So... if you look to the right side of the page at all of the posts listed over the timeline, you'll see that there was about a three year period where I was seemingly absent. Let me explain... I decided to take a stab at a different platform, and bought a domain, and all kinds of writing was done during that period on that platform. I believe it can still be accessed, but I'm honestly not 100% sure. I'll probably try it out later today.
Of course, that also means that you who follow this page didn't get the notification of the publication of the third book. Therefore, I've included here a link to the author page (Total Recall - Dylan Stopher) at my publisher website, so that you can get your copy of any of my three works.
Also, you should know that I began writing poetry for spoken word purposes (a few posts up you'll see such a video of one of those poems). I've been asked to place my poetry into a book format, and am currently in the editing phase of that endeavor. I'm not entirely sure what I'll call it yet, or when it will be ready, but I do know that I'm excited to share it when it does release!
The last thing you should know is that in the time I have missed on this page, I've gone to Africa a second time, learned to play a drum kit, learned to play guitar, started filling in as a worship leader, and started trying to write songs for worship. So you'll get to hear a lot more about all of that in the future.
But in the meantime, our purpose is to study Scripture... and that is precisely what we will do.
Grace and peace to you!
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
Monday, January 11, 2016
Let me be...
Let me be quick to hear...
Let me be slow to speak...
And let me be slow to anger.
Let my life be
Full of Your grace and peace,
And let me live for the Savior.
Y'all... I wrote song lyrics! I know that might sound odd, but the truth is that I can write pride and poetry, but I've never been able to write song lyrics. Truth be told, though, I was inspired by a sermon.
It's the fault of our current pastor, as he's working through James. One resolution he proposed was that we should follow James 1:19 closely, because that is a wise thing to do. And... I mean... I suppose he's a little right. 😁
What he doesn't know is that James 1:19 is among those few verses that I have written out in a very personal manner, and that's the point of tonight's thought... I think you should do the same thing.
Just for you, just as a reminder of things that are important, write out verses like James 1:19 with your name in the verse. You'd be surprised how beautiful a moment it can be when you speak Scripture back to God in a personal manner... owning it... choosing it... living it out!
Grace and peace!
Friday, January 8, 2016
Unity
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1093955137316140&id=209849155726747
Please visit this link, friends, and listen to a poem on unity...
Grace and peace!
Monday, December 28, 2015
Aaaaaannnnnnnnndddd... we're back.
You know... I've noticed that I'm somewhat stagnant in my walk lately, and I think move figured out why. I'm not writing as often as I was. I used to write almost every day, and I grew and was challenged constantly.
So I'm gonna get back to it, and I believe that I'm going to begin with an objective look at the book of James. I hope you'll join me!
And, as always, I pray grace and peace over you and yours!
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
New Site Location!!!
Friends... even though the links have been cleared, I am going to stick with my new site location for future studies. I would ask that you who have faithfully followed me thus far continue to do so at the new address.
We will be continuing our path of study through many differently themed topics, and the same style of study will be maintained. However, I believe that a change of venue will be a good thing for the site, and a more secure location is never a bad thing.
One addendum to the new location you should all be aware of, though, is that no comment will ever be allowed to be anonymous. The new site I signed with doesn't allow it, even if I wanted it to be allowed, and that is why I removed the "4th Wall ministries" from the site address... I figure, if you can't be anonymous, why should I? With that said, if you intend to comment (which I always encourage at the highest level), please know that "anonymous" is not an option, and you'll have to list your name.
If that discourages you, I apologize... I pray that you'll copntinue to comment and share your thoughts as you have done in the past, because we all know that iron sharpens iron.
As it is, this will be the final post on this site, unless I decide to reactivate it in the future. Should you have any questions about this, you are welcome to email me directly at 4thwallministries@gmail.com.
And, as always, I pray grace and peace over you and yours, my Christian siblings!
God bless you all!!!
We will be continuing our path of study through many differently themed topics, and the same style of study will be maintained. However, I believe that a change of venue will be a good thing for the site, and a more secure location is never a bad thing.
One addendum to the new location you should all be aware of, though, is that no comment will ever be allowed to be anonymous. The new site I signed with doesn't allow it, even if I wanted it to be allowed, and that is why I removed the "4th Wall ministries" from the site address... I figure, if you can't be anonymous, why should I? With that said, if you intend to comment (which I always encourage at the highest level), please know that "anonymous" is not an option, and you'll have to list your name.
If that discourages you, I apologize... I pray that you'll copntinue to comment and share your thoughts as you have done in the past, because we all know that iron sharpens iron.
As it is, this will be the final post on this site, unless I decide to reactivate it in the future. Should you have any questions about this, you are welcome to email me directly at 4thwallministries@gmail.com.
And, as always, I pray grace and peace over you and yours, my Christian siblings!
God bless you all!!!
Monday, November 26, 2012
Warning
Friends, somehow there have been links coded into some portions of text in my postings... please do not follow the links, and please know that I did NOT add them.
I will most likely be migrating to Wordpress soon, and will maintain the domain name if I can. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Grace
I will most likely be migrating to Wordpress soon, and will maintain the domain name if I can. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Grace
Monday, November 19, 2012
The 7th of 7... part 5...
It's time to come to a close with this portion... and time that we look to a very pointed and descriptive verse from the letter to the Colossians. It is as powerful an admonishment then as it is today, and it must be heard and adhered to. It must be.
It's an interesting thought, right? "Put them away" has such a vivid connotation to me, because I'm always asking that my kids put their toys away, and put their clothes away, and put their dishes away. Of course, each one has a different meaning for "away," but it is an interesting point of discussion, I think, to put one's wrath and anger away.
I think of it like the toys and the clothes, because when they're strewn about the house, someone is bound to step on something, or break something, or dirty something, or rip something, or lose something... but if only those things were put in the place they belonged, that wouldn't happen. Now picture those little action figurines on the floor of your living room, and imagine that they were labeled with the words "anger, wrath, malice, slander, hatred, aggravation, agitation, temper," and so on. Husband, would you want your wife to trip over one of those? Wife, would you want your husband to do the same? Mom and Dad, how about for your kids? And kiddos, do you need your parents stubbing toes on these toys?
I call them "toys," because of the truth that we DO coddle and nurture our anger at times. We all do it, for one thing or another, and there's always some ridiculous and selfish reason to which we cling that we explain as our own personal justification for our anger. The reasons are different for everyone, and they spread wider than can be imagined in the list of possible answers, but everyone has at least one. And when we're feeling down, or someone steps on our pride a little too hard (or sometimes just looks in our direction in such a way that we can convince ourselves that there was a menacing glance directed at us specifically), we pull our toys out to play.
In Ephesians 4:26 (ESV), Paul teaches to "Be angry, and do not sin," which I would tie to this directly as saying that you can pull your toys out WHEN AND IF THERE IS REAL JUSTIFICATION, but they must be put away before you hurt someone with them. And now, without even realizing it, you're imagining telling me your excellent reason for being justified in your particular anger. Allow me to just say this... there was the Guy named Jesus, and He was arrested wrongfully; beaten beyond recognition publicly; tortured with no cause; put on trial wrongfully; accused wrongfully; convicted wrongfully; forced to carry His own device of crucifixion up to Calvary; hung on that cross with nails driven through His hands and feet, in the most humiliating way possible, with mockery on the ground among the guards, from one of the fellow recipients of the same punishment that day, and on a sign above His head; MURDERED through this awful means of execution called crucifixion; and mocked the entire time, with no remorse from anyone jeering, while a crown of long and sharp thorns was forced onto His brow and scarlet robes were paraded about Him. Yet, He said nothing except, "Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do" in Luke 23:34.
He. Is. Justified. And given what He endured, since He is the model, and His responses are the example, and we are charged to live as Christ lived, I will have to ask if I am justified. I would also ask that you ask yourself if you are justified.
Pick up your toys, folks. Be responsible with those things you do possess, and make certain they aren't left about to hurt other people. After all, it won't be the random passersby that you inflict pain upon... it will be those you hold most dear, because they are the ones walking around barefoot in your presence, while all of you are at home. It will be the ones that are closest to you, the ones you never in a million years would want to harm. It will be the very people you are intent upon protecting... trust me, because I know from personal experience.
God bless you all!!!
"But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth"
Colossians 3:8, ESV
It's an interesting thought, right? "Put them away" has such a vivid connotation to me, because I'm always asking that my kids put their toys away, and put their clothes away, and put their dishes away. Of course, each one has a different meaning for "away," but it is an interesting point of discussion, I think, to put one's wrath and anger away.
I think of it like the toys and the clothes, because when they're strewn about the house, someone is bound to step on something, or break something, or dirty something, or rip something, or lose something... but if only those things were put in the place they belonged, that wouldn't happen. Now picture those little action figurines on the floor of your living room, and imagine that they were labeled with the words "anger, wrath, malice, slander, hatred, aggravation, agitation, temper," and so on. Husband, would you want your wife to trip over one of those? Wife, would you want your husband to do the same? Mom and Dad, how about for your kids? And kiddos, do you need your parents stubbing toes on these toys?
I call them "toys," because of the truth that we DO coddle and nurture our anger at times. We all do it, for one thing or another, and there's always some ridiculous and selfish reason to which we cling that we explain as our own personal justification for our anger. The reasons are different for everyone, and they spread wider than can be imagined in the list of possible answers, but everyone has at least one. And when we're feeling down, or someone steps on our pride a little too hard (or sometimes just looks in our direction in such a way that we can convince ourselves that there was a menacing glance directed at us specifically), we pull our toys out to play.
In Ephesians 4:26 (ESV), Paul teaches to "Be angry, and do not sin," which I would tie to this directly as saying that you can pull your toys out WHEN AND IF THERE IS REAL JUSTIFICATION, but they must be put away before you hurt someone with them. And now, without even realizing it, you're imagining telling me your excellent reason for being justified in your particular anger. Allow me to just say this... there was the Guy named Jesus, and He was arrested wrongfully; beaten beyond recognition publicly; tortured with no cause; put on trial wrongfully; accused wrongfully; convicted wrongfully; forced to carry His own device of crucifixion up to Calvary; hung on that cross with nails driven through His hands and feet, in the most humiliating way possible, with mockery on the ground among the guards, from one of the fellow recipients of the same punishment that day, and on a sign above His head; MURDERED through this awful means of execution called crucifixion; and mocked the entire time, with no remorse from anyone jeering, while a crown of long and sharp thorns was forced onto His brow and scarlet robes were paraded about Him. Yet, He said nothing except, "Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do" in Luke 23:34.
He. Is. Justified. And given what He endured, since He is the model, and His responses are the example, and we are charged to live as Christ lived, I will have to ask if I am justified. I would also ask that you ask yourself if you are justified.
Pick up your toys, folks. Be responsible with those things you do possess, and make certain they aren't left about to hurt other people. After all, it won't be the random passersby that you inflict pain upon... it will be those you hold most dear, because they are the ones walking around barefoot in your presence, while all of you are at home. It will be the ones that are closest to you, the ones you never in a million years would want to harm. It will be the very people you are intent upon protecting... trust me, because I know from personal experience.
God bless you all!!!
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