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Ransomed! [ Tuesday, Aug 05, 2008 | 10:05am ] [ music |  Big Daddy Weave - "Trust and Obey" ] I have returned from Summer Camp. Today is the first day I really feel physically restored. On Saturday, we drove back 8 hours from Glorieta, New Mexico to Phoenix. I took a nap on the couch with my Wifey, put the final preparations on Sunday's Bible Study, played a little WoW, then went to bed. Camp was a great experience. The preaching was clear and convicting -- just what I've come to expect from dedicated expositors like John MacArthur. He painted a great picture all week long, beginning with showing us our insignificance in the grand scheme of things. This was a humbling message. I think the kids heard it though and realized that they are really not as big as they originally thought. We then spent a day talking about reconciliation from 2 Corinthians 5. We learned four things specifically. 1. It's in God's nature and will to reconcile sinners back to himself (vv 18-20). He is eager to save rebellious souls back to Himself. In fact, His favorite work is reconciling sinners like the Prodigal Son, like you, and like me. God does not need to be persuaded. Our God is unique. He is much better than the false gods of other religions. People often ask, "What kind of God lets people go to hell?" But the correct perspective on that question should be, "What kind of God lets the sinner live?" or "What kind of God fills sinners' lives with enjoyment?" 2. God reconciles us by the act of forgiveness. I need forgiveness for all my sins (past, present, and future). Our God guarantees this by the blood of His Son. Because of Christ, He does not count my sins against me (Micah 7:18). We learned about the example of John Newton a wretched sinner who was saved by the grace of God and went on to write the hymn, "Amazing Grace." 3. Reconciliation is by the means of faith (v. 20). Have you ever wondered why you have to beg sinners to be reconciled to God and to be spared from eternal wrath? It's because they love themselves and their sin too much. Basically, they sacrifice the future and eternal to enjoy the immediate and temporary. Without faith in Christ, they can never deny themselves and see the separation between themselves and God. 4. Reconciliation happens by the work of substitution (Romans 3:26; 4:5). The thinking man's question is often, "How can God be both just and the justifier of sinners?" In other words, in order for God to remain perfectly and holy, how can he even deal with sinners? Won't they stain Him with their sin? This is where Christ comes in. He is our substitute, our propitiation. All sin must be punished, so God punished Jesus on the cross in my (and your) place. Christ had to live a perfect life so that God can treat me as if I lived that life. My life is sinful so Jesus substitutes Himself for me on the cross, paying the price that I deserved. On the cross, God treated Christ as if He lived my sinful life. This is an amazing ransom that He paid to redeem me! It's truly a rescue operation (Psalm 40:17; Psalm 144:2; Romans 11:26)! He has taken me from one environment and placed me into another. I've been delivered from error to truth (Romans 6:17). He's given me the ability and desire to behave in a righteous fashion (Romans 6:18; Ephesians 2:10; Philippians 3:3; Galatians 2:20). Am I perfect? Heck no. And neither are you. But if you've been saved, we both have holy desires given to us by the Holy Spirit that now dwells with us. Pastor MacArthur finished the week by talking about the conscience and slavery. He impressed upon us the importance of loading our minds with the truth of God's word so that our consciences will be cultivated by convictions of what is right and wrong. Never silence your conscience! It's a gift of God. We also have been taught what slavery is. Everyone is a slave to something, either Jesus Christ or Satan's tools (the world, the flesh, or sin). Many are deceived and believe they're not enslaved at all. I think many kids were awakened to the truth by this message this week. So am I clay or butter? As the word of God is preached and shared, it always has an effect. It's like the sun. When it strikes clay in the middle of the day, the clay hardens. But when it hits butter, the butter melts. The word of God does the same thing on hearts of men, women, and children. It will either melt your heart into joyful submission, or it will harden it into skeptical rebellion. My prayer continues to be for the hundreds of kids and staff who were privileged to be under this preaching this week. Not that they would conform and void their personalities and dreams, but that they would just consider the words they heard and explore their hearts for possibly the first time in their lives. I believe in the power of God to do the rest.  Can I get a witness?

Summer Camp [ Thursday, Jul 24, 2008 | 04:54pm ] [ mood |  excited ] [ music |  Massive Attack - "Man Next Door" ] I am getting excited for Summer Camp. This year, we head to Glorieta, New Mexico for a week in the mountain pines. At last count, there will be 435 teenagers there, along with 99 staff. While this is a Bible Camp, it's not the sort of stereotypical "brainwash the kids into a false salvation" sort of camp. Do we present Jesus Christ and His Gospel? Of course. But the challenge is left with the kids to deal with it themselves. In the past, many have rejected it, many have accepted and pursued it, and many have done nothing with it. We can't force God's hand to do a work in someone's heart, so we don't. We present it as clearly as we can and show them how it has changed our lives. Then we pray for God to do the real work. Summer Camp is a fun time filled with games and surprise adventures. The Oneighty Ministry really does a great job in preparation and execution. Looking forward to it!  Can I get a witness?

Dear Old Dad [ Thursday, Jul 17, 2008 | 02:51pm ] [ mood |  exhausted ] My dad, or "Pops" as we call him, suffered a pretty bad stroke on April 23rd. He was riding his bicycle home from the grocery store that morning when it struck, and he fell to the pavement. Some people saw him and helped him get home. He sat there in his blue rocking chair until 5pm when his girlfirend Ginger called him. April seems like years ago. Pops hasn't been home or even walked since. I'm kicking myself for not journaling these past 12 weeks with detail, because there has been volumes of happenings since then. I swear I've aged 12 years in 12 weeks. Pops has slept in six different hospital beds since. Some places have been good -- encouraging him to recover. Others have been horrible -- convincing him to die. I have learned so much and have been awakened to so many astonishing truths about the health care industry. 90% of it is one big racket, targeted towards appeasing the guilty consciences of loved ones rather than actually providing care for patients' health. They put a price tag on death. "Pay us $$$," they say, "and we'll give you a guilt-free place to deposit your dying loved ones." That doesn't play with me. My Pops is a wonderful man. He's so kind and loving, and quite the jokester. Shame on all of you in the industry who would relegate him and others like him to a bed, daily drugged into silence, and tagged for termination. Many of your patients don't have advocating family members nearby who can step in when you step out. And you know it, so you do it. I would prescribe a good, long look in the mirror for you all if I thought you would see a reflection. But your eyes have become so clouded by the scales of selfishness and greed that I'm convinced you'd never see your own condition from any perspective other than the eyes of the almighty business model. We have been blessed however, by the grace of God, to find Friendship Village. It's the proverbial lighthouse in the storm. Compassion is not just a word cut-and-pasted and subsequently orphaned and isolated into a vision statement. We have seen real care for Pops and all the others who live there. We see it in the cleanliness, in the foodservice, in the nursing, in the therapy, and in family communication. And so we continue on. Pops will face tough challenges for the rest of his life, I am certain. I pray that I can be a comforting, kind son who leads him towards the love of God with every moment we have left.  Can I get a witness?

Car Wreck [ Friday, Apr 04, 2008 | 11:08pm ] [ mood |  peaceful ] [ music |  Third Day - "Rise Up" ] I am happy to be alive tonight. The wifey and I were heading to a Phoenix Suns game when we got clobbered on the freeway. Apparently, someone cut off a semi, which then lost control. It's bed tipped over, causing the semi to roll sideways into a pickup truck. The truck also flipped over and the semi landed on top of it. This whole mess slammed into the back of my wife's car (with me driving). There were five vehicles involved. Ours was the only one that wasn't totaled. Everyone survived the wreck, thank God. I remember hearing the loud squeal of brakes. I turned around and saw a semi tumbling towards us very quickly from behind. Without consideration of what might be in front of us, I slammed on the gas pedal. Not fast enough, but could have been much worse. I praise God for His providence and grace. He allowed the wreck. It was not on accident. But He restricted the extent of injury and damage to all parties. I remember walking back to the wreck and realizing that there was a pickup truck underneath the semi. I was afraid to look inside. I did not want to find a dead body in there. But I had to go, because the driver definitely needed help. By the time I calmed my wife and went to the pickup, the driver had already crawled out and was sitting against the retaining wall, a bloody mess. Phoenix EMTs, police officers, and firefighters arrived quickly and were really on top of it. They did such a great job and treated everyone very well. As for us, apparently God is not finished with us. We still have work to do. I think He may be using this as a reminder to be serious about Kingdom work and sensitive to the urgent need of all people. Tomorrow is not promised to you. Respond to Christ today!  Can I get a witness?

It's Just for You, Sweetie [ Monday, Dec 24, 2007 | 03:01pm ] [ mood |  distant ] [ music |  Mighty Purple - "The Way That I Feel" ] She sees him and calls out. But he no longer hears her voice. After years of intense, urgent listening, he has finally gone deaf. He sits, ghostly, in the place they once embraced. The clovers beneath him wither at his proximity. He sits alone there on the dying circle on the ground. He holds a black and white picture, amateurishly snapped, flippantly framed, and clumsily out-of-focus. He sits where he should, but her place is empty. He fades slightly then, slipping from her view. She cries out to him desperately. She knows this is her final moment with him, but he cannot respond. He is already dead. She moves to intercept his gaze, hoping for just a brief moment of eye contact, just one last connection before it's over. He peers through her, not seeing her, but only a ghost that he's kept of her for many seasons. He fades. A lone tear trembles down his cheek. She reaches out to catch it, but it passes through her hand. The dead earth gulps it down with a sigh. He becomes a mist to her briefly, then he's gone forever. On the ground, the dead circle remains. Nothing will ever grow in that spot again. She sees a golden rose sprout and bloom where the tear fell. Reaching to touch it, her hand simply passes through. "Mama!" Her daughter runs to her. "Whatcha doin'?" "Just looking at this rose, Sweetie." "What rose, Mama?" "You don't see it here?" She points at the bloom. "No, I don't." "It's just for me then, Sweetie. Let's go home." They walk away together. She turns and looks back as they leave. The rose glows under her gaze as it always does from that day on. No one else can see. The earth remains dead, baffling all but her. Many times pass. She no longer visits the rose. Perhaps she has died. But the rose continues to wait as he always had, eager to see, eager to hear, and hungry to glow once more in her eyes. It waits there still. But only she can see.  Can I get a witness?

Paradise, Soon [ Monday, Apr 24, 2006 | 01:24pm ] [ mood |  hopeful ] [ music |  Third Day - "Thief" ] I am a thief, I am a murderer Walking up this lonely hill What have I done? I don't remember No one knows just how I feel And I know that my time is coming soon. It's been so long. Oh, such a long time, Since I've lived with peace and rest Now I am here, my destination Guess things work for the best And I know that my time is coming soon. Who is this man? This man beside me, They call the King of the Jews They don't believe that He's the Messiah, But, somehow I know it's true. And they laugh at Him in mockery, And beat Him till he bleeds They nail Him to the rugged cross, And raise Him, they raise Him up next to me My time has come, I'm slowly fading, I deserve what I receive. Jesus when You are in Your kingdom Could You please remember me And He looks at me still holding on The tears fall from His eyes He says, "I tell the truth Today, you will live with Me in paradise." And I know that my time is coming soon. And I know paradise is coming soon! 8 responses | Can I get a witness?

Happy Anniversary, Wifey! [ Thursday, Apr 06, 2006 | 10:45am ] [ mood |  loved ] [ music |  Cowboy Junkies - "Anniversary Song" ] Yeah, so the Wifey and I celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary yesterday. We decided not to buy each other gifts because of the odd financial situation we're in. But her parents sent us a check with explicit instructions to enjoy a sushi dinner on them. And that's exactly what we did. There's a good restaurant called NINJA nearby, and they have this all-you-can eat special for $20. The first time we went there, we were skeptical, but the chef does a really good job with presentation and tastiness, so we have been hooked since day one. After that, we went to Mesa Frozen Yogurt and "filled in the empty spaces" (as my Wifey likes to say) with the yogurt. We were gonna jump in the hot tub when we got home, but she was way too sleepy. It's interesting to think of marriage now, considering what I used to think of it. In high school, I never thought I'd live to see the age of 30, because of the choices I frequently made. Any mention of marriage was returned with hyena-esque laughter. Just goes to show what God can do to a person when He changes their heart. I was more cynical, rebellious, and mocking than anyone I know (yep, even moreso than my LJ or Ninjai friends). To my Christian friends I'd basically say, "That's great for you, bud. But I don't believe that. I'm gonna do my own thing." But eventually He made things clear to me, and I could not reject Him anymore. I hated what He hates. I loved what He loves. And marriage is on that list. It's been such a great thing in my life. I have grown so much from devoting and sacrificing myself for my Wifey. I love her so much!!! Thank you, God, for turning this sluggish life around and showing me how to really live! Well I have known all these things And the joys that they can bring And now every morning there’s a cup of coffee And I wear your ring 2 responses | Can I get a witness?

Leaving the 99... [ Wednesday, Mar 22, 2006 | 10:14am ] [ mood |  determined ] [ music |  "Refiner's Fire" ] We had our semi-annual parent/teacher conferences on Monday night. The staff did a great job, I thought. We have come so far since last year when our youth pastor fell. We have really learned to lean on God. On Monday night, we exhorted the parents to take a more active and aggressive role in their kids' lives. We recommitted ourselves to support (not to replace) them in the process. We've seen a lot of pain in the kids' lives over the last year, and it's primarily because the parents are not going after them. Instead, parents want to be you know, the "cool parents" who let their kids have lots of freedoms. This can be a good thing, but not when taken to the extreme. As a result, we've seen kids get arrested, impregnated, addicted, and so on. There's a lot to do in our meager little area of Arizona. One student in particular has grabbed my attention. I'll call him "James" since that's the study we're going through on Sundays, and I don't want to positively identify him in case the savvy kids in our group find my LJ. Anyway, pray for James. He has all but disappeared from the ministry. He's old enough to work and drive, and that's what he does 6 days a week. His unsaved dad is instilling a work ethic in him, forcing him to work for his food and clothing at the age of 16! He enjoys his job, though, 'cause he works with older friends. So he's not really complaining. However, he's not hearing the Word, and he's backsliding in a major way. I found out on Monday that he is smoking, drinking, and has started having sex with his girlfriend. It's probably grabbed my attention because it's so similar to my own high school life 15 years ago. I know where all this can lead, and so I'm getting more involved with his life than ever before. Not long ago, his "friends" got him to play some drinking games where he was rapidly downing shots of the hard stuff. Well, he passed out and turned white as a sheet. They said they could not get a pulse from him and rushed him to the bathroom and forced him to throw up. Great friends, huh? To top it off, they have also let him drive home (on separate occasions) after he has been drinking. Yes, James holds responsibility for his actions. Both in society and with God. I can't and won't blame his crew for this stuff. But bad company corrupts good morals, as has been exhibited in James' life over the 2+ years I've known him. He claims to be a Christian based upon a prayer he uttered at Summer Camp two years ago. And he lives as if he's got God's grace and forgiveness covering all the sins he intends to commit. I am taking him to lunch on Friday, hopefully to lovingly lead him back to Christ before he does any more damage to himself. Prayers needed... 3 responses | Can I get a witness?

17 Hours for God [ Monday, Mar 20, 2006 | 12:39pm ] [ mood |  jubilant ] [ music |  Third Day - "Thief" ] Yesterday was unlike any other for me for a long time. From the moment I awoke to the moment I faded, I was intent on the things of God. I feel somewhat ashamed that I can't say this about every day, but that is one of my heartfelt goals. It began like most Sundays, this was my week to teach the high school group since the youth pastor was serving at the fire station. We are going through the book of James, teaching about temptations and trials. I taught from James 1:19-20... This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. What a great study I had all week preparing for this lesson. I was able to dig deep into those verses and uncover things I had never seen before. For one, being quick to hear is crucial before the other two exhortations can be met. Being quick to hear speaks of an eagerness and an attitude that wants to hear what God (more than anyone else) has to say. I need to have this attitude more often. Being slow to speak means that you cannot hear what others (especially God) are saying if you are always talking. But it's more than outward speech. If your inward thoughts are constantly bouncing around in your head, you won't be able to comprehend what God may be trying to teach you. So take a breath! Both a physical and mental one. Being slow to anger speaks of hesitating when the urge to lash out at others rises up within you. But again, it's not enough to simply squelch your hateful speech. You must deal with it at the source, and that is the lust of your very own heart. (I keep saying "you" and "your" here, but I'm really referring to "I" and "me" and "my".) Anyway, it's not enough to correct a behavior. If the hateful thought is welling up in your (my) heart towards someone, then I've already committed murder in my heart. And this anger does not further God's kingdom nor His righteousness -- which is a wake up call for me, because I do want to be more like Him and less like me. So after church and lunch and our discipleship class (I led the same youth group from a discussion of the morning's sermon we heard, which was from 1 Corinthians 1:30-31), a few of us from the Praise Team (I play guitar) went to the Third Day concert in Glendale. The show started at 7pm, and we all had a good time. I enjoyed the music and the message. I was glad that they weren't ashamed to sing about Jesus or to even speak His name and testify what He's doing in their lives. That part was all great. But I was a little disappointed that they left out important issues like the need to repent of sin and the importance of the church in the life of a believer. It seems like they presented a message that Jesus can comfort you and give you peace and security (all of which is true). But they left out the part where you have to come His way, which is humbly, without your pride and your works and your abilities. Jesus wants your heart, not your pocketbook or your skills. Still, it was an uplifting concert. Yeah, it's easy for me to critique since I was in the audience. I'm sure I've missed important points myself when I'm teaching in a class. I trust in God's sovereignty to work in the hearts of those who attended. He can and will use us, despite our own depravity. It took me about 90 minutes to make it home (I was furthest out east among all the car-poolers), and I could feel myself falling asleep as I walked upstairs to my bedroom. My wifey snuggled me really close when I climbed in bed. She's always a nice, warm snuggler when I get to bed late. Can't beat that! 5 responses | Can I get a witness?

Prayer Needed From Those "Outside the Fire" [ Wednesday, Mar 08, 2006 | 12:42pm ] [ mood |  hopeful ] [ music |  PK7 - "Strong Tower" ] Hi all. I haven't posted much here in a long time, but I wanted to share a prayer request from my good friend and brother in Christ, Oliver. Ollie is a Native American who is serving with the US Army in Iraq. He is currently on his second year-long tour over there, and our church family here in Phoenix misses him tremendously. His 14 year-old son is one of my Bible study students on Sundays. I just got an email from Ollie today. He's requesting true prayer from true Christians. This email is long, but it is very specific as to the soldiers' needs over there (both Christian and not). So please spare a few minutes today to read and pray for Ollie and others mentioned in this email. It's a long read, but I think it will help give you some perspective and to be serious about prayer. There are just so many souls who need to be lifted up... ( View Ollie's Email ) 2 responses | Can I get a witness?

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