For the first time I’m releasing part of the 400 Years of Silence 600-word story, all rights reserved.
On one cold September night, a man sat pouring over the Holy Scriptures of God. The
room was dark, but for the light of a few feeble candles, arranged around the man’s place of
reading, casting a yellow tinge against the dark stone walls. As he finished reading the final verse
of Job, his brother Mannaseh entered the study.“Naaman, my brother!” Mannaseh exclaimed. “What are you doing reading that old
thing? It’s been four hundred years since that god of yours proclaimed anything to His people –
resign this insanity of yours!”“Insane I may be,” began Naaman, motioning to the scriptures before him. “But these
prophecies Isaiah speaks of…”“Forget the prophecies!” Mannaseh interjected, with an ever reddening visage. “Those
were simply lies devised by the old Kings of Israel.”“Yet why would the kings seek their own destruction?” Naaman reasoned, his tone
measured and calm, yet with a hint of desperation. “It is by God alone that…”“I relent brother, I relent…” cried Manasseh, storming out of the room. “I leave you to
this self-ordained madness!”Naaman sat half-bewildered, still gazing at the last verse before him. Job didn’t have
faith either… then God revealed himself in a most glorious way. “My brother may not believe,”
Naaman said to himself. “But I feel the spirit of the Lord is strongly manifested on this night.
God will not be quiet forever, He will come after his lost sheep.Copyright © 2011 - Adventure Writer’s Blog
All rights reserved.
Tonight I was listening to The Stand by Kritstian Stanfill (review coming soon) and felt compelled to write something...
What is life but a vapor? What is a moment in time before eternity?
If we live our lives for ourselves we are met with momentary gratification – but what if we live for something more – the plan of God? Suddenly we are part of something much bigger – the biggest, greatest plan ever conceived. Here we find our purpose, and in it we may truly [and most freely] live.
1 Corinthians 1:2 - New King James Version (NKJV) Saints - In Greek it means "holy ones," or "set apart," in reference to ALL Christians. Meaning we are all called to be set apart and that, in Christ, we are all saints. All equal (Galatians 3:28)
Image via Wikipedia
I often find myself looking over the Book of Romans, particularly at Chapter 7 – it’s amazing how quick I can forget the most important detail, and only to “discover” it again with a greater revelation than the previous. Paul, the guided author of this book, is a man who previously lived engulfed in sin. He was previously a high-standing Jewish church official, with great authority and power, born with the name of Saul. Throughout his life he persecuted the early Christian body, watching martyrs fall to the ground with a stone cold heart, likely believing himself to be the right hand of justice and the vessel of providence. He soon discovered however, that he was sorely mistaken. While on a journey to persecute more Christians, he was blinded by light from the heavens, and in a moment of overwhelming fear and awe, Saul heard the voice of God [Read-1]. From this point on Saul would become Paul, a passionate Christian man till’ martyrdom, after which he resumed his life in the presence of his Savior.
It is this same man, readily acquainted with sin, that writes:
15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[b] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature[c] a slave to the law of sin.
-Romans 7:15-25 (Read Context)
When selfishness, pride, and envy – enemies of love – enter in, I find myself wondering how to escape the seemingly inescapable bonds that hold to me so tightly. The answer is a simple and awesome one: Jesus Christ.
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned,[a] but have not love, it profits me nothing.
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Image via Wikipedia: By Daniel Schwen
It’s part of the prayer remix.
I recently watched an amazing sermon by Pastor Louie Giglio about the prayer life of many “North Americans.” Filled with practical, convicting truths – conveyed brilliantly with good humor and relevant circumstance.
Considering Louie provides it for free on 268 generation.com, I’m not saying any of this as an advertising campaign – however, I would recommend purchasing the DVD series if you enjoyed it, to give your support.
http://www.268generation.com/videoplayer/player.php?videoid=prayremix1&quality=hi
“I’d say this album is the Best of Passion so far!”
The above quote is what I said last time about the Passion: Awakening album – now I’ve found another favorite! Passion: Here for You is abundant in energy and religious fervor, coming straight from Louie Giglio’s Passion
Image by Tiago Cata via Flickr
Conferences. Each song is more pumped up than the last, and that certainly goes for the Passion series as whole. The momentum builds with each song, each one powerful in its own unique way.
Image via Wikipedia - GNU by Oliverbeatson
Who would have though such a deep topic would have come from Daily Post? Though it seems many of their questions have been of some relative, personal level recently.
What indeed is a friend? A friend, in my personal sight, is one of those rare companions who you are fortunate of to meet. I have two terrific friends, and I find that I am comfortable speaking with them about things that concern personal matters in my life. It is that comfortability in disclosure – that relationship that does not hold fear, but allows for relaxing conversations, that may form a true friendship. Friends are those people who will stick with you through thick and thin, and tell you the honest truth – what’s best for you.
Friends care for you not because they get something out of the relationship, but because they have such a respect for you as a person.
Friends are truly special, and sometimes people you will only meet once in a lifetime. Other times we may find an abundance of friends – genuinely caring people who seek the well-being of those they are close to.
This reminds me of a question that was asked on Yahoo! Answers, asking “Do you agree that there is no such thing as a true friend?” to which I responded with a Christian viewpoint:
Humanity is selfish – that is one sad realization that could lead to such philosophy.
There is however, a love that transcends all selfishness.
It is a divine attribute that seeks selfless relationship and ensures true friendship.
Even if you do not believe in the principals of Christianity, look to the lives of Jesus Christ, and other men and women who committed themselves to the ones they loved – even to the point of death. This bond of love may be formed in a friendship. It is something very rare, and very special. It may be called one of those “once in a lifetime” events – that, for some, never occurs.Image via Wikipedia
It takes discernment and an understanding of selfish ambition. Is your “friend” seeking what’s best for you in the relationship, or what will benefit them? If it is the latter, you know the friendship is “untrue” and deeply lacking.
Hurt can lead us to set up barriers and facades, keeping us from deep relationship.
Sometimes you simply have to let go, and trust someone, but not before getting to know them and seeing beyond the facade that they may inevitably wear themselves.
Image by James Kirsop via Flickr
Chris Tomlin: And if Our God is for us…
…then who can be against us? The new album by Chris Tomlin features some of his best songs yet! A new version of Our God is included, with a stronger bringing a stronger, upbeat, Contemporary Christian vibe to the mix. Each song is packed with spiritually-energizing, spiritually uplifting songs – each with well thought out lyrics.
In the Limited Edition version, a DVD is included, along with as well as acoustic versions of some of Chris Tomlin’s previous songs, which compliments the entire album with a calm, altogether tranquil tone.
The Limited Edition includes the following songs:
Our God
I Will Follow
I Lift My Hands
Majesty of Heaven
No Chains On Me
Lovely
The Name of Jesus
All to Us
Faithful
Jesus My Redeemer
Awakening
Our God (Acoustic)
I Will Follow (Acoustic)
Majesty of Heaven (Acoustic)
Where The Spirit of The Lord Is (Acoustic)
It’s a terrific album and quite a worthwhile purchase.
