Five Reasons Easter Sunday is better than Superbowl Sunday

1. Superbowl Sunday: Just one game
   Easter Sunday: At my church, we've got five services! (plus a sunrise service off-site)
2. Superbowl Sunday: Endless commercial breaks
   Easter Sunday: No commercial interruptions
3. Superbowl Sunday: Half-time show often features a classic rock act that won't go away
   Easter Sunday: The stone was rolled away! Classic!
4. Superbowl Sunday: People will be talking about the outcome for days
   Easter Sunday: People have been talking about the outcome for millenia
5. Superbowl Sunday: Vegas has odds on who will win
   Easter Sunday: We already know who won!

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¹ On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. ² They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, ³ but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. ⁴ While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. ⁵ In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? ⁶ He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ⁷ ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” ⁸ Then they remembered his words.

Luke 24:1-8 (NIV)

I.A.N.

OK, son #2 turns eight years old today! I won't say as much about him, because his names two letters shorter!

I is for Inquisitive - though his brother has a three year head start, this boy is trying to catch up in the total number of questions asked! He's really good at hypothetical questions, too!

A is for Athletic - This boy loves to run and jump and wrestle and throw and the list goes on. He's not like me who can sit and watch sports on TV for a long time, he wants to be in the action.

N is for Nonstop - just like the energizer bunny, he keeps going and going and going. His energy is a good match for our puppy. How I wish I had his energy!

Happy Birthday son, I love you!

S.I.M.O.N.

Eleven years ago today, God gave me the wonderful gift of a son.

S is for Servant. He has a servant's heart and is always willing to help out - especially at church.

I is for Inquisitive. He's a boy of a million questions. He wants to learn. He wants to understand.

M is for Meek. "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth." (Matthew 5:5) He is humbly patient.

O is for dOnuts. The last donut I ate sure looked like an "O"! He is my frequent partner for a quick Saturday morning trip to Dunkin Donuts to get a dozen donuts for the family!

N is for Nice. He is kind and gentle and one of the nicest people I know.

Happy Birthday son. I love you!

First post of the year 2011

Good morning. Let me wish all who read this a happy New Year!.

Today, January 1, 2011 is New Years Day and in recognition of the new year, I'd like to commemorate a few firsts of this year.

First Bible reading of the year

Genesis 1 - Genesis 3. Yes, Adam was the first man to wake up and find a woman whose name he didn't know laying next to him! Adam was also the first victim of the age old proverb "the way to a man's heart is through his stomach." Adam was also the first blame shifter and his quote "The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate." (Genesis 3:12) gave context millenia later to Marion Barry's epic quote "B*!#h set me up." Way to go Adam! But more hopefully, Genesis 3:15 provides our first promise of a savior!

First songs listened to in the New Year

Yes, I'm a master of putting the iPod on shuffle and then hitting next until I hear a song I want to listen to, but here's the first three songs that I listened to all the way through:

1. "Praise Him" from Cross-Centered Worship by David L. Ward
   This was also one of the last songs I listened to in 2010 while driving back from the car wash. A good song to start the year with, too!
2. "Completely Done" from Sons & Daugthers by Sovereign Grace Music
   "The old is gone, the new has come
   What You complete is completely done
   We're heirs with Christ, the victory won
   What You complete is completely done"
   New Years Day seems to be a wonderful time to remember that the old is gone and the new has come!
3. "The Stand" from Passion: Awakening by Kristian Stanfill
   "What can I say, what can I do, but offer this heart, oh God, completely to you."
   That's my prayer to start this year.

So as 2011 kicks into gear, may God bless you this year!

Flattery

OK, it's been a while since I've posted. I have done some posting on other blogs, but nothing substantial in over four months. Well, this morning as I was reading, a verse struck me that I just had to blog about.

He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action.

Daniel 11:32 (ESV)

I realize that I am living outside of the historical context of this prophecy, but nevertheless, I am challenged by it. There is a stark and even dangerous choice presented here and I want to examine that closely.

"...seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant..." This seems to me to be a two-way street. Depending on which translation each half of this comes first sometimes. Violating the covenant may lead to being seduced by flatteries. Being seduced by flatteries may lead to violating the covenant. It's easy to let a simple "Atta boy!" or "Good job" cause your head to swell, isn't it? Let a little pride slip in and it drives a wedge between you and God. It's even easier to swell up with pride if you've already turned your heart away from God. It's one thing to accept kind words of edification, it's another thing entirely to be seduced by them.

...but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action Stand firm and take action sound really good don't they? I think I will stand firm and take action. Isn't that great? Yes it is, thank you! Who's going to stand firm and take action? The people who know their God! This one isn't a two-way street. Standing firm and taking action will not necessarily lead you to knowing God. But, knowing God will lead you to standing firm and taking action. Knowing God is the key to this.

¹O LORD, you have searched me and known me! ²You know when I sit down and when I rise up;

    you discern my thoughts from afar.

³You search out my path and my lying down

    and are acquainted with all my ways.

⁴Even before a word is on my tongue,

    behold, O LORD,

    you know it altogether.

⁵You hem me in, behind and before,

    and lay your hand upon me.

⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;

    it is high; I cannot attain it.

Psalm 139:1-6 (ESV)

Know God and stand firm and take action or violate the covenant and be seduced by flatteries. The choice shouldn't be that hard. At times it's harder than it should be. Our circumstances may change even though God does not. It's real easy to get distracted. God doesn't change. He causes all things to work together for the good of those that love Him and are called according to His purpose. Know God. Stand firm. Take action. Know God. Know God.

Perhaps kind of quiet this week...

I don't know how much I'll be blogging on this blog this week. However, my other blog Brock Family Bible Study will be active this coming week. We have been working through "Training Hearts, Teaching Minds" by Starr Meade in our family devotions for a while, but this week with one of my two boys away at Cub Scout camp, we'll be studying my other son's favorite verse during our devotion time. It's been fun for me to be digging into the Greek (I am in know way a Greek scholar but I can use e-sword and online tools to dig into the meaning).

My Refuge

My soul finds rest in God alone;
      my salvation comes from him.

Psalm 62:1 (NIV)

OK, I haven't blogged in about a week. I've still been doing my daily reading, but my routine has been a little off this week and I haven't blogged. Perhaps today, I'm getting back in the habit.

Psalm 62 is a favorite of mine. Back in 1996 there was an afternoon where I sat down with my Bible open and my guitar. By the time the afternoon was over, I had written three songs. One of them, "You Are My Refuge" was inspired by Psalm 62.

You Are My Refuge

© 1996 Kevin Lee Brock

My soul finds rest in You alone
My salvation comes from You
You alone are my Rock
You are my fortress, I will not be shaken

I will trust in You forevermore
I will pour my heart out to You
You are my refuge

Waiting

I waited patiently for the LORD;
      he turned to me and heard my cry.

Psalm 40:1 (NIV)

As I was reading this morning, I could almost hear the gentle bassline of U2's "40" in my head. Far better, I suppose, to hear that song since it's based on this Psalm than to hear Tom Petty's "The Waiting" in my head. Waiting is hard sometimes (OK, now I'm starting to hear Mr. Petty). Waiting can be a lot of things:

• passive - just sitting around waiting for something to happen
• active - getting the house cleaned while waiting for guests to arrive
• fearful - just wait until your father gets home
• hopeful - waiting for Jesus to return
• patient - as we read here in Psalm 40
• impatient - like my cat when she's waiting to be fed in the morning
• without unknown expectations - waiting for the iPhone to come to Verizon
• with known expectations - waiting until COB on a Friday knowing that the weekend is nigh

David is actively, hopefully, patiently waiting with known expectations for the Lord. David knows the Lord will hear him and will answer his prayer. And He does. God has been paying attention and is actively listening to David's prayer. Forget about everyday and one more yard. This is how I want to wait.

A little abundance

Better is the little that the righteous has
      than the abundance of many wicked.

Psalm 37:16 (ESV)

David sounds like Solomon here. This quote here could have easily been in Proverbs. It's better to righteous than to be rich. I know this to be true - I've got an abundance of stuff to prove it. ;-)

Seriously, God cares more about what's in your heart than how much stuff is in your home. With all of the stuff in my home, maybe I need to be concerned with my heart too. What does all of the stuff say about my heart? Has my stuff become my idol? Do I need to clean house and clean my heart? Are decluttering and repentence interrelated? Get the heart in order and then get the house in order?

For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
      but the LORD upholds the righteous.

Psalm 37:17 (ESV)

Together

Glorify the LORD with me;
      let us exalt his name together.

Psalm 34:3 (NIV)

I will glorify the LORD. I will exalt His Name. Nope, that's not what it says here. Not that it's bad to say that. But here David has a few key words to remember: "with me," "let us," and "together." Though having a personal praise and worship time is a great thing, we should not forget to worship God with others. It says in Hebrews 10:25 "Let us not give up meeting together..." If it's Sunday morning and you just don't feel like going to church, don't reach for the TV remote, reach for the car keys. Don't focus on what's going on in your life - focus on who God is. Together with your brothers, sisters, family, and friends glorify the Lord and exalt His name!