How He Loves...

This is the video for one of the latest songs from David Crowder Band...I suggest you watch it, or just let it play in the background.

Click Here to play/watch the video.

A Struggle...

I don't know about you, but I hate it when I feel like I have really grown spiritually in an area, or feel as if I am seeing victory over an area of sin in my life, only to find myself jumping back into the same sin. Do you ever have that problem? Have you ever experienced this? Tonight I experienced this and I am outright confessing it to anyone who reads this blog.

Tonight I really got a glimpse of what sin is; it is us telling God no, and doing what we want to do, even if we know that it is wrong. It is flat out, wanton disobedience. That is sin. Yes, I felt the Holy Spirit prompting me to stop or to turn away, but I did not listen. I was blatantly disobedient to God and I confess this disobedience. Sin is so disgusting and it messes us up so easily. I am reminded of 1 Corinthians 10:12, "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall." (NKJV)

I am thankful though for the promise of forgiveness found in 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (NKJV)

The temptation to sin comes in all shapes, sizes, forms, and functions, and the enemy is good at packaging the temptation in a deceptive manner. At other times though, in our weak moments, the temptation comes straight at us and we give in without much of a fight. Please pray for myself and for all of your friends as well though, for strength to stand against the temptations that come our way.

May we all take the words of the author of Hebrews to heart and "...let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us , and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us," Hebrews 12:1 (NKJV).

Do Not Back Down

Okay, just a precursor to this video. First of all, I know that this video was made for a group of women, and directed towards women, but what Beth Moore has to say in this video applies to everyone! Please take this to heart and my prayer request would be that you pray for me in this area as well. Please pray for me to have patience and to not lose heart, because it is so very easy to do. Enjoy.

Siesta Video Message from LPV on Vimeo.

Wisdom

"Obtaining spiritual wisdom isn't a once-a-week hobby, it is the daily discipline of a lifetime. But in this age of microwave ovens, fast foods, digests, and numerous 'made easy' books, many people are out of the habit of daily investing time and energy in digging deep into Scripture and learning wisdom from the Lord. Thanks to television, their attention span is brief; thanks to religious entertainment that passes for worship, their spiritual appetite is feeble and spiritual knowledge isn't 'pleasant to [their] soul'(Prov. 2:10). It's no wonder fewer and fewer people 'take time to be holy' and more and more people fall prey to the enemies that lurk along the way."
--Warren W. Wiersbe

James 1

Read it! There's a lot there, and when you break it down and look at all the pieces that start to come together in this chapter, it is amazing. I am teaching on this chapter tomorrow, actually today, now that I remembered what time it is, in Sunday school. I will not be able to do this chapter justice, as the depths one can go are enormous.

There is so much here.

1. Consider it a joy when you go through trials, because they test your faith and produce endurance. Endurance, then brings about spiritual maturity.
2. If you persevere under trials, once you are approved you will receive the crown of life. You will have the abundant life here on earth as well as in heaven.
3. God does not tempt you. You are tempted when you are carried away and enticed by your own lusts. God does not tempt, but He will test. There is a difference. Do you know what it is?
4. Everything from God is good and perfect. This never changes because God never changes. He is forever the same.
5. Look into the mirror of Scripture and examine yourself. See where you stand. Is the word of God convicting you of an area of sin? Then cast it aside. Be a doer of the Word and not a hearer only.
6. Ask God to give you wisdom so that you may be able to discern the things that come your way in life.

Almost each one of these points can be turned into a sermon real quickly.

Why do we need to ask God for wisdom? Because the enemy will try and deceive you any chance he can get. James tells us to not be deceived. If you want to be able to discern what is a trial, test, or temptation, you NEED God's wisdom. So ask Him for His wisdom.

So what is the difference between temptation and testing? Temptation is meant for destruction. Testing is meant for sanctification. When God tests us, He is growing us, molding us, making us more like Christ.

Exhort one another daily and pray for one another daily so that we may be able to discern when we are being tempted.

A Message For All of Us

Check it out. Tony Evans in chapel last Friday. Watch the video. It is worth it!

Click here to check out the video. Sorry, but I was not able to just embed the video.

The Temple Mount...

So I was looking at some pictures of Israel, found through a quick Google search, this evening. Ever since I began studying the Old Testament last year, I have really come to love the OT. I am not sure exactly what it is about the OT that I love. It may be the history there and seeing how the OT is absolutely relevant to us today. In any case, as I was looking at different pictures that people have taken, I paused for a moment as I looked at a large panoramic photo of the temple mount.

Right in the center of the photo is the Dome of the Rock. It is a Islamic building/mosque that was built in 691 and sits on the Foundation Stone, which many believe is where the Holy of Holies was located. Many disagree and do not believe this is the actual location of the Holy of Holies. In any case, to be certain as to not violate the law, many Orthodox Jews will not go on the Temple Mount because they are uncertain where exactly the Holy of Holies was located. Keep in mind the reason why this is of concern to them. Who was allowed to enter into the Holy of Holies? Who was not allowed to enter? What happened to those who entered, but where not permitted to enter? See how the OT starts to come alive?

Do not neglect the Old Testament. There is so much there that we gloss over and think is insignificant, at least I know that I have. Take for example the book of Leviticus. I think several people avoid this book for the simple reason that we are no longer under the law, but under grace, because salvation comes through Jesus alone. Therefore, they think that we do not need to know what God's law says.

If this is your opinion of Leviticus or the Old Testament in general, let me challenge you with something. I want to challenge you to read through at least Leviticus and Deuteronomy. If you do so with an open heart, mind and attitude toward these books, I think that you will come away from these books with a new look at God's holiness. At the same time, I think you will also come away with a renewed view of what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross.

The Old Testament is relevant to us today, and that includes the books of the law. I encourage you to read them, even though we are not under the law, but under grace.

Living Proof...

So I heard that the Beth Moore simulcast that took place this past weekend was really good. I have to say that I am jealous that I could not attend, as she is a phenomenal teacher. Anyway, that said, thought I would post this picture video recap that I found on the Living Proof Blog. Good song as well. I know that I need to seriously take the words of the song to heart more and more every day...Oh to grace how great a debtor, Jesus SAVES, Jesus SAVES!

Living Proof Live - Simulcast - Green Bay WI from Rich Kalonick on Vimeo.

Give Him Your Best...

I wanted to share with you our chapel service from last Tuesday. The speaker is Dr. Stanley Touissaint and he is speaking from Malachi 1, showing how we need to be sure and give God our best in all that we do. I sat here and listened to this message again tonight, and could not help but think at how my own attitudes and how much I whine and focus on myself affects me and my walk with God. As you will see in the sermon...How can I do less than give Him my best, after all He's done for me. I encourage you to watch it and let me know what you think.

Back for Round #2

At first you may think I am jumping into a boxing ring and getting ready to fight an opponent. In some sense that is true, but I am not jumping into the boxing ring. Rather, I am once again jumping into the seminary ring. Though there will be spiritual battles that must be fought and deep theological truths that we all must wrestle with, it truly is a pleasure to e here at Dallas Seminary.

In retrospect, I cannot begin to tell you how much I learned in my first year at DTS. I generally tell people that I quickly learned that I do not know as much about God and the Scriptures as I think I know. I fully confess that I came to school thinking that I knew a lot. Man was I wrong! There is so much that I do not know, and at times, what I do not know or completely understand can be daunting and frightening. As I look back at my first year though, and as I look ahead to this upcoming school year, what I do not know or fully understand encourages me to press on, and continue my seminary education and training.

We will never know everything there is to know about God or everything that is contained within the Scriptures. Now we may look at this as a disappointment or discouragement at times, but this actually makes seminary all the more enjoyable. Part of the excitement of seminary is knowing that when you go to class you are going to be challenged with something new that you have never learned. Sure I will read passages that I have read several times prior to class, but my professor will show me something in the text that I have never seen before. Some of these truths challenged me in my walk with Christ, showing me areas of my life that needed attention. At other times, these new truths were observations that others have seen, but I have never seen until now.

Not everything that I learned during my first year came through the classroom and my professors though. One of the greatest lessons I learned during my first year at DTS, and am still learning today, is that God will provide for all of our needs. I was looking through some papers a couple of days ago, and in one notebook found a journal entry that I made during my first week of seminary. I specifically wrote in this entry a prayer to God, asking that He would help me to meet people that would want to spend time with me, basically be good friends. God more than provided in that area. I have a core group of friends that I can depend on and reach out to at any time. At other times though, my needs were not centered around friends and relationships. As is true with most every seminary student, I also faced financial needs and was uncertain how they God was going to meet them throughout the school year.

Before coming to DTS I had to take out a student loan to pay for classes and living expenses, and I was thinking that the money would be gone in no time. Amazingly, God has stretched every dollar in ways that I never imagined. This year there have also been more outside scholarship opportunities. One seminary scholarship opportunity is through SeminaryScholarships.com. Scholarships such as these are just another way in which God blesses seminary students. I know that for myself, this scholarships would help offset many of the various costs of seminary. As many of you know, college books are by no means cheap, nor is Bible software, and so every seminary scholarship is a greatly appreciated blessing.

So please continue to be in prayer for me and every student at DTS as this new school year begins. God will provide for all of my needs and your needs. Please pray that all the finances for school that I need will come through and please pray that my heart and mind will be completely prepared and ready as I get set to begin my second year at DTS. I am very excited to see what God is going to reveal to me and teach me this year!

Check the Lists...

Sometime last week, I was sitting and reading various passages of Scripture, and felt compelled to stop and make two lists. The first list is of things that the world has to offer each and everyone of us. The second list consists of everything that God offers and gives to us.

The World:

Pain, Misery, Death, Unhappiness, Depression,
Addiction, Anger, Murder, Lust, Lying, Stealing,
Fallacies, Self-Mutilation, Heartache, Physical Ailment,
Emotional Turmoil, Idols, Temporary Happiness, Back Talk,
Back Biting, Hate, Turmoil, Strife, Deception, Destruction.

God:

Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness,
Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-Control, Restoration
Healing, Freedom, Another Chance, Clarity in Mind,
Strength, Support, Forgiveness, Encouragement,
Promises, Truth, Fulfillment, Purity, Honesty, Life
God Himself, Relationships, Genuineness...
And the list goes on and on.

I leave you with a couple of different verses:

"And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house we will serve the LORD." Joshua 24:15 (NKJV)

"The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." John 10:10

Check It Out!

Aight, so I know y'all are probably tired of me posting these, but get over it. Just another friendly reminder that a Harvest Crusade is coming up in a couple of weeks, and you can check out the live webcasts online.

Watch it. It's worth it!




P.S. Check out a video regarding the past 20 years of Harvest Crusades and here some great testimonies here.

Praise to the Lord!

"Ascribe tot he LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength! Ascribe tot he LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts! Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth!" Psalm 96:7-9 (ESV)

"The LORD reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad! Clouds and thick darkness are all around him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. Fire goes before him and burns up his adversaries all around." Psalm 97:1-3 (ESV)

"The LORD reigns; let the peoples tremble! He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake!" Psalm 99:1 (ESV)

Spiritual Battles

I thought that this was a pretty good post from Greg Laurie, regarding how to win a spiritual battle. Click here to check it out.

So is your sword sharpened by study or dulled by disobedience? I know that mine is not as sharp as it should be and that there are definitely some dull spots on the edge of the blade that need some serious work.

Ending Spritual Droughts

Hey y'all. Just want to encourage you to listen to this sermon from Dr. Mike Mowery on ending spiritual drought in our lives. I do not know about you, but I personally have experienced spiritual drought and can honestly say that I am going through that at this very moment. That is a personal prayer request I can throw out there, if y'all would pray for me regarding this area of my life.

In his sermon, Dr. Mowery notes there are three things we must do if we want to end the spiritual drought in our lives. First, we must surrender unconditionally to the Lordship of Christ in our lives. Second, we must cut the ties we have with all evil influences, even if that means we must make some radical changes. Lastly, we must cry out to God until He restores our soul.

It is a really good sermon that helps you focus on what must take place if we want the spiritual drought in our lives to come to an end. So if you want to hear the sermon, it is linked here. On the homepage of FBC Grapevine, there is a box on the right side that says last weeks message. Click on the "Listen" button, and then if it is not already selected for you, select the message titled "Ending a Spiritual Drought" from July 12.

Be Ready to Confront False Teachings

Last Sunday evening, I had the opportunity to preach here at FSBC Yuma. As I was preparing for this sermon, I was praying and asking God to show me what I should preach on, and what He showed me is something that has been on my heart for a while now. The sermon focused on 1 & 2 Timothy, and Paul's warnings to Timothy regarding false teachers in later times and the last days.

In 1 Timothy 4, Paul warns Timothy that in later times, there will be people who depart from the faith and follow the teachings of demons and deceitful spirits. There will be liars and deceivers who teach false doctrines and lead people astray from the truth, because they themselves have a seared conscience and are standing against God.

In 2 Timothy 4, Paul warns Timothy that a time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but have itching ears, wanting to hear only what they want to hear. These people will then accumulate teachers that suit these passions and turn away from listening to the truth. The point here is that truth will no longer be held in any sort of regard. Truth will intentionally and willfully be discarded, in exchange for lies and myths. Unfortunately, we can see this happening within the church today. Sound doctrine and truth are being rejected and lies are being accepted.

Don't believe me? We have pastors in churches today who do not believe that heaven is a literal place of existence and that they words that Jesus used to describe hell are metaphorical. Some churches are starting to incorporate eastern mysticism practices into their worship services. Some "church leaders" argue that you do not have to believe in Jesus to follow Him. And one could continue on with more examples. What we need to wake up and realize is that the warnings Paul gave to Timothy are just as applicable to us today as they were to Timothy.

So what can we do? First, we need to be in Scripture daily, seeking the truth of God and knowing what God's word says. Second, we need to confront those who are teaching false doctrines in the church. Notice in 1 & 2 Timothy, Paul did not tell Timothy to stand by and let false teachers continue teaching. Paul told Timothy to remain in Ephesus and confront the false teachers. Third, we need to do as Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:2, "...preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching." When the opportunity comes for you to share the Gospel message of Christ, or when the opportunity comes to confront false teachings, be ready to preach the word. But if we want to be ready to preach the word, we have to be in the word, so that the word will be in us!

Current Events

Those of you who read my blog know that I keep political postings to a very bare minimum. My intent for this blog has never been political but solely to share what I have been learning in school, as well as the various things that God is teaching. Tonight though, I am combining the two.

Unless you have been living under a rock, or you just are so out of touch with reality that you do not know what day it is, there is a lot of civil unrest in Iran right now, following the recent elections. Many people are upset and they are taking their voices to the streets, and to the world. I have seen pictures and video of people being beaten, objects be hurdled in anger at others, and a video, which many have now seen, of one protester being killed in the streets.

As I was watching all the news coverage this evening and looking at several of the pictures that the news agencies have published, I felt the Lord really impressing it upon me that we need to pray for the people or Iran, and not just in Iran, but in all of the Middle East. Yes, we should pray for their freedom, but more importantly, we need to be praying for people in Iran and the Middle East to come to know Jesus as their Savior.

Please pray for these people. In most parts of the Middle East, you can be imprisoned for sharing the Gospel with a Muslim, or even worse things might happen. It is an area of the world where the Gospel is not readily heard but desperately needed. Please pray that hearts would be softened as you watch the news coverage of what is taking place in Iran. Also, as you watch the news, and please understand that I am not trying to sound like nor be some bleeding heart here, but please try and set aside any predispositions and opinions of people from the Middle East and remember that they to are people, just like you and me, and that we all need Christ.

Yielding

In Romans 6, Paul teaches that just because we as Christians are forgiven of our sins, this does not mean that we are to continue living willfully in sin. Rather, we are to consider ourselves dead to sin and alive in Christ, since Christ died to sin, so we also have died to sin if we have received Christ as our savior.

As I was reading through Romans 6 though, I read this chapter in the Amplified Bible and really like the way the Amplified Bible translates verse 13, because the Amplified Bible uses the words yielding and yield, which is slightly different than the NKJV which uses the word present.  The King James also uses the word yield in verse 13.

When I read this verse, the word yield really stuck out in my mind, as I immediately thought of the many yield signs that we see as we are driving. Depending on where you live, you will see many yield signs or very few yield signs, but nevertheless, we know what a yield sign is and what it means. A yield sign does not require the same action that a stop sign requires. At a yield sign, we must slow down and check to see if there is oncoming traffic that we must yield to and give way. If we want to be completely honest though, how many times do we actually follow the yield sign? Personally, I know what it means to yield, but when it comes to actually yielding, I tend to just tap the brakes and blow on through the sign. Only if something much larger than me is coming my direction will I generally yield and wait.

According to Dictionary.com, one definition for the word yield is “to give place of precedence.” I think that this definition is fitting for many of us today. Many of us tend to “give place of precedence” to sin in our lives, as we live with the mindset that Paul is warning against. We should not continue to live in sin simply because we are forgiven through Christ. We need to consider ourselves dead to sin. Therefore, we need to stop yielding to the sin that is in our lives.

When we are driving and come upon a yield sign, and we see that a large vehicle is headed our direction, the smart response is to yield to the oncoming vehicle, so as to avoid a collision that can result in serious damage and death. In our spiritual lives though, when we see sin coming in our direction, no matter how big or small it may appear, we need to ignore the yield sign and blow right on by that sin. Do not yield yourself to sin, as the first part of verse 13 tells us, but instead do as the latter part of verse 13 tells us and yield yourself to God and present yourself as an implement of righteousness (Amplified Bible).

Harvest Crusade Long Island

I highly recommend watching the webcasts. Always worth it!

Do Not Divert

I know that I said I was going to post something here on Romans 6, and I will, but first I want to share some things from the Iron Men Breakfast group this morning. Pastor Bill Glover filled in for Pastor Don, who was out of town on vacation. The group continued their study of Nehemiah, and this week we looked at Nehemiah 6:1-14.

When you look at these verses, we see Sandballat and Geshem, spreading a rumor that they have heard, that Nehemiah and the Jews were planning a rebellion, and that is why they were building the wall. Time and time again they try to draw Nehemiah away from the task at hand. Pastor Bill pointed out that this is what the enemy is always trying to do to us. He knows that he cannot have us completely, as we are sealed with the Holy Spirit, so he seeks the next best thing. He tries to divert us to take our attention off of Christ, and the task at hand, and his tactics and methods are numerous.

I know that I am not saying anything that we do not already know, but it is always good to remind ourselves of the enemy’s schemes. First, pride is one way the enemy can get us to take our focus off of God. We can become so confident in ourselves, especially when things are going well, that we lose sight of God and the task at hand. A second method is through various temptations. The enemy knows our areas of weakness and he will tempt us in those areas, in hopes that we will divert our attention and give to the temptation. Lastly, our enemy will use fear to get us to divert our attention. I would argue that this is the most successful tactic that the enemy uses. He will get us to fear what others will think of us if we are obedient to God. He will also try to make us fearful that we will not be able to complete the task at hand.

As Pastor Bill said this morning, we need to be confident in Christ and confident that He has redeemed us and that we are capable in Him. When we are focused on Christ, we do not need to be fearful of anything, as He provides all that we need, and we do not become swelled with pride, as we realize that God is the source of all things that are good. When our eyes and our attention are properly focused, then we will succeed in the walk and plan that God has called us to. But when our eyes and our attention are not on Christ we will veer off the path that is set before us. Just look at Peter, as he took his eyes off of Christ, he began to sink. When we take our eyes off of Christ, we can expect to do the same. So be prepared and recognize the schemes of the enemy, so that you will not take your eyes off of the task at hand.

Harvest Crusade

Hey everyone,

Harvest Crusade is taking place this weekend in South Dakota. You can check it out online and watch the webcasts from Friday and Saturday night. Just click here to check it out. You can also watch Sunday's event online live as well.

On another note, I hope to have a blog up in the next day or two on Romans 6, a chapter that I have been looking at this week. More specifically, looking at the word yield. We'll see how that goes and if I get it posted within two days. Hold me to it. Thanx!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO MY MOTHER!

Since I can't be there and seeing as how I did not send a card, specifically because I planned on post a Happy Mother's Day note here....


HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY MOM!

Finals Are Here!

Okay, as I generally say, it's been a while. Please don't scream or be offended. I haven't had the internet for most of the month of April, so posting a blog when I had the time just was not happening. Anyways, finals week is upon DTS, and it is currently 12:40 am. I find I work best at night, for whatever reason.

I do not have anything profound to say right now, other than I stopped for a minute and was checking out some different videos on the National Day of Prayer website, and just wanted to encourage everyone to take time this Thursday to stop and pray for this nation. In fact, take time EVERYDAY to pray for this nation and for those who you directly come into contact with each day. I confess that I am guilty of an inconsistent prayer life, but this is something that God started pointing out to me at church Sunday evening, and here again tonight I just feel urged to encourage others, as well as myself, to diligently pray.

So will you pray for our nation? Will you stop and pray for the people that you come in contact with on a daily basis? Will you pray that God will move through this land again and that people would see their desperate need for Him?

Despite what you or anyone may think, prayer changes lives and prayer changes history!

Check with your local church to find out if there are any special events taking place on Thursday for the National Day of Prayer. Many churches open the doors up all day for prayer. Some host prayer walks throughout parts of their cities. Get involved in some way and come together with fellow believers and pray.

Happy B-Day Mom!

I just wanted to take a moment this morning to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY! to my Mom.  

I hope that you have a good day today.  Wish I could be there with y'all to celebrate, but I'm sure y'all will have a good time.  

Thank you for everything that you do for me on a continuous basis.  I cannot say thank you enough.

Again, Happy Birthday Mom!

Love,

Chris

Finishing Strong

Hey Everyone,

I would like to encourage you to check out the following video from our DTS chapel service this past Thursday.  Dr. Abraham Kuruvilla spoke on Caleb and finishing strong.  Rather than going into more details regarding the message, I would just suggest watching the video.  If you do, let me know what you think.

Back To School...

I just got back yesterday evening from a nice spring break visit to Colorado.  I have to say that it was a very good time and enjoyed getting to see a lot of friends and family.  There really is no place like home, if I may steal a line from the Wizard of Oz.  At the same time though, I must confess that I have trouble going home, mostly because it is hard for me to leave.  I love my friends and family very much, and being so far away from them all the time really drives me nuts.  So that is in my prayers right now.  Praying for comfort and peace and that I would not be homesick, because that is just miserable.

I heard a pastor on the way home yesterday talking about how if we want to follow Christ, we must die to ourselves.  We must get rid of our life and adopt the life that Christ has for us.  I couldn't help but think that this is what I must really learn right now.

On another note, anyone ever struggle with whether you are doing what God wants you to be doing with your life?

A Quick Prayer Request

Hey everyone, I just wanted to share a quick, personal prayer request with anyone who reads this post.  If you wouldn't mind, please pray that I would not compare myself to fellow classmates and other people here at DTS.  

When I verbalize it, it sounds rather simple, but believe, this is very much a struggle for me.

Ultimately, when I find I compare myself to fellow classmates, it puts me in a funk and I find myself trying to outdo others or absolutely worrying about how others see me.  So yeah, if you wouldn't mind, or if you think about it, please pray that God would intervene and that I would no longer compare myself to others.

Thanks everyone.

Do y'all have anything that I can be praying for, for you?

Just So You Know...

Hey Y'all,

I try and keep politics away from my blog. I used to be involved to a certain degree, but not anymore. However, this is something that I cannot pass up from post. If you check out this link, it will take you to a story about Colorado State Senator Scott Renfroe, and some comments that he made regarding homosexuality on the floor of the Senate.

I am not posting a link to the story simply because Senator Renfroe spoke out against homosexuality.  I posted the link so that you could scroll down and read some of the comments that several readers left.  It is a scary but insightful example of the response one can expect to receive when they speak out and stand up for what God calls right, rather than what humanity feels is right.

Check it out.  Let me know what you think.  Again, here is the link to the story and comments.

Harvest Crusades

Hey Y'all,

I know you have heard me talk about this before, but I want to talk about it again.  So, you can either continue reading and read something that is similar to something you have read before on my blog.  OR, you could continue reading, and though it may sound similar to previous posts, you may see something new.

Ok, here goes...

Many of you know that one of my preachers that I enjoy listening to is Greg Laurie from Harvest Christian Fellowship in California.  Greg has an amazing way of simply communicating the gospel message with people, and God has used him to reach several people with the gospel, and we have seen God take that message and transform thousands of lives.  

I know what you're saying right now:  "Chris, I get it.  You like listening to Greg Laurie.  Yada, yada, yada, maybe you will write something new next week.  See ya."  Okay, I admit that this is a bit presumptuous and over the top, but it may be what you are thinking.  But I hope that it is not.

Every year, Greg Laurie and his church, along with other churches, work together and hold what are called the Harvest Crusades.  They are somewhat similar to the Billy Graham crusades that you would see on TV, and still see today.    

What is new about this post is this, and this is why I included all this repeat information:  I want to make it a goal of mine this year, to earnestly pray that we would see a Harvest Crusade in Denver, CO in the very near future.  I really believe that the city of Denver, and for that matter, the whole state of Colorado, is in desperate need of revival.  I can tell you from personal experience, from living in the Denver metro area, that there are a lot of hurting people.  People are hurting physically, emotionally, mentally, financially, but more importantly, they are hurting spiritually!  

I am praying that we would see a Harvest Crusade in Denver, CO in the very near future, and at the same time, praying that there would be a revival in the hearts of the people in the Denver metro area, and all over Colorado.  

Would you join me and hold me accountable to continuously pray for revival and evangelism in the Denver metro area?  

Also, below I have included a YouTube video that gives a little background on the Harvest Crusades, and you can also check out the Harvest Crusade website by clicking here.

Happy Birthday Dad!

I just want to take a minute and wish my Dad a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!  

I can't be there for his B-Day this year, seeing as how I am in Dallas, but I want to say Happy Birthday, and hope that it is a good one.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!

Greg Laurie in Dallas

Pastor Greg Laurie is in Dallas this weekend and he is preaching at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano this weekend.  If anyone is ever in the Dallas area, I would encourage you to stop by Prestonwood Baptist, even if it is not for a worship service, just to check out the place.  It is by far the largest church I have ever been in.  

Saturday night though, they showed Lost Boy, a movie about Greg Laurie's life.  It is a great movie/documentary on Pastor Greg's life, and the story is great, especially for those who think that they have messed up so much that God could not save them, or that they have rebelled too much.  Seeing that way that God shaped his life and brought him through all of that to where he is today is really cool.  After the movie though, Pastor Greg came out and preached.  

I have listened to Pastor Greg on the radio for a while now, and I really enjoy his preaching.  He is someone who is real and down to earth, yet very committed and serious to the gospel message.  When he preaches, you can feel the love that he has for people come through.  It really is the love that God has placed in him shining through.  The message was great though, as he talked about the prodigal son and how when he came back to his father, his father did not cast him aside or make him a slave, but rather ran to him and threw his arms around him.

The point is that if we run to God for forgiveness, He will not turn us away.  When we come to Christ, He forgives us and puts His arms around us.  And God will do that for you as well, if you will come to Jesus Christ, by faith, turning from your sins, and asking Christ for forgiveness and to be your personal Lord and Savior.

Many people tonight came into a relationship with Christ and many prodigal children came confessing known sins in their lives that they were holding onto.  It was a great night!  Plus, I got to meet Pastor Greg after the event.  He is just as nice in person as he seems on the radio, and I am hoping and praying that we might be able to get him to do a Harvest Crusade in Colorado.  That is definitely something that I will be praying about.  

If you want any more information about Pastor Greg and his ministry, you can find out more at:  Harvest Online or at Pastor Greg's Blog

I've Been Absent...But I'm Back

I have definitely been absent from the blog for a while.  Some of you know that the past few weeks have been something of a serious spiritual struggle, and I really have not felt as though I had anything to share.  But I do have some things that God has shown me in my classes that I would like to share with y'all.

My world missions class is probably my favorite class this semester.  At least it is for now.  But this week we looked at how missions is a central theme throughout all of Scripture.  From the very beginning, man was supposed to share the message of God and make God's name known to all nations and to all people.  Israel, God's chosen people, were to make God's name known to all people and all nations.  In the Old Testament, you can find references where the faith of Israel and their obedience would lead to others knowing about God, because Israel would be an example for God.  Through their example, they would learn about the God they served, the one True God.  Israel did not do this though.  Instead of proclaiming the name of God whom had shown favor on them, they instead viewed their election as a privilege.

What has really stood out to me is that we should not view the election of God as a privilege, and by that I mean, we should not look at God's election as something that places Christians on a higher level above everyone else.  That is what the Pharisees did.  They viewed God's election of Israel as something that put them above everyone else.  Instead, as Christians, we need to look at God's election as an opportunity to serve Him and share His message.  

We need to remember that what God has done for us is for the benefit of others.  Does God do specific things in our lives for us?  Yes, I believe that He does.  At the same time, I believe that everything God does for us, no matter how specific, is ultimately in regards to His plan of redemption.  This something else that I think is really cool that you can see throughout all of Scripture.  God has had a plan of redemption since before the beginning of time.  Think about that for a minute.  Now that you have thought about it, think about it while you read the Old Testament.  It is really cool to see the many passages that speak to God's redemptive plan for all people, in all nations.

Finally, I would like to recommend a book to everyone.  I do not do this very often, but I thought it was pretty good.  It is Let the Nations Be Glad!  The Supremacy of God in Missions by John Piper.  Piper does a good job in showing why we need to go into all nations, while at the same time, emphasizing the central message of Christ and His redemptive work.  

So what's new in y'alls lives?

Billy Graham

For the most part, I do not care much for the Trinity Broadcasting Network, and my post is not meant to be a slam towards them, nor to focus on them.  They broadcast sermons by a couple of preachers that I enjoy hearing, but for the most I do not bother with TBN.  One thing they do show that I enjoy from time to time is the old Billy Graham crusades.

Tonight they are showing one that I believe is from 1959.  It is in the old black and white and Billy is looking a lot younger.  As I first started watching the program, the thought occurred that there is no one that has drawn a bigger crowd in our time than Billy Graham.  When he speaks, people tend to listen.  But what stuck out to me more is that back in 1959, from what I know of that time period, you did not have the crusades and big gatherings to hear people talk about Buddhism.  You did not see large crowds come together to hear Mormon preachers.  You did not see large groups gather to hear lectures on eastern mysticism or things of that bend.  You only saw large masses gather to hear about Jesus Christ.  Today, the story is much different.

Today we do have large conferences where people openly preach false doctrines.  People drop dollar after dollar to hear a 'spiritual coach' tell them how they can be a better person.  A lot of times they will use Jesus' name or God's name while they teach, but the focus is not on them, but on the person themselves and what they can do for themselves.  Today we hear the name it and claim it teaching quite often.  Today we see large groups gather to study eastern mysticism or large atheistic gatherings.  Whatever it may be, we no longer live in 1959, but rather 2009.  In 40 years, the paradigm has shifted.

Another thought that occurred to me was that in 1959, the distractions from the truth, the truth being Jesus, were miniscule compared to the distractions of 2009.  In 1959, people were searching for truth, just as people in 2009 are searching for truth.  The difference is that the way truth is defined in 2009 is different from the way truth was defined in 1959.  You may say or think that this is not possible; truth is truth.  Yes, truth is truth, but the difference is that in our world today, truth is widely accepted as relative.  Many people in our postmodern world will say your truth works for you but it does not work for me.  The greatest example of this mentality is the broad acceptance of the various world religions.

A common theme is that all religions are basically the same and they all lead to the same end, or they all lead to God.  Because our society believes that truth is relative, this is widely accepted.  But is this what Jesus said?  Absolutely not!  Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6 ESV).  Jesus claimed to be the truth.  Jesus did not say that you could find another way to God.  Jesus did not say that this truth only applies to some people.  No, the truth of Jesus Christ applies to all people.  Jesus is the truth and His truth is absolute!

In John 18, Pontius Pilate asks Jesus, "What is truth?" (ESV)  This is the fundamental philosophical question that people have been asking for years.  The correct answer, thus, is Jesus Christ.  He is the truth and the only truth.  Do not be distracted by the other so called truths of our world today.  Anything that is contradictory to Christ and says that its truth is just as true as the truth of Christ is incorrect and should be discarded.  Truth is not relative.  There are such things as absolutes.  Just because some "deep thinker" says that truth is relative, does not make it so.  This is one of the great lies that the enemy is spreading today.  Do not be deceived by this line of thinking.

What is truth?  Jesus Christ is the truth.

NEW YEAR!!!

HAPPY LATE NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE!!!!

So I went to Colorado for a couple of weeks and did not feel like doing any upda

ting.  I thought about it, but never did it.  But it was great to go home and see everyone.  I had the opportunity to preach on a few occasions and the experience allowed me to feel what it's like to prepare a sermon from week to week, as well as filling in in some areas on the fly.  It was really cool.  Especially the sermon last Sunday morning.  It was cool to see how God was moving in some people's hearts and lives.

For Christmas I got a new digital camera.  I really like it.  It is a Nikon D-60.  It takes amazing pictures.  Lets just say that the one taking the pictures though is completely unqualified, so the pictures only come out so so.  I also received some DVD sermons by James MacDonald.  I would encourage folks to purchase them from his website, http://www.walkintheword.com/   The ones I received and have watched have been very good.  Did anybody else receive a cool gift for Christmas?  

Before I go though, I thought I would post a couple of pictures that I took while I was home.