secret so true
Of what You had always intended to do
You prepared Your own Son
To bear my sin, though He had none

Only the shed blood of One so perfect
The consequences of my sin could correct
So, the only One never to sin
Bore my sin, the victory to win

Choosing me, changing me
He drew me to Himself, His to be
“My Child” He exclaims in delight
As I enter the presence of His sight.

So, on my face I lay and weep
Knowing Your Laws I can never fully keep
Although, in my heart, I desire to please You
And to obey and give You thanks in all I do

I weep that I rejoice when Christ was born
And when He came to earth to bear scorn
For by coming to face death for me
I have hope that Your child I can be
But the cost of that great hope was high
And Your only Son to death You had to resign

I’m sorry that it cost so great a price
I’m sorry that my joy is your grief
I’m sorry that my sin caused such pain

Thank You for the grief and pain You endured
Hope and joy are mine; from sin’s power I am cured
Thank You for willingly paying the cost
To save an enemy and sinner who was lost

I rejoice this Christmas season, more than ever before at the remembrance of Christ’s birth. It is the greatest and only gift I actually need.

Praise You God in Heaven. The Giver of Hope, Grace, Mercy, Forgiveness, and Reconciliation

The Foundation of Our Joy at Christmas

I just read this article by RC Sproul this morning. I share it here with the prayer that it will be a pointed reminder to us all of the reason we can have JOY this Christmas.


Born of the Virgin Mary
by R.C. Sproul
Ligonier Ministries

Along with the great theologian and philosopher Anselm of Canterbury we ask the question, Cur deus homo? Why the God-man? When we look at the biblical answer to that question, we see that the purpose behind the incarnation of Christ is to fulfill His work as God’s appointed Mediator. It is said in Timothy 2:5: “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself ….” Now, the Bible speaks of many mediators with a small or lower case “m.” A mediator is an agent who stands between two parties who are estranged and in need of reconciliation. But when Paul writes to Timothy of a solitary Mediator, a single Mediator, with a capital “M,” he’s referring to that Mediator who is the supreme Intercessor between God and fallen humanity. This Mediator, Jesus Christ, is indeed the God-man.

In the early centuries of the church, with the office of mediator and the ministry of reconciliation in view, the church had to deal with heretical movements that would disturb the balance of this mediating character of Christ. Our one Mediator, who stands as an agent to reconcile God and man, is the One who participates both in deity and in humanity. In the gospel of John, we read that it was the eternal Logos, the Word, who became flesh and dwelt among us. It was the second person of the Trinity who took upon Himself a human nature to work out our redemption. In the fifth century at the Council of Chalcedon in 451, the church had to fight against a sinister teaching called the Monophysite heresy. The term monophysite is derived from the prefix mono, which means “one,” and from the root phusis, which means “nature” or “essence.” The heretic Eutyches taught that Christ, in the incarnation, had a single nature, which he called a “theanthropic nature.” This theanthropic nature (which combines the word theos, meaning “God,” and anthropos, meaning “man”) gives us a Savior who is a hybrid, but under close scrutiny would be seen to be one who was neither God nor man. The Monophysite heresy obscured the distinction between God and man, giving us either a deified human or a humanized deity. It was against the backdrop of this heresy that the Chalcedonian Creed insisted Christ possesses two distinct natures, divine and human. He is vere homo (truly human) and vere Deus (truly divine, or truly God). These two natures are united in the mystery of the incarnation, but it is important according to Christian orthodoxy that we understand the divine nature of Christ is fully God and the human nature is fully human. So this one person who had two natures, divine and human, was perfectly suited to be our Mediator between God and men. An earlier church council, the Council of Nicea in 325, had declared that Christ came “for us men, and for our salvation.” That is, His mission was to reconcile the estrangement that existed between God and humanity.

It is important to note that for Christ to be our perfect Mediator, the incarnation was not a union between God and an angel, or between God and a brutish creature such as an elephant or a chimpanzee. The reconciliation that was needed was between God and human beings. In His role as Mediator and the God-man, Jesus assumed the office of the second Adam, or what the Bible calls the last Adam. He entered into a corporate solidarity with our humanity, being a representative like unto Adam in his representation. Paul, for example, in his letter to the Romans gives the contrast between the original Adam and Jesus as the second Adam. In Romans 5, verse 15, he says, “For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.” Here we observe the contrast between the calamity that came upon the human race because of the disobedience of the original Adam and the glory that comes to believers because of Christ’s obedience. Paul goes on to say in verse 19: “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.” Adam functioned in the role of a mediator, and he failed miserably in his task. That failure was rectified by the perfect success of Christ, the God-man. We read later in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians these words: “And so it is written, ‘The first man Adam became a living being.’ The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man” (1 Cor. 15:45).

We see then the purpose of the first advent of Christ. The Logos took upon Himself a human nature, the Word became flesh to effect our redemption by fulfilling the role of the perfect Mediator between God and man. The new Adam is our champion, our representative, who satisfies the demands of God’s law for us and wins for us the blessing that God promised to His creatures if we would obey His law. Like Adam, we failed to obey the Law, but the new Adam, our Mediator, has fulfilled the Law perfectly for us and won for us the crown of redemption. That is the foundation for the joy of Christmas.


Dr. R.C. Sproul is senior minister of preaching and teaching at Saint Andrew’s Chapel in Sanford, Florida, and he is the author of the book The Glory of Christ. This article is from the December 2005 issue of Tabletalk magazine.

What Christmas is All About

Since Christmas Day is tomorrow, take time now to be reminded by Linus why we celebrate Christmas in the first place. In a age when people are desperately trying to stomp Christ out of Christmas and replace it with a materialistic approach, let us stop and remember, the gifts we gift are supposed to be reminders of the gift that God gave to us in the form of His Son who we end up dying a cruel death in order to pay the penalty for our sin and redeem us from our sins. As you open your gifts this year, let that be the predominate thought on your minds.

Simeon

Luke 2:21-38

Some noteworthy things to consider:

1. Simeon was looking for the consolation of Israel

He was aware of the OT prophecies and knew that one would come who would be the salvation of Israel. He knew that God had planned for their redemption and salvation and was actively serving the Lord and looking for that day to come. His faith was an active one.


2. The Holy Spirit was upon Him

Such a man was Simeon that the Spirit of God was evident in and upon his life. He knew who God was and had given His life in total devotion to God. The Holy Spirit was evident at work in and through His life and ministry.


3. It has been revealed to Him that He would not die until He saw the Lord's Christ (redeemer)

It has been promised to Simeon that he would not die until he saw the one who God was going to send to be their redeeming. What a promise! He would live to see the fulfillment of OT prophecy from hundreds of years before. He would live to see the Son of God in flesh. He would live and be witness to the events that God had planned from before time began.

4. He was led by the Spirit into the temple at the time that Jesus' parents brought Him there.

The Holy Spirit led Simeon into the temple at just the right time in order to keep His word to Simeon. Simeon was willing to be led and guided by God.

5. Simeon knew the OT prophecies and knew what the Christ child had come to do. He knew that He was the Hope and Salvation of all peoples.

Simeon understood that this was the Hope for which they had waited so many years. He understood that this was the one who could fulfill the whole Law perfectly and step into the gap between man and God, a gap that man alone could never fill. He knew this was God's salvation given to men, both Jew and Gentile.


As I read this passage and reflect on these observations above, I am convicted that I do not live by the same kind of faith that Simeon did. I am convicted that I do not allow myself to be led by the Spirit as Simeon did. I am convicted that I do not live with the same singular focus that He did. I did not live with the same anticipation that Simeon did.

Oh God, may it be that I live my life with a singular devotion and commitment to you. May I live with a singular devotion to faithfully serving You until you come again. May I live with a singular devotion in light of the redemption that you achieved for me, lovingly, boldly, proclaiming Your truth!

John Piper - Bad News: Santa Clause is Coming to Town

I have grown more and more to be troubled by and even to despise the concept of Santa. In a world that is rapidly trying to strip Christmas of Christ, I am troubled that Santa is so much a part of Christmas celebrations, especially by believers. We have already begun to teach our little ones that Santa does not exist. You ask my four year old, or comment on Santa, and he will tell you that there is no such person. He already understands that he does not exist and he understands that Christmas is about Christ's birthday. I am so zealous to protect God's glory that I do not want anything, anything to be a part of a celebration of Christ that does not point to Him! I am so zealous for God's glory that anything that would detract attention from God must go! Santa has nothing to offer except a love of self, a love of materialism, and a lie that says we can do good in and of ourselves. Christ has so much more to offer! Why on earth would we want to elevate Santa to a place of glory and honor next to Christ!

My wife and I just had a conversation today in the van about this and about the fact that I want no part of Santa in my Christmas celebration. It adds nothing to celebration the reason He came. Why would I waste my time on it. Oh, but Mike, you say, you are being too harsh. It is just a fun part of the holiday. Listen, I do not hate you or look down on you if you make him a part of your Christmas celebration. What I would say is this, Does it point your kids and your own heart to God or does it feed a love of self and promote a message that says I only get good things if I am good. Because that is not the message of my bible. My bible tells me that when I was a sinner, vehemently opposed to God and His enemy, having done nothing good and deserving only Hell, God gave me the best and greatest gift He could: HIS SON'S LIFE ON THE CROSS TO PAY THE PENALTY FOR MY SIN AND GIVE ME HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, SUFFICIENTLY REDEEMING MY SORRY SOUL.

THAT is something worth celebrating, not Santa.

Listen to John Piper.

How Many Kings

I first heard this song the other night in a church service. I was so struck by the lyrics of it, that I wanted to share it here.

Be struck anew with the significance and power behind Christmas. Remember that our reason for Joy was also God's grief. He had to give His very Son's life in order to give us hope. Be Joyful, absolutely yes, but NEVER forget the cost and praise God all the more!

The Magi

I have to be honest, I had never really given the identity and role of the Magi, the wise men much thought until I heard a sermon preached on who they were and why it was significant that they came to visit the Christ. Ever since, I have been blown away by the revelation of who they were, who they could be traced back to, and why it was so significant that they visited Christ. In light of the Christmas season, I have chosen to revisit this and study this some more. I want this Christmas to hit me harder and more intimately that it ever has before. I am tired of living a lukewarm, complacent life and just going through the motions. I am tired of the remembrances that God has established for us meaning nothing to me. I want to remember and I want to remember hard. I want them to mean something. As I open Your word, Lord, hit me hard with it's truth and with its power. Stir my heart and my soul once more.

Matthew 2:1-12

Matthew 2

The Visit of the Magi

1After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi[a] from the east came to Jerusalem 2and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east[b] and have come to worship him."
3When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ[c] was to be born. 5"In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written:
6" 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'[d]"

7Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him."

9After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east[e] went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. 12And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.




Here in these first twelves verses of Matthew, chapter two, we see the record of the visit of the Magi.

The Greek word for Magi (3097) is magos which is a Magian, i.e. Oriental scientist; by implication a magician, sorcerer, wise man.

1. a magus
2. the name given by the Babylonians (Chaldeans), Medes, Persians, and others, to the wise men, teachers, priests, physicians, astrologers, seers, interpreters of dreams, augers, soothsayers, sorcerers etc.
3. the oriental wise men (astrologers) who, having discovered by the rising of a remarkable star that the Messiah had just been born, came to Jerusalem to worship him
4. a false prophet and sorcerer



Found 5 occurances in New Testament
Mt 2:1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
Mt 2:7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
Mt 2:16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.
Ac 13:6 And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus:
Ac 13:8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith.

Hebrew word for Magician - Chartom
diviner, magician, astrologer
engraver, writer (only in derivative sense of one possessed of occult knowledge)

OT Occurrences
Ge 41:8 And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.
Ge 41:24 And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears: and I told this unto the magicians; but there was none that could declare it to me.

Ex 7:11 Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.
Ex 7:22 And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them; as the LORD had said.
Ex 8:7 And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt.
Ex 8:18 And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: so there were lice upon man, and upon beast.
Ex 8:19 Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.
Ex 9:11 And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boil was upon the magicians, and upon all the Egyptians.

Da 1:20 And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.
Da 2:2 Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.

Da 2:10 The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king's matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean.
Da 2:27 Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king;
Da 4:7 Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers: and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known unto me the interpretation thereof.
Da 4:9 O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee, and no secret troubleth thee, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and the interpretation thereof.


Da 5:11 There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers;



These Magi, were brilliant men! They were well educated, wise men who served as Kingly chief counsel. As the verses above reveal, anywhere in scripture where a king called for the magicians, sorcerers, soothsayers, wise men, these were the Magi. These men served in places of HIGH honor next to kings and royalty. They were the king's primary source of counsel and wisdom. These were powerful men. These are the same league of men that got Daniel thrown into the lions den because of their counsel and influence. What is interesting to note in the verses listed above from Daniel is that Daniel greatly influenced these men. His influence can be seen by the mere fact that they men noticed the star appear, knew what it meant, and came looking for the Christ child.

These Magi, these wise men, were intelligent, brilliant men who served as kingly advisors. When they arrived in Bethlehem, looking for a new born king, Herod was in an uproar. Understandably so. No doubt they showed up with royalty and in pomp and circumstance. By virtue of their position, they came in wealth and style. And as much as I hate to ruin any Christmas carols or stories, there were more than three. We do not know how many came, but I am sure it was a great number; great enough to catch the attention of Herod.

This is why it was so significant. When these royal advisors show up proclaiming a king has been born, people take notice. It is significant because they men, influenced by Daniel, knew the prophecy of scripture. They knew the prophecy of a coming king that would save the world. They knew this. They had been looking and noticed when He showed up. For them to come, declared that this baby was of very significant importance. Any king would take notice and probably do as Herod did in order to protect their kingdom. This was monumental that they recognized the coming of God's son and came to worship!

These Magi were mere than just mere wealthy men who came to recognize Christ's birth. They were more than mere nobility who were looking for Christ. They were royal, kingly advisors who held positions of power and prominence and helped to form and move entire nations with the counsel they provided to kings. They were powerful and influential all throughout history and were especially affected by the life of Daniel. They knew their prophecy and were aware of when it came true. They believed it and came to worship the one who had been prophesied years before.

That is why this visit was so significant. It was proof, validation of who Christ was. It was a powerful statement of His identity.

In Time for Christmas

I have been away from my time with God for the past week or so and have not communed with Him. My only excuse, and it is an excuse and hardly a legitimate one, is bringing home a new baby and getting kids off for home visits. Even as I say it, I know it is lame because none of those things ought to ever stand in the way of my relationship with God. I have begun to feel over the past week, a distance again in my relationship to God, because I have failed to spend time with Him. I have begun to feel stressed, in a chaotic mess of things to do, and been very irritable. I am constantly reminded how fallible I am and how much I need the DAILY, MOMENT BY MOMENT, refreshing and strengthening presence of God. This hit me last night when I went to a "Sounds of Christmas" musical presentation at First Baptist Church in Danville. As I sat and listened to the music and the lyrics, I looked at my own heart first and then at the people in the room around me, I wondered how sincere the words being sung were. I had to admit, for my own heart, that they were not. I sing out of familiarity, not out of sincerity. It was just the kick in the pants I needed to make it a priority to get back on top of my time with God.

So, instead of resuming in Romans this week as I had intended, I going to spend the entire week looking at Christ and the significance of Christmas in my life. I want to see Christmas in a new way this year and be challenged by seeing it with a new set of eyes.

Can I encourage you to as well? Lets see Christmas as it was intended to be instead of how we have made it to be.

Worship in the Waiting

I hate waiting. Always have. In fact,I am pretty sure I am not alone. I hate waiting on God to know what He is doing and what He wants for me to do. As I listened to the lyrics to this song, I was deeply challenged to relinquish control of my life and my desire to know and to simply wait on God.

God is God

I hate not knowing what God has in store for me. I hate the uncertainty of questions. I have often thought that my life would be easier if God spoke to me audibly like He did with the nation of Israel. God, just tell me, plain and clear what it is you want from me so that I can do it. Yet, as I have looked at the nation of Israel, God spoke to them in this way and they were no more drawn to God than we are today. In fact, I think that they took God's presence for granted. I think that it become so common place that they did not realize how incredible it was! I have to remind myself daily that God knows best and that He does not speak to me in an audible fashion because that is not what is best for me or for His glory. I have to simply trust that He will guide and lead me when He is ready and in His way.

The following video is a great reminder to me of this fact.

Slow Fade

I am so impacted by the lyrics to music, especially this group, that I just like to share some of their stuff with you.

Be challenged.

The Road - Part 3

The Road Part 3

The family room faded and the desert road once again opened up before us. The messenger continued his monologue.
“The death of his first love, Amanda, His wife, and his daughter fed his anger and hatred of God. He continued to turn his back on God time and time again. He turned to alcohol. He could never keep a job and ended up losing his home. He had no family, so he lived on the streets, stealing food to live. He was angry and bitter at years of pain. He blamed God for it all and refused to believe in Him.”
And so the journey went. Scene by scene of his life played through. With every one, my heart would be wrenched with grief. Choice after choice led to deeper acts of sin. Those acts of sin lead to more bad choices and his life spiraled down out of control. With every scene become more and more burdened. His shoulders slumped more and his feet became to drag, kicking up a trail of dust. He began to walk slower and more carelessly, stumbling and tripped over pebbles.
All at once, he stumbled and fell. I waited for him to get up, but he made no attempt to do so. “NO!” I screamed. “Don't give it! There is still hope! Please! Why doesn't he see! Why won't he...”
The messenger held up his hand to stop me from speaking.
I persisted, “Can't you help him?”
“No. And neither can you. He cannot be helped until he willingly acknowledges that he has sinned against God and seeks Him.”
“Well, make him see! Make him understand!”
Still he refused to get up. He lay with his face in the dirt muttering. I could not discern what he was saying, so I knelt down next to him. I put my ear to his face and then I heard it.
“I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you.” He repeated it over and over again.
I cried tears of anguish and desperation. It was so simple to me. I could not understand why he refused. I made not attempt to stop the tears. I let them flow. As they came, I prayed. I prayed fervently for God to heal his heart, to soften it, to make him understand and see. The harder I prayed, the more the tears came. When I was exhausted and worn out, I lay on the ground next to Sam and listened to him breath deep and heavy breathes. As I listened to him, I began to make out words. I was suddenly aware that he was speaking. I sat up and leaned close with my ear to hear.
“Why God? Why? All I ever wanted was to serve you. Why would you allow such things to happen to me? Why would you take everyone who I cared about?”
“Because I was not your first love.” The messenger stood over us now and spoke with such tenderness. “I wanted your love before anyone or anything else. Love me first now.”
I sat up with sudden realization.
“I can't. I can't. I have already rejected you.”
“But I have not rejected you. I have chosen you as my own. I want you. I will pursue you until you cannot refuse me.” The messenger knelt next to Sam and placed his hand under Sam's chin. Gently, he lifted his face so that they were eye to eye. “You may have rejected me, but I have always been faithful to you. I love you. I gave my life for you.”
Sam cried out as in pain, jerked his face away, and sobbed great tears of pain and agony. “I am not worthy! I am not deserving! I have done so many terrible things in my anger at you! I can't.” His face pressed against the dirt, tears soaking the ground, he cried and cried, his body shaking from the force of his grief.
“No, you can't. But I can. And I did. For you. I loved you in my mercy and gave myself in grace. I have given you all you need to accept my precious gift. Believe and cry out to me and you will be mine forever.”
“Sam was still crying so hard that he could not immediately answer. He forced himself to gain control. He lifted his head to look at the messenger once again. With conviction and resolve he cried out, “I believe, my Lord, I believe. I have always believed. I have hated you and blamed you for inflicting so much pain on me. Now I understand you were drawing me to Yourself and teaching me to love You first. I accept. I submit my life to You. Forgive me, my Lord for rejecting and sinning against you.”
Tears were streaming down the messengers face now. He gently leaned down and removed the pack from Sam's back. He threw it down, leaned down, and picked Sam up in His arms. He lifted Him gently and turned around. Gently and lovingly He said, “Look, my child, I have already forgiven you.”
I turned to where He was looking and suddenly understood. In the face of the cliff before me was a cross and an open tomb etched larger than life. Upon seeing the cross and tomb, Sam smiled. The guilt, pain, anger, and hatred gone. It seemed that a hundred years had been shed from his being. He snuggled close to the messenger, who was really His Lord and Savior, as he was carried from the desert wasteland of death, past the cross, and into the eternal valley of life.

Transparency

We had a missionary some Recife Brazil come to our church not long ago. Forgive me for being bluntly honest, but I often find myself struggling during missionary presentations. So often they feel "put on" and "scripted." Please understand that I am not anti-missionary, nor anti-missions. My struggle is more in the fact that when missionaries come, it is often made to seem that, although there are ministries struggles, they themselves seem to have it all together. However, on this particular occasion, I was riveted by a new sense of transparency that I had not seen from any missionary or even pastor for a very long time. He spoke of how he had lost the vision for the unsaved. He had gotten so busy doing ministry that his heart and passion for it was lost in the process. He related how God used his wife's borderline cancer and his own massive heart attack to revive his heart and passion for the calling that he had to share the gospel. It was such an encouragement to me because here was a believer willing to be transparent about his struggles. This is a rarity.

Think about it, when was the last time you heard some one pray or ask for prayer for a deep spiritual concern? It has been said that we spend more time praying to keep saints out of heaven than praying to get them into heaven. Think about that. Think about the prayer requests that you receive in your prayer meeting; your bible study; your Sunday school class. I would go out on a limb and dare day that 90% of them are health related. So few deal with the all important matter of the heart and of spiritual growth. So few deal with the unsaved and lost and dying.

When will we as a church begin to make the commitment to being transparent and vulnerable? When will we begin to pursue God with whole hearted abandon and passion? Until we do, we will continue to be a shallow, lukewarm church.

Casting Crowns has written a wonderful song on this matter of pretending and putting on a face in front of others. Listen and watch this video.

The Road - Part 2

The Road, Part 2

Before I could respond, the college room was gone and I found myself standing in a white marble hallway. Sam was older now and was dressed in a blue suit, with white pin stripes. His hair was clean and combed. He was standing in the hall, leaning on a food cart for balance and shaking rather violently. After a few moments, once he had regained some composure, he began to move down the hallway. His body refused to acknowledge his wishes of movement, and his feet shuffled rather than walked. His shoulders slumped so terribly that they threatened to pull him over, and his arms hung helplessly at his sides. After what seemed like an eternity, he stopped outside room 203. He checked the name on the door plate before entering, Maria Sanchez.
“His wife of ten years” the messenger informed.
I looked at the messenger and then at Sam and wondered with what anguish this man was tormented. He slowly placed his hand on the doorknob and entered the room. The sound of heart monitors, respirators, and life support machines filled my ears. As I stepped into the room, darkness enveloped me. The only light present, filtered out of the bathroom and from the slits between the blades on the blinds covering the window. As I glanced at the hospital bed, I was horrified when I saw what remained of his wife. Lying on that hospital bed before me was a woman who endured the test. Her skin was as pale as snow. Her eyes were sunk into her skull, and her skin sagged on her bones. She was indeed a sickly sight.
“She has a rare form of cancer. She was diagnosed only two months ago. Now, she is only alive in her mind.”
“She's in a coma?” I inquired.
“Yes, she has been in a come for two weeks now. Doctors have declared that she won't make it. She is totally dependent on life support machines for life.”
At about that time, as if on cue, the doctor himself came in and quietly rested his hand on Sam's shoulder.
“Sam, it is time” He spoke so softly that at first I thought it was just the rustle of the shades across the room.
“No, no, I won't allow it! He screamed. I don't care what my wife wanted! I won't allow it! I won't allow her to be taken from me! Not again!” The anger and anguish was almost unbearable and I almost broke into tears. The decision that had been made was clear to me now, and I too felt sorrow and pity.
“You cannot fight it, Sam. She signed the paper before she fell into the coma. She did not want to be left in a coma. It is what she wanted.” Sam slumped, tears streaming down his face. Quietly, the doctor, with his hand still resting on Sam's shoulder, led Sam from the room. Before Sam was entirely out of the room, I heard him say, “I hate you! I hate you.” The doctor returned a few moments later. Silently and slowly he moved to the bedside and looked down at the shell that had once housed a life. “I'm so sorry Maria. I was so sure the treatment would work.” His voice cracked in a flood of emotion and tears welled up in his eyes. Quietly he whispered, “Goodbye.” Then with a steady hand, he reached over and silenced the room.
“Sam will find out two days from now, after the routine autopsy is performed, that the treatment had been working and her life might have been saved.”
I felt as if someone had shoved a knife in my stomach and was violently twisting it. I dropped to my knees as I was overcome with the anguish this man must feel. I began to weep with tears of grief. When my tears finally failed to soak the floor, I was completely drained of all strength.
The messenger reached down and gently assisted me to my feet and I felt strength surge into my body. The hospital room faded away and the family room of his home came into focus. There stood Sam and a teenager girl. They were standing in the center of the room, voices raised, yelling at each other.
“I am your father and you will do as I say!”
“You don't know what it means to be a father! Mom would never have accused me of lying with out first getting all the facts!”
“Well, your mother isn't here in case you hadn't noticed! Your teacher is the one who told me that she saw you smoking! I GOT the facts young lady! Don't you dare stand there and lie to me!”
“Did you bother to ask if she actually saw me smoking it? No! You couldn't have, because if you had, she would have told you no. I admit, I was holding the cigarettes, I did have them, but I was not smoking them.”
“Then what were you doing Juliana?”
“I was turning them over to the principle. I found them in the girls bathroom, and I was taking them to the principle when Mrs. Whatsherface comes along and accuses me of smoking.”
“Then why did you not explain this to her?”
“I tried, but she refused to listen. Just like you are.”
“Well, I will take her word over yours any day! What reason would she have for lying? You are grounded young lady!”
“Huh, I don't think so! I am not going to be grounded for a crime that I did not commit. I'm leaving.”
Juliana then took deliberate steps in front of her father and shoved him on her way past. She reached the door and began to open it but halted at her fathers next words.
“You step out that door, don't you dare come back.”
She paused for only a moment and promptly replied, “Fine, I won't”
With that, she stepped out the door, never to be heard from again.
“So filled with anger and hatred, he could not see the truth. He had forgotten what it means to love. Sam immediately knew he was wrong but his pride would not allow him to take action. He kicks himself to this day for the way in which he acted that day. It took six months for him to let go of his price long enough to try and make things right. However, it was too late. He spend two years of his life searching for his daughter. He was devastated when he found her; in the Cliff Side Cemetery in California. She'd overdosed on drugs and alcohol. The thing is, she had never smoked or drank before that day. She figured since she had been accused of it, she might as well be guilty of it too.”

Jacked-Up

Several weeks into my thirties I feel like I'm just beginning to realize that I'm more jacked up, sinful, and confused than I ever dared believe, but in Jesus I'm even more loved, accepted, and cared for than I ever dared hope. Justin Buzzard

I read the above quote just this morning and related so well to it. I find myself thinking from time to time, that there is no way I can be saved, no way I deserve to be saved. I am completely unworthy and some days I still feel so opposed to God. I fight Him and His truth, His will. My deepest, inner most desire is for God and His glory. Yet, the desires on my flesh DO have strength and at times threaten to overwhelm and bury the true desire of my heart. Every time I sin, I am allowing those fleshly desires to override the one God has planted in my want and the one He wants me to pursue. I am learning from experience that if I want to live a passionate, God-filled like, I have to WORK at it EVERYDAY! I have always had a head knowledge and understanding of this, but it is becoming so much more real to me now then ever before. I am worse than an ever dared to imagine or think. That is the sad truth. Yet,the greater truth,the greater Hope is that God is rich enough in mercy, love, and forgiveness to remove my filth. And He does remove it because HE wants to; not because I am worthy of it.

A Good Self-Slapping

I'm not sure where to begin. It has been one of those days where I have battled with God, fighting the truth; fighting what it was He was trying to teach me, what He wanted me to do. I know that I cannot win, that I will not win. I know that it is pointless to fight, but still I do. In my fleshly arrogance, I think I can win and I believe that I will win. It all boiled down to selfishness. I did not want to do what He wanted me to do. I did not want to view the world; view people through His eyes. I was focused on me, on my comfort. I was focused on my desires and what would please me. Moments of my anger and frustration were directed at the right thing, but not all of it. I could hardly say that even MOST of it was. No, I believe that the majority of my reaction was selfish. I did not stop to consider the others who were being affected by the choices that were making me angry. I did not stop to consider how others would be affected even more greatly. I could not see. Then, when I felt that I had a legitimate, righteous right to be angry, I justified it all and attempted to make myself feel better by rationalization. You know the turning point? God, in His irony. He essentially had me slap myself in the face. I had to correct one of my children about the very same attitude I was exhibiting. As I am correcting him, I am slapping myself. Funny how God works. I realized that I could not even attempt to try and teach him if I was not first willing to accept and embrace it myself.

The world does not revolve around me. I am not that important. I am not the only person in the world. Indeed, I am quite confident that there are people who have bigger problems than me. I am so selfish. I must learn to seek God as my sole passion, my sole delight. By doing so, I will naturally begin to desire the things God desires. I will begin to delight in the things that He delights in. Only in this way, will HE be most glorified.

The Road

I wrote the story below when I was in high school. As I was retyping it (I had saved the original onto a floppy disk; yes I do remember those), I did some rewriting and editing. As I have grown in my faith, I realized that it was somewhat shallow on theology. So,I have rewritten sections of this and added a few things in an attempt to improve it. I share it here because I hope and pray that it will be an encouragement to you. It is simply entitled, The Road. I have broken it into three separate sections and will share it over the next three days. I have done this because it is somewhat lengthy and thought it might be more readable this way.

So, without further ado...
The Road, Part 1



The dry, brown dirt of this well-traveled road shone like a mirror in the heat of the day. The sun scorched surface passed between twin bluffs that stretched for miles and seemed to awaken even the worst fears in the bravest of individuals. It rose ominously and eerily to the sky embracing it greedily and viciously. The wind agitatedly whispered gently through the rocks and hills at pilgrims who happened to advance past these cliffs. The cliff itself, seemed to peer down from its hight plateau in the sky, curious as to the traveler passing through its domain.

How I arrived at being a witness to the events that transpired in that day, I do not know. All I do understand is that in one moment, I was here watching the progress of this lonely traveler. I stood in the middle of the road watching him advance towards me so weary and heavy laden. As he neared, I had compassion for him and offered to help with his heavy load. But he kept walking as if he had not heard or seen me. I yelled after him still offering my services, but still, no answer or acknowledgment came.
“He can not see or hear you.” A voice rose from behind me.
I turned, shocked and surprised to realize that there was someone else on this lonely road. I looked at the figure that had appeared before me. I stood in awe at the sight of him. “Surely, this cannot be a traveler!” I thought. There before me stood what appeared to be an ordinary traveler, yet...
“He cannot hear you.” He repeated.
His voice resounded off the cliffs and echoed down the path bouncing to and fro as it went. I turned to the traveler, who was not quite a distance down the road and continuing to slowly proceed away from me. I was astonished to discover that he had not even turned or reacted at the sound of this confident voice.
“Hey,” I yelled after the traveler, “didn't you hear that?”
“He can not hear me either.”
I turned back to the new traveler and stared with disbelief. “Why ever not? Is he deaf?”
“Oh no! He cannot hear or see you and me because to him, we are not here.”
“What? But I am here!” As I proceeded to poke myself and prove it.
“You will soon understand my friend. Put your mind at rest and come with me. I have something to show you.”
“Well, what is his name?” I asked, ignoring the command to follow him. “Who is he?”
“His name is Sam. He is simply a traveler on life's road. Come with me.”
“I do not even know you!”
“I am simply a messenger here to give you a message, Josiah.”
“H...o....w do you know who I am?” I stammered.
“Patience, patience, my friend. All of your questions will be answered in due time. Come, I have much to show you.” Suddenly we were flying through space until we were once again beside the traveler who was still walking slowly down the road. “Ah yes, here is he, our traveler.”

My mind raged like a river of questions searching for answers, only to be propelled with the current of another stream. My silent part refused to elucidate me. He would simply look at me, smile, and say, “Patience my friend.” And we would continue on in silence, simply following Sam.
I finally ceased all inquiry and attempted to clear my mind of questions, as it was apparent they would go unanswered. I proceeded to turn my attention to Sam. It seemed that the messenger had taken a great interest in him. I attempted to understand what was so special about him and why he invoked such interest. He appeared to be just an ordinary man. He would probably stand about six feet tall, if he were standing straight and not bent over with a load. His hair was light blond, although it appeared darker now because of the mixture of sand and dirt that layered it. His body showed signs of “couch potato” syndrome, with a beer gut to tackle all beer guts. He carried himself as one who had faced rejection many times. He drug his feet and allowed his shoulders to stoop more than necessary, even under the weight of the pack. His face showed signs of depression and weariness. It was his eyes that shocked me most though. They were black as night and hollow. It was as if this walking shell of a man was exactly that.
“He is a poor sight indeed, is he not?” the messenger inquired. “He is so full of despair. He was not always so full of anguish though. Once, he was full of life, so excited and energized. The, trials struck. He did not know how to cope because he did not have the strength of God. Anger and hatred took root in his heart. His anger and hatred fed on him until all that was left was despair and emptiness. With every progressing day, he slipped further from God.”
Menacing voices hissed mockingly around me proclaiming, “You worthless piece of dirt. You're nothing. Look what you have done. You are beyond forgiveness.” My attention was pulled from the messenger and returned to Sam. I was shocked to no longer see a desert road, but a college dorm room. A younger version of Sam and another young man were sitting at their desks, backs facing each other, and typing away. Sam suddenly stopped typing, stood up, and walked to the window. His roommate, noticing he stood up, turned and watched him for a minute.
“What's bothering you Sam?”
Sam was silent for several minutes. The young man who had spoken was silent and patient. He did not speak again until Sam had spoken.
“I don't know Ben. I am having a hard time with this paper I have to write for my bible class. We have to write a paper defending the existence of God. We are supposed to use scriptural support for his existence.” Sam fell silent.
Ben opened his mouth to speak but said nothing. He rubbed his chin with his fingers for a moment and then finally said, “Okay. What are you struggling with?”
Sam turned to face Ben. He stared at Ben for a few moments as if trying to decide if he should actually what was on his mind. Finally, he said, “I don't know if I believe in God anymore.”
Ben just looked at him for a minute. He leaned back in his chair and cupped his hands behind his head. He stared thoughtfully at Sam. “Is this about Amanda?” He spoke in a calm and understanding voice. Sam nodded his head but said nothing. Tears welled up in the corners of his eyes but did not spill forth. He bowed his head, looking at the floor.
“How can God, a loving God, allow this to happen? Why would he allow her to die? Why would he take her from me?” He looked up and saw the expression on Ben's face. “I know what you are going to say and I do not want to hear it. I have heard it all before. God knows best. She was His child and He had the right to take her home to be with Him. I even know the Psalm that says something like precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints. I just don't know if I can believe it. She loved Him first. She loved me second. She had always made that clear. She wanted to use her life to serve Him. Why, why would He take her! I hate Him for hurting me, for allowing her to die in that car accident!”
Ben was patient. He let him talk and yell. Even when his voice got louder and louder, he did not interrupt or try to calm him. He waited. When Sam was silent and spoke no more, Ben got up, crossed the room, and wrapped his arms around Sam as tightly as he could. Sam's head rested on Ben's shoulder and Sam began to weep. His body shook with violent force as they sobs flowed from his body. Ben began to cry as well and soon was weeping just as hard. They slowly sank to floor so that they were sitting with Ben's arms still wrapped tightly around Sam. After another ten minutes, both were calm and silent, their bodies weak with exhaustion. Neither one moved for another ten minutes.
Finally, Sam pulled himself free from Ben's grasp and slowly stood up. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. He slowly walked over to the computer and shut it off. Turning to face Ben, deep sadness and anger were evident in his eyes. With a tense and bitter anger in his voice he said, “I can't do it Ben. I am sorry. I cannot believe in a God who would allow such tragedy, such bad things happen to those who love Him. I cannot and will not believe in such a God.”
With that, he grabbed his backpack, began packing it with a few things from around the room, and walked out.
“When he walked away from bible college that day, he also walked away from God. He decided that there was no God, there was no life after death, there was only today. He never looked back.” The messenger looked at me with deep sadness in his eyes. It was almost a look of one who had been personally slighted by the events that took place this day.

Dive - Steven Curtis Chapman

An Urgent Call to Stand

It has often been said, "If you stand for nothing, you will fall for anything." The question that faces me, that faces us, everyday of our lives is this: What will you stand for? What will you pursue?

Ask yourself, when was the last time you were moved so deeply to act that you could barely endure it? When was the last time that you were moved so deeply that you could not be silent and you spoke out, stood up, and acted?

For me, it happens so rarely that I am ashamed and embarrassed to admit it. What about you? What will you stand for? What will you allow to motivate you? What will you live for?

The Board Movie Trailer RePosted

Since I am relatively new to blogging, I am still learning how to do it effectively. I posted a link to the trailer for THE BOARD, the movie that our church produced and pass out to our community. Since the, I have figured out how to embed those trailers in my blog. So, I am reposting the trailer and embeding it this time so that you are not forced to go elsewhere to view it.

Fireproof The Movie

If you are not familiar with this movie, you need to be. It is put out by the same people who did Flywheel and Facing the Giants, again two movies that are worth seeing. They all have a strong spiritual message and can be used both to encourage believers and reach out to the lost. If your marriage is struggling or if you simply want to be encouraged and challenged in your marriage, or if you know someone who is struggling or unsaved, this is worth purchasing, watching, and sharing. I have put the official movie trailer below.

Ray Boltz and God's Glory

I was shocked to learn just yesterday that one of my favorite Christian music artists has proclaimed he is a homosexual, has left his wife and family, and is openly living a homosexual lifestyle. Ray Boltz's music has always been filled with Christ centered lyrics and promoted God's glory. When I hear of believers who have a very public ministry and suddenly turn their backs of God, I am affected in two ways:

1. Anger - I feel anger and disappointment that God's glory is being tainted! I am very serious about God's glory, although admittedly less than God is. However, I get angry when I people profess to be believers but than act in ways less than becoming of God's nature and character. I get angry that God's glory is being diminished. I suspect this is why God has been so hard on sinners and rebellious children in the past and throughout history. He is very zealous for His glory to be proclaimed.

2. Fear - I fear that if children of God who do have such a public ministry and seem to be passionately devoted to Him can turn their backs on God and live a life of sin, so can I. It reminds me that we all are capable of committing any sin imaginable. I am also reminded that outward appearances mean nothing. When situations such as these come to my attention, fear grips my heart and I pray all the more fervently that God would protect my heart from idolatry and from allowing passions other than God to grip my heart and soul. I pray often for God to be my primary passion, my sole passion. May God protect me, His child from turning my back on Him.

Pray with me, would you?

The God Who is There

Let God grip your heart again. Let Him be the supreme joy in your life. Put aside the distractions and let Him speak to you.

Gabriel

On December 12, we welcomed Gabriel to our family. He is the third of three children. Austin (the oldest) and Abigayle (the middle child) are excited about his arrival.

Silence by Mark Driscoll

I read this blog article on Silence by Mark Driscoll this morning. I share it here because I have been sensing the need to get away and be silent before and with the Lord over the last weeks and month. I too find that my life is too noisy and it has frustrated me that I am unable to get away to silence as much as I desire. Yet, I have come to believe that it is essential. It is one of the reasons why I am so excited that I get to stay with my wife and new son in the hospital for several days. It is enabling me to get away into silence. Pastor Mark explains this necessity in our lives very well. I will let him take it from here.



Silence
Mark Driscoll

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven... a time to be silent and a time to speak...
Ecclesiastes 3:1, 7b

It was a very normal day until I realized that I was actively destroying my own soul.

The day began with my alarm jolting me awake. I immediately turned on my BlackBerry to hear it chime for each voicemail and email that had been left while I slept. I stepped into the shower where I listened to my waterproof radio. I then turned on the television to catch some news while I dressed. Driving to work I tuned in to some talk-radio banter.

Throughout the day the chime on my laptop kept ringing as email arrived, and my cell phone continued to vibrate and ring on my hip. Before long, I needed a break, and I put on my iPod to go for a walk.

On the drive home, I again listened to the radio in an effort to drown out the blaring horns of frustrated fellow commuters. After eating dinner and tucking my five children into bed, I turned on the television to watch shows I had recorded on my Tivo.

As I drifted off to sleep, it dawned on me that I had not had one minute of silence during my entire day. It was possible, I realized, that I could live the rest of my life without ever again experiencing silence.

In that moment, God deeply convicted me that I was addicted to the false trinity of our day, the gods known as Noise, Hurry, and Crowds. I remembered the words of missionary martyr Jim Elliot, who said, “I think the devil has made it his business to monopolize on three elements: noise, hurry, crowds . . . Satan is quite aware of the power of silence.”

I began to ponder what Jesus’ life might be like if He lived today. Would He be available to all of His followers twenty-four hours a day on His BlackBerry? Would He have left His phone on at the Last Supper and been continually interrupted by needless calls? Would He have failed to stop and speak to needy people because their weeping was not loud enough for Him to hear over His iPod as He hurried past them on His way to a meeting He was already late for?

In that moment I prayed, asking God for His wisdom and help to save me from myself. God answered my prayer and reminded me that Jesus often took periods of prayerful silence to hear from the Father and to ensure not that He was doing everything He could, but that He was doing only what was most important. For example, before beginning His public ministry, Jesus spent forty days fasting from food, people, and noise in an effort to prepare Himself to fully accomplish what God the Father had given Him to do on the earth.

Moreover, the Bible says in Luke 5:16 that “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places.” Jesus spent considerable time alone in silence to pray, rest, and focus on what priorities He should be devoting His time and energy to. This helps to explain why, in just three short years of ministry, Jesus had a greater impact on history than anyone else who has ever lived.

The Bible also describes multiple benefits of purposeful silence, including:

* hearing from God (1 Kings 19:11–13)
* waiting patiently for the Lord to act (Lamentations 3:25–28)
* worshiping God (Habakkuk 2:20)
* knowing God better (Psalm 46:10)
* praying effectively (Luke 5:16)

Since God convicted me of my addiction to noise, I have sought to conform my life more to the pattern of Jesus’, which has proven quite helpful. I try to spend at least five minutes an hour in silence, at least thirty minutes in uninterrupted silence each day, and a full day in silence once a month. During those times I find myself going for silent prayer walks to listen to God, writing in my journal, and sometimes doing nothing at all, which for me has become an act of faith that God is at work even when I am not.

My prayer is that those reading this who, like me, are guilty of noise addiction can also experience the regular gift of silence because that is often where God is waiting for us. There was silence before God spoke the world into existence, and silence for forty days before Jesus began His public ministry, which may indicate that silence is what allows us to speak as God intends.
Filed Under:

* Prayer

* Mark Driscoll's blog

A Tragedy in the Making

These short videos by John Piper have been such a challenge to me not to Waste My Life. I am going to share several of them with you over the next couple of days. Take them to heart. Really think about the message that they give. Allow God to use them to soften your heart to Him and make a commitment to make your life count.

Scripture Quick Reference

I created my own quick scripture reference a while back that I have found very useful in finding key verses from time to time. I have decided to post it here and pray that you may find it useful as well.



Scripture Verse Quick Reference

Accountability James 5:16; Prov. 27:27; Gal. 6
Accepting Good and Bad Job 1:21; 2:10
Adoption (Children of God) Eph. 1:13-14; Rom 8:1-17
Anger Prov. 14:29; Ecc. 7:9; Rom. 12:14; Eph :26-27;Col 3:8; James 1:19-20
Armor of God Eph. 6
Awesomeness of God Isaiah 40; Job 11:7; 12:13-25
Baalam Num. 22-24; 3 Pt 2:15; Rev. 12:14
Baby Christians (milk/food) Hebrews 5:11
Christ died whole world 1 John 2:1-2; John 3:16; 2 Peter 3:9; 1 Tim 2:4; Ro. 11:32
Complaining Phil 2:14
Conduct/b/c cleas fr sin Phil 1:27; 2 Pt 1:5-9
Confronting sin in others Matthew 18:15-20; Gal 6; Luke 17:3-4
Creation groans/Desires unsatis. Rm 8:18-27
Do not fear – Just Believe Mark 5:36
Envy/Fruit of the spirit Gal 5:22-26
Escaping temptation 1 Co. 10:13
Everything we need 2 Peter 1:3-4
Faith Rom. 4:18-25; Heb. 11
Forgiveness of sin 2 Cor. 2:5-11
Freedom from sin Col. 2
Freedom/Christian Liberty Gal. 5:1-15
Gentleness Prov. 15:1; Mt. 5:5; Gal. 5:23; Eph. 4:1-2
Give thanks Eph. 5:20
Glorify God in all 1 Cor. 10:31
God’s Comfort 2 Cor. 1:3-11
God’s discipline Heb. 12:1-12
God’s Faithfulness Heb. 13:5; Rom. 8:31-32; Ps 27:10
God understands Heb. 2:14-18; 4:14-16
God will remain faithful 2 Tim. 2:11-13
Grace is sufficient 2 Cor. 12:9
Intercession of God Ro. 8:26-27
Kindness Micah 6:8
Lip service is not enough Is. 29:13-16
Live in peace with others Ro. 12:18; Heb. 12;14
Lord is near Zeph. 3:17
Love covers sins Prov. 10:12
Love enemies Mt. 5:43-48; Rm 12:9-21
Love 1 Co. 13; Rm. 12:9-21; Gal 5:13-15
Lying Lying Pr. 6:16-19; Acts 5:1-11; Pr. 12:22; Col. 3:9; Eph. 4:25
Man’s life Matthew 16:24-28
Omiscience of God Job 21:22
One God Isaiah 46:9-10
Our bodies as temples 1 Cor. 6:19-20
Our competency is in God 2 Cor. 2:12-3:6
Power of God Eph. 3:20-21
Prayer to know God’s love Eph. 3:14-21
Pride Is 5:21-30; Prov. 13:10
Provision in Christ Phil 4:19
Purpose of the law Romans 3:19-20
Purpose for life Rom. 1:5
Relationship to God Ps. 73:21-28
Riverly and Pleasures Is. 5:11-12, 20-21, 24-30
Satan’s strategy 2 Cor. 11:14; 1 Peter 5:8
Sexual immorality 1 Cor. 6:12-20
Sexual temptation (Purity) Job 31:1; James 4:7-10
Speech Eph 4:29-31; 5:4; Col 3:8; 4:6
Spirit of Fear 2 Tim. 1:7
Submission to Authority Eph. 5:22-6:9; Rom 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:18-3:5; James 4:7; Heb. 13:17
Suffering 1 Peter 3:8-4:19; Rom. 5:1-11
Taking captive thoughts 2 Cor. 10:5
Trials James 1:2-18; Job 23:10
Trust God forever Is. 26:4
Unchanging nature of God Heb. 13:8
Walking worthy Col 1:10; 1 Th. 2:10-12
Word of God Ps. 119:105; Heb. 4:12; Ps. 1:1-3





Daily Thoughts to Be Reminded Of
Life’s Necessities

Through Him and for His names sake…Rm. 1:5
(Life Power and Purpose)

It’s not about me. Don’t be foolish enough to think it is.
(Life Focus)

Do not be afraid…only believe. Mark 5:36
(Life Goal – Live by Faith)

My significance is found in Christ alone.
(Life Significance)
(I am ONLY significant because of Christ)

He has given me everything I need. 2 Peter 1:3
(Life Provision)

The Majesty of God on Display

The Majesty of God on Display
By Michael Stitzel
June 25, 2007


Who is this royal one above
That He should shower me with His love?
(Zeph 3:17)

Who is this one who sits in grandeur
That He should notice one so meager?
(Psalm 8:3-9)

Who is this one so regal
That He gives strength like an eagle?
(Is. 40:31)

Who is this one so sovereign
That He opens His arms to me as I run?
(Luke 15:11)

Who is this one enthroned in glory
That He calms my every worry?
(Phil 4:4-9)

He is the God of the universe
The creator and sustainer of all things
The healer and reverser of the curse
His praise from all creation rings
(Col 1:15-17; Gal 3:10-14; Psalm 148)

Who is this one so great
That at His name the mountains quake?
(Nahum 1:5)

Who is this one with so great a name
That every knee will bow in shame?
(Phil 2:10-11)

Who is this one with such authority
The even nature obeys His voice immediately?
(Mark 4:35-41)

Who is this one who rages like a fire
Cleansing all in His path from muck and mire?
(Heb. 12:29)

Who is this one so holy and pure
That He would provide His only son as the cure?
(1 Peter 1:15-16; John 3:16)

He is God everlasting and eternal
Who offers love divine and unconditional
He is a warrior might and strong
Redeeming those whom he loves for eternity long
(John 8:58; Romans 5:6-8; Zeph. 3:17; John 10:28-29)

He is the king and gentle shepherd
With the strength and passion of a leopard
He is the lord of lords and king of kings
And for all eternity, His praises will ring
(John 10:14-15; Rev. 17:14)

Romans 1:19-20

Romans 1:19-20

The wrath of God is being revealed from Heaven against godless men because they have suppressed the truth. How can these men be guilty of suppressing the truth? Good question.

Verse 19 says this, “...because that which is known about God is evident within them for God made it evident to them.”

Verse 20 says, “for since the creation of the world, His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made so that they are without excuse.”

Known (1110) – Greek word, Gnostos – to perceive, know, learn, recognize. The Greeks used it as a synonym for noetos which means to know with ones mind, hence that which could be known, capable of being known.

The grammatical structure here in verse 19 makes it clear that God is knowable or known in His power in creation. God can be known by man because of the demonstration of His power in His creation.

The question came to my mind, what then is unknowable? Is there anything that is unknowable. Several examples did come to my mind. For instance, the trinity. While I can explain the complexities of it, I cannot KNOW how it works. I cannot KNOW how three person are one. The same is true of God's eternality. He never had a beginning. I cannot KNOW how this is. My mind cannot fathom no beginning. Everything in my reality has a beginning. In addition, while we can know how certain things interact (chemicals and such) we cannot KNOW why they do. For instance, a match. We know how to make it light and burn and we know what chemicals cause it, but we cannot KNOW why those chemicals interact the way they do. It was just designed that way by God. I am now scholar, so maybe I am wrong in that we do not KNOW why certain chemicals interact, but to my understanding, we know that they do, but not why they do.

In this sense then, God is knowable. While we may not KNOW everything about Him, we know that HE IS by the power revealed in His creation.

Evident (5318) – Greek Word, Phaneros – to shine, to make shine, or to cause to appear, apparent,. Manifest, plain, apparent, manifest with the idea of being known, apparent in the sense of being public, open, publicly famous or eminent.

That which is known about God is evident, plain, apparent, open, manifest, public in them. It is no mystery. It is not hidden. It is laid out wide open, plain, and clear.

Made it evident (5319) – Greek Word ,Phaneroo – to make manifest, make known, show. To reveal, take the lid off. In this sense, it means to denote the act of divine revelation.

This KNOWING, this PLAIN AND CLEAR KNOWLEDGE of God was a DIVINE REVELATION. GOD HIMSELF MADE IT KNOWN. This is divine and incredible! God wanted His creation to KNOW Him. He is not some distant and hidden God whom we have to seek. He is not running or hiding. He has put Himself forth and revealed Himself to us.

Creation (2937) – Greek Word, Ktisis – a founding. I.e. of a city, colonization of a habitable place. Creation in a passive (receiving the action) sense, what is created. The sum total of what was created. Denotes particularly the individual created or what is created. The sum total of what God has created, the creation.

In other words, since the founding of the world, since all was created and made, God has been evident in it.

world (2889) – Greek word, Kosmos – world. That which pertains to space and not time. The sum total of the material universe.

In other words, since the creation of the world; the founding, forming, and making of all existing things. Nothing is excluded from this.

For, since the creation of the world, His invisible attributes have been clearly seen. He explains what they invisible attributes are.

Invisible attributes:

1. Eternal (126) Power – Aidios, ever, always, eternal, absolutely, without beginning or end, perpetual, without end.
His power has always been. There has never been a beginning to it and there will never be an end. This shoots the teaching Christ began as a man and become God.

2. Divine Nature (2305) – Theiotes – divinity. This is the only place this term is used in all of scripture. A synonym is the Greek word, theios, which mean divine, power,.

What does it mean to be divine? When I looked it up in the dictionary, the most common sense is that it referred to one who is deity, one who is God. To call one divine, was to call one a god, a supreme being. In other words, to be divine, is to considered a god. In this case, Paul is saying to God's divinity was clear from the beginning of creation.


Understood (3539) – Greek word, Noeo – to perceive, observe. From the Greek word, Nous, the mind. To perceive with thought coming into conscienceless as distinct perception of senses. To mark, understand, apprehend, discern.

These two verses are powerful. How do I bring this all into a clear thought?

That which is KNOWN about God is clear, open, and obvious to us because God made it that way. He is not hiding from us but wants us to see and KNOW Him. He made it possible to do so. For since the time of His creating the World (every material thing in our universe), His invisible attributes of His eternal (no beginning and no end) power and Divine (god) nature have been clearly and openly seen, being understood (perceived by conscience thought) by man so that we cannot stand before God and say we did not know. All the evidence of God's existence, power, and divinity stands before us in creation. We cannot claim ignorance. Think about the next time a storm blows through your town. God is clear.

On this, one more note. You are worthy of worship for these two attributes alone: YOUR ETERNAL POWER AND YOUR DIVINE NATURE. Even if you had only ever created us and done nothing more for us, you were worthy of our worship. Being the DIVINE BEING with NO BEGINNING AND NO END and with POWER EQUAL to that, you were/are worthy of worship. Yet, because you are that DIVINE Being, you did not stop there. There is so much more to you than just that.

The fact that you have made Yourself KNOWN to us and that you want to be KNOWN by us is absolutely staggering!

OH God, how do I do this? How do I proclaim someone so great? How do I do You justice? I think about You and I am blown away by Your greatness and feel so inadequate to proclaim You!

The Prosperity Gospel

I have always been opposed to those who claim wealth and prosperity are God's signs of blessing. I have always been opposed to those who claim that wealth and prosperity are due to believer. I have always been leary of those who say that all we need to do is consistently pray for God's blessing on our lives and He will lavish us with blessings and wealth. Wealth and prosperity are not necessarily a sign of God's blessing, nor of God's favor. It is NOT due to us. What is DUE us is a living eternity of torment in Hell. What is NOT DUE us is the glory of heaven and the never ending presence of an almighty God. Things are not as they seem or as we might think they are. This kind of thinking (i.e. the health, wealth, and prosperity gospel) is purely humanistic and worldly. It is American.

John Piper says this in probably the best way possible. Watch this and think.

Romans 1:18

Romans 1:18-23 (New International Version)
God's Wrath Against Mankind
 18The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness,

For the wrath (3709) of God is revealed from heaven (3772)...
Wrath – Greek word, Orge – Wrath, anger as as state of mind. Aristotle says that orge, anger, is anger with grief.
This anger stems from being slighted, hurt, or sinned against. It is flowing from grief that has been caused. God's wrath, anger is being revealed and it is connected directly to that which has been done against Him.

Heaven (3772) – Greek word, Ouranos – Heaven. The singular and plural are used similarly and interchangeably. There is no difference between them. In the NT, it means in a physical sense, the over-arching, all-embracing heaven beneath which is the earth and all that is therein. In this, not only do the fowls of the air fly (Mt. 6:26) but the clouds are supported (Matt.24:30), rain is formed (Js. 5:18) but also the sun, moon, and stars are placed. (Mk13:25) It is also used for that heaven where the residence of God is called by the Psalmist “the holy heaven” or “heaven of holiness” (Ps. 20:6). It is God's dwelling or resting place. (Matt. 5:34,45,48)

Consider where the Heavens are located. Scripture said that Christ ascended into heaven. He went UP into heaven. Consider also that the earth is round. So, no matter where you are on planet earth, you must go UP to reach the heavens, heaven. The heavens entirely surround the earth. There is not an aspect of earth that is not surrounded by the heavens. If the heavens are the dwelling place of God, this yet another picture the all encompassing nature of God. There is not a single created thing that does not touch God. He is in, through, and around all things.

My natural question as I consider the wrath of God is this; How is it revealed from heaven? How is it being revealed? Colossians 3:6 says, “For it is on account of these things [immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed which amounts to idolatry– vs 5] that the wrath of God will come.”
I believe that we have yet to see the wrath of God descend. In fact, in light of what I know and understand from Revelation, we will be spared from having to see and be a part of that. The things that are happening in our world, environment, and such now, are mere warnings of God to take heed: HIS WRATH IS COMING. Like the prophets of old, we are to be preaching the warning. God is gracious, merciful, and patient. He is allowing time for people to repent and come to Him in humility, seeking forgiveness. However, a time will come when God will no longer suffer the foolishness and unrighteousness of man. He will bring His wrath to bear.

So...I believe that this written word, the spoken word of God is the wrath of God being revealed. He is revealing His anger and grief. He is seeking those who would repent to do so. He is permitting time for this to happen.

“...against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.”

This is the object of God's wrath. This is the source of His grief and will be the target of His wrath.

Ungodliness – what does it mean to be ungodly? Simply put, it means to be opposed to the very things that make God, God. It is to stand against the very things that God IS and commands. To be ungodly is to put oneself completely opposite and in opposition to God.

Unrighteousness – what does it mean to be unrighteousness? Here is a short review of what righteousness is... Greek - Dikaiosune; justice or righteousness. God's uprightness or standard to which man is expected to conform. In short, to be righteous, is to meet God's standard for perfection, justice, holiness that He expects. To be righteous is to live in a life of obedience to what He expects and demands.
The word unrighteousness literally means this: What is not conformable with justice, what ought not to be, that which is wrong. Related to the Greek word, adikos – unjust, hence, injustice, unrighteousness.

God's wrath is going to be poured out on man's wickedness, unrighteousness, injustice, and ungodliness. Man has placed himself in direct opposition to God and God is storing up His wrath for retribution.

Suppress (2722) – Greek word, Katecho – to have, hold, hold fast in a spiritual sense, to possess, to take possession, seize, to take as a place, restrain, withhold.

The truth has been deliberately seized, taken possession of, held fast, and hidden. They have covered it up and hidden it, seized control of it by their wickedness and are holding it captive. They do not want its message being revealed. They suppress it in their unrighteousness. They drown out the truth that blares out from their consciences by diving deeper into sin. The truth is then, held captive and suppressed by their wicked deeds. Man does to sin but a drunk does to his problems: Drowns it out with more of the same destructive, sinful behavior.

Truth (225) – Greek Word, Aletheia – Truth, as the unveiled reality lying at the basis of and agreeing with an appearance; the manifested, the veritable essence of matter. Denotes the reality clearly lying before our eyes.

The truth is clear, revealed, and evident. Later in this same chapter, that point is driven home by saying that creation makes it clear. God in creation is enough to leave man without an excuse.

The truth is hidden, suppress, and kept from being clear because of man's unrighteousness. Their deeds and actions prevent the truth from being clearly seen and known. And we wonder why our country is in such dire need.

I ask myself, am I guilty of suppressing the truth by my actions? Am I guilty of hiding the truth from others by my deeds, my actions, my speech? Do people see God's truth when they look at my life?

God's wrath is coming. He is storing it up for a day when He will unleash it against mankind for their sin. While I am grateful I will not be the recipient of that wrath, I fear for those who will. In my minds eye I picture a lone single man fleeing for his life from a tornado or tsunami that is bearing down on him. That wrath is coming like a horrible wind that nothing will be able to stop.

God give me a sense of urgency to be out rescuing people who are in the path of that storm! Give me a fear of You and a fear for them that will drive me to boldly call them from the path of the storm into the walls of Your refuge! Oh God, that my heart would burn with this passion!