It's Christmas week and that time of the year to remember the Birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the true reason of the season and to think that the Lord God Almighty would humble himself and take the form of a man so that he might pay the price required by sin is simply mind-blowing. He knew we could not do it and so full of love and compassion for his creation, he was not about to just let it go.
God has done so much for me this year I could write a novel about it. Speaking of which, the novel I wrote Battle Cry: Adventures in the Kingdom of Heaven is on the verge of releasing through Lighthouse Christian Publishing. The editing and typesetting is complete. Now it is just a matter of cover art design and final last-minute details. A release date should be determine very shortly after the cover art is finished and approved.
My 2nd to last semester at UTEP as an Undergraduate went well. I had some tough classes but I ended up with two B's and a C which is about what I was expecting. Next semester is my finale, and I will be taking my last two Computer Science Classes and a math course which will help with me going into teaching. Then graduation in May.
Next semester is also going to be the grand finale for me with two student organizations I am with. Intervarsity is picking up speed with growth and involvement and we are going open up the semester by bringing in Steve Lillis, a profession pool play who uses trick shots to present the Gospel for a show early in the semester. Also, the Fencing Team is growing and we are preparing for a huge collegiate tournament in Chicago in April. SO I am going to be ending my undergrad collegiate career with a bang.
And finally, I am exploring a possible opportunity to continue to develop and practice my fencing ministry. This past weekend, the director of Teen Challenge El Paso spoke at my Church's Men's Breakfast Meeting and he is interested in having me speak for them at some point. I sent them an e-mail with more details about what I do and am waiting for a response. Pray for God's direction with this possible opportunity.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Writing and Preparing for Ministry
This has been a very busy semester, one of the reasons I have not blogged in a while. But God is moving and I believe he is setting me up for one heck of a Spring semester for graduation. First off, my book has made tremendous progress. The editing is finished and all that is left that I know of is design for cover art and author biographical blurb. I am anticipating a release date in the next 2-3 weeks.
My involvement with ministry through Intervarsity is setting up for a huge finale this Spring. In Feb, it appears we will be bringing Steve Lillis, a professional pool player who uses trick shots to bring the Gospel all over the world. There may also be another opportunity to bring Dr. Charles Jackson, a brilliant scientist that uses his intellectual gifts to bring the Gospel through a scientific approach to creation. Both have awesome testimonies and I am going to try to get both to come to El Paso in the Spring.
A lot of stuff going on and it is going to be one heck of a finale for my undergraduate program.
My involvement with ministry through Intervarsity is setting up for a huge finale this Spring. In Feb, it appears we will be bringing Steve Lillis, a professional pool player who uses trick shots to bring the Gospel all over the world. There may also be another opportunity to bring Dr. Charles Jackson, a brilliant scientist that uses his intellectual gifts to bring the Gospel through a scientific approach to creation. Both have awesome testimonies and I am going to try to get both to come to El Paso in the Spring.
A lot of stuff going on and it is going to be one heck of a finale for my undergraduate program.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Journey of Becoming a Published Author
The last 3 1/2 yers have been something I never could have imagined growing up. Neither could any who have known me. I have been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, which is a mild form of autism, and one of the aspects that came with it was a strong lack of reading comprehension. I could tell you exactly what was on what page, but no clue about context, why, or what was going on. One example was insisting a goose was in a story when the character had goose bumps. No clue. It wasn't until I was 12, when I began to start connecting the dots and reading comprehension began to take place.
God has pulled me out of nowhere into somewhere since then. Almost 4 years ago, a friend suggested I try writing after I helped him critique his novel and I gave it ago. After writing a medieval action thriller to try it out, I discovered I had something going. God told me to work on a spiritual warfare novel, which was my main goal when this took off and that began in April 2007. After a series of drafts, getting feedback from several friends, I began to explore the possibility of publishing.
I found a Christian critiquing service, Writer's Edge Service, that acts as a pre-scanner for a multitue of publishers. In October 2008, I tried them out. They said I wasn't ready yet, gave me excellent feedback, and I went through two more drafts (really more like editing phases) and in July 2009, I resubmitted to them. They absolutely loved it and sent my listing off to 100 different publishers.
I first heard from American Christian Writers, Virtue Ministries, Inc, and WinePress, all self-publishers. They wanted me to pay them to release my book. God told me to wait and in March 2009, I got a chance to go to a Christian Writer's Conference, where I got a 15-minute consultation with one of the speakers. She told me I was ready for a big publisher and recommended Marcher Lord Press who specialized in Christian speculative fiction. They had a massive backlog of submissions, so I have been waiting since to hear from them. But something happened a month ago I never expected: contact initiated by Lighthouse Christian Publishing.
They wanted to look at my book, so I submitted it to them after a final phase of editing and just this past week, I got a response. They offered a contract. After nearly a week of prayer, asking God for a legitimate reason not to accept it and I never got one. So I am submitted the contract in the next day or two and my book will be on the way to final editing and releasal. I will post the release date when that become more clear but it will be a short time before you can start to look for Battle Cry: Adventures in the Kingdom of Heaven to be available for sale.
God has pulled me out of nowhere into somewhere since then. Almost 4 years ago, a friend suggested I try writing after I helped him critique his novel and I gave it ago. After writing a medieval action thriller to try it out, I discovered I had something going. God told me to work on a spiritual warfare novel, which was my main goal when this took off and that began in April 2007. After a series of drafts, getting feedback from several friends, I began to explore the possibility of publishing.
I found a Christian critiquing service, Writer's Edge Service, that acts as a pre-scanner for a multitue of publishers. In October 2008, I tried them out. They said I wasn't ready yet, gave me excellent feedback, and I went through two more drafts (really more like editing phases) and in July 2009, I resubmitted to them. They absolutely loved it and sent my listing off to 100 different publishers.
I first heard from American Christian Writers, Virtue Ministries, Inc, and WinePress, all self-publishers. They wanted me to pay them to release my book. God told me to wait and in March 2009, I got a chance to go to a Christian Writer's Conference, where I got a 15-minute consultation with one of the speakers. She told me I was ready for a big publisher and recommended Marcher Lord Press who specialized in Christian speculative fiction. They had a massive backlog of submissions, so I have been waiting since to hear from them. But something happened a month ago I never expected: contact initiated by Lighthouse Christian Publishing.
They wanted to look at my book, so I submitted it to them after a final phase of editing and just this past week, I got a response. They offered a contract. After nearly a week of prayer, asking God for a legitimate reason not to accept it and I never got one. So I am submitted the contract in the next day or two and my book will be on the way to final editing and releasal. I will post the release date when that become more clear but it will be a short time before you can start to look for Battle Cry: Adventures in the Kingdom of Heaven to be available for sale.
Monday, September 20, 2010
A Follower of Jesus Christ
I listened to another really great sermon from my pastor at Restoration Fellowship. As is his custom, my pastor knows where he is going to start, but being sensitive to the Holy Spirit, he has no idea where he will end. Yesterday, he started in a continuance of his series on the church, but he moved onto being able to listen to God and then to an emphasis on the difference between merely believing Jesus is God but declaring him as Lord. And God gave me a new light on a passage that many people struggle with.
In one of his most difficult sermons, Jesus tells his follows they must give up everything to follow him. One asked to let him bury his father. Another asked to let him say good-bye to his family. Jesus was harsh and told them not to do that and follow him. He went as far as saying that unless you HATE you mother, brother, sisters, friends, etc, you cannot be his disciple. Many people interpret that as loving Jesus more than them. But God showed me something that might put this in perspective.
God has taught me so much about spiritual warfare and I wonder if Jesus had a spiritual perspective when he told his followers that sermon. In Revelation, we know God wants us hot or cold. He doesn't want us lukewarm. To put it simply, you cannot be a fence-sitter with Jesus. The truth is, you have to be 100% with Jesus, or in God's eyes, you are 100% against him. Trying to live half your life with Jesus and half your life on your own is not going 50-50 or any other percentage. God says he'd rather you be in complete and total rebellion than trying to meet 'halfway'. So to be a Christian, it is a total commitment.
Also, Romans 10:9 says if you believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, then you will be saved. Many people just want to be believe in thier heart. But they don't want to make Jesus the Lord of thier life. 1 Corinthians 12:3 says that no one who lives by the Spirit can curse Jesus. It then says that unless you are living by the Spirit, you cannnot declare Jesus to be Lord. We know that when we become Christians we receive the Holy Spirit. If you have the Holy Spirit, you will not be able to deny Christ. At the same time, unless you have the Holy Spirit, you cannot make Jesus Lord of your life. You also cannot declare it.
And this brings me to the point I learned yesterday. When you become a Christian, in a spiritual context, you change alliances. You were once allied with your father, the Devil, but now you are allied with your Father, the Lord God. Now when Jesus was saying we must hate those who we consider family, he was saying we must consider them as an enemy. In America in the Christian home, this is not easily seen. But in the non-Christian home or in places like China or the Middle East, this is a very real issue. There are many stories where a person in a Muslim home becomes a Christian and in an instant the family memebers become enemies. Jesus said he would turn father upon son, mother against daughter, brother against brother, and this is what he was talking about. Any family member or close friend who is not a Christian is allied with the ultimate villain in Satan.
This is also why Jesus taught us not to yolk ourselves with someone that doesn't follow him. Why do marriages where one is a Christian and the other is not end up being so difficult? Because they are, in the spirit, enemies of each other. Marriage between enemies doesn't necessarily bring peace as it does in some cultures. Only God can do that. By marrying an unbeliever, you are bringing a double agent into your home. They will seek an opportunity to destroy you, even if the spouse doesn't intend to. As a non-Christian, the spouse is likely an unaware agent of the devil and will lead you astray or worse. That is what happened to Solomon. Don't use marriage as a witness opportunity. It doesn't work that easily.
But Jesus also taught us how to treat our enemies. If we have a family member that is not a Christian, it is our responsibility to witness to them and pray that God will bring them over to our side. Only God can change them, but he often will not act until we do. Not that he can't, but he chooses to act through us. Any family member who is a Christian however is not to be considered an enemy, but as an ally. It's a lot to think about, but a lot of meat.
In one of his most difficult sermons, Jesus tells his follows they must give up everything to follow him. One asked to let him bury his father. Another asked to let him say good-bye to his family. Jesus was harsh and told them not to do that and follow him. He went as far as saying that unless you HATE you mother, brother, sisters, friends, etc, you cannot be his disciple. Many people interpret that as loving Jesus more than them. But God showed me something that might put this in perspective.
God has taught me so much about spiritual warfare and I wonder if Jesus had a spiritual perspective when he told his followers that sermon. In Revelation, we know God wants us hot or cold. He doesn't want us lukewarm. To put it simply, you cannot be a fence-sitter with Jesus. The truth is, you have to be 100% with Jesus, or in God's eyes, you are 100% against him. Trying to live half your life with Jesus and half your life on your own is not going 50-50 or any other percentage. God says he'd rather you be in complete and total rebellion than trying to meet 'halfway'. So to be a Christian, it is a total commitment.
Also, Romans 10:9 says if you believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, then you will be saved. Many people just want to be believe in thier heart. But they don't want to make Jesus the Lord of thier life. 1 Corinthians 12:3 says that no one who lives by the Spirit can curse Jesus. It then says that unless you are living by the Spirit, you cannnot declare Jesus to be Lord. We know that when we become Christians we receive the Holy Spirit. If you have the Holy Spirit, you will not be able to deny Christ. At the same time, unless you have the Holy Spirit, you cannot make Jesus Lord of your life. You also cannot declare it.
And this brings me to the point I learned yesterday. When you become a Christian, in a spiritual context, you change alliances. You were once allied with your father, the Devil, but now you are allied with your Father, the Lord God. Now when Jesus was saying we must hate those who we consider family, he was saying we must consider them as an enemy. In America in the Christian home, this is not easily seen. But in the non-Christian home or in places like China or the Middle East, this is a very real issue. There are many stories where a person in a Muslim home becomes a Christian and in an instant the family memebers become enemies. Jesus said he would turn father upon son, mother against daughter, brother against brother, and this is what he was talking about. Any family member or close friend who is not a Christian is allied with the ultimate villain in Satan.
This is also why Jesus taught us not to yolk ourselves with someone that doesn't follow him. Why do marriages where one is a Christian and the other is not end up being so difficult? Because they are, in the spirit, enemies of each other. Marriage between enemies doesn't necessarily bring peace as it does in some cultures. Only God can do that. By marrying an unbeliever, you are bringing a double agent into your home. They will seek an opportunity to destroy you, even if the spouse doesn't intend to. As a non-Christian, the spouse is likely an unaware agent of the devil and will lead you astray or worse. That is what happened to Solomon. Don't use marriage as a witness opportunity. It doesn't work that easily.
But Jesus also taught us how to treat our enemies. If we have a family member that is not a Christian, it is our responsibility to witness to them and pray that God will bring them over to our side. Only God can change them, but he often will not act until we do. Not that he can't, but he chooses to act through us. Any family member who is a Christian however is not to be considered an enemy, but as an ally. It's a lot to think about, but a lot of meat.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
The Competitive Side of Fencing
The sport of fencing began to take form when firearms entered the battlefield. Back then, sword fighting was simply a war tool. Whoever made the other bleed first won. But with firearms, the sword ceased to be used primarily for war, but as a symbol for officers. It was only used in close range combat when reloading the firearms would take too much time. Over time, the sword gradually became smaller from the two-handed broadsword to the single-handed rapier. At that point, the Italians and the French sword masters began to transform use of the sword from a war tool into an art form. This is when the standard lunge, parries, and others fencing actions took form. The weapons were blunted so students could be trained without shedding blood and it took the form of a sport. In 1896, fencing was one of the first 9 sports of the First Modern Olympiad. It has become a fast growing sport and in June of 1998, I discovered fencing as a sport.
My first competition took place in January 2000, and in the time since, I have gone up and down the ladder on placements. But since the Spring Semester 2010, I began to have a stronger emphasis on coaching and as a result, my skills have dramatically increased. Today, I had my first competition of the 2010-2011 season. I fencing in Foil then Epee for 8 hours. In foil, I was a very respectable 6th out of 12. But in Epee, in spite of exhaustion from the first event, I got hot. I seeded 6th going into the direction elimination round with a match against the #3 seed in the quarter-final round. I took an early lead I never lost and won 15-10. I lost in the semi-finals 15-9, but fought a fierce match for 3rd place. After falling behind 5-1, I rallied with 6 straight touches then traded hits all the way until I had a 14-12 lead. But my opponent slowly figured me out and rallied to beat me 15-14. I took 4th out of 12, a personal best in a local meet in 2 1/2 years.
It will be four weeks until my next tournament, when I have two in two weeks. One will be another local meet. Then the next week I will be going to Albuquerque New Mexico for a large regional tournament. The last time I traveled that direction, I took 3rd place in a small meet. But there is more down the road. My UTEP Fencing Team is strongly considering going to a Collegiate Recreational Sport Club Team Tournament in Chicago in April. This is a national tournament UTEP has been invited to. In January 2009, Albuquerque hosted a regional collegiate club tournament and my team took Gold as I won the deciding bout. One of my teammates from that meet will be coming with me, so we just need to find a viable third teammate and we will be ready to make a big run for this meet.
My first competition took place in January 2000, and in the time since, I have gone up and down the ladder on placements. But since the Spring Semester 2010, I began to have a stronger emphasis on coaching and as a result, my skills have dramatically increased. Today, I had my first competition of the 2010-2011 season. I fencing in Foil then Epee for 8 hours. In foil, I was a very respectable 6th out of 12. But in Epee, in spite of exhaustion from the first event, I got hot. I seeded 6th going into the direction elimination round with a match against the #3 seed in the quarter-final round. I took an early lead I never lost and won 15-10. I lost in the semi-finals 15-9, but fought a fierce match for 3rd place. After falling behind 5-1, I rallied with 6 straight touches then traded hits all the way until I had a 14-12 lead. But my opponent slowly figured me out and rallied to beat me 15-14. I took 4th out of 12, a personal best in a local meet in 2 1/2 years.
It will be four weeks until my next tournament, when I have two in two weeks. One will be another local meet. Then the next week I will be going to Albuquerque New Mexico for a large regional tournament. The last time I traveled that direction, I took 3rd place in a small meet. But there is more down the road. My UTEP Fencing Team is strongly considering going to a Collegiate Recreational Sport Club Team Tournament in Chicago in April. This is a national tournament UTEP has been invited to. In January 2009, Albuquerque hosted a regional collegiate club tournament and my team took Gold as I won the deciding bout. One of my teammates from that meet will be coming with me, so we just need to find a viable third teammate and we will be ready to make a big run for this meet.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Life as a Graduating Senior
It is just two weeks into my graduating senior year and God is moving. I have four classes that are keeping me busy: Operating System, Human Computer Interaction, Database Management, and Software Engineering. Based on the first two weeks, OS and DM appear to be my hardest classes. HCI is going to be a fun one, but work hasn't kicked in yet. Software is a two-semester class that is the equivalent of a senior project course. That class is a lot of fun so far but the work load is going to be very time intensive. But it doesn't appear to be hard-work, just lots of work. I am doing a lot to get ahead of things this weekend.
Intervarsity has launched with a great opening. We had 10 people show up for the first week and 12 show up today. And some didn't come that wanted to. So I expect this to be a great year.
And now I have my novel off my mind for the time being, allowing me to focus more solidly on my homework. I submitted my novel, Battle Cry: Adventures in the Kingdom of Heaven to Lighthouse Christian Publishing this evening. I won't expect a reply for 1-2 weeks (maybe tomorrow (Friday) just to acknowledge reception). It is all in God's hands now and we will soon see if I will be published soon.
God is so good and I love how when he blesses, he does not hold back. This is truly going to be my best year at UTEP.
Intervarsity has launched with a great opening. We had 10 people show up for the first week and 12 show up today. And some didn't come that wanted to. So I expect this to be a great year.
And now I have my novel off my mind for the time being, allowing me to focus more solidly on my homework. I submitted my novel, Battle Cry: Adventures in the Kingdom of Heaven to Lighthouse Christian Publishing this evening. I won't expect a reply for 1-2 weeks (maybe tomorrow (Friday) just to acknowledge reception). It is all in God's hands now and we will soon see if I will be published soon.
God is so good and I love how when he blesses, he does not hold back. This is truly going to be my best year at UTEP.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Trusting in the Lord
As our Intervarsity plans have come together, I was hit with a harsh blow. A class that is absolutely critical to graduation this year got bumped up right when we are having our Intervarsity Bible studies. I have been the one spearheading the topic as the student president. We set up the Bible study times to target two groups of people from a three hour time frame. I am still able to lead one group, but the other so far appears to be the bigger group based on initial feedback from our information tables. I spoke with my instructor about the situation and he said there was little he could do and emphasized that I be in class as much as possible. After Day 1, I know why.
But God was not surprised by this and let it happen for a reason. I have reason to suspect that one possible reason is to get others in the chapter to step up in leadership. The chapter for the last few years has been held together by two students, including myself. The other graduates in December and with her student teaching, can't be involved much at all. I graduate in May so I will be needing to pass the torch on as well. One student has stepped up and is willing to lead the time the I can't make it and I am praying that God will raise one or two others to help her. I am still going to try to do all the behind-the-scenes work so all she needs to focus on is facilitating and 'running the machine'. But I see this as a potentially great opportunity for others to be ready to take over the chapter when I leave.
So I am trusting in the Lord for this time and situation. It was stressful but God has given me peace about it. I know he knows what he is doing and I am seeking to see this through his eyes. As the topic of the Bible study this semester, it is HIS STORY and he has the right to write it as he wishes.
But God was not surprised by this and let it happen for a reason. I have reason to suspect that one possible reason is to get others in the chapter to step up in leadership. The chapter for the last few years has been held together by two students, including myself. The other graduates in December and with her student teaching, can't be involved much at all. I graduate in May so I will be needing to pass the torch on as well. One student has stepped up and is willing to lead the time the I can't make it and I am praying that God will raise one or two others to help her. I am still going to try to do all the behind-the-scenes work so all she needs to focus on is facilitating and 'running the machine'. But I see this as a potentially great opportunity for others to be ready to take over the chapter when I leave.
So I am trusting in the Lord for this time and situation. It was stressful but God has given me peace about it. I know he knows what he is doing and I am seeking to see this through his eyes. As the topic of the Bible study this semester, it is HIS STORY and he has the right to write it as he wishes.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Ministry on a College Campus
Tomorrow, I start my graduating senior year at the University of Texas at El Paso seeking my BA in Computer Science. It will be my sixth year at UTEP, mostly due to changing a major from Civil Engineering to Computer Science halfway through. But the change was worth it. The two degrees plans combined have set me up for where God wants to me to: teaching. After graduation, I will be taking a Alternative Teaching Certification Program that will get my certified to teach physics and math for the secondary level. Science and math teachers are in high demand in El Paso and I will be eligible to go for the goverment program to get about half my students loans forgiven.
But there is also more to the college life than just classes. In the previous five years, I have been involved with Intervarsity Christian Fellowship and this year, God has called me to step up my involvment to a much deeper level than before. For two years, I was just an attender of the meetings, before being asked to join the leadership team. 20 years of growing up on the mission field is always a bonus when serving on any mission-minded organization. But now I am taking on the full leadership position as president of the UTEP IV Chapter.
We feel God has some big plans for our Chapter as the last few years have seen a very low turn-out and I believe that is about to be on a turn-around. It began last spring when I spearheaded a very effective outreach event when we brought Steve Lillis, a professional pool player that uses trick shots to bring the Gospel. My draw to him was that he does the exact same thing with pool as I am preparing to do with fencing. While that event did not bring a lot of people to our meetings right away afterwards, it did wake us up as a chapter and we believe we are prepared to take this year by storm.
God has called me to lead a new Bible study approach through John Eldridge's Epic presentation. The idea is that all the history of mankind, creation, ancient history, the coming of Christ, the Ressurection, Pentacost, and all the way to the End Times, is really one big, giant, epic story that God is telling. We have a hero, in God. We have a 'damsel in distress' in man. We have a villian in Satan. We have a battle against the forces of darkness. And we have the coming of the Knight in Shining Armor when Jesus returns. In fact, a John Eldridge puts it, practically every story that we love and follow over and over again in books and movies have elements that come from this grand story. And when we really want to get to know someone, we listen to thier story: where they came from, what they've been through, how they made decisions, and how they got to where they are now. So this semester, we are going to study God's story and learn about him through what he has done and how he has made his decisions. It's going to be a good semester.
But there is also more to the college life than just classes. In the previous five years, I have been involved with Intervarsity Christian Fellowship and this year, God has called me to step up my involvment to a much deeper level than before. For two years, I was just an attender of the meetings, before being asked to join the leadership team. 20 years of growing up on the mission field is always a bonus when serving on any mission-minded organization. But now I am taking on the full leadership position as president of the UTEP IV Chapter.
We feel God has some big plans for our Chapter as the last few years have seen a very low turn-out and I believe that is about to be on a turn-around. It began last spring when I spearheaded a very effective outreach event when we brought Steve Lillis, a professional pool player that uses trick shots to bring the Gospel. My draw to him was that he does the exact same thing with pool as I am preparing to do with fencing. While that event did not bring a lot of people to our meetings right away afterwards, it did wake us up as a chapter and we believe we are prepared to take this year by storm.
God has called me to lead a new Bible study approach through John Eldridge's Epic presentation. The idea is that all the history of mankind, creation, ancient history, the coming of Christ, the Ressurection, Pentacost, and all the way to the End Times, is really one big, giant, epic story that God is telling. We have a hero, in God. We have a 'damsel in distress' in man. We have a villian in Satan. We have a battle against the forces of darkness. And we have the coming of the Knight in Shining Armor when Jesus returns. In fact, a John Eldridge puts it, practically every story that we love and follow over and over again in books and movies have elements that come from this grand story. And when we really want to get to know someone, we listen to thier story: where they came from, what they've been through, how they made decisions, and how they got to where they are now. So this semester, we are going to study God's story and learn about him through what he has done and how he has made his decisions. It's going to be a good semester.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Fencing and Writing
God has a wonderful tendency to give people gifts that often have little to do with each other. Many people are highly talented in sports, but cannot do academic work for the life of them. Other people are the other way, mentally strong but no physical abilities. Some are great at math but horrible at English. Others are great at history but terrible with languages. But some people have mixed gifts. God has given me a gift with sports (predominately through fencing), science and math, and writing. These are not gifts commonly seen with each other, yet God gave them to me for a reason.
I am really good with numbers and God has shown me how to teach recently. So I am seeking to get certified in Physics and Math. But I've also been fencing for 12 years and am going to seek coaching as a option. Math and sports usually aren't seen in the same person too often. Math and an ability to write, even less.
In the last 3 1/2 years, God opened the door for me to get into fiction novel writing as a hobby. And he has enabled me to use my understanding and experience in fencing to write battle scenes that truly depict a properly done fight. I've read a number of authors that do a sword fight and they clearly don't know a beat from a parry (same action, one is offense, the other is defense). I've read some others that have done some research and while I can tell they've learned stuff, I can also tell they've never held a weapon in thier life. So I've sought to give readers sword action from someone who truly knows the use of blades and the mindset of being in battle.
I've written a fiction novel with a heavy Christian Spiritual Warfare theme. And after several years of editing and patiently waiting, the time may be here for publication. I have been contacted by Lighthous Christian Publishing expressing interest in my novel. So I am currently reviewing my novel one last time before submitting it. If they like what they see, I can expect talks for a contract following shortly. And when that happens, it won't be long be you may see Battle Cry: Adventures in the Kingdom of Heaven on the shelves of bookstores.
I am really good with numbers and God has shown me how to teach recently. So I am seeking to get certified in Physics and Math. But I've also been fencing for 12 years and am going to seek coaching as a option. Math and sports usually aren't seen in the same person too often. Math and an ability to write, even less.
In the last 3 1/2 years, God opened the door for me to get into fiction novel writing as a hobby. And he has enabled me to use my understanding and experience in fencing to write battle scenes that truly depict a properly done fight. I've read a number of authors that do a sword fight and they clearly don't know a beat from a parry (same action, one is offense, the other is defense). I've read some others that have done some research and while I can tell they've learned stuff, I can also tell they've never held a weapon in thier life. So I've sought to give readers sword action from someone who truly knows the use of blades and the mindset of being in battle.
I've written a fiction novel with a heavy Christian Spiritual Warfare theme. And after several years of editing and patiently waiting, the time may be here for publication. I have been contacted by Lighthous Christian Publishing expressing interest in my novel. So I am currently reviewing my novel one last time before submitting it. If they like what they see, I can expect talks for a contract following shortly. And when that happens, it won't be long be you may see Battle Cry: Adventures in the Kingdom of Heaven on the shelves of bookstores.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
The Helmet of Salvation
# 6 of 6
The Helmet had two very important roles in a solider in battle. One was to protect the head. The other was to bear the colors of the lord or army for whom he fought. For the Greek or Roman it was easy to tell who was in which army by the colors of the uniform as well as the helmet. But in the feudal days of the Middle Ages, many knights wore the same type of armor, so to tell who was who, they would put the colors of thier lord on thier helmet. The military salute we have today also originates from the medieval helmet. They had visors to protect the face, and in the jousting competitions, it was known to throw in a ringer who was very good to fight in place of the lord. So to prove that a person was really who they were, before the match, they would raise the visor as a recognition to the opponent saying 'This is who I am'.
In sport fencing, the number one rule from individual practice to club to competition is that you must never cross blades without a mask on. The fencing mask should have kept the name 'helmet' but the French got there first and called them masks, likely because they made it hard to identify the opponent. In competition, fencers must have thier equipment inspected by an armorer for saftey reasons. The mask has a steel mesh that allows the fencer to see but protects the face from practically any blow. The mesh must be able to withstand a 40 kg punch test, which is stronger than most fencers are capable of delivering. The only incidents in which a mask failed to hold after being tested and approved involved broken blades which were sharp. After the mask passes the test, it is stamped so the referee knows it is eligible for use.
When it comes to spiritual warfare, like in fencing, we are not allowed to engage in combat unless we are first bearing the Helmet of Salvation. We are not allowed to pick up the Sword of the Spirit unless we are under the Blood Covenant of the cross and have been approved by God to wield it. The Helmet of Salvation bears the colors of the King of Kings, but unlike fencing masks which need to be tested for each competition, the Helmet of Salvation is a once-done deal. The decision to follow Christ is a life-time commitment and once you become a Christian, you will stay a Christian. Salvation is a gift that cannot be earned. And if we cannot earn it, we cannot do anything to lose it. And if we could lose it by our acts, there is no hope for any.
The Helmet of Salvation completes the Armor of God, but so many times, many Christians want to go about thier lives wearing only the Helmet of Salvation. These so called 'nominal' Christians want Jesus to save them from thier sins, but they still want to live thier own lives thier way. The problem is that we are at war and if we go naked aside from the helmet, we are easy prey. Paul tells us to put on the FULL Armor of God so when the day of evil comes we will be able to stand our ground. We don't know when evil is going to make thier move so we must make it a daily exercise to put on the Armor. You cannot wait until it arrives to put it on. The enemy moves too quickly and is described as a roaring lion seeking any whom he can devour. The lion does not hunt the healthy and strong. It hunts the weak, the young, the slow, and the unprotected. It only attacks the strong when threatened. So when we don't put on the Full Armor of God, we are only inviting the enemy to come in and mess up our lives. So put on every piece of the Armor of God every day, be alert and on guard, and press forward for the goal laid out before us.
The Helmet had two very important roles in a solider in battle. One was to protect the head. The other was to bear the colors of the lord or army for whom he fought. For the Greek or Roman it was easy to tell who was in which army by the colors of the uniform as well as the helmet. But in the feudal days of the Middle Ages, many knights wore the same type of armor, so to tell who was who, they would put the colors of thier lord on thier helmet. The military salute we have today also originates from the medieval helmet. They had visors to protect the face, and in the jousting competitions, it was known to throw in a ringer who was very good to fight in place of the lord. So to prove that a person was really who they were, before the match, they would raise the visor as a recognition to the opponent saying 'This is who I am'.
In sport fencing, the number one rule from individual practice to club to competition is that you must never cross blades without a mask on. The fencing mask should have kept the name 'helmet' but the French got there first and called them masks, likely because they made it hard to identify the opponent. In competition, fencers must have thier equipment inspected by an armorer for saftey reasons. The mask has a steel mesh that allows the fencer to see but protects the face from practically any blow. The mesh must be able to withstand a 40 kg punch test, which is stronger than most fencers are capable of delivering. The only incidents in which a mask failed to hold after being tested and approved involved broken blades which were sharp. After the mask passes the test, it is stamped so the referee knows it is eligible for use.
When it comes to spiritual warfare, like in fencing, we are not allowed to engage in combat unless we are first bearing the Helmet of Salvation. We are not allowed to pick up the Sword of the Spirit unless we are under the Blood Covenant of the cross and have been approved by God to wield it. The Helmet of Salvation bears the colors of the King of Kings, but unlike fencing masks which need to be tested for each competition, the Helmet of Salvation is a once-done deal. The decision to follow Christ is a life-time commitment and once you become a Christian, you will stay a Christian. Salvation is a gift that cannot be earned. And if we cannot earn it, we cannot do anything to lose it. And if we could lose it by our acts, there is no hope for any.
The Helmet of Salvation completes the Armor of God, but so many times, many Christians want to go about thier lives wearing only the Helmet of Salvation. These so called 'nominal' Christians want Jesus to save them from thier sins, but they still want to live thier own lives thier way. The problem is that we are at war and if we go naked aside from the helmet, we are easy prey. Paul tells us to put on the FULL Armor of God so when the day of evil comes we will be able to stand our ground. We don't know when evil is going to make thier move so we must make it a daily exercise to put on the Armor. You cannot wait until it arrives to put it on. The enemy moves too quickly and is described as a roaring lion seeking any whom he can devour. The lion does not hunt the healthy and strong. It hunts the weak, the young, the slow, and the unprotected. It only attacks the strong when threatened. So when we don't put on the Full Armor of God, we are only inviting the enemy to come in and mess up our lives. So put on every piece of the Armor of God every day, be alert and on guard, and press forward for the goal laid out before us.
Friday, August 13, 2010
The Sword of The Spirit
# 5 of 6
The sword was one of the first weapons man created and is a legendary icon in the history of the world. The sword is not just an instrument of war. It is a symbol of loyalty, knighthood, position, and nobility. Blacksmiths would spend years perfecting thier craft to make blades that would last generations. A sword would be carried down the family line to the eldest son. Many peasants didn't have swords, as they would be too expensive and swords were often only carried by those who had a standing in the kingdom. A sword is also a symbol of defense. To carry a sword, meant the wielder was armed and able to defend himself. Swords have been used in numerous ceremonies from awarding knighthood to cutting the cake at a wedding. In the Crusades, swords were given a cross hilt to represent the cross of Jesus. This reminded the knights that they fought for more than the cause of their king, but also for the King of Kings.
Today, swords have lost thier luster in the battlefield due to the rise of firearms. But they still remain icons in nearly every culture. It is hard to find a boy that does not want to play with swords at some point. Swords are kept in memory through movies, through sports like fencing and some martial arts, and through reinactment groups such as the SCA. The weapon has come from more than just a killing weapon into an art form. But no matter where you turn, every culture has numerous connections both modern and historical to the use of the sword.
In Ephesians, Paul described the Sword of the Spirit as the Word of God. Throughout prophetic scriptures, like Revelation, an image of a sword coming out of a mouth is frequently seen. Even Proverbs describe words acting like swords. Revelation 12:11 describes the Word of our Testimony as a weapon with which the saints will defeat the dragon. The sword in our spiritual war is the Word. Hebrews 4:12 describes the Word of God to be living and acting, sharper than any two-edged sword. Ephesians refers to the breathed, spoken Word of God, Rhema. Hebrews talks about the complete Word of God, Logos. So boths aspects to the 'Word' of God are described as swords. What is truly amazing about the Sword of the Spirit, is that it is living and active. God tells us we don't need to worry about what to say when we are brought before the kings and rulers, because the Spirit will give us the words to say. In this context, we learn that the Sword we wield will fight the battle for us, and all we have to do is hold on to it. The swords used in battle are not alive and if you let go of them, they drop to the ground. But the Sword of the Spirit is alive and it will fight for us. It is the offensive weapon we have against the forces of darkness and it is a weapon that the enemy fears with the utmost respect.
Next post will be the last of this series: the Helmet of Salvation
The sword was one of the first weapons man created and is a legendary icon in the history of the world. The sword is not just an instrument of war. It is a symbol of loyalty, knighthood, position, and nobility. Blacksmiths would spend years perfecting thier craft to make blades that would last generations. A sword would be carried down the family line to the eldest son. Many peasants didn't have swords, as they would be too expensive and swords were often only carried by those who had a standing in the kingdom. A sword is also a symbol of defense. To carry a sword, meant the wielder was armed and able to defend himself. Swords have been used in numerous ceremonies from awarding knighthood to cutting the cake at a wedding. In the Crusades, swords were given a cross hilt to represent the cross of Jesus. This reminded the knights that they fought for more than the cause of their king, but also for the King of Kings.
Today, swords have lost thier luster in the battlefield due to the rise of firearms. But they still remain icons in nearly every culture. It is hard to find a boy that does not want to play with swords at some point. Swords are kept in memory through movies, through sports like fencing and some martial arts, and through reinactment groups such as the SCA. The weapon has come from more than just a killing weapon into an art form. But no matter where you turn, every culture has numerous connections both modern and historical to the use of the sword.
In Ephesians, Paul described the Sword of the Spirit as the Word of God. Throughout prophetic scriptures, like Revelation, an image of a sword coming out of a mouth is frequently seen. Even Proverbs describe words acting like swords. Revelation 12:11 describes the Word of our Testimony as a weapon with which the saints will defeat the dragon. The sword in our spiritual war is the Word. Hebrews 4:12 describes the Word of God to be living and acting, sharper than any two-edged sword. Ephesians refers to the breathed, spoken Word of God, Rhema. Hebrews talks about the complete Word of God, Logos. So boths aspects to the 'Word' of God are described as swords. What is truly amazing about the Sword of the Spirit, is that it is living and active. God tells us we don't need to worry about what to say when we are brought before the kings and rulers, because the Spirit will give us the words to say. In this context, we learn that the Sword we wield will fight the battle for us, and all we have to do is hold on to it. The swords used in battle are not alive and if you let go of them, they drop to the ground. But the Sword of the Spirit is alive and it will fight for us. It is the offensive weapon we have against the forces of darkness and it is a weapon that the enemy fears with the utmost respect.
Next post will be the last of this series: the Helmet of Salvation
Thursday, August 12, 2010
The Shield of Faith
# 4 of 6
A soldier's shield was one of the most important pieces of his equipment. The Greek Spartan values his shield even more than his spear or sword. A shield was often made of wood to make it light weight and coated with bronze or iron to deflect most attacks. Shields varies in size depending on the role. Later, as armies discovered the shields were made of wood, they would unleash piercing arrows lit on fire. This would penetrate the soft coating of bronze, and the fire would burn through the wood frame of the shield. And with the shield gone, by the time armies clashed, the soldier was open to take a blow. So to counter that, Romans in particular would wrap thier shields in leather instead of bronze and soak the leather in water. This would extinguish the fiery arrows upon contact.
A shield was often carried on the back and brought out when in the combative stance. Simply carrying a shield meant nothing. It needed to be out and ready for use, or it didn't do its job. In order for a soldier to be protected, he needed to put his whole body withing the confides of the shield. Often, armies would launch volleys of arrows, sometimes so many it appeared it would blot out the sun. If any part of the body stuck out from the shield, it was hit.
As Christians, our faith is our shield. What is Faith? Hebrews defines it as the hope for the things unseen, an assurance that what is not happening now is going to happen and the mindset that is it already done. Faith is not just belief. Faith requires an object. You can believe anything you want. Flying is a great example. I can believe that an airplane will fly. I can stand on the run way, believe it will fly, but I don't really know that it will until I see it happen. But I exercise faith when I step into the airplane and take off.
Jesus said if we had faith the size of a mustard seed... People always talk about having more faith. Jesus wasn't saying we needed more faith. He was saying we had no faith whatsoever. He was drilling the point that it is not the amount of faith, but the object of what we are putting our faith in. If our faith is in Jesus, no matter how much it is, we will be able to say to this mountain move, and it will move.
Faith also has no doubts. You must be 100% behind the object of your faith or it is not protecting you. Doubt is when you don't trust your shield to protect you, so you look for other shelter. When we doubt God's Word, we are actually seeking the protection of something other than God from the evil in this world. Trust God and know that he will protect you from the fiery darts the enemy throws at us. The shield doesn't work until the arrow or the sword actually hits it. And we always jump right before. Stay behind the Shield of Faith and it will stand against any blow it receives.
Next post is the Sword of the Spirit
A soldier's shield was one of the most important pieces of his equipment. The Greek Spartan values his shield even more than his spear or sword. A shield was often made of wood to make it light weight and coated with bronze or iron to deflect most attacks. Shields varies in size depending on the role. Later, as armies discovered the shields were made of wood, they would unleash piercing arrows lit on fire. This would penetrate the soft coating of bronze, and the fire would burn through the wood frame of the shield. And with the shield gone, by the time armies clashed, the soldier was open to take a blow. So to counter that, Romans in particular would wrap thier shields in leather instead of bronze and soak the leather in water. This would extinguish the fiery arrows upon contact.
A shield was often carried on the back and brought out when in the combative stance. Simply carrying a shield meant nothing. It needed to be out and ready for use, or it didn't do its job. In order for a soldier to be protected, he needed to put his whole body withing the confides of the shield. Often, armies would launch volleys of arrows, sometimes so many it appeared it would blot out the sun. If any part of the body stuck out from the shield, it was hit.
As Christians, our faith is our shield. What is Faith? Hebrews defines it as the hope for the things unseen, an assurance that what is not happening now is going to happen and the mindset that is it already done. Faith is not just belief. Faith requires an object. You can believe anything you want. Flying is a great example. I can believe that an airplane will fly. I can stand on the run way, believe it will fly, but I don't really know that it will until I see it happen. But I exercise faith when I step into the airplane and take off.
Jesus said if we had faith the size of a mustard seed... People always talk about having more faith. Jesus wasn't saying we needed more faith. He was saying we had no faith whatsoever. He was drilling the point that it is not the amount of faith, but the object of what we are putting our faith in. If our faith is in Jesus, no matter how much it is, we will be able to say to this mountain move, and it will move.
Faith also has no doubts. You must be 100% behind the object of your faith or it is not protecting you. Doubt is when you don't trust your shield to protect you, so you look for other shelter. When we doubt God's Word, we are actually seeking the protection of something other than God from the evil in this world. Trust God and know that he will protect you from the fiery darts the enemy throws at us. The shield doesn't work until the arrow or the sword actually hits it. And we always jump right before. Stay behind the Shield of Faith and it will stand against any blow it receives.
Next post is the Sword of the Spirit
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
The Feet of the Gospel of Peace
# 3 out of 6
Just as important as the weapon in the hand of a soldier is their feet. Many people think sword battle is all about arm strength, but more so than anywhere else, is the strength of the legs. In sport fencing, it is the feet that set up the distance to time attacks and defenses. The feet need to bring you forward and backwards, sometimes changing directions in the blink of an eye. They must be fast and fencers must practice their footwork more than any other area. Why? They have to be able to do thier footwork subconsciously, without thinking about it and concentrate on their opponent. If a fencers thinks about thier footwork, the sport is too fast for them to react and they are hit. Fencers also must wear proper shoes and knickers. This protects their legs and feet, while also given them the flexiblity in the legs to move at high speeds. The shoes are also of upmost importance as the feet need to be light and agile. If a fencer wears heavy boots, or if women wear high heels, they can't move with any kind of speed, and they will never be able to get thier distance right, let alone successfully execute a lunge.
As Believers in Christ, the Gospel of Peace is our footwork. We have to know the Gospel so well that we are ready to give an answer by instinct without having to think about it. If we have to think about what we are going to say, or try to dig back into the depths of our memory, we will lose our witnessing power. Isaiah tells us "beautiful are the feet that brings Good News". The Good News is the Gospel of Peace. Peace is not a lack of war, like darkness is a lack of light. War is the lack of peace. Peace is also an understanding that even if you don't know what will happen, this is the thing that needs to be done. Be a peace-maker by standing confident in what you believe and following the Word of God, but don't be a peace-lover by compromising your faith and settling for something short-lived and won't last.
Next post will be the Shield of Faith.
Just as important as the weapon in the hand of a soldier is their feet. Many people think sword battle is all about arm strength, but more so than anywhere else, is the strength of the legs. In sport fencing, it is the feet that set up the distance to time attacks and defenses. The feet need to bring you forward and backwards, sometimes changing directions in the blink of an eye. They must be fast and fencers must practice their footwork more than any other area. Why? They have to be able to do thier footwork subconsciously, without thinking about it and concentrate on their opponent. If a fencers thinks about thier footwork, the sport is too fast for them to react and they are hit. Fencers also must wear proper shoes and knickers. This protects their legs and feet, while also given them the flexiblity in the legs to move at high speeds. The shoes are also of upmost importance as the feet need to be light and agile. If a fencer wears heavy boots, or if women wear high heels, they can't move with any kind of speed, and they will never be able to get thier distance right, let alone successfully execute a lunge.
As Believers in Christ, the Gospel of Peace is our footwork. We have to know the Gospel so well that we are ready to give an answer by instinct without having to think about it. If we have to think about what we are going to say, or try to dig back into the depths of our memory, we will lose our witnessing power. Isaiah tells us "beautiful are the feet that brings Good News". The Good News is the Gospel of Peace. Peace is not a lack of war, like darkness is a lack of light. War is the lack of peace. Peace is also an understanding that even if you don't know what will happen, this is the thing that needs to be done. Be a peace-maker by standing confident in what you believe and following the Word of God, but don't be a peace-lover by compromising your faith and settling for something short-lived and won't last.
Next post will be the Shield of Faith.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
The Breastplate of Righteousness
# 2 out of 6 in the Armor of God Series
The second piece of the Armor of God is the Breastplate of Righteousness. The role of the breastplate is as straight forward as can be. It is a metalic plate, made of bronze in the Greek era, iron or bronze in the Roman era that protected the vital organs in the front of the torso. It is important to note that these breastplates did not cover the back because the Greek and Roman soliders were never expected to turn their back to an enemy. Thier formations in the army prevented them from being surrounded easily so they always faced thier opponents. Having the back open allowed air to come through so they could breath in thier hot armor.
As Christians, we wear Righteousness as our breastplate. The Bible does not equate righteousness with perfection, but as either a lifestyle or an identity. As a lifestyle, Abraham is an example we can use. He lived by faith and was considered righteous. Job was also considered righteous. They trusted in the Lord, and even when they sinned, they still sought after God. However, an area of sin in our lives is like a chink in the breastplate. Modern day fencers teach very accurate point control with our weapons, especially in epee, the derivative of the dueling sword. We are taught to hit at very specific points on the body and not just anywhere we can. The enemy, Satan, is very good at specifying where he wants to hit. So any weakness we have in our defenses due to a sin that we have not dealt with is like wearing a target saying "hit me".
Righteousness is also revealed in the context of identity. When Jesus died and rose again, he did that so we might become the righteousness of God. Under the blood covenant of the cross, Jesus took the punishment that was due to every one of us. And when we stand blameless before the Throne of Heaven, we are viewed as Righteous. God must see a pure, white heart in us into order to be able to dwell in our midst. But sin made our heart red as scarlet. But Jesus' blood covers our sin. And if you look at a red object through a red lens, you see white. This is how God sees us. He looks at us through the lens of Christ's blood and seeing white, he calls us righteous.
Next will be the Feet of the Gospel of Peace.
The second piece of the Armor of God is the Breastplate of Righteousness. The role of the breastplate is as straight forward as can be. It is a metalic plate, made of bronze in the Greek era, iron or bronze in the Roman era that protected the vital organs in the front of the torso. It is important to note that these breastplates did not cover the back because the Greek and Roman soliders were never expected to turn their back to an enemy. Thier formations in the army prevented them from being surrounded easily so they always faced thier opponents. Having the back open allowed air to come through so they could breath in thier hot armor.
As Christians, we wear Righteousness as our breastplate. The Bible does not equate righteousness with perfection, but as either a lifestyle or an identity. As a lifestyle, Abraham is an example we can use. He lived by faith and was considered righteous. Job was also considered righteous. They trusted in the Lord, and even when they sinned, they still sought after God. However, an area of sin in our lives is like a chink in the breastplate. Modern day fencers teach very accurate point control with our weapons, especially in epee, the derivative of the dueling sword. We are taught to hit at very specific points on the body and not just anywhere we can. The enemy, Satan, is very good at specifying where he wants to hit. So any weakness we have in our defenses due to a sin that we have not dealt with is like wearing a target saying "hit me".
Righteousness is also revealed in the context of identity. When Jesus died and rose again, he did that so we might become the righteousness of God. Under the blood covenant of the cross, Jesus took the punishment that was due to every one of us. And when we stand blameless before the Throne of Heaven, we are viewed as Righteous. God must see a pure, white heart in us into order to be able to dwell in our midst. But sin made our heart red as scarlet. But Jesus' blood covers our sin. And if you look at a red object through a red lens, you see white. This is how God sees us. He looks at us through the lens of Christ's blood and seeing white, he calls us righteous.
Next will be the Feet of the Gospel of Peace.
Monday, August 9, 2010
The Belt of Truth
For the next few posts, I will be going over each piece of the Armor of God, what the fuction of each piece is for a soldier in combat, and how it applies to our life. Today, the Belt of Truth.
The belt has several functions. One is to keep the Roman soldier's tunic from flapping around in battle. Without the belt it could swing out and catch on another weapon or be grabbed by an enemy. The tunic could also fly up, blinding the soldier. The belt also bore the soldier's arms. The sword's sheath slid onto the belt and it also allowed for the stashing of numerous secondary weapons and tools. In Biblical times, when a blood covenant was made, the two parties would exchange belts as a symbol of resources and tools being made available to each other. It also meant that each party would make a stand and fight for the other when in trouble.
In our Christian walk, Truth is our belt. It is more than just speaking the truth. It is Integrity. It is living in honesty and truthfulness. It is truth that sets the boundaries which gives us the freedom to move about. The truth also holds our spiritual weapons and allows us to wield our spiritual tools. Integrity and honesty in terms of covenants are the bindings that hold it all together. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we come into a blood covenant with him. And we exchange our resources, which are very limited if any, with his, which are infinite. His belt is Truth and in order to carry his resources, we have to carry his belt. Because only his belt is designed to carry his tools. As a dress belt is not designed to carry a myriad of carpenter's tools or an electrician's tools, so our belts are not capable of carrying God's tools. So we must wear the Belt of Truth in order to carry and wield the gifts, abilities, and tools that God gives us.
So that is an overview of the Belt of Truth. Tomorrow (hopefully) I will cover the Breastplate of Righteousness. From there I will go into the Feet of the Gospel of Peace, the Shield of Faith, the Sword of the Spirit, and the Helmet of Salvation.
The belt has several functions. One is to keep the Roman soldier's tunic from flapping around in battle. Without the belt it could swing out and catch on another weapon or be grabbed by an enemy. The tunic could also fly up, blinding the soldier. The belt also bore the soldier's arms. The sword's sheath slid onto the belt and it also allowed for the stashing of numerous secondary weapons and tools. In Biblical times, when a blood covenant was made, the two parties would exchange belts as a symbol of resources and tools being made available to each other. It also meant that each party would make a stand and fight for the other when in trouble.
In our Christian walk, Truth is our belt. It is more than just speaking the truth. It is Integrity. It is living in honesty and truthfulness. It is truth that sets the boundaries which gives us the freedom to move about. The truth also holds our spiritual weapons and allows us to wield our spiritual tools. Integrity and honesty in terms of covenants are the bindings that hold it all together. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we come into a blood covenant with him. And we exchange our resources, which are very limited if any, with his, which are infinite. His belt is Truth and in order to carry his resources, we have to carry his belt. Because only his belt is designed to carry his tools. As a dress belt is not designed to carry a myriad of carpenter's tools or an electrician's tools, so our belts are not capable of carrying God's tools. So we must wear the Belt of Truth in order to carry and wield the gifts, abilities, and tools that God gives us.
So that is an overview of the Belt of Truth. Tomorrow (hopefully) I will cover the Breastplate of Righteousness. From there I will go into the Feet of the Gospel of Peace, the Shield of Faith, the Sword of the Spirit, and the Helmet of Salvation.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Pictures of Fencing Presentation
I've gotten some pictures of the presentation I did this past Thursday. This one is of me demonstrating the Encortada (see post below) and explainging how forgiveness enables you to evade the intended hit and lets the offender deal with God and his word (the Sword of the Spirit).
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Fencing Ministry at a Girl's Refuge Center
This past Thursday, I was given a wonderful opportunity to bring fencing to war-torn Juarez, Mexico. I was involved in leading a mission team from Arkansas and Thursday, we went to one of their favorite places, a girl's refuge center, where girls as young as 9 are pulled off the streets, bad home situations, and worse. They live in a lock-down facility that protects them from the dangers of the streets and even themselves, but they are taught the love of Jesus and this team has been visiting them several times a year for six years. God laid on my heart to speak to the girls, using fencing to illustrate my points.
I used three fencing actions to illustrate life lessons with a spiritual warfare theme. The first is a very powerful move and demonstrates how our enemy, Satan, tries to get our attention focused on one area in our lives, when his real target is somewhere else. The second is a real quick attack that is designed to look like an arrow, and it resembles the fiery darts that the enemy throws at us. The third was my main one, which is a counter-attack that also evades the attack. I used this to illustrate forgiveness and that when we forgive, the intended blow misses entirely and the enemy falls on the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, without any chance to recover. In this I used a sparing partner with no experience, and emphasized that he could not have done the actions he did unless I showed him how. The same is true with forgiveness. We know how to forgive because God forgave us first.
This presentation had a huge impact on the team and the girls. I had at least 5 people come up to me saying they learned something deep and profound from it that they never knew in years of thier faith. Not a single person had anything to say about it they didn't like and God showed up in style through me. I sought to get it video recorded, but the guy operating my camera didn't realize it wasn't recording, but his son got at least part of it before he ran out of memory. He is going to see who else had cameras rolling and get me as much of a complete recording as he can. When that comes in, I will post it here. God is so good and he's got much more than this planned for me.
I used three fencing actions to illustrate life lessons with a spiritual warfare theme. The first is a very powerful move and demonstrates how our enemy, Satan, tries to get our attention focused on one area in our lives, when his real target is somewhere else. The second is a real quick attack that is designed to look like an arrow, and it resembles the fiery darts that the enemy throws at us. The third was my main one, which is a counter-attack that also evades the attack. I used this to illustrate forgiveness and that when we forgive, the intended blow misses entirely and the enemy falls on the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, without any chance to recover. In this I used a sparing partner with no experience, and emphasized that he could not have done the actions he did unless I showed him how. The same is true with forgiveness. We know how to forgive because God forgave us first.
This presentation had a huge impact on the team and the girls. I had at least 5 people come up to me saying they learned something deep and profound from it that they never knew in years of thier faith. Not a single person had anything to say about it they didn't like and God showed up in style through me. I sought to get it video recorded, but the guy operating my camera didn't realize it wasn't recording, but his son got at least part of it before he ran out of memory. He is going to see who else had cameras rolling and get me as much of a complete recording as he can. When that comes in, I will post it here. God is so good and he's got much more than this planned for me.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Using Sport Fencing for Ministry
If God is able to use a donkey to speak to Balaam, or if he is able to use a scared, timid, stuttering, angry, complaining Moses to lead a million people out of the most poweful nation in the world at that time, he can use any one of us, no matter our circumstances, abilities, or skills.
I am one that most people would have considered to be un-useable. When I was six, I could not run and could barely walk. I have Asperger's Syndrome, a mild form of autism. I stutter. The list goes on. But through all this, God has given me a gift: the ability to do sport fencing.
In fencing for 12 years, in the last six, God has shown my how to use the sport as a tool to reach out to other people. I have been doing demonstrations and presentations in Juarez, Mexico through International Family Missions which has become a huge hit. I put on a very powerful spiritual warfare skit that has had a massive impact on hundreds of lives. And now, I am in the stages to take it even further.
I may have an opportunity to practice this calling this week as I will be serving along side a mission team from Arkansas in Mexico and should that happen, I will be posting what I did, how it turned out, photos and video. And may God bless this work that only HE could have initated.
I am one that most people would have considered to be un-useable. When I was six, I could not run and could barely walk. I have Asperger's Syndrome, a mild form of autism. I stutter. The list goes on. But through all this, God has given me a gift: the ability to do sport fencing.
In fencing for 12 years, in the last six, God has shown my how to use the sport as a tool to reach out to other people. I have been doing demonstrations and presentations in Juarez, Mexico through International Family Missions which has become a huge hit. I put on a very powerful spiritual warfare skit that has had a massive impact on hundreds of lives. And now, I am in the stages to take it even further.
I may have an opportunity to practice this calling this week as I will be serving along side a mission team from Arkansas in Mexico and should that happen, I will be posting what I did, how it turned out, photos and video. And may God bless this work that only HE could have initated.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Pray for Outreach This Week
Tomorrow night, the first part of IFM's third outreach team of the year arrives from Colorado. Then Sunday afternoon, the rest of the team arrives from Arkansas. We will be ministering in four places in Juarez, Mexico all next week. Our destination include a Children's Home, a colonia (neighborhood), a church/feeding center, and a girl's rehab/refuge center. These are all needy people, who epitomize poor, have severe broken family situations, and many who have been deeply scarred by life. Juarez is also still in the middle of a fierce drug cartel war. After many government attempts to stop it, we know for certain there is only one way to end it: through the power of the Lord Jesus Christ. Pray for saftey, courage, protection, and for God to show himself mighty once again.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
As Iron sharpens Iron, so a Man sharpens another
I thank the Lord for Godly men who are willing to approach thier friends when something wrong happens. Partly at the encouragement of a friend, I wrote a spiritual warfare novel that is on the verge of publication. But it was until just recently when this friend read my first few chapters that I realized something. I had parts of the novel that far more closely resembled the book he wrote (which inspired me) that I thought or realized. He wrote his first, and though I am ready for publication long before he is, I need to honor him and let him have the glory for the ideas he had. And I thank him for the Godly attitude he had in approaching me about it. Now I am going through his book again to compare what I have in mine so I can go through mine and edit that stuff out. This is the reason my book is not published yet and I thank God for it.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
God's Provision
God never ceases to amaze me with how he provides for our needs. Today two things happened. One, I found out that with my current plan to go into teaching, I can get $17,500 of my student loans forgiven by teaching in any low-income elementary or high school for 5 consecutive years. Only one school in El Paso stands above that bar.
The other thing is that at the House of Cornelius Campus of International Family Missions where I live, a local church donated a new playground for us, provided thier youth group to install it, and provided a man who has a fence to put up to protect kids and balls from the irrigation ditch right by the playing area. God is so good.
The other thing is that at the House of Cornelius Campus of International Family Missions where I live, a local church donated a new playground for us, provided thier youth group to install it, and provided a man who has a fence to put up to protect kids and balls from the irrigation ditch right by the playing area. God is so good.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Pray for New Student Orientation at UTEP Tomorrow
Tomorrow I will be assisting in running at table for Intervarsity Christian Fellowship as we greet incoming freshman as they have their summer orientations at the University of Texas at El Paso. I will be the student president of Intervaristy this next year and we are expecting a growth in our chapter. The theme of our Bible studies this semester will be God's Epic Story. We plan to go through the Bible and discover who God is by learning HIS STORY! Going to be a great year.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Opening a Blog
Howdy World!!!
This is my first post in the blogging world. Here I will posting updates on my life including: results from fencing tournaments, updates from my college life, any updates as they come about my novel that's soon to be published, and also to get word out about my fencing ministry that is starting to take a more solid form than just in my head. I will be posting about that shortly. I'm looking forward to seeing what God does with this and even if I don't post every day, I'll be on here frequently as internet access allows.
Charlie Wolcott
This is my first post in the blogging world. Here I will posting updates on my life including: results from fencing tournaments, updates from my college life, any updates as they come about my novel that's soon to be published, and also to get word out about my fencing ministry that is starting to take a more solid form than just in my head. I will be posting about that shortly. I'm looking forward to seeing what God does with this and even if I don't post every day, I'll be on here frequently as internet access allows.
Charlie Wolcott
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