The Burning Stick

2006-12-06T14:47:00.000-08:00

How long o' lord will you hide your face from me?

.........How long will I not look to see if you really are hiding it from me?

Question

2006-06-27T17:51:00.000-07:00

What makes a good man?

I'd be interested in hearing what you have to say, so leave a comment

1 Timothy 4

2006-04-18T17:55:00.000-07:00

9. This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance 10.(and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe.

11. Command and teach these things. 12. Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. 13. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. 14. Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you.

15. Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. 16. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

I used to be afraid of seeing a prophet...for fear of what that person may say to me because a prophet speaks on behalf of the lord...now I'm willing to look past that, Where could I find someone to give me a prophetic message.... are there any true prophets out there??

Lord Of The Rings

2006-03-13T14:33:00.000-08:00

Josh
You are most like Aragorn. You have strong convictions and you stick to them. Although you are more of a recluse, you are extremely loyal to the few friends that you have. You are very serious about things, but you like having fun. Fame and fortune mean little to you, and you aren't concerned with being popular.

Hayley
You are most like Elrond. Although you are very serious, you're not above having a good time. It's just that your definition of a good time is pretty different from other people's. You're very smart, so use your knowledge to help others! At least your not so pessimistic. People may think you're hard nosed, but all your friends know better.

What Lord Of The Rings Character Are You?

Maurice Broaddus

2006-03-06T20:40:00.000-08:00

Link to this page if your interested click on his Name...oh wait!!! before you do read what I have selected in Italics...this guy is a good read!

Maurice Broaddus

"And you know what? Sadly, I have seen some wrong reasons folks have thought of as reasons to get married:
-tax breaks (though don’t get me wrong, that is why I decided to have kids)
-to make a home
-to have sex or children (as if that is the sole purpose of marriage - remember, there is always television)
-to end or prevent loneliness (marriage is no guarantee of that: there is nothing worse that being lonely in a marriage. At least when you are single, you can theoretically do something about it)."

AHEM!!

Another Red Neck Idea....

2006-02-28T14:31:00.000-08:00

SWEEEEEET!!!!

Interesting.........

2006-02-27T15:11:00.000-08:00

Can't wait to see it!!

A movie about skids

Meeting God Half Way

2006-01-31T11:04:00.000-08:00

...The title seems kinda funny I guess, why? well, what we think might be half way only seems a mere couple steps to the miles that God walked to meet us.

It's 2:08pm a couple hours past me walking out of the Emerald building in Missisauga, with an exam finished it feels good to sit down and do something other than study the complexities of an automotive system from Tires and wheels to the valves on Transmissions, from deisel right down to seat belts and so on and so on....I'm not complaining (much)...I'm pointing out the fact that there was alot to cover in three weeks time and it wouldn't have been possible without God, my dearest friends prayers and...... a little determination on my behalf (the mere couple steps)

The night before my exam (lastnight) I prayed for some sort of confirmation from God when I finished praying I opened the Bible to this specific thing..

1 Peter 5:10-11
(10) In his kindness God called you to his eternal glory by means of Jesus Christ. After you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. (11) All power is his forever and ever. Amen.

God hasn't spoken to me like that in a while, or maybe I haven't listened for a while...but wow, man!

Before anyone gets excited...I don't have the results from my test and will have to wait till next Monday or Tuesday....yes I have to wait another week...making it (the suffering) one week more to wait....I feel good though not really good but I don't think that all of this was in vain....by all this I mean all the signs all the studying all the prayers all the doubt all the stern not quitting messages and fifty days of faith messages, having faith, getting in the water, never giving up and keep on keeping on.

I walked out feeling I wrote a 90% but later I had let my doubts sink in, I don't think that I failed this test though....I will be proven a fool if I have...but I will not be proven a fool...I must boast that my God wouldn't defer my hope and all my friends hope and make our hearts sick...I'll have faith wether it worked my way or not and who cares if I'm a fool...at least I'm a fool who loves God and tries his best to trust him no matter what....this was the right thing to do at the right time with the right people to encourage me (I won't say that someone isn't trying to make me doubt and fear a little)......So I stick to my promise....What do you need prayer for?....through all this, I discovered how important prayer really is...again.

My Exam

2006-01-11T14:17:00.000-08:00

January 31st at 9:00 am

What I need:

1)Prayer from this point on...in being able to retain and understand what I am studying...everyday if possible for you.

2)A stress free drive to downtown brampton the morning of my exam.

3)The abiltity to push away doubt and think clearly when I write my exam.

4)Confidence while writing my exam.....the ability to pick out the write words to understand fully what each question is asking....If I don't know the answer that I may be guided to the right answer.

5)A protection that only God can provide during my exam to keep all distraction spiritual and physical away from me.

6)An above 70% final grade on my test....70 is the mark to pass....69% is a fail, 80% to 90% is achievable depending on how much we all pray about this coming exam.

This is my last chance to write before I would have to pay to take a refresh course and given one last chance to write the Certificate of Qualification ( C of Q )

What you get:

1)The satisfaction of knowing and seeing that god answers your prayers.

2)My eternal gratitude and thanks for finally being able to close this chapter of my life and move on without this hanging over me.

What you already have from me:

1)You are in my thoughts and my prayers.

2)Many other things to long too mention because I have to go study...

I love you all and I leave you with this thought today...
...Stop telling God how big your storm is, instead, start telling your storm how big your God is!

Kind of an odd thing to put at the end of this...but I found it helpful for some reason...I'm going to pass this test because he is with me and I have his and your support.

What hillbillies do in their spare time.

2006-01-06T22:37:00.000-08:00

Redneck Ferraris

Cabbits!!!!

2005-12-14T16:17:00.000-08:00

Cabbits...Yes my friend, Cabbits..
Although the scientific mind would argue that it is genetically awckward and impossible for a Cabbit to exsist, they do...now before you look at me strange ponder this, the Cabbit is not bred By a cat and a rabbit that is where I would have to agree with science but even scientists agree that nature does some funny things sometimes...genetic mutation can sometimes cause a cabbit to be born in a litter sometimes up to a full litter of Cabbits can be born...
Here is something to make you take a back too...genetic mutation has also caused the "Squitten" a cat that has a tail like a squirell and stands like one also the "Cataroo" a cat that has short front legs and stands like a Kangaroo...how is that....there are stranger things in this world than we know!!

My friend...

2005-12-03T13:23:00.000-08:00

For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. --Hebrews 4:15-16

With boldness, therefore, at the throne Let us make all our sorrows known And ask the aid of heavenly power To help us in the evil hour.

"Thank You, Lord, for this encouragement. It's so hard to suffer alone, and in ministry it often seems we have no one with whom we can openly share. Thank You that You know and understand. Amen."

I have a good friend, he talks to me to a point...But sometimes when it comes to matters of the heart it seems that a wall goes up. Sometimes I wish he could trust me fully, sometimes I realize it's really none of my business, I realize that I do not want to pry and wonder if prying would be appropriate at the time.

My friend is often betrayed, or must feel betrayed and my heart goes out to him. Sometimes we are so wrapped up in the way we ourselves feel that we don't see those we are hurting around us...So if you happen to think of it in various points of your life pray for this friend of mine....Because he needs strength and encouragement too. God knows my friend and he will know when you pray for him.

Passing Thoughts

2005-11-28T17:45:00.000-08:00

Hebrews 10:22

22let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

I have nothing to add....

The battle started long ago...It seems an age and a half since there was any rest, I was on their side it seems half of that time, maybe more. Before I found out what they where. You can't make out their faces through the fog and it's hard to see them coming....Sometimes the elders can sense them coming but alas our enemies are like shades. I joined this army A short time ago but already I have seen war.... Once my eyes became clear, as if something on the breeze whispered to me in an inaudible voice only just so I could hear it...."Wake up..... It's time"

I lay on the ground pondering this as I stare up to what used to be sky only 2 years past, my body aches with blows from various arrows but they only sting and bruise me, they explode into dust on impact but the visions they carry make me fall in agony and cry out to the Heavens...His cry to me is "Get up again...Strengthen your armor, draw near to my forge and I will make it strong"

Our king is a good King he knows us, every one of us soldiers, he's been king for many many centuries. Most don't even know when he started as king but there are rumors...Some even say he created this land, I on the other hand have never seen him to ask him if it where true...But I believe...Because the shades are a part of the kingdom past and he used to rule them, before the dark one poisoned their minds and turned a third of the army against the king...Though we call him the dark one many have said his armor shone brighter than the sun and he looked glorious...If our soldiers didn't know who he was they would have been tempted to follow...But they where rescued and pledged their allegiance to the king....Some still fall..But we...

The howl of another defeated shadow... "Who is this that fights with such ferocity, that he can fight without even seeming like he's moving and defeat these shades with a word...And send them running?"......I wonder.

He reaches out his hand to me...."Come...Get up, it's time to arise and awaken"

The slow strangulation of a former self!

2005-11-21T18:11:00.000-08:00

November 18 Spiritual Warfare and Sin: The Erotic Age

It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles-that a man has his father's wife! --1 Corinthians 5:1

The period in which we now live may well go down in history as the Erotic Age. Sex love has been elevated into a cult. Eros has more worshipers among civilized men today than any other god. For millions the erotic has completely displaced the spiritual....

Now if this god would let us Christians alone I for one would let his cult alone. The whole spongy, fetid mess will sink some day under its own weight and become excellent fuel for the fires of hell, a just recompense which is meet, and it becomes us to feel compassion for those who have been caught in its tragic collapse. Tears and silence might be better than words if things were slightly otherwise than they are. But the cult of Eros is seriously affecting the Church. The pure religion of Christ that flows like a crystal river from the heart of God is being polluted by the unclean waters that trickle from behind the altars of abomination that appear on every high hill and under every green tree from New York to Los Angeles. Born After Midnight, 36-37.

"Lord, I pray this morning for any of Your servants who are caught in the trap of immorality or pornography. This 'whole spongy, fetid mess' has so many in its clutches-give victory today, I pray, in Jesus' name. Amen."

This my friends is my dark secret, out of all the things I have overcome (or at least I think I have)...one things still takes hold of me and tries to pull me in...I read this today after my failures.

I try so hard but the minute I forget, I slip. Men I want to tell you something, although you are not commiting adultery with your body, you are still commiting adultery with your eyes and in your heart...and what is to become of us?

Where is the christian I once knew...(the one who resisted these things) I wonder what Paul the apostle struggled with when he spoke "oh what a wretched man I am", I wonder if Jesus struggled with the same thing...I feel sick to my stomach at the very sight of myself sometimes.

I heard My pastor and friend...speak of sacrifice and it weighed heavy on me. What can I do? The nature of the beast takes over once you have been convinced long enough...I wish I where strong all the time but the truth is..I am only half strong (if that!)

You see the whole point to my story is was this..."in no way other way does this sin affect you so!"
As a child I was exposed to this, I grew up with it's clutches so desperately clinging to me....I now wonder if I will ever be free from it all, and for some reason it becomes harder to resist...

The more I let down my guard the harder it is to say no!...you may say as you read this well that's because you let down your guard but the truth is I don't realize I have until I am in the middle of it, I know that scripture states "don't be as horse or a donkey to be led with a bit in its mouth" ...but for this I wish it said "in your times of trouble I will lead you like a horse"...I wish that I could be perfect...but I fear I will never be, I fear for my salvation, will god call me a sheep or a goat in the end? DO I deserve discouragement or encouragement?

Does every man/woman feel this way? I wish there where more open people around me bit the truth is they are probably just as afraid as I am of telling this to people. But the truth has to be out...I have no one to talk to about it and if I did what would I say?

I had a dream a long time ago about a field and a big oak tree, the clouds where black and the tree was dead, This lightning bolt crashed through the sky so enormous it almost blinded me and the crack of it made my ears ring, It sliced through the tree like a knife through butter and the tree shattered like glass hitting the floor,

I hope for my sake this dream comes true, I hope whatever sin is in my life shatters like that
..I want to hear at the end of my life "well done good and faithful servant" but I am scared I will only hear "I never knew you"...With these fears so deeply imbedded in me and the truth finally coming out I wonder how many will look me in the eye and not think "Pervert"...I tell you now I am sick I have a desease and this desease without encouragement will eat me alive, I need to hear that I am a good person, I need to know I am a good person...I need the truth whatever it may be.

...I really feel like I don't belong and that all the cliches(not really cliches to those who follow him with pure hearts) do not apply to me. How far can God be pushed how many times can you fall down and ask for forgiveness before it becomes redundant?...before you just finally say you know what God I am not fit, go ahead give up on me...I am not what you or I had hoped for.

Nevertheless...I am killing myself to live, holding on to a hope I am not so sure of now...only the hope that God will love me enough to keep going and maybe if he thinks of it he can take me with him.....

I would like to end this post with an "I'm Kidding" like I would if I where acting out of character...during group discussions...but regretfully and shamefully I'm not...this is me this is where I am at right now and I fear I will never win...and that all those self help books out there christian and the like are a scam, or a big money grab... the only help comes from the holy spirit and what if I lost him too!

Or maybe I'm just having a bad day? Maybe I've just hung out around the manure pile too long and I'm beginning to smell Like it! (these are attempts to discredit the way I feel)

Ouch!

2005-11-15T20:33:00.000-08:00

A little word from Tozer.....

November 15

Spiritual Warfare and Sin: Self-sins

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. --Galatians 2:20

To be specific, the self-sins are self-righteousness, self-pity, self-confidence, self-sufficiency, self-admiration, self-love and a host of others like them. They dwell too deep within us and are too much a part of our natures to come to our attention till the light of God is focused upon them. The grosser manifestations of these sins--egotism, exhibitionism, self-promotion--are strangely tolerated in Christian leaders, even in circles of impeccable orthodoxy. They are so much in evidence as actually, for many people, to become identified with the gospel. I trust it is not a cynical observation to say that they appear these days to be a requisite for popularity in some sections of the church visible. Promoting self under the guise of promoting Christ is currently so common as to exite little notice....Self is the opaque veil that hides the face of God from us. It can be removed only in spiritual experience, never by mere instruction. We may as well try to instruct leprosy out of our system. There must be a work of God in destruction before we are free. We must invite the cross to do its deadly work within us. We must bring our self-sins to the cross for judgment. The Pursuit of God, 43-44.

"Oh Lord, do that 'work of God in destruction' within me today. I am indeed 'crucified with Christ.' I pray this morning that the cross would obliterate the self-sins in my life and let me live only for Jesus Christ and His glory. Amen."

You'd figure I'd learn

2005-11-14T16:09:00.000-08:00

...No I wouldn't I'm really very stubborn, ....no really I am!
Most people wouldn't believe that I am even if I told them, just like my sarcasm...which is non-existent. I am really not a sarcastic person. heh heh.

Anyway I'm trying to straighten out my blog and make it look pretty. It's fun to figure out how everything works on my blog page...but not so fun when you wipe out your archives entirely as we learn from the previous post.

SO now we have learned to keep copies ocassionally of our progressively growing site...LOL.

Start again I guess

2005-10-16T12:11:00.000-07:00

playing with html and templates, can be a dangerous thing I guess...if your wondering where my archives went ...don't ask, they took a ride to the imformation highway superdump and are being composted as we speak.

why?? because I'm an idiot...LOL! ha hah HAH hah...yeah!!