June 22, 2004

  • Acts 17:26-28
    (ESV)
    (26) And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, (27) that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, (28) for "'In him we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your own poets have said, "'For we are indeed his offspring.'

    MEDITATE HERE.

    MORE TO COME LATER

June 19, 2004

  • For those of you using news or feed readers I have added an XML feed. Just click this icon  in the header or footer (I am not sure yet where I plan to keep this link).


    I have also added a feed reader link for my team blog (http://bodylife.blogspot.com) you can visit that site and then click this icon  or look in my sidebar and click on the icon. I administer this one with FeedBurner and soon I will get my Xanga feed on it as well.

    Are you asking yourself what is all this about?  Why should I use a feed reader? What is XML and RSS anyways? Then check out this site for a small introdcution to it all. http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/aboutrss

    Need a feed reader? Try http://www.Bloglines.com. They offer a free online reader for all of your feeds. Or you can download Sharp Reader. It's an easy-to-use, first-class feed reader for your PC and its free.


    Want the undocumented Xanga code for news feeds. Just type the following link in your browser address bar http://www.xanga.com/rss.aspx?user= then place your Xanga user name after the equal sign. It would then look like this http://www.xanga.com/rss.aspx?user=soninthefaith.

    Another useful XML site is http://www.feedburner.com . Here you can do a variety of things with your XML site from tracking statistics to configuring it automatically to be viewable in other formats and mediums (like wireless devices).

    Check out the comments for a deeper description of XML, RSS, and Feed readers.

    I hope you find this info useful.

June 17, 2004

  • Have you ever been challenged by a sincere believer to examine what you believe based on what the Bible says and not the traditions of your church or denomination? I have. This past year has been one in which in seminary I have been more challenged to know what I believe and believe it because the "Bible tells me so" (it is amazing what children's songs often come to mind these days). Not because man or his theology books tell me so. The below questions where concepts we dealt with in a class called "Global Ministry and the Local Church" and "Contemporary Theological Issues". It is to bad I took these classes at the end of my time in seminary. I wonder how it would have impacted me had I taken them earlier. Probably I would not have been ready for it or maybe I would have forgotten it as I prepared for other classes. Regardless these thoughts our on my mind all the time these days. It is awesome that God is in control knowing what I need and when I need it. In His timing people who can move and shake you the most are brought in at just the right times. Many of those saved today would be going to hell if God had not used other Christians to lead an unbeliever to the cross who in turn would see thousands if not millions saved through their legacy. Whomever you are praise God you were there to lead DL Moody, Billy Graham, John and Charles Wesley, Saint Patrick, etc.... to the Lord. God's timing is awesome. Thank you God for your timing. May I live out what I have learned and am learning to grow from it and impart it unto others, like my precious son. Thank you Dr. King for being an impacter on my life this year. I may not go on to great things in worldly eyes, but maybe I can be that small cog in the wheel that has a legacy that only Christ could have foreknown and created.


    The four topics and questions below are going to be apart of a survey I intend to do over the next few weeks. Please take the time now or then to answer them. I see these surveys as a way to harness the power of numbers of Holy Spirit indwelt believers to build up the Body of Christ. I am hoping that the Body of Christ can help me and you in asking the right questions of God's Word so we can grow His way. I am looking not to answer man's question of the text but God's questions. Example: Man's question - "Why can't I do this? How far is to far?". God's question - "Why ought you to do this? Will it bring glory to Me?"  That is why I am asking you to give me Scripture for your answers. I apologize if some of these questions are vague. I am still in the process of thinking through each of these areas myself. If you have any better questions please blog or email them to me. Use my questions as a survey, but please back up your thoughts with Scripture since it is our final authority for matters of truth and faith.

    WORSHIP
    1.  What is worship?
    2.  We say we worship, but how?
    3.   Is worship a feeling, an experience, knowledge based, a combination, or something else?
    4.   How do we worship in truth and in spirit?

    5.  What is the theology of worship for the body of Christ?

    6.  What forms of expression in worship are legitimate? (Hands up. Hands at side. Loud singing. Quiet singing. to name a few)

    7.   Where biblically do we see them used in worship? (see question 6)

    THE DEACON OR SERVANT

    1.  Who are called to be servants?

    2.  Are deacons to be servants, trustees, elders?

    3.  Can woman be deacons?

    4.  Are all of us to be deacons?

    5.  What does the Bible say about deaconing?


    SAINTHOOD
    1.  How does God view Christians? Sinner or Saint?

    2.  Does Paul ever call a Christian a saint? a sinner?

    3.  If I struggle with the old man does that still make me a sinner even though in God's eyes I may be a saint? (your answer to question 1 may affect this question)

    4.  Does God love sinners?

    5.  What am I postionally and progressively before God?

    6.  Should this affect how I view myself (sinner/saint)?

    7.  How does my view of my sainthood impact my life today?

    7.  How does my view of sainthood impact my view of other believers today?


    THE BODY OF CHRIST IS ONE
    1.  Is the church (body) one?

    2.  If so where does the local church come in?

    3.  If we are one in Christ, how can we impact each other?

    4.  Can one "church" own another "church"? Keep missions work in mind when answering this. Mother church and daughter church concepts.

    5.  Should the theology of missions and church be different or the same theology?

    6.  Is their such a thing as missions, biblically?

    7. If the body of Christ is one body with many members, how ought I to live in relationship to believers in my local church, local community, state, country, hemisphere, or globally.

    8.  Do we need our brothers and sisters in Christ on the other side of the globe?


    Godspeed,
    Wesley

June 16, 2004

  • For a little bit of fun lets try this survey that I just filled out earlier today. Parresia if you read this survey, do not worry. I am still all yours. Read my answers at this blog.


    1. Who are you?
    2. Are we friends?
    3. When and how did we meet?
    4. Do you have a crush on me?
    5. Would you kiss me?
    6. Give me a nickname and explain and it.
    7. Describe me in 1 word.
    8. What was your first impression?
    9. Do you still think that way about me now?
    10. What reminds you of me?
    11. If you could give me anything what would it be?
    12. how well do you know me?
    13. When was the last time you saw me?
    14. Ever wanted to tell me something but couldn't?
    15. Are you going to put this in your xanga and see what I say about you?

June 15, 2004

  • KNOW YOUR LIMITS
    Nuggets from Pastor Frasier

    Check out today's new blog from my team blog.


    http://bodylife.blogspot.com

  • I thought I would blog my response to comments left recently. I hope that the answers are helpful.

    PROFILE PIC
    Is a picture of my son (middle), my wife (far right), and myself (far left). You can barely make out my wife in the picture.

    HEADER PICTURE
    While I can take credit for the edit of this photo I cannot take credit for taking it. I found this photo at http://www.swl.net/alexey/wallops.htm. What I am hoping to do in the future is to take some pictures of my own and rotate them in as my header. I might even try getting them to rotate automatically.

    BACKGROUND PICTURE
    The Hebrew in the background should be Psalms 40:5 in the English or Psalms 40:6 in the Hebrew Bible. It should be because I know enough Hebrew to be dangerous.

    INSPIRATIONAL WRITINGS
    I really do not have an all time favorite non-fiction book, but in the last year Lawrence Richards writings have really influenced my thinking on teaching and education of born-again Christians. His two books Creative Bible Teaching (ISBN:0802416446) and Christian Education (ISBN:0310520819) are awesome. I have not read the first one completely but what I read was good.

    BIBLE TRANSLATION I USE
    In Bible translation I use a variety of versions. When I was teaching over the last year I was using the ESV (Crossway's site) to get a feel for it. I liked it. For my personal study and at church services I tend to use the KJV (it is my favorite Bible beacuse it was a gift from my wife, has large margins, and a lot of notes by me). But I also use the NKJV and NASB. I have stayed away from recommending the NIV (I do have a copy and use it) not because it is a poor translation, but because I do not like it's tendecy to interpret passages that I believe are better left more literally or formal. Do to the size of picture I recommend clicking to view it. Click here to see the formal verses function picture. For my PC or online use I tend to use the NETBible (main site - translation online). It is a mix between an NIV and NASB. The text is NIVish and the footnotes (over 250,000) are NASBish. You can downlowad this for free in help file format or buy it for your handheld for your Olivetree Bible software or Libronix Bible Software.

    Here is an excellent resource for more Bible text related research. http://faculty.bbc.edu/rdecker/

  • I spent last night redoing the look of my site. Let me know what you think. Is it ieasy to read or hard? Do you like the colors? Whatever you think leave me some feedback.

    Thanks,

    Wesley

June 13, 2004

  • Responsibility
    Something everyone has and no body wants these days.
         I think that parents need to begin teaching this to their children early on. In days gone by (generally pre WWII) as soon as you were old enough to work on the family farm or store you did. Today kids have to many things given to them that they do not have to earn. They also do not have as many opportunities to work as previous generations. More families need to teach their kids to make money the old fashion way. Earn it.
         I have a professor friend who when his kids turned 13 they were told they needed to have a job. Basically he began giving them responsibilities early on to teach them about it and to instill an honorable work habit in them. One of his kids began his own business. It was a raspberry farm. Him and his dad spent some time researching what they would need to do. After creating a game plan he took out a loan from his father and bought the equipment he needed as well as the land to farm and he began. Small at first but as time went on he grew the farm. Within that first year he had paid back his father and still made a profit for next years crop. The next year his crop was one of the first to produce fruit so he was on the market before many of the other farmers. He was even able to sell is produce to local markets and other stores. To make a long store short this buisness of his allowed him to make enough money to invest in the stock market and to pay his way through school debt free. To this day I believe he is still using some of the fruit of his labors as he serves as a missionary to countries in or near the 10-40 window.
         If only more of us where raised that way. Then we might just have a less self-centered country and world. Instead the world cares only for itself and forgets about it's suffering neighbors; from the Jones to those in Sudan and Iraq. Even though it says it cares all to often it only cares about its own pocket book. Look at the opposition to the War in Iraq by France, Germany, Russia, and the liberal left. With the recent exposure of the UN oil for food program it has become clear that the opposition to War in Iraq is not over what is best for the Iraqis, but for the lost revenue due to the oil coming out of Iraq or the possibility that President Bush is doing the right thing and might win the 2004 Presidential elections. Fanatical left wing liberals in our nation assuce Bush of only being in the war for oil and yet they do not accuse the UN, France, Germany, or Russia of the same. It is more clear the Bush is in it for the Iraqis than the UN, France, Germany, or Russia. Alsa, I digress.
         May we all become more responsible and care for our suffering fellow human beings who are oppressed by socialistic, communistic, abusive, and tyrannical leaders. Thank God that a few of our leaders are trying to make a difference for those who live in countries with tyrannical leaders and have an ever abiding fear of terror from the minority groups within and out of their lands. May each of us do what we can to help others in our own communities and in communities found around the world. We are all fellow human beings and we ought to treat each other as we would like to be treated, regardless of how they treat us.
         If we truly believe in the Declaration of Independence (picture of), the US Constitution (picture of), and the Bill of Rights (picture of) then we ought to seek that all men are given their God given rights and "among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
         God bless our leaders who have the courage to defend the God given rights of all men.

June 12, 2004

  • SWEATNESS OF THE STORM
    "In everything ye are enriched by him"     1 Cor. 1:5.


    Have you ever seen men and women whom some disaster drove to a great act of prayer, and by and by the disaster was forgotten, but the sweetness of religion remained and warmed their souls?


    So have I seen a storm in later spring; and all was black, save where the lightning tore the cloud with thundering rent.


    The winds blew and the rains fell, as though heaven had opened its windows. What a devastation there was! Not a spider's web that was out of doors escaped the storm, which tore up even the strong-branched oak.


    But ere long the lightning had gone by, the thunder was spent and silent, the rain was over, the western wind came up with its sweet breath, the clouds were chased away, and the retreating storm threw a scarf of rainbows over her fair shoulders and resplendent neck, and looked back and smiled, and so withdrew and passed out of sight.


    But for weeks long the fields held up their bands full of ambrosial flowers, and all the summer through the grass was greener, the brooks were fuller, and the trees cast a more umbrageous shade, because the storm passed by--though all the rest of the earth had long ago forgotten the storm, its rainbows and its rain.

    ~ Theodore Parker

  • Check out today's new blog. It is from a pastor friend of mine. His post will most likely be called "Nuggets from Pastor Frasier." Today's topic - "The Days of Noah."


    http://bodylife.blogspot.com