fromcrowville's Xanga

Still Around

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 03:05:44 GMT

I'm still here. Maybe I'll write more later.

Boasting in the Lord... and my wife!

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 13:14:42 GMT

Yep, its time for my not so regular post. Now I am a happily married man to an incredible woman. I have been greatly blessed. We've been married for a little over 2 weeks and she has yet to kick me out of the house! Its been great. Spent a few days in Colorado for our honeymoon, where I practically had to fight a mountain lion to save her. At least, thats how I remember it...

26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” -1 Cor. 1:26-31

I've recently realized how little I boast in the Lord. He has done such marvelous work in me and all around me, how could I ever keep my mouth shut. Its shameful that I do keep it shut and find other things to banter on about. And not just talking about how He provides financially when we're in a bind or that He gives peace in difficult situations, but greater things than that, like the fact that He chose to reach down into the pit that I was in and pull me out placing my sin on Christ's shoulders. I was rescued when I could not rescue myself. The One who has done that is worth bragging about. In Luke 19, God says that the stones would cry out if we were quiet. I don't want a rock to tell of His greatness when I should be doing it. Boast in the Lord today!

NEWS!

Mon, 09 Jul 2007 21:06:16 GMT

Guess I need to catch up the Xanga world on my new news. I'm engaged! Getting married on Sept. 1st in West Memphis Arkansas. Just wanted to let xanga know since I met the lovely lady who has agreed to live with me forever right here on good ole Xanga.

BECOMING WHAT YOU ARE NOT

Wed, 14 Mar 2007 12:41:48 GMT

This verse hit me last night with a little force. "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." --2 Cor. 5: 21-- Christ became what he wasn't, so that we also might become what we are not. He didn't just wipe it away or forget it, He became it. The very farthest thing from the holiness of the Eternal Son is exactly what He became to make us the righteousness of God. Sin does not belong in the trinity, yet Christ became it and the Father willed it, that we might be righteous. That is heavy to me. That is one of those thoughts that makes me sit back in my chair and just think, "Wow, wh.., wh.., what?!, why??" Its kinda like Romans 5: 6-8. God dies for sinners. Not just any man dies, no, God Himself dies for us. And not only does He die, He becomes sin that I might be the righteousness of God.

Now I think about how I live. Knowing what steps have been taken to make me righteous, I find myself ashamed. How do we respond to such outrageous actions taken to give us such an undeserved, life-changing gift? I guess we act like we have been changed. We live from what we have been given. What if we lived like we really had been given the most outrageous gift ever? What if we lived like we had just been set free from death row? Sadly, I don't. But I'm grateful that my Father is patient and continues giving grace to open my eyes to the life he desires from me. I hope and pray that I move closer and closer to living like I have been given the righteousness of God.

"Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other." --Isaiah 45:22--

Back in the saddle!

Fri, 23 Feb 2007 02:30:50 GMT

"Awake O sleeper, and arise from the dead and Christ will shine on you." --Eph. 5:14--

Thought this was appropriate for my entrance back into the world of blogging. Been thinking on this verse for the past few days. More to come...

Saturday, September 16, 2006

Sat, 16 Sep 2006 20:14:17 GMT

"If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"

***2 Corinthians 5:13-17***

Aaaahhhh! Drink it in, that is good stuff. And it is challenging stuff. Do I no longer live for myself? Do I regard NO ONE from a worldly point of view? Is the old really gone in my life as Paul says it should be?

A Great Quote...

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 02:37:57 GMT

"We are not travel agents handing out brochures to places we have never visited. We are faith-explorers of a country without borders, one we discover, little by little, not to be a place but a person."

---Brennan Manning---

I don't want to just talk about Jesus. I want to know Him, be with Him, and experience Him.

Intercession

Tue, 04 Jul 2006 16:07:24 GMT

Went to a conference on intercession this weekend. Learned alot, got alot to chew on now. I highly recommend hearing Mike Bickle if you ever have the chance. He talked about the church as the Bride and how we need to "see the Kingdom through the eyes of a wholehearted Bride with loyal devoted love. If we do not feel loved and in love, then we more easily compromise, lack courage and become spiritually bored."

He also reminded me that prayer is not some price I pay to be near God or to get His blessing. Prayer is meant to be enjoyable, (Is. 56:7) b/c I'm with the Lord and enjoying Him. The price to be paid is not having to endure these spiritual disciplines, but overcoming the resistance in me and renewing my mind so I can see that the greatest joy is Christ. If He lives to intercede for us now, then I should recognize the greatness of intercession and willingly, passionately pursue intimacy with Him. Of course, my flesh is resistant to this and must be put in subjection to the Holy Spirit.

And he talked of the power of praying the apostles' prayers in the New Testament. Been praying Paul's prayer in Phil. 1:9-11 for the last few days. "This is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ-to the glory and praise of God."

It still captures my heart to know that the God of all that is made hears me and is willing to speak with me. I need to take down walls that have been built up thru years of ignoring Him and pursuing my own way, maybe the better way of saying that is that I need to let Him come in and just do some housecleaning regularly in my heart.

Thursday, June 08, 2006

Thu, 08 Jun 2006 03:40:44 GMT

John Willfinger was among several missionaries who fled into the jungles of Borneo when Japan invaded in 1942. They were hidden by Christian tribes in Borneo until the Japanese sent word that they were looking for the missionaries by name and those helping them would be punished. Willfinger and the others determined to keep the tribesmen safe by turning themselves over to the Japanese and "trusting God with the results." Willfinger was executed and this poem was found on the inside cover of his Bible.

No mere man is the Christ I know

But greater far than all below

Day by day his love enfolds me

Day by day his power upholds me

All that God could ever be

The man of Nazareth is to me

No mere man can my strength sustain

And drive away all fear and pain

Holding me close in his embrace

When death and I stand face to face

Then all that God could ever be

The unseen Christ will be to me

Below the poem he had written, "Hallelujah, this is real!"

John Willfinger
Martyred for Christ Dec. 28, 1942
while serving Christ in Borneo

Courage and faith in a fearful world

Thu, 01 Jun 2006 19:24:28 GMT

Well, I know its been awhile since I've posted. Things have been a little hectic, but really I have no excuse for my absence in the blogging world. An incredible girl just moved to Fort Worth about a week and a half ago and I'm pretty excited about that. And I think she's only called me about once a day to ask for directions around town, so she's doing pretty good. = ) Went to Austin and Ashley's wedding and got to catch up with some old friends, that was nice. And here's my thought for the day:

Martin Luther was on trial in 1521 in the city of Worms before the Holy Roman Emperor and many other important bishops and lords, who had the power to have him imprisoned and executed, and here is how things went.

The prosecutor cried, "Do you or do you not repudiate your books and the errors which they contain?" Luther replied,

"Since then Your Majesty and your lordships desire a simple reply, I will answer without horns and without teeth. Unless I am convicted by Scripture and plain reason--I do not accept the authority of popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other--my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise. God help me. Amen."

My hope is that I could say with him that, "my conscience is captive to the Word of God." Reminds me of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego right before they were thrown into the furnace by King Nebuchadnezzar. They said then, "we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."

What faith! What trust in an unseen God to deliver and if he doesn't deliver to still be worthy of their worship! These stories make me question whether I live in such a way that anyone would ever threaten me. I want faith like that. I want to live so that I honestly can say, I can do nothing but obey Christ. Courage, boldness, faithfulness, holiness marked the great men and women of God. Are those words that others would use to describe my life?

"The wicked man flees though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion." --Proverbs 28:1--