Learner's Permit

YAY! Took the exam today! passed it with flying colors!! :D
And right away took my second driving lesson, it was less scary...
Thank you Lord!! :D

Driver's Ed!

I took my very first Driving class yesterday!!!! :D It was so exciting and scary!
Tomorrow I take the exam so I can get my driver's permit and then I'll begin the driving practice until I'm ready to take the practical exam! Hopefully that will be soon! I just hope the fear goes away soon too...I think my last accident, driving the quad bike, really got to me and now i'm just scared i might do something like that driving a car! God forbid!
Something else happened...the peeps(the driving instructor and his wife) at the Drivers Ed Institution, which is basically a small room with a desk and plenty of chairs, I think are christians (i'll ask tomorrow) well the instructors wife was telling me about these kids they've been helping out because both their parents died of aids, and how they took care of one of the little ones that was dying because of AIDS until she finally did die..and it really made me think. Sometimes we are so drowned with theology this, and theology that, and who's right and who's wrong, and sound doctrine this and sound doctrine that...and all of that is important, it really is. But it made me think that I'm just not doing enough. I wanna be out there in the real world, doing stuff, building houses and feeding people, and preaching the Gospel while I'm at it. Maybe this semester is just God's way of preparing me for the upcoming 40 years in the desert, i say that because I've really grown these past 2 months in many ways and have learned of many things about me that needed changing and have grown by God's grace more bolder to speak His Truth. Next semester God willingly I will going to one of the hardest(?)/toughest hospital to be in. Everybody is sent there, even if they live 5 hours away, there you'll see all kinds of diseases, all kinds of traumas.Services (? dunno if they're called that in the US) are every 4 days, they last 24hours and after the service which ends probably at 8am we have to stay in the hospital like a normal day of class (at other hospitals after the service you usually get the day off). There i will meet ALL kinds of people, going through ALL kinds of situations, needing ALL the help they can get both physically and spiritually. I pray to God that I will be of service in all areas, that I'll learn to deal with patients diligently and correctly and that I'll bring Him glory in anything and everything I will do.
Thats all for today...

Loofah

Loofah is a climbing vine related to gourds and cucumbers, and sometimes called the “dishrag vine,” a reference to the sponge-like qualities of the dried fruit. Six species are in the Luffa genus, and they are widely cultivated for food and sponge uses. The loofah is the only plant source of sponge, and it has been used in bathhouses and kitchens for centuries. Traditionally cultivated in India and the Middle East, where the name originates, loofah is also grown in other warm, dry regions.

In appearance, a loofah looks like a cucumber. The attractive trailing vines of the plant will take over any available surface, yielding drooping green fruit in the summer. Loofah vines are often used to cover decaying fences or as privacy foliage, because they are dense and fast growing. Loofah prefers warm, dry climates, and is very sensitive to frost, generally not thriving outside of USDA Zone 10 unless gardeners sprout indoors and keep a close eye on their young loofah plants. The plants need to be watered regularly, but should not be allowed to become waterlogged.

Loofah is harvested for food in many parts of Asia. All species of loofah are edible, but they must be consumed before they mature, or they will be too woody and fibrous to eat. Loofah is cooked before eating, and is sometimes seen on menus as “Chinese okra.” When allowed to mature and dry on the vine, loofah can be harvested as a sponge. The woody exterior skin is peeled away, and the seeds shaken out for reseeding. The loofah sponge can be sold whole, or chopped into smaller and more manageable portions. Loofah can also be compressed for shipping. The net of straw colored fibers will puff up again if the loofah is moistened.

Like other sponges, loofah will collect bacteria if it is kept moist and warm, an environment common to bathrooms. For this reason, many people incorporating loofah into their beauty regimen prefer to use it as a dry exfoliating brush before bathing, or to grind it and use it in exfoliating scrubs. As a dry brush, loofah will gently remove the surface layer of dead skin, leaving the skin smooth and conditioned. Loofah can be used as a body sponge in the shower, but it should be allowed to dry out between uses. In the kitchen, loofah makes a great abrasive sponge for removing stubborn food particles from dishes and counter tops. Loofah is also gentle enough to use on delicate things like coated cookware which cannot withstand normal abrasives.1

This is yet another fruit used very much in the old days and probably still today in some places for hygiene purposes and in the kitchen sink. Yet another wonderful creation of God.

Calabash Tree

The arbol de las calabazas, higuera, or calabash tree (Crescentia cujete Linnaeus) is found growing throughout the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, and northern South America. Native Americans disseminated the calabash for centuries; now, it is uncertain where the tree originated.

The calabash tree grows to 10 meters (30 feet) often with multiple trunks. The rangy twisting branches have simple elliptical leaves clustered at the nodes. The greenish-yellow flowers are marked with purple veins. The flowers arise from the trunk or main branches and appear from May through January. The woody fruit, botanically a capsule, is elliptic, ovate, or spherical and may grow to 25 centimeters (10 inches) in diameter. The fruit takes up to seven months to ripen.

Fibers from the calabash tree were twisted into twine and ropes. The hard wood made tools and tool handles. The split wood was woven for sturdy baskets. But it was the calabash's gourd-like fruit that made the plant truly useful.

Large calabashes were used as bowls and, peculiarly, to disguise the heads of hunters. The Taíno of the Caribbean cut eye holes in the 'gourds' and fitted them over their heads. The hunters then waded out into lakes or the ocean. The apparently floating gourd did not frighten birds. Thus disguised, hunters could grab birds by their legs. Smaller calabashes made storage containers, dippers, and drinking cups.

The Taíno gave the musical world two rhythm instruments, maracas and the güiro. Maracas were made with small oval 'gourds' with pebbles or hard seeds like rosary peas inside. The güiro was made with an elongated 'gourd'. Parallel grooves were carved onto one side with a sound hole on opposite. The sound was created with a pua or scraper.

Considering though how the Natives spread the calabash tree from tribe to tribe, the instruments were probably not unique to just the islands where the Taíno lived. Few Natives survived the incursion of the Europeans, but their unique instruments were adopted by the slaves and the poor brought over to work the sugar plantations.1

My dad was telling me how back in the day his family used these things as bowls and then after that as cups, i guess when the calabash was smaller. Its amazing to see how God created all of these things in nature useful to man like the calabash tree. The calabash is a fruit not good for consumption, one would consider this to be a waste of a tree or so I thought, but look at everything the entire tree can be used for and was used for. What a wonderful God we have!

Fishers of Men!

"Fishers of men...

Many Christians think it's unimportant; some are just uncomfortable; more often then not, some plain don't care. We are called by God to be like Him, love like Him, die like Him. 

One of the greatest tools out there for witnessing, next to the Bible itself, is thegospel tract. Maybe you do not know how to start a conversation or don't want to start one. Tracts make great conversation pieces or great for handing out. Here in this lens I will cover some of the best companies out there.

Witnessing: it is a task for the faint of heart, yes: for; as in our weakness He shows brightest. He makes us a bright light on a hill for others to know our All Loving God. We must be witnesses. Otherwise the point to God's human birth, life, death, and resurrection are pointless. "

Found this neat website...all about sharing your faith :D

Church Discipline

A couple of weeks ago I was listening to a sermon by Jeff Noblit on Church discipline(Part 1 and Part 2) and he gave a few reasons why it is necessary and important and what is the biblical outcome of practicing discipline in the church. Here's an outline I did of the sermon:

I. The Reason for Church Discipline

a. The Principle of Ownership (It’s [the church] His, bought with His own Blood Acts 20:28, It’s His body, He’s the Body Col 1:18, It’s His Bride, It’s His Church [Building] Matt 16:18)

b. The Principle of Stewardship (We have been entrusted a stewardship, Shepherding God’s Flock according to His will 1 Peter 5:2 )

................................... i. To Glorify God by Obedience to His Instructions (Matthew 18:15-20, Acts 5:1-14, 1Corinthian 5, 2 Corinthians 2:9)

...................................ii. To Sanctify the Lord’s Supper (Church is for repentant Sinners not for Sinners who live in continual sin without repentance)

...................................iii. To Purify the Spirit and Message of the Church (1 Corinthians 5 or 6, A Little Leaven will leaven up the dough)

...................................iv. To deny Satan any advantage in the church (2 Corinthians 2:11)

...................................v. To Prove that Leaders Love and Care (2 Corinthians 7:1-13)

...................................vi. To Deter Others From Sin (1 Timothy 5:12)

...................................vii. To Destroy Fleshly Lust in a Believer (1 Corinthians 5:5)

...................................viii. To Cut Emotional Ties with Unrepentant Christians (1 Corinthians 5:11)

...................................ix. To Protect Scripture From Perversion and Error (Silence False Teachers Titus 1:10-13)

...................................x. To Shame a Brother to Repentance (2 Thessalonians 3:13)

...................................xi. To Restore Repentant Believers (Galatians 6:1)

...................................xii. To Expose and Remove the Unregenerate (1 John 2:19)

II. The Range of Church Discipline

a. Private Sin Receives Private Rebuke (Matthew 18:15)

b. Public Sin Receives Public Rebuke

c. A Factious Spirit, after a first and 2^nd warning

III. The Result of Church Discipline

a. The Purification of the Church (Acts 5 v.11, 1 Timothy 5:20) [Deut 13:1-6]

b. The Unification of the Church (They were all with one accord Acts 5:12, UNITY in the NT: John 17:23[Perfection in individual holiness, produces unity in a community], Ephesians 4:3[Unity created by an extending forth from the Spirit, focus on being Spirit-filled], Ephesians 4:13[When you are growing in the knowledge of Christ, unity is the by-product], Colossians 3:14 [Love is the perfect bond of Unity, Romans 5:5])

c. The Sanctification of the Church (Acts 5:13, None of the Rest, who were not truly saved or serious about Christ, dared to associate with them; 1 Thessalonians 4:3)

d. The Multiplication of the Church (Acts 5:14, A New Surge of Evangelism Takes Off)

e. The Admiration for the Church (Acts 5:13, However, the people held them in high esteem)

After such a great sermon and especially learning what the results of Church discipline are I began to wonder, well I've never heard of anything being done like that at our church, not that there is anything joyful in having to consistently rebuke someone for their sin and eventually if necessary expel them from the church, but it still made me wonder.
Then during the Shepherds Conference I tuned in on Sunday to listen to the sermon and what they would be preaching on that day. They also had the Lords supper and Pastor John MacArthur did something quite shocking. Church discipline during that same day was practiced and a member of the church (not present that day) was exposed publicly of his sin and Pastor MacArthur pleaded with the church members to seek this man and to lovingly speak to him and pray for him that he may come to repentance.
I immediately thought of Jeff Noblit's sermon on church discipline. The impact this has on people, I know it impacted me and one of the Pastor's of my church who went to the Shepherd's Conference shared with us after he came back that it impacted him as well.
Well the point of all this is that today it happened at our church. They explained everything that was done, the amount of time that they spent dealing with the problem, the amount of witnesses used to rebuke in various occasions the person in question, the chances she was given to repent, how they followed all the biblical steps. Sadly the person did not repent and has not repented, even today they told us that person kept on with her disobedience and insubordination and so finally they had to expel her from the church. Our prayer is that with guidance from some people from the church she might repent. And while it is a sad thing when a professing brother or sister fall and stay in sin, God's Holiness must be exalted above everything else and it must be defended and proclaimed.

A Powerful Lesson From ER

Psalm 97

Psalm 97

The LORD reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad!
Clouds and thick darkness are all around him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
Fire goes before him and burns up his adversaries all around.
His lightnings light up the world; the earth sees and trembles.
The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth.
The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all the peoples see his glory.
All worshipers of images are put to shame, who make their boast in worthless idols; worship him, all you gods!
Zion hears and is glad, and the daughters of Judah rejoice, because of your judgments, O LORD.
For you, O LORD, are most high over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods.
O you who love the LORD, hate evil! He preserves the lives of his saints; he delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous, and give thanks to His holy name!

I'm Rich!!!

YAY! I finally got the 1,000,000 dollar tracts!! And the Optical Illusions tracts too...I can0t wait till I finally pass them all out!!

The Power of the Cross

Just beautiful!


"The Power of the Cross"
Words and Music by Keith Getty & Stuart Townend
Copyright © 2005 Thankyou Music

Oh, to see the dawn
Of the darkest day:
Christ on the road to Calvary.
Tried by sinful men,
Torn and beaten, then
Nailed to a cross of wood.

CHORUS:
This, the pow'r of the cross:
Christ became sin for us;
Took the blame, bore the wrath—
We stand forgiven at the cross.

Oh, to see the pain
Written on Your face,
Bearing the awesome weight of sin.
Ev'ry bitter thought,
Ev'ry evil deed
Crowning Your bloodstained brow.

Now the daylight flees;
Now the ground beneath
Quakes as its Maker bows His head.
Curtain torn in two,
Dead are raised to life;
"Finished!" the vict'ry cry.

Oh, to see my name
Written in the wounds,
For through Your suffering I am free.
Death is crushed to death;
Life is mine to live,
Won through Your selfless love.

FINAL CHORUS:
This, the pow'r of the cross:
Son of God—slain for us.
What a love! What a cost!
We stand forgiven at the cross.

Amazing!

Wow!! awesome awesome video/cartoon!

Q & A: The Song Every Christian should know by Heart

SHAI LINNE ATONEMENT Q+A LYRICS
Verse 1

Who is God? God is the universe’s Creator
And Sustainer plus the only Savior, there is no one greater
He triune, holy, omnipotent, omniscient, absolute
Loving, sovereign and righteous are a few of His attributes
How do we know this? Well, we know this from the Bible
Where God has revealed Himself- anything else is just an idol
What’s the Bible about? Man’s complete ruin in sin
And what God has done in Christ to bring us to Him again
What is sin? Sin is the breaking of God’s law
Plus our condition, which means from birth we all got flaws
What’s the result? The result is by nature we’re God’s enemies
And must pay the penalty unless God provides the remedy
What the remedy? The remedy is the cross of Christ
Where He suffered all the strikes for the lawless type
I’ve been rescued by the Lamb, I’m convinced that He’s risen
And blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven!

(Chorus)

Just fall back, and with the eyes of faith
Behold the beauty of surprising grace
Because the Lamb has died, third day He had to rise
He’s magnified- God’s wrath is satisfied

Just fall back- there’s an atonement now
The cross of Christ is holy ground
Because the Lamb has died, third day He had to rise
He’s magnified- God’s wrath is satisfied


Verse 2

Regeneration- the Holy Spirit’s true work in His love
To the elect, who receive new birth from above
Expiation- expiation means God’s removed my filthiness
The old testament type was the goat into the wilderness
Redemption- we’ve been freed from slavery to sin
And His very own blood is the price He paid, my friend
Propitiation- Propitiation means since the Lamb has died
His work is finished- God’s wrath is satisfied
Adoption- adoption means God is now my Father
I got the hottest Poppa and by the Spirit holler Abba
Reconciliation means there’s no more enmity
God is now a friend to me, we’re no longer enemies
Justification- God declares us righteous
Sanctification- we’re being made into His likeness
Glorification- that’s what happens at the finish
When God conforms believers perfectly to Christ’s image!

(Chorus)

Verse 3

God’s grace is magnificent, He slayed His innocent
Son- through faith and repentance we get the benefits
What is faith? Faith is a gift from God- when we receive this
We trust and treasure the person and finished work of Jesus
Repentance? Repentance is turning from your sin
And trusting Christ as the Spirit cleanses you within
What is grace? Oh, grace is unmerited favor
Our inheritance major ‘cause we cherish the Savior
Right, and if I may quote again, we were doomed with Satan
But believers get Jesus’ righteousness through imputation
Imputation? God takes Jesus’ righteousness amount
Through faith He credits it into the Christian’s account
Anything else? Well, I guess this overview must suffice
But none of this is possible apart from union with Christ
And finally, once you know the ways of the Lord than the
only thing that you can say is Soli Deo Gloria!

(Chorus)