The Potter Works Only with Soft Clay!

It has been a while since I updated this blog the last time, and many events has transpired in my life. However, I came across this delicious piece that I couldn’t resist sharing with you from a special edition of the Gospel for Asia News Magazine. This piece was written by K.P. Yohannan, the Editor-in-Chief. Enjoy, and be refreshed!

When I was a boy, growing up in India, I often went to a potter’s house near my high school. I was fascinated to watch him make clay vessels. During those visits, I never saw the potter take a hardened lump of clay and put it on his wheel to make something out of it. He, just like every other potter in the world, used only soft and tender clay to work with. So does God!

The prophet Jeremiah tells us that God is like a potter and His people are the clay He wants to form into a beautiful vessel. In order to accomplish this, God looks for soft and pliable hearts.

Man measures the quality and usefulness of a person by his education, ability and expertise. Yet God determines his true value by the condition of his heart: “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

What happens if the Clay Is Hard?

If the clay is hard, the potter will spend days pouring water on it and pounding it thoroughly until it becomes soft. It took God 20 long years of “pouring and pounding” until Jacob’s heart became soft enough. Moses needed 40 years of desert life to become the meekest man on earth (Numbers 12:3) who could lead Israel out of Egypt.

The Bible warns us not to harden our hearts: “Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts” (Hebrews 3:15).

It is possible for us as believers to have a tender heart for a season, but then when God speaks to us about an issue, to choose not to humble ourselves but rather to harden our hearts. This is not a good place for us to be, because the Bible declares: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).

The Lord will not let us go. He will allow circumstances to pound us so our hearts will once again become soft and pliable. The people of Israel are the perfect example of this. Just think of how many times God allowed them to face famines, hardships, oppression, defeat, and captivity in order to soften their hearts and help them return to Him!

What Causes Our Hearts to Become Hard?

Being poisoned by negative talk. One person in a church or ministry is dissatisfied, bitter, critical and unwilling to change. He starts to talk negatively and poisons others. Soon the atmosphere of love among the brothers and sisters is replaced by disunity, anger and hardness of heart toward each other and the Lord.

An elevated view of ourselves. We feel important because we do something significant for God’s Kingdom, and we don’t recognize that our hearts is filled with pride, arrogance and an exalted view of ourselves. Often the symptoms don’t show up until years later when our heart is no longer soft in the Potter’s hand.

Rebellion. Any form of rebellion is like a tiny seed that, if not dealt with, will grow and eventually harden our heart and bring destruction. It begins with a tiny issue or a thought like this one: “Who does he think he is to tell me what to do? My life is none of his business!” – and it ultimately ends in death.

What Should We Do to Keep Our Hearts Soft?

Don’t take God’s grace for granted. Grace is given to those who are humble, not to those who are right or feel indispensable.

Watch over your heart (Proverbs 4:23). Don’t keep company with those who spread negative talk, sow disunity or have a rebellious spirit. Love them and pray for them, but have no part with them. Believe me, you and I are not strong enough to withstand the poison they spread. It’s in the atmosphere, and we breathe it in whether we intend to or not.

Submit to one another (Ephesians 5:21). Don’t fight for your rights. Be willing to give up something. Learn to let it be.

Don’t think of yourself more highly than you should (Romans 12:3). Remember that all the gifts, talents and ministry you have are given to you by the Lord. Nothing is of yourself. It’s all God’s grace.

Be careful from whom you receive your counsel. That’s especially important when you are disappointed because your expectations are not met. Don’t go to a brother or sister who is not mature in the Lord and who sympathizes and agrees with your complaints and tears. Instead, go to someone who is mature and who can help you see the hand of God and His purpose behind the things you face.

Repent and run to the cross. If need be, do this a thousand times a day to maintain the tenderness of your heart. Whenever you seek the limelight, want to take credit, get hurt or when your expectations are not fulfilled and your plan don’t work out, don’t fight; go to the cross.

God always seek to do one thing with us on the Potter’s wheel – not to make us more powerful and famous, but to make us more like HIs Son, the Lord Jesus.

www.gfa.org/5minutes

Seasons

Exultation. Despair. Triumph. Defeat. Contentment. Frustration. Pride. Disappointment.

I have experienced all of those emotions – plus many more – in the last three years since I became a youth worker. And thus is my story.

Often, I feel like waving a white flag because I was tired of ministry. I didn’t want to be around teenagers sometime because I’m selfish. I would rather to be narcissistic rather than a servant. Sometime I wonder aloud if God wants me in this position because my heart doesn’t feel wholly into it. My ardent love for God fades when I face tough times in my personal life and ministry. I impulsively cry out, “Why, God,” when things don’t go well. I yell at God when bad things happens, and argue with Him relentlessly to get things done my way (actually, what right do I have to argue with the King who can take my life at a moment’s notice?).

Sadly but true, I do get ashamed of the Gospel sometime – the very thing that should give me endless joy and passion to share with everyone. I hide it out of fear, discouragement, and a momentarily lack of hope. I even run away from the eternal wellspring of Life without realizing it.

It is during those times when I want to abandon the call God has given me – and even my faith. Essentially, the fire within my heart was a dying ember enclosed within the ashes of its former glory. I knew deep within me that my life belonged to the King of kings, but I felt abandoned. I knew that God is always there for me. He never forsook or abandoned me. Yet I try in vain to run away from God just like the prophet Jonah.

Unbeknownst to me, God allowed me to grow distant from Him so I develop a holy longing for His divine Presence.

Sooner than later, I realized how depraved and worthless I was before God. I become horrified of the amount of sin in my life. I cringe at things that I have done. That’s when I turn around and run into my Father’s arms. I enter into His loving Presence in repentance. I start to drink the nectar of Life that flows from Him. The dying embers deep within me are fanned and rejuvenated, transforming into an all-consuming fire.

While cognizant of and consumed by His blazing Love, it is when I am reminded of the call God has placed in my heart. It is when I rise up from the ashes and faithfully press forward. It is when I am reminded of the high cost of following Christ. It is when I am strengthened and encouraged to face the world again. It is when I am reminded of my youth’s faces, the precious gifts God has given to this world. It is when I gaze at the face of Christ and am satisfied.

Thus sums up the seasons, the ebbs and flows, the waxing and waning, of a youth worker’s life. Minus all the titles and privileges I have in my life, less all the accolades received, while standing in the presence of God I am merely a Man, a condemned criminal forgiven by the anointing and redeeming blood of Christ.

Essentially, I am a saint and a sinner, eternally a willing prisoner to His Love.

---

“Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God”?

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youth grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

~Isaiah 40:27-31

God Texts the Ten Commandments

I found this online, and thought I would share you this rather humorous piece. Enjoy!

---

1. no1 b4 me. srsly.

2. dnt wrshp pix/idols

3. no omg's

4. no wrk on w/end (sat 4 now; sun l8r)

5. pos ok - ur m&d r cool

6. dnt kill ppl

7. :-X only w/ m8

8. dnt steal

9. dnt lie re: bf

10. dnt ogle ur bf's m8. or ox. or dnkey. myob.

M, pls rite on tabs & giv 2 ppl.

ttyl,
JHWH.

ps. wwjd?

Source: http://www.mcsweeneys.net/2009/6/3quatro.html

American Capitalism Gone With a Whimper?

I discovered an interesting piece written by Stanislav Mishin, a blogger and columnist for the Russian newspaper Pravda (from American Family Association, www.afa.net). After reading, leave a comment about your thoughts on this, in addition to whether you agree or not. Enjoy!

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It must be said, that like the breaking of a great dam, the American decent into Marxism is happening with breath taking speed, against the back drop of a passive, hapless sheeple, excuse me dear reader, I meant people.

True, the situation has been well prepared on and off for the past century, especially the past twenty years. The initial testing grounds was conducted upon our Holy Russia and a bloody test it was. But we Russians would not just roll over and give up our freedoms and our souls, no matter how much money Wall Street poured into the fists of the Marxists.

Those lessons were taken and used to properly prepare the American populace for the surrender of their freedoms and souls, to the whims of their elites and betters.

First, the population was dumbed down through a politicized and substandard education system based on pop culture, rather than the classics. Americans know more about their favorite TV dramas than the drama in DC that directly affects their lives. They care more for their "right" to choke down a McDonalds burger or a BurgerKing burger than for their constitutional rights. Then they turn around and lecture us (Russia) about our rights and about our "democracy". Pride blinds the foolish.

Then their faith in God was destroyed, until their churches, all tens of thousands of different "branches and denominations" were for the most part little more then Sunday circuses and their televangelists and top protestant mega preachers were more then happy to sell out their souls and flocks to be on the "winning" side of one pseudo Marxist politician or another. Their flocks may complain, but when explained that they would be on the "winning" side, their flocks were ever so quick to reject Christ in hopes for earthly power. Even our Holy Orthodox (Russian Orthodox) churches are scandalously liberalized in America.

The final collapse has come with the election of Barack Obama. His speed in the past three months has been truly impressive. His spending and money printing has been a record setting, not just in America's short history but in the world. If this keeps up for more than another year, and there is no sign that it will not, America at best will resemble the Wiemar Republic and at worst Zimbabwe.

These past two weeks have been the most breath taking of all. First came the announcement of a planned redesign of the American Byzantine tax system, by the very thieves who used it to bankroll their thefts, loses and swindles of hundreds of billions of dollars. These make our Russian oligarchs look little more than ordinary street thugs, in comparison. Yes, the Americans have beat our own thieves in the shear volumes. Should we congratulate them?

These men, of course, are not an elected panel but made up of appointees picked from the very financial oligarchs and their henchmen who are now gorging themselves on trillions of American dollars, in one bailout after another. They are also usurping the rights, duties and powers of the American congress (parliament). Again, congress has put up little more then a whimper to their masters.

Then came Barack Obama's command that GM's (General Motor) president step down from leadership of his company. That is correct, dear reader, in the land of "pure" free markets, the American president now has the power, the self given power, to fire CEOs and we can assume other employees of private companies, at will. Come hither, go dither, the centurion commands his minions.

So it should be no surprise that the American president has followed this up with a "bold" move of declaring that he and another group of unelected, chosen stooges will now redesign the entire automotive industry and will even be the guarantee of automobile policies. I am sure that if given the chance, they would happily try and redesign it for the whole of the world, too. Prime Minister Putin, less then two months ago, warned Obama and UK's Blair, not to follow the path to Marxism, it only leads to disaster. Apparently, even though we suffered 70 years of this Western sponsored horror show, we know nothing, as foolish, drunken Russians, so let our "wise" Anglo-Saxon fools find out the folly of their own pride.

Again, the American public has taken this with barely a whimper...but a "freeman" whimper.

So, should it be any surprise to discover that the Democratically controlled Congress of America is working on passing a new regulation that would give the American Treasury department the power to set "fair" maximum salaries, evaluate performance and control how private companies give out pay raises and bonuses? Senator Barney Franks, a social pervert basking in his homosexuality (of course, amongst the modern, enlightened American societal norm, as well as that of the general West, homosexuality is not only not a looked down upon life choice, but is often praised as a virtue) and his Marxist enlightenment, has led this effort. He stresses that this only affects companies that receive government monies, but it is retroactive and taken to a logical extreme, this would include any company or industry that has ever received a tax break or incentive.

The Russian owners of American companies and industries should look thoughtfully at this and the option of closing their facilities down and fleeing the land of the Red as fast as possible. In other words, divest while there is still value left.

The proud American will go down into his slavery with out a fight, beating his chest and proclaiming to the world, how free he really is. The world will only snicker.

Stanislav Mishin
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig10/mishin1.html

TEA Party 2009

When government fears people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. ~Thomas Jefferson

Today marks a historical day in America - all over the nation, there will be hundreds, if not thousands, of Taxed Enough Already (TEA) Parties. Inspired by the December 16, 1773 Boston Tea Party, America's first grassroots movement, American citizens will gather peacefully at their local city halls to protest the runaway spending, larger government, and the projected tax increases that has been imposed on our generation and our future children by Barack Hussein Obama and his "Change" administration. I'm not here to argue about whether his spending policies were appropriate or on whether Classical or Keynesian economic philosophies are effective - I'm talking about the prospect of our hard-earned money going to the ballooning size of our magnificent government.

In response to this movement, I've affixed a tea bag on my car's rear view mirror in support of this effort. I can't go to my local rally, but I won't be silent - I hope that the government will hear the loud voices of many disgruntled citizens to stop spending money and pulling us deeper in debt. If they don't, then democracy is on our side at the ballots.

I found it amusing that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a report to watch out for "right-wing extremism." If DHS categorizes this movement as a form of extremism, that means the government is trying to discredit and minimize this event. Yes, terrorism risk is always present in the post 9-11 America, but that's not the reason why they issued such a report. As some critics assure, this is a veiled attempt by the government to label conservatism as a form of extremism (which DHS has denied earlier this year).

Here's my simple analysis: the government fears the voice of the People. They know that American people are able to bring change if they deem the government unsuitable, as is revealed in the Constitution. If no such fear exists in the government, liberty would have been stamped out; we, the People, have achieved Liberty today.

UPDATE (04/17/09): There will be another TEA party on July 4th, appropriately named "American Freedom Day TEA Party" - check out www.taxdayteaparty.com for more information!

O Sacred Head, Now Wounded

This timeless hymn really resonates in my heart, especially since it being the holiest week of a Christian's calendar. I have read this hymn several times, and been struck with the poignancy and vivacity of these words. Take 15 minutes - I challenge you - and meditate on the content of these words.

Written by Paul Gerhardt (1607 - 1676)

O sacred Head, now wounded,
With grief and shame weighed down,
Now scornfully surrounded
With thorns, Thine only crown.
O sacred Head, what glory,
What bliss, till now was Thine!
Yet, though despised and gory,
I joy to call Thee mine.

Men mock and taunt and jeer Thee,
Thou noble countenance,
Though mighty worlds shall fear Thee
And flee before Thy glance.
How art thou pale with anguish,
With sore abuse and scorn!
How doth Thy visage languish
That once was bright as morn!

Now from Thy cheeks has vanished
Their color, once so fair;
From Thy red lips is banished
The splendor that was there.
Grim Death, with cruel rigor,
Hath robbed Thee of Thy life;
Thus Thou has lost Thy vigor,
Thy strength, in this sad strife.

My burden in Thy Passion,
Lord, Thou hast borne for me,
For it was my transgression
Which brought this woe on thee.
I cast me down before Thee,
Wrath were my rightful lot;
Have mercy, I implore Thee;
Redeemer, spurn me not!

My Shepherd, now receive me;
My Guardian, own me Thine.
Great blessings Thou didst give me,
O Source of gifts divine!
Thy lips have often fed me
With words of truth and love,
Thy Spirit oft hath led me
To heavenly joys above.

Here I will stand beside Thee,
From Thee I will not part;
O Savior, do not chide me!
When breaks Thy loving heart,
When soul and body languish
In death's cold, cruel grasp,
Then, in Thy deepest anguish,
Thee in mine arms I'll clasp.

The joy can ne'er be spoken,
Above all joys beside,
When in Thy body broken
I thus with safety hide.
O Lord of life, desiring
Thy glory now to see,
Beside Thy cross expiring,
I'd breathe my soul to Thee.

What language shall I borrow
To thank Thee, dearest Friend,
For this, Thy dying sorrow,
Thy pity without end?
Oh, make me thine forever!
And should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never,
Outlive my love for Thee.

My Savior, be Thou near me
When death is at my door;
Then let Thy presence cheer me,
Forsake me nevermore!
When soul and body languish,
Oh, leave me not alone,
But take away mine anguish
By virtue of Thine own!

Be Thou my Consolation,
My Shield when I must die;
Remind me of Thy Passion
When my last hour draws nigh.
Mine eyes shall then behold Thee,
Upon Thy cross shall dwell,
My heart by faith enfold Thee.
Who dieth thus dies well!

Reid, Pelosi, and the dying priest

I came across the joke this week from Patriot Humor, a publication of The Patriot Post (www.patriotpost.us), and I could not resist to share it with you all. Enjoy!

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The old priest lay dying in the hospital. For years he had faithfully served the people of the nation's capital. He motioned for his nurse to come near.

"Yes, Father?" said the nurse. "I would really like to see Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi before I die", whispered the priest. "I'll see what I can do, Father" replied the nurse.

The nurse sent the request to them and waited for a response. Soon the word arrived. Harry and Nancy would be delighted to visit the priest. As they went to the hospital, Harry commented to Nancy "I don't know why the old priest wants to see us, but it will certainly help our images." Nancy couldn't help but agree.

When they arrived at the priest's room, the priest took Nancy's hand in his right hand and Harry's hand in his left. There was silence and a look of serenity on the old priest's face.

Finally Nancy spoke. "Father, of all the people you could have chosen, why did you choose us to be with you as you near the end?"

The old priest slowly replied, "I have always tried to pattern my life after my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

The old priest continued...

"He died between two lying thieves. I would like to do the same."

Behind the desk - Article from SYM

I got this short yet to-the-point article that got me thinking about planning for youth ministry events in general... behind a desk. Read, and be challenged!

behind the desk

I often find myself developing great new ways to engage and work with teenagers. The strange thing is they all involve me sitting behind my desk. ...

The Search for a Godly Spouse

My sister sent me an e-mail link to a summary of Focus on the Family's daily radio broadcast about an interesting topic we all should think about: what to look for in a godly spouse. This resource is wonderful for me because I'm currently dating someone, and I will need to use this measuring stick to evaluate her (and all other women if this one doesn't work out) in order to discover if she is "the one."

Women: the man you someday marry should...

• Be continually growing closer to Jesus Christ
• Demonstrate integrity
• Be a bold leader
• Love sacrificially
• Laugh heartily, especially at himself
• Model genuine humility

Men: the woman you someday marry should...

• Have a personal faith in Jesus Christ
• Possess inner beauty, not just outer
• Be an initiative taker and have an attitude of submission
• Be a wife who will help build her husband's confidence
• Display kindness
• Have a sense of humor

Source: http://listen.family.org/miscdaily/A000001794.cfm?utm_id=emailafriend&utm_campaign=1

Kathy J. Meagher, 50 - A Obituary

While on a youth retreat with my students this past weekend, I received news that Kathy Meagher, a long-time principal for Maryland School for the Deaf, has passed away from a "long courageous battle against cancer." I have been blessed to know her as a friend at school because she was prominent in allowing me to freely share my faith through the See You at the Pole (SYATP) prayer rallies and in my Senior yearbook (2005). I hoped to visit her sometime before too long, but circumstances did not allow for that visit to happen. However, I'm relieved to know that she is now with our Father in Heaven and free of cancer. My prayers and condolences goes to the Meagher and Staab families as they cope with the loss of their loved one.

Here's her obituary from The Herald-Mail for your information.

JUNE 22, 1958-JANUARY 22, 2009

FREDERICK, Md. - Kathy Jo Meagher (nee Staab), 50, of Frederick, Md., died Thursday, Jan. 22, 2009, at home surrounded by her family after a long courageous battle against cancer. She is survived by her husband of 21 years, Richard T. Meagher and their children, Kathryn, 18, Emily, 17 and Matthew, 13.

Kathy was born June 22, 1958, in Mountville, Pa., to Kathryn Pauline (Rottmund) Staab and the late Joseph Patrick Staab. She is also survived by her brother, Michael Staab and his wife, Terry, of Lititz, Pa. She was an aunt and great-aunt to numerous nieces and nephews.

Kathy earned her bachelor's degree from Bloomsburg (Pa.) State College with a major in Elementary Education and a minor in Deaf Education. She received her master's degree from State University of New York, Geneseo, in Deaf Education for students ages 3 through 21.

She worked her entire career at Maryland School for the Deaf in Frederick, where she retired as principal in 2005. She began her career there as a teacher in 1981 and also served as a supervising teacher.

Kathy was a longtime member of St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church.

The family will receive friends Monday, Jan. 26, from 6 to 9 p.m. and Tuesday, Jan. 27, from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. at Keeney and Basford Funeral Home, 106 E. Church St., Frederick. A Christian wake will be held Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. at the funeral home. Online condolences can be shared with the family at www.keeneybasford.com

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Wednesday, Jan. 28, at 10 a.m. at St. John the Evangelist Church, 118 E. Second St., Frederick. Interment will be in Mount Olivet Cemetery, Frederick. The Rev. Richard J. Murphy will be celebrant.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Kathy J. Meagher Memorial Scholarship for students affected by cancer in care of The Community Foundation of Frederick County, 312 E. Church St., Frederick, MD 21701.

Atheists' Holy Day: April 1st

I received this story through an e-mail forward message, and it was too good to let it pass! Enjoy!

In Florida , an atheist created a case against the upcoming Easter and Passover holy days. He hired an attorney to bring a discrimination case Against Christians, Jews and observances of their holy days. The argument was that it was unfair that atheists had no such recognized days. The case was brought before a judge. After listening to the passionate presentation by the lawyer, the judge banged his gavel declaring,"Case dismissed!"

The lawyer immediately stood objecting to the ruling saying, "Your honor, how can you possibly dismiss this case? The Christians have Christmas, Easter and others. The Jews have Passover, Yom Kippur and Hanukkah,yet my client and all other atheists have no such holidays."

The judge leaned forward in his chair saying, "But you do. Your client, counsel, is woefully ignorant."

The lawyer said, "Your Honor, we are unaware of any special observance or holiday for atheists."

The judge said, "The calendar says April 1st is April Fools Day. Psalm 14:1 states, 'The fool says in his heart, there is no God.' Thus, it is the opinion of this court, that if your client says there is no God, then he is a fool. Therefore, April 1st is his day. Court is adjourned."

Unusual Words

Adoxography - Skilled writing on an unimportant subject

Gargalesthesia -  The sensation caused by tickling

Hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian - Pertaining to extremely long words (Bruce's note: that's pretty obvious here...)

Oculoplania - Letting one's eyes wander while assessing someone's charms

I bet you don't know those words! Go to Unusual Words to find many more of those words and impress your colleagues, professors, or even your parents!

Happy spelling!

23 Photographic Truths

1) The best scenic views are clearly designated by highway signs reading NO STOPPING ANYTIME.

2) Edward Steichen owned a three-legged dog, which he named Tripod.

3) The Post Office folds all parcels containing photographs.

4) Camera straps never fail above soft surfaces.

5) Lens caps can become invisible at will.

6) Financial success in photography is directly related to proper choice of subject matter. Falling airplanes, exploding volcanoes, and certain Presidential motorcades work best.

7) No two light meters agree.

8) The work "Daguerreotype" cannot be spelled correctly.

9) A new Hasselblad would take better pictures than your present camera.

10) 1/60 at f/8 is the correct exposure for all photographs.

11) When your friends finally realize that you are a true artist, committed to making sensitive and meaningful images, they will ask you to photograph their wedding.

12) Color slide viewing cures insomnia.

13) On any tripod, only two legs work properly.

14) Dust spot are attracted to sky areas.

15) YES, DARKROOM PHOTOGRAPHERS DO IT IN THE DARK... but they have to stop every thirty seconds to agitate.

16) There is nothing wrong with a Point & Shoot camera that a SLR can't cure.

17) Ansel Adams has three Secret Zones known only to him.

18) Fast ISO speeds compensate for slow photographers.

19) Mounting a photograph is a misdemeanor in Arkansas.

20) Owning more than one lens assures that you will always have the wrong lens on the camera for any given picture.

21) A camera store will charge $200 to repair a camera that has been adjusted with a butter knife.

22) Falling lenses are attracted to rocks.

23) Into every life a little dust and digital noise must fall.

Our Situation - from Ransomed Heart

Let me say this again: the story of your life is the story of the long and brutal assault on your heart by the one who knows what you could be and fears it. I hope you are beginning to see that more clearly now. Otherwise, much of the Bible will not make sense to you. Much of your life will not make sense to you.

I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name. (Isa. 45:2–3)

Doesn’t the language of the Bible sometimes sound . . . overblown? Really now—God is going to level mountains for us? We’d be happy if he just helped us get through the week. What’s all that about breaking down gates of bronze and cutting through bars of iron? I mean, it sounds heroic, but, well, who’s really in need of that? This isn’t ancient Samaria. We’d settle for a parking place at the mall.

If we are in an epic battle, then the language of the Bible fits perfectly. Things are not what they seem. We are at war. That war is against your heart, your glory. Once more, look at Isaiah 61:1:

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners.

(Waking the Dead , 149–50)

(www.ransomedheart.org)

Resolved by the grace of God

The 2009 crystal ball of the Times Square will fall in a little over twenty- four hours, and American citizens will say good bye to 2008 and ring in 2009. When we welcome the new year with party and fun, we also make personal resolutions to achieve in 2009.

I pledge to lose 15 pounds... I hope I will be able to eat less chocolate... I intend on developing a better relationship with my co-workers.

Don't get me wrong here - most of the resolutions we create are well-intentioned. It is great for people to establish a year-long manifestos to aim for, but is it biblical to make resolutions? In other words, does the Bible encourage us to make our own resolutions?

While reading Tabletalk, a publication of Ligonier Ministries and R.C. Sproul (a year-long subscription gift for Christmas from my parents), Burk Parsons does a super-b job of examining the theology of making resolutions and whether it is biblical-based. I was reminded (and surprised) with the references he provide in his essay.

Let's look at Daniel: "But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's foods or with the wine that he drank." (Daniel 1:8)

And Joseph: "And her [Mary's] husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly." (Matthew 1:19)

Even Paul made many resolutions (1 Corinthians 10:14-32; Colossians 3:12-17), but I'll cite one here from 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12: "To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ." 

Bottom line: the Bible not only gives us permission to make resolutions, but also gives us several examples of various godly men who resolved to live for Him in a particular manner for a particular reason.

Jonathan Edwards, a famous Puritan pastor and philosopher who lived during the eighteenth century in colonial America, made seventy resolutions in his so-called "Resolutions," and his work was commenced with a simple introduction:

Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God's help, I do humbly entreat him by his grace to enable me to keep these resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ's sake.

Jonathan Edwards' simplicity impresses me because at a mere age of nineteen (only a few years younger than me), he already knew his weaknesses (do we?) and the destructive nature of his sins, so he made a simple resolution to glorify God and pursue holiness; we should draw from his example to make our own resolutions. First, he had to be reasonable when he makes his resolutions. Second, he needed God's help in keeping his resolutions because he was weak. Third, he had to humble himself and recognize that he cannot do it alone. Finally, his resolutions must be made for Christ's sake (or within God's will) so that He may be glorified. In essence, he is a young man pursuing the heart of God, and wants to glorify Him through every word, deed, and thought he makes - which includes his resolutions.

May we learn from Jonathan Edwards' simple words filled with wisdom on resolution-making for 2009 and beyond!

Advisory Team of the Deaf Teen Ministry Affinity Network

I got an e-mail message tonight at 6:00 pm from Bob Ayres  (www.bobayres.com), a respected colleague of mine involved with Deaf Teen Ministry, inviting me to join the Advisory Team of the Deaf Teen Ministry Affinity Network of the National Network of Youth Ministries. I was humbled that the existing Advisory team and Bob would want me to be a part of their group. As a result, I've decided that I would accept his invitation.

Read the message below if you are interested. I will be adding the link to the Deaf Teen Ministry Affinity Network - check that out!

*~*

Dear Bruce,

On behalf of Chad Entinger, Bob Rhoads, Jeremy Simons, and myself, we would like to extend an invitation to you to join the Advisory Team of the Deaf Teen Ministry Affinity Network of the National Network of Youth Ministries.

You can see the existing members under “About Network” at www.deafministry.org

Due to the nature of this network, there is little work responsibility attached to this role outside of providing advice and feedback. It will not be a burden on top of your already busy schedule. The importance of the Advisory Team is primarily for showing members that the Affinity Network represents a number of ministries and not just a single ministry.

Each member of the team has approved this request and we all hope you will join us. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. We are honored to serve Christ beside you.

Blessings,

Bob Ayres

NNYM Network Coordinator

Deaf Teen Ministry Affinity Network

Model for Deaf ministry music videos

I saw this great music video from D-PAN (Deaf Performing Arts Network), and a question emerged: how are we doing with videos to reach our Deaf teenagers? I think this type of artistic quality - impressive, I must admit - would help Deaf youth ministries to be more creative with their outreach videos and make it more appealing for teenagers. All we need to do is find someone skilled in Videography...

Although the website is a little too liberal for my taste, Project Readon is the first website I found that offers a great idea to use along with videos for the Deaf: captions. By producing quality music videos and adding captions, I believe our teenagers will be able to obtain the Gospel message in yet another way that may prove to be effective.

The YouTube video below is the version without any captions; the link will connect you to Project Readon to view the captioned version.

Link to captioned versionof the music video: Project Readon

Prayer for the USA

Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance.

We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done.  We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.  We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.  We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem.  We have abused power and called it politics. We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition.  We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.  We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. 

Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and Set us free. Amen!

~Billy Graham

Hood Finals Week Completed!

The past week went by like a whirlwind.

And it was also tough. Really tough.

This was my last week of my semester at Hood College, and it means one thing: final exams (my college buddies know what it means at Hood). I took the following classes along with their respective course numbers:

- ECON 328 - Labor Economics

- ECON 305 - Principles of Macroeconomics

- PSY 208 - Psychology of Adolescence (awesome class!)

- MGMT 402 - Business Finance

Except for PSY 208, all of my classes' finals were ridiculously long and hard. I took my exams from Tuesday through Friday, and I basically sacrificed my previous weekend solely to studies. The third floor of Beneficial-Hudson Library has become my second home - I think I have spent approximately 40 to 50 hours studying there this week alone. I gave up my time, sleep, and energy for the sake of finishing well this semester. At times, I felt like quitting, but knowing that the end was approaching, I pressed forward to do my best.

I'm glad to report to you this: I think I did well on all of my exams, especially in my mind-blowing hard class (MGMT 402).

I'm feeling jovial now! One more semester, then hello, World!

More Fun Christmas Facts!

The first printed reference to Christmas trees appeared in Germany in 1531.

The poem commonly referred to as "The Night Before Christmas" was originally titled "A Visit From Saint Nicholas." This poem was written by Clement Moore for his children and some guests, one of whom anonymously sent the poem to a New York newspaper for publication.

The popular Christmas song "Jingle Bells" was composed in 1857 by James Pierpont, and was originally called "One-Horse Open Sleigh."

The real St. Nicholas lived in Turkey, where he was bishop of the town of Myra, in the early 4th century. It was the Dutch who first made him into a Christmas gift-giver, and Dutch settlers brought him to America where his name eventually became the familiar Santa Claus.

Jesus Christ, son of Mary, was born in a cave, not in a wooden stable. Caves were used to keep animals in because of the intense heat. A large church is now built over the cave, and people can go down inside the cave. The carpenters of Jesus' day were really stone cutters. Wood was not used as widely as it is today. So whenever you see a Christmas nativity scene with a wooden stable -- that's the "American" version, not the Biblical one.

Originally, Christmas decorations were home-made paper flowers, or apples, biscuits, and sweets. The earliest decorations to be bought came from Nuremburg in Germany, a city famous for the manufacture of toys. Lauscha in Germany is famous for its glass ornaments. In 1880, America discovered Lauscha and F.W. Woolworth went there and bought a few glass Christmas tree ornaments. Within a day he had sold out so next year he bought more and within a week they, too, had sold. The year after that be bought 200,000 Lauscha ornaments. During the First World War supplies of ornaments from Lauscha ceased, so American manufacturers began to make their own ornaments, developing new techniques that allowed them to turn out as many ornaments in a minute as could be made in a whole day at Lauscha.”

Pearls Before Breakfast

I ran across this fascinating story of an acclaimed violist named John Bell who played in DC Metro at L'Enfant Plaza for free - all a part of an experiment by Washington Post to see if anyone appreciates music in midst of a rush hour traffic. Although this story is a bit long and is written like a novel, this is worth the read. Here's the link:

John Bell's performance at L'Enfant Plaza

This story reminded me of how people acted two thousand years ago during Christmas when Jesus - Israel's long-awaited Messiah - arrived as an infant. Only few people noticed; many probably walked past the stable because they were too busy. May we not become too busy and walk by Jesus' birthday without pausing and admiring the arrival of our King!

Fun Christmas Facts

Since Christmas is approaching, I thought I would get you into the spirit of Christmas. I will be posting a few fun Christmas facts from now and then to help you see different meanings within symbolisms and how Christmas has evolved over the history. Enjoy!

“The "Twelve Days of Christmas" was originally written to help Catholic children, in England, remember different articles of faith during the persecution by Protestant Monarchs. The "true love" represented God, and the gifts all different ideas:

The "Partridge in a pear tree" was Christ.
2 Turtle Doves = The Old and New Testaments
3 French Hens = Faith, Hope and Charity-- the Theological Virtues
4 Calling Birds = the Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists
5 Golden Rings = The first Five Books of the Old Testament, the "Pentateuch", which relays the history of man's fall from grace.
6 Geese A-laying = the six days of Creation
7 Swans A-swimming = the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven sacraments
8 Maids A-milking = the eight beatitudes
9 Ladies Dancing = the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit
10 Lords A-leaping = the ten commandments
11 Pipers Piping = the eleven faithful apostles
12 Drummers Drumming = the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle's Creed

The best selling Christmas trees are Scotch pine, Douglas fir, Noble fir, Fraser fir, Virginia pine, Balsam fir and white pine.

The Christmas turkey first appeared on English tables in the 16th century, but didn't immediately replace the traditional fare of goose, beef or boar's head in the rich households.

The custom of singing Christmas carols is very old - the earliest English collection was published in 1521.

The first Christmas card was created in England on December 9, 1842.

New York City's Empire State Building's world famous tower lights are turned off every night at midnight with the exception of New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and St. Patrick's Day, when they are illuminated until 3 a.m.”

Wanted: Real, Fearless Men for Leaders

This morning, I was digesting this great article from Boundless, a ministry of Focus on Family - Real Men Risks Rejection - and I learned some vital issues that guys will need to consider in a Biblical relationship (and marriage): taking leadership. In spite of the current-day (radical) feminist movement, where women say, "*bleep* guys! We can take care of ourselves," I have met many women throughout my life who have confided to me a counter-culture statement:

Where are the godly men who are willing to risk it all to pursue my heart?"

A few years ago, I had no idea what it means and the potential cost it would be for me to pursue a girl's heart. I have always liked to have a relationship with girls because of the benefits that comes with it (note to my readers: by the word "benefit," I mean someone who listens and share feelings well with, someone who I can spend time with doing fun things, and someone who I can talk with - all short of sexual intimacy). However, I have been learning slowly over the past few months the great beauty of committing myself to a single woman for a whole lifetime, and to take the "until death do we part" vow to a whole new level.

One of the biggest hindrances faced by all single men is pride. While this is not an acceptable excuse for our lack of leadership, we struggle with many kinds of fears in our life - all stemming from the curse of pride. The writer puts it succinctly about the forms of fear guys face:

"Maybe we don't want to risk her rejection, because we've invested a lot of ourselves in what she thinks of us. Maybe we don't want to risk failure, because our self-image is wrapped up in success, including relational success. Maybe we don't want to risk the ridicule of the guys, who'll tease us for not landing someone "better." Maybe we don't want to risk commitment, because we fear being that exposed to another person."

Ladies, I'm speaking here in behalf of all struggling single guys. Please forgive us if we have failed to express our interest in pursuing you. We ask you for your grace and patience while we garner the courage and humility needed to take leadership (and even risk rejection). We are flattered if you are interested in pursuing us, but we ask you to allow us madly and passionately pursue you within the context of a Biblical relationship. That is what drives us to be fully alive, just like the passion God has for His people. And yes, you have our permission to reject us if you are not interested in us.

---

By the way, single guys, I have a few great links for you to explore and help you become bold and fearless godly men!

- Boundless.org just released a free resource: "A Guy's Guide to Marrying Well," and it looks awesome! To get this, go to this link, http://www.boundless.org/guys/, and enter your e-mail address to get this guidebook. It is definitely something I plan to read soon!

- There is a "Define The Relationship" (DTR) assessment that you can take any time you are wondering about whether to initiate a relationship with a girl or to take your dating/courting relationship to the next level: marriage. A great find!

Render to Obama all things that are Obama's

"Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s." ~Matthew 22:21

Since Barack Hussein Obama was elected as a president, a friend of mine mentioned this verse to me, and I've been meditating on it for well over four days. To be honest, the election results was a bit disappointing for me because I wanted McCain to win, in addition to my distrust for Obama due to his questionable history and associations with a few radical individuals.

What exactly does "render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's," and what implications it has to my own spiritual life?

Jesus was discussing the importance of paying taxes to Caesar and giving God our "first fruits" in terms of time, talent, and treasure, but this verse also has an important degree to the current selection of the successor for President Bush.

Although Obama claimed that he would reduce taxes for 95% of the middle-class Americans who earns less than $250,000 per annum (that number has been muddied recently - $120,000 according to Gov. Richardson of New Mexico), I have a strong feeling that our taxes will be increased once Obama takes the presidency. And when taxes increases, people will be more tempted to evade taxes. When people evades taxes, the IRS will be hot on their tails to throw them in the slammer. You know, IRS probably would swallow the key and leave those people to rot until they pay their taxes.

"Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed." ~Romans 13:7

Render unto Caesar all the taxes.

Render unto Caesar all the revenue.

Render unto Caesar all respect.

Render unto Caesar all deserved honor.

Replace the term "Caesar" with "Obama," and you still have the same meaning within this context. Paul encourages us to pay all applicable taxes, report all revenues, give respect and honor to government officials. In fact, it was God who established the government to maintain law and order in this fallen world (Romans 13). God commands us to honor our governmental officials and follow the law of the land, as long as they do not violate God's commandments.

Many of you probably are disappointed with the results of the election, and wish that it would have turned out differently. I share the same sentiments with you, but the American people have spoken on November 4th, 2008. As God's people, we must pray for our nation and the president-elect so that he may successfully lead our nation. We will disagree with some of his decisions, and maybe even become angry with what he does. But do not lose hope, for God is in control here and He has our best interest in His mind.

Remember, my friends: our God is sovereign, and whatever happens in the future is a part of His plan. He will rise up godly and ungodly leaders to lead a nation (look at the Israeli kings throughout 1 and 2 Kings for evidence) in order to accomplish His divine purpose. Barack Hussein Obama was already predestinated by God to lead this nation, and we who profess Christ as our savior and lord of life must give Obama all respect and honor he deserves, and pay our taxes if he demands for money. The money we have are not ours, for they belong to God alone - he just "loaned" them to us to use for His kingdom.

Render unto Obama all things that are Obama's, and to God all things that are His. AMEN.

Election 2008

At 8:01 am, I used the right endowed by the Creator to cast my first ballot for the 2008 Presidential Election. I voted for the following items:

- McCain/Palin as the next president for United States of America (this is is a better alternative than Obama/Biden)

- Roscoe Bartlett as a representative for District 6 of Maryland

- Fischer and Hartings for the Washington County school board

- "No" on Amendment 1 to allow for early voting

- "No" on Amendment 2 to allow video gambling in Maryland

I'm hoping that the following items will be put on the ballot for decision in the future elections:

- Amendment to define marriage between one man and one woman

- Amendment to ban stem cell research on embryos and supporting research on adult stem cell - a more ethical alternative

Tonight after my meeting with a mentor, I will be hunkering at my home to watch the election coverage on Fox News, the most fair news station on the cable.

No matter what happens, God's sovereign will will be accomplished - no president can change his predestinated plans!

TVs Make Teens Pregnant

Here's an interesting tidbit I got from an e-mail newsletter this morning. This article reminds me of the important role people who work with the youth have to help our students to make right media choices. Enjoy the read!

__________

"A new report suggests that television may be playing a starring role  in your child's sex education. In a study of 2,003 teens aged 12-17, scientist Anita Chandra of RAND Research found that children who watched programs with "high levels of sexual content" were almost twice as likely to become pregnant as kids with limited exposure to such shows. The study, which was released today in the journal Pediatrics, is said to be the first to establish a real link between teen pregnancy and racy programming. When asked what shows they preferred, kids admitted to watching "Sex and the City," as well as the innuendo-heavy "Friends," "That '70s" Show," and reality fare. "This might surprise people, but sitcoms had the highest sexual content," Chandra said. Yet for all the glamorization of sex, very little attention has been paid to its consequences. "If teens are getting any of their information about sex from TV, they're very rarely going to get a balanced portrayal," Chandra said. "When there is [sexual content], how often is it coupled with a discussion of [the risks]?" Not very often, according to the Kaiser Foundation. A few years ago, it found that only 10 percent of shows with adult content made a passing reference to the dangers of sexual activity. Of course, RAND's research is far from the first blemish on television's record. Scientists have compiled quite a case against TV, which includes everything from early sexual activity and heightened aggression to an increased rate of STDs. Now that teen pregnancy has been added to the list, I can't help but wonder-when has television been associated with anything positive? While it's easy to become enraged with Hollywood, the burden of protecting our children falls on us. We cannot be complacent about what our kids are watching and expect them to take our values seriously. Sex education-or the lack of it-starts in the home. Don't let your television do the talking. Send your kids a clear message on abstinence before their innocence goes right down the tubes."

Additional Resources: Reuters- Study links teen pregnancy to sexy TV shows

~FRC Action Update, November 3, 2008

Redefining the middle class

I thought that you might be interested in this article: http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/10/31/low-richardson-pegs-middle-class-making/#

Share your thoughts here.

Since it is Halloween, or the eve of all saints, I could not help but be entertained by this picture - truly comical! It pokes fun at Obama's "spread the wealth" comment.

Enjoy, my comrades! Oh, and please do vote!

Fall into Grace

This weekend I got a new take on an old phrase. I had the privilege of being at a church that was born out of failure. Its pastor had a fall from grace forcing him to lose his high position as heir apparent to a 6,000-member congregation and requiring him to give back a very lucrative book deal, but out of the broken pieces of his life, a new thing has begun. I had the opportunity to participate in the new thing that now has gained a level of legitimacy as a new congregation about ready to move into its first building, and it was an eye-opener.

As a result of its unique beginning, this church has attracted people whose life histories have not exactly followed the good Christian housekeeping seal of approval. They are, many of them, rejects from other churches – dropouts due to their own falls from grace.

And as I pondered this, I wondered why it was the exception to the rule to have a church full of broken people. What are churches supposed to be anyway if not communities of those who need Jesus on a regular basis? Unfortunately in many places, church has become more like a group of people who are all fixed up instead of those who are broken. At least that's what we try to be… The First Church of All the Fixed Up People.

The problem with supposedly being fixed is that you have to do something with the knowledge that deep down inside, you know that you are not – that not everybody is telling the truth about themselves, yourself included, but because we are all "fixed," we can't face the truth. In this light, a fall isn't the worst thing that could happen. If it brings you in touch with the real truth about yourself, and a true understanding of God's grace because you need it so much, it could be the best thing that could ever happen to you.

All I can say is, the place where this pastor has fallen to is a much better place than where he was before he fell. And the more I think about this, the more I am convinced that we have the phrase all wrong. You don't fall from grace; you fall into grace. Grace is not up; grace is down. Grace is what you finally understand when you fall. In fact, until you're down and broken, you can't even know what grace is. Oh you may be able to define it, and illustrate it so that it sounds like you know what you're talking about, but you never know grace until it reaches you personally in the depths of your own brokenness. Thus a fall into grace is really a fall into your salvation.

Fall from grace? Impossible. Grace is already down. Grace is what catches you. You can't fall from grace because there's nowhere else to fall. You're already in the arms of God.

                                            ~John Fischer (emphasis mine)

I'll Have A Life... With A Side of Youth Ministry

I read this great article by www.thesource4ym.com, a site dedicated to Part-time and volunteer youth workers, about how to balance one's time for part-time and volunteer youth workers.

Here's the article: http://www.thesource4ym.com/howdoi/IllHaveALife.asp

Enjoy it with a cup of coffee, and be prepared!