the most dangerous person of all is the one who does not emphasize the right things

“We have somehow got hold of the idea that error is only that which is outrageously wrong; and we do not seem to understand that the most dangerous person of all is the one who does not emphasize the right things.” -D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

What is wrong only matters as much as what is right.  True, right reveals wrong.  But focusing on what is wrong does not equal being anchored in what is right.

anniversary

6 years ago today Paige and I tied the knot.

It's still tied today.

6 years may not seem like much of an accomplishment to some, but you can't reach your 50th anniversary without first having your 6th.

So here's to 44 more!

what's in a name?

The Cedar Falls church plant from Cornerstone Church of Ames is officially named: Candeo.

Or as I like to write it: canDeo.

That's not an official logo, that's me and Microsoft paint reaquainting ourselves after far too long.  But like good friends, we picked up right where we left off with amazing works of "art."

Besides, I like writing Candeo as canDeo because in addition to being a microsoft paint sandwich artist, I'm also puns o’ fun!

The word means, “to grow, to shine, to grow in brilliance.” “candeo,” in its conjugation literally says, “I shine” or “I grow in brilliance.”

This saying can only be said rightly by God Himself.

He is Light.

From Gen 1:3 to Rev 22:5 we see the theme of light being in and with God.

The sun and moon are not sources of light. We all know the moon reflects the sun. But we rarely acknowledge that the sun receives its light from the Son. That really was not intended to be punny. Jesus gives the sun light. Without Jesus, the sun does not glow, grow, shine or increase in brilliance.

So in that vein, I like to spell Candeo as canDeo to draw out the “Deo” which is Latin for God. In this sense the phrase “I shine” is reinforced as a statement originating in God Himself. He alone may rightly say, “I shine.”

He declares us righteousness and pronounces us the light of the world in His train. We do not glow. We reflect. We genuflect (it's a word, look it up). We receive light into us. It does not bubble up and out of us. There is no light to be found in us. Jesus does not simply do a better job of probing our depths than we do. We do not need Jesus to help us find our inner light. He is not simply better at fanning into flame our inner spark.

There is no spark!
There is no light!

He alone is light and flame and spark and fire.

There is Jesus and everything else.

And that to which He gives light grows in brilliance through, to, from and for Him alone.

Got it?

Good.

Bring it on Cedar Valley.

ollie, ollie oxen free

do not yield to all traffic‏

Oz detailed the drama of our self-imprisonment this morning when he said,

. . . you are that one’s slaves whom you obey . . . —Romans 6:16

The first thing I must be willing to admit when I begin to examine what controls and dominates me is that I am the one responsible for having yielded myself to whatever it may be. If I am a slave to myself, I am to blame because somewhere in the past I yielded to myself. Likewise, if I obey God I do so because at some point in my life I yielded myself to Him.

If a child gives in to selfishness, he will find it to be the most enslaving tyranny on earth. There is no power within the human soul itself that is capable of breaking the bondage of the nature created by yielding. For example, yield for one second to anything in the nature of lust, and although you may hate yourself for having yielded, you become enslaved to that thing. (Remember what lust is— “I must have it now,” whether it is the lust of the flesh or the lust of the mind.) No release or escape from it will ever come from any human power, but only through the power of redemption. You must yield yourself in utter humiliation to the only One who can break the dominating power in your life, namely, the Lord Jesus Christ. “. . . He has anointed Me . . . to proclaim liberty to the captives . . .” (Luke 4:18 and Isaiah 61:1).

When you yield to something, you will soon realize the tremendous control it has over you. Even though you say, “Oh, I can give up that habit whenever I like, ”you will know you can’t. You will find that the habit absolutely dominates you because you willingly yielded to it. It is easy to sing, “He will break every fetter,” while at the same time living a life of obvious slavery to yourself. But yielding to Jesus will break every kind of slavery in any person’s life.

To what have you yielded?

To whom have you yielded?

 

We willfully submit ourselves to that which we then have no power later to rebel.

We are willing participants in the slavery of our will and affections.

We often develop Stockholm syndrome with regard to sin, Satan and self.

 

God is greater and He is stronger than sin, Satan and your self.

Yield yourself to Him.

Set yourself aside.

 

Purposely point yourself at His promises to find yourself free and found in forgiveness.

now that’s puttin' the “LENT” in vaLENTine!

You only have 6 more months until Valentine's Day comes around again 

A Valentine without “lent” is simply vain with a obligatory extra British "e."

Better than ditching “a lent” and ending up with vines, I guess.

You can take the “Rita” out of the Puritan, but all you get is a pun.

soulspank‏

My friend Travinci and I invented a band this morning.

It is my pleasure to introduce you Soulspank which derives its names from

Proverbs 15:32

Whoever ignores instruction despises himself,
but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence.

 

Being disciplined is of no value if it does not instruct the soul.
So that's the mission of our band.
To spank your soul.

Travinci and I finally have a platform from which to launch our long-talked-about song, “God hates divorce.”

 

When going through the book of Malachi at church a few years back, Travinci and I decided we should write a song based on themes directly pulled from the book we were studying.

 

We never wrote “God hates divorce” as much as mock-thrashed around and made many an allusion to this heavy metal ministry mashed-up monstrosity that was the product of our over-active imaginations and comedic sensibilities. It was less of a song and more just head-banging and screamo-ing “God hates divorce.” While God may “like” marriage, He HATES divorce! That was the subtitle of our first single. We thought it was funny.

 

Ah, remember these days.

Etch them on my mind and soul.

 

It has been so much fun to laugh and befriend brothers who love Jesus and His Word and a well-timed, poorly-executed pun or two.

 

What a blessing to be alongside men whom I love, who love me and love Jesus.

how it all works itself out sometimes

Ecclesiastes 10:10

 

If the ax is dull, and one does not sharpen its edge,
then one must exert more strength;
however, the advantage of wisdom is that it brings success.

 

I can run really fast for a short amount of time over a short distance.

If I can run more slowly over a longer period of time, I can run really far.

 

I cannot run really fast for very long.

I will not run slowly if the distance is short.

 

My default is to push.

I will push hard.

 

But I cannot sprint a marathon.

Neither will I trot a dash.

 

I function best when those in charge of me either utilize my strengths in performing easier tasks quickly or utilize my strength of enduring more difficult tasks when given the proper time.

 

I get frustrated when I must sprint for too long.

I try to keep running as fast as you’re asking.

My side hurts.

My ego bursts.

 

I will not punt on performance however.

I will not skip to first base.

I will run it out.

 

These are my strengths and weaknesses as I see them as it relates to industry and general productivity in my world.