Jesus: the God-Man

In the sermon, “His Name-Wonderful!” C.H. Spurgeon says, “Infinite, and an infant. Eternal, and yet born of a woman. Almighty, and yet hanging on a woman’s breast. Supporting a universe, and yet needing to be carried in a mother’s arms. King of angels, and yet the reputed son of Joseph. Heir of all things, and yet the carpenter’s despised son.”[1] Spurgeon displays the beauty of Jesus in both His deity and humanity. The debate over the truth of two natures in one being has raged amongst mankind since Jesus came to this earth and will continue until the day “Every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord…”(Philippians 2:10-11 NASB)[2].

The Apostle Paul in his Epistle to the church at Colossae says, “For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form…” (Colossians 2:9) This statement that Paul wrote to the church in Colossae could be misinterpreted, but he is specifically writing in defense of Jesus Christ by his reference to “Him”. He continues that ALL the fullness of DEITY dwells in bodily form (Jesus).

John wrote in his gospel, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14).

John MacArthur comments, “While Christ as God was uncreated and eternal, the word “became” emphasizes Christ’s taking on humanity. This reality is surely the most profound ever because it indicates that the infinite became finite; the Eternal was conformed to time; the Invisible became visible; the supernatural One reduced Himself to the natural. In the incarnation, however, the Word did not cease to be God, but became God in human flesh, i.e., undiminished deity in human form as a man.”[3]

This doctrine of the “God-Man” was finally accepted at the Council of Chalcedon. “With much effort the council passed a definition which both negated the one-nature incarnational theory of Eutyches and affirmed the two-nature declaration as orthodox.”[4] The council further defined this “hypostatic union” as “the unity of the two natures and concluded that the deity and humanity of Christ exist ‘without confusion, without change, without division, without separation.’”[5]

It was through this unique and divine union of two natures, that God in His omnipotence chose to provide the perfect and sinless sacrifice to redeem mankind and restore relationship between the Creator and His creation providing a way of salvation to all who choose to accept this gift of grace and love.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Savior.” (Romans 6:23). Paul taught that man’s disobedience to God’s Law could only be dealt with in one way, death. In Genesis 3 we are told the story of how sin entered into the world. God made it clear that disobedience would result in death. Satan came and deceived the woman resulting in her and the man sinning against God. Upon this sin against God, He made garments of slain animal skin to cloth the man and woman, forever linking sin with death. God told man that He would send a Redeemer to save mankind and pay the ultimate price for their sin. This promise resulted in God sending His only Son as a sacrifice. This Son was born of a virgin, tempted in all ways yet remaining sinless, shedding His blood and dying on the cross. God showed His acceptance of this “once for all” sacrifice by raising Jesus from the dead three days later. Jesus revealed Himself to many people over the next forty days until He ascended to heaven and now serves as Mediator in bodily form between man and God.

There are dangers in both overemphasizing and denying the humanity/deity of Jesus. Wallace and Green write, “By overemphasizing the deity of Christ we fail to acknowledge His humanity. We fail to acknowledge that He was like us. We fail to ‘See him lying in the cradle, growing, learning, subject to hunger, anxiety, doubt, disappointment, and surprise, and finally to death and burial.’”[6] On the other side of this is the denial of His deity. In denying His deity, we say that He is not God. If He is not God, He is not sinless. If He is not sinless, He is not a worthy sacrifice for the sins of the world. There are those who are in the other extreme in that they either overemphasize the humanity of Christ failing to acknowledge His attributes of holiness, love, and goodness or deny the humanity of Christ. In the denial of Christ, they fail to acknowledge that He is human capable of dying. If incapable of dying, He is incapable of paying the wages for sin. For these reasons, the only explanation for this miraculous indwelling is that the God that created the heavens and the earth, also chose to reveal Himself in the person of Jesus Christ by entering mankind as the 100% God and 100% man, a worthy and acceptable sacrifice.

[1] Charles Spurgeon, His Name – Wonderful!, September 19, 1858, http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/0214.htm (accessed July 24, 2010)

[2] All further Scripture reference will be taken from the Holy Bible, New American Standard Bible

[3] John MacArthur, The MacArthur Study Bible, ed. John MacArthur, (Nashville: Word Publishing, 1997), 1574

[4] J.H. Hall, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology. ed. Walter A. Elwell. (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2009), 219.

[5] J.H. Hall, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology. ed. Walter A. Elwell. (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2009), 219.

[6] R.S. Wallace and G.L. Green, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology. ed. Walter A. Elwell. (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2009), 239.

July 26, 2010
Categories: Uncategorized . . Author: dananddeb . Comments: Leave a Comment

Fool’s Gold or Purpose Driven, You Decide. (Part 2)

In Chapter 2 of John MacArthur’s book, “Fool’s Gold?” he states, “‘Seeker Sensitive’ preaching fosters people who are consumed with their own well-being.” (p. 39,40). Pastor MacArthur feels that there are too many simplistic preachers of God’s Word that are more focused on meeting the needs of people rather than meeting the ultimate need for their souls. He says about these “seeker sensitive” preachers, “They lie to people about what they really need, promising them ‘fulfillment’ and earthly well-being when what people really need is an exalted vision of Christ and a true understanding of the splendor of God’s holiness.” (p. 41). It is Pastor MacArthurs conviction that if one is called to preach, then he must “…preach the Word, even though it is currently out of fashion to do so (2 Tim 4:2).” (p. 41).

Pastor Rick Warren, in his book “The Purpose Driven Church: Growth Without Compromising Your Message & Mission” says of preachers, “Because preachers are called to communicate truth, we often mistakenly assume that unbelievers are eager to hear it. But unbelievers aren’t that interested in truth these days…While most unbelievers aren’t looking for truth, they are looking for relief. This gives us the opportunity to interest them in truth.” (p. 226). Pastor Warren teaches that in order to reach the unchurched/unbeliever we must first meet them at their basic (to borrow a phrase from Celebrate Recovery) hurts, hang-ups, and habits. He recommends first meeting the needs of the hurting, then through that opportunity, attempt to interest them in the truth. Pastor Warren shares his beliefs for meeting the needs of the people first in the bylaws of Saddleback Church which state, “This church exists to benefit the residents of the Saddleback Valley by providing for their spiritual, physical, emotional, intellectual, and social needs.’” (p. 220).

My personal belief in regards to preaching is based on Paul’s words to Timothy. “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage-with great patience and careful instruction.” (2 Timothy 4:2 NIV). In October 2007, I blogged on this very subject of “self-help” preaching. I wrote, “What is up with today’s preachers on television? As I sit here and watch, I wait for them to preach God’s Word. Instead, what I see is people turning the Bible into a self-help book. God will do this for you, heal this for you, give you money, cars, clothes, and vacations.” Not much has changed in my personal view of this type of preaching. I view the Word of God as a sword, a weapon for both defense and offense. A weapon to “…penetrate even to dividing the soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Heb 4:12). I continue to feel that “seeker sensitive” preaching is dangerous to the soul of man. Although in Pastor Warren’s book, he shows the many instances in which Jesus met the peoples needs, he fails to point out the times in which Jesus preached the hard-cold truths. There are two paths, one leading to life, and one leading to destruction. If a man is called to preach, then I feel that he must do as Jude instructs and “snatch others from the fire and save them, to others show mercy, mixed with fear – hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.” (Jude 23). We do this by preaching the Word.

July 23, 2010
Categories: Jesus our Savior, Uncategorized . . Author: dananddeb . Comments: 1 Comment

Fool’s Gold or Purpose Driven, You Decide. (Part 1)

In his book, Fool’s Gold, John MacArthur writes, “…we are reminded of the need to discriminate between truth and falsehood…Discriminate simply means ‘to make a clear distinction.’” (p. 21). Pastor MacArthur is making a call to preach the Word of God. In a world where everything we say or do must be “politically correct” Pastor John MacArthur is rather telling us to be “Biblically Correct.” He reinforces Biblical teaching regarding standing firm on God’s Word, testing and discerning all things to ensure it is of God, shunning evil, and bewaring the wiles of the devil. The title of his book sums up his views in two words, Fool’s Gold. Pastor John MacArthur shouts a warning to today’s church to beware that all that glitters isn’t gold, and encourages us in using the Apostle Paul’s words, “…be like the Bereans who were more noble because they were, ‘examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.’” (p. 34).

In Rick Warren’s book, The Purpose Driven Church, it is easy to see that Pastor Warren has a heart for the unchurched. He writes, “Since I felt called to reach unbelievers, I determined to begin with unbelievers, rather than with a core of committed Christians.” (p. 39). He reinforces this statement in membership class saying, “If all you intend to do is attend services, we’d rather save your seat for someone who is an unbeliever. There are plenty of good Bible-teaching churches in this area that we can recommend to you.” (p. 39). Pastor Warren tells the story of how he took a vision, and on faith, moved to Southern California and started one of the largest churches in America today. He teaches that it should be our goal as Christians to step out and reach the unchurched members of society bringing them into the flock of God.

Of these two writers, I definitely am more apt to side with Pastor MacArthur. Having a mentor that sat under Jack MacArthur, John’s father, and spent time with John MacArthur, I would have to say that the majority of my influences have been these three men of God, Jack, John, and Mitch. Having said that, I believe that if we are strict teachers of God’s Word, there is very little that can go wrong in our church. This is not to say that I am ignorant of “church politics” and the many toes that can be stepped on within a body of believers. What I am saying, is that if we are careful in our study of the Scriptures, hold ourselves above reproach, and teach the truth and nothing but the truth, then God Himself will back us up within His very own writings. I am weary of Pastor Warren’s statement, “There are plenty of good Bible-teaching churches in this area…” It insinuates that Saddleback Church is not a “good Bible-teaching” church and this makes me wonder about his discipleship process. Jesus said, “Therefore, go and make disciples…” (Matthew 28:10). Having never attended or listened to Pastor Warren preach, this makes me suspicious of what is being taught. However, since this is simply a review of the first chapters of each book, I will wait until the endings to do as Pastor MacArthur says and “discriminate between truth and falsehood.”

July 16, 2010
Categories: Jesus our Savior, Uncategorized . . Author: dananddeb . Comments: Leave a Comment

Word of GOD or Word of Man?

Errancy as defined by Merriam-Webster is “the state or an instance of erring.” Inerrancy then could be defined as the state or an instance of not erring. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16 NIV). The term God-breathed can also be translated God-inspired, therefore, God is the Author. The Bible tells us that God is perfect in all ways (Hebrews 7:28), therefore it reasons to say that all Scripture is also without error. R.C. Sproul writes in his book, Explaining Inerrancy, “The authority of the Bible is based on its being the written Word of God, and because the Bible is the Word of God and the God of the Bible is truth and speaks truthfully, authority is linked with inerrancy. If the Bible is the Word of God, and if God is a God of truth, then the Bible must be inerrant.”

Is it enough to say that the Bible is inspired and without error? No. However, when we take the Scripture as a whole and recognize the fact that all of the writings point to the Person of Jesus Christ this causes a person to look deeper into the authority of these holy writings. H.D. McDonald writes, “The authority of the Bible is established by its own claims. It is the word of God. Such declarations as, ‘This is what the LORD says,’ or its equivalent, occur so frequently in the OT that it can confidently be asserted that the whole account is dominated by the claim.” God Himself is the authority. God claims authorship and in doing so, establishes His authority.

Inspiration or the term “God-breathed” portrays the image of God breathing life into the very being of what the Word of God is. The Bible teaches us of the creation of man, “…the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living thing.” (Genesis 2:7). So it is with the Word of God. The Bible tells us, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12). “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.” (1 Peter 1:23). The Scripture has been given to man (2 Peter 1:21) and because of God’s very breath it is the living, active, imperishable, and enduring word of God. Through God’s very inability to lie (Titus 1:2); we have what are the inerrant writings of God.

As a Christian, I accept every word of the original manuscripts of Scripture as being inspired by God and that it is inerrant, without flaw or contradiction. (As one who believes this, there is no shortage of people to debate this issue with). I point a person to the historical alignment between secular history and Biblical history observing and examining the facts surrounding historical records and fulfilled prophecy.

To believe this way does not place a light burden on one to live his life in a manner worthy of this belief. God is the final authority and the words provided to the writers of Scripture are the final revelation of God’s purpose for man. (To live this way is an honorable path to choose and to defend these beliefs is an honor worthy of being called a child of God Almighty). It is imperative that all Christians study the word of God and understand the implications of what they are studying in order to share these wonderful truths with others and to live a life fully given to God. To quote Dr. Harry Rimmer, “One of the common faults of the average person is his acceptance of words without a definite comprehension of their meanings.” Reading the Scriptures without comprehension is pointless. Therefore we should heed the words of Timothy, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15).

Bibliography

Sproul, R.C. Explaining Inerrancy. (Orlando: Ligonier Ministries, 1996), 9.

McDonald, H.D. Evangelical Dictionary of Theology. Edited by Walter A. Elwell. (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2009), 154.

Rimmer, Harry. Inspiration Plus Revelation Equals the Bible. (Grand Rapids: The Research Science Bureau, Inc, 1944), 9.

July 14, 2010
Categories: Uncategorized . . Author: dananddeb . Comments: 1 Comment

Life: A Balance

Sometimes, my head feels like it’s so full of “stuff” that eventually my ears will begin oozing. On May 17th I started school again. It is a little different from before because I’m doing it all online this time. I am officially a “Religion” student at Liberty University. I’m taking Old Testament Survey, Evangelism, Theology Survey I, and Church Ministries. I’m having a lot of fun studying my Bible and being a student. However…

I am also still working full-time as a “Food Service Director” for an assisted living facility. I work Monday through Friday and manage a culinary budget of about $25,000 a month in addition to a payroll budget. I’m responsible for food safety, employment scheduling, menu management, resident complaints, inventory, etc. This is a good job that I’m thankful to have. A job that God has allowed me to have…

June 2nd, my wife’s 13-year-old daughter came to visit us for the summer from Alabama. I think of her as my daughter also, though I’m not really sure what she thinks of me yet. It’s been good. Her and the boys are getting along wonderfully and she really seems to like being here with us. This is a complicated situation to deal with though because of all of the different people involved and much emotion.

What I’m learning is that without God, I would be a wreck right now. Stress from school, work, and family would eventually consume me. I do have God though. It’s with His help that I’m learning to balance my life. I don’t know where God is going to take me with my education, but I know that He’s going to use me. I need to stay focused on Him, pray to Him, love Him, and allow Him to guide me.

Pray for me.

June 14, 2010
Categories: Uncategorized . . Author: dananddeb . Comments: Leave a Comment

Be Transformed, Not Conformed

I have often told the story of when I used to work for the Oregon Department of Corrections and the day that I discovered that I had become desensitized to the world around me. It was March 4, 2004. I was standing in the kitchen of my nephews mother’s house, talking with the grandmother of my nephew. She was from Minnesota and she was telling me this tragic story of a young girl that had been raped. She stopped mid-story and asked me, “Why are you smiling?” I’ll admit, it threw me off guard a little bit, but then it hit me. I was listening to this story no different from if I was talking to somebody about the weather. The story of a young girl being raped did not come close to shocking me or making me feel anything else for that matter. I realized, that working for the D.O.C., I was surrounded by people that had done crimes that in my own mind, were far worse. I worked with people that had beaten their parents and lit them on fire. Driven get away cars for robberies in which their codefendant had shot the victim in the head, execution style. Wives that had shot and killed husbands for beating on them for over 25 years. People that had sexually molested babies. The result of working within the walls of a prison? Me, standing in a kitchen, drinking a Pepsi, and smiling while some lady I’d only met moments ago, shared a terrible story of a young girl being raped.

That was almost six years ago to the day as I write this. A lot has changed in my life since then. I’ve since quit working for the Department of Corrections. I’ve been divorced and remarried. I’ve been addicted to methamphetamine, been arrested for theft, forgery, and identity theft, spent thirty days in a hillbilly jail in Mt. Home, Idaho, and most significantly, out of everything in the last six years, I’ve become a Christ follower.

I’ve also told that story often. How I became a Christian. At this time, it’s not about how I was lead to the Lord, but what changes I made in my life when I made that decision. I made decisions that started to change the way I thought. I quit listening to all music that was not “Christian” music. Bands like Alice in Chains, Tool, AC/DC, etc. I quit watching horror movies and violent movies. Even the television shows that I watched were limited to those that did not involve sex, violence, drugs, or other images or actions contrary to the Christian lifestyle. For almost three years, my mind went through a complete “brainwashing.” It was a much needed washing because my mind was dirty. The things I’d done and the things I’d seen with my eyes all contributed to a warped way of thinking. A way of thinking that degraded women. A way of thinking that distorted my view of every situation and every person.

I shared with Debbie the other night that I could call up any image or sexual act that I’ve ever witnessed or been a part of if I so chose. I spent much of my life viewing pornography and then living those fantasies out in the flesh. It’s been proven by medical science that viewing pornography causes physical brain damage. Brain damage that is only now being shown to be able to be reversed. It was through my faith in Christ that my brain damage began to be reversed. My mind began to be transformed by God rather than being conformed to the ways of the world.

Then, something terrible began happening to me. I had spent so much time learning the Christian way and giving up so many things, that it has taken me almost two years to recognize what has happened. I have slipped into a spiritual slump. My attitude has been poor. I fail to read the Word of God. I rarely listen to Christian music and can easily give you many reasons why. The words that come out of my mouth are often reminiscent of my days in the Marine Corps and my life as an alcoholic drug addict. My dreams are often filled with violence and death. My mind has slipped into old patterns and has slowly been conformed to the ways of the world.

There must be an answer why.

I was at a bible study a few nights ago. Normally, I would love to go to bible studies, never being able to learn enough about God’s Word. This night though, I felt like I was on my way to be locked in prison for a life term. I so badly did not want to go. God used that bible study that night to show me the errors of my way. As we were ending, it was time for prayer. I bowed my head, closed my eyes, and as the first person began praying, my mind was filled with images of violence and hatred. I opened my eyes, then closed them. Again, terrible images filled my mind. It was then that God showed me that I had given the enemy a foothold in my life. I had replaced my bible with television.

Shows like Criminal Minds, Law & Order: SVU, CSI, Dexter, NCIS, 48 Hours, Snapped, and the list goes on. Each of these shows portray death, rape, murder, violence, anger, degradation, and the utter depravity of man. Out of curiosity, I searched online and found the ratings for the most recent season. This is what I found; eight of the shows that I watch on a regular basis is in the top 20. What this says to me is that this is what America is watching. Shows that make their money on the stories of rape and murder. We often wonder why America is in the condition that it is in. Could it not be because of what we watch in our living rooms every night of the week? Could it not be because these shows have a very negative effect on our minds and this begins to affect our daily dealings with others? I can’t answer that for every American. I can answer for myself. Yes. Yes. Yes. These shows are affecting how I think, how I act, how I view the outside world. Most importantly, it is dimming the light that is Christ in me. The evil that I view on a daily basis is doing to my mind what cheeseburgers do to my veins. It’s stopping the flow of the Holy Spirit. It’s giving Satan a foothold.

I know, dude, you are taking this a little too far. If you think this, I disagree with you. Casting Crowns wrote a song called “Slow Fade.” Some of the verses go like this:

Be careful little eyes what you see

It’s the second glance that ties your hands

As darkness pulls the strings

Be careful little feet where you go

For it’s the little feet behind you

That are sure to follow

Be careful little ears what you hear

When flattering leads to compromises

The end is always near

Be careful little lips what you say

For empty words and promises

Leave broken hearts astray

The journey from your mind to your hands

Is shorter than you’re thinking

Be careful if you think you stand

You just might be sinking 1

Focus on that last verse, “The journey from your mind to your hands is shorter than you’re thinking, Be careful if you think you stand, You just might be sinking.” That is the truth. Straight from the Word of God. “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”2

Throughout the New Testament, we the church are told this. Be holy. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”3

“If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.”4

“According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.”5

“That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”6

“But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate.”7

“Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”8

What does it mean to be holy? It means to be separated. Separated from sin, separated from the world. Set apart for God’s purpose for your life. How can we be holy when we are witnessing the very works of the flesh right in our own living rooms?

I want to be holy as He is holy. This means that I need to start changing things in my life. Music, television, events, people…all of these things need to be filtered. Would I be ashamed to do or watch any of these things if Jesus were in the flesh sitting next to me? If the answer is yes, then I better examine myself to see whether I be in the faith. I will fail during this attempt. I will give into fleshly desires at times. My hope is that as I call out to Christ to make me more like Him, that I will stop being more like me. I want to fill my mind with things of God, not with things of this world. I want to get to a point that when somebody asks me if I saw some episode on some television show, that I will be so far separated that I won’t recognize the name of the show. I have a friend like that. I used to think he was crazy. That he was “extreme.” I bet he doesn’t bow his head and close his eyes to pray and have his mind filled with visions of murder. I bet he envisions great and glorious things of God.

Praise the Lord for His Mightiness!

1 Casting Crowns “Slow Fade” 

2 1 Corinthians 10:12 KJV

3 Romans 12:1 KJV

4 1 Corinthians 3:17 KJV

5 Ephesians 1:4 KJV

6 Ephesians 5:27 KJV

7 Titus 1:8 KJV 

8 1 Peter 1:16 KJV

February 11, 2010
Categories: Jesus our Savior, Recovery, spiritual warfare . . Author: dananddeb . Comments: Leave a Comment

Worry not about tomorrow…

I’ve started Ezekiel. For now, I’m simply reading through it, reading the study notes in my bible. Once I read through it, I’ll then read through it again. Then I will begin to break it down into smaller chunks. Chapter by chapter. Then I’ll get down to verse by verse. I will be in Ezekiel for quite some time. That’s how I prefer to do it though. I prefer to read the Scriptures until I have an understanding. Will I have a full understanding? No. Will I have what God gives me through this study? Yes.

Life is like my bible studies. Its better handled in small portions. In the recovery world, we live by that. You’ll here us say amongst ourselves, “One day at a time.” We go one day at a time because in most cases, it’s too much thinking about our sobriety past that. I’ve been sober now for over four years. It’s because Christ gives me strength to make it through each day. I’ve been clean for over three years because again, Christ gives me strength to make it through each day. This is biblical.

“So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.“ Matthew 6:34

Christ says that it is a waste of todays time to worry about tomorrow. Now don’t think I’m saying that Jesus doesn’t want us to plan for the future. He is not a God of chaos, He wants us to have order and plans. He is saying, DO NOT WORRY ABOUT TOMORROW.

It’s so interesting. I started this yesterday morning and as I was putting thoughts together on what I was going to write, I started thinking about our car. Our car was given to us. It’s been a good car and has gotten us many places in the last year. However, the car is old and it’s age is really starting to show. It has a horrendous oil leak and power steering leak. The rear-view mirror fell off when I went over some railroad tracks due to the lack of shocks on the vehicle. There is a part, (I don’t remember the name of it) that costs $350 to replace which will help the gas mileage (currently 11.6 mpg) and help with this lugging at 60 mph. The car is only worth $200 (on a good day). Finally, the other night while driving, the drivers side window came crashing down. It’s now being held up with purple duct tape. The reason I explain all this is because Debbie and I came to the conclusion that we need a new car. So, we went through the process of filling out papers and meeting with a friend that sells cars, but unfortunately due to my stellar (sarcasm) credit, this was a no-go. I say all this to explain that finally, I just gave my car to God. I told Him that I wasn’t going to worry about it any longer. If He kept my car going great, if He gave me a different car great. Not five minutes after telling God this, my friend walked in the door and told me that he and his wife were giving Debbie and I one of their cars. This was to say the least, thrilling news! God used my friend to bless us.

See, God is in control. He holds me in His hand and He knows everything there is to know about me. He knows what I need, what I want. My hopes, my dreams. Most importantly, He knows His will for my life. Why do I need to worry about tomorrow? Today does indeed have enough trouble of its own. It’s through the strength of God that I can overcome each day. If God had not blessed us with a different vehicle, that would be okay too. The point is not that God blesses us. He’s not my ”cosmic banker“ so to speak. He’s my Savior. The point is, that I don’t have to worry about tomorrow because God has it all under control. Even when I struggle with where God is taking me, He knows. All I have to do is trust Him. I need to cast my cares upon Him, because He cares, and worry not about tomorrow, but instead trust Him with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength.

October 14, 2009
Categories: Jesus our Savior, Recovery, Uncategorized . . Author: dananddeb . Comments: Leave a Comment

Surrender…

So, I’m at work and taking a break. We do get those here. It’s kind of nice.

I’ve been thinking a lot about where I am, what I’m doing, where I’m going. I was thinking this morning about the three years that Christ was in ministry. Then, I was reading Galatians, and thought how Paul took off for three years after his Damascus experience. There isn’t much information about this time. John MacArthur suspects that he was under the instruction of the Lord at this time. I suppose it could have been a type of “on the job training”. I think again how it’s been a little over three years since my own conversion. My Damascus Road Experience so to speak. During this time, the Lord lead me to the church that I attend, He lead me to my mentors, He lead me in His Word. He placed me under Godly supervisors at my job. All this in preparation to do His work.

God just reached down, grabbed me by the hand, and said to me, “NO MORE, MY CHILD! YOU WILL NOT AND CANNOT LIVE THIS WAY ANYMORE! IT IS GRIEVING MY HEART AND THIS IS NO LIFE FOR ONE OF MY CREATION! BELIEVE ON THE NAME OF MY SON AND BE SAVED!” So I did. My life has not been the same since.

Now, God is again reaching down to me, grabbing me by my hand, and saying to me, “NO MORE MY CHILD! YOU WILL NOT AND CANNOT LIVE THIS WAY ANYMORE! IT IS GRIEVING MY HEART AND THIS IS NO LIFE FOR ONE OF MY CHILDREN! SURRENDER TO ME AND I WILL CONTINUE TO SAVE YOU!”

God delivered me from the wicked life of alcoholism and drug addiction. I was on fire and I was doing so well. Now, I’ve traded these addictions in for more “socially acceptable” sins. I over eat. Everyday, I over eat. It’s time to surrender. It’s time for me to recognize that this body is His temple and He dwells within. I wouldn’t put methamphetamine inside of my body again, why do I put this abundance of food and fat inside of my body?

Debbie is constantly on me about my food choices. Not because she likes to harp on me. It’s because she loves me. She’d like to see me stick around for awhile. Well, doesn’t it make since that if I love my Lord, and I love my wife, I should maybe listen to them? It makes sense to me.

I think that God is going to use me. I think that He just has a few more things to fine tune. So, I will ask you to pray for me, and I will begin to surrender. Oh to live only for the Lord, this is my desire. Praise the Lord for His Mightiness!

October 8, 2009
Categories: Jesus our Savior, Recovery, spiritual warfare . . Author: dananddeb . Comments: Leave a Comment

To wait upon the Lord…

I feel a little bit lost lately. It’s almost like being trapped in the “Twilight Zone”. Everyday is the same. Or, maybe a little closer to the movie Groundhogs Day. There seems to be this continuous cycle of “same ole same ole” with no change in sight. Most of my feelings revolve around not really knowing where God wants me. I suppose that where I am is where He wants me. If that’s the case, I’m not really sure what He wants me to be doing. In my heart, I truly want to live fully and wholly for God. I want to serve Him, love Him, breath Him in every second that I’m able to breath. Living it out is the challenge. I want to be part of the body of Christ.

When we read the gospel accounts, we read that Jesus was always moving. He never seemed to stay in one place very long because there were places to go, people to see, and things to do. He was always out moving. The times that He was still, He was alone and praying. That’s the body I want to be a part of. The body that is moving and doing. A body of action. A body of prayer.

Most people that know me, understand that I’ve only been a follower of Jesus Christ for 3 years and 7 months. We all have our own stories of how we finally came to be His disciple. It seems like I was doing more the first few years than I am doing now. I felt like there was direction in my life. I felt like He was moving me in one direction and if I stayed focus on Him, I would arrive. Now, I’m just not sure.

I know that ultimately, I will be with Him, and the direction He’s moving me in is to follow His path so that I will live with Him in the Heavens. I’m just not sure what that direction on earth is. Before I was busy all of the time. Maybe, He’s just giving me a break. A time to rest. A time to regroup. Maybe, being busy isn’t where it’s at. A friend of mine, Jerry, always says that busy stands for Bound Under Satan’s Yoke. Well, if that’s the case, who wants to be busy?!

Debbie and I are starting a new bible study together. It’s a marriage study. I think, that I’m going to focus on that study, let God continue to work and grow us in our relationship with Him and with each other, and see what He has in store for us. Waiting. Wait upon the Lord. That’s the hardest part isn’t it?

October 7, 2009
Categories: Jesus our Savior, spiritual warfare . . Author: dananddeb . Comments: Leave a Comment

Drugs Really Do Suck

Drugs really do suck. They consume a person’s mind and body until they eventually run you into the very pit of hell. It’s been an interesting week. I received a phone call on Monday night from a friend. They had a homeless woman in their house and she told them that she wanted to kick heroin. My friend called me. My wife called some treatment places. I called my friend. They decided to house her at their home until a bed opened up at the local detox and rehab center. We went over and prayed with the woman and encouraged her. The men in the house had recruited some women they knew to help take care of the person. It was a rough go for them. They stayed up most the night with her. Her body was going through the wicked withdrawals from heroin. Tuesday: she caved. She threatened to give up and leave if they didn’t allow her to take some methadone. What choice did they really have? They walked her down the street where she could get her synthetic fix and she was fine, for a little while. The detox called. They had a bed. Praise the Lord. The boys did the deed and took her to rehab and she willingly checked in. Wednesday: she caved. She’s gone. Debbie and I went to visit her. They couldn’t deny or confirm that she was there. You know, confidentiality. I say, you don’t understand, we brought her here yesterday. “I can’t confirm or deny that she is here.” Yadda, Yadda, Yadda. She wasn’t there.

My wife and I were shocked when our friend called and confirmed that for us. She was doing so well. We’d all been praying for her. We gave her a support system. How could this have happened? This why the recovery ministry is so hard. People still have the choice to continue on a path of righteousness or a path of destruction. WE STILL HAVE THE CHOICE TO SIN.

I’m writing simply to vent and to give a shout out to the “RECON” team. They didn’t have a clue what to do, but they did what the bible says. They provided food, clothing, comfort, love, and they prayed. That’s all we can do. They also wore the clothes of righteousness and that girl saw Jesus Christ for the two days she spent with them. She saw His Grace, His Mercy, His Unconditional Love for her. The seed that was planted in her youth, had some water poured on it. The bible tells us that when we plant and water, the Holy Spirit will do the growing. I believe that she had some growth in her life. I believe that an impact was made. I believe that one day, she will make the decision to stop sinning through drug abuse, and the Lord will deliver her from this addiction.

If you are reading this, you can help. You can pray. Pray for Debbie and I, pray for “RECON”, pray for the girl (God knows who she is even if you do not), pray that we can reach just one person today with the Gospel message. With the message of hope and freedom. Pray for everybody that devotes so much time and energy to so many different recovery ministries. It’s a battle. Not against flesh and blood, that would be easy. We are in a battle that has already been won. However, the enemy wants to try to squash our hope and wants to take our eyes off of our Savior. Pray for us. Drugs really do suck.

August 12, 2009
Categories: Jesus our Savior, Recovery, spiritual warfare . . Author: dananddeb . Comments: 2 Comments

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