Searchings from a New Heart

At The Lord's Table

2010-10-01T08:10:00.000-07:00

The sight of His blood of sin it reeks
The broken body crying out with grief

Crushed by His Father indeed was He
The spotless Lamb atonement He brings

Feel the healing as it flows
Down from the cross skin unfolds

A broken body never before seen like this
The cry of the cross God's wrath it stills

A river deep and wide
Crimson it flows from the Savior's side

The full cup of wrath He drank
From the cup of salvation now we drink

Never before has love been displayed like this
A Father exchanged His Son for the enemies of His

Sin stands in the way of His love
Give Me My child in the thunder is heard.

Song: Our God Is Anong Us

2010-07-16T23:49:00.000-07:00

(1st vs)Our God is among us/ pour out your heart to Him/ because He hears, He hears/ the ransomed of heaven/ call upon His name/ because He hears, He hears/(chorus) our God is not deaf/ He has not turned away His ear/ He is not slow to answer/ when prayer is according to His will/(2nd vs)You can call upon the Lord/ you can cry out and He will say/ I AM here/ I'm here/ There is no confession/ there is no sin/ that would keep Him from hearing/ hearing His friend/(chorus)/(bridge) who is like the Lord/ He's matchless in power/ there's no other Name/ that's been given all the power/(3rd vs- 2X) who can find the end/ to the immeasurable greatness of His power/ toward us who believe/ o believe!

Searchings for self: Life

2010-06-28T22:02:00.000-07:00

Life... Who is it? Where is it? What is it? Can it be reasoned in the depths of philosophy? Can it be found in the passions of theology? Are we left to figure it out on our own? Is there a perfect mold? Can it even be said that someone lived a perfect life? How and when can this be? Is it automatic or pursued? Can life be lived simply or does it have to be lived extravagantly? Who is it that decides what it means to truly live?

Where has my love gone?

2010-06-28T21:07:00.000-07:00

Where has my love gone? It has faded from the most beautiful of days and been replaced by the darkest of nights. A tragedy that all creation groans against.

Yet what is this feeling of embrace I have toward this blackness? Why do I desire its cover?

Where has my love gone? Did I leave it on the way or forget it by the river? Can anyone help me find my love?

Yet it is the blackest of storms with the most dreadful display of soul crushing power. I relinquish my embrace for who can survive this disaster being played out through the ages?

Where has my love gone? I will brave the storm even if it cost me my life. The insanity wrapped up inside this emotion to find my love drives me to the brink of destruction.

Yet I will pursue my love until the storm dies and the blackness fades into a crisp morning sunrise. I will find you my love.

Precious things

2010-06-28T20:45:00.000-07:00

I find myself longing each new day for a love that is driving me insane
This love is one like no other!
For I have never seen or heard of her.
I'm waiting but my heart grows fonder.
Yet with all my strength I can not hold this flower.
And even if I do, what will become of things?
For I am incapable of loving and cherishing precious things.
But Christ has given me a new life.
I can live and run in His light.
Now the capability of loving and cherishing precious things rest not in me but in the King of Kings.
I am complete in Him who has called.
So now I wait to love and cherish precious things.

Systematic Theology on the cross? - by: Richard Wurmbrand

2010-06-01T15:58:00.000-07:00

"I once tried to explain “systematic theology” to a Russian pastor of the Underground Church, who had never seen a whole New Testament. Systematically, I began to explain to him the teaching about the Godhead, about its unity in three Persons, the teaching about original sin, about the Fall, about salvation, about the Church, about the sacraments, about the Bible as infallible revelation.

He listened attentively. When I had finished, he asked me a most surprising question: “Have those who thought out these theological systems and wrote them down in such perfect order ever carried a cross?” He went on. “A man cannot think systematically even when he has a bad toothache. How can a man who is carrying a cross think systematically? But a Christian has to be more than the bearer of a heavy cross: he shares Christ’s crucifixion. The pains of Christ are his, and the pains of all creation. There is no grief and no suffering in the whole world which should not grieve him also. If a man is crucified with Christ, how can he think systematically? Can there be that kind of thought on a cross?

“Jesus Himself thought unsystematically on the cross. He began with forgiveness; He spoke of a paradise in which even a robber had a place; then He despaired that perhaps there might be no place in paradise even for Him, the Son of God. He felt Himself forsaken. His thirst was so unbearable that He asked for water. Then He surrendered His spirit into His Father’s hand. But there followed no serenity, only a loud cry. Thank you for what you have been trying to teach me. I have the impression that you were only repeating, without much conviction, what others have taught you.”

~Richard Wurmbrand, 1909-2001, founder of VOM, “With God in Solitary Confinement

The Cry

2010-01-17T15:52:00.000-08:00

Its a poets cry to hear the whisper of the heart with a new melody, desiring to be bound with complete captivity to its relentless oppression; a danger to the one who reads and understands.

The cry longing to be heard in the depths of one possessing a passion for the rare beauty to transform language into a tasteful treat that will be a delight to all who partake; a timeless kiss that will be felt for generations to come.

This brings hope that all will hear the whispered cry that has passed through eternity, bringing the sweetest melody to a complete and tasteful fulfillment; a choice delight that was given before the world began.

But only in full abandonment can this melody sanctify the soul of the hearer to embrace the narrow road of love and grace fully embraced only by those who have fully abandoned all other whispers of lesser value if to only gain a taste of the cry of eternity.

Refuge

2009-11-15T15:59:00.001-08:00

Surly God is able
To save me from myself
Surly God is able
To help me overcome my flesh
If only I had
The strength to conquer my foes
If only I had
The strength to run into your fold
Then I would be sheltered under your wing
Then I would see a glimpse of eternity
For on that day every eye will see
That you are God and you’ll hold me for eternity

Searchings in Mark 2: 13-17

2009-03-15T16:49:00.000-07:00

He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, "Follow me." And he rose and followed him. And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?" And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."

Sometimes I just feel like quitting. Sometimes I just want to run to my lusts and selfish desires. Sometimes I want to just lay down and die. There are times when I just want to lay down and sleep for days just so I will not have to fight my flesh. There are times when I hate reading the bible and there are days when I just say "forget it! I'm not reading!" There are days when my sin is so overwhelming that I can't imagine even being a follower of Jesus. I become so selfish some days that I cant think of any scripture to alleviate my thoughts. When I lay down to sleep I find myself drifting between fantasy and reality. When I seek to honor the Lord and do good I find that there is always sin in my intentions. Basically I am SICK!!! I am desperate! My sinfulness is so plan to see that some days I am incapacitated and then other days I walk around like a zombie, just going through the motions: wake up, brush teeth, eat, brush teeth, sleep........ O yes!!! I see that I am desperately sick!!!

How kind these words are to my ears! How sweet the fragrance is to my senses! I scarcely doubt that there have ever been better words penned. These words bring Hope and Peace. These words grab our attention and our affections. How sweet they are. Jesus Christ, the only true God in the flesh, came to be crushed under the wrath of God on the Cross, becoming sin who new no sin. God who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, o how will He not give us all things!!!! CHRIST CAME TO SAVE SINNERS!!!!!! Of whom I am the foremost!

I confess my need! I confess that I am desperately sick, beyond hope of being revived (apart from the Grace of God). I am a sinner and I embrace it!! I cling to the truth that there is nothing good in me. I am worthless in and of my self. My thoughts are sick! My actions are sick! My dreams are sick! I am a SINNER... and I embrace it! Christ came to save sinners.... If I do not embrace my inadequacy to obtain righteousness by my own works then there is truly no hope for me, for I still see myself as righteous. It is only when I come to grips that I am a sinner that I can be saved. Light must shine into the darkness of my heart to reveal how truly ugly I really am; the light comes from the gospel message of Jesus Christ. By Gods grace I am able to see this and in response to this ugliness I look for someway to clean myself because I know that I was not able to do so by my own power. I need a Savior and then I see Jesus. O how beautiful the savior is! In my ugly sinfulness I see the light of the Savior's righteousness and I know that he came to save sinners therefore I rest in the truth of the Saviors words that He "came not to call the righteous, but sinners."

I am a sinner.... and I am so thankful because the more I see my sinfulness, the more beautiful the Savior becomes to me. I need you Jesus!!!

Searchings in Mark 2:1-11

2009-02-27T20:41:00.000-08:00

And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, "Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?" And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, "Why do you question these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise, take up your bed and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"--he said to the paralytic-- "I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home." And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!"

Today “preaching the word” is given a bad reputation. Preaching is often thought of as standing behind a lectern or pulpit and involves passion being displayed by one man talking to a crowd. Preaching the word is so much more and, I would argue, is not limited to one man that is standing on a stage. Here we see Jesus was at home and there were so many people "that there was no more room, not even at the door." American "Christians" have a bad habit of leaving Jesus in the building and not being Jesus to the world. The problem with believing that preaching is only for the pastor is that it is not biblical. You will not find anywhere in scripture that says you are to leave the preaching to the professionals! If believers in America do not awake from their sleep and start "preaching the word" to those around them then I fear what God will say to the Church in America on judgment day.

Behold the faith of four men that carried a paralytic to Jesus and when they could not get to Him because of the crowd they tore the roof off. They knew that if they could just get this man to Jesus that He would heal him. Their faith was so strong and grounded in the Hope of Jesus healing him that no obstacle could have prevented them getting to Him. They probably asked people to move but they would not move. They probably tried every entrance but when the crowd would not get out of the way they made a way. They were going to get this man to Jesus. And when Jesus saw their faith He said, "Son, your sins are forgiven." "I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home." And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!" It seems the crowd parted to watch the man walk out before them. They were a hindrance in getting the man to Jesus and too eager to watch him leave.

The only reason Jesus said that the man’s sins are forgiven is so that all would know that He has authority on earth to forgive sins. This is good news!!!! This is great news!! Jesus has authority to forgive my sins. He has authority to blot out my transgressions. He has the power to make me into a new man. He has the power to tell the blind to see, the deaf to hear, and the lame to walk. Praise God for His wonderful gift; His son!! O how precious you are to me Lord Jesus! How great and mighty and powerful you are my King. Help me, Father, to carry those that are lame to You!
And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, "Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?" And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, "Why do you question these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise, take up your bed and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"--he said to the paralytic-- "I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home." And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!"

Today “preaching the word” is given a bad reputation. Preaching is often thought of as standing behind a lectern or pulpit and involves passion being displayed by one man talking to a crowd. Preaching the word is so much more and, I would argue, is not limited to one man that is standing on a stage. Here we see Jesus was at home and there were so many people "that there was no more room, not even at the door." American "Christians" have a bad habit of leaving Jesus in the building and not being Jesus to the world. The problem with believing that preaching is only for the pastor is that it is not biblical. You will not find anywhere in scripture that says you are to leave the preaching to the professionals! If believers in America do not awake from their sleep and start "preaching the word" to those around them then I fear what God will say to the Church in America on judgment day.

Behold the faith of four men that carried a paralytic to Jesus and when they could not get to Him because of the crowd they tore the roof off. They knew that if they could just get this man to Jesus that He would heal him. Their faith was so strong and grounded in the Hope of Jesus healing him that no obstacle could have prevented them getting to Him. They probably asked people to move but they would not move. They probably tried every entrance but when the crowd would not get out of the way they made a way. They were going to get this man to Jesus. And when Jesus saw their faith He said, "Son, your sins are forgiven." "I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home." And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!" It seems the crowd parted to watch the man walk out before them. They were a hindrance in getting the man to Jesus and too eager to watch him leave.

The only reason Jesus said that the man’s sins are forgiven is so that all would know that He has authority on earth to forgive sins. This is good news!!!! This is great news!! Jesus has authority to forgive my sins. He has authority to blot out my transgressions. He has the power to make me into a new man. He has the power to tell the blind to see, the deaf to hear, and the lame to walk. Praise God for His wonderful gift; His son!! O how precious you are to me Lord Jesus! How great and mighty and powerful you are my King. Help me, Father, to carry those that are lame to You!

Searchings in Mark 1:40-45

2009-02-15T16:35:00.000-08:00

"And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, "If you will, you can make me clean." Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, "I will; be clean." And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once, and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them." But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter." - Mark 1:40-45

Once again I won't to remind myself that I am leprous and I desperately need to be healed!! But who would dare touch me? Who in their right mind would even come near me? I should be walking through my day yelling "Unclean, Unclean!!" If you could only see my thoughts you would not want to come near me! I am no different from this leper! Only my sin is covered by my this skin and his was plain to see (we must remember that leprosy was a curse from God almighty and it was inflicted where there was sin - to keep the history lesson short).

"And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, "If you will, you can make me clean.""

We must all bow in adoration to the great physician! We must implore Him as the leper did. We must recognize that He does not react because of how passionately we beg Him but "If you will". So it depends not on the amount of so called faith that we can create into an emotional feeling inside of us but it depends solely on Christ and how He wants to display His glory and encourage His bride.

"Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, "I will; be clean." And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean."

Oh praise the Lord Jesus for being moved with pity and having compassion on "this" leper! Oh praise God for demonstrating His goodness in "this" sinner! ("this" = the writer). Notice that Jesus touched the leper. Never would anyone get within spiting distance of a leper. You just didn't do that! What was He thinking? Why was God almighty in the flesh touching someone of this status? Why would He even be moved with piety? What did He see? Was it the way the leper approached Him? Was it some special word the leper used? No I think Jesus was moved with pity because He saw the devastation of sin. He saw the effects and the power that it has over His creation. Check out these verses:

Romans 5:8-11
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Ephesians 1:7-10
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

Colossians 1:15-20
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

We can see that the reconciliation of creation is at the top of God's agenda! I would say its the most important thing to Him because it is how He displays His glory to all of creation in heaven and on earth. And Christ being moved with pity had nothing to do with "this" leper coming to Him in a certain way with certain words but because He saw the wreckage sin has caused and moved with compassion and to the praise of His glorious grace His goodness and loving kindness appeared to me and He stretched out His hand and He saved me. Not because of works done by me but Because He is a God who delights in working wonders (psalms 77:14).

"immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean."

Immediately I was clean. Immediately the garment that was stained by sin was now replaced with a robe of righteousness so that God almighty sees my sin no more and I am embraced when I walk into the courts of the Most High. All because Jesus touched me! Oh he touched me, oh He touched me!

"But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter."

The leper's testament to the Power of Christ Jesus caused others to seek Him out. May I not be slack in proclaiming the power of Christ's Cross!

Searchings in Mark 1:29-34

2009-02-07T17:13:00.000-08:00

"And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon's mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them. That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. And the whole city was gathered together at the door. And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him." - Mark 1:29-34

Real quick I want to direct our attention to one verse here. "And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them." - vs. 31

I can remember when I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore! I can remember dying in my sickness laying there with no hope but when the goodness and loving kindness of our Lord Jesus appeared He took me by the hand and immediately I was made complete in Him. I then became like Simon's mother-in-law and began to serve the one that healed me of my sickness. Apart from Him taking me by the hand, I would have died with no hope to cling to (except maybe a vain assurance of salvation). My response to Him lifting me out of my sickness is passionate pursuit of Him.

I will spend the rest of my days
seeking how to display
His saving grace
through a life that was saved
from the former things
that are now at work in the sons of disgrace.

Notice that even after Jesus healed one he did not stop. He healed many and cast demons out of many. The demons knew who He was but He kept them quiet. Would I have seen Him for who He was, the Messiah, or would I have just been trying to get a quick fix to a momentary inconvenience. I am sure Jesus was spiritually drained. All the virtue that was leaving Him must have caused Him to weaken but notice that He did not turn them away. He healed and healed and lifted those in darkness into marvelous light. What would it be like to have the entire city at your door? how long would it have took to heal those that He did? Did He pass by some and heal others? Or did He heal all? Why was the whole city there? Were they there to hear Him teach or to see a miracle?

Regardless of the particulars, Jesus healed many and freed those oppressed. Healing power flowed from His hands, person after person after person. And when it was all quiet, and more than likely totally exhausted from the day, Jesus did not spend the night recuperating by sleeping. No, He retreated to the Father. "And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed." - vs.35

May we remember that it was Jesus that took us by the hand and that man can not live by bread alone. We must go to the throne of grace to find help, healing, and strength.

Grace and Peace!

Searchings for self: Being Single

2009-01-20T16:59:00.000-08:00

So much of my life has been spent in looking for "the one." I have exhausted so much energy on seeking a wife that I have come to see it as a complete waste of time. Some would argue against this but I would ask you to bear with me while I expound on this statement in light of the Cross.

To think in such a way as to believe that I can, in and of my own power, choose the best person for me to marry is an absolute absurdity. I am in a fallin state and can in no way trust my own heart. Jeremiah 17:9 say's, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?" Proverbs 21:2 say's this, "Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the heart." How do I even create the attitude and belief that I know whats best for me. How can I map out my life with the assureence that I am headed down the right path. The problem lies in that we hold the belief that Christ Jesus allows freedom in this area of our life instead of absolute surrender. There is freedom but only on the grounds of His word and plan reason.

So here in lies the problem with believing that I can do whatever and whenever I think I am ready. I am going to attack this from many different angles and the first is worry. Okay, You may be saying to youself "why is he talking about worry?" That is a very good question and with God's grace I will seek to answer that question. Another title for this could be "The Glory of God in Being Single." Notice I'm not trying to give myself "Dating Tips."

Martin Luther had something to say about worry and to paraphrase what he said it was basically this: worry is when you think you know whats best and God is going to mess the situation up. Persuing a relationship with a sister, in Chirst, before the feelings are allowed to flow naturally and freely through the confinds of marraige allows sin to crep in and destroy the soul. Worry is not a sin that should be taken lightly. Thomas Watson said this, "There are no sins God's people are more subject to than unbeleif and impatience. They are ready either to faint through unbelief, or fret through impatience." You might ask the question "how does worry, unbelief, and impatience fit together?" I think that where worry is, unbelief and or impatience are at the root. When you don't stand on the promises of God (such as Psalm 84:11 "For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.") and just allow your fellings to go and run where they please, worry will be their banner. When there is a promise clearly seen and the action is begging God to hurry up and fullfill it, there will be impatience and taking things out of the hands of God which always brings worry to the forefront. If worry is the path taken then there is a clear sign of immaturity and a clear signal to grow in grace a bit longer.

Another angle to view this is from an angle of perfect harmony. I think I will call it "the holywood factor." It seems that so many of our convections, whether spoken or acted, are based off of what we have grown up with. I am tried of everybody and their cousin worried about my relationship status on facebook!

The biggest lie in our society is that love is something that is found. I admit that there is an element of attraction that draws two pople together but that attraction quickly withers when faced with all the querks that each individual posses. I submit to you that love is not a dancing in the rain experience or a raised leg kiss but a deep and passionate commetment to first the Lord Jesus and secondly to each other and devoting each others life to serving the other. There is no biblical truth to stand on and believe that love is going to come knocking on your door one day and drop off the love of your life. Our love for the Lord Jesus will draw us into a relationship with somone that will far exceed any lie hollywood or pornography could ever create. This is not something that should be rashly rushed into. Just because Billy likes Betty but if Billy is not quick Bobby is going to beat him to Betty. Does anybody else have a peoblem with the fact that our view of relationship is so low and dispecible in light of the cross. We hold that if two people "love" or like each other then they should date to "see if it will work." We hold marriage so losly that more than half the marriages that take place with those that claim Christ as their Lord end in divorce. THIS IS PATHETIC!!! Is our generation going to follow the lead of our parents and just lay down the covenent made to God and to our partner just beause I am tired of the way they tie their shoes. I saw a perfect sign on the side of the rode the other day that shows how loosely we hold marriage. It was an advertising for an agency that promises, "Divorce, without the drama." No one breaks a covenant without hurting or being hurt!

God cares so much about marriage that it can be found in the second chapter of the very fist book of the bible and the very last chapter of the very last book of the bible. Oh yes beloved, God cares about what a ugly picture we are painting of such a sacred and charished covenant. God cares for marriage so much that it is the picture that points people to His Son's sacrifice (Eph 5:25-27). This is the ultimate reason God created marriage. It was not only for pleasure but for the advance of the gospel. This is why marraige is such a big deal and should not be sought as if its a game to find the hottest girl before someone else gets her. This is not a game where you put notches in your bed post every time you get into her pants. GOD FORBID that I would treat a daughter of the Most High God like a piece of livestock that I pick out to breed. God forgive us for holding lightly marriage! Hebrews 13:4 say's, "Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous."

So now that I have vented on a few issues that really get under my skin and cause me to be anything but gentle I would like to talk, for a few sentences, about what the subtitle states: The Glory of God in Being Single. This is a hard and sobering topic for me to write about for I do not fully understand how this all works but by the grace of God we will search out some reasons why God is most glorified when we embrace our sigleness instead of running around looking for a realationship to comfort us.

My brothers I do not dare say that I have complete knowledge of this. Nor would I ever admit to having no faults in my writings. My goal is that the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart will be acceptable to My Jesus!!(Psalm 19:14)

While single I have a unique opportunity to pour my passion into growing in grace and knowledge of the Lord God almighty. I have freedom from responsibilities that come with marriage. This freedom must not be spent on seeking self pleasure by pursing my lust of all sorts. This will ultimately bring a lack of contentment and allow for sin to build siege towers against my heart. May I not waste my single status!!!

Being single allows me to serve the body of Christ, my family, and friends in ways that will ultimately grow me into a mature man ready to take on the resposiblities of my own family. I have time to work and save money or time to read books that will guide me into a deeper undersatnding of the grace of God given to us. The list goes on and on.

The picture I am trying to paint is one that will allow us to see how much can be gained from embracing our single status. This hour of our life is ultimately for the glory of God!! How can we neglect such a great opportunity as this? How can we discard all that is gained from growing closer to our Lord Jesus? Will I be one who expends all my energy on finding the "one" or will I grab a hold of grace and spend His energy(Colossians 1:29) "in admiring, exploring, expositing, and extolling Jesus Christ"(Sinclair Ferguson) our Lord and Great High Priest who was, who is, and who is to come!!!!

Passion for the Lord Jesus will not diminish my desire for marriage but it will place it in its rightful context and allow His strength to flow through me and keep me from my former passions of indulging in immorality. As with all parts of life; marriage must only be looked at through the lens of the Cross and thus allow Jesus to be Lord over it. May I not be one who wastes my singleness and in so doing may I not be one that wastes my marriage!!

Searchings in Mark 1:9-15

2009-01-18T13:33:00.000-08:00

This small section at the very beginning can be quickly overlooked with great anticipation of what the Savior will do. Questions flood our minds of who is He? How will He handle this or that situation? We become anxious for the great Teacher to do or say something that will set us back in our chairs astounded and amazed at the depths of God. But let us look closely at these words. Let us focus our attention here and not else where for if this is in chapter one it must be important for the chapters that follow. We can not press on till we understand the importance of Jesus being baptized and driven out into the wilderness. We must take a close look at the first words, that Mark records, that come out of the saviors mouth. Though these verses may be meet with little or no explanation it is still extremely valuable for us to take time and run back through this "common" (though I would submit there is nothing "common" about these next verses) passage.

I will probably not say much but I might find some questions and statements to throw on the table for you to chop up and chew on for a bit.

9) "In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan." It is truly amazing how we find no accounts of Christ life while He lived in Nazareth. Matthew Henry had a little to put on the table for us. He said, "O how much hidden worth is there, which in this world is either lost in the dust of contempt and cannot be known, or wrapped up in the veil of humility and will not be known!" I could not do justice on talking about the reason Christ came and was baptized by John but I think Christ's words in Matthew 3 will far exceed anything I could bring. So Matthew chapter 3 starting in verse 13 "Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him.14) John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"15) But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he consented."

"And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased." - 1:10-11

Immediately when Jesus came out of the water he looks up to the sky and sees the heavens torn open. They were not just opened but torn open. I am reminded of Christ glorious return when the heavens will roll up like a scroll. They will be torn open and we will see our majestic Lord ridding a white horse and coming with vengeance. What would it have been like, on that day, to see the heavens torn opened? What would my thoughts have been? Would I have fallen to my knees out of fear or would I have opened my mouth with shouts of praise because God is fulfilling His promise? If we look in Isaiah we find three places where the Lord talks about putting God's spirit on Jesus:
Isaiah 11:2 "And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD."
Isaiah 42:1-4 "Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law."
Isaiah 61:1-3 "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion-- to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified."

Praise the Lord!! Oh, this is good news! This is great news! God almighty sent a savior but not just to be a good person; He sent Him with power. Can there even be thoughts about the possibility of Jesus not getting baptized? The importance of the baptism far exceeds just being dunked under the water. The heavens being torn open and the Father saying, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased" is evidence that this is not something that can just be read through. Stopping to take a glance at what took place at the Jordan river is never in vain. The power of God is clearly seen by the spirit descending upon Jesus. Look carefully at the dove. Look carefully at the heavens being torn open and God almighty speaking for all to hear.

What would have been my thoughts. Would I have even recognized the importance of what was taking place before my eyes? Oh, that God would light up this scene for us to see clearly the depth of the riches that are found in this interaction between the Father and the Son. The giving of the spirit is not something that is cute. By God putting His spirit on His Son we are able to be healed. No Spirit, No Jesus.

"The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him. Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel." -1:12-15

Can our imaginations even carry us into the wilderness? Can we even create a picture that would adequately tell what was taking place these forty days? After looking at this can we continue to say that I failed because the devil tempted me? What would it have been like to stumble across Jesus during this time? How would we have seen Him? Would our eyes have looked upon Him with compassion? What would it have been like to sit beside Him for one day? What would He have said to us? We know from Matthew that He battled the devil with the sword of the Spirit. We know that the devil took Him places. We know that Jesus never caved to the temptation. That tells me that I never have to cave. Christ has given us the same spirit when we were baptized with Him into His death. The devil can't hold me cause Christ blood covers me! I stand in the face of temptation and by the power of the Spirit I am not taken captive.

I leave with these thoughts.... I would have liked to see what it would have been like for Jesus to be ministered to by angles. I would have liked to been there to hear what they would have said to Him. I would have liked to see how they acted towards Him. What would their actions have been like? Can a mind even create a glimpse of what beauty would have taken place during this moment?

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel."

Let us never stop repenting and believing in the gospel of our Lord Jesus!

Searchings in Mark 1

2009-01-15T12:05:00.000-08:00

Mark waste little time in identifying who the savior is. In verse one Jesus is instantly and appropriately labeled "the Son of God." Why is that important? Why is Mark so quick to let his readers know that Jesus is the Son of God? I don't know if I am smart enough to answer those questions but as I have been reading, the gospel accounts, I have noticed cases where Jesus says I have said such and such so that you may know that I have authority on earth (2:10). Why does it matter if the son of man has authority? Why does it matter if Jesus has authority on earth?

(Through this blog I will seek to ask questions but not necessarily answer them. Sometimes I just don't have a clue what the answer is and the thought just comes to me as i am writing. Sometimes I might have a slight inclination of what the answer may be but I leave it blank because I am not truly satisfied with my thoughts. Then other times I might know but I want the question to speak louder than my answer. 1 John 2:27 says, "But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie--just as it has taught you, abide in him." I desire that you learn from the greatest teacher, of the word, of all time and forever. I desire that You learn from Christ Himself!!!! What other teacher of the word could ever compare to our Lord Jesus?)

I want to direct our attention to verse 7, "After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie." How important is this? How important is it for John to direct attention to the Christ? I believe it is eternally important for the simple purpose of turning the attention to the Christ. John's hearers and followers considered him a prophet and Jesus answers with the fact that he is and much more. In Matthew 11:11 Jesus says, "Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist." John exalts the Christ and humbles himself to the point of saying that He is not even worthy of doing a task that is most humiliating. He is not even worthy to stoop down and untie the Christ's sandals.

Notice how John directs his listeners to the fact the Christ is mightier than he His. He goes on to tell of Christ's power by saying, "I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." Oh the mighty difference of being baptized with water and being baptized with the Holy Spirit: the blessed comforter who is "the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of His glory" (Ephesians 1:14). It is so very kind of the Lord Jesus to baptize us with the Holy Spirit! What a loving gift the Holy Spirit is too the world! His presence instantly makes the world a better place. Oh How great and mighty and powerful the Lord Jesus is! May we emulate John in always directing the attention to the Christ!

Searchings Through Mark Intro

2009-01-11T19:27:00.000-08:00

I want to start a blog series called "Searchings Through Mark." Mark's writings are saturated with the gospel message (obviously). The stories told of Christ Jesus and His dealings with people seem to paint beautiful pictures of the kindness of God, to us through Jesus Christ. His redemptive work is clearly seen by the fulfillment of scripture and by proclaiming the gospel message. The people loved Him and the religious leaders despised His actions and consider Him to be a blasphemer. Jesus came to save sinners not those who considered themselves saints because of their observance and keeping of the law. Christ "Came not to call the righteous, but sinners" (Mark 2:17). This is clearly seen by Christ dealings with the common people. His interactions with the pharisees and the sadducees are anything but, what we would consider, kind. If we take a step back, though, and look at Christ's dealings with all people then we will clearly see that it is because of His kindness His words were so hard. If the person thinks themselves to be righteous then the only cure for them is to be humbled so the can see there need for a savior. Those who have a clear view of their need for a savior waste little time in running to His feet for cleansing. May God, through the gospel of Mark, open our eyes to see our need. May humility rain on us so that we can hear the sweetness of Christ words and feel the freedom of His healing touch. Most importantly, may illumination be given to what is of first importance to the believer's life. Word of God speak!

REJOICE

2008-12-17T20:54:00.000-08:00

Let us love the LORD together! Let us grow in the grace and knowledge of the LORD Jesus! Let us seek to understand who He is and what He has done! We must understand the gospel! We must understand how it affects our life and how we can apply it in every part of our lives. Oh let us love the LORD Jesus! Oh let us know Him! Let us cast off our old man by the grace of God and let us put on Christ Jesus and make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires. Let us cleanse ourselves of every defilement by the blood of Christ Jesus. Since we have very great and precious promises and since we have been given every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, LET US REJOICE!!! Oh let us REJOICE because Christ has come. Let us rejoice for what He has done! let us rejoice because Christ has done what we could not. Christ has reconciled us to God by being resurrected by the power of God. Christ defeated sin! He defeated death! He conquered my heart and brought me into newness of life by the same power that God used to raise Him from the dead. Let us Rejoice because Christ has imputed His righteousness to us, in us, and we now have peace with God, the creator of heaven and earth! Oh shout to the LORD all the earth! Lift your voices to your God for He has redeemed His beloved! He has given her a spotless robe! He has made us joint heirs with Christ Jesus and He sees no blemish; not one speck of impurity is found on us. Rejoice all you His people for Christ is the propitiation for our sins!! He is our love. He is our life; the very substance that keeps us alive!

Oh come let us adore Him! Oh come lets us Adore Him! Oh come let us ADORE HIM! He is the Christ! He is LORD! Every knee will bow, on the earth, under the earth, and in heaven, and every tongue will confess that JESUS is LORD!!!!! He is King of kings and He is the Lord of lords! None compares to His greatness. None can comprehend His goodness! Who has been in His presence that has not fallen to their face and cried out for mercy? Who can stand before God, in all His glory, with 6 wing creatures hiding their faces and covering their feet, without the mediator Christ Jesus? Who can utter a word of defense to the LORD most High? Who Can stand in His presence? Who can, truly, understand His forgiveness?

What is this awesome grace that is given to us that we should be called sons and daughters of the LIVING GOD???!!! What wondrous love is this that we should be called friends of God? What joy over flows in our lives when we can boldly go to the throne of God Almighty, creator of heaven and earth, to the throne of grace, to receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Who can stretch out the heavens or tell the ocean that it can only go this far? Who can breath life into dry bones and turn hearts of stone into hearts of flesh? Who can hang the earth on its axis and tell the moon when to shine? Who is it that has the power to give life and take it? Who has the sight to see all that space holds? Who can see the bottom of the ocean or the center of a planet? Who can hold all the waters of the earth in his hand? Who can call into existence the things that do not exist? Who can create everything that was ever created and have nothing be identical, down to the very last molecule that was ever created or will be created? Who can comprehend time? Who could ever touch the sun? Who could be a friend to the worst of sinners? Who could sacrifice their own son for a hate filled adulterous heathen that despises the very notion of forgiveness and love? Who can understand the heart of a person? Who can know what tomorrow will bring? Who can know their time for life? Who can know when death will take them? Who can see their future and what will become of them? Who can hold the earth in orbit, while painting the stars and galaxies, while breathing life into the womb? Who can cause light and darkness to separate? Who can tell the mountains to rise up and the valleys to sink low; who can tell the birds to fly and the deer to run and be obeyed? I will tell you who... It is Yahweh!!!!

It is the LORD God Almighty!!! It is Jehovah!! It is JESUS!!! Oh yes my brother and sister this is our God, the one true God, the ONLY living God, that can do all these things!!!! He never grows weary nor does He ever require sleep! He is before time, during time, and after time. He was the first and He will be the last. None can compare to His greatness! None can comprehend His Goodness! Their is no one like our GOD!!! There is no one like YAHWEH!!!!! He is Jehovah! He is "whatever my people need me to be"!!

Psa 118:1 Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!

Psa 139:17,18 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you!

Psa 121:3 He will not let your foot be moved; He who keeps you will never slumber.

Psa 119:81 My soul longs for your salvation; I hope in your word.

Psa 135:13 Your name, O LORD, endures forever, your renown, O LORD, throughout all ages.

Psa 108:1-5 My heart is steadfast, O God! I will sing and make melody with all my being! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn! I will give thanks to you, O LORD, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations. For your steadfast love is great above the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth!

Psa 79:8,9 Do not remember against us our former iniquities; let your compassion come speedily to meet us, for we are brought very low. Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name; deliver us, and atone for our sins, for your name's sake!

Psa 145:13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. [The LORD is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works.]

REJOICE FOR YOU ARE REDEEMED!!!!!!!

Theory of Love

2008-12-15T22:25:00.000-08:00

What is this measure of love I find creeping up in my heart? A flood of emotions melt all thoughts of pain in the past. How is this possible and how can this be? All these emotions come so naturally. There is a scare and there is a warning for these emotions will give no mercy. If acted upon nothing short of destruction will over take my soul. These emotions will promise fulfillment and sanctification but only through deceit. How can I cave into these desires and nullify Gods peace. Get understanding and gain wisdom, these shall guide the feet of the righteous. All wisdom points me down the path of patience and grace. Patience in waiting on the Lord and grace for trusting that He will not withhold any good gift.

How shall I go against all that I believe and become a traitor to my very mind? Love so refreshing and growing so strong. A friendship lasting, raising to the everlasting throne. Questions flooding friends mouths and ears trying to figure out if what they see is real. A love so transparent that it draws all men to crave and desire more.

Do you destroy a friendship for a chance for love? Is it better to allow this friendship to grow into an irresistible grace. A power so real that it will paint a perfect picture of true love. A love flowing through every vein and pouring out of every smile. To allow myself to surrender to this love is not needful to bring about the obvious! This love conquers all true possessors of it's grace. All thoughts of past satisfactions become void of all attraction. The times love was thought to be found is now seen as obsolete. Forgiveness for past mistakes washes all shame and jealousy away.

How can one look at all the faults and failures and still look into my eyes with a longing, rather wanting. A wanting for my love, my embrace. What can compare to this love? What selfish want could ever satisfy? A connection so close to grabbing a hold of the very craving given before the foundation of the world. Should a love so great and so strong be rushed into like soldiers storming a castle? Should a love so precious and so fragile be handled like a baby? How shall a love like this be embraced? How can a man accept a gift that can never be repaid or compensated for?

How is it that a vessel that is stained can be seen as spotless? How can some one still love though all defilement's are laid out in the open to be seen. Can a man create a love as rich and perfect as this? Can a man change his very nature to hide all signs of imperfections?

Where does this love come form? Where does this love abide? Is it not with the one that is taken captive by it? Can this love be awakened by the feelings and emotions of the flesh? Is this Love awakened by the very voice that cries into the depth of the natural longing? Oh let this love not be rushed into nor let it be overlooked.
Why do so many allow their hearts to be overrun with lesser loves? Why did I let down the guard of my heart to wants that would rip it apart?

True love is conquering and captivating! True love is not rushed but embraced! True love is not shown by jealous actions leading to lack of trust and questing. True love is always wanting and longing for the conquering joy that over took them. True love learns how to please, gratify, and intoxicate the one that captured their soul with a love that is far more passionate than any love that can be created within oneself.

Oh, do not allow lesser and unworthy loves to take over your passion and mind. Only a conquering love is worthy to be embraced. Love that is patient, kind, peaceful, rejoicing in truth, enduring all things, always seeking to please others, is a love worth fighting for. This love that conquers every corner of the heart is a love that abides forever. This love will be embraced by all captive to it!

Get wisdom and get understanding for they will prove to be a light in darkness. Oh let this love not be rushed into nor let it be overlooked. Only let this capturing love be tested! Resist it, fight it, and make it prove itself to be true. Follow not reason nor intellect! Guard against it, learn about its motives and tactics, and understand its desires. Then and only then can you be freed from its wrath! Only through Patience will this love be seen as beautiful. Pursue love, yes, and seek it out, only do not be deceived by the emotions! For true love is only tested by patience! At the proper time and when the battle seems overwhelming, the conqueror will over run you and true love will pour in like never experienced. This love can not be explained with elegant words that charm the ears and captivate the emotions with such impact that it devastates the mind. Only do not be deceived by the lesser loves that promise an embrace that will be sweet as honey but upon guarding against them they are proven to be bitter, weak, and not worthy to be the captor of your heart. Remember, test the love that approaches the battle field. Only do not be deceived by the beauty of it's promises. Guard and never let down your banner and you must never allow a lesser love to capture your heart! Seek out true love and it will be found by patience and guarding.

Nothing would please lesser loves more than for us to believe their promise for a wedding feast only to leave you as an adulterous bride.

Election/Truth

2008-11-06T09:17:00.000-08:00

Romans 13: 1-7 says to “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed."

The Bible covers all matters of life with perfect clarity. There are sometimes when we need to seek deeper into the heart and mind of Christ to truly learn what He is saying. In Romans 2:6-8 Paul says that God "will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury." And you ask "what does this have to do with the election?" I beg of you to bear with me for a moment as I make my case! Paul picks this theme of "seeking" back up in chapter 3 verse 11 with, "no one understands; no one seeks for God." Paul starts off in chapter 2 with laying a foundation that if you are "by patience in well-doing" seek the things of God for Christ glory you will have eternal life. Paul then talks of the unrighteous man that does not OBEY the truth because he is self-seeking. So we can see through this that everyone is seeking something whether it be Christ glory or their own and by seeking their own they condemn themselves and gain, for their seeking, the wrath of the creator of the heavens and earth.

So how does Romans 13 relate to chapter 3 verse 11 where Paul says that no one understands and no one is seeking God? I think it relates in this way but first I must lay a foundation for what, I believe, goes into seeking. Upon seeking something you have to believe that which you are seeking is going to bring you into a deeper understanding of aspects of life. One cannot seek something, anything, without devoting oneself whole heartily into the truth of that which is being sought. It is utterly absurd to think that you are gaining deeper understanding by not devoting your life to that particular subject. You cannot understand how a painter paints without spending hours with the painter trying to discern and understand why every stroke is placed the way it is brushed onto the canvas. Yes it is true you can have some insight into a subject without having full knowledge but you cannot be intimately acquainted and truly understands the how and the why of the subject.

My attempt to tie all of these thoughts together may become futile but I pray I will be able to establish my point with enough clarity that you will be able to hear my heart on this matter.

The Government is God's servant for our good. We are to submit to their authority willingly and without grumbling or complaining. This is to honor Christ Jesus. It does not matter who won the election!! God had established this before He formed the world! He was not thrown off by this election and the outcome of who won. What He grieves over is the response of His people and how they look so unlike His Son. Christ desires us to grow in a deeper knowledge and understanding of who He is and what He desires for us to accomplish on earth as His ambassadors and I can promise you it is not arguing over an election that will be redone in 4 years.

So this is my problem with this whole matter that I am trying to address: We as disciples of Christ are making a spectacle out of the Lord we claim to love by claiming to be wise on matters that we are truly ignorant of. We have no understanding of the deeper matters of politics or the way the constitution is being forgotten and if a few of us actually have this understanding of political matters then by our anger or frustration we make void all the knowledge we have of the way things were established in America. This knowledge is made void because when we seek to educate others we come across as legalistic and ignorant of what is really is happening in "this life" or "today". Nobody likes someone to tell them why this is bad or why they need to change! This world needs leaders and Christ Jesus has made us a kingdom of priest so that we can lead this world in the direction that will benefit it the most. We must not just speak out but live out the direction we need to go. The head coach at TECH, Steve Mullins, used to tell us "your actions are speaking so loud I can't hear what you are saying." In Romans 15:1-3 Paul says' "We who are strong have an OBLIGATION to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself..."

I'm tired of people bashing the way this country is running things!! I'm tired of everyone pointing out everything that is wrong in our society! I'm tired of hate flowing through Christians veins because they want America to conform to what they view as correct and moral! I'm tired of people arguing over principle and what they see as truth! I'm tired of the separation that I see amongst believers!!! I'm tired of all this ignorance flowing through the body of Christ and being voiced by the wrong mouths!! If we do not have a clear understanding of what the Lord Jesus truly requires of His disciples then we have no business speaking for Him!!! In summary we do not have the mind of Christ!!!

When we look at this life and see it through the light of the Word we, as disciples, can find understanding in circumstances that are outside of our intimate control and thus be able to rest in the peace that Christ offers through His redemptive Blood. There is absolutely no reason to become anxious about the problems this world is displaying for we are not of this world. We are pilgrims just passing through and have no need in becoming entangled in the offers of this world. Now I want to make myself clear on this subject on the grounds of "in the world not of the world." What I am NOT saying is that we should just sit and be quite while the rest of mankind just works itself out but what I am saying is that our attitudes and ACTIONS should have no fleshly connections at all. We cannot allow our emotions to overtake us to the point of forgetting that we were cleansed from our former ways. We have to keep in mind that the people in this world do not care about how we feel or why we believe a certain way. If you can think back to when your own pride directed your life you will quickly realize that you are not very far removed from the ignorance that is in this world.

Remember no one understands because no one seeks after the Lord Jesus Christ who by His life and death has set us free from elementary thoughts and has given us grace to grow up into mature manhood where we are no longer tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine but we are grounded being held by the Lord Jesus as our eternal anchor. We are no longer trapped by the futile ways of thinking. We have been given the truth and it has set us free!

Proverbs speaks of seeking after wisdom and James says that if anyone lacks wisdom they should ask the Lord Jesus who gives to all freely and without partiality but they must ask in faith and if one is asking for wisdom then they are not asking in vain nor are they asking out of pride. No my friend they are seeking the truth and have come to realize it only comes from the TRUTH which plainly said is Christ Jesus. Proverbs 4:7, 8 says, "The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight. Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you IF you embrace her." We must seek and never become complacent with the knowledge or understanding we have. We must never be satisfied with the limited insight we are given. "Blessed are those that HUNGER and THRUST for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied"-Matthew 5:6.

We must never allow ourselves to become so angry, frustrated, or upset at a situation that we forget that if it was not for the grace of the Lord Jesus then we would not even be able to think the way we are able to think. We would not even desire for America to be a better country. Our thoughts would be as foolish and ignorant as the people we talk to. Our speech would be so ignorant that we would not even recognize the person speaking. Better yet we would stand in amazement that these words are truly coming from our mouths. We cannot forget that it is the Lord that establishes kingdoms and it is the Lord that tears kingdoms down. He gives and takes away. Before I seek to heal this country I must seek to do everything in my power to help the Body of Christ that is in America, become healthy again. So healthy that each and every disciple will be able to impact their individual community for Christ in such a way that even if those around do not seek the Lord they will still become better people with a better understanding of why it is important to do this or that a certain way. I must be patient and do what honors the Lord. Proverbs 11:11, 12 says, "By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked it is overthrown. Whoever belittles his neighbor lacks sense, but a man of understanding remains silent." We must lead by our actions!!! There will be times to speak out but it must never be in a way that belittles someone and we must never allow ourselves to become frustrated to the point in a conversation that we forget to set a guard over our mouth. James 3:2 says, "... if anyone is does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body."

DO NOT allow your frustration to make you become ignorant. Only when the disciples of the Lord Jesus start living out the teachings of His word in humility, meekness, respect, and love will God allow this nation to quit destroying herself from the inside. Government is God's servant for our good. We cannot change what God has instituted but what we can change is the way we live our lives for the next three years so that all will see the light.

Shake and Shine,
Zach

Crush Satan #2

2008-10-11T22:08:00.001-07:00

One thing I can't stand is for a football team to quit playing before the game is over!! I'm not going to discuss whether or not football shows Christ love or not but what I am going to talk about is how I can relate a team that quits before the game is over to our spiritual life...

I found myself at a game where we are coming into the game as the favorites. Our record was 3 wins and 2 losses. Theirs was 0 wins and 5 losses. Needless to say we should have no problem winning this game. Are athletic ability has been displayed the week before with our ability to keep up with a top ranked team and almost defeat them despite the fact that we were out sized and did not have the depth that the other teams had. This game should be a easier than playing than number 3 team in the nation the week before and we were on a mission to get a win after having the bitter taste of defeat. At half time we found ourselves down 31-14(the score is estimated). At the middle of the 3rd we were down 44-14 (maybe). Anyway regardless of the score we were not catching any breaks. Our defense was getting worse and our offense seemed to forget where the end zone was or at least forgot how to get there. This is when the team started acting like we were already defeated. There was still half of the 3rd and the whole 4th quarter to play ball! Anyone who has been around sports knows that that's plenty of time to win a ball game but the team was acting like we were already on the bus going home. They were out on the field in body but were not trying ANYTHING. I couldn't understand it. The guys on the sideline started taking a knee like someone was hurt. I started yelling "LETS GO. GAMES NOT OVER. LETS GO. KEEP FIGHTING. DON'T GIVE UP!!!" It seemed to have no spark. It was like trying to start a fire with wood that was at the bottom of the lake.

I finally got a few guys on board with encouraging their teammates on the field. It’s amazing how you play when you know that someone is depending on you and is needing you to keep fighting. We started yelling simple things over and over again. I found myself repeating "Let’s Go" before every snap. I don't think my yelling did much but it seemed to turn the tide. We ended up losing the game but for a quarter we gave everything we had and almost pulled off an amazing comeback. We pulled within 3 because we didn't quit. Final score was 45-42. Imagine what would have happened if we had just stayed down in the 3rd. Imagine what would have happened if we would have played like we did in the 4th at the start of the game.

So now for the application of the story. There is never any reason to give up or slow down. We are in the fight and we have a choice to fight or lay down and die. So, to put it back in football terms, since you are already on the field... FIGHT!!!!!!!!! There is no reason not to play the game when you’re on the field! It is ludicrous to think that someone would train for a race and then get a little bit into the race and decide to quit running or decide that since they are not going to win they might as well quit. It is preposterous to believe that you are defeated before the clock has run out of time.

One day the clock of life will run out but it hasn't yet. It is a shame to Christ that there are so many "believers" that decide to slow down in the race so that they might not get "burned out." Christ is in your life to burn. He is not there to be a little candle light. This light has to be seen from the hilltop and that means it has to be blazing. Never give up!! Keep up the fight!! Let’s go!! Let’s run!! Stay focused!! We still have time to honor the Lord!! It doesn't matter if all seems lost. you give it your all and "leave it all on the field!" It doesn't matter if you find yourself down by 50. You keep fighting; you keep playing!!! The game is not over so don't act like it is!!!

1) Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.2) Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.3) More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,4) and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,5) and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. - Romans 5:1-5

We know that these trials are going to mold us into the person Christ wants us to be for His kingdom. SO don't hang your head because your getting beat up on. Christ has already won the victory and since we already know who the winner is going to be that should cause us to run harder so that we can get a better time or play harder so we can increase our lead over our opponent or catch back up for an awesome comeback. It should not in any case cause us to start slowing down!! Christ has called us to a fight. A fight where it seems we are outnumbered and weak. This fight will test who we are and our very character down to the core of our being. Therefore we must exercise our spiritual disciplines to get in shape for the battle which coincidentally is every day and night.

The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. There is no need to hold your head down in defeat because it appears all is lost. There is still time on the clock! Start fighting NOW! Get in the game! Never quit!! Never give in!! Keep up the fight!! LET’S GO!!!!!

Crush Satan

2008-10-10T08:16:00.000-07:00

The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. - Romans 16:20

What a great and wonderful promise this is that the God of peace, our Lord Jesus, the Creator, will crush Satan under your feet! He is not the God of wrath to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Notice it's His attribute of peace not grace, mercy, or sovereignty but peace that will crush Satan (not that these other attributes will not play a part in crushing Satan but in the context of this verse it is His peace). Satan hates it when Christ's followers are at peace; when they are content with Jesus and finding in Him their satisfaction for every longing. O dear believer won't you sit under the Lord Jesus wing and be sheltered by the peace that passes all understanding. It is through this peace that Christ draws us. Come to me, Jesus proclaims, all you who are weak and heavy laden and I will give you rest.
28) Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.] 29) Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls. [Jer. 6:16.] 30) For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good--not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne.

Rest from what? Peace from what? How can He promise such things? How can He deliver such a promise in the middle of turmoil? These are questions I want you as the reader and me as the writer to ponder so that we will be taken to the gospel and find the answers for these questions and give glory to our Father who is in heaven!

The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. - Romans 16:20
"This includes all designs and devices of Satan against souls, to defile, disturb, and destroy them; all his attempts to keep us from the peace of heaven here, and the possession of heaven hereafter. When Satan seems to prevail, and we are ready to give up all as lost, then will the God of peace interpose in our behalf. Hold out therefore, faith and patience, yet a little while. If the grace of Christ be with us, who can prevail against us?" - Matthew Henry Concise Commentary

One other point I would like to draw your attention to and that is that it is God who will soon crush Satan not us! It is God's work in destroying Satan! The Lord Jesus does not need our help nor should we have to worry about the devil roaming this earth for we have the Truth and He will soon CRUSH the destroyer Himself!!! We do not have to worry about whether or not the devil is devising traps for us for we know and believe that God will SOON CRUSH Satan and place him in his rightful place of everlasting torment. Satan's greatest desire is for us to lose our peace! He knows that if we lose our peace then we will no longer be satisfied with only the Lord Jesus and we will roam around seeking to gather enough gold to build our golden calf. Allow God to Crush Satan, in your life, by the peace that flows from the Word of God.

May the Lord Jesus grant us grace to grab a hold of this glorious truth and use it to strengthen us in the fight!

Reconciled

2008-10-07T21:39:00.000-07:00

For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. -
Romans 5:10-11

Being brought back to a right standing with God is very exciting news and while we were enemies at that! What amazing love Christ has showed all creation by humbling Himself and being obedient to His farther even unto death; even death on a cross. We were brought back into a right standing with God, through Christ Jesus, and if while we were enemies of God He acquitted us how much more shall we be saved (daily delivered from sin's dominion (AMP)) by His life. His death carries impact through all eternity but we must not forget His life! It is because of His life that we also can be raised by the glory of the Father to walk in newness of life.

O but much more than that we rejoice in God (in His love and perfection (AMP)) through our Lord Jesus Christ who for the joy set before Him endured the cross for rebelious man. He threw down the powers of darkness and brought light into the darkness of this world. He defeteated death by His life and silenced the ruler of this world who, through the cross, thought he had won the victory. God Knew!!! God knew the plan. God created the plan. He was not shocked when His Son became sin for us. He was pleased with His son and at the fullness of time God raised His Son from the grave and made His enemy His footstoll. Through this Son, through the Lord Jesus, we have recieved reconciliation. Without Christ Jesus there is NO right standing with God. There is nothing that we can do, in and of ourself, to capture the heart of God. It took the blood of God's very own Son to bring His creation back to a place that He would be able to fellowship with them. So we, the creation, rejoice in God's love through our Lord Jesus because we can now stand before God almighty, the creator and sustainer of life, without a trace of unrightousness. We can now come boldly to God almighty's throne where there is such awesomeness that sinfull man would not even be able to glance at the glory and power of God. Where with just the thought of looking would kill a nautural man instantly. It is to this throne that, those who are reconciled, are able to came and rest in the glory of God's pressence. His awesomeness will keep us satisfied for all eternity. "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God." (Romans 5:1-2)

Stand!

2008-10-06T16:36:00.000-07:00

... he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. - Romans 14:4

In the context of this verse Paul is talking to the Romans about not passing judgement on weaker believers namely because "God has welcomed him" (vs. 3). This is a hard truth to grasp. What is the line between welcoming a weaker brother and standing against false teaching?...

There is a great danger in placing rules on a young believer because they will faint under the pressure. The Lord will cause them to stand and grow not because of the rules we have created but because He is the one who upholds the weak. He will make them grow into a lush tree that is a shelter for many believers that come after them. Why do we pass judgement on someone else's servant? Why are we so passionate about making everyone to be exactly like ourselves? Not allowing a them to ask questions and to think about the deep things of God is a travisty and it must be stoped. We should do all we can to encourage the weaker brother to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus. Instead of giving them a list of dos and donts we need to be giving them scripture to meditate on.

The problem with passing judgement on a weaker brother is that we are getting in the way of Christ and His work in that Brother. In getting in the way of Christ we are, in essence, saying that we have a better way, a better plan, for that person to grow into a mature life with Christ. If we do not have scripture to give that brother then we need to not say anything. In the first verse of chapter 14 we see that Paul says, "not to quarrel over opinions" because,I believe, it will only casue tension in the followers relationship. This is by no way talking about truths that are obvious in scripture but it is talking about, specifically, eating meat. Later in cahpter 14 we see it is also talking about one who observes one day better than the other and another that observes all days alike. In verse 13 we see the heart of what Paul is saying and can hereby see application for our life.; "Therefore let us not pass judgement on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block in the way of a brother." Here we can see that as followers of Christ Jesus we must decide to never to do something that we know our brother has a hard time fighting.

One example from this chapter can be found in verse two and three where Paul says, "One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegtables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgement on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him." How are we to look at someones commitment to the Lord and pass judgement on them and their actions. It is the Lord Jesus that makes a person stand and if that brother stands it is because the Lord upheld him. This is not something that we have to do dear friend for Christ is the author and finisher of our faith and we must never forget to allow Him to work in our lives as well as our Brothers. Let us cultivate humlity in our lives and not despise our brothers commitment to the Lord where he is convinced in his mind that his particular sacrifice is pleasing to the Lord.

The LORD is my portion

2008-10-04T07:14:00.000-07:00

If the Lord is my portion then why do I so often look for other things to be my satisfaction? Only Christ can bring the fulfillment into my life that I'm longing to find. Never has anything captivated my heart like the Lord Jesus and so consumed my life that it left me feeling so totally satisfied. I felt like I could live for eternity with the one touch of His hand. But I have grown to understand that I cannot base my life on these feelings. They come and go like the wind but God's word endures forever. It would have been nice if someone would have told me that it is by grace that I stand not by my feelings. If I am relying on my feelings to see where my spiritual status is with the Lord then they will deceive me and leave me with condemnation and shame. It is only by grace that I am saved and nothing but the Blood of Jesus can cleanse the very darkest of spots of my heart. Grace sustains me and keeps me satisfied with the Lord Jesus. Grace takes my life and transforms my mind through the word of God. Grace is the very reason the LORD is my portion because without grace I would not even care about Jesus!!