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Our Time is in His Hands

Death. It's something we all know exists, and yet at times it seems to be so very distant from our lives and the last thing on our minds. But sometimes it comes unexpectadly. Last night it came to a 43 y.o. mother-of-three after a firework show in Valencia. She was struck by a run-away car only a half mile from where I was celebrating the 4th with my family and friends. Before I drifted off to sleep that night I thought, "what if that had been me?" Then this morning, in addition to thinking about the death of last night, I discovered news that the authors of "Do Hard Things" and the Rebelution Blog lost their mother to cancer yesterday.

Although both of these deaths were in God's perfect timing, they are both "premature" according to human expectations. At this point in my life I often think in terms of years down the road and what I want to do. But these events have caused me to stop and ponder, what if today was my last day on earth? What if my God-ordained days are shorter than I expect, am I living the way I need to live now? What if someone close to me is living their last day?

Thinking through these things puts life in a new perspective. Motivations for holding personal grudges, being depressed or angry, or constantly stressing over plans shrink in light of the brevity of life and the reality of eterenity. Although life can be challenging and heart-breaking, as well as glorious and fun, we may never know that any particular day is our last one before we are called Home. This perspective calls us to live every moment in obedience to our Savior and to glorify Him in any circumstance big or small, because that is how we achieve a successful life. It likewise puts possessions and materialism in their place and brings to focus the importance of investing in people around us as we share the Gospel with the world and build up fellow believers. People after all, are the only created ones on this earth that will last forever.

Ultimately, it reminds us that God is indeed sovereign over our lives and we need not be anxious about anything, not even tomorrow. Even if His perfect plan means calling some of us home earlier than we expect, we know that as we purpose to cherish His grace, walk in obedience, and live for His glory our lives will not be wasted - no matter when He calls us home.

Words Mean Things!

Words mean things. Yet, as culture changes, word meaning is redefined to comply with lower standards and the current world view of the people. Lines are blurred and we become desensitized to things that are unthinkable in a Biblical culture. For instance, marriage is being replaced by civil unions and “long-term relationships”, husband or wife is being replaced by partner or significant other. Baby is being replaced with fetus and life is no longer defined in terms of sanctity, but quality. Someone who is diagnosed as a “vegetable” is no longer worthy of basic sustenance. Each of these examples have been implemented to advance the world’s agenda of defining society outside of God’s morality, all in the name of greater freedom and convenience.

Meaning is so important and our generation must be committed to defining meaning in light of scripture, the only ultimate reality. As Van Til stated "He who defines wins." We must, therefore, be prepared to call sin what it is and stand by definitions as God defines them. We must stand guard against the world’s gradual change of words to make sin acceptable. We must not allow redefinitions to make a subtle entrance to our thinking for the sake of the church in America and future generations.

WANTED: THE WESTERN

This is a project my brother helped direct and organize. If you enjoy the trailer please take a moment to become a fan on Facebook. The finished product is scheduled to be released
shortly!

Welcome to Site from Conquest Productions on Vimeo.

Fixing Our Eyes on Jesus: The Hope of a Generation Facing A Potential Storm

The American culture we live in today is growing increasingly bleak. The economy is decaying and the nation is currently led by a government hostile to God. Morality and restraint are disappearing and threats of shortages, wars, economic devastation, tyranny and persecution loom on the horizon. Understandably, many live in a state of alarm, fearful of what the future holds for them and especially for their children, children just like me, who are members of the next generation praying, planning, and hoping for a future.

So how should we respond, not only as the next generation, but as Disciples of Christ to this gathering storm? Perhaps the current alarm is a providential wake-up call, a call for us to trust in Him alone and depend on Him for all things, including our daily bread and our health care. It is time to realize that our hope and our trust should be in the Lord and not in our circumstances, a standard of living, possessions, or people. It is time for us to cut away the bondage of cultural thinking and the false sense of security that has wooed us into forgetting that God provides us with our very breath and knows the number of our days, and even the number of hairs on our head.

How freeing it is to ponder that God alone is our refuge and strength, and our freedom comes from faithful obedience to Him in all circumstances. The era God has placed us in may look drastically different than that of the prior generations, but our calling transcends circumstances as we seek to stand with Joshua and Caleb and follow God with dedicated hearts in the face of incredible odds and the giants in our land. In the whirlwind of challenge, we proceed one step at a time, laying our hopes and dreams at His feet and trusting Him who directs nations and orchestrates all events according to His awesome plan. May we be faithful to seek God with our whole hearts, stand as children of His promises, fix our eyes on Him, and run with endurance and purpose the race that He has set before us. Now is the time to evaluate what really matters in life so we can set our sights high and live lives of precision focused on knowing God and making Him known.
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"Oh, that young and old would turn off the television, take a long walk, and dream about feats of courage for a cause ten thousand times more important than American democracy - as precious as that is. If we would dream and if we would pray, would not God answer? Would He withhold from us a life of joyful love and mercy and sacrifice that magnifies Christ and makes people glad in God? I plead with you. . . set your face like flint to join Jesus on the Calvary road. "Let us go to Him outside the camp and bear the reproach He endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come" (Hebrews 13:13-14) When they see our sacrificial love-radiant with joy- will they not say, "Christ is great"?" - Don't Waste Your Life, Piper.

Tis the Season to be Thankful

Have you ever had those days when you sigh and think "If only I had _______" or "If only I could do __________" and yet by circumstances totally out of your control you realize now is not the time for your dreams to come true?

Now when I say dreams, I'm not referring to little materialistic desires like "I wish I had a Starbucks right now," or "I wish I could buy the latest cell phone." In this case I'm talking about deeper dreams, dreams of salvation for family, dreams of healing for sickness, dreams of hard situations getting easier . . . . I'm sure you could fill in the blanks with your dreams.

No matter where we are in life, we know there are things that we will want to change. Though we may raise our requests to God in prayer, the answer that comes back may be "no" or perhaps "not yet." At that point we have a choice to make, will we accept God's will in contentment or will we continue to pine away for the change we so desire?

Clearly, our Father does not intend for us to fret our lives away yearning for all of our dreams to be fulfilled. Instead He commands us to lay our cares at His feet and to place our trust fully in Him. But not only are we to trust Him, we are to be thankful in every situation. Yes, in everything.

Phil 4:6-7 "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

Eph 5:20 "Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ..."

1 Thes 5:17-18 "Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

Consider the flip side for a moment. If we weren't thankful for something what attitude would we be portraying? Would we be second guessing God? Would we be in danger of becoming bitter? When we say that we believe God works all things together for our good, do we truly believe it? Are we willing to let the Potter mold us and shape us through His plans for our lives?

Not only are we to be content in all circumstances (Heb 13:5; Phil 4:11)but we are to be thankful that God in His sovereignty has placed those challenges in our lives. Ultimately, any challenge that presents itself is for our good and His glory. Someday, when we have a bird's eye view of our lives, we will be able to
see how God was there at every twist and turn in the road shaping us and molding us to be more like Him. ~~~

Day by day, and with each passing moment,
Strength I find, to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment,
I’ve no cause for worry or for fear.

He Whose heart is kind beyond all measure
Gives unto each day what He deems best—
Lovingly, its part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest.

Work in Progress

This life, therefore, is not righteousness

but growth in righteousness,

Not health but healing,

Not being but becoming,

Not rest but exercise.

We are not yet what we shall be,

But we are growing toward it;

The process is not yet finished

But it is going on;

This is not the end

But it is the road.

All does not yet gleam in glory

But all is being purified. -Martin Luther

Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Phil 3