Sitting in Christ

The God of our Lord Jesus Christ,...raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
(Ephesians 1:17-21)

and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
(Ephesians 2:6-9)

I am reading a book called "Sit, Walk, Stand" by Watchman Nee. The book is a study of Ephesians, which breaks the book down like this...

I. Ephesians
A. Doctrinal (Chapters 1 - 3)
1. Our Position in Christ (1:1 - 3:21)

B. Practical (Chapters 4 - 6)
1. Our Life in the World (4:1 - 6:9)
2. Our Attitude to the Enemy (6:10 - 6:24)

In the chapter titled "Sit", Nee talks about our position in Christ (1:1 - 3:21). Nee says

"Most Christians make the mistake of trying to walk in order to be able to sit, but that is a reversal of the true order. Our natural reason says, If we do not walk, how can we ever reach the goal? What can we attain without effort? How can we ever get anywhere if we do not move? But Christianity is a queer business! If at the outset we try to do anything, we get nothing; if we seek to attain something, we miss everything. For Christianity begins not with a big DO but a big DONE. Thus Ephesians opens with the statement that God has 'blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ' (1:3) and we are invited at the very onset to sit down and enjoy what God has done for us; not to set out to try and attain it for ourselves."

Later on, Nee says

"no Christian experience begins with walking, but always with a definite sitting down. The secret of deliverance from sin is not to do something but to rest on what God has done...when you cease doing, then God will begin."

With this revelation God has shown me some vital concepts. In discussing a particular struggle I was going through, my pastor explained that I had three options...

"Irreligiously--you can justify continuing in this struggle: (There are a) host of excuses that justify our sinful thoughts and ways. This, obviously misses the mark on reflecting God's glory."

This is the philosophy that so many who struggle with sin choose. Ultimately they are choosing to not deal with the issue at all. As fallen, sinful humans we would rather go on sinning than change. Change means that we will have to hand over a part of our lives to Christ where we have previously relied on something else (a functional savior) to provide a quick fix in that area. Trying to justify a sin shows that we don't want to place our faith in Jesus in this area of our lives.

"Religiously--you can just try harder. But this leaves you to do so only in your own power that leaves you with a cycle of disappointment or pride, both of which will not please the heart of God."

This is the state I was previously in. I hated my sin and I agonized over it constantly. I fought, and wrestled, yet I never gave it to Christ. I tried to overcome with my own power. Each time I fought, I lost sooner or later. Never once when asking Christ to take it did I actually let Him have it.

Finally,

"Repentance--this is the only way to live in line with the truth revealed in the gospel. To confess where we do not live in line with the truth and to understand that if we walk after the Spirit we WILL NOT fulfill the lust of the flesh (Paul to the Romans). Seek strength and change from God alone because with him, all things are possible and you CAN DO all things through Christ that strengthens you. Simply confess and reckon your life in light of the truth. In true repentance you will grow to reflect the Savior."

I had already heard this alot in my life but I never got what it meant to stop trying and just walk in the Spirit. The part I was missing was SIT and REST!

Nee goes on later in Chapter 2 to explain

"The Christian's secret is his rest in Christ. His power derives from his God given position. All who sit in Christ can walk, for in the thought of God the one follows the other spontaneously. We sit forever with Christ that we may walk continuously before men. Forsake for a moment our place of rest in Him, and immediately we are tripped and our testimony in the world is marred. But abide in Christ, and our position there ensures the power to walk worthy of Him here. If you desire an illustration of this kind of progress, think, first of all, not of a runner in a race but of a man in a car, or better still, of a cripple in a power-driven invalid carriage. What does he do? He goes--but he also sits. And he keeps going because he remains sitting. His progress follows from the position in which he has been placed. This, of course, is a far-from-perfect picture of the Christian life, but it may serve to remind us that our conduct and behaviour depend fundamentally upon our inward rest in Christ."

This has helped me to just chill out in Jesus. As He moves, I move in Him.

To a people with a very "religious" way of life, commanded by very "religious" teachers, Jesus made them an offer. He said

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."
(Matthew 11:28-29)

Jesus, I appreciate Your offer and I accept. Thank You. I Love You

Who is The King of Rock?

Yesterday was the 30th anniversary of Elvis Presley's death. Fan's worldwide took time to remember the man who many called the "King". After thinking about this term "King", I started thinking about the various "kings" of our culture. Anybody who has set themself apart in their particular field is eligible for "king" status. Elvis - The King of Rock 'n' Roll, Michael Jackson - The King of Pop, Arnold Palmer - The King of Golf, and Richard Petty - The King of Stock Car Racing come to mind. Not to mention the many professional wrestlers who have laid claim to being "lords" over the squared-circle.

All of these have their followers and I realize that I too get caught up from time to time in honoring some of these men for their accomplishments. However, none of these men would be able to excel to the levels that they have in their respective professions if the One Who is King over them all didn't allow it.

No matter what we do or what we may accomplish, Jesus is King and Lord over every facet of life. Some of these men who have had this title bestowed upon them acknowledged Christ at times in their life. Elvis was noted for not wanting the title of "The King" unless it was specified that it was Rock 'n' Roll that he was the king of. I wonder if Elvis ever took the time to stop and think that Jesus was the TRUE King of Rock. Many people who considered themselves Christ followers at the time of Elvis' heyday thought that Rock 'n' Roll was Satan's music, wrongly placing the crown on the devil's head.

Whether it be music (of any genre), sports, or hand-basket weaving, Jesus Christ is Lord and King over it, and we would be terribly remiss to not acknowledge this very fact.

Abraham Kuyper said it well when he said “In the total expanse of human life there is not a single square inch of which the Christ, who alone is sovereign,does not declare,'That is mine!'”

When Jesus returns to this earth, his tattoo will say it best...
"On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords." Revelation 19:16

Message In A Blog...

I've not really been good at updating the blog as I might should be. My last two posts were kinda draining and with no feedback to respond to I just decided to let those stand for a while as a marking of how I felt. No need to go down that path here on this post though. There will be one final post on that topic but I am waiting for the officials to say "case closed" before I really am ready to discuss that again.

I watched Live Earth on Saturday and watched quite a bit of the stuff I cared to see on YouTube. I was particularly interested in seeing what The Police, Genesis, The Smashing Pumpkins, and the Foo Fighters would bring to the table and I was pleased with all of the above, except for the Police allowing Kanye West butcher Message in a Bottle. Other than that it was good to see the old guys like Phil Collins and Sting getting the job done like it was 1980, lol!

Yesterday and today I was granted opportunities to express my commitment to following Jesus and spreading redemption wherever I go. One person really was interesting to talk to. I was told that I was denying the power of God after I quoted Scripture to prove his legalism wrong. Another couple I spoke with really uplifted and encouraged me and really made me smile because it showed that the changes God is making in me are outwardly visible and I am happy that I am changing before people's very eyes. Sometimes you and the ones you're around all of the time don't notice when change is taking place in your life and it helps to get an outsiders perspective on what the situation looks like.

Well, let me leave you with something I was reading over the past few days from the book of Joel...

Joel 2:12-13 "Yet even now," declares the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments." Return to the LORD, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.

Remembering "The Crippler" Chris Benoit

"The Canadian Crippler"
Chris Benoit

May 21, 1967 - June 24, 2007

Major Career Accomplishments:
WCW World Television Champion (3 times)
WCW/ECW/WWE Tag Team Champion (7 times)
WCW/WWE United States Champion (5 times)
WWE Intercontinental Champion (4 times)
WCW/WWE World Heavyweight Champion (2 times)

2004 Royal Rumble Winner
2004 Wrestler of the Year
2004 Feud of the Year (w/ Triple H)
2004 Match of the Year (WrestleMania 20)
Many more accomplishments in Japan, Canada, and Mexico

Became a Member of the Four Horsemen in 1996

As a wrestling fan for many years I have seen a lot of talent come and go, but none more intense or hard working than Chris Benoit.

Chris Benoit idolized the Dynamite Kid growing up, and because of him decided to get into professional wrestling. After training with the legendary Hart family and wrestling in promotions in Canada, Mexico, and Japan, Chris brought his talent to the United States at WCW.

According to Wikipedia, Chris Benoit first came to WCW in June 1992, teaming up with fellow Canadian wrestler Beef Wellington for the NWA World Tag Team title tournament; they were defeated by Brian Pillman and Jushin Liger in the first round. He wouldn't return to WCW, until January 1993 at the Clash of the Champions, defeating Brad Armstrong. A month later at SuperBrawl III, he took 2 Cold Scorpio to the limit, but got pinned with only 3 seconds left in the 20-minute time limit. At the same time, he formed a tag team with Bobby Eaton . After he and Eaton lost to Scorpio and Marcus Bagwell at Slamboree, Benoit headed back to Japan. During this first run I was not a WCW fan and only briefly remember him from this time period.

After spending some time back in the orient, Benoit came back to the states in 1994 and wrestled for about a year in ECW before returning to WCW. During this run Benoit rose to national prominence and stayed with the company as a rising, and later, main event star until around Jan. 2000.

After winning the WCW World Heavyweight Championship in January of 2000, Chris Benoit forfeited the belt and left WCW to go wrestle for the WWE. When Chris got to WCW it was as if he had to start all over and he had to work his way back up the ladder. From the time he came to the WWE until 2004, Chris won multiple title belts and accomplished alot. He broke his neck in 2001 and continued to wrestle for a period of time before undergoing surgery to correct the problem.

In 2004, "The Crippler" had his best year in the business. He won the Royale Rumble in January, beat Shawn Michaels and, incumbent champion, Triple H to win the World Heavyweight Title at WrestleMania 20, and at years end declared Wrestler of the Year by Pro Wrestling Illustrated.

Since losing the World Heavyweight Title in August later that year he won more titles and was the number one contender for the ECW Heavyweight Championship, now under the WWE umbrella, as of last week.

As a fan it is my privilege to say that I got to see one of the very best ring technicians work his magic in person at WrestleMania 23 this past April. Chris Benoit was one of the best in ring performers I ever saw and nothing can take that away.

Benoit, his wife Nancy, and their 7-year old son Daniel were found dead in their home this past Monday, June 25, 2007. Chris Benoit was 40.

The Benoit Family Tragedy (UPDATED 6/27)

Yesterday afternoon, Chris Benoit, his wife Nancy, and their only child together Daniel were found dead in their Georgia home. Cause of death has yet to be determined although their is no one outside of the home being suspected.

Before the grizzly details of this tragic tale come out later today and in the coming weeks, I want to make it known that I love and cherish the memory of Chris Benoit. What happened at the horrid end could put Chris in a bad light, and there is nothing right about murder under any circumstances, but I will remember the Chris Benoit who entertained me for ten plus years and the person who showed more intensity in the ring and respect for the "sport" outside the ring more than almost anyone else ever. He was a true champion in the wrestling business. He earned everything he ever got.

I have been up for over twenty four hours and have been very upset about this whole story, but I will update this blog entry later with some memories of the Chris Benoit his fans loved and cheered for along with some of the hard theological truths God is teaching me throughout this most saddening event.

Till then, pray for Chris Benoit's family, including his two children from a previous marriage and also pray for any family Nancy had. God Bless The Benoit Family...

Pray for the best,
H (9:37 AM, 6/26/07)


It is now about 1:30 AM (6/27) and the details I am reading of the Benoit family deaths are even more sick and twisted than I could have imagined. Until another day or two has passed I am holding off on blogging about the tragic side of this story. I am changing the title of this blog and making a new post to celebrate the career of Chris Benoit. Once I am ready to discuss my feelings on the real life tragedy I will delete this post and replace it with a new one.

Continue to pray for Chris and Nancy's respective families as they grieve the loss of their loved ones.

(1:54, 6/27/07)

Totally Different

As I sit here in my cousin's room at my Aunt and Uncle's home in Firebrick, Ky I reflect on the changes that have taken place in my life over the past year. Although I am still a bum living at home with my parents, and although I am still only employed at UPS working less than part time, I have changed alot over the last year.

Some of the changes are as trivial as the fact that my favorite show on Monday nights is not WWE Raw anymore, but has been replaced by '24'.

Other changes are more politically minded seeing as I no longer will base my votes as much on who is anti-gay but more so on who is serious about immigration reform.

My concern no longer is as much with people who say four letter words like hell, damn, shit, and fu...well you get my drift...but is more so with people who say four letter words like love and care yet show none to anyone who doesn't eventually benefit themselves.

I am still bothered by abortion and evolution but now more equally bothered by people who blow up abortion clinics in the name of Christ and those who defend the literal six day Creation story by obnoxiously shouting Bible verses in judgement and screaming that the evolutionists are going straight to hell.

I am also more bothered by me. I am the worst offender at times and I fail God on a daily basis, but instead of begging and pleading for God to rapture me out of this old world or let me die, I am asking God to change me daily to make me more of who He wants me to be and thanking Him for the oportunity to serve in His kingdom and live life in faith that no matter how bad it seemingly gets I am in my Father's hand and He will work everything out to where He gets the glory regardless of how bad my circumstances may seem.

Thank you Jesus for your continuous work in the redemption of my outlook on life. Let me always be Gospel minded, spreading redemption, and busy representing your kingdom, rule, and reign.

CHLOE! STOP DOWNLOADING THOSE SCHEMATICS FOR JACK AND GIVE ME A FREAKIN' HUG!

Yesterday was a big day for the city of Trenton, MI. Arguably it's biggest native star came back for a very special homecoming. Last night the mayor of Trenton proclaimed June 4, 2007 as Mary Lynn Rajskub Day to honor the actress who plays Chloe O'Brien on the Emmy Award winning TV series '24'!

Since I love 24 so much I went and was the first person there (along with my two friends Spears and Decker). Because we arrived earlier than anyone else we were interviewed by our local Fox affiliate and were rushed to the front of the line to meet the hometown star. All in all it was a fun day. Thanks to the Mayor and City Council people of Trenton for treating "the five o'clockers" like stars and thanks to Mary Lynn for being so down to earth and a genuinely nice person.

Click here to see me on the news...

Confederate Memorial Day

In Loving Memory of
John Bumgardner II
February 2, 1838 - October 9, 1891

A Distinguished Service Member of the 6th North Carolina Cavalry
in the
Confederate States of America

... and my Great, Great, Great Grandfather

Confederate Memorial Day

Author Unknown

The marching armies of the past

Along our Southern plains,

Are sleeping now in quiet rest

Beneath the Southern rains.

The bugle call is now in vain

To rouse them from their bed;

To arms they’ll never march again—

They are sleeping with the dead.

No more will Shiloh’s plains be stained

With blood our heroes shed,

Nor Chancellorsville resound again

To our noble warriors’ tread.

For them no more shall reveille

Sound at the break of dawn,

But may their sleep peaceful be

Till God’s great judgment morn.

We bow our heads in solemn prayer

For those who wore the gray,

And clasp again their unseen hands

On our Memorial Day.

Pentecost

Today, many groups of congregating Christians will talk about Memorial Day, maybe about honoring the troops that have died to keep our country free, or possibly even the "soldiers" in "God's Army" that have laid down their lives to ensure that the Gospel message is spread.

I have no idea what the group I meet with will focus on but I wouldn't be shocked if it were Acts 2 and 4. While our group has been parked here in these two chapters for over a month, today Acts 2 has a special hallmark meaning. Today is Pentecost. In some sense it is the birthday of the church.

I don't have a lot of my own personal thoughts to give you on this topic except I encourage you to ponder on this a bit today and re-read Acts 1-2. Look at the events that lead up to this amazing experience. Think about what the Spirit did that day and how it affects us. Go ahead and read chapters 3-8 and see how what the spirit did at Pentecost affected the lives of the believers for the next three to five years. I would encourage you to read through the whole book of Acts and just bathe in the history of the church and the history of the spreading of the Gospel. As you read, pray that God would pour His spirit on you so, that with boldness and passion like never before, you will have a desire to glorify God, spread the Gospel, and live Jesus in every area and aspect of your life.

While your at it check out "The Internet Monk" and read his blog on this subject.

Sam's Town and Dale's Nation

Sam's Town

--------

Wednesday night I went to Sam's Town. By the time my visit was over I was definitely a Victim. Of who you may ask...? Well the Killers of course.


The boys were one of the best concerts I've ever seen and I would go back again even if I was by myself. Thanks to Joe, Douche bag, Mike, "Monique", three random homeless guys, possibly Nick Lidstrom of the Detroit Red Wings, the cute blonde from Chelli's Chilli Bar & Grill, and of course, the Killers for providing the ingredients for a great day in the city of Detroit. Honorable mentions for Arthur, the "Harp"ist, and the Bell's for aiding in the fun of the day :)

--------------------

Dale's Nation
----------

Thursday morning, the rumor I heard Wed. night was confirmed. At 11:00 AM, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. announced that he is leaving Dale Earnhardt Inc. at the end of the 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup season. After negotiating for months in an attempt to receive 51% ownership of the company along with extending his driving contract with them, Junior made the announcement that he is a free agent after this year. He made this decision so he could put himself in a position to start winning races and championships. So far DEI has not been able to provide him with the tools to get a championship on the mantle.

Only one thing is known about Junior's ride for next season: it'll definitely be sponsored by Budweiser. Other than that, it's open for speculation on the future of the sport's most popular driver.

Car Number: There is a good chance that he will not be the #8 because the car numbers are leased by the teams from NASCAR on a yearly basis, with the number's previous owner retaining first dibs on it's number(s) from the previous year. With Theresa Earnhardt being a bitch about giving Dale, Jr. his birthright, there is no reason to expect her to let him take the #8 with him wherever he goes.

Car Make/Model: Although Junior stated that he would prefer to continue driving Chevys, he refused to limit his options to only Chevy teams. That opens the door for him to drive for any championship level team, regardless of what car make that particular owner supports.

Race Team: While the possibility remains that Earnhardt could wind up in a Dodge (which is not horrible), a Ford (which is not desirable), or a Toyota (which is blasphemous), he will likely race for a top tier Chevy team. That would narrow it down to Joe Gibbs Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, and Richard Childress Racing.

Joe Gibbs Racing is a respectable organization that has won three Winston/Nextel Cups in the past 7 years. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. would compliment this organization nicely in that all three of it's current drivers are young, hard racers. Tony Stewart, who has won two of the three championships for the team, is good friends with Junior and seeming would fit together well as teammates. On the other side, Joe Gibbs is a Christian. As some Christians believe it is a sin to partake in the consumption, sale, or advertising of alcoholic beverages, I speculate on Joe Gibbs position on this issue and if would cause him to not let Dale drive a Bud Chevy for Gibbs racing. While unfortunate if this is the case, I would respect Gibbs for standing on his personal convictions.

Hendrick Motorsports is another high level Chevy team which houses not only the teams of current Nextel Cup Champ. Jimmie Johnson, but the 4x championship team of Jeff Gordon. The only positive from this fan's perspective to a Junior/Hendrick marriage is a good championship caliber organization pushing a championship drive for this championship-less driver. The downside for me is him being a teammate to the three drivers I wish the worst of racing luck to (Kyle Busch, Gordon, and Johnson). The main problem Junior would have getting a ride with Hendrick is that Hendrick already fields 4 cars each week on the track, the maximum number of cars NASCAR allows for any owner to field. It is unlikely that Hendrick would get rid of any of his drivers to make room for Junior.

Finally there is Richard Childress Racing. The Childress organization has been around since 1968 and has won a total of 6 NASCAR Cup Championships, all won by Dale Earnhardt, Sr. . The elder Earnhardt drove for Richard Childress Racing from 1984 until his death in 2001. Of course RCR is the fans emotional pick for Junior to race for. Nothing would be more fitting than to see an Earnhardt driving a #3 again. Childress has always had an open door for Junior and it seems like a marriage made in racing heaven.

There could be an announcement as soon as today but only Junior knows what lies ahead for sure.

Just a beautiful day...

Today I was work when the sun came up. As I walked outside to finish up at the job, the sun hit my eyes. When it did I had to shield my eyes because it's radiance was to much for my eyes to look on. Then I thought about the glory of God and His radiance. I thought about Revelations 21:23-25, which states,

"And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day--and there will be no night there."

Then after I came home from work I stepped out on the front porch and looked at the beautiful creations before my eyes and how nice my street looked at that time of day. I thanked God silently for the beautiful world He made and the wonderful sights I had seen this morning.

Jesus Saved My Cell Phone

Last night, while goofing off in the Texas Roadhouse parking lot, my cell phone wound up on the hood of my friend's car. My friend pulled away and moments later I realized that I probably would never see that phone again. I prayed and asked God to let me find my phone. I drove around the parking lot and looked around for it but it was gone for sure. I then asked God to let it bee hung between the hood of the car and the windshield wipers or something weird. However I got it back, I knew it would be because God allowed me to keep it. I drove down Eureka looking along the road hoping that I would see it in one piece, but that was not to be. I got home and called my friends and told them I thought I left my phone on the hood of the car. They said they didn't see it at first, but then with sheer amazement, it was announced that while they drove it was still sitting on the hood!. It had survived Kat's erratic driving and sat right where it probably lay the whole trip!

During a time when I have been wondering about why I feel so far from God and I have felt so guilty concerning my inability to get rid of some sinful habits and gain some holy disciplines, God came through for me. He let me know in a very small way that he hasn't abandoned me and more importantly that he is truly with me.

Thank You Lord for this little blessing, this tiny token of Your love. I ask that You would work more miracles for me, larger ones that concern some sin in my life that, without Your help, I cannot overcome. I ask that You would help me and empower me to not let sin reign in my mortal body but help me submit the offending desires and parts of my body to You for You to use for Your glory. I pray this not only for myself, but also for my brothers and sisters who struggle with bringing their desires and bodies under subjection to You. Thanks, praise, and glory to You again and Amen!

Thoughts While Reading Romans

I want to preface this with a thank you...

God, as a boy and then a young man, being raised in a Christian home, I learned a lot about You. I heard about You all the time. I was taught about You from birth yet I did not seek You out in a real, personal way. Even though You gave me the faith for salvation at age 6 and I was constantly hearing about You, learning in Sunday School about You, sitting in during preaching about You, singing songs about You, listening to music about You, reading things about You, talking about You, and enjoying You while doing those things, I never enjoyed or put much effort into reading and studying Your Word. Even when I did force myself to read or study Your Word it was usually so I could answer a question, or win an argument/debate, or show somebody else what the Scripture said about whatever at the time. I thank You so much for changing me in this area of my life. Now, because of Your continued work in me, I enjoy reading and studying Your inspired Word. Now I read Your Word not only so I can get an answer for a question, or so I can show somebody else what You have to say concerning any and every subject, but I read it so I can hear from You and communicate with You. I read it so You can teach me Your ways, teach me Your precepts, and teach me how to live life in such a way that I can most glorify You and live, preach, and teach the gospel of Jesus in such a way to be faithful to Your truth and be culturally relevant at the same time. Thank You and Amen.


A little less than a year ago, while studying the "doctrines of grace", I decided to take a little trip (lol) through the book of Romans. If your wondering why I laughed it is because Romans, while only 16 Chapters in length, is so theologically packed that a little trip could take a while. Anyways, a little trip I took. By making an outline in a notebook, I went through and unpacked everything that Romans had to say in about four weeks...or so I thought. I though "OK, I can just check that right off...I have read through Romans. I got all that down..." Boy, was I wrong!

In the past month God has been revealing to me some of the areas of my life that I have not surrendered to Him. He has been showing me those areas where I haven't let go of sin even though He has has broken sin's power to hang on to me. During this "Fatherly trip to the woodshed", He has taken me to Romans 6:1-14 for the past two weeks and parked me there so I can chew on what He has to say concerning His grace for me when I do sin and why I should not sin so I can use more grace. He has shown me that in Christ I am free from bondage to sin even though my flesh may still try to convince me otherwise. He has shown me that life is a war against the deeds of the body and that I must passionately and violently put them to death. Finally, he has showed me that the reason that I cannot let sin reign in my mortal body is because He reigns as King over the kingdom of my heart and I must fight to keep Him central in my life. I have got to present my body parts (my eyes, ears, tongue, hands, feet, and more) to Him as instruments (or weapons) of righteousness and not allow sin to use those weapons for unrighteousness. My sin controlled existence was crucified on the cross with Christ and I was given a redeemed, resurrection existence when Christ was raised from the dead. Thank You God!

Romans is a huge book of the Bible from a theological perspective, and I believe that if we all chewed our way through the contents of Romans that God would reveal to us things that we have never thought of or focused on in the way that He had Paul present it to us.

Putting to death the deeds of the body...

Good by Bleach

What goes around, comes around
And I can’t breathe
What holds me up is what holds me down
And I am more unstable than I seem

My heart is bare
There’s not much there

But I believe you’ve given me
More than I could know
But I know this
You are good

I’ve fought the fight against myself
And I’ve lost the fight again
My body’s broke from falling down
Just give me one more chance this time I’ll win

My heart is bare
But I know that you’re there

My eyes are weak I can barely see
A glimmer of your gold but its enough to know
You are good

And through it all you’ve given me
A peace that overflows
Oh how I know
That you are good

So good to me
You are good 

Good Friday

This morning as I sit and reflect on the significance of what is celebrated today I think about some of the misconceptions I always had about the Crucifixion of my Lord Jesus. At one time I thought that when Jesus died He did most of all for me. He did it to purchase my salvation, no doubt, but I used to think it was all about His love for me.

How arrogant of me!

How could I think that when Jesus died he was doing it most of all to obtain for me the benefits of salvation, or that He let Himself undergo such excruciating pain most of all for me to be able to live a pretty good life until I die? How dare I reduce the shed blood of Jesus to a payment for my "mansion" in glory? How self worshiping of me to think that He allowed those people to put Him through all of that humiliation so most of all I can get goosebumps when I get blessed through a sermon, song, movie, good meal, fun times with friends, a peaceful nights rest, or whatever? God, please forgive me for such arrogance!

Don't get me wrong, I believe that:

1. Jesus Died in Our Place (1 Corinthians 15:3)
2. Jesus Died to Crush Our Enemies (Colossians 2:13-15)
3. Jesus Died For Our Freedom (Titus 2:13-14)
4. Jesus Died as Our Sacrifice (Ephesians 5:2)
5. Jesus Died For Our Unrighteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21)
6. Jesus Died to Forgive Us (Romans 3:23-24)
7. Jesus Died to Take Our Wrath (1 John 4:10)
8. Jesus Died for the Church (Ephesians 5:25)
9. Jesus Died to Pay Our Debt (1 Timothy 2:5-6)
10. Jesus Died as Our Example (1 Peter 2:21)
11. Jesus Died to Cleanse Our Filth (1 John 1:7)
12. Jesus Died to Reveal God (John 1:18)

But more than all of these things Christ died to glorify the Father and His name (John 12:27-28).

John 12:27-28 "Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name." Then a voice came from heaven: "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again."

John Piper, the Pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church has this insight into what Jesus is saying here. Piper writes, "He refused to ask the Father to spare him from his hour. He went on through to face his hour for you and me. "The Son of God loved me and gave himself for me." But supremely, according to our text, he did it for the glory of his Father. He prayed, "Father glorify thy name." He knew that God would be glorified through his death, for his death would open the way for his Father to have mercy on sinners without denying his justice. The glory of his Father demanded the death of Jesus. And in the final analysis, when push came to shove, Jesus loved his Father's glory even more than his own life. And so he prayed, "Father glorify thy name." And the Father confirmed the decision of the Son and showed his approval with a voice from heaven: "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again." The voice signified to all who had ears to hear, especially in the crowd, that what lay ahead of Jesus was crucial business for it would glorify the Father. The cross, far from showing the Father abandoning Jesus, in reality shows the Father glorifying himself through Jesus. The Father glorifies himself through the death of his Son and the mercy he extends to sinners through it. The Son is glorified through the cross because it reveals him as one who loves the glory of God more than his own life."

So as we reflect on all that Jesus did on that day so long ago, let's not forget that we should follow His example and put glorifying God above everything else we do and not forget to glorify God in all that we do.

1 Corinthians 10:31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

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Dominus Novo

WrestleMania 23 - My Take

On Sunday morning I woke up with a magical feeling inside of me. I knew that today was the day that one of greatest childhood fantasies would be realized. I was preparing to attend my first WrestleMania.

We left the house at about 3:00 PM and were stuck in traffic for about 2 and a half hours until we finally got of the freeway and parked. The vibe of something big was in the air. People flocking from all over the world and converging in one place, for one purpose: to celebrate the history of wrestling and the hard work that today's wrestling superstars have put in over the last year to entertain us fans each and every week.

As we entered the doors of Ford Field, I purposely kept my eyes lowered so as to not see anything inside the arena area until I got to my seat. I wanted the first time my eyes viewed the stage and the ring to be a special moment...and it was.

Between the sound, lights, pyro, and of course the wrestling it was truly an awesome experience. I was a part of the largest crowd in Ford Field history and the second largest crowd in WrestleMania history with 80,103 fans filling every possible place from wich the show could be seen. Folks from all 50 states, 9 of the 10 Canadian provinces, and 25 different countries attended the twenty - third annual edition of the "Showcase of the Immortals".

Although the outcome of every match was not what I wanted to happen, the night was truly one of the greatest experiences of my life. It was well worth the money I paid for the show and even knowing that John Cena would make my favorite wrestler of all time tap out I would still go again if I had the chance.


I will go to another WrestleMania someday. My only vow is to get better seats :)

The 2007 WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony

[EDIT] Pics from far away I took, lol. ENJOY :)

Well, I just woke up. It is Sunday, April 1, 2007. 12:00 PM

Last night my brother and I, along with my friend Justin and 4,497 other people, attended the 2007 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. I am not going to give you a full run down of the event because with my emotional thoughts it would be very lengthy but you can read such a review HERE. The event was very classy and it was being held at the FOX Theatre. The whole night my face was covered in a mix of sweat and tears as I watched some of the greatest wrestling legends get one of the final big jewels that can go into the crown of a professional wrestler.

A few take away notes...

• I stood about five feet from Jimmy Hart as he was doing an interview.
• Before the show the ushers presented every attendee with a commemorative HoF program that recognized those being inducted last night, those who have been previously inducted, and the two who have passed away since last year.
• After the show was over the ushers passed out a commemorative WWE HoF medallion.
• While the superstars were waiting inside their buses, I and/or my brother waved to and got responses from Arn Anderson and Sgt. Slaughter. We also saw Blackjack Lanza, Mae and Moohlah, Matt Hardy, Ashley, Lashley, Kenny Dykstra, RVD, Mr. Fuji, and Elijah Burke.

I will post pictures up on a later date but I want to say that it is truly an honor and a priveledge to have personally been a witness to the honoring of these great wrestling superstars

Thank you to Nick Bockwinkle, Afa, Sika, The Sheik, Mr. Fuji, Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, Curt Henning, and Dusty Rhodes for entertaining me at some point within the last 23 years.
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Now, the thing that I have waited on for one year is only six hours away.

The only event that has captured my heart on an annual basis ever since I can remember is WrestleMania. I can remember sitting on couches watching the excitement from the comforts of my home and I would think "WOW, I have got to go to one of these!" I used to wonder if they would ever come back to Detroit and if they did would I be lucky enough to attend? Well now they are...and I am...

Ring of Honor: My WrestleMania Warm-Up

My brother and I just got home from our WrestleMania warm up event. Philadelphia's Ring of Honor presented "All Star Extravaganza III". Over all it was a great show and I truly enjoyed watching some of the young guns of wrestling go at it before the WWE machine gets them and makes them sports entertainers.

This one tag team, the Briscoe Brothers won the ROH Tag Team Titles from some Japanese guys. The kicker here was that one of the Briscoes (Mark Briscoe) was legitamately injured when he landed on his head attempting a flip out on to the concrete floor. Early reports say that he suffered a severe concussion. His tag partner Jay Briscoe finished the match and won the Tag Titles for his brother.

Some TNA stars were on hand and involved in the event. Chris Sabin, Alex Shelly, Homicide, Austin Aries, and Christopher Daniels. The biggest surprise of the night was a special appearance by James E. Cornette! Cornette worked the mic as me and my brother marked out hard for the Louisville Slugger.

The best part of the night was not a match but a man. Signing autographs at the show was the two-time former WWE (WWWF) Champion, BRUNO SAMMARTINO! Bruno was an incredibly nice man and took the time to talk to and shake the hand of everyone who came up for his autograph. I got an autographed Classic Superstars action figure and my brother got an 8 by 10.





During the show, Bruno entered the ring and talked about his disgust for the current wrestling product on TV and he praised ROH for bringing honor and respect back to the sport of wrestling. As Bruno was wrapping up a loud mouthed manager, Larry Sweeney and his wrestler Chris Hero came and started smart mouthing Bruno. Bruno was outnumbered when another ROH star, Nigel McGuinness came and took care of Hero and then held Sweeney while Bruno laid him out. A great moment to be a part of for sure.

Although no digital cameras were allowed I tried to take a few pics of Bruno and Jim Cornette w/ a throw away. I'll add them to this blog when I get them developed.

Thank you Bruno Sammartino for pioneering the sport I enjoy the most. Your contributions to pro-wrestling will never be forgotten.

It's a magical world...

Over the next few days I am going to be in a world of magic and excitement. A world filled with hall of famers, an animal, a dead man, a marine, a showstopper, billionaires, a Samoan bulldozer, a little baby, a big red machine, a giant, a king, an Irish fighter, a punk, a Kennedy, a rated R superstar, high fliers, legends, a legend killer, extremists, divas, a rabid wolverines, and an MVP. It is a world that only exists once a year and it's borders encompass a different city every year. It's not Camelot, Disneyland, or Candy Mountain. The world is known as WrestleMania Week and I am as excited as a sixteen year old behind the wheel of a brand new Ferrari.

My history as a wrestling fan began around the same time I did. I was kind of born a fan. My brother who is twelve years older than me was a wrestling fan and he passed the love down to his baby brother. He grew up watching wrestling during the 70s and saw some of the men who blazed the path for the guys I would grown up watching. Guys like Bruno Sammartino, Bob Backlund, Superstar Billy Graham, Dusty Rhodes, Harley Race, Roddy Piper, and Andre the Giant.

My first memory of watching wrestling is also one of my first memories period. Hulk Hogan ripping off his yellow and red Hulkamania shirt is an image that will forever be burned into my mind. Growing up Hulk was my hero and to this day I will pop out of my seat when the Hulkster re-emerges onto the scene.

As I grew into my teenage years, my natural rebelliousness lead me to like edgier characters. One such character was a brash young up-n-comer named Shawn Michaels. Much like Ric Flair before him, Michaels was a cocky, long haired prettyboy, who not only was a smartass on the mic but could back it up between the ropes. His brash attitude and pure ability appealed to my own desires to be a rebel who can talk a good game and play it just as well. He is my favorite wrestler of all time.

Over the next week I will be posting blogs about my experiences as I roam the Metro-Detroit area searching for opportunities to meet the superstars and legends that have captivated me since I was a kid. WrestleMania 23 is only five days away so get ready for a full review of my experiences this weekend.

Remembering "The Golden Boy"

Remembering:

"The Golden Boy"
Arnold Skaaland
January 21, 1925 - March 13, 2007

As a wrestler, Arnold Skaaland was fearless, taking on much larger men, and always giving them a fight. In 1967, he and Spiros Arion won the old WWE United States Tag Team Championship.

Another generation of fans remember Skaaland as a manager, regularly accompanying Bruno Sammartino to the ring during both of his WWE Championship runs. He also performed the same task for Bob Backlund during his reign as champion.

Skaaland was a legend in all facets of sports-entertainment, and in 1994, he became a member of the first full class inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

"The Golden Boy" Arnold Skaaland, WWE Hall of Famer and a member of the WWE family for over 50 years, passed away March 13, 2007. He was 82.

Waking up early and Dreams

For the past two nights I have not been able to sleep as well as I'd like. On a weekday when I have worked in the early morning I usually will go to bed when i get home and sleep for about 6 hours. On Saturday nights and Sunday nights I can actually sleep at the same time everyone else does, or stay up late and sleep in the next day. Well Saturday night I stayed up late until 4:30 AM, not to mention I had been up for 24 hours straight, and I could only sleep for 6 hours. I was slightly unhappy with my natural alarm clock. Last night I decided to go to bed early so I went to bed at 11 PM and could only sleep until 5:40! I hate this body sometimes...Jesus, I am getting anxious for the Resurrection body...

While I was sleeping I had a pretty interesting dream. Before I tell the dream I just wanted to hit on how weird dreams are. Yesterday I had a few things on my mind and they were as follows: Waking Ned Devine (a movie), my Papaw Bob, U.S. Presidents, 24 (TV Show), and my church family. With that being said, here is the weird dream I had...The dream begins on a military airfield that looks to have been decorated for a 4th of July gig or a presidential speech. In the center of the airfield is a casket that is exactly the same as the one in Waking Ned Devine. The casket belongs to my Papaw Bob who in my dream is apparently getting the honors of a fallen president. As a ceremony is going on, a suspicious photographer flashes his camera only to set off a bomb killing himself and wounding many of the mourners and knocking myself and my wife(?) down. Immediately I get up and begin scanning the nearby rooftops for snipers. Then the scene cuts to me being at my Pastor's house at describing the crazy event that I had just been a part of. I watched the news and saw video footage of the incident and then...(I woke up, lol)

"Bad News" and the "Big Cat"

The year 2007 is not yet three months old and the wrestling world has lost four of it's past stars in the past 2 months and 12 days; Two of those in the last seven....

Bad News Brown (Allen J. Coage)
October 22, 1943 - March 6, 2007

Bad News Brown was a WWE superstar in the mid-to-late 80s. His tough no-nonsense attitude made him a tough competitor in the squared-circle for guys like Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart, and Roddy Piper. Although he never had much success as far as titles go, he certainly left his mark on the industry. He was one of the more memorable African American wrestlers in the WWE at the time. Bad News passed away last Tuesday morning as a result of a heart attack. He was 63.


"The Big Cat" Ernie Ladd
November 28, 1938 - March 10, 2007

Ernie Ladd played professional football from 1961 till 1968 for such teams as the San Diego Chargers, the Houston Oilers, and the Kansas City Chiefs. Ladd has been honored for his grid-iron accomplishments by being inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame, the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, and the San Diego Hall of Champions.

Ladd became "The Big Cat" when he started his journey into the realm of professional wrestling in the early 1960s. In a career that lasted nearly twenty-five years, Ladd faced some of the wrestling world's greatest champions. A list of his opponents would include Lou Thesz, Bruno Sammartino, Gene Kiniski, Andre the Giant, Dusty Rhodes, The Sheik, and Dick the Bruiser. Ladd hung up the boots in 1984 when knee injuries forced him into retirement.

Despite never winning a major World Heavyweight Title, Ernie Ladd held at least 18 championships in various wrestling promotions all over North America. This can be viewed as quite an accomplishment for a man of color in the racial environment of the 1960s and 1970s. Ladd was without a doubt a pioneer for African Americans in the world of professional wrestling.

In 1994 and 1995, "The Big Cat" was honored for his in ring accomplishments when he was inducted into the World Championship Wrestling Hall of Fame and the World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Fame respectively. He was the first person to be inducted into both prestigious Halls.

Since 2004, Ladd had battled cancer-first in his colon, then late in his stomach and bones. On March 10, 2007, Ernie Ladd passed away due to his long bout with cancer. He was 68.

Here I am...

I finally made the switch to blogger.com

we will see how this all goes and if i like it i will pack all of my other blogs up and unpack them here. for now this is it...the end