future drummer?

We may have a future drummer here....














drum roll please....

Don't Waste Your Life

John Piper is one of my favorite bible teachers, I admire his passion. As you'll see in the two video's below John is very passionate in his charge to us as believers to not get caught up in the mindset of our culture by wasting our lives with mindless entertainment and temporal pleasures.

It Is Well With My Soul

I was reminded of the story behind this well know hymn and wanted to share it, this is powerful!

This hymn was written by a Chicago lawyer, Horatio G. Spafford. You might think to write a worship song titled,'It is well with my soul', you would indeed have to be a rich, successful Chicago lawyer. But the words,"When sorrows like sea billows roll ... It is well with my soul”, were not written during the happiest period of Spafford's life. On the contrary, they came from a man who had suffered almost unimaginable personal tragedy.

Horatio G. Spafford and his wife, Anna, were pretty well-known in 1860’s Chicago. And this was not just because of Horatio's legal career and business endeavors. The Spaffords were also prominent supporters and close friends of D.L. Moody, the famous preacher. In 1870, however, things started to go wrong. The Spaffords' only son was killed by scarlet fever at the age of four. A year later, it was fire rather than fever that struck. Horatio had invested heavily in real estate on the shores of Lake Michigan. In 1871, every one of these holdings was wiped out by the great Chicago Fire.

Aware of the toll that these disasters had taken on the family, Horatio decided to take his wife and four daughters on a holiday to England. And, not only did they need the rest -- DL Moody needed the help. He was traveling around Britain on one of his great evangelistic campaigns. Horatio and Anna planned to join Moody in late 1873. And so, the Spaffords traveled to New York in November, from where they were to catch the French steamer 'Ville de Havre' across the Atlantic. Yet just before they set sail, a last-minute business development forced Horatio to delay. Not wanting to ruin the family holiday, Spafford persuaded his family to go as planned. He would follow on later. With this decided, Anna and her four daughters sailed East to Europe while Spafford returned West to Chicago. Just nine days later, Spafford received a telegram from his wife in Wales. It read: "Saved alone."

On November 2nd 1873, the 'Ville de Havre' had collided with 'The Lochearn', an English vessel. It sank in only 12 minutes, claiming the lives of 226 people. Anna Spafford had stood bravely on the deck, with her daughters Annie, Maggie, Bessie and Tanetta clinging desperately to her. Her last memory had been of her baby being torn violently from her arms by the force of the waters. Anna was only saved from the fate of her daughters by a plank which floated beneath her unconscious body and propped her up. When the survivors of the wreck had been rescued, Mrs. Spafford's first reaction was one of complete despair. Then she heard a voice speak to her, "You were spared for a purpose." And she immediately recalled the words of a friend, "It's easy to be grateful and good when you have so much, but take care that you are not a fair-weather friend to God."

Upon hearing the terrible news, Horatio Spafford boarded the next ship out of New York to join his bereaved wife. Bertha Spafford (the fifth daughter of Horatio and Anna born later) explained that during her father's voyage, the captain of the ship had called him to the bridge. "A careful reckoning has been made", he said, "and I believe we are now passing the place where the de Havre was wrecked. The water is three miles deep." Horatio then returned to his cabin and penned the lyrics of his great hymn.

The words which Spafford wrote that day come from 2 Kings 4:26. They echo the response of the Shunammite woman to the sudden death of her only child. Though we are told "her soul is vexed within her", she still maintains that 'It is well." And Spafford's song reveals a man whose trust in the Lord is as unwavering as hers was.

It would be very difficult for any of us to predict how we would react under circumstances similar to those experienced by the Spaffords. But we do know that the God who sustained them would also be with us. No matter what circumstances overtake us may we be able to say with Horatio Spafford...

When peace like a river, attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll; Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul. Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, Let this blest assurance control, That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate, And hath shed His own blood for my soul! It is well ... with my soul! It is well, it is well, with my soul. My sin, oh, the bliss of this 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! It is well, with my soul, It is well, with my soul, It is well, it is well, with my soul. And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight, The clouds be rolled back as a scroll; The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend, Even so, it is well with my soul.
It is well, with my soul, It is well, with my soul, It is well, it is well, with my soul.

$10,000 Creflo Dollar Challenge

I saw this yesterday on Steve Camp's blog and had to make a post. The gullability of people is.... welll..... wow!!!!! I mean you have to have absolutely no discernment to follow a guy like this.

$10,000 Creflo Dollar Challenge Published July 18th, 2008 by Editor in Discernment, Word Faith Yesterday, on the Fighting for the Faith radio program Chris Rosebrough issued the $10,000 Creflo Dollar Challenge.

Rosebrough was responding to Creflo Dollar’s claim that the rich young ruler (Matt 19:16-26) actually went and sold his possessions and as a result God blessed him 100 fold.
Rosebrough believes that Creflo Dollar is twisting God’s word and completely making stuff up. Therefore, Rosebrough is offering $10,000 to the first person who can provide Biblical proof from the New Testament that supports Creflo’s claims about the rich young ruler.

Click Here to Hear More About the $10,000 Creflo Dollar Challenge.

Future hope while living in a sinful world

This week on my way into work each morning I've been listening to John MacArthur's radio broadcast. The topic this week has been on the subject of sin and where it began. John's insightful teaching has once again got me thinking.

When I look at the world in which we live I'm struck with the reality that it is seriously broken and in such a mess because of sin. Sin has impacted everything in this world. As I watch the news I often wonder how those who do not know Christ make it through each day. What hope do they have when they wake up each morning to find the world in such turmoil? The world has no answers nor do they understand why this world is spinning out of control and all their efforts to fix it are in vain. Where is their hope? Their hope is a false hope. Man cannot fix this worlds problems and they are not going to be fixed by electing a new president, climate change, winning wars or becoming energy independent.

Our hope as beleivers isn't found in this world but in another kingdom. The more I grow as a Christian the more I long to be with Jesus. Don't get me wrong, I love my family but I look forward to leaving this world behind and being able to truly live free from sin. Some call that "escapism", but it is the longing of a true believers heart.

"He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming quickly " Amen Come, Lord Jesus.
Revelation 22:20 (NASB)