Maturity

So, yesterday was my birthday...the big 21. I went out and had 2 drinks at Buffalo Wild Wings. But while my friends and I were there, we all realized how many people were there to get sloshed... and on a Monday night. Granted it is dead week, where school is at a minimum and there is room for excess partying, but we just couldn't believe that students would get trashed at the start of the week, especially if they had just spent the weekend partying. It was then, that I realized that we, as christians, are called to maturity. Not only spiritual maturity, but also physical maturity through the way we act in public. Titus 2:2 says "Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love, and in endurance." And later on in verse 6, Paul goes on to write that we are to be examples to the younger [men/believers] through "doing what is good...showing integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned". We are to be responsible with the things God has given to us...and this was very clear last night when I was drinking.

Justification

All I can say, is that since spring break, I have begun to see a change in the way I see things in the Bible. Thanks to Gerald, my understanding of justification and the implications that go along with it have totally changed my view on God for the better. Just reading through Philippians I have seen things that I would have missed. Philippians 3:7-11, for instance says

But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes through faith in Christ - the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

In these few verses alone, I saw justification written all over them. "That I may gain Christ"...how? Through the power of his resurrection; specifically his resurrection from the dead. For the longest time, my view of Jesus was that he died for my sins on the cross. While that is an amazing thing, after talking with Gerald, he made me realize that Jesus' death on the cross really meant nothing without the resurrection from the dead. Having mastery over the earth and sin Jesus was raised and gave [to those of us who have trusted in him] a part of himself to us- which is the Holy Spirit who works and wills in us. Before I really knew what the resurrection meant to me I thought that because Jesus died, my sins were forgiven, but they were still a reality in my life... and that by believing that Jesus died for my sins, he took those sins on himself. But for me, it ended there. It ended without a new beginning, so to speak. However, this passage says itself that I too can be risen from the dead with Christ and therefore giving me new creation. With that new creation in Christ, I can now "become more like him" and that is an amazing thought.

Valentine's Day remarks

So yesterday was all-in-all a pretty good day. Not only did I receive two suckers, but I was able to give too. Yesterday as I was out and about town, I realized that being a single christian doesn't have to mean I don't give a present to a girl. Rather, I could use my money- money if I were in a relationship that would go towards dates and presents- to girls that I know who are single and in Christ. I have friends that are girls that clue me in to the fact that if you're a female and single on Valentine's Day, it can be very rough. So, I took an opportunity of being single to benefit my sisters in Christ. I gave girls presents that they would not have gotten and I hope by doing so, I will have encouraged them in their singleness... that they don't have to look towards boyfriends to supply happiness, but to know that the body of Christ supports them. I also wanted them to reassure them that by being their brother in Christ I wanted to just thank them for guarding their hearts and minds and my way of saying thanks was through the presents.

Act Like Men

This weekend I had the opportunity to hang out with 'da boys' from Crusade and Navs. This is an annual event we call Man Maker. Good times were had by all, but more importantly, many (including me) learned a lot about growing in our faith and becoming a man. Our key verse is from 1 Corinthians 16. Verse 13 in the ESV says "Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong." I memorized this verse at National Conference in 2002, but I memorized it because of the 'stand firm in the faith' part. Now, three years later, I have a completely different outlook on the verse. I really like how the ESV says "act like men". For me it carries more weight and digs right down to the core issue.

Praise and Worship

Why have I been so enthralled with learning more about the process of large format sound systems? Today in church as I was singing praise and worship songs along with the rest of the congregation, I think I stumbled onto something. But first I need to go back [roughly] two days from today.

Thursday night started the annual Navigator Start of Semester Prayer Launch. Twelve hours of one-hour shifts of pure prayer is the format that gets us through. It went from 7pm Thursday night to 7:30am Friday morning. (A brief aside ... I stayed awake all twelve hours fulfilling an agreement I made with Brian, and also to walk the ladies, who had braved the cold, back to their respective dorm/house.) But at 6am Friday morning, those who wanted to, came back and we closed the Prayer Launch out with an hour and a half of pure meditative worship to God.

Friday night (after getting a few hours of sleep), I showed up to Nav Nite and sat up the sound equipment. After successfully sound checking the band, it was time to start. I assumed my now normal position behind the soundboard and proceeded to enjoy the praise and worship, ever-so-often tweaking the knobs as I saw fit.

Finally, today in church, I sat amongst the congregation awaiting the start of church, when I noticed how many musically inclined people Grace Chapel truly has. Abel Sisco, who has been the church music director/lead guitarist, is in his own right a very talented musician. Case Maranville, who's apart of the band Casting Pearls, will soon be taking over for Abel. And two of the four Zach brothers of Remedy were in attendance today.

So what does all of this have to do with my fascination of sound? I finally realized that, for me personally, music that proclaims God as my creator, supplier of life, saviour, and lord over my life ... truly lets me worship and glorify Him. So for me, by learning how to do the sound, will ultimately bring others another form of worshipping and communicating with God. Psalm 69:30 says "I will praise God's name in song and glorify Him with thanksgiving." And again Psalm 100:2 says "Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs." God wants us to give Him the glory at all times ... even in song.

More to ponder

I watched a special on FoxNews tonight about the separation of church and state. I was at first really happy they were doing it, cuz they actually took the christian stance for once, but then I realized that it wasn't accomplishing anything because they weren't getting to the root of the problem...God. It got me thinking again about apologetics and how I need to continue to sharpen my skills of not just arguing my thoughts, but bringing in God and His truth.

Down to business

So I think I'm gonna use this site as more of a personal journal rather than public hearsay. So my first true post in this format will be short. How will I turn to God over Christmas break? Will I continue to put off my quiet times, or will I be diligent in keeping a time set apart to dive into His word? I know in my heart, I want the second choice, but I am weakminded often times and do not live out of fear of my God. In reading "The Pursuit of Holiness", I am finding out that I do need to take charge in finding time to bask in His glory and not give into my fleshly desires.

Last Nav Night

So today marks the last Nav Night of the semester. Crazy how that works. I'm excited for the FC Christmas Party. Let's just say we have a few "pass on the tradition" gifts for this years freshmen.

I'm in...

I came to the realization that I spend time on the Internet, not only surfing, but reading other people's blogs. I find this extremely puzzling because I do not blog myself. Plus there's that whole thing of receiving and not giving. So in an attempt to right this situation, I have decided to start my own blog.