|
|
|
|
|
Users viewing this topic:
none
|
|
Login  | |
|
RE: Songs of the Noblesinger - 11/14/2005 10:48:53 AM
|
|
|
noblesinger
Posts: 869
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: "Almost Heaven"
Status: offline
|
It's Monday morning and I'm back at work after a long 4-day weekend. I took Thursday off so that I could accompany Mom to her doctor's appointment. She was seeing an orthopedic surgeon, and he ended up telling her that she will need her left knee replaced soon. She's going to put it off as long as she can with cortisone shots, but she'll eventually have it done. Then the other one will get the same treatment later on. She will receive a ID card to carry around, marking her as a replacement recipient, because when she goes through metal detectors (especially at airports) the alarms will go off. Some people will probably ask to see her scar, in addition to the ID, if there is a heightened security status. But she's willing to endure all of that if it means she can get around easier.
Friday was a special day. It was my birthday and many people got the day off 'cause I was born. Just kidding! Actually, it was Veteran's Day and much of the country honored all of our war dead and living veterans. I've always been very proud to have been born on November 11th, and will never forget the men and women who fought and died to give me the rights that I now enjoy as an American.
After Mom's appointment, we went to Wal-Mart for some groceries. While there, Mom and I saw a warm-up suit that we liked, so she bought for me as my present from her. The best part of all about the suit is that it is one size smaller than I've been wearing in the past. Praise God for His goodness to me in my "Battle of the Bulge!" My total loss is 61 pounds, despite what happened last Monday at WW. I had gained 4 pounds by their scales, but I also had not emptied my stomach and bladder before going, so I'm not really worried. By Wednesday morning, I'd dropped 7 pounds from Monday evening, so things were back to normal. Friday evening Mary, Mom and I went to dinner at TGI Fridays. I had a Jack Daniels Flat Iron Steak (YUMMY!  ), then 1/2 of their "Oreo Madness" dessert (Mary got the rest) as a special treat. I had worked out hard that afternoon, plus been real stingy with my Points in preparation. We made our way to Books-A-Million after eating so that Mary could get her gift to me. I told her that all I wanted was the new Clive Cussler book, Polar Shift. It's no secret to most of you that Clive is my absolute favorite author. His stuff is just so-o-o-o-o good! Besides, he's an antique car buff like me. Of course, he's got the money to indulge his love of old automobiles, but that's fine for him. Me? I just love to look at them. So all in all, I had a really nice birthday weekend. I just wish that the rest of my family (Mom & Dad's sides) had remembered it and sent me some sort of greetings, but they didn't.   But that's OK. I've got my church family, and you all as well, who more than take their place. I love you guys! See you later!
Duane
_____________________________
"...the worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love." - Henry Scougal, The Life of God in the Soul of Man
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Songs of the Noblesinger - 11/18/2005 2:24:10 PM
|
|
|
noblesinger
Posts: 869
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: "Almost Heaven"
Status: offline
|
I'm going to be a busy beaver this weekend, even more so than last. Tonight I'm going to a wedding rehearsal for a young couple at church. They have asked me to run a PowerPoint presentation on the computer for them. Tomorrow is Men's Prayer Meeting at 7:00am, then Sign Choir Practice from 10-11:30, visitation at a funeral home for a woman from my church from 12-2 (which I only will stay for a few minutes), then the wedding at 3. Hopefully, I'll catch a little of the football games tomorrow, but probably not.
Sunday morning, the Adult Choir sings at the 8:15 service, Praise Band practice is at 9:30, then Sunday School is at 9:45, followed by morning worship at 11. I'll be running the computer at both services, but I only have to get things going at the early one - that allows me to come down and sing in the Choir. See? I told you I was going to be busy. And the Bengals are playing the Colts that afternoon, so I want to watch the game. Will I get to? Doubtful. I think Mom wants to go out and eat after church. so my ideas are shot to pieces - unless I can convince her to go to a sports bar and eat. Yeah, right! As if that's gonna happen. There's more chance of Osama bin Laden getting saved than my Mom going to a sports bar! Oh well, I'm a tree, so I can bend in the wind. Catch y'all later!
Duane
_____________________________
"...the worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love." - Henry Scougal, The Life of God in the Soul of Man
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Songs of the Noblesinger - 11/21/2005 3:53:05 PM
|
|
|
noblesinger
Posts: 869
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: "Almost Heaven"
Status: offline
|
Well, I survived my very busy weekend. I went to the wedding rehearsal on Friday evening and received a very pleasant surprise. The groom's parents were old high school friends of mine; I don't know why I didn't realize it before, but I guess that was God's way of giving me a little unexpected gift. Thank You, Lord! Anyway, after we had a chance to renew acquaintances with one another, as well as meeting their respective new spouses (They've been divorced for a number of years), I did my thing up in the computer cubbyhole, then went out to eat with Mom and Mary.
Saturday was really busy, although I did skip out of Men's Prayer Meeting (my shoulder ached too much). First thing out of the box, I ran a couple of errands for Mary, then we went to Sign Choir practice. After coming home, I got cleaned up and walked over to the nearby funeral home to pay my respects to the family of one of our dear saints from church. She graduated to her new body on Wednesday and her Homegoing Celebration was Saturday afternoon (Visitation 2 hrs. before the service). The wedding began at 3:30 and went off with only a minor hitch (some sound system glitches), then came the reception. I ended up seeing some more friends from high school there, so my heart is still riding a little higher from those moments of renewing ties. One unusual note about the reception: each place setting at the tables had a small Chinese take-out box in front of it. On top was a fortune cookie (either red or black), and when opened, they revealed a number of pieces of candy - Mini-Twix, Tootsie Rolls, Jolly Ranchers, Bit-O-Honey, etc. - which set Mary's sweet tooth to dancing. I did indulge in a few pieces, so I can't criticize her very much. LOL
Yesterday was also a busy one for the West family. The Adult Choir sang at the 8:15 service, so I had to be there at 7:50 for warm-up, but I also was running the computer during the sevice, so I got some exercise trotting up and down the stairs from the balcony to the choir loft and back again.  Praise Band practice came during the Sunday School hour, because our leader owns the local Chick-Fil-A franchise and can't get away to rehearse on Saturdays during the holiday rush. After the 11:00 service, where I again ran the computer between singing duties, we grabbed a bite to eat then went home for a well deserved nap. 
Our Senior Pastor, Keith Cobb, had an excellent message yesterday. It was the last in an extended series he's been doing on spiritual warfare. I'll be posting the notes later on, so I'll sign out for now. See ya!
Duane
_____________________________
"...the worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love." - Henry Scougal, The Life of God in the Soul of Man
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Songs of the Noblesinger - 11/22/2005 11:04:12 PM
|
|
|
noblesinger
Posts: 869
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: "Almost Heaven"
Status: offline
|
Here are the notes from Pastor Keith's sermon that I was telling you about. Entitled "Strengthened With His Might for His Battles," it is the last in a series that he's been preaching since July. It has been a very anointed series of messages. I hope that you all are blessed by it.
__________________________________________
Eph. 6:10 (Amplified) - "In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides]."
"be strong" - used 6x by Paul...here, and -
~ Rom. 4:20 - "...he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith,..."
~ Phil. 4:13 - "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."
~ 1 Tim. 1:12 - "...Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me..."
~ 2 Tim. 2:1 - "...be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus."
~ 2 Tim. 4:17 - "But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me,..."
Passive voice, genitive case
This is how the word "be strong" is rendered. Thus, the clear implication is this: we cannot do it ourselves (i.e., be strengthened), and the possessor of what we need to be strengthened with is outside of ourselves.
"We have no sufficient strength of our own. Our natural courage is a perfect cowardice, and our natural strength is as perfect weakness; but all our sufficiency is of God. In His strength we must go forth and go on." (Matthew Henry)
"The Holy Spirit exhorts us to be courageous, but at the same time to ask from God a supply of our own deficiencies - and He promised that in answer to our prayers, the power of God will be displayed." (John Calvin)
"the strength" - used 4x by Paul...here, and -
~ Eph. 1:19 - "...with the working of the strength of His might."
~ Col. 1:11 - "strengthened with all power,..."
~ 1 Tim. 6:16 - "To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.
"His might" - used 3x by Paul...here, and -
~ Eph. 1:19 - "...with the working of the strength of His might."
~ 2 Thess 1:9 - "...and from the glory of His power."
What does this all add up to?"
HOW we are to be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.
1. The Realization of Our Privileged Position
2. The Acceptance of the Responsibility this Privileged Position Brings
3. The Appropriation of the Responsibility this Privileged Position Brings
________________________________________________________
1. The Realization of Our Privileged Position
This was Paul's prayer (cf. 1:17ff), as well as his purpose in writing.
2. The Acceptance of the Responsibility this Privileged Position Brings
Summed up in the word "walk" - used 6 times in Ephesians (2:10; 4:1, 17: 5:2, 8, 15)
The NIV changes this word to "live" or "do"
3. The Appropriation of the Responsibility this Privileged Position Brings
Rehearse who you are in Him - say it to yourself over and over; maybe even while looking in a mirror
Resolve to face the enemies of God in humbel reliance upon His willingness to stand with you.
Renew your strength through communion in prayer.
Conclusion:
All of this - "be seated" - "walk" - "stand" - "kneel" - is connected with the Holy Spirit.
Our warfare effectiveness is directly related to the Holy Spirit and the dominion authority we have through Jesus.
__________________________________________
Duane
_____________________________
"...the worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love." - Henry Scougal, The Life of God in the Soul of Man
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Songs of the Noblesinger - 11/24/2005 8:47:59 AM
|
|
|
noblesinger
Posts: 869
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: "Almost Heaven"
Status: offline
|
I posted this story in the Humor Forums, but some of you might not have seen it there. I'm sharing it here for the rest of you.
This isn't a Thanksgiving story per se, but it could be re-written that way. It comes from a woman's perspective. Enjoy!
One Christmas (or Thanksgiving), my mother went to eat the traditional feast with my sister and her family. She happened to remember just how gullible that my sister is, so she decided to play a joke on her. She told my sister that she needed something from the store.
After my sister left, Mother took the turkey from the oven, removed all the stuffing, stuffed a Cornish hen, put it inside the turkey, finished re-stuffing the turkey, then put the bird(s) back in the oven.
When dinner time came, my sister took the turkey from the oven and began removing the stuffing. Her serving spoon hit something, so she reached in and removed the tiny bird. With a horrified look on her face, my mother said, "Patricia! You've cooked a pregnant bird!" My sister began to cry uncontrollably at the realization of what she'd done.
It took the family two hours to convince her that turkeys lay eggs!
Duane
_____________________________
"...the worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love." - Henry Scougal, The Life of God in the Soul of Man
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Songs of the Noblesinger - 12/2/2005 2:47:07 PM
|
|
|
noblesinger
Posts: 869
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: "Almost Heaven"
Status: offline
|
Today is not one of my favorite days of the year, because 28 years ago today my world was turned upside down.
Friday, Dec. 2, 1977 began just like any other day. I was in college at Marshall University at the time and was doing decently grade-wise. I had been to classes that day, came back to my dorm, cleaned up, then gone to a Campus Crusade Christmas party. When I got back to my room after midnight, I was met by my Assistant Pastor (Pete Shultis)and an Elder (Vic Naseef) from my church. I was surprised to see them, and after some small talk, I asked them if they were there because of Mom. I had spoken with her earlier in the week, and she had said she felt like she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. My Dad had suffered a heart attack on the 26th of June and had been very slow in his recovery. It turns out that he had a congenital heart defect which was hampering his progress, as well as hardening of the arteries. Anyway, Pete told me that it wasn't Mom, that Dad had died. Needless to say, I was stunned and began to cry. Pete and Vic both hugged me tight until I got myself together a bit. I then got up from my chair and walked over to the closet to get my suitcase and begin packing. After a few minutes of packing, I asked Pete if it was his heart that had caused his death. He answered, "No, Duane. He shot himself."
Upon hearing this, I went into a momentary rage and actually picked up a set of bunk beds...all four legs were in the air...before I calmed down enough to drop them. That was the moment I really began to cry. It took a good bit for me to get back to packing, but I finally finished. I left word with my roommate to speak to my professors and tell them that I wouldn't be back in class on Monday, and we headed for my home. When I arrived, I was met by my Mom, my grandmother, my Uncle Bill (Mom's brother), and a number of folks from my church. It was one of the hardest homecomings I'd ever had. We cried with one another, and then had prayer. I finally got in bed about 2:30, but didn't sleep real well. The rest of the weekend went by in a sort of slow-motion - friends, neighbors, and relatives coming by; going to the funeral home to make the arrangements; sitting through visitation; then, finally, the funeral itself, where I said good-bye to not only my Dad, but my best friend as well.
One thing about that whole weekend that stands out ot me is this: on Saturday afternoon, just before we left for the funeral home, a floral arrangement was delivered to the house. I took them upstairs and looked to see who they were from. To my surprise, they weren't for my Mom - they were for me. I opened the card and read that my Senior High Youth Group at church had sent them to me.. I had held up pretty well all day long, but that gesture made the dam break. I stood there in the kitchen and bawled like little baby, just shaking all over from the love that swept over me. I spoke with my Youth Leader, Cathy Sepko, the next day, and she told me that the kids wanted me to know that they hadn't forgotten me and that I was loved very much by all of them. She said that they originally had pooled $20, but then it went to $25, then $30. Cathy never did tell me what the final total was, but it evidently was more than $30. I could have cared less about the amount; to me, it was the fact that they did it at all that made the difference for me.
That's enough for now. I'll tell you more later.
Duane
_____________________________
"...the worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love." - Henry Scougal, The Life of God in the Soul of Man
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Songs of the Noblesinger - 12/6/2005 12:08:32 PM
|
|
|
noblesinger
Posts: 869
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: "Almost Heaven"
Status: offline
|
I'd like to finish my story from the other day.
We had Dad's funeral on Monday, the 5th. It was a dreary morning, but the rain stopped and the sun came out in time to make the funeral just bit bearable. My Pastor at the time, Jack Dabney (who is now a mssionary in Albania) had an excellent mesage. He related a story that I had told him the day before about the time my Dad saved his younger brother's life.
He had been watching my Uncle Stanley burn some leaves and brush in a vacant part of the family garden, when to his horror, Uncle Stanley threw gasoline on the pile. The wind blew the gas and flames back onto him, and he took off running instead of "Stop, Drop, and Roll." My Dad ran out of the house, tackled Stanley, then rolled him in the dirt. He lost some of the hair on his head, and ended up with some small scars on his body, but he was alive. Funny thing is, though; Uncle Stanley never said anything to us after the funeral about who had told Pastor Jack the story in the first place. All he wanted to know was "Where's the last of my share of Mother's estate?" That's it? Not "Are you all going to be OK?" or "I'm so glad that story was shared. I really do owe Paul my life." Just "Where's my money?" That has bugged me for 28 years now. Just last year, we found out (in a roundabout fashion) that Uncle Stanley had died. I don't know whether or not he was saved, but I do hope that he was.
A bit later that afternoon, Mom and I were talking. I was planning on staying there that night, then going back to college the next morning. She told me that she would be OK, that my grandmother would be staying with her for awhile, and that I should go back so that I could sing in the university's production of Handel's "Messiah." She knew that I'd been working hard on learning the music and was looking forward to singing it. So I got my cousin and his wife to give me a ride to Huntington. Returning to my room, I washed my face real fast, jumped into my suit, then dashed over to the Music Hall where we would be singing. My voice teacher (who also was the director) was surprised to see me, especially since I heard him announcing "One of our number will not be here tonight. There's been a death in his family." just as I walked in the doors. He asked me if I would be all right to sing, and I said "Doc, I need to sing." I was not one of the soloists, just a chorus member, but I still needed to sing because it was my therapy, my emotional outlet, and I had to let it out. That night went fine, and at the next night's presentation, Mom, my grandmother, and my cousin Rob and his wife Karla, were there. That made it sort of special for me.
I finished the semester in kind of a daze. Classes ended the following Tuesday, Wednesday was Study Day, and Finals began on Thrusday. I came back from class on Tuesday afternoon and started studying Algebra (that was my weakest class). After going till late that night, I slept some, then got up the next morning and started all over again. That evening, a buddy of mine came to see if I wanted to go Christmas shopping. I turned him down, citing a need to study some more, but he grabbed my coat and checkbook, then practically drug me out the door. He told me later that I looked like a zombie. We grabbed some dinner in the cafeteria, then headed for downtown Huntington to shop. It did help to relax me, and I even got a present for Mom.
That night, back in my dorm room, my roommate had a couple of guys in watching TV. One of them, a Resident Advisor, was smoking this foul-smelling black cigar. I tried to go to sleep, but the TV and that cigar were bothering me. I asked them to keep the volume down and politely requested that the guy put out the cigar. After several times, I finally grabbed a squirt bottle, sprayed the stogie out, then threw the visitors out. My roomie and I started arguing over that, so I grabbed my mattress and pillow and moved it into the Study Room. While I was gone, he put that wet cigar onto one of my notebooks. When I came back and found it, I grabbed it and ground it into his prized possession - his Farrah Fawcett sheets. His girlfriend had hand-drawn that famous poster of Farrah on to this set of sheets for him. That was what really set us at each other's throats. We were in a real shouting match when he said, "No wonder your Dad killed himself!" Instantly my hand was around his throat and I shoved back in to the wall and held him there, about 6" of the ground. I looked him straight in the eye and said, "If you ever say those words to me again, I'll take a ball bat and beat your little pea brain right out of your head! Do you understand me?" He saw his death mirrored there in my eyes, so he quietly whispered "Yes." I dropped him, and he scooted out the door. My hands were shaking with fury as I stood there for a moment, trying to calm down. Finally, I went back to the Study Room and slept fitfully until my alarm went off the next morning. When I went to take my Algebra test the next day, my mind was a complete mess and that's the way my test went - messed up. I had struggled to keep a "C" average in the class, but the exam counted double and I had a major meltdown; flunked the Final, flunked the class. My college career sort of went down the tubes after that, because I just didn't care any more. I also didn't care anymore about the Lord. My mind said, "If You want to take my Dad away from me, then I don't want to have anything to do with You anymore." For the next 18 months, I ran from Him, but no matter which direction I turned, I ended up running into Him. That's how He kept me from totally going off the deep end.
I'll tell you more of my story later.
Duane
_____________________________
"...the worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love." - Henry Scougal, The Life of God in the Soul of Man
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Songs of the Noblesinger - 12/10/2005 4:03:53 PM
|
|
|
noblesinger
Posts: 869
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: "Almost Heaven"
Status: offline
|
During that 18 month period of straying the Lord kept me in contact with many Christians, both at home and at college. While I was at school, I had a number of godly friends who I had fooled into believing that my relationship with Christ was OK, when all the while it wasn't. At home, I also played the "good little Christian boy" to all the folks at church and with my Mom.
But it turns out that 1 person knew that my heart wasn't believing the things my mouth was saying - my Youth Leader, Cathy Sepko. She sat and watched me and God kept telling her that I was on the run. She never told me that the Lord was "tattling" on me, though. When I finally rededicated my life to Christ, I confessed everything to her - all of the lies I'd told her and all the things I'd done. She simply said, "I knew." When I asked what she meant by that, she replied "I knew that you were on the run. The Holy Spirit told me." "Why didn't you say anything to me?", I asked. "Because you would have just lied to me," she said, "But I could read you like a comic book. I looked in your eyes and saw that the light had gone out." I had to admit that she was right - I would have kept telling her the same old story; that I was just fine with Jesus, I loved Him with all my heart, etc., etc., ad nauseum. I wept right there and then, knowing that the Lord loved me so much that He would tell someone of my sins, and that Cathy loved me enough to wait until I came to the end of my rope before confronting me with the truth.
I have spent the last 26 years serving the Lord. Oh sure, there have been some times of cooling off in my fervor, but I have never left Him again. And by His grace, I never will.
Oops! I've got to go. Christmas decorating duty calls! See you later!
Duane
_____________________________
"...the worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love." - Henry Scougal, The Life of God in the Soul of Man
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Songs of the Noblesinger - 12/12/2005 3:02:10 PM
|
|
|
noblesinger
Posts: 869
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: "Almost Heaven"
Status: offline
|
In my desire to tell you the story about my Dad, I neglected to mention something pretty important. Last Saturday, the 3rd, I had an 8:30 appointment for an MRI. My family doctor wanted to find out exactly why I've been complaining about my left arm having so much pain. I had already told him that it was my rotator cuff - that it had been injured years ago, then aggravated back in March of 2000. I've had three different rounds of Physical Therapy on that arm, but to no avail. It has recently gotten to the point that even trying to wiggle my arm a bit to get my coat off would send jolts of pain through my arm to the point I began to cry. He had given me a prescription for Lortab 10/500, which had provided relief (Finally!), but insisted on the MRI before he would refer me to an orthopedic surgeon.
Saturday arrived and I checked in at the hospital, then was sent downstairs to begin the procedure. I had to take off all of my metal, including the warm-up pants I was wearing (they had metal zippers on the lower legs), then put on the scrub pants I was offered. Leading me back to the room where the machine was kept, I was asked if I'd ever had an MRI before. I said, "No, but I've heard about how loud the machine can be." He admitted that it can get a little loud, but that the newer noise-cancelling headphones can help a great deal. He strapped me to the table, then slid me into the tube. After nearly going to sleep during the procedure, I was removed from the machine and told that my doctor would get the results in 2-3 working days. We left the hospital and went to eat some breakfast, then did some shopping.
Wednesday night at choir practice, my doctor came into the loft and told me that my rotator cuff isn't just torn a little bit - it's actually in two pieces; that's why there is so much pain - and I'll need to have surgery to fix it. I asked him how soon the operation should be scheduled and he told me that it would be up to me and the surgeon. I'll be getting an appointment with the same surgeon who'll be doing Mom's knee replacement sometime after the 1st of the year, then just kind of playing it by ear after that. I do know, however, that my rehab will take anywhere from 4-6 months. I have 20 more covered visits to PT left on my medical plan, so I'm saving them for after surgery. They will give me some excercises that I can continue beyond that at the YMCA where Mary and I belong, so I should be able to make a complete recovery in a short time.
Planning for the surgery in no way negates my faith that the Lord can totally heal that tear in an instant. In fact, I'm going to speak with my Pastor this week about having the elders anoint me with oil and pray for me this Sunday, either during or after the sevice. I'm also asking that a friend of mine be included in that prayer. He was formerly the Pastor at another local congregation, but they "asked" him to leave after he exercised some church discipline on a member who was in blatant sin. He and his family have begun attending my church as a place where they can get some love and healing for themselves before they see where God may be leading them, but that doesn't mean he is "on vacation" from ministry. "John" has a definite gift of healing, so I want him to be present as I'm prayed for. Who knows? Maybe I won't even need to go under the knife after all.
That's all for now. See you soon!
Duane
_____________________________
"...the worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love." - Henry Scougal, The Life of God in the Soul of Man
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Songs of the Noblesinger - 12/18/2005 10:49:24 PM
|
|
|
noblesinger
Posts: 869
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: "Almost Heaven"
Status: offline
|
I should update everyone on my current weight-loss situation, since it's been awhile. As of last Monday night, my total is 67.5 pounds. Yes, that's right - 67.5 pounds lost. That's the equivalent of a small child. I was a father and didn't even know it! OK, OK, bad joke. But it does make a point, doesn't it? That's not the most amazing part of the news though. This is: for the first time since 1989, my weight begins with a 2, not a 3. That's right, my brothers and sisters! I am now below 300 pounds, actually at 297.5! I can hardly believe it! God is being so good to me in aiding me during this time. It's only through His strength that I can do this, and He will see me through to the end. My goal is to go to my 30-year high school reunion weighing less than when I graduated, which was at around 230 pounds. I have until June of 2007 to get there...think I'll make it? You better believe it!
Duane
_____________________________
"...the worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love." - Henry Scougal, The Life of God in the Soul of Man
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Songs of the Noblesinger - 12/22/2005 11:25:13 PM
|
|
|
noblesinger
Posts: 869
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: "Almost Heaven"
Status: offline
|
I have another set of notes from a recent sermon by my Pastor. Pastor Keith spoke this past Sunday on a picture of Jesus. In case you're curious about what he meant, let me share it with you:
_______________________________________________________
"His Body, The Veil: A Picture of Jesus Christ"
Today - an actual picture of Jesus!
but FIRST - let's consider one of the great wonders of Jesus' day...
The Temple - Something the Jews could still be proud of - and appeased by
(cf. John 2:20)
Now, consider "Him" ----
* The contrast to it's spiritual decline
* The fulfillment of it's symbolism
* The embodiment of sacrifice, prayer, service, and all that pleases God
(cf. Heb. 10:5-9)
Later, in this Hebrews passage...There is the specific mention of one part of that glorious temple, linking it to Jesus Christ - THE VEIL. It is said to be "His flesh"
We have some idea of what the veil looked like: (showed a rendering of the veil)
1) It was 30' high, and 30' wide
2) It was 5" to 6" thick
3) It was made of fine, twisted linen (white)
4) It was colored with a violet shade of blue (which made it a richer shade of blue than normal), scarlet, and purple.
And now for that picture of Jesus Christ - (at this point, Keith showed us the previous picture again)
Disappointed? The world certainly was.
1. It was, well, different from what we were probably expecting.
2. Still, it was a pretty good picture.
But exactly how could it be a good picture of Him? Let's look:
I. It's Colors - a picture of His nature
1. White - His purity
2. Violet - His connection with Heaven
3. Purple - His royalty
4. Red - His sacrifice
II. It's Place - a picture of His calling
1. He dwelt in the Presence of God even though He was among us
2. He stood between man and God
3. No one could come to God "except through Him" (John 14:6)
III. It's Intent - a picture of His acceptance by God and His superiority to man
1. God saw Him, and all was well.
2. We see Him, and can't measure up.
IV. It's Supports - a picture of the Gospels
(Ex. 26:32) - "And you shall hang it on four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold, with hooks of gold, on four bases of silver." (ESV)
1. Wood - His humanity
2. Gold - His deity
3. Silver (at the foundation) - His redemption
V. It's End - a picture of His destiny
The veil was not torn by man; it was torn "from top to bottom"; His death came at the Hand of God. His "flesh" was to be torn...Why this destiny?
Because His Incarnation, His teaching, His example, could not save us - THAT took His death.
Conclusion ---
How is this a Christmas message? His body hid His glory, even as the veil hid the Holy of Holies. His body was the barrier between us, and it pleased God to rend that barrier and restore Him to His glory, just as He is pleased to restore us to fellowship with Him in His glory.
_______________________________________________________
I hope that this message blessed you. Let me take this opportunity to wish all of you, my Crosswalk family, a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year. God bless you and keep you!
Duane
_____________________________
"...the worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love." - Henry Scougal, The Life of God in the Soul of Man
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Songs of the Noblesinger - 12/26/2005 2:29:22 PM
|
|
|
noblesinger
Posts: 869
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: "Almost Heaven"
Status: offline
|
It's the day after Christmas, a.k.a. Boxing Day in Canada and the U.K. I trust that all of you had a wonderful Christmas; I know that I did.
Christmas Eve day was rather exhausting for Mary and I. After we had done everything we needed to do (taking care of her foster sister, working out, etc.), we ended up helping Mom get the house clean. I swept the house while Mary cleaned the bathroom, except for the tub which she left to me, since I am able to reach into the far corners from my knees a bit easier than she can. That got us a bit tired out, so we tried to catch a catnap before going to Christmas Eve service at our church.
When I walked in the door, I was met by my Pastor and one of our choir members. She was frantically asking me about the sound system - "What plug is over by the piano? How can I check it?" Finally, Pastor Keith said, "Duane, we don't have anyone available to run sound tonight. Would you be able to do that for us?" I wasn't happy to be leaving Mary and Mom to sit downstairs without me, but since no one else was around, I said that I would. Being in the balcony, sitting alone at the sound board, was not exactly how I wanted to spend my Christmas Eve. Another of my friends was also there, running the computer, which made it a little easier to stay there. And a family that used to attend our church (one of them was our organist's daughter) slipped in and sat up there as well, which was really special because we were able to renew some ties after a couple of years absence. So all in all, I think that God had me up there for a purpose besides running sound, which was a nice blessing. Thank You, Lord.
Next morning, I had to get up at 5 am so that Mary could get ready to go and take care of her sister. After taking her over to her Dad's house, I came back home to get cleaned up and eat breakfast. I got done rather quickly, so I had time to get online and check my e-mail box and clean out the Junk before we picked Mary up and went to Morning Worship. There was only one service, at 10 o'clock, and no Sunday School. The Elders and our Pastor made this decision so that everyone could have time to spend with their families. I felt that this was a far better way of doing things instead of not having any services at all, which was what some churches did - even Dr. Charles Stanley's church in Atlanta closed their doors on Christmas Day. Pardon me for saying this, but that has to be the stupidest thing I have ever heard of! A church not having worship on the day that we celebrate the Birth of the Reason we have church in the first place?!  Not very intelligent in my book, Dr. Stanley, not at all! If there was ever a day to be in the Lord's House, it has to be Christmas Day. I thank God that we gathered as a Body to rejoice in the matchless Gift that was given to us so very long ago! If He hadn't done that, there's no telling where I'd be right now; laying somewhere drunk out of my mind, or God only knows what else. May we never, ever forget what He has done for us, and may we never cease to praise Him for the salvation that He bought with the blood of His only Son - the Reason for the Season.
Merry Christmas to all of you!
Duane
_____________________________
"...the worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love." - Henry Scougal, The Life of God in the Soul of Man
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Songs of the Noblesinger - 1/4/2006 10:54:52 AM
|
|
|
noblesinger
Posts: 869
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: "Almost Heaven"
Status: offline
|
Happy New Year, everyone! I pray that you all had a wonderful celebration with family and friends. I'm just popping in to keep my blog alive. I'll explain why I haven't posted for several days as soon as I get a chance.
See ya!
_____________________________
"...the worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love." - Henry Scougal, The Life of God in the Soul of Man
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Songs of the Noblesinger - 1/9/2006 1:12:25 PM
|
|
|
noblesinger
Posts: 869
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: "Almost Heaven"
Status: offline
|
Whew! Things have finally calmed down now around the office, so I'll take some time to bring you all up to speed.
First of all, I pray that everyone had a wonderful New Year's celebration. I know that I did. Secondly, I'll let you know why I'm not posting as much currently. Back in October, Mom had called Verizon to inquire about something on the phone bill. The woman she talked to ended up asking her about whether or not we had an ISP. Of course Mom, being computer-illiterate, had no idea what she meant. She did tell her "My son has the computer in our house, but he's not home to talk to you." After a bit of back and forth, she asked Mom if she'd like a free 3-month trial of Verizon's DSL service. Mom said "No." The woman was surprised and said, "But it's free." (You'll see why I'm italicizing "free" in a few minutes.) Mom still refused. About a week later, we received a kit from Verizon for a free trial subscription to their DSL Internet package. Mom decided to keep the kit and give me the access, after all "it's free." Fast forward to the week after Christmas: I have been using the DSL for about a month and am really loving it. It's so fast and convenient! I can sign on in the morning, check my e-mail and CW Posts, then pop-out in nothing flat. Plus, I can use Rhapsody without having to go through the hassle of dialing-up MSN, waiting for verification, etc. What a country!
Anyway, Mom opened the phone bill and just about had a cow! Verizon had charged us over $55 for 2 months of DSL service plus other fees!! (Now do you see why I put the word in italics?) Needless to say, she got on the phone with them PDQ. After asking what was up with this and getting a sales pitch instead of answers, she finally told them to cut it off. They were asking a bunch of Internet related questions, so she asked me to talk to them. I got on the phone and got the same type of runaround she had. The man I spoke to was trying to get me to keep the service going. I told him that when we receive something that is free, we expect to not be charged for it. Finally, I got the thing disconnected. But now I can't sign-on to the 'Net because MSN Dial-Up still has me listed as going through Verizon Broadband DSL! I'm going to call MSN tonight and see if they can help me without having to re-install my MSN Dial-Up.
I've got more to share, but I'll save it for later.
_____________________________
"...the worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love." - Henry Scougal, The Life of God in the Soul of Man
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Songs of the Noblesinger - 1/18/2006 1:42:15 PM
|
|
|
noblesinger
Posts: 869
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: "Almost Heaven"
Status: offline
|
This is turning out to be a veryt difficult week here in our office. I'll start at the beginning and tell you why.
First of all, the #2 man in our section retired back on December 30th. He'd been here for about 28 years and, along with his military service, had more than enough time in to retire. This made me, as the guy with the most years experience still around, trying to hold things together until the administration gets somebody to fill the slot as Utilities Supervisor on a permanent basis. Who this is going to be is anyone's guess. A lot of rumors have been ciriculating around the District - including that they're going to bump me up two levels (with a 30% pay increase!) and make me the Supervisor. That's not something that I'd really relish happening. Oh sure, the money would be fantastic! But the headaches would be enormous - including the prospects of having a friend file a grievance against me for jumping over him. He's one level above me, but doesn't have the experience in here and is a bit of a hot-head, as well. Anyway, the first week back after the holidays were so incredibly hectic - invoices to pay, meetings to attend, permit applications to review and send up for signature, etc. - that I thought I was going to blow my stack. On Thursday the 5th, I had been to a pre-construction conference that drug on and on and just really drained me. When I got home and tried to get ready to go and work-out, it took everything I had to drag myself to the Y. As I prepared to get on the LifeCycle, I switched the CD in my player from one of my own mixes (lots of up-tempo stuff) to Disc 1 of "iWorship 2". I did this on a "whim", at least I thought it was a whim, but it turned out to be the voice of the Lord talking. As I began to pedal, I was surprised to find out that my pace never wavered. Then I moved to the elliptical machine and the same thing happened. But when I got to the treadmill, I really got surprised: I actually was able to jog while listening to normal praise & worship music! In fact, I jogged longer than ever before! One song that really lifted my spirits was "Worthy Is The Lamb w/Crown Him With Many Crowns". I closed my eyes and just chugged right along as the words and melody echoed in my ears, calming my nerves and causing my heart to rejoice in the greatness of God as He sits enthroned above the heavens. What a marvelous gift He gave me that evening.
Last week was a good deal better here at work; much less hectic and far less stressful. On Friday, it was the 5th anniversary of my grandmother's Homegoing, so Mary and I took Mom out to the movie. First, I brought home some take-out food (Captain D's and Long John Silver's), took Mom to her hair appointment, then headed for the theater. We wanted to go see Narnia again, but Mom wasn't real keen on the idea, so we ended up seeing Cheaper By The Dozen 2 instead. All 3 of us ended up ROFLOL. That is such a funny movie! I would recommend it highly.
Sunday evening, things began going downhill. I was watching the football game (Bears/Panthers) when the phone rang. It was a number I didn't recognize, but answered anyway. It turned out to be a guy from the District office. I asked him what he wanted and he said, "Is it true what they're saying about Mr. Gordon?" Dave Gordon was the guy that I told you had retired last month. When I questioned him about what he meant, he told me that Dave was dead. I couldn't believe it! Then I got the real shocker - he had killed his wife first, then killed himself! I knew that Dave could be quick tempered but I didn't think he'd go that far. Since then, more and more details have drifted out. This was Dave's 5th marriage, but the first one that was going to end with him being the one left behind. He had always ended every relationship he'd ever had, but his current wife (evidently) was leaving him and taking their 4-year old daughter along with her. He must have snapped at that point, because he took a sword off the wall and stabbed her repeatedly (while she was on the pot!), cleaned it off and re-hung it on the wall, grabbed his pistol, shot her, called her mother and said "I just killed that *female dog* of a daughter of yours, and now I'm gonna kill myself! The baby's at Mrs. So-and-so's house." He then put the phone down (I don't know if he'd hung it up or what) and turned the gun on himself. The worst part about this whole thing is that Dave is now in hell. Not because he committed murder/suicide, but simply because he'd rejected Jesus for all of his life. Two of his old "partners in crime" had gotten saved years ago (one of them is a local evangelist with a prison ministry, in fact) and had witnessed to him repeatedly, but to no avail. I'd talked with him about the Lord, though not real strongly; just mentioning how God was changing me in certain ways, especially in my weight-loss. He never responded positively, though. In fact, he seemed down-right hostile sometimes. His 4th wife had started attending a local church and suggested that he go with her to get some marriage counseling. Big mistake! He flew into a rage and said, "I'm not gonna talk to that #@!&#@ [pastor's name]. That hypocrite!!"
Dave's death has cast a pall around our headquarters; people just can't seem to believe he was capable of such a thing. I'm torn between feeling he could and that he couldn't. I'm sorry that I wan't more forceful in sharing my faith with him. Maybe he would have punched me out or something, but at least I could've said it was for the cause of Christ - not over a card game or something else.
Keep me in your prayers, will you folks? There's going to be lot of ministry chances in the coming days and weeks, and I'll need every bit of back-up I can get. Thanks gang!
I love you all!
Duane
_____________________________
"...the worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love." - Henry Scougal, The Life of God in the Soul of Man
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Songs of the Noblesinger - 1/30/2006 8:10:14 AM
|
|
|
noblesinger
Posts: 869
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: "Almost Heaven"
Status: offline
|
I'm still having trouble getting onto the Internet from my house, due to removing the DSL connection. I'll keep trying to stop by and bump this blog from my office until things get fixed.
_____________________________
"...the worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love." - | | | |
Forum Tools
Printable Version
