Spiritual Birthday!

Tomorrow, September 1st, is my spiritual birthday. It was on that date back in the very early 1980's that I asked my mom what it meant to be a Christian. As I look back over my spiritual life (being made alive in Christ) I have naught I can do, but count my many blessings. Consider being born into a Christian family. Is that not a blessing in itself? Consider growing up, from my earliest memories, in church. What of being in a Christian school, of special meetings at church, of learning to pray in public on Saturday night prayer meetings? What of the formation of the youth group and later the young adults group? What of Joshua School, sitting in day and night classes under God's word? What of special speakers and short-term missions trips?

It could be so different today (well, tomorrow). I could be living in bondage to sin and the flesh, following the desires of the god of this world. I could be lost and in darkness, empty and alone. And but for the grace of God, so would I be. But God, (and oh the blessedness of those words), called me out of darkness into His wonderful light. Through the shed blood of Calvary my sins are covered and through His life I am justified. Now, God the Son sits at the Father's right hand and intercedes on my behalf!

Oh the blessedness of the one who is found in Him! I am redeemed! I am ransomed! The price that I could not pay has been paid by Him, BEFORE I EVEN KNEW OR CARED ABOUT HIM! If those things do not set my perspective straight, then there is something seriously wrong with my relationship with Him!

Yes, my physical birth had to occur prior to my spiritual one, but oh the blessedness of that spiritual one! I trust that these few lines will remind us all of the blessings that we have in Christ, the confidence, the great and precious promises, and the fact that no matter what happens today, the ransom has been paid.

There is a song that I really like, it probably is my favorite hymn, and one that I think fits this commemoration of that day when the Father drew me to Christ. I thought I'd type out the third verse, as it usually is the one that will be skipped when this song is sung...(and it's the best one)

My sin, oh the bliss, of that glorious thought,
My sin, not in part, but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross,
And I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!
O my soul!

Derek Weekly

It seems of late my blogging has taken the form of a weekly digest rather than a daily blog. I suppose that is due to several factors, not the least of which is the continual business brought about by the start of another school year.

Last week saw the start of high school, and this week brings the first classes up at USU. So...the store has been busier than a cat's tail in a room full of rocking chairs (did I use that one before?). Anyway, with sales over double our normal day to day sales, we have been kept busy keeping up with customers and returning the store to a "shoppable" state once we've shoo'ed the last customer out the door at night.

Pastor gave me the opportunity to do Sunday school again this past Sunday. The message was on leprosy as a type of the flesh. It was interesting to note that leprosy is rarely associated with animals, but is primarily a human disease. It is an outward manifestation of an inner problem (disease). What is the fruit of the flesh (or the deeds of the flesh) if not an outward manifestation of the sin nature or carnal nature in us? On the converse side, if the fruit of the Spirit is being displayed and evidenced, what does that say about the One who lives in us? Interesting questions.

I'll be teaching again this next Sunday, and will be finishing up this mini-series on the flesh by looking at God's covenant of circumcision. I have already been impressed by a couple of instances in the OLD Testament, that refer to a circumcision of the heart. A removal of the flesh from the heart. Add that to Paul's reference to the circumcision of Christ in Colossians, and we begin to see the separated, flesh-denying life that the Christian is called to. I believe the application will be in the commands to "put off" and to "put on"...not the least of which is where we are told to "put on" Christ Jesus.

In case you are wondering why this topic and if there is any correlation to the book of Ruth, well, I'm glad you asked! In a previous Sunday school lesson, we looked at Moab and her characteristics and found that she represents a "type" or "example" of the flesh. She was marked by one word, found over and again in references to her...pride. Anyway, with the supposition that Elimelech had turned to the flesh or had relied on the flesh to solve his problems, the study then turned toward application for us today. How do we approach the situations, circumstances and problems of our day-to-day walk with Christ? Do we try to live a day in our own strength, responding in the flesh rather than the Spirit? What fruit is visible: that of the flesh or that of the Spirit?

Well, I didn't mean to get all preachy, but just thought I'd catch y'all up on the latest in that regard. Beyond that, I've just been living life, attending church, and throwing in a few meals for good measure. By the way, I have been eating better (ie salads) and continuing with my excercise...so I should be in fairly good shape by the time I visit K-town.


(Eph 2:11-17) Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;

That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.

The Cargofun!

I had thought that this was just someone's idea of having fun. You know, making a scale model of a New Beetle that had been converted into a pickup. I gladly admit that I was wrong. This thing is for real! It is a conversion done in Germany, and is called the Cargofun. While the folks at Wolfsburg haven't decided to produce this thing yet, it looks like it might be a winner. Now all it needs is VW's 4-Motion AWD system, a diesel engine, and a 6-speed manual. SMMMMOKIN!

Muddin'

Ramped

Yes, that's a Quad in the back

Rocky road

Tree humor

Hay ride

Cuttin' some hay

Roads? We don't need no stinkin' roads!

Field Day

Kids

Cargofun and friend

Buttercups

Downtown

Now there are two of them

At the harbor

Another "Latest & Greatest" Post

Well, it's been a few days since my last post, so thought I'd do another "catchy'allup" post, and cover the highlights of the last week or so.

WORK
Work has been extremely busy. We are just hitting the "Back-To-School" season in full swing, and the store has been busier than a cat's tail in a room full of rocking chairs! This week marks the start of high school and grade school, and next week will be the colleges, so we can expect the excitement to continue for a while! We've been staying for a couple of hours after we close the store, just to get it half way presentable for the next day of business.

RUMOR
We have had a fellow attending church for the last few weeks who has been working on installing the ILS (Instrument Landing System) at the Logan airport. Rumor has it that this is being installed to allow commercial flights to operate out of Cache Valley...and the rumored commercial provider is...*drum roll please*...HORIZON AIR! So far, that is the only information that I've heard, but if it's true, could be a great help for me and anyone who wants to come down to visit. We'll see what happens in the months ahead!

TRAVEL
I am planning on heading up to Ketchikan mid-way through the last week of September and staying for about ten days or so. I'm hoping to be able to be there for a couple of Sundays at any rate. The last time that I was up was for Dave and Jenn's wedding, so I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone again.

CHURCH
Church has been going really well. We've been rather busy, between visiting speakers, VBS, and the preparation for the innaugural opening of the Christian school. Over the last few months, well maybe even the last year or so, the Lord has been bringing folks in, and Sunday mornings usually find us packed out in "full house" status. So, we've been praying about the possibility of expanding the existing building. We'll see how the Lord provides in that regard. During the last week of September we will be having our week long "fall revival", simply a week set aside to attend meetings each night. Our visiting speaker, Kory Mears, is a missionary to Fiji, and has a heart for the Lord.

PERSONAL STUDY
I have really been enjoying, as always, my time spent in studying God's word and in prayer. I have to admit that study comes easier than prayer does, but as I study, the importance of prayer continues to come to the surface, and I am enjoying the practice of making prayer more of a priority in my life, both in dedicated time and throughout the day. I am still studying the book of Ruth, though the studying has been in a broader sense, for I am asking the Lord to draw out application from it, application that can be shared in Sunday School. This last Sunday, I spoke about the battle against the flesh, how we need to be aware there is a battle, and that we need, through God's word and prayer, enabled by the Holy Spirit, to put to death or mortify the deeds of the sinful nature...aka "the flesh." Jesus, recognizing the need, told his disciples to "watch and pray." Paul tells us that since we have God's Spirit in us, let us walk in the Spirit, or keep in step with the Spirit. In so doing, the flesh will not find satisfaction. Did you realize that the principle of sowing and reaping was originally given in context to the flesh? Anyway, I won't drown you all in paragraphs from my notes, but those are just a few highlights. (If you are wondering how that applies to Ruth...I have in recent study, come to find out that Moab in the Bible represents a "type" of the flesh, and that Elimelech seems to have chosen to rely on the "flesh" rather than on God's written word and promises, when need arose.)

THE FUTURE
I am not completely certain of what the future holds for me. I have, from the beginning of this year, felt that this year may be significant, possibly in the natural (ie. job, plans, lifestyle, etc), but more importantly, in the spiritual. This is the year I turn 30, and have been impressed, though not in some sort of weird mystical way, that the Lord may do something in me this year, perhaps in the way of ministry or something similar. As I read in the Bible, the 30th year of a man's life had some significance. We see the Lord raising up Joseph when he was 30. We see King David beginning his rule in Hebron in his 30th year. The Levites entered service in their 30th year, and the Lord Himself began His earthly ministry at that age. We shall see what the Lord will do in the coming weeks and months.

EXCERCISE
One of my goals this last year has been to get in a better fitness program than I've chosen to participate in for the last few years. I've been doing more running and also had the opportunity to get back to lifting weights again, something that I really enjoy. So, that, coupled with a somewhat better diet, have helped me to shed a few pounds and feel "healthier."

THE CONCLUSION OF THE MATTER
"All is meaningless...a chasing after the wind." Just kidding! I just thought I'd throw that in for grins and giggles. I think I've mentioned most of what's been going on here for the last little bit. If anyone has any questions, I'd be glad to respond or even do a blog entry for them. Otherwise you'll be stuck with VW posts and more pictures!

Have a good one,

Derek

Pickup Man

"There's just somethin' women like about a pickup man..." Or so the song says. I've personally never really been a truck guy. I like other people's trucks, and they are very useful when stuff needs to be moved around, but I've just never been a big fan.

However...when I saw this pic, I realized that with the right TYPE of truck, I could turn into a truck owner! I doubt this will ever be made, or that I will one day see it at a VW dealership...but if I did, I might be tempted...

It's A New Beetle Thing

I don't know what it is exactly, but this picture seems to illustrate one of the great things about the New Beetle. It's fun, it's cute (ok, that's an opinion, but one that quite a few folks share), it's got loads of personality, and the people who drive it seem to appreciate those qualities. Notice that the girl is wearing a jacket that is the same color as the car. Notice that they chose to pose with the car, and that they purposely left the lights on. It's just a VW thing, I dunno how else to describe it. But, I will say this, it's pretty cool!

It's Delivery

So, last Friday, Taylor "T-Man" Hatton and I did a delivery to Malad, ID. This involved figuring out where Malad was, or at least how to get there, and then where to go once we got there. Once we had received directions on how to get there and where to go once we did get there, we felt pretty sure we could get there from here...or there.

Anyway, the first thing we saw when we took the exit off of I-15 was the hospital sign. Now of all the signs we had seen, this was the sign with the most significance for us, at least as far as signs go...though usually they don't go too far, for the sign post usually holds it to the place where it was as"sign"ed. We were supposed to make the delivery to the hospital, well, the old hospital, which was built before the new hospital. OK at one point in time it WAS the new hospital, but after some time, it became the old hospital, since a new one was built. So, it really wasn't even a hospital anymore, because it was a clinic, but that is neither here nor there.

To make a really short and uninteresting story long and much more interesting, after making a successful delivery (congratulations...it's a boy!...just kidding) we stopped at Thomas' Grocery. As to the particulars of this particular Thomas, we didn't have much information, but since Thomas had abundantly stocked his grocery store with food, we grabbed a couple of sandwiches and hit the road...well, carefully took the on-ramp back to the freeway and started driving back. Oh, I almost forgot...as we were driving back towards the freeway, we saw a truck that had this moniker on the tailgate "Thomas' Paintin'.

After reaquiring the freeway, we began to discuss the importance of this Thomas fellar. He obviously has some standing in the local community, hey, he might even be running for mayor...dadgum! Anyway, to make this even longer, as we were driving back to Logan, we were passed by a minivan with a bigscreen TV strapped to the back. Now I'd heard of some crazy idears before, but a mobile drive in theater was a pretty good one. Besides, the good old boy driving could just throw in a good DVD and keep a whole line of cars entertained on long road trips.

Well, just about that time, we came up on a fellar who was either A) drunk as a skunk, three sheets to the wind, or under the affluence of incohol....or B) extremely tired. This fellar (whose car looked like it had been painted by Thomas of Malad) had a tough time decidin' which lines he wanted to center his car over. Now we were a drivin' on the interstate, so there were two lanes. He felt that the best way to navigate across country was to plant that white dashed line dead center in his sites. Of course, this provided us with a lot of entertainment, especially when cars in the other lane wanted to go around him. We laughed for miles, and, wouldn'tyaknowit, he took our exit (well, he borrowed it, for when we came up on it, he had already replaced it).

So, there's the story of the delivery (no it's not a boy...nor a girl) and of Thomas, the man voted most likely to make mayor by Taylor and I.

DISCLAIMER: THE PRECEEDING NARRATIVE WAS WRITTEN AT A LATE HOUR. THE AUTHOR IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY CONFUSION, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, HEAD-SHAKING OR OTHER LIKELY RESPONSES. THE FACTS ARE TRUE, AND NONE OF THE NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED, BECAUSE THERE WAS NO ONE REALLY INNOCENT IN THE WHOLE STORY. SO...

This is Funny!

Musicians with a sense of humor, no matter how weak, are pretty funny in my book...especially if they are talented musicians. This clip is compliments of Yahoo!

Fire!

Last Wednesday, we had a fire (well, actually a couple of them) up in the mountains to the east of Logan and Providence. I had a few minutes before Bible Study, so I grabbed my camera and headed up to the Utah State campus.

Time

Time. It is something we all get an equal portion of...and one that we individually spend in diverse manners. The older I get, the less time I seem to have...and this, I believe, is not an observation, skewed by my own personal views, but seems to be a common thread.

I suppose that it would be more correct to state that: "The older one gets, the busier one is...and therefore the perception that time is moving by more rapidly." So, what is it that so consumes our time? Work, of course, is a major one...consuming 8-10 hours a day, sometimes more if a longer commute is necessary. Then there is the endless "honey-do" list of odds & ends around the house...things that do need to get done.

Church involvement will also take up time, especially if you attend a church that hasn't gone with the modern "once a week service" and still meets twice on Sunday and once during the week. If that church has a prayer meeting, there goes another hour or two.

Here is my question, both to myself and to anyone who chooses to read this: how much time do we allocate to personal devotions...both in the Bible and in prayer? I have the luxury of larger blocks of time than most, what with no family and few outside responsibilites...but I think the point is what you do with the time you have, not the time you do not have.

How important is our time with the Lord? Do we eagerly anticipate it? Do we do it out of guilt, fear or duty? Do we do it if time allows or do we prioritize for it? Just some questions. I was struck yesterday once again by the importance, no...the vital nature of spending time in communication with God.

Consider this statement from Job 23:12b "I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food. "

Or this from Deut 8:3 "And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live."

How can we ever discern the thoughts and attitudes of even our own hearts if we are not saturated with the Word of God? How can we hope to have continued victory over the flesh if we do not walk in the Spirit? How do we know what the Spirit "walks like" if we don't know Him? (And by that I mean know Him, not have Him, for He does dwell in us.)

Anyway, those are just a few thoughts this morning, stemming from my studies this week. God has been faithful in opening up more and more of His word, especially in regard to Moab and the flesh. What an amazing analogy! As I condense these thoughts, I'll pass a few along your way. Enjoy the day!

The Limits of Wisdom

THE LIMITS OF WISDOM
by David Brame

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Today is my Saturday...well, at least my day in the week that I have off other than Sunday. I have been making somewhat of a practice to spend a good portion of my "Saturdays" in Bible study. This coming Sunday, I will be, Lord willing, once again speaking to the folks at church from the pages of the book of Ruth.

We have been moving slowly through this book, in fact, we haven't even gotten out of verse one! As I explained a few Sundays back, we are taking our time through these first few verses, for I believe that they set a foundation for the rest of the book, and, that they provide a springboard or "jumping off" place to other parts of the Bible.

In looking at the first chapter, we find that the author, by God's inspiration, mentions over and again the place that Elimelech and his family were from, and where they had chosen to go. In looking at the nation of Moab in type, I believe that we see a type of the flesh. It goes way beyond the scope of this blog entry to explain the reasoning behind this, but I want to make mention of it to perhaps pique your curiosity in regard to the message from Sermon Audio that I listened to this morning.

After listening to parts of a couple of different messages on 1 Kings 11, I settled on one from a man named David Brame. Since it was offered in a video format as well, I ended up watching it. I was (and am) impressed by what was mentioned in this message and would recommend it to anyone who has a chance to listen to it...or to watch it.

See what you think!