(What is life?)

We are born and we are thrust into the arms of a world that can only say three things, "money, power, pleasure." We accept all three and gratefully so, but...is it right? Of course it's right! Our parents and those we love, our friends, enemies, the ones we'd die for and the ones who'd die for us, everyone says so. Be a good kid. Ask me any question,...oh, but not that one. We don't question that. We do what the pastor says, dear. Don't talk about that, it only makes me think. Go to school. Go to church. Make good grades so you can go to college. Go to college so that you can make money, power, or pleasure Your Very Own. Make what you can for yourself, and then.....and then....die; because that is all that you can hope for in life. The American Dream, there is no other!!! Satisfy yourself and then die. Leave this earth and go straight to heaven or go straight to hell. I don't care. Certainly no one else does. It's your choice. Make life the best for you and then leave!!! That's the way things are and that's the way things will always be. Live without morality. Eat, drink and be merry. because, well, you know the rest. This life is only a burst of consciousness (whatever that is) and then we go to who knows where, or we don't. Don't you see? This is life in its fullest sense. The end. The ultimate. It's what we live for. Let me spell it out for you. We live to die; everything in between is for us, in us, by us, and to our own glory. That...is joy...

.............

My friends, I cannot even pull up out of my heart the description of sadness that this thought gives me. It physically hurts me and pains my soul to think that we live like this. And make no mistake, we do live like this. We have bought into the philosophy of this world and it penetrates our thoughts and actions down to our very core. The soul is rotted.

We need to reevaluate our position. What should we strive for as believers in Christ? What really matters in life? Is it money, power or pleasure? Or...is it striving, through the grace of God, to make Christ known to people? What is our purpose? What is our life?

I believe that Christ has made us for more than we think. If we limit and stifle our knowledge for the Lord, we will never even begin to understand His perfect purpose. Because, truly, our goal is not to live for ourselves. It is to live for God and for his renown among everybody. Only then, when we are fulfilling our purpose and goal, do we have satisfaction and peace in Christ. Only then do we understand the fullness, the depth, and the mercy of His sovereign grace.

We live to serve the one and only God, To magnify and glorify Him above all, And in His exaltation we know joy.

Joy

What was lost is now slowly coming back.
Like the sun on the horizon of my life
I see the sliver of a beam of light in my eyes.
Blinding at first? Yes.
But I see it now, and I am adjusting.

One nearly forgets what he hasn't seen in years.
Sad but true.
Wrong things happen but are nonetheless.

But God works good,
And is working now,
Though on my part, undeservedly.

It is good to see something returned
from the hands of thieves
and put back in it's proper place.

The King (stanzas 1-3)

I am the king,
And that's what I was taught.
I am what the peasants sing,
But is it all for naught?
I wake every day,
And all do exactly as I say.
So why do I feel this way?
Is everything alright today?.

My reign is good,
My policies, uncruel,
But today I stood
And knew...I am just a tool.
In the councils of my men
I know I saw a grin.
A short but telling grin.
I know I saw it then.

The grin was of a pact
That men had forged withdrawn.
So, were they all an act?
Was I now just a pawn?
I see them every day.
And true, they would betray.
Had they really deigned to say,
"Tonight, the king we'll slay"?

Viva la Vida

I used to rule the world
Seas would rise when I gave the word
Now in the morning I sleep alone
Sweep the streets I used to own

I used to roll the dice
Feel the fear in my enemies eyes
Listen as the crowd would sing:
"Now the old king is dead! Long live the king!"

One minute I held the key
Next the walls were closed on me
And I discovered that my castles stand
Upon pillars of salt, and pillars of sand

I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can't explain
Once you know there was never, never an honest word
That was when I ruled the world


It was the wicked and wild wind
Blew down the doors to let me in.
Shattered windows and the sound of drums
People could not believe what I'd become
Revolutionaries Wait
For my head on a silver plate
Just a puppet on a lonely string
Oh who would ever want to be king?

I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can not explain
I know Saint Peter won't call my name
Never an honest word
And that was when I ruled the world

Hear Jerusalem bells are ringings
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can not explain
I know Saint Peter will call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world

Viva la Vida by Coldplay

Cool New Phone

My new phone has a cool two mega-pixel camera and it can take some really cool pictures. Click to make them bigger.

On Children's Concert Bands

As I was listening to my brother's last (last) band concert the other day, some interesting thoughts ran through my mind. I started comparing the different styles of art to different styles of music, and I found that a beginner band is most similar to Impressionism. Perhaps it isn't similar in that it captures time or that it plays with light. I am mainly comparing the visual style of Impressionism with the audio 'style' and 'quality' of the average beginner band. In Impressionism you get exactly what the name implies, an impression or a vague (more or less) understanding of what the artist is trying to portray. You don't get a sharp, clear image, but a close idea of the intended. I think that it's the same with beginner bands. You see, when a beginner band plays, you do not get a crisp, clean sound. Each player plays (unintentionally) a slight variation of the original score. Thats where we hear the squeaks, wrong notes, sharp notes, flat notes, notes that are 'almost there but not quite', air leaks, and the like. And so we end up hearing an inkling, an Impression, of the original. Perhaps it is a strange line of logic, but I thought it was interesting.

The American Dream, It Ain't For Me

If the American dream ends in materialism,
the American dream ain't for me.

If the American dream ends in owning a Winnebago and drawing early retirement,
the American dream ain't for me.

If the American dream ends in owning a big TV and having a big house,
the American dream ain't for me.

If the American dream ends in having a "hot" wife, 2.5 kids, two dogs, and a cat,
the American dream ain't for me.

If the American dream ends in putting your parents into a home, just because you don't want to take care of them when they are older,
the American dream ain't for me.

If the American dream ends in materialism,
the American dream ain't for me.

If the American dream saves my soul,
let it be.
But, if not,
the American dream, it ain't for me.

Only the Japs

Please, don't waste your time by watching the whole thing. Only the first minute is worth anything. But seriously, some people just too much time on their hands.

Hey look, my mike is held up by the Bible, and the nature of nature

I'd like to start out with a quote from my new friend Jay. It goes something like this, "Hey look, my mike is held up by the Bible." My drumming companion said this while he was setting up his drums and 'mic-ing' them up. He literally had the mike for one of his drums held up by the Word of God. And I thought, "hey that's true." Everything is held up by the Word, or if you want, by God's decree. Just for example, let's take a rock. It's cohesion is because of God's decree in the beginning. It is the same for any object in creation. Even us.... I am probably not conveying my deep fascination and awe of this fact, but truly, I am captivated by this thought (by the way even this thought is formed by the Word or allowance of God. How cool it that?).

Now, about the nature of nature. I've been in Tennessee this week, and it has been awesome. We have gone hiking, tubing, and white water rafting, and I am strangely...giddy.?. God has been working in my heart, and I just can't help but smile. I feel like...like a son whose loving dad is spending time with me, wrestling and having man-talk, and all that stuff. Close I guess. It's hard to put it in words. I think a lot of it has to do with this vacation. Just being in nature, and seeing the beauty of God's creation. It's been a relief for my soul. So, the nature of nature for this believer is soulful refreshment and relief, with a good dose of spiritual hugs from my transcendent Daddy. I love it!

What a Great Hymn

You might want to skip ahead a bit to get to the song. Happy Listening.



Before the Throne

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea
A great high Priest who's name is Love
Who ever lives and pleads for me

My name is graven on His hand
My name is written on His heart
I know that while in heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart

When satan tempts me to despair
and tells me of the guilt within
upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin

Because a sinless Savior died
my sinful soul is counted free
For God the just is satisfied
to look on Him and pardon me

Hallelujah
Praise the One Risen Son of God.

Behold Him there, the risen Lamb
My perfect spotless righteousness
The great unchangeable I AM
The King of Glory and of grace

One in Himself, I cannot die
My soul is purchased by His blood
My life is hid with Christ on high
With Christ my Savior and my God

An Archaic Definition

Gravity - The ancient force that calls us to the ground from which we came.

God Is Friggin Awesome

I guess these guys just put sand on a cardboard square over a speaker. Look at how cool the order of God's creation is through sound waves!

This just made me smile.

On God's Will

Follow God so closely so that you run into Him when He stops.

Sounds kinda cheezy, but it's something to ponder while I come up with something better.

On Philippians 1:21-26

Sometimes I wish I could just stop the train
Or that the train would stop for me.
I want to go home,
But the train is going there anyway.
I'll ride along
Because there are people on the way I can talk to.
It's a long ride
But the conductor likes me and wants me to stay.

On Idolatry, Thought, and the Church

So I went to church today and got into my mood (explained in previous posts)...I will be blunt.

I ended up going to Hampton Heights off of Wade Hampton with Robert and some of the other salgins. Sunday school was crap. The teacher (who is also the youth pastor) gave us this no-point spill for about an hour and frankly, I think it was a waste of my time. There was literally no point. Their whole church is going through the Purpose Driven Life thing, and honestly, I think it's just an excuse for lazy pastors. And on to my next point.

When I walked into the sanctuary, I saw a beautiful stained glass window in the front. One problem, there was a big Jesus on it. Now, call me if I'm wrong on this, but I believe that God commanded us not to make graven images especially of Himself. And so I'm sitting there with this big idol staring me in the face and, oh...God help us. Does no one even think anymore? I know that no one does, but surely they could have had the sense...Maybe I am being too critical, but I don't think so. God killed around 3,000 people at the foot of Sinai for the same exact thing. Things like this, in my opinion, are blatant idolatry. I am tired of people not thinking.

Come to think of it, there is a big Jesus in front of the library building here at NGU. Damn it.

(by the way I use cursing literally and purposefully. It's not just random)

On Thinking/Knowledge and the Perry Nobel Effect

Sometimes I hate the ability to think and reason; to be able to discern right from wrong, for when I see something wrong, I automatically set my mind against it.

Today in chapel they brought in Perry Noble, the pastor of Newspring in Anderson. He seemed like a nice enough guy, but I don't know. Dr. Krauss was the one who introduced him. All he had to do was mention Noble's name and the place erupted with applause and cheers. "Perry Noble," continued Dr. Krauss, "is the pastor of an 8000+ member church in Anderson" (again applause and cheering). From that point Noble had them hooked. I call it the "Perry Noble Effect." All that was going through my mind was, "Who gives a shit how many people are there. Does he preach the Word of God? Is anyone caring for those 8000+ people who say they were saved?" It seemed that all I could think about was the negative aspects of everything that was going on. And in the message, all I could think about was how he said this or that thing wrong. "That's not the way that the Bible presents it," I said.

Then after the message, I had several people I know come up to me and say something along the lines of, "Hey, wasn't that a great service?" I wanted to tell them, "No, it was terrible. Didn't you see the flaws in His logic? Didn't you see the emotional basis on which He presented his sappy speech? Didn't you see the way that he batted down all pursuits of the knowledge of God in favor of religious harmony?" To me He seemed like a knowledgeable man, very smart in fact, but trying to keep others from the truth. Needless to say, I wasn't too peachy keen on the whole deal.

And thats why I hate knowledge sometimes. I tend to be angry almost anywhere I go because I see things that aren't right. I wish sometimes that I could be like them, like all those ignorant people who just take what they are given without question. They seem all too happy in their lack of knowledge, and meanwhile, the Truth of God is falling further and further away in their minds.

Ignorance is bliss, but somehow, THE TRUTH IS BETTER.

The Five Pillars

Ok, so we created Five Pillars of Manhood a few years back, and I have been thinking about them recently. Their purpose it to placate all female wrath, and truth be told, they work every single time that they are used. It has saved me from many a dangerous/life-threatening/female-is-angry-at-me situation. I'll go ahead and list them.

1) You are Right
2) I am wrong
3) I'm sorry
4) Forgive me
5) I love you

These things are essential to every man's life, but let me put a spin on it. Let's look at it from a spiritual light. These five things are, in fact, the perfect response to God's grace in light of faith in Jesus Christ.
1) You are Right. God, you are right. You say through Your Word that I am sinful and deserving of death. There is nothing good in my life, and there is no way that I can please you.
2) I am wrong. There is nothing I can do to Attain your salvation. My ideas are flawed and wrong. My thoughts are not your thoughts
3) All of the things I have done that have been against your Word, I am sorry. My sins are an affront to you, and I am contrite.
4) Dear God, Please forgive me of my sins against you. Save me from these blemishes.
5) Thank you Father. I love you. I believe that Your Son took the punishment for my sins. He died and resurrected. Thank You for the salvation that You have provided though Your Son Jesus.

Just a thought. I think it's neat how our funny little five step process is so beautiful in context of grace.

A new trend

So I went to the Passion conference this last weekend and had an amazing time of reflection and thought. During one of the sessions, I noticed that nearly half of the college-aged kids were doing something new during the singing, something that I have termed "the Jesus Hop." Yes...the Jesus Hop. Perhaps you have seen it before, the high school/ college-aged bouncing around the room. I have thought about it long and hard (not), and I think that I have formulated exactly how it is preformed.
Prerequisites include:
1) Jammin' worship music (as preformed by Chris Tomlin, Charlie Hall, or preferably The David Crowder Band.
2) Willingness to really 'get in the Spirit'
The actual preforming of the Jesus Hop includes standing and pointing your right index finger straight to heaven (like you are pointing to God). The next step involves closing your eyes and thinking about God. Next...you Hop.
OK seriously, I think this is Hilarious. There were like 5,000 or more people doing it at passion, and I could barely keep it in. I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with it, but I think its really funny.

Very Nice song by Jeff Beck (Lead) and Tal Wilkenfeld (Bass)

Working on my fence

Ah...so today a dear friend reminded me of my fence. It had been sitting away at the back corner of my property, and truthfully, in the back corner of my mind, clouded by time and lack of use and little motivation to complete it. In fact, it was not a very large fence. It was simply just another small project that I thought up. I walked up to it today to check on it, and I found everything in decent shape. Hmm...a little rusty, but with a bit of old fashioned work ethic I think I can get it back into shape. It's not even close to completion. It needs.....hmm......it needs.....More posts!!! I need to add more posts to my fence if it is going to be any good. I think I'll get started on it right away. So, here's the next post right........NOW!