Solus Christus

Another Unique Mundane Moment

2006-09-13T18:26:00.000-05:00

I wrote a post not long ago (Oct or Nov 2005) about the "Incredible Uniqeness of the Mundane".. Well, I had another one the other night. My sons and I were wrestling on the bed.. Finally after, we settled down, I was laying down with my elder twin (2 minutes) and it was quite.. The night lite was the only lite on.. The fish tank was humming and we were about to doze off.. Parker looked over to me square in the eyes and said, "I love you daddy"..

It is great when the boys obey because I'm the authority and I deserve the respect of the position of the father.. But how much more joyous is it to obey out of love..

I want to love my heavenly Father, not only because of the position, but because my heart is filled with love toward Him..

Balanced or Biblical?

2006-08-15T14:38:00.000-05:00

There is alot of emphasis on being "Balanced" in our approach to doctrine.. I have even been guilty of catching myself using the term balanced. I think the balanced has become the polically correct way of saying "common ground".. The writer of Hebrews was writing against this very thing. The Christians can came out of Jewish religion were being persecuted. They were being encouraged to still be religious just don't be so "Christian"..

I don't want to be balanced, I want to be Biblical.. Sometimes balanced ain't Biblical. I was put in a situation once where I had to agree to stop promoting a teaching in the church having to do with spiritual gifts and thier operation today or be kicked out of an association.. They were asking me to be "balanced" to keep from causing problems..

It was turning point in my walk. God had put me in leadership. I didn't ask for it, but everywhere I go, I find myself in that position. I had to make a decision, was I going to please man or God? Was I going to walk by His Word or walk the path man has made? I had to tell them that I appreciate their concern, and I hope the best for them, but, I could not sacrifice truth for unity.. I could not sacrifice what I knew at that time as the Biblical position for one that was more "acceptable"..

It's time the church feared God more than man.. It is time we stop worrying about being balanced and be Biblical in our teaching and in our actions.

Cool Question.. What Is Sin?

2006-07-31T21:50:00.000-05:00

I was scanning some of the blogs I read, and came across a very relavant question: What is sin? Answers were given relating the the dictionary, the SBC publications, and then scripture was alluded to pertaining to the law.. The answer was starting to get on the right track..

Just to shed more light:
Matt 12:31 the greek word for sin means an "offense".. strongs (266)
Matt 18:21 it means to "miss the mark".. especially morally (264)

As I was looking at this, I notices that in the NT, stong's 266 was used, I would dare to say 99% of the time.. The other was primarily strongs (264)..

If the Biblical meaning of sin is to offend, then someone has to be the offender and the other has to be the object of the offense. Since there are only two possibilities, God or us, we have to decide, who offended who, did God offend us, or did we offend God? I think the answer is clear.. The Bible says that God is righteous pure and holy and is 100% right all the time.. That only leaves one option.. We are the offender and God is the offended..

How is God offended? DISOBEDIENCE.. Plain and simple.. Disobedience to the Law of God, Disobedience to God's Word as a whole..If God says something is wrong in the Word, then anything to the contrary is sin. The Bibles says that ALL scripture was give for doctrine, reproof, edification etc..When anyone reads the Word (The Bible) and disobeys, they are in essence saying, they know what God said, but they think they are going to do what they want anyway (rebellion).. They don't believe what God says.. They are calling God a liar..

Not heeding the conviction of Holy Spirit is another way we call God a liar.. It's call the blasphemy of Holy Spirit.. The Spirit of God calls to the sinner and testifies of the truth of the Gospel.. Rejection of that testimony is rejection of Jesus.. Jesus is called a liar..

What is sin? Disobedience of God revealed to us by Holy Spirit and given to us by the Word of God. Take it or leave it, the rule book is there.. Be broken by it, repent (turn from that which the Lord says turn from)or be crushed by it.. Your choice.. Always has been, always will be..

How To Love The Sinner

2006-07-29T22:49:00.000-05:00

I recently engaged in an online exchange where the topic of homosexuality, hypocrites, liberals, women Sr. pastors and the such were the topic. There are some things that I tried to get across but I think I was unsuccessful. I pray not.. There are a few things to keep in mind..

1) There sinful state is not different that our before we came to know Christ.
2) There sinful state is just as much a candidate for forgiveness as ours..
3) If they repent, they are as free in the Lord as anyone..
4) Without repentance and Jesus as their Lord, they are condemned already.

Just as any one who does not know the Jesus as their Lord and Savior, they are condemned ALREADY !! The Bible says so. It should be the cry of our heart to love them, lift them up in prayer so that Holy Spirit can work on them and convict them of sin to repentance and faith in Christ.

There is one step that is difficult to take.. But it is one that, if not taken, all the acceptance, inclusion, and social equality will NEVER cure.. There comes a time when they have to come face to face with the fact that a life without Christ is a life that is destine for eteral hell.

I believe that the Christian that leads a homosexual to believe that God accepts their lifestyle as normal and is in no need of change will be judged for that someday. It is a discrace and a dis-service to those in a life of sin to lead them to believe that all is well.. all for the sake of acceptance.. To show we accept anyone.. Jesus accepts us as we are but refuses to leave us that way.. Some accept people as they are..period..

Satan plan with Eve is still the decieving plan he uses today. The first words out of satans mouth was a question that boiled down to, "God really didn't mean what He said, He did?".. The second was an statment that blatenly called God a liar..

When we start casting doubt on the Word of God by saying, well God really don't think homosexuality is sin, God really didn't mean that women shouldn't have authority over a man especially in the leadership of a body of believers, well, God really didn't mean that Jesus is the only way to God and salvation.. Come on!! Get really.. This is the 20th century.. The Bibilical Teaching needs to evolve!!! Just as we did... BUNK !!!!!!!!

YES HE DID MEAN WHAT HE SAYS AND SAYS WHAT HE MEANS... Any representation of the Word in any other manner is WRONG.. If I'm in error, SHOW ME !!!!!!!!.. God really didn't mean He made the heavens and earth in 6 days and rested on the 7th did He? God really didn't mean that wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life, did He?.. God forgive us for even asking>>>

Is it love to know someone is in rebellion against the God of the universe and NOT helping them come face to face with thier sin? Are we so afraid of being called hatemongers or religios right, or that we might offend someone and they not come to our church anymore that we put off sharing with them the gospel as a satisfaction of the requirements of perfection set out by the Law?.. The Word of God is sharper that any two edged sword.. There is NO middle ground with God.. You are saved or your not..

Call me a hate-monger, call me a religious right, call me what ever you want to.. You will thank me the day you can call me "your brother in the Lord".. I love you so much I am willing to tell you the truth.. AND willing to walk with you in the hard times and support you in the tough times.. To hold one another accountable not to what we think is right, but what God's Word says in right...

The wounds of a friend are sweet, but the kisses of the enemy are profuse..

The Hats We Wear- Or The Scars We Bear

2006-07-27T10:42:00.000-05:00

Is Christianity a hat we can wear - Or scars we bear? Can we put our faith on or off when we want to wear another hat.. another one that more fits the moment? Or is Christianity like the scars in Jesus hands and feet? The same scars that we should bear when we take up our cross daily?.. I am a Christian 24/7. Those that see Christianity more like a hat instead of scars should reconsider their relationship. Has the tickling praise of men produced pompus arrogance that need repentance? Does the right hand give to the left only by way of news media coverage and photo shoots?..

I heard a pastor say that grace is for falling, not jumping.. This is debatable, but I see the point. In the life of a Christian, the grace of God should be a safety net when we loose our footing and accidently FALL.. Realizing our sin by Holy Spirit conviction and repenting should follow.. However, when a Christian knowingly, willingly, purposefully, diverges from what they know is not pleasing to God or would give a "wrong opinion" of His mercy, grace, or nature, we have not FALLEN, but we JUMP HEAD FIRST into sin..

When we jump into sin with eyes wide open, grace and mercy are trampled making us realize that at that moment, we have assigned a value to the pleasure of sin ABOVE that of the grace and mercy of God.

I know that I fall virtualy everyday..But I do not Fall-Away... I loose my footing when I get blindsided by an attack, or something is said and I loose my cool.. However, I never, ever, want to be in a situation that I see sin coming a mile away and choose the world over God..

Christianity is not a hat we can take off or change out.. It is who we are.. It is who I am. The struggle between flesh and spirit rages, but NEVER - EVER will I, or God, allow the battle to ever permiate the boundaries of God's mercy and grace in my life..

Do you wear hats or bear scars?

I Saw The Heavens Open Up

2006-07-26T08:28:00.000-05:00

Recently, we were driving on a sunny day and Parker looked up in the sky and said, "I see Heaven Opening Up !!!!" (Yes, It was to the East- which I thought was interesting.) What do you see? I asked.. He said he saw Jesus working on the outside of our house... Greyson asked,"Is he painting it just the right color?" Parker said, "Yes"..

I got to thinking about this.. Only the Father can tell the Son when the dwelling place is prepared.. Also, the painting of the house is one of the last things that need to be done before the job is complete... I don't think Parker had ever heard the phrase, "I see Heaven Opening up!!" before..

As days go by, it is a good thing to wait with anticipation and with a keen eye on the Lords return.. There is a story about some men who were coming in from an extended stay at sea.. Each man was eager to see his bride waiting at the shore.. As the ship approached, one man said, "Their is Sam's wife !!", another noticed, "There is Joe's wife waving".. As the men noticed thier brides one after another.. There was one man who did not see his wife waiting at the shore.. As he made his way home, he noticed a light on. As he went in, his wife was in the kitchen cooking.. When she heard him come in, she turned and said,"I have been waiting for you".. He quickly rebuked her and said, "The other wives were so filled with anticipation at the return of their husbands, no task was more important to them than keeping a keen eye on the horizon for thier groom.. The work had been done.. The preparation had been made.. And they were truly waiting.. you were not"..

Are we truly anticipating the coming of the Lord? I may not know the hour or the day, but I know that the time is soon, and the rapture is close.. I want to be ready for Him when He come to get me..

Fantasy VS Faith

2006-07-06T18:45:00.000-05:00

I have a headache that is splitting my skull open and I keep saying I don't have a headache in Jesus name I dont have a head ache in Jesus name.. I get done and I still have the head ache.. What's wrong with this picture.. Did I not have enough faith?.. Did God not hear my plea?..

Wouldn't it have been better to pray, "Father, I come to you in Jesus name.. You can do anything You want.. Your word says that I should come to you with all my worship, praise, and tell You the desires of my heart. Right now Lord I have a headache that would kill a mule and I need your touch.. Please Lord I pray that you ease the pain so I can think straight.. Thank you for knowing what is best for me and giving me all that I could ever need.. In Jesus Name I Pray..."...

The first senario was me living in a fantasy denying the reality of it all -- I DID have a headache and it WAS about to make me throw up.. The second was coming to Jesus in my frailty and weakness asking for strength and a touch from God in my time of need.

Get real with God and He will get real with you.. Praise in everything. He know best.. I can trust and have real FAITH in His ability and His will in my life.. I can rejoice in pain, in sorrow, in gladness, and in strife.. I can know that He will NEVER leave me nor forsake me...

Why Christianity?

2006-06-30T16:10:00.000-05:00

Critics often ask why Christianity is any better than any other religion in the world. After all, of all the religions that exist how can it be that only Christianity is true? If God exists, why can't God use different religions? Don't all paths lead to God? Skeptics ask these kinds of questions all the time and, unfortunately, few Christians have the the answers. Therefore, in an attempt to demonstrate why Christianity is true and all other religious systems are false, I've prepared the follow list of reasons for Christianity's superiority.

If truth is relative, then the statement that truth is relative is an absolute truth and would be self defeating statement by proving that truth is not relative. But, if truth is absolute, then the statement "truth is absolute" is true and not self defeating. It is true that truth exists. It is true that truth will not contradict itself as we have just seen. In fact, it is absolutely true that you are reading this paper.

If we can see that there is such a thing as truth in the world, then we could also see that there can be spiritual truth as well. It is not absurd to believe in spiritual absolutes anymore than physical or logical absolutes. Even the statement that all religions lead to God is a statement held to be a spiritual absolute by many people. This simply demonstrates that people do believe in spiritual truth. Why? Because truth exists. However, not all that is believed to be true actually is true. Furthermore, all belief systems cannot be true since they often contradict each other in profound ways -- and truth is not self-contradictory.

Mormonism teaches that there are many gods in existence and that you can become a god. Christianity teaches that there is only one God and you cannot become a god. Islam teaches that Jesus is not God in flesh where Christianity does. Jesus cannot be both God and not God at the same time. Some religions teach that we reincarnate while others do not. Some teach there is a hell and others do not. They cannot all be true. If they cannot all be true, it cannot be true that all religions lead to God. Furthermore, it means that some religions are, at the very least, false in their claims to reveal the true God (or gods). Remember, truth does not contradict itself. If God exists, He will not institute mutually exclusive and contradictory belief systems in an attempt to get people to believe in Him. God is not the author of confusion (1 Cor. 14:33). Therefore, it is reasonable to believe that there can be an absolute spiritual truth and that not all systems can be true irregardless of whether or not they claim to be true. There must be more than a mere claim.

Though there are other religions that have prophecies in them, none are 100% accurate as is the Bible and none of them point to someone like Jesus who made incredible claims and performed incredible deeds. The Old Testament was written hundreds of years before Jesus was born. Yet, the Old Testament prophesied many things about Jesus. This is undoubtedly evidence of divine influence upon the Bible.

Please consider some of the many prophecies of Jesus. The first scripture is the prophecy, the second is the fulfillment.

Born of a virgin Isaiah 7:14Matt. 1:18,25
Born at Bethlehem Micah 5:2Matt. 2:1
He would be preceded by a Messenger Isaiah 40:3Matt. 3:1-2
Rejected by His own people Isaiah 53:3John 7:5; 7:48
Betrayed by a close friend Isaiah 41:9John 13:26-30
His side pierced Zech. 12:10John 19:34
Crucifixion Psalm 22:1,Luke 23:33;
Resurrection of Christ Psalm 16:10Acts 13:34-37

Fulfillment of prophecy can have different explanations. Some state that the NT was written and altered to make it look like Jesus fulfilled OT prophecy (but there is no evidence of that). Others state that the prophecies are so vague that they don't count (but many of the prophecies are not vague at all). Of course, it is possible that God inspired the writers and Jesus, who is God in flesh, fulfilled these prophecies as a further demonstration of the validity of Christianity.

Christianity claims to be authored by God. Of course, merely making such a claim does not make it true. Anyone can make claims. but, backing up those claims is entirely different. Jesus used the Divine Name for Himself (John 8:58), the same Divine Name used by God when Moses asked God what His name was in (Exodus 3:14). Jesus said that He could do whatever He saw God the Father do (John 5:19), and He claimed to be one with the God the Father (John 10:30; 10:38). Likewise, the disciples also called Him God (John 1:1,14; John 10:27; Col. 2:9). By default, if Jesus is God in flesh, then whatever He said and did would be true. Since Jesus said that He alone was the way, the truth, and the life and that no one can find God without Him (John 14:6), His words become incredibly important.

Again, making a claim is one thing. Backing it up is another. Did Jesus also back up His fantastic words with miraculous deeds? Yes, He did.
Jesus changed water into wine (John 2:6-10).
Jesus cast out demons (Matt. 8:28-32; 15:22-28).
Jesus healed lepers (Matt. 8:3; Luke 17:14).
Jesus healed diseases (Matt. 4:23,24; Luke 6:17-19)
Jesus healed the paralytic (Mark 2:3-12).
Jesus raised the dead (Matt. 9:25; John 11:43-44).
Jesus restored sight to the blind (Matt. 9:27-30; John 9:1-7).
Jesus restored cured deafness (Mark 7:32-35).
Jesus fed the multitude (Matt. 14:15-21; Matt. 15:32-38).
Jesus walked on water (Matt. 8:26-27).
Jesus calmed a storm with a command (Matt. 8:22-27; Mark 4:39).
Jesus rose from the dead (Luke 24:39; John 20:27).
Jesus appeared to disciples after resurrection (John 20:19).

The eyewitnesses recorded the miracles of Jesus and the gospels have been reliably transmitted to us. Therefore, we can believe what Jesus said about Himself for two reasons: One, because what He said and did, agrees with the Old Testament and two, because Jesus performed many convincing miracles in front of people who testified and wrote about what they saw Him do.

Within Christianity, the resurrection is vitally important. Without the resurrection our faith is useless (1 Cor. 15:14). It was Jesus' resurrection that changed the lives of the disciples. After Jesus was crucified, the disciples ran and hid. But when they saw the risen Lord, they knew that all that Jesus had said and done proved that He was indeed God in flesh, the Savior.

No other religious leader has died in full view of trained executioners, had a guarded tomb, and then risen three days later to appear to many many people. This resurrection is proof of who Jesus is and that He did accomplish what He set out to do: provide the only means of redemption for mankind.

Buddha did not rise from the dead. Muhammad did not rise from the dead. Confucius did not rise from the dead. Krishna did not rise from the dead, etc. Only Jesus has physically risen from the dead, walked on water, claimed to be God, and raised others from the dead. He has conquered death. Why trust anyone else? Why trust anyone who can be held by physical death when we have a Messiah who is greater than death itself?

Why should anyone trust in Christianity over Islam, Buddhism, Mormonism, or anything else? It is because there are absolute truths, because only in Christianity is there accurate fulfilled prophecies of a coming Messiah. Only in Christianity do we have the extremely accurate transmission of the eyewitness documents (gospels) so we can trust what was originally written. Only in Christianity do we have the person of Christ who claimed to be God, performed many miracles to prove His claim of divinity, who died and rose from the dead, and who said that He alone was the way the truth and the life (John 14:6). All this adds to the legitimacy and credibility of Christianity above all other religions -- all based on the person of Jesus. If follows that if it is all true about what Jesus said and did, then all other religions are false because Jesus said that He alone was the way, the truth, and the life and that no one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6). It could not be that Jesus is the only way and truth and other religions also be the truth.

Either Jesus is true and all other religions are false or other religions are true and Jesus is false. There are no other options. I choose to follow the risen Lord Jesus.
(text was taken from www.carm.org)

What Is Reality?

2006-04-19T16:33:00.000-05:00

In doing research for a Biblestudy, I have really grasped the fact that when I worship God, I am joining in with the angels in a dimension that I cannot consciously concieve. I know this may chap some peoples hide, but only a person who has had their spirit quicked and made alive by the Holy Spirit can worship God. Jesus says that there would come a day when we would worship God in Spirit and in Truth.. The lost spirit is DEAD and does not have the capacity to worship. Nor does the lost person have the spirit of the Lord indwelling in them to reveal truth.. It is only when the spirit of God dwells in the believer and the truth of God is revealed can the man overflow in true worship that God joys in.

I am more alive in the spirit that I ever can be in the natural. As a matter of fact, the natural man has been crucified with Christ and I live in the spirit. When I worship God in the spirit, I am alive and am fulfilling the calling of my life. The natural existence becomes the the dimensional plain that is the shadow of the real spiritual... I come into concert with the angels.. a concert of praise the One seated on the throne.. where (in the words of NT Wright) creation worships the Creator, humanity put that into conscious thought and words, humanity worships the Redeemer, and creation cries "amen"..

How often are we subdued by the evil one into thinking that this physical existence is more real that the spiritual.. Walk in the spirit, pray in the spirit, dance in the spirit.. LIVE in the Spirit !!!!!

The Long Haul

2006-03-27T13:00:00.000-06:00

I would rather be temporarily set back toward a goal that will ultimately succeed, than to temporarily succeed toward a goal that will ulimately fail.

He who began a good work in me, is faithful and just to complete it.. I'm glad God's in control. I may have minor set backs in this life, but the battle has already been won.

Blessings,
Bobby

Taking Up the Towel

2006-03-17T10:29:00.000-06:00

Last Sunday, our church had communion and a dedication service. Our pastors and their wives all recieved a towel signifying their dedication to servanthood toward the congregation and to the community. Then, the congregation had the opportunity to recieve thier towel as well. It was quite the service.

Jesus was our example as He took up the position of the lowliest servant and washed the disciples feet as they were arguing over who would be the greatest in the kingdom.

Most of us (including me from time to time) have given lip service to the preverbial towel of servanthood. Years later, our towel has no dirt, grit, or any sign of use at all. I have made a conscious effort get my towel dirty as the opportunity arises. A servant is not above his master.. If Jesus can leave Glory to wash the dirty, stinkin' feet of man that kicked Him all the way to calvary, then so can I. He is not asking us to do anything He has not done. What the God we serve !!!

Chiseling Away

2006-02-20T08:13:00.000-06:00

Thought this was worth sharing..

A man in the middle of many painful trials took a walk in his
neighborhood, and saw a construction crew at work on a big
church. He stood and watched a stone craftsman work a long time
on a block, but could not see where the block would fit, because the
outside of the church appeared to be finished. He watched the man
work on the block carefully and methodically, slowly shaping it into
a precise pattern. Finally he asked, “Why are you spending so
much time chipping and shaping that block?” The craftsman
pointed up to the top of the nearly completed steeple, and said “I’m
shaping it down here so it will fit in up there.” The man in the middle
of the trials instantly knew that was God’s message to him: he was
being shaped down here, so that he would fit in up in heaven.

The work will be finished in heaven, and no hammer is heard there.
Therefore, God knows what He is doing as He chisels your life into
shape right now.

By David Guzik
visit David's site at www.enduringword.com.

Prayer

2006-02-16T14:58:00.000-06:00

"Prayer is not a way to get man's will done on earth or in heaven, but a way to enlist man in what God is doing."

Not my will but YOUR will be done, on earth as it is in heaven..

blessings
Bobby

Happy Valentines Day

2006-02-15T10:54:00.000-06:00

This was from an email I recently sent my pastor.. thought I would share.

The Rabbi's have a saying that when the Messiah comes, He will full understanding to not only the scripture as text, but the full meaning of each word used and even the spaces in between.. We know that the Messiah has come.. If we look, we will see Jesus on every page of scripture.. The Word is so intermingled together, it's like all the writers were in the room at the same time writing the script in concert with perfect 20/20 vision....

OH !!! wait... they were all in the room .. as a matter of fact they were they same 3 in 1... I'm just glad there were people that heard and wrote exactly what they were told...

The Bible has so much truth on each page, it humbles me think that I have the privilege to study with Holy Spirit as my guide, and the knowledge of so many Godly men to glean from... All I have to do dedicate the time to read with the passion to understand more about our Savior.

Today is Valentines day and I can't help thinking about when I would get letters from Val when we were dating.. I would read them over and over.. noticing every letter.. how it was written, every detail.. I kept it in my pocket and would get it out every so often during the day to read it again... That's how it should be with the Bible... We are betrothed to Jesus, The Bible is our love letter from God, written before eternity began, by the God who desires true fellowship and love from His creation so much that He gave us the ability to choose Him or reject Him..

Blessings

20/20 Vision

2006-01-19T21:24:00.000-06:00

The Rock of Northeast Arkansas. How did I come to be at this place at this time is truly a working of the Holy Spirit. Just to let you in on how God has the best in store for us, even though sometimes we try our dead level best to screw it up (unknowingly of course)..

When we left Trinity 8 months ago, I though, WHY?.. My wife and I both know that God said to us, "We would be instrumental in ushering in a new season of worshippers".. We thought, OK, we were called to a church that has less that enthusiastic praise and worship.. so here is where it will be..

WRONG!!!! Prior to leaving Trinity, I knew of a worship leader in town (Mark Willett and his wife). I felt an immediate draw to them and knew that we would be in ministry together but I didn't know how, where, when, ect.. Well, about 4 month ago, Mark left his position at 1st Assembly and was considering going to Trinity.. I thought.. Did I miss God on this? Was I suppose to stay at Trinity? What is going on?

We continued to rest at Calvary. Every attempt to minister through the Church was met with resistance and road blocks. We were becoming at ease with not ministering in the capacity that we were accustom too. This was scaring me. I didn't want to become complacent but there was not a release.

Then we heard that Mark's friend Terry Watson was called to start a new work in our town and Mark was going to be the worship leader. I thought WOW this is it.. I didn't get my hopes up too high because I have some pretty unmovable theological views that are non-negotiable. I thought, man if we both saw things the same, this would be it.

So, I talked to Mark for about 5 hours one night and everything went well. I called the Pastor and we were in agreement with everything. Val and I and the boys are home. We are ministering with our gifts, the people we are working with have quickly become our family.

Just goes to show you.. If we had done one thing differently, we would have screwed the whole thing up. God prevented me from making some very big mistakes with our family on where we were to go to church and get involved. I am so glad. We have truly found our faith family.

Blessings.

God Centered Worship

2006-01-02T15:41:00.000-06:00

N.T. Wright says that the heart of worship is to gaze with loving gratitude at our creator and redeemer, so as to be restored so we can be agents of God's gospel to the rest of creation.

When asked what is the difference between praise and worship, I would have to say that praise is a response and worship comes from a revelation. I may have some that disagree, but a person who does not know Christ as their Savior can praise God and can even participate at that level in a church service. But worship of God can only come from a redeemed life, because it springs from a heart that realizes it's sin and has accepted Christ as the redeemer. The Bible teaches that we should WORSHIP in spirit and in truth. Before conversion, our spirits are dead. Only a live regenerated spirit can perform this wonderful act. That fact alone should cause us to shout!

I want to praise God, but more that that, I want to worship God. In Revelation 4 we see that creation worships God the creator, then humans express that worship in words, then humans worship God the redeemer for redemption, and creations cries, "AMEN".

My New Year's Resolution

2005-12-29T08:36:00.000-06:00

I've been thinking about what I would like to see happen in the new year. And I've come to the conclusion that what I want boils down to one thing.

1) To be more like Jesus.

I got to thinking about what all that ment. Love my enemies, bless those who persecute me, love the Lord with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength, and to love my neighbor as myself. And as I do these things I will find myself walking in grace, mercy, and forgiveness, sharing the gospel whenever the opportunity arises.

When I thought of love. I didn't want a distorted picture of it, so I started thinking about how God loves me and my mind went back to a story that I had read. There was a man who had a litter of puppies. All was perfect except one.. this runt puppy had a deformed leg and couldn't walk very well.

A little boy came to the man and asked to see the puppies. The man responded, "son all I have left is this runt of the litter that has a bad leg." He will never be able to run and play. The boy said that ok mister.... and as the boy raised his pant leg, the man was taken back.. The boy had a large metal brace on his shriveled leg.. The boy told the man that the puppy will need someone to take care of him that understands what he is going through.

God loved us so much and wanted to understand our predicament so intimately that He came to live in this world myered by sin to take on our suffering and judgement so that as He intercedes for us, He can perfectly plead our case and give comfort no matter what the circumstances.

As I thought more on the subject of being like Jesus, I came to the cold hard fact that I, in my own stregnth, cannot accomplish this. I also came to the conclusion that being conformed to likeness of Jesus is my destiny as a child of God and nothing can prevent it. As a matter of fact, God ALREADY sees me as I will be, not as I am. God made that covenent with me that He will finish what He started. As I walk in obedience to God, I will look more like Jesus.

To be more like Jesus... That's what I want...

What Is Christmas?

2005-12-22T16:42:00.000-06:00

I ran across a story that I think really brings out the reason for Christmas. There was a farmer that awoke one raw winter day and as he was brewing coffee, he noticed a thump on the kitchen door window. When he went to see what it was he noticed the sparrows were hitting the glass trying to enter the house for warmth.

Being a compassionate man, the farmer went into the cold and opened the barn door and spread some hay and then crumbled crackers to try to lead the sparrows into the barn.

Everytime the man tried to lure the sparrows into safety, the sparrows would fly away into the shadows, terrified of that which was tring to save them. As the man watched the sparrows shivering in the cold, he had a thought..

"If I could only become a sparrow for just a minute.. then they wouldn't be so afraid of me and I could lead them to safety".. Just then, the true meaning of Christmas hit him. God, became flesh and dwelt among us, showing us the way to Him.

Don't go away this Christmas without Jesus.. He has shown us the way and the Way is named Jesus. The price has been paid and Jesus is calling.

Truth is when word and action are one and the same. The Word became flesh and was walked out in the person of Jesus Christ. He is THE Way, THE Truth, and THE Life..

God will not force you into barn just as the farmer couldn't force the sparrows into safety, but He has given us His Word and it is Faithful.

Merry Christmas

The 23rd Psalm

2005-11-25T20:19:00.000-06:00

The names of God are astounding. I firmly believe that God is on every page of the Bible. If we look hard enough, we will find him. Look at the 23rd Psalm and the names of God that are mentioned in the Bible. These are only a few of the names given to God by his people. Let's look at a few of them:

Yahweh ~ The Self-Existent One.
(Isaiah 40:3; 10; 1 Samuel 1:20; Exodus 6:1-4; 3:1-22; John 6:35; 8:12; 10:7, 9, 11, 14; 11:25; 14:6; 15:1, 5.)

The name Jehovah is used some 6,800 times in the Bible. It is the personal covenant name of Israel's God. In the King James version of the Bible, it's translated Lord God. Not only does it speak of God's strength, but also it speaks of the sovereignty of God and the goodness of God. The root of this name means "self-existing," one who never came into being, and one who always will be. When Moses asked God, "Who shall I tell Pharaoh has sent me?" God said, "I AM THAT I AM." Jehovah or Yahweh is the most intensely sacred name to Jewish scribes and many will not even pronounce the name. When possible, they use another name.

Yahweh-Bore ~ The LORD Creator.
(Genesis 1:1; Psalm 33:6; Isaiah 40:28-31; Job 38:1-41, 39:1-30, 40:1.)

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." How beautiful is that. It always tickles me when I read about how scientists are trying to discover the mystery of the creation of the universe. Even as we speak, Harvard is tasking away at finding an explaination of how the Universe came to being.. but they have stated that they will explain it from a strickly natural point of view. They have excluded the most obvious and the one true explaination before they ever got started.

Yahweh-Nissi~ The LORD My Banner.
(Exodus 17:15)

Victory over the Amalekites(Gen. 14:7; Num. 13:29; 14:25)
8 Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. 9 And Moses said to Joshua, "Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand." 10 So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses' hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
14 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven." 15 And Moses built an altar and called its name, *The-LORD-Is-My-Banner; 16 for he said, "Because the LORD has sworn: the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation."

1) Nissi: something lifted up, standard, signal, signal pole, ensign, banner, sign, sail
a) standard (as rallying point), signal
b) standard (pole)
c) ensign, signal
In Moses’s hand was the rod.. Dr. David Jeremiah said that as Moses raised up his staff, the Lord fought for Isael. The Lord will raise up a standard against an adversary that comes against us… We cannot fight the enemy ourself in our own power. We must allow the Lord to be our standard…

The Lord is a reigning banner over us all the time. The Hebrew for "banner" comes from the root word "to be high" or "raised." This was the name given to the altar that Moses erected to commemorate the defeat of the Amalekites at Rephidim (Exodus 17:8-15). He goes before us and behind us to give us the victory in all circumstances of life. Even in the midst of the battle, the banner of the Lord is raised over us. Psalm 23:5 says, "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over." Who is the God who prepares a table of celebration in the presence of the enemy? When the enemy shall come in like a flood, then shall the Lord hold up a banner before him. The victory in all of life is the Lord's.

Yahweh-Raah ~ The LORD My Shepherd.
(Psalm 23; 80:1; 95:7; Isaiah 40:11; Jeremiah 31:10; Ezekiel 34:12; 23; Matthew 25:32; John 10:11-27; Hebrews 13:20-21; 1 Peter 2:25; 5:4.)

Isaiah 40:11: He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry [them] in his bosom, [and] shall gently lead those that are with young.

Psalm 23 and John 10 are the most beautiful descriptions of God as our Shepherd, Jehovah Rajah. When we say "Lord," we think of God's deity. When we say "my Shepherd," we think of God's humanity. God in human form - Jesus Christ - prophesized in the Old Testament and revealed in the New Testament. The Jehovah of the Old Testament is the Jesus of the New Testament. As the Good Shepherd, He dealt with the penalty of sin. As the Great Shepherd, He deals with the power of sin. As the Chief Shepherd, He's coming to take us from the very presence of sin.

Yahweh-Rapha ~ The LORD That Heals.
(Exodus 15:26; 2 Chronicles 7:14; Psalm 6:2; 41:4; 103:3; 147:3; Isaiah 19:22; 30:36; 57:18-19; Jeremiah 3:22; 17:14; 30:17; Matthew 8:7; 10:1; Luke 4:18)

Exodus 15:26: Bitter Waters Made Sweet
22 So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into the Wilderness of Shur. And they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. 23 Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called *Marah. 24 And the people complained against Moses, saying, "What shall we drink?" 25 So he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet. There He made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there He tested them, 26 and said, "If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you." 27 Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees; so they camped there by the waters.

Does Jesus heal? Yes! God is more interested in having you holy rather than healthy. Our bodies are not yet redeemed. The redemption of the body is going to come at the rapture of the church and the resurrection of the Christian dead. It is at that time that we will be made like unto Him. There is no sickness in the Lord's body and there will be no sickness in our resurrection body. If you are not healed in this life, child of God, you will be healed in eternity.

Yahweh-Shalom ~ The LORD Is Peace.
(Genesis 49:10; Judges 6:23-24; Psalm 4:8; 29:11; Proverbs 16:7; Isaiah 26:3; 2 Thessalonians 3:16.)

Gideon, what a cool story:
11 Now the Angel of the LORD came and sat under the terebinth tree which was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress, in order to hide it from the Midianites. 12 And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, **"The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!"13 Gideon said to Him, "O *my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, 'Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?' But now the LORD has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites."14 Then the LORD turned to him and said, "Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?"15 So he said to Him, "O *my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house."
16 And the LORD said to him, "Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man."17 Then he said to Him, "If now I have found favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You who talk with me. 18 Do not depart from here, I pray, until I come to You and bring out my offering and set it before You."And He said, "I will wait until you come back."19 So Gideon went in and prepared a young goat, and unleavened bread from an ephah of flour. The meat he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot; and he brought them out to Him under the terebinth tree and presented them. 20 The Angel of God said to him, "Take the meat and the unleavened bread and lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth." And he did so.21 Then the Angel of the LORD put out the end of the staff that was in His hand, and touched the meat and the unleavened bread; and fire rose out of the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. And the Angel of the LORD departed out of his sight.22 Now Gideon perceived that He was the Angel of the LORD. So Gideon said, "Alas, O Lord GOD! For I have seen the Angel of the LORD face to face."23 Then the LORD said to him, "Peace be with you; do not fear, you shall not die." 24 So Gideon built an altar there to the LORD, and called it *The-LORD-Is-Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

Yahweh-Shammah ~ The LORD is There.
(Genesis 28:15; Ezekiel 48:35; Psalm 23:4; 46:1; 139:7-12; Jeremiah 23:23-24; Amos 5:14; Matthew 18:20; 28:20; John 14:16-17; Acts 7:48-49; 17:24-28.)

Ezikiel 48: 30-35: The Gates of the City and Its Name
30 "These are the exits of the city. On the north side, measuring four thousand five hundred cubits 31 (the gates of the city shall be named after the tribes of Israel), the three gates northward: one gate for Reuben, one gate for Judah, and one gate for Levi; 32 on the east side, four thousand five hundred cubits, three gates: one gate for Joseph, one gate for Benjamin, and one gate for Dan; 33 on the south side, measuring four thousand five hundred cubits, three gates: one gate for Simeon, one gate for Issachar, and one gate for Zebulun; 34 on the west side, four thousand five hundred cubits with their three gates: one gate for Gad, one gate for Asher, and one gate for Naphtali. 35 All the way around shall be eighteen thousand cubits; and the name of the city from that day shall be: THE* LORD IS THERE."

Yahweh-Tsabbaoth ~ The LORD Of Hosts.
(Isaiah 6:3; 1 Samuel 1:3, 17:45; 2 Samuel 6:2, 7:26-27; 1 Chronicles 11:9; Haggai 1:5; Romans 9:29; James 5:4; 2 Corinthians 6:18; Revelation 1:8; 4:8)

Jehovah-sabaoth literally means the Lord Almighty. It speaks of the sovereignty of God over all the powers of the universe. The second stanza from Martin Luther's hymn "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" says, "Did we in our own strength confide, Our striving would be losing, Were not the right man on our side, The man of God's own choosing. Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He, Lord Sabbaoth His name, From age to age the same, And He must win the battle."

Yahweh-Tsidkenu ~ The LORD Our Righteousness.
(Genesis 15:6; Jeremiah 23:6; Psalm 4:1; 5:8; 24:5; 31:1; 36:10; 71:15; 89:16; Matthew 6:33; Romans 4:22; 5:18; 8:10; 10:4; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 3:9.)

We are not righteousness in and of ourselves. Our righteousness comes from God and God alone. Jesus imputes His righteousness into us so that we can see God. For you see, Hebrews 12:14 says that without holiness, no man will see God. Second Corinthians 5:21 says, "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." Isn't that terrific? You see, if you are a child of God, you are holy. Are you feeling that you can't live the Christian life? That's right where you need to be. You see, God never asked you to live the Christian life apart from Him. He wants to be your strength, He wants to live the Christian life through you and do for you what you could never do for yourself. I go back to Gideon. The angel called Gideon a mighty man of valor, as he hid in the wine press trying to scrape together some grain. God sees us as we will be, not in our current state.

Jeremiah 23: 5-6.
5 "Behold, the days are coming," says the LORD,"That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper,And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.6 In His days Judah will be saved,And Israel will dwell safely;Now this is His name by which He will be called:
*THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Yahweh-Yireh ~ The LORD Will Provide.
(Genesis 22:14, 22:1-18.)

Yireh is from the same Hebrew word as Moriah, which is the name of the region where God sent Abraham to sacrifice Isaac (Genesis 22). In Genesis 22:11-13 we read, "And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son." God provided the lamb. And Abraham called the place Yahweh-Yireh - God is our substitutionary sacrifice.
(Dr. Adrian Rodgers)

Jehovah Mekoddishkem in the Septuagint: kurios ho hagiazôn humas — the Lord that sanctifies you

Meaning and Derivation: Jehovah is translated as "The Existing One" or "Lord." The chief meaning of Jehovah is derived from the Hebrew word Havah meaning "to be" or "to exist." It also suggests "to become" or specifically "to become known" — this denotes a God who reveals Himself unceasingly. Mekoddishkem derives from the Hebrew word qâdash meaning "sanctify," "holy," or "dedicate." Sanctification is the separation of an object or person to the dedication of the Holy. When the two words are combined — Jehovah Mekoddishkem — it can be translated as "The Lord who sets you apart." Lev 20:8 "You shall keep My statutes and practice them; I am the LORD who sanctifies you.

Psalm 23:
Yahweh / Yahweh-Bore / Yaweh- Tsabbaoth / Self Existent One / Creator / Almighty : The Lord..
Yahweh-Raah (my Shepard): is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Yahweh-Shalom (my peace): 2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.3 He restores my soul;

Yahweh-Tsidkenu (my righteousness): He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake.

Yahweh-Shammah (The Lord is There): 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,I will fear no evil;For You are with me;

Yahweh-Nissi (my banner or standard) Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
Jehovah Mekoddishkem(The Lord that Sanctifies) You anoint my head with oil;

Yahweh-Yireh (my provider) My cup runs over.

If the Lord is our
(Raah – Shepard),
(Shalom – Peace),
(Tsidkenu- Righteousness)
(Shammah – Ever present help in time of need)
(Nissi – standard or banner, or flag)
(Medoddishkem – Sanctifier)
And our (Yireh – provider) Then:

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will *dwell in the house of the LORD. Forever.

The 23rd Psalm is a prayer to God about God from a heart that wants nothing more than to rest in the hands of the Almighty. Blessings.

File in or Fill Up

2005-11-24T21:36:00.000-06:00

It's like following someone going 25mph in a 70mph zone, or being behind someone that can't decide on what flavor of ice cream to get at Baskin Robbins. It's time to fish or cut bait.. (If you don't understand that term, email me and I will explain. You can find my email in my complete profile section)..

It's time for the church.. ie: every individual Christain.. to do the same. It's time to get serious or stop fooling ourselves and disgracing the name that we love to wear on our wrist bands and bupper stickers, ask for forgiveness and get busy. All it takes for a Christian to minister is a desire to share Jesus and a need. See a need and fill it in Jesus name.

I'm not saying works will get you into heaven, but I am saying the world will know we're His disciples by our good works and love, one to another. Jesus said that as we go, preach the good news. It has been said that we should preach the good news of Jesus and if we have to, use words.. I appreciate the idea, but taking that idea to the extreme is stupid. It takes both, words and actions. A lost person can act like a Christain.. A song can sound like it belongs in church, but its the words that add meaning. The Bible says that the Word of God is sharper that any 2 edge sword and that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.

So, don't cop out and take the action route only.. Put the Word and Action together and make a difference for the Kingdom. Don't file into the ranks of the sleeping church of today that only want a 2 hour Jesus.. "Jesus, I am yours.. for 2 hours on Sunday- then I have other things to do"... Every morning ask Jesus to reveal Himself to you, and to fill you up and come upon you with the Holy Spirit. Then go out in Jesus name and share the Gospel whenever the Spirit leads you to.. The Holy Spirit has 3 operations. 1) to be with us to covict us of sin and testify of the Lord Jesus. 2) to come inside of us to convict of sin and reveal scriptural meaning, and 3) to come UPON us.. This is where the POWER for ministry is. Too many Christians are just thankfull for the Spirit being with them to convict them to a saving knowledge of Jesus, and they are safisfied with the HS living in them and convicting them of sin.. Step 3 is the where the real ride comes in. It's like many Christians only want a 20 watt lightbulb when they have a potential of 1000 watts. The 20 is comfortable and they can see enough to get by and still not cause too much of a scene.

The world wants to succeed. Don't settle for success.. be significant.. Be significant in the lives of those that don't know the love of Jesus.. As a Christian, you should know that your are significant only as long as you are walking in the Spirit.. Look at Peter. After Jesus died, Peter wanted to go fishing.. Then after the Holy Spirit fell at Pentecost, he spoke in the power of the Spirit and thousands were saved. Ask God to come upon you and change out your light bulb.. Stop running on a 9 volt battery and plug into the nuclear power plant !! It's late and I'm all analogied out..

Make a decision today to not be a rank in file Christian where it's hard to tell whether or not your a Christian or not. Be fill up by the Holy Spirit and be significant in someone's life today in Jesus name. Remember, a cool cup of water is Jesus name is significant.. A hug giving in Jesus name is significant, a meal to a hungry person is significant if given in Jesus name. Get real, Get filled, Get involved in someones life, and Get blessed !!
Blessings Bob

The Incredible Uniqueness of the Mundane

2005-11-20T20:16:00.000-06:00

With everyone trying so hard to look different, set themselves apart, and/or be out of the ordinary, the ordinary and mundane has become the exception to the rule. As my life gets so busy and so full of things that just seem to take up time, I long for the mundane.

There are times that I have forgotten the value of a quite hour, no TV, no phone, just peace and quite. It's in this time that I re-focus, move back to "true north". I become acquainted again with who I am in Christ and what he has called me to be. I stop and soak in creation. I really look at my kids, my wife, and reflect and re-evaluate.

I remember working in the yard and as I looked up, I saw my boys running up the side of the hill in our backyard in the leaves. It was a brisk morning and they were going up to their grandmothers house for orange soda. The sun was shining through the branches of the trees and I can even remember the sound the leaves made as they crumpled beneath their feet. I stopped and made a conscious effort to take in everything.. the smell of the morning, every move they made, the time of the year, the sun beams.. everything.. It was good.. That was a mundane moment to some, but to me, it was a treasure.

Life is filled with these treasures and we are too busy to take notice of them. I hope and pray that I find my self so caught up in the incredible uniqueness of the mundane that live like there's no tommorrow and I dance like no ones watching.

Vincent Come Home

2005-10-15T05:41:00.000-05:00

It is 5:30AM. I couldn't sleep. I woke up thinking about a young man I met last weekend. I had to get up and write this story down. I was involved in an event called Shout Fest. 13 different Contemporary Christian groups from around the country came and did an outdoor concert in Jonesboro. There was food, games, and a lot of great Christian music. The event's focus was evangelism. My job was to get counselors together and train them so when the invitation was given, we could share the gospel with those kids that came wanting to know the Lord. The event brought in over 2000 people, the majority of whom were kids under the age of 17. Over 200 kids that night express either a desire to know God or know Him better. One wanted help to get into drug rehab and one gave her life to the Lord instead of committing suicide.

This story is about the one who got away...

It was about 10:00am and I got a call on my radio from the gate wanting me to come up there. There was a boy that said he didn't want to be there, but his parents wasn't going to pick him up until late that night. When I finally made it up to the gate, I saw a 17 year old boy sitting outside the gate. I have to stop and expand on this... The Bible mentions Cities of Refuge. A place, where a person who accidentally killed someone, could go and seek refuge from the avenger of blood or the Goel. Once a person was in the city of refuge, the avenger of blood could not do him any harm, but if he came out of the city, the Goel could kill the other with no retribution. The names of the cities where:

1) Kedesh- or Holy Place
2) Shechem- means Shoulders - "The government shall rest upon his shoulders"
3) Hebron- or Association
4) Bezer- or Fortress
5) Ramoth- or Heights
6) Golan- or Rejoicing

The Bible tells a story in 2Samuel 2:17-32, 3:27 & 33 of a seasoned warrior named Abner and a young soldier named Asahel and his brother Joab. During the battle Asahel had vision of glory and pursued Abner to kill him. Abner,knowing he could easily kill Asahel, but not wanting a blood fued with Joab, ran from Asahel constantly telling him to stop. Asahel continued until Abner, in despiration, thrust his spear behind him and accidentally killed Asahel. Abner was just outside one of the gates of the city and Joab found him there. Joab knew that he could do him no harm if Abner was within the city walls. So Joab lured Abner just outside the city gates and killed him. King David said that Abner died a fool. So close the place of refuge but did not enter in.

I go back to my friend Vincent at the gate of Shoutfest. He told me that the only reason he came was because his girlfriend was there. He said that they had to sneak around to see each other because her family didn't want them together. He met up with her at Shoutfest and her youth pastor saw them together. The pastor called her over and after speaking with her for a while, she came back to him and aid that he needed to stay away from her. Now he is there, He can't see her, and he said this Christian stuff was not for him.

I sat with him outside the gate for over 30 minutes sharing how God loves him and has a plan for his life. How God had divinely purposed this time and place for him. How he was there today for more that just seeing his girlfriend. How we have all broken God's law and cannot save ourselves. How we deserve Hell, but God sent His Son to pay the price for our sin. How God is not only a loving God but also a just God. When this life is over, eternity in Heaven or Hell rests on whether or not God sees us with the righteousness of Jesus or in our own. I shared how Jesus left Heaven, was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on the cross for my sin and his. He said people keep telling him that, but he don't believe it. I tried to give him a Gideon new testament and share with him the scripture in the back again. He had been shared the gospel so much, he told me what it said and where it was !!

I asked him if he realized how gracious and merciful God has been to him. No one deserves to hear the gospel twice until everyone has heard it once. Others, just like me, have laid a table of everlasting food in front of him and he has rejected it for the slop of the world. I asked him to come in and listen to the music, eat, enjoy the day. He said it wasn't for him and he was going to sit right there. He wouldn't even look me in the eye.

I walked away from Vincent that day as he sat right outside the gate. I wasn't about to take him home. He was going to sit there and listen to lyric after lyric of God's love, acceptance, justice, and judgement. How many times do we remove people from the conviction of God for the sake of pity. The cares of this world and the birds of the devil seemed to be devouring the seeds of the gospel I had just sown. I was witnessing Biblical parable taking place right before my eyes. This guys heart was so rocky and full of thorns and cares that he refused see. Notice I said refused to see. I can only hope some took root..

I walked away wondering if there was anything else I could have said or done. Here I was, the leader of over 50 counselors, there to lead the lost to Jesus and my first attempt of the day was a failure. Then, a still small voice came to me and told me that it was not my job to save, but to share. Reproof and consolation in the same sentence. I had not failed. I had done my job. Still, I was heart broken. Vincent was at the door of choice, he was at the gate of an everlasting city of refuge, and would not enter in.

I pray that some day I will see Vincent in heaven..

What I Learned Today

2005-10-12T20:32:00.000-05:00

It is the small things that make life great. Here are few of the small things that I hope I never overlook.

Sun, 75 degrees, and your health makes for a great day.
20 hugs and kisses from your kids before you go to work in the morning is worth it.
A great wife is priceless.
Grandparents living beyond your backyard can be a huge blessing.
When your 5 years old, it doesn't get any better than drinking orange soda and eating cheese crackers at Meemaw's.
Know that God loves me.... regardless.

Lessons From My Kids

2005-10-12T09:12:00.000-05:00

(Please excuse the spelling - I'm typing on the fly without a dictionary)

I have twin 5 year old boys that are a blast. The Bible tells us to be students of our children so we, as parents, can train them up in a way that best suites how God has "wired" them. My wife and I love to read Bible stories to them. Their favorites are about Daniel, Solomon, miracles of Jesus, Ruth, David, Elijah, and John.

One night we were going home from eating and it was a little late. The van was dark and everyone had gotten quite. I heard a voice from the back of the van. It was Greyson, my youngest by 2 minutes. He said, "Daddy, did Jesus protect Shadrack, Meshack, and Abendigo in the fire?" I said, "He sure did son".. That was the end of it... no comment followed.. About 30 seconds later, he said, "Daddy, will Jesus protect me in the fire?" I said, "He sure will son."

Sometimes you've got to ask, Who is teaching who? One minute in a van, no more that 30 words spoken, and I will never forget it. I can recall the road, the tone of his voice, his calmness when I told him that Jesus would protect him in the fire.

When I talk to God, he charishes those moments just as I did, even more. I hope I can learn to have as much faith in God's responses to me, as my son had in mine.

Hello World..

2005-10-03T13:04:00.000-05:00

Hello,

My name is Bob. I am 38 years old. I have 2 beautiful twin 5 year old boys that are going to change the world. I am married to a wonderful woman (Val). We have been married for 16 years and I know the best is yet to come. We have one cat (Jack) and 13 fish that sits between our boys bed on the dresser. I grew up in a farming community, Leachville Arkansas (Population 1500 - counting the cats and dogs). I can skin a buck and run a trot line and I could survive if needed. My mom and dad are still together and love each other. I have a younger brother and that's about it. I have been a Christian since I was 12 years old, a worship leader for the past 3 1/2 years of a local church, and love to challenge the staus quo. God didn't save me to be knot on a log singing woe is me until He either comes back or I kick the bucket. He gave me and every one that calls on His name gifts to be used... By George we better use them !!!

I love to write and record music. Maybe someday when I get more familiar with this, I will be able to attach some samples of my music for you to hear.. I can't spell worth a flip and have 2 masters degrees.. I write with an Arkansas slang so if anything I write is unclear, I will more that gladly try to explain it.. That's just Southern Hospitality..

I love to discuss the mysteries of God and dive off into discussions that cause me to explore and dig into the Word of God.. Which is the BIBLE.. NOT the Book of Mormon, Not the Koran.. or anything else for that matter. All roads do not lead to God.. There one way- JESUS, one faith, one baptism, and one God in 3 distict persons.. If I haven't offended you yet, just give it time, I'm sure I will come up with something that will sooner or later.

It's not my purpose, but I am really tired of all the tip toeing around the issues of eternal significance. The facts are that man is fallen because of pride, we can't save ourselves, belief & faith in Jesus is the only way to escape the wrath of God and an eternity in Hell. This message is not harsh, it's compassionate. If I didn't love humanity, I would allow this truth to go unspoken.

I have gotten over the worldly lure of wanting to be successfull... As the monkey says in Lion King 1 1/2..."Look beyond what you see".... There is a greatness beyond success.. It is significance... Don't limit yourself to success.. Be SIGNIFICANT !!!