Jesus Makes Us One

There are many walls that can divide us from other Christians such as denominational affiliation, doctrinal disagreements, age, gender, ethnic background, political persuasion, and socio-economic status. The love of Jesus Christ is stifled when we allow these barriers to separate us. Jesus tore down all of these dividing walls of hostility when died on the cross. Ephesians 2.14 says “For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.” When, by faith, we stand together at the foot of his cross we are overwhelmed by his love. All arguments cease, all hostility ends, all we see is Jesus suffering for our sins. Together we stand amazed by his love and grace. Together we say “Jesus is Lord”.

Faithful to the End

We tend to focus on King David’s failures and sin but God said David was faithful all the days of his life – with one exception. 1 Kings 15.5 For David had done what was right in the eyes of the LORD and had not failed to keep any of the LORD's commands all the days of his life—except in the case of Uriah the Hittite. I think we are going to have to apologize to David when we get to heaven because we focus on his failures. God didn't. Not many heroes of the Old Testament were faithful right up until the end of their life. Saul started out very humble but he ended up paranoid, jealous, and demon possessed. Solomon started out good but his womanizing lead him astray and the nation turned to idolatry. Hezekiah was a good king and the Lord extended his life 15 years but he didn’t use those years productively. Eli was a good prophet but he failed to discipline his sons and he died in disgrace. But David was faithful right up until the end. That’s what I want to do – I want to be faithful to the end. I don’t want to do anything else to humiliate Christ or to fail Kim and my girls or embarrass the church. I want to be faithful to the end. That’s what we all want so that when we come to the end of our life we can say with Paul – 2 Timothy 4.7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

Brendan is doing well

Father, Thank you! Brendan is doing well. Thank you Lord! Help him to heal completely. Bless George and Dana. In Jesus name. Amen!

A Prayer for Brendan

Father, Please be with Brendan as he goes into surgery in the morning. Guide the doctors as they perform the heart catherization. Please give George and Dana comfort and strength. Heal him Father. Make him better. In Jesus name, Amen!

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Have you ever watched the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on Spike TV? Strong fighters slug it out in a chain-linked octagon. There’s nothing fake about it. It’s a hard-hitting sport. There are four champions in UFC: Heavyweight - Andrei Arlovski; Light Heavyweight - Chuck Liddell; Middleweight - Rich Franklin; and Welterweight - Matt Hughes. These guys are courageous and strong. I watched Rich Franklin, a former school teacher from Cincinnati Ohio, win three fights last night - he’s tough! There are some Ultimate Fighting Champions in the Bible. They are called David’s mighty men of valor. As impressive as the fighters are in UFC, they do not compare the exploits of David’s motley crew. David and his men were warriors - the toughest men who ever lived. 2 Kings 23.8 These are the names of David's mighty men: Josheb-Basshebeth, a Tahkemonite, was chief of the Three; he raised his spear against eight hundred men, whom he killed in one encounter. 9 Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite. As one of the three mighty men, he was with David when they taunted the Philistines gathered at Pas Dammim for battle. Then the men of Israel retreated, 10 but he stood his ground and struck down the Philistines till his hand grew tired and froze to the sword. The LORD brought about a great victory that day. The troops returned to Eleazar, but only to strip the dead. 11 Next to him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines banded together at a place where there was a field full of lentils, Israel's troops fled from them. 12 But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the LORD brought about a great victory. 13 During harvest time, three of the thirty chief men came down to David at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. 14 At that time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem. 15 David longed for water and said, "Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!" 16 So the three mighty men broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out before the LORD. 17 "Far be it from me, O LORD, to do this!" he said. "Is it not the blood of men who went at the risk of their lives?" And David would not drink it. Such were the exploits of the three mighty men. 18 Abishai the brother of Joab son of Zeruiah was chief of the Three. He raised his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed, and so he became as famous as the Three. 19 Was he not held in greater honor than the Three? He became their commander, even though he was not included among them. 20 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, who performed great exploits. He struck down two of Moab's best men. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. 21 And he struck down a huge Egyptian. Although the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. He snatched the spear from the Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear. 22 Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he too was as famous as the three mighty men. 23 He was held in greater honor than any of the Thirty, but he was not included among the Three. And David put him in charge of his bodyguard.

Spit in Soup

During the Korean War some military officers rented a house while they were stationed over seas. A little Chinese boy stead in their rented house and served them. He cooked and cleaned and did a great job but they treated him terribly. The officers frequently pulled pranks e.g., they nailed his shoes to the floor, they put a bucket of water over the door and when he opened the door the water fell on him. The little Chinese seemed to take it all in stride and maintained a good attitude. The officers felt sorry for the little boy and apologized. They said “We’ve been playing terrible tricks on you and you have such a good attitude about it all, we want apologize and we are going to stop.” The little Chinese boy said “You mean, no more nail shoes to the floor?’ They said “No more nail shoes to the floor.” He said “No more water over the door?” They said, “No more water over the door.” He said “Okay, no more spit in soup.” Revenge can be so subtle. You can take revenge without anyone knowing about it. Are you spitting in someone’s soup? Romans 12.17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. 20 On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

My Wireless Connection to God

My wireless connection amazes me. No chords. No phone line. No cable. I am wirelessly connected to a network that reaches the world. The signal travels through the air. I can’t see the signal but I know I’m connected because I can search the World Wide Web with a click of the button. Although the signal is invisible I know it is all around me – music, communication, and thousands of pathways to all sorts of information. All I need is the right instrument i.e., the wireless chip in my laptop and be close enough to my wireless router. In a similar way, I have a wireless connection with God. There is spiritual activity all around me. I can’t see it but I can connect with God with the right instrument - my faith in Jesus Christ. There may even be angels watching me type my thoughts as God brings this truth home to my heart. I am constantly connected to the greatest power in the universe. The signal is always strong no matter where I am because my wireless router is the Holy Spirit who lives in me and he keeps me connected. His search engine is better than Google. He even searches the deep things of God and testifies with my Spirit that I am a son.

Open and Transparent

I feel good. When I got home from work tonight I took a nap and slept from 6:30 till now – I’m wide awake! I hope I can get back to sleep. Lots of stuff happened today – it’s all good stuff. But I’m just thinking about my sponsor – Tom J. He knows a lot about living a sober life. He’s just as open with me as I am with him. After our AA meeting, my sponsor and I had lunch at Wendy’s. The conversations we have are open and transparent. I talk about the most personal part of my life – my joys and my struggles, the good and the bad, my confidence and my insecurities. It’s good for me to talk about the things I once kept secret. It’s frees me up to live. Today, by the grace of God, I am 3 years, 3 months, and two days sober. Find someone you can trust and talk to them. You can't be open and transparent with just anyone, they have to be trustworthy. Allow trust to build gradually as you share your stuff. Be open. Be transparent. Talk about your good side and your bad side. Talk about your victories and defeats. Share you successes and failures. As you do this you'll live freer and your heart will be filled with hope for the future.

Church Changes with Time, Culture and Custom

Lynn Mitchell presented the following four church models at the Pepperdine Lectureship in 1988. It describes how church changes with time, culture, and custom. Church A - Following strict observance of the Sabbath day, this church, which called itself a synagogue, gathered on Saturday evening to break bread together. The service began with praise. This included a call to worship and chanting of psalms, with rhythmic body movements and lifted hands. Next came the prayers (again with lifted hands): Group one: 1.) The Yotzer, with Creation as its theme. 2.) The ‘Ahabah, with Love as the theme. Group two: 1.) The Shema or confessional statement. 2.) The 18 Benedictions, led by a member with face turned toward the Ark. Then came the Instruction: Scripture reading and Exposition. Breaking of the Bread: 1.) Bread is blessed and partaken of. 2.) Full fellowship meal. 3.) Cup of Blessing is passed. Church B - Much less formal than Church A. They gathered on the first day of the week for the Lord’s Supper which included a full meal (love feast), along with the blessing of the bread and the wine in memory of Christ. Worship included prayers, songs, prophetic speeches, instructions, glossolalia with accompanying interpretation - all contributed somewhat spontaneously by members of the congregation. Men and women participated by praying and prophesying. The women wore veils and the men wore no head covering. Worship tended to be somewhat unruly, a problem which they had to watch. Church C - The church met at or just before noon on Sunday for one Sunday service of 2 to 4 hours which included lunch. Worship was somewhat informal, but much less rambunctious than Church B. The style resembled a rural democratic gathering. The president called the congregation to worship in praise. He then repeated a song which he knew and the congregation rose and sang it. He then asked a reader to read “the evangelical history” (from the Gospels). Another brother was then called upon to pray in the name of the congregation. The Epistle was read by the president followed by a song. The Lord’s Supper was observed, after remarks concerning its meaning, using one loaf and one cup of wine. The president then called for prayer for the poor and lost (kneeling). The Fellowship (offering) was laid on the table by each worshipper. An invitation was extended was extended to any who had something to edify the congregation. Several read Scripture and spoke. After several more songs selected by the congregation, a motion was made to adjourn. The president pronounced the apostolic benediction and dismissed the congregation. Church D - The church met on Sunday morning at 9:30 for Sunday School (not found in Churches A, B, or C), and then at 10:30 for the general assembly. Their assembly included contemporary music and choruses of praise. Communion was served in silver trays as it was passed from pew to pew. The congregation listened to 30 minute sermon and an invitation was extended. After a closing prayer the congregation was dismissed. Church A is the Jerusalem church in the book of Acts - A.D. 30. Church B is the Corinthian church - A.D. 55. Church C is the church of Alexander Campbell - A.D. 1830. Church D is the typical Church of Christ in North America – 21st Century.

Meditation

When some people hear the word “meditate” they think of Buddhism or Hinduism or New Age mysticism – you know, where you gaze at your navel, empty your mind or achieve an altered state by focusing on a single object and chanting Om. Other people say "I can't meditate. It's too complicated for me." No it isn't. Do you worry? If you know how to worry you know how to meditate. Worry is negative meditation. You take a thought and roll it around and around until it consumes you. That's what meditation is. It's simple! You take God's word and roll it around and around in your head until it consumes you. For me, meditation means to think or reflect on God in a calm and deliberate manner. Like Paul instructed Timothy, Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this (2 Timothy 2.7). When we reflect or meditate on the word of God the Holy Spirit will give us insight. Here’s one simple way to meditate. Take a phrase from the Bible and accent each word as you repeat the sentence over and over. Below are a couple of examples: Phil 4.13 I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength. I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength. I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength. I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength. I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength. I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength. I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength. I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength. I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength. I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength. Psalm 23.1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want Say the same scripture aloud repeatedly accenting one word each time you say the sentence through. With each accented word you will get a little nuance of truth that you have never seen before. Reflect on it and the Lord will give you insight.

Self-Talk

2 Corinthians 10.5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ You can speak about 150 words a minute but you think about 10 times as fast as you talk. According to David Stoop, everyone thinks a minimum of 1500 words a minute. There is an inner dialogue going on in your mind all the time. You are doing it right now. You are talking to yourself. That’s the way you process information, through words and images. The thoughts and images you entertain influence the way you feel and behave. The things you say to yourself are sometimes more powerful than the things you say aloud because you tend edit your thoughts before you speak your mind. If you think depressing thoughts you will feel and act depressed. If you worry and fret you will feel and act anxious. The next time you upset yourself pay attention to your thought-life. Become aware of the mental images you are entertaining. Ask yourself “Is this thought true? Is this image healthy? Is it in harmony with the character of Christ? Is it realistic or exaggerated?” Remember your beliefs are your choice. If you want to think self-defeating, impure, angry, anxious, or depressing thoughts you can. If you want to think true, godly, wholesome, or healthy thoughts you can. Pray over you thought-life and ask God to transform your mind so that your feelings and behavior are in sync with him. Tell God you want to think his thoughts i.e., to think like Jesus right now. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you think about things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable. He will introject thoughts and images that are excellent and praiseworthy and this will give you peace. You can change the way you feel and behave by changing the way you think. The Holy Spirit transforms you by renewing of your mind but you have to be willing to cooperate with him.

Busy

I haven't written in a while. I have been busy with work, school, and fathering. Things are going well. I just wanted to say hi to my fellow bloggers.

For All You've Done (Darlene Zschech)

The Wonderful Names of Jesus

Jesus (Mt. 1:23) Wonderful Counselor (Is. 9:6) Mighty God (Is. 9:6) Everlasting Father (Is. 9:6) Prince of Peace (Is. 9:6) Holy One (Mk1:24) Son of the Highest (Lk 1:32) Immanuel (Mt 1:23) Lamb of God (John 1:29) Prince of Life (Acts 3:15) Lord God Almighty (Rev5:5) God over all (Rom 9:5) Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Rev 22:16) I AM (Jn 8:48) The Word (Jn 1:1) Lord of Lords (Rev 19:16) Advocate (1 Jn 2:1) The Way, The Truth, The Life (Jn 14:6) Lord of All (2 Pet 2:20) Messiah (John 1:41) Son of God (John 1:34) Son of Man (Matthew 9:6) Savior (2 Peter 2:20) Bishop of your souls (1 Peter 2:25) Author and Finisher of our faith (Heb 12:2) Chief Cornerstone (Eph 2:20) Righteous Judge (2 Timothy 4:8) Light of the world (John 8:12) Morning Star (Rev 22:16) Head of the Church (Eph 1:22) Chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:4 Resurrection and Life (John 11:25) Alpha and Omega (Rev 21:6)

The Names of God

God has many names. The name Jehovah is combined with other names for God in the Old Testament. Each of these names reveal different qualities of God's character and his relationship to us. Eight names from the Old Testament are listed below. Jehovah – Shammah – “God is present with me.” (Ezekial 48:35 35) Jehovah – Rohi(ee) – “God is my shepherd.” (Psalm 23:1) Jehovah – Jireh - “God is my Provider.” (Genesis 22:14) Jehovah – Rophe – “God is my Healer” (Exodus 15:26) Jehovah – Tsidkenu – “God is my Righteousness” (Jer 23:6) Jehovah – (Mac) M’Kaddish – “God is my Sanctification” (Lev 20:8) Jehovah – Shalom – “God is my Peace” (Judges 6:24) Jehovah – Nissi (ee) – “God is my Banner” (Exodus 17:15) The name of God is like a strong tower that you can run to for protection (Proverbs 18.10). His name is powerful and strong. When you call on his name demons scatter and you walk with confidence. Say “You are here. You are my provider. You are my healer. You are my righteousness. You are my holiness. You are my peace. You are my banner!”

Christians Everywhere

This past year I have spoken in a variety of settings (e.g., hospitals, Greenbrier Hotel, schools, performing arts center, Marshall University, recovery counsel mental health agencies) and I have found Christians in all of these settings. Included in my presentation on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a section where I talk about the importance of prayer and people always seem glad that I include it. When you work in your community don't hesitate to talk about Jesus. Most people are not turned off - it turns them on. Yes, you will run into a few people who are hostile toward Christians but most people will recieve you. You will find many Christians in the crowd. Last Friday I spoke at the Recovery Counsel in Pike County Ohio and last night I spoke for the Marshall Universtiy Diabetes Center at Cabell Huntington Hospital. When I asked "How many of you pray?" nearly everyone raised their hand. During breaks many people talked about their involvement in church. Many of them will talk freely about Jesus. It's amazing - there are Christians everywhere. I am very encouraged by this.

My Statement of Faith

1. I believe that God is completely sovereign, all knowing, perfect in holiness, infinite in power, and abounding in love. He has revealed himself to us in three persons; God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Our triune God is one and there is no other god besides him. 2. I believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God. I believe in his miraculous birth, his perfect life, his all-sufficient atoning death and glorious resurrection.Jesus ascended the highest place. Jesus is the King and kings and Lord of lords. His Kingdom will last forever. One day every living creature will confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father. 3. I believe the Holy Spirit lives in all Christians. The Spirit’s purpose is to glorify Christ in us. The Spirit convicts us of sin and draws us to Jesus. He comforts, guides, and empowers Christians to understand the mind of Christ and obey the will of God. The Spirit distributes spiritual gifts and helps us bear good fruit. 4. I believe the church belongs to Christ. The church is spiritually united as one body with Christ as the head. There are no denominational, geographical, ethic/racial, or gender barriers in the body of Christ. We are all one in Christ and we must make every effort to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 5. I believe that salvation is by grace through faith in Christ. Salvation is a free gift from God to man. It cannot be obtained or maintained by good works. I believe that justification is the saving action of God where he declares sinners righteous by our faith in Jesus Christ. 6. I believe that everyone who confesses the name of the Lord should turn away from sin. Since we have a sinful nature that cannot change and must die, we should repent of sin and obey the Lord. Repenting of sin and obeying the Lord are evidences of our faith, not the basis of our salvation. Our obedience is an expression of our love and gratitude and is empowered by the Holy Spirit. 7. I believe that the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper should be observed faithfully as God intended. Baptism represents identification with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Lord’s Supper is open to all believers and is a time to commune with the living Christ and his church. The bread represents his body and the wine represents his blood. 8. I believe the Bible is the infallible, authoritative word of God. The Bible is our only standard of truth for all Christian beliefs and practices. 9. I believe that Jesus will return - Since the return of Christ is imminent we should teach the gospel to the lost with urgency. 10. I believe that love for God and people should be our motivation for everything we do. People will know that we are Christians when we love God and people like Jesus Christ loved us. Without love we cannot benefit from any of the beliefs above.

Speaking at the Marshall Diabetes Center

Tomorrow I will be speaking for the Marshall Diabetes Center. My presentation, which will be a Cabell Huntington Hospital, will focus on using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to cope with depression. The audience will be made up of people who are suffering from diabetes. I pray I do well and the people who attend will benefit.

Speaking in Pike County Ohio

This Friday I will be speaking at a mental health agency in Pike County Ohio. I will be speaking/leading a 6 hour workshop on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. I pray that I will do a good job and the participants at the agency will benefit.

Duplicity Spoils Everything

A man took his girlfriend on a picnic. He stopped at Kentucky Fried Chicken and ordered two chicken dinners. When they arrived at the park and opened the bag they found $800 dollars in cash. The cashier had accidentally given them the wrong bag. Instead of getting chicken they got a bag full of money that was suppose to go to the manager to be deposited into the bank. So they drove back to the store and found the KFC manager in tears. When they returned the bag of cash the manager was so relieved. He said, “You are the most honest people I’ve ever met. I’m going to call the newspaper and asked them to take a picture of you and your girlfriend and report this story in the newspaper because you are so honest.” But they said, “No, don’t do that!” The manager asked “Why?” The man explained “The woman I’m with is not my wife.” Duplicity spoils everything. We can be honest in one area of life and, at the same time, be living a lie. Let’s make integrity our goal. Proverbs 11.3 The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.