tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-374302972024-03-07T09:55:24.816-06:00ExcelsiorBut ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of the darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. . .Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717425012960930886noreply@blogger.comBlogger143125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37430297.post-58401031720930242942014-10-05T16:48:00.000-05:002014-10-05T16:50:21.278-05:00The Bravest Man I Know<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">A few years ago I had a conversation with a remarkable man. I can’t remember his exact words, but they went something like this:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“You think it’s easy for me? That I’m not scared? Of course I am! It’s never easy for me to go up to someone I don’t know from Adam and hand them a piece of literature, to engage them in spiritual conversation. I don’t like rejection any more than the next person. But we’re called to spread these messages like the leaves of autumn. The only question is whether I will answer the call and choose to be faithful to Him who called me.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I’ve never forgotten that conversation; this man - probably the bravest man I have ever met - admitting that he faced the same fears I do. All my excuses for not witnessing suddenly looked rather puny in comparison.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I could tell you lots of things about Jerry Eller. About how hard he works, his seemingly boundless energy, how he hates wasting time; about how much he loves music, how quick he is to pick the hymn at worship, how he enjoys bringing his trumpet to play from his pew at church; his love for camping and hiking, and just being outside; his proficiency with a chainsaw, an ax, or a hoedad; his love for buying things by the case - whether it be avocados, lemons, or Sabbath school lessons; his incredible generosity, and his sacrificial support for foreign missions; his enthusiasm, his willingness to try new things, his quick wit, quicker smile, and the sparkle in his eyes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">But the best, most prominent quality about which I could tell you is his love for Jesus. It seems to pervade and motivate everything he does. He would be the first to tell you that he isn’t perfect - that he’s a sinner, saved by the wonderful grace of Jesus - but there are few people who more exemplify the joy of being a servant of Christ.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Of a certain, it hasn’t been a cakewalk. Mr. Eller has endured more injustice, borne more sorrows, and gone through more hardship than many could fathom. He has been slandered and stolen from, been buffeted by injuries and insults; has seen everything he had gained from decades of toil stripped away; has lost loved ones; has himself withstood the ravages of long years of illness, besides many more privations of which I am ignorant.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">And yet, if you asked him, I know he would say, without hesitation: “It was all worth it. Every ounce of suffering.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">For you see, while the devil sought to rob Mr. Eller of everything dear - his reputation, his possessions, his health - he has utterly failed. In addition to being the bravest man I know, Mr. Eller is quite possibly the richest man as well. First, he has an abundant harvest growing in the field, a harvest springing up from the innumerable seeds that have been planted in the hearts of all the people who have had the privilege of meeting Mr. Eller - in a Walmart parking lot, in a checkout line, at a gas station, on the side of the road, on a mountain trail, or in church lobby. Second, he has a mighty, God-fearing family; men and women and children raised with his passion for souls, who will extend his influence far beyond anything he could have dreamed - truly a rich heritage from the Lord. Third, I am quite certain that Mr. Eller has trove of gold - or rather, something more precious than gold: a living, fire-tested faith. And finally, he has the most precious treasure any man could ever possess - the assurance of an inheritance incorruptible, one that fadeth not away, being stored up in Heaven; the crown of life God has promised to them who love Him.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Mr. Eller, you have touched my life. You taught me all number of important lessons: how to prune blueberry bushes, how to fell a tree, how to use a push broom properly, how to stay hydrated, how to back a trailer, the proper songs to sing after morning and evening prayer, and how to make the most of every interaction I have with others. Most importantly, you have inspired me to be more like Jesus.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Thank you. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>“For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>But My lovingkindness will not be removed from you,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>And My covenant of peace will not be shaken,”</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>Says the Lord who has compassion on you.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i> “O afflicted one, storm- tossed, and not comforted,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>Behold, I will set your stones in antimony,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>And your foundations I will lay in sapphires.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i> “Moreover, I will make your battlements of rubies,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>And your gates of crystal,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>And your entire wall of precious stones.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i> “ All your sons will be taught of the Lord;</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>And the well- being of your sons will be great.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i> “In righteousness you will be established;</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>You will be far from oppression, for you will not fear;</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>And from terror, for it will not come near you.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i> “If anyone fiercely assails you it will not be from Me.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i> Whoever assails you will fall because of you.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i> “Behold, I Myself have created the smith who blows the fire of coals</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>And brings out a weapon for its work;</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>And I have created the destroyer to ruin.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i> “ No weapon that is formed against you will prosper;</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>And every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>And their vindication is from Me,” declares the Lord.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Isaiah 54:10-17</span></div>
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Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717425012960930886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37430297.post-70400546049633931912014-02-16T11:31:00.002-06:002014-02-16T11:33:28.222-06:00Sabbath Swamp Adventures<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>Don't worry, I'm still planning to write Belize Blessings Part II! Hopefully I'll get it up this week :)</i><br />
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Sabbath afternoon. It was a little over an hour before sunset, and I was itching to spend at least a little bit of time in God’s natural cathedral before the day ended. I drove down to the Eno River behind my new abode, and happened upon a place I’d never seen before - a waterfowl impoundment area. It looked like a promising place to walk, so I parked my car in the empty field off the edge of the road, and headed off. </div>
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There was a slightly raised grassy berm that stretched to the left and to the right, apparently encircling a large section of forest that was partially flooded to provide habitat for waterbirds to overwinter. I began following the wide pathway on the left, figuring that it probably made a big loop and would bring me back around to the other side of the field where I had parked. I tried once to follow a faint path into the middle forested area, but it quickly turned into water, so I decided to stick with the safe, (but slightly more boring) cleared area on top of the berm.</div>
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It was a lovely walk. The nearly horizontal sunlight cast everything in a golden glow, and there was a constant chirping and fluttering and squawking from the flooded forest to my right. I examined the discharge pipe that the Corps of Engineers presumably used to drain the wetland, tried my hand at imitating bird calls, scared some deer families, and generally had a lovely walk.</div>
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Sure enough, the pathway I was following curved around and appeared to be leading me back to where I had started. After about a mile and a half, when I estimated that I was at the top of the circle, directly opposite from my car (12:00 on a clock), the path split, with one fork heading more directly through the center of the circle to the right, and the other continuing on in the direction I’d been heading. Because the sun was getting close to the horizon, and because I’m always game for a more interesting trail option, I decided to take the apparent shortcut.</div>
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After a few hundred yards, puddles started appearing in the trail. They were easily avoided, so I kept going. A little farther, and the trail became more water than ground. Again, I was up for a challenge, so I kept going. Finally it became obvious that sticking to the trail wasn’t going to work if I wanted to stay dry. I considered turning back and rejoining the outer loop pathway, but I could see that the forest to the left was fairly dry, so I decided to save time by striking through the woods to my left, and hopefully rejoining the outer path (at around 4:00 on a clock). This worked well, and I proceeded until I got to a power line cut going perpendicular to the direction I was going. Because it was headed in basically the direction I needed to go to return to my car, I turned right and started following it. </div>
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I was enjoying the birds and the sunlight on the cattails, when I noticed that my footsteps were beginning to be accompanied by squelching sounds. I looked around and realized that once more, the ground was beginning to give way to water. I really didn’t want to turn around now, especially because I could see the road I had driven in on crossing the cut about a half mile ahead. I knew my car was relatively close, and it now about sunset. Besides, along the edge of the cut there were some trimmed trees on which I could walk and stay above the encroaching water. So I kept going.</div>
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A few hundred feet farther, after slipping once or twice, I realized that I wasn’t going to make it back with dry feet. Again I considered my options. In the forest on my right, the water was approaching a foot in depth, and it was only getting deeper. To my left, towards the center of the power line cut, the healthy cattails were evidence of even more water. Straight ahead the water appeared to be slightly shallower. And the road was even closer now. Or I could turn around and retrace my steps. But I’d already come so far. And my feet were already a little wet. And I hate turning around when I’ve been trying an alternate route - it feels like admitting defeat. So I decided to keep going. I would just have to dry my shoes and socks back home.</div>
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Brr! The water was freezing! I kept slogging along, trying to jump from grass clump to semi-submerged tree trunk without exposing any more of my body to the water than I had to. Finally the trees cleared up on my right, and I looked out over a decent sized expanse of open water! The slightly shallower line that I had been trying to thread my way along ended at the edge of this pond, which also stretched partway into the cut. Again I thought briefly about turning around, but it was too late—I was too committed. </div>
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By now my main goal was to try to avoid swimming back to my car! I decided to try to wade over toward the cattails in the middle of the cut. Holding my cellphone and wallet up in the air, I struck out across the open water. The chilly muck quickly rose above my calves, over my knees, and headed toward my waist. Finally I made it to the cattails, and just beyond them, to my surprise, was the long-lost berm path! I squished sheepishly along it back to my car, admiring the lovely lake on my right, and pondering the implications of my little adventure.</div>
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How often do I end up wading through a spiritual swamp because of my stubbornness? How often do I get myself into a difficult situation, and refuse to retreat because of my pride? And how often does Jesus have a dry path waiting, even in the midst of the mire, if I am willing to humble myself and seek His guidance?</div>
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If the path you’ve chosen seems to be leading you into deeper and deeper into trouble, consider the possibility that you’re on the wrong road, that Jesus has something much better to offer. Don’t let your sunk costs keep you from heeding godly counsel and turning around. You might just end up stuck in a swamp!</div>
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Excelsior</div>
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Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717425012960930886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37430297.post-4043697494691125612014-01-27T09:10:00.001-06:002014-01-27T09:10:06.373-06:00Speaking the Truth in Love: Lessons from a Loose Cannon<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Historically, cannons have been a huge asset on the battlefield. Because of their power and range, they could do a tremendous amount of damage to the enemy. There were probably few sights more intimidating to an opposing soldier than a long row of bristling iron muzzles pointing at him from across the field.<br />
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To keep a cannon from becoming a liability to your own forces, however, you have to ensure that it keeps pointing in the right direction. The recoil from propelling heavy projectiles forward at a high rate of speed causes the cannon to lurch backward, and often slightly to one side or the other. If not corrected, this would obviously result in disastrous friendly-fire casualties. To minimize this risk, soldiers would sometimes stake down their cannons to keep them from getting too far off target.<br />
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Okay, so what does this have to do with Ephesians 4:15?<br />
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I think our mouths can be analogized to cannons. Properly aimed, my mouth can do a great deal of damage to the enemy. I can speak words of truth that demolish Satan's strongholds and reduce falsehood to rubble. I can also launch projectiles of love that batter down stoney defenses and open the way for the healing invasion of grace. But our mouths also have the potential to cause tremendous harm to our own side. To prevent friendly fire, they must be chained down with the twin restrains of a loving manner and adherence to biblical truth.<br />
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If I launch into battle with a fierce commitment to biblical accuracy, but without the restraint of a loving manner, not only am I not going to be very effective against the enemy, but just like a cannon that is carelessly tied down on only one side, and eventually works its way around until it is launching cannonballs at its own side, sooner or later I am going to start firing broadsides into the ranks of my fellow soldiers. Likewise, if my speech is carefully calculated to avoid offending anyone, but I cast off the restraint of biblical accuracy, I will also inevitably end up hurting my own side.<br />
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Friends, we're in a real battle; a life and death struggle over who God is, and what He's like. It's a battle for the hearts and minds of men, a battle of ideas and belief - and words are the ammunition. The words we speak will make an impact - on one side or the other! Let's make sure the words that come out of our mouths are both truthful, and loving.<br />
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Excelsior!</div>
Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717425012960930886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37430297.post-90786593375654850232014-01-22T09:03:00.004-06:002014-01-22T09:06:06.451-06:00Recognizing and Choosing Treasure<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>(jimmythejock.hubpages.com/hub/Metal-Detector-Find-the-Hidden-Treasure)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This morning I read from Matthew 13, about the treasure hidden in the field, and about the pearl of great price. I was thinking about the characters in those stories - how each man recognized the import of the choice with which he was confronted, and each acted decisively in choosing the option of highest value. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Earlier this week, our Duke Bible study group "<a href="http://www.excelsiorblog.net/2013/10/bible-storying-insights.html">storied</a>" the account of the rich young ruler in Mark 10:17–27. I couldn't help drawing parallels between the stories. The young man was also confronted with a choice between holding onto his possessions--his earthly security--and letting go in order to grasp something of far greater value. Unlike the characters in the parables, the young man walked away without attaining the treasure, either because he failed to recognize the significance of the offer, or because he was unable to take the steps necessary to grasp it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Considering these three stories, I began to pray that, if confronted with a similarly momentous choice, God would give me (1) the discernment to recognize its import, and (2) the fortitude to step out actually make the right choice. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Then something occurred to me. Wait a minute--what was it that Naaman's servant said to him? "My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? How much rather then, when he saith to thee, 'Wash, and be clean?' " (2 Kings 5:13 KJV). Naaman almost missed a pearl of great price because he thought it was some little thing!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Or what about Luke 16:10: "He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much"? <i>(Note: </i><a href="http://egwtext.whiteestate.org/publication.php?pubtype=Book&bookCode=COL&lang=en&collection=2&section=4&pagenumber=356"><i>Christ's Object Lessons pp. 356-58</i></a><i>, and </i><a href="http://egwtext.whiteestate.org/publication.php?pubtype=Book&bookCode=MYP&lang=en&pagenumber=143"><i>Messages to Young People, pp. 143-145</i></a><i> provide awesome commentary on this passage.) </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Maybe the choices I face every day--the little things: whether to keep eating after I'm comfortably full, whether to read that frivolous story on Wired, whether to go to bed early so I can wake up and spend sufficient time with God in the morning--maybe these little things are the biggest determinants of what I will do when confronted with a treasure-in-the-field choice... </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Remember the two required qualities to get it right when confronted with one of these choices: the discernment to recognize the significance of the decision, and the fortitude to actually choose the right option, even when it seems contradictory to conventional wisdom? </span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Being faithful in little decisions develops both of these character qualities! </span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Recognizing significant moral decisions requires that we develop a clear channel of communication with the Holy Spirit, and train our spiritual senses to be sensitive to moral choices. And actually making the right choice when it counts is conditioned by our habitual choices in simple, everyday situations.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"[W]e act on the principles to which [w]e have accustomed [ourselves]. Thus actions repeated form habits, habits form character, and by the character our destiny for time and for eternity is decided." COL 356</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Lord, I want to be the kind of person who has the discernment to recognize the right course of action to take in difficult circumstances, and the courage to take that path. Please help me to see the importance of my simple, everyday choices in developing that kind of character.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Excelsior</span></div>
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Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717425012960930886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37430297.post-77049087757995163832014-01-19T15:48:00.002-06:002014-01-19T15:51:11.415-06:00Bountiful Blessings Part 1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i>I've already shared these blessings with many of you, but in case you haven't heard about the awesomely kind experiences God arranged for me in connection with my surprise trip to Belize over Christmas Break, this is for you. My hope is that you come away with a deeper sense of the loving character of our God!</i><br />
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In case you haven't heard, I've kind of adopted the <a href="http://www.movetraining.org/">MOVE</a> Missionary Training Institute. I am currently in school, and while there are tremendous opportunities for outreach, my ability to do foreign missions is somewhat limited by that fact. So God, knowing how much I appreciate foreign mission experiences, and looking for ways to stretch a<br />
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nd teach me, has kindly connected me with a terrific group of missionaries in Belize. I've been to visit a couple of times in the past year to help out with various projects, and each has been the occasion of much growth, blessing, adventure, and divine appointments.<br />
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So when I heard that MOVE was going to be hosting a Missions Congress in December, I definitely wanted to participate if God opened the doors. However, when several friends from MOVE contacted me at the beginning of November to ask me if I was coming, I had to admit that it didn't look like I was going to be able to come. First of all, the conference was scheduled for December 19–22, and my exam period didn't end until December 20. Second, the price of roundtrip tickets to Belize is normally around $700, but since it was right around Christmas, the price was even higher. I don't currently have a job, and I didn't feel like I could afford to spend that much money from my savings.<br />
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I regretfully replied that it didn't look like I would be able to come, but I would keep praying about it. I then proceeded to plan my Christmas Break without a trip to Belize. Towards the end of December, while dreaming about visiting MOVE during Spring Break, I happened to see an ad on Google for cheap tickets to Belize. I never click on those ads. (I am mystified that anybody does, but also thankful that whole world doesn't have my philosophy, because then there wouldn't be any Gmail, or Blogger, or Voice, etc.) Anyway, I saw an ad that listed a flight for Belize for $400. I clicked on it, just for information's sake, with very low expectations, and discovered that it was referring to a flight in December! From Charlotte, NC (about two hours from where I live)!<br />
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Let me explain. I have looked for tickets from the US to Belize many times over the past year, and I have never seen any for below $650–$700, at least from my general area. Now, less than a month before the busiest time of the year for Belize tourism (I think that's a safe assumption), a ticket opens up for half of what it had been just three weeks earlier, and substantially cheaper than I had ever previously (or since) seen it! Wow! God is amazing!<br />
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There was just one other problem. To get a seat for the price, I would have to leave early in the morning on Wednesday, December 18. But I had one final scheduled for Wednesday the 18th, one on Thursday the 19th, and a paper due Friday the 20th. :(<br />
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But wait! Just a few days before, the professor administering the exam on Thursday had decided to switch the exam format from a three hour in-class exam to an eight hour take-home exam, available any day of exam period! I immediately (at 10:00 pm) wrote to the professor in charge of my Wednesday exam and asked if there was any way I could take the exam the day before. Long story short, by the next morning, he had worked out a unique arrangement with the Registrar to allow students in his class to take the exam <i>either</i> on Tuesday or Wednesday! The next day, after some serious prayer, counsel with my parents, and not much sleep, I purchased the tickets.<br />
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That was when the real miracle began. Because I had committed to flying to Belize on Wednesday the 18th, that meant that I had to make do with an exam period 33% shorter that of my classmates. I had just three and a half weeks to finish my classes, write a paper about constitutional interpretation, and study for and take three eight-hour exams (Religious Liberty, Intellectual Property, and Nonprofit Organizations). Needless to say, I lived a pretty concentrated life for that period of time, but God is faithful! Thanks especially to the prayers and encouragement of my family and some dedicated friends, I endured, and at 3:30 am Wednesday, December 19, I was in my car, on my way to catch a plane to Belize!<br />
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<i>(to be continued)</i></div>
Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717425012960930886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37430297.post-39848507091147031252014-01-13T07:58:00.000-06:002014-01-22T09:05:43.433-06:00Getting an Education in Babylon: Seven Principles for Success<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ_srLUJDxLLJ9si3jpDgVn5sE9AL3pwgpFuuUIvyh7iZZy4YsRLriV_BYpZjNqsJ6XQkdCzUgv7phmiTfzVrX7n7XXdxbfhVeXCoj5LBXEtV7AKaxsYm5ekTfPQMdW1BVVTjC/s1600/college-textbookwohnai.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ_srLUJDxLLJ9si3jpDgVn5sE9AL3pwgpFuuUIvyh7iZZy4YsRLriV_BYpZjNqsJ6XQkdCzUgv7phmiTfzVrX7n7XXdxbfhVeXCoj5LBXEtV7AKaxsYm5ekTfPQMdW1BVVTjC/s1600/college-textbookwohnai.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(edudemic.com/diy-textbook)</span></i></div>
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This is a study I put together for our ACF group at the beginning of the school year. I ran across it recently, and thought I would share it. Many of us are starting a new semester, and sometimes it's always good to be reminded of God's principles for academic success.<br />
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These ideas are based on <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Daniel 1; 2:20-30; 6:1-10</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; text-indent: -0.25in;">Trials
are going to come. Knowing this,
purpose ahead of time not to dishonor God.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; text-indent: -0.25in;">Be
mindful of the link between physical and mental health.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; text-indent: -0.25in;">Understand
the ultimate source of academic success - as well as its purpose.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; text-indent: -0.25in;">Be
friendly. You don't know how God will use your relationships with others to be a
blessing to them and to you!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; text-indent: -0.25in;">Make
it a habit to be honest. It's the little things that determine character.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; text-indent: -0.25in;">Complete
your responsibilities with diligence. It will distinguish you, honor God, and
give you an opportunity to witness.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; text-indent: -0.25in;">Set
aside time for regular prayer and bible study. Be
faithful, even in stressful situations!</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> Excelsior</span></div>
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Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717425012960930886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37430297.post-67562313754159931392014-01-12T09:09:00.004-06:002014-01-12T09:09:49.214-06:00Righteous before Men?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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"Be careful not to do your acts of righteousness before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven." Matthew 6:1 (NIV)</div>
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Today during devotions God put his finger right on one of my sore spots. Matthew 6 makes the same point in several different ways: don't give to the needy publicly; don't pray publicly, don't fast publicly; i.e., seek approbation from God for your spiritual good works, not from men.</div>
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I am a chronic men's-approval-seeker. Ever seen a dog rolling in something nasty? That's what it's like - I <i>revel</i> in the thought that others think well of me. I justify it with a million reasons, but in reality, it's as disgusting to God as a dog rolling in filth is to me. </div>
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Wow. </div>
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I'm doing at least two things when I seek man's applause: the things that I make believe I'm giving to God, I'm actually sacrificing to idols; and I'm mentally (even if not outwardly) expropriating glory/recognition that belongs to God.</div>
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Yikes!</div>
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<i>Lord, please forgive me for being a chronic men's-approval-seeker! Now that you've given me my accurate diagnosis, would you give me your complete cure? Help me to fear God, and not man. Amen.</i></div>
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Excelsior</div>
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Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717425012960930886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37430297.post-61066809463737157672013-10-18T11:29:00.003-05:002013-10-18T11:29:28.877-05:00Parental Provisions<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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12 quarts of applesauce, 8 quarts of oats, 6 cans of black beans*, 5 pounds of nuts, 5 pounds of apples, 3 gallons of granola (apple cinnamon, cherry nutmeg, and lemon ginger), 3 avocados, 2 packages of sesame sticks, 2 packages of yelloweye beans, ~2 pounds of pumpkin/sunflower seeds/almond mix, 1 canister of kale chips, 1 package of raisins, and 1 jar of honey with royal jelly*<br />
<i>(*=not pictured)</i><br />
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<i>I am loved!</i></div>
Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717425012960930886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37430297.post-39827015572899256692013-10-07T08:46:00.000-05:002013-10-11T15:22:34.305-05:00Bible Storying Insights [Updated]<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<img height="214" src="http://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/samuiarzt/samuiarzt1104/samuiarzt110400308/9421885-heart-drawing-on-the-sand-with-nice-lady-hand.jpg" style="-webkit-user-select: none;" width="320" /></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(<span style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/samuiarzt/samuiarzt1104/samuiarzt110400308/9421885-heart-drawing-on-the-sand-with-nice-lady-hand.jpg" rel="nofollow">source</a>)</span></span></div>
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<i>Update: Here's a link to <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1o0TCJTRsMxjcxYX5LgEvfwcafrNYWy2-um82mBMIYE8/edit?usp=sharing" rel="nofollow">a facilitator's guide to storying</a>, if anyone would like to try it. This outline is used with permission from <a href="mailto:davidnykim@mac.com" rel="nofollow">David Kim</a>, in Atlanta, Georgia.</i><br />
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This past Monday, our ACF Bible study group at Duke experienced Bible-storying for the first time. What a blessing! Many times I struggle to strike the right balance when leading a Bible study. It's easy for me to teach by talking, and if comments aren't forthcoming, I often talk far more than I probably should. But this method really enables Scripture to speak for itself (a good thing, given our relative eloquence!)<br />
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For those of you who aren't familiar with the concept, storying is basically an oral inductive study. A facilitator narrates a Scripture story and then asks the audience a series of general questions to help them engage with and internalize the story, starting with facts, and moving towards concepts and application. Here's an <a href="http://www.excelsiorblog.net/p/blog-page_28.html" rel="nofollow">outline</a> of the basic elements of the study. In my limited experience, this format is an excellent way to uncover new depths of meaning in familiar stories. <br />
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Case in point: at our first study, we discussed the story of the woman caught in adultery, in John 8:1–11. Towards the end, we were exploring the aspects of God's character revealed in the story, specifically how He refrained from condemning the woman. I commented that God doesn't condemn us either, and then someone asked, "But doesn't He condemn sinners eventually, in the judgment?"<br />
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Sensing (correctly) that this was an important question, I (incorrectly) promptly launched into an abstract explanation of the moral laws of the universe, and how, rather than being condemnatory, it is totally consistent with God's character of love for Him to put a permanent end to evil. That may be perfectly true, but halfway through my monologue, I could see her eyes glazing over. As I wound down, a little feeling of despair grew inside as I realized that I had blown an opportunity to share a key truth about the character of God.<br />
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I can't remember if I threw up a quick prayer right then or not, but regardless, God stepped in to set things right. Another member of our group broke the silence that followed my attempts to patch the logic hole with a simple observation. "Well, maybe the judgment will be kind of like this story. I mean, Jesus didn't force the Pharisees to leave, right? They separated themselves from the Saviour by their own free will. And the woman--she could have made her escape after her accusers fled, before Jesus addressed her. No one was preventing her from fleeing the scene of her humiliation, from distancing herself from the one person who had the right to condemn her--and yet, she stayed."<br />
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Just like that, God transformed failure into stunning victory. I'm pretty sure my mouth fell open in astonishment as the beauty and simplicity of that insight sunk in. Of course! Why hadn't I seen it before? It all came together in an instant. Everyone will eventually face the same choice that confronted the Pharisees and the woman in that dusty temple courtyard. The essence of the judgment comes down to a simple question: will we cling to our sin and flee from the Saviour, or flee from our sin and cling to the Saviour?<br />
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<i>Excelsior et proxior</i><br />
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Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717425012960930886noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37430297.post-912207540891004952013-03-21T12:51:00.001-05:002013-03-21T12:51:49.379-05:00Romans 14:8-9<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9R9Mhx5ea1MiQ0Fl3AvJpU7HXos9WGKp1HwXgVfQgvmSn5t-e4ggpos6VFnwjiWIkKNrRHx4WczooYxkYRkzA9dZ2FeUYTSYLLny4WgcPYRlZR5F1HsnC0LEuJPJTbPjf2rgV/s1600/See+you+soon!.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9R9Mhx5ea1MiQ0Fl3AvJpU7HXos9WGKp1HwXgVfQgvmSn5t-e4ggpos6VFnwjiWIkKNrRHx4WczooYxkYRkzA9dZ2FeUYTSYLLny4WgcPYRlZR5F1HsnC0LEuJPJTbPjf2rgV/s1600/See+you+soon!.jpg" /></a></div>
Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717425012960930886noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37430297.post-66108527550281298482013-01-15T17:49:00.003-06:002013-03-21T13:01:58.799-05:00Belize<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Over Christmas, I was blessed to have the opportunity to spend some time at a mission project in Belize with my friend Alex. I wish I could do justice to the experience in this post... Sweet fellowship with passionate, mission-minded believers. The satisfaction of doing hard, honest labor, of eating simple (and delicious!) food, of going to bed and getting up early. The joys of playing in the dirt with the sweetest kids in the world (don't tell them I said that). The glory of song; of full-throated hymn-singing, together with people who love it as much as you do, in a room with wonderful acoustics; of waking up singing; of singing for Saturday night entertainment; of singing while riding down the road on the tractor...<br />
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Perhaps the best description of my time at MOVE is that I felt a bit like Christian, in <i>Pilgrim's Progress</i>, when he and Hopeful got to Beulah. There the "air was very sweet and pleasant, . . . [and] they heard continually the singing of birds, and saw every day the flowers appear on the earth. . . Shining Ones commonly walked [in that land], because it was upon the borders of heaven." It was a wonderful, physically refreshing, spiritually recalibrating experience.<br />
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Needless to say, the readjustment to a somewhat solitary existence reading tax textbooks was a wee bit difficult. But the other day I remembered this hymn that Alex and I had discovered one evening while thumbing through the hymnal:<br />
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<i>In the heart of Jesus, there is love for you,</i><br />
<i>Love most pure and tender, love most deep and true;</i><br />
<i>Why should you be lonely, why for friendship sigh,</i><br />
<i>When the heart of Jesus has a full supply?</i><br />
In the Heart of Jesus - Alice Pugh - SDAH 577</div>
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<span style="background-color: clear; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Here I was, pining for friends in Belize, when the Source of friendship--the very reason for the existence of those earthly ties--had more than enough love to comfort me! Without a doubt, it is sad to be separated from people I love. But Jesus offers love that is more than adequate to satisfy my yearning for fellowship, and like the cord that grows stronger the more one relies on it, I believe that He becomes more heart-steadying as we learn to lean on Him more fully.</span><br />
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I have also been reminding myself that missions isn't simply an overseas adventure--as exciting and as important as those are--it is a way of life that may be practiced equally effectively in North Carolina, or in Belize. God has planted me in this mission field for the time being, and it is entirely up to me whether I live life here as a missionary or not. </div>
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All of those realizations have been helpful in calming the clamor in my soul and redirecting my emotions into more healthy channels, but they haven't completely mitigated the tugging on my heart. As many of you are aware, missions really has a way of getting under your skin. Somehow I suspect that I will never be completely at peace in a "traditional" career path, or perhaps I fear that precise possibility–in which case, a certain amount of discomfort is probably healthy! All that to say, I want to live like the sons of Issachar--"understanding the times"--and sensitive to God's calling.</div>
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Excelsior<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">*More pictures of our trip can be found </span><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/sh/dsiim238l6fi10s/qaMNWsI_LM" rel="nofollow" style="font-size: small;"><b>here</b></a><span style="font-size: x-small;">.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: clear; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><sup style="background-color: clear;">**<span style="font-size: x-small;">The <a href="http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/h/669" rel="nofollow"><b>other verses</b></a> of In the Heart of Jesus are well worth a read--particularly the third verse!</span></sup></span></div>
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Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717425012960930886noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37430297.post-1110204175742570942012-12-21T07:10:00.002-06:002012-12-21T07:10:46.128-06:00Technical Update<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This blog now lives at <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">http://excelsiorblog.net</span>. This shouldn't make much of a difference to anyone, because my blogspot address redirects to the new site, but if you would like to change your hyperlinks for clarity's sake, feel free to do so :)<br />
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Excelsior!</div>
Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717425012960930886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37430297.post-56726582476291372142012-12-20T13:26:00.002-06:002012-12-20T13:35:38.064-06:00Pictures of my Housemates<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Remember my housemates, <a href="http://excelsiorr.blogspot.com/2012/09/new-housemates.html">Jonathan and Rachel</a>? Well, it's been about 4 months since they came to live with me, and we've had quite the time this semester! It's a wonder any of us got any work done! In case you're interested, I posted some more recent photos with them :)<br />
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Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717425012960930886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37430297.post-8087473650834733592012-12-14T22:03:00.000-06:002012-12-15T13:22:04.731-06:00Dethroning Dagon<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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"Now the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it to the house of Dagon and set it by Dagon. When the Ashdodites arose early the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and set him in his place again. But when they arose early the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. And the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off on the threshold; only the trunk of Dagon was left to him." 1 Samuel 5:1-4<br />
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What happens when God comes to dwell in your temple? Are the false gods competing for primacy in your life--Approval-of-Men, Temporal-Success, Self-Pleasure, and all the rest--toppled in the dust? Do they yield before the King of the Universe?<br />
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They don't always give way in my life, but it isn't because God lacks the requisite authority! If He can dominate Dagon, He could definitely defeat my demons. The question is simply whether I let Him!<br />
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Does that sound backwards? Do we really have to give God permission to do anything? (The short answer is yes--see Rev. 3:20).<br />
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They say that in a democracy, the people are sovereign. That may be true, but we only get to exercise our power, at least directly, every two or four years, when an election comes around. God's sovereignty in our lives is something we vote on every day! Multiple times a day!<br />
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I heard a simple statement recently that really struck me. (Actually, it was something Tom Waters said at Luke and Chantée's wedding :) All it was was that the time we spend with Jesus should be the most important part of our day. Wow--I was convicted! I have my devotions in the morning, yet how many mornings do I jump on the Internet before I jump into the Word? (This was one, I'm ashamed to report...) It's not that responding to emails and reading the news are bad, but for me, it represents a principle--a priority choice. I'll come right out and say it: in many ways, the Internet is my Dagon--one of the most powerful competitors with God for my attention and affections.<br />
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I don't know what's competing for uptake in your mind, but I have an idea about how to topple that idol: name it, claim it, and surrender it (then repeat the last step lots of times.) (No, not <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosperity_theology" rel="nofollow">that</a></i> kind:) Figure out what's getting in the way, acknowledge that you're allowing whatever it is to be on the throne of your life, and then give it to God, and ask Him to lay it in the dust!<br />
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Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth."<br />
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I want God to be exalted in every part of my life, so that the onlooking world has incontrovertible evidence of the power and love of our God!<br />
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Excelsior!</div>
Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717425012960930886noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37430297.post-69201353700637655532012-09-30T19:55:00.000-05:002012-09-30T19:58:56.191-05:00Wake Up Call<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>Rescue those who are being taken away to death;</i></div>
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<i>hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.</i></div>
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<i>If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,”</i></div>
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<i>does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?</i></div>
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<i>Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it,</i></div>
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<i>and will he not repay man according to his work?</i></div>
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Proverbs 24:11–12 (ESV)</div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Every time I read this passage, it hits me like a blast of icy water in the face. </span><br />
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"Wake up, Joel! People are standing on the brink of destruction all around you! You can't say you haven't seen them--caught in the lethal embrace of the transient pleasures of this life, tossed about in the vortex of self-gratification. But for the grace of God, you would be among them! What are you going to do about it?"<br />
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There's no mistaking the call. Now, how will I respond?<br />
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It's a question I've been earnestly wrestling with for the past year. I am convicted that the darkest hour of Earth's great night is nearly upon us, and I long to be among those who shine like the stars.<br />
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The secret to a successful, fulfilled life is to have an aim worthy of one's utmost endeavor. Guess what? "Such an aim has been set before <b>the youth of today</b>. The heaven-appointed purpose of giving the gospel to the world <b>in this generation</b> is the noblest that can appeal to any human being!"<br />
(<a href="http://www.whiteestate.org/books/ed/ed31.html">Ed. 262</a>)<br />
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Are you in?<br />
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Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717425012960930886noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37430297.post-35650784644687253832012-09-02T09:19:00.002-05:002012-09-02T09:19:37.453-05:00New Housemates<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
As some of you may know, my housing situation was recently upended. Fortunately I was able to find another place close by with two friends from church.<br />
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Things were starting to settle down again, but then last Sabbath I came home to discover that my friends had invited two more people to live with us! I'm all for hospitality, and it was their house, but I couldn't help but wonder if adding two new folks at the same time wasn't a bit excessive.<br />
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I wasn't too sure about this whole plan, and greeted my new housemates with a bit of apprehension.<br />
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My concern only increased as time went on, for several reasons (I'm sure you'll be able to empathize). First, our new residents seem a bit anti-social. I mean, they haven't said one word to me since they've arrived. Sometimes they even make faces at me, and once or twice they've actually started howling in response to my attempts to be friendly.</div>
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Second, they have rather strange habits, lolling about all day and disturbing the peace at night. </div>
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They don't seem to get very much exercise (they haven't gone running with me yet, even though I've invited them), and they're always snacking on something. (It's a wonder we haven't run out of food, the way they go through it!) And I'm not even going to mention their personal hygiene...</div>
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Looking on the bright side, people have been very friendly since they've come to live with us. Yesterday my friends and I invited them to come to church with us, and you should have seen how welcoming everyone was! People have even been bringing food and clothes over for them, and the kids have at least been kind enough to share some with me (food, not clothes).<br />
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And to be honest, though they are a bit odd at times, they do have a way of growing on you :) </div>
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Anyway, that's the scoop on my new housemates. If you stop by and visit sometime, I'll introduce you to Jonathan and Rachel (if they're awake) :)</div>
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Excelsior!</div>
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Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717425012960930886noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37430297.post-8123327193039870862012-09-01T18:42:00.000-05:002012-09-01T18:42:07.572-05:00Relevant Quotations<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
When Christ made so great a sacrifice to save men and bring them into unity with one another, even as He was united with the Father, what sacrifice is too great for His followers to make in order to preserve that unity?<br />
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If the world sees a perfect harmony existing in the church of God, it will be a powerful evidence to them in favor of the Christian religion.<br />
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Dissensions, unhappy differences, and petty church trials dishonor our Redeemer. All these may be avoided if self is surrendered to God and the followers of Jesus obey the voice of the church.<br />
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Unbelief suggests that individual independence increases our importance, that it is weak to yield our own ideas of what is right and proper to the verdict of the church; but to yield to such feelings and views is unsafe and will bring us into anarchy and confusion.<br />
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Christ saw that unity and Christian fellowship were necessary to the cause of God, therefore He enjoined it upon His disciples. And the history of Christianity from that time until now proves conclusively that in union only is there strength. <br />
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Let individual judgment submit to the authority of the church.<br />
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Testimonies for the Church Vol. 4, p. 19.<br />
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Philippians 2:1–6<br />
<i>1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which was also in Christ Jesus".</i> ESV<br />
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Selah...</div>
Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717425012960930886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37430297.post-35069754966148192242012-07-22T14:41:00.000-05:002012-07-22T14:55:55.233-05:00Shades of Grey<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">(www.brianbrett.ca)</span></td></tr>
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Morning's coming--and until then, we've been given a light for our path!</div>
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Excelsior</div>
</div>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717425012960930886noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37430297.post-80970089540673772532012-07-04T11:56:00.000-05:002012-07-04T11:56:16.127-05:00New Friends<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending the wedding of Emily Knott and Jacob Gibbs. I also got to spend a little bit of time with <a href="http://www.boliviahighlandministries.com/">DJ and Jodie Knott</a>, missionaries with GMI in Guyana. Jodie, I hope you don't mind me sharing this, but something you said really impacted me. You were talking about what it's like in Guyana, and how you've been spending a lot of time fixing airplanes. You said something to the effect of, "but I don't mind, because I love working with DJ! There's nothing I'd rather do."<br />
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Now, I don't know very much about airplane repair, but I have a feeling that there are few things that have the potential to be more frustrating than trying to maintain and fix airplanes with insufficient parts, tools, and funds, in the humid jungles of Guyana. From my limited experience, I know that tempers have a tendency to rise and patience quickly strained when trying to diagnose and repair troublesome mechanical problems, even in the best of conditions. Add in the fact that spending long hours in close working conditions with someone (especially a spouse, from whom you can't escape at the end of the day) tends to magnify their quirks into grating emotional hot spots, and it seems like this would be a recipe for disaster.<br />
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But if I heard you right, fixing planes with DJ is not only bearable, it's enjoyable! To me, that says more about his character, and your spirit, than a thousand lines of poetry. God is evident in your relationship with each other, and with others.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.boliviahighlandministries.com/2009/12/beautiful-day-full-of-sunshine-and.html">Photo Credit: Matt Barclay</a></td></tr>
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DJ, Jodie--thank you for the inspiration to let Christ live more fully in my heart.<br />
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Excelsior!</div>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717425012960930886noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37430297.post-57099832615316644152012-05-13T14:02:00.000-05:002012-05-13T14:02:00.044-05:00If Not For Mom<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Dear Mom,<br />
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I was thinking today about how fortunate I am that God picked you to be my mother.<br />
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If not for you, and the lessons you imparted to me through tasks like picking rocks out of the garden, scrubbing the kitchen floor, and running a co-op, I wouldn't understand the value of hard work (and probably wouldn't have been able to work my way through high school and college.)<br />
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If you hadn't refused to let me push problems under the rug, but instead, patiently and persistently, over years of real, rubber-meets-the-road teaching moments, helped me realize the importance of getting to the heart of an issue and solving it (a vanilla "I'm sorry" just wouldn't do; rather, "I understand it was wrong to do <i>X</i>, because...<i>"</i>), I wouldn't understand the essence of genuine conflict resolution (and I wouldn't have gotten so much practice debating--and I might not be at law school now :P ).<br />
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If not for you, and your insistence on teaching me to look at situations from the other person's perspective, trying to help me understand that inflection, body language, and circumstances color communication just as significantly as the words I used, I would have a much harder time relating to people who think differently than I do.<br />
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If not for your passion for health education, nutrition, and lactation consulting--and your willingness to share your knowledge with me (telling nutrition counseling stories at dinner, teaching me about phyto-nutrients, antioxidants, whole grains, eating the rainbow, proanthocyanidins, the wonders of Vitamin D, skin-to-skin care, tongue ties, and the wonderful heritage of GI flora ;)--not only would I be bereft of incredibly important health information, but I wouldn't be involved in the Duke Nutrition education program, I couldn't extoll the benefits of kangaroo mother care, and I wouldn't be able to impress all my nurse friends :)<br />
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If you hadn't handed me a violin, paid for and ferried me to years of weekly lessons--and critically--persistently, creatively, and sometimes firmly persuaded me to keep practicing, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to play my violin around the world, to perform incredible pieces, to make wonderful friends, to bring joy to countless people (including myself), and to praise God in the uniquely beautiful medium of instrumental music.<br />
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If not for your love of singing and innate ability to come up with a song for any and every occasion, I wouldn't know and love so many hymns and scripture songs :)<br />
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If not for you, I would have spent thousands of dollars at barber shops!<br />
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If not for the thousands of delicious, healthy, and economical meals you prepared (and had me help with) over the years, I probably wouldn't be a healthy runner today, I wouldn't be able to pull off the occasional culinary success in my own kitchen, and I probably couldn't have survived on $100 a month for food this last year (although Dad probably gets quite a bit of credit for that too, and if you hadn't sent me all that good granola, breadsticks, and other things, I would definitely would have blown my budget :)<br />
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If you hadn't taught me to Read in 100 Easy Lessons, allowed me to take two books with me during nap time (even when they were encyclopedias), and let me max out my library card, I might not have the love of reading (and the host of benefits that have come in its train) that I do today.<br />
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If you hadn't let me spend summers on Grammy and Grampie's farm, encouraged me to take advantage of opportunities to learn practical skills, and given me the gift of willingness to dive into a project, I wouldn't know how to make hay, milk goats, weld, garden, work on my car, build a deck, prune fruit trees, run a chainsaw, run a table saw, a jointer, or a lathe, pour concrete, lay bricks, or dig a ditch.<br />
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If you hadn't taught me how make potholders and scarves and pillowcases, I wouldn't know how to sew, knit, or embroider.<br />
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If not for you modeling and including me in your personal devotions (remember that worship binder you made for me, or when you taught me how to do word studies?), I could have missed out on the immense blessing that is having personal quiet time with God every day.<br />
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If you hadn't believed in me, encouraged me, stood behind me, corrected me, cried with me, allowed me to stretch my wings, even when you were afraid, and most importantly, prayed--earnestly and persistently--for me, with me, with others, in the middle of the night, when you were scared, angry, disappointed, joyful, whether I knew it or not, I simply would not be where I am or who I am today.<br />
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Mom, on Earth, you're my most dedicated advocate, my first and foremost educator, a superlative communicator, my favorite food creator, my preferred singing partner, probably the hardest, most cheerful, most selfless worker I know, the best rug-braider, bread-maker, dulcimer player, lactation consultant, prayer warrior, conflict-resolver, counselor and encourager; my mother, and my friend. I know I don't always show it by my words or actions, but I am exceedingly grateful that God gave you to me (or was it the other way around? :)<br />
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Thank you most of all for sharing Jesus with me. You are a shining example to me of how beautiful a Christ-motivated life can be. Seeing your continuing willingness to allow Jesus to work in your life, with the resultant fruit, is more inspiring than a thousand sermons on practical godliness.</div>
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For all of these things, and many more, I am, and will be by God's grace, eternally grateful.<br />
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Love always,<br />
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Your son</div>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717425012960930886noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37430297.post-69361258310264461902012-03-24T20:26:00.006-05:002012-03-30T21:08:42.218-05:00It's a Deal<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;">Those who will: </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><b>1.</b> put on the whole armor of God, and</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><b>2.</b> devote some time every day to:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><b>a.</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;"> meditation and prayer, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;">and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;">to </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><b> </b><b>b. </b>the study of the Scriptures</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;">will:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><b>1.</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;"> be </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;">connected with heaven,</span></div><div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><b>2.</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;"> have </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;">a saving, transforming influence upon those around them,</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><b>3.</b> have g</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">reat thoughts, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;">noble aspirations, and</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;"> clear perceptions of truth and duty to God;</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><b>6.</b> will be </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">yearning for </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;">purity, for light, for love, for all the graces of heavenly birth;</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><b>7. </b>their earnest prayers will enter into that within the veil;</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><b>8.</b> they will have a sanctified boldness to come into the presence of the Infinite One;</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><b>9.</b> they<b> </b>will feel that heaven's light and glories are for them, and </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><b>10.</b> they will become refined, elevated, ennobled by this intimate acquaintance with God. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;">Such is the privilege of true Christians!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Testimonies v. 5, 112–113</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Excelsior</span></div>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717425012960930886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37430297.post-59011959422438618792012-03-01T11:16:00.003-06:002012-03-01T11:20:04.648-06:00Why Creation Matters<div></div><blockquote><div><blockquote></blockquote></div><div>The biblical doctrine of Creation (first things) and the biblical doctrine of Eschatology (last things) are the bookends that anchor the central (or “the center of”) biblical doctrine, Christology. With either bookend missing, the grand doctrine of soteriology (how we are saved) falls, and with it Adventism as a biblically-driven movement.</div></blockquote><div><div>I dare you to read <a href="http://www.lightbearers.org/why-it-matters/">this</a> and tell me there can be such a thing as an "Adventist Evolutionist!"</div></div><div><br /></div><div>Excelsior</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717425012960930886noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37430297.post-78352465023472247742012-02-29T06:07:00.003-06:002012-02-29T06:23:20.420-06:00Third Person<div>DA 671 - </div><div><br /></div>"The Spirit was to be given as a regenerating agent, and without this the sacrifice of Christ would have been of no avail. (<i>Wow!) </i>The power of evil had been strengthening for centuries, and the submission of men to this satanic captivity was amazing. (<i>If that was true then, it applies </i>a fortiori<i> today!) </i>Sin could be resisted and overcome only through the mighty agency of the Third Person of the Godhead, who would come with no modified energy, but in the fullness of the divine power. (<i>Change "would" to "will" and you have the Latter Rain.)</i> It is the Spirit that makes effectual what has been wrought out by the world's Redeemer. It is by the Spirit that the heart is made pure. Through the Spirit the believer becomes a partaker of the divine nature. Christ has given His Spirit as a divine power to overcome all hereditary and cultivated tendencies to evil, and to impress His own character upon His church." <i>That is perhaps the most powerful, practical promise in the world. She was making a </i>profound<i> statement about</i><i> behavioral science</i><i>, </i><i>neuroscience, </i><i>genetics, </i><i>and </i><i>epigenetics!</i><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Holy Spirit, Mold me, Make me, Use me, Uphold me, Transform me. Amen.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>Excelsior</div>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717425012960930886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37430297.post-69732820178611870052012-02-04T16:44:00.002-06:002012-02-04T17:14:07.775-06:00Pocket Internship<div>I am in the midst of that peculiar period during the first year of law school when students compose and dispatch numerous formulaic requests for consideration, nervously trying to find the right balance between obsequious begging and arrogant bragging that will net them the perfect summer position. With internships on my mind, and a yearning for a deeper, more informed friendship with Jesus in my heart, I came across this inspiring* little quote:</div><div><br /></div><blockquote>"Upon the right improvement of our time depends our success in acquiring knowledge and mental culture. The cultivation of the intellect need not be prevented by poverty, humble origin, or unfavorable surroundings. Only let the moments be treasured. <div><br /></div><div>A few moments here and a few there, that might be frittered away in aimless talk; the morning hours so often wasted in bed; the time spent in traveling on the trams or railway cars, or waiting at the station; the moments of waiting for meals, waiting for those who are tardy in keeping an appointment—if a book were kept at hand, and these fragments of time were improved in study, reading, or careful thought, what might not be accomplished. <b>A resolute purpose, persistent industry, and careful economy of time will enable men to acquire knowledge and mental discipline which will qualify them for almost any position of influence and usefulness.</b>" <a href="http://text.egwwritings.org/publication.php?pubtype=Book&bookCode=COL&lang=en&pagenumber=343">Christ's Object Lessons, 344</a></div></blockquote><div><a href="http://text.egwwritings.org/publication.php?pubtype=Book&bookCode=COL&lang=en&pagenumber=343"></a></div><div><br /></div><div>What a neat, practical way to gain fitness for positions of influence and usefulness! This is a lesson I want to take to heart. Here are my ideas: </div><div><ul><li>listening to scripture songs on my way to school, </li><li>reading snatches of StC during study breaks instead of flipping over to Google news, </li><li>listening to GYC seminars while running</li></ul></div><div>What ideas do you have?</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Excelsior</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;">*I wish there was a word that described this feeling better--not just inspiring, but also convicting. "Conspiring" doesn't seem to be quite what I'm looking for; maybe "invicting"?</span></div>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717425012960930886noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37430297.post-64180024540309341282012-01-22T08:28:00.004-06:002012-01-22T13:54:19.469-06:00Salvation, California-style<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNjkK0KysYnfqJaiZGrW3Gy1dTbDdRxIKqU_dQP_MgjTObLA-Tm8EuHgpwAW4KP_n629YhkVI1ga23nDxkvXeLxYUvksZTo6Mt3TJsYfARLycIIsXqRy8BTD6LgCw2JTnm-WoX/s1600/3902.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNjkK0KysYnfqJaiZGrW3Gy1dTbDdRxIKqU_dQP_MgjTObLA-Tm8EuHgpwAW4KP_n629YhkVI1ga23nDxkvXeLxYUvksZTo6Mt3TJsYfARLycIIsXqRy8BTD6LgCw2JTnm-WoX/s320/3902.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5700469262538942434" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:78%;">(http://gearjunkie.com/images/3902.jpg)</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>You're dead. Practically anyway. You're floundering on the floor of Death Valley, and it's merely a matter of time until the buzzards move in. <div><br /></div><div>Good news: Jesus is there. He's come down into Death Valley, and He asks you if you want to live. When you say yes, He takes your hand. At that instant, you're saved. You've crossed over from Death to Life. </div><div><br /></div><div>But Jesus doesn't stay still for long. He lives on top of Mt. Whitney, and He wants to take you with Him. But that entails movement--a constant stream of choices. "Will I keep holding His hand here?" "What about here?" "I'm tired; it's hot; I'd rather go the other way."<div><br /></div><div>Salvation is simply a matter of clasping the hand of Jesus and choosing to keep holding on.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>Ever Upward</div>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717425012960930886noreply@blogger.com6