true ramblings

C.S. Lewis on the Atonement & Repentance

2012-01-14T20:09:00.000-08:00

C.S. Lewis on the Atonement & Repentance
(Check it out & respond with your thoughts - if you'd like).

If you have wondered why God chose to redeem us in the way he did, why Jesus had to suffer and die, then perhaps this extract from CS Lewis' Mere Christianity (Fount Paperbacks, 1977) will help. The extract is from Chapter 4, The Perfect Penitent.

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We are told that Christ was killed for us, that His death has washed out our sins, and that by dying He disabled death itself. That is the formula. That is Christianity. That is what has to be believed. Any theories we build up as to how Christ's death did all this are, in my view, quite secondary: mere plans or diagrams to be left alone if they do not help us, and, even if they do help us, not to be confused with the thing itself. All the same, some of these theories are worth looking at.

The one most people have heard is the one about our being let off because Christ volunteered to bear a punishment instead of us. Now on the face of it that is a very silly theory. If God was prepared to let us off, why on earth did He not do so? And what possible point could there be in punishing an innocent person instead? None at all that I can see, if you are thinking of punishment in the police-court sense. On the other hand, if you think of a debt, there is plenty of point in a person who has some assets paying it on behalf of someone who has not. Or if you take "paying the penalty," not in the sense of being punished, but in the more general sense of "footing the bill," then, of course, it is a matter of common experience that, when one person has got himself into a hole, the trouble of getting him out usually falls on a kind friend.

Now what was the sort of "hole" man had gotten himself into? He had tried to set up on his own, to behave as if he belonged to himself. In other words, fallen man is not simply an imperfect creature who needs improvement: he is a rebel who must lay down his arms. Laying down your arms, surrendering, saying you are sorry, realising that you have been on the wrong track and getting ready to start life over again from the ground floor - that is the only way out of a "hole." This process of surrender - this movement full speed astern - is what Christians call repentance. Now repentance is no fun at all. It is something much harder than merely eating humble pie. It means unlearning all the self-conceit and self-will that we have been training ourselves into for thousands of years. It means undergoing a kind of death. In fact, it needs a good man to repent. And here's the catch. Only a bad person needs to repent: only a good person can repent perfectly. The worse you are the more you need it and the less you can do it. The only person who could do it perfectly would be a perfect person - and he would not need it.

Remember, this repentance, this willing submission to humiliation and a kind of death, is not something God demands of you before He will take you back and which He could let you off of if He chose: it is simply a description of what going back to Him is like. If you ask God to take you back without it, you are really asking Him to let you go back without going back. It cannot happen. Very well, then, we must go through with it. But the same badness which makes us need it, makes us unable to do it. Can we do it if God helps us? Yes, but what do we mean when we talk of God helping us? We mean God putting into us a bit of Himself, so to speak. He lends us a little of His reasoning powers and that is how we think: He puts a little of His love into us and that is how we love one another. When you teach a child writing, you hold its hand while it forms the letters: that is, it forms the letters because you are forming them. We love and reason because God loves and reasons and holds our hand while we do it. Now if we had not fallen, that would all be plain sailing. But unfortunately we now need God's help in order to do something which God, in His own nature, never does at all - to surrender, to suffer, to submit, to die. Nothing in God's nature corresponds to this process at all. So that the one road for which we now need God's leadership most of all is a road God, in His own nature, has never walked. God can share only what He has: this thing, in His own nature, He has not.

But supposing God became a man - suppose our human nature which can suffer and die was amalgamated with God's nature in one person - then that person could help us. He could surrender His will, and suffer and die, because He was man; and He could do it perfectly because He was God. You and I can go through this process only if God does it in us; but God can do it only if He becomes man. Our attempts at this dying will succeed only if we men share in God's dying, just as our thinking can succeed only because it is a drop out of the ocean of His intelligence: but we cannot share God's dying unless God dies; and he cannot die except by being a man. That is the sense in which He pays our debt, and suffers for us what He Himself need not suffer at all.

GOD IS GOOD!!! all the tiME :)

2012-01-10T05:49:00.000-08:00

Well, time for another update on my Uncle Sam mandated Fun in the Desert Sun. As I have been getting settled in the busy yet mundane madness of deployment (i.e. working 6 1/2 days a week) and pondering God's faithfulness and my (our) need to be clouthed in Christ as the armour of God (as mentioned in my last update) I am continuously being reminded that God is good! Whether the news or situation has been frustrating or comforting still time and time again I am reminded God is good! Thus, I've been thinking. As a result I realize more than ever that He is the definer of good! He is good incarnate and the source of all good. Remember, James 1:17 He is "the giver of all Good gifts!" I for one can attest that it is so. I thank God for all of his good gifts: an awesome family, an awesome wife, good jobs, good freinds, His gospel and associated gifts such as the word and His Spirit. One of the ways in which God has laid this before me in this busy season of life is a short devotional I am going through once again which freshly spelled this out for me simply yet forcefully called Fellowship with God (if you would like to check it out visit http://www.adisciple'snotebook.com/). Check it out and think on this with me as I serve our country and we both serve our God. Amen

Other than that no more time for any other true ramblings. God Bless you all and I hope to update again soon. ttyl

The Beggining of an Adventure and the remembering of a Truth worth remembering

2012-01-01T04:44:00.000-08:00

Hey, guys if you are reading this my wish to you this New Year is may God Bless you richly with his presence and fellowship in all things!

1st To update all the freinds and fam: God is good and I praise Him for getting my fellow sojouners on this mission and I here safely and keeping us safe. It has been a crazy couple of weeks with several hops including one over the pond to europe and several layovers including one where the temperatures were -17 degrees F when I got there. Anyway, I am beggining to get settled in to my new home in the middle east. Things are going well at work, the work load is steady and customer requests keep us on a fast but manageable pace. I am slowly but surely picking up the specifics of the job here with its local peculiarities and regulations and striving to make the best of the time here.

2nd Moving Along, the word God has been reiterating and presenting to me is: Trust Me and Put on my Armour. God has been reminding me He is trustworthy and supremely faithful. Moreover,His Supreme desire for me is for me to believe Him [believe in Him and Him (taking Him @ His word) as I walk with Him daily].

This brings me to the Truth I have been meditating on namely: the belt of truth. Ya'll see the beggining of His armour is the Belt of Truth. Truth: representitive of, revealed as, and united with Himself, His Spirit of Truth, His Holy Revealed and Preserved Scriptures (i.e. the Bible), the Truth revealed in Science and Nature which points back to Him, and most of All His Son =The Word, Lord & Savior. In these things (in TRUTH revealed by God Almighty in its many sychronis and nonctradicting forms) our foundation is found.

With out the belt the Roman Armour Paul was thinking of (Ephesians 6) would not and could not stay together thus making it useless to the warrior who needed it daily in battle. Without my uniform riggers belt my pants will not stay up and I have nowhere to connect my side arm thus similarly with out it I find myself helplessly hindered and unarmed (its hard to move around and work or defend yourself with one's pants constantly falling around their ankles).

Likewise, as Christ is the foundation of the gospel of God so He is the foundation of the armour of God. In fact, as a good freind once pointed out the armour of God is Christ Jesus Himself and the root, the baseline, the beggining of putting it on is trusting in Him/ surrendering to Him for He is the way the Truth and the light.

Apart from Christ there is no truth, no righteousness, no gospel, no peace, no faith worth having, no salvation, no Spirit aid or guidance, and no genuine answer to prayer. Similarily, all good things and all which enables the believer to stand firm against the enemy (who along with his minions roams around seeking to steal, kill, and destroy), as the scripture commands, is found only in and through Christ.

And, the foundation of putting on Jesus and being one with Him, as the Father desires, is the path of Truth, the belt of Truth, the foundation of Truth. Thus, in, and only in and through, embracing Truth and fastening it on as a belt do we open the door to be protected by the armour of God.

3rd So my prayer is and has been: "Lord help me trust you in all things afresh and new & in all things may I clouthe myself in you by submitting to your will and revealed guidance daily step by step (whether that is for discipline in weight loss/physical fitness training, growth as an Air Force Technician, NCO, and Airman, or growth in faith as a child of God and a Warrior both spiritually and non-spiritually speaking) and in all things may I do this actively, presently, and genuinely, in such a way which always brings growth and change for the better.

Anyway, I hope to hear from all the freinds and fam as the Lord wills, and as always feel free to share your thoughts on my ramblings. God Bless and good luck as you live out this next year of your life freinds. ttyl :)

Dude, Where Have you been?

2011-12-11T20:00:00.001-08:00

Me I've been training my butt off. Since my last post I have been prepping for an Uncle Sam sponsored war on terror type trip. Lots of classes, just in time trainings and boot camps for different aspects of my job in the Air Force. Its been a cool but wild and crazy ride. I have enjoyed most of it and super glad to have grown through it all. May God empower me and may I serve well. More to come on how my trip as I have time to post. God bless you all and may my future true ramblings be worth reading. TTYL.

Rolling Along

2010-09-28T06:53:00.000-07:00

Well, the semester is rolling along at NOBTS and papers, reading, tests, etc. are all piling up once again. Workouts are being pushed aside, fast food is creeping in all in the mad rush to keep up. I thank God, he is kind enough to take the time to help his fast paced and easily distracted creatures to focus on that which alone is needful, rest, reasonable toil, love and fellowship with Him. So, today I just thank God in the midst of my rat race and hopefully yours He has/ is reminding me to take the time to pray and meditate upon His word, love those in my life, recognize I can only toil reasonably and still survive: [so I must just do my best, pray that its blessed and trust He will take care of the rest], as I do this I am also grateful for His reminder to make sure I do find time to rest, as well as remember to take care of my health.

Hopefully soon Ill find time to think about more than responsibilities and the rest I need. Thanks for loving me honey, your the best of wives, love you. "See" yall around and ttyl. God bless.

Back from Haiti

2010-08-12T06:47:00.000-07:00

For those of you who know me and read this I am back now from Haiti. The trip went well and I was able to do my part in aiding the Haitian people quite successfully,, yet I wish I were more able to share the gospel there while doing what I did. Alas, this is difficult if not impossible when serving officially with the military due to our rules of conduct and the expectations of our command structure. Still, God was faithful to supply some opportunities for sharing. PTL. Any who glad to be back and again hope you all are blessed. More Ecclectic Christian thoughts coming soon.

2010-07-02T06:31:00.000-07:00

Getting ready to go to Haiti on deployment, thus this post will be short as well, but consider this if you have stopped by. God blesses us so we can bless others. No matter how we slice it and take life in if God is and He is who He says He is in the Bible than contrary to our narcissitic happy go lucky world we have so we can give. So as I go to give and serve with the US Airforce consider what you are or are not giving and how you are or are not serving your family and fellow man. Just something simple and easy to ponder: easy to know but all to easy to marginalize let us focus on it and act upon it rather than forgetting it in the midst of our hectic lives. Thankyou, freinds for your prayers and encouragement in the aid we are going to supply to the Haitian people. God bless you all and I hope your Summer is going well.

More on repentance

2010-06-02T06:24:00.000-07:00

I came across this quote by J.I. Packer which I believe sets in proper perspective the biblical understanding of repentance in the most balanced of ways.

"Repentance means turning from as much as you know of your sin to give as much as you know of yourself to as much as you know of . . . God, and as our knowledge grows at these three points so our practice of repentance has to be enlarged."
—J.I. Packer,
Keep in Step with the Spirit, 87.

Just this thought this month. Feel free to comment on it and whatever repentance is in its purest definition may we all embrace it unto eternal life in connection with our faith in Christ.

More thoughts

2010-05-25T10:08:00.000-07:00

Wuh! The semesters done and I think I got straight A's thankyou Jesus. Our Youth pastor had me acompany our youth on a lil retreat: that was fun. We talked about resting in Christ and having gripping faith. God is good and I'm so glad i'm His. Tired so this months entry is done. Good night and God bless.

Just thoughts

2010-04-08T09:53:00.000-07:00

Wow, I have never felt so prepared for a job or more called to a certain task. I am glad I see how God has prepared me for the things I am involved with these days. Half way through the semester now and the job is still going well. A few things could be better accomplished but all things in time. The hardest part of it all is the sleepless nights and the grad school projects. Fun stuff! ;) Any who. God provides grace and strength; He sustains. I'm writing and researching my first expository sermon series for one project. Learning about serving at funerals and weddings for another class. Thank you, God but I can't wait until this semesters over.

What is Repentance Anyway?

2010-03-07T07:00:00.000-08:00

Repentance a word inseperable from Christianity, Genuine Faith, and even controversy. Some believers say it is an act, a work of sorts necessary for God's salvation to take affect. Other, believers see it as a connected reality to the simple yet miracuous faith one has in Christ which alone saves, for these repentance is synonymous with faith. Still others see repentance as evidence or fruit of the Spirits presence in a believer. But what is it and who is right? Well, the original word used for it in the bible means "a change of mind" yet due to the way it is mentioned in scripture and Christian tradition most or many believers view it as the act of turning from sin and surrendering to God. Both views of what repentance is have merit and together they reveal all of the views above have some merit as well but still many twist what it is as they do other points of sound doctrine and either exclude it altogether or turn it into a work or a means of salvation which it is not. So, here is my two cents: it seems the correct way to look at repentance is as a change of mind. When this is the case and it is set beside the grace of God,
sanctification, and the nature of faith as revealed in scripture one finds this definition of a change of mind is not only the actual meaning of the translated
original text but it adequatly explains and brings peace between the above view
points. Thus, repentance is not a work which one adds to faith but it is indeed the
faith itself for before that faith is in Christ if is in something else and when you
come to faith in Christ you have indeed changed your mind. Likewise it is true that repentance is also a work of the Holy Spirit in a believer's life upon conversion and in the midst of sanctification wherein He sanctifies them and transforms their mind, heart and lives through facilitating changing their mind to be set on God rather
than sin and surrendered to Him rather than sin, and Satan's temptations. What do you think?

BtW, things are going great at the church.

Unexpected ills Transformed

2010-02-06T07:28:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been a month and I have been jobless looking, hopeful and in the process of running up my credit card. But, today I got hired at another church as an Associate Pastor of Administration and Pastoral Assistance. A long title but a cool job. In it I get to teach, learn the "business" side of church, pr graphics/ web site building and help the pastor in various pastoral responsibilities. And, you know as I begin to look over the job description and ponder where the Lord has placed me for this season of life and the things that have happened for the last year I see His hand everywhere in it from His supplying me with an iPhone and His helping me become more disciplined, to his providing me with 2 new filing cabinets and working in my wifes heart to trust Him along with me. PTL He is soo faithful. Anyway, I just wanted to update from last month. Soon more ramblings to come and less snap shots from the life of Keith.

Unexpected ills & Hope

2010-01-02T06:46:00.000-08:00

You know this last summer, I came back from Summer Camp and was floored with a "we need to talk" moment with two of my churches elders. It had to do with the resignation of the Sr. Pastor who was leaving on good terms and how that might affect me. Well, to keep a long story short we had our conversation. It was gracious, eye opening and challenging since it amounted to all of us joining in prayer as to whether I should continue on there or not. You know when our 6 month prayer commitment was up I resigned not sure what was going to happen, jobless, in a struggling economyvand shaken faith yet hopeful because God is so good. Anyway it's January and like Abraham, Noah, the apostle Paul, and the disciples before me I'm trusting God as to where he will have me serve next. I miss my youth already, they'll stay in my prayers but as the patriarchs I just mentioned I'll press on in faith trusting God with this new year.

O Little Town of Controversy by David Brickner

2009-12-20T21:32:00.000-08:00

The following is an excerpt from Jews for Jesus which I wanted to share with you all.
December 16, 2009

Take a tour to Israel and there is one town you'll need to think twice about visiting. Jewish tours almost always avoid it, even though it is the birthplace of the greatest ruler in Israel's ancient history—King David. Christians like to tour there, but it is such a hassle that many settle for a "facsimile." You can walk through a reproduction of this town (particularly at this time of year) in many major U.S. cities, from Longview, Washington, to Orlando, Florida. I am talking about that little town of Bethlehem.
Bethlehem is only six miles from the heart of Jerusalem, but since it is in Palestinian territory, to get there from Israel you have to go through a border crossing. If you are part of a tour, you will probably have to get off your bus and board another with a Palestinian tour guide and driver. That is why Jewish groups rarely go there and why many Christian groups decide the hassle isn't worth it.
But the modern political difficulties mask a far greater and more ancient controversy.
The Jewish prophet Micah wrote:
"And you Bethlehem Ephratah, thoughyou are little among the thousands of Judah, from you shall come forth to me one to be a ruler in Israel and his goings forth are from old, from everlasting" (Micah 5:2, or 5:1 in some versions).
Since Micah was writing several hundred years after the death of King David, it has been accepted that the "ruler in Israel" spoken of would be none other than David's greater son, the promised Messiah.
Targum Jonathan, an ancient Aramaic paraphrase of the Bible says this:
"And you, O Bethlehem Ephrata, you who were too small to be numbered among the thousands of the house of Judah, from you shall come forth before me the Messiah." The 12th century rabbi called Radak (David Kimhi) wrote: "out of thee shall come forth unto me a Judge to be Ruler in Israel, and this is the King Messiah."
The mystery and the controversy intensify when we begin to examine what is actually said about this ruler who is to be born in Bethlehem.
Micah makes an unusual statement when he says: "from you shall come forth to me." This is no ordinary way to talk about someone's birth. Micah is speaking as a prophet on behalf of God—that is who the "me" is. So this ruler is born for God and for God's purposes. No wonder all the ancients expected this one to be the Messiah!
Now we arrive at the most controversial—and for some, alarming—part of Micah's prophecy. God begins talking more specifically about the nature of the child, or the "comings forth" of the ruler. In Hebrew the word is motzaotav. This is a compound noun meaning more precisely: "the place where he originally left." So here we are surprisingly told there is a place this ruler existed before his birth in Bethlehem. God then tells us that this ruler actually comes from "kedem" meaning "of old" and from "yemei ha Olam," "from everlasting" or literally "the days of eternity."
Who in the world has origins in eternity? Who could exist before his own birth? There can be only one conclusion: this one to be born in Bethlehem would be of divine origin!
The mystery of Messiah is not just where he would be born, which we know to be Bethlehem, but what his nature is to be, i.e. divine. This is a shocker. As Jews we are taught, "Shema yisrael adonai eloheinu adonai echad," Hear O Israel the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And yet here we have a mystery that goes beyond the nature of the Messiah and straight to the nature of the One True God. How can the promised Messiah be divine when the Lord our God is One? We can point to biblical clues regarding the compound unity of God, but we cannot fully understand it; we cannot fully explain it. It is a mystery and a controversy, but it is also true. And that is where faith comes in. God says it. I believe it. That settles it.
Can you live with that tension? Are you willing to believe something that you can't fully understand? Will you agree there are things about the nature of God that are beyond our ability to completely comprehend?
Now I want to drive home the point of this controversy and I imagine you can see where this is headed. We all know that Messiah was to be born a Jew, from the royal line of King David. That is why Bethlehem is so prominently featured in this Messianic prophecy. But there are no Jews living there, few Jews ever visit and certainly there are no Jews being born there these days. Yet the hope of Messiah is not lost. Not at all. 2000 years ago a Jew named Y'shua, who was from the lineage of King David, was also born in Bethlehem. He alone fits the vision of the prophet Micah. Matthew, the first book of the Newer Testament tells us the story:
Now after Y'shua was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying,
"Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him." When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. So they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel'" (Matthew 2:1-6)
In Bible times, there was no controversy among Jews about where Messiah was to be born. The only controversy was when he was to be born. These mysterious wise men from the east were looking for the Messiah because they had seen signs in the heavens. When they approached King Herod—then the ruler of the Jewish people—to find out where to look for him, Herod had to ask his own wise men. The Jewish scribes and chief priests confidently answered the King's question. "Tell the wise men from the east that Messiah must be born in Bethlehem." And so he was.
But how could a wise man (or woman) possibly answer the question of the Messiah's birthplace were it to be posed today? For many this controversial question has been answered once and for all in the person of Y'shua, Jesus our Messiah. How do you answer? Written By

David Brickner
Executive Director of Jews for Jesus
© Copyright 2009 Jews for Jesus All Rights Reserved

The Light of Two Faiths by Susan Perlman

2009-12-20T21:30:00.000-08:00

The following is an excerpt from Jews for Jesus which I wanted to share with you all.

This is Jews for Jesus archived article. It originally appeared on November 1, 1989. Some information may be outdated.

The purpose of the celebration of Hanukkah is to welcome the Messiah. Peace is the Messiah. We light candles of peace to renew our faith in the ultimate triumph of peace over war. And we rededicate ourselves and our efforts to bringing this about.1
Rock of Ages let our song
Praise Thy saving power;
Thou amidst the raging foes
Wast our shelt'ring tower.
Furious they assailed us,
But Thine arm availed us,
And Thy word broke their sword
When our own strength failed us.
-Maoz Tzur, 13th Century
While the lyrics of Maoz Tzur (Rock of Ages) express the traditional meaning of the Hanukkah celebration, Rabbi Nachman offers another explanation of the holiday: a festival of peace. Others see Hanukkah as a little holiday, a time for menorahs, latkes, dreydls end Hanukkah gelt. But some say Hanukkah is "the Jewish Christmas." Are any of these assessments correct? In order to decide, you need to know the Hanukkah story.
The events of Hanukkah took place during the 400-year period between the writing of the last book of Hebrew Scriptures and the first book of the "New Testament."
The Jewish people were under Persian rule until Alexander defeated the Persians in 331 B.C.E. Ten years later Alexander died and his kingdom was divided among his generals. While all of them were Greek they were far from harmonious. Syria was under the Seleucids and Egypt under the Ptolemies. Judea was caught in between.
The system of government for Jews changed under Greek rule. The Persians had been content to place a governor in Israel who primarily concerned himself with enforcing imperial civil laws and the payment of taxes. The Greek conquerors demanded compliance and conformity in religious practices as well. For the better part of the 3rd century B.C.E., the Jewish people were under the domination of the Greco-Egyptians. With the Persians, a foreign governor had been installed, but not so with the Ptolemies. Instead, the High Priest of Israel served as both political ruler and religious representative.
Along with this greater degree of self-rule came pressure to conform to Greek ways. This gave rise to political factions in Judea; some were more disposed to the Greco-Syrians, others to the Greco-Egyptians. Wars were frequent and eventually the Syrians conquered the Jewish land. The Seleucids were even more dedicated to inculcating Greek culture and customs on the people than the Egyptians. In order to conform, Jews adopted Greek names, wore Greek-style garments and adopted Greek ways.
Antiochus IV was the Syrian ruler. He called himself "Epiphanes" (the visible god). The now corrupted position of High Priest had been assumed by a hellenized Jew, Jason, formerly called Joshua. Jason was considered a "moderate" hellenist and so he was replaced by an even more hellenistic Menelaus (formerly Menachem).
The Persians had only wanted tribute from the Jewish people. The Greek successors to Alexander, especially Antiochus IV, held to a belief in the superiority of "the Greek way of life" and wanted much more. Hellenism encouraged intellectual pursuits and a polite, highly civilized society, but it also involved idolatry and exalted the wisdom of mankind.
The hellenists had nothing but disdain for the Jewish religion and the Jewish way of life and they set about to "civilize" the people of Judea by forcing them into the Greek mold. Only those who would renounce the "old ways" and embrace the new, including the worship of Greek gods, could have a place in this idealized Greek society. "Whoever refuses should be put to death," it was decreed. And many were. This rejection of hellenism infuriated the Syrian king and we read in I Maccabees of the persecution that ensued:
The Books of the Law which they (the hellenists) found, they tore into pieces and burned. Wherever a book of the covenant was found in anyone's possession, or if anyone respected the Law, the decree of the king imposed the sentence of death upon him. Month after month, they dealt brutally with every Israelite who was found in the cities…In accordance with the decree, they put to death the women who had circumcised their children, hanging the newborn babies around their necks; and they also put to death their families as well as those who had circumcised them…
The Holy Temple was defiled The golden altar, the candlesticks and all the gold and silver utensils were looted from the Temple and desecrated. And to show his utter contempt for Judaism, Antiochus offered a sow on the altar to honor the Greek god, Zeus.
During these dark times of devastation, it is said that Mattathias, an elderly priest from Modin, defied a Syrian soldier who ordered him to bow down to an idol. Instead he struck down the soldier and fled from the city to the hills of Judea. With his five sons and a few other faithful Jews, Mattathias formed a band of guerrilla fighters. They were faithful to the God of Israel and would not countenance Greek idolatry and, in zealous contempt, rejected Greek culture. They were called Hasmoneans, though no one seems to know how that name came about. Unlike the other Jewish resistance fighters, they believed that for self-defense purposes, it was permissible to fight on the Sabbath. Until this time, the Greeks could prevail by ordering their attack on the Sabbath.
This guerrilla company was valiantly successful in its skirmishes with the Syrian soldiers. The rebels grew in number and in the ability to fight, inflicting great damage on the Syrian forces with their "hit and run" tactics. According to the account in the extra biblical writings, Mattathias died within a year of their formation and his son Judah took charge. He was called "Maccabee," which means "hammer," for it was said that he was God's hammer to smash the Syrians.
History and legend seem interwoven, but as best as we can piece it together, there were three years of fighting, surprise attacks, night raids and ambushes by these tough Jewish fighters.
Antiochus sent his ablest general, Lysias, to destroy the Hasmoneans. From their mountain camp, a war worn group of 3,000 Jewish fighters watched as 47,000 Syrian soldiers marched across the plain to engage them in battle. As the story goes, the faithful band of Maccabees, with God on their side, vanquished the Syrians at Emmaus. Judah Maccabee marched into Jerusalem and set about to purify the Temple. Idols were torn down and the altar which had been defiled with the sacrifice of pigs was dismantled and a new one built. New holy vessels were crafted. A date was set for the rededication of the Temple—the 25th of Kislev, the same day on which, three years earlier, Antiochus had issued his decree.
Tradition says that when Judah offered prayers of dedication in the Temple in 165 B.C.E., only one vessel of sanctified oil was found—enough for one day. Miraculously, it burned for eight days. This is remembered by the kindling of lights for eight days.
How Hanukkah observance has changed over the years! In a 1985 article, "Why Can't We Have a Christmas Tree?," Rabbi Harold Schulweis of Temple Valley Beth Shalom reflects:
"Parental figures dress up as Uncle Mordecai, mask their faces with Chasidic beards, don a blue suit, carry a bagfull of toys wrapped with menorah-figured paper, and place them around the Chanakah bush which is brightly lit with blue and white blinking lights (the colors are authentically Jewish)—announce cheerfully—Ho, ho, ho; Happy Chanakah! Christmas is but one night; Chanakah lasts for eight. So on each night the child is plied with gifts. With eight to one odds, the fidelity of the Jewish child to Chanukah is a sure thing."2
Herman Wouk, the Jewish existentialist, says:
"It would be pleasant to believe that the stabbing relevance of Hanukkah to Jewish life in America has occasioned the swell of interest in the holiday. But a different and perfectly obvious cause is at work. By a total accident of timing, this minor Hebrew celebration falls close on the calendar year to a great holy day of the Christian faith. This coincidence has all but created a new Hanukkah…"3
The observance of Hanukkah, unlike Passover or Rosh Hashanah, is not among the festivals required by the Hebrew Scriptures. However, it is still worthwhile to celebrate it, and not merely to pacify Jewish children who might feel deprived because Santa Claus does not deliver to Jewish homes. Hanukkah is worth celebrating because it teaches us about the God of Israel, the God of peace and the God of power.
Herman Wouk reflects more on Hanukkah in This is My God: The Jewish Way of Life:
Our whole history is a fantastic legend of a single day's supply of oil lasting eight days: of a flaming bush that is not consumed; of a national life that in the logic of events should have flickered and gone out long ago, still burning on.
One might dispute his use of the word "legend." Still, Wouk has touched on the miracle of our people and the wonder of our God. It is unfortunate that he detracts from this awesome reflection by adding:
That is the tale we tell our children in the long nights of December when we kindle the little lights, while the great Christian feast blazes around us with its jeweled trees and familiar music.
The two festivals have one real point of contact. Had Antiochus succeeded in obliterating Jewry a century and a half before the birth of Jesus, there would have been no Christmas. The feast of the Nativity rests on the victory of Hanukkah.4
The Nativity, or the birth of Jesus (Y'shua), does not depend on Hanukkah. It's not nearly that fragile. It does rest on the truthfulness and accuracy of the Jewish Scriptures.
Yet there is a connection between Hanukkah and Christmas. Hanukkah is often called "the Festival of Lights." The explanation given by Josephus is that the right to serve God came to the people unexpectedly, like a sudden light.
Christmas is also a holiday about "a sudden light." The story of the Nativity includes this account:
"After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, 'Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and come to worship him.'" (Matthew 2:1,2)
The arrival of the Magi in Jerusalem must have impressed Herod, the Roman ruler of Judea, for he granted them an audience. And they asked him about the King of the Jews.
Herod's first response was one of uneasiness. After all, the King of the Jews whom the Magi were seeking would surely be a threat to his Roman allies who enabled him to rule over the Jewish people. The Jews may have rededicated the Temple in 165 B.C.E., but they were still oppressed and governed by foreign powers. However, Herod apparently had enough religious knowledge of the people whom he ruled to call together the chief priest and scribes of Jerusalem. He asked them where this prophesied "King" was to be born.
These learned religious leaders pointed Herod back to the prophet Micah who said almost 800 years earlier:
"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 ancient times." (Micah 5:1)
Herod passed the information on to the Magi, telling them to come back to him when they found the child. (Later we learn that the Magi were warned by God not to tell Herod of Jesus' whereabouts. Herod's murderous response to this is described in Matthew 2:16-18.) As soon as the Magi headed for Bethlehem, the star, which had disappeared temporarily, reappeared and led them to the house in Bethlehem where they saw the infant Y'shua.
In a sense, Herman Wouk's self-serving remarks about the Nativity resting on the victory of Hanukkah is a sad example of the insecurity of many Jews who need to hoist up Hanukkah in order to insulate nerves rubbed raw by December festivities.
Ironically, the Christmas story of the birth of Y'shua adds meaning to Hanukkah, "the Festival of Lights." It was at the time of the "Feast of Dedication," when all of Jerusalem was illumined with the light of the Hanukkah lamps that Y'shua spoke from the Temple courts:
"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. " (John 8:12)
The wicks in the oil of the Hanukkah lamps had barely burned out when the light of the world, Y'shua, came on the scene:
"An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Messiah the Lord!"
Could it be that Rabbi Nachman was not so innovative after all when he said that the purpose of Hanukkah is to welcome the Messiah?

Footnotes 1Rabbi Yaakov Bar Nachman, The Hanukkah Haggadah, (San Francisco: Barah Books, 1986), p. 17.
2Rabbi Harold M. Schulweis, "Why Can't We Have A Christmas Tree?" The Detroit Jewish News, December 20, 1985, p. 25.
3Herman Wouk, "Hanukkah Today." The Hanukkah Anthology (Philadelphia The Jewish Publication Society of America, 1976) p. 121.
4Herman Wouk, This is My God (New York Pocket Books, 1970), p. 80.

MERRY CHRISTMAS '09!

2009-12-20T21:21:00.000-08:00

Well, another year has passed and another semester has ended in seminary . Life has been very exciting as I served as youth pastor at Community Bible Church, B.R. LA. Now, much to our surprise the Lord has called Casey and I on.(Possibly this will be to another fellowship closer to home where I may serve as an associate pastor.) Other, than hanging out with the youth at CBC, the Guard, Landscaping, and loving Casey has kept me busy. I did however receive a few medals this year for my work in the national guard during Katrina including a Meritorious service Medal. Casey is in the middle of her 4th year teaching and is still loving her job at Live Oak Middle. Likewise, color guard is going well and Casey’s girls are currently preparing for their next contest piece based around FAME. Of course we are growing on our love and rejoicing in God’s many blessings. We hope this season finds you in a similar place. To all of you: we want you to know you are in our thoughts and prayers. God Bless, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!

P.S. we are glad to have Mark,my brother living with us now.

Jubilee

2009-11-18T10:29:00.000-08:00

I heard a sermon yesterday which was such a blessing. It's subject was the year of jubilee which God established in the Old Testament for His people the Jews and how Jesus when he came ushered in an unending jubilee for His people.

A Jubilee (Biblically speaking) is a yearlong celebration and time of forgiveness in Judaism and Christianity – held every 50 years (Leviticus 25), (or 49 years according to the Book of Jubilees), in the Jewish form and in the Christian form is descriptive of Christ's eternal work for his people as stated from his own mouth when he quotes Isaiah 61:1-2 in the synagogue as recorded in Luke 4:14-21,"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn."

Similarly some Christian sects such as Catholicism also see jubilee as a more specific time set aside from time to time as a special year of remission of sins and universal pardon. As mentioned before and recognized by all Christian sects these believers hold that the Biblical book of Leviticus, reveals a Jubilee year as occurring every fifty years, in which slaves and prisoners would be freed, debts would be forgiven and the mercies of God would be particularly manifest. Yet, they take this and believe that it being accompanied by Christ's teachings in the new testament and His establishment of His church on earth sets a precedence for the continuation of this Jewish custom in modern Christendom. Thus the recurring jubilee aside from Christ's Salvation work is held by Catholics and others. This began as a tradition in 1300, when Pope Boniface VIII convoked a holy year. At various times in Church history, these recurring Christian seasons of jubilee have been celebrated every 50 or 25 years among such denominations.

In other words, historically, at the Jubilee, all of the debts were canceled, all of the slaves were set free, and all of the land was returned to its rightful owner. While some Christians believe this is still a seasonal custom and recognize Christ's overall jubilee mission in the work of salvation, for us as believers today this is predominantly and undisputably at the very least a physical example of the spiritual truths that were and are fulfilled in Jesus Christ, and will be forever finished at His Second Coming. The debt of sin is canceled, the slaves of sin are set free, and the ruler-ship of the earth will return to Jesus Christ and His Bride (His believers)one day forever and ever. Meanwhile, "all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to(jesus). Therefore (let us) go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything (He has) commanded (us)(especially His holy gospel jubilee). (Knowing that He is) surely with (us) always, to the very end of the age."

Embrace the gospel! Embrace God's Jubilee! and for more information on the sermon I refer to contact me.

Thank you Jesus for the Jubilee! I encourage you to research the Jubilee and embrace it in Christ for God's glory this Thanksgiving!

Thoughts on Division

2009-11-18T09:38:00.000-08:00

In our present world it seems that division has become necessary within Christendom, and as I have shared before, this saddens my soul. While I want the truth of god's revelation to be upheld and while I understand the reasons many if not all of the different denominations of Christendom were set up it still does not fit with Christ Jesus' prayer in John 17. So my encouragement this month is: as you partake in Thanksgiving be thankful to the Lord not only for His miracle of Salvation in your heart and life but be thankful for your spiritual family and pray for us all to be one in Jesus and His once for all handed down gospel of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ Jesus alone who is the righteousness of God imparted to those of us who believe. Personally I have and will do this again and again. I hope you will do the same. Moreover,in a similair vein of thought I humbly submit this poem in relation to many non denominational issues of controversy and division in the church:

I am a christian, a believer in Christ, and a follower of His way, the only way,
I am not a strictly reformed thinker (calvinist) or an Anabaptist believer (arminian)
I am a christian, a receiver of God's miracle of Salvation embraced by grace through faith; born of and sanctified by His Holy Spirit by which I cry out "Abba" and thereby neither completely a lordship proclaimer or a free gracer
I am a christian, a believer in the power of God and seeker of His will here and now
thus I am not a cessationist or a charismatic
I am a christian, one who is shut up in faith and submission to God's holy bible
Yet, I am not a stereotypically rigid and closed minded fundamentalist or a stereotypically foolish and blindly open minded liberal
I am a christian, and my hope is in God, my faith is in Christ, my life in the hands of their spirit divine.
Whatever I am I am His and I know He will help me truly and purely follow Him in all things including in the seeking of the unity He prayed for, for He is good and His desire is for us to believe. He is my hope, my salvation, my strength and my sure reward. I believe and I will seek to know Him more and more and more.Knowing by knowing Him as He desires to be intimately known we will all be in one accord!

Lord, help us all embrace You and in so doing find the one and only Truth! Amen. Savior I trust you.

The difference between Understanding and Agreeing

2009-11-02T22:14:00.000-08:00

This post will be short but I believe it is necessary for I am afraid I have been recently been misunderstood. You see the other day I was talking with two friends about a hot topic issue and in the course of the conversation I stated " that I understood where one of my friends was coming from although I firmly disagreed with him" and our other friend said "no you either agree or disagree" and I said you are right and for the record I disagree with Him but that in no way excludes me from comprehending (i.e. understanding) what he has stated and why he has stated such. Moreover, it does not keep me from genuinely recognizing he has some valid points to his argument (if such is the case) which merit addressing. Thus, I submit this thought for today: Their is a difference between understanding where someone is coming from and agreeing with their conclusions.

For example, I may understand the reasons why someone is pro-choice but because I know from both God's authoritative revelation and the validated observations of Science that human life begins at conception I am not and cannot be anything but pro- life. Abortion is murder and I will stand by that yet I do comprehend some arguments for the pro choice position. Similarly, having had the Mormons speak with me on several occasions I can understand or rather comprehend their theology although I thoroughly disagree with it.

I hope this reminds my friends and you of the difference and I hope we can all learn to understand while not compromising God's Truth or our own consciences and convictions.

Tips for Fellowship

2009-10-21T13:24:00.000-07:00

Tips for Following Through on last months Idea.

When fellowshipping with God keep the following in mind:

1. Cultivating your inner life is an essential part of Christian discipleship.

2. God is good and He created us to enjoy what is good. He invites us to come and experience His goodness.

3. Our time with God should be unhurried and private. Rush ruins the fellowship more times than it does not. God wants quality time to meet with us one on one.

4. The attitude with which you approach your time with God is very important. We should not look at our time with God as a duty, yet at the same time we should recognize it is a necessity. So approach your time with God with expectancy. Come with a “I’ve come to give and not receive attitude.” Come knowing God is waiting in love to meet with you and fulfill your every need. So approach Him to bless Him; loving Him supremely with your life and receive His boundless love for you.

5. We need a basic plan, but one which allows for variety according to the Holy Spirits (Gods) leading. The ingredients of fellowship with God are: reading God’s word, Meditation on God’s word, Memorization of God’s word, Submission to God’s word, Prayer, Worship and Thanksgiving, silent adoration, quiet listening, a teachable spirit, and a humble heart which is confident in faith. Other, often helpful, practices are: reading, reviewing notes, journaling, and musical improve.

6. We must receive God’s word not just read it. This is accomplished through the teaching of the Holy Spirit as we read, meditate on, memorize , and apply God’s word. To put it simply, when we read God’s word we should look for three things: 1) What is God really like, 2) How does God’s truth affect me; i.e. how does He want me to live, 3) Truth (other general objective realities)

7. Likewise, remember the following concerning prayer: Prayer is a dearly loved child sharing with his or her heavenly Father in close relationship It should be intimate, simple and trustful. It is for the Glory of God through His Son Jesus Christ. It is helped by the Holy Spirit. Our prayer life grows as we do it regularly. Prayer should not be confined to one place but continued on many occasions throughout the day.

8. Lastly, when thinking about fellowship with God we should always remember we should enjoy God’s presence all the time in every situation. This does not mean, of course, that our mind is on the Lord every single minute, or that spiritual verbage is always pouring forth from our mouths. Rather it simply means we walk with God throughout our day communing with Him, and staying prepared to serve as He leads all the while ever aware of His presence and power.

9. Remember: Fellowship With God is the Heart beat of our Relationship with Him!

*note: all above points gleaned and quoted or paraphrased from Jerry White Jr.'s book Fellowship with God. For more from Jerry White visit www.adisciplesnotebook.com

This has been just another random and eclectic thought from a growing Christian. God bless and see you around!

Fellowship with God

2009-10-19T12:33:00.000-07:00

Defining the Thought and Revealing its Importance.

Fellowship With God is the single most important reality of true Christianity!

That is to say that, Knowing God is what makes the difference in the Christian’s life.

To prove this point, just consider the following scriptures:

1) John 3:16

2) John 17:3

3) John 10:14

4) John 14:17

5) Matthew 7:21-23

6) Matthew 25:1-13

7) Luke 13:22-30

8) 2 Timothy 1:12b

Obviously, knowing God is important to God. In fact, from the above perusal of scripture it can be said that Knowing God is the point of Salvation and everything else including going to heaven are just the fringe benefits.

You see those who know God: 1) Have Him as their treasure, and as a result they have, as A.W. Tozer put it,"all things purely, legitimately and forever." 2)* They know their God and possess great energy for God. 3)* They have great thoughts about God. 4)* They exhibit great Boldness for God. 5*) They possess great Contentment in God. 6)* They realize, despite what they know of Him, their lack of knowledge of God for He is infinite. 7) They are compelled by the Holy Spirit to follow hard after God as He upholds them in His grace and thereby grow in the likeness of Jesus for their good and His glory.

note: All points above marked with * taken from J.I. Packers Christian Classic Knowing God

So, how can you know God?

1) Recognize you will only know Him as much as you know His word!

2) You will grow in knowing Him as you experience Him yet your experiences are subjective while God’s word is objective. Thus, you will judge your experiences through what you know in God’s word.

3) As you read God’s word to get to know Him, rather than to study for facts to teach a class, or to just get answers, you will learn truths about Him which you will be able to piece together through your readings and as a result you will come to know your God and know how to discern what is of Him and not of Him in your experience.

4) As you read for fellowship imagine you are sitting at Jesus feet learning even as His first disciples did and as He praised Mary Magdalene for doing. In other words read as though you are chilling with Jesus! And, as you do look for at least 3 things:

1) What does the passage reveal about God?

2) What does the passage reveal about “me” (humanity)?

3) Are there any other facts or spiritual principles in the passage which you should hide in your heart to meditate on ?

Ex: In the story of Job the fact that Satan is not God’s equal is brought out in the text.

Designed to Know

2009-10-07T19:00:00.000-07:00

“Jesus is like an ocean he will engulf and gently surround
with the tide of his love he will astound you
and he is teaching me how to drown
in the ocean of his love” -
glenn kaiser

Many people today believe that becoming a Christian and believing in Jesus is all about not going to Hell and getting in to heaven. However, while getting to go to heaven is a benefit of salvation it is not the primary purpose of salvation. So what is Gods primary purpose for salvation? Well, that is simple Gods primary purpose in salvation is having a relationship with you and me. Before sin entered the world God knew Adam and Eve intimately and spent time with them everyday. But then Adam and eve were tricked by satan and they lost that intimate relationship with God. Yet, it is still God’s desire for us to know Him. Yes, the gospel is about how Christ redeemed us but it is equally about how a Loving Father pursued knowing us.

John 3:16 – God loves us so much that he has provided us a way to get to know Him.

John 14:21& 23—When we believe in Jesus God makes us His home and He comes to dwell in us and He reveals Himself to us

John 17:3 – The bible goes on to tell us that eternal life is knowing God

Matthew 7:21-23—also it is those that He never knew that go to hell.

Ultimately you can only know God as much as you know His word (the Bible) and His Holy Spirit( who teaches you what His word means:1 john 2:27 & john 14:26).

Therefore one of the most important questions you can ask yourself is “Do I know the savior, do I know His love?”

Meditate on John 17:3 this week and ask God to show you what it means to know Him.

Am I? Are You?

2009-09-03T20:13:00.000-07:00

Listening to a cd today I found this song and its intro. I hope it encourages and challenges you as much as it did me.

The phrase “man of God” was only used of Timothy in the New Testament and depicted one who was uncompromised in life and given the trust to speak faithfully The Word of God. This is my daily prayer to be in every area of my life: a vessel fit for the Master’s use. Wether as a singer, pastor, father, husband, or friend I long to be His man for this hour. Will you make this lyric your souls desire and your prayer too? (1 Corinthians 9:21-27; 1Timothy 3:1-7; 2 Timothy 2; Titus 1:5-9) – of, course “man” here in the heart of this message is any person male or female

I want to be a righteous man and do all You have willed
I want to love You more than who I am and be Spirit filled
I crave the pure spiritual milk of Your Word just like a newborn babe
I’m called to preach the gospel clear and true so others may know the way
I’ll sing of your amazing grace and the power of your love
Help me keep the faith and run this race with my eyes on the prize above
These are desperate times and a cruel world
And truth lies fallen in the streets and the voice of justice cannot be heard
None can hold back the wrath of God when His anger is unfurled

I have set my heart to be a man of God, to walk according to His ways
To take the path that is seldom trod and gladly bear His name
To live His Word with conviction and grace and build upon The Rock
What the world may do to me, it matters not
I want to be a man of God

On my knees hard lonely place to be, when I’d rather please the crowds
Make me Lord a single minded man able to keep his vows

When the longing for and the loving of the flesh war against the spiritual man
So let the flames of your altar consume this living sacrifice again

I have set my heart to be a man of God, to walk according to His ways
To take the path that is seldom trod and gladly bear His name
To live His Word with conviction and grace and build upon The Rock
What the world may do to me, it matters not
I want to be a man of God

Can you hear Him say: You call Me master and obey me not. You call Me light and see Me not. You call Me the way and walk ME not. You call Me life and live Me not. You call Me wise and follow Me not. You call Me Truth and trust Me not. You call me Fair (lovely, precious,s and sweet) and love Me not. You call me rich and ask Me not. You call Me eternal and seek Me not. If I condemn you blame Me not.

Is your heart set to be a man or woman of God?

This devotional is entirely quoted from Christian recording artist and pastor Steve Camp’s CD entitled Abandoned to God except where noted with italics.

The One Essential

2009-09-02T17:30:00.000-07:00

What makes someone a Christian? Last time I checked there were at least 248 denominations in the U.S.* That is a lot of separate groups which Christ prayed in John 17 would be one. Christ said the world would know us by our love and yet we are splintered. Yes, I know we have our reasons, but I wonder if what separates us is more important than what unifies us. Don't worry I am not going to write an ecumenical speech, I just want to state the one thing we all need to keep in mind as we seek to love oneanother. Jesus! Not Jesus the profound and good teacher, not Jesus the rebel, not Jesus the miracle worker, but Jesus crucified and risen! Jesus the gospel lived out! The one essential belief above every and any creed or statement of faith is JESUS THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD! (Rom. 1:16-17; 3:21-26; John 3:16) Jesus Christ was and is the righteousness of God. We can not add or subtract from Him or His finished work, and no matter what else we rightly emphasize in our faith: baptism, works, spiritual gifts, the power and place of God's Holy Spirit in our lives etc. no other belief is as crucial. The Gospel of Christ the lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world and rise again to be the advocate and righteousness of all who believe in Him is the key. Belief in the Gospel is the one thing which unites us and the one thing which we can never compromise. With out the Gospel we are "above all men and women to be pitied." The Gospel is everything without it we have nothing and all is vain. So remember the one essential as you strive to walk with God and minister along side your fellow believers: we are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone who is the righteousness of God!

-ktg

(*That number may be off slightly since Frank S. Mead's, Samuel S. Hill's, and Craig D. Atwood's Handbook of Denominations in the United States list a few other religious groups which are not Christian.)

The Blessings of Fearing God

2009-08-19T15:47:00.000-07:00

(borrowed from a freind)

“Who is the man who fears the LORD? He will instruct him in the way he should choose. His soul will abide in prosperity, and his descendants will inherit the land. The secret of the LORD is for those who fear him, and He will make them know His covenant.”

~ Psalms 25:12-14 ~

The fear of the Lord is a very unpopular subject in Christian circles today. You never hear people discuss it with one another or preachers preach on it. There are many ‘believers’ who disregard the fear of the Lord as kind of an Old Testament commandment. They often will point to the scripture in I John 4:18. Which speaks of their being “…no fear in love….” The context of this scripture looks on the day of judgment when all people will stand before God. Some people were calling themselves brethren yet hating their brother and that hatred brought fear within themselves of judgment from God. The fear of the Lord is completely different. It was the secret of the life of David, a man after God's own heart.

So what does it mean to fear the Lord?

The word "fear" itself is defined as reverence, respect, or awe. A man* who fears the Lord does two things. One, he recognizes that God is Holy. He understands that there is no defect, impurity, or mortality in the very essence of God. That God is so perfect and exalted over every other creature or being in this universe. His Holiness governs every attribute, word, thought, and action. Because of this, God cannot sin nor tolerate it.

The man who fears the Lord has a proper view of the Lord.

Is this how you view Almighty God? Do you view your sin with the understanding of God's hatred for it?

Secondly, a man who fears the Lord responds to seeing God's holiness and attitude toward sin by living holy. In true reverence for Holy God the believer separates himself from a life of sin and self to a life of righteousness and service to Christ. Does this describe the life you live? Is your life separated from the world and its pleasures and passions? Do you still hold onto secret sins to please self? This passage shows the fountain of blessing upon an individual who fears the Lord.

1. "He will instruct him in the way he should choose." God himself will teach and guide this individual. What a blessing when you consider the scripture that says, "there is a way that seems right to a man but its end is the way of death."

2. "His SOUL will abide in prosperity." This man's heart will abide in peace even in the chaos of this wicked world.

3. "His descendents will inherit the land." He and his family shall have a Godly and fruitful heritage on this earth.

4. "The secret of the LORD is for those who fear Him, and He will make them know His covenant." This is the greatest blessing of them all. For this blessing is the one where God shares the secret and intimate things of His heart. God desires for you to know experientially, not just intellectually, His heart.

These blessing are only available to those who fear the Lord. Are you experiencing these blessings? If not, then the evidence points to a lack of "fear" or reverence for the Lord. Right now ask for forgiveness and turn from your sin to a life that honors Him. [If you do His Spirit will most readily enable you to walk down the road of repentance to joy everlasting.]

**as is usually the case the word man here refers to both men and women.

**This devotion comes to us from Barrett Marshall, member of New Covenant Baptist Church Denham Springs, LA.

God, Satan, and Us

2009-08-12T21:37:00.000-07:00

This devotion is from a sermon by Keith Goodson delivered at the Connect student ministry of NCBC in DS, LA.

For those of you who were not here last week our brother Barret Marshall concluded his message on Lessons from the temptation of Christ and with in that lesson a comment was made concerning Satan’s power and authority as prince of the earth. This sermon is an attempt to expound on Satan’s relationship to God and to us.

In the beginning God made man to govern the world -- Gen:1:27-31
And when he sinned he relinquished his governing role to Satan

Yet, as we will see in the story of Job Satan is accountable to God even as Adam and Eve were and even as we are today.

Jesus recognized this and as Satan tempted Jesus with the nations of the earth He remembered that God was still God. He alone was worthy of the glory and honor involved in Worship and He alone was Supremely Sovereign over creation (in other words although Satan may of had some authority to offer the kingdoms of the world to Christ the great deceiver also knew that his “authority” was limited and Christ knew this too because He knew His Father God.

Through it all Jesus remained faithful to God and did not give in to Satan but resisted him and thus he (Satan) fled (just like God promises Satan will flee if we do the same in James 4:7; 8). “Resist the Devil and he will flee from you.”

Now all that I have said so far has simply been introduction. We have looked at the situation of Christ Temptation briefly and the idea our Brother Barrett Marshall brought up concerning the authority of Satan as prince of this world.

Now let us consider our text, the story of Job. Even though we will only briefly overview the story there are still some undeniable and priceless lessons we will see.

@ this point look up Job 1:1-12 (the beginning)

[side note: further on in the book: Job’s closest friends are unknowingly used by Satan to discourage him and drive him to cursing God and rejecting Him. (ex: “Innocent Do not Suffer” – Eliphaz
“Says God Rewards the Good” – Bildad) Yet Job hung on until the end of His trial with no victory in sight except He knew God and knew He was worthy to be trusted.]
now look @ Job 42 (Job's Confession: the conclusion)

Ok, so what do we learn from this:

1.) Satan is limited in power and authority.
2.) God is sovereign and supreme. He is in control and this has always been so.
3.) God wants our faith to be tried. (remember He recommended Job for testing)
4.) God notices our lives. How we live, what we do and say, everything about us God notices. He was proud of Job. Would he be proud of you?

Of course there are other things we can learn from this story but for now just ponder the ones we have pointed out here.

Zeal

2009-07-15T12:39:00.000-07:00

(originally posted for the zeal coalition in conjuction with its founder Mark Goodson)

"For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes." ~ Romans 10:2-4 (ESV) ~

In Romans 10:2-4, Paul states that the Israelites were a zealous people for God but this "zeal" was not stirred up nor was it backed up by the knowledge of God's Word (that is His revelation- for He had revealed Jesus as His righteousness). Rather, this zeal was a zeal birthed out of self-earned "salvation" based upon good works and customs. This righteousness was based upon self-reliance and good works and not on God’s loving provision and faith in Him and it.

As Christians, we are faced with a longing to live a life of Zeal for God but we find that we either don't know how or don't have a desire to be trained in the word of God which equips us for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17). We are in a Christian Society where we have many "accept" Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior but they are never trained in God's Word to submit to Christ as their Master and Redeemer. Are we not called to make disciples (Matt. 28:18-20)? How can we lead others into something that we know nothing about? How can we call ourselves Christians and not actually follow Christ and His revelation preserved for us in scripture.

Zeal for God is a good thing. The problem we face is not whether or not zeal is a good thing or a bad thing.Likewise, our problem is not primarily being passionate in following God once we meet Him and come to believe in Him. The problem is that zeal, in and of itself, is worthless if it is not cultivated and grown by the Word of God.

In Colossians 3:16, Paul clearly commands believers to "let the word of God dwell in [them] richly".

So, are our lives burdend to dive deep into the Word of God, to meditate and dwell in it, and to be equipped to serve in the advancement of the kingdom while discipling others to do the same. Do we know it, think it and live it?

Do we have zeal according to knowledge or are we passionate fools?

Are You Ready?

2009-07-05T21:43:00.000-07:00

Time Never Ceases to Fly By! I know you know what I mean. In our culture its almost impossible not to be in the same boat as everyone else- at least when it comes to time management. Ok, so I haven't been able to find time to blog for a couple of months now, but things have been good. Life has been busy and much has been accomplished: inspections w/ the LANG, 6 mo. of youth ministry in which the Lord has grown me, and the rest of the usual hustle and bustle. No kids yet. Ok, enough of the personal update and on to "the message."

So I was talking to one of the youth in our youth at CBC and he was telling me about his Olympic trainer and his daily disciplines which he keeps up for football and this thought came to me: "Are you Ready?" In the bible there are 10 virgins waiting on the bride groom but only 5 are ready and only they get into the party. The other 5 even though they were supposed to be in the wedding find themselves locked out - so we know we need to always be ready spiritually. As an Airman in the US Air Force I constantly hear about being deployment ready - this includes many things but one imparticulair i'll mention here. That is being fiscally and logistically ready (i.e. does my family have emergency plans, and preparations in order, is my will uptodate, etc.). Similarly, when I was younger and played sports I trained to be ready physically for the game ahead, even as the young man I was talking to does - the same is now true for the Air Force. So my question today is: "Are YOU Ready?" - remember guys there are so many things which can happen in life and if we are wise we will do are best to as ready as we can be in every way. Are you ready? I hope so. As for me, in some ways I am, in many more I am not so I plan to get ready where needed. What are you doing? What do you plan to do?

Getting Dressed

2009-06-18T18:55:00.000-07:00

"Ring" "Ring" 6am and your alarm is sounding. Up and at it another day begins. School, work, errands? Whatever the order of business for the day there are some things we always do:brush teeth, eat breakfast, take a shower, fix hair, get dressed and possibly even work out (cause we know we should). This is the everyday standard run through which we all partake in to some degree. It is something we have our own speacial rythym for. It is how we get ready to do the things we do.

Similarly, the message of Ephesians 6:10-20 (putting on the armor of God) is not a unique thing for a special few of God's elite children, but it is rather the normal everyday prep process all of us who believe are to go through. In fact, these things should be as common place as our morning routines and breathing.

Often, we look at these verses as how to prepare for battle and spiritual warfare but we forget everyday is a battle and all of life is enveloped in the spiritual.

Thus, whether we plan to survive and just simply live life or we plan to live well we always have to get ready each and every day. For example, none of us get up and go to school or work naked. Do we? Of course not- we throw something on before we rush out the door. Come on, even the homeless wear clothes and have routines. In the same way we must get dressed spiritually so let’s look at what that entails in relation to Ephesians 6:10-20:

- (my paraphrase): Finally, don’t forget to get dressed everyday so that you are ready to go out and live. Remember by doing so you will be better prepared to succeed in your attempt to walk with God this day. Don’t forget all of life is enveloped in the spiritual and there is a war raging around you in the spiritual realm. So, you will need to remember "first things first" as you start each day. Wake up and meditate on the truth (objective not relative, God given, solid TRUTH) you have found in life so that you can be ready to be significant in your community today. Especially meditate on that most important truth of all: salvation by grace alone, through faith alone in Jesus the Christ God's one and only begotten son alone (who is His (God's) righteousness and the spotless sacrifice of God for the sins of the World through which all who believe in Him are saved), and His holy word the bible which He has provided to equip you.

Of course, after you have covered the basics don’t forget to put your shoes on. After all your under ware, shirt and pants are great, but shoes will make for a more pleasant day (at least in most typical daily lives - i.e. for those of us who don't work on the beach everyday). Remember, you are God's ambassador and His gospel is your good news socially and spiritually. So shoes (the preparation of your heart via the gospel) are a must. Put em on!

[Being from the state of LA] Don’t forget your umbrella because it is sure to rain and you will want to be ready. Likewise, trust in God so that you can approach your day in unshakeable confidence. Be alert. Knowing you have believed and are as a result are in Christ. Likewise, meditate on this submitting your mind to the fullest implications of this truth. Remember, the word is your weapon and you don't want to go to war without a way to defend yourself.

Now, your enemy is out there strutting around ready to kill steal and destroy. He wants to take you down and ruin your life. So lastly, as you finish getting mentally and physically ready for your day don’t forget to prepare yourself psychologically and spiritually by participating in your destiny and that of the world by impacting it through prayer. In other words, last but not least PRAY: pray for yourself, pray for your community, the world and all that is on your heart and mind. Pray to God because He has invited you to and because He is God! Remember, God is, He rewards those who seek Him, and His will diligently, and live faithfully.

Whether my paraphrases make sense to you or not, I hope you see, at least the commonality of these scriptural instructions for us all? If not, do you notice they are collectively a description of the normal everyday practices of God's children: prayer (worship and supplication), Bible study (Meditation), and faith (knowing God, Jesus, and His truth personally). These are the things we should constantly be about and the things which should come natural to us. We need these things each and every day.

This in turn enables us every day to walk out the life of love ascribed in Ephesians 5:1 and stand upright before God having heeded His warnings (via Paul's instruction) in Ephesians 5:5-11;15-21 etc. etc. etc.

The question is: when was the last time you got dressed? Do you get dressed daily? Will you get dressed today and if so what about tomorrow and the next day and so on? Physically we both know the answer but what about spiritually?

Lord. may we all listen to your wisdom and dress ourselves at the outset of the day so that we might truly live life and glorify you. Amen.

Gripping Faith

2009-06-10T20:00:00.000-07:00

This month I want to ask you a simple question: Do you have gripping faith? You may think what do you mean? If so just hang on for a sec. as you go with me to Acts 1:12-26:
It is here we find the story of how Matthias was Chosen to Replace Judas. Matthias? Who is Matthias? I know many of you are asking that question. The answer is: he was an early believer who was chosen by the apostles under the guidance of the Holy Spirit as a replacement for the betrayer, Judas. His story is tucked away here in the first chapter of Acts and the reason he is the focus of our devotional this month is HE WAS A MAN WITH GRIPPING FAITH.

To see what I mean let’s look at the text:
First you will notice as the apostles and the other believers are waiting and praying in Jerusalem for the promised Holy Spirit as instructed by Christ the Apostle Peter is led to point out that a replacement is needed for Judas, the betrayer, who fell away and then killed himself.
12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away. 13 And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. 14 All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. [1]
15 In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, 16 “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. 17 For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.” 18 (Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong [2] he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. 19 And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20 “For it is written in the Book of Psalms,
“‘May his camp become desolate,
and let there be no one to dwell in it’;
and
“‘Let another take his office.’
Then comes the gem which I hope you too will see. This gripping faith I keep mentioning is what caused Peter to say to the Lord in the gospel of John “Lord to whom will we go, for you have the words of life” and it was the faith which grasped Paul and dramatically changed his life forever. It is true and lasting (persevering) faith. And we see it here in action in verse 21 where Justus and Matthias are described by default.
21 So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.” 23 And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. 24 And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen 25 to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” 26 And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
Now you may see what I am talking about at this point or you may not. So let me spell it out for you. Verse 21 reveals to us that there were other believers who like the disciples had left everything to follow Jesus around during his earthly ministry. I believe this should speak volumes to us, for it was one thing for the specially called out disciples of Christ who travelled with Him, lived and ate with Him, and were in His confidence to leave all they had to follow Him. Yet, here at least two men are recognized for doing the same thing ---- not being in that confidence.
So what does this mean to you and me? What should it mean to you and me? Well, I see it as a challenge and an encouragement. First, it is a challenge because in noticing this fact we should recognize WE TOO ARE CALLED AS CHRIST’s DISCIPLES and as such are called TO GIVE UP ALL ELSE in the PURSUIT of knowing Christ and following Him. [Now admittedly, for us sometimes this fleshes out in different ways. After all, Christ is not here in the flesh touring our country. But, He is alive and well, and in our midst through the ministry of His Holy Spirit among His saints (His believers). Thus, we who believe are called, even as Matthias was, to Follow Christ!
To do this takes a GRIPPING FAITH.

Second, it is an encouragement because these men, Matthias and Justus, in our text are not our typical biblical heroes like Peter, and Paul. In fact we don’t learn much about them from scripture, but what we do see is their gripping faith for they were “of the men who . . . accompanied [the 12 disciples] during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among [them], 22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from [them] . . .”

So, again I ask you: Do you have gripping faith? Will you follow Christ and believe in Him no matter the cost? Is He real to you? Is He worthy to you? DO YOU HAVE GRIPPING FAITH??????????

Update

2009-05-20T13:08:00.000-07:00

Hey, guys Keith here just wanting to supply you all with a quick update - things are quite hectic right now in our lives. Anyway, I wrapped up the semester strong with all A's by God's grace and a little elbo grease. I am glad things turned out that way. I am currently studying hebrew (fun :), working hard at getting into shape and fulfilling my responsibilities as a member of the LA Air National Gaurd. Life is good and I am enjoying this idea of blogging. Its new to me so vids and things will be up coming but for now itll just be these old words we have been using in written form. Anyway, like I said just a quick update. Btw, if you are reading this, I know you are probably praying for me as I seek truth in relation to life and God, so thanks and God bless. Sincerely, Keith

Ecclectic but Sound

2009-05-04T21:10:00.000-07:00

This short blurb is about the name of my blog. Most of you probably care less but some who are reading this I know will, so here is an explanation. I have entitled my blog TRUE RAMBLINGS: the eccletic thoughts of a Christian because I often feel eclectic having a personal christian faith which seems to have a little in common with many different Christian denominational traditions but not alot in common with any one (with perhaps the exception of the baptists). For example, I believe in the church polity of multiple elders but not an elder hierarchy and reject infant baptism, thus I have beliefs in common with presbyterians and the baptists but fit into neither perfectly.Likewise, I embrace the doctrines of grace and the reformed baptists heritage while at the same time embracing the core beliefs of the baptists anabaptist heritage as well which lines up much more with the weslyian theology of the methodists. Many more examples could be given but I believe these suffice to prove the point. One reason I am posting this particular post is to explain I am a mainline orthodox conservative slightly fundamentalistic evangelical and as such believe in the virgin birth, christ as our only mediator and reedeming Lord and SAvior for those who believe and the bible as Gods sufficient and ultimately authoritative scripture. To close in a litle more on the type of Christian I am, I guess the theologians I line up with the most would are Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones and A.W. Tozer. So, there you go. All I know is I want to believe the truth and I trust God to lead me to it. This is a breif description of where I am presently. God bless and Good day.

Not Preaching but Proclaiming

2009-05-02T22:51:00.000-07:00

In my last post I said I am not preaching. This is true but it is not the whole story. As a child of God I am compelled to proclaim His good news and honor Him in all of my life. I know I am not perfect, but He is and He will complete His perfect work in me and you as we believe in Him. I hope, if you have not already, you to find yourself in the place of mercy where God's loving provision and His sovereign hand have brought you to faith in Him. It is a wonderful place to be, and it is the only one worth being in. Well, until next time know I am praying for you: Praying you too will know the exceeding riches of God and the salvation which comes by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ, God's righteousness, alone. For more info on this message from God check out www.illbehonest.com and http://www.adisciplesnotebook.com

I'm not preaching

2009-04-23T12:49:00.000-07:00

If you have checked out my post, it may seem to you all I am trying to do is preach. That is why I want to submit to you: that is not what I am striving to do. Rather, I write about what I think of and I am a Christian so my thoughts are often on matters of faith. So, know I am not preaching to you (if you are reading this) I am just sharing my heart and contemplations. Feel free to share yours with me. I would appreciate it. And, oh yeah God bless!

My Core Values

2009-04-21T21:27:00.000-07:00

In the Air Force we live and die by a code a set of core values and a creed. This is a common reality in the armed forces of the United States of America and I am proud to be a part of that legacy. Thus, as a Christian - realizing I am in God's army of love I have developed my own christian core values. The following is a summary statement of them followed by the explanations.

I strive to and encourage those with whom I am close to be Sufficiently Educated, Always on Mission, Daily Transformed & Always Real all in an effort to be relevant in society by loving all people, impacting the whole world for good, and glorifying God and His son Jesus.

1. Sufficiently Educated - We are dedicated to the conviction that Christians have always been called to be biblically educated (know the bible) and that in today's culture should also be generally educated in order to join the global conversation of conscience through which souls come to salvation as a result of the declaration of the gospel. [James 1:22, Romans 10:2-4] This is not to say however that all individuals are called to be equally educated in general nor do we mean “educated” Christians are somehow better than their “uneducated” brothers and sisters.

2. Always on Mission- We are dedicated to the centrality of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the belief that all believers are called to proclaim it at home and abroad; both personally and corporately through their local churches. In other words, each Christian is personally called to proclaim the gospel and share the love of Christ in every way they can. [Matthew 28:16-20]

3. Daily Transformed- We believe the gospel of Jesus Christ transforms lives and makes those who embrace it like Jesus as His Spirit works in their lives resulting in their sanctification, the glory of God and the knowledge (experiential, relational knowledge) of Christ. [John 17:3, Philippians 1:21, and Philippians 3:7-10 as well as Galatians 5:19-24, 1 Peter 1:1-9, 2 Peter 1:1-15 and 2 Timothy 1:8-12.]

4. Always Real - We believe people should always be authentic and genuine therefore as Christians whatever we do we are to do it "as unto the Lord" and in a way which subtly demands respect. Our hearts should be in what we do as reason, passion and faith direct. Everyone should be real: real with themselves, real with God and real with others. When you are real, when you do all you do “as unto the Lord” and with the proper dedication (relative to the task and its priority placement in your life) than people around you notice and they will listen to what you say because your character invites respect and your life reveals you have something of value to add to the “conversation” of life in your sphere of influence. [Colossians 3:23]

All in an effort to always be relevant in society by loving all people, impacting the whole world for good, and glorifying God and His son Jesus.

Art and Theology

2009-04-21T21:23:00.000-07:00

Hi. Do you like ART? I do. But, before I say a few words about ART let me first mention a few words on CELEBRATION since the two concepts are inseparable in my heart and mind.

ART & CELEBRATION

Inseparable?

consider this: LIFE is ART and ART is CELEBRATION.

Have you ever noticed that Life is indeed about celebration that is to say that all of life when lived well is about celebration.

First, there is the CELEBRATION of Relationships.
In this the first of life’s celebrations one finds family, friends, companionship, all with varying degrees of intimacy climaxing in the forms of lifelong friends and the union of marriage (to include its most intimate physical celebration).

Second, is the CELEBRATION of Creativity which we all express once we have found something in life to live for. In this celebration we live life to the fullest by exercising our own unique gifts whether it is through ART, SPORTS, SMARTS makes no never mind all that matters is that we have found something in life worth living for and worth expressing. Then, we cwlebrate in doing it all unto God.Thus, all of this second celebration is ART.

Now, the third CELEBRATION of Life is the CELEBRATION of Nature with all of its amazing details. This of course, even as we are ourselves, is God’s ART.In it His perfect nature is revealed and His characteristics scene in the natural order which He spoke into existence. The recognition of this ART brings us to the next CELEBRATION.

The celebration of Life, the CELEBRATION of GOD Himself: in the knowing Him, in the enjoying of Him and in the Glorifying of Him fulfillment is truly found. And, when we find ourselves in the place where we are truly coming to know God and enjoy Him and His glory we find the Last of Life’s CELEBRATIONS. This is of course the hardest of CELEBRATIONS but it is also the most rewarding for it affects every other Celebration of Life.

This CELEBRATION is what Richard Foster Calls the CELEBRATION of Discipline. This is the place where we embrace our own personal responsibilities in life and learn to live well along our path to embracing and enjoying all the other celebrations of life. It is here, in this celebration that we take care of business in life: physically, spiritually, and emotionally. Moreover, it is in this celebration that we come full circle, especially in the areas of the spiritual disciplines of life but also in all the others as well, for it is in this celebration that we embrace our part in celebrating. Obviously after all, in all of the other CELEBRATIONS of LIFE, which we just listed, discipline is key for in order “to be all we can be,” in order to “aim high” in life and “seize the day” becoming “one of the few the proud” the ones who have learned to live well we have to apply ourselves and discipline ourselves.

So, my freind are you celebrating life? If you think you are but you have not come to know God or His Truth in Jesus Christ then I can assure you, you have not? If you have not will you? If you will, remember this God is God and without His help you can not celebrate, live well, or find salvation and eternal life! But, if you will come to Him, if you desire to celebrate, live well, and find salvation Jeus will save you and forever change you! Come and know Him come and receive His salvation for He is the righteousness of God and the door to all true celebration!

Of course as Christians we know we can only discipline ourselves to a point and then we are dependent on the enablement of God’s Spirit to finish this crucial work. WOO! Ok, so what does all of this have to do with ART? Well, art takes many forms [all of which one way or another fall into one of three categories: THE ARTS, SPORTS, and SMARTS] and likewise all art, as stated, takes a level of discipline. So, STOP! BREATHE IN! TAKE LIFE IN! and JOIN US in fully CELEBRATING LIFE by looking at the creative expressions of our fellow humans who are, even as we, learning to celebrate all of life’s celebrations. All this to say what you will find here are blunt, inspired, genuine looks into various forms of art and how they relate to life and faith. As in everything else we hope and pray these thoughts will be a blessing to you in your walk with God. Amen.

Holiness

2009-03-25T23:49:00.000-07:00

Quick Notes on God and Holiness:

Holiness is a major theme of the Bible. It is the consummate nature of God. In common language it means God is perfect, completely awe inspiring (awesome), infinite and other.

Thus, it is the attribute of God which He focuses us on most (especially in the O. T.), next to His love.

Moreover, it is because of its importance (that is holiness’ importance) that Jesus had to come and die!

The word holy in various forms occurs more than 600 times in the Bible.
One entire book, Leviticus is devoted to the subject, and the concept is continuously and consistently woven throughout the rest of scripture.

In fact, at least 43 other specific passages in the bible refer to holiness(34 of which are found in the N. T.) .The references include looking at holiness as:

A criteria for seeing, knowing, and approaching God (such as Hebrews 12:14 “pursue holiness without which no one shall see God.” Or, Psalm 15 “who can approach His holy hill”)

A command from God (such as Leviticus 11:44).

As a result of God’s work in the Christian life – i.e. sanctification.

As a pursuit all who believe in Jesus take up (such as 1John 3:3 “those with this hope purify themselves”)

& as a promise from almighty God our sanctifier. (1 Thessalonians 5:23, Acts 26:15-18; 2 Corinthians 7:1; Philippians 1:6).

Holiness it is the dominant character of Almighty God for everything about Him is Holy! ex: His love is holy, His wrath is holy, His justice is holy etc.

Sanctification

2009-03-25T21:22:00.000-07:00

Well, today I've been doing a lot of inventorying of comm. equipment and in the process I have been taking stock of my walk with God. At shift change I came across a sermon by Sam Storms concerning a controversial subject and upon reading it I was left with this humble thought God help me grow up!

So here is the article (may it bless ya'll too as we (all) accept responsibility for our part in sanctification). You know speaking of Gods gracious work of sanctification here are some interesting facts first:

God the Father sanctifies us- Jude 24-25; Hebrews 12:5-6; 1 Thessalonians 5:23

God the Son (Jesus) sanctifies us - Hebrews 2:11

God the Holy Spirit sanctifies us - 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Peter 1:2; Romans 8:3-4

God's Word/Truth (The Bible) sanctifies us - Acts 26:18

Faith sanctifies us- Acts 26:18 and last but not least

Our own actions as believers sanctify us - Romans 6:11-13; Galatians 5:24; 2 Timothy 2:20-22

With that in mind enjoy! :)

*** For the article go to Dr. Sam Storms' web page :: www.EnjoyingGodMinistries.com.

Look up "The Carnal Christian?:A Study of 1 Corinthians 3:1-3".

In the end perhaps you too will say: Amen, and wether we agree with all that Dr. Storms has said may we all strive to "work out our salvation with fear and trembling" and "grow in the knowledge and grace of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ," as He works in our hearts for His glory and our good.

DilutedForbiddenHopelessDeath

2009-03-11T21:20:00.000-07:00

Diluted, Forbidden, Hopeless, Death

Diluted

Struggling and writhing within
Polluted
By the permanent stain of sin
I’ve fallen
how did I fall so far ?

Forbidden

Was the fruit I enjoyed
Pleasurable
Yet destined to be destroyed
Am I
If repentance does not come.

Hopeless

None left to sustain
Empty
Knowing nothing without pain
I cry
Sorrow, come to my aid

Death

My only friend
Both
Freeing and condemning
I seek it
it is my only hope.

by Keith T. Goodson copyright 2005

Carelessness

2009-02-18T21:20:00.000-08:00

Carelessness: how does it follow me around when I try so hard to be careful? I mean at least every other week I forget where I left something and the other day my phone broke. You see I was working down in Port Sulphur and when we got done loading the truck I went for my phone...but it wasnt in my pocket...looked for it...found it...but it was broken. Uhh, that really agravated me...but I have gotten over it. I just wish I knew why God sees fit for carelessness to stick with me no matter how hard I try to shake him off. Oh, well I'm done ranting...God bless and see yall around...peace kg

Rules to live by

2009-02-04T21:05:00.000-08:00

Life never fails to keep you running. So much to do and such little time to do it. Anyway, despite its frustrations and disappointments my Life is carrying on, as I'm sure yours is too. Yeah. So the point is the other day I heard a really good down to earth, has a brain, and seems to live what they say preacher say something which is worth some consideration for all of us who accept Jesus and try to do the Christian thing. . So here it is enjoy!

Rules to live by:

1. Have Faith.

"without faith it is impossible to please God" - Eph. 11:6

2.Be Disciplined.

"whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid." -Proverbs 12:1

3. Maintain a Clear Conscience.

"I strove to maintain always a clear conscience before God and men." -Acts 24:16

4.Continue daily with a completely yielded life.

"God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." -James 4:6-8

5.Commune regularly with the Lord Jesus Christ.

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly"-Col. 3:16

"Pray without ceasing" - 1 Th. 5:17

6.Trust daily for Christ's fullness.

"Be (continually) filled with the Spirit" - Eph. 5:15 -[see also Eph. 3:14-21]

7. Express thankfulness and praise to the Lord often.

"whatever you do in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks through Him to God the Father." -Col. 3:17

8.Look for opportunities to love.

"Love one another" - 1 Jn. 3:23

"they will know you are Christians by your love" -

"sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you..." - 1 Peter 3:15

Mercy,Grace,Justice&Sadam?

2009-01-21T21:03:00.000-08:00

Well, Sadam is dead now. Death by hanging. I am sure he is probably burning in h e l l right now, but as I heard those around me say, "good they didnt show him any mercy" I could not help but think upon the Lords words which state, "if we do not forgive those who trespass against us he will not forgive us ( i.e. if we do not show others mercy he will not show us mercy.) Am I just weird? Any thoughts?

As much as I am glad that such a dictator has been dealt with justly I also wish that he would have found the grace of the one true God before he died. I am certain he did not, based upon the manner in which he died and as I already pointed out I feel confident he got what he deserved, but all the same I would have liked to have seen the gosple shared with him or known he had the chance to repent and believe in those last days of his life for I know where I'd be with out God's mercy - Fully deserving the same end as he - eternal existance in hell.

P.S. Just to give you fair warning pretty much all of my post will be random thoughts dealing with every category from Religion and Politics to Art and Poetry. So if you still want to check them out then stop on by and Speak your Mind

originally posted on my myspace saturday Dec. 30 2006

Never Bow Down

2009-01-07T20:57:00.000-08:00

"Never Bow Down"
Lyrics by Mac Powell / Music by Third Day
From the record: Time, Track #4.

Take me from my home
Drag me with the tether
Tell me it's all wrong
The things I've always known
Instill in me all that you think
Will make all of us better
Do just what you want
It matters not to me
I will never bow down
though I know I will be saved from the fire
I will never compromise
All that I have and everything I hold
Call us all around
To show us what you have made
Command us all to fall
When the music starts to play
And everyone from everywhere
Will show you their allegiance
But the child of God
Will faithfully stand tall

From the words I will never bow down to the words the child of God will faithfully stand tall it is clear that the message of this song is one of an uncompromising faith. Based off of the story of three young men found in Daniel Chapter 3:1-30, this song illustrates a refusal to be persuaded to set aside faith and give in to the pressures of society and the temptations of the flesh. In the story of Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and the fiery furnace these young friends of the prophet Daniel prove that their faith is more than just talk or show when they refuse to bow down and pay homage (worship) to the grand golden statue the king of Babylon has made of himself. This enrages the king and as a result he throws them in his fiery furnace. Yet, before he does this the three men make a most interesting statement:

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up."- Daniel 3:16-18

It is within this statement that we find both the heart of the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and it is also here the heart of this song by Third Day is revealed: No matter what, whether God delivers us or not we will not bow down! Wow, what faith, what commitment, what integrity and what bravery! With no guarantees, knowing that their God (our God) was the only true and living God they stood firm and refused to bow down, yet we often lie down without a fight. Often just the picking of our friends or the influences of society cause us to lay aside our convictions and surrender our wills to the worship of something other than God.

The Bible tells us that we are slaves to the ones we obey (Romans 6:16) and that we can not serve two masters (Matthew 6:24) and those of us who have failed (and we all have) know that what we give our time and attention to is what we really worship. In other words where our hearts are is where our treasure is. God should be our treasure. Jesus should be our only reward. We should be more than willing to give up everything else to have Christ as our all in all; our only possession. In Him we have the highest thing, the greatest treasure purely, legitimately, and eternally.

Yet, moment by moment and day by day we lay such a treasure aside for the cheap thrills and comforts of life but not Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego no they knew the treasure they had in God and they held onto it for all it was worth. God has determined that our faith will be tried (1 Peter 1:3-9). Shadrach's, Meshach's, and Abednego's was and so will ours. I pray the Lord will cause us to do the same as they did. May we trust Him to help us have such faith – clinging to Him for all He is worth. So now you know what you are singing about when you sing "Never Bow Down."

P.S. This is just my opinion of Third Day's intent. I could be wrong. And again just to give you fair warning pretty much all of my post will be random thoughts dealing with every category from Religion and Politics to Art and Poetry. So if you still want to check them out then stop on by and Speak your Mind