A Warrior's Heart

Why Christmas?

2012-01-02T16:48:00.000-08:00

In reflection of this past Christmas and the beginning of a New Year, I felt that it was a good idea to keep our eyes focused on the ultimate prize of our lives, which is Christ. Desiring God created a short video of John Piper preaching, a couple years back, that reveals to us of what Christmas is all about. It is a good reminder and I hope it encourages us to maintain our focus daily on the Lamb of God in the midst of our always changing lives. Enjoy this snippet....

Question

2011-11-30T18:38:00.000-08:00

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the name "John Calvin" brought up in a conversation in any setting?

Seeing God's Hand When You Least Expect It

2011-10-23T23:13:00.000-07:00

I know it has been awhile. Part of it has been because the busyness of life sets in, which tends to consume all my time. And, the other part of it has proved to be spiritual. Let me explain. From the beginning of August to about the end of September, I was literally in the dumps spiritually. I thought God was not coming through so I shoved Him aside. I was not chosen to be a part of the India missions team. I applied to work at a few places and was either turned down or never got a call back. And, to put the cherry on top, my speech was not helping at all. It seemed like I blocked every other word and it took forever to communicate my thoughts to others. It was pretty bad. But, through all that, I can say one thing stayed constant. Even though I was faithless, God still remained faithful.

Now, as September turned into October, I was knocked on the side of the head by a 2x4. The men in my Bible study group would know what I am talking about. But, it usually means that God does something to wake you up out of your doldrums. This happened at one of the new Bible studies I joined at Rock Harbor, the church I am now attending with my family. God used a specific guy named Pete, who delivered a much needed message I desperately needed to hear. The verse He used to pin me down with was Galatians 2:20. It reads, "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." What does this mean?

When Christ died to pay the ultimate penalty of bearing all our sins in his body (1 Peter 2:24), He created this defining motivation of sorts that we must follow. The ultimate act of Him bearing our sins signifies a deep motivation within us that we must put away our self, our motives, our flesh, our sinful ways in order that we might live toward the greater purpose of magnifying His glory (Romans 3:23; 1 Cor. 10:31) and displaying His righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24) to a filthy world in desperate need of His Son. In other words, as Christ bore our sins in His body, we follow His lead and die to those things that destroyed Him because He loved us and gave Himself up for us. Then, we do not live to ourselves anymore. Instead, our lives reflect Him in all that we say and do because He lives in us as we walk in faith seeking Him for direction in what we are supposed to do and where we are destined to go on a day to day basis. So, the question I posed to myself was this: Why in the world am I not walking in faith reflecting Him in all I say and do?

The answer was easy. I did not see Him working in my life at that particular time. I did not believe that He would come through for me. He seemed distant, farther away than usual. The closeness of our relationship was not there. The life inside of me was waning because we were growing further and further apart. But, even through all that, God remained faithful by waking me up with a bashing my head in pinning Galatians 2:20 on top of my skull. He really showed me how little faith I had and what I needed to do to guide me out of my unbelieving daydreams. I desperately needed to start walking in faith believing that Christ lives in me so that I could start reflecting Him on a daily basis. So, I graciously began walking on this road.

Now, we will shift our minds eye to a few days ago. On Wednesday October 19th, I made my way to the counselor's office at Santiago Canyon College not really expecting anything. The only thing I was expecting was to get a couple questions answered about possibly transferring to another college that I had. I have been attending this community college since the Spring of '08 with a lot of highs and lows. I would say more highs than lows, but for attending college that is pretty normal. So, what I am processing in my mind at this point is that I am nothing more than an average student trying to figure out what I want to do. With that said, I make my way into the counselor's office and tell her I am changing my major. I also tell her which college I am planning on attending as well. As soon as this is all completed, we work our way through which classes I must take next semester in order to make my way closer to my goal. Blah.. blah blah... blah blah... blah blah......... Sounds interesting, right? No, but as we go through this information she relays something out of the blue that had me screaming inside. She said that I have multiple associate degrees, four to be exact. And, a fifth one in the wings if I decide to go for it this next semester, which is very possible because I need to take a couple more science classes in order to get a bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering.

Wait! The fun is not over. She said that I have a GPA of 3.47. I am .03 off of graduating with honors in the Spring, which I am hoping of doing. But, there is one problem that lies between graduating with honors and where I am right now. I need to get all A's in my Spring classes to get over the hump. Sounds easy. It would only be easy if I was taking classes not directed at my major like History or even Precal. for that matter. The classes that lie in my way though are Engineering Physics I, General Chemistry, and Analytic Geometry and Calculus II. I definitely have my work cut out for me. It is difficult having two math/science classes in the same semester, but taking three of them is another story in itself. However, I only have to focus on these three classes, which is a good thing, rather than focusing on these three and a couple other ones.

All in all though, the counselor said I should be proud of myself. But after thinking about it for awhile, I was like I should be proud of God. He came through for me in a mighty way that completely blew my mind out of the water. I was expecting little. And, instead of giving little or nothing, God created this massive wedding cake full of decorative icing and a photograph of His Son to show me how much He loves me even when I am faithless, even when I expect little or nothing. Through this, I found out that God was working even when I was wrapped up in my own pity party for two months. He was involved in my life. From bringing me back to Himself by revealing a verse to me that I have read many times before in a whole new way to the graciousness that he showed when he blew my mind away at the counseling office, He is willing and working in me by constantly being faithful. And, He is doing the same in you, my fellow brothers and sisters. Thank you Lord!!!!

An Inspiring LOTR's Quote

2011-08-21T16:40:00.000-07:00

With what I have been going through lately, this quote is one of those quotes that I needed to hear even though it came from a movie. The place from where I pulled this quote in the movie was from a conversation between Gandalf and Frodo, in the Fellowship of the Ring, when the Fellowship was stuck in the Mines of Moria. If you have watched the trilogy, in this case the first movie, you know what has already taken place. The power of the ring is beginning to take its toll on Frodo despite the limited amount of time of which he has had possession of the ring. As the trilogy continues though, you begin to see the ring controlling more of Frodo even to the point of where he almost loses his friend Sam. This is the path or otherwise the cup that was given to Frodo. The cup that would see the salvation of all Middle Earth or the doom of all Middle Earth. This fate of the cup, which is the burden of carrying the one ring, rests in his hands. Will he persevere to the end? Will he see the salvation of Middle Earth come to pass? He had his doubts especially when it came to the point of wondering why this burden was brought upon him. Now, let's listen into Frodo's statement like question and Gandalf's reply in one of the most critical moments of the trilogy.....

Frodo: "I wish the ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened."

Gandalf: "So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you. There are other forces at work in this world, Frodo, besides the forces of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the ring in which case you also were meant to have it. And that is an encouraging thought."

The same is with the Christian life. You and I have been given time by God to be used for His glory. What are we doing with that time? What are we doing with the circumstances that He has given us? What are we doing with the trials that have been placed in our path? We only have one life. A life that has the capability of changing the world or a life that has the capability of being wasted away on the foolish things of the world. It is your choice. What are you going to do with the time that is given to you?

Sola Deo Gloria!!!!!!

News On the Mission Front

2011-07-31T21:58:00.000-07:00

I just received a call from the India lead team today. Yes, I applied for a missions trip to India. But, once I heard the news on if I made the team or not, my heart literally sank two feet. You probably know what happened. God has a different plan for me on the week of December 26th to January 8th and all I have to do is trust Him with my whole heart in that He knows what is best for me. It was not easy hearing the news, but a life lesson can be wrought out of all this. One of my family friends gave me much needed encouragement in a time like this. He said, "Josh, be patient. God will used you in a mighty way." I definitely needed that and God knew it. God is telling me to wait on Him to direct my life. Thanks Randy for that seed of encouragement.

Now, my next post on the seven cries will be tomorrow, so stay tuned. I know I mentioned that I would post every Sunday, but today has been a rather difficult day. In that case, a full post on one of the cries from the cross will infiltrate through to your blogging dashboard tomorrow.

Sola Deo Gloria!!!!!

Poll Change

2011-07-25T21:53:00.000-07:00

I ended up changing the first poll since I added another topic to it. And, I could not have changed it without removing it in the first place. So, sorry to those who voted on the first poll. In that case then, those of you who have already voted can stick with your first answer or change it if you so wish, while those of you who have not voted, which is quite a few of you, can begin voting. Sorry, I know it is quite obvious. :) You have 18 days left. Happy voting!!!

Seven Cries From The Cross: Introduction

2011-07-24T22:00:00.000-07:00

I misjudged the amount of posts that it would take to complete this series because I forgot to add the introduction. So, with what I just mentioned, we will knock out this Summer Sunday series in eight weeks rather than seven, which means this series will overlap two weeks into September. Yeah, let's do it. If any of you are bummed out that it is one week longer, sorry, but we need to get our feet wet before we dive hard into each cry that our Savior relayed upon the most horrible execution device known to man. What brief key points do we need to know before we get this series underway?

First, we need to know what the seven cries from the cross are. Most Christians know at least five off the top of their head, maybe six of them. However, there is one cry though that most people have difficulty remembering off the top of their heads. And, it is found in John 19:26-27. I will not insert the verse right here, because I am about to reveal what each cry is. But before I reveal each cry, you need to know that each cry will reveal the depth and the magnitude of Christ's passion in the midst of unfathomable suffering.

If we look at the cry; My God, My God why have you forsaken me; we see a cry of desperate anguish over something so beautiful. The glorious greatness of the majesty of the Most High God has severed His relationship with His Son for a mere three hours because the absolute impeccable purity of the Father is an impossibility when it comes to being in contact with the full vileness of impurities attributed with sin. The glory of God the Father is so magnificently, brilliantly beautiful that even a small speck of sin would literally be a disastrous fall. HE CANNOT LOOK UPON HIS SON WHEN THE FILTHINESS OF OUR SIN COMPLETELY CRUSHES HIS SON. That is why Jesus screams in agony, MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME? This cry is not just a cry that Jesus screams because His Father has forsaken Him. It is a scream that clearly displays the passion that Jesus exudes over losing something so dear, precious, and beautiful to Him.

These are the types of points that we will be looking at in this series. Hopefully, I have given you a glimpse of what is to come in this series and I pray that you are looking forward to this series. Now, as I mentioned above, I will list the seven cries in order of how I will post them. Next week, we will look at the first cry. The following week we will look at the second cry, and so on so forth.

1) Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.
2) Woman, behold, your Son! ..... Behold your Mother!
3) Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.
4) Eli, Eli lema sabachthani--- My God, My God why have you forsaken me.
5) I thirst.
6) It is finished.
7) Father, into your hands I commit my Spirit!

Those are the seven cries that we will be digging gold nuggets from. My prayer is that we learn a lot from these seven cries that Jesus has conveyed from the cross to us as we continue to draw ever closer to Him. May His glory be magnified in these upcoming posts.

Sola Deo Gloria!!!!!

Update on Possible Missions Trip and Future Posts For The Glory of God

2011-07-23T21:53:00.000-07:00

Steps 1, 2, and 3 are accomplished. Steps 4, 5, and beyond are upcoming, maybe. Nearly a month and a quarter ago, I completed Step 1 of the process about going on a missions trip by purchasing a passport. It made a hole in my wallet, but I can say the passport was well worth the purchase price. Step 2, which made no damage to my wallet, was in completing the application and turning it in by June 26th. Mission accomplished! And, Steps 2A and 2B have been working a little more, so that I would be prepared to pay the $500 down deposit once elected on the team. Done! Then, Step 3 consisted of being interviewed by one of the heads of the Missions department on July 15th (actually I ended up being interviewed by two people--- one of them is a leader on this trips team). With that said, I can fully assure you that Step 3 is now a distant memory. What's next? Whatever God wants to do! If that means I am on the team, so be it. If not, I know God has some other plan and purpose for my life during the specific time period of December 26th through January 8th. Why worry? God is in control. I will wait and see what God has in store for me. Step 4 will be finding out if I made the team and that should be sometime in August. I will fill you in on Step 4 when we reach that certain point.

Now, onto the rest of the summer for what posts I will write. For the rest of the summer on Sundays, I am going to begin a new seven part series. The last post will overlap into September, but it should not be a problem in completing the series because I am not taking any classes this Fall. I won't be bombarded with homework (kinda a good thing, yet I will miss school). So, that should not be a problem. What is this seven part series going to cover? *wide grin* I am not gonna tell ya since you will find out tomorrow (probably post it late tomorrow). Very few people read my blog these days (stats figures--- not too hard to tell *ahem* (my fault for not posting on a regular basis) :), so if you want to find out what the series is about you can at least read the title from your blogger dashboard or click on the post if you find it an interesting read.

Then on this upcoming Wednesday, I will finish the God's Power Made Perfect In Weakness series with Part 5, so stay tuned for that. On the next following two Wednesdays after this coming up Wednesday, I will complete The Most Inane Postmodern Humanist Notion Of All Time Part 2 with the remedy in two separate posts. And, on every following Wednesday after those three Wednesdays, I will post on a topic chosen by you, the readers, from a poll that I will post on my blog fairly soon. Finally, in between those posts, I will continue the Titus series. It seems like a lot and you all probably don't believe me, which is understandable, since I have not been the most consistent blogger in the world. However, I am choosing to change that. So, with all the knowledge that God has entrusted me with, I will use it to further His kingdom through the blogging world on a consistent basis. So help me God.

Sola Deo Gloria!!!!!

A Familiar Yet Unusual Greeting Pt. 3 - Titus 1:1-4

2011-07-22T21:00:00.000-07:00

It has been a long while since I last posted on the book of Titus, but I am back at it tonight. My hope in this post is to smoothly transition from the first verse, which ended the second part of this four-verse passage, into the third verse. It is a monumental task. However, I need to back my way into the first verse for a much-needed brief review not only for myself, but for all of you--- my faithful followers. So, as we march half a step backwards, we recognize from my last post on the book of Titus that we saw an out of the ordinary combination, which ultimately revealed the unusual markings of a Pauline greeting. This crazy combination consisted of the predestining beams of the elect of God merging with the beams of human responsibility that focused on man’s knowledge of the truth in accordance with godliness.

In this last post, I argued that Paul wants us to see that the faith of our election stems from our acceptance of the knowledge of truth that is bound together by the firm chords of godliness. Our acceptance of the knowledge of truth, which is firmly held by godliness, is the mere choice of human freedom. We must accept it if we have any shot at reaching the status of the elect in God’s eyes. However, God was, is, and has been working on the specific person’s heart from the initial moment of searching for Him to the initial greatness of finally finding salvation in Him alone. The Holy Spirit’s work of regeneration starts with Him and ends with Him. Therefore, the Holy Spirit is working in you, if you are one of the elect, as you ultimately count the costs of whether you will persevere in the faith as a potential disciple of Jesus Christ. Not too difficult to see from the first verse, right?

Now, we can efficiently chug our way into verse 2. Verse 2 reads as follows, “in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began…”. Wow!!!!! Can you see where verse 2 is headed after the mega extraordinary happenings in verse 1? Paul, at the beginning of verse 2, is relaying a very significant truth, because he does not intend to leave us stranded in the dust as selling ourselves short in JUST being among the elect of God. The key word is just. Remember when I iterated in the last part that Paul’s purpose for writing this letter was to encourage the elect of God as they continued to strive towards godliness. Well, we have come upon the strengthening portion, the encouragement. Paul’s encouragement is that the elect of God would see that their knowledge of the truth wrapped up in godliness is not a means to an eventual dead end. It is a means to the end, in which hope bursts onto the scene--- the hope that is only found through the atoning self-sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ upon a hill called Calvary. Nothing else will be able to offer you the hope of everlasting life. Only Jesus can offer you this hope. Paul’s encouragement is timely.

We can now await eagerly with confident expectation that eternal life is ours, because of the precious blood of the Lamb. But, how can we now for certain? Can God be trustworthy? For historical context sake Titus 1:12 reads, “One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, ‘Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.’” Then, Paul goes on to say in verse 13 that the testimony of this Cretan prophet is true. We know that Paul is writing to Titus (v. 4) in order to strengthen and encourage the brethren of the Island of Crete. So, we can clearly deduct from verse 12 that some Cretan believers would have a difficult time trusting anything anybody would say since they have lived to experience such constant untruthfulness in their society. Should they then truly trust God when eternal life sounds too good to be true? Let’s continue on in verse 2 as Paul reveals the answer. It reads, “…. which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began..”

Okidokie, so God does not lie and He promised eternal life before the ages began. Sounds exactly what the Cretans needed and those of us who struggle in trusting the very words of God. God does not lie. There is not even a hint, a small iota of evil within His being. He is completely impeccable. He is light and in Him there is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5). Can we trust Him even when our minds can’t literally fathom what He has in store for us? Of course, He reminds us in Proverbs to trust Him with ALL our hearts and lean not on our own understanding. If we fearlessly trust Him without abandon, our lives would reflect the magnitude of His glory at its height, which in turn strips any and all unbelief. So, with that in mind, let’s trust in the very words of God as He shows us how to live our lives to the fullest in order to further His glory and kingdom like the Cretans needed to trust that God doesn’t lie for the sake of them believing that eternal life is really real.

Now, before I close, I will briefly touch on verse three. I have already provided you with a lot of information in this post and I do not want to bombard you with more information than you all can handle. Thus, I will swiftly make my way through verse three. Titus 1:3 says, “…… and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior;...”. In reality, this verse means exactly what you think it means. He has manifested, at the proper time, in His word the only way to heaven, the only way to gain entrance into everlasting life, which is in the repentance of sins and the placement of Jesus as your only Lord and Savior. He alone can save you. So, this is the message that Paul has been entrusted with by the ultimate command of the Savior himself when He opened Paul’s eyes to the absolute beauty and spectacular wonders of the Gospel on the Damascus road in Acts 9. And, we have been entrusted with this message as well. I will close with this verse--- the calling of every Christian…..

Matthew 28:18-20 says, “And Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’”

Sola Deo Gloria!!!!!!

Happy Birthday!

2011-07-08T10:50:00.000-07:00

Now, this is not Joshua...this is Rachel from Hopejourney (his sister by the way ;) Today is Joshua's Birthday and I just wish him a wonderful birthday full of God's blessings!

The Most Inane Postmodern Humanist Notion Of All Time Pt. 1

2011-07-07T16:10:00.000-07:00

If you have ever listened to the Way of the Master's evangelistic techniques, you know how they operate. Have you ever lied? Have you ever stolen anything? Have you ever blasphemed God's name? Have you ever looked at anyone with lust, because Jesus says in Matthew 5:28-29 that if you have looked at anyone with lust, you have already committed adultery with them in your heart? And, most of the time, each person has fessed up to committing at least three of them, but they usually still think/believe they are a good person. God will weigh their good against their bad and decipher that they have enough brownie points (good works) to enter into heaven or whatever it is nowadays. Their goodness is sufficient.

Or, they try to sugar coat their mistakes. I stole that piece of food for a good cause since this kid on the street was starving to death. I lied about this so I could help alleviate this person from their pain "temporarily". They try to justify their mistakes making themselves look even better than they actually are. Or, they get into the comparison debate. I am better than that person or I am better than this person. The list goes on and on. Satan has definitely devised many schemes that have profoundly had an influential effect on many people's lives. However, I believe the single most destructive scheme he has devised, above all other schemes, that has had the greatest impact of all in crushing nations, piercing families, chopping communities, destroying marriages, and undercutting relationships is based on the single belief that mankind is virtually good. I can hear you all muttering under your breath that I have got to be kidding, but, no, I am not. I will prove it to you.

Have any of you been following the Roger Clemens perjury trial or have heard about it? I bet you all have heard of the Barry Bonds trial. They both are practically the same thing. Both Bonds and Clemens supposedly lied to a grand jury about not taking steroids during their major league career. The funny thing though is that it does not take a rocket scientist to figure out when a person is taking steroids. If you are an older player trying to prolong your career in hopes of producing the same type of numbers that you produced in your prime and your body shape massively increases in size from one season to the next, then there is a high probability that you were taking steroids. Many people usually forget that Bonds was 37 years old when he broke Mark McGwire's home run record of 70 homers in 2001. Thirty-seven! In Roger Clemens case, he was still pumping in his fastball at the mid to upper 90 mph range when he was 43. However, velocity and home run power tend to decrease with age, which makes it the norm. Are Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds the only exceptions? I highly doubt it.

On the contrast, let's look at Hank Aaron, still in my mind the career home runs leader. In his prime, he was one of the most feared hitters in all of baseball with home run power to all fields. Did he hit a virtually decline in homers past his prime? Yes, but not until he was 40. Ironically, the most homers Aaron hit in a season was when he was 37. He hit 47 without taking steroids. 47 verses 73...... a big difference. When Aaron was 39, he hit 40 homers. Then, when he hit 40 years old, his amount of home runs dropped to 20 (he played in 112 games)..... then 12 (137 games)..... then 10 (85 games). And, he ended his career with 755 homers. This is coming from Hammerin' Hank Aaron. Now, let's see Bonds' home run numbers when he hit the age of 40. Starting at age 39, Bonds hit 45 homers. Then, when Bonds hit the age of 40, he matched his home run total at age 39 with 45 homers..... then 5 (he only played 14 games)..... then 26 (130 games)..... then 28 (126 games). I wonder how many home runs he would have had if he would have played the whole season at age 41. Just a speculation. :)

Anyway, it is not difficult to see that Bonds was juicing during his playing days. I can argue against Clemens as well with his velocity, but it is not difficult to see that due to the second law of thermodynamics all life starts deteriorating with age. Every hard-throwing pitcher, that I have seen, loses some velocity on their fastball with age. A great example is Scott Kazmir, who is formerly not playing with any team at the moment, but he used to play for the Angels and Rays. Kazmir, in his days with the Rays and first year with the Angels, used to throw his fastball consistently at 95-97 mph. Then, the bottom broke out and his velocity decreased to 90-92 mph in his second year with the Angels. If you do not know how to craftily pitch on the corners with a 90-92 mph fastball, you will not have a job, because you either will walk a lot of people or your fastball will zip over the plate to be hit hard like a bullet traveling to all parts of the ballpark. When he had his velocity, Kazmir used to strikeout many batters by overpowering hitters with his A - A+ fastball. But, when the velocity on his fastball fell a few mph downwards, he would accumulate a lot of walks and hitters would salivate for his new fastball. That is why baseball is called a game of inches. But, what does this have to do with Clemens? Roger Clemens fastball velocity did not decrease, Barry Bonds home run numbers did not decrease like it should have.

Therefore, Bonds and Clemens power numbers past the age of 40 show that they were running away from the norm of players in all time periods, who played past the age of 40. They were using some type of stimulant to keep them from provoking the inevitable. However, the astounding thing is is that both players denied ever taking steroids. Many players have admitted to using steroids like A-Rod, McGwire, and Sosa. But, these two have completely denied it and have lied to Congress about it. They believe that they are good people, who did nothing wrong. And, I have a hunch, a lead on what their thought processes may be. Since they have denied the use of steroids during their playing days and have lied about it for this long; I believe that if you believe in a lie long enough, it begins to unfold as one of your sources of truth. And, this could happen with anybody. Not just with baseball players, but with all people in all walks of life. If you truly believe you are good, the truth that shapes your heart, will, mind, and life will inevitably create a monster inside of you capable of slicing relationships, marriages, families, communities, and nations. Look at what Bonds and Clemens have already done. How about Hitler, Nero, Karl Marx, Confucius, Buddha? I am picking people off the top of my head, so a few may not be full blown monsters. But, it still applies to each of them and every other person who thinks that they are a good person.

So, how in the world do these people, who believe that they are good, undercut marriages, relationships, and what not? Find out in my next post.........

Sola Deo Gloria!!!!!

Blog Award and Happy 4th

2011-07-04T15:42:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite sayings is....... better late than never. However, when someone awards you with a blog award back on the 26th of April and you don't do anything about it for a couple months, the 'better late than never' saying usually can be tossed out the window for the apparent reason that it took nearly two and a half months to post about the blog award rather than posting about it in a few days. In other words, the saying is practically irrelevant because it took me so long to post about it. But, it still stands true, so without further ado............................................... I was awarded 'The Versatile Blogger" blog award from Anna.

Thank you so very much Anna and sorry it took so long to post about this. :-/ Not only do I have to post about it, but I have to list seven things about myself. In that case, here we go....

1) I won a Fear Factor contest before and came in third place one other time (not on the actual tv show, but at our former church's Fallfest :).

2) I am a theology nerd or geek..... whatever you want to call it. I will talk with anybody for hours about this one subject.

3) I absolutely love John Piper (my favorite pastor to quote from).

4) One of my newest hobbies is strength-training. I usually was a biker/runner before (still am), a cardio type guy, but I am beginning to gain more upper body weight.

5) My fav. two verses in the Bible are 1 Corinthians 2:2 and Ephesians 2:4, but my fav. two books in the Bible are John and Philippians.

6) I have three younger sisters and two of them are below the age of 4. The other is 20. If you want to visit her blog, check it out here.

7) Last but not least, my birthday is in four days---- another year will bite the dust fairly soon. :)

And, with all that said, Happy 4th of July to everybody. Hope you all have a safe Independence Day full of God's majestic grace-filled blessings. May God bless America----- the greatest nation on God's green earth.

Sola Deo Gloria!!!!

The Magnification of God's Glory- 99 Balloons

2011-06-17T23:06:00.000-07:00

My family along with our Bible study group had the massive privilege of being able to pray for a three week old baby girl last night, who was diagnosed with spinal bifida. She was the cutest and most adorable little thing that we were literally pleading with God for her healing. Can God heal her? Of course, but when it comes to these situations especially with young ones...... we, as humans, have this genuine sense of love within us that desires to change God's will for, as we think, the better of the child. We would say that it is better if this child did not have spinal bifida, so that she, the child, would have the ability to live a normal life free from any and all disorders. Let's face it. Our culture has created this mindset that assumes perfection to those who are born without defects. If you are born with no defects or disorders, you have reached the pinnacle of life in general, because you are able to do whatever you please without any help; while those born with defects and disorders are considered as cast-offs with no real ability of being able to fulfill everything of what life has to offer. No wonder our prayers are directed toward healing when it comes to these sweet little ones. We want them to be able to live and lead normal lives without any difficulty.

And, let me say something real quick, so that you do not misread what I am conveying here. My heart is that we should be praying for these young ones in order that God would heal them. It is crucially necessary. But, we need to be asking God what He wants to accomplish through these little ones. Really, our desires and wants should not be at the forefront of our minds when we are praying for these sweet children. Instead, the magnification of God's glory should most definitely be invading our minds. Will His glory be more magnified in their healing or will His glory be more magnified in their weakness? Lord, what do you want to accomplish in their lives? Since our thoughts reach a minuteness of finite thinking over against the magnitude of God's infinite mind, which is completely inconceivable from our perspective, we need to ask God what is best for the child. He knows what is best. How is God's glory going to reach its maximum? It will either be through her healing or through her suffering. And, we need to accept the reality of God's answer no matter what the outcome is. It may not be easy, but God will be with us to the end.

In relation to this post, I came across this video a couple years ago and every time I watch it I begin to tear up. God chose to glorify Himself through this little one in his suffering and he is resting safely in the arms of Jesus. No more pain, no more suffering..... joy everlasting. Enjoy with caution because it will make you cry.

Missions

2011-06-10T21:30:00.000-07:00

My body is in America, but my heart is overseas for the people in desperate need of the Gospel. I may be going on a missions trip in December. More about the trip later......

Excellent Quote

2011-05-23T21:13:00.000-07:00

I retweeted this quote on Twitter and found it so inspiring that I had to share it on my blog....

"Wrong is wrong even if everybody is doing it, and right is right even if nobody is doing it."

- Augustine

Time Flies Virtually When Significant Events Take Maximum Precedence Over Blogging

2011-05-22T22:05:00.000-07:00

.......................... which practically means I took a blogging hiatus without updating you on why I entered into a state of internet neutrality for the past month. But, now I am back and will update you on my life thus far. I finished the spring semester of school at SCC a few days ago (have been studying to no end before school officially ended on the 19th of May). I am also going to take a year off of school (finished my general ed.), because I am going to save up some money in order that I could attend Bible College in the Fall of 2012. I am definitely very stoked about the prospects of hopefully attending Bible College, but I am more excited about this year ahead of me. This year, from this May until next May, my only prayer is that I grow by leaps and bounds in the knowledge of God for what God has prepared for me in the years ahead. I desire to grow in wisdom, diligence, and prayer. But, most of all, I want to be obedient in the small things. I heard it once said that if God sees you faithful in the small things whether it be praying for some person in need or encouraging another in conflict, God will provide you with greater missions to display His glory to the nations. Why? Because you were proven faithful in the small things. God can then trust you to be a mighty Warrior in greater missions when fierce opposition stands in your way, since He knows you won't bend to the status quo (what the culture stands for). Therefore, be faithful when that still small voice urges you to pray for that person down the street. You will be glad you did in the long run.

And, don't get me wrong. I am not perfect and am still learning. However, there is no process to being faithful in the small things. The answer is to just do it. I am just so stubborn sometimes that I really want to run away when God places these small opportunities in my path, which is horrible in itself. So, I am in the same boat. However, slowly but surely I am moving out of the stubborn stance of stonewall Joshua into a freer stance of walking steadily Joshua. Example: Today, at church, God was telling me I needed to give a verse to some guy sitting in front of me. And, my first contemplating thought was God, you have got to be kidding. He really would not seem that interested if I give him this verse.... yada yada yada............. My mind was running at a nonstop pace trying to give God reasons why I will not give Psalm 40:1-3, as it turned out, to this guy. But, then I remembered about what being faithful in the small things would possibly bring and I also figured I would regret it later. So, to make a long story short, I wrote the verse down on a piece of paper and gave it to him. As it turned out, the guy, an Englishman, was a member of the church of the visiting pastor, who preached at our church today. He also was a prayer warrior and he graciously prayed for me. So, I would have missed out on prayer if I had not given Psalm 40:1-3 to this guy. God has a remarkable sense of waking people up, especially me, to see what obedience to Him can possibly bring. Things like what I experienced today will not happen every time, but God knows what we need even when we don't know it. So, my advice is to trust Him and be obedient. You will be astounded to fully experience everything, little by little, of what God has in store for you. Just as I was amazed today.

So, that is what has been happening in my life lately. Some things fairly eye-opening and others simply normal. In the near future, I am hoping to finish series I have started. No, I am not hoping...... they will be accomplished. This summer, I will work my way through Titus as promised and work my way through other posts. Also, sorry I have not been reading your blogs (the people I follow) as of late. I will catch up from where I left off in April sometime and comment on a few past posts. May God be glorified as each of us continue to serve Him through being faithful in the small things.

Sola Deo Gloria!!!!!!!!!!

Winner of The Chris Tomlin Game

2011-04-24T16:35:00.000-07:00

With only three participants, the winner is.................................................................................................................

I need a longer drumroll.........................................................................................................................

The winner is a tie between Liberty and Dakota. 8 to 8.

These were the answers:
1) Our God
2) Unfailing Love
3) How Great is Our God
4) How Can I Keep From Singing
5) All To Us
6) Exalted
7) Unchanging
8) Forever
9) Amazing Grace (my Chains are Gone)
10) All My Fountains
11) I Will Rise
12) With Me
13) Uncreated One
14) I Will Follow
15) Jesus Messiah

Now, I have figured out a way on how to break the tie, because you both cannot win the same I-tunes gift card. And, by the way, the gift card is worth $15 not $10. I ran over to Albertson's to buy the gift card and the cheapest amount was $15. So, woolah........ the amount changed from 10 to 15 dollars. Anyways, on with the tie-breaker..........

How many studio albums has Chris Tomlin produced? (off the top of your head)

If you both get that one right or wrong, name me any five songs off of Chris Tomlin's latest album, And If Our God Is For Us.....?

And, if that still is not enough, I will think of something else. :)

Sola Deo Gloria!!!!!

Forgiven, Accepted, Redeemed, Reconciled - Thank You Jesus!!

2011-04-22T10:36:00.000-07:00

I am forgiven, because You were forsaken.
I am accepted, because You were abolished
I am called, because You were condemned
I am redeemed, because You were reviled.
I am reconciled, because You were run down into the ground.

May we never forget the repugnance of our sin, and what our sin did to Him. May the cross be the never ending praise of our ultimate praise song. May He be worthy of all our worship and praise from this time forth and forevermore.

"Betrayed by Judas, denied by Peter, abandoned by the eleven, forsaken by God. Darkness, you get three hours. Then you die."

- John Piper

God's Power Made Perfect In Weakness Pt. 4 - A Short Autobiography

2011-04-17T23:48:00.000-07:00

In this post, I will give you all a small snapshot of my life. Now, in order to gain a firm snapshot, I need to begin on the day I was born. My birthday is officially July 8, 1989. I am the firstborn to two amazing parents, the second grandchild on my dad's side, and the fourth on my mom's side. My mom has juvenile onset diabetes, which is Type-1 diabetes. She was told by the doctors that she would never be able to have kids. God knew that and wanted to prove the doctors wrong. And, that is exactly what happened. I, Josh, came into the world. God fashioned me in His perfect image to be able to prove the doctors wrong that my mom would never be able to have kids. Isn't God so good? Anyways, when I was born, I had a rather low amount of sugar in my blood. Because of this, the doctor had to stick me with a needle in order for my glucose levels to rise. There was only one problem. The doctors could not find a vein anywhere, so they ended up sticking the needle in my head. I don't really remember anything, which is probably a good thing or I would faint on the spot. However, I was in the baby ICU for the first few days of my life for that and for having low muscle tone, which really is a diagnosis of weak muscles. I am not weak nowadays. But, my early years, as you shall soon see, proved to be rather difficult.

Then, you would think I was a pretty normal baby, huh....... My mom said I was an excellent baby especially when she was pregnant with my sister Rachel, since I hardly moved. When you are diagnosed with low muscle tone, that is what happens. Your muscles stiffen when you try to move and as a result you don't go very far. So, I did not crawl until I think I was about a year, I did not start walking until I was nineteen months (my sister was five months at the time, so my mom had to carry the two of us), I was pretty much delayed in many facets compared to a normal baby. So, I enrolled in preschool special education when I was two. I would travel on a bus to RIO (Rehabilitation Institute of Orange) to learn with other special needs kids, which was rather impacting on my life. I was involved in a physical therapy program in order to strengthen my muscles, because of my inability to learn motor skills at a young age. I was practically helpless, but I continued to persevere and push myself toward many goals at a young age. At five or six, I enrolled in kindergarten. And, I will never forget what my kindergarten teacher told my parents as retold by my parents to me when I was ten. My parents said that my kindergarten teacher told them that, I quote, "Josh would never be able to read, never be able to write, never be able to do anything worthwhile with his life, because he is in a state of mind all of his own."

You know what. When I first heard that, I was perplexed. I really had no idea what to think or say, but I felt a burning sensation within me. Really, I knew it was wrong. I already knew how to read and write by ten. My whole life was in front of me. But, the quote made me all the more willing to continue to fight through my difficulties in proving to others that I can accomplish worthwhile goals through Him who gives me strength constantly. However, one massive giant was in the way and is still in the way today.

Have any of you ever seen the King's Speech? Well, it was an R-movie until they knocked it down to a PG-13 rating for it's strong usage of language. And, the only reason why I was able to see it was because my grandparents knew when the bad language was coming, so I could plug my ears when they uttered their particular profanities. Other than the profanities though, it was an impressing tear-jerker (they could have easily made it a PG-movie in my opinion). Anyways, the gist of the movie is that the King of England, King George IV, has a speech impediment. This King gains the throne through odd circumstances. And, the duties of the throne entail many speaking engagements. So, at one point in the movie, George is so fed up with his impediment that he nearly quits, which would have left England in a horrifying predicament since the Germans, in WW2, were closing in on English soil. However, with the help of his speech therapist, King George magnificently delivers a remarkable speech to the masses as He rarely stutters throughout the speech, and he, with Winston Churchill, helps England prevail through the devastation of WW2. Now, what is my point in this story you may ask? King George and I have the same weakness like Moses, maybe like Paul, and many others before me. I have a speech impediment as well.

Now, if I go back to the movie for one moment, the only reason why I call it a tear-jerker is because I knew exactly what he was going through throughout the whole movie. And usually, I never cry during movies, but I did in this one. When you experience pain, emotion, suffering, and heartache in the exact same ways like some other person, you can relate to them. I clearly related to King George in this movie. I was/am the main character in the movie. Now, in reality with my history, my speech impediment took off in my teenage years. When I was in public school, I use to go to speech therapy constantly, but I never really had much difficulty talking. But, when the hormones kicked in, the rest is history. I remember the days when kids use to make fun of me, because I never seemed to get the words out. But, what can you do? Continue to persevere, continue to fight, continue to battle, continue to struggle..... That is life. Life is full of trials and tribulations. I have a speech impediment. Who cares? If you are going to sit down and throw a pity party because you are in a horrid situation, you are only making matters worse. The best thing to do is to fight through it. Of course, I get discouraged from time to time, but I try to continue to make my voice known even though it is not easy. Satan wants me to fall back in fear. And, he has a lot of ammo, which seems to get me most of the time.

But, I am learning that God's perfect love casts out all fear. I do not need to fear any longer, because my fear was taken care of at the cross. Christ carried my fear to great lengths in order to reveal His perfecting love to me as a sinner. I NEED HIM!!!! I cannot live without Him. What He did for me makes my speech impediment look like dust? So, because of what Christ has done, I will fight. I will never give up. Some may say I will never be anything. Others will stereotype me as a class of my own. But, does it really matter what people think in the long run? No, because what really matters is Jesus Christ and proclaiming His name to the nations. If I proclaim His name with difficulty, so be it. However, I will strive with all my might to speak as best I can, because I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. It has not been easy and will never be easy. But, God is with me always.

So, how has God been using my speech impediment (weakness) for His plans and purposes in order to make His power known? Find out next time.....

Sola Deo Gloria!!!!!

Game Deadline / Update

2011-04-17T15:47:00.000-07:00

I am very surprised that the Chris Tomlin game has not caught any steam. With a $10 I-tunes gift card on the line, I thought that you guys would be eagerly fighting for a chance to be victorious. I guess I had high expectations, which soon drizzled out with only two participants thus far. However, there is still time to play. The deadline for the game will be next Saturday at 10:00 PT. So, in the meantime, may God be glorified and have fun. Also, I will be posting a 2-3 post autobiography of myself starting tonight, so you can get a glimpse of my struggles in life, which will reveal God's strength being made perfect in my weaknesses. It is a continuation of the God's Strength Made Perfect in Weakness series, so it should be rather exciting.....

Sola Deo Gloria!!!!!

Concert Recap/Game

2011-04-13T18:25:00.000-07:00

Where do I start? First, the concert was a blast. The Gibson Amphitheater was rockin' last night. I don't think I have ever been to a concert before where the audience was greatly impacted by the songs and the events that took place. It was truly a remarkable experience. The presence of God's Spirit was heavily felt within the audience and the Spirit was passionately exuding out of many people in the Gibson. I am telling you..... THE WORSHIP WAS AWESOME!!!! I was even trying to start a "Jesus" chant in the theater. But, it never fully continued through the rest of the audience. If any of you know me personally, you know I am a very passionate person. When it comes to baseball or basketball or some other sport, I am usually screaming at the top of my lungs during the game. I scream, I yell, I cheer, I am literally in the game even though I am not playing. The same is with concerts and any other loud special event. And, to put the cherry on top, I was screaming, yelling, and being overly passionate about worshiping our God last night, which made the night even more special. So, I was cheering and screaming for the first couple of songs, but as I was singing midway through the second song..... I lost my voice. This has happened before at other inopportune times at ballgames and what not. However, once it happened, I was like "oh no".

Then, I prayed when lifting my hands for God to give my voice back to me. And, how He promptly answered my prayer! I was able to yell, scream, and cheer the whole night worshiping this amazing God, Who gave me my voice back so I could worship Him. It was miraculous in some sense because I was not expecting it. But, God gave me my voice back, so I could worship Him even louder with more passion. And, that is what I did. Thank you Jesus!!!!! You alone are worthy of our praise and worship. May You continue to be worshiped and adored throughout all the ages.

Now, since I borrowed a game from some other person, we are going to play a game. I saw this game on another person's blog and thought it would work in this particular situation. This game will be called: How Well Do You Know Chris Tomlin's Songs? I will give you a few lyrics of about 15 Chris Tomlin songs and you tell me the title of the song of each set of lyrics. The person with the most correct wins. And, the person who wins will win a $10 I-tunes gift card. If you don't have an I-tunes account, we will work out a different prize. Otherwise, are you all ready? Here we go:

1) Into the darkness you shine/ Out of the ashes we rise/ There's no one like you.... (starting out easy :)

2) You are my rock/ The one I hold onto/ You are my song/ And I sing for You....

3) The splendor of the King/ Clothed in majesty/ Let all the earth rejoice....

4) There is an endless song/ Echoes in my soul/ I hear the music ring....

5) Let the glory of Your name be the passion of the Church/ Let the righteousness of God be a Holy flame that burns...

6) Holy is His name/ His name/ Exalted/ He is exalted....

7) Great is Your faithfulness/ You never change/ You never fail o God.

8) Give thanks to the Lord/ Our God and King/ His love endures forever....

9) My chains are gone/ I've been set free/ My God my Savior has ransomed me....

10) This dry and desert land/ I tell myself keep walking on....

11) And I hear the voice of many angels sing/ Worthy is the Lamb/ And I hear the cry of every longing heart/ Worthy is the Lamb.

12) I open my mouth and you speak for me/ You move the mountains and roll back the sea/ And I will not be afraid/ I will never be ashamed.....

13) O Great God, be glorified/ Our lives laid down, yours magnified/ O Great God, be lifted high/ there is none like you.....

14) Where you go, I'll go/ Where you stay, I'll stay/ When you move, I'll move.....

15) He became sin/ Who knew no sin/ That we might become His righteousness/ He humbled Himself and carried the cross....

Have fun and play away.....

Sola Deo Gloria!!!!

Chris Tomlin Concert

2011-04-12T15:30:00.000-07:00

My family and I with a couple friends are going to be headed off to a Chris Tomlin concert tonight. It should be mightily amazing, because God's presence will definitely be exuding throughout the amphitheater. I cannot wait. And, stay on the edge of your seat for a recap of the concert sometime tomorrow. Why? We will play a game with a prize, so tune in tomorrow. :)

Know a Few Great Things and Run With Them

2011-04-11T00:26:00.000-07:00

"You don't need to know a lot of things. You do need to know a few great things and live for them with all your might."

- John Piper

Quick News Update

2011-04-06T23:41:00.000-07:00

Hey y'all (not So. Californian dialect by any stretch), I am hanging in there. I will give you a more formal update on my life in about a few days. What have I been up to? I partially tore the ligament on the right side of my right ankle a couple of days ago, which is also known as an ankle sprain. I am down for three weeks. NO RUNNING!!!! I am about to burst out of my socks and split down the street right now, but that would only prolong my invalidity (not a good idea :). And, God has been working mightily in many ways. I can't wait to share what He has been doing, so stay tuned. Hopefully, I will get to my weakness and how God has been using my weakness for His glory on Friday. May God bless you all and have a good night.

Sola Deo Gloria!!!!

God's Power Made Perfect in Weakness Pt. 3

2011-03-25T12:00:00.000-07:00

This is a continuation of Part 2. The remainder of Jessica's story.

"We all have to grow up at some time or another. Sometimes it takes a death or a physical ailment or a tragedy... mine took all of that. And although my story has scars and things I regret, it is beautiful. It is beautiful because it is signed in the blood of Jesus: forgiven.

So whenever I get discouraged or when the pain is really intense, I just focused on that. I just kept repeating scripture. I kept praying for Japan. I kept praying for you all. Pain just reminds my heart that this isn't my Home. It'll be over one day and then after that, forever with Jesus. It gives me hope to keep going. I just want to give this life all I've got because even when I'm weak, God is much stronger. There are people that need to know about Jesus. No matter if we're weak, we as Christians find what is hurting the most and run to it with the gospel of Jesus Christ. That's why we're here. That's why I want to serve. The gospel of Jesus is enough for us. There are so many people that need to hear that message.

That really sums up it all. I would be nothing without God. I couldn't get through one day without Him! Through all of this, He has taught me about joy. My heart is so content. It's almost scary just how at peace and how content I am through all of this. The pain has been worse then it ever has been, but God is closer then ever and my heart is content. It'll be alright.

The other Sunday at church, the orchestra was playing with the choir and I saw the violinists. I could play everything they were playing in my head and know exactly fingers and how it would feel on my left hand fingertips. I just stopped what I was thinking and started praising God. I was doing pretty good... just reading my Bible and leaving everything else up to Him! He is so enough! Then, someone left the door open to the closet where I packed my violin away and my case was sitting half-way out of the door. I looked down and I wanted to grab it and play.. play without pain. But, I just slid it back in and closed the door and I praised. It's okay. Then when my sister left for orchestra without me.... ahh. So whenever I get discouraged, I just look up to Jesus. His love is beautiful. I am so so blessed. He is more then enough.

A couple weeks ago, I woke up to shooting nerve pain. It was so bad and all I could do was rock and back and forth. Isaiah 41:10 came to my mind. I started repeating to myself, “I AM WITH YOU. I WILL HELP YOU. I WILL STRENGTHEN YOU” Oh I just started crying. It hurt too much to cry but tears of joy were sliding down my face. Jesus is enough! He is so enough. Even at the worst of times, He is there. He is beautiful. He is more then enough.

My physical body truly IS my worst enemy. I know this body will one day fail. I will die. But my soul will live forever. It's like a war inside. It's so weird to be in physical pain while being on fire for God. It's the weirdest feeling I have ever had. The pain physically hurts so much but my heart is so on fire that it reminds me that one day... all of this suffering I feel right now will be gone. But what my heart is on fire and what it is on fire for will never die.

Over the past few months and especially weeks as the pain has gotten more intense, God has been closer then ever. The crying of my heart seems to be drowned out. When the pain hits, my mind goes right to prayer. I never noticed that until recently. I thought "hey. It's working!!!! That's the first thing I want to do when the pain hits the hardest.. I want to pray" So I started to add something else.... praise.

My mind wants to yell how it hurts. But the weirdest thing is my heart is content.

And right now, I don't need to know why.

God has my dreams. He has my future. He has shattered hope. He has crushed goals. He has a beautiful plan.

I know He could find a way to keep me from the pain. He could find a way to have me still playing the violin. He could find a way to have a full day without pain. But, He has a plan with this. His answer is trust Me.

If I've spent more then a couple treatments with different specialist people, they see I'm a Christian. I just can't keep it inside. I talk about God. All the time. More then ever now. I can't get through one single day without Him. He makes all of this bearable. He makes it okay. He makes broken dreams beautiful. He holds me in the palm of His Hand.

That is so overwhelming. It's completely completely changing my life. I look around... I see all these broken and hurting people. With my arm, I have seen it more then ever. Every single person in this world is hurting and broken. I wake up every morning thinking about how much more I have to learn! How much more I have to learn about loving God... there is so much to learn... and it's so overwhelming to see just a small little piece of how awesome God is.

In worship, there was a line in one of the songs we sang that said You, God "are the defender of the weak"... If there's one small line that can completely humble and break me, it was that one. I started dwelling on just that line. To think of a just and perfectly holy God defending the weak? The broken? The hurting? Someone so holy... so just... so incredibly flawless... coming to our level. Coming to die on a cross? Taking on flesh? To decimate sin? And He then defends the weak?

That. is. incredible.

I started to think of my own life. I mean I've had to start brushing my teeth with my left hand. Sometimes I eat with my left hand because I just can't do it with my right. If I have to write more then one page, I can see my hand just grow weaker and weaker with each line. Every day things are getting more and more difficult to do. Doctors can't figure out exactly what it is. Specialists. Nothing. To know that God... a perfect holy God would care about that? Would care about my arm?

It leaves me speechless.

No matter how or what the next road will bring, He will win. Even if it's hard... even if I get in another accident and I mess up my left arm and both are out of commission... I know God can NEVER give me too much that I can't handle with His Help. It's okay to get discouraged sometimes. But God is bigger then the battles. No matter what, everything that comes into our lives have to go through His Hands first. This has all gone through God's Hands first. Isn't that incredible?? So God is here no matter what!

No. matter. what.

I am just awe-struck at the amazingness of my God. If pain is what helps me to praise Him, then I truly just ask that He brings the rain. Amidst the physical pain, my heart is just on fire. So when people ask how I can keep praising Him, I just become speechless.

His love leaves me speechless. I cannot even begin to thank Him for dashing away my dreams to remind me HE IS MY LIFE. He never fades.

But anyway - even after months of a cold hand, nerve problems, shooting pain, aching - it still hurts. Honestly. I wish I could say I get used to it. But I don't. Before dinner, it made me sick to my stomach. Shooting pains up my arm will take away my appetite. So I'll just try and convince myself that I'm hungry so I can eat.

It usually works. 98% of the time. It's mental. It's really weird but it's true. Then as soon as I get food in my stomach, I don't feel like I'm going to get sick. It's crazy.

I mean I'll go sit down on the sofa and close my eyes and start praying. Pray that God would grow me in His Grace. Humble me more. Teach me more about trust. Not always that the pain will go away (although so so many times that is how I want to pray) but that God would teach me more about worship. Teach me more about loving Him.

I lost a friend to cancer, I lost my best friend, our family put the house up for sale and planned to move 1100 miles away, my health failed, the seat next to my Dad in the truck was given to my brother, the horses went up for sale, my violin got packed up and sat in a closet untouched, nerve pain made me not hungry… it killed me. I couldn’t control my life. I tried so many things to try and control it. But I couldn’t. God used every single one of those things to show me the fact that He never changes. These things came rapid fire, one after the other after the other after the other. Right when I felt like I was going to be okay, something else would decimate my fragile hope. I saw a lot of things were going wrong in my life. I was so broken. Scared. Afraid. I was fake. I put on a fake smile. I struggled layers and layers deep beyond what people could see. God found me where I was at. He changed my life. I cannot at all even begin to explain how that has changed my life.

It’s not me. It’s all Jesus Christ. He has pulled me through. He is more then enough. When I have been feeling the worst, He used the times when I was weakest to remind me He is the strongest. He has used all of this to be a huge opportunity to share the love of Jesus.

You know what's totally beautiful about suffering? It's Jesus Christ. Because every day when we stand, it is because He is here with us. The most beautiful thing about walking through the fire is just seeing how God is closest. He uses the broken and the weak! When lots of things are going wrong, our trust grows. It is incredible when things we love, dreams we have, break into pieces onto the ground that God is always doing it because HE loves us. In all reality, He is picking up those pieces and making them into something more beautiful.

There's something about raising your hands to the sky knowing that you can't get through a day without God's help. He is so beautiful! His love has radically changed my life! He has taken what I was so angry about and turned it into something that I just want to praise Jesus!!

I am just so overwhelmed that God is bigger then our sufferings. He is bigger then everything we can see. He is bigger then any struggle. I've just finished 1 Corinthians yesterday and a verse in chapter 9 caught my eye especially.

Everyone who enters an athletic contest practices self-control in everything. They do it to win a wreath that withers away, but we run to win a prize that never fades.

We're running for a crown that will last forever. God is with us on the run. This world is passing away. When you think about it, it's so short. But, we are not our own. We were bought with a price. We have a race to run. We are running for the Glory of the cause of Jesus Christ. He is sufficient. That is enough.

When we swim in the deep, He is right next to us. He's always with us in the eye of a storm. We endure. We overcome. Because Jesus Christ is the reason for everything. He is the reason for hope.

Truth is, I don’t know how all of you feel. I have my story, yes. Even though I can’t understand all of your stories and exactly how you feel, I know that God can. Remember that. Nothing can separate you from His Love. Nothing at all in this entire world.

God has a really great reason for my arm. He gave me my arm. I've seen how scars and injuries are platforms where we can either glorify Jesus or complain. I don't want to complain. I want to use it for God's Glory. Because rejoicing in suffering is like stepping on Satan's toes reminding him that he has not and will not win. Yes. It doesn't make the pain go away, doesn't change the fact that I can't play the violin much right now, but it does change my heart. It reminds me why I'm here. I'm not here for me. I'm here for the cause of Jesus Christ.

Whatever you’re going through, know you aren’t alone. God never fails. I am praying for each of you. May His Love wrap you and overflow your heart in peace. Keep up the fight. I can’t wait to meet each of you in heaven. Keep the cross as your focus. You’ll make it. He is enough."

Proclaim Our Breaker

2011-03-25T09:11:00.000-07:00

My aunt sent me this quote and I thought it fit perfectly in how, despite our weaknesses, we desperately should want to proclaim the greatness of our God to everyone. Here it is:

"If the stones were to speak, they could tell of their breaker, how he took them from the quarry, and made them fit for the temple, and cannot we tell of our glorious Breaker, Who broke our hearts with the hammer of His Word, that He might build us into His temple?"

- Charles Spurgeon

God's Power Made Perfect in Weakness Pt. 2

2011-03-24T16:07:00.000-07:00

I am going to hold off on the re-posting of the depth of God's love until I finish this series. I have asked a blogger to write about her experience on God's power being made perfect in her weakness and she has resoundingly responded. Who am I talking about? If you have ever visited her blog Far From Perfect, you will know who I am talking about. Her name is Jessica and she has been a huge encouragement to me in many ways. May you be encouraged as well as she gives us her testimony on how God has used her weaknesses for His glory. May God ultimately be glorified. Sit back, relax, and be moved:

"A couple weeks ago, another specialist, one of many I have seen, started looking through my list of symptoms. He got through the first page and to the second. He read all the things I’ve given up. He read the other specialists written up diagnoses. Then he looked up to me. He said, “You know what amazes me about people like you? It’s amazing that you can still smile”.

And I smiled. My heart screamed out in my head, “but you don’t understand!!! It’s OKAY!! THIS IS ALL OKAY!!!! GOD IS FAITHFUL!!!!!!! His strength is enough! My weakness is complete in Him!”

But, I honestly don’t remember what I said back to him. I just remember being carried away in my mind dwelling on how beautiful the love of Jesus Christ is. He gets me through every single day. I couldn’t do it without Him.

God has given me a journey I wouldn’t have chosen for myself but I wouldn’t trade for the world. The road of no answers and intense pain has fueled my faith like no other. Josh asked if I would share my story and I accepted. Something that many people would consider a tragedy has been beautiful. If you saw me walking down the street, you wouldn’t notice anything different. I have both arms and both legs. I have an elbow brace on my right arm but otherwise; you wouldn’t know anything was wrong with me. I don’t have cancer. I’m not dying. Sometimes people call me on the phone when I’m walking in a store and ask me how rehab therapy is going… people look over and give me weird looks. Or I’ll run into somebody and they’ll ask “how’s therapy going??” or “how’s your treaments? PLEASE call me if you need anything!” Sometimes I’ll be at a restaurant and I’ll drop my fork. I feel bad for the poor waiter who keeps bringing me new silverware. If I stand up to fast, I’ll fall over. I have random bruises that show up if I hit something wrong.

But, God’s strength is flawless.

See it seems like yesterday when I was that like five year old girl with red hair and freckles holding a tiny brown instrument. The crowd clapped and the journey of her life began. Every day, she practiced. As she grew older, she was far beyond most others her age. She played with quartets, for crowds, and won state championship titles. She played for nursing homes. She fiddled at her local county fair. She played for dinner guests and Christmas parties. She loved to play. Her eyes lit up. She started looking into big music schools and began working on audition pieces in order to make it in. She wasn’t sure if going professional was God’s Plan but she was open to it. She loved to play. She began to teach students of her own. Goals were getting accomplished and the future looked bright for this promising musician.

Then, in 2009, just over two weeks before the state finals competition, she had an accident. It was just a retreat in a little town in the Rockies of Colorado and a large amusement park type swing. Thinking it was just a strained shoulder, she came back full swing in practice. The pain started severely. It took everything she had to get through her state finals performance. She lost. Lost the champion title. However, the pain in her shoulder took over her thoughts. She couldn't move without shooting pains. The first of countless specialists seen. The first of xrays. The pain got worse. She was in an arm sling most of the time. The pain surpassed a previous broken arm. God seemed silent. She couldn't put it into words. She started feeling sick to her stomach because of pain levels. She made the difficult decision to quit the violin. Having hope, she visited other therapists trying to find a quick answer. Weeks turned into months as she continued to live with pain. She was checked twice for a torn rotator cuff. She began to physical therapy to gain back motion lost in her shoulder.

Promising answers and strength regained showed hope! She picked back up the violin and slowly slid back into intense practice sessions. She made the cut for state finals again. The pain started to totally diminish. However, little things started to happen. She started continually dropping her fork. She couldn't hold her violin bow for long periods of time. Her right hand grew considerably weaker and one day, she dropped a galloon of milk. She dropped dishes. She dropped notebooks and pens. Anything she picked up with her right hand, she dropped. The pain came back worse then ever seconded with hand failure. She fought through the summer trying to ignore it but the pain grew. The battles she had to overcome. She knew it'd only be God to get through her state finals performance. She stood on that stage with a heart full of joy. She knew it would be her last time performing. She poured every last bit of strength she had into that performance for the glory of God. She wasn't nervous. She loved to play. Three-quarters through, her arm began to give out but God helped her finish. He helped her finish the performance of a lifetime, winning the state championship title. With a duet including her sister's flute, they were also named five-time champions for the state of Colorado. She came home thankful and so overwhelmed how God got her through. The pain began to get worse and worse until she could barely do things such as brushing her teeth and shampooing her hair. Her balance began to fade, major pressure headaches came every day, and her right side became weaker and weaker. She went to a doctor and they ordered a neck MRI. Finding nothing in the neck MRI, they ordered a brain MRI. The symptoms were pointing towards the possibility of a brain tumor. After eleven days of waiting for results, it came back normal. The relief and joy swept over the entire family! Looking more into the issue, she went to specialist after specialist. She became weaker and weaker. Pain took up her strength. She spent many days in the house on the sofa reading her Bible trying to get through it.

Finally, it hit. She would never be able to go professional. She had to completely quit. She had to drop out of one of the biggest youth orchestras in the state. More then that, growing up as a ranch kid all her life, she put her horses up for sale. She saved her best horse for last but he had to go too. Shattered dreams.

By God’s blessings and incredible plan, this is my story. It wouldn’t be one I would have chosen for myself at the beginning. But, I see how God has used all of it to spread the gospel. It’s beyond humbling. I am so overwhelmed by the love of Jesus Christ. Everything in my life is for His Glory. No matter what, He remains. The journey of the injury of my arm has been incredible. There have been mountains and valleys but somehow, there has been more joy then I can put into words. Sometimes faith doesn’t have answers that we seem to think are best but God is faithful. The things that we believe in without Him just lie. There is nothing as beautiful as His Love.

I lost count of the times I asked God “why”. I’m the oldest of four kids. We’re really close and watching them struggle with my injury hurt most of all. Finding one crying in a room for me. Finding another leaving a note on my bed after a treatment saying “I wish I could take this for you”. Watching my mom start crying when she said she just wanted me to be able to go to college. They’ve stood by me every step of the way. I have been blessed so much. I have the best family in the entire world.

My immune system has become so run down that if I am near someone who has a cold or any sort of virus, I’ll come down with it. It’s getting a ton better and God is using doctors and a ton of vitamins to help with that. But, it’s hard. It truly is.

I am standing here today because Jesus is alive. His Love is incredible. I can’t even describe it or put into words. I never really understood how God is your complete strength before this… but I get that now." End Part 2

We will hear the continuation of her story in Part 3.

Moi Opinion on Rob Bell's Book

2011-03-23T21:12:00.000-07:00

Before I begin, this is a piece of what Rob Bell wrote.....

"A staggering number of people have been taught that a select few Christians will spend forever in a peaceful, joyous place called heaven, while the rest of humanity spends forever in torment and punishment in hell with no chance for anything better…. This is misguided and toxic and ultimately subverts the contagious spread of Jesus’ message of love, peace, forgiveness, and joy that our world desperately needs to hear." (ibid)

And, since I got this quote from Tim Challie's blog, thanks to Dakota, and he read the book, I will leave it to him to reveal what the book actually says. Tim writes this about the above Bell quote, "You may want to read that again. It really says that. And it really means what you think it means. Though it takes time for that to become clear in the book." So, we now know Bell is playing with fire. He is messing around with the Gospel. And, when he or anyone for that matter messes around with the Gospel, I begin to fire up.

Really, for all intents and purposes, I am not as concerned about Bell's belief in universalism as I am about Bell's belief on the Gospel. Even though, the teaching of universalism is total heresy. Don't get me wrong! What Bell says about their not being a hell is absurdly wrong, but the Gospel is at stake in this matter. Tell me. What has happened to God's holiness and justice these days? Do people understand it? Or, am I the only person informed about these attributes that seem to fall by the wayside when God's love and mercy storm onto the scene? I know I am not the only one, but it feels like it sometimes when these crazy preachers stand up and only preach about God's love. God's love is a definite part of it. No doubt. But, you cannot preach God's love unless you preach about His justice. The two go hand in hand, since God cannot love and be merciful to you as one of His children without justice being served on your behalf as a sinner. Either you will bear the blame for all of your sin in hell for eternity or Christ bore all the blame for you. That is the good news of the Gospel brothers and sisters. Christ bore all your condemnation, shame, blame, suffering, and sin, so that you might become one of His children. And, you want to know what. You did nothing to deserve it, except contribute the vileness of your sin to the cause. How amazing is that? Praise the Lord an infinite times over!!!! Me, once a hell bound sinner, now saved by the precious grace and mercy of my Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you Jesus!

That is the good news my friends. Rob Bell is still trying to figure out the question: How can a loving God send people to hell? We try and create a God in our own minds that fits our fancy. This is Rob Bell's god. He is loving, kind, caring, considerate, generous, etc., but never wrathful, just, or holy. He is a soft lamb that is warm and cuddly. Rob Bell has only created one side of God. Of course, God is all of those things. He is the Lamb of God, but He is not just a lamb. HE IS ALSO THE LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH. HE IS THE WARRIOR ON THE WHITE HORSE AT THE END OF TIME, WHO WILL ULTIMATELY DEFEAT HIS ENEMIES (Rev. 5:5 and Rev. 19). That is my Jesus and my God. He contains both sides of Him, and He is just as one of them as He is the other. That is the God of the Bible, not the God that Rob Bell speaks of.

Now, before I close, I want to mention two things. One, I have written four posts on the topic of the Depth of God's love, which is found in 1 John 4. I am going to repost those posts, because it clearly relates with the opposite view that argues against Rob Bell's position on the Gospel. I go in depth to relate how God's justice combines with His love at the cross. But, before you can show that combination, you desperately need a firm understanding on God's justice. I have provided that for you in those four posts. So hopefully, it sheds light on the beauty of God's love in relation to His justice. Second, we need to pray for Rob Bell and for the uncertain people, who read this book. Why? I was looking through the Amazon reviews about the book, and there was one review I found from a person who was desperate. This is what I was afraid of. She will go nameless in order that I may maintain her privacy. Here it is:

"I am not a student of the Bible, or a person with a deep understanding of theology. I've never heard of this book until it was mentioned in a column in USA Today. Like millions of others, I'm a lapsed Catholic struggling with all of the questions that Rob Bell puts forth in the beginning of this book. While I search for answers that make sense, and look for a faith where I can belong and be strong, and not be lost and afraid, almost every page of this book spoke to me. I found it a compelling read, eye-opening and heart-opening. Yes, a little "over written" in the dramatic, one-sentence paragraph style. But it worked. When I finished this book, for the first time in decades, I wanted to pray. For the first time in years, I wanted to open a Bible and give it a chance. For the first time in a long time, I went to church because I felt there might be a good reason to go. So the debate can rage among the hard-cores, but I suspect this book can touch millions of hearts like it touched mine. For that reason, I will be recommending it to many friends who struggle with the same question."

Really, we do not need anyone recommending this book to their friends. This book is filled with complete heresy about universalism, and Bell is leading many people down to eternal damnation. The word about this book needs to get out. Call your friends, talk to other people, tweet about the book, facebook about the book, blog about the book. But, more than that, pray that God opens up the eyes of these people especially Rob Bell. He desperately needs Christ like we all once did and still do actually. Bell is one other sinner in need of a Savior. Pray without ceasing for these people and for Bell.

Sola Deo Gloria!!!!!

Rob Bell's New Book: Controversial?

2011-03-22T19:46:00.000-07:00

On the theological blog front, the main news, besides Japan, has been the critiquing of Rob Bell's new book titled: Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived. Do I have an opinion? Oh, yes I do. My friend Justin and I were just talking about it at Starbucks yesterday. However, I am going to first give you all a chance to watch this video about the book and give me your opinion about it in the comments section. If you find anything abnormal, comment. I would love to hear your opinion. Happy commenting! :)

Destroy Sin

2011-03-21T23:02:00.000-07:00

Killing sin should be our ultimate pursuit. We should not leave any remnant of sin to remain hidden within our mortal bodies. Because, look at what our sin did to Jesus. Look at His marred form. Gaze upon it in deep reflection. He was bruised, He was crushed, He was disfigured, He was trampled upon, He was pummeled with our sin. If we truly love Him, we would make it a second by second pursuit to shove the very thought of sin from invading our minds. Well, Josh, a second by second pursuit is too difficult. It is near impossible. Was it impossible for Him, the Son of God, Jesus Christ, to endure complete brutal suffering, the furious wrath of God, in being identified with our sin, becoming sin for us? No. He sacrificed everything to endure unfathomable pain and suffering caused by our sin. Our sin problem was what moved Him from a place of unapproachable glory to become our substitute, and His substitution provoked the very intricacies of destruction that was invoked by our sin problem. Therefore, demolish sin. Do not let sin gain a foothold, because Jesus Christ means more to you than temporary pleasure. Kill it!

Sola Deo Gloria!!!!!

Did you know.................... #17

2011-03-20T19:49:00.000-07:00

I know I am writing back to back did you know posts on consecutive nights, but this was an interesting sermon snippet that I picked up today.

Did you know......................................................... that, at the Lord's Supper, when Jesus was revealing to His disciples who would betray him, all of the disciples, besides Judas, asked Jesus with, "Is it I, Lord?" So, how did Judas answer the Savior? Let's look at Matthew 26.

Matthew 26:20-25 says, "When it was evening, he reclined at the table with the twelve. And as they were eating, He said, 'Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.' And they were very sorrowful and began to say to Him one after another, 'Is it I Lord?' He answered, 'He who has dipped his hand in the dish with Me will betray Me. The Son of Man goes as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.' Judas, who would betray Him, answered, 'Is it I, Rabbi?' He said to him, 'You have said so.'"

The betrayer, Judas himself, does not even acknowledge Jesus as his Lord. Instead, He acknowledges him as his Rabbi (good teacher of the Law in Hebrew). This revelation is significant simply because if you acknowledge Jesus as just a good teacher than your faith is in vain. Look where Judas ended up. Jesus said it would have been better if Judas would have never been born. If Jesus, the Creator and Author of the universe, says that it would have been better if someone was not born, then it must be taken literally as a word of vast importance to those living on the outskirts/lukewarmness of the Christian faith. Hey for that matter, it should be taken literally for all people headed to hell. Some would argue that Jesus is specifically talking about Judas in this matter and only Judas. But, I would argue that it would have been better for those on their way to hell to have never been born as well. Have you read in Scripture how horrifying that place is? It is way beyond your worst nightmare. No one in their right mind would choose to go there. However, those who live for themselves are traversing that broad road, which leads to destruction. In the case of Judas, he virtually sealed his demise when he betrayed the Son of God. May we never betray Him or even think of betraying Him. Or, our demise will be the same. Acknowledge Him as your Lord and never look back.

"Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9)

Did you know.................... #16

2011-03-19T20:38:00.000-07:00

Did you know.......................................... that a cubic meter of water weighs a little over a ton (2,204.6 lbs.). Stand in awe of the terrible waves the next time you visit the ocean!

God's Power Made Perfect in Weakness Pt. 1

2011-03-17T18:01:00.000-07:00

Before I dive into this post, I want to acknowledge my thanks to you all for praying for me as I underwent the magnanimous task of completing a two and a half hour long calculus exam. Yeah, you heard it right..... two and a half hours. I am glad it is over, but thankful that I was given the opportunity of glorifying God through studying well. The results will be the cherry on top of the sundae. Hopefully, it is a good grade, but I did the best I possibly could. Thanks for your prayers.

Now, my heart is rather tender right now partly because weakness is one of those topics that people like to shun away from. Guys especially like to shun away from this topic, because they usually want to acknowledge to all that they can handle any situation. Us guys have a built in pride mechanism. We do not want people to know where or when we are weak. We are macho. We can do anything we set our gaze upon. To not be labeled a chicken by our "so called" friends, we make out with the cute girl across the street or we do some other crazy thing. On the other side of the spectrum, you may have some impediment that is holding you back from a life God has specifically, divinely planned for you, which would display His power and glory alone to unchartered lengths beyond your own comprehension. You may even be going through a broken marriage, an ugly divorce proceeding, or you may have lost your job due to the economy. Whatever it is, God wants to use your weaknesses, your trials, your tribulations, your calamities, your hardships solely for the purpose of displaying His power in your life. He wants others to ask you how you are able to cope with your difficulties and are still able to carry your life on in a decent manner. How are you able to remain joyful, most of the time, through your trials? Why is God's power being made perfect in your weakness?

Let's look at Christ's example. Who did Christ minister to during his earthly life? Sinners. The lowest of the lows. Tax collectors, prostitutes, orphans, widows, drunkards, drug dealers, adulterers, slanderers, lepers, the blind, the deaf, stutterers, the disabled, the openly shameful..... each and every people group of whom the world is not worthy. But, why would the King of the universe parade through the dark streets of Jerusalem to show love, kindness, and compassion to others, instead of teaching some know-it-all Pharisees at the synagogue about the law of God with respect to following certain rituals? Because, the broken sinners were more receptive to the Gospel than the so called know-it-all Pharisees. The Pharisees believed that their strength in society was enough for them to be accepted into God's kingdom. God ultimately sees their deeds over the atrocious beggar, who can't give anything for the cause of God's kingdom. How wrong they were?

1 Corinthians 1:26-29 sums up the wholeness of this post, "For consider your calling, brothers: not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in this world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God." Ok, God chose what is foolish in this world to shame the wise. He chose weak vessels, he chose despised vessels, he chose hated vessels, he chose broken vessels. He chose broken vessels in order that He might restore what is broken, He chose hated vessels in order to completely change that person in love, He chose despised vessels because they desperately need to know that the Savior of the world was despised for them. And, He chose you, because He loves you. He chose you, so that you would see for all of eternity the nail scarred hands of the Savior, who was bruised for you, beaten for you, tormented for you.

Why? Because you were weak. He came to save the lowly. Those who don't think they have everything altogether. Those who have no homes--- the orphans. Those who have broken marriages---- the divorced. Those who see they are arrogant and are in need of a Savior. He died for people such as these. Now, why is God's power made perfect in weakness? God's power is made perfect in your weakness, because He knows you need to completely rely upon Him in your weak circumstances. Whether you rely upon Him in sharing your bouts of anger with other people or in relying upon Him to help you through a specific period of pain caused by your cancer, His power is fervently displayed in you as you continue to abide in Him through your troubles. He knows you desperately need Him. You can do nothing apart from Him (John 15:5). So, abide under the shadow of His wings especially when you are weak. He will show Himself to be powerfully strong in your life.

Now, I have laid the groundwork for the examples that I am going to share with you in Parts 2 and 3. Who is living this out despite a constant array of trials? What is God doing in their life? What are their weaknesses and what are they doing to overcome them? Stay tuned.....

Sola Deo Gloria!!!!

Prayer Request

2011-03-16T09:34:00.000-07:00

This prayer request is not at all urgent, but it would be great if you all would lift me up in prayer tomorrow. I have a Calculus test at 10:30 PT. I should do pretty well, but pray that God brings to remembrance all that I have studied. Thank you.

Oh yeah, the answer to the calculus question, sin(sin(sin(x))), is cos(sin(sin(x))cos(sin(x))cos x. Basically, the analysis of this problem is a multiple chain rule. You take the derivative of the outermost equation first and you carry over the rest of the equation. Since the derivative of sine is cosine, I took the derivative of the outermost sine first and carried the two sines over. You repeat the process with the second sine in the parenthesis, and then the third sine. This problem really was not that bad. I could have posted one with a bunch of square roots, since square roots are fractional exponents. Those problems can be rather painful at times. Or for that matter, any exponential derivatives are painful, except for e^x, since the derivative of e^x is itself. So, anywho, I know I am boring you all to death. I can see your eyes rolling. In that case, I will stop. :)

Anyways, after my test tomorrow, I will be posting a couple posts on God's power being made perfect in our weaknesses through the eyes of real life examples. Could one of them be myself? What is my weakness? The other is another blogger, who has experienced many things in her life this past year. She is a true warrior. How is she and the other person overcoming? Tune in tomorrow.....

Sola Deo Gloria!!!!

Saturday Night Humor - How to Plant a Church

2011-03-12T20:00:00.000-08:00

When my dad and I saw this, we were cracking up. :) However, it is so true in the church today. You need this, that, this, that in order to plant a church, instead of letting God move and do His work. It is sad what our society has become, but I believe you will get a kick out of this.

What I do with my time......?

2011-03-09T17:14:00.000-08:00

When I have time on my hands, this is what I usually do........

What is Christianity?
Calling
Heaven's
Redeemed
Into
Standing
Tall
Intervening
As
Needed
In
Truth
Yearningly

Why? Because of Christ.

Also, why I have not been posting? Try this calculus problem if you know how to do it. You need to know the chain rule, and you should know what a derivative is in order to answer this problem.

sin(sin(sin(x))). Have fun! :)

March Song of the Month: You Can Have Me

2011-03-01T14:15:00.000-08:00

This was one of those songs that I happened to buy on I-tunes for 69 cents last month. I try to go cheap as often as I can, because some of the songs on I-tunes now are a buck twenty-nine. But, I have to say...... this song was a steal for 69 cents. If you have ever heard of the band Sidewalk Prophets, you probably already know the ins and outs of this song. However, this song is specifically aimed at surrendering our all to the Lord. He can have us no matter the cost. The bridge goes something like this, "I wanna be where you are, I'm runnin' into your arms, and I will never look back, so Jesus here is my heart." But, the astounding thing is is that these guys play the bridge with maximum enthusiasm and passion. It is a great song to listen too, but most of all the song displays the greatness of Christ in knowing Him as our sole purpose of giving all of ourselves to Him for the ultimate aim of magnifying Him with our lives (key word) as the one and only true King of the universe. You will definitely be encouraged when you listen to this song.

The lyrics are a part of the video, so I won't add them to this post.

Sola Deo Gloria!!!

Did you know.................... #15

2011-02-26T20:11:00.000-08:00

Did you know................................. the closest star to earth besides our Sun, which is 93 million miles away by the way, is Proxima Centauri. Do you want to guess how far Proxima Centauri (closest star to earth besides the sun) is away from the earth? It is about 4.24 light years away, which converted to miles is approximately 23.5 trillion miles. So, the nearest star to our planet is 23.5 trillion miles. Wow!

New Blog Header

2011-02-21T14:16:00.000-08:00

I am definitely an amateur. If I made the header, it would be absolutely horrendous, but thanks to Bleah over @ ~With Love and Kisses~, I have a brand new header that looks completely stunning. It works mighty well with this blog, and I am thankful that she was willing to spend time on it to make it look great. Thank you Bleah. It looks tremendous. Now, what do you all think?

A Familiar Yet Unusual Greeting Pt. 2 - Titus 1:1-4

2011-02-21T00:24:00.000-08:00

In this post, we will dive in and begin to chew on the last words in verse 1. Titus 1:1 reads as, "Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God's elect, and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness." Now, the last part of this series revolved around expounding the familiarity of a Pauline greeting, while, in this post, we will center our attention around expounding the unusual. The unusual piece of this Pauline epistle, though, begins with for the sake of God's elect. This statement, for all intents and purposes, actually answers the question of why Paul became an apostle. Paul became an apostle for the purpose of encouraging and building up the faith of God's elect in the midst of guiding them in the way of truth, which in the end accords with godliness. That is the basis of the last part of verse 1. But, as you read on past verse 1, you realize that the sentence continues on. For now though, I am going to make the end of verse 1 the cut off point. However, as I move onto my next post, I may have to refer back to verse 1, so I am forewarning you.

Now, the word "elect" is mentioned at least eight times in Scripture and the words "chosen by God" is definitely mentioned far more times. With these two facts, I really need to ask the question: what is God's elect? Well, Warren Wiersbe has a view. Wiersbe says this, "'God's elect' are those who have trusted Jesus Christ as their Savior (Ephesians 1:4; 1 Peter 1:1-5)." (1) Makes sense. If you have trusted Christ as your Lord and Savior, then yes, you are one of His elect. How about Calvin? John Calvin says this in regards to salvation, "By 'the elect' he means not only those who were at that time alive, but all that had been from the beginning of the world." (2) Right on! I agree with both. In looking back at the purpose of Paul's apostleship, the elect of God are those that God has chosen, at one point in time, to be built up in the faith by Paul's encouraging words. Paul, chosen by God, became an apostle in order to strengthen the faith of those whom God has chosen ever since the beginning of time.

Then, how do we reconcile Paul's words to the elect, who were long dead before Paul was even born like Abraham, Moses, David, Daniel, etc.? The answer is found in Psalm 119:89. It says, "Forever, O Lord, your Word is firmly fixed in the heavens." The Word of God has been firmly fixed in the heavens, the Word of God is firmly fixed in the heavens, and the Word of God will be firmly fixed in the heavens from now until eternity. All of God's elect definitely know how to be strengthened continually with God's words that were written by Paul. No matter if you are talking about Abraham or the old lady, who is a firm believer, across the street. Each has the opportunity to be built up with Paul's words (Abraham in heaven and the old lady on earth). So, the faith of God's elect has a lot to do with the familiarity of Paul as an apostle.

Now, what makes this greeting written by Paul more unusual than it already is is the fact that their is a possibility within this verse of the merging display of two doctrines? Let me explain. If any of you know me, you understand that I am a big proponent of the doctrine of predestination. Well, I once was, because of this verse. Predestination is one of those doctrines where God's sovereignty supersedes (trumps) human free will. You were once dead. What does a dead person do? It cannot move, because it is lifeless. Nothing is capable of bringing the dead person alive unless something supernatural happens. This is where God comes in. Thus, the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit creates an awakening within the once dead person to life. He can move, walk, breath, stand, shout for God's glory, and is not chained (enslaved) to the old way of life. Got it. Well, those are the underlying seeds that make up the doctrine of predestination.

However, Titus 1:1 makes a counter argument along with predestination. The "elect of God" marks the initiation of predestination. God has chosen us out of death to life. We were once dead, and He is the only one who could have possibly made us free. We definitely do not deserve a choice in the matter. But, here is where the counter argument begins to fashion into a definitive place. It lies in the words, "and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness." Do you remember when we looked at the introduction to Titus and I said the main theme was good works? This portion of Paul's greeting not only introduces us to the main theme of the book of Titus, but it creatively merges predestination and free will as an unknown mystery that only God can fathom. How does it merge? We looked at the predestination side of things. Now, let's ascertain the free will portion. Is God going to force you to love Him? No, he created man to make viable choices. Is one of those choices salvation? Let's see.

As I mentioned before, Paul iterates why he is an apostle. He is an apostle for the purpose of the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness. So, Paul wants them to understand the truth. Paul is engaging us by yearning for us to understand the vitality of being filled with an overflowing measure of truth. He wants God's elect to increase in their understanding of truth. But, this truth accords with godliness. Now, this is where the meshing takes place. Right here. Do you know if you want to be a Christian right off the bat? Some do. Well, I have a friend, at the moment, who is talking to an unsaved person. This unsaved person has been asking my friend for information about God and Christianity for about a month or so. He still has not made a decision to follow Christ. Why is that? The Christian life from the outside looking in is scary. We know what it is like because we have tasted and seen the beauty of what the Christian life gives to us. It is a difficult pursuit, but very rewarding nonetheless.

When deciding whether or not they should follow Christ, three potential disciples at the end of Luke 9 were eager to follow Christ (the full story is Luke 9:57-62). But, when you read the passage, it literally seems like Jesus was dissuading them from following him. Why is that? Because the Christian life is filled with magnificent difficulties. Also, in Luke 14:28, Jesus explains to potential disciples that they should first count the costs of persevering in faith as disciples of Christ rather than simply making a hasty, insecure decision to follow Him. You should first count the costs, and then make a decision. Will you or will you not follow Him? So, you need to make somewhat of a potential choice. This is not because God is not sovereign. It is because Paul wants the elect of God to see that their election stems from their acceptance of the knowledge of truth, which is held together by the chords of godliness. Will you make that step once you see that you are able to persevere in godliness?

Because, if you do persevere in godliness, the truth, that was at stake, becomes yours, because of the blood of the Lamb that was slain. And, you become one of the elect that holds fast to the truth, stands for truth, and devises ways to make that truth known to all the world. You yearn to know, to associate yourself with the truth in order that others might see the godliness portraying out of you. It is truly amazing. So, with that said, I can say for certainty that free will and predestination, though conceivably mysterious, somehow mesh together to form a beautiful array of God's sovereignty and human freedom that bursts onto the scene. However, God's sovereignty will always have the upper hand because he initiates the regeneration, which makes me wonder all the more of how human freedom plays a role in this God created doctrine.

Sola Deo Gloria!!!!

Total Surrender Pt. 1 and Titus News

2011-02-19T21:52:00.000-08:00

I am a contributing author over @ Knights of the Redeemer, and I posted my first post over there on surrender. So, if you want to check it out, click here. Also, I will post Part 2 of "A Familiar and Unusual Greeting" tomorrow. In practice, I have been studying Titus, but I have been extremely busy with schoolwork also. So, forgive me. We will get back on track with the Book of Titus tomorrow. :)

Did you know.................... #14

2011-02-19T12:40:00.000-08:00

As you can tell, I am bringing back the "Did you know" posts. This one is #14 and my first one since May of last year. Enjoy!

Did you know.................................................................... that the average cardiac output of the human heart over a 70 year lifetime is about 250,000 gallons of blood. This is not including athletic performance and does not go beyond 70 years. So, if you live longer than 70 and/or exercise, the capability of your heart producing blood nearly triples depending on how much you exercise and how much longer you live past 70.

Blog Renovation

2011-02-18T23:01:00.000-08:00

My blog is in the midst of renovation. I decided it was time for a change, so I began the process of changing it. I still need to tweak a few more of the nuts and bolts, but other than that it seems to be in pretty good shape. How does it look?

Spending Quality Time With Family

2011-02-15T21:24:00.000-08:00

This time of my life has probably been the most profitable ever. A couple of days ago, for the first time in awhile, I was on my way to prayer meeting, which is over at my Grandma and Grandpa's house. I was fully expecting the regulars to be there. However, God had a different agenda. It turned out that my Grandpa canceled the meeting, because my Grandma was a bit under the weather, and I had no idea the meeting was canceled. So, I arrive at their house and knock on the door. Grandpa graciously opens the door and is surprised I am there, but nonetheless glad I decided to stop by. Then, I realize through conversation that prayer meeting was canceled. I was a little bummed, but the cancellation of prayer meeting was not going to stop Grandma and Grandpa from having me over. This is what I absolutely love about my grandparents. They love to have their grandchildren over.

Now, since I am in college, it is a bit more difficult spending quality time with my family especially my grandparents. Most of my college days are spent studying, working, going to school, and so on so forth. But, I am so thankful I was able to spend ample time with both sets of my grandparents this week. It is very important, because I do not know how much longer they will have to live on this earth. I do not know how much longer I will have to live on this earth. Death is inevitable, and I hope it is still a long time away for each of my grandparents and me, but it is coming. That is why I want to be able to cherish these memories with them. I know I have many memories with each side, but I want to continue those memories. I love those memories and I love my grandparents. Spending time with them means a lot to me, and I never want to come to a place in my life down the road where I realize I did not spend enough time with them, because I was so busy. I know times change and things happen, but when I live generally close to my mom's parents and dad's parents, I feel that it is best to spend quality time with them as often as possible. I love them, and I should make it a habit to spend time with them.

Now, going back to the story, I ended up talking with Grandma and Grandpa for nearly six hours that night. I was dumbfounded by how fast the time flew by that I did not want to leave. We talked about a variety of different things, but the conversation kept coming front and center back towards Christ and His cross. Christ was the center of the night. We each commented on and thanked God for giving us the magnificent gift of His one and only Son, because God did not have to give us His Son. But, he chose, HE CHOSE.... to give us His Son despite our being in the guilty party. It is a love, a crazy love, an infinite love, an astounding love that surpasses all of our own wisdom and comprehension. Think about it and stand in awe..... Wow!!! The night was quite like that. It was one of those nights where you yearned for the conversation to continue, and it kept going. We talked, prayed, and talked. It was a wonderful night and I was glad to be a part of it in spending time with my Grandma and Grandpa from my dad's side.

However, I was able to spend the night with my grandparents on my mom's side on Friday night. During the day on Friday, I was able to check out Grandpa's ten stitches on the side of his forehead and I thought he looked stylin'. Man oh man, he looked great. Then, I went home to finish up a few chores. Later, I called Grandma and asked her if I could come over to spend the night. She thought that that would be a splendid idea, and I always know how Grandpa reacts when any one of his grandchildren come over. It is a great memory in that he joyfully shouts, "Oh boy." You would understand if you were a part of my family, but it is a joyous occasion every time I go to their house. On that night, we watched the ballgame, played Yahtzee, and watched/talked about what was going on in Egypt. It was a wonderful time and I am so thankful that I was able to spend that time with them because it was such a blessing. God is so good in giving us those blessings, and I magnificently thank him for those blessings. No doubt! :)

Urgent Prayer Request Update

2011-02-11T08:01:00.000-08:00

Thank you all for your prayers. He went to the ER last night and received ten stitches. At the moment, he is doing fine according to my Grandma and seems to be his normal self. I will be over there today and will give you more of a personal update. Otherwise, praise the Lord. I definitely cherish all your prayers. Thank you!

Urgent Prayer Request

2011-02-10T19:01:00.000-08:00

I just tweeted this: "Be praying for my Grandpa. He slipped on some magazines and hit his head. We think he is ok. Prayer would be much appreciated though." Our family would appreciate the prayers. Thank you. :)

Dakota's Free Photo Giveaway

2011-02-09T23:41:00.000-08:00

This is a giveaway where everyone is a winner. Everyone.... not just one person. Everyone wins in this giveaway. It is definitely a mighty cool giveaway. Go check it out here. :)

Modesty Q & A

2011-02-08T19:38:00.000-08:00

Head on over to May's blog and read the Modesty Q and A. The modesty questions are in and answered by yours truly. I hope it helps you young women out there in regards to modeling your dress for the glory of God. May God be glorified. :)

A Familiar Yet Unusual Greeting Pt. 1 - Titus 1:1-4

2011-02-07T00:32:00.000-08:00

For every Pauline epistle, a simple same old greeting bursts onto the forefront of the scene. Is this the case with Titus? Does the book of Titus cooperate with the strange familiarity of a Pauline greeting? Yes, but with a different twist. Let's dive headfirst into the verse and see what it consists of. Titus 1:1 says, 'Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God's elect, and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness." Now, I do not want to start receiving hate mail. I did not write the Bible. Why is God's elect, (scary word - predestination) so boldly written in the first verse of Titus? To be honest with you, I do not know. We will get to that in my next post. :) However, in this post, I am going to shed light on the first 11 words, which are as quoted, "Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ.".

Now, the first word clearly shows us who authored this book. We know God is the only influence behind all of Scripture, but Paul wrote it with his own pen (if you are ever concerned with the authenticity of Scripture, read 2 Peter 1:19-21. Your fears will vanish :). In verse 4, it tells us that Paul is writing the letter to Titus (Titus 1:4). We will get there soon enough, but what is most interesting about these first 11 words is the word "servant". Paul is a servant of God. The Greek, most of you almost already know the significance of the Greek word servant, translates "servant" as doulos. This one word carries an entire sermon in itself. It carries the vast implications of being a "slave" to God, a bond-servant. A bond-servant wholly devoted to the King of kings. Romans 6:16 sheds further light on this word, "Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?" You are either a slave of God (to righteousness) or a slave to sin.

Let's look deeper into Scripture. 1 Corinthians 7:22-24 says, "For he who was called in the Lord as a slave is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a slave of Christ. You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men. So brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain in God." So, if you are called as a slave of Christ, you are a freed man or woman. Slavery, back in the days of the Romans, was much different than the slavery we are used to in regards to typical American nineteenth century slavery. Slaves, in the Roman days, were given much more freedom. In my ESV Study Bible, it says this, "Slaves generally were permitted to work for pay and to save enough to buy their freedom..... The released slave, once freed, was officially designated a 'freedman' and frequently continued to work for his former master." (1) Now, the astounding mega fact about being a slave to Christ is that in 1 Corinthians 7:23 it says that we have been bought with a price. We have been bought with a high price.

The price tag requires a perfect blood sacrifice. In this state, we are chained to the ground held by the death grip of the enemy himself. We are filing off the slave ships about to be sold. As the auction begins, a marred figure beaten to a pulp comes up to you and quickly relays to the auctioneer that he wants you. The man buys you, turns the corner, and hugs you with his bloody, torn up body. He then says, "I love you" and instantly your chains fall off. What is your response? What is your reaction to the man who bought you? You would want to serve this man for the rest of your life, right. He bought you. You had no right to even be freed at all, but He gave up His right to life in order to free you.

Brothers and sisters, the reality is Christ has freed us from enslavement to sin. We were once enslaved to the utter repugnance of sin itself. But, we are now freed slaves of "God" under His direct authority. He bought us, and now we serve Him faithfully through the act of obedience leading to sanctification. Do we serve Him as robots? No, of course not, which leads us onto the word "apostle". Paul is a servant, yet He is an apostle. An apostle of Jesus Christ was a title directly given as authoritative in order for Paul to emphasize that he has divine authority. Divine authority has been given to him in order to carry out what is needed. Since we are not apostles, are we left in the dust without divine authority? Again, no, we are not. Have you ever heard of the gifts of the Spirit? Each person is apportioned with a gift (1 Corinthians 12:11). This gift is to be used in order to build up the body of Christ, and it is the gift given to you by God to use authoritatively when called upon. Though throughout 1 Corinthians 12-14, God shows you when, how, when, why, and where you are supposed to use your particular gift, but the main basis of having authority through Christ with your gift still stands firm.

Next time, we will dig further into verse 1, which will evidently lead into the next two verses.

Sola Deo Gloria!!!!!

1- ESV Study Bible Footnote for 1 Corinthians 7:21 verse, pg. 2201.

Tenth Avenue North's: Light Meets The Dark Motto

2011-02-05T19:46:00.000-08:00

I read Tenth Avenue North's motto for their latest album, and was very encouraged by it. I thought I would share it with you. And, I will begin Titus 1 tomorrow, so stay tuned.....

"Martin Luther once said that we must beat the Gospel into people's heads incessantly, for it's the one thing that we are most prone to forget. Funny, because that's a huge reason why we wrote most of the songs on our last record, 'Over and Underneath.' Not that we wanted to beat people up, necessarily, but our hope was definitely what Luther spoke of, in that, we wanted those who heard our songs to hear the Gospel, that is, that we don't earn grace, grace was earned for us. And we wanted to beat it into the heads of those listening, starting with our own. That's what the title was all about: Over and Underneath. At the heights of our purity, Christ has gone higher; at the depths of our depravity, Christ has gone lower, bearing our sins on the cross. No matter how pure we are, we need Him still, and not matter how far we've fallen, we're not too far gone.

This is what we feel the Gospel is, and it's what we hope to continue to communicate with our sophomore release, 'The Light Meets The Dark.' Our desire for this record is simply to be the next step. It's a call not only to believe the Gospel but to let it so saturate our minds and hearts that we actually begin to live like we believe it. But of course, that might be a little different than you think. This record isn't a call for better living and high achieving, more commitments and greater successes. It's a cry for confession, exposure, and the laying down of our pride. It's a cry for honesty, for truth, and for an encounter with the One who is truth, and having that encounter change the way we see the world. You see, when we believe this thing we call the Gospel, it allows us to be honest about who we really are. Or should I say, it forces us to come to terms with who we are. It frees us to not only be exposed but to be ok about being exposed; to speak our pain and fears out into the open. It frees us to be poor in Spirit. Which, isn't that the goal after all?

I heard it said once that the best thing that could ever happen to any of us is if all our sins were broadcast on the five o'clock news. And yeah, that can be a fairly disturbing thought, I suppose, but think about it for a moment. Think of how scary that is, and yet somehow, so incredibly freeing, too. If everyone knew all your junk, all your fears, all your questions, you wouldn't have to hide anymore. No more masks. No more pretending. Just you, and hopefully, the grace that comes when we step into the light. Sure, it can be the most terrifying step you'll ever have to take, but when we do, when we lay our souls out naked and bare for all to see, it forces us out of the shadows and into a place where life begins. It's where the light meets the dark, and it's where we want to be. Hope to meet you there."

- Tenth Avenue North (on their latest album)

The Common Sense Question Answer

2011-02-03T18:05:00.000-08:00

Now, the answer to the common sense question is *drum roll*...............................

To begin, the glass of water with ice cubes is relatively cold when placed on the table. As time passes on, the temperature of the glass is still cold, because the hunched together ice cubes are doing everything they possibly can to keep the glass from warming up. But, the ice cubes are working against the clock. As slowly and delicately as can be, the ice cubes begin to melt. This is a bad sign for the ice, because the ice will melt away as the temperature of the glass of ice water works its way toward room temperature.

Now, I know most of you answered the question correctly. It is a fairly simple question. But, how many of you knew that this was one of my calculus questions? Granted, it was from the first section in the book, and it probably draws the line closer to pre-cal than calculus. However, it goes to show that you are all smarter than you think. I have found out that this usually comes as a significant revelation to some people, so that is why I asked this question. Smartness is not about talent. Anyone can achieve straight A's, if they push themselves, discipline themselves. My encouragement is to push yourself in everything you do for the glory of God, because the reward will be great. It is not easy, but it will well be worth it in the end.

On another note, calculus, in the form of functions, is all around you. People, who say there is no use in calculus or mathematics to them, have no idea what they are talking about. You all set a glass of ice water on the table. Don't you? When you do that, you are experiencing the calculus involved as the ice begins to melt away within the glass. Calculus, in itself, is everywhere. :)

Introduction to Titus

2011-02-02T20:30:00.000-08:00

This is it. Ready, set, action....... the book of Titus is underway. Before I introduce the essential points of this book though, I will display for you all a simple posting plan I created solely for this book. I hope and I hope, with the intensity of my schedule, to post at least three times a week on this book. Maybe more. The maybe more is all speculation, but my thinking in this is that God deserves His due glory. How can I, Josh, magnify His name as the highest name of all? The answer is strictly simple, but requires much needed discipline. I can magnify God's name more by continuing to blog about Him more consistently. Consistency is the key. I am the type of guy, who posts on this blog sporadically. Granted, I have stepped up tremendously as of late, and the 30 day blog challenge has hopefully solved a piece of the inconsistency puzzle. However, my direct motivation for posting should come from God alone, because He alone is worthy of all praise, and I believe my motivation is coming from Him. Now, with all that said, we will begin Titus by establishing a solid foothold on the key components of this book.

Matthew Henry refers to Titus as a letter that is vastly similar to Paul's letters to Timothy. I gotta agree with that notion. First, Timothy and Titus were both Gentile converts under Paul, and secondly, Timothy and Titus were effective leaders as pastors. The latter portion is clearly evident within the book of Titus, which is a given in that Paul instructs Titus to effectively lead his flock by teaching them sound doctrine (Titus 2:1). Also, Paul explains to Titus why he left him alone in Crete (Titus 1:5). The purpose was for Titus to appoint elders in each district (church), so that the churches in Crete would establish themselves in the midst of an immoral city (Titus 1:12-13). This was rather significant, because the churches in Crete desperately needed qualified leaders (Titus 1:6-9), like Titus and Timothy, to step up like real men and shepherd churches as if their lives depended on it. To live within a city mucked up with countless tendencies toward sin, the Cretan Christians were in dire need of qualified, responsible elders in the church to lead them and hold them accountable when the going proved difficult. Because of this, Paul kept Titus in Crete to create order within the Cretan churches.

Most of all though, the major theme of this book is good works . Paul advocates Titus to teach these things with all authority, because Christ is purifying for himself within Crete a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works (Titus 2:14-15). These people, the Cretan congregates, that are held accountable by the elders appointed by Titus in Chapter 1 will help spur these people onward towards good works. To be capable of preaching the Gospel in the slums of the Cretan marketplace or to help someone out who is in massive trouble financially. This is the Christian call. Works does not save, but it is the ultimate calling of the Christian. As Paul says emphatically in Chapter 3 to sift out any salvation by works proponents, he dynamically tells Titus with all passion to remind the Cretan people that they are saved not because of works done by them, but according to God's own mercy by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5). This is definitely the focal point of the book.

And, to think that Paul has stressed works enough within the book, he emphasizes it twice more. In verse 8 of Chapter 3, Paul urges the Cretans to devote themselves to good works, since these things are profitable and excellent (Titus 3:8). He also mentions it in the closing as he stresses the theme even more to Titus in order to get his point across (Titus 3:14). So, with all due respect, the emphasis of good works in the book of Titus is lengthily drawn out, but so important for our lives today. This is most definitey an excellent way to begin a new month as we strive to become more and more like Christ. I believe this is going to be an elegant journey as we travel through this glorious book. May God be with us.

Sola Deo Gloria!!!!!!

Last Chance to Answer Question

2011-02-02T17:15:00.000-08:00

This is the last and final call to answer the common sense question. I will post the significance of the problem and the answer tomorrow. God bless you all. :)

February Song of the Month: Beautiful Lord

2011-02-01T17:02:00.000-08:00

I am going to begin a new journey on my blog. Each and every first of the month, I will post a song that has impacted me in some way or the other in the previous month. The first song to join the song of the month fold is Beautiful Lord, written by: Leeland and Marc Byrd. This song is absolutely majestic. Every time I listen to this song, I am completely amazed and astoundingly awed over God's majestic attributes. His attributes is what makes Him beautiful. His love, mercy, grace, holiness, awesomeness, majesty, sovereignty. Each one displays how beautiful He is. That is the essence of this song.

In these posts, I will post the lyrics of the song and a video of the song. The song will also be placed on my playlist at the bottom of this blog. So, enjoy Beautiful Lord and be astounded at the vast beauty of our Lord:

When the storm is raging all around me
You are the peace that calms
My troubled sea
And when the cares of this world
Darken my day
You are the light that shines
And shows me the way

Oh, the beauty of Your majesty
On the cross You showed Your love for me!

Beautiful Lord
Awesome and mighty
I'm captured by this love I see
Beautiful Lord
Tender and holy
Your mercy brings me to my knees
It's Your mercy that has made me free
Beautiful Lord

When my sin is all that I can see
Your grace remains the shelter that I seek
And when my weakness is all I can give
Your gentle Spirit gives me strength again
And oh, the beauty of Your majesty
On the cross You showed Your love for me

And I am lifted by Your love to sing!
It's Your mercy that has made me free!

You're beautiful, my Lord
You're beautiful, my Lord

Titus: Here We Come

2011-01-31T11:00:00.000-08:00

I had a change of heart. The consensus chimed in overwhelmingly in favor of the book of Titus over Philemon. So, I will save the book of Philemon for after Titus. Many factors played important roles, which made me choose Titus over Philemon. I received a book from my uncle with a commentary on Titus, I prayed and received specific direction to begin Titus, and your votes played an important role as well. Therefore, I will introduce the book of Titus on either Tuesday or Wednesday with a relatively simple posting plan. Also, I will be expositing the book, so expect me to finish the book by the end of this summer at the latest.

Sola Deo Gloria!!!!!

From Pristine Permanent Purity to Complete Convoluted Corruption In Order to Reconcile Us Pt. 2

2011-01-30T22:31:00.000-08:00

As I was marching my way through Part 1, it completely slipped my mind to mention that the context of the 2 Corinthians 5:21 passage is reconciliation. This is the process of God transferring to us through imputation His righteousness in exchange for our sin. To get a better picture of what I am trying to portray here, let's jump back a couple verses. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 says, "All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation." So, we see that God, through Christ, reconciled us to Himself. And in verse 19, it flips backwards by literally relaying the same information, but adding that God does not count their trespasses against them. He does not count their trespasses against them because they have been wholly saturated with the precious, life-giving blood of the Lamb that was slain. The ministry of reconciliation is the primary means of imputation, the essence of 2 Corinthians 5:21. Righteousness is what we are after in this post.

How does the process of reconciliation take place? It begins with righteousness and ends with it. First, God has to grant it. If he grants it, then the end result is inevitably whatever he chooses from that first preconception. In the case of reconciliation, God does not have to impute His righteousness on our behalf. However, in His radical mercy, God chose to impute His tremendously beautiful perfection on us, while He took full responsibility for every sin we have ever committed. He gave Himself. He sacrificed his perfect, blameless body by becoming intimate with our sin in order that we might receive his blameless righteousness. Since he granted, initiated, and accomplished this plan, the factor of us receiving the complete wholeness of His righteousness is inevitable. He horrifically bore our sin, and we delicately inherit His righteousness. That is why my former college pastor, Kevin, calls it the great switcharoo. It is the greatest, most significant trade ever developed in the history of mankind.

God, who by no means, has the right to interact with mankind period somehow takes on human flesh to interact with mankind. He not only interacts with us. He loves us. HE SEES OUR POTENTIAL WHEN WE THINK WE HAVE NONE. When all we can see is the guiltiness, the rottenness, and the shamefulness of our sin; He reveals to us the marred figure of His Son, and shows us that we are righteous, because of Christ's astounding sacrifice. Brothers and sisters, HE HAS IMPUTED HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ON US!!!! :) We are holy and blameless before His throne. We have been transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the realm of His beloved Son, because He has forgiven us all our trespasses (Colossians 1:13-14). He has reconciled us, redeemed us, revitalized us, forgiven us. We should be leaping for joy at this amazing prospect. He, who reconciled us, does not count our trespasses against us. As the Psalmist says in Psalm 103:12, we can fully rest assured that God will never bring our sins to the table again. They were crucified with Christ once and for all. Therefore, our sin does not take center stage. Instead, Christ's imputed righteousness, given to us, steals the spotlight. All because He chose to reconcile us.

Sola Deo Gloria!!!!!

Day #30: A Motto Or A Philosophy

2011-01-30T07:30:00.000-08:00

We have reached the end. Whew........ :). It has been an incredible journey through these past 30 days, and I would not have traded it for anything. Does it mean since I am at the end of this journey that I will stop posting? No, instead I am more apt to begin where I left off at completing this journey. It is all a matter of just doing it. Nike: "Just do it."

Day #29: Hopes, Dreams, and Plans I Have For the Next 365 Days

2011-01-29T18:00:00.000-08:00

My one and only primary hope, plan, and dream this year is to draw ever closer to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Without Him, I would not even be able to live my life to the fullest potential of what God has in store for me. He is everything I will ever need, want, hope, and yearn for. Thank you Lord for the gift of your Son.

Other plans this year include: continuing to grow into manhood that God has called me too; continuing to love my sisters, mom, grandmas, and aunts as I prepare for loving my future wife; and striving with all excellence in everything I do for the glory of God. :)

Modeling Modesty Pt. 2

2011-01-29T09:29:00.000-08:00

Part 2 is posted on May's blog. Click here. Also, May is hosting a Q and A session regarding modesty on her blog. If you have any questions regarding this topic or anything close to this topic, send her a question via any one of the appropriate destinations she has brought to the table. She will be gathering the questions, and I will be answering them. The deadline for sending these questions is February 2nd. So, hurry and get your questions in. :)

Day #28: A Scar I Have And Its Story

2011-01-28T00:58:00.000-08:00

I have many scars. Christ was scarred for each of my many scars. Thank God for that. The repercussions of these scars though continue to remind me of God's never ending grace and mercy. I would be nowhere without his grace and mercy on my life. His grace and mercy was clearly evident when I finally came to realize I was a sinner in desperate need of Him to save me. This happened at the beginning of my eighth grade year, the first year I was homeschooled. However, the previous year, my seventh grade year, was the worst year of my life. If you knew me, you would have wished you never knew me. I cussed continuously to no end at school, I used God's name as a curse word at school, I lied regularly at home and school, I lusted after the girls at school, I stole from the school, I was a complete wretch. Just thinking about it makes me want to cry. My own life was a horrible mess. If you saw me at my house, you would have thought I was normal. I was normal around my grandparents, my parents, my friends at Calvary Church, my relatives, etc. I was not a Christian. I thought I was, since I won all those memorization contests in Elementary church, but I was not a true believer. I had never repented of all my sins.

I share these awful memories, because they contributed deep scars. Scars I will never forget, but scars that are washed in the precious blood of the Lamb. These scars, specifically the scars in my seventh grade year, are definite tributes to God's grace. When I recall my own voice cursing His name, I see Him hanging helplessly on that cross paying for the specific sin I just committed, and it makes me want to weep tears of joy. My sin has been paid for. Full atonement can it be. Hallelujah, what a Savior. That is why I never put light significance on the cross. He was scarred for my scars. Thank you Lord!

Day #27: A Physical Feature I Love

2011-01-27T14:39:00.000-08:00

Eyes. Hands down by a pretty good margin. Smiles are definitely second on the list. But, you can tell a lot about a person through their eyes. That is why I love eyes. Eyes show when a person is sick, angry, dishonest, in love, tired, content, sad, etc. They are also, in my opinion, the most beautiful part of a person's face besides the smile. Of course, the smile tops the most beautiful part of a person's face big time, but the glimmer in a person's eye can't be defeated by any other physical feature. It is tough to beat. :)

Common Sense Question

2011-01-27T09:25:00.000-08:00

If you could please give me your best answer to this question, I would be much obliged. Here is the question:

You put some ice cubes in a glass, fill the glass with cold water, and then let the glass sit on a table. Describe how the temperature of the water changes as time passes.

This is a very significant question. I know it is random and I picked it straight out of the blue. However, I will explain the significance of this question after everyone has had a chance to answer it. :)

Modeling Modesty Pt. 1

2011-01-26T13:52:00.000-08:00

I have written a post on modesty. It is actually a series of posts. May gave me the opportunity to write these posts on modesty and the first one can be found over at her blog. The link is at Modeling Modesty Pt. 1.

Day #26: A Childhood Memory

2011-01-26T07:30:00.000-08:00

Oh man, I have many childhood memories. Many! But, I have to pick one *sigh*. Hey, maybe I will share two. Here goes....

I was about seven years old and we were living at our old house on Fern street. To describe the scene for you all, my neighbors; Nikki, Roy, and Jacob; lived in the next house on our right. Alex, Amanda, and Kendall lived next door on our left. These were the kids we used to play with constantly. Do you all remember when Pokemon was the phase for kids in the late 90s? We used to play the actual card game, play the video games, and indulge ourselves to no end with Pokemon. Looking back on it, it was not a good use of my time. I was also a huge baseball card collector. I had a magnificent amount of baseball cards ranging from Willie Mays to a Kevin Millwood rookie card. I would usually spend countless hours in my room reading off the stats each player contributed in his baseball career, and rate them. I had a massive compulsion for these things, which I now realize was a huge waste of time. However, this is beside the point of this specific memory.

Now, I was headed over to Roy and Jacob's house for something. There was a problem though. A gigantic rosebush stood between our houses. Now, I am a young, naive, inexperienced young child. At seven, I had no idea what a rosebush was. So without contemplating my footsteps, I ran directly through the rosebush. (ha) Now, I know you are all laughing, but it was a horrific experience for me as a child. Once I found myself on the other side of the rosebush, I was bleeding everywhere. I did not cry, which was a miracle in those days. I was actually rather shocked that I had a good portion of thorn piercings all over my body. Yeah, shocked! :) I learned after that difficult experience that rosebushes are not a plant you want to mess around with. Thankfully, I have saved myself more heartache by always walking around rosebushes since that very day. I will never forget that day. It will live in infamy until I die. :)

I will share the other memory some other time.

Handwritten Tag

2011-01-25T17:20:00.000-08:00

This was a pretty fascinating tag for the most part. I was tagged by May Amelia and here are the questions:

1. What is your name/your Blogger name?
2. What is your blog name/URL?
3. Write "The quick brown fox jump's over the lazy dog"
4. Favorite quote
5. Your favorite song
6. Your favorite bands/singers.
7. Anything else you want to say?
8. Tag 3-5 other people.

Hope you all can see it. I made it the biggest size for that purpose.

Sola Deo Gloria!!!!

Day #25: A Recipe

2011-01-25T07:30:00.000-08:00

We had this last night for dinner and it tasted awfully good. It is called a seven layered salad or 24 hour salad. You can change things up a bit with the recipe by exchanging the bacon for ham/turkey or the mayonnaise for dressing. Whatever floats your boat with this recipe, it is fairly flexible for the most part. Enjoy!

Ingredients

6 cups chopped lettuce
salt and pepper
6 hard-cooked eggs, sliced
2 cups frozen peas, thawed
8 to 16 ounces bacon, crisp-cooked, drained, and crumbled
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mild Cheddar cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
1 to 2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup sliced green onion with tops
paprika

Preparation:

Place 3 cups of the lettuce in bottom of large bowl; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Layer egg slices over lettuce in bowl and sprinkle with more salt and pepper. Continue to layer vegetables in this order: peas, remaining lettuce, crumbled bacon, and shredded cheese, along with light sprinklings of salt and pepper. Combine mayonnaise and sugar; spread over top, spreading to edge of bowl to cover entire salad. Cover and chill 24 hours or overnight. Garnish with green onion and a little paprika. Toss before serving.
This salad serves 12 to 15.

Day #24: A Movie No One Would Expect You to Love

2011-01-24T16:41:00.000-08:00

Of course, no one would expect a guy to love the lovey-dovey, kissing type romantic movies. As a matter of fact, though, I have watched quite a few of those in my lifetime, since I have a sister, who is absolutely enthralled with those movies. That is not to say I am completely thrilled to watch them. However, I don't think anyone would expect a guy like me to be nearly drop down thrilled to watch the Love Comes Softly series. I am not overly goo-goo, gaa-gaa over it, but let's say the series is not that bad compared to other romantic type movies. The structure and storyline of each movie makes it worth watching. It is also Christian based, so that helps tremendously. Therefore, the Love Comes Softly series is an excellent tribute to Christ and I can say, in a small whisper, that I like the series. Not love it, like it. :)

From Pristine Permanent Purity to Complete Convoluted Corruption In Order to Reconcile Us Pt. 1

2011-01-23T22:03:00.000-08:00

Like the long title. It will fit in rather well as these two posts begin to unfold before your very eyes. The passage is 2 Corinthians 5:21 and we will look at our Lord through the lenses of this specific verse. This verse is one of those verses that has meant a lot to me personally in my Christian walk, because it signifies the vast measure of how far Christ was willing to tolerate the monstrosity of my sin in order to redeem me. He tolerated all my sin. The one who knew no sin became sin for me that I might become the righteousness of God in Him, that you might become the righteousness of God in Him. The cruddy, disgusting, repugnant, vicious sin that characterizes our lives was ultimately the one crux that almost completely separated ourselves from God forever. Thank God for redemption and reconciliation, which is found only in the Lamb of God that was slain. Let's unearth the majestic realm of this verse.

2 Corinthians 5:21 says, "For our sake he made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." This verse sounds sort of like a tongue twister---- a twister that unravels the verse conversely and theologically. We are in a strange predicament. Adam and Eve eat the forbidden fruit like it was meant for them. Sin enters into the world and the clock begins to tick. The clock that would eventually sound in the Messiah from His relatively comfortable setting in Heaven. This Messiah, also known as Jesus Christ, knew God inside and out, because He is God. He was with God in the beginning (John 1:2). He is the very essence of God Himself. He knew no sin, He had no part in sin, He never reveled in the very streams of sin, He never ever ever indulged in sin. He is 100% holy, 100% pure, 100% just, 100% merciful, 100% gracious, 100% righteous, 100% sufficient, 100% sovereign, 100% love, 100% peaceful, 100% perfect. He is the High King of all, the Creator of the whole universe. Nothing is able to terminate His will or decrees ever. But..........

He stripped Himself of His divinity to become like man. He was born in a relatively cold and dreary cave to two parents He created. He walked this earth beloved by few, but hated by many. He taught mankind the intricacies of love through service. He was tempted with constant abandon by the serpent who beguiled the likes of the first Adam. He drearily experienced every human emotion known to man. He faced the fearsome onslaught of trials and tribulations. He earnestly prayed that the cup of torment, the fearsome cup of an eternal hell would be stripped from him. But, it was not meant to be.

"FATHER, ABBA, PLEASE REMOVE THIS CUP FROM ME." Silence. "PLEASE, THERE MUST BE AN ALTERNATIVE." Silence. Through all the pain, agony, and toil of that night, the Father was silent through every one of His Son's desperate pleas. He would end up being entirely corrupted with our sin, He would become the very essence of sin itself, He would literally become sin. The Father's plan was in full force and not even His own Son could demand its stoppage. Hell was waiting in the near distance. The full fury of our sin was encroaching the brim of the cup of staggering (Isaiah 51:17). The fate of mankind rests on His very shoulders. Will He persevere?

We are drunkards. Drunk in the revelry of our own sin. And, what did Christ do? Christ drunk the revelry of our sin. He knew no sin. He had nothing to do with sin before this. As he is hanging suspended on a wicked, cruel device known as a cross, He becomes the very substance of sin itself. The complete convoluted corruption of our sin---- every thought, word, and deed------- engulfed him. Before our sin demolished Him, He lived in absolute pristine perfection. And, now this...... Ladies and gentlemen, abstain from every form of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22), because OUR SAVIOR WAS SLAPPED IN THE FACE WITH OUR SIN. He was literally pummeled with our sin. Think twice before you look at pornography, think twice before you slander your friend, think twice before you dishonor your mother, think twice before you cheat on a test. I am pleading with you. Stare at the dying, disfigured, marred appearance of our Lord and shun away from sin. He miraculously laid down his life willingly in a horrific manner, so that we would be amazed at the cost it took to bring us home to His loving arms safely.

Sola Deo Gloria!!!!!!

Powered By Reftagger

2011-01-23T15:49:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Dakota, my blog is now powered by Reftagger. The greatness of this tool is this: if you hover over a Scripture reference I write down, the verse pops up in a bubble above the text. For example, try hovering the mouse over Philippians 3:7. The verse shows up with perfect efficiency. I do not have to write the full verse down anymore. It saves a lot of typing and time. However, I still may write the verse(s) down in order to display exactly what I am trying to convey in the posts I write. But, the introduction of Reftagger is a significant blog tool. Thanks Dakota. :)

Day #23: A Way In Which I Want to Be Remembered

2011-01-23T14:42:00.000-08:00

When I die, I want people to remember me as a man who.....

devoted himself fully to God's Word.
served others with constant abandon no matter the cost.
stood solely (alone if need be) for truth that is found in Christ alone.
sought the Gospel as my one and only theme.
finished the race of life strong.
loved his wife as Christ loved the church.
died to self constantly.
never gave up in the midst of constant temptation and reckless persecution.
was an incessant prayer warrior on the behalf of many.
worshiped Christ alone with his all.
strove to accomplish all for the glory of God.
studied the Word of God inside and out.
devoted himself exclusively to Christ and His Church.
sought Christ alone and His Gospel as the only treasure in life.
loved the Lord, his God, with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength.

I want to be remembered for nothing else, but the statements mentioned above. Christ is my all, and I would want nothing else than to please him with my whole life until I breathe my last breath. May God be glorified in me.

Sola Deo Gloria!!!!

Day #22: A Website

2011-01-22T19:53:00.000-08:00

This website has been very helpful to me in regards to searching for the actual biblical meaning of some Greek or Hebrew word. It is called Blue Letter Bible. You can not only use Blue Letter Bible for finding the meanings to Greek or Hebrew words. It is not solely used for that purpose. You can find certain commentaries written by Spurgeon, Calvin, Luther, Henry, etc. on that website; you can find devotionals; you can find study tools, maps, and free web tools; and you can search Strong's concordance. The value of this website is absolutely limitless. I love it! :)

Day #21: Something I Know I Do Differently Than Most People

2011-01-21T22:33:00.000-08:00

Bear with me in my thought process here. The world consists of many unbelievers and I am not an unbeliever. I believe that Jesus Christ is my only Lord and Savior, the one who bore all my shame, guilt, and suffering on a cross to save me. If I am a believer in Christ and the world contains a majority of unbelievers, then through logical conclusive reasoning I can conclude that I effectively do something different than most people through Christ.

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans 12:2)

I am effectively not conforming any longer to the pattern of this world and I am beginning to be transformed by the renewing of my mind. That is what I am doing differently than most people.

Day #20: A Hobby of Mine

2011-01-20T17:59:00.000-08:00

Blogging is my hobby. It has literally become my hobby in the past month, since I have been posting nearly everyday. The blog challenge has had a lot to do with that. However, I am still planning on posting as often as I can once the the blog challenge is in the past. So, stay tuned......

Day #19: A Talent of Mine

2011-01-19T22:11:00.000-08:00

Running......... No questions asked. I run fairly fast for a college guy my age. :)

Day #18: A Time When I Felt Passionate and Alive

2011-01-18T22:46:00.000-08:00

The time when I felt most passionate and alive is when my sister and I were reciting a slew of verses in front of our church. These verses included Isaiah 52:13,14; Matthew 27:27-31; Isaiah 53:1-6; and Matthew 27:45-54. When you are gripped by the Word of God especially consisting of Christ and His cross, the all-glorious Gospel, nothing is going to stop you. That is what happened to Rachel and I. I cannot say for sure that it happened to her (I take that back. It was very evident in her :), but as I was reciting those verses, God's all-consuming joy and passion was clearly evident in me at that moment. I nearly broke out into tears one time during the recitation in front of the whole church. Amazingly, I somehow kept my composure, because God was filling up my heart with unspeakable and incomprehensible joy. I cannot even begin to explain what happened on that day, but I do know one thing and one thing only........ Jesus Christ died for me and I will passionately scream, if I have too, to pronounce, proclaim His truth to all people--- the astounding and significant truths of the Gospel.

Sola Deo Gloria!!!!!

Day #17: An Art Piece

2011-01-17T18:18:00.000-08:00

I am really not much of an art person, but two art pieces definitely strike my fancy. One of them is the Last Supper by: Leonardo DaVinci ,and the other is Number One by: Jackson Pollock. The latter is more of a random art piece, but it looks rather cool from my perspective. For the Last Supper, I have no comment, because it is one of the greatest pieces of art ever created. So without further ado, here are the pics of my two favorite art pieces:

Last Supper

Number One

Day #16: A Song(s) that Makes Me Cry

2011-01-16T21:36:00.000-08:00

Guys cry. It is the truth. I don't cry often, but when I do it is probably because I am touched by how much God loves me. How much he loves me through his Son! The Cross of Christ is one truth that I do not take lightly. He gave up his life to save me, to save me a wretched, vile sinner. I was running a race led by the devil. I was hell bound. But, instead of leaving me as a hell bound sinner, He lavishly poured out His never ending love on me by giving me the greatest gift I could ever even fathom. He gave me His Son. He gave you His Son. He gave us His Son by brutally destroying Him in order that He may free us from our slavery to sin and give us life everlasting. There is no one who is more worthy, no one who is more lovely, no one who is more beautiful, no one who is more magnificent, no one who is more gracious, no one who is more kind than our God. So, what songs make me cry?

1. Worthy is the Lamb (Hillsong)

2. This Fathomless Love (Sovereign Grace Music)

3. Jesus Thank You (Sovereign Grace Music)

4. The Power of the Cross (Keith/Kristyn Getty and Stuart Townend)

Day #15: A Person I Admire

2011-01-15T23:17:00.000-08:00

The one person I admire the most would have to be my dad..... He is a hard working leader.

He leads by example.
He can literally fix anything.
He is a God fearing man.
He treats Mom with utmost respect and devotion.
He treats his children lovingly.
He disciplines his children when called upon.
He is a master at working with rubber.
He enjoys life to the fullest.
He teaches us Biblical truth.
He has taught me many things.
He has an amazing sense of humor.
He is a great father.
He is my dad and I am so thankful for him.
Love you Dad.

Day #14: A Vacation I Would Like To Take

2011-01-14T21:54:00.000-08:00

I would love to take a vacation to Israel. To be able to trek across a country that was tread upon by the Son of God, Jesus Christ himself would be an amazing experience. The capability of seeing and hearing those sights and sounds..... to imagine Jesus talking to his disciples during the Last Supper and being able to see the Upper Room where that moment happened 2000 years ago. All I can say is that it would be astounding to visit that place!

Day #13: A Guilty Pleasure

2011-01-13T23:22:00.000-08:00

My guilty pleasure would have to be ice cream. Mint chocolate chip ice cream to be exact. I love ice cream. If ice cream was my bride, I would marry it. The sweet chocolatey taste and mint combined into one flavor dynamically creates a beautiful collision. Hmmm.... Hmmmmm..... Yum, so good. :)

A College Aged Guy Singing O Praise Him In the Streets of Downtown NYC

2011-01-12T23:59:00.000-08:00

I saw this video and was greatly amazed at the strength of this young man. Who would worship God in the city streets of NYC? Blaring his name and worshiping his name in the hostile confines of the city that never sleeps. The video speaks for itself as the man sings David Crowder's one and only, O Praise Him on the streets.

Day #12: A Song I Want Played At My Wedding

2011-01-12T21:24:00.000-08:00

I thought the bride plans the wedding. Of course, the groom agrees on certain factors, but the bride plays the primary role in planning the wedding with her mother. In that case, the groom is out of luck, right. However, if I was given the opportunity to choose a song for my bride's happiest day, it would be Beloved. Beloved, written and played by Tenth Avenue North, is a song about God's children being the bridegrooms Beloved, but the song has interesting twist to it. It contains many wedding vow overtones in it that it would fit in wonderfully as a wedding song. As we (my future bride and I) repeat our vows to each other, we will be repeating them as one in Christ. We commit to Christ as we commit ourselves to each other. Christ is my Beloved and vice versa, and the same goes for the husband and wife. She is my beloved and he is mine.

Day #11: A Photo(s) of Me Taken Recently

2011-01-12T07:15:00.000-08:00

Yes, it is the morning here on the twelfth day of January. I had jury duty yesterday, and my family had our relatives over from Florida when I was done with my day at jury duty. Thus, the reasons why I did not post yesterday. So anywho, here is the expected post and pics from yesterday early in the morning.


Christmas Photo 2010 - My Sister Rachel and I (sorry it's sideways)


This pic is upright for some reason. :)

This one is too. :)

The four kids - Back (Lto R) - Me, Rachel. Front (L to R) - Abbey (1 year), Elizabeth (3 years)

Expect Day 12 later in the day sometime.

Day #10: A Photo(s) of Me Taken Over Ten Years Ago

2011-01-10T23:54:00.000-08:00

I know. You probably have all thought I would renege on the 30 day blog challenge after 9 days. Sorry, it is still January 10th on the west coast by 37 minutes, and I am still posting. Now, this is going to be a rather interesting post. I will reveal a photo or photos of myself that was taken over ten years ago. I know you are all dying to see my cute photos when I was a wee 10 year old, so I will stop writing. Enjoy! :)

Yours Truly with an Award

My sister Rachel, me, and Mom

My sister Rachel and I

Sorry, the pictures may be a bit small, because Rachel scanned them straight off the presses from our family photo album. Anyways, there am I. (hee hee).

Repost: The Astounding and Complex Design of Numbers

2011-01-09T21:35:00.000-08:00

I wrote this post nearly a year and a half ago about numbers. This post displays the amazing complexity of how God created numbers for the purpose of showing us how magnificently astounding and awesome He is. Most of you probably think numbers are absolutely boring. Think again, because wait and see what God puts on display for you in this repost.

The Astounding and Complex Design of Numbers
As written by Joshua on September 23, 2009

I bet you all are wondering what I am going to write about with this kind of title. As few of you know, I love mathematics. Oh boy, here he goes. He is going to talk about numbers. Yada, yada, yada. I can already hear what you all are thinking. Before you close your minds to the rest of this post, could I please ask of you to hear what I have to say about this topic? First, this post is directed toward the Creator of all numbers. He deserves all the praise, glory, and honor for everything. Second, God laid it on my heart today when I was about to go to school to write a post on this subject; and then, not long after that, He confirmed it with what my Pre-cal teacher taught in class today. Third, and finally, this post will not bore you. My main purpose for writing this post is to show everyone that NUMBERS WERE CREATED BY GOD, and not by a random chance faith based process such as evolution.

I wonder what evolutionists would say if they were asked, "How did numbers evolve." Did every answer to every problem just come out of the big bang with the organization and complexity that goes along with mathematics. Every theorem and every factual piece of mathematical evidence builds on each other. The tower of mathematics contains every theorem, every calculus derivative, every algebraic equation, every integer, and everything about mathematics; and they all line up in perfect harmony with each other. God is AWESOME. That is just the beginning folks. Hold on.

O.K., now that I have finished the introduction, we will move into what I call, the omniscience of God Almighty. Numbers, numbers, numbers; where do we begin? Well, the beginning point of all numbers are the whole numbers or the counting numbers--- 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6..... all the way to infinity. Yes, I said infinity. Is there a stopping point to the number system? No. It continues on and on and on and on. I would get very tired if I counted to infinity, but God created the number infinity to symbolize eternity. Eternity will continue on forever, while the infinite number system will continue without concluding at any point. That is an astounding fact. Oh wait, there is more.

After the whole numbers, we delve into the exciting factories of the integer system. The integer system is anything smaller than zero ---- -1, -2, -3, and so on, until we come to my most favorite number, negative infinity. Why is negative infinity my favorite number? It is smaller than anything else on the planet. The equation of the faintest sound can't compare to negative infinity, the radius of the smallest cell can't compare to negative infinity, the size of a pinprick cannot even compare to the greatness of God; which is found in the number negative infinity. The same can be said with positive infinity, but I am always astounded by the greatness of God with extremely small items or numbers. It is truly fascinating and overwhelming to think of the greatness of God; because He is so magnificent. Thank you Lord for creating numbers for your glory and honor.

With the conclusion of the realm of the integer system, (I forgot to say that the integer system also includes whole numbers, but I wanted to proclaim my enjoyment of negative integers with talking about the negative aspect of integers rather than the positive aspect of integers for writing purposes =D.), we will glimpse into the sphere of rational numbers. I said glimpse because rational numbers don't create much excitement. Why? Rational numbers contain your basic everyday fractions and rational square roots; and rational numbers don't play a role in this post at all except for it's mere mention. But, there is a sphere of numbers that reaches beyond the realm of rational numbers, though, and that is the distinctive array of irrational numbers.

Irrational numbers come in many different shapes and forms, but they are usually displayed as non-terminating, non-repeating decimals that continue infinitely long. The incredible factor of an irrational number continuing infinitely long is the fact that there is no possible exact value (in human terms) that can be given to an irrational number. God only knows the exact value. The non-terminating decimal of pi is a great example of that. The value given for pi is usually 3.14. Calculators can only complete some of the never ending decimal, but not all of it. Only God can, which makes the arena of numbers so interesting, because it creates practical applications for our lives. God knows the answers to everything, so why don't we trust Him? Why don't we take up our cross daily and follow Him? Why don't we seek His will for our lives? His good, pleasing, and perfect will for our lives (Romans 12:2). It is definitely something to think about.

The arena of irrational numbers does not end there. I am almost finished. Hang in there. Did you know that there are an infinite number of values between 1 and 2? Yes. Irrational numbers and rational numbers completely fill the gap between 1 and 2 or any other two close numbers. You could choose a value like the square root of 3, which is between 1 and 2; or you could choose 1.000000000098, which is also between 1 and 2. An infinite number of values can be placed between the two numbers one and two. Amazing. Only God can do that.

After the irrational numbers, we dig into the realm of complex numbers. Complex numbers, which include the imaginary parts and numbers, are in a completely different sphere than any of the other numbers we have talked about. They include negative rational equations, in the form of i, with the 4 parts of i; which are -1, 1, i, and -i. Complex numbers are incredible, because they can even transform to real numbers, which is a miracle, considering everything else we have delved into. Is that all? No, there is one more array of numbers that was created by the hand of God. You will only learn about these numbers, if you go beyond Calculus, but these numbers are called transcendental numbers. These numbers are beyond the recesses of the real number system, and the fingerprints of God are stamped all over this number system; because He alone is transcendent. I have one last question.

Is God amazing or what?

Day #9: A Photo(s) I Took

2011-01-09T12:48:00.000-08:00

The beauty about living in California is you are close to the ocean, you are close to the snowy mountains in the winter (the level land of California itself, where my family resides, does not contain snow at any time of the year), you are close to the big city, and you are close to the desert. Sunsets array the skies often. When it rains hard in the wintertime like it has the past few weeks, the mountains pile up with snow, and we experience breathtaking views of those gorgeous mountains. It is completely wonderful here. The weather can't be beat, the Pacific Ocean is incredible, the brilliant starlit skies in the desert is mind-boggling. I cannot imagine living anywhere else, but California. However, I have only visited three other states, so I can't draw any conclusions based on California being the best state (in terms of beauty) in the US. But, I believe California is, at least, in the Top 10. Here are three photos I took:

Day #8: A Thank You Letter to Someone Who Has Changed Your Life

2011-01-08T18:26:00.000-08:00

Dear Lord,
Thank you so much for salvation. Words cannot begin to express how thankful I am for You reaching out to me when I was hopelessly lost, for showing me that your Son is the only way for me to ever experience complete joy and happiness. Lord, you paid a horrific cost to bring your children home. I can't begin to even imagine or fathom what it cost you, but I am incredibly thankful. I love you and my life is yours. Use me in anyway you must as I set my eyes toward the final goal like your Son set his eyes toward Jerusalem without looking back. Give me the strength, the same strength that sustained your Son through His deepest affliction in the Garden, to run with perseverance through all the struggles that will inevitably afflict me. YOU ARE MY ONLY LORD AND GOD. Thank you for your Son, thank you for your Love, thank you for your Grace, thank you for your Compassion, thank you for your Jealousy, thank you..... thank you..... thank you..... My words are completely inadequate, but I know you understand me. I love you and praise you. May you retain all the glory, my Lord.

Your Beloved Undeserving Child,
Joshua M.S.

Day #7: Five Things I Could Not Live Without

2011-01-07T18:15:00.000-08:00

Starting from least to greatest, here we go:

#5 - Mathematics

Where would we be without mathematics? Probably an unindustrialized society. I love it, which means living without it would make me want to drive a spear through my heart. :)

#4 - Books

Without books, I would cease to learn. And without learning, I would drive myself crazy. And in driving myself crazy, I would cease to live.

#3 - Water

This is obvious, but very true. Drinking water is my life vitality. End of story.

#2 - My Mac

I would seriously become destitute without it. You have the internet, I-tunes, written school notes, written school papers, etc. all at your fingertips. Very useful machine.

#1 - Jesus Christ

Without the Life itself, we are in bad shape. The Life (Jesus, John 14:6) came to give us life. I could not live if it was not for Him.

Sola Deo Gloria!!!!

An Adeptly Patient Neurosurgeon

2011-01-06T22:34:00.000-08:00

Have any of you ever played the game of labyrinth before? If you have, you understand the intricacies of the game. The object is to guide a silver ball through a maze consisting of many holes to the finish line. If the ball falls into one of the holes, you lose and start the game all over again. Pretty easy, huh. Try doing it in about 24 seconds.

You think that was neat. Wait, until you see this one. A neurosurgeon, who played the one ball game of labyrinth in the video above, is challenging himself with a two ball game of labyrinth. A two ball game of labyrinth is near impossible by many circumstances, but watch and see how he patiently guides the two balls to the finish line in about two and a half minutes. It is a supreme display of intellect and sheer patience.

I trust him to operate on my brain. :)

Day #6: A Moment I Wish I Could Relive

2011-01-06T18:05:00.000-08:00

I have to stick with one moment, not multiple moments. We will be here for a long time if I wrote all those moments, so it is probably best that I choose one moment. What is that moment? Let's flashback to my life a year ago as a freshman in college. I had the opportunity to spend time with Sean, my friend who died a month ago, about once a week to pray with him. God opened the door wide open. I began biking over to his house for the first few weeks. During those times, I would play video games with him, study the Bible with him, and I would pray for him. But, it only lasted a few weeks. My schedule started piling up with schoolwork, homework, and working. However, I did not return back to his home to pray with him. I saw him only a few more times after that at our college group meetings, and that was the end of it. He died a month ago, and I regret not taking a few minutes out of my day a week to travel over to his house and pray with him. If there was one major moment in my life that God gave me the opportunity to relive, it would definitely be spending more quality time with Sean when I was wrapped up in college life. It still is not an excuse though. I missed an opportunity to glorify God, and that is final. I wish I could relive this moment of my life again.

Would You Deny Christ if.........?

2011-01-05T20:23:00.000-08:00

Would you deny Christ if.....................

someone slowly and stealthily stalked you and pulled out a knife. With that knife, he slipped it under your throat, and asked, "Do you believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord? If you do, I will cut your throat."

What would you do?

Remember our brothers and sisters, who are being persecuted throughout the world, and pray for them.

Day #5: A Favorite Quote (All Time Fav.)

2011-01-05T18:41:00.000-08:00

"My memory is nearly gone; but I remember two things; That I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Saviour."

- John Newton

"As many were astonished at you---- His appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind....." (Isaiah 52:14)

That picture does not even begin to express the magnitude of Christ's sufferings as seen in verse 14 of Isaiah 52. Stare at that picture and ponder deeply the heinousness of our sin in light of the cross. Take a moment to remember what Christ did for you and magnify the torture of the above picture by an infinite number of times (not just physically; emotionally and spiritually as well). Then, make a mental notion to review this one great Truth throughout this day, and each and every day. Love Him, Adore Him, Worship Him, Exalt Him, Extol Him, Magnify Him, Glory in Him Alone. He is Worthy!!!!!

I will finish with this verse. Revelation 5:6 says, "And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, looking as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth."

Day #4: A Favorite Television Show

2011-01-04T21:16:00.000-08:00

I rarely watch television. The only time I ever watch mass television is when I am at my grandparents house. And, when I am over at my grandparents house, I usually watch sports not television shows. As a matter of fact, I am watching the Sugar Bowl at my grandparents house as I write this post. Go figure.

Well, then, what is my favorite television program? My favorite television program is an oldie. The premiere of the show began in the late 1950s and it continued on until the mid 1960s. The name of the show is Leave it to Beaver. LIB stars Beaver Cleaver along with his older brother Wally. His parents June and Ward round out the family. The reason why I like this show a lot is because it contains the old class humor that is missing in television shows nowadays---- clean, sensible humor. Not the crude, sexual innuendo that seems to pervert most television shows created during this era of HD television It is just pure, beautiful television, Leave it to Beaver. I have added a short youtube clip of this great show. Enjoy!

Living Radically For Christ Pt. 6

2011-01-03T19:28:00.000-08:00

How does God set our lives on fire for His glory? How can we become action oriented in response to God's call on our lives? How is this even possible? God's calling on our lives should reflect some direct action on our part, and we will finally begin to notice what it takes for God to set our hearts on fire for him. Luke 14:33 will lead us to the answer. It says this, "So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple." After reading this, each one of you are probably rolling your eyes at me and beginning to get teary eyed. Oh yeah, Josh is going to tell us that we need to sell ALL our possessions, and give all we have to the poor. We are going to be stripped down to the poverty level (Waaaaa, *crying like a baby*). As a matter of fact, before you tune out, I have not said anything yet. So, hold onto your horses and pay attention, because this ride is going to be rather painful.

Now, before we begin looking at a parallel passage, I need to ask a question. What is our direct motivation underlying our potential choices and actions. Is it to glorify God? Is it to be noticed by others, so others would praise you? Is it to withhold your weekly Sunday offerings from God in order to buy a new car? Is it to play video games when your parents told you not to play because you had to finish your homework? What is it? What is your treasure at the moment? What is your urging desire at the moment that you so desperately want to fill?

What does the well-known story of the rich young ruler tell us about this? Let's find out as we begin in Luke 18:18, "And a ruler asked him, 'Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?' And Jesus said to him, 'Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.' And he said, 'All these I have kept from my youth.' When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.' But when he heard these things he became very sad for he was extremely rich."

What is the point of this passage? What was his treasure? His treasure was material wealth and possessions, right. Jesus, knowing the rich young ruler's heart, penetrated down to the deep recesses of his heart in order that Jesus would be the sole housekeeper of the rich young ruler's heart. Let's look at another passage emphasizing this same topic. Luke 12:32-34 says, "Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

If your treasure is money, the state of your heart will be money laden. If your treasure is attention, your heart will not be satisfied until someone or something gave you your much-needed attention. If your treasure is Christ, your heart will be satisfied in Him alone. Whatever it may be, the ultimate treasure of your heart shows exactly where your passions and desires lie. It is that simple. In the rich young ruler's case, he consistently set his heart on gaining possessions by the multitude. He was literally obsessed with building his material wealth. Because of this, Jesus knew what it would take to gain full, complete access into his heart. The only way was to make him sell all his possessions and give to the poor. His heart desired material wealth, and Jesus' desire was to tear that stronghold down in his life. So, Christ could attain total access of his heart and change him from the inside out. To literally consume every bit of his heart that their would be no room or desire for anything else, but Christ. That is what Christ wanted for him.

Jesus also wants to be the sole master housekeeper of your heart. He does not want to play second fiddle to any other prized treasure you may have. He wants all of you, he wants your whole heart, he wants to consume your heart with Himself, he wants Him to be your ultimate desire. So, when Jesus says anyone of you who does not renounce all he has cannot be my disciple, he means that if you do not renounce every treasure within your heart that stands in the gap between you having all of Him, you cannot be his disciple. Christ does not want a lukewarm follower. He either wants all of you or none of you. Somewhere in between will not cut it. You are either for him or against him. Not, I sometimes go to church, and I love God some of the time. Why not all the time? He gave His life, his all for you. If Christ did not give His all for us, I can understand loving him some of the time (even then I would still give my all to Him, but that is beside the point). But, NO!!! HE SACRIFICED HIS WHOLE BODY TO SAVE YOU A SINNER. HE GAVE HIS ALL FOR YOU, a guilty, depraved, vile sinner you are. And, not only that, He imputed His perfect righteousness to you, so that you can be adopted into His family. What is this kind of Giver? A giver of such a kind, who gives all and expects something in return. No, not even close. He is a Giver, who gives all and commands of us to do a few things not on our own strength, but through His strength alone (Phil. 4:13).

This Giver demands your whole heart. He demands the entirety of your heart, so He could set you own fire. So, the world would not see your strength, but God's strength working through you. When they (the world) ultimately see God's strength working through a transformed life, they will want to know who this God is. They will want to have the same passion, yearning, and desire for God. God wants to set your heart on fire, so He could set other hearts on fire. When hearts are constantly being fired up all around a country, a chain reaction starts and a revival begins to surface, a country begins to change for the glory of God. When we live radically in the worldly sense and normally in the biblical sense, God sets our hearts on fire to further His kingdom. His purposes and His plans become our own. Give Him your whole heart and seek Him as your only treasure. As Sanctus Real says in one of their songs, "I am a treasure in the arms of Christ." We are a treasure in His arms, but is He our treasure.

Sola Deo Gloria!!!!

Day #3: A Favorite Book

2011-01-03T12:30:00.000-08:00

This one is a no brainer as well. What is the song we used to sing in kids church? The B-I-B-L-E. Yes, that's the book for me. I stand alone on the Word of God. The B-I-B-L-E........... BIBLE!!!!!! Seriously, the Bible stands alone as the greatest book ever written (far above any book man could ever pen). The author is God Himself, and He teaches us everything we need to know about how to live life in this book. It is the best counseling manual, the greatest history book, the most scientific science book, and it is a premier theological masterpiece. It begins as a science book would begin, the creation of the universe. "In the beginning, God created the heavens and earth." This creation leads up to the ultimate drama scene ever, when Adam and Eve are seduced by the serpent. Next, the historical end begins to unfold as God promises Israel a redeemer, one who will save His people from their sins. By the time we switch Testaments and God's ultimate plan is about to unfold, hundreds of years pass by as kings come and go, prophets are sent and restrained, and the people of Israel love God and serve other gods.

Then, as unexpectedly as can be, the Savior of the world is born in a lowly manger's crib in a relatively cool cave. "God with us" Immanuel has come down from heaven. This baby grows into a remarkable man completely and wholly filled with the Holy Spirit. He begins his ministry talking and eating with sinners showing them the way to eternal life. Showing compassion, love, and jealousy everywhere he journeyed too. Then, he submitted to His Father's will as He died a terrible death in order to save guilty sinners from God's righteous holy anger. Once dead, he did not remain dead as God the Father raised Him from the dead in order to show His power over death. The NT continues on with the likes of Christ's disciples as they go out unto all the world and preach the one Truth that truly captivated them. In John's vision on the book of Revelation, God tells him what is to come in the future. The future eternal reign of Christ and the future eternal judgment of the devil and his angels. Christ is coming back rather soon. Surely I am coming soon. Come, Lord Jesus. Amen. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. Definitely, most definitely, without question, the greatest book ever to reach the hands of mankind. Thank you Lord!

Three Spiritual Aspirations For 2011

2011-01-02T15:56:00.000-08:00

I have compiled three spiritual aspirations that I resolve to do this year. The first spiritual aspiration is to preach the Gospel daily to myself. C.J. Mahaney is the main proponent behind this aspiration. He writes in his book Living the Cross Centered Life, "Reminding ourselves of the Gospel is the most important daily habit we can establish. If the Gospel is the most vital news in the world, and if salvation by grace is the defining truth of our existence, we should create ways to immerse ourselves in these truths every day. No days off allowed." (1) So true. Jesus gave up his life for us. The most defining moment in all of history is the Cross of Christ, and I want my life to be centered around this one vital truth. In this coming year, I choose and purpose in my heart everyday to be refreshed, renewed, and revitalized by the glorious Gospel of my Lord Jesus Christ. To preach to myself with such fervor that I would remain immersed in His love throughout the day, to reflect on the horrific suffering that my sin caused him, to revitalize myself in order to make known to all the world His astounding love, grace, and mercy. That Christ would be all my theme, honor, and praise forevermore.

The second aspiration is I want to study the Gospel like I never have before. C.J. Mahaney points this out in his book, "Never be content with your current grasp of the Gospel. The Gospel is life-permeating, world-altering, universe-changing truth. It has more facets than any diamond. We will never exhaust its depths." (2) I like that. We will never exhaust the depths of the Gospel. God is so infinite that my second spiritual aspiration is to never be content with my current grasp of the Gospel. I want to continue seeking, searching, digging, delving, climbing, striving, enduring in understanding the Gospel, so that God may be glorified and that I may have the ultimate opportunity of seeking this prized jewel. The Gospel is more beautiful than any prized possession. A prized possession will give me joy for a short time, but the Gospel will give me joy for eternity. I want to be known as a man, who digs and seeks after those unchartered territories that represent the Gospel of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Finally, my third spiritual aspiration, this year, is to become more of a prayer warrior. I do not pray as often as I should, and when I do pray, it is often perceived in my sense that he is not hearing me. I ask him for things relating to my spiritual well-being. And, when they do not come to fruition in time, I tend to get discouraged. Really, any Christian would tell you this, it is difficult to wait on the Lord. I am that type of person, who does not like to wait. I do not like waiting in lines, I do not enjoy waiting for my turn when playing a game, and I even do not enjoy waiting to get married either. If God could just show me the woman, who is to be the love of my life, I would marry her right now. Let's decorate the house and get the show on the road. As you can see, I desperately need to learn patience as I wait on the Lord. So namely, my third aspiration is to learn patience as I pray knowing that God, in his due time, will answer my prayers in accordance with His good, pleasing, and perfect will. Thanks for hearing me out.

What are your spiritual aspirations this year?

1 - Living the Cross Centered Life, written by CJ Mahaney, pg. 132.
2- Living the Cross Centered Life, written by CJ Mahaney, pg. 142

Day #2: A Favorite Movie

2011-01-02T13:43:00.000-08:00

This one is easy. I think I have mentioned this before in a couple past posts, but my all time favorite movie series comes from an epic masterpiece of books written by J.R.R Tolkien. Tolkien knew how to write a book, and Peter Jackson brilliantly knows how to film a majestic series of films based off of Tolkien's books. As you already know, my favorite movie (series) is the Lord of the Rings. If I had to choose one in the series, I would pick the Return of the King only because in this movie the series culminates to a majestic conclusion. The Fellowship consists of nine different personalities ranging from an elf (Legolas) to a dwarf (Gimli) including four hobbits (Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin), two humans (Aragorn and Boromir), and a wizard (Gandalf). They all persevere to the end as they complete their toil filled journey and accomplish their main mission of destroying the one ring.

I like this set of movies, because it contains many biblical themes throughout. Our main goal, as Christians, is to strive to make His Gospel known throughout the world. This is our main mission. The Fellowship's mission, particularly Frodo's, was to destroy the one ring. And, every temptation, allurement, and bait would be thrown in front of Frodo's face to keep Frodo from ultimately pursuing this mission. Sometimes he fell, but he had a sense of endurance to strive and push onward despite the constant temptation that literally surrounded him. He is a great example of the Christian in Hebrews 12 in laying aside every weight and the sin which clings so closely, and running with endurance the race set before him. This is just one of the many spiritual applications displayed in this remarkable trilogy. Anyways, that is a brief synopsis of the trilogy that I have grown to become completely infatuated with. It is definitely my favorite movie "series" by far. ;)

Day #1: A Favorite Song(s)

2011-01-01T14:58:00.000-08:00

Before I begin the 30 day blog challenge, I need to ask a question. Why are these challenges so broad? What! You are asking me to pick a favorite song. We will be here for a couple days as I shuffle through my i-pod, cds, and what not in trying to choose my one favorite song. It is pure reality in the life of Joshua. Now, to be honest with you all, I do not have a specific song that I am necessarily crazy about. Instead, I am the type of person, who enjoys singing, playing, replaying, and dancing to many songs, but I am strictly a Christian artist type of guy. So, without further ado, I will list my top three, not one, favorite songs with a video of each. Enjoy.........

This is one of those Christmas songs that I enjoy listening too. You cannot get any better than Alvin and the Chipmunks. :) No, this song is not a part of my top three list, but it deserves recognition as one of those great songs in the history of cartoon America. ;) ALVIN..........

Now, starting at #3 - By Your Side

This song, By Your Side, is written by Tenth Avenue North. And, the lyrics speak for itself. :)

#2 - How Great is Our God

No words to say for this song, but Chris Tomlin did an amazing job writing and composing this song.

#1 - The Power of the Cross

This song is sung by Kristyn Getty, but played by her husband Keith Getty. Keith and Kristyn Getty along with Stuart Townend composed and wrote this marvelous song. It brings me to a sense of awe and worship for who God is every single time I hear it. He died for me. Thank you Lord!!!

Sola Deo Gloria!!!!!