Christian Menowar

Carson again

2010-08-21T09:49:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted anything in a while. Life has been extremely busy and the Twitter thing seems to have been a little bit easier for me in the last months. I actually did run across many blog worthy things both in the MMA world and the evangelical world. Just yesterday, I read a pretty interesting article written by a deacon at one of the Mars Hill campuses. But what really excited me was the e-mail from the Gospel Coalition that I received this week informing me that Dr. D.A Carson will be around my area in November. I have said many times that there is average gifting, where we'd find most of us, then there is above average gifting, a few "rockstar" preachers and teachers and then there is D.A Carson. Needless to say, I'm pretty excited about this event. Here is an article I read today that is just one more evidence of how the Lord has gifted him for our instruction. To him be the glory. Amen!

Please find the original posting of this article here.

Pastoral Pensées: Motivations to Appeal to in Our Hearers When We Preach for Conversion

D. A. Carson

D. A. Carson is research professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois.

Most of us, I suspect, develop fairly standard ways, one might even say repetitive ways, to appeal to the motivations of our hearers when we preach the gospel. Recently, however, I have wondered if I have erred in this respect—not so much in what I say as in what I never or almost never say. What follows is in some ways a mea culpa, plus some indication of why I think the topic should be important for all of us.

Before I survey the motivations themselves, I should specify that because the gospel is to be preached to both unbelievers and believers, the motivations that here interest me may be found among both parties. Nevertheless, I shall tilt the discussion toward those motivations of unbelievers to which we should appeal when we preach the gospel to them, aiming, in God’s mercy, at their conversion.
1. A Survey of Possible Motivations

The eight motivations I am about to list are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Several may, and often do, coexist at one time and in one person. In no particular order of importance:
1.1 Fear

The Letter to the Hebrews insists that people are kept all their lives in fear of death but that the coming of the Son of God as a human being, a son of Abraham, set in train the destruction of him who has the power of death, namely, the devil himself (Heb 2:14–18). With respect to this particular fear, then, the preaching of the gospel promises a reduction in fear. On the other hand, in various ways Jesus tells his hearers to fear him who has power to destroy body and soul in hell (Matt 10:38). Not a few of the parables end in a simple polarity: gathered into barns or burned (Matt 13:30), entering the home of the wedding feast or being shut outside where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt 22:10–13), and so forth. Some apocalyptic images depict people calling for the rocks and mountains to fall on them and hide them from the wrath of the Lamb (Luke 23:30; Rev 6:15–17). Belonging to the same theme are texts asking us, rhetorically, where the profit lies if we gain the whole world but lose our own souls (Matt 16:26), or the insistence that it is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Heb 10:31).

Obviously it is possible to preach the wrath of God in such an angry and self-righteous fashion that we bear a much closer resemblance to Elmer Gantry than to Jesus Christ. On the other hand, in addition to the example of Jesus and the apostles, we have occasional examples from church history where God has used the appeal to the fear of judgment in powerful ways. The best known witness is doubtless Jonathan Edwards’s “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” which I reread some weeks ago to remind myself how biblical most of it is.
1.2. The Burden of Guilt

I specify “the burden of guilt” instead of “guilt” because I prefer to use the latter for one’s moral and legal status before the holy God. In other words, one may be very guilty and not feel guilty, that is, not labor under any burden of guilt. If one is in fact guilty but feels nothing of the burden of guilt, the objective guilt is not a motivation for conversion. Until one cries, in these words or something similar, “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight” (Ps 51:4),2 one is not strongly motivated by the burden of guilt. On the other hand, that guilt, rightly perceived, can be a crushing burden and thus a powerful and desperate motivation for relief.

It is a truism of much Reformed theology, not least Puritan theology, that the law must do its work before grace can do its work. Without an adequate dose of the former, the latter is likely merely to heal the wounds of the people slightly (to use King James English). That Puritan heritage influenced many who were, strictly speaking, outside that heritage. For example, John Wesley’s advice to a young minister on how to preach the gospel in any new situation is replete with this perspective.3 The text to which many in this tradition appealed was Gal 3: the law is our παιδαγωγός to bring us to Christ, for the law was added to turn sin into transgression, to make us see our fault, to shut us up under condemnation (Gal 3:19–25). Careful exegesis of Gal 3 has often shown, of course, that this interpretation is substantially mistaken: Gal 3 is less interested in the psychological and moral profile of the person transitioning from guilt to grace, than in unpacking the place of the Mosaic law in redemptive history. Nevertheless, the Puritan vision of the place of the law is not as off-base as some think. For even if Paul’s primary point in Gal 3 is to locate the law’s rightful place in redemptive history, over against the place that many Palestinian first-century Jews thought it should have, the conclusion one must inevitably draw is that God took extraordinary pains to establish and nurture the law-covenant across a millennium and a half as preparatio Christi. Total ignorance of this OT background is one of the reasons that so many in contemporary culture feel almost no burden of guilt when they are first confronted with the Bible, with Jesus, with the gospel. In fact, nurtured on a spongy epistemology, many hear the law’s demands and conclude, at least initially, that the God who thought this lot up is not worth respecting, for he must be a manipulative and power-hungry despot. Still, at some point the burden of guilt catches up with many people, and it can become a powerful motivation in their conversion.
1.3. Shame

A glance at the literature shows how difficult it is to distinguish absolutely between guilt and shame. Some cultural anthropologists speak of “shame cultures” as if such cultures know little of guilt, and of some traditional Western cultures as if they are guilt-ridden but know little of shame: the two kinds of cultures are sometimes treated as if they are categorically disjunctive. Some in the field of psychiatry assert that guilt arises from what we do, while shame arises from what we are, but that is certainly not a biblical distinction. In the Bible we may be guilty and feel guilty for what we are, and equally we may be ashamed of what we do.

In popular parlance, I suspect that shame has more to do with losing face, primarily (though not exclusively) in horizontal relationships. Nevertheless, if one loses face before one’s family or peers, it is usually because one has done something “wrong” as judged by those peers, so it is hard to see why guilt feelings do not also intrude. Similarly, one may be genuinely guilty of some sort of moral breach and be ashamed of what one has done. Initially Adam and Eve are naked and unashamed: they have nothing to hide. But when sin changes everything, does Adam hide from God because he feels guilty or because he feels ashamed? Must one choose? Nevertheless, there does appear to be a slight difference in focus between the two: shame has to do with losing face, often objectively, and hence feeling shamed. Such loss of face commonly springs from one’s own faults, but of course it may spring from something one has endured—like David’s envoys who are ashamed of losing half their beards at the hands of the Ammonites and whom David therefore consoles by instructing them to remain at Jericho until their beards grow back (2 Sam 10:1–5). They have lost face, but of course in this instance they are not guilty of anything.

Many have argued that in a culture like ours, which protests that it is unmoved by the law’s demands and that refuses to admit to guilt feelings because it refuses to admit to guilt, a better way to unpack the nature of sin is to unfold the nature of idolatry rather than the nature of law. Idolatry is bound up with corrosive relationships, with de-godding God, with shameful distortions and substitutions; and, it is argued, these evils are more easily admitted among yuppie postmoderns than are the evils of transgressing law. In other words, shame is more readily acknowledged than guilt.
1.4. The Need for “Future Grace”

When John Piper unpacks this category, he has primarily Christians in view. Historically, however, a great deal of evangelism has been carried out by urging people to prepare to meet God, to receive the grace now that alone prepares a sinner for resurrection-existence in the new heaven and the new earth. Where is the profit in gaining the world and losing one’s soul? Where there is widespread belief that one must finally give an account to a holy God who does not grade on the curve, this sort of appeal carries quite a lot of weight. The motivations to which one appeals are a mixture of fear (which I have already mentioned) and the desire to be found right, just, before this God, acceptable to him.
1.5. The Attractiveness of Truth

Frequently the apostles declare that they bear witness to the truth, that they declare the truth, that they do not peddle the truth, that they cannot do other than speak the truth, that they speak the truth plainly in the eyes of all, and so forth (e.g., John 19:35; Rom 9:1; 2 Cor 4:2; 11:10; 13:8). The assumption, of course, is that by the grace of God, the truth itself is attractive to some. Cornelius was such a man. He was a good deal more eager to hear the truth, at least initially, than Peter was to declare it. For those with eyes to see and ears to hear, the truth can be self-attesting; for others, like some of Jesus’ opponents in John 8, the truth is precisely what is detested: “Because I tell you the truth, you do not believe” (John 8:45; cf. also Isa 6, cited in Matt 13 and elsewhere). To draw an analogy: the one gospel can be a wonderful aroma to those who are being saved and a disgusting stench to those who are perishing (1 Cor 1:18). So also the truth can appear wonderful to those who by grace begin to see its beauty and compelling nature, while actually causing offense and unbelief in those who are perishing.

When I was a young man, many university missions spent a lot of time defending, say, the deity of Christ or his resurrection from the dead. The widespread assumption, both among the evangelists and among many of the student hearers, was that if one accepted the truth of these claims, one was already on the path toward becoming a Christian. This assumption sustained quite a lot of evidentialist apologetics. The approach is flawed in several ways, of course. James reminds us that the devil knows and believes such truths, but such “faith” does not save him (James 2:19). Granted, however, the need for grace to enable the “natural” person to perceive the truth, one cannot deny that one of the motivations in people as they begin to “close” with Christ (to use an old Puritan expression) is the attractiveness of the truth. While some in Athens sneered, others, in some ways already hooked by what the apostle Paul was saying, wanted to hear him again on these matters (Acts 17:32). They were drawn to the truth.
1.6. A General, Despairing Sense of Need

It is pretty clear from the Gospel accounts that many who pursued Jesus did not do so out of a well thought-through theology (e.g., law precedes gospel, and they were under deep conviction of sin), but out of desperation fed by their most acutely perceived need. Witness the woman with the history of hemorrhaging (Matt 9:20–21), the two blind men by the side of the road calling for the Son of David to have mercy on them (Matt 9:27), the Syrophoenician woman (Mark 7:25–28), and many others. In some cases, of course, Jesus responds to such needs yet also pushes on a little farther to deal with the sin in their lives (the Samaritan woman [John 4:10–18], the man by the pool of Bethesda [John 5:5–14]). Moreover, it does not follow that everyone who is healed by Jesus is “saved” in the fullest theological sense of that word. For instance, nine of the ten healed lepers do not have the courtesy of gratitude, let alone saving faith (Luke 17:11–19). Yet where there is a whole-hearted and desperate plea to Jesus, even absent much theological understanding, it is wonderful to see how embracing Jesus is.

Pastoral experience supports this assessment. Many of us have witnessed people turning to Christ with remarkably little exact theological knowledge. The knowledge comes later. Why these people come, at least initially, is that they need help, need it desperately, and turn to Jesus. This may prove to be part of a broader, whole-life turning to Jesus. Their initial motivations, however, are all bound up with desperation.
1.7. Responding to Grace and Love

Both Testaments repeatedly emphasize the matchless love and grace of God. Some are drawn to Christ when they begin to glimpse the Father’s love for this damned world in sending his Son to the cross, and the Son’s love in accomplishing his Father’s will. One suspects that the appellation Mary and Martha had for their brother Lazarus—“the one you love,” they say to Jesus (John 11:3)—reflects a common experience: so many felt peculiarly loved by Jesus, even the Fourth Evangelist himself (John 13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7, 20). Paul cannot talk long about justification and the cross-work of Christ without breaking out with an adoring exclamation such as “who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal 2:20). Whether it is the love of the proverbial father for his prodigal sons (Luke 15:20–24) or the assertion that Christ loved the church and gave himself for her (Eph 5:25, 29), whether it is the gut-wrenching portrayal of the love of God in Hosea or Paul’s prayer that believers might have the power, together with all the saints, to grasp the limitless dimensions of that love (Eph 3:17–19), the response to the love of God is one of the most powerful motivations people experience, not only when they first close with Christ but also when they mature in Christ.
1.8. A Rather Vague Desire to Be on the Side of What Is Right, of What Is from God, of What Is Biblical, of What Is Clean, of What Endures

I know that sounds terribly vague. If I had to attach one word to what I am talking about, it would probably be the motivation of hope. Consider the encounters with Jesus in John 1:19–51. The Baptist’s disciples begin to follow Jesus because their master had pointed to him. They clearly hope he is the one to come. The christological confession at Caesarea Philippi (“You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God” [Matt 16:16]) is part of this hope, of course—even though the context shows the apostles at this point have no category for a crucified Messiah. The same sort of longing, with even less theological understanding, is reflected in the desire of Zacchaeus to entertain Jesus in his home (Luke 19:6). I am not trying to specify exactly when the apostles or Zacchaeus were converted. I am pointing out merely that at least part of their motivations in pursuing Jesus, at least initially, lay in their desire to see if he really would fulfill Scripture-anticipation, if a good and powerful man would come to the home of a corrupt civil servant. They hoped so. Transparently, such hope can merge with other motivations already listed: people may hope for release from the burden of guilt, hope to be justified by God on the last day, hope that things will turn out well both short-term and in eternity.

So I turn now from this survey of possible motivations that people display when they turn to Jesus and offer:
2. Four Theological and Pastoral Reflections on This Survey

1. We do not have the right to choose only one of these motivations in people and to appeal to it restrictively.

Consider an analogy. It has become common to speak of half a dozen distinguishable models of the atonement. I do not much like the rubric, but I shall use it for the sake of convenience. Many is the recent book that argues that since all these “models” are grounded in Scripture, we are free to choose the one we prefer. But that is precisely what we are not free to do, unless we conceive of Scripture as little more than a case-book, an inspired volume of cases, warranting readers to glom onto those few cases, and only those cases, that seem to fit their own situations or preferences most closely. If we hold to a more traditional and faithful understanding of Scripture, then to the extent that the various models of the atonement are warranted by Scripture, we must hold to all of them—and then work out how each is related to the others, what holds them together, where there is a priority among them that is established by Scripture itself, and so forth. But we dare not choose merely one or two of them.

So also here. Insofar as these diverse motivations enjoy biblical precedent or even biblical warrant, preachers do not have the right to appeal to only one or two motivations as if they were the only legitimate ones. We ought to appeal, at various times, to all these motivations—and, again, work out how each is related to the others, what holds them together, and where there is a priority among them that is established by Scripture itself. But we do not have the right to appeal constantly to, say, fear before God, without also on occasion appealing to other biblically illustrated and sanctioned motivations.

2. On the other hand, we may have the right to emphasize one motivation more than others.

In the same way that the structure and emphases of Paul’s evangelistic addresses could change, depending on whether he was addressing biblically literate Jews and proselytes (Acts 13) or completely biblically illiterate pagans (Acts 17), so the particular motivations to which we appeal may vary according to our knowledge of our audience. In a somewhat similar vein, if we are addressing biblically literate but unregenerate people, some of our appeal will presuppose that they know the Scriptures at some level, that many of them, say, will be convinced that there is a judgment to be faced, a heaven to be gained, a hell to be shunned and feared. By contrast, if we are addressing biblically illiterate people, then although all those themes will at some point have to be introduced, our initial appeals may sound quite different. Some motivations are of course unworthy, and we should never appeal to them. For example, “Come to Jesus, and you will receive a lot of cargo,”4 or “Turn to Jesus, and you will always be free of trouble.” Where motivations are not unworthy, however, and especially where they are biblically sanctioned, we may find it particularly appropriate to appeal to certain motivations rather more than others.

It would be easy to go through the list I laid out and conjure up situations where it is the part of prudential wisdom to appeal to one or two motivations rather more often than to all the rest. Had we time, it would be an excellent exercise to envisage the kind of audience that ought to find us appealing to primarily this or that motivation in our hearers.

3. Nevertheless, the comprehensiveness of our appeal to diverse motivations will reflect the comprehensiveness of our grasp of the gospel.

Once again, let me draw an analogy first before establishing my point. For the last fifteen or twenty years, many of us have wrestled long and hard with the doctrine of justification, judging that something essential to the gospel is at stake in the current discussions. The result, however, is that we have sometimes so tied the gospel and conversion to the question of our right standing before God that we have downplayed the new birth. We have emphasized Christ’s bearing our guilt and the nature of imputation without correspondingly emphasizing the regenerating work of the Spirit and the gospel as the power of God, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, in transforming our lives, in our becoming part of the new creation. Suppose, then, that we managed to emphasize both of these elements of conversion appropriately (let us call them the forensic and the transformative). We might, of course, then tumble into neglect of the running biblical tension between our joy in the kingdom of God now already operating in the reign of King Jesus and the joy that awaits the consummation of that kingdom in the resurrection-existence of the new heaven and the new earth. Understanding this tension will engender hope, thereby reinforcing all the motivations that spring from a godly anticipation of what God has promised that still lies ahead. In other words, while the exigencies of our pastoral location during these past twenty years have demanded that we focus on forensic elements of the gospel and conversion, a robust biblical theology demands that part of our ministry be taken up by the biblical exigencies, the shape of the gospel itself, the rich and complex nature of its outworking in conversion and in the spiritual maturation of the believer and of the church.

So also this matter of choosing the motivations to which we appeal—choices that largely shape our sermons. For pastoral reasons, we may decide, for instance, that our particular audience, with its endless frustrated and idolatrous relationships and its suspicion of law-categories, needs a heavy emphasis on the generosity and freedom of God’s grace: our God, as Tim Keller likes to put it, is an overwhelmingly prodigal God.5 Well and good. But the Bible itself depicts Jesus inciting fear in the hearts of people with his insistence that the God with whom they have to deal “can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt 10:28). Again, Jesus openly appeals to motivations that seek eternal rather than temporary and material rewards. He does not hesitate to elicit awareness of guilt and to invoke shame: Who goes home justified, the Pharisee or the publican (Luke 18:9–14)? Who gives more, the wealthy givers or the widow with her two mites (Mark 12:41–44)?

So while we may, for pastoral reasons, initially choose to appeal to certain motivations and not others, it is surely the path of biblical faithfulness so to teach and preach the Word of God that we awaken new motivations in the hearts and minds of our people as we unpack the complex richness of the glorious gospel of our blessed God. If instead we find ourselves constantly appealing to the same two or three motivations while ignoring others, it is probably because our choices are too much shaped by our perceptions of local cultural needs and too little shaped by the richness of the biblical gospel. Sooner or later, our people may read their Bibles with limiting and even dangerous blinkers that we ourselves have given them.

4. To put this another way, all of the biblically sanctioned motivations for pursuing God, for pursuing Christ, say complementary things about God himself, such that failure to cover the sweep of motivations ultimately results in diminishing God.

Thus, the motivations characterized by fear are bound up with the truth that God is holy, that he is rightfully our Judge, that he gathers some into his presence and casts others into outer darkness, that his knowledge of us is perfect, extending not only to a grasp of our motives but even to a full-bore knowledge of what we would have done under different circumstances (a form of so-called “middle knowledge”). The burden of guilt reminds us that God does not grade on the curve, and unless we are justified by the one who is himself just while justifying the ungodly, there is no hope for us.

And so we could work through the list. The point to be made is simple: any failure to appeal to the full range of biblically exemplified and biblically sanctioned motivations not only means that there are some people we are not taking into account, but, more seriously, that there are elements in the character and attributes of God himself that we are almost certainly ignoring.

1. ^This article is a lightly edited manuscript from a paper presented on May 19, 2010 at The Gospel Coalition’s Pastors’ Colloquium in Deerfield, Illinois.
2. ^Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture citations are from Today’s New International Version (tniv), © 2005.
3. ^John Wesley, “To an Evangelical Layman,” in The Works of John Wesley: Volume 26: Letters II: 1740–1755 (ed. Frank Baker; Oxford: Clarendon, 1982), 482–89.
4. ^Cf. neo-Melanesian “cargo cults,’ or our own health, wealth, and prosperity gospels.
5. ^Timothy Keller, The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith (New York: Dutton, 2008).

Vera vs Jones

2010-03-19T22:58:00.000-07:00

Alessio Sakara vs James Irvin:
I am not a big fan of unnecessary muscular mass. You may get big and intimidating but, in general, you'll get winded after a little action because all that muscle needs oxygen and that's when your fit, well conditioned opponent will smile. In the Sandman's case, his muscles actually make him one of the strongest punches in the Light Heavy Weight division. I can only imagine what he would be able to do if he were able to recover well from the cut to 186lbs. Unfortunately I don't think that will be the case. He is already not really known for his endurance, after cutting 20 extra pounds, he is in for a rough night against Sakara who is a seasoned boxer and is very unlikely to repeat the mistake he made against Chris Leben. The Legionary will pick him apart and finish Irvin by the end of the second or beginning of the third round. Sakara by TKO.

Paul Buentello vs Cheick Congo:
I am not sure what Congo accomplishes with this fight. It seems to me that the UFC is throwing him a bone here. If he wins, all it does is that it keeps him from losing 3 in a row because as far as moving up the ladder in the Heavy Weight division, beating the Head Hunter won't really do it. On the other hand, If Buentello comes out on top on this one, people will start paying attention to him and he'll be eligible for a bigger fight, maybe Yvel or Cro Cop. Here is the deal, the UFC is throwing Congo a bone here but this bone may be poisoned. On paper, Congo should get a decision but Buentello does have the 1 punch KO power on his side and because of that, is a very dangerous opponent. Not totally confident but I will say Congo via decision.

Junior "Cigano" dos Santos vs Gabriel "Napão" Gonzaga:
Unfortunately, for Napão, all fights start standing. While I like Gonzaga, I don't think he has the boxing skills to survive Cigano enough time to be able to go for a take down. Even if he does so, is he going to be successful at the take down attempt? If he is, do we really think that Cigano would try to grapple with him? The fact is that Cigano is Minotauro's pupil and definitely knows how to stall and / or get up. When Cigano gets up, Gabe is in deep trouble again, one punch away from La La Land. I do not see this going any other way, even if the Napão who fought Couture shows up, the result will be Cigano by KO first round.

Vera vs Jones:
It is true that Jones has not fought a striker of Vera's caliber, therefore I don't think he will be as free as he's been in his last fights. One might say "what about Bonnar. Doesn't he have a golden glove under his belt?" Yes, I don't discard Stephan Bonnar (not even after the Coleman fiasco). He is a good striker and I think the only reason he got hit with those spinning elbows was that they were unexpected. People, and especially Vera, have wised up to them. Can Bones land some pretty tricks? Of course, but will they be enough to win? Definitely no. This is why I think this is going to come down to wrestling and that is an area where we have no doubt about who's got the edge. Bones will ground and pound from either side control or half guard and get a stoppage. Bones 2nd round TKO.

God's story and porn

2010-02-22T23:08:00.000-08:00

I really enjoyed our men's breakfast today. God has laid this on my heart and today I had the privilege of talking to our men about it. Here is the outline of a very short talk. Hope it blesses you.

Men's breakfast:
God's story and porn.

Gn 1:1
Gn 1 everything is good: God places man in a perfect world. SHALOM. Peace, rythm, harmony, perfect synchronism in everything. Even with that perfect set up, God gifts man with a suitable helper. He says that it is not good for man to be alone. He marries them and it is interesting to notice 2 things:
1) Shalom was not compromised by marriage but extended to marriage. Perfect rhythm and union between man and wife. Which points to God himself. Perfect union within the Godhead where 1 God exists in three persons that are in complete and perfect harmony eternally.
2) Thus picture is further displayed with the phrase: "they shall become ONE". This word is used in the SHAMA. Deut 6 the Lord your God is ONE. Diversity within the absolute unity.

We see then that the union between a man and a woman is a very beautiful picture of God. This beauty is loved by those who love God and hated by those who hate Him.
In chapter 3 they get lured by Satan, their pride and desire to be independent from God and they sin.
Now Shalom was shattered. No peace, no synchronism, no rythm, no harmony. No relationship will ever be the same, death comes into the world and even creation itself groans waiting eagerly for the revealing of the sobs of God.
Gn 3:15 the first gospel is announced. Seed of the WOMAN. (no mention of a biological father) Satan has been attacking men ever since.
In Gn 6 God declares the estate of the human heart " every intention is evil". V5
God floods the earth saves 1 family. Another picture of Jesus.
(The ark)
Gen 12 God calls Abram and makes a covenant with him. ( make him a great nation, bless those who bless him. Curse those who curse him.)
From then on the pictures and prophecies of Christ get more and more clear to the point where the prophet Isaiah describes Jesus and his substitutionary death in detail.
God's story culminates in what we call the NT where God himself takes humanity upon himself lives, dies and is resurrected for his people. Jesus Christ ascended into heaven and has promised to come back to wrap up history redeeming completely the totality of his children and condemning those who aren't his, who do not obey his Gospel. (2 thess 1:8,9)
Between now and then we live in a very interesting time wher there is pain, sorrow, tears, death. There is a fierce spiritual battle between God's people and Satan and his servants. They do not want the kingdom of God to be expanded and the surest way they have is to destroy men. If we are behaving like little boys, churches won't flourish, families will not flourish, the next generation won't be trained in the fear of the Lord, our wives won't grow in the Lord because they have to spend the totality of their time acting like our moms and not like a suitable helper the way Gid intended to be so that his glory would be displayed in holy matrimony.
Brothers, St. Paul says in 2 Cor 2:11 that we are not ignorant of Satan's devices. I love you and I don't want you to be ignorant of his devices. I don't want you to be defeated. I don't want you to be a loser. I don't want your family destroyed. I want you to grow into mature men of God. Jesus loving, bible believing, God fearing men who look like Jesus.
Satan has been feeding the lust of our flesh with porn:
Stats:
Seventy percent of American men ages 18–34 view Internet pornography once a month.
Fifty percent of Christian men viewed pornography recently. 60% have viewed it in the last year.
The average age for first time viewing porn is 11 years old. That means that thousands of 9 year olds are exposed to this daily.
Seventy percent of women in the sex industry have been molested as a child. In most cases by a relative or close friend of the family.
I want you to know that as a child of God, you are not enslaved to sin anymore. You have the power by the holy Spirit to say "NO" and not click and not pop that DVD in, not look at that magazine, not use your internet enabled phone as a "porn to go" device.
Also, as men of God, we don't get to live in a lie. If God loves you, he will expose your sin to correct you. The best path for the child of God is repentance.
As men of God, we have to put on the mind of Christ and as we see the women in porn we should remember how much brokenness there is inside that human being who is created in the image of God and think: I wonder who she lost her virginity to. Was it her dad? Uncle? Was it a violent rape? Brokenness in the world should ignite in us compassion and desire to join God in mission, not sexual arousal. Sexual sin is a demonic, cheap imitation of God's great plan for intimacy in marriage and one of the surest ways to welcome demonic activity.
I'll leave you with this verse:

1Cr 16:13 Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.

UFC 109 Educated guesses

2010-02-03T01:08:00.000-08:00

The UFC has titled it "Relentless" but these guys came up with a better, funnier title: "UFC 109 Can't get it up". While I do think the main event is lame, unless it's 2002 again, and the Serra x Trigg should be a words only fight, at an elderly home weekend bingo or something, I am actually looking forward to the other fights. From the bottom I'll start:

Trigg x Serra: Wrestling goes to Trigg, BJJ to Serra who also has heavier hands. That puts Serra in a pretty comfortable spot for this one, so I'll go with Serra via TKO 2nd round. (But who cares..)

MIke Swick x Paulo Thiago: This fight is tougher than people think and Swick will be in danger of a TKO because Thiago has "1 punch Knock Down power" on both hands and he can smell blood from afar, while Swick relies more on landing sequences a la Wand style, but he, most likely will not be able to land many of those on Thiago. Having said that, I do think Swick will stay away from the big punches and barely out strike Thiago, yanking a split decision on this one.

Nate Marquardt x Chael Sonnen: When I first heard the rumor of this fight I begged Nate (via Twitter) not to take this fight. Henderson was still in the mix and the Silva x Belfort deal was not done yet. Since Silva was still healing from his surgery, I thought Nate could fight either Victor or Henderson but Joe Silva apparently had different plans. I mean no disrespect to Sonnen but he hasn't really done anything to deserve the number 1 contender. Sonnen is a good fighter with a good history and an even better future in my opinion. Having said that, he's got his work cut out for him on this one. Simply put, Marquardt does everything Sonnen does, better. I honestly feel that Nate will give him an ugly beating for 3 rounds and either get a very convincing unanimous decision or a ref stoppage, deep in the 3rd round. Nate will not finish Sonnen because there is no "quit" in that man. Sonnen will take a beating that would make many fighters give up, but not Sonnen and for that, he deserves our respect.
Marquardt by unanimous decision. (10-26)

The main event: Couture x Coleman may be an interesting fight according to a friend of mine and I agree but let's just put it this way: "It will not be up for fight of the year", not even close. I think it will be painfully boring to see two excellent wrestlers pressing against the cage, fighting for under hooks for 13 minutes. On the brighter side, we may get to enjoy a little bit of sub par striking devoid of any knockout power before they clinch for 3 minutes and Coleman gets out of gas and Couture scores a TKO before the bell ends the 1st round. So I'm thinking Couture via TKO before 7:30 minutes. If that happens, we'll actually be able to see Danzig and Rolles Gracie at work. Two very interesting match ups.

Fight of the night: Marquardt x Sonnen

It's Halloween again.

2009-10-30T08:44:00.000-07:00

Once again the streets of America have a different face, a scary face. Carved pumpkins and spider webs everywhere. Kids dress up in their cute costumes (some cutter than others) and go out on the streets "Trick or Treating". I won't pretend to be an expert on Halloween because I am clearly not. I have to say though, having been brought up elsewhere, the fact that children go out on the streets knocking on strangers' doors asking for candy does trip me out. But why is it that we don't do Halloween? Are we being over zealous parents? After all, the triplets are 3 1/2 and this is the first year we have to really deal with it. And mind you, we haven't slept in 3 1/2 years.
I do think that it is possible for godly parents to go trick or treating with their children and use that as opportunity to teach them about Christ while at the same time engaging the culture, being part of a community and etc...Having said that i am fully convinced in my conscience that I should not participate in it. It's not like I don't want to do Halloween because of all the child sacrifices and satanists looking for little children to murder on that day, which the police records in the country don't know much about anyway. It's not like that at all. So why don't we do Halloween?
One reason is a fascination for the ugly. I think there is already too much ugly and negative in the world that we have no control about. For that reason, Halloween is not attractive to me. It's actually a turn off.This is why I do believe in Halloween alternatives where kids can have a lot of fun in, what I think, is a healthier way. There are other reasons too. I, in my BC days, was deeply involved in a religion very similar to the Cuban Santeria. One of the "deities" we celebrated was a pair of twin children that was appeased by candy or they would trick you. People all over the country would go out on the streets and lay their offers to this deity in hopes of getting on their good side through out the year and to thank them for the past year. Children would go out at the same time all over the streets stealing the offerings from every corner and the whole thing was a big celebration for worshipers and children alike. That has too many similarities to Halloween for me, and it hits me in a way that makes me not want to take any part of it.
When I was writing this post, a pastor, church planter I follow on Twitter posted his reasons for not celebrating Halloween on his blog and I was blessed as he conveyed my sentiments exactly. I asked for his permission to steal it and he replied: " Post away", so here we go:

Why we don't do Halloween, by Joe Holland.

The Hollands don't do Halloween.

To be honest, Halloween makes my stomach turn. I'm a pastor. I daily face death and its destruction—physical and spiritual. In hospitals, counseling sessions, and sermons I teach people about Jesus's triumph over sin, death, and the devil. Mortality, spiritual malevolence, demons, twisted sensuality, devils and the like aren't just costumes at RiteAid. They are daily realities.

So when it comes around to Halloween and I see ghoulish decorations, 5 year old zombies, 8 year -olds in fish net stockings, bloody corpses in front yards, and resurrecting dead it hits a little too close to home. How can I laugh and give kids sugar highs when I'm facing grotesque, cartoonish representations of the things that literally haunt people's souls? Do I really want my kids thinking that death and the demonic are only lawn decorations for a few weeks a year?

I know what you're thinking, "Dude, lighten up!" Well, I've tried and have been unsuccessful. I'm not angry at Halloween or the folks that will pad my street on the eve of October 31. I'm not really all that concerned with the historicity of the cultural practice. I don't even think there is a whole lot of malevolence going on—in fact I'm more concerned with the relative ease in interacting with Halloween on a thematic level.

I just can't keep from cringing when I think about it.

It comes down to the cross. I actually believe that Jesus triumphed over malevolent spiritual forces at the cross—Col 2:15. The cross has changed me and my affections in ways I could never have predicted. I'm more serious about death and the spiritual world than I've ever been. I'm also more joyful in God's power over sin, death, and devil through Christ than I have ever been.

For so many Halloween is about good times, candy, and fun. Put simply it is joyful frivolity and dress up. For me it is sobering and sharpening.

So we don't do Halloween. Not because we think it earns us anything with God. It's just the way the cross has affected me and my family.

Now for all of the disclaimers:

1. If you participate in Halloween with a clear conscience then please continue to do so. I don't think you're a pagan Satan worshiper.
2. I know not all of Halloween is about death and the creepy. If you want your little pumpkin to parade up and down the street with Freddy and 12 year old bar maids, then go for it.
3. I love my neighbors and actively and aggressively look for ways to tell them about Jesus. The whole, "You're not really into evangelizing if you don't do Halloween" is one of the more stupid arguments I've heard.
4. I'm not really into Halloween alternatives either.
5. The whole argument not do Halloween based on its historical basis is silly too. Although, if Halloween occurred for the very first time this year, would you participate? Something to think about.
6. Don't worry about my poor deprived children. We have a large tupperware full of costumes and I give them enough candy to make a dentist's drill finger twitch. They do just fine on the other 364 days a year when it comes to dress-up and sugar consumption."

Additionally, I read something very interesting on The Resurgence blog. The history of the holiday and its connection with the protestant Reformation.Give it a read.

Radical video

2009-10-20T22:37:00.000-07:00

This is more radical than Piper on divorce or the Duncan brothers rapping. Check it out.

JR Vassar

2009-10-19T16:20:00.000-07:00

I don't remember how I came across @jrvassar from @apostlesNYC or why I started to follow him on twitter, but I am glad I did it. Pastor Vassar's preaching engages you in a way that gives you the feeling that he's talking directly and only to you. I recently listened to a brief series of his and I highly recommend it. Here are the titles:

1-Marriage and Men
2-Gospel, Community, and Mission
3-Marriage and Women
4-Intentional Singleness
5-Gospel parenting.

Keep close attention

2009-10-19T16:14:00.000-07:00

Men of God,pay close attention to your life and doctrine. This is a little bit of what it looks like.

Where is God?

2009-10-17T10:57:00.000-07:00

If this baby had been crushed, some would cry out: "Where is God?" Will they acknowledge his hand on this train?

Deeply happy about this.

2009-10-08T16:18:00.000-07:00

Whereas the last post grieved my soul and caused some introspection and repentance, this one caused my soul to rejoice and to covet the same attitude as these dear godly brothers. Check out the difference.

Deeply grieved by this one.

2009-10-08T16:09:00.000-07:00

I recently came across this and found it deeply grieving. I am sure we can do better than misrepresenting, attacking and laughing at each other.
Wherever you land on the issue, I pray that you (and I) would do a better job at handling a disagreement.

Men of God

2009-09-27T19:08:00.000-07:00

I wish Driscoll would be a bit more intense maybe. What do you think?

Discernment.

2009-09-27T19:04:00.001-07:00

Men of God don't get to live without begging God for discernment everyday.

Christianity is goofy

2009-09-22T10:03:00.000-07:00

Talk about goofiness.

2009-09-22T09:57:00.000-07:00

I really enjoy when I'm surfing the net or tweeting a little bit and come accross a sermon jam. Although they've been around for a while, I feel like they're more popular and better lately. Anyway, here's a D.A Carson one that I really liked.

The chicken catcher.

2009-07-30T12:11:00.000-07:00

I watch a number of "quality shows" on TV. America's got talent is one of them. The audition phase is, to me, the most entertaining part of any talent show or singing competition. It never ceases to amaze me how people with absolutely zero talent will display their inabilities on national tv and when they get canned, they are completely shocked. My wife doesn't even believe those people. She thinks they're involved in some kind of dare or something. This one was definitely the best audition I've ever seen. It will blow your mind. Check it out.

UFC 100 thoughts and predictions

2009-07-06T15:29:00.000-07:00

Here we are once again, just a few days away from a UFC event. Not just any event but one to be considered a milestone: UFC 100. A company that started a little bit as a freak show and a total infomercial for Gracie Jiu Jitsu, went through its fair share of thunderstorms and 16 years later, reigns supreme as the king of paper view. How beneficial it is for one's career it is to be on this fight card. Speaking of fights, I have no shortage of opinions about this one. I actually love the card and for the most part, I think everybody on it deserves to be there, except for Lesnar. I understand he is a huge superstar but the man does not have a record that lands him on this card. He doesn't have a record that puts him against Couture just a few months ago, but the UFC realizes Brock draws a lot of attention and perhaps many new viewers because of his popularity as a pro wrestler. It is a great business decision and who am I to second guess the guys who pretty much developed the fastest growing sport in the United States? Since I started with Lesnar, let's talk about him first:

Mir X Lesnar: Mir is going to sub him again. Plain and simple. My guess is that Lesnar will over protect his legs and leave Mir an omoplata or something. Maybe even a choke. We'll see. Moving on we have...

Bisping X Henderson: This is a tough one to call. I want Hendo to win, not because I'm a big fan or anything, but because it is so much fun to hate on Bisping. Having said that, I think it will be a little bit of a truncated fight, with a pinch of a fun brawl at moments and the Brit will yank a decision in the end.

Tiago Alves X George Saint Pierre: This is actually my favorite fight of the night. At first, I thought GSP would have no problems walking through Alves but as I thought more about it, I ended up changing my mind on it. I think that, if Tiago is able to stuff GSP's take downs, he'll win the stand up battle.I realize that's a big "if", but I think The Pit bull will actually pull it off. I think he's better on his feet and even if GSP tries a little dirty boxing, Alves should be ok. On the other hand, the longer this thing goes, the better it is for GSP. Here is my prediction on record: Alves via KO probably end of 2nd or beginning of 3rd. That's bold, I know. That's what I see though. Gotta go with it.
A couple more things: Really, really looking forward to see Jon Jones working. Also, the UFC is expected to come up with 2 more hall of famers and there has been a lot of speculation on who they are. Many have said that "Mask" should be one of them. I agree that "Mask" should be in the hall of fame but if we're bringing in non UFC fighters, Mr. Helio Gracie should lead that line. The other two names I can think of at the moment are "The Iceman", and I'd love to see it happening, and Matt Hughes. If that is what Dana is doing, I would hope they both are retiring. They have been great champions and have absolutely nothing to prove.I understand they'll be inducted during the Fan expo on Friday but I'm hoping there will be some kind of tribute paid to them during the PPV event. It should be an action packed event and I can't wait to see it. Till then, fight on.

Very nice interview

2009-05-10T23:25:00.000-07:00

In my opinion, Matt Chandler is one of the most gifted communicators of God's Word in our day. On this interview, he sits down with John Piper and talks about his life and ministry. I really enjoyed it. This is part 1 of 4. You can get the other 3 parts here. (and trust me, you will.)

Worldviews matter

2009-05-10T22:43:00.000-07:00

There is this guy at my church that won't stop talking about how important it is to have a well thought out, biblical worldview. Every chance he has, he'll point out the fact that worldviews do matter. I came across something that, I think, is a real, frightening illustration of what my friend Sergio is relentlessly talking about. Here is what happened: I was catching up on my "Albert Mohler program" podcast (I love to download a whole week and then listen to the whole thing at once), and for the first time was forced to think through the consequences of the Chinese government policies regarding the number of children their citizens are allowed to have. Dr. Mohler points ou clear inconsistencies in their practices and also asks the feminists in the west a question that, in my opinion, has no possible answer. Definitely worth checking it out. Here is the link

Sex before marriage.

2009-04-06T16:37:00.000-07:00

This type of conversations come up all the time and I'm sad to say that, in general, evangelicals give what I call the "Nike answer": Just do it! Or, in this case, "just don't do it! I wish more people would be able to convey what Piper does right here. He, as always, is masterful at pointing out that the issue is not obedience in and of itself, but the issue is the motivation for obedience. Piper is quick to point out that "staying out of bed with your girlfriend" does not make you a good person. Nobody is good, he says. Which brings me to another point of appreciation for Piper: The fact that he does not let anything ever take the place of the Gospel. Spurgeon was also really good at it. He could bring any conversation (and Bible texts) to the cross. I, personally, need to learn to do this way better. Mark Dever preached a message once about "Improving the gospel" where he talked about this, things that aren't necessarily bad, some that were even good, replacing the gospel and he made those distinctions. We have to recognize that some things are actually good but we also have to recognize that they are not the gospel. In this video, Piper gives a great example of how to do it.

The Dragon

2009-03-18T09:18:00.000-07:00

A lot has happenned since I posted on the MMA world last. Busy few days around here.

There was UFC 96, Mir injured, UFC 100 announcement, Rampage earning a title shot just to postpone it the day after, the great decision to have Lyoto vs Rashad and, of course, the tragic loss of Mask.

Let's go one at the time.

UFC 96: I don't think it was a great event. Not necessarily UFC's fault but the action just never took off in my opinion. Gonzaga got carried away trying to exchange punches with a man who has hands that are bigger than Lesnar's. That's insane. Why a BJJ Mundial champion would do that, remains a mistery to me. The main event was potentially great but the boys were a bit too cautious. I think that if one of them had really dominated a round, someone would be more desperate and that's how we could have seen an old fashioned slug fest. Oh well, can't always get what you want. I want to acknowledge my boy Gray Maynard for a good fight and the great improvement of his boxing. Also Brown put on a great performance but, in my opinion, the once promissing Sell isn't exactly top competition right now.

Mir injured: I don't want to hyper spiritualize it but there might be a curse over the heavy weight division. Randy out forever on that lawsuit thing, Big Nog performing like an amateur, Fedor x Randy doomed to never happenning and now Mir x Lesnar postponed. What's next? Wish Mir all the best and hope he can come back soon.

UFC 100: Can't wait to see that card finalized. GSP x Alves is a good start but, come on.... it's the UFC 100 guys.

Rampage: I'm a Rampage fan but I think Lyoto deserved it more so I'm not TOO bummed out. Quinton will be back better than never.

Lyoto Machida really deserved a title shot after the devastation of one of my favorites, Tiago Silva. One way or another, he got it. Can't wait to see him defeating Sugar. (or not)

Mask: Heartbreaking news. The MMA community lost one of the most recognizable faces in the game. Mask will truly be missed. I hope God will show His grace and goodness and comfort in this time of tremendous pain to all the Tapout crew.

Don't waste your blog.

2009-03-18T08:54:00.000-07:00

This is the first of a series of posts I've been thinking about for a while. It is easy to get caught up in the whole "blog adventure", have lots of fun and accomplish nothing for the kingdom. Not that I believe in salvation by works, but I do think we should be mindful of everything we do, especially because most of the things which get godly people in trouble are actually morally neutral. It is not a sin to go golfing with the boys on my day off. It is a sin to go golfing at the expense of my marriage's intimacy. It isn't sinful to take vacations, it is actually healthy to make sure you get enough rest and relaxation. One of the ten commandments even encompasses it, but vacations can be very sinful if they are taken with the purpose of feeding laziness or if they stretch you financially way beyond the family's means. Vacations can be a highway to hell if they are taken because you bought into the american dream of making a ton of cash, buy a lot of toys, retire young and never produce a thing after that, stretching adolescence until the end of your days. Blogging, in the same manner, isn't necessarily sinful but it can be. It can be a gross mismanagement of time and resources, a family divider, a means to neglect intimacy, a way to live in "La La Land" and YES, a great tool in the Lord's hands to grow the blogger in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. I look forward to writting these posts and I hope you enjoy them.

Here are some guidelines I find very helpful in my own blogging.

Eating light

2009-03-16T16:48:00.000-07:00

This is my lunch today. Feeling great and will go for a light lunch. (Actually keeping my new year's resolution)

WHAT was I thinking? That went quick. I'll do light lunch some other day.

Tough love

2009-03-03T07:20:00.000-08:00

Not going to try to smooth this one out. RECEIVE IT!

...love you.

Funny mondays

2009-03-02T09:55:00.000-08:00

I wonder what Moses would think of this.

Win a free ESV study Bible

2009-02-26T22:00:00.000-08:00

Boomer in the pew, one of my fave blogs is giving away a Calfskin Version of the ESV Study Bible. Do you want it? Here is how to get it.
Good luck!

My Father helps me finish the race...

2009-02-26T21:55:00.000-08:00

... no matter how much it hurts

Suffering

2009-02-23T16:35:00.000-08:00

I'm here once again, preparing for the wonderfully terrifying task of preaching. The topic I hit this time is "suffering", which is a massive undertaking, so first of all, pray for me. I've been immersing myself into the Sovereignty of God over whatsoever comes to pass and his goodness in all that He does and, although I'm not going to deal with the aspect of biblical manhood in the prospect of suffering or in the midst of suffering, I cannot help but have some thoughts crossing my mind. So I'll blog a little bit in my break.
I really think that one of the most important things Christians have to do is to have a good, solid, TRUE theology of suffering. We have to know our God and his providence. We gotta know him and we gotta know him well. I also think that men have a moral responsibility to have that theology as tight as possible, just as much as we have to have a life insurance policy, for example. If we can have a life insurance policy and we don't, I actually believe it to be sin. We men are called by God to lead, protect and provide and I think that a good life insurance policy hits all three corners of our call directly or indirectly. In the same way, a true, solid theology of suffering will carry us through the sure afflictions of our lifetime. To know our God deeply in your mind and heart will allow you to suffer well. Therefore you'll will lead your family in godliness through the storms of life by word and example. A biblical theology of suffering, will protect your flock ( be it your church or family) during those times when we are most tempted to doubt God's love for his children and the reality of our faith. It arms them against the enemies of their souls trying to snatch their faith, their affections for Christ. It also provides to those lead and protected by you, with the stability they need in their leader. To have a solid theology of suffering that has no connection between knowledge and behavior does no good to you nor to them but if your theology is strongly connected, it will generate a sense of security, enabling those under your care to submit to you out of joy not fear. All we have to do to experience suffering is to live long enough. It will come. Our Lord has said " In the world you will have tribulations..." We have to prepare before it happens so when it does, our God is magnified and his banner flies high as we stand strong in the joy of the Lord.
"There is no sweeter fellowship than the fellowship of suffering."
John Piper
(Paraphrased. T4G '08)

Triplets in the E.R

2009-02-21T00:31:00.000-08:00

Three and a half hours of pure fun. That's all I can say. I was able to get there only after 2 hrs but still. Mom was panicking because there was a small possibility that one of them had drunk half of a bottle of children's Benadryl. Turns out they didn't really but when they're playing with an empty bottle you know was half way full, you have to be proactive. How they were able to get the darn thing from a closed drawer on a shelf 6ft off the floor, remains a mystery. Opening a child proof bottle is also yet to be explained. The fact that they did it within 90 seconds makes me really proud. There probably was some serious team work going on there. We still don't know who did it because they won't snitch on each other and since they're all pretty shady, we don't have a major suspect. We'll keep investigating.

Here are some pics for you guys.

Josh says:"Nothing like a good E.R snack..."

Bella decided we would throw a birthday party. Masks became hats immediately.

Seriously, these chips are really good.

She was really enforcing the use of the party hats...

Vivi decided that she was the doctor in the party.

UFC 95 "Pre thoughts"

2009-02-20T09:16:00.000-08:00

I was able to catch, half asleep I gotta say, the countdown for UFC 95. The whole thing weirds me out a little bit. The main event is not a title bout. The middle weight division could definitely use a title defense since it's been 4 months already. I'm not trying to hate on them but these guys have not reached the "no matter what, I'm the main event" level. Joe Stevenson is a contender and is always a fight away from a title shot. I get that. Sanchez is a great fighter that should have had his title shot instead of the Koscheck fight. You beat Riggs, Diaz and Parysian in a row and your record is 18 - 0, you deserve a title shot. He doesn't get one, gets in trouble, kinda redeems himself in his last 2 bouts and now ends up testing the waters at 155lbs. That's all that is, a test. No one knows how he's going to do. Does that deserve a main event honor? Not in my opinion.What also makes zero sense to me is the break up with Greg Jackson because the best welter weight in the world would train with them. As a professional, I would love to be training partners with GSP. Are you kidding??... Diego threw a fit and left. Mind boggling.

Gouveia Marquardt : Somebody is going home in a body bag. That's all I have to say.

Josh Koscheck welcoming Paulo Thiago. Who knows?

The main event of the night, in my opinion, Maia against Sonnen.

I am a huge Demian Maia fan and want him to win but I think Sonnen, who is no push over, will yank a decision on this one. That's about all I got on it for now. Be back after the event.

God bless.

2009-02-13T22:58:00.000-08:00

I am one of those that believe fasting, prayer, solitude, contemplation still work. I cannot think of many things that feed my soul more than an afternoon alone listening to hymns and singing and praying. It stirs something in my soul, increasing my affections for God, convicting me of sin, bringing about repentance. It's just neat. The whole thing is pretty cool. I love when God does that. Just a couple of days ago, he did it again. I had to go on a job to Sycamore Cove. I was already thrilled with the drive. The beach is beautiful. The ocean is awesome. The gig ended faster than I thought and I had a large time slot in my hands. I new what I was going to do. Just a quick drive and I was at a very nice spot. Parked the car, climbed down the rocks, Ipod blasting "I have a shelter" and the prayer/worship walk began. Soon enough music turned into the book of Genesis, the whole story of Joseph ( I'm catching up on my ESV listen through the year podcast) and that was followed by the whole gospel of John and the whole thing felt like Jesus was physically there walking with me. I wanted to pitch a tent but at one point I had to go. I felt fully recharged. It was a much needed break that God in his providence handed to me just like that. I am eternally grateful and I cannot wait for the next one.

My God!

2009-02-11T09:04:00.000-08:00

My God Created the oceans, the waves and everything in them.

My God can look at the gigantic waves, raise his hand and say "quit it!" and the seas obey Him to the terror of those who are present.

My God grants gifts to men so that they can perform great acts for His glory.

Every men, even the so called great ones, everyone will bow at my God's feet.

The wrath of my God makes giant waves and mega Tsunamis, feel like a pimple when we see his fiery eyes.

My God's mercy, and goodness, and grace, and love abound and are greater then any giant wave.

My God is Holy and just.

My God is merciful and redeemer to all those who trust in Him for the forgiveness of their sin and eternal joy.

Praise God.

To Him alone be glory!

Mr. Helio Gracie

2009-02-10T09:50:00.000-08:00

My dad delivers pizza

2009-02-05T23:33:00.000-08:00

In the midst of my own fight of faith, my own sanctification battle, my own seeking the Lord desperately, I was browsing the Reformed Baptist Fellowship blog and "accidentally" stumbled upon this one post. It was like the fresh water in between rounds of a heated fight. It stirred something in my soul and I did not know what else to do other than straight out steal it. Of course it was a civilized robbery, I asked them if I could copy the whole thing, and they graciously permitted me. I am deeply thankful for the post itself and also for the permission to post it. I hope it fans the flame of God in your heart as well.

Here is the post:

Saturday evening I drove out in the middle of a Michigan January blizzard to pick up my family’s evening meal at Domino’s Pizza. While waiting at the counter, I heard behind me the parlor door swing open, and in blew the Domino’s Pizza delivery man carrying his empty pouches. Our eyes locked. He looked a bit embarrassed.
It was Justin. Justin is a thirty-something father of three daughters. For years he’s been a successful construction entrepreneur, but apparently the recession has choked his business. So now, he’s delivering pizzas at night.
Before he could think to himself: “I’ll bet Pastor Chanski thinks I’m such a loser”, I shouted, “You’re a great man, Justin! When I was young like your kids, my dad used to work three jobs to keep clothes on our backs, food on our table, and a roof over our heads. And there’s no man I respect more in the whole world than my dad! He did whatever it took to take care of us. That’s what you’re doing for your girls. You’re a great man!”
Justin’s changed face told me he wasn’t embarrassed anymore.
Times are tough, not only in Michigan, but all over the country. We financially challenged fathers can keep up our courage by considering our grand roles as imaging our Heavenly Father to our little ones.
“Your Father knows what you need, before you ask Him. ‘Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. . . Give us this day our daily bread . . .’” (Matthew 6:8-9, 11).
“Or what man is there among you, when his son shall ask him for a loaf, will give him a stone? Or if he shall ask for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him” (Matthew 7:9-11).
As image bearing Fathers, we’re fundamentally to be providers - not fulfilled self actualizers, not esteemed business owners, not corporate heavy hitters, not sharp automobile drivers, not stylish clothing wearers. We’re to be providing bread winners who sweat from our brows (Genesis 3:17-19), caring for the needs of our wives and their babies.
These hard times help us get back to the basics of true manly and godly nobility. Edgar Guest hosted an cheering radio program in Detroit from 1931 to 1942, through the heart of the Great Depression. His poem provides perspective for many in 2009:

Father
Used to wonder just why Father
Never had much time to play,
Used to wonder why he’d rather
Work each minute of the day.
Boys are blind to much that’s going
On about them every day,
And I had no way of knowing
What became of Father’s pay.
Father didn’t dress in fashion,
Sort of hated clothing new;
Style with him was not a passion;
He had other things in view.
All I knew was when I needed
Shoes I got ‘em on the spot;
Everything for which I pleaded
Somehow Father always got.
Wondered season after season
Why he never took a rest,
And that I might be the reason
That I never even guessed.
Saw his cheeks were getting paler,
Didn’t understand just why;
Saw his body growing frailer,
Then at last I saw him die.
Rest had come - his task was ended,
Calm was written on his brow;
Father’s life was big and splendid,
And I understand it now.
“Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).
You’re a great man, Justin!

Mark Chanski

Here is the original post. Don't forget to check out their website. you will, no doubt, be blessed.

GSP is brutal

2009-02-03T08:50:00.000-08:00

BJ really improved since the last time he fought GSP. His conditioning seems to be better, his ground game is as good as it gets but aparently GSP didn't care much about it. This kid man handled the Prodigy. GSP is a beast! He made BJ's legendary guard look as strong as butter against a hot knife. Almost as bad as Sherk x Franca but GSP doesnt only ground and pounds you but he also puts his weight on his opponents like nobody does. He weights a thousand pounds man. All props to GSP. Can't wait to see him collide with the Pitbull from Fortaleza. Rock on BJ. You had a tough night but it ain't no shame to lose to GSP. The other monster is Lyoto. Thiago Silva had never been dominated like that. Much less KO'd. The Dragon is well on his way to a title shot. Guida represented once again and Diaz did his thing but clearly wasn't enough against the Carpenter. The judo match was pretty entertaining actualy, and Kim's BJJ is better than I expected. I understand the UFC is waiting on Rampage vs Jardine to decide who Sugar Evans gets next. (Rampage or the Dragon) I don't really care because Rashad is going to have his hands full either way and both match ups are pretty exciting to me. As for GSP, Thiago Alves should be no easy task standing up but once they're on the ground GSP should have a considerable advantage. Lastly, I would really love to see The battle of the Silvas now. I'm talking about Thiago and Wand. This one has fireworks written all over it.
Let's see what happens.

Adolescence

2009-01-30T15:34:00.000-08:00

I was a punk rock kid for many years. In many ways, I think a little bit of that element still resides in me. I was different, (just like all of the other kids). I was politically informed and believed in social reform but spray painted anarchy symbols all around town, believed in education as a means to a brighter day and ditched school frequently to meditate on it. Believed in peace while hating and hunting skinheads and metal heads because they didn't. Why is it that we whooped the hippies then? Oh yeah, just for fun. We listened to Adolescents and glorified slogans like "Brats in battalions". There was this deep, innate desire to be a man but there was no knowledge of Christ to become one. We were adolescents though, and that bought us at least 7 years. From 12 to 19 we have the right to be as stupid as we can, to do all kinds of contradictory things, engage in irresponsible, inconsequential behavior because our hormones are out of control. "That's what teenagers do", people say.
This notion of adolescence has become wildly accepted even in Christian circles lately.
I understand the whole hormone thing being a big hurdle to jump over, but according to the Bible, sin is sin whether you're fourteen or forty four. Scripture does not have such low expectations from teens. Paul even left Mark behind because he "broke". David, the red headed, short shepherd kid whacked Goliath defending the Name of God very early on in his life. God spoke with Samuel at a very early age, Mary, Jesus' mom, was very young and God placed on her an incredible responsibility. I guess one of my favorites is the story about those fools that mocked Elisha about his bald head and next thing you know, mother bear is out of the woods and they're dinner.
It seems to me that the biblical pattern for young men and women is one of expectation of godliness, entrustment of responsibilities and accountability. In other words, sin is not brushed over but young men are expected to be godly and when they aren't, they either repent or suffer the consequences of their sin. That is the expectation of godliness.
Also neither the family, nor the covenant community will shy away from delegating certain responsibilities to our young men because they are young. That may happen for different reasons (i.e gifting, amount of responsibilities already on them etc...) but never because they are "adolescents". The family and the church place certain responsibilities on the young men and women and expect godliness from them in fulfilling those responsibilities. Finally, young men are to be held accountable for their behavior just as much as everybody else. Being young is never to be an excuse for lack of spiritual growth, negligence of duties, reckless behavior or any sinful practice or belief.
God uses these (and other) means to produce in young men the characteristics that will define them as men, which has much less to do with biology or time walking on earth than it does with a reality of being, a stage of maturity that one reaches and should always look to keep growing in them by means of looking to Christ as Author and Perfecter of our faith.
I'll be talking about those characteristics very soon in future posts.
Peace to you all.

The Emperor

2009-01-28T09:45:00.000-08:00

Andrei "The Pitbull" Arlovski had, in my opinion, a good chance of beating The Emperor. He's tall, explosive, has really fast hands and knockout power on both of them. He was even doing good in that first exchange but... flying knee? Really? Against The Emperor? That wasn't a brilliant idea. I was surprised to see someone of that caliber being sooo naive. My guess is that he "smelled the blood" after coming out on top from that first exchange and got carried away. It actually made me wonder about what happens when we get carried away in our spiritual lives and go against the instructions, against what we have been taught by our Trainer. I saw a powerful illustration of how we end up hurt when we disregard the Spirit's instructions in our life by behaving in an unbiblical way. Disobedience causes pain.

Think about it,

See you soon.

He fought "The Law" and he won.

2009-01-26T08:57:00.001-08:00

Vítor Belfort put a stamp on Matt "The Law" Lindland. It was very impressive to see something that had never happened before. Lindland is the definition of a tough guy. The man is an accomplished Olympic wrestler and a top notch MMA fighter. He has fought the likes of "Rampage" Jackson and Fedor and neither of them could put him to sleep. Vitor did. I am not sure "The phenom" is back yet because, although impressive, it was a very short fight and I wonder how he would deal with Matt's smell, toughness and meanness after the 10th minute. Anyway, congratulations to brother Belfort and the best of luck to brother Lindland as heals up from the fight.
Sokoudju is going to have to figure something out because he doesn't look very dangerous right now. Babalu slowly applied the choke and the "African assassin" did nothing. Inexperience on the ground? Poor conditioning? Can't really tell but he's gotta do something. He has the stars of no less than Team Quest behind him so it shouldn't be hard to figure it out. Barnett is mean! What he did with Gilbert should be against the law. I really liked Minotoro's showing. Hopefully he'll be on the main card next time.
The WEC event was very, very good in my opinion. Little Evil has nothing to be ashamed of. Urijah is a beast and it could have happened to either of them. Now, to me, the star of the night was Jose Aldo. I was impressed. Killer leg kicks reminded me of he "Pitbull".
Anyway, this was a weekend packed with good MMA and the coming one is no different. I'm looking forward to it. In the meantime we'll keep talking about biblical manhood as I have a couple of interesting things coming up.
Until next time.

Fighting principles in the Word

2009-01-23T23:13:00.000-08:00

I remember one day long ago when we were doing some drills and at one point we did "roundhouse kick" against "spinning hook kick". It was very intense and we really did simulate a real fight , with a lot of footwork and faking until this one guy would not attack me but would only hypnotize me with his "killer" footwork. Eventually he got too close for (my) comfort and the tension had really built up over the last minute so, on pure instinct, I fired an attack even though I was supposed to counter only. "The prey became the predator!" our trainer exclaimed with a loud voice and a positive tone. "Patrick (Coté) when you're not doing anything, he (Anderson Silva) is thinking on how to hurt you, so stay busy OK. " said Coté's corner between rounds.

These are principles that are true, both in the physical and the spiritual worlds. How so? One might ask. You see, the Bible is replete with military terms, fight references, war language, war analogies that depict one very important truth: the Christian life is a battle. It is war. It is a fight. It is on. One of the few things I've learned in my life is that Truth is disgustingly indifferent to my likes and dislikes, opinions or even awareness. We are in a battle whether we realize it or not. Many men end up being casualties because they don't see this reality. Paul tells Timothy "fight the good fight of faith" and part of how we can fight that battle is to stay on the offense.

The fight is a fight of FAITH. It does take place in many battlegrounds but the bottom line is Faith. Saving faith is to be kept at all costs. If there is anything that is threatening to your faith, you should attack it before it attacks you. How does that apply to real life? Well, Rachel in human resources. You just don't ever go beyond good morning with her. She's got the power to destroy everything you truly value. The abusive boss will not get an argument from you because you have been reading ( for the 4th time), Mahaney's "Humility", praying that God crushes your pride therefore you will see the abuse from God's perspective, not as an enemy but as a tool of sanctification conforming you to the image of Christ, to which you have been predestined , brought about by your loving God. A good fighter will be alert to all possible threats and even the remotely possible threats (i.e Houston Alexander's ground game) in the same manner the Christian man will do himself a favor by asking God to reveal to him constantly anything that could harm his faith. This should be done as a perpetual, frequent spiritual discipline. As a result of identifying possible attacks, action is taken against the enemy, whatever it may be. It is crucial that spiritual disciplines are in place here, because it is easy to DO the "right things" out of formula or self reliance or many things other than FAITH. So, be always on the lookout and shoot on sight.
May God give you the strength to fight until you die.

Franklin won

2009-01-20T20:30:00.000-08:00

Although I do have a couple of biblical manhood related posts brewing, we are in a month innundated with MMA events and eventhough my wife seems to love it even more than I do, I reckon that's kind of manly too, so here we go.

For once in my life I had been right in all my predictions: Toquinho overpowered Horn but couldn't GnP him much less sub him. Davis outboxes Lytle in an old fashioned slug fest. Shogun beat a very tired Hammer and although I was surprised about how poorly Rua performed, he came out with a "W" which is what I thought would happen. No surprises, everything is going as predicted. Coke and Cheetos in hand I fast forward to The main bout of the night. I really thought Rich won the first and the third and had secured a decision. I said to my brother in law: you know, 29 x 28 isn't that bad. After all this is Dan Henderson, one of the baddest dudes out there". The score cards were made public and there were flying Cheetos everywhere. Now, I already hate being wrong like i was on Chuck x Rashad or Werdum x Cigano or Griffin x Rampage or Chuck x Rashad and many others but this one reminded me once again that I should never bet on MMA because even when I'm right, I'm wrong.

See you again for the Affliction on the 24th.

God bless you all.

Skirt to church

2009-01-19T10:09:00.000-08:00

Magenta buildings, men holding hands singing romantic love songs to a nice, wrathless life coach named Jesus. That, I think, describes a good percentage of American evangelicalism today. I mean, how many slow, "I just want to fall in love with you" type songs can a guy sing? And since when is "magenta" even on the radar of a guy's color knowledge? Hey, I'm all for slow songs too, but where are the "Onward Christian soldiers" and "A Mighty fortresses" in our day? More than that, where are the mighty men of David? Our churches are full of girls because we dropped the ball. Our fatherless generation produced a bunch of little boys who seek comfort and entertainment above everything, even God. I long to see a generation of John Bunyans choosing affliction over sin, Athanasiuses taking ostracism and opposition over false unity. We can moan and complain about how much wrong our daddies did us or we can go to our father in Heaven, The Lord of Hosts and petition Him for a generation of men who will, in fear and trembling, pursue Him and step up in faith and love our girls as Christ loved His, our neighbors as ourselves and our God with all our might. That is the only way we'll see true reformation in our day. We have to seek God desperately as He is the One who can birth the desire for true, biblical manhood in us. To the extent that that happens we'll be able to reform the church out of the "Skirt Christianity" and eventually even lead our culture once again for Christ's name sake and our eternal joy.