Soldier of Christ

Eating Solid Food

2010-08-11T13:31:00.001-07:00

Friends one of the good things about being a follower of Christ is the ability to be humble and admit when you’re wrong. The other day while talking to my brother Tony I made a comment to him about how I thought his blogs and some of the things he has written about were on a much higher spiritual level then a lot of people can comprehend. I think the analogy I used was that he was writing on a 4th yr college level while I was reading on a 12th grade level. Now I have a bad habit of not being able to communicate my thoughts well and make sense of them (in case you haven’t noticed) and I think I did the same here with my Brother and I was wrong! Big time! I realized this after I started reading the book “The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment” by Tim Challies (which I highly recommend by the way)

In this book Tim talks about our need for Spiritual Discernment and how the lack of discernment can lead to Spiritual Immaturity, Spiritual Backsliding and Spiritual Death. Now what I want to talk about today is Spiritual Immaturity and Backsliding or falling away as it is called in the book of Hebrews.

Hebrews 5:11-14 (NIV) tells us “We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”

This verse really hit home for me. I have realized that I too have been slow to learn. Sure I have been a Christian for many years and have even taught Sunday school and other bible studies but I was still was living on milk instead of solid food! I have been lazy in my efforts to learn anything else other than the basics we hear every week in Church. Challies writes “We would not consider a child healthy who, at six years of age, still drinks only milk, for that child would be weak and sickly. The same is true in the spiritual realm. A person should pass quickly from spiritual milk to solid foods, from the basics to what is more advanced.”

Tim also talks about how children, especially babies will put anything they see in their mouths without evening thinking about it. I think we as Christians do the same thing. We will follow all kinds of people who we think are cool or hip, and might even pastor a mega church without even discerning what kind of spiritual food they are feeding us. I won’t mention any names but there are some preachers on TV that will only preach messages full of milk and cookies with no Solid foods. You can tell who they are by the way they smile all the time and tell you everything is going to be ok. You will never hear words like sanctification, justification or discernment which according to the Hebrew verse above means to “have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil”. If we ever want to grow spiritually we need to stay away from this kind of baby food and seek something with a lot more substance.

So what’s the take away for me? Simple! Get off the milk and starting eating some real solid spiritual food. For starters I am going to get deeper in the Word and also start reading books from some of the greats in the theologian community. Guys like A.W Tozer, Bonheoffer and C.S Lewis just to name a few. I know a lot of these guys are a hard read but I feel the only way to improve your reading ability and spiritual growth is to challenge yourself and work your way through it. Also pray for God to give you understanding and wisdom along with discerment like Solomon did in 1 Kings 3:9

God Bless!

The Bucket List

2010-07-20T12:05:00.000-07:00

Every since the movie “The Bucket List” came out people have been sharing their lists with others and even big cities like Atlanta advertise their own versions of the list. But I guess this is nothing new. I am sure ever since our creation man has been thinking of things they wanted to do before they passed on. While thinking about my own list I was wondering if I should make the list about myself or should I try to make it about others. Well I’m still thinking about that but what I have come to realize during my 44 years here on Earth is that life is not about possessions, money, travel or experiences. I think the most important aspects of our lives should be our relationships with friends, family and especially our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So how does that apply to your “Bucket List”? Well for me it would mean that I would take this list in reverse order and focus on my relationship with our Lord and Savior and my work spreading the Gospel. I would also reach out to family members whom I have lost touch with and try to strengthen the bonds I already have with my loved ones. Finally I would work on building lifelong friendships with others and try to be a good ambassador of the Kingdom.

Below is what former President Bill Clinton put on his list. What will you put on yours?

"I'd like to climb Kilimanjaro before the snows melt, I'd like to run a marathon before I give out, there's lots of things I'd like to do," Mr. Clinton said Monday in Vienna.“His more important "A" list, he said, includes living to see his own grandchildren (his daughter Chelsea is about to get married) and living "to know that all the grandchildren of the world will have the chance in the not too distant future to live their own dreams and not die before their time”

My First S.O.A.P Journal

2010-07-15T16:36:00.000-07:00

Friends,

My Brother Tony has introduced me to a new form of Bible study called SOAP journaling. Below is a brief description along with my first journal. Hope you enjoy…Chris

How Do I Use SOAP?

S for Scripture
Open your Bible to the reading found under today's date of your Bible bookmark (see below). Take time reading and allow God to speak to you. When you are done, look for a verse that particularly spoke to you that day and write it in your journal.

O for Observation
What do you think God is saying to you in the Scriptures? Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you and reveal Jesus to you. In your journal, paraphrase and write the verse(s) down in your own words.

A for Application
Personalize what you have read, by asking yourself how it applies to your life right now. Perhaps it is instruction, encouragement, revelation of a new promise, or corrections for a particular area of your life. Write how the verse(s) can apply to you today.

P for Prayer
This can be as simple as asking God to help you use what you have learned. Remember, prayer is a two way conversation, so be sure to listen to what God has to say! Now, write it out.

Following the Holy Spirit Acts 16:6-10 ESV

(S) Acts 16:6-10 ESV 6 And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. 7 And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. 8 So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

(O) What’s my observation? Well the first thing I noticed is the that verse 6 tells us the Holy Spirit forbade them from speaking the word in Asia, then in the next verse it says the Spirit of Jesus wouldn’t let them go into Bithynia. I find it interesting that in most of the translations there is a difference in the naming of the two Spirits. The other observation I made was how the Holy Spirit lead them to where they needed to go. Although they wanted to go (or felt led to go) to Asia they were turned away by the Spirit.(after reading the notes in the ESV it says that Spirit of Jesus would be the same as the Holy Spirit which makes sense)

(A) The application for me would be to do listen to the Holy Spirit instead of trying to suppress it all the time and actually praying for our Father to open my heart and let me receive the Spirit and lead me to do the His will.

(P) Father God, Thank you for all of the awesome things you have done in my life and in the lives of my loved ones. You have blessed me more than I could ever have imagined. Thank you for sending your Son to die on the cross for our transgressions. Father forgive me for my sins and for not following the example of the One who has paid it all. Father I ask you to open my heart and help me welcome the Holy Spirit in my life and trust Him to lead me and guide me to do you will. Father I ask all of these things in Jesus name Amen!

Spiritual Fitness

2010-06-21T21:50:00.000-07:00

Friends back in 2008 I wrote a blog about Jesus being a lifestyle and not just being a diet, using a physical fitness analogy. Well I’m back this year to try to revamp that message. During the past 6 months I have been able to lose a lot of weight (45 lbs) and get myself in good physical condition. I have done this by doing 1 hour of cardio a day and eating a low carb diet. I did this for 40 days and kept dieting and exercising until I reached my goal. But now that I am where I want to be I find myself starting to get lazy and not really wanting to work out and eat right. I know of others who have done the same thing. Then I started thinking about how I got out of shape in the first place and then it hit me. I have become complacent and forgot what it felt like to be out of shape, because as we all know that getting out of shape kind of just creeps up on you and before you know it your miserable again. I know that’s how it was for me.

Well I feel our Spiritual fitness works the same way. When we get saved or make our way back to the Lord we start out strong, we pray every day, we get in the Word and study it or we join a study group. Then after a while it happens. We start getting lazy, we get complacent or we start thinking we can coast through our spiritual life. We might stop praying everyday with our family or stop reading our Bibles. I know how it is, I have been there and I’m just now getting back on track. But like I said before being a follower of Christ is a lifestyle and not just a quick fix or diet to use my earlier analogy. We are to be students of Word for the rest of lives. The Bible is not meant to be read in a year then forgotten. It is meant to be studied; it is the “Manna” that God uses to feed our spirit and soul. We must maintain our spiritual fitness or fall prey to the enemy.

The New Testament uses the imagery of training as a guide for growth in the spiritual life. "Train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value but godliness has value for all things holding promise for both the present life and the life to come" (I Timothy 4:7-8).

"Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last but we do it to get a crown that will last forever" (I Corinthians 9:24-25

How is your Spiritual fitness? I know mine is lacking in many areas but the good news is I know what needs to be done to improve it and I serve a God who has filled me with the Holy Spirit and given me the tools I need to get there. Thank you Lord!

The Caesar of Leisure Part II

2010-04-22T13:26:00.000-07:00

Welcome back friends to Part II of my blog “The Caesar of Leisure” Last time I talked a little bit our obsession with leisure and how it was robbing us of time we could be spending at the feet of our Lord and Savior and time that could be spent with our loved ones in fellowship. This week I will be talking a little bit about some more aspects of leisure that we have to keep checked. One of the biggest trends we see in our culture that even encompasses TV and internet is Busyness. We are always busy doing something and with the invention of the Internet and Television we stay busier than ever. One thing that keeps us way too busy as parents is the false ideal our culture promotes about keeping our children involved in a lot of organized activities. We as a culture are so obsessed with getting our children involved in more activities and events then we have time for. Now again these things are all good but when we try to do too much or feel we have to get our children involved in every activity out there we have the tendency to let these activities dictate our schedules, and I feel we, as well as our children suffer from it.

Trevin Wax writes in “Holy Subversion “Parents taxi children from one event to another, focusing all their leisure time on dance classes, organized soccer, Little League, or music lessons. Many times the children are as unhappy with their hurried lifestyle as the parents, and if given a choice, would simply want to go home”

Does this sound like your family? I know sometimes my schedule can be kind of hectic. So what’s the take away? Well I think we need to prioritize or lives and put some of these activities on the back burner. You should ask yourself how these activities are going to interfere with going to church. How will they fit into family time? How will they fit into personal time? Again these are just observations but it’s something you see all the time. Remember a Christians life should be grounded in the Cross not leisure!

I believe the way to accomplish this is to structure your free time. We need to prioritize our leisure activities so that it’s clear that Jesus is on the throne of our lives. We should make time for daily bible studies and prayer; we should share meals together instead of going our separate ways to go finish watching a TV show. We also need to plan moments of contemplative solitude. Trevin Wax writes “The constant barrage of noise and entertainment today can effectively drown out the voice of God to us, so that even when we open the scriptures, we are too distracted to hear what God has to say.” Trevin also writes “A spiritual discipline that keeps my life centered on Christ is the practice of praying briefly three or four times a day at certain hours.” These are just a few ideals to help us get our focus back on the Kingdom and not on things of this world. How do you spend your free time? I know I waste too much time! God Bless..

The Caesar of Leisure Part 1

2010-04-14T13:15:00.000-07:00

Friends for the past week I have been reading this awesome book by Trevin Wax entitled “Holy Subversion”. The premise of this book is about how Christians should be living their lives and what they need to subvert in their lives to really live for Jesus. The term “subverting” in this book refers to “undermining” or “Pushing” something back down to its proper place. Another term Trevin uses in his book is “Caesar”. Caesar of course comes from back in the days of the Roman Empire. During Jesus ministry the Roman Empire ruled most of the known world and the leaders of the Romans were referred to as Caesar, named after Julius Caesar.

The early Caesars had been declared “divine” shortly after their deaths and before long the Caesars began accepting that title of worship during their lives and expected to be treated as such. Everyone under the rule of the Romans were forced to bow down and confess Caesar as Lord. So when he talks about the Caesars of today he is talking about anything we put up as idols and worship instead of worshiping Jesus, these include money, power, sex, self, success and leisure. The Caesar I would like to talk about is one that is dear to my heart “Leisure”

It’s funny that I chose this topic because my brother and I have had many discussions on this topic and I have always came back with my balance theory. That theory meaning you should balance your time with God, family, work and friends. Trevin Wax devotes an entire chapter of his book to this subject and I will be quoting a lot of it. He writes

“We can enjoy the fruits of our labor, admire beautiful art, soak up the glory of creation, and play sports and games for recreation. Yet leisure is all to ready to leave its proper place in our lives and steal the throne. Instead of being a friend to a hard worker, leisure often morphs into a taskmaster that squeezes the life out of us. Just as the early church rejected the addictive entertainment of the Roman games, subversive communities of faith will encourage believers to consciously monitor their media intake. In order to subvert the Caesar of Leisure, we must begin thinking seriously about our free time, structuring our time in order to show that God is our first priority, and focusing our leisure time on people instead of the newest distractions of our entertainment culture”

Does this sound familiar? I will be the first one to tell you I have been bowing to the Caesar of Leisure. I posed this question during our monthly men’s ministry meeting while discussing starting a book study “are we spending as much time in the Word as we are on Facebook” ? This was in response to a question of do we have the time for a book study. What are some other things that fall into the category being a Caesar for our Leisure?

How about TV? We might as well go for the jugular here. Trevin talks a little bit about the good ole Television set and its impact on American culture. John Piper also writes in his book “Don’t Waste your Life” “Television is one of the greatest life-wasters of the modern age. And, of course, the Internet is running to catch up, and may have caught up. You can be more selective on the Internet, but you can also select worse things with only the Judge of the universe watching. TV still reigns as the great life-waster. The main problem with TV is not how much smut is available, though that is a problem. Just the ads are enough to sow fertile seeds of greed and lust, no matter what program you’re watching. The greater problem is banality. A mind fed daily on TV diminishes. Your mind was made to know and love God. Its facility for this great calling is ruined by excessive TV. The content is so trivial and so shallow that the capacity of the mind to think worthy thoughts withers and the capacity of the heart to feel deep emotions shrivels”

Now before you go out and start giving away your TV sets and cutting the cable off like some people have been proud to announce to the world that they have done, sit back and think of ways that you can use the TV to bring the family together and not drive apart. One of the biggest issues with TV that Trevin brings up is the fact that everyone has their own TV and the family no longer spends time together watching it. Again I have this issue in my house as well. With today’s incomes and the low cost of TV’s it’s easy to provide every member of your house to include the dog a TV, and I’m not saying that your family must watch TV together all the time but it is something that at times should be done together. So what is the answer?

Trevin suggests one way would be to practice “intentional TV watching”. That would be getting a movie the family would enjoy watching together and making it a family event, or watching a favorite TV show that everyone enjoys. Some of my fondest memories as a child was watching the “Walton’s” with my family. We had one TV and it was in my Aunt Kay’s room that she shared with my mother (yes we were poor) but that one night a week we would all pile up on her bed and watch what was going on with John Boy and Marry Ellen. My job was to make the popcorn for everyone. But that’s what we did back then and we loved it. My brother Tony and his family do something like this as well. They have a DVR and during the week record a lot of shows they like to watch as a family then on the weekends get together for some family time and catch up on the latest shows they like.

These are just a few solutions for subverting the TV idol. Remember you have more control over television than you know. You have the ability to record multiple shows at once while watching another. Use this to your advantage. Is there is a good show on and dinner is ready? Well record the show and sit down with the family and eat together and when you do get a chance to watch it you can fast forward through the commercials. Well this is all I have for this segment but on part 2 I will be talking about video games, sports, an overbooked calendar and about spending some quite time with God. I will leave you with EPH 5:15-17 ESV “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is” Peace and Blessing…Chris

Death of a Coal Miner

2010-04-08T22:10:00.000-07:00

Friends the recent tragedy at the Upper Big Branch coal mine in West Virginia has been headline news around the world and for people who have lived in mining communities it has really hit home. I am proud to say that I come for a mining family. My father briefly worked in the coal mines and was actually part of a mine rescue team back in the 60's, my grandfather Barnette was a miner, worked as a federal mine inspector and after retirement owned a mine with his sons. My grandfather on my mother’s side was not so lucky. When he was just 38 yrs old he was killed in the mines trying out a new piece of equipment. Below is an article my aunt Barbara wrote in memory of her father. Please continue to pray for the families of those who lost love ones and pray for those who do this dangerous job everyday. God Bless

Death of a Coal Miner
Cebert Dean Murphy
born June 17, 1918 died October 30, 1956 in a mining accident in Vivian W. Va.

Cebert with joy in his face told his wife Agnes, that when he went to work that night, he was going to get to operate a new machine called a “Continuous Miner.” This was a far cry from the time he had to work on his knees because of the low ceiling to load coal with a shovel. Cebert was like a little boy with a new toy...he explained to Agnes that a Continuous Miner cut and loaded coal simultaneously. It would now be possible to cut and load a ton of coal in a matter of seconds. For safety sake, it required an operator and another man behind him to let the operator know when he needed to back out for the roof to be supported with timbers; once the machine cut and loaded a large amount of coal, the operator would back out and timbers would be installed to support the roof.

Cebert left home that night a very excited person. Before entering the mines, he fills the bottom of his lunch bucket with fresh water that the mines supplies. As he opens the top of his lunch bucket to get out some bubble gum--he notices that his daughters, Kay and Barbara had packed two salami sandwiches and they had also put in a fried apple pie that his wife had made that day. He took out the bubble gum, unwrapped it and placed it in his mouth. He now chews bubble gum when he works in the mines because it cuts the taste of the coal dust. A lot of men preferred to chew tobacco, but his youngest daughter Lizzy thought that chewing tobacco was nasty and had packed bubble gum in his lunch bucket instead of the tobacco. He smiled to himself thinking of “Lizzy.” With her dark sparkling eyes, he knew that he could never turn down any request from her. She was his youngest and very dear to his heart. He admitted to himself that he did spoil her. He admired the way that she stood up to him. He placed his goggles on top of his helmet and tested his light going to his helmet to make sure that it worked. Turning the light off, he then placed the helmet connected with a cord to a battery light on his head and hooked the battery pack to his belt. With his lunch bucket in one hand, Cebert got onto the electric tram along with the other men that were working the hoot owl night shift. The electric tram took the men to their designated work location. After being on the job for two hours, he was involved in a fatal accident which cost him his life.

Cebert came back home resting in a coffin. The man who was his “spotter” either didn’t get his attention or he didn’t hear him, he went too far and a very large piece of roof fell on the machine and crushed his head--the only part of his body that wasn’t enclosed in the seat of the machine. He was killed instantly. He left behind three sisters, two brothers, a widow, an enlisted son in the Air Force, and three teenage daughters; ages sixteen, fourteen, and eleven. Cebert died doing what he enjoyed most--playing with a new toy.

Barbara Murphy Winter, ex-resident of Anawalt

Too busy for Jesus

2010-02-18T12:31:00.000-08:00

Friends I have a confession to make, I have been too busy for Jesus. While preparing a lesson on Martha and Mary for my Sunday school class I realized that I am like Martha in the sense that I have kept myself way too busy to focus on Jesus. For those of you who are not familiar with this story it’s about two Sisters who along with their Brother Lazarus were good friends of Jesus. In Luke 10:38-42 NIV we hear about a time where Jesus stopped by and shared a meal with Martha and Mary.

“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She was too busy to enjoy His company. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." Luke 10:38-42

Can anyone relate to this story? Do we get distracted by all the preparations everyday life throws at us? I know I do. Another question could be do we bring these distractions upon ourselves? I think we do. In today’s society we have some many things to do that waste time and everyday it seems like we invent new ways to cram even more stuff into the little time we do have. Computers, iphones and TiVo are just a few items that I have used to cram more junk into my time. Another thing our generation has started doing is overloading or over scheduling our daily lives. We feel like we have to have something going on at all times which usually leads to over committing ourselves and getting stressed out.

Last year I wrote a blog about the Sabbath and how important God felt that day of rest was for us. But I hear the same excuses “I have too much going on to take a day off”. I have to clean house, kids have ball practice, birthday parties, grass needs cutting..ect ect ect. But the funny thing is most of your well known preachers take a day off to rest and you can imagine how busy their schedules are. So what suffers as a result? I feel our relationship with our Lord and Savior suffers. I have actually heard people say that Sunday is the only day they can relax and spend time with their families. I have asked “can’t you do that at Church”? I also get the “sorry we couldn’t make it last week, we have been so busy” I’m not sure why they apologize to me, I wasn’t offended by their absence. But you get what I’m trying to say here.

So back to the two Sisters, you have to love how Jesus responded to Martha’s complaint about her Sister just sitting at his feet. He tells Martha "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." What he was trying to say was nothing is more important than his teaching and that Mary knew it was better to listen to him instead of being worried and upset about other things.

This lesson has really hit home with me and tells me that I need to spend more time with Jesus and less time with things of this world. Jesus said in John 16:33 NIV "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." Jesus has overcome the world and with his help I feel we can do the same. It’s going to be tough turning off the computer, Tv and xbox but I feel if I put Him first then I will be able to have a lot more peace and enjoy the life He has blessed me with and who’s know I still might be able enjoy a few minutes online playing games 

Going through the motions

2009-12-30T08:26:00.001-08:00

Recently someone asked me about all the things I do at my local Church and just for those who don’t know me I teach Sunday School, a couples class on Sunday evenings and sing in the choir. They ask me if I am really feeling it or just going through the motions. Well to be perfectly honest it’s a combination of both, but more feeling it than anything. Often what starts out as going through the motions quickly becomes a heartfelt worship experience. I think we all go through times where we are just coasting through life and going through the motions but I feel these are times where we are most vulnerable to falling into the traps of our enemy. In the Army our commanders warn us of the dangers of complacency and I think we as Christians we should also heed this warning. The book of Amos also gives us a warning about being complacent.

Amos 6:1-7 NIV 1 Woe to you who are complacent in Zion, and to you who feel secure on Mount Samaria you notable men of the foremost nation, to whom the people of Israel come! 2 Go to Kalneh and look at it; go from there to great Hamath, and then go down to Gath in Philistia. Are they better off than your two kingdoms? Is their land larger than yours?3 You put off the evil day and bring near a reign of terror. 4 You lie on beds inlaid with ivory and lounge on your couches. You dine on choice lambs and fattened calves.5 You strum away on your harps like David and improvise on musical instruments.6 You drink wine by the bowlful and use the finest lotions, but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph. 7 Therefore you will be among the first to go into exile; your feasting and lounging will end.

This is why I feel it is so important to stay plugged into your church. A lot of times we don’t feel like getting up and going to a service but like I told my wife I can’t ever recall a time where I wish I would have stayed at home and not gone. Yes we all get tired and overwhelmed with all the stress we put on ourselves but for me listening to the Word and worshiping with others brings a kind of peace and rejuvenation that can’t be described. It also keeps feeding the fire in my spirit. We often hear about people being on fire for Jesus but I often wonder how that fire is being feed. For me it’s staying involved and fellowshipping with others. But I have to admit I still struggle with staying fired up.

I believe another area we should aware of is being lukewarm. I recently started reading the Book “Crazy Love” by Francis Chan and in chapter 4 he starts talking about being a Lukewarm Christian. Again this Chapter could have been written about me because a lot of times I feel I am neither hot nor cold, just somewhere in the middle. In the book of Revelation Jesus says:

Revelation 3:15-16 NKJV “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth”.

Wow this really hit me hard and made me evaluate myself and to be honest I didn’t like the results. I have asked myself do I really walk the walk or do I just talk the talk? Have I given all I have to follow Jesus or just enough to get by? Am I just drifting along with the crowd, singing songs in church and doing good things on occasion? Here’s a big one, have I reached out to family members who don’t know Jesus and tried to share the Gospel with them, Co-workers? Strangers? The Bible tells us in a couple of places to examine ourselves to see where our faith is, here are just a few.

Galatians 6:4 “But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor”.

1 Corinthians 11:28 “Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup”.

2 Corinthians 13:5 “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!”

The test results are in and I have failed my exam. But the good news is that I will be given another chance to take it and this time it will be open book. Like I said in the beginning I do a few things with my church but I believe it’s not enough. Jesus wants me to be full time and not just show up on Sunday and Wednesday. He wants me to be his first love and not get what ever I have leftover. He even tells us this in the book of Revelation.

Revelation 2:4-6 NKJV “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lamp stand from its place — unless you repent”

I know I will be doing a lot of repenting and for my “Westwood” family cleaning out my tent. I hope you all have a very blessed New Year! Chris

Crouching Tiger Hidden Sin!

2009-12-04T11:36:00.000-08:00

Friends,

The “Big Story” or “Breaking News” this week of course is the Tiger Woods saga. I like many others have joined in on the jokes, forwarded the funny doctored photos of Tiger and had lengthy discussions with friends and co-workers about the speculations of the case. But I have also been in the same situation and kind of know what he is going through. Take away the fame and fortune and it’s the same story with different characters. But this is nothing new, for over 2,000 years the Bible has been warning men about this very issue. If you just look in Proverbs you will see the warnings that King Solomon gave us on adultery.

“1 My son, be attentive to my wisdom; incline your ear to my understanding, 2 that you may keep discretion, and your lips may guard knowledge. 3 For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil, 4 but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. 5 Her feet go down to death; her steps follow the path to Sheol; 6 she does not ponder the path of life; her ways wander, and she does not know it. 7 And now, O sons, listen to me, and do not depart from the words of my mouth. 8 Keep your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house, 9 lest you give your honor to others and your years to the merciless, 10 lest strangers take their fill of your strength, and your labors go to the house of a foreigner, 11 and at the end of your life you groan, when your flesh and body are consumed,” Proverbs 5:1-11 (ESV)

“15 Drink water from your own cistern, flowing water from your own well. 16 Should your springs be scattered abroad, streams of water in the streets? 17 Let them be for yourself alone, and not for strangers with you. 18 Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, 19 a lovely deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love. 20 Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with a forbidden woman and embrace the bosom of an adulteress? 21 For a man's ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and he ponders all his paths. 22 The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him, and he is held fast in the cords of his sin. 23 He dies for lack of discipline, and because of his great folly he is led astray.” Proverbs 5:15-23 (ESV)

“21With much seductive speech she persuades him; with(DN) her smooth talk she compels him.22All at once he follows her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a stag is caught fast[s] 23till an arrow pierces its liver; as(DO) a bird rushes into a snare; he does not know that it will cost him his life. 24And(DP) now, O sons, listen to me, and be attentive to the words of my mouth.25Let not your heart turn aside to her ways; do not stray into her paths,26for many a victim has she laid low, and all her slain are(DQ) a mighty throng.27Her house is(DR) the way to Sheol, going down to the chambers of death.” Proverbs 7:21-27 (ESV)

As you can see things have not changed much in 2,000 years, but what we also have to remember is that we serve a loving and forgiving God. God sent his only Son to die on the cross all of our sins including Tiger’s and mine. So I would encourage everyone to pray for him and especially his family and also pray for God to use him to help others who might be tempted to go down this path. The Bible is full of murders and adulterers who have turned their life around and have done great things for God. King David is one of the best examples. I have included a article by C.J Mahaney that ties in with this. God Bless

Hunting Tiger Woods

by C.J. Mahaney

Tiger Woods wants his privacy back. He wants the media entourage to disappear from his life. He wants to be left alone so he can manage his personal problems in private.

Not a chance.

The story began unfolding in the early hours of last Friday when he crashed his Cadillac Escalade into a tree and a fire hydrant near his Florida home. He refused to speak with the police about the incident, raising curiosity about the circumstances. The story has now escalated into allegations of marital infidelity, and that generated a blog post from Tiger that stated, “I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart.” This statement by Tiger has led most to believe that the allegations of infidelity are true.

Hunted by the Media

As expected, the allegations of adultery involving a public figure are attracting a media pile-on. This is a big story with a big audience and it’s a story that will not disappear soon. Tiger Woods is being hunted by the media.

But let us make sure we do not join the hunt. A Christian’s response to this story should be distinctly different. We should not be entertained by the news. We should not have a morbid interest in all the details. We should be saddened and sobered. We should pray for this man and even more for his wife.

And we can be sure that in the coming days we will be in conversations with friends and family where this topic will emerge. And when it does, we can avoid simply listening to the latest details and speculations, and avoid speaking self-righteously, but instead we can humbly draw attention to the grace of God in the gospel.

Hunted by Sin

But Tiger is being hunted by something more menacing than journalists. Tiger’s real enemy is his sin, and that’s an enemy much more difficult to discern and one that can’t be managed in our own strength. It’s an enemy that never sleeps.

Let me explain.

Sin Lies

The Bible in general, and the book of Proverbs in particular, reveals an unbreakable connection between our character, our conduct, and the consequences of our actions. These three are inseparable and woven by God into His created order.

Deception is part of sin’s DNA. Sin lies to us. It seeks to convince us that sin brings only pleasure, that it carries no consequences, and that no one will discover it. Sin works hard to make us forget that character, conduct, and consequences are interconnected. And when we neglect this relationship—when we think our sins will not be discovered—we ultimately mock God.

Sin Hunts

We’ve all experienced it: Sin lies to us. We take the bait. And then sin begins to hunt us.

One commentator on Proverbs articulated this truth like this: “The irony of a life of rebellion is that we begin by pursuing sin…and end up being pursued by it!….You can ‘be sure your sin will find you out’ (Num. 32:23…).”* In other words, sin comes back to hunt us.

In light of this fact, sin is an enemy Tiger can’t manage. He can’t shape this story like he does a long iron on a par 5. Tiger doesn’t need a publicity facelift; Tiger needs a Savior. Just like me. And just like you. And if by God’s grace he repents and trusts in the person and work of Christ, Tiger will experience the fruit of God’s promise that “whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy” (Proverbs 28:13).

Conclusion

Tiger cannot intimidate this enemy like he can Pebble Beach or any of the field of professional golfers. And there is no privacy he can claim from this enemy, regardless of his resolve, his silence, or the name painted on his yacht. It’s likely Tiger only perceives the press hunting him out of a vain “curiosity about public figures.” But Tiger is being hunted and hounded by a far greater foe: the consequences of his sin.

And this story should humble and sober us. It should make us ask: Are there any so-called “secret sins” in my life? Is there anything I have done that I hope nobody discovers? Is there anything right now in my life that I should confess to God and the appropriate individuals?

Have we gone too far with all these Czars?

2009-09-05T10:01:00.000-07:00

I think so, sure I think it’s awesome that Baskin Robbins has 32 flavors of Ice Cream but do we really need 32 Czars? According to some sources that is exactly how many we have in the Obama administration. This means we have more czars than Imperial Russia. So what is a Czar anyway? According to Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary a Czar is “one having great power or authority”, in government they are appointments of a few special officers to play a constructive role in a given administration. But the problem is they are not subjected to Senate confirmation and congressional oversight and pose a grave threat to our system of checks and balances. I found the next two quotes on another blog.

“Even Democratic Sen. Robert Byrd (W.Va.) was fearful enough to pen a letter to President Obama in February highlighting his concerns with the administration’s tactics. The Constitution mandates that the Senate confirm Cabinet-level department heads and other appointees in positions of authority — known as “principal officers.” This gives Congress — elected by the people — the power to compel executive decision-makers to testify and be held accountable by someone other than the president. It also ensures that key appointees cannot claim executive privilege when subpoenaed to come before Congress.”

“The biggest problems that we’re facing right now have to do with George Bush trying to bring more and more power into the executive branch and not go through Congress at all. And that’s what I intend to reverse when I’m president of the United States.” — Sen. Barack Obama, March 31, 2008

“To say President Obama failed to follow through on this promise is an understatement. By appointing a virtual army of “czars” — each wholly unaccountable to Congress yet tasked with spearheading major policy efforts for the White House — in his first six months, the president has embarked on an end-run around the legislative branch of historic proportions.”

So what kind of Czars are out there you say? Here are just a few examples. The administration has a Mideast peace czar (not to be confused with the Mideast policy czar), a Sudan czar and a Guantanamo closure czar. Then there’s the green jobs czar, sometimes in conflict with the energy czar, who talks to the technology czar, who sometimes crosses paths with the urban affairs czar. We mustn’t forget the Great Lakes czar or the WMD czar, who no doubt works hand in hand with the terrorism czar. The stimulus accountability czar is going through a rough time right now, as is the TARP czar — but thankfully they have to answer to the government performance czar. And seemingly everyone falls under the auspices of the information czar. In a government full of duplicative bureaucracies, adding more layers with overlapping responsibilities hardly seems the way to go.

The car czar, who stepped down this month amid controversy over his former firm’s role in a scandal, had been managing government’s recent takeover of a huge swath of the domestic auto industry and making decisions for auto companies. The pay czar — also known in White House circles as the “special master for compensation” — has the power to reject or accept any current and future compensation for the top 100 earners at companies that received, in some cases under pressure, money from the Troubled Assets Relief Program. In the coming months he will decide the fate of $235 million in pending retention bonuses at AIG. And the health czar, meanwhile, has become as influential as perhaps anyone in the Obama administration, spearheading White House negotiations with doctors, hospitals and other health providers. She will play a key role in determining which medicines, treatments and cures are deemed necessary for the public.

You know I could of sworn we had cabinet heads (secretaries if you will) to cover all these areas. I think I want to become a czar. Maybe a video game czar, I can get a fat paycheck, have a staff and determine if some of these games are worth 60$ or not. Or I can be a college football czar and make it illegal for top ten teams to play against community colleges. An example would be #1 Florida playing Charleston Southern. Really? I thought preseason was over. So what kind of czar would you like to be?

Leaving a “Spiritual Inheritance”

2009-07-15T12:57:00.000-07:00

Friends,

While preparing for my men’s book study “The man God Uses” I came up with a question for next week’s lesson. The question is “What does it mean to have a Spiritual responsibility to your children and grandchildren?” Now the book we are reading had some great examples but I also came across an article on the internet that talked about leaving a “Spiritual Inheritance”. I have never really given it much thought but I do know after Heidi and I were married my grandfather gave us a bible with a personal note and some scriptures that would help us in the future. I think that’s what their talking about. I can remember another time when my brother and I were talking about books and what to do with the ones we’ve read. How about leaving them for our kids? How cool would that be to see what your parents were reading and to look at things they highlighted or notes they may have jotted down? You know we are always worried about leaving our kids money but how awesome would it be to leave a “Spiritual Inheritance”? I would love to have more personal things like this from my parents and grandparents. So my challenge to you all is to start preparing your Spiritual Inheritance for your kids and grandchildren. Below is an article I pulled from the internet that has some great ideals. You might even want to save your blogs for your children as well.

http://www.spiritualdisciplines.org/inheritance.html

LEAVE A SPIRITUAL INHERITANCE

"A good man," says Proverbs 13:22, "leaves an inheritance to his children's children." Leaving a material and financial inheritance in a wise manner is good stewardship and can be a great blessing to your heirs. But have you considered ways to leave an inheritance to your family that will have a more direct spiritual impact on them?

These spiritual lives we're trying to simplify aren't lived for ourselves only. We also bear responsibility to influence others spiritually, especially the members of our own family. To that end, here are a few items to leave as spiritual time capsules with the belief that they will bless many generations of your descendants.

Prayers. The beloved old Bible commentator, Matthew Henry said somewhere that wise parents are more concerned about leaving a treasury of prayers for their children than a treasury of silver and gold. God can answer long after we are dead the prayers for our children and future generations we bring to His throne today. King Hezekiah's wicked son, Manasseh, repented and turned to the Lord many decades after Hezekiah died (see 2 Chronicles 33:12-19), but no doubt the father left behind a rich inheritance of prayers to God for his wayward boy. You may want to preserve some of your prayers for your descendants in letters or journals.

Journals. One hundred years from now, quite possibly all that will be known of you will be from photographs or videos, and from what you write. Despite your decades of life and labor, few, if any, of even your direct descendants a century from today will know anything about your spirituality. (What do you know about the inner life of your ancestors who, just 1200 months ago, were as alive as you are now?) Leave your heirs a clear, written testimony of how you came to know God through Jesus Christ. Provide them with a record of answers to prayer, remarkable providences, significant spiritual events, and other works of God in your part of their family history. Write letters to your descendants, urging them to trust Christ, to maintain a Christian heritage in the family, and to meet you in Heaven. Make a list of books that have influenced you.

Books. Leave a library—especially of Christian books—for your children and their children. The Lord may use the books to bring them to Christ and to give solid guidance to their spiritual lives long after you are gone. Collect good books for your children or grandchildren even before they are born. I've always bought books (both Christian and general reading) for my daughter, Laurelen, years before she could enjoy them. In fact, I started buying books for her future children when she was just six years old. So if I find a bargain on boys' books, I'll buy them—even though Laurelen will probably never read them—in anticipation of having grandsons some day. Who knows whether some of the great old used books I find for them today will still be available or affordable by then?

Daily planners. If you have the space, archive your daily planners. These reflect how you've spent your time and, combined with your journals, provide a fairly complete biography of your adult life.

Of course, your most immediate spiritual legacy is the life you live before the watching eyes of your children and grandchildren. However, some (all?) of your grandchildren or great-grandchildren may never know you personally. But if you leave them a rich spiritual inheritance, they may say of you, "He being dead still speaks" (Hebrews 11:4).

Don’t mess with the Bull you’ll get the horns!

2009-07-10T09:08:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite quotes from the movie “ The Breakfast Club” besides “does Barry Manilow know you stole his wardrobe?” is “ don’t mess with the bull, you’ll get the horns”. Well that’s exactly what happened the other day in Spain during the annual running of Bulls festival. Here is some of the story from the AP

PAMPLONA, Spain - A charging bull gored a man to death Friday at Pamplona's San Fermin festival, the first such fatality in nearly 15 years. Nine others were injured in a particularly dangerous and chaotic chapter of the running of the bulls.

The San Fermin festival Web site said the unidentified man was gored in the neck and lung during a run in which a rogue bull separated from the pack, which is among the worst things that can happen at Spain's most popular fiesta.

My question is why do we even entertain doing stuff like this? I know I have done some crazy things in my past. But I always have to ask myself “what was I thinking?” I have to admit before this guy was gored to death I have always thought it would be cool to run with the bulls. Also have you ever noticed it’s always young to middle age white guys doing crazy stunts like this. Do women have these ideals and just not act on them? What is it about us that make us think things like this would be a cool ? Putting a lit bottle rocket in your butt is another example reckless behavior guys have engaged in. Is it the “Jack Ass Syndrome” ?

Hopefully I have grown out of this stage of my life but I have to worry about my son and his buddies and I pray they won’t try to act out some of these things they see on you-tube. What are some of the craziest stunts you have ever done? For me it would be running over a junked car with a tank, and driving 125 Mph on the Autobahn in Germany. What was I thinking?

Church: Love It, Don't Leave It

2009-07-02T11:41:00.000-07:00

Friends,

I found this article in the Washington Post and thought it was worth sharing. Seems like lately we have been trying to come up with our own style of church instead of following the example Jesus set for us over 2,000 years ago. I am all for meeting at houses or coffee shops for some fellowship and worship as long as it's not taking the place our weekly Church services. As a matter of fact I think we need to spend more time together in fellowship and worship. I am really encouraged when I see how our Westwood youth get together and just hang out at Church. What do you all think? Are we too caught up in the world to give more than 2 or 3 hours a week worshiping with our Brothers and Sisters in Christ? I know I spend that amount of time just goofing off at the house everynight. So while I am taking the plank out of my own eye let us try to come up with some ways to get together and fellowship more..What says you? Below is the article from the Washington Post

Church: Love It, Don't Leave It
By Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck

Here's what Bono, Oprah, and the guru speakers on PBS won't tell you: Jesus believed in organized religion and he founded an institution. Of course, Jesus had no patience for religious hacks and self-righteous wannabes, but he was still Jewish. And as Jew, he read the Holy Book, worshiped in the synagogue, and kept Torah. He did not start a movement of latte-drinking disciples who excelled in spiritual conversations. He founded the church (Matt. 16:18) and commissioned the apostles to proclaim the good news that Israel's Messiah had come and the sins of the world could be forgiven through his death on the cross (Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 2:14-36).

For almost two millennia, it was axiomatic that Christians, like, actually went to church (or at least told other Christians they did). From Cyprian to Calvin it was believed that for those to whom God "is Father the church may also be Mother." But increasingly Christians are trying to get more spiritual by getting less church.

Take a spin through the religion section at your local bookstore. What you'll find there is revealing - there are "revolutionary" books for stay at home moms, teenagers, and Christian businessmen. There are lots of manifestos. And most of the books about church are about people leaving the church to "find God." There are lots of Kerouacian "journey" stories, and at least one book about the gospel according to Starbucks. It used to be you had to overthrow a country to be considered a revolutionary, and now, it seems, you just have to quit church and go pray in the woods.

We've been in the church our whole lives and are not blind to its failings. Churches can be boring, hypocritical, hurtful, and inept. The church is full of sinners. Which is kind of the point. Christians are worse than you think. Our Savior is better than you imagine.

But the church is not all about oppression and drudgery. Almost every church we know of visits old people, brings meals to new moms, supports disaster relief, and does something for the poor. We love the local church, in spite of its problems, because it's where we go to meet God. It's not a glorified social/country club you attend to be around people who talk and look just you do. It's a place to hear God's word spoken, taught and affirmed. It's a place to sing praises to God, and a place to serve others. It's a place to be challenged.

The church is more than plural for Christian. It is both organism and organization, a living thing comprised of a certain order, regular worship services, with doctrinal standards, institutional norms, and defined rituals. Without the institution of the church nurturing the flock and protecting the faith for two thousand years, there would be no Christianity. If Gen Xers (like us) and their friends want to be against something, start a revolution. If you want to conserve truth and grace for twenty centuries, plant a church.

We love the church because Christ loved the church. She is his bride--a harlot at times, but his bride nonetheless, being washed clean by the word of God (Eph. 5:25-26). If you are into Jesus, don't rail on his bride. Jesus died for the church, so don't be bothered by a little dying to self for the church's sake. If you keep in mind that everyone there is a sinner (including yourself) and that Jesus Christ is the point and not you, your dreams, or your kids, your church experience might not be as lame as you fear.

Perhaps Christians are leaving the church because it isn't tolerant and open-minded. But perhaps the church-leavers have their own intolerance too--intolerant of tradition, intolerant of authority, intolerant of imperfection except their own. Are you open-minded enough to give the church a chance--a chance for the church to be the church, not a coffee shop, not a mall, not a variety show, not Chuck E. Cheese, not a U2 concert, not a nature walk, but a wonderfully ordinary, blood-bought, Spirit-driven church with pastors, sermons, budgets, hymns, bad carpet and worse coffee?

The Church, because it is Christ's church, will outlive American Idol, the NFL, and all of our grandkids. We won't last, but the Church will. So when it comes to church, be like Jesus: love it, don't leave it. As Saint Calloway once prophesied to the Brothers of Blues, "Jake, you get wise, you get to church

Addicted to Entertainment

2009-06-05T12:22:00.000-07:00

Friends,

My name is Chris and I am addicted to entertainment! I never really gave it much thought but its true. A couple of weeks ago my friend Shawn mentioned he was cutting off the TV for awhile, another friend Benita mention she was giving up “Farm Town”. I have had other family members mention packing up their TV’s and video games. So it looks like I am not alone. I am addicted to all these things! Now with today’s technology, we have enough media at our fingertips to be able to watch thousands of hours (days/Months) of TV shows and Movies. With Netflix and Hulu alone you can spend every min of the day watching something new for the rest of your lives. Wow! Sometimes that’s enough to stress you out. I have about 30 hrs alone on my DVR that I don’t have time to watch. Let alone the hundreds of DVD’s I just had to have. Am I really going to have time to watch all 5 Star Wars movies again? I don’t think so.

But is all this bad? That’s the million dollar question. I think if it controls your life, keeps you from worshiping God and spending time with your family it is. I was thinking about this the other day. I have recently decided to start doing some extra activities at Church (couples class on Sunday evenings and Men’s book study on Wed). All of this combined with the services on Sun and Wednesday adds up to about 7 hrs a week. That’s a lot! But then I thought about how much time I spend on entertainment I felt ashamed. I can’t even give 7 hours to worship and fellowship with other belivers?

So what’s the take away? For me it’s balance and prioritizing. It’s about putting God first, and then your family and anything left can go for entertainment. For the longest time I have had these in the reverse order and trust me it’s a daily struggle. But if you read the attached article there are some good tips from Tim Challies and John Piper on overcoming this addiction. Another thing I would suggest is to take it slow and wean yourself off these addictions. Look at it like steering an 18 wheeler that you are trying to turn around. Make a slow gradual turn. A lot of people want to get radical and go cold turkey. Examples being, taking out the TV or shutting off the cable. It never works. Like Brother Steve said the other night about good intentions being the path to you know where! Remember “I was gonna” died and didn’t make it to Heaven because he “was gonna” and never did. The below excerpt comes from Tim Challies’s blog http://www.challies.com/ Hope you enjoy…Chris

Addicted to Entertainment (II)by Tim Challies

Yesterday I looked briefly at entertainment addiction and attempted to propose a definition of entertainment. I said that entertainment is an escape or distraction from normal life. Perhaps I should have added that it is an “enjoyable” escape or distraction. While this is an imperfect definition, I think it is useful, at the least. We seek entertainment to take our minds off the stresses and strains and reality of life.
Today I want to offer a couple of ideas that may help you see the impact entertainment has on our lives.

QUALIFY ENTERTAINMENT

I think we need to first qualify our entertainment. We need to figure out what constitutes entertainment and this may well vary from person to person. A lot of what we may think is news or information or otherwise beneficial information may really be entertainment thinly disguised. Do you check Drudge Report eight or ten times every day looking to see the newest headlines? If so, I suspect you are being entertained more than you are being informed. That little bit of information you get from glancing at the headlines and skimming through the stories should probably be filed as entertainment. The same is true of much of the evening news or the blogs you read. Are these things really integral to your life and faith? Or are they really just a form of entertainment? In Amusing Ourselves to Death Neil Postman asked when the last time was that you read a news headline and were compelled to take action. He realized that the vast majority of the news that comes to us is news which demands no action; instead, it is mere information that entertains us but without edifying or challenging us. Even news is often entertainment.

So my encouragement here is to take a look at your day and especially the time you spend in front of screens to determine how much of it is genuinely useful, genuinely applicable to life and how much of it is really a form of entertainment. Which of the shows you watch are entertainment and which are genuinely useful? Which of the web sites you read are entertainment and which actually impact your life? Which of the books you read are amusing and which are edifying? Just pause briefly to think about it.

QUANTIFY ENTERTAINMENT

Once you have qualified what you do to entertain yourself, try to quantify it. Here you simply attach a number to your entertainment—a number of hours or minutes every day in which you enjoy entertainment. I suspect that, almost invariably, you will be surprised at how large that number is.
As of 2008, the average person between the ages of 18 and 24 spent 8.5 hours every day in front of some kind of a screen—whether computer, cell phone, television, or any other. Mom and dad (aged 45 - 54) fared better (or is it worse?), clocking in at 9.5 hours. These are incredible statistics that give a sense of how digital technologies are reshaping our world. Consider that in 1940 the average would have been 0 hours per day. In just 70 years we have radically reshaped our lives.
How much of this screen time is entertainment-related? In most cases I suspect that it would be the vast majority. Almost 5 hours of the 8.5 for that 18 to 24 year-old are spent watching television (with mom and dad tallying over 6). Can any of that be deemed something other than entertainment? Not likely. How much of the computer time is related to work or school and how much is chatting or browsing or looking at pornography? And even when we seek to be productive on our computers, how often do we switch quickly to email or Digg or Facebook, even if just for a moment or two at a time? How much of the time spent texting and chatting on the cell phone is for entertainment purposes? And even when we do sit back on the couch with a good book, do we keep the television on, just within our peripheral vision?

Even when we look exclusively at screen time we find that people must spend several hours a day being entertained. And this does not include all the other means of entertainment available to us. So quantify your entertainment. For just a day or two track what you do and define appropriate categories. Keep an eye out for how often you switch from work to entertainment, school to entertainment, even if for only two or three minutes each time. I suspect you will find that you are demanding hours of entertainment every day.

WHAT TO DO?

Before we continue, I wish to emphasize once again that entertainment is not inherently evil. In fact, I am sure that God created us so we desire and pursue times of entertainment. However, I do think we live at a time when we pursue entertainment with reckless abandon and when we demand it in unprecedented quantities. And for this reason it does us good to think about it, to qualify it, to quantify it.

Now we return to the question that triggered these articles. Somebody wrote to John Piper and asked “I believe I do love Jesus, but most of the time I’d rather spend time being entertained than spend time in God’s word. How do I break this hold that entertainment has on my heart?”

Here is Piper’s reply:

1. Recognizing it is a huge step in the right direction.
2. Seek the Lord earnestly about it. Pray like crazy that God would open your eyes to see wondrous things out of his law.
3. Immerse yourself in the Bible, even when you don’t feel like it, pleading with God to open your eyes to see what’s really there.
4. Get in a group where you talk about serious things.
5. Begin to share your faith. One of the reasons we are not as moved by our own faith as we are is because we almost never talk about it to any unbeliever. It starts to feel like a kind of hothouse thing, and then it starts to have a feeling of unreality about it. And then the powers of entertainment have more sway in our life.

What I have sought to do yesterday and today is give some guidance, some context, to this first step. I want to help you recognize if and where entertainment has dominated your time. If you quantify your entertainment and find that you are spending four or five hours a day being entertained, you may will identify with this person’s honest statement: “most of the time I’d rather spend time being entertained than spend time in God’s word.”

At this point I’d encourage you to pursue Piper’s remedy. I know there is much more that could be said at this point but his suggestions are, at the very least, a great place to start. Pray like crazy, immerse yourself in Scripture even (and especially) when you do not want to, talk with others about serious things and share the gospel. Let God’s Word shape and mold you, showing you what really matters.

Son's messy room leads to dad's 911 call

2009-05-19T13:40:00.000-07:00

Friends,

I found this on MSN this morning.

“BEDFORD, Ohio - An Ohio man who argued with his grown son over a messy bedroom says he overreacted when he called 911.Andrew Mizsak called authorities Thursday after his 28-year-old son — who's a school board member in the Cleveland suburb of Bedford — threw a plate of food across the kitchen table and made a fist at him when told to clean his room. The son, also named Andrew, lives in a room in his parents' basement. The father declined to press charges and told police he doesn't want to ruin his son's political career. The son, who also works as a political consultant, says he's lucky to be living in the house rent free. He also promises to keep his room clean.”

How many of us can relate to this guy? I know I can. I also know if I had a dollar for every time we have told our Son to clean his room we could pay our house off. But you know this really got me thinking about how our Heavenly Father is doing the same thing with us. Using our “Room” as an analogy for our “lives” I am sure our father is constantly telling us to clean up! Do we listen? A lot of times we don’t but he loves us anyway and doesn’t give up hope that one day we will change. I often equate being a parent to the way God is our parent. I often tell my Son that I love him and that I would give my life for him just like Jesus did for us. I tell him that God forgives me when I mess up and I will do the same for him. He still has a messy room but has a closer relationship with his parents and for that I am eternally grateful

Father thank you for the Mercy and Grace you have shown us in dealing with our “messy Rooms” We know we are undeserving of your Love and Forgiveness but you give it freely anyway. Father thank you sending your Son to die for our sins and thank you for not giving up on us. It’s in Jesus name we pray Amen!

Unashamed

2009-04-27T12:23:00.000-07:00

Friends I have been so blessed to belong to a Church family who loves me for who I am and who loves me unconditionally. When I think about what I have been going through these past couple of years and especially the pain I have caused Heidi and my Son I have to wonder how can anyone care about me? I am very ashamed of what I have done and I have asked for forgiveness from my family and from God. I do believe that I have been forgiven and have been shown more mercy and grace than I deserve, but then again that’s what being a Christian is all about. Here are a couple of scriptures that come to mind.

Romans 3:23-24 tells us that “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus”

Romans 8:1-2 also tells us “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death”

Wow pretty powerful stuff. I have to credit my Brother Tony for quoting these to me when I have been feeling down and discouraged about my transgressions. I have been forgiven and I am still covered under Gods Grace! Friends it took along time to realize this. Like I said in the beginning my Church family has also been awesome through this whole experience. They really stood by Heidi and Cj and welcomed me back home with open arms.

The main reason I am writing this Blog is to reach other people who might feel too ashamed of their Sins to come back to Church. I talked to a very sweet girl and her boyfriend yesterday after the service and asked about her Mom and Dad. Her parents had divorced 4 yrs earlier and recently reconciled and remarried. Her Mom was in our Sunday school class and I can remember the day she told Heidi that she was getting back together with her former husband. Just thinking of the happiness I saw on her face brings tears to my eyes. God has restored another marriage! He has healed another family! God does not know the meaning of the word impossible!

Well to get back to my point. After this couple remarried we haven’t seen them in Church that much and Mom has not been back to our Sunday school class. When I asked the daughter about it she said they are visiting other Churches. I hope and pray that they don’t feel too ashamed to come back and get involved with our Church. Like I said before Westwood has welcomed me back with open arms and I know they would do the same for them. And besides what a blessing it would be for everyone to see how God has worked in their lives. Friends we need more of this! We need to share our victories! We need to see God working in our lives. We need to hear from people who have been through the storm and lived to tell about.

Friends if you or someone you know is avoiding the Church because you feel ashamed of your past sins or feel unwelcomed I beg you to give Jesus along with his bride (The Church) a chance to work in your life. I am so glad I did! I will leave you with a verse from Colossians 2:13-14 ” And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross”
Remember we have all fallen short of Gods glory and there has only been one without Sin and that was the one who took our place on the cross! Take care my friends, I’ll see you later at our Fathers house.

The Basement!

2009-04-15T08:51:00.000-07:00

Those of you who have been following me on Facebook for the past couple of weeks know I have been really hyping up “The Basement”. Well there is a really good reason; simply “The Basement” is awesome. Now to give you a little background on the Basement I am will borrow some quotes from an article in “The Christian Science Monitor”

“The Basement isn't a club. It's a youth-oriented church service – part concert, part pep rally – led by 25-year-old Matt Pitt, a self-taught evangelist who's been preaching his message of clean living, racial conciliation, and sold-out-for-God Christianity since 2004. What began as informal street preaching has become a full-blown enterprise requiring police, security guards, lawyers, and accountants. Mr. Pitt's life has changed seemingly overnight, and many of the teenagers who flock to Birmingham's Cathedral of the Cross to hear him speak say he's changing them, too."

“Pitt is one of a new generation of young evangelical pastors around the country trying to reach out to kids who feel alienated by traditional churches. Mixing prayer and pulse-pounding music, the services speak to teens in a vernacular and environment they're used to, often emphasizing personal testimonies rather than authoritative teaching. Services at The Basement open with roughly 45 minutes of hip-hop performed by local Christian rappers who whip the crowd into a frenzy, encouraging them to dance mosh-pit-style to lyrics like, "Jesus is my rock/ Jesus is my rock star/ Jesus is my rock/ And he's totally cool."

“Pitt arrives onstage afterward, looking somewhat like a rock star himself as his lanky frame, clad in a black T-shirt, jeans, and sandals, is projected across two large screens. "Look at those Jesus freaks right there who are not ashamed," he says, pointing to a row of gyrating worshipers. "Jesus is the only way. The Basement can't do it for you. This is not about a man or a ministry. I'm just the messenger.”

“Keeping it real is a big part of Pitt's message. He addresses issues like school violence, sex, absentee fathers, racism, and suicide. He speaks openly about his personal struggles, as well as those of his family.” Follow below link for the complete article

http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0917/p20s01-ussc.html?page=1

This article is good but to really get an ideal of what goes on at the Basement you have to see for yourself. The doors open at 6:45 on Tuesday nights at “The Cathedral of the Cross” Church in Centerpoint.

Now for the past couple of weeks I have been taking a small group of kids from Westwood with me on Tuesday nights and it really has been a blessing. Last night one of the kids we took, I believe got saved. He name is Trevor. He is a friend of my son Cj and had just started coming to our youth group on Wed nights. We saw Trevor hanging around the Church last night and invited him to go with us. Well half way through the service I noticed him sitting in the pew with his head in his hands. I asked Cj if he was sick and he said “no dad he is an atheist and I think he is changing his mind” Wow that was powerful!

Trevor continued to sit there while we all were worshiping and then Cj, Kat and Randy Bailey (yes I said Randy Bailey) hugged him and prayed with him. It was very emotional. Usually the service ends with Matt leaving the stage while the crowd gathers up front and worships to a couple Hillsong tunes. Then we usually leave after a song or two but last night we stayed an extra 20 minutes singing and praising Jesus while the kids gathered around Trevor and held him. Wow! I still get emotional thinking about. Then after we got back to the church Cj informs me that his friend Jacob has also been inspired by going to the Basement. All I can say is Praise Jesus!

Now we also have a great youth program at Westwood led by Joseph and his wife Kara and they are doing an awesome job. I think the Basement is just a great way to get our youth on fire for Jesus and invite them into the family of Christ. Now the youths weren’t the only ones on fire last night, if you would of seen Tyrone and I jumping around you would of grabbed a fire hose..Take care friends and hopefully I’ll see you at the Basement! God Bless

A Family that prays together....Love Dare day 37

2009-04-13T08:48:00.000-07:00

Friends,

As you know Heidi and I have been attending a Love Dare Bible Study at Westside Baptist Church in Jasper on Sunday nights. We have one more session to go and during that session we will renew our wedding vows, but what I want to talk about today is praying as a couple and family. I have been hit and miss on my Love Dare blogs but I feel this is one of the most important dares you can do. So here it goes.

TODAY’S DARE

“Ask your spouse if you can begin praying together. Talk about the best time to do this, whether it’s in the morning, your lunch hour, or before bedtime. Use this time to commit your concerns, disagreements, and needs before the Lord. Don’t forget to thank Him for His provision and blessing. Even if your spouse refuses to do this, resolve to spend this daily time in prayer yourself.”

Wow..This is powerful! John and Lisa (our class leaders) have been emphasizing praying as a couple since day one but until a couple of days ago we haven’t been doing it. Then last Thursday we did it. We woke up and “I said I think we need to pray together”, Heidi agreed and then I started thanking the Lord for blessing our marriage and giving us a second chance. I also thanked him for all the other blessings we have received and then ask him to watch over us and our family. It was awesome! Now I have to admit I am not very comfortable praying aloud but this morning I felt at ease and the words just flowed out and it only took a couple of minutes. The best part was later that evening Heidi came home from work and expressed how much the prayer helped her through her work day. She said she felt lifted up all day and nothing really bothered her, which was great! We also did this with our Son the other day and he was real receptive to it. What an awesome way to start the day and strengthen your relationships. Thank you Jesus! A couple of scriptures come to mind when I think about praying together.

“If two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father”. Matthew 18:19

Also Ephesians 6:11 tells us to “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil”

I firmly believe that prayer is the first step in putting on the whole armor of God on and when we do this we are preparing ourselves for anything the enemy throws at us. Praying together also brings us closer to God and to each other. Try it! Take care yall..God Bless…..Chris

Just some random thoughts

2009-03-27T10:59:00.000-07:00

In the office today we had a discussion about gossiping around the “water cooler” but since we don’t have a “water cooler” we meet by the scanner and fax machine (that seems to be obsolete in today’s high tech world) and share our stories. Now when I say gossip I mean small talk and not necessarily talking about others.Where do you all gather for your daily dish of office gossip?

I read an interesting blog about Facebook today. Seems like some folks are addicted to the Social Networking page that most of us belong to. This Blog starts out telling a story about a guy checking his Facebook page during Church then the writer goes on to explain how Facebook, Gmail and other internet usage are preventing him from his daily Bible reading. Now I will admit I spend some time one these places myself but let’s be honest with ourselves here, there are a hundred other things out there that will keep you from staying in the word on a daily basis. We have TV, music, video games, sports..ect.. ect more stuff to do than time to do it in. If you are not reading your Bible or a devotional book everyday don’t blame technology, the kids, or your job. Take responsibility. Blame yourself and make the effort to put your daily time with God first. Friends I am the biggest violator of this. I spend way too much time watching TV and goofing off on the internet but I have to blame myself and not these things.

Getting back to Facebook, I love it! I think it is a great tool to keep up with friends and loved ones. How do you all feel about technology(and Facebook/myspace/twitter) and being able to stay focused on God at the same time? I feel it’s a balance that we all can achieve and who knows we as Christians can even use technology to spread the good news. Below is the link to the Facebook Blog I mentioned earlier..Peace and Blessings my friends..Chris

http://www.boundless.org/2005/articles/a0002003.cfm

Love is Faithful

2009-03-25T12:47:00.000-07:00

Day 22: Love is faithful

I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness. Then you will know the Lord.
—Hosea 2:20

TODAY’S DARE

Love is a choice, not a feeling. It is an initiated action, not a knee-jerk reaction. Choose today to be committed to love even if your spouse has lost most of their interest in receiving it. Say to them today in words similar to these, “I love you. Period. I choose to love you even if you don’t love me in return.”

Friends,

I know I have been hit and miss with my Love Dare blogging so bear with me. Today’s dare talks about being committed to love. It starts off with saying love is a choice. Wow I never really thought about that before. Do we choose to love someone? I always thought it was a feeling that you had no control over. I guess on the other hand you could choose not to hate someone. What are some of your feelings on this? I also heard something interesting in our Love dare Bible study the other night. Our teacher told us that you must “lead your heart instead of following it”. I am still trying to grasp what that means so again feel free to chime in. I guess it means you can will your self to love someone and lead your heart where your flesh doesn’t want to go.

Well getting back to the Dare. I usually tell Heidi I love her a good 10-15 times a day whether it be in person, cell phone, e-mail or text so I think we have this covered. But then I got to thinking if we tell each other “I love you” that many times a day why don’t we do the same for Jesus? I have to admit I am lucky if I pray once a day. That is an area that I really need to focus on. But I was thinking I can just close my eyes for a second and tell Jesus “I love you” and not ask for anything. I can tell him everytime I get in the car or better yet when I get out of the car and thank him at the same time for getting me to my destination safely. I can think of alot of times where I have a minute or two that I can just say I love you!. Well friends that’s my 2 cents for today. Let me know what you think…take care..Chris

Love dare..Day 14

2009-03-16T22:01:00.000-07:00

Friends Thursdays Love Dare was:

Day 14

Purposefully neglect an activity you would normally do so you can spend quality time with your spouse. Do something he or she would love to do or a project they’d really like to work on. Just be together.

Well for the past week I have been playing a lot of online video games with my Brother so Thursday I decided to put down the games and spend some quality time with my baby. I started out by cooking dinner, then afterward we watched a movie together. It’s amazing how much time we could spend together but it always seems like we have other stuff to do. My suggestion would be spend quality first , then do whatever you thought was so important afterward. I always have a couple of hours after Heidi goes to bed to play games or piddle around the house. Thanks for stopping by..Your Brother in Christ…Chris

Enjoy life with the wife you love all the days of your fleeting life.—Ecclesiastes 9:9 HCSB

Love Dare Blog

2009-03-13T11:58:00.000-07:00

Friends,

I have started a blog just for doing the Love Dare. I will still maintain this on but wanted to get involved with others who are doing the Love Dare program. Today i will post a link and my first Blog post from the Love dare site. Feel free to put your 2cents, well 1cent in since were are in hard economic times.

http://lovedare.bhpublishinggroup.com/cbarnette1966/

Compelled by Love

Day 13

March 13th, 2009

Friends,

For the past couple of weeks Heidi and I have been attending a “Fireproof” Bible study at Westside Baptist in Jasper on Sunday evenings. I have decided to start blogging about this as a way of keeping up with our love dares and to share experiences with other couples going through the same thing. This is my first Blog on an actual dare and yes I know I am starting in the middle and out of order but if you look in the love dare book there are some things you can’t do on certain days. I am starting out with day 13 then I might jump back to some others. So here it is. Please feel free to comment and let me know what you came up with.
.

"If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand".—Mark 3:25

TODAY’S DARE

Talk with your spouse about establishing healthy rules of engagement. If your mate is not ready for this, then write out your own personal rules to “fight” by. Resolve to abide by them when the next disagreement occurs.If a [...]

Wow what a good Ideal. Come up with some ground rules before an argument or conflict arises. Well here is our list that we both came up with.

Day 13

Talk to your spouse about establishing healthy rules (guidelines) of engagement

1. No yelling or raising voices
2. Use speaker listener technique, Listen first to the other- then speak, no interruptions, and a promise to listen openly
3. No low blows or bringing up the past
4. Before speaking put best thought forward
5. Call time out when an issues get too heated and can’t be immediately resolved.
6. Pick good time for discussions (not while going to Church, getting ready for work, or on date/family nights/vacations or meal times)
7. No going to bed angry
8. End disagreement/discussion on good note, giving a hug, kiss and saying “I love you”

Romans 13

2009-03-10T08:17:00.000-07:00

Friends,

In an attempt to get more into the Word and learn some scripture I have joined Tim Challies and his fellow bloggers in a weekly scripture memorization group. Each week Tim posts a passage of scripture for us to learn and memorize. I will attempt to keep up with this and blog a little on the scripture as well. This week we are memorizing Romans 13. This is a good one. I think my brother Tony quoted this to me after the election. The basic themes are Submission to Authorities and to Fulfilling the Law through Love.

After the election one of my co-workers (an Obama supporter) asked me if I was ok. As in was I disappointed? And my response was “I am great, my guy won!” She then looked at me like I was crazy and I explained that God is in control and that his will was being done. Romans 13:1 tells us “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God” There you have it “those that exist have been instituted by God” he is in control and he knows best.

Now the second part of Romans 13 talks about how Love fulfills the Law. Wow how simple is that! Basically if you follow what Jesus says about love you will not break any of other the other Commandments? That’s it “you shall love your neighbor as yourself”. Romans 13:10 tells us “Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law” To quote the Beatles “all you need is love”. Just think of how much easier our lives would be if we could just remember that. I know I struggle with it sometimes.

Father God,

Thank you so much for giving us your inspired Word to help guide us through our lives here on Earth and to prepare us to one day to enter the Kingdom of Heaven and spend eternity with your Son. Father thank you for giving us your Son to who has shown us what true love is all about. Lord it’s in your name we pray. Amen

Romans 13

Submission to the Authorities

13:1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

Fulfilling the Law Through Love
.

8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. 11 Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. 12 The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Shopping for a Church

2009-03-03T13:57:00.000-08:00

Friends,

Today I came across an interesting story on MSN about the new “American Mania” of shopping around for a Church. Shopping for a Church? Now I have heard of looking for a Church before but shopping? Do we shop for a new Job, or a new School? I think my Church is more personal than that. I think the article was referring to the White House statement saying the Obama Family was “still shopping for a Church in Washington”; well anyway besides the play on words here I believe a lot of Americans have been looking for a good place to worship and call home. According to this article “One in seven adult’s changes churches each year and another one in six attends a handful of churches on a rotating basis”. Wow that seems like a high number but I guess it’s possible. I know we have had a few people rotate in and out of our doors but not that many. But in today’s society we have more choices than ever about every aspect in our lives; examples are school, work, doctors and yes even Churches. Wow so many to choose from and so little time to do it. Now friends I am a firm believer in finding the perfect Church for your family no matter how long it takes.
While visiting my brother in Nashville over the past couple of years I have had the pleasure of visiting a number of Churches. Each one of them has been awesome and unique in their own way. I still don’t know which one I would choose if I lived up there but I do know I would find one who would love my family and I like their own. Kind of like my Westwood family. I know I got all mushy about Westwood in a previous post but I can’t help bragging on them. But back to the topic of Church shopping, what do look for when deciding on a Church to attend? What is it about the Church that makes you feel like a part of the family? How did you come about attending the Church you are at now? For me it was a matter of the Church finding my family. After moving here in 2000 we were visited by a group of folks from Westwood who invited us to Church a couple of times. At first we really didn’t get a warm fuzzy about Westwood but as we got to know some people we started to feel at home and really felt in our hearts it was the place to be. What’s your story?

Father God,

Thank you so much for not only giving us your Son but also giving us so many places to go and worship him as a family. Father thank you for our brothers and sisters in Christ who make our Churches more than just places of worship but homes where families can gather as one. It’s in your name that we pray. Amen

MSN Article

http://www.slate.com/id/2211937/?gt1=38001

Cool Blog/links for "Lost" fans

2009-02-21T00:13:00.000-08:00

Friends,

For those of you who like the show "Lost" I have posted some links you might enjoy.

http://lost-media.com/

http://lost-and-gone-forever.blogspot.com/

A few nuggets

2009-02-17T21:34:00.000-08:00

Friends,

I just got through listening to a teaching from one of my favorite pastors, Mark Driscoll. He taught a good lesson on the "9 Distinctions Between the Gospel and Religion" while visiting the campus of the Southeasten Baptist Theological Seminary. It's over 40 min but worth the time .

http://www.sebts.edu/news-resources/multimedia.aspx?type=chapel&Vid=72

The other gem for today is fellow Blogger, book reviewer and Author Tim Challies is starting a scripture memorization program with his fellow bloggers visit his site for more details.

http://www.challies.com/archives/memorizing-scripture/memorize-scripture-with-us.php

Hope you enjoy...Chris

A Love for My Bride!

2009-02-12T14:53:00.000-08:00

Friends,

While reading Ed Stetzers book “Compelled by love” I came across a quote that made me think about my Church and how I feel about the people I worship with. The quote goes like this “Can You Love Jesus and Ignore His Bride?” I have to admit I never really gave that too much thought. Then when he explained how Jesus thought of the Church as his Bride it all made sense. Ed also writes in his blog “if you consider yourself a Christian but don't love and enjoy a covenant relationship with a local body of believers, you are essentially saying "I love Jesus, but I don't love His wife.". I have to admit I do love my Bride. I love all my Brothers and Sisters in my Church family and really enjoy worshipping with them. But last night during a business meeting I was sad to learn that a number of members have left our family. I then wondered why.

In a recent survey about people leaving a church( conducted by Life Way)it was concluded that 58 percent of those studied said they stopped coming due to relational problems. For example, 26 percent said Church members seemed judgmental or hypocritical; 20 percent didn’t feel connected to people in the Church and 15 percent said churches were unfriendly, unwelcoming, or cliquish.

Wow! I have heard some of these comments from people who not attended Church regularly or nonbelievers, but not from members. I know we have had some problems in our Church but not to the extent listed in the Life Way survey. But I have to wonder how much the individuals contributed to the experiences they had with the Church. Were they judgmental themselves? Were they friendly, welcoming? Did they even try to connect with some people? Friends I feel there has to be some give and take here. I believe we have to come out of our shells and make the first move sometimes.

We need to go up to that person we don’t know and shake their hand. One guy came up to me just last week and ask how long I have been going to Westwood and I told him on and off for 5 plus years. He said he never noticed me there. But come to think of it I have never noticed him neither. That’s what I am talking about. That tells me I need to go to some of these folks I see every week and greet them. I need to stick around a little bit after Church or come in early and just start up a conversation with someone I don’t know. It’s funny I do that all the time when I am waiting in line at Wal-Mart or out somewhere so why not do it at Church?

Friends like I said before I love all my peeps at Westwood and every weekend is like a family reunion. We have a group of older ladies who are like grandmothers to me; I have some other guys and gals who are just like Brothers and Sisters. I can just go on and on about them. But the whole point is we have to love the Bride and this means we have to love the Church just as Jesus did and everyone in it. Ephesians 5:25 (ESV) gives us instructions “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her”

Father God,

Thank you finding my family and I a Church that we can call home, a place where we can share our love for you and our love for one another. Father please continue blessing our extended family and help us reach people who feel unloved and unwelcomed in your home. Father we love you and are thankful for the many blessings we have received from you. It’s in your name we pray Amen!

The Sabbath? Who needs that?

2009-02-06T13:37:00.000-08:00

Friends,

If you’re like me you might think the same thing. For the longest time I never understood what the big deal about this day was. Even after being saved I never really knew what this Commandment was all about. Like a lot of folks I always thought that you couldn’t work on that day and you also had to spend all day in Church. Well my friends today I have a different opinion of this day.

According to Wikipedia “A Shabbat or Sabbath is generally a weekly day of rest and/or time of worship that is observed in several faiths. The term derives from the Hebrew Shabbat , "to cease", which was first used in the Biblical account of the seventh day of Creation.

In the Old Testament the Sabbath was observed on the seventh day, which of course was Saturday. During those times the Jewish leaders added over 1,500 rules dictating what you could and could not do on this day. They even questioned Jesus for healing on the Sabbath. But Jesus had the perfect answer. Mark 2:27/28 (ESV) And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath”, “So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.” So there you have it, Jesus said “the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” and he also said he was “lord even of the Sabbath”

The Sabbath is a gift from God. It is something that God thought was so important that he included it the Ten Commandments. It is something that God instructed us to do for our own good. Now it was the Pharisees who decided to add conditions to this Holy day and it was Constantine who officially changed the day to Sunday.Now I know a lot of us will say that the Sabbath is part of the “Laws” of the Old Testament and that we have been freed from these laws by Grace, there is even scripture that could back that up.

Galatians 3:22-26 (ESV) tells us “Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.”

Yes it is true there are a lot of the “Laws” from the OT that we are free from like Circumcision and observing the Sabbath but we have to ask ourselves do these Laws really help or hinder us. In the case of the Sabbath I believe it could only do us good.

The internetmonk (who has a really good blog site) wrote “Christians can greatly benefit from Sabbath keeping as a personal discipline, but it isn’t a new covenant command. We should always be careful when using any OT practice. It can be done, but only with the Gospel as the controlling principle” he also said “But it’s not a command to keep Sunday as the Christian Sabbath. It’s a worthy imitation of the old covenant to honor the Sabbath as Jesus did by honoring God as the God of Sabbath whenever we take it”.

So now that we are free from this law do we still need it? I say yes. We all need a break from the daily grind. No one can work for any long period of time with out taking some kind of break. God even rested on the seventh day, even though he didn’t need it. He did so to set an example for us to follow. So here are some of my own thoughts and some I borrowed from J. Johns book “Ten”

So the question is when do we take this day? Well Sunday would be perfect and you could start off by worshiping our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. What should we do on this day? Well I just mentioned one but J. Johns says we should spend time with our families and other believers and fellowship. We should sleep in, watch a movie, take a walk in the park, and have a picnic, any kind of recreation that doesn’t require work and stress. “But I have so much to do, I am so far behind on my house work” Well I say take care of that stuff during the week. Do a load of laundry every night, clean as you go! How about getting your grass cut, your clothes ready for the following week and vacuum your house on Saturday? We need to make the time! Prioritize! Cut off the branches in our life that doesn’t bare fruit

It’s up to you to organize your time so you can enjoy this day. I tried this last week and have really benefited from this day. I felt very refreshed mentally and physically and was ready to start the work week. Plus I got to have a great day of worship with out stressing about things I needed to get done. How many times have we had the Monday morning blues? A lot if you’re the average person but this is because we don’t give ourselves a break. We all need the Sabbath!

Father God thank you so much for giving us the Command to take a day of rest and spend it worshipping your Son and enjoying the things you have created for us. Father please show us ways to make the most of this day and keep our lives free of stress and distractions. We love you Lord and thank you for your many blessings its in Jesus name we pray. Amen

Just walk it off!

2009-02-03T11:43:00.000-08:00

Friends,

Have you ever heard the old expression “Just walk it off”? Of course that is an expression used when we are injured and are encouraged to walk or move the injured area to ease the pain and get back into the activity we were doing. Peyton Manning has been quoted as saying “just rub some dirt on it”. These are some funny expressions that can be used by your smart-alecky co-workers or friends who seem to be entertained by your current discomfort. I was thinking about this while working out this morning. It seems like every time I start my workout my muscles tighten up in my legs and it causes a great deal of discomfort. Then I have to will myself to keep going and work through the pain. Eventually they loosen up and I am able to finish my workout but it’s those first couple of minutes that really test my dedication to getting in to shape. So where am I going with this?

Well I feel the same thing happens when we try to grow (exercise) spiritually. You know how it goes. You buy all the latest Study Bibles, you get the Bible on cd/mp3, get the daily Bible podcast ect.ect..ect. Well at least that’s what I have been doing, but when it is time to use all of these great references we start feeling a little discomfort or we get side tracked. You set out with good intentions and even get a good start but as soon as you start feeling a little tired or unmotivated you stop. That’s when I suggest we “walk it off” and push through what ever it is that’s keeping from our devotional time. That’s what I am trying to tell myself. I need to walk through those moments and stick with the program. But first I need to get a program going. Last year I was able to read through the New Testament and a few Christian living books but I think this year I need a routine to help me maximize my time. So what kind of suggestions do you all have? What time do you set aside for your daily devotions? Morning, noon, evening?

Father God,

Please help me get more organized in my life so I can make living for your Son a priority in my life. Father bring to light the things in my life that waste my time and keep me from learning your inspired word. Father thank you for all the people you have put in my life that have been an inspiration and have helped lead me to your Son. It’s in Jesus name I pray Amen.

Jesus the ultimate protection

2009-01-26T08:53:00.000-08:00

Friends,

For the past couple of weeks I have been plagued with one of the nastiest computer viruses I have ever come across. This virus started out as a pop up and turned into a monster which eventually took over my pc and shut it down. For those of you that consider a pc a life line understand the turmoil I was going through not being able to access my favorite sites, play games, and listen to music..ect..ect. Of course I had a laptop as a back-up but I had to share that with my wife and was not comfortable using the smaller screen and keyboard. Anyway a good friend of mine told me of a great anti-virus program that would get rid of this hostile take over and restore my pc to its previous glory. So after many attempts I got my 5 year old Dell back in tip top shape and ready to ride the waves of the high speed internet.

After experiencing the joy of having my friend back I started thinking of how my experience could relate in a Biblical way. That’s when it hit me, Jesus kind of works in the same way as an anti-virus program. Just bear with me for a minute while I try to put it together. You see Sin is like a computer virus. It starts out like a small flashy pop up. It’s attractive, appealing and makes you think you have to click on it, and that’s when it happens, it’s in and you feel helpless. A lot of times when Sin enters our lives it acts like a virus and quickly spreads through every aspect of our life, its ultimate goal is to shut us down.

That’s where Jesus comes in. If we accept him as our Savior he will run a scan on our operating systems (life), recognize all viruses (Sin) and remove them from our hard drives. He will also keep watch and help keep Sin out of our lives. But an important thing to always remember is to keep your software (relationship with Jesus) updated and to use it (pray) on a regular (daily) basis.

1 John 1:9 (ESV) says “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”

Father God,

Thank you for sending your Son to intercede in our lives and pay the price for our Sins. Father we know we are not worthy of your love and Grace but you give freely anyway. Father God help us to recognize our short comings and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
It is in your name we pray..Amen

Lost Generation

2009-01-24T23:45:00.000-08:00

Friends,

Here is a video that my Brother Tony posted on his site at
http://kingdombard.wordpress.com/

The video says it all...Enjoy...Chris

The Jesus I never knew

2009-01-19T21:37:00.000-08:00

Friends,

My Sunday school teacher Joseph came up with a great ideal for his class. Instead of the normal lessons, that on occasion can be a little dry and un-engaging he suggested that we as a class do a book study and have a discussion once a week. Well the book he picked out is called "The Jesus I never knew" by Philip Yancey. I have read the first chapter and answered some of the discussion questions that were given. Then while talking with my brother Tony this morning I thought it would be a good Blog topic and a good ideal to have folks answer some discussion questions. So if there are some questions that you all can answer with out having read the book I will try to post them in the weeks to come. Here were the questions for the first chapter.

The first question is "what was your first image or memory of Jesus and what place is most associated with that image?"

Question number two is "Do you still see Jesus the same way and if not what brought about this change?"

The last question was "What has most shaped your image of jesus as it is today?"

Again friends this is just an ideal for my blog, I'm not sure how it will turn out but these are some pretty good questions. Let me know what you think. Take care..Chris

AC/DC

2009-01-07T18:39:00.000-08:00

Friends while making my daily trek to Wal-Mart the other day I noticed something very interesting, over by the clothing section there was a big display of Ac/Dc merchandise. As you all know Ac/Dc is a famous rock band that started out in the 70’s and sold millions of records through out the 80's and 90's but the thing that blew my mind was that Wal-Mart had a big promotional deal with them and even had some items only available at their store. Now I have to admit I had been a fan of Ac/Dc and have even been to some of their concerts back in the day but now that I am a lot older and walking with the Lord I have to wonder if Wal-Mart is the proper place to promote this band. I would expect this at a record store but Wal-Mart? Is this the kind of stuff we should be exposing our young children to? I know some people will say if you don’t want your kids to listen to a certain group or watch a movie or T.V show that we as parents should just turn it off. But the question now is do we keep our kids out of Wal-Mart? I don’t know. I just think it’s kind of tacky.

Anyway seeing the acronym ac/dc made me think of some other ways it has been used. Of course the real meaning of Ac/Dc is alternating current / direct current or in today’s (anything goes) culture, going both ways with your sexual orientation, but how about this one, Accepting Christ / Denying Christ. I think when we use it this way there can only be one path to travel on. You can’t have it both ways. Although many have tried (Peter even denied Christ three times and later became a Saint) you will always end up on one side or the other. I know in my own personal walk with the Lord I have tried to straddle the fence and serve two masters but it has never worked.

Mathew 6:24 tells us “No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other”

I once saw a church sign that read “You can’t walk with the Lord while you are holding hands with the Devil”. How true that is. Seeing that sign made me question myself and wonder if I am really walking with the Lord or walking with the flesh and the world. I also realize that I like to try to get as close as I can to the edge of that line without crossing it so I will definitely have to work on that. Now friends I know we will all veer off the path at one time or another. But being a Child of God we can take comfort in knowing that he will put us back on track and get us going in the right direction. So the question for me is what do we do when we are getting ready to cross that line? I say in this case we jerk the steering wheel and get back on the road unlike when you’re driving and you make the gradual adjustment. What do you think? Take care my friends and keep both hands on the wheel!…Chris

Saying Goodbye

2009-01-03T10:03:00.000-08:00

Friends during this past week I have had the pleasure of spending Christmas with my mother and other family members. But I was really touched when my mother and her sister said goodbye to each other. My Aunt began to cry as she was leaving and gave my mother one last hug. Then after she left my mother said that they were getting old and that this could be the last time the saw each other. I could tell my Mom was putting on a brave front but I had to wonder. Do they really think this is it? I often wonder if the disciples thought the same thing when Jesus had foretold his death. Surly if they did they wouldn’t have fallen asleep while Jesus was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. How do we say goodbye to a loved one. Or better yet how do we say goodbye to a loved one on a regular basis that would say everything we feel about them. I am not sure where I am going with this one but I would love to be able to feel good about the way I last said goodbye to someone.

So many times I hear of people saying “I didn’t even have a chance to say goodbye, or to say I loved them”. I guess the point I am trying to make is that maybe every time we say goodbye to a loved one we should say it in a way that lets them know we really care and love them. I know I need to work on this one. When I left my Mom at a gas station in Virginia, I wondered if she knew how much I loved her and how much I was going to miss her or did I give the impression that I was in a hurry to get out of the cold and rain and get on my way. I think she knows how I feel but I often second guess myself and always think I should have said more or gave her another hug. What do you guys think? Like I said, I was just thinking about this while driving back from visiting my family for Christmas. I hope you and your family have a great New Year..Grace be with you…Chris

Only one Resolution this year!

2008-12-31T22:49:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year fellow bloggers, family and friends, I hope 2009 will bring you many blessings and victories over life’s trials and tribulations. As we approach the New Year I have been thinking of what kind of resolutions I will be making. Since I seldom keep my resolutions, this year I thought I would come up with one that would be easy to keep and something that is very important to keep as a Follower of Christ . Actually it's something so simple that I am really surprised I didn’t think of it before. It came to me while Joseph (my Sunday school teacher) was preaching about loving one another and trying to show what being a Christian looks like. That’s it! I got it. Now I don’t need to come up with a bunch of resolutions that I know I probably won’t keep. I just need to follow the greatest Commandment that Jesus gave to us “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” he also says “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” Matthew 22:37, 39 (ESV) That’s it, this is what I will be focusing on this year. Of course I will set some personal goals for myself but I think I will have a great year if I just follow these simple yet powerful Commandments Jesus has given us. Again friends I wish you and your families a very Happy New Year. Peace and Grace be with you all…Chris

Ready to Serve!

2008-12-29T09:50:00.000-08:00

Friends,

Every unit it the Army has a unit saying or catch phrase used to identify that unit or group. Our Moto happens to be “Ready to Serve”. I think we got that name because we serve and support the Soldiers who are on the battlefield. As Christians we are also taught to serve one another. I think Jesus gave us the best example of that. In the past I have always wanted to Serve and do something for others but must most of the time I would wait to the last minute and then not do it at all. Procrastination is definitely one of my biggest weaknesses. But this past month I have really been blessed to be able to help others and Serve my community. In November I was given the opportunity to volunteer for a swim meet for special needs children and this past week I had the privilege to participate in our local Christmas parade and play the role of a Sheppard in our Church Christmas program. The cool thing was that I had been feeling down about not being able to participate in these activities. You see the procrastination monkey had jumped on my back and I didn’t even sign up to be a part in these events. But that’s when I received my blessing. Within a couple of days the guys who were organizing these activities called on me for a favor. And I have to say it was them who did me a favor and gave me a chance to help serve others. Thanks guys. So my question is, are you ready to serve? Will you be ready when you get the call? I hope I will. My goal for 2009 is to be more proactive and seek opportunities to serve other instead of waiting for the opportunities to come to me.
Take care friends…Chris

Being a great witness!

2008-12-21T23:43:00.001-08:00

Friends,

It’s that time of year again when we get to put on our best behavior and go visit family for the holidays. Well this year will be different for me because this year I feel I am really living for Christ and not just going through the motions. But the question I have to ask myself is; am I really being a good witness for our Lord and Savior! How will my actions and the way I treat my wife and children show my dedication to walking with Jesus? I know how poor of a witness I have been in the past, but this year I really want to try to reach some of my family who may not know Jesus. I want to let them see first hand how Jesus has saved me and try to share that with them. I also want to try to witness to my Step Father and some cousins on his side of the family that I have never met. We touched on this a little bit in Church this morning. The title of the Sermon this morning was “Real Righteousness” and Brother Steve was talking about some of the choices that Joseph had to make to reveal what was needed to share God’s gift. I will be borrowing some notes from the handout, so for my Westwood family you might recognize some of these statements.

1. We must use compassion instead of condemnation.

How many times have we condemned someone after seeing or hearing of them doing something wrong? A lot of times we do this to our own family members. I know I have done this on many occasions. Someone will ask how my son is doing in school and I will take that opportunity to let them know how bad he is doing. Then afterward I really feel bad and wish I would of told them how wonderful I think he is and how blessed I feel to have him as my son. It seems like when ever we get together with family and friends we seem to complain more than we give praise for what’s going on in our life. Paul wrote to Titus and said “speak evil of no one, avoid quarreling, be gentle and show perfect courtesy toward all people. 4 For ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another” Titus 3:2-3 ESV

2. We must have faith instead of fear.

Where do you need to choose faith over fear in your live? Family, Friends, on the Job?
Do you have a family member or co-worker who you know is not saved and are afraid to share the Gospel with them? I have, I have always tried to be a cool dad to my grown daughters and when I recently got back on the right path with Jesus I was hesitant about sharing the Gospel with them. Then one day while talking to my youngest daughter, I told her I made some big mistakes in my life and decided to give my life to the Lord. I told her to check out my MySpace and blog. The whole time I was afraid of what she might think about me but then I realized that her opinion or anyone else’s for that matter wasn’t important when it came to my salvation. Romans 1:16 says “I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” The same goes for my friends and co-workers. I know who I am in Christ and really that’s all that matters.

3. We must be willing to sacrifice instead of seeking satisfaction

Friends do you ever get tired of sacrificing yourself all the time and being a servant to everyone? I know I do. But then I think of all the people who have sacrificed and been a servant for me and it makes me feel blessed to be able to do something for someone else. In Mark 5:28 Peter tells Jesus “We have left everything to follow you!” and Jesus replies “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mothers or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age and in the age to come, eternal life” But friends I think not only will we be rewarded in this life and in heaven we will also be a great witness to the non-believers. I feel it is so important that we set a good example for everyone so others might know Christ.

I will close with a phrase I got from the service this morning “we need to make the gospel attractive to others” Friends I hope I can follow this advice this week while spending time with my extended family. Please pray for me as I will be keeeping you all in my prayers. Grace be with you…Chris

Free Book give away!

2008-12-16T12:10:00.000-08:00

Friends,

Trevin Wax over at Kindom People has an awesome opertunity to win some free books. It looks like a pretty cool deal and he also has a great site so check him out when you get a chance.

Thanks...Chris

http://trevinwax.com/

" I do not even judge myself "

2008-12-10T12:05:00.000-08:00

Friends while watching TV today I came across a preacher who was teaching from 1 Corinthians 4:3-5 ESV

3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. 4 For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. 5 Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.

Friends how many times have we let guilt and condemnation keep us from feeling worthy of Gods grace and love? How many times have we judged ourselves and let the guilt keep us from our relationship with our Father. I have on many occasions. It seems like when I am really on fire for Jesus and want to do all these things I start feeling guilty and unworthy of Gods grace and mercy. I know this is not the case and that Gods grace is new everyday but sometimes I can’t shake the feeling of being unworthy. Talking to my Brother Tony helps out a lot. He often has to remind me of Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” Reading this does give me a lot of comfort but I would love to be able to put up a firewall or minefield and keep these thoughts out. How do you all deal with these feelings? I think from now on when I start feeling this way I will get even deeper in the word and reach out even more to my Brother and Sisters in Christ for guidance. How do you guys feel about this? Take care…Chris

2008-12-01T22:03:00.000-08:00

From “Black Friday” to “Advent”

Friends for the past couple of years I have been practicing a new American tradition called “Black Friday”, which of course is the big shopping day after Thanksgiving. Legend has it that the name derives from “Black” being the day stores are finally out of the red and “Friday” being the day it falls on. This year was no different, except for the fact that I took my Brother and the kids along for the adventure. But somehow this year I wasn’t really satisfied with my experience. Don’t get me wrong I had a great time with my Bro and the kids; it was a time to bond and do something crazy! But there was something missing and I couldn’t figure it out.

But then it hit me. The following Sunday evening we had a group from Nashville performing a Christmas musical at our Church and telling stories of the excitement leading up to the birth of Jesus. That’s it! Jesus was missing. We stayed up for 36 hours, went to over 20 stores and didn’t see Jesus anywhere! Well maybe at the Life Way store, but you get my drift here. After all he is the reason for the season. But somehow he got put on the back burner. Somehow he didn’t get put out with all the Christmas displays and sale posters. But, he was in his house on Sunday night. And that’s when I realized that I had fallen for the pagan aspect of Christmas. The Santa and the toys part of the story.

So the question for me was how do I celebrate the birth of our Lord and play down the rest of the Christmas hype? And then while reading a blog from the Internet Monk I got my answer “Advent”. Now I am sure a lot of people haven’t heard of this tradition so I will post a couple of links and give a brief description at the end of the blog. The funny thing is my wife who happens to be German and had been raised in the Lutheran Church had practiced this tradition for years. I just thought it was a German thing and didn’t really understand what it was all about. But now that I have learned more about it I am ready to bring back this old tradition and celebrate the birth of our King in a new way. How will you celebrate the birth of Jesus this year? Do you feel like slowly but surely “Christ” is being taken out of Christmas? I do….take care my friends…Chris

Advent (from Latin, adventus, meaning “coming towards”) is a four-week season of preparation for Christmas. The First Sunday of Advent (November 30) marks the beginning of the church’s year.

Advent and Christmas focus both on the past—the coming of Jesus as an infant born into poverty in Bethlehem, and the future—the coming of Christ in glory to fulfill God’s loving purposes for humanity. This past and future orientation is reflected in the readings appointed in the church for each Sunday of Advent.

Advent this year comes at a time of anxiety and hope. Many of us are struggling and are afraid for our future. It's not easy to hope when times are bad. Mary, as she waited for the birth of her child into an uncertain world, knew how to live with hope—to believe the promises of God. So Advent is a time when we wait, with Mary, for the birth of new life into a world living in shadows.

http://advent.wordpress.com/
http://www.internetmonk.com/archive/observing-advent-and-christmas-thoughts-for-the-christian-family

WALL-E and the Red Box

2008-11-20T09:21:00.000-08:00

Friends,
You just don’t know how excited I was when I went to Wal-Mart the other day and found out they had just put in a Red Box near the entrance. Now for those of you who have never heard of a Red Box. It is a DVD rental vending machine. You pick your movie from a touch screen, swipe your debt/credit card and the movie magically appears through a slot on the side. The great thing about it is the cost and convenience. The cost is a dollar for a day and of course it is always open. Sorry Blockbuster, Movie Gallery and Netflicks..I think they got you beat. Anyway the Movie I rented was called WALL-E, which was a big hit in the theaters. Here is a brief synopsis that I borrowed from Roger Moore, a movie critic from the Orlando Sentinel

“Some 700 years in the future, Earth is a vast wasteland. Literally, garbage clogs the ruined streets of ruined cities. Humans have so trashed the joint that they've abandoned the planet for a gigantic spaceship, leaving robots behind to clean up the mess.The last one working on this project is WALL-E, a cute little Waste Allocation Load Lifter, Earth-class. He's a trash compactor with eyes, gears, a fading finish and a "directive." He compacts trash cubes that he then stacks into vast obelisks of junk.WALL-E has a pet roach (roaches will survive the apocalypse) and a curiosity about the people who left all these Frisbees, toasters, VHS tapes, cigarette lighters (and Luxo lamps) behind. And WALL-E is lonely.

Then a spaceship drops a "probe" robot, a sleek, white, floating dynamo with a ray gun and a temper. She's called EVE, and her "directive" is finding signs of life. WALL-E, who whiles away his off-hours watching song-and-dance numbers from Hello, Dolly! on tape, is in love.Events conspire to hurl them back to EVE's mother ship, where WALL-E is treated to the future of the human race. We're all clueless, zoned-out sedentary fatties, hooked on video and cell phones, sipping super-sized drinks. It's a vision of Wal-Mart Nation run amok.”

I won’t spoil the rest of the story but I will try to give you some observations I have from a spiritual perspective. First it is obvious that the humans have destroyed the planet and have not been good Stewarts of what God has created for them. Secondly in the movie and now in real life, it seems like we are relying on machines and automations to take over a lot of things humans once did. I.E Red Box, Auto manufacturing, on-line banking, automated phone operators, ect..ect..

Now don’t get me wrong I am for all of these things and enjoy the convenience of them but I have to wonder if someday we will be like these humans on this spaceship and let the computers and machines take care of all of our needs. Is technology distancing us from the wonder of creation? Does that distance cripple us spiritually? Will we be like the humans in the “Matrix” and have thoughts implanted into our brains like in “Total Recall” I think Jesus will come back before that happens but sometimes you have to wonder when you see movies like this. It’s funny, when I was a kid I use to love watching the Jetsons, now we are seeing a lot of that technology being used today. How do you all feel about this?

On a positive note the main character WALL-E shows what it means to be a true and faithful servant. He also exemplifies John 15:13 CMB “No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends” I will close by saying WALL-E is a great movie and I highly recommend it! There are a lot of lessons to be learned. Kids will love WALL-E and EVE and grown-ups will appreciate the messages being conveyed. Let me know you take on the movie.. Later
Chris,

The Family Snuggle

2008-11-07T12:36:00.000-08:00

For the past couple of weeks I have been trying to make it a point to snuggle with Heidi every morning before we get up to start our day. I will usually get up about 20 minutes before we have to get ready for work and just snuggle and tell her I love her. But this morning I decided that we need to include our Son. So this morning we went into his room and woke him up, gave him a hug and told him we loved him. This was very special for all of us because our usual routine would be “Hey wake up, your late for School” then everyone would scramble to get ready for their day. This morning made me realize how far we have distanced ourselves over the years. I remember when Cj was little, we would snuggle and love on him all the time but as he got older and more mature, we slowed down and would just give him an occasional hug and pat on the back. We still tell him we love him everyday but our little boy has become a young independent man. We know he still loves us and needs us but it’s different now that he has matured and is becoming an adult. I am very proud of my children but have to ask myself “What happened to my little babies?” Their all grown up and have matured. I know that every parent struggles with phenomenon. I guess that’s why we look forward to becoming Grandparents.

I say all this because I wonder if God feels the same way about us. Does he feel like we have grown away from him, especially after becoming more spiritually mature? Are we like some teenagers who think they know everything and just come to him when we are in trouble? In Mathew 18:3-4 Jesus says “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven”. I know this goes against our human nature but what an ideal! Come to our Father like we were a child. That’s awesome! How do you guys feel about this? How can we snuggle up with our Father and have a family hug? Give this some though and let me know.

Chris,

The Election That Matters

2008-11-05T08:35:00.000-08:00

Friends I wish I had written this but I found it at the Pilgrim Bible Church
http://www.pilgrimbiblechurch.org/ This ties in with what my Brother has blogged about at http://kingdombard.wordpress.com/ Enjoy…Chris

It seems that our entire nation is captivated by yet another presidential election. In what seems to be one of the most politically charged moments in history, many have suggested that this upcoming election is the most important one of this generation. Because of this, nearly every venue of the media is equally charged, yielding a continual flow of opinion columns, interviews and talk show chatter. With all the exposure given to this year’s presidential election, perhaps some of you are thinking: “I’ll be glad when it’s all over!” Well it will be over soon, but this does not mean that the political tensions in our nation will necessarily end with the election. And beyond our own nation we must admit that our world is filled with many difficulties and trials that often fuel the political rancor here at home. But the problems of our world and our nation are not essentially new. In fact, all of human history is rife with the trials of war and terrorism. And because of this we should ask the question: “Can America, or any nation on earth, experience peace and safety forever?” It is an important question that is on the hearts and minds of many today and should be addressed by the following 3 principles:

1. We must understand what true peace is: Many will define peace as the mere absence of war, terrorism or any form of dissension among men. While this may seem to be true, it is not. Men may enjoy such peace with other men for a season, but it is temporal and does not establish the more important truth of man’s enmity with God: Because of the universal sin of mankind (Romans 3:23) men are at enmity with God (Romans 5:10), they are “children of wrath” (Ephesians 2:3), there is none who does good – “not even one” (Romans 3:12), “the intent of his heart is evil from his youth” (Genesis 9:21), “their feet are swift to shed blood” (Romans 3:15) therefore “destruction and misery are in their paths” and the “path of peace they have not known” (Romans 3:16-17). Man’s enmity with God is the very source of all enmity which we see in this world. Trying to solve the latter problem by ignoring the former is like treating a cancerous tumor with soap and water: Topical treatments are useless, for until the source of illness is plucked out there will be no cure. Spiritually speaking, this is the very problem that plagues mankind, but the good news is this: “...God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). It is crucial to understand that Jesus Christ is our peace (Ephesians 2:14) if we confess our sin and believe in Him: “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:36). Men can have true peace, if they trust the Savior and thereby have peace with God through Christ.

2. We must understand something about presidential elections: It is crucial that we understand the concept of election, not as defined by the votes cast by Americans, but as defined by God in the Bible. When we speak of election, we are speaking of the choice of an individual and this is exactly what we do when we cast our vote in election years. But there is a much more important discussion concerning election in the Bible, and it is this: All history is governed by God’s sovereign election: “I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, ‘My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’” (Isaiah 46:9-10), therefore Kings and rulers are established by His authority: To Pilate “Jesus answered, ‘You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above.’“ And finally, those who are ordained to rule, ultimately serve God’s sovereign will: “The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He wishes” (Proverbs 21:1). In the end, the election that matters is the sovereign election of God.

3. We must understand how the story of human history ends: Many kings and presidents will come and go, but there is only One who will reign supremely without end: Jesus Christ the risen Lord Who is exalted “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come” (Ephesians 2:21). His kingdom “is an everlasting kingdom, and His dominion endures throughout all generations” (Psalm 145:13). The kingdoms of this earth will constantly face the trials of poverty, warfare and pain but in the eternal kingdom of the Son of God “He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4). And who will dwell with Christ in His kingdom? – those who believe in Jesus Christ the Savior, Who died for sinners in order that those who believe in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life and everlasting peace with God.

God is in Control!

2008-11-01T09:33:00.000-07:00

Friends,

While reading the local news on the internet the other day I came across a story talking about the Mercedes Plant in Vance Alabama offering buyouts to it’s 4,000 employees. This story really hit home because for the last three years I was in the hiring process at Mercedes. I took my test, interviewed, took the drug screening and even did the training. For the longest time I was wondering why I never heard back from them, then it hit me. God was in control, and he has been for a while. If I would of got hired then, there would be a good chance I would be looking for a another job right now. Friends God did the same thing for me eight years ago.

When I first came to Birmingham I was working in a metal recycling plant as a maintenance supervisor. Little did I know that the company I worked for was in financial trouble. Well ten months after I was hired I was let go. So here I was unemployed, in a new city and I had just bought a house. I had some money in savings so I wasn’t too worried but I still felt a little uneasy. Well to shorten the story, a couple of months later I applied for a maintenance position at Sloss Industries and was interviewed by a supervisor who also happened to be a veteran and also a Baptist preacher. Of course I got the job and as it turned out I made more money and worked in a much better environment. The thing that really blew my mind was that later that year the company that let me go, went out of business and shut down. Friends this is just another example of how God works in our lives.

So to finish my story I worked in that job for two years and then got a phone call and was asked if I wanted to return to active duty. Another blessing! I was able to go back in the Army and finish out my career and retire. Now I am just waiting for God to open the next door for me. I can always return to my previous job but I feel God has bigger plans for me. How has God blessed you in your life? What kind of unusual circumstances put you where you are today? Like I tell my wife “we are here for a reason” God put us in our neighborhood, our Church and our Job and I am so glad I have trusted him and let him take control.

Chris,

You've Got Mail!

2008-10-31T06:52:00.000-07:00

Friends I love getting forwarded e-mails about good things that happen in peoples lives but I am really bothered by the latest trend of forwarding stories that are just not true. I recently received and e-mail saying that in “1987 Oliver North testified in the Iran Contra hearings that he had a $60,000 dollar security system installed to protect his family against Osama Bin Laden, and that the senator who was questioning him was none other than Al Gore”. People this story was totally false and an outright lie. But the problem for me is that we continue to forward this kind propaganda to everyone we know thinking we are doing a good thing and helping our cause. But the fact is we are spreading lies and mistruths. We assume its ok because we feel we are on the right side, but my friends a lie is a lie and can never be justified. One of the biggest things that bother me about our presidential campaign is that both sides are not being honest and exaggerating the truth. And the sad fact is if they are lying to us now they will continue to lie to us when they take office.

Another pet peeve of mine are these e-mails that I keep getting telling how a bad thing happened to the person who didn’t forward it or broke the chain. Or how you will be blessed if you forward it to ten people in the next ten minutes. Friends these e-mails are really superstitions and tools of the Enemy that should be deleted as soon as you get them. Remember God is in control and only he knows his plans for you. Blessings come from our Father not e-mails! Do you want him to watch over and protect you and your family? We all do, so why not just pray for that? Do you want to be blessed? Well get on your knees and ask God for a blessing and make sure to thank him when you receive it. Friends I have been very blessed in my life and not one of these blessing has come from e-mails or the internet.

Friends the internet has become a great tool for us believers to spread the “Good News” and fellowship with others but we must take responsibility for what we say and what we forward to other people. I believe when forward an e-mail you are just as responsible for the content as the person who created it. If you’re not sure about the accuracy of the facts, do like my wife Heidi did and put a disclaimer at the beginning stating you’re not sure it’s true and to research it for yourself. Or just delete it. I hope I haven’t stepped on anybodies toes out there but I am sure you have received some of these e-mails yourself.

Take care yall….

Chris

Jesus is not a "diet" but a lifestyle

2008-10-29T13:04:00.000-07:00

How many times have you heard this expression? “It’s not a diet but a lifestyle”. This is what a lot of people say when they are trying to lose weight and want you to think they have changed their eating habits. I thought about this a couple of weeks ago while preparing for my semi annual physical fitness test and weigh in. You see being in the Army I am required to maintain my weight and be able to pass the Army physical fitness test, which consist of running 2 miles, and doing pushups / sit-ups in an allotted time.

My training program for this may seem kind of extreme and risky, but what I have been doing for the past 6 years is waiting until a couple of weeks before the big test to start watching what I eat and exercising. And for those who know me well, know how I struggle with procrastination. And it never fails every time I start my program I wish I would have never stopped . Well that’s when the thought came to me. Sometimes I feel we do the same thing with our walk with Jesus. Sometimes we will only exercise with Jesus when we have a big test in our lives. And when the test is over we resort back to the same ole same. We will start out on fire for Jesus but after awhile the fire slowly dies down. Then we let other things come into our lives that bear no fruit and take up the time that we could use in our walk with Jesus.

I personally have tried to keep Jesus in my daily life but will admit it’s been a struggle staying motivated and focused. The good thing about my latest attempt is that I have my Brother Tony walking with me and keeping me encouraged and accountable. (Thanks bro!) I also have been sharing my ideals through blogs and fellowship with other Christians. So this time I am committed to making Jesus a lifestyle change rather than a quick fix or diet. My goal is to try to get in the word everyday and work on my prayer time. What works in your spiritual walk? Does the procrastination monkey stay on your back? Do you guys have any thoughts, ideals or suggestions? Peace and love…Chris

Rock City!

2008-10-25T20:17:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

We just got back from a great time in Guntersville and Rock City. Friday night Heidi and I went on a marriage retreat that was held at the Hampton Inn on Lake Guntersville. The retreat was put on by Westside Baptist Church in Jasper. We had about 13 couples and the ages ranged from 23 to 83. A good time was had by all. We started working through the book 6 secrets to a lasting love by Dr Gary and Barbara Rosberg. Heidi and I really learned a lot and we plan on going to the next one in 6 months. After the retreat we drove up to Rock City and met Tony and family. We had lunch and then checked out Rock City Gardens. So needless to say it has been a busy 24 hours. Now we are trying to get the house ready for a get together for the youth group. They will be coming over Sunday night for a get together. Well I better unpack and get some cleanfing down. Have a great week!

The World hates the Disciples

2008-10-21T09:25:00.000-07:00

The World Hates the Disciples John 15:18-25

18"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.'[b] If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me. 22If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin. 23He who hates me hates my Father as well. 24If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. 25But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: 'They hated me without reason.”

Friends,

I came across this scripture a couple of weeks ago while reading the book of John. This particular verse really hit home with me because of a situation going on in my personal life. Earlier this year my wife and I were going through some rough times in our marriage and were on the verge of Divorce. But through the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior we have managed to put our marriage and family back together and start living for the lord. A lot of our Christian friends and family were very excited for us and gave all the glory to our Heavenly Father. But the heartbreaking thing was the reaction of some of my wife’s co-workers and friends. After finding out she was giving our marriage another chance they turned their backs on her and were even down right hateful to her. One even called her an “idiot”

This really upset Heidi and it also bothered me as well. This was one of those times where we really had to dig deep into the Word and pray for understanding. That’s when I realized that these people were obviously not Christians and that they needed our prayers also. I was reading in the book of John (15: 18-25) and these verses revealed everything! These people were living in the “World”; verse 19 says “If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you” That explained everything. Before they thought she was one of them, a fellow slave to the World and the Flesh. But when she took a stand and showed the example that Christ had taught her and put in her heart they realized she was not one of them. She was one of the chosen ones. One who believed in Love, Mercy and Grace and most of all forgiveness.

This attitude really bothers unbelievers. They don’t understand how you can still love and forgive people after they have hurt you. They just don’t get the core values of our faith. The sad fact is few of them ever will. But the best thing we can do is show them the example of Christ, and keep praying for them. People are getting saved at all stages of their life. It took nearly 40 years to finally get me going in the right direction with my walk. So don’t give up on them. Take care my Friends..Thank you for all your love and support..Love your Brother in Jesus…Chris

The Lawyers Party

2008-10-20T11:53:00.000-07:00

THE LAWYER'S PARTY

Friends this is a letter my Uncle Ronald Winter shared with me. It's scary when you think of all the power the Lawyers in Washington D.C have and how our individual and States rights are slowing being taken away. Needless to say this upcoming election will be very important! We need alot of prayer!...your brother in Christ.. Chris

The Democrat Party has become the Lawyers' Party. Barack Hussein Obama and Hillary Rodam Clinton are lawyers. Bill Clinton and Michelle Obama are lawyers. John Edwards, the other former Democrat candidate for president, is a lawyer, and so is his wife, Elizabeth. Every Democrat nominee since 1984 went to law school (although Gore did not graduate). Every Democrat vice- presidential nominee since 1976, except for Lloyd Bentsen, went to law school. Look at the Democrat Party in Congress: the Majority Leader in each house is a lawyer.The Republican Party is different. President Bush and Vice President Cheney were not lawyers, but businessmen. The leaders of the Republican Revolution were not lawyers. Newt Gingrich was a history professor; Tom Delay was an exterminator; and, Dick Armey was an economist. House Minority Leader Boehner was a plastics manufacturer, not a lawyer. The former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist is a heart surgeon.Who was the last Republican president who was a lawyer? Gerald Ford, who left office 31 years ago and who barely, won the Republican nomination as a sitting president, running against Ronald Reagan in 1976.

The Republican Party is made up of real people doing real work. The Democrat Party is made up of lawyers. Democrats mock and scorn men who create wealth, like Bush and Cheney, or who heal the sick, like Frist, or who immerse themselves in history, like Gingrich.The Lawyers' Party sees these sorts of people, who provide goods and services that people want, as the enemies of America. And, so we have seen the procession of official enemies, in the eyes of the Lawyers' Party, grow.Against whom do Hillary and Obama rail? Pharmaceutical companies, oil companies, hospitals, manufacturers, fast food restaurant chains, large retail businesses, bankers, and anyone producing anything of value in our nation. (They try to demonize these businesses in the eyes of the public through the use of a controlled media and thus get approval of their deceptive regulatory legislation {jrw}.)

This is the natural consequence of viewing everything through the eyes of lawyers. Lawyers solve problems by successfully representing their clients, in this case the American people. Lawyers seek to have new laws passed, they seek to win lawsuits, they press appellate courts to overturn precedent, and lawyers always parse language to favor their side. (They also try to get persons of like mind and agenda appointed to the courts to further their control {jrw}.)Confined to the narrow practice of law, that is fine. But it is an awful way to govern a great nation. When politicians, as lawyers, begin to view some Americans as clients and other Americans as opposing parties, then the role of the legal system in our life becomes all-consuming. Some Americans become 'adverse parties' of our very government. We are not all litigants in some vast social class-action suit. We are citizens of a republic that promises us a great deal of freedom from laws, from courts, and from lawyers.

Today, we are drowning in laws **; we are contorted by judicial decisions; we are driven to distraction by omnipresent lawyers in all parts of our once private lives. America has a place for laws and lawyers, but that place is modest and reasonable, not vast and unchecked. When the most important decision for our next president is whom he will appoint to the Supreme Court, the role of lawyers and the law in America is too big. When lawyers use criminal prosecution as a continuation of politics by other means, as happened in the lynching of Scooter Libby and Tom Delay, then the power of lawyers in America is too great. When House Democrats sue America in order to hamstring our efforts to learn what our enemies are planning to do to us, then the role of litigation in America has become crushing.We cannot expect the Lawyers' Party to provide real change, real reform, or real hope in America…

Most Americans know that a republic in which every major government action must be blessed by nine unelected judges is not what Washington intended in 1789. Most Americans grasp that we cannot fight a war when ACLU lawsuits snap at the heels of our defenders. Most Americans intuit that more lawyers and judges will not restore declining moral values or spark the spirit of enterprise in our economy.Perhaps Americans will understand that change cannot be brought to our nation by those lawyers who already largely dictate American society and business. Perhaps Americans will see that hope does not come from the mouths of lawyers but from personal dreams nourished by hard work. Perhaps Americans will embrace the truth that more lawyers with more power will only make our problems worse.

Victory over porn and adultry

2008-10-13T18:29:00.000-07:00

Friends,

The video you just watched was a true story of a couple who has overcome the addiction of pornography and adultery. The main reason I am writing this blog is in the hopes that others will read it and be inspired to make changes in their lives and marriages. Its unbelievable how many marriages are in trouble these days? I can think of about 6 couples I know personally and through acquaintances that are in serious trouble. Friends that’s a very high percentage. What blows my mind even more is adding up all the divorces just in your own family. I can count 6 divorces just between my parents and siblings. Brothers and Sisters the sad fact is that this is the norm and not the exception. Friends as I have stated in earlier blogs “The Family is under attack” and one of the biggest threats (and tools of the enemy) is pornography and lust. They go hand in hand, and with the technology we have today it’s so easy to acquire. All you have to do is turn on the TV and get in on demand. It’s even easier on the internet. Pornography is a serious addiction and as the husband on this video stated it’s even harder to overcome than smoking and drinking.

Friends as you can tell by some of my other blogs I have not been a very good husband for the last couple of years. And after years of being controlled by lust and other sins of the flesh I have turned my life over to Jesus. Trust me you will not win this battle unless you give your life to Christ. Friends Jesus will restore you lives and marriages. I have seen him work in my life and the lives of many others. He will rebuild your broken lives and make your family even stronger. Friends if you are struggling with this addiction or are affected by this and want to save your family and you marriage you have to trust our Lord and Savior. He will give you the strength to weather this storm and come out stronger. Jesus is on your side. He loves to see families healed and restored. Now some of your friends and family members may not agree with you when you try to save your marriage and forgive your spouse, but if they really loved you and had Jesus in their hearts they would stand by your side and celebrate your victory. Friends FIGHT FOR YOUR FAMILY! Here are some suggestions to help

Pray for your spouse and for yourself ( or couples you know that are in trouble)

Ask Jesus to come into your life (try to emulate Christ, ask your self is this something Jesus would do?)

Seek professional counseling! ( Pastor, Family Counselor, Rabbi)

Read your BIBLE! Proverbs 31 “Song of Songs” great stuff!

Read Christian books on marriage, families and addictions

Don’t give up P.U.S.H Pray Until Something Happens

Watch good movies like “Fireproof”

Don’t listen to non-Christians and people who live in the world ( ask yourself are they living for Jesus)

Learn from other people’s mistakes and victories. She how Christ has changed them

Father God,
Thank you for the many blessings you have given me and my family, thank you for rescuing me from a life of lust, sin and self destruction. Father thank you for restoring my family and my heart, Father thank you for giving me my brother and my brothers in Christ to help me find my way back to you, Father please help all the families out there that are hurting and need you, Father give them hope and strength to make it through these troubled times, Father give them the Grace, the love, the forgiveness you have given me, Father help those who are struggling with lust and pornography, give them the strength to fight this addiction, Father we know that when we give our lives to you that will give us the Victory! Father it’s in your Holy name we pray…Amen

A Fathers Love

2008-10-02T21:00:00.000-07:00

Friends what you have just watched is a perfect example of a Fathers love for his child. This is also a great example of how our Heavenly Father loves us. We are that child that crosses that finish line in Victory! Thanks to the love and support of our Father.

Farewell Spook

2008-10-01T19:09:00.000-07:00

Hello friends,

The other day my old boss and good friend Kenny came to see me. He dropped by the office to take care of some paperwork and see everyone. He then ask if he could get on my computer and while he was checking his e-mail he noticed that I had been listening to a sermon by Mark Driscoll on marriage and the book “ Song of Songs”. He then turned to me and said “I never thought you would be listening to something like this”. I told him “yeah I have turned my life around and basically gave my life to Jesus”.

Kenny has worked with me for the last couple of years and when you share an office you also share some of your personal life. Well needless to say, Kenny knew me as a different person back then. He always was a good friend and confidant. I can still here him telling me last year that I was going down the wrong path and how he worried about me. He predicted most of the things that happened during that time. He said “Chris, trust me I have been there, I know what you’re going through and I know what you’re feeling”. At the time I just smiled and gave him the ole head nod. But a couple months later I realized how right he was.

So fast forward six months and here we are. I told Kenny how Jesus has saved my life from self-destruction and how he has given me peace and happiness. Friends no man or woman can give you that. You have to give your life to our Lord and Savior; he is the only one who can fill that need. Please stop running around trying to find that in another person. You will be like a dog chasing his tale. Yes we ALL fall in that trap at one time or another. Anyway back to my good friend Kenny. He then proceeded to tell me about his Brother Spook (not sure where the nick-name came from). Spook was not his real brother but according to Kenny he was closer than one. He had told me how Spook was in a similar situation. He was married, had children and was caught up in an affair. He didn’t go into a lot of details but friends trust me all the stories are the same, just the names and locations change. Kenny said Spook had called him to talk about his situation and after awhile Kenny told him “Spook, this is going to kill you” Spook then replied “It already has”. I didn’t get to hear the rest of the conversation but Kenny told me that his friend, his Brother from another Mother “bit the bullet”. Shocked I said “what do you mean?” Well apparently the next day Spook killed himself. He left behind a wife, child, Mother, Father and his best friend Kenny.

Friends this is serious business and unfortunately very common. I have been talking about this as a way to try to help others who are going through the same thing. I am not trying to clear my conscious; I have been forgiven by my wife, my Lord and Savior and my friends and family. And that’s all that matters. But for you out there who are going through the same thing, male or female I encourage you to give your life to Jesus and turn away from your sins. He will restore your life, your marriage, your hope, your peace, your happiness and your sanity. He will help you get back what you think you lost! So stop trying to fix it yourselves, get off the relationship merry-go-round. Stop looking for other people to give you what only a relationship with Jesus can do. Stay married to your best friend, if your spouse is not your best friend WORK ON BECOMING BEST FRIENDS! There are so many good books out there and good teachers on the Internet to help. If you’re insurance pays for counseling USE IT! A co-worker of Heidi’s said her husbands company had a meeting where they just randomly said they cover marriage counseling. Friends that’s what I call Devine intervention! That is the Holy Spirit giving you a nudge. Trust me it’s no accident.

Let me close by saying I love you all. You are my Brothers and Sisters in Christ. Stay strong! Use the acronym P.U.S.H Pray Until Something Happens. God bless you friends.

Found a new site for Christian Videos

2008-09-26T13:01:00.000-07:00

Hey Yall,

While visiting my Cousin Joey's My-Space site I came across a bunch of videos he had posted from this site. It's awesome..Thanks Cuz

Marry your best friend or better yet stay married to them

2008-09-24T17:34:00.000-07:00

Friends,

Today the Lord has been talking to me about the importance of friendships in marriage. I don't know how I thought about this but it's been on my mind and I have to write it down. I have been doing a lot of thinking about how God has blessed my life and how I see him doing great things in other peoples lives. One example I gave before was a lady in our Sunday School class who told Heidi and the rest of the class she was getting back with her ex-husband after being divorced for 4 years. The look of excitement and happiness on her face was priceless. I still get teary eyed when I picture it. Friends, if you married your best friend and are now separated or even thinking of leaving please give your marriage another chance. Let our Father come into your hearts and make you realize what you really have. He will if you let him. I have been on the other side and trust me I have seen what it does to families and friends. It's not worth it. Remember the enemy loves to destroy families and push us further away from God. He hates to see strong loving families and will try anything he can to break them up.

But the "good news" is it's never too late to change your situation. It's never too late to say I am sorry. It's never too let to say "lets stay together" To quote the Rev. Al Green " lets stay together" " whether times are good or bad or happy or sad" Friends the past is the past and there is nothing you can do but learn from it. Forgive each other and start fresh. What a great feeling it is to be given a fresh start. Just like when you give your life to Christ, everything is new and your past is forgiven and according to the Bible even forgotten. Try it, you have nothing to lose and you might even gain something!

Friends, chances are that at one time your spouse was your best friend. You guys probably did everything together, confided in one another, supported one another and loved one another. But over the years you drifted apart, you let the stress of children, family, finances and petty arguments come between you. Then your flesh started talking to you, and I am not just talking about sex. But you started feeling not loved and cared for. Suddenly you started feeling that your friendship is over and there is nothing left. But the thing is, your spouse is probably feeling the same way. That's when you open the door for the enemy to come in. He only needs a crack to get his foot in. Friends, we have to be constantly on the lookout for the enemy. He knows when your weak, he knows how to push your buttons. That's when you have to tell him to get behind you and use the name of our Father. Then he will flee. Guy's we have to come together and fight for our families, we have to lean on each other when we are hurting. As Christians we need to talk to our hurting brothers and sisters and give them hope. We are losing the battle and lives are being destroyed.

But the good news is we can win this with the help of our Father. We have the instruction book that tells us how to live. It tells us how to be a good wife " Proverbs 31" How to have a great sex life with your spouse " Song of Songs" and how to love and forgive " the whole New Testament" It's all there! The wild thing is that it was written over 2000 yrs ago and still speaks to us today.
Read these verses and books, pray and ask Jesus to come into your life. Pray for your spouse. If you are one of these people riding the relationship merry go round get off! Get your feet back on the ground! Work on your friendships, work on yourself, work on your relationships with your family, give your problems to God and let Jesus in your heart. Friends I hope and pray you will have the joy and happiness you deserve and be blessed.

Father,

Please forgive me for my sins against my family and friends, as I forgive those who have sinned against me, Father thank you for your grace and mercy, Father thank you for the many blessings you have given me, thank you for my best friend!, thank you for my children, thank you for my brother and sisters, thank you for my family in Christ, Father please help all of my hurting Brothers and Sisters, Father please restore our Families, Father you gave your only Son as payment for our sins and we know by his blood we are saved,Father be with those who don't know your Son, show them his glory, his faithfulness and his love for us. Father you are so great, so awesome, thank you Lord! It's in your name we pray..Amen

What a great weekend!

2008-09-23T20:35:00.000-07:00

Hey friends,

Just wanted to share a little of my weekend with y'all. First of all I celebrated my 42ND Birthday on Friday. My lovely wife took me out to breakfast and then spoiled me all day. Then my brother Tony and family came down from Nashville for the weekend. We had a great time! We went to SixFlags on Saturday and had a blast, we ended up spending the whole day there and closed the park down! By the end of the day everyone was wet, tired and very excited by the experience. We will definilty be doing that again. On sunday we went to our church and and had some great fellowship. I am really excited to see how God has been working in our lives and in the lives of our family and friends. God is truely good and I know if there are people out there who are hurting and feel the World is against them. I beg you to hand your problems and worries over to God; he is faithful! I have seen him work in my life many times. Friends like the song goes " I once was lost but now I'm found, was blind but now I see" His grace is amazing! Don't give up!

I love you all!

“Missing the lessons that God wants us to learn”

2008-09-18T14:21:00.000-07:00

A good friend of Heidi's came up with the following quote “ I am so consumed with the way I react about situations that I am missing the most important lessons that God wants for me to learn!’’ How true is this statement? For me it fits like a glove. How many times have we been on fire for Jesus just to have something come up and throw us off track? Or we will be doing great and then something will upset us and then we let the flesh take over. It’s amazing how we can come out of one storm and think we are fine then all of a sudden another one comes along. But the key to peace is how we react to the storm. If you read the Gospels, Jesus slept while a storm was swamping the boat that he and the disciples were in. The disciples woke him up and said “don’t you even care if we drown?” Of course he cares but more importantly he wants us to have faith. To me Faith means knowing that Jesus will answer our prayers and take care of any situation regardless of the circumstances. How many times have we worried about things that ended up never happening, only to be robbed of our peace and happiness during that time? Personally I would rather just hand my problems off to Jesus and feel at ease knowing he is handling my situation. Friends last night I was upset over a situation and I couldn’t do anything, I tried reading my bible but couldn’t concentrate, I was even having trouble sleeping. Then this morning I talked to my brother Tony who prayed with me over the phone about it and just like that my answer appeared and my peace was restored. But the whole time I was upset and I didn’t let Jesus in my heart and was I miserable.

Friends the enemy loves to throw obstacles in our path when we want to do something for Jesus. How often do we wake up on Sunday morning and do not feel like going to Church or we look at the clock and say it’s “too late, maybe next time”. Is it me or do we sometimes get into arguments on Sunday mornings? It’s funny how during the week we can get up 3 hours earlier, get ready for work, drive 30 miles and be on time; and yet we’re not able to drive 5 miles down the road on Sunday morning. Friends we need to follow 1 Corinthians 16:13 and “Be watchful, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong” This is what I had to do last Wednesday when our AC went out. I was determined to go to Church that night, I had been back home for 2 months and something was always keeping me from going, but this time I decided nothing short of an emergency was going stop me, I didn’t care who was tired or wasn’t feeling it, I was going!. I told Heidi that we would worry about the AC later and that nothing was going to keep us from going to the service. We had a great time at the service and when we came home I ask God for help with the AC and somehow I was able to get the blower motor working so we would be cool that night. We ended up getting it fixed 2 days later. God is so great when we have faith in him. We can do it! We just have to fight the flesh and follow our heart! God will take of the rest. Guys, put Jesus first and everything else will work out. I hope this Blog was helpful. I have really been inspired by some of the blogs from Heidi’s friends and other members of our Church. I am so excited about this new outlet. I feel it’s another way to fellowship and reach those who need some encouragement. And on a personal note it’s very good therapy for me to be able to get my thoughts on paper like this. I have a real problem communicating my thoughts and Ideals, so please be patient with me. I love you guys and more importantly Jesus loves us and gave his life for us..

My first Blog!

2008-09-15T15:58:00.000-07:00

Wow,

Never thought I would start blogging or keeping some kind of journal but here it goes. I always thought of this as keeping a diary but I guess diaries are private and blogs are to be shared. As the title of my blog says I am a Soldier, I have been a Soldier for our Country for the last 22 years and hopefully will be able to serve for a couple more before I have to retire. When I first join the Army back in 1984 the enemy we were fighting was the Russians. I spent almost 8 years in Germany waiting for the Russians to come across the Fulda Gap. Thank God that never happened. Then after the Berlin Wall came down our focused shifted to the Middle east and the first Gulf War. After successfully driving Saddam out of Kuwait our mission turned to being peacekeepers in Bosina. My only regret there was that we didn't go in sooner. And that brings us to the present. I am sure everyone knows what going on now with the War on Terror so I will spare you the details, just know we are keeping the fight over there and off American soil.

Anyway after being a Soldier for so long I have come up against the biggest enemy yet and that of course is " The Enemy", " The Lair" ," The Destroyer" and all the other names associated with the Devil. He is our real enemy and root of most of our problems today. Looking back I guess I have been falling for his schemes for years. But I guess he finally got me two years ago when I was really involved in our Church. The year started off great, I made my decision to be baptised on New Years Day, then from there Heidi and I were singing in the Choir and teaching Vacation Bible School(that was a blast!) Then in October our world started falling apart. I was hospitalized for chest pains and spent our anniversary in a hospital bed. That's when the enemy started talking to me. He was filling my mind with all kinds of crazy ideals and lies. At the time I thought nobody cared for me, it was our anniversary and I was the only one who knew it. After I got released I started thinking about my life and started listening to those voices we all hear sometimes telling us how bad we have it or how we could be so much happier somewhere else. Then it happened. Temptation was finally presented and I took the bait. I thought I had all the answers and thought that somehow I could justify what I was doing. I thought and told everyone else that I was the "victim" when in fact I was the "idiot". I was willing to give up my Family, friends and everything I have worked so hard for just to try to satisfy the flesh. I didn't care about the consequences, I didn't care what people thought..Nothing..I had no shame..I was a big bad Soldier who thought he was owed something. Well to make a long story short I was given what I thought I wanted, what I thought would make me happy, what I thought life was all about. Then suddenly one day my eyes where opened and the shock and reality of the life I was living started sinking in. I realized how wrong I was.

Friends this is one of the biggest problems we face today. So many family's are being destroyed by divorce today and especially in the Church. Some studies have shown that Divorce in Christan family's are higher than in non Christian. I thank God for giving me a loving and forgiving Christian wife who never gave up on me and prayed for me daily. She really is a Blessing in my life.

Well yall to give this story a happy ending, after two years we have worked things out and are rebuilding our lives. We may have lost a lot financially but I feel we are stronger than ever and I feel closer to Jesus. We have found a great Christan Counselor and have started making our marriage a priority. That is why I am a Soldier for Christ. I hope and pray that one day I can help someone who is going through the same thing. On another positive note a lady in our Sunday School class announced that her and her former husband are getting back together and giving their marriage another chance (God is Good) Friends I am an open book and will be glad to share my testimony with anyone who will listen. It's never too late to turn your situation around. Pray about it, talk to a professional, your Pastor, a friend. Read what the Bible says, Proverbs, Song of Songs and1 Peter 3:1-7. There are also a lot of great books out there. We need to stand up and fight for our families, they are our greatest Natural Resource. I love you guys...Peace!!

P.S This is my first real Blog so take it easy on me :-)