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!
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Sunday, April 15, 2007
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.
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.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
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
Friday, April 06, 2007
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)
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.
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)
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.
----------------------
Dominus Novo
Dominus Novo
Thursday, April 05, 2007
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 :)
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 :)
Sunday, April 01, 2007
The 2007 WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony
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[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.
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...
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