the most influential book ever written.

I look at the most influential areligious and secular writers who've ever lived; they strain, with what they feel is good intention, to write and reach the world in their own way, from their own minds, own hearts, own opinions, own imaginations and own final definitive opinions--all the while the Bible stands out as the most influential book ever written. 

"How can you say that?"

Think of the great men and women of faith who wrote and are writing to and for the glory of God. We're talking centuries and centuries of writings based on the God of the Trinity at their core. That means thousands and thousands, maybe millions of essays, novels, dissertations, thesis, books of principal, books on doctrine, attributes, man-to-God relationship, salvation,sin, grace, prayer, etc.

These men and women wrote and write un-policed, Scripturally inspired works that many hated and still hate. People go so far as to call this kind of writing extreme, radical and fairy tale like. Isn't it funny that all of that work is inspired by one single book: The Bible. 

Thousands of people have written books that are inspired by their reading of one book, the same book. Thousands of people have debated, for thousands of years, the validity of one book. Multitude's of people have spent significant amounts of time and energy trying disprove one book to the point that they're recycling and repackaging arguments that have already fallen like a house of cards. Still, the book still stands. It's still the most widely printed and I'm certain you can still find one in just about every hotel and motel room in America (unless you're in Vegas or something). 

The Bible is the most influential book ever written. It's impenetrable and it's stood the test of time. 

pray or die

Sermon: Love: God's and Ours

The motive and essence of the love of God  is a topic that's been debated and discussed in many circles, including Christian ones. Prayerfully, this sermon communicates an accurate, scripturally based picture of God's love and its infinite distinction from any finite and tainted definition.

Text: 1 John 4:7-12

Main Points
1. God’s love is not like the world’s human definition of love, which many of us have obliviously come to absorb and hold to.

2. God’s love is seen in the Gospel. (1 John 4:9-10)

3. Because God is love, this affects the motive and goal of His love towards us, and it should affect our motives as well. (John 15:9,1 John 4:11-12; 1 John 4:16,21)

Love: God's and Ours

i saw iron man.

we set out thursday night with initial intentions to see the new documentary on intelligent design by ben stein called "expelled: no intelligence allowed". but, i love super hero movies (cindy likes some and loves mainly one; x-men) so when i saw that "iron man" was actually playing that night instead of friday, its announced released date, i said, "babe! babe! iron man is playing! we have to see it! it's iron man babe! iron man. . ."
"oh yay! okay," she said, "let's see that."
so, we paid to see the new marvel comic studios production of iron man. needless to say i was extremely excited. i love superhero movies; i love the biographical journey of becoming wolverine (can't wait for that one) or superman, the hulk, batman, or in this case, iron man. i'm tuned in. i was nudging cindy periodically and whispering my excitement and anticipation in her ear, "look babe. he's becoming ironman. . .he's building it!" there's was a point when the movie died down after a very intense beginning and cindy thought it was over. "over? no way!," i said, "it's just beginning. he hasn't even become iron man yet."
i won't spoil the film for anyone who reads this and might have the same esteem for superhero flicks as i do. i give the movie a 4.5 out of 5 stars (just because i'm saving my 5 for the wolverine movie that comes out next year).
so we're leaving the movie and i still kind of beguiled and excited about what we just watched. then, i felt something like conviction, at least i thought it was conviction. conviction for, even for a moment, exalting someone or something other than God in my mind. and as we were driving away i asked God to help me see the movie through a God centered lens. i asked Him to make good out of what i was just entertained by and for Him to be glorified in my thoughts over and above a fictional character.
i thought; people (including myself) are fascinated by fictional superheroes because most of them are just ordinary men and women who have extraordinary powers and abilities. "oh look, it's a normal man. no! wait! there's claws coming from his hands! wow!"
many a minds are captivated by the "superness" of these ordinary looking human beings. but, the excitement dies down when we're halted by the realization that they're not real and they're just fictional.
somewhere in my thought process revelation 22:20 came to mind, where Jesus says, "Surely I am coming soon." then revelation 19:11-16 where John talks about Jesus coming back on a white horse with a sword coming from His mouth etc. . .i'm aware of the fact that much of these descriptions are john reaching for something that best described what it was he was actually seeing. none the less, if you read it you get the sense that this Christ is not coming as He came the first time, He'll come back with evident power, with blood on His robe (wow) and a white hot passion for clearing His name. His coming will be bright and superb and dramatic. His coming, and even now, His present reality and eternal existence is real and far succeeds the fictional powers had by some two-dimensional superhero penned from the imaginations of men.
God was answering my prayer. He was turning my gaze away from flimsy entertainment to the bold reality of Jesus Christ, who's power and force isn't created or imagined, but completely real. frighteningly real.

although iron man was entertaining, it was a man's attempt to captivate the imaginations of others using the story of an ordinary man who does extraordinary things. scripture on the other hand, tells the factual story of a man who posses all the capabilities and powers comic writers and super hero fans fanaticize about, and who will one day come back and unveil this power and authority for all to see.
one day soon, every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the Glory of God the Father.
That's captivating.

lookin' forward

to whoever reads this, i wanted to give a heads up on what i'm planning(james 4:13-17) on posting over the next few days (or weeks). i'm planning on doing several (i don't know how many several is) blogs on the conscience and christian liberties and everything that kind of floats around that area of focus. i've started one and i can tell already that i'm going to need to devote some time to it and it will probably take a few posts to get everything that i'd like to spill, out. i'm guessing, based on my current train of thought that this topic(s) will spark other related topics so. . .i'll guess we'll just have to see then. . .

that's an update. . .back to your regularly scheduled program.

the "death" in christianity

reading through the bible; specifically paul's letters, you see that christianity has a lot to do with death and dying before we actually die and cross the chasm into eternity with Jesus. this dying is a tough task. i wrote a poem about it. it's called "decay". here it is.

decay

there was a groom,
married in the day
who took his vows
and uttered antecedents to decay.

people watched
and people smiled
people took their pictures
of his bright and lively eyes

he walked the upward aisle
pockets empty
onto roads of burning fire.

all were watchers of the day
when death itself went on display
where pretty words and licking flames
would burn the life right from his veins.

hearts would grow
and blood would spill
and Love Himself would have him killed.

a pretty lady stands on stacks of pedestals

he chases death
following His Predecessor’s scars

and dare he try
to live again
he’ll die a lie and kill his fragile lover dead
and mock the day
all came to see
the day that death went on display

the day when vows and
pretty words
were antecedents to decay.

encouraged by my giant predecessor in the fight: jonathan edwards

i'm reading a biography on jonathan edwards by stephen j. nichols. in the book he lists some life long resolutions that edwards kept for himself. they are found in their entirety in his work called Resolutions (keepin' it simple...nice).
i thought i'd post the one's that jumped out at me and prayerfully i, and anyone else who reads this, can be resolved to do these kinds of things in our own life while we're on this side of things. here they are.

1) resolved, that i will do whatsoever i think to be the most to God's glory, and my own good, profit, and pleasure in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriads of ages hence. resolved to do whatsoever i think to be my duty, and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. resolved to do this, whatever difficulties i meet with, how many and how great soever.

2) resolved, to live with all my might, while i do live.

3) resolved, never to give over, nor in the least to slacken my fight with my corruptions, however unsuccessful i may be.

4) let there be something of benevolence in all that i speak.