more worshipful

Even His Own

2012-01-28T10:44:00.002-06:00

I thought this text was interesting:

King Joash did not remember the kindness Zechariah’s father Jehoiada had shown him but killed his son, who said as he lay dying, “May the Lord see this and call you to account.” At the turn of the year, the army of Aram marched against Joash; it invaded Judah and Jerusalem and killed all the leaders of the people. They sent all the plunder to their king in Damascus. Although the Aramean army had come with only a few men, the Lord delivered into their hands a much larger army. Because Judah had forsaken the Lord, the God of their ancestors, judgment was executed on Joash. (2 Chronicles 24:22-24)

Yes, we see God judge other nations in the Bible- but God also uses other nations to judge the people God calls his own (Deuteronomy 14:2). For example, God used Assyria to judge Israel, while Babylon was sent to judge Judah:

In King Hezekiah’s fourth year, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria marched against Samaria and laid siege to it. At the end of three years the Assyrians took it. So Samaria was captured in Hezekiah’s sixth year, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel. The king of Assyria deported Israel to Assyria and settled them in Halah, in Gozan on the Habor River and in towns of the Medes. This happened because they had not obeyed the Lord their God, but had violated his covenant—all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded. They neither listened to the commands nor carried them out. (2 Kings 18:9-12)

In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army and laid siege to it. And on the ninth day of the fourth month of Zedekiah’s eleventh year, the city wall was broken through. Then all the officials of the king of Babylon came and took seats in the Middle Gate: Nergal-Sharezer of Samgar, Nebo-Sarsekim a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officials of the king of Babylon. When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled; they left the city at night by way of the king’s garden, through the gate between the two walls, and headed toward the Arabah. But the Babylonian army pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. They captured him and took him to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced sentence on him. There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes and also killed all the nobles of Judah. Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon. (Jeremiah 39:1-7)

This happened to Judah after God spoke through the prophet Jeremiah, telling them what was soon to take place:

Therefore the Lord Almighty says this: “Because you have not listened to my words, I will summon all the peoples of the north and my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon,” declares the Lord, “and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and against all the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy them and make them an object of horror and scorn, and an everlasting ruin. I will banish from them the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, the sound of millstones and the light of the lamp. This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years. (Jeremiah 32:3)

And, like Israel, God was punishing Judah because of their sin.

As Francis Chan puts it, "God never excuses sin. And He is always consistent with that ethic. Whenever we start to question whether God really hates sin, we have only to think of the cross, where His Son was tortured, mocked, and beaten because of sin. Our sin. No question about it: God hates and must punish sin. And He is totally just and fair in doing so."

End Times

2012-01-25T21:13:00.000-06:00

The Bible, concerning the end times:

- The beginning of birth pains (tribulation) BEFORE/AFTER/DURING the man of lawlessness is revealed.

As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel- let the reader understand- then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now- and never to be equaled again. “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you ahead of time. “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather. “Immediately after the distress of those days 'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.' “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. (Matthew 24:3-31)

And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. (Mark 13:10)

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God- having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these teachers oppose the truth. They are men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone. (2 Timothy 3:1-9)

Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. (1 John 2:18)

But every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. (1 John 4:3)

Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us- whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter- asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God. Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness. (2 Thessalonians 2)

The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. (1 Timothy 4:1-3)

- The dead in Christ then those believers currently alive are brought to meet Christ in the clouds (rapture) BEFORE/DURING the rise of the wicked who had died to be punished.

There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people- everyone whose name is found written in the book- will be delivered. Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. (Daniel 12:1-2)

That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. (Matthew 24:39-41)

They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." (Luke 21:24-28)

According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17)

But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?”... So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable;... I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed- in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” (1 Corinthians 15:35,42,50-54)

For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then when he comes, those who belong to him. Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. (1 Corinthians 15:22-26)

They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven." (Acts 1:10-11)

- Christ returns to the earth, granting the kingdom and eternal life to believers and eternal fire to the cursed still alive at that time.

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” (Matthew 25:31-46)

- Christ sets up his kingdom with him as the king for a duration of 1000 years. Satan is bound for this time, but not yet destroyed.

And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time. I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years. (Revelation 20:1-6)

- Satan is released from prison, defeated in a great battle, and then thrown into the lake of burning sulfur.

When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth- Gog and Magog- and to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. (Revelation 20:7-10)

- The dead are judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. Those whose name are not found written in the book of life are thrown into the lake of fire.

Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11-15)

“As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear. (Matthew 13:40-43)

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:10)

For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved- even though only as one escaping through the flames. (1 Corinthians 3:11-15)

- The present/first heaven and earth pass away (they are destroyed by fire) and a new one replaces it.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. (Matthew 24:35, Luke 21:33)

Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. (2 Peter 3:3-13)

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars- they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long. The angel measured the wall using human measurement, and it was 144 cubits thick. The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass. I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life. (Revelation 21:1-27)

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever. (Revelation 22:1-5)

“See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more. “Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; the one who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere child; the one who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed. They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the work of their hands. They will not labor in vain, nor will they bear children doomed to misfortune; for they will be a people blessed by the Lord, they and their descendants with them. Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear. The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, and dust will be the serpent’s food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain,” says the Lord. (Isaiah 65:17-25)

But the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever- yes, for ever and ever.' (Daniel 7:18)

More

I get rapture after tribulation from the following verses:

Matthew 24: All these are the beginning of birth pains. “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me... “Immediately after the distress of those days 'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.' “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

2 Thessalonians 2: Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him... that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. (Lahaye and Ice argue that the word 'rebellion' can be also translated as 'falling away', KJV, or 'departing first' in older English translations. But then the thought would have to be 'Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him... that day will not come until the rapture occurs...' That doesn't make sense to me... Am I missing something?)

Revelation 3:10 makes a good argument for pre-tribulation (this would conflict Matthew 24 and 2 Thessalonians 2). I am unsatisfied with the few arguments I have read that post-tribulationists make against this one.

Another thing I don't understand is who the believers are that will be there for the judgment of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25. And if some are sent to eternal punishment, and some to eternal life, who will be remaining for the millennial kingdom?

I, by no means, am an expert on this subject... if I have something incorrect or have misunderstood something, please let me know! Thanks!

Strength to Love

2012-01-19T21:34:00.000-06:00

From the book 'Strength to Love' by Martin Luther King Jr.:

So he said to them, "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves." And he gave them a formula for action: "Be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." It is pretty difficult to imagine a single person having, simultaneously, the characteristics of the serpent and the dove, but this is what Jesus expects. We must combine the toughness of the serpent and the softness of the dove, a tough mind and a tender heart.

As the elevator made its upward climb in one of the largest hotels of New York City, I noticed for the first time that there was no thirteenth floor- floor fourteen followed floor twelve. On inquiring from the elevator operator the reason for this omission, he said, "This practice is followed by most large hotels because of the fear of numerous people to stay on a thirteenth floor." Then he added, "The real foolishness of the fear is to be found in the fact that the fourteenth floor is actually the thirteenth."

God has two outstretched arms. One is strong enough to surround us with justice, and one is gentle enough to embrace us with grace. On the one hand, God is a God of justice who punished Israel for her wayward deeds, and on the other hand, he is a forgiving father whose heart was filled with unutterable joy when the prodigal returned home.

Longfellow said, "In this world a man must either be anvil or hammer," meaning that he is either a molder of society or is molded by society. Who doubts that today most men are anvils and are shaped by the patterns of the majority? Or to change the figure, most people, and Christians in particular, are thermometers that record or register the temperature of majority opinion, not thermostats that transform and regulate the temperature of society.

Christianity has always insisted that the cross we bear precedes the crown we wear.

We talk eloquently about our commitment to the principles of Christianity, and yet our lives are saturated with the practices of paganism.

Doing Something Useful

2012-01-06T11:04:00.000-06:00

While not the only reason we work, Paul gives a reason for working:

Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need. (Ephesians 4:28)

He says we work so that we may have something to share with those in need!

Here is another one:

In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers and sisters, to keep away from every believer who is idle and disruptive and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate. For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.” We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies. Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat. And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good. (2 Thessalonians 3:6-13)

Fun After Church

2011-12-18T11:10:00.000-06:00

Photo Booth

2011-12-10T19:47:00.000-06:00

Hiking in Broken Bow (OK)

2011-12-03T20:25:00.000-06:00

O, Christmas Tree

2011-11-26T21:58:00.000-06:00

Off to find our tree!

I think we found it!

Thankful For

2011-11-24T21:53:00.000-06:00

At Thanksgiving dinner this year, we went around the table and gave the one person and one possession we are most thankful for. Before the turn came to me, the Spirit was prompting me to say my Bible as the object I was most thankful for. It's been a big part of my life this year, including reading through the Bible in 12 months. But I couldn't just say that, could I? Maybe I would offend one of my family members if I said that. Out of fear, I started thinking of something else I could say. When it came time for me to go, I announced that this year, I was most thankful for my nose cleaner (Netti Pot). When the question came back around to my Aunt Cindy, she told everyone she was most thankful for her Bible and talked about how it has opened her eyes and changed her life. And so I was feeling like a wimp for being too afraid to say what I wanted to say, and pathetic for proclaiming that the most important possession I have is a snot rinse rather than the word of God (!). Fail. God, I need your mercies! Give me boldness to just be honest!

Eating Penut Butter Sandwiches Instead

2011-11-20T21:39:00.000-06:00

Every week we have between 3 and 8 kids over for lunch between church and afternoon Bible study. We often buy them pizza or hamburgers from Burger King. Tomah came back from church today excited about a video she had watched during service. It's a story of a young woman who is a missionary in Africa- and how she gave up her life in the states to take in and love orphaned children (Kisses from Katie I think the video is called). It was the perfect segue to what the Spirit had layed on our hearts. "While you can't necessarily go to Africa right now and take in orphans, we want to give you an opportunity to love the poor," April explained. The kids all independently decided they wanted to give up their Sunday lunch of pizza/burgers and instead eat a cheaper alternative (penut butter and jelly sandwiches)- and give the difference in the money to Samaritan's purse to buy hot meals for children that don't get to eat and mosquito nets for Africans. "I remember getting bit by mosquitos in Africa," Charles explained. It was cool to see the Lord do something so neat.

Because of Your Faith

2011-11-02T19:20:00.001-05:00

The gospels record instances where people were healed and a few times where people were not healed. Faith seems to be the reason, in a number of cases.

Healed:

Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.” (Luke 8:50)

Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” (Matthew 9:2)

Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment. (Matthew 9:22, Mark 5:34)

Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you”; and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” (Matthew 9:29-30)

“Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:29-31)

Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment. (Matthew 15:28)

Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” (Luke 17:18-19)

When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked. Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. (Matthew 21:20-21)

Not healed:

And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, "Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor." And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith. (Matthew 13:57-58, Mark 6:4-6)

Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:19-20)

Family Time in Ohio

2011-10-31T18:39:00.000-05:00

Hiding Easter eggs for the October Easter egg hunt!

Zach with the vantage point.

The family at Rincon.

Let's Dance

2011-10-23T22:28:00.000-05:00

Charles claims victory :)

Pumpkin Carving

2011-10-22T22:46:00.000-05:00

April with our 'dog' pumpkin. :)

April baked the pumpkin seeds.

Texas State Fair

2011-10-21T07:27:00.000-05:00

April beat me at the potato sack slide.

With Big Tex.

It's time to get some fried guacamole. Yum!

Ending of Mark 16

2011-10-09T00:07:00.000-05:00

Many Bibles have the following note following Mark 16:8:

1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. 2 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb 3 and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?” 4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. 6 “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’” 8 Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.[a]

[The earliest manuscripts and some other ancient witnesses do not have verses 9–20.]

9 When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. 10 She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping. 11 When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it. 12 Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country. 13 These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either. 14 Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen. 15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” 19 After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. 20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.

As far as manuscripts go, the earliest two complete ones do not contain verses 9-20 as part of the gospel of Mark. These ones are known as 'Sinaiticus' and 'Vaticanus,' and come from the 4th century. Apparently, 'Papyrus 45' is the oldest extant manuscript that contains text from Mark, but it has no text from chapter 16 at all due to extensive damage. Some manuscripts containing verses 9-20 are dated to the 5th century and later. There are manuscripts that include a short alternate "ending" to the gospel of Mark as well.

As far as the church fathers go, a man named Tertullian (AD 160-220) writes (in Latin), in Scorpiace chapter 15^#:

...et si mortiferum quid biberint, non eis nocebit...

Which is similar to the text of Mark 16:18 (also here, in Latin):

...et si aliquid mortiferum quis biberint non illos nocebit...

Does this mean Tertullian had access to the Mark 16:9-20 text? Maybe. Maybe not. The use of the phrase appears to be a literal poison in Mark 16:18, but Tertullian uses the same word for poison to describe false teaching in Scorpiace.^ Seems far from clear to me. (Additionally, the writer in the website referenced below tries to make an argument from Justin Martyr's writings as well. His thoughts are below.)

^ http://tcg.iphpbb3.com/forum/64774768nx21631/the-endings-of-mark-f25/justin-martyr-and-mark-1620-t65.html
* http://tcg.iphpbb3.com/forum/64774768nx21631/the-endings-of-mark-f25/tertullian-and-mark-1618-t86.html
# http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0318.htm

Sports Idols?

2011-09-11T12:51:00.000-05:00

Pastor Chandler painted a different picture of idolatry in church the other week:

"When the Mavericks were in the NBA Finals, a buddy of mine called and said, “Hey man, I have an extra ticket. Do you want to go?”... Dirk put the final touches on it late in the game, and the place exploded. I had goosebumps and I was high-fiving strangers and even hugging and jumping with people didn’t even know. People freaked out. It was an unbelievable evening. I’ve been in those places before. I’ve been to football games where you could just feel the energy. I’ve been at concerts where you could just feel the energy. It’s so much fun. It’s so much fun, we spend a lot of money on it. Can I tell you what’s happening? We’re simply tapping into this deep, base purpose of our existence, which is worship. What do you think that is? That’s worship. When you go to that concert, when you get that feeling of all that energy and when you get caught up in this euphoric moment, the reason that feels so good is because it’s what you were created for... Those of you who love music, after that concert, after that euphoric moment, you talk about it on the way home, and then all of that gives way to ringing ears and post-Christmas present blues. So you have to start looking for another high, another worship experience. So if you start to think about sports and music, watch how we do it. We do with those things what God has commanded us to do with Him. We look it up online, we study it, we want to figure out where they are and we get their t-shirts. It’s worship. We go to their “service,” we gather with other participants to worship or watch it on TV. However we can get close to it, we pursue it. It’s religious idolatry, but it taps into what you were created for."

Which got me thinking about my own love for my university's football club. I go online and read about the team news (Bible reading). I watch the games and cheer (worship) and sometimes gather together and watch with friends or family (church). Am I missing the mark? Is my love for Texas football going against what God desires?

(1) The Bible teaches to not love the world or anything in it.

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If any one loves the world, love for the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world passes away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides for ever. (1 John 2:15-17)

John Piper says, 'fast from anything that you love more than God.' Do I love UT football more than God? I would think not. But, at certain times of the calendar year, I do think about the team often. I spend time reading up on the latest information. And those are thoughts and time that could go to God instead.

(2) Time is short.

We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. (John 9:4 NLT)
The word 'night' here is used to represent death. My life is a breath and then it will be over. Why not use the little time I have here on earth to praise God, to bring him glory, to tell others about God, and love the lowly?

Perhaps watching football falls into the category of 'entertainment'. While entertainment is fun and one way to relax, it can take away from God in heart affections and time.

God is Merciful

2011-09-10T00:17:00.000-05:00

Israel and Judah angered God. His words, spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:

You have defiled the land with your prostitution and wickedness. (Jeremiah 3:2)

You do all the evil you can. (Jeremiah 3:5)

You have been unfaithful to me, O house of Israel. (Jeremiah 3:20, 5:11)

The word of the Lord is offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it. (Jeremiah 6:10)

[Israel] is greedy for gain... all practice deceit. (Jeremiah 6:13)

[Judah burns] their sons and daughters in the fire- something I did not command, nor did it enter my mind. (Jeremiah 7:31, 19:5)

They have committed adultery with their neighbors' wives. (Jeremiah 29:23)

So what's God going to do about it?

I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and a mighty arm in anger and fury and great wrath. I will strike down those who live in this city- both men and animals- and they will die of a terrible plague. After that, declares the Lord, I will hand over Zedekiah king of Judah, his officials and the people in this city who survive the plague, sword or famine, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and to their enemies who seek their lives. He will put them to the sword; he will show them no merct or pity or compassion. (Jeremiah 21:5-7)

I have determined to do this city harm and not good, declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 21:10)

I have struck you [Israel] as an enemy would and punished you as would the cruel, because your guilt is so great and your sins so many. Why do you cry out over your wound, your pain that has no cure? Because of your great sins I have done these things to you. (Jeremiah 30:15)

And yet he chooses discipline and mercy:

I will not completely destroy you. I will discipline you but only with justice; I will not let you go entirely unpunished. (Jeremiah 46:28)

But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds, declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 30:17)

Pastor Matt Chandler:

"I have never ceased to be comforted by the fact that God never just outright destroys the nation of Israel."

Why does God act in this way?

1. Mainly for the glory of His name.

So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and destroy them in the desert. But I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I had brought them out. (Ezekiel 20:13-14)

For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name's sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself. (1 Samuel 12:22)

I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity and will rebuild them as they were before. I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me. Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it.’ (Jeremiah 33:7-9)

God even forgives our sin for His own sake:

I, I am He who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins. (Isaiah 43:25)

2. The text also says that God views Israel as his children.

They will come with weeping; they will pray as I bring them back. I will lead them beside streams of water on a level path where they will not stumble, because I am Israel's father, and Ephraim is my firstborn son. (Jeremiah 31:9)

Is not Ephraim my dear son, the child in whom I delight? Though I often speak against him, I still remember him. Therefore my heart yearns for him; I have great compassion for him, declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 31:20)

Blake McJunkin

2011-09-05T09:05:00.000-05:00

This article ran in the Houston Chronicle: (It was written by Brent Zwerneman, College Station Bureau.)

http://www.chron.com/sports/aggies/article/Aggies-appreciate-SMU-player-s-kind-act-2160221.php

COLLEGE STATION - SMU center Blake McJunkin tries abiding by 2 Timothy 4:2-5, so much that he's prominently displayed the Bible verses on his Facebook page.

One verse reminds readers to "keep your head in all situations." McJunkin, however, took that slice of solid advice a step further in the heat of competition on Sunday night. By helping Texas A&M's Trent Hunter keep his head in a sticky situation at Kyle Field.

Hunter, the Aggies' affable safety, had returned an interception early in the first quarter against the Mustangs, and in the process lost his helmet when McJunkin and SMU teammate Kelly Turner wound up on top of him for the tackle.

With Hunter's head exposed and with players still moving around, McJunkin committed an act that serves as a sweet reminder that good kids still play this good game - even if it's a game sometimes causing old men in suits to bicker about things way above the players' heads (see conference alignment).

A helping arm
McJunkin, with one swift, spontaneous move, shielded Hunter's head with his burly left arm, providing safety for the safety in what could have been a dangerous situation for A&M's defensive team captain.
"It was just a natural reaction," McJunkin said. "When he lost his helmet, it was just the right thing to do, no matter the color of his jersey. I've seen people get hurt in that situation."

Hunter, in watching the game tape, recognized McJunkin's kind act - and appreciated it in a way that only guys who've put their well-being on the line to play a game can.

"My helmet popped off and I really didn't know what had happened," Hunter said. "When I was watching the video later, I saw that (McJunkin) was protecting my head from any other hit. I really appreciate that gesture - it's what sportsmanship is all about."

McJunkin appreciated the outpouring of thanks from Aggies via the Internet after he looked out for one of their own - in a moment that might have filled lesser men with rage following a key turnover.
"People just said, 'Hey, man, thanks for protecting our player,' " McJunkin said. "That was humbling, to get those messages."

The Lowly

2011-09-01T13:48:00.000-05:00

In Isaiah 1:16-17, we read that God had some choice thoughts for Israel:

"Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong, learn to do right!"

And what, according to the Lord, is right? Well, here God says:

"Seek justice, defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow"...

While this is far from an extensive list of what God desires, we can see here that God has a heart or a passion for the lowly people- the widow, the orphan, the alien, the poor. It's all over scripture:

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (James 1:27)

The Lord watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow... (Psalm 146:9)

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows is God in his holy dwelling. (Psalm 68:5)

“Because the poor are plundered and the needy groan, I will now arise,” says the LORD. “I will protect them from those who malign them.” (Psalm 12:5)

Woe to those who make ujust laws... making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless. (Isaiah 10:2)

Do no wrong or violence to the alien, the fatherless or the widow... (Jeremiah 22:3)

He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me? (Jeremiah 22:16)

And what does God desire for us in relation to the lowly?:

(1) Defend them. Give them justice.

Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked. (Psalm 82:3-4)

"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy." (Proverbs 31:8-9)
"Their evil deeds have no limit; they do not plead the case of the fatherless to win it, they do not defend the rights of the poor. Should I not punish them for this?" (Jeremiah 5:28-29)

Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God. (Proverbs 14:31)

(2) Give them food, clothing, and shelter.

Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: ...Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter- when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? (Isaiah 58:7)

In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. (Acts 6:1)

Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 19:10)

...and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry... then your light will rise in the darkness... (Isaiah 58:10)

He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt. (Deuteronomy 10:18-19)

At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year's produce and store it in your towns, so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. (Deuteronomy 14:28-29)

More thoughts from God regarding the lowly:

“‘Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. (Ezekiel 16:49)

Pay them their wages each day before sunset, because they are poor and are counting on it. Otherwise they may cry to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty of sin.

If any woman who is a believer has widows in her care, she should continue to help them and not let the church be burdened with them, so that the church can help those widows who are really in need. (1 Timothy 5:16)

Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (Matthew 19:21)

But now as for what is inside you—be generous to the poor, and everything will be clean for you. (Luke 11:41)

Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. (Luke 12:23)

Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me and said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.’ (Acts 10:30-32)

If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:3)

All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I had been eager to do all along. (Galatians 2:10)

Hiking in Colorado

2011-08-26T18:43:00.000-05:00

The Bad Soils

2011-08-16T22:24:00.001-05:00

Jesus explains the parable of the sowers to his disciples:

“Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:18-23)

First the 'good soil':

Good soil: Someone who hears the word of God and understands it. This person yields a crop 100, 60, or 30 times what was sown.

None of the other three soils produces a crop. This is how they are described:

- The evil one comes and snatches away the word of God that was sown in their heart.
- When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.
- The worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.

Worry gets us focused on our own needs and we get preoccupied with our own concerns and problems instead of being concerned about making much of God. It makes us unfruitful. Plus, the reason I worry is because I don't trust God and the promises in his word.

What is the deceitfulness (or delusion) of wealth? Riches promise more than they can deliver. They promise security, happiness, and satisfaction in life, but fail to deliver.* We become unfruitful when we chase after the these things with money- security, happiness, satisfaction in life- that were intended to found in God.

These are familiar challenges- trouble and persecution brought on by following the Lord; worries of this life and the 'deceitfulness' of wealth. Lord, guard me against such things so I may bear fruit!

* Quote from http://callongod.org/17-20bible.htm
+ Previous blog on the parable of the sower is here: http://apbouhasin.blogspot.com/2008/01/parable-of-sower.html

Unpopular

2011-08-06T21:24:00.033-05:00

The Lord spoke through the prophet Micah:

If a liar and deciever comes and says, 'I will prophesy for you plenty of wine and beer, he would be just the prophet for this people! (Micah 2:11)

And also Isaiah:

They say to the seers, "See no more visions!" and to the prophets, "Give us no more visions of what is right! Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions. (Isaiah 30:10)

And it's so true today too- we're a people that like those who 'tell us what we want to hear.' That had to be frustrating to Micah and the prophets; and especially to God!

From Micah again:

This is what the Lord says: "As for the prophets who lead my people astray, if one feeds them, they proclaim 'peace'; if he does not, they prepare to wage war against him..." (Micah 3:5)

We see it over and over again in the scriptures. The prophets that deliver 'bad' news get stoned and beaten and chased and are wildly unpopular (see Micaiah's prophecy about Ahab in 1 Kings 22:18 among others) while the false prophets that tell the people what they want to hear already are celebrated... among men.

Kaua'i (Part 2 of 2)

2011-08-05T20:58:00.017-05:00

At the beach (Maha'lepu) near Poipu

The garlic shrimp from Island Grill. Best on the island... that was, until I had the tacos in Waimea. :)

Our romantic dinner at St. Regis in Princeville.

Waimea Canyon overlook.

Thanks for Sharing

2011-08-04T20:17:00.000-05:00

I finally got the hang of snorkeling today. April was so patient with me. This is a shot from Tunnels beach (my favorite of the Kauai beaches) where we went:

We saw a lot of very colorful fish. My favorites were iridescent in color. They looked like this:

While we were swimming, April reminded me of a chapter in the book, "Cat and Dog Theology," by Sjogren and Robison:

Think about it. If you were God and you were going to create an environment for humanity, wouldn't you design everything for them? But when we look around, we see that it's not designed for us; it's designed for God. "For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him" (Colossians 1:16). He shares it with us, but it's for Him!... Why are there galaxies we can't even see? Come on, God, that wasn't too smart if it were all about us!" (pgs. 15-16)

And so as we're snorkeling and I see some of these beautiful fish, I couldn't help but think, "Man, God, thanks for sharing a little bit with me." God created all these amazingly beautiful fish, and I got to swim up against some spectacular ones!

Kaua'i (Part 1 of 2)

2011-08-02T20:26:00.001-05:00

We hiked the Kalalau Trail 8 miles. The half way point was the semi-deserted beach below.

The end of our hike (8 miles total) was this waterfall.

The half-way point beach on the Kalalau Trail.

We saw lots of rainbows in Kaua'i. We even saw a couple of double rainbows.

April on the zip-line.

April and I on our favorite beach (Nawiliwili Park).

Celebrations 2011 (Weeks 4, 5, and 6)

2011-07-26T22:11:00.017-05:00

Photo Shoot

2011-07-23T19:31:00.027-05:00

Cool wall art near Deep Ellum.

A dock at Whiterock Lake.

For my birthday, April borrowed a SLR camera with a tripod and took me on a photo shoot of Dallas.

Reunion tower.

Downtown Dallas at night.

Six Flags

2011-07-09T23:43:00.000-05:00

Getting ready for the rollercoaster.

Tomah likes the tea cups.

After ~30 minutes of deliberating, I decided not to ride the new Texas Giant. Then April begged me so I went on it. Turned out to be great fun! (My co-worker later told me the ride malfunctioned the following day. Yikes.)

Emmanuel won this basketball for a $2 game!

Concealing a Matter

2011-07-06T12:48:00.000-05:00

The men of Hezekiah, king of Judah wrote down more proverbs written by Solomon. (In fact, Solomon spoke 3000 proverbs, according to 1 Kings 4:32!) This is one of them:

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.
Proverbs 25:2

I thought Keil and Delitzsch put it well:

"That which is the glory of God and the glory of the king in itself, and that by which they acquire glory, stand here contrasted. The glory of God consists in this, to conceal a matter, i.e., to place before men mystery upon mystery, in which they become conscious of the limitation and insufficiency of their knowledge, so that they are constrained to acknowledge, Deuteronomy 29:28, that "secret things belong unto the Lord our God." There are many things that are hidden and are known only to God, and we must be contented with that which He sees it good to make known to us..."

I won't get into the second half of the verse here. But the first part is particularly striking. God conceals things for his good purpose! What a crazy thought. Here's an example:

The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?" He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them... This is why I speak to them in parables: 'Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand... Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.' "
Matthew 13:10-15

And another:

And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4

When asked when he would return, Jesus tells the disciples,

Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah.
Matthew 24:35-37

So the father (God) knows something he has chosen not to reveal to us (even Jesus!), for his good purposes.

In the story of Job, as Job and his friends try to make sense of his trials, God responds simply that 'I am God and you are not... I have knowledge that you do not have.'

Celebrations 2011 (Weeks 1, 2, and 3)

2011-07-05T22:05:00.002-05:00

Movie Night

2011-07-02T20:32:00.000-05:00

Pointing the Finger

2011-06-29T18:56:00.000-05:00

In Genesis chapter 3, the serpent (Satan) convinces Eve to eat fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden. God did say "You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die." (Genesis 3:3) Yet Eve took some and ate it (3:6) and also gave some to her husband, Adam, and he too ate (3:6). And God comes calling:

And he said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?" (Genesis 3:11)

And Adam's reply:

The man said, "The woman you put here with me- she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it." (Genesis 3:12)

If Adam is going to blame someone, there are really just four options here: God, Satan, himself, and Eve. And yet Adam chooses to blame both God (The woman you put here with me) and Eve (The woman you put here with me). Notice the only ones Adam did not blame: Satan and himself!

Education in Guatemala

2011-06-20T19:13:00.000-05:00

From NLCH, where I visited for 5 months in 2008:

"Many around the world, including many here in Guatemala, were not born into a worldly land of opportunity. A land where the privilege of things such as an education are a given. As a matter of fact, Guatemala has one of the highest illiteracy rates in the western hemisphere. Only one out of eight girls who begins ﬁrst grade will complete sixth grade. Not only that, but the local newspaper recently reported that in Guatemala only ten of every one hundred students starting school will ﬁnish sixth grade and that only two of these will receive a high school education. Two out of one hundred!"

San Antonio

2011-06-17T22:08:00.000-05:00

April and I next to the Alamo.

Next to Robert, the world's tallest man (7'11")

Anthony dying of thirst. The weather at Eisenhower Park was extremely arid.

Earthly Tent

2011-06-15T19:10:00.000-05:00

Paul was a tentmaker:

And because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them. (Acts 18:3)

This is perhaps why he uses the language of tents:

Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. (2 Corinthians 5:1-4)

Setting up the tent at Cedar Hill state park.

I think Paul's point is that earth is not our home. We long for heaven- 'our building from God.' Our earthly dwelling is a tent. Just like with camping, sleeping in the tent is not our home. It's not the most comfortable. It's not secure. And when I'm out camping for a while, it makes me long for home.

By Faith Until By Sight

2011-06-08T19:43:00.001-05:00

As my brother-in-law David put it (I paraphrase), 'there will only be so much longer that we will see by faith and then it will be too late. Then it will be by sight.' Paul's words:

Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. (1 Corinthians 13:12^)

What is the face to face?

"Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them..." (Revelation 21:3b)

And until then,

We live by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7)

And it has me thinking. Live by faith. Now's the time to do it.

^ A nice commentary on chapter 13: http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/bcc/view.cgi?book=1co&chapter=013

Love and Respect

2011-06-04T19:51:00.027-05:00

April and I at the conference.

April and I went to a marriage video conference called 'Love and Respect'^ at a church in Desoto this weekend. The basic premise of the conference is that God has made men and women different- God made men to need respect, and women to need love:

However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. (Ephesians 5:33)

Of course both are important, but men and women are at the core different when it comes to these two ideas. In fact, when a wife feels unloved by her husband, she can be disrespectful to him. When a husband feels disrespected by his wife, he can tend to act unloving. Which then can prompt the wife (who is feeling unloved) to be disrespectful in return, and so on. Hence, what the speaker (Emerson) dubs 'the crazy cycle.'

As spouses that love each other and love the Lord, we must choose to break the crazy cycle. When the wife acts disrespectful, we must choose to be loving and vice versa:

The Lord said to me, "Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes." (Hosea 3:1)

Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. (1 Peter 3:1-2)

Often this will "win" our spouse and bring connectedness, forgiveness, and reconciliation. But even if it doesn't, Emerson points out that we must do this because we will love the Lord (and he has called us / desires us to love our spouse) and will be rewarded by God:

Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everone according to what he has done. (Revelation 22:12)

...doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does... (Ephesians 3:8)

^ www.loveandrespect.com

Storm Shelter

2011-05-24T22:19:00.034-05:00

With tornado warning in effect, we took shelter in David and Kristin's small bathroom... that is, until we couldn't stand being in a small stuffy room any longer. Then we went and sat on the couch next to the glass windows.

Tornado warning: a tornado was spotted touching down close to our rickety top floor apartment and headed our way. We went down to David and Kristin's apartment where Michelle let us in. We prayed to God for safety. I was a bit nervous as we heard hail and strong gusts of wind blast against the apartment walls. We watched the radar as the center of the storm drifted over our location on the map. Then... nothing. The storm passed by. No trouble. We braced for the storm, yet nothing dangerous happened- and the feeling I had was "I got all worked-up about nothing again!" And shortly after the storm had passed, April and I read Psalm 86:

Hear my prayer, LORD;
listen to my cry for mercy.
When I am in distress, I call to you,
because you answer me.
Psalm 86:6-7

Things happen. People do die. But in that moment, God was convicting me- when we were in distress, we called to God. And I didn't even consider whether he had answered my prayer. I just assumed since we were kept from harm that we were never in danger.

The One That Came After Him

2011-05-18T20:01:00.003-05:00

David must have thought of Moses when God told him that he was not to be building the temple for God, but instead it would be the one to come after him:

But this word of the Lord came to me [David]: 'You have shed much blood and have fought many wars. You are not to build a house for my Name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in my sight. But you will have a son who will be a man of peace and rest, and I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side. His name will be Solomon, and I will grant Israel peace and quiet during his reign. He is the one who will build a house for my name. (1 Chronicles 22:8-10a).

Just as Moses was not allowed to enter the promised land (Numbers 20:12, Deuteronomy 1:32-38) but instead the one to come after him would (Joshua), David was not allowed to build but instead the one to come after him would (Solomon).

Killed For Their Faith

2011-05-14T12:14:00.004-05:00

From the website http://www.ichthus.info/Disciples/intro.html ---

Many of Jesus disciples died cruel deaths for preaching the gospel and/or being Christians.

In fact, of the original 12 disciples:

(1) Andrew (crucified).
- [According to Hippolytus] "Andrew preached to the Scythians [modern day Georgia] and Thracians [modern day Bulgaria], and was crucified, suspended on an olive tree, at Patrae, a town of Achaia [Greece]; and there too he was buried."

(2) Bartholomew/Nathanael (crucified).
- [According to Hippolytus, Bartholomew preached in India] "Bartholomew, again, preached to the Indians, to whom he also gave the Gospel according to Matthew, and was crucified with his head downward, and was buried in Allanum, a town of the great Armenia [modern day southern Georgia].
- Eusebius, in his Church History, confirms the ministry of Bartholomew in India, and adds an eye witness account: "About that time, Pantaenus, a man highly distinguished for his learning, had charge of the school of the faithful in Alexandria... Pantaenus...is said to have gone to India. It is reported that among persons there who knew of Christ, he found the Gospel according to Matthew, which had anticipated his own arrival. For Bartholomew, one of the apostles, had preached to them, and left with them the writing of Matthew in the Hebrew language, which they had preserved till that time." ---- (Book 5, Chapter 10)

(3) James, Son of Alphaeus (stoned to death).
- Hippolytus identifies that James was stoned to death in Jerusalem: "And James the son of Alphaeus, when preaching in Jerusalem, was stoned to death by the Jews, and was buried there beside the temple."

(4) James, Son of Zebedee (beheaded).
- James was the brother of John, the disciple "that Jesus loved". According to the Book of Acts in the New Testament, James was killed by Herod: And at that time Herod the king threw on his hands to oppress some of those of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. (Acts 12:1-2)
- This is confirmed by Hippolytus: "James, his brother, when preaching in Judea, was cut off with the sword by Herod the tetrarch, and was buried there."
- Eusebius descibed more precisely what was cut off of James: "First Stephen was stoned to death by them, and after him James, the son of Zebedee and the brother of John, was beheaded..." (Book 3, Chapter 5)

(5) John, brother of James and son of Zebedee (old age).
- John was one of the few disciples that did not die a cruel death, but of "old age".
- Eusebius discusses the reason that John wrote his Gospel: "Matthew and John have left us written memorials, and they, tradition says, were led to write only under the pressure of necessity...And when Mark and Luke had already published their Gospels, they say that John, who had employed all his time in proclaiming the Gospel orally, finally proceeded to write for the following reason. The three Gospels already mentioned having come into the hands of all and into his own too, they say that he accepted them and bore witness to their truthfulness; but that there was lacking in them an account of the deeds done by Christ at the beginning of his ministry." (Book 3, Chapter 24)
- According to Hippolytus, John was banished by Domitian to the Isle of Patmos, and later died in Ephesus:
John, again, in Asia, was banished by Domitian the king to the isle of Patmos, in which also he wrote his Gospel and saw the apocalyptic vision; and in Trajan's time he fell asleep at Ephesus, where his remains were sought for, but could not be found.

(6) Matthew/Levi
- Eusebius referenced to Bishop Papias of Hierapolis, as early as c. 110 A.D., bearing witness to Matthew's authorship of his gospel: "....Matthew put together the oracles [of the Lord] in the Hebrew language, and each one interpreted them as best he could." (Eusebius, Book 3, Chapter 39)
- According to Hippolytus: "Matthew wrote the Gospel in the Hebrew tongue, and published it at Jerusalem, and fell asleep at Hierees, a town of Parthia.\224 [Parthia is near modern day Tehran].

(7) Simon/Peter (crucified).
- Eusebius, quoting Papias of Hierapolis (c. 110 A.D.), records a tradition that the Gospel of Mark preserved the Gospel as preached by Peter: "Mark having become the interpreter of Peter, wrote down accurately whatsoever he remembered.... he accompanied Peter..." ---- (Book 3, Chapter 39)
- Irenaeus (c. 180 A.D.) records a similar tradition, and mentions that Peter and Paul founded the Church in Rome: "Matthew also issued a written Gospel among the Hebrews in their own dialect, while Peter and Paul were preaching at Rome, and laying the foundations of the Church. After their departure, Mark, the disciple and interpreter of Peter, did also hand down to us in writing what had been preached by Peter..." ---- (Irenaeus, "Against Heresies", Book 3, Chapter 1)
- Eusebius records that Peter was put to death under Nero in Rome: "It is, therefore, recorded that Paul was beheaded in Rome itself, and that Peter likewise was crucified under Nero. This account of Peter and Paul is substantiated by the fact that their names are preserved in the cemeteries of that place even to the present day." ---- (Book 2, Chapter 25) Note that Paul was a Roman citizen cannot be crucified but got an "easier" death sentence.
- Hippolytus confirmed the fact that Peter was crucified by Nero in Rome: "Peter preached the Gospel in Pontus, and Galatia, and Cappadocia, and Betania, and Italy, and Asia, and was afterwards crucified by Nero in Rome with his head downward, as he had himself desired to suffer in that manner."

(8) Philip (crucified).
- According to Hippolytus, Philip preached and was executed in what today is eastern Turkey: "Philip preached in Phrygia, and was crucified in Hierapolis with his head downward in the time of Domitian, and was buried there."

(9) Simon the Zealot (old age).
- According to Hippolytus, Simon the Zealot was the second Bishop of Jerusalem: "Simon the Zealot, the son of Clopas, who is also called Jude, became bishop of Jerusalem after James the Just, and fell asleep and was buried there at the age of 120 years."

(10) Thaddaeus/Judas son of James
- According to Mat 10:3 (KJV): Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus.... Thaddaeus is also known as Lebbaeus.
- Hippolytus records: "Jude, who is also called Lebbaeus, preached to the people of Edessa, and to all Mesopotamia, and fell asleep at Berytus, and was buried there."

An ethiopian icon of the 12 apostles.

(11) Thomas (speared).

- Hippolytus records that Thomas was an active missionary, and that he met his fate in India: "And Thomas preached to the Parthians, Medes, Persians, Hyrcanians, Bactrians, and Margians, and was thrust through in the four members of his body with a pine spear at Calamene, the city of India, and was buried there."

(12) Judas Iscariot (suicide).

- The Bible records: “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.” “What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.” So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself. The chief priests picked up the coins and said, “It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.” (Matthew 27:4-6)

Could the early Christians have escaped death by denouncing their faith in Jesus?

A letter from Pliny to Trajan:

"Meanwhile, in the case of those who were denounced to me as Christians, I have observed the following procedure: I interrogated these as to whether they were Christians; those who confessed I interrogated a second and a third time, threatening them with punishment; those who persisted I ordered executed. For I had no doubt that, whatever the nature of their creed, stubbornness and inflexible obstinacy surely deserve to be punished. There were others possessed of the same folly; but because they were Roman citizens, I signed an order for them to be transferred to Rome."

"Yet, they decided not to denounce Jesus... Why ???... People do not [typically] die for a lie - these disciples must have seen something that made them choose their cruel death over denouncing their faith."

Astonishing Jesus

2011-04-27T20:13:00.000-05:00

Typically it was Jesus who astonished others:

The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!" (Matthew 8:27)

The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. (Matthew 15:31)

But this time, a Roman centurion (military officer) impressed Jesus:

When Jesus heard this, he was astonished (amazed) and said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith." (Matthew 8:10)

I wonder what it would be like to amaze Christ (in a good way, ha)? What a thought!

'Oh Heck' Perfect Score

2011-04-24T18:24:00.011-05:00

Awwww! I'm so proud of my husband! We played "Oh Heck" with his family, and he got a perfect score! I've never seen anyone get a perfect score!!!!! :) - his mad-hacking wife

Old Ice Cream

2011-04-22T19:38:00.001-05:00

I found a couple of gift certificates to Baskin Robbins Ice Cream store ($4) that were date stamped from 1997... making them 14 years old! The store accepted them. We were excited about that.

Choosing My Reward

2011-04-21T13:10:00.000-05:00

The subject came up at work again... and I had my moment of decision- say something to try to make myself look good or pass on it. Jesus describes it this way:

"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven."
Matthew 6:1

And it's a struggle for me. Almost always I can't resist. The praise from friends, family, spouse, and strangers is too enticing to pass up (I'm a people pleaser). Yet Jesus says that when I do and say things for others to hear, I am making my choice- to receive my reward now from these people instead of receiving it (later) from God. Will I learn to trust his words?

Shop Swap

2011-04-16T22:36:00.001-05:00

We went to JCPenny together and each picked out a bunch of clothes for the other to try on. I thought April looked good in this one.

I would have never tried on this one, but I liked it. (April picked out a lot I really liked.)

Visiting Ft. Worth

2011-04-08T22:18:00.001-05:00

April getting thrown in jail (presumably for putting that leaf in her hair)

This is apparently a famous thing where the longhorns walk through the streets.

Spiral Diner has excellent vegetarian food. The wraps are great!

Furniture and Blanket Fort

2011-04-07T23:01:00.001-05:00

What do married people do on a week night? Build forts with their furniture and blankets, of course.

Anthony approving of the spacious interior.

Think 'sunroof' but for our furniture and blanket fort.

Tricksters for God

2011-04-06T22:28:00.005-05:00

Curiously, God apparently used the dishonest actions of men to accomplish his purposes:

(1) Ehud.
What he did: Told the king of Moab he had a secret message from God for him, after presenting him with a tribute (Judges 3:20). Then he took his hidden sword and murdered the king (Judges 3:21).
God approved: The Bible says that God gave them a deliverer, Ehud. And this was the story of how he delivered Israel.
Perhaps why God approved: The Israelites cried out to the Lord for deliverance (Judges 3:15). God was faithful to rescue them. Of course Israel would wonder off again (and again) shortly thereafter.

(2) Rahab.
What she did: She lied to the king of Jericho, telling him she didn't know where the spies were; they were actually at her home (Joshua 2:1-7).
God approved: God has his son, Jesus Christ, come through the line of Rahab (Matthew 1:16).
Perhaps why God approved: Rahab aided Israel against their enemies and acknowledged the greatness of their God: "I know the Lord has given this land to you..." and "We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea..." "...for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below." (Joshua 2:9-10). The Israelites also honored the oath they made with Rahab. They took oaths very seriously.

(3) Samson.
What he did: While not a trickster, Samson spent the night with a prostitute (Judges 16:1), married a Philistine instead of one of his own people (Judges 14:3), and gets seduced by a woman (Delilah was possibly a Philistine) that led to his own death- all while being Israel's leader (Judges 16:31).
God approved: The Bible tells us that Samson marrying a Philistine was God's desire (Judges 14:4). God answers Samson's prayer for revenge (Judges 16:28, 30).
Perhaps why God approved: The Bible says the Lord "was seeking an occasion to confront the Philistines; for at that time they were ruling over Israel" (Judges 14:4). Samson was just the man to do it. He was very strong and killed many Philistines.

(4) Jacob.
What he did: Steals Isaac's blessing with deception and lying (Genesis 27:27) and takes his birthright (Genesis 25:33). Not to mention the trickery he pulls with Laban (Genesis 30:42-43, 31:28).
God approved: Laban planned to harm Jacob, but God says to Laban 'Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.' (Genesis 30:29) God also told Jacob that all peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go... I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." (Genesis 28:14-15)
Perhaps why God approved: "In order that God's purpose in election might stand: not by works but by him who calls." (Romans 9:11-12)

Almost Ready

2011-03-31T22:20:00.001-05:00

Before he is sent to be crucified, Jesus tells Simon Peter "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail." (Luke 22:31-32a).

And then Peter replies:

"Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death." (Luke 22:33)

Well, Peter wasn't quite ready. He denies Jesus three times and then the rooster crows. Fail. But Peter matures- and eventually fulfills what he claims he is ready to do. In Acts 12:5, we know that Peter gets sent to prison ('for' Jesus instead of 'with') and the post-Biblical account tells us that Peter was killed for being a Christian and/or telling others about Jesus (also John 21:18-19):

"Origen says that Peter felt himself to be unworthy to be put to death in the same manner as his Master, and was therefore, at his own request, crucified with his head downward (AD 67-68)."
(http://agards-bible-timeline.com/q6_apostles_die.html)

Love and Justice

2011-03-29T10:15:00.000-05:00

Jesus died on the cross to demonstrate God's love:

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8

Jesus died on the cross to demonstrate God's justice:

God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished.
Romans 3:25

This appears to be God's essential nature- that he is loving and he is just. And Christ dying on the cross demonstrated both.

All Things New

2011-03-23T22:18:00.000-05:00

He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Revelation 21:5

What was God making new? He's not talking about regeneration (2 Corinthians 5:17) here. God is talking about when he is going to make a new heaven and a new earth. So what else will be new?

- We will receive new bodies that will be like Jesus' glorious body (Philippians 3:21).
- We will be clothed in immortality (1 Corinthians 15:53).
- God will be living with us! (Revelation 21:3)
- A new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven (Revelation 21:2).
- God's chosen ones will long enjoy the works of their hands (Isaiah 65:22). They will not toil in vain (Isaiah 65:23).
- The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox (Isaiah 65:25, Isaiah 11:6-8). Sounds like animals will no longer harm one another but live in peace.
- The earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord (Isaiah 11:9).

There will no longer be any sea (Revelation 21:2), sun or moon (Revelation 21:23), night (Revelation 21:25, 22:5), impurity (Revelation 21:27), or temple (Revelation 21:22). There will no longer be the curse (Revelation 22:3). There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain (Revelation 21:4, Isaiah 65:20, Luke 20:36). There will be no more marriage (Luke 20:35).

Jesus' Teachings on the Holy Spirit

2011-03-16T22:11:00.002-05:00

Jesus taught about the Holy Spirit (or the Counselor, or the Spirit of truth; see John 15:26) in John chapters 14 through 16:

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever- the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. (John 14:15-17)

Jesus taught that the Holy Spirit will be with us (inside of us) forever.

But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. (John 14:26)

He will bring glory to me by taking what is mine and making it known to you. (John 16:14)

When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. (John 15:26)

The Holy Spirit explains (and helps us understand) the Bible and Spiritual things.
The Holy Spirit brings glory to Jesus (the trinity).

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. (John 16:13)

The Holy Spirit tells us what he hears from God.
The Holy Spirit tells us things to come.

Jesus also taught that:

When he [the Holy Spirit] comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. (John 16:8-11)

The Holy Spirit convicts or convinces us that we are sinners without Christ, righteous because Jesus is our advocate before God and that Satan is judged and condemned.

In the book of Acts, Jesus also refers to the Holy Spirit as 'the gift my Father promised which you heard me speak about' (Acts 1:4) and says 'you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you' (Acts 1:8).

Additional teachings about the Holy Spirit:

Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:13-14)

Believers receive the Holy Spirit, marking them for eternal life.

When they arrived at Gibeah, a procession of prophets met him; the Spirit of God came upon him in power, and he joined in their prophesying. (1 Samuel 10:10)

Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him. (1 Samuel 16:14)

In the old testament, the Holy Spirit would descend and rest on some of God's people for a period of time...

So the Lord said to Moses, "Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him. (Numbers 27:18)

...and in others, the Holy Spirit seemed to be inside them.

No one can say 'Jesus is Lord' except by the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:11)

The Holy Spirit leads me to salvation.

Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God." (Acts 5:3-5)

The Holy Spirit is God. To see a few examples of the trinity all in one verse, check out John 14:16, John 14:26, John 15:26, Luke 3:22, and Matthew 28:19.

Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. (Genesis 1:2)

The Holy Spirit was there at the creation of the world.

So I say live by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. (Galatians 5:16)

There are two "forces" conflicting within us: The Holy Spirit and the sinful nature.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)

This is what having the Spirit inside you produces. Or in other words, these are the evidences.

An Attempt at Gardening

2011-03-11T15:59:00.018-06:00

Plants need soil and plant food. Who knew?

Tomato, Spinach, Red Onion, Cilantro, Basil, Oregano. Yum!

Our garden on the porch is ready to go. Just need some sun and some time!

Moses Suffered Well

2011-03-09T20:52:00.001-06:00

God foretold that Moses would die without entering the land:
But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them."
Numbers 20:12

Instead he got to see if from afar at Mt. Nebo:

Go up into the Abarim Range to Mount Nebo in Moab, across from Jericho, and view Canaan, the land I am giving the Israelites as their own possession. There on the mountain that you have climbed you will die and be gathered to your people...
Deuteronomy 32:49-50

But instead of flipping out like King Saul (1 Sam 28:20) or even praying for a few more years like King Hezekiah (2 Kings 20:1-3), Moses is calm and mature (for the most part; see Deuteronomy 3:25). Instead his desire is for the welfare of God's people:

Moses said to the Lord, "May the Lord, the God of the spirits of all mankind, appoint a man over this community to go out and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in, so the Lord's people will not be like sheep without a shepherd."
Numbers 27:15-17

The Pharisees

2011-03-08T21:20:00.001-06:00

The Pharisees were a major religious society of Judaism. The name Pharisee in its Hebrew form means separatist. The Pharisees perhaps meant to obey God, but eventually they became so devoted and extremist in very limited parts of the Law (plus all that they themselves added to it), that they became blind to the Messiah when He was in their midst.

They disapproved of Jesus:
Saying, "It is by the prince of demons that he [Jesus] drives out demons." (Matthew 9:34, 12:24). The Bible also records that "when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, 'Hosanna to the son of David' they were indignant" (Matthew 21:15). They plotted how they might kill Jesus (Matthew 12:14) and then did it.

And Jesus disapproved of them, saying they are unrepentant, stubborn hearted, their hearts are far from God, greedy, self-indulgent, and do things for men to see:
- You nullify the word of God for the sake of tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: These people honor me with their lips but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men. (Matthew 15:6, Mark 7:6-7)
- You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. (Matthew 12:34)
- They are blind guides. (Matthew 15:14, 23:16)
- [Guard] against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. (Matthew 16:12)
- "For John came to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him. (Matthew 21:32)
- "Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit." (Matthew 21:43)
- They do not practice what they preach. Everything they do is done for men to see. They love the important seats and the places of honor. (Matthew 23:3-5)
- They neglect the more important matters of the law like justice, mercy, and faithfulness. Inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. (Matthew 23:23-28)
- Jesus looked around at them in anger and deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts. (Mark 3:5)

More notes on the Pharisees:
- Told Jesus his disciples were doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:2); Jesus disagreed.
- Asked why his disciples break the traditions of the elders by not washing their hands before they eat (Matthew 15:2); Jesus asks why they break the command of God, honoring your father and mother, for the sake of their tradition.
- Wanted to see a miraculous sign from [Jesus] (Matthew 12:38, 16:1); Jesus said 'a wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign' and none will be given.
- Some Pharisees came to test him. They asked "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?" (Matthew 19:3); Jesus says you commit adultery if you divorce your wife for any reason other than marital unfaithfulness.

***This came from Matthew and Mark only.

Bacon Pop

2011-03-02T20:54:00.001-06:00

Surprisingly this bacon flavored popcorn has been left untouched after being up for grabs five days in a row in our company breakroom...

Like Father Like Son

2011-03-01T19:27:00.001-06:00

[God] With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles...
Numbers 12:8

[God] "...I spoke to the prophets, gave them many visions and told parables through them."
Hosea 12:10

[Jesus] The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?" He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables..."
Matthew 13:10-11

[God] How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed among them?
Numbers 14:11

[Jesus] Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me, but you do not believe..."
John 10:25-26

[Moses to God] "Would they have enough if flocks and herds were slaughtered for them? Would they have enough if all the fish in the sea were caught for them?"
Numbers 11:22

[The Apostles to Jesus] They said to him, "That would take eight months of a man's wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?"
Mark 6:37

Skiing In Colorado

2011-02-28T20:19:00.002-06:00

April approving of our drop into Winter Park on Day 3. This was her first time skiing and she did so great (she even did a blue!).

Mountains are big. And these have lots of snow on them.

April and I went skiing at Copper Mountain (day 1), Loveland (day 2) and Winter Park (day 3; shown here).

I ate two Chipotle burritos in one sitting. This made my wife very happy. This made my stomach very unhappy.

Relenting God

2011-02-16T20:54:00.001-06:00

Does God change his mind?

God relents from planned judgment in at least three different ways:

(1) intercession

This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me: He was preparing swarms of locusts after the king's share had been harvested and just as the second crop was coming up. When they had stripped the land clean, I cried out, "Sovereign Lord, forgive! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!" So the Lord relented. "This will not happen," the Lord said. This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me: the Sovereign Lord was calling for judgment by fire; it dried up the great deep and devoured the land. Then I cried out, "Sovereign Lord, I beg you, stop! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!" So the Lord relented. "This will not happen either," the Sovereign Lord said.
Amos 7:1-6

But Moses sought the favor of the Lord his God. "O Lord," he said, "why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, 'It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth?' Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people... Then the Lord relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.
Exodus 32:11-14

Then the Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.” The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the Lord. Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing- to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?” The LORD said, “If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.” [Abraham "talks him down" to 10.]
Genesis 18:20-26

(2) repentance of the people

If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned.
Jeremiah 18:7-8

"...But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish." When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.
Jonah 3:8-9

(3) compassion

When the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the Lord was grieved because of the calamity and said to the angel who was afflicting the people, "Enough! Withdraw your hand."
2 Samuel 24:16

Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T20:29:00.002-06:00

We ate at Antonio Ristorante in Addison for our first Valentine's Day as a married couple.

God Describes Himself

2011-02-10T22:21:00.016-06:00

I've heard God described in many ways by many different people. Some of them, such as Moses, had many personal encounters and conversations with God himself. I think a man like Moses has more authority to speak on the nature of God than almost any. But in Exodus 34:6-7, God describes himself (so cool):

And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation."

And Moses' response?

Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshiped.
Exodus 34:8

Jacob Gets

2011-01-22T19:31:00.001-06:00

Jacob seemingly got it all:

The promise, from God:
The Lord said to her, "Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger."
Genesis 25:23

The birthright, from Esau:
Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. He said to Jacob, "Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I'm famished!" (That is why he was also called Edom.) Jacob replied, "First sell me your birthright." "Look, I am about to die," Esau said. "What good is the birthright to me?" But Jacob said, "Swear to me first." So he sworn an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob.
Genesis 25:29-33

The blessing, from Isaac:
So he went to him and kissed him. When Isaac caught the smell of his clothes, he blessed him and said, "Ah, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field that the Lord has blessed. May God give you of heaven's dew and of earth's richness- an abundance of grain and new wine. May nations serve you and peoples bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed and those who bless you be blessed."
Genesis 27:27-29

Esau, Jacob's older brother, was seemingly in line for all three. Yet God loved Jacob, the younger. And Paul explains why:

Yet before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad- in order that God's purpose in election might stand: not by works but by him who calls- she was told.
Romans 9:11-12

Company Christmas Party

2010-12-11T23:00:00.008-06:00

April's Birthday

2010-12-10T23:57:00.017-06:00

April's birthday cookie cake. She loves these things!

For April's birthday dinner, I took her to the revolving restaurant downtown!

White Wedding

2010-12-04T23:55:00.041-06:00

Wedding Preparations

2010-12-03T10:29:00.019-06:00

I got handed a mic, so I karaoke-sang 'Say Nothing at All' by Ronan Keating.

The Hilgewomen (and the boys) did some singing of their own.

We sang backup for Josh. He had it going on.

Rehearsal... to prevent those last minute blunders (like which hand the ring goes on).

Bachelor Party

2010-11-20T22:29:00.014-06:00

For my bachelor party, Winston and Matt planned an orienteering event.

This is a picture of the first place team.

The second place team.

We really got first place... at least that's what Chad and I want you to believe. ;)

Engaged

2010-09-10T23:22:00.009-05:00

April and I got engaged tonight!

Lost World Caverns

2010-08-28T22:56:00.005-05:00

Photos from our trip to Lost World Caverns with David and Charity:

God's Will

2010-08-22T07:33:00.000-05:00

Seeking the will of God... according to George Mueller:

I seek at the beginning to get my heart into such a state that it has no will of its own in regard to a given matter. Nine-tenths of the trouble with people generally is just here. Nine-tenths of the difficulties are over come when our hearts are ready to do the Lord's will, whatever it may be. When one is truly in this state, it is usually but a little way to the knowledge of what His will is.
Having done this, I do not leave the result to feeling or simple impression. If so, I make myself liable to great delusions.
I seek the Will of the Spirit of God through, or in connection with, the Word of God. The Spirit and the Word must be combined. If I look to the Spirit alone without the Word, I lay myself open to great delusions also. If the Holy Ghost guides us at all, He will do it according to the Scriptures and never contrary to them.
Next I take into account providential circumstances. These often plainly indicate God's Will in connection with His Word and Spirit.
I ask God in prayer to reveal His Will to me aright.
Thus, through prayer to God, the study of the Word, and reflection, I come to a deliberate judgment according to the best of my ability and knowledge, and if my mind is thus at peace, and continues so after two or three more petitions, I proceed accordingly. In trivial matters, and in transactions involving most important issues, I have found this method always effective.

The Autobiography of George Muller

2010-08-18T21:55:00.002-05:00

Quotes from the book:

Because I did not yet understand the work of the Spirit, I did not realize the powerlessness of human eloquence.

If I had prayed more earnestly, I would have made much more rapid progress in my faith.

When my doctor came to see me, my prayer was, "Lord, you know that he does not know what is best for me. Therefore, please direct him."

Lord, do with me you think best!

Now I had learned that the Father chose us before the foundation of the world. He originated the wonderful plan of our redemption, and He also arranged the way it was to be brought about. The Son fulfilled the law and bore the punishment due to our sins, satisfying the justice of God. Finally, the Holy Spirit alone can teach us about our sinful state, show us the need for a Savior, enable us to believe in Christ, explain the Scriptures to us, and help us preach the Word.

I was sometimes so full of joy that I could not sleep.

After I had spoken a little while, I felt that I was speaking in my own strength rather than God's power. I told the brethren that I felt as though I was not preaching under the anointing and asked them to pray. After I continued a little longer, I felt the same and therefore ended my sermon and proposed that we have a meeting for prayer. We did so, and I was particularly assisted by the Holy Spirit the next time I preached. I'm glad that I learned the importance of ministering in God's power alone. I can do all things through Christ, but without Him, I can accomplish nothing.

My wife and I had the grace to take the Lord's commandment in Luke 12:33 literally, "Sell that ye have, and give alms." We never regretted taking that step. God blessed us abundantly as He taught us to trust in Him alone. When we were down to our last few shillings, we told Him about our needs and depended on Him to provide. He never failed us.

I often prayed with sick believers until they were restored. When I ask the Lord for the blessing of bodily health, my request almost always is granted. In answer to my prayers, I was immediately restored from a bodily infirmity which had afflicted me for a long time, and it has never returned since.

I certainly desire to be used by God to help the poor children and train them in the ways of God. But the primary object of the work is that God would be magnified because the orphans under my care will be provided with all they need through prayer and faith. Everyone will see that God is faithful and hears prayer.

This is typical of George Muller's faith:
The above results have come in answer to prayer, without me asking anyone for one single thing. I did not keep silent about our needs on account of lack of confidence in the brethren or because I doubted their love for the Lord, but I wanted to see the hand of God much more clearly.

It was particularly impressed on my heart that I need more rest although the ministry may suffer.

Among those who were baptized was a brother eighty-four years old and another over seventy. For the latter, his believing wife had prayed thirty-eight years. At last the Lord answered her prayers for his conversion.

For the glory of His name and for the trial of our faith, He allows us to be poor and then graciously supplies our needs.

"Baron, how can you do all this? You see I do not care about you. How are you able to continue to be so kind to me and serve me like this?" The baron replied, "My dear young friend, I have learned it from the Lord Jesus. I wish you would read through the gospel of John. Good night." ... From that time he became a follower of the Lord Jesus...

Without spiritual preparation, the service, the trials, and the temptations of the day can be overwhelming.

If we seek like the people of the world, to increase our possessions, those who are not believers may question whether we believe what we say about our inheritance and our heavenly calling.

I could buy a considerable amount of goods on credit, but the next time we were in need, I would turn to further credit instead of turning to the Lord.

As long as human possibilities for success remain, faith does not accomplish things as easily as when all natural prospects fail.

A brother with small earnings may ask, "Should I also give? My earnings are already so small that my family can barely make ends meet." My reply is, "Have you ever considered that the very reason your earnings remain so small may be because you spend everything on yourself? If God gave you more, you would only use it to increase your own comfort instead of looking to see who is sick or who has no work at all that you might help them."

I want to provide scriptural instruction for a thousand orphans.

Any occupation can be used to serve the Lord, but certain principles must be followed in secular work. The Christian must guard against any attitudes or practices that will keep him from experiencing God's abundant prosperity. God is not likely to bless anything that leads a believer to depend more on himself or his circumstances than on the living God.

I find that prayer and faith can overcome any difficulty.

Interacting With Outsiders

2010-08-16T21:37:00.000-05:00

In Colossians 4, Paul says:

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders: make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
Colossians 4:5-6

Our conversations with outsiders (non-believers) are to, first off, be full of grace. What is grace? Grace is getting what you don't deserve. How do we talk or have conversations in this manner? Pastor John Piper explains it this way:

"The meaning is two-pronged: 1) let your words be rooted in grace as the wonderful place where you live and breathe; 2) let your words be gracious and attractive. These two meanings are like root and fruit. Growing from the root of grace and giving fruit in grace for others. To do this you need to really enjoy the “grace in which we stand” (Romans 5:2). It’s hard to live it and talk it if you don’t love it. So fall in love again with God’s grace."

Our conversations with outsiders (non-believers) are to be seasoned with salt. Jesus uses this language elsewhere- "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything..." (Matthew 5:13) And in the book of Mark:

Everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other.
Mark 9:49-50

Among scholars, there seems to be some debate as to the exact meaning of the expression "salt of the earth", in part because salt had a wide number of uses in the ancient world. There are several different possibilities for the originally intended meaning of the salt metaphor (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_and_Light):

-Exodus, Ezekiel, and Kings present salt as a purifying agent.
-Leviticus, Numbers, and Chronicles present it as a sign of God's covenant.
-An important ancient use of salt was as a preservative, and hence a common interpretation of the metaphor is as asserting the duty to preserve the purity of the world.
-In the Rabbinic literature of the period salt was a metaphor for wisdom.

When our conversations are to be seasoned with salt, I think purity and wisdom fit as interpretations- and therefore, our conversations should be full of wisdom/purity.

The reason our conversations should be full of grace and wisdom/purity, is so that we may know how to communicate with outsiders.

Not Prepared

2010-08-07T22:50:00.038-05:00

I took April down to the Dallas Farmers' Market this morning. We had a great time- and took the long scenic walk back to the DART station to catch our train. We ran into a guy along the way. He was very friendly with us- and then he asked for money. I told him no, and he walked away. Moments later, I felt the conviction of the Lord- I could have told him the good news about Jesus Christ! Paul tells us-

I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season...
2 Timothy 4:2

And I was definitely not prepared out of season. I withheld from him the greatest treasure I have- Christ! I don't have any of the McDonalds food cards that I used to carry around in my wallet either. Feeling down, I started to pray for another opportunity to share the word. That's when a second gentlemen approached me... almost immediately! I asked this man if he had heard about Jesus. He said that he already had. I was like, "Ok, then." I forgot that I could pray for him, etc. Praise God that his mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23). I fall short! Grow me in areas I am weak, God! And may your name be praised.

Cleaning The Car

2010-08-01T16:49:00.006-05:00

After church, I told the kids I would see if we could ride one of the carnival rides on our way back home. "If we can't go to the carnival, could we at least wash your car?" they asked. "I'm definitely ok with that," I replied.

Charles, Junior, and Emily came over and helped me clean the inside (shown in the picture) and also wash the outside of my car today. It was really cool of them to help.

Soccer Camp

2010-07-30T17:36:00.003-05:00

Tuyisenge participated in a week long soccer camp in Addison called 'Smudger and his Sidekick Soccer Camp'. The camp concluded today. Here are a few snaps:

Galatians

2010-07-26T14:22:00.003-05:00

Paul writes that the church in Galatia is being led astray-

Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. (1:7)

Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. This matter arose because some false brothers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. (2:3-4)

When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, "You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?"

Or, explained differently, these people were still trying to follow customs that they thought could justify themselves before God. Apparently, they were:

-Feeling compelled to be circumcised (2:3, 5:2)
-Drawing back and separating from the Gentiles because of fear of others that belong to the circumcision group (2:12)
-Observing special days and months and seasons and years (4:10)

Paul considers it foolish:

A man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. (2:15)

For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. (2:19)

I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing! (2:21)

Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? (3:3)

Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard? (3:5)

So what is the purpose of the law, then?:

So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law. (3:24)

Despite what was being attempted by the false brothers, we are no longer slaves:

So also, when we were children, we were in slavery under the basic principles of this world. (4:3)

So you are no longer a slave but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir. (4:7)

Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. But now that you know God- or rather are known by God- how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? (4:8-9)

Paul then tells them what it is to live by faith:

-The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. (5:6)
-Serve one another in love (5:13)
-Love your neighbor as yourself (5:14)

How do we do this? Paul says:

Live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. (5:16).

The sinful nature:
-sexual immorality
-impurity
-debauchery
-idolatry
-witchcraft
-hatred
-discord
-jealousy
-fits of rage
-selfish ambition
-dissensions
-factions
-envy
-drunkenness
-orgies

The Spirit nature:
-love
-joy
-peace
-patience
-kindness
-goodness
-faithfulness
-gentleness
-self-control

Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. (5:25)

But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. (5:18)

Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation. (6:15)

Cigarettes

2010-07-20T19:38:00.000-05:00

A kid I know down here in Dallas told me the other day that he was saving up his money to buy a skateboard and his Dad, instead, stole his son's money to buy cigarettes for himself. Lovely.

Woken

2010-07-18T19:28:00.001-05:00

The message at church was a little boring today... which might be part of the reason why one of the kids that come to church with me fell asleep part way through the sermon. I elbowed him to wake up. He quickly went back to sleep. Again, "Stay awake," I told him. His eyes stayed shut. That's when I prayed, "God, I can't do it. Would you wake him up?!?" And, almost immediately, he woke up! We got to pray together. It was so cool.

The Gospel Conveyed II

2010-07-15T21:53:00.002-05:00

Praying for Celebration

2010-07-13T16:35:00.001-05:00

There was a strange kind of moment I had today where I was trying to pray and I just felt some conviction for what I prayed. The prayer was along these lines- 'God, I pray that I feel better today so I can be used to help lead Celebration...' And instantly I felt conviction that my prayer, instead was to be 'God, would you shine through Celebration tonight. It doesn't even matter how I feel, ultimately. Would you be glorified through Celebration- however you want to do it?'

The Gospel Conveyed

2010-07-10T17:21:00.004-05:00

God has impressed upon me, through the Holy Spirit, a curiosity to study how the gospel is shared according to the scriptures. Hopefully this will give me a better understanding on how, perhaps, I should be sharing the gospel message myself.

*****

Message 1. Acts 2:14-41

Peter addresses a crowd of Jews by explaining what they had just witnessed- the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, where the believers were speaking in different languages but understanding one another. Peter quotes a scripture (Joel) that explains the behavior and says 'these things are going to happen in the "last days".' He tells the audience that Jesus was "a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs... as you yourselves know (v22)." Also, he was 'put to death by being nailed to the cross, but God raised him from the dead.' He compares Christ to David, saying 'yet Christ is alive and not dead.' Then Peter says, 'Jesus is both Lord and Christ'. When the people heard this, they were "cut to the heart" and asked what they should do. Peter tells them to "repent and be baptized and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (v38)"; and also "save yourselves from this corrupt generation (v40)."

So Peter appears to communicate, 'this is Jesus: a man of miracles. He died on the cross but God raised him from the dead. He is both Lord and the Christ. Repent and be baptized, and you will receive the Holy Spirit.'

It Did Not Rain

2010-07-07T22:08:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was the first day for Celebration (vacation Bible school for kids ages 5-13 in the park) this year, and we were in prayer that the weather would hold for the evening. It was a more earnest prayer than normal; for if it were to thunderstorm, we would cancel Week 1 of Celebration 2010... the only week the missions team from Clinton, Mississippi would be there to help. With a forecast of 50% chance of thunderstorms, the weather turned out to be great- praise God! I know He doesn't promise things like 'good weather', but when it rained tonight, the following evening, I had to praise Him for it!

Celebration 2010

2010-07-06T22:44:00.001-05:00

Week 1 kicked off tonight. We had 128 kids (about double from last year) at Fair Oaks park.

Joy

2010-06-09T22:23:00.003-05:00

One of the fruits of the Spirit is joy:

But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Galatians 5:22

This word 'joy' comes from the greek word 'chara', meaning: cheerfulness; that is, calm delight, gladness. From the verb 'chairo' meaning to be full of cheer, that is, calmly happy or well off.

It's God's will for us to be full of cheer, calmly happy:

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! (Philippians 4:4)

Verses that use 'chara' joy:

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men. (Romans 14:17-18)

And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. (Acts 13:52)

A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. (John 16:21-22)

When they [the Magi] saw the star, they were overjoyed. (Matthew 2:10)

Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. (2 Corinthians 8:2)

Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me. (Philippians 1:25-26)

Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm. (2 Corinthians 1:24)

Then they [the disciples] worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. (Luke 24:52)

How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you? (1 Thessalonians 3:9)

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. (Matthew 13:44)

The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine [Jesus speaking], and it is now complete. (John 3:29)

So gladness or joy is not dependent on circumstances:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. (James 1:2-3)

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2)

"Joy is not the absence of trouble, but the presence of Christ."
- William VanderHaven

Joy will come to those who obey Jesus' commands:

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remains in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. (John 15:11)

Now that you know these things, you will be happy if you do them. (John 13:17)

The Helicopter Crash Dream

2010-06-06T09:44:00.002-05:00

I had a dream last night that a helicopter seemed to brush up against an airplane and then fell backward from the sky- crashing into what I think was the entrance to a shopping mall. The helicopter crash fatally wounded one man who was either entering or leaving the mall. As he was staggering around, I asked him if I could share with him about Jesus. The guy said 'sure'. So I pulled out my evangecube and I told him about how sin separates us from God, how God sent his son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. And how the death of Christ allows us now to have access to the father both here on earth and for all eternity. For some reason we got interrupted at that point and the man had to leave. He wasn't done hearing the message but something took his attention, and I felt bad that he didn't get to hear the ending. And then I woke up :)

The Order of Prayer

2010-05-27T22:08:00.015-05:00

So who do we pray to: God only? God and Jesus? God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit?

There doesn't seem to be any mention in the scriptures of praying to the Holy Spirit. In regards to praying to Jesus, the following verses discuss this:

While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them."
Acts 7:59

To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ...
1 Corinthians 1:2

[Jesus speaking] And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
John 14:13 (some translations say 'You may ask for anything...' leaving out the 'me'.)

[Paul speaking] Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest in me.
2 Corinthians 12:9

And the counter argument is this:

[Jesus speaking] This, then, is how you should pray: "Our Father in heaven,..."
Matthew 6:9

[Paul speaking] I urge you brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.
Romans 15:30

Jesus' role is that of advocate. Here he is the advocate for our sin:

But if anyone does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense- Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
1 John 2:1

Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me...'
John 14:6

With the Holy Spirit acting as the intercessor:

We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.
Romans 8:26

Some more examples of Jesus acting as an advocate (all of these seem to be about thanking God through Jesus):

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world.
Romans 1:8

Thanks be to God- through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Romans 7:25

Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 5:20

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Colossians 3:17

And so if Jesus is our advocate for sin and thanksgiving, it seems natural that he would also be our mediator in prayer.

[Jesus speaking] In that day you will no longer ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.
John 16:23 (similar in John 15:16)

John 14:6 seems to fit- as access to God is granted through Jesus for forgiveness of sins, access to God in prayer can also be granted through Jesus.

Profitless Idols

2010-05-20T13:53:00.000-05:00

Reading the Bible with 5 of the kids tonight, we came across a passage in Deuteronomy, where Moses tells the people:

Do not set up any wooden Asherah pole (or do not plant any tree dedicated to Asherah) beside the alter you build to the Lord your God, and do not erect a sacred stone, for these the Lord your God hates.
Deuteronomy 16:21-22

To which Michelle, 7 years old, commented "I don't get it. Worship a tree? That doesn't make any sense!" And she's right- worshiping a tree! (Likely the Canaanites used these wooden poles in worship of their female fertility goddess, Asherah.) When presented the option of worshiping the God of the universe, the omnipresent (Psalm 139:7-12), all knowing (Isaiah 40:13-14), all powerful (Genesis 18:14) God and worshiping a tree... they just don't seem to be comparable! God's words:

Who shapes a god and casts an idol, which can profit him nothing?
Isaiah 44:10

Little Town of Bethlehem

2010-05-19T22:28:00.004-05:00

The town where the Messiah was born (Luke 2:6) had a checkered past that made it, perhaps in a way, an unlikely candidate to host the birth of the savior of the world. Consider:

-In the book of Judges (chapters 17-18), there's a story about the grandson of Moses who leaves Bethlehem to lead the Danites into idolatry.
-Also in the book of Judges (chapters 19-21), there's a story of a concubine from Bethlehem who became the focus of discord in Israel that resulted in a civil war that almost wiped out the tribe of Benjamin.
-There was a famine in the land, likely Bethlehem, as the book of Ruth opens. And while it's not explicit, the Bible sometimes connects famine with sin (Ezekiel 14:13, 2 Samuel 21:1, Jeremiah 27:8, Revelation 18:8).

Yet the prophecy came true:

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.
Micah 5:2

Pillow Shopping with April

2010-05-01T17:42:00.004-05:00

Finding the right pillow can be challenging.

Unless the Cross

2010-04-04T20:20:00.003-05:00

In the Bible, there's an interesting exchange recorded- as Jesus is dying on the cross. There are two criminals being cruxified on either side of him. One of them "hurls insults at Jesus," saying,

"Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!"
Luke 23:39

What the criminal meant was, 'Jesus, if you're the chosen one, the son of God, keep yourself and us from dying a terrible death! Save us!' And the great irony was that he could not save them unless he was on the cross! By dying on the cross, Jesus satisfied the wrath of God (Romans 1:18, 5:8). In fact, the criminal on the other side of Jesus trusted in Christ (Luke 23:42) and was saved immediately following those insults.

Lake Tawakoni

2010-03-27T23:08:00.005-05:00

Mike, Joe, and myself drove up to Lake Tawakoni with a car full of kids from our Vickery Kids Bible study. We were going camping for the weekend. Among the four kids in my car was Bill, who insisted he bring his rollerblades into the woods. "I don't know how much you'll be able to use them," I remember telling him. He sure proved me wrong. On Saturday (day 2), after much begging, we let him rollerblade out in the parking lot. Soon after, we went to the lake for swimming. Bill wore his rollerblades both on the sandy beach and right into the water. Then afterward, we showered off in the park's bath house. Bill wore his rollerblades into the shower. It was quite impressive. :)

Mike's redneck boat is a lot of fun, as Charles and Septimus are demonstrating.

Yunis won the top award for his sling shot prowess.

Mesfin has the best sand cocoon of the four of them.

The kids were crazy. There were sweet moments- like one of the kids telling me 'this is the best day of my life' to Mike sharing about the resurrection or our discussion about being 'Godly men'. And there were disapointing moments too- small fights, put downs, and fire being tossed at each other. I suppose it's easy for me to forget they are still young. They're kids and they're learning and growing. We want them to experience God's creation. We want them to experience God's love. And we want to see them mature into Godly men. My prayer for these kids is this:

For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting, and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.
1 Thessalonians 2:11-12

Would they grow into Godly men who desire to live lives worthy of God. God grant the increase!

Sin is a Big Deal to God

2010-03-14T14:57:00.007-05:00

April is reading through the Bible with three to four refugee kids this year. We have finished Job, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, and Matthew. We just started the book of Numbers recently. I think one of the things God is teaching me right now (other than being blown away by what God is doing with this) is that sin is a big deal to God... and it isn't to me. Sin is a big deal to God. I saw that over and over again in the book of Leviticus. But, as Barry Jones pointed out at church the other week, 'it just isn't to me.' In the book of Numbers, the Bible reads:

Nadab and Abihu, however, fell dead before the Lord when they made an offering with unauthorized fire before him in the Desert of Sinai.
Numbers 3:4

And when I read stuff like that, my first thought is, 'Wow, well, that seems a little extreme. Did God really need to kill them for something like that?' Or how about these:

If a member of the community sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord's commands, he is guilty. When he is made aware of the sin he committed, he must bring as his offering for the sin he committed a female goat without defect. He is to lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and slaughter it at the place of the burnt offering. Then the priest is to take some of the blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. He shall remove all the fat... In this way the priest will make atonement for him, and he will be forgiven.
Leviticus 4:27-31

Ananias sells a piece of property, keeps some of the money for himself, and lies about it. Ananias falls dead because of it. Then his wife, Sapphira also lies. This is what happens:

Peter asked her, 'Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?' 'Yes, she said, 'that is the price.' Peter said to her, 'How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.'
Acts 5:7-9

And Sapphira falls dead also. Too much? Not according to God. Sin is a big deal to God. Perhaps when I more fully understand the magnitude of my sin before a holy God, I will appreciate more what Jesus did by dying on the cross for my sins. Feeling the weight of the price that was paid; worshipping the one who paid it (once and for all) for me.

His Name

2010-03-04T22:09:00.005-06:00

A quote I liked from John Stott:

"We should be 'jealous'... for the honour of his name- troubled when it remains unknown, hurt when it is ignored, indignant when it is blasphemed. And all the time anxious and determined that it shall be given the honor and glory which are due to it."

Stott references Romans 1:5, where Paul states "[I am called] to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations."

At The Village Pond

2010-02-22T21:14:00.002-06:00

Charles, Emily, and Junior with a boy named Collin that Charles witnessed to.

Steve Cried

2010-02-21T20:24:00.002-06:00

Stranded in the middle of Euless, in the middle of our 15.7 mile walk :)- April and I were in need of a ride back to Dallas and it was already dark. April checked inside a restaurant/pub for the nearest train station, as I talked with Jordan on the phone about the same subject. Both resources led us to the same conclusion: no, we were not near a train station. And my legs, after ~6 hours of walking, were done. That's when we met Steve. Steve, in his early 50s, was leaving the place and offered to give us a ride to the train station in his car. "I'm going by that way," he told us. We had about 10 minutes before we were going to leave with Steve- and April and I were outside; Steve was inside. "Let's pray for an opportunity to share the gospel," she said. And so we did. And the 10 minutes passed, Steve came back out for us, and we hitched a ride. Along the way, Steve (who spoke like a sailor :) ) told us about a girl he was 'interested in' and the problems he was having with her. I don't think we were in the car for more than 10 minutes, but finally we arrived at our destination. And that's when the Holy Spirit gave us an opportunity to pray for Steve. When I told him April and I are Christians and asked if we could pray for him, he told us he is also a Christian. So we prayed for the girl, her addiction to alcohol, her gig that Steve was going to that night, and her move from Nashville. And after we finished, Steve cried. The man is in his early 50s. He had never met us before; we were in the car with him for less than 10 minutes, and this man was covered in tears! How could God do such a thing?!? Truly God came to where Steve was Saturday night. I pray that it had a lasting impact in this man's life.

Walk

2010-02-20T20:09:00.007-06:00

April and I walked 15.7 miles from Ft. Worth to the middle of Euless, TX today. This is the route we took:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=T%26P+Station,+Fort+Worth,+TX+76104+(T%26P+Station)&daddr=Highland+Dr.+Euless+TX&hl=en&geocode=Femm8wEdveMy-iFtPTnutrX-tw%3BFVfb9AEdn0g2-il7NXKvMX5OhjE8pI73A_5h_g&mra=ls&dirflg=w&sll=32.786409,-97.216988&sspn=0.112566,0.325813&ie=UTF8&ll=32.788718,-97.195015&spn=0.112563,0.325813&z=12

I think after about 5 hours, my legs hurt enough to stop, but in my man pride, I wanted to keep going. After another hour or so, April was like 'you seem like you're limping'... and it became more of being physically unable to walk longer. :)

The Prayer

2010-02-16T19:31:00.004-06:00

Before lunch I had an opportunity to see my Grandmother by myself. She's getting a bit older, but was very attentive and alert when I saw her. Among other things, we had a chance to talk about God. I have a picture cube that walks through our sinful separation from God, Jesus dying on the cross to pay for the gap (the difference between imperfect man and a holy God), the risen Christ, and the way to stand justified before almighty God. After I finished talking, I asked her if she understood what I was sharing. "Yes." I asked her if she believed that Jesus died for her sins. "Yes." I asked her if she wanted to believe and trust in God. "Yes." Then I asked if she wanted to pray with me to put her faith and trust in God. "Yes." So we prayed. And she agreed to repeat the prayer after me, but could not. Later tonight, I talked to Danny about it- and he pointed out something I had not caught before- the moment she believed in her heart and confessed with her words, she passed over from 'death' to 'life' or non-belief to faith. It wasn't about the "prayer"- which was nice. It wasn't about repeating some words- which were intended to be genuine. Just simply Romans 10:9,

"That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."

And so the rest is,... well,... the rest!

Unintentional Sins

2010-02-15T22:04:00.000-06:00

I'm reading through the Bible in a year with April and some of the Vickery kids. In Leviticus, I noticed the following set of verses:

"When anyone sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord's commands-"
Leviticus 4:2

"When a leader sins unintentionally..." and "If a member of the community sins unintentionally..." Leviticus 4:22, 27

"When a person commits a violation and sins unintentionally in regard to any of the Lord's holy things..." Leviticus 5:14

"If a person sins and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord's commands, even though he does not know it, he is guilty and will be held responsible." Leviticus 5:17

All these verses talk about God's concern for unintentional sin. In the Old Testament law, sin offerings- or sacrifices- were needed to cover sins that "sprang from the weakness of the flesh," as Dr. Constable puts it. Our sinful nature causes us to naturally sin; even unintentionally. And God takes seriously our unintended sin- it must be accounted for. Of course, putting my faith and trust in God and believing that Jesus died for my sins, I can be in right standing before God. But thinking about this, I imagine that standing before the Lord at the end of time, I'm going to be aware of a lot of sin that I had no idea I was committing here in this life. Maybe I'll be like "That was a sin? Who knew?!?!!!" :)

Sleeping in Church

2010-02-14T19:50:00.003-06:00

One of the kids I take with me to church on Sunday mornings decided to sleep through the sermon last week. The act carries a punishment equal to the crime- the child loses the privledge of coming to the adult church for the next week, and instead is relegated to the children's service. Somehow this is punishment to them, to which I am happy to use.

So this child, to remain nameless to protect the guilty :), happens to be a 7th grader in school. The morning service only has kids' sunday school classes from toddler through 5th grade. I asked the kids' church check in lady if my 'church sleeper' could join the 5th grade class as punishment from me. She gave me a firm 'no.' Time to think of plan B. As in Burger King.

After church I take the kids to Burger King. So this week the sleeping punishment was that the 7th grader had to eat off the kids' menu at Burger King. When I told him of his punishment, his brother asked to eat off the kids' menu also. Ha ha. :) So we ordered the kids' food for the two of them. When they handed me a very small drink cup (might as well have been a sippy-cup) at the drive-thru window, I knew we had found our punishment. ;) "This is the food Keke gets," he told me, once back at my apartment. Keke is his 2 year old sister. "I'm still hungry. I'm never going to sleep in church again," he later declared. And so the old adage holds true, that even at the young age of 13 'the way to a man's heart is [still] through his stomach.'