This years Fighter Verses focus on three important things: 1) The character and worth of our great God, 2)Battling against our fleshly desires, and 3)The hope of the Gospel.

Psalm 30 Outline - OMG - Oh My God

1-3 Oh My God Loves Me

4-5 Oh My God Is Praise Worthy

6-10 Oh My God I Am Foolish

11-12 Oh My God Has Changed Me

Are you sick of highly paid teachers?

Teachers' hefty salaries are driving up taxes, and they only work 9 or10 months a year! It's time we put things in perspective and pay them for what they do - babysit!

We can get that for less than minimum wage.

That's right. Let's give them $3.00 an hour and only the hours they worked; not any of that silly planning time, or any time they spend before or after school. That would be $19.50 a day (7:45 to 3:00 PM with 45 min. off for lunch and plan-- that equals 6 1/2 hours).

Each parent should pay $19.50 a day for these teachers to baby-sit their children. Now how many students do they teach in a day...maybe 30? So that's $19.50 x 30 = $585.00 a day.

However, remember they only work 180 days a year!!! I am not going to pay them for any vacations.

LET'S SEE....

That's $585 X 180= $105,300

per year. (Hold on! My calculator needs new batteries).

What about those special

education teachers and the ones with Master's degrees? Well, we could pay them minimum wage ($7.75), and just to be fair, round it off to $8.00 an

hour. That would be $8 X 6 1/2 hours X 30 children X 180 days = $280,800 per year.

Wait a minute -- there's

something wrong here! There sure is!

The average teacher's salary

(nation wide) is $50,000. $50,000/180 days

= $277.77/per day/30

students=$9.25/6.5 hours = $1.42 per hour per student--a very inexpensive baby-sitter and they even EDUCATE your kids!) WHAT A DEAL!!!!

Make a teacher smile; repost this to show appreciation for all educators.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Fight like a Man - Memorize Philippians from a Moleskine

I began following and tweeting with guy named Timmy Brister a while back. Cool guy, good theology and a great love for the Lord and His people. Seen some good stuff coming out in his tweets. He answered a few tweets and sent me to some eye opening resources by Tim Keller. And then it happened. He posted about this crazy things called Partnering to Remember. He threw down the gauntlet to fight like a man and memorize the Book of Philippians for a moleskine notebook. The whole concept was exciting and scary at the same time. I loved the idea of doing it but I had been known as a kid the the Muppet character name of Forgetful Jones. I have always struggled with memorizing anything let alone scripture. I don't know my own phone number most of the time and there is no way that I could recall an old one like my wife can. So how I am going to do this. I am a bi-vocational pastor balancing family, work, shepherding, discipling, and rest so where do I fit this in. All I know it that I must. I accepted to join the challenge that is way bigger than me as Timmy has share that people from all over the world have join in. Its gone global. Resurgence has even gotten in on it. I will be partnering with with brothers and sisters all across the world to memorize the Book of Philippians. There is a great deal of positive stress to not fail and encouragement to struggle together to do it. So I am down. Are you? Join us!!!!

Go here to see what Partnering to Remember is about.

Been a while

it has been a while since i have posted,. lots in life. but now it seems to be the time to get back to it!

Noah's Notes: Some Things You Should Always Pray For

Noah's Notes: Some Things You Should Always Pray For: "Your government leaders -- 1 Timothy 2:1-4The salvation of the Lost -- Romans 10:1The advancement of the Gospel -- 2 Thessalonians 3:1More l..."

Noah's Notes: Some Things You Should Always Pray For

Noah's Notes: Some Things You Should Always Pray For: "Your government leaders -- 1 Timothy 2:1-4The salvation of the Lost -- RPublish Postomans 10:1The advancement of the Gospel -- 2 Thessalonians 3:1More l..."

Voice to Make Congress Live Like You

Really important! Hope you all do it!
This will take less than thirty seconds to read. If you agree, please pass it on.

An idea whose time has come
For too long we have been too complacent about the workings of Congress. Many citizens have no idea that members of Congress can retire with the same pay after only one term, that they don't pay into Social Security, that they specifically exempt themselves from many of the laws they have passed (such as being exempt from any fear of prosecution for sexual harassment) while ordinary citizens must live under those laws. The latest is to exempt themselves from the Healthcare Reform legislation provisions.

Somehow, that doesn't seem logical. We do not have an elite that is above the law. I truly don't care if they are Democrat, Republican, Independent or whatever. The self-serving must stop. This is a good way to do that. It is an idea whose time has come.

Have each person contact a minimum of Twenty people on their Address list, in turn ask each of those to do likewise.

In three days, most people in The United States of America will have the message. This is one proposal that really should be passed around.

Proposed 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution

"Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the Senators and/or Representatives; and, Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators and/or Representatives that does not apply equally to the citizens of the United States ."


You are one of my 20.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Advice to Missionary Candidates by Adoniram Judson

To the Foreign Missionary Association of the Hamilton Literary and Theological Institution, N. Y.

DEAR BRETHREN: Yours of November last, from the pen of your Corresponding Secretary, Mr. William Dean, is before me. It is one of the few letters that I feel called upon to answer, for you ask my advice on several important points. There is, also, in the sentiments you express, something so congenial to my own, that I feel my heart knit to the members of your association, and instead of commonplace reply, am desirous of setting down a few items which may be profitable to you in your future course. Brief items they must be, for want of time forbids my expatiating.

In commencing my remarks, I take you as you are. You are contemplating a missionary life.

First, then, let it be a missionary life; that is, come out for life, and not for a limited term. Do not fancy that you have a true missionary spirit, while you are intending all along to leave the heathen soon after acquiring their language. Leave them! for what? To spend the rest of your days in enjoying the ease and plenty of your native land?

Secondly. In choosing a companion for life, have particular regard to a good constitution, and not wantonly, or without good cause, bring a burden on yourselves and the mission.

Thirdly. Be not ravenous to do good on board ship. Missionaries have frequently done more hurt than good, by injudicious zeal, during their passage out.

Fourthly. Take care that the attention you receive at home, the unfavorable circumstances in which you will be placed on board ship, and the unmissionary examples you may possibly meet with at some missionary stations, do not transform you from living missionaries to mere skeletons before you reach the place of your destination. It may be profitable to bear in mind, that a large proportion of those who come out on a mission to the East die within five years after leaving their native land. Walk softly, therefore; death is narrowly watching your steps.

Fifthly. Beware of the reaction which will take place soon after reaching your field of labor. There you will perhaps find native Christians, of whose merits or demerits you can not judge correctly without some familiar acquaintance with their language. Some appearances will combine to disappoint and disgust you. You will meet with disappointments and discouragements, of which it is impossible to form a correct idea from written accounts, and which will lead you, at first, almost to regret that you have embarked in the cause. You will see men and women whom you have been accustomed to view through a telescope some thousands of miles long. Such an instrument is apt to magnify. Beware, therefore, of the reaction you will experience from a combination of all these causes, lest you become disheartened at commencing your work, or take up a prejudice against some persons and places, which will embitter all your future lives.

Sixthly. Beware of the greater reaction which will take place after you have acquired the language, and become fatigued and worn out with preaching the gospel to a disobedient and gainsaying people. You will sometimes long for a quiet retreat, where you can find a respite from the tug of toiling at native work -- the incessant, intolerable friction of the missionary grindstone. And Satan will sympathize with you in this matter; and he will present some chapel of ease, in which to officiate in your native tongue, some government situation, some professorship or editorship, some literary or scientific pursuit, some supernumerary translation, or, at least, some system of schools; anything, in a word, that will help you, without much surrender of character, to slip out of real missionary work. Such a temptation will form the crisis of your disease. If your spiritual constitution can sustain it, you recover; if not, you die.

Seventhly. Beware of pride; not the pride of proud men, but the pride of humble men -- that secret pride which is apt to grow out of the consciousness that we are esteemed by the great and good. This pride sometimes eats out the vitals of religion before its existence is suspected. In order to check its operations, it may be well to remember how we appear in the sight of God, and how we should appear in the sight of our fellow-men, if all were known. Endeavor to let all be known. Confess your faults freely, and as publicly as circumstances will require or admit. When you have done something of which you are ashamed, and by which, perhaps, some person has been injured (and what man is exempt?), be glad not only to make reparation, but improve the opportunity for subduing your pride.

Eighthly. Never lay up money for yourselves or your families. Trust in God from day to day, and verily you shall be fed.

Ninthly. Beware of that indolence which leads to a neglect of bodily exercise. The poor health and premature death of most Europeans in the East must be eminently ascribed to the most wanton neglect of bodily exercise.

Tenthly. Beware of genteel living. Maintain as little intercourse as possible with fashionable European society. The mode of living adopted by many missionaries in the East is quite inconsistent with that familiar intercourse with the natives which is essential to a missionary.

There are many points of self-denial that I should like to touch upon; but a consciousness of my own deficiency constrains me to be silent. I have also left untouched several topics of vital importance, it having been my aim to select such only as appear to me to have been not much noticed or enforced. I hope you will excuse the monitorial style that I have accidentally adopted. I assure you, I mean no harm.

In regard to your inquiries concerning studies, qualifications, etc., nothing occurs that I think would be particularly useful, except the simple remark, that I fear too much stress begins to be laid on what is termed a thorough classical education.

Praying that you may be guided in all your deliberations, and that I may yet have the pleasure of welcoming some of you to these heathen shores, I remain

Your affectionate brother,

A. JUDSON Maulmain, June 25, 1832

Copied by Stephen Ross for WholesomeWords.org from The Life of Adoniram Judson by Edward Judson. Published by Anson D. F. Randolph & Co., 1883. Appendix D.

Does a man have free will over his soul?

Freewill Advocates often argue that if one is able to choose God, then one is able to resist God. They state that here are both done by one's choice, their merit, their own will and thus one can lose their salvation. I conversely ask if a man has the ability to commit murder and succeeds at murdering an individual, does that mean they have the ability to bring the murdered victim back for the grave? The answer is no. Like wise man then is not able to save his soul or lose it either.

What is Sin?

The Glory of God not honored.
The Holiness of God not reverenced.
The Greatness of God not admired.
The power of God not praised.
The Truth of God not sought.
The Wisdom of God not Esteemed.
The Beauty of God not treasured.
The Goodness of God not savored.
The faithfulness of God not trusted.
The Commandments of God not obeyed.
The Justice of God not respected.
The Wrath of God not feared.
The Grace of God not cherished.
The presence of God not prized
The person of God not loved.
That is sin.

- John Piper

(ht: Already Not Yet)

A Few Men's Ministry Articles and Books

Men's Ministry

• Article: 7 Secrets for Getting More Men Involved in Ministry
• Article: A Theology and Philosophy of Men's Ministry
• Article: Building Your Men's Ministry Leadership Team
• Article: How to Build a Strong Men's Ministry
• Article: Is Men's Ministry Workplace Ministry?
• Article: Promise Keepers
• Article: Rethinking Men's Ministry
• Article: Success Strategies for Developing an Effective Men's Ministry
• Article: "Sustainability" The #1 Problem in Men's Ministry
• Article: Tune to Men's Needs
• Book: As Iron Sharpens Iron : Building Character in a Mentoring Relationship by Howard Hendricks
• Book: Brothers! Calling Men into Vital Relationships by Geoff Gorsuch
• Book: Effective Men's Ministry: The Indispensable Toolkit for Your Church by Phil Downer, ed.
• Book: How to Build a Life-Changing Men's Ministry : Bringing the Fire Home to Your Church by Steve Sonderman
• Book: Men's Ministry in the 21st Century: The Encyclopedia of Practical Ideas by Group Publishing
• Book: No Man Left Behind: How to Build and Sustain a Thriving Men's Ministry in Your Church by Patrick Morley, David Delk, Brett Clemmer
• Book: Pastoring Men: What Works, What Doesn't, and Why it Matters Now More Than Ever by Patrick Morley
• Book: The Man in the Mirror: Solving the 24 Problems Men Face by Patrick M. Morley
• Book: The Measure of a Man by Gene A. Getz
• Book: The Silence of Adam: Becoming Men of Courage in a World of Chaos by Dr. Larry Crabb
• Book: Why Men Hate Going to Church by David Murrow
• More Men's Ministry Resources

Did An Earthquake Happen Because God Was Mad?

A friend, pastor and uber-blogger, Brandon A. Cox has posted a great vlog or videoblog about the current crisis in Haiti that will help everyone understand if Pat Robertson is correct about God being mad, if we can be certain of such, what we should be doing and how to react to this.

As Timothy Fish wrote, "whether it is judgment or not, our responsibility remains unchanged. It is meaningless for us to debate whether God is judging Haiti or not. If he wishes to tell us, he will do so, but in the meantime, we should help them if we can."

Worship: Then sings my soul #Part 1

Worship. What is worship? Since that seems to be the basis of our creation and the goal of our lives it would seem that we would be easily able to define this, but is it is not. Worship as defined by Millard J. Erickson is

"offering of homage, honor, and praise to God."

Warren Wiersbe writes in his book Real Worship, "Worship is the believer’s response of all that they are - mind, emotions, will, body - to what God is and says and does."

In For the Glory of God: A Biblical Theology of Worship, Dr. Dan Block defines true worship as "reverential human acts of submission and homage before the divine Sovereign, in response to his gracious revelation of himself, and in accordance with his will." That is a powerful definition.

Adam Smith of Lost and Found turned me on to the ord english word for worship, “weorthscipe.” It is defined as "what we assign worth to" or "to assign worth to."Both of these definition, one a simplified version ofthe othrs.

Yet, we still don't understand worship and its aim even though this is something we should have learned early on in life or our walk with Christ. In most Baptist (including C.H. Spurgeons) or Puritan Catechisms will have such questions as these to instruct children and new believers:

1. Q. What is the chief end of man?

   A. Man's chief end is to glorify God (1 Cor. 10:31), and to enjoy him for ever (Ps. 73:25-26).

2. Q. What rule has God given to direct us how we may glorify him?

   A. The Word of God which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments (Eph. 2:20; 2 Tim. 3:16) is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify God and enjoy him (1 Jn. 1:3)

Yet, many of the hymnals used by Churches (especially in the Rural South) seem to have a different focus in worship. While it is true that their are songs that have a proper Biblical, Christocentric tone with their trajectory aimed at exalting our Sovereign King Lord, many seem to be more horizontal in aim. Some lack any aim, direction, reference to or shadow of Jehovah, Jesus or the Holy Spirit. Their references to any of the persons of the Trinity seem to be more in a role os submissive to man as the role of God the Blesser is not the Biblical Supreme Lord of Hosts who our of His great benevolence and amazing love, but more like a loving dog licking the palms of his human master. God is seen as one who make us happy and His role is to bless us as a way of serving up. This is a departure from both orthodox theology and historic worship. This leaves believers soaking up improper views of Yahweh and Worship. The generalization is that "worship" is about me and and should make me feel good. This has lead to a great many public worship services become trite with personal favorite hymns lacking with authentic worship but loved for their melody or toe tapping beat. Style is not the issue but the drivel that is peddled that we sing from the hymnal or screen.

As you can tell I feel very strongly about this subject. I have had many a worship opportunities stunted by low theology. Occasions in which I should have been singing unto our Lord I was asked to sing about what the Lord does for me like He was my waitress bringing more napkins. This has led to many frustrated moments, log discussion, and silence on my part during the song service. I have not always been able to sum up my views, but the Lord has graciously shown me in recent day more about this. In a recent worship service a lady from our congregation sang How Great Thou At, and suddenly it was all summed up.

I would describe my personal and pastoral Theology of Worship with one line from Carl Boberg's poem turned hymn, How Great Thou At." Boberg penned the timeless line, "Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee." This line summed up how I see and understand Biblical worship. We sing up from deep down with in ourselves, to God with adoration, testifying of His glorious worth.

I have more to say but for now I will leave you with the lyrics of this famous hymn.

• Verse 1:

O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder

Consider all the works Thy hands have made.

I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,

Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Refrain:

Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee;

How great Thou art, how great Thou art!

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee:

How great Thou art, how great Thou art!

• Verse 2:

When through the woods and forest glades I wander

And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;

When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur

And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze:

(Repeat Refrain.)

• Verse 3:

And when I think that God, His Son not sparing,

Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;

That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,

He bled and died to take away my sin:

(Repeat Refrain.)

• Verse 4:

When Christ shall come with shouts of acclamation

And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!

Then I shall bow in humble adoration,

And there proclaim, my God, how great Thou art!

(Repeat Refrain.)

The Pastor, the People, and the Pursuit of Joy

I just love the video to the upcoming pastors conference for Desiring God Minisitries. I won't be attending but give the video a view.

How to write a Theological Paper

I am sitting a my desk thinking about Justification of Faith and how to write a paper about such. My quandary is how do it. I understand the how to write, but for the life of me I can't figure out how to do anything but present the truth. Maybe sermon writing has ruined the academic paper writer in me. Maybe I have lost the touch. Maybe I never knew how to do it to begin with.

I matter not what the underlying problem is as I will still be doing it. I think my biggest issue is that it seems to get noticed, heard or read, what you have to do is present something new. you have to trump up some angle. This is what we see when we tune into The History Channel or The Discovery Channel. Likewise we see this at the bookstore. it it is not racy, if it does not promote shock and incite sales then it is not wanted. It seems as if there is nothing new and jolting, if there is no shock value then it is not going to be seen or heard.

So I am perplexed with writing about Justification of Faith and not scheming up so me angle. Can I just present the truth through text and exegesis with a peppering of research and still be heard in a World that demand new shiny things?

Ecclesiastes 1:9–11 (ESV)

9 What has been is what will be,

and what has been done is what will be done,

and there is nothing new under the sun.

10 Is there a thing of which it is said,

“See, this is new”?

It has been already

in the ages before us.

11 There is no remembrance of former things,

nor will there be any remembrance

of later things yet to be

among those who come after.

I do leave you with this paper, How to Write a Theological Paper, by Dr. john M. Frame on how to do such. May it be read, used and shared for His glorification and your edification.

My Little Christmas Helper

The Holy Spirit and His Correlation to Baptism

John the Baptist baptized with a baptism of repentance, but unlike John's baptism, new converts in Acts received the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. These believers experienced repentance, baptism and the gift of the Holy Spirit, but this was manifested in three different ways according the the Holy Writ.

• The Spirit can come in conjunction with baptism - Acts 2:38
• The Spirit can come after baptism - Acts 8:16
• The Spirit can come before baptism - Acts 10:47

Wanna Be a Bible Scholar?

Thats right. Your eyes are not deceived. The question you were proposed was , "Wanna be a Bible Scholar?" Over at Kata Ta Biblia, Pat McCullough posed this simple question like he was asking people if they wanted to be a rockstar or so reality show contestant. He has some great advice on how to go about doing such a feat. He also has a unique Anabaptist / Brethren of Christ view of things. So if you are looking to write, go further in your theological education then head over to his post, Wanna be a Bible Scholar and dive in. Oh and if you are a nerd like me check you his Curriculum Vitae.

Trinity … Stumblingblock or Misunderstanding?

Just read a great new post @ Mystery Solved with Messiah Jesus. This is An Apologetic Place to Defend the Truth of the Messiahship of Jesus and a ministry of Tzedakah Ministries. Both are great. It addresses the Trinity and how it had been a stumbling block in evangelism. For some reason 1 does not equal 3 to everyone. If you want to sharpen your tools in evangelism or are just wondering what this is about take a look here - Trinity … Stumblingblock or Misunderstanding?