Thursday, February 25, 2010

"I Love My Glory!"

Listen starting at 41:40 through 47:42




"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." (1 Cor 10:31)


--The Wretch

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Prayers For a Co-Worker

Dylan is one of my co-workers at Pepsi.  He is one of the nicest guys I have worked with.  He his polite to customers and fellow workers, he does his job with little to no complaint, and, unlike most of my fellow workers, he has a clean mouth.  Dylan also within the last year got married and is now helping his wife raise her son.  On the surface he is a "good" guy.  When it comes to politics he and I differ on virtually everything, but I have to say I like Dylan a lot and we get along fairly well (at least according to my estimation).  Dylan is a trainee, so he rides along with other drivers to help them out until a route opens up for him.  He has rode along with me many times and, ashamedly, I almost always avoided religion.

Saturday, February 20, 2010

How Often Am I Guilty ?



“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain."

Exodus 20:7
blas·phe·my
/blas-fuh-mee/
–noun,plural-mies.
1. impious utterance or action concerning God or sacred things.
2. Judaism.
   a. an act of cursing or reviling God.
3. Theology. the crime of assuming to oneself the rights or qualities of God.
4. irreverent behavior toward anything held sacred, priceless, etc.



A recent post by Tony Miano at "The Lawman Chronicles" has caused me to be a bit introspective about how I may be guilty of blasphemy.  In the post Tony tells about a church sign with a message that was supposed to be funny that used Christ's death on the cross as a play on words.  It got me thinking, do I ever joke around about the things of God?  Of course I would never intentionally use the Lord's Name in vain, but do I always use His Name or other things related to Him with reverence?
.....

Sunday, February 14, 2010

"It is not good that the man should be alone..."

"... I will make him a helper fit for him." (Genesis 2:18)

Today marks seven years that Jenn and I have been married. Every year I appreciate more and more this verse from Genesis.  I sadly admit that that in the years before God saved me I had a very selfish view of our marriage.  But since then my love for my wife has been changing from a selfish "love" to what love really is, a self-sacrificing-life-long-dedication to the woman I made a pledge and covenant with on February 14, 2003.  I am still in the early stages of being and am imperfectly able to portray that kind of love to my wife, but, by God's Grace, she has abundantly patient with me!

Ephesians 5:25-33
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way m husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.  For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body.  “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

Jenn--
As is my charge from Scripture, you have my promise and solemn vow that I will exhibit this kind of love and devotion to you the best I can with the help of our Lord God.

Men--
I challenge you to love your wives in this way.  Paul reveals to us here that our marriages represent our (those who are saved) relationship to Christ!  Let us love our wives and show the world what true love is, self-sacrificing.



"Peace to all of you who are in Christ." (1 Peter 5:14 ESV)

--The Wretch

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Exalted Worship - So Great a Salvation