It has been a year since I have written anything on this log page.  So much has changed: my life, my views, my ideas, my desires, I almost feel like a different person now.  I do however want to make this site in to one thing only, a way for me to write out my ideas of issues of controversy and problems with such things. 

My aim is one for one thing to be accomplished, I desire that through this writing and people reading it, that their view of God is better than it was prior to reading it, and that they too may experience the life changing gift of eternal that comes only through Jesus Christ of Nazareth. 

So with that in mind, I want to discuss the first issue, why so many denominations.? A cool thing about Christianity is that it can be unified, but not have uniformity.  The body of Christ is not to look all the same., for each person's design is a little bit different than the next person.  Therefore, in the local bodied church, people are going to have different roles because it will help them serve the body of Christ in a way that is best for them.  Not all are to be teachers, not all are to be leading worship through song, and not all are called to preach. 

1 Corinthians 12: 4-25 :

4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

One Body with Many Members

12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves for free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. "

We all have specific roles to play within the local church, each one unique, and each vital for the health, and functioning of the church.  But why divide over so many things?  The question ought to be, how can I show, truly show, the life give love that God has shown us through his son on the cross to my brother or sister in Christ?  We ought not divide over petty things like worship style, who leads worship, or even the instruments used while worship our Lord and savior through music, but enjoy that God is our focus, not how we perceive worship through song. 

Please do not misunderstand what I am saying, I believe that there absolutely ought to be essentials in every corporate gathering of believers for the mutual edification of believers, but there are many things that the Evangelical community divides over that is not only unnecessary, but truly divisive for the sinner-saint.  Today's American "Christian" cares more about how the service feels than he does where his heart is at before God Almighty.  From the very beginning, God has been particular about how we worship him, how we obey his commands, and the state of our hearts before him.  Today's American "church," gives little thought to whether God is glorified in how people worship him and only think of the end result: whether it gives them a spiritual high. 

My solution to this: get back to the authentic love of God.  Through this love of his Word, his attributes, and his saving grace ought to flow into our love for people.  We ought to continually be asking ourselves, "If I am an ambassador for Christ (which all Christians are), how is God being revealed to other Christians and non-Christians through my actions, through my words, and through my love?  We ought to show the love of the bride of Christ by coming together, realizing that denominational split is not the best thing to occur, and by true rigorous study of what the Bible says, not what we want it to say.  It is my firm belief that if there was more rigorious study of God's Word and prayer, that many unhealthy churches would begin to be healthy.  They would begin to see the error and start becoming a stumbling block to Christianity. False doctrine and bad theology is the greatest tool that Satan uses to kill the bride of Christ.  It is so easy for many to be led astray by bad doctine, that pastors and all people should devote great amounts of time studying the Word of God so as not to lead people astray. 

I will write more on this soon, but would love anyone's comments if they do actually read this

For His Glory Alone,

Brian Moffatt

The Glorious Life of Christ

This Sunday is Easter!!!!  I can hardly wait.  It is such a bitter sweet joy to know that this is the week that we celebrate the death of Christ, and the fact that he did not stay in the grave!!!  Many people think that Jesus dieing on the cross for us was a horrific thing, which it was, but I think that it was the most loving thing that anyone could ever do for us.  This is love, not that we love him but that he loved us and sent his son as a propitiation for our sins.  I take such joy in the cross that gives me justification to come before an Almighty King, God, Judge, Savior, and friend.  Only in him can I put my trust and be satisfied.  Only in God can I find rest and salvation. 

It seems so often that sin can be so allusive in my life that even when I think that it is not an issue, that is truly when it has the firmest grip on my soul.  But I take joy in the God of my salvation knowing that it is he who causes me to walk in his statutes.  I am so glad that it is he that does it because I don't think that I would have chosen him if he had not chosen me first.  And it had to be before I was born because nothing in my life would resemble any reason as to why God Almighty woudl want to choose me.  And it had to be of reasons unknown to me because there is definately nothing in my life htat would constitute me as better morally or ethically or anything as anyone else as to why he would want such a broken vessel as myself. 

So this week has been a very interesting week.  I thought that I didn't have any tests this week since the beginning of the semester and then I realized that I have two really hard ones on Fri.  and they are going to be really hard.  Last night my car broke down and the starter went out.  I pushed it for three hours to get it out of the handicapped parking space that I was parked in, to another spot that was for anyone.  It totally sucked and I really don't have any money what so ever to pay for it. I have just found out that I have other financial concerns that I did not know about and have no idea where the money is going to come from.  I hate dealing with money because it is kinda an issue with me.  I am always afraid that I am not going to have enough or that I won't be able to pay rent or eat or something.  I do not know why, but I do have that fear. 

However, a much better thing to know and bank on is that it does not matter how my ministry is going or what my life looks like because despite the circumstances, I will find my joy in the God of my salvation.  He is in soverign control and I know that he works all things for the good of those who love him.  I know that I love God and want to do anything that brings glory to God.  So for some reason, God is being glorified through this situation and I will be strengthened that God is the ordainer of all things, both good and bad.  Praise God for saving me and giving me the ability to have a car and to know HIM!!  Derek Webb talks about this in one of his songs.  He says that even if the real deal of life looks and feels like death to him, he does not want medication.  If it is bringing glory to God and if God so chooses this in his life, then he does not want anything that would give him less joy in God.  I agree with that and would much rather feel the pain and  then joy than not feel the pain at all.  What do you all thinK?  Is anyone even reading these?  Who cares, I would enjoy it if people read these, but could careless if this gets any responses. 

Grace and Peace,

BMOFF

Life in Beaver Creek

Life is so good!!!  Beaver Creek is doing well.  I am making tons of money and am enjoying every minute that I spend here in Beaver Creek.  It snowed almost the whole day today and there was totally a whiteout on the mountain today.  Tomorrow is the last day that I will be in Vail because Fri. morning I go on the middle school and high school retreat with Bethel Baptist.  I am so pumped to go with these guys.  I am expecting God to do amazing things in the lives of these young people.  I also hope that God will work mightly in me and through me. 

School is going really well.  I am currently almost caught up with homework and am doing okay on tests.  I think that I should have all A's this semester.  That will be nice

Stuff with the middle schoolers in very rewarding.  I am enjoying it so much and I see God doing huge things in Josh and Jerimiah's lives.  Praise be to God for doing such an incredible work in their lives. 

My internship with Bethel Baptist is going really well.  I really enjoy my time spent with Rob and can't wait to do more of it this next fall!!  Then on to seminary!!!

Life is overall quite good and I am loving my time in the word and my time spent with God.  He is the most satisfying thing out there.  He is the giver and the source of all good things and praise his holy name for that!!  He is my joy, my inspiration, my entire reason for living.  If you all have the chance, read my new favorite book, The Bruised Reed, by Richard Sibbes, it is pretty much incredible.  All for now.

BMOFF

Currently Listening I See Things Upside Down By Derek Webb What is not Love see related

Spring Break is here!!!  After leaving Greeley only one hour later than I truly wanted to, I was bound for the great city of Vail, CO.  With most of the traffic at my back, because I was passing them all, I was heading to the place I really wanted to be, which actually was anywhere but in Greeley at the time.  I left Greeley at 30 degrees and arrived at Vail pass at 9 degrees and blizzarding.  There is going to be much new powder tomorrow.  It will totally be insane.  I am looking forward for a week of work where I can make some money and also a time that I will be able to ski some great stuff. 

I have had a lot on my mind lately.  Is ministry really the thing that God is calling me to do?  I really don't think that it is not, but lately it seems as though it is so hard to do ministry full time.  I know that I am only doing it part time, but it drains me emotionally, physically, and mentally.  I do not know why God would use such a broken vessel like myself to do his work.  I would think that he would do so much of a better job if I were not in the picture.  I say incorrect things, I do not treat his word correctly, I do not even treat people the way that they deserve.  I am playing on three intermural teams for soccer this semester and it is great.  But I am not always a great witness.  I want my life to be a reflection of what Christ has done in my life but it seems as though that is so hard when I want to be competitive on the field.  I am getting much better I feel at playing hard to the glory of God and not to the glorification of myself, but still I often fall.  In fact, as I think about it, there are only few times when I do not fall into sin in everything that I want to do.  I try so hard to not have any smoke in my life as the puritan Richard Sibbes would put it, but where there is a flame, there is smoke.  That is so frustrating to me.  I do not desire any smoke or corruption in my life or my ministry, but it is always prevailing.  If only there were even one day that smoke was not evident in my life, what a praise it would be to the Almighty, most high God of ALL creation!!  I am glad that there will be no point that I will be completely sanctified while I am on earth, but I do hate the sin that lives within me, that I am constantly battling physically, mentally, verbally, and emotionally.  There are so many battle fronts that if I focus on one, the others fall at the first shot. 

I am reminded of the sweetest passage in the Bible that is found in Habakkuk 3:17-19.  "Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail adn the fields yeild no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in teh stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take refuge in the God of my salvation.  God, the LORD, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places."  Lord, let that me be cry of my heart and my perception on life!!  That is all for now.  I hope that you all have a great spring break and know that the Lord who as begun the work in our lives as Christians will be faithful to complete it for his Glory first and foremost, and for our joy.  The grace of our LORD Jesus Christ be with you all.

BMOFF