God's Providence

Isa 10:15-16
15 Is the axe to boast itself over the one who chops with it? Is the saw to exalt itself over the one who wields it? {That would be} like a club wielding those who lift it, {or} like a rod lifting {him who} is not wood.16 Therefore the Lord, the GOD of hosts, will send a wasting disease among his stout warriors; and under his glory a fire will be kindled like a burning flame.(NAS)

This verse is an excellent example of God's divine providence. The passage is referring to the Assyrians. The Assyrians conquered Israel, and they thought of themselves rather highly for having done so. Their victory wouldn't last, however. As this verse shows, the Assyrians were just a piece of God's plan to discipline His people and bring glory to himself. The Assyrians would soon receive punishment of their own.

A more modern application of this absolute divine providence can be found in Romans.

Rom 8:28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to {His} purpose.(NAS)

For Christians walking with God, or even for those who have temporarily strayed away from the path, everything is done for our good in the end. That includes but is not limited to: trials, tribulations, punishments, consequences, rewards, natural disasters around the world, wars, etc. Somehow in the end, all these things will work for God's glory and our good. That is definitely something to hope in.

Snowed In

We currently have over a foot of snow at our house. Church was actually cancelled because of the snow today. We're snowed in for sure now. Yesterday, it seems we got home from getting our Christmas tree just in time. When we got home, enough snow had accumulated in our driveway for the truck to do a little sledding during the parking job. That was exciting. After we slid sideways 3 or 4 feet, my dad decided he didn't need to park all the way up by the shed. He settled for the other parking space.

We got a Christmas tree yesterday. It was a really nice noble fir. It smelled amazing and it was nice and fluffy (you can tell I'm not used to having a real Christmas tree). We got it into the house and on its stand today (yes, I know that Christmas is this Wednesday. don't worry, it gets better!). It turns out, the tree and my dad's sinuses don't agree too well. Now the tree is out on our front porch.... yeah. Tomorrow, the fake Christmas tree is coming into the house, and we are GOING TO DECORATE IT! I'll be thankful now if Christmas decorations are up by Christmas Eve. Oh well, I suppose the true point of Christmas isn't gonna be hurt if our tree is up a little late. And, even though I'm terribly disappointed about the beautiful noble fir sitting on our front porch, I'd rather have a plastic Christmas tree and have my dad's head NOT explode from sinus pressure than have a real tree and...... you get the point.

There is a bright side! I have miniature Christmas decorations up in my room. There are a couple little figurines, some mice in a shoe wearing santa hats and santa on a tree swing. The best part is my little tree. It's a.... yes, it's fake.... it's about a foot tall, and it comes complete with a little beaded garland and some little tiny ornaments. It even has lights! err, well.... okay. The lights broke. So, there are no longer little red flashing L.E.D.s wrapped around my little tree. At least I have a tree.

Prophecy of Jesus

I think it's pretty cool that with it being the holidays, my Bible reading tonight happened to fall on Isaiah 9, which is a prophecy of Jesus' birth. Part of this may be because I've fallen behind in my reading (I should have read this chapter two weeks ago or more). And not reading means not posting. If I don't post, it's probably because I'm falling behind on my reading, so if you don't mind, hold me accountable.

Anyway....

Isa 9:2-7
2 The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them.3 Thou shalt multiply the nation, Thou shalt increase their gladness; they will be glad in Thy presence as with the gladness of harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.4 For Thou shalt break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian.5 For every boot of the booted warrior in the {battle} tumult, and cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire.6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.7 There will be no end to the increase of {His} government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.(NAS)

This chapter holds many promises about the coming of Jesus that have since been fulfilled. Verse four says that He will break the yoke of our burden and the staff on our shoulders, as well as the rod of our oppressor. That means that He will, He HAS, broken the dominion of sin. That doesn't mean we won't sin, it means that it will no longer rule our lives as believers. Verse 6 is the "good part." Obviously, that child is Jesus. Jesus came to fulfill all of this, as verse 7 says, through the "zeal of the Lord of hosts." God has accomplished this, by His power and for His glory.

It is interesting that this passage is within a prophecy of punishment of Israel. Before and after this passage, Isaiah speaks of the inpending judgement of Israel. God was not happy with Israel, and their punishment was coming, but at the same time, there was great hope in the form of the coming Messiah.

Honestly, I'm a little bit scattered right now. The main point here is: during the CHRISTmas season, take hope in the true meaning of Christmas: Christ, God's gift to us. The Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace who can free us from the slavery of sin and save us for His glory. He is the one who was prophesied of hundreds of years before His birth and He is what Christmas is all about.

Update

I haven't blogged in a while, so here's an update.

After one final next week, I will officially be on Christmas break.

I received my acceptance letter from Master's College, where the plan is to pursue a four year Bible degree and possibly go through seminary as well. Whatever God has planned.

I wish I had more to say, but, I don't. Now that I'm on break, the posts should once again be more frequent.

Earthly Authority

1 Pet 2:12-17
12 Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may on account of your good deeds, as they observe {them,} glorify God in the day of visitation.13 Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority,14 or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right.15 For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men.16 {Act} as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but {use it} as bondslaves of God.17 Honor all men; love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.(NAS)

In order to have a good testimony for the Lord, we are to submit to earthly authorities. There is one and only one exception. That is when the government's authority defies God's authority. There are obviously other ways to show a good testimony, and the chapter goes on to explain others, but the focus in verses 13 and 14 is the government.

Even if we don't like those in authority, God still put them there, and we are told to submit to and pray for them (1 Tim. 2:1-2 & Rom 13:1). It can be difficult, but there are no rulers that God has not appointed, and we are commanded to honor them.

Insufficient

Isa 6:3-8
3 And one [seraphim] called out to another and said, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory."4 And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke.5 Then I said, "Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts."6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, with a burning coal in his hand which he had taken from the altar with tongs.7 And he touched my mouth {with it} and said, "Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away, and your sin is forgiven."8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I. Send me!"(NAS)

This is a great verse to look at when feeling insufficient. From my VERY limited understanding of what the Hebrew words in verse seven mean, the word translated "taken away" could mean "turn off,' and the word translated "forgiven" means "covered."* From the context, I think it would be fair to say this verse shows that our sin is not only covered, but we no longer have to sin. Our sin is "turned off." We are all sinners. We are incapable of doing anything worthy for God. But, the beauty of grace is that God makes us Holy. By the sacrifice of His Son, we can say to Him, "Here am I. Send me!"

*Strong's Greek/Hebrew Dictionary from PC Study Bible © 1993-1996

Faster than the speed of light? a slug? something.

Yesterday I got more memory for my computer. Before I was running Vista on my laptop with only 1G of RAM. Things were about as fast as... well, a slug. Now I have 2G, and things actually happen when I click on them, instead of 5 minutes later (slight exaggeration, but you'd be surprised). I have a new battery coming as well, which is great because the current one only has about 20 minutes on a charge now.

In summary, my computer is definitely faster than a slug now (that's how fast it was before), I'm sure it can outrun a few other things, but it will never be a high performance gaming computer, especially since there isn't room for any more RAM. But, it is a laptop. So, I guess you give and take. It plays DVDs much better now, too.

Better Late than Never........?

Sorry to anyone that is getting irritated with me for not having posted in a while. There are lots of things going on for me right now. This Saturday, I turned 18! and no, I don't feel any different. and no, I still don't have my driver's license and don't have any exact plans on when I will.

But, that obviously isn't what's been keeping me from blogger. I've had homework coming out my ears on some nights, and have just been a little busy. I'm working on planning my future right now, primarily college stuff. There are a couple of other things going on right now. To sum it all up, I need prayer. Prayer for God's plan for me, prayer for stress control, and prayer in general. It would be much appreciated. Thanks.

Still in Corinthians

The message today was out of I Corinthians 13:1-3:

1 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.2 And if I have {the gift of} prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.3 And if I give all my possessions to feed {the poor,} and if I deliver my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.(NAS)

I find it absolutely amazing how important love is. Almost everything that we as humans try to associate with being "spiritual" or what we consider good works mean nothing on their own. It seems to me that we as humans are capable of doing anything for the wrong reason. And if our motivation is anything besides love for God and love for one another, it doesn't mean anything when it comes to eternity. Gifts of charity can be given to make oneself look good, use of spiritual gifts can build up our own selfish pride instead of uplifting others. But when we serve others and honor God, let it be without selfish motivation, let it be done in love.

1 Cor 16:14 Let all that you do be done in love.(NAS)

More Pictures...

Switching Classes

Tomorrow I start classes at SPSCC for Fall quarter. I probably have the absolute worst schedule that I've ever heard of. I have a lab, evening classes, and a very spread out schedule. The advantage to being back: I have access to high-speed internet at the college (as opposed to dial-up at home).

Also, today at church, the youth group Sunday school teacher was gone, so we more or less had a substitute. Actually, we sat in on one of the adult Sunday school classes. My dad's adult Sunday school class. It was interesting seeing my dad teach, as I had never sat in on one of his classes before. His class is going through Ephesians, and today was Ephesians 2:1-10, which means that we went over what is probably one of my favorite Bible verses.

Eph 2:8-9
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, {it is} the gift of God;9 not as a result of works, that no one should boast.(NAS)

This verse says so much about Salvation, and every bit of it is extremely humbling. First of all, Christians are saved by faith in Jesus alone. It has absolutely nothing to do with anything that we've done to deserve God's favor. On top of that, without the gift of faith from God, we wouldn't even have enough faith to accept Jesus as our Saviour. Everything about our Salvation, and our lives, is really a completely undeserved gift from God. As a side note, this also shows strong evidence that Believers were predestined by God. God doesn't randomly give out the faith to believe in His Son, but He knew from beyond time who would receive the gift of faith and the Salvation that follows.

New Reading Material

Earlier this week, I started reading Don't Waste Your Life, by John Piper. The book is, well, about how not to waste your life, spiritually. So far, the point has been that we were created to glorify God. That being the case, the only way not to have a wasted life is to have a Christ centered life, as Christ is the only way for us in our sin to reach God. Obviously, in three chapters Piper has gone into a bit more detail. From what I've read so far, I would highly recommend this book.

Off to England (I wish)

Me being a bit of a nerd when it comes to Lord of The Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia, I was extremely exited to hear that there is an exhibit of weaponry created by WETA workshop at an armoury right now ('till November). (For those of you that are lost at this point, WETA is the workshop that made the weapons for LOTR and Narnia). Of course, after hearing that said armory is located in England, my exitement died. The bright side: admission to the armory is free, and admission to the WETA exhibit is free, so if I can get to England, that's one thing I wouldn't have to pay for.

Tainted Offering

Isa 1:12-17
12 "When you come to appear before me, who requires of you this trampling of My courts?13 "Bring your worthless offerings no longer, incense is an abomination to me. New moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies-- I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly.14 "I hate your new moon {festivals} and your appointed feasts, they have become a burden to me. I am weary of bearing {them.}15 "So when you spread out your hands {in prayer,} I will hide My eyes from you, yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.16 "Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil,17 Learn to do good; seek justice, reprove the ruthless; defend the orphan, plead for the widow.(NAS)

Israel was deep in sin at the time that this was written. But the Israelites expected to be able to worship and pray to God in their sin with no change. According to this, that was clearly not the case. God says that he hates their offerings and feasts. Their prayers and offerings had become useless, no matter how numerous they were. They had to cleanse themselves of their sin before they could rightfully worship their holy God.

A similar message is seen in the New Testament.

1 Cor 11:25-2825 In the same way {He took} the cup also, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink {it,} in remembrance of Me."26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.27 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord.28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.(NAS)

In the same way that the Israelite's sin got in the way of their worship with God, a Christian's sin that he has not repented of can get in the way of his relationship with God. Communion is not just a way to remember Jesus' sacrifice, it is also an opportunity to examine oneself for sin yet to be confessed.

Picture

Here's a picture of a wagon at Grave Creek in Oregon. This is the site of a covered bridge and museum along the Applegate trail, the southern fork of the Oregon Trail.

Back From Californi'

This is the first time I've been able to blog since returning from California. The visit with my grandparents went great. I was also able to see my cousin Mary and her fairly new husband. We also had the opportunity to visit with my aunt and uncle, and I think they found out some things about me that they didn't know about me, and vis versa. For instance, they now know that I sometimes attend folk dances. I think that one surprised them a little bit.

I want to upload some pictures from our trip, but my dial-up internet refuses to cooperate with me, so maybe next post.

Love

Eph 5:1-2
1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children;2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.(NAS)

As believers, we are called to walk in love, just as Jesus did. It's no coincidence that the verse then continues to remind that Christ gave Himself up for us. If we are to love others like Christ loved us, that means giving ourselves up for the sake of others. That phrase, "and [He] gave Himself up for us..." brings strong emotion. To give up every part of myself in service for others, (and in turn for God because it says Jesus' sacrifice to save us was a fragrant sacrifice to God) that is something I pray that God can help me attain to.

Our Row

First of all, I'd like to say that I haven't blogged the past week or so because I've been extremely busy. After cleaning house in preparation for my aunt and uncle's visit, there was... well, there was my aunt and uncle's visit. We went to Seattle and took the underground tour there. We went on a sightseeing tour around the Hood Canal. Today, they went to church with us. My sister and her son also visited (my sister for the first time), which meant that for the first time I was part of a family that took up a full row in the sanctuary. The house is clean now, and things should slow down and let me blog more again (I think). By the way, I don't think anyone would mind me saying that my sister visiting our church is a big answer to prayer. And it looks like she might come on a regular basis from now on.

Knowing the Unknown

Ephesians 3:14-19
14 For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father,15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name,16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man;17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; {and} that you, being rooted and grounded in love,18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.(NAS)

I just find it mind boggling that through the power of Christ in us, believers are gifted with knowledge of something that is beyond knowledge. The human mind can't comprehend Christ's love, but through the power of Christ and the Holy Spirit, that love is revealed to us. That's pretty cool as far as I'm concerned.

Blood, Sweat, and Dirt

What do tents, hamburgers, battery chargers, a bloody lip, and thousands of plastic bb's have in common? All of the above were present at the two day overnight airsoft game that I went to on Friday. When you take an airsoft bb to the lip, you get the added bonus of spitting up a little blood. Then you get to spend day two completely drained because someone in the next tent from you was singing an operatic version of the Veggie-Tales theme song (thanks Nathan) at sometime past midnight (I think). I came home bruised, hungry, tired, caked with dirt, and a little sore. Overall, the event was a blast, and I can't wait 'till the next two day game. Hopefully my days of borrowing other's airsoft guns will be over by then.

Victory!

1 Cor 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it.(NAS)

The message Sunday was from this passage. The main point was that we can have victory over temptation, and how. There were three main points:

-The temptations we face are common (we aren't alone).
-God won't let us be tempted beyond what we can handle (He only gives us what we're ready for).
-God always provides a way of escape.

If we keep these three things in mind and truly believe them, the chances of beating temptation will definitely go up.

Sealed

Eph 1:13-14
13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation-- having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of {God's own} possession, to the praise of His glory.(NAS)

The promise found in this passage is amazing. Upon believing in the gospel of Christ, we are sealed in Christ with the Holy Spirit. The Greek word used for sealed here means "to stamp (with a signet or private mark) for security or preservation...(Strong's Greek/Hebrew Dictionary)". We are His. He has put His "royal stamp" on us. On top of that, we are promised an inheritance. The Holy Spirit seals us in Christ and guarantees that coming inheritance. The word translated "pledge" roughly means an advance payment for security purposes. To my limited understanding, it's sort of like collateral, but a little different. The most amazing thing is that the purpose of the inheritance we are promised from God is for God's glory. This works with all of God's gifts. He gives us salvation, we share it with others and point them to Him. He gives us righteousness, we live in a manner that glorifies Him. Our spiritual gifts are definitely intended for His service. etc, etc.

Pictures...

Up until recently, I've never really done anything with photography. On a recent camping trip, my dad brought two cameras, so I took the spare and... here's what happened.

Granted, my dad came back later and took better pictures of the same eagle in the same tree, but it was still great. I took other pictures as well, but as long as it took me to upload this one, the others will have to wait.

Back Home

Last night we got back from the mission trip to Puyallup. We reached a lot of kids with the gospel (the final number might have been around 80). God changed a lot of the plans for the week (our concert was cancelled, moved, and almost cancelled again because the generator wouldn't start). In the end, His plans worked out better than ours. Not only did we reach others, but God caused growth in our group and I think we all know each other a little bit better after the week. It was a great opportunity, and I hope to do it again next year.

Happy 4th of July!

Today was a little bit of an unusual fourth of July. I spent the night last night at a friend's house, my mom has left for Connecticutt for a few days, and my dad was at work. I went to a lake party with my church and went kayaking in the nice, choppy/windy weather on the lake. My dad came to the party later and we left before the fireworks. It was a "no fireworks" fourth of July, but that's okay, because we got enough at the baseball game last night.

Full Speed Ahead

My slow paced, relaxing summer has become a thing of the past. The camping trip was a nice break, but on the return, it was off to worship practice, mission trip meeting, and lawn mowing job. Tomorrow we're going to a Raniers baseball game. That should be fun.

Gone Camping

Tommorrow my family and I are going camping for a few days. It's been quite a while since we've gone camping simply for the sake of going camping, and I'm looking forward to it.

Making Me, and Others

Today, my nephew brought over his Wii. If you don't already know, you can create characters to look however you want them to. You can change eyes, hair, nose, etc. So tonight we made "Miis" to look like my mom, my dad, me, and my nephew Nathan. This may seem a little weird, but I'd say it's almost as much fun to make the characters as it is to play the game.

Plenty of Time

Prov 24:30-34
30 I passed by the field of the sluggard, and by the vineyard of the man lacking sense;31 And behold, it was completely overgrown with thistles, its surface was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down.32 When I saw, I reflected upon it; I looked, {and} received instruction.33 "A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,"34 Then your poverty will come {as} a robber, and your want like an armed man.(NAS)

This passage comes from the end of a chapter that has a lot to say about aquiring knowledge... from a book that has a lot to say about aquirng knowledge.

Prov 24:13-14
13 My son, eat honey, for it is good, yes, the honey from the comb is sweet to your taste;14 Know {that} wisdom is thus for your soul; if you find {it,} then there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off.(NAS)

What's the point of this? With summer here, it is a great temptation to do nothing of value. No school, no responsibilities, right?

Well, Christians have a responsibility to gain knowledge and become more like Jesus. Don't be the sluggard that rests in time of plenty. Instead, use that plenty of time for something profitable.

Free Time

Now that school's out, a question comes to mind... What will I do with my free time this summer?

Reading is one thing that I hope to do more of. Not just sci-fi thrillers like Michael Crichton's Timeline or Jurassic Park. How about some reading with long-term value? Today I started reading a book by Andrew Murray. The book is called Abide in Christ, and I think the title explains what it's about. It looks to be a beneficial (and good) read.

John 15:1-5
1 "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.2 "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every {branch} that bears fruit, He prunes it, that it may bear more fruit.3 "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.4 "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither {can} you, unless you abide in Me.5 "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing.(NAS)

A Kingdom

Read this passage and thought the promises and implications involved were amazing. I think it speaks for itself:

Heb 12:18-29
18 For you have not come to {a mountain} that may be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind,19 and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which {sound was such that} those who heard begged that no further word should be spoken to them.20 For they could not bear the command, "If even a beast touches the mountain, it will be stoned."21 And so terrible was the sight, {that} Moses said, "I am full of fear and trembling."22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels,23 to the general assembly and church of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of righteous men made perfect,24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than {the blood} of Abel.25 See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned {them} on earth, much less {shall} we {escape} who turn away from Him who {warns} from heaven.26 And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying," Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven."27 And this {expression} "Yet once more," denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, in order that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.28 Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe;29 for our God is a consuming fire.(NAS)

A Little Less Convincing

Prov 21:2 Every man's way is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the hearts.(NAS)

We're all guilty of it sometimes. Convincing ourselves that we're not doing something wrong when we really are. Sometimes it "works" in the short term, but for the Believer, it always comes back around. The Holy Spirit convicts, and God knows our motivations behind every action, honorable and otherwise.

Now there's a subject for another time: doing the right things for the wrong reasons.

Just Barely

I had an idea.

I was almost sure of what I was going to talk about tonight... a few hours ago.

In the course of trying to remember what it was, it seems as if I've passed midnight. Oh, well.

Maybe I'll remember tomorrow, or as the case is now--today.

Endurance

Heb 12:1-3
1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.3 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart.(NAS)

This is only one of many places where the Christian life is refered to as a race. In order to stay in the race, our hope must be fixed on Christ. In a race, the winner is the one who never looks away from the finish line. Every aspect of the Christian's life should be aimed toward Jesus and becoming more like Him. Anything that gets in the way of that needs to be cast aside.
When we are in struggles of any kind, we can remember Jesus, who suffered more than we could even imagine, and yet endured it for the sake of our Salvation and His glory. In the same way, we can endure for His glory.

5 Point?

Recently, I decided to research into what the five points of Calvinism are, and whether I agree with them.

From what I understand, the simple version of these five points is as follows:

1. All mankind is born into sin, and is incapable under their own power of coming to Salvation.
2. Those who will accept Jesus' sacrifice and thus become saved have been predestined since before the beginning.
3. When Jesus died on the cross, He only died for those that are predestined to Salvation.
4. The Christian comes to saving faith through the conviction of the Holy Spirit, and not by their own power.
5. Once a Believer, there is nothing that can remove one's Salvation. It is permanent.

Point one is definitely scriptural.
Rom 3:23-24
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;(NAS)
The Bible makes it very clear that we are all sinners and all incapable of working towards salvation on our own. The second half of this first point is so closely linked to the 4th that I'll hold off for now.

Point two is also backed by scripture.
John 15:19 "If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.(NAS)
Eph 1:4-6
4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.(NAS)

I believe point three, however, is not scriptural.
I believe that because of a verse that just about everyone knows:
John 3:15-16
15 that whoever believes may in Him have eternal life.16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.(NAS)

Point four is also scriptural.
Rom 8:30 and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.(NAS)

Finally, point five is, yes, scriptural.
Eph 1:13-14
13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation-- having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of {God's own} possession, to the praise of His glory.(NAS)

I guess that makes me a 4-point Calvinist. And now I know. Although I'd prefer to be known as a "Christian," or a "follower of Christ," or best of all, a "man after God's own heart." I think that's the goal. Follow Christ and pursue a life that is pleasing to God. Nothing else really matters.

Done

I just have one word to say to describe how I feel right now:

Yaaaaaahooooooooooooooo!

As of yesterday, I am officially done with classes for this year, and am now a senior. I've taken the SATs, and I think I did pretty well. I have a small but well paying job this summer (if only I could find a permanent job as good as this one time job). I guess it's time to start thinking about what I'm going to do after graduation next year. But for now, I'm taking a much needed break from this pesky process known as "thinking."

Out of Gas

The race is almost over, which is a good thing because I'm almost out of gas.
The last day of classes are Monday, to be followed by two finals. Speaking of gas, that's what my heavily weighted final paper in writing class is about.

Faith

Heb 11:6-8
6 And without faith it is impossible to please {Him} for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and {that} He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.7 By faith Noah, being warned {by God} about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.8 By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.(NAS)

Even in the days of the Old Testament, men were justified by faith.

Gal 3:6 Even so Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.(NAS)

Being sinful, there is no way we can please God without having faith in Him. The faith that only He can give.

Saved?

Heb 10:26-29
26 For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,27 but a certain terrifying expectation of judgment, and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries.28 Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on {the testimony of} two or three witnesses.29 How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?(NAS)

This passage is often used to say that we can lose our Salvation. The truth of the matter, however, is that we have been sealed in our Salvation.

Eph 1:13-14
13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation-- having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of {God's own} possession, to the praise of His glory.(NAS)

If God chose those who would believe in Him from the beginning, how can they fall? The Hebrews passage instead refers to those who appear to be saved, and perhaps think they are saved, but have not given their lives over to Jesus and accepted His gift fully. They are the "seeds that have fallen on the hard ground," the ones that have no root.

It is also important to note that this secure Salvation is a freedom in Christ and for Christ. It is NOT an excuse to continue sinning.

Rom 6:1-2
1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase?2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?(NAS)

The New Covenant

Hebrews 10:14-18 (New American Standard Bible)
14For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.
15And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying,
16"THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THEM
AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD:
I WILL PUT MY LAWS UPON THEIR HEART,
AND ON THEIR MIND I WILL WRITE THEM,"
He then says,
17"AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS
I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE."
18Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin.

It is interesting that in this passage God not only promises that He will forget our sins and remove them, but that He will replace them. God promises that through the Spirit, we will have His righteousness engrained in our hearts. We are eternally forgiven of our sins, but there is still the responsibility to live for God. This new covenant is a repeated theme throughout the letter to the Hebrews. The message is that the old Hebrew system of sacrifices is gone, and instead Jesus' single sacrifice has sealed us for eternity.

Cleansing of Spirit

Heb 9:10-14
10 since they {relate} only to food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until a time of reformation.11 But when Christ appeared {as} a high priest of the good things to come, {He entered} through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation;12 and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.13 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled, sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh,14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?(NAS)

In this passage, the "they" is referring to the old covenant of animal sacrifice in the tabernacle and the annual visits to the Holy of Holies. Christ's coming changed everything. With the old covenant, sins were forgiven, but the guilt remained. Christ sacrifice not only removes the sin, but the guilt along with it. We no longer have anything to fear, Jesus has taken care of it. The old system cleaned the flesh, the new cleanses the spirit.

What's Better?

What could be better than an overnight gaming session with FPS (first person shooters) for the PC, Smash Bros. Melee, and lots of candy and soda? The above event followed the next day by an airsoft game.

The airsoft scenarios could have been more exciting, but to everyone's credit (myself included) it was hot, especially with full camoflauge on. The best game was probably the one where two of us from each team separated, formed our own team, and proceeded to take out the other two teams, sending our former teammates into mass confusion. I think some of them are still confused from that one.

Also, because of the airsoft game, we got to bed relatively early Friday night before the airsoft game: around 12:00 am, which I suppose has its positives and negatives.

Sorry It's Been So Long

Ephesians 5:1-2
1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children;2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.(NAS)

I suppose I haven't been doing a terrific job lately of following this through. Perhaps because I've been "too busy." I haven't blogged recently. That in itself isn't really a problem, but I also have drifted away from the Word. Tonight is the first night this week I've been there (besides at youth group).

Thursday night for youth group we had a guest speaker. John Piper talked to us about the Gospel. Okay, so he wasn't actually there, it was a video.

His primary text was:

2 Corinthians 4:3-7
3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.5 For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus' sake.6 For God, who said, "Light shall shine out of darkness," is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves;(NAS)

The main point: the Gospel is salvation from hell, eternal life, redemption, Jesus' death and resurrection, but the common theme that brings all of this together is the opportunity to know the glory of Jesus. Without that, eternal life doesn't mean much.

Pleasing to Him

2 Cor 5:6-9
6 Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord--7 for we walk by faith, not by sight--8 we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.9 Therefore also we have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.(NAS)

The goal as a believers is to live for God, not for our flesh. As we walk more and more by faith, we will be more at home doing God's will, and less at home in the world.

The goal is always to be pleasing God. With that goal, how can you lose?

Guidance

Today the message in church is one I really needed. It was titled "Seeking the Leading of God."

The primary passage was Proverbs 3:5-6:
5Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.(NAS)

God will "clear the path," so to speak. He will make it clear which way to go, but there's a part we have to play, too. Only after trusting in God's timing and perfect understanding, acknowledging that He knows better than us, then we can know God's will and submit to it.

The four major points were:
1. God leads through His Word. (Romans 12:2, 2 Timothy 3:16-17)
2. God leads through the Holy Spirit. (Psalm 37:4)
3. God leads through circumstances.
4. God leads through counsel. (Proverbs 15:22, Proverbs 13:10&20)

Busy

I haven't posted in a few days because I've been extremely busy and fairly tired. Just thought I'd mention that.

I have a Spanish quiz and another Indiana Jones movie to watch, so I'm going to leave now.

Burnout

I am completely burned out. I've had enough of school and am desperately waiting for summer. What with homework that is causing less and less enthusiasm, projects getting more and more difficult, things are getting crazy.

Burned out on sleep. We had a guest speaker in Spanish class today. He was talking about harmful mining in his country. It was a subject that probably makes him angry and sad and growl (not literally) and cry all at the same time, and I was nodding off. I felt rather guilty. Maybe I didn't agree with everything he said (or maybe I did. Who knows? I wasn't awake enough to understand much of it), but I still felt bad.

Other miscellaneous things in my life have been burning the fuse more than usual lately, and I'm emotionally, physically, and mentally worn out. In short, I need prayer. Just as important, I need to pray, which I haven't been doing as much lately.

Isa 40:28-31
28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable.29 He gives strength to the weary, and to {him who} lacks might He increases power.30 Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly,31 Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up {with} wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.(NAS)

Can't Quite Believe I'm Doing This

The rules are:
1. The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. At the end of the post, the player then tags 4 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves a comment, letting them know they got tagged and to ask them to play and read your blog.

Start:

1. What was I doing 10 years ago (year 1998)?
- learning "useful" math, like addition, subtraction, etc.
- learning how to sit in a chair without spinning around in circles (thanks Mrs. Butler)
- driving above mentioned teacher crazy
- watching Power Rangers, and being one for Halloween multiple years in a row (as much as I hate to admit)
- watching other such shows that are rather embarrassing to admit to

2. 5 things on my to-do list today.
- school
- school
- homework
- visit Paul (old friend)
- clean at MCCS (nephew's school)

3. 5 snacks I enjoy.
-pizza
-chips
-tortillas (mostly corn, but flour too)
-fruit
-candy of almost any kind

4. 5 things I would do if I were a billionaire.
- buy a really nice car with at least a V-12
- pay for gas and insurance
- oops, I'm out of money
-
-

5. 5 of my bad habits.
- procrastinating (filling out a blog questionnaire when I should be working on Spanish)
- playing too many computer games
- being impatient with people
- being critical of people
- leaving empty milk cartons in the refrigerator (sorry mom)

6. 5 places I have lived.
- Washington
- California
- Washington
- Washington
- California

7. 5 jobs I've had:
- Scotch Broom Assassin (I hate that stuff)
- student
- lawn mower (or weed eater, not a big difference)
-unofficial audio-video tech guy for my class/school (always on call, never paid, but it was fun)
-Ambassador for Christ (trying to rearrange my schedule to fit more hours in, but not always succeeding)

8. The 4 fortunate people who I spread this contagion to are the owners of:
- http://thelittlethingsthatkeepmeupatnight.blogspot.com/
- http://underyourshadow.blogspot.com/
-don't know that I know anyone else that might not already getting this

Find Life

Matt 16:24-25
24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.25 "For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it.(NAS)

Salvation is a free gift, as the faith required to receive salvation is also a free gift. But that does not mean that we as Christians have no obligations. Jesus asks us to give up our lives here on earth in service to Him. We will suffer for Jesus while we are on this earth, but eternity with God is on the way.

All Scripture (Again)

Our new memory verse for Sunday school is 2 Timothy 3:16-17:

16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;17 that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.(NAS)

An interesting thing to note is that ALL scripture is profitable. Like our "guest" pastor* today said, and demonstrated, something being in the old testament or even in Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, or any other book that has a "bad rep," does not make it any less profitable to study. We can learn from any verse as long as we're willing to listen.

*("guest" in quotes because he's a member gone off to college again and back visiting for a month or so)

Almost a Break

It seems like there's a break in the steady barrage of homework this weekend. Or is there? I have a rough draft due sometime next week for my next English paper, and since it involves watching a specific film, I should probably get started soon. Then there's the trip to the garbage dump tomorrow. Yipee...

Dead To Self

2 Cor 5:11-15
11 Therefore knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences.12 We are not again commending ourselves to you but {are} giving you an occasion to be proud of us, that you may have {an answer} for those who take pride in appearance, and not in heart.13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you.14 For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died;15 and He died for all, that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.(NAS)

This was the lesson in youth group tonight. The main focus was verse 14. Jesus died for us, but we die the moment we come believers. We die to our old sinful selves. As Christians we are under "new management." God is in control of our lives. Our old selves still get in the way sometimes, but the norm should progress more and more towards Christlikeness.

Too Much With Too Little

A lot of bloggers take plenty of time to make their blogs more extensive. They add links, videos, lots of pictures, polls, maps, counters. Maybe I could do some of that, but having dial-up, it's not so much fun for me to try to do some of those things. Especially things like uploading videos. My internet browser has too little speed for so much "extras." Maybe I'll have to try some of these features sometime in the future.

Proverbs

When reading Proverbs, it's easy to get into the pattern of reading each verse by itself. In some cases, the point gets across by doing this, but much more can be learned by putting it into context.

A repeated theme in Proverbs, as well as in Psalms and well... pretty much throughout most of the Bible. Anyway, a repeated theme is that abiding in, and dwelling on the Word is the way to avoid sin.

Prov 6:20-24
20 My son, observe the commandment of your father, and do not forsake the teaching of your mother;21 Bind them continually on your heart; Tie them around your neck.22 When you walk about, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk to you.23 For the commandment is a lamp, and the teaching is light; and reproofs for discipline are the way of life,24 To keep you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the adulteress.(NAS)

The context is sexual sin, but the concepts apply to all forms of temptation. Relying on the Word and constantly dwelling in it allows us to resist temptation.

Well, That's New

Today we had a pulpit exchange with another church. There is a church in Puyallup that has been around for about two years. Our church and their church are kind of "joining forces," so to speak. We plan on sending musicians, helping out with children's events, etc. at their church. Today, sort of as a kick-off I guess, the pastor from their church came to our church, and our pastor went to their church. It was an interresting experience.

Here's the New Wineskin!

Heb 7:18-22
18 For, on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness19 (for the Law made nothing perfect), and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.20 And inasmuch as {it was} not without an oath21 (for they indeed became priests without an oath, but He with an oath through the One who said to Him,

"The Lord has sworn
And will not change His mind,
'Thou art a priest forever'");

22 so much the more also Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.(NAS)

It is likely that Jesus, our new priest described in the above passage, is what Jesus was referring to in the parable of the wineskins. The old sacrificial system of Moses was never meant to be a permanent fix. That is why Jesus came, to give us a salvation not based on the law or on repeated animal sacrifice, but based on His grace received through the faith given to us by Him. That is the hope that Jesus brings. Believers are eternally saved by Jesus' priesthood, and nothing can take that away.

Home Sick, no... wait

Today I experienced something that I hadn't experienced in a very long time: writer's block. I have a paper rough draft due tomorrow, but for some reason I had trouble with the introduction... okay, and the middle; and while we're at it, let's just say I had trouble with the end too. All told, it took me all day to write a two to three page rough draft, and I'm still not really happy with how it turned out. On top of that, I had to forgo youth group for the sake of finishing my paper. No one sick, no bad weather, just a LOT of homework. And more to come this weekend.

The Big Picture

Rom 12:18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.(NAS)

It seems like I've been living this verse lately. Maybe I should explain better. It feels like lately, this verse has been telling me to live this verse. What is it that I can do to live at peace with those around me? As the verse says, it is not always possible, some people just don't want to live at peace with you, but if you can, you should. The next question could be: when is it impossible to get along with someone, and at what point do you stop trying? Obviously, we should do our best to live in a manner so as to avoid conflict, and in so doing, have a certain level of peace even with those "difficult people."

At the same time, the Bible says not to throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample you (Matt. 7:6). In other words, there comes a point where you can't continue to actively "force" someone to get along with you. You shouldn't become rude and treat that person with contempt, to the contrary, "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good" (Rom. 12:21). But sometimes the only way to live at peace with someone is to not be too close to them.

I think it's interesting to put this verse in its broader context and see what else it is saying. Romans 12 focuses on our response to God's faithfulness and salvation discussed in previous chapters. It talks about our "spiritual service of worship."

Rom 12:1 I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, {which is} your spiritual service of worship.(NAS)

It makes clear throughout the following chapter that "your bodies" goes far beyond the physical. In fact, it concentrates more on other ways of worshipping God: living at peace. Most of the statements in chapter 12 can be boiled down to living at peace with others and how we can achieve that.

One of the most important verses that I saw in this chapter, perhaps especially with connection to verse 18, is here:

Rom 12:3-5
3 For through the grace given to me I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.4 For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function,5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.(NAS)

If we believe that we are better than everyone else, we are not going to live at peace with others. Verses four and five go even further with that, saying that as members of the body of Christ, we each have different gifts. God wired each of us differently for our own unique ministry in the body of Christ, and sometimes that can even cause conflict, but the point is that it shouldn't. This last portion obviously doesn't apply to unbelievers, but the command in verse 18 does. It says to "be at peace with all men." Not just believers, but all men.

What I'm trying to say, and having a hard time saying it, is that living peacefully is not just a command, it is a worshipful response to God's goodness. By living at peace with everyone, we're praising God and pointing others toward Him with our example.

Speaking

I continue to find it amazing how the Bible, a book that was written in part 2000 years ago, and in part, 3 or 4 thousand years ago, can speak to me now. A letter originally written to a church on the Mediterranean in the first or second century AD can speak to me in Washington in 2008. I think that's amazing. And I'm not talking about the "I can kind of relate to that" or "that's a nice story" type speaking to. The word brings conviction, comfort, understanding, and sometimes cuts deep, showing way for improvement.

Heb 4:12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.(NAS)

Prolonged Testing

Today I finally got back my first Spanish test. The test that was taken a week ago. I still haven't gotten my first paper back from writing, the paper that I turned in... a week ago. And there's no hope of getting that paper back before Wednesday. I guess I need to learn to be a little more patient.

Not Alone

Heb 4:14-16
14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.16 Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need.(NAS)

When we struggle with temptation, this should be an encouragement. Jesus endured all the same temptations that we face daily, but he never sinned. He understands the temptations that we face, and He can help us fight those temptations through His grace for His glory. I don't know about you, but I can't begin to imagine going through all the temptations I face and never once giving in, but always remaining holy. I said this a couple nights ago, but for those of us that are believers, we serve a great God.

Sing!

Ps 100:1-5
1 Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth.2 Serve the LORD with gladness; come before Him with joyful singing.3 Know that the LORD himself is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; {we are} His people and the sheep of His pasture.4 Enter His gates with thanksgiving, {and} His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him; bless His name.5 For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting, and His faithfulness to all generations.(NAS)

Tonight at youth group, we talked about why we worship, why we sing, why we're thankful. The basis was the above passage. We sing because God made us. We're thankful because God is good. It is important that we not get caught up in the motions, going to church, singing the songs, but keep our minds on the reasons behind the things we do. We serve a great God. I pray that I remember that and don't get "caught up" in the motions.

Wineskins

Luke 5:36-39
36 And He was also telling them a parable: "No one tears a piece from a new garment and puts it on an old garment; otherwise he will both tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old.37 "And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be spilled out, and the skins will be ruined.38 "But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins.39 "And no one, after drinking old {wine} wishes for new; for he says, 'The old is good {enough.} "(NAS)

The word "also" in the Greek used here is apparently often a word involving cumulative force with previous statements. Before this, Jesus was talking about why His disciples did not fast, because "...You cannot make the attendants of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them, can you?" (Luke 5:34). In other words, Jesus was with His disciples here on earth, what need did they have to fast? Taking this context into the meaning of the parable, it could be that Jesus is comparing the Jewish traditions that had been corrupted to the old patch or the old wineskins. The problem at hand didn't need the same old temporary fix that had been in service for hundreds of years, instead a "new patch" was needed. That permanent fix to the problem of sin and forgiveness of that sin is found in Jesus.

The part that caught me off guard is that last verse (39). Humans have a habit of sticking to what we're used to. We cling to things because they are comfortable or familiar. Why try something new when what we have works fine? Why should I trust in Jesus for my salvation when I have Moses' sacrificial system to purify me? Why should I try to grow spiritually when I'm secure in my salvation through Jesus Christ? The problem obviously takes on many forms, but the main point is that we should not be content with staying put, but instead growing.

Time For Action

Ezek 33:11 "Say to them, 'As I live!' declares the Lord GOD, 'I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?'(NAS)

I wish I could always share God's loving attitude toward others. To have my one desire be that those trapped in sin would turn from those ways and be saved! The attitude is often there, but often it never goes beyond the thought in my head, or maybe a prayer. Don't get me wrong, a prayer is great, but there is a time to do something else, and I'm sure I've missed some of those times.

God on Earth

Heb 1:2-3
2 in these last days has spoken to us in {His} Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high;(NAS)

The part of this passage that sticks out to me the most is in verse three. Jesus is the exact representation of God's nature. When Jesus came to earth, it was a true glimpse of who God is. Jesus truly was God among us. And now, after rising from the grave having died for our sins, He reigns in Heaven with God. In fact, He is God. To my limited understanding, the Greek word translated "exact representation" could be more accurately stated as character. Jesus is the "character" of God.

The Word

Heb 4:12-13
12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.(NAS)

In Sunday school today, the lesson was on these verses and those preceding it. The word of God is a powerful thing. It is able to tell us the good or evil motivations behind our thoughts and actions. Reading the Word lets us know how we are doing spiritually because it opens us up and looks inside the heart. That is why the metaphor of the sword is used here.

Staying Out of Trouble

Ps 119:9-16
9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping {it} according to Thy word.10 With all my heart I have sought Thee; do not let me wander from Thy commandments.11 Thy word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against Thee.12 Blessed art Thou, O LORD; teach me Thy statutes.13 With my lips I have told of all the ordinances of Thy mouth.14 I have rejoiced in the way of Thy testimonies, as much as in all riches.15 I will meditate on Thy precepts, and regard Thy ways.16 I shall delight in Thy statutes; I shall not forget Thy word.(NAS)

Sometimes it is difficult living in a world of sin to remain pure. Okay, always it is difficult. The key is having the Holy Spirit to guide us. Aside from that, we also have the Sword of the Spirit, or the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17). Many of us (myself included) neglect the important aspect in our faith of scripture memorization. But this is important, and shouldn't be forgotten. As it says in verse 11 of the above passage: "Thy word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against Thee." To remain pure, scripture memorization and meditation on the scriptures is important.

It's Not a Race

"You beat me yesterday."
"It's not a race."
We were talking about the math quiz yesterday. Sometimes it feels like a race. With only the last twenty minutes of class to finish our weekly math quiz, if/when it takes longer, it is almost guaranteed to be rushed, and therefore not one's best work, and then the delay makes everyone late to whatever class happens to come next. This week wasn't so bad. I think almost everyone finished before the next class period. That's what I was trying to say in the above conversation. The thing is, it's a math quiz; it shouldn't need to be a race.

One thing that is like a race is our relationship with God.

Heb 12:1-2
1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.(NAS)

It's not about who gets done first. What it is about is ever pursuing the goal of Jesus and the perfection of our faith. The metaphor is talking about putting the kind of focus that is needed in a race into our spiritual lives. In a race, you can't think of anything except for the goal at the end. All of your efforts are fixed on crossing the finish line. That's what this verse is talking about.

Well hello!

Today a new life came into the world (there's an overused cliche). Anyway, her name is Anna Jane Fitzgerald, and she was 6 lbs 3 oz and 18 inches long. Once again, I find myself being an uncle (number 3). There's one picture here, but for more, visit my sister and brother-in-law's blog. I'm sure there's more to come on theirs.

Leave It

When Jesus called the disciples, it's amazing that through their faith, they knew that they should follow Him, and completely left their old lives behind them. It's very seldom in modern America that such commitment is seen. This doesn't mean that we should all "quit" our lives and pursue full-time ministry, but God should be first. Anything that gets in the way of that should be left behind.

Heb 12:1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,(NAS)

Luke 5:27-28
27 And after that He went out, and noticed a tax-gatherer named Levi, sitting in the tax office, and He said to him, "Follow Me."28 And he left everything behind, and rose and {began} to follow Him.(NAS)

Levi had a very lucrative business going on. As a tax collector, his only requirement was to collect what the Roman government requested and then collect however much more he wanted to on top of that for himself. It wasn't an honest business, though, and God had different plans for him. Better plans for him.

Nothing Useless

John 6:1-13
1 After these things Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (or Tiberias).2 And a great multitude was following Him, because they were seeing the signs which He was performing on those who were sick.3 And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples.4 Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand.5 Jesus therefore lifting up His eyes, and seeing that a great multitude was coming to Him, said to Philip, "Where are we to buy bread, that these may eat?"6 And this He was saying to test him; for He Himself knew what He was intending to do.7 Philip answered Him, "Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, for everyone to receive a little."8 One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him,9 "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many people?"10 Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.11 Jesus therefore took the loaves; and having given thanks, He distributed to those who were seated; likewise also of the fish as much as they wanted.12 And when they were filled, He said to His disciples, "Gather up the leftover fragments that nothing may be lost."13 And so they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves, which were left over by those who had eaten.(NAS)

Wow, that looked a lot shorter in my Bible study program. Anyway, most of us have heard this story before. It is a great story of Jesus' ability to provide whatever needs there are. But something that isn't as often thought about is that it shows how God uses our gifts, no matter how insignificant, for His glory. As MacArthur states:

"Of course, Jesus didn't even need to have that boy's lunch in order to serve the crowd. He could have created food from nothing just as easily. But the way He fed the five thousand illustrates the way God always works. He takes the sacrificial and often insignificant gifts of people who give faithfully, and He multiplies them to accomplish monumental things."

Picking Up The Pace

I guess being three weeks into the quarter means that it's time for more homework and building stress levels. Even if that's not what it means, it's happened anyway. I ONLY spent FIVE HOURS just doing homework for one subject today, and I'm still not done. All this was assigned today and most of it is due Wednesday. That means break is even more officially over than it was three weeks ago, and it's time to get back into real school mode.

"Bloom Where You're Planted"

The pastor taught out of 1 Corinthians 7:17-24 today:

17 Only, as the Lord has assigned to each one, as God has called each, in this manner let him walk. And thus I direct in all the churches.18 Was any man called {already} circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Has anyone been called in uncircumcision? Let him not be circumcised.19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but {what matters is} the keeping of the commandments of God.20 Let each man remain in that condition in which he was called.21 Were you called while a slave? Do not worry about it; but if you are able also to become free, rather do that.22 For he who was called in the Lord while a slave, is the Lord's freedman; likewise he who was called while free, is Christ's slave.23 You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men.24 Brethren, let each man remain with God in that {condition} in which he was called.(NAS)

God has us where we are for a reason. To think even for a moment that God can't use us exactly where and how we are is severely underestimating Him. As the pastor said, "Bloom where you are planted." We need to be content and work hard exactly where God has us instead of saying things like: "I'll serve God after I get married," or "I'll find a ministry to involve myself in after I get a better job." We should be content because God knows what He's doing far better than we do.

Reward

Prov 11:31 If the righteous will be rewarded in the earth, how much more the wicked and the sinner!(NAS)

This verse could mean a few different things. First of all, it definitely implies that there is a judgement outside of this earth. I first took it to mean that on this earth, it often seems like the wicked prosper more than the righteous, but in the judgement to come, the righteous will finally receive their reward, and the sinners will receive their judgement. Another spot in the scripture that talks about earthly rewards versus heavenly rewards is Matthew 6. One spot being Matthew 6:1-2.

Matt 6:1-2

1 "Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.2 "When therefore you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.(NAS)

The other possibility that this proverb could signify is that the righteous get some reward on earth for their good deads, but the unrighteous get part of their punishment here on earth. The reward of the righteous is to come more often after the judgement, and the punishment for sin more often is seen in this life as well as the next. This second possiblility is the opinion of Matthew Henry in his commentary, and both could be possible meanings of the verse. It's hard for me to say for sure which it might be.

In either case, one thing remains true: the reward of the righteous may come early on occasion, but the bulk of the reward comes later. This should be an encouragement to believers to pursue righteousness and a closer walk with God, as we can look forward to a reward at Jesus' second coming.

The Heart of a Servant

Luke 4:38-39
38 And He arose and {left} the synagogue, and entered Simon's home. Now Simon's mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever; and they made request of Him on her behalf.39 And standing over her, He rebuked the fever, and it left her; and she immediately arose and waited on them.(NAS)

In these two verses the obviously amazing thing is what Jesus did, He instantly healed Simon's mother-in-law of a severe fever. With the amount of medical care available at that time, who knows what a bad fever could mean. It may be possible that she was in danger of dying. On the other hand, in other places where those Jesus healed were in danger of death, they were said to be dying, not suffering from a fever. In either case, we see another example of Jesus' authority over disease.

The thing that strikes me in this verse is the last part: "...and she immediately arose and waited on them." This woman had just been in bed with a fever, and yet as soon as she was out of bed what did she do? She started waiting on those present! Now that's a spirit of servant-hood!

With guests Friday, today was a house-cleaning day. I did better than last time in the complaint department, but I've still neglected to take out the two bags of garbage in the kitchen. I pray that I can have a more willing (and perhaps less "forgetful") attitude.

Losing My Marbles?

If you see someone sitting with their laptop in the cafeteria looking very bored and irritated and talking in a foreign language to their computer, don't worry, I'm just working on online Spanish homework.

For my Spanish class, I have to go online and practice pronunciation by repeating words to the computer through a headset microphone. This wouldn't be too bad except that at our house we have dial-up, which means that I can't work on all of my Spanish homework in the privacy of my home (where people already know that I'm crazy, so it doesn't matter as much).

But no matter how you slice it, other people around or not, it's hard not to feel foolish when you're saying little random words in Spanish to your computer and wearing a rather ridiculous little headset, especially when you have to try multiple times to get the pronunciation right.

Wait, what was that again?

Eph 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, {it is} the gift of God;(NAS)

I know this verse was in the passage from yesterday, but it kind of got neglected. Actually, I think I've had a previous blog on this verse. In fact, it may just be that this is one of my favorite verses. Salvation as absolutely nothing to do with us. We live because of God's grace through faith in what Jesus did for us. On top of that, the faith to believe is a gift of God as well. It goes on to explain that all the credit belongs to God, not what we've done, but what He's done:

Eph 2:9 not as a result of works, that no one should boast.(NAS)

WOO-HOO

Eph 2:1-8
1And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly {places} in Christ Jesus,7 in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, {it is} the gift of God;(NAS)

The message in church today was out of this passage. For believers, it shows where we were before we were saved, now, and where we will be in the future. As unbelievers, we were hopeless failures, spiritually dead, objects of God's wrath. But God showed His mercy by raising us up with His son so that through eternity He could show us His grace. THROUGH ETERNITY. God's grace, brought to us throughout all eternity. As our pastor said: WOO-HOO!

Simon Peter

In Twelve Ordinary Men, MacArthur points out an interesting fact about Peter.

Jesus not only gave him a new name when He called Simon, but He continued to use the old name as well. When Peter was doing right, Jesus called him Peter, but when Peter messed up, Jesus reminded him by calling him Simon again.

Sometimes Peter did a good job, and sometimes he didn't.

According to MacArthur:
"Peter was exactly like most Christians--both carnal and spiritual. He succumbed to the habits of the flesh sometimes; he functioned in the Spirit other times. He was sinful sometimes, but other times he acted the way a righteous man ought to act. This vacillating man--sometimes Simon, sometimes Peter--was the leader of the Twelve."

¡Hola!

Today in Spanish class, we finally reached a consensus on a grading scheme (with the help of the professor). That means we actually started learning some Spanish.

Having heard some slightly scary stories about very quick moving Spanish classes, I was a little apprehensive. Honestly, I think it will be just fine. The only part I'm not going to like is the online portion of the class. The idea of reciting Spanish to the computer doesn't sound very fun to me.

Spiritual Warfare

In talking about the Armor of God, the main point was obviously spiritual warfare and the tools used.

The battle for truth has raged on earth ever since Satan tempted Adam and Eve in the garden. Satan's first recorded words are seen here:

Gen 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?"(NAS)

Satan's first recorded words were questioning God's truth. And this has been going on ever since. With the Exodus, God proved that he was God and the "gods" of Egypt were not. Through Elijah, God showed that Baal was not the true God.

In fact, truth is so vital that when Jesus was asked why He came, this is what He said:

John 18:37 Pilate therefore said to Him, "So You are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say {correctly} that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."

Of all the answers Jesus could have given, He said the reason He came was to testify to the truth. Something about that makes me think it's important.

Mission: Possible

Back from spring retreat late last night, I was able to stay awake through all of my classes today.
Spring retreat was great. The guest speaker was teaching on the Armor of God. The one that struck me the most was the breastplate of righeousness. The righteousness that we have as Christians is not our own. It's Jesus' righteousness counted as our own. We are covered by His sacrifice.

Later, we had some competitions. One of the games was Mission Impossible. Basically, everyone runs around in the dark and trys to get from one point to the other without getting tagged by a flashlight. It was a long trek, but I managed to make it twice for my team.

I'm Off

Maybe we'll have a snowman competition this year...

With the crazy weather this week (snow and a high of mid-thirties at the end of March. Come on people, it's spring), spring retreat may be an interresting experience. I'm heading off to spring retreat, but only for the first two days. After that, it's back home to start the new quarter at South Puget Sound.

Ordinarilly Extraordinary

Tonight I started reading a book by John MacArthur. The title of the book is Twelve Ordinary Men. It's a book about the twelve apostles, and what we can learn from them. The first point that comes to me is that the disciples were not special people. They were tax collectors, fishers, average Joes. But God uses the weak and makes them strong through Him. That way, the credit goes to Him, not to man. The same is true of us today. That's an important point to remember.


1 Cor 1:26-29
26 For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble;27 but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong,28 and the base things of the world and the despised, God has chosen, the things that are not, that He might nullify the things that are,29 that no man should boast before God.(NAS)

Temptation

Luke 4:13 And when the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.(NAS)

After Jesus was tempted by Satan in the desert, Luke puts this verse. I don't recall Luke directly mentioning satan elsewhere in the book, but this verse gives me the feeling that Satan tried to cause trouble throughout Jesus' ministry, or at the very least once more.

When a temptation is conquered, it doesn't go away for good, it just waits until the opportune time: when we're weak. When Satan came to tempt Jesus, He had been without food in the desert for forty days. Then Satan came to tempt Him. Just because you win once, don't get lazy.

Prov 20:9 Who can say, "I have cleansed my heart, I am pure from my sin"?(NAS)

It's Here

Our house has finally given in. The dreadful software has been installed.

Honestly, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. There are some nice options that will be really useful once I get used to them. I'm just a little adverse to change. But after the new operating system, the office program was easy.

Overall, Office 2007 isn't all that bad. The operating system that we all know and love but that will remain nameless: still a memory hog and oftentimes difficult to get along with, but I'll live.

Take The Next Right... Or Was That A Left?

Today was a fun day. Some friends came out to my house and watched a movie. Then came the really fun part.

The plan was to go ice skating. What ended up happening was we took a little detour from or plan and got lost in Bremerton. Well, we weren't really lost, we could have made it home, so the ice arena was lost. In any case, we couldn't get where we wanted to go for quite a while. Lots of guessing, exploring, and one or two phone calls later, we finally made it. We were only a half an hour later than planned.

He is Risen!

Jesus died for our sins and took all the wrath meant for us. But that's not where the story ends. He rose again on the third day!

Matt 28:5-7
5 And the angel answered and said to the women, "Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified.6 "He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.7 "And go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going before you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you."(NAS)

Unnaccepted

Matt 2:1-4
1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,2 "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east, and have come to worship Him."3 And when Herod the king heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.4 And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he {began} to inquire of them where the Christ was to be born.(NAS)

These verses are interresting. I find it odd that as soon as Jesus was born that all of Jerusalem was troubled. Maybe they were troubled because when Herod was unhappy, bad things happened, but I'm not sure.

Even from the beginning Jesus was not well received as the Messiah, even when he was believed to be the Messiah.

33 years later, things weren't much better. The same people who brought Jesus into the city with shouts of hosannah and laying of palm branches shouted to have Him crucified. God's chosen people had rejected His Messiah.

Even now things aren't much different. There are many who don't believe in God at all or Jesus as anything more than a "nice guy." Then there are those who believe in Jesus and what He did and still refuse to accept Him. The cost of giving up their lives is just too high to save their lives in their eyes.

Matt 16:24-25
24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.25 "For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it.(NAS)

Piper?

Last night our youth group met downstairs in the fireside room.

Apparently, it's become rather predictable what that means. So, the question arose: "Let me guess, John Piper?"

Everytime we're in the lower fireside room, we're watching a video. Normally it IS John Piper. Last night... well, kind of. Our youth pastor was talking about the John Piper book he read/is reading (not sure which). The title was something along "50 Reasons Christ Came and Died."

It's got me thinking, though. Whenever "Christian" holidays come along, I don't always take the time to think about the significance. For instance, today was Good Friday. The day we remember Jesus' death. Being crucified on the cross for our sins.

The thing that was said last night that stood out the most for me was this: Jesus' sacrifice didn't make God's wrath just disappear. God's rath was spent in Jesus' death. The wrath meant for us was put on Jesus.

This is a little bit of a different subject, but try to follow.

Luke 2:25-32
25 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him.26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law,28 then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said,29 "Now Lord, Thou dost let Thy bond-servant depart In peace, according to Thy word;30 For my eyes have seen Thy salvation,31 Which Thou hast prepared in the presence of all peoples,32 A light of revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel."(NAS)

My question is: "Are we always as eager for Jesus' second coming as Simeon was for His first?" We should be.

I Jn 3:2-3
2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is.3 And everyone who has this hope } fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.(NAS)

Crammed to the Top

Lately, my brain has been absolutely full of stuff. I've constantly been thinking about what the future holds, both short-term and long-term. Why did that happen? What's going to happen next? Will this ever happen?

All this thinking has gotten my brain so overloaded that I can't think about anything in the present, which is where my brain should really be anyway.

Today I ran across this verse:

Prov 20:24 Man's steps are {ordained} by the LORD, how then can man understand his way?(NAS)

God is in control of everything that happens and everything that will happen. We don't need to, can't, and shouldn't try to understand it all.

Matt 6:34 "Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. {Each} day has enough trouble of its own.(NAS)

Is That On DVD?

Today I encountered a great deal. It was something that I wanted ever since it came out, which was a while ago. The problem was, I didn't have the right game system or the money to buy it.

Today, both problems were solved. Star Wars BattleFront II for the PC, and it's ten bucks!

Apparently it's been a while since I bought a computer game. They are putting them on DVDs because it gives you better graphics. I'm not complaining. Better graphics is not a negative. For anyone that already knew about these DVD-Rom games and considers me very slow, feel free to share such feelings. First, let me say that I had seen them before, but it just hadn't fully processed for me. Okay, now tell me I'm slow.

2 for 2

After taking one final and turning in my final PE assessment last week, tomorrow is the official last day of the quarter with two more finals. All has gone well so far, thankfully. It will be great to finish up tomorrow and have two weeks off before starting some new classes. Studying and prayer to keep my sanity this past week and a half seems to have gotten me through, but only tomorrow will tell.

Marriage

The sermon today was out of 1 Corinthians 7:6-9. One major point was that some Christians are not meant to be married. They have been gifted with the ability to remain single. This gives them an advantage in ministry opportunities because they aren't tied down by the responsibilities associated with a family. On the other hand, the greater percentage of people are meant to be married. It really depends on the ministry that God has/will called you to.

As for me, I don't think I'm one of those people that will stay single. But I suppose that remains to be seen. Maybe God has something different planned than I think He might.

New Book

Today, I got an awesome new book. It's called a Harmony of The Gospels. It basically puts the four gospels side by side chronologically so you can read the same story in each gospel. It is in the New International Version, and I was hoping to find the NAS or NKJV, but it's still a really cool thing to have.
Finding one today has been the conclusion of a long and arduous search for said book. Well, ok, maybe not THAT long and arduous. I was glad to find it, though.

All Scripture

Last night, the internet and myself were once again having creative differences. So, I was unable to post what I wanted to from youth group.

The lesson was about the Word. More specifically, the Word of God, or the Bible. It's importance, relevance, purpose, etc.

The verses that stuck out to me the most were 2 Timothy 3:16 & 17:

16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;17 that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.(NAS)

It wasn't the fact that it was a new verse. It was just a different way to think about it. It's not just a list, it's a progression. The Word of God shows us what is right (teaching), shows us where we are (reproof), tells us where we need to change (correction), and shows us how to change in those areas (training in righteousness). And why study the Word of God? to equip the man of God to better serve God.

Closing In

The end of the quarter is almost upon us; well, some of us. Finals are approaching, and all of the other assignments are being turned in. This being the last week of the quarter before finals, it has been pretty busy. And tiring. And busy. It's time for the last kick to get through the end.

Isa 40:31 Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up {with} wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.(NAS)

Delayed

Here's one that I wanted to post yesterday.

Reading through Mark, I arrived at the trial and Crucifixion of Jesus in chapter 15.

It is absolutely amazing to me. All the questions His prosecutors asked Him, and yet He felt no need to defend himself. All the insults hurled at Him, all the challenges to show His power and save himself, and yet He chose to stay on that cross; he chose to die. Worse yet, He chose to be separated from the Father.

Mark 15:34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" which is translated, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?"(NAS)

He took on the sins of the entire world and suffered true separation from the Father. Wow.

Almost No Excuses

It seems like I've been getting more and more lazy with my blog posting. Last night was one of the occasions I had a legitimate excuse. The internet was being less than submissive.

In the future, barring technical difficulties or a night away from home, the blog will continue.

Challenge

Today in Sunday School: a challenge.

In our physical lives we expect to grow. We expect to mature.

The same should be true of a Christian's spiritual life. The challenge: am I growing spiritually? When a baby doesn't grow, it's an issue, right? We make a big deal out of it. Shouldn't we be just as concerned if we aren't growing spiritually. The question could even be raised: If I'm not growing, am I saved?

Sure, we're going to mess up. That's what grace is for, but the goal is to become more and more like Christ every single day.

First John is a great book for testing where you are spiritually. Do I love my spiritual brothers? Is my focus on God or in this world?