The moonius files

Groundhog Day

2012-02-01T19:33:00.000-06:00

In the movie Groundhog Day,. Bill Murray plays meteorologist Phil Connors. He travels to Punxsutawney, PA with his producer and cameraman to cover the annual festivities where Punxsutawney Phil the groundhog is the star.

A blizzard develops and forces them to stay in Punxsutawney. Connors awakens the next morning to find it is February 2 again, and his day unfolds in exactly the same way. However, he is the only one aware of the repetition. Everyone else seems to be living February 2 exactly the same way and for the first time. This pattern continues for many days, maybe even weeks.

I love the fact that many great Bible teachers seem to find analogies in every day things. Rarely does this happen to me. But this movie seems analogous to trials in the Christian life. It may not be the best analogy but it works for me.

When Phil Connors realized that the same things were happening everyday, he began to memorize events, so he could manipulate people and take advantage of his situation. Later when he begins to get tired of being stuck in Groundhog Day, he tries to fight against it but the repetition continues nonetheless. Finally when he examines his life and priorities and makes the necessary changes, Groundhog Day stops and he wakes up on February 3rd a better man. Lesson learned.

The analogy may be loose but it just reminded me of the trials we go through as Christians. Whether it’s a “blizzard” in your life or just a minor testing of your faith, trials are inevitable. God is doing a work in the life of the believer and He allows things to happen along the way to develop our character. “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” Philippians 1:6

God allows trials in our lives because there is obviously something He wants us to learn from that particular situation. When we don’t pass the test it seems that God continues to bring that particular trial back into our life until we do pass the test...kinda like in the Groundhog Day movie.

Like Phil Connors sometimes we try to manipulate or take advantage of the situation we’re going through, other times we try to fight against it. But when we finally stop and examine our lives and priorities, then we pass the test and move forward. We learn and grow spiritually from the situation.

Many of us complain when we are tested. We pray for patience, and God allows us to be tested so we can develop our patience, and then we complain more. Our character is both developed and revealed by the testing of our faith. “When troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your patience has a chance to grow.” James 1:2-3

It's not a matter of if the storm is going to come, it's just a question of when. People have this idea that when you turn your life over to Jesus you won't have any more difficulties. Christians are not immune to difficulties and hardships but we are responsible for our reactions to the trials we encounter. The Apostle Paul probably suffered more hardship than any other Christian and yet he learned to welcome the trials. He said “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.” Romans 5:3-4

A Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

2012-01-16T06:11:00.000-06:00

Growing up in the 1960’s I still remember vivid images on our black and white television of people being beaten, attacked by police dogs and sprayed with fire hoses, simply because they wanted to be treated with equality. Dr. Martin Luther King was a minister of the gospel who was the leader of the civil rights movement. He preached nonviolence because of what our Lord Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”

We live in a world that is still filled with inequality based on religion, race, gender and social status. The result is social injustice, racism, discrimination and war. This is not God’s kingdom. We who are born again are members of God’s Kingdom. And when it fully arrives there will be no inequality. In God’s Kingdom there is liberty, justice and equality for all. That’s the dream that Martin Luther King, Jr. had and spoke about so articulately. It’s the dream that followers of Christ share. That is why we pray to God “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done...”

We not only pray for God’s Kingdom to come, but we also live now for social justice and equality. We who are saved are empowered and enabled because of God’s Holy Spirit that has been placed within us. With this deposit of God’s Kingdom within us, we become one in Spirit.

Every person in the world has an opportunity. It’s an opportunity to accept or reject Christ. It’s the opportunity of the cross that allows an individual to be born into God’s family regardless of who your parents are, what color you are, where you are born, or what gender you are. This opportunity is not just for the rich or the poor; the educated or the uneducated. This opportunity is for all of us.

Jesus Christ died for all. The reason that Christ died for all is because God loves all people. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. John 3:16-17

When you receive Jesus Christ and make Him your Lord and Savior, you are born into God’s family. It’s a supernatural birth that defies all logic. At the moment of true belief in Jesus and what He did for us at the cross, saving faith becomes operable. At that moment, we are baptized into Christ by the Holy Spirit. We get a new nature, a new mind and a new heart that is regenerated by the power of the Holy Spirit and we also get a new Father…a Father that will never change on us; never lie to us; never abuse us and never leave us. We also get new siblings…siblings that love us unconditionally. We get a new family.

In this new family we are all one, with no friction and schism. What makes us one? Jesus. We are baptized into the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit. Race, gender and social status are all gone and we are all treated equally and operate as one. We are part of one body ministering at the point of need in the power of the Holy Spirit in the midst of an unjust world. We have been born again into God’s Kingdom and we are ushering in His coming Kingdom. The best is yet to come!

What about you? Have you been born again? Have you been baptized into Christ by the Holy Spirit? Today is the day that you can be born into a new family and receive a deposit of God’s coming Kingdom. Kneel at the foot of the cross and make Jesus your Lord and your Savior. He will take you on an exciting journey through abundant life that will lead you from earth to Glory!

“Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done...” Keep praying for God’s Kingdom to come. His Kingdom is coming in full. He has placed a deposit within you through the Holy Spirit. He is the earnest. He is the down payment on our glorious redemption. The best is yet to come!

On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his famous "I have a Dream" speech. He concluded the message with the following words: I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

Today, Martin Luther King, Jr. is no longer living by faith. He is now living by sight around the throne of God. Through his eyes today, his dream has become reality. He is living in total social justice and equality around the throne of God. Dr. King made a difference back in the day and is still making an lasting impact today.

We who are Christians, members of God’s Kingdom should live for social justice and equality right now. As a member of the Body of Christ, continue the ministry of Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit. Just like Dr. Martin Luther King did, by the power of Almighty God, you can make a difference today that will have a lasting impact in the future!

New Resolve

2011-12-30T10:08:00.000-06:00

Since the Lord has given me a new leadership position, I plan to put into practice this list of ministry resolutions I got from Ron Edmondson.

The best leadership, in my opinion, comes out of the resolve a leader has made in his or her heart. The resolve of a leader is the pre-determined approach a leader will take when carrying out his or her leadership. These are personal convictions that shape the way a leader leads, responds to others, and the choices a leader makes.

Most often, these resolutions are made even prior to being in a leadership position. The resolve of a leader is powerful. In fact, if a leader wants to improve his or her leadership, he or she must often improve first their personal resolve.

So do you want to improve your leadership?

Here are 10 resolutions guaranteed to improve your ministry leadership:

I resolve to never compromise my character in my search for progress.
I resolve to consistently be walking by faith.
I resolve to pray earnestly before I make major decisions.
I resolve to surround myself with wise and moral influencers.
I resolve to protect my family time while working in ministry.
I resolve to make my personal health a priority.
I resolve to allow trials and turmoil to draw me closer to Christ and shape my character for good.
I resolve to love the unlovable.
I resolve to pray for my enemies, extend grace liberally, and never hold a grudge.
I resolve to allow at least a few people access to know and speak into the deepest and most private parts of my life.

What are your resolves that shape your ministry leadership?

Which of these resolves do you need to make at this point in your ministry leadership?

Born to Die

2011-12-05T05:20:00.001-06:00

We all have a birth day, a particular point in time where life began for us. At some point in life we begin to realize that we are not immortal. We see grandparents, aunts, uncles, parents and even siblings die. Although death is all around us we still get the idea that we will live to be 70, 80 or 100 years old. Surely we won't be one of those who die young. Our focus is on our hopes and dreams and all the things we want to accomplish. Nobody likes to think about death's inevitability. We see our purpose being fulfilled in life and not death.

It wasn’t so for our Lord Jesus Christ. In His life he was the exact representation of His Father in heaven and He demonstrated how we should live on earth but His mission was fulfilled in His death. He said "...the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" Matthew 20:28. Long before there was time, God had a plan to create mankind. Being omniscient, he knew that man would fall prey to Satan and sin, so even before Adam existed, God formulated a redemption plan.

God is perfect. He is holy. Nothing imperfect or unholy can dwell in His sight. Apart from reconciliation to God through Jesus Christ we have no righteousness. Our sin, our disobedience, our iniquities require expiation, and the only way to make atonement is with life-giving blood. "For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life" Leviticus 17:11. Sin is such a grievance to God that it must be covered in blood, the very life of the flesh. "...without the shedding of blood is no remission of sin" Hebrews 9:22.

When Adam and Eve sinned through disobedience, God slaughtered an animal to make a covering for them. The dead animal's hide provided a covering for their skin and the blood of the animal provided a covering for their sin. Many years later when God gave Israel the law, He instituted a sacrificial system where the blood of bulls and goats would be used to make atonement for man's sins. "But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins" Hebrews 10:3, 4. The priest would go to the altar every day, offer the same old sacrifices year in, year out, and never make a dent in the sin problem. But our High Priest, Christ made a single sacrifice for sins, once and for all!

The Bible teaches us that all things point to Christ and His mission to redeem mankind. When Adam and Eve sinned, God promised a redeemer. The promise of a Messiah was given to Abraham, the father of faith. The Ten Commandments demonstrated how imperfect we are and showed us our need for a Savior. There are over 300 prophecies in the Old Testament that foretell Jesus birthplace, details of his life, his mission, his nature, his death, and his resurrection. When the time was right, Jesus was born into the world. "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We saw his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth" John 1:14. Jesus’ purpose was to glorify God in the flesh, and ultimately give his flesh as an offering for the very people He created.

During this season, as we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, let’s not forget His subsequent death, burial and resurrection. That is the “rest of the story.”

Thanksgiving

2011-11-22T18:56:00.001-06:00

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

There is so much for which to thank God. We live in exciting times because we can see the handwriting on the wall and we know that the return of Jesus is imminent. Thank God that we still have our freedom in America and that we worship Him without government interference. Thank you Lord that you set your plan for mankind into motion long before anything was even created. Thank you for revealing yourself and your plans for us through your Word. Thank you that you love us and you knew that we would rebel against you, so you planned for our redemption.

Lord Jesus, thank you for your willingness to humble yourself, take on the form of a man, live 33 sinless years and become obedient to the point of death on a cross. God made you to become sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in you Jesus. Thank you for being our substitute, paying the price that we owed for the penalty of our sins. Through you we have redemption, the forgiveness of our sins, abundant life now and eternal life with you. Because of your sacrifice we can come boldly to the throne of grace to obtain help in time of need. Thank you Lord for enduring the cross, scorning its shame, and now you sit at the right hand of the throne of God, ever making intercession for us. Now God has exalted you to the highest place and given you the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Thank you Father for my spouse who is the perfect complement for me, thank you for our children, our extended family and our new church family. Thank you for our Christian friends and even those we desire to become part of the family of God. Thank you for health and strength, for the activity of our limbs, for the experience of our senses. Thank you for the beauty of the world around us, the sun, moon and stars, all of nature and the beautiful colors we experience each year. Thank you for food, clothing, shelter, material blessings, for our jobs and the ability to do our work for your glory. Thank you Lord for giving us a future and a hope. We eagerly await the day when the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise. Then we who are still alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Our hearts are filled with gratitude because we are called, chosen and kept by the power of your Holy Spirit. All glory, praise and honor is due to you O God our Father, in the matchless name of Jesus our wonderful Lord and Savior, Amen.

Finishing Well

2011-11-08T11:54:00.001-06:00

I’m often amazed at the ministry opportunities that God has granted me. My freshman year in college, I got the radio bug when I was given a show on the campus radio station. After a short stint in commercial radio and a plethora of other totally unrelated jobs, I got my first job in Christian radio, Chattanooga rocker WMOC. I was green and it was fun, getting to do what I loved, serve the Lord and even get paid. Two years later, I stepped out on faith and accepted a part time job at the Moody station across town, WMBW. Within a few months, part time developed into full time and I became the morning man heard all over the Southeast. Five years later, God opened a door to work with Family Life Network in New York as Operations Manager. I doubled as morning co-host with Jim Travis who is still my best friend today. After three record breaking, bone-chilling winters, we decided to move back South and I went to work with His Radio Network in Greenville, SC. Our family was content to stay in South Carolina and I had even thought about starting a church there, but God had other plans.

January 1996, I received a call from Precept Ministries International, asking if I would like to join their staff. I was quite content but agreed to meet with them in Atlanta. My desire at that stage of life was to learn inductive bible study and PMI was the leading proponent in the world. That is what piqued my interest to accept their offer. I spent 8 years with PMI, managing the radio department and teaching inductive Bible studies but began to miss being on the air daily. Moody had never lost interest in me and they offered me a chance to do the morning show in the Tampa market. Florida was fun, I loved the gulf, the sun and the beach but after a few years I was recruited by Family Life Radio to move to Tucson and do a network show. This probably wasn’t the best career move for me because two years later I resigned from Christian radio altogether and went to work for Westwood One in their Phoenix newsroom.

Working in that secular environment was difficult and I began praying persistently for a return to ministry. After 15 months of working in that pagan, cynical, sarcastic environment I was desperate. I told God that I would do anything, go anywhere to get back into ministry. I would have even taken a job as a church janitor! God has a sense of humor, because He sent me and my wife from Phoenix to Meade, KS to work with Great Plains Christian Radio (KJIL). God gave me a new perspective for Christian radio ministry, so whenever I opened the microphone, I focused on sharing the Word rather than entertaining. Now you have to understand, Meade is about a mile away from the middle of nowhere, so when given the opportunity to transfer to their sister station in Abilene, KS, I jumped at the chance. Since 2010, I served as the Operation Manager and afternoon drive announcer at KJIL. Through pulpit supply I learned about a couple of local churches in need of a pastor. I became a candidate at both of them. In October 2011, I was offered the position of pastor at Zion Brethren in Christ Church in Abilene, KS. So after 30 years ministering in Christian radio, I am now a full time pastor. My wife A’Lisa was hired as my Administrative Assistant. This is an answer to a year’s worth of prayers. I knew God had something more in store for us in ministry, I just didn’t know what that “more” was. Looking back in hindsight, I can see how God orchestrated everything to bring us to this point. We are glad for the challenge ahead because we know that God is able. We praise God for our new church home and family.

Born Again

2011-07-31T15:37:00.001-05:00

I grew up in the ghettos of Philadelphia, PA. My dad was a violent abusive alcoholic. We weren't Catholic but my mom put me and my sister in Catholic school to get a good education. We also got a good dose of religion. At five years old I began to learn about God and being a good student I developed quite a knowledge of religion. I was taught many facts about God but also taught that when you die, God would weigh your good against your bad deeds and if you were good enough you would get into heaven. So I determined to be good and try to please God. I became an altar boy at eight years old, learned the mass in Latin and served in church at every opportunity. My goal was to become a priest because I thought they were holy men. By the time I was an adolescent, I knew that something about the Catholic church wasn't quite right. I became disillusioned and stopped going to church at age fourteen.

Home was very dysfunctional because of alcoholism. I hated my father and tolerated my mother. When I became a teenager, my parents both became Christians and got involved in a Baptist church. At that stage of life, I wanted nothing to do with religion and began hanging out with the hippies, living an immoral life, ingesting any drugs or alcohol that I could get my hands on. At seventeen I left home to attend college in Tennessee, which was just a continual party. A year later I was back home working with my dad in the construction business. For the next three years, I was in and out of college, working various jobs, partying with my friends, trying anything that would bring happiness to my troubled, wounded soul.

I was 21 years old, driving home from work one Friday and stopped in a Christian bookstore. Every day I noticed this store as I drove to my apartment and was curious about what would be inside. The bookstore owner greeted me and let me browse through some Bibles. We shared a brief conversation and he obviously could tell that I wasn't sure what I was looking for. Before I left he invited me to church on Sunday. I reluctantly agreed and quickly left the premises.

I had no intention of attending church but by Sunday morning I changed my mind. The people at church greeted me and expressed their joy at seeing me there. The church was a very simple storefront building compared to the elaborate architecture of a Catholic church. That morning for the first time in my life I heard the gospel message. I already believed in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ but that morning I understood the significance when I heard this message, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast" Ephesians 2:8,9.

I knew that Jesus died for me, bore the penalty for my sins and I desperately wanted a fresh start. I prayed and asked God to forgive me, take over my messed up life and change me. I gave control of my life over to God because I couldn't live a good life on my own and I wanted to be saved.

The changes were miraculous! I stopped taking drugs and alcohol, stopped having premarital sex and had a hunger for the Bible. I spent many hours in my little apartment reading my Bible and talking to God. I told all my friends that Jesus was now in control of my life and I was going to heaven. They ridiculed me back then but now some of them are Christians too. Since that day I have been far from perfect, but I know that the Spirit of God lives within me, my sins are forgiven and my purpose in life is to honor Him. My life belongs to Him and I am totally submitted, surrendered and dependent on God. I am assured of my future in heaven and every day I spread the good news about Jesus and the change He has made in me. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" 2 Corinthians 5:17.

God loves you too and wants make you a brand new person. Talk to him now, ask Him to forgive you for your sins and take control of your life!

"If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved" Romans 10:9,10.

The Way

2011-06-28T18:11:00.003-05:00

During the Jesus Movement of the '70s, the "One Way" sign became a popular icon. "One Way" bumper stickers, posters and lapel pins were everywhere, and the "One Way" slogan for a time became the catchphrase for Christianity. Christians knew that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven. "One Way" seemed to be an unshakable belief that all Christians held in common. That was then...this is now. Why have we abandoned what believers once all agreed to be absolutely true? In our quest to be relevant, we have actually failed to see where the contemporary world is going and why.

The dominant worldview today is called postmodernism. That means reality is whatever you imagine it to be. What is "true" is determined subjectively by each person, and there is no such thing as objective, authoritative truth that governs or applies to all humanity. "Truth" becomes nothing more than a personal opinion, usually best kept to yourself. Postmodernism seems driven by a broad-minded concern for tolerance. But the postmodernist belief system has a tolerance for anything except biblical Christianity.

1. According to a 2000 Barna poll about one out of four Christians believes that it doesn't matter what faith you follow because they all teach the same lessons.

2. A June 2008 report by the Pew Research Center revealed some interesting stats: 57 percent of the evangelical Christians surveyed reported believing that "many religions can lead to eternal life."

3. In a March 2008 broadcast Oprah declared to millions of viewers, "Jesus can't be the only way, there are many ways to God."

Actually, all roads do lead to the same place. Ultimately we will all stand before a just and holy God. The question is, will you stand before Him as Savior or as Judge. Proverbs 14:12 states that "there is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." Revelation 20:11-15 says that only those whose names are written in the Book of Life will have eternal life. So all roads do lead to God, but only one road leads to eternal life.

We don't think this way in other areas of life. When traveling, we make sure we're on the right plane to our destination, we do our research, ask questions, and check the schedules. When we're sick, we want to make sure we take the right medicine so we ask questions, do our research, and listen to people who have spent years studying medicine. In areas of nutrition we realize that there is healthy food and unhealthy food. There are right ways and wrong ways to handle money, to conduct our relationships, and to drive our cars down the road. Isn't it possible that there is a right way and a wrong way to view spirituality?

Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father but by me." These are not popular words in today's culture but Jesus Christ wasn't trying to win a popularity contest. He said it because He knew it was true. He backed up his claims by many miracles and by rising from the dead. The evidence for these facts is not only recorded in the Bible, but also in the historical works of Josephus, Clement, Polycarp, Ignatius, Tertullian, Origen.

Many claim that Jesus does not differ much from other religious leaders such as Buddha, but Jesus' claim to be God in the flesh singles Him out of the crowd. Buddha, Muhammad or Confucius never claimed to be God but Jesus' did and His claims weren't spoken in a vacuum. They were backed by His credentials. He fulfilled a host of prophecies given by the Hebrew prophets concerning His virgin birth, His divinity, His atoning work on the cross and His resurrection from the dead.

Jesus also substantiated His divine claims with a perfectly sinless life, compassion for the downtrodden, His genius and authority as a teacher, and His unsurpassed insight into the human condition. It is no wonder that people worshiped Him.

There are those who say, I believe Jesus was a prophet, a good man...but not God. You can't have it both ways because He claimed to be God. So that only leaves us with three possible choices: Liar, Lunatic or Lord.

Maybe He was a liar: He knew He wasn't God, but He convinced others that He was. This would make Him a vicious liar. Maybe He was a lunatic: He thought He was God, but He wasn't. He was insane. Or just maybe He was the Lord God: He was who His followers claimed He was – the Son of God, sent to Earth to redeem man from his sins; God in the flesh. "So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son." John 1:14

Humility and Unity

2011-05-31T19:13:00.003-05:00

The Philippian church was a model church but there seemed to be some division. It was a multi-cultural church and they were also being persecuted for their faith. Whatever the source of the division, the apostle Paul wrote to encourage them to conduct their lives in a manner worthy of the gospel. He exhorts them to stand together in unity, practicing and proclaiming the gospel. He reminds them not to be alarmed by the enemy who opposes them and challenges them to diligently pursue unity and harmony with their fellow believers.

Our enemy Satan still causes division today. He divides and then conquers. He prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. With thousands of years of practice, he's good at what he does. We see division today between Christians of different denominations and there’s even division within specific churches. How quickly we forget that we have an opponent, an unseen enemy. We fall into his trap when we promote our own selfish interest, escalate petty differences, gossip or slander each other because somehow we think we are better.

Unity is rooted in humility. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the model for the mindset of humility. His incarnation, life, and death provide us with the ultimate example of humility.

Selfishness seeks personal gain at the expense of others. Humility desires the advance of others at our expense. Pride and empty conceit are a part of our fallen human nature, it causes us to compete with others, rather than to contribute to their well-being. If we are truly humble, then we are not desperately seeking to enhance our own standing. We are to treat one another as “better than” ourselves. Their interests are to come higher on our agenda than our own selfish interests. The cure for selfishness is servanthood. Humility prompts me to serve others, assigning my interests a lower priority than their needs.

Paul reminds them of the ultimate example of humility - our Lord Jesus Christ.

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Philippians 2:5-8

Though equal with God (or equally God) our Lord did not seize this as an opportunity to further His own interests. Instead, He “emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant”. Jesus never ceased to be God; He divested Himself of self-interest, so that He could glorify the Father and bring about our salvation. Jesus did not reduce His deity; but He added sinless humanity and this was prompted by His humility.

The humbling process had several facets.

1) He left the splendor and glory of heaven to dwell on earth. Since the glory of heaven is beyond our human ability to comprehend it, we have difficulty grasping the sacrifice that was required for our Lord to leave heaven and to live on earth.

2) Then He humbled himself to take on the form of a man, a servant. He came as the “Lamb of God” who would become sin for us. He came to die the most cruel and ignoble death possible—crucifixion. It is one thing to come as a servant, but Jesus' service consisted of being condemned as a common criminal and a sinner against a holy God.

3) Jesus stooped so low in His humility that He was elevated to the highest possible place of honor by the Father. As a result of His humility and obedience, God highly exalted Him, giving to Him a name above every name. Jesus dwelt among men, was rejected and crucified; and one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11

We don’t have to promote our own interests. God will take care of that when we humble ourselves.God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourself under the mighty hand of God and He will exalt you in due time. 1 Peter 5:5,6

Humility and Prayer

2011-05-05T14:43:00.001-05:00

Reading through the Old Testament I see a continuous cycle. Israel saw God's miracles, He destroyed their enemies, yet they quickly forgot God, they worshiped pagan idols, got involved in sexual immorality, they failed to care for the poor and needy, they abandoned the Lord and He turned them over to their enemies. They would cry for help and in due time God would deliver them.

Fast forward to King Solomon, and on the day he dedicated the temple, the word of the Lord came to him and said, "... if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

I know this verse was written for the nation of Israel, but the principles remain true today for the people of God. Many New Testament verses that tell us to humble ourselves, pray, seek His face, turn from our wicked ways.

Humility

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:3-11

Serve each other in humility, for "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. 1 Peter 5:5-6

Pray

Watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak! Matthew 26:41

The earnest prayer of a righteous man has great power and produces wonderful results. James 5:16

Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Philippians 4:6

Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. Ephesians 6:18

Seek His Face

James preached on the Day of Pentecost about the conversion of the Gentiles, "so that the rest of humanity might seek the Lord, including the Gentiles — all those I have called to be mine. The Lord has spoken — he who made these things known so long ago." Acts 15:17

We should seek God in His Word because... "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly equipped for all good works." 2 Timothy 3:16

Turn from our wicked ways

Paul preached to the church at Corinth, "you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world?" 1 Corinthians 3:3

Our greatest need is not more intellectuals or people of great social influence. We need men and women of faith, men and women of humility and men and women who are strong and fervent in prayer. These are the things that will create spiritual success in the life and work of the church.

I have a dream is that the living and true God would be glorified in our country. My dream is that Christians would be known by their love, rather than hypocrisy. I envision Christians not just going to church on Sunday but being the church all week long, building relationships, sharing their faith and making disciples. I hope that the true believers would look for ways to feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, visit the sick and imprisoned, house the homeless, clothe those in need, care for widows and orphans, remembering that Jesus said ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’

Resurrection Day

2011-04-17T07:40:00.004-05:00

One of the things I love about this time of year is how various colors emerge as nature resurrects from its winter death sentence. This is also the time of year when we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. With remarkable accuracy, Jesus fulfilled over 300 Old Testaments prophecies concerning his life, death, burial and resurrection. Here's the account from the Gospel of John...

Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. And they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him." When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, "Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away." Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, "Rabboni!" (which means, Teacher). Jesus said to her, "Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.'" Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord," and that He had said these things to her. So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you." And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. John 20 11-20

Not only did Jesus appear to his immediate disciples after His resurrection but He also appeared to over 500 of his disciples! At the time the apostle Paul wrote about this fact many of the witnesses were still alive who would corroborate his story. Paul himself persecuted Christians until Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus, years after His ascension to heaven. Here is how Paul describes the good news about Jesus death, burial and resurrection...

I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him. For I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church. 1 Corinthians 15:3-9

I believe these things by faith, but still there are many skeptics today. However many agnostics and atheists like Lee Strobel and Josh McDowell took the initiative to actually study the claims of Christ. The overwhelming evidence lead them to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Even Josephus the 1st century historian attests to evidence of Jesus' resurrection...

" ... About this time there lived Jesus, a wise man, if indeed one ought to call him a man. For he was one who wrought surprising feats and as a teacher of such people as accept the truth gladly. He won over many Jews and many of the Greeks. He was the Messiah. When Pilate, upon hearing him accused by men of the highest standing amongst us, had condemned him to be crucified, those who had in the first place come to love him did not give up their affection for him. On the third day he appeared to them restored to life, for the prophets of God had prophesied these and countless other marvelous things about him. And the tribe of the Christians, so called after him, has still to this day not disappeared." Josephus' Testimonium Flavianum, from Antiquities of the Jews 18:63-64

The Gospel of John closes with the reason for his writing. His purpose in writing his gospel is that you will be presented with the factual truth about Jesus and hopefully come to believe his claims. We who believe in Him have hope beyond the grave... because He rose from the dead, so shall we!

Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name. John 20:30-31

What's Good about Good Friday?

2011-03-30T17:34:00.000-05:00

I stand amazed at the great lengths God would go to just to save us. You might say, "Why do I need to be saved? What am I being saved from?" It all goes back to the Garden of Eden. The story is found in the Book of Genesis. God created Adam and Eve and gave them simple instructions which ultimately they disobeyed. God had warned them that their disobedience would result in death. They chose to listen to the temptation of Satan rather than the clear command of God. The result was their banishment from the Garden, eventual physical death and separation from God. However God promised that he would provide a way of reconciliation for them. Since we all descended from Adam and Eve, the same curse is upon us, we're born, we die and without God's intervention we would be eternally separated from him in a place of torment...fire and brimstone.

God says we are all born as sinners. Some will readily admit to being sinners but others believe we are basically good. The problem is that we have the wrong standard. We think we're good because we're not as bad as others who may be drunks, murderers or thieves. God is the one who sets the standard and His standard is nothing short of perfection. "...For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood." Romans 3:23-25

I don't understand why God loves mankind but I'm just glad that He does. He loves us so much that He provided a way of escape from eternal punishment. If we accept the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and allow Him to have control of our lives, we can become righteous in God's eyes. "...When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners." Romans 3:6-8

I'm currently reading through the Gospels as we approach Resurrection Day. It's good to be reminded of the price that Jesus paid to redeem us from the penalty of our sin. The cross can be minimalized to jewelry or clothing adornment but it was the most brutal form of execution ever known to man. But God decided this would be the method by which Jesus would willingly give up His life. "... Pilate had Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip. The soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they put a purple robe on him. “Hail! King of the Jews!” they mocked, as they slapped him across the face." "...So they took Jesus away. Carrying the cross by himself, he went to the place called Place of the Skull. There they nailed him to the cross." John 19:1-3,17

That's what makes Good Friday "good". Jesus suffered the ignominious death on the cross but it was "good" for us because He became the substitute to appease a holy God on our behalf. I don't have to understand it, I just need to believe it and accept it by faith. "For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ." 2 Corinthians 5:21

The Real St. Patrick

2011-03-17T14:52:00.001-05:00

I am Patrick, yes a sinner and indeed untaught; yet I am established here in Ireland where I profess myself bishop. I am certain in my heart that "all that I am," I have received from God. So I live among barbarous tribes, a stranger and exile for the love of God. He himself testifies that this is so. I never would have wanted these harsh words to spill from my mouth; I am not in the habit of speaking so sharply. Yet now I am driven by the zeal of God, Christ's truth has aroused me. I speak out too for love of my neighbors who are my only sons; for them I gave up my home country, my parents and even pushing my own life to the brink of death. If I have any worth, it is to live my life for God so as to teach these peoples; even though some of them still look down on me. I Cor. 15:10 Phil. 2:30

Could I have come to Ireland without thought of God, merely in my own interest? Who was it made me come? For here "I am a prisoner of the Spirit" so that I may not see any of my family. Can it be out of the kindness of my heart that I carry out such a labor of mercy on a people who once captured me when they wrecked my father's house and carried off his servants? For by descent I was a freeman, born of a decurion father; yet I have sold this nobility of mine, I am not ashamed, nor do I regret that it might have meant some advantage to others. In short, I am a slave in Christ to this faraway people for the indescribable glory of "everlasting life which is in Jesus Christ our Lord." Acts 20.22 Rom. 6.-23

Excerpt from A Letter to the Soldiers of Coroticus

A Prayer for Japan

2011-03-12T07:05:00.001-06:00

A Prayer for Japan

Christ is the Rock

2011-03-11T06:55:00.001-06:00

We erroneously think that the Old Testament is just full of interesting stories from which we can derive moral lessons. However, the entire Bible points to Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Here is just one example...in Exodus chapter 17, God used Moses to deliver the children of Israel from slavery in Egypt. They had witnessed the miraculous plagues that God brought on the Egyptians and the miracle of a lifetime when the Red Sea parted and they crossed on dry land. Yet they continually doubted God's provision for them. By the time they arrived at Rephidim they were thirsty and complained about their lack of water. They were ready to stone Moses to death. They demanded that he give them water to drink! God instructed Moses to strike a particular rock with his staff and water would gush out for all to drink. This rock prophesied Jesus Christ who would willingly give his life as a ransom for many and provide living water. Just as Moses would strike the rock, Jesus would be beaten, suffer and die to provide spiritual refreshment for us, through Him the Holy Spirit (living water) would flow to mankind.

Consider what Jesus said about the life giving water that He provides,

"...those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life." John 4:13

"Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.) John 7:38-39

The Apostle Paul plainly states the truth about this analogy...

"I don’t want you to forget, dear brothers and sisters, about our ancestors in the wilderness long ago. All of them were guided by a cloud that moved ahead of them, and all of them walked through the sea on dry ground. In the cloud and in the sea, all of them were baptized as followers of Moses. All of them ate the same spiritual food, and all of them drank the same spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ. Yet God was not pleased with most of them, and their bodies were scattered in the wilderness." 1 Corinthians 10:1-5

In a similar instance the Israelites were camped at Kadesh and are in need of water again. God desires to expand on the "Rock" analogy but Moses obviously failed to understand the point, so his frustration and anger somewhat destroy the illustration.

God spoke to Moses: "Take the staff. Assemble the community, you and your brother Aaron. Speak to that rock that's right in front of them and it will give water. You will bring water out of the rock for them; congregation and cattle will both drink." Moses took the staff away from God's presence, as commanded. He and Aaron rounded up the whole congregation in front of the rock. Moses spoke: "Listen, rebels! Do we have to bring water out of this rock for you?" With that Moses raised his arm and slammed his staff against the rock—once, twice. Water poured out. Congregation and cattle drank. God said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you didn't trust me, didn't treat me with holy reverence in front of the People of Israel, you two aren't going to lead this company into the land that I am giving them." Numbers 20:7-12

Moses was told to speak to the rock this time and water would flow. Jesus has already suffered to pay the penalty for our sins, all we have to do is speak to the Rock of our salvation, ask for forgiveness and confess that He is Lord to enjoy spiritual refreshment. Moses acted as though he had the power to provide water from the rock. He disobeyed God's clear instructions, invoking God's anger and was denied entrance into the Promised Land. Yet even in the midst of this God's grace provided water to drink for His rebellious fledgling nation. Although we rebel against God, He proved His love by sending Jesus Christ to die in our place. From beginning to end, the Bible is all about Jesus. God invites you to receive His gift of living water today. "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved." Romans 10:9, 10

The Rebellion of Korah

2011-03-01T07:08:00.001-06:00

I'm currently reading through the Old Testament and found an interesting story in the book of Numbers chapter 16. The Israelites were camped out in the wilderness and not permitted to enter the Promised Land because of their lack of faith in God. Obviously they were frustrated and disappointed and tempers began to flare. One man named Korah had incited a group of 250 men to rebel against Moses, God's appointed leader. They didn't like the idea that Moses was running the whole show. They complained about the fact that Moses had lead them out of Egypt and not delivered on his promise of taking them to the land of milk and honey. They failed to realize that their lack of faith kept them out of Canaan. When confronted with the rebellion Moses threw himself on the ground and prayed for wisdom. Here's how it played out...

Then he (Moses) addressed Korah and his gang: "In the morning God will make clear who is on his side, who is holy. God will take his stand with the one he chooses. Now, Korah, here's what I want you, you and your gang, to do: Tomorrow, take censers. In the presence of God, put fire in them and then incense. Then we'll see who is holy, see whom God chooses. Sons of Levi, you've overstepped yourselves!"

Moses said to Korah, "Bring your people before God tomorrow. Appear there with them and Aaron. Have each man bring his censer filled with incense and present it to God—all 250 censers. And you and Aaron do the same, bring your censers."

So they all did it. They brought their censers filled with fire and incense and stood at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. Moses and Aaron did the same. It was Korah and his gang against Moses and Aaron at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. The entire community could see the Glory of God. God said to Moses and Aaron, "Separate yourselves from this congregation so that I can finish them off and be done with them." They threw themselves on their faces and said, "O God, God of everything living, when one man sins are you going to take it out on the whole community?" God spoke to Moses: "Speak to the community. Tell them, Back off from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram." Moses got up and went to Dathan and Abiram. The leaders of Israel followed him. He then spoke to the community: "Back off from the tents of these bad men; don't touch a thing that belongs to them lest you be carried off on the flood of their sins." So they all backed away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.

... Moses continued to address the community: "This is how you'll know that it was God who sent me to do all these things and that it wasn't anything I cooked up on my own. If these men die a natural death like all the rest of us, you'll know that it wasn't God who sent me. But if God does something unprecedented—if the ground opens up and swallows the lot of them and they are pitched alive into Sheol—then you'll know that these men have been insolent with God." The words were hardly out of his mouth when the Earth split open. Earth opened its mouth and in one gulp swallowed them down, the men and their families, all the human beings connected with Korah, along with everything they owned. And that was the end of them, pitched alive into Sheol. The Earth closed up over them and that was the last the community heard of them.

Things written in the Old Testament were written for our learning. Only Joshua and Caleb and those who demonstrated faith in God to subdue and deliver the Promised Land into the hands of the Israelites actually entered the land. Likewise those who demonstrate lack of faith in Jesus Christ to deliver us from destruction will never enter into the Promised Land (new heaven and new earth). We also see the danger in slandering God's appointed leader. Too many people grumble and complain about their pastor instead of submitting to his God-given leadership position. Here's what the Apostle Paul had to say about it....

Never speak harshly to an elder, but appeal to him respectfully as you would to your own father. Elders who do their work well should be respected and paid well, especially those who work hard at both preaching and teaching. Do not listen to an accusation against an elder unless it is confirmed by two or three witnesses. Those who sin should be reprimanded in front of the whole church; this will serve as a strong warning to others. I solemnly command you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus and the holy angels to obey these instructions without taking sides or showing favoritism to anyone. 1 Timothy 5:1, 17, 19 - 21

Groundhog Day

2011-01-31T14:35:00.004-06:00

Recently I watched the movie Groundhog Day again. Bill Murray plays meteorologist Phil Connors. He travels to Punxsutawney, PA with his producer and cameraman to cover the annual festivities where Punxsutawney Phil the groundhog is the star.

A blizzard develops and forces them to stay in Punxsutawney. Connors awakens the next morning to find it is February 2 again, and his day unfolds in exactly the same way. However, he is the only one aware of the repetition. Everyone else seems to be living February 2 exactly the same way and for the first time. This pattern continues for many days, maybe even weeks.

I love the fact that many great Bible teachers seem to find analogies in every day things. Rarely does this happen to me. But when I watched the movie this time, I thought about how it was analogous to trials in the Christian life. It may not be the best analogy but it works for me.

When Phil Connors realized that the same things were happening everyday, he began to memorize events, so he could manipulate people and take advantage of his situation. Later when he begins to get tired of being stuck in Groundhog Day, he tries to fight against it but the repetition continues nonetheless. Finally when he examines his life and priorities and makes the necessary changes, Groundhog Day stops and he wakes up on February 3rd a better man. Lesson learned.

The analogy may be loose but it just reminded me of the trials we go through as Christians. Whether it’s a “blizzard” in your life or just a minor testing of your faith, trials are inevitable. God is doing a work in the life of the believer and He allows things to happen along the way to develop our character. “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” Philippians 1:6

God allows trials in our lives because there is obviously something He wants us to learn from that particular situation. When we don’t pass the test it seems that God continues to bring that particular trial back into our life until we do pass the test...kinda like in the Groundhog Day movie.

Like Phil Connors sometimes we try to manipulate or take advantage of the situation we’re going through, other times we try to fight against it. But when we finally stop and examine our lives and priorities, then we pass the test and move forward. We learn and grow spiritually from the situation.

Many of us complain when we are tested. We pray for patience, so God allows us to be tested so we can develop our patience, and then we complain. Our character is both developed and revealed by tests. “When troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your patience has a chance to grow.” James 1:2-3

It's not a matter of if the storm is going to come, it's just a question of when. People have this idea that when you turn your life over to Jesus you won't have any more difficulties. Christians are not immune to difficulties and hardships and we are responsible for our reactions to the trials we encounter. The Apostle Paul probably suffered more hardship than any other Christian and yet he learned to welcome the trials. He said “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.” Romans 5:3-4

New Year, New Beginnings

2011-01-01T11:54:00.003-06:00

Last month we celebrated Christmas, the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Unfortunately for many people the story ends there. However, Jesus went on to live 33 sinless years, sacrifice His life on the cross and on the third day He rose from the dead according to the Scriptures.

Hopefully you received some nice gifts for Christmas. Over 2000 years ago, God gave us the very best gift ever given. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16 Before ascending into heaven, Jesus promised another divine gift, the Holy Spirit. "He gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." Acts 1:4,5

On the day of Pentecost (50 days after Jesus' resurrection) the promise of the Holy Spirit was realized. When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Acts 2:1-4 Then Peter stood before the crowd in Jerusalem and preached the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Over 3000 people became Christians that day.

Just like the original disciples, when we choose to make Jesus Lord of our lives, we receive His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the down payment for our coming redemption and inheritance. "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory." Ephesians 1:13, 14

We are all God creatures, but not all of us are God's children. The Holy Spirit gives us the assurance that we belong to Him. "The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children." Romans 8:16 Do you have that assurance? The Holy Spirit is also the one that brings conviction in our lives. Jesus said, "I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment." John 16:7, 8 Later in that same passage (16:13) Jesus informs us that The Spirit will be our Counselor and Teacher. "When he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth."

Sometimes we want to pray and the words won't come. Other times we just don't know the right words to say but the Holy Spirit is our silent prayer partner. "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will." Romans 8:26, 27

We live in a hurting world and the Holy Spirit is the one who comforts us in our pain. Before He left his disciples Jesus said, "I will pray to the Father, and He will give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you." John 14:16, 17

We are to give freely from what God gives to us. He comforts us so that we can return the favor to those around us who are hurting. "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God." 2 Corinthians 1:3, 4

It's a new year, time for a new beginning. God doesn't want you to try to make it alone in this world. You can have the comfort, peace, wisdom, guidance and strength of His Holy Spirit today. Just talk to Him and tell Him you believe in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ and allow Him to have control of your life. He loves you and has your best interest in mind. Today is the day!

Born to Die

2010-11-30T17:48:00.004-06:00

It wasn’t so for our Lord Jesus Christ. In His life he was the exact representation of His Father in heaven and He demonstrated how we should live on earth but His mission was fulfilled in His death. He said "...the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" Matthew 20:28. Long before there was time, God had a plan to create mankind. Being omniscient, he knew that man would fall prey to Satan and sin, so even before Adam existed, God formulated a redemption plan.

God is perfect. He is holy. Nothing imperfect or unholy can dwell in His sight. Apart from reconciliation to God through Jesus Christ we have no righteousness. Our sin, our disobedience, our iniquities require expiation, and the only way to make atonement is with life-giving blood. "For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life" Leviticus 17:11. Sin is such a grievance to God that it must be covered in blood, the very life of the flesh. "...without the shedding of blood is no remission of sin" Hebrews 9:22.

When Adam and Eve sinned through disobedience, God slaughtered an animal to make a covering for them. The dead animal's hide provided a covering for their skin and the blood of the animal provided a covering for their sin. Many years later when God gave Israel the law, He instituted a sacrificial system where the blood of bulls and goats would be used to make atonement for man's sins. "But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins" Hebrews 10:3, 4. The priest would go to the altar every day, offer the same old sacrifices year in, year out, and never make a dent in the sin problem. But our High Priest, Christ made a single sacrifice for sins, once and for all!

The Bible teaches us that all things point to Christ and His mission to redeem mankind. When Adam and Eve sinned, God promised a redeemer. The promise of a Messiah was given to Abraham, the father of faith. The Ten Commandments demonstrated how imperfect we are and showed us our need for a Savior. There are over 300 prophecies in the Old Testament that foretell Jesus birthplace, details of his life, his mission, his nature, his death, and his resurrection. When the time was right, Jesus was born into the world. "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We saw his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth" John 1:14. Jesus’ purpose was to glorify God in the flesh, and ultimately give his flesh as an offering for the very people He created.

During this season, as we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, let’s not forget His subsequent death, burial and resurrection. That is the “rest of the story.”

Watch and pray

2010-09-29T17:09:00.003-05:00

When a Christian shuns fellowship with other Christians, the devil smiles. When he stops studying the Bible, the devil laughs. When he stops praying, the devil shouts for joy. – Corrie Ten Boom

The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, and prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray. – Samuel Chadwick

When the devil sees a man or woman who really believes in prayer, who knows how to pray, and who really does pray, and, above all, when he sees a whole church on its face before God in prayer, he trembles as much as he ever did, for he knows that his day in that church or community is at an end. – R.A. Torrey

But have we Holy Ghost power – power that restricts the devil’s power, pulls down strongholds and obtains promises? Daring delinquents will be damned if they are not delivered from the devil’s dominion. What has hell to fear other than a God-anointed, prayer-powered church? – Leonard Ravenhill

Satan cannot deny but that great wonders have been wrought by prayer. As the spirit of prayer goes up, so his kingdom goes down. Satan’s strategems against prayer are three. First, if he can, he will keep thee from prayer. If that be not feasible, secondly, he will strive to interrupt thee in prayer. And, thirdly, if that plot takes not, he will labour to hinder the success of thy prayer.” – William Gurnall

Prayer is the master strategy that God gives for the defeat and rout of Satan. – Wesley L. Duewel

The prayer of the feeblest saint who lives in the Spirit and keeps right with God is a terror to Satan. The very powers of darkness are paralyzed by prayer; no spiritualistic séance can succeed in the presence of a humble praying saint. No wonder Satan tries to keep our minds fussy in active work till we cannot think in prayer. – Oswald Chambers

I learned as never before that persistent calling upon the Lord breaks through every stronghold of the devil, for nothing is impossible with God. For Christians in these troubled times, there is simply no other way. – Jim Cymbala

Depend upon it, if you are bent on prayer, the devil will not leave you alone. He will molest you, tantalize you, block you, and will surely find some hindrances, big or little or both. And we sometimes fail because we are ignorant of his devices…I do not think he minds our praying about things if we leave it at that. What he minds, and opposes steadily, is the prayer that prays on until it is prayed through, assured of the answer. – Mary Booth

Prayer is an acknowledgment that our need of God’s help is not partial but total… Yet many of our church prayer meetings have dwindled in size and influence. Ultimately, the explanation can be traced to spiritual warfare. If, as the hymn writer says, Satan trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon his knees,” then we may be sure that he and his minions will be working hard to discredit the value of united prayer. The Evil One has scored a great victory in getting sincere believers to waver in their conviction that prayer is necessary and powerful. – Alistair Begg

The enemy uses all his power to lead the Christian, and above all the minister, to neglect prayer. He knows that however admirable the sermon may be, however attractive the service, however faithful the pastoral visitation, none of these things can damage him or his kingdom if prayer is neglected. – Andrew Murray

Death is Inevitable

2010-09-10T15:11:00.002-05:00

This week has seemingly been all about death. Right now our General Manager is in California for his father-in-law's funeral. A few days ago we found about about the death of a good friend. His dad flew him from Kansas to Minnesota to buy a motorcycle. While he was driving it back to Kansas he was killed by a truck driver. He was only 39 years old and leaves behind a young wife and two young children. He was a godly man and loved by everyone in Meade County, KS and beyond. What a shocker! Then one of my former co-workers from Westwood One in Phoenix informed me that an old friend of mine has terminal cancer and may only live a few more days. Death is such a downer. The only good news is that they all are Christians. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.

All of this has caused me to be very pensive and introspective. James 4:14 says "Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone." Tomorrow is not promised to us. We need to live life to the fullest. Live each day as if it's your last. And we need to cherish our friends and family members while we have them.

The Final Frontier

2010-06-02T11:42:00.005-05:00

A few years ago I read a book by John Eldredge called "Wild at Heart" that caused some introspection. While reading it, I kept wondering if maybe I should head in another career direction. I have worked in radio since 1972 and specifically in Christian radio since 1984 but this book made me wonder if God had something else in mind for me.

At the end of 2006 I resigned from my position with Family Life Radio in Tucson, AZ without any idea of what I was going to do. I worked with H&R Block for about two months before landing a job with Westwood One at their Metro Networks news room in Phoenix. They had just started a new internet division and I was hired as their Senior Web News Editor. Looking back in hindsight, God used this 15 month stint to create within me a strong desire to return to Christian radio and appreciate what I once had.

I sent out some resumes and received responses from Charlotte, St. Louis and Meade, KS. Although there was strong interest from the other two stations, it was Great Plains Christian Radio in Meade, KS that invited us to come out for an interview. This is not a place I would have chosen but it was obviously where God wanted us. So me and A'Lisa packed up all of our worldly goods (or at least all we could carry) and abandoned Phoenix for Southwest Kansas.

God used that hiatus from Christian radio to give me a renewed vision and a fresh perspective. Obviously He wanted to bring back the zeal that I had when I first chose radio as a career. Suffice it to say, living in Meade was completely different. There are only 5000 people in all of Meade County, whereas the city of Phoenix has 4,000,000 people. The biggest problem with living here is the lack of convenience. WalMart is 40 minutes away and any major city is 3 hours away.

The Lord gave us many ministry opportunities here. Not just radio ministry but pulpit supply all over SW Kansas and eventually I joined the staff of our church part time. Our church provided many opportunities for both of us to use our spiritual gifts. But now it's time for a change and hopefully this will be our final move. Radio is a transient business and I've worked all over the country but we're ready to settle down.

Last week I was offered the Operations Manager position at our sister station in Abilene, KS and I accepted. This past weekend we secured a beautiful new house that's only two years old and it's near the radio station. It will be nice to live closer to cities like Topeka and Kansas City but more importantly I will have the opportunity to work in management again. God has given me many years of experience along with talent and abilities. Now He can use what He's given me to help make this station successful. Everything happens for a reason and it's always according to His schedule.

"All glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think." Ephesians 3:20

The State of the Union

2010-05-07T10:49:00.004-05:00

“Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.” Romans 13:1

This is what the word of God says about government and our responsibility. Obviously that's not what some people want to hear. You can choose to accept it or reject it. As a Christian, I've been called to witness for Christ, not challenge authority.

Look at the big picture. Christians started most hospitals and many universities. Until about 1960 Christians cared for the poor and the needy as Jesus commanded. When Christians abdicated their responsibility the government stepped in and began welfare. We stood idly by and allowed the schools to kick God out and ten years later the Supreme Court decided it's legal to abort babies. Now the government steps in to insure the uninsured and Christians want to revolt. The blame lies with God's people for not caring for "the least of these."

“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

Right now I'm studying in Genesis and 2 Chronicles. We can look back in hindsight and see how God orchestrated things to get the people of Israel where He wanted them to be. God put Joseph in a position of power so that his family would survive by moving to Egypt. God allowed them to be enslaved for 430 years so that they would separate themselves from pagans and return to worship only Him. (Before their enslavement in Egypt, the Israelites were marrying pagans and practicing idolatry).

In the books of Kings and Chronicles we see good kings and bad kings. After the days of Solomon, kings and the people became so evil and idolatrous that God allowed the Babylonians to conquer and capture Israel in 586 BC. Once again God allowed enslavement of His people to bring them back to the One True God.

God has prophesied what is going to happen in the end times. He is in control of the situation in the world and in the United States. And just like in the Old Testament, sometimes God allows certain leaders to come to power to bring His people back to repentance and to set the stage for the end time scenario. He calls us to humble ourselves, pray, seek His face and turn from our wicked ways. He promises to hear from heaven, forgive our sin and heal our land.

"If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14

Resurrection Day

2010-03-30T12:00:00.001-05:00

The Gospel of John closes with the reason for his writing. It's so that you will be presented with the factual truth about Jesus and hopefully come to believe his claims. We who believe in Him have hope beyond the grave... because He rose from the dead, so shall we!

What's Good about Good Friday?

2010-03-11T08:12:00.002-06:00

Goals for 2010

2010-02-03T08:43:00.006-06:00

1. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and strength.

2. Love your neighbor as yourself.

3. Spend quiet time with God daily.

4. Develop an attitude of gratitude. Thank God for each day.

5. Be positive. Think on the good things.

6. Seize opportunities to serve others.

7. Develop talents, skills and abilities.

8. Spend more time outdoors. Develop healthy habits.

9. Restore broken relationships.

10. Find joy in the journey, rather than focus on the destination.

11. Don't just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best.

12. Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do.

13. Read more books. Continue to learn new things.

14. Don’t compare your life to others.

15. Dream more while you are awake.

16. Smile and laugh more.

17. Care for the widows, orphans and less fortunate.

18. Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.

19. Control yourself and remain alert.

20. Be humble and God will lift you up in due time.

New Year, New Spirit

2010-01-09T07:44:00.010-06:00

Born to Die

2009-12-09T10:08:00.005-06:00

During this season, as we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, let’s not forget His subsequent death, burial and resurrection. That is the “rest of the story.”

Thanksgiving

2009-11-20T08:40:00.008-06:00

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

This is Thanksgiving week 2009.

There is so much for which to thank God. We live in exciting times because we can see the handwriting on the wall and we know that the return of Jesus is imminent. Thank God that we still have our freedom in America and that we worship Him without government interference. Thank you Lord that you set your plan for mankind into motion long before anything was even created. Thank you for revealing yourself and your plans for us through your Word. Thank you that you love us and you knew that we would rebel against you, so you planned for our redemption.

Lord Jesus, thank you for your willingness to humble yourself, take on the form of a man, live 33 sinless years and become obedient to the point of death on a cross. God made you to become sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in you Jesus. Thank you for being our substitute, paying the price that we owed for the penalty of our sins. Through you we have redemption, the forgiveness of our sins, abundant life now and eternal life with you. Because of your sacrifice we can come boldly to the throne of grace to obtain help in time of need. Thank you Lord for enduring the cross, scorning its shame, and now you sit at the right hand of the throne of God, ever making intercession for us. Now God has exalted you to the highest place and given you the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Thank you Father for my spouse who is the perfect complement for me, thank you for our children and our extended family. Thank you for our Christian friends and even those we desire to become part of the family of God. Thank you for health and strength, for the activity of our limbs, for the experience of our senses. Thank you for the beauty of the world around us, the sun, moon and stars, all of nature and the beautiful colors we experience each year. Thank you for food, clothing, shelter, material blessings, for our jobs and the ability to do our work for your glory. Thank you Lord for giving us a future and a hope. We eagerly await the day when the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise. Then we who are still alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Our hearts are filled with gratitude because we are called, chosen and kept by the power of your Holy Spirit. All glory, praise and honor is due to you O God our Father, in the matchless name of Jesus our wonderful Lord and Savior, Amen.

Share your Faith!

2009-09-16T08:40:00.010-05:00

Recently I watched a humorous YouTube video entitled Bubble Creek Canyon. It showed what life would be like in a totally Christian community. Of course this humorous video is far fetched. We don’t live in a bubble. Every day we Christians encounter people who don’t have a relationship with Jesus Christ. That’s why we have been commanded to be his witnesses to all the world.

Once when he (Jesus) was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 1:4-5

We read about instances in the Old Testament where the Holy Spirit would come upon people at certain times for specific events. But after Jesus ascended into heaven the Holy Spirit would come permanently upon all Christians.

Notice what Jesus says next,"... you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere, to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:8

Jesus told his disciples you will receive the Holy Spirit and you will be my witnesses. He would give them spiritual power and the result is they would be His witnesses. This was an imperative and not something optional.

Why did they receive this power? They received power to be His witnesses. What does it mean to be a witness? A witness is one who can give a firsthand account of something seen, heard, or experienced … to testify of your personal knowledge.

Jesus specifies where they are to witness. First He tells them to go to the Jews - in Jerusalem - the capital of their own country, the very place where Jesus was crucified. Then they were to go throughout Judea where they rejected His ministry. Then they were to be His witnesses in Samaria. The Jews considered Samaria to be a wasteland of impure half breeds. And then Jesus said they were to spread the gospel message to the ends of the earth. That means they even had to witness to the Gentiles, the people who the Jews considered to be just fuel for the fire of hell.

Things happened just as Jesus prophesied when the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost. The disciples had the supernatural ability to share the gospel in other languages and the ability to preach with power. On the day of Pentecost, Peter preached and 3000 people were saved that day. Most of the disciples remained in Jerusalem until the persecution arose after the death of Stephen.

“A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria.” Acts 8:1

Persecution caused the spread of the disciples who carried the gospel message with them. If they had not obeyed Jesus command we would not have the gospel today. These people were the original witnesses of Jesus. They had observed his life, death and resurrection, and they saw Him ascend into heaven and they were qualified to bear witness of Him to the ends of the earth.

Within 30 years after the death of Christ, the gospel had been carried to all parts of the known world. Churches were started in Jerusalem, Antioch, Corinth, Ephesus, Philippi, and Rome. The gospel had spread in Arabia, Asia Minor, Greece, Macedonia, Italy, and Africa. All this accomplished by men who were mostly fishermen. They didn’t have wealth, armies or allies. With the exception of a few, they were uneducated men. They were taught by the Holy Spirit, armed with the power of God. That’s why they were able to spread the gospel, even in the face of deadly persecution. All of the disciples were martyrs (except John who was exiled on the Isle of Patmos). They were willing to give their lives to share the message of Christ.

So how do you share the message? Begin with prayer. Pray for your neighbors, your family, pray for the people you work with, pray that God gives you opportunities to share your faith. Before you try to introduce someone to the Gospel, get to know them! Do stuff together, invite them over for dinner or have coffee. Share your interests. Go to the movies. Go hunting, fishing or camping together. Play golf or go shopping together. Invite them to church.

Jesus spent more time building relationships - eating and drinking with people than anything else! Follow his lead! You may be able to only work with a few at a time. Jesus concentrated on 12 disciples, and three were his inner circle, and then only John is described as the disciple who he loved.

Remember a witness is one who can give a firsthand account of something seen, heard or experienced. If you really have a relationship with Jesus, you have something to share. Simply share what your life was like before you met Christ, tell how you came to realize your need for Christ, explain how you accepted Christ and what happened, and then mention what Christ has done and is currently doing in your life.

If you are a Christian, then you're living proof that evangelism works. Here's what God has to say about the effectiveness of His Word.

The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. Isaiah 55:10-11

Encouragement

2009-08-27T12:18:00.001-05:00

¹ I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. ² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
³ For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. ⁴ For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, ⁵ so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. ⁶ Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; ⁷ or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; ⁸ he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
⁹ Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. ¹⁰ Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; ¹¹ not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; ¹² rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; ¹³ distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.
¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. ¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. ¹⁶ Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.
¹⁷ Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. ¹⁸ If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. ¹⁹ Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. ²⁰ Therefore



      “ If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
      If he is thirsty, give him a drink;
      For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”

²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12, New King James Version)

Freedom in Christ

2009-08-14T13:23:00.010-05:00

The United States champions the cause of freedom around the world but are we really free?

Jesus said, "You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free. If the son has set you free, you shall be free indeed." John 8:32,36 True freedom can only be found in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Christianity is centered upon the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. In Romans chapter 6, the Apostle Paul shows us how important the bodily resurrection of Jesus is for us to live in obedience to God. Look at verses 1-5: Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. "United with" means we are intertwined with Him. When Jesus died He took on our sin, His death became our death. When we put our faith in Jesus Christ, He baptized us into His body with His Holy Spirit, identified us with His death on the cross, and then identified us with His resurrected life.

It also means that we are now living in a brand new realm than we’ve ever been in before. When we died with Christ, we are raised with Him to walk in newness of life. The power of God to resurrect Christ from the dead is the same power that now lives in us. He gives us the power to say no to sin and to say yes unto God. We are in Christ and Christ is now in us! How could we go back and think about living like we used to live? We’ve been completely transformed!

In verses 6-11 we read, "We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus."

When the Lord Jesus died on the cross, all of our sin was placed upon Him. When He rose from the dead, His relationship to that sin was totally changed. He didn't have a relationship with sin like we do but He took our sin upon Himself. After the cross, He was in a brand new relationship with the Father. Now He sits at the right hand of the Father ever to make intercession for us. In the same way, when we died with Him, everything that we used to be was nailed to the cross with Him, and the same power that brought Jesus back to life is the same power that put new life into us! We are brand new creatures.

Verses 12-15 say, "Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace. Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not!"

This passage shows the power we now have of choosing against sin and choosing to obey Christ. Sin is no longer a lifestyle to us. Sin is a choice once we have experienced the resurrection power of God. We can do what God tells us to do because He has given us His resurrection power.

Look at verse 16: "Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living." Choosing to obey Christ is the testimony of every believer. God has taken us out of the domain of darkness. He has placed us into His kingdom. We’re different now! The Holy Spirit lives in us to give us the power to live differently.

Verse 17 says, "Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you." What teaching? -- the teaching that Jesus is Lord of our lives. That truth is indelibly imprinted upon every believer at your conversion. Your whole testimony rests on the fact that your choice is to obey the Lord Jesus."

Read verse 18: "Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living." Whatever you choose to serve becomes your master, and there are going to be consequences to that choice. In verse 19 we see the result that obedience to Christ brings the believer. "Because of the weakness of your human nature, I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this. Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy." The holiness that man tries to come up with is so superficial. Holiness is not following a list of rules and regulations. It’s learning to walk in the resurrected power of Christ, being obedient to God’s word from a heart of gratitude not out of compulsion.

Who is your master? The resurrected power of Jesus has given us the power to choose. Jesus is our Lord. Why would we choose to participate in something that is going to drag us down the path of death and destruction when we have the power within us to pursue a life of holiness and righteousness? Sin is like a cancer. It aggressively reproduces itself until the whole person is destroyed. You don’t want to go back and serve sin again. The Spirit of God lives in you now, and the resurrection power of God is there to cause you to live differently.

Consider verse 20: "When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right." Paul is pointing them back and showing them how bad it used to be. Back then when you were living in sin, there was no accountability in your life. You lived any old way you wanted to live." He reminds them how fruitless those days were. Verse 21 says, "And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom." Paul is saying, "Your life was worthless when you were living as a slave of unrighteousness? You were ashamed, embarrassed, humiliated and discouraged. So, at some point we have to learn to make the right choices and then we will reap the consequences of right choices.

Here is the good news in verses 22 and 23, "But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord."

The power of sin has been broken in the life of a Christian. Choose to say "No" to sin and "Yes" to God and the result will be a life of holiness. Let's honor God with our lives. When you walk in the Spirit you won't carry out the deeds of the flesh!

Metamorphosis

2009-06-17T04:51:00.005-05:00

Having spent 9 formative years in Philadelphia parochial schools, I had a good head knowledge about God. From 5 years of age I studied and memorized the catechism which gave me a factual knowledge of the Almighty. Laboring under the assumption that I could work my way to heaven, I became an altar boy, learned to recite the Mass in Latin and willingly served at church at every opportunity. Even as a child I wanted to please God. Saturdays would give me the opportunity to confess my sins to the priest but all my religious duty never satisfied my conscience. Bible reading was discouraged. During his homily one Sunday, I remember the priest saying from the pulpit, "You don't need to read the Bible, that's what we're here for." All of this was a formula for failure.

I squandered my tumultuous teen years on drugs, sex and alcohol. One Friday evening while driving home from work, I stopped into a Christian book store out of curiosity. There were no other patrons in the store, so the owner turned his attention to me. Realizing I had no idea what I was looking for, the owner engaged me in a brief conversation but before I left he invited me to church. Disillusionment had brought my church attendance to a halt many years prior. Reluctantly I accepted his offer to attend because at this point I just wanted to leave. Two days later I decided to visit this church, which was a simple storefront building next to his bookstore. What a huge difference from the ornate architecture and stained glass windows of my childhood church! On a hot, humid August afternoon in Williamstown, NJ in that simple storefront, I heard a simple message that would change my life forever.

Granted, I already knew I was a sinner, you didn't have to convince me of that. I already believed in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ and knew that He died for the sins of the world, but on that morning God opened my eyes to see that He died for me. "to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God." John 1:12 I also learned that good works would not warrant my entrance into heaven. "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." Ephesians 2:8,9 My life was a jumbled mess and in response to the sermon I cried out to God that morning for help. I willingly gave up control of my life and turned it over to Jesus, believing He would change me from the inside out. "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved." Romans 10:9,10

Low Carb Living

2009-06-13T09:13:00.006-05:00

Back in 1977, I was fresh out of college and worked for a health food store. The owners were Seventh Day Adventists, ate a vegetarian diet and so I adopted their lifestyle. Eating that way, coupled with mountain living, hard work and weekly fasts, I lost 100 pounds without even trying (granted I was much younger too).

Later that year, I started playing with a gospel group. We traveled around and played at different churches in East Tennessee and North Carolina. I was a brand new Christian and I must admit I was shocked at what Christians ate at most of these churches! I just assumed that all Christians would take care of their health. Boy, was I wrong! There would be fried foods, gravy, biscuits, cakes, pies and sugary snacks. Gradually I gave in to eating what was offered at these churches and in 5 years I had regained all my weight and more.

There are so many conflicting diet theories out there. Most of my life I've been confused by all the low fat, low calorie rhetoric propagated by the government and alleged health experts. In July 2008, I began to research insulin resistance and the benefits of eating a low carbohydrate diet. I have lost 71 pounds eating what my body needs and avoiding the high carbohydrate foods that were a major contributing factor to my obesity. Now I understand how to take care of my body and the spiritual significance. My body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and belongs to God. My goal is to honor God with my body and I pray that He would help me accomplish this.

"Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body." 1 Corinthians 6: 19, 20

Fan the Flame

2009-05-31T15:58:00.005-05:00

In 2 Timothy 2:15 the Apostle Paul encourages his protege Timothy to "Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that doesn't need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

Can you rightly divide the word of truth? Do you study the Word of God? Some Christians never read the bible, let alone study it. When you become a Christian you enter into a relationship with the living LORD Jesus Christ. Relationships require time. How much time do you spend with Him each day? Consider how much time you spend watching TV or a movie, a ball game, fishing, hunting, playing. God has miraculously preserved his Word for us for thousands of years, so that we can grow in our knowledge of him, and learn how to live holy lives. What good is it if we don't spend any time reading it? Do you only open your Bible when the preacher is preaching?. You can't learn what it says just by having it in your house. Don't just rely on devotionals. Crack open your Bible and spend some time in it. You need to read it, study it, memorize it, meditate on it.

Consider when Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness to turn stones into bread. He replied that "...man can not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4). Do you have enough of the Word in you to resist the enemy? You will be tempted sooner or later.

2 Timothy 3:16,17 says, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." If God went through the trouble of humbling Himself and becoming a man, and was obedient to the point of death on a cross, and then wrote about it in a book and preserved it for thousands of years so we could know all about Him and how He wants us to live, don't you think He wants us to read it...to know what it says?

Most Christians don't see their need for personal Bible study because they say, “I go to church every week. Why do I need to study the Bible for myself? The pastor does that for me and then tells me what it says.”

So, why study the Bible? The Bible shows us who God is and who we are... and thus our deep need for Him. The entire Bible was written so that we could see and be saved by the glorious God of the universe and truly know Him through faith in Christ.

Our need for the gospel isn’t limited to just being “saved”. God also gave us the Bible so that we would study it and be sanctified, constantly being changed to be more like Jesus Christ. We constantly need to be immersed in the Bible. As Colossians 3:16 says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” The only way to do that is through Bible study. The result is that I am being “transformed by the renewing of my mind” into what God desires(Romans 12:2).

We also need to study the Bible to increase our faith in God as we go through both good and bad times in life. The Holy Spirit works through the Scriptures to build our faith in God. Reading and knowing the promises of God increases our faith. Romans 10:17 says, “faith comes from hearing and hearing by the Word of God.”

Bible study fans the flames of my faith. It is the way that we are saved, sanctified, and walk by faith. God is so gracious to have given us such a wonderful treasure, His word, to help us treasure The Word, our Lord Jesus Christ!

The Brass Serpent

2009-04-22T15:48:00.007-05:00

Once again we find the Israelites complaining about their lack of water and about the manna ("...this miserable food!"). Manna was a sweet wafer-like substance that was provided by God...literally bread from heaven. This manna represented Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life. Consider these New testament references...Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." "Sir," they said, "from now on give us this bread." Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. John 6:32-35

Now back to the wilderness wanderings...

They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!" Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said, "We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from us." So Moses prayed for the people. The LORD said to Moses, "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live." So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived. Numbers 21:4-9

It's easy to read these passages and think, "these Israelites never learn their lesson...they're always grumbling, murmuring and complaining." We must remember that these things were written down for our learning. Many times we've been guilty of complaining about God's provision or what we consider a lack thereof. The danger is that Satan can use our complaints as an opportunity to sin.

The fiery serpents represent sin and all mankind has been injected with its poison. The brass serpent on the pole was a picture of Jesus Christ who came in the form of man and took our sin upon Himself when He gave His life on the cross.

For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:21

Jesus himself even would concur with this assessment..."Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life." John 3:14,15

Christ is the Rock

2009-04-18T08:38:00.006-05:00

Consider what Jesus said about the life giving water that He provides,

"...those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life." John 4:13

The Apostle Paul plainly states the truth about this analogy...

The Rebellion of Korah

2009-04-18T06:18:00.007-05:00

Resurrection Day

2009-04-11T06:01:00.004-05:00

Good Friday

2009-04-10T12:58:00.005-05:00

This morning I read The Gospel of John, chapters 18 and 19 to my wife before we prayed. I think it's good to be reminded of the price that Jesus paid to redeem us from the penalty of our sin. The cross can be minimalized to jewelry or clothing adornment but it was the most brutal form of execution ever known to man. But God decided this would be the method by which Jesus would willingly give up His life. "... Pilate had Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip. The soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they put a purple robe on him. “Hail! King of the Jews!” they mocked, as they slapped him across the face." "...So they took Jesus away. Carrying the cross by himself, he went to the place called Place of the Skull. There they nailed him to the cross." John 19:1-3,17

Humble Radio Beginnings

2009-04-07T04:58:00.005-05:00

Since my childhood I have always loved radio. Growing up in Philly in the 60's I heard some of the best music with some of the best disc jockeys of that era. They influenced me to dabble in college radio but I never dreamed that I would ever be as good. In 1972, I graduated from Overbrook Regional High School in Pine Hill, NJ and left home within 2 months. I packed my belongings and at 17 years old, I took a 17 hour Greyhound Bus ride to Tusculum College in Greeneville, TN. That bus trip changed my life completely.

Tennessee was a totally different world. I spent the first 14 years of my life in Philly, a city known for fast paced, hard living. That world was all concrete, asphalt, brick and mortar. Moving to Tennessee was like stepping back in time. The pace was slow and easy, people were friendly and the mountains were beautiful. Tusculum College recruited heavily in the Northeast so I was surprised to meet so many students with similar backgrounds. There was a campus radio station WTCR, a one watt, carrier current, student run station in the basement of the Student Union building. The signal was only strong enought to cover the campus. I had only been on campus for a month before asking "Norton", the student manager for a radio shift. Without any prior knowledge or radio experience he was willing to put me on the air. He showed me how to cue records and work the antique audio mixing board and then he turned me loose. Every evening I would bring my collection of rock albums and play my favorites for all my friends to hear. This was the humble beginning of a great radio career.

Fast forward to 1979 -1980. I was unemployed and attending church in Kingsport, TN. One particular Sunday I shared with a friend about my lack of work and he asked about my experience. When I mentioned my college radio experience, he ramarked that his friend might be interested in me. Turns out his friend was John Frye, the manager of Holston Valley Broadcasting Corporation. At that time this company owned WKPT AM, FM and TV. After the interview they trained me, and gave me a weekend shift on both of their radio stations. WKPT FM was one of the old "Beautiful Music" formatted stations (sleepy elevator music) but WKPT-AM (14KPT) was their Top 40 station. It was quite a learning experience because I had to operate both radio stations on my shift. The FM basically consisted of a room sized computer than played music sequentially off 10 inch reels from a set of six Revox tape recorders. Every hour I would play a 5 minute song on the AM station, run down the hall to the production room, record my news and weather on "carts" (which looked like 8 track tapes), then run down to the FM station and load them into this massive computer system, affectionately known as "Otto" (short for automation) then run back to the AM studio before my song ended. On the AM station, I developed the personality known as "Jay Christian", a name that represented my faith in Christ. During the week I was working for a company that made solar panels but on the weekends I honed my skills on the popular music of the day. All of the music was on carts which meant we didn't have to cue records anymore. We played a mix of music from the 60's, 70's and the top 40 hits. I felt like I belonged on the air, I was comfortable, I had a natural feel for the music (being a musician) and I had a lot of top 40 DJ inside of me just waiting to come out...

Weekend to Remember

2009-04-06T08:33:00.003-05:00

Several weeks ago we enjoyed beautiful vibrant sunrises as we would drive from Plains to Meade each morning. Then came daylight savings time and we were driving to work in the dark. Well...as the season progresses we're once again seeing spectacular sunrises as we drive in to work. I guess has something to do with the earth's rotation but now we see the sunrise on the North side of the road rather than the South side. Nonetheless it's a beautiful sight to behold and my mind recalls the verse that says..."The heavens declare the glory of God."

This weekend we attended the Family Life "Weekend to Remember" marriage conference at the beautiful Wichita Hyatt hotel. Through the generosity of our radio station we attended this conference free of charge. We listened to some insightful speakers and participated in projects designed to develop and strengthen communication. We learned much about each other and now comes the hard part...application! Learning truth is wonderful but it's only through application that transformation comes...that is the goal. We had a wonderful date Saturday night at the Mediterranean Grill. It was undoubtedly the best Middle Eastern food we've ever eaten!

We planned on returning from Wichita Sunday afternoon but our worship leader just had surgery, so we agreed to cut our trip short and return in time to lead worship. We got a 4:30 wake up call from the front desk and after a hot shower and some weak coffee we hit the road. Upon leaving Wichita we encountered rain and as we drove further West the rain changed to snow and ice accompanied by 50 mph winds. Every now and then I would release my death grip on the steering wheel just to get some blood circulating in my hands again. Ironically when we finally returned to Meade County we had sunshine (albeit with 50 mph winds). We arrived home about 8:15 and got to church at 8:35 just in time for worship team rehearsal. I was very tired and wired from such a hectic morning. Many of the teens were tired too from staying up all night after the prom. But by the grace of God we had a wonderful service (including the worship music).

The Blizzard of 2009

2009-03-27T08:05:00.001-05:00

Well after two weeks of spring weather, winter is back. We had several inches of snow last night with more to come. They are predicting a blizzard tonight with 15 inches of snow and 50 mph winds. So much for global warming! I haven’t seen that much snow since the blizzard of ‘93, the one that hit from Cuba to Canada. I was living in upstate NY at the time and we got 6 feet of snow…shut the state down!

One of our friends flew from Boise to Denver just ahead of the storm. She got the last flight from Denver to Wichita and my wife picked her up yesterday. All other flights form Denver International Airport were canceled because of the blizzard. She and my wife are supposed to be working a booth at the home show in Garden City but it’s probably canceled too. I have a snow day from work I guess the three of us will be holed up here at home.

While on vacation I gained ten pounds. But as of today I’m back to my pre-vacation weight minus one more pound. That’s a total of 64 pounds gone forever! I’ve had lots of activity between the Pilates DVD, Leslie Sansone’s 4 fast miles and my 10 minute Fat Blasting Latin dance workout (now that’s fun)! My wife even got a belly dancing exercise video. That rocks!

Sixties Philly Top 40 Radio

2009-03-20T13:26:00.012-05:00

Growing up in Philly in the 60's, I got a good dose of great Top 40 radio. Stations like WDAS, WFIL and WIBG were legendary with "boss jocks" like Hy Lit, Georgie Woods, Dr. Don Rose, Joe Niagara and Jimmy Bishop. Unless you lived through this era you just don't understand. In 1964 the music was new, fresh and innovative. I witnessed the beginning of the British Invasion when the Beatles were featured on the Ed Sullivan TV show. Radio stayed on top of this new genre with bands like the Dave Clark Five, Zombies, The Hollies, The Animals, Chad and Jeremy, Manfred Mann, Peter & Gordon, Freddie and the Dreamers and The Troggs. The music was so hot, I recall one morning when a particular Beatles song entered the charts at #40 and that afternoon when I returned from school it was the #1 song!

WDAS was the top station for people of color. Running parallel with the British invasion was the Motown movement out of Detroit with artists like Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross & The Supremes, The Four Tops, The Temptations, Martha and the Vandellas, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Jr. Walker & the All Stars, The Contours and The Jackson 5. There was Philly Soul with the music of the Delfonics, The Intruders, Jerry Butler, Patti LaBelle and the Bluebells, Bunny Sigler, Brenda and the Tabulations, and Major Harris. As a kid in South Philly I remember when guys would stand on the corner, under the street light and sing the sweetest acapella doo-wop harmony you ever heard!! Every week there were new soul songs on the radio and there would be corresponding new dances. According to my mother, I was dancing before I could walk! With American Bandstand, Ed Sullivan and the Jerry Blavat Show, we got to see all our favorite new bands on TV, but I was hooked on radio...the fast talking, supercool DJ's and the infectious music. Never in my wildest dreams did I picture myself with a radio career.

...to be continued

The Downward Trend

2009-02-14T03:54:00.002-06:00

Fat cells are resilient, stubborn little creatures that do not want to give up their actual cell volume. Over a period of weeks, maybe months of “proper dieting”, each of your fat cells may have actually lost a good percentage of the actual fat contained in those cells. But the fat cells themselves, stubborn little guys, replace that lost fat with water to retain their size. That is, instead of shrinking to match the reduced amount of fat in the cell, they stay the same size!

This has been true in my body this month. I have had three Thursdays in a row where I have stepped on the scale and saw no change. As Tom Petty sang, "The waiting is the hardest part." This week I have added 2 tbsps of olive oil to my regimen and MCT Gold. It may or may not be coincidence but this morning I just had the feeling that I was lighter. When I stepped on the scales I was down 2 pounds! Total weight loss 63 pounds! WooooooooHoooooooooooo!!!!!

Ol' 55

2009-01-28T11:35:00.004-06:00

I celebrated my birthday yesterday
with a bit of obvious ambivalence
glad for the experience gained
sad for the things I’ve never changed
it precipitated an objective retrospective
changed my perspective by directive.
Whom have I influenced within my sphere
is the world really any better here
have I made a difference by my presence
or fallen to the acquiescence of obsolescence?
This quest has drawn a certain conclusion
only change is constant … that’s no illusion
knowledge never is perfectly complete
life’s learned lessons are quite bittersweet.

Lunarmax Productions

January 28, 2001

Milestone

2009-01-23T12:57:00.003-06:00

I'm living out my 2009 motto...Perserverance + patience = progress!

Yesterday was my weigh in day and I completely forgot to step on the scale. So this morning I rushed to the bathroom with great anticipation. Much to my surprise...Whoosh!...I had lost another 3 pounds! This puts me at exactly 60 pounds gone forever! What a great birthday present!! Yesterday a good friend actually referred to me as "skinny-mini." I doubt that I will ever be skinny but by the grace of God I will get to a healthy weight. My mini goal is 300 pounds and I can envision that happening sometime this spring. I'm very appreciative of all the support I receive on this forum!

Today is Day 29 of my third 30 day sweet free challenge. This has obviously been very beneficial to my weight loss. After the initial whoosh last summer, I felt like my weight loss had stalled. So when Jimmy issued the first challenge I joined in. I lost 10 pounds on the first 30 day challenge, 10 pounds on the second challenge, and 9 pounds on this 3rd/current challenge. Tomorrow I will have some sugar free treats at my birthday party and then I will begin again. Since there are no special occasions coming up, I may continue this next challenge until our vacation in March.

Reaching for the Goal

2009-01-17T05:58:00.001-06:00

Perseverance + patience = progress. I just keep doing the right things for my body even though the scale may not reflect the results. The hard part is patience. If I persevere and wait, the results will come eventually.

When I weighed myself on January 2nd, I had lost 2 pounds, that gave me a total of 55 pounds gone forever. Then over the last two weeks I have sustained a 2 pound weight gain. So in my mind, I really haven't lost any weight this month. This morning the patience paid off. Not only have I lost the 2 pounds that I put back on, but 2 more pounds on top of those! I was shocked to see 323 on the scales this morning. That's a 4 pound weight loss this month and a total of 57 pounds gone forever!

New Year, New Beginning

2009-01-07T05:20:00.001-06:00

2009 marks a new chapter for me and A'Lisa. With help from our friends, we moved into the parsonage last week. I'm officially on staff now as Associate Pastor at our church. We'll be very involved in the community, helping to develop people of faith. We look forward with anticipation to God doing great things this year!

I'm so glad that I learned about low carb eating last summer. It has enabled me to get through the holidays unscathed, losing weight rather than gaining. I have a goal of losing 100 pounds this year, in addition to the 55 pounds I lost last year. I have no doubt that it's an attainable goal because I have already seen great results without deprivation, starving and without even regular exercise. Exercise will be a part of my lifestyle this year and that will only help to advance my cause and my health.

2008 Year in Review

2008-12-24T07:47:00.003-06:00

We are so very grateful for the opportunities God has given us to serve Him. We spent a year working as a CARES team for Apartment Life Ministries in Northwest Phoenix. Our responsibility was to provide community and resident services at Renaissance Apartments. That consisted of welcome visits, teen activities, cookouts, pool parties, visiting the sick and even a Super Bowl party all in the name of building community. Personally we had the opportunity to build numerous relationships, have hundreds of spiritual conversations with residents and experience one single mother commit her life to Jesus Christ. The spiritual adventure of being a CARES Team helped Jay develop a servant's heart. A'Lisa is already gifted in that area.

This year brought with it Jay's desire to return to Christian radio. After a nationwide search, God opened the door for him at Great Plains Christian Radio in Meade, Kansas. They actually have two radio stations, He's on KJIL from noon to 3pm (Contemporary Christian) and KHYM from 3 - 7pm (Inspirational format). The stations cover SW Kansas and portions of Texas, Colorado and Oklahoma. Working at the radio station enabled Jay to preach all over SW Kansas, whenever churches needed pulpit supply. So many times the Lord has confirmed that this is where He wants us to be, through His provision and the many ministry opportunities.

A'Lisa dreamed of opening a local coffee house that would become a social haven. The Lord allowed her to meet another local woman who owned a historic hotel (The Palace) and she had everything needed to open a coffee house. Thus the Palace coffee house was born. In addition to providing coffee and other homemade goodies to the community A'Lisa has used the Palace for fun events like jewelry classes, Bunco game nights, live music, ice cream eating contests, trunk or treat and now it's decorated for the annual Christmas tour. This became more than a job for A'Lisa, as she uses the opportunity to minister to just about everyone who darkens the doors. She has had many spiritual conversations, provided a listening ear, prayed for people, invited them to church, shared her faith in Christ, laughed and cried with them or just gave them a hug when necessary.

We miss being able to visit Jessy and Andy. Living in Phoenix we were just 30 minutes away from each other and could get together easily. Our daughter Jessica from Chattanooga spent a week with us back in March. We made all the Arizona tourist stops like the Grand Canyon and Sedona. She really enjoyed her visit. James and Jeshua are doing well. God provided the money for A'Lisa to spend a week with Alex recently. It was good for her to see Alex and be assured that he's taking care of himself.

We attend Plains Christian Church, a non-denominational ministry which is about 15 miles West of Meade. A'Lisa helps teach the children's Sunday School class and Jay helps our Pastor teach the adults. Recently Jay was installed as the Associate Pastor (part time), since our Pastor really needs additional staff. Soon we will move to the parsonage in Plains and begin this new chapter of our lives. We are so excited about working together with Pastor Rich and his wife to reach out to the surrounding community.

Remember our Lord Jesus' command, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

May you and your family have a wonderfully blessed Christ centered Christmas!

To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy, to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

Christmas Enchantment

2008-12-16T10:54:00.002-06:00

Yesterday I left work at 11:00 picked up A’Lisa and we headed to Plains to work on the house. Our pastor came by about Noon and we had already started painting. With his help we were able to knockout a couple of rooms. We really appreciate his help. “Many hands make light work.” We cleaned up the mess, drove back to Meade, ate burgers and salad for dinner and settled down to rest.

I asked A'Lisa to call the Enns family who let me use their car last week while she was in Boise and please express our thanks. Well she did just that and before she hung up, Mrs. Enns said, “You’re coming to the Christmas program tonight aren’t you?” To which A'Lisa replied “Sure! What time is it?”… “7:30…OK…we’ll be there!”

At that point she reminded me of our commitment. Mrs. Enns daughter Eva is A'Lisa's best friend and she asked us to attend her daughter’s Christmas program. She is a single mom and we love to help her and her girls in any way we can. So we honored our promise, bundled up in the 10 degree cold and drove to the school. So many people were there we had to park quite a distance away and that little walk was brutal in the below freezing temperatures!

Eva had saved me a seat on the front row so that I could video her girls. I sat next to her nieces and encouraged them before they sang. I must admit, I would rather have been at home lounging in my recliner but the Christmas program was absolutely wonderful. Our children are all grown and it’s probably been 15 years since I attended anything like that. I couldn’t help but smile as the kindergarten through sixth grade presented their music, songs and the play for us. They were so cute and charming! Some of them dressed in their Sunday best. Others were dressed in costume for the play. I noticed that some of the kids knew every word and motion, while others just lip-synced and tried their best to keep up. There were those who looked nervous and others looked so confident they could be rock stars. I enjoyed myself immensely at this enchanting performance and was glad to honor our commitment to Eva and the girls!

White Christmas

2008-12-09T06:25:00.001-06:00

Having spent the last 2 years in Arizona and before that living in Florida, it's been quite some time since I have experienced cold weather. Since moving to Kansas, I've seen my share of cold and wind and it's not even officially winter yet! They've been forecasting snow for the last couple of weeks and we've had only a flurry or two. The prognosticators called for snow last night and when I awoke at 4:00 this morning and looked outside I saw nothing, but we have wind gusts up to 45 mph.

Two hours later I went to the back door to put the dog (Bagel) outside and we were both shocked to see an inch or two of snow. Now Bagel hates rain, she doesn't even like to get wet and she didn't know what to think about this stuff. I had to drag her outside and after five minutes she was ready to come back in. You know, she might get her paws wet!

Anyway, A'Lisa made it to Boise to be with our son Alex. When she returns home she may be surprised to see everything covered in white. I wasn't dreaming of a white Christmas but it looks like we're going to have one!

Lost 50 pounds!!!

2008-12-08T05:04:00.002-06:00

This morning A'Lisa leaves for Boise to be with our son Alex. Living here in the middle of nowhere makes it difficult to travel. She has to drive 7 hours to Denver to get an flight to Boise that won't cost a week's salary! We only have one car but some wealthy neighbors, who have about 15 vehicles, are letting me use their Lincoln Continental all week. God is good! Thanks to everyone here for keeping Alex in your thoughts and prayers!

Normally I only weigh weekly, but since I stopped using artificial sweeteners, my weight loss has been steady. So I'm tempted to check more often. This morning I weighed and I was down 4 more pounds! This is incredible! That puts me past my goal of losing 50 pounds by Christmas!

An Attitude of Gratitude

2008-12-07T06:36:00.003-06:00

I want to continue my thread of thankfulness...today being thankful to God. We have a 20 year old son who lives in Boise, he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when he was 9 years old. Not maintaining strict control of his blood sugar landed him in CCU at the hospital for 3 days last week. They finally got his blood glucose levels under control and sent him home Friday. I wanted to send my wife to visit him but our finances are tight.

Last night at the Christmas party our manager handed out bonus checks. This was totally unexpected. My bonus was the equivalent of two weeks pay! He told me in private that since I've only been here 7 months that normally I would only receive half that amount. But since he and the board appreciated the fine work that I do, they decided to give me the whole amount! God is good! Now A'Lisa can spend the week with Alex in Boise. What a tremendous blessing!

Concerning the party, I was tempted by the cheesecake (my favorite dessert) but did not indulge. I just enjoyed the prime rib, salmon piccata, vegetables and salad. One local pastor's wife has been asking about the low carb lifestyle, so I sent her some low carb links on Friday. I noticed that even she avoided the sweets last night. I love the "paying it forward" concept!

Hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday!

Livin' La Vida Lo Carb!

2008-12-06T05:58:00.009-06:00

Five months ago I began searching for weight loss ideas online. That's when I found Jimmy Moore. His story sounded too good to be true. I started reading his blog, watching his videos and lurking at his forum. Then I began searching for other low carb information. There were many LC sites and forums out there, but I was drawn back to Jimmy Moore. His story was like mine. I weighed almost as much as he used to and I thought, "If he can do it, so can I."

After much research and lurking, I began this way of eating on July 30. I borrowed Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution from a co-worker and read it voraciously. Then through my research I found Dr. Richard Bernstein's Diabetes Solution, I bought it and quickly read though it. My initial weigh loss was rapid, but then things began to really slow down. I tried many things to tweak my food plan, like the Fat Fast, Intermittent Fasting, increasing fat, limiting protein and eventually eliminating artificial sweeteners.

I'm excited for this experience because I have learned what my body needs for optimum health and also what it does not need. I have learned that I can be satisfied with 2000 calories or less, 20g carbs and 105 g protein each day. The biggest and most important lesson was learned when I eliminated artificial sweeteners in October. Since I challenged myself to live sweet free, 6 weeks ago, I have lost 17 pounds and have a new found mental clarity!

I owe a debt of gratitude to Jimmy Moore for spreading the low carb message on the internet to help others like myself. Thanks to everyone who stood with me, walked along this journey with me, picked me up when I fell down and encouraged me along the way. As the world's wisest man once said, "A cord of three strands is not easily broken." As of today I have lost 47 pounds, on the way to my mini goal of losing 50 pounds by Christmas Day. Thank you so much!

Current weight 333
Lost 47 pounds since 07/30/08

Keep on keepin on'

2008-12-03T11:46:00.003-06:00

Well I must admit, I don’t normally make a habit of weighing every day, I usually just weigh on Thursday. But the last two mornings I have peeked at the scale. Part of the reason is the Thanksgiving aftermath and part of it is the sweet free challenge. I saw consistent weight loss when I gave up anything sweet (including artificial sweeteners) in November and wonder if it will continue. Yesterday when I peeked at the scale I was down one pound. This morning when I peeked I was down three more pounds! I’m convinced that eating artificial sweetener is a hindrance to my weight loss and I plan to keep away from it except on special occasions. I’ve never really been convinced that anything artificial could be good for me. I’m excited to see consistent weight loss!! WooHoo!!

Another pound gone!!

2008-12-02T10:43:00.002-06:00

Yesterday I had one of those mornings where I just didn't feel like eating breakfast. So I used to opportunity to drink voluminous amounts of water. Lunch came early, at about 10:30 AM, I had 2 cups of salad with blue cheese crumbles and some leftover rotisserie chicken. My wife cooked dinner last night, which was very nice, because I normally cook dinner. She made LindaSue's Chili Monterrey Chicken and Mexican "rice" (made from cauliflower). I was so good I had two servings and ate an ounce of pecans later. My daily totals were Calories 2077, Fat 137g, Carbs 24g and Protein 175g.

Even though I ate more than my normal amounts, my carb intake was still low and I actually stepped on the scale this morning and saw a one pound weight loss! Gotta love the low carb way of eating!

Back to the Routine

2008-12-01T16:16:00.002-06:00

Well, I had a busy weekend. We spent Thanksgiving with some good friends. Friday morning I came to the radio station to record my shows, in the afternoon spent about 3 hours practicing for the Down Home Christmas Concert and then performed Friday night. Saturday we slept in, did some shopping in the afternoon, and had a quiet evening at home. Sunday I preached at two local churches, then we were invited out to lunch and spent the remainder of the day decorating our home for Christmas and playing games.

What I noticed this weekend is that being out of my routine, I tended to eat more than usual, however I still ate low carb. Now it's Monday and I know from experience that it's much easier to follow my routine when I'm working. Today I'll get back to tracking all my food on fitday and make sure I'm getting balanced meals.

This month I'll be joining the staff at my church as Associate Pastor. I'll still be working at the radio station and work at the church part time. We'll be moving to Plains, which is about 15 miles away, into a house provided by the church. The house will be part of my monthly remuneration. Suffice it to say, I will get plenty of exercise working on the new house. We want to paint and remodel before moving in. We'll actually move some time in January. That's what's happening in my world, should be an interesting month!

Thanksgiving Day!

2008-11-28T13:46:00.001-06:00

Thanksgiving Day has come and gone. I ate much more than usual but managed to keep my carbs down. I just had a small breakfast of 1 egg, bacon and cheese. About noon I made a meat and cheese tray with celery and pickles. My wife and I snacked on that and sampled the cheese ball she made. I made some stuffed jalapenos to take to our friends house and A'Lisa made green beans with almonds, sugar free cranberry/orange relish, cheese ball, cheesecake, pumpkin bake and real whipped topping.

At our friends house we had the stuffed jalapenos and cheese ball with celery for appetizers with a small glass or two of white zinfandel. About an hour later we had dinner and I avoided all the high carb/sugar laden stuff. I simply had dark meat turkey, cranberry relish and green beans. For dessert I had cheesecake and pumpkin bake with whipped topping.

I was pretty stuffed after dinner and then we played this game called "Apples to Apples." It was lots of fun. Usually I don't eat after 6 pm, but when I came home I ate a few more jalapenos and had another small slice of cheesecake. Now back to my normal routine!

Thanksgiving

2008-11-25T20:09:00.005-06:00

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:17

This is Thanksgiving week 2008. There is so much for which to thank God. We live in exciting times because we can see the handwriting on the wall and we know that the return of Jesus is imminent. Thank God that we still have our freedom in America and that we worship Him without government interference. Thank you Lord that you set your plan for mankind into motion long before anything was even created. Thank you for revealing yourself and your plans for us through your Word. Thank you that you love us and you knew that we would rebel against you, so you planned for our redemption.

Sedulous Sunday

2008-11-24T12:54:00.004-06:00

Yesterday I wasn't feeling well but was scheduled to preach at the Lutheran church in Liberal, so I fulfilled my obligation. We were done so early that I attended the service at my home church afterwards. A group of folks invited us to lunch at Pizza Hut, so we went with them.

I should have ordered the regular chicken wings but I ordered the boneless wings and was shocked when the brought out the order. They looked like big chicken nuggets with lots of breading. So I picked off as much breading as possible and just ate the meat (there wasn't much meat left after taking off all the breading)!

Then we traveled to Dodge City to see Christian comedian Ken Davis. This was sponsored by our radio station so I needed to attend. He was so funny that I was cracking up and that would make me start coughing. I spent two hours laughing, coughing, crying and snotting and went through two handkerchiefs!

I really overdid it yesterday and today I was so tired. I went to work for just four hours, recorded my two shows and cleaned off my desk and now I'm back home. My lungs hurt from so much talking but I am getting better. I'm taking Baxin, Mucinex, Echinacea/Golden Seal and all my vitamins. At least I can rest my voice for the remainder of the day!

Rocking Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu

2008-11-22T06:11:00.004-06:00

Took a sick day from work yesterday and visited the doctor in the afternoon. The bad news is I have walking pneumonia. Doctor gave me some strong antibiotics and some OTC medicines to take. It only hurts when I cough but it's necessary to expectorate.

The good news is I now weigh 339 lbs. fully clothed at the doctor's office. That means my scale at home weighs five pounds heavier than the doctor's scale! Also my blood glucose level was 107 after lunch. That's the lowest it's ever been! Woo Hoo! The last time I visited the doctor in September I couldn't even weigh on his scale because it has a 350 lb. weight limit. This was a major personal accomplishment to weigh on his scale and to realize I've lost more weight than previously thought. Based on the 5 pound difference between my home scale and the doctors scale my current weight would be 334 lbs. My new personal goal is to be under 300 by the time we vacation in the Texas Riviera in March 2009. I could use some beach time right now!

One Way

2008-11-21T08:39:00.016-06:00

Why have we abandoned what believers once all agreed to be absolutely true? It's because in our quest to be relevant, we have actually failed to see where the contemporary world is going and why.

According to a Barna poll from 2000, about one out of four born-again Christians believes that it doesn't matter what faith you follow because they all teach the same lessons. A June 2008 report by the Pew Research Center revealed some interesting stats: 57 percent of the evangelical Christians surveyed reported believing that "many religions can lead to eternal life." In a March 2008 broadcast Oprah declared to millions of viewers, "Jesus can't be the only way, there are many ways to God."

Technically, all roads do lead to the same place. Ultimately we will all stand before a just and holy God. The question is, will you stand before Him as Savior or as Judge. Proverbs 14:12 states that "there is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." Therefore according to scripture, all roads paved and walked by men lead to spiritual death, i.e., eternal separation from God. Revelation 20:11-15 says that only those whose names are written in the Book of Life will have eternal life. So all roads do lead to God, but only one road leads to eternal life.

Why don't we think this way in other areas of life? In boarding a plane, we want to make sure we are on the right plane to our destination so we do our research, ask questions, and make sure we are boarding the right plane. We want to make sure we take the right medicine so we ask questions, do our research, and listen to people who have spent years studying medicine. In areas of nutrition we realize that there is healthy food and unhealthy food. Not all foods are the same. There are right ways and wrong ways to handle money, to conduct our relationships, and to drive our cars down the road. Isn't it possible that there is a right way and a wrong way to view spirituality?

Jesus Christ said, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father but by me." These are not popular words in today's culture. But then again, Jesus Christ was not seeking to win a popularity contest. He said it because He knew it was true. He backed up his claims by many miracles and by rising from the dead. The evidence for these facts is recorded not only in the Bible, but also in the historical works of Josephus, Clement, Polycarp, Ignatius, Tertullian and Origen.

Although many claim that Jesus does not differ much from other religious leaders such as Buddha, Jesus' claim to be God in the flesh singles Him out of the crowd. Buddha, Muhammad or Confucius never claimed to be God. But Jesus' did and His claims were not spoken in a vacuum. They were backed by His credentials. He fulfilled a host of prophecies given by the Hebrew prophets concerning His virgin birth, His divinity, His atoning work on the cross and His resurrection from the dead.

Besides this, Jesus substantiated His divine claims with a perfectly sinless life, compassion for the downtrodden (which was often expressed through His many healing miracles, including raising the dead), His genius and authority as a teacher, and His unsurpassed insight into the human condition. It is no wonder that people worshiped Him. After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciple Thomas, who had doubted the reports that His master was raised from the dead. When Thomas saw Jesus, he cried out, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus accepted Thomas' worship.

There are those who say, I believe Jesus was a great teacher, a prophet, a good man ... but not God.
You can't have it both ways because He claimed to be God.
So that only leaves us with three possible choices:
either He is a liar, lunatic or Lord.

Maybe He was a liar: He knew He wasn't God, but He convinced others that He was. This would make Him a vicious liar.

Maybe He was a lunatic: He thought He was God, but He wasn't. He was insane.

Or just maybe He was the Lord God: He was who His followers claimed He was – the Son of God, sent to Earth to redeem man from his sins; God in the flesh. Think about it.

Cold in the Heartland

2008-11-20T12:46:00.003-06:00

I woke up this morning feeling terrible. I didn't get much sleep and it looks like I have succumbed to the Kansas cold weather. I've got some painful respiratory thing going on that hurts from my lungs to my throat. I have been hacking, sniffling and sneezing all day.

I arrived at work at 7:00 AM as usual, but I recorded both of my shows for today and came home by 11:00 AM. I was feeling worse by the minute and there's no sense spreading my germs around. My wife is wonderful and went to the store to get some medicine for me. She got some Coricidin flu tablets, echinacea and golden seal and some sugar free Tussin syrup and sugar free Ricola cough drops. She forgot that I'm still on the sweet free challenge.

So after eating a cup of homemade turkey vegetable soup, I took the Coricidin and Echinacea/Golden Seal caps and my usual vitamins. I'm not planning to take the cough syrup and cough drops unless I'm really desperate. I'm only a week away from my sweet free goal!

Creation Festival: The Tour

2008-11-17T08:35:00.004-06:00

This was an interesting weekend. I was hardly at home at all. We spent Saturday shopping for the food to prepare for Creation Festival. A'Lisa agreed to cater the event. There were 9 Christian rock bands, roadies, managers and volunteers. We probably fed 100 people. Some of the music was pretty good, but these bands appeal to a much younger audience!

Saturday we ate out at Golden Corral and it didn't agree with either on of us (I think we need to stay out of that place). A'Lisa was sick all night, up and down, in and out of the bathroom. Neither of us got much sleep. Sunday morning we left town at 6:00 AM and drove to Dodge City by 7:00 AM to prepare for the first meal of the day. It was only continental breakfast, so it was easy to prepare. We had sweet rolls, cereal and milk, fruit, juice, coffee and tea (this is what they wanted). I planned ahead and brought bacon and eggs to cook for myself!

Lunch consisted of grilled burgers and hot dogs. I made a big pot of chili and we prepared tossed salad to go along with it. One volunteer made 20 dozen cookies, and we had soft drinks too, so there were sweets all day long. My lunch consisted of a burger with cheese.

We contracted out dinner since they basically wanted a Thanksgiving dinner, turkey with all the trimmings. One of our friends cooked 9 smoked turkeys and we made the yams w/marshmallows, cornbread stuffing, gravy, cooked veggies and salad. For dessert A'Lisa made apple and peach pie, cake and we also had store bought pumpkin pies. I chowed down on smoked turkey and salad with ranch dressing.

Food was the topic of the day, so I used the opportunity to share my low carb lifestyle with many people. By the grace of God, I was able to stay on plan, despite being surrounded by high carb foods. We cleaned up, packed everything away and hauled it back to town. We didn't get home until 10:00 pm and got to bed by 11:00 PM. It's 8:30 AM as I write this, A'Lisa is still asleep and I probably won't go to the radio station until 10:30 this morning. What a weekend, I'm glad it's over!!

"Lord give me patience!"

2008-11-14T04:16:00.003-06:00

"Lord give me patience, and I want it now!" Experience has taught me that patience is a virtue, but it's probably not a good idea to pray for it. God develops our patience through our troubles. "...when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your patience has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your patience is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. James 1:2-4

Turning your life over to Jesus doesn't make you immune to difficulties, hardships and troubles. Bad things do happen to good people! However we can have a positive reaction when troubles come our way, knowing that God can use the circumstances for maturity and spiritual growth.

Your problems are not your punishment, God allows these things because He is passionate about your spiritual development. God is not mad at you, He is mad about you! Somehow God weaves everything together, the good and the bad, to develop beauty, growth and character in our lives. "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." Romans 8:28

God is teaching me to trust Him in the midst of life's troubles, because He sees the big picture and ultimately knows what is best! "We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next." Romans 5:3-5

Weekly Weigh in Day

2008-11-13T04:30:00.004-06:00

Well, today was my official naked weigh in day. As usual I prayed to see just a little bit of movement on the scale before I stepped on. Ever so lightly I stepped on the scale and much to my surprise I have lost another two pounds! That puts me at 340 pounds as of this morning! I have lost 8 pounds since beginning the "sweet free" challenge! We may have found the source of the problem!
Current weight 340
Lost 40 pounds since July 30, 2008

Transformation

2008-11-12T04:54:00.010-06:00

When you begin a relationship with Jesus, God desires to bring about a metamorphosis in your life. It's just like the amazing process the caterpillar experiences when it becomes a butterfly. The only difference is our change not merely external.

Dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice, the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:1, 2 New Living Translation

Giving our bodies to God as a living a holy sacrifice means total dedication. The words we speak, the things we do and even the thoughts we think should bring honor to Him. Considering what Jesus has done for us, it's the least we can do for Him.

Consider what your Bible says about your words:
"Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them." Ephesians 4:29
All of your deeds should be honorable: "...whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus." Colossians 3:17
Even our thoughts are important to God: "...we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." 2 Corinthians 10:5

Don't let the world squeeze you into its mold and drag you down to its level of immaturity. God transforms our lives by changing the way we think. That's why it's critical to fill your mind with good things. "Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable." Philippians 4:8 It's easy to get sucked into watching the popular TV shows and movies, listen to the latest music or read the NY Times bestseller. When you have a relationship with Jesus, He wants you to fill your mind with things that are beneficial. Whatever we think about is what we will eventually act upon.

Sometime I have to learn the hard way!

2008-11-10T11:24:00.005-06:00

I had a rude awakening on Saturday. We went to Garden City for some shopping. We stopped at a Golden Corral for lunch. Things started out well as I got some medium rare steak, and just a small serving of green beans, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage. Then I went back looking for how wings, but there were none. So I got 3 fried chicken wings, thinking they didn't have much breading on them. After I ate them I think my blood pressure and my blood sugar soared! I had a headache, my vision was blurry and I just didn't even feel like myself. Things settled down by the time we drove back home, but I will never do that again. My body must be super sensitive to any flour now!!!

Yesterday I preached in Ulysses, KS and we stopped at a local restaurant for lunch afterwards. Of course they had lots of carbs...fried chicken, chopped steak and gravy, mashed potatoes and fried okra, just to name a few. I played it safe this time and just ate a salad with blue cheese dressing and some baked ham. I learned my lesson quickly!

Still amazed at the junk people eat 11/08/08

2008-11-10T10:51:00.004-06:00

Friday night we were invited to a local church to hear these missionaries from Japan. They said the dinner would be Japanese stir fry, which I thought would be low carb. They served yaki-soba, basically noodles with chicken and veggies but it was mostly noodles. Then they had some sugar laden cream pie thingy for dessert. I just picked out the chicken and veggies and refused the dessert which was offered to me several times. I was disappointed that my wife ate all of those carbs...even dessert! I don't like to eat late but when I got home I warmed up some leftover chicken casserole.

This morning I'm at the office, my wife is at the coffeehouse. Later we'll travel to Garden City to shop. Tomorrow I get to preach in Ulysses and then I'll probably just come home and chill.

Here's yesterday's food journal
Breakfast - 3 boiled eggs, slice of venison jerky
Lunch - chicken casserole, macadamia nuts
Snack - sardines, 1T peanut butter
Dinner at church - 2 oz chicken/veggies
Late dinner - chicken casserole
Total 1762 calories, 124.8g. fat, 26.6 g. carbs, 136.5 g. protein

Weigh in day 11/06/08

2008-11-10T10:47:00.003-06:00

I started Wednesday with a couple of hard boiled eggs and a slice of venison jerky. I had chicken salad on leaf lettuce for lunch and a serving of macadamia nuts. For dinner I ate BBQ pork shoulder and snacked on pork rinds later. My totals yesterday were...Calories 1778, Fat 130.5 g., Carbs 20.2 g. and Protein 128.8 grams. I ended the day thinking about maybe doing the fat fast again because the scale didn't appear to be moving.

Whoosh!!! This is week two of the "sweet free" challenge and today is my weigh in day. I get frustrated when I step on the scale and it seems to be stuck. Before getting on the scale I prayed that I would see some progress. I would have been happy with just a pound or two. So I gingerly stepped on the scale and to my surprise I was down 4 pounds!!!!

Current weight 342 Lost a total of 38 pounds since July 30, 2008

Food dreams 11/03/08

2008-11-10T10:37:00.007-06:00

I woke up yesterday morning thinking about my dreams. I dreamed that I had made peanut butter/cream cheese balls w/splenda. Just as I put one in my mouth I remembered Jimmy Moore's "sweet free" challenge and spit it out! What a dream!(I'm not eating anything sweet for 30 days ... even artificial sweeteners)!

In reality, yesterday I traveled to Garden City, KS to preach. After church we were treated to lunch at the Clarion hotel. They had a very nice buffet with several LC choices. I had a cup of mushroom soup, field greens salad with blue cheese dressing, two slices of Prime Rib and sauteed green beans. It was a very nice meal with very good company.

Jammin' at the Palace Coffeehouse 11/01/08

2008-11-10T10:35:00.004-06:00

Last night's dinner of Mediterranean chicken, broccoli and stuffed jalapenos was great. I splurged with the stuffed jalapenos. I haven't been eating much cheese or bacon lately but made up for it last night. Earlier in the day I had 3 boiled eggs for breakfast and a pork chop for lunch. Totals for the day were not bad, 1729 Calories, 123.6 g. fat, 18.6 g. carbs and 131 g. protein.

I was playing drums with some local guitarists last night at my wife's coffeehouse. Of course they had lots of candy for all the trick or treaters. But I just drank my water and wasn't even tempted. Hope everyone has a great LC weekend!!

10/31/08

2008-11-10T10:33:00.000-06:00

Well, I ate more than expected yesterday. I just seemed to be more hungry than usual. But the good news is I'm back at 346 this morning! So I was able to take off the two pounds I gained last weekend! I'm hoping that Jimmy's sweet free challenge has something to do with it. We may have found the answer to my slowing weight loss.

For breakfast I had 3 sausage patties, snacked on almonds and macadamia nuts, had a chicken leg quarter and 2 cheese slices for lunch, 8 oz wild salmon and broccoli for dinner, snacked on pepperoni and pork rinds later. Totals 1611 Calories, 115.3 g. fat, 22.2 g. carbs and 121.5 g. protein.

Starting to see changes 10/29/08

2008-11-10T10:31:00.005-06:00

I finally got on the scale this morning. I was up two pounds from over eating protein at the retreat. Someone had a meat tray here at the radio station yesterday and I helped myself to some cold cuts and a little cheese. That stuff goes down too easy, again ate a bit more protein than planned. For breakfast I ate 3 boiled eggs, for lunch deli meats and cheese, for dinner a pork chop and green beans (added olive oil) and snacked on a few pork rinds. Did not have anything sweet and didn't miss it either! Totals 1519 Calories, 107.7 g. Fat, 24 g. carbs and 111 g. protein.

Tonight I get to speak to the Jr. high kids around the campfire and share with them the story of how God changed my life. It will be a cold, captive audience. Should be interesting!

Current weight 348

Blood Work 10/28/08

2008-11-10T10:22:00.005-06:00

I got the results of my blood work in the mail.

Lipid Panel
Triglycerides 99
Total cholesterol 253 (out of range)
HDL 50
LDL 183 (out of range)
CHOL/HDLC ratio 5.1 (out of range)

I know the doctor is gonna suggest I take a statin but I don't want to. I need some of you who understand this stuff to help me out here.

Everything else was in range except my glucose reading was 140 (half of what it used to be but still out of range) and Carbon Dioxide was 19 (just two points out of range.)

(from Jimmy Moore) Hey Moonius, FABULOUS job on your bloodwork and everything looks to be moving in the right direction. Don't worry about your total cholesterol (it's actually perfectly fine) and your LDL cholesterol (which is irrelevant unless you have the particle size test run and most of it is the small, dense kind). Your HDL is 50 and it could be higher than that in a few months with continued low-carb living. Mine hovers around 70. As for your triglycerides, they're just under 100 and low-carbing brings that number down well below 100. You are doing GREAT and DON'T need a statin drug obviously. I did a blog post on this subject recently that you need to read. Check out all the links in the column for more information than you'd ever want about this: http://livinlavidalowcarb.com/blog/?p=2381 Again, AWESOME JOB on your blood test results. KEEP IT UP!!!

The Walk to Emmaus 10/27/08

2008-11-10T09:06:00.002-06:00

I had a great weekend. I was a time of renewal, got a fresh perspective, made a lot of new friends, and ate a lot of food. I was surrounded by high carb foods the whole weekend but didn't succumb. They fed us three meals a day (sometimes 4) with dessert and constantly had high carb sugary treats available between meals. The only treats I had were 2 diet sodas, a sugar free lemon bar and 3 pieces of sugar free candy. However I did eat much more protein than what I've been consuming recently. The meals were self serve cafeteria style and it seems my eyes are still bigger than my stomach. I haven't stepped on the scales since I got home, kinda afraid of what I might see.

It was soooo good to get home and see my lovely wife (after four days with 60 men) and it was wonderful to sleep in my own bed. This morning I was very tired and wished I could stay home, but I'm back to work and my normal food routines. Hopefully I can quickly take off any excess weight I put on this weekend. (I wish it came off as quickly as it goes on!)

10/23/08

2008-11-10T09:03:00.001-06:00

Here's a word of encouragement I shared with someone who is struggling with this way of eating. Yesterday has passed, tomorrow is not promised, all we have is today...make the most of it!

The last few days I have been eating breakfast later than usual. After drinking my morning coffee, I just seem to feel full. I had a simple breakfast of hard boiled eggs and some leftover salmon/crab cakes about 10:30 am. When I got home about 3 pm, I snacked on a couple of pickles while I cooked dinner, which was a chicken breast and cabbage with bacon (I added some olive oil to up the fat content). Later I had a stick of string cheese and some pepperoni slices. Here my daily totals... Calories 1306, Fat 91.3 g, Carbs 22.2g, Protein 97.2g.

This afternoon I leave for a spiritual retreat called the "Walk to Emmaus". It's being held in Waka, TX. I told them about my dietary restrictions, but I'm not quite sure what to expect. My goal this weekend is to focus on the spirit and not the food, so I'll make the best of the situation.

Paying it Forward 10/22/08

2008-11-10T08:56:00.006-06:00

Yesterday a man came by the radio station to present me with a very nice wooden Celtic cross that he had carved just for me. I knew that this man had some recent health problems and so I inquired about them. He said that his problems were directly attributed to his weight. He said that his doctor had been talking to him about bariatric surgery and he had also looked into Weight Watchers.

So I asked him if I could share my experience with him. He said yes. I told him about my WW experience and how it worked for a while but it wasn't a food plan I could live with. Then I proceeded to tell him that since July I have been following a low carb lifestyle and have subsequently lost 34 lbs. I told him how much better I feel and how much better my blood glucose readings are (he is also type 2 diabetic). I shared with him how I started on Atkins and then found out about Dr. Bernstein and now incorporate the two plans. He agreed to let me share some LC info with him and said that he may even have a copy or Dr. Atkins book at home.

I sent him a number of links for Atkins plan, Dr. Bernstein's plan, and other low carb info sites. I'm praying that he will research this way of eating and try it for himself. I know it will help him but he has to overcome his negativity and have the desire to change.

Foodwise...I no longer eat after dinner (6pm) but yesterday morning I just felt full until about 10:00, then I ate a can of Kipper Snacks. When I came home at 2pm, I had to take my wife to the doctor in Dodge City, so I just grabbed some snacks to hold me over. I ate 3 pieces of venison jerky, a small leftover fish cake, 14 almonds and 2 sandwich slices of pepperoni. When I finally got back home about 5:30, I ate a chicken leg quarter and a leaf lettuce salad with homemade ranch dressing. So my totals for the day were Calories 1099, Fat 74g, Carbs 22.9g, Protein 83.1g. This morning I had to tighten my belt to the last notch...that's encouraging! So far, so good!

Current weight 346 Lost 34 pounds

Preaching at Bethel Friends Church 10/20/08

2008-11-10T08:50:00.004-06:00

One of our board members invited me to preach at his church in Hugoton, KS yesterday. For some reason my stomach didn't feel too good in the morning, so I just had a protein drink for breakfast, but that made me feel even worse. Fortunately when it came time for the sermon I felt better and everything went well. After church his wife invited us to their house for dinner and I mentioned that I eat low carb. She explained that she had cooked a high carb meal and should have asked me first if I had dietary restrictions. (I never know what to expect when people invite us to eat after church!)

So we went to dinner at their house and they served chicken tetrazzini (which didn't have very much chicken in it), salad, rolls, tapioca pudding and sugar cookies for dessert. If I would have eaten that meal I would have been in a carb coma afterwards!! Once again she apologized and I prepared myself to just eat salad. I asked if she had any protein and she did have some deli ham, grated cheese and some pecans. So I managed to make a decent salad with ranch dressing.

I was grateful but not satiated and started to get a headache on the 90 minute trip home. We finally got home and I couldn't wait to eat something substantial. Before leaving for church I had baked a whole chicken, so I warmed up some of that and ate a chicken breast and the wings and about a cup of cooked cabbage. At the end of the day I had remained within my protein limit of 105 grams and had a total of 25 grams of carbs. In the future I think I'll keep some jerky or nuts with me, so that no matter the situation I'll be prepared to give my body what it needs!

Dr. Richard K. Bernstein

2008-11-10T08:40:00.004-06:00

Dr. Bernstein has an online forum for diabetics. There I learned the importance of lowering my protein levels for continued weight loss. I have tried many things to keep losing weight since going low carb. Lowering calories, intermittent fasting, fat fast and these were all good learning experiences. They taught me that I could get by on much less food.

Looking back over the last 7 weeks, my average daily protein consumption was 157 grams and an average of 25 grams of carbs daily. Since then I have learned that if we're fairly sedentary and don't exercise a lot, a body needs .4 grams of protein a day per pound of body weight to maintain. To lose weight, I decided I would set a target at .3 grams per pound of body weight. At 350 lbs that would be 105 grams of protein a day.

So that is my new target, 105 grams of protein daily, which would keep my carbs at 20 grams or less. It will just require planning and diligence. So that's what's up with me these days, I will keep you posted!

I had my blood work done today and it wasn't bad. I have had some bad experiences with people who can't find my veins, so I'm always reluctant to get poked. But today it went as smooth as possible. I attribute that to losing weight and drinking lots of water!

Trip to Branson, MO 10/14/08

2008-11-10T08:33:00.004-06:00

After a week of intermittent fasting we treated ourselves to a nice weekend in Branson, MO. Trees are just beginning to turn into their fall colors. The rolling hills and lakes were just beautiful. What a feast for the eyes and a welcome change from the plains of Kansas. A'Lisa obviously needed the break more than I did, it took her a while to de-stress. The weather was perfect, sunny and warm, about 80 degrees each day. I thought it would be cold but we actually laid out by the pool, soaking up some rays.

We prepared some meals at our resort and only ate out a few times. Overall I stuck to low carb foods, but I did eat some things that I normally wouldn't eat like frozen yogurt and sugar free cookies for dessert. We also celebrated the weekend with some Shiraz and Cabernet Savignon. That's the first time I've had any wine since going low carb three months ago.

Yesterday I fasted until I came home from work because I felt so bloated from the weekend. Today I feel like my body is getting back to normal. It's amazing how a few extra carbs can make a huge difference in the way you feel!

Intermittent Fasting 10/07/08

2008-11-10T07:45:00.003-06:00

I have been researching Intermittent Fasting online. Dr. Michael Eades author of Protein Power and many others have written about it. So today I began my intermittent fasting adventure in order to keep shedding the pounds. I stopped eating at 6pm last night and won't eat again until I get home today at 3:30pm. I hope this will help me lower my blood glucose levels too.

Yesterday I ate a scoop of egg salad for breakfast, Baked salmon and pickled cucumbers for lunch for snack I had brie cheese on celery and had chicken breast and asparagus for dinner. Later I had peanut butter/cream cheese and also ate a bite of chocolate bark.

That's a total of 1562 calories, 22 grams of carbs, 106 grams of fat and 133 grams of protein for the day.

Fat Fast Day 6 10/06/08

2008-11-10T07:43:00.002-06:00

Technically I broke my fat fast on Saturday. I was at home studying on Saturday evening and just seemed to have the munchies. Probably just eating out of boredom. Nonetheless it was still much less food than I was consuming a week ago. According to fitday.com I ate a total of 1,850 calories which breaks down like this; 153 grams of fat (72%), 98 grams of protein (22%) and 28 grams of carbs (6%). On Sunday I consumed much less; only 1177 calories, 91 grams of fat, 78 grams of protein, and 13 grams of carbs. I actually feel less lethargy and much more energy these days!

I'm going to try to keep my carb intake down to low levels (20 grams or less) in order to keep the scale moving. I'm psyched when I see the pounds dropping off, but frustrated when the scale doesn't budge. I know I'm in better health now but one of my goals is to lose 180 pounds. Progress keeps me motivated.

Current weight 353 Lost 27 pounds

Fat Fast Day 3 10/03/08

2008-11-10T07:42:00.004-06:00

I'm feeling pretty good on my third day of this fat fast. It's really not as hard as I thought it would be. I'm actually eating a little more protein than it calls for which puts me between 1200 and 1500 calories and <10 grams of carbs daily. My body is definitely in fat burning mode because I have dropped 7 pounds this week! That is really encouraging for me because I have so much weight to lose before I reach my goal. Some of you who have 200 pounds to lose or have lost that much can really appreciate where I'm coming from.

When I get off this fat fast I will probably begin eating just enough protein for my body needs and keep my carbs really low. That seems to work best for accomplishing my goals and keep me heading in the right direction.

This morning my blood glucose level was 122 mg/dl and that was after breakfast! For me that type of reading is unprecedented. I'm really glad to have found this way of eating. Finally found something that works for life!

Atkins Fat Fast 10/01/08

2008-11-10T07:27:00.005-06:00

I started the Atkins fat fast yesterday and felt pretty good. This is an extreme diet plan intended only to get your body to start burning fat and is not meant to be done for more than a few days at the very most. It is only for the most metabolically resistant people in this world. Dr. Atkins often used this method in his personal practice with patients to help those few people who can't seem to get their low-carb lifestyle going because it works extremely well.

So what is the Fat Fast? - 1,000 calories per day - 90 percent of calories come from dietary fat - Eat five 200-calories "meals" every 3-4 hours

The point of the Fat Fast is to get your body to burn stored fat in your body so when you start eating a controlled-carb diet you will continue losing weight.I thought I would have a hard time lowering calories but actually was very satisfied. In the process of lowering calories I also lowered my carb intake to <10 g. I'm also noticing that increasing my fat intake helps tremendously with elimination! Nuff said!

When I go back to my normal fare in a day or two, it will be easier to eat less protein as Bernstein suggests when the weight is not coming off. This fat fast has actually helped decrease my appetite and for me that is a wonderful thing!

9/23/08

2008-11-10T07:21:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I started making a whey protein drink for breakfast which gives me 52 g protein and 6 g carbs. Many mornings I don't feel like cooking but I need something to regulate my blood glucose levels (which have dropped over 100mg/dl since staring LC)! Also just having liquid in the morning enables me to consume more water before lunch. When I eat a typical breakfast it fills me up and I don't want to drink water at that point, but yesterday I noticed that I consumed at least 3 liters of water. I'm hoping that more water will serve as a catalyst to weight loss.

This week my plan is to get into the gym Monday through Friday. I was going to do the elliptical MWF, but yesterday I tried out the aerodyne bike and it was a nice change of pace, and then I did my weight routine. So I guess this will be my MWF routine and on Tu/Th I'll do the elliptical cross trainer. I'm doing light weights because I don't want to gain muscle weight but I do want some tone. I hope to see some weight loss soon because it's frustrating to the same numbers on the scale.

Heartland Beauty 9/15/08

2008-11-10T07:14:00.002-06:00

Woke up to 45 degree temperatures in the Heartland of America this morning. The full moon gave way to bright sunshine and it's going to be a beautiful day. I had a busy weekend with the doctor's visit on Friday, taught a jewelry class on Saturday, then played with the Coffeehouse All-Stars. We served steak dinners at the coffeehouse Saturday night. What a nice to treat to eat grilled ribeye steak. Good stuff.

Yesterday after church we went to Liberal, KS. We took the plunge and went to a Chinese buffet. I ate hot and sour soup, shrimp, crab legs, steak wrapped in bacon, chicken wings, chicken satay and some green beans. I managed to get out of there without going over my carb quota. I must admit those carbs filled items looked good but I didn't succumb to the temptation. Today I get back to my regular routine.

Doctor appointment 9/12/08

2008-11-10T07:07:00.005-06:00

Yesterday I tried something different for breakfast. I had some plain yogurt and strawberries. I know the carton says 17g carbs per serving but through my research I have discovered that the bacteria eats up much of the lactose thus reducing the amount of sugar in the final product. So a serving should actually be counted as 4g net carbs. Lunch consisted of a romaine salad with ham and cheese. I had a great workout in the afternoon. I did the elliptical cross trainer for 33 minutes, then did the complete weight circuit, plus floor work including crunches! For dinner I made a pork stir fry with green beans, mushrooms, green onion, garlic, ginger, star anise and assorted spices. Later I had some chocolate bark with nuts that I made.

Today I'm only working 6 hours because I have a doctor's appointment. This is a new doctor and I'm not sure what he thinks about a low carb lifestyle, so I'll probably be evasive until I see where he's coming from. It's a shame that all doctors won't acknowledge the low carb benefits! They'll probably do blood work (which I hate) but I need to know what's happening within.

Update Both my wife and I went to get established with a doc in this area and get new prescriptions. Since she has been eating low carb with me she has lost 16 pounds, so now she's sold on this way of eating. We went out to Applebee's later and had steaks and veggies and she said, "We've finally found our lifestyle." Makes it easier when two are walking together.

I told the doc that I had cut out all the "white stuff" and I thought he would probe for more info but he was content with that. He seemed to be more concerned that I get proper exercise, which I'm now doing. I didn't get blood work done because I need to be fasting. So I'll wait until the health fair next month and get tests done inexpensively.

Down two more pounds 9/11/08

2008-11-10T05:09:00.005-06:00

Well today is my official weigh in day and so I jumped on the scale again this morning and it read the same as yesterday. Somehow I was hoping it would reflect more of a weight loss but I'm satisfied with two pounds. I think with this way of eating and my exercise I may finally be on the right track.

Yesterday I started the day with 2 eggs and 3 sausage patties, for lunch I had a romaine salad with deli ham, Colby cheese and sour cream ranch dressing. When I got home from work I wanted to exercise, but had to mow the lawn since this was the only dry day this week. The sun was shining and the temp was about 85 degrees, so I got a pretty good workout anyway and could have made a bale of hay with all the trimmings! Then I made a fajita salad for dinner with sauteed marinated steak, peppers, onions, garlic, mushrooms on a bed of greens with jalapeno Monterrey jack cheese, salsa and sour cream ranch dressing.

My wife says, "Are you trying to get the husband of the year award?" I replied "No, I want the husband of your life award!" It was a tender moment.

Candlelight dinner 9/6/08

2008-11-10T05:05:00.001-06:00

Last night I came home to a big surprise...my wife cooked a low carb meal!! Very romantic with candles and everything! She's slowly getting on the low carb bandwagon and is using recipes from Dana Carpender's 500 low carb recipes book. Last night she cooked chicken breasts with bay leaves, sauteed green beans with bacon and bless her heart she tried to make oopsie rolls (but they didn't turn out right). Oh well, nice try! She also made a pumpkin cheesecake with whipped cream for dessert. I told her afterwards that I'm going to make desserts are rare treat because I want to limit my intake of artificial sweeteners.

Too much protein? 8/28/08

2008-11-10T04:59:00.003-06:00

I was just looking over my food logs on fitday.com and although I have been hovering around 30 carbs per day, my caloric intake is quite high. It's been between 2200 and 3400 calories a day. I've read posts that say the calorie count doesn't matter, but then I've read elsewhere that they do matter. I have a lot of weight to lose and maybe I need to exercise better portion control to lower the calories.

Yesterday I had 3 eggs and cheese for breakfast, and for lunch I had tuna salad, spinach leaves and celery. My wife made beef and cauliflower "mashed potatoes" for dinner. (I'm glad she's cooking some low carb dishes). For dessert I whipped together a concoction made with heavy whipping cream, cream cheese and sf Da Vinci vanilla syrup.

Once again I came in at 30 grams of carbs but at a whopping 3400 calories. Could this be why the scales are not moving downward?

After researching my question I found that both Dr. Bernstein and Dr. Atkins agree that it may be wise to watch the portions that I consume. I was actually more diligent during the induction phase but sometimes ate more than I planned as I increased from 20g to 30 g of carbs daily. I really want and need to lose weight and control blood glucose and blood pressure, so I'm determined to diligently watch everything I eat (and the amounts) from this point forward.

The Diabetes Solution 8/25/08 on low carb forum

2008-11-10T04:36:00.003-06:00

This day got off to a slow start. It's definitely a Monday and I've had a headache since I woke up. It's better now but it still seems to be hanging on.

I've gone through two weeks of Atkins induction eating 20 carbs daily, then increased to 25 carbs. This week I'm increasing to 30 carbs daily and that's where I will stay. In Dr. Richard Bernstein's book, "The Diabetes Solution", he recommends eating 6 grams carbs for breakfast, 12 grams carbs for lunch and 12 grams carbs for dinner. Since I have type 2 diabetes and need to regulate my blood sugar, I'm going to follow his plan for diabetics.

Yesterday for breakfast I had scrambled eggs with ham, for lunch I had fajitas (no tortillas), salad, guacamole and salsa. Later I ate some chicken and had a pumpkin/cream cheese dessert which put me 4 grams over my limit. I ended up eating 34 grams of carbs yesterday.

Inches not pounds 8/21/08

2008-11-10T04:30:00.001-06:00

Well I had my official naked weigh in this morning (scary sight) and I didn't lose any weight. As a matter of fact, I was up a couple of pounds. The good news is I took my measurements this morning and I have lost 10 inches since I started this way of eating! That's pretty exciting!!

Yesterday I had 3 scrambled eggs with homemade sausage for breakfast and during the mid morning I started getting weird stomach pains. I thought maybe I was getting that stomach bug that my wife had last week. I ate 2 burger patties and salad for lunch with homemade ranch dressing but I couldn't even finish eating. When I got home I needed to eat but was kinda scared to eat anything, so I just snacked on something light. I had some pork rinds and cream cheese and some ricotta cheese flavored with Da Vinci sf vanilla syrup. I had a few light stomach pains afterwards but not too bad. This morning I'm feeling better but haven't had anything but coffee. I'm taking a couple of hard boiled eggs to work with me in case I get hungry later this morning. Suffice it to say, I came in under 20 g carbs for the day.

Down 23 pounds 8/14/08

2008-11-10T04:28:00.002-06:00

Well I was near my highest weight of 380 pounds when I started this way of eating at the end of July. Yesterday my scale came in the mail and I could hardly wait to unbox it and stand on it. When I did it read 364, which is good but I thought it would be even less. This morning I decided to check again because I've read you should always weigh in the morning. Today I weighed in at 357! Now that's exciting!! My plan is to weigh weekly because I know how much weight can fluctuate daily.

Yesterday I tried MAC's flax meal cereal for breakfast...2T flax meal, 2T crunchy peanut butter, cinnamon, ginger and Da Vinci sf vanilla syrup. That peanut butter made a world of difference! It tasted so much better. Quite a taste treat! For lunch I had romaine lettuce, cucumber, 1/2 of a tomato, topped with pork loin and chive/ garlic dressing made with sour cream and mayo. I had pork rinds and 2 sticks of string cheese for a snack and when I got home ate a piece of pork loin and for dinner a chicken leg quarter with sugar free jello for dessert (total carbs 22.5).

I got Dr. Richard Bernstein's "Diabetes Solution" book in the mail yesterday. Some of it is very technical but nonetheless informative. I read my wife the chapter on protein, fats and carbs. He confirms everything I have read in Atkins' book and the things espoused on this message board. So I know I'm on the right track!

Current weight 357 Lost 23 pounds

Preaching in Ness City 8/11/08

2008-11-10T04:23:00.003-06:00

I had a great weekend. Probably ate a few more than 20 carbs each day (too much cheese) but I'm back on track today. My wife keeps saying I'm shrinking but I don't have my scales yet to know whether I have lost any weight. When I got dressed for church yesterday I could tighten my belt three more notches. Obviously I'm losing inches. I feel much better these days and I don't have those bags under my eyes any longer!

We have had kind of a lo carb breakthrough in my household! I was invited to preach in Ness City, KS yesterday. It's about a two hour drive each way, so we had plenty of time to talk. While driving to church my wife said she is going to stop eating bread and sugar! This is a major turnaround! However, she is still reluctant to embrace my food plan. (Yet when we ordered food at the restaurant yesterday she told the waitress, "We're doing Atkins.") I'm just happy that we're making progress. That's an answer to prayer. She still labors under the assumption that fat makes you fat, even though she can see the evidence to the contrary in me. This is a time of growth (not physically) and learning for both of us!

Before picture 8/5/08

2008-11-10T04:12:00.004-06:00

This is day two of week two in the induction phase and there are some positive changes already. My wife keeps saying I look like I'm losing weight but it's just in my face. That's where my weight loss usually shows up first. I don't have a scale because it's hard to find one with a capacity of 350 or more and I haven't taken my measurements. Think I'll do that today because I want to track the inches lost as well as the pounds lost. My shirts are beginning to feel a bit looser. I ride my bike to work and that's probably helping also. The pain that I had in my right shoulder blade area is now gone! Every morning in the shower I would let the hot water beat on that area to soothe the pain but this morning when I did that I noticed the pain wasn't there. Also the recurring chest pains seem to be gone. I haven't checked my urine but judging by the taste in my mouth, I think I'm in the state of ketosis (if you look on the map, it's between Kansas and Colorado).