I would love to be driving one of those buses. Brilliant move
Excuse me office, is there a problem?
Well, I thought it would work. opps
I thought it was the 10 AM ferry.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
How did that happen?
That is some serious off roading!!!
I would love to be driving one of those buses. Brilliant move
I would love to be driving one of those buses. Brilliant move
Friday, April 20, 2007
Kissing before marriage
I found this article writing by a senior in high school on the topic of kissing. I thought it was interesting and very well thought through and written, but then my thought was- he must be a wierdo right. I mean what senior would say this, unless he never dates. Further reading, I found he is a normal guy with a girlfriend. Anyway, read this with a open mind.
Premaritial Kissing?
I wrote this today for a friend who has friends at college who are confessing Christians, but believe that there is nothing wrong with kissing before marriage. I'm not here to get in their face, but here are my thoughts, and what I believe Scripture has to say about it...
We were created with the purpose of glorifying God in everything we do.
(1 Corinthians 10:31, 1 Corinthians 6:20, 1 Peter 2:12, Jeremiah 13:16, Acts 12:23, Romans 4:20, Romans 16:27, Philippians 4:20, 1 Thessalonians 2:12, 1 Timothy 1:17, Jude 1:25, Revelation 7:12, Revelation 14:7) This means that we are called to do everything for Him, not for ourselves, or our own pleasures. He has called us to give Him glory, and live for Him alone. In everything we do, our first question should be, "Will this glorify God?" and "How?". Anything we do that we cannot clearly see as God-glorifying is sin. Kissing before marriage is something that is done to please self, and to bring satisfaction to yourself. I highly doubt there are many people who do it for the purpose of bringing God glory.
God has commanded us to flee temptation.
(1 Corinthians 6:18, 1 Corinthians 10:14, 1 Timothy 6:11, 2 Timothy 2:22, Matthew 26:41, 1 Corinthians 10:13, 1 Peter 3:10-12 etc...) We are not to do anything that would lead us into temptation. We are to avoid sin, not "flirt" with it. Sin is wicked and evil in the eyes of the Lord. It is the enemy of God. We should not see how close we can get to it without actually going into it, we should stay as far away as possible. We shouldn't be trying to see how close we can get to the line without crossing over it, we should be trying to stay as far away from the line as possible. The more you open yourself up to temptation, the easier it will be to go just one step closer. Sin is subtle in its workings, you don't just suddenly sin in some huge way. It works into your heart slowly, over time. Kissing before marriage could easily lead to greater sins of sexual immorality. Don't put yourself in a position that allows sin to take hold of your heart. Even if there is nothing wrong with kissing in and of itself, it allows temptation to creep in, and takes your heart off of God.
We are to reserve ourselves for our future spouse
(Proverbs 2:16-19, Proverbs 5:8, Proverbs 5:15-23, Malachi 2:15, Luke 16:18, 1 Corinthians 7:10-11, 1 Peter 3:1-7) God has called us to remain pure. (Matthew 5:8, Ephesians 5:5, Philippians 1:10, 2 Timothy 2:22, Titus 1:15-16, James 1:27, James 3:17, 1 Peter 1:22, 1 John 3:3, Galatians 5:16-25) Kissing is meant to be between a husband and a wife. If you were married, you wouldn't go kissing somebody you weren't married to. That would obviously be sin. Why is it different before marriage? You don't know for sure who you will marry someday. Reserve yourself for your future husband/wife. And even if you are absolutely sure that you will one day get married, you are also called to patience and self-control. (Job 6:11, Ecclesiastes 7:8. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, 1 Corinthians 13:4, Hebrews 6:15, Revelation 2:3, Proverbs 25:28, 1 Corinthians 7:9, 1 Corinthians 9:25, Galatians 5:22-23, 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8, 2 Timothy 1:7, Titus 1:8, Titus 2:6, Titus 2:12, 1 Peter 4:7, 2 Peter 1:5-11 etc..) This is the way to walk in the Lord. He calls you to patience.
God has called us to live according to the Spirit, not according to the flesh
(Titus 2:12, Romans 7:5, Romans 7:18, Romans 7:25, Romans 8:1-17, Romans 12:2, Romans 13:14, 1 Corinthians 3:3, 2 Corinthians 10:3, Galatians 5:13, Galatians 5:16-25, Galatians 6:8, Ephesians 2:3, etc...) God has called us to live by His Spirit. Kissing outside of marriage may be something regularly done in the world today. However, God calls us to forsake the things of this world and live solely for Him. 1 John 2:15-17 says, "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever."
God calls us to be witnesses in the world
(1 Thessalonians 2:9-12, Acts 1:8, Acts 5:32, Matthew 5:13) God asks us to be salt and light in the earth. How can we be salt and light, standing out in the darkness, if we practice the very same things? The people in the world hear Christians talking about how holy marriage is, but then they see those same Christians kissing outside marriage, and living in ways that are no different than the world.
A few more verses you should take into consideration...
1 Corinthians 10:23 - "All things are lawful," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful," but not all things build up.
1 Corinthians 6:12-15 - "All things are lawful for me," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be enslaved by anything. "Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food"—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 - Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
Proverbs 6:27-28 - Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be burned? Or can one walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched?
There may not be a specific biblical command not to kiss before marriage, but not everything is helpful, and not everything builds up. We are members of Christ, and we are called to glorify God with our bodies. We belong to Him now. We must devote our entire lives to Him, and not "flirt" with sin and temptation. The more we "flirt" with sin, the closer we become to being "scorched".
Premaritial Kissing?
I wrote this today for a friend who has friends at college who are confessing Christians, but believe that there is nothing wrong with kissing before marriage. I'm not here to get in their face, but here are my thoughts, and what I believe Scripture has to say about it...
We were created with the purpose of glorifying God in everything we do.
(1 Corinthians 10:31, 1 Corinthians 6:20, 1 Peter 2:12, Jeremiah 13:16, Acts 12:23, Romans 4:20, Romans 16:27, Philippians 4:20, 1 Thessalonians 2:12, 1 Timothy 1:17, Jude 1:25, Revelation 7:12, Revelation 14:7) This means that we are called to do everything for Him, not for ourselves, or our own pleasures. He has called us to give Him glory, and live for Him alone. In everything we do, our first question should be, "Will this glorify God?" and "How?". Anything we do that we cannot clearly see as God-glorifying is sin. Kissing before marriage is something that is done to please self, and to bring satisfaction to yourself. I highly doubt there are many people who do it for the purpose of bringing God glory.
God has commanded us to flee temptation.
(1 Corinthians 6:18, 1 Corinthians 10:14, 1 Timothy 6:11, 2 Timothy 2:22, Matthew 26:41, 1 Corinthians 10:13, 1 Peter 3:10-12 etc...) We are not to do anything that would lead us into temptation. We are to avoid sin, not "flirt" with it. Sin is wicked and evil in the eyes of the Lord. It is the enemy of God. We should not see how close we can get to it without actually going into it, we should stay as far away as possible. We shouldn't be trying to see how close we can get to the line without crossing over it, we should be trying to stay as far away from the line as possible. The more you open yourself up to temptation, the easier it will be to go just one step closer. Sin is subtle in its workings, you don't just suddenly sin in some huge way. It works into your heart slowly, over time. Kissing before marriage could easily lead to greater sins of sexual immorality. Don't put yourself in a position that allows sin to take hold of your heart. Even if there is nothing wrong with kissing in and of itself, it allows temptation to creep in, and takes your heart off of God.
We are to reserve ourselves for our future spouse
(Proverbs 2:16-19, Proverbs 5:8, Proverbs 5:15-23, Malachi 2:15, Luke 16:18, 1 Corinthians 7:10-11, 1 Peter 3:1-7) God has called us to remain pure. (Matthew 5:8, Ephesians 5:5, Philippians 1:10, 2 Timothy 2:22, Titus 1:15-16, James 1:27, James 3:17, 1 Peter 1:22, 1 John 3:3, Galatians 5:16-25) Kissing is meant to be between a husband and a wife. If you were married, you wouldn't go kissing somebody you weren't married to. That would obviously be sin. Why is it different before marriage? You don't know for sure who you will marry someday. Reserve yourself for your future husband/wife. And even if you are absolutely sure that you will one day get married, you are also called to patience and self-control. (Job 6:11, Ecclesiastes 7:8. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, 1 Corinthians 13:4, Hebrews 6:15, Revelation 2:3, Proverbs 25:28, 1 Corinthians 7:9, 1 Corinthians 9:25, Galatians 5:22-23, 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8, 2 Timothy 1:7, Titus 1:8, Titus 2:6, Titus 2:12, 1 Peter 4:7, 2 Peter 1:5-11 etc..) This is the way to walk in the Lord. He calls you to patience.
God has called us to live according to the Spirit, not according to the flesh
(Titus 2:12, Romans 7:5, Romans 7:18, Romans 7:25, Romans 8:1-17, Romans 12:2, Romans 13:14, 1 Corinthians 3:3, 2 Corinthians 10:3, Galatians 5:13, Galatians 5:16-25, Galatians 6:8, Ephesians 2:3, etc...) God has called us to live by His Spirit. Kissing outside of marriage may be something regularly done in the world today. However, God calls us to forsake the things of this world and live solely for Him. 1 John 2:15-17 says, "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever."
God calls us to be witnesses in the world
(1 Thessalonians 2:9-12, Acts 1:8, Acts 5:32, Matthew 5:13) God asks us to be salt and light in the earth. How can we be salt and light, standing out in the darkness, if we practice the very same things? The people in the world hear Christians talking about how holy marriage is, but then they see those same Christians kissing outside marriage, and living in ways that are no different than the world.
A few more verses you should take into consideration...
1 Corinthians 10:23 - "All things are lawful," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful," but not all things build up.
1 Corinthians 6:12-15 - "All things are lawful for me," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be enslaved by anything. "Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food"—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 - Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
Proverbs 6:27-28 - Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be burned? Or can one walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched?
There may not be a specific biblical command not to kiss before marriage, but not everything is helpful, and not everything builds up. We are members of Christ, and we are called to glorify God with our bodies. We belong to Him now. We must devote our entire lives to Him, and not "flirt" with sin and temptation. The more we "flirt" with sin, the closer we become to being "scorched".
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Dealing with tragedy
The events at Virginia Tech again remind me of a few facts.
1. First, and foremost, God is in control. Just as God was in control when the Babylonian army stormed into Jerusalem and destroyed the city, just so that God could show His people that He meant it when He told them to follow Him. He allow it also to show His power in bringing them back into the land. Just as God was in control when He allowed his son to die to bring us salvation. Just as God was in control in Columbine 8 years ago when He allowed the school shooting to bring more people to Him. So, God is on control now on the campus of Virginia Tech.
2. Second, sin has penalties. I am not saying that the 32 (besides the shooter) who died and the 20+ injured got what they deserved, but sin brought about death. That will never change. We cannot change the effect of sin in this life, but we can change its effect on the next life. As a Christian, sin has no power over my destiny, because Christ took care of that on the cross.
3. Third, people are empty without Christ. It is too early for us to know much about the shooter, but I can say with certainty a few things about him. He was looking for satisfaction outside of the only place that brings satisfaction-- Jesus Christ. He was looking for resolution outside of the ultimate source-- The Bible. He was trusting in the wrong authority of himself, instead of the supreme authority-- God.
4. Lastly, people are hurting. 33 families have lost a part of them. 20+ families are praying for recovery. Millions around our country and the world are stunned and saddened. You, as a Christian, have the only answer to all of these problems. The question is-- What are you doing to share this answer of Christ?
What would you say to a grieving family?
What would you say to a saddened VT student?
What can you say to a stunned neighbor?
Think and do
Devotional
I forgot to put this on before sorry!!
A Need For Prayer
Memory Verses: I John 1:9; Ephesians 5:20
Day 1: Think about it!!
Five young college students were spending a Sunday in London, so they went to hear the famed C.H. Spurgeon preach. While waiting for the doors to open, the students were greeted by a man who asked, "Gentlemen, let me show you around. Would you like to see the heating plant of this church?" They were not particularly interested, for it was a hot day in July. But they didn't want to offend the stranger, so they consented. The young men were taken down a stairway, a door was quietly opened, and their guide whispered, "This is our heating plant." Surprised, the students saw 700 people bowed in prayer, seeking a blessing on the service that was soon to begin in the auditorium above. Softly closing the door, the gentleman then introduced himself. It was none other than Charles Spurgeon.
Day 2: Prayer and Sin
Strained relationships are not fun. Lack of communication can create a bad relationship. The same is true of our relationship with God. Prayer can be not effective is sin is dominating our life. Read Psalm 66:18 and state in your own words what this verse means.
How do we get rid of sin? Read I John 1:9 and state what we are to do about sin?
What two things will God do then?
Note Nehemiah’s prayer in Nehemiah 1:4-10. How did Nehemiah begin the prayer in vs 5?
What did he say next in vs. 6-7?
Then in vs. 8-10, he claimed God’s promises. What did he do at the end of his prayer?
Day 3: Why we can pray?
Study I Timothy 2:5 and I John 2:1. In these two passages the word mediator and advocate mean basically the same thing: Christ is your lawyer. He pleads your case before God, showing Him that you are under His blood. When God looks at your sin, He sees only the righteousness of Christ. Christ actually deposited eternal life for you in the bank of heaven. Because of Christ’s work, you can stand before God and speak to Him.
Note Hebrews 10:19-22. With what attitude can you approach God in prayer?
Day 4: How to pray
Read Ephesians 5:20; John 14:6, 13, 14; 15:16; 16:23-27.
Should you pray to the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit?
What one phrase occurs over and over again in these verses?
Whose name are these verses speaking of?
Therefore, in whose name should we pray?
When Christ went back into heaven, He promised to send the Comforter. Read John 14:16; 15:26; 16:7. Who is this Comforter?
What does He do for you when you pray (Rom. 8:26)?
Day 5: How to know your prayers will be answered.
There are certain prerequisites for answered prayer. Look up the following passages and see what it says is necessary for prayer.
I John 5:14-15:
I Peter 3:12
Matthew 21:22
John 16:23
Read John 14:13 and John 16:24. What two reasons tell why God answers prayers?
There are 6 things we should pray for listed in Matthew 6:9-13. What are they?
Day 6: Think and review
What one thing hinders your prayers?
What should you always do before you ask
God for anything?
Why is it possible to pray to God?
Why does God answer prayer?
What should you be praying for today?
A Need For Prayer
Memory Verses: I John 1:9; Ephesians 5:20
Day 1: Think about it!!
Five young college students were spending a Sunday in London, so they went to hear the famed C.H. Spurgeon preach. While waiting for the doors to open, the students were greeted by a man who asked, "Gentlemen, let me show you around. Would you like to see the heating plant of this church?" They were not particularly interested, for it was a hot day in July. But they didn't want to offend the stranger, so they consented. The young men were taken down a stairway, a door was quietly opened, and their guide whispered, "This is our heating plant." Surprised, the students saw 700 people bowed in prayer, seeking a blessing on the service that was soon to begin in the auditorium above. Softly closing the door, the gentleman then introduced himself. It was none other than Charles Spurgeon.
Day 2: Prayer and Sin
Strained relationships are not fun. Lack of communication can create a bad relationship. The same is true of our relationship with God. Prayer can be not effective is sin is dominating our life. Read Psalm 66:18 and state in your own words what this verse means.
How do we get rid of sin? Read I John 1:9 and state what we are to do about sin?
What two things will God do then?
Note Nehemiah’s prayer in Nehemiah 1:4-10. How did Nehemiah begin the prayer in vs 5?
What did he say next in vs. 6-7?
Then in vs. 8-10, he claimed God’s promises. What did he do at the end of his prayer?
Day 3: Why we can pray?
Study I Timothy 2:5 and I John 2:1. In these two passages the word mediator and advocate mean basically the same thing: Christ is your lawyer. He pleads your case before God, showing Him that you are under His blood. When God looks at your sin, He sees only the righteousness of Christ. Christ actually deposited eternal life for you in the bank of heaven. Because of Christ’s work, you can stand before God and speak to Him.
Note Hebrews 10:19-22. With what attitude can you approach God in prayer?
Day 4: How to pray
Read Ephesians 5:20; John 14:6, 13, 14; 15:16; 16:23-27.
Should you pray to the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit?
What one phrase occurs over and over again in these verses?
Whose name are these verses speaking of?
Therefore, in whose name should we pray?
When Christ went back into heaven, He promised to send the Comforter. Read John 14:16; 15:26; 16:7. Who is this Comforter?
What does He do for you when you pray (Rom. 8:26)?
Day 5: How to know your prayers will be answered.
There are certain prerequisites for answered prayer. Look up the following passages and see what it says is necessary for prayer.
I John 5:14-15:
I Peter 3:12
Matthew 21:22
John 16:23
Read John 14:13 and John 16:24. What two reasons tell why God answers prayers?
There are 6 things we should pray for listed in Matthew 6:9-13. What are they?
Day 6: Think and review
What one thing hinders your prayers?
What should you always do before you ask
God for anything?
Why is it possible to pray to God?
Why does God answer prayer?
What should you be praying for today?
Friday, April 13, 2007
I have a question
What do you think of Afterglows? First, what do you think of the name? Do you have any ideas of what else we could call it or do you like the name afterglow? Second, what do you think of the current way we do them? What suggestions do you have to make it better? Let me hear what you have to say.
Saturday, April 7, 2007
Give me your opinion
What do you think of this article from South Carolina?
Click on blog title "Give me your opinion" above and read it then tell me how you think you would respond if you were confronted by someone from this group.
Click on blog title "Give me your opinion" above and read it then tell me how you think you would respond if you were confronted by someone from this group.
A Riddle
I still owe Kara and Lindsey a prize, but let's see who can get this. Remember, no cheating!!
Guarded by Thousands
Golden treasures I contain, guarded by hundreds and thousands. Stored in a labyrinth where no man walks, yet men come often to seize my gold. By smoke I am overcome and robbed, then left to build my treasure anew. What am I?
Guarded by Thousands
Golden treasures I contain, guarded by hundreds and thousands. Stored in a labyrinth where no man walks, yet men come often to seize my gold. By smoke I am overcome and robbed, then left to build my treasure anew. What am I?
New recommendations
I have a new book and CD I am recommending for you. I know that some of the girls have done a study of the book but not everyone. Check it out. I know Micah would love the CD cause it has a train on it. I believe that too many Christians are believing the lie that music does not matter and it does.
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