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jesusreigns2178
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Name: John
Location: Cedarville, Ohio, United States
Birthday: 6/8/1987
Gender: Male
Interests: Scripture, Apologetics, Theology, Music, Coffee, Discussions, Friends, Laughing, Crying, Sleeping in, Chocolate, Chicken, Clouds, Snow, Demolition, Driving, Football, Bowling, the curious habits of black squirrels...
Expertise: I am nothing on my own...
Occupation: Student
Industry: Music
Message: message meEmail: email me
AIM:  Jesusreigns2178
Member Since:
5/9/2005
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| sigh. Sometimes one word is good at summarizing a whole library's worth of thoughts. | | |
| I'm not sure if anyone still reads this blog or not. If so, welcome to the world of my thoughts. If not, well, then I'll rant to myself and feel better anyways. Does it seem to anyone else like American Christians view their faith as a party? I know I've been guilty of it too, but when we approach God in prayer, I feel like we're turning Him into one of our campfire buddies instead of the God of the universe, before Whose glory we would melt like a tiny wax figurine in front of a blast furnace, to borrow a quote from Paul Washer. Do we have any remorse over our sin? Sure, if we're believers, God has forgiven our sin, but does it grieve us when we see the flesh taking over our desire to walk in the Spirit? Or are we content to listen to the world's music, watch the world's movies, borrow the world's language, and wonder why we struggle so much in our journey of sanctification? I am sitting here in front of the computer, so frustrated I can barely speak. I'm frustrated at the deception that is leaking through the church, frustrated at the countless ways evangelical circles have taken the world's products and slapped their own labels on then, while still acknowledging the worldly value therein. I'm frustrated that people can happily call themselves saved by the grace of God because they "prayed a prayer." Doesn't anyone understand that praying the sinner's prayer doesn't save a person? What does the New Testament say over and over again? REPENT!!! BELIEVE!!! What has happened to the church? Are we so concerned with tickling the ears of the congregation and trying to get membership to multiply that we do not preach the true Gospel? Salvation is only by the grace of God through faith, and can only occur if the person's heart is regenerated by God Himself. God is not sitting up in Heaven on the edge of His seat, gritting His teeth and hoping that we'll just pray that prayer so He can save us. What a putrid heresy and mockery of the sovereignty of God! At this point, I really don't care if anyone reads this, it's nice enough to put my thoughts into something I can see. I look in my own heart and see more filth than I can stand, and I wish it would just leave. I know that the blood of Christ cleanses me from sin, that God's grace is far greater than any filth that can come from me. I hope you know that too. I hope you understand the fact that God not striking you down this very MINUTE is a marvelous act of grace on His part. I hope He brings you to a realization of who He is, who you are, and how vastly you have offended Him, and I hope it brings to your knees in sorrow and genuine repentance. That's all I have tonight. Maybe I'll update again in October sometime. | | |
| IF YOUR LIFE WERE A MOVIE, WHAT WOULD THE SOUNDTRACK BE?
So, here's how it works:
1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button
6. Don't lie.
Opening Credits: "Never Take Friendship Personal" - Anberlin
Waking Up: "Love Her Like Jesus" - Casting Crowns
First Day At School: "Lifesong" - Casting Crowns
Falling In Love: "Lovely Ladies" - Les Misérables Original Broadway Cast (wow....)
Fight Song: "Walkin' Uptown" - Lionel Hampton
Breaking Up: "October" - FM Static
Prom: "Satin Doll" - Duke Ellington (again, wow...)
Life: "You Are So Beautiful" - Fusebox
Mental Breakdown: "When It's Sleepytime Down South" - Louis Armstrong
Driving: "Speak To Me" - Audio Adrenaline
Flashback: "Turning" - Les Misérables Women's Chorus
Wedding: "Slow Bleed" - Thousand Foot Krutch"
Birth of Child: "Everything Will Be Just Fine" - Relient K
Final Battle: "Blind Behind The Wheel" - Kids in the Way
Death Scene: "I Stand For You" - Tree 63
Funeral Song: "Start Somethin'" - The Cross Movement
End Credit: "Beautiful" - Audio Adrenaline
That's my story...er...soundtrack...
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| Well, Valentine's Day 2007 is over, and it was a happy one. I am currently rejoicing as one of my friends just entered into a relationship that he has bathed in prayer for months now. I am so happy for you, and I am so very encouraged because I know I will see a relationship emerge that is pure and God-honoring. My prayers are with you both!
Valentine's Day is such an interesting holiday, and it evokes such different emotions in people. For some, it is the most amazing day of the year. For others, it is a day of uncertainty as they do not know where their "situation" lies. For still others, it marks the most depressing day of the year as they realize they are yet again without the "special someone" their heart longs for. I don't know. Sometimes I think this day is rather overrated, that some of the feelings of bitterness and pain due to empty mailboxes didn't have to happen. Am I saying that those who experienced a wonderful Valentine's Day should feel guilty? Absolutely not! I merely think there is a deeper lesson in this for all of us.
For those of you who had the perfect day... Rejoice in the blessing God has given you! Praise Him unceasingly that, despite your unworthiness, He has allowed your life to be filled with such joy! Not only that, praise Him because He made a bigger Sacrifice and gave a gift greater than any significant other EVER could!
For those of you who are uncertain about your circumstances... Rejoice that God allows His people to have friendship and fellowship with one another! If you're pursuing someone, take some time to reflect on whether your pursuit gratifies yourself or glorifies the Savior. Maybe you could also think about the One who has pursued you when you had completely turned your back on Him.
For those of you who dread this day every year... Rejoice that you are complete through your union with Christ! He is all you need, despite what society has taught you. If you feel alone, think about the fact that the Creator of the universe, our Lord, Redeemer, and coming King, Jesus Christ, gave His life that, by His grace, you might believe and be adopted as His SON!!! Praise God that you have One Who encourages you to lay every burden on Him and know the fullness of His comfort and His mercy!!
No matter what your circumstance this Valentine's Day, God is good, and He is sovereign, and you are precious to Him! Rejoice in our great Savior, the Light of the World, the Son of God, the Messiah, our great Mediator and High Priest! Worthy is the Lamb to receive blessing and honor and glory and might and power and wisdom and strength!
"For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far as He removed our transgressions from us. Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him." - Psalm 103:11-13
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| Let me just say that I am encouraged to hear about people on this campus taking a stand for the Truth. It's so wonderful to see how God is working in Cedarville. After a lengthy conversation with a trusted professor and brother in Christ, I left his office realizing that no matter what is going on, God's plan is still going forward, and He is still sovereignly in charge of His universe. We CAN take full confidence in the fact that our Lord Jesus will be glorified, His Truth will be proclaimed, and His reign will last forever.
In his faculty recital tonight, Mr. Pagnard and friends played a piece called "Meditation on a Scottish Tune," I believe. It was mostly made up of several variations on "Amazing Grace." I was thinking about this song, and how common it is in our Christian culture. Everyone knows it, and it is quite possibly one of the most-sung hymns in existence. Yet within its text is an incredible testimony to the Truth of Scripture. Where were we? We were blind, dirty, depraved, and sinful. How did we come to Christ? God!!! What taught our hearts to fear God? God!!! Whose Light shone on our lives, exposing our sinfulness and showing us our need for mercy? God's!!! What a heresy to even begin to claim that we can choose to come to Christ, when it is His Light, through the Word of God, that lowers the axe of the Law and pins us on our knees before a Holy God!!! This is what makes God's grace so amazing: He didn't have to show it to anyone. He didn't have to save us, He could have just let us rot in our sin. But what does Ephesians say? "BUT GOD, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive in Christ (by grace you have been saved)." - Ephesians 2.4-5. We need no other argument, we need no other plea. It is enough that Jesus died! He became sin for us, and bore the wrath of God, and now He stands in victory as our High Priest before God the Father, and His righteousness is credited to our account if we believe. What a love, what a cost, we stand FORGIVEN at the Cross!
Yep, I tend to ramble, but there it is. God's grace is amazing. Anyway, just some more to think about I guess. Those of you who are standing for the Truth, take heart: God has already won! So, let us continue to lift up this university in prayer, and let us be above reproach, that our actions do not dishonor the precious Gospel for which we stand.
"Seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence." - 2 Peter 1:3
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