Don't Waste Your Life

I was viewing the blog of Michael and Rie Ardenz today. Michael is a ministry representative for Gospel For Asia in New Zealand, and his function is to raise support for GFA in his country. If I were ever going to work in the missions field, I believe that is what I would want to do as well. His livelihood is based upon donations, so take a look at his blog and consider supporting him. As you know, my belief in GFA is high.
While viewing his site, I was struck by a video they have linked: Don't Waste Your Life - Randy Alcorn
Here is a quote from the website: www.dontwasteyourlife.com "What is the essence of the unwasted life? I just mentioned it: A life that puts the infinite value of Christ on display for the world to see. The passion of the unwasted life is to joyfully display the supreme excellence of Christ by the way we live. Life is given to us so that we can use it to make much of Christ. Possessions are given to us so that by the way we use them, we can show that they are not our treasure, but Christ is our treasure. Money is given to us so that we will use it in a way that shows money is not treasure, but Christ is our treasure."
Good stuff.

Amish School Tragedy One Year Later

In response to the one year anniversary of the tragedy that occurred in the small school house in Nickel Mines, Pa, USA Today ran an article discussing a retrospective focusing on how the Amish community has responded to the event. The article is fairly well done, and includes Q/A with Steve Nolt author of Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy.
Within the article Mr. Nolt, who is Mennonite, relates that one reason that the Amish were able to so fully commit to forgiveness of the murderer is that they believe that in order to have their own sins forgiven, they too must forgive the sins of others..... I don't argue with that statement, but I will say that stated in that way, it places a great amount of emphasis on the thought, "I'm doing this in order to receive something in exchange." In actuality, my understanding of their motivations, and the motivations of other followers of Christ is more in line with this line of belief, "I have no right to judge others for their sins, because I myself am a sinner too. Furthermore, my Savior loved me despite my transgression so fully that He sacrificed His own life for me. Thus, it is a minor sacrifice on my part to forgive those who hate or hurt me. Any forgiveness that I afford is not to obtain forgiveness in exchange, but instead, is a response of gratitude to the One who has demonstrated amazing forgiveness to me already."
Once again, I encourage you to take a look at the responses to the USA Today article posted below it. Doing so provides some insight into how a lost world views Christians functioning as Christians. For some, it is hard to grasp the actions of forgiveness, but I can understand how confusing it may seem without the personal experience of forgiveness to form your perspective.

Too Close To Home

My wife and I saw Thursday night on the Lexington news that a local church youth group leader was arrested for seeking out sexual relationships with minors over the internet. We were saddened by this.
Well, the next day, I found out that I know the accused's father. His dad is by far one of the nicest guys I have ever met. The result of knowing the father made me shift my thoughts quite a bit. The short of it is this: If you are a Christian, your actions matter. You represent your family, church, the Christian population and our God.
Satan would have you believe that your sins are between you and God. The young man that was arrested will be spending some time in jail, and will live with some embarrassment. But the repercussions extend out to countless others. It's scary to think what an impact (negative or otherwise) that you may be able to create on so many others with your keyboard sitting alone at home in the dark.

Comments on Comments

I saw a post on someone else's blog that discussed the joys of blogging. One of the great joys that comes with blogging is having someone read your blog and make a comment on it. Even if the comment is, "I agree with that", it is great to get feedback.
The purpose of this blog from the outset was to function as a forum for followers of Christ. So far, however, it appears to have functioned primarily as a soap box for one voice, mine.
I really desire having your comments regardless of what they may say.
This would be a good discussion point: Do you ever comment? Why or why not? If you have a blog, how important are comments to you?
So, let's hear it. Hit the comment button.

GFA - Worth Checking Out

Back in June, I made mention of Gospel for Asia, and since that time, have received my free book from them and have read about 3/4 of it so far.
Listen to me. Regardless of your spiritual state, regardless of your views on world missions, regardless of how wise or unwise you think you are, it is worth your 5 minutes to receive this book. If you do nothing but read the first 2 chapters, it would be worth it to you.
I have never had any interest whatsoever regarding world missions. If you would have asked me to name the top 5 most boring church services I've ever attended, at least 3 of them involved listening to someone's slide show or other presentation of some missionaries. I am serious.
The author of this book, however, has got it right. His approach is right on, and I am energized to support him. Not just that, reading his book has energized me spiritually period. Its about paradigms. I think mine has shifted....in a good way.
Do yourself a favor, check it out.

Prayer for Sydney

Being a father of 2 young sons (4 and 2 years old), I have a keen sensitivity to matters regarding children. When Blake, my oldest, had to be hospitalized over a year ago and received an IV line into his little wrist, I could hardly bare the thought of my son being put through the ordeal. I argued with the nurses regarding whether it was necessary. Ultimately, I lost the argument, Blake got stuck and I nearly passed out.

Lena Brown emailed me today with a prayer request for a young girl going through a horrific ordeal. She has been battling neuroblastoma cancer for 3 years now. She had been in remission for 2 years. She had a lot of routine tests run last week and the test results were devastating. She has cancer back in her bone marrow, her spine, her pelvis, and a couple of places on her head. She will be starting chemo back tomorrow, but this is just a way of trying to keep it from spreading until they can come up with something else, which will be some sort of clinical study that may or may not help her. The one they are leaning towards is a study out of Vermont which will be a chemical they add to a normal chemo mixture and administer to her for a week then normal chemo the rest of the month. Only four patients have tried this study, two are still doing the treatments, two have passed away. There is nothing more the Dr's can do.

She feels great and is so full of life. The family didn't have a clue that this was back in her little system, because she laughs and cuts up all the time. She even comes out of an adult strength chemo session with a smile and asking for chicken nuggets. Her will power and determination to live far surpasses anything you have ever seen.

If there was ever a worthy cause for prayer, Sydney is it. I pray that God blesses you for your prayers regarding Sydney.

Comfort

Over the past 3 months, Debi and I have talked about how the Amish have got it right in terms of denying themselves worldly pleasures and conveniences and being rewarded by a richer family life and spiritual life.
A fellow blogger responded to the Gospel For Asia article and commented that he is currently serving with GFA in New Zealand. I checked out his blogspot and saw an article titled "Comfort" that really spoke to me. I thought I'd share it with you. Check out his whole site, there are some really remarkable photos and articles. Enjoy.
Here is a quote from the "Comfort" article....
“Comfort, that stealthy thing that enters the house as guest, and then becomes a host, and then master. Ay and it becomes a tamer, and with hook and scourge makes puppets of your larger desires. Though it’s hands are silken, it’s heart is of iron. Verily the lust for comfort murders the passions of the soul, and walks grinning to the funeral” - Kahil Gibran

Who Do You Serve?

Over the past few years, I've developed a much better concept of what hymnists, poets and song writers have meant when they wrote words to the effect that "This world is not my home" or "I'm just a pilgrim in a foreign land." As my walk has become closer to Christ's (granted I'm still way off), it has become more and more evident that I don't fit in here. This world is not rooting for me, and my welcome has long worn thin. Things of this world make less and less sense to me because my perspective on life has become more Kingdom focused and less world focused. Thus, the world perspective just does not make a whole lot of sense to me. (And when it does make sense, it usually indicates that I wandering the wrong direction.)
Once again, I am referencing Alistair Begg's daily devotional. Today, he discussed citizenship and Ephesians 2:19.
This devotional struck with me with the thought that the Christian Walk is not just something that is "a good idea", "nice to do" or merely morally correct. If you view your citizenship as being of heaven and your ruler as being God, then you're at risk of treason if you are bowing down to or serving someone or something else.
Who are you serving today? Personally, I can only say, "Thank God for Jesus."

"Pray For Us."

Allistair Begg's daily devotion today reminds us to pray for our pastors. In doing so, he cites I Thes 5:25 where Paul states "Brothers, pray for us." Begg goes on to relate how pastors/ministers are under amazing strains and pressures emotionally, spiritually, and often physically. Thus, our prayers are greatly coveted by them.
Additionally, it was pointed out at last years Prayer Conference that The Church of Satan teaches its members to bring their petitions against pastors, the government and pastors families. So, when you are praying for your pastor, remember his family as well.

E.M. Bounds - About Prayer

I have been praying for real for only the past 3-4 years. Over the past 3 years, I have developed a real appreciation for people who exhibit remarkable faith and/or remarkable gifts that were obviously God issued. That being said, one of my newest heroes is E.M. Bounds.

Here is a sample of some of his writings. I find his writing to be stirring, educational and containing an assumption that the reader wants to serve God with his whole heart.

"IN any study of the principles,
and procedure of prayer,
of its activities and enterprises,
first place, must, of necessity, be given to faith.
It is the initial quality in the heart of any man
who essays to talk to the Unseen.
He must, out of sheer helplessness,
stretch forth hands of faith.
He must believe, where he cannot prove.
In the ultimate issue, prayer is simply faith,
claiming its natural yet marvellous prerogatives --
faith taking possession of its illimitable inheritance.
True godliness is just as true, steady, and persevering
in the realm of faith as it is in the province of prayer.
Moreover: when faith ceases to pray, it ceases to live.

Faith does the impossible
because it brings God to undertake for us,
and nothing is impossible with God.
How great -- without qualification or limitation --
is the power of faith!
If doubt be banished from the heart,
and unbelief made stranger there,
what we ask of God shall surely come to pass,
and a believer hath vouchsafed to him
'whatsoever he saith.'"

Here is a great link to some excerpts of his writings: EM Bounds writings.
And if you liked that, here is a link to some of his complete writings.

Full Throttle?

Time for more confession. Another accurate description of me is "full throttle." No, I'm not a bundle of energy, but whatever I'm doing, I'm usually doing with laser beam focus with total disregard for what's going on in the rest of the world.
When I am geared up and serving the Lord, I am sold out for him. When I am geared up and working on a work related project, I am foaming at the mouth until it's done. When I am playing, I play hard. And when I am being a self-indulgent sloth, I do that with amazing zeal and with superhuman endurance.
Alistair Begg's daily devotion smacked me between the eyes today.

Praying The Names of God

Prayer Conference speaker Dr. Bud Fray shared with us that it is God's character to speak. Additionally, God reveals his character through his names. One can greatly enrich a prayer-life by recognizing, understanding and utilizing the different names of God while praying.
Here are two good sources to review to assist you in this regard:
AllAboutGod.com: Names of God Reveal Him

Praying the Names of God: A Daily Guide By Ann Spangler

Long Distance Race

Much of my life has been spent in a sprint. Spiritually, I've either been in a huge hurry to be God's servant or racing to please my flesh. Ultimately, I've fatigued of one or the other and then ran the race of it's counterpart. EXHAUSTING!!!! Especially for those in my life trying to keep up with me during it all.

Hebrews 12:1-13 describes the discipline that it takes to run a long race, which life is. In Alistair Begg's daily devotional today, he explores He explores Hebrews 12:2, and relates that the Holy Spirit's role is to turn our eyes from self and onto Jesus. Whereas, Satan is fully intent on us focusing on self, self, and more self.

Excerpt from the devotion: He (Satan) insinuates, "Your sins are too great for pardon; you have no faith; you do not repent enough; you will never be able to continue to the end; you do not have the joy of His children; you have such a wavering hold on Jesus."
During my sprints, Satan has been pleased with my rapid fatigue and the wavering and self-doubt that went along with it. The end result was fractured relationship between my heart and the Father.

But, check this out, there's good news. Here is some more from the devotion: Remember, therefore, it is not your hold of Christ that saves you--it is Christ; it is not your joy in Christ that saves you--it is Christ; it is not even faith in Christ, although that is the instrument--it is Christ's blood and merits.

So, whether you are riding a spiritual high sprinting hard for Jesus' sake or riding a spiritual low feeling separation from Christ and The Father, keep your eyes off of self and onto Jesus. Pray that.

If you want to read more of the devotion, here it is: Looking To Jesus

Gospel for Asia

I am not worthy of speaking of missions or the mission field, but Gospel for Asia really strikes me as a well structured, well thoughtout and extremely Christ-focused orgazination making a dramatic impact. 3 points that really grabbed my attention: 100% of dollars sent to field, focused on the unreached and the training/sending of native missionaries.

K.P. Yohannan is the founder and president of Gospel for Asia, a mission organization involved in evangelism and church planting in the unreached regions of Asia. K.P. has a introductory video online, and he appears well-centered in Christ. This video can be viewed by requesting a free book.

Mission and Distinctives
Our mission in life is to be devout followers of Christ and to fulfill the Great Commission among the unreached in Asia through training, sending out and assisting qualified laborers in partnership with the Body of Christ.

100 percent of Support Dollars Sent to the Field

When a donor sends in the monthly support for their missionary, nothing is deducted for administrative purposes--100% is sent directly to the mission field for its intended purpose.
Focusing on the Unreached

Our focus and goal as a ministry is to reach the 2.7 billion people in the 10/40 Window who have never heard about the love of God. In India alone, there are over 500,000 villages with no Gospel witness.
Training and Sending Native Missionaries

Native missionaries have few or no cultural barriers to overcome. They can readily share the Gospel with those who, unlike their western counterparts, have never heard. While national workers do face difficult obstacles as they take the message from village to village, they still have an enormous advantage over their coworkers from North America and other non-Asian lands.
GFA currently has 54 Bible colleges where nearly 9,000 students are preparing to become full-time church planters among those who have never heard.
Tremendous Results by God's Grace

Currently, more than 29,793 churches and mission stations have been planted by Gospel for Asia native missionaries where no church existed before. On average, our missionaries establish approximately 15 fellowships every day in Asia among unreached villages and people groups.
But none of this has come easily. Our native missionaries are paying a high price of suffering, hardship and intense persecution to see churches established.
The churches planted in each culture are truly indigenous in character, self-governing, self-propagating and, as soon as possible, self-supporting.
Training Tomorrow's Leaders at the GFA Biblical Seminary

Over 600 students now attend Gospel for Asia Biblical Seminary in India, where they are being trained to become devout followers of Christ and to fulfill the Great Commission in Asia.

The Many Faces of Biblical Humor

I have come across a book that seems to have captured some of the funniest items in the Bible.

The Many Faces of Biblical Humor examines how the Bible writers intentionally used humor, irony, and sarcasm to argue their points concisely. This work begins with the dysfunctional families of Genesis, continues delightfully through every book of the Bible, and ends with a glorious fulfillment in Revelation. Along the way, the reader is presented humorous stories, pathetically funny characters, and poignant quips and quotes from prophets, poets, and principals. The author paraphrases each biblical text in an engaging prose that highlights the humor of that passage – humor that may not have been previously noted by the reader. Between the paraphrases, the author sets the historical and linguistic setting, allowing the reader to see how the humor (and puns) of the text enrich the biblical understanding of God's message. Also included are applications of these marvelous passages to our daily lives as we see our own foibles portrayed in the biblical characters. In many ways, this is a Bible commentary with an accent on the humorous. In another sense, it is simply a delightful book that makes the Bible come alive through the latent humor of its characters and their stories.

Here is list of the authors favorite Biblical one-liners.

Silver Ring Thing 434

Apparently, there has been a youth group movement over the past few years called the Silver Ring Thing that is based upon I Thes: 4:34. It is a committment to service, relationship and abstinence until marriage.
Check out there website: Silver Ring Thing website.

Well, of course, service, relationship and abstinence is bound to upset somebody because we all know how terrible they can be when mixed together (humor intended - sarcasm). Sure enough, here is an article from FoxNews.com regarding a girl who is in trouble at school for wearing her ring. Silver Ring Thing girl trouble.

I have read this on the heels of reading an article where a school district has made a formal apology for trying to edit a photo of two homosexual males kissing from their school's year book. Now tell me, has the world just gone nuts or am I missing something here?

World Changers

Here is another organization to look at if you are interested in putting your faith in action and impacting the world around you.
World Changers is an organization that seeks to provide Christian youth and adults with opportunities to meet the physical and spiritual needs of others through practical learning experiences of servanthood and personal commitment to missions. Over 24,000 students and their adult leaders have committed to grabbing hammers, saws and paintbrushes this summer to make a positive change to the world one project at a time.
Participation is exclusively for Christians who have demonstrated spiritual maturity in their home church. Take a look at the stats page from 2006, and you will see why. They are not only making needed repairs to peoples homes, but allowing the Holy Spirit to repair broken lives through them.

Acts 1:8 Challenge

Acts 1:8: "And when the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will be able to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, all over Judea and Samaria, even to the ends of the world."

This month's edition of OnMission features a story describing the participation of a few churches in a program called Acts 1:8 Challenge. The feature story shares one pastor's comments that "We are a church of rednecks." And he goes on to say that they don't try to be something that they are not, and yet they have found that what they are consists of being a church that loves they the Lord, and they are living their love through their actions. It is inspiring to read about "normal" folks going out and doing the abnormal. They make it sound so easy.

Take a look at the story: OnMission feature story.

And take a look at the Acts 1:8 Challenge site.

Adopt An Annuitant

I learned about GuideStone Financial Resources via an article at the back of our church bulletin yesterday. Paul encouraged the Galatian believers to do something with their faith - to worship with their actions throughout the week as well as with their hearts and voices on Sunday. This organization's Adopt An Annuitant ministry allows you to make a positive impact for retired ministers and their widows.

Taken from The GuideStone website:
In 1918, the Board of Ministerial Relief and Annuities was born of a vision in the heart of Dr. William Lunsford. Burdened by the plight of retired Southern Baptist pastors and their widows, Dr. Lunsford sought to provide care for his brethren and their widows in their declining years. Decades later, GuideStone Financial Resources continues its commitment to Dr. Lunsford’s vision and to those who have labored in the Lord’s work by offering an array of personal investment, retirement, life, health, and disability plan option. But the realization of Dr. Lunsford’s dream is seen most clearly in the Adopt An Annuitant ministry.

Through the Adopt An Annuitant ministry, GuideStone provides financial assistance to retired Southern Baptist ministers, workers or their widows whose regular income is insufficient to meet their needs. Often, this small monthly income makes the difference in paying the electric bill or obtaining needed medications. The Adopt An Annuitant ministry relies on the support of churches and individuals to provide this vital assistance.

You can participate in this ministry by sending a gift, funding a Charitable Gift Annuity, designating the ministry as the beneficiary of your life insurance, will or estate plan, or requesting materials to share with others.

Movement

I have stumbled upon a guy's blogspot that I find remarkable and refreshing. He appears to be living a fairly heroic Christian walk. His profile states, "Joe co-leads an effort in Mexico City to launch missional Christ-centered movements on more than 400 university campuses before 2010. He joined the staff of Campus Crusade for Christ in 2003 and served for three years in Albuquerque, NM, where he launched movements with Latino students and athletes that are still active today. In 2006 he moved to Mexico City to work with "Enfoque Mexico", the Campus Crusade church partnership strategy he helps lead today. "
If you are interested in knowing what it takes to launch your own movement, here is a good starting point. "How to Launch Your Own Movement"
Regardless, if you are a regular blog reader, add Joe Cross' blog spot to your regular destinations. Check out his profile, because in addition to his personal spot, he is also co-blogger on a few other blogspots that are worth checking out.

What's InYour Wallet?

I have been introduced to a polling application by Brian Green, and thought it would be interesting to begin asking random questions from time to time to see what those of you who visit this blog think of different issues.
So, take a moment and take a look at the poll question in the right column. The poll is completely confidential, and I won't know who answered what. Furthermore, as soon as you make your choice, you will be able to see the current results of the poll.
It will be interesting to see how many of you actually participate in the poll.
Thanks Brian.

Pastor Einstein

This is a quote shared today by the CEO of the hospital where I work:
"Everything is determined, the beginning as well as the end, by forces over which we have no control. It is determined for insects as well as for the stars. Human beings, vegetables or cosmic dust, we all dance to a mysterious tune, intoned in the distance by an invisible piper." -- Albert Einstein
I've heard it said by non-believers that the belief in God is for small minded, ignorant sorts that feel a need to believe in something because of their inherent weakness. That's odd. I had never heard these terms used to describe Einstein before.
This quote and others can be found at QuoteWorld.org.

Biblical Humor

I love finding humor in the Bible, especially some of Jesus' exchanges with the Pharisee's (for example, "Why are you so concerned about the speck in your brother's eye when you have a plank in your own?"), and Jer 5:13 referring to some self professed prophets as speaking wind (flatulence) instead of words.
Here is a link to a page that explores Biblical humor in an in depth way: Biblical Humor.
It is not the easiest reading, but if you sift through it a bit, you will find some gems. Here are some examples:
Puns/wordplay – the naming of people throughout Genesis, such as Jacob and Esau (25:25–26); Jeremiah 5:13 plays on ruah , ‘word', ‘wind' (with implications of flatulence) in the mouths of false prophets.
Ambiguity – Haman is led up the garden path (Esther 6).
Sarcasm – Paul's anger at the Judaizers (Galatians 5:12).
Scatological references – Eglon's servants thinking he was relieving himself (Judges 3).
Mention of the taboo – sex and prostitution (Ezekiel 16:33); priests and prophets vomiting drunkenly (Isaiah 28:7–8).
Misfortune of others – Balaam humiliated by his donkey (Numbers 22); the Philistines' god Dagon flat on his face and the people covered in tumours (1 Samuel 5).
Absurdities/the ridiculousness of others – Abraham and son repeating old and increasingly silly errors (Genesis 12, 20, 25); arrogance of the builders in Genesis 11; bizarre and repetitive episodes in Samson's career (Judges 13–16).
The grotesque – Eglon's fat belly swallowing up Ehud's blade; Nebuchadnezzar reduced to an animal (Daniel 4).
Things unexpected, out of place or incongruous – a camel through the eye of a needle (Matthew 19:23–24); stagey bargaining in front of Sarah's corpse (Genesis 23); the Lord 's mockery of creatures asserting their superiority to their creator (Isaiah 10:15).
Irony – Jesus' teaching throughout the gospels; Philip's comment that nothing good comes out of Nazareth (John 1:46); Caiaphas noting that it is better for one man to die for the people (John 11:50).
Satire – against the king of Babylon in Isaiah 14; but also through Jeremiah and most Minor Prophets.
Parody/lampoon – the Lord 's mimicking of Pharaoh (Ezekiel 29:3–5); the Lord 's taunt to priests and prophets (Isaiah 28:9–10); Israel's priests are dogs calling for beer (Isaiah 56:9–12).

Total Eclipse of the Heart

Prior to beginning our Vision Committee meeting last night, I read this passage from Psalms 55:1-11 "1 Give ear to my prayer, O God, And do not hide Yourself from my supplication. 2 Attend to me, and hear me; I am restless in my complaint, and moan noisily, 3 Because of the voice of the enemy, Because of the oppression of the wicked; For they bring down trouble upon me, And in wrath they hate me. 4 My heart is severely pained within me, And the terrors of death have fallen upon me. 5 Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me, And horror has overwhelmed me. 6 So I said, "Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. 7 Indeed, I would wander far off, And remain in the wilderness. Selah 8 I would hasten my escape From the windy storm and tempest."
9 Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues, For I have seen violence and strife in the city. 10 Day and night they go around it on its walls; Iniquity and trouble are also in the midst of it. 11 Destruction is in its midst; Oppression and deceit do not depart from its streets."
The images these words convey are of pain, fear, hopelessness and misery. Now compare this imagery to the words offered in verse 22: "Cast your burden on the Lord, And He shall sustain you."
Both of these images are brought to life in drama, obviously created by a high school aged youth group, that I happened upon today. In light of the scripture reading last night and the topics discussed, this video seems very appropriate to share. Total Eclipse.

Scars of Life

Lena Brown shared this story with me today. The story itself may not be true, but the representation of God's love for us is. This is a story that I will likely share for a long time. Thanks Lena.

SCARS OF LIFE

Some years ago, on a hot summer day in South Florida, a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house. In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks, and shirt as he went. He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore.

His father, working in the yard, saw the two as they got closer and closer together. In utter fear, he ran toward the water, yelling to his son as loudly as he could.
Hearing his voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a U-turn to swim to his father. It was too late. Just as he reached his father, the alligator reached him.

From the dock, the father grabbed his little boy by the arms just as the alligator snatched his legs. That began an incredible tug-of-war between the two. The alligator was much stronger than the father, but the father was much too passionate to let go.

A farmer happened to drive by, heard his screams, raced from his truck, took aim and shot the alligator.

Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy survived. His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal. And, on his arms, were deep scratches where his father's fingernails dug into his flesh in his effort to hang on to the son he loved.

The newspaper reporter who interviewed the boy after the trauma, asked if he would show him his scars. The boy lifted his pant legs. And then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter, "But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because my Dad wouldn't let go."

You and I can identify with that little boy. We have scars, too. No, not from an alligator, but the scars of a painful past. Some of those scars are unsightly and have caused us deep regret. But, some wounds, my friend, are because God has refused to let go. In the midst of your struggle, He's been there holding on to you.

The Scripture teaches that God loves you. You are a child of God. He wants to protect you and provide for you in every way But sometimes we foolishly wade into dangerous situations, not knowing what lies ahead. The swimming hole of life is filled with peril - and we forget that the enemy is waiting to attack. That's when the tug-of-war begins - and if you have the scars of His love on your arms, be very, very grateful. He did not and will not ever let you go.

Meaning of the Flag at Military Funerals

Here is an interesting insight into the symbolic meaning of the folding of the flag at military funerals. It really brings to the forefront how seriously our founding Fathers held their Christian beliefs as an integral part of what our country should be about.
The folding of the flag is almost entirely about honoring God the Father and Jesus the Son........
The existence of the USA should be almost entirely about honoring them as well.
The Meaning of the Flag

Cozy With Sin

I have heard it said a multitude of ways: Your prayers are a reflection of what is in your heart. So, it can be said, if you are praying about selfish needs, you posses a selfish heart; if you are praying about fearful needs, you posses fear in your heart; and if you are praying about the Kingdom needs of others, you posses a selfless heart that is Kingdom focused.
I am definitely capable of being selfish and being fearful, but I would have to say that the obstacle that hinders my prayer-life on a most frequent basis and to the greatest degree is unconfessed sin. I'm not necessarily talking about any majorly thrilling sins that would be tabloid fodder, but just minor things that I allow to fester and thrive unchecked for a period of time. At times, it seems that we humans enjoy allowing certain little sins into our lives with an almost entitlement-type attitude. "I have worked hard, or I have been so good for so long, or this or that has happened to me, so I deserve to........." fill in the blank. And then, instead of recognizing our sinful nature, we just bask in that sin despite how miserable it may be making us.
It reminds me of a college dorm mate of mine who came to my room one night and announced, "I need to find me a bad habit; I just can't decide which one to choose."
Psalms 66:18-20 is a good example of the relationship of sin with an effective prayer life:
If I had been cozy with evil, the Lord would never have listened. But he most surely did listen, he came on the double when he heard my prayer. Blessed be God: he didn't turn a deaf ear, he stayed with me, loyal in his love.
Alistair Begg's daily devotional also hit on this topic reflecting on Psalms 97:10. He explores how cozying up with sin has the ability to wreck your life in so many ways. Here is a small excerpt:
You have good reason to "hate evil," for just consider what harm it has already caused you. What a world of mischief sin has brought into your heart! Sin blinded you so that you could not see the beauty of the Savior; it made you deaf so that you could not hear the Redeemer's tender invitations. Sin turned your feet into the way of death and poured poison into the very fountain of your being; it tainted your heart and made it "deceitful above all things, and desperately sick."

It's a Jungle

Taken from Weekly Devotional by Max Lucado:
The story is told of a man on an African safari deep in the jungle. The guide before him had a machete and was whacking away the tall weeds and thick underbrush. The traveler, wearied and hot, asked in frustration, “Where are we? Do you know where you are taking me? Where is the path?!” The seasoned guide stopped and looked back at the man and replied, “I am the path.”
How often do we get frustrated with not knowing the direction that God is taking us? However, usually we are most frustrated because we are not considering the direction that God is taking us, but instead, are focused on where our wordly "leaders" are taking us.
A large majority of the time, my times of frustration are a result of losing sight and faith in My Navigator.
If you are frustrated, irritated or discouraged, take a look at Psalms 46; pay particular attention to verses 1-5 and 10.

1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Selah 4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. 5 God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.
6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. 7 The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah 8 Come and see the works of the Lord, the desolations he has brought on the earth. 9 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire. 10 "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." 11 The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

Galvin

While looking and listening at the Free Music site, I heard a song that really caught my attention. I wanted to know who wrote and sang it, so I went to his site. What I found deeply moved me, and I would like to share it with you.
Galvin is a young Singaporean man who has recently come to Christ. His testimony is profoundly touching to me. You can read it at his website or view it a video explaining it. I recommend viewing both.
God has obviously blessed him with many talents including musical voice, composing, artistic ability....etc, but Galvin would likely tell you that his greatest blessing received has been God revealing Himself to Galvin and his family.

Debt Free

My wife and I are currently undertaking a major overhaul of our financial habits by implementing lessons learned from Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace seminar. One of the keys to accomplishing financial peace is removing debt and the tremendous burdens that debt can cause.
In this world today, it is very rare to find an adult that does not have debt. Furthermore, it is not uncommon to find adults that are absolutely overwhelmed by debt. I have been there, too. It is a desperate feeling to see the bills come in every month and having the realization that I am not in control of my finances. What a nauseating feeling to see the pile of debt and recognizing that your monthly income is greatly smaller than your monthly expenses. It is no wonder that finances are cited as the primary reason for most divorces and in the top 3 of reasons for suicide. WHY? Because, when you are faced with such an ugly monster that you yourself have created, there often appears to be no answer.
If this is where you are today financially, I highly recommend that you take a look at what Dave Ramsey has to offer in terms of regaining control of spending and reduction of debt.

NOW, imagine if someone would come to you and offer to accept all of your debt, and pay it all for you with no strings attached, no IOU. Imagine the relief. Imagine how it would impact you the rest of your life. Imagine how it would radically impact your family. Imagine the absolute freedom that it would give you to be the person that you would like to be and to do things for the ones that you love. Imagine how you would respond to that person that gave you such a remarkable gift. Imagine the joy!

Jesus Christ has done this for you!
The ugly debt of sin that we ourselves have created, that has no answer, that is corrupting the peace of our lives, that is interfering with our ability to give of ourselves to our loved ones, that is so amazingly overwhelming, and that appears to have no end in sight, HAS been paid in full upon the cross.
So NOW, imagine the relief. Imagine how it would impact you the rest of your life. Imagine how it would radically impact your family. Imagine the absolute freedom that it would give you to be the person that you would like to be and to do things for the ones that you love. Imagine how you would respond to that person that gave you such a remarkable gift. Imagine the joy!
Here is an excerpt from Alistair Begg's daily devotion for today:
We are now--even now--pardoned; even now are our sins put away; even now we stand in the sight of God accepted, as though we had never been guilty. "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."(Romans 8:1)

Max Lucado - Manna

Max Lucado - Manna From Heaven story

Max Lucado has always been one of my favorite Christian writers, and when I think of him, I have to think of my sister-in-law Renee. She is the one that introduced me to his writings. Renee does a fair share of writing herself, and after I read the above linked story, it struck me that Renee and Max both have the ability to relate to the reader through simply illustrated terminology and imagery.
I look forward to letting my kids experience the manna from heaven experience.

Get Service

If you've never been to SermonSpice.com, it is worth the visit. It is a for profit site that sales video clips that can be used in church services or at Bible study type events. There are a bunch of Mother's Day items available right now; some that are sappy and sentimental, and some that are just funny or thought provoking.

I have a bunch of favorites:
MeChurch - depicts a church that tries to bend over backwards to meet everyones needs.
Evangelism Linebacker-linebacker goes around tackling people who are not sharing their faith.
It's All About Me - worship singer sings selfish praise songs to himself.

Tonight, I found one that was profound. It has some Matrix or 6th Sense qualities to it. It is called Get Service, and it makes you wonder how different your response to the world would be if you really understood the needs of others.

What's In Your Offering Plate?

The topic of stewardship has been interesting to me over the past few years because a few years ago I learned that my long-held notion of stewardship was only partially right. In the past, as soon as someone said "stewardship" I immediately tuned out because I knew that they were talking about giving money, and I felt I already knew what I needed to know about that. Well come to find out, there is so much more to stewardship than the offering of money.
Likewise, there is much more to giving an offering to God than just putting money in the plate. Psalms 27:6 gives one example of this: ...I will offer sacrifices in His tent with shouts of joy. I will sing and make music to the Lord.
The Lord counts our praises as an offering as well. So, as you receive a blessing from God, voice your pleasure and thank Him sincerely.
Also, as you are singing hymns of praise and worship to God at church, remember that you are not just singing a song to set the mood for your worship or for your enjoyment/entertainment. Remember that you are offering Him your shouts of joy and singing as a sacrifice because your Creator is so deserving of the praise.

7 Words of Christ

Here is a well thought out look at the last 7 phrases uttered by Christ while on the cross.
Seven Words

National Day of Prayer - GFBC Event

Garrett FBC will be holding a National Day of Prayer evening prayer event tonight at 7pm. The primary focus of the National Day of Prayer is for praying Christians to unite to petition God on behalf of our leaders and those who are in authority over us, as we are instructed to do in 1 Timothy 2:1-2: "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty."
As you humbly come before the Lord and seek His face, please pray that these men and women will be granted divine wisdom, guidance and strength to fulfill their important roles.
For a better understanding of what the National Day of Prayer organization would have you pray, take a look at What To Pray.
Pay particular attention to THE FREEDOM FIVE just passed the midway point of the page.

The World is Not Your Friend

Yet another daily devotional from Alistair Begg. As you walk further and further following Christ, it would seem that the walk would somehow get easier. I haven't found that to be the case thus far. Based upon the writings of some the Christian "greats", I reckon an easier walk is just wishful thinking. I don't recall reading anywhere in Paul's writings where he states, "Everything is going just great now. The Lord has blessed me with vacation, sunshine and plenty of relaxation. Yep. Everything is great."
This daily devotional explores the concept that "the world is not your friend." So, when the world is not treating hunky and dory, don't be shocked. It's not really your friend.

Expect trouble, then, Christian, when you look beneath you. Then look around you. Where are you? You are in enemy country, a stranger and an alien. The world is not your friend. If it is, then you are not God's friend, for whoever is the friend of the world is the enemy of God. Be certain that you will find enemies everywhere. When you sleep, remember that you are resting on the battlefield; when you travel, suspect an ambush in every hedge.

Take a look at the entirety of this daily devotional. If you get half way through it and start feeling discouraged, overwhelmed and scared, take heart. The ending is good. The victory has already been decided.

Free Music

If you like praise and worship type music and you are a fan of not paying for stuff, check out 4Praise.com
This site has a 1000's of songs that can be downloaded or just listened to. Many of them also have lyrics, MIDI and chords available. I did not see a single artist name that I recognized or a song title that I recognized, but of the 10 songs I've listened to, 9 were good to great. The EVENTS page was very good, and has listings by state of Christian groups (that I have heard of) that are playing this year. While there, I saw that ApologetiX will be in Owensboro in July.

The 3 Young Trees Parable

The following story was taken from the daily devotional page at Persecution.com, which is the website for The Voice of the Martyrs which is an interdenominational organization working with Christians around the world who are being persecuted for their faith in Christ. They have over 30 offices around the world with staff members from many different denominations, all working with the common goal of helping the suffering church.

The Parable of the Three Young Trees
In a forest one day, three young trees all agreed to pray that they would be used for some noble purpose rather than decay from old age.

The first tree wanted to become a manger where tired cattle could feed after a long day’s work. God rewarded the tree for having such modesty. It became a very special manger—the one in which the Son of God was laid.

The second tree prayed that it might become a boat. The prayer was answered, and soon its fine wood sheltered a very special passenger—the Son of God. It heard Jesus calm a fierce storm by saying, “Peace, be still.” The tree counted its life as worthwhile in order to witness such a scene.

The third tree, however, was made into a large cross to serve as an instrument of suffering. The tree was initially deeply disappointed in its fate. However, one day Jesus of Nazareth was nailed to its limbs. Strange, but the cross did not hear groaning and cursing as on other crosses. Instead it heard the Son of God offer words of love and divine forgiveness —words that opened paradise to a repentant thief.

The tree then understood that its part in the crucifixion of Jesus provided for the salvation of humankind.

Devout Non-Belief

I don't know if I was naive, ignorant, blind, shielded, deceived, non-perceptive, or just did not pay attention in the past, but until recently I always thought that people could be classified fairly easily: either they were theists (believed in a supreme being) or were atheists. And with the latter classification, I believed that the non-believers either had never really heard a believable form of theism or had heard it and rejected it. End of story.
I have recently seen more and more indications that many non-believers are not merely just non-believers. They are, in fact, ardent, devout, pious, fanatical, staunch believers of their non-belief. I have come across article after article, blog comment after blog comment, YouTube video after video, etc., of some non-believer spewing their non-belief beliefs. In a sick way, it is somewhat humorous to me to think of this spewing non-believer as being the identical twin of the Bible thumping Holy-roller that he so greatly despises. It would make a great comedic movie having some poor average Joe living in a home directly between the two.
My point is this... There is a very intelligent, highly motivated, highly dedicated, overly ardent, mobilized army of non-believers that are progressively becoming highly organized, focused and committed to their ideals and beliefs. They are not sitting back and being merely humored by "those silly Christians and their ridiculous beliefs." No. They are, frankly, quite upset with the God believing people of the world, and believe that a majority of the world's problems have either been created or have been perpetuated by God-believers.
There are multiple concerns that could be discussed regarding the organization of non-believers, but I want to address 2:

1.) With organization comes political persuasiveness.
2) The non-belief promotional information seems to multiply daily in mass and in creativity.

Regarding #1, take a look at FFRF which is The Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc. The FFRF is an educational group working for the separation of state and church. Its purposes, as stated in its bylaws, are to promote the constitutional principle of separation of state and church, and to educate the public on matters relating to non-theism. This is one organization and one website among a multitude of similar ones. It is nearly impossible to Google a religious type keyword without getting hits by one of these type sites. More importantly, the organizations and sites, for the most part, are not fly-by-night type ventures. They are well thought out, well articulated and highly persuasive.
To understand what I'm sharing regarding #2, take a look at a site like GodTube.com and read the comments that follow some of the content. You will find comments from people who are ranting regarding their agenda of non-belief, and often the comments have very little or nothing to do with the content of the video. Or, go to a site like YouTube, and search for Christianity content. You will find, again, very well thought out, well articulated, highly persuasive and extremely creative God-belief bashing.
It would appear that, in a world desperately in need of a Saviour, the pathway to the Way, the Truth and the Light is becoming increasingly harder to perceive.
So, if you, as a Christian, believe that you are serving God to your fullest by attending church services on Sunday mornings, praying on occassion and reading some scripture, maybe you could learn something about living an active life of belief by studying the life of some of these flag-waving non-believers. Just a thought.

Please Don't Give Me What I Deserve

As a teenager, I wrote a poem in which the subject is crying out to God, complaining about how miserable his life has become and how unfair God has been to him so far. He then yells out, "God! Give me what I deserve!" Well, God hears that prayer, and rewards him with Job type tribulation, and each possession and relationship that he was given to him by God is taken away. The final line has God telling him, "You do not even deserve your life."
This morning, I was reminded of this poem by Alistair Begg's daily devotional, "AND ALL THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL GRUMBLED." In this devotional, Alistair discusses the grumblings of Christians today and throughout history. Within the devotional, he asks the question, "Are you punished as severely as your sins deserve?"
That is a sobering question to ponder when you feel that you need to grumble to God about how unfair he has been to you.

Trading My Sorrow - Amish Style

As a result of my wife's cousin Marlene living near and spending much time with many of the Amish in an area not far from Fort Wayne, Indiana, I have recently developed a particular interest in learning about these seemingly odd people.
My previous knowledge of the Amish was much like yours probably is. My first real memory of the Amish came from a Weird Al video, "Amish Paradise." I've heard comedians make fun of their life choices such as not using automobiles, phones or modern appliances. I always assumed that these folks were just idiotic. .....I now fully believe that I am idiotic. We all are.
The Amish got it right. They are not idiotic. They are living life at a pace that is much more conducive to having real relationships with our Maker, our spouses, our families and our friends and community. What kind of relationship do you have with your community? Chances are, the answer is "What relationship?"
Prior to singing "Trading My Sorrow" last week, I shared a story that was told by Richard Blackaby in which the pastor of a church in South Africa was shot by one of his own members in the church. The gunman then killed himself. The wife of the pastor demonstrated her love for her Lord and Savior by insisting that the church family embrace, comfort and financially assist the family of the killer as they were doing to her. She traded her sorrow and pain for the joy of the Lord.
I am sure that few do not recall the shooting that took place Oct 2nd, 2006 in a one room school house in Amish Country in Lancaster, PA. The killer, Charles Roberts IV, killed 5 and injured 5 young girls 13 years of age or younger. He then killed himself.
Once again, in this modern world where we are so smart, and the Amish are so backwards (sarcasm is intended), the Amish got it right. Here is a link to how the families of the victims responded. Amish Response
And, here is a link to how the family of the killer responded in kind. Roberts Family Response
Honestly, I have no idea how I would respond if faced with the tragedy that these folks experienced. But, I do know that I fully believe that the way they responded served God, the Roberts family, the victims, the survivors and themselves in the most positive way. That is a true living breathing example of living by faith. The actions of those fine people spoke volumes more regarding God's love, God's mercy, God's strength and Christ's ability to heal than any book or sermon ever could present.

Camp Nathanael

My wife, Debi, and I took part in a "Couples Retreat" at Camp Nathanael in Knott County, KY this weekend. It was an excellent experience for us, and will likely be an event that we will look back on years from now and say, "That really made a positive impact on our relationship." This event takes place annually, and is held the last weekend of April. If I remember correctly, this was the 16th such event held here. Our cousins Tim and Kim, who invited us to attend, have been to the retreat 13 different times, and plan on returning as many more as the Lord will allow.
The retreat was remarkable for many reasons: excellent speaker, thought provoking knee slapping skits, excellent subject matter, excellent food, calming environment, fun activities, excellent food, great accommodations, lots of laughter, great worship music, great staff, great fellow retreaters, and did I mention excellent food?
I highly recommend that all couples consider attending this event next year. Further, I recommend that you go to the Camp Nathanael website, and learn more about this amazing place that has been performing an amazing ministry for 75 years now. They have events going on year round for all age groups. I will be creating more posts in the future regarding events.

Why Pray When I Can Worry?

One of the speakers at the Great Commission Prayer Conference summed up a lot of prayer lives as being like a relationship with a vending machine. In essence, utilizing prayer only when a need arises.
Unfortunately, the reality is that at times many of us don't have a praying relationship that meets that meager standard. I will be the first to confess that I often seek God's help regarding issues only after I've already exhausted every other possible solution. I was just beating myself up regarding that very issue yesterday, and lo and behold, look what Alistair Begg's daily devotional discusses:
It is strange how little use we make of the spiritual blessings that God gives us, but it is even stranger that we make such little use of God Himself. Though He is "our God," we scarcely give ourselves to Him, and we ask so little of Him. How seldom do we seek counsel at the hands of the Lord! How often do we go about our business without seeking His guidance! In our troubles how we constantly struggle to bear our burdens ourselves instead of casting them upon the Lord, that He may sustain us!
Take a look at the entire article and the related scripture. And, seek Him today in faith with your cares, worries, stresses, pains, decisions and needs. Daily Devotion

I'm Trading My Sorrows

Sunday, we will be singing I'm Trading My Sorrows in church. The message of the song is clear, "Give it up to the Lord. Regardless of what happens to you in this world, he's got better things in store."
While singing this song, I recognize that all the trials, pains, ills, hurts, sorrows and shame that I may suffer today can be used for God's good someday. Thus, my prayer is "Here I am God. Use me."
Take a look at the song's author's motivation for writing it at Trading My Sorrows

National Day of Prayer

Coming off our recent 24 hour prayer and fasting vigil Easter weekend, our church seemed to have a much needed shot in the arm in terms of seeking God's face. This past week, however, has seen many challenges, not the least of these being the flooding that prevented us from holding services on Sunday or the emotional/spiritual baggage associated with being bombarded by the tragedy at Virginia Tech on Monday. With adversities, as we have seen, comes the additional responsibility of a praying church to increase their emphasis on seeking God's Will through prayer, fasting, scripture reading and meditation.
The National Day of Prayer will be held on May the 3rd. Our pastor has requested that we consider holding another 24 hour prayer and fasting vigil in honor of this day. So, you may be asking, "What is this Day of Prayer thing?" Well, here is a site to go to in order to learn more about it.
National Day of Prayer
Their mission is simple "The National Day of Prayer Task Force's mission is to communicate with every individual the need for personal repentance and prayer, mobilizing the Christian community to intercede for America and its leadership in the five centers of power: Church, Education, Family, Government and Media. "
Take a look at the history of the National Day of Prayer: History of NDP
Additionally, you may look at NDP Event Search to find a prayer event near you.

Below is the listed event that is closest to us:
Pikeville's Noon Event
Additional Information:
The public is invited to meet at the gazebo in the City Park. The DAVA will present colors. The Ministerial Association president will introduce prayers for our Families, our Churches and our Nation as people gather in groups to pray.
Location:
Pikeville City ParkCollege StreetPikeville, KY 41501
Start Date & Time:
05/03/2007 12:00 PM
End Date & Time:
05/03/2007 01:00 PM
Coordinator:
Debby Bailey (606) 424-1669 debby.bailey@wcg.org
MapQuest directions

ApologetiX song video

I found a video made to the Bethlehemian Rhapsody. Very funny. Watch the whole thing including the credits.
god-wins-every-battle

Amazing Grace

I attended a Promise Keepers conference in 1995 at RFK in Washington DC. It was a spiritually transforming weekend for me and for thousands of other men. There were over 52,000 men in attendance at the event, and it was a thing of wonder to hear us all singing together praises and adorations to God.
One song that I remember singing was Amazing Grace. It was lead by a man named Wintley Phipps and literally transformed that football stadium into a heavenly place on earth. He shared his interpretation of the origins of the song. I have shared this story with multiple people over the past 12 years. Well tonight, I ran into a video of that very night at RFK, and if you will click on Amazing Grace, you can be transported back to 1995. Look carefully. I was sitting on the field section on the right, towards the middle, in the 6th to last row. You just might see me. Remember though, back then I had hair.

Cosmic Chicken

It seems the Cosmic Egg that was the birth of our universe logically requires a Cosmic Chicken...

I love that quote. I don't care who you are, that's funny!!! Take a look at the article that contains it.

Purpose Driven Life in Neutral?

Anyone who has experienced 40 days walking through the Purpose Driven Life book of Rick Warren's may be able to tell you what their purpose in life is. Hopefully so.
However, based upon postings on sites such as YouTube.com, and the like, one of the major turn offs that the unchurched world has with the churched world is that the vast majority of the churched world really doesn't have a very firm grasp of what their purpose is, what they believe and why. There are multiple individuals that I've seen on YouTube.com, who submit, on a regular basis, video discussions in which they rip to shreds an individual Christian's beliefs utilizing passages from a book that the Christian was not real clear on.....The Bible. These non-believers' biblical knowledge blew the Christian's knowledge away, and the non-believers were able to expose the Christian's lack of knowledge and lack of conviction. The non-believers sum up their videos with "the moral to this story is: Christianity is bonkers because it's followers have no clue what they believe."
This is unsettling to me on so many different levels. However, tonight I have spent some time reviewing short-clip documentary type videos created by a group of Christ followers at a site called Highway Video. (Look in the "Classics" section.) A majority of the 2-7 minute clips were simple roving reporter type films in which a guy with a mic would stop people on the street and ask various questions. Among the questions were: Do you pray?, What happens when you die?, What does it mean to be a Christian?, Is it always okay for 2 consenting adults to have sex?, Are people evil?, Why don't people go to church?, and How do you connect with God? The one that compelled me to create this post was, "What is your calling?"
The answers that were given to this simple question made me realize that humans, regardless whether they are of faith or not, really don't spend much of their time investing in meaningful soul searching pursuits. We are so caught up in the temporal issues that we are unable to even give hardly a moment of pause to something that would seem so vastly more important, such as "Why are you here? What is your purpose?"
Now most of us think that we know what our purpose is, but take this test: Write or record your purpose in five minutes or less. A majority of the people polled in the video, when initially approached with the question, "Do you have a calling?", the answer was absolutely "YES", but when questioned further with, "What is your calling?", these same folks obviously had never really given it any thought before or had become so far removed from their calling, they couldn't remember what it was.
In addition to non-believers not knowing their purpose, they also demonstrated a very poor understanding of what they did believe when it came to things such as life after death, morals, prayer, or the existense of a Creator. A majority of the answers sounded something like this, "I've never really thought about it all that much."
Now for the point. If Christianity is bonkers because a certain number of its believers are not fully clear on what they believe and why, then Non-belief is bonkers for the same reason. In reality, it would serve us all to spend some meaningful time understanding why we believe what we believe and having a clear understanding of what our individual purposes are.
If you would like to start today, here is a good starting point: The Purpose Driven Life.

How Great Thou Art

Tomorrow, we will be singing "How Great Thou Art" in church, and I was reviewing the lyrics to the song when I was struck by what a perfectly balanced song it is in terms of presenting a picture of who God is.

• Verse 1:

O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder

Consider all the works Thy hands have made.

I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder,

Thy power through-out the universe displayed.

Refrain:

Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee;

How great Thou art, how great Thou art!

Then sings my soul, My Savior God, to Thee:

How great Thou art, how great Thou art!

• Verse 2:

When through the woods and forest glades I wander

And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;

When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur

And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze:

(Repeat Refrain.)

• Verse 3:

And when I think that God, His Son not sparing,

Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;

That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,

He bled and died to take away my sin:

(Repeat Refrain.)

• Verse 4:

When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation

And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!

Then I shall bow in humble adoration,

And there proclaim, my God. how great Thou art!

(Repeat Refrain.)

It starts off with a description of God as a mighty Creator and powerful being, moves on to discussing the beauty and grandeur of his creations, then discusses His amazing grace and love for us as demonstrated through the Gift of His Son, and finally, describes His Awesome Power over sin. He is worthy of us bowing down and humbly adoring Him. My God. How great Thou art!

My appreciation for these lyrics lead me to research the origin of the hymn. I came across the following site....
How Great Thou Art
The history of the song is worth reading. The site that contains this history is called
AllAboutGod.com. It has some well developed resources and materials for Christians, and looks like a great place to nudge anyone towards that may be curious about what this "Jesus stuff" is all about.

Probability of Earth Not Created By Supreme Being

If you have ever wondered what the chances were of Earth just randomly being formed by some fluke of a celestial event such as the Big Bang take a look at this site.........
Theory of Relativity Video
I was a biology major in college, and I remember learning some of the things discussed here, but I've never seen it put together so logically. The world would have us believe that by believing in a Creator, we are being illogical, silly, foolish, simple minded and unscientific. If you take a look at what scientists say in regards to just how amazing our planet and existence is in the grand scheme of things, you would have to surmise that anyone that did not believe in a Supreme Creator must be illogical, silly, foolish, simple minded and unscientific. As our pastor has said, "If you don't believe that God created the earth, let me shake your hand because you obviously have a great deal more faith than I do." Faith, that is, in a theory that has about a one in 1,000,000,000,000,000 opportunity to be accurate at the very best.
After you watch the video, check out the site. It has much to explore. Feel free to invite to the site your scientific minded friends or family members who think that you are illogical, silly, foolish, simple minded and unscientific.

Johnny Lang

For those of you who have never heard of Johnny Lang, he is an incredible musician with an incredible story. He received his first guitar when he was 13 and by the time he was 15, he had a Platinum album, "Lie to Me." Lang spent his teenage years with guitar legends like B.B. King and Buddy Guy and toured almost non-stop with the Rolling Stones, Aerosmith and Sting. Altogether, he’s recorded five albums and earned a Grammy nomination.
Running with a crowd like that was probably a blast, but it had it's price, too. He became addicted to alcohol and drugs, and was fascinated with magical religions. He was as far from wanting a relationship with God as you may possibly imagine........ God chose him.
His testimony of his salvation is remarkable. It is evidence that you need to keep praying for those souls that you've been praying for. God can move anything or anyone.
Take a look at Johnny Lang's Testimony and see if you don't agree.
Also take a look at his website.

Praying Scripture

I came across a bulletin board at ourchurch.com with a multitude of discussion points. In our efforts to diminish the quantity of temporal and self-centered prayers, shifting our focus to praying scriptural promises and praying for the kind of things that Jesus and the Apostles prayed for can only help. Here is an excerpt from the bulletin board. Click on "praying scripturally" to see more.

PRAYING SCRIPTURALLY
-Ask the Lord to send the people He wants to the fields He wants them in - Luke 10:1-3
-Ask the Lord to send hard working people to spread the Gospel -- - - Luke 10: 2
-Ask the Lord to give us opportunity to share the Gospel - Col.4:1-3
-Ask the Lord to give us the right words and the right way to say them - Col. 4:4
-Ask the Lord to make us bold but loving in our deliverance of the Gospel - Ephesians 6:18-19
-Ask the Lord to keep the government from interfering with the church, the ministers, and the
deliverance of the Gospel - 1 Timothy 2:1
-Ask the Lord to keep each minister/laborer shielded from their enemies - Romans 15:30
-Ask the Lord to help us believers to accept His Word when we hear it - Romans 15:29-30
-Ask the Lord to help us believers live clean lives above reproach - 2 Corinthians 13:7
-Ask the Lord to help us to remain constant in prayer - 1 Thes. 5:17

Fear of Change

Henry Blackaby's daily devotional for 4/11/07 shares insight into the fear of change. Sometimes the fear is more deeply rooted than just the typical, "We can't do it different.....We've always done it this way." Sometimes the fear is a demonstration of resistance due to a heart that wants what it wants when it wants it.
Ask yourself the question, "Am I only being obedient when it fits my needs or is in my comfort zone?" What blessings are we missing out on because we are holding on to something else. Jamie Martin shared an old prayer request last night that sums it up pretty well.
"Lord, keep me in Your Will so that I'll stay out of Your way." Amen.

ApologetiX

Anyone who loves the sound of secular music (but not necessarily the message), has a sense of humor, loves new ways of learning scriptural truths, and has found at least one of Weird Al's songs entertaining MUST check out this site and this band.
ApologetiX - parody band
I have heard two of their songs on XM-radio, "We're a parody band" (sung to the tune of Grand Funk Railroad's "We're an American band") and "Meshach" (sung to the tune of "Love Shack" by the B-52's). Both songs were very well done musically and lyrically. Both contained scriptural references. They were humorous but not overly edgy or offensive or disrespectful to The Word.
I have not heard but have seen the lyrics to their version of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody."Their version is "Bethlehemian Rhapsody" and tells the story of David and Goliath in rock-operatic fashion. Hilarious lyrics. I look forward to hearing it.

Roland Martin - Where did he come from?

I don't know where Roland Martin came from, but I am very impressed with his ability to land himself on a big market channel like CNN primetime on a Friday night and discuss Christian matters with major Christian figures for an hour. Very impressive! His show Friday night included TD Jakes, Paula White, Jerry Falwell and Rick Warren (Purpose Driven Life), and a majority of it was spent discussing the same issues that were discussed in his editorial Friday morning. The common theme throughout the show as "If Jesus where here now, how would he handle today's issues?"
Rick Warren stated that he thought that He would spend a great deal of His time with HIV/AIDS patients and referred to them as the "lepers of today." Interesting.
My overall take on the hour long show was that it was managed very well by Martin, allowed for some pointed discussion regarding real issues facing Christians and the world, and did not appear to be watered down nor overly slanted.

Winter Easter Wonderland

Easter Egg Hunt 2007 occurred today at GFBC during a virtual blizzard. There were approximately 25 kids in attendance. We had all pretty much decided that it was too cold to hide the eggs outside, and had elected to hide them inside and just make the best of it. Well, while the kids were eating hotdogs, the sun came out and the wind calmed down. It was actually quite pleasant outside if wearing a jacket. So......... we decided to move the festivities outside and proceeded to scramble outside to hide eggs. After we had "hid" about 80% of the nearly one billion eggs that we had, the sun disappeared, the wind picked up to hurricane strength, the temperature dropped to seemingly -30 degrees and it began to snow your typical April blizzard quantities of snow. I say "hid" because we basically littered the ground with them all.
So, as you may guess, we were faced with a moral, ethical and potentially legal dilemma: Do we send our children out into the blizzard conditions to collect all types of candy and noise making, choking-hazard type toys that no parent would want to give a child? Or do we chalk it up as just one of those humorous twists in God's grand plan for our lives, keep our beloved children in the warm safety of the church facilities? Needless to say...........we then decided that since we had desecrated the church grounds with plastic orbs, that we may as well clean up our mess, and we couldn't possibly find anyone more willing or energetic about cleaning up such a mess as a bunch of 2-12 year old children who conveniently had presented to the occasion equipped with baskets that were ideal for the retrieval of such items. You bet!!!! We bundled them all up, pushed them out the door and sent them out in pursuit of the plastic treasures.
Granted, I am from South Texas, but it was a very surreal experience watching an Easter egg hunt during a winter weather advisory. I am pleased to announce that the kids absolutely had a ball. They were cackling with laughter as they scrambled around through the snow drifts. When it was all said and done, you just had to smile with a satisfied feeling that you have created some amazing memories for a bunch of kids. So, a few of them lost a finger or two to frost bite, but that just gives them another way to cherish the event that was Easter Egg Hunt GFBC 2007!
By the way, I have disposed of all photos and video of the event due to fears of social services interventions.