+2.25

Wrestling with an Angel

2010-03-26T16:25:00.001-04:00

A stark vision of Jesus washing His disciples feet flashed across my mind and I wondered if this was what He meant when He said, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.”

From "Wrestling with an Angel"

ESV App

2010-03-18T21:56:00.003-04:00

Nice FREE ESV App from the iTunes store. If you have an iPhone or iPod touch, you should get it.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

2010-03-17T15:25:00.001-04:00

Good post about Patrick of Ireland.

Look to Jesus

2010-03-15T21:39:00.005-04:00

If you have ever asked me for help with problems in your life I have probably at some point asked you about your relationship with Jesus. I have had a lot of puzzled looks over the years over that question. Most folks want a list of things they need to do to solve their problem.
But most of our problems usually have to do with our self worship and not looking away from ourselves to the all-satisfying treasure Jesus Christ.
I realize folks have physical problems that need to be addressed sometimes but our biggest problem is self and that is the one thing we most easily forget.

At first this advice sounds simplistic until you begin to think about how to go about getting closer to Christ. So actually here is a list to help out looking away from self to Christ. Although in reality, if the Holy Spirit does not work in your heart to make this list important to you it is just a list that will become a burden. So the first point is probably the most important.

* Pray- Pray for God to pull your heart away from yourself and to point it to Christ.
* Read Scripture knowing that the entire Bible is about Jesus. David was not just a great king he was pointing to The Great King. Joseph was not just a great savior of his family he was pointing to The Great Savior of His family, etc.
* Write down propositions about Christ as you read to reflect on later. Read the book of John and write down all of the descriptions of Jesus. I am the bread of life, I am the light, he is The Word, he is the True Light, etc. ( you could meditate on what is meant by the bread of life all day, or week, or year).
* Memorize and meditate on passages like Col 1:15-23.
* Meditate on the gospel and what Jesus has done on your behalf.

We all need to look away from ourselves to God. The Bible gives us the most complete view of God through the revelation of who He is in the person of Christ. What a gift we have at our disposal.

If God is so powerful, why do bad things happen?

2010-03-11T20:33:00.001-05:00

I Don't Want My Children to be Happy

2010-03-11T14:15:00.002-05:00

"Darlings, we love you so much. You will never even grasp how much we love you until you have children of your own, and then you'll get it, and then you'll apologize for the ways you treated us ;) But our goal is not to please you. Our goal is to please our Heavenly Father. And nowhere in the bible does the Lord command that we save our money to send our kids to college.

But the Lord does command us to care for the orphan around fifty times. He does tell us to care for the poor around 300 times. He does tell us that when we care for the neediest, we are caring for Jesus Himself. And in chapter six of the book of Matthew, He tells us to seek His kingdom first, and let Him worry about the rest, like college tuition. Because it's all His anyway."

From "It's Almost Naptime"

Our Quid Pro Quo God

2010-03-11T09:18:00.001-05:00

"This is also not to deny that God does indeed discipline those whom he loves (Heb. 12)—but he does so not as a quid pro quo god does but only as a Father. That is, the discipline has nothing to do with something we've done or failed to do, but only with the person he wants us to become. It has no relation to our sin, but only a relation to the grace of the One in whose image we are being created, Jesus Christ."

Good article from Mark Galli.

New Plan #5

2010-03-10T22:13:00.001-05:00

Okay, obviously I am not that serious about #5 in the New Plan post below since I just put a link on Facebook and Twitter to this blog...

Francis Chan-Crazy Love

2010-03-10T20:34:00.005-05:00

I am finishing up Francis Chan's book "Crazy Love" tonight. I think it is worth reading if you have not already read it. I am not going to do a review (too much work). It is an easy read and should not take over a few days to read.

There was one quote that I read about 5 times and tried to digest. I am still not quite comfortable with it but it did make me think.

"I urge you to consider and actually live as though each person you come into contact with is Christ", page 166.

I think I get what he is talking about but I think my first reaction would be to fall down and worship Christ. That might be a little weird to do with everyone I meet.

The New Plan

2010-03-10T19:58:00.003-05:00

Well I started back blogging last year and did a pretty poor job of keeping up my posting. I tried to do two blogs and kept up pretty well and then just quit.
I think I might try again to put a few posts up now and then, probably on this blog, mostly.

Why did I stop? I think it was a combination of things.
1) I am lazy
2) I am not a good writer, some of my friends make me embarrassed to write anything, they are such good writers. ( i probably just made mistakes in this one sentence)

3) Some of my friends are such good theologians that I am embarrassed to write anything.

4) People do not want to read anything or watch anything that takes more than 1 minute of their time. People want to Facebook or Twitter or something really quick.

5) I was too concerned with looking at Google Analytics to see how many people were reading my stupid blogs.

6) I was too concerned with choosing just the right words because I was afraid of the response from saying what was really on my mind.

7) Other stuff I can't really think of right now.

Here is my new plan.

1) I am still lazy, I may not post regularly.

2) My friends know I am not a good writer so I am not going to worry about it anymore. If I leave a dangling participle ( whatever that is) or a double negative or miss a comma or whatever, get over it.

3) If you don't agree with my theology that is okay I am still forming it. Maybe I will catch up with you some day.

4) Maybe if I would post something worth reading or watching someone would invest more than 1 minute on it.

5) I honestly don't care how many people read this thing anymore.

6) I may say something that you don't agree with and are offended by, I am sorry, but only Jesus got everything right and they killed him.

7) My plan is subject to change.

John Piper on the Prosperity Gospel

2009-11-04T16:45:00.000-05:00

Africa and the Prosperity Gospel

2009-11-04T16:33:00.000-05:00

The Prosperity Gospel from The Global Conversation on Vimeo.

The Word "Enough" is an enemy of the Gospel

2009-10-28T07:45:00.001-04:00

Good post from JD Greear on doing "enough" and the Gospel.

Passion 2010

2009-10-12T13:04:00.000-04:00

Radio Drama-Screwtape Letters

2009-09-29T09:17:00.002-04:00

This looks like it will be a quality production.

Top 100 Youtubes in 4 mins

2009-09-26T08:09:00.000-04:00

Political Quiz

2009-09-22T19:32:00.002-04:00

Here is a one minute political quiz that might help you know what to call yourself politically.

I think it pegged me as Centrist.

HEMA Webpage

2009-09-22T07:43:00.002-04:00

I love this website but I guess if all companies had sites like this people would never leave the internet.

Go to the page and wait about 5 seconds.

The Marshmallow Test

2009-09-17T07:49:00.000-04:00

Another Duggar

2009-09-10T08:58:00.000-04:00

Cool T Shirt

2009-09-06T13:50:00.003-04:00

Whoops

2009-09-01T06:38:00.000-04:00

You've Been Left Behind

2009-08-28T09:43:00.002-04:00

We have set up a system to send documents by the email, to the addresses you provide, 6 days after the "Rapture" of the Church. This occurs when 3 of our 5 team members scattered around the U.S fail to log in over a 3 day period. Another 3 days are given to fail safe any false triggering of the system.
We give you 150mb of encrypted storage that can be sent to 12 possible email addresses, in Box #1. You up load any documents and choose which documents go to who. You can edit these documents at any time and change the addresses they will be sent to as needed. Box #1 is for your personal private letters to your closest lost friends and relatives.
We give you another 100mb. of unencrypted storage that can be sent to up to 50 email addresses, in Box #2. You can edit the documents and the addresses any time. Box #2 is for more generic documents to lost family & friends.
The cost is $40 for the first year. Re-subscription will be reduced as the number of subscribers increases. Tell your friends about You've Been left behind.

I think this is for real.

Thanks Jeremy T.

Eternal Earth Bound Pets

2009-08-26T07:03:00.002-04:00

You've committed your life to Jesus. You know you're saved. But when the Rapture comes what's to become of your loving pets who are left behind? Eternal Earth-Bound Pets takes that burden off your mind.

Wow..

Eternal Earth-Bound Pets, USA
The next best thing to pet salvation in a Post Rapture World

Jesus Wants the Rose

2009-08-24T20:46:00.004-04:00

If you have never heard Matt Chandler tell this story, you should. It reminds me of some of the sermons I have sat through over the years that made me want to just SCREAM!

Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan

2009-08-21T07:00:00.004-04:00

I have heard about Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan all of my life but I have never seen an actual film of them. Here is a rare Newsreel of Anne showing how she taught Helen how to speak.

I Love My Community Group!

2009-08-20T21:47:00.002-04:00

Hope puts in to words some of the same feelings I have about our Community Group, only she says it a lot better than I could.

Stephen and Brooke

2009-08-20T21:35:00.004-04:00

In God's grace He has allowed my wife Dail and I to become a part of a great church plant in Winston Salem NC. This would not have been possible without God giving Stephen Wagoner the vision and passion to replant this church. We are thankful!

Here is a link to an article about Stephen and Brooke from Acts 29. This is also the first time I have ever seen him in a tie!

Missions

2009-08-17T14:56:00.001-04:00

Sungha Jung- Canon

2009-08-16T15:09:00.000-04:00

Sungha Jung-Mission Impossible

2009-08-16T14:58:00.001-04:00

I think he is only 11 years old.

Backstreet Boy

2009-08-11T09:34:00.002-04:00

Tim Challies has an interesting interview with one of the original "Backstreet Boys".

The Gospel in 6 Minutes

2009-08-09T19:38:00.001-04:00

I have probably seen this 10 times or more. It is still good.

New iMac!

2009-08-08T09:11:00.003-04:00

Okay, I have been on sort of a blogging pause while I try to figure out how to use this new iMac of mine. All these years on a PC have handicapped me.

Monergism.com

2009-08-05T19:32:00.003-04:00

Monergism is revamping it's design. If you are not familiar with this website you should check it out. The amount of information compiled on this site is incredible. Monergism has been one of the most influential websites in my Christian journey.

Shaken but not Stirred

2009-08-05T16:11:00.003-04:00

"After ‘‘sheepgate’’ the pastor asked us to close our eyes and bow our heads. He urged people who had left Jesus, had never had him in their heart, or were confused, to raise their hands so they could be prayed for.

He sounded like a real estate agent. "One over there, thank you, sir. Anyone else? I’ll wait a few moments. Yes, one down the back." Dummy bidders anyone? Then bewildered-looking new disciples were led out by the old hands.

The crowd left believing they had been moved by God and touched by Jesus. They hadn’t. They had been seduced by slick video packages and had their emotional desire for love, community and certainty met by manipulation. It wasn’t the Holy Spirit; it was just people."

Here is the rest of the article.

Here is Planetshakers web page.

How Would You Invest $10,000 in Eternity?

2009-08-04T16:24:00.000-04:00

Something to think about from Josh Harris.

The Salvation Challenge Game

2009-08-04T16:20:00.002-04:00

Salvation Challenge 2 - 6 players: Each player has $1,000,000 in kingdom cash. The players must get saved by landing on the Calvary square. Then the players enter a race to give away $1,000,000 to missionaries who advance God's kingdom. The winner is the first player to give away all of their cash!

Here is a link to the website and the promo video.

More "Christian Wear"

2009-08-03T16:25:00.001-04:00

"Christian Tatoos"

2009-08-01T09:42:00.008-04:00

Do "Christian Tatoos" make someone a Christian?

Christian T Shirts

2009-07-31T16:00:00.008-04:00

Does wearing a "Christian T Shirt" make someone a Christian?

Mark Driscoll and the Gospel

2009-07-30T16:47:00.000-04:00

Love is an Ocean

2009-07-29T07:17:00.003-04:00

"But the thing about life-pouring is that, if you are doing it from the right place, you're not emptying yourself at all.

Sit down. Actively listen. Close your eyes. Open them wide. Breathe in the stench. Hold a hand. Take a picture. Expect nothing. Be grateful in everything."

Here is the rest of the post from 6YearMed.

Bibles

2009-07-28T13:01:00.012-04:00

Do we have enough different types of Bibles available yet to make us that "Christian Nation" we always hear about? I noticed Zondervan has 231 different types of NIV Bibles and Christian Book.com has 311 different types of Children's Bibles to get us started.

Christian Car Stuff

2009-07-27T16:34:00.008-04:00

Do car magnets and air fresheners and flags indicate whether the driver is a Christian or not?

Bible Covers

2009-07-26T18:51:00.008-04:00

Does the type of Bible Cover or lack of Bible Cover a person has indicate whether or not that person is a Christian?

Jesus Merchandise

2009-07-26T08:32:00.011-04:00

Deluxe Miracle Jesus Action Figure

2009-07-25T07:05:00.003-04:00

This "Deluxe Miracle Jesus Action Figure", turns water into wine and feeds 5000. And he has glow in the dark hands!

From "Now That's Nifty"

Two Blogs!

2009-07-24T14:33:00.002-04:00

Two Blogs! You have got to be kidding me! I don't know if I can think up or find enough interesting things for two blogs but I am going to try for a while. I have noticed that some people have 4 or 5 for some reason. I can not see me trying to do any more than this.
This blog was named after the power of my reading glasses. I am severely handicapped without my reading glasses and have found that the older I get the higher power I need to see clearly. I have also found that the older I get the Higher Power I need to see clearly.
I hope you find something here that is helpful.