Vacation and Break

I am on vacation... so... I really wont be updating the blog for a week or so.
I finally get to enjoy my wife and KID.
Keep checking back!

Merry Christmas with Merry Worship

I was thinking about my history of Christmas. I have never been much of a Christmas guy, just because it always seemed to me like a business season, more than a spiritual season.
I was reading an article from a book that talked about the importance of Worship in Christmas; the author contended that Christmas without worship is just a regular holiday. Honestly, that has really call me to worship; Christmas without worship is just Independence Day, the reason that we celebrate Christmas is because we want to remember that our God became flesh long ago so that he could die for our sins.
So this season as you celebrate Christmas do what you usually do; eat, give gifts, have fun, and add a big entree of WORSHIP.

Here is my favorite Carol to help you get started:

Hark the Herald!

Hark the herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled"
Joyful, all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With the angelic host proclaim:
"Christ is born in Bethlehem"
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Christ by highest heav'n adored
Christ the everlasting Lord!
Late in time behold Him come
Offspring of a Virgin's womb
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
Hail the incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with man to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Hail the heav'n-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings
Ris'n with healing in His wings
Mild He lays His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Semester Over...

Thursday marked the end of my fall semester. As you can imagine, i am relieved, mainly since I have not had much time off this year (2007).
One thing that is hard about ending the semester is letting go, letting go specifically of school work and knowing that all has ended is a great sigh of relief. I will start again in 2008, I am taking a winter class that starts the second week of January and from then on the spring semesters will start with a vengence.
One thing that I wanted to do is to write down things that I have learned in this semester through school. At times it seems so hard to even look back and remember what happened after such a grueling time, but here are some things.

I learned

1) Melissa's unwavering support while I'm school.
2) To love the Old Testament in my Introduction to OT Exegesis
3) The importance of Context
4) How much I need to learn about Pastoral Ministries
5) The importance of prayer
6) God's provision in different areas of my life.
7) The relevance of God's Word.
8) God's constant care for my family.
9) To be detailed as I try to interpret the scriptures
10) Grammar matters in Scripture

Melissa's Birthday

Today is my Hero's Birthday! It's my wife's Melissa's Special day.
Melissa Ruth was born in Van Nuys, CA. some years ago and she has been one of the greatest sanctifying tools that God has ever used in my life.
I am thankful for Melissa because she is a great encouragement and great friend to me; she is also a great mom to Cael.
Here is to Melissa!

Please Pray! Darius and Audra

God is so good! He always brings people in our lives that are not only great friends, but they minister to us. Such is the case of Darius and Audra, God has done a marvelous work in both of their lives and they have been great friends to Melissa, Cael and me.
So this Sunday they are getting married and they asked me to officiate. Pray for them as they embark in one of life's most wonderful journeys; pray that God will be glorified in their wedding and in their marriage.
So here is to you both!

gap

Christmas and Carols

Yesterday we sang this carol that is almost forgotten by many.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I.

Who is He in yonder stall
At Whose feet the shepherds fall?
Who is He in deep distress,
Fasting in the wilderness?

Refrain

’Tis the Lord! O wondrous story!
’Tis the Lord! the King of glory!
At His feet we humbly fall,
Crown Him! crown Him, Lord of all!

Who is He the people bless
For His words of gentleness?
Who is He to Whom they bring
All the sick and sorrowing?

Refrain

Who is He that stands and weeps
At the grave where Lazarus sleeps?
Who is He the gathering throng
Greet with loud triumphant song?

Refrain

Lo! at midnight, who is He
Prays in dark Gethsemane?
Who is He on yonder tree
Dies in grief and agony?

Refrain

Who is He that from the grave
Comes to heal and help and save?
Who is He that from His throne
Rules through all the world alone?

Refrain


words by Ben­ja­min R. Han­by

The Busyness of Finals

Finals week is here. I noticed that this semester is not like others semesters; it much harder. I was thinking this morning that when I was in High School finals were my favorite times of the year because we had a shorten schedule and it meant that school was OVER. Bah!... Silly me, Finals do not mean the same, in graduate school, they mean long hours finishing writing papers, long hours finishing reading books, long hours studying for exams, and long hours figuring out how to balance the rest of my schedule.
Yes, this is a hectic time, but I am excited that I am closer to graduation, hopefully 2 more semesters!
So, all that to say that I have not been posting as much, but I will come back soon with avengence.

Pray for me!

Love One Another

Hillside is the name of our Bible study. We meet in Shadow Hills, CA about 5 miles away from our Church. I have been shepherding that study for the last three years and going there since 2003 when it merged with another study.
For the last 3 years we have taught through Colossians, James, and this year we have been going through the One Another's. This has been one of the hardest things that I have ever done while at that bible study. Teaching every-week on something that I fail at a lot has been convicting, because these one anothers have stared at me for weeks before I preached them.
This week wont be any different, I will be doing my last sermon on Romans 12:9-13, Love One Another. Needless to say, even reading the passage will be most convicting to us.
Please pray for me as I continue to prepare this message in the midst of term papers and finals next week.
I will keep you posted,

gap

The Lighter Side of US

Check out what Melissa made... Click here

Cael's First Email

Cael is a pretty precocious child. At six months, he is already emailing me.
Let me share with you his wisdom:

Subject: Bhnbhbfhtrtrgf

Body: E?d4d ;sfsSS Ai0k,,ikokp oio ;u uytyu t yumi I oi piol[op564fvl, gmnklvt
nkv4mly5dvlm;y dr5 .cxv ;o xp I rdtmkl dtfnmkl dnme djo nml dnl

I am not sure how to decipher this, but I am sure that he wrote me to tell me how much he appreciates me.

Update

Praise GOD!
My dad is home now; he is doing much, much better.
The ball is now on his court, he needs to take care of himself =)

Thanks for your prayers and your concern for my dad.

Why Do We Go to Church? Part 2

Friday, I had the opportunity to teach on Hebrews 10:25. 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

And there we found 2 reasons for going to church.

The first one was To Worship Corporately
There is no indication in the context of Hebrews as to why these believers were forsaking the assembly. Some commentaries suggested that it was because they were Jewish belivers, they were probably involved in some sort of Synagogue, other commentaries suggested that it was because of Spiritual pride, while others might think that it was fear of persecution. Either way, these were forsaking gathering together and were in turn forsaking worshipping with the other saints.

The Second reason is to Encourage Others
As the day draws near is an allution to the coming of the Lord. Again, the writer, encourages his readers not only to come to the assembly, but come ready to encourage others. The church is the body of Christ and this body is comprise by members that need one another to survive and glorify God.

Application-- I think that there is a problem in our society, we have become Spiritually individualistic and feel as though we do not need anyone. That is why we are called to not forsake our assembly, but in turn encourage others. As we do this we are able to practice the one another's of Scripture.

gap