The Necessary Obligation.

This is a term I’ve been using to refer to what I see as a very popular view of God in our day. I don’t think what I’m seeing for the most part is predominately unbelief, but apathy. We just don’t care. We’re unmoved. What happens as a result of this is The Lord ends up being seen as “the necessary obligation.” We’ll go to church because we have to, pray cause it’s good to, read our bibles ‘cause we should. But Christ is not our everything. He’s not what we long for. He’s not what we’re desperate for. He’s seen as a distraction from real life. So we rush through “paying our dues” to Him to get on to “the good stuff,” when in reality, He is the good stuff!
I look at someone like the apostle Paul and can’t help but think what a freak that guy was for Christ. He shows us his passion for Christ in the book of Philippians when he says, “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” So Paul is saying this of the same Lord – the same Christ – that so many of us see as stale and unexciting. It’s not that he served a different Jesus; he just had a different view of Jesus than many of us possess. The problem is not with God, the problem is with us. Our view of Him is distorted, our vision is off. We’re not seeing Him as He is. We’d rather feast on lesser things than taste and see that The Lord is good. Other things in this world seem appealing to us, whereas God just seems….boring.
Paul would go so far as to say that even the best stuff in his life wasn’t just second to the Savior, but a loss compared to Him. Paul had an enormous view of God that rocked his world and changed everything. He realized that this savior who died for him wasn’t a ladder to something greater, Christ himself was the greatest. In the same way, we need is a deflated view of things, and a massively enlarged view of Christ. There are a million things everyday that compete for our allegiance – created things that we gladly allow to sit enthroned in our lives. But what we need is to see visible things as temporary, and the invisible God as glorious. C.S. Lewis would tell us that God finds “our desires not too strong, but too weak.” And listen to the fanatic in Psalm 73 who just couldn’t get enough: “Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Over and over in the scriptures you see believers who could not function properly without more of God. They didn’t just scratch the surface with The Lord; they couldn’t breathe without Him. They didn’t see Him as a distraction from what they really wanted; He himself was everything they wanted. He wasn’t “the necessary obligation,” He was their glorious treasure, their all-in-all, their “portion forever.” May He be that for us as well.

End of the road.

sorry it's been so long since I've updated this. Let's just say my comp. has been on the fritz. Doesn't seem to be much life left in this thing. Anyways....I have about 4 sets of updates sittin' around....but I'll just leave you with a few from the end of the tour. We're officially done for the year and looks like I'm going to be living in southern california for a bit. It's been a good trip these past few months....the good news about jesus got out there to many people; and I just hope God carries the effects far beyond today, into eternity.

sky fire.


ax.


beat.


come.


God's mural.


saloon.


"The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life."-Revelation 22:17

this is an em-urgency.

most of us do whatever it takes to avoid the subject of death.
we block it out, ignore it, do whatever it takes not to face the inescapable reality. maybe sooner, maybe later, but inescapable nonetheless.
It may be a subject we don't like to think about....but death puts everything into perspective.
Death is really good at resizing things in our lives. It makes the big issues not seem so big and the little issues microscopic.
The truth is that sin has entered this world and brought it's friend, death, with it. Death spread to everyone because everyone sinned. This package came as a result of our rejection of & rebellion against our creator. We thought we knew better than He did, and where we find ourselves now is the result of that "knowing better."
But the story doesn't end there....that same God who created us to enjoy him forever entered into human history on a rescue mission as the God-man, Jesus Christ. He lived perfectly, died painfully, on a cross, taking the wrath of God & punishment of all those who would turn from sin, to Him & believe. He died....in our place...for our sin. The innocent One dies in the place of the guilty ones. The punishment that was upon him brings us peace with God. Getting up out of the grave 3 days later he put death to death. He killed the thing that's killing us. He died the death we should've died for our rebellion and extends the eternal life with Him that we don't deserve. The only thing we deserve is judgement, but through the cross, what we get is grace. He offers rescue from the Hell we deserve to be a part of his family forever
This is urgent. We're all dying. Christ invites you to be ransomed back to God by his blood shed on the cross. Nothing else will do. No religion. No philosophy. No bargain. No good work. Just Christ crucified. In your place...for your rebellion. Run to Him while you still have breath in your lungs.

oh my (at)lanta.

so.....my computer & camera have been freaking out a bit...so I haven't been updating this thing. It's a mini-miracle that i'm even using this comp. right now :) Anyways...after the last update we hit dallas, ohio, maryland, virginia, ATLANTA, virginia again....and now we're in louisville. 2 more weeks left 'till the tours over for the year. I thank God for what's being done out here & for being able to be a part of it. I'm a little road weary but it's such a privilege to be able to serve the servant king.
This is ATL.

bo brock.


nollie hard.


dazed.


fazed.


ready to roll.


land or slam.


gnomies.


buenos noches.


"he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again."-2 cor. 5.

mich again & beyond.

I've been slackin'...sorry! I can't remember everything, but I know we were in....michigan, minnesota, kentucky...and those 3 are compiled in this entry. After we did traveled through those parts we hit Ohio and then down into Houston,Tx, which is where we are now. Maybe dallas tommorow. confused yet? I sure am :) but hey, God seems to be movin'. good news is gettin' loose.

sky dynamite.


eggy joy.


reunion.


makin' hits.


deez-a-tron.


fh4c frens.


colorful people.


scurred.


hungry. why wait?


nature walk.


earthy.


goodnight...err..day.


"christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us."-galatians.

truckin' fer jesus.

been drivin' alot lately. keepin' busy. after eggy's house we did a demo in southern ill. then arkansas. then oklahoma. now were in georgia. pray for us & them if you could. thnx.

st. louie.


He did!


forecast:cloudy.


staring contest.


glad tidings.


tulsa.


eggy joy.


rock the boat.


homies.


droppin'.


the gang.


psalm 19v1.


......."Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."-luke 10.

make some illinoise.

our week-or-so "adventure" @ eggy boy's house in springfield, IL. upward and onward.

thanks.


felix.


tubbin'.


holds everything together.


blur.


gameboyz.


ramp jam.


makin' hits.


alice in eggy land.


........"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."-Colossians 1.

let's get err started.

silhouette.

"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ"-Romans 5:1

Reconciliation Tour '09.

Reliance/Siren skateboards tour this month. If were coming near you, come near us! I'm callin' it the reconciliation tour. (2 cor. 5:17-21) The lineup for the tour is eggy boy, chris weigele, casey wells, mike matzuka, and neckbeard doin' merch. Come hang!
Here's the dates:
Aug 8 - Collinsville, IL

Aug 9 - Fayetteville, AR

Aug 11 - Ponca City, OK

Aug 15 - Marietta, GA

Aug 16 - Acworth, GA

Aug 19 - New Braunfels, TX

Aug 21 - Jeffersonville, IN

Aug 22 - Madison, IN

Aug 23 - Salem, IN

Aug 27 - Wadena, MN

Aug 28 - Woodbury, MN

Aug 29 - Toledo, OH


......"Angels surrounding His throne and Worthy is the Lamb who was slain. The whole earth is full of His glory, All nations bow to His name. His majesty fills the Heavens, Our hearts give thunderous praise. Declare the Lord is forever, Make a joyful noise in this place!"-Joyful Noise by Flame.

I'm in love.

with a higher love. (were still in illinois...hangin' at eggy's. demo this saturday...pray for us & them if you can. thnx. christ is king mayne!)