Monthly Archives: December 2009

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Listening the Tim Keller on "The Reason for God"

Each Christmas I remember very clearly at a former church, sitting in the balcony during a quiet moment alone.  There was a stained glass cross in the front and a giant wreath for Christmas.

Behind the birth of Christ...beyond that, the cross.

It was the reason He came to earth...God, in Christ sacrificed Himself to pay for our sin.

Michael Card - Love crucified arose Lyrics
Album:

Long ago He blessed the earth
Born older than the years
And in the stall a cross He saw
Through the first of many tears
A life of homeless wandering
Cast out in sorrow's way
The Shepherd seeking for the lost
His life, the price He paid

Love crucified, arose
The Risen One in splendor
Jehovah soul Defender
Has won the victory
Love crucified, arose
And the grave became a place of hope
For the heart that sin and sorrow broke
Is beating once again

Throughout Your life You felt the weight
Of what You'd come to give
To drink for us that crimson cup
So we might really live
At last the time to love and die
The dark appointed day
That one forsaken moment
When Your Father turned His face away

Love crucified, arose
The One who lived the died for me
Was Satan's nail-pierced casualty
Now He's breathing once again

Love crucified, arose
And the grave became a place of hope
For the heart that sin and sorrow broke
Is beating once again

Love crucified, arose
The Risen One in splendor
Jehovah soul defender
Has won the victory

Love crucified, arose
And the grave became a place of hope
for the heart that sin and sorrow broke
is beating once again

Love crucified, arose
The One who lived and died for me
Was Satan's nail-pierced casualty
Now He's breathing once again

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I'm listening to  a Village Church podcast from November...two weeks before Matt Chandler announced his tumor.

He mentions cancer several times throughout the sermon; the world thinks that if we disobey the law, God will send us cancer and he dispels that understanding.

He says that "in the forty years I'm going to have with you..."  Did he somehow know?

Yesterday I read that Michael Spencer has cancer.

And another...I read this morning that Michele's ovarian cancer is back.

A man in his 30's and a man in his 50's, a woman in her 40's

Life comes with no guarantees.  Find love, hold on tight.

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This day I am thankful that my kids are both going to be under my roof this night.

I am thankful that I have known love in return for the love I have given, whether or not my offered love will be taken up again.

I am thankful that over the years I have discovered what I need to do in order to become as healthy as I can become.

I am thankful that I am able to see that I need to become the woman that I need to become.

I am thankful, on this Christmas Eve, that the Father sent His Son to die for the sins of the world, that He called me, that He is taking care of me.

That His plan for me includes that which is best, according to His plan.

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As I listened to Issues Etc. on closed communion, I heard the message come through loud and clear...we must be in lockstep on the smallest of doctrines, or you are a false teacher.

The speaker also added that the reason for closed communion is that those who do not believe in the "real presence" of Christ in the elements are not able to "discern the body" - Lutherans defining "the body" as the presence of the body and blood of Christ in the communion elements, other Protestants defining "the body" as being able to discern whether or not the "self"/person partaking of the supper is a part of the body of Christ (the church).

I cannot see that. Scripture tells us to examine ourselves, it does not tell the church leadership to examine the flock.

The "selfish" reason I cannot see it is that I will not belong to a congregation that would deny my parents access to the meal that Christ gave us, because they are not in total agreement on doctrine.

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Had No Rights

He had no rights
No right to a soft bed, and a well-laid table.
No right to a home of His own, a place where His own pleasure might be sought.
No right to choose pleasant, congenial companions,  those who could understand Him and sympathize with Him.
No right to shrink away from filth and sin, to pull His garments closer around Him and turn aside to walk in cleaner paths.
No right to be understood and appreciated; no, not by those upon whom He had poured out a double portion of His love.
No right even never to be forsaken by His Father, the One who meant more than all to Him.

His only right was silently to endure shame, spitting, blows; to take His place as a sinner at the dock; to bear my sins in anguish on the cross.

He had no rights. And I?
A right to the “comforts” of life? No, but a right to the love of God for my pillow.
A right to physical safety? No, but a right to the security of being in His will.
A right to love and sympathy from those around me? No, but a right to the friendship of the One who understands me better than I do myself.
A right to be a leader among men? No, but the right to be led by the One to whom I have given my all, led as is a little child, with its hand in the hand of its father.
A right to a home, and dear ones? No, not necessarily, but a right to dwell in the heart of God.
A right to myself? No, but oh, I have a right to Christ.

All that He takes I will give. All that He gives I will take.
He, my only right! He, the one right before which all other rights fade into nothingness.
I have full right to Him.
Oh, may He have full right to me!

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Listening to the podcast.

An old podcast that features Dr. Duane Graveline (ex-astronaut) talking about the dangers of statin drugs.  And my doctor wanted me on them.

They inhibit melonimic pathways (I need to check that spelling)

I'm taking supplements now that the statin drugs would have only blocked.

The side effects of statin drugs can include damage to your mDNA.  Muscle wasting disease.  Memory eradication.  Transient global amnesia.

I wonder how many people who are diagnosed with Alzheimer's are on statin drugs (and how much does that disease look like transient global amnesia?)

Scary, scary things.

Graveline's website is spacedoc.