Happy Atheist-Destiny Lab

This is a rap song that was sent to me by a friend.  It will make some offended.  But the reality is that if God is not real, then why would we even care?  Why do good?  Why abide by law?  What is truth....who sets it, and what makes yours right for you?  How can your subjective truth be better than mine.  In that sense we are no better than the "animal kingdom."  What confuses me about unbelief, and I get it, is not the fact that people struggle with believing in the unseen....it is how people base a moral structure without God and TRUTH (personal wisdom, popular opinion? etc....  I thank God everyday that He opened my eyes, that I have purpose, and understanding.  I pray for God to open the eyes of the blind.  The greatest witness to God and His providence?  Look outside your window, or more simply look at yourself.  There is no way a bacteria mutated into a life form and created all this wonder.  Even my 10 year old daughter laughs at the notion of apes deciding one day to stand up and somehow develop language.  How do we lose our sense when we become "educated".  No wonder the devil is at work blinding "smart folk".  These lyrics cut a bit to the bone and absolute profound.- stu

WHAT EXACTLY WOULD YOU SAY IF YOUR CHILD LOOKED UP AT YOU
AND ASKED YOU ABOUT GOD AND IF HE EXISTS AND IF HE'S TRUE?
AND WONDERED WHAT WOULD HAPPEN WHEN SOMEONE DIES - IS THERE A HEAVEN?
AND WHAT ABOUT THAT MAN UPON THE CROSS - AM I FORGIVEN?
HOW EXACTLY WOULD YOU ANSWER THOSE HOPEFUL LITTLE EYES
WHEN YOU'RE COLLEGE EDUCATED AND CONVINCED IT'S ALL A LIE
SURE YOU WENT TO SUNDAY SCHOOL WHEN YOU WERE YOUNG BUT THAT WAS THEN
YOU'RE ABOVE THOSE SIMPLE THOUGHTS NOW THE ONLY GOD YOU KNOW IS MAN
ARE YOU SADDENED AND ASHAMED TO TELL THIS LITTLE SOUL
THAT YOU DONT BELIEVE IN ANYTHING AND HAVE NO REASON AND NO HOPE
THERES NO HEAVEN AND NO MEANING THERES NO PURPOSE TO OUR LIVES
THAT YOU BELIEVE WERE JUST EVOLVED RANDOM MUTATIONS COME ALIVE
YOU'RE NO BETTER THAN AN INSECT SON AND WHEN YOU DIE THAT'S IT
IVE LEARNED THROUGH EDUCATION That GOOD AND BAD JUST DONT EXIST
IT'S ALL JUST EVOLUTION IT'S SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST
AND WE CAN GET YOU A PRESCRIPTION WHEN YOUR LIFE BECOMES DEPRESSED
IM SORRY THAT IVE CRUMBLED ALL YOUR HOPES AND ALL YOUR DREAMS
BUT IT'S TIME YOU REALIZE THAT LIFES NOT WHAT IT SEEMS

ARE YOU LOST? ARE YOU ALONE? ARE YOU CONVINCED THAT LIFE DOES NOT MAKE SENSE?
HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN THAT GOD EVEN EXISTS?
HAVE YOU REPLACED ALL THAT WAS REAL FOR A LIFE OF COUNTERFIETS?
AND CREATED YOUR OWN TRUTH A HAPPY ATHEIST

DO YOU REALIZE HOW YOUR ANSWERS COULD JUST SHATTER ALL THESE DREAMS IN EVERYTHING THAT EVER MATTERED TO THIS PRECIOUS LITTLE BEING WHO HAD BELIEF A CERTAIN PEACE AND HAD RECIEVED THAT INNER VOICE INSIDE HIS CONCSCIENCE AND HIS CONSCIESS MIND BELIEVED AND IT SICKENS YOU TO THINK CUZ YOU'VE DRIVEN BY YOUR EGO AND YOUR GREED AND HE SEES IT AND YOU DONT PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH AND YOUVE LOST YOUR DIGNITY and YOUVE SUCCEEDED IN DESTROYING ALL BELIEF AND DEFEATED ALL HIS REAL HOPES AND DREAMS
THEY MIGHT NEVER BE RETRIEVED AND THE FLAME WITHIN HIS HEART ALMOST COMPLETELY IS EXTINGUISED AND THE HOLES WITHIN HIS SOUL ARE FILLED WITH MIMICKS AND THE MESSAGE OF GODS GRACE WITHIN HIS MIND HAS BEEN DIMINISHED BECAUSE THE ANSWERS THAT YOU GAVE HIM TOOK A PIECE OF his EXISTENCE AND THE POWER OF YOUR WORDS WERE UNFORSEEN AND IN THAT
VERY MOMENT YOU DESTROYED THE VERY PURPOSE OF HIS BEING AND NOW HE'S LOST and he's ALONE AND CONVINCED THAT LIFE DOES NOT MAKE SENSE and
HE HAS FORGOTTEN THAT GOD EVEN EXISTS HE'S REPLACED ALL THAT WAS REAL FOR A LIFE OF COUNTERFIETS AND CREATED HIS OWN TRUTH AS A HAPPY ATHEIST

ARE YOU LOST? ARE YOU ALONE? ARE YOU CONVINCED THAT LIFE DOES NOT MAKE SENSE?

HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN THAT GOD EVEN EXISTS?
HAVE YOU REPLACED ALL THAT WAS REAL FOR A LIFE OF COUNTERFIETS?
AND CREATED YOUR OWN TRUTH A HAPPY ATHEIST

The Wish Wand- Amazing Poem about Finality of Hell

                                                                          The Wish Wand
The dangers of wishing instead of knowing about your eternal destiny are real. In this poem I tried to imagine what would happen to me if I died and faced God with only wishes and had not asked Him to forgive my sins for Christ’s sake, and take me to heaven.

I had a little wish wand and waved it to and fro
Whenever thoughts turned heavenward
Or the other place you go.
I thought it safe to trust it
With my whole eternal soul,
So I wished the life I’d lived on earth
Would get me to my goal.
I wished that all would get to heaven
Whatever they believed,
That Buddha sat at God’s right hand,
That New Age be received.
I wished that Paul would change his mind,
That Jesus wasn’t right
Because he spoke of lostness and a
Dark eternal night;
About the way to heaven
One truth, one narrow gate, and
I was so broadminded that I wished away my fate!
So I waved my little wish wand
In the patient face of Him
Who met me at the gate of heaven and wouldn’t let me in.
I wrote to heaven’s congressman,
But he courteously replied that I should have
Left my wish wand at the feet of Him who died!
For wishes could not wish away a lifetime of rejection,
And wishes could not dress my soul
In heaven’s own perfection.
And wishes could not save me now for hell was so obscene,
That wishes there die ghastly deaths,
Strangled with a scream.
But I took my little wish wand
Into hell the day I died,
And I waved it at the serpent as he
Slithered to my side.
It was dark but I could see him
And all I knew was fear,
And no matter how I waved my wand
He wouldn’t disappear!
Oh I wish that I had wished aright;
I wished I lived again.
I wished I had a body that
Was whole, not racked with pain.
I wished I could remember
Something other than the dirt.
I wish I could forget my sin.
How every memory hurt!
Oh, I wished and wished and wished
That I could have another chance
To cast upon the crucified
A saving, helpless glance.
But the devil took my wish wand
And he laughed right in my face
And I went to live eternally in
Darkness and disgrace.
I never wished a wish again
I had no heart to try,
For hell is where hope ended,
And where all my wishes died!

 Jill Briscoe, Telling the Truth

Romney, Christian Republicans, Mormons and Jesus.....

Talking with Republican recently about the Romney campaign.  He knows that I communicate the reality that Romney is a professed Mormon.  I am not trying to make a huge point about it but just really trying to look at what that means to me.  The individual tried to tell me not to judge him, but i guess we all have to judge in some extent of who we vote for.  Obamacare?  Trillions deficit?  Maybe not....but as a believer I am not trying to point out that mormonism simply is now all of a sudden a viable offshoot of Christianity now that there are no evangelicals running.  I am amazed at the depth of Christians faith when their pocketbook could be affected.  Wow.  Last time I checked, Mormanism is not even close to being an offshoot of the Divine ONE TRUE WAY.  Billy Graham it is said has already removed Mormonism from their list of cults after meeting with Romney (http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20121015/NEWS/310150041/Mormonism-cult-claim-vanishes-from-Graham-site?odyssey=nav%7Chead).  Lord I hope not.  Bro. Billy, we can pray for Mitt, love him, and even share the gospel with him...but lets not be more american than we are Christian.  Jesus, you are who you say you are.  Not changed by political winds.  Who wins?  I really don't care.  Jesus is coming.  Get ready.-  Stu

http://www.religionfacts.com/mormonism/comparison.htm

	Mormonism	Mainstream Christianity
Religious Authority	All sacred texts equally, continuing revelations	Bible (all), ecumenical councils and creeds (Catholic and Orthodox), official papal pronouncements (Catholic), continuing revelations (Pentecostal)
Sacred Texts	Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price	Bible (some include Apocrypha)
Trinity	Rejected - Father, Son and Holy Spirit are three distinct beings who are "one in purpose"	Affirmed - Father, Son and Holy Spirit are of the "same substance"; three persons in one being
God	Heavenly Father, who has a physicalbody	Trinitarian God, who does not have a body
Jesus Christ	Son of God, Savior, originally one of the spirit beings that all humans used to be (see Jesus Christ). Has aphysical body.	Son of God, Word of God, God, secondPerson of the Trinity (see Christology)
Holy Spirit	A spirit being who is a separate being from God and Jesus.	God, Third Person of the Trinity
Original sin	Denied (see Human Nature)	Affirmed (by most denominations)
Free will	Free to do good or evil	Free will to do good is seriously impaired
Purpose of Christ's Incarnation	Teach about God, provide a model for right living, die sacrificially for human sin (see Jesus Christ)	Teach about God, provide a model for right living, die sacrificially for human sin, reveal God directly to humanity
Resurrection of Christ?	Yes	Yes
Salvation	Both faith and works; works emphasized	Both faith and works; faith emphasized (in most denominations)
Second chance after death?	Yes, during a period of "learning and preparation" after death	No
Afterlife	All spirits go to the spirit world, undergo preparation, then rejoin with bodies in the resurrection (seeAfterlife). The good spend the intervening time in spirit paradise, while the wicked go to spirit prison.	Souls of wicked sent to Hell, believers go to Heaven for eternity (see Afterlife). In Catholicism, many believers will suffer inPurgatory before going to Heaven.
Hell	The wicked enter an unpleasant "spirit prison" prior to judgment; after that, only the most obstinately wicked (like Satan) will be consigned to "Outer Darkness" for eternity.	Place (or state of being) of eternal torment and distance from God.
Place of Worship	Chapel or Temple	Church
Meaning of Sacraments (Chr) or Ordinances (LDS)	Ordinances are covenants between man and God and a means of grace. Some of them are necessary for salvation.	Symbolic acts commanded by Christ (some Protestant); means of grace if received with faith (Catholic, Orthodox, and some Protestant).
Sacraments (Chr) or Ordinances (LDS)	Include baptism, confirmation, the sacrament (Lord's Supper), laying on of hands, ordination, temple endowment, and marriage sealing (see Temple Ordinances)	Two common to all denominations: Baptism and Lord's Supper. Total of seven in Catholicism.
Symbols	No official symbol; cross is not used; the angel Moroni raising a trumpet isseen atop Mormon temples	Cross, fish and others
Holidays	Easter, Christmas, national and local holidays, birthdays, celebrations of events in Mormon history	Easter, Christmas, saints' days, several others
	Mormonism	Mainstream Christianity

Mali Music Wrote a Song For The Devil....

PS:  It ain't no love song.  Phenomenal.  A link to check it out on "spotify"Mali Music – I Hate You

Lyrics to I Hate You :

(I hate You!)
You a Liar! You a Cheat! You Deceive me.
(I hate you!)
From the depths of my soul and i mean it!
You wanted to kill me, but it ain't goin be easy.
(cause i hate you.)
Yeh ima stand my ground and ima fight wit the Lamb of Jesus Christ!
I rebuke you I see what your tryin to do so i wrote this song for you.
Yes you cuz i hate you

Verse 1:
Neva had a feelin like this before.
I aint Neva really like ya since i came to the lord.
All stunts that you're pullin really gettin on my nerves
Forget what you used to forget what u heard.
The word: A light, a lamp, unto the feet i walk with.
The more i eat the more i hate the mouth that you talk with.
Holiness before me pull me back when i get near ya.
I'd punch you in the face if you weren't in the spirit.
But the enemy comes with means to steal, kill, and to destroy us.
Doesnt matter what race ya'll.
Man,woman,girl, and boy yeh.
He Dont care nuttin bout ya
He's trying to take you out
Feels good but you're dying man.
he's nasty and he's mean come on the winnin team
Dont play wit em no more you'll see i had to let em go.
Cuz I hate you

(I hate You!)
You a Liar! and the truth aint in ya
(I hate you!)
Tried to kill my parents, my brothers, my sisters.
You wanted to kill me, but it ain't goin be easy.
(cause i hate you.)
I despise you with all my soul.(I hate you) im disgusted by your presence alone.
I rebuke you and see what your tryin to do so i wrote this song for you.
Yes you Cuz I hate you

Im a bride yes God can mold me yes
Im saved and my body's holy
Yes I was guilty but Christ died for me
Dont believe the lie ya'll the devils' phony.
He jus mad cuz he cant hold me no mo'
God opened doors he cant close
Tryin take me out yeh he came close i gotta word now ya'll and im throwin bones.
Like no weapon formed against me ya'll it can never prosper
Never seen the righteous of the LORD forsaken.
Not deceived they get bread, yeh.
So on the real though im tired of this mess
Sick of this thing that we all call flesh.
Holy Ghost spreading Im bout to do what they do and ima sprinkle all the ashes on you! (Yes you!)

(I hate You!)
You try to make me do wrong when im right
(I hate you!)
Trying to speak that in my new life.
You wanted to kill me, but it ain't goin be easy.ima make hard as heck
(cause i hate you.)
I refuse to follow you and fail.(I hate you)
Aint liftin my eyes up in no Hell.
I rebuke you and see what your tryin to do so i wrote this song for you
(i hate you)
You're an accuser of the saints.
(i hate you)
Aint gunna choose death no more, i cant.
(i hate you)
You wanted to kill me but it aint gunna be easy NO!
(i swear i hate you)
Every demon in hell yo grandmomma and you
(i hate you)
Ewww Satan i jus cant stand you.
I rebuke you and see what your tryin to do so i wrote this song for you.
( yes you cuz i hate you)

I hate you wanna fight you
Cant tell you how much i dont like you
A deceiver and a liar you get on my last nerve i depise you
You stupid and simple tryin to defile me
Im a temple now Im fed up and i want you to know THIS!

(I hate You!)
You a Liar! You a Cheat! You Deceive me.
(I hate you!)
From the depths of my soul and i mean it!
You wanted to kill me, but it ain't goin be easy.
(cause i hate you.)
Yeh ima stand my ground and fight! I am of Jesus Chrsit!
I rebuke you and see what your tryin to do so i wrote this song for you.
(I hate you)
Ohhhh i hate you!

WITH EVERYTHING

 

Not sure about the artist, these lyrics are a bit modified....see if you can get ahold of this reality today.  Remember You are the BLING.  The Light of the World!  Let the world see your light and glorify Father in Heaven!!!

With Everything : Hillsong

Name Above names

Lamb That was slain

Beautiful God

And King above Kings

God of all things

Beautiful God

And there is no other name

Like Jesus

We give you all of the praise

Oh Lord, Jesus

So let hope rise,
And darkness tremble
In Your holy light,
And every eye will see
Jesus, our God,
Great and mighty to be praised.

So let hope rise,
And darkness tremble
In Your holy light,
And every eye will see
Jesus, our God,
Great and mighty to be praised.

God of all days,
Glorious in all of Your ways.
Your majesty, the wonder and grace,
In the light of Your name.

So let hope rise,
And darkness tremble
In Your holy light,
And every eye will see
Jesus, our God,
Great and mighty to be praised.

With everything,
With everything,
We will shout for your glory.

With everything,
With everything,
We will shout forth your praise.

With everything,
With everything,
We will shout for your glory.

With everything,
With everything,
We will shout forth your praise

Our hearts they cry
Be glorified,
Be lifted high,
Above all names.
For You our King,
With everything,
We will shout forth your praise!

Good Friday:  Jesus took all the weight of our sin and carried it to the cross.  How awesome is that?  The struggle for life and yet the surrender to death.  Jesus once said that no one could take his life from him, but he had to lay it down, and that He did.  One revelation from the crucifixion is how Jesus died so quickly compared to most crucified people.  He had been beaten so badly, it is not much of a stretch to think that He did not even give up a fight when having his hands nailed to the tree.  The criminals hanging beside had to have their legs broken to expedite the dying process...  Jesus had already given up His Spirit.  The passion week falls silent now.  Saturday the people are dealing with betrayal, humanity, sin and need for restoration.  Many are totally undone with confusion. 

Sunday is coming.

Thursday: Passion Week

What a week.  Jesus now, knows that the time is at hand.  Anointed by Mary at Bethany, cleaned house in the Temple; confronted sadducees and pharisees; parabled the peoples on the kingdom of God, the end times and more; finally Jesus has a room prepared without a servant.  Not looking to His disciples, He takes the role of slave.  Washes feet in a basin.  Dries them.  Then instructs them to do likewise for each other and others.  Jesus calls in the New Covenant.  Celebrating Old Covenant with Passover, now Communion is birthed.  Through the new covenant, Jesus, the new passover lamb makes a way for our sins to be forgiven and He now leads us out of sin slavery for eternity.  Satan enters Judas and as night falls on Thursday, it will be Jesus and the "3", James, John and Peter all being warned to pray with him.  Why?  The temptation will be brutal to overcome.  All three yield to tiredness and then the betrayal kiss from Judas.  This night is special for the Passion Season.  It is a very very intimate moment.  Take time and reflect:  Who are you serving now?  Where are you taking a bowl and a towel?  Also, how is your prayer?  Much conflict comes and Jesus reminds us to WATCH and pray so that we can overcome temptation. 

Thank you Jesus for knowing the way and going the way.

Passion Week: Monday-Jesus Cleanses The Temple!

Passion Week.... a week not void of energy, emotion and life, continues into the next activities during Jesus preparation to liberate all humanity at the cross and then the crescendo of rising from the dead and ascending to the Father.  This week Jesus comes into a Passover packed Jerusalem.  Flooded with Jews from EVERYWHERE to do their religious acts of sacrifice and worship of the Lord that saved them from the death angel years prior.  The Lord "passed over" their very homes and allowing the death of every young boy child of the Egyptians, pushing the final button for the release of their slavery situation they had been in for hundreds of years.  The Jews were very familiar with this custom and religious activity.  And so we see Him step up into the temple area and do a very overwhelming act.  He turns over tables and runs out the money changers and yells that the house of God is to be a house of PRAYER and not a DEN OF THIEVES!!!

C. Baxter Kruger helps explain it in a way we can understand in a more American cultural form (God Is For Us): "About the time the main service is to begin (church), in walks a man.  He is young, and the great crowd recognizes Him as Jesus.  He walks up to the front and grabs the microphone.  We all assume He is about to teach.  But instead of teaching, Jesus rips the microphone from the pulpit, jerks the cable from the socket, and starts slinging it around like a whip, running people out of the church.  He turns over the communion table and knocks down the pulpit.  He shouts at the top of His lungs, 'Stop making My Father's house a house of dead ritual, bereft of true zeal and life!' 'What is this?...where is the real passion for My Father?"   Baxter goes on to write and too much for me to include but a snippet: "The Son steps into the stream of human existence where we have all failed to answer the call of God.  He steps into Adam's shoes, Israel's shoes, our shoes.  And He stands against he whole history of human sloth and indifference, weakness and frailty, obstinance and failure.  He shouts an almighty and intolerant No! against it.  He attacks and destroys it.  He cleans house.  But even more than this, Jesus Christ does not leave the house empty.  He not only takes away our failure, He replaces it with His own rightness for the Father.  He not only removes our false answer, He puts His real answer in its place.  He fills the temple with Himself and all that He is before His Father.  He puts our name on His answer.  He is our priest  int he temple ministering our response and answer to God."

 

PALM SUNDAY!

Jeremiah was excited to try out our new camera.  My phone just doesn't cut it like all the i-phones so I simply had to break down and get a.........camera.

Church yesterday was a blast.  We had our traditional palm branches, Myrtle Beach style.  I was praying that the 5 and unders would not poke eyes out and such. 

As always, this season is absolutely WOW.  The older I get, or the further I go along, the days are simply more significant to me.  I remember being a kid and thinking....when will this day, week, season BE OVER!!!  and more and more, I find myself holding each day and trying to get the fullness out of them more and more.  The season of Holy Week is pregnant with revelation, comfort, humility, humanity and Divinity.  I am baffled the more that I read all of the week activity that Jesus kicks off in this TRIUMPHAL ENTRY from Bethany on down to Jerusalem.  The songs we sang were "Hosanna, Hosanna"  (Save Us Now!).  The theme was joyful as we tried our best to somehow "recreate" the atmosphere that must have been on the street as children and adults alike spread their clothes on the road, along with branches at the Kings coronation.  Jesus on the never sat upon colt, got to hear all the cheers, and adulation, and as He rolls up to His city, He...... weeps over it. 

John MacArthur rightly breaks down the scene: "The timing of this lament may seem incongrous with the triumphal entry, but it reveals that Jesus knew the true superficiality of the peoples' hearts, and His mood was anything but giddy as He rode into the city.  The same crowd would soon cry for His death."

I made the point how often we as a church can be as superficial as the Jews at the time of the passion week.  Looking for Christ to be our Sanctified Santa Clause, the one we call like a genie in a bottle for our every whim, and desire.  But the Passion, is about so much more.  It is about Jesus coming and receiving the praise even KNOWING they would turn to howls for His own death.  That is what the Passion Week is all about.  I pray that this week, the reality of how Christ has pursued us into the bitter places in our lives will pierce our understanding so that we may begin to be transformed by His FINISHED work at the cross.  To which we walk together.....

Stuart

Passion Week Is Upon Us!!!

My great friends Alberto and Victor strolling around after setting up for our Sunday services.  The area is called, "Plantation Apartment Complex:"  The building in the picture is our meeting location!


I sent this work out to the church at 180, but felt that it is a great resource for any family to do together in preparation for the upcoming Passion Season....  Enjoy and let me know if you have any thoughts:

Too often I have found myself at an Easter service only to realize that….. I missed it.  I mean the whole week leading up to Easter is unlike Christmas.  With Christmas we get the hustle and bustle and see it coming the day after Thanksgiving.  Passion Week is the greatest time that we could experience as believers!

Holy Week/Passion Week is upon us April 1 (Palm Sunday) through April 8(Resurrection Sunday).  This week is filled with the process of what Christ did all week leading up to the death, burial and resurrection.  I wanted to suggest a great opportunity to every family and person in the church.  In preparing my heart for this season my son Jeremiah asked, “Dad, can we do the weekly readings for the passion week again this year?”  This floored me.  I wasn’t even thinking about Easter, and I’m the pastor!  What it says to me is the undeniable and powerful truth that we need to have Biblical teaching and leadership in our homes.

 I am suggesting that families this year commit to walking through the passion week TOGETHER IN SPIRITUAL UNITY.  I am suggesting that Father’s lead their families through a daily devotional that I am including to help you carry out Biblical training in your homes for this incredible week.  I have always had a daily reading with my family so that the Bible has become the central focus for authority in our home.  If that is not something that your family has created, you can START NOW!!!  What I suggest for our families is to click onto the link: http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/easter_week_devotionals_09-doc.pdf  and familiarize yourself with the process.  I suggest the week before the passion week you do a “pre-passion week” intro.  The link has one such day.  Some shopping will need to be done for the purchase of several candles and such, but the cost is very minimal.  Also, we will need to get some songs ready to sing as a family.  Then simply during the Passion Week, Sunday to Sunday you will need to set apart at least 30 minutes (either at the breakfast table or the dinner table).  Then simply open in prayer, go through the lesson, and then get family members to read the scriptures, dialogue on the questions and then worship Jesus in song and allow everyone to pray over the material discussed (just like a community group!)

If this is too much, a simpler reading schedule below will allow you to do more of your own personal creativity on approaching the Passion Week material.  This may be too much work for a busy dad not able to plan this much in a short time, that is why I have provided the link above.  A simple Passion Week reading schedule is below:
 

Palm Sunday: John 12:12-19; Psalm 24, 29; Isaiah 42:1-9; Zechariah 9
Monday - Cleansing the Temple: John 12:20-36; Psalm 51, 69; Isaiah 49:1-12
Tuesday - Facing his Enemies: John 12:37-41; Psalm 6, 12, 94
Spy Wednesday - Judas Seeks to Betray Christ: John 12:42-50; Psalm 55; 74
Maundy Thursday - Last Supper and Gethsemane: John 13:1-38; Matthew 26:17-56; Psalm 102, 118; Isaiah 50-53; if time allows - John 14-17
Good Friday - Trial and Crucifixion of Jesus: John 18-19; Matthew 26:57 - 27:61; Philippians 2:1-11; Psalm 22; Isaiah 53; Colossians 1:1-14; Genesis 22:1-14; Exodus 12:1-14
Holy Saturday - The Great Sabbath as the Savior Rests from his Redeeming Work of New Creation: Matthew 27:62-66; Psalm 16-17; Ezekiel 37:1-14
Easter Day - The Son of God is Risen from the Dead: Mark 16:1-8; John 20-21; 1 Corinthians 15:1-22; Psalm 148-150; 118

This reading schedule might be good for singles, or widowed individuals who would like to work through the materials of the passion week Biblical information.   Another option if able is for singles and divorcees who are alone, to partner with the family of their choice and join in the readings.  This may be a lot to organize, but if it is worked at it has the potential to be really sweet. 

To do something like this I recognize is a big commitment for many families, that is why I suggest using this as a fasting experience for Holy Week.  Day one on the link listed above sets us up for that.  It tells us to be willing to slow down the weekly activity.  If you do 3 nightly activities like tennis, bible study and football on t.v., be willing to give it up for one week so that you and your family can go through this experience.  YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT!

A couple scriptures for our Dad’s and the importance of leading this charge spiritually in the home:

““And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.”  Ephesians 6:4

And:

              "And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.⁷ You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.^8”   Deuteronomy 6:6-8

Holla if you have any questions:

Stuart

God's Calling

Reading through Jeremiah can be tough.  My friend Steve says, it sounds like America.  A people, who are blessed by God.  Never really wanting to hear what God is saying, just what they want to hear.  I am amazed at how God sends a prophet to tell people what He already knows that they will not receive.  It must be frustrating.  But God is so faithful and so patient not only with Israel, but with us individually.

One striking scripture to me is Jeremiah 5:30-31-  "An astonishing and horrible thing has been committed in the land.   The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own power; and my people love to have it so."
 
Wow.  Not only is there a conspiracy of the leaders to lead in their own agenda's but the people would prefer it that way.  It reminds me of when God led and protected Israel, yet at one point decided they wanted to have a king (because every nation had one.)  We all think we know so much what is the right thing and what I am learning through these passages is to trust in God for His provision, His connections, His orchestration in my life instead of doing what "seems good in my eyes".

Jeremiah had a tough task to bringing a word to a people who needed to be confronted.  His calling by God is described as, "Behold I have put my words in your mouth.  See I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out and to pull down.  To destroy and to throw down.  To build and to plant." 1:10.  Jeremiah had the fun fun fun job of confronting SOCIETY and to deal with it God simply instructs, "prepare yourself and arise and speak to them all that I command you.  Do not be dismayed before their faces, lest I dismay you before them.  For behold , I have made you this day...."1:17  This is the bottom line.  God called Jeremiah to bring His word.  To a rebellious people.  Not an assignment many of us would want, but when God calls, we are to remember that it is only for Him.

Psalm 118:6: "The Lord is on my side; I will not fear.  What can man do to me?"  I love this mentality.  Man can actually do a lot to us.  Drop us in wells, dungeons, torture and even kill us...yet that is far better than having God dismay us before them.  Why?  "I have made you this day."  If we can get a revelation that our life is not our own, we can boldly and joyfully embrace the calling of God on our lives like the prophet.

We continue our Jeremiah readings this week with Thur:8-10; Fri 11-13; Sat 14-17.  Continue on 3 a day except for Sunday pause.


Peace,


Stuart

Jeremiah

Jeremiah Intro, chapters 1-3 behind us....lets head into Jeremiah 4-6 today and eat up His word!!!

stuart

Girls Basketball

The highlight of the past two months of my life has been coaching a middle school girls basketball team.  Our school is the Christian Academy Saints.  We are, well, beginners.  We played a public team in Myrtle Beach and the 1st quarter score was 23 to 2.  Ouch.  That is a lonely feeling.  It is at that time that I have to just sit back and say, "ok, how do we coach here?"  It is obvious the skill level was not close.  The girls listened.  At one point I called timeout and said in my over the top passion, "I'm coaching harder than you all are playing", that one even makes me laugh now.  It was true, that is why I said it.  The girls wanted to shut down and hide on the court, the only problem was that there was no where to hide.  Substitutions didn't really help.  By halftime and a little help from the opposing coach, we were able to go to halftime under 35.  We looked at each other and talked about fear...about effort, about executing what we CAN do, not what we can't.  I told them I could not coach height, speed or experience, but we had an opportunity to do better in the 3rd quarter.  We got blown out, but I was so proud of them.  They never tucked tail.  They were humbled, but I love that they were able to taste some things they never tasted before.  It was uncomfortable.  I wouldn't want to coach the other team.  I want this one.  I want to bring them along.  Last night we played another local private school and delivered our first win in 5 tries.  I am CONVINCED if we would have not played these bigger, better, faster, confident girls we would not have known what to do last night.  I am sure we would have lost.  But the fight and struggle they went through this season has prepared them to play even teams and execute somethings.  The lessons I am learning about coaching are huge, the lessons I am learning about life are big too.  I am thankful for each of these girls.

Stuart

GROWING

I am so excited to get more and more in the Word of God this year!  If you are tracking with me, we are winding down 2 Thessalonians today.  Still looking to hear what prophet we are studying.  Back to you on that later today.  The scripture below is an awesome reminder of "the process".

"13    But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth,14 to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.
16    Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace,17 comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work."

God chose us didn't He?  Sometimes it feels like we found Him, but the reality is that He had His eye on us all the while.  But not just to get us, to save us through sanctification (b : the state of growing in divine grace as a result of Christian commitment after baptism or conversion: Websters Dictionary).  He "got us" to grow us through our commitment to Him relationally (by) His Spirit.  The only change that is happening in us is the sanctifying work of His Spirit and our corresponding belief in the truth that He is leading us into.  The Holy Ghost is constantly flashing truth to our mind and heart and as we agree and hold to that truth with adjusting attitudes, values and life habits, we see ourselves "growing in divine grace".  That is awesome.  We often think God changes us all at once at salvation "decision" but in reality it is a process and that is awesome because it doesn't depend that we get there "all at once".  God is more interested in us keeping in step with Him than arriving at a finish line!  Knowing these things, we can truly STAND FAST through the darkness in this world!


Peace,


Stuart

1st Thessalonians

Happy New Year.  Proverbs was the bomb!  Lets keep getting spiritually fit to another level this new year!  On to 1st Thessalonians.  Today is the intro.  Tuesday is chap. 1-3.  Wednesday is 4-5 and intro to 2 Thess.  Then Thursday it is 1-3 all in one day.  Steve- the next book is on you!

WORD!

The Light

The Light has come, the Son has come.  Jesus our Savior, Christ is with us!

Merry Christmas to all.
Stu

Proverbs

Romans just absolutely blew by.  What an amazing  book.  I felt like we are cheating the Bible reading it three chapters a day, in this book especially.  As we press in to more reading of God's Word, we move into the amazing book of Proverbs.  Today we read the chapters 1-3 and Saturday we hit 4-6.  Christmas day is coming up with a break and then we can continue on with 7-10 on Monday.  Merry Christmas to all.  The best gift we have been given is the Word of God and the Word made flesh Jesus.  Let's get closer to Jesus and the Word this year!

Where Is The Problem?

A man came to a mechanic and out of frustration, had to ask the question:  “Tell me why I keep having to keep replacing rear axle bearings?”

The Mechanic replied:
 
Here’s why:  The rear axle bearings fail because the differential fluid keeps dropping to low.  The differential fluid keeps dropping to low because the pinion seal is ripped.  The pinion seal is ripped because the universal joints are wobbly.  The universal joints are wobbly because the driveline is out of alignment.  The driveline is out of alignment because the transmission mount is busted.  The transmission mount is busted because the left motor mount rubber is soft and torn.  The left motor mount rubber is soft and torn because it’s saturated with motor oil.  It’s saturated with motor oil because the oil pressure sending unit is leaking oil onto the motor mount.So the real answer to the question “Why do I have to keep replacing axle bearings?” is “Because the oil pressure sending unit needs replaced.”

 Jeff Z sent this to me and it made me think, "this is what I get all the time when people are struggling with their relationship with God." Often there is a desire to fix a marriage, or a child, or even their own depression.  The reality is much like this mechanical overview mentioned above:

Well, you are miserable because you are spending your time on things that are not eternal.  Because you waste all your time you feel guilty.  Because you feel guilty you don't get around other believers and stop going to church.  Because you don't go to church you feel judged when people call you.  Then you start to lash out and talk junk about the church.  God then begins to chastise you in your finances and your whole world falls apart.  You spiral into a depressed state and you stop reading your Bible altogether and start binge drinking to cope with all the pain.  

What is the problem with your relationship with God?!!!!


Lord help us understand the breakdowns in our relationship with you and how it begins to happen.  Help us to be honest about our breakdowns and service our hearts regularly so we can have many miles with you worry free.


Peace-  Stuart

New Season

OK folks, moving into Romans 1-3 today; 4-6 Friday; 7-9 Saturday.  Take Sunday on your own and we will pick up on Monday.

On another note.  I have the exciting task of coaching my first "school" team.  Christian Academy Middle School girls.  My daughter has been with me as a 4th grader.  Here are some of my first three week recollections and lessons from coaching.

Alexis started asking me to coach for her team.  She thought she could play if I would coach.  Problem is, it is a middle school team and she is in 4th grade.  I tried to sneak her on, because she can already play with more passion than probably most the girls (alex is a bit aggressive).  Upon me committing to coach she was asked to step off the team.  We were able to get her a uniform and she could still practice with the team.  Later 3 varsity 8th graders came down and she was asked to surrender her uniform.  She looked at me with great frustration and tears in her eyes, "No Dad!  I am not giving up my uniform".  She just wanted to be "on the team!"  So now I bought her a school "hoody" sweatshirt.  Last night she lined up in warm ups with an old parks and rec uniform that wasn't close to matching.  During half time she brought me the water bottles she filled and interrupted my halftime speech, "Dad, there are only 3 minutes left on the clock."  She came to me in a heated full court up and down exchange somewhere in the third quarter and asked me, "dad, can i have some money for the concession stand."  I looked at her with frustration and she went to the end of the bench and in her eyes I could see her say, "Im gonna do my job daddy."  The stripping of Alexis' ideas has been humbling.  A life lesson that we don't always get what we want, but we have to wait patiently and often do things we HATE to do....especially if it is the RIGHT thing to do.  My heart breaks for her now, but also I am so glad to see the lesson that God is teaching her through disappointment.

 Wow!  The girls on my team, many never played basketball.  My job is to position them to the best of my ability to be able to succeed.  Well that is hard when you go up against powerhouse programs like Myrtle Beach MS.  My girls were so scared in our second game.  At times I wanted to just stop the game and reposition and realign the girls.  Make the game slow down and bring a loving touch to assure each one of them.  The Lord had me thinking about this after the game.  How cruel the game can be.  Full court press, steal score, over and over and over.  My girls were not getting discouraged but simply are not ready for that level of competition yet.  The Lord showed me, "this is life."  You can't pay your mortgage....the bank doesn't care.  The electric company?  Nope.  When your career starts to spiral downward, no one throws you a sympathy card.  Life doesn't seem to slow down but speed up.  It can be merciless.  That is what I love about these girls.  I get to go back and mentally and spiritually PREPARE them for the intensity needed for competition.  The importance of knowing your assignment, trusting your teammate, becoming one as a unit, fierceness, fearlessness.  Working on skill set, working, working working.  The test is the game, the practice is the preparation.  Seeing these girls connect over something like a sport seems trivial, but they are learning to find something inside of themselves that they have never had.  I can't remember when I felt so satisfied doing anything in the last 10 years of my life.  On a funny note, I actually had butterflies in my stomach last night on the way to the game.  Can't remember when that happened either...in a long time.  I love this!  Peace-  Stuart

ROMANS

Happy Wednesday: 

This is the day the Lord has made!  We have finished out the last of the book of Judges.  What a sobering book especially the last chapters.  We move back into the New Testament to the book of Romans.  WE have the into reading to the book today and chapters 1-3 Thursday, 4-6 Friday and 7-10 Saturday.  Keep it up.  The Word is the source of all revelation and gives us the ability to walk closely with God for instructions and learning to live righteously before Him and man.  Let's stay at it!-  Stuart