Meek not Weak

2012, The End of the World

2011-03-23T16:16:00.000-07:00

Well guys, we have 630 days to live, maybe less(depending on when you read this post). According to the Mayan Calendar, written over 5,200 yeas ago, the Earth will be obliterated in some twisted, terrible way......

Ok, now relax, I'm kidding. I don't actually believe in the 2012 phenomenon or that the world will end because some ancient race says so, but I think there is something very interesting about how we all look at this "Crazy" theory. We have all heard someone, whether it be on the news, the internet, or in person talking about what they have done to prepare for the so called "Doom's Day." They blabber on, in the most serious and anxious tone, as we sit there, biting our lips, trying not to laugh. Now, I want us to take another look at this, let's evaluate why we believe this theory to be false.

I just want to clarify one more time, I don't believe that the Mayan Calendar dictates which day we will all die. However, there is someone who does do this, you guessed it, God. He knows the exact day we will leave this earth, and the exact moment he plans to come back. When we hear someone talk about the world ending in 2012, we automatically write it off as "insane." No one in their right mind actually does any research or even attempts to look up the arguments behind such claims, we laugh at it and then go our merry ways. What's wrong with this picture? It's not that we immediately doubt the validity of the Mayan's Calendar or that we make fun of the people who are living out their days as if it is really going to happen. The flaw in our behavior towards the 2012 apocalypse is that we act like this towards every thought of the world ending in the near future. We think about the end of the world and we shudder, we try to get the notion out of our heads and as far away as possible. Even though it will be a day of rejoicing and happiness, since our savior will return. I still don't like the sound of my peaceful little world ending, and I'm sure I'm not alone in this feeling.

Looking at the odds, the world probably won't end in 2012, but that doesn't mean it can't. Jesus told us that we should always be on the look out for when he returns, for he'll come like a thief in the night, and no one will see it coming. In fact most of us will probably be in the middle of something we would never even want even a common sinner to see us doing, let alone God.

"But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."
- (Matthew 24:43-44 ESV)

We don't know when he will come back, he could surprise us all and actually return on December 21, 2012. My point is that there are millions of Christians out there, including myself, who aren't living as if tomorrow is our last day, yet there are countless non-christians who are. When Noah tried to tell his neighbors that a great flood was coming that will annihilate every living thing on earth, they laughed at him, and told him he was crazy. Granted, the 2012 apocalypse enthusiasts were not told by God that the world will end in that year, but the fact of the matter is, they have the mindset that we should have, that tomorrow we may all be gone.

That's just something to think about, I hope this comparison between Jesus' return and the mayan apocalypse helps anyone who reads this post to go through this day as if it is their last.

-cj

The Importance of Space Exploration

2011-03-14T15:15:00.000-07:00

This is just a speech I gave at a recent TAPPS(Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools) competition, you may or may not be interested in it, I just thought I'd post it.

Since the creation of the world, man has stared up into the heavens and wondered at the celestial bodies scattered across the night sky, asking themselves, what are these beautiful lights that spread themselves out above us? How is it that their brightness never burns out? And most importantly, will we ever be privileged enough to visit them?

As humans, our curiosity has always far surpassed that of any species that dwell on this planet, giving us a natural urge to explore the unknown. Abraham of the Bible set out into the wilderness to start an entire nation, and Christopher Columbus devoted his entire life to a voyage across the Atlantic to eventually discover two continents, now we have been passed the torch of exploration and are faced with the final frontier, space. In the last fifty or so years we have been granted the tools necessary to do what no man has done before and what every man in history has dreamed of doing. However, there are some that believe space exploration is waste of our time and money and that we should be focusing our resources on taking care of our planet before we explore others. This would seem like a good point, but the fact of the matter is that they haven’t taken the time to research the endless advantages that exploring space has given us. They see space as an empty vacuum full of nothing but toxic gases, useless materials and well, nothingness, and that the only explanation for leaving this planet is to satisfy a bunch of space enthusiast’s curiosity. They couldn’t be more wrong. The benefits of exploring space doesn’t end at simply appeasing man’s natural desire to explore God’s creation, but in fact has given us countless advantages over the last five decades, including more advanced technology, improvement of education and even a better perspective on ourselves.

Looking at space from an economic point of view, its exploration is admittedly very expensive and consumes quite a sum for seemingly small results. However, just like every expedition in the history of mankind, space exploration is an investment in many ways. The first being that through man’s desire to explore we naturally feel a sense of encouragement and inspiration when we see a space shuttle climb to the heavens from its launch pad and disappear into the clouds, whether it be a first hand experience, or through the technology of Television. We feel proud as we watch our generation make history in such a new and grand way, and do what no man has ever done before, and what every man has dreamed of doing since the beginning of time. This newfound inspiration is what drives many young students like myself to pursue an occupation in the field of science. In other words, space exploration is a key factor in inspiring kids to do better in school and work towards a better future. Perhaps the best example of this is how the first moon landing in 1969 excited so many kids about space that grades sky rocketed and almost every one of them wanted to go to the moon or mars as an astronaut. The truth is that a single trip to the moon helped to advance the education of millions of kids.

Speaking of advancements, not only has space given us an entire new field to study and explore, it has also provided us with technology that I guarantee would not exist if it were not for space. As new advancements are made for exploration, they are carried over to the consumer for use as every day items. NASA alone holds thousands of patents, many of which have become very useful spin offs for civilians. Artificial limbs, LED lighting, scratch proof glass and even memory foam. These are just a few of the many inventions that have stemmed from space exploration. Medicinal advances have also been made with the help of space. The way bacteria grows in space is almost identical to the way it grows in the human intestines, so we can easily simulate how certain bacteria will affect humans. It is all thanks to space and its most ambitious pioneers, that we have medicines that can fight off bacteria that cause typhoid fever as well as many others.

Space has provided us with the means to advance our technology and way of living, but what is next? These reasons cannot be the only ones for putting six people in a can and shooting them off into the darkness of space, and they aren’t. I want you to think about the size of our earth and compare it to the vastness of space, now think about how many discoveries have been made here and ask yourself how many could be made in a place that is infinitely bigger. Granted earth is very fertile and full of life, but with something as big as space the possibilities are endless. Just try to imagine what could be out there. Other planets? Resources? Everyone has thought about the prospect of life on other planets, could there other living organisms out there? Perhaps. Conscious beings? Maybe not, but scientists have found evidence of bacterial life in space, as well as hints that there may be water on mars, and where there is water, theirs is most likely life.. While actual findings of these unthinkable possibilities may not happen in our lifetime, I for one am fascinated with there even being a possibility!

Our galaxy is over one hundred thousand light years in diameter, the farthest star from earth is twelve billion light years away, that’s just what we can see with our technology here on earth, who knows what lies beyond our pitiful range of vision. We live on a little ball of water and earth no more than eight thousand miles wide spinning around a star at high velocities. It really puts us into perspective with the rest of the universe when you think about it. The more we explore space, the more we can see how fragile and insignificant are existence is. Through space exploration we have been given a small glimpse of the grandeur of the universe and in turn the realization that we are more finite than we ever knew.

I believe God created the universe for more than to just sit there. I believe he wants us to explore its endless boundaries and vast measures so that we can gain a better understanding of how amazing he really his, and how privileged we are to be even noticed by someone so infinite.

If you read this far, then you're awesome. :)

A Brief Update

2011-03-14T00:55:00.001-07:00

If you have read my last post, "Jump Starting Meek Not Weak," you already know that I have decided to re-enter the blogoshpere, and am attempting to pick up where I left off with Meek Not Weak. So I thought I'd give give you a quick update on the things that have been going on in the past two years of my life. To keep it simple, here is a list of the major things that have happened since I left.

- I started private school(Lifegate Christian High school) during the winter of last year.

- My dad will be coming home from Iraq in the summer(kind of an update for the future really).

- I am currently involved in a program called NASA HAS(High school aerospace scholars), I'm hoping this will help propel me into the field of aerospace engineering.

That's really all the important things that have happened since I utterly abandoned this blog. So until next time, I bid you all adieu!

-cj

Jump Starting Meek Not Weak

2011-03-13T01:25:00.001-08:00

Wow, two years. You know, it really doesn't seem like it's been that long since I last published one of my poorly written posts. But when I look at the date on my last minute Chirstmas article "A King is born," December 22, 2008, I see that it's true. I really did cease to write for this blog, and not look back for over two years. I'm embarrassed to say that I quit blogging almost no reason at all. I could make the excuse that my schedule became too busy, or that the introduction of Facebook into my life distracted me and ultimately destroyed my blog. But I won't, because it is not true. I quit blogging simply because I became lazy. I let certain things get in the way of using this blog as a ministry for Christ, and for that I am sorry. I hope I can salvage what is left of this site and possibly pick up the wonderful hobby of blogging once more. I am currently working on a post about a book I am reading by Francis Chan called "Crazy Love." I hope it will be the rebirth of "Meek Not Weak" into the blogging world.

Thank you,

-cj

A King is Born

2008-12-22T19:59:00.000-08:00

About two thousand and nine years ago a King was born in a place where dirt and the smell of animals was abundant. In the cold of winter with no way of keeping warm except a small blanket, he came into this world. This King is not King of just a country or even the entire world, this is a King who rules over everything, what we can see and what we cannot see, physical and spiritual. You know of whom I am talking about, it is Jesus.
But why a stable? Why would the God of such glory that we cannot even imagine, choose to enter this world through such a lowly place? Why not a palace? Or even just a normal house? God is not a God of earthly wealth or of earthly palaces. He is not interested in these things, he is interested in the only thing that is of real worth, himself. God did not choose to be born in an earthly palace because to him they are of no more worth to him than the stable. He is worth far more than any palace, therefore he chose not to show his greatness through wealth or huge palaces, he chose to show his greatness and worth by himself, for everything else fades away compared to him.

There are two reasons a king gathers riches for himself. One, for pleasure, two, to show his power and his greatness. God did not come to this world to enjoy it's pleasures, and does not need it's wealth to show his power, he is great in himself.

Pro Life Petitions

2008-12-09T16:11:00.000-08:00

December 10(tomorrow), Pro-Life groups are presenting their petitions to end abortion, help in this cause to save innocent lives and click here to sign the AbortAware.com petition. It will take only a second.

Thank you!
-cj

A Quick Thank You, and a Prayer Request

2008-12-06T17:53:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking about the last nine months I've been blogging, and how it has been so beneficial to my soul in many ways. The main reason being the way you guys have encouraged, exhorted and even once or twice corrected me. I thank God for you, it's been a blessing having you pray for me when I ask, and taking the time to spur me on to good works.

Now I'd like to ask you to pray for me and my family, my dad is about to leave for Iraq for a job he got there. He'll be gone for about a year, maybe getting to visit us once. I realize this is going to be hard, and I am asking God to help us through this time.
I regret I cannot give any further info on what my dad will be doing there for his job.

Merry Christmas!
-cj

The Reasons for Suffering, and the Reasons for Blessings

2008-11-25T21:20:00.000-08:00

I've noticed that, often when someone is suffering. People seem to think that because they are suffering, God must be punishing them for a certain sin. This is not so, even though all suffering is a result of the fall of man, all our suffering is not always a punishment for a particular sin. Suffering has more purposes in our lives than just punishing our sin. Lets look at what James has to say.

James 1:2"Count it all joy my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds. For we know that the the testing of our faith produces steadfastness, and let steadfastness have it's full effect, that you may perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

From this passage it is obvious to us that there are more reasons for suffering than just for punishing sin, as many people tend to think.
If you read the book of Job, you will find that just because we are suffering doesn't mean that we are being punished for a particular sin, as Job's friends thought. The Bible says that Job was a righteous man, not perfect, but he was righteous. And from the conversation God has with Satan, it is obvious that he was not punishing him. Therefore, we know that God uses suffering to do many things, not just punish sin.

God may use suffering in our lives to teach us to trust him more, to test our faith or maybe he his doing it for a reason he does not want to reveal to us.

Now let's look at the opposite side of this. What if we are being blessed by God? Does that mean that we are being rewarded because of a good deed that we preformed? This can be the reason, but to say that our good deeds are the only reason for our blessings would be sort of placing credit where credit isn't due. The only reason we are even able to do good is because of God's Grace. We are blessed because the goodness of God's heart, not ours.

My Facebook Experience

2008-11-23T21:05:00.000-08:00

Well, I've officially been on "Facebook" for five days now. And you know what? It's not quite as bad as everyone makes it out to be, I mean if you stick with the right friends it can actually be a good way to keep in touch with one another(this isn't an official endorsment, I'm just giving you my take on it). I've also found several people who I have not seen in years, and it has been great to talk to them again.

However, a lot of people have been telling me to be careful not to get addicted to Facebook, well I admit I was addicted for the first two days, and I couldn't stop checking for updates. But now after a little while longer I find that I am completely bored of it! It seems almost pointless now, I guess I'm just not the Facebook type. But then again since it is the only way I can keep in touch with family and friends back in San Diego, and there are a few other fun things to do there(i.e. Live Chat with buddies that I know from abortaware.com). I guess I'll keep my account up and running.

In Christ Alone

-cj

Freedom of Choice Act

2008-11-18T19:51:00.000-08:00

Please pass this on to everyone you know.

"Mr. Obama has indicated he will be signing the Freedom of Choice Act as soon as he gets into office which pretty much obliterates any steps that have been gained by people who are pro-Life – please consider signing the petition
against FOCA by following the website below.
http://www.fightfoca.com/"
The Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) would eliminate every restriction on abortion nationwide.
FOCA will do away with state laws on parental involvement, on partial birth abortion, and on all other protections.
FOCA will compel taxpayer funding of abortions.
FOCA will force faith-based hospitals and healthcare facilities to perform abortions.

Tagged: Six Things I Have Learned This Year

2008-11-18T14:14:00.000-08:00

I've been tagged by Penn Tomossatti from the blog "All of Grace," to tell you six things I've learned this year(outside of school). Well, here they are!

1. The art of fence building, I've been building a lot of fence in the past few months.

2. How to use a number of different saws(skill saw, chain saw, etc.)

3. I have learned so much of God's love and greatness.

4. Some HTML and a little CSS code.

5. Over the past year my dad has been looking for a job, and with such a bad economy, I've had to do without a few things. So I guess what I have learned from that is to be content with very little(my dad has a pretty good job now, and were going to need a lot of prayer, I'll explain that in a later post).

6. Lately I've gotten very interested in politics, so I've learned a lot about that too.

I won't be tagging anyone but if you would like to do this, you are completely welcome:)

-cj

How Long do We Have?(This is a Must Read)

2008-11-11T14:27:00.000-08:00

This an email a friend sent me. It's interesting to see how our nation is slowly becoming a place so unlike the 'God fearing free country that it once was.'

"About the time our original thirteen states adopted their new constitution in 1787, Alexander Tyler, a Scottish history professor at the University of Edinburgh , had this to say about the fall of the Athenian Republic some 2,000 years earlier:

'A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government.'

'A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury.'

'From that moment on, the majority always vote for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship.'

'The average age of the world's greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years'

'During those 200 years, those nations always progressed through the following sequence:

1. from bondage to spiritual faith;

2. from spiritual faith to great courage;

3. from courage to liberty;

4. from liberty to abundance;

5. from abundance to complacency;

6. from complacency to apathy;

7. from apathy to dependence;

8. from dependence back into bondage'

Some interesting facts concerning the 2000 Presidential election:

Number of States won by: Democrats: 19, Republicans: 29

Square miles of land won by: Democrats: 580,000, Republicans: 2,427,000

Population of counties won by: Democrats: 127 million, Republicans: 143 million

Murder rate per 100,000 residents in counties won by: Democrats: 13.2, Republicans: 2.1

In aggregate, the map of the territory Republican won was mostly the land owned by the taxpaying citizens of this great country. Democrat territory mostly encompassed those citizens living in government-owned tenements and living off various forms of government welfare...' Some believe the United States is now somewhere between the 'complacency and apathy' phase of Professor Tyler's definition of democracy, with some forty percent of the nation's population already having reached the 'governmental dependency' phase. If Congress grants amnesty and citizenship to twenty million criminal invaders called illegals and they vote, then we can say goodbye to the USA in fewer than five years. If you are in favor of this, then by all means, delete this message. If you are not, then pass this along to help everyone realize just how much is at stake, knowing that apathy and ignorance is the greatest danger to our freedom.

WE LIVE IN THE LAND OF THE FREE, ONLY BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE."

A decision

2008-11-08T13:50:00.000-08:00

With much prayer, consideration and help from all of you, I have made a decision about my blog. For the time being I'll continue to post here, at "Blogger," but I intend to move to "Wordpress" sometime in the future.

I have totally enjoyed "Blogger," and would recommend it to anybody new to blogging. Also, I would like thank everyone who lent their sound advice and voted in the poll concerning this issue.

In Christ
-cj

Barrak Obama, Our President

2008-11-04T20:54:00.000-08:00

With the arrival of the news that Barrak Obama is our next president, there is one thing that I do not regret about this. I am glad that we now have a president who is African American. But what makes a man qualified to be president? Is it the color of his skin? Or his experience and knowledge of how to efficiently do the job? America was so anxious, so ready to get a black man in the White House that we were willing to turn a blind eye to everything this man stands for, to sacrifice everything America stands for and to embrace what America has fought against since the day it was founded, namely socialism. For those who doubt that Obama could possibly be socialist I have a few words for you. Obama's "Spread the wealth" idea is the very foundation of socialism. I quote Karl Marx(founder of socialism)

"To those according to their need, from those according to what they have."

In other words, Give to those who do not have(and will not labor for) what the man who has worked hard owns.

But what will we do? Will we sit back and watch our country turn against the very principals that it was built on? No! I urge you not to give up, but to continue to fight for what is right and good. So please, do not be discouraged, be encouraged! For after all, God always has the first, the present and the last word in everything.

-cj

Written for Teens Set Apart

One more heart stopped

2008-11-01T17:15:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, I'm sorry I haven't been posting regularly lately, I've been very busy. ..but I'll be doing my best to post regularly from now on. Anyway, I found this on Abortwaware.com. It is a very powerful and heartbreaking post where an unborn baby silently communicates with his mother.

"Month One
Mommy I am only 8 inches long but I have all my organs. I love the sound of your voice. Every time I hear it I wave my arms and legs. The sound of your heart beat is my favorite lullaby.

Month Two
Mommy today I learned how to suck my thumb. If you could see me you could definitely tell that I am a baby. I'm not big enough to survive outside my home though. It is so nice and warm in here.

Month Three
You know what Mommy I'm a boy!! I hope that makes you happy. I always want you to be happy. I don't like it when you cry. You sound so sad. It makes me sad too and I cry with you even though you can't hear me.

Month Four
Mommy my hair is starting to grow. It is very short and fine but I will have a lot of it. I spend a lot of my time exercising. I can turn my head and curl my fingers and toes and stretch my arms and legs. I am becoming quite good at it too.

Month Five
You went to the doctor today. Mommy, he lied to you. He said that I'm not a baby. I am a baby Mommy, your baby. I think and feel. Mommy, what's abortion?

Month Six
I can hear that doctor again. I don't like him. He seems cold and heartless. Something is intruding my home. The doctor called it a needle. Mommy what is it? It burns! Please make him stop! I can't get away from it! Mommy! HELP me!

Month Seven
Mommy I am okay. I am in Jesus's arms. He is holding me. . . He told me about abortion. . . Why didn't you want me Mommy?

Every abortion is just . . . One more heart that was stopped.
Two more eyes that will never see.
Two more hands that will never touch.
Two more legs that will never run.
One more mouth that will never speak.

It is a baby and abortion is murder. We must end abortion. Defend those who can not speak for themselves yet."

Taken from Elisha Cross' blog.

"Job: When the Righteous Suffer"

2008-10-24T20:47:00.000-07:00

I just got back from the conference "Job: When the Righteous Suffer", it was awesome! John Piper was the only speaker, but he did a very good job.

Here are some things that I learned while I was there.

Satan has two weapens which he atempts to destroy our faith with. They are, suffering and prosperity (In America he usually uses the latter). When he uses suffering it will do one of two things, either it will bring us closer to God or it will push us further away from God. Ofcourse, Satan always wants us to move further away from God.
Job's friends tried to tell him that the reason for his suffering was that he had great sin, that since he was suffering greatly, therefore he must be sinning greatly. But obviously this is not true. God has many different reasons for our suffering. Everything that has ever happened in history God had not just one reason for, but many reasons. But he does not always reveal them all to us.
The bible gives all the answers we need for our suffering, but not always all the answers we want.
- John Piper

We need to be content with what God does reveal to us, it is the only way we will be content with what we are going through, whether it be suffering or not.

What to do?

2008-10-15T08:56:00.000-07:00

Well, I've come to a conclusion for my blog, It's time for something new. I've been thinking about doing a few different things. I'm asking you to help me decide what to do by voting in the poll on the sidebar. Here are the options:

1. Move to wordpress

2. Shut down this blog and only post at TSA(Teens Set Apart).

3. Create a whole new website

4. take no action

Thoughts on Legalism

2008-10-13T11:05:00.000-07:00

What is the main focus in our lives? You probaly already know that our main focus should always be Christ. The first commandment says, "You shall have no other Gods before me." This means that the most precious thing in our lives should be God, nothing should be more valuble to us than him... but sometimes this is not the case.

Legalism is a sign that Christ is not our main focus. Legalism is when we add man made rules to God's law, and we get so caught up in pressing that rule on other Christians that we forget what really matters. When our focus is on our made up rules, it is not on Christ. We never want this to be the case, so in order to keep Christ our main focus we must always look to scripture for what God would have us do. Life has many distractions, we can easily get caught up in the things of this world. legalism is one of those things, and we should always strive not to become legalistic.

I've been Tagged!

2008-10-09T08:17:00.000-07:00

Meshaay from More Than the Here and Now blog has tagged me.

This is the first time I have ever been tagged by anyone. Here are the rules to this thing:

1. Link to the person(s) who tagged you.

2. Post the rules on your blog.

3. Write six random things about yourself

4. Tag sixish people at the end of your post.

5. Let each person know he or she has been tagged

6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up

Well, here are six random things about myself:

1. I've never broken a bone.

2. I've never been out of the United States(Mexico doesn't count:)

3. The first movie I ever saw in a theater was "Jurrasic Park."

4. I have eight brothers and sisters.

5. I have read "The Chronicles of Narnia" three times.

6. I hate oatmeal.

Now, who should I tag? How about:

Eric(The Voice of Experiance)

Erik(Erik B.'s Blog)

Bryanna(A daughter of the King)

Caleb(The Pursuit)

Sean(Passion 614)

Charlie(United Under Christ)

Teens Set Apart

2008-10-03T09:33:00.000-07:00

Many of you do not know this, but in the past few weeks, Josiah Robertson of "Pro-Life Teenagers" and I have been busy creating a website called "Teens Set Apart" (T.S.A.). The official launch date is Tuesday, October 7.

What is "Teens Set Apart" about? As Christians we are called to stand out, to be different from the rest of the world. The world says we should "Go with the flow" and be more tolerant of sin, but God has called us to live a life that would glorify him, tolerating sin maybe easier but it does not glorify him. We have created this website to encourage other Christian teens to strive for rightousness, to have a place where we can share our prayer requests and simply to have a good time:)

Here is the link: http://www.teenssetapart.com/

Enjoy!

Anger, Part 2

2008-10-01T06:29:00.000-07:00

Anger, Part 2

Do not be quick to anger.

"Know this, my brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness that God requires." - James 1:19-20

Man's anger is sinful, because it is for the wrong reasons.

The man who is Slow to anger has "Great understanding"

"Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly." - Proverbs 14:29

According to "Websters New World Dictionary" the word "Understanding" means:"The power to think and learn; intelligence." The "Bible" calls a man who is slow to anger, intelligent. We often get angry because our pride has been hurt, and pride is a huge obstacle for someone who wants to gain knowledge and understanding. Because we often don't want to admit that we are ignorant about some things, we don't learn anything. Someone who is quick to anger is not patient, and it takes a lot of patience to gain understanding.

Dear Mr. Obama

2008-09-26T08:52:00.000-07:00

Before I post "Anger Part 2" I would like to share with you a very powerful video.

"Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die" & "Why Courage Matters"

2008-09-22T16:45:00.000-07:00

"Fifty Reasons Why Jesus came to Die" by John Piper has been an encouraging and informative book, it has given me a much wider knowledge of our Lord Jesus. if I were to rate this book on a 1-10 scale, I would rate it a perfect 10!

"Why Courage Matters" by John McCain. If you have read any of my latest post you probably already know that I greatly enjoyed this book. Anyway, if you want to know more about John McCain, who possibly might be our next president then I would recommend that you read this book.

Anger, Part 1

2008-09-22T15:48:00.000-07:00

Is it ever OK to be angry?

Someone who is angry only because they have been wronged or think they have been wronged is not righteously angry, that is a sinful anger.

"And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, it is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you make it a den of robbers." - Matthew 21:12-13

Here, Jesus is angry that God's house has been defiled, he is angry because God has been wronged, not because his comfort has been disturbed or he has been inconvenienced but because the God of the universe has been greatly sinned against.

We Need Each Other

2008-09-15T22:04:00.000-07:00

I was reading "Why Courage Matters" by John McCain(the book I quoted from in an earlier post)and I came across these words:

"In prison, I was not always a match for my enemies. I was proud and angry. I thought I was tough, clever, and prepared enough to resist. But I found my courage wanting nevertheless. When it failed it was because my primary concern had been my own survival, my own dignity. I relied on my resources to guard them, and my courage ran out much earlier than I expected. Fortunately, I shared my circumstances with hundreds of brave men who insisted on a communal code of conduct--we would all return with honor, each man's suffering our own concern...We relied on each other to strengthen our ability, to encourage us when we felt used up...When we saw our duty and our courage as a common experience, our duty was easier to bear and our courage more at the ready. We completed one another's sense of honor, and it made us stronger."

It is the same way with Christians. We need other Godly people to help us in our Christian walk. We need the body, to encourage us, to help us through hard times and to lovingly correct us when we are sinning. To say that we don't need the body is rejecting a gift from God. We must allow others to help us fight the good fight, or we will probably fail.

-cj

Please let me know your me your thoughts on this:)

More on Serving

2008-09-09T15:21:00.000-07:00

"And if anyone forces you to go one mile , go with him two miles." -Matthew 5:41

What does going the extra mile mean? It means that we shouldn't just do what is expected of us, we should willingly do it to our fullest potentiel, we should seek to do more. Notice I said "Seek" and "Willingly," we should "Willingly" "Seek" for the oppurtunity to serve more, and then "Willingly" do it.

"Do all things without Grumbling or questioning." -Philippians 2:14

Here, God is telling us not only to serve and go the extra mile, but to do so without "Grumbling or Questioning." A true servant serves without complaining, he does not question and does not grumble. Jesus was the ultimate servant, never did he complain to God about anything. The Bible calls us to imitate this, to strive to serve like Jesus did. As you probably already know, serving like he did is so hard it is impossible, we will never be perfect, so therefore we will never be able to serve just as Jesus did. But does this mean we give up? No! God never told us it was going to be easy. But he did tell us to serve as much as we possibly can, he has told us to "Do Hard Things!"

"The servant of Christ finds his honour in the service itself." -C.H. Spurgeon

Hurricanes

Also, please be in prayer for victims of hurricanes this year.

Quote from John McCain's book, "Why Courage Matters"

2008-09-05T22:06:00.000-07:00

These words that McCain wrote in his book, "Why Courage Matters" came as a great suprise to me.

Please tell me what you think after you have read it:)

"`Enduring an inescapable fate stoically is admirable, but it is not the same thing as courage. Suffering stoically a terrible fate that you could have escaped, but that your convictions, your sense of honor, compelled you to accept, is. The Christians sacrficed to the lions chose not to be sacrificed, but to be Christians. The politics and bigotry of the Romans consigned them to a violent end, which they could have avoided by renouncing their faith. But they didn't choose death. They chose to keep their faith, their hope of eternal life, and suffer the consequences. Whether they suffer stoically or were dragged to the experiance pleading for their lives is beside the point. Keeping their faith required courage superior to the resolve of a person who accepts unwanted but unavoidable trouble with admirable composure. The object of courage isn't just a hansome comportment or a physical expression of strength.
Courage must be conscientious of duty if it is to claim the distinction of being the first, indispensable virtue. It is much more than mental toughness or "Grace under pressure," as Hemingway defined it. For years I thought it was. And when asked for a definition of courage, I usually quoted Hemningway's response. But I learned that people who cry out in despair, who are seized by mortal terror, can still act heroically. Although courageous people often appear to act gracefully under pressure, and their dignified, disciplined behavior produces some of the most lasting images in fiction and history, it isn't grace that proclaims their courage, but their decision to face the pressure at all, and face it for reasons greater than simply to prove to themsevles or others that they could do it with aplomb. Face the experiance with quiet assurance or with a look that reflects stark terror, screaming in anguish all the while. It doesn't really matter. What matters is that you faced it, lived it, and did so because your conscience compelled you to act. That is what give courage its grandeur. Even Christ on the cross, my faith's most exlated example of courage, cried out in desperation, "Father, Father, why have you forsaken me?" It is not Christ's reticence in a moment of agony that we worship. It is because he accepted his duty to love, a love incarnate--God became man to redeem humanity by love--and the awful suffering his duty demanded that we exalt the singular courage of his sacrifice. "

-John McCain

Abortion is About God

2008-09-01T23:00:00.000-07:00

www.desringgod.com

Serving

2008-08-28T11:59:00.000-07:00

Jesus came to serve us, and we must follow his example

Matthew 20:28- "Even as the son of man came not to be served but to serve, and give his life as a ransom to many."What an amazing example he set, that even "The King of Kings" would serve sinners. We must follow his example and serve others, by serving others we are serving God,

Matthew 25:40- "And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me." (Galations 5:13, Chronicles 28:9, John 12:26, Deuteronomy 10:12, Romans 12:11).

We should be excited to serve

Romans 12:11- "Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord."

~"There must be no hesitation or sloth in Christian living. The Christian should be "fervent," living for Christ with enthusiasm and energy." -Note from the "Reformation Study Bible"

I know that I have a hard time getting excited to serve, I pray that God will make me strong in this area.

Serving in the small areas of life is just as important as serving in the large areas.

Serving is a way of humbling oneself, which God has commanded us to do, James 4:10- "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you." If we humble ourselves and serve God, he will exalt us. Serving in the small areas where our work will probably not be noticed is a very important form of service. When God sees our devotion in the those areas he will exalt us to a higher form of service(Small areas being, daily chores, serving our siblings ect. Large areas being, missionary work, a ministry ect.).

Introducing "The ESV Study Bible"

2008-08-26T22:21:00.000-07:00

www.esvstudybible.org

"Mere Christianity" and "Culture Shift"

2008-08-22T13:41:00.000-07:00

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis has given me a much more clear view of the Christian basics than ever before; chunks of wisdom are written all through this book. It has become one of my all time favorites. I recommend it to you, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Culture Shift by Dr. Albert Mohler Jr. In this book Mohler talks about the issues of today with a biblical perspective. Its goal is to equip Christians for standing up and speaking out. It is totally a must read.

God Ordains Our Leaders

2008-08-19T15:43:00.000-07:00

I thought it might be a good idea to post about how God ordains our leaders.

Romans 13:1 says, "Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For their is no authority except God, and those that exist have instituted by God."

God chooses who our leaders will be. Whether John McCain or Barak Obama win the upcoming election, it will be the result of God's invisible plan, and whatever happens, we must trust that it is for our good.

Romans 8:28- "And we know that for those who love God all things are worked out for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."

How it is for our good we may never know, but one thing's for sure, God knows what he is doing and he will never do anything unwise.

However, just because we know that God has it all taken care of doesn't mean that we sit back and do nothing. As Americans we have the privilege of voting for our leaders. Each of us should show responsibility by doing all we can to vote in good leaders on both the local and national levels.

For those us who are not old enough to vote, we can become involved by volunteering our time to the candidate of our choice.

Identifying Pride in Our lives

2008-08-14T20:47:00.000-07:00

Here are some very humbling and wise words from C.S. Lewis,

"If you want to find out how proud you are the easiest way is to ask your self, 'How much do I dislike it when other people snub me, or refuse to take notice of me , or shove their oar in, or patronise me, or show off?' The point is that each person's pride is in competition with everyone else's pride. It is because I wanted to be the big noise at the party and I am annoyed at someone else being the big noise."

It's true, everyone's pride is at war with everyone else's pride. But who am I to think that I am the greatest and the best or even think that I am even sort of great? I am nothing, I can't even do a simple thing like draw breath without God's help.

I found this quote to be very helpful in helping me to identify pride in my every day life.

Prayer

2008-08-12T16:40:00.000-07:00

Being a Christian means having a relationship with God; so how do we develop our relationship with him? By Praying and reading his word. When we pray we are fellowshiping with God and therefore growing spiritually stronger and developing a better relationship with God.

By praying to God we are declaring our dependence on him. Whether we are asking him for help, interceding for others or thanking him, by doing these things we are telling him that we are weak and that we need his help. This is what God desires, that we humble ourselves and admit that without him we are nothing and are capable of doing nothing. James 4:10, "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you." God desires that we pray to him, because it is admitting that he is God and we are not.

We may be certain that whatever God has made prominent in His Word, He intended to be conspicuous in our lives. If He has said much about prayer, it is because He knows we have much need of it. -C.H. Spurgeon

Besides prayer being a declaration of dependence on God, It is also a great privilege and honor. Why is it such a privilege? We(wretched sinners) are allowed to talk to and fellowship with the most high. That is truly an honor.

The reason I haven't been posting at all lately is because we have been in the process of moving. But we just got Internet in our house today so I'll be posting more often from now on.

Bob Kauflin on Truth and Music

2008-08-02T12:01:00.000-07:00

Here's a great video of Bob Kauflin on Truth and Music. Enjoy!

I love this guy.

Video from Pro-life Teenagers/TFG

2008-07-31T15:44:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't been posting very often lately but my family has been working on moving to a different house.

Real quick, here is a non-graphic video from Pro-life Teenagers/TFG making us aware of how many abortions are performed each day.

Interview with Alex and Brett Harris

2008-07-27T12:36:00.000-07:00

Josiah Robertson of "Teenfg/Pro-Life Teenagers" interviewed Alex and Brett Harris, founders of "the Rebelution" at the "Do Hard Things" conference in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

To listen to the interview click here

Adding to the List

2008-07-23T13:35:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure I'll be able to finish my Summer Reading List by the end of the season(I'm kind of a slow reader). But I felt like I needed to add these two books to the list,

"Fleeced" by Dick Norris and Eileen McGann, "A book about how Barack Obama, liberals who want to kill talk radio, the do nothing congress and companies that help Iran are scamming us... and what to do about it."

"Culture Shift" by Albert Mohler Jr. "Engaging current issues with timeless truths"

Also, I'll try to read the books some of you recommended.

Studying God's Word

2008-07-17T20:37:00.000-07:00

Don't study God's word to get it over with, study it to expand your knowledge of our savior.

Knowledge of the Bible is so vital to our spiritual growth, that if we don't study his word we will become spiritually hungry and we will not grow. Also, we must not study it to get it to over with so that we can get on with something else, but we must be completely concentrated when we study it.

I have to admit that I often find myself speeding through my morning devotions so that I can get to something else. And this is not how I'm going to advance spiritually. That "something else" should not be more important than studying God's word.

In "The Lord's Prayer" it asks God to "Give us this Day, our Daily Bread." What does he mean by this? I think it means that were not just asking God to give us our physical food but our spiritual food also, so that we will not become physically or spiritually hungry.

Jesus' Obedience

2008-07-14T20:53:00.000-07:00

Being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. -Philippians 2:8

That amazes me, Jesus was obedient even to the point of a slow painful death on a tree. Beside the physical pain, he willingly became a curse for us and bore all our sin. He wasn't forced to die, he willingly and obediently did it. It just boggles my mind..... how could someone so holy and perfect, willingly become a curse and die for someone so wretched and sinful.

Galatians 3:13- "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us - for it is written, cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree." The King of Kings became cursed for us, and he did so without a single complaint.

Fear Not

2008-07-07T21:44:00.001-07:00

When life gets hard, and we don't understand why, it can be easy to become afraid and doubt God; it may even seem that he is not there. But just because it seems that he is not with us in those hard times, and we can't see what he is doing through it, Isaiah 41:10 says "Fear not for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." No matter how hard it gets, we know from God's promise in Isaiah 41:10 that he will uphold us and strengthen us through our hard times.

John 16:33- "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. but take heart; I have overcome the world." We don't need to understand why God is putting us through these hard times, we just need to know that he will help. He will strengthen and uphold us. We don't see the big picture, but God does and he is in control. It lends great comfort to know and believe that everything God does is for our good even when, through our limited vision, it may not look like it.

Bob Kauflin - Why Does God Want Us to Sing? (desiring god national conference interview clip)

2008-07-04T20:19:00.000-07:00

I thought I would share this with you guys, it's pretty interesting.

desiringgod.com

"Pro-Life Teenagers" and "Teen Fellowship Group"(TGF)

2008-07-02T21:56:00.001-07:00

I'm sorry I haven't posted in such a long time, I haven't had Internet the past few days.

I encourage you to go check out the website, "Pro-life Teenagers"/"TFG." For those of you who have never been to either of these sites, "Pro-Life Teenagers" is a site that was that created to help fight abortion and encourage other teens to fight it, "Teen Fellowship Group" is a site that was created to provide a place where Christian teens can fellowship and encourage each other in the Lord. The combining of these two site sites has exited me very much, and I pray that they will continue to do everything for the glory of God.

Pursuing Righteousness

2008-06-23T15:58:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 21:21- Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness and honor.

Those who pursue righteousness not only find righteousness but they also find honor and life. So, when seeking after righteousness, God doesn't give us only what are seeking, he gives more that. We are well rewarded when we seek after Godly characteristics.

But our own righteousness cannot get us into heaven, only the Righteousness of Jesus can, for ours are like filthy rags. How do we get this righteousness? Jesus had to wash away our sin with his blood in order to count to us his righteousness so that we would be blameless in God's sight, that is so humbling.

Summer Reading List

2008-06-21T12:11:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the books I'll be reading this summer,

"Freakonomics" by Steven Levitt

"Words that Work" by Frank Luntz

"Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis

"Knowing God" by J.I. Packer

"Let the Nations be Glad" by John Piper

"The World is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman

"Team of Rivals" by Doris Kearns Goodwinn

"What Jesus Demands from the World" by John Piper

"The Fabric of the Cosmos" by Brian Greene

"All of Grace" by C.H. Spurgeon

Does anyone else recommend any more?

True Generosity

2008-06-17T11:54:00.001-07:00

2 Corinthians 9:7 says that, "God loves a cheerful giver." When we give cheerfully, we not only give freely and joyously, but we also give freely and generously, we also give without seeking recognition from men. We are not concerned about what men think; we are only concerned about what God thinks.

Matt 6:3-4, But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving might be in secret. And your Father who sees you in secret will reward you.

When people recognize evidences of God's grace in us, and when we are encouraged about our growth in Christ, it can be helpful to us and exhort us to continue in good works. We get tripped up when we are giving only for the sake of being praised by men. Giving to be praised is not true generosity, giving in secret so that God will reward you is. The reward God gives is far better than any praise man can give, so it is totally worth it to give and do good works in secret. Then we can look forward to that glorious, "Well Done, my good and faithful servant."

Meekness

2008-06-13T18:51:00.000-07:00

In my last post I talked about how God is most glorified when we have our joy in him, Isaiah 29:9 says "The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the Lord." God blesses the meek with joy so that he may be glorified, and that is the chief end of man and of God, to glorify God! So, meekness brings glory to God.

"Real strength is the backbone of meekness." -C.H.Spurgeon

Matt 5:5- "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth"

"Meekness is not weakness, it is strength under control" -John Macarthur

"Meekness is the power to absorb adversity and criticism without lashing back." -John Piper

Valuing God

2008-06-11T08:06:00.001-07:00

When you receive a blessing, what do you value more? The blessing or the giver of that blessing(Jesus). If you find yourself valuing the blessing more than God,then God is not glorified. He is glorified when we value him more than anything. If you always value the giver of the gift, then when a trial is set before you, you will not be discouraged because you will still value him.

James 1:2 -"Count it all joy, my brothers , when you meet trials of various kinds."

He gives us lasting joy when we value him and he is most glorified when we rejoice in him. The thing we rejoice in most is what we value most. If we value anything more than God then we do not have real joy. It is only temporary happiness, we will have it for a little while then it will fade. But when we value God he gives us joy that lasts because it is in him.

Interview with Bob Kauflin

2008-06-09T19:45:00.000-07:00

Josiah Robertson of TFG(Teen Fellowship Group)Interviews Bob Kauflin, in which Mr. Kauflin has some excellent points on worship. To read this Interview click here

Bob Kauflin is the worship administrator for Sovereign Grace Ministries and the author of "Worship Matters."

www.teenfg.com

Update: I just found another Interview with Bob Kauflin at, theresurgence.com

To be Truly Great

2008-06-07T14:40:00.000-07:00

"Certain men might have been something if they had not thought themselves so. A consciously great man is an evidently little one." -C.H Spurgeon

A great man is a humble one, If we view ourselves as great and think we should be treated as so, then we are not great and we will always be angry that we are not being treated as we think we deserve. Mark 10:43 says that, "Whoever would be great among you must be your servant." We must be servants, then we will be great in God's kingdom.

Matthew 20:27-28, "And whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Even the greatest person ever came to serve, and if we want to be great we must follow his example.

"Jesus Freaks" by dc Talk and the Voice of the Martyrs

2008-06-07T08:15:00.000-07:00

It is said that there are more Christian Martyrs today than in any other time period. This book is a collection of amazing stories of people who risked their comfort, their family, their friends and even their lives for the Gospel and Jesus Christ. It tells only a few of their stories that must be told. It is a must read, I highly recommend it.

Complacency(more on the conference)

2008-06-05T13:12:00.000-07:00

Brett talked about complacency; that even if we are excelling in an area, if were not pushing ourselves to do our best, then we are not growing in that area. However if someone is not excelling in that certain area, but is doing his/her best, then they are the ones who are growing(in that certain area). Brett used the example that if he is lifting a ten pound weight without breaking a sweat and his little brother is struggling to lift five pounds, then his little brother is actually getting the better workout and therefore gaining more muscle. God is more pleased with the person who is doing his/her best than the person who is excelling and not and doing his/her best.

I'm Back!

2008-06-03T21:22:00.000-07:00

I just got back from the "Do Hard Things" conference, it was great! First Alex and Brett opened by telling us how the Rebelution started. Then Alex talked about "The Myth of Adolescence", how teenagers these days only rise to meet our culture's low expectations, and no more. Our culture tells us that the teen years are the time to have fun and to do what we want, they have conditioned us to believe that we are useless and unable to "Do Hard Things". But the Bible tells us that we can do all things through Christ. So through God, teenagers can "Do Hard Things".

More to come.

-cj

"Do Hard Things" Conference

2008-05-27T09:24:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, we(some of my family and I)will be leaving to go to the "Do Hard Things" conference in Colorado. If you already know we live in Texas, then your probably wondering why we don't just go to the Dallas conference. Well, we're also going to see our friends who live up there(we knew each other when we lived in California). We haven't seen each other in a long time, so we will be staying there a few extra days.

Please pray that we have a safe flight there and back.

Due to our leaving, I will not be able to post until Monday.

-cj

Trust in the Lord

2008-05-26T09:14:00.000-07:00

Prov. 3:5 says, Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. God's love is steadfast, he never changes. He is the only one who is completely trustworthy, there is nothing that lasts forever or anything that can save us from our sin except for God. The more we put our trust in other things, the more apt we are to fall. It seems as though the more stable and comfortable our earthly circumstances are, the more we trust in them and the less we trust in God; but the more uncomfortable and unstable our circumstance, the more prone we are to trust in God. We should trust in God for he is everlasting and will never break his promises nor will he let you go.

12 ways to improve your blog

2008-05-24T16:42:00.000-07:00

There are some great tips about blogging at the blog, Between Two Worlds(Justin Talors blog), they really helped me. Read them at Between Two Worlds

The post is actually by Abraham Piper from Desiring God.com

God's pleasure

2008-05-22T09:29:00.000-07:00

"There is nothing that keeps wicked men at any one moment out of hell, but the mere pleasure of God." -Jonathan Edwards. This thought is so humbling. We are not in hell because he takes pleasure in us, and he takes so much pleasure in us that he killed his only son who was completely perfect, so that we might live with him for eternity.

But what in us does he take pleasure in? We are so sinful! Well, to me this is a mystery. All I know is that he loved us so much that he was willing to pay the ultimate price to save us.

Chapter eight, "What Jesus Demands from the World" by John Piper

2008-05-19T22:38:00.000-07:00

Jesus demands us to follow him, even if it means leaving everything behind and/or suffering persecution; our lives should be totally focused on him. Being joyful in persecution shows Jesus' worth, it shows how valuable he is to us. When Jesus suffered the ultimate persecution he showed how valuable we are to him. He loves us so much and we don't even come close to deserving his love.

Jesus demands us to pick up our cross and follow him until he returns, and he has sent his spirit to guide us until that time. Jesus didn't mean a light and easy cross, in John 15:20 he said that we will face persecution. So he knows that it will be hard for us, but not so hard that we cannot bear it. That is why he sent his Holy Spirit, to strengthen us in those hard times.

We will receive eternal life and that is much greater than what we must suffer down on earth. So it is totally worth it to take up your cross and follow him.

Prince Caspian

2008-05-16T13:58:00.000-07:00

We(my family and some friends)went to see Prince Caspian last night, the action was awesome. The story, even though some of the time it did not follow the book, was done very well. I thought it was definitely a great movie and I'm looking forward to seeing it again when it comes out on DVD.

Favorite Fiction books

2008-05-14T14:57:00.000-07:00

OK, next question, what are your favorite fiction books? please comment and tell me.

I don't read that many fiction books, but Here is what comes to mind:"Safely Home," "Lord of the Rings," and "The Chronicles of Narnia".

Favorite non-fiction books

2008-05-13T20:01:00.000-07:00

What are your favorite non-fiction books? please comment and tell me.

Here are my favorites:
"Holy Bible" by God,
"Do Hard Things" by Alex and Brett Harris,
"What Jesus Demands from the World" by John Piper,
"Quest for Character" by John MacArther,
and "Christ our Mediator" by C.J.Mahaney.

"Safely Home"

2008-05-12T20:14:00.000-07:00

We(our family)recently finished a book called, "Safely Home" by Randy Alcorn. It was honestly, the best novel I have ever read. It totally changed my perspective on being martyred. I used to be very scared of dieing for Jesus but through this book God has shown me that dieing for him is a glorious thing and that I should be glad to do his will, even if it means dieing for him. I highly recommend that you read this in the very near future.

"You need to read"

2008-05-09T15:59:00.000-07:00

"You need to read...the best way for you to spend your leisure is to be either reading or praying." -C.H.Spurgeon. If we want to grow in our faith we need to pray, fellowship with other Christians, read God's word and read other Christian books by Christian authors. When you read a good Christian book, you receive information from other Christians that you might not have considered before, things are explained to you that you didn't understand before and your mind is filled with godly thoughts. When you read ungodly books your mind is filled with ungodly thoughts. It's the same thing with blogging, reading good blogs helps you grow in your faith. God created good books and blogs so that we may become more godly, so lets use these tools that God has so graciously given us to expand our minds for him.

Chapter six. What Jesus demands from the world, by John Piper

2008-05-08T14:52:00.000-07:00

Jesus speaks with authority great enough to give and take away physical life. More importantly he has the power give us eternal life, this is why we must listen to him. His words are so powerful that even demons obey him, for example in Mark 1:25 when he commanded the demon to come out of the man, the demon came out. Jesus' authoritative words threatened the pharisees so much that their only alternative to end the threat was to kill him. But the only reason why they did eventually kill him was because he allowed them to. Jesus' authority is not threatened by death because as I said earlier he has authority over life and death. After Jesus died, he rose again.

In order to obtain eternal life you must hear and believe him. Many hear him but do not believe him. They do not believe him because they have no room in their hearts for him. God alone creates room in our hearts for him, but not just a little room, he deserves our entire hearts, in fact he demands that we give every last bit of our hearts to him. We shouldn't refuse him, we should let him clean out our hearts of all our impurities and sin. We should let him, so that we may be fit to enter his kingdom.

Interview with Director of Prince Caspian

2008-05-06T13:40:00.000-07:00

Mark Moring interviews Andrew Adamson director of Prince Caspian. Prince Caspian will be in theaters may 16. Read the interview at www.christianitytoday.com

Shine!

2008-05-05T13:34:00.000-07:00

Luke 8:16- ''No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light.'' We are a light in this world and God wants us to stand out in it so that those who see us will give glory to God. Matt 5:16- In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your father who is in heaven. What a privilege that we get to point people to God, for God doesn't need us to bring people to himself, yet he is kind enough to use us.

Chapter five, What Jesus Demands from the World, by John Piper

2008-05-03T09:09:00.000-07:00

Love is a feeling and our feelings should be based on whatever Jesus commands them to be. One of his commands, is that we love him. Not a weak love, but a love that exceeds even the love of our family.
You might be wondering, ''How do I love someone who I've never met before, more than my family?'' Well, if you are in the family of God, you can't help but love him more than anything else John8:42- Jesus said to them, ''If God were your father, you would love me for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me.''

Love is an action as well as a feeling and it is an action because when you love God you obey him Jesus said ''If you love me you will obey what I command(John 14:15). But loving God does not just mean that we obey him, we obey him because we love him.
We were God's enemies, yet he loved us and made us his sons and daughters and now he commands us to love our enemies as he did. He has forgiven the ultimate debt, our sin. We can never love as he loves nor can we ever forgive as he does. But we must still strive to forgive and love more.

Matt 10:37- ''Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.'' Being worthy of him does not mean that we deserve him, it means if we love him more than anything then we are loving him as he deserves to be loved.

I know that I do not love God as he deserves to be loved, my selfish desires and sin cloud his worthiness. My only hope is in Romans 5:5- and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. I don't have the ability to love God, God gives me the ability to love him. As Augustine said in Confessions, ''Give me the grace [O Lord] to do as you command, and command me to do what you will.

National day of prayer!

2008-05-01T10:22:00.000-07:00

Happy national day of prayer! I'm so glad God gave us the gift of prayer and that he let's us have an intimate relationship with him!

Do you have any prayer requests?

Where to find Joy

2008-04-30T15:29:00.000-07:00

Many people chase after joy their whole lives, few find it. The ones who do find it, find it in Jesus. Many people think they've found joy but what they've found is not joy but a false happiness. You find false happiness in material objects, the happiness lasts a little while but then it vanishes, leaving you empty again. The only place to find true joy is in Jesus, in any other place it is false. False happiness looks like joy until you get it, then you realize it is false. Sometimes people refer to the wrong kind of joy as the American dream. The American dream is a myth, no one has ever found true joy in living the American dream. They think they've found it because our culture has persuaded them into thinking that material objects will make them happy, but they never do. This does not mean they we cannot enjoy the many gifts that God gives us, such as family, friends ,a beautiful day, etc. We do find joy in these gifts, but should these gifts and benefits go away, our ultimate joy should still be in the giver, Jesus.

Where are you finding your joy today?

Chapter four, What Jesus Demands from the World, by John Piper

2008-04-28T10:25:00.000-07:00

We are helpless and our attempts to save ourselves are feeble, so who do we look to for salvation? John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that whosoever believe in him will not perish but have eternal life. This is the answer, Jesus is the one we look to, he demands us to believe in him so that we may have eternal life. We are in a very dangerous situation, but most people don't see this, they are blinded. Naturally they don't see the need to believe in him because they don't see the need to be saved. When we sin we are in complete rebellion against God, he is angered by this, and his wrath would be thrust upon us, but Jesus took all our sins upon himself. He bore God's wrath that was rightfully against us. Jesus demands that we believe in him because we cannot do anything to help him save us.

Believing in Jesus not only means believing that he can save us, it means that we must understand that he rose again. Believing in the physical things that he did are just as important as believing that he can save us. Also we must trust him, for it is not believing about him only that matters, it is also trusting in him.

Besides giving us eternal life he also gives us living water to drink so that we may never be thirsty again. But it is not a physical thirst that shall be quenched, it is water that will quench the soul. Jesus is this water and we must trust him that he will save us.

Where is your faith?

2008-04-26T07:24:00.000-07:00

Psalm 119:90- Your faithfulness endures to all generations, you have established the earth and it stands fast. This means that Gods faithfulness lasts beyond us. But it doesn't mean that God has faith in us, we are sinful, so why would He need to have faith in us? It means that he is never going to let us go, that he is going to hold us forever and stay by us to the end. (Luke 8:24-28) The disciples went and woke him, saying ''Master, Master, we're going to drown! He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; they subsided, and all was calm. ''Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another ''Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water and they obey him. When Jesus asked where their faith was, was he discerning that they had misplaced faith? Was it that all their faith was in external circumstances, such as, the seaworthiness of their vessel? If their faith was in Jesus they would have nothing to be afraid of, right? When I start to worry or feel anxious, you can bet it is because I have been placing my faith in the wrong things. When I turn my eyes back to my savior, I can rest in my circumstances because He is in control. Whatever happens, good or bad, is ultimately for my good and his glory. I can have faith in the one who is faithful.

Praise him for everything!

2008-04-25T09:48:00.000-07:00

God is not a genie in a lamp that we can use for our purposes, he is a divine God who should be treated with all respect. I tend to pray only when I'm in trouble or when I want something and I ask myself do I thank God enough for what he has given me, or am I so distracted with what I need or want. God doesn't just want us to come to him with our needs he also wants our praise. But don't give him praise just for something you wanted, praise him for everything!

Do you have any praises to bring to God?

Chapter three, What Jesus Demands from the World, by John Piper

2008-04-23T22:23:00.000-07:00

Jesus' third demand is that we come to him. When a person is born again he /she starts to view Jesus as the center of there lives , instead of other pleasures that the world offers. But a lot of people view Christianity as just another religion with a lot of rules to bear as a burden. No, Jesus didn't come to bestow a heavier burden on us , he came to lift the burden of sin off of us. Jesus doesn't give us burdens that will crush us he gives us tasks that we can handle, so that we may gain strength in our faith. Once a person experiences the change within Jesus gives us greater and greater tasks as we grow in our faith and we don't have to bear the burden of sin because he has lifted it by giving his life for us and in return we must be willing to lose our life for him. He demands us to come to him so that he may lift our burdens and replace them with a lighter load. But the lighter load that is given to us is not a physically light load, I mean, he doesn't give us health, wealth and no persecution, although sometimes he gives us these as blessings. Jesus said that the way to eternal life is hard and narrow and that you will go through tribulation. Christians want enjoy him but this world is a hard place to do that.

Jesus said that he longs for the day when he could gather his children like a hen gathers her brood but they were not willing. He weeps for those who do not come and grieves for those who do not accept his offer of eternal life.His offer is for all , yet some do not come. Piper states ''in other words people do not want to come. some call this the choice of free will Jesus would probably say it is the choice of a will enslaved to sin.'' If we are spiritually dead how do we come? John 6:44 '' no one can come to me unless the father who sent me draws him."

What are some ways you are enjoying Jesus in your life?
Do you ever struggle in enjoying the world, so that it is hard to enjoy Jesus?

Did Jesus 'do Hard things?'

2008-04-21T19:34:00.000-07:00

''I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me''(phil 4:13). This is an encouraging verse, it's telling us that nothing is impossible for our creator no matter how hard. If we follow Jesus' example we will notice that he did 'hard things' in fact he did the hardest thing of all, he paid for our sins. If Jesus can ''do hard things'' and if we gain our strength through him, then 'doing hard things' should be a cinch. But sometimes they're not, sometimes we fail because Satan, the world and our own sin nature convinces us that it's too hard, even for God. They don't come out and say ''it's too hard for God'' they say it quietly, so that we are easily persuaded to think like them. But don't lose heart, because we can do all things through him who saved us.

Chapter two, What Jesus Demands from the World

2008-04-19T18:58:00.001-07:00

Repentance has two signs of actual existence in one's heart, the first is a change of mind. A change of mind does not mean that one has an awesome new behavior although a new behavior is a result of true repentance, a change of mind means that a person is in complete awareness of his or her sin. Jesus said that he came to save the sinners not the righteous, everyone is a sinner so what he meant by 'righteous' are those who are to proud to admit they are sinners. God saves all who humble themselves and and admit they are in need of a savior because of their sin. That is what a change of mind is. The second sign is fruit bearing(good works)this a result as well as a sign, it also follows a change of mind. For if one has humbled oneself and admits they are a sinner then they will begin to strive to to sin less and to bear more and more fruit. Sin is not only harmful to oneself and others , it is an assault against God and when one truly repents it grieves them when they sin, and each time we repent God welcomes us back with open arms. Repentance is not a once in a life time thing, it is continual. We must constantly repent of our sin, for if we only have to repent once then we would be free to sin and then eventually there would no fruit in our lives at all. Repentance is essential to obtain eternal life, but this command to repent is also an offer given to us by a gracious God and it includes everyone, this command and offer comes to us so that we may proclaim it and to continue to proclaim it to all the earth.

Chapter one "What Jesus Demands from the World"

2008-04-13T21:04:00.000-07:00

I'm going to be doing a series of posts on John Piper's book"What Jesus Demands from the World".
One of the things that Jesus demands from the world is that everyone should be born again. John 3:3- Jesus answered him, ''Truly, truly I say to you unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.'' Being born again means that you have been born of the flesh and of the spirit. Men and women that have not been spiritually born have no desire for Jesus because they are spiritually dead .If you asked them,"Do you want to go to heaven?", of course they would say yes, who wouldn't want to live in a big house and have lots of food. If you asked them, "Do you want to spend eternity with Jesus?", they probably wouldn't want to. Why? To them Jesus is a boring person with a lot of rules, always telling them things they don't want to hear. Spiritually dead people are not interested in spiritual activities such as praying and meditating on his word.
You might be wondering why I say spiritually dead people, that worship false gods, pray and meditate are not spiritually alive. They're worshiping and praying to false gods but the only spiritual "life" is found in Jesus. If only people knew that Jesus came to set the captives free, that he came to take them out of bondage and that he came to give us life...abundant life!
Jesus came for those who are weak and wounded....aren't we all. Anyone who recognizes his need for a savior and calls out to Jesus can be born again. Jesus calls us to repent from our sin which means to turn away from sin and turn to a gracious, loving savior.

There is a God

2008-04-08T20:31:00.000-07:00

"Wow! That is so cool how God has created everything to such perfection so that all that there is can exist. It's so easy to see that there is a God, that all you have to do is walk outside and look at the trees and the sky and ask yourself "could all this just happen?" Rom.1:19-20 says 'for what can be known about God is plain to them because God has shown it to them for his invisible attributes, namely his eternal power and divine nature , have been clearly perceived , ever since the creation of the world , in the things that have been made . So they are without excuse'. The way God has created a tree's metabolism to absorb sunlight and the roots to feed on water and the leaves to make air for us to breath is truly amazing. Even a thousand humans wouldn't be able to do this in a hundred billion years. So why do people think that nothing could create everything in billions of years? Well because they are so desperate to break away from God's law and live according to their own laws.

Another amazing thing about the planet earth is this; if the earth was a little smaller its weakened gravity could not hold water or air, and the thinner atmosphere wouldn't provide enough protection against all the meteorites that hit the earth's atmosphere every day, thinner air would make temperatures drop and all of life would die. If earth were twice it's size it's gravity would be too strong and almost everything would be crushed under it's own weight. Also, if the warmth the gulf stream(the great current in the north Atlantic)were not there, Britain would have severe winters in which many people would die. One mistake by 'nothing' would have spelled death for everything, if life had ever even made it to existence.

brothers and sisters

2008-04-02T07:13:00.000-07:00

I love my brothers and sisters, and to our society that's weird, because in a normal American family kids think younger siblings are annoying and older siblings are bossy. So I'm reading this great book 'Making brothers and sisters best friends' by Sarah, Stephen,and Grace Mally http://www.brothersandsisters.net/, it's really helping me to view my siblings as friends that I can establish great relations with. If you see them as the last person you'd want to hang out with you have the wrong perspective. Your brothers and/or sisters should be the people you're pursuing friendship with the most, after all they are the ones you're going to know the rest of your life anyway. As adults relationships with our siblings will be a lot easier if we work on being our brothers and/or sisters best friend. Besides you may have to deal with all their faults, but they have to deal with yours too.

Fight for truth

2008-04-02T05:46:00.000-07:00

Is there an absolute truth? This is something that is widely debated in our country. Our public school system would like us to believe that there is not, they want us to believe that everything is relevant, that truth is just whatever you want it to be. They don't want us imposing our beliefs on them, yet they impose their beliefs that there is no absolute truth on us. Their excuse is that absolute truth is offensive to people, when there are more people hurt by this belief than helped. One hundred years ago an idea like this would be unheard of, because of course there is an absolute truth. If there is no truth people can do whatever they want(including murder,theft and any other crime). There is no higher law to tell them not to. People without law to govern them create more harm and chaos than the "so-called "offenses of absolute truth. This belief is destroying our country. 'Jesus said, I am the way the truth and the life'(John 14:6), That's why we need to stand up and fight for truth.

my youth group

2008-03-31T20:44:00.000-07:00

My youth group is a mix of home school and private school kids . We are a God fearing youth, we worship God, we study his word and we play basketball (one of my favorite sports). We have about twenty-five people in our group. For a little while we were visiting a nursing home and witnessing to the people that live there. We also do such activities as go to an outdoor learning center for a Christmas celebration every year. Even though it is a rather small youth group it has a good atmosphere and I hope it never changes.

Hedge of protection

2008-03-28T22:21:00.000-07:00

(Tim hawkins Christian comedian)

Commanded to respect

2008-03-28T20:39:00.001-07:00

It isn't easy when kids around you think it isn't cool to be respectful to adults, like when you address them as sir or ma'am. Every one has gotten so used to the typical disrespectful teenager that we've forgotten that teens are commanded by God to respect our elders and obey them. If our generation would do this we would make the world much more pleasant to live in.The fact that teenagers think they're the center of the universe is absurd and every one has bought into it, I mean a respectful teenager is so rare even most Christians are surprised to see one, that's how low the expectations are of teenagers these days.