With the announcement that Ben & Jerry's Ice Creme known as Chubby Hubby will now be known as Hubby Hubby some dear friends are stating their boycott of the company.

I complete understand and repsect their decision to do so. I don't share those feelings because I expect no less of a secular company. Though if you're going to truly hold to such convictions then I encourage you to at least be willing to boycott all the companies that are outspoken concerning gay rights and marriage.

Here is a list of some of the more known companies:

3M Co. St. Paul, MN 1AAA Northern California, Nevada and Utah San Francisco, CA 4Abercrombie & Fitch Co. New Albany, OH 3Alaska Airlines Seattle, WA 1Allstate Corp., The Northbrook, IL 2American Express Co. New York, NY 5Ameriprise Financial Inc. Minneapolis, MN 3AMR Corp. (American Airlines) Fort Worth, TX 7Anheuser-Busch Companies Inc. St. Louis, MO 3Apple Inc. Cupertino, CA 7AT&T Inc. San Antonio, TX 4BBank of America Corp. Charlotte, NC 3Barnes & Noble Inc. New York, NY 1Bausch & Lomb Inc. Rochester, NY 6Best Buy Co. Inc. Richfi eld, MN 5Boeing Co. Chicago, IL 3Borders Group Inc. Ann Arbor, MI 4BP America Inc. Houston, TX 4CCampbell Soup Co. Camden, NJ 1Capital One Financial Corp. McLean, VA 6Carmax Inc. Richmond, VA 1Charles Schwab Corp., The San Francisco, CA 5Chevron Corp. San Ramon, CA 4Chrysler LLC Auburn Hills, MI 4Cisco Systems Inc. San Jose, CA 5Citigroup Inc. New York, NY 5Clear Channel Communications Inc. San Antonio, TX 3Coca-Cola Co., The Atlanta, GA 3Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. Atlanta, GA 1Continental Airlines Inc. Houston, TX 1Coors Brewing Co. Denver, CO 5DDell Inc. Round Rock, TX 5DuPont (E.I. du Pont de Nemours) Wilmington, DE 3EeBay Inc. San Jose, CA 1Estee Lauder Companies New York, NY 4Esurance Inc. San Francisco, CA 2FFannie Mae Washington, DC 3Ford Motor Co. Dearborn, MI 5GGameStop Corp. Grapevine, TX 2Gap Inc. San Francisco, CA 4Genentech Inc. South San Francisco, CA 2General Motors Corp. Detroit, MI 3GlaxoSmithKline plc Philadelphia, PA 4Global Hyatt Corp. Chicago, IL 4Goldman Sachs Group Inc., The New York, NY 5Google Inc. Mountain View, CA 3HHarrah’s Entertainment Inc. Las Vegas, NV 2Hartford Financial Services Co. Hartford, CT 2Hewlett-Packard Co. Palo Alto, CA 6HSBC - North America Mettawa, IL 2IIntel Corp. Santa Clara, CA 7JJ.C. Penney Co. Inc. Plano, TX 2J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. New York, NY 7Johnson & Johnson New Brunswick, NJ 4LLevi Strauss & Co. San Francisco, CA 6Lexmark International Inc. Lexington, KY 4Liz Claiborne Inc. New York, NY 3MMacy’s Inc. Cincinnati, OH 2Marriott International Inc. Bethesda, MD 2MasterCard Inc. Purchase, NY 2Merrill Lynch & Co. New York, NY 4MetLife Inc. New York, NY 6Microsoft Corp. Redmond, WA 4Morgan Stanley New York, NY 3Motorola Inc. Schaumburg, IL 5NNationwide Columbus, OH 5New York Life Insurance Co. New York, NY 1New York Times Co. New York, NY 5Nielsen Co., The Schaumburg, IL 1Nike Inc. Beaverton, OR 7Nordstrom Inc. Seattle, WA 4OOrbitz Worldwide Inc. Chicago, IL 1PPepsi Bottling Group Inc., The Somers, NY 1PepsiCo Inc. Purchase, NY 5Pfizer Inc. New York, NY 5PG&E Corp. San Francisco, CA 6Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP San Francisco, CA 3PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP New York, NY 3Progressive Corp., The Mayfield Village, OH 1Prudential Financial Inc. Newark, NJ 6SS. C. Johnson & Son Inc. Racine, WI 6Sears Holdings Corp. Hoffman Estates, IL 4Shell Oil Co. Houston, TX 1Sprint Nextel Corp. Overland Park, KS 4Starbucks Corp. Seattle, WA 2Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide White Plains, NY 3Subaru of America Inc. Cherry Hill, NJ 2Sun Life Financial Inc. (U.S.) Wellesley Hills, MA 1Sun Microsystems Inc. Santa Clara, CA 4SunTrust Banks Inc. Atlanta, GA 4Symantec Corp. Cupertino, CA 1TTarget Corp. Minneapolis, MN 1Texas Instruments Inc. Dallas, TX 1Time Warner Inc. New York, NY 2Toyota Financial Services Corp. Torrance, CA 1Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc. Torrance, CA 3UU.S. Bancorp Minneapolis, MN 2United Parcel Service Inc. (UPS) Atlanta, GA 2US Airways Group Inc. Tempe, AZ 4VVerizonViacom Inc. New York, NY 4Visa Foster City, CA 3Volkswagen of America Inc. Herndon, VA 3WWachovia Corp. Charlotte, NC 3Walgreen Co. Deerfi eld, IL 4Wal-MartWalt Disney Co. Burbank, CA 3Washington Mutual Inc. Seattle, WA 3Wells Fargo & Co. San Francisco, CA 5Whirlpool Corp. Benton Harbor, MI 5Wyndham Worldwide Corp. Parsippany, NJ 3XXerox Corp. Norwalk, CT 7YYahoo! Inc. Sunnyvale, CA 2

So if you really want to boycott then I suggest you get rid of your car, your, mortage, computer, cell phone, washer and dryer, savings and checkings, all credit cards, and prescription drugs.

Also you should never fly, stay at a hotel, ship a package, or drink any beverage other than tap water.You see my point is that all this goes way beyond Ben & Jerry's. These companies are run by sinful men and women just like us, but most do not know Christ. They don't need a boycott, but instead they need men and women of God to continually teach and preach the gospel in truth and love. We're called to proclaim truth, not become hermets. If you want to boycott fine, but at least be honest and boycott all companies that push the same agenda. Its easy to say that I'll give up Ben & Jerry's, but not all these other companies we use and depend on.

Don't be surprised when non-Christians act like non-Christians.

All Star Outreach

I had a blast today. God was extraordinarily gracious in allowing me to go out and proclaim the gospel at the All Star Game today.

At first I didn't think I could do it. I have an upper respiratory infection and sound like Darth Vader breathing. I'm winded walking down the steps, but I made it through.

It started off as a great blessing because my friend Jeremy went with me and since the last few times I've gone it has been alone that was a great encouragement. We were also able to get really close parking for only $10.

We started by going and visiting my pastor's wife and daughter at Hardee's. They won tickets to the game and were wandering around. After a brief stop with them we went and met Bill and some on other preachers from Sports Fan Outreach International http://www.sfoi.org/ Most of them are from Atlanta.

All of those guys were a blessing. They were all older and most had been evangelists for years. Some were retired and had become full time since their retirement. they make me think of John Piper's "Don't Waste your Life" message. I pray that should Christ tarry that I should be allowed to preach until I'm dead and be an encouragement to others as they were to me.

I'm still praying more older men and women from my own church would join me on the streets.

We handed out a total of 350 tracts. I hand 250 or so Obama millions and some "round tuits." People loved the Obama Millions and it was a blessing to watch them read the true gospel.

(Side note: I completely understand some people not liking the Obama Millions. Bill and his team had some tracts I wouldn't want to pass out. But the main thing is that the gospel goes out. I urge you to find a tract you like that presents the gospel of Christ and pass those out fervently. The Word of God will not return void.)

Sadly, we quickly ran out of tracts. I just put a large order in for more so hopefully we'll be back with those soon.

I got separated from Jeremy for a while and wandering trying to start up some conversations without much luck. I did manage to get some free stuff though.

I met back up with Jeremy and we went and met some other street preachers. the first one we saw was this sassy black lady (I say that with due respect) who said her name was Evangelist Turner. She cracked me up. She was very bold in sharing the gospel of Christ.

Then we saw Chap, Zachary, and Franklin. I'm pretty sure all this men were retired. They were all street preachers Atlanta. Zach actually used the phrase "Turn or Burn" while open air preaching which made me laugh. He was a "unique" brother. I also heard Chap preach a bit as well. Chap's son is a missionary to Peru.

My voice has been hurting all day, but I was really inspired by these mean and wanted to get one message out. The DJ had momentarily stopped so I presented the gospel.

Then my favorite part of the day happened. Zach and Chap encouraged (they were a little pushy, but they're age allows them to get away with it) Jeremy to preach. Jeremy had never open aired before and his personality isn't one that leads itself to being out front alone, but with they're encouragement and more importantly with the power of the Holy Spirit Jeremy agreed to read in the open air and I would close with the gospel. Jeremy shared from the Sermon on the Mount.

I ain't going to lie. I was about in tears watching and hear my brother read. He was obviously nervous and he spoke softly, but God was glorified.

I preached one more time after my brother read and my voice was shot.

We then went around and got pictures with all the other evangelist and exchanged info. It is a great blessing to know there are others sharing and proclaiming the gospel out there.

We had to leave about 6 to make it to my apartment for what was suppose to be Bible study, but several guys were out so we watched Ee-Taow a story about the Mouk tribe coming to Christ and taking the gospel to other tribes. Yep, I cried like a baby thinking about the Word going to people who had never heard it.

To close the day I watched video of my last trip to Honduras. Amazing how my heart still longs for that foreign country. Perhaps God will allow me to lead a short term trip there some day soon.

I used to think that we were to share the gospel as a blessing to others. While that may be partially true I can't help but realize what a great blessing it is to me. Ever since I started street preaching my heart is more full than ever with the joy of the gospel and while I'm still nervous each time I proclaim the gospel it cannot compare to the comfort of Christ. I long for more to know that feeling.

Amazing Testimony

Marvelous Light from I'll Be Honest on Vimeo.

World's largest balloon arch

Greg Arrigoni of Unique Balloons constructs massive Helium Balloon Arch, 340 feet tall 600 feet wide next to Mississippi river in St Paul, MN 7-3-04



If you're interested in a balloon arch or other decor at your next event. Please call 314-346-2241. Who knows maybe we can even break Greg's outstanding record one day.

Its not about sincerity

Many people today think that as long as they truly believe in something that even if they're wrong God will not hold them accountable for it. Catholics even have the doctrine of "invisible Christians" where they believe people that are good Muslims or Buddhists or anything else are saved.

Please hear me today. This is an absolute lie! As Paul headed down the road to Damasscus believing he was doing the very will of God by killing and imprisoning Christians Christ appeared to him and changed his faith.

This is why doctrine is important because doctine is faith. Doctrine and faith change how we live just as it changed how Paul lived.

So how then do we gain proper doctrine and grow in faith? By studying the Word of God. Rom. 10:17 tells us that "faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." The foundation of our faith is the Bible.

Many people walk around so sure in their faith. They have complete confidence in where they are headed. I fear that many, even those professing Jesus, are headed into God's eternal wrath.

"The object of our faith is more important than the sincerity of our belief. The man who thinks he is right but is not sure may be far better off than the one who is “sure” but is absolutely wrong. The credibility of our faith begins with objective truth and ends with internal trust." -Elmer Towns

Examine yourself. Is you God one of your own making or is He the God of the Bible?

Hearing the glorious gospel

Back when I was in college I used to be continually frustrated in chapel services. This is for a few reasons, but the one that bugged me constantly was the "invitation" and gospel presentation at the end of their sermons.

At the time, I thought it bothered me because we were at a Christian college so why did we need to hear this multiple times a week. I just want some more meat.

Now as I look back I realize how wrong I was. The real challenge I was having and didn't realize it was that the gospel most of the people were sharing was a weak and pathetic gospel. It wasn't a call to repent and believe in Jesus. It was a call to "pray this prayer" and "accept Jesus." Like Jesus was the nerdy kid at recess that needed friends desperately (trust me I know the feeling).

It was like some voodoo for salvation. The magic formula or words (abrakadabra pull the savior out of the hat). To prove how weak it was, people were to close their eyes and raise their hands because no one was looking around or to bring a friend down front with them if it made the more comfortable. How is this the radical life changing gospel of Jesus Christ?

I'm not saying that if you said this prayer you weren't saved. I'm saying you weren't saved by the prayer, but by repenting and turning to Christ.

The real way I came to understand this was that I heard the real, powerful, true gospel. I heard the gospel that was not about me and what I was to do but about God and what He had done for His glory to reconcile a people to Himself.

It was no longer about a God that was helpless and begging me to come Him, but about Christ who had DEMANDED that I come to Him not of my own power of will because it is completely sinful, but by His sacrifice and Spirit.

This is the true gospel. That we daily seek after Christ by His power and He brings us continually closer to Himself.

Salvation is not a one time thing. Its not a "I done did that" deal. It is a continual looking to Christ for only He can save.

Examine yourself to see if you are truly in the faith.

The gospel is gloriously and never can one who know its power tire of hearing it.

You will be Judged!

I was listening to a pastor from my church's Grace Camp Meeting and he made some great points concerning how we will be judged when we stand before God at the end of days.

1) We will be judged for what have done.
For every deed and every thought we will be held accountable to a holy God.

2) We will be judged for what we didn't do.
For every time we dishonored God by not doing what He commanded of us we will be held accountable.

3) We will be held accountable for everything we would have done if not for the grace of God.
We are completely evil, but yet even as bad as we are we would be infinitely worse if God's common grace were not on us. The "good" we do is still only from God's grace. If not for His common grace each of us make men such as Hitler look as though he were a boy scout.

So here is the point: Are you ready to be judged for all of this? How will you stand before God when it is over? If you say it is by your good deeds then know you still owe the little good you've done to God.

The only way to stand before a holy God in the end is with Christ. Seek after Christ. Know that if you do He will save you and when He saves you He will send the Holy Spirit into you crying Abba Father! And then you will stand before God not as an enemy standing before a judge, but as a son standing before his father.

The Privilege of Preaching

In my last note I posted a letter in order to present the gospel to people I know. While, as I said in the note, I know the gosepel is offensive to those who do not know Christ, but I was surprised at to see the I received more Christians offended for the preaching.

I think there are a great deal of people in my generation who have bought in to this social gospel idea. The idea that our main person as Christians is to make this life better. Or that the only effective way to share the gospel is after building relationships.

May I make it clear that that is lie from Hell that has perpetuated the Church. While yes there is a great deal of merit to showing love as we are commanded to do (first to the Church and then to the world) and there is merit to relationships they can never take the place of preaching the name of Christ.

Throughout Scripture not only are we commanded to proclaim through preaching but we are given example after example.

And what are we to preach?

As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all), you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. And we are witnesses of all that He did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put Him to death by hanging Him on a tree, but God raised Him on the third day and made Him to appear, not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with Him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that He is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. To Him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."
(Act 10:36-43)

We are to preach that Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation and that He is the Judge of the living and the dead.

I hear very few preachers talk about Jesus Christ as Judge. Yes, He is a loving God and that is why we can preach that all who come to Him receive forgiveness of sin and rest for their souls, but whether you come to Him or not know that He will be your judge.

So let us follow His example and go about doing good, but may we never forget His command to us is to preach and to testify.

If we only were to do good without proclaiming Christ it would be as if we went up to a prison cell. In the cell there is a man that is captive, thristy, and starving. And we stand there desiring to do good so we offer him a crumb of bread. In one hand we hold out this crumb for him to take, but in our other hand we are holding the keys to that cell and yet we never even present them.

The world is hungry and thirsty and may we lovingly care for them and feed them, but there hunger and thirst is in no way their primary problem. Their ultimate problem is that they are captives to their sin. They love their sin and hate God. But we know the answer. We know the truth. And we must present it.

The world's ultimate need is not bread, but the bread that is the body of Christ broken for the world.

Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
(Joh 6:35)

And He took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me."
(Luk 22:19)

The world is thirsty and so let us offer them water is springs up from eternal life.

Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
(Joh 4:13-14)

This is world's true need. How can we dare offer them any less?

I must offend

Recently some friends became very offended due to a post I had made concerning the gospel of Jesus Christ. One is Jewish and the other and atheist. Due to the note I created (actually it was a repost from a friend I called "a note from a friend to all my friends) I have now lost their friendship, but while I hate that it bothers me much more that they're eyes have yet to be open to Christ.

Below is a modified (for spelling errors and to conceal identities and minor changes to clarify my thoughts) reply that I sent to them. It is the say reply I would have to anyone that the gospel has offended.

I post this hear because I desire my friends first off to know my God, but secondly to know where I stand. I cannot bear to think that I go another day and not tell each of you about my amazing God and King. I beg you to read. If we were to never speak again this is the only thing I would desire for you to know.

_________________________
Dear friends,

My heart is screaming for relief. I have so many emotions as I read your letter. Know that I truly do hate that I hurt you, but I think you must also know that I am in no way sorry for the truth that I have written and shared.

Know that as long as you have known me I have known that Christ is the only way to salvation, and my regret is that I had not let you know sooner.

Please know that I do indeed love you and that is why I must not keep quiet concerning the Lord I know and serve.

Understand that I by no means believe that you are going to hell because you are an atheist or because you are Jewish. I believe you are going to Hell because you are a sinner and you have sinned against a Holy God. A God that created you and of you demands perfection, but your sin has made you an enemy of God and He will continue to seek to destroy you as such unless your relationship with Him changes.

Truly all people who are not in Christ are Enemy's of God because of their sin.

All men are alike this and that includes me. Of myself I am nothing but evil. My most righteous of deeds is like dirty rags to a Holy God. The fact that I and all people did not make Hitler look like a boy scout is due to the grace God has so mercifully bestowed. Had God not changed my evil heart and called me to Himself I would suffer His eternal wrath in Hell.

Yes, this Hell is indeed the destination of all men for their sin. But God did indeed have a plan from before the world began and that was to send His Son, Jesus Christ.

God demands punishment for sin but because He desired to save His people we needed a substitution. We needed one who could take upon Himself God's wrath and that sacrifice had to be perfect. So God became man. He walked among us and was tempted by all things, but yet He did not sin. And then just as God had planned Christ was killed by those He came to save.

Yet it was not merely Christ death that paid for us, but it was that all of God's wrath that was let out upon Christ. The pain of the cross was nothing compared to this.

Christ is so great and so glorious and so worthy that His momentary stay under His Father's wrath was enough to pay for all those that would come to believe in Him and repent of their sins.

But Christ did not stay dead. No, three days in the grave and He rose so that He may reign above all creation.

By His death we were cleansed of our sin and by His life we are counted in His righteousness.

But we must come to Him. We must cry out repenting of our sins continually and serving Him completely as Lord of our lives and of all things.

So no I do not think you are going to Hell because you are Jewish or atheist or Muslim or any other religion, but I do know that without coming to Christ you will go to Hell for sinning against a Holy God.

How much more evil would I be had I not spoke this? How cruel would I be to know the truth and not share it? I say these things because I love you more than you could ever know. I love you with the very love of God and beg you to seek christ. I weep that you do not.

I know this is offensive. It is so offensive that they killed my savior over it. If only I had offended you sooner for if I have not done so until now then I truly have done a great disservice to you for I must have never fully spoke the truth to you. By love I must offend or I do not know love.

I will continue until I die to speak these words and if I must lose your friendship then so be it. I wil not not stop speaking truth, I will not stop loving you, I will not stop respecting you, and by no means will I stop urging you to seek after Christ until He changes your heart and forgives you sin.

Call out to Christ for He alone can save you.

I desire in no way to lose your friendship, but if you cannot accept my faith then I wish you all the be stand will keep you in my prayers.

Love,
Jason

The Christian's Paradox

I cannot think but what a paradox in which the Christian lives.

The more I see my sin the more I see His grace.

The lower I find myself in distress of my sin the great joy He gives.

The more I see the world's need for Christ the more He reveals His sovereign control and plan.

But yet it is never in equal portions. No, what Christ gives many times more worthy and valuable. He continually gives me more grace in sanctification.

Oh God continue to cleanse us. Continue to heal us. Continue to sanctify us and bring us to you.

Praise Him, Praise, Praise Him for "Holy, Holy, Holy is Lord God Almighty"

The sorrow of my soul

I have found myself weeping multiple times today.

This morning as I was preparing for church I received an e-mail from someone I considered a dear friend. In this e-mail I was called harsh words and even compared to Hitler.

Why was this person so angry? Because I had written a posted a note on facebook that stated all those that do not know Christ are going to Hell for their sins.I cannot and will not stop sharing this message. For those that come to Christ it is the most beautiful message they will ever hear and for those that do not it is truly a horrifying message.

Because of this message I have lost 2 people I loved dearly. They have even removed me from their facebook friends. But that is not why I weep though it does sadden me.

I weep for 2 reasons and when I say weep I truly mean weep. Multiple times this day a strong sorrow has welled up in me and lead me to near convulsion in tears.

The first reason for this sorrow is that it has caused me to look at myself and wonder why has it taken such a long time for this gospel I believe to offend them. It has led me to realize that had i truly been as bold and as truthful to those I love most of them would have grown to hate me long ago. The gospel of Jesus Christ is offensive. It is sharp. It will separate those that love God from those that hate God. Oh Lord that I had spoken your truth sooner and more directly. May God give me the stregnth and courage to do so.

The second reason is that these people I love are still bound to Hell. They have heard the truth and rejected it and by their sin they will be condemned. I am weeping over their souls. Longing that they come to Christ and repent. Not just them, but so many more that I love and are going to suffer under God's wrath unless He changes their hearts.

Oh God I thank you for showing me the truth. I thank you that you are mighty and merciful and you have a people you are calling to yourself. I ask that you would call my friends out of their sin and unto your Son. I ask that you would give me the boldness to offend when I must, but the compassion to do so in love. Lord, I ask that in the midst of this pain I feel that you would make the joy of my salvation known. You have broken me this day and I thank you, but may you now rebuild my heart to be more like yours.

John Piper Make War

This clip is from John Piper's sermon on Romans 8:10-17. You can find the complete sermon at

www.desiringgod.org%2FResourceLibrary%2FSermons%2FByDate%2F2002%2F84_How_to_Kill_Sin_Part_2%2F%26gt%3BHow&h=986dbba39a432491452a6ab33f7c72ca

An Open Letter to All Christians

I wrote this letter in response to something that happened at my church, but after finishing it I thought it would be good to post more publicly.

Dear family,

I'm trying to guard myself on politics this year as I have a tendency to go overboard, but I feel I must say something.

There have been several attacks on Barack Obama's faith made public on this list. I do not think this talk is helpful to any one or to the campaign. Personally, I highly doubt that either he, Joe Biden, or John McCain have any real relationship to Christ, though they all probably think they do.

So what are we to do about it? Well may I strongly encourage all of us to study 2 Timothy 2:1-4 and Titus 3:1-2. And hold fast to 2 Chronicles 7:14.

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
(1Ti 2:1-4)

Oh how guilty I am in this arena. So quick to judge and yet so slow to pray. Are our hearts in line with God? Are we praying and interceding for those in high positions? Do we desire men to come to Christ even those we disagree with? How much greater is our God to change the hearts of sinful men and how much more effective in bringing about godly leaders. Pray, pray, pray for each candidate. Pray so much more than you fight for it is such a greater blessing and of such great benefit.

Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.
(Tit 3:1-2)

Are we being gentle? Are we being showing perfect courtesy? In our political battles are we yet ready for every good work? I must admit that I am not able to let both "curses and praises flow" from my mouth. I cannot constantly speak rumors and gossip of someone and yet submit to their rule.

if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
(2Ch 7:14)

We are people called by His name. The greatest name in all existence. A name that has given us great power to be humble. What a mighty promise God gave Israel. And what a greater promise for those that have the Holy Spirit dwelling within them can cling.

With just a few days left in this election I close with this. "Seek His face." Stand in the beauty of His presence and seek Him. bow before His throne and pray for all our leaders. Pray not only that they would lead righteously, but that they come to know the one who died on a cross for the sins of His people. Pray that those who have been called by Christ would continue to grow in wisdom and knowledge of Chirst.

Campaign on truth and facts, but do more importantly pray. Pray that we would be humble servants, speaking evil of no one, prayer warriors for our leadership, servants of Christ, and ambassadors to a lost and dying world.

In Christ,

Jason Vaughn, a lowly servant undeserving of the grace bestowed.

Leaping for Christ!

Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, "Look at us." And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, "I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!" And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. And leaping up he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God, and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
(Act 3:1-10)


I'm always amazed at what the Holy spirit Brings to mind when I read God's Word. In my last post I wrote that I think we are missing out on some of the power of the Holy Spirit. I think that we are so afraid of sensationalism that we have fled from it completely to an equally unscriptural point, but in this passage we see evidence of this power in two ways:

1. We see evidence of this power in the healing of the lame man.

2. We see evidence of this power as this man turns immediately from a beggar at the gate to a man that is praising God.

I find the power of God amazing. Not only did he heal this man, but it says he began to "leaping." God didn't just make this man able to walk. He made him able to leap.

When you look to God what are you expecting from Him? Are expecting Him to leave you as you are? Perhaps you're just praying He'll let you crawl.

That is not who our God is. Our God doesn't just heal, He causes His people to leap.

I'm not just referring to physical healing, though I do believe that our God is still the same today and does heal. I'm talking about healing your lame heart. Your dead decaying evil heart. He can make your heart leap to life and cause you to praise Him.

Think about it. This man wasn't looking or expecting to be healed. He just wanted another hand out. He had no faith in himself. His heart was as lame as his legs. But God had something for this man. God did a work first to physically heal him and then to regenerate him that he could praise God.

All of this was a work of God. The man had nothing to do with it. Peter and John had little to do with it themselves other than being simple vessels.

But when God got a hold of this man He gave him more than he dared to dream. God gave the man Himself (and as a side note He healed the man's legs).

So what about you? Are you leaping for Christ? Or are you still a lame beggar at the gate?

If you are still waiting at the gate then I urge you seek Christ. Cry out to Christ. And don't stop crying out until He causes you, just as He did the lame man, to leap with praises for who He is.

Power and Passion

Act 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

I have read this verse many times throughout my life, but as I was considering it tonight God brought to mind some interesting thoughts.

First He led me to consider the placement of Acts. Have you ever realized that God led those that canonized the Bible to place Acts right after the gospel? So immediately after God through His Word teaches us the most spectacular truth in the universe He then goes on not to teach theology as found in Paul's letters, but instead we a history book (full of theological truths, but focused on history). And what is this history book about? Two things: The church and it's beginnings and the spreading of the gospel to the nations.

I think his is truly an amazing picture of the heart of God. First we see the vehicle through which he intends to fulfill His plans, the people of God filled with the Holy Spirit, and then we see what that vehicle is to do, share the gospel and disciple the nations.If you've ever considered leaving the church or the purpose of the church then I strongly encourage you to read Acts.

A couple other thoughts on Acts 1:8.

1. What is this power we are given? I know who it is from and how it is received, by baptism in the Holy Spirit (which I believe occurs at conversion to all believers), and I even know what is if for, to be a witness, but I am still unsure about is what exactly is that power really.

2. The other thing I was thinking about when reading Acts 1:8 is that when Christ says "Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" I don't think he is merely giving a pattern for missions as I have always been taught. I was taught that you do missions locally and then you spread out. While this is not necessarily a bad method I do not believe it is the primary function of this text.

It seems to me that Christ is truly excited ans as he is speaking he just lets more and more intense. It reads almost like a football coach that is overly excited. Its not a pattern, but a passion. A passion to be a witness. A passion to see the glory of God exalted in all the earth. I believe that through this power that we receive we should have the same intensity and desire for the gospel to be taken to all people as Christ does.

Those are just a few thoughts from reading first part of Acts. Please comment and share any additional insight you may have on Acts in general, Acts 1:8, or simply what God is doing in your life.

I know that I can make it!

I was just writing a letter to my church family and the Lord brought immeasurable joy to my soul. In my need He is there. He is mighty. He is true. And I am His!

I haven't sung this song in a long time, but what a blessing that Lord brought to me. It is Kirk Franklin's "My Life is in Your Hands" Praise His name!

You don't have to worry
And don't you be afraid
Joy comes in the morning
Troubles they don't last always
For there's a friend named Jesus
Who will wipe your tears away
And if your heart is broken
Just lift your hands and say

Oh
I know that I can make it
I know that I can stand
No matter what may come my way
My life is in your hands

You don't have to worry
And don't you be afraid
Joy comes in the morning
Troubles they don't last always
For there's a friend named Jesus
Who will wipe your tears away
And if your heart is broken
Just lift your hands and say

Oh
I know that I can make it
I know that I can stand
No matter what may come my way
My life is in your hands

With Jesus I can take it
With Him I know I can stand
No matter what may come my way
My life is in your hands

So when your tests and trials
They seem to get you down
And all your friends and loved ones
Are nowhere to be found
Remember there's a friend named Jesus
Who will wipe your tears away
And if you heart is broken
Just lift your hands and say

Oh
I know that I can make it
I know that I can stand
No matter what may come my way
My life is in your hands

With Jesus I can take it
With Him I know I can stand
No matter what may come my way
My life is in your hands
3x

My life is in your hand 4x

And while this song brings peace and strength to my soul I must remember that it ultimately is not about my life but about Him and please also join me in this brief old chorus to magnify our God.

What a mighty God we serve
what a mighty god we serve
Angels bow before Him
Heaven and earth adore Him
What a mighty God we serve.

Lead feet of sinfulness

Rom 13:1-6 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. (2) Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. (3) For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, (4) for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. (5) Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. (6) For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing.


This verse has continuously come to my mind lately. I hear many of my friends constantly bring this verse up, but usually only on laws they agree with like not drinking until you're 21.

But this verse encompasses all laws not just some. I have been experiencing "the sake of conscience" lately concerning some laws. For me it has been concerning speeding. I've heard it said that a Christian's right foot is last thing to be saved.

How can we as Christians hope to live by the law of Christ and continually break His authority He has placed over us?

It is not just about following the laws, but following Him. Striving for holiness. Striving to find a greater joy and thrill.

Let us all examine the Scriptures (I was about to write hearts, but the heart is deceitful) and consider how we truly view the laws. Let us remember that the authority is ultimately from God alone.

His Name - Councelor

I finally recorded the secod part of Spurgeon's sermons on Isaiah 9:6. The tile is His Name - Councelor. It is a fantastic sermon and I pray it blesses and encourges you.


Part 2:
http://premium.fileden.com/premium/2007/11/28/1612427/spurgeon.mp3

In case you missed the first one since its been 9 moths since I did it. you can listen to it too. I apologize but the sound quality is much worse on this one.

His Name-Wonderful:
http://www.fileden.com/files/2007/11/28/1612427/his%20name%20is%20wonderful.mp3

Genesis 1-20

I figured I'd share my pondering and what I wrote down as I read through. This way if I lose the notebook I'll still have the information. Don't expect it to always makes sense.

1:1 What hope there is in these first four words. "In the beginning, God" Our creator has always been there. He created the beauty of the world and ordained its fall.

1:2 God calls light out of darkness. Prayer: Lord call my soul out of darkness into light.

1:26 "Us" For all eternity God has existed in perfect unity as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit without any need or want.

1:28 Man is the first creature that God blesses. The first blessings are children and dominion.

1:30 All creation was created as vegetarians.

2:3 The next blessing of God in on the Sabbath.

2:23 Man's first poem is about his bride.

2:24 this marriage decree gives the reason for the law against adultery.

3:3 Eve is dumb.

3:6 Adam was with Eve when she was deceived. He let her lead and when he stopped leading the fall came.

3:10 I want to hear the sound of God in the Garden!

3:14 The first curse of God was against the serpent.

3:15 Promise of redemption is shown.

3:16 the harmony in marriage is broken.

3:17-19 Because of Adam's sin, God curses the ground and he is told of his death.

3:21 First reference to animals dying (use of skins)

3:24 Cherubim traditional protect the holiness of God. Here the protect the garden.

4:1 sex, conception, ad birth

4:2-4 First example of God's demand for sacrifices.

4:4 God knew the heart of Abel be that of a worshiper.

4:7 First use of term sin.

4:7 God tells Cain sin is after him. Shows the aggressive nature of sin. Sin is not passive.

4:8 Cain kills Abel.

4:11 Again the ground is cursed.

4:14 Obviously society is forming with many more people being born than those mentioned.

4:13 Cain responds with self-pity not repentance.

4:19 Lamech celebrates his sin in song. (This is only the second use of verse and it is already corrupted to glorify sin rather then God)

4L19 Lamech is the first polygamist mentioned.

4:26 Seth and his son Enoch start the first revival as people begin to call on the name of the Lord.

5:3 Seth is the likeness of Adam and Man is the likeness of God.

5:21-28 are there two genealogies with Enoch, Methuselah and Lamech?

5:32 Noah is the old father at 500.

6:4 Nephalim not the "sons of God." The are probably spiritual offspring of Satan with demonic powers.

6:4 Nephalim are possibly around after the flood (?)

6:5 Total Depravity-EVERY deed was evil

6:15 Why did Moses include this detail for the ark?

6:19 "of ever sort" not all

7:3 God desired more clean animals for food and sacrifice.

7:4 Noah was on the Ark seven days before the rain began.

7:16 God shuts Noah in the ark.

8:20 the first altar is mentioned.

8:21 God promises not to curse the ground again because of man.

8:21 God proclaims the evil of man's heart from his youth.

8:22 God promises never to destroy everything again as long as the remains.

9:1-2 God give Noah and his sons the same blessing as Adam and Eve - children and dominion.

9:3 God gives animals to be eaten

9:6 God demands the life of a murderous man.

9:9 God establishes the fist covenant.

10:5 people spread and languages change.

10:8 Nimrod, a mighty man, hunter before the Lord. Seems to run rebellious kingdom

10:25 Peleg - the earth was divided.

11:1 Babel seems to occur before the spread since there was only one language.

11:4 "name for ourselves" shows their pride and arrogance.

11:4 The purpose of the tower to keep them from dispersing, caused their dispersion.

12:3 God plans redemption through Abram.

12:7 Abram builds altar consecrating the promised land.

13:4 Abram returns to the first altar.

13:6 We move from famine to such great blessing that the land can't handle it.

13:15 God promises all the land to Abram "forever" hence Israel 1949

13:18 Abram builds a third altar consecrating the land.

14:12 Lot, who keeps moving closer to Sodom, is captured.

14:18 El Elyon - God Most High

14:18 Melchizedek (meaning king of righteousness) has come to know the true God

14:23 Abram did not desire that the king of Sodom could say he gave Abram his wealth.

15:1 First of many "fear nots"

15:1 The Lord is Abram's shield.

15:13 God tells Abram of Egyptian enslavery for 400 years.

15:14 God plans great possessions for Israel.

15:15 Abram is told he will dies peacefully and old.

15:18 Abram sleeps as God makes His covenant with him.

16:3 Sarai (like Eve) takes leadership and Abram sins.

16:5 Big surprise Sarai is upset that Hagar is pregnant.

16:12 The future of Ishmael and those that come from him is told. How clear is this prophesy seen in Islam today.

16:13 A God of seeing - only use

17:1 God Almighty

17:5 Abram becomes Abraham. This barren aged couple is the father of a multitude of nations.

Note: There is no if...then statement in either the Noatic or Abrahamic covenant. It is all God's work of redemption by His grace alone.

17:10 circumcision('m not sure if circumcision of the heart is less painful, but it sure makes me cringe less)

-this covenant is made in the flesh even though it is "everlasting"

17:14 The uncircumcised are cut off from the people of God.

17:15 Sarai becomes Sarah. Both names mean princess. Sarai might mean the nobility she came from and Sarah is about the nobility that shall come.

17:18-19 The Lord sovereign elects Isaac and not Ishmael.

17:23 Ishmael receives the sign of the covenant through circumcision.

18:1 The Lord appears to Abraham (Christ?)

18:3 Three men are there, but Abraham refers to them as "O Lord"

18: 9-10 The term "they" is used, but in the next verse "Lord" is used.

18:12 Sarah laughs.

18:14 "Is anything to hard for the Lord" NO! Amen

18:24-33 wondering if this is where the phrase "jewed him down" begins (I hate that phrase)

19:1 Two angels-perhaps of the three men, the other was the Lord that spoke to Abraham

19:2 Lot invites the angels in

19:4 "To the last man" everyman in this town was wicked.

19:8 Lot offers his daughter instead of the men (maybe this is why they are so screwed up)

19:10 angels rescue Lot "shut the door"

19:11 the men are struck blind.

19:14 Lots sons-in-laws would not heed the warning and were destroyed.

19:16 Lot lingers but the angels "seize him" (God's determination to save Lot)

19:21 Lot flees back to Zoar

19:24 God rains sulphur and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah and all the valley

19:26 Lot's wife turned into a pillar of salt (Lord give me faith to believe)

19:29 Abraham's faith saved Lot.

19:30 Lot goes from abundance to living in a cave

19:31 Lot's daughters are messed up!

20:2 Abraham lies about Sarah again. This woman is over 90 and still got men wanting her body.

20:6 God keeps Abimelech from sinning.

20:14 though Abraham lied Abimelech offers gifts to Abraham.

20:17 After the gifts are given to wombs of the women of Abimelech's family are opened. Apparently Abraham and Sarah were here for a while.

Returning to the Light

I feel as though walls are closing in around me.

With entertainment and decor jobs drying up.
Loans and bills flooding in as a tidal wave.
My dad's latest betrayal of my step-mom.
My mother's constant worry and nagging about returning to school and finding a "real" job.
The enemy's attempt to corrupt God's revelation of my sin. Flaunting it in m face trying to hide the grace that Christ has taken the sin upon Himself.
And the feeling of uselessness that constantly haunts me.

It is not worry or anxiety.
It is different. As I wrote yesterday it is a darkness.

And so I retreat into the Light.
Psa 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

As I feel useless I go to the most useful book in all of creation.
2Ti 3:16-17 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, (17) that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

Over the next few weeks I will embark deeply into the Word of God for the nourishment of my soul.

I ask you prayers as I read through His Word. I pray for the strength and discipline not to be distracted by trivial notions. I pray that I only take time for fellowship, teaching and sharing that which God shows me.

Thank you for your prayers.

Culmination

I just got the official word that my dad and step-mom were splitting up. He mentioned it in passing as he screamed at me about insurance that isn't due for 10 more days. Apparently, he cheated on her. Again.

What else can I expect from an unregenerate man?

I pray God will bring both of them to Himself in Christ.

I think the posts from the last two days have been a lead up to this. Interesting.

On top of that looks like I'll be alone most of the weekend. No plans.

This really sucks.

Sovereign Depression

2Co 4:8-12 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; (9) persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; (10) always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. (11) For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. (12) So death is at work in us, but life in you.


From time to time I suffer from depression. It is not just that I'm sad, but its as though a deep emptiness or darkness just comes over me and I cannot fight it off.

I pray and read and worship and it still refuses to lift.

I sit in the dark at times just sobbing and sometimes I can't even figure out why. Its similar to being in a crowed room and yet being all alone. It can hit without warning or reason.

I am thankful that in this suffering their is one constant. God.

I've heard people say that Christians do not get depressed, but I believe that this depression comes from God.

I serve a sovereign LORD who not only creates, but controls all things.

That is my one constant beam of hope in this darkness.

It is what allows me to continue to worship. For every trial and sickness brought upon me is from the LORD and in that the depths of my heart rejoice.

Is God fair? and Rejoicing in Trials

Every now and then I hate the fact that God has forgiven me. I look at my sin and grow to hate it so much and understand that Holy God must hate my sin infinitely more. And sometimes when I think that He allowed Christ to take on the punishment for that sin it makes me hate my forgiveness.


The fact that I am forgiven is completely unfair. The fact that I'm not suffering in Hell today is unfair.

No God is not fair at least as I see it but He is just. My forgiveness is not fair yet it is Holy. It is righteous. The one who had no sin took my sin upon Himself and while it is true I don't in anyway deserve it God in His compassion and for His glory has called me out of my sin and forgiven.

My forgiveness is not a subject to be despised, but one in which I should constantly rejoice.


That is one of the challenges with growth in Christ. The more we grow the more we see our see sin. The more we despise our sin. But in seeing and despising our sin we grow in understanding how truly gracious and merciful God is toward His people.


This topic makes me think of my Sunday School class discussion this week. We are going through James. And after three weeks we made it to James 1:2 :) (studying this actually takes us throughout the Scriptures so its truly a blessing and while we might not make it far in the book I think the knowledge is more important than speed).

James 1:2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds

Now how do we count it all joy? Do we say to ourselves: "Well the Bible says we'll have trials so we might as well take them with a smile"?

No, I think their are many reasons we have to be joyful through trials.

When facing trials we can continually bring the following to mind.

First, we know that the trials themselves can be considered a joy to the Christian. We understand that while it may be hard to see at the time God is going to work these trials for our good. I personally believe this is one of the greatest blessing in understanding the complete sovereignty of God in all things. We can know that He cannot fail in His promises.

Rom 8:28-29 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (29) For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

Secondly, we know that some trials are tests from the Lord.

Tests to show His righteousness and cause people to fear and honor Him so that we may not sin.

Exo 20:20 Moses said to the people, "Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin."

Tests can also help us discern the will of God.

Rom 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Finally, we know that at the end of testing is a great reward.

Jas 1:12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

When we understand that this world and its trials are not the end of all existence then we are truly free to rejoice as the believers in Hebrews rejoiced.

Heb 10:32-35 But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, (33) sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. (34) For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. (35) Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.

When we truly set our heart on these things, on the things above, then we will know how we can rejoice in our trials and we truly can count it all joy.

Now join me in rejoicing our glorious savior. If you do no wish to sing or know the tune then just read the words and worship in verse.

____________________________________________
O for a thousand tongues to sing

1. O for a thousand tongues to sing
my great Redeemer's praise,
the glories of my God and King,
the triumphs of his grace!

2. My gracious Master and my God,
assist me to proclaim,
to spread through all the earth abroad
the honors of thy name.

3. Jesus! the name that charms our fears,
that bids our sorrows cease;
'tis music in the sinner's ears,
'tis life, and health, and peace.

4. He breaks the power of canceled sin,
he sets the prisoner free;
his blood can make the foulest clean;
his blood availed for me.

5. He speaks, and listening to his voice,
new life the dead receive;
the mournful, broken hearts rejoice,
the humble poor believe.

6. Hear him, ye deaf; his praise, ye dumb,
your loosened tongues employ;
ye blind, behold your savior come,
and leap, ye lame, for joy.

7. In Christ, your head, you then shall know,
shall feel your sins forgiven;
anticipate your heaven below,
and own that love is heaven.

________________________________________________

It is well with my soul

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Refrain

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

Refrain

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

Refrain

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

Refrain

But, Lord, ‘tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh trump of the angel! Oh voice of the Lord!
Blessèd hope, blessèd rest of my soul!

Refrain

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

Refrain

My Favorite Hymn

I joined the Jacksons tonight for their family worship. It was a great blessing. I got to teach them my favorite hymn.


My Lord, I Did Not Choose You

My Lord, I did not choose You,
For that could never be;
My heart would still refuse You,
Had You not chosen me.
You took the sin that stained me,
You cleansed me, made me new;
Of old You have ordained me,
That I should live in You.

Unless Your grace had called me
And taught my op’ning mind,
The world would have enthralled me,
To heav’nly glories blind.
My heart knows none above You;
For Your rich grace I thirst;
I know that if I love You,
You must have loved me first.

John 15:16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.

What a Family!

Praise God for an amazing evening in Christ. After a great concert from First Baptist of Fenton's Youth Choir several of us sat in the parking lot talking. After a while it dwindled down to just five of us.

We began to share questions about life and from Scripture. Then we started to share our testimonies and the amazing work o God in our lives.

What a blessing it was. We shared and rejoiced (at times with tears) in the Lord until 12:30am.

We shared stories of screwed up families and our messed up sinful lives and we praised God for giving us a greater family in Christ and that His grace is sufficient to cover and change even the greatest of sinners among us.

God is awesome. I doubt my parking lot crew will ever really know what tonight meant to me. It truly was of the Lord.

Desiring to know Him

1Co 2:2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

How can we desire any thing else after we have seen Christ for who He is?

I constantly find myself saying I want this or if only I could have that. How meaningless any thing is when we compare it to the beauty of Christ.

What fleeting joy we find in the lowly pleasures of this world are nothing when placed near the glory of Christ. How true it is that "the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace."

Amen

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s a light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!

Refrain

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Through death into life everlasting
He passed, and we follow Him there;
Over us sin no more hath dominion—
For more than conquerors we are!

Refrain

His Word shall not fail you—He promised;
Believe Him, and all will be well:
Then go to a world that is dying,
His perfect salvation to tell!

Refrain

To know His Grace is to know His wrath

Joh 3:36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

For many years I believed that Hell was the absence of God's presence, but in truth Hell is the holding place of torment until the wrath of God being poured out on sinners at the day of judgment. A wrath that they will suffer under for all of eternity.

I believe it is very important that we understand Hell and God's wrath. It is a key point in understanding His grace.

We cannot only know that we are saved, but we must know what we are saved from.

The more we understand our sin and God's hatred of sin, the more we understand what how marvelous His grace is that called us out from that sin. The more we understand what the true payment for our sin is the more we understand what Christ went through on the cross of calvary as the wrath of God was poured onto Him for the forgiveness of His people.

What a great and gracious God and King. That he would save a wretch as I.

Read and sing the following hymns that speak such truth.
__________________________________________________________________
Lord, I deserve thy deepest wrath.

Lord, I deserve thy deepest wrath,
Ungrateful, faithless I have been;
No terrors have my soul deterred,
Nor goodness wooed me from my sin.
No terrors have my soul deterred,
Nor goodness wooed me from my sin.
My heart is vile, my mind depraved,
My flesh rebels against Thy will;
I am polluted in Thy sight,
Yet, Lord have mercy on me still!
I am polluted in Thy sight,
Yet, Lord have mercy on me still!

Without defense to Thee I look,
To Thee the only Savior fly;
Without a hope, without a friend,
In deep distress to Thee I cry,
Without a hope, without a friend,
In deep distress to Thee I cry.

Speak peace to me, my sins forgive,
Dwell Thou within my heart, O God,
The guilt and pow’r of sin remove,
And fit me for Thy blest abode,
The guilt and pow’r of sin remove,
And fit me for Thy blest abode.
____________________________________________________________
Amazing Grace.

"Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me....
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see.

T'was Grace that taught...
my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear...
the hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares...
we have already come.
T'was Grace that brought us safe thus far...
and Grace will lead us home.

The Lord has promised good to me...
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be...
as long as life endures.

When we've been here ten thousand years...
bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise...
then when we've first begun.

"Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me....
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see.

Help! I'm going to jail!

Okay not real jail, but MDA jail. I've been recruited on Aug. 27th to spend an hour in jail and I must raise $2008 to get myself out. I've been a huge supporter of MDA Jerry's Kids for many years now and love the word they do. This year is especially important though as last November I lost a dear brother in Christ to Muscular Dystrophy.

So in his honor I'll be raising the funds. If any of you would be willing to help raise donations at your work or elsewhere it would be greatly appreciated. The event is at the Ameristar from 9-5 on Aug. 27th and I'll be in jail from 2-3.

You can make donations and find out more about the event at:

https://www.joinmda.org/stcharles08/Jason

Please pass that along to others that could help.

BTW my friend's name was Joseph Dennie and his wife was pregnant when he died. Little Joseph was recently born and could very likely have MD as well (I'm not sure on the heredity though). Please pray for Leanna and Joseph Dennie Jr.

As I said Joseph was a dear friend in Christ and I wanted to share the note I posted on facebook in memory of him soon after his death. I pray that my life may touch others as his did.

As some of you may have noticed from my status I lost a good friend this week. This is a note to remember him. Some of you knew him really well but others of you I just wish would have.My friend's name was Joseph Dennie. He was 23 and he had muscular dystrophy. Most people would look at the guy and the wheelchair and think that defined him, but anyone that knew Joe at all would know that wasn't the case. The only thing Joe was ever defined by was Christ and Christ alone.

Because of the MD he couldn't carry a Bible around easily so he had decided to do as David said and "hide it in his heart." He had memorized five books by the time we graduated high school. He was also a phenomenal speaker/preacher.

I remember one time when he spoke of having to overcome his anger at God because of the MD and there was not a dry eye in the room. Joe was a guy that was just full of joy because it didn't come from his circumstances it came from his God. He was also a guy that was always full of hope. I think it was that made him so memorable and why he went farther than the statistics said he would.

The statistics said he would never graduate a normal high school. He did and that day we gave him a standing ovation. The statistics said he would never graduate college. He did and went on to start his masters. The statistics said he would never fall in love and marry. He did. Unfortunately, like most people we grew apart after high school but the last time I spoke to him all he could talk about was Leanna. Apart from Christ I don't think anything made him happier than her.To Joseph congratulations bro. You endured to the end. With you I rejoice.To Leanna thank you loving my friend. For your lose I will weep with you.To those of us who had any time at all with him we were blessed by his life.As I said the only thing that ever truly defined Joseph was Christ. I've seen people post that a great way to honor his memory is to donate to muscular dystrophy research. While that is great aspiration and a worthy cause I believe that its better to remember Joseph by reminding others of the God he loved. The God that called Joseph out of his sins to Himself. The God that would sacrifice His own son on a cross to adopt Joseph as an heir. The God that would keep him by His grace until the end. And the God that welcomed him into paradise when we lost him. That is the God that Joseph spent his life serving and preaching. I pray you know this God just as Joseph did. That you would believe and hope and be joyful and impact others for Christ just as Joseph did. Remember him by by remembering his God. May God comfort us all in our grief.


Thanks again for those that can help raise funds. Remember the funds do not only go research but to help families and camps.

Praying for the kings

1Ti 2:1-2 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, (2) for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

I have been highly involved in politics since I was 16. Every two years I have gotten involved in a campaign. While I have primarily worked on republican candidates I have worked for a couple conservative democrats as well.

I have realized something that I should have many years ago. I complain a lot.

I complain and gripe about their policies, their speeches, and even their wives. This year I'm an equal opportunity complainer though because I cannot bring myself to support either candidate of the two major parties.

In all this complaining though do I ever stop to pray for these two candidates? No.

I have no challenge complaining even though it does no good, but I never take time to ask God to change the hearts of the candidates or politicians.

I'm asking God to change my heart in this matter and I'm asking you to join me.

Please begin praying that each candidate will come to see God's Word as the ultimate authority and base their positions on that.

More importantly, pray that God would bring each of these candidates to salvation. Their is no fruit of Christ that can be seen in either of their public lives and so before anything else pray they come to know Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and savior. That God opens their eyes that they may know Him.

The Annual Picnic and Departure

What a phenomenal day in the Lord! I was so blessed today. We had an amazing worship service with on our elders, Bob Schembre, sharing the testimony of what God has done and continues to do in his life. Giving all praise and honor to Christ for the work of regeneration of his dead heart.

This brother at 52 will not only be heading back to college, but he will be playing football as well (he even admits it may be a mid-life crisis, but at 52 I think he is really optimistic to call it mid-life). He will be helping his sons start a ministry on this very secular campus. Please be praying for them as they work to share the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Our missions moment today was from Johnny Parker. Johnny and his wife Joyce (and soon to be born baby Abby) are officially leaving for Southern Seminary this week. I must say I had tears as they said good bye. I really have only known them a short while, but what a blessing they have been in my life. I so desire to have brothers in Christ that I can lean on and worship with. God I think you for bringing the Parkers into my life even for such a short time. Bless them in their work and studies that they may continue to be tools to your glory. Amen.

Please pray for this family as the move, find jobs, begin seminary, and have their first child.

Today was also Rockport's annual picnic after the service. What a great time! I must say the highlight was that John Weber and myself beat Cyndi Loving and Amy Lee in horseshoes and it was the first time either of us had played. These are two of the most skilled women I know so even though we were knocked out in the next round I was satisfied.

There was also washers (A Missouri thing), swimming, volleyball (my team won three games, even WITH me on the team), and BBQ hamburgers (another Missouri thing).

I must say it was exhausting. I praise the LORD for a great day and a great week. I have so long been praying for godly companions and He in His mercy and grace has seen fit to bestow them upon me. Even in this though He continues to challenge and teach me.

With all the great worship and fellowship I hadn't yet had time to spend time in God's Word. As we were leaving the picnic I was invited to my friends Brady, Jeremy, and Jesse's house. Now, I am never won to turn down such an invitation, but as I was getting a ride back to the church to pick up my car I began to feel the LORD speak to me. It was though He was saying, "I've given you the friends you desired, but do not forsake your creator to spend time with the creation." By the grace of God I listened and thank Him for bringing me to His Word.

I think that is one of the greatest temptations we have as Christians. God will bring us to our knees in prayer with a desire for something and while we desire it we are constantly calling out to Him. Then when we receive it we abandon our relationship so quickly and forget anything Him might have taught us while we sought our desire.

Be ware oh Christian that you hold your face to Christ and cling to His grace and mercy.

Rom 1:24-25 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, (25) because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

Clothed for Worship

As seen in previous noted I've started to read 1 Timothy. By God's grace I heard a phenomenal sermon on 1 Tim. 2:9 and 1 Peter 3:3-4 by Alister Begg.

1Ti 2:9 likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire,

1Pe 3:3-4 Do not let your adorning be external--the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear-- (4) but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious.

Before I begin let me make it clear that what I am about to right about and exhort is not the same thing that God taught through Pastor Begg.

It is clear from these to passages that Paul and Peter are not just trying to attack and condemn certain styles, but they are making some principles about worship.

Some of the principals:

Dress modestly and as not to draw attention to yourself.

Do not dress in "costly attire." (that one is universal)

Dress in a way that demonstrates self-control.

Let the beauty you have externally be saved for your spouse and do not share it with the world. It is to be treasured with your partner to whom you are forever joined.

Let your beauty be a gentle and quiet (or submissive) spirit. This beauty is an imperishable beauty and God sees it as very precious.

Now all of these principles seem to point in the exact opposite way of much traditional teaching within the church.

Gorwing up I was taught that when you go to church you are to "look your best." What this meant was that ladies wore dresses and men wore suits. But these Scripture say the exact opposite of that. They teach us that we are not to be concerned with our outward appearance or looking our best, but to focus on the heart and spirit.

Take specifically Easter. Every Easter as a child I was bought a new outfit for Easter Sunday, so I could "look my best for the Lord." Yea, I'm as lost as lost can be with even my "good" deeds as filthy rags before a holy God and He wants to make sure I have the best pastel plaid button-up in the country on. And it wasn't just my family, but this thought process permeates the body of Christ.

Their are still churches today that will not let you in the door without a suit. (BTW, most suits and dresses are quite "costly apparel.")

I think the real question is what is your heart focused on? I beleve that if we were take the time preparing our hearts to worship instead of preparing our clothes then we would be much more likely to meet with Christ in a fuller way by His grace.S

o consider this next Sunday and for the Sundays to come. I think the best way to honor the Lord with our dress is not to "look our best," but to be modest, cost-appropriate, and preparedto worship the King of kings, Lord of lords, and maker of heaven and earth.

Praise Him!

Praise Him for He is Worthy!

Psa 18:3 I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.

Heb 3:3 For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses--as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself.

Rev 4:11 "Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created."

Rev 5:12 saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!"

Praise Him for He is Holy!

1Sa 2:2 "There is none holy like the LORD; there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God.

Psa 77:13 Your way, O God, is holy. What god is great like our God?

Psa 99:5 Exalt the LORD our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is he!

Psa 99:9 Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the LORD our God is holy!

Rev 4:8 And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!"

Praise Him for He is Glorious!

Exo 15:6 Your right hand, O LORD, glorious in power, your right hand, O LORD, shatters the enemy.

Exo 15:11 "Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?

1Ch 29:13 And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.

Psa 72:19 Blessed be his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen and Amen!

Psa 76:4 Glorious are you, more majestic than the mountains of prey.

Praise Him, Praise Him, Praise Him!

Psa 148:1-14 Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise him in the heights! (2) Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his hosts! (3) Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars! (4) Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens! (5) Let them praise the name of the LORD! For he commanded and they were created. (6) And he established them forever and ever; he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away. (7) Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all deeps, (8) fire and hail, snow and mist, stormy wind fulfilling his word! (9) Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars! (10) Beasts and all livestock, creeping things and flying birds! (11) Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth! (12) Young men and maidens together, old men and children! (13) Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his majesty is above earth and heaven. (14) He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his saints, for the people of Israel who are near to him. Praise the LORD!

Child in the faith

So I started studying 1 Timothy and I made it 2 verses in before the Lord once again showed me His grace and glory.

1Ti 1:1-2 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, (2) To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

What struck me specifically was Paul's phrase "my true child in the faith."

Can you imagine having a "father in the the faith" like Paul? Do you have someone like that?

Do you have someone that exhorts and rebukes you?

Do you have someone that greets you with blessings of "grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord?"

If not that is something you should be seeking out. Find someone in the church of Christ to lead and guide you. Someone to love you enough to advise and rebuke you.

For you mature men in Christ are you acting as a "father in the faith" to someone?

Consider these things and I leave you with this final call: Be someone worth imitating, worth following, worth calling a father in the faith.

1Co 4:15-16 For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. (16) I urge you, then, be imitators of me.

Grace, mercy and peace from Gof the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord,

Jason Vaughn

A place of arrogance and pride

God has recently been revealing to me places in my life that I am prideful and take a sinful joy in thinking that I have personally accomplished anything.

One of those places is in my knowledge of Scripture. God has revealed to me that I have considered myself wise in my own eyes in this matter. Whether it be because of personal study or I have studied the Scripture in college I have taken pride in such things.

The truth of the matter is I know nothing of the Scriptures compared to so many others. Before I moved to St. Louis it was easy to think highly of myself as others came to me for advice and council concerning the Scripture. Even at North Greenville I think there was a part of me that boasted in knowing the truth of election.

At best though (and I in no way was I the smartest person around back then) I was king of fools. It is not hard seem wise when so surrounded by so many that are blind.

I was as a toddler lording my age and elderly wisdom over a new born babe.

God is showing me how truly ignorant I still am to His Word.

He has done this in two ways.

1. He has placed me among others much wiser and humbler than myself. Now I still seem as though a toddler, but in a land of giants. God has placed me among men that love the Lord and His Word. I am so grateful for their great knowledge. So to Scott, Aaron, Johnny, Brady, Tren, Bob, Will, Kurt, John, Billy, and so many others at Rockport I thank you and praise God for placing you in my life.

2. Most importantly God has continued to teach me that all I know is by His grace alone. Not only is it my His grace that I came to know Christ in salvation, but it is by His grace that I continue to grow in knowledge.

There are two responses that I am prone to since God has revealed this pride.

The first is a response of my flesh. In my sin I have a desire to "catch up" by studying more and learning more not for the knowledge, but for resemblance of power I have associated with the knowledge. Along with this I am tempted to put on a show and at least seem that I know more than I do.

The second response is one I make by God's grace alone. This response requires I thank God for the knowledge He has given me. I praise Him for placing me among men that can teach me. I continue to study His Word simply to grow closer to Him, to know Him and to love Him.

By God's grace I will follow the second response. May God continue to reveal my sin and more importantly His grace in my my life. May I boast in Him alone.

For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it? Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! Without us you have become kings! And would that you did reign, so that we might share the rule with you! For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless, and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things.
(1Co 4:7-13)

BTW, 3 years later I finally hit post 50 on this blog!

Being Accountable

I am learning so much at Rockport Baptist and praise God for bringing me to this amazing church. One of the greatest lessons I am learning is about being accountable to the leadership of the church. I have gone to churches of all sizes in the past, but never has a church been so concerned about the spiritual lives of it's members.

This is really on my mind today because tonight I begin meeting with on of the elders, Will Jackson, to learn about walking closer to Christ and leading a godly life. Truthfully, I am nervous because Will is one of the godliest men I know and he is very quiet. I don't like silence so this should be interesting.

I know there is so much I can learn from this man and I wish that I had men of God offering to shepherd me when I younger.

From Scripture it seems this should be an integral part of every church, but yet it lost it a vast majority of American churches.

We have small groups and councils and committees, but where is the one on one accountability in the church?

I think part of the problem is that so few older men in the church truly walk with God that it would be difficult for them to help others.

So this is a call to all men, old and young.

To the old men, if you are walking with Christ then offer to mentor a young man. If you are not yet mature in Christ, then seek Him diligently and find guidance for yourselves.

To the young men, find a godly elder in the church and seek his guidance. We are so prone to fall in our flesh that we must have someone to help us walk and not stumble in Christ.

Final Thoughts

I drove past a major accident tonight and it reminded me of how fleeting this vapor of a life is. I thought about any last words I'd want to say and what I might have forgotten to tell those I love. So here it is. Every major and important truth I have learned in my short time on this earth. I doubt I'll learn anything to add to it. Should I die please remember these truths.

Seek Christ. Know Christ. Love Christ.

These foolish lips and sinful heart have nothing left to say.

Thoughts from a great leader

I've been reading about the great President Theodore Roosevelt. Here are some quotes to inspire you.


“The things that will destroy America are prosperity at any price, peace at any price, safety first instead of duty first and love of soft living and the get-rich-quick theory of life.”

“The first requisite of a good citizen in this republic of ours is that he shall be able and willing to pull his own weight.”

“The only man who makes no mistakes is the man who never does anything.”

“With self-discipline most anything is possible.”

“Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checked by failure...than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.”

“Anyone can give up, it's the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that's true strength.”

“In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing”

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

“It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.”

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”

“To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”

“I care not what others think of what I do, but I care very much about what I think of what I do! That is character!”

“Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.”

“Believe you can and you're halfway there.”

“Keep your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ground.”

“Wars are, of course, as a rule to be avoided; but they are far better than certain kinds of peace”

“We can have no "50-50" allegiance in this country. Either a man is an American and nothing else, or he is not an American at all.”

“Courtesy is as much a mark of a gentleman as courage.”

“There has never yet been a man in our history who led a life of ease whose name is worth remembering.”

“A typical vice of American politics is the avoidance of saying anything real on real issues.”

“The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people.”

“If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn't sit for a month.”

“To educate a man in mind and not in morals is to educate a meance to society.”

“The best executive is one who has sense enough to pick good people to do what he wants them to do, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it”

“Character, in the long run, is the decisive factor in the life of an individual and of nations alike.”

“There is a homely adage which runs: "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far”

“The boy who is going to make a great man must not make up his mind merely to overcome a thousand obstacles, but to win in spite of a thousand repulses and defeats.”

“War is not merely justifiable, but imperative upon honorable men, upon an honorable nation, where peace can only be obtained by the sacrifice of conscientious conviction or of national welfare”

“A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends upon the character of the user.”

“It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed. In this life we get nothing save by effort.”

“Don't hit at all if it is honorably possible to avoid hitting; but never hit softly”

Sola Scriptura or not?

This is blog about the real challenge with the Southern Baptist Convention and specifically the Missouri Baptist Convention’s decision to defund promised money to church plants affiliated the Acts 29 Network. The churches are being defunded because they refuse to condemn the moderate consumption of alcohol (nor do they encourage it). The challenge is that Scripture does not condemn the moderate consumption of alcohol (though drunkenness is sinful). The MBC is coming from a side of tradition as Southern Baptists have held an anti-alcohol policy. The pastors involved did sign a form saying they would not drink and they have kept to that commitment, but have refused to enforce teachings that add to the Scriptures. So the real question this debate brings up is whether or not the Scripture is sufficient and the ultimate authority for the SBC?
The reformers used the Latin phrase sola scriptura, Scripture alone, as one of their guiding principles. Sola Scriptura (from wiki) is the assertion that the Bible as God's written word is self-authenticating, clear (perspicuous) to the rational reader, its own interpreter ("Scripture interprets Scripture"), and sufficient of itself to be the final authority of Christian doctrine. Every conservative leader within the SBC will claim to believe in this principle, but in practice many are concerned more about traditions.
I was had a conversation with a catholic about the sacraments being needed for salvation. His response was that the Catholic Church just has a higher standard. Let me be very clear on this YOU CANNOT HAVE A HIGHER STANDARD THAN A PERFECT GOD! By adding to the Scriptures that is exactly what one attempts to do. God is perfect and so is His Law. If we change that law then it is no longer perfect. This is the real tragedy of the MBC. Not only are they breaking unity over a non-biblical issue, but in doing so they are claiming that Scripture is not sufficient. With the actions they took they are defiling the very Word of God by claiming that their authority is superior.
That is why this issue should truly righteously anger all Christians. This is not a matter of alcohol but of truth and authority. We all have personal convictions that God through the Holy Spirit has given to us, but these convictions should remain just that, personal. There are things in Scripture we know are absolutely sinful, but on others the Bible is silent. On these matters a believer should follow their own convictions.
I cannot understand how anybody that loves God and His Word can stand aside so calmly and see its authority defamed. I cannot understand how why so many are blind to the seriousness of adding to the Scriptures. I cannot understand how this news cannot bring us to our knees weeping over the broken fellowship and the sinful pride of those that think they know better than a perfect God. I cannot understand how men that were created with an instinct to fight and defend the truth.
To stand aside and let our brothers be rejected for a biblical stance is not loving. To accept sin is not loving. To ignore the truth when it has been made known is not loving. What is loving is to respectfully present the truth to the leadership of the MBC. Let them know that they are not only wrong but in sin. Encourage them to correct the matter and continue with our work as harvesters for the Kingdom of God.
I beg you dear reader to consider and pray over these things. Let us decide this day whether or not God’s Word is truly enough for us.

I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
(Rev 22:18-19 ESV)

Nationwide Tour

On July 10^th, Jason Vaughn of Higher Hope Entertainment will embark on a nationwide ministry tour. He will visit every state in the continental United States and present a message that will change the way you view your place of ministry. “Created to Create” is a message that will help you and your congregation discover their unique gifts and ways to use them in the advancement of God’s kingdom. Jason is not only a licensed minister, but a talented balloon entertainer. He will use these skills to begin this sermon with a gospel presentation geared toward children. If two services are organized while Jason is available in the area he would love to teach on his hearts passion “The fatherhood of God.” This message will bless the heart of the perfect or the prodigal son. It will show the lost their way home and those already home a clearer face of their father.

The trip will end early November as Jason stops in Cincinnati, OH for Balloon Town USA (BalloonTownUSA.com), where he will join dozens of other balloon artists to build the world’s largest three dimensional balloon sculpture using 150,000 balloons. The project will be toured by thousands and donations will be given to support multiple charities.

This trip has been a dream for many years and now God has begun opening the doors to make this dream a reality. Prayerfully, you will decide to partner in with many others in this effort to reach people all over this great nation with the good news of Jesus Christ.

There are many possibilities for your partnership.

The first place we always start is in prayer. Pray that God would prepare the hearts of those that will hear the Word. Pray that God will not only give the resources necessary, but that He will give abundantly to fill not only our needs but our desires as well. Pray that those that know the Lord will grow closer to Him and find a place to serve and minister.

The second way you can help is by booking Jason at your church or other event. Below is the list of place Jason will be in each state and the dates he will be there. Remember you can organize special events for the summer and fall for Jason to speak of perform (Summer Fun Day, Family Picnic, Back to School, Harvest/ Fall Festival). Jason is an expert at organizing events and will be pleased to assist you.

The third way you can assist this project is by donating items, gift certificates, or money. Jason has the talent and the drive, but needs your help with the funds. Some items that are needed: AAA premium membership, sleeping bag, many balloons, balloon pumps, balloon DVDs, a cooler, clothes, gas, oil changes/ tune ups, food, snacks, water, hotel rooms/ spare rooms, rent and utilities (I’ll be taking 5 months off and need to keep up with responsibilities at home).

Thank you for your time and prayers and please pass this along to others as that is the best way to raise awareness is word of mouth.

Jason Vaughn

Higher Hope Entertainment

301 Surfside Dr. A4

Goose Creek, SC 29445

(864) 423-7139

HigherHope.BalloonHQ.com

Date Location

July 10 Buford, GA

July 12 Clearwater, FL

July 15 Alabama

July 17 Mississippi

July 19 Independence, LA

July 21 Pocahontas, AR

July 23 MO (Hopefully to meet some friends from CompletingKaden.com)

July 30 Kansas City, KS

Aug. 2 Oklahoma

Aug. 4 Cedar Hill, TX

Aug. 7 New Mexico

Aug. 9 Denver, CO

Aug. 12 Provo, UT

Aug. 14 Surprise, AZ

Aug. 17 Las Vegas, NV

Aug. 20-29 Various CA cities

Aug. 30 Oregon

Sept. 2 Vancouver, WA

Sept. 4 Pocatello, ID

Sept. 6 Montana

Sept. 9 North Dakota

Sept. 11 Sioux Falls, SD

Sept. 13 La Grange, WY

Sept. 15 Omaha, NE

Sept.17 Des Moines, IA

Sept. 19 Minnesota

Sept. 21 Wisconsin

Sept. 23-27 Chicago, IL (MBD2 Balloon Jam)

Sept. 28 Nashville, TN

Sept. 30 Raleigh, NC

Oct. 2 Richmond, VA

Oct. 4 Delaware

Oct. 6 New Jersey

Oct. 8 Connecticut

Oct. 10 Cranston, RI

Oct. 12 Boston, MA

Oct. 14 Maine

Oct. 16 New Hampshire

Oct. 18 Vermont

Oct. 20 Rochester, New York (See the finished Balloon Manor)

Oct. 22 Gettysburg, PA

Oct. 24 Maryland (Working with Joel Rainey)

Oct. 26 West Virginia

Oct. 28 Kentucky

Oct. 30 Hartford City, IN

Nov. 1 Battle Creek, MI

Nov. 3 Cincinnati, OH (Balloon Town USA)

Truth Requires Change

Your Arms

I long to be held

I long to stay close

I long for the comfort

Of your arms.

I want to know

I want to hope

I want to be

In your arms

Give me the wisdom

Give me the strength

Give the gentle touch

Of your arms

Show me the majesty

Show me the glory

Show me freedom

In your arms

For years I’ve longed to be held and to hold someone whom I love and that loves me.

For years I’ve wanted a dream of fantasy and wonder

For years I’ve begged for the a loving embrace

For years you’ve shown me your arms

A place to laugh

A place to cry

A place hide

In your arms

Can you say oxyMORON

Below are two articles. One reads GLOBAL WARMING THREATENS EARTH, The second reads

Easter Bunny Bundles Up Unusually Cold Just About Everywhere In U.S. East Of The Rockies

Hmm I think there be contradiction around here somewhere.


Doe
Panel: Global Warming a Threat to Earth
Email this Story

Apr 6, 7:16 AM (ET)

By ARTHUR MAX

(AP) Director of WWF's Global Climate Change Programme Hans Verolme talks to the media during a press... Full Image

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) - An international global warming conference approved a report Friday warning of dire threats to the Earth and to mankind - from increased hunger to the extinction of species - unless the world adapts to climate change and halts its progress.

Agreement came after an all-night session during which key sections were deleted from the draft and scientists angrily confronted government negotiators who they feared were watering down their findings.

"It has been a complex exercise," said Rajendra Pachauri, chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Several scientists objected to the editing of the final draft by government negotiators but in the end agreed to compromises. However, some scientists vowed never to take part in the process again.

The climax of five days of negotiations was reached when the delegates removed parts of a key chart highlighting devastating effects of climate change that kick in with every rise of 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit, and in a tussle over the level of scientific reliability attached to key statements.

There was little doubt about the science, which was based on 29,000 sets of data, much of it collected in the last five years. "For the first time we are not just arm-waving with models," Martin Perry, who conducted the grueling negotiations, told reporters.

The United States, China and Saudi Arabia raised the many of the objections to the phrasing, often seeking to tone down the certainty of some of the more dire projections.

The final IPCC report is the clearest and most comprehensive scientific statement to date on the impact of global warming mainly caused by man-induced carbon dioxide pollution.

It said up to 30 percent of the Earth's species face an increased risk of vanishing if global temperatures rise 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit above the average in the 1980s and '90s.

Areas that now suffer a shortage of rain will become even more dry, adding to the risks of hunger and disease, it said. The world will face heightened threats of flooding, severe storms and the erosion of coastlines.

"This is a glimpse into an apocalyptic future," the Greenpeace environmental group said of the final report.

Negotiators pored over the 21-page draft meant to be a policy guide for governments. The summary pares down the full 1,500-page scientific assessment of the evidence of climate change so far, and the impact it will have on the Earth's most vulnerable people and ecosystems.

More than 120 nations attended the meeting. Each word was approved by consensus, and any change had to be approved by the scientists who drew up that section of the report.

Though weakened by the deletion of some elements, the final report "will send a very, very clear signal" to governments, said Yvo de Boer, the U.N.'s top climate official.

The summary will be presented to the G8 summit of the world's richest nations in June, when the European Union is expected to renew appeals to President Bush to join in international efforts to control emissions of fossil fuels.

This year's series of reports by the IPCC were the first in six years from the prestigious body of some 2,500 scientists, formed in 1988. Public awareness of climate change gave the IPCC's work unaccustomed importance and fueled the intensity of the closed-door negotiations during the five-day meeting.

"The urgency of this report prepared by the world's top scientists should be matched by an equally urgent response from governments," said Hans Verolme, director of the global climate change program of the World Wide Fund for Nature.

"Doing nothing is not an option," he said.

During the final session, the conference snagged over a sentence that said the impact of climate change already were being observed on every continent and in most oceans.

"There is very high confidence that many natural systems are being affected by regional climate changes, particularly temperature increases," said the statement on the first page of text.

But China insisted on striking the word "very," injecting a measure of doubt into what the scientists argued were indisputable observations. The report's three authors refused to go along with the change, resulting in an hours-long deadlock that was broken by a U.S. compromise to delete any reference to confidence levels.

It is the second of four reports from the IPCC this year; the first report in February laid out the scientific case for how global warming is happening. This second report is the "so what" report, explaining what the effects of global warming will be.

European Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said the report will spur the EU's determination to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

"The world needs to act fast if we are to succeed in stabilizing climate change and thereby prevent its worst impacts," Dimas said in a statement.

For the first time, the scientists broke down their predictions into regions, and forecast that climate change will affect billions of people.

North America will experience more severe storms with human and economic loss, and cultural and social disruptions. It can expect more hurricanes, floods, droughts, heat waves and wildfires, it said. Coasts will be swamped by rising sea levels. In the short term, crop yields may increase by 5 to 20 percent from a longer growing season, but will plummet if temperatures rise by 7.2 F.

Africa will be hardest hit. By 2020, up to 250 million people are likely to exposed to water shortages. In some countries, food production could fall by half, it said.

Parts of Asia are threatened with massive flooding and avalanches from melting Himalayan glaciers. Europe also will see its Alpine glaciers disappear. Australia's Great Barrier Reef will lose much of its coral to bleaching from even moderate increases in sea temperatures, the report said.

---

CBS/AP) Never mind the Easter bonnets. In a large swath of the U.S., you had better remember where you put your winter hat and put it on.

Just about everywhere east of the Rockies, it's extremely cold for this time of year – with snow in parts of the Northeast and Midwest, and freezing temperatures elsewhere - and it's going to stay this way right through the weekend.

Parts of the upper Northeast are slogging through over a foot of snow which closed schools, tangled traffic and knocked out power to more than 180,000 homes and businesses.

Frost and freeze warnings are in effect for the next few nights throughout much of the Southeast, while the snow continues to pile up across portions of the Great Lakes and the Northeast, which has seen more snow so far this April than what fell over the entire month of December.

The cold weather, says CBS News meteorologist George Cullen, is the result of an intense storm system sweeping down extremely cold air from central Canada on down to the eastern half of the U.S.

The result, says Cullen, is temperatures 15 to 30 degrees below normal, with many record lows likely over the weekend, from the Ohio Valley on down to southeast coast.

At least two deaths – traffic accidents in New Hampshire and Michigan - are blamed on the wintry weather, which began late Wednesday.

The flakes fell at a rate of up to 2 inches per hour, and by early Thursday, areas of Maine already had nearly a foot and a half of wet, heavy snow, and central New Hampshire saw 16 inches in spots. Up to 24 inches fell in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, as many as 13 inches in Vermont, and upstate New York had several inches as well.

In Kansas, five to eight inches of snow is on the ground in the east-central and north-central parts of the state, and with temperatures expected to dip into the lower 20s and teens in the next few days, farmers are worried about their crops.

The cold snap came after two weeks of exceptionally warm weather, with highs around Kansas of from 60 to 80 degrees, speeding up the growth of the wheat by about two weeks.

"I'm concerned," says Saline County wheat farmer Gary Olson. "Usually if it gets below 24 degrees, the experts tell us our wheat crop might be in trouble."

"We're pretty vulnerable," says Tom Maxwell, agricultural extension agent in Salina. If the weatherman's right, he adds, "we're going to see some damage."

In Nebraska, it's also cold and snowy, but some locals are unimpressed, pointing out that snow in early April is far from unprecedented in the Plains.

In Arkansas, snow is not an issue, but the cold is – with freeze warnings in effect and record lows expected over the weekend.

Things will also be a lot nippier than usual in Augusta, Ga., home of the Masters golf tournament, already underway.

It will be one of the coldest Masters ever, says Cullen, with temperatures struggling to get out of the 50s. "Usually the temperatures are not lower than the scores; this year, they will be."

(CBS/AP) In many areas of the country, spring snow and shivers are following a winter that was often unusually warm.

"We had Easter on December 25th. People had crocuses coming out and blooms on bushes. And now we have Christmas, with all this snow," said meteorologist Butch Roberts of the National Weather Service in Gray, Maine. "It's a little topsy-turvy sometimes."

Maine baseball fans shared in the misery as the Portland Sea Dogs season opener was postponed for at least a day, but the team made the best of it, dotting the field with 11 snowmen in jerseys and caps - nine players, a batter and an ump. It was the second time since 1994 that opening day was delayed by late snow.

In Manchester, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats canceled Thursday night's home opener but put out the call for fans to help clear the turf for a Friday game. Volunteers who show up with shovels get free tickets.

The 24 inches that fell in Negaunee Township, Mich. broke a 1974 record of 12 inches, said meteorologist Jason Alumbaugh. The cold weather forced postponement of Thursday's baseball game at Comerica Park between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Detroit Tigers.

Snowfall in April is not unusual, but the volume of snow in this storm is relatively rare. The 11.6 inches on the ground in Portland, Maine, tied a record for its fifth-biggest April snowfall.

Jon Blanchard, spending his first night back in Portland after a winter in Florida, was awakened Thursday by the sound of tree limbs snapping under the weight of the heavy snow.

He put aside plans of unloading his camper and fired up his snow blower instead.

"I hate it," Blanchard said. "That's why I spent the whole winter in Florida."

The weighed-down trees and limbs also felled power lines. About 100,000 homes and businesses lost power in Maine, in and around Alfred, Brunswick and Portland; another 81,000 customers were in the dark in New Hampshire, and Vermont had about 1,300 outages.

Outages could continue as snow melts and more trees fall, utilities said, and a spokesman in Maine said many customers there would be in the dark into Friday.

The heavy, wet snow clogged roads early Thursday, prompting school officials to cancel or delay classes around the region.

The Red Cross had to cancel several blood drives in northern New England, and issued a plea for donations.

A man was killed in New Hampshire when his car ran off Interstate 93 and hit a tree during the storm Wednesday night on the Canterbury-Concord line, state police said.

A tractor-trailer carrying oxygen bottles skidded and rolled over Wednesday night on the Everett Turnpike in Merrimack. Bottles rolled out, and it took crews all night to clear the road, though none of the bottles broke. The driver was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.

Cars were also reported off the road in Maine, and police said a 17-year-old girl's death Wednesday on a slippery road in Topsham may have been weather-related.

At ski areas, the snow was a welcome lift.

"It's going to help us close the season strong," said Chris Lenois, a spokesman for Vermont's Mount Snow, which ends its season on Sunday. About 6 inches fell in West Dover.

Where is your Focus?

Lately I have been considering the prosperity gospel as it has been called. The is a teaching usually found in the charismatic churches and has spread into other denomination. The main point of this teaching is that through faith in Christ believers will walk in health and financial prosperity. Personally I come from a Southern Baptist background where in most cases piety is the equivalent of poverty. The poorer you are obviously the more you have given up to the glory of God. If you drive a new car you are of the Devil. As I study the Word of God it seems that both of these standards are false.
If the prosperity gospel is true then there are many strong men of God that are walking without faith, and if the poverty gospel is true then many of the Old Testament heroes of the faith are sinful as they walked in abundance.

Why do Christians walk through trials and challenges in life?

1) We live in a fallen world. Due to the sin of Adam and our sin since Adam we live in a world that is dying and off balance. It is because of this that we suffer at times and question whether God can be real in a world such as this. We question it because what we see is not in line with the moral will of God. We live outside His moral will and therefore suffer for being out of alignment.

2)Trials keep us focused. In Deut. 6 God tells the Israelites to remember Him after their victory and blessings have been received. When we are in pain we will call day and night of God to help us, but as soon as we just start to get out of a bad situation our focus is taken off God. We become as the 9 lepers that do not return in thanks to God for healing us. If we could stayed focused on God in prosperity I believe He would heap it on us with greater liberty.

What about the Scripture that says it is easier for camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter the kingdom of God?

Let me ask you this: How easy is it for a poor man to enter into the kingdom of God? Rich or poor the door is still Christ and the path is still narrow. Again it is the focus of a man's life that determines their destiny in Christ. If riches distract you from God it is an idol and is a curse, but poverty is also a curse. If you think that poverty is a high esteem in life then you should read Proverbs. God gave us a book devoted completely to prosperity in various physical forms.

It all comes down to the focus on your life. I believe that both standards described above have their fault. We will go through trials of health and finance, but if we follow the examples set forth in proverbs then God says that blessings should follow.

Twist and Shout

What a phenominal couple of days it has been! For those who don't know I am currently in Nashville, TN and the largest balloon artist convention in America. Can you imagine puttin nearly 300 of your best friends who also happen to be entertainers in one room? It is amazing and a breath of fresh air. Personally, I haven't learned too many new sculptures yet as I am taking several business classes. I have to say that Laura Caldwell and Steve Jones are my new heroes (I almost wrote herpes and that while misspelled would still be bad). They have taught me so much about marketing myself. We really are worth so much more than we think. That is not just balloon twisters, but everyone that continues to improve on themselves. Well I have had about 2 hours of sleep as we stay up all night twisting an laughing so I will now leave. Stay tuned for further updates on the greatest convention ever!

Higher Hope Ministries

The vision of Higher Hope Ministries began four years ago on a mission trip to Miami. It was on this trip that I first saw the power to present the gospel of Jesus Christ using a simple twisted balloon. Since then my desire has grown to utilize this and other talents to take the message of God’s son to the world.
When God created us in His image I believe that God’s desire to create was imbedded in each of us. Look at painter as he paints or a carpenter as he finishes a new project. Everyone wants to stand back and I did that. I remember a recent drive by a park I had helped build many years ago and pointing out “I helped put those benches in.” I also believe this is the reason unproductive people have limited joy.
Every one of God’s people has a unique way in which he creates. Some create songs or painting or statues. Others create homes and sewer systems and business. Whatever talent or gift you have developed can be used to create. I also know that this desire to create can be used to the glory of God.
The purpose of Higher Hope Ministries is to train and draw out of God’s people these talents. Higher Hope Ministries will network with other Kingdom workers around the globe to put each person’s gifts to work. This process will begin by creating series of books and DVDs to train people in various creative ministry techniques. The next step will be to create performances and classes that teach audiences these principles. Then a team will be formed that will travel the US and eventually the world performing, evangelizing, and teaching. The ultimate goal is to create ten ministry teams with people who can use their gifts for storytelling and send them out all over the world to spend a month in an area. When the team is finished serving they will have trained new storytellers from the nationals that will continue to minister, replicate, and send out teams.
We seek to form partnerships around the world learning and assisting one another in Kingdom endeavors. I hope that God has caught you up in this vision and you will join me prayer over this and future endeavors.

In God we Trust,
Jason Vaughn

3 Mosspoint Dr.
Greenville, SC 29617
(864) 423-7139












Higher Hope Ministries Plan of Action

Phase One
This phase will begin by the production of a one-man show. There will be two shows designed. One will be for a Christian audience and the second for a secular audience in schools, libraries, etc. The shows will be completed by December 2006.

Phase Two:
The ministry will begin by writing and producing a series of books and DVDs on Bible Ballooning and creative ministry. These will create a training basis for this and other ministries. This will also act as a supplementary fund as the ministry is built. 50% of
the profits from the books and DVDs will be sown into other ministries. The goal is to have 2 books and 2 DVDs finished by May 2007.

Phase Three:
This phase will begin the construction of a creative ministry team. This team will consist of many talented and godly men and women. This group will travel around South Carolina and perform, evangelize, and disciple using their talents. Eventually, this
team will travel the US and then the world. The SC team will begin training in the summer of 2007 and traveling the in the fall. The team will begin a US tour in Dec of 2007 and a World tour in May of 08.

Phase Four:
The final phase will be the development of ten different creative ministry teams. These teams will travel and work with groups around the world doing creative ministry. They will also train a team of nationals to use their talents, usually specific to that region, to do ministry as well. These teams will be in place by Jan. 2010.

*The primary method of these teams will be storying.

Prayer Concerns:
Steady income for those involved that the weekends can be freed for ministry.
A quick and successful publication of books and DVDs.
That God will raise up a team of committed believers that will understand this kingdom vision.
That God will place experienced ministers as mentors for team members.
That churches will understand the need for their members to use talents for building God’s kingdom.
That experienced accountants and lawyers will be lead to assist in the technical construction of this ministry.
For training materials for team members.
For our ministry partner: Harvest Fields International, a group of devoted believers ministering to the Lenca Indians of Honduras by reaching the orphans and widows. Our ministry has dedicated 25% of all profits from the sale of books and CDs to this ministry.

vision

So my roommate had a lot of his friends over last night and I feel really different around them. They all pretty much work together and they are all nice people, but it seems that their job is the only real connection they have. Most of the conversations were spent talking about people at work or what happened at work. My mind just cannot grasp that reality anymore. It seems that the past days, months, years events are the most important things. Personally, once my work is through I prefer to move on.
When I’m with my theatre friends life seems focused on the now and what is to come next and when I’m with my business friends it is always about the future and the exciting things that are coming on with our teams and how amazing life is and how it is getting even better.
They say high school was the best years of our lives. What a load of crock! I don’t know about you but next year is going to be the best year of my life and the one after that will be even better. When I turn 93, it will be a better year than when I turn 92. And just to make sure there are no misunderstandings, life is amazing right now.
As we get older we grow wiser, our relationships with others are strengthened, and our relationship with God is constantly renewed and improving. If you are lucky enough to be in a business team like mine your finances and lifestyle are improving daily as well. As long as we know who we are and whose we are tomorrow will be better than today no matter the circumstances.

Diamond in the dessert

Diamonds in the Desert

I doubt many of you have read the book “Dream Giver” by Bruce Wilkinson, but I would highly suggest it. In the book he writes of a point in which ever dreamer goes through a wasteland where it seems nothing is going right. He also writes that in this wasteland God, the Dream Giver, will provide various blessings to help you make it through the wasteland. Well ladies and gentlemen it seems I have been in the wasteland for quite a while concerning my dreams. Last night, though, I received a blessing in this dessert.
As some of you know part of me calling is to minister to those rejected by the church, specifically the gay community. Because of some trials in my past God has specifically equipped me to do this work. Well last night I received an IM that helped affirm this work. A few months ago I was searching through Xanga and came across a young man’s blog. The guy is gay and was contemplating cutting himself again; apparently he had done so in the past. For some reason God moved me to IM this young man. We talked and I told him of Christ love for him, but he was extremely negative. I didn’t try to force it down him so I changed the topic and made him look at the positives in his life. As we ended the conversation I felt it had not gone well at all. Anyway this is the young man that IM last night. I didn’t even remember him at first then I went back to his Xanga to remind myself. I found an interesting entry from the day after we talked the first time. He said that while he was thinking of cutting some guy named Jason from SC IMed him. Apparently something I said was used of God to change his mind and keep him from cutting. You have no idea how much I needed to hear that. I’ve been praying for God to let me be used to show his love and three months after it happened I find he had already let me. On the brink of giving up God showed me a brief reminder of what I am doing and being prepared for in this wasteland and that if I keep going I will reach the dream he has placed in my heart.
I hope all of you will be on the look out for your diamonds in the dessert as you chase your dreams. God is faithful to help you even when you can’t see him at work directly.

Jason Vaughn

P.S. Please be in prayer for Dan, the teen I was speaking of, as he still has not come to the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

V for IMB

I have recently become a fan of the movie V for Vendeta. I actually watched twice in theatres. In the movie the government has complete control and all those who speak out against it are executed. While I still believe that the truths of this movie may be a good distance off for the United States, I fear that it may not be as far off for the Southern Baptist Convention. As some of you know in Nov. 2005 the International Mission Board (IMB) implemented two new policies. The first concerns a “private prayer language,” stating that any IMB missionary applicant that claims such a private “gift” will not be allowed to serve as an IMB missionary. The second stated that the applicant must not only have been baptized by immersion, but in a church that holds to eternal security. If they have not been baptized in such a way they can apply with their church for “re-baptism.” The purpose of this letter is not to refute these heretical and divisive policies, but to address another policy that was adopted last week.
After these policies were passed, several IMB trustees spoke and wrote publicly against these policies. One trustee, Wade Burleson, was recommended for removal from the board because of statements made on his blog, www.wadeburleson.com. This was recently rescinded after strong backlash from many in the convention. Since this attempt failed to silence him, the IMB decided to adopt a new manual. In the previous manual, know as “The Blue Book,” trustees were encouraged to report back to their people about the happenings in the IMB, this includes allowing for dissent. The new policy, which supersedes “The Blue Book,” states "Individual IMB trustees must refrain from public criticism of Board approved actions." So now dissent has been banned.
Anytime a change for greatness has been made it has started with a few men. Now those with the most powerful voices to make a change have been silenced, but the most authoritative have to be heard. In the Southern Baptist Convention our ultimate authority is the Word of God. That Word has been completely left out of all supporting arguments. Not one thread of Scriptural data has been presented in defense. Also, in Southern Baptist churches new policies are to come from the bottom up. Our policy decision makers are to be the people in the pews. The Scripture is the foundation and the elect are the first floor of our convention.
Now is the time that we as Southern Baptist must stand together. We must let it be known that while we are in full favor of a conservative, God-centered statement of faith such as the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message we refuse to lightly accept extra biblical interpretation that is non-essential and has been interpreted in varying ways throughout history. We must become informed on what is going on with the IMB policies.
If they are willing to enforce policies that go beyond our conventions stance and then quite all those in dissent what will they attack next? Reformed theology, local church autonomy (which is already under attack), worship styles, etc.? We as Southern Baptist have a uniting statement of faith in Christ, and we must protect the right to disagree on non-essential elements of the faith.
We were formed because some believed that certain people should not be allowed as missionaries and today we make the same mistakes that were made back then. I pray it does not require another division to realize our folly.
Please take the time to learn of what is happening inside the IMB and what it truly means. Then the trustees and let them know that you appreciate their work and heart for missions, but also wish the IMB to remain scripturally sound. Please pray for those on both sides of the issues, and realize that whether you agree with the policies or not the option for vocal dissent should always be an option lest we fall into a world where a bomb is believed to be more powerful than a prayer (in any language).

IMB Challenges

So the semester is finally up and going. Break was awesome and I had a lot of dun. I actually didn't fight with my dad over break; of course I wasn't home much anyway. So I'm not taking many classes. I have 13 hours: Systematic Theology II, Acting I, Missions Practicum II, and Senior Seminar. Even though I have so few classes I have a lot of papers. For ST I am writing one on the Fatherhood of God, for Senior Seminar I get to write about the implications of the new IMB policies on the local church, and I get to take a two week tour of Europe and spread the gospel to my travel companions for missions’ practicum. It will be hard work, but I think I'll learn a lot.
I got my business back up and running and its going awesome. Tye decided to join the team and she really is amazing me and setting a high standard for everyone to hold to. There is a lot of interest on campus and I'm really excited about helping some people find a way to do what God has placed on their hearts. I've just been amazed at watching the team I work with because I think it is the first time I've really been around men, not males. Men that love their wives, their God, and those around them. I am extremely proud to be part of this. I also got a new website www.bww.com/higherhope The password is Freedom.
So for those of you that don't know the IMB has just got me furious over their new policies. For a good explanation of the policies go to www.joelrainey.blogspot.com or wadeburleson.com and read his Dec. 10 entry. Basically one states that anyone that has ever spoken in tongues even in a private prayer language is not eligible for service with the IMB, and the other states the only acceptable baptism is that essentially only those baptized by a southern Baptist pastor in a southern Baptist church is not acceptable. They must apply for re-baptism to be eligible for service. I personally have no problem calling this a pure heresy.
First, let us take the prayer language. I do not fully understand the biblical position of tongues. I personally believe that tongues are meant to be real human lang. for the purpose of the spreading of the gospel and the edification of the church. The other is the private prayer language. I have no idea what this means. I believe that as rational beings we prayer as whole beings through the language we speak and using our minds and our emotions. But there is also evidence in Scripture that the Holy Spirit will at times intercede. I believe this occurs at times of intense prayer and refuse to limit the working of God by saying this does not exist.
Second, is the issue of baptism. Baptism is a symbol and practice ordained by God to make a public profession of faith. This is our first public profession (not walking the aisle). To say that this must be done by a certain person in a certain place just because we disagree with them doctrinally is preposterous. We have one Lord, one faith, one hope, and one BAPTISM. Yes they are to be immersed, but to say someone must be re-baptized because the man God ordained to bring them to salvation holds to some incorrect doctrines is insane heresy. I’m so mad it gives me a headache to think about it.
Anyway, I’m doing a paper on these policy effects on the local church. Its going to be great. Be in prayer for our convention, our IMB missionaries, the trustees, and the IMB president and staff. They are all great people and want to glorify God. We just have some people that are going about it the wrong way. For more information see www.wadeburleson.com and www.joelrainey.blogspot.com . Soli Deo Gloria, Jason Vaughn.
1. My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus' blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
but wholly lean on Jesus' name.
Refrain:
On Christ the solid rock I stand,
all other ground is sinking sand;
all other ground is sinking sand.

2. When Darkness veils his lovely face,
I rest on his unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
my anchor holds within the veil.
(Refrain)

3. His oath, his covenant, his blood
supports me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
he then is all my hope and stay.
(Refrain)

4. When he shall come with trumpet sound,
O may I then in him be found!
Dressed in his righteousness alone,
faultless to stand before the throne!
(Refrain)

Proud to be a dog!

So I just got back from two trips.

The first was a Mission Trip/ Vacation. We went to Maryland to help a former pastor of mine that is now over Mid-Maryland church planters.

Matt accompanied on this trip and was a great help. We got there on Thursday night. We left early so we could miss a storm that was coming through that night.

Friday Joel took us on a tour of the area and told us about Howard County. It is the third most affluent county in the nation so reaching the needs of the community is very different.

That evening we went to Medieval Times and cheered for the Red and Yellow knight, but the loser died on us.

Saturday we went and helped a church with their community outreach by playing games with the children and presenting the story of Christmas.

Later that day we went to Baltimore. I hate Baltimore. There is nothing in Baltimore for fine upstanding people. We got lost in the ghetto for thirty minutes and I really thought I was going to be killed. We got our tails out of there as fast as possible.

Sunday we to church with the Amy Rainey and it was one of the coolest Sunday School classes that I've ever been in. We went to Washington D.C. but only spent about 30 minutes at the Smithsonian. That night we presented the Armor of God for a children's group. We were supposed to leave Monday, but decided to stay a few extra days to do some fun stuff.

Monday we went to Washington again. That was cool though we spent way to much time on the Metro.

Tuesday was the kicker. We had heard that NYC was only three hours away so of course our first thought was Rent on Broadway. So we left about 7 am and arrived about noon. I now know why New Yorkers cuss so much. I think I handled myself pretty well for a first timer in NY traffic though.

We had to pay 30 bucks for parking and like $50 for all the tolls. If you haven't figured it out we are really pushing our luck for money. we find the theater and find out that they have a lottery for tickets that night for $20 tickets. We figured it was worth the risk. So we spent the day walking around NYC and Matt made a comment about wanting to be in a television audience and a second later (literally) we heard a guy looking for folks to be on DaySide on Fox News. I got to ask a question and we just had a blast.

We went back to the theater at 5:30. And we won the lottery. Not only were the tickets $20 they were also front row. It was freaking awesome. It was probably one of the best days of my life.

We drove back to SC on the day the ice storm hit apparently we brought it back with us.

Thursday morning I left for Mississippi with Baptist Collegiate ministries for some Katrina relief. www.bcmkatrinarelief.blogspot.com We left the normalcy of South Carolina and entered a whole other world. We couldn't see anything as we got their at night, but when we stepped outside the next morning the devastation was clear.

It was as if Katrina had just come though that night. On every house was spay paint. Some read contaminated, unsafe, looters will be shot, State Farm killed Santa, do not enter, and each had the number of victims on it. The county lost about 80 people.

The first day I signed up to work on a toy distribution crew. That didn't work out so we tried to help distribute furniture.

The next day I went with a crew to clear off two lots then we went and help a team finish gutting a house. We prayed with the family as we left.

Sunday was a day off I went with some folks from the Citadel and College of Charleston to their BCM ministers ordination in Baton Rouge. For some reason we went to the mall a week before Christmas talk about a horrifying experience. Baton Rouge is listed as one of the worst towns in the nation.

It was the first ordination I had been to I hope that I can be a man that people will speak as highly of as they did of Peter. It was truly inspiring.

Monday we started the gutting of two houses. We got to work with this cool 83 year old man, Norman. He even helped us gut his house. He was dancing and joking the whole time we were throwing away everything he owned. That was really remarkable seeing all the joy that people had and learning what was really important. We went back the next day to finish up. It was good to know we had finished what we started out to do.

Wed. I stayed behind to help with housekeeping. I felt kind of bad because we were finished really early while everyone else was out working. When another group got back I went out with them to pick up trash. We stopped by a park one of our groups had built and played a while. We were walking by a catholic school and helped them carry some new white boards in and they let us go up in their bell tower it was a great view.

We stayed up all night that last night fellowshipping and playing games. I really hated to leave. I met a lot of awesome brothers and sisters in Christ.

To all you thanks for your encouragement. I want to especially sent a shout out to Matt, Cliff, and Dave. You guys truly embody Christian brotherhood and freely accept other brothers into that fellowship.

Clutter you are awesome girl stay unique. And Roger you may not be a "blooming Calvinists" like myself, but you're still pretty cool.

Thanks for organizing the trip Chad you did a great job and I know God was glorified through all of it.

When you go into an area like that it can be really overwhelming, but always remember that it is on God's strength and His mission we do our work. One verse really came to life for me over the last week. Ecclesiastes 9:4 "Anyone who is among the living has hope--even a live dog is better off than a dead lion." Those people knew what hope was. They had lost everything, but they were alive and had hope.

I also learned a lot about myself as well. We look at the heroes of the bible like Abraham, Moses, Paul, and Peter and think wow those are lions of the faith. Those are the people I want to be like.

Then if something happens and we get depressed and we think their is nothing we can do. We go into areas like Mississippi's disaster area and look at awe and think about what in the world we should do. We feel helpless. We feel like dogs, but here is the thing. We may be a dog, but at least we're alive. We can do something. Those that have come before us may have done amazing things but they ain't doing them any more. They're dead. They have done all they can do. But now its our turn. Now we do what we have to do. We are the dogs of today, but we're alive. We can do something and so we must.

Don't look at those others and think I'll never be like that. Look at the others and think I can learn from that. Do what you can then praise God you could do it.

Fear and Glory

Fear. Its something we all face. Fear of tomorrow, fear of loss, fear for our children, fear for lives, and fear of our past. We all have fear. Some fear is good. It keeps us from putting ourselves in danger for stupid reasons. It keeps our children in line until they understand consequences. It even keeps criminals at bay, but not all fear is healthy. Fear also keeps us from trusting, from loving, from giving. We won’t give the bum on the street money because he may buy liquor. We won’t share the gospel because they may laugh at us. We won’t love one another because they might not love us back.
Fear is a very powerful tool in the hands of the enemy. Satan is a master at using fear. He whispers in our ear all those nasty “what ifs?” He tempts us to lie to avoid difficulties. He tells us they won’t understand so we never admit the truth.
One of his most powerful uses of fear is the fear of our past. As Christians our past has been obliterated the sin and guilt washed away, but the memories and lessons learned remain. Still our past if a great weapon in the enemy’s arsenal. He constantly reminds of what we used to be. The victories are forgotten as the struggle continues. He can convince us to change everything about ourselves so that we don’t let one person know the truth.
Ladies and gentlemen here is the truth. I am a dirty rotten sinner that deserves the pits of Hell, yet Christ suffered, died, and rose again to forgive me of those sins. Here is the kicker; you’re a filthy sinner in need of a savior too.
I battle with fear of my past everyday, but I will no longer let my representation of the glory of God be diminished because of it. Let’s face it we are all disgusting and we beat ourselves up constantly over that, but in Christ we have been set free.
I have found that the greatest weapon against fear is hope. Hope is what Jonathan took with him to face hundreds of Palestinians alone. Hope is what made the blind man and leper come to Jesus. Hope is that idea we have before faith. We aren’t yet ready say I know, but we can say maybe. Maybe we can do it. Maybe we will survive. Maybe they will understand.
What is our hope? Our hope is Christ. Our hope is heaven. Our hope is knowing that God has set into motion his plan, his will, and he does all things to work for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28) .

Acts 2
25David said about him:
" 'I saw the Lord always before me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.
26Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will live in hope,
27because you will not abandon me to the grave,
nor will you let your Holy One see decay.
28You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence.'

Roman 5
5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

Let this be our weapon ladies and gentlemen as we stand firm against the enemy’s attacks. Never let come between you and the glory of God.

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.

Refrain

On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness seems to hide His face,
I rest on His unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

Refrain

His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.

Refrain

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.

Refrain

update

So I know it has been a while since I have written and to be honest this won’t be a normal blog. I just want to update everyone on what is going on. We finished with Twain. The last day we had three performances and I twisted my ankle during the first show. I had to sit the second one out and my lines were split up. They did an amazing job, but it sort of made me feel useless. I forced myself to perform the third performance. Having to sit backstage was worse than the ankle hurting.
Last weekend we had student legislature. It was an amazing time. I learned a tremendous amount and made some interesting friends. By the close of the conference I found myself partnering with some folks from College of Charleston. Now that was weird, but I’m so glad I did it.
I have a bunch of papers due so I’m staying busy. And just a quick prayer request. My grandmother is in the hospital she is having trouble breathing. I’m not worried about her dying but she isn’t a Christian. I had the opportunity to witness to her, please pray God work in her soul to draw her to Himself.

In God we Trust,
Jason Vaughn

Holy Dependence

Is it right to depend on someone? I’m not talking about depending on God. That is a given. I’m talking about depending on friends, family, and strangers. When Paul was blinded he was forced to depend on others to get him to the one God chose to heal him. The lame were dependent on friends to bring them to Jesus. And I lately I have found myself depending on someone for guidance in certain issues. This is a new thing for me. I have always been the extremely independent entrepreneurial type. Now that I find myself in a situation that is not like that I’m not sure what to do. I don’t know how much I can lean on someone with pushing them away. How do you and what do you do?

One Question

It is amazing how one question can change your life. For Peter it was “Who do you say I am?” For couples it is “Will you take this person as your lawfully wedded spouse?” For parents it is “Is the baby healthy?”
I received such a question last night. I knew it was coming, the person had been hinting at it for a while. Then they finally asked. Even though I knew and expected it didn’t make it easier. I considered lying but I couldn’t. I’m proud of myself for being honest, but then it began to sink in that I had actually been asked. I have never felt so alone as I did in that moment in time. I was in a room full of people and there was not a single person I could even talk to. Then my heart started racing. I couldn’t figure out the emotion because I had never felt anything so intense. Then I realized what it was: fear. I was in pure and udder dread. I had lost complete control of everything I am. It was as if a layer of skin had been ripped from my body.
I was lucky though. I had a friend that I was talking to that would understand. I’m not just speaking of Christ, but I had been lucky enough to have been given someone to go to. In the midst of pure dread I felt more thanks than I have ever known. At that moment I was as thankful for this friend as I was for salvation. God had used him for my bodily salvation at the time. I can’t imagine what I would have done without him.

One question. One answer. Then one hope. Christ.

Soli Deo Gloria,
Jason Vaughn

Talents for Glory

(1 Corinthians 10:31)
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

So all week at school we had this artist, Doug Berky, on campus. He worked with our theatre department, was our chapel “speaker” Wed., and performed on Friday night. First let me say that this was the best chapel of the year. He truly was amazing in that performance. Even after that he still blew my mind on Friday evening. He performed Kairos with five NGC theatre majors. It was one of the most phenomenal performances of my life. They performed the story of Christ in masks. Our students learned this in a weeks time and did an exceptional job. May I also add that this was the first performance where I actually took notice of how intricate and stupendous the lighting and sound was for a performance. Props to all who worked on this production.
The point of this blog is to share one of the points that Doug shared in chapel. When he came on stage he began by juggling. He then continued by sharing that once in a theatre he felt this overwhelming presence of God. This led him of course to only one possible action: he performed ever possible trick he knew. What he was speaking of was the fact that our talents and abilities are gifts from God. They are meant to glorify Him. He compared them a prayer of thanks before God.
As some of my readers know I was trying to organize a creative ministries tour over Christmas. God closed the door on this activity for the time being. One of my purposes for this tour was to teach church members that God has designated everything they do for His glory.
I encourage all of my readers to look at what you enjoy. What is pure in your life? What brings you comfort? Then think about how this can glorify God and help to bring about His redemptive plan to the world. Basketball, golf, pottery, photography, reading, playing, talking, organizing, acting, listening, counseling, helping, serving. Whatever you do remember to do it for the glory of God. (BTW this includes working and studying)

Soli Deo Gloria,
Jason Vaughn

Gomer Update

So I received an e-mail asking me to write an update about my Gomer. Sorry I haven’t updated, but it has been a busy couple of weeks. I appreciate all of your prayers. I hate to say it, but I decided I needed to leave the church. I woke up on Sunday and I just dreaded going to church. That was the last straw and God’s way of telling me to leave. I do know this though. I left giving all I had in me.

Acts 20:31-32 Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears. (32) And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

I gave all I knew and learned all God allowed me to learn. I gave it without exception. There is simply nothing left for me to do there. I walk by the church building and cry, but I have comfort in knowing I held nothing back.
The Greek word used for this is pas –“without exception.” I truly believe this is what I gave. My professor told me he was proud of me. I wish I could feel that way. I have to admit I still feel like I am abandoning them. I wait now on the peace of God.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Jason Vaughn

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
By: Isaac Watts
When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast
Save in the death of Christ, my God;
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to his blood.

See, from his head, his hands, his feet
Sorrow and love flow mingled down.
Did ever such love and sorrow meet
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a tribute far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all!

Boring Sin

I hate boredom. You would think with all the miracles of technology we would never be bored. Personally, I think one of the major reasons for boredom is our lack of creativity. We are spoon fed answers all of our life and then all of the God given talent is just drained out of us because we haven’t used it in a decade and a half since school started.
It is fall break and I came home for the couple of days. Yesterday, I was supposed to do a gig for Paws in the Falls, but I arrived and no one was there. Apparently they canceled and didn’t bother telling me. Then I went to the Christian Film Festival at Hollywood 20. I volunteered for a while then watched movies. If you are in the area you should go and help out or just watch some movies. Some are cheesy, but others, like Luther, are really good. It is also probably the only time you will hear an alter call in a movie theatre.
So back to boredom. I went to my home church today and since then I have been sitting around with nothing to do. You know the saying “Idle hands are the Devil’s playground.” I think I am definitely proving it today. I like having the break, but it is really boring since most of my friends are at North Greenville. It seems that it should be easy to fight temptations, but it seems I just keep falling. That is why I like being at school. At least there is some accountability there.
So now I am trying to distract myself by blogging. If nothing else this has helped to put my focus back on track and on God. I’ll probably go back to the film festival tomorrow. Maybe, I’ll see some of you there. God Bless.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Jason Vaughn

My Gomer?

My heart is burdened deeply. Last Sunday night I called my church to repentance and I feel as if it were useless. They have an awesome opportunity for ministry, but some members hold such a grudge against parts of this specific community that the ministry is almost non-existent. I called them on this last Sunday. Tonight we had missions emphasis night. The whole time I kept thinking “you care about people half way around the world, but you aren’t even willing to reach those surrounding you.” It is so frustrating. My advisor and professor has encouraged me to move on. He should know He is also the pastor that just left the church. (It was under really good circumstances so it isn’t that there is any animosity, NGU requires professors to stay no longer than a year.)
As I was there tonight I was having such a hard time getting rid of this thought of frivolousness that I went to pray in the sanctuary. As I entered I looked at the baptismal and began to wonder when the last time a new believer had been brought into the family because of the work God was doing in this church. Then I looked at the cross above it and began to wonder if this could really be any resemblance of what God had in mind as He established the church He was to head.
I don’t know what to do. The people I trust tell me to leave, but yet there is something that tells me to stay and not just leave these people behind. I wonder if this is to be my Gomer. Is this to be my adulterous wife? I am beginning to understand a small, and oh so brief glimpse, as to what Christ must feel as we betray Him for things so much less glorious.
I ask you to pray with me for guidance. It hurts to be there, but if God can use me to bring Him glory through this then pray I will lean on Him. I cannot do this without the prayers of the saints.

Soli Deo Gloria,
Jason Vaughn

Never let your trials stop your praise. Join me in worshiping in music with this awesome hymn of the faith.


HOW GREAT THOU ART

O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim: "My God, how great Thou art!"

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

Temptations

Why do we tempt ourselves? Why do we constantly put objects of desire in front of us that cause lust, jealousy, covetousness, and envy?
We see them in most movies. We see them on commercials and television. We even see them on billboards. We constantly are faced with temptations and then we decide to put others in front of us. I understand the idea of thinking someone is beautiful, but if there is even the slightest possibility of causing us to sin should we not try to remove it from our lives?
I write this because I have been personally convicted of this recently. I put things in front of me that fuel habitual sins and they become my desire more than God. It gets to a place I would rather have then and think on them than to think on God. Now I realize that we cannot completely avoid everything, but we can limit it. Sinners will act like sinners and dress like sinners no matter what. And to accomplish the Great Commission we must be willing to engage them with the gospel in their environments.
But what about outside those environments? In the comfort of our own room should we really place pictures of men and women that can cause us to lust? No. “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” James 4:7. If we let the devil in our own room then we do not resist him. As Christians we go into a fallen world everyday. We must have a place to retreat from the temptations of the enemy. A place we can go into our prayer closets without worldly distractions surrounding us.
We are dead creatures, sacrificed to Christ, and alive solely in Him. If we are to serve Him fully we must focus on Him, and not the temptations of the world. Create a place where you can go and have nothing to distract your focus from God. For most of us that is our dorm room. In there let us tear down all those things that can create a diversion from God and His glory.
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Phil. 4:8).

Songs through the Sorrow

I had to do something today and it didn’t turn out like I expected. It didn’t go well, but I know I did the right thing. After being upset for a minute the Lord gave me peace and in return my heart has leapt to sing His praise and thanks. Please join me in worshiping with these two great hymns of the faith. (I don’t know the tune to the first, but I thought just reading the words was full of worship.)

________________________________________________

O for a thousand tongues to sing

1. O for a thousand tongues to sing
my great Redeemer's praise,
the glories of my God and King,
the triumphs of his grace!

2. My gracious Master and my God,
assist me to proclaim,
to spread through all the earth abroad
the honors of thy name.

3. Jesus! the name that charms our fears,
that bids our sorrows cease;
'tis music in the sinner's ears,
'tis life, and health, and peace.

4. He breaks the power of canceled sin,
he sets the prisoner free;
his blood can make the foulest clean;
his blood availed for me.

5. He speaks, and listening to his voice,
new life the dead receive;
the mournful, broken hearts rejoice,
the humble poor believe.

6. Hear him, ye deaf; his praise, ye dumb,
your loosened tongues employ;
ye blind, behold your savior come,
and leap, ye lame, for joy.

7. In Christ, your head, you then shall know,
shall feel your sins forgiven;
anticipate your heaven below,
and own that love is heaven.
________________________________________________

It is well with my soul

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Refrain

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

Refrain

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

Refrain

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

Refrain

But, Lord, ‘tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh trump of the angel! Oh voice of the Lord!
Blessèd hope, blessèd rest of my soul!

Refrain

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

Refrain
_______________________________________________
Okay so I also ask for a prayer request as we end this time of prayer. A friend got onto me tonight about making jokes belittling myself. I say them in jest, but I think she had a point so I am going to stop saying them. Please pray for me in this because it has become very natural and I usually don’t even realize I am doing it.

Strange Convictions

So I have recently realized that I have some really strange convictions compared to most of my peers. The majority of these have to do with relationships and specifically marriage. Now these convictions have only really come about in the last few years as I dove into the Scriptures. Before I start writing about these I want to make clear that these are personal convictions of the Holy Spirit and I do not consider it a sin for others to take part in these particular practices, but I do believe it would be a sin for me to as I would go against my conscious and conviction of the Holy Spirit.
The first is that of kissing. I really want my first kiss to be on my wedding day. I believe the most intimate joining between a man and a woman is that of two lips touching. This is the first and most important meeting two souls joined together. This joining in marriage is not merely a contract, but a testimony and picture of the bride of Christ. It seems that if this picture is to remain pure we cannot go around kissing every other “god” around. As I said this is a personal conviction of mine.
The second conviction is that pertaining to contraceptives. I know, strange blog topic. I hold to the belief that contraceptives are a useless waste. Most of you out there will agree that if God wants to give you children He will not be stopped by contraceptives, but strangely enough you also believe that by using them God will be forced to give you more children than He intended. I hold to the belief that if children are a gift from God then why should we bother trying to prevent these blessings? If God has a set number of blessings to give us then it does not seem fisable to spend money trying to stop that process. I know the argument is “But God gave you common sense not have kids that you cannot support.” First off we do not support anything. God is the provider and if He gives us a gift it is His to provide. Secondly, if God is giving you the kids He wants you to have then why is a condom, etc. going to change His blessings. I believe it also important to make the comment while many children are born out of unholy relations this does not make the child any less a gift from God. We can not base our view off of experience over the Word of God. As I said before this is a personal conviction and not one that should necessarily be taught in our churches. You should all waste as much money on contraceptives as you like (jk).
I write this because I think it is an interesting topic of conversation that shows the various convictions of Christians. I think it gives insight to our thoughts about God as well. Hey, what do I know, I’m just a lowly sinner saved by grace.

A Defense of Calvinism

"The old truth that Calvin preached, that Augustine preached, that Paul preached, is the truth that I must preach to-day, or else be false to my conscience and my God. I cannot shape the truth; I know of no such thing as paring off the rough edges of a doctrine. John Knox's gospel is my gospel. That which thundered through Scotland must thunder through England again."—C. H. Spurgeon
It is a great thing to begin the Christian life by believing good solid doctrine. Some people have received twenty different "gospels" in as many years; how many more they will accept before they get to their journey's end, it would be difficult to predict. I thank God that He early taught me the gospel, and I have been so perfectly satisfied with it, that I do not want to know any other. Constant change of creed is sure loss. If a tree has to be taken up two or three times a year, you will not need to build a very large loft in which to store the apples. When people are always shifting their doctrinal principles, they are not likely to bring forth much fruit to the glory of God. It is good for young believers to begin with a firm hold upon those great fundamental doctrines which the Lord has taught in His Word. Why, if I believed what some preach about the temporary, trumpery salvation which only lasts for a time, I would scarcely be at all grateful for it; but when I know that those whom God saves He saves with an everlasting salvation, when I know that He gives to them an everlasting righteousness, when I know that He settles them on an everlasting foundation of everlasting love, and that He will bring them to His everlasting kingdom, oh, then I do wonder, and I am astonished that such a blessing as this should ever have been given to me!
"Pause, my soul! adore, and wonder!Ask, 'Oh, why such love to me?'Grace hath put me in the numberOf the Saviour's family:Hallelujah!Thanks, eternal thanks, to Thee!"I suppose there are some persons whose minds naturally incline towards the doctrine of free-will. I can only say that mine inclines as naturally towards the doctrines of sovereign grace. Sometimes, when I see some of the worst characters in the street, I feel as if my heart must burst forth in tears of gratitude that God has never let me act as they have done! I have thought, if God had left me alone, and had not touched me by His grace, what a great sinner I should have been! I should have run to the utmost lengths of sin, dived into the very depths of evil, nor should I have stopped at any vice or folly, if God had not restrained me. I feel that I should have been a very king of sinners, if God had let me alone. I cannot understand the reason why I am saved, except upon the ground that God would have it so. I cannot, if I look ever so earnestly, discover any kind of reason in myself why I should be a partaker of Divine grace. If I am not at this moment without Christ, it is only because Christ Jesus would have His will with me, and that will was that I should be with Him where He is, and should share His glory. I can put the crown nowhere but upon the head of Him whose mighty grace has saved me from going down into the pit. Looking back on my past life, I can see that the dawning of it all was of God; of God effectively. I took no torch with which to light the sun, but the sun enlightened me. I did not commence my spiritual life—no, I rather kicked, and struggled against the things of the Spirit: when He drew me, for a time I did not run after Him: there was a natural hatred in my soul of everything holy and good. Wooings were lost upon me—warnings were cast to the wind—thunders were despised; and as for the whispers of His love, they were rejected as being less than nothing and vanity. But, sure I am, I can say now, speaking on behalf of myself, "He only is my salvation." It was He who turned my heart, and brought me down on my knees before Him. I can in very deed, say with Doddridge and Toplady—
"Grace taught my soul to pray,And made my eyes o'erflow;"and coming to this moment, I can add—
"'Tis grace has kept me to this day,And will not let me go."Well can I remember the manner in which I learned the doctrines of grace in a single instant. Born, as all of us are by nature, an Arminian, I still believed the old things I had heard continually from the pulpit, and did not see the grace of God. When I was coming to Christ, I thought I was doing it all myself, and though I sought the Lord earnestly, I had no idea the Lord was seeking me. I do not think the young convert is at first aware of this. I can recall the very day and hour when first I received those truths in my own soul—when they were, as John Bunyan says, burnt into my heart as with a hot iron, and I can recollect how I felt that I had grown on a sudden from a babe into a man—that I had made progress in Scriptural knowledge, through having found, once for all, the clue to the truth of God. One week-night, when I was sitting in the house of God, I was not thinking much about the preacher's sermon, for I did not believe it. The thought struck me, How did you come to be a Christian? I sought the Lord. But how did you come to seek the Lord? The truth flashed across my mind in a moment—I should not have sought Him unless there had been some previous influence in my mind to make me seek Him. I prayed, thought I, but then I asked myself, How came I to pray? I was induced to pray by reading the Scriptures. How came I to read the Scriptures? I did read them, but what led me to do so? Then, in a moment, I saw that God was at the bottom of it all, and that He was the Author of my faith, and so the whole doctrine of grace opened up to me, and from that doctrine I have not departed to this day, and I desire to make this my constant confession, "I ascribe my change wholly to God."I once attended a service where the text happened to be, "He shall choose our inheritance for us;" and the good man who occupied the pulpit was more than a little of an Arminian. Therefore, when he commenced, he said, "This passage refers entirely to our temporal inheritance, it has nothing whatever to do with our everlasting destiny, for," said he, "we do not want Christ to choose for us in the matter of Heaven or hell. It is so plain and easy, that every man who has a grain of common sense will choose Heaven, and any person would know better than to choose hell. We have no need of any superior intelligence, or any greater Being, to choose Heaven or hell for us. It is left to our own free-will, and we have enough wisdom given us, sufficiently correct means to judge for ourselves," and therefore, as he very logically inferred, there was no necessity for Jesus Christ, or anyone, to make a choice for us. We could choose the inheritance for ourselves without any assistance. "Ah!" I thought, "but, my good brother, it may be very true that we could, but I think we should want something more than common sense before we should choose aright."First, let me ask, must we not all of us admit an over-ruling Providence, and the appointment of Jehovah's hand, as to the means whereby we came into this world? Those men who think that, afterwards, we are left to our own free-will to choose this one or the other to direct our steps, must admit that our entrance into the world was not of our own will, but that God had then to choose for us. What circumstances were those in our power which led us to elect certain persons to be our parents? Had we anything to do with it? Did not God Himself appoint our parents, native place, and friends? Could He not have caused me to be born with the skin of the Hottentot, brought forth by a filthy mother who would nurse me in her "kraal," and teach me to bow down to Pagan gods, quite as easily as to have given me a pious mother, who would each morning and night bend her knee in prayer on my behalf? Or, might He not, if He had pleased, have given me some profligate to have been my parent, from whose lips I might have early heard fearful, filthy, and obscene language? Might He not have placed me where I should have had a drunken father, who would have immured me in a very dungeon of ignorance, and brought me up in the chains of crime? Was it not God's Providence that I had so happy a lot, that both my parents were His children, and endeavoured to train me up in the fear of the Lord?John Newton used to tell a whimsical story, and laugh at it, too, of a good woman who said, in order to prove the doctrine of election, "Ah! sir, the Lord must have loved me before I was born, or else He would not have seen anything in me to love afterwards." I am sure it is true in my case; I believe the doctrine of election, because I am quite certain that, if God had not chosen me, I should never have chosen Him; and I am sure He chose me before I was born, or else He never would have chosen me afterwards; and He must have elected me for reasons unknown to me, for I never could find any reason in myself why He should have looked upon me with special love. So I am forced to accept that great Biblical doctrine. I recollect an Arminian brother telling me that he had read the Scriptures through a score or more times, and could never find the doctrine of election in them. He added that he was sure he would have done so if it had been there, for he read the Word on his knees. I said to him, "I think you read the Bible in a very uncomfortable posture, and if you had read it in your easy chair, you would have been more likely to understand it. Pray, by all means, and the more, the better, but it is a piece of superstition to think there is anything in the posture in which a man puts himself for reading: and as to reading through the Bible twenty times without having found anything about the doctrine of election, the wonder is that you found anything at all: you must have galloped through it at such a rate that you were not likely to have any intelligible idea of the meaning of the Scriptures."If it would be marvelous to see one river leap up from the earth full-grown, what would it be to gaze upon a vast spring from which all the rivers of the earth should at once come bubbling up, a million of them born at a birth? What a vision would it be! Who can conceive it. And yet the love of God is that fountain, from which all the rivers of mercy, which have ever gladdened our race—all the rivers of grace in time, and of glory hereafter—take their rise. My soul, stand thou at that sacred fountain-head, and adore and magnify, for ever and ever, God, even our Father, who hath loved us! In the very beginning, when this great universe lay in the mind of God, like unborn forests in the acorn cup; long ere the echoes awoke the solitudes; before the mountains were brought forth; and long ere the light flashed through the sky, God loved His chosen creatures. Before there was any created being—when the ether was not fanned by an angel's wing, when space itself had not an existence, when there was nothing save God alone—even then, in that loneliness of Deity, and in that deep quiet and profundity, His bowels moved with love for His chosen. Their names were written on His heart, and then were they dear to His soul. Jesus loved His people before the foundation of the world—even from eternity! and when He called me by His grace, He said to me, "I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee."Then, in the fulness of time, He purchased me with His blood; He let His heart run out in one deep gaping wound for me long ere I loved Him. Yea, when He first came to me, did I not spurn Him? When He knocked at the door, and asked for entrance, did I not drive Him away, and do despite to His grace? Ah, I can remember that I full often did so until, at last, by the power of His effectual grace, He said, "I must, I will come in;" and then He turned my heart, and made me love Him. But even till now I should have resisted Him, had it not been for His grace. Well, then since He purchased me when I was dead in sins, does it not follow, as a consequence necessary and logical, that He must have loved me first? Did my Saviour die for me because I believed on Him? No; I was not then in existence; I had then no being. Could the Saviour, therefore, have died because I had faith, when I myself was not yet born? Could that have been possible? Could that have been the origin of the Saviour's love towards me? Oh! no; my Saviour died for me long before I believed. "But," says someone, "He foresaw that you would have faith; and, therefore, He loved you." What did He foresee about my faith? Did He foresee that I should get that faith myself, and that I should believe on Him of myself? No; Christ could not foresee that, because no Christian man will ever say that faith came of itself without the gift and without the working of the Holy Spirit. I have met with a great many believers, and talked with them about this matter; but I never knew one who could put his hand on his heart, and say, "I believed in Jesus without the assistance of the Holy Spirit."I am bound to the doctrine of the depravity of the human heart, because I find myself depraved in heart, and have daily proofs that in my flesh there dwelleth no good thing. If God enters into covenant with unfallen man, man is so insignificant a creature that it must be an act of gracious condescension on the Lord's part; but if God enters into covenant with sinful man, he is then so offensive a creature that it must be, on God's part, an act of pure, free, rich, sovereign grace. When the Lord entered into covenant with me, I am sure that it was all of grace, nothing else but grace. When I remember what a den of unclean beasts and birds my heart was, and how strong was my unrenewed will, how obstinate and rebellious against the sovereignty of the Divine rule, I always feel inclined to take the very lowest room in my Father's house, and when I enter Heaven, it will be to go among the less than the least of all saints, and with the chief of sinners.The late lamented Mr. Denham has put, at the foot of his portrait, a most admirable text, "Salvation is of the Lord." That is just an epitome of Calvinism; it is the sum and substance of it. If anyone should ask me what I mean by a Calvinist, I should reply, "He is one who says, Salvation is of the Lord." I cannot find in Scripture any other doctrine than this. It is the essence of the Bible. "He only is my rock and my salvation." Tell me anything contrary to this truth, and it will be a heresy; tell me a heresy, and I shall find its essence here, that it has departed from this great, this fundamental, this rock-truth, "God is my rock and my salvation." What is the heresy of Rome, but the addition of something to the perfect merits of Jesus Christ—the bringing in of the works of the flesh, to assist in our justification? And what is the heresy of Arminianism but the addition of something to the work of the Redeemer? Every heresy, if brought to the touchstone, will discover itself here. I have my own private opinion that there is no such thing as preaching Christ and Him crucified, unless we preach what nowadays is called Calvinism. It is a nickname to call it Calvinism; Calvinism is the gospel, and nothing else. I do not believe we can preach the gospel, if we do not preach justification by faith, without works; nor unless we preach the sovereignty of God in His dispensation of grace; nor unless we exalt the electing, unchangeable, eternal, immutable, conquering love of Jehovah; nor do I think we can preach the gospel, unless we base it upon the special and particular redemption of His elect and chosen people which Christ wrought out upon the cross; nor can I comprehend a gospel which lets saints fall away after they are called, and suffers the children of God to be burned in the fires of damnation after having once believed in Jesus. Such a gospel I abhor.
"If ever it should come to pass,That sheep of Christ might fall away,My fickle, feeble soul, alas!Would fall a thousand times a day."If one dear saint of God had perished, so might all; if one of the covenant ones be lost, so may all be; and then there is no gospel promise true, but the Bible is a lie, and there is nothing in it worth my acceptance. I will be an infidel at once when I can believe that a saint of God can ever fall finally. If God hath loved me once, then He will love me for ever. God has a master-mind; He arranged everything in His gigantic intellect long before He did it; and once having settled it, He never alters it, "This shall be done," saith He, and the iron hand of destiny marks it down, and it is brought to pass. "This is My purpose," and it stands, nor can earth or hell alter it. "This is My decree," saith He, "promulgate it, ye holy angels; rend it down from the gate of Heaven, ye devils, if ye can; but ye cannot alter the decree, it shall stand for ever." God altereth not His plans; why should He? He is Almighty, and therefore can perform His pleasure. Why should He? He is the All-wise, and therefore cannot have planned wrongly. Why should He? He is the everlasting God, and therefore cannot die before His plan is accomplished. Why should He change? Ye worthless atoms of earth, ephemera of a day, ye creeping insects upon this bay-leaf of existence, ye may change your plans, but He shall never, never change His. Has He told me that His plan is to save me? If so, I am for ever safe.
"My name from the palms of His handsEternity will not erase;Impress'd on His heart it remains,In marks of indelible grace."I do not know how some people, who believe that a Christian can fall from grace, manage to be happy. It must be a very commendable thing in them to be able to get through a day without despair. If I did not believe the doctrine of the final perseverance of the saints, I think I should be of all men the most miserable, because I should lack any ground of comfort. I could not say, whatever state of heart I came into, that I should be like a well-spring of water, whose stream fails not; I should rather have to take the comparison of an intermittent spring, that might stop on a sudden, or a reservoir, which I had no reason to expect would always be full. I believe that the happiest of Christians and the truest of Christians are those who never dare to doubt God, but who take His Word simply as it stands, and believe it, and ask no questions, just feeling assured that if God has said it, it will be so. I bear my willing testimony that I have no reason, nor even the shadow of a reason, to doubt my Lord, and I challenge Heaven, and earth, and hell, to bring any proof that God is untrue. From the depths of hell I call the fiends, and from this earth I call the tried and afflicted believers, and to Heaven I appeal, and challenge the long experience of the blood-washed host, and there is not to be found in the three realms a single person who can bear witness to one fact which can disprove the faithfulness of God, or weaken His claim to be trusted by His servants. There are many things that may or may not happen, but this I know shall happen—
"He shall present my soul,Unblemish'd and complete,Before the glory of His face,With joys divinely great."All the purposes of man have been defeated, but not the purposes of God. The promises of man may be broken—many of them are made to be broken—but the promises of God shall all be fulfilled. He is a promise-maker, but He never was a promise-breaker; He is a promise-keeping God, and every one of His people shall prove it to be so. This is my grateful, personal confidence, "The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me"—unworthy me, lost and ruined me. He will yet save me; and—
"I, among the blood-wash'd throng,Shall wave the palm, and wear the crown,And shout loud victory."I go to a land which the plough of earth hath never upturned, where it is greener than earth's best pastures, and richer than her most abundant harvests ever saw. I go to a building of more gorgeous architecture than man hath ever builded; it is not of mortal design; it is "a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens." All I shall know and enjoy in Heaven, will be given to me by the Lord, and I shall say, when at last I appear before Him—
"Grace all the work shall crownThrough everlasting days;It lays in Heaven the topmost stone,And well deserves the praise."I know there are some who think it necessary to their system of theology to limit the merit of the blood of Jesus: if my theological system needed such a limitation, I would cast it to the winds. I cannot, I dare not allow the thought to find a lodging in my mind, it seems so near akin to blasphemy. In Christ's finished work I see an ocean of merit; my plummet finds no bottom, my eye discovers no shore. There must be sufficient efficacy in the blood of Christ, if God had so willed it, to have saved not only all in this world, but all in ten thousand worlds, had they transgressed their Maker's law. Once admit infinity into the matter, and limit is out of the question. Having a Divine Person for an offering, it is not consistent to conceive of limited value; bound and measure are terms inapplicable to the Divine sacrifice. The intent of the Divine purpose fixes the application of the infinite offering, but does not change it into a finite work. Think of the numbers upon whom God has bestowed His grace already. Think of the countless hosts in Heaven: if thou wert introduced there to-day, thou wouldst find it as easy to tell the stars, or the sands of the sea, as to count the multitudes that are before the throne even now. They have come from the East, and from the West, from the North, and from the South, and they are sitting down with Abraham, and with Isaac, and with Jacob in the Kingdom of God; and beside those in Heaven, think of the saved ones on earth. Blessed be God, His elect on earth are to be counted by millions, I believe, and the days are coming, brighter days than these, when there shall be multitudes upon multitudes brought to know the Saviour, and to rejoice in Him. The Father's love is not for a few only, but for an exceeding great company. "A great multitude, which no man could number," will be found in Heaven. A man can reckon up to very high figures; set to work your Newtons, your mightiest calculators, and they can count great numbers, but God and God alone can tell the multitude of His redeemed. I believe there will be more in Heaven than in hell. If anyone asks me why I think so, I answer, because Christ, in everything, is to "have the pre-eminence," and I cannot conceive how He could have the pre-eminence if there are to be more in the dominions of Satan than in Paradise. Moreover, I have never read that there is to be in hell a great multitude, which no man could number. I rejoice to know that the souls of all infants, as soon as they die, speed their way to Paradise. Think what a multitude there is of them! Then there are already in Heaven unnumbered myriads of the spirits of just men made perfect—the redeemed of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues up till now; and there are better times coming, when the religion of Christ shall be universal; when—
"He shall reign from pole to pole,With illimitable sway;"when whole kingdoms shall bow down before Him, and nations shall be born in a day, and in the thousand years of the great millennial state there will be enough saved to make up all the deficiencies of the thousands of years that have gone before. Christ shall be Master everywhere, and His praise shall be sounded in every land. Christ shall have the pre-eminence at last; His train shall be far larger than that which shall attend the chariot of the grim monarch of hell.Some persons love the doctrine of universal atonement because they say, "It is so beautiful. It is a lovely idea that Christ should have died for all men; it commends itself," they say, "to the instincts of humanity; there is something in it full of joy and beauty." I admit there is, but beauty may be often associated with falsehood. There is much which I might admire in the theory of universal redemption, but I will just show what the supposition necessarily involves. If Christ on His cross intended to save every man, then He intended to save those who were lost before He died. If the doctrine be true, that He died for all men, then He died for some who were in hell before He came into this world, for doubtless there were even then myriads there who had been cast away because of their sins. Once again, if it was Christ's intention to save all men, how deplorably has He been disappointed, for we have His own testimony that there is a lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, and into that pit of woe have been cast some of the very persons who, according to the theory of universal redemption, were bought with His blood. That seems to me a conception a thousand times more repulsive than any of those consequences which are said to be associated with the Calvinistic and Christian doctrine of special and particular redemption. To think that my Saviour died for men who were or are in hell, seems a supposition too horrible for me to entertain. To imagine for a moment that He was the Substitute for all the sons of men, and that God, having first punished the Substitute, afterwards punished the sinners themselves, seems to conflict with all my ideas of Divine justice. That Christ should offer an atonement and satisfaction for the sins of all men, and that afterwards some of those very men should be punished for the sins for which Christ had already atoned, appears to me to be the most monstrous iniquity that could ever have been imputed to Saturn, to Janus, to the goddess of the Thugs, or to the most diabolical heathen deities. God forbid that we should ever think thus of Jehovah, the just and wise and good!There is no soul living who holds more firmly to the doctrines of grace than I do, and if any man asks me whether I am ashamed to be called a Calvinist, I answer—I wish to be called nothing but a Christian; but if you ask me, do I hold the doctrinal views which were held by John Calvin, I reply, I do in the main hold them, and rejoice to avow it. But far be it from me even to imagine that Zion contains none but Calvinistic Christians within her walls, or that there are none saved who do not hold our views. Most atrocious things have been spoken about the character and spiritual condition of John Wesley, the modern prince of Arminians. I can only say concerning him that, while I detest many of the doctrines which he preached, yet for the man himself I have a reverence second to no Wesleyan; and if there were wanted two apostles to be added to the number of the twelve, I do not believe that there could be found two men more fit to be so added than George Whitefield and John Wesley. The character of John Wesley stands beyond all imputation for self-sacrifice, zeal, holiness, and communion with God; he lived far above the ordinary level of common Christians, and was one "of whom the world was not worthy." I believe there are multitudes of men who cannot see these truths, or, at least, cannot see them in the way in which we put them, who nevertheless have received Christ as their Saviour, and are as dear to the heart of the God of grace as the soundest Calvinist in or out of Heaven.I do not think I differ from any of my Hyper-Calvinistic brethren in what I do believe, but I differ from them in what they do not believe. I do not hold any less than they do, but I hold a little more, and, I think, a little more of the truth revealed in the Scriptures. Not only are there a few cardinal doctrines, by which we can steer our ship North, South, East, or West, but as we study the Word, we shall begin to learn something about the North-west and North-east, and all else that lies between the four cardinal points. The system of truth revealed in the Scriptures is not simply one straight line, but two; and no man will ever get a right view of the gospel until he knows how to look at the two lines at once. For instance, I read in one Book of the Bible, "The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." Yet I am taught, in another part of the same inspired Word, that "it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy." I see, in one place, God in providence presiding over all, and yet I see, and I cannot help seeing, that man acts as he pleases, and that God has left his actions, in a great measure, to his own free-will. Now, if I were to declare that man was so free to act that there was no control of God over his actions, I should be driven very near to atheism; and if, on the other hand, I should declare that God so over-rules all things that man is not free enough to be responsible, I should be driven at once into Antinomianism or fatalism. That God predestines, and yet that man is responsible, are two facts that few can see clearly. They are believed to be inconsistent and contradictory to each other. If, then, I find taught in one part of the Bible that everything is fore-ordained, that is true; and if I find, in another Scripture, that man is responsible for all his actions, that is true; and it is only my folly that leads me to imagine that these two truths can ever contradict each other. I do not believe they can ever be welded into one upon any earthly anvil, but they certainly shall be one in eternity. They are two lines that are so nearly parallel, that the human mind which pursues them farthest will never discover that they converge, but they do converge, and they will meet somewhere in eternity, close to the throne of God, whence all truth doth spring.It is often said that the doctrines we believe have a tendency to lead us to sin. I have heard it asserted most positively, that those high doctrines which we love, and which we find in the Scriptures, are licentious ones. I do not know who will have the hardihood to make that assertion, when they consider that the holiest of men have been believers in them. I ask the man who dares to say that Calvinism is a licentious religion, what he thinks of the character of Augustine, or Calvin, or Whitefield, who in successive ages were the great exponents of the system of grace; or what will he say of the Puritans, whose works are full of them? Had a man been an Arminian in those days, he would have been accounted the vilest heretic breathing, but now we are looked upon as the heretics, and they as the orthodox. We have gone back to the old school; we can trace our descent from the apostles. It is that vein of free-grace, running through the sermonizing of Baptists, which has saved us as a denomination. Were it not for that, we should not stand where we are today. We can run a golden line up to Jesus Christ Himself, through a holy succession of mighty fathers, who all held these glorious truths; and we can ask concerning them, "Where will you find holier and better men in the world?" No doctrine is so calculated to preserve a man from sin as the doctrine of the grace of God. Those who have called it "a licentious doctrine" did not know anything at all about it. Poor ignorant things, they little knew that their own vile stuff was the most licentious doctrine under Heaven. If they knew the grace of God in truth, they would soon see that there was no preservative from lying like a knowledge that we are elect of God from the foundation of the world. There is nothing like a belief in my eternal perseverance, and the immutability of my Father's affection, which can keep me near to Him from a motive of simple gratitude. Nothing makes a man so virtuous as belief of the truth. A lying doctrine will soon beget a lying practice. A man cannot have an erroneous belief without by-and-by having an erroneous life. I believe the one thing naturally begets the other. Of all men, those have the most disinterested piety, the sublimest reverence, the most ardent devotion, who believe that they are saved by grace, without works, through faith, and that not of themselves, it is the gift of God. Christians should take heed, and see that it always is so, lest by any means Christ should be crucified afresh, and put to an open shame.

A Fat Temple

I looked in the mirror the other day and a horrifying thought came to mind, "I'm fat." Now, this started to worry me some so I thought on it throughout the day and then I went to lunch. I was kind of depressed so I didn't eat much. Then a revelation hit me, "Oh no, thinking you're fat is the first sign of anorexia." I could be starving to death and not even know it. Maybe that is why I can't get a date; I'm so scrawny I scare the ladies away. And then I continued to consider this and I thought, "Oh no, what is I really am fat?" I could be second away from a heart attack. Maybe the girls think I'm a disgusting blob and that is why I'm single. I couldn't ask anyone because either I'd find out I'm anorexic or huge. So I began to think of way solve this issue. Then I realized I must simply come to terms and look at the positives of one of these issues. When I was young I was told I serve a big God. When I grew older I was told that the body is the temple of God's. So why not look at being fat as simply giving God more room. So I know I am on a daily quest to fight my battle with anorexia. This I promise will eat my way to victory. Please join me in my battle.

PMS

So I’ve been totally down the last couple of days. I just really feel like I don’t know where I belong. I started hanging out a lot this semester with a great group of people that are a lot of fun, but I always feel like an outsider like I’m intruding or something. I told this to one guy and he said I tend to push myself on people. I guess I do, but I don’t really know how or what to do to stop it. I really hate being alone, but I seem to end up that ways a lot. I’m sitting with this whole group of people and they are talking about going to a movie and not one do they even hint at seeming like I should come along. I don’t know I guess I’ve always been like this, but when I think I’m getting better about it I seem to screw it up again.
In High School it was mainly because I was a partier, but now I’m at a Christian College and I still can’t seem to fit in right. I think part of the problem is past experiences. When you become really good at hiding certain parts of your life and change who you are its hard to be yourself. Sometimes I’m not even sure I know who I am. Don’t get me wrong I know whose I am, but not really sure who I am. Such is the price of sin and a fallen world. I know I don’t deserve friends, none of us do, but yet I still strongly desire them. I know I should find my satisfaction is Christ first and then the rest will follow, but at times my faith just isn’t strong enough. I could lie and say I was, but that would just heap burning coal onto my sins. Well I guess the answer is prayer, and I know it is. Yet, I seem to feel so melancholy, which is a byproduct of sin. So I ask those few reader I may have to pray for me when I can’t seem to pray for myself.

In God we Trust (even when it is difficult),
Jason Vaughn

P.S. I realize I get like this once a month I think its like the male period or something.

Dating Advice

A friend of mine at Southern Seminary posted this and I thought it deserved to be spread to more people. You can find the original post at Selah.
I write this in light of the extraordinary number of relationships related posts I have recently seen. I figure that I can take a moment away from theological posts (don't worry, it'll be in here) and write upon things from the perspective of the great hordes of single men out there--hopefully soli deo gloria. So women, this post is for you.If a guy asks you out on a date (probably to get coffee, of which you may have had more coffee in this past week with guys you don't really know than you would ever want), consider that a great honor. This man is willing to sacrifice of his time (at least a few hours) to get to know YOU better. He could have done a number of other things with his time, including, 1) homework, 2)work and earn some money, 3)hang out with his guy friends, 4)exercise, 5)go buy himself a new rifle. But he is willing to go out and most likely spend money on you.Most likely when he asks his speech is not going to be eloquent--rather, he may sound like Porky Pig studdering over every other word that proceeds from his mouth. Don't hold that against him; that is merely anxiety over the enormous task of what can seem like walking into a lion's den with nothing more than a leotard between him and the lion (it sometimes seems to men, usually fallaciously, that women are just prowling around waiting to bite your head off). If nothing else, understand that if you say 'no' or if the relationship ends up not working out, our boy here is going to be at the least a little crushed--and who knows how long he may have liked you and gotten up the nerve to ask you on one 3 hour date.I know of guys who are quite afraid to ask women on dates. These are men of whom the world is not worthy--men who love God, bear the fruit of the Spirit, will love their wives more and more everyday until they die... and who aren't that bad looking. Who knows when it could be one of these godly men who is asking you for one date. Men like this are quite rare. I'm going to be frank right now and say that you are probably not worthy of him--after all, you are a sinner who deserves hell, saved by grace alone (though I must make clear that this is a two-sided coin, this man is also a wretched sinner saved by grace, and so he is not worthy of you either--humility is a quality that is needed on both sides here). A man who will treat you like a queen is not what you deserve.If you have homework/work to do, or whatever else you have to do, then do that and let him know. But don't just make excuses (guys may be slow, but we can still see through excuses). Let him know that you would be willing to do something with him at a later time. And also, most guys are pretty flexible with when you could do stuff together. They'll make time in their schedules for you. So when they ask you when you'd like to do something, don't think that they are being passive, rather, they're probably being kind (a quality worth looking for).Now, if you really think the guy is that bad and you really dislike him that much, then gently just say 'no,' when you are asked. I'm also not suggesting that you just give anyone a chance. If you are in hearty disagreement with a man over issues you see as important (i.e. theology, life philosophy, etc), then it probably would be better to just say 'no.' Also, I'm not suggesting that you go out with the 'hanger-outer boys', who without a doubt will ask you out--but I'd imagine that they are quite easily identifiable. I'm not suggesting that you go on a date with just anybody who asks you out, but if the man seems nice, genuine, godly (this is addressed primarily to Christian women), respectful, sweet (i.e. opens the doors for you, speaks kindly, asks how your day went), and you don't think he's drop-dead ugly, then give him at least one date--who knows, you may just find the diamond in the rough.

Soli Deo Gloria

I hate sin. More than that I hate sinning. Daily I find myself right back in the same sinking boat. Sins that I have struggles with for years continue to raise their ugly heads and at one little temptation there I go falling into it again. Like Paul says in Romans 7:15 “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” Oh how dreadful our nature. Even though we are new creations that old flesh continues to rise up. We know how awful this sin is and yet we continue to do it. We exchange the very glory of God for the guilt of sin. Oh how merciful our God is not to destroy us. Why He would suffer the pain of the cross I cannot fathom.

God let us be set free as you promise and command us to be. Let us live and be satisfied in your glory alone. We thank you for this in the name of Christ, Amen.

In God we Trust,
Jason Vaughn

In Honor

In honor of 9/11 and Katrina:
From the smoldering rubble, we rise,
From the well of bitter tears, we rise,
From the night that seemed without end,
From the day blackened with blood and fire,
We rise…
We give thanks for the light,
prayers for the souls gone abruptly to God;
We give thanks for the magic and majesty
that shines even in the face of madness.
From the storied cities, we rise,
From the bountiful fields, we rise,
From the crucible of peace and justice,
From the land of the free and the freedmen,
We rise…
(Not original to me)

take action

So I was trying to think of something good to create conversation and I figured affirmative action abolishment would do the trick. So this will be short bur I want to get your thoughts on it.
I understand why affirmative action was started and it was probably needed at the time, but I really do think its time has passed. Having racial quotas is not only unconstitutional it is harmful to race relations in this country. Hiring should not be based on race, but on qualifications. If a company has a position open and a more qualified white man applies versus an unqualified black man a company should not have to suffer simply because of a quota. Now I realize that racism is still a problem, but I do not think a broad sweeping regulation such as affirmative action should be in place. I believe that each company where discrimination is taking place should be investigated, and if the allegations are true that company should be severely punished by the court of law.
Understand, I am not coming at this out of racism, but the opposite. Affirmative action creates a sense that certain people need help because they aren’t good enough to be hired on their own. It creates government sponsored racism.
If any of my brothers and sisters in Christ are reading this and you struggle with racism, whether black, white, hispanic, or asian , I strongly encourage you to repent because if we cannot show each other love then we cannot love Christ.

Do we Deserve Better?

I was watching Fox News earlier and Shepherd Smith was speaking about how amazing the devastation was in New Orleans. He was astonished at how one storm could cause so much damage. Many people view this through the same eyes as him. When we watch the aftermath play out we grieve with these people. We long to help. We stand amazed at the horror, but we must remember that the horror is not at the lives lost or the property destroyed. The true horror in all this is that our world is so fallen that God in His righteousness sends forth such destruction.

Some people, including Christians, are asking themselves where God was in this tragedy. The answer is simple: God was there in the disaster. Nothing happens outside His sovereign control. Every atom is known and structured and created by His hands. This hurricane was created and submissive to the Lord of the universe. Some people cry in horror when they consider that the loving God set forth in Scripture would do such a thing.

To all who read this, we are occupants of a fallen world. This affects every aspect of our lives. Many have wondered if Hurricane Katrina was not an act of God to judge the city as He did Sodom and Gomorrah. If this were true then the hurricane should have destroyed each and every one of us as well. Let us not forget the words of Christ in Luke 13:1-5

“Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."

We stand as guilty as anyone that city. The only difference is God still has His hand of mercy on us. To all those who watch the death count rise and wonder what your response should be this tragedy I will happily tell you: Repent lest the same should befall you. The Lord has given us the opportunity to turn from wickedness and so we must. We can send aid and money, but our primary duty is to turn to God and lead others to His infinite mercy. We deserve the destruction Katrina brought, and we must be thankful that compared to the entire world there was so little left to ruin. At every moment of our life God is sending out both His wrath and His grace up the world. Both demonstrations of His character are meant for one end: the complete redemption of His people.

God you are gracious and merciful and we thank you for sparing us and calling us out of our sin. May we lean on your truths in our moments of despair. And may we take the message of your grace to world. Amen.

Choosing a church

So I attend a small Southern Baptist church. Several college students attend this church, but due its location to our school it should be packed out. Now there are probably about 20 members of this congregation. They are some of the greatest people I have ever known, and I think all of them are either retired are close to it. Now a good friend of mine that I respect, and myself were talking about why so few students attend. Now my view is because there are so few ministries and studies students can be involved in. My friend’s main argument was that it is due to the worship. The interim minister of music is a great guy but he is always off key and we always do traditional hymns with piano accompaniment. I personally love old hymns and a even the organ, but I know I’m strange. So my question is: Do you really choose a church based on the style of music? I mean some people were rather forsake the fellowship than go to a traditional church. I personally love hymns so before you say that’s the reason I go understand that I use to attend True Life which is one of the most contemporary churches in the area, but it had good teaching from Pastor Joel Rainey. So am I just that weird that the doctrine of truth be more important than whether our music style began in the 1950s or whether it began in the 1970s? I know God gave people specific tastes, but I can’t understand why we would break fellowship over such a trivial issue. It seems so “me” focused. “This is how I worship in music.” If that is mindset you start from then what you are doing is not God-centered worship nor is it any kind of worship. In your home you decide what is your own style, but in the church you worship however possible. Now if there are two churches you are choosing between and both are equally doctrinal true then of course you should choose the one that fits your personality, but if you go in with the attitude is this what makes me comfortable and not is this where I can grow in my walk with Christ then you are committing a terrible fallacy. This isn’t easy to do. I personally have a hard time going into a very contemporary church and looking past that to worship and learn, but it must be done. We who are servants of Christ cannot be more concerned about our own style than we are about the doctrines of Christ. Both groups must be willing to look beyond such trivialities to expand the gospel of Christ. More on this later, but I would really like to hear your thought on this in the blog section. How do you choose a church?

Ministry Opportunity

I just found out that the Palmetto Expo Center in Greenville, SC may be taking in refugees. If that happens I would like to do some ministry there and consider starting a church there. If anyone in the area would like to help e-mail me. Also, please remember the family of Supreme Court Justice William Rehnquist as he just passed away.

New Orleans

I want to help. It’s killing me watching the news and knowing I’m helpless. I would send money but I have none. I tried to go. I called several different groups to hook up with and I couldn’t. I try praying and I break into tears. God help us, please. I don’t know anything else to say, or if anything else can be said. We are going over Fall Break so if you want to go tell me. I just don’t know though.

Daily thoughts

I looked in the mirror the other day and a horrifying thought came to mind, "I'm fat." Now, this started to worry me some so I thought on it throughout the day and then I went to lunch. I was kind of depressed so I didn't eat much. Then a revelation hit me, "Oh no, thinking you're fat is the first sign of anorexia." I could be starving to death and not even know it. Maybe that is why I can't get a date; I'm so scrawny I scare the ladies away. And then I continued to consider this and I thought, "Oh no, what is I really am fat?" I could be second away from a heart attack. Maybe the girls think I'm a disgusting blob and that is why I'm single. I couldn't ask anyone because either I'd find out I'm anorexic or huge. So I began to think of way solve this issue. Then I realized I must simply come to terms and look at the positives of one of these issues. When I was young I was told I serve a big God. When I grew older I was told that the body is the temple of God's. So why not look at being fat as simply giving God more room. So I know I am on a daily quest to fight my battle with anorexia. This I promise will eat my way to victory. Please join me in my battle.

quick note

So just a quick blog. I head back to NGC tonight it will be good to see everyone. I was wondering if yall could do me a favor. I am looking for blogging ideas. e-mails and comments appreciated.

Exploring South Carolina

So the other day I went with Leonardo out to explore the wonder that is South Carolina. I thought you folks might like to see what we get to experience in the foothills of SC.

First stop was Bald Rock (a new preserve)




After that we went up to Caesar's Head.




Finally we headed over to a waterfall on 11




And thus our journey ended. After a great lunch at El Rancho Grande we headed back to the dorm and I took a nice long nap. Many journeys to come. Care to join us?

In God we Trust,
Jason Vaughn

I'm Back

Okay, I survived the greyhound. I actually had a good time. I got to meet some interesting folks, but I'll write more on that later.

Here are a few tips for riding the greyhoud.

Ride in the front, you don't have to smell the bathroom, and the quieter people usually sit there.

Take a small lunch, just in case the place you stop to eat is nasty.

Try to sit next to someone that speaks English, unless you want to practice your spanish.

NEVER, sit in front of two kids. You will want to either kill yourself or them.

Finally, don't be afraid to talk to people. They can be really cool, and pray God will give you the opportunity to share the gospel.

Those are just a few things I discovered while riding the Greyhound.

So on to the trip in KY. Only I would take my vacation from college to go to seminary. I do wonder if I am crazy at times. Though I'm sure many of you wonder that more often than I. Yea so Louisville is full of cool stuff and I didn't get to see any of it. I did go to a few cool places Phlene's Bakery (pronounced Plane's) which has been there since 1924, and no it wasn't the fat man's idea. I also went to see Braudus' grave (from Braudus Press). I know it is weird but I had fun. The main purpose of the trip was to visit my friend's church and I have only one comment about that: his members can cook. Amen and Amen. Anyway it was a fun time and relaxing before I head back to school this week. I hope all of you are wll. God Bless.

Update

Just a quick update. The bus ride was great and God gave me an opportunity to witness and meet great people. Louisville is awesome as always I will update more when I can.

In God we Trust,

Jason Vaughn

Louisville Freedom

Wow! What a day it has been. I finished up in Western Civ. with a 100 on the final and ended summer school finally. So I was excited about having a few days off to relax and get ready for regular school when I get a call from a friend at Southern Seminary. He is coming down here to be ordained later in the week and he called to give me the details. Anyway, he mentioned I should come up there this week to visit his new church. I have no idea why but something in me decided to go. After a few calls to get the money and an hour later I have a Greyhound ticket to Louisville, KY that leaves at 6:25 am. How completely random is that? I have never been on a bus in my life and now I’m traveling tomorrow by myself. So weird, but I love the weird. So within an hour and a half my plans have completely changed. I hope y’all will pray for me on this trip because after the ticket I have no money to buy food or anything. I don’t know why, but I’m really excited. Maybe God is planning something completely amazing on this trip. Pray I will be open to His guidance.
Here is the other thing I was thinking about today. Isn’t it completely amazing that we live in a country that we can just pick up and go 550 miles and not get anyone permission? I mean, there really are so few places where that is possible. I was listening to an Assemblies of God speaker last night and he made a great point. In this country at this time we have more freedom than any other people or place in history and the majority of us just waste it. We have the freedom of speech, but what do we say? We have the freedom of the press, but what do we write? We have the freedom to travel, but where do we go? We have freedom of religion, but we do believe? And we have freedom to learn anything in the world on any subject, but most of us sit in front of a television watching a sitcom and wasting what God gave us. “I came to the realization that God didn’t create me to watch TV, but to be on TV.” We have all the freedom in the world, but what good is it if we never use it?
As I step onto that bus tomorrow I hope to be eternally thankful because anyone has the right to be on that bus and anyone can sit where they want on that bus. That is such a minor freedom, but may we never take it for granted.
Remember me in your prayers as you are in mine.

In God we Trust,
Jason Vaughn

Fatherhood of God

Have a while to read this one guys. But I think you will like it, also read my previous post I want to know what you think.

Fatherhood of God

Gal. 4:6-7 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!"
So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.

Names of God

Anytime someone comes into an encounter with God and learns something new about Him the give Him a new name to represent that newly discovered trait. It is not that God is changing but that He is showing different areas of His being to His people. When God does this His people describe Him using that trait. The people of Israel rarely would use the term Yahweh, meaning God, because it contained too much power. In the Gospel of Mathew, the writer decides not to use the term out of respect to the Jews he was writing and witnessing too. That is why we read “kingdom of Heaven” instead of “kingdom of God.” So throughout the OT God was given many names, but I believe His favorite name must be the name Father. In the Gospel of John alone Jesus uses the phrase “Abba” meaning father 156 times. Even with all the names already given to Him what could be a greater name than the one used by His own son. You see we can call Him Elohim (Creator), we can call Him Jehovah-ra’ah (a caring shepherd), Jehovah-jireh (the Lord who provides), Jehovah-shalom (the Lord of peace), Jehovah-rophe (the Lord who heals), and we can even call Him Jehovah-nissi (the Lord is my banner, the one who goes out before me). Yet, even with all these glorious and worshipful names we must never forget to call Him Abba, Father, Daddy.

Fatherhood before Christ

God as a father was foreshadowed in the Old Testament and by the time of Jesus’ incarnation there was extensive use in religious circles, but when Christ can the term took upon itself a much more embracing, and spiritual meaning. There were several issues that had to be addressed before a true sense of God’s fatherhood could be seen. First, we needed to truly understand the perfection of God. Second, we needed a sense or correspondence to God without sin. Third, we needed an immediate and unbroken fellowship with God, and be able to find mutual kinship with Him. Each of these issues was realized in the life, teachings, and death of Jesus Christ.

The Son’s Father

Now let us turn our attention to Him who has and continues to experience the fatherhood of God. The term father if nothing else must mean at its core “the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” As God the Son, Jesus has a greater relationship with God the Father that any man could ever realize. It was unique, experiential, and all consuming. The filial consciousness, consciousness of sonship, guided Jesus’ thoughts throughout His life. This relationship is the key that gives Christ the authority and foundation for His saving office of humanity. We know that from a young age Christ had this sonship consciousness, if He had not always had it. The first comment out of Jesus’ mouth in scripture testifies to this fact. “Why were you searching for me?” He asked. “Did you not know I would be in my Father’s house?” Some translations read “about my Father’s business?” Christ ministry began with these words from God “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” Through the temptations He guarded the relationship and through his teachings He testified to the knowledge from His Father. AS His ministry came to a close at the transfiguration the word “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to Him!” gave Christ a renewed assurance as the prospect of death became imminent. Even in His death the sonship consciousness never leaves Him. Jesus tells His disciples just before His betrayal “But a time is coming, and has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.” Even though His Father was sacrificing Him for the sake of the redemption of mankind the idea of sonship is still unbroken. The One who offered Him up was the same One Christ leaned on in His crucifixion. While on the cross we read the words that would be a nightmare to any father, if that father were not completely sovereign. His “only begotten Son” is on the cross dying one of the world’s most grueling deaths for sins He never committed and cries out “My God, my God why have you forsaken me?” (One of the few times Christ does not refer to God as Abba) But even in this the filial, sonship consciousness is not broken. There is no sense of sin, and immediately after the initial impact subsides Jesus cries out “Father, into your hand I commit my spirit.” Jesus ended His life in the same way it had begun, proclaiming that kinship with His Father that inspired His life even when all the forces of Hell and God’s wrath were unleashed onto His body and Soul at one time He still cries out “Abba, Father!” This lifelong relationship can leave us saying only on thing: “Surely this man was the Son of God!” May that be our prayer that no matter what is happening around us our hearts will cry out to the One that made and saves us and say “Daddy, into your hand I commit my spirit and everything that I am. I life and in death I want to always know you as Father above all else.”

The Son’s fellowship with the Father guides Christ’s every deed. In John 8:29 Jesus says “The one who sent me is with me; He has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases Him.” Just before the Christ tells how He pleases His Father, “…I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.” (John 8:28) The life of Christ is a completely realized fellowship of heart, mind, soul, and strength between God the Son and God the Father. Christ is the Shemah incarnate. Deuteronomy 6: 4-5 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your strength.” This is who Christ is; this is the Son’s relationship to the Father. They have a relationship of pure love given out of every part of His being to God the Father.

The relationship to the Father makes Christ who He is. “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.” (Matt. 11:27) So it is clear that the relationship between the Son and the Father is much greater than the relationship with the rest of creation. Even though Jesus has the authority to make the known to other He keeps that authority for Himself. Those He shows the Father to can’t show the Father to others except by showing them the Son!

The sonship of Christ did not occur with the incarnation. Christ was still God the Son before He took on the flesh of humanity. This is clearly shown in the prologue of the gospel of John. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of men (John 1:1-2). There are other verses that also testify to this such as John 8:58 “Before Abraham was, I Am.” And John 17:5 “And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.” So it made quite clear that Christ existed before the incarnation in the same relationship to God the Father.

The Father reveals, orders, and upholds. The Son perceives, trusts, and obeys. All glory that is given to the Son comes from the Father. “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.” (John 17:1) The Son was given glory to give glory back to the Father. Christ submits His own well to the will of the Father. “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

Fatherhood of God to Believers

Jesus also consistently teaches that God if the Father of the disciples. To know God as Father it must be experienced through the sonship. God is always the Father, but we are not always His sons, at least not in an experiential sense. Scripture teaches “He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be hold and blameless in His sight.” (Eph 1:4) We become sons of God through Jesus Christ. “Yet to all who receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” (John1:22) “But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. (Gal. 4:4-5) And of course Jesus clearly proclaims this in John 14:6 when He says “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man comes to the Father, but by me!” In Matt. 11:27 Christ proclaims, “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.” It is because of this we offer the invitation of “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matt 11:28)

When we accept Christ we change our relationship from enemies of God and slaves to sin, to sons of God, freed from sin’s bondage, and our sin nature is transformed to a regenerate nature. “Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.” (Gal 4:6-7)

Slaves are not heirs. Enemies are not heirs. In most cultures, daughters are not even heirs. Sons are heirs. They inherit the kingdom of God and become kings themselves. “Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory.” (Rom. 8:17) We are children of God and heirs of His kingdom. And we will live as such for eternity.

My favorite place to visit in Washington, D.C is Arlington National Cemetery. The summer after I graduate High School a group of us went on a road trip and stopped in D.C. for a day. While there I actually got into an argument with the people I was with because they didn’t want to see “a bunch of graves.” They won out, but it is because they just didn’t get it. It’s not a bunch of grave. It is the heroes of our nation. The interesting and amazing thing about Arlington is that almost all of the graves are the same, Corporals and Sergeants, Generals and Privates all buried with the same honor and respect as the next. This is the only country in the world where a General can be buries beside a Private in a fashion that shows no preference. You wouldn’t even know there rank if not for what is written on the markers.

That is what being a son of God is about; there is no preference. From the chief of sinner to the most righteous of men, God will call each believer His son and no one will ever know the difference, not even by the markers on our grave.

What kind of Father is God?

I want to take and explore a few of the characteristics of God, especially as it applies to His children. I won’t go into great detail for time sake so if you would like more information contact me later.

Our Father is wise. “Oh, the depth of the riches of wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments, and His paths beyond tracing out!” (Rom. 11:33) You thought it was from the Proverbs or a Psalm didn’t you? If our Father is a wise father we can trust Him to make wise decisions for our life as His Spirit guides us.

Our Father is a loving father. “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we love God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4:8-10) Our Father’s love means that He gives out everything that He is for His sons.

Our Father is full of grace. “This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” (Rom. 3:22-24) Because of His grace our father has stayed His wrathful hand, He has sacrificed His only Son, and He has justified His adopted children.

Our Father is a comforting father. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distress it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.” (2 Cor. 1:3-7) Enough said.

Our Father is a Holy Father. “Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in His holiness.” (Heb. 12:10) He has completely separated Himself from sin and helps us to do the same.

Our Father is a jealous father. “For my own sake, for my own sake, I do this. How can I let myself be defamed? I will not yield my glory to another.” (Isaiah 48:11) He seeks out and protects His glory above all else because He is the only one that deserves glory. It is not vanity that He demands worship, but out of His holiness and love. You may be saying “But love is not self-seeking.” No, love is not self-seeking, but it does seek to make its lover joyous. I was listening to a John Piper sermon a while back and he said lovers do no continue to tell one another of their love for each other out of duty; they of their love for each other because it would be incomplete without expression. This is same reason God demands worship, because unless our love is expressed it is incomplete. Until we share that love through speech, song, movement, and with everything else that we are our relationship with the Father will be lacking. Our Father must demand our love and we must express that love to Him because He is the only being in the universe worthy of any glory.

Finally, our Father is a patient father. We were born sinners and deserved death from the moment of conception. Yet God in His wondrous love and grace has stayed His hand until such a time as He so wills to bring His sons home. We see this best in the tale of the prodigal son. “Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them. "Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. "When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. "The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' "But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate. "Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.' "The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!' ”‘My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' "

This is who our Father is: wise, loving, graceful, holy, jealous, and patient. May we have the same sonship consciousness that Christ has made us worthy to receive. You may have known God by many names. Some of them may not even be good and true names. You may have called God insulting and belittling names because you blamed Him and were angry with Him. Now, I simply ask you to call Him one name, Daddy. Whether you are a son that has gone astray and has been feeding with the pigs or a son that has not yet met his real Father, He is watching for you. Maybe you are the other brother, and you have become complacent with the blessing of God as you stay in the House of the Lord. As a son of God we can not afford to become apathetic to God’s grace. As an heir to the kingdom we have a vested interest in advancing God’s possessions (His children) and the other brother was not doing his part. Whatever you need to do to meet the Son, Jesus Christ, so He can show you the Father, do it now. Or if you are driving later this week or year or whenever it might be and you hear the voice of your Father saying “Come home” do it that very moment. The Holy Spirit seeks out the children of God and shows them the way into His presence. Sonship comes with so many rewards and triumphs, but best of all is that when God sends you through the refining fires He is right there with you just as He was His only begotten Son on the cross.

In God we Trust,

Jason Vaughn

Intolerant Love

So we were discussing toleration in Principles of Evangelism class this week and I thought why not expand on that. The idea that Christians are intolerant is absurd if we are truly following the principles of Christ we are to be the most accepting people on the planet. Look who Christ was around, the riffraff, the prostitutes, the adulterers, the prisoners, the delinquents, and the lepers. Christ said in Matthew 9: 12-13 "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
So if this is so should we, as Christians, not follow after this example? And if we are following after Christ, then why are we considered intolerant? As Christians we accept people from every walk of life and lifestyle into God’s kingdom. Rich, poor, black, white, young, old, straight, gay God desires all of these people to be saved. The reason we are considered intolerant is because once a person has come to Christ, there will be a change in them that pulls them away from sin. They are new creatures with a regenerate nature. So the reason we appear intolerant is because the Church, like God, cannot accept sin into the church. So once a person becomes part of the family of Christ they are also expected to strive for holiness and turn from sin. Why? Because we are to imitate and become like Christ. Sin keeps us from having a perfect relationship with God.
The church cannot be tolerant of sin because we know there is something greater out there. The pleasures of sin are temporary, but the love of God is eternal. We should always strive for holiness because our God is Holy. This is why we may seem intolerant to the world.
So in conclusion we are not to be intolerant of those outside the church, but we are to be intolerant of sin inside the church. Christ takes us where we are and brings us closer to Him.

I leave you with these words from Lady Liberty.

“Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

Just remember who the true door is.

Confession

Is it really supposed to be like this? The fighting, the ridicule, the finger pointing? Is this what Christ had in mind?
We complain a lot about how screwed up the world is out there. The abortion, divorce, war, etc. But the world is supposed to be like that. The world is lost. The world is bound by sin. So from those bound by sin we should expect such things and not judge the lost for God has set their judgment as He has ours. But is the church supposed to be like that as well?
As most of you know I am a 5 point Calvinist, which mean I believe God has ordained all and is in ultimate control, but according to scripture the church should not be a small microcosm of the world.
The church is in such a distress right now and considering who we serve this should not be possible if we were truly serving Him. In this blog I want to take a minute to look at one specific reason we may be in such dire straights.
I think it is because we have lost all forms of trust in the church, especially when it comes to confession of sin. We no longer are willing to come forth to our brothers and sisters in Christ and admit there is a challenge we face with sin in our lives. But if that sin is discovered the entire body of Christ quickly jumps for the kill.
Here is the question I pose to both myself and my readers: If you are dealing with a sin would you feel comfortable divulging that sin to someone like you?
If there was some struggle in your life and everyone in your church was likely to react as you would if you told them, would you be willing to confess that sin?
What reaction do you have when you hear of someone's failings?
Do you laugh? "I knew it; I knew they were too good to be true."
Do you spread the word? "Hey George, guess what I found out."
Do you get angry? "That *****, I can't believe he would do that!"
Are you jealous because you didn't know earlier? "He should have said something."
Are you in disbelief? "I can't believe that he would.., him of all people."
Are you broken and hurt? "How could he do this to me?"
Are you speechless?
Maybe you experience all those emotions as it processes in your mind. Maybe you are just numb for a while. Whatever your initial response is, there is only one final response that will honor God, prayer. Prayer that that person will come out of sin, that they will be healed with God's power, and God will be glorified.
If that was our response to a confession of sin how much stronger would the church be? How much stronger would we be?
Is it appropriate to judge those that claim the name of Christ? Yes. We are to judge the sins of believers because if we do not the sin will continue, and a full fellowsip with God cannot be realized. But we are to judge as God judges, out of holiness, out of love, and through the blood of Christ.
So what are we to do about this trust issue? Here is the first step: Be honest with yourself about your own sinfulness. Remember that you need a savior too. Step 2: Now that you realize you failings when you hear of others do for them what you ask for yourself. Step 3: Trust someone with confession your sin. Every one of them, not just the small ones that we consider to be frivolous sin (though there is no such thing). Take the risk and pray God will receive the glory from it and bless you with a friendly ear.
Remember those you confess your sins too may not always follow those principles. They may spit in your face and tell the world. But He who saved you is there to comfort you. Be obedient to Him alone, and bear the cross of Christ with His strength. It is not easy to share that we are failures, but scripture demands it.
James 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
When we bear our burdens together the load is lighter, and the journey shorter.
I'm about to do something that I may regret, but I feel it necessary to prove my point. Below is a list of every sin I have dealt with both past and present. It is not an exhaustive list as many times I sin and do not even realize it. I tell you this for several reasons. First, my God has forgiven me and is bringing or has brought me out of each one and He receives the glory for that. The victory was won at the Cross, and I'm just battling myself and the enemy that hasn't gotten the message yet. Second, I desire you to realize I write these words out of personal conviction and not mere judgment on others. Third, I ask for prayer over these sins that I may still face. Finally, I pray it will shed some light on sin in your life that you may confess it before God and man, and join me in broken repentance.
Lust, Pride, Jealousy, Covetedness, Racism, Slothfulness, Gluttony, Theft, Disrespect of authority, Idolatry, Hatred, Lying, Betrayal, and Blasphemy.
My sins are great, but I serve a God greater than them. Judge as you wish, but my lot has been cast, and my chains have been broken. I am freed.
What about you?
In God we Trust,
Jason Vaughn

Christians tick me off!

Seriously, some "Christians" are just plain ignorant. Recently, it was revealed that someone I know was struggling with the sin of homosexuality. I found this out because a fellow Christian told me about it. What upsets me is that he told me in gossip (a sin itself) instead of in brokenness and concern for the individual. It really annoys me that certain sins Christians would rather make fun of someone instead of embracing them and praying for them to find a way out of that sin. It truly is ridiculous. When it comes to sins of adultery, homosexuality, and promiscuity Christians are more likely to completely cut that person off than to love them. I am not saying that we should accept these sins, but I am saying that each and everyone of us has been caught up in some sort of sin at some point in our lives, and the blood of Christ covers the sin of adultery as well as the sin of gossip.
I have to admit I find myself guilty of this same stupidity. I talked about certain person that recently left his wife and instead of showing concern laughed and made jokes concerning it. Now I feel that we do this at times because we don't want to realize the truth of what is happening. Concerning the man that committed adultery, he was a man I looked up to and once I stopped being moronic and looking at it I realized how much it hurt. That can never give us a right though to sin in return by gossiping or making light of sin.
I truly feel that we must stop being so stupid when it comes to others sin. Each of us has accepted Christ still struggle daily to honor Him and many times we fall. Yet, when we discover a brother’s sin our immediate fleshly reaction is to tell someone else. "Wait till so and so hears this...”
In Luke 7:47 Christ says "Therefore I tell you her sins, which are many, are forgiven--for she loved much. But he, who is forgiven little, loves little." Maybe the reason we find it so hard to accept these people with concern is that most of us have never been part of that sin. But that is not because of our righteousness or holiness it is because God Almighty, as was stated in my class today, saves some people from it, and others out of it. Just because God decided to save us from it does not mean we are greater it is simply what God in His sovereign judgment has chosen to do. If not for His grace who knows where we would be and what abominations we would be committing.
As many of you know, when I was ten years old I was molested. Because of this traumatic experience I struggled for years with sexual sins, and it wasn't until very recently God started to completely free me of that. Until last year I had never even told a fellow believer, except my youth pastor, about the struggle. I praise God that He brought me out of that and used that to help me understand the struggles of others. I pray God does not have to submit you to that before our eyes will be opened to the challenges some believers face. I urge each of you to look at your past and realize whether or not God has saved you from sin or out of sin He still had to do the saving. Without His working in our life we not only we be enthralled by the world, but also by damnation. We aren't perfect and we shouldn't expect others to be, though we should continue to pray those that have fallen because only God can pick them up. So next time a brother comes to you and says "Guess what I heard about...” why don't you ask him if he is telling you out of concern or gosip. Either way we should take the next step and pray for both of those brothers or sisters. Remember, you needed a savior too.

In God we Trust,
Jason Vaughn