The Word of His Grace... and us...

My devotional time each day has me exploring more and more into what God wants me to do with my knowledge of His Word.


I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able . . . But as for you, continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. (Acts 20:32 and 2Timothy 3:14-15)



The present verses again point me to continuing in the word of God's grace. Only the grace of God is able to provide what is needed for the life we are called to live. This necessary grace is held forth for our learning and appropriating in "the word of His grace." This life-giving grace is to be lived in day by day (ideally, from childhood through old age).

Paul urged Timothy to continue in the biblical truth that he had been taught, truth about which he had become convinced.

"Continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of."

God's word not only instructs me in His ways, it also convinces me of their validity. In this process, God uses human instruments: "knowing from whom you have learned them."

In Timothy's spiritual training, the Lord used the prophets of old (who were inspired to write the scriptures), as well as Paul (who discipled Timothy). Timothy's mother and grandmother were also a vital part of this process.

"I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice" (2Timothy 1:5).

Thus, his spiritual nurture began in his childhood years.

"From childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures." It is the will of God that children be raised upon the scriptures. "Do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4).

If you were not raised upon the Word, God wants to begin feeding it to you at new birth.

"As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby" (1Peter 2:2).

If you have never had a serious diet of the Word, today is the day to begin.

As I learn more of the Word of God, its ability is unleashed in my life. Saving grace is the first great matter the Lord wants to bring to us through the scriptures: "which are able to make you wise for salvation."

People can be exceedingly foolish concerning salvation, until they are enlightened through the Word of God . Some think they do not need to be saved. Others think they can somehow save themselves.

The Bible reveals the necessary path for all: "through faith which is in Christ Jesus."

Fervent Prayer

2 Corinthians 10:3-6

2Co 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh,

2Co 10:4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.

2Co 10:5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,

2Co 10:6 and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.

We have an arsenal not made by human hands, but is stocked full with the powerful weapons fashioned by God Himself. They aren't for marketing or manipulation of any sort, but are specifically designed to demolish demonic strongholds — putting down every false argument raised against Truth. These weapons have the power of God to destroy the enemy's efforts against our Faith.

Prayer is one of these weapons, and when it is coupled with the Word of God it possesses a power that is invincible. That's why the early disciples said, "We will devote ourselves to prayer, and to the ministry of the Word." When we follow their example, we will experience the same results that happened for them.

I look at a remarkable example found in the Scriptures.

When Joshua was battling the armies of the Amalekites in the valley of Rephidim, the Bible tells us that Moses was on the mountain lifting up the Rod which God had given him. As long as the Rod was held up, Joshua advanced in battle. When Moses' arms grew weary and he lowered the Rod, the enemy began to make advances against Joshua. Aaron and Hur, two of Moses' friends, stood beside him and held his arms up — the result was a overwhelming victory for Joshua. (read Exodus 17:8-13).

The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him. Jesus said that when we pray in secret, God will reward us openly. An example of this happened in Jerusalem when the disciples gathered in prayer and "the place where they were assembled was shaken." They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and preached the Word of God with boldness — even in the face of death threats.

This brief scan of the biblical record proves the age old adage — "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much!" (James 5:16). Prayer makes tremendous power available, the kind of power that is dynamic in its working and effective in its results; great power that produces wonderful results.

Why not pray today and look for happens as a result. You just might find yourself praying every day!

The Word of His Grace

I was just studying this in my devotional time this morning and thought I would share it.

I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able . . .

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed" . . . For this reason I have sent Timothy to you . . . who will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church. (Acts 20:32; John 8:3; 1Corinthians 4:17)

God's grace characterizes His word: "I commend you to God and to the word of His grace." This permeating presence of grace in the scriptures is what makes God's word so able to effect godly changes in our lives: "the word of His grace, which is able." This is why the Lord wants us to continue in His word: "continue in the faith" (Acts 14:22). Also, continuing in the word allows the Lord to remind us of things pertaining to grace, things we need to hear over and over again.

Jesus called professing disciples to continue in His word. "Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, 'If you abide [remain, continue] in My word, you are My disciples indeed'."

It is impossible to truly live as a follower of Jesus without continuing in His word. (yet many, many profess to be follwers and do not read His word daily - therefore, are we truly a follower.)

The Christian life is lived by grace. The Bible is "the word of His grace." We cannot follow Jesus by grace apart from hearing regularly of His grace. The natural bent of our humanity (including, the flesh of true believers) is toward human works and law performance. This is one reason why the Lord wants us to hear of His effective grace day by day.

The ministry of reminding is part of this process. The Apostle Paul sent out his ministry partner, Timothy, to remind the saints of matters that he himself had previously expounded upon in all the churches. "For this reason I have sent Timothy to you . . . who will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church." Later, after Timothy had become a pastor in Ephesus, Paul wrote urging him to remind the saints of some basic elements of grace (matters pertaining to the faithfulness of God). "This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him. If we endure, we shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us. If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself. Remind them of these thinhgs" (2Timothy 2:11-14).

Such vital truths need to be considered repeatedly. The Apostle Peter knew that it would amount to spiritual irresponsibility to neglect the import of reminders. "Therefore I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know them, and are established in the present truth. Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you" (2Peter 1:12).

I long to be a true disciple, living by grace -Lord, please remind me of the necessity to be in the Word of Your grace consistently!

Adolescence = boys who can shave

I have had this very conversation with several people throughout my life - If I could have only had the passion that Pastor Mark demonstrates here, those boys would have not wasted 5 or more years of their life!

It's a good, good day!

Well today is a good, good day in the Bambrick household. Our son, Garhett just received his results from the SAT test he took.

He scored 1910.

610 Critical Reading

630 Math

670 Writing

8 on the essay

We are so proud of him. He took the test basically unprepared - what a smart kid we have. So proud of Dawn and her 10 years of homeschooling him.

To put things in perspective - the average score this year is 1538 (520 math, 510 writing and 508 critical reading). A perfect score is 2400. Garhett was really wanting a perfect score, but the numbers weren't in his favor - on average 1,000,000 students take the SAT each year with only 20 scoring perfect.

Garhett's score puts him in the 87% which means he scored better than 87% of test takers.

By way of comparison, if Garhett took the old SAT his score would have been equivalent to a 1350.

Way to go Garhett!

Small Group Landmines (reposted)

This is a repost from another blog. I am posting it here because it is really spot on!
http://theresurgence.com/5-small-group-landmines

If you are like me, you have probably had a bad small group experience at least once in your life. You know the kind, where some weirdo takes over the discussion, or where the leader allows too much time of awkward silence. There is nothing worse than a bad small group experience. In fact, this is the reason why so many people are reluctant to be a part of a small group. As group leaders, our job is to protect our small groups and make them a safe place where people can share, grow, and learn together. We train our small group leaders to watch out for the following five landmines, which can destroy a good small group.

1. They become a gossip group.
Small groups are not a place to talk about others; rather they should be a safe place that is free from gossip and condemnation. People who attend a small group should feel free to come as they are and share openly and honestly. If we are not careful, small groups can degenerate into a gossip group that will tear down instead of build up.

2. They become a one-man show.
The leader should not do all the talking. Encourage others to participate and share in the group discussions. I have been to some small groups where only one person does all the talking. When this happens no one wants to share, much less attend. An effective small group leader encourages everyone to participate in the times of discussion.

3. They become a place to complain about the church.
Small groups can become a sounding board for disgruntled people to complain about the church. This is not a place to complain and slander the church. If people have a problem with the church, they need to share it with the church’s leadership, which is biblical. Train your leaders to protect the unity of the church by not allowing upset people to use the small group as a place to complain about their problems.

4. They become a place for crazy people to take over.
Small groups can attract crazy people who will hijack the group if you let them. Do not allow people to get off the subject by chasing rabbit trails. Whenever people start getting off track in the discussions, bring them back quickly. This requires a lot of discernment and grace. A good leader can keep people on track and the discussion moving.

5. They become an end in themselves.
Sometimes small groups become merely a meeting place or a social club; rather small groups should reach out to new people in the community. Small groups can also serve the community. Encourage your people to reach out to others. Begin thinking of creative ways that you can serve together as a small group.

This post is adapted from a forthcoming ebook by Winfield Bevins.

Which College...

Garhett will be graduating this year and will be attending college right away - the problem is, which one...

Garhett has always had a very high academic acumen and and it has been an educational nightmare for my wife to keep him academically challenged - currently he is in his senior year of high school, dual enrolled in the local community college and will, God willing, graduate with a high school diploma and his AA, which will enable him to enter most any 4 year institution ahead of the curve. The issue we are running against is trying to decide which college would best serve his desires for future career and his (and our) desire for wholesome, conservative, God loving, educationally sound, curricula...

As I attend 'college prep' seminars and 'college sales pitches' to try and discern which institution would best serve my son - I am met with similar drivol that is expressed in this video - it's long, but trust me, if you have any intelligence at all you too will wonder what the heck is going on with education. Granted, it's focused on Berkley - which should be a warning in itself.

Give it a look-see.

A Frank Conversation on Racism

The Danger of Iconography

This guy is stinkin' Amazing!

Kids - take a pointer from this guy. These are the types of videos worth making!

Ready for your laugh for the day!

If we can't laugh at ourselves...

Discipleship

Lately I have been on a quest to find out the best way to help men (teach them to) become better, more Godly men. That quest always centers around discipleship. I have yet to find a really well crafted teachable discipleship program that reflects the values of reformed theology.

BUT - a blog feed I subscribe to published this feed recently and I really found myself resonating with what this pastor is teaching.

Check out the practical application here.

“A house is actually a school and a church, and the head of the household is a
pastor in his house.”–Martin Luther

I love that the series starts with the basics - you can't be a disciple or disciple others if you don't disciple in your own home. So the basic concepts of:

Don't neglect your family - “If a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?” (1 Tim. 3:5).

Disciple your Children - “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Prov. 22:6).

Faith as a Routine - “Reading and memorizing Scripture and the catechisms of the church results in incredible development of children, both spiritually and intellectually… What families regard as important is evidenced by the manner in which they spend their time.” David Weneger

It's OUR responsibility - "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)

As the series continues each point is fleshed out. He has only published 2 parts of the series but - it is so good!

Oh man...

Saw this on a friends blog - I just had to repost it!



For my friends in Santa Cruz... um... REALLY?

Hiring a Pastor

Revolution Church is in the midst of hiring a new Senior Pastor - and in that process the search team is gathering as much insight and wisodom from other churches that have had to go through the same search.

Part of that process is listening to some wise Pastors teach on that very subject. This video (34 minutes in length) is perfect at describing what a Pastor is to do - and the Pastor in the video does a great job of informing the church how they should recieve a new Pastor. Our hiring process is a little different in the RCA - as the congregation doesn't 'vote' to call a Pastor; but the other information is really applicable.

What's a Pastor to Do? from Ed Stetzer on Vimeo.

We are called, as members of Jesus' church to go forth and spread the Gospel - to make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit - but are we doing that? Over and over I hear long time christians saying things like, "I need...", "I want...", "I feel..." . To hear that re-enforces exactly what Pastor Stetzer says in the video.

You are not hiring a leader to simply speak on Sunday, you are hiring a leader of the church... Your task is to come along side of the Pastor and help... Most of you right now are not serving in ministry inside or outside of our church. It's time to stop being a spectator and to be a participant in ministry.

So what we should be saying is, "They need...", "They want...", "They feel..." - speaking of those who don't yet follow Jesus as their Lord in an effort to then try to meet the need, desire and feeling, in Jesus' name.

That kind of thinking really energizes me.

Would you join me in praying for our new Pastor - He is out there, he is close, he is coming and he needs your prayers.

Thanks!

TrueU -

The makers of the Truth Project have developed a new curriculum for High School Students that is designed to prepare them for the world and more importantly, for their college experience.

Check it out here: http://www.mytruthproject.org/truthproject/trueu/home.html

You can watch the full version of the first episode/DVD here:

http://www.mytruthproject.org/truthproject/trueu/downloads.html

From their FAQ:

TrueU is a DVD-based apologetics curriculum. Dr. Del Tackett, architect and voice of Focus on the Family's The Truth Project®, describes this endeavor this way:
"TrueU is an apologetics training series primarily geared to help prepare high school students for the rigorous challenges and attacks that will confront them on the university campus. My guess is that it will end up benefiting a whole lot more folks than just high school seniors."

It is important to clarify that TrueU is not "The Truth Project for teens." As envisioned by Dr. Tackett and our staff, TrueU will be, in essence, a series of "prequels" (or lead-in studies) to The Truth Project.

TrueU is designed primarily to help students solidify their Christian faith with foundational apologetics training. This will equip young people to stand strong in the university environment, and also serve as a precursor to the in-depth study presented in The Truth Project of how to live out a Christian worldview in everyday life.

We would encourage those who complete TrueU to immediately join a Truth Project small group, if possible, and continue exploring the practical day-to-day application of a biblical worldview.

The primary target group for TrueU is students ages 15-22 — i.e., high school students who are preparing to go to college and undergraduate students who have already begun to experience an onslaught of challenges both in and out of the classroom.

We believe, however, that adults will also find the teaching very valuable. We envision TrueU to be a great resource for youth groups, Sunday School classes, home-based small groups, homeschools, and individuals who want to strengthen their faith.

World View... Biblical or not?

As I progress through the Truth Project for the second time I am overwhelmed at the knowledge I lack in terms of who I am and who God has made me to be. If you truly want to gaze into the face of God, you should consider taking this course.

WOW...

Here are a small sampling of some of the stuff we are learning about.

Worldview



Who is God ?



What is Evil ?



What is Church ?



What is the meaning of life ?



You want to join us on the next tour through the Truth Project? Send me an email and I will tell you when it starts!!!

um...

So is Obama saying that if his health care system was in place 5 years ago, she would have been planning a funeral instead of her mothers 100th birthday? I think I heard him say - just take a pill and die quietly - without saying it.

No, wait - he said, 'y-y-y-ya know, no one cares if your mom loves life - she has reached her expiration date - 99 years and that's long enough under our government standard'.

This is the change you all wanted? Not me, that's why I didn't vote for him.

G.I. Joe

My son really wanted to see this movie - and since most of his friends flaked on him I decided to go with him. What a joy - first and foremost, getting to spend some dad and son time was great (I even let him drive us to and from the theater) and the movie was not as bad as I thought.

From all the reviews I have seen it was supposed to be a real stinker - but it was quite enjoyable. The best part - no nudity, no sex and only one bad word! For a PG13 movie - it wasn't bad. Of course it is a movie full of soon to be release action figures and accompanying vehicles, squirt guns and the like, but it was very nice.

Good choice Garhett!

Now when can I see the Star Trek Movie?!?

FAME

I can't wait to see this movie - September 25th. It stars Kherington Payne - my daughters favorite dancer from season 4 of "So you think you can dance".



I love dance...

MEN: this one is for you.

Wheatstone Academy - year two!

Well, my boy is growing up so stinkin' fast... he just got back from a missions trip to New Orleans and now he is off for a week at Biola with the Wheatstone Academy.

I follow along with what they are doing via their blog.

They went to Disneyland last night - not to have fun, but to examine the following poser from Dr. John Mark Reynolds;

"Do you want to grow up?” Before we headed out to Disneyland with our small groups, Dr. Reynolds asked some serious questions about the things we consume, which, over time, have the capability to get us stuck where we’re at and stop growing. How do you know when you’re stuck: Most 45 year-old college educated adults read at an 8th grade level, but they consume TV the same as if they were 14. This is where Disneyland comes in, by showing us how Walt Disney took entertainment to the next level - for both kids and adults."

They examined how Walt made Disney timeless - how the myth's created at and around Disney and how they access the dreams of millions.

I love the quote from the Wheatstone Blog;

“Suggest to yourself, how can I grow up? Do I want to grow up? Do I want to be a 45 year-old narcissistic, self indulgent Peter Pan? Or, am I willing to get the stretch marks of life?”

Garhett gets to have all the fun!


By the way - Garhett is the kid with the flaming orange hair wearing the "Epic Monday" T-shirt he designed.

Love ya G-man!

What is the Church...

As I begin my journey as a pastor I am studying, studying and studying, listening and reading, hanging out with other pastors that are doing the job we are called by God to do, so when a friend told me about this video from one of the BEST pastors of our day - I had to listen and watch.

It's about Jesus, it's always about Jesus - if you aren't about Jesus - you need to quit.

As Pastors our job is to preach the gospel. Not be cowards and fear man. Wow - this is a powerful message. A message I completely agree with - not just parts of it - but the WHOLE message!

As Revolution searches for a new lead pastor - this is the type of leader I pray God sends to us!

Taco Bell goes green - or Why I don't eat fast food

DC second post....

Today we spent our last day in DC visiting Ford's Theatre and touring the Spy Museum - which I might say is by far my most favorite museum. If you ever get to DC and if you have a love of spy's and their life... you should go through the 1 hour "Operation Spy" and then it quite easily will take you over 2 hours to go through the museum.

You have to assume a "cover" with a backstory and details about your visit to DC... You are an undercover agent on a mission - throughout the museum you have interactive monitors that "check your status" to see if you can keep up your 'backstory' and can keep your 'cover'. When you leave you are asked by the agent one final time to recap all you learned about your trip through the museum to see if they will allow you to leave...

I assumed the cover of "Dimitri Ivanov" a russian fisherman from Kirov Russia who was visiting family here in DC with a final destination of Boston Mass. I was to be here for 5 days with the assignment of meeting my contact at the local baseball park with the cover story of searching for potential baseball recruits for a russian team. I was given code words for contact and names for fellow agent contacts. The details are classified and so I can't give you any more detail... it's eyes only stuff!

Well, Ashley and I were successful, Garhett tried to cheat and Dawn was restrained from leaving the country due to some 'inconsistencies' in her story... I loved it. This museum uses some of the most innovative and unique methods to display the information - you just don't walk up to the exhibits and view them. Some are interactive and some are computerized - well done and very well put together!

Well tonight is our last night in DC - I get to go rent a car tomorrow morning to drive to Gettysburg where we will visit the historic battleground then check into our hotel. In the morning we will go to Hershey and visit the "chocolate lab" and tour the hershey museum and hershey gardens. We are going to Chocolate World too! I know some of you readers are really jealous right now!

I know the two women I am travelling with can't wait!

Newsflash: Bambrick family in Nation's Capital on a 15 day tour!

That's right - we are on the 4th day of our 15 day trip around our national capital and I have realized a couple of things:

1. The historical significance of the monuments, memorials, buildings and museums are overwhelming.
2. Our founding fathers were amazing Godly men.
3. The building materials used in states where earthquakes are not a factor are amazing.
4. Other than the historical significance, this city stinks. Quite literally. People say Los Angeles smells and is full of smog - but it doesn't smell like this city does. PU!

You can't walk more than a block without running into a building, statue or park with historical significance. It is truly amazing how much has happened here - and what this city stands for...

We have visited quite a few things already:

• The Capitol building
• The White House & visitors center
• Nearly every building of the Smithsonian (there are 19 of them folks!!)
• The Washington Monument - yep, went to the top!
• Mount Vernon, Estate, Grounds, Museum - and took a "National Treasure" tour of the grounds! (my favorite so far... haven't been to the spy museum yet!) George Washington was an AMAZING humble and Godly man. The current President could learn a whole lot from him.
• Nearly every monument/memorial - gonna do those again at night next! Oh, did this on Memorial Day - very touching stuff.
• The Bureau of Engraving and Printing - saw billions of $$ printed - no samples though...
• The Holocaust museum - very, VERY moving and quite scary
• Watched "Night at the Museum 2" at the Air & Space Museum in IMAX
• Had lunch at the Mount Vernon Inn - Colonial food - yum!
• Saw some CIA "black SUVs" filled with sleeve talking fed's chase someone down the street. Oh, yeah... don't think I wasn't looking for Jack Bauer...

My wife has done an amazing job of planning each day out - my feet are blistered and hips are sore - but it is very worth it!

I will post some photos as I get them uploaded - but there just isn't time! Each day starts at 7am or earlier and doesn't end until 11pm usually.

Oh, and what's up with Starbucks on the east coast - they are located nearly 2 to a block and all close at 4 or 6 PM, the latest I have seen one close is 7pm. Thanks for nothing - when I have been walking all day in 80 degree heat with 90% humidity, I need me a venti-iced green-tea PRONTO - yet can't find one to save a parched and dehydrated soul...

• Well, tomorrow it is a visit to the National Archives then the Supreme Court, botanic Gardens then a night time tour of the monuments and memorials.
• Library of Congress, Ford's Theatre and Spy Museum on Friday.
• Saturday is a drive out to Gettysburg.
• Sunday Hershey Gardens & Chocolate world.
• Monday drive to the Amish country, Wheatland and the Christmas Center.
• Tuesday PA here we come! Independence Hall, Liberty Bell, Christ Church and a night tour of the city of Philadelphia.
• Wednesday - New York! Ground Zero, Statue of Liberty and an evening on Broadway where we will see Wicked!
• Thursday - Drive back to Baltimore after a visit to the Empire State building. Then Fort McHenry.
• Friday we visit some friends in Maryland
• Saturday we head home!

Whew!

More later... gonna head off to bed for the night!

And I thought being independently wealthy was a good thing...

If you thought the American Dream meant owning your own home, running your own business or being independently wealthy - you better think again. That can't possibly happen under the current government structure.

After paying my taxes this year and seeing the cuts that are going to affect my business next year, as well as the reductions in credits for my status as a "family" I am left with no other options. In reality I can earn more money if I closed my business and applied for welfare, filed bankruptcy and let the bank foreclose on my house - at least then I would get back a big chunk of the taxes I paid over the last 15 years back...

Oh, but wait - I am responsible, intelligent and able bodied - oh and an obedient follower of Jesus - that means I can't do that. I have to do what is right and be a good steward of the gifts that have been given to me. Imagine if more people did that...

Want your head to explode... watch this:

The Truth - a focus group

Unfortunately most Christians today know very little about what they believe or why they believe it. Many are biblically illiterate, and most are not operating out of a biblical worldview. That is, most believers simply bring a secular worldview to bear on the issues of the day, and fail to integrate the biblical message with the big questions of life.

The Truth Project is designed to correct this problem. It is a Christian apologetics and biblical worldview teaching kit designed for small groups. The set includes 12 one hour lessons on 7 DVDs, as well as a study guide. Taken together, the kit provides a comprehensive and solid presentation of what a biblical worldview is, and how we can think biblically about every aspect of life.

In the presentation, the teaching is done in a classroom setting, headed by Dr Del Tackett. Short snippets from various experts are also included, featuring outstanding Christian thinkers such as Ravi Zacharias, Os Guinness and R.C. Sproul. The course provides a comprehensive and systematic exposition of the biblical worldview, and its application to our world today.

The content is very rich and full, thus the need to break the whole package down into 12 parts. All the big worldview questions are addressed, such as: Is there a God? What is man? Is there such a thing as truth? How can we know? What is right and wrong? What is the meaning of life? And, is history meaningful?

Also, biblical foundations are laid for the various important spheres of life: law, politics, economics, history, science, the arts, sociology, education, and the media. All of these crucial areas are examined in terms of the biblical worldview, and we are taught how to apply biblical principles to all these key fields.

The cumulative effect of all this is transformation: transformed minds leading to transformed lives. And that nicely fits in with the goal of the apostle Paul when he wrote in Romans 12:2 that we should be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Unfortunately too many believers seem to read that passage as if it says we are to be transformed by the removing of our minds.

The mind is important. God made us in his image, and that includes the area of intellect. But for too long Christians have ignored the mind, minimized learning and ignored biblical worldview thinking. But that error must now be abandoned. We must love God with our minds as well as out emotions, our will, and so on.

R.C. Sproul rightly says that this may be the most important project Focus on the Family has undertaken. It is absolutely vital that believers today love God with the totality of their person, and offer clear biblical understanding in the key areas of thought and action today.

For too long we have marginalized ourselves and our faith, and allowed a growing secularism to call the shots in every area of life. But the Lordship of Christ demands that we extend his kingdom in every sphere and every domain. And this teaching series will help equip believes to do just that. It is a much needed tonic for the relativistic, secularist and postmodern times we find ourselves in.

Did you know that less than 1% of the youngest adult generation in America has a biblical worldview? And, only 9% of ALL American adults have a biblical worldview!

Here is a sample of some of the content:

Dawn and I are starting this as a focus group (others may be doing this as well) are you interested? It is a 12 week committment and trust me - you will gaze upon the face of God, and He will change your life!

Give me a comment and let's talk about it...

Twitter/Facebook/blogs... what?

I saw this post on another blog and it reminded me about a conversation I had over dinner last night - then I saw this video...

A couple years ago I was coerced into blogging by a dear friend. This friend has since tried to get me to 'twitter' - I have resisted. I couldn't put my finger on why - until now.

Is Facebook, Myspace and Twitter causing us to create shallow acquaintances rather than real friends? I realize there is some benefit to these electronic means of communication - but really, do I need to know your every thought or every personal accomplishment? You really aren't that important to me. Really, you aren't. Sorry to burst your Narcissistic bubble.

Rachel, the author of the blog post that started me thinking said, "As our ability to easily interact with more people in more places increases, it’s easy for us to get spread too thin; to have many shallow relationships instead of a few solid relationships." I really agree with this thought.

Yeah, facebook has reconnected me with some folks I haven't seen or talked to in over 20 years - but, in reality - there was a reason I didn't talk or socialize with these folks. There is a reason most people choose to be 'friends' with others.

Do I really want to hang out with beer swilling, gang banging, dive bar visiting, cohabiting smokers that think a good night out is tossing back a keg and getting laid?

Absolutely not!

Why? Am I better than them? No. So why would I "friend" them - and then read about their latest conquest or how hung over they are - or how difficult it is to get a job. I do pray for them, but I could do that anyway - I should be doing that anyway.

Anyway, I digress, but the realization remains - should I have 219 facebook "friends" - are they really friends - some are - most aren't. Why are they called friends anyway? Just because some programmer (who probably is a huge introvert and has very few real life friends chooses to build his self esteem up by calling electronic acquaintances "friends") called them that... I don't know -

What if they were called something else? Electronic Buddies (EBs), Digital Communication partners (DCPs)... Think about it.

Rachel gives some really good advice: "The key to avoiding selfish and inane “conversation” is to not follow the people who offer it - and to not be one of those people yourself."

So, for that reason, I have decided to end my Facebook time - I won't be twittering it to all my virtual friends. I will resume calling my friends to communicate, sending a letter to them, going out to breakfast, lunch and dinner with them.

I find Facebook really dangerous lately - A friend (at dinner) told me (face to face) about a college counselor that found out one of her students passed away over facebook - what a way to find out! Today, many April Fools day jokes about wives being pregnant were posted on facebook. This caused people to respond with joy and happiness - it caused me to wonder why someone would announce such a wonderful event over a distant, non personal way. It really troubled me.

I guess it's no different than using the paper for an obituary or birth announcement - but the fact behind that communication is once you read about it you would call the party involved to give your condolences or congratulations - you wouldn't post an ad yourself saying "I'm so sorry". That would be silly...

Our society is becoming more and more narcissistic. More and more 'self' centered. More and more self absorbed. More and more LAZY. All of our communication is being reduced to one line updates on a rotating basis. That's wrong and it is troubling and I can no longer participate in that downward spiral.

Goodbye Facebook.

Everyone should hear this message!

There are on occasion messages that, once I hear them, I think immediately - wow, EVERYONE needs to hear this message...

This is one of those messages - I urge everyone to take the time to listen to this message - it is so very, very applicable. Jesus is the only perfect man to ever live. Because most men fail to look to Him as our example, there exists 2 extremes in men: chauvinism and cowardice. Pastor Mark Driscoll preaches to men about being real men who love God and serve their family well in this sermon from Trial.

Guys - take the next 70 minutes and listen... You won't be sorry!

1 Peter 3:7
Ye husbands, in like manner, dwell with your wives according to knowledge, giving honor unto the woman, as unto the weaker vessel, as being also joint-heirs of the grace of life; to the end that your prayers be not hindered.

Do all roads lead to God?

I stumbled upon this list on one of the blogs I read regularly and thought I would pass it on. Especially since I have had some friends ask me the difference between some beliefs.

So for your edification here are the beliefs, practices and anti-theistic theroies that have a strong influence in our world - specifically as they relate to healing/health/medicine:

Christian Faith

• There is one Triune God: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
• Humankind is made in the image and likeness of God.
• God’s Word, the Bible, is the infallible Word.
• Salvation is found in no one but Jesus Christ.
• Humankind is inherently sinful and in need of redemption, which comes only through Jesus Christ and his Atonement.
• Through the divine will of God and the deity of Jesus Christ, who came to earth in human flesh, his death and resurrection is the meritorious atoning work of God.
• Freedom from sin is only possible through salvation in Jesus Christ and no other.
• True healing is from God (the Great Physician) alone through the work of Jesus Christ and the promise of the Holy Spirit.
• Eternal life is the Christian’s reward, where there is banishment of all suffering, sadness, and grief. Life in the everlasting peace and love of God is the Christian’s hope.

Hinduism

• 
  There is no single Hindu idea of God.
• All souls are eternal and accountable for their own actions.
• Karma is the debt of one’s bad actions for which one must atone.
• Hinduism denies the Trinity, the deity of Christ, the Atonement, sin, and salvation by grace through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
• Hinduism replaces resurrection with reincarnation, and replaces both grace and faith with human works.
• Healing depends upon Karma.
• Ultimate healing is evident in reincarnation

New Age Movement

• Man is inherently divine
• All is one and all is God. God is an impersonal conscious and power.
• Jesus was an enlightened teacher.
• Salvation is accomplished by good works and reincarnation.
• There is no absolute truth. All beliefs are valid.
• Spiritism, Theosophy, Christian Science, Unity, Baha’ism, and Rosicrucianism are spearheads of New Age teachings and the healing philosophy also found in practices of alternative medicine.
• Healing is possible through self-empowerment.
• Practices that heal are good and true regardless of their origin.

Buddhism

• Buddhism shows a heavy influence of Brahmanism, gods, and goddesses in Buddha’s history and teachings.
• At the center of this teaching lies the concept of cosmic consciousness, a nonpersonal essence also called a Void.
• Many “buddhas” were followed, but there is one Buddha that enlightened ones follow.
• Discoveries of the Middle Path, the Four Noble Truths, and Eightfold Path is consistent with traditional Chinese belief, which is evident in the practice of traditional Chinese medicine.
• The Pali text is considered the most reliable teachings of Buddha. Other sects of Buddhism often add to this text.
• Man suffers because his desires are fixated on the illusion of self, which confines him to non-permanence within the laws of Karma and reincarnation.
• Self-salvation is achieved by following the Middle Path, the Four Noble Truths, and the Eightfold Path. The ultimate goal is to reach the state of Nirvana, where self becomes extinguished in the Void.
• Buddha heals if Buddha wills.
• Ultimate healing occurs in the state of Nirvana.

Theosophy

• Theosophy teaches a pantheistic, impersonal Supreme Being.
• Theosophy is Gnostic in origin.
• Jesus Christ is not unique: Jesus is a reincarnated being separate from “christ.” All men become christs.
• Mahatmas or Masters communicate esoteric truths through reincarnated emissaries, of whom Madame Blavatsky and Annie Besant are among the few.
• Draws its authoritative teachings from Hindu, Buddhistic, and early Gnostic sources. The Bible is used minimally to proof-text preconceived Theosophical notions.
• Embraces Eastern healing cultural practices and transcendental teachings in mind healing.
• Embraces Metaphysical healing.
• Healing is based upon a pragmatic view that whatever works must be good.

Spiritism

• The fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man.
• Continuous existence and a path of endless progression.
• Communion of spirits and ministry of angels.
• Personal responsibility.
• Compensation and retribution in the hereafter for good and evil done on Earth.
• Healing comes by self-empowerment and positive healing affirmations.
• Healing is the ultimate good of God. Sickness is the result of evil and all that suffer with sickness are the result of evil. Good people are not sick.

Everything is so amazing and nobody is happy.

This guy is my HERO right now. I have said this for years, that the youth of today (yeah, that includes you - anyone under 40 - yes I said it) is so self centered and unappreciative of what they have today.

Every single word this guy says is absolutely TRUE - I have heard it, seen it and experienced it. The worst part is that my generation, the over 40's... ok, the over 45's, alright already - the nearly 50 year olds and older are starting to treat our world this way. Snap out of it!

I have told my children that the decade of the 1980's was the last decade where we, as a country truly made great leaps in technology and advanced out culture into the techo-savvy world we have today.

That's right kids all those conveniences you enjoy, were invented by my generation (or prior). What has come from today's generation - that wasn't an 'improvement' from a prior invention... um, NOTHING.

Think about that - today's group of 20's. 30's and early 40's have contributed NOTHING to our society except CONSUMERISM and entitlement.

In the 1970's here is some of what was invented/achieved:
Pong - 1972
Post it notes - 1974
Rubik's cube - 1974
Gore-tex - 1976
The Walkman - 1979
Rollerblades - 1979
Microwave oven sales begin - 1975 (invented in 1945)
space station - 1971
LCD - 1971
Microprocessors - 1971
Pocket Calculators - 1971
MRI - 1971
CT scanners - 1972
Hybrid vehicles - 1974 (Victor Wouk originally invented it)
digital Cameras - 1975
The Personal Stereo (hand held, boombox) - 1977

Here is a brief list of the most amazing technology advancements/inventions of the 1980's:
The artificial Heart - 1982
CD-Rom - 1985
Apple Lisa - 1983
Apple Macintosh - 1984
Windows OS - 1985
ACE inhibitor - 1982
Camcorder - 1983
The Internet (first TCP/IP network) - 1983
The instant bread maker - 1986
Digital Light Processing (DLP) - 1987
MS/DOS - 1981
The PC - 1981
High temp super conductor - 1986
Disposable cameras - 1986
Disposable contact lenses - 1986
Doppler radar - 1986
HD TV - 1989
Nintendo NES - 1980
Motorola "brick" mobile (later renamed 'cellular') phone - 1983
oh and that small achievement called "The Space shuttle"

And then came the 1990's:
DVD - actually an improvement of the CD. So you can be entertained in your home.
Viagra - Oh, nothing need be said here
Wi-Fi - 1997 invention - legitimate way to sit anywhere and be self absorbed.
GPS - actually wasn't invented in the 1990s but achieved 'operational status' in 1993.
The World Wide Web (WWW) - was invented much earlier - but entered every household int he 1990s

How about the 21st century... Here is what the great inventors of our time are giving us:
Youtube - 2005
Translucent concrete - 2004
No-contact jacket - 2003
Blue tooth - 2002

What I am saying is there is a very, very notable decline in the ability for our current 'inventors' to think outside of personal space. Where are the new technologies for improving our way of life?

Just makes me think that as a parent, I really need to teach my children to be PRODUCERS and not CONSUMERS. This is another reason why Dawn and I chose to homeschool our kids - I firmly believe that our public school system creates workers and not entrepreneurs - we need 'out of the box' thinkers in our society - contributors - not 9 to 5'ers.

Just my rant for the day - (please note that I warned you with the heading on my blog, you might get offended - 'specially if you are under 40!

Bible Study Magazine Giveaway!

Bible Study Magazine and Mars Hill are giving away 20 copies of Mark Driscoll’s new book, Vintage Church. Not only that, but they are also giving away five subscriptions to Bible Study Magazine and a copy of their Bible Study Library software! Enter to win on the Bible Study Magazine Mark Driscoll page, then take a look at all the cool tools they have to take your Bible study to the next level!

Valentine's Day Dinner 2009

This year - the economy what it is - Dawn and I agreed to have a quiet dinner at home instead of dropping $100's at a restaurant (remember last year...)

Anyway - Ashley was going to join us as Garhett was at the "Anti-Valentine's Day Concert" at the HUB for RevolutionX. Now, what to make - you know it is the husband's job to make the Valentine's Day dinner... I decided on Filet Mignon, cold raised Lobster tail, prawns and haricots verts (fancy string beans) with a spinach and strawberry salad, chilled 'apricot' sparkling cider, clarified/drawn butter and a fancy desert. It literally took me less than 30 minutes to make everything.

(um, I set the table - so no commentary from Miss Manners about the placement of the glasses or flatware...)

Here is what it looked like:

Hungry yet? Just wait... The dessert:

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream with creme fraiche coated strawberries in a cured brandy/pure vanilla sauce lightly dusted with fresh ground cinnamon and an even lighter dusting of powdered chocolate, drizzled with dark chocolate and strawberry sauces, topped with fresh banana, strawberry and the final touch, mini marshmallows! I call it an 'adult' banana split!

Dawn LOVED it - and now Ashley tells me she really likes lobster (bad move dad...). Best part - The whole meal, Dinner for 3, plus beverages and dessert, all under $50! (props to Ralphs, double coupons - j/k)

Ok gentlemen - next year... Your turn!

Books I am reading...

Yes, I said reading - Yeah, most (ok, all) of you know I don't like to read. I would much rather see a movie. But lately I have found the following books interesting and I am currently reading all of them.

There are days when I get so confused as to which concept comes from which book - that lends itself to some interesting conversations...

Think about this...

A friend sent me this... I can't get past how simple this presentation is.




(h/t Dave Peeters)

Tax Cut or Spending bill? You be the judge...

The Obama 2009 Stimulus package, now named, "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009" is being touted as the answer to our failing economy. However, this is really just an attempt by the liberal democratic regime to realign our countries values along their liberal agenda. WHAT?!

Yep, of the 1588 page, $850 billion bill less than 2% of that money is earmarked for tax cuts. The rest is NEW SPENDING with an emphasis on expanding the Federal Governments controls over our lives!

But - don't take my word for it - do your due dilligence as an American and read it here .

This bill is so bad NOT ONE house republican voted for it. You would think that a bill that has not one republican vote and 11 democratic NO votes would deserve to be examined more.

Now that this was passed in the house it moves to the Senate - read the Senate version here.

Here is breakdown in an excel spreadsheet of the funding proposed and the entities which will receive the funds.

This is the GOP alternative bill being proposed.

If the country is in such a crisis right now and NEEDS this bill passed - why is it that the spending won't happen until 2010 and beyond? See the CBOs report here.

All I know is that there appears to be a huge rush to spend money we don't have on programs that don't work to promote jobs that won't materialize to help an economy that is in the toilet due to democratic supported programs like 'sub prime mortgages' and the like. It didn't work under Clinton, and Bush paid for it - and we are about to do it again.

The bottom line seems to be that if you tell the American public that they are each going to get a refund "stimulus" check (free money), they yell YES - instead of seeing what the cost really is.

Children of our future - I am sorry for what is about to happen - you will be paying back our debt and so will your children and your grandchildren.

Today would have been Ronald Wilson Reagan's 98th birthday, the chief executive with the most successful economic policy of the 20th century.

- in celebration of this day - give a listen to this speech and think about what he says - then compare his truths to this stimulus package...

"A government bureau is the nearest thing to an eternal life we will ever see on this earth."

As we recall his ideas — and affirm them ourselves — we will be better equipped to debate the issues of the day. When others call the republican party’s attempt to block a spendthrift “stimulus” as obstructionist or rejectionist, tell them that in opposing this boondoggle, we are not merely rejecting a proposal which, we believe, will be harmful over the long term, we are affirming the vision of Ronald Wilson Reagan.

Let us always remember the Gipper’s guiding idea: "Freedom. Freedom. Freedom."

And the less government intrudes on our freedom, the better off we are. And the stronger our economy is - and ultimately will be.

Stay out of the Shack...

Mark Driscoll is probably the best Pastor on the planet right now - here is what he says about this book that many, many christians are reading.



Chuck Colson chimed in on it - check it out here.

I must post a disclaimer - I haven't read the book - don't want to read the book - and if I want to understand the trinity or have a closer relationship with the Lord - I would and do read the Bible. The issue I have is that many Christians today (albeit - nominal) take this type of literature as 'scriptural' and take the parallels indicated in the book as gospel truths instead of just reading it for fun. It is a christian allegory and not biblical fact.

If you want truth - read the Bible - not a novel.

**UPDATE: 2/6/09: I am reading the book - and let's just say, my opinion is NOT changing so far!

According to LOST

Latin is the language for the Enlightened...

"Credo in Deum Patrem omnipotentem, Creatorem caeli et terrae,
et in Iesum Christum, Filium Eius unicum, Dominum nostrum,
qui conceptus est de Spiritu Sancto, natus ex Maria Virgine,
passus sub Pontio Pilato, crucifixus, mortuus, et sepultus,
descendit ad ínferos, tertia die resurrexit a mortuis,
ascendit ad caelos, sedet ad dexteram Patris omnipotentis,
inde venturus est iudicare vivos et mortuos.
Credo in Spiritum Sanctum,
sanctam Ecclesiam catholicam, sanctorum communionem,
remissionem peccatorum,
carnis resurrectionem,
vitam aeternam.
Amen"

They could be right!

I just love these guys!

Another RED state update: Academy Award Nominations...




They pretty much say what I am thinking...

NEXT....

A fun day topped off by a yummy dessert...by Dawn Bambrick

Let me begin by saying - nobody faint. Yes, it's me, Dawn, actually posting on a blog - shocker I know, but I've been inspired by a divine and beautiful dessert.

My girlfriend Teresa, brought over her daughter Tara today to play with Ashley. Well Teresa and I ended up having a cup of tea and chatting. Before long, we were having lunch and playing a new game that Lynnae and Chris taught us - Farkle. The girls joined us for a rousing round of the dice game and two more addicts have been added to the Farkle club.

After Teresa left, the girls spent hours playing with the Easy Bake oven. (BTW - I mentioned to them that they are old enough to use the real oven). They were so cute -13 years old and having a blast with the Easy Bake Oven. Unfortunately, all the Easy Bake mixes were seriously dated and the flavor proved that there is a shelf life to Easy Bake oven food and apparently Ashley's has exceeded that date. Yuck! So, then they decided to make my Grandma's top secret chocolate pie, sans the crust, essentially making chocolate pudding. (For Christmas, Ashley got me martini glasses for presenting pretty desserts, but as of yet I haven't had the opportunity to use them.)I broke out the martini glasses and the girls went to work. I made homemade whipped cream for them. The girls layered whipped cream, bananas, and chocolate pudding, then drizzled chocolate sauce on the top. The finished product was soooooooooooo good!!!!!It was both beautiful and yummy.

It was good for my heart to have the girls (who have been friends since pre-school)actually play together, instead of spending hours watching tv or playing video games. It reminded of when they were little - very cool.

Ah- ha ha ha ha ha ha...

Favorite line: "I'll buy almost anything if it's shiny and made by Apple"