Self Destruction; Divine Production

(Listen to the soundtrack here)

Let me start this out with this scripture.

“If you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth. You then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? As it is written, “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” Romans 2:9 – 24

It’s hard to say this, but that’s me; Paul was talking to me. I’m the one who teaches others but not myself. But this time is not like that. If you hear anything in this message that sounds preachy, it’s because I’m preaching to myself. If anyone needs to hear and understand this message, it’s me. But if you’re listening along and you get convicted, you’ll have to take that up with God.

Let’s begin…

Life is war. Every day we battle over thoughts, actions, even our allegiance. The time has come for you to commit yourself to the fight. Why are we in battle? The answer is simple: Because God made it that way. Even if you don’t believe in God, you are in battle against truth, against the proof all around you, against the Spirit’s conviction, even against the deepest part of your heart. We are all warriors. We face conflict at every turn, and we must be prepared. Which side are you on?

Maybe you don’t know. Maybe you say you are walking the fence. Well be warned: “the gate is narrow and the path is hard that leads to life and there are few that find it.” Few? That doesn’t sound like a fifty-fifty chance to me. If you think you are a “fence-goer,” you likely have fallen off and are on the wrong side of the fence. Remember, you’re in battle whether you like it or not. Start by deciding whose side you’re on.

On one side, Satan, the Prince of This World and the Bringer of Sin, is relentlessly attacking. All who believe in The Truth resist him, and battle against his ways. However, not even all of humanity combined could bring him down, for he is spiritual and we are physical. Against Satan, humanity only has one hope: Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He has proven his power over the Bringer of Sin, and has promised to defeat him once and for all. Yet that will come at a later time. For now, all who are on the side of Truth are empowered with divine support, and charged with fighting this ongoing battle. The Believers are protected, “hidden in Christ” (Col. 3:3), and have no fear of the enemy, because his power has been taken, and he is barred from doing them any harm. Yet harm is still a danger…

Because of man’s frailty, we humans have been dragged into this conflict as well. When Satan tempted Adam and Eve into sin, he created the most dangerous enemy to our salvation. Ourselves. That is, our sinful nature. We were originally created perfect; in God’s own image (Gen. 1:27). But that image has been distorted. Because of our fall, we have allowed the creation of our evil alter ego, our worst nemesis.

But who among us can defeat himself?

Think about it… Which of you would deny yourself a glass of water? The fact is, we are bound to our fleshly desires, whether we like it or not. But not all fleshly desires are evil. It would be silly to assume that, because the first person to live out that doctrine and deny himself of any desire would be dead. No, we are each assigned with a body, and delegated to care for it by providing for its basic needs. These are air, water, sleep, shelter, and food, in order of importance. Remove one of these items, and you won’t last long. The difference between these desires and others is necessity.

But it was not always this way. I believe that every sinful desire is a perversion of a God-made, completely normal, righteous desire. Let me explain that. Almost every human being on the face of the whole earth desires love, the love for a soul mate, that is. But for that love, we are instructed to wait until the right time. Satan takes this desire, twists it, and uses it to form lust, a desire for something you can’t have.

Humans have a natural (God given) desire to take dominion over the animals and over the earth, but Satan turns this desire into a lust for power. People turn to murder as the greatest way to assert power over another.

Everyone desires rest, but Satan pushes this desire until it becomes laziness. Hunger turns into gluttony. The desire for wealth turns into greed. The desire to be respectable turns into pride. See the pattern?

The sinful nature has infiltrated our most basic needs, and threatens us with pain if we deny it. Here’s an analogy that personifies the sin nature.

You are a ruler, and your kingdom is your body. You hear what your kingdom wants through messengers and representatives. But a spy has infiltrated your ranks, and even though your trusted advisors (the Holy Spirit) have exposed Mr. Flesh for who he is, you are torn. Torn between what you know is right, and what you want. Even though you can see through most of his lies, Mr. Flesh promises wealth, power, comfort, and satisfaction, and you listen because it sounds good. Even though you know he works for the enemy, you give him a prominent place among your officials. Even though you know deep down that he will eventually betray you to your demise, you give him what he asks for. His rewards for your compliance are minimal, and he never fully keeps his promises, yet he is allowed to remain. And when you threaten to banish him from your kingdom, he in turn threatens you with pain and discomfort, as if he had control over your resources. Danger is quickly approaching your kingdom and you know it, but what do you do?

The analogy hurts, but it’s true. At least I know it’s true for me. Trouble comes when you try to root out Mr. Flesh from your ranks. He hides among your most treasured friends. But he has to go, God says so. Don’t believe me? Listen to the Bible.

“So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.” Ephesians 4:17-19

“Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to you earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of the Creator.” Colossians 3:1 – 11

“Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” Romans 13:13 – 14

“The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery, idolatry and witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19 – 21

“Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. In your anger do not sin; do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.” Ephesians 4:25 – 28

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:29 – 32

“Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice before God. But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral impure or greedy person – such a man is an idolater – has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.” Ephesians 5:1 – 5

“People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than God.” 2Timothy 3:2 – 4

“For once you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” Ephesians 5:8 – 11

These lists are long, and many of these things do not characterize us as Christians, but are we clean from all of them? Absolutely not. I know for sure that everyone has at one time had a selfish ambition. It’s just human nature, right? Of course, but it is this very nature that we battle against, and that’s why it is so hard.

So, how are we to battle the sinful nature? Well, we are blessed to have several ways of such conquest. First, our Father has given us The Armor of God.

“Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes with the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayer requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep praying for all the saints.” Ephesians 6:14 – 18

Ah, yes; The Armor of God. I’m sure most of you know the pieces of armor, but how deeply do you know them? And do you wear them all the time? Let’s look deeper…

The Belt of Truth:

Our words are like our clothing, and we wear this truth around us so that our clothes will stay on. If we don’t wear it, we will be tripping over our own lies, and people will be able to expose us for the phonies we are. No one has less credibility than a liar. Wear the Truth!

The Breastplate of Righteousness:

The armor God makes is unbreakable; you simply have to wear it right. The breastplate guards our heart, and it will protect us from anyone who would take a jab at you. Anything they do will just bounce off you, because you know in your heart what is right, and you will be blameless. Guard yourself with Righteousness!

The Shoes of the Gospel of Peace:

When you wear the good news, it will allow you to go anywhere for God, and no thorns or sharp rocks will be able to stop you from getting there. Since these are God-made, you can use them to travel to the fieriest places and not be burned, and your feet will never grow weary. Wear the Peace wherever you go!

The Shield of Faith:

This shield is for when things get tough; when the devil unleashes many waves of attacks on you. Since it is unbreakable, anyone who hides behind his shield is safe. It represents our faith and hope in the promises of God, that soon there will be better days, and good will triumph over evil. Defend yourself with your Faith!

The Helmet of Salvation:

Even when the devil aims for your head, you are protected. Not even death itself can extinguish our life in Christ. There is no blow that the devil can deal strong enough to knock this helmet from us. As long as we believe in Jesus Christ and wear the Helmet of Salvation, we will always be safe. Never forget your need for Salvation!

The Sword of the Spirit:

This is the first offensive weapon God has given us. Being the very word of God, it is sharper than any double edged sword, and it has the power to cut through any lie, and to penetrate the hardest heart. As long as it is your weapon, Satan himself cannot stand in your way. Its sheath is embedded into the Belt of Truth, and as long as you keep the Sword of the Spirit as the final truth above all, it will retain its razor sharp edge. But it is not enough to have this sword by your side. You must know it in your heart and soul, just as a warrior knows his weapon, and know how to use it. Always attack with the word of God!

“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow, it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12

Prayer:

This weapon is all the rest rolled into one. Though it works best used on others, it is like a force field around us, summoning God’s holy angels to fight by our side. It can be used in any and every situation, and is the easiest to wield. What can prayer do?

• It gives us direct communication with God, the head General in this army. And the line is always open.

• It brings us into presence with God

• It can sometimes initiate divine intervention

• It can have the power to heal

• It can bring us comfort and contentment

And there are plenty of other things on top of that. All it takes is a little memory and a simple thought, and heaven’s best are at your service. When just two people team up with this weapon, Jesus himself will be with them. Never stop praying!

Jesus:

Also, sometimes God does call us to flee, to retreat when the fight gets too hard. We should always remember that there is a loving savior beside us who guards us with his life, and sometimes he wants us to hide behind him and let him do his work. Take refuge in your Savior!

As you can see, God has given us ample tools to use; we need not look to ourselves to win this war. In fact, to look to yourself would actually be turning away from the grace God has given you. This brings us back to our point: our own bodies are only a hindrance.

“If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.” Matthew 5:29 – 30

Jesus didn’t say to give yourself a slap on the wrist, to keep your hand in your pocket for a while, or even to tie it up. He said to cut it off. I know that you’re thinking: “Hehe, but Jesus! That’s my HAND!” But that’s the point I’m trying to make. Jesus would rather see you blind and limbless than to see you in the hands of the devil. He would rather see you going through life uncomfortably than comfortably falling into sin.

This is a hard one to follow, I know for sure from experience, but let us not ignore the words of our Maker. This is why I am committing to this: Self Destruction. Because if we get ourselves out of the way, if we do what God wants us to do instead of what we want, if we live by the Spirit and stop feeding the sinful nature what it needs to survive, then God will be able to produce in us all kinds of good things. I bought a bracelet that reads: Self Destruction – Divine Production, and I’m going to use it as my reminder of what God wants me to do with my life. I want to get to the point where what I want doesn’t matter to me anymore, where "my wants" is an oxymoron. I want to get to the point where I am continuously saying, “not my will, but Your will be done.”

“Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation – but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.” Romans 8:12 – 13

“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.” Galatians 5:24

“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires, to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” Ephesians 4:22 – 24

“So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.” Galatians 5:16 – 17

“As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’” 1Peter 1:14 – 16

Now, I hope you are thinking this all sounds great, but I want to caution you – because this is the hardest part about Self Destruction: doing it with a humble heart. It goes utterly against human nature to destroy the earthly nature while receiving no credit. It’s a hard pill to swallow, but we really can do nothing apart from God’s hand. I know for sure, because I can see the depths of my own heart, and I know where I would be if God hadn’t done anything in my life. Some of you may be able to relate to me. I cannot destroy my old self, because it clings to me through pride. I don’t want anyone to know how horrible I am, so I hide my sins. Because they are hidden, no one knows when I am struggling, and they cannot help me. Eventually, I fall back into my sin, because I have no accountability to support me. See the problem? The walls of pride make things seem secure, but it’s a false hope. No one can go it alone; we all need each other, and we all need God. We must work together in truth and love to find ways of destroying our old selves and demolishing our pride. I have failed and failed and failed in this, but I won’t give up. In Christ, I find forgiveness for today and strength for tomorrow. We must keep fighting! But there’s no half effort, no give and take; God expects our all. So I’m going all in for God. I will commit to Self Destruction. Will you join me?

Supporting Musicians

This blog is to anyone who has downloaded free music from the internet, or borrowed a CD from someone, and copied it onto your computer or mp3 player. And I’ve done this before, too; something that I sincerely repent of.


Take the time to think about this. I know from experience what kind of work goes into writing and singing songs. It is truly a line of work, and anyone who says otherwise is simply misinformed.

Do you enjoy listening to popular music? Are you willing to put your money where your mouth is? In order for an artist to provide you with valuable entertainment and edification, it takes a considerable amount of undesirable work, and in our current society, people are entitled to monetary compensation for their work.

If you don’t believe that a musician should get paid for being a musician, then please don’t expect to ever hear one again. But if you like hearing them, then please support them.

The “free internet download” culture is destroying this system. If artists cease to receive sufficient money for their effort, they will either stop working, or find the easy way out. The music business will be left to the ruthless and immoral, and what they write will be cheap and corny.

Please think about this in your daily life: Whenever you give free music to someone or download something “illegally” from the internet, you are harming the artist you love.

-Charlie

Who's most important?

This blog is to all the artists, writers and musicians like me.  I want to share this quick message with any to whom it applies (the first person being me).

Everyone in the world deep down thinks that their ministry is the most important.  I know it's sad, but it's the truth.  It's just human nature.  I want to challenge people to consider that GOD MAY NOT PLAN TO EVER PUBLISH YOUR WORK!  Please treat others like their mission in life is more important than yours. 

Thanks for reading.

-Charlie

Evie Haskell

I've never heard of Evie Haskell before, but as I was researching song contests, I came across her website.  I listened to her music and was very impressed.  Listen to it if you get a chance.

Evie Haskell's Website

New Website

For anyone still reading, check out my new website for my music @ www.charliesdroplets.blogspot.com.

Thanks!

Charlie

Song Contest

Hi, friends!

I need your help! I entered a song contest and I need you to to help me place high by voting (downloading my song) for me! If you want to help me continue writing music, then please follow these steps:

1. Go to sweetwatersongcontest.com

2. Near the top of the page, select the "Choose a Genre" list and set it to Contemporary Christian. Then set the "By State" list to Michigan. Click search.

3. Scroll down and find my name and click on "view band."

4. Right below the player controls, click on the "Download" button.

5. Enter in your email address and the verification words, and click the "I have read and agree..." checkbox. Then click "Continue to download."

6. It will send you a verification email, so open another browser and go to your email. There should be an email from noreply@sweetwatersongcontest.com in your inbox. If you don't recieve one, click the "Hmm... I didn't recieve..." link on the song contest page. When you get the email, click on the link in the email, then click the "click to download..." link.

7. Enjoy the song! And please pass it on to your friends!

(you can also view my placement on the song contest homepage, in the "leader board" section on the left side)

Charlie Sivils

Letter to Michigan Representatives

Here is my letter to all the congressmen of Michigan concerning the Health Care Bill. May I suggest that you readers write something to your representatives for the sake of our country as well.

Dear Representatives of Michigan,

I thank you for the promise you made when you swore to uphold the constitution. I am writing this letter to you now because I have been learning about the ways that our leaders are not following the constitution and are usurping authority that otherwise belongs to the individual states (or to God, for that matter). If you follow these tendencies, even though you promised to abide by the constitution, I give you my word that, even though I may not have the power to vote for or against you directly, I will do all in my power to see that you are never elected again. It is my opinion that this “Health Care Bill” is in direct conflict with our bill of rights, our constitution, in addition to our rights as Americans to “religious freedom,” and is therefore an illegal piece of legislation. I have specific problems with the sections requiring the purchase of insurance and the federal funding of abortions. I will watch very closely your votes on this bill, and my support for you will grow or fade based on the results. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Charlie Sivils

For Connor

For Connor

For those of you who don’t know him, Connor is a homeschooler who is now in a Private Christian School. I believe that homeschooling is preferable and healthier, but I do not want to restrict God’s work. I know that, though it is harder, many kids can make it through the school system and still become mature Christians. I do, however, want to caution and exhort him through my past experiences with school.

1. The Overall System

The school system was not created by Christians; it was created by Marxists who wanted to destroy the family unit. If they could get the fathers away for long hours at work, the mothers away pursuing their own careers, and the children away at school being “taught,” then they could create a lack of communication, and pull the members of a family apart, thereby destroying the family’s power. Do not be deceived. The devil will work through this period in your life to draw you away from important things like your family, relationships, and spiritual matters. If academic knowledge becomes more important to you than these, then he will have succeeded. Do not let education become your idol.

2. The Never-Ending Work

I’m not as sure about the school you’re in now, but in most situations, every teacher thinks his subject is the most important. They will want your all, and you obviously cannot give everything to all of them. Besides, I am willing to bet that at least half of the stuff you learn will not be used in your future life. It reminds me of a situation in stories about Sherlock Holmes.

When it was discovered that he didn’t know that the Earth was round, Dr. Watson asked him why. He explained by saying, “That fact will not help me. It has nothing to do with my line of work, and I will try my hardest to forget it.”

I’m not saying that you shouldn’t listen in certain subjects. The system requires that you learn the basics in all of them in order to pass. I am saying that you should put your energy into what you will need, and let the other things fall away in time. Remember how easy it is to look up things on the internet.

And with the immense amount of homework to do, you will struggle to find time for your family. Remember that they are more important.

3. The Peer Pressure

I know that you will find better friends than I did in this Christian school, but do not think that you are immune to peer pressure. The saying is true: “Bad company corrupts good character.” I know from experience. You will have to discern for yourself what good friends are, but you must be willing to not participate in bad things. If you find yourself sitting at the wrong lunch table, do not be afraid of speaking up. State your disagreement and ask for change. If you don’t get it, you must walk away. Sit by yourself if you have to. Your witness and your soul are more important than your friends.

4. The Temptation Towards Premature Love

This one is especially hard to fight, at least for me. If I had known things I know now back when I was in school, I could have saved myself a lot of grief. When I was in school, I was infatuated with this one girl, and that infatuation caused me to make compromises. Because of her, I would have changed my stance on who is acceptable to marry, my stance on homeschooling, and my stance on how many children I would have. The want of being near her kept me sitting at the wrong lunch table when I should have left, and would have brought me into similar situations. The fact is, you shouldn’t trust yourself. The Bible talks about not awakening love before its time, and I believe that means not thinking romantically until you are ready to consider marriage. If you’ve not already read them, you should read books like I Kissed Dating Goodbye, Boy Meets Girl (Joshua Harris), and What He Should Be (Voddie Bachaum). They talk about things like how dating is not an efficient method of courtship, what things to look for in a wife, and what you must do before you are ready to pursue marriage.

Again, you must make time for your family. If anyone can address a certain situation you may be in and give you specific advice, it’s your parents.

The Helpless State of Man (part 1)

Part one: the Cosmic

A year or so ago, I watched a movie called “The Privileged Planet.” I highly recommend it. The title states its case completely. There are many variables that define our planet that “just happen” to align. Let me list a few.

Our planet is the correct distance from the sun for life to exist. All life requires water to exist, and if our planet were much closer or farther from the sun, all our water would evaporate or freeze respectively.

Our atmosphere has the right mixture of gases for survival. With less oxygen, we would suffocate. With more, our atmosphere could be ignited by a single spark, and would burn up.

The moon is the right distance and size so that it stabilizes the Earth’s rotation. It also controls the sea tides, which help keep the water clean.

These are only a few elements that are perfectly correct in our planet. One more very interesting one is that we are positioned in our galaxy with the ability to see and explore outer space. If we were closer to the center of our galaxy, or even within one of the spiral bands, we would not be able to see into space at all.

There are other elements that define us that go much deeper than the eye can see, but I’ll get into those on the next post.

Okay...

In case anyone cares, I'm gonna try to start blogging again, but I don't think I'll have much time to comment on others. Please read if you wish.

-Charlie

Berean Contest -- by Will

If you grew up Christian, sometimes you can find yourself believing things that you learned when you were very young without questioning them. Things your parents taught you, or maybe things that you learned in Sunday School. Probably most of what you learned was true, but the point is that you just too their word for it. But have you ever questioned if some of those facts were true?
The Berean Christians, in Acts 17:10-11, listened to Paul preach. And after hearing him, they examined the scriptures to see if he was speaking the truth. It wasn’t as if they didn’t trust Paul, they just knew they shouldn’t except a teaching without examining it.
Have you ever been pondering something you knew was true, and then wondered where it was found in the Bible? I have.
So, I have decided to make a contest. I have written a truth at the end of this post. Take a week to study the scriptures, and then post a comment with as many scriptures as you can find to back up that truth. Or maybe you disagree with it, than back that up instead.
Who is the winner? Anyone who completes this contest. What is the prize? A better knowledge of God’s word.
I hope you can take some time out of your week to do this.
I'll try to post another truth every other week






God is everywhere.




Song of the Post:
Now that I have you

Trip Accident: Thank God we're alive! (by Charlie)

During our trip to Michigan, I was taking my driving shift during the night, and everything was going normally. I was tired, I was snacking on trail mix, and I was listening to a sermon. All of a sudden, I heard a loud SNAP, followed by a grinding noise. I looked back in the mirror to see sparks flying everywhere. Immediately, I slowed down and pulled over. I realized what had happened when I saw a lone wheel zip past me and roll on down the highway.

The car had scraped to a stop just on the shoulder of the road. After informing my mother, I got out and took a look at the damage. It was still dark, so I couldn’t see much, but what I could see surprised me. The right-side trailer wheel was completely gone, and the axle it had rested on was glowing red hot and bent out of shape. The bare frame was resting on the ground; this thing was not going anywhere. I then tried in vain to tow it further off the highway, confirming my suspicion.

So, we had to get the trailer off the van, and drive to get help. It was way too heavy to lift, and we ended up having to use the car jack to pry it off the trailer hitch.

We then got the phone number of a mechanic, who drove to the site and helped us decide what to do. He got a tow truck to come and pick it up. He also went and retrieved the wheel for us, which had rolled another 150 yards down the road. He had to cross two lanes of 70mph highway, risking his life to grab our lost wheel. He was very gracious to us. He could have charged us the $75 service charge for taking our call, but he only took the $18 dollars we had in cash because we didn’t need him.

Then we took it to a place that sold trailers, and got them to fix it. They told us that a lack of wheel grease had caused the accident. Because there wasn’t enough grease in the wheel, it began to heat up, thus melting the rest of the grease away. Then it heated up so much that the axle bent out of shape and allowed the wheel to fall off.

We were going to need a new axle on the trailer, and they just happened to have the right one for the replacement. They heard our story about being on our way to Michigan, so they started on it right away. It only took about an hour, and we were back on the road.

We stopped a little while later to fix the lights on the trailer, (which had not been working) but eventually got those fixed as well.

All in all, I am thankful that we even lived through this accident, and that we were able to still make it to Michigan. I also pray that we will have no similar setbacks on the way down from Michigan.

Scripture Memory - by Will

“I have stored up your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” Psalm 119:11
That’s a pretty good reason to memorize scripture! Another good reason is that we never know when persecution might arise, so it is nice to have God’s word in your heart, where people can never take it away.
You know that memorizing scripture is good, but it’s just too hard! Here are some tips that I have learned while memorizing the Psalms:
1. Pray for God to give you a desire to memorize and that he will also help you too. God will give you the desire and the power to do this.

2. Get to know what is in the passage that you are memorizing. If you are just memorizing a bunch of sounds and words, you might tend to forget the passage. Besides, what’s the point of memorizing scripture if you don’t know what it is saying? I find that if you learn what the passage is saying, it will be easier to remember.

3. Start by reading the verse/s to yourself. I like to read out loud to myself. I think it trains your mind what to say when you recite it. So what if your little sister thinks you’re silly! You’re doing this for God.

4. Don’t try to memorize too much at once. I like to focus my time on memorizing a few verses really well, and then expand off of those verses, (if you are memorizing a passage of scripture instead of just one verse.)

5. Set goals for what you are going to memorize. Sometimes I would start slacking off while I was memorizing. So I made a new year’s resolution to memorize a certain number of Psalms before next year.
6. Use keywords and keyletters to help you. There are certain times when you can use certain words or letters to help you memorize. I like to associate a letter to a Psalm or chapter to help me remember what to say. Example: I will memorize which Psalms begin with “O Lord” and then remember what follows that in the rest of the first verse.
There are also tricks you can use to remember what to say: Sometimes I remember the next verse by using a keyword/keyletter from the first verse:
“that I may recount all your praises, that in the gates of the daughter of Zion I may rejoice in your salvation. The nations have sunk in the pit that they made; in the net that they hid, their own foot has been caught. The Lord has made himself known; he has executed judgment; the wicked are snared in the works of their own hands. - Psalm 9:14-16
Notice that each verse, and sometimes the segment in the verse, starts with TH. If you can remember things like this, it can make it easier to memorize passages. Another example:
“For he who avenges blood is mindful of them; he does not forget the cry of the afflicted. Be gracious to me O Lord . . .” – Psalm 9:12-13
I remember that, in the alphabet, B comes after A and the previous verse ends with an A-word, so the next verse will start with a B-word. Another example:
“. . .their drink offerings of blood will not pour out or take their names upon my lips. The Lord is my chose portion and my cup. . .” – Psalm 16:4-5
The first verse ends with an L-word, so I memorize that the same letter comes next in “The Lord.”

I hope these things were helpful!
I have decided to post a song that I like on all of my posts. It doesn’t necessarily relate to the subject. This is a song from the former band called the O.C. Supertones. Enjoy!

1999 and the stakes is high
Our options have come down to either we do or we die
We need You now more than ever, Pull out all of the strife in the church, get us together
Is time running out? I can't say I do know. We have one day less than we did yesterday.
So it's up to us to unite, You wanna fight the power? You need the power to fight.
And can we sing with one voice, if we all love the same God? Can we agree to disagree?
And so we cry with one voice to the only God in all the universe- who holds us in His hands.
No more time for us to bicker and complain,
If we're called by the same name, there's nowhere for us to lay the blame,
except for ourselves. And if we died to our old selves we've come alive as God's flesh,
that makes us family.
Deeper than death, but we don't act so tight when there's a back to bite.
Are we less like a family, and more like a fistfight?
Are we there, but not quite are hypocrites children of light?

Speechless

--Will--

I like good music, and especially Steven Curtis Chapman’s music. So I just wanted to share this song with you guys. This is probably one of my favorite Christian songs that I have heard. Not only is the message very strong in proclaiming the gospel, but the music is a wonderful blend of Orchestra and Rock. Click the video to listen to the song. The lyrics are posted below.

Words fall like drops of rain

My lips are like clouds

I say so many things

Trying to figure You out

But as mercy opens my eyes

My words are stolen away

With this breathtaking view of Your grace

Chorus:

And I am speechless, I'm astonished and amazed

I am silenced by Your wonderous grace

You have saved me

You have raised me from the grave

And I am speechless in Your presence now

I'm astounded as I consider how

You have shown us

A love that leaves us speechless

So what kind of love could this be

That would trade heaven's throne for a cross

And to think You still celebrate

Over finding just one who was lost

And to know You rejoice over us

The God of this whole universe

It's a story that's too great for words

Chorus

Bridge:

Oh, how great is the love

The Father has lavished upon us

That we should be called The sons and the daughters of God

Chorus

Spend the rest of your day reminding yourself of this message.

“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.” -1 John 3:1

New Author

Hey, guys. I just wanted to introduce my younger brother, Will.

He will now be posting on my blog as well. Here are a few words from him:

I decided that Charlie couldn't have all the fun blogging, so I want to make some posts too. So when I have something on my mind I'll make a post.

Obama's Federal Budget

Well, I'm just tired of waiting for readers, so I'm gonna keep on blogging anyway.


I was thinking today about the federal budget plan in place. The amount is currently a three trillion dollars, and for anyone who can't tell the difference between millions, billions and trillions, here's what a trillion dollars looks like:


$1,000,000,000,000.00


That's a million times a million. Multiply that by three, and you get the budget plan. So, speaking of multiplication, I decided to do a little math concerning the tax burden that it will put on us.


I looked up the population of America on the U.S. Census Bureau website. It said that the population was estimated at 304,059,724 on July 1st of 2008. So, based on the previous numbers, I estimated that by now, the population will have grown to about 307 million, but because of the deadly swine flu pandemic, and the devastating effects of global warming, we'll round it down to 306,999,998.


Now if you take the budget plan, and divide it by the total population, you should get the amount that every one has to pay in order to pay for Obama's budget. Let's try it:


3,000,000,000,000 / 306,999,998 = 9771.9870343451924061576052518411


or about $9771.99


That's how much more you'd have to pay over the span of four years in order to make up for Obama's spending plan, and that not even counting how many people who don't pay many taxes, how many people aren't even old enough to pay taxes, the interest that will accumulate on that debt, or the number of people that will die from global warming before they can pay their taxes.

And by the way, that means that you evil business owners and rich people will have to make up for those who can't pay.

I wish I could say that I have confidence in what Obama's spending it on.

Legalism (part 4)

My friends, abstain from Illegalism!  Can you not see how the devil uses God’s good things and distorts them?  He loves to take good things that God has made (like the law), and warp them to the utmost degree.  Let me take an example from giving to the needy.  All in all, this is a perfectly wonderful act, but the devil has taken this, and twisted both sides.  While some people would be tempted to be lazy or greedy, and not give any money, others would be tempted to give extravagantly in order to show off in front of others.  The same goes for the law.  Satan has taken God’s law—his perfect way of living, that is—and twisted it to both extremes.  With those who wish to follow the law, he tempts them to boast, and to adopt a legalistic dependency on it rather than God.  And, for those who wish to break free from the law’s chains, he gives them laziness and selfish thoughts of “freedom.”

Some of you may say:  “Well, I guess were darned if we do, and darned if we don’t.”  That’s where I believe you’re wrong.  Through the glorious liberty in Christ, he has enabled us to be do-gooders free from the curse of the law.  I think it is possible to get to a place (with God’s help) where you can follow the law perfectly, and not slip into either side of temptation.  That should be our goal as Christians.

And to those who are lazy and selfish (like me), I will say this, even though it seems like it is overused.  The Christian walk is not about you; it is about the giving up of yourself, in order to do what God wants.  There may be some things that you have to give up, things that your sin nature clings to fiercely, and your body fights against every step of the way.  You may have to let your pride, which can be found in almost every part of our lives, be crushed under humble service and pursuit of righteousness.

Now I realize that many of you may never follow the law completely, and that’s fine!

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.”  (Ro. 8:1-2)

Now, shouldn’t you at least try?  I’ve said enough:

“‘Then neither do I condemn you,’ Jesus declared.  ‘Go now and leave your life of sin.’”  (Jn. 8:11)

Legalism (part 3)

Here is another question you may ask: Are we expected to follow the whole law?

As I said before, the law (all of it) is a good and righteous thing, and I believe that as you follow and study the law, you will begin to see why God wrote it, and it will bring you closer to Him. And as you strive to have a clean heart, you may discover elements of the law that you wish to attempt to follow. But God, when he sent his son, did not intend for Christians to still have to follow all the law, nor does he expect us to. If any man could follow the law completely, he would not need salvation through Christ, and that would nullify the scriptures, for they say:

“…There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” (Ro. 3:22-24)

“Everyone has turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one good, not even one.” (Ps. 53:3)

One must consider why the law was made.

“What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, ‘Do not covet.’” (Ro. 7:7)

The law was created to show us that we cannot earn salvation, and to show God’s love through His son’s death. It is only through faith in Him that we can escape the law’s demands.

“Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.” (Ro. 3:31)
In the same way, God’s desire is that we follow the law flawlessly, but we have already concluded that this is impossible. Does that mean that we should go one without even trying? Of course not!

“Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” (Php. 2:12)

God never said it would be easy, much less effortless. You are eventually going to have to work through your salvation.

Hopefully, you will begin to see the two extremes, both being far from the truth. Legalism would tell you that you have to follow the whole law in order to ensure your salvation. Instead, we have been freed from bondage to the law. The opposite would tell you that this freedom allows you to live a sinful life without restrictions, all the time still being under God’s saving grace. This is obviously wrong as well.

So then, should we rely on our works? Absolutely not!

“All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.” (Isa. 64:6)
Our deeds alone are worthless, but at the same time:

“As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.” (Jas. 2:26)

Allow me to coin a new term, here. There is a lazy, selfish attitude that says: “Sinning will not matter to God; he has already saved you. Do whatever you want, even if the Bible speaks against it. You are now completely above the law.” I’m going to call this heretical idea ILLEGALISM, for it is the opposite of legalism.

Legalism (part 2)

Sorry for the wait, guys, I've been on vacation for a while now. Allow me to continue...

This brings us to another question: What laws are we to follow?

I think we can all agree that we no longer need to make animal sacrifices for our sins, because Christ has become the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. But there are a few laws concerning the way that Hebrews were to dress, eat, and behave, that are fairly unclear in the New Testament as to whether or not to follow them. And Paul shares a good motto in Romans 14:22 to make things easier.

“So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves.” (Ro. 14:22)

So you must follow your own personal convictions, and not condemn others for not following your convictions. You must be careful, though, to let your heart be soft, and allow another person’s convictions to affect your thoughts. God may plan to change your heart on the subject.

I would also like to state another scripture that may help. Though I don’t think it’s talking about the law, I give this as an effective parallel.

“If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.” (Mt. 5:29-30)

My Bible’s notes on this verse say that it means to deal drastically with sin, but I would like to suggest you imagine that it is talking about following the law. The verse is not talking about giving up sins as if you were losing a part of your body, for eyes and hands can be very good and useful things. But sometimes things that can be used for good seem to have sinful tendencies connected to them, and you may have to give them up before you can conquer the sin. Eating only clean meat is a good thing, but if it causes you to become prideful about what you eat, then do away with it. It is better for you to have an unhealthy body and live at peace with your brothers than for your healthy body to go into hell. I think that following the whole law should be a Christian’s goal, only giving up parts of it when they distance you from God.

Legalism (part 1)

I’ve been thinking and reading about this subject, and I feel like it is a conflict that needs to be resolved. I’ve heard both sides of the argument. There are some people who think that even considering the law is legalistic, while others think that we should be following it all. I’m going to say from my own opinion, that following the law is not wrong, as many people may believe. God never intended us to forsake the law completely, for He said so through His son.

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.” (Mt. 5:17-18)

Many would argue that we are now under a new law, which is true. God’s previous law of firm justice has succumbed to His higher law of love and mercy.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (Jn. 3:16-17)

Please note that the scriptures did not say that God sent his Son into the world to save the world through him and to give the world license to break the law.

Let me give an example of when the new law of love and mercy must prevail, starting with love. Say that you believe you should not eat any unclean meats. Yet during a time of financial difficulty, your friends provide you with a gift of roast pork. Would you, then, refuse to accept their gift? No! Because you love them, you will eat the unclean meat that has been provided.

Also, there is mercy. Say that your brother in Christ commits adultery. He is truly repentant, but by the Old Testament law, he must be executed. Surely you would spare his life, in order to accept his repentance and help him grow in the Lord. By law, he is guilty, but Christ has shown him mercy.

In the same way, we are not excused from the law, only given a scapegoat which we must choose. And if we have not chosen the scapegoat, then we are still subject to the law and its punishment, which is, by the way, death.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Ro. 6:23)

The only reason we are saved is because Christ has blotted out our unrighteousness with His righteousness. You might argue that, because of this, it will not matter if you break the law, as long as you have accepted Christ. This statement is true, but the mindset behind it is completely flawed.

“What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” (Ro. 6:1-2)

The ultimate meaning behind Christ saving us is not that we are free to sin, but that we are free from sin, and from the curse of death it produces. Therefore, let us not strive to find what we are now allowed to do, but strive to find newer (and older) ways of pleasing the Lord.