"I'd rather see a sermon."

Guy Doud recieved the "National Teacher of the Year" award, given by the President (then, Nixon i think), speaks on Focus on the Family today. It's part two of a series reflecting his message.

"I'd rather see a sermon."

Bieber gives thanks to Jesus

While every teen may have "Bieber Fever," Justin Bieber has Jesus Fever. lol.


Here's the article in the Christian Post




The young man has made several public references to his savior; quite the thing to do among an industry and a society that has little desire to have anything to do with Christianity. Rumors might circulate, and many "Christians" can speculate to the authenticity, but I don't see the worldly gain that comes with announcing  your faith in Jesus. His kingdom is not of this world. I think of Romans, and what Paul says about confessing with your mouth that Jesus is Lord when reading this.


Of course, it's a matter of the heart; but the mouth speaks what is in the heart, and what the mouth speaks is what shows character, and ones character is ones legacy.

Thriving As A Modern Day Woman - from Jessica

Hey its Jessica!


If you are anything like me, you are wondering how to do it all, how to have it all, how to please your boss, starting your own business, cleaning the house, pleasing your husband, make home cooked HEALTHY meals, work out, have a little time to yourself... and at the end of the day when you finally just crash, you realize there is no realistic way to get it all done. This summer, being pregnant in that unbelievably tiring first trimester, I have had a little break-down when the impossible finally was impossible in my mind. Melt down after melt down, I'm still here.

Is it that these things shouldn't be achieved? How do you have it all? Today's topic on Jim Daly's Focus on the Family broadcast was AMAZINGLY FREEING! I completely suggest it. I haven't even listened to the first and second part in this series, but this half hour was much needed for me.

Are we trying to have it all, all at once?! Why can't we be happy in this generation knowing that there are seasons in life in which each of these things can thrive. We need to accept that as the Jack of all trades, we master none, and choose the things that are truly important.


I highly encourage ladies (and gents) to listen and give me some feedback on what your thoughts are after the program.

The Doctrine of Election

John MacArthur has been preaching lately on Election/Predestination whatever you want to call it. Now, throughout my Christian life I have either steered away from this subject or chosen not to believe in it. I will admit, through scripture there is every reason to believe in Election but my heart struggles. I trust John MacArthur as a very gifted teacher because he brings up and reveals Truth and current issues, as well as having an extremely devout dedication to the Bible and understand it. Accordingly, when he says that I struggle with Election when I know what scripture says he states, "that's is a result of your fallenness, and you want some responsibility in your salvation." 

 Cry out for insight,
      and ask for understanding. - Proverbs 2:3

I really suggest you listen. Its a series: and it's located right here

Like it was talking about me

For the first few times i heard this song "You Love Me Anyway" by Sidewalk Prophets I was a flat out jerk. (click the "this song" link for the official video.) It was annoying and I once again put myself ahead of the message. Turns out, after listening to and reading the lyrics, this song feels like it is literally my everyday story. Especially when he sings this:

"I am the thorn in your crown
But You love me anyway
I am the sweat from Your brow
But You love me anyway
I am the nail in Your wrist
But You love me anyway
I am Judas' kiss
But You love me anyway
See now I am the man who yelled out from the crowd
For Your blood to be spilled on this earth shaking ground
Yes then I turned away with a smile on my face
With this sin in my heart, tried to bury Your grace
And then alone in the night I still call out for You
So ashamed of my life, my life, my life"

I repent everyday for how wrongfully I treat others and my Messiah and my God. This reminds me that once again, I have nothing to do with my salvation and am convicted to the core to share Gods love with the world. After all my abuse, slander, sexuality, blasphemy, and shame, there is a God who actually wants me to know he STILL loves me.

Thats why I love Christianity: it's impossible.

Trans Siberian Orchestra

In my discovery of the band's future concert in my local area, I googled a lot of searches for the band. Recalling some research I made before in an effort to find out if their Christlike message was pure.

When I was in my undergrad study, my professor who was a very confessed Christian was asked by me in class if he was going to see Trans Siberian Orchestra (TSO) in concert (they were in town that week). He replied that he had some friends that described the concert as "a blend of the Gospel and the Jesus-birth story and heavy metal." He indicated that didn't sound good to him. (To each his own.) I can't deny that is an accurate description, but after listening to TSO songs time and time again I am convinced they have the message correct. About 25% of TSO songs are "heavy metal" sounding, but a very direct, compassionate, and convicting message is given throughout. I am very happy to say that I listen to TSO on a regular basis throughout the year, almost daily and celebrate my Messiah being born each day - not celebrating great music. 

Back the search... I found an article from 2003 on Christianity Today Magazine. Check out the link here.    Enjoy this, a very great read from Paul O'Neil - creator of TSO. 

Carry it.

Adam and Eve: mythology?

The Christian Post at  http://www.christianpost.com/news/the-controversy-over-adam-and-eve-heats-up-54281/  put out an article outlining the developments in this world of ours detailing the current arguments concerning the legitimacy of Adam and Eve. I just want to point out, that if you consider even a verse of the Holy Bible a fraud, then you have just called the entire Bible a fraud and it works no other way.

I replied to this facebooker's comment at the end of the column - who in essence like so many is willing to dull down the Gospel into something he can shape and consume any which way that fits his life.

What is most alarming about this post is that professors at "Christian" universities are now questioning the legitimacy of the Bible - nothing new - but still alarming. Have a read by clicking right here  

The Christian religion is never going to compare well with what the world wants to believe. Each of us is under pressure every day to stand up, carry our cross, and choose:

God, or the world. Circle one and live your life accordingly.

30 Minutes

Today's broadcast from the Cedarville University Chapel recirding was a message everyone should lend an ear to. I'm not going to devulge what the topic is, but it is a great listen:

http://www.wcdronline.com/chapel/

Go to todays sermon (8/19) and stream it. enjoy. Carry Your Cross my friends

Good Enough For God

If you're a Christian, you probably find yourself striving to be perfect to God - with all the knowledge that the work is done for you. If you aren't a Christian, you probably don't want to be one cause you see it as a religion of earning and slaving to a God (or you see most Christians as pushy and annoying). I don't have the time to get into the parenthasized (yep, just made up a word) reason, but I do want to clear up a thing or two for both parties; Christian and unChristian.

Lot's, even believers will say such things as "God doesn't expect you to be perfect" or "nobody is perfect." But doesn't this contradict the Bible we profess? What about John 8:11 or Matthew 5:48 and the constant mention of living in a perfect life? The greek word from Jesus, "Prefect" means "conveying the idea of goodness without necessary reference to maturity or what is expressed under." Okay, so God does instruct us to live in perfection. But in Romans we find, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," and elsewhere "no one is good, not one." And now we know that perfection is unattainable.

Wow, if we don't do what God says, how are we to be justified?

The answer is by the blood of Jesus. See Galatians 3:15-29. God made a covenant so many years ago we have lost count. But 2000 years ago, over 300 specific prophecies were fulfilled by one man. What is the probability? But why do you need Jesus? That's up to you. One cannot be justified until they are condemned.

Here is my encouragement to you as a believer or not: run the race. While everyone else in your life is looking at you, God looks at your heart. The Christian life is NOT ABOUT WHAT YOU DO, DID, OR WILL DO. It is not about a checklist of things you need to do to "be good" or "earn heaven." The Christian life is all about freedom cause God will declare you righteous, there is no condemnation, The Christian life is about WHAT HAS BEEN DONE FOR YOU.

God does provide a standard, and that standard will be consecrated in good time - just please, always remind yourself that Jesus did the work, so that you can life in complete freedom. 

Carry your cross, run the race, and trust in Gods promisses.    

A Perfect Example

Has anyone been keeping up with the pastor from Iran, who has been persecuted for his faith in Jesus Christ? Yousef Nadarkhani has been sentenced to death unless he renounces his faith and converts back to Islam. This fearless man man is a present day martyr - something we in the US and other westernized parts of the world really dont see very often at all. Here is a recent article about a letter he is writing:

Present Truth Ministries has received a letter written by an Iranian Christian pastor sentenced to death for becoming a Christian.
What an amazing work God is doing in the land is Iran. How much inspiration will come for others to convert to Christianity based in this mans bravery and Gods work.

The letter was written to members of Youcef Nadarkhani's congregation who are also being persecuted.

"It just really encourages them that this persecution that's taking place is normal. This is what Jesus went through. If we look to Him as our example, as our Lord, and the one that we want to pattern our lives after. He suffered for us and He calls us also through suffering to reflect Him and reflect His nature," says ministry director Jason DeMars.

Although the letter was written to his congregation, DeMars says there is an application to all Christians.

"It's so encouraging and where he talks about needing to take a step of faith, when He calls to us we don't know exactly what's going to happen in our future, but He says come and we need to fix our eyes on Him," the spokesman says.

Although Nadarkhani has told authorities he never really practiced the Muslim faith before converting to Christianity at age 19, investigators are trying to prove otherwise. If they come up with witnesses that say he did, Nadarkhani will likely face execution.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Persecution/Default.aspx?id=1412998

Carry Your Cross

4 Good Reasons to Not To Read The Bible Literally?

Recently David Loose from the Huffing(paint)ton Post gave his expert reasons as to why you should not take the Bible at "face value" or shouldn't read it literally. After reading the article, this self-confessed Bible thumper (hey, I embrace the insult) actually seems to provide reasons to not read the Bible rather than having a simple constructive conversation about his feelings on the matter. Give it a read:
 
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-lose/4-good-reasons-not-to-read-bible-literally_b_919345.html

If you don't want to read it, here is the summary of his key points:

1) Nowhere does the Bible claim to be inerrant.
2) Reading the Bible literally distorts its witness.
3) Most Christians across history have not read the Bible literally.
4) Reading the Bible literally undermines a chief confession of the Bible about God.A typical good place to start. Like Christians haven't heard this one before, right? Well, he brings up some good points. And it's not as if most Christians know how to defend themselves with scripture, evidence, apologetics, or simple logic. So, let me help defend our faith.

So what is "inerrancy?" It is, that when all facts are known, the Bible - in it's original manuscripts and properly interpreted - will be shown to be true and never false in all that it affirms, whether related to doctrine, or the social, physical, or life sciences. The belief in inerrancy rests on four lines of argument: the biblical, historical, epistemological, and the slippery slope arguments. Our columnist claims that the Bible never says that it is inerrant. This is true, as even a translation, the Bible never uses the word. Most often cited is 2 Tim 3:16. Most translations will say that Gods word is "inspired," but the Greek word used means 'God Breathed." Wait... How did God create the world, was... wait... yep, it was through His breath. The Bible does in fact claim that it's historically correct. See John 10:34-35, or NM 23:19, 1 Sm 15:29, Ti 1:2, and there are several more. The theme in all of these, is not the writer saying "what was, is, and is to be written is completely factually based, and you should believe it or you are wrong and dull-minded, period." No, the writers/speakers quote passages because it is mostly known to all present that the citing of Pentateuch and Torah scriptures are in fact, accurate. It's simply peer review and accountability factors at work. The Hebrews memorized entire books, entire scrolls, entire prophecies, and it wasn't up to a secret council as to what elements made the final product - it was the community coming together to verify. If that doesn't please you, read on.   

To the second point of our great theologian writer:
A great friend in high school always said "the bible was written by man, of course it can't be true." That's quite a position. So, even after I click "publish post"  after completing this, nothing I said can be verified, or.. it has to be verified in order for you to believe in it? Let us get one thing straight: the Bible is what it is, and the historical validity game has been going on for Milena. Documents, like defendants, are innocent until proven guilty. Corroborators, like Papias, were defending the Gospels for accuracy as early as first-second Century, as did Flavius Josephus. The latter of these two especially, have been regarded by many as affirmative and accurate. Whatever right? They're "just men." But, I don't think so.

Third point examined:
Who exactly are most Christians? What are the bounds of "literal." If i am quoted for saying "man, the Fighting Sioux devoured the Golden Gophers this weekend" they "swept them," will you assume that this conversation about about cannibalism or household chores? No, because you understand the context and the language I am using. When Jesus said you have to be "born again" it took the most learned Pharisee (yes, they did know the scriptures quite well), a thorough night-long talk with Jesus to confirm that nobody had to pass through the womb again. Historically, many languages and forms of writing have been taken up to describe events, prophecy, and ideas. I will not examine each individual case, but remember the syntax and context matter greatly.

I will focus on a small example of what David here, our columnist, is pointing out. Some Gospels contain contradictions, he claims. How many women were present at Jesus' Resurrection tomb? When was the veil split? Was Jesus tempted by Satan? The point here is that some Gospel accounts give differing statements, or some don't contain a reference to particular event. Therein, according to sceptics, the Bible is false and completely untrustworthy. If my boss, and two other employees told you what I did today, and they gave you the agenda in the wrong order and some claimed I did things that others didn't, are they wrong? If one said I ate Chicken and peas, and other said I ate Chicken and rice, are they wrong? What's really important here? David Loose proclaims himself to be a "pretty regular" reader of the Bible, and has even written a helpful book on how you should read it.  Clearly, he is more interested in making $$ by figuring out what criticisms he can bring forth, than reading the Bible with his heart. Remember that fourth argument point I mentioned; the slippery slope? It is simply put: inerrant is so fundamental that those admitting errors into the Bible will soon surrender other central doctrines like the Deity of Christ and/or the substitutionary atonement. It's not true in every case, but it is a trend among non-believers and skeptics. these differing accounts should be evidenced as a honest source, because if they were all the same wouldnt you think 'conspiracy?'

Whether peas or rice, I still had lunch. I believe it is truly a tool of Satan, the deceiver, that coaxes us into talking ourselves into the slippery slope. You can and I hope you do see these differences, but Jesus didn't come to create a world of matching phrases; he came with a message. More emphasis need to be placed on the grasp of the message - repent/ Grace is a free gift/ salvation is a package deal/ works are the outward sign of faith/ and Jesus is coming back. Each day, more discoveries are made as whiteness to the Bible in accuracy, and less is revealed about "imperfections" of the Bible. No, these same "legitimate" arguments have been used forever, literally. I said this once to a great friend who has turned from his faith: "what would be the glory of believing in something that everyone knows without a doubt to be true?" I take much more pleasure and faith in believing in a God that doesn't just 'POOF' change you in order to understand - like a slave or zombie. If you are waiting for some earth shattering evidence to emerge before you become a Christian - you will taste only death in your hiding. It takes a personal transformation and revelation of the HEART - but most won't connect those 20 inches to the brain.   
Couple key points:
- Ignore what you want, but the same book that contains these "errors" also has 400 specific prophecies fulfilled by one man - to the precise specifications.
- God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. 1 Cor 1:27
- Just cause you don't believe it, doesn't mean it didn't happen.
- A martyr never dies for a borderline word or detail.
- Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. - Heb 11:1
- Your doubt is a part of what God intends, but it is not the end result; just a good spot to begin.

If these things make me a fool to the world, God has judged me wise. 

Carry your cross.
   

Calling All Parents, Again

Part two of "Shattering the Popular Myths of Parenting"

As i said yesterday, I strongly encourage all parents and "to-be's" or "somedays" to have a look or listen to the broadcast. Key points:

- successful parents do not product Godly children
- what love looks like for your family
- self centered parents and families


Heres the link:

http://www.focusonthefamily.com/radio.aspx

 

Leslie Leyland Fields offers insights from her book Parenting Is Your Highest Calling: And Eight Other Myths That Trap Us in Worry and Guilt. (Part 2 of 2)

Calling ALL Parents

A fantastic broadcast came from Focus today:

Leslie Leyland Fields offers insights from her book Parenting Is Your Highest Calling: And Eight Other Myths That Trap Us in Worry and Guilt.

http://www.focusonthefamily.com/radio.aspx

I Strongly (woah that was huge) suggest this for all Parents, or to-be parents! Enjoy.

You Might Be An Evangelical If...

This is Great

If the first time you saw your uncle’s shot-glass collection, you wondered where he got all those fancy communion cups, then …
If you’ve never been skiing without rededicating your life to Christ at a bonfire afterwards, then …
If you’ve lost track of the number of “re-s” you need to add before “re-re-rededicate your life to Christ,” then …
If your favorite painters are Thomas Kinkade and Warner Sallman, then …
If you’ve ever forgotten to set your clock back at the end of Daylight Savings Time and your first thought at seeing the empty church parking lot was, “Oh no, I’ve missed the Rapture,” then …
If you never watched “Highway to Heaven,” not because it was too preachy, but because it aired on Wednesday nights, then …
If you knew that “Wednesday nights” in the previous joke was a reference to prayer meeting, then …
If you’ve ever tried to calculate the size of a tip in a restaurant based on how it would influence the waitress’s receptivity to the gospel tract you left with it, then …
“I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart.” If you just shouted, “Where?” then …
If you’ve ever seriously discussed whether using tabs constitutes cheating at Sword Drills, then …
If your answer to the question “What Would Jesus Do?” is “He would wear a T-shirt that says, ‘WWJD?’” then …
If you’ve ever been to a pot-luck dinner featuring more than three varieties of Jell-o salad with shaved carrots and mini-marshmallows, then …
If you’ve ever played the tambourine while wearing a tie, then …
If your gaydar is so bad that you think your choir director just needs to meet the right godly woman, then …
If you can’t look at Kente cloth without thinking what those colors stand for in The Wordless Book, then …
If you’ve ever informed someone you’ve just met that they deserve to suffer in Hell for eternity, and you said this without a trace of anger, then …
If the last rock concert you went to included an altar call, then …
If you own any clothing or accessories that you regard as “a witnessing tool,” then …
If you think the phrase “a witnessing tool” refers to something that’s good to have rather than someone it’s bad to be, then …
If praying in public makes you talk like a 17th-century Quaker, then …
If two acoustic guitars and a Yamaha DX7 keyboard are your idea of a “rock band,” then …
If the only High Church figure you don’t regard with suspicion is Bishop Ussher, then …
If you think that there’s nothing supernatural about the bread and wine during communion, but that there is something supernatural about a Ouija board made by Parker Brothers, then …
If your idea of communion wine is made by Welch’s, then …
If you know what burning vinyl smells like, then …
If your boss tells you you’re going to have to go on furlough and your first thought is that you’ll need to prepare a slideshow for the Sunday evening service, then …
If a sentence beginning “Lord, we just, Lord, want to thank you Lord, for just, Lord, just …” doesn’t strike you as either atrocious grammar or a speech impediment, then …
If you’ve ever thought of TMZ as kind of like a prayer list for Hollywood starlets, then …
If the words “submissive” and “head” make you think of gender, but not of sex, then …
If you think saying grace loudly is a good way to witness at The Olive Garden, then …
If you’ve ever discussed whether The Flintstones was set before or after Noah’s flood, then …
If your fantasy football team was selected based on the personal testimony of the players, then …

From: http://www.patheos.com/community/slacktivist/2011/08/05/you-might-be-an-evangelical/

How Many Points To Get Into Heaven?

I love this:

A man on his deathbed is visited by his local pastor. The dying man says, "how many points do I need to get into heaven."
Pastor man says, "Here's how it works.You need 100 points to make it into heaven.
You tell me all the good things you've done, and I give you a certain number of points for each item, depending on how good it was. When you reach 100 points, you get in."
"Okay. I was married to the same woman for 50 years and never cheated on her, and loved her deep in my heart."
"That's wonderful, that's worth two points!"
"Only two points?" the man says. "Well, I attended church all my life and supported its ministry with my tithes and service."
"Terrific! That's certainly worth a point."
"One point!?!! I started a soup kitchen in my city and also worked in a shelter for homeless veterans."
"Fantastic, that's good for two more points." "Two points!?!! At this rate, the only way I'll get into heaven is by the grace of God."
"EXACLTY!!!"

My Friend, My Storm

What would you do if one of your friends intentionally led you into a disaster. There were no doubts about it, it was absolutely what your friend had in mind. Worse still, this "friend" (getting harder to believe it) pointed you right into what looked like a fine afternoon concluding a miraculous meal, and doesn't give you a reason, doesn't give you an iota of his intention to follow you; and you trusted this guy? Sure, you had made the trip on the boat several times, you might have even grown up on one of the villages edging the lake - or you heard stories about it's rough seas. Nonetheless, a man who had a familiar and trusting face told you to go - the same man who made things happen you couldn't explain... Either way, you find yourself in the drink - on a full stomach - of food you have no idea as to how it got there.

Then the storm comes.

Not any particular storm. Sure a fisherman like yourself has seen his fair share of rough weather, but you really think this time is it, "yup... I'm dead." Back on shore your friend is sending everyone else home from the gathering; but his closest friends he sends into a death trap?

It wasn't a death trap, and you know the rest of the story; Jesus walks on water, you and your friends are terrified and think its a ghost, Peter (your faithful leader) steps out to do the same, gets scared, sinks, and Jesus saves him and at his entry into the boat the entire storm stops.

But... What!?!? He knew it was coming? Led me into it anyway? He was going to stroll on by?

So, if I choose to follow God's direction in my life will I have a similar experience? Well... It is my understanding that if you do or don't follow Christ you will have a similar event. Consider this verse from Jesus:

"I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world." - John 16:33

In a quick word study of "here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows:" "will" here is literally "shall" or from Greek, "about to happen." That's quite powerful. I don't care what Joel Osteen or the ''lighter side of the Gospel' preachers have said - Christianity will not make you rich, your disease might not be cured, and you will not get the front row parking every day just cause you pray. You must count the cost of being a Christian. Christianity in the western world as I have taken notice has largely become a consumable good, in which if you don't like it, you just give it up and get another Church, or group of friends, or radio station, or call it quits all together cause things got thick. That's shameful! Read this:

The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again.
      But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked. - Proverbs 24:16

The calamity of this world will fall on the wicked and the righteous. Now go back to that storm God placed right smack in the middle of your life. If you haven't seen that storm yet, it's coming. Remember in your walk with Jesus, and as your pray for direction, that that direction might be into a storm, or will be at some point in time. I encourage the follower to not give up or give in when hardship comes to where God has seemed to lead you. When you find yourself in that moment where nothing makes sense, and you doubt God's hand in the matter - DON'T! I wouldn't. If he started this work in your life he will be faithful to complete it. You don't have to be like me, but learn from the disciples in the boat; they were pointed straight into a life threatening situation. God's love is deeper than the sea, he controls the waves, he defeated death, and he is anxious to be with you during the storm. There's a lot of directions to go from here about suffering, and the "whys," but for now stop asking for reasons. God is the way he is, and he has a much bigger plan that you can imagine - and he includes you in the reaping - trust Him on that. Consider the mountain climber. God asks you to climb a mountain, but you see nothing but hardship, pain, and sweat. Once you reach the top of the mountain you see everything just how he intended, and it is miraculous to see. God pointed, you climbed, bled, and reached the top - but you would still be in the weeds if you didn't endure. I hope that's some comfort to you. If this makes no sense, and you have never felt the benefit of your hard work, and your tired of waiting, keep your eyes above the horizon and you will see what the world cannot give you. 

Carry your cross.
  

Sweet Little Lies

Have a look at Isaiah 30:10-18

Hot dang, huh! Gives me a fever to see the resemblance of Gods people in 800s b.c. Judah and America 2010. Such is the way of a people who become completely disobedient and blasphemous to God.

            Each one of us wants an answer, and for each one of us, we have an idea of what we would like that answer to be. Many things we would like to hear and many things that will happen regardless. It would be easy to trust Isaiah if the Rebellious Judah knew just how crooked from the Truth they were, but even the wise leaders were far from it.            

            Isaiah lived in a time of great economic wealth in his land, with great merchant ships in Tarshish, and great wealth coming from Egypt and Moab, the people in his day had a lot of gravity to keep their eyes from God. In v.10 they speak to Isaiah out of belief that this is never going to end. Who would want a Prophet to tell the leaders that the wealth would come to an end?  The mistake they made was all that gravity of wealth took their eyes off God. Not to say we can’t make money but we can’t let the world become God, and that’s what Judah was surmounting to happen. It’s said in Psalm145:8 that our Lord is ‘slow to get angry and full of love and mercy,’ truly this is correct because the Lord did not act on Judah for another few generations, but His destruction was memorable (v.14). Even thought this message there was hope in Isaiah from the Lord; “turn this way, and walk here (v.21).” He always gives the weak a chance to be saved!

            The Judeans still did not look to the Lord for answers at all despite various warnings. This story reminds me of the story in Matthew of the farm tenants. The Lord sends His people to collect His share (Matt 21:33-46) and the people in the farm kill the messengers. This is sadly true in Isaiah’s case because he was later sawed in half by the king. Chances are that won't happen to you.

            The fact is; we as humans will tend to hear what we want. Even in prayer we may look for a certain answer. When we read about our Lords promises, even for what we desire, we should look foreword to reward, and prosperity, but He doesn’t want us to depend on that for Him, He wants us to depend on Him for that, for everything else. What? I'll say it again: God does not want us to depend on that to justify the need of God, God wants us to faithfully be dependent on Him. How terrible it is for the one who makes God out to be a puppet. Jesus said that we would have everything we need to serve the Lord, and truly we do. The challenge is to hand over all our hopes to the Lord, even when He gives us what we want; we still have to submit to His dominance.  The mistake the Judeans made was turning to mere people for help, but God is bigger (Isaiah 8:19).

            One key to effectively depending on the Lord is practice, the more you learn that He is in control, the more you will be humble yourself, the less you submit the more you will be humbled by Him (Luke 14:11). One way of taking up your cross is denying yourself; so how far will you go? What are you willing to give up? Believe in the promises of God, he does not disappoint.

Christian Radio

Christian Radio is a great encouragement to me and also assists me each morning in growth, and a generally better mood. I find when im listening to anything besides some Jesus-Influenced music, I tend to act different. Even if I am not worshiping along as if I was in my Sunday morning sanctuary, listening to the Spirit driven music musters and excites the Holy Spirit within me.

Each morning I listen to a radio station based out of Ohio which I found when I was there for training. Great syndicated broadcasts all morning from well known, and Truth based speakers from David Jeremiah, Chuck Swindoll, Woodrow Kroll, Focus on the Family w/ Jim Daly and Tammy Weisert, John Macarthur, and Cedarville University; each receiving a half hour. I hope you like 90.3 WCDR, too. The website to stream this is http://www.wcdronline.com/mediacenter/player.cfm?stream=ThePATH2004 
Another lesser known, but awesome radio streaming website is Soulkeeper Radio at http://www.soulkeeperradio.com/ This website has several genres including my favorite, the "Worship Radio" link, which is made up of independant recordings, but the quality is second to none. I REALLY RECOMMEND this website.

I hope this is helpful for those looking for a better influence at work, in the car, at home or wherever. God bless you.

Up With Your Cross

Welcome to "Up With Your Cross." It's a new blog for Christ followers who need something different, taken from something that has never changed at all. Apologetics, encouragement, clarification, theological discussions, and personal testimonials will be discussed here; all with a Biblical basis. My hope is to communicate boldly, the Truth of God, His wisdom, and His love for all, and the special inheritance who call Him "Aba." Thanks for visiting, be sure to 'favorite' this site, and feel free to write me at shaunmc04@gmail.com

Oh yeah -- we'll have some fun, too!