Wayne Grudem Meets John Travolta

For those who have endured through Grudem’s Systematic Theology this will make perfect sense. For those who haven’t, but have seen Grease then at least you’ll know the tune…

Why this man is thematic, he’s charismatic, he’s systematic,
Why he’s Wayne Grudem! (Wayne Grudem)
He did not author Scripture but provides a clearer picture – Oh Yeah!
(Keep reading whoa keep reading)
Wayne may not be Jesus but he writes mean exegesis- Oh Yeah!
(I’ll buy a copy, I’ll kill to buy a copy)
You put it on the flo-or and it props open your door,
Or if you need to sit- you can climb on top of it – With Wayne Grudem
Go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go
——–
Refrain
Go Wayne Grudem with your intellectual writing style,
(Wayne Grudem go Wayne Grudem)
Go Wayne Grudem you make ha-rd doctrines less of a trial
(Wayne Grudem go Wayne Grudem)
You are extreme, but God’s supreme, oh Wayne Grudem
Go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go
——–
(There are) many heresies which we-e now clearly see- Oh yeah!
(oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
Despite him being bald, hundred-thousand copies sold – Oh yeah!
(oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
His six appendice-es leave you praying on your knees.
Although he’s not inerrant he’s a heresy deterrent – Wayne Grudem
Go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go
——–
Refrain
——–
[Monologue: “He was once a research professor of Bible and Systematic Theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. But is now research professor of Bible and Theology at Phoenix Seminar in Phoenix, Arizona. He holds degrees from Harvard (BA), Westminster Theological Seminary (MDiv), and Cambridge (PhD).]
——–
Refrain
——–

HT: Said at Southern

Can I Get A Motion?!?!

In The BookStore the other day I was confronted by a 3 foot tall trumpeter of theological truth.

“Can I get a new motion?!?! Can I get a new motion?? I want a new motion!!”

“A motion?” I said to myself. What could this kid possibly be requesting? I am not a parent, but I have come to understand that those who are who have this uncanny ability to decipher the hidden codes of their offspring. Call it a sixth sense, call it parental intuition, call it repetition, call it whatever. I call it weird. I decided I would do the spiritual thing and hide myself in my office from this booger as he whined his way through the store.

“Can I get a motion?!? I need a new motion?!?” He exclaimed again.

His handler eventually came to the young lad’s aid. “What do you mean, ‘a motion’” she asked. See, I’m not the only one who can’t understand child-speak.

“A motion,” he said, “one of these” as he pointed to the little 2-5 year old collections of devotions.

“Ohhh, a devotion” his elder retorted, sounding a bit relieved. I was too.

“Yeah, a motion.”

And then it hit me. This little herald had it, while I had it not. See, our devotions should always create a motion. Yes, we are called to diligently study the word of truth and to accurately divide it so that we may know what is good and pleasing and acceptable to the Lord. But if all we do is know then we have missed the point all together. I think I remember reading something that went a little like this:

“Be doers of the word” (James 1:22).

That sure sounds like a lot of motion to me. Devotion without motion is a potion for demotion. Or something like that…

The Day the Real She Really Said “Yes”

The day began like most other days back then. I rose early Saturday morning to the sound of, well – nothing. My two roommates were fast asleep in the comfort of their warm sleeping confines; it was too early and too cold for anyone to be consumed with yard work, and I found myself greeted with the warm sunshine coming through my front window. It was a little before 7:00 and I was aware that the warmth of the sunshine was only a guise, for it was likely no more than 40 degrees on the other side of that January window.

I delighted to wake early on the weekends, enjoy my cup (rather, cups) of java, spend time in the word, and simply enjoy the day even before it began. Somehow, life seems to make much more sense in the calm of the morning. Time seems slower, worries are a little more distant, and the freshness that welcomes us reminds us that His mercies are truly new every morning. When Kimberly and I were dating, we enjoyed capitalizing every waking moment of the day together. Therefore, early Saturday mornings, instead of me finding my way to the solitary comfort of my couch, we would rendezvous at a coffee shop, spend the morning reading together and enjoying the brew that was set before us.

This particular Saturday was no different and our agenda was set. When I arrived at our beloved O’Henry’s, I found Kimberly well engrossed in conversation with two older gentleman sitting at the table next to her. We exchanged pleasantries and then Kimberly and I retreated to another table with a little more room. With so much of the day set before us, I secretly wished that time would stand still. If for a moment, we could be lost in the essence of the succession of moments in order to laugh, converse, and live life together. It was always a thrill to run into older, wiser pilgrims who had traveled the path set before us. We would often glean a kernel of insight of experience through these encounters. This day proved to be the same, as the gentleman Kimberly and I were speaking with approached our table once again. The man the informed us of his son’s recent divorce that came as a a result of both husband and wife not focusing on the cross and seeking to honor the Lord in and above all things. I could sense the heartache that he had for his children, and by way of warning, this brother was telling these two kids to watch out, be on guard, and serve the Lord with all our hearts. It was indeed a prophetic moment. At least it was for me, Kimberly merely considered it to be an interesting interaction.

About 12:30 I spontaneously declared that we needed to leave. This was quite uncommon for me since I would likely find no qualm with wasting the entire day in our favorite coffee house, but this time, I had to go. When Kimberly asked what was the matter, I literally replied “I have to go!” Let me make sure you understand, I had “to go,” or so I told Kimberly. When confused as to why the current facilities were not worthy of my presence, I replied that this was an even number event and I needed more time to divide. (As a sidebar: our minds work in strange ways when we have an ulterior motive!) While driving down the road, I decided to call my friend Brian, who was to lead a devotion for 5th and 6th graders that morning, to “see how it went.” I was shocked to hear, “the eagle has landed, but the roommate is still home!” Oh what dreaded horror to my ears!! This eagle was now desperately endangered, quick, what do I do? “Turn here! Turn here! Turn here!” I exclaimed to Kimberly at the helm of her Honda. “I need to get some pink stuff.”

After purchasing a loaf of bread and the motherload of ice-cream I was able to create a diversion that lasted nearly twenty minutes. Pink stuff? Suddenly I was feeling better and thankfully, Kimberly was none the wiser. We meandered through the winding streets that led from that fateful Western Supermarket to her house with goods in tow. We pulled into the driveway and although I should have leaped out of the car with great joy for my eyes had seen the throne, I was calm and still. The next few moments were going to change the rest of my life forever. There are times when the providential events of our lives come to an incredible meeting place and after their crossing we are refused the chance to go back to normal. I am thankful for these crossroads and thankful of what awaited the other side of this street.

Kimberly stepped out of the car to find a mysterious plant figure growing out of her brick porch. She said “Did you put those there?” For the first time in the morning, I was to make one of the most honest statements that had come from my lips, “No, I did not put those there.” Indeed, this was the eagle which was to land thanks to our good friends Brian and Heather. The roommate had flown the coop as well and we found ourselves again in the stillness of the early afternoon. As she approached the vase to investigate the flowers she looked for the note to see who it came from (as though it really was not from me). Inside the note, Kimberly found a few little words that she had never heard me say, and apparently she did not have to audibly hear with her ears, for she knew exactly what it meant. The note simply read:

“I love you.”

I made it a point that I would not tell her all that was within my heart until this day finally dawned. “I really love being with you” was about as close as she or I ever came. After reading the note, she slowly turned back to me, not seeking an explanation, but in full knowledge of what was about to come. As I fell to one knee, I said, “I love you” and began to attempt to explain why. It has been three years since that day and I have still yet to come to an ability to express this truth. I gave her three things that Saturday afternoon: a Bible which all of our life and marriage is to be yielded in submission to, a ring to symbolize the eternal union of our bond together, and my name. I had given others a Bible and jewelry, but I had never given anyone else my name. I am still in awe that the woman I wake up to has the same name as me! I’m not sure why this amazes me the way in which is does, but in a way, it is a small reflection of the act of Christ. We have been called forth by His name (Acts 15:17), saved by His name (Acts 4:12), will bow at His name (Phil 2:10), and He has given us the name “Christians” because we are to be “Christ like ones” (Acts 11:26) and I desire to have her identified with my name with all the joy, privileges, and responsibilities that it brings.

January 15th, 2005 my life changed forever. It was 1:15 on 1/15 that the real she said “Yes.”

Kimberly, the Lord has granted more joy through you than in any other earthly relationship that I have ever formed. God is indeed a God of grace as your life is a testimony to such a profound truth. You love me with a love that is not human but divine. One that is not created, but inspired. I look to the future with a wondrous anticipation of what the Lord has in store for us. The “what” is not so much of my interest knowing that the “who” is you. When I proposed to you, I assured you that I would fail you, disappoint you, and cause you hurt and anguish. Unfortunately, this has proved true, but we are again reminded to fix our gaze on the one will never fail, disappoint, leave, nor forsake. We are to look to the Rock that is higher than I (Ps 61:2) to see His great deliverance, His great grace, and His great mercy which is indeed new every morning. Great is his faithfulness towards the children of man. I am abundantly thankful that in His great providence He has seen fit to grant me what I do not deserve. I prayed for you before I even knew your name and, thankfully, the Lord was pleased to give you my name instead.

I love you.

Happy 3-year Proposalversary.

**If you are confused as to the real she and the not-so-real she, click here

Welcome to the UK!

I have decided that there are two things in this life that I absolutely love: sleep and coffee. Unfortunately, it does not square that you should have one with the other for it typically occurs that you have one without the other (or because you do not have one you have one you get the other). At this moment, I would prefer either and I am without both.

Traveling to London Friday evening, I did not sleep at all. Upon arrival, three hours after getting through customs, searching for lost baggage, and my first game of Crazy 8’s, I was privileged to eek out roughly 45 minutes of quality nap time. About 9:00pm I was able to return to sleep and granted approximately three more hours. After that, however, there has come no rest for this weary traveler. Thus, I have spent the last six hours here in the hotel lobby as to not wake my roommate and be presented with the opportunity to study. Good times, I must say, although disturbing that the hotel staff has rendered me homeless.

God was gracious to provide two flights over that were coupled with great conversation and true fellowship. On a walkabout He again supplied the opportunity to converse with a Muslim man and a Jehovah’s Witness concerning the condition of their souls. I trust that the Lord might be merciful to water any truth that I may have planted and erase any error that I may have caused.

Hopefully my baggage will arrive today and I will be comforted with a change for these now three day old garments. Also, it will come as a security knowing that twenty packages of McCormick’s Mild Taco Seasoning have not come to desecration. Some things in life are more important than others. At this moment, I think my vote goes for coffee.

The Day She Said "Yes"

We met for the first time a few years ago. I only noticed her from afar and never thought that I would quite get near. I had a friend who knew her well and detailed many of the desirable qualities that she possessed, but still, I did not know her myself. And so, thus remained the state of our relationship and continued as such for a lengthy period of time. During this time, I would check in on her progress, the comings and goings, just so that I could somehow be involved with the details of her world. Alas, I could only observe from the edge. I could only peer in through the gate or over the fence into a world in which I knew nothing about. A world that I desired to be apart of, but was prohibited access. In fact, access is only permitted to a privileged few and the rest, like me, could only ponder the mystery of the undiscovered.

As time wore on, eventually I had my first official encounter with her. We met, we spoke, we even exchanged our information. I already had her essentials, but now she had mine!! My hope was elevated, my expectation awakened, and my heart imagined the possibilities of our future together. Not just my future or her future – our future. This was exciting, but my excitement quickly diminished as my phone did not ring, my mailbox did not ding, and I assuredly had not been crowned king. I contemplated the possibility of pursuing another but the muse did not amuse and I found myself wanting the original all the more. Thus, I lingered at her door for what seemed to be eons until I finally decided to make contact. This would be my chance. My one opportunity to make the best impression I could, for in this business, the impression really does matter.

Before I could take my plunge of contact, I decided that I would choreograph this waltz in order to dance in concert with her rhythm. Timing being essential, I delayed as long as I was able. This may not seem to be the most orthodox of all tactics, but since this was my one shot, I decided I better make it count. I rehearsed. I wrote letters and I wrote more letters. I even had friends write letters and detail all of the best facets of this diamond we call me for it was matter of dire straits that she saw the best side glimmering in all its glory. (And since there is not much glory to glimmer, we had to set the polish just right!) I ordered my affairs, dressed in my best suit (of two) and marched past her gates into the very bowels of her being. I wanted her to know me and I her, so we sat face to face for the first time. Before we were mere amalgams of information; now we were personal, sharing information about ourselves that is reserved for those of the “in” crowd. And since this was a close encounter of the first kind, I pulled out all of the stops. Without further delay, I popped the question. “So soon?” you ask. Maybe for some, but not the case with me. All this observing from afar had proved beneficial and my studies had been confirmed. She was the real deal and I could not let this opportunity pass. “What next?” you say. Silence. Deafening Silence. Silence so thick no sound could pierce its being. Silence of the black hole variety. Silence that has a sound all too itself that can not be described because you can not hear it, only feel it.

And more silence.
And more silence.
And more silence. (Do you get that it was silent?)

I did not hear from her.
No phone calls.
No e-mails.
No fax.
No smoke signals.
Silence. Mystifying, doubting, silence.

And then yesterday, twenty-six days after I first dropped the question that would forever change the future course of my life (and possibly our life) the silence broke…. She said “Yes.”

No, I’m not getting married to another woman – my wife and I secured that everlasting knot June 4, 2005. No, I do not have a secret family, nor am I a covert operator for the CIA. The “she” referenced is more like an “it” or a “they” at least. This “She/It/They” is Beeson Divinity School, the graduate seminary of Samford University. I have been extended an invitation to begin graduate studies with her/it/them in the spring following my degree completion in December. It is quite an exciting time around the Armstrong household and we have much to be thankful for by means of God’s sovereign grace. He has opened “to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ” (Col 4:3) and this calling includes the educational preparation needed to rightly handle the word of truth (2 Tim 2:15). More updates to come…

In the meanwhile, if you would like to help support Beeson in their vision to see a fully-funded student body, click here.

The Most Important Thing About You…

In his book,The Knowledge of the Holy (New York: HarperCollins, 1961) AW Tozer asserts that “what comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us” (1). Everything about our worldview flows from who (or what) we think God (god or gods) is (or was – for those who think that he/she/it is dead). I have used this quote in many a writing jaunt over the years because it speaks so much truth. Well, somehow I am still amazed at the ability for others to conjure up the god of their making. Let me suffice it say, the God of the Revelation can beat up the god of your imagination.

The text reads:
Maybe you’re uncomfortable with the idea of God – or at least someone else’s idea of God. Yet maybe you yearn for a loving, spiritual community where you can be inspired and encouraged as you search for your own truth and meaning. This is a church, you ask? Welcome to Unitarian Universalism.

HT:Pyromaniacs which is simply a darn good blog if I’ve ever seen one!

The World Wide Web Operations of Operation World

In our day of the high-tech, low-touch world, we often rely on electronic means of communication because they are more convenient than placing a phone call. Once upon a time, if you wanted to speak with someone you either: picked up the phone, wrote a letter, or high tailed it over to the location of choice in order to speak face-to-face. These days are long gone, thus any improvements to the methods of electronic communication are welcomed with open arms. I am often amused by the many web pages that have a “contact us” option somewhere hidden obscurely on a 4th click page just underneath an unrelated ad. Then, the “contact us” button merely leads you to either a generic e-mail address to which you can pray that someone will indeed read the e-mail, process it, and respond to you before Haley’s comet arrives again. Thus, when I experienced the electronic form of REAL customer service yesterday, I was shocked to say the least.

One of my new favorite websites is Operation World (whose link appears to the right). This website, along with the links it provides, is a wealth of resources for any individual seeking to pray for the nations. While perusing said website yesterday, I noticed two things:

1. The links to the CIA World Fact Book were not working (the CIA has moved the links to another server), and
2. I was not able to search for country specific information, only the country of the day was available.

Normally, I would let both of these alone since I can only imagine the amount of time and effort it takes to maintain this website and since it has been such a great resource for me, I did not want to log a formal complaint. However, since the CIA links were not working, and the Operation World website has a specific section to “Help improve Operation World links for Web Sites” I thought I would cordially inform them of the non-working link. I also decided to send an e-mail to request if the possibility of searching for country-specific information would be available as well.

Here’s where the e-service comes in. Would you believe that within one hour I received THREE e-mails not only acknowledging my inquiries but also received direction and answers! I could not believe it. The first came in and said, “Thank you for letting us know about the links” (or something of that sort – I have since deleted it). OK, form letter I thought, but there was a specific individual’s signature tag, not just “Customer Service”. THEN, the second e-mail came from a gentlemen who forwarded my e-mail to two other individuals saying “Dear Jen/Jason, please get back to KC on this…thanks…blessings, Anjali.”

A few things to note:

1. He said “Dear…” This is not a common introduction anymore for many of us have been trained to be “formal” in our introductions therefore translating “Dear Jen,” (note the coma) to “Jen:” (not the absence of “Dear” and the replacement of a semicolon). This struck me as odd, but refreshingly odd to say the least.
2. I found it interesting that he used my name in the reply, not simply “this guy” or “customer” or some other impersonal title. When I saw my name, I felt like I was a part of the team, working together for a greater purpose. Given the nature of the website is to promote global prayer for the nations, this should not strike me as completely unheard of, but frankly, it is not often heard of. Personal touch goes a long way.

Then, about fifteen minutes later I received a lengthy reply from none other than the co-author of the book Operation World, Jason Mandryk himself! He informed me of the purpose of the website and offered a suggestion of where I might find some other useful information. (He recommended 24-7 Prayer.com which seems to be what I was looking for!) I was absolutely floored to think that individuals within an organization would take so kindly to responding to a virtually anonymous web inquiry. There is hope for the redemption of our high-tech culture yet! I tehn responded to jason’s e-mail with this,

“Thank you for an extraordinarily expedient response! Honestly, I do not think that I have ever received two personal responses from one general website inquiry! This just furthers my understanding that the folks at Operation World take their work seriously for the glory of God. Thank you for your commitment to excellence.”

I would highly commend the Operation World website to you for your use. And, having been a first-hand witness to the organizations commitment to excellence and the glory of God, I will sure to continue to visit!

***It must be noted that I do own a copy of Operation World in book form that rests no more than three feet from me (even as I type now), but my laziness prevented me from opening the book when I desired to search on the internet. Maybe there is even hope for me.

Baby Got Book

For those children of the 90’s…My Bible Study Don’t Want None Unless You Got Book, Hun.

Testimony Tuesday

Tim Challies, the pope of blogdom, set forth a proposition that this Tuesday (today) be known as “Testimony Tuesday”. With this idea in mind, bloggers around the globe (at least those who visited his site last week) will share their testimony of God’s grace as revealed when He called them to salvation. Therefore, I am following suit today.

I was born at a very young age. OK, not the best way to begin, but true nonetheless. I’m sure that I should say something spiritual here such as the fact that the Lord “knitted me together in my mother’s womb” (Ps 139:13) but until the last half decade this truth evaded me. Thus, I need not let on that I am more spiritual than I am.

My parents were separated three months prior to my birth and eventually divorced when I was five. If there is such a thing, my mother and father had an excellent “divorced” relationship. The two owned a business together and my father made sure that we were financially provided for. I was loved and not neglected; I never had any doubt of this, but the intimacy between parents and child were lacking – something I never came to realize until the last few years. My father died when I was a senior in high school and a boy who had yet to become a man was left without a father. In some sense, you could say that he was left without a father from the day he was born. I share this not to evoke pity, but to clarify that this has always been a constant source of struggle for me (even to this day) although I may not have recognized it as such earlier.

I grew up “going” to church but I didn’t grow “up in church.” Do you see the distinction? Sure, we wore special clothes on Sunday, attended Sunday school class, and went to the service. We also went to the youth group meetings on Sunday afternoons (until I got older) but I was never truly connected to the body. I can not say that I never heard the gospel. I can say that I never heard the gospel during this time. Thus, I had an apathy towards church body and therefore toward the Church’s Head.

I was a decent student through grade school and was always involved in athletics in some degree. This was the norm until I entered my early teenage years and I discovered extracurricular activities of the non-sporting type which quickly led to my despise for anything associated with physical exertion or mental command. My grades dropped, my demeanor was less than becoming, and the life of this fourteen-year-old eighth grader was falling apart. A year and a half later my mother confronted me with an ultimatum: “I’ll call the police, or I’ll call the military academy. You decide.” I chose the military academy.

Just before I was to begin my new life as a cadet at Missouri Military Academy I traveled with my church’s youth group to Denver, CO in order to attend a Christ in Youth conference. My sole motivation was to go skiing one last time before my life was officially over. I do not remember what was said or who the speaker was (although I have attempted to contact CIY in order to obtain this information to no avail), but I remember sensing the Holy Spirit’s conviction that indeed my life was wrought with sin and I was in need of a Savior. From that day forward, I knew that I had been forgiven because of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, however, I had no concept of what it meant to be a Christian apart from going to church. Thus, within a few weeks I was living in Mexico, MO and this seed had fallen along the path only to be removed by a passerby.

I spent the time spanning between the second half of my freshman year through the end of my junior year at MMA. All the while, it was required that we attend church on Sunday morning, but this did nothing to feed my soul. I was surrounded by 400 kids who were just like me and it was during this time how I perfected the art of hypocrisy. Outwardly I was the model cadet who was earning commendations, accolades, and was the top of my class, but inwardly I was in ruins. I was outwardly such an example that the day I was caught with cigarettes in my possession, no one believed me when I told them that they were mine! Still distanced from my father and increasing in distance from my mother, I knew no truth other than that my life was a lie.

As an ironic twist, one of the best things that ever happened to me was the day that I was asked to leave the academy for “Conduct Unbecoming a Cadet.” This was a wake up call of sorts and my life was laid bare for all to see. This caused my relocation across the country to Dover, Delaware the location of my high school graduation; a location to which I likely will never return. Upon graduation I moved to Rock Hill, SC where I attended Winthrop University for six months. The cares of this world continued to vie for my affections which caused a lackluster grade performance resulting in a 1.692 GPA that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. After a sudden stroke of responsibility, I began working as a Manger in Training with Hibbett Sporting Goods. After living in York, SC for three weeks I was transferred to Charlotte, NC where I found myself nineteen years old and managing a shoe store! I had become Al Bundy with a genY twist.

In February of 2000, I moved to Birmingham, AL accepting a job at Hibbett’s home office to work as a Project Manager for new store construction and remodels. This was the dream job for a twenty-year-old single guy! I traveled every week to every map dot with a Wal-Mart within a twenty-one state area. Have you ever heard of Altus, OK? Norton, VA? Early, TX? or Winnsboro, LA? Neither had I until then. I now had the dream job, but my life was still lacking. I needed a father, and I needed a Father.

In God’s providence, the apartment complex I moved into was directly across the street from what would eventually become my church home. Little did I know, but 18 months after moving to Birmingham I would finally find what I had been looking for all along and I found Him within the truths of His revealed word.

I had been attending Hunter Street Baptist Church off and on over the last year and a half. The church was emphasizing the authority of God’s word and how every Christian needs to present himself as one who has been approved, one who accurately handles the word of truth. (This should be a self-evident truth, but as we know, many of us miss the point all too often on this one.) I neglected my Bible for most of my life with a few spiritual exceptions here and there. It was, however, on November 3, 2001 that I found myself with nothing to do and for whatever reason, sat down to read my Bible. The passage? 1 Chronicles 28 and Malachi 3. Odd places to start, I know…but I believe that God had a plan. Parenthetically, I must be emphatically clear that I do NOT believe in a “devotional theology” where one can simply pick up the Bible and randomly select a passage and expect that to qualify as an encounter with God. True, God speaks through all of His word at all times, but this is hardly to be considered a disciplined method of study and one should not make this a practice. This day, however, was not random as I was relying on a reading plan that the church had produced in order to be sure that the entire church family was reading together.

Here are some selections of what I underlined from these NIV passages (I know, I know…I was SO unspiritual then!):

From 1 Chronicles 28

But God said to me, ‘You are not to build a house for My Name, because you are a warrior and have shed blood.’” (28:3)

“He said to me: ‘Solomon your son is the one who will build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father.” (28:6)

“…Be careful to follow all the commands of the LORD your God, that you may possess this good land and pass it on as an inheritance to your descendants forever.” (28:8b)

“…If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.” (28:9b)

“He designated the weight of gold for all the gold articles to be used in various kinds of service, and the weight of silver for all the silver articles to be used in various kinds of service” (28:14) (In the margin next to this verse I wrote “God doesn’t leave out the details.” Awfully astute for this pre-budding theologian!)

“…and He gave me understanding in all the details of His plan.” (28:19b)

From Malachi 3

”See, I will send My messenger who will prepare the way before me…” (3:1a)

“…Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the LORD, as in days gone by, as in former years.” (3:3c-4)

“I the LORD do not change…Return to Me, and I will return to you.” (3:6)

And with that, I realized that God was sovereign Lord over all things – including my life. He used the power of His word to confront me with my own sinfulness, present me with His Holiness, and a proposition coupled with a promise: return to Him and He would return to me. That evening our church hosted a 24 hour prayer event to which I invaded about 12:30am. This was the first time that I ever prayed by myself for more than thirty seconds. I do not remember much of what happened after that, but I know that the time went quickly. I remember uttering something similar to “Lord, I don’t quite understand all of this, but you definitely have my attention. Show me the next step and I will follow You.” Well, the next step for me was church membership so I began attending a Sunday school class and meeting as many people as I possibly could. A month later I identified myself with the people called Hunter Street through membership in our church. From that time, the Lord has continued to draw me to Himself even though I have at times been resistant to His irresistible grace.

Three years later, I met the woman who would later become my wife at Hunter Street. We were married on June 4, 2005 and I am now gainfully employed by this very church. Kimberly and I met at Hunter Street, were married, and will continue to minister to the people called Hunter Street and beyond until such a time as the Lord sees fit to move us away from them. I am currently pursuing the educational aspect of my calling into vocational ministry, Lord willing, finishing my undergraduate degree in December and begin seminary in January. We are just getting started…to be continued.

“ I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Timothy 1:12-17 ESV)

Google Releases TiSP – FREE WIRELESS INTERNET

A great new tool has just been released by Google! This will phenomenally revolutionize the current internet world to bring high speed access to millions of users in North America. Sadly, it is only available to those of us in the northern side of the western hemisphere, but Google is in cooperation with utility services around the globe in an effort to make the world truly flat again by 2010. Don’t flush this opportunity to get fast free web in your home!

Internet service can be costly when it is coupled with the equipment one must purchase, the upgrade to the phone or cable lines within the home, and not to mention the need to have a computer that is able to process 300 trillion gigabytes per nanosecond because the generation who has never lived in a home without a microwave just can not wait for pages to load. Thanks to Google, the web is now not only accessible to all for free, but unlike other free web providers, they can keep you up to speed. They have opened a watershed, and since this is no pee sized achievement, you’re in for a treat. Komodo Dragons, beware, this is HOT!

Click here for a free tutorial and to receive your free installation kit.