The Insomnia Chronicles

this can't be good...

Bill Maher is such a hater and will use any means (sarcasm, bias, media, etc) to push his liberal agenda. This movie will, undoubtedly, make him lots of money - America's new God - and create more anger, fear & apathy towards 'religion'... He should be careful...

As for me, I say BRING IT!  I'm confident of my REAL relationship with God and will jump at the opportunity to stand up for truth & righteousness. 

After all...
The Message that points to Christ on the Cross seems like sheer silliness to those hellbent on destruction, but for those on the way of salvation it makes perfect sense. This is the way God works, and most powerfully as it turns out.

It's written,
   I'll turn conventional wisdom on its head,
   I'll expose so-called experts as crackpots.

So where can you find someone truly wise, truly educated, truly intelligent in this day and age? Hasn't God exposed it all as pretentious nonsense? Since the world in all its fancy wisdom never had a clue when it came to knowing God, God in his wisdom took delight in using what the world considered dumb—preaching, of all things!—to bring those who trust him into the way of salvation. 1 Corinthians 1:18-21 msg.

what does 'old' really mean?

Yesterday, as my family journeyed across the city to the southwest side, affectionately called Mexicantown, we passed through the historic community of Corktown. It is there where the Old Tigers Stadium stands...  but not much longer.  Yes, it's demolition has begun (click picture to see).

 

I love the new stadium, Commerica Park, and understand that it was long overdue.  Yet, for some reason it was sad to see the old stadium face the wrecking ball.  No funeral.  No goodbyes.  Simply torn apart piece-by-piece.  In a few months, no one will even remember it or talk about it...  kind of sad.  I'm not even a sentimental person, but I'm old enough to remember watching games played at the stadium.  For years, this was one of the central gathering places for all of Detroit.  It was a place of fun, escape, laughter and adventure. Now it's a place of sadness, weeds, silence and neglect.

It's so easy to embrace the new and forget our history.  We grab our NIV, NLT or Message Bibles and literally laugh about the KJV.  We sing to Crowder, Hillsong, Fee, and Delirious and close the hymnals on Wesley, Newton, Watts and Luther.  Preachers like Charles Spurgeon, A.W. Tozer, Billy Graham, Charles Finney and G. Campbell Morgan are replaced on our shelves by T.D. Jakes, Joel Osteen, Max Lucado and John Piper.

My question:  is everything we're doing 'progress'?

Dark Knight vs. Dark Night

What are you talking about this weekend??  Seems that most people are leaping at the chance to blow $9 on the new Batman movie.  Don't get me wrong, I'm sure it's good (as far as movies go...), but is that really the main thing we have to be concerned with this weekend?  The world around us is in 'darkness' and desperately needs the light of Christ to reflect upon it with truth, love and hope.  We can do this...

But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. 1 Thessalonians 5:4-6.

I'm striving to live with a greater awareness of the day and age that God has called me to serve.  To bring the light into the dark night.  I won't be talking about batman in church tonight or tomorrow, I'll be talking about the Lord.  Only a joker would do otherwise...  hmm.

...just another knight of the Light, chilly

FREEDOM... don't take it for granted.

The Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4th, 1776.  It was more than a statement that launched a nation with warm, fuzzy, sentiments.  It was a provocation for war.  The men that signed it were not adding their signature to, museum bound, document - they were signing their own death sentences. It would serve to inform England and the world that this nation would never be ruled by anyone but God. 

There, I guess King George will be able to read that. -John Hancock, after signing the Declaration of Independence.

So, on this day, we should do more than eat hot-dogs, chips & baked beans - we should pray and thank God for America.  For those that risked and, at times, gave their lives for freedom.  I want to share a few quotes with  you today to stir your hearts with praise and patriotism.  Let's honor the Lord today with how we celebrate and how we live. 

God bless the USA!

The United States is the only country with a known birthday. - James G. Blaine

In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved. - Franklin D. Roosevelt

It is the love of country that has lighted and that keeps glowing the holy fire of patriotism. - J. Horace McFarland

Freedom has its life in the hearts, the actions, the spirit of men and so it must be daily earned and refreshed - else like a flower cut from its life-giving roots, it will wither and die. - Dwight D. Eisenhower

Then join hand in hand, brave Americans all! By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall. - John Dickinson

May the sun in his course visit no land more free, more happy, more lovely, than this our own country! - Daniel Webster

One flag, one land, one heart, one hand, One Nation evermore! - Oliver Wendell Holmes

The secret of happiness is freedom, and the secret of freedom is courage. - Thucydides

My God! How little do my countrymen know what precious blessings they are in possession of, and which no other people on earth enjoy! - Thomas Jefferson

Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves. - Abraham Lincoln

Let freedom ring! - American Proverb

Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty! Free at last! - Dr. Martin Luther King

It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. ... I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will triumph in that Days Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not. - John Adams

monkey business?

Recently, there's been a lot of discussion about the recent release of Ben Stein's documentary: Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed.  This movie claims that "Big Science" suppresses criticism of both the evidence for evolution and the modern evolutionary synthesis, which is the theory explaining this evidence. In other words, science knows that this theory is woefully weak yet presents it as factual. I have not seen the movie... yet.  I plan to see it but I already have my mind & heart made up - I KNOW the CREATOR!

Friends, the God of the Bible is the God who created the universe. True science and Scripture will always agree - they both have the same Author! Science can tabulate the 'What', analyze the 'How', and probe for the 'Why'. But it cannot tell us the 'where from' or the reason for which the universe exists. It cannot say who you are or why you are here. It can tell us what we are able to do, but not what we ought to do.

            In science we have been reading only the notes to a poem;
                in Christianity we find the poem itself. C.S. Lewis

There's so much more to our relationship with Christ than the world can possibly begin to understand. To grasp it is to experience it... many peer through their scientific, man-made telescopes in order to better understand and ultimately define what and who we are - the problem is, they are looking through the wrong end of the telescope.  Ha!

Only fools say in their hearts, "There is no God." They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; no one does good! 2 God looks down from heaven on the entire human race; he looks to see if there is even one with real understanding, one who seeks for God. Psalm 53:1-2

• Have you ever had an evolution vs. creation debate?
• What is the your (Christian) responsibility in knowing both sides?
• Do you find it amazing that intelligent people really think we came from monkeys?
• Do you like bananas?  Hmmm...
• Are you ready for questions that are certain to come because of this film?

created and proud of it,
Chilly

another day to LOVE.

Get His heart into your head
and see the world through love.

God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son so that whoever believes in him may not be lost, but have eternal life. John 3:16

Today, amongst all of the heart shaped candy, long-stem roses, stuffed animals and cheap perfume; there will be many broken people.  Those that feel that they've tried love and been hurt or disappointed. Those jaded by unkept promises and misplaced affection. Those seduced by sin and starving for truth. 

Be God's valentines card to them!

THE Book.

Today, Real Church, will begin it's Bible read-through. We will spend 65-70 hours reading the amazing Word of God outloud, non-stop, cover-to-cover.  We have people signed up to read around the clock and we should end sometime early Saturday morning. We will also end our 40DAZE of fasting & prayer on Saturday as we launch NightLight (our new church/service) that night at 8pm.

I love Bible read-throughs!  Just hearing the Word read by so many people, young and old, with various accents and emphasis is so cool.  Some will read with great passion and volume, others with a humble whisper. Some with soft tears and others with exhuberant joy.  It's SO AWESOME!

So, as we enter this exciting time, I thought I would share some facts about the WORD:

• About 50 Bibles are sold every minute.
• Christianity is the world's most widespread religion (1,7 billion Christians).       
• The Bible was written in three languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Koine Greek.
• Dogs are mentioned 14 times in the Bible, and lions 55 times, but cats are not mentioned at all.    
  
• The Bible, the world's best-selling book, is also the world's most shoplifted book.
• The word "Christian" appears only three times in the Bible: Acts 11:26; 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16.       
• There are 66 books in the Bible, 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament.       
• The 66 books of the Bible is divided into 1,189 chapters consisting of 31,173 verses.
• The Old Testament has 929 chapters, the New Testament 260.
• The Old Testament consist of 592,439 words consisting of 2,728,100 letters and the New Testament 181,253 words consisting of 838,380 letter (total 3,566,480 letters).       
• The longest line in the Bible is Esther 8:9 - 89 words, 425 letters.
• The longest word in the Bible is Maher-shalal-hash-baz: Isaiah 8:1.       
• The shortest verse in the NIV Bible is John 11:35: "Jesus wept."
• The longest book chapter in the Bible is Psalm 119, the shortest is Psalm 117.       
• Obadiah, with 21 verses consisting of 602 words, is the shortest book in the Old Testament, and the third shortest in the Bible.
• 2 John has the fewest number of verses of any book in the Bible - it is the shortest book in the Bible.       
• 3 John has the fewest number of words of any book in the Bible.
• Job is the oldest book written in the Bible - it was written by an unknown Israelite around 1500 BC.       
• Malachi, written about 400 BC, is the youngest book in the Old Testament.
• James, written around 45 AD, is the oldest book in the New Testament.       
• Revelation, written about 95 AD, is the youngest book in the New Testament.
• The verse in the exact middle of the Bible is Psalm 117:8. There are 594 chapters before Psalm 117 and 594 chapters after Psalm 117.       
• Paul wrote 14 (of the 27) books of the New Testament.
• The word "Lord" appears 1855 times in the Bible.
• The word "eternity" is mentioned only once: Isaiah 57:15.

HAVE YOU EVER READ THE BIBLE COVER-TO-COVER?? 
        HOW MANY TIMES IN YOUR LIFE? 
                WHY DO YOU THINK IT'S SO DIFFICULT TO READ THE WHOLE BIBLE?

...  don't just read it, NEED IT!

PACZKI update.

ok... I'm fasting...

but, I ate a pączek today. our Xmin students went to every polish bakery in town to get paczki from each. they waited in various lines from 2 hours to 15 minutes... such dedication! so, out of curiosity, I tried a traditional one filled with the marmalade made from fried rose buds - it was...  yummy!  maybe because I haven't touched dessert for over 30 days. 

and now we just finished our Tuesday teaching time - X-Factor - spent 2.5 hours focusing on the Lordship of Christ!  Wow!! 

from here, we go back to the streets to shoot a late night video for NightLight (Feb. 16th) - we'll be all over Detroit from rooftops to alleys! 

I have a cool life. Thanks, Lord!

be sweet.

Have you been sweet today?

After all, today is: "Sweetest Day!"  Ahh yes, another day featuring chocolates, flowers, teddy bears, candles and expensive dinners.  Don't like it?  Well, friend, it's not going away - like it or not, it is gaining in popularity every year throughout the United States. Detroit, Buffalo and Cleveland have more Sweetest Day celebrations than anywhere else in the country, but the holiday is becoming well-known all over the country. 

A lot of people have STRONG feelings about today - here's a few:

"I think Sweetest Day is a big scam"

"It is just another day for Hallmark to make a profit. It is a nice idea but over the years it has turned into another form of Valentine's Day. It has turned out for people that are not in a relationship to feel bad about not being in a relationship."

"I think that Sweetest Day is definitely a silly, made-up holiday for Hallmark stores"

"But why not spend some money on my oh-so-beautiful girlfriend who deserves nothing but the best."

Sweetest Day, to me, is a bit silly and way too commercialized  - however, I'm well aware that I can use all the reminders I can get to be MORE SWEET!  I'm so blessed with a wonderful, gorgeous, honey-of-a-wife!!  And IF hallmark can't kick me in the butt a couple times a year - cool - kick away!!   So, yeah, there's a bouquet of flowers on the center of the table and there's been a little kissin' going on - sweet!  I'm glad I was reminded...

The Holy Spirit is even better at this than hallmark. He's constantly trying to bring out the best in you by reminding you to care more about others and less about yourself.  IF we ("I") listened more closely and carefully to Him, we'd be better in EVERY area of our lives!  HE'S SWEET!

The sweetest day of my life was the day my Heavenly Father gave me the Holy Spirit, through salvation, to come and live in and through me!! "If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" Luke 11:13

So, whether it's hallmark, the Holy Spirit, and/or me  -  BE SWEETER!  Do something right now.  And then, come back and leave a comment so that we can share in your sweetness...

Son Kissed,  Chilly

One...

Our youngest child, and little boy, Mr. Chase Truth Chilton is ONE year old today!  He, often called "happy," is such a joyful, loving and sweet little guy.  He makes everyone smile!  I'm so grateful for him (and all my kids, of course) - and I am so undeserving of such priceless investments. 

This picture is lunch time - his first (of many) spaghetti eating experiences!  I tried to capture his little left hand making a "one" but was a few split seconds late with the iphone... ha!

His official party is on the weekend - it's going to be a "lil' sport" theme since he loves "BALL"s of all shapes and sizes.  Shhh, don't tell him, it's a surprise.

I'm a happy daddy, Chilly

P.S. leave a comment for Chase, we'll post it in his baby book - some day he'll thank you!!