So.. Here it is.. a few things might still change but this is mostly it..

How do you like the new me?  I just got flickr, and will hopefully getting a new phone soon and have the ability to do mobile updates to it as well as twitter!  Come back, check me out later!

The New Perspective on Paul

Okay so I’ve been reading some deep stuff lately.  There is a group of Theologians, including N.T. Wright, who have developed an Idea about our interpretation of Paul’s writing that (they claim) go back to Luther.  Instead of believing in an indvidualistic salvation, they group us with Israel.  They also claim that the Law is still valid. What do you think?

John Piper has written a book I’m reading on this subject…  Here is a free copy! The Future of Justification Check it out!

Wikipedia article on the perspective.

Okay, So I have been busy… Really busy… this is good… and bad…

First I was forced to change the layout of winyouth.com due to server issues and i lost my backup of its theme… So here is screenshot of it!

Also,  I have two new websites…  The first being a dear friend of mine’s artist website.   Everyone say hello to Page Lynch:

Finally, My latest and possibly most complicated website… ever…  Hero-Gear.  This one was fun to work on!

Its coming soon.. almost done…

The deep slumber of sleep
Peaceful and sweet
How rare for me

Violent Smashing sounds
Death all around
Wait! its just a pound
Those Violent Smashing Sounds

I wanted to punch my alarm clock this morning…

– Corey

P.S.  It went off at 3:45am, I went to bed around 11pm 

So I’m going to give this themed day thing a try.  
To focus on the Cross is something I do poorly.   Hopefully this will force me to grow in that, as well as, give me a chance to influence you to do the same! 

This week its Romans 3:23-26

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. 

In the past week, one word has come up at-least twice.  The funny thing is its a Hebrew word, Chesed.  I find it very interesting that I’ve heard this word multiple times this week, so I thought I would share it.

Chesed, Translate as: Lovingkindness, Or Seadfastlove in most popular translations. Pronounced: Hessed

I can think of no other way to talk about this lovingkindness than scripture, God describing his love to us!

Psalm 13

1 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?How long will you hide your face from me? 
2 How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? 
3 Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, 
4 lest my enemy say, I have prevailed over him, lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken. 
5 But I have trusted in your steadfastlove*; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. 
6 I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me.

Here we have David Praying to God, Crying out to him!  His sorrow overwhelms his being, simply explained by the first line of his poem; “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me” David shouts, “Forever? How long will you hide your face from me?”  How frustrating is it when we feel like God has forgotten us? or just not present?  Speaking from experience, i’ve noticed the absence of God when I am in my sin.  Oh and the desire to see God is great; however, my sin ever more abounding… 

You see David continues to question How log he must suffer! Look at verse two.  David Cries to God, “How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my (sin) be exalted over me?”  David cries out to God his frustration, explaining his anguish.  He continues by asking God to “Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; Light up my eyes, lest I  sleep the sleep of death,”  You see David realizes his understanding of the situation is tainted.  He sees that he Needs God.

However, In verse five David celebrates…

“But I have trusted in your Steadfastlove; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.  I will sing to the Lord because he has dealt bountifully with me.”  Nothing has changed, the situation still exists; however, David exclaims God’s amazing love, as if he has already been delivered!  Okay from verse four to verse five, something changed in David’s heart…  You see David sees God for who God has revealed him self to David to be.  David understands God’s Steadfastlove…

Chesed (steadfastlove), Is different that our american pop view of love… God doesn’t draw little hearts around each one of his children, its not like that…  as I have heard it explained earlier this week “God does not have warm fuzzies about us.”  You see, “He made Him, who knew no sin, to be sin so that we might be the righteousness of God.” (2 Cor 5:21)  God Moved towards us!  When we were dead in our sins, unable to bridget the gap of sin we are responsible for.  Chesed, Denotes a Sovereign King free loving those who have no right to be loved.  A giving of Grace that is un-deserved.

You see, even though it has not happened, David is Running to the Cross.  Running to God’s promise.  He will not know the name of Jesus in his life time; however, he trust that God will save His people.  The idea of God’s steadfastlove, points to the cross.  In the old testament, it is a promise.  Now, that we have the Cross it is a celebration!  How Great is our God’s love?

“God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” Romans 5:8-11 

*Emphasis mine
Welcome Water-cooler Friends 

Continuing to remind myself the centrality of the Cross. Please read, consider, and reflect on what the Cross meant for Jesus… and for us. We are righteous because of his pain. We gain access to God only through His suffering…

2 Cor 5:
21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Galatians 6

12 It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13 For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh.14 But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.16 And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God. 17 From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. 18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.

Okay so this is something i’ve KNOWN for about three years; however, just now am putting into practice…  I’ve know that the Cross is the center of Theology, and it has been the center of my “Theology” for years now; however, I’ve never, until now focused on it daily.  This weekend has instilled in me that, the works of my hands are worthless, and the cross is priceless!  God used me this weekend…  When my heart was hard, faith was weak, and my pride was huge…  God used me…  I did not deserve it, but he taught me through this weekend that I must, boast in the Cross Daily!  My desire is to stop and look towards the cross.. Join me?  Galatians 6 has been my focus this weekend.. I’ll post another tomorrow…

Here is the song that convinced me of it.

I Boast No More,
Isaac Watts

1. No more, my God, I boast no more
Of all the duties I have done;
I quit the hopes I held before,
To trust the merits of Thy Son

Chorus: No more my God,
No more my God,
No more my God,
I boast no more.

2. Now, for the loss I bear His name,
What was my gain I count my loss;
My former pride I call my shame,
And nail my glory to His cross.
(Repeat chorus)

Bridge: Yes, and I must and will esteem
All things but loss for Jesus’ sake;
O may my soul be found in Him,
And of His righteousness partake!

3. The best obedience of my hands
Dares not appear before Thy throne;
But faith can answer Thy demands,
By pleading what my Lord has done.

I must repent of the my previous post… the reason I have not posted in over a week, is that I have not been able to put into words how I feel… So I will let John Stott do it.

On earth she is often in rags and tatters, stained and ugly, despised and persecuted.  But one day she will be seen for what she is, nothing less than the bride of Christ, “free from spots, wrinkles, or any other disfigurement,” holy and without blemish, beautiful and glorious.  It is to this constructive end that Christ has been working and is continuing to work.  The bride does not make herself presentable; it is the bridegroom who labours to beautify her in order to present her to Himself!

What a beautiful Image.  Stott definitely has the whole “Cross Centered” thing down more so than I.  We are not to look good for the world, the church, or anyone else, except Christ!  It is all about Him, and all through Him. Please forgive me of my humanly words…

The Watercooler

Welcome to the Watercooler, its wednesday!

So, something that has been on my mind a lot lately is the Church.  I’ve read many books on the Church and how it is suppose to be; however, I have never seen…  The clearest scriptural picture of the Church is found in acts.  It is a beautiful, loving, giving, caring, truth telling entity, that exist for the soul purpose of glorifying God.  Since this is a watercooler for discussion…

What is the one thing you think the Church (over all) misses?