I will get back to the whole "Church Me" format, but it is not yet time. I first have to get done with this semester of school. It had me thinking this morning about Philippians 1:6 : "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ..." This is only the end of the first year of college for me. But it is only the beginning. The other things that are going on in our life: whether it's getting a car fixed up, going to the doctor about what will happen over the next eight months, or whether it's about what's going on in your life.
What is going on in your life? Did your husband or wife tell you it's over? Did the doctor? Did you get a good deal on a new car? Did you get a raw deal? Did you have to leave the church you were attending over doctrinal issues (I guess I can't let it go)? Do you find yourself hiding in your basement afraid of pig flu (sorry, Lord Obama - H1N1)?Each of these things are just the beginning. Hold on. Stay strong. Wait on the Lord. He has a plan for you.
We never see the whole picture now. It takes a lifetime in some cases to see where we got to from where we are going. Only eternity can sometimes show us how god was working. But keep on. He who began a good work WILL complete it.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Church me, part 1
A little background about me: I am the son of a preacher. I went to the same church until I was 27 years old. The last seven of those years, I was music director. We left because we lived out of town, and the drive was much too far. We're back in the same county, but it's a big county. My family needs closer neighbors and friends, a close church family. We joined a church last year in a transition period between Pastors, and the new Pastor's teaching was not to our liking. Therefore, we left.
We visited a church a couple of times, which shortly afterward asked their Pastor to leave. We are not doing the transition thing again. (Let this be a warning to all Pastors- if we visit your church, dust off your suitcases and polish your resume! KIDDING)
The long and short of it is this: there is no good way to look for a church! We get recommendations from friends, but you don't want to disappoint them and say you didn't like it. They might start thinking you think they're weird, or they'll think you're weird, etc. I tried our local Baptist association (I'm closer to the Baptists than anything, I guess) website. They have a directory of churches, but maybe a third of them have websites. It should be a prerequisite that a church now have a website!
Simply put, it's not a good situation to be churchless. I plan on devising a method of how to choose a church. I will work on the logistics, and post it another time. Meanwhile, if anyone out there has any suggestions for finding a church in Caldwell County, NC, with solid teaching, a nursery, and music for a worshipper and a traditionalist, please let me know!
We visited a church a couple of times, which shortly afterward asked their Pastor to leave. We are not doing the transition thing again. (Let this be a warning to all Pastors- if we visit your church, dust off your suitcases and polish your resume! KIDDING)
The long and short of it is this: there is no good way to look for a church! We get recommendations from friends, but you don't want to disappoint them and say you didn't like it. They might start thinking you think they're weird, or they'll think you're weird, etc. I tried our local Baptist association (I'm closer to the Baptists than anything, I guess) website. They have a directory of churches, but maybe a third of them have websites. It should be a prerequisite that a church now have a website!
Simply put, it's not a good situation to be churchless. I plan on devising a method of how to choose a church. I will work on the logistics, and post it another time. Meanwhile, if anyone out there has any suggestions for finding a church in Caldwell County, NC, with solid teaching, a nursery, and music for a worshipper and a traditionalist, please let me know!
From my MySpace blogs...#3
Originally Posted: Saturday, January 26, 2008
 | Current mood:  calm Category: Religion and Philosophy Everybody has favorites in this world. We have favorite foods, sports teams, colleges, superheroes, etc. And not everyone will, or I say, can have the same favorite. For example, if your favorite food is cheeseburgers, my lactose intolerance makes it impossible for it to be mine. My siblings and I graduated from Hibriten High. My nephew is currently a freshman at Hibriten. On the flipside, I have two mieces that attend rival West Caldwell High. I try to support each in what they do, and I want their schools to do well. But unfortunately for my nieces, I have a point where I draw the line: Hibriten vs. West. Jesus told us that dual loyalties were not sustainable, starting at Matthew 6:24. To paraphrase, you will love one, and hate the other when their worlds collide. I would like to see West beat Hickory, or any other school in conference. But when they play Hibriten, hold on. My primary loyalty is to Hibriten, my alma mater. Hannah and Katy understand this, I'm sure. If something is in the way of a Christian's full service to Christ, it must give place. But it will not do it willfully. We must lay aside every weight (Hebrews 12:1). If TV watching blocks your spiritual life, turn it off. If your non-Christian friends try to steer you away from doing right, you must make them take a back seat. On spiritual, and on personal levels, if your life is hindered by obstacles, you must put them down. It is not easy, by any means. You need help. Help from God primarily, and from your peers. Ask them to pray with you, support you, and keep you accountable. I, for example, have a problem with food. The body is the temple of God, and mine is currently a megachurch. I would like to lose 50 pounds, and I can not do it alone. I will need help first from the Lord, asking Him to help me be strong. Then I will need help from each of you that read this. Help me to make wise food decisions, and don't offer me seconds! Seriously, pray for me. And pray that I will have inspiration to do more blogging. I feel like I'm slack. See you soon! |
From my MySpace blogs...#2
Originally Posted: Sunday, April 20, 2008
| Current mood:  contemplative Category: Goals, Plans, Hopes "Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he." - Proverbs 29:18 I guess you could call me a dreamer. But don't worry, I'm not going to break into song. I'm just reflecting here on a Sunday night, thinking about all the things God has been showing to me. No, I wouldn't call them visions, and no, they haven't all been about things in the Word. They were different things about my life. My life can not be at a standstill. But Jonathan, what about the verse in Philippians that tells you to be content? You know, my son Levi can spot a brand name from a mile away, and tells us what make a car is simply by looking at it. But you know, if we do not let him learn any more, this young genius will be wasted! It's the same way with Levi's dad-no, I'm not saying I'm a genius. But if I do not experience any growth, I will deteriorate. Pastor Scott said at Wednesday night service two weeks ago that backsliding is standing still, and not growing. I find that quite true. That's why I spent part of tonight attempting to fill out a college application. My break has to end at 13 years. On top of that- and I haven't even told Sheyna much about this- I keep getting ideas, different aspects, about starting a Christian retail store of my own. Folks, I don't know much about what's going on, but I know this: I want to be able, willing, and ready for ANYTHING God has in store. My prayer to Him is that I receive all that He is showing me, and my request for all of you is that you remember me. |
Friday, April 10, 2009
From my MySpace blogs...
Originally posted: Friday, July 04, 2008
| Category: Religion and Philosophy I'm a pretty quiet person. Most of my time on the phone is spent saying "Yes dear. I'm coming home soon." (I'M JOKING, SHEYNA.) But it's true that I depend on Sheyna to keep me up to date with what's going on with many of our friends and acquaintances. When she told me about one couple, who it seems God is calling to move a couple of hours away to do His work, I felt led to give them a word from Luke 9: 61: And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. That was not just for the man Jesus was talking to, and that wasn't for my friend. That's for each of us. In a wonderful message at our church this Wednesday, Pastor Scott reminded us that all this is temporary. To try to hold on to each and every thing like it has been is pointless. It all will pass away. Two years ago today, my grandfather passed. It was sad for our (large) family. The patriarch was gone, and several did not want it to happen. But to want our old life, to want to keep our family around like it is, to want nothing to be different, is utterly SELFISH. My Grandpa Levi needed to be free from pain and suffering. To wish to keep him here is natural, and I fault none of my family. But to think of the Glory he is experiencing, oh my. This is only temporary. The Marines have a saying: "Pain is temporary. Glory is forever." oorah. To cross over to the dork side for a second, look at Anakin Skywalker. His need to be in control, to keep his fears and dreams from becoming reality pushed him over the edge. He became Darth Vader, and his fear of losing his wife and all he held dear was so great, he ended up being responsible for her death. It also cost him his appendages, but he did get a cool breathing noise out of it. Your nice new house? It will get old. Spiders and earwigs will get in. Your new cell phone? You'll need a new one in two years. Your car? You'll need to buy gas. Your full tank? You'll need another in a few days. Things MUST change. This is all temporary, all but your life. It will end here one day, and begin anew somewhere else, either in a place of unending glory or one of unending death. We cherish our time and our memories, but God calls us to go forward. There is nothing to hold on to, except the straps of the plow. So get behind ol' Charlie, and for the cause of Jesus, plow ahead! |
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Things I never really knew...
A late Happy Valentine's Day to everyone, especially to my special Sheyna. I was thinking tonight, just after I filled out my FAFSA, and I realized I have grown a lot. No, folks, not just in the belly. There are things I have learned about myself and the world in the past few weeks that are astounding.
For example: See this CD cover above me? This was an unknown, 16-year old singer when she came out in Christian stores in the early part of this decade. I think her distributor went out of business, along with some other well-done Christian groups. What happened to her? She became Katy Perry, the most famous & frequently played girl-kisser in the nation. What else happened? Who knows. Many kids in the church feel the pressure to be angels and they just rebel from that. Their parents sometimes drive them away from what they need the most. I'm not saying that's what happened in this case, I truly don't know. I do hope that a seed of faith that is planted somewhere deep in her will get the chance to grow.
I also had no idea how easy it is to transfer songs from your personal collection to mp3. That's part of my Valentine's gift to Sheyna. Call it the modern day equivalent to the mix tape. I did put some things on here for myself, though, so don't worry. It's my feeling that if I'm not selling or sharing the music, It's mine for the using.
I also had no idea that my wife has done so much to mature me. I've been doing some life retrospecting (did I just make up a phrase?), and realize that I have been really immature for a long time. There were girls I dated, and I thought I knew what I was doing. It turns out I was socially awkward, and had no clue. It proves the point that when you meet the one for you, you know it. Sheyna has been better for me than anyone will ever know. I just hope that I can be as good for her. That's what we have the rest of our lives to work on.
(BTW- the Katy Hudson CD cover came from Wikipedia.)
Friday, January 9, 2009
God's Double Agents
If you've watched any kind of spy movie, TV thriller, or the old G.I. Joe cartoon, you've been introduced to the term Double Agent. That is a person that works for two different people or groups. They don't always interfere, but most of the time, the paths of the agent's agencies (Business Law term. College is paying off) will cross, and spell trouble for the agent. You may be surprised that God has had double agents. Truth is, all too common, he still does.
The first Biblical example is Balaam the prophet. Balak, head honcho of the Amorites, sent for Balaam and offered huge sums of money for Balaam to curse Israel (See Numbers 22). After a couple of attempts, he went with them, even after his donkey did a great Eddie Murphy impersonation. Once he got there, he could only bless Israel, even though he was paid to do otherwise. Finally, in Numbers 31, he was killed. All because he tried to sell what was God's for a price.
The next double agent was David. Preachers just read the name David and automatically said "a man after God's own heart." It's like they are programmed to say that at seminary or something. Yes he was after God's heart. He was also a double agent to lust. Don't believe me? Ask Uriah! Or, read 2 Samuel 11. David's lust for a beautiful woman led him to murder, heartache, and the loss of two sons, one at birth, and Absalom years later.
Jesus said in Matthew 6 that no man can serve two masters. He will love one or the other. Does this mean that a double agent can not be used by God? No! Look back at Balaam. Even after being paid to curse Israel, all he could do was bless it, because God will not curse His people. Was David useless to God? Read a couple of Psalms and get back to me. Was Peter useless to Jesus after serving fear and denying Him? Acts 2 will tell you the answer is emphatically NO!
God will use double agents. But they will not be as useful as they can be. Like David, they will have struggles and consequences for their actions.
What about you? What do you serve besides God? Do you serve lust like David? Do you like to look at objectionable sites when "no one" is looking? Do you bless on Sunday and curse on Monday? Does your gossip interfere with your prayer time? Choose this day whom you will serve (Joshua 24:15)! Give yourself fully to God and His purposes, and let him use you in the most mightily of ways.
The first Biblical example is Balaam the prophet. Balak, head honcho of the Amorites, sent for Balaam and offered huge sums of money for Balaam to curse Israel (See Numbers 22). After a couple of attempts, he went with them, even after his donkey did a great Eddie Murphy impersonation. Once he got there, he could only bless Israel, even though he was paid to do otherwise. Finally, in Numbers 31, he was killed. All because he tried to sell what was God's for a price.
The next double agent was David. Preachers just read the name David and automatically said "a man after God's own heart." It's like they are programmed to say that at seminary or something. Yes he was after God's heart. He was also a double agent to lust. Don't believe me? Ask Uriah! Or, read 2 Samuel 11. David's lust for a beautiful woman led him to murder, heartache, and the loss of two sons, one at birth, and Absalom years later.
Jesus said in Matthew 6 that no man can serve two masters. He will love one or the other. Does this mean that a double agent can not be used by God? No! Look back at Balaam. Even after being paid to curse Israel, all he could do was bless it, because God will not curse His people. Was David useless to God? Read a couple of Psalms and get back to me. Was Peter useless to Jesus after serving fear and denying Him? Acts 2 will tell you the answer is emphatically NO!
God will use double agents. But they will not be as useful as they can be. Like David, they will have struggles and consequences for their actions.
What about you? What do you serve besides God? Do you serve lust like David? Do you like to look at objectionable sites when "no one" is looking? Do you bless on Sunday and curse on Monday? Does your gossip interfere with your prayer time? Choose this day whom you will serve (Joshua 24:15)! Give yourself fully to God and His purposes, and let him use you in the most mightily of ways.
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