The Bible Says So: Wake Up

So being the geek I am almost immediately after I walked the dog and ate a few grapes, I jumped on the old computer to check some blogs and do some blogging of my own. I was planning on doing a blog about John but this just really struck me.

Some of you may have heard of Lifehacker.com, it is a website where tips to improve your daily life and habits are posted in blog form. So scrolling through their RSS I saw a tag on getting up early. Now school is literally 2 days away so I will be waking up at 5-5:30 AM every morning, any help in waking up would be amazing. So after reading through the list of tips the third comment down was literally a sign from God. It simply reads, "1 Thessalonians 5:1-11". So I immediately dove for my Bible and logged into my blog to document it.

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 is typically passed off as a metaphor with day as modern times and the night as the time when the Anti-Christ will be upon us. It could be taken just as literally as it was written also though. Verse 5 says, "Ye are all the children of light, and the children of day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness." Why should we be consumed by the night when it was made for sleep and is high time for acts of sin and drunken pleasures? The rest of the passage is quite obviously metaphorical and is an excellent read for those struggling with friends and influences that are of the world. But it brings a good point. The day was made to worship and praise God and work for the glory of his name. So set with the sun and rise with it as it is your guide in all you do for Christ's sake. We were made to worship the Son of God, even as we are his children so let us not have fear in the dark that it may remove us from his grace, but openly praise his name in every moment of the day that it may be seen as a witness to those around you. Use these words as a guide that you may not fall into temptation and loose your way in Christ but build a stronger bond with the one who has bonded us as Christ followers in fellowship and union to build a better kingdom that he has prepared for us. Anger is not its ways and should be cast out from among them, but righteousness and peace are its foundation as God has blessed those who employ them in their lives and principles to lead a life with God at its center.

"Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even also as ye do." -1 Thessalonians 5:11. I just wanted to give a shout out to everyone who prayed for me last night. I was hurting for no really good reason and when I made it known, I received so much joy from heaven itself because you guys prayed for me and it lifted my spirits. Thank you so much. You guys truly did comfort me and it was so amazing to feel your compassion from miles upon miles away as many of you are, that just brought a tear to my eye. God will bless you for your actions of mercy and grace. And if he some how forgets, I will be sure to bless you for it. But that wont be a problem for a God bigger than the universes could never forget such acts of love. Thank you once again.

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Now playing: Jeremy Camp - Empty Me
via FoxyTunes

Spiritual Gifts

1 Corinthians 12:1-31 was one of the chapters I read today and it truly answered some of the questions I was struggling with. The entire chapter was devoted to the topic of spiritual gifts and could be divided into two subtopics: 'What our gifts are and where they come from' and 'How our gifts are to be used for Christ'. The first topic is related to in 1 Corinthians 12:1-11. In it, Paul refuses to let us go into the world as believers without having knowledge of our spiritual gifts. Verse 4 says, "Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit." The Holy Spirit gives us different abilities and talents based upon the role that God has determined for our lives. Every gift is diverse and unique to that individual, but they are all given to everyone of us by the same God for one purpose, his glory.

The second topic is related to in verses 12-31. Here Paul uses the analogy of the body of Christ. Now that we have the gifts we received from the Holy Spirit, we must use they for God's glory. From one to many, returns the many to the one. "What doth it profit my brethren, that a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him?" -James 2:14. For example, one gift is the hand of Christ, just because you don't use the hand to walk doesn't mean it isn't important. Another gift may be the foot, just because you don't need your feet to write a devotional or a letter, doesn't mean the foot has no value. All gifts are important no matter how unimportant they may seem at one time or another.

God Is My Salvation

"Behold my God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation." Isaiah 12:2. What a verse. Notice how 'is' is always italicized. Because God will always be my salvation and my strength and my song. How great is our God? Great enough that he fulfills all our needs and becomes our joy. God is truly wonderful.

Faith - Works = Death

Thats right if you were praying for a quick save from Hell card through Jesus, you are dead and wrong. You are dead wrong. James 2:14 says, 'What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him?' Now some of you are like wait a minute, doesn't the Bible say that any man who accepts the Son will get to the Father? (I could not remember the exact verse but thats essentially what it says.) I don't think so. I believe that God rewards us based upon or works for him. If you believe in Jesus Christ and that he is the only way to get to heaven and you have accepted him as your savior from those fires of Hell, then every inch of work you do in his name to benefit his kingdom and touch lives will be rewarded with blessings and treasures in heaven. So would you rather just get into heaven and pass by? Or would you rather have a life that is full of blessings here on earth and a life full of joy up in heaven?

Your Lion On A Snowy Day

Sky solemn as the dead.
Dunes of snow in the sun.
Wind whipped ice cuts raw flesh.
Flesh of one who is done.

But one more battle,
This hardened warrior must face.
The lion's roar has just sounded.
Whether run or to chase.

Any other man might run,
But this warrior begins a chase.
Running after this one lion,
He will earn his true place.

As the lion stumbles on,
Now in pain and badly bruised.
He leads this lone, keen warrior,
To a place he once refused.

The lion brought the warrior,
To the warriors own house.
Which for far too many years,
Had lacked family, friend, or mouse.

The house is all in shambles,
Just as the warriors own life.
And as he stepped through the door,
Came back memories of his wife.

This was his home!
With his wife and their children.
But all was stolen by Satan.
Just as he had done in Eden.

He chose not to cry,
But rather turned to the beast.
The lion was now a snake,
And was ready for a feast.

As the serpent coiled for a strike,
The man cried aloud in prayer.
"God if you would have me die here,
Bring me to heaven with you there."

And before the word "Amen."
Could pass from his lips,
The serpent launched a strike,
That was ever so quick.

The warrior was the victor,
With one single, swift blow.
Even as the serpent fell,
Said he, "Back to Hades! Now go!"

He had faced his inner lion,
So God gave him back his life.
He was blessed by ten fold,
With peace and lack of strife.

A Testamony of God's Awesomeness With A Capital A

My church youth group just came back from a missions trip to serve in a soup kitchen/food pantry for the homeless and less fortunate in NYC and we completely brought a revolution to that area of the city. Matthew 25:34-46 says that God will bless those who serve the least of his children in heaven, and will curse those who turn down the least of his children to the fires of hell. As Christians and humans alike we need to serve the least of our kind, of our brothers and sisters that we may seek the glory of God and well being of his children. God Bless revolutionaries for they will be rewarded with the full glory of God for chasing after his heart with all there strength. Men, you will find all your hearts desires at the feet of cross if you but lay down everything you have and run without ceasing to God. Sisters, you will not be left abandoned by God. He will not forsake you and will reward your efforts if you obey everyone of his commandments. I have faith that we serve a God of wonders, and that if we serve him, his wonders will be made real in our lives. "Our God is an awesome God, he reigns on heaven and earth, with wisdom power and love, our God is an awesome God."

Confirmed : 360 RROD May Be Fixable

Two videos on the tubes say that there may be ways to fix your dead 360 with the magic of towels. Yes towels. You can use them to dry your body, look like a Sith Lord, and impersonate Osama Bin Laden. And now added to that list, fixing that Demon Ring on your 300-500 dollar paperweight. It appears you remove everything but the power cord from your 360, turn it on, wrap it in towels (2-3), and set to cook for about 20-25 mins, cool and add seasoning as you please. Well maybe not seasoning, perhaps KICK @$$ GAMES?!?!?! Yeah lets go with that! But since I don't even have a 360 yet, I'll just wait to test this when it does happen, because according to PS3 fanboys, it will.

Video Numero Uno

Second Video (no more spanish, sry mi hombres...)

Power of Music: Worship In Default

When you say worship, you think music. If you don't, congratulations buy yourself a latte or some other high caffine, upper class liquid beverage from your local Starbucks. Ill explain why you just spent $5.00 USD later in another post. But music has been the default expression of worship for centuries. It isn't wrong, I mean its even Biblical. Psalm 100:1 reads, "Make a joyful noise unto the LORD." Joyful noise... Hmm. Seems to me that God really likes music. Angels play instruments and sing and we make that joyful noise at the begin and end of pretty much every church service. I mean Lucifer, you know the most powerful angel ever, was head of the choir of angels for crying out loud. If that made him the most powerful, then maybe I should look into becoming a worship leader someday... But the fact of the matter is, worship music has the power to brighten our days, focus us upon God, and bring us to our knees before the creator of all we see, hear, feel, and cannot begin to comprehend. If you can make one habit of your daily life, it is to find a good solid Christian radio station, or burn a mixed worship CD, or make a playlist on your MP3 player of worship music and listen to it often. It really is important that we do this to keep us focused on Jesus. I know that if I am listening to worship music, I am less likely to have impure thoughts assail me or me to accidentally sin. So boot up that iPod or dial into that station and make it a habit. It is helpful.


Local Stations of Notice-
-93.7-AirOne- (Also can be accessed on iTunes Radio.)
-96.7-Pulse-

Bands of Notice-
-David Crowder Band-
-Hillsong United-
-Caedmon's Call-
-Delirious?-
-Jeremy Camp-
-Jars of Clay-

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Prayer

Prayer-
Pray for a brother in Christ, for he needs your words. He is has been on top of a mountain with God and has experienced his glory as only it can be on Earth with other believers. But as time passes and that moment grows farther away, so to seems to grow the distance between God and his son. The young man is losing ground on the mountain as an avalanche of sin and temptation and things only of the world and Satan begin to tear him down. Old habits strike fear in his heart as his flesh yearns for their old comforts. His heart recoils in pain and Satan only strikes deeper. The soul cries out for mercy and for protection from the God that allows him to suffer like this. He searches for answers, for a way out and a way to return to that mountain top. As wave after wave of attack from Satan push him to the edge, the breaking point. He bows down and tears burning down his face into the grit and dirt of what his life has become wash away the shroud over his eyes. He sees what he must do. He folds each hand within the other and closes his eyes to a calming void. Within this peace he asks a God he cannot feel to save him, to re-arm him, to bring him back to a peace where Satan cannot reach him any longer. Then he asks of his brothers and sisters, to make that same plea to God for him, because he cannot go without their fellowship and support. Prayer is his only hope now. It is his only chance for him to be restored to that peace in God he so desperately needs. So pray for this brother. Prayer for this young man. For he is a friend and needs your help now. Pray for me. Because without your prayer I don't know if I will be able to battle off these attacks.

Revolution

Revolution-
We are the revolution. We are the sword, and God is our shield. Be strong against many, and strong against few. When Satan rips away your comfort, find peace in God. An army has been called. Let us not be caught in the shade of the pomegranate tree but charge the enemy fearless because God is fighting for us. Prayer is your greatest weapon, keep it out and ready for use at all time. May God's word become your words. And may you never lose hope: for your victories for God may be few and small, but your brothers and sisters in Christ are many and accepting. Through God all things are possible. -Paul Matula