In “C. H. Spurgeon Autobiography: The Early Years, 1834-1859” it is documented by writings of Spurgeon himself that when the yell for “Fire” went up during that tragic moment at the Surrey Gardens Music Hall, Spurgeon tried to proclaim the truth of the matter. But his booming voice could not be heard over the ensuing chaos, and the crowd began to panic. The truth was; suspected thieves and pick pockets had come into the assembly to try and take advantage of the crowded hall.

After reading about this in the above autobiography, my mind reflected on the following biblical passage in 2 Peter.

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. (2 Peter 2:1 ESV)

As redeemed members of Christ’s church, we need to be on watch for those who would take advantage of a situation or their position in the local church. Although their methods may not be as loud as a thief  or pick pocket yelling fire, but as Peter warns in scripture, secretive methods can be just as destructive if not more.

From his vantage point Spurgeon could see the truth that the building was not on fire. In turn we also have a vantage point of the truth. God’s word. The more we read and study God’s word, the more we hone our God given discernment to recognize the falsehoods or the false alarm.

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15)

Be ready Christian. Soli Deo Gloria!

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ John 1:29 

The presumed injustice of convicting an innocent man.

I. The Need

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,  Rom. 2:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom. 6:23

And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, Hebrews 9:27

II. The Means; Behold The Lamb of God

And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them. Gen. 3:21

For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life. Lev. 17:11

Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. Rom. 2:4-5

but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 1 Peter 1:19

How will we escape the wrath from God that is to come?
John 1:29

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, 1 Peter 3:18

III. The Result: The removal of your sins - 1 Peter 3:18

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Cor. 5:21

as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. Ps. 103:12

Revelation 5 – Only the Lamb is worthy.

Anyone who’s been around me in the last few weeks will have heard me jabbering in praise-worthy tones about a book I’ve been reading. (It’s actually an audio book I’ve been listening to.) Well I finally finished it. The book is “Ready Player One” by Ernest Cline. I discovered this book after reading a reading list posting from a blog site that I frequent called “The Blazing Center“. This blogger is somewhat of a multiple geek as well, and I highly recommend you bookmark his blog.

“Ready Player One” appeals to my geekdom on many levels. First of all it’s setting is futuristic. It is centered around technology, in particular, computer technology. It is about gaming, 80′s culture, 80′s music, early computer game consoles, and Rush. Yes, Rush the rock trio from the “great white North”. and in my humble opinion, the greatest rock band in history. All of which I know much about. The characters in the book, like me can not only quote the lyrics from any rock band from the 80′s, but give you album release name, band member names, publisher, and year of release. They can also quote verbatim all the lines from staple geek movies like “Monty Python and the Holy Grail“, “Weird Science“, “Short Circuit“, and “War Games“.

I totally recommend this book for anyone who has the slightest bit of geek in them. If you lived through the eighties, and survived it, this will bring back such memories that you will think you are back among the big hair, 8 bit video games, and Rubik’s Cube junkies of the past. I just can’t help myself. Below is a Rush video that is mentioned in the book. Enjoy!

Receiving the photo caused my mind to be flooded with all sorts of nostalgia about my dad. My dad passed away due to complications with diabetes when I was fifteen. I never really got to know him as an adult, and there are times I’ve really missed having a dad around. But receiving the photo allowed me to reflect on the time God allowed us to have together.

My dad was blind for most of my life but he never let the handicap prevent him from trying to do the things he loved. We used to build model airplanes together. We’d install real gas fueled engines on them and then fly them. He was an amazing golfer before he lost his sight and was actually pretty good without it. I would line up his club head behind his ball and give him the details of the hole, like dogleg right about 200 yds, and he would smack it. Most times the ball would go where he intended it. I learned much about the game of golf from our outings.

My dad always tried to make light of his handicap around others. I will never forget a time when I was about 10, my neighborhood friends and I were playing baseball in our back yards and we began to get into a heated argument about something. Probably balls and strikes. My dad came out the back door with a very serious look on his face. We thought we were really going to get it, and then he yells “If you kids don’t knock off the belly aching, I am going to come out there and insist on calling the balls and strikes.” You could tell everyone was thinking on what he said, and then all at once it dawned on us just what he said. We all busted out in laughter.

I miss my dad but I have the utmost confidence that I will see him again when it is my time to enter the gates of Heaven.

Soli Deo Gloria!

1 Peter 3:18
The Past Accomplishment of Christ’s Work
We have a deep need to commune with God.
We create a God in our own image.

1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,

I. The Need: Fellowship with God

Deut. 6:5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

Romans 3:23-24 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.

Romans 5:10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

II. The Means: The Suffering of God’s Perfect Son

the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God,

III. The Result : Fellowship With God

Psalm 16:11 You make known to me the path of life; 
in your presence there is fullness of joy; 
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

God is most glorified in us, when he is most satisfied in Him. Desiring God mission agreement statement.

Psalm 23:1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Top 25 Album Releases of 2012

1. Dark Adrenaline  – Lacuna Coil
2. Clockwork Angels – Rush
3. A Different Kind of Truth – Van Halen
4. Amaryllis – Shinedown
5. The Strange Case Of …. – Halestorm
6. The End is Where We Began – Thousand Foot Krutch
7. Bag Of Bones – Europe
8. Apocalyptic Love – Slash (feat. Miles Kennedy and the Conspirators)
9. Murdered Love – P.O.D
10. All I Was – Tremonti
11. Minus The Machine – 10 Years
12. Eye On It – Toby Mac
13. Head Down – Rival Sons
14. King Animal – Soundgarden
15. The Power Within – Dragonforce
16. Flying Colors – Flying Colors
17. The Whippoorwill – Blackberry Smoke
18. Privateering – Mark Knopfler
19. Rock n’ Roll Ride – Jack Blades
20. Analog Man – Joe Walsh
21. Believer – Kutless
22. Wait For the Siren – Project 86
23. Uncaged – Zac Brown Band
24. O God Save Us All – Disciple
25. Slipstream – Bonnie Rait

Added bonus for this posting is a video from Tremonti.

Rawk On!!!

Knowing God (Jeremiah 9:23-24)

“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us. The history of mankind will probably show that no people has ever risen above its religion, and man’s spiritual history will positively demonstrate that no religion has ever been greater than its idea of God. Worship is pure or base as the worshiper entertains high or low thoughts of God.” ~ A.W. Tosier

1. Strive to know God.

Strive to have an intimate relationship with God. We can do this by reading and meditating on His word, and going to Him in consistent prayer.

 2. Failure to know God will result in discipline or destruction.

The heart of biblical discipline is redemptive. Hebrews 12:7-11.

Proverbs 3:11-12 – My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.

 3. Take shelter in knowing God.

We can then have a proper perspective of tragedy.

But sin can veil this proper perspective. (Jeremiah 9:12-14)

 How to Know God

1. Through creation.

2. Through is word.

3. In Jesus Christ

Click on poster or link below to see full poster image.

Christmas Movie Night

Calvary Church 558 W. 16th Street Wahoo, Ne

But as human nature would have it, I didn’t care to have to face going back to the clearing of the vines and thorns due to the curse from Eden. You know, the job. I wanted the weekend to continue. I am reminded of a verse in the Bible. The verse is found in Psalm 90, verse 12.

So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.

This teaches us not to take our days for granted but to enjoy the time God has given us on this earth. When we are His children, God has promised to bring us through those black days.

So here’s to those black Monday’s. A fitting song from the grunge genre, and one of my favorites from it. Soundgarden and “Fell On Black Days”. Thank God I don’t live in Seattle.

Recognizing the goodness of God in our lives. A Christian should have a disposition of thankfulness.

I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up and have not let my foes rejoice over me. (Psalm 30:1 ESV)

The context here is like The Lord drew David out of a dark pit or well.

O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. (Psalm 30:2 ESV)

David acknowledges his dependence on God, and his relationship with Him.

I. Praise God (vv. 1-3) This should be our life’s ambition.

II. Proclaim God’s goodness (vv. 4-10) When we experience goodness in our life, we naturally want tell everyone we know about it.

As for me, I said in my prosperity, “I shall never be moved.” (Psalm 30:6 ESV)

The pride of self-sufficiency.

For this sin, God hid his face.

By your favor, O Lord, you made my mountain stand strong; you hid your face; I was dismayed. (Psalm 30:7 ESV)

David was undone.
In verses 8-10 David cries out for mercy.

III. Thanking God (vv. 11-12)

The context of parallelism:

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, (Psalm 30:11 ESV)

Mourning to dancing
Garments of sackcloth to clothes of gladness
God delivers us so we can praise Him. He saves us for Himself.

that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.
I will give thanks to you forever! (Psalm 30:12b ESV)

We should turn (repent) our Thanksgiving traditions to a disposition of thankfulness and praise to God Forever!