My Favorite 4th of July Song..

July 4th is approaching and with that comes some good (fireworks, cooking out, etc..) and some bad (overly patriotic propaganda and the feeling that if you love God you will love America as well). So with these attitudes, I have decided to post the lyrics to one of my favorite songs by a faith based band. Squad Five-0 was one of the most unconventional Christian bands to hit the scene. Their lyrics were always in depth and were more like works of art than just words. I remember seeing them live at various venues from Christian rock festivals to the local bar. These guys were some of the most down to earth, friendly people you could meet. In addition they held to their Christian values while still remaining edgy and postmodern. Once they left their Christian label and moved on to Capitol records they released an amazing album. This is one of the tracks from that album:

BYE AMERICAN

Who pumps your gas, cooks your meals, works your fields
Builds your skyscrapers, prints your newspapers, it’s your next door neighbors
In the ghetto city, gated community,
In the hills of Appalachia or Beverly
Metropolitan, charlatan, American
Words don’t mean **** and souls wear too thin

My faith is lost from the burning cross
To the American owned and operated swastika
There’s no pursuit of happiness in a land that’s void of love
Why should God bless America?

Who cleans your gutter and your sewer
And is gonna die sooner
Working fingers to the bone
Than in an office on the phone
Underestimated
Overlooked too long
Don’t tell me nothing’s wrong
It seems like all the good is gone
Who stokes the factory fires
Gets nothing to retire
75 and standing on a greasy fryer
Metropolitan, charlatan, American
Words don’t mean ****and souls wear too thin

My faith is lost from the steeple to the cross
To the satellite evangelical thug
There’s no concern for selflessness, just smother push and shove
Why should God bless America?

I’m a citizen of the world that was made
The maker’s marks of soul on me they get over the shame
Oh mercy all my ways

Do I Feel Any Different?

About a week ago, I was able to teach in front of a congregation for the first time. Needless to say my message was not perfect but many people have told me how well I did… so I will take their word for it!

The question I have to ask myself is this: do I feel any different?

Yes, I do. I am ready for this. I am ready to impact generations. Teaching and allowing God to speak through me is the most amazing feeling in the world. My Pastor tells me that now I am in the role of ‘prophet’ and to some degree I can see how that is true.

Now, I won’t brag on myself. However, my voice did not shake, I clearly pronounced my words, etc.. The only problem was that I did break a sweat on stage; under the lighting I don’t know who wouldnt? Besides people probably just thought I was in the spirit.

Some time I may put the message up on youtube… I’ll let you guys know if I do.

First Sunday Morning Message

This Sunday, June 14th, I will have the privilege to deliver my first Sunday morning message. I would love for anyone and everyone to come check it out. Here are the details:
Encounter Church @ Summerfield Community Center

5404 Centerfield Drive in Summerfield, NC.

Service begins promptly at 10am, I would suggest arriving by 9:45.

www.encounterchurch.tv

Funny T-shirts

I have quite the collection of random t-shirts. I love anything with a pop culture comedy reference. Of course, I have the cowbell shirt, the Dunder Mifflin shirt and now I have found the shirt that I will probably purchase next:

The shirt can be purchased from www.clutchtees.com and I strongly suggest you go check out their stock. They even have some vintage shirts that are manufactured with real authentic vintage shirt transfers (i.e. Star Wars shirts, etc.). So check it out. Feel free to leave a comment with your favorite t-shirt from the site or perhaps from your own collection!

Another Year Older

In just a few short hours, May 19th will be upon us. Meaning I will have been on earth for 24 years.

I have just completed another semester of college which means I lack like one year before getting my undergrad ministry degree!

So where am I going? I feel held back like I could be doing so much more. My personal ministry goal is to reach people who have been so put off by Christianity and the Church. Yet, I feel like I am not gathering results. I am ready to see things change. I am ready to do what it takes, apologize (as in my previous blog) to anyone who needs it and completely reshape Christianity. I feel called to be a change maker. Not just another guy sitting back in a regular ministry position. I am ready to shake things up. I want to be apart of something so large that completely turns the Christian faith upside down within the next thirty years.

….so how do I get there? Not sure but as long as you read this blog you will be on this journey with me.

Is It Too Late To Apologize?

Is It Too Late To Apologize?

Recently, me and a friend from my past were having a coffee at a local cafe. The subject of Jerry Falwell came up in our conversation and we decided something. If we could take all of the talking heads who represent Christianity on a worldwide level and separate their political / moral opinions from their ministry work then all would be well. However, it is utmost impossible to do this.

Recently, James Dobson made some more comments about homosexuals in regard to the hate speech bill. I don’t need to open up a discussion on that as many other bloggers have already opened that can of worms.

Donald Miller details in his memoir Blue Like Jazz an event in which a confession booth was set up at a liberal festival. People would enter the booth and Christians would then apologize to that stranger regarding Falwell, political Christians; they even went far enough back to apologize for the crusades!

So let me ask this… Is it too late to apologize? Has enough damage been done in the name of Christ that we cannot undo it? Certainly I want to do everything that I can to undo any thing negative that has been done in the name of Christ. Anyone that I meet in person, I always make it clear that I am not one of ‘those Christians’ when they bring up Robertson, Falwell and the like.

I hope that we begin to turn a new leaf. Thirty years from now, I’d love to see a Christianity that is more concerned with sharing the love of Christ with people than giving an opinion on CNN. For now, I’ll continue to make it clear who I am when I am engaged in conversation with someone outside the Christian faith. ….I’ll also be sure to apologize for all the things fellow believers have done to turn others away from Christ.

The Sovereignty of God

I affirm that God is sovereign. I used to attend an Armenian college where I was taught different things regarding free will and pre-destination. However, I affirm that God knows everything that ever has happened and ever will happen. He knows the fate of everyone. He knows each individual person’s expiration date. Heck, he even knows what I will eat for dinner 100 days from now. You may disagree with me on the issue of sovereignty; before you make up your mind let me tell you a story about betrayal.

There once was this guy.. lets call him Joseph. Joseph had a dream about how one day his brothers would have to bow down to him. Naturally, when he told his brothers about this dream, they became uber pissed off. So they decided that they should kill him! In a haste decision, they decided to spare Joseph’s life but instead they sell him into slavery. So there he is, a man who God has ordained for great things; bound and tied into slavery. Joseph’s brothers took his coat however; this was no ordinary coat. Some translators believe that it was a colorful coat, some believe that it was simply striped.. regardless, it was a nice coat. It was a coat given to Joseph by his father and for all practical purposes it would be the equivalent of a modern day Armani sport coat. So this coat is ripped up and covered with animal blood by the brothers so that Joseph’s father would think that he was dead. Good cover if I say so myself.

So now that Joseph is in slavery he gets purchased by this guy named Potiphar who held a position in service to the Pharoah. If you were in Joseph’s situation, what would you be thinking? I would feel such betrayal. I would wonder why my brothers would do this to me; more importantly, why would my God do this to me? However, it is clear from the scriptures that “the Lord was with Joseph and blessed him greatly” (Genesis 39:2, NLT). He may have been praying to be moved from his situation. Yet, one has to keep in mind that nothing should come instantaneously.

As if the life of a slave is not hard enough, things only get worse. It is clear from the scriptures that Joseph was an attractive man and with the burden of attractiveness comes more temptation. Potiphar’s wife became lustful toward Joseph. She thought that he was fine and she made up her mind that she should begin to seduce him. Her attempts failed numerously; Joseph refused to sleep with her. Potiphar’s wife began to feel insulted and decided to gain revenge on Joseph by accusing him of rape.

So Joseph is accused of rape and thrown into prison. There he is as an innocent man, first betrayed by his brothers and then betrayed by his master’s wife. Look at what the Bible says about Joseph when he is thrown into prison: “but the Lord was with Joseph there, too, and he granted Joseph favor with the chief jailer.” (Genesis 39:21, NLT). How interesting is this that Joseph would gain favor with the jailer. Probably was not instant, it probably took a few days or weeks of relationship building before Joseph became good chums with the jailer. Joseph had to put forth effort on his part. Eventually, Joseph became in charge of the jail and all of the prisoners.

Fast forward….

Joseph became an adviser to the Pharoah after interpreting some of Pharoah’s dreams. Then when the time came to appoint a ruler over Egypt, Pharoah’s clear choice was Joseph. So from all of the adversity that Joseph experienced, he finally becomes a ruler as his dreams predicted. What should this Old Testament wisdom tell us today? God is sovereign. Joseph had God on his side.  Joseph prayed to the Lord however; Joseph still experienced pain, adversity and betrayal. What I get from this story is that prayer without action is simply void.

From this story, I also gather that ultimately, God is sovereign. We cannot change God’s mind on anything. Anything that we go through, rather it is death, illness or any pain is His will. God does not delight in our suffering however, because of the impact of sin on earth, pain must exist. I have been on this journey with God for many years. Me and my family have prayed frequently on behalf of my illness. I have yet to be healed here on earth and I might not be. I will be healed on that day when my body is resurrected and I receive a new glorified body. It brings me comfort to know that GOD IS SOVEREIGN and He uses all things for good. “We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (Romans 8:28, NLT). The Bible says that God uses EVERYTHING. He uses our pain, he uses our happiness, our joy, our sorrow.. EVERYTHING.

God is sovereign and he uses EVERYTHING for good. It’s amazing, but it’s true.

I’m So Excited

..and I just can’t hide it

Creed is officially a band again. Not just for a reunion tour either. I almost cried in joy when I found out about this! This is a full on comeback with a brand new album. My prayer is that ticket prices are somewhat affordable for the summer tour. Now, before all the haters start spamming me with hate mail let me state the following:

Creed’s music to me represents a time in my life where I was young. I was not as jaded toward life in those days. Hands down, while Scott Stapp is not the best vocalist; he is a darn good lyricist. However, when mediocre vocals collide with excellent guitar work provided by Mark Tremonti; an incredible band is born. Sure, they are radio friendly. However, they write all their own material so to me that makes them a legit band. In a time when the Backstreet Boys, Brittany and all of the pop music dominated the radio waves. Creed stood out and brought rock and roll to top 40 radio. Their lyrics opened me up spiritually and gave me a better understanding of my faith. We do not need to ignore the spiritual implications of all of their lyrics. Stapp is a deep theological thinker and that is reflected in their lyrics. Scott Stapp claims to be a Christian and is the perfect example of how sometimes imperfections may come out. Stapp had battles with alcoholism, random bar fights, prostitutes, etc.. However, now it is clear that Stapp has his life together. Many people want to point out the flaws in his life yet they forget the positive things that he does. He did not have to take in his sister’s kids and treat them as his own. He did not have to take on the role of a single father and take responsibility for his son Jagger.

Now, where are we at? We have the opportunity to listen to a great band. If one wants to truly be critical that is fine. However don’t say things like “Creed needs to die in a plane crash” or “I prefer music performed by atheists so I hate Creed” or ” This is the reunion of the band no one wanted to reunite.” It is pathetic and childish. Creed is a great band and I pray that they have the longevity so that many more generations can be exposed to this great band.

Where ‘Going Green’ and Being A Good Steward Collide (contest!)

Yesterday was earth day. Many of you probably could care less and that is alright. However, lets consider some things together. God created the earth. He then trusted mankind with the earth as we were given dominion over all the animals and plants. The Bible strongly suggests that all Christ-followers be good stewards of what God has given us. My question to you is this: why are we not good stewards of the earth?

I was ecstatic when I was asked to read and blog about Gardening Eden by Michael Abbate. This book is essential for all Christ followers to read! The book  blends together Christian spirituality with the concept that we all need to look after our home planet. Abbate explains how we must be good stewards of our earth. He explains the problems that the earth is currently facing. Many books of this type tend to simply rant about what mankind is doing wrong. Abbate does not follow this pattern as he offers simple solutions so that every believer can begin to make a conscious effort to take care of our land.

What are you doing to take care of your earth? Perhaps you are using reusable grocery bags in place of paper or petroleum bags. Maybe you have began a home recycling plan or started a compost pile. I want to hear from you. Leave a comment on this blog with what you are doing to take care of planet earth. If you are currently not doing anything then let me know what you are considering doing in the future. If you are just down right stubborn and refuse to do anything to help the earth; I want to hear from you too. One comment will be chosen at random (on April 29th) and that person will win a free copy of Gardening Eden by Michael Abbate.

If you don’t win, don’t worry! You can purchase the book here: http://www.amazon.com/Gardening-Eden-Creation-Change-Faith/dp/0307444996/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1240527522&sr=8-1

Lifestyle Update #2 (with chicken recipe)

All is well in the life of this low carb dieter. The pounds are still melting away and I am enjoying the feeling of having clothes that are much too large for me! I now weigh less than I did when I began my college journey. Exercise has been great. Unfortunately, my gym visits have taken a pause as I have been battling a cold. Come hell or high water, tomorrow I will return to the gym for a good workout.

Having such a minimal range in foods can really lead to great boredom. To solve this, I have been watching as many cooking shows as possible. I have discovered a new cooking passion of mine: pouch cooking. I have bought a booklet on the subject, watched Alton Brown’s special on pouch cooking and Emeril’s pouch cooking special. So tonight I tried out my experiment and came out with the most immaculate meal possible.

I took chicken breasts, shook on some ginger and then rubbed them down with whole oregano. I then topped them with tomatoes, jalapenos and bell pepper slices. I then poured on some of my secret sauce (soy sauce, chicken broth, pepper, salt and garlic). I folded a parchment pouch around each piece of chicken and cooked them for 55 minutes on 425. The result was the most flavorful and tender baked chicken I have ever eaten. After cooking, I brushed the added vegetables away so that there would be virtually zero carbs in my creation.

If one is going to eat less and eat a narrow range of food; the food that one takes in must taste extremely good and be of the highest quality. I live by my own words when it comes to eating. Let me encourage you all to not only eat healthy, but to also eat really great food.