WWJ Drive

November 9, 2008 – 5:58 pm

Most people assume WWJD is for “What would Jesus do?” But the initials really have been changed to stand for “What would , drive?”.

One theory is that Jesus would tool around in an old Plymouth because the Bible says, “God drove Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden in a Fury”.

But in Psalm 83, the Almighty clearly owns a Pontiac and a Geo. The passage urges the Jesus to “pursue your enemies with your Tempest and terrify them with your Storm”.

Perhaps God favors Dodge pickup trucks, because Moses’ ollowers are warned not to go up a mountain “until the Ram’s horn sounds a long blast”.

Some scholars insist that Jesus drove a Honda but didn’t like to talk about it. As proof, they cite a verse in St. John’s gospel where Christ tells the crowd, “For I did not speak of my own Accord…”

Meanwhile, Moses rode an old British motorcycle, as evidenced by a Bible passage declaring that “the roar of Moses’ Triumph is heard in the hills”.

Joshua drove a Triumph sports car with a hole in its muffler: “Joshua’s Triumph was heard throughout the land”. And, following Jesus’ lead, the Apostles car pooled in a Honda… “The Apostles were in one Accord.”

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“Peace, Power & Long Hair”

November 7, 2008 – 12:19 am

Intro:

Peace is something that we strive for as human beings. It is one thing that sets us apart from the animal kingdom and from complete anarchy. John Greenleaf Whittier once said, “Peace hath higher tests of manhood, than battle ever knew.” (Whittier)

However, sometimes man is selfish prideful and ambitionses cause him great stride to go far away from peace. Peace is something that we always hear about in the news but is never really accomplished in real life. Even know this world has been granted with many great gifts and abilities it still has not been able to accomplish its greatest task, which is peace. It says in Proverbs 12:20 (NIV)
20 There is deceit in the hearts of those who plot evil, but joy for those who promote peace.

Today we will be looking at Absalom who is known as the “father of peace” but oddly enough is an individual who did not know peace nor want it. He was a man with so many gifts and abilities, looks, wealth and persuadedtivnes to name a few. However, he only had his best interest in order without thinking about the greater good or about his own life. In the end, his gift’s was his greatest downfall.

Body:

Absalom is an example of an individual who had everything going for him. He was the third son of King David and his mother was a daughter of King Geshur. From the outside, everything looked fantastic in his life.

He also possessed gifted with a remarkable physical beauty—“ no blemish in him” in II Sam 14:25 A commanding presence, naturally dignity and its extraordinary grace of a person made him a immense figure. It was also said of the man that his extra-ordinary profusion of hair was a great site on the eyes.

As I said, he was the son of King David who was a brilliant and successful warrior. God’s chosen leader for Israel at the time. However, his family life was less than to be desired. The situation with David’s numerous wives and concubines created a highly competitive environment among all of the children.

Each one of them for sure is probably craving attention and the love from David. King David had 19 sons and 1 daughter from 7 different wives. Could you just imagine how confusing and frustrating it would have been for David’s family. Talk about a dysfunctional family. My wife and I have a problem with just the two of us trying to figure out what stations to watch. Could you just imagine what it would be like with 28 people plus David that is 29 in the David household?

The young Absalom probably would have been a very confused individual. Who for the most part probably did not get the full love and attention a young boy desperately needed. I am sure he also would have been very independent and a self-starter.

Absalom probably would have been a lady-killer. He had the looks, money, and the family. You would almost relate Absalom to being a son of the famous star today like Hoke Hogan or that guy from kiss. We hear in the news all the time about how these child stars or sons of stars gets into trouble.

The first real account of Absalom in the Bible is in second Samuel 13. What happened a little bit before this chapter was that his sister had just been brutally raped by her half brother Amnon. What happened afterwards was that King David was fiercely mad with Amnon but did not do anything about it. This must have an enraged Absalom like I said this was a highly competitive and dysfunctional family. Therefore, Absalom decided to take matters into his own hands and kill his half brother. I guess Absalom never heard of the People’s Court “don’t take justice into their own hands you taken to court”. Absalom apparently resented being ignored by his father and resented his brother Ammon going unpunished for raping Tamar, Absalom’s full sister. (Holman Bible Dictionary)

It is funny how it took Absalom two years after this incident before he had the plan to murder his brother. Sometimes are hate are the things that people have done to us in the past will boil up when we least expect it. I am sure that there were times in Absalom’s two years after the incident of the sister where he felt like forgiving his brother. But he never did so he ended up taking his aggression on him.

So Absalom invites his brothers to come to an old-fashioned sheep shearing in the mountains. As they were sitting by the campfire, Absalom ordered his servants to get his brothers drunk. As soon as Amnon was above in-toxicity, they were ordered to strike him into the ground or for lack of a better term “kill him”. After this, all his brothers and all their men fled back to the temple to see David again “see that rhymes.” And Absalom rides off into the sunset to spend some time with his Grams up in Geshur. Which was a little state that protected Israel northern border from Persia.

King David was deeply distraught over the loss of his two sons. It took almost 3 years for him to come to grasp of what transpired but soon enough he invited Absalom back to Israel. 2 Samuel 14:21 (MSG) 21 The king spoke to Joab. “All right, I’ll do it. Go and bring the young man Absalom back.” The King David made one resolution to Absalom not to let him look into his father’s face. Two Samuel 14:24 (MSG)
24 The king said, “He may return to his house, but he is not to see me face to face.” So Absalom returned home, but was not permitted to see the king.

Joab who was the commander of King David’s army acted as a middleman between him and Absalom. It was said in the Bible that Joab would not budge an inch to Absalom’s pressure to meet with his father. The only way that he was able to gain the privilege of meeting his father again was by bullying Joab and setting his fields on fire. Soon after doing this to Joab, he was able to meet his father almost 5 years after killing Amnon. By this time he would Absalom probably would have been considered the next heir in line to be king. But that was not enough for him he started conniving and communing to take over his father’s throne. He went off to Hebron, which was the old capital of Israel before the Kings and ended up declaring himself as ruler over Israel in Judea.

He became such a smooth talker that even people in Jerusalem started declaring and king of Israel. Moreover, many of King David staff went over to support Absalom.

Ahithophel, who had been David’s chief counselor, deserted him and joined Absalom, whose chief counselor he now became. Hushai also joined Absalom, but only for the purpose of trying to counteract the counsels of Ahithophel, and so to advantage David’s cause. He was so far successful that by his advice, which was preferred to that of Ahithophel, Absalom delayed marching an army against his father who thus gained time to prepare for the defense.( christiananswers) Absalom’s overall goal was to destroy his father and make him a ruined man. Almost kind of sounds like Star Wars but with role reversal. Absalom eventually marched out against his father, whose army, under the command of Joab, he encountered on the borders of the forest of Ephraim. Twenty thousand of Absalom’s army were killed in that fatal battle, and the rest fled to the safety of their homes. We can just imagine the carnage and blood must’ve looked like that day with 20,000 killed.

Soon after this great battle, Absalom fled up in the hills with a mule. I don’t think a meal was a very efficiently to be fleeting but he did. But soon after his long flowing hair which was a gift from God got stuck to a tree and he ended up getting captured by Joab who ended up killing him with three darts. It’s funny in the Bible how it say not one, two, but three darts. King David did something he did quite a bit after making mistakes he lamented. He felt so sorry for the mistakes he made to his family and his kingdom. It is said after this event most of his kingship was healing and reconciliation throughout the kingdom. There were numerous attempts afterwards to start separating the kingdom of Judea and Israel. You could say it was almost like a predecessor for the things to come with the kingdoms of the North and South. What can be taken from this tragic story?

Conclusion:

Firstly, much of the blame has to be placed upon King David and the way that he treated his family. It seem like Absalom was looking more for a father figure then a king. This was a boy who was craving attention from a father could did not know what attention was.

Absalom on the other hand worried more about himself than he did any other person. Being all absorbing and self-aggrandizement were the pillars of who Absalom is about. (Lockyer) It also can be said that his gifts were his downfall and the end because of his not using them for God’s means and only for self-seeking pleasure.

Dear friends I exalt you today to consider your relationship with your friends and family. Are you really being a parental figure that you should really be or do you breed of a sense a competitiveness and lack of love in your household. Do you show peace in your life?

I also urge you to look deeper inside your own heart and analyze the gifts that God has given to you. Do you use them for your own glory or for helping God’s kingdom and others? And you a peacemakers or hell-razor. It is only by taking care of our self-seeking nature are we able to be true peacemakers.

I remind you that the altar is not a place of judgment but a means of grace. Moreover, that we can all change only by looking at ourselves and becoming more like Christ.

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New Heavens and a New Earth

November 6, 2008 – 9:10 am

planet

Isaiah 65:17-25 (MSG)
17 “Pay close attention now: I’m creating new heavens and a new earth. All the earlier troubles, chaos, and pain are things of the past, to be forgotten.
18 Look ahead with joy. Anticipate what I’m creating: I’ll create Jerusalem as sheer joy, create my people as pure delight.
19 I’ll take joy in Jerusalem, take delight in my people: No more sounds of weeping in the city, no cries of anguish;
20 No more babies dying in the cradle, or old people who don’t enjoy a full lifetime; One-hundredth birthdays will be considered normal— anything less will seem like a cheat.
21 They’ll build houses and move in. They’ll plant fields and eat what they grow.
22 No more building a house that some outsider takes over, No more planting fields that some enemy confiscates, For my people will be as long-lived as trees, my chosen ones will have satisfaction in their work.
23 They won’t work and have nothing come of it, they won’t have children snatched out from under them. For they themselves are plantings blessed by God, with their children and grandchildren likewise God-blessed.
24 Before they call out, I’ll answer. Before they’ve finished speaking, I’ll have heard.
25 Wolf and lamb will graze the same meadow, lion and ox eat straw from the same trough, but snakes—they’ll get a diet of dirt! Neither animal nor human will hurt or kill anywhere on my Holy Mountain,” says God.

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It’s Fall

November 4, 2008 – 2:18 am

img_0287

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Video Killed Radio Star

October 30, 2008 – 6:34 pm

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911

October 30, 2008 – 6:08 pm

Intro:

Today we are be looking at Psalm 91:1

What comes to mind when you think of 911? Maybe its rescue, deliverance, safety or maybe a cheesy television show, from the 90s. Possibly your mind harks back to Sept 11 2001 or 911. You would be right if these things came to your mind. However, today we are talking about the deliverance and salvation work through this particular Psalm 911.

I am reminded of when I was a child and 911 was the newest thing in the news. This was a very long time ago I must of been three maybe four. And I lost my cat a tomcat who loved to stay out late. However, since I did not have very many friends in the apartment complex he was my closest companion. There was a pay phone which I put I put in, I think it was two pennies. Of course it jammed the pay phone and I called 911.

The operator picked up and said 911 what’s your emergency. I expressed my feelings of losing my cat and how much I needed help finding him. About five minutes past and a police officer came to where the pay phone was. He asked me were my parents were and what my cat looked like. After finding my parents we looked around for my cat. We soon found him and I was ecstatic as much as a four year old could be.

Psalm 91 is a wonderful example of how God will protect you and keep you safe no matter how large or how small the difficulty might be. Much like 911 is when we need recued Psalm 91 show’s us God’s plan. It is almost like the ultimate insurance plan for the here, now, and forever. However, to really be vested in God’s great insurance plan we must remember to trust him.

  1. Trust

Trust is not something that comes natural to human behavior. Our world is a world that wants to know how everything works and explain everything in its own simplified theory. However, God is something that cannot be boxed up, or put on a piece of paper. When we put our trust in God, we are protected better than the best insurance policy.

I am reminded of the simple camp illustration of the mountain climber on the mountain who lost a stroke. Along comes God to say jump and I’ll catch YOU. The man is very hesitant but after some persuading from God makes the ultimate plunge and trust.

I remember a time in my life when I had to put my trust in another individual. Every year when I was in the Army I was called upon to fight forest fires. One particular year I was asked to be crew chief on a Chinook helicopter. Chinook are probably one of the most dangerous aircraft to fly or to be a passenger on.

My job was very simple look to see if the bucket was not stuck with an trees in it in the hellhole, which is the center of the aircraft. As soon as we were about ready to drop the bucket I had to run to the jump door, which is the aft of the aircraft. I looked out the back to see if we were successful or not. The only protection I had from falling out of the aircraft was about an inch and a half by 20 feet long jump cord.

I had to put my trust in the pilot’s as all around me all I saw was fire on the ground. The smell of suit and smoke surrounded me. I was completely hopeless to my situation. Sure I could have told the pilot where to go but I did not have any direct control of where we were going.

This is what our lives are like. God is the pilot who is controlling us and we’ll never really know what our destination is.

The God who saved us from hell and death can protect us from the smaller dangers we face. Only if we trust in him. That is exactly what the psalmist was saying when he wrote in verse two 2 Say this: “God, you’re my refuge. I trust in you and I’m safe!”
If you put your trust in God, you will be safe but you first must trust. Trust Him for the large things in your life as well as small hurdles that might come your way. It all comes down to a matter of trust. Psalm 91 also reminds us that if we trust we will have triumph over our problems.

  1. Triumph

9 Yes, because God’s your refuge, the High God your very own home, 10 Evil can’t get close to you, harm can’t get through the door. 11 He ordered his angels to guard you wherever you go. 12 If you stumble, they’ll catch you; their job is to keep you from falling.

If you look up triumph in the dictionary, you will find the following definitions. To gain mastery; prevail: to triumph over fear. The person that puts their life in God’s hands is someone who will prevail over anything. Be it in this world or the next world to come.

At the same time he must be rejoicing for conquering of fowls.

I had a really good friend whose name was Darryl. Darryl loved to mountain climb he would spend three months in Tibet or two weeks in Vietnam. This guy was totally enamored by mountain climbing.

One time we were having a conversation about what happens when you get to the summit. He mentioned that absolutely nothing happened and that the real joy was coming down off the mountain. He knew that he was safe so he gave triumph to God for conquering the great obstacle.

I am reminded of a great triumph in my life. My stepfather was quite an academic man. He could quote almost any law journal that was ever written. He ended up coming down with cancer. My corps feverishly prayed for his well keeping. He steadily got sick over the course of three months. Nevertheless, we continued to keep him in prayer and asked that he would be saved from the cancer.

As things got worse, he was put in hospice and we knew his time was coming short. I can remember sitting beside my stepfather’s bed and asking him as his breathing was becoming harder if he had a relationship with Jesus. I was able to minister to him in his last few hours and he accepted Jesus Christ as his savior. I can remember walking home from the hospital. As I got closer to home my mother came to me and told me that my stepfather passed away.

At the time, I thought that this was tragic and how much I was going to miss my stepfather. However, in hindsight God was able to save him, using my visit, from eternal hell and that was a great triumph. There is a wonderful chorus song, that I love to sing, “Give to Jesus glory, give to Jesus glory; proclaim redemption’s wondrous plan and give to Jesus glory.” This was one of those moments for least I know my stepfather was safe and heaven.

Triumph bears witness to God’s great love for his people. At the same time we must be able to show gratitude to him. We must first be able to surrender and trust in God. Then we will have triumph over our adversities.

Conclusion:

Its says in

Psalms 91:14-15 (NIV)
14 “Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.

The psalmist here is talking much like a relationship. Our trust naturally becomes love to God. We have to speak our hearts desires to God for him to understand what we really want. It boils down to one simple word and it is surrender. When we trust we must surrender for there is no other way to have triumph over our problems.

I invite you dear friends to lay down your burdens. Maybe it is the forest fires in your soul that are causing you hurt. Concerns about family members or maybe some other 911 difficulty. It is only through surrender in reliance upon God that we are able to fully triumph over our situation. Do you need to call 911 today?

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Rebirth and Retry

March 27, 2008 – 6:52 pm

Today in homiletics class we talked about Nicodemus and the rebirth he had sought. today I am trying a rebirth of the sorts. By dedicating myself more to writing  on this blog.

Before coming to training I was a constant blogger. Some of the code goes to this website I helped write. It is a side of my life that I have not used since coming here to the training school. I think that using a web blog is a very effective mode of expressing and evangelizing Christ’s love to the world. It is also a great vehicle for providing thoughts and ideas about ministry opportunities.

It is also a fantastic way of reflection on a person’s daily life. That is my hope that I can use this as a reflection time.

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This is my favorite veggie tale song of all time!

March 27, 2008 – 6:41 pm

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Questions to Ask Yourself

November 10, 2007 – 12:32 pm

The following questions are taken from Salvation Army Orders and Regulations for Soldiers, 1950:

  1. Am I habitually guilty of any known sin? Do I practice or allow myself in any thought, word or deed which I know to be wrong?
  2. Am I the master of my bodily appetites so as to have no condemnation? Do I allow myself in any indulgence that hurts my holiness, growth, obedience, or usefulness?
  3. Are my thoughts and feelings such that I wouldn’t be ashamed to hear them published before God?
  4. Does the influence of the world cause me to act, or feel or say things that do not show the love of God?
  5. Am I doing all in my power for the salvation of sinners?
  6. Am I fulfilling the vows and promises I have made before God in the past?
  7. Does what I do as a Christian match what I say about being a Christian?
  8. Am I consious of any pride in my life?
  9. Do I conform to the fashions and customs of this world or do I show that I despise them?
  10. Am I in danger of being carried away with worldly desires to be rich or admired?

These are questions members of John Wesley’s HOLY CLUB asked themselves each day over 200 years ago:

  1. Am I consiously or unconsiously creating the impression that I am better than I really am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?
  2. Am I honest in all my acts and words, or do I exaggerate?
  3. Do I confidentially pass on to another what was told to me in confidence?
  4. Can I be trusted?
  5. Am I a slave to dress, friends, work, or habits?
  6. Am I self-consious, self-pitying, or self-justifying?
  7. Did the Bible live in me today?
  8. Do I give it time to speak to me every day?
  9. Am I enjoying prayer?
  10. When did I last speak to someone else about my faith?
  11. Do I pray about the money I spend?
  12. Do I go to bed on time and get up on time?
  13. Do I disobey God in anything?
  14. Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?
  15. Am I defeated in any part of my life?
  16. Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy, or distrustful?
  17. How do I spend my spare time?
  18. Am I proud?
  19. Do I thank God that I am not like other people?
  20. Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, critisize, hold a resentment toward or disregard?
  21. Do I grumble or complain constantly?
  22. Is Christ real to me?
By mrmumu | Posted in 1750713, walk | Comments (0)

John Wesley

September 20, 2007 – 10:35 pm

I want to know one thing – the way to heaven; how to land safe on that happy shore.

God Himself has condescended to teach the way; for this very end He came from heaven.

He hath written it down in a book.

O give me that book!

At any price, give me that book of God!

I have it: here is knowledge enough for me.

Let me be homo unius libri.

Here then I am, far from the busy ways of men.

I sit down alone: only God is here.

In His presence I open, I read His book; for this end, to find the way to heaven.

… And what I thus learn, that I teach.

- John Wesley

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