What a busy day this turned out to be.  I started the day early this morning with A Train the Trainer conference and heard Dr. John Ewart.  Wow what a lot of information I have a ton to digest from this conference.  I learned so much from this conference and an evangelistic concept that nearly every church is missing.  I will blog about this later on after I have digested some things.

Tonight I also attended a concert with Living Sacrifice it was actually a farewell concert for them and also a group called Crossway.  I enjoyed the concert but Crossway performed 2 songs that really spoke to me.  The first song is Titled “Took It All Away”

TOOK IT ALL AWAY

I’VE BEEN NUMB FROM THE SHOCK OF DEVESTATION
LEFT SO CONFUSED THAT IT PARALIZED MY PRAYERS
AN UNEXPECTED PAIN TORE MY HEART INTO PIECES
AND JUST LEFT MY FAITH HANGING THERE
BUT I ROSE UP FROM ASHES OF MY DESPAIR
AND WITH YOUR STRENGTH I STOOD AND I DECLARED

CHORUS
THAT IF YOU TOOK IT ALL AWAY
EVERY GIFT YOU EVER GAVE
THE SUN THAT SHINES IN MY DAYS
THE STARS THAT YOU DISPLAY
AND IF YOU NEVER BLESSED AGAIN
IF YOU GAVE ANOTHER TRIAL INSTEAD
IF THE PRECIOUS THING THAT I HELD
WAS STRIPPED OUT OF MY HAND
I WOULD STAND AND PRAISE YOUR HOLY NAME
IF YOU TOOK IT ALL AWAY

GOD, I MUST BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE WITH ME
AND THAT YOU STILL HAVE PURPOSE AND A PLAN
AND WHEN YOU HAVE PROVED AND YOU HAVE TRIED ME
I’LL SHINE LIKE GOLD IN YOUR HANDS
AND I’LL RISE UP FROM THE ASHES OF MY DESPAIR
LORD, WITH YOUR STRENGTH I’LL STAND AND I’LL DECLARE

BRIDGE
WHEN I FEEL I CAN’T LAST ANOTHER DAY
I’LL CRY BLESSED BE YOUR NAME
BLESSED BE YOUR NAME
WHEN I CAN’T SEE THE HOPE THROUGH THE PAIN
I’LL CRY BLESSED BE YOUR NAME
BLESSED BE YOUR NAME

This song just really spoke to my heart.  I was forced to ask myself as I was holding my son.  ”God what if you took it all away”.  What would my response be would I be able to stand and declare the praises of God.  This has been a rough time in my life.  I have lost for a time one of the things that I held very dear to my heart.  It came right after God and my family in my life and when you lose that it is difficult.  I am thankful I have been able to praise God and know He has a far greater plan and that which has been meant for evil will in know way prevail.  Because I will still praise my God.

The second song was Titled “When I Hear the Thunder”

WHEN I HEAR THE THUNDER

SOMETIMES AT NIGHT I CRY MYSELF TO SLEEP
AFTER EVERYBODY ELSE HAS GONE TO BED
KNOWIN’ ONCE AGAIN I’VE GOTTEN IN TOO DEEP
AND THE WATERS WILL SOON BE ABOVE MY HEAD

AND I BEG OF YOU TO CHANGE THE WORLD AROUND ME
SO TOMORROW WON’T BE LOOKING QUITE SO DIM
AND I AWAKE TO THE WATERS DEEP ENOUGH TO DROWN ME
BUT, THROUGH IT ALL YOU TAUGHT ME HOW TO SWIM

CHORUS:
AND WHEN I HEAR THE THUNDER, AND I THINK I’M GOIN’ UNDER
I REMEMBER YOU’RE THE LIFTER OF MY HEAD
YOU’VE HAD A THOUSAND CHANCES TO CHANGE MY CIRCUMSTANCES
BUT, THANK YOU LORD, THANK YOU LORD FOR CHANGIN’ ME INSTEAD

THERE ARE TIMES I CAN’T HELP FEELIN’ LOST
LIKE A SHIP DRIFTIN’ ON THE OPEN SEA
AND THE WINDS AND WAVES LEAVE ME PITCHED AND TOSSED
AND A STORM BEGINS TO BUILD INSIDE OF ME

AND I BEG OF YOU TO CHANGE THE WORLD AROUND ME
AS FEAR AND FAITH ARE FIGHTING FOR CONTROL
AMID THE RAGING WATERS SWIRLIN’ ALL AROUND ME
YOU’VE BECOME THE ANCHOR FOR MY SOUL

This was just an awesome reminder for me especially with what was going on today that God is in control and I am not going to drowned.  It was also a reminder that so often God will put us into our circumstances.  I heard today that we could possibly be praying against God’s will when we pray for people to not go through something.  Perhaps God put them in the situation for a reason.  god has truly become my Anchor in the middle of this storm.

For those of you who may have been keeping track of my posts and may have wanted to read the post today about intentional praying and open small groups I apologize.  A friend asked me if I would go to Morris Minnesota with him and being the spontaneous guy I am I said sure.  So here it is 2 am and I did not get the post done I will try to do it tomorrow evening.

I decided today I wanted to right about some scripture specifically a few verses that show us the eternality of Jesus Christ.  These verses are found in the gospel of John 1:1-2.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.

In these verses 3 very important facts are stated.  They are Christ is Preexistent, He is Coexistent, and Self-existent.

When we say that Christ was preexistent we me was there before creation.  There is no question of His existent He has always existed.

Some people might say well the verse says in the beginning.  In the beginning does not mean from the beginning.  Jesus christ was already there.  He did not become, he was not created, He has never had a beginning.  He “was in the beginning with God”.

We also must take notice that the word “was” is used.  It is in the Greek imperfect tense and is so often used for deity.  The word mean “to be” or “I am”.  To be mean continuos existence, without a beginning or an origin.

What John is saying is that Jesus Christ was the Word, the who had always existed, the Son of the Living God.

Secondly Christ is Coexistent.  He was and is face to face with God forever.  The word “with” carries the idea of both being with and acting toward.  Jesus Christ was not only with God but was acting with God as well.  He was “with God” by God’s side acting living, and moving in the closest of relationships with the Heavenly Father.  Christ had the ideal and perfect relationship with God the Father.  Jesus Christ and God had the perfect eternal bond.  John is stating that Jesus Christ is the Word and has always coexisted with God, he is the Son of the living God.

Finally Jesus is Self-existent.  Notice John does not say “the Word” was the God or a God.  He specifically says “the Word” was God.  John was saying that “the Word” Jesus Christ is of the ver naturea and charater f God the father, he is a distinct person from God the father, but He is of the very being and essence of God the Father.  

When a someone sees Christ, they see a distinct person, but they see a person who is of the very substance and character of God in all of His perfect being.  John is making it clear that Jesus Christ is the Word, self-existent and eternal, the Supreme Majesty of the universe who owes His existence to no one.  Jesus Christ is the son of the living God.

Jesus Christ is eternal this remind of something I used to tell my Youth group all of the time.  If you want to know about god you merely look at Jesus Christ.  

Christ reveals the most important person in all of the universe: God.  Jesus Christ reveals all that God is and wast to say to humanity.  That is why we must study the person of Jesus Christ, and all that He is and we must model our lives after His and obey all He commands.

Christ also reveals God perfectly.  Jesus is just like God, in fact identical to God that is why we can look at Jesus and see God.

Christ finally reveals that God is the most wonderful person.  God is far beyond anyone we could ever imagine or even dream of.  he is loving and caring, full of goodness and truth; and He will not tolerate injustices: murder and stealing, lying and cheating of husband, wife, child, neighbor, brother, sister, or even strangers.  

Jesus Christ is eternal he always was, is, and will be and we are called to model our lives after His.

All I can say is wow I read the chapter online from this book and it was moving and amazing.  I do like the way Mark rights.  You can check it out for yourself Here

Or you can just click play below if you have high speed it should work.

The other day I was in talking with two pastors.  After about 30 minutes or so we broke the conversation off and the other Pastor asked if I would talk with him in his office.  I took him up on the offer.  We discussed many different things during that time but what impressed on me the most was his desire to meet with me consistently.  This pastor really did not know me he knew about me but did not know me yet he asked if I would be willing to allow him to hold me accountable.  This impressed me because often times I have wanted this type of a relationship or even mentoring but rarely have people had the time or desire to do so.  I am excited to see what God is going to do in this relationship.

My first assignment was to pick out a book of his.  I selected “The Bruised Reed” which is part of the Puritan Paperbacks.  In the first chapter I found it quite interesting that we must be bruised before we come to Christ which calls us to cry out for His mercy.  However after conversion we still need bruising because of the pride in our nature.  

I reflect on the times I often need bruising how often I led pride stand in the way.  These are the times that I am thinking more highly of myself than I should.  These are the times I experience a bruising.  When I was younger my stepfather would spank me so hard that my bottom would be left bruised.  He did this because i would not cry.  I would not forget those spanking and remember them to this day.  Sometimes God has to give me spanking bruise me so I can see myself for who I really am.  

The second part of my assignment was to read Hebrews 13.  Verse 1 says Let “love of the brethren continue.”   This is one of the marks of Christian conduct.  ”brotherly love”.  Believers are supposed to have a special kind of love it is a brotherly love.  The greek word for “brethren” is (adelphos) which means from the same womb.  The Greek word for love is (phileo) which means deep seated affection or care.  People that have this kind of love come from the same womb or in this case the same source they have been born again.  This is the kind of love we are called to display as Christians.

I saw this type of love displayed recently in a church.  It is hard to believe I saw this take place in a business meeting of all places.  You see earlier that day the Youth Pastor had announced his resignation.  He had been at the church for 2 years.  At the business meeting it was recommended that they gave him 6 months severance and a full year of insurance.  This nearly brought tears to me eyes.  When I talked with one of the Pastors he said it is what we had to do it was the right thing.  Brotherly love was indeed displayed.

I pray that one opportunity arrises I will display that brotherly love that is discussed here in Hebrews 13.