Showing posts with label post. Show all posts.
God's Remnant: Messianic Judaism
- On Nov 16, 2008 at 12:49 am
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For two years now I have grappled with the idea of the post-tribulational rapture. In that time, my wife Laurie and I have come to realize that we whole-heartedly believe it to be true. As disheartening as it may sound, pre-tribulation rapture dispensationalism is heretical. That doesn't mean those who believe it are not Christians. It just means we've been deceived. Now, interestly, when doing a search for discourses exposing the underlying theology behind post-trib, I realized something...
Messianic Judaism is where the strongest "branch" of God's church will come from during the tribulation. This is because they have not been fooled by dispensationalism. More horrifying is the fact that the "falling away" discussed in scripture will be 2/3 of the evangelical Christian movement in the United States. For this reason, I am bumping up my campaign to gently notify and alert my close friends, Christian brothers and sisters that we need to get serious about understanding scripture's underlying doctrine regarding the tribulation and the rapture of the Church.
This link is a strong and clear argument by a Messianic Jew (I believe) about this topic: http://www.lightofmashiach.org/post_trib_rapture.html.
John Hancock Day
- On Oct 31, 2008 at 12:02 am
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Well, today was officially "John Hancock Day" for Laurie and I. That basically means I signed my name on enough forms for my signature to lose all meaning to me. Actually, despite what many will say, it was easy. It only took 30 minutes (I've heard some say 2 - 4 hours, pssht!). After it was all over, we thanked our realtor John Lytle (give him a call if you're buying), and drove over to our new home!!!
First, it needs raking and yard cleanup. The owners weren't around this summer, so the yard was entirely neglected (along with the rest of the house). It's probably getting embarrassing for neighbors too, so if my new easterly neighbor is as domineering as my westerly neighbor claims, then he'll be bugging about the time we pull up with rakes. Also, the siding needs to be cleaned, and the garden brick cleaned up, tidied or just plain replaced. The fallen walnuts in the yard will go with the leaves to the curb.
Secondly, there's a bug problem in the window and door screens. Word on the street is this happens everywhere, so we'll get some fog and raid and knock them out quick.
Next is the preliminary decor. This means painting. There will be plenty of time to paint each room, since we won't immediately fill up the entire space. However, the master bedroom will get painted first. Also, we'll experiment with painting the trim, as it's fairly cheap wood with old stain, and it could use a modern update. Along with that, we'll put up $75-100 worth of crown molding and some new blinds. The carpet can stay for now.
Moving on, the fun part will be putting in furniture. Thrift stores will help with the initial expense. Decorative and accent tables, focusing on rustic or antique style wood will give our rooms the perfect flare. As for the furniture itself, primary seating will be a problem. Thrift stores are hit or miss, so hopefully we'll get lucky with enough furniture to fill the living room, and our couch can go in the basement for our entertainment room. Our current table will be getting touched up, as dings and scratches from the move have marred it slightly. It will be a beautiful addition to our empty dining room.
Still, we have the future projects to think about to give this house a truly unique feel.
We need to update the stain on the cabinets in the kitchen and master bathroom, possibly resurfacing them with a minor bit of sanding first. Once finished, we'll be adding backsplash above the sink in the kitchen, and of course eventually adding a new counter top. That can wait a while as the current counter is nice looking generic laminate, but brand new. The sink the previous owners chose is perfect, and will stay either way. Also, to add counter space, we'll remove the nook table and seating, and put in either more counters, an island or both. The pantries in this kitchen are to die for, and won't go away.
Out back, we're going to add a brick patio or a low profile deck and construct a basic outdoor kitchen. Either one will be doable myself, so I'll save bucks that way. I can't wait to get my construction hat on for that. I'm confident I can do it.
Next will be the sub-basement finish. Now, we've been told it's not likely to raise the value of the house. Granted. It will raise the value for us, however. We don't plan on spending lots of money on this though. Plywood ceilings with a nailgun, I can do myself. Paint it a beatiful color with stain, and we've got an afforable solution. The ceiling is already beamed and insulated, so we won't have to worry about that. Even framing basic walls and wiring a few electrical outlets is no problem. Drywalling will probably be contracted. Laying down more plywood or a more sturdy but affordable material to level the floor, and covering it with carpet is also doable for me. The toughest job--still doable but something demanding great care--is ripping out the entrance wall, installing an archway, and building grand stairs. We'll add wall sconces for a beautiful lighting solution, too. We may even be able to put in a really basic bathroom, but who knows for sure. All in all, I think it's doable in about 3-5 years.
And last but not least, the crowning achievement, the most achievable, and probably the highest priority item to get done in the next few months is a bar! I don't think I'm up for building one, so I'll pick one up. However, I may build or buy a cheap buffet and shelving to put up behind it, as well as a mirror and more glassware space. We'll add barstools and a small cafe table, and viola! I can't wait for that one!
Keystone Bible Conference, 2008
- On Oct 12, 2008 at 8:52 pm
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Well, this weekend was amazing. We were at my assembly's sister church, Keystone Bible Chapel for the annual Fall Bible Conference. Scott DeGroff and Jamie Hull were the speakers. Now, don't get me wrong, Jamie Hull was awesome, and had one of the most encouraging messages I've heard in a while. However, Scott DeGroff blew my socks off! Literally, I have no socks on right now.
Scott spoke passionately and eloquently on the message of Romans to the Christian in today's church. Many points were flying, including the idea of impending wrath, sin for the Christian and non-Christian, the ministry of the Holy Spirit, and most importantly, the calling of the Saints to testifying of the Gospel message. Praise the Lord!
I am so thankful for the types of concepts and studies the Lord has been sending to me through the Holy Spirit and ministries of various individuals lately. Everything seems completely wrapped up in one ideological summation. The Church is called to testify of the Gospel, but we've lost our way. Various things are hindering us, whether it is sin, the failing of our zeal, the misunderstanding or loss of absolute truth, the list goes on. The main point however is this: people are heading for hell, and the lake of fire, and God's wrath. We have the key to Salvation, through Christ Jesus our Lord, if we would only share it, broadcast it!
I am more convinced than ever that, among many other foundational solutions, The Truth Project will be a springboard of evangelism revival in the Church in the U.S. That is why Laurie and I are going to be opening our home to show this DVD series as often as possible in the coming year. Of course, the first session we'll be doing is with our church in Council Bluffs (Council Bluffs Bible Chapel). They requested that we do it during the normal Wednesday night prayer and potluck. While not perfectly ideal or intended by the project framework, it will get the training and DVD set into the hands of those at that assembly. From there, it may spread through their families or acquaintances. I have no idea what God has in mind for my family at CBBC, but I just know it's my responsibility to begin spreading this training tool around the Omaha area. I hope that Keystone, Northwest, and Lincoln Bible Chapels get ahold of it shortly thereafter as well!
Well, that's all for now.
The Truth Project
- On Sep 20, 2008 at 2:34 am
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Hey hey! It's me again. I haven't posted in a while, because I've been busy havin' fun meeting new people and hanging out with family and friends. Who has time for blogging?
Anywhoodles... er, stuff! Laurie and I were fortunate enough to be able to purchase The Truth Project DVD set, which we went through at Community Bible Church in Pierre, SD with pastor Harvey Friez. We will be embarking on a new journey, potentially of leadership or giving, or whatever it is God has in mind for us. We will be hosting a small group either in our apartment, or at a church, depending on the interest.
With that, I've put together a CD with all the files available from the support website (which is available only to group participants, along with the DVDs). Also, I'll open up a simple pre-registered site for all the group members, using either WordPress, phpBB, or both (Joomla takes too long to be worth a dime).
I feel God is moving me into a role of behind the scenes leadership, at the moment. To me, that means that I am being strongly called to help others around me see what God has in store for the body of Christ. However, I don't feel like that calling is leading me to stand in front of people and teach them. My passion, convictions, love for Christ, and adoration of the Father is being focused in a very specific ministry. I am so fired up for spreading God's word, but also in witnessing to lukewarm, backslidden, weak, disheartened, dry, and tired Christians, desperately needing a spiritual kick from behind. For some reason, God has seen fit to bless me with perspective and clarity I never knew I could possess. I have been given insight into ideas for reviving those around me that is clearly not originating from my own person. I see a hurting world, I see a hurting, malnourished, a failing church, and my heart breaks. We need to heal ourselves before we can effectively heal the world. The Truth Project is one of a few solutions for this disease. The Church needs a worldview check. And by check, I mean the hockey kind, where your face is smashed against the glass until you see stars, or nothing at all.
Well, that's all for now. Peace!
Super Laurie, v0.1
- On Aug 23, 2008 at 2:33 am
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I have recently had just a tad more time on my hands (a temporary situation, I assure you). Therefore, I've been developing several websites. One in particular is SuperLaurie.org! For some of you, this is a day long coming. For others, you're a bit confused. Here's the lowdown:
Super Laurie is my wife, at least, that's her alter ego (nickname). Super Laurie is also a comic book character created by my wife. Several Super Laurie comic strips exist in a notebook that Laurie has kept with her since high school. The comic strip had taken on a life of its own for quite some time in college, when several of her friends seemed very interested to become "characters" in "The Adventures of Super Laurie"... then, Laurie met me.
Apparently, this had an adverse effect on her diligence to meet the demands of her fans, and the comic strip died. Until now!!! Since I was responsible for the death of this once loved comic book superhero, I figured I'd try and help bring her back. So, I'm here to tell you people that Super Laurie has gone digital! So, without further ado, I give you SuperLaurie.org.
Now, please keep in mind that this is a preview. We've had no time to really get into this, but interest from you guys will certainly give us some incentive to get it going after we finish moving.
Social Networking: Pure Evil
- On Aug 21, 2008 at 2:22 am
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It's late... and guess what. I'm up just wasting my time browsing around in the social networking world. What an absolute waste of time. But, since there's sooo much to see, you can't help but waste your time if you want to actually browse. Ugh!
And is all I want to do is add a couple of cool badges to my site for my various profiles. Seeing little icons for various social networking sites seems to give visitors warm fuzzies. Blah! Why do I even bother.
Framework Development
- On Aug 15, 2008 at 2:44 pm
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It's official. This website is about to not suck. I'm refactoring the entire site, specifically including the blogger and flickr syndication, using a new framework for php I've been working on. It's based on concepts I've picked up in all my research in the last two years, and work I've already done for this website. Here are the features, which ought to look familiar to framework conisseurs:
- URL rewriting using the routing pattern
- module/action based organization structure
- templating in raw php, with capability to use templating engines
- request filters
- class autoloading
- native caching
- configuration system
- zone/slot system
- simple template helpers system
The only thing that's actually revolutionary about this framework is that it's not bloated. It's lean, mean, and lightning fast. To process a single request, you hit basically four (4) scripts. That's compared to a typical framework with a stack trace usually 10-15 deep.
New Phones!!!
- On Apr 15, 2008 at 7:43 pm
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I'm so excited.. I can't stop thinking about my new phone, coming tomorrow! It's a _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _!!! Yeah, I'll let you figure it out, but I'm excited. Hopefully I'll be able to do more moblogging (blogger), networking (facebook), tweeting (twitter), eating (del.ico.us), etc.
Lord of the Rings Fever
- On Jan 22, 2008 at 8:59 pm
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Yep, I have it again. I've decided to read the books over, since I just love it so much!
I even decided to do a very basic restoration of one of my favorite maps for LotR. The original was scanned in with very bad creases. These were then removed (mostly) for the second version. You can view each original in full size on my website.
Flickr / Full version
Flickr / Full version
Daniel's Seventieth Week
Yep, that's right. This is about the end times (eschatology)! Gotta love it!
After about three years of banging my head against a Bible, struggling to understand what in the world is going on in the multitudes of passages referring to end times events, and specifically the "rapture," I've finally hit the jackpot!
During a trip to Omaha for a friend's wedding, my wife and I stumbled on some unmistakable concepts. While reading through some passages in Matthew while completely free of preconceptions, we realized how painfully obvious it is when exactly the rapture occurs.
If you examine Matthew 24 (the teachings of Jesus himself... shocker!), you will notice some very specific language regarding information on the end of the age. Verses 4 - 8 discuss birth pains of the end. Verse 9 begins, "Then you..." Now, Jesus is talking to his disciples. What is it he says will happen regarding his disciples in the end times?
"...will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." (Matt. 24:9-14, NIV)Huh... Interesting. "He who stands firm..." What's that? "...will be saved." I'm really freaking out now. What in the world does that mean? Obviously, it ain't yo mammas pre-trib doctrine, that's fo sho!
"So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel ... then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. ... So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the desert,' do not go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man." (Matt. 24:15-28, NIV)So, if lightning, being visible from a great distance, so will be the coming of Jesus Christ. Interestingly, no Christians will deny that this is the second coming of Christ. So what's my point? right?
At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. (Matt 24:30-31, NIV)Ok, so I'm getting sick of quoting this stuff. Just read the whole chapter. I'll refer to it often from here on out.
Oh, it gets better. Check out the next passage. This is often where it gets confusing. The pericope heading on my bible is "The day and hour unknown." Which, by itself is meaningless, until you read the passage and listen to Jesus' words. "...you do not know on what day your Lord will come." If you do the math, and I have, it would be impossible for us to not know when Jesus was coming (roughly, plus or minus several weeks at the most), if we were to be raptured at the end of the tribulation, instead of the beginning. That's what got me for so long. We shouldn't know at all when Christ is coming, because that would nullify this passage. But, guess what! It doesn't!!! We don't know the day Christ is coming! That's all it says. The day!
At this point, it all starts coming together for me. I examine 1 Thessalonians 4 and continue on into 5, and notice the perfect lining up of events, Paul referring to trumpet blasts and angels, etc. Then, in chapter 5 verse 4, Paul tells us (why us, if we're raptured?) that we will not be surprised, but those who are pacified by the antichrist will be taken by surprise, Jesus coming like a thief in the night (vv. 1-3). Furthermore, his instruction to comfort each other is aimed at the worry of wrath being applied to believers during this time, and that we will not be made to suffer, but will enjoy Christ eternally, just as we were meant to do. This seems to go right back to Jesus mentioning those days being "cut short." It is a seven year period, after all, and won't last forever. That too would be comforting to the Christian striving to live through a horrible time such as the tribulation.
Now, if you need final clinching proof, check out Paul's words in the greek, specifically "meet" or "caught up with" and notice how the connotation is specifically mentioning the type of "meet" where you usher a foreign dignitary back to your city, which you just left to meet him. Zion, anyone? And finally, examining Revelations and Daniel, where again trumpets and angels are mentioned, and see how the entire series of events lines up perfectly through several concurrent passages.
Wow. It's over. I'm done. What more is there? My advice is this: quit sitting around looking up, expecting Jesus to appear "at any moment," and start living out his commands, preparing the world for the wrath to come. When Jesus finally does come, it's not going to be a surprise. We'll have been waiting for seven years, and the "rapture" that we've been taught about all our lives is simply us, going into the clouds to usher a conquering king into his new kingdom, where we will be with him forever, never to leave his side.
