James 3:1-18 and Mt. Sac

Current Song: "Restored" by Jeremy Camp

So far today I've caught times of an hour or so in between trying to add classes to myself. Earlier I was able to continue my journey through the book of James. I read James 3: 1-18. In these verses the topics of how evil the tongue is and wisdom appear. I love how in verse 1 James starts out in a rather bold way. He says that not all of the people he is writing to should be teachers and the reason he gives is the stricter judgement of God on Christian teachers. Than James goes on to speak about the tongue.

What really stands out to me is that James mentions that from the same mouth comes blessings and cursing? How often do we as believers fail to remember such a passgae as this when cursing or telling coarse jokes? The God of the bible calls us as believers to a high and holy life.

Are we ever aware of our testimony to the world or do we blend in so well that the world doesn't even think of us as Christians? What a reminder of my own personal failures to live the life Christ has called me to live. Failure to live out this life in front of the very people I am trying to reach for Christ. May beleivers be more aware of how their lives can either lift up or sully the name of God.

Verses 13-18 of chapter 3 were on wisdom. James describes that bitter jealousy and selfish ambition are not wisdoms from God but that they are in fact earthly and demonic. James goes on to say that wherever we find these earthly and demonic wisdoms we will also find disorder and every vile practice. We need not look further than our own country for the evidences of this very truth.

After this description of earthly wisdom, James gives us a description of heavenly wisdom. It's interesting to note how James uses the word pure first in his list of words for heavenly wisdom. True wisdom has the purity of God. Amazing!!! May God grant all His servants an ever increasing amount of godly wisdom.

My First Day Of Junior College

Current Song: "Birth of Uncool" by The O.C. Supertones

So it's 10:20am as I write this post. I'm sitting outside of the science center at Mt. Sac listening to The O.C. Supertones. I've tried to add both an English class as well as an anthropology class to my utter failure. The feeling of trying to go back to college and yet being constantly rejected is quite the mix of emotions and thoughts.

Should I be mad for being at the bottom of the priority list? The thought of going to another junior college eminates. Maybe Chaffey or Fullerton. All I know is that for the first time in my life I am actually serious about going to school. Oh well. Got of few minutes of reading in but I'll leave that for the next post. Meh.

6 Cures For The Fear Of Evangelism

Current Song: "Anchored" by Enfield

This morning on the Lord's Sunday, we had a guest speaker. Pastor Jack is out on vacation and so we had a speaker named Charlie H. Campbell speak. First and foremost, let me just start off by saying that this mornings sermon topic was unexpected. With that said, I believe that it was a sobering reminder of why we should witness to say the least.

For me it is normal to listen to audio sermons, Christian podcasts, or sermons by way of radio that would speak about this very topic. I can't say that this is typical for the average church goer. So to hear a message that I've heard on more than one occasion being preached in my own church is quite nice. Anyways, here's what I jotted down in ink as I wrote away in my notepad.


6 Cures For The Fear Of Evangelism

A Few Thoughts
- Jesus came to earth to save sinners from hell (1 Timothy 1:15)
- Humans are more valuable than animals (Luke 12:24)
- Jesus says that there are many unsaved but very few to witness to them (Luke 10:2)
- 3 reasons we don't witness is because we are afraid of what people will think, being rejected, or hurting a relationship


1) Remind yourself of what awaits the unsaved
- Because believers know the fear of God's wrath, we witness (2 Corinthians 5:10-11, Revelation 20)

2) Remember that Jesus has absolute authority in heaven and on earth
- Because Jesus is in control of everything, we shouldn't be afraid to witness (Matthew 28:18-20)

3) Remember that God is with you
- We don't have to be afraid when we witness because God says that He is always with us (Acts 18:9)

4) Know your message
- Study the bible to be ready to give a defense for it and its message (2 Timothy 2:15, 1 Peter 3:15)
- Some good evangelism verses to memorize are:
John 14:6, Acts 4:12, Acts 17:30, Romans 3:10, Romans 5:8, Romans 6:23, Romans, 10:9-10, 1 John 1:19

5) Remember how God has powerfully worked in your life
- Remember how the Israelites saw God's wonders yet quickly forgot about God ( Deuteronomy 7:17, Psalm 106)

6) Pray for boldness
- Pray to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 4:19-20, 29-31)
- Do not stop praying. Remember that Jesus said to ask and it will be given to us (assuming that we are praying with God's will in mind and not that of our own agendas and pleasures)

Do We Really Savor Christ As We Should?

Here is John Piper speaking about unknowing thoughts that many seem to have in the evangelical church these days.

What Reasons Do We Have To Prove The Bible True

Current Song: "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" by Lincoln Brewster

So this morning I went to church which was quite refreshing. I never got to go check out any churches in Hawaii which sucked. Anyways, Pastor Jack is on vacation with his family and so this morning our guest speaker was Don Stewart. This morning Don gave us a few reasons why to trust the bible. It was quite an encouragement to be reminded on this Lord's morning about the truthfulness of God's written word. Here is the outline I gathered from this morning's sermon.


The Word Of God (John 20:30-31)

Two questions need to be answered for all people:
1. Is the bible true?
2. What does it do for me?


I Intelligent Faith Of The Bible
A. No other religious book holds its own like the bible. The bible actually says to test its trustworthiness. Read Mark 12.


II. The Wonder Of The Divine Design Of The Bible
A. The unity of each book needing each other to properly interpret one another.
B. The unity of all the books of the bible despite the fact that the biblical authors lived at different points in time.


III. The bible has survived
A. The documents that we base the bible off of is closer in date to the original copies than any other document in archeological authenticity.


IV. Historical Accuracy
A. We have numerous historical artifacts confirming the bibles history


V. The Wonder Of Predicted Prophecy
A. The genealogy of Jesus
1. Micah 5:2 and Jesus' birth in Bethlehem
2. This savior would specifically be a man
3. Jesus would be killed before the destruction of the temple (Daniel 9:24-27)

Conclusion: If the bible is true historically and with no fault or contradiction, then the promises are also true.

Airplanes landing and Denny's Eating

Current Song: "Let The Praises Ring" by Lincoln Brewster

So our flight landed last night at 11:30pm. I get the same feeling every time I'm in a plane landing at LAX or Ontario. The feeling that you know you're home and that your vacation has finally come to an end. The few things that I did look forward to most was work and church. Call me weird but I love my job. Well, at least 99% of the time. By the time we were able to grab some dinner, it was already 1:30am. We decided to go to Denny's which tasted quite splendid. By the time I was able to go to sleep it was already 3am.

This morning I woke up and headed to work. The feeling of being in my own car and hearing Calvary Chapel Radio was nice. While in Hawaii, I just felt spiritually dead. Sin and temptation were constantly knocking at my door only to see my sad utter defeat. So to come back home and feel at peace spiritually was something new. I usually feel closer to God spiritually when on the road. But for some strange reason, I found it easier to be spiritually lazy when away from home. Anyways, today was okay. Seeing my kids was cool. I can't believe that it's Friday already. I can't to spend time with friends, play some hockey, and most importantly, go to church.

Pali Lookout and G.I. Joe

Went and saw G.I. Joe today. Wasn't too impressed with the movie. I wouldn't pay to see it again thats for sure. Anyways, here's a couple of pictures from today. The first is me at Pali Lookout and the second is a sign that was posted on the doors of a movie theatre inside a shopping mall.

Sunsets and Stop Signs

Woke up yesterday at 5:30 to watch the sun rise over the ocean.

Scenic View With My Kodak

Here are some pictures I took with my camera Friday 7, 2009

Flowers On A Summer Sunset

Here's a pic I took with my iPhone this morning. I'll have the sunset photos up when I get home.

Today's Bible Thoughts

Current Song: "Alive In Christ" by Enfield

Today I read both my old and new testament daily readings. Here are the bible verses I read along with the notes of what I gleaned from these precious portions of scripture.

1 Samuel 3

Here in this chapter a few things stick out to me. One is the prevailing thought that God is punishing Eli for not disciplining his sons for their blasphemy of God. Eli's sin is passivity while his sons sin so blatantly against God. God in verse 14 says that Eli's house will not be atoned for through sacrifice or offering forever. What a huge statement that God makes.

The second thought that I see is that at this portion of scripture, Samuel is not saved yet. Verse 7 says that "Samuel did not yet know the Lord and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him." We see that in order to be saved God must reveal His word to us. In Ephesians 1:13-14, Paul says that the word is the gospel of our salvation that points us to Jesus. So there is a certain "word" in which we must believe in in order to be saved. And that word needs to be revealed to us which can only be brought about by God.

James 2:14-26

Here in James we read what is the topic of many discussions when speaking to a works righteous cult like Mormonism or Jehovah's Witnesses. James tells us that our faith without works are dead and to that I say amen. I think about this verse a lot when I think about my own personal struggles with sin. But what people fail to realize is that even though James says that we are justified by works, this justification is not the justification of being reconciled to God. It speaks about a confirmation of a faith that is already alive.

We must not confuse the way James uses the word justification here with the way Paul uses it in many of his letters. There is a context here that we must see. This justification is shown as a confirmation of something we already have, namely faith. The justification that Paul uses is the one of a legal term. God justifies or "declares" us righteous through Christ and we are now reconciled to God.

Conclusion

We can learn from these portions of old and new testament scriptures the following:

1. God is holy
2. God saves because of His own grace
3. Our faith is proven real through works yet we are declared saved by faith alone

Driving Around Hawaii

Here's a picture I took while exploring a cliff for a few minutes.

Scenic View Part 2

Here's the second clip I took with my iPhone. The views were just breath taking. The work of God's hands on our planet.

Scenic View Part 1

My first video of a scenic stop we took. Sorry for the noisy background in the beginning but it was really windy.

The Omnipresence of Jesus Christ In Light Of My Sin

Current Song: "Let It Go" by The O.C. Supertones

As I sit here in the hotel lobby, my mind started to dwell on yesterday. If you are a person who claims the name of Christ and has struggled with a specific personal sin for a good deal of your life as a believer, you'll know what I'm talking about. It's so easy to become numb to sin if you commit that same sin over and over. The thought of losing the zeal for a real conviction of sin should scare all believers of Jesus. As believers, we should always want our sin to so shame and convict us that it turns us to the only true remedy. Namely, Jesus Christ. What a massive law of treason to claim the name of Christ and yet so blatantly sin against Him. As I dwell upon my own personal struggles in my daily life, I think this morning about the omnipresence of Jesus.

How would we act if we really lived our lives constantly knowing that Jesus is next to us and watching? What kind of sins in the secret of our lives would we do no more if we truly believed that Jesus was there watching? How would our thought life be? What words would we think? Of all things, I am sure that all people would be ashamed if Jesus were to appear in all His glory exposing us for all the secret sins in our lives. The manliest atheist would run and hide for the shame upon him. And what of God's people? My prayer is that God would instill in me such a reality of knowing Jesus' omnipresence so that the next time I am tempted to sin in secret it would be humanly IMPOSSIBLE to sin. I close with the thought of the apostle Paul and his struggle with sin.


Romans 7:13-25

13 Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure. 14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. 15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

Feeding The Birds At Perry's

Here is a clip from this morning at breakfast. Internet for my laptop has been sparse and so my uploads have been limited to a few photos from my iPhone. Here is a cool video of a bird eating my french toast. Yummy.

Breakfast At Perry's

So, family tradition for me, my brother, my mom and dad is to eat breakfast at Perry's in Waikiki. So here are a couple of pics. I'm off to go get my food. More pics to come later today.

Take Offs And Landings

So this morning me and the family left for LAX. I got a grand total of 5 hours of sleep. I couldn't fall asleep until 2am which stank. We got to the aiport where we began the process that no person should have to suffer. The one reason I hate aiports is because of the lines and security checks. Everything else I absolutely love.

Anyways, our flight took off around 11:30am California time and we arrive in Hawaii at 2:00pm Hawaii time. Sad to say, I'm in Hawaii and quite upset right now because I have no way to upload pictures here without having to pay Apple. As of now I am mad at Apple.

So there was my first day in a nut shell. I'm gonna eat
my fish and chips now. Peace y'all.

The first thing I did after landing in Hawaii.

On the way to LAX

Shot this in the as we were leaving Chino Hills' city line.

What You Should Know About The Real Jesus Christ

Current Song: "Hosanna" by Paul Baloche

Today is the Lord's day and I'm writing this blog at the end of the day sad to say. Anyways, got to church late and ended up having to sit in the back which I am not fond of. I've always been the guy that has to be at the very front of church. I just like being as close to the speaker as possible. But on to matters of greater importance. 

Today Pastor Jack taught on the end times prophecy that Jesus spoke about. He also talked about the fact that Jesus is coming back and that all the signs of the end times should make us look forward to the day when Jesus will come back to take His people to be with Him forever. A general outline of Pastor Jack's sermon can be viewed as follows:

I. He expects you to be looking ahead

A. To get a better view

1. Jesus doesn't just give random events but is very 

                    specific.

2. Man doesn't make up prophecy ( 2 Peter 1:21 )

    3. Jesus gives prophecy as validation of His deity and so

                  we would believe in Him ( John 3:19 )

   B. To see what is coming

       1. The Jews will be trampled by the gentiles ( Luke 21:24 )

        2. Israel is now a nation yet pagans still occupy the holy 

                  mount where the temple used to be ( Romans 11:25-27 )

   C. To get a greater understanding

       1. Jesus is coming ( Revelation 1:7, Luke 21:8 )

                2. Jesus will set a kingdom in which all nations serve Him 

                  ( Daniel 7:13- 14 )