let us not forget today - tomorrow!

today is 9/11, we as Americans all know what that means. we all remember the very spot we where when we heard the words, " America is under attack!" let us not forget to pray today, pray for the families of those lost that day and in the war that followed. let us pray for the safety of our nation. you know nations rise and fall, no nation lasts forever. that was a hard thing for me to come to terms with, but i settled when i remembered that God is in control. He is the one who lets nations rise and fall and in the end His Will will be done! all of the nations of this world will come to an end in that day. and though that sounds scary it's not. Because God will be our temple and the light of that kingdom. with that said i do want to remind everyone that this does not mean we stop praying. God had ordained that through Christian prayers and actions His Will is done. let us not forget today - tomorrow! let us pray! and let us take hope in Him, rest in Him, and continue to trust in Him!

God is so in control

so i bought a poster in Venice beach like ten years ago. i was lost at the time and the poster was not godly in anyway. in fact it may have been a bit on the dark side. it was not totally evil but it was abstract art that had some darker images in it. because i got it on my first trip to L.A. i did want to keep it. it was getting beat up and i wanted to make sure it would not get totally destroyed so i took it to a framing place. i decided to have it plagued, and to do that i had to send it out. long story short, it was lost or stolen in shipping after the work was done. because the place that did the work was the shipper that lost it they had to do another one for free, and the lady that i went to offered to pay for a new print. so, i lost the questionable art and had it replaced with the pic that i put on here. it depicts the last judgment of mankind, and i think Glorifies God where as the other might have been a stumbling block to a weaker brother. this was totally out of my control, i believe that God is in Control of every molecule in his creation. therefor, God took my print that belonged to a lost person and gave me a religious based print for a saved person and did it at no cost to me what so ever!!!! amen!!

last word on - in his steps

i finished the book yesterday and i enjoyed it very much, i suggest it. the only objection i have to it is that there is a heavy focus on a social Gospel theology, the people in the book do seek and save the lost but spend more energy on social issues. also, the main point of the book is to ask the question of ourselves, what would Jesus do? this question is flawed. we can never know the answer to it, and it's not the right question anyway. the question is what would Jesus want me to do. other then these two issues the book was enjoyable.

WWJD?

Most Christians have heard this little question, and it has become in our time almost just a meaningless jingle. What would Jesus do? we see it on t shirts, bumper stickers and web sites. it had become so common to me that i never really thought about it. till now, this months free audio book from Christian Audio is walking in his steps. it is a fictional novel about a minister who asks his parish to take an oath to live for one year without doing anything until they ask the question, What would Jesus do? i have spent two days at work listening to this book and its an amazing story. to think that by asking such a simple question (that by Christian standards should be already part of our daily walk) could turn lives totally upside down and redeem so many people who where in their own minds Christian. i Got to thinking what would Jesus do if he where me? what would he do? i realize we can never really fully answer this question, but to ask it of ourselves will force us to think of him before ever making a decision, or taking a step in one direction or another. What does it Mean to fully follow Jesus Christ? and in your life, What Would Jesus do?

salvation by chance of a fancy coat

I have heard it said: "that God will in no way interfere with the will of man." As if our will were the all-sovereign force of the universe. I happen to know that God's will is the only all-sovereign force there is.

Let's look at a simple story that is not normally used to show the sovereign will of God--the story of the coat of many colors.

We all know the story, Jacob makes his son, Joseph, a beautiful coat of many colors. His brothers are overcome with jealousy and they plot to kill him. Instead they decide not to kill him but to toss him into a pit, but just then slave traders happen by and Joseph is taken off to Egypt. While in Egypt, he faces one challenge after another but ends up as the Pharaoh's right hand man. From here he is able to come into a position of authority over his brothers when they come to Egypt for food, as the whole land is in famine. Joseph shows unconditional love and forgiveness to his brothers. Eventually the Hebrew people come to Egypt and from there they become slaves. Later on, God saves a Hebrew male baby, named Moses, whom He uses to free His people and lead them out of bondage into the promised land (after a fast little trip through the wilderness that is). From there Israel becomes a nation. There are a few trips over the Jordan and back a battle or two, and a carrying away or two, a rebuilding, the roman occupation and the stage is set for the Messiah to come and redeem his people and all of man kind.

Now, I ask you - "Did God leave it up to chance that Jacob would Give Joseph that coat?" No coat - no slavery. No Egypt - no exodus. No promised land - NO Messiah from that line of events!

How can one really think that had Jacob woke up that day and not felt like giving that coat to Joseph, that God would have altered all of His plans for redemption. lets not forget, Gen 50:20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

God had Ordained Christ to the Cross before He even laid the foundation of the earth. Whats more is, He ordained everything that has and will ever come to pass.

God is all sovereign. His will is the only will that has never and can never be moved by any force other than Himself. You do not enjoy the same privilege, my friend.

God's witness in nature, enough to condemn but not save.

This statement hit my ears funny the first time i heard it. John Calvin talks about this in his institutes. I thought," How could God leave us a witness that was not perfect? If in fact the Bible is infallible, is not His Witness in nature as well? If so, how can it be infallible and not save? Isn't God's form of communication perfect?

Answer:

God's Witness in nature is not only perfect, it's totally infallible. General Revelation and special Revelation are not equa, but they are both inspired by God. Romans 1 tells us that what is to be known of God is clearly seen by the things made (us), and so we are without excuse; hence, it's enough to condemn--yet, it's not able to save. How can that be you ask? Well, it's our fault! Had mankind not fell, had Adam not sinned, we would know God through the creation perfectly; but we are fallen, and it's due to our dullness that we cannot see the God of scripture through nature.

God gives his revelation to man. We turn from it and claim it came from nothing instead. I think condemnation, due to the witness of nature along with our sin, is perfectly reasonable.

fight the good fight

Paul did not have it easy. from the day he was saved until the day he was martyred, he was utterly given over to the work of the Gospel. and no matter what kind of suffering he went through he never let it stop him.

2Co 11:23 Are they ministers of Christ? I (speak as a fool) I am more; in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.
2Co 11:24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
2Co 11:25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
2Co 11:26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
2Co 11:27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
2Co 11:28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.
2Co 11:29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?
2Co 11:30 If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.
2Co 11:31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed forevermore, knoweth that I lie not.
2Co 11:32 In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me:
2Co 11:33 And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.

the thing i find most amazing about all this is that he just kept going and as far as i can tell he did not get down on himself, he did not need to read how to make friends and influence people to figure out how to speak to the lost, he did not need a self help book to make himself feel better about himself. and seeing as though so many people disliked him you would think he would have had a complex from it. as the mind set is today, you would think he would have gotten lonely and needed a family with a nice house with 2.5 kids and a white picket fence in order to have purpose. but even without those things and as far as i can see he was just fine with who he was and where God had him in life and in fact he considered it a great privilege to carry the Lord's message, and to suffer for the Name that is above all others. i can not imagine a person today going through half of this without having major questions as to whither God be for him or not. (i know and am very keen to the fact that people suffer and die today. so i can not just make that a blanket statement, i can only judge from an American view point concerning American Christians)with that said, i think the most an American Christian will ever face is, his family outcasting him, or his friends, lover, coworkers, and so on. and yet so many do not finish well. how can that be the worst thing we have to face and have so many seeking a softer more acceptable gospel? what would timothy have thought of this American Gospel? can you imagine the Guy who received the last words ever written by Paul saying how he finished well and was ready to be offered, and then have him take a look at what stops, or slows, or kills Christianity in America today. i think he would be shocked, and saddened by it.

2Ti 4:5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
2Ti 4:6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.
2Ti 4:7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
2Ti 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

fight the good fight, this is not just a race. it's a battle so we must be battle minded. that means stop letting personal loss or hardship prevent us from keeping the faith and finishing the course. consider it it a privilege when you suffer, consider it a privilege that God counts you worthy to suffer for his Name.

Act 5:40 And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
Act 5:41 And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.
Act 5:42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.