Living Water

The Atmosphere: Our Unseen Protector

2011-07-31T12:25:00.004-06:00

I love science; it’s one of my favorite subjects. One reason is because I love exploring God’s creation. I am amazed how he’s made our world. Everything fits together like a well machine. I love looking at His creation, or His artwork.

Recently, I’ve learned a lot about our atmosphere. Before you say, how boring, remember that it is too apart of creation and very vital to our survival. I also think by the time we’re done, you’ll be amazed about the different roles our atmosphere plays.

First, the atmosphere and the air we breathe has the right mixture of gasses to support life. We need oxygen: “A person will die if deprived of oxygen for only five minutes” (Steele & Parker 23). Clearly, we need oxygen to live, but, too much oxygen is harmful to humans and can cause “lung damage, chest pains, and even blindness” (Wile). If we have too much oxygen, it is harmful, but if we don’t have enough, we’ll suffocate. We need to have a perfect mix of oxygen, which thankfully we do. According to Bakich, earth’s atmosphere is made up of 20.9% oxygen (7). This level of oxygen is “ideal for human life” (Wile). So now we have the right amount of oxygen we need, but makes up the rest of our

atmosphere? What is diluting, or thinning the oxygen? According to Bakich, 78% is nitrogen, and 1% is other gasses, like carbon dioxide and water vapors (7). The nitrogen helps reduce the amount of oxygen so it isn’t too potent for life. Nitrogen is the perfect gas to dilute since “it does not react with our bodies in any way. We breathe in nitrogen with every breath, but then we breathe it right out again because it does not interact with our bodies. Almost all other gasses- carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, etc. - are poisonous to human life” (Wile). While most gasses are harmful to life, our atmosphere is made up of elements that don’t hurt us.

Isn’t that amazing how God’s done made this? I love it! This is just one of the amazing traits that our atmosphere has.

Hyssop

2011-04-28T07:38:00.003-06:00

Don’t know what hyssop is? Then you’re not alone. I first time I stumbled across it was in John.

“A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips.” John 19:29

Hum. That was interesting. At first I just thought John was adding detail to his account because he was there. Then, I stumbled onto the word again a few days later.

“[First Passover] Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the blood on the top and on both sides of the doorframe. None of you shall go out of the door of your house until morning.” Ex. 12:22

This caught my attention. Jesus’ sacrifice often ties into the first Passover, when the angle of death passed over the houses with the lamb’s blood. So, what is the connecting between the first Passover and Christ’s death? What is hyssop?

Hyssop is a common herb which grew in Bible times. Common varieties grow to about two feet tall and spread about a foot. It has beautiful purple blue flowers and a strong mint smell. If you have ever seen or grown catmint, hyssop looks somewhat similar. Hyssop was often used as a cleaning agent and was widely used to clean sacred places such as temples.

At both on Passover and Good Friday, a cleansing and forgiveness of sins was taking place. In both cases, someone else was taking our place and met death. In both cases, hyssop was used, and our sins were cleared.

In Palms 51:7, David cries out “Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean!” If you have accepted the forgiveness of Jesus, then you have been cleansed with hyssop! By the blood of the lamb, death was satisfied. Our sins were gone. We are clean!

Source: http://www.hannahscupboard.com/ST-hyssop.html

Easter Designs

2011-04-21T11:27:00.004-06:00

Here are some Easter designs I made. Feel free to use. More desktop sizes.

A+ student?

2011-03-07T07:59:00.001-07:00

“I just to know what God wants from me.”

Have you or a friend every said that? I have. It's good to want to do God's will, but sometimes we do it with the wrong motivation. We often feel like we need to please God, and that He is disappointed in us if we don’t measure up. We need to do such-and-such, or God will be angry with us.

Sometime, we act like He’s a big school teacher.

If we show up for class, do well on the quizzes, and turn in all the assignments, then God will be happy with us. We’ll get an A. However, if we slack off and don’t do good work, God will be angry with us and give us a F. We aren’t as good enough. The A students make God happy, but God is disappointed in the F students.

Is this statement true? Does God really grade us? Of course not. His love for us never changes. His commitment to love us in not limited on our actions. If we are good, He loves us. If we are bad, he loves us just as much. John 3:16, “For God so loves the world.” Not just the good people. Not just the Christian. Not just the A+ plus students. He loves the world.

Saved by Grace

2011-03-05T07:39:00.000-07:00

“How could so-and-so be a Christian? She’s in jail for drugs!”

Have you ever heard something like this? I have. Sadly, several times. Have you heard this one: “He’s so nice, he must be a Christian.” Again, I’ve heard that one too. Both statements are based on the same false assumption; Christians must do good deeds.

Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not saying to stop doing good things; I’m saying our actions don’t define our salvation. Scripture is very clear on this.

Galatians 2:16&20
We know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”

I think Paul is very clear here. We cannot be justified through obeying the law. We can’t be justified by doing good deeds. That last part of the verse is interesting: ‘Christ died for nothing.”
When we try to earn our salvation, we’re rejecting what Jesus did on the cross. We’re saying His sacrifice wasn’t good enough; we still need to live a good life. We’re rejecting His grace and His gift; it’s not enough. We’re, in short, saying, “thanks, but no thanks.”

Let’s not trade the precious gift of grace for man’s fumble attempts of trying to be good.

Just You

2011-03-03T06:50:00.003-07:00

What can you give God? What is something you have that He doesn’t? You can’t give Him stuff; He created everything. He can make whatever He wants. You can’t give Him money; He owns that too. We can’t work hard enough; He can do it Himself. So what can we give Him?
You can give Him yourself. He wants you.

In the parable of the prodigal son, the father waited for the son’s return. He watched for his son, waiting hopefully. When the son returned, the father was overjoyed and joyfully welcomed the son back home.

God is always overjoyed when He has us. He rejoices when He has you. He just wants you. When the prodigal son returned, he didn’t have any money, or cloths, or anything of value. The father didn’t care; all he wanted was his son.

God doesn’t want your money or your stuff; He just wants you. You are His child, and He is longing to be with you. He doesn’t care if you don’t have anything else to give Him, or if you’re dirty; He just wants you.

The More I learn

2011-03-01T08:06:00.000-07:00

The more I learn about God, the more I see how perfect He is. The more I see how perfect He is, the more I see how sinful I really am. The more I see how sinful I am, the more I see how much I desperately need His grace.

Sweet lie #1: All you need is love

2011-02-07T07:26:00.005-07:00

You’ve probably seen this one in a romance movie. Girl is broken and unfilled. Boy is broken and unfilled. They meet, and suddenly everything is perfect. They’re life is fulfilled, their broken heart fixed. Everything is perfect! They are never broken or wanting again.

If only…

This lie states that human love is the answer to all life’s problems. This is a lie, but it’s close to the truth. The truth is that God’s love is the answer. It’s His love we need.

Human love is great, and we are called to love each other, but without the unfailing love of God in our life, we will found that human love is never enough. As my pastor likes to say, “It’s like pouring water through a grocery cart. Nothing sticks.”

Human love is not the answer to all life’s problems: God’s love is.

"But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved."
Ephesians 2:4-5

Simple

2011-01-17T07:26:00.002-07:00

Christianity is simple. The Bible is simple. Sometimes, we think it’s too simple, and try to add rules and complicate the gospel: you have to pray this way, you have to worship that way, you have to serve this way, etc. That’s what the Pharisees did, right? They took the simple word of God and added their own rules. What does it mean to rest on the Sabbath? Can you cook? How far can you walk? We often like to add our own rules and definitions to God’s word.

When Jesus was asked what the greatest command was, his answer was simple: Love God with your all heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. Simple right? You could take this one verse and lived by it for a year, and you could change a lot of lifes.

Simple doesn’t mean easy. ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’ is simple, but it’s not easy. Being told ‘dig a ditch that’s 1’ wide, 1’ deep, and a mile long’ is simple. Is it easy? No. That’s the beauty of God’s word: It is simple, yet not easy.

100 posts

2010-12-18T09:07:00.005-07:00

Since I've started this blog, I have 100 posts (this is post #101.) It's a milestone worth noting. From videos to songs to Bible study to world views, it been a fun ride. Thanks to everyone who's been keeping up! So tell, which posts did you enjoy reading?

As we grow

2010-12-16T08:50:00.003-07:00

"Every year you grow, you will find me bigger." --Aslan.

I love this quote from C.S. Lewis's Prince Caspian. Lewis does such a good job capturing the natural of God and Christianity. As our knowledge of life and God grow, the more we realize how big and powerful God is. The more we learn about God, the more we see we He is too big to understand Him fully.

How it Your Way by Britt Nicole

2010-11-29T07:07:00.002-07:00

A powerful song by Britt Nicole

Feels like I`ve been here forever,
Why can`t you just intervene?
Do you see the tears keep falling?
And I`m falling apart at the seams.
But you never said the road would be easy,
But you said that you would never leave.
And you never promised that this life wasn`t hard,
But you promised you`d take care of me.

So I`ll stop searching for the answers,
I`ll stop praying for an escape,
And I`ll trust you,God, with where i am,
And believe that you will have your way.
Just have your way.
Just have your way.

When my friends and my family have left me,
And I feel so ashamed and so cold.
Remind me that you take broken things
And turn them into beautiful.

So I`ll stop searching for the answers,
I`ll stop praying for an escape,
And I`ll trust you, God, with where i am,
And believe that you`ll have your way.
Just have your way.
Just have your way.

Even if my dreams have died,
And even if I don`t survive,
I`ll still worship you with all my life.
My life.
Whoa-oh..

And I`ll stop searching for the answers,
I`ll stop praying for an escape,
And i`ll trust you, God, with where i am,
And believe that you will have your way.
Just have your way.
Just have your way.

I know you will.
I won`t forget.
Whoa-oh
You love me.
Have your way.

Listen to the song

Prayer: an act of humility

2010-11-09T08:00:00.002-07:00

There's something we need to be able to pray effectively: humility.

Think about it. When we are praying, we have to admit that Someone is greater than we are. We have to admit that we can not control everything, and we have to go to Someone for help.

This is one reason why praying on a daily biases is so important; to helps us remain humble.

Killer Questions

2010-11-07T07:15:00.004-07:00

If you don't know who Bill Jack is, you should get acquainted. I had the honor of meeting him at TeenPact. I bought some of his DVDs, of one which discussed the power of asking good questions.

First, it takes little knowledge to ask good questions. Yon don't need to know everything, (which is good news for me!)

These questions will get you to the heart or foundation believe of whoever you are talking to. I've used these questions before, and it's amazing how many people don't think through their world view.

Here are the four killer questions:

What do you mean by______________?
How do you know?
What if you are wrong?
What differences does what you're saying make? (or, so what?)

If you know how to use these questions, you can get to the heart of any believe conversation you have.

Sweetly Broken by Jeremy Riddle

2010-10-25T08:24:00.000-06:00

O the cross I look and to the cross I cling
of its suffering I do drink
of its work I do sing

on it my savior both bruised and crushed
showed that god is love
and god is just

at the cross you beckon me
you draw me gently to my knees, and I am
lost for words so lost in love
I am sweetly broken wholly surrendered

what a priceless gift undeserved life
have I been given
through Christ crucified

you called me out of death
you called me into life
and i was under your wrath
now through the cross I’m reconciled

at the cross you beckon me
you draw me gently to my knees and i am
lost for words so lost in love,
I am sweetly broken wholly surrendered

at the cross you beckon me
you draw me gently to my knees and i am
lost for words so lost in love,
I am sweetly broken wholly surrendered

in awe of the cross I must confess
how wondrous your redeeming love and
how great is your faithfulness

at the cross you beckon me
you draw me gently to my knees and i am
lost for words so lost in love
I am sweetly broken wholly surrendered

at the cross you beckon me
you draw me gently to my knees and i am
lost for words so lost in love
I am sweetly broken wholly surrendered

I’m broken for you
I’m broken for you my lord
Jesus, what love is this
I am sweetly broken

Listen to the song

Why Parables?

2010-10-11T07:27:00.004-06:00

Why did Jesus tell parables to make his point? He could have just told his listeners. Why did he tell stories?

One reason is because we remember stories. Stories provide an emotion connection. It's one thing to be told something; it's another thing to see that principle in action. It's one thing to hear that God is forgiving; it's anther thing to see that forgiveness acted in the prodigal son.

Jesus faced a lot of opposition in the later years in his ministry.

That's about the same time he started telling parables. It was a way to make his point without the religious leaders breathing down his neck.

The disciples also asked Jesus this question; why parables?

¹¹He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. ¹²Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. ¹³This is why I speak to them in parables:
"Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand. ¹⁴In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
" 'You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
¹⁵For this people's heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.'--Mathew 13:11-15

What is a Parable?

2010-10-09T07:02:00.010-06:00

Jesus told a lot of parables. Some where about fish, other about wheat, and another about rebellious sons. Jesus didn't tell these stories merely as a form of entertainment. He told stories to make a point, or to show us something new about God.

First, what is a parable? Parables are earthly stories with a spiritual truth. Most parables are told by Jesus and are found in the Gospels, mostly Luke.

Parables compare the known to the unknown. Parables draw examples from the familiar.

What are some things parables are not?

Parables are not fables. A fable is a myth or legend, or a story that is not true; falsehood.

In parables, the examples used should not always be emulated. The application should be repeated, but somethings the examples shouldn't be. When Jesus tells the parable about the sower, it doesn't mean we need to go down to the store, buy a bag of seeds, and casts them as we walk through our neighborhoods.

Should you ask your father for your half of the inheritance, then run off and waste it all on parties? Probably not. Somethings, the examples are not Biblical; a servant who refuses to forgive, or the shrewd manager who steals from his master. The application should always be applied, but the examples themselves should not alway be repeated.

Parables are not factual. The stories themselves aren't historic accounts. That's one reason there are no names in parables. Did a Samaritan really find a injured Jew on the road? We don't know. The point of a parable is not to tell a historic account, but rather that we learn something from the story.

I hope you can join me as we look at some of the parables that Jesus told and that we can find the meaning and application together.

The Wager

2010-10-07T06:52:00.000-06:00

Belief is a wise wager. Granted that faith cannot be proved, what harm will come to you if you gamble on its truth and it proves false? If you gain, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing. Wager, then, without hesitation, that He exists.

--Blaise Pascal

Forever with You by Decyfer Down

2010-10-05T07:07:00.002-06:00

Like shooting stars how brief we are
And I wish this moment could last forever
Here with You I am made new
I want to live like every breath matters

You are not so far away, just hear me when I say

Chorus
I want to love what You love, I want to see what You see
I want a hope that burns like a fire in me
I want Your light in my life, I want my heart renewed
Here I am forever with You

The falling rain can bring a change
I never knew how farther I could fall
I can hardly wait till I see You face to face
I can't believe Your love remains the same

You are not so far away, just hear me when I say

Chorus
I want to love what You love, I want to see what You see
I want a hope that burns like a fire in me
I want Your light in my life, I want my heart renewed
Here I am forever with You

Now I live with You after all that I've been through
I just can't live without the grace You gave to me
Now I see what You see
Your beautiful life forever in me

Chorus
I want to love what You love, I want to see what You see
I want a hope that burns like a fire in me
I want Your light in my life, I want my heart renewed
Here I am, here I am, here I am forever with You

Listen to the Song

Psalms 31: Trust in the Lord

2010-10-02T18:29:00.003-06:00

Psalms 31 has two very clear word patterns. The first theme describes God as a protecting fortress. The second theme describes all the trouble David is having in his life. So what is one to do when afflictions come? When sorrow and grief arise? When it feels like everyone has abounded you?

¹⁴ But I trust in you, O LORD;
I say, "You are my God."

¹⁵ My times are in your hands;
deliver me from my enemies
and from those who pursue me.

The word "but" is very important. Even though everything around David looks hopeless, he is remembering the promises of God. He remembered who God is. He remembered what He has done in the past. He remembered that He is a protecting fortress, and he trusted in Him.

Psalms 31: Anguish of my Soul

2010-09-29T07:24:00.001-06:00

In the first part of Psalms 31, David describes God as being a strong refuge. Now, the theme of the psalm is going to change. In verses 6-8, we start to see the second theme creek into the passage.

⁶ I hate those who cling to worthless idols;
I trust in the LORD.

⁷ I will be glad and rejoice in your love,
for you saw my affliction
and knew the anguish of my soul.

⁸ You have not handed me over to the enemy
but have set my feet in a spacious place.

Can start to see the second theme creek in? All though David is still speaking to God and how God had helped him, you start to see trouble and sorrow coming; my afflictions, anguish of my soul, enemy, etc. You didn’t see any of these words in the first theme of the psalm.

From verses 9-13, we see the second theme fully.

⁹ Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress;
my eyes grow weak with sorrow,
my soul and my body with grief.

¹⁰ My life is consumed by anguish
and my years by groaning;
my strength fails because of my affliction, ^[^a^]
and my bones grow weak.

¹¹ Because of all my enemies,
I am the utter contempt of my neighbors;
I am a dread to my friends—
those who see me on the street flee from me.

¹² I am forgotten by them as though I were dead;
I have become like broken pottery.

¹³ For I hear the slander of many;
there is terror on every side;
they conspire against me
and plot to take my life.

In the second theme, David is in the pit. Everything is going against him. He is weak and broken. So what is one to do when afflictions come? When sorrow and grief arise? When it feels like everyone has abounded you? We’ll see how David responded in the rest of the Psalm.

Psalms 31; God is my refuge

2010-09-27T07:19:00.004-06:00

I love how David describes God in the Psalms. He captures who God is with his good and rich adjectives. Psalms 31 is a good example. The whole psalm is well written; it describes God as a refuge, how wickedness is trying to destroy David, and last, how David cries out to God. We also see rich word patterns and a strong contrast between God and wickedness.

Today, we will look at the first word pattern in verses 1-5

¹ In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame;
deliver me in your righteousness.

² Turn your ear to me,
come quickly to my rescue;
be my rock of refuge,
a strong fortress to save me.

³ Since you are my rock and my fortress,
for the sake of your name lead and guide me.

⁴ Free me from the trap that is set for me,
for you are my refuge.

⁵ Into your hands I commit my spirit;
redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth.

Can you see the word pattern? David has a very strong and vivid description of God. He is strong fortress, refuge, deliver, etc. I like to look up the definitions of words. Let’s look at the adjectives in this passage:

Refuge-- a place of shelter, protection, or safety

Deliver--to set free or liberate: to release or save

Rescue--to free or deliver from confinement, violence, danger, or evil

Rock of Refuge--a firm foundation or support shelter, protection, or safety strong fortress

My rock--a firm foundation or support

My fortress--a large fortified place; any place of exceptional security; stronghold

Free--pertaining to or reserved for those who enjoy personal liberty

Commit--to give in trust or charge; to pledge (oneself) to a position on an issue or question

Redeem--to discharge or fulfill (a pledge, promise, etc.); to buy back or recover

Don’t you love David’s rich word choices? With his words, he is about to paint a dramatic picture of God.

Psalms 21

2010-09-24T11:30:00.004-06:00

If you want a good place to practice looking for word patterns, the book of psalms is a good place to start. I’ve been reading through Psalms and have been amazed how much David uses word patterns. Sometimes, there are two or three contrasting patterns. Psalms 21 is a good explain of this.

Most of the psalm is David is praising God because He is generous and gives freely to those who serve Him. Look at the word patterns:

O LORD, the king rejoices in your strength.
How great is his joy in the victories you give!

² You have granted him the desire of his heart
and have not withheld the request of his lips.

³ You welcomed him with rich blessings
and placed a crown of pure gold on his head.

⁴ He asked you for life, and you gave it to him— length of days, for ever and ever.

⁵ Through the victories you gave, his glory is great;
you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty.

⁶ Surely you have granted him eternal blessings
and made him glad with the joy of your presence.

As you can see, David is very thankful for the blessings God has given him. Why?

⁷ For the king trusts in the LORD;
through the unfailing love of the Most High
he will not be shaken.

Now David spends a little time to contrast. What happens to thoughts who don’t trust in the Lord? Look for the words patterns.

⁸Your hand will lay hold on all your enemies;
your right hand will seize your foes.

⁹ At the time of your appearing
you will make them like a fiery furnace.
In his wrath the LORD will swallow them up,
and his fire will consume them.

¹⁰ You will destroy their descendants from the earth,
their posterity from mankind.

¹¹ Though they plot evil against you
and devise wicked schemes, they cannot succeed;

¹² for you will make them turn their backs
when you aim at them with drawn bow.

As you can see, there is a big contract between the how God responds to the ‘those who plot evil’ and ‘those who trust in the Lord.’ To the righteous, God blesses and gives. To the wick, he takes away and destroys.

As for most of David’s palms, he ends the psalm like he began it; with praise.

¹³ Be exalted, O LORD, in your strength;
we will sing and praise your might.

Ruth: Word Patterns

2010-09-22T07:25:00.001-06:00

Last post, we looked at how word patterns can show us what's important in a current. Sometime it can be tricky to find word patterns since we loved to use a thesaurus today.

Ruth is an excellent example. In the first chapter, the Hebrew word “shub,” which means “return,” is in the first chapter 10 times. Now, when translated, the word “return” is not always there, so it makes it more challenging to pick up the pattern. Try to also look for concepts as well as specif words.

Ruth Chapter 1:

⁶ When she heard in Moab that the LORD had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, Naomi and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there.

⁷ With her two daughters-in-law she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah.

⁸ Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go back, each of you, to your mother's home. May the LORD show kindness to you, as you have shown to your dead and to me.

¹⁰ and said to her, "We will go back with you to your people."

¹¹ But Naomi said, "Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? ¹² Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me—even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons-

¹⁵ "Look," said Naomi, "your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her."

²¹ I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The LORD has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me."

²² So Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning.

As you can see, the concept of returning is very strong in this first chapter. Therefore, we know the that returning is a strong theme in the book of Ruth.

Word Patterns

2010-09-20T13:06:00.007-06:00

When you're studying the Bible, it's good to have a few tools to help you understand the meaning, or point of the passage. One of these helpful tools is too look for patterns. If a phrase or word is repeated, it is important. For example, look at Psalms 150: The word "Praise" is repeated. In six verses, the word "praise" in there 13 times. The word praise is apparently important.

Sometimes it can be trickier to find the patterns. In today's world, we are taught not to repeat words, but to use a thesaurus. Sometimes, the translator doesn't like to use the same word over and over, so he turns to his thesaurus. In the example above, instead of using the word "praise" every time, he might also use "respect" "worship" "extol", etc. All though it may be easier to read, it will be harder to find the word patterns. We’ll look at an example from the book of Ruth tomorrow.

"But..."

2010-09-12T08:30:00.001-06:00

The word “but” has an interesting meaning:

on the contrary; yet: My brother went, but I did not.
unless; if not; except that: Nothing would do but that I should come in.

When we are in prayer, it is very easy to use the word “but.”
“But God, I don’t want to do that.”
“Yeah, but what about so-and-so?”

When we are talking to God, this is the wrong way to use the word “but.” However, when we share our testimony, the word should come up often:
“Things were out of control, but God was in control.”
“I was wounded, but God healed me.”
“I didn’t know what to do, but God guided me.”

When talking to God, we shouldn’t say “but.” When we are talking about God, we should always say “but.”

How often do we use the word “but” in the wrong conversation!

Prayer Requests

2010-09-10T16:25:00.000-06:00

I’m sorry I haven’t posted in a while. Life has been moving very quickly. I thought I should let you know what I’m doing this fall so you could be praying for me.

I am a full time college student at Morgan Community College. I am studying for a multimedia/teaching degree.

I am trying to start a weekly high school worldview class at my church.

I am coaching a Bible Quiz team this year.

Thanks for your prayers!

~Becky

Leadership; To Have Influence

2010-07-06T15:27:00.002-06:00

You are a leader.

Wait, you may say. I’m not a leader; I don’t speak to crowds of people, and I’m not the president of a big business. I’m not a leader.

You’re wrong. We all are leaders. A leader doesn’t necessarily standing up in front of thousands of people to give a speech, or make million dollar choices.
The definition of a leader; a person who has influence.

We all have influence over thing, or someone; your friends, siblings, kids, co-workers, etc. If you have influence over a person, you have become a leader to him.

Since all have influence over something, we all are leaders. You no longer have to ask yourself, “am I a leader?” You need to ask yourself, “What kind of leader will I be?”

Who Were Good Leaders?

2010-07-05T08:11:00.003-06:00

Thanks to everyone who posted on my ‘who’s a good leader?’ poll.

All of you choose George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, and rightly so. Those men were outstanding leaders with great influence. They united people to a common goal.

What might surprise you is that all the men in my poll were good leaders. All men had great influence. Hilter was one of the greatest leaders of time. They all had influence to change people’s mind, and ultimately to change their course of action.

The difference between these men wasn’t if they were good leaders; it was where they lead. Washington and Lincoln were godly and servant leaders, while Hitler and Darwin promoted a lie, and death. They all had influence. The questions was whether it positive or evil.

My Soul Longs for You

2010-07-01T07:44:00.003-06:00

A new worship song I've found. I really love this song, and I hope you enjoy it.

Lyrics

My soul longs for You my soul longs for you
Nothin' else will do nothin' else will do

My soul longs for You my soul longs for you
Nothin' else will do nothin' else will do...

I believe You will come like the rain...

You'll come like the rain

So let it rain let it rain let it rain let it rain...
Hallelujah Halleljujah You'll make all things new

The Deadliest Monster

2010-06-29T07:47:00.000-06:00

If you are interested in looking more in depth at the nature of man and worldviews, I would recommend you check out The Deadliest Monster by J.F. Baldwin.

It's a really good book; I've gotten my information for my lost few posts from this book. Mr. Baldwin does an excellent exploring the subject and explains it well. He drives into other worldviews and how the view of the nature of man affects us.

In June, I had the honor of meeting Mr. Baldwin and hearing him speak at Worldview Academy. He is a brilliant man. I would highly recommend reading it.

Product Description

What kind of a monster are you? Mr. Hyde? Frankenstein? The answer forms the foundation of your "worldview," says Baldwin, in this thought-provoking discussion about the nature of man. He explores a wide range of assumptions about God, truth, morality, psychology, and politics---and offers a systematic catalog of the ways in which the Christian perspective best matches reality. Ages 14 and up. 272 pages, softcover from Fishermen.

Order the book at Christianbooks.com

The Hyde Monster

2010-06-28T09:13:00.004-06:00

According to the Bible, we are all like Hyde. We are born with the evil all ready inside of us. Society doesn’t corrupt us and make us do evil. We are born ready to do evil without any help.

Have you ever noticed that you never have to teach a child to hit, or to lie, or to talk back? Those are skills they devolve all on their own. Mankind is basically evil.

This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all. The hearts of men, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead.
Ecclesiastes 9:3

The heart is deceitful above all things
and beyond cure.
Who can understand it?
Jeremiah 17:8-10

It’s kind of scary. We don’t like the idea that babies are all ready corrupted, or that we are only capable to do wrong and are incapable to do anything good, including saving ourselves from own monster.

This is the biggest separation between worldviews; every other world view believes that man is basically good, and therefore can earn his own salvation. Christianity says that man is basically evil and therefore can’t earn his salvation. An outside force must save him.

As Christians, we are saved by Jesus Christ. We are able to watch our Hyde crucified and die. We are able to be set from slavery to our evil twin, and new are free to serve the One who freed us.

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Galatians 5:24-25

What Kind of Monster are you?

2010-06-23T07:16:00.001-06:00

Ok, so you may be wounding why we’ve been talking about these two old books. So what, you might say. Who cares about books written in the 1880s? Well, the reason I brought up the story of Hyde and Frankenstein is because one of these stories is true.

Which story do you think it is? Which monster describes mankind? It can’t be both. Let’s look at the fundamental differences between the two:

Hyde

Man is inherently evil
Evil (sin) controls us and leads to death
Individual is responsible for his wrong actions
Man can’t save himself

Frankenstein

Man is basically good
Society turns him evil, and therefore is responsible for his wrong actions
Man can save himself

As you can see, both monsters can’t be true. So, what kind of monster are you? Comment your answer.

The Story of Frankenstein

2010-06-20T07:30:00.002-06:00

Dr. Victor Frankenstein, like Dr. Henry Jekyll, was a great scientist. He began collecting parts of various corpses, sewed them together, and gave them the spark of life. The monster is large and so horrible, that Frankenstein flees. Victor doesn’t see the monster again for years.

The peaceful time is shattered when Victory’s little brother is murdered. All though a family friend is accused, Victory believes that his monster is responsible.

During a trip in the mountains, Victor meets his monster. In his defense, the monster tells his story; wherever he turned, he found hatred of men. He thought it was because he couldn’t communicate, so he taught himself to read and write. He also preformed good deeds. He wanted to prove that he was good, pure, and, worth of friendship. He claimed,“

"For a long time I could not conceive how one man could go forth and murder his fellow, or even why there were laws and government.”

The innocence didn’t last. Men still hated him and, while saving woman from drowning, he was shot in the shoulder by her fiancé. This is the last straw, and the monster vows vengeance to all mankind.

“I was benevolent and good; misery made me a fiend. Make me happy, and I will again be virtuous.”

The monster begs Victor to make him a companion that would love him. When Victor refuses, the monster swears to kill Victor’s fiancé, which he does. Victor sets out to kill the monster and tracks him up into the frozen arctic. Both Victor and the monster freeze.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

2010-06-19T08:38:00.005-06:00

Henry Jekyll is a well respected member of London society. In his professional life, he is a medical doctor, scientist and academician.

Dr. Henry Jekyll believes that there are two distinct sides to men - a good and an evil side. He believes that by separating the two man can become liberated. In his experiments, he uses himself as the subject to test his hypothesis. His evil side, who he coins Mr. Hyde, escapes into London, and terrorizes the city. When Hyde drinks the potion, he transforms back into Dr. Jekyll.

When Henry is Hyde, he is purity evil and free to be wicket without hurting Dr. Jekyll’s reputation. When Henry is Dr. Jekyll again, he is not purely good, but a mix of good and evil.

"Hence, although I had now two characters as well as two appearances, one was wholly evil, and the other was still old Henry Jekyll, that incongruous compound of whose reformation and improvement I had all ready learned to despair. The movement was thus wholly toward the worse."

As time goes by, it becomes easier to transform into Hyde, but harder and more painful to transform back into Jekyll. Soon, Henry starts transforming into Hyde without the aid of the potion.

Henry realizes that he can’t be both men, but he will have to choice one twin and stay him. By then, it is too late. Hyde has taken over, and Henry can’t transform back into Jekyll, no matter how much of the potion he drinks. He is trapped in Hyde’s body. He chooses suicide rather than enslavement to his monster.

Worldview Academy

2010-06-13T20:10:00.002-06:00

I’ve just gotten back from the best week of my life. I was at Worldview Academy June 6th—11th. Was amazing! The speakers were good, and I learned a lot of great stuff. I would highly recommend going. I can’t wait to share some of the amazing things I’ve learned!

www.worldview.org

Food for Thought: Giving

2010-06-03T21:04:00.001-06:00

Food for thought: what if everything you gave away you got again in heaven? How much would you have?

Spiritual Starving

2010-05-27T07:28:00.002-06:00

Have you ever skipped a meal? How about two? If you have, you know that you’re starving by end of it. All of sudden, things that you never would have touched before look good. We throw all caution aside and eat whatever we can find.

You loss discernment. Everything tastes good. How can you tell what’s really good and what’s so-so? They all taste the same. As Nick told Katie in the movie No Reservations: “A good critical chief has a full stomach.”

What do you think happens when we spiritual starve ourselves? What happens? Soon, we become spiritual hunger and will eat anything, even if it isn’t good for us. Things that you never thought about touching look delicious. We lose our spiritual discernment. Everything tastes so good.

This is a dangerous place to be in.

The Bible is called our bread and living water. When’s the last time you’ve eaten?

Learning from Mistakes

2010-05-24T07:09:00.001-06:00

A foolish man doesn’t learn from his mistakes.
A smart man learns from his mistakes.
A wise man learns from other’s mistakes.

Example of Faith

2010-05-18T06:52:00.002-06:00

An example of faith was found on the walls of a concentration camp. On it a prisoner had carved the words:

I believe in the sun, even though it doesn’t shine,
I believe in love, even when it’s not shown,
I believe in God, even when he doesn’t speak

-God's Promises for You by Max Lucado

Long & Loud Enough

2010-05-10T07:54:00.001-06:00

"If you say something long enough and loud enough, people will believe it." --Adolf Hitler

National Day of Prayer

2010-05-06T18:45:00.006-06:00

"If my people, who are called by my name,
will humble themselves and pray
and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways,
then I will hear from heaven,
and I will forgive their sin
and will heal their land."
2 Chronicles 7:14

My people. The children of God. That means us. The Church. Not the "Sinners". Not those other people. Us. You. If we, the Church, humble ourselves, if we pray, if we seek his face and turn from our wicked ways, God will forgive us and will our land.

Today, on National Day of Prayer, humble yourself, pray, seek His face, and repent. May God heal our broken land.

Saying "No"

2010-05-04T20:24:00.001-06:00

Let’s face it: saying No to a boyfriend/girlfriend who wants sex is hard. It takes a lot of will power and passion for sexual purity.

Word of advice to those who want to be pure: avoid situations where you have to say “no.” Don’t be alone in your boyfriend/girlfriend bed room, go out on a date in public places, etc. Avoid the situations where you may be forced to say “no”.

True Love Waits

To Discourage You

2010-04-30T12:48:00.003-06:00

"Evil doesn't have to defeat you; it just has to delay you long enough to discourage you." --Doug Burroughs

Why Does Jesus Weep?

2010-04-27T07:34:00.002-06:00

There are two times Jesus weeps: when He entered Jerusalem, and when Lazarus died. Why He cried, however, was very different.

When He came into Jerusalem, He wept because the Jews missed the point. They thought He would deliver them from physical bondage, not spiritual bondage.

When Lazarus died, Jesus wept because those around Him, His children, were weeping. He was sorrowful because they were sorrowful. He was hurt with them. He was brokenhearted with them. He wept with them.

Why does Jesus weep for you? Is it because you are in grief from loss, or because you have missed the point He is trying to make? Are you expecting Him to deliver them from physical bondage, while He is trying to free you from spiritual bondage? Is He broken hearted with you, or because of you?

Weeps with you

2010-04-26T10:49:00.004-06:00

Lazarus, a good friend of Jesus, was dead. He’d been sick for days, and had finally died. Jesus had chosen not to come so “God's Son may be glorified through it.” (John 11:4)

When Jesus arrived, Lazarus had been dead for four days. Many had come to comfort Lazarus’ sisters Mary and Martha. Mary, then Martha went out to him.

“When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.
"Where have you laid him?" he asked.
"Come and see, Lord," they replied. Jesus wept. (John 11:33—35)

Why did Jesus cry? He knew what was about to happen. He knew that in a few minutes Lazarus would be walking around with them. So why was he sorrowful?

Jesus wept because those around Him, His children, were weeping. He was sorrowful because they were sorrowful. He was hurt with them. He was brokenhearted with them. He wept with them.

It is comforting to know that when we are hurt, when we weep, Jesus is also hurt and weeps with is in our pain.

Read all the story in John 11

From That the World May Know: Easter from Force on the Family

Missed the Point

2010-04-24T09:43:00.007-06:00

In the first century, rebellion often rose around Passover. The Romans would bring in extra troops to keep everything under control.

Why Passover? It was when the messiah was to come, and the Jews were reminded that they should be free. Imagine the US being conquered by China or Russia or a country where we lost our freedom. Every 4th of July, we would remember that we were suppose to be free. That’s what Passover reminded the Jews.

Jesus comes into the Jerusalem on a donkey, as the messiah. The people are overjoyed! Finally freedom from the Romans! They start waving palm branches. The last time the Jews were free, palm branches were on their coins, so palm branches were a sign of freedom.

"Hosanna! Hosanna!” they shout, which means “Free us! Free us!”
“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”

Then Jesus did something remarkable; he wept over the city. “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.”

Jesus was broken hearted because the crowd missed the point. He wasn’t coming to save them from the Romans, but to save them from their sins and damnation.

But they missed the point. They missed the savior and the messiah.

From That the World May Know: Easter from Force on the Family

Blink by Revive

2010-04-20T14:01:00.000-06:00

Teach me to number my days
and count every moment,
before it slip away
take in all the colors
before the fade to gray

I dont want to miss
even just a second
more of this

(Chores)
It happens in a blink
it happens in a flash
it happens in the time it took
to look back

i try to hold on tight
but theres no stopping time
what is it Ive done with my life
it happens in a blink

when its all said and done
no one remembers
how far we have run
the only thing that matters
is how we have loved

I dont want to miss
even just a second
more of this

(Chores)

it happens in a blink X4

slow down X2

before today becomes our yesterday

slow down X2

before you turn around and its too late

(Chores) x2

it happens in a blink X4

Listen to the song

The Separation

2010-04-19T12:10:00.002-06:00

The garden of Eden was literally heaven on earth. Adam and Eve were in the presence of God. God walked with them in the garden. How cool is that! Imagine going on a walk with the creator of the universe.

It all ended with a lie. Did God really say…? Adam and Eve bought the lie, and ate the forbidden fruit, the fruit God commanded them not to eat.

For the first time in history, Man had disobeyed God’s commands. Sin entered the world, and Man was separated from the presence of God.

An important fact about sin: sin separates us from God. God can’t be around sin, so when we sin, we are setting away from God. It isn’t until heaven when we are sinless that we will be 100% in the presence of God.

Word Definition: Praise & worship

2010-04-17T11:18:00.003-06:00

Praise: To say good things about; give a good opinion of
Worship: Very great love or admiration. The act of showing honor and respect for God. To take part in a religious service.

This Sunday, give Him glory and honor. Tell him how awesome He is. Praise needs to be about us letting God know how cool He is.

Praise needs to be about Him, not us. One thing praise does is remind us how great God is and how weak we are. It humbles us in His spirit. It takes our minds off of ourselves and puts it on Him, which is where it belongs.

Psalms 150
Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. Praise him for his acts of power; praise Him for his surpassing greatness. Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD!

Lamb Selection Day

2010-04-14T07:34:00.003-06:00

The Sunday before Passover was lamb selection day. Each family had to pick the lamb they would use. It had to be perfect: no spots or defects. After the lamb was picked, the family would bring that lamb into their home to live with them until Passover

On the lamb selection day, what we call Palm Sunday, Jesus came into Jerusalem. He stayed there, lived with the Jews, until Passover, when he was killed.

Jesus used the picture of Passover to show the Jews He was the Jesus used the picture of Passover to show the Jews He was the lamb of God.

The First Passover

2010-04-09T10:58:00.004-06:00

The Passover is a national holiday of the Jews, both Jesus’ day and today. How did it start? Why is it so important?

Throughout the Old Testament, God has given many examples of what His one and perfect sacrifice would look like. One of these examples was Passover.

When the Jews were slaves in Egypt, God told Moose that He would send the angel of death to kill the first born of every house hold.

The family had to take a perfect lamb with no spots or defects and bring into their home to live with them for a week. Then, they had to kill the lamb and smear the blood on the door posts of their home. When the angel of death came, he would see the blood and pass over the house, spearing the first born.

By the blood of the lamb, death passed.

Jewish thinking vs. Greek thinking

2010-04-07T08:12:00.004-06:00

When we read the Bible, we must understand that first century Jews didn’t think like we do today.

Today, in America, we think like the Greeks did. We love bullet lists. If someone were to ask a Greek to describe God, he would say, “He is powerful. He is all knowing,” etc.

The Jews, however, thought differently. They saw things in pictures and in illustrations. If someone were to ask a Jew to describe God, he would say, “He is my shepherd. He is a rock. He is living water,” etc.

We can’t understand what these pictures mean unless we understand the Jewish culture and customs. What does a shepherd do anyway?

By learning the Jewish culture, we are able to understand the pictures and illustrations used throughout the Bible.

The End of the Beginning

2010-04-04T11:14:00.004-06:00

A short video I made. In this video, air plane passengers discuss the life of Jesus; His birth, His miracles, His death, and His glorious resurrection. Song dramatic song is performed by David Phelps.

"It Is Finished"

2010-04-03T07:53:00.003-06:00

When sin entered the world, so did death. For every sin mankind committed, something had to die. The practice of sacrificing animals, especially lambs, began.

Whenever Man sinned, an innocent animal would have to be killed, and by its blood that sin was cleansed. A sacrifice had to be constantly given, for we are constantly sinning.

The Jewish people under Moses sacrificed twice a day; in the morning at 10am, and in the afternoon, at 3pm. At the time of sacrifice, a priest would blow the shofar, a Jewish horn. At that moment, the lamb’s throat was slit, and all the religious Jews would pause for a moment, begging God to remember the final and perfect sacrifice He’d promised to Abraham. This practice continued for years.

About 2,000 years ago, Jesus hung on a cross. At 3pm, the shofar sounded for the sacrifice, and Jesus said, ‘it is finished.’ Then He died.

The daily sacrifices weren’t needed anymore, for He was the last, perfect, and sinless sacrifice.

Spicy Shrimp

2010-03-31T07:55:00.001-06:00

The hot plate of shrimp looked delicious. The smell curled into the air. It would taste wonderful, Jenny* thought.

One problem: Michelle had ordered the plate of shrimp, not Jenny.

As we all waited for the rest of the food to come, we played a card game. As a part of this game, everyone but the narrator has to close their eyes.

I was the narrator. Everyone else had their eyes closed. I looked over at Jenny; her eyes were wide, her mouth open, and she was fanning herself. Then, she grabbed her drink and started drinking quickly.

I started laughing. I knew what had happened; she had taken some shrimp. Michelle had order spice shrimp, and it burned Jenny’s mouth.

This story made me thing about what happens when we sin; often, the sin we did will turn us in, and we’ll be caught. Jenny would have saved herself the embarrassment if she’d kept her hands to herself. I wonder how much guilt and shame we could avoid if we simply avoided sin. After all, if there’s no crime, we can’t get caught.

*Name has been changed.

Too Old?

2010-03-29T14:56:00.001-06:00

Some say the Bible isn’t relative anymore since it’s too old. If you follow that same logic, gravity doesn’t apply anymore since it’s too old. Just because something is old doesn’t mean it’s useless.

The Bible is relative to today. It may not talk about iPhones, or TVs, or cars, but it does address things that haven’t changed, like how mankind should live, or what the nature of God is, and these principles apply whether we are in the first century, or the 21st century.

While at TeenPact, I asked a question: how can you find out if something is absolute truth? The answer: if something is relevant to all people at all times, then it is absolute truth.

The fact that the Bible is old gives more reason to believe it; it has stood the test of time.

Too Many Authors?

2010-03-27T07:28:00.000-06:00

Some people think that having too many will cause errors. Normally, there would be.

Imagine writing an essay on a controversy topic, or a topic one can’t fully understand, like black holes. No one is 100% sure what a black hole is.

Now, have 40 different authors write an essay about this topic. These men are scattered throughout history, about a 4,000 year window. Some lived in Egypt, some in Rome, some in Israel, some Babylon. They all are from different backgrounds, education and occupation: an Egypt prince, fisher men, a former slave, religious leaders, kings, prophets, etc. Now, take all these essays and put them into one book. What do you have? A mess!

This was how the Bible was written: 40 different authors all from different time frames, backgrounds, and places writing about the most controversial and mysterious topic ever known to mankind: God. God’s hand was on these men as they wrote.

Since God is flawless, so is His word.

Too Many Errors?

2010-03-25T07:17:00.000-06:00

Every worldview is based on a standard. The standard of Christianity is the Bible. Is it reliable? Can you trust it? Why? We looked at some reasons why people don’t believe the Bible.

A lot of people think the Bible is unreliable since it has too many errors. So many different people wrote it. It was written by men, right? Men are flawed.

If someone comes to you and says the Bible has too many errors, ask them to show you one. It’s amazing! They can’t. You know why? There aren’t any!

There have been atheist who have read the whole Bible trying to find errors; they couldn’t. In fact, they often come to Christ because the Bible is so powerful.

"As for God, his way is perfect;
the word of the LORD is flawless.
He is a shield
for all who take refuge in him."
-2 Samuel 22:31

Does my worldview matter?

2010-03-24T08:07:00.000-06:00

Does it really matter what my worldview is? After all, it’s not going to change anything. What I think doesn’t matter.

Our worldview dictates what our actions are. If your worldview says there is no after life, you’ll pour all your money and energy into your world/culture, because you believe this life is all there is.

What you think dictates what you do. Ideas turn into actions. Our worldview controls how we interact with the world.

Think about Hitler. We all know about the holocaust and all the people he killed. His acts caused the death of about six million Jews. Why did he do this? His worldview. He believed in evolution and thought it was necessary to kill the ‘inferior’ people to advance mankind into the next stage of evolution.

Our worldview is important because it dictates our actions.

What is your worldview?

2010-03-23T07:51:00.000-06:00

First, what is a worldview? Well, it’s the way you view the world. That was original. :-)

I’ve heard worldview described as the glasses you look at life through. If your glasses have a red tint, then you’ll view everything with a red tint. If your glasses are out of focus, your world will be blurry.

That being said, what’s your worldview? What are your glasses? Every world view answers these questions:

The nature of God

Is there a god?
What is he like?

The nature of man

What is the origin of man?
What is the purpose of man?
Where does man go after he dies?
What is the basis of ethics and morality?

How you answer these questions will show you what your world view is.

The Early church in a Roman world: Fire

2010-03-22T08:23:00.000-06:00

The wind beats against the walls. Rain pours down the roof. During the storm, your fire goes out.

Unlike the 21st centaury, you don’t have matches or a lighter. You live in the 1st centaury in a Roman town. How are you going to re-light your fire?

In a Roman city their religion is the center of their culture. The Romans lived in constant fear of offending the gods and bringing down their wrath. Sacrifices and offerings were given daily to appease the gods.

In the mountain above the town, in a cave, there constantly burned a fire. The Romans believed that that fire was from the gods. If you needed fire, you would hike up to the cave with a torch, light it, and then go back to your home. The presents of the gods were with that fire. How wonderful it was to have the presents of the gods in your home!

But you’re a Christian. Are you going to climb up to that cave and accept the gods’ fire? Will you bring that fire into your home?

This is one of the daily challenges the early church faced as they tried to share the gospel of Christ.

Source: That the world may know: in the dust of the Rabbi

The Early Church in a Roman World: The Market Place

2010-03-19T20:39:00.000-06:00

Imagine living in a Roman city where their religion is the center of their culture. The Romans lived in constant fear of offending the gods and bringing down their wrath. Sacrifices and offerings were given daily to appease the gods.

You are a Christian, and you believe Jesus is the only God. Imagine the culture clash. When we think of the challenges the early church faced, we think of them being thrown to the lions. Though this is true, they faced many other challenges on a daily level.

You come to the market to sell your grain, but before you can sell your goods, you must put incense on the altar of Zeus and pledge your allegiance to him. As a Christian, you can’t do that; only Christ is God. The officials will not allow you to sell your grain for fear of offending the gods.

Suddenly, your source of income is gone.

This is one of the daily challenges the early church faced as they tried to share the gospel of Christ.

Source: That the world may know: in the dust of the Rabbi

Forgotten?

2010-03-17T08:25:00.001-06:00

An orphan girl living with her cousin. She works hard with her cousin to provide enough food for them to eat. Kidnapped from her home. Treated by the servants to make her physical body beautiful, to make her fit for her one night with the man who kidnapped her. She doesn’t want to give her body to any man but her husband, but if she refuses to sleep with him, she’ll be killed. She has no freedom, no way home, no way of escape.

At this point, one might say this young girl has been forgotten. The fateful tides of this world have swept this unfortunate girl into a horrible situation, a situation she has no control over. If you were in her shoes, you may think how could God allow this to happen?

God is faithful. He works all things together for those who love Him. He can take the fateful tides of this world and bend them to accomplish His will.

Some may say this girl’s story is over, but God used this girl to save His people from slaughter.

This is the story of Esher.

"religious" man

2010-03-13T08:03:00.000-07:00

A story I heard from Bill Jack at TeenPact.

An atheist radio broadcaster was interviewing a Christian on his show. The Atheist kept drilling the Christian with questions about the existence of God. The Christian defended his beliefs and all the proof that there was a god.

After about 15 minutes of this, the Christian said to the Atheist,
“So tell me, why don’t you believe in God? What proof do you have?”

Then something you don’t want on the radio happened; dead air.

After a long silence, the atheist gave a nervous giggle and said,
“I don’t know. I just believe.”

“You just believe?” the Christian said. “I’ve been giving you all the reasons for my beliefs, and you just believe? You are the most religious man I know.”

To Miss the Mark

2010-03-08T09:44:00.000-07:00

We often define sin as doing something wrong. Though this statement is true, the full definition of sin covers much more.

The definition of the word sin is to miss the mark. The mark of what?

I enjoy target shooting with my rifle. The goal, of course, is to hit the target. To hit the target, I must be very focused, line the target up, hold still, pull the trigger gently, etc. Now, it miss the target is a whole lot easier. I could barely miss the target, or I could be shooting the other direction! Either way, it’s a miss.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) notice this verse didn’t say “we’ve been wrong” but “fallen short”

So if sin means to miss the mark, what mark are we shooting at? What’s the target? God’s standard and His will.

Whenever we disobey or do something outside God’s will, we sin. Sin is not only doing something wrong; it’s not doing what God commands.

“Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins”—James 4:17

Sin is going against God’s commands, whether it be lying or not loving our neighbor. Think about it. Every time we choose not to be kind, or loving, or be Generous, we are sinning. It’s easy to think “I’m not doing anything wrong!” but are you doing what’s right?

Being loved

2010-03-06T09:42:00.001-07:00

"How bold one gets when one is sure of being loved."

Never give up

2010-02-22T08:09:00.001-07:00

"If you give up in the middle of the battle, you will never win."

Forever With You by Decyfer Down

2010-02-17T14:44:00.000-07:00

Like shooting stars
How brief we are
I wish this moment could last forever
Here with you
I am made new
I want to live like every breath matters
You're not so far away
Just hear me when I say

I wanna love what you love
I want to see what you see
I want a heart that burns like a fire in me
I want your light in my life
I want my heart renewed
Here I am
Forever with you

The falling rain
Can bring a change
I never knew how far that I could fall
I can hardly wait
'Til I see you face to face
I can't believe your love remains the same
You're not so far away
Just hear me when I say

I wanna love what you love
I want to see what you see
I want a heart that burns like a fire in me
I want your light in my life
I want my heart renewed
Here I am
Forever with you

Now that I am here with you
After all that I've been through
I just can't live without
The grace you gave to me
Now I see what you see
Your beautiful life forever in me

I wanna love what you love
I want to see what you see
I want a heart that burns like a fire in me
I want your light in my life
I want my heart renewed
Here I am
Here I am
Here I am
Forever with you

Listen to the song

Phos Hilaron (Hail the gladdening light)

2010-02-03T12:39:00.000-07:00

A typography video I made for David Crowder Band's song Phos Hilaron.

The worst thing a rape victim can do

2010-01-28T07:44:00.000-07:00

“The worst thing a rape victim can do for herself is get an abortion”—Rebecca Kiessling

Oxygen

2010-01-06T15:59:00.000-07:00

Think about all the things a planet needs to support life; oxygen, water, variety of plants, insect to pollinate the plants, variety of animals, temper climate, just the right distance from the sun, the right kind of sun, a large moon, the right placement in the milky way….etc.

Look at the air we breathe, for example. Our bodies need enough oxygen to live, but if we have too much, it can damage our lungs. The amount of oxygen in the air needs to be very precise; not too much, not too little.

21% of the air we breathe is oxygen, which just so ‘happens’ to be the perfect amount. If you increased the oxygen level by 1%, the chances of natural forest fires occurring goes up by 70%! As you can see, there is little margin for error.

What makes up the other 79% of the air we breathe? I was hoping you’d ask. Nitrogen. Nitrogen just so ‘happens’ to be the perfect dilute of oxygen, because it doesn’t react with our bodies in any way; you breathe in the nitrogen, but then you breathe it right back out. Almost all other gases—carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, etc—are poisonous to humans! We are very ‘lucky’ that nitrogen makes up most the air we breathe.

Exploring Creation with Chemistry by Dr. Jay L. Wile

The Love Chapter: Benifiting Others

2009-11-27T06:38:00.000-07:00

As we look at the words Paul uses to describe the love chapter, most words falls into two groups; serving others, or denying yourself.

Love is…..

Patient: To endure boredom or the annoyance of others

Kind: Always ready to help others

Doesn't envy: Doesn’t want what others have

Isn’t Boastful: Doesn’t brag about oneself

Isn’t Proud: Doesn’t think too highly of oneself

Isn’t Rude: shows respect for others

Isn’t self-seeking: the desire to benefit oneself

Isn’t easily angered: doesn’t become furies with others

Keeps no record of wrongs: Doesn’t keep track of wrongs others have committed.

Always Protects: to guard others

Trusts: A strong belief that some person is honest or can be depended on

Love is, in short, the desire/act of benefit others, even at personal cost.

1 Corinthians 13: definition of adjectives

2009-11-23T06:45:00.000-07:00

I like most of us are familiar with the Love Chapter (1 Corinthians 13). We’re going to look at this passage, but from a new perspective. I love looking up the definitions of words. For every adjective in the sections, I looked up the definition of that word. When I did it, I really enjoyed it. It brings the text to life in a whole new way.

Love is patient
• Able to put up with pain, trouble, delay or foredoom without complaining.

Love is kind.
• Always ready to help others and do good; friendly, gentle, generous, or sympathetic. To show kindness.
-The condition or habit of being kind.

It does not envy
• A feeling of jealousy or dislike toward someone who has what one would like to have.

it does not boast
• To talk about oneself or accomplishments with too much pride and pleasure; to brag.

it is not proud
• Thinking too highly of oneself; conceited or haughty. To be self forced.

5It is not rude
• Without respect for others; not polite. Rough or crude.

it is not self-seeking
• To find or search for something valuable to claim for one’s self.

it is not easily angered
• To be upset or to lose one’s temper.

it keeps no record of wrongs

6Love does not delight in evil
• Does not give great pleasure or rejoice or become joyful in wrong or shameful acts.

but rejoices with the truth.
• To be glad or be delighted of what is fact or has the quality of being true, honest and real. What is true; the facts.

7It always
• At all times; at every moment. Forever.

Protects
• To guard or defend against harm or danger; to shield.

always trusts,
• A strong belief that some person or think is honest or can be depended on.

always hopes,
• A felling or strong belief that what is wanted will happened.

always perseveres.
• maintain a purpose in spite of difficulty, obstacles, or discouragement; continue steadfastly.

8Love never fails
• At no time, under no conditions does not do what one tries to do; not succeed. To lose.

13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Jesus’ life: Miracles

2009-11-19T07:04:00.001-07:00

Jesus was always healing people; the lame, the sick, the blind, the mute, etc. Every miracle was an act of love; he was serving someone else.

In that day, the teachers (Rabbi) had to be clean. There was a list of requirements that a teacher must do to remain clean; ceremonial washing, not touching dead animals, etc. One of the requirements was you couldn’t touch a dead or ill person. If you did, you had to go through this time-consuming ceremonial washing.

When the widow’s only son had died, Jesus had compassion on her. She now had no one to provide for her.

At the funeral, Jesus came forward, touched the boy, and healed him.

Jesus touched him. Jesus knew he’d have to do ceremonial washing, but he did it anyway. He put the needs of the widow and her son before his own.

I think Jesus had to go through the ceremony washing a lot, because he was always touching and healing sick people.

Jesus demonstrated love by putting other’s needs before his needs.

Jesus' life: The cross

2009-11-16T06:51:00.001-07:00

Jesus is love. He doesn’t have love; He is love. You cannot separate the two. If you have Jesus, you have love. If you have love, you have Jesus. Jesus can’t run out of love; it’s a part of His identity. Jesus is love. Jesus life is a perfect example because He didn’t just have love; He was love.

Let’s look at Jesus and His life on Earth. The reason he came was to die for us and to save us. He chose to leave heaven, live like a human for 30 some years, and then die a cruel death.

What did the cross do for Jesus? Nothing. It brought Him only pain. He sacrifice and lost everything He had.

What did the cross do for us? Everything. It gave us life and saved us.

Jesus didn’t put himself first, but He always put other first. If He’d been thinking of Himself and His own well being, He would have stayed in Heaven. But He didn’t. He chose to put others and their needs before His own.

Love is putting others’ needs before your own.

Love is the source

2009-11-13T06:48:00.000-07:00

When God told me to study love, I had to ask; why love? What about hope, or joy, or passion, or patience, or kindness, or boldness? Why love? Why is love such a big deal? Why is it more important than prophecy, or speaking in tongues, or faith, or hope? Those things are important. Why aren’t these mentioned? Why is love such a big deal?

Here’s why: If you don’t have love, you can’t have those other gifts. If you can’t love, you can’t be kind. If you don’t have love, you can’t have faith, or hope. But if you have love, these things will be added; they will just bubble over without you thinking at it. If you love God, you’ll trust Him. If you love His people, you will want to put them first and serve them. It all comes from love. Love is the tree; everything else is the fruit.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
–1 Corinthians 13:1-4

On Sunday, we’ll start looking at Jesus’ life and how He lived out love.

God commands it

2009-11-11T06:55:00.000-07:00

Before we go any further, there is something that must be made clear; why? Why should we love? Why should we sacrifice what we own for others? If you’re going to go through all that work, shouldn’t you know why? Without a reason, it is very easy to get discouraged.

First reason: God commands it.

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you”—John 15: 12

“This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another”—1 John 3:11

“Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble.”—1 John 2:9-10

“Jesus replied: ‘love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘love your neighbor as yourself’”—Matthew 22:37-39

Short. Sweet. Simple.

We’ll look at another reason why we should love on Friday.

True Love: Introduction

2009-11-09T06:46:00.000-07:00

What is love? This is a question that I think everyone has asked at one time or another. What do our parents mean when they say “I love you”? Or when our friends say it?

In our culture, the word love is used a lot and its definition isn’t very clear: I love my family, I love those clothes, I love pizza, and I love God, etc. As you can see, the word love can easily be over used.

When I’m talking about love, I’m not referring to that warm feeling you get when you see some hot guy or girl. I’m not talking about the chick-flick “He’s so cute!” kind of love.

I’m talking about real love, the love that takes work and effort, the kind where you don’t feel like it, but you do it anyway.

This is the love we see in God and His son. The love that nailed Jesus to the cross and would make you lay down your life save someone else. I’m talking about self sacrificing, self denying, serving others, God filled love.

Intense, right? Whenever I refer to the word ‘love’, I will be referring to this kind of love; True Love.

Warning! True love takes time, work, money and resources. Living out true love is exhausting. If you aren’t willing to sacrifice and don’t want to change, then don’t continue. However, if you are willing to sacrifice and want learn more about the love that changed the world and will change your life, you’ve come to the right place.

Counterfeits

2009-11-06T07:12:00.000-07:00

How can we recognize evil in the world today? If everyone is trying to look good and right, how can we tell the differences? How can we identify what is a counterfeit, and what is genuine?

Know the original.

Bankers aren’t shown counterfeits; they work with really money. It would be nearly impossible to learn all the counterfeit money. There are always new ways and new tricks of making the money look more realistic; there is simply no way one could keep up with the twisted lies. The original, however, will never change.

Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He won’t change. If you know Him and His voice, you will recognize any counterfeit that comes you way. When you know the voice of Jesus, you will identify when someone who try to imitate it.

Christians vs. Atheists

2009-11-01T14:49:00.000-07:00

Atheists are always being offended by Christians because Christians believe in God. Atheists say there’s no God and can’t stand it when Christians say there is. Atheists don’t like “In God we Trust” or “One nation under God” or ending a prayer in Jesus’ name because it offends them.

As Brad Stien put it: "Which is more reasonable: A man believing in a God he can’t see, or a man who’s offended by a God he doesn’t believe in?"

Just you

2009-10-30T14:20:00.000-06:00

What can you give God? What is something you have that He doesn’t? You can’t give Him stuff; He created everything. He can make whatever He wants. You can’t give Him money; He owns that too. We can’t work hard enough; He can do it Himself. So what can we give Him?

You can give Him yourself. He wants you.

In the parable of the prodigal son, the father waited for the son’s return. He watched for his son, waiting hopefully. When the son returned, the father was overjoyed and joyfully welcomed the son back home.

God is always overjoyed when He has us. He rejoices when He has you. He just wants you. When the prodigal son returned, he didn’t have any money, or cloths, or anything of value. The father didn’t care; all he wanted was his son.

God doesn’t want your money or your stuff; He just wants you. You are His child, and He is longing to be with you. He doesn’t care if you don’t have anything else to give Him, or if you’re dirty; He just wants you.

How He Loves Us!

2009-10-27T14:46:00.000-06:00

Coming Soon: True Love

2009-10-25T17:12:00.000-06:00

What is the opposite of love? The answer may surprise you: selfishness and self-seeking. Why?

This question along with many others will be answered in the new blog study True Love. In this study, we will answered the questions of What is love? Why should we love? How to love? by looking at Jesus’ life and His wonderful word.

I hope you can join us on this incredible journey.

This study will start on November 9th at Living Water devotional blog www.well-of-life.blogspot.com

Have a blog? Want to spread the word? If so, copy the text and picture above and post it on your blog.

psalms

2009-10-25T16:25:00.000-06:00

Blessed is he
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.

Blessed is the man
whose sin the LORD does not count against him
and in whose spirit is no deceit.

Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

Delight yourself in the LORD
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him and he will do this:

He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;

-Psalms 32:1-2 & 37: 3-7

God Doesn’t Want to Bless You

2009-10-23T15:40:00.000-06:00

I was hoping that title would catch your attention.

Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not saying that God is withholding blessings or is out to get us. I’m saying I think the mindset of ‘God Bless You’ is wrong.

First, we are treating God like a vending machine. “If we pray long and hard enough, if we read enough of the Bible, if we fast, then God owes me and I deserve to be blessed.” This isn’t true. We can’t control or manipulate God. He’s plans and His will is greater than we can understand.

Second, we want to be in control of our lives. We don’t let God tell us what to do. We want to approve God’s will in our lives. We’ll let God drive, as long as we navigate.

Do you often find yourself asking God to bless a project, but never asked Him if you should have started it?

We’re not His second in command. We’re His servants. We need to submit our lives to Him. Let Him write the story of your live. Then, you will truly see the blessings of God.

Move!

2009-10-21T07:01:00.000-06:00

Do you want to see God move in your life, your friend's life, your family, etc.? Then you have to move. God can’t move through you unless you are willing to move. If you want change the world, you're going to need to get off your tail and go out there and do something. You need to move!

Two Wolves

2009-10-15T07:16:00.000-06:00

Once, a pastor went to an Indian tribe to share the gospel of Christ. After a few months, the whole tribe accepted the gospel with great joy and passion.

One day, the pastor came to the home of the chief.

“Ever since we have followed Christ,” the chief told the pastor. “I feel a battle going on inside me. It’s like there are two wolfs fighting within me. The first, the white one, is the new truth of Christ. The other, the black one, is the old beliefs and our old wrong ways. They are fighting within me.”

“Which one wins?” the pastor asked. The chief smiled.

“The one I feed the most,” he answered.

Circumstances and Chocies

2009-10-13T07:00:00.000-06:00

I heard this quote from Church:

"10% of life is what happens to us. 90% of life is the choices we make."

Don't let your circumstances control your life. We can do all things in Christ.

Resurrection video

2009-10-10T18:16:00.000-06:00

Keep Marching, part 02

2009-10-06T07:40:00.000-06:00

It’s between the battles when everything seems boring and pointless. We can lose sight of the big picture, and we can get discouraged. That’s when the enemy tries to tear us down. So many times we do give up. Nothing is happening. No battles, no victories, no trilling missions. It seems like God has forget us.

What do you do? How do you stay the course?

Keep doing what you know God has asked you do you. What was the last thing He said to you? What was the last order? Has He told you to stop doing it? If He hasn’t told you to stop, keep doing it!

Just like soldiers may have to march for miles or keep cooking day in day out, we need to be diligent in what God had asked us to do. He wouldn’t give us a new order until we finish the 1st. Why give us new missions if we didn’t finish the 1st ?

Sometimes we don’t understand why we need to do the same thing over and over again. We don’t need to know. He is in control, not us. He is the Author of our story, the director, and the painter. He knows the whole plan, the big picture. We are a small part in the greater plan. When He’s ready for us to change course, He’ll let us know. We need to be ready and prepared when He does.

Between battles, a lot of preparation happens. During the “dry and dull” times, prepare yourself so you can be ready when He needs you. You can jump to arms and fight whenever He calls.

He is the commander, we are mere soldiers. We are His servants. We have not our own masters: He is. We must submit our lives to Him: our bodies, our minds, our souls, who we are, are His. He owns us. Continue the path He has set before you.

Keep Marching, part 01

2009-10-04T07:19:00.000-06:00

So many times in the war against Satan, we love the thrill of serving, we love to see God’s hand move, watch the enemy beaten back, watch the Holy Spirit move in the lives of so many people. We love that. We long for that.

In any war, it is more than just battles. The soldiers are not always on the front lines. After each battle, they still need to tear down camp, clean their weapons, cook supper, march to wherever the next battle is, set up camp, etc. This is very boring, but still necessary. If a soldier doesn’t clean his weapon or cook for himself, his weapon wouldn’t be affective and he’ll be weak for the next battle.

It’s between the battles when everything seems boring and pointless. We can lose sight of the big picture, and we can get discouraged. That’s when the enemy tries to tear us down.

“If this is pointless, why are you doing it?” he says. He tries to make us lose hope, to give up, to quit. So many times we do give up. Nothing is happening. No battles, no victories, no trilling missions. It seems like God has forget us.

What do you do? How do you stay the course?

Nephews: Double Blessing

2009-09-29T10:16:00.000-06:00

This week, both my sister and sister-in-law had their babies. I had nephews born this week.

On Wednesday the 23rd, 2009, my brother Nathan and his wife Valerie had their first son. He weighted 9 lb and 6 oz. He's name is Isaac Matthew Brasby.

On Money the 28th, my sister Melissa and her husband Jason had their 2nd child. He weighted 9 lb and 9 oz. His older sister Mandy is very happy to have a younger brother. His name is Ian Jon Galloway.

It's been a very exciting week full of babies and blessings.