This Road

When

2012-01-26T10:17:00.000-05:00

When the skies above are bronze,
and the ground beneath is iron,
When the sun o’er battle dawns,
and all the troops are mired.

When hope is hid in pain,
and suffering numbs my words,
My prayers enwrapped in shame,
and all my vision blurred.

The heart will not lift up,
and eyes look only downward,
To see an emptying cup,
to feel the role of coward.

But lo there is a voice,
who speaks to me from high,
Am I not your highest choice?
Do I not your all supply?

Do not fear for I am with you,
to conquer and command,
the battle is not lost,
the victory is in hand.

I have defeated all your foes,
and conquered all your masters,
I broke the chains of the curse,
and on your wounds made plasters.

Lift up your drooping hands,
and look to me, your goal,
I will finish all my plans,
and I will make you whole.

One

2012-01-05T16:58:00.000-05:00

One

All from nothing he created,

earth and sky he fabricated.

On the first he fashioned light,

creating day and forming night.

On the second did he divide,

the form of earth and heavens wide.

On the third raised habitation,

earth's soils and vegetation.

On the fourth began the blaze,

glow of moon and sun's bright rays.

On the fifth came to life,

fish in sea and bird of flight.

On the sixth were animals created,

but here the story gets deviated.

For now we hear a conversation,

God tells of his next formation.

In His likeness creates the man,

male and female was the plan.

"Fill the earth and have dominion,

all its produce can be eaten."

Over all creation, God, he stood,

He looked and saw and it was good.

On seventh he did rest,

that day made holy and was blessed.

Resolutions

2011-12-30T20:31:00.001-05:00

Resolution /rɛzəluʃən/
noun: a firm decision to do or not to do something
New Year's Resolution /nu jɪrz rɛzəluʃən/
noun: a delusion that most people make at the end of a year in hopes that the next will be better

I am not typically one to set New Year's resolutions, but I thought just for fun I would take a stab at it for the coming year. So here are some things that I would like to resolve to do next year. Some serious others just for fun.

To live each day as if I should face the judgment at its close.
To review each day at its end that I might not commit the same sins tomorrow.
To spend at least 30 minutes a day in Greek or Hebrew.
To memorize a book of the Bible (Perhaps…Philemon or Obadiah).
To run a half-marathon and then a full marathon.
To read at least 2 books just for fun.
To preach the gospel to myself daily.
To pray consistently.
To pursue and marry and then purse her for the rest of my life.
To pursue godliness with all my might to the end that I would glorify God in all that I endeavor.

Well I do not know how many of these I will actually achieve, but it will be a fun pursuit.

Christmas Letter

2011-12-18T07:19:00.000-05:00

Every Christmas I come back to the first missionary biography I ever read; Through Gates of Splendor by Elisabeth Elliot. It recounts how Jim Elliot, Pete Fleming, Ed McCully, Nate Saint, and Roger Youderian gave their lives to reach an indigenous indian group in Ecuador. This account gripped me and is what first kindled my desire for missions. The reason I return to it is that right before Christmas in 1955 they decided that they would make their greatest attempt to reach the indians. But why go? Elisabeth, Jim's wife, writes this,

"Was it the thrill of adventure that drew our husbands on? No. Their letters and journals make it abundantly clear that these men did not go out as some men go out to shoot a lion or climb a mountain. Their compulsion was from a different source. Each had made a personal transaction with God, recognizing that he belonged to God, first of all by creation, and secondly by redemption through the death of his son, Jesus Christ. This double claim on his life settled once and for all the question of allegiance. It was not a matter of striving to follow the example of a a great Teacher. To conform to the perfect life of Jesus was impossible for a human being. To these men, Jesus Christ was God, and had actually taken upon Himself human form, in order that He might die, and, by His death, provide not only escape from the punishment which their sin merited, but also a new kind of life, eternal both in length and in quality. This meant simply that Christ was to be obeyed, and more than that, that He would provide the power to obey. The point of decision had been reached. God's command 'Go ye, and preach the gospel to every creature' was the categorical imperative. The question of personal safety was wholly irrelevant."

They understood the meaning of the incarnation. God took on human flesh, dwelt among us, lived, died, and was raised so that he might free us from sin and to transform us. It should also motivate us to fearless obedience. Nate Saint knew this type of obedience and sat down on December 18 (56 years ago today) to tell the world the reason of their mission, he wrote the following,

“As we weigh the future and seek the will of God, does it seem right that we should hazard our lives for just a few savages? As we ask ourselves this question, we realize that it is not the call of the needy thousands, rather it is the simple intimation of the prophetic Word that there shall be some from every tribe in His presence in the last day and in our hearts we feel that it is pleasing to Him that we should interest ourselves in making an opening into the Auca prison for Christ.
As we have a high old time this Christmas, may we who know Christ hear the cry of the damned as they hurtle headlong into the Christless night without ever a chance. May we be moved with compassion as our Lord was. May we shed tears of repentance for these we have failed to bring out of darkness. Beyond the smiling scenes of Bethlehem may we see the crushing agony of Golgotha. May God give us a new vision of His will concerning the lost and our responsibility.
Would that we could comprehend the lot of these stone-age people who live in mortal fear of ambush on the jungle trail . . . those to whom the bark of a gun means sudden, mysterious death . . . those who think all men in all the world are killers like themselves. If God would grant us the vision, the word sacrifice would disappear from our lips and thoughts; we would hate the things that seem now so dear to us; our lives would suddenly be too short, we would despise time-robbing distractions and charge the enemy with all our energies in the name of Christ. May God help us to judge ourselves by the eternities that separate the Aucas from a comprehension of Christmas and Him, who, though He was rich, yet for our sakes became poor so that we might, through His poverty, be made rich.”

Would that God would grant me this vision so that all my time-robbing distractions would be despised in my own life and that the gospel would have the same hold on me that it did on him. May God give me the grace and courage to hazard my own life in taking the gospel where it has not been proclaimed.

So as you approach Christmas remember that there are thousands upon thousands who know nothing of the Christ you and I celebrate. And that they will continue to know nothing unless we who have experienced the grace of God understand that we have a responsibility to proclaim Him to those who walk in darkness. Understand that the Christmas story, the incarnation, should humble us to the core and should motivate us to action.

Picture from Coach's Corner
Quotations from Through Gates of Splendor by Elisabeth Elliot, pg 175-176.

The Prologue

2011-12-16T07:44:00.002-05:00

I heard this poem by D.A. Carson in his sermon from the Next Conference. I have enjoyed it and wanted to share it with you. It is very fitting for the Christmas season.

The Prologue

by D.A. Carson

Before there was a universe,

Before a star or planet,

When time had still not yet begun --

I scarcely understand it --

Th' eternal Word was with his God,

God's very Self-Expression;

Th' eternal Word was God himself --

And God had planned redemption.

The Word became our flesh and blood --

The stuff of his creation --

The Word was God, the Word was flesh,

Astounding incarnation!

But when he came to visit us,

We did not recognize him.

Although we owed him everything

We haughtily despised him.

In days gone by God showed himself

In grace and truth to Moses;

But in the Word of God made flesh

Their climax he discloses.

For grace and truth in fullness came

And showed the Father's glory

When Jesus donned our flesh and died:

This is the gospel story.

All who delighted in his name,

All those who did receive him,

All who by grace were born of God,

All who in truth believed him --

To them he gave a stunning right:

Becoming God's dear children!

Here will I stay in grateful trust;

Here will I fix my vision.

Before there was a universe,

Before a star or planet,

When time had still not yet begun --

I scarcely understand it --

Th' eternal Word was with his God,

God's very Self-Expression;

Th' eternal Word was God himself --

And God had planned redemption.

An Amazing Video!!

2011-11-09T21:08:00.000-05:00

There is something about God's people reading God's word that just breaks me.

The grass withers and the flower does indeed fall,

but the word of our God stands forever!!!

This is the Word of the Lord...THANKS BE TO GOD!!!!

Sex and the Single Christian

2011-11-09T06:38:00.001-05:00

I posted these links about two years ago and they seem to be rather well received. Therefore I wanted to post them again. I wouldn't hold strictly to everything that is taught in them, but there is great wisdom to be gleaned. There are talks here for both single men and single women. The topic is about courtship/dating as a Christian. If you are single you really should take a minute and listen to these. The single men should especially take time to listen to them because you will be leading in this relationship.

The talks are done by the elders at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C.

For the men:

For the women:

Listen to them and then listen to them again.

The Church Directory: More than an Address Book

2011-09-21T17:50:00.001-04:00

Growing up the church directory was basically like the white pages for church members. It was where you went when you needed someone’s phone number or when you needed an address for sending out a Christmas card. Other than those purposes it was rarely pulled out and opened. It just sat in the drawer next to all the other unused items. However, there is a greater purpose that it can and should serve.

The church directory serves as a reminder of those people whom we should be interceding for on a daily basis. You see these dear brothers and sisters often, you play with their kids, you eat with them, and so you should be taking their request before the father. You know the couple in your church who have tried for years to conceive but haven’t and your heart breaks for them. You know the lady who is fighting for her life against cancer. You know the single mom that is struggling to make ends meet. Therefore, it is you who is best prepared to draw near with boldness and confidence to the throne of grace for the purpose of praying for them.

Listen to what Paul tells the church at Philippi, “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” (Philippians 1:3-11 ESV) Do we feel this way about our fellow church members? Do we offer our prayer with joy for them? Do we hold them in our hearts? Do we yearn for them with the affection of Christ Jesus? If not why?

One of the greatest ministries that you can do for your church happens miles from church, in a quiet area of your house, all by yourself, when you sit down with your Bible and church directory and plead for the saints who are partakers of grace with you. Or consider how great a lesson it would serve your children if during family worship you prayed through the directory with them.

If your church is small enough you can pray through two or three letters a day, i.e. all the last names that begin with A and B. If your church is larger maybe you’ll just pray through half of a list, i.e. half of the names beginning with H.

For most people you’ll have specific request that you can pray for them. However, when you come to someone you don’t know well just take your cue from Paul’s prayers. Pray that their “love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that they may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”(Philippians 1:9-11)*

Or that “the God of hope fill them with all joy and peace in believing, that they may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)*

Pray “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to them a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. Pray that the eyes of their heart may be enlightened, so that they may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might." (Ephesians 1:16-19)*

Pray “that He would grant them, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man; so that Christ may dwell in their hearts through faith; and that they, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that they may be filled up to all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:16-19)*

And “ask that they may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that they may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints of light. (Colossians 1:9-12)*

Think of all the evils that could be thwarted if we took up the labor of prayer for one another!

*Text modified by author.

C.T. Studd's Encouraging Words

2011-09-14T07:58:00.000-04:00

“Too long have we been waiting for one another to begin! The time of waiting is past! The hour of God has struck! War is declared! In God's Holy Name let us arise and build! 'The God of Heaven, He will fight for us', as we for Him. We will not build on the sand, but on the bedrock of the sayings of Christ, and the gates and minions of hell shall not prevail against us. Should such men as we fear? Before the world, aye, before the sleepy, lukewarm, faithless, namby-pamby Christian world, we will dare to trust our God, we will venture our all for Him, we will live and we will die for Him, and we will do it with His joy unspeakable singing aloud in our hearts. We will a thousand times sooner die trusting only our God, than live trusting in man. And when we come to this position the battle is already won, and the end of the glorious campaign in sight. We will have the real Holiness of God, not the sickly stuff of talk and dainty words and pretty thoughts; we will have a Masculine Holiness, one of daring faith and works for Jesus Christ.” -C.T. Studd

"Some wish to live within the sound of Church or Chapel bell;I want to run a Rescue Shop within a yard of hell." -C.T. Studd

Finally Redeemed

2011-09-05T13:09:00.003-04:00

"What will it be like when God finally redeems his people?

It will be like the wedding day.

The bride will have made herself ready with righteous deeds,

which are the fine white linen bridal gown.

And the bride groom will be like no other.

Battle won.

War over.

Victory complete.

Suffering fulfilled.

Woes accomplished.

Promises kept.

Lovers faithful.

Joy eternal.

Hope realized.

Faith sight.

Kingdom come.

Name hallowed."

-Jim Hamilton

Maranatha!
Come, Lord Jesus, Come!

Full sermon here.

Puritans and their Love

2011-08-21T17:47:00.003-04:00

Many people think that the Puritans were these uptight people who never laughed. Kenneth Hare said, "The puritan through life's sweet garden goes to pluck the thorn and cast away the rose." And H.L. Mencken is noted as stating that "puritanism is the haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy." But people who state such things don't understand the Puritans, their times in which they lived, or the kind of men and women they were. One of the greatest areas that they are entirely misrepresented is in marital love and affection. In hopes of dispelling some of these ideas here are some quotes that I have collected over the past few years.

“Women are creatures without which there is no comfortable living for man...they are a sort of blasphemers then who despise and decry them, and call them a necessary Evil, for they are a necessary Good.” - John Cotton

"There is no society more near, more entire, more needful, more kindly, more delightful, more comfortable, more constant, more continual, than the society of man and wife, the main root, source, and original of all other societies." - Thomas Gataker

"A gracious wife satisfieth a good husband, and silenceth a bad one." - George Swinnock

"The man whose heart is endeared to the woman he loves...dreams of her in the night, hath her in his eye and apprehension when he awakes, museth on her as he sits at the table, walks with her when he travels...She lies in his bosom, and his heart trusts in her, which forceth all to confess that the stream of his affection, like a mighty current, runs with full tide and strength." - Thomas Hooker

"Before man had any other calling, he was called to be a husband....First man must choose his love, and then he must love his choice....The man and wife are partners, like two oars in a boat." -Henry Smith

“That the woman was made of a rib out of the side of Adam; not made out of his head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be beloved.” –Matthew Henry

Lady Catherine Dyer had this wrote this for her husband's epitaph:

If a large heart, joined with a noble mind

Showing true worth unto all good inclined

If faith in friendship, justice unto all,

Leave such a memory as we may call

Happy, thine is; then pious marble keep

His just fame waking, though his loved dust sleep.

And though death can devour all that hath breath,

And monuments themselves have had a death,

Nature shan't suffer this, to ruinate,

Nor time demolish it, nor an envious fate,

Raised by a just hand, not vain glorious pride,

Who'd be concealed, were it modesty to hide

Such an affection did so long survive

The object of it, yet loved it as alive.

And this great blessing to his name does give

To make it by his tomb, and issue live.

My dearest dust, could not thy hasty day

Afford thy drowsy patience leave to stay

One hour longer: so that we might either

Sit up, or gone to bed together?

But since thy finished labour hath possessed

Thy weary limbs with early rest,

Enjoy it sweetly; and thy widow bride

Shall soon repose her by thy slumbering side;

Whose business, now, is only to prepare

My nightly dress, and call to prayer:

Mine eyes wax heavy and the day grows old,

The dew falls thick, my blood grows cold.

Draw, draw the closed curtains: and make room:

My dear, my dearest dust; I come, I come.

These are the men and women I want to learn about the relationship between husband and wife.

Genealogies and the Gospel

2011-08-03T12:56:00.006-04:00

When reading through the law there are parts that most of us would just rather skip over. In Genesis for example there are genealogies that seem to be rather unimportant to the main story of the book. Therefore, most of us in our reading when we come to these just scan over them so that we can get back to the "important" stuff. But I would contend with you that when you do you are skipping over very important information.
The main storyline of Genesis is that God's glory is being shown as he makes for himself a name through a particular people and from this people will come the promised seed of the woman who will crush the seed of the serpent (cf. 3:15; 12:1-3). Moses as he is writing will take you off the main storyline and then to bring you back on uses the phrase "these are the generations..." (2:4, 6:9, 10:1, 11:10, 11:27, 25:12, 25:19, 36:1, 36:9 and 37:2). When he takes you off the main storyline it does not mean that that information is unimportant, as a matter of fact it is supporting information which helps to elevate the main storyline. To help explain I will use Genesis 10-11.
In Genesis 10:1 we read "These are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons were born to them after the flood." What follows is what is referred to as the Table of Nations (10:2-32), a listing of the descendants of Noah and his sons. In it we learn from where all the nations, tongues, and peoples come. In Genesis 11:10-26 we have a genealogy of one particular line from Shem to Terah's three sons; Abram, Nahor, Haran. Then what seems to be inserted in between them is the story of Babel (11:1-9). This section of Genesis 10:1-11:26 is one unit and important to the entire book.
This section marks the turn in the book from a more universal view to a particular line of a particular people. The Table of Nations shows us all the people who are now on the earth and even though God has just judged the world through the flood people are still corrupt and refuse to submit to God. They do not want to glorify God and make his name great. At Babel they come together and they say, “let us make a name for ourselves” (Genesis 11:4). So they build a city with a tower that is to reach to the heavena, so that they would not be dispersed. God sees what they are doing and puts an end to it by confusing the languages.
There is a word play that we miss in our English translations. The word for ‘name’ is ‘shem' in Hebrew. They want to make a ‘shem‘ for themselves, but God, from the line of Shem, will now make a ‘shem‘ for himself through one man, Abram. So what follows is the line of Shem to Terah’s son Abram.

To help you see this here is what Noah’s family tree looks like.

The orange follows the descendants of Ham, the blue follows Japheth, and the green follows Shem, from Genesis 10. The red line overlays the genealogy from Genesis 11. The genealogies of Genesis help us to follow the seed of the woman from Adam to Jacob from whom the promised Messiah will come who is the good news for all people.

Accusations and Victory

2011-06-03T07:42:00.002-04:00

The Devil, that great accuser, has many tactics, schemes, and strategies that he will employ in his fighting against you. He particularly likes to bring your sin to you in hopes that you will feel defeated and ashamed. It seems to be his most used tool in his arsenal, the one that he goes to over and over. When he comes to you with this well-worn weapon how should we respond? Here is how our brother Martin Luther advised.

“You should tell the devil, 'Just by telling me that I am a miserable, great sinner you are placing a sword and a weapon into my hand with which I can decisively overcome you; yea, with your own weapon I can kill and floor you.
For if you tell me that I am a poor sinner, I, on the other hand, can tell you that Christ dies for sinners and is their Intercessor… You remind me of the boundless, great faithfulness and benefaction of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
The burden of my sins and all the trouble and misery that were to oppress me eternally He very gladly took upon His shoulders and suffered the bitter death on the cross for them.
To Him I direct you. You may accuse and condemn Him. Let me rest in peace, for on His shoulders, not on mine, lie all my sins and the sins of all the world.'”

What great advice! Accuse all you want, I am hidden in Christ, and he has defeated you!

When Rejoicing Is Hard (Part 1)

2011-05-26T21:44:00.003-04:00

(photo by Oakley Originals)

Most people when they come to Romans 12:15 “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” find the latter part of that text to be the more difficult section. However, for many people in the church just the opposite is true, they find it hard to rejoice. It is hard to believe that it is the case, how can it be hard to do something that seems so easy. Yet, there are so many things that should be great occasions for joy that can cause a great deal of sadness for some.

The couple who have struggled for years to conceive may have a hard time rejoicing when they receive a pregnancy announcement. The single who truly desires to be married and have a family may struggle to rejoice when they receive engagement notices, save the dates, and announcement of births. The widow may struggle to rejoice as their friends celebrate year after year of wedding anniversaries. With all of these there is a contention that happens inside. They want to rejoice, but they also want to be able to experience these blessings themselves. Is it a sin? What should we do when it is hard to rejoice? How do you rejoice when those events can cause questions and sadness?

The question really is not “Is it a sin?”, but “What is the underlying issue?” While we would not question publicly the sovereignty of God, many times we question his design. We question his plan especially when it does not match with what we have hoped. However, a true commitment to the sovereignty of God must trust him at all times in all situations. Times when it is hard to rejoice in a situation where others are blessed with the blessings you desire can be times of struggling with pride and the sovereignty of God. What we do in these times will determine if it is a sin. When we allow this to take root and we do nothing to correct our thoughts we can become jealous, and that is a sin. If we begin to think that the blessing which we desire will be the thing that makes us happy those things can become idols, and that would be a sin. We can, with a proud heart, think that we are more deserving of that blessing than those who have them, and that is a sin. These times are hard because it requires us to trust that God knows what is best for our lives. We tend to see the short side of long term plans and therefore we judge his design because it does not fit with what we experience right now. Therefore, we must learn to trust that because he knows end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10) that he has planned what is best for us. As the great hymn writer William Cowper wrote, “trust not the Lord by feeble sense, but trust him for his grace, behind a frowning providence he hides a smiling face.”

Recent Discovery

2011-03-26T22:11:00.003-04:00

So I just bought a new book and what a find it is. It is a first edition (1846) of Judson's Offering which is a collection of articles, poems, and songs that were published after Adnoriam Judson made his short trip back to the States after being overseas. Today as I was perusing I found this poem and wanted to share it with you.

Weep Not For Me

-Dale

When the spark of life is waning,

Weep not for me.

When the languid eye is straining,

Weep not for me.

When the feeble pulse is ceasing,

Start not at its swift decreasing,

'Tis the fettered soul's releasing,

Weep not for me.

When the pangs of death assail me,

Weep not for me.

Christ is mine - He cannot fail me,

Weep not for me.

Yes, though sin and doubt endeavor,

From his love my soul to sever,

Jesus is my strength - for ever!

Weep not for me.

A Great Song of Hope

2011-03-21T09:15:00.004-04:00

This song has been such great encouragement to me and I want to share it with you. All the great evils of this age will one day come under the wrath of God. He will stand victorious over evil rulers, over sickness, over sin, and those who are in Him will rise with Him. What a great and glorious day that will be. On that day justice will roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

Rise Up by Ben Shive

Every stone that makes you stumble
and cuts you when you fall
Every serpent here that strikes your heel
to curse you when you crawl
The king of love one day will crush them all

And every sad seduction and every clever lie
Every word that woos and wounds the pilgrim children of the sky
The king of love will break them by and by

And you will rise up in the end
You will rise up in the end
I know the night is cruel
but the day is coming soon
And you will rise up in the end

If the thief had to come to plunder when the children were alone
If he ravaged every daughter and murdered every son
Would not their father see this? Would not his anger burn?
And would he not repay the tyrant in the day of his return?
Oh, wait. Oh, wait the day of his return

Cause he will rise up in the end
He will rise up in the end
I know you need a Savior
He is patient in his anger
And he will rise up in the end

And when the stars come crashing to the sea
and the high and mighty fall down on their knees
When you see the Son descending in the sky
the chains of death will fall around your feet

You will rise up in the end
you will rise up in the end
You will rise up in the end

The Civil Wars

2011-03-10T07:42:00.002-05:00

Very good song. From what my married friends tell me this at times is a better view of the struggle in marriage. The movies want us to think that everyday is happy and blessed, but movies have never been known for their reality and truthfulness.

From every tribe, tongue, and nation

2011-02-27T21:03:00.001-05:00

"People from every nation will be molded into a new "political" unit, a kingdom. All other patterns of organizing people into national, ethnic, and linguistic groups will have faded away. No longer will human "blood" have any status in evaluating and organizing people; only the blood of the Lamb is relevant here - thus providing a new basis for human unity. The God who once created all human beings out of one human blood is now reuniting them on the basis of the one Blood of Jesus." -Richard J. Mouw

John Mark McMillan | Death In His Grave

2011-01-23T08:31:00.005-05:00

Death In His Grave Performance from Christopher & Nathaniel Calnin on Vimeo.

Directed By: Christopher Calnin & Nathaniel Calnin

This has to be one of the coolest songs that I have heard in a long time. Great, great lyrics. I have pasted them below. The vision I get from the line "The Man Jesus Christ laid death in his grave" is like the picture of Muhammad Ali standing over Sonny Liston yelling at him, see it here. Jesus defeated death, but where Ali had a rematch with Liston, there will never be a rematch with death it was a decisive victory.

Though the Earth Cried out for blood

Satisfied her hunger was

Her billows calmed on raging seas

for the souls on men she craved

Sun and moon from balcony

Turned their head in disbelief

Their precious Love would taste the sting

disfigured and disdained

On Friday a thief

On Sunday a King

Laid down in grief

But awoke with keys

Of Hell on that day

The first born of the slain

The Man Jesus Christ

Laid death in his grave

So three days in darkness slept

The Morning Sun of righteousness

But rose to shame the throes of death

And over turn his rule

Now daughters and the sons of men

Would pay not their dues again

The debt of blood they owed was rent

When the day rolled a new

On Friday a thief

On Sunday a King

Laid down in grief

But awoke holding keys

To Hell on that day

The first born of the slain

The Man Jesus Christ

Laid death in his grave

On Friday a thief

On Sunday a King

Laid down in grief

But awoke with keys

Of Hell on that day

The first born of the slain

The Man Jesus Christ

Laid death in his grave

He has cheated

Hell and seated

Us above the fall

In desperate places

He paid our wages

One time once and for all

The other thing that this song reminds me of is the poem Death Be Not Proud by John Donne.

Death be not proud, though some have called thee

Mighty and dreadfull, for, thou art not so,

For, those, whom thou think'st, thou dost overthrow,

Die not, poore death, nor yet canst thou kill me.

From rest and sleepe, which but thy pictures bee,

Much pleasure, then from thee, much more must flow,

And soonest our best men with thee doe goe,

Rest of their bones, and soules deliverie.

Thou art slave to Fate, Chance, kings, and desperate men,

And dost with poyson, warre, and sicknesse dwell,

And poppie, or charmes can make us sleepe as well,

And better then thy stroake; why swell'st thou then;

One short sleepe past, wee wake eternally,

And death shall be no more, death, thou shalt die.

Song that Strikes a Chord

2011-01-21T07:57:00.002-05:00

Over the past few years there has been a song that seems to explain much of what I am going through. I really want God to release me from something in my life and it seems that it just seems to beat me up. It is a very humbling experience. The song was written by John Newton. May it bless you as it has blessed me.

I asked the Lord that I might grow
In faith, and love, and every grace;
Might more of His salvation know,
And seek, more earnestly, His face.

’Twas He who taught me thus to pray,
And He, I trust, has answered prayer!
But it has been in such a way,
As almost drove me to despair.

I hoped that in some favored hour,
At once He’d answer my request;
And by His love’s constraining pow’r,
Subdue my sins, and give me rest.

Instead of this, He made me feel
The hidden evils of my heart;
And let the angry pow’rs of hell
Assault my soul in every part.

Yea more, with His own hand He seemed
Intent to aggravate my woe;
Crossed all the fair designs I schemed,
Blasted my gourds, and laid me low.

Lord, why is this, I trembling cried,
Wilt thou pursue thy worm to death?
“’Tis in this way, the Lord replied,
I answer prayer for grace and faith.

These inward trials I employ,
From self, and pride, to set thee free;
And break thy schemes of earthly joy,
That thou may’st find thy all in Me.”

Is your Sunday worth your Saturday?

2011-01-12T16:12:00.001-05:00

The first converts to Christianity were so compelled by the resurrection of the Christ that they changed the day on which they worshipped. Previously they had worshipped on Saturday, i.e. the Sabbath, but after the resurrection they began to worship on Sunday, the Lord's Day, because it was the day at Jesus raised from the grave. It is hard to convey in words how big of a shift this was, but so compelling was the resurrection.
This past Sunday, to be honest, I had a hard time concentrating during the service. It was no fault of the preacher nor the sermon being preached. Both were excellent. It was due to the fact that the night before I had stayed up late to watch a football game. It was also a time of fellowship with friends, but was watching a football game worth my Sunday.
The Lord's Day is the day that we meet together with fellow children of God to worship the risen savior, to be nourished through the preaching of the word, to encourage and be encouraged with the saints, and to declare the glory of our great and glorious God. Is that compelling enough for us, not to change the day on which we worship, but enough to change how we come to it? Some of the simple things that we can do is to make sure that we are getting to bed on time on Saturday so that we are fully rested on Sunday. We can spend some time in prayer praying for the one who will be preaching, for our fellow members that through the message they will comprehend what is the great inheritance that we have in the saint and glorious gospel by which we have been saved. We can read and pray through the text that is going to be preached so that we will be ready to fully engage with what we are hearing.

Is the resurrection compelling?
Is the Lord's Day above your other days?
Is your Sunday worth your Saturday? At least your Saturday evening?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Nate Saint Christmas Quote

2010-12-23T06:00:00.002-05:00

"As we have a high old time this Christmas, may we who know Christ hear the cry of the damned as they hurtle headlong into the Christless night without ever a chance. May we be moved with compassion as our Lord was. May we shed tears of repentance for these we have failed to bring out of darkness. Beyond the smiling scenes of Bethlehem may we see the crushing agony of Golgotha. May God give us a new vision of His will concerning the lost and our responsibility"

Kimyal Bible

2010-12-15T09:33:00.006-05:00

"The one pastor had said 'It says in the gospel of John that 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God and Jesus is that Word and Jesus is coming and we need to be there to meet him.'"

Did you catch that statement? They saw this as more than receiving a Bible, more than pages bound together, they were going to meet Jesus. He has come to them in His Word. When he came thousands of years ago he may have found no room in the inn but he surely has found room in the hearts of the Kimyal.

We so often forget what a great treasure it is that we have. It is an amazing thing to have the Word of God in our hands. In a language that we can read and understand. The one pastor had to read Bibles that were translated into 4 other languages so that he could teach his people, but now he has the word in his language and he says, "That just made me so happy that I can just straight away, teach it." What an amazing thing this is. PRAISE GOD!!!!

I can only agree with how they ended this video.

“To him who sits on the throne

and to the Lamb be blessing

and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”

Art Azurdia - Unequaled Greatness

2010-12-13T21:15:00.003-05:00

Audio and Video for D. A. Carson’s The God Who Is There

2010-12-01T10:44:00.000-05:00

Simply an amazing find this morning.

Audio and Video for D. A. Carson’s The God Who Is There

Don Carson - The Aseity of God

2010-11-30T18:48:00.000-05:00

This is a great snippet from a really good sermon. Please take 5 minutes and give it a listen.

God's Glory in Salvation through Judgment

2010-11-13T18:24:00.002-05:00

James Hamilton - God's Glory in Salvation Through Judgment from Crossway on Vimeo.

A few post ago I told you about this book and here is a video about the book. Getting really excited.

Christmas Experiment

2010-11-07T08:05:00.003-05:00

Yes, I know it is not even Thanksgiving and I like many others get irritated when stores just skip over Thanksgiving and decorate for Christmas, but I wanted to catch you in the early stages of planning. Surely by now if you have children they are beginning to submit their list of gifts that would be well appreciated. Or you are beginning to think what you should be buying for friends and family. I wanted to humbly suggest and idea that some friends of mine do and I think is a wonderful idea and I hope to do with my own family some day. Here is what you do.

1. Figure up how much you are wanting to spend on all gifts. (Don't decide what you are going to buy, just how much you are planning on spending.)

2. Once you have that figure, divide it in half.

3. Use one half on buying the presents for friends and family, use the other half on helping others.

If you have kids include them in the helping. Decide as a family how you are going to spend that money. Need ideas, here are a few:

- Help a family in your church who is in need.

- Donate to the Compassion International Christmas Gift

- Go buy some brand new clothes/coats and donate them (the new ones) to a shelter.

- Donate to the Blood Water Mission

You don't have to do it exactly as I have written it here, feel free to change it up and make it your own. I think that having a tradition of helping others with your family is an awesome idea.

How Members Can Serve the Church on Sunday Morning

2010-10-30T08:56:00.000-04:00

This is a great list of things that we can do to serve our church in simple ways.

How Members Can Serve the Church on Sunday Morning

A Book You Definitely Need to Get

2010-10-24T20:58:00.006-04:00

Ok, I must first start with a little bit of warning about this recommendation. I am incredibly biased, the author of this book, James Hamilton Jr., is first my pastor and also he was my professor of hermeneutics. Let me just say that to sit under his preaching Sunday after Sunday is such a great blessing. Not only that but he is a great professor. I really cannot say enough great things about him. But that is not the purpose of this blog post. What I want to do is to tell you about his new book.
Even though I have not received my copy, I know that it is going to be great. A definite must buy for any one. From the interviews that I have read Dr. Hamilton intends for this book to be useful not only to the pastor but also to the pew. It is a book by book commentary on all of Scripture and you could easily read the chapter on Colossians and then read Colossians or vice versa.

After having taken hermeneutics with Dr. Hamilton I know first hand the impact of his teaching on Scripture. His class has allowed me to see many great things that I just hadn't noticed before. There were so many days that my heart was driven either to conviction or to worship by his classes. He absolutely is in love with God and his word. What Wilken says of Clement and the Scriptures I would heartily attribute to Dr. Hamilton, "Its heroes become his heroes, and its history his history." His love for the Word is infectious. It will drive you to want to know the Bible better. His teaching on the Scripture was spectacular and I would only assume that this book will be as well.

Buy a copy for yourself, and then buy a copy for your friends and family.

Race Update

2010-10-19T19:35:00.004-04:00

Well, I came in 17th of men between the ages of 30 to 34. And my official time was 1:52:45.80 with a pace of 8:36/per mile!!! This was my second half-marathon, so I finally get to put my 13.1 sticker on my truck.

But now that it is done on to training for the full that I plan to run next April. Thanks for all your help and donations.

Raising Support for Adoption

2010-10-09T09:32:00.004-04:00

Dear Friends,

As many of you know I have been training for the Louisville Half-Marathon that is on October 17. I am doing this for a few reasons but my most important reason is that I am trying to help raise support for some friends at church who are in the process of adopting from overseas.

I believe that adoption is a great representation of the gospel. Russell Moore states,

"Adoption is representative of the gospel because the gospel is an adoption. In Christ Jesus, God has declared us to be beloved children. He has welcomed us to his table, given us a family of forefathers and foremothers, brothers and sisters. And he’s granted us an inheritance, everything that belongs to Jesus, which is the entire universe. Adoption shows precisely what the gospel shows that love is not simply a matter of biology (“the flesh”) but of the Spirit.

"Moreover, adoption is part of a bigger biblical theme of care for orphans and widows. When we love orphans and widows, we are simply loving Jesus by showing mercy to those whom he calls the 'least of these, my brothers and sisters.'" (From Challies.com)

I ask that you would consider supporting this cause with me. You can do so by sponsoring my run. A half-marathon is 21.1 Km (13.11 Miles) so here is a suggestion chart:

$1 per km = $21.1

$1.50 per km = $31.65

$2 per km = $42.20

$2.50 = $52.75

Also to make things a little easier you can use this site to donate:

For All the Saints

2010-09-22T19:59:00.003-04:00

This was part of our reading for Church History this week. The section below come from Eusebius' Church History in which he reports on the persecutions that happened under the rule of Diocletian(244-311).

Such was the conflict of those Egyptians who contended nobly for religion in Tyre. But we must admire those also who suffered martyrdom in their native land; where thousands of men, women, and children, despising the present life for the sake of the teaching of our Saviour, endured various deaths...numberless other kinds of tortures, terrible even to hear of, were committed to the flames; some were drowned in the sea; some offered their heads bravely to those who cut them off; some died under their tortures, and others perished with hunger. And yet others were crucified; some according to the method commonly employed for malefactors; others yet more cruelly, being nailed to the cross with their heads downward, and being kept alive until they perished on the cross with hunger.

It would be impossible to describe the outrages and tortures which the martyrs in Thebais endured....Others being bound to the branches and trunks of trees perished. For they drew the stoutest branches together with machines, and bound the limbs of the martyrs to them; and then, allowing the branches to assume their natural position, they tore asunder instantly the limbs of those for whom they contrived this.

All these things were done, not for a few days or a short time, but for a long series of years. Sometimes more than ten, at other times above twenty were put to death...and yet again a hundred men with young children and women, were slain in one day, being condemned to various and diverse torments.

We, also being on the spot ourselves, have observed large crowds in one day; some suffering decapitation, others torture by fire; so that the murderous sword was blunted, and becoming weak, was broken, and the very executioners grew weary and relieved each other. HE VIII.8-9

May we never forget the cost of following Christ that the saints of old have paid with their lives. They died for the gospel, will we?

For all the saints, who from their labors rest,

Who Thee by faith before the world confessed,

Thy Name, O Jesus, be forever blessed.

Alleluia, Alleluia!

Thou wast their Rock, their Fortress and their Might;

Thou, Lord, their Captain in the well fought fight;

Thou, in the darkness drear, their one true Light.

Alleluia, Alleluia!

O may Thy soldiers, faithful, true and bold,

Fight as the saints who nobly fought of old,

And win with them the victor’s crown of gold.

Alleluia, Alleluia!

You can read more here.

Marriage in the eyes of a Church Father

2010-09-14T18:57:00.003-04:00

Tonight in doing my homework for Church History I am reading Tertullian and I must say that what I just read I thought was amazingly beautiful. This is his view of Christian marriage and I think that when God gives me a wife I would like to some how include this in the wedding ceremony. Mind you Tertullian lived somewhere around 200 a.d. Here is what he says,

How shall we ever be able adequately to describe the happiness of that marriage which the Church arranges, the Sacrifice strengthens, upon which the blessing sets a seal, at which angels are present as witnesses, and to which the Father gives His consent? For not even on earth do children marry properly and legally without their fathers' permission.

How beautiful, then, the marriage of two Christians, two who are one in hope, one in desire, one in the way of life they follow, one in the religion they practice. They are as brother and sister, both servants of the same Master. Nothing divides them, either in flesh or in spirit. They are, in very truth, two in one flesh; and where there is but one flesh there is also but one spirit. They pray together, they worship together, they fast together; instructing one another, encouraging one another, strengthening one another. Side by side they visit God's church and partake of God's Banquet; side by side they face difficulties and persecution, share their consolations. They have no secrets from one another; they never shun each other's company; they never bring sorrow to each other's hearts. Unembarrassed they visit the sick and assist the needy. They give alms without anxiety; they attend the Sacrifice without difficulty; they perform their daily exercises of piety without hindrance. They need not be furtive about making the Sign of the Cross, nor timorous in greeting the brethren, nor silent in asking a blessing of God. Psalms and hymns they sing to one another, striving to see which one of them will chant more beautifully the praises of their Lord. Hearing and seeing this, Christ rejoices. To such as these He gives His peace. Where there are two together, there also He is present; and where He is, there evil is not.

You can read more here.

Men, old or young, you need to watch this.

2010-09-01T09:56:00.000-04:00

"Church Planter" by Darrin Patrick from Crossway on Vimeo.

From Crossway Books.

Video by The Resurgence.

A Favorite Hymn: And Can It Be

2010-08-02T09:14:00.004-04:00

I first heard this hymn redone by Indelible Grace and I really liked it. However a fews later I got it when I bought the T4G Live CD. I must say that I much rather enjoy the original. Bob Kauflin always does a great job leading worship and T4G is no different. The first time I heard it I was driving on a motorcycle around Chiang Mai, Thailand and I had to pull to the side as I just wept. The words of this song broke me. I don't know if you are like me but these words seemed to be my story. Because I never can understand why I should 'gain and interest in the Savior's blood.' But praise God for his great mercy. I hope that you too are encouraged by these words.

And Can It Be

by Charles Wesley

And can it be that I should gain

An interest in the Savior’s blood

Died He for me, who caused His pain

For me, who Him to death pursued?

Amazing love! How can it be

That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

Amazing love! How can it be

That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

He left His Father’s throne above

So free, so infinite His grace

Emptied Himself of all but love

And bled for Adam’s helpless race

‘Tis mercy all, immense and free

For O my God, it found out me!

Amazing love! How can it be,

That Thou, my God, shoudlst die for me?

Long my imprisoned spirit lay,

Fast bound in sin and nature’s night

Thine eye diffused a quickening ray

I woke, the dungeon flamed with light

My chains fell off, my heart was free

I rose, went forth, and followed Thee

Amazing love! How can it be

That Thou, my God shouldst die for me?

No condemnation now I dread

Jesus, and all in Him, is mine

Alive in Him, my living Head

And clothed in righteousness divine

Bold I approach the eternal throne

And claim the crown, through Christ my own

Amazing love! How can it be

That Thou my God, shouldst die for me?

End of the line

2010-07-31T16:31:00.003-04:00

Today was a rather ordinary run. However, it was interesting for 2 reasons. The first is rather simple. I ran the run in 1 hour 1 min and 1 sec. Very strange end time. The second reason was that today was my last run with my very first pair of real running shoes (those on the left). That is, running shoes that I actually bought for the purpose of running. And run I did. In those pair of shoes I have run almost 900km, I ran a half-marathon in them, and it was the shoes that I started my joy in running. Before this I ran every once and a while but would usually give up. It is a somewhat bitter sweet feeling. But while I am sad to give them up I am glad to have these new pair of shoes. Brooks Adrenaline. When I first bought my Nike+ Limitless I didn't know anything about pronation/supination, I pronate but the Nike's apparently are for people who supinate. These are bad shoes for me. The Brooks should be much more suited for my feet and ankles. Only time will tell. They begin their duty Monday morning.

OUR GOD!!

2010-07-23T08:01:00.005-04:00

To study the attributes of God would take pages and pages and there would never be enough books to fully exhaust how great and awesome. But this morning during my study I was reading Ps 118 and verse 28 says, “You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God; I will extol you.” So I just wanted to take a moment and extol my God.

Jeremiah 10:2-10

Thus says the LORD:

“Learn not the way of the nations,

nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens

because the nations are dismayed at them,

for the customs of the peoples are vanity.

A tree from the forest is cut down

and worked with an axe by the hands of a craftsman.

They decorate it with silver and gold;

they fasten it with hammer and nails so that it cannot move.

Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field,

and they cannot speak;

they have to be carried,

for they cannot walk.

Do not be afraid of them,

for they cannot do evil,

neither is it in them to do good.”

There is none like you, O LORD;

you are great, and your name is great in might.

Who would not fear you, O King of the nations?

For this is your due; for among all the wise ones of the nations

and in all their kingdoms there is none like you.

They are both stupid and foolish;

the instruction of idols is but wood!

Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz.

They are the work of the craftsman and of the hands of the goldsmith;

their clothing is violet and purple; they are all the work of skilled men.

But the LORD is the true God;

he is the living God and the everlasting King.

At his wrath the earth quakes,

and the nations cannot endure his indignation.

Did you catch it? Their gods are made by their own hands. They have ears, but don’t hear, mouths, but don’t speak, feet, but don’t walk. But not OUR GOD, NO!!, OUR GOD is the true God and he is not made by our hands or our imaginations. He is the LIVING GOD!!!

Deuteronomy 33:26-29 states,

“There is none like God, O Jeshurun,

who rides through the heavens to your help,

through the skies in his majesty.

The eternal God is your dwelling place,

and underneath are the everlasting arms.

And he thrust out the enemy before you and said, Destroy.

The people of Israel stood on the banks of the Jordan and Moses gives them the law one more time before they enter the land. He tells them not to fear the people in the land. Why? Because they had greater military leaders? No. Because they had greater weapons? No. Because they had greater numbers? No. But it was because they had a greater God!!! The gods of the people do not come to the aid of their people. But OUR GOD “rides through the heavens to your help, through the skies in his majesty.” Are you going through hard times? What a verse of encouragement!!
Also notice what he says to a people who were about to enter the Promised Land, “the eternal God is your dwelling place.” The land is great, it is a land that flowed with milk and honey, but the reason the land is great has nothing to do with the attributes of the land but everything to do with the great God who is there with them. Have you ever thought that heaven is going to be great because there are streets of gold and gates of pearls? If you want heaven for what heaven gives you and not because of who heavens gives you you may be disappointed. Heaven gives us access to the Father, Son, and Spirit unhindered. This body will be made new and we will never sin again, NEVER!! We won’t even desire to sin! Our minds will understand in a new way, free from sin's effects! Heaven’s streets are paved with gold because OUR God’s glorious presence is so awesome that gold will be considered a building material, like asphalt.

Psalm. 95:6-7

Oh come, let us worship and bow down;

let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!

For he is our God,

and we are the people of his pasture,

and the sheep of his hand.

C.S. Lewis on Democracy

2010-07-20T07:44:00.000-04:00

I am a democrat [proponent of democracy] because I believe in the Fall of Man.

I think most people are democrats for the opposite reason. A great deal of democratic enthusiasm descends from the ideas of people like Rousseau, who believed in democracy because they thought mankind so wise and good that every one deserved a share in the government.

The danger of defending democracy on those grounds is that they’re not true. . . . I find that they’re not true without looking further than myself. I don’t deserve a share in governing a hen-roost. Much less a nation. . . .

The real reason for democracy is just the reverse. Mankind is so fallen that no man can be trusted with unchecked power over his fellows. Aristotle said that some people were only fit to be slaves. I do not contradict him. But I reject slavery because I see no men fit to be masters.

Found this at Justin Taylor's blog

Attempt at Poetry

2010-07-05T20:09:00.004-04:00

I am not a very good poet but I always like to try. Here are some of my attempts at verse. I hope you don't laugh too much. These are two that came from a recent study of Genesis.

Creation

All from nothing He created,

earth and sky he fabricated.

On the first he fashioned light,

creating day and forming night.

On the second did he divide,

the form of earth from heavens wide.

On the third raised habitation,

earth's soils and vegetation.

On the fourth began the blaze,

glow of moon and sun's bright rays.

On the fifth came to life,

fish in sea and bird of flight.

On the sixth were animals created,

but here the story gets deviated.

For now we hear a conversation,

God tells us of His next formation.

In His likeness creates the man,

male and female was the plan.

"Fill the earth and have dominion,

all its produce can be eaten."

Over all creation, God, He stood,

He looked and saw and it was good.

On the seventh did He rest,

that day made holy and was blessed.

Falling

Adam, Adam, you and madam,

tell me how this garden grows,

“you tend and keep and multiply

and follow all He shows.”

Be fruitful and fill the earth

is the Lord’s command,

expand the borders, have dominion,

conquer, take the land.

But Adam, Adam quite contrary,

did not follow what he heard,

he took and ate,

and from the garden they were purged.

A flaming sword and cherubim

placed to guard the way,

life with death, toil with strife,

the price they now must pay.

Be fruitful and fill the earth

is the Lord’s command,

given Adam, and to Noah,

and to father Abraham.

A Fitting Song

2010-07-04T19:45:00.004-04:00

Before I write this blog I must confess something first, I am not a very patriotic person. It is not that I am not glad to be an American. I thank God that he allowed me to be born in this country. I always sing the national anthem at sporting events and even do so when they are played on TV. I can even sing most of the Marine Corps Hymn. I think that we should support our troops and pray that they come home safely and soon. There are many countries that I wish could enjoy the same freedoms that we have. However, I know that America has problems just like the rest of the world, but this is not the reason I am not very patriotic.

The main reason I am not very patriotic is that the more and more I study the Bible the more and more I understand of the Kingdom of God, the kingdom to which I truly belong. Where my real King and my real citizenship are located. I will be an American for only a short time, but I will be a citizen of God's everlasting kingdom forever. That kingdom has my heart and I long to be in it more than anything. Not because that kingdom is better than this world, though it is, but because that kingdom is where I will be with my King.

That is why I found it most fitting that this morning our worship pastor Josh Philpot at Kenwood Baptist Church had us sing Psalm 46 to the tune of America, the Beautiful. It was wonderful. The music stirred up patriotic thoughts but the words directed me to the true and better kingdom.

Here are the words of Psalm 46 from the Psalter. Try singing it to the tune to America, the Beautiful. May this encourage your heart for the kingdom as it did mine.

Psalm 46

1 God is our refuge and our strength,
In straits a present aid;
2 and, therefore, tho’ the Earth remove
We will not be afraid;
Tho’ hills amidst the seas be cast,
3 tho’ troubled waters roar,
Yea, tho’ the swelling Billows shake
The mountains on the shore.

4 A river is whose streams make glad
The city of our God,
The holy place wherein the Lord
Most High has His abode.
5 Yea, God is in the midst of her;
Unmoved she stands alway;
And God will surely grant her help
Before the break of day.

6 The nations raged; the
Kingdoms moved;
And when the earth had heard
The mighty voice He sent abroad
It melted at His word.
7 The LORD of hosts is on our side
Our safety to secure;
The God of Jacob is for us
A refuge strong and sure.

8 O come, behold what Wondrous works
Have by the LORD been wrought;
Come, see what desolations great
He on the earth has brought.
9 To utmost ends of all the earth
Wars unto peace He turns;
The bow He breaks, the spear He cuts,
In fire the char-iot burns.

10 Be still and know that I am God;
Among the nations I
Will be exalted; I on earth
Will be exalted high.
11 The LORD of hosts is on our side.
Our safety to secure;
The God of Jacob is for us
A refuge strong and sure.

New Running Playlist

2010-06-25T09:54:00.003-04:00

One of the things that helps me keep pace during a run is music and I am always on the look out for some good running tunes. Recently this has been my playlist of choice. I play it in this order because the bpm (beats per minute) gradually gets faster, which makes me run a little faster. If you have some music that you like to run to let me know I always new some new stuff.

We Told Em - Trip Lee

Far Away - Lecrae

Fanatics - 116 Clique

Make War - Tedashii

On That Cross - Flame

Inexhaustible - Trip Lee

Ooh Ahh - Grits

Come Close - Trip Lee

Don't Waste Your Life - Lecrae

Justified - Shai Linne

I'm a Believer - Tedashii

Superstar - Trip Lee

Fresh - Tedashii

Song & Quote

2010-06-09T10:30:00.002-04:00

There are many great songs that are of such great encouragement to me and my Christian walk and there are many great quotes that do the same, but for some reason every once and awhile a song and a quote will connect in my head and then become hard to separate. Thinking of one will generally lead to thinking of the other. This morning I was singing Approach, My Soul, the Mercy Seat, by John Newton and it made me think of a quote by Martin Luther. I wanted to share these with you.

The Song:

Approach, My Soul, the Mercy Seat
Approach, my soul, the mercy seat,
Where Jesus answers prayer;
There humbly fall before His feet,
For none can perish there.

Thy promise is my only plea,
With this I venture nigh;
Thou callest burdened souls to Thee,
And such, O Lord, am I.

Bowed down beneath a load of sin,
By Satan sorely pressed,
By war without and fears within,
I come to Thee for rest.

Be Thou my Shield and hiding Place,
That, sheltered by Thy side,
I may my fierce accuser face,
And tell him Thou hast died!

O wondrous love! to bleed and die,
To bear the cross and shame,
That guilty sinners, such as I,
Might plead Thy gracious Name.

“Poor tempest-tossèd soul, be still;
My promised grace receive”;
’Tis Jesus speaks—I must, I will,
I can, I do believe.

The Quote:

“You should tell the devil “Just by telling me that I am a miserable, great sinner you are placing a sword and a weapon into my hand with which I can decisively overcome you; yea, with your own weapon I can kill and floor you.

For if you tell me that I am a poor sinner, I, on the other hand, can tell you that Christ dies for sinners and is their Intercessor… You remind me of the boundless, great faithfulness and benefaction of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The burden of my sins and all the trouble and misery that were to oppress me eternally He very gladly took upon His shoulders and suffered the bitter death on the cross for them.

To Him I direct you. You may accuse and condemn Him. Let me rest in peace, for on His shoulders, not on mine, lie all my sins and the sins of all the world.” -Martin Luther

Rather than me ramble on about the connection I see I'll leave that to you. I pray that they will encourage you as much as they encourage me.

Sudoku & Hermeneutics

2010-05-24T12:30:00.013-04:00

I have never been one to do the puzzles in the paper, but recently I have taken up playing Sudoku. I have been playing for a week or two, the easy ones mind you, and find it to be both fun and frustrating (especially when I try a hard one). But the other day as I was working through a medium level game it hit me that Sudoku and Biblical Hermeneutics (the art/science of interpreting the Scriptures) are quite similar. Let me explain.

Sudoku is a logic based number game. It is made of a 9x9 grid and each grid has a 3x3 sub grid. The object is to make sure that each line has the numbers 1-9 and that each sub grid also contains those same numbers. To do this you must pay attention to what each sub grid contains, because each line and each sub grid cannot have two of the same number. The easy ones that I play begin with quite a few numbers already in place. So here are my 3 basic rules to playing.

1. Start with what is easier. If you have a line that has 1, 3, 4, 5, 8 it is easier to start here than on the line that only has 2 and 4.

2. Work both sub grids and lines at the same time. The nature of the game will force you to do this, but you need to remember that completing a line also helps you to complete a sub grid and vice versa. Also if a line is wrong, then the sub grids connected to that line will be wrong.

3. Look to other sub grids for help. If you are stuck on a sub grid then look to other sub grids for clues. For example, if you have a sub grid with four empty squares, look to the sub grids to the right or left or above or under it to eliminate possibilities.

But how does this help with understanding the Bible? While the Bible is made of 66 individual books, it has only one main storyline. Because of this each book is connected to the other books. Some connections are stronger and some are very faint, but none the less they are all connected. So let’s apply these same rules….

1. Start with what is easier. The gospels and the letters are easier to understand than the prophets and Revelation, therefore start with what is more accessible to you now. Don’t worry the more you read the more will become easy to read.

2. Work at understanding both the present verse/chapter/book and other verses/chapters/books at the same time. For instance if you are working on John 3:16 it is important to understand that John 3:1-21 is the context of this verse. Therefore, work hard at understanding the verse in its context. Many times people get mislead in understanding Scripture because they take a verse from its context. As D.A. Carson says, “A text without a context is a pretext for a proof text.”

Not only that but all of John is the context for John 3. It is therefore necessary to understand the function of John 3 within the entire gospel. Furthermore, the whole Bible is the context of John. We must try to understand each verse in its own context and then examine how it relates to the narrative of the Bible.

3. Look to other books for help. By this I do not mean look to commentaries, although they are helpful and should in time be consulted. By “look to other book,” I mean looking to other books of the Bible. John alludes to the Old Testament and when he does it is our duty to find those allusions, go to books they come from, and understand them in their Old Testament context. Then we must work to understand how John is using those texts.

I have probably written too much in this blog, but I will try to give an example of what I am talking about soon. I would certainly like to hear your thoughts on this topic.

The Gospel of the Kingdom

2010-05-05T09:27:00.003-04:00

Summer is just around the corner and that means that my semester is coming to and end. That should bring on a more regular blogging schedule. (I hope) Today, I wanted to take a moment and comment on a book I got the pleasure of reading this semester. It was fascinating and it helped me to understand much of the Kingdom. The book is "The Gospel of the Kingdom: Scriptural Studies in the Kingdom of God" by George Eldon Ladd.

Rather than just meander on about what I thought of the book, let me give you a quote that really opened my eyes.

Talking of Paul's use of the idea of inheritance in relation to the Kingdom (1 Corinthians 15:42-50; 2 Corinthians 5:1-10; Ephesians 1:14), Ladd states, "The present possession of the the Holy Spirit is a down-payment. It is more than promise, although it is promise. It is more than guarantee, although it is a guarantee. It is the present although partial possession which guarantees the full possession at the proper time. This is the life of the Spirit, eternal life. The fulness of life awaits the Coming of Christ; but until the mortal is swallowed up in life, God has given us His Spirit as a down-payment. The indwelling of the Spirit is the Down-payment of that life which we shall one day experience in its fulness. The new birth is the beginning, partial but real, of the life of the The Age to Come. This means that already we have within us the life of heaven. It is means we already participate in the life that belongs to God's future Kingdom; not indeed in its fulness, but nevertheless in reality."

That is one awesome paragraph. The Spirit that dwells in us Christians brings with it the life of heaven that can be lived here and now, not just then. It is only a taste of things to come!! Ladd goes on to say that what being saved means is that we "go about every day in the present evil Age living the life of heaven." Being a Christian means that our citizenship is in heaven and Jesus is our king. But right now the future kingdom is reaching back into our time and should change how we live.

This is just one of many superb paragraphs. You should buy this book and read it and then read it again. I will.

Convicting Quote

2010-05-01T22:15:00.003-04:00

From time to time I read blogs. One that I particularly like is by Justin Taylor. He recently had a quote on his page that I found rather convicting about my prayer life. Here is the quote:

"If Jesus answered all your prayers from the last 30 days, would anything change in THE World or just YOUR world."

Of the many things I know that I need to do better, prayer is always at the top of that list. This quote reveals why. I hate to say it but I am selfish in prayer, I am selfish in general because I am a sinner. I have things that I am doing to try to change that but those prayers that are done in haste always seem to be ladened with I's. My very own sinfulness seems to creep up in my praying. Lord I want this or that or would like if you would... Lord forgive me for my selfishness.

Here are some quotes by John Bunyan that I enjoy

"You can do more than pray, after you have prayed, but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed."

"Prayer will make a man cease from sin, or sin will entice a man to cease from prayer."

"Pray often; for prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge for Satan."

Sunday's Comin!!!

2010-04-01T18:37:00.004-04:00

It’s Friday
Jesus is praying
Peter’s a sleeping
Judas is betraying
But Sunday’s comin’

It’s Friday
Pilate’s struggling
The council is conspiring
The crowd is vilifying
They don’t even know
That Sunday’s comin’

It’s Friday
The disciples are running
Like sheep without a shepherd
Mary’s crying
Peter is denying
But they don’t know
That Sunday’s a comin’

It’s Friday
The Romans beat my Jesus
They robe him in scarlet
They crown him with thorns
But they don’t know
That Sunday’s comin’

It’s Friday
See Jesus walking to Calvary
His blood dripping
His body stumbling
And his spirit’s burdened
But you see, it’s only Friday
Sunday’s comin’

It’s Friday
The world’s winning
People are sinning
And evil’s grinning

It’s Friday
The soldiers nail my Savior’s hands
To the cross
They nail my Savior’s feet
To the cross
And then they raise him up
Next to criminals

It’s Friday
But let me tell you something
Sunday’s comin’

It’s Friday
The disciples are questioning
What has happened to their King
And the Pharisees are celebrating
That their scheming
Has been achieved
But they don’t know
It’s only Friday
Sunday’s comin’

It’s Friday
He’s hanging on the cross
Feeling forsaken by his Father
Left alone and dying
Can nobody save him?
Ooooh
It’s Friday
But Sunday’s comin’

It’s Friday
The earth trembles
The sky grows dark
My King yields his spirit

It’s Friday
Hope is lost
Death has won
Sin has conquered
and Satan’s just a laughin’

It’s Friday
Jesus is buried
A soldier stands guard
And a rock is rolled into place

But it’s Friday
It is only Friday
Sunday is a comin’!

A must to blog about

2010-03-13T22:14:00.006-05:00

Tonight I was doing a stupid search on google when I ran across this and I had to share with you. So have you ever wondered what to do with your baby when you have to use the restroom, no fear, here is the answer to your question.

This is no joke you can find it here. Truth be told I think this is a great idea and if I had a kid I would buy one.

30 and Counting

2010-03-02T15:00:00.004-05:00

Benjamin Franklin said, "At twenty years of age, the will reigns; at thirty, the wit; and at forty, the judgment." So today I begin my years of wit reigning. That's right, today is my birthday. And this one has kind of snuck up on me. I have been so busy with school lately that I surprised myself Saturday when I was trying to plan something and while looking at a calendar I realized my birthday was this week.

30. It doesn't feel like to long ago I was thinking that 30 sounded so far away. I didn't ever think that it sounded "old," it just wasn't 20. Some how those years fly by. And it is here. As I sit here in the waning hours of my twenties I'm forced to consider the decade that God has been so gracious to give me. So if you would lets take a stroll.

A Decade of Schooling

This decade began with me graduating with and Associates degree from Northeastern Oklahoma A&M (2000). From there I attended Oklahoma Baptist University graduating with a Bachelors, but more importantly made friendships that have continued ever since (2002). In 2004 I attended Southwestern Theological Seminary getting in 30 hours and getting out as soon as possible. 2005 would find me beginning a Masters of Applied Linguistics at Payap University in Chiang Mai, Thailand and 2009 would see me finish it. Now I sit at Southern Seminary writing papers and reading books in the start of yet another Masters.

A Decade of Moving, Culture, and Language

In the last ten years I have lived in seven cities and three countries. I have lived in a democracy, a monarchy, and a communist republic. I have learned three languages and forgotten one. I have learned to live and operate in cultures not my own, and been frustrated with them at the same time. Finally, I have seen a language that has never been written be written for the first time.

A Decade of Defeat

While I have made several attempts at courtship all of them have failed (obviously). I have tried to learn several instruments only to find I don't have the time to invest in them. And I have learned and lost Biblical Greek twice and Biblical Hebrew once.

A Decade of Rejoicing

These last ten years have made me the uncle of three great kids. They have made me witness to two men coming to faith in Christ by the power of the grace of God. They have given me brothers and sister who are as close as blood, if not closer due to the blood of Christ, in the family I was adopted into and now share in as an heir.

A Decade of God

While I have been a Christian for longer than ten years it has been these last ten years that I have really loved the most. With the help of a godly man and his ever patient wife, both whom I love dearly (Sp & V), I was introduced to a theology that has made me a stronger Christian than I ever had been. It has been a decade of ups and downs but as I look at all these years I am humbled that I even got a day. Such a gracious God has been so kind to give me 10,957 more days than I deserve. But not only that he has been the one who has kept me through them all.

A Decade to Come

There are things that I hope the next ten years hold in store. I hope that there are wedding vows and dirty diapers, finger paints and Bible stories before bed, date nights and flowers just because, love letters and kisses because I have been intoxicated, and a decade that leads in to years and years of falling more and more in love. I pray that I would be used to introduce people to a Rescuer who loves them with a never stopping, never giving up, unbreaking, always and forever love. I pray that there would be worship and an ever increasing knowledge of a God who could never be fully known. What the next ten years holds is not for me to know, I just pray that I will live an ever increasingly more obedient life for a God who has been better to me than I deserve.

Great God of Heaven,

Thank you for these thirty years of life. I was not due a single day, but you have been so kind to keep me and sustain me through them all. I ask that you would forgive me for when I have taken them for granted and where I have not given you the glory which you deserve. I pray that you would give me a deeper and ever growing love for you that would satisfy my deepest longings and would drive away my fears. Where I am hardened, break me. Where I am proud, humble me. And where I am ungrateful, discipline me. May I be yours and may I confess you as Lord in every area of my life. And if you see fit to give me another 30 years may I be faithful to give them back to you.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Settle for Maintenance or Sacrifice for Mission?

2010-02-26T09:28:00.009-05:00

I know that many of you this evening will be sitting down to rest and watch some TV or read a good book. But if you would allow me, I would commend, nay urge you strongly to take the time you would waste with watching things that will have no lasting value to watch this video. But don't just watch it. Once you have watched it feel the weight of what he puts before us and let us take a scalpel to our budgets for the glory of God. May we loose our complacency and may we pursue the mission which has been entrusted to us.

David Platt is the pastor at The Church at Brook Hills.

Asking Questions

2010-01-20T09:29:00.003-05:00

I am starting classes next week and I am rather excited. But that is not what I am posting about. I found this and I think it is very helpful so I wanted to share it with all who will be starting classes where ever you may be.

Convicting Quote

2009-12-17T13:00:00.000-05:00

In Nate Saint's journal there this entry on December 18, twenty one days before he died tried reach the very people he was thinking about,

"As we have a high old time this Christmas, may we who know Christ hear the cry of the damned as they hurtle headlong into the Christless night without ever having a chance. May we be moved with compassion as our Lord was. May we shed tears of repentance for these we have failed to bring out of the darkness. Beyond the smiling scenes of Bethlehem, may we see the crushing agony of Golgotha. May God give us a new vision of His will concerning the lost - and our responsibility."

May we today hear this and be moved for the lost in such a way that we would give our lives to reach them.

Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus

2009-12-03T08:42:00.003-05:00

Over the past few years I have been a little reserved about the celebration of Christmas. Not with the celebrating Jesus, but with how that fact seems to be so diluted. I will not go into that long discussion now, but I do want to tell you about what I am doing this year.
Last year I spent Christmas with friends who have advent calendars and nightly sit and talk with their kids about the true joy of this celebration. As I sat and listened to their talks with their kids I saw how this holiday could be better done. And done in a way that sets our hearts affection and minds attention on Jesus and celebrates him for who he is and what he has done. So this year I bought 'Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus' by Nancy Guthrie which has 22 readings for the advent season. I am two nights into it and it has been refreshing. The first night was by George Whitefield and the second night by Joseph 'Skip' Ryan. Something Whitefield said was both convicting and encouraging, he said, "Shall we yearly celebrate the birth of our temporal king, and shall that of the King of kings be quite forgotten? Shall that only, which ought to be had chiefly in remembrance, be quite forgotten? God forbid! No, my dear brethren, let us celebrate and keep this festival of our church with joy in our hearts: let the birth of a Redeemer, which redeemed us from sin, from wrath, from death, from hell, be always remembered; may this Savior's love never be forgotten!" I hope that you enjoy your Christmas with a remembrance that our rescuer has come and saved from sin, he has transfered us from slavery to the Devil and brought us into slavery of righteousness, he has made us his own children, and we are his.

Adoption

2009-09-01T00:02:00.011-04:00

A few months ago I found a link to a conversation about adoption with David Prince, Russell Moore, and Randy Stinson and there are some really interesting statements that they make. Somethings that I have never really thought about. You can watch it here.

One of the first statements that caught my attention was by Dr. Stinson he said that if we, as Christians, are going to be pro-life and tell women not to abort but to give the child up for adoption, then we Christians need to be standing in line waiting to adopt the children. I had never thought about how we are missing our job as the Church, to take care of widows and orphans. We leave it up to others. We don't want anyone to get in the way of our getting an every increasing amount of stuff.

Next Dr. Moore says that "God doesn't have any adopted children...he has children who were adopted." Although we come in by adoption we are not thought of as adopted children we are thought of as children, like we are natural born children. That is why he says that he has no adopted children in his family, they just have children. He doesn't make any distinction between his children. They all have the same love, the same rights, the same responsibilities. (28:27)

These two ideas are very important for us indiviually and for the church. James says, "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world."(EWV) I come from a denomination that has 16.2 million members (number is probably inaccurate due to churches not removing people from the rolls when they don't attend) and UNICEF states that there are around 135,000 orphans in the US. Something doesn't seem right about that fact. We seem to have become a group of churches that are very interested in looking "missional" and talking about being "missional" and are willing to go around the world to do missions but when it comes to hindering our daily lives we are resistant. Yes, some people should adopt. But like we say with missions "pray, give, or go" with adoption it should be "pray, give, or adopt." All of use should pray for families who are wanting to adopt or who have adopted. Some of us, who for good reason can't adopt, should think about financially helping a family who wants to adopt. Some should count the cost and adopt.

The second idea is important because we need to realize that we Christians have been adopted. Russell Moore states that the doctrine of adoption and physical adoption cannot be seperated. For more on that you will need to read Moore's book 'Adopted for Life.' God doesn't treat us as adopted children. We are children who came into the family by adoption but that is our past, now we are children, joint heirs and brothers and sisters of Christ. If we truly understood the full ramifications of that it would change our lives.

Who? (Andys Part 三)

2009-08-20T04:48:00.004-04:00

Ok, today is the last of the Andys. I have listen to this Andy the longest all the way back to high school.

Andrew Peterson

How did I get into Andrew Peterson? When I was in high school my youth director would buy cds to hand out every Wednesday night and one day I was going through his stack of cds and came to Carried Along. I had not heard of him nor had my youth director so we decided to open it to see what it was like. From the first strum I was hooked. His lyrics are what keep me amazed. He has to be, by my estimation, the best lyricist of our day. I have 9 of his albums and it is hard to say which is his best because I enjoy them all so much. But if I just look at my itunes play count numbers then it looks like his Christmas album is my favorite. Which would probably be true I tend to play it year round. Instead of telling you about one song I really enjoy let me tell you the parts of two songs from the his Christmas album "Behold the Lamb: The True Tall Tale of the Coming of Christ."

The first song I want to tell you about is "Deliver Us." There is a line in this song above all the other lines that always sticks out to me. This is the line

"Our sins they are more numerous than all the lambs we slay."

There were many lambs slain on the first Passover night and there were too many to count through out the years but no matter how many lambs were slain our sins would still out number them. We so much needed a true and better Passover lamb.

Song number two is "Labor of Love." Now I must tell you that this song in its entirety is AMAZING!! But there is in this song a hush part (The part where you hush people and turn up the song so they hear the words). And here are the lines

"So he held her and he prayed 
Shafts of moonlight on his face 
But the baby in her womb 
He was the maker of the moon 
He was the Author of the faith 
That could make the mountains move"

I guess I had never really thought of it that way. I think the first time I listened to this song I must have hit the repeat button at least 10 times.

Favorite Five (+1):

1. Behold the Lamb of God - Behold the Lamb of God

2. Canaan Bound - Love and Thunder

3. The Good Confession - Appendix C

4. Mystery of Mercy - The Far Country

5. No More Faith - Clear to Venus

6. Alien Conspiracy - Appendix A

Where can you hear him? Itunes or at his website. Ok, really you should listen to Mr. Peterson.

As a side note he also has an album that he did with Randall Goodgame and it is for kids it is called "Slugs & Bugs & Lullabies" and it is lots of fun. Besides song writing he has also written some books. You can check these out at his site.

Really Good Quote

2009-08-14T07:53:00.005-04:00

"Death used to be an executioner, but the gospel has made him just a gardener."

-George Herbert

What do you think? How do you understand it?

Who? (Andys Part 2)

2009-08-05T02:19:00.003-04:00

Awhile back I started to describe the Andys (or is that supposed to be Andies) that I listen to. The first was Andrew Osenga. Today, I would like to introduce you to Andy Gullahorn.

Andy Gullahorn

photo by: Geof F. Moris

Where did I first hear him? I was looking up information on other artist when I stumbled upon the Square Peg Alliance website. On there I found a plethora of great artist with samples of their music. Andy from what I can tell he is a great lyricist and a master of the guitar as well. One of my favorite songs is "If I Were." This song is about how he would work if he were the devil. The interesting thing is that I was reading "The Mortification of Sin in Believers" by John Owen the other day and then listened to this song and thought that John Owen would like this song.

If I were the devil, I wouldn't wear red
I wouldn't have horns or a pitchfork
I wouldn't breathe fire 'cause it might give me away

But if I were the devil, you'd never know
I'd befriend you quick and corrupt you slow
So you don't notice until it's far too late

If I were the devil... if I were the devil...

If I were the devil, I'd spend all day
Lowering standards of what's okay
To think, to say, to watch on your TV

I'd break down the value of promises kept
And fade out truth till there's nothing left
Except gossip and lies popping up as thick as weeds

If I were the devil... if I were the devil...

I might not be as foreign as you think
'Cause I wouldn't always show my evil side
I've got the time and patience just to wait
And steal your soul just one sin at a time
Like I would if I were...

No, I'm not the devil, but if I was
I'd take God's people and split them up
To keep their minds off who they're called to be

So they're no longer fighting over living or dead
It's "Is it the body or just bread?"
While all the unfed die hungry on the street

If I were the devil... if I were the devil...

I'd make moms and dads who never stick around
And pain so bad you have to drink to drown
And guilt so I can kick you when you're down
And I would if I were...

If I were the devil, I wouldn't wear red
I wouldn't have horns or a pitchfork
I wouldn't breathe fire 'cause it might give me away

Favorite Five:

1. If I Were - Room to Breathe

2. Nobody Wants to Work - Reinventing the Wheel

3. Beginning of the End - Room to Breathe

4. Give it Time - Reinventing the Wheel

5. That Guy - Reinventing the Wheel

Where can you hear him? Itunes or at his website.

Glorification

2009-07-23T10:31:00.001-04:00

These are some of the best sermons I have ever heard on Glorification. I give them to friends all the time. I hope that you will take time to listen to them. These sermons were given Jean Larroux at the RUF Summer Conference in 2003.

Part 1: GLORIFICATION: THE FORGOTTEN "IFICATION"
Part 2: GLORIFICATION: THE END OF ALL TEARS
Part 3: GLORIFICATION: THE ANTIDOTE TO PERFECTIONISM
Part 4: GLORIFICATION: THE "RIGHTSIDEUPPING" OF THE "UPSIDEDOWNNESS"
Part 5: GLORIFICATION: THE GREAT UNKNOWN

Imagine if......

2009-07-23T10:29:00.002-04:00

I have been thinking lately about a conference idea. Yes, I know that the whole conference thing is getting a little out of hand. There seems to be a conference every week. I just hope no one is becoming a professional conference attender and attending them all. I was just thinking if I put on a conference what would my topic be and who would I want to come and speak. I have decided it would be done over three years and here is how it would go.

Year One: The Triune God: God the Father

Session 1: God our God - Mark Driscoll

Session 2: God our Creator - Mark Dever

Session 3: God our King - J. Ligon Duncan

Session 4: God our Father - Al Mohler

Session 5: God our Friend - C.J. Mahaney

Session 6: The Glory of God - John Piper

Worship would be lead by Bob Kauflin

Year Two: The Triune God: God the Son (This one would be hard because the NEXT conference that just did this did such an amazing job.)

Session 1: Jesus our God - D.A. Carson

Session 2: Jesus our Prophet - Tim Keller

Session 3: Jesus our High Priest - Sinclair Ferguson

Session 4: Jesus our King - J.I. Packer

Session 5: Jesus our Older Brother - Joshua Harris

Session 6: The Glory of Jesus - Sam Storms

Worship would be lead by Indelible Grace

Year Three: The Triune God God the Holy Spirit

Session 1: The Holy Spirit our God - John Owen.....oh wait.....John Piper

Session 2: The Holy Spirit our Comforter - Joshua Harris

Session 3: The Holy Spirit our Guide - Mark Driscoll

Session 4: The Holy Spirit our Witness - J.I. Packer

Session 5: The Holy Spirit our Seal - Mark Dever

Session 6: The Glory of the Holy Spirit - C.J. Mahaney

Worship would be lead by Page CXVI

It would happen in Oklahoma City and then again in Bangkok (or Chiang Mai) for overseas workers. As with my other "Imagine if...." this will most likely never happen. But it would be great if it did.

Give it a try

2009-07-23T10:28:00.001-04:00

Here is something I try to do daily. And I have benefited from it greatly, so I wanted to share it with others. All you have to do is copy and paste it into Word and then edit it to look how you want it, print it and then read what is listed day by day. The tricky thing is when you get to a month that has only 30 days, I just double up on either the 30th or the 1st.

Daily Psalms and Proverbs
Day 1 --- Psalm 1-5; Proverbs 1
Day 2 --- Psalm 6-10; Proverbs 2
Day 3 --- Psalm 11-16; Proverbs 3
Day 4 --- Psalm 17-20; Proverbs 4
Day 5 --- Psalm 21-25; Proverbs 5
Day 6 --- Psalm 26-30; Proverbs 6
Day 7 --- Psalm 31-35; Proverbs 7
Day 8 --- Psalm 36-41; Proverbs 8
Day 9 --- Psalm 42-46; Proverbs 9
Day 10 --- Psalm 47-51; Proverbs 10
Day 11 --- Psalm 52-56; Proverbs 11
Day 12 --- Psalm 57-61; Proverbs 12
Day 13 --- Psalm 62-67; Proverbs 13
Day 14 --- Psalm 68-72; Proverbs 14
Day 15 --- Psalm 73-77; Proverbs 15
Day 16 --- Psalm 78-82; Proverbs 16
Day 17 --- Psalm 83-87; Proverbs 17
Day 18 --- Psalm 88-92; Proverbs 18
Day 19 --- Psalm 93-97; Proverbs 19
Day 20 --- Psalm 98-102; Proverbs 20
Day 21 --- Psalm 103-107; Proverbs 21
Day 22 --- Psalm 108-112; Proverbs 22
Day 23 --- Psalm 113-118; Proverbs 23
Day 24 --- Psalm 119; Proverbs 24
Day 25 --- Psalm 120-125; Proverbs 25
Day 26 --- Psalm 126-130; Proverbs 26
Day 27 --- Psalm 131-136; Proverbs 27
Day 28 --- Psalm 137-140; Proverbs 28
Day 29 --- Psalm 141-144; Proverbs 29
Day 30 --- Psalm 145-147; Proverbs 30
Day 31 --- Psalm 148-150; Proverbs 31

Psalm 85

2009-07-23T10:26:00.000-04:00

I read through 5 psalms and one proverb every day and today I came to this and just kept reading it over and over.

TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A PSALM OF NTHE SONS OF KORAH.

LORD, you were favorable to your land;
you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
You forgave the iniquity of your people;
you covered all their sin.

Selah

You withdrew all your wrath;
you turned from your hot anger.

Restore us again, O God of our salvation,
and put away your indignation toward us!
Will you be angry with us forever?
Will you prolong your anger to all generations?
Will you not revive us again, that
your people may rejoice in you?
Show us your steadfast love, O LORD,
and grant us your salvation.

Let me hear what God the LORD will speak,
for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints;
but let them not turn back to folly.

Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him,
that glory may dwell in our land.
Steadfast love and faithfulness meet;
righteousness and peace kiss each other.
Faithfulness springs up from the ground,
and righteousness looks down from the sky.

Yes, the LORD will give what is good,
and our land will yield its increase.
Righteousness will go before him
and make his footsteps a way.

This text is so suited for our day. Now, before you think that I am about to go off on how we need to make America a Christian nation again, don’t worry I’m not. America was never a Christian nation in the sense that God told someone to set it up. America is not a theocracy. If you actually look at the founding fathers some of them were “Christians,” but most were not.

But in a day when morality is in question and thus our ethics have suffered. We need to realize where real ethics come from and where the sense of true morality originates. So now we return to Psalm 85.

The first thing that must be noticed is that the Lord is the one who does everything. If you miss that, you will not understand the psalmist. You read the first four lines and then he tells you to stop, think, consider, what you have just read. In all four lines the Lord is the actor and the people only receive what he has done. He has done these things, not other gods and not the people themselves. The next two lines continue that idea of what He has done.

The next seven lines are a prayer. Asking God to act. The psalmist asks things of God that only God can do. Then he waits for an answer in the following three lines. He waits because he knows God will speak peace to those who are his.

In the next six lines we have the most amazing description of what a place can be like for God’s saints. They will live in a place where glory dwells in the land. Where steadfast love and faithfulness coexist. Where righteousness and peace are intimate. Faithfulness springs up like water from the ground. And righteousness is the covering above them.

Finally, he says that the Lord will give what is good and because he does that the land therefore will yield its increase.

Now ultimately this will only be accomplished perfectly when Christ returns. We cannot make any country substitute for our true homeland. And even if we tried we would fail because, as this Psalm says, only God can do these things. So am I saying we shouldn’t do anything? No. But I see that many Christians these days are saying that we need to be more concerned with the poor, and we do, or that we need to work to end world hungry, and we should, but this all starts with praying that God would act and move in the heart of people. The TWOT had this to say, “True ethics derive from imparted righteousness.” If we want people to be moral and deal ethically we must pray that God would change their hearts.

Great Hymn

2009-07-23T10:25:00.001-04:00

I am always looking for old hymns that I have not sung before and I found this gem a few months ago when I bought the T4G live worship. The words are really good. Now if I could just learn to play it.

My Song is Love Unknown

My song is love unknown,
My Savior’s love to me;
Love to the loveless shown,
That they might lovely be.
O who am I, that for my sake
My Lord should take, frail flesh and die?

He came from His blest throne
Salvation to bestow;
But men made strange, and none
The longed for Christ would know:
But O! my Friend, my Friend indeed,
Who at my need His life did spend.

Sometimes they strew His way,
And His sweet praises sing;
Resounding all the day
Hosannas to their King:
Then “Crucify!” is all their breath,
And for His death they thirst and cry.

Why, what hath my Lord done?
What makes this rage and spite?
He made the lame to run,
He gave the blind their sight,
Sweet injuries! Yet they at these
Themselves displease, and ’gainst Him rise.

They rise and needs will have
My dear Lord made away;
A murderer they saved,
The Prince of life they slay,
Yet cheerful He to suffering goes,
That He His foes from thence might free.

In life, no house, no home
My Lord on earth might have;
In death no friendly tomb
But what a stranger gave.
What may I say? Heav’n was His home;
But mine the tomb wherein He lay.

Here might I stay and sing,
No story so divine;
Never was love, dear King!
Never was grief like Thine.
This is my Friend, in Whose sweet praise
I all my days could gladly spend.

Free Audio from D.A. Carson and Tedd Tripp

2009-07-23T10:10:00.002-04:00

The first set of links is to a retreat that D.A. Carson taught at on temptation. Very Good...as is anything that D.A. Carson does.

Part 1: The Temptation of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3)
Part 2: The Temptation of Joseph (Genesis 39)
Part 3: The Temptation of Hezekiah
Part 4: The Temptation of Jesus (Matthew 4:1-11)
Part 5: Your Temptation (James 1:2-4, 12-18)

This second set of links is to Tedd Tripp speaking at the Shepherding a Child's Heart Conference (I have yet to listen to it but many people have spoken highly of Tedd Tripp)

Session 1: The Call to Formative Instruction
Session 2: Giving Kids a Vision for God's Glory
Session 3: Helping Kids Understand Authority
Session 4: Helping Kids Understand the Heart
Session 5: Overview of Corrective Discipline

All of the audio and video (streaming) can be found here as well: Shepherding a Child's Heart Conference- Media

Who? (Andys Part 1)

2009-07-23T09:58:00.006-04:00

There are currently three men that I listen to the most and strangely they are either named Andrew or go by Andy. So here is the first, these are in no way in order of who is the best or who I like the most.

Andrew Osenga

photo by: CJ Sorg

Where did I first hear him? I first heard at a Caedmon's Call's concert. It was the Share the Well tour and he was singing "Bombay Rain." There was video in the background that went with the song. He started playing and then stopped because his guitar was tuned wrong. They had to start the video over and everything. As someone who has played concerts I thought it was nice to see an artist stop, tune, and restart a song. If it happens to the professionals there is hope for me. Anyways. I went home and started looking into him. Before playing with Caedmon's he was with The Normals and has had some solo albums since 2002. He has two free albums that are really great, Letters to the Editor.

I really like the lyrics to Swing Wide the Glimmering Gates. It seems like these lyrics just resonate with where I am in life. Now, I may have the meaning of this song totally wrong, but what I am thinking is that it is like this. There are days who I see what kind of man that I am and I don't want to be him. I want to be better. There are days where I am better than I want to be and I realize that it is a process and I am glad that I am getting closer to what I will be. The main thing that drives me is that because He is the one continuing the work in me that I will see the "glimmering gates." As John Newton said, "As I look back on my life, I realize I am not what I should be, I am not what I could be, I am not what I will be, but, I am not what I was, and by the grace of God I am what I am!” That's just the way I take this song.

I caught myself
looking in the mirror
wishing I was someone else
cause I was born
with a bleeding heart
and veins of loneliness

and I know it, I’ve seen it,
I’ve held it in my arms
but love can’t seem to break me down

and I’ve pleaded, I’ve begged
and I’ve bloodied my eyes
just to feel it
to believe it will stick around

swing wide the glimmering gates

I told myself
the habits and secrets
were just to get me through
to get me through the nights
but I got lost
in a world of angles
in a city of greys and lies

and I feel it, I taste it
this longing to be free
oh, the joy of believing like a child

so you, you there listening
will you send up a prayer for me
to help me find the light

swing wide the glimmering gates
leave your pride and pain
swing wide the glimmering gates
and be innocent again

one day I believe
I will open up my eyes
to see the good work that was begun
and I’ll be the only things I’ve ever wanted to be
and I’ll know that I belong

Favorite Five:
1. Swing Wide The Glimmering Gates - Letters to the Editor, Vol. 1
2. Early In The Morning (acoustic version)
3. Four Horses - Letters to the Editor, Vol. 2
4. Kara - Photographs
5. Hail Almighty King (w/Cliff Young) - Come, Let Us Adore Him

Where can you hear him? Itunes or at his site.

Return of the Son (how I imagine it)

2009-07-23T09:58:00.001-04:00

The younger son is approaching home and he can see the house in the distance. He starts to rehearse his lines. “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.” He thinks for a moment and changes intonation here and there hoping to make it sound just right, “Father, I have sinned against and against.” He wants to make sure he has all the right words because he imagines the Father will be hard on him, will look at him with displeasure, will say something like “Couldn’t make it on your own could you?” He thinks when he says, “I am no longer worthy to be called your son” that the father will say “that’s for certain, I’ve got dogs that would make for better sons than you.” You see he has never really known the father.

And then he sees that there is someone running from the house to him. He thinks it must be a servant, who else would run at him.“Father, treat me as one of your hired servants” he says aloud to himself. He looks up again and realizes he doesn’t recognize this servant running at him. He is too well dressed to be a worker from the field, and doesn’t remember any of the inside workers being that old. But he is getting closer and closer. And then he sees who it is, but he must be mistaken, because it looks like…his father.

Soon he is close enough to know for certain that the man running at him is his father. He is a little flustered he thought he had all the way to the house to prepare the speech, but now he is here and so he’s, he’s got to… ‘Father, father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But something is indeed wrong, he thought he’d have to grovel before him, but he can’t because the father has embraced him way too hard and his father is…he is crying and saying “my son, my son,…my son is home, he has come home.” And then, he does something greatly surprising, he kisses him.

Nothing is making sense for the younger son. So he thinks and then starts again ‘Father, father, I have, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your…’ But his father is not paying him any attention and yells back at the house, “Bring the robe,” “Don’t forget a ring” “He needs some sandals." "Any son of mine will need sandals” he softly says to himself. They start walking toward the house and as they get closer he tells at another servant “Go get the fattened calf, call the neighbors, spare no expense my SON, my son who was dead, my son who was lost, my son is ALIVE, he is FOUND, and he is HOME.”

Need a GREAT book to read?

2009-06-14T10:22:00.011-04:00

Ok, I must first say that I am a little biased because I LOVE John Owen. The man was brilliant and has been such great help to me. My next big purchase is his entire works. When I was at SWBTS I would go to the library to do homework and without fail I would end up sitting down among the stacks reading his works (which were sadly untouched). I would have gotten better grades if I had spent more time on my homework than reading Owen, but there is a great wealth of knowledge in one volume of his works let alone his entire works. While buying his entire works would be rather expensive, Kelly Kapic and Justin Taylor have done you and I a great favor. They have taken three of Owen's greatest practical writings and updated them a little to make them easier to read. Included in this book is:

Of the Mortification of Sin in Believers
Of Temptation: The Nature and Power of It
The Nature, Power, Deceit, and Prevalency of Indwelling Sin

Each of these are very practical and will serve you very well. While these topics have been written on in recent years no one has done as thorough a job as Owen. Here are some excerpts.

"Do you mortify;
do you make it your daily work;
be always at it while you live, cease not a day from this work;
be killing sin or it will be killing you."

"Sin aims always at the utmost; every time it rises up to tempt or entice, might it have its own course, it would go out to the utmost sin in that kind. Every unclean thought or glance would be adultery if it could; every covetous desire would be oppression, every thought of unbelief would atheism, might it grow to its head"

"If we will do anything, we must do all things. So, then, it is not only an intense opposition to this or that peculiar lust, but a universal humble frame and temper of heart, with watchfulness over every evil and for the performance of every duty, that is accepted."

"If sin will be always acting, if we be not always mortifying, we are lost creatures."

You can buy it here, read it online here, or download the pdf here (That's right, get it for FREE!!!!). You have no excuse for not getting a copy.

TIP: The best way to read the Puritans, and read them you should, is aloud. If you have a spouse or someone willing to listen get together and read them to one another.

Powered by ScribeFire.

A great poem by D.A. Carson

2009-06-13T04:23:00.001-04:00

I never stop being amazed at what God is doing through D.A. Carson. I listen to his sermons a lot and recently he was giving a talk on the Incarnation at the Next Conference and near the end of his talk he read this poem. I have enjoyed it and wanted to share it with you.

The Prologue
by D.A. Carson

Before there was a universe,
Before a star or planet,
When time had still not yet begun --
I scarcely understand it --
Th' eternal Word was with his God,
God's very Self-Expression;
Th' eternal Word was God himself --
And God had planned redemption.

The Word became our flesh and blood --
The stuff of his creation --
The Word was God, the Word was flesh,
Astounding incarnation!
But when he came to visit us,
We did not recognize him.
Although we owed him everything
We haughtily despised him.

In days gone by God showed himself
In grace and truth to Moses;
But in the Word of God made flesh
Their climax he discloses.
For grace and truth in fullness came
And showed the Father's glory
When Jesus donned our flesh and died:
This is the gospel story.

All who delighted in his name,
All those who did receive him,
All who by grace were born of God,
All who in truth believed him --
To them he gave a stunning right:
Becoming God's dear children!
Here will I stay in grateful trust;
Here will I fix my vision.

Before there was a universe,
Before a star or planet,
When time had still not yet begun --
I scarcely understand it --
Th' eternal Word was with his God,
God's very Self-Expression;
Th' eternal Word was God himself --
And God had planned redemption.

A Manly Pursuit: So what's the goal?

2009-06-05T23:35:00.009-04:00

photo by: Seema K K

If the problem is that there is a lack of men. Then obviously the answer is we need more men. But what do we mean by men? Will any human being of the male gender work? Or is there something specific that we need in the church these days? Yes, there is. So what is it to be a man? a real God glorifying, God honoring man? John Piper states that "at the heart of mature masculinity is a sense of benevolent responsibility to lead, provide for and protect women in ways appropriate to a man's differing relationships."(Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood) I like this definition for a variety of reasons. First, most of the time the definitions of manhood include something about being married. This definition includes the single man. Second, it is simple. Our job as men is to lead, provide, and protect. (Read the book for the full explanation) But what does this man look like? For this we must look to scripture. The best list that I can find is compiled from 1 Timothy 3:1-13 and Titus 1:5-9. My definition would be like this:

A godly man is one whose life and actions are above reproach, he understands that marriage is between one man and one woman and that the man is devoted solely to her, he shows moderation and self-restraint, he is sensible and moderate in his behavior, he avoids impropriety or indecency, he is welcoming to strangers, he seeks to understand and hold to the doctrine taught in the Scriptures so that he is able to teach what he knows and believes to others, he is able to defend the faith with those who seek its downfall, he is not a person who habitually drinks too much and thus becomes a drunkard, he is not pugnacious nor demanding, but gentle and patient, he does not seek to cause angry arguments or disagreements, he does not love money, he keeps his children in control without losing his dignity, he presents a beautiful testimony of the Church to those who are not of it, he is not self-willed nor stubborn, he is quick to listen and slow to speak, he is devoted to good, honorable and honest, and disciplined.

Objection: These lists are for those who want and desire to be elders and deacons.
Answer: Christ is the head of the Church and he has placed man as head of the home. Men are to lead and protect the home in the same way that Christ leads and protects the Church. Also Christ has placed men as the leaders of the Church we must seek to reflect the head of the Church who is Christ. Therefore if you want to be the head of a home you must seek to be like your head, who is Christ. (See 1 Cor. 11:3; Eph. 5:23; Col. 1:18) For those men who are gifted with singleness, and do not desire to lead a home, as an older man it is still your responsibility to encourage younger men in godliness. To do that you have to be working toward that yourself.

I am in no way saying that I have accomplished this, but knowing the goal provides direction for what I study, seek, and strive after. I realized a few years ago that if I want to be a husband I must rip up the list of things I am seeking in a wife and write a list of things I need in order to be a godly man worth marrying.

This blog series is really just a personal study I feel like sharing. I share it in hopes to encourage other men and also to create accountability.

Who?

2009-06-03T13:14:00.006-04:00

I realized that I listed many new singer songwriters in my last blog and you may or may not know them. This new series will introduce you to some of my favorite artist. I will start with who I am listening to right now.

Sandra McCraken

photo by: Geof F. Moris

Where did I first hear her? I had bought tickets to go and see Derek Webb in Fort Worth and she was opening for him. At the time I think she was releasing Best Laid Plans. The whole week I was planning on buying Derek's House Show cd and had saved up to get it, but after hearing Sandra I changed my mind. The only thing that I didn't like about that show was that the people there were talking while Sandra was playing her set. They really missed out. She is an amazing artist who is lyrically stunning. Buying Best Laid Plans was definitely the right choice. Whenever I am listening to Age After Age and someone is around who hasn't heard it I always hush them and make them listen well. My favorite line in that song is this:

One man in the shadow of the white-washed cathedrals
Weighed down by the system through the eye of the needle
To his conscience bound he would not recant for the freedom of the Saints
And truth is truth is truth
and we are standing on his shoulders

It just kind of humbles you.

My Favorite Five:
1. Age After Age - Best Laid Plans
2. Rock of Ages (When the Day Seems Long) - The Builder and the Architect
3. Ten Thousand Angels - Ten Thousand Angels (Single)
4. All the Miles - Gravity | Love
5. Tie that Binds - Art Music Justice Tour Compilation

I don't personally know these artist that I will be talking about but if I had the chance to interview them I would ask the normal questions (who are your influences? what song of yours do you most enjoy?, etc) but I would end by having them pull out their mp3 device put it on shuffle and would ask them about the first 10 songs that come up.

Where can you hear her? Itunes or at her site here or at NoiseTrade. You should definitely buy some of her work, you will not be disappointed.

Imagine if.....

2009-05-28T12:23:00.013-04:00

Al Mohler has given a fairly accurate definition a "praise chorus" as "one word, two chords, three hours." As someone who leads worship I pay attention to new songs that come out. I have noticed over the years that there are actually songs that have Mohler's structure. While these songs are emotionally stimulating they have little benefit in worshiping in spirit and truth. They have very little doctrinal teaching in them.

I have heard that all of our music took a turn this way when our theologians stopped writing our hymns. Is that true? Here is something to consider.

A Mighty Fortress is Our God - Martin Luther. Luther is well known as a father of the reformation, nailing his 95 Theses to the church door in Wittenberg. But is better known for the amount of theological discourses he wrote, books like Bondage of the Will.

Amazing Grace - John Newton. It may be the most famous hymn of all time. Known as a prolific hymn writer, Newton wrote with William Cowper(There is a fountain) the Olney Hymnal. However, Newton wrote on theology and doctrine, so much so that it now composes a six volume set. Of his writings C.H. Spurgeon said, "In few writers are Christian doctrine, experience and practice more happily balanced than in the author of these letters, and few write with more simplicity, piety and force."

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross - Isaac Watts. It is well known that Watts was a very productive hymn writer, writing somewhere around 750 hymns. He is known as the "Father of English Hymnody." What is not known so well is that Watts also wrote a textbook on logic that was used at Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard and Yale.

There are many more that we could mention. The question is why have today's theologians stopped writing our hymns? Many of them complain about the songs, but none have taken to writing. So what is to be done?

First, I want to say two things. 1. Some of the songs written these days are very good. For instance 'How Deep the Father's Love for Us' is a great song. Also Sovereign Grace Music has some great songs for worship. 2. I don't think that the older hymns are outdated and need to be put aside, not at all. But as Psalm 96:1 says we can also sing to him a new song. So, again, what can we do?

This is just a thought that I have been having over the last couple of months. Imagine if we could get today's Christian song-writers together with today's leading theologians. What would that look like? Here is the list of people that I am thinking of.

What artist?
Andrew Peterson, Derek Webb, Sandra McCracken, Andrew Osenga, Andy Gullahorn, Jill Phillips, Eric Peters, Bob Kauflin, Randall Goodgame, Ben Shive, Jeremy Casella, Matthew Perryman Jones, Steven Delopoulus, Matthew Smith, basically anyone associated with the Square Peg Alliance .

What theologians?
Mark Dever, J. Ligon Duncan, D.A. Carson, John Piper (I think he would be really good at this), Mark Driscoll, Matt Chandler, Tim Keller, Voddie Baucham, C.J. Mahaney, Sam Storms, Sinclair Ferguson, Phil Ryken, Joshua Harris, John MacArthur, Jerry Bridges, G.K. Beale, Wayne Grudem, Al Mohler, J.I. Packer, just to start.

But how would this work?
Here is how I see it.

Prayer: Any endeavor to produce something that both glorifies God and edifies the Church should begin here. And not just a short prayer but maybe a good hour or two of prayer.
Teaching: The theologians would prepare a subject they would expound on and discuss (like the categories you find in the back of hymnals), i.e. adoption, atonement, justification, sin, sacrifice, election, grace, etc. (Not that these song-writers don't know these things, they display very well in their lyrics that they know it very well.)
Creative Sessions: Song-writers would get together with the theologians and would begin to create. (Yes, I know song writing is not that easy.)
Checking: The songs would be read by the song-writers and theologians to check that the songs can lead people to worship in spirit and in truth. That the songs both capture the heart and engage the mind.

Now I know that the likelihood of this happening has about the same chance as the Cubs winning the World Series, but wouldn't it be amazing!!

Gospel Coalition Messages

2009-04-27T23:05:00.006-04:00

The Gospel Coalition just finished and they have wonderfully put up the video and audio online. If you only have time for two, make sure you watch/listen to Keller and Carson.

* Tim Keller, "The Grand Demythologizer: The Gospel and Idolatry" (Acts 19:21-41)
* John Piper, "Feed the Flame of God’s Gift: Unashamed Courage in the Gospel" (2 Timothy 1:1-12)
* Phil Ryken, "The Pattern of Sound Words" (2 Timothy 1:13-2:13)
* Mark Driscoll, "Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth" (2 Timothy 2:14-26)
* K. Edward Copeland, "Shadowlands: Pitfalls and Parodies of Gospel-Centered Ministry" (2 Timothy 3:1-9)
* Bryan Chapell, "Preach the Word!" (2 Timothy 3:10-4:5)
* Ajith Fernando, "Gospel-Faithful Mission in the New Christendom"
* Panel Discussion: Tim Keller, John Piper, Ligon Duncan and Crawford Loritts (chair: Stephen Um)
* Ligon Duncan, "Finishing Well" (2 Timothy 4:6-22)
* Don Carson, "That By All Means I Might Win Some': Faithfulness and Flexibility in Gospel Proclamation" (1 Corinthians 9:19-23)

Musicology

2009-04-25T10:55:00.004-04:00

This is the first of what will be a series of occasional post that will be about music that I am listening to. I found this because this week is the 209 anniversary of the death of William Cowper who penned "There is a Fountain filled with Blood," along with many other hymns. I was wanting to listen to it and found that I didn't have a copy. So I went to ITunes and started to look for one that I liked. When I heard the song done at the Together for the Gospel conference put on by Sovereign Grace Ministries I knew I hit the jackpot. It is Bob Kauflin leading them and he does a magnificent job. If you don't know the Sovereign Grace Music group you need to get to know them. They have a great set of God glorifying, God exalting music. You can find there music on itunes as well as here.

I Can't Do It

2009-04-23T07:03:00.007-04:00

There are many lessons in my life that are killers to my pride. Over the past, oh 29 years, I have struggled with an idea that I can do [plug in anything]. But thank God!, he has been reforming my ideas. This is a long and hard road. The road is not paved and there seem to be no rest stops. Yet, although this road is difficult it has guides, God's Holy Word and Holy Spirit.

By now you are probably asking "What are you talking about?" It is like this. God commands us with great and huge tasks that are incredibly weighty. Just think of how hard "Love the Lord your God" is to complete. Then He adds "with all your heart, soul, and might." I struggle to love my family, to tell the truth, and to think of loving my God more than that is a heavy weight contender slugging me. I try all the time to rely on my own strength to protect me, to save me, to make me happy, to give me rest and to love others. Yet, no matter how hard I try I fail all the time.

I am a big fan of Puritans. Men like William Cowper who wrote the song "There is a Fountain Filled with Blood", John Newton who wrote "Amazing Grace", and John Bunyan who wrote "Pilgrim's Progress". I think that John Bunyan captured what I am talking about best in a poem

Run, John, Run the law commands,
but gives me neither feet nor hands,
but better news this gospel brings,
it bids me fly and gives me wings.

Oh, how great a reality this is. OH, HOW GREAT THE GOSPEL!!! Of my own strength every step ends in a fall, but by his grace they end in victorious marathons.

Alan Greenspan, the financial crisis, and human nature

2009-04-19T21:57:00.003-04:00

A few months ago when I was watching the NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams I was surprised by an interview with Alan Greenspan. The interview was meant to help people understand why we are in this financial situation. As the interview seemed to be coming to an end Mr. Greenspan made this final comment:

"Somewhere in the future, we’re going to have this conversation again. It will not be for quite a period of time but it will occur, because the flaws in human nature are such that we cannot change that… It doesn’t work."

The government can do all they want, but according to Mr. Greenspan, it is rather useless because human nature is flawed. I was really curious how many people heard this. More how many people understood what he was saying. There is something fundamentally flawed in how we spend money and it is all connected to our nature.

Paul wrote to Timothy, "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs." Money is not the problem, it is the love of money that we need to be on guard against.

Therefore the only way to truly correct our financial problems is not to change the economic systems, but to change the nature of people. But sadly I must agree with Mr. Greenspan and say that we cannot change that. Therefore, we are reliant on one who has the ability to change the nature of human hearts.

Don't Waste Your Life Video

2009-04-19T21:33:00.002-04:00

Matt Chandler at the Desiring God Conference: Jesus Wants the Rose

2009-04-16T21:23:00.003-04:00

A Manly Pursuit: The Problem

2009-04-13T10:15:00.012-04:00

If you take a look at the church these days there seems to be something missing. Something that is very important to the life of the church. What is it? Men. There is a crucial lack of men. Not only are they missing in number but the ones that are there seem to be lacking in quality. I am not talking about all men in the church, but sadly it seems to be the vast majority. For those of you who are fulfilling your roles as men keep at it.

There are a few reasons that I have observed that have lead to this problem.

Bad example in the home. If you were raised in a home with a Christian father you most likely got a bad example. Our fathers were raised thinking that their job was to make sure there was bread on the table, clothes on our backs, we could throw a curve ball, and to make sure we were in the church when it was open. They took little to no interest in making sure that we had a personal relationship with God.

There are also those of us who grew up in a home where our father wasn't a Christian. In this case our fathers thought that their job was to make sure there was bread on the table, clothes on our backs, and we could throw a curve ball. Some would make sure we were in church on Christmas and Easter, but any other visit was uncommon.

Bad example in the church. The church has helped in bringing about laxidasical fathering. First, through age segregated Sunday Schools. If younger men are not spending time with older men how will they learn. The second problem is youth groups. We hire a man to come in and teach our youth for us. As Voddie Baucham states it in his book Family Driven Faith, "for 30 years we've said, 'Hey, we're trained professionals; don't try this at home." The problem is that fathers have listened. A family where the father leads a family in family worship and encourages each member to personally walk with God is a rarity. Finally, the older men in church either are unwilling or don't care to train up the young men. They feel that they have got their own kids to deal with and any other kids is not their job. They just want to make sure that those kids don't destroy the property and that they don't disturb others.
Loving lesser gods. I was shocked a few years ago while I was in an airport I picked up a leftover Sports Illustrated and started to flip through the articles when I came to an article on little league sports. The author, who was not a Christian, was talking about how when he was younger children sports were not played on Sundays for religious reasons. He stated how that has changed greatly and how families will travel all over the country so that their children can play a ball game. Then he made a shocking statement. He stated "God had fought with little league sports and God lost." Sports, hobbies, and social clubs are not wrong but when we spend more time concerned with them and very little time on making sure that our children are walking with God and understanding His word then we have been seduced with lesser gods.

The Bible is clear that men are to lead the family and to train their children to follow the Lord. As Moses says in Deuteronomy 6, “Hear, O Israel the LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise."

Not only do we need more men, we need more men to be real men. To be strong and courageous in leading the church and their families. My suggestion is that the men in my generation need to make a concerted effort to correct the situation. Will we be able to totally correct the problem? Most likely not, but the hope is that our sons will.

I invite you to join with me in this discussion. Your ideas and suggestions will be greatly valued.

A Friday Like No Other

2009-04-10T12:15:00.006-04:00

The day actually began the night before in a garden with a prayer. “Father, the hour has come." In John's account of the gospel he records events that are not allowed to occur because the timing was wrong.

The first is in the second chapter at the wedding in Cana. "On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother knowing who he is wants him to use his divinity to help the wedding party in an awkward social predicament. Strangely enough he does in the end help them out. But his comment seems to be saying it is not time to be glorified.

We next find him resisting the urges of his brothers in chapter seven. "After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill him. Now the Jews’ Feast of Booths was at hand. So his brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” For not even his brothers believed in him. Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil. You go up to the feast. I am not going up to this feast, for my time has not yet fully come.” After saying this, he remained in Galilee." This time it is his brothers. They want him to show off who he is. You can almost hear them saying, "You're doing this all wrong. Publicity is what you need, not secrecy." But it isn't the right time.

Next Jesus is preaching in the temple and what he says agitates some people against him. "So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, “You know me, and you know where I come from? But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know. I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me.” So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come." They hear what he is saying and understand that he makes himself out to be God. They want to arrest but they can't. Not because they can't find him, or he is too strong, but because it wasn't time.

Finally, in chapter eight after teaching on the Mount of Olives he returns to the temple and again his words do not settle well with some of the people. "Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” So the Pharisees said to him, “You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true.” Jesus answered, “Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. In your Law it is written that the testimony of two men is true. I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.” They said to him therefore, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come." The Pharisees are just wanting a reason to arrest him and so the true meaning of their question is for him to say plainly who he is. When he does they are infuriated and want to arrest him. But because the hour is not right they can not arrest him.

But here in the garden as great trouble is coming upon him and he understands that the time had come. The time for him to be betrayed by one who had been with him for years, to be tried in illegal courts, to be lied about and lied to, to be mocked, to be beaten, to suffer the full wrath of God, and finally to die a sinners death had come. But for what? What was the great purpose of the hour? Read it again, he tells us his purpose.

When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

The hour had come for the Father to glorify the son which would enable him to glorify the Father. He would pay the price and we would get eternal life. And what is that eternal life? That we would know God and Jesus Christ.

May we this day reflect all the more on work that Christ accomplished on the cross. How he suffered in our place, he paid the debt that we owed, and he redeemed us. He did not seek his own fame and glory when all the world pressed him, but he was obedient to do all things according to his father's plan. For his glory and our good.

Powered by Qumana

Great Book

2009-04-02T21:29:00.003-04:00

While on a recent trip I had a lot of time to kill. I could have seen all the sights but before I headed out to see them I ran into this book. I have been wanting to read this book for some time now and thought I'd skip the sights and go for something great. That is what this book is, great. It is the first time I have had the chance to read C.J., although I have several mp3 sermons of him. He is one of the many heros of the faith for me. While the book is easy to read and really stops to make you think, the hardest part will be to put into practice what he says. This is the second book I have read on humility, the first was by Andrew Murray. These books all have the same outcome, I realize how proud I am. This book was so good. It will definitely go in to the list of books I want to read and reread over and over. I hope that you can get a copy and read it for yourself.

Christian Sexuality

2009-04-02T02:14:00.003-04:00

I have just finished listening to these talks for probably the 4th or 5th time. If you are single or you are a friend of someone who is single I would suggest you give them these talks. They are great and very practical.

For the men:

For the women:

Listen to them and then listen to them again.

Glow in the Dark Jesus

2009-01-07T01:03:00.004-05:00

Ok, I normally try to stay away from posting this kind of stuff but I had to do something about this. I was looking through the BBC picture slideshow of Orthodox Christmas when I came across this picture of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. No my comment is not on the Russian President, but on the picture behind him. The one of Light Bright glow in the dark Jesus. When I saw this I made the same face as Mr. Medvedev. Is this really what we think he looked like?

A GREAT Gift for Kids (and anyone else)

2008-12-17T18:27:00.009-05:00

I had seen this book laying around my friends house and we had talked about it a few times. Having no kids of my own I didn't pay a great deal of attention to it. I had picked up a few times to look at the pictures. But the other day I was at their house to watch their three great kids as they went for dinner. That day I had seen that Andrew Peterson reviewed this book (found here) and was telling him about it. Right before they left for dinner my friend challenged me to read the last story.

They left and the kids and I ate dinner and then watched a episode of Planet Earth. After that the kids dispersed around the living room to play. I got up and grabbed this book, which has the marks of a well read book. Cover peeling and pages little bent. Their daughters saw me grab this book and walked up next to me and said "Read it to me Jeed." So I sat her on my lap and opened it up to the last story. As I read I was amazed. Although I had not read all the other stories I knew how they were presented. Lloyd-Jones present the Bible as it should be presented as a story. A story that is all about Jesus, from Genesis to Revelations.

My favorite part is how she describes the love of God. She says that it is the "never stopping, never giving up, unbreaking, always and forever love." That is it!!! Scholars have struggled to translate the Hebrew word for love and so we get the "covenantal love" or just "love." But She captures that love really well. That is such a great thing not just for the kids who read this but it was also a great thing for me to hear as well.

Welcome to the World!!!

2008-09-23T22:40:00.005-04:00

I would like to introduce you to my niece.

Born: Sept. 23, 2008

Weight: 7 lbs 3 oz

Length: 19 in.

Kadie (or Katie) Ryan Fraysur

She either wants to be a singer when she grows up. (Just missing the microphone.) Or she is getting ready to take on her big brothers.

Her big brothers, Cody and A.J.

So how'd I do?

2008-09-16T23:14:00.002-04:00

I said that I was training to run the Human Race 10k. Well I ran it on the 31st and came in 18,294th place. Finished the 10k in less than an hour and that is what I was hoping for. Now I am training for a half-marathon.

I did it!!!

2008-08-20T00:01:00.001-04:00

That's right I ran 10k with no stops. It is quite an amazing thing for me.

Running Report

2008-08-18T05:03:00.002-04:00

So, in the past month I have been busy running. I have even began to enjoy it. At first it was really hard. But there are many benefits. First, I am losing weight. Woo hoo. Starting to look like one handsome devil. Ok, not really. But I now need a belt to wear most pants. Definitely a plus. Secondly, I am getting close to being ready for the Human Race on Aug. 31.

Here are the stats according to my Ipod Nike+ thing.

Best Kilometer: 5:28

Best Mile: 9:14

Best 3k Workout: 17:07

Best 5k Workout: 29:03

Longest Workout: 7k

A day in the garden

2008-07-30T08:44:00.006-04:00

These pictures are a little old. But I was looking through my photos and ran across these and just wanted to share them with you. I really marvel in creation, my favorite being the stars, but I also enjoy nature. Every time I walk through a forest or a garden I want to stop and listen for the groaning. I always have to ask do I groan for what they groan for? When you look at art you can tell things about the artist and creation is no different.

New Toy = New Goal

2008-07-16T20:02:00.003-04:00

So I got a new toy. Why? A: I got talked into it. (Thanks to Danny & Pete) But the new toy is a Nano 4G. But I told myself that if I got the new toy then I have to train for something. So in the next twelve weeks here is what I will be training for.

The first thing I will be training for is the Human Race. I don't know if you have heard about it but it is a rather neat idea. The whole world will be racing. Or so the idea goes. Nike is putting on this race. There are cities where you can run and it is like a real race numbers, start finish lines, etc. Or you can just race where ever you are. I will be doing the later. The race is a 10k and I think that I should be able to do that by race day, which is Aug. 31.

But the second thing I will be training for is more of a long distance thing. So first I will do a 12 week training for a 10k and then I will move on from there. Once I get to the 10k I will let you know what the next step is.

If any of you are avid runners and want to give tips please feel free to leave comments. Also if you are running the Human Race let me know. Finally, if you have an account with the Nike+ thing tell me that way we can create a group or challenge one another.

My Nephews!!

2008-07-16T19:53:00.003-04:00

I wanted to take a little time and introduce you to the coolest little boys I know. I may be a little biased, being their uncle. But even if I weren't they'd still be the coolest. And some of the most handsome boys I have ever met.

Cody.

A.J.

Just a couple of studs.

Too cool.

This one's for you Mom

2008-05-11T09:12:00.002-04:00

By no means do I consider myself a poet. But for a woman who deserves great respect and much love I am willing to do all I can to honor her. I am greatly blessed by a woman that many people only know as Teena Harper. However, in this life I have been greatly honored to know her as Mom. Here is my best try to let her know how much she means to me, even though words struggle to compose the feeling I have for such a great woman.

She is my Mother

By: Jerod Harper

She sang the songs while I was sleeping,

She read the books while I was learning,

She is my Mother.

She is the shoulder that caught my tears,

She is the love that drove away my fears,

She is my Mother.

She is strength that keeps me standing,

She is peace when life’s demanding,

She is my Mother.

She is arms that I can run to,

She is prayer to see me through,

She is my Mother.

She is my sister in the faith,

She is a picture of God’s grace,

She is my Mother.

She has the beauty of the sunset,

She is the love I could never forget,

She is my Mother.

I thank God for her daily,

For I know that He made me,

The son of this wonderfully beautiful gracious woman,

She is my Mother.

When I grew up

2008-04-17T08:45:00.003-04:00

I was listening to a little country music tonight and it made me think of some things I think would be fun to share with you. Do you remember when you were little and people asked you what you wanted to be when you grew up? Well, here are some of the things I wanted to be….at not so little.

When I was a teenager I wanted to be a country music singer. I played guitar and I could sing. What else did I need? (Apart from a trailer home, a beat up truck, and a dog.) It made perfect sense. Like peanut butter and jelly, me and country music singer just went together. I still remember driving my brown beat up Bronco II around listening to Garth Brooks, George Strait, Clint Black, and others while singing at the top of lungs. Then went off to college and got distracted by studies and forgot to follow that dream.

Toward the end of high school I started to get interested in veterinary medicine (The dream of Country Music Singer came with a horse ranch. Ranches need vets.) I applied for a Pre-Vet program at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College in Miami (that’s My-am-uhh), OK. Everything was going well until I hit one small bump, chemistry. Not advanced, not organic, not molecular, nope regular chemistry. I couldn’t understand it. I do well in the sciences. But when you add math to science, you lose me. I really enjoyed microbiology, botany, zoology, but chemistry was my kryptonite. Now, I don’t know why but apparently you need to know chemistry to make animals healthy. There went that dream.

Well that is what I wanted to be. What did you want to be? Please leave a comment.

Seems to be my song.

2008-02-20T06:57:00.002-05:00

I don't know what it means but I seem to find myself playing this song on my guitar all the time. I highlight the parts that seem to hit home.

Danny and I spent another late night over pancakes,
Talkin' 'bout soccer
And how every man's just the same
We made speculation
On the who's and the when's of our futures
And how everyone's lonely
But still we just couldn't complain

And how we just hate being alone
Could I have missed my only chance
And now I'm just wasting my time
By looking around
But you know I know better
I'm not gonna worry 'bout nothing
Cause if the birds and the flowers survive
Then I'll make it okay
I'm given a chance and a rock
see which one breaks a window
See which one keeps me up all night and into the day

Because I'm so scared of being alone
That I forget what house I live in
But it's not my job to wait by the phone
For her to call

Well this day's been crazy
But everything's happened on schedule
from the rain and the cold
To the drink that I spilled on my shirt
'Cause You knew how You'd save me
before I fell dead in the garden
And You knew this day
long before You made me out of dirt

And You know the plans that You have for me
And You can't plan the end and not plan the means
And so I suppose I just need some peace
Just to get me to sleep.

New Book!!

2008-02-10T19:00:00.000-05:00

So I know that being so excited over a new book makes me a little bit like a nerd, but oh well I like books. Now by the title you may think why are you buying this book. But on the back it says "The perfect book for every boy from eight to eighty."
My mom actually told me about this book a few weeks ago and it made me curious. So when I was wandering through a book store and came upon this book I knew I had to buy it. I am so glad that I did. I haven't read a lot of it yet but it is such a fun book. It covers things like how to make go carts, paper airplanes, bow and arrows, etc. It is an awesome book for any boy, or boy at heart.
There is a section on how to make tripwires that I am looking forward to reading. However, my neighbors might not like it to much. You do have to try it on someone.

Ok, so you need an excerpt. This is from the section on "Advice about girls."

"Be careful with humor. It is very common for boys to try to impress girls with a string of jokes, each one more desperate than the last. One joke, perhaps, and then a long silence while she talks about herself..."

This is great. You should buy this for any boy you have, son or husband. Also there is a a book for girls. It is called the The Great Big Glorious Book for Girls. I am waiting till I have a girl to buy that one.

I finally did it!!!

2008-01-16T05:10:00.000-05:00

I have been trying for weeks to get up to this, but seems as though every time I get on the brink of doing it I get sick or have to go on a trip or something or anything comes up. Well this week even though I was sick since last Wednesday I did it. What did I do? I ran 5k!!!!(non-stop that is)!!!! And I did it in 38 min. Subsequently I then collapsed... ok just kidding. Now I know that a lot of you run 5ks all the time, but I don't. And I weigh something like 180 lbs and it ain't pure muscle. Yes, I am overweight, thus the running. So to get this 180 lbs up and running for 38 min is something like NASA putting a man on the moon (or at least making a man look like he is on the moon while really in a sound stage in L.A.). Ok, maybe not that big. But it is big for me.
So what next? Well I am going to try running 5k at least 3-5 times a week. If I can do that for a few weeks then I will think about 10k. But seriously doubt a marathon is in the works. Who really wants to run for that many hours?!! But well done to all who do. You have my respect.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-21T19:28:00.000-05:00

Well it is November, and not just any day in November, it is Thanksgiving. That day when many Americans will get together with friends and family to eat and talk and just enjoy their time together. We will eat too much and then promise that we won't do that again, but some how when Christmas rolls around we will forget that promise. And then tomorrow there will be a crazy dash to Christmas. Buying, eating, buying, worrying, returning items, eating, and then more worrying about buying more items that will most likely get returned. Ahh, tis the season. Well I hope for the sake of us all that some how we might set those things aside and honestly be thankful for what we have.

Happy Thanksgiving.

2007-11-14T18:44:00.000-05:00

This man was nice enough to sit still for the photo. He was a very nice man. He told me that he was 72 years old and I found it funny that I am 27. He was sitting watching his friends play cards on a cool afternoon in a village outside the city I live in.

Something to think about.

2007-10-31T10:31:00.000-04:00

I know that it is a little early and I really don’t know how this came to my attention but with Thanksgiving and Christmas coming it is something to think about.

• In developing countries nearly 11 million children die every year from preventable and treatable causes.
• In the United States 12.4 million children live in households where people have to skip meals or eat less to make ends meet. That means that one in ten households in the U.S. are living with hunger or are risk of hunger.
• Every day, almost 16,000 children die from hunger-related causes--one child every five seconds.
• In 2004, almost 1 billion people lived below the international poverty line, earning less than $1 per day.
• There are 150 million orphans in the world
• 8% of all children are orphans
• 42,200 children are orphaned every day
• 5.4% of all children will die before age one.

It gets worse. Here is where Americans spend their money.
• The average salary for an NFL player is 1.4 million dollars per year.
• The average salary for an NHL (hockey) player is 1.8 million dollars per year.
• The average salary for a Major League Baseball player is 2.7 million dollars.
• The average salary for an NBA (basketball) player is 4.9 million dollars.
• Tiger Woods received 10 million dollars for winning a golf tournament.
• In 2006, the average American family spent $2,376 on entertainment.

Are Thanksgiving and Christmas that important? Did you know a dollar a day can provide clean water for an African for a whole entire year?! (If you want to know more click on the “One Dollar Saves” picture above.) We should never ask what is wrong with the world unless we are willing to change it. That means giving all we can.

Is this really my life?

2007-09-17T19:46:00.000-04:00

Somedays I am amazed at where I am. If you would have asked me in high school where I would be in 2007 I would have told you that I would be living somewhere on a big farm raising animals and working as a veternarian. That was my dream in high school. I am so far from that. In that dream I would have lots of possesions, currently just about everything I own would fit into three large trunks. But would I trade what I am doing for that dream? Not at all.

When I was in high school I asked one thing from the Father. I asked that he would use me to make himself great. He has answered that ten fold. Most importantly he has made himself great to me. I love it. I continually get made smaller while he continually gets greater. It all comes from a combination of things, books I read, places I go, who he is, and how he continually reveals who I am. Let me explain.

The other night I was out in a village and it had gotten really dark outside while we were eating. After eating I stepped out side for some air. I always enjoy villages at night. That night was even better because there was no moon. Don't get me wrong I enjoy the moon, but the stars they thrill me. So there I was standing with my head strained back just soaking it all in. Millions, billions of stars. And that's when it happens and it happens everytime. The Father gently reminds me of his promise. "You know I told Abraham that I would make his descendants as many as these very stars." I just say "Yeah, and then you did. You always keep your promises." "You know I made them to rule the night." I say "Yeah and thank you so much for that. They are amazing." "You know I keep each and everyone of them burning at just the right temperature by the word of my power." I say "Yeah, you are great and greatly to be praise." The amazing thing about stars is that when you stare at them you feel incredibly small. And when you feel incredibly small he becomes incredibly huge. Well that's why I enjoy the stars.

One I Like

2007-08-25T08:15:00.000-04:00

I was going through my pictures and found this one. I really like this picture. It had just rained and I was out to see what I could take. This house was actually right next door to the place I was staying. I took the picture thinking that it would just be a fun photo. Then as I was sitting looking at it on my computer I got the idea to make the surrounding items b&w and just leave the VW green. I personally like it. It makes the green standout. (Click on the photo to make it larger.)

Random Poem

2007-08-22T21:54:00.000-04:00

Sweet is the song of Heavenly Reign,
it soothes my sorrow and heals my pain,
Sing loud my soul of Sovereign grace,
it mends my feet and sets my pace.