ToeJom Plus

Puppy Love

2011-10-09T21:53:00.000-07:00

I have a puppy and his name is Oscar. He is adorable in every sense of the word. My wife and I got him when he was just barely bigger than the palm of my hand. Since then we have fed him every day, bought him toys, bathed him weekly, and taught him some pretty awesome tricks. Needless to say, I think I love this little pup. I would never let anything bad happen to him and I always have his best interest in mind.

Sometimes I envy him. I look at him rolling around in the floor with out a care in the world and wish I could have what he has. He never has to worry about food or health because I provide all of that for him. He will always have shelter and safety because it would hurt me if anything bad were to happen to him. I care deeply for this little creature and yet I'm not sure he knows the love I have for him.

As soon as I had envious thoughts towards the little creature, I realized that I am just like him. All the while I was envying Oscar because I provided for his every need and had his best interest in mind, God was thinking of me with the utmost affection. God provides for my every need and protects me from all harm. Somewhere in the midst of my daily grind I forgot that the God of the universe cared so much for me that he didn't even spare his only Son to rescue me and I started envying a dog!

Much like my dog could not possibly know the extent of how I feel towards him, I could never know the full extent of the Father's love towards me. If I truly believed this my actions would reflect it. I might spend more time enjoying life and less time worrying about the details.

So thank you God for giving me a little creature that I care about so I can have glimpse of your love towards me. Perhaps one day when I have children this will become an even greater reality. I just thank God that he is removing disbelief in his faithfulness from my life one step at a time.

Greetings From The Bus To Southwind!

2011-06-01T04:09:00.000-07:00

The anticipation is keeping me from getting any sleep so I wanted to update you on what's going on. We have a total of 19 kids going on the trip and my wife and I heading up as leaders. We definitely have our hands full due to scheduling conflicts and such hindering additional volunteers helping out on this trip. Despite being outnumbered, we know most everyone very well and will have no problem keeping up, fingers crossed. I am excited about returning to this wonderful WyldLife camp which will make my 3rd time. We have a great group of kids and I know we have a great week ahead of us. I expect a lot of swimming, getting whooped pretty good by one of the kids at ping pong, and Yuk War of course! I can't wait to get my toes in that mud pit and throw flower bombs at middle-schoolers. Most importantly, I can't wait to sit with these kids as they hear a different part of the gospel every night. I can't wait for them to hear about the creator of the universe one night and then how he is a personal God with a son name Jesus the next night. Then they will get to hear how they have a condition called sin that separates them from living a life to the fullest of fellowship with that God. The best part of all is when they hear the good news that God's son Jesus Christ atoned for their sin and offers the free gift of salvation to all who believe. The last night they get to hear how they can personally respond to the gift Christ offers them. I love that at camp they are their all week and have to come back the next day to hear the next part. No part of the gospel is lost. They get to hear each part in large bites, one at a time. It's beautiful.

Pray that the spirit of God will speak through the speaker and speak to the hearts of these kids. Pray that they realize, whether it's for the first time or the hundredth, that they are completely helpless and in need of God's grace. Pray that they cry out to Christ for salvation. As the scriptures say, today is the day of salvation. May this week be marked by salvation. My hope is that everyone of these kids will become leaders in their schools and begin to influence their friends for Christ, rather than being influenced by their friends. Camp is just the beginning. When we get back home, we will make sure that every kid who professes Christ will have the opportunity to grow in their faith and become lights to a dark world. The following school year, I and other leaders, will walk with these kids to continue to reveal the mystery of Christ's love towards them and work together to share that love with their friends. Pray that we build a good foundation this week through relationships built on the word of God in grace.

I am blessed to serve our Lord in this way and I thank you for your support.

Kingdom Work = Healthy Relationships

2011-05-20T02:06:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine asked me to write about why my relationship with my wife was so healthy while we were dating. I did not diagnose it as healthy, but I have heard others say that. The main reason I heard was because we did not feel the need to hang all over each other. We were secure enough that we did not need to be holding hands every minute of every day.

That's interesting because I am sure that people who are in clingy relationships take that as a sign that things are going well. The thought is that if they spend all their time with me, then that means they want to spend their time with me and means they love me. They are placing each other as the most important thing. However, others view that relationship quite the opposite and it should be a sign of a deeper issue of insecurities in the relationship. How does one get security though?

I have thought about this a lot. Why was my relationship different? Why were we not clingy? What was different about my relationship than everyone else's? The main thing that I can think of is my involvement with ministry. My wife and I were both on the leadership team of a college outreach while we were dating. We both led Bible studies and pursued relationships with people so that we might be able to share Christ with them. Whether it be a younger believer or a stranger, we were always trying to reach out to people.

Why would this strengthen our relationship? Well, there are 2 reasons. First and most importantly, we realized that there was something more important than our relationship and that is the glory of God. I did not have to be insecure in my relationship because I was secure with God. My relationship only existed to bring glory to God so I had no reason to be insecure. We both understood that our relationship was useless if we were not bringing glory to God. Second, it unified us towards one goal. Since we both realized that there was a greater purpose than our relationship, we both aimed toward the same goal. We could encourage one another towards serving Christ by serving others. We worked together as a team. We may not have been eating at the same table at lunch but we were doing the same thing, reaching out to people.

What is bringing more glory to God, a couple sitting alone feeding each other grapes or a couple sitting with people and engaging in Christ centered conversations? Now, this does not mean that you can not hang out with one another but hanging on one another in public is not necessary. In fact it might be hurtful.

The most important thing is that we were serving Christ together. We had a common goal and one greater to please than each other. This unified us more than any make out session or romantic grape feeding could ever do. Even now that we are married we are constantly thinking of others and how we can share Christ. Whether it be our neighbors or people we encounter frequently, for my wife it may be the kids she ministers to in her class, we talk about it all. We understand that serving Christ is of utmost importance to one another. I will always protect my wife and serve her above anyone else and one of the ways I do that is to help her serve others. She is the best wife I could ask for and the main reason she is so awesome is because she loves God more than she loves me. And thank God for that because I don't think any love she could have for me would be strong enough to make her support me the way she does. It truly is unconditional love. Even though I fail quite frequently and am less than the perfect husband, she can still serve me because she knows she is serving God.

I Just So Happen To Be A Little Different

2011-03-24T13:00:00.000-07:00

I'm not a very eccentric person. However, there are some things about me that are a bit unconventional. I have certain practices or interest that might put me in a certain category but I don't consider myself a member of that category of people. The main reason is that I do not preach my causes. If you know me, you probably don't even realize that I have strange practices because I don't include people in them. They are my lifestyle choices and I don't expect you to care about them or even understand. Regardless, I thought I would share a few things that make me a closet weirdo.

Making my own shoes/clothing: That's right, I sew. I have made a few articles of clothing, one of those being a man skirt which should probably get a bullet point of its own. I have also made a couple unfinished pair of shoes and a finished pair of sandals. I don't do this, like some people, because I am an anti-consumerist and I want to be self sufficient. I do it first because I like to create things and secondly because it is cheaper. There are certain shoes that I like, and I can make, that usually are about 50-100 dollars. I can make a pair for $10. Which brings me to my next point...
Barefoot Running: I like to run in the nude, my feet that is! I get a lot of strange looks because of my nude feet. I'm not trying to make a point or anything; I simply just enjoy being barefoot. I admit, I am also a little weary of modernity. I don't think that everything we have invented is necessarily healthy for us, shoes being one of those things. Protection of your feet is important but all the padding and raised heels are not good. That is why we are increasingly dealing with ankle and knee pain as well as bunions, corns, and the like. Speaking about being weary of modernity, this brings me to my next point...
Baking Soda In My Armpits: What!!???! I know right. It's strange. What am I trying to do, bake a little armpit biscuit? No, let me explain. It all started with a question. Is antiperspirants healthy/necessary? It sure doesn't sound like it. Antiperspirants keeps your armpits from sweating by stopping up your pores with little pieces of aluminum. You would never do that to the pores on your face. People are always concerned with opening the pores to let them breathe naturally. Anyway I found a good alternative for antiperspirants and it turns out the active ingredient was baking soda, which is a lot cheaper. So now I apply baking soda to my armpits. It's working out for me so far; I think.
Vegetables Over Dessert: Some of you may think this is stranger than baking soda in the armpits. Ever since I was a kid I have loved vegetables, even to the point that I would prefer them over sweets. This isn't because I am a health nut or anything but it is a plus that what I crave is good for me.

I will elaborate on those in later posts and maybe even add a few (yes, there are more). Let me know which ones you are interested in hearing back stories on or just my experiences with it and I will do that one first.

Am I Being Called To Vocational Ministry?

2011-03-17T07:41:00.000-07:00

I wrote about my experiences with Young Life in a review I did of The Trans Mission ministry and I wanted to expound a little on some struggles I am having.

As I said earlier, I feel like outreach ministries, like Young Life, can be weakening to the Church. These ministries start out as an organized effort to reach some niche that the church is not reaching. In the case of Young Life that will be un-churched youth that are weary of church related things. However, there are kids that go to church events and the church is not doing a great job of evangelizing and discipling them. Since the Church aren't doing those things, these ministries take up the slack. This is a bad thing because really the Church, by structure, can do those things better. Young Life, for example, is in the kids lives until they graduate high-school and in some places into college. They do not have multiple generations and families to look to as Christian examples. In most cases, spiritual growth is minimal because the amount of depth. There is no corporate worship, corporate hearing of the word or accountability/discipline. The Church has been commanded by God to do all those things. However, instead of being strengthened and encouraged to do these things, Churches lean on the crutch of para-church ministries and the broken extremity never gets healed. It actually gets worse. However, I think that these ministries can turn all that around. They can be more like a brace than a crutch. Instead of being distant from the Church like a crutch, these ministries have to get close to the Church and elevate the Church. I have a desire to see that done in my own ministry.

I have big ideas about my ministry. The first thing I want to do is establish good relationships with youth ministers and Churches in the area. I want them to know me and me to know them. I want to work as a team. I will go out their and fish for kids and bring them to the Church to get cleaned and cooked, metaphorically of course.

I would first start by letting the youth ministers of the kids that are on my leadership team know about what those kids are doing. Tell them about the Bible studies they lead and the influence they want to have on their schools. I will also encourage them to find discipleship in the Church so they can be equipped to do the ministry God has called them to do. I am saddened about how many of my leaders are not cared for at their Churches. They are getting out there and getting involved with ministry and often time their Churches don't even know about it, much less supporting them.
I would then begin recruiting more volunteer help. I would focus on solid college kids that are interested in ministry. I would use the contacts that I have to start clubs at those schools and get the word out about the ministry. Many grateful college kids are looking for a way to give back and give some high school kids the gift that they have received.
After I got a couple teams together, I would start trying to infiltrate some of the forgotten schools in our area. The majority of the youth ministry in my area is done in the private schools. The public schools often get over looked by Church youth group leaders. There are several magnet schools and even regular public schools where there is a lot of ministry to do and so few workers doing it. It is kind of untapped real-estate for ministry.
As kids are coming to faith, I would make sure that they understand the importance of Church and I would work with the youth leaders to get them in discipleship groups where they can grow. I want to make sure that the kids are being plugged into Churches and potentially work with me to reach their friends with the gospel.

All of this sounds good but I am still kind of bummed. The reason is because that is a full time job there and I am not sure if I am called to full time ministry. I imagine my self getting an internship this summer, graduating in December, and starting a full time job after that, all the while volunteering on the side. However, I could not faithfully accomplish that vision on the side. That would take all of my effort. So now I am wondering if I have this desire and vision because God is calling me to do this full time. I have no idea. I can still serve God as a lay person and I have a desire to be an example to other lay persons in that capacity. I just need to be in prayer and I ask that you pray for me as well. Pray that God makes it clear to me what his will is for me. Pray that he gives me wisdom to make the right decisions.

In Christ,
Thomas J. Weaver

The Trans Mission

2011-03-17T06:39:00.000-07:00

A little over a couple years ago, I was working at CVS and trying my hardest to attend church regularly. Being out of church for so long was beginning to eat at me and God started to give me a desire to pursue youth ministry. I don't know if my initial reasons were just so I can attend Church regularly or if God is calling me to full time vocational ministry; Whatever the case, A guy named Tommy McGreggor came along and, by some divine working, offered me a job with Young Life. He explained to me the philosophy, how it was a ministry focusing on relationships, and I liked what I heard and came on board. For the past two years, I've had the pleasure of serving with him and learning from him about ministry. This past Fall he started a new ministry called The Trans Mission. Before I tell you about that though, let me tell you my thoughts on Young Life.

Young Life has tremendous potential to reach kids with the gospel and it does, all over the world, every year. I can only speak of my experiences with Young Life in Montgomery and specifically the Young Life that Tommy and I were creating. We had the same problems that nearly every youth outreach ministry experiences. We were trying to reach un-churched youth but we mostly got churched kids. That does not mean that we were not unsuccessful. In fact, most of those kids are inconsistent church goers and may actually not be believers. Many churches in our area have been unfaithful to the youth that walk through their doors. It is a sad reality but definitely true. I root for the local church. It should be a healthy environment for the believer. It should be a place to hear good teaching, be discipled, have the support of a body of believers no matter what stage of life you are in. Ministries like Young Life are not that. In fact, they say, "we are not a church." However, I feel like ministries like Young Life, at least in Montgomery, are weakening the church and consequently the discipleship nature of the family. It starts with good intentions as a mission to make new believers. After a while, they start taking over other functions that the church should be doing, like discipleship, and fosters a mentality that church is unnecessary because I got this thing. When Tommy told me he was starting a new ministry, I thought it sounded promising but was weary because of the culture of ministry he was coming from. However, I really like Tommy's direction and here's why:

It aims to aid the Church rather than take over. It is more of a network of accountability than a replacement for church discipleship. You see, as kids go off to college, they leave their church homes and often times don't have the accountability to get plugged in somewhere and consequently don't go. The Trans Mission aims to offer that accountability to continue to pray, read scripture, and get plugged in to a church and ministry during that transitional stage of life.
Tommy just started a new facet that I am super excited about. He calls it The Parent Mission. It is just as you may think, getting the parents involved with the spiritual life of their kids during this transition. This could be huge for the ministry. Unfortunately because of the culture of mainstream youth ministries, parents drop their kids off to the spiritual daycare and hope that the youth workers instill Christian values into their children. This is bad news. God has commanded and blessed the family to disciple children. Parents should be the main spiritual leader in their kids lives, assuming that they are a Christian family. I love that Tommy is trying to encourage this mentality in the parents of these kids. This could be huge in this ministry. The kids may attend several different churches in their life and their family will be one of the few constants in their life. If the Trans Mission can teach the family the importance of being involved as the spiritual accountability in that kids life then this will be hugely successful. It would not only aid a kid for that year but provide aid, through the family, for the rest of their college career and beyond
It does more than just hold them accountable to be plugged in to church, ministry, and family. It is doing something every Christian college freshman needs. It reminds them that they are not alone in the fight against sin and the struggle to be counter-cultural in their new setting. Every kid in the program gets connected to other kids in the program and Tommy is trying to offer a forum for them to communicate with one another. They can ask questions and seek help or understanding from kids that are going through the same thing as them. People are more likely to persevere through something if they know someone is doing it with them.

Like with every ministry, it has great potential but also the danger of not rising to that potential or worse doing what mainstream youth ministry has done and that is entertain kids. Mainstream youth ministry gives an allusion of success but in reality is causing a deterioration of the faith of the next generation. I don't think Tommy's ministry is in any danger of that because the format doesn't really lend itself to that. If it becomes better over time at the main things it intends to do, hold kids accountable to be plugged into church, ministry, the study of scripture, and their families, then this will become a huge resource for the Christian community. Tommy has a book called Lost In Transition: Becoming Spiritually Prepared For College. It is the main resource for kids in the program. I would love to see Tommy write a follow up for parents. It is much needed. I urge you to check this ministry out. Consider supporting it and if you know any kids approaching their transitional year, encourage them to get involved.

http://www.thetransmission.org/

http://mcgregor.typepad.com/theparentmission/

Twenty Statements Test

2011-02-22T18:05:00.000-08:00

Today in Social Psychology we were asked to right twenty statements starting with "I am." It is to make some kind of point which will be discussed next class period; probably has something to do with how society shapes our identity. In any case, I liked doing this. I haven't been asked to do something like this since I was in high school. It was nice to take a quick snapshot of who I think I am at the moment. Most of them are temporal and only relevant to that moment but there are some glimmers of genuine confession peaking through. They are not in order of importance but just as they were coming to me. Without further ado, I give you my twenty statements test:

I am...

alive
forgiven
a Christian
hopeful
bored in class today
uncomfortable because of the heat
in love
anxious for tomorrow
trying to be a better student
hungry
an honest husband
wondering when my computer will arrive
patient but not enough
planning my next move for today
a busy person, maybe too busy
a mentor to 22 high school students
a tech geek
an aspiring health nut
in need of more money
right where I need to be

The one that really prompted me to post this is the last one. No matter what is going on in my life or what level of discontent I am in, I know that God has a purpose for me and that I am right where I need to be. Jeremiah 29:11 exclaims, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." To supplement that Proverbs 16:9 says, "The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps."

I know that God has plans for me to have a future and a hope. I also know that no matter how much I think I am in control over what my future looks like, God is planting my feet where I need to go. It is good to know that God is in control of my future and not me. Even with God's guidance I will make mistakes and make plans that are hasty or in ignorance, but God, in his loving kindness, has made sure I am right where I need to be to fulfill the purpose he has for me.

I hope this finds you well and can bring you encouragement. It sure was a refreshing reminder for me to slow down and stop worrying so much.

May Grace Abound!

Ministry Update

2010-09-20T23:39:00.000-07:00

This year is going to be a great year for WyldLife in Montgomery. One of the main reasons for my optimism this year is all of the new leaders that came on board. We now have 22 leaders from 4 different schools that have a heart to share the love of Christ with middle school kids. I am extremely excited about having the opportunity to walk along side of these 22 leaders and teach them to do personal evangelism right where they are in their schools. They are already living lives and speaking words that will glorify God in their sphere of influence and I am excited that I get to see them grow in that this year.

This past weekend we had our first club of the year, Yuck War! We had water balloons, shaving cream, chocolate syrup, flour bombs, and of course Yuck. We had a ton of fun and you could see it all over us. There were kids there from St. James, Trinity, The Montgomery Academy, Baldwin, and Catholic Preparatory. The leaders got to hang out with kids they already knew and they met some new friends too. After we got some-what cleaned up, I shared with them from Ecclesiastes 12:1. I told them that we are to have fun while we are still young and able; however, don’t forget God. This is what Wyldlife is going to be for the rest of the year. We are going to have as much fun as we can this year while we are still able to and we are going to remember God in the midst of our fun. I am excited about telling them over and over this year the most important thing they could ever hear, Christ died for their sins. Pray for me as I remain faithful to this most important task of sharing the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior!

Google Chrome OS: A Step Towards The Future Of Personal Computing

2010-09-18T23:20:00.000-07:00

I have basically wanted to do the same thing with my computer ever since I've owned one. I want to store documents, photos, and music. I also want to play games and connect with my friends. However, as of late, I mostly just use the internet. I put my photos on facebook and picasa, my documents on google docs and drop box, and I use pandora to listen to music. I connect with my friends on facebook and twitter by sharing my status, location, and photos. Increasingly, basic computing is being easier to do on the internet; however, our computers are not optimized for web applications.

This is where Google is trying to revolutionize the way we use our computers. They are creating an operating system that is designed specifically to better organize the applications on the internet to make it easier for us to use. It is getting rid of most of the operating system that you are used to and only using a browser that allows you full functionality of a computer while optimizing your experience on the web. Because all of your applications are on the web, your computer (or tablet) can be smaller, faster, and cheaper.

The internet is becoming more useful and more powerful, which allows us to store our information and applications there rather than on our computers. Actually, you already do it and may not notice it. If you put pictures and videos on facebook, you are storing those photos there. You can show your friends or access them at any time from any computer. There are other applications out there that allow you to store photos (Picasa or Flickr), videos (YouTube), documents (Google Docs or Microsoft Office Web Apps), or just any file period (dropbox). There are thousands of web apps for almost any use on the internet.

That is where a Chrome OS computer differs from something like the Ipad. The Ipad requires you to install apps directly on to your device. You have to choose from what Apple allows in to the market and it requires a certain amount of storage on the device, which is limited. You have the option of opening up the browser and using web apps, but the Ipad was not created for web apps. It does not have a good way of organizing and accessing the internet in the way. It is also dependent on a personal computer. You have to connect it to a computer so that it can sync with itunes just so you can turn it on the first time. It is not made to be a stand alone computer.

My prediction is that, in the near future, all of our personal computing will be done online. Everyone will have computers that are optimized for cloud based computing and they will be much easier to use and access than before. Google, with Chrome OS, Google TV, and The Web App store, are paving the way for the future. As all of those products come to market in the next few months, Google will be showing us that complete cloud computing is possible now and is more efficient. I wouldn't be surprised if other companies, like Microsoft and Apple, start production on a similar product next year.

Religion And Evolution

2010-08-23T21:09:00.000-07:00

This is a Discussion Topic from my Biological Anthropology class. I enjoyed writing it and I thought I would share with all interested. Here is what I wrote:

At the end of the clip provided in learning module topic one, the narrator said that Charles Darwin believed that his theory of the origin of the species was compatible with his belief in God. I am convinced, after much study and contemplation of the Christian Bible and relevant literature pertaining to evolution, that Darwin is correct. I am also convinced that science and theology are in different realms and are not rivals or competing for "the truth." If anything, these two should be complementary fields. One studying the creator and the other studying the creation.

I believe that much of the contention between evolution and religion are due to ignorance, from secularists and Christians alike, of what the Bible teaches and it's intended message. The Bible does not intend to give it's reader a detailed account of God's creation and precisely how it was created. Rather, it intends to reveal the character of God and that he created everything with laws, both physical and moral. The Bible's theme is God's plan to redeem his creation from corruption through the work of Jesus Christ.

Evolution is not with out it's misconceptions. It should be understood as Darwin described it, the "principle, by which each slight variation, if useful, is preserved, by the term of Natural Selection." Evolution, in the biological sense, is the adaptation of a species to it's social and physical environments over long periods of time. It is not considered the same thing as a baby growing up into an adult. However, micro-evolutions occurring over just a few generations may lead us to a better understanding of long term evolution.

I admit that there is much that I do not know and have full understanding of. I am only sure of one thing through my experiences and that is that Christ, by grace, has taken all corruption upon himself and died with it. He then rose again to continue his work of redemption to those who believe and accept his gift of life. The rest I have the privilege of discovering. If in the end evolution is undeniably proven and humans share a common ancestry with primates, then my experience does not change and God is still true. If the Genesis account is literal and humans were created apart from any other animal with no common ancestry, then my experience stays the same and God is still true.

Addendum: When I say that evolution and my faith are compatible, I don't mean that they are saying the same thing. I merely mean that they are not mutually exclusive. Basically, if one is true it does not make the other one false, but it doesn't mean it is true either.

Sharing The Gospel

2010-06-27T21:36:00.001-07:00

And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, Do you see anything? And he looked up and said, I see men, but they look like trees, walking. Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. -Mark 8:22-25

I have brought some kids who are spiritually blind to a camp and I am begging Christ to touch them. Pray for me as I share the gospel of Christ that some might be saved. I rest in the confidence that God is sovereign and that God heals the blinded eyes of those he foreknew. Pray that I live and speak in a manor worthy of bearing the Gospel and that grace is at the forefront of all I do. Thank You for partnering with me in the good gospel of Jesus Christ.

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Christ Is A Great Shepherd, I Am A Dumb Sheep

2010-04-07T12:14:00.000-07:00

"So I became the shepherd of the flock doomed to be slaughtered by the sheep traders. And I took two staffs, one I named Favor, the other I named Union. And I tended the sheep."
-Zechariah 11:7

Today I was prompted to confess my sin to God and ask for forgiveness. This is something that I do not always do daily as it is commanded. I do speak to God throughout my day concerning sin and thank Him for Christ's work on the cross, but as for searching my heart intently and recognizing my wretchedness, I seldom do.

I thought to myself, "how is it that I let myself go this long with out confessing to God?" I began to confess my unwillingness to come to Him with my sin because my flesh actually desires this sin. I seem to be unaffected by my sin, but only affected by my desire for union with Christ. I realized that I would continue in my sin unless the Spirit compelled me to repent and confess.

As I was praying, I said these words, "You truly are a great shepherd and I am a dumb sheep." My mind was taken to the analogy of the shepherd and the sheep that is referenced over a dozen times in scripture. Over and over again the sheep are depicted as lost, wandering, and helpless. I am that sheep. I am in need of a shepherd to protect me and to keep me safe from wolves. I do not know what is good for me. I wander off alone away from food and into danger over and over again. But praise God that I have a great shepherd who is able to overcome my stupidity and can fend off the evils of this world and miraculously draw me back into the fold! He shows us favor and unites us with Himself and with the Father and with the whole Body of Christ.

I pray that this thought causes you to give thanks to our great shepherd today and that you may always find yourself in the security of His fold.

Rethinking Relational Ministry

2010-04-04T20:42:00.000-07:00

Today during church I had an incredible urge to share the gospel with a large group of people. I kept imagining myself in various social circles where I would get everyone's attention and share an urgent revelation. I imagined myself telling everyone like it was my last day alive and like they had never heard of Christ and his work on the cross.

I often find myself running through scenarios like this in my mind. However, I struggle with this. In my mind it seems right and natural, but I don't want to seem like a crazy street preacher. Some street preachers stand out in public and yell warnings and scripture that don't seem to be very effective. I think that this is not effective because religion is a dime a dozen. People have seen religion and they have heard the warnings. What they have not seen is Christ's love. So we spend time with them developing a relationship in order to earn their trust. We can't just go around telling everyone about Jesus, right?

I see a different model in scripture. Most of the time it is a combination of both street preaching and relational ministry. Most of the relational ministry we see is in discipleship among believers and most of the evangelism would be something like street preaching. Paul also lived among some of the people that he was evangelizing. I am sure there is a happy medium somewhere, I just need to find it. I think that the problem with most relational ministry is that it usually takes too long to share about Christ. Many times I am afraid to share with someone because I feel like I am not close enough to them. I feel like I have to earn the right to share Christ with them, but the truth is that I have something far more powerful than a right to share. I have been given a commandment by Christ himself.

I need to step up my game on my relationships. If I do not have an opportunity to share Christ in our first conversation, it should not take more than 3 conversations. I know every situation is different, but I need to treat this message as more urgent than I do. People are not promised tomorrow and God has not promised me another conversation or opportunity.

I am also changing my sentiments toward street preaching. I used to view it as what crazy religious people who only care about another conversion added to their spiritual résumé. However, my desire to tell the gospel to a large group of people flows for my love for everyone and for Christ. The gospel affects me so much that I just want to go pleading people to listen to it. If I was not worthy of receiving this gospel than everyone must hear it!

So, yea...

Lost In Translation

2010-04-03T20:21:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading a blog from The Gospel Coalition that really got me thinking. It was written by a church planter in Chicago named Andrew Lisi. In this post he highlighted the struggles of studying theology and then relaying those truths to ordinary or non-theology studying people. He spoke of language that is used in theology that is not used throughout the whole of society and many analogies or keywords used to express large themes. I could see the honest desire to reach the unbeliever with God's truth in his post and also the love for studying God's word in-depth.

Many times I find myself in a situation where I may here someone make an inaccurate or incomplete statement about God or about the nature of humanity and I go completely tongue tied. I may only have just a few words before they tune me out or before I sound like an elitist prick who wants to one-up them. How am I suppose to convey the truth of justification, sanctification, the depravity of man, and sacrificial atonement in just a few words? Which words do I chose to convey it? How can I inform them with out seeming like I am talking down to them? How can I share with them the scriptures in which I get my authority and still maintain my equality with them?

These thoughts plague my brain constantly. I love studying theology and all the great thinkers before me. I love how the power of God is only magnified the more I learn about the word. However, I hate that I have to learn a bunch of words (however necessary) that are unfamiliar to the majority of society. Sometimes I wish that I were a new Christian who only knew Christ and him crucified. Though, Christ is what all theology points to and what all theology is about. Without Christ it's all vain.

May God continue to grant me understanding. I pray that I (and every other Christian) will not only grow in knowledge but also in understanding and love for our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Why We Have Labels And Why It Matters

2010-04-02T15:41:00.000-07:00

Labels are a really important part of society. Labels describe to us with a few words what we can expect from a particular item. For example, I may pick up a jar that reads "grape jelly." I have a rough idea based on the label what that jar has in it. This system that we setup has some good and bad points that I would like to bring to light.

Labels are good because it takes some of the guess work out of shopping. It may be hard to distinguish the difference between raspberry and strawberry jelly or even Strawberry jelly and strawberry preserves. You slap a label on it and it tells you exactly what is in it. It even tells me what it is made of and how much of each ingredient I can expect. Labels also many times provide a brand name that will keep me from having to read the ingredients every time. I can look at the brand name and know what kind of quality and what type of ingredients to expect. This is a good thing. It allows us to have contact with each item in an efficient way.

The problem with labels is that sometimes they are misleading. For instance, some labels add statements like "new!" or "world's best!" when they in fact are not. Someone may also take another persons word on a brand and avoid it when they may actually find it to be very pleasing. Sometimes a popular brand name will be put on an item that is not from that brand. This confuses people. A person may try some Bama jelly with a Pucker's Label on it and decide that they do not like Pucker's. Poor Pucker's. Also some products try to avoid labels, but having no label is a label in itself. Much speculation can be deducted from a jar with a bare exterior sitting on the shelf of the grocery store and yet we know nothing about it.

With out regard, labels are probably more helpful than they hurt. However, the label itself is not a thing that we should desire. It is the substance in the jar that the label means to represent. Don't go spreading your labels on your toast. A peanut butter and label sandwich isn't all that sustaining.

Why I'm A Calvinist And Why It Matters (March 30, 2010 2:28am)

2010-04-02T15:36:00.000-07:00

First of all I am not particularly interested in placing my self in any type of category. Nor am I interested in boasting in any special knowledge. I also do not feel like I am part of a club or privileged elite. However, I feel much persecution from people who are ignorant of my intentions and my beliefs. So I will attempt to make them known.

What I am interested in is knowing my Lord and Savior whom I love above all things and am a debtor to. I know that in the knowledge of him I will be satisfied and He glorified. In that regard, I attempt to remove my biases and prayerfully search the scriptures.

I did not become a Calvinist because I grew up one and sought out scriptures to support my beliefs. I opposed this teaching in almost every way. I believed that man is not entirely evil. I believed that man was responsible for seeking God out. I believed that Christ's work on the cross purchased heaven for all men. I believed that God was not entirely sovereign over my heart. I believed that once believing in Christ you lost your salvation after each bad deed.

I can say that those beliefs were extremely unhealthy for me and diminished the Glory of the God I served. This is a problem amongst many Christians. The God they serve is weak and so too is their faith, worship, and behavior. In the past year my understanding of God and my view of Him has grown in ways I can not even begin to explain. I have come to truly know what He meant when he said that his load is light. I love Him with immense passion because of what I know about him. I think many people believe that Calvinist are emotionless and arrogant. I have experienced something different, humility and an overflow of emotion. I wish that you could see my heart melt when I hear the name of Jesus. There is a weight in my chest because of the weight of His name.

Before when I believed that man is not entirely evil, I diminished the work of Christ on the cross. Christ's grace was not that big of a deal because I was not that bad of a guy. When I realized that there was nothing good in me and Christ's grace redeemed me, Christ was magnified and I humbled.

When I believed that man was responsible for seeking God out, I lifted up my good works and diminished God's grace again. How much greater is God's grace towards us when he seeks us out despite our sin. God became so much more loving when I realized He died for me while I hated Him.

When I believed that Christ atoned for everyone's sin, it diminished the cross. I realized that Christ's work on the cross enabled me to believe. That He not only paid for my sins but removed my resistance to His love. His work on the cross was magnified and God glorified and it was a far greater accomplishment than I originally gave it credit.

When I believed that God was not sovereign over my heart, I diminished His sovereignty and again His work on the cross. If God's work on the cross did not remove my resistance to him, then how is it that I could believe. God is solely responsible for my salvation. I can not steal any credit from him by saying that I chose him. He did all the work and is worthy of all the glory.

When I believed that I lost my salvation, I diminished God's sovereignty again, departed from grace, and subjected myself to fear. If it is not by my works that I am saved, then it is not by my works that I am kept. God's grace is sufficient for me and I am utterly dependent on it. In light of God's grace, the burden of the law is lifted off of me and I can praise God for the hope of eternity that I can be sure He will accomplish for me.

I am not ashamed of this teaching because it is liberating and powerful. I have confidence in it and I humbly accept it as a gift from God. If God would have only died for me on the Cross it would have been sufficient. But he chose to grace me with these empowering truths and give me satisfaction in Him.

Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow!

In Christ,

Thomas Weaver

Encouragement To Persevere (February 3, 2010 1:05am)

2010-04-02T15:34:00.000-07:00

A friend recently posted a blog about struggling with a stubborn friend. My friend strives to show the compassion of Christ and to share His truth only to feel ignored or useless. The question arises whether to give up on the friend or to persevere and how to deal with the choice one makes.

I share my friends sentiments and concern for this issue for it is an issue that all devoted Christians should face. I would like to share with you some encouragement for persevering in Christ-likeness when confronted with this issue and issues like it.

Your Strength: Philipians 2:13 - for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Your Encouragement: 1 Corinthians 15:58 - Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

Your Call: 2Corinthians 6:1-7 - Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says,
“In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.”
Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. We put no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left;

Your Friend: You labor with Christ, by Christ, and for Christ. His approval you already have and he cherishes you as a priceless jewel. This is freedom from the burden that man places on you. Remove the yoke of your success in pleasing man and place the yoke of the pleasure of God upon you and then your load will be light. You may labor with joy and endurance because you have the strength and the motivation and the hope of success in Christ. I will labor with you and sympathize for you and pray to our Savior so that he may strengthen you with His truth.

Your brother In Christ alone,
T.J. Weaver

Echoing Our Peers (May 29, 2009 3:32pm)

2010-04-02T15:32:00.001-07:00

'If you desire the approval of your peers, or would-be peers, then you say the rights things, commend the right books, knock the wrong people and so on. Within a constituency it can all become dangerously self-reinforcing. We commend one another for echoing back the same thoughts. All the time, we feel we are part of the cogniscenti, the cabal of people who know what is right. But ‘on the last day we stand or fall on the approval of one Person, one Master, the Lord Jesus.’

I stole this quote from Tim Chester's blog ( http://timchester.wordpress.com/ ) because I wanted to share it with you obviously.

I see this as a dangerous but prevalent phenomena. It happens all too often with in my circle of friends and I imagine with all the peoples of the world. In order to feel accepted we spit the accepted rhetoric and usually never question it. I first began to realize this when I was reading in my social research book and it said that the majority of our information is secondary. We generally accept the common answer or knowledge as the truth; which is efficient for acquiring knowledge because we do not have the time to do all the primary research for ourselves.

However, the danger I see is that people often seek acceptance within a certain clique of people or from a body of people that causes them to seek applause from those people. The truth or the speakers convictions are compromised because of those who may hear. It is not limited to compromising the truth, which is a huge deal, but also compromising one's identity.

Identity is hard to define as it could be said that the persons identity is molded by the group
they chose to identify themselves with and the doctrines they adopt.

If one's identity is founded in something more solid, Say the in the redeeming power of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, there be no need for compromising and perhaps one may not be so confused about who they are.

Identifiably Christs,

-Thomas J. Weaver

Sharing The Gospel - Jimmy Needham (January 14, 2009 11:29pm)

2010-04-02T15:31:00.000-07:00

Tips on Sharing the Gospel with Your Friends

Friday, Dec 5th, 2008

I recently did an interview where the following question about evangelism was asked. I felt compelled to share this with you guys as it might encourage and challenge some of you.

Question: Do you have any advice for someone trying to reach their friends for Christ?

Jimmy: Pray that they're hearts would be softened. The reality is "the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." (2 Corinthians 4:4). Here is the truth, unless God grants them repentance, they will never escape the snare of the devil (2 Timothy 2:25-26). So, beg God to do a work on their heart. Also, pray that he would create an opportunity for you to share the gospel with them, and that he would give you courage to speak when the time comes. Remember, you can't save your friends. Only God can (John 6:44). So, don't feel like you've failed if they don't immediately humble their hearts after you talk to them. God is pleased with your obedience, not how many converts you have. I was the first to be saved in my family, and I prayed for their souls fervently night after night. Slowly but surely, starting with my brother, then my mom and now my dad, my family is being won into the Kingdom. I believe it wouldn't have happened without prayer.

A couple of other thoughts: Please make sure you're preaching the right gospel. The information you share with them is like a key. If you give them the wrong key, it will never open the door of eternal life. My car keys, no matter how hard I try, will never open the door to my house. Search the Scriptures to make sure your gospel is Jesus' gospel. Here's some good places to start looking: Ephesians 2:1-10, Titus 2:11-14, 3:3-7, Acts 17:22-31. The book of Romans is a tremendously in depth gospel presentation, particularly chapters 1-5. Also, if you would like a good extra-biblical resource, John MacArthur gives a great articulation of the gospel on his website www.gty.org. Just click on "the gospel" tab on the home page. A careful search of the Scriptures concerning what the gospel is will not only benefit your evangelism, but it should also birth in you a deeper appreciation for your own salvation.

Lastly, be careful how you live. Make sure your life backs up your speech. I've had so many opportunities to share the gospel with a person simply because they've been impacted by the way I live my life. Likewise, my message has been hindered when I have acted out in my flesh. Whether you believe it or not, your lost friends are watching you. You are a model of Jesus to them. Make sure the picture they are getting is accurate (1 Peter 2:12).

The good news that there is now forgiveness of sins by the blood of Christ is the sweetest news in the universe. I hope you would find much delight in it, and in turn find much delight in distributing that hope to a lost and dying world.

-jimmy

Let The Nations Be Glad! (January 12, 2009 9:09am)

2010-04-02T15:29:00.001-07:00

The following is an excerpt, and a great encouragement, from Let The Nations Be Glad. by John Piper.....

"As we seek to find out why, with such millions of Christians, the real army of God that is fighting the hosts of darkness is so small, the only answer is lack of heart. The enthusiasm of the kingdom is missing. And that is because there is so little enthusiasm for the King.

This is still true today. Peter Beyerhaus also sees it clearly and calls us to put the glory of God at the center of our life and mission.

'We are called and sent to glorify the reign of God and to manifest His saving work before the whole world...Today it is extremely important to emphasize the priority of this doxological aim before all other aims of mission. Our one-sided concern with man and his society threatens to pervert mission and make it a secular or even a quasi-atheistic undertaking. We are living in an age of apostasy where man arrogantly makes himself the measuring rod of all things. Therefore, it is a part of our missionary task courageously to confess before all enemies of the cross that the earth belongs to God and to His anointed.... Our task in mission is to uphold the banner of the risen Lord before the whole world, because it is His own'

The zeal of the church for the glory of her King will not rise until pastors and mission leaders and seminary teachers make much more of the King. When the glory of God himself saturates our preaching and teaching and conversation and writings, and when he predominates above our talk of methods and strategies and psychological buzzwords and cultural trends, then the people might begin to feel that he is the central reality of their lives and that the spread of his glory is more important than all their possessions and all their plans."

Utter Reliance (December 11, 2008 2:03am)

2010-04-02T15:28:00.001-07:00

I just had one of those realization/epiphany moments where things come in to perspective. It is when you slow down and you begin to look at yourself objectively. Though this is not of my own doing. I can not look at myself objectively just like I can not see my physical features with out the aid of a mirror. I have to be shown myself. Light has to be shed on me. And God in his grace does just that. He does not have to, but he does. With out Him I am hopeless at any kind of self evaluation or correction.

I am lost with out God. As I was praying just now, I realized my utter reliance on Him. Even the prayers I lift up to Him I need His help on. I even rely on Him to rely on Him. It is like that scene from Jerry McGuire where Jerry is yelling "Help Me, Help You!" Sometimes that is how I feel in my prayers.

I don't want to sit there and ask God for a bunch of stuff. I want to thank Him for all the things He has done for me and for His plan of Salvation, infinite Grace, Insurmountable love and the list goes on. But I realize I do not understand those things very well. All I can do is ask Him to help me understand His grace, Love and Plan for my Salvation and Changing me. At that moment I felt put in my place, humbled by the thought. I can not offer God anything that I do not have to ask Him for to begin with. All good things Come from Him.

I guess what I wanted to convey with this note is our utter reliance on God. We can not offer God anything. He gives us everything we have. Kind of like a child giving dad a Christmas gift with the dad's money, but more. Anything we can offer God comes from God. All things come from God. I hope that in your prayers you can remember that the very words you offer to God are from Him; be humbled by that and experience God's grace. Understand and know what it means to Utterly Rely on God.

Sorry that I am such a bad writer and communicator. I feel like this note sounds like a 13 year old blogging about the recent youth group devotion. not that that is bad or anything......

Identity Crisis (November 19, 2008 8:39pm)

2010-04-02T15:27:00.000-07:00

The most detrimental assumption that any man could make and yet every man does make is that
tomorrow is secure.

I know that I should live my life as if there were no tomorrow. The things most important to me at the fore front of my mind, but what about my long term plans? I assume that tomorrow is secure so I make plans for tomorrow. Yet it is those plans for my future that lead me to so much uncertainty. I lose sight of myself in the acquisition of my future. If my identity is not intact, how could I ever have a future? Who among us has an identity? Who among us is worth anything? Every man assumes that tomorrow is secure. They have to. We have to. If we do not assume tomorrow is secure then we make no plans. If we make no plans then we establish no identity for ourselves. Who has an identity? How did he get it? By acquiring an identity one loses it. If any man desires an identity he must lose it. If any man desires life he must lose it. Our perceptions are skewed drastically. Who am I? I have no identity but to that which I have lost. Nothing that I gain can define me; only that which is lost defines me. I have nothing in my possession to which I can attribute my identity. Only that which was lost for me. A gift. Some one who lost their identity so that I might have one.

Praise Christ, the holy worthy lamb of God. For I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me. The life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

Popular Or Not, Principle Has My Vote (October 17, 2008 10:33pm)

2010-04-02T15:24:00.000-07:00

John Quincy Adams said, "Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost."

With the upcoming election many and myself have had to ask themselves ethical questions about what they believe and how we should think of government. I ran across this quote in a blog for a candidate running for president with the constitutionalists party. A lot of people will not vote for a third party because they feel it will be throwing away a vote, but yet they are not completely comfortable with either of the major party candidates.

The belated John Quincy Adams brings up a good point about voting. If you vote for principle even if you are alone, you will have the satisfaction of doing what is just. However, this is very good Idea, must I say principle, that we should adopt in our daily lives. If we make our decisions based on principle and not the popular consensus then we should have the satisfaction of doing justice. Too many times we are more concerned with what people may say and how people may feel that we sell ourselves short. More times than that we base our decisions on what we want or according to our lack of wisdom and are lacking in solid principles. My brothers and sisters, not only will we have the satisfaction of doing justice but we will have the approval of the Father, and that is more precious than money and food.

You may ask me, "where can I find solid principles to base my decisions off so that I may have satisfaction of doing justice and the Father's approval?" Well then I will tell you, "It is in the bible, the written word of God. It is full of all sorts of principles to live a just (righteous) life.

Your friend and brother,

T.J. Weaver

Deep Sighs All Around/Unworthy Words (September 17, 2008 11:37pm)

2010-04-02T15:22:00.000-07:00

I write a lot about things that I can not fully explain and this note is no different. Today I had a conversation with friends about the nature of God. That is an overwhelming topic for me partly because I have not been meditating on the nature of God long enough to come to some comfortable articulation and I do not think that I can.

God will forever be Amazing to me. The thing that makes him so amazing is His very nature. The scriptures say that God is Holy and the word Holy means "set apart". God is set apart, as to not be a part of His creation. Something totally different than what we know. We know things that are created and function with in certain laws that we have discovered like gravity. We know things that always come from something else or have a cause. We know things that are inconsistent, perishable, and acquirable. Then we are told that God is Holy. He is set apart from these things. He is not like this. He is different.

It is a beautiful thing that I can think about my creator. I can wonder what He is like and be blown away to find that He is not like anything that I know. I could not imagine anything that I have made to think about me and wonder what I am like. We are unlike anything else that has been created. We have been given freedoms unthinkable. Imagine to meditate and concentrate on the attributes of the Creator, of the Holy, the set apart. Even more so, imagine the creator revealing what He is like to His creation.

I am sorry, I could not finish that paragraph. As I read over the last sentence, I was too astonished to go on. Only He could claim I AM that I AM. Only He could show us who He is. The thought of God just leaves me in a place of worship. He lives me in admiration of something I can not grasp the fullness of.

Holy, Holy, Holy is our God

Didn't Feel Inspired (September 4, 2008 2:14am)

2010-04-02T15:19:00.000-07:00

But I write anyway. I got ten tons of pressure from the constipation in my mind.
There is so much crap I want to release and it all wants to come out the same time.

I am moved by music and the likes of that.
I am a rationally irrational exaggerated fact,
Conned up by the mysteries of the unlikely source
My parents reaction to pheromone's voice.
It lingered in their minds as they seemingly chose
Love, Peace, and Justice and what life purposes
To be the way it remains and sustains the body and soul
furthering the cause of a species that swallows the whole
world easy as an anvil falls upwards.

No I do not have to present for understanding
but in the way in which I perceive man in
an incarcerated doctrine that he created himself.

I am moved by music and the likes of that.
Totally emotionally driven to the ecstatic.

Lost I am in the depths of the human psyche
Find me here at the back of what might be
translated words and erroneous processes
failure to initiate common ground unless

Stop. Listen. You hear Him.
He speaks to our hearts in our chaos.
The beginner finishing what He started.
Restoring Peace and giving rest.
"I am," proclaims the silence.
Be Still and Know..."I am" Is.

Open Books, Train of Though, What Is He Talking About? (August 28, 2008 12:37am)

2010-04-02T15:16:00.000-07:00

If you have ever had a conversation with me you may know that I am a pretty open person. I wear whatever I may have right there on my sleeve. I try to be pretty honest about who I am, more for me than anyone else. I find that by not hiding much, I am less likely to deceive myself into believing something untrue about myself. I really enjoy self evaluation and correction. Due to political correctness and other naive people, one may not receive very much evaluation or constructive criticism from others.

I also find that this allows my intentions to be known. I want people to know that I honestly and genuinely care about them and that I will try not to assert myself above them in my own mind, however I am human and full of dirtiness and am likely to do such a thing and I apologize in advance.

As everyone knows, people who are more open are more likely to say something to get them in trouble or something just inappropriate.

I had a conversation with a friend that involved, at some point, me being honest about my feelings. I was not trying to say that how I felt was true, in fact, I knew that how I felt was wrong to some degree but I think it caused a little bit of a conflict.

Therefore I conclude, among other things, that most people are afraid of openness. Most people would be freaked out to hear someone say that they have considered suicide. When odds are they have themselves. or any other unspeakable thing. This frightens people and the only way they know how to react is the same way that many persecutors in the past have acted. The mentality is, "If I show sympathy and do not judge this person, others will think that I agree with him."

I tend to exaggerate situations to make my point. I also tend to ramble. So where is the sympathy? I mean, I may have error in thought from time to time or most of the time. But aren't we all mentally Ill after all. Show me one sane man and I will show you the truly insane.

Forgive Me...

Light On A Dark Heart (August 8, 2008 11:59am)

2010-04-02T15:14:00.000-07:00

It is hard for me to say that men are inherently evil or bad. I know the truth that the Bible speaks of but I am a social optimist and I try to see the best in people. Also it just sounds to be a judgmental generalization and I do not want to be judgmental.

I was watching a youtuber named PatCondell. His video was the tyranny of scripture, where he openly mocked Christians and called them ignoramuses, as he usually does. He also said that Christians did not deserve to be taken seriously or be heard.

The kind of thing that a lot of religion bashing atheist have against Christians is the hypocrisy and the way they use scripture to justify their hate to judge others. However, I realized a while back that these type of atheist are exactly the same as the Christian, they just use a different venue to deliver their hate and judgment. As Pat was discrediting the scripture and those who use it, He said, " It is a spotlight that shows up an evil heart like an x-ray." He may not know but that is exactly what the Bible says about itself. He was of course talking about those who read it interpreting it to justify their petty prejudices and I agree. But look what it has done for him. As he tries to discredit it, once again, scripture has revealed the hate and prejudice in His heart against the scripture itself and those who believe it. It seems he is not much different from those he hates.

Do not be discouraged fellow Christian when you are associated with bigotry and hypocrisy. You may also be associated with ignorance and simplemindedness. Remember that it is not your religion that is the problem but it is those who are members of that religion, including you. In fact you can apply that to any facet of culture. People are the problem. They just use things like religion, politics, and, even so called education to push their own agendas.

I am evil in my heart. I display a variety of selfishness, covetousness, hate, lust, greed, pride, envy, self righteousness, and transgressions that I am not aware of. I am not exempt from this and if it were not for the scripture shining a light on my dark heart, I would be bound to those things not knowing what they are or how to escape them. BUT GOD .... in his infinite grace has given me his word and his word offered an alternative to the lies I love to tell myself. His truth is love and it does indeed set captives free.

Grace to you and freedom in the name of Christ Lord our SAVIOUR.

Everybody in the Church Gettin Tipsy! (June 21, 2008 11:53pm)

2010-04-02T15:11:00.000-07:00

So....I had a friend question me today about drinking and was wandering where exactly the line is of Drunkenness. At what point exactly are you committing a sin? I did not have time to give my friend a good answer so I will do it now.

First off let us take a look at some common verses against drinking. The first that comes to everyones mind is Eph. 5:18, where Paul commands not to be dunk with wine, in which is dissipation. After much reading through many forms of the definition on (m-w.com), one might come to say that dissipation is to drink in excess as an act of self indulgence to the point of intemperate living. Intemperate basically means not being able to have limits or moderation. Basically drinking in excess, not knowing when to stop, or Drinking for the sole purpose of getting "Tipsy" as the Strong's Bible Concordance so elegantly described the Hebrew word Shakar.

What the Bible condemns is this type of living, Drunkenness and getting "Tipsy." It is more of a behavior than a single act. In Proverbs 23:29 it gives a good example of a drunk person. I think it is a pretty good explanation, granted it is a description of an alcoholic, but I am sure if anyone has ever gotten drunk before they could relate.

However, We are, by God's grace, held to the law of Love. Remember Jesus said that the two great commandments is to Love God and Love others. Well We are compelled to do certain things or not to do certain things out of love for others. First off let us go to the inevitable passage of Romans 15:19-23. READ IT! Think about it for a second. And If you have any doubts then think no further. You will sin if you do no do in faith. So you say to yourself, "I can drink in full confidence, so I am not sinning." So then read the first part of verse 22 again. "Do you have Faith? Have it to yourself before God.Happy is He who does not condemn himself in what he approves." Trust me, if you try to live to others convictions of something that you have no conviction, You will drive yourself crazy. But you should not involve others in your controversial practices or even risk it. You have to ask yourself, " Is your love for others and edifying your neighbor greater than your desire to drink alcohol?" this is one of those things there is no clear cut answer to. It actually requires you to do a little reading of the word, searching your heart, and praying to God, so that you might develop your own convictions concerning this. However, if it is a consuming topic for you then you probably should settle on no alcohol. If it is that big of a deal, it may become a problem.

I hope that you are compelled towards love and that you may become drunk in the sweet spirit of God. If you are to indulge in anything, Indulge in Christ. Indulge in His words and it will lift you Higher than any drug.

The Burden of The Gospel (June 8, 2008 8:08pm)

2010-04-02T14:55:00.000-07:00

I passed by some people my age as I was driving home today. They were in the front yard having what seemed to be a party. There was a slip and slide a table set up (for food maybe), and they were all in bathing suits. I immediately thought that I would like to join them, because it was hot and I like meeting new people. Then the thought of the gospel crossed my mind and reaching the lost. I felt like the situation would be awkward because I would be wanting to share Christ with them or knowing at some point I should. I think if I actually had considered joining them this might have done just what I thought or kept me from the whole situation.

I think many of us carry the burden of the gospel with us into social situations or have the weight of this task as we talk to church members or are in church gatherings. We are afraid to talk about Christ and everyone and even the Bible tells us that we should. We think of clever ways to engage others in a conversation about spiritual matters and take classes or read books on how to evangelize. This makes situations even more uncomfortable as we are distracted by a hidden agenda and are not engaged at all with that person or group.

I hate that this is the case but we have subjected the gospel into some sort of obligation. Many people may feel bound by the gospel and restricted. This should not be the case. The gospel of Christ is one of freedom. It is liberating to be under the law of Grace. The gospel is freedom. We are free from our transgressions and the burden of sin is lifted. Sharing the gospel should never be an obligation to us. We should be so overwhelmed with joy and peace that it overflows into our conversations. It should not have to be some awkward question to set up a scripted response. It should be a proclamation of living truth and the incessant love brought by salvation.

We are not drinking from the spring of grace when the gospel becomes a burden. We are not experiencing the freedom and the redemption of God's love when talking about Christ becomes a chore to mark off our to do list. Instead of trying to find ways to convince others that God is real why don't we ask ourselves just how real He is to us. People can sense sincerity and they can see passion for someone. If the Gospel of Christ does not move you, then how can you expect it to move those you tell.

Go to Christ. See his Love. Experience his Grace. Drink from the spring. Taste of the word of God and know that it is good. Then act out Christ's love everywhere you go. Be his love. Give his Grace. lead to the water.

When we fill ourselves with God's truth we do not have to squeeze it out but it will run over.

My Understanding of Romantic Love (March 24, 2008 2:00pm)

2010-04-02T14:51:00.001-07:00

I recently read a friend's note on the subject of Love and now I feel compelled to share my own understanding of Love. First thing, a little Bible verse:

1Corinthians 13:-
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8Love never fails.

Love is completely selfless, it is a pure, unadulterated, giving of one self to another. Love is not strictly romantic love but can be love for all. I personally want to practice perfect love for all. I am far from that and know I may never reach that but none the less I will still try. After looking at the world I realize that there is a lack of this true love that is in the the bible verse up there. Everyone blames someone for something and no one always takes full responsibility. We like to blame different religions and governments for the wars and hypocrisy but we fail to realize that those things are institutions. They are comprised of people. It is not the governments and the religions that are evil, it is the people. It is all of us, As a people. All of us hold some sort of hypocrisy for treating people they way that we are selves would never want to be treated and we hate and judge in our hearts. The only remedy is love. When one person comes to give all for all we find that it catches on and slowly the world becomes a better place. We stop judging because we are by no means perfect and we stop living our lives for ourselves and start living for those around us. That is what Jesus Christ came to do but everyone likes using his teaching to create a religion instead of what it is, but that's another note.

Romantic Love starts with mutual attraction. That's right, those ewwey gooey fillings are attraction and infatuation. Then at some point you open your self up. You become more intimate in that you share your deepest thoughts and feelings. As you grow more intimate, you tell them your fears and vices and open yourself completely, laying yourself vulnerable to them. You give them the ability to hurt you and trust them completely to protect you. They essentially have your heart in their hand and you have theirs. You no longer have to protect your inner most feelings and hurts and vices instead you protect hers and she protects yours. In this way you give all of yourself to that person as they give all of them to you. You no longer live your life for yourself or put yourself first, you do that for the other and them like wise to you. This proves to be way more fulfilling than living for yourself as you have twice the pleasure. It is the pleasure you get from her giving to you and more so the pleasure you find in giving all yourself to her. you have fulfillment and a sense of compassion. There is always someone you can trust with everything and you know this person will never judge you or manipulate you. It is a care free world, at least the one you two live in and having them in your life makes this world a bit more care free than otherwise. This is true love, the only love, because false love is not love at all; is it?

Ultimately God created this type of relationship (Romantic Love) so that we can learn what He is like. We can know a hint of what His love for us is like and how he wants us to treat the world around us. The cure for this diseased, selfish world is the Love of God. It is our Job to show it to them.

The Monster? (March 22, 2008 3:54am)

2010-04-02T14:48:00.001-07:00

Okay so I have been immersing myself in youtube vlogs over the spring break. I just find them so fascinating...I guess it is the exposure to different ideas and ways of thinking that I like so much. The point is that I am in the blogging spirit so I am responding to a thought put out by a fellow facebook note writer.

The thought was on the monster trapped on the inside; waiting to explode and remind you of the past.In this case he is speaking of past sins indwelling but the funny thing about indwelling sin it usually effects you in ways that you have participated before. For example, If you used to drink alcohol you may get the urge to drink alcohol again but one who has never drank alcohol will not get that urge, only peer pressure. Every one knows that we as human being naturally have an addictive nature about us. That is why reality Television is so popular. As horrible as it is, it is addicting.

Just from my observation of this persons description the monster seems to be fear. Fear of failure to restrain the past or just fear of the past. I think that comes from an uncertainty of ones conversion. Am I still that person or am I some one different? I went through a similar situation when I accepted Christ but mine was more social than anything. Every time I looked in the mirror I seen the sinful me and I felt like when people looked at me they saw a trouble maker and not a good kid.

Guys I want to tell you that many of the reasons young Christians fall away from the faith and similarly many people are turned off to religion in general is due to the fear of conformity and condemnation from those practicing that faith. A lot of times we are held back by our fear of falling or messing up due to the judgment that will be passed by our peers. However, we do not have the right to condemn or pass judgment on anyone, especially a young Christian or a non believer. We say that change does not happen over night and that no one is perfect but yet we are so quickly to hold assumptions of some ones faith, as if we we had to be holier than thou.

Our role as brothers and sisters in Christ is to hold some one accountable through encouragement and relating; because if we be honest with ourselves we all get the impulse to go crazy sometimes or we all doubt God and our own existence. If we be completely honest with ourselves none of us are consistently mentally stable and it is okay to admit that. When we do admit that people can stop feeling like they are alone and begin to grow together in love. I struggle with the Monster with in on a daily basis. I lose more battles than I win but thank God I am not alone and I do not fight alone. Praise God for His amazing faithfulness. Guys we live in a fallen world and the only remedy is unconditional love. Is not life great?

Thoughts on Charity (January 14, 2008 1:12am)

2010-04-02T14:47:00.000-07:00

"I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare. In other words, if our expenditure on comforts, luxuries, amusements, etc., is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving away too little. If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small. There ought to be things we should like to do and can not do because our charities expenditure excludes them."
--C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity,Part 2 ch.3 pg 86

It is not only Piper that has such a liberal giving point of view about things. Many great Christian authors have presented similar views. This quote of C.S. Lewis is found in the chapter titled social morality. Lewis seems to be saying that it is our social duty driven by love. If you go by the commandment, love others as you love your self, then your love for others, namely your concern for others well being as opposed to an emotional feeling should drive you to want the same things for them as you want for yourself. Obviously that verse applies to more general terms but Christ said that on this all the law and the profits hang on. We should be able to apply this verse to every faucet of our lives and for the sake of the conversation, charity. Im not saying that I follow this perfectly, rather it is a model that I should strive after. I hope that over the course of my life the Holy Spirit will work in me ( through sanctification ) perfecting me by removing selfishness. I hope that my love for others and the kingdom of God would replace my love for earthly things to the point that I can give as the widow who gave all she had. Im not saying that we should declare this as our state but at least acknowledge this as good and the will of the Lord for us.

Contemplations of a Constipated Mind Part VI (December 10, 2007 11:42pm)

2010-04-02T14:43:00.000-07:00

I almost did not wright this note because we have heard this topic a million times and maybe in part that I have not thought it through completely. However, I have chosen to go ahead and wright the note, as you can tell, because sometimes we need to be reminded.

Many people do not realize the necessity of the Gospel continually through out their life. One would believe that the Gospel is necessary upon acceptance for Christ and sharing of Christ and the rest is just fine tuning. That belief is dangerously far from the truth. The Gospel is the means of your salvation and the means of your spiritual growth. It sustains your security and it is our hope. If you get deep enough you see that it is the reason for existence (John 1:1).

Recently I was struggling with ungodly thoughts and battling disbelief as John Piper would say. I did not understand why certain things were sins and why I should not do them. I did not feel conviction or guilt and the only thing telling me not to do them is my own knowledge of the law. So I went back to the gospel and I began to preach to myself.
As Christ died for my sins, He bought me with his blood. That means if I am to accept this I am to give Christ what belongs to him, What he bought; that is me. I am to be a servant of Christ. Paul almost always introduced himself as a bond servant of Christ. A bond servant is some one who is a servant to some one because they owe them something. We owe Christs our lives, therefore, we are His servants.
In a more honorable time in history, if a man saved another man's life, he would serve that man to pay off his debt. The thought was, With out this man saving me I would not even be alive so the life I now live should be spent serving this man.
That should be our attitude towards Christ. This helped me make a lot of sense of why I should keep the law. Because my master said so. I am a servant and I owe all to Christ and I am to be obedient, even if sometimes I don't understand why. This has also helped give me guidance in my life. I sometimes forget the fact that I have been given eternity at such a high price.

Galatians 2:20 states," For I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."

It is my prayer that my heart will learn that I have been crucified with Christ and that I do not live for my self anymore but to Christ. I live by faith in Him who loved me and gave himself for me. I pray that my life can attest to that and glorify God.

To all the faithful Saints, I encourage you in love. Keep the gospel close to your hearts and may it govern your every thought so that it may govern your every move. To the glory of God,
Your brother.

Contemplations of a Constipated Mind V (November 19, 2007 12:09am)

2010-04-02T14:37:00.000-07:00

I have received a lot of encouraging words, notes, comments, etc.from you all and I am ecstatic. It feels like the body of Christ to me. People are encouraging one another, lifting one another up, and contending for the faith. I pray that you all let this Love remain top priority in your lives as well as mine. Continue to Love all you come in contact with, especially your enemies.

As a result of encouragement and the sovereign Lord who guides us through spiritual growth and reveals things in due time, things are clearing up. I now see that I would not have had such a hard time if relying on and seeking God daily would have been a practice of mine at that time. The trial I went through was a result of being distracted. Removing my focus off God and on to my personal plans and desires. The funny thing is that while you are engaging in a healthy relationship with God daily, you know that it is what you need. It is your life support. God is everything to you and the things of this world are foolishness. On the contrary, when you are not engaging in a healthy relationship with God daily, You are more likely to fall to the temptations of this world. You want this world more than you want God. It is the thing Christ was talking about when He said that you can not serve two masters. If you love this world then the love of the Father is not in you.

In James it says to resist the devil and he will flee. I once told a friend that it is like a battle for power. When you resist the devil, he loses power and will flee. However, when you give in to temptation you give the devil power. The more you give into temptation, the harder it is to resist. It is the good fight we are always talking about. Battling against temptation and pressing on in faith out of love for Christ. This includes temptations to sin with lust, hate, anger, biasness, lies(even white lies), greed, gluttony, letting your emotions control you to behave ungodly, and especially to ignoring God.

I ignored God in my day to day life. I did not seek a relationship with Him daily. When we do that it leaves us weak and defenseless to all other sin. Then when we find ourselves indulging in sins, Satan uses those to place guilt on us. Guilt makes us feel dirty and unworthy to come before God and we will put off going to God until we clean up a bit. Well there is something wrong with that. If we lose power to fight temptation every time we give in, then how do we expect to do better the next time? We can not clean ourselves up, we need help. Turning to God in prayer and in our daily routines is the only way we can be saved from our sin.

Today at church, the pastor had three points he made on his sermon that I think is something to remember to keep us from losing focus. The message was on Luke 17:11-19, the story where Christ healed ten lepers. Read the story it is good but to sum it up, He healed ten lepers and only 1 came back to thank Him, falling at His feet giving praise. The pastor mentioned three things that showed what was different about the guy who came back.

1. Perception: He looked at his healing and recognized that it was from
God. Likewise, we should change our perception about our
life and acknowledge God. Step back from our selfish
desires and evaluate ourselves.

2. Priority: The one leper turned around and gave thanks to Christ before
going to the priest to be allowed back into the city. In the
same manner, we should make God a priority in our lives.
Before everything else God should come first. We should go
to God before we act. Most the things we act on are His
blessings to us anyways, give thanks.

3. Praise: God is deserving of our praise guys. He created all that exist.
He gave us life. He then thought of us and Sent His Son to die
for us, so that through His death we may live. He protects you
when you are not thinking of Him. He shows us grace and love
in response to our sin and neglect.

I plan on making it a PRIORITY every day to evaluate my PERCEPTION and give God the PRAISE He deserves. I have a few routines I want to get in the habit of doing daily. I want to meditate on Psalms for praise. I want to contemplate the Proverbs for wisdom. I plan on meditating, contemplating and giving God 30 min. of my time everyday. I want to go in to the secret and quiet place with my Lord and enter into joyous communion. I am making that my top priority. When filling out my schedule or planning that is the first thing I need to do.

May you all be filled with love and joy. May God be the top Priority every day for you and when He is top priority every day it will be easy to keep Him top priority in you Life. Keep contending for the faith and fighting the good fight.

Yours Truly out of Christ's Love,

Your Brother.

Response to Contemplations IV (November 12, 2007 7:01pm)

2010-04-02T14:24:00.000-07:00

contemplation

Main Entry:
\ˌkän-təm-ˈplā-shən, -ˌtem-\
Function: noun
Date: 13th century
1 a: concentration on spiritual things as a form of private devotion b: a state of mystical awareness of God's being2: an act of considering with attention : study3: the act of regarding steadily4: intention, expectation

That is the definition of contemplation on Merriam Webster's website. (m-w.com)
I actually just wrote a note in response to some of the encouragement I received from my last note but it seemed haughty and arrogant, so I deleted it. I will not deny some times I am pretty prideful and resistant to help. I thought about leaving the note up just to not hide anything but I would be embarrassed at what seemed to be a defense to myself. I never want to defend myself, it is not my place. I figured to keep from hiding who I am, haughty and prideful, I would just mention the note and go ahead and delete it.

My notes truly are contemplations as the definition describes above. I am not trying to make myself look good and show that I am thinking about my spiritual life. I know my notes actually make me look pretty ignorant and lost sometimes. I am just expounding on some of the thoughts that I have been having and trying to be publicly honest about my considerations. I am laying my self out vulnerable before all who read.

With all that being said I think I will precede to share more contemplations.

Today is the day after I wrote contemplations IV. I slept in today. I really should not have. I should have went to my first two classes. But I have been pretty care free today. I would like to tell you this:

God is with us always. He has never left us and He will never forsake us. I was at a point when I did not trust God with everything in my life. I was trying to do it all by myself. Like I said, I was doing all this planning ahead and not living with God in the present. I was beginning to forget that each second and each breath is a gift from God. I was putting a lot of hope in tomorrow, when tomorrow is not even determined. My hope is in Christ and that is the only place that I will find assurance and by assurance I am talking about certainty. I am one of those people who need to be certain about everything. That is why I have found so much joy in Christ because he brings me that certainty. Not like it is some mystical pixie dust that falls on me but because His faithfulness has been constant and has never failed me. I am in the loving hands of my savior and I do not fret.

As for the things that concern most of you, like when I talk about the treasons against God and how I ignore him and etc.... Do we not all do those things. There are times when we feel close to God and we are blissfully happy but we just do not realize how much God deserves and how much we actually give him. Solomon said that it is better to be in the house of mourning than in the house of joy. That is because when we are blissful there is not a lot of thought about how to fix things because we do not see any problems. When we are mournful we are giving all thought on what is wrong so that we may fix it and we can see the inadequacy of our sacrifices to God.

So blessed is the one who sees their iniquities and mourns over them and admits them so that he might be saved from them. I thank God for the way that I feel a lot. I could not bare to see all of my transgressions and all of God's righteousness. The grief would literally kill me. But I do thank God that He shows me just how I do not acknowledge him enough and how much I need Him.

Thank all of you for your encouragement and prayers. I pray that you see me as your comrade fighting along side of you. I hope that my notes are an encouragement to you as much as they are confessions. I am speechless to how to end this note........God is.....

Contemplations of a Constipated Mind Part IV (November 12, 2007 12:10am)

2010-04-02T14:21:00.000-07:00

I have been pretty vocal lately in my writing of notes. I have written more notes these past two months than in the past two years. Obviously I have a lot on my mind and am bothered, confused, lost, etc....

Well in this note I happened to be writing about myself. I tend to do a lot of observation and try to be as objective as possible. I would like to think that I am relatively objective when observing my self, but who can tell. I will say this, I am brutally honest with my self and I will not sugar coat any so called feelings or emotions. I call them as they are not as I would like them to be.

I have made it a habit lately of saying, "I don't even know." I will be trying to explain what is going on with me or tell some one how I am feeling and I find my self repeating, "I don't even know." So with all seriousness guys, I don't even know anymore. That has been the defining statement of my reaction to my own spiritual life, relationship with Christ, and connection with the rest of this world. I have been so disconnected from my self and God to the point that I don't even know anything anymore. I need someone to tell ME what is going with me and how I am feeling. I confessed to some one recently that, "I know a lot about the Bible and about relationships and how to make them work; and I know a lot about God and why things are the way they are and I have preached the gospel to my self to try to revive my self. And my situation would be better off if I did not know anything about Christ and the Bible except that He saved me. Because then it will all be anew to me. Frankly, it is all getting old. I have heard it a million times and the same old things are being repeated to me and I keep telling my self the same things and it is all getting old. It is like a good story you heard too many times. You just wish you had not heard it so much because you want it to be good again. I don't know if any of you have felt like this or if you have even cared about the gospel enough to admit this to yourself. I love God, Christ and His gospel. I love it. It is that amazing story that I have heard too much.

Growing up I heard about God a lot. My family were holy ghost filled pentecostal, cram the bible down your throat Christians. As passionate as they seemed to be about telling me my eternal fate I did not believe a word they said. It was like Santa Clause or the tooth fairy. I knew about it and I played along at Christmas and when I lost a tooth but deep down I knew they did not exist. Same thing with Christianity; I played along and I knew about Christ and Hell but in my heart I did not believe. (I heard once that Faith is action. If you really believed something your actions would show it.) It was not until I seen true, genuine, transformation in the conversion of my dad that I believed in Christ. I saw truth and the Love of Christ. I saw life and I knew that it was different than what I formerly thought was life. I was fooled into thinking what I was living was life and In the conversion of my dad I saw a glorious being and existence truly worthy of being called life. It was not the knowledge of things but the fulfillment of them that brought me to Christ. I have not been witnessing that lately. I have been getting a lot of the same old same old thrown at me and I am not seeing truth and inspiration.

My main problem in not finding that is in my worries of things of this earth. Lately I have been doing a lot of planning for the future. I am getting married in May, I am moving into a new apartment in a week, I am trying to get a new job.
I am continually looking ahead which leaves me no time to live here and now. That bothers me because while I am looking ahead and living and waiting in the future God is HERE and NOW. He is with me now. He is not in the future. He is with me now. A lot of people will disagree and say God is every where of course He is in the future. You are missing my point. The future is a figment of our imaginations. It is just a compilation of a bunch of petty plans, hopes, and dreams; wishes for tomorrow glorified to be some other existent place. All that is real is here and now. tomorrow will soon be here and now but until then it does not exist. God is with us here and now and while we are making plans for tomorrow we are missing out on glorious communion and LIFE. That is my problem. For some reason I feel like all that is more important than finding my self in the Lord and enjoying His presence. If I only believed in my Heart that if I seek first the kingdom of God and all his righteousness everything else will fall in to place than I would be okay. I say it and I can tell you I believe it to be true but If I really believed it I would be putting it into action. Faith is Action. I don't even know guys. I ramble on and on about things but I am missing out on the key factor that brings all things together. I love my Lord so dearly. I miss Him. Yet I do not turn to Him like I should. I cry out for the Lord. Help me my God.

Do not rejoice over me, my enemy;
When I fall, I will arise;
When I sit in darkness,
The Lord will be a light to me.
I will bear the indignation of the
Lord,
Because I have sinned against Him,
Until He pleads my case
He will bring me forth to the light;
I will see His righteousness.

--Micah 7:8-9

In love to you all my friends. May my honest testimony inspire you in some way; either in a closer look in to your own lives or to pray for me. May the love of God fill our lives and that we may experience life overflowing. Until He brings forth to the light and we see His righteousness. Amen

Contemplations of a Constipated Mind Part III (November 4, 2007 12:35)

2010-04-02T14:18:00.000-07:00

Here I go again....writing. I don't know anymore. A lot of the feelings I am experiencing regarding writing this note has a lot to do with what the note is about. I know confusing, let me explain. Right now I am thinking, "why bother, no one will read it anyway. And even if they do, what will it accomplish.... NOTHING!! It does not help me, It does not help those who read. It is pointless. It is not worth talking about!" And maybe it isn't. These feelings have almost everything to do with the topic of this note, In my opinion. What is that topic you might ask? (and here comes the thesis) I realized today how shallow our existence here on earth is; this is spawning from my realization of how shallow our relationships are with one another.

I am not saying that we humans have a shallow existence and that we have nothing to look forward to, I am saying that we have made it shallow and we are not looking forward to the things we have the potential to accomplish. We have skewed off in this materialistic, egotistical path that is leading us no where, that is important anyways.

I don't mean to sound pessimistic, even though I sound that way anyway. I love this world and the human race as a whole. We were made in the image of God, how could I not love the creation. The point that I raise is that the relationships that we have are really shallow. Most of the people I call friends are almost strangers to me. I do not know the people I come in contact with all the time intimately. Not even close to intimately. My best friends and I are barely acquaintances. We do not have important conversations, instead we delight ourselves in petty small talk. When we ask how some one is doing, We do not really care. The person saying, "fine, how are you?" does not mean that either. I do not know what is going on in my friends' lives. When I say prayers for them, it is completely general." God keep your hands over 'so and so' and guide their paths. Lord you know their hearts and their problems, please protect them." Which that prayer is all good and all, God does know their problems and he will protect them but what factor do we play in all this. Do we merely remind God to protect them and watch over them, as if He needs us to?

The worst part is that so many people will read this and say, "I don't want to get involved in other people's lives and I don't want them involved in mine." The worst part is that we do not even want a closer relationship with the people we come in contact with. We like our American philosophies, " look out for number one" "mind your own business" "You can't trust anyone but yourself." We like to stick to ourselves. I keep thinking back to that song by Switchfoot. It says, " We were meant to live for so much more but we lost ourselves."

We have so much potential but we are aiming all our efforts in the wrong way. Christ before He died prayed for our unity. John 17:20-23 reads, "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that you sent Me. And the glory which you gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that you have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me."

If you are a Christian or know anything about Christian doctrine than you know about the trinity. You know How close the Father is to the Son. That is the type of unity that was meant for the human race. We were supposed to be one with one another as well as with God. If you can image How close the Son is to the Father and know that we are suppose to mirror that, than you know our potential and how much we have gone in the opposite direction. Now Christ was not praying this for the whole Human race. He understands that without Him, this is not possible. He was aiming this at those who bare His mighty Name and carry His love. Those who call themselves Christians. What are we doing with Christ's love. Are we hording it? It does not work like that. It is like pollination. If we horde it, It will die...but if we share it, It will grow.

If you are anything like me, you will see the point and think that there is no hope. That everyone is set in our American philosophies. Even if I change myself I can not experience that type of unity and relation with my neighbor. It takes two, right? I know my friends, but let us not be discouraged. I never meant to offer solutions or expound on the whole problem. I only meant to raise the issue and maybe some awareness to the problem. I expect each person to think about it deeper and realize this travesty and treason against life and existence.

To those that made it to the bottom, Thank You very much. You are probably one of the few that get it and have a shot a making a difference in your on lives. You care about someone other than yourselves. Peace to you and may God bless you with divine wisdom. May He continue to open our eyes and guide us to true life. Once again from your brother and friend in Christ,
Thomas Weaver

Seek God With All Your Heart! (October 23, 2007 12:53am)

2010-04-02T14:14:00.000-07:00

There are two things you will find consistently throughout the Bible, Covenants and Commandments. Or better yet, promises and instructions. The commandments are there to instruct us in the ways that are right. The Covenants are there as promises to hold on to when the times get rough.

Deuteronomy 4:45 is one of those promises. It says, 'But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul."

That is comforting to me. I know many times I lose my way and I am not as focused on God as I should be. As a result, I find my life sort of slowly transgressing. I am not as studious as before, My peace tends to fade away, and I lose that zeal and love for people that always kept me waking up every day. Some times there are just really rough times that get me down and I need my Rock to be there for me.

Searching for God is not liking searching for your keys. Your keys never promised you will find them. You could search all day long and never have any assurance that you will find them. Good news brothers and sisters, We can be sure that if we seek with all our hearts and souls, we WILL find God. It is a promise and He has always been faithful. Truthfully, has God ever let you down. If there is any problem it is most likely on this end of the relationship. We got to want God and desire Him. When we do, We will seek Him and we WILL find Him.

Stay encouraged and press on in the faith because He is Faithful!

The Contemplations of a Constipated Mind Part II (October 22, 2007 3:02pm)

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I think I shy away from talking about the things I truly feel because I know the majority of people will not understand. I know that most people will be offended and I would prefer to be a peace maker. It is not worth me speaking to deaf ears and ruining relationships and disrupting the peace, starting a useless quarrel that will lead no where. However, I think I will do something to that effect in this note. I will rant about some of the things that have been eating at me this past little while.

I have been doing a great deal of soul searching. My faith has been challenged alot and my understanding of God, People, sin, and all of the interactions in between have been tested. I grew weary in my spirit and tired in my faith. I pushed away from God and struggled with Him. I have done things I regret and have wrestled with the pride and foolishness of my flesh. I have tried my best to erase all the tradition I know and the popular beliefs that invade my life. Even down to the smallest behavior, I have evaluated my life and this world and this whole existence we hang so much importance on. In concerning Christians and our Faith I have come this far...

God is so much bigger than we make Him out to be. His ways stretch far beyond ours and our understanding is too feeble to grasp it all. So we try our best and a lot of times we disagree. Stubbornness over takes us and we split from one another. Other times we hold so dear to the things we believe that we hate the very ones who need our love the most. I think in part I am talking about denominations and in part the scholarly type christian or the hard headed christian who is set in their ways. It is a stubbornness mixed with conservative actions and thoughts that drives one to be ignorant and a bigot. There is nothing wrong with conservative values, my values are conservative. I am talking about stubbornness and pride filling those conservative thoughts, rather than actual values. That person is a Pharisee and has a weak faith. This leads me to my next point.

We have all heard that the majority of Christians do not know why the believe what they believe. And most people will agree that this is true. Well what exactly are we doing about it? What I have noticed is that typically when regarding todays American Christians, is that they stick to themselves and surround themselves with one another. The only interactions with non believers are those at work school or evangelism. There is no personal relationships or investing into the lives of those who do not share similar values as us. It is a conditional love that we Christians tend to give the world. For most Christians, We are weak and afraid. We are weak in our faith and are too scared to have our faith challenged or shaken. We are too afraid to step out in a world of opposing thought because then we would have to know what we believe just to survive. And we don't know why we believe it. It is sort of a stubborn and lazy religion that we have built and it was never meant to be a religion in the first place. We have become so bent on our rules, christian taboos, and common way of doing things that we forget or never realize the picture Christ has for us.
We have so many institutions we have created in honor of man. I mean really tell me why you believe in Christ....and then tell me why you believe what you just said. And then tell me what is really important in this world. Really. If your read the Bible Christ died for his beliefs. I know in the big picture He died for the sins of the world, but they crucified Him for what He stood for. They did not like that fact that he was more popular than them (the pharisees). and they did not like the fact that He was healing on the sabbath. It was taboo, against how they have always done things. Christ died for the big picture, for righteousness, and for love. He stood up for what He believed in but can we stand up for what we believe in. And are the things we believe in the same as His. The pharisees also stood up for what they believed in and the stuck to themselves. They looked down on others because of their opposing view points and did not associate themselves with sinners. Christ stood up for love, not tradition, He accepted all and He sat, touched, ate with, loved, and invested into the lives of sinners.

Im not going to sit here and tell you all that is wrong and what is right, partly because I don't know, and If I did you would not seek the truth for yourself. You would just continue to be weak, scared, and lazy. Christ wanted us to seek for the truth, and those who seek will find it. Please Challenge your faith and make your relationship with Christ real. Not just a set of rules you follow, a schedule you go by each week, or a group you hang out with, but a life you live out.

Peace to you all and may the love of Christ abound in your hearts. May the desire for truth fill your every thought and the God of truth meet your need. From your brother in Christ with all good intent and love.

The Contemplations of a Constipated Mind Part I (June 18, 2007 1:31am)

2010-04-02T14:09:00.000-07:00

This is my first note. I always wanted to write a note just to document my thoughts and maybe encourage my friends. I was waiting till I felt extremely close to God and had some divine revelation and could impart some sort of wisdom. Instead I find myself at an all time low.

My problem lies somewhere within my pride and my independent behavior before God. You see, I am unsatisfied and not fulfilled when it comes to my spiritual life, and I do not know why. Why? Why,why why? Lord open my eyes! The problem is not with God. He has already proven His unfailing love for me. He has shown me enormous amounts of grace and is still showing grace now. The problem obviously is me. I am unappreciative. Why? I recognize God's sacrifice and I know it is amazing that He would step out of Glory and be reduced to human only to be humiliated and separated from His Father. The most perfect and Holy union of the trinity broken for me a sinner! My transgressions against Him, the most Holy, were covered by the veil of His own righteousness so that I may live in eternity with the one I offended, but he loved me and gave himself for me. I know this, but somewhere in my heart I forget or just can't bring myself to be in awe of this as much as I know I should.

Now I find myself wandering how I can find Peace, satisfaction, and fulfillment in Him. I used to be able to point to a sin that I need to humbly repent for and I would then enter into joyous communion. Though I cannot do that now. Not that I am sinless, just that I have repented and fallen many times in the past whenever. I continue to fall and then repent and wander why do I not feel close to God. Why can I not enter into communion and be empowered by His love to continue the fight against sin? Why can I not find the ability to give Him all I have. My sin against God is in my on faith, tearing my soul away from Him. God calls us to take ourselves out of our own keeping and put ourselves in His keeping, in essence that is our salvation, our faith. Though now my pride has caused me to depend more on my self. I try to reach God by the things I do. Not just by outward works but inward works as well and God is the least bit impressed. He has given me such grief inside to show me my utmost need for Him. My only decision is to give Him my all and rely on Him for my strength. I get so carried off on trying to prove God my love and I grow further and further away from Him. God should be my everything, my all in all. So, "Please take from me my heart when I don't have the strength to give it away to you, Jesus."(Third Day) All of me in your arms. My every thought and decision, may it rest in your grace, Father. I need Him in everything I do. Not just in carrying on or speaking truth to the lost but in pleasing Him. God has already paid for our sin. God is not impressed by our righteousness. He is completely righteous. God just wants us to fully rely on Him. Everything else falls into place. If we seek first the the kingdom of God and HIS righteousness, not our own, everything else will be added unto us. It is all about Him. The sooner my stubborn and contrite heart can learn that the sooner I will find true peace.

May God bless you all with the divine wisdom of His righteousness and may peace and Grace be poured out abundantly to you. Glory to the sovereign Lord, God almighty, whom all praise and honor is due.

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1988-02-19T23:12:00.001-08:00

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