The Writing on the Wall

形意拳 Xing Yi Quan (sying ee chwan) in Mandarin it means "form intent fist" but what does that mean? What was meant to be conveyed by that title?

Xing Yi is a chinese martial art so, the title is generally the summation of the central thesis behind the system or the name of the family or hero who popularized the system. Some examples of this are as follows:

Wing Chun is the name of the practicioner who made the art famous.
Tiger, crane, snake, etc... are the animals the style was modeled after.
Tai Ji is the philosophical term used to represent the ultimate balance and harmony that was observed in the universe - yin and yang.
Hung Gar means Hung family and is the kung fu designed and taught by the Hung family.
Jeet Kun Do means "way of the intercepting fist" which was the central concept behind the way Bruce Lee fought.

Xing Yi is not a persons name nor is it an animal; since the martial art was designed around Chinese understanding of the way of the universe it is an attempt to encapsulize a central concept that drives the art form - the harmony of the actions and the intents of the individual toward the desired goal... this is XingYi.

In this harmonious partnership between Yi (intention) and Xing (form) there is a designated order of importance or established roles in the relationship. It is understood that Yi (intent) is to lead Xing (form) if this does not happen you have mindless movement that wastes energy, time, and opportunity. A fighter who allows his Xing to lead will always be frustrated by the one who allows his Yi to lead. Yi does not dominate Xing, it simply directs where it can be most effective. It is true that Xing can respond faster than Yi, so in many cases Yi will designate a path for Xing to follow and the circumstances will change so fast that only Xing can keep up. Those times should not generate frustration, provided that the Xing was trained to respond properly.

Yi is translated as intent, and often includes the will, it is the reasoning mind or the wisdom mind, and in Xing Yi theory the Yi and the Xin (heart; not Xing for form) or the emotional mind must come into agreement. What is so interesting about this process is the roles that they play in relation to each other. Xing Yi theory teaches that the Xin (heart; emotional mind) must be brought into submission to the Yi (intent; or wisdom/volitional mind). Only when this precise relationship occurs can the Yi lead the Xing (form) effectively.

Let me share an example, often times when I spar with a new student they are nothing short of defenseless because they are intimidated to the point that they hesitate so much they do nothing. They cannot think clearly, they cannot respond appropriately and thus they are defeated with ease. It is not because they have no skill, it is because they are not able to utilize it due to disharmony between the Xin (heart) and the Yi (mind). The Xin cannot make the right decisions and lead the Xing, but it cannot be ignored, it must serve a purpose. And it does, it is brought into subjection to the Yi and when that happens it provides the intensity and energy that drives the Yi. We have all experienced those times when we were emotionally committed to a course of action, the emotion did not make the decisions our mind did, but when the heart and the mind were in unison the intensity that we have allows us to be so much more effective in the actual doing of our task. You can always tell when someone is not emotionally invested in a task they are performing. They may be doing all the right moves, but their heart just is not in it.

Where am I going with this? I would like to propose that we need to take this concept of having a clear intention and letting it lead our actions and apply it to our faith. I believe that often Christians get it backwards, or worse yet, they only get half of the equation. When a Christian does not let their intention lead their actions then all they have is a set of actions that they go through with no clear understanding of what they are trying to accomplish or worse yet they have no intention at all which leads to ineffective spirituality and/or Christians who never seem to grow at all. Growth does not just happen, we have to have a clear goal of growing. But even with a clear goal, with no clear intentions or thoughts on how to accomplish this goal we can float aimlessly through our life doing all sorts of stuff and never really growing. We need to have a clear goal and a clear path to how we need to get there and then and only then can we effectively implement the right course of actions to get us to our goal.

The process proves true in regard to the emotions verses the intention as well. The Bible tells us that the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked. We cannot allow our emotions to direct our steps, we must let the mind direct our steps and our mind must be set on seeking out God through the steps outlined in Scripture. When we have intentional actions then we begin to see a degree of effectiveness that will far outstrip the mindless wandering of just going through the motions.

Posted by Hailstorm at 03:26 PM | Permalink

Not trying to say this is the right way, just throwing it out there to see if anyone can add to it, refine it, or help me develop it.

VISION:
Where are we going?
Vision must be cast clearly and consistently.
Vision must be from God.
Vision must be unified.
Vision must be cast repetitively.
MOMENTEM:
What have we done?
We must succeed at doing things to build that “can do” attitude.
We must have that celebrate each small success in order to build to the big ones.
We must connect the reward of doing in order to overcome the cost of doing.
We must energize the group in order to mobilize the group.
RELATIONSHIPS:
Who are these kids?
Do they trust us?
Do they love us?
How well do we know them?
Can they come and talk to us about anything?
ORGANIZATION:
How are we going to get there?
What are our practical steps toward our goal?
When are we going to do what?
What do we need to do to make each step a reality?
How often do we communicate about each task?
MENTORSHIP:
Who will go with us?
How are we growing the depth of each member of our group as well as the numbers of our group?
Who is helping us lead?
Are we encouraging our group to be themselves?
Are we encouraging our group to reach their full potential?

Posted by Hailstorm at 07:29 AM | Permalink

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

ok, if you are like me, you have always struggled putting this list of things we should think on in their proper order.

I finally found a way that helps me, here it is. The list is transitional.

It starts with true, then to honest, a natural transition things that are honest are based first in truth. Then it goes to just, also intimately related to honesty as honesty is to truth.

then it starts another transitional set of three: pure followed by lovely followed by good report. These things are related to each other. Things that are pure are lovely because of it, and things that are both pure and lovely have a good reputation.

now the last two items on our list of 8 are these: virtue and praise worthy. Now, are not those things related to each other as well? If you are virtuous, you are praise worthy.

now the last device is this, the reference is Phil. 4:8, the list is of 8 things, verse 8, 8 items on the list.

hope this helps someone else out there.

PS: I love how it all starts with truth ;)

Posted by Hailstorm at 07:50 PM | Permalink

I had an opportunity to share the gospel with a new kung fu student today, Randy, and he accepted Christ.

That makes two people this year, 6 people total in my life.

I am excited!!!!

thanks to my dad for the assist (also a kung fu student ;)

Posted by Hailstorm at 05:56 PM | Permalink

I went to lunch one day at work, and while sitting there was suddenly struck with a story. I took out my pen and began to write, the act of which ate up nearly my entire hour long break.

As I returned to work, an associate came up to me and asked me this question: what is grace?

I responded with what I was taught by my parents as a boy:
God's
Riches
At
Christ's
Expense
or
receiving something I do not deserve.

Then I handed him this story and told him to read it, ironic I thought that I should write this only moments before asked that question.

Read and enjoy, and you tell me what your answer is, for you get to write the ending, for it is your story.

A Debt of Grace
The Sahara desert, the largest hot desert in the world, it is almost the size of the USA; that was the place this story happened. It happened a long time ago, exactly when, who knows. There was a man, he was a mean man, his friends… ok, he did not have any friends. His companions tolerated him only because they had to. He worked for a man who took things through the desert in caravans. He would treat people like dirt and manipulate and use them for his own selfish means. He was not a good man.

But then it happened, it was a daring tale, wrought with a series of amazing events. It began on a certain day during a trip through the desert from one town to another. Their caravan was attacked by desert raiders and in the battle and the escape the man’s horse was shot from under him. By the time the caravan had reached a safe point, the man was left far behind. Due to the fact that he was not well liked, no one was willing to risk their life to go back for him. And so it was that he was left to face his almost certain death alone in the great desert.

The caravan arrived at the town safely, and while giving a report of what happened a lone man heard that this man was left behind.
“Did you not go back for him?” exclaimed the man.
“Go back for him?!” responded the caravan boss, “I was almost happy to lose him. Why should I risk my life for a man like that.”

“Will no one return for him?” pleaded the stranger. But all he heard was reasons why it was not worth the effort. “Fine, I will seek him out, and if he should still live, and it be within my power to save him I shall. As I have spoken it, so let it be done.” And so against the counsel of those present he loaded up his horse lightly with just enough provisions to go and return and left on his mission of mercy to rescue a man whom he did not know, a man whose closest relations would rather leave to his death.

The searcher was blessed with an easy first journey, for he found the wounded man with little trouble. The man had breath, but it was short and shallow, a miracle even then for he had been wounded in the battle and then left to himself in the desert for days with only the small provisions he had on his person. Parched and scorched, he had found little shelter from the sun and the wind. Death was his only companion… until the lone man found him. The rescuer came upon him suddenly, almost from nowhere he appeared for such was the way of the desert. He jumped off his mount and knelt by the man’s side. Carefully wetting his lips and letting the water trickle down into his mouth, cautious to not give him too much too fast. He began to treat his wounds and clean the man, and he rested until night.

He began the trek home after he had cleaned the man’s wounds and dressed them; he sat the man on the horse and rode double, giving the horse a break from time to time by walking beside of it. The rescuer had traveled light, knowing that time was precious if he hoped to find the man alive. His fortune was not to continue on so fine as it had started, however, for soon into his return journey he was suddenly fired upon by riders coming up on him from the sides.

He tried first to out run them, but with two burdens the horse could not muster the speed, so when hope of escape was gone, he leaped to the ground and drew his weapons attacking the bandits with a savagery and zeal that rivaled the great warriors of legend! He fought so hard and defended with such energy that the bandits were driven back. It was a short lived victory for the rescuer and the man, for in the battle the rescuer’s steed was killed, and he was wounded. The provisions packed for the trip, although sufficient for the two on a horse, were now far from enough. The man, happy enough to be rescued in the beginning, now feared that he would be left behind questioned the rescuer, “Why did you come for me? Will you now leave me to die in order to save yourself?”

“I will not leave you to die, I came to rescue you, and if I shall die in the act then so be it!”
“Why do you do this foolishness? Leave me to die, and save yourself. Why should you care for me, a stranger?”
“All life is worth saving.” Said the man, and then undaunted by the dire turn of events, he hoisted the man onto his back and began to carry him.

The rescuer selflessly sacrificed his share of the provisions so that the wounded man might survive. For every one drink that he took, he gave the man three; for every bite of food, the man three. As the days stretched on, the provisions grew smaller; with each step the rescuer grew weaker, while the man grew stronger from the sacrifice. Still too weak to walk on his own the man carried him, by sheer strength of will he pressed onward towards the city.

Finally, within a stones throw of the city gates, the man’s strength was spent. A monumental accomplishment simply to have arrived thus far and unable to make the last leg, he collapsed to the ground. His body dry as a bone, his skin burnt from the sun, his breath came in shallow gasps. Knowing he had nothing left to give he looked at the man deep in his eyes and he gave the only thing left he could, a challenge.

“Life,” he gasped. “is worth saving. If you live, live life like it is valuable. Go and do not waist it on yourself. Rescue those who perish, care for those at death. Live a life of deep thoughts, and sacrifice. Share what you know and what you have. Do not let sacrifice come for nothing. Do this for me!” He breathed out once, and he breathed in never again.

The next morning, the people of the city found two bodies beyond the walls, one living and one not. The one who possessed life was taken and given care, the other buried in a grave with no name. A stranger in the land, from whence he came no one knew, but what he did traveled far and wide. The man who spent his very life to save a man who was written off and left for dead by all, a man who deserved to die.

As the man’s strength returned and he finally walked again into the light of day he stood before the grave of this unknown man and he asked himself this question, “To live the life this rescuer asked of me is not easy of any man, and for me it is twice as hard for I was a man who lived only for myself. I took what was not mine, and I gave to no one. Should I continue on as I have lived, or take up this man’s challenge?”

Now is the part of the story where you come in. You decide what the man does with his life. What will you have him do? Consider this,

"Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:7-8)

This man was a rare exception, but if you think, this story was about us. You see, we are a people caught up in ourselves. Covered in the very thing God despises the most, yet He still left Heaven to seek us out and save our lives at the cost of His own. We face the very same choice this man faced. We shall see his choice played out in our own, so I ask again, what will you have him do?

(This story and the characters depicted are the fictional work of the author and do not represent real events.)

Posted by Hailstorm at 07:56 PM | Permalink

Last night during my lunch break, I had the opportunity to share the Gospel with a coworker named Kim.

After an hour of talking with her, she prayed to receive Christ. Please pray that she will see her way clearly to follow Christ from here on, and she will see her life changed from there.

Posted by Hailstorm at 06:01 PM | Permalink

I did two demonstrations, one on Forms where I demonstrated Chicken Form and talked about living in the Word In Turda.

The other one was an interactive demonstration for a class of special needs children in a Romanian school. I went in to this not knowing what to do, because nothing I had prepared would have worked in that scenario. But the Lord walked me through it and the kids loved it!!

In one gypsy church I talked through listening to the Holy Spirit and likened it to our san shou exercises, they were pretty expressionless throughout the whole thing, but that was the gypsy way.

I gave my testimony in every church, no matter what I talked about and I always closed out by talking about the rod of God and Moses.

to be continued...

Posted by Hailstorm at 06:08 AM | Permalink

Tonight I shared my testimony for my second time, in a small country church near Baia Mare, in a village named Gardani.

I shared the same testimony I gave last night, but this time I felt a little freer to share the details and not so bound by time. As I shared the part of my testimony where God spoke to me about my need to do go forward and accept Christ right now I pointed to a man in the back of the pew and I said that I was siting right where he sat when I heard God tell me "You need to go forward right now or you will die and go to hell." I really emphasized that point. Afterward, I was told that that man, named Sever was not a believer and had been consistently putting off accepting Christ. It all fit, only God could have known. Maybe he will hear the message that was just for him.

Tomorrow morning we drive back to Cluj to find out where we will go after that.

That's all for now, more to come later!

Posted by Hailstorm at 10:10 AM | Permalink

Tonight I write my first blog post from eastern Europe. That's right, I am in Baia Mara (buy a mar 'a') Romania.

Pastor Don and I are here alone from the group we came with, although we are far from being alone. The Lord is with us, as we can attest to in the simple fact that we arrived here safely. The drivers here are very skilled but also very big risk takers, I tried several times to capture a picture of the oncoming traffic less than 50 ft from us as we passed cars in our lane. We took mountain curves at very high rates of speed, in a van no less. It was very fun actually, and neither Pastor or I were scared, much to our surprise.

tonight we spoke together at the church here in Baia Mare, I gave a testimony and he preached. My testimony was basically my presentation minus the demonstrations and unique talking points. We decided this was best because of the time restrictions we were to work with, and of course everything took twice as long because of the translation process.

The people here are very friendly, and they love the Lord very much.

We have eaten out a lot, and I am drinking a lot of water (for me) because the restaurants are very stingy about their drinks, I have drank a lot of coca cola but their bottles are like 6 oz and they only give you one per meal. Despite this, I still am not drinking enough, but I am becoming familiar with water.

The Romanian language is an interesting blend between Russian and Latin, so at times it strongly resembles Russian, and others Italian or Spanish.

Tomorrow night we will travel a little ways to speak in a smaller church, where we will pretty much do the same routine.

The culture here is so different in so many areas we are assuming nothing in how to interact with people, we don't know what to expect in any given situation.

Well, I need to read my Bible and pray, and go to bed because it is almost 10 pm here.

good night all, with love from Romania!

Read Wall

Posted by Hailstorm at 08:12 AM | Permalink

I did my second ever speaking engagement tonight.

I preached on Half-steps and how the enemy uses them to back us into a corner. (text was David and Bathsheba 2 Sam. 11)

I gave a brief demonstration of how I use half-steps to position people in kung fu, and then talked about the text and then challenged them all to find their unique area of ministry.

it went well. I will do this same presentation in Romania (i leave in 7 days)

Sarah, a friend of mine was captivated by what happened during my presentation. I asked for a volunteer and no one wanted to come up, so in my attempt to get someone I verbally slipped and said "can I get even a small volunteer"

and like a flash a wee little lad named Cowen took off running, and he ran up front to be my volunteer. It was cute, and he did a great job. Sarah commented to me later that it was like what Jesus said about having to be like a child. Here we had all these adults scared to be my volunteer, and here comes this little child who RAN. great thought Sarah.

challenging to me even.

EDIT: I misspelled Coen's name sorry Coen. :)

Posted by Hailstorm at 05:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

I did my second ever speaking engagement tonight.

I preached on Half-steps and how the enemy uses them to back us into a corner. (text was David and Bathsheba 2 Sam. 11)

I gave a brief demonstration of how I use half-steps to position people in kung fu, and then talked about the text and then challenged them all to find their unique area of ministry.

it went well. I will do this same presentation in Romania (i leave in 7 days)

Sarah, a friend of mine was captivated by what happened during my presentation. I asked for a volunteer and no one wanted to come up, so in my attempt to get someone I verbally slipped and said "can I get even a small volunteer"

and like a flash a wee little lad named Cowen took off running, and he ran up front to be my volunteer. It was cute, and he did a great job. Sarah commented to me later that it was like what Jesus said about having to be like a child. Here we had all these adults scared to be my volunteer, and here comes this little child who RAN. great thought Sarah.

challenging to me even.

EDIT: I misspelled Coen's name sorry Coen. :)

Posted by Hailstorm at 05:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

''My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,'' (james 1:19)

why?!

''for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.'' (james 1:20)

ouch that hurts me!

Posted by Hailstorm at 12:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Numbers 11: 1, '' Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the Lord,...''

Has it ever occurred to anyone that every complaint is made in the hearing of the Lord? In fact, everything that is ever said or thought is in the hearing of the Lord

Posted by Hailstorm at 08:21 AM | Permalink

SIX BASIC TENETS FOR MARRIAGE

by Vonette Bright

**Here are some practical resources for a healthier marriage: http://www.familylife.com/default.asp

Bill Bright asked me to marry him on our very first date! No, he wasn't the impetuous sort. We had grown up in Coweta, Oklahoma, and we knew each other very well. Bill said he never wanted anyone else to be his wife. For several reasons, we waited for three years to be married.

During that time, we learned a harmonious marriage requires the couple to commit to six basic tenets. Here they are.
First, be certain each of you is rightly related to receive Christ.
Second, attend a pre-marriage conference to test your marriage readiness.
Third, have family devotions daily.
Fourth, pray together morning and night.
Fifth, agree to resolve your differences.
And sixth, be sure you have eyes for no one else.

Friend, build your marriage on Christ. The closer you are to Him, the closer you will be to each other.

Posted by Hailstorm at 07:42 AM | Permalink

I just wanted to put down in writing some thoughts on self-control that have been on my mind.

Proverbs 25: 28 tells us this:

He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.

now when I read this just reading it and not taking the time to really understand it this is what I get out of it:

having no self-control is bad.

but is that enough? To just read it and glean that info, or is there really more to that verse than what is on the surface.

Let's take a closer look shall we.

When you get to looking at this verse, you realize that this is an A=B statement. That means that there is a phrase in this verse that can be replaced with the = sign. so then the verse reads like this.

He that hath no rule over his own spirit = a city that is broken down, and without walls.

The first statement, "He that hath no rule over his own spirit..." is the A statement which is equal to/same as the B statement, "... a city that is broken down, and without walls.

Now that is all well and good, but it doesn't really help me to understand this verse any better...or does it?

It begs the question, how? How is the A statement like the B statement? What is it about a city that is broken down and without walls that is the same as a man without self-control? I don't get it!

So I begin to ask myself a few questions:

1: what is a city that is broken down like? (desolate)
2: what is a city that is without walls like? (defenseless)

Ahh, now that begins to shine a little light on things for me!

So from that I can glean that a man without self-control is desolate and defenseless. But I see the light only for a brief moment before confusion once again sets in. How is a man without self-control desolate and defenseless?

So I spend some more time thinking about this, and I think about the people I work with, and I see around all the time. I work in the public and I work with a lot of people and I talk with a lot of people and I began to see a pattern emerge.

People who lack self-control are often desolate because they lack the motivation to do what must be done.

How often do we see people complain about not having when the truth is that they don't have because they didn't have the motivation to make it happen? There were things that they needed to do that they didn't do and now they do without. You are either without the "doing" or you are doing without.

The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat. Prov. 13:4
The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing. Prov. 20:4

Scripture proves true, how interesting.

As I look deeper into human nature, I see yet another truth. People who lack self-control are defenseless because they lack the restraint that prevents them from geting into trouble.

In one of the Karate Kid movies, Mr. Miyagi tells Daniel "...Best block not to be there..." Here is where the self-control enters into our defenses. Often we find ourselves in situations that we could have avoided if we had only restrained ourselves. Maybe we went to someplace we wanted to go, when we ought not to have been there in the first place. But we wanted to go so we did. Or maybe we said something that we shouldn't have said. How many times have we heard others say, "I couldn't help it". How many times have we heard ourselves say that? How many times did we speak without thinking first?

Posted by Hailstorm at 06:46 AM | Permalink

I have often stated that if I can get control of your pinky, I have control of your whole body. How so? Simple, your body is a series of connected chains of movement, if I can control any part of it I can eventually control every part of it.

I teach this principle to my kung fu students, and as they understand it, it helps them to understand a different principle that parallels that truth. This other principle is a spiritual principle. Here is how it works:

Let us say that there is an aspect of the Bible that people question, a literal consecutive 6 day creation for example. Often people say that this isn't important in the grand scheme of things because it isn't a salvation issue. Basicly they say, "doesn't matter if it is true or not, it doesn't get you into heaven."

But I say this, "It is of vital importance because if you can undermine the authority of Scripture any where, then you have undermined it every where." Understand? It does effect salvation, because if we can't trust the history of the Bible then we can't trust anything it says, even its soteriology.

and by the way, it is a literal consecutive 6 days of creation. ;)

thanks for thinking about it!

God bless!!!

Posted by Hailstorm at 08:45 AM | Permalink

today I walked into McDonalds and as I entered the building I saw a man sitting in the corner. I don't normally do this but today as I saw him, I felt something special and I had a thought that said, "sit next to him and talk to him about God"

So I laid my stuff down at the table next to him an sat down after ordering my food.

I struck up a conversation with him, it all happened so natural, like he wanted to talk to me.

He was in need of some major encouragement, and it was nice to be able to give it. Isn't it exciting to be a Christian in the service of our God, who uses us to not only evangalize the lost but encourage and disciple the brethren as well.

just thought I would share.

his name was Greg, so pray for him.

Posted by Hailstorm at 04:13 AM | Permalink

Just watched an episode from Walker, Texas Ranger. He is taking a bunch of young prison inmates through a 6 wk boot camp thing to help them change their ways. Of course we know he will succeed, but looking past that I saw something there that struck a chord with me.

The theme throughout his training thing was getting them to realize that choices have consequences, you can make easy choices, fast choices, or smart choices.

He uses this as an analogy:

You are given two choices

1: $100,000 right now

or

2: 1 penny today, doubled everyday for 30 days.

of course they all chose the $100,000 and then he showed them that after 30 days they would have gotten
$5,368,709.12. It seemed odd, so I did the math, and he is right.

But that isn't what got my attention, it is that the overall lesson is something that I have been hitting on a lot lately.

A while back I was asked to teach a 7wk course using my martial arts, I chose to teach on self-control. I didn't know what I was teaching on then, but since then I have learned a lot, and I am convinced that Self-Control is all about our choices.

Life is about choices, hundreds of times a day, every single day we are faced with choices. We always have control over our choices, the question is what do we choose? At its most basic level, every choice is between honoring God or honoring ourselves, and as Chuck Norris pointed out, there is the easy choice or the smart choice. Honoring ourselves is the easy choice, but honoring God is the smart one. With every choice there are consequences, and when we choose to honor God, He honors us back. but when we honor ourselves, He withholds His blessings.

Self-control, then, is about honoring God with our choices.

thanks for thinking about it!

Posted by Hailstorm at 09:25 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

What is Truth? You find this question is growing more and more prevalent in our society these days, and I think that it is a legitimate question that deserves a legitimate answer. Is there an answer to that question? I think so, and I believe that it starts with understanding that this question is not a new one. It was asked many thousands of years ago by a Roman named Pilate.

Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?" And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, "I find no fault in Him at all. John 18:38 (NKJV)

Continue reading "Truth Matters, wk 1" »

Posted by Hailstorm at 07:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

I saw Spiderman 3 and I loved it, but my favorite part was the very end where (won't spoil it for y'all) Peter was doing his monologue about what he learned.

He says that we always have a choice and in the end it's our choices that make us who we are. We CAN choose to do the right thing.

amazing insight, sounds familiar. . .

thanks for thinking about it!!

Posted by Hailstorm at 05:00 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Greetings!! I am Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite; servant of David, Anointed of God. My Lord has granted me special honors to come and tell my story to this honorable assembly tonight. My role in history is small, and many would not know of my exploits performed in the name of my God in the service of my King David. I dare say, only two of my adventures were ever recorded in His Holy Word, but those were recorded for good reason I assure thee.

Perhaps, I am getting ahead of myself. Let me explain, after David escaped Saul by fleeing to Nob and the cave of Adullam many men gathered to him, about 400 in all. (1 Sam. 22) I was with that group, myself and my two comrades. We became David’s Three, it was us who braved the Philistine army to bring him a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem (2 Sam. 23), but that was a minor trifle compared to what I am really known for accomplishing for my master David and His God.

The Philistines were camped at Pas Dammim for battle, my King David and I taunted them. It was grand! We hurled insults at them and mocked their gods! We called them names and spoke ill of their courage in battle, and their skill with the sword. We told them that just one of our men with God on our side could put their entire army to flight! Ahhh, they did not take too kindly to that. Haha, no they did not. They were so infuriated that they attacked with a fury that few have seen in a Philistine since!! They fought so hard that they put the Israelite army to flight. As the retreat was being sounded, I fell back with my men and we fled.

I couldn’t help but recall our taunting to the Philistines before, and our boasts of the power of our God compared to theirs. I remembered my master’s battle with the giant, and I stopped running. I turned half way around and I glanced back at the chasing Philistine army. Time began to slow down for me. The world was moving as though in a dream. I looked back towards my comrades and I felt great shame at the lack of faith and courage that we were displaying that day. I turned my face toward heaven, and with my sword in my hand I cried out to my God and I turned to face the Philistine army, knowing I stood alone to face them.

I knew not whether I would live or die, no, I feared I would die before I had struck down just three of my enemies that day, but I had resolved in my heart that I would not run from these heathen men but would stand alone if I must to honor my God with my best. I would not stop fighting until I had fallen dead at their feet or my God granted me victory! I gritted my teeth and I bent my legs with my sword held low and point up I awaited my fate as I watched the approaching army gain precious distance closer to me in slow motion. I could see each man’s face as he faced me, I could hear each war cry. My eyes scanned the battle lines as I stood defiantly before them – one man against hundreds with only a sword in my hand and God at my back. It was a strange sensation watching each step that the Philistines made move slowly through time, bringing them closer and closer to me and my doubtless death. Each second seemed like an hour, and with each step my resolve to not give less than my all that moment, my final moment, grew. Finally the last few steps were about to be covered and I raised my sword to meet my first, and maybe last opponent. With the clang of the metal on metal, time regained its normal momentum. And the last battle of my life, I thought, began its final stage.

I had fought many battles and lived before this one, and most I fought with zeal and vigor, yet at this moment I fought with such energy, with such strength and yet with such smoothness and precision as I have never fought ever again. It was as though God fought through me that day. I slew my three, and then three more, and then three more and so it continued for what seemed days. It never slowed, never quit. With every man I cut down, three more appeared before me ready to avenge their brothers death. I grew weary with the effort, yet I did not falter in my vow. It became a struggle to even stand, let alone lift my sword and with each stroke and swing and stab of my blade I grew even wearier. Yet I did not stop, I could hear myself screaming in my mind, or maybe it was in my ears, I cannot even remember if I was thinking it or screaming it: “I will not stop giving my God my best today until I am dead at their feet or I stand victorious over them today!”

Do you know what it means to give your best? Do you really, I thought I did that day, until I reached it and I was neither dead nor victorious. So I continued giving. I gave it to the Philistines over and over again, beyond the point I could even comprehend the passing of time. I could not even feel my arms but I could see them swinging my sword and with every stroke I saw another man fall. I was tripping over bodies left and right, literally climbing over them, and slipping on the blood stained ground. Each time raising again to face another man. It seemed endless, and then it was over. It seemed unreal. I turned and stumbled around half blinded by wounds on my head I had no memory of receiving, seeking frantically to find my next opponent before he found me, but I found no one, for there were none left. I stood in an open field full of dead men, hundreds, strewn in piles all around me and slowly it dawned on me that I had defeated the entire army. I lived! I was victorious!! My God had granted me my prayer despite my own lack of faith! I tried to drop my sword but my hand would not obey my command. The muscles of my arm were stiff as a dead mans, and my hand would not be opened. As my fellow Israelites rallied to my side, there was not a single Philistine left alive. They had only to pick the loot from the bodies.

That day I understood a new meaning to giving God my best. I understood that surrender to God meant not surrendering to anything else until I had achieved victory or I stood before my Maker in Heaven. To fail in the day of adversity is weakness indeed!

I tell my story to you today to encourage you that you too may bring victory against overwhelming odds! That you too may do great deeds that will be remembered for generations to come as fabulous feats. It does not require great skill or great ability for I certainly did not have the skill for what I accomplished that day. It only requires a steadfast determination to give nothing less than your absolute all to God and that will be enough. For nothing is impossible with God!!!

Adapted from 2 Samuel 23 by A. Read Wall, May 12, 2007 for dramatic effect

Posted by Hailstorm at 08:33 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

some introductory notes on Matthew chapter 1.
overview
The author of Matthew is Matthew (Levi) the Disciple. We know this because the original manuscripts were titled "According to Matthew". This was the same Matthew who was the tax collector.

The purpose of this book is to show Jesus as the Jewish Messiah. This book was written to the church that was composed primarily of Jews at the time who were running into conflict with the mainline Judeaism religion and thus breaking away from the mainline Jewish religion.

Who/what is the Messiah? The Messiah, or the Christ in Greek, is a Hebrew word for the "Annointed One", the person whom God promised would come and lead the nation of Israel in the establishment of the Kingdom of God. He would redeem them from their sins by His own righteousness. Most of the Jewish people missed the point about this person and thought He would be a litteral political leader someone who would come in military power like David and free them from their captors. Instead Jesus came as a Spiritual leader and established a spiritual Kingdom. The Kingdom of God was a major theme for Matthew, this is likely because he was trying to correct this flawed idea of what the Jewish people thought the Kingdom of God was like.

Continue reading "for Jessica, Mt. 1" »

Posted by Hailstorm at 09:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

in the movie, Batman Begins, Bruce's father tells Bruce something quite profound: "And why do we fall? So we can learn to pick ourselves up."

Falling is normal to a fallen people, get used to it. We will fall from time to time in life, over and over again. What is important isn't the fact that we fall but that we learn from each fall, and in the learning we fall less frequently.

Let Truth rule in your life!

Posted by Hailstorm at 06:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Nichole Nordeman sings a song called legacy, in it she asks this question of herself, "did I point to You [Christ] enough to leave a mark on things"

challenging. If we are to impact our world, then we must point to Christ so much in so many different areas of our life that people can't help but see Christ.

My prayer for myself is that I should walk so close to God that when I walk by people turn their head and take notice saying, "Wow, I know God still walks among men for He most certainly walks with that one."

Hard to be, but so worth striving for.

thanks for thinking about it!!!!

Posted by Hailstorm at 07:09 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

now here is a rapper with something worth rapping about

Posted by Hailstorm at 01:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

I went to lunch today at work, and while sitting there was suddenly struck with a story. I took out my pen and began to write, the act of which ate up nearly my entire hour long break.

As I returned to work, an associate came up to me and asked me this question: what is grace?

I responded with what I was taught by my parents as a boy:
God's
Riches
At
Christ's
Expense
or
receiving something I do not deserve.

Then I handed him this story and told him to read it, ironic I thought that I should write this only moments before asked that question.

Read and enjoy, and you tell me what your answer is.

A Debt of Grace
The Sahara desert, the largest hot desert in the world, it is almost the size of the USA; that was the place this story happened. It happened a long time ago, exactly when, who knows. There was a man, he was a mean man, his friends… ok, he did not have any friends. His companions tolerated him only because they had to. He worked for a man who took things through the desert in caravans. He would treat people like dirt and manipulate and use them for his own selfish means. He was not a good man.

Continue reading "What is grace?" »

Posted by Hailstorm at 01:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

Just thought I would supply this information for you guys to give you some perspective on the timeline of Genesis and why the geneologies are important in the Bible.

Did you know that Adam died approximately 1000 years before the flood? That’s all.

Did you know that Noah was only 9 generations down from the beginning of the world? Not that far along really.

Did you know that Noah’s grandfather was the oldest man to ever live and die (Methuselah - 969 yrs), who incidently died the year of the flood. I wonder if the flood was related to his death? Hmm.

Did you know that Adam was alive and well for nearly 300 years after the birth of Methuselah, who was alive and well when Shem (Noah’s son) was nearly 100 yrs old? that means that the Creation story could have been told to Methuselah directly from Adam! And to Shem directly from Methuselah! Only had to change hands twice to go past the flood!

Now, did you know that Shem was alive and well for 150 years after Abraham was born, and for 50 years after Isaac was born! that means that Shem could have relayed the story to Isaac, only changed hands three times to the father of the Israelite people.

Did you know that Isaac was only 77 (he lived to be 180 yrs old) when Jacob’s son Levi was born? Levi could have heard the story from Isaac his Grandfather and that only means that to the beginning of the 12 tribes of Israel, the events of Genesis only had to pass through 4 times!!!

Now get this! Did you know that Levi (who lived to be 137) was only 70 years old when a guy named Am Ram was born, who was Moses’ father? Hmmm! the Story of Genesis that is pre-Moses’ era only had to change hands 5 times before Moses put it into writing for us in the form of the Book of Genesis. Think about that!!!

simply incredible!!!

Noah, actually talked with someone who learned about creation from Adam!!!! Noah’s great grandfather still hasn’t died yet! Enoch was taken straight to heaven only 69 yrs before Noah was born!! Seth, the 3rd son of Adam, died a mere 14 years before Noah’s birth. Enos, who was Seth’s son, lived and talked with Noah for 84 years!!!!!

Imagine being able to hear about the Garden of Eve from your father as a child, and about Adam and Eve, and then turn right around and ask Adam what it was like because he is your grandfather!?!?!

Now from Abraham to David was 14 generations, from David to the exile was 14 generations, and from the exile to Christ was 14 generations.

Christ was 2000 years ago. Does that kind of make our whole history sound rather short to you? It does me!

Posted by Hailstorm at 11:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

Simply a matter of priority.

Do you love God? If so, how much? Do you love Him enough?

Consider this for a moment:
1 Corinthians 6:20 says this, "For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."

consider this for one moment, what does it mean to be bought with a price? It means this to me: that I am not my own. It means that I have no rights but those given to me from the one who paid the price. In this case, God. What rights does He give me? I have the right to obey Him, and that's it.

This seems like such a difficult thing because it requires us to go against our natural desires so often, but think about it like this: God didn't have to pay for our sins, He was well within His rights to let us go to hell but He didn't, therefore we owe Him nothing short of our entire allegiance. And if we truly love Him, then trying to please Him is a little thing.

He tells us in the above mentioned passage that we are to glorify Him in our body and in our spirit. That means that not only in our actions, but in the deepest parts of our heart as well. And really, that is where it all starts, in the heart.
Romans 12: 1-2 says, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

Please focus in on the last part, "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

Do not be conformed to THIS world. Do not buy into the thinking and the way of acting that is acceptable in this world, but instead make your thinking and acting new through a process that is called renewing the mind. This means that you question every thought and every thinking process and take it back to its root assumption. If it doesn't hold up to the truth of Scripture (which you know because you read it every day and study it every day) then you throw it out. Before long, you will begin to understand God in a whole new way. Not a way of mere facts and trivia, but in the way that you would know your best friend or most intimate aquaintance -- personally.

Do you think like this world? Do you buy into the logic of the enemy? Or do you know the Truth like a close friend and do you reflect His nature like a finely polished mirror?

thanks for thinking about it, and MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!!!!

Posted by Hailstorm at 01:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Before I met Jesus my life was like this:

I was born in Ft. Worth, TX on Dec. 5, 1981 while my father was in Seminary. I was born into a strong Christian family. I was 5 years old when I knew that I was a sinner, and that if I didn't accept Jesus into my heart and my life as Savior and Lord I would go to hell, despite what I believed or my family's faith. Yet I let fear hold me in its icy grip for two years until I became more afraid of hell than I was of being in public and of water.

But then I came to know Jesus personally like this:

The day was Dec. 4th, 1988, it was a Sunday. It was the last day of an outdoor tent revival, and I had been fighting it all week. On that last day, I heard God tell me, "It's today, or it's never." I knew that if I didn't face my fear and win today, then I would lose my whole life. So that moment, without my father who had promised to walk up with me all week, I moved out of my seat and made my way to the front to talk to my pastor, Larry Marlin. I could hear my mother tell my father, "well, go with him." and I knew my father was following me. I walked to my pastor and I told him, I need to accept Jesus as my Savior. He asked me a few questions, and together, my father and my pastor and I prayed that Jesus would enter my heart and my life, forgive me of my sins, and take control of my life -- and you know what? He did. And I have never once regretted it.

Now that I know Jesus personally, my life has changed like this:

My personal relationship with Jesus has changed my life in every way. Although, right away there did not seem to be much of a difference because I had always lived like a Christian should in terms of morality. I really began to see the difference in my life as I entered the teenage years and I began to be to be challenged to not stay where I was in my personal walk with Christ. To live my whole life as a child and never mature, that would be a travesty, and yet I would have, if I God had not challenged me in that regard. I thought I knew a lot about the Bible, well at least enough, but then I began to question things. I didn’t question because I doubted, I questioned because I began to understand that I did not understand them well enough. I did not OWN them. In order to own them I had to invest myself in them. So I began to study my Bible, to seek answers to the difficult questions, and to share what I had learned with others, and so my personal ministry began. With just seeking to grow in my own walk with Christ. Now, He has changed the very way that I see the world. And that changes everything.

Posted by Hailstorm at 11:23 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

but tonight I preached... sort of.

Tonight was presentation night for our Sunday Night Seminars at church, and I have been teaching a Bible study on Self Control and kung fu.

So tonight I presented a synopsis of what I have taught, what I will teach next time (spiritual principles that parrallel kung fu) and then did short demonstration that included having the pastor flip me.

It went extremely well, far better than I ever could have imagined. I took about 40 minutes, and I basically preached a sermon.

It touched at least one person who shared afterwards, and I had a lot of people who came up and told me I did a great job. The pastor and my father were thoroughly impressed. All the glory goes to God, for I could not have done so well without Him. I believe that He spoke through me tonight, I have never felt so relaxed and comfortable as I did speaking tonight.

This morning I gave my testemony in church, got a lot of good feedback on that.

Tomorrow marks my 18th birthday spiritually and tuesday my 25th actual birthday.

it's an exciting time in my life.

Posted by Hailstorm at 11:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

J. Edwin Orr, in his book Faith that Makes Sense made this arguement against chance and evolution. (pages 11-14)

A pilot came to talk to me in my tent-office in New Guinea, and said: "Tell me, Chaplain, why is any man compelled to hold a religious faith? Could not everything have happened by chance?"

Continue reading "Chance and the Cosmos" »

Posted by Hailstorm at 01:51 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

If you have ever had a formal job anywhere, you probably know what a job description is. It is my oppinion here, but I believe that there are three documents that every worker should have copies of ready at hand: a job description, a training manual/plan, and their evaluation form. A job description is simply a document that describes what is expected of you in your position. It spells out what skills you must have, briefly explains what tasks you will be doing, and paints an overall picture of what that job is made up of. So, you see how important it truly is. Your boss cannot morrally or realistically hold you accountable to any standard if it is not clearly communicated to you, and that is what your job description is.

So have you ever wondered about what your spiritual job description is? What does God expect us to do? Well, obviously, that document is found in the Bible, but where? And what exactly does it say? Look, for a moment in Micah 6:8, and consider this.

"He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"

1: to do justly,
2: to love mercy,
3: to walk humbly with our God.

Three things, it sounds so simple, yet it is so involved!! How do we even begin to do that?! I will tell, since you asked, how we can start to do that. It all starts with the Word of God. It always starts with the Word of God! You have to get in it. Start reading it regularly, then you have to pray faithfully. You get in a good, solid, Bible believing church and into a good Bible study. Then you begin bearing fruit as it is mentioned in Scripture.

Let's look at #3, to walk humbly with our God. What does that mean? First of all it means that we have to lose ourselves from the equation. We have to stop thinking about what we want, about our desires, our goals, our ambitions, what we enjoy, what is troublesome to us. And instead, we begin to look at what God wants, at His desires, His goals, His ambitions, what He enjoys, what is troublesome to Him. And we begin to reprogram our thoughts to match His. Do you understand that idea? It means that God is more important to us than we are. Easier said than done, I know, but so true and sooooo important! That is what it means to walk humbly with our God. It means that we put ourselves where we belong, on the back burner, in the roll of a servant. It means that we understand that God doesn't owe us anything, that we owe Him everything. It means that our oppinion doesn't matter, only His oppinion matters. It means that our ambitions are empty unless they agree with His ambitions. It means that God is our number 1 priority; more important than our boyfriend/girlfriend, more important than our family, our job, our education, our friends, our hobby, our car, our reputation, everything. Jesus was willing to leave Heaven to come here, and die for us; how much is it really to ask of us to live here for Him so we can live there with Him? Jim Elliot once said,

"It is no great loss, to lose that which you cannot keep, to gain that which you cannot lose."

Lets look at #1 and #2. Often we try to apply mercy to ourselves and justice to others when it should be the other way around. It's harder to live like that, but far more rewarding. Not long ago, I was discussing God with my father, and we were talking about the relationship that holiness had with justice and righteousness, and love had with mercy and grace. You see, God does justice and righteousness because He is holy. He does mercy and grace because He is loving. It is His essence that leads the action into existance. He does "action" because he is "essence". It is God's holy essence that drives Him to do righteously and justly. It is His loving essence that drives Him to do mercifully and graciously. Do you understand the relationship here? This is important because if you noticed, in #'s 1 and 2 God told us to love mercy and to do justly. Mercy is driven by Love, and Justice is driven by Holiness. God is telling us here that He wants us to reflect His very nature in our lives. He wants us to reflect the very nature of God by demonstrating His holiness in our lives, by demonstrating His love in our lives. How, I ask you, can we do this if we do not walk humbly with Him? See, it all comes full circle. This is why God is not satisfied when we "just come to church". He wants us to walk WITH Him. Don't you see? That is what we were designed for!!! God made Adam to walk with Him in the Garden. But since the fall of man, we haven't been able to do that like we were designed. That is why Jesus came down to Earth and died for us, so that we could be restored to Him and walk with Him again. Have you ever walked with someone without spending time with them? If you have, you are the first to do so. To walk with someone implies that there is some interaction happening on some level. It is personal, sometimes intimate. People share precious moments while walking together. This is what God longs for! For us to walk humbly with Him. When we walk humbly, we are free to see things that enrich our lives, free to understand truth for the first time. Free to serve and experience the joy of it. When we walk humbly with our God, then we can then experience Him. When we experience Him, then He will change us, re-wire us from the inside out and then we will begin to reflect His very nature to others. And that, my friend, is when we can then go out and change the world!!!

It is the height of ingrattitude to look at what Christ did for us and say, I don't owe God anything! or that He should be happy with just a little of my time instead of my whole self. After all, "what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"

thanks for thinking about it.

Posted by Hailstorm at 11:44 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

I recently was told by someone that "God should just be happy that we even come to church."

What are your thoughts on that matter?

Posted by Hailstorm at 11:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

I am very thankful that Halloween is over. I hate that holiday! It brings out the worst in people.

I not only believe that Christians shouldn't celebrate it, but I believe that it is distinctly evil.

I was asked yesterday by a co-worker why I didn't dress up for the holiday at work, I responded by saying,
"As an evangelical Bible-believing Christian, I cannot celebrate a holiday that emphasises evil."
"but it is all fake" she replied
"That is what you say when you haven't met the real thing." I told her.
"Well, I just do it for fun."
"Yeah, I know. Fun is one of Satan's best tools."

Posted by Hailstorm at 01:10 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

my elder brother shares a few thoughts about faith, good stuff

He also talks a little about different ways to approach truth.

Posted by Hailstorm at 01:06 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Tim wrote:

"Nice story, but what do you do if GOD asks you to lay down your very passion. I too am in love with Hsing-I, but I feel GOD has asked me to lay it down. I feel it is what I was made for, yet everytime I start to practice, things will be going good for a while but then I start to sense that I am disconnected from HIM.
I have been dealing with this issue for many years. I think I am going crazy sometimes. I know that there are many people who have used their talents to serve HIM. Is it possible that I am the exception and HE has something else in store for me?"
as a comment on my post on using your passion for Christ.

Here is my response:

Continue reading "for Tim" »

Posted by Hailstorm at 10:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

ok, I am gonna preach about this for a minute so pay attention y'all.

I don't know who this applies to so take it for what it's worth.

I get so frustrated with people who lie to themselves and to others and most importantly, to God. I talked to someone just today at work who "talks a good talk" about her Christianity, when just the other day I sat and listened to her talk about her different parties she had attended and her worst hangovers.

For crying out loud people!!! How sad is that?!!? On one hand we say we want to serve God with our whole heart, and on the other we are blatently following our own heart. Do you realize what that means???????

Do you realize that you are saying that you know better than God what is right, and good?

I am sorry folks, but you don't have the right, to say that you know better than the God of all the Universe!!!! Do you realize that God wrote the laws that govern the entire universe, and enforces them?! Who are you to say that you know better than He, what is right and wrong? He defined wrong and right, and in the end it is His opinion and only his opinion that counts! So, go ahead, tell God your opinion, see what He has to say about it.

Proverbs 3:1, "My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:"

Posted by Hailstorm at 11:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Hello folks, I want to ask you a question: What does it mean to obey God with your whole heart?

I have been thinking about this question for several years. I most often see it played out, or put to the test, in cases where someone thinks they have found the person they "feel" that they love. Yet, maybe there is a problem, such as being unequally yoked. They think they know better than God, that their heart is telling them a higher truth than what God revealed to us in Scripture.

Or maybe it is a different issue, such as a habit. It could be any kind of addiction: drugs, alcohal, popularity, co-dependant relationships, music, sexual perversion. It all comes down to a willful choice to disobey God.

All of us Christians would probably answer that we wish to obey God with all of our heart, but does our behavior reflect that belief?

I had a conversation with a person once, the conversation was purely hypothetical yet it was an honest one. This person had the courage and intellectual honesty to admit that even if God forbid her from partaking in this relationship she would continue in it if her heart told her to.

Sad day!!!

By her own admission, she believes she is more knowledgeable than God!!!!!!!!

Although very difficult, how much better it is to choose every day and in every situation to obey God with our whole heart!!!!

Posted by Hailstorm at 10:49 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

The other day, I was sitting in the break room of my work, when I looked over and saw a name mentioned in the newspaper, it instantly caught my attention as it was the name of my best friend's dad. There was a full article about him in the Decatur paper. They called him "God's Gardener." Here was the premise, Ed loves to garden, it's his passion. And now that he is retired, he developed a garden. He was loaned several acres to garden by some local people and he basically farms that land quite effectively producing some high yield produce which he then trucks to various different places and gives the food away. Awesome right!!!

I saved that article, because it got me thinking. This is just another example of a man who uses his passion for Christ. Gardening, who would have thunk it? I never would have thought of that. And yet soup kitchens, food pantries, and churches are eating food that he grew and they got for free. He is feeding the hungry in God's name, and doing the thing he loves to do at the same time.

This is yet another great example of what I have been talking about for some time now, when Christians submit themselves to God in every way, and they submit their passions to Him, then He can find ways to use them through their passions for Christ. It took some creativity on his part to find a way to use it. It took tons of work, but the world took notice. How powerful is that in and of itself?

What is your passion? What is your hobby? What do you love to spend time doing? Does it belong to Christ? Do you use it to glorify His name, to build His Kingdom? It may take some creativity, it may take tons of hard work, it may take patience; but it is worth it. And Jesus will use it in a powerful way, He will use you in a powerful way.

Brothers and Sisters in Christ, I know that each and every one of you have a passion. And there are not words enough to express my heart for this issue. I plead with you today, I reach out to you now, please, give that passion to Jesus! Let Him grow you through it, let your desire to use it for His Kingdom challenge you to grow, to study, to submit to Him in every area of your life. And let your passion speak to the world for the Kingdom of Heaven. Friend, you have a passion, what is it? Tell me, will you use your passion for Christ?

I have a passion, everyone knows it, I probably don't even have to tell you; but I will, because it's my passion. I love the martial arts. I have grown so much spiritually because God has used it to train me, and because of that I have been able to reach people.

Maybe it's cooking, sports, computers, linguistics, children, music, hunting, dance, whatever. Give it to God, and then go use your passoin for Christ.

Posted by Hailstorm at 10:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Yes, as a matter of fact, He did do kung fu. He did a specific kind of kung fu that I have affectionately termed "Lung Fu".

You see, "kung fu" is the chinese term that simply translates as a "skill" and so I term "lung fu" as the "skillful use of words" particularly when used to manage conflict, which is often times called conflict management, debate, or apologetics -when used to defend Christian doctrine. So, here is my example: In Matt. 15:1-11 we see that Jesus was asked a question by the Pharisees, "Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders?...they wash not their hands when they eat bread." Notice that Jesus did not answer their question directly. In fact, He did not anser their question really at all! He instead side stepped their question and performed what I called the "adjacent challenge" verbal redirect. I call it that because instead of dealing with their question, He evaded it by challenging them a question about an issue that was adjacent to the one they brought up. He springboarded off of their question's topic, traditions of men, and put the spotlight on them and their sin. In effect, He was saying to them, "Don't talk to me of my disciples failure to follow the TRADITIONS of MEN, when you yourself are guilty of elevating those traditions above the COMMANDS of GOD!! Once again, Jesus forced the Pharisees to take a good hard look at their sin and their failure to please God.

You see, when Jesus dealt with an issue He never dealt with the issue as it was presented; instead, He always dove straight to the heart of the matter. He found the real issue, and dealt with that. In this issue, the real heart of the matter wasn't obeying the traditions of men, but obeying the commands of God. The Pharisees had placed so great an importance on the traditions of men that they ignored the commands of God, even seeking to use those traditions to circumvent their responsibilities that God gave them. They had no place to challenge Jesus' disciples and that is what Jesus responded to.

Isn't this true, that so often we bring to God's attention the faults of others when we have not even dealt with our far more pressing matter? It is so easy to be critical of others because they don't behave or think the way we think that they should, or because they defy the 'traditions' that we hold dear. How much better it is if we first go to God and say, "Search me oh God, and know me. See if there be any unclean way in me."

thanks for thinking about it.

Posted by Hailstorm at 02:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

The other day, I posted some thoughts on selflessness on my youth blog, thought some of you might want to read them:

We live in a self centered society, do we not? When we look around us we see people rushing around doing things for themselves. Did you know that the average teen (age 12-19) spends $92 a week! How much of that do you think is spent serving someone else?

The Bible tells us that we should deny ourselves (Luke 9:23). This means that we are to be self-LESS not self-ISH. So what does it mean to be self-less?

Obviously, it means to be less self oriented. But what exactly does that mean and how exactly do we reach this goal?

Well, I don't know all the answers but here are a few thoughts to think about concerning the topic.

To be self-less is to give up self, literally to have less self. What this means is that if we want to be selfless then we have to be willing to lose ourselves out of the equation. I remember this statement, "If we lose ourself in Jesus, we will find ourself changed" and it helps me to understand.

Thanks for thinking about it.

as an interesting extra piece of information, the song by MercyMe -- so long self -- I was listening to the radio today while thinking about that post and I heard this song. Take a look at the lyrics.
Well if I come across a little bit distant
It's just because I am
Things just seem to feel a little bit different
You understand

Believe it or not but life is not apparently
About me anyways
But I have met the One who really is worthy
So let me say

Chorus:
So long self
Well it's been fun, but I have found somebody else
So long self
There's just no room for two
So you are gonna have to move
So long self
Don't take this wrong but you are wrong for me farewell
Oh well, Goodbye, don't cry
So Long Self

Stop right there because I know what your thinking
But no we can't be friends
And even though I know your heart is breaking
This has to end

And come to think of it the blame for all of this
Simply falls on me
For wanting something more in life than all of this
Oh, can't you see

Chorus:

(4x’s)
Farewell, Goodbye
Oh so long self

Posted by Hailstorm at 11:48 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

These are my mom's musings on marriage copied from her website

************************************************************************************************************************************************

Marriage: Standing in the need of prayer!

There are so many marriages that have reached

CRITICAL.

At least four couples I know, are having problems in their marriage. Last night as I lay in bed trying to go to sleep, I couldn't help but ponder and lift up each couple in prayer. They are not dealing with a little problem, but rather a stack of seemingly insurmountable problems that creapt in between the

love of their life.

But how does it fall apart?

Now, I certainly don't know all the circumstances, but I was praying and asking God to work, bringing each spouse to a place where they were willing to communicate with each other. Communication with respect is a key element in any relationship. Giving each other time to talk without belittling or getting angry is a good start.

Communication has to happen for the next important element in marriage to take place; that of forgiveness. Forgiveness is so essential. Without it, you only leave room for bitterness. No one benefits from anger turned to bitterness. The Bible tells us that this gives Satan a stronghold in our life. We can do enough damage ourselves without inviting THE Deceiver to work against us. This ripples out to wound all we hold dear, our children (young or grown), our grandchildren, our neighbors, our friends, our church, and our witness. No problem is worth wounding so many we hold dear, especially, our LORD, who already gave HIS all for us.

The third element you need in marriage is a sense of humor. Nothing can diffuse anger like laughter. I often tell my husband that is the reason I married him, for his humor. Laughter adds balance to our lives. It helps us not to take life too seriously. The Psalmist said, "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine."

Now, God tells us when we are joined in marriage, that we are to LEAVE and CLEAVE. Leave our childhood ties to parents, siblings, etc., and to cleave to our mate. This has to take place emotionally as well as physically. As a wife, my husband comes first after God, then my children, then church, work... As a wife, it's my job to lift up my husband, never doing anything that would make him look bad. (even to the point of making sure his clothes are clean and wrinkle free, Ladies it doesn't say much about us, either! )

These thoughts seem to swirl around in my mind and heart every time I hear the pain of dear friends, thanks for letting me ramble.

Posted by Priscilla Wall on September 16, 2006 03:04 PM

Continue reading "my mom's musings on marriage" »

Posted by Hailstorm at 12:16 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Have you ever wondered what the Bible says about success? I was asked one day by a co-worker a couple years back to define success. I had to think about it. I knew vaguely what the world would consider success, but I didn't agree at all with that definition because I thought from a spiritual perspective. So I began to pray that God would show me what He considered to be the definition of success. That same evening as I read my Bible, He did just that. I was reading in Philippians chapter 3, and since I happened to be with that same co-worker, I showed her what God had showed me in the Bible about success. If we take a look at what the Bible says here we shall see something that might be considered interesting by some, challenging by others, and enlightening by still others.

Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you. Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh. For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh-- though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.

Philippians 3:1-6

As we look at this passage we can begin to see what the world might see as success. Paul was a successful man by the world's standards before he was converted. He had reached the top in his field, the best of the best. He had everything he could have wanted from his job: fame, position, influence, power, respect of his peers, fear from his enemies. Now, I doubt Paul was looking for those things, but he had them. This is what the world would have called success. But wait, let's look at what he has to say next.

But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

Philippians 3:7-12

What is this? Paul thinks that this kind of success is rubbish?! How is this true? Why is this true? Is this true? Verse 7 clearly identifies what the world would consider successful, when he says "whatever was to my profit..." but then he goes on to say that those things were for his loss. This is quite the conundrum now isn't it? But Paul expounds upon his confusing stance on this issue by stating that the only thing that is important in his life is simply to know Christ, to be found in Him and to have the righteousness that comes from knowing Him. This is why the world's concept of success is wrong - it doesn't save you in the end, it doesn't fulfill you in the end, only Jesus can do that. But let us not dwell too long here, but continue on to read what other thoughts Paul had on this intriguing matter.

Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

Philippians 3:13-16

Here Paul continues to talk about true success, he just contrasted it with the world's success and we see how it is vastly superior. Now he expounds on it a little more. True success is the completion of a goal, but what is the goal? The goal is to be conformed to the image of Christ. And our reward for our efforts will be realized in Heaven. We may never achieve our goal on earth, like Paul said, "I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it..." But we still press forward, striving to achieve that goal, to be successful not in the profitable way the world would look at it but in the spiritual way that God looks at it. But how do we do this? How do we accomplish this goal? Read on my fellow traveler, read on.

Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

Philippians 3:17-21

Paul identifies several things for our practical application - things to help us achieve our goal and thus be successful spiritually. First he tells us to get involved with Christian fellowship. Fellowship is more than just getting together with other Christians and hanging out. It involves a spiritual develepment of some kind. If the discussion is always of earthly things (ie: work, sports, weather, current events, other people, etc...) and not of Biblical or spiritual matters then it is not of much good towards your spiritual success. You must get together with other Christians and discuss the Bible, talk about it, share what God is sharing with you and with others. Challenge their thinking process, and be challenged in yours. Bear each other's burdens in love. Pray for each other, teach, disciple, encourage, and other such things.

The second thing he identified was like the first, seek out godly examples. I could not possibly be where I am spiritually without the godly examples of my parents. Find some good godly people and watch them. Talk to them, ask the questions, challenge them with some thought provoking topics and just learn whatever you can from them. And of course this includes the examples and the wisdom shared with us in Scripture. So read your Bible, study it, live in it. What else is there to talk about with these people than Scripture?

He also warns us of the outcome of living for a worldly successful life. He tells us that the end of that road leads only to destruction. We should avoid that route ourselves and choose not to look to those people for counsel, or for models either. We should build our life on better models instead.

And the last thing that Paul mentions is the life changing power of Jesus Christ to transform our lives. We have to let Him, and we have to invite Him to change us from the inside out. When we invite Him in to change us, then He will; but sometimes it will be difficult and it will cause us to take a hard look at all the things that we did not want to change. But if we want to be successfull we have to make sacrifices, how much better it will be for us if we sacrifice what weighs us down to gain what lifts us up.

Thanks for thinking about it.

Posted by Hailstorm at 09:41 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Australian publishes proof of "Biblical-style" flood.

Posted by Hailstorm at 11:57 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

also check out these posts

God wants us to be weird?

and

I was out today...

Posted by Hailstorm at 03:31 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Acceptance without proof is the fundamental characteristic of Western religion, rejection without proof is the fundamental characteristic of Western science.
- Gary Zukav

Posted by Hailstorm at 06:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

Communication is the key element of relationships, without it, relationships don't exist.

I have often said this, but last night in a post by my mother she further clarified by saying, "Communication with respect is a key element in any relationship."

thanks for thinking about it

Posted by Hailstorm at 09:23 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

There is a song out there by Casting Crowns called "The Voice of Truth".

It's premise is this: that all throughout our lives we are played upon by a host of voices calling out to us. Most of which are feeding us lies, but one of them isn't -- it is the Voice of Truth, Jesus, and He is telling us how to be free from bondage.

This is such a powerful message, because in counselling someone, first you identify the true problem. Behind every (or nearly every) problem a person has is a lie. They have bought into a lie, and in the process of buying have sold their freedom and placed themselves in bondage. The only way to freedom is to identify the lie and then hold it up to the standard of Truth.

As a counsellor, you seek to find the appropriate truth and apply it to their situation and then reason forwards from that truth.

This can be frustrating, because it is easier said than done. The counsellor can present the truth but ultimately the counsellee must do what the song says, "CHOOSE to LISTEN and BELIEVE the Voice of Truth."

thanks for thinking about it

Posted by Hailstorm at 01:39 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

"...not for the sake of being different, but different with a purpose." Peter Hodges

That's what my kung fu student said about Christians being different, and it's quite true.

I look around me in the Church, and I see a host of people who really aren't that different nor do they have any desire to be different. Different from whom? you may ask, well -- the world of course.

That is one of our most powerful attractions to the world, strange as it may seem sometimes. The very thing that draws so much criticism and trials to the Christian is the very thing that makes them seek us out when they need answers.

The other day I made an observation to my mother, a guest had just left our house. Said person had come to us because of frustrations at home, and they came to our house for refuge from the storm, if not for but a moment. This person is one of many who have sought us out in times of trial, either for our counsel or our company and the peace that it brings (if not with a little conviction as well). The observation was simply that although many people criticise our family for the "strangeness" of our way of life and thinking (church people included) they know deep in their hearts that we are right as is evident by the fact that we are sought out so often. You see, our way works. It's wierd, but it works.

But aren't we as Christians called to be different from the world? To be in it, but not of it.

"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: " (1pet2:9)

we are called out from among the nations to reflect to Glory of God to the world so that the world might be saved.

here is a thought: if this is true, and it is, then why do we as Christians model so much of our thinking and acting on what is "cool" or "acceptable" or "normal" in the world? Shouldn't we be willing to step out of normalcy and be different, not different for the sake of being different but different with a purpose.

thanks for thinking about it.

Posted by Hailstorm at 01:22 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

seriously, have you ever stopped to consider God?

did you know that God never realizes anything? He never decides. Has it ever occured to you that nothing ever occurs to God? God is outside of time, He is transcendant. As far as God is concerned it all happened at the same instant. That is the brilliance of His name, I AM. He doesn't change. For God, the thought, the knowledge and the decision have always been there, they never became, they are not waiting to happen they are just there.

God is incomprehensible!!!! Not only incomprehensible, incomparable!!! You can't even compare Him to something accurately. it just blows my mind, and that makes me excited. That is what worship is all about, you know. Getting excited about how truly awesome God is.

so, i wonder, how can we worship God if we never take the time to just think about the extent of His nature?

the other night I received a call from a friend who was pretty down in the dumps about how his life was so bad. Through much talk I eventually began to talk about God's Divine Brilliance and how it was so mind-blowingly awesome, together we began to praise God for being so Brilliant, and he (my friend) was able to rise out of his depression because he stopped focusing on his life and began focusing on God's awesomeness. Now that's awesome!!! Just thinking about how awesome He is can help make someone happy, how cool is that!!!!!???

just think about it, it may blow your mind, and make you glad you did.

Posted by Hailstorm at 12:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

as I was listening to the radio this evening, I heard the story of a man who was at a restaurant with his son. The young son was trying to talk to his father, but the father was busy eating. Instead of truly listening, the father basically said, "yeah yeah OK ".

Finally out of frustration, the son took his father's face in his hands and told him, "daddy, listen to me with your eyes. "

how profound is that?

It got me thinking about listening. I know a lot of people who do not listen very well. Listening done right, should include three types of listening:
1: Listening with your eyes
2: Listening with your ears
3: Listening with your mind.

When you listen to someone, you should look at them. Make a point to make eye contact.

When you listen to someone, you should make a point not just to hear what they say but actually listen. Make very sure you capture every word.

When you listen to someone, you should think about what they have to say. Don't just listen, understand what they're saying. What do they mean? Is what they said what they really mean?

can you hear me now?

Posted by Hailstorm at 01:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Download file

A friend, Amanda, sent me this article. Very good. I highly recommend that you download and read it.

Posted by Hailstorm at 08:42 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

My testimony:

I was born in Ft. Worth, TX on Dec. 5, 1981 while my father was in Seminary. I was born into a strong Christian family. I was 5 years old when I knew that I was a sinner, and that if I didn't accept Jesus into my heart and my life as Savior and Lord I would go to hell, despite what I believed or my family's faith. Yet I let fear hold me in its icy grip for two years until I became more afraid of hell than I was of being in public and of water. The day was Dec. 4th, 1988, it was a Sunday. It was the last day of an outdoor tent revival, and I had been fighting it all week. On that last day, I heard God tell me, "It's today, or it's never." I knew that if I didn't face my fear and win today, then I would lose my whole life. So that moment, without my father who had promised to walk up with me all week, I moved out of my seat and made my way to the front to talk to my pastor, Larry Marlin. I could hear my mother tell my father, "well, go with him." and I knew my father was following me. I walked to my pastor and I told him, I need to accept Jesus as my Savior. He asked me a few questions, and together, my father and my pastor and I prayed that Jesus would enter my heart and my life, forgive me of my sins, and take control of my life -- and you know what? He did. And I have never once regretted it.

My ministry:

My ministry is the result of my spiritual walk intersecting with the lives of other people, both in and out of the church. I use my martial arts to build bridges and communicate spiritual truth to people. I use my blog to use my writing skills to inspire, encourage, educate, and exhort other people to a life of godliness. I use my job as a place to share God with people. I teach Sunday school, I volunteer assist leading the youth group at my church, and I mentor people individually in their spiritual walk. All of this requires a great deal of study and training and I sometimes walk a fine line in terms of having the ability to perform those functions. I make mistakes, I often find myself unqualified and in a quandry of how to answer questions, prepare and present the next lesson, conduct the next class, plan the next activity, fill the next roll.

Please pray for me.

Now that I have gone first, it's your turn. You may not do anything like what I do, you may do less, you may do more. You may just do one miniscule thing (in your eyes), but please do share. We need the prayer and support of all of our comrads in arms to make it through. I know that I need prayer, and I know you do too. So please, in the comments, share with me your testimony briefly and a short description of how you share in the kingdom burden so that I may be praying for you and together we may all bear each other's burdens in love so that the body may be edified.

don't be afraid, everybody does something, everybody has a testimony, and everybody's is equally valuable and important. Don't let fear rob you of the support, and me the opportunity to pray.

Posted by Hailstorm at 11:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

Evangalism isn't about elequance or intellect, tactics or techniques. It is about being single minded. It is about only knowing about one thing in your life and therefore only being able to talk about one thing -- Jesus and His death upon the cross.
1 Cor. 2:1-5:
(2:1) When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. (2:2) For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. (2:3) I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. (2:4) My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, (2:5) so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.

This doesn't mean that we are ignorant of other topics, but what it does mean is that every topic becomes an avenue through which Christ is known by us in our lives. An avenue through which we identify with God.

By the shear volume of opportunities that you will create with people, you will be more productive a witness, even if you never rise to elequence or intelligence.

See, there is hope for me yet.

(too ugly to care, to stupid to quit; that's me)

talk at y'all later!!

Posted by Hailstorm at 02:23 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Last night I watched Joshua Harris' video on purity, and he made a comment that got my mind to thinking (no jokes please ;)

He said that purity was lost by tiny little steps away from righteousness, away from holiness. He cited David and his sin with Bathsheba. That whole little episode began with this thought: that when kings went to war, David stayed home. It was not a big deal, just a little step. He wasn't were he should have been. Then he saw a woman bathing on her rooftop, and instead of looking away and praying away the sinful thoughts, he looked. He watched, he lingered, he lusted. Then he called for her, and one thing led to another until not only was he an adulterer, but a lier, and a murderer too.

All because he took a few little steps, half steps towards sin away from God's holiness.

Being the martial minded person that I am, I naturally thought of some kung fu concept that I could use to parallel this idea, and it came quite naturally. I have found that one of the best ways to close the gap with someone, or to force them back, isn't with brute force or by leaping a great distance, but by taking small steps. We call them half steps and we use them to cover, create, or keep distance between our opponents and ourselves.

It would amaze you how close I can get to you without you even knowing it by only taking half steps. Or, even force you into a corner that you don't want to be in by taking half steps. I can work my way through a very crowded room by half steps, and step someone all the way across the room and never take a big step.

sometimes we let ourselves get worked into a corner, or forced into a spot that comprimises our witness, that effects our own relationship with God without ever even realizing it because we never took a big step. Many times, as I was a beginner, I had a tendancy to get myself backed into a corner. I never could figure out how I got there. Then one day, I realized that it was because I wasn't being aware of the small steps that I was taking backwards. From that day on, I began using that to my advantage, taking small steps forward.

Just like that realization and the application of taking small steps forward, we need to spiritualize it and begin taking steps towards holiness and purity and not away from it.

thanks for reading, write at ya later.

Posted by Hailstorm at 09:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

my mom, made a good point.

any attribute is more than simply an attitude or a concept. I has to be more than a mere perception, it has to go beyond that into action.

you cannot think you are humble and simply be humble. BEing humble implies living that concept, not simply understanding it.

Humility defined is this: "seeing yourself through God's eyes." This means seeing yourself as you truly are, not as others tell you you are, or as you see yourself, but as you truly are, in God's eyes.

And seeing yourself through God's eyes, you then act accordingly.

Many people misunderstand Humility as making yourself lower, which isn't all wrong for humility does indeed convey the idea of bowing low, or submitting to some higher authority. However, humility can be taken too far in that extreme and taken to mean making yourself lower than in reality you are. A humble man should display confidence in his ability because he knows what he can do. This is not always possible to do perfectly, because we do not have perfect knowledge of anything, even ourselves.

to be continued...

Posted by Hailstorm at 09:08 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

the word humility is used in only 7 verses in Scripture (KJV)
as follows:
Pr 15:33 -
The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.
Pr 18:12 -
Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility.
Pr 22:4 -
By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life.
Ac 20:19 -
Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews:
Col 2:18 -
Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
Col 2:23 -
Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.
1Pe 5:5 -
Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

The word humble is used 24 times (all not showed here due to space limitations)

God puts us through hard times to humble us:
De 8:2 -
And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.
De 8:16 -
Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end;

It would seem that a person must be humble to repent and to be blessed by God:
2Ch 7:14 -
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

It would seem that God only listens to the humble:
2Ch 34:27 -
Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before me, and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before me; I have even heard thee also, saith the LORD.

It would seem that God does not forget the humble and sees after them:
Job 22:29 -
When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person.
Ps 9:12 -
When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them: he forgetteth not the cry of the humble.
Ps 10:12 -
Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up thine hand: forget not the humble.
Ps 10:17 -
LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:
It would seem that to be humble more important than riches:
Pr 16:19 -
Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.
It would seem that to be honored, you must first be humble:
Pr 29:23 -
A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.
Isa 57:15 -
For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
Jer 13:18 -
Say unto the king and to the queen, Humble yourselves, sit down: for your principalities shall come down, even the crown of your glory.
Mt 18:4 -
Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Mt 23:12 -
And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
It would seem that God favors those who are humble, but is not too kind to those who are not:
Jas 4:6 -
But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
Jas 4:10 -
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
1Pe 5:5 -
Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
1Pe 5:6 -
Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

Posted by Hailstorm at 12:00 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

One definition here says that a humility is the state of being modest or not of the oppinion that they are better than any one else. Very true. They also make a valid and important distinction between humility and humiliation.

See they define humiliation as the act of being made ashamed.

I always thought that everyone knew the difference between these concepts. But I was wrong, I had a friend of mine who told me once that he always thought humble and humility were two different things. He saw being humble as making yourself lower, while humility was feeling ashamed. In reality, humility is the state of being humble. They were the same thing, just two different forms of the same word with the same definition.

One could say that humiliation was forcing humility upon someone when they didn't want or seek after it. But can you humiliate a humble person? Hmm, would a humble person respond differently to an attempt to humiliate them? I think they would. I think a truly humble person would be very difficult to humiliate. And this is when humility transforms into meekness. When humility merges with inner strength they give birth to meekness.

Sometimes, humiliation can result in humility. Sometimes it can result in hatred. What makes the difference? Could it be in how we choose to respond to our situation? I think so.

When my elder brother, Jason, went to college; he prayed that God would teach him humility. Today, he strongly encourages people to pray that prayer, but not lightly. For God will answer it, and He may humble you by humiliating you. But it is so worth it, for the Bible says that before honor, comes humility.

Odd, isn't it? How our society tells us that if we want to succeed we must look out for #1. It's all about us, selfishness. We cultivate pride, and attitude in order to build ourselves up. But Scripture tells us of another way, a better way, a way that actually works. It tells us to NOT think highly of ourselves, to NOT promote ourselves above others and that is how we will be honored. It tells us that we cannot know God without humility, and knowing God is our deepest purpose in life. That tells us something about humility right there doesn't it.

Posted by Hailstorm at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

I don't write poetry. It's a general rule, with few exception. And although I really don't consider this a poem, it would seem that some do. I was reminded of this by a friend just recently and I thought I would repost it, so it would be easier to find.

During a particularly rough time of school, I was out late at night talking with a co-worker about our frustrations with life. During the course of our conversation, I told her:

There is never
Risk without Reason.

There is never
Hurt without Hope

There is never
Pain without Purpose

And it is all
Part of His Plan.

A poem, heh, who knew.

:)

Posted by Hailstorm at 12:22 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)