12/9/07 - Life Journal - Somebody's Watching Me

They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him.
Titus 1:16

This is one of the biggest dangers we face as professing Christians. How so? The more we share our faith the wider our circle of accountability. Directly and through the grapevine the number of people who have us under the microscope grows exponentially whether this is fair or not. True, we're not perfect but non-believers see us as representative of His entire church. I'd say that a common belief is that Christians are hypocritical, some cases true, most cases just our ongoing battle with the flesh. Never-the-less, we must live the best we can to lead people to, not away from, Jesus!

Man, it's tough! Everywhere I go; home, work, little league, church, family gatherings. I can't relax! I have to wipe out the old self completely! No double-mindedness, no putting my life in compartments!

Father, refine me with your fire. My old self is only trouble for myself and others.

12/8/07 - Life Journal - The Message is Love

But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion.
1 Timothy 1:19

Everything Paul did was out of an authentic love for the people he was reahing with the Gospel. Whether encouraging, teaching or verbally disciplining the foundation was the same love he received from Jesus.

So much of what I see in "popular" ministries today seems to be characterized by competition and arrogance instead of the love discussed above. It's as if we are in it for ourselves, running a race to tally up numbers, prove our methods and bash anyone who does things differently, subsequently destroying any unity between followers that is ultimately needed to complete His vision for us. With a solid doctrine and Christ as our focus, methods are secondary with the primary being love for our community!

Father, we've forgotten the importance of love and the simplicity of the message. Lead us back!

12/7/07 - Life Journal - Job Description

We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.
Colossians 1:28

That's our purpose, nicely wrapped up in one statement. Pray for wisdom so that we can be prepared to lead everyone we meet to perfection in Him.

I can't let anything stand in the way of His plan for me. I can fool myself into thinking that I don't have time to spend with Him and to be in the word but the excuses are all lies planted by the King of Lies.

Lord, your are my all, I pray to not let this world distract me.

12/6/07 - Life Journal - My Own Prison

I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.
Philippians 1:12,13

Paul sees through the misery of his imprisonment and understands it's purpose. He is being used as an example of standing true to his belief's for the Glory of Christ. It's for the new believers who haven't had the persecution brought upon them yet that he glorifies and praises Jesus even in his confinement. He is telling them that everything that happens will in the end be use for good by Him whos plan will come to fruition no matter what befalls it in this world.

Paul doesn't wallow in self pity like I'm prone to do. I've never been imprisoned for my beliefs but many things have happened that have got me down, nothing major in the bigger scheme of things, but never-the-less things that my brain have turned into mountains. I create my own prisons that keep me from living life fully and enjoying the blessing I have. I've prayed for God to use me so I have to let Him, but I can't pick and choose which, when, what or why. It's His call, His plan, His creation. How I react to the obstacles/opportunities laid before me can either be used for His glory or be wasted on my limited view of eternity. He'll bring me through anything and I'll be stronger for it. I need to be alert to theses chances to advance His kingdom through my hardships and my reactions to them.

Father, it's the scariest thing someone can say, but use me.

I cry out to God
Seeking only his decision
Gabriel stands and confirms
I've created my own prison

- Scott Stapp

12/5/07 - Life Journal - I Love You Sheri

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her...
Ephesians 5:25

A lot of people have a problem with the verse before this desicribing the submission of wives to husbands. This isn't a blind submission, it's a submission to a LOVING husband as the head of the family as we submit to our LOVING Savior who is head of our church. If the husband doesn't follow through with verse 25 then the whole situation gets thrown out of whack. Husbands love must be shown through a total sacrifice for their wives just as Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for His church.

My home has been unbalanced. Sheri is the perfect example of the wife in verse 22 but her submission has been without return from me. I've been anything but sacrificial to her or the kids. Whatever the reasons it comes down to an extreme selfishness on my part. Taking her love and giving nothing in return. I need to learn to BE Jesus to her. Love her as myself because we are one flesh. Sacrifice my whole for her. She deserves nothing less.

Father, break this cycle of selfishness in me. Help me give her the love she deserves. I have it in me, I love her to death, break me so it can flow to her.

12/4/07 - Life Journal - Fad Resistance

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.
Ephesians 4:14

As we grow unified in Christ and are built up and instructed through our study and personal time with the Father we will become immune to the passing fads and latest church building plans. People can see through the marketing schemes and if we aren't solid in our faith and knowledge all the church planting conferences in the world won't do any good for His kingdom.

As I study more I'm continually blown away by all the "factions" within the Protestant church, the new "right" ways to do things and the varied doctrines sworn to be correct above all others, but I can't let all that bother me and take me away from my purpose. Model my life after Jesus the best I can, constantly increase my knowledge, and live out my life as a Christ follower above all else.

God, I pray that I only seek you and not the praise of man. If I never again stepped into a formal church gathering I know that that would make me no less of a follower of your son if I am truly living my life on mission.

12/3/07 - Life Journal - Materialism, Shmearialism

Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.
Romans 13:8

Seems that these to have to go together, in that order. Owe nothing but love. Money, debt, holding someone else's debt; they all get in the way of unconditional love and put a damper on being able to show God's love through the finances He has blessed you with.

I gotta get this "compartment" of my life under control. You all know this compartment, it's the one that enables you rationalize your spending habits, putting yourself and this world over Him. I can never fully praise Him with giving until I break free from the slavery of debt. Seems simple right...........hold on, I'll get back to you, got some Christmas shopping to do.

Lord, break me.

12/2/07 - Life Journal - Deus lo Volt

But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches...
Romans 11:17,18

I'm reading a fictional account of one man's diary of the crusades. It's titled "Deus Lo Volt". Everyone from peasants to noblemen joined the cause of the Pope to reclaim the holy lands, especially Jerusalem, from the pagan Turks and Arabs. Their cheer was "Deus lo Volt", God wills it. Apparently they never read this verse because some apparently believed it was God's will to stop half way on their journey and slaughter Jews, Jesus' murderers.

This verse explains to me, I think, that God also sacrificed his chosen people, their hearts hardened, to pave the way for Gentiles to be saved by His sacrifice of His Son. Like Judas, His people are playing their part in His all-encompassing plan to save all of His creation. It's a reminder that all are His and we are to treat everyone like the lost sheep that they are and use our lives to lead them back into the fold. Vs. 23 states, "And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again."

Lord, help me remember those with hardened hearts that were pruned to make room for me and Your Son who made the ultimate sacrifice.

A peek into my brain at this precise moment...

Took me a few days...

...but I finally got my Christmas tree up!

Forecast for the Tortugas

Looks SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!

Here's the extended from weather.com...



...and here's the nearest weather buoy as reported by NOAA:



Rock on Wayne..............rock on Garth............

Wasn't there, not me, didn't do it........

Beer Bandit Robs Guinness Brewery <-- hit the link..........

...and for a little humor break from Inside the Mind of an Irish Drummer:

Our Guinness
Which art in barrels,
Hallowed be thy drink.
Thy will be drunk,
I will be drunk,
At home as in the tavern.
Give us this day our foamy head,
And forgive us our spillages,
As we forgive those who spill against us.
And lead us not into incarceration,
But deliver us from hangovers.
For thine is the wine, the whisky, and the Guinness,
Barmen


Brenda O'Malley is home making dinner, as usual, when Tim Finnegan arrives at her door.
"Brenda, may I come in?" he asks. "I've somethin' to tell ya."
"Of course you can come in, Tim. But where's my husband?"
"That's what I'm here to be tellin' ya, Brenda. There was an accident down at the Guinness Brewery..."
"Oh, God no!" cries Brenda. "Please don't tell me."
"I must, Brenda. Your husband Seamus is dead and gone. I'm sorry."
Finally, she looked up at Tim. "How did it happen, Tim?"
"It was terrible, Brenda. He fell into a vat of Guinness Stout and drowned."
Oh sweet Jaysus! Did he at least go quickly?"
"Well, no Brenda... no. Fact is, he got out three times to pee."

Moving Beyond Postmodernism

Great article on Church in a postmodern era.

Read it at Relevant.

12/1/07 - Life Journal - Love God, Do What You Want

What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!
Romans 6:15

This seems to have been as common a problem back then as it is today. People using the grace of God and his gift of salvation as a license to live however they pleased. Paul goes on to say that if you are still willfully living in sin you are slave to the sin and lawlessness and ultimately to death. Once we take on the badge of the cross and submit to God we are free of sin and "slaves of righteousness".

St. Augustine said to love God and do as you please. Was he endorsing the Nicolaitan lifestyle here? Not at all, with a true love of the Father in our hearts we'll not want to do anything to disappoint (tick off) God. Even if we tried, that Holy Spirit is the worst guilt enhancer you can imagine. Stuff that used to be fun have somehow lost their luster. That or God will make them unenjoyable. There's an old line from Hank Jr that goes, "..and the hangovers hurt more than they used to.." God'll do that to you, and added with the guilt you feel, sometimes during or right after the act of sin, really takes the fun out of things. I just need to be more aware of this and catch myself before the guilt, pain and hurt. Things would be a lot easier.

Father, I know it's not worth it, in the short or long run. So I guess the question is why?

New Ice Breakers look like illegal drugs?

From FOX News, "Ice Breakers Pacs, nickel-sized dissolvable pouches with a powdered sweetener inside, hit store shelves in November. The packets, which come in blue and orange plastic slide-up cases, are similar enough to drug packets that a child familiar with the candy could mistakenly swallow a heat-sealed bag of drugs, Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector William Blackburn told the Philadelphia Daily News for an article published Friday."

Check out these two pic's and judge for yourself:






Read the entire story here